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+links,original_context,chunk
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/paris-sciences-po-school-rejects-protesters-demand-review-ties-with-israel-2024-05-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Paris' Sciences Po school rejects Gaza protesters' demand to review Israel ties[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, May 2 (Reuters) - Paris' Sciences Po university has rejected demands by protesters to review its relations with Israeli universities, its interim director Jean Basseres said on Thursday, prompting some students to say they would start a hunger strike in protest.
+Students at several French universities, including Sciences Po and Sorbonne University have blocked or occupied their institutes over the war in Gaza, although not on the same scale as seen in the United States.
+""I clearly refused to set up a working group on our relations with Israeli universities and partner companies,"" Basseres told reporters after a townhall meeting with students and staff.
+Dozens of students promptly started a sit-in inside the university to protest Basseres' decision.
+""A first student has started a hunger strike, in solidarity with Palestinian victims, but even more so to protest against the way Sciences Po is repressing students who want to show their support for Palestine,"" said Hicham, a student at Sciences Po and one of the pro-Palestinian protesters there.
+More students would join the hunger strike, he told reporters, demanding that the university's leadership agrees for its board to hold a public vote on reviewing partnerships with Israeli universities.
+The townhall was one of the conditions set last week for Sciences Po students to call off their protests over war in Gaza. Many had also asked the university to cut all ties with Israel.
+Basseres said he was aware that refusing to put together a working group to review relations with Israel could anger some protesters.
+""I'm calling on all to show a sense of responsibility,"" he said, urging protesters not to disrupt exams set to start next week.
+The elite political sciences university would work on how best to organise internal debate on contentious topics, he said, adding that the university already had rules to review its partnerships.
+""The last ties that should be severed are the ones between universities,"" said Arancha Gonzalez, who heads Sciences Po's School of International Affairs.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Paris' Sciences Po school rejects Gaza protesters' demand to review Israel ties[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, May 2 (Reuters) - Paris' Sciences Po university has rejected demands by protesters to review its relations with Israeli universities, its interim director Jean Basseres said on Thursday, prompting some students to say they would start a hunger strike in protest. Students at several French universities, including Sciences Po and Sorbonne University have blocked or occupied their institutes over the war in Gaza, although not on the same scale as seen in the United States.
+""I clearly refused to set up a working group on our relations with Israeli universities and partner companies,"" Basseres told reporters after a townhall meeting with students and staff. Dozens of students promptly started a sit-in inside the university to protest Basseres' decision. ""A first student has started a hunger strike, in solidarity with Palestinian victims, but even more so to protest against the way Sciences Po is repressing students who want to show their support for Palestine,"" said Hicham, a student at Sciences Po and one of the pro-Palestinian protesters there. More students would join the hunger strike, he told reporters, demanding that the university's leadership agrees for its board to hold a public vote on reviewing partnerships with Israeli universities. The townhall was one of the conditions set last week for Sciences Po students to call off their protests over war in Gaza. Many had also asked the university to cut all ties with Israel. Basseres said he was aware that refusing to put together a working group to review relations with Israel could anger some protesters. ""I'm calling on all to show a sense of responsibility,"" he said, urging protesters not to disrupt exams set to start next week. The elite political sciences university would work on how best to organise internal debate on contentious topics, he said, adding that the university already had rules to review its partnerships.  ""The last ties that should be severed are the ones between universities,"" said Arancha Gonzalez, who heads Sciences Po's School of International Affairs.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pro-palestinian-protesters-occupy-building-columbia-university-cnn-2024-04-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police arrest dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - New York City police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators holed-up in an academic building on Columbia University campus late on Tuesday and removed a protest encampment the Ivy League school had sought to dismantle for nearly two weeks.
+Shortly after police moved in, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik released a letter in which she requested police stay on campus until at least May 17 - two days after graduation - ""to maintain order and ensure that encampments are not re-established.""
+Within three hours the campus had been cleared of protesters, said a police spokesperson, adding ""dozens"" of arrests were made.
+At the start of the police operation around 9 p.m. ET throngs of helmeted police marched onto the elite campus in upper Manhattan, a focal point of student rallies that have spread to dozens of schools across the U.S. in recent days expressing opposition to Israel's war in Gaza.
+""We're clearing it out,"" the police officers yelled.
+Soon after, a long line of officers climbed into Hamilton Hall, an academic building that protesters had broken into and occupied in the early morning hours of Tuesday. Police entered through a second-story window, using a police vehicle equipped with a ladder.
+Students standing outside the hall jeered police with shouts of ""Shame, shame!""
+Police were seen loading dozens of detainees onto a bus, each with their hands bound behind their backs by zip-ties, the entire scene illuminated with flashing red and blue lights of police vehicles.
+""Free, free, free Palestine,"" chanted protesters outside the building. Others yelled ""Let the students go.""
+“Columbia will be proud of these students in five years,” said Sueda Polat, one of the student negotiators for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the coalition of student groups that has organized the protests.
+She said students did not pose a danger and called on police to back down, speaking as officers shouted at her and others to retreat or leave campus.
+PROTEST DEMANDS
+Protesters were seeking three demands from Columbia: divestment from companies supporting Israel's government, greater transparency in university finances, and amnesty for students and faculty disciplined over the protests.
+President Shafik this week said Columbia would not divest from finances in Israel. Instead, she offered to invest in health and education in Gaza and make Columbia's direct investment holdings more transparent.
+In her letter released on Tuesday, Shafik said the Hamilton Hall occupiers had vandalized University property and were trespassing, and that encampment protesters were suspended for trespassing. The university earlier warned that students taking part in the Hamilton Hall occupation faced academic expulsion.
+
+The occupation began overnight when protesters broke windows, stormed inside and unfurled a banner reading ""Hind's Hall,"" saying they were renaming the building for a 6-year-old Palestinian child killed in Gaza by the Israeli military.
+The eight-story, neo-classical building has been the site of various student occupations dating back to the 1960s.
+At an evening news briefing held a few hours before police entered Columbia, Mayor Eric Adams and city police officials said the Hamilton Hall takeover was instigated by ""outside agitators"" who lack any affiliation with Columbia and are known to law enforcement for provoking lawlessness.
+Police said they based their conclusions in part on escalating tactics in the occupation, including vandalism, use of barricades to block entrances and destruction of security cameras.
+One of the student leaders of the protest, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian scholar attending Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, disputed assertions that outsiders led the occupation.
+""Disruptions on campus have created a threatening environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with the teaching, learning and preparing for final exams,"" the university said in a statement on Tuesday before police moved in.
+PROTESTS ACROSS COUNTRY
+The Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza, and the ensuing Israeli offensive on the Palestinian enclave, have unleashed the biggest outpouring of U.S. student activism since the anti-racism protests of 2020.
+Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also gathered at City College New York in Harlem late Tuesday, with the university ordering individuals off the campus, New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said in an X post. Dozens of protesters were arrested, the New York Times reported.
+Daughtry also said the university had requested police presence to assist in dispersing trespassers.
+The Chancellor at the University of California in Los Angeles said late Tuesday that law enforcement was engaged to investigate 'recent acts of violence' by a group of demonstrators and increased security in the area.
+Many of the demonstrations across the country have been met with counter-protesters accusing them of fomenting anti-Jewish hatred. The pro-Palestinian side, including Jews opposed to Israeli actions in Gaza, say they are being unfairly branded as antisemitic for criticizing Israel's government and expressing support for human rights.
+The issue has taken on political overtones in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in November, with Republicans accusing some university administrators of turning a blind eye to antisemitic rhetoric and harassment.
+White House spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday called the occupation of campus buildings ""the wrong approach.""
+New York Police Department officials had stressed before Tuesday night's sweep that officers would refrain from entering the campus unless Columbia administrators invited their presence, as they did on April 18, when NYPD officers removed an earlier encampment. More than 100 arrests were made at that time, stirring an outcry by many students and staff.
+Dozens of tents, pitched on a hedge-lined grassy area - beside a smaller lawn since planted with hundreds of small Israeli flags - were put back up days later.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police arrest dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - New York City police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators holed-up in an academic building on Columbia University campus late on Tuesday and removed a protest encampment the Ivy League school had sought to dismantle for nearly two weeks. Shortly after police moved in, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik released a letter in which she requested police stay on campus until at least May 17 - two days after graduation - ""to maintain order and ensure that encampments are not re-established."" Within three hours the campus had been cleared of protesters, said a police spokesperson, adding ""dozens"" of arrests were made. At the start of the police operation around 9 p.m. ET throngs of helmeted police marched onto the elite campus in upper Manhattan, a focal point of student rallies that have spread to dozens of schools across the U.S. in recent days expressing opposition to Israel's war in Gaza.
+""We're clearing it out,"" the police officers yelled.  Soon after, a long line of officers climbed into Hamilton Hall, an academic building that protesters had broken into and occupied in the early morning hours of Tuesday. Police entered through a second-story window, using a police vehicle equipped with a ladder. Students standing outside the hall jeered police with shouts of ""Shame, shame!"" Police were seen loading dozens of detainees onto a bus, each with their hands bound behind their backs by zip-ties, the entire scene illuminated with flashing red and blue lights of police vehicles.  ""Free, free, free Palestine,"" chanted protesters outside the building. Others yelled ""Let the students go.""
+“Columbia will be proud of these students in five years,” said Sueda Polat, one of the student negotiators for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the coalition of student groups that has organized the protests.  She said students did not pose a danger and called on police to back down, speaking as officers shouted at her and others to retreat or leave campus.
+PROTEST DEMANDS
+Protesters were seeking three demands from Columbia: divestment from companies supporting Israel's government, greater transparency in university finances, and amnesty for students and faculty disciplined over the protests.
+President Shafik this week said Columbia would not divest from finances in Israel. Instead, she offered to invest in health and education in Gaza and make Columbia's direct investment holdings more transparent."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pro-palestinian-protesters-occupy-building-columbia-university-cnn-2024-04-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police arrest dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - New York City police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators holed-up in an academic building on Columbia University campus late on Tuesday and removed a protest encampment the Ivy League school had sought to dismantle for nearly two weeks.
+Shortly after police moved in, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik released a letter in which she requested police stay on campus until at least May 17 - two days after graduation - ""to maintain order and ensure that encampments are not re-established.""
+Within three hours the campus had been cleared of protesters, said a police spokesperson, adding ""dozens"" of arrests were made.
+At the start of the police operation around 9 p.m. ET throngs of helmeted police marched onto the elite campus in upper Manhattan, a focal point of student rallies that have spread to dozens of schools across the U.S. in recent days expressing opposition to Israel's war in Gaza.
+""We're clearing it out,"" the police officers yelled.
+Soon after, a long line of officers climbed into Hamilton Hall, an academic building that protesters had broken into and occupied in the early morning hours of Tuesday. Police entered through a second-story window, using a police vehicle equipped with a ladder.
+Students standing outside the hall jeered police with shouts of ""Shame, shame!""
+Police were seen loading dozens of detainees onto a bus, each with their hands bound behind their backs by zip-ties, the entire scene illuminated with flashing red and blue lights of police vehicles.
+""Free, free, free Palestine,"" chanted protesters outside the building. Others yelled ""Let the students go.""
+“Columbia will be proud of these students in five years,” said Sueda Polat, one of the student negotiators for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the coalition of student groups that has organized the protests.
+She said students did not pose a danger and called on police to back down, speaking as officers shouted at her and others to retreat or leave campus.
+PROTEST DEMANDS
+Protesters were seeking three demands from Columbia: divestment from companies supporting Israel's government, greater transparency in university finances, and amnesty for students and faculty disciplined over the protests.
+President Shafik this week said Columbia would not divest from finances in Israel. Instead, she offered to invest in health and education in Gaza and make Columbia's direct investment holdings more transparent.
+In her letter released on Tuesday, Shafik said the Hamilton Hall occupiers had vandalized University property and were trespassing, and that encampment protesters were suspended for trespassing. The university earlier warned that students taking part in the Hamilton Hall occupation faced academic expulsion.
+
+The occupation began overnight when protesters broke windows, stormed inside and unfurled a banner reading ""Hind's Hall,"" saying they were renaming the building for a 6-year-old Palestinian child killed in Gaza by the Israeli military.
+The eight-story, neo-classical building has been the site of various student occupations dating back to the 1960s.
+At an evening news briefing held a few hours before police entered Columbia, Mayor Eric Adams and city police officials said the Hamilton Hall takeover was instigated by ""outside agitators"" who lack any affiliation with Columbia and are known to law enforcement for provoking lawlessness.
+Police said they based their conclusions in part on escalating tactics in the occupation, including vandalism, use of barricades to block entrances and destruction of security cameras.
+One of the student leaders of the protest, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian scholar attending Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, disputed assertions that outsiders led the occupation.
+""Disruptions on campus have created a threatening environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with the teaching, learning and preparing for final exams,"" the university said in a statement on Tuesday before police moved in.
+PROTESTS ACROSS COUNTRY
+The Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza, and the ensuing Israeli offensive on the Palestinian enclave, have unleashed the biggest outpouring of U.S. student activism since the anti-racism protests of 2020.
+Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also gathered at City College New York in Harlem late Tuesday, with the university ordering individuals off the campus, New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said in an X post. Dozens of protesters were arrested, the New York Times reported.
+Daughtry also said the university had requested police presence to assist in dispersing trespassers.
+The Chancellor at the University of California in Los Angeles said late Tuesday that law enforcement was engaged to investigate 'recent acts of violence' by a group of demonstrators and increased security in the area.
+Many of the demonstrations across the country have been met with counter-protesters accusing them of fomenting anti-Jewish hatred. The pro-Palestinian side, including Jews opposed to Israeli actions in Gaza, say they are being unfairly branded as antisemitic for criticizing Israel's government and expressing support for human rights.
+The issue has taken on political overtones in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in November, with Republicans accusing some university administrators of turning a blind eye to antisemitic rhetoric and harassment.
+White House spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday called the occupation of campus buildings ""the wrong approach.""
+New York Police Department officials had stressed before Tuesday night's sweep that officers would refrain from entering the campus unless Columbia administrators invited their presence, as they did on April 18, when NYPD officers removed an earlier encampment. More than 100 arrests were made at that time, stirring an outcry by many students and staff.
+Dozens of tents, pitched on a hedge-lined grassy area - beside a smaller lawn since planted with hundreds of small Israeli flags - were put back up days later.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In her letter released on Tuesday, Shafik said the Hamilton Hall occupiers had vandalized University property and were trespassing, and that encampment protesters were suspended for trespassing. The university earlier warned that students taking part in the Hamilton Hall occupation faced academic expulsion. The occupation began overnight when protesters broke windows, stormed inside and unfurled a banner reading ""Hind's Hall,"" saying they were renaming the building for a 6-year-old Palestinian child killed in Gaza by the Israeli military.
+The eight-story, neo-classical building has been the site of various student occupations dating back to the 1960s.
+At an evening news briefing held a few hours before police entered Columbia, Mayor Eric Adams and city police officials said the Hamilton Hall takeover was instigated by ""outside agitators"" who lack any affiliation with Columbia and are known to law enforcement for provoking lawlessness. Police said they based their conclusions in part on escalating tactics in the occupation, including vandalism, use of barricades to block entrances and destruction of security cameras. One of the student leaders of the protest, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian scholar attending Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, disputed assertions that outsiders led the occupation.
+""Disruptions on campus have created a threatening environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with the teaching, learning and preparing for final exams,"" the university said in a statement on Tuesday before police moved in. PROTESTS ACROSS COUNTRY The Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza, and the ensuing Israeli offensive on the Palestinian enclave, have unleashed the biggest outpouring of U.S. student activism since the anti-racism protests of 2020.  Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also gathered at City College New York in Harlem late Tuesday, with the university ordering individuals off the campus, New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said in an X post. Dozens of protesters were arrested, the New York Times reported. Daughtry also said the university had requested police presence to assist in dispersing trespassers. The Chancellor at the University of California in Los Angeles said late Tuesday that law enforcement was engaged to investigate 'recent acts of violence' by a group of demonstrators and increased security in the area.  Many of the demonstrations across the country have been met with counter-protesters accusing them of fomenting anti-Jewish hatred. The pro-Palestinian side, including Jews opposed to Israeli actions in Gaza, say they are being unfairly branded as antisemitic for criticizing Israel's government and expressing support for human rights."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pro-palestinian-protesters-occupy-building-columbia-university-cnn-2024-04-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police arrest dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - New York City police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators holed-up in an academic building on Columbia University campus late on Tuesday and removed a protest encampment the Ivy League school had sought to dismantle for nearly two weeks.
+Shortly after police moved in, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik released a letter in which she requested police stay on campus until at least May 17 - two days after graduation - ""to maintain order and ensure that encampments are not re-established.""
+Within three hours the campus had been cleared of protesters, said a police spokesperson, adding ""dozens"" of arrests were made.
+At the start of the police operation around 9 p.m. ET throngs of helmeted police marched onto the elite campus in upper Manhattan, a focal point of student rallies that have spread to dozens of schools across the U.S. in recent days expressing opposition to Israel's war in Gaza.
+""We're clearing it out,"" the police officers yelled.
+Soon after, a long line of officers climbed into Hamilton Hall, an academic building that protesters had broken into and occupied in the early morning hours of Tuesday. Police entered through a second-story window, using a police vehicle equipped with a ladder.
+Students standing outside the hall jeered police with shouts of ""Shame, shame!""
+Police were seen loading dozens of detainees onto a bus, each with their hands bound behind their backs by zip-ties, the entire scene illuminated with flashing red and blue lights of police vehicles.
+""Free, free, free Palestine,"" chanted protesters outside the building. Others yelled ""Let the students go.""
+“Columbia will be proud of these students in five years,” said Sueda Polat, one of the student negotiators for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the coalition of student groups that has organized the protests.
+She said students did not pose a danger and called on police to back down, speaking as officers shouted at her and others to retreat or leave campus.
+PROTEST DEMANDS
+Protesters were seeking three demands from Columbia: divestment from companies supporting Israel's government, greater transparency in university finances, and amnesty for students and faculty disciplined over the protests.
+President Shafik this week said Columbia would not divest from finances in Israel. Instead, she offered to invest in health and education in Gaza and make Columbia's direct investment holdings more transparent.
+In her letter released on Tuesday, Shafik said the Hamilton Hall occupiers had vandalized University property and were trespassing, and that encampment protesters were suspended for trespassing. The university earlier warned that students taking part in the Hamilton Hall occupation faced academic expulsion.
+
+The occupation began overnight when protesters broke windows, stormed inside and unfurled a banner reading ""Hind's Hall,"" saying they were renaming the building for a 6-year-old Palestinian child killed in Gaza by the Israeli military.
+The eight-story, neo-classical building has been the site of various student occupations dating back to the 1960s.
+At an evening news briefing held a few hours before police entered Columbia, Mayor Eric Adams and city police officials said the Hamilton Hall takeover was instigated by ""outside agitators"" who lack any affiliation with Columbia and are known to law enforcement for provoking lawlessness.
+Police said they based their conclusions in part on escalating tactics in the occupation, including vandalism, use of barricades to block entrances and destruction of security cameras.
+One of the student leaders of the protest, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian scholar attending Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, disputed assertions that outsiders led the occupation.
+""Disruptions on campus have created a threatening environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with the teaching, learning and preparing for final exams,"" the university said in a statement on Tuesday before police moved in.
+PROTESTS ACROSS COUNTRY
+The Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza, and the ensuing Israeli offensive on the Palestinian enclave, have unleashed the biggest outpouring of U.S. student activism since the anti-racism protests of 2020.
+Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also gathered at City College New York in Harlem late Tuesday, with the university ordering individuals off the campus, New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said in an X post. Dozens of protesters were arrested, the New York Times reported.
+Daughtry also said the university had requested police presence to assist in dispersing trespassers.
+The Chancellor at the University of California in Los Angeles said late Tuesday that law enforcement was engaged to investigate 'recent acts of violence' by a group of demonstrators and increased security in the area.
+Many of the demonstrations across the country have been met with counter-protesters accusing them of fomenting anti-Jewish hatred. The pro-Palestinian side, including Jews opposed to Israeli actions in Gaza, say they are being unfairly branded as antisemitic for criticizing Israel's government and expressing support for human rights.
+The issue has taken on political overtones in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in November, with Republicans accusing some university administrators of turning a blind eye to antisemitic rhetoric and harassment.
+White House spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday called the occupation of campus buildings ""the wrong approach.""
+New York Police Department officials had stressed before Tuesday night's sweep that officers would refrain from entering the campus unless Columbia administrators invited their presence, as they did on April 18, when NYPD officers removed an earlier encampment. More than 100 arrests were made at that time, stirring an outcry by many students and staff.
+Dozens of tents, pitched on a hedge-lined grassy area - beside a smaller lawn since planted with hundreds of small Israeli flags - were put back up days later.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The issue has taken on political overtones in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in November, with Republicans accusing some university administrators of turning a blind eye to antisemitic rhetoric and harassment.
+White House spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday called the occupation of campus buildings ""the wrong approach.""
+New York Police Department officials had stressed before Tuesday night's sweep that officers would refrain from entering the campus unless Columbia administrators invited their presence, as they did on April 18, when NYPD officers removed an earlier encampment. More than 100 arrests were made at that time, stirring an outcry by many students and staff. Dozens of tents, pitched on a hedge-lined grassy area - beside a smaller lawn since planted with hundreds of small Israeli flags - were put back up days later.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norways-wealth-fund-faces-growing-pressure-over-israel-investments-2024-04-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway's wealth fund faces growing pressure over Israel investments[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OSLO, April 30 (Reuters) - Pressure is growing on Norway's $1.6 trillion wealth fund to consider the terms on which it invests in Israel due to the war in Gaza, with several non-governmental organisations and parliamentarians calling on Tuesday for a total divestment.
+The fund's ethics watchdog is already investigating whether Israeli companies in which it holds shares fall outside its permitted investment guidelines due to the war. However, critics say this does not go far enough because recommendations from the fund can take months, if not years, to materialise.
+Universities and fund managers globally have been under pressure to divest due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which is now nearing the end of its seventh month.
+This extends to the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, which held investments worth 15 billion crowns ($1.36 billion) across 76 companies in Israel at the end of 2023, fund data shows, including in real estate, banks, energy and telecoms.
+They represented 0.1% of the fund's overall investments.
+""The Israeli economy is dependent on international investments and support from the United States ... so we must divest from the Israeli economy to stop the ongoing genocide,"" Line Khateeb, leader of the Palestine Committee in Norway, a non-governmental organisation, told Reuters.
+Israel rejects the accusation that its military operation is a state-led genocide campaign against Palestinians. It says it acts to defend itself and is fighting militant group Hamas.
+Khateeb was speaking outside Norway's parliament on the day its finance committee held a hearing on the fund's activities over the past year. Behind Khateeb, around 20 pro-Palestinian activists, some with a banner saying ""Deinvest now!!""
+Inside the building, left-wing lawmaker Kari Elisabeth Kaski asked the finance minister and fund officials why they had not tightened its ethical guidelines given the war in Gaza.
+Kaski wants parliament to place Israel under sanctions and instruct the fund to sell out of Israeli companies completely.
+Norway's central bank chief Ida Wolden Bache said the existing ethical guidelines had been thoroughly reviewed and held broad political consensus.
+The fund operates under ethical rules set by parliament, and over the years has divested from nine companies, all Israeli, over activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
+($1 = 11.0213 Norwegian crowns)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway's wealth fund faces growing pressure over Israel investments[/TITLE] [CONTENT]OSLO, April 30 (Reuters) - Pressure is growing on Norway's $1.6 trillion wealth fund to consider the terms on which it invests in Israel due to the war in Gaza, with several non-governmental organisations and parliamentarians calling on Tuesday for a total divestment. The fund's ethics watchdog is already investigating whether Israeli companies in which it holds shares fall outside its permitted investment guidelines due to the war. However, critics say this does not go far enough because recommendations from the fund can take months, if not years, to materialise. Universities and fund managers globally have been under pressure to divest due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which is now nearing the end of its seventh month. This extends to the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, which held investments worth 15 billion crowns ($1.36 billion) across 76 companies in Israel at the end of 2023, fund data shows, including in real estate, banks, energy and telecoms. They represented 0.1% of the fund's overall investments.
+""The Israeli economy is dependent on international investments and support from the United States ... so we must divest from the Israeli economy to stop the ongoing genocide,"" Line Khateeb, leader of the Palestine Committee in Norway, a non-governmental organisation, told Reuters.  Israel rejects the accusation that its military operation is a state-led genocide campaign against Palestinians. It says it acts to defend itself and is fighting militant group Hamas.  Khateeb was speaking outside Norway's parliament on the day its finance committee held a hearing on the fund's activities over the past year. Behind Khateeb, around 20 pro-Palestinian activists, some with a banner saying ""Deinvest now!!"" Inside the building, left-wing lawmaker Kari Elisabeth Kaski asked the finance minister and fund officials why they had not tightened its ethical guidelines given the war in Gaza. Kaski wants parliament to place Israel under sanctions and instruct the fund to sell out of Israeli companies completely. Norway's central bank chief Ida Wolden Bache said the existing ethical guidelines had been thoroughly reviewed and held broad political consensus.  The fund operates under ethical rules set by parliament, and over the years has divested from nine companies, all Israeli, over activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
+($1 = 11.0213 Norwegian crowns)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/lebanese-students-stage-rare-university-protest-against-israel-2024-04-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Lebanese students stage rare university protest against Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, April 30 (Reuters) - Hundreds of students gathered at university campuses in Lebanon on Tuesday to protest against Israel, the country's first coordinated university protests over Gaza, which participants said were inspired by sit-ins in the United States.
+Students, alumni and other Lebanese gathered at campuses in the capital Beirut and elsewhere on Tuesday, waving Palestinian flags and posters demanding their universities boycott companies that do business in Israel.
+Rayyan Kilani, 21, who is graduating this semester from the 150-year-old American University of Beirut (AUB), said students had decided it was worth risking their degrees to show support for the Palestinian cause.
+""Looking at the Palestinians in Gaza and students in Gaza that lost their universities, their lives and their families, a degree would not matter to us as much as a liberated Palestine from the river to the sea,"" she said.
+""Of course we were inspired by the protests in the U.S. and Columbia University in specific.""
+Pro-Gaza demonstrations in much of the Arab world have been muted, though Lebanon has seen some demonstrations organised by Palestinian factions and the allied Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
+At the AUB, around 200 people gathered in a campus square where they had been given approval by the administration to protest for two hours. Campus security barred protesters or journalists from venturing further into the university grounds and shepherded reporters off campus as the allotted window to demonstrate came to a close.
+At the Lebanese American University, some students briefly chanted ""Death to America.""
+""We want to show to show the whole world that we have not forgotten the Palestinian cause and that the young generation – which is aware and cultured – is still with the Palestinian cause,"" said 19-year-old Ali al-Muslem.
+Elsewhere in the Arab world, activists called off a planned sit-in on Tuesday at Jordan University in Amman, the country's main campus, although a rally was planned later on Tuesday near the Israeli embassy.
+On Monday, hundreds of students demonstrated in Tunisian universities and streets of the capital in support of the Palestinian people, while dozens rallied outside the French Embassy and near the municipal theatre.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Lebanese students stage rare university protest against Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, April 30 (Reuters) - Hundreds of students gathered at university campuses in Lebanon on Tuesday to protest against Israel, the country's first coordinated university protests over Gaza, which participants said were inspired by sit-ins in the United States. Students, alumni and other Lebanese gathered at campuses in the capital Beirut and elsewhere on Tuesday, waving Palestinian flags and posters demanding their universities boycott companies that do business in Israel.
+Rayyan Kilani, 21, who is graduating this semester from the 150-year-old American University of Beirut (AUB), said students had decided it was worth risking their degrees to show support for the Palestinian cause.
+""Looking at the Palestinians in Gaza and students in Gaza that lost their universities, their lives and their families, a degree would not matter to us as much as a liberated Palestine from the river to the sea,"" she said. ""Of course we were inspired by the protests in the U.S. and Columbia University in specific."" Pro-Gaza demonstrations in much of the Arab world have been muted, though Lebanon has seen some demonstrations organised by Palestinian factions and the allied Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.  At the AUB, around 200 people gathered in a campus square where they had been given approval by the administration to protest for two hours. Campus security barred protesters or journalists from venturing further into the university grounds and shepherded reporters off campus as the allotted window to demonstrate came to a close. At the Lebanese American University, some students briefly chanted ""Death to America.""
+""We want to show to show the whole world that we have not forgotten the Palestinian cause and that the young generation – which is aware and cultured – is still with the Palestinian cause,"" said 19-year-old Ali al-Muslem.  Elsewhere in the Arab world, activists called off a planned sit-in on Tuesday at Jordan University in Amman, the country's main campus, although a rally was planned later on Tuesday near the Israeli embassy.
+On Monday, hundreds of students demonstrated in Tunisian universities and streets of the capital in support of the Palestinian people, while dozens rallied outside the French Embassy and near the municipal theatre.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-are-some-people-groups-involved-us-college-protests-2024-04-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US college protests: Who are the student groups and others involved[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 28 (Reuters) - In the days since police arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University on April 18, a protest encampment has been re-established on the New York campus and hundreds of protesters have been arrested at schools from California to Massachusetts.
+The protests over the Israel-Palestinians conflict - and the response from administrators, politicians, faculty and students to the demonstrations - have roiled college campuses and divided the American public. Here is a look at some of the key players.
+STUDENT GROUPS
+The protests at Columbia have been organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which describes itself, opens new tab as a coalition of more than 100 student groups. It was founded in 2016, and unsuccessfully sought to end investments by Columbia in weapons manufacturers and other companies that support Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.
+Students, including Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian members, ""reactivated"" the coalition and its divestment demands after the deadly hostage-taking incursion by Hamas militants from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's fierce response in the Gaza enclave controlled by Hamas.
+Columbia students have organized both Muslim and Jewish prayers at the encampment, and some have given speeches condemning Israel and Zionism and praising Palestinian armed resistance.
+The lead CUAD negotiator in talks with university officials is Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian second-year postgraduate student in Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. Though he often stops by to speak to people at the encampment and to journalists, Khalil has not stayed at the protest camp.
+Among the lead student groups in the coalition are the Columbia chapters of Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine. The two decades-old anti-Zionism advocacy groups that protest Israel's military occupation have chapters across the country that have been key to protests on other campuses.
+Columbia suspended both groups in November, saying they had helped organize a protest that violated the school's events rules. The students, helped by the non-profit New York Civil Liberties Union, are suing the school, opens new tab, saying Columbia did not follow its own disciplinary procedures and that the punishment is disproportionate.
+NEMAT MINOUCHE SHAFIK
+The Egyptian-born international and public affairs professor has been president of Columbia University since last July. She was called to testify before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce about alleged antisemitism on campus on April 17. She told lawmakers, opens new tab: ""It is distressing that some in our community have acted in a manner that is inconsistent with our values.""
+The following day, Shafik authorized New York police to enter her campus to clear the protest encampment. A pro-Palestinian U.S. group filed a civil rights complaint against the university over its actions.
+HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
+The House of Representatives' committee and its subcommittees have held, opens new tab at least four hearings and events focused on student activity stemming from the conflict in Gaza, with member Elise Stefanik, a top House Republican, playing a key role.
+Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard University and Liz Magill resigned as president of the University of Pennsylvania after being criticized for their testimony late last year before the committee. They had declined to give a definitive ""yes"" or ""no"" answer to a question by Stefanik as to whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate their schools' codes of conduct regarding bullying and harassment, saying they had to balance it against free-speech protections.
+Virginia Foxx, the panel's chair, accompanied House Speaker Mike Johnson on a visit to Columbia University on April 24, saying in remarks on campus, opens new tab: ""Columbia University is in a freefall ... The inmates are running the asylum.""
+ASNA TABASSUM
+The University of Southern California selected Asna Tabassum, a biomedical engineering student with a minor in resistance to genocide, to be its valedictorian. Tabassum, who is Muslim and from a South Asian family, had posted a link to a pro-Palestinian page to her Instagram account.
+On April 15, the school announced, opens new tab it would not be allowing her to deliver the traditional speech at the school's graduation, citing security risks.
+""I am both shocked by this decision and profoundly disappointed that the University is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice,"" Tabassum said in a statement, opens new tab.
+USC announced, opens new tab on April 25 it would be canceling its main commencement ceremony altogether following student protests on that campus this week.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US college protests: Who are the student groups and others involved[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 28 (Reuters) - In the days since police arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University on April 18, a protest encampment has been re-established on the New York campus and hundreds of protesters have been arrested at schools from California to Massachusetts. The protests over the Israel-Palestinians conflict - and the response from administrators, politicians, faculty and students to the demonstrations - have roiled college campuses and divided the American public. Here is a look at some of the key players. STUDENT GROUPS  The protests at Columbia have been organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which describes itself, opens new tab as a coalition of more than 100 student groups. It was founded in 2016, and unsuccessfully sought to end investments by Columbia in weapons manufacturers and other companies that support Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. Students, including Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian members, ""reactivated"" the coalition and its divestment demands after the deadly hostage-taking incursion by Hamas militants from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's fierce response in the Gaza enclave controlled by Hamas. Columbia students have organized both Muslim and Jewish prayers at the encampment, and some have given speeches condemning Israel and Zionism and praising Palestinian armed resistance.  The lead CUAD negotiator in talks with university officials is Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian second-year postgraduate student in Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. Though he often stops by to speak to people at the encampment and to journalists, Khalil has not stayed at the protest camp. Among the lead student groups in the coalition are the Columbia chapters of Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine. The two decades-old anti-Zionism advocacy groups that protest Israel's military occupation have chapters across the country that have been key to protests on other campuses.  Columbia suspended both groups in November, saying they had helped organize a protest that violated the school's events rules. The students, helped by the non-profit New York Civil Liberties Union, are suing the school, opens new tab, saying Columbia did not follow its own disciplinary procedures and that the punishment is disproportionate.  NEMAT MINOUCHE SHAFIK
+The Egyptian-born international and public affairs professor has been president of Columbia University since last July. She was called to testify before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce about alleged antisemitism on campus on April 17. She told lawmakers, opens new tab: ""It is distressing that some in our community have acted in a manner that is inconsistent with our values."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-are-some-people-groups-involved-us-college-protests-2024-04-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US college protests: Who are the student groups and others involved[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 28 (Reuters) - In the days since police arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University on April 18, a protest encampment has been re-established on the New York campus and hundreds of protesters have been arrested at schools from California to Massachusetts.
+The protests over the Israel-Palestinians conflict - and the response from administrators, politicians, faculty and students to the demonstrations - have roiled college campuses and divided the American public. Here is a look at some of the key players.
+STUDENT GROUPS
+The protests at Columbia have been organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which describes itself, opens new tab as a coalition of more than 100 student groups. It was founded in 2016, and unsuccessfully sought to end investments by Columbia in weapons manufacturers and other companies that support Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.
+Students, including Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian members, ""reactivated"" the coalition and its divestment demands after the deadly hostage-taking incursion by Hamas militants from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's fierce response in the Gaza enclave controlled by Hamas.
+Columbia students have organized both Muslim and Jewish prayers at the encampment, and some have given speeches condemning Israel and Zionism and praising Palestinian armed resistance.
+The lead CUAD negotiator in talks with university officials is Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian second-year postgraduate student in Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. Though he often stops by to speak to people at the encampment and to journalists, Khalil has not stayed at the protest camp.
+Among the lead student groups in the coalition are the Columbia chapters of Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine. The two decades-old anti-Zionism advocacy groups that protest Israel's military occupation have chapters across the country that have been key to protests on other campuses.
+Columbia suspended both groups in November, saying they had helped organize a protest that violated the school's events rules. The students, helped by the non-profit New York Civil Liberties Union, are suing the school, opens new tab, saying Columbia did not follow its own disciplinary procedures and that the punishment is disproportionate.
+NEMAT MINOUCHE SHAFIK
+The Egyptian-born international and public affairs professor has been president of Columbia University since last July. She was called to testify before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce about alleged antisemitism on campus on April 17. She told lawmakers, opens new tab: ""It is distressing that some in our community have acted in a manner that is inconsistent with our values.""
+The following day, Shafik authorized New York police to enter her campus to clear the protest encampment. A pro-Palestinian U.S. group filed a civil rights complaint against the university over its actions.
+HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
+The House of Representatives' committee and its subcommittees have held, opens new tab at least four hearings and events focused on student activity stemming from the conflict in Gaza, with member Elise Stefanik, a top House Republican, playing a key role.
+Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard University and Liz Magill resigned as president of the University of Pennsylvania after being criticized for their testimony late last year before the committee. They had declined to give a definitive ""yes"" or ""no"" answer to a question by Stefanik as to whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate their schools' codes of conduct regarding bullying and harassment, saying they had to balance it against free-speech protections.
+Virginia Foxx, the panel's chair, accompanied House Speaker Mike Johnson on a visit to Columbia University on April 24, saying in remarks on campus, opens new tab: ""Columbia University is in a freefall ... The inmates are running the asylum.""
+ASNA TABASSUM
+The University of Southern California selected Asna Tabassum, a biomedical engineering student with a minor in resistance to genocide, to be its valedictorian. Tabassum, who is Muslim and from a South Asian family, had posted a link to a pro-Palestinian page to her Instagram account.
+On April 15, the school announced, opens new tab it would not be allowing her to deliver the traditional speech at the school's graduation, citing security risks.
+""I am both shocked by this decision and profoundly disappointed that the University is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice,"" Tabassum said in a statement, opens new tab.
+USC announced, opens new tab on April 25 it would be canceling its main commencement ceremony altogether following student protests on that campus this week.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"," The following day, Shafik authorized New York police to enter her campus to clear the protest encampment. A pro-Palestinian U.S. group filed a civil rights complaint against the university over its actions. HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
+The House of Representatives' committee and its subcommittees have held, opens new tab at least four hearings and events focused on student activity stemming from the conflict in Gaza, with member Elise Stefanik, a top House Republican, playing a key role.  Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard University and Liz Magill resigned as president of the University of Pennsylvania after being criticized for their testimony late last year before the committee. They had declined to give a definitive ""yes"" or ""no"" answer to a question by Stefanik as to whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate their schools' codes of conduct regarding bullying and harassment, saying they had to balance it against free-speech protections.  Virginia Foxx, the panel's chair, accompanied House Speaker Mike Johnson on a visit to Columbia University on April 24, saying in remarks on campus, opens new tab: ""Columbia University is in a freefall ... The inmates are running the asylum."" ASNA TABASSUM The University of Southern California selected Asna Tabassum, a biomedical engineering student with a minor in resistance to genocide, to be its valedictorian. Tabassum, who is Muslim and from a South Asian family, had posted a link to a pro-Palestinian page to her Instagram account. On April 15, the school announced, opens new tab it would not be allowing her to deliver the traditional speech at the school's graduation, citing security risks. ""I am both shocked by this decision and profoundly disappointed that the University is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice,"" Tabassum said in a statement, opens new tab.
+USC announced, opens new tab on April 25 it would be canceling its main commencement ceremony altogether following student protests on that campus this week.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-deliver-morehouse-commencement-address-over-student-faculty-concerns-2024-04-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden to deliver Morehouse commencement address over student, faculty concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has no plans to abandon giving the commencement address at Morehouse College, a historically Black men's college in Georgia on May 19, White House officials said on Monday, shrugging off criticism from some faculty and students over his Israel policies.
+White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday that Biden would proceed as planned at the historic college founded in 1867, whose alumni also include civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
+""He's looking forward to doing that. It is such an important moment in time,"" Jean-Pierre told a regular briefing at the White House.
+Morehouse spokesperson Jasmine Gurley said no changes were planned regarding Biden's speech. ""We're moving full speed ahead,"" she said.
+Miles Ross, a senior at the college, told Reuters he felt Biden's visit was ""clearly a political move.""
+""I'm totally against it,"" he said. ""People feel very strongly about what's going on with Palestine, Gaza, Congo, especially here on campus. So if he starts to talk about anything like that ... he's going to open himself up to a lot of scrutiny and criticism.""
+Biden, a Democrat, is seeking to shore up support among Black voters ahead of the November presidential election, where national polls show he is tied with former President Donald Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris started a nationwide tour Monday to promote the administration's policies to Black voters, especially men.
+Pro-Palestinian protests and encampments have spread at universities across the country in recent weeks, after Columbia University summoned New York City police to dismantle tents and arrest over 100 people.
+Some Morehouse faculty members and students want the college to withdraw its invitation to Biden over his administration's staunch support for Israel's war in Gaza, where the death toll has mounted over 34,500. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. aid since World War Two, and the U.S. has blocked several United Nations votes critical of Israel's attacks.
+Jared Loggins, a professor of Black studies and political science at Amherst College and alumnus of Morehouse, called the invitation a “moral disaster”, especially given the fervent anti-military views of Rev. King.
+Tom Perez, a senior adviser to Biden and director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, said Biden was looking forward to the visit, in part because of the school's connection with Rev. King.
+""Joe Biden came of age in the civil rights movement and his whole world view was formed as being part of the protest movement and in particular, the protest movement about the mistreatment of black people in Delaware and across America,"" Perez said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden to deliver Morehouse commencement address over student, faculty concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has no plans to abandon giving the commencement address at Morehouse College, a historically Black men's college in Georgia on May 19, White House officials said on Monday, shrugging off criticism from some faculty and students over his Israel policies. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday that Biden would proceed as planned at the historic college founded in 1867, whose alumni also include civil rights leader Martin Luther King.  ""He's looking forward to doing that. It is such an important moment in time,"" Jean-Pierre told a regular briefing at the White House.  Morehouse spokesperson Jasmine Gurley said no changes were planned regarding Biden's speech. ""We're moving full speed ahead,"" she said. Miles Ross, a senior at the college, told Reuters he felt Biden's visit was ""clearly a political move.""
+""I'm totally against it,"" he said. "" People feel very strongly about what's going on with Palestine, Gaza, Congo, especially here on campus. So if he starts to talk about anything like that ... he's going to open himself up to a lot of scrutiny and criticism."" Biden, a Democrat, is seeking to shore up support among Black voters ahead of the November presidential election, where national polls show he is tied with former President Donald Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris started a nationwide tour Monday to promote the administration's policies to Black voters, especially men. Pro-Palestinian protests and encampments have spread at universities across the country in recent weeks, after Columbia University summoned New York City police to dismantle tents and arrest over 100 people. Some Morehouse faculty members and students want the college to withdraw its invitation to Biden over his administration's staunch support for Israel's war in Gaza, where the death toll has mounted over 34,500. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. aid since World War Two, and the U.S. has blocked several United Nations votes critical of Israel's attacks.  Jared Loggins, a professor of Black studies and political science at Amherst College and alumnus of Morehouse, called the invitation a “moral disaster”, especially given the fervent anti-military views of Rev. King.
+Tom Perez, a senior adviser to Biden and director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, said Biden was looking forward to the visit, in part because of the school's connection with Rev. King.
+"""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-deliver-morehouse-commencement-address-over-student-faculty-concerns-2024-04-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden to deliver Morehouse commencement address over student, faculty concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has no plans to abandon giving the commencement address at Morehouse College, a historically Black men's college in Georgia on May 19, White House officials said on Monday, shrugging off criticism from some faculty and students over his Israel policies.
+White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday that Biden would proceed as planned at the historic college founded in 1867, whose alumni also include civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
+""He's looking forward to doing that. It is such an important moment in time,"" Jean-Pierre told a regular briefing at the White House.
+Morehouse spokesperson Jasmine Gurley said no changes were planned regarding Biden's speech. ""We're moving full speed ahead,"" she said.
+Miles Ross, a senior at the college, told Reuters he felt Biden's visit was ""clearly a political move.""
+""I'm totally against it,"" he said. ""People feel very strongly about what's going on with Palestine, Gaza, Congo, especially here on campus. So if he starts to talk about anything like that ... he's going to open himself up to a lot of scrutiny and criticism.""
+Biden, a Democrat, is seeking to shore up support among Black voters ahead of the November presidential election, where national polls show he is tied with former President Donald Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris started a nationwide tour Monday to promote the administration's policies to Black voters, especially men.
+Pro-Palestinian protests and encampments have spread at universities across the country in recent weeks, after Columbia University summoned New York City police to dismantle tents and arrest over 100 people.
+Some Morehouse faculty members and students want the college to withdraw its invitation to Biden over his administration's staunch support for Israel's war in Gaza, where the death toll has mounted over 34,500. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. aid since World War Two, and the U.S. has blocked several United Nations votes critical of Israel's attacks.
+Jared Loggins, a professor of Black studies and political science at Amherst College and alumnus of Morehouse, called the invitation a “moral disaster”, especially given the fervent anti-military views of Rev. King.
+Tom Perez, a senior adviser to Biden and director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, said Biden was looking forward to the visit, in part because of the school's connection with Rev. King.
+""Joe Biden came of age in the civil rights movement and his whole world view was formed as being part of the protest movement and in particular, the protest movement about the mistreatment of black people in Delaware and across America,"" Perez said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Joe Biden came of age in the civil rights movement and his whole world view was formed as being part of the protest movement and in particular, the protest movement about the mistreatment of black people in Delaware and across America ,"" Perez said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/gaza-protesters-disrupt-pariss-sorbonne-university-2024-04-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Paris police clear Gaza protesters at Sorbonne university[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, April 29 (Reuters) - Police moved in to clear dozens of protesters who had set up tents in a courtyard at the Sorbonne University in Paris on Monday to protest against the war in Gaza, students there said.
+The demonstration took place three days after protests at the capital's elite Sciences Po university and came in the wake of rallies in campuses across the United States against the conflict.
+""We set up tents ... like in several U.S. universities,"" Sorbonne student Louis Maziere said. ""We're doing all we can to raise awareness about what is happening in Palestine, about the ongoing genocide in Gaza.""
+""Police then came running in, brought down tents, grabbed students by the collar and dragged them on the ground, that's not OK... We're quite shocked,"" he said.
+Fellow student Lou said: ""What we're pushing for is peace and they answer with force and violence.""
+BFM TV showed footage of police dragging a couple of students out.
+A police source confirmed they had intervened to clear out the Sorbonne's courtyard.
+""This operation, which lasted only a few minutes, was carried out peacefully without incident,"" the source said, declining to respond to questions on how the students had been removed.
+The university, one of the world's oldest, closed its buildings for the day during the peaceful protests. Students chanted 'Free Palestine' and urged the institution to condemn Israel.
+Israel has imposed a siege on Gaza and mounted an air and ground assault in which at least 34,488 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities.
+Israel's actions came in response to an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 by militants of the Palestinian group Hamas in which 253 people were taken hostage and about 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli tallies.
+Several French politicians, including Mathilde Panot who heads the hard-left LFI group of lawmakers in the National Assembly, have urged supporters on social media to join the Sorbonne protests.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Paris police clear Gaza protesters at Sorbonne university[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, April 29 (Reuters) - Police moved in to clear dozens of protesters who had set up tents in a courtyard at the Sorbonne University in Paris on Monday to protest against the war in Gaza, students there said. The demonstration took place three days after protests at the capital's elite Sciences Po university and came in the wake of rallies in campuses across the United States against the conflict.
+""We set up tents ... like in several U.S. universities,"" Sorbonne student Louis Maziere said. ""We're doing all we can to raise awareness about what is happening in Palestine, about the ongoing genocide in Gaza.""  ""Police then came running in, brought down tents, grabbed students by the collar and dragged them on the ground, that's not OK... We're quite shocked,"" he said. Fellow student Lou said: ""What we're pushing for is peace and they answer with force and violence.""
+BFM TV showed footage of police dragging a couple of students out. A police source confirmed they had intervened to clear out the Sorbonne's courtyard.
+"" This operation, which lasted only a few minutes, was carried out peacefully without incident,"" the source said, declining to respond to questions on how the students had been removed. The university, one of the world's oldest, closed its buildings for the day during the peaceful protests. Students chanted 'Free Palestine' and urged the institution to condemn Israel. Israel has imposed a siege on Gaza and mounted an air and ground assault in which at least 34,488 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities.  Israel's actions came in response to an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 by militants of the Palestinian group Hamas in which 253 people were taken hostage and about 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli tallies.
+Several French politicians, including Mathilde Panot who heads the hard-left LFI group of lawmakers in the National Assembly, have urged supporters on social media to join the Sorbonne protests.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-columbia-students-protest-encampment-is-living-history-lesson-2024-04-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]For some Columbia students, protest encampment is living history lesson[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters) - Before students set up a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on a Columbia University lawn last week, some of them took an optional course called ""Columbia 1968"" about protests against the Vietnam War, a similarly galvanizing moment of campus activism.
+Frank Guridy, the Columbia history professor who has taught the class since 2017, along with a couple of his students stopped by the encampment at the New York City campus on Thursday to discuss the parallels at a teach-in called ""1968: Continuing the Fight."" Protesters listened sitting on mats on the grass outside their tents, eating free kidney beans and rice and kosher Passover snacks off paper plates from a nearby community kitchen set up on tables under canopies.
+The school administration suspended dozens of protesting students and had them arrested last week. Some of them say they are only acting on the lessons and education they have received on campus as they oppose Israel's war in Gaza.
+Bo Tang, a second-year undergraduate history student, said he was part of the student protesters' research group, which looked at the strategies and tactics of past and present social justice movements to ""try to take lessons from them.""
+The group interviewed alumni involved in the 1968 protests, some found through Guridy's class, Tang said, getting them to share lessons on building support for a protest movement.
+Tang and other students say classmates and professors previously agnostic about the protest showed up at the encampment after police were called in, including faculty who have donned yellow vests to help with security and safety.
+Protest encampments have also appeared at colleges across the U.S. and abroad in solidarity with the Columbia students, drawing criticism from the White House, many Republican lawmakers and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who call the protesters antisemitic and intimidating to Jewish students.
+Many Jewish students are among the organizers, though, and bristle at allegations of antisemitism. Over many hours spent at the encampment this week, Reuters journalists have seen students peacefully chatting, reading, eating and holding both Jewish and Muslim prayer ceremonies. There have been jazz performances, lectures, first aid courses, bouts of pro-Palestinian revolutionary chants and writing workshops. Sometimes heated but non-violent debates break out between anti-Zionist Jews and pro-Israel students visiting the camp.
+A typical sign warns those in the encampment, however, to be careful in their interactions with counterprotesters: ""WE DO NOT ENGAGE WITH INSTIGATORS.""
+'LIBERATED ZONE'
+The student protesters set up the encampment at dawn on April 17 without required school permission, demanding Columbia divest from weapons manufacturers and other companies that support Israel's government and military. The protests, held in coalition with dozens of other student groups, have been led by Columbia chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, both of which the school suspended in November for an earlier unauthorized pro-Palestinian protest.
+The day after the encampment was set up, Columbia President Minouche Shafik called in police, who arrested 108 of the students on trespassing charges, outraging some faculty. Students have since rebuilt the encampment, more bustling than before.
+Shafik, who declined interview requests through a spokesperson, has said she called police as a last resort for rule-breaking, that the encampment has caused ""rancor"" on campus, and that school policy cannot be dictated by a subset of students and staff. Her administration has been holding stop-and-start negotiations with the protesting students, while steadily filling adjoining lawns with bleachers and scaffolding ahead of the school's May 15 commencement ceremony.
+""We have our demands; they have theirs,"" she wrote in a campus-wide email.
+At his teach-in, Guridy and his students told the protesters how their 1968 predecessors were outraged by Columbia disciplining six students who had protested the school's ties to weapons research, and the university's plans to build a racially segregated gym near Harlem.
+The 1968 protesters occupied multiple buildings on campus and held the acting dean hostage for a day before police violently ended the occupation a week later, arresting some 700 students.
+The 2024 protesters decided to instead occupy one lawn of the main Columbia campus, noting that school administrators recently designated it for protests, albeit with permission.
+Maryam Alwan, a third-year Palestinian-American undergraduate student among those arrested and suspended last week, said the easily circumvented hedge-lined lawn was chosen so administrators could not accuse them of disrupting classes.
+""We looked at some of the imagery of the '68 protests,"" Alwan said. A famous photograph of the 1968 protests shows students holding a large sign saying: ""Liberated Zone."" The 2024 protesters erected a similar sign over their camp, and Alwan was delighted to see the sign since spread to other campuses.
+""My class is not a boot camp for revolution,"" Guridy said in an interview after his teach-in. ""It's a history class.""
+He called Tang one of his ""sharpest students.""
+Around protests, Tang still has to finish his final paper for Guridy's ""Columbia 1968"" class.
+""It's hard to get A-pluses in the humanities classes,"" Tang said. ""But I'm shooting for it.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]For some Columbia students, protest encampment is living history lesson[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters) - Before students set up a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on a Columbia University lawn last week, some of them took an optional course called ""Columbia 1968"" about protests against the Vietnam War, a similarly galvanizing moment of campus activism.  Frank Guridy, the Columbia history professor who has taught the class since 2017, along with a couple of his students stopped by the encampment at the New York City campus on Thursday to discuss the parallels at a teach-in called ""1968: Continuing the Fight."" Protesters listened sitting on mats on the grass outside their tents, eating free kidney beans and rice and kosher Passover snacks off paper plates from a nearby community kitchen set up on tables under canopies.  The school administration suspended dozens of protesting students and had them arrested last week. Some of them say they are only acting on the lessons and education they have received on campus as they oppose Israel's war in Gaza. Bo Tang, a second-year undergraduate history student, said he was part of the student protesters' research group, which looked at the strategies and tactics of past and present social justice movements to ""try to take lessons from them.""
+The group interviewed alumni involved in the 1968 protests, some found through Guridy's class, Tang said, getting them to share lessons on building support for a protest movement.  Tang and other students say classmates and professors previously agnostic about the protest showed up at the encampment after police were called in, including faculty who have donned yellow vests to help with security and safety.
+Protest encampments have also appeared at colleges across the U.S. and abroad in solidarity with the Columbia students, drawing criticism from the White House, many Republican lawmakers and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who call the protesters antisemitic and intimidating to Jewish students.
+Many Jewish students are among the organizers, though, and bristle at allegations of antisemitism. Over many hours spent at the encampment this week, Reuters journalists have seen students peacefully chatting, reading, eating and holding both Jewish and Muslim prayer ceremonies. There have been jazz performances, lectures, first aid courses, bouts of pro-Palestinian revolutionary chants and writing workshops. Sometimes heated but non-violent debates break out between anti-Zionist Jews and pro-Israel students visiting the camp. A typical sign warns those in the encampment, however, to be careful in their interactions with counterprotesters: ""WE DO NOT ENGAGE WITH INSTIGATORS."" 'LIBERATED ZONE' "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-columbia-students-protest-encampment-is-living-history-lesson-2024-04-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]For some Columbia students, protest encampment is living history lesson[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters) - Before students set up a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on a Columbia University lawn last week, some of them took an optional course called ""Columbia 1968"" about protests against the Vietnam War, a similarly galvanizing moment of campus activism.
+Frank Guridy, the Columbia history professor who has taught the class since 2017, along with a couple of his students stopped by the encampment at the New York City campus on Thursday to discuss the parallels at a teach-in called ""1968: Continuing the Fight."" Protesters listened sitting on mats on the grass outside their tents, eating free kidney beans and rice and kosher Passover snacks off paper plates from a nearby community kitchen set up on tables under canopies.
+The school administration suspended dozens of protesting students and had them arrested last week. Some of them say they are only acting on the lessons and education they have received on campus as they oppose Israel's war in Gaza.
+Bo Tang, a second-year undergraduate history student, said he was part of the student protesters' research group, which looked at the strategies and tactics of past and present social justice movements to ""try to take lessons from them.""
+The group interviewed alumni involved in the 1968 protests, some found through Guridy's class, Tang said, getting them to share lessons on building support for a protest movement.
+Tang and other students say classmates and professors previously agnostic about the protest showed up at the encampment after police were called in, including faculty who have donned yellow vests to help with security and safety.
+Protest encampments have also appeared at colleges across the U.S. and abroad in solidarity with the Columbia students, drawing criticism from the White House, many Republican lawmakers and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who call the protesters antisemitic and intimidating to Jewish students.
+Many Jewish students are among the organizers, though, and bristle at allegations of antisemitism. Over many hours spent at the encampment this week, Reuters journalists have seen students peacefully chatting, reading, eating and holding both Jewish and Muslim prayer ceremonies. There have been jazz performances, lectures, first aid courses, bouts of pro-Palestinian revolutionary chants and writing workshops. Sometimes heated but non-violent debates break out between anti-Zionist Jews and pro-Israel students visiting the camp.
+A typical sign warns those in the encampment, however, to be careful in their interactions with counterprotesters: ""WE DO NOT ENGAGE WITH INSTIGATORS.""
+'LIBERATED ZONE'
+The student protesters set up the encampment at dawn on April 17 without required school permission, demanding Columbia divest from weapons manufacturers and other companies that support Israel's government and military. The protests, held in coalition with dozens of other student groups, have been led by Columbia chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, both of which the school suspended in November for an earlier unauthorized pro-Palestinian protest.
+The day after the encampment was set up, Columbia President Minouche Shafik called in police, who arrested 108 of the students on trespassing charges, outraging some faculty. Students have since rebuilt the encampment, more bustling than before.
+Shafik, who declined interview requests through a spokesperson, has said she called police as a last resort for rule-breaking, that the encampment has caused ""rancor"" on campus, and that school policy cannot be dictated by a subset of students and staff. Her administration has been holding stop-and-start negotiations with the protesting students, while steadily filling adjoining lawns with bleachers and scaffolding ahead of the school's May 15 commencement ceremony.
+""We have our demands; they have theirs,"" she wrote in a campus-wide email.
+At his teach-in, Guridy and his students told the protesters how their 1968 predecessors were outraged by Columbia disciplining six students who had protested the school's ties to weapons research, and the university's plans to build a racially segregated gym near Harlem.
+The 1968 protesters occupied multiple buildings on campus and held the acting dean hostage for a day before police violently ended the occupation a week later, arresting some 700 students.
+The 2024 protesters decided to instead occupy one lawn of the main Columbia campus, noting that school administrators recently designated it for protests, albeit with permission.
+Maryam Alwan, a third-year Palestinian-American undergraduate student among those arrested and suspended last week, said the easily circumvented hedge-lined lawn was chosen so administrators could not accuse them of disrupting classes.
+""We looked at some of the imagery of the '68 protests,"" Alwan said. A famous photograph of the 1968 protests shows students holding a large sign saying: ""Liberated Zone."" The 2024 protesters erected a similar sign over their camp, and Alwan was delighted to see the sign since spread to other campuses.
+""My class is not a boot camp for revolution,"" Guridy said in an interview after his teach-in. ""It's a history class.""
+He called Tang one of his ""sharpest students.""
+Around protests, Tang still has to finish his final paper for Guridy's ""Columbia 1968"" class.
+""It's hard to get A-pluses in the humanities classes,"" Tang said. ""But I'm shooting for it.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The student protesters set up the encampment at dawn on April 17 without required school permission, demanding Columbia divest from weapons manufacturers and other companies that support Israel's government and military. The protests, held in coalition with dozens of other student groups, have been led by Columbia chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, both of which the school suspended in November for an earlier unauthorized pro-Palestinian protest.  The day after the encampment was set up, Columbia President Minouche Shafik called in police, who arrested 108 of the students on trespassing charges, outraging some faculty. Students have since rebuilt the encampment, more bustling than before.  Shafik, who declined interview requests through a spokesperson, has said she called police as a last resort for rule-breaking, that the encampment has caused ""rancor"" on campus, and that school policy cannot be dictated by a subset of students and staff. Her administration has been holding stop-and-start negotiations with the protesting students, while steadily filling adjoining lawns with bleachers and scaffolding ahead of the school's May 15 commencement ceremony. ""We have our demands; they have theirs,"" she wrote in a campus-wide email. At his teach-in, Guridy and his students told the protesters how their 1968 predecessors were outraged by Columbia disciplining six students who had protested the school's ties to weapons research, and the university's plans to build a racially segregated gym near Harlem. The 1968 protesters occupied multiple buildings on campus and held the acting dean hostage for a day before police violently ended the occupation a week later, arresting some 700 students. The 2024 protesters decided to instead occupy one lawn of the main Columbia campus, noting that school administrators recently designated it for protests, albeit with permission.
+Maryam Alwan, a third-year Palestinian-American undergraduate student among those arrested and suspended last week, said the easily circumvented hedge-lined lawn was chosen so administrators could not accuse them of disrupting classes.  ""We looked at some of the imagery of the '68 protests,"" Alwan said. A famous photograph of the 1968 protests shows students holding a large sign saying: ""Liberated Zone."" The 2024 protesters erected a similar sign over their camp, and Alwan was delighted to see the sign since spread to other campuses.  ""My class is not a boot camp for revolution,"" Guridy said in an interview after his teach-in. ""It's a history class.""
+He called Tang one of his ""sharpest students."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-columbia-students-protest-encampment-is-living-history-lesson-2024-04-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]For some Columbia students, protest encampment is living history lesson[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters) - Before students set up a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on a Columbia University lawn last week, some of them took an optional course called ""Columbia 1968"" about protests against the Vietnam War, a similarly galvanizing moment of campus activism.
+Frank Guridy, the Columbia history professor who has taught the class since 2017, along with a couple of his students stopped by the encampment at the New York City campus on Thursday to discuss the parallels at a teach-in called ""1968: Continuing the Fight."" Protesters listened sitting on mats on the grass outside their tents, eating free kidney beans and rice and kosher Passover snacks off paper plates from a nearby community kitchen set up on tables under canopies.
+The school administration suspended dozens of protesting students and had them arrested last week. Some of them say they are only acting on the lessons and education they have received on campus as they oppose Israel's war in Gaza.
+Bo Tang, a second-year undergraduate history student, said he was part of the student protesters' research group, which looked at the strategies and tactics of past and present social justice movements to ""try to take lessons from them.""
+The group interviewed alumni involved in the 1968 protests, some found through Guridy's class, Tang said, getting them to share lessons on building support for a protest movement.
+Tang and other students say classmates and professors previously agnostic about the protest showed up at the encampment after police were called in, including faculty who have donned yellow vests to help with security and safety.
+Protest encampments have also appeared at colleges across the U.S. and abroad in solidarity with the Columbia students, drawing criticism from the White House, many Republican lawmakers and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who call the protesters antisemitic and intimidating to Jewish students.
+Many Jewish students are among the organizers, though, and bristle at allegations of antisemitism. Over many hours spent at the encampment this week, Reuters journalists have seen students peacefully chatting, reading, eating and holding both Jewish and Muslim prayer ceremonies. There have been jazz performances, lectures, first aid courses, bouts of pro-Palestinian revolutionary chants and writing workshops. Sometimes heated but non-violent debates break out between anti-Zionist Jews and pro-Israel students visiting the camp.
+A typical sign warns those in the encampment, however, to be careful in their interactions with counterprotesters: ""WE DO NOT ENGAGE WITH INSTIGATORS.""
+'LIBERATED ZONE'
+The student protesters set up the encampment at dawn on April 17 without required school permission, demanding Columbia divest from weapons manufacturers and other companies that support Israel's government and military. The protests, held in coalition with dozens of other student groups, have been led by Columbia chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, both of which the school suspended in November for an earlier unauthorized pro-Palestinian protest.
+The day after the encampment was set up, Columbia President Minouche Shafik called in police, who arrested 108 of the students on trespassing charges, outraging some faculty. Students have since rebuilt the encampment, more bustling than before.
+Shafik, who declined interview requests through a spokesperson, has said she called police as a last resort for rule-breaking, that the encampment has caused ""rancor"" on campus, and that school policy cannot be dictated by a subset of students and staff. Her administration has been holding stop-and-start negotiations with the protesting students, while steadily filling adjoining lawns with bleachers and scaffolding ahead of the school's May 15 commencement ceremony.
+""We have our demands; they have theirs,"" she wrote in a campus-wide email.
+At his teach-in, Guridy and his students told the protesters how their 1968 predecessors were outraged by Columbia disciplining six students who had protested the school's ties to weapons research, and the university's plans to build a racially segregated gym near Harlem.
+The 1968 protesters occupied multiple buildings on campus and held the acting dean hostage for a day before police violently ended the occupation a week later, arresting some 700 students.
+The 2024 protesters decided to instead occupy one lawn of the main Columbia campus, noting that school administrators recently designated it for protests, albeit with permission.
+Maryam Alwan, a third-year Palestinian-American undergraduate student among those arrested and suspended last week, said the easily circumvented hedge-lined lawn was chosen so administrators could not accuse them of disrupting classes.
+""We looked at some of the imagery of the '68 protests,"" Alwan said. A famous photograph of the 1968 protests shows students holding a large sign saying: ""Liberated Zone."" The 2024 protesters erected a similar sign over their camp, and Alwan was delighted to see the sign since spread to other campuses.
+""My class is not a boot camp for revolution,"" Guridy said in an interview after his teach-in. ""It's a history class.""
+He called Tang one of his ""sharpest students.""
+Around protests, Tang still has to finish his final paper for Guridy's ""Columbia 1968"" class.
+""It's hard to get A-pluses in the humanities classes,"" Tang said. ""But I'm shooting for it.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Around protests, Tang still has to finish his final paper for Guridy's ""Columbia 1968"" class.  ""It's hard to get A-pluses in the humanities classes,"" Tang said. ""But I'm shooting for it.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/china-host-hamas-fatah-palestinian-unity-talks-2024-04-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]China to host Hamas, Fatah for Palestinian unity talks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING/CAIRO, April 26 (Reuters) - China will host Palestinian unity talks between Islamist militant group Hamas and its rivals Fatah, the two groups and a Beijing-based diplomat said on Friday, a notable Chinese foray into Palestinian diplomacy amid the war in the Gaza Strip.
+Hamas, which controls Gaza, is the group whose fighters stormed into Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas in an onslaught that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.
+Fatah is the movement of Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli occupied West Bank.
+The two rival Palestinian factions have failed to heal their political disputes since Hamas fighters expelled Fatah from Gaza in a short war in 2007. Washington is wary of moves to reconcile the two groups, as it supports the PA but has banned Hamas as terrorists.
+A Fatah official told Reuters a delegation, led by the group's senior official Azzam Al-Ahmed, had left for China. A Hamas official said the faction's team for the talks, led by senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk, would be flying there later on Friday.
+""We support strengthening the authority of the Palestinian National Authority, and support all Palestinian factions in achieving reconciliation and increasing solidarity through dialogue and consultation,"" said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a regular briefing on Friday, without confirming the meeting.
+The visit will be the first time a Hamas delegation is publicly known to have gone to China since the start of the war in Gaza. A Chinese diplomat, Wang Kejian, met Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar last month, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
+The Beijing-based diplomat, who had been briefed on the matter, said the talks aimed to support efforts to reconcile the two Palestinian rival groups.
+China has lately demonstrated growing diplomatic influence in the Middle East, where it enjoys strong ties with Arab nations and Iran. Last year, Beijing brokered a breakthrough peace deal between longstanding regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials in Beijing on Friday how China can play a constructive role in global crises, including the Middle East.
+Chinese officials have ramped up advocacy for the Palestinians in international forums in recent months, calling for a larger-scale Israeli-Palestinian peace conference and a specific timetable to implement a two-state solution.
+In February, Beijing urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to give its opinion on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories, which it said was illegal.
+More recently, China has been pushing for Palestine to join the United Nations, which Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi said last week would ""rectify a prolonged historical injustice"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]China to host Hamas, Fatah for Palestinian unity talks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING/CAIRO, April 26 (Reuters) - China will host Palestinian unity talks between Islamist militant group Hamas and its rivals Fatah, the two groups and a Beijing-based diplomat said on Friday, a notable Chinese foray into Palestinian diplomacy amid the war in the Gaza Strip. Hamas, which controls Gaza, is the group whose fighters stormed into Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas in an onslaught that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians. Fatah is the movement of Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli occupied West Bank. The two rival Palestinian factions have failed to heal their political disputes since Hamas fighters expelled Fatah from Gaza in a short war in 2007. Washington is wary of moves to reconcile the two groups, as it supports the PA but has banned Hamas as terrorists.  A Fatah official told Reuters a delegation, led by the group's senior official Azzam Al-Ahmed, had left for China. A Hamas official said the faction's team for the talks, led by senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk, would be flying there later on Friday. ""We support strengthening the authority of the Palestinian National Authority, and support all Palestinian factions in achieving reconciliation and increasing solidarity through dialogue and consultation,"" said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a regular briefing on Friday, without confirming the meeting.  The visit will be the first time a Hamas delegation is publicly known to have gone to China since the start of the war in Gaza. A Chinese diplomat, Wang Kejian, met Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar last month, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. The Beijing-based diplomat, who had been briefed on the matter, said the talks aimed to support efforts to reconcile the two Palestinian rival groups.  China has lately demonstrated growing diplomatic influence in the Middle East, where it enjoys strong ties with Arab nations and Iran. Last year, Beijing brokered a breakthrough peace deal between longstanding regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials in Beijing on Friday how China can play a constructive role in global crises, including the Middle East."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/china-host-hamas-fatah-palestinian-unity-talks-2024-04-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]China to host Hamas, Fatah for Palestinian unity talks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING/CAIRO, April 26 (Reuters) - China will host Palestinian unity talks between Islamist militant group Hamas and its rivals Fatah, the two groups and a Beijing-based diplomat said on Friday, a notable Chinese foray into Palestinian diplomacy amid the war in the Gaza Strip.
+Hamas, which controls Gaza, is the group whose fighters stormed into Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas in an onslaught that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.
+Fatah is the movement of Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli occupied West Bank.
+The two rival Palestinian factions have failed to heal their political disputes since Hamas fighters expelled Fatah from Gaza in a short war in 2007. Washington is wary of moves to reconcile the two groups, as it supports the PA but has banned Hamas as terrorists.
+A Fatah official told Reuters a delegation, led by the group's senior official Azzam Al-Ahmed, had left for China. A Hamas official said the faction's team for the talks, led by senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk, would be flying there later on Friday.
+""We support strengthening the authority of the Palestinian National Authority, and support all Palestinian factions in achieving reconciliation and increasing solidarity through dialogue and consultation,"" said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a regular briefing on Friday, without confirming the meeting.
+The visit will be the first time a Hamas delegation is publicly known to have gone to China since the start of the war in Gaza. A Chinese diplomat, Wang Kejian, met Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar last month, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
+The Beijing-based diplomat, who had been briefed on the matter, said the talks aimed to support efforts to reconcile the two Palestinian rival groups.
+China has lately demonstrated growing diplomatic influence in the Middle East, where it enjoys strong ties with Arab nations and Iran. Last year, Beijing brokered a breakthrough peace deal between longstanding regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials in Beijing on Friday how China can play a constructive role in global crises, including the Middle East.
+Chinese officials have ramped up advocacy for the Palestinians in international forums in recent months, calling for a larger-scale Israeli-Palestinian peace conference and a specific timetable to implement a two-state solution.
+In February, Beijing urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to give its opinion on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories, which it said was illegal.
+More recently, China has been pushing for Palestine to join the United Nations, which Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi said last week would ""rectify a prolonged historical injustice"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Chinese officials have ramped up advocacy for the Palestinians in international forums in recent months, calling for a larger-scale Israeli-Palestinian peace conference and a specific timetable to implement a two-state solution.
+In February, Beijing urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to give its opinion on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories, which it said was illegal.
+More recently, China has been pushing for Palestine to join the United Nations, which Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi said last week would ""rectify a prolonged historical injustice"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/paraglider-emoticons-added-columbia-university-protest-image-2024-04-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Paraglider emoticons added to Columbia University protest image[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]There is no evidence that the pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University on April 17, 2024, featured installations mimicking paragliders who were part of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
+A photograph of such installations at the protest shows signs of being manipulated to add paraglider emoticons, according to an image analyst.
+The image was shared online after Columbia University students set up tents on university lawns to call for divestment from Israel, opens new tab after Nemat Minouche Shafik, the university’s president, was accused of failing to protect Jewish students on campus at a U.S. congressional committee hearing on April 17, 2024.
+Shafik responded by strongly denouncing antisemitic behavior by students and professors at Columbia.
+Posts sharing the image, opens new tab online said in part: “Columbia University free Palestine mob used decorations of paragliders in their camp out protest on campus. This is because Hamas terrorists used paragliders on Oct 7 to attack the Nova music festival where they committed mass murder and rape of civilians, in addition to kidnapping.”
+Another post with the image is captioned: “Did Columbia students use dummies of paragliders as decor in their Gaza solidarity camp?”
+The paragliders image alludes to the hundreds of Hamas gunmen that stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, on paragliders, motorbikes and four-wheel drives, killing at least 1200 people and taking 253 hostages.
+However, images from the demonstration published by the Columbia student newspaper, opens new tab and media outlets, opens new tab did not show any such paraglider installations.
+One of the organizers of the protest, National Students for Justice in Palestine, told Reuters in an email that there were no paraglider dummies installed at the protest.
+The source of the original image could not be verified, but the version circulating online features the paraglider emoticon, opens new tab that can be added to images on an iPhone.
+An image analysis by Siwei Lyu, a professor of computer science and engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo, shared with Reuters via email also concluded that the image was altered to include paraglider emoji.
+Columbia University did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
+VERDICT
+No evidence. An image of a pro-Palestinian protest at the Colombia University has been altered to feature paraglider emoticons.
+This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Paraglider emoticons added to Columbia University protest image[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]There is no evidence that the pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University on April 17, 2024, featured installations mimicking paragliders who were part of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. A photograph of such installations at the protest shows signs of being manipulated to add paraglider emoticons, according to an image analyst. The image was shared online after Columbia University students set up tents on university lawns to call for divestment from Israel, opens new tab after Nemat Minouche Shafik, the university’s president, was accused of failing to protect Jewish students on campus at a U.S. congressional committee hearing on April 17, 2024. Shafik responded by strongly denouncing antisemitic behavior by students and professors at Columbia.  Posts sharing the image, opens new tab online said in part: “Columbia University free Palestine mob used decorations of paragliders in their camp out protest on campus. This is because Hamas terrorists used paragliders on Oct 7 to attack the Nova music festival where they committed mass murder and rape of civilians, in addition to kidnapping. ” Another post with the image is captioned: “Did Columbia students use dummies of paragliders as decor in their Gaza solidarity camp?” The paragliders image alludes to the hundreds of Hamas gunmen that stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, on paragliders, motorbikes and four-wheel drives, killing at least 1200 people and taking 253 hostages. However, images from the demonstration published by the Columbia student newspaper, opens new tab and media outlets, opens new tab did not show any such paraglider installations. One of the organizers of the protest, National Students for Justice in Palestine, told Reuters in an email that there were no paraglider dummies installed at the protest. The source of the original image could not be verified, but the version circulating online features the paraglider emoticon, opens new tab that can be added to images on an iPhone. An image analysis by Siwei Lyu, a professor of computer science and engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo, shared with Reuters via email also concluded that the image was altered to include paraglider emoji.
+Columbia University did not immediately respond to requests for comment.  VERDICT
+No evidence. An image of a pro-Palestinian protest at the Colombia University has been altered to feature paraglider emoticons. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.  Read more about our fact-checking work[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/columbia-university-faces-federal-complaint-after-arresting-anti-war-protesters-2024-04-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Columbia University faces federal complaint after arresting anti-war protesters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - A pro-Palestinian U.S. group filed a federal civil rights complaint against Columbia University following last week's mass arrest of anti-war protesters after the school called police to clear demonstrator encampments, the group said on Thursday.
+Palestine Legal, an organization that seeks to protect the rights of people in the U.S. to speak out on behalf of Palestinians, urged the U.S. Education Department to probe the school's actions, which it alleges were discriminatory against those who are pro-Palestinian.
+Columbia University declined to comment.
+Last week, the university tried to shut down campus demonstrations by force when Columbia President Minouche Shafik took the unusual move, opens new tab of inviting New York City police to enter the campus, drawing the ire of many human rights groups, students and faculty. More than 100 people were arrested, reminiscent of the demonstrations against the Vietnam War at Columbia more than 50 years ago.
+Protests have since continued at Columbia, opens new tab and spread to other U.S. campuses, opens new tab where hundreds have been arrested in the last week.
+The demonstrators were calling for an end to the Gaza war, during which Israel has killed 34,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, displacing nearly all of Gaza's population and leading to widespread hunger, opens new tab and genocide allegations, opens new tab that Israel denies. The war has caused intense discourse, opens new tab across the United States, Israel's most important ally, opens new tab.
+Advocacy groups note a rise in hate and bias against Jews, opens new tab, Arabs and Palestinians, opens new tab.
+Alarming U.S. incidents include the fatal October stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American in Illinois, the November shooting of three students, opens new tab of Palestinian descent in Vermont and the February stabbing of a Palestinian American man, opens new tab in Texas.
+U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said on Thursday he was following reports of allegations of antisemitism on college campuses. Earlier this month, a former Cornell University student pleaded guilty, opens new tab to posting online threats, including of death and violence, against Jewish students on campus.
+Israel attacked Gaza after Islamist Hamas militants attacked, opens new tab Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation while Israel says its actions since Oct. 7 have been in self defense following those attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Columbia University faces federal complaint after arresting anti-war protesters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - A pro-Palestinian U.S. group filed a federal civil rights complaint against Columbia University following last week's mass arrest of anti-war protesters after the school called police to clear demonstrator encampments, the group said on Thursday. Palestine Legal, an organization that seeks to protect the rights of people in the U.S. to speak out on behalf of Palestinians, urged the U.S. Education Department to probe the school's actions, which it alleges were discriminatory against those who are pro-Palestinian.  Columbia University declined to comment. Last week, the university tried to shut down campus demonstrations by force when Columbia President Minouche Shafik took the unusual move, opens new tab of inviting New York City police to enter the campus, drawing the ire of many human rights groups, students and faculty. More than 100 people were arrested, reminiscent of the demonstrations against the Vietnam War at Columbia more than 50 years ago. Protests have since continued at Columbia, opens new tab and spread to other U.S. campuses, opens new tab where hundreds have been arrested in the last week. The demonstrators were calling for an end to the Gaza war, during which Israel has killed 34,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, displacing nearly all of Gaza's population and leading to widespread hunger, opens new tab and genocide allegations, opens new tab that Israel denies. The war has caused intense discourse, opens new tab across the United States, Israel's most important ally, opens new tab. Advocacy groups note a rise in hate and bias against Jews, opens new tab, Arabs and Palestinians, opens new tab. Alarming U.S. incidents include the fatal October stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American in Illinois, the November shooting of three students, opens new tab of Palestinian descent in Vermont and the February stabbing of a Palestinian American man, opens new tab in Texas. U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said on Thursday he was following reports of allegations of antisemitism on college campuses. Earlier this month, a former Cornell University student pleaded guilty, opens new tab to posting online threats, including of death and violence, against Jewish students on campus.  Israel attacked Gaza after Islamist Hamas militants attacked, opens new tab Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation while Israel says its actions since Oct. 7 have been in self defense following those attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-behind-pro-palestinian-protests-us-universities-2024-04-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is behind US college protests over Israel-Gaza war?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 23 (Reuters) - Student protests in the U.S. over the war in Gaza have intensified and expanded over the past week, with a number of encampments now in place at colleges including Columbia, Yale, and New York University. Police have been called in to several campuses to arrest demonstrators.
+Here are some details on the protests:
+WHAT ARE THE PROTESTERS DEMANDING?
+Across campuses where protests have broken out, students have issued calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to U.S. military assistance for Israel, university divestment from arms suppliers and other companies profiting from the war, and an amnesty for students and faculty members who have been disciplined or fired for protesting.
+WHO ARE THE PROTESTERS?
+Pro-Palestinian protests have drawn students and faculty of various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths. The groups organizing the protests include Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace.
+The encampments have also attracted a diverse array of teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances.
+Organizers have widely disavowed violence against pro-Israel counter-protesters, although some Jewish students have said they feel unsafe on campus and unnerved by chants they say are antisemitic.
+WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE FROM AUTHORITIES?
+School administrators and local law enforcement have cracked down on the protests.
+Columbia and the affiliated Barnard College have suspended dozens of students involved in the protests. More than 100 protesters have been arrested at Columbia, where University President Minouche Shafik called in New York Police to clear the encampment a day after she testified before a U.S. House of Representatives committee. She said the encampment violated rules against unauthorized protests.
+Yale police arrested more than 60 protesters on Monday, after giving them ""several opportunities to leave and avoid arrest,"" according to the university.
+The New York Police Department said officers arrested 120 people at NYU late on Monday. University officials said they requested their intervention because protesters had not dispersed and were ""interfering with the safety and security of our community.""
+WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT ON REGULAR CAMPUS LIFE?
+After holding all classes virtually on Monday, Columbia announced most courses would be offered with both virtual and in-person attendance options for the rest of the semester. Shafik said in a statement that she would not permit any group to disrupt graduation.
+California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, canceled in-person classes until Wednesday after students barricaded themselves in an administrative building and demanded the school disclose all ties and holdings with Israel and cut ties with Israeli universities.
+The University of Michigan said it would allow free expression and peaceful protest at its early May graduation ceremonies but would stop ""substantial disruption.""
+HOW ARE POLITICAL LEADERS RESPONDING?
+Democratic President Joe Biden, who has been criticized by the protesters for supplying funding and weapons to Israel, told reporters on Monday that he condemned both ""antisemitic protests"" and ""those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians.""
+Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the 2024 election, called the campus protest situation ""a mess"" as he walked into the second day of his criminal trial in New York.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is behind US college protests over Israel-Gaza war?[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]April 23 (Reuters) - Student protests in the U.S. over the war in Gaza have intensified and expanded over the past week, with a number of encampments now in place at colleges including Columbia, Yale, and New York University. Police have been called in to several campuses to arrest demonstrators. Here are some details on the protests:
+WHAT ARE THE PROTESTERS DEMANDING?
+Across campuses where protests have broken out, students have issued calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to U.S. military assistance for Israel, university divestment from arms suppliers and other companies profiting from the war, and an amnesty for students and faculty members who have been disciplined or fired for protesting. WHO ARE THE PROTESTERS?  Pro-Palestinian protests have drawn students and faculty of various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths. The groups organizing the protests include Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. The encampments have also attracted a diverse array of teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances. Organizers have widely disavowed violence against pro-Israel counter-protesters, although some Jewish students have said they feel unsafe on campus and unnerved by chants they say are antisemitic. WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE FROM AUTHORITIES? School administrators and local law enforcement have cracked down on the protests. Columbia and the affiliated Barnard College have suspended dozens of students involved in the protests. More than 100 protesters have been arrested at Columbia, where University President Minouche Shafik called in New York Police to clear the encampment a day after she testified before a U.S. House of Representatives committee. She said the encampment violated rules against unauthorized protests. Yale police arrested more than 60 protesters on Monday, after giving them ""several opportunities to leave and avoid arrest,"" according to the university.  The New York Police Department said officers arrested 120 people at NYU late on Monday. University officials said they requested their intervention because protesters had not dispersed and were ""interfering with the safety and security of our community. ""
+WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT ON REGULAR CAMPUS LIFE?  After holding all classes virtually on Monday, Columbia announced most courses would be offered with both virtual and in-person attendance options for the rest of the semester. Shafik said in a statement that she would not permit any group to disrupt graduation."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-behind-pro-palestinian-protests-us-universities-2024-04-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is behind US college protests over Israel-Gaza war?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 23 (Reuters) - Student protests in the U.S. over the war in Gaza have intensified and expanded over the past week, with a number of encampments now in place at colleges including Columbia, Yale, and New York University. Police have been called in to several campuses to arrest demonstrators.
+Here are some details on the protests:
+WHAT ARE THE PROTESTERS DEMANDING?
+Across campuses where protests have broken out, students have issued calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to U.S. military assistance for Israel, university divestment from arms suppliers and other companies profiting from the war, and an amnesty for students and faculty members who have been disciplined or fired for protesting.
+WHO ARE THE PROTESTERS?
+Pro-Palestinian protests have drawn students and faculty of various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths. The groups organizing the protests include Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace.
+The encampments have also attracted a diverse array of teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances.
+Organizers have widely disavowed violence against pro-Israel counter-protesters, although some Jewish students have said they feel unsafe on campus and unnerved by chants they say are antisemitic.
+WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE FROM AUTHORITIES?
+School administrators and local law enforcement have cracked down on the protests.
+Columbia and the affiliated Barnard College have suspended dozens of students involved in the protests. More than 100 protesters have been arrested at Columbia, where University President Minouche Shafik called in New York Police to clear the encampment a day after she testified before a U.S. House of Representatives committee. She said the encampment violated rules against unauthorized protests.
+Yale police arrested more than 60 protesters on Monday, after giving them ""several opportunities to leave and avoid arrest,"" according to the university.
+The New York Police Department said officers arrested 120 people at NYU late on Monday. University officials said they requested their intervention because protesters had not dispersed and were ""interfering with the safety and security of our community.""
+WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT ON REGULAR CAMPUS LIFE?
+After holding all classes virtually on Monday, Columbia announced most courses would be offered with both virtual and in-person attendance options for the rest of the semester. Shafik said in a statement that she would not permit any group to disrupt graduation.
+California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, canceled in-person classes until Wednesday after students barricaded themselves in an administrative building and demanded the school disclose all ties and holdings with Israel and cut ties with Israeli universities.
+The University of Michigan said it would allow free expression and peaceful protest at its early May graduation ceremonies but would stop ""substantial disruption.""
+HOW ARE POLITICAL LEADERS RESPONDING?
+Democratic President Joe Biden, who has been criticized by the protesters for supplying funding and weapons to Israel, told reporters on Monday that he condemned both ""antisemitic protests"" and ""those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians.""
+Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the 2024 election, called the campus protest situation ""a mess"" as he walked into the second day of his criminal trial in New York.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, canceled in-person classes until Wednesday after students barricaded themselves in an administrative building and demanded the school disclose all ties and holdings with Israel and cut ties with Israeli universities.
+The University of Michigan said it would allow free expression and peaceful protest at its early May graduation ceremonies but would stop ""substantial disruption.""
+HOW ARE POLITICAL LEADERS RESPONDING? Democratic President Joe Biden, who has been criticized by the protesters for supplying funding and weapons to Israel, told reporters on Monday that he condemned both ""antisemitic protests"" and ""those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians.""
+Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the 2024 election, called the campus protest situation ""a mess"" as he walked into the second day of his criminal trial in New York.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-intensifies-strikes-gazas-rafah-ahead-threatened-invasion-2024-04-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel intensifies strikes on Rafah ahead of threatened invasion[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, April 25 (Reuters) - Israel stepped up airstrikes on Rafah overnight after saying it would evacuate civilians from the southern Gazan city and launch an all-out assault despite allies' warnings this could cause mass casualties.
+Medics in the besieged Palestinian enclave reported five Israeli airstrikes on Rafah early on Thursday that hit at least three houses, killing at least six people including a local journalist.
+""We are afraid of what will happen in Rafah. The level of alert is very high,"" Ibrahim Khraishi, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, told Reuters on Thursday.
+""Some are leaving, they are afraid for their families but where can they go? They are not being allowed to go to the north and so are confined to a very small area.""
+The Gaza Strip is about 40 km (25 miles) long and between about 5 km (3 miles) and 12 km (7.5 miles) wide and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
+In the seventh month of a devastating air and ground war, Israeli forces also resumed bombarding northern and central areas of the enclave, as well as east of Khan Younis in the south. Israel's stated goal is to destroy Hamas, though it is unclear how they would do so.
+A United Nations team visiting a site for a staging area and pier for maritime aid operations was forced to take cover in a bunker on Wednesday after the area came under attack, a spokesperson said on Thursday.
+They were there for ""some time,"" but there were no injuries.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet was meeting ""to discuss how to destroy the last vestiges, the last quarter of Hamas' battalions, in Rafah and elsewhere,"" government spokesperson David Mencer said.
+He declined to say when or whether the classified forum might give a green light for a ground operation in Rafah.
+Israel has killed at least 34,305 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities said on Thursday. The offensive has laid to waste much of the widely urbanised enclave, displacing most of its 2.3 million people and leaving many with little food, water or medical care.
+A U.N. expert speaking after visits to Jordan and Egypt said aid agencies were seeing an increasing number of patients suffering from the acute lack of food in the enclave.
+“What I've seen here was traumatising. Patients that previously arrived in Egypt primarily with explosive and other war injury related symptoms are now joined by increasing numbers of patients, often children, with chronic diseases and severe malnutrition,” Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Territories, told reporters in Cairo.
+Israel is retaliating against an Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and led to 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Iranian-backed Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction due to its occupation of Palestinian territories.
+Escalating Israeli warnings about invading Rafah, the last refuge for around a million civilians who fled Israeli forces further north earlier in the war, have nudged some families to leave for the nearby al-Mawasi coastal area or try to make their way to points further north, residents and witnesses said.
+But many were confused over where they should go, saying their experience over the past 200 days of war had taught them that no place was genuinely safe.
+Mohammad Nasser, 34, a father-of-three, said he had left Rafah two weeks ago and now lived in a shelter in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza to avoid being caught by surprise by an Israeli invasion and unable to escape.
+""We escape from one trap into another, searching for places Israel calls safe before they bomb us there. It is like the rat and trap game,"" he told Reuters via a chat app.
+""We are trying to adapt to the new reality, hoping it will become better, but I doubt it will.""
+Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council said there appeared to be fewer people in Rafah, which borders Egypt. She said teams on the ground had said people expect an invasion after the Jewish Passover holiday ends on April 30.
+A senior Israeli defence official said on Wednesday Israel was poised to evacuate civilians before its attack on Rafah and had bought 40,000 tents that could house 10 to 12 people each.
+Satellite images of Mawasi between Rafah, Khan Younis and the sea, an area of sand beaches and fields and stretching only around 5 by 3 km (three by two miles), showed significant camp settlements erected over the past two weeks.
+BOMBING AND BODIES
+Meanwhile, a Palestinian civil defence team called on the United Nations to investigate what it said were war crimes at a Gaza hospital, saying nearly 400 bodies were recovered from mass graves after Israeli soldiers left the complex in Khan Younis.
+The Israeli military said allegations by Palestinian authorities that its forces had buried the bodies were ""baseless and unfounded"".
+In the north, Israeli forces continued to pound Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and Zeitoun, with some residents saying Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were fighting Israeli ground forces with anti-tank rockets, mortar bombs and sniper fire.
+The Palestine Telecommunications Company said internet services had again been cut off in central and southern Gaza on Thursday, blaming Israeli military operations.
+Such outages have compounded the obstacles confronting efforts to get emergency aid to stricken civilians.
+An aid worker who was part of Belgium's development efforts in Gaza died in one Israeli strike, the Belgian government said on Thursday, adding it was summoning the Israeli ambassador over the incident.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel intensifies strikes on Rafah ahead of threatened invasion[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, April 25 (Reuters) - Israel stepped up airstrikes on Rafah overnight after saying it would evacuate civilians from the southern Gazan city and launch an all-out assault despite allies' warnings this could cause mass casualties. Medics in the besieged Palestinian enclave reported five Israeli airstrikes on Rafah early on Thursday that hit at least three houses, killing at least six people including a local journalist.  ""We are afraid of what will happen in Rafah. The level of alert is very high,"" Ibrahim Khraishi, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, told Reuters on Thursday. ""Some are leaving, they are afraid for their families but where can they go? They are not being allowed to go to the north and so are confined to a very small area. ""
+The Gaza Strip is about 40 km (25 miles) long and between about 5 km (3 miles) and 12 km (7.5 miles) wide and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.  In the seventh month of a devastating air and ground war, Israeli forces also resumed bombarding northern and central areas of the enclave, as well as east of Khan Younis in the south. Israel's stated goal is to destroy Hamas, though it is unclear how they would do so. A United Nations team visiting a site for a staging area and pier for maritime aid operations was forced to take cover in a bunker on Wednesday after the area came under attack, a spokesperson said on Thursday. They were there for ""some time,"" but there were no injuries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet was meeting ""to discuss how to destroy the last vestiges, the last quarter of Hamas' battalions, in Rafah and elsewhere,"" government spokesperson David Mencer said. He declined to say when or whether the classified forum might give a green light for a ground operation in Rafah. Israel has killed at least 34,305 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities said on Thursday. The offensive has laid to waste much of the widely urbanised enclave, displacing most of its 2.3 million people and leaving many with little food, water or medical care. A U.N. expert speaking after visits to Jordan and Egypt said aid agencies were seeing an increasing number of patients suffering from the acute lack of food in the enclave.
+“What I've seen here was traumatising."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-intensifies-strikes-gazas-rafah-ahead-threatened-invasion-2024-04-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel intensifies strikes on Rafah ahead of threatened invasion[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, April 25 (Reuters) - Israel stepped up airstrikes on Rafah overnight after saying it would evacuate civilians from the southern Gazan city and launch an all-out assault despite allies' warnings this could cause mass casualties.
+Medics in the besieged Palestinian enclave reported five Israeli airstrikes on Rafah early on Thursday that hit at least three houses, killing at least six people including a local journalist.
+""We are afraid of what will happen in Rafah. The level of alert is very high,"" Ibrahim Khraishi, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, told Reuters on Thursday.
+""Some are leaving, they are afraid for their families but where can they go? They are not being allowed to go to the north and so are confined to a very small area.""
+The Gaza Strip is about 40 km (25 miles) long and between about 5 km (3 miles) and 12 km (7.5 miles) wide and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
+In the seventh month of a devastating air and ground war, Israeli forces also resumed bombarding northern and central areas of the enclave, as well as east of Khan Younis in the south. Israel's stated goal is to destroy Hamas, though it is unclear how they would do so.
+A United Nations team visiting a site for a staging area and pier for maritime aid operations was forced to take cover in a bunker on Wednesday after the area came under attack, a spokesperson said on Thursday.
+They were there for ""some time,"" but there were no injuries.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet was meeting ""to discuss how to destroy the last vestiges, the last quarter of Hamas' battalions, in Rafah and elsewhere,"" government spokesperson David Mencer said.
+He declined to say when or whether the classified forum might give a green light for a ground operation in Rafah.
+Israel has killed at least 34,305 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities said on Thursday. The offensive has laid to waste much of the widely urbanised enclave, displacing most of its 2.3 million people and leaving many with little food, water or medical care.
+A U.N. expert speaking after visits to Jordan and Egypt said aid agencies were seeing an increasing number of patients suffering from the acute lack of food in the enclave.
+“What I've seen here was traumatising. Patients that previously arrived in Egypt primarily with explosive and other war injury related symptoms are now joined by increasing numbers of patients, often children, with chronic diseases and severe malnutrition,” Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Territories, told reporters in Cairo.
+Israel is retaliating against an Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and led to 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Iranian-backed Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction due to its occupation of Palestinian territories.
+Escalating Israeli warnings about invading Rafah, the last refuge for around a million civilians who fled Israeli forces further north earlier in the war, have nudged some families to leave for the nearby al-Mawasi coastal area or try to make their way to points further north, residents and witnesses said.
+But many were confused over where they should go, saying their experience over the past 200 days of war had taught them that no place was genuinely safe.
+Mohammad Nasser, 34, a father-of-three, said he had left Rafah two weeks ago and now lived in a shelter in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza to avoid being caught by surprise by an Israeli invasion and unable to escape.
+""We escape from one trap into another, searching for places Israel calls safe before they bomb us there. It is like the rat and trap game,"" he told Reuters via a chat app.
+""We are trying to adapt to the new reality, hoping it will become better, but I doubt it will.""
+Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council said there appeared to be fewer people in Rafah, which borders Egypt. She said teams on the ground had said people expect an invasion after the Jewish Passover holiday ends on April 30.
+A senior Israeli defence official said on Wednesday Israel was poised to evacuate civilians before its attack on Rafah and had bought 40,000 tents that could house 10 to 12 people each.
+Satellite images of Mawasi between Rafah, Khan Younis and the sea, an area of sand beaches and fields and stretching only around 5 by 3 km (three by two miles), showed significant camp settlements erected over the past two weeks.
+BOMBING AND BODIES
+Meanwhile, a Palestinian civil defence team called on the United Nations to investigate what it said were war crimes at a Gaza hospital, saying nearly 400 bodies were recovered from mass graves after Israeli soldiers left the complex in Khan Younis.
+The Israeli military said allegations by Palestinian authorities that its forces had buried the bodies were ""baseless and unfounded"".
+In the north, Israeli forces continued to pound Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and Zeitoun, with some residents saying Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were fighting Israeli ground forces with anti-tank rockets, mortar bombs and sniper fire.
+The Palestine Telecommunications Company said internet services had again been cut off in central and southern Gaza on Thursday, blaming Israeli military operations.
+Such outages have compounded the obstacles confronting efforts to get emergency aid to stricken civilians.
+An aid worker who was part of Belgium's development efforts in Gaza died in one Israeli strike, the Belgian government said on Thursday, adding it was summoning the Israeli ambassador over the incident.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Patients that previously arrived in Egypt primarily with explosive and other war injury related symptoms are now joined by increasing numbers of patients, often children, with chronic diseases and severe malnutrition,” Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Territories, told reporters in Cairo.  Israel is retaliating against an Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and led to 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Iranian-backed Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction due to its occupation of Palestinian territories. Escalating Israeli warnings about invading Rafah, the last refuge for around a million civilians who fled Israeli forces further north earlier in the war, have nudged some families to leave for the nearby al-Mawasi coastal area or try to make their way to points further north, residents and witnesses said. But many were confused over where they should go, saying their experience over the past 200 days of war had taught them that no place was genuinely safe. Mohammad Nasser, 34, a father-of-three, said he had left Rafah two weeks ago and now lived in a shelter in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza to avoid being caught by surprise by an Israeli invasion and unable to escape.
+"" We escape from one trap into another, searching for places Israel calls safe before they bomb us there. It is like the rat and trap game,"" he told Reuters via a chat app. ""We are trying to adapt to the new reality, hoping it will become better, but I doubt it will.""  Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council said there appeared to be fewer people in Rafah, which borders Egypt. She said teams on the ground had said people expect an invasion after the Jewish Passover holiday ends on April 30. A senior Israeli defence official said on Wednesday Israel was poised to evacuate civilians before its attack on Rafah and had bought 40,000 tents that could house 10 to 12 people each.
+Satellite images of Mawasi between Rafah, Khan Younis and the sea, an area of sand beaches and fields and stretching only around 5 by 3 km (three by two miles), showed significant camp settlements erected over the past two weeks.  BOMBING AND BODIES Meanwhile, a Palestinian civil defence team called on the United Nations to investigate what it said were war crimes at a Gaza hospital, saying nearly 400 bodies were recovered from mass graves after Israeli soldiers left the complex in Khan Younis.
+The Israeli military said allegations by Palestinian authorities that its forces had buried the bodies were ""baseless and unfounded""."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-intensifies-strikes-gazas-rafah-ahead-threatened-invasion-2024-04-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel intensifies strikes on Rafah ahead of threatened invasion[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, April 25 (Reuters) - Israel stepped up airstrikes on Rafah overnight after saying it would evacuate civilians from the southern Gazan city and launch an all-out assault despite allies' warnings this could cause mass casualties.
+Medics in the besieged Palestinian enclave reported five Israeli airstrikes on Rafah early on Thursday that hit at least three houses, killing at least six people including a local journalist.
+""We are afraid of what will happen in Rafah. The level of alert is very high,"" Ibrahim Khraishi, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, told Reuters on Thursday.
+""Some are leaving, they are afraid for their families but where can they go? They are not being allowed to go to the north and so are confined to a very small area.""
+The Gaza Strip is about 40 km (25 miles) long and between about 5 km (3 miles) and 12 km (7.5 miles) wide and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
+In the seventh month of a devastating air and ground war, Israeli forces also resumed bombarding northern and central areas of the enclave, as well as east of Khan Younis in the south. Israel's stated goal is to destroy Hamas, though it is unclear how they would do so.
+A United Nations team visiting a site for a staging area and pier for maritime aid operations was forced to take cover in a bunker on Wednesday after the area came under attack, a spokesperson said on Thursday.
+They were there for ""some time,"" but there were no injuries.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet was meeting ""to discuss how to destroy the last vestiges, the last quarter of Hamas' battalions, in Rafah and elsewhere,"" government spokesperson David Mencer said.
+He declined to say when or whether the classified forum might give a green light for a ground operation in Rafah.
+Israel has killed at least 34,305 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities said on Thursday. The offensive has laid to waste much of the widely urbanised enclave, displacing most of its 2.3 million people and leaving many with little food, water or medical care.
+A U.N. expert speaking after visits to Jordan and Egypt said aid agencies were seeing an increasing number of patients suffering from the acute lack of food in the enclave.
+“What I've seen here was traumatising. Patients that previously arrived in Egypt primarily with explosive and other war injury related symptoms are now joined by increasing numbers of patients, often children, with chronic diseases and severe malnutrition,” Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Territories, told reporters in Cairo.
+Israel is retaliating against an Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and led to 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Iranian-backed Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction due to its occupation of Palestinian territories.
+Escalating Israeli warnings about invading Rafah, the last refuge for around a million civilians who fled Israeli forces further north earlier in the war, have nudged some families to leave for the nearby al-Mawasi coastal area or try to make their way to points further north, residents and witnesses said.
+But many were confused over where they should go, saying their experience over the past 200 days of war had taught them that no place was genuinely safe.
+Mohammad Nasser, 34, a father-of-three, said he had left Rafah two weeks ago and now lived in a shelter in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza to avoid being caught by surprise by an Israeli invasion and unable to escape.
+""We escape from one trap into another, searching for places Israel calls safe before they bomb us there. It is like the rat and trap game,"" he told Reuters via a chat app.
+""We are trying to adapt to the new reality, hoping it will become better, but I doubt it will.""
+Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council said there appeared to be fewer people in Rafah, which borders Egypt. She said teams on the ground had said people expect an invasion after the Jewish Passover holiday ends on April 30.
+A senior Israeli defence official said on Wednesday Israel was poised to evacuate civilians before its attack on Rafah and had bought 40,000 tents that could house 10 to 12 people each.
+Satellite images of Mawasi between Rafah, Khan Younis and the sea, an area of sand beaches and fields and stretching only around 5 by 3 km (three by two miles), showed significant camp settlements erected over the past two weeks.
+BOMBING AND BODIES
+Meanwhile, a Palestinian civil defence team called on the United Nations to investigate what it said were war crimes at a Gaza hospital, saying nearly 400 bodies were recovered from mass graves after Israeli soldiers left the complex in Khan Younis.
+The Israeli military said allegations by Palestinian authorities that its forces had buried the bodies were ""baseless and unfounded"".
+In the north, Israeli forces continued to pound Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and Zeitoun, with some residents saying Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were fighting Israeli ground forces with anti-tank rockets, mortar bombs and sniper fire.
+The Palestine Telecommunications Company said internet services had again been cut off in central and southern Gaza on Thursday, blaming Israeli military operations.
+Such outages have compounded the obstacles confronting efforts to get emergency aid to stricken civilians.
+An aid worker who was part of Belgium's development efforts in Gaza died in one Israeli strike, the Belgian government said on Thursday, adding it was summoning the Israeli ambassador over the incident.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In the north, Israeli forces continued to pound Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and Zeitoun, with some residents saying Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were fighting Israeli ground forces with anti-tank rockets, mortar bombs and sniper fire. The Palestine Telecommunications Company said internet services had again been cut off in central and southern Gaza on Thursday, blaming Israeli military operations.
+Such outages have compounded the obstacles confronting efforts to get emergency aid to stricken civilians. An aid worker who was part of Belgium's development efforts in Gaza died in one Israeli strike, the Belgian government said on Thursday, adding it was summoning the Israeli ambassador over the incident.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pro-palestinian-seders-planned-new-york-other-cities-college-campuses-simmer-2024-04-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza protests grow at US colleges, thousands demonstrate in Brooklyn[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, April 23 (Reuters) - Protests against Israel filled streets in Brooklyn and escalated at universities across the United States, some of which included Jewish Passover Seders, as demonstrators demanded an end to civilian casualties in Gaza.
+The growing protests follow mass arrests of demonstrators at some East Coast universities in recent days, and show a deepening dissatisfaction in the United States, historically Israel's most important ally, with the course of the war with Hamas.
+Pro-Palestinian protests have followed President Joe Biden, a self-declared ""Zionist,"" for months. On universities, protests have recently grown to encampments that draw students and faculty of various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths, that host teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances.
+A large Brooklyn street protest reached a standoff on Tuesday when New York police began to arrest people over disorderly conduct, restraining those who refused to move with zip ties.
+The Council on American-Islamic Relations criticized the use of police force to stifle dissent, saying it undermined academic freedom.
+""So does defaming and endangering Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian ... students based on suspiciously inflammatory remarks that a few unidentified, masked individuals have made outside of campus,"" Afaf Nasher, executive director of CAIR in New York, said in a statement.
+Critics of the protests, including prominent Republican members of the U.S. Congress, have stepped up accusations of antisemitism and harassment by at least some protesters. Civil rights advocates, including the ACLU, have raised free speech concerns over the arrests.
+There have been heated exchanges of words and insults between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators, particularly in the public streets around Columbia, leading congressional Republicans on Tuesday to demand that Biden do more to protect Jewish students.
+Several campus protesters Reuters spoke to attributed the off-campus incidents to rogue provocateurs who are trying to hijack the protests' message.
+""There are no universities left in Gaza. So we chose to reclaim our university for the people of Palestine,"" said Soph Askanase, a Jewish Columbia student who was arrested and suspended for protesting. ""Antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism, in particular racism against Arabs and Palestinians, are all cut from the same cloth.""
+Other students blamed universities for failing to protect their right to protest or stand up for human rights.
+""As a Palestinian student, I too did not feel safe for the past six months, and that was as a direct result of Columbia's one-sided statements and inaction,"" said Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia.
+Students at the University of California, Berkeley - a school well known for its student activism during the 1960s - set up tents in solidarity with protesters at other schools.
+Milton Zerman, 25, a second-year student at Berkeley's law school, who is from Los Angeles, said Jewish and Israeli students have suffered from hateful harassment.
+""When you're an Israeli student on this campus, you feel like you have a target on your back, you feel unsafe and it's no wonder students from Israel are so hesitant to come here,"" Zerman said.
+New York police arrested more than 120 protesters at New York University on Monday and more than 100 at Columbia University last week. Columbia canceled in-person classes at its Upper Manhattan campus on Monday in a bid to defuse tensions.
+On Tuesday, Columbia said classes for the rest of the year would be hybrid, with students able to attend online or in person.
+Later, the university's president said it was time “to move forward with a plan to dismantle” the pro-Palestine encampment, and gave organizers a midnight deadline to do so.
+California's Cal Poly Humboldt, a public university in Arcata, was shut down after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a campus building.
+At the University of Minnesota campus in St. Paul, police cleared an encampment after the school asked them to take action, citing violations of university policy and trespassing law.
+PASSOVER PROTESTS
+Some Jewish demonstrators said they were taking the second night of the weeklong feast of Passover, a holiday feast when families gather and celebrate the biblical account of the Israelites' freedom from Egyptian slavery, to reaffirm their faith and distance themselves from the Israeli government's war strategy.
+""I don't see what Israel is doing as self-defense. I see incredible, absolutely unbelievable human rights violations,"" said Katherine Stern, 62, of Woodstock, New York, who gave up her family Seder 120 miles (190 km) away to attend the Brooklyn protest.
+Protesters want university endowments to divest from Israeli interests and the United States to end or at least condition Israeli military aid on improving the plight of Palestinians.
+Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking scores of hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's counterattack has killed over 34,000 people, according to the Palestinian health ministry, displacing nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people and causing a humanitarian crisis, opens new tab.
+In Brooklyn, about 2,000 people occupied a plaza near the Brooklyn home of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer, a staunch Israel supporter and the highest-ranking Jew in the U.S. government, chanting, ""Stop arming Israel,"" ""Stop funding genocide"" and ""Let Gaza live.""
+Organizers staged music and song from Jewish and other cultures, giving prominence to Canadian author Naomi Klein, a peace activist who drew on her Jewish roots to argue against Zionism, which she called a ""false idol.""
+""We want freedom from the project that connects genocide in our name,"" Klein said to cheers. ""We seek to migrate Judaism from an ethnostate that wants Jews to be perennially afraid ... or that we go running to its fortress, or at least keep sending them the weapons and the donations.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza protests grow at US colleges, thousands demonstrate in Brooklyn[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, April 23 (Reuters) - Protests against Israel filled streets in Brooklyn and escalated at universities across the United States, some of which included Jewish Passover Seders, as demonstrators demanded an end to civilian casualties in Gaza.  The growing protests follow mass arrests of demonstrators at some East Coast universities in recent days, and show a deepening dissatisfaction in the United States, historically Israel's most important ally, with the course of the war with Hamas.
+Pro-Palestinian protests have followed President Joe Biden, a self-declared ""Zionist,"" for months. On universities, protests have recently grown to encampments that draw students and faculty of various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths, that host teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances. A large Brooklyn street protest reached a standoff on Tuesday when New York police began to arrest people over disorderly conduct, restraining those who refused to move with zip ties. The Council on American-Islamic Relations criticized the use of police force to stifle dissent, saying it undermined academic freedom.
+""So does defaming and endangering Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian ... students based on suspiciously inflammatory remarks that a few unidentified, masked individuals have made outside of campus,"" Afaf Nasher, executive director of CAIR in New York, said in a statement.  Critics of the protests, including prominent Republican members of the U.S. Congress, have stepped up accusations of antisemitism and harassment by at least some protesters. Civil rights advocates, including the ACLU, have raised free speech concerns over the arrests.  There have been heated exchanges of words and insults between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators, particularly in the public streets around Columbia, leading congressional Republicans on Tuesday to demand that Biden do more to protect Jewish students. Several campus protesters Reuters spoke to attributed the off-campus incidents to rogue provocateurs who are trying to hijack the protests' message. ""There are no universities left in Gaza. So we chose to reclaim our university for the people of Palestine,"" said Soph Askanase, a Jewish Columbia student who was arrested and suspended for protesting. ""Antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism, in particular racism against Arabs and Palestinians, are all cut from the same cloth."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pro-palestinian-seders-planned-new-york-other-cities-college-campuses-simmer-2024-04-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza protests grow at US colleges, thousands demonstrate in Brooklyn[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, April 23 (Reuters) - Protests against Israel filled streets in Brooklyn and escalated at universities across the United States, some of which included Jewish Passover Seders, as demonstrators demanded an end to civilian casualties in Gaza.
+The growing protests follow mass arrests of demonstrators at some East Coast universities in recent days, and show a deepening dissatisfaction in the United States, historically Israel's most important ally, with the course of the war with Hamas.
+Pro-Palestinian protests have followed President Joe Biden, a self-declared ""Zionist,"" for months. On universities, protests have recently grown to encampments that draw students and faculty of various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths, that host teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances.
+A large Brooklyn street protest reached a standoff on Tuesday when New York police began to arrest people over disorderly conduct, restraining those who refused to move with zip ties.
+The Council on American-Islamic Relations criticized the use of police force to stifle dissent, saying it undermined academic freedom.
+""So does defaming and endangering Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian ... students based on suspiciously inflammatory remarks that a few unidentified, masked individuals have made outside of campus,"" Afaf Nasher, executive director of CAIR in New York, said in a statement.
+Critics of the protests, including prominent Republican members of the U.S. Congress, have stepped up accusations of antisemitism and harassment by at least some protesters. Civil rights advocates, including the ACLU, have raised free speech concerns over the arrests.
+There have been heated exchanges of words and insults between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators, particularly in the public streets around Columbia, leading congressional Republicans on Tuesday to demand that Biden do more to protect Jewish students.
+Several campus protesters Reuters spoke to attributed the off-campus incidents to rogue provocateurs who are trying to hijack the protests' message.
+""There are no universities left in Gaza. So we chose to reclaim our university for the people of Palestine,"" said Soph Askanase, a Jewish Columbia student who was arrested and suspended for protesting. ""Antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism, in particular racism against Arabs and Palestinians, are all cut from the same cloth.""
+Other students blamed universities for failing to protect their right to protest or stand up for human rights.
+""As a Palestinian student, I too did not feel safe for the past six months, and that was as a direct result of Columbia's one-sided statements and inaction,"" said Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia.
+Students at the University of California, Berkeley - a school well known for its student activism during the 1960s - set up tents in solidarity with protesters at other schools.
+Milton Zerman, 25, a second-year student at Berkeley's law school, who is from Los Angeles, said Jewish and Israeli students have suffered from hateful harassment.
+""When you're an Israeli student on this campus, you feel like you have a target on your back, you feel unsafe and it's no wonder students from Israel are so hesitant to come here,"" Zerman said.
+New York police arrested more than 120 protesters at New York University on Monday and more than 100 at Columbia University last week. Columbia canceled in-person classes at its Upper Manhattan campus on Monday in a bid to defuse tensions.
+On Tuesday, Columbia said classes for the rest of the year would be hybrid, with students able to attend online or in person.
+Later, the university's president said it was time “to move forward with a plan to dismantle” the pro-Palestine encampment, and gave organizers a midnight deadline to do so.
+California's Cal Poly Humboldt, a public university in Arcata, was shut down after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a campus building.
+At the University of Minnesota campus in St. Paul, police cleared an encampment after the school asked them to take action, citing violations of university policy and trespassing law.
+PASSOVER PROTESTS
+Some Jewish demonstrators said they were taking the second night of the weeklong feast of Passover, a holiday feast when families gather and celebrate the biblical account of the Israelites' freedom from Egyptian slavery, to reaffirm their faith and distance themselves from the Israeli government's war strategy.
+""I don't see what Israel is doing as self-defense. I see incredible, absolutely unbelievable human rights violations,"" said Katherine Stern, 62, of Woodstock, New York, who gave up her family Seder 120 miles (190 km) away to attend the Brooklyn protest.
+Protesters want university endowments to divest from Israeli interests and the United States to end or at least condition Israeli military aid on improving the plight of Palestinians.
+Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking scores of hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's counterattack has killed over 34,000 people, according to the Palestinian health ministry, displacing nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people and causing a humanitarian crisis, opens new tab.
+In Brooklyn, about 2,000 people occupied a plaza near the Brooklyn home of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer, a staunch Israel supporter and the highest-ranking Jew in the U.S. government, chanting, ""Stop arming Israel,"" ""Stop funding genocide"" and ""Let Gaza live.""
+Organizers staged music and song from Jewish and other cultures, giving prominence to Canadian author Naomi Klein, a peace activist who drew on her Jewish roots to argue against Zionism, which she called a ""false idol.""
+""We want freedom from the project that connects genocide in our name,"" Klein said to cheers. ""We seek to migrate Judaism from an ethnostate that wants Jews to be perennially afraid ... or that we go running to its fortress, or at least keep sending them the weapons and the donations.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""
+Other students blamed universities for failing to protect their right to protest or stand up for human rights.
+""As a Palestinian student, I too did not feel safe for the past six months, and that was as a direct result of Columbia's one-sided statements and inaction,"" said Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia. Students at the University of California, Berkeley - a school well known for its student activism during the 1960s - set up tents in solidarity with protesters at other schools.
+Milton Zerman, 25, a second-year student at Berkeley's law school, who is from Los Angeles, said Jewish and Israeli students have suffered from hateful harassment.  ""When you're an Israeli student on this campus, you feel like you have a target on your back, you feel unsafe and it's no wonder students from Israel are so hesitant to come here,"" Zerman said.
+New York police arrested more than 120 protesters at New York University on Monday and more than 100 at Columbia University last week. Columbia canceled in-person classes at its Upper Manhattan campus on Monday in a bid to defuse tensions. On Tuesday, Columbia said classes for the rest of the year would be hybrid, with students able to attend online or in person.  Later, the university's president said it was time “to move forward with a plan to dismantle” the pro-Palestine encampment, and gave organizers a midnight deadline to do so.
+California's Cal Poly Humboldt, a public university in Arcata, was shut down after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a campus building. At the University of Minnesota campus in St. Paul, police cleared an encampment after the school asked them to take action, citing violations of university policy and trespassing law.
+PASSOVER PROTESTS
+Some Jewish demonstrators said they were taking the second night of the weeklong feast of Passover, a holiday feast when families gather and celebrate the biblical account of the Israelites' freedom from Egyptian slavery, to reaffirm their faith and distance themselves from the Israeli government's war strategy.  ""I don't see what Israel is doing as self-defense. I see incredible, absolutely unbelievable human rights violations,"" said Katherine Stern, 62, of Woodstock, New York, who gave up her family Seder 120 miles (190 km) away to attend the Brooklyn protest. Protesters want university endowments to divest from Israeli interests and the United States to end or at least condition Israeli military aid on improving the plight of Palestinians. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pro-palestinian-seders-planned-new-york-other-cities-college-campuses-simmer-2024-04-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza protests grow at US colleges, thousands demonstrate in Brooklyn[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, April 23 (Reuters) - Protests against Israel filled streets in Brooklyn and escalated at universities across the United States, some of which included Jewish Passover Seders, as demonstrators demanded an end to civilian casualties in Gaza.
+The growing protests follow mass arrests of demonstrators at some East Coast universities in recent days, and show a deepening dissatisfaction in the United States, historically Israel's most important ally, with the course of the war with Hamas.
+Pro-Palestinian protests have followed President Joe Biden, a self-declared ""Zionist,"" for months. On universities, protests have recently grown to encampments that draw students and faculty of various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths, that host teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances.
+A large Brooklyn street protest reached a standoff on Tuesday when New York police began to arrest people over disorderly conduct, restraining those who refused to move with zip ties.
+The Council on American-Islamic Relations criticized the use of police force to stifle dissent, saying it undermined academic freedom.
+""So does defaming and endangering Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian ... students based on suspiciously inflammatory remarks that a few unidentified, masked individuals have made outside of campus,"" Afaf Nasher, executive director of CAIR in New York, said in a statement.
+Critics of the protests, including prominent Republican members of the U.S. Congress, have stepped up accusations of antisemitism and harassment by at least some protesters. Civil rights advocates, including the ACLU, have raised free speech concerns over the arrests.
+There have been heated exchanges of words and insults between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators, particularly in the public streets around Columbia, leading congressional Republicans on Tuesday to demand that Biden do more to protect Jewish students.
+Several campus protesters Reuters spoke to attributed the off-campus incidents to rogue provocateurs who are trying to hijack the protests' message.
+""There are no universities left in Gaza. So we chose to reclaim our university for the people of Palestine,"" said Soph Askanase, a Jewish Columbia student who was arrested and suspended for protesting. ""Antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism, in particular racism against Arabs and Palestinians, are all cut from the same cloth.""
+Other students blamed universities for failing to protect their right to protest or stand up for human rights.
+""As a Palestinian student, I too did not feel safe for the past six months, and that was as a direct result of Columbia's one-sided statements and inaction,"" said Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia.
+Students at the University of California, Berkeley - a school well known for its student activism during the 1960s - set up tents in solidarity with protesters at other schools.
+Milton Zerman, 25, a second-year student at Berkeley's law school, who is from Los Angeles, said Jewish and Israeli students have suffered from hateful harassment.
+""When you're an Israeli student on this campus, you feel like you have a target on your back, you feel unsafe and it's no wonder students from Israel are so hesitant to come here,"" Zerman said.
+New York police arrested more than 120 protesters at New York University on Monday and more than 100 at Columbia University last week. Columbia canceled in-person classes at its Upper Manhattan campus on Monday in a bid to defuse tensions.
+On Tuesday, Columbia said classes for the rest of the year would be hybrid, with students able to attend online or in person.
+Later, the university's president said it was time “to move forward with a plan to dismantle” the pro-Palestine encampment, and gave organizers a midnight deadline to do so.
+California's Cal Poly Humboldt, a public university in Arcata, was shut down after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a campus building.
+At the University of Minnesota campus in St. Paul, police cleared an encampment after the school asked them to take action, citing violations of university policy and trespassing law.
+PASSOVER PROTESTS
+Some Jewish demonstrators said they were taking the second night of the weeklong feast of Passover, a holiday feast when families gather and celebrate the biblical account of the Israelites' freedom from Egyptian slavery, to reaffirm their faith and distance themselves from the Israeli government's war strategy.
+""I don't see what Israel is doing as self-defense. I see incredible, absolutely unbelievable human rights violations,"" said Katherine Stern, 62, of Woodstock, New York, who gave up her family Seder 120 miles (190 km) away to attend the Brooklyn protest.
+Protesters want university endowments to divest from Israeli interests and the United States to end or at least condition Israeli military aid on improving the plight of Palestinians.
+Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking scores of hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's counterattack has killed over 34,000 people, according to the Palestinian health ministry, displacing nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people and causing a humanitarian crisis, opens new tab.
+In Brooklyn, about 2,000 people occupied a plaza near the Brooklyn home of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer, a staunch Israel supporter and the highest-ranking Jew in the U.S. government, chanting, ""Stop arming Israel,"" ""Stop funding genocide"" and ""Let Gaza live.""
+Organizers staged music and song from Jewish and other cultures, giving prominence to Canadian author Naomi Klein, a peace activist who drew on her Jewish roots to argue against Zionism, which she called a ""false idol.""
+""We want freedom from the project that connects genocide in our name,"" Klein said to cheers. ""We seek to migrate Judaism from an ethnostate that wants Jews to be perennially afraid ... or that we go running to its fortress, or at least keep sending them the weapons and the donations.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking scores of hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's counterattack has killed over 34,000 people, according to the Palestinian health ministry, displacing nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people and causing a humanitarian crisis, opens new tab. In Brooklyn, about 2,000 people occupied a plaza near the Brooklyn home of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer, a staunch Israel supporter and the highest-ranking Jew in the U.S. government, chanting, ""Stop arming Israel,"" ""Stop funding genocide"" and ""Let Gaza live."" Organizers staged music and song from Jewish and other cultures, giving prominence to Canadian author Naomi Klein, a peace activist who drew on her Jewish roots to argue against Zionism, which she called a ""false idol.""
+""We want freedom from the project that connects genocide in our name,"" Klein said to cheers. ""We seek to migrate Judaism from an ethnostate that wants Jews to be perennially afraid ... or that we go running to its fortress, or at least keep sending them the weapons and the donations. ""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-resume-cooperation-with-palestinian-unrwa-agency-2024-04-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Germany signals it will resume funding UN agency for Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, April 24 (Reuters) - Germany said on Wednesday it would resume cooperation with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), signalling a resumption of funding that was frozen after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of participating in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack.
+The allegations prompted 16 donor states, including the biggest, the United States, to freeze some $450 million of funds, a blow to UNRWA's operations as it grapples with the humanitarian crisis unleashed by Israel's assault on Gaza.
+A review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into UNRWA's procedures for ensuring adherence to principles of neutrality was published on Monday.
+In a statement, the German foreign and development ministries urged UNRWA to swiftly implement the report's recommendations, including strengthening its internal audit function and improving external oversight of project management.
+""In support of these reforms, the German government will soon continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, have already done,"" it said. Germany is UNRWA's second-biggest donor.
+The agency employs 32,000 people in the Palestinian territories and nearby countries, including 13,000 in the Gaza Strip, where it is by far the biggest aid agency, running schools and social services for the refugees who make up the majority of Gazans.
+UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said UNRWA was ""so grateful"", adding: ""Germany has been a very committed donor to the agency.""
+The review said Israel had yet to provide evidence to support accusations made on the basis of an UNRWA staff list given to it in March that a significant number of UNRWA staff were members of what it called Gaza terrorist groups.
+The review found that UNRWA had ""a more developed approach"" to neutrality than other similar U.N. or aid groups, although ""neutrality-related issues persist"" such as staff publicly expressing political views.
+The United Nations is investigating the accusations against the 12 employees. After these surfaced in January, UNRWA said it had sacked 10 of those named, and that the other two were dead.
+Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying that more than 450 UNRWA employees were fighters in what it termed terrorist groups in Gaza.
+Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson called Germany's decision ""regrettable and disappointing"". He said Israel had shared detailed information about ""many hundreds"" of UNRWA employees who were members of Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs Gaza, and another group, Islamic Jihad.
+Accepting the recommendations of the review on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all countries to support UNRWA as a ""lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region"".
+UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on Tuesday that UNRWA currently has enough funding to pay for operations until June.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Germany signals it will resume funding UN agency for Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, April 24 (Reuters) - Germany said on Wednesday it would resume cooperation with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), signalling a resumption of funding that was frozen after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of participating in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack. The allegations prompted 16 donor states, including the biggest, the United States, to freeze some $450 million of funds, a blow to UNRWA's operations as it grapples with the humanitarian crisis unleashed by Israel's assault on Gaza. A review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into UNRWA's procedures for ensuring adherence to principles of neutrality was published on Monday. In a statement, the German foreign and development ministries urged UNRWA to swiftly implement the report's recommendations, including strengthening its internal audit function and improving external oversight of project management.  ""In support of these reforms, the German government will soon continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, have already done,"" it said. Germany is UNRWA's second-biggest donor. The agency employs 32,000 people in the Palestinian territories and nearby countries, including 13,000 in the Gaza Strip, where it is by far the biggest aid agency, running schools and social services for the refugees who make up the majority of Gazans. UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said UNRWA was ""so grateful"", adding: ""Germany has been a very committed donor to the agency.""
+The review said Israel had yet to provide evidence to support accusations made on the basis of an UNRWA staff list given to it in March that a significant number of UNRWA staff were members of what it called Gaza terrorist groups.  The review found that UNRWA had ""a more developed approach"" to neutrality than other similar U.N. or aid groups, although ""neutrality-related issues persist"" such as staff publicly expressing political views.
+The United Nations is investigating the accusations against the 12 employees. After these surfaced in January, UNRWA said it had sacked 10 of those named, and that the other two were dead.  Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying that more than 450 UNRWA employees were fighters in what it termed terrorist groups in Gaza.
+Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson called Germany's decision ""regrettable and disappointing"". He said Israel had shared detailed information about ""many hundreds"" of UNRWA employees who were members of Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs Gaza, and another group, Islamic Jihad."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-resume-cooperation-with-palestinian-unrwa-agency-2024-04-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Germany signals it will resume funding UN agency for Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, April 24 (Reuters) - Germany said on Wednesday it would resume cooperation with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), signalling a resumption of funding that was frozen after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of participating in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack.
+The allegations prompted 16 donor states, including the biggest, the United States, to freeze some $450 million of funds, a blow to UNRWA's operations as it grapples with the humanitarian crisis unleashed by Israel's assault on Gaza.
+A review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into UNRWA's procedures for ensuring adherence to principles of neutrality was published on Monday.
+In a statement, the German foreign and development ministries urged UNRWA to swiftly implement the report's recommendations, including strengthening its internal audit function and improving external oversight of project management.
+""In support of these reforms, the German government will soon continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, have already done,"" it said. Germany is UNRWA's second-biggest donor.
+The agency employs 32,000 people in the Palestinian territories and nearby countries, including 13,000 in the Gaza Strip, where it is by far the biggest aid agency, running schools and social services for the refugees who make up the majority of Gazans.
+UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said UNRWA was ""so grateful"", adding: ""Germany has been a very committed donor to the agency.""
+The review said Israel had yet to provide evidence to support accusations made on the basis of an UNRWA staff list given to it in March that a significant number of UNRWA staff were members of what it called Gaza terrorist groups.
+The review found that UNRWA had ""a more developed approach"" to neutrality than other similar U.N. or aid groups, although ""neutrality-related issues persist"" such as staff publicly expressing political views.
+The United Nations is investigating the accusations against the 12 employees. After these surfaced in January, UNRWA said it had sacked 10 of those named, and that the other two were dead.
+Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying that more than 450 UNRWA employees were fighters in what it termed terrorist groups in Gaza.
+Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson called Germany's decision ""regrettable and disappointing"". He said Israel had shared detailed information about ""many hundreds"" of UNRWA employees who were members of Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs Gaza, and another group, Islamic Jihad.
+Accepting the recommendations of the review on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all countries to support UNRWA as a ""lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region"".
+UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on Tuesday that UNRWA currently has enough funding to pay for operations until June.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Accepting the recommendations of the review on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all countries to support UNRWA as a ""lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region"". UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on Tuesday that UNRWA currently has enough funding to pay for operations until June.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-calls-donors-resume-funding-palestinian-unrwa-agency-2024-04-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway calls on donors to resume funding to Palestinian UNRWA agency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OSLO, April 23 (Reuters) - Norway called on international donors on Tuesday to resume payments to the UN agency for Palestinians refugees (UNRWA) after a report found Israel had yet to provide evidence that some UNRWA staff were linked to terrorist groups.
+The United States, Britain and others earlier this year paused payments to UNRWA following Israel's claims, while Norway, also a major donor to the organisation, argued that funding cuts put the population of Gaza at risk.
+A review of the agency's neutrality led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna on Monday concluded Israel had yet to back up its accusations that hundreds of UNRWA staff were operatives in Gaza terrorist groups.
+""I would now like to call on countries that have still frozen their contributions to UNRWA to resume funding,"" Norway's foreign minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement.
+A separate investigation by internal U.N. investigators is looking into Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA staff took part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks which triggered the Gaza war.
+""Norway has emphasized that it is unacceptable to punish an entire organisation, with 30,000 employees, and all Palestine refugees for the alleged misdeeds of a small number of the organisation's employees,"" Barth Eide said.
+While 10 countries have since ended their suspensions, the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Lithuania have not. A U.N. spokesperson on Monday said UNRWA currently had enough funding to pay for operations until June.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway calls on donors to resume funding to Palestinian UNRWA agency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OSLO, April 23 (Reuters) - Norway called on international donors on Tuesday to resume payments to the UN agency for Palestinians refugees (UNRWA) after a report found Israel had yet to provide evidence that some UNRWA staff were linked to terrorist groups. The United States, Britain and others earlier this year paused payments to UNRWA following Israel's claims, while Norway, also a major donor to the organisation, argued that funding cuts put the population of Gaza at risk. A review of the agency's neutrality led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna on Monday concluded Israel had yet to back up its accusations that hundreds of UNRWA staff were operatives in Gaza terrorist groups.
+""I would now like to call on countries that have still frozen their contributions to UNRWA to resume funding,"" Norway's foreign minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement. A separate investigation by internal U.N. investigators is looking into Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA staff took part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks which triggered the Gaza war. ""Norway has emphasized that it is unacceptable to punish an entire organisation, with 30,000 employees, and all Palestine refugees for the alleged misdeeds of a small number of the organisation's employees,"" Barth Eide said. While 10 countries have since ended their suspensions, the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Lithuania have not. A U.N. spokesperson on Monday said UNRWA currently had enough funding to pay for operations until June.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/review-says-unrwa-has-robust-neutrality-steps-issues-persist-2024-04-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel yet to show evidence UNRWA staff are members of terrorist groups, review finds[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT, April 22 (Reuters) - Israel has yet to provide evidence for its accusations that hundreds of staff with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) are members of terrorist groups, according to a review of the agency's neutrality released on Monday that could prompt some donor countries to review funding freezes.
+The United Nations appointed former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna to lead the UNRWA review of UNRWA's ability to ensure neutrality and respond to allegations of breaches in February after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff took part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks which triggered the Gaza war.
+A separate investigation by internal U.N. investigators is looking into the Israeli allegations against the 12 UNRWA staff. The U.N. said last week that the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has had ""a number of meetings and cooperation from the Israeli authorities on this.”
+UNRWA provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The review said UNRWA shares staff lists annually with the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
+The review said Israel had not raised any concerns with UNRWA, based on those staff lists, since 2011. Then in March 2024, ""Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations.""
+""However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this,"" the review said.
+Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying over 450 UNRWA staff were military operatives in Gaza terrorist groups. UNRWA employs 32,000 people across its area of operations, 13,000 of them in Gaza.
+On Monday, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein accused more than 2,135 UNRWA workers of being members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He said the Colonna review of UNRWA was insufficient and an ""effort to avoid the problem and not address it head on.""
+""The Colonna report ignores the severity of the problem, and offers cosmetic solutions that do not deal with the enormous scope of Hamas' infiltration of UNRWA,"" he said, adding that Israel calls on donors not to give money to UNRWA in Gaza and instead to fund other humanitarian organizations in the enclave.
+'LIFELINE'
+Colonna told reporters she had good relations with Israel during the review but was not surprised by the Israeli response. She said she had appealed to Israel to ""please take it on board, whatever we recommend - if implemented - will bring good.""
+When asked about Marmorstein's comment, UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said: ""We encourage member states who have such information to share it with the ongoing investigation rather than with the media.""
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accepted the recommendations, his spokesperson said, calling on all countries to actively support UNRWA as it is ""a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region.""
+Israel's allegations against the dozen UNRWA staff led 16 states to pause or suspend funding of $450 million to UNRWA, a blow to an agency grappling with the humanitarian crisis that has swept Gaza since Israel launched its offensive there.
+UNRWA said 10 of those countries had resumed funding, but the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Lithuania had not. A U.N. spokesperson said UNRWA currently had enough funding to pay for operations until June.
+Following the Israeli allegations against UNRWA staff, the United States, UNRWA's biggest donor at $300-400 million a year, paused funding, then the U.S. Congress suspended contributions until at least March 2025.
+'ROBUST FRAMEWORK'
+Israel has long complained about the agency, founded in 1949 to care for Palestinian refugees. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for UNRWA to be shut down, saying it seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees.
+Israel launched its assault in Gaza after Hamas fighters rampaged through Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting another 253, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities.
+UNRWA says it terminated the contracts of 10 of the 12 staff accused by Israel of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks, and that the other two are dead.
+The Colonna review noted that UNRWA has ""a more developed approach"" to neutrality than other similar U.N. or aid groups. ""Despite this robust framework, neutrality-related issues persist,"" it found.
+It said these included some staff publicly expressing political views, textbooks with problematic content being used in some UNRWA schools, and politicised staff unions making threats against UNRWA management and disrupting operations.
+In Gaza, UNRWA's neutrality challenges included the size of the operation, with most personnel being locally recruited and also recipients of UNRWA services, the review said.
+UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said on Monday that UNRWA was developing an action plan to take forward the recommendations by Colonna's review.
+""The recommendations in this report will further strengthen our efforts and response during one of the most difficult moments in the history of the Palestinian people,"" he said.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the recommendations ""to enhance UNRWA's already high standards of impartiality, humanity and neutrality"" were important and appealed to donors who paused funding to ""urgently reconsider their decisions.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel yet to show evidence UNRWA staff are members of terrorist groups , review finds[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT, April 22 (Reuters) - Israel has yet to provide evidence for its accusations that hundreds of staff with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) are members of terrorist groups, according to a review of the agency's neutrality released on Monday that could prompt some donor countries to review funding freezes.
+The United Nations appointed former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna to lead the UNRWA review of UNRWA's ability to ensure neutrality and respond to allegations of breaches in February after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff took part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks which triggered the Gaza war.  A separate investigation by internal U.N. investigators is looking into the Israeli allegations against the 12 UNRWA staff. The U.N. said last week that the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has had ""a number of meetings and cooperation from the Israeli authorities on this.”  UNRWA provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The review said UNRWA shares staff lists annually with the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The review said Israel had not raised any concerns with UNRWA, based on those staff lists, since 2011. Then in March 2024, ""Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations. ""
+""However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this,"" the review said.  Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying over 450 UNRWA staff were military operatives in Gaza terrorist groups. UNRWA employs 32,000 people across its area of operations, 13,000 of them in Gaza.  On Monday, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein accused more than 2,135 UNRWA workers of being members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He said the Colonna review of UNRWA was insufficient and an ""effort to avoid the problem and not address it head on.""
+""The Colonna report ignores the severity of the problem, and offers cosmetic solutions that do not deal with the enormous scope of Hamas' infiltration of UNRWA,"" he said, adding that Israel calls on donors not to give money to UNRWA in Gaza and instead to fund other humanitarian organizations in the enclave.  'LIFELINE'
+Colonna told reporters she had good relations with Israel during the review but was not surprised by the Israeli response. She said she had appealed to Israel to ""please take it on board, whatever we recommend - if implemented - will bring good."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/review-says-unrwa-has-robust-neutrality-steps-issues-persist-2024-04-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel yet to show evidence UNRWA staff are members of terrorist groups, review finds[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT, April 22 (Reuters) - Israel has yet to provide evidence for its accusations that hundreds of staff with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) are members of terrorist groups, according to a review of the agency's neutrality released on Monday that could prompt some donor countries to review funding freezes.
+The United Nations appointed former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna to lead the UNRWA review of UNRWA's ability to ensure neutrality and respond to allegations of breaches in February after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff took part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks which triggered the Gaza war.
+A separate investigation by internal U.N. investigators is looking into the Israeli allegations against the 12 UNRWA staff. The U.N. said last week that the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has had ""a number of meetings and cooperation from the Israeli authorities on this.”
+UNRWA provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The review said UNRWA shares staff lists annually with the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
+The review said Israel had not raised any concerns with UNRWA, based on those staff lists, since 2011. Then in March 2024, ""Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations.""
+""However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this,"" the review said.
+Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying over 450 UNRWA staff were military operatives in Gaza terrorist groups. UNRWA employs 32,000 people across its area of operations, 13,000 of them in Gaza.
+On Monday, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein accused more than 2,135 UNRWA workers of being members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He said the Colonna review of UNRWA was insufficient and an ""effort to avoid the problem and not address it head on.""
+""The Colonna report ignores the severity of the problem, and offers cosmetic solutions that do not deal with the enormous scope of Hamas' infiltration of UNRWA,"" he said, adding that Israel calls on donors not to give money to UNRWA in Gaza and instead to fund other humanitarian organizations in the enclave.
+'LIFELINE'
+Colonna told reporters she had good relations with Israel during the review but was not surprised by the Israeli response. She said she had appealed to Israel to ""please take it on board, whatever we recommend - if implemented - will bring good.""
+When asked about Marmorstein's comment, UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said: ""We encourage member states who have such information to share it with the ongoing investigation rather than with the media.""
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accepted the recommendations, his spokesperson said, calling on all countries to actively support UNRWA as it is ""a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region.""
+Israel's allegations against the dozen UNRWA staff led 16 states to pause or suspend funding of $450 million to UNRWA, a blow to an agency grappling with the humanitarian crisis that has swept Gaza since Israel launched its offensive there.
+UNRWA said 10 of those countries had resumed funding, but the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Lithuania had not. A U.N. spokesperson said UNRWA currently had enough funding to pay for operations until June.
+Following the Israeli allegations against UNRWA staff, the United States, UNRWA's biggest donor at $300-400 million a year, paused funding, then the U.S. Congress suspended contributions until at least March 2025.
+'ROBUST FRAMEWORK'
+Israel has long complained about the agency, founded in 1949 to care for Palestinian refugees. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for UNRWA to be shut down, saying it seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees.
+Israel launched its assault in Gaza after Hamas fighters rampaged through Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting another 253, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities.
+UNRWA says it terminated the contracts of 10 of the 12 staff accused by Israel of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks, and that the other two are dead.
+The Colonna review noted that UNRWA has ""a more developed approach"" to neutrality than other similar U.N. or aid groups. ""Despite this robust framework, neutrality-related issues persist,"" it found.
+It said these included some staff publicly expressing political views, textbooks with problematic content being used in some UNRWA schools, and politicised staff unions making threats against UNRWA management and disrupting operations.
+In Gaza, UNRWA's neutrality challenges included the size of the operation, with most personnel being locally recruited and also recipients of UNRWA services, the review said.
+UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said on Monday that UNRWA was developing an action plan to take forward the recommendations by Colonna's review.
+""The recommendations in this report will further strengthen our efforts and response during one of the most difficult moments in the history of the Palestinian people,"" he said.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the recommendations ""to enhance UNRWA's already high standards of impartiality, humanity and neutrality"" were important and appealed to donors who paused funding to ""urgently reconsider their decisions.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","When asked about Marmorstein's comment, UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said: ""We encourage member states who have such information to share it with the ongoing investigation rather than with the media."" U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accepted the recommendations, his spokesperson said, calling on all countries to actively support UNRWA as it is ""a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region.""  Israel's allegations against the dozen UNRWA staff led 16 states to pause or suspend funding of $450 million to UNRWA, a blow to an agency grappling with the humanitarian crisis that has swept Gaza since Israel launched its offensive there.
+UNRWA said 10 of those countries had resumed funding, but the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Lithuania had not. A U.N. spokesperson said UNRWA currently had enough funding to pay for operations until June.  Following the Israeli allegations against UNRWA staff, the United States, UNRWA's biggest donor at $300-400 million a year, paused funding, then the U.S. Congress suspended contributions until at least March 2025.
+'ROBUST FRAMEWORK'
+Israel has long complained about the agency, founded in 1949 to care for Palestinian refugees. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for UNRWA to be shut down, saying it seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees.  Israel launched its assault in Gaza after Hamas fighters rampaged through Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting another 253, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities. UNRWA says it terminated the contracts of 10 of the 12 staff accused by Israel of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks, and that the other two are dead. The Colonna review noted that UNRWA has ""a more developed approach"" to neutrality than other similar U.N. or aid groups. ""Despite this robust framework, neutrality-related issues persist,"" it found. It said these included some staff publicly expressing political views, textbooks with problematic content being used in some UNRWA schools, and politicised staff unions making threats against UNRWA management and disrupting operations. In Gaza, UNRWA's neutrality challenges included the size of the operation, with most personnel being locally recruited and also recipients of UNRWA services, the review said. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said on Monday that UNRWA was developing an action plan to take forward the recommendations by Colonna's review. ""The recommendations in this report will further strengthen our efforts and response during one of the most difficult moments in the history of the Palestinian people,"" he said. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/review-says-unrwa-has-robust-neutrality-steps-issues-persist-2024-04-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel yet to show evidence UNRWA staff are members of terrorist groups, review finds[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT, April 22 (Reuters) - Israel has yet to provide evidence for its accusations that hundreds of staff with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) are members of terrorist groups, according to a review of the agency's neutrality released on Monday that could prompt some donor countries to review funding freezes.
+The United Nations appointed former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna to lead the UNRWA review of UNRWA's ability to ensure neutrality and respond to allegations of breaches in February after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff took part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks which triggered the Gaza war.
+A separate investigation by internal U.N. investigators is looking into the Israeli allegations against the 12 UNRWA staff. The U.N. said last week that the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has had ""a number of meetings and cooperation from the Israeli authorities on this.”
+UNRWA provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The review said UNRWA shares staff lists annually with the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
+The review said Israel had not raised any concerns with UNRWA, based on those staff lists, since 2011. Then in March 2024, ""Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations.""
+""However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this,"" the review said.
+Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying over 450 UNRWA staff were military operatives in Gaza terrorist groups. UNRWA employs 32,000 people across its area of operations, 13,000 of them in Gaza.
+On Monday, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein accused more than 2,135 UNRWA workers of being members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He said the Colonna review of UNRWA was insufficient and an ""effort to avoid the problem and not address it head on.""
+""The Colonna report ignores the severity of the problem, and offers cosmetic solutions that do not deal with the enormous scope of Hamas' infiltration of UNRWA,"" he said, adding that Israel calls on donors not to give money to UNRWA in Gaza and instead to fund other humanitarian organizations in the enclave.
+'LIFELINE'
+Colonna told reporters she had good relations with Israel during the review but was not surprised by the Israeli response. She said she had appealed to Israel to ""please take it on board, whatever we recommend - if implemented - will bring good.""
+When asked about Marmorstein's comment, UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma said: ""We encourage member states who have such information to share it with the ongoing investigation rather than with the media.""
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accepted the recommendations, his spokesperson said, calling on all countries to actively support UNRWA as it is ""a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region.""
+Israel's allegations against the dozen UNRWA staff led 16 states to pause or suspend funding of $450 million to UNRWA, a blow to an agency grappling with the humanitarian crisis that has swept Gaza since Israel launched its offensive there.
+UNRWA said 10 of those countries had resumed funding, but the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Lithuania had not. A U.N. spokesperson said UNRWA currently had enough funding to pay for operations until June.
+Following the Israeli allegations against UNRWA staff, the United States, UNRWA's biggest donor at $300-400 million a year, paused funding, then the U.S. Congress suspended contributions until at least March 2025.
+'ROBUST FRAMEWORK'
+Israel has long complained about the agency, founded in 1949 to care for Palestinian refugees. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for UNRWA to be shut down, saying it seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees.
+Israel launched its assault in Gaza after Hamas fighters rampaged through Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting another 253, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities.
+UNRWA says it terminated the contracts of 10 of the 12 staff accused by Israel of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks, and that the other two are dead.
+The Colonna review noted that UNRWA has ""a more developed approach"" to neutrality than other similar U.N. or aid groups. ""Despite this robust framework, neutrality-related issues persist,"" it found.
+It said these included some staff publicly expressing political views, textbooks with problematic content being used in some UNRWA schools, and politicised staff unions making threats against UNRWA management and disrupting operations.
+In Gaza, UNRWA's neutrality challenges included the size of the operation, with most personnel being locally recruited and also recipients of UNRWA services, the review said.
+UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said on Monday that UNRWA was developing an action plan to take forward the recommendations by Colonna's review.
+""The recommendations in this report will further strengthen our efforts and response during one of the most difficult moments in the history of the Palestinian people,"" he said.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the recommendations ""to enhance UNRWA's already high standards of impartiality, humanity and neutrality"" were important and appealed to donors who paused funding to ""urgently reconsider their decisions.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the recommendations ""to enhance UNRWA's already high standards of impartiality, humanity and neutrality"" were important and appealed to donors who paused funding to ""urgently reconsider their decisions.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/parisians-protest-against-islamophobia-amid-gaza-war-tensions-2024-04-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Parisians protest against Islamophobia amid Gaza war tensions[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, April 21 (Reuters) - A crowd of around 2,000 people protested in Paris against racism, Islamophobia and violence against children on Sunday after a court allowed their demonstration to go ahead.
+Bans on protests have been more frequent in France in recent months amid tensions stirred by Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza. In a country that is home to large Muslim and Jewish communities, authorities have banned many pro-Palestinian demonstrations and public gatherings, citing the risk of antisemitic hate crimes and violence.
+On Sunday, the protesters marched peacefully from the multi-ethnic Barbes neighbourhood towards Place de la Republique. Many chanted slogans remembering Nahel, a 17-year-old of North African descent who was fatally shot during a police traffic stop last year.
+Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told broadcaster BFM TV he initially chose to ban the march because in announcing the protest the organisers had likened French police violence to the war in Gaza, and he felt the event could cause a threat to public order.
+That argument was rejected by Paris's administrative court in a fast-track decision.
+""Fighting and mobilizing for the protection of all children is normal, it should be,"" said Yessa Belkgodja, one of the organisers of the march, welcoming the court's decision.
+""If we are banned from protesting, it means we don’t have the right to express ourselves in France (..) We are being monitored on social media. That's enough, leave us alone"", said Yamina Ayad, a retiree who was wrapped in Palestine flag.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Parisians protest against Islamophobia amid Gaza war tensions[/TITLE] [CONTENT]PARIS, April 21 (Reuters) - A crowd of around 2,000 people protested in Paris against racism, Islamophobia and violence against children on Sunday after a court allowed their demonstration to go ahead. Bans on protests have been more frequent in France in recent months amid tensions stirred by Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza. In a country that is home to large Muslim and Jewish communities, authorities have banned many pro-Palestinian demonstrations and public gatherings, citing the risk of antisemitic hate crimes and violence.  On Sunday, the protesters marched peacefully from the multi-ethnic Barbes neighbourhood towards Place de la Republique. Many chanted slogans remembering Nahel, a 17-year-old of North African descent who was fatally shot during a police traffic stop last year. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told broadcaster BFM TV he initially chose to ban the march because in announcing the protest the organisers had likened French police violence to the war in Gaza, and he felt the event could cause a threat to public order. That argument was rejected by Paris's administrative court in a fast-track decision.
+""Fighting and mobilizing for the protection of all children is normal, it should be,"" said Yessa Belkgodja, one of the organisers of the march, welcoming the court's decision.  ""If we are banned from protesting, it means we don’t have the right to express ourselves in France (..) We are being monitored on social media. That's enough, leave us alone"", said Yamina Ayad, a retiree who was wrapped in Palestine flag.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/erdogan-meets-hamas-leader-turkey-discusses-efforts-regional-peace-2024-04-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Erdogan meets Hamas leader in Turkey, discusses efforts for regional peace[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ISTANBUL, April 20 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and reach a fair and lasting peace in the region during a meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on Saturday, his office said.
+It was the first meeting between Erdogan and a Hamas delegation headed by Haniyeh since Israel began its military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh's visit to Turkey took place three days after he met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Doha.
+""Issues related to Israel's attacks on lands of Palestine, particularly Gaza, efforts for adequate and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a fair and lasting peace process in the region were discussed,"" the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
+The visit took place amid escalating regional tensions following Israel's reported attack on Iran this week.
+""Erdogan stressed that Israel should not benefit from the developments (between Iran and Israel) and that it is important to make efforts that will draw attention to Gaza again,"" the statement added.
+NATO member Turkey has denounced Israel's offensive in Gaza following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and called for an immediate ceasefire.
+Erdogan has called Hamas a ""liberation movement"" while slamming the West for what he calls its unconditional support of Israel. Ankara has also imposed trade restrictions on Israel.
+In Saturday's meeting, Erdogan told Haniyeh Turkey continues its diplomatic efforts for a permanent ceasefire as well as the establishment of an independent state of Palestine, according to the statement.
+Erdogan also told Haniyeh ""it is vital for Palestinians to act in unity,"" the statement said.
+Palestinian militant group Hamas seized control in Gaza in 2007, a year after sweeping elections, following a brief civil war with Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces, reducing the PA's rule to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Efforts to reconcile the two sides have so far failed over thorny power-sharing issues.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Erdogan meets Hamas leader in Turkey, discusses efforts for regional peace[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ISTANBUL, April 20 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and reach a fair and lasting peace in the region during a meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on Saturday, his office said.  It was the first meeting between Erdogan and a Hamas delegation headed by Haniyeh since Israel began its military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh's visit to Turkey took place three days after he met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Doha. ""Issues related to Israel's attacks on lands of Palestine, particularly Gaza, efforts for adequate and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a fair and lasting peace process in the region were discussed,"" the Turkish presidency said in a statement. The visit took place amid escalating regional tensions following Israel's reported attack on Iran this week. ""Erdogan stressed that Israel should not benefit from the developments (between Iran and Israel) and that it is important to make efforts that will draw attention to Gaza again,"" the statement added. NATO member Turkey has denounced Israel's offensive in Gaza following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and called for an immediate ceasefire. Erdogan has called Hamas a ""liberation movement"" while slamming the West for what he calls its unconditional support of Israel. Ankara has also imposed trade restrictions on Israel. In Saturday's meeting, Erdogan told Haniyeh Turkey continues its diplomatic efforts for a permanent ceasefire as well as the establishment of an independent state of Palestine, according to the statement. Erdogan also told Haniyeh ""it is vital for Palestinians to act in unity,"" the statement said. Palestinian militant group Hamas seized control in Gaza in 2007, a year after sweeping elections, following a brief civil war with Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces, reducing the PA's rule to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Efforts to reconcile the two sides have so far failed over thorny power-sharing issues.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-says-ending-israels-occupation-palestinian-territories-is-first-priority-2024-04-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey says ending Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is 'first priority'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ISTANBUL, April 20 (Reuters) - Tension between Israel and Iran should not distract from the situation in Gaza and the first priority of the international community should be ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.
+Fidan was speaking in Istanbul on Saturday during a visit by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who urged Iran and Israel to exercise restraint.
+Shoukry's visit to Turkey comes amid high tensions in the Middle East following the apparent Israeli attack on Iran. Israel has said nothing about the incident.
+Speaking at a joint news conference with Fidan, Shoukry said there was concern in the region over the ongoing escalation.
+""We've warned of the expansion of the conflict from the very beginning,"" he said.
+""We've called on both parties (Iran and Israel) to exercise restraint.""
+Fidan said the main cause of instability in the Middle East was Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and Western backing for Israel.
+""Any development that could distract us from this fact should be ignored,"" he said. ""Our first priority should be ending Israel's occupation in Palestine and a two-state solution.""
+He said he and Shoukry discussed efforts for delivering more humanitarian aid to Gaza.
+Separately, Shoukry said Egypt would host a Turkish delegation to prepare for a visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Turkey at a future date.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey says ending Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is 'first priority'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ISTANBUL, April 20 (Reuters) - Tension between Israel and Iran should not distract from the situation in Gaza and the first priority of the international community should be ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said. Fidan was speaking in Istanbul on Saturday during a visit by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who urged Iran and Israel to exercise restraint.  Shoukry's visit to Turkey comes amid high tensions in the Middle East following the apparent Israeli attack on Iran. Israel has said nothing about the incident. Speaking at a joint news conference with Fidan, Shoukry said there was concern in the region over the ongoing escalation. ""We've warned of the expansion of the conflict from the very beginning,"" he said. ""We've called on both parties (Iran and Israel) to exercise restraint.""
+Fidan said the main cause of instability in the Middle East was Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and Western backing for Israel.  ""Any development that could distract us from this fact should be ignored,"" he said. ""Our first priority should be ending Israel's occupation in Palestine and a two-state solution."" He said he and Shoukry discussed efforts for delivering more humanitarian aid to Gaza. Separately, Shoukry said Egypt would host a Turkish delegation to prepare for a visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Turkey at a future date.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-slaps-sanctions-entities-that-raised-funds-west-bank-settlers-2024-04-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. sanctions ally of Israeli minister, fundraisers over settlers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on an ally of Israel's far-right national security minister and two entities that raised money for Israeli men accused of settler violence, the latest actions aimed against those Washington blames for an escalation of violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+The sanctions, in addition to those already imposed on five settlers and two unauthorized outposts already this year, are the latest sign of growing U.S. frustration with the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
+The moves on Friday, which freeze any U.S. assets held by those targeted and generally bar Americans from dealing with them, hit two organizations that launched fundraising campaigns to support settlers accused of violence and targeted by previous sanctions, the Department of the Treasury said in a statement.
+The Biden administration's moves against Israeli settlers have upset right-wing members of Netanyahu's governing coalition who support the expansion of Jewish settlements and ultimately the annexation of the West Bank, where Palestinians envisage a future state.
+They come as the complex relationship between Washington and its ally Israel is tested by the war in Gaza and as the Biden administration urges Israel to show restraint in responding to retaliatory strikes by Iran.
+Washington sanctioned Ben-Zion Gopstein, founder and leader of the right-wing group Lehava, which opposes Jewish assimilation with non-Jews and agitates against Arabs in the name of religion and national security. Gopstein has said Lehava has 5,000 members.
+State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said members of the group had engaged in ""destabilizing violence affecting the West Bank.""
+""Under Gopstein’s leadership, Lehava and its members have been involved in acts or threats of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas,"" Miller said in a statement, warning of additional steps if Israel does not take measures to prevent extremist attacks amid an escalation of violence in the West Bank in recent days.
+The European Union also said on Friday it had agreed to take sanctions against Lehava and other groups linked to violent settlers.
+A spokesperson for Israel's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Gopstein, the most prominent Israeli figure targeted by U.S. sanctions, is a close associate of and has family ties to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who himself lives in a West Bank settlement.
+Ben-Gvir, like Gopstein, was a disciple of the late Meir Kahane, an ultranationalist rabbi whose Kach movement was listed by Washington as a specially designated global terrorist organization.
+Ben-Gvir on Friday slammed what he called harassment against Lehava and ""our dear settlers who have never engaged in terrorism or hurt anyone,"" labeling the allegations against them a ""blood libel"" by Palestinian groups and anarchists.
+""I call on Western countries to stop cooperating with these antisemites and end this campaign of persecution against the pioneering Zionist settlers,"" Ben-Gvir said in a statement released by his office.
+CROWDFUNDING
+Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state. It has built Jewish settlements there that most countries deem illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and Biblical ties to the land.
+The Biden administration in February said settlements were inconsistent with international law, signaling a return to long-standing U.S. policy on the issue that had been reversed by the previous administration of Donald Trump.
+One entity targeted on Friday, Mount Hebron Fund, launched an online fundraising campaign that raised $140,000 for settler Yinon Levi, the Treasury said, after he was sanctioned on Feb. 1 for leading a group of settlers that assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin civilians, burned their fields and destroyed their property.
+It said the second entity, Shlom Asiraich, raised $31,000 on a crowdfunding website for David Chai Chasdai, who the United States sanctioned for initiating and leading a riot that included setting vehicles and buildings on fire and causing damage to property in the Palestinian town of Huwara, resulting in the death of a Palestinian civilian.
+“These types of enforcement actions against entities helping violent settlers evade U.S. sanctions are what give sanctions teeth,"" said Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, director of research for Israel-Palestine at Democracy for the Arab World Now, a human rights group that has highlighted efforts by supporters to evade sanctions against settlers.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. sanctions ally of Israeli minister, fundraisers over settlers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on an ally of Israel's far-right national security minister and two entities that raised money for Israeli men accused of settler violence, the latest actions aimed against those Washington blames for an escalation of violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The sanctions, in addition to those already imposed on five settlers and two unauthorized outposts already this year, are the latest sign of growing U.S. frustration with the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The moves on Friday, which freeze any U.S. assets held by those targeted and generally bar Americans from dealing with them, hit two organizations that launched fundraising campaigns to support settlers accused of violence and targeted by previous sanctions, the Department of the Treasury said in a statement. The Biden administration's moves against Israeli settlers have upset right-wing members of Netanyahu's governing coalition who support the expansion of Jewish settlements and ultimately the annexation of the West Bank, where Palestinians envisage a future state. They come as the complex relationship between Washington and its ally Israel is tested by the war in Gaza and as the Biden administration urges Israel to show restraint in responding to retaliatory strikes by Iran.  Washington sanctioned Ben-Zion Gopstein, founder and leader of the right-wing group Lehava, which opposes Jewish assimilation with non-Jews and agitates against Arabs in the name of religion and national security. Gopstein has said Lehava has 5,000 members. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said members of the group had engaged in ""destabilizing violence affecting the West Bank.""
+""Under Gopstein’s leadership, Lehava and its members have been involved in acts or threats of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas,"" Miller said in a statement, warning of additional steps if Israel does not take measures to prevent extremist attacks amid an escalation of violence in the West Bank in recent days. The European Union also said on Friday it had agreed to take sanctions against Lehava and other groups linked to violent settlers. A spokesperson for Israel's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gopstein, the most prominent Israeli figure targeted by U.S. sanctions, is a close associate of and has family ties to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who himself lives in a West Bank settlement.
+Ben-Gvir, like Gopstein, was a disciple of the late Meir Kahane, an ultranationalist rabbi whose Kach movement was listed by Washington as a specially designated global terrorist organization."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-slaps-sanctions-entities-that-raised-funds-west-bank-settlers-2024-04-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. sanctions ally of Israeli minister, fundraisers over settlers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on an ally of Israel's far-right national security minister and two entities that raised money for Israeli men accused of settler violence, the latest actions aimed against those Washington blames for an escalation of violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+The sanctions, in addition to those already imposed on five settlers and two unauthorized outposts already this year, are the latest sign of growing U.S. frustration with the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
+The moves on Friday, which freeze any U.S. assets held by those targeted and generally bar Americans from dealing with them, hit two organizations that launched fundraising campaigns to support settlers accused of violence and targeted by previous sanctions, the Department of the Treasury said in a statement.
+The Biden administration's moves against Israeli settlers have upset right-wing members of Netanyahu's governing coalition who support the expansion of Jewish settlements and ultimately the annexation of the West Bank, where Palestinians envisage a future state.
+They come as the complex relationship between Washington and its ally Israel is tested by the war in Gaza and as the Biden administration urges Israel to show restraint in responding to retaliatory strikes by Iran.
+Washington sanctioned Ben-Zion Gopstein, founder and leader of the right-wing group Lehava, which opposes Jewish assimilation with non-Jews and agitates against Arabs in the name of religion and national security. Gopstein has said Lehava has 5,000 members.
+State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said members of the group had engaged in ""destabilizing violence affecting the West Bank.""
+""Under Gopstein’s leadership, Lehava and its members have been involved in acts or threats of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas,"" Miller said in a statement, warning of additional steps if Israel does not take measures to prevent extremist attacks amid an escalation of violence in the West Bank in recent days.
+The European Union also said on Friday it had agreed to take sanctions against Lehava and other groups linked to violent settlers.
+A spokesperson for Israel's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Gopstein, the most prominent Israeli figure targeted by U.S. sanctions, is a close associate of and has family ties to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who himself lives in a West Bank settlement.
+Ben-Gvir, like Gopstein, was a disciple of the late Meir Kahane, an ultranationalist rabbi whose Kach movement was listed by Washington as a specially designated global terrorist organization.
+Ben-Gvir on Friday slammed what he called harassment against Lehava and ""our dear settlers who have never engaged in terrorism or hurt anyone,"" labeling the allegations against them a ""blood libel"" by Palestinian groups and anarchists.
+""I call on Western countries to stop cooperating with these antisemites and end this campaign of persecution against the pioneering Zionist settlers,"" Ben-Gvir said in a statement released by his office.
+CROWDFUNDING
+Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state. It has built Jewish settlements there that most countries deem illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and Biblical ties to the land.
+The Biden administration in February said settlements were inconsistent with international law, signaling a return to long-standing U.S. policy on the issue that had been reversed by the previous administration of Donald Trump.
+One entity targeted on Friday, Mount Hebron Fund, launched an online fundraising campaign that raised $140,000 for settler Yinon Levi, the Treasury said, after he was sanctioned on Feb. 1 for leading a group of settlers that assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin civilians, burned their fields and destroyed their property.
+It said the second entity, Shlom Asiraich, raised $31,000 on a crowdfunding website for David Chai Chasdai, who the United States sanctioned for initiating and leading a riot that included setting vehicles and buildings on fire and causing damage to property in the Palestinian town of Huwara, resulting in the death of a Palestinian civilian.
+“These types of enforcement actions against entities helping violent settlers evade U.S. sanctions are what give sanctions teeth,"" said Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, director of research for Israel-Palestine at Democracy for the Arab World Now, a human rights group that has highlighted efforts by supporters to evade sanctions against settlers.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Ben-Gvir on Friday slammed what he called harassment against Lehava and ""our dear settlers who have never engaged in terrorism or hurt anyone,"" labeling the allegations against them a ""blood libel"" by Palestinian groups and anarchists. ""I call on Western countries to stop cooperating with these antisemites and end this campaign of persecution against the pioneering Zionist settlers,"" Ben-Gvir said in a statement released by his office. CROWDFUNDING Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state. It has built Jewish settlements there that most countries deem illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and Biblical ties to the land. The Biden administration in February said settlements were inconsistent with international law, signaling a return to long-standing U.S. policy on the issue that had been reversed by the previous administration of Donald Trump.
+One entity targeted on Friday, Mount Hebron Fund, launched an online fundraising campaign that raised $140,000 for settler Yinon Levi, the Treasury said, after he was sanctioned on Feb. 1 for leading a group of settlers that assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin civilians, burned their fields and destroyed their property.
+It said the second entity, Shlom Asiraich, raised $31,000 on a crowdfunding website for David Chai Chasdai, who the United States sanctioned for initiating and leading a riot that included setting vehicles and buildings on fire and causing damage to property in the Palestinian town of Huwara, resulting in the death of a Palestinian civilian.  “These types of enforcement actions against entities helping violent settlers evade U.S. sanctions are what give sanctions teeth,"" said Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, director of research for Israel-Palestine at Democracy for the Arab World Now, a human rights group that has highlighted efforts by supporters to evade sanctions against settlers.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/over-100-pro-palestinian-protesters-arrested-new-yorks-columbia-campus-2024-04-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Over 100 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested from New York's Columbia campus[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 18 (Reuters) - (This April 18 story has been refiled to correct the day of arrest to Thursday, not Wednesday, in paragraph 1)
+More than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on Thursday on the campus of Columbia University after its president authorized New York police to clear an encampment set up by students demonstrating against Israel's actions in Gaza.
+Columbia University President Nemat Minouche Shafik, who a day earlier came under fire from Republicans at a House of Representatives committee hearing on antisemitism on campus, said she had authorized police to clear an encampment of dozens of tents set up by protesters on Wednesday morning.
+""Out of an abundance of concern for the safety of Columbia’s campus, I authorized the New York Police Department to begin clearing the encampment ... "" Shafik said in a statement.
+Shafik said the protesters had violated the school's rules and policies against holding unauthorized demonstrations, and were unwilling to engage with administrators.
+New York City Mayor Eric Adams said police made over 108 arrests without violence or injuries. Police said the arrests were related to trespassing.
+Columbia said it had started to suspend students who had participated in the tent encampment, considered an unauthorized protest.
+""We are continuing to identify them and will be sending out formal notifications,"" a university spokesperson said by email.
+At least three students - Isra Hirsi, Maryam Iqbal, and Soph Dinu - have received suspension notices from Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia, for participating in the encampment, the pro-Palestinian advocacy group Institute for Middle East Understanding said.
+Hirsi is the daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, who had expressed support for protesters during the hearing at which Shafik testified on Wednesday.
+""Those of us in Gaza solidarity encampment will not be intimidated,"" Hirsi said on social media after being suspended.
+
+The clash, reminiscent of the demonstrations against the Vietnam War at Columbia more than 50 years ago, is the latest in a series of demonstrations disrupting university campuses, bridges and airports since the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on Oct. 7.
+Alongside the proliferations of protests, human rights advocates, opens new tab have also pointed to a rise in bias and hate against Jews, opens new tab, Arabs and Muslims in recent months.
+The congressional committee on Wednesday accused Shafik of failing to protect Jewish students on campus, echoing accusations leveled against three other elite university leaders at a hearing last year that sent shockwaves through higher education.
+She responded by saying the university was facing a ""moral crisis"" with antisemitism on campus, and Columbia had taken strong actions against suspected perpetrators.
+Protesters at Columbia have demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military assistance for Israel, as well as university divestment from companies profiting from Israel's incursion.
+The encampment was organized by a student-led coalition of groups, including Columbia University Apartheid Divest, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace.
+Separately on Thursday, about 500 demonstrators marched at the University of Southern California in support of Asna Tabassum, opens new tab, a Muslim student whose valedictorian speech was canceled by the university, which cited safety concerns.
+Tabassum and her supporters say the university sought to silence her because of her opposition to the Israeli assault on Gaza.
+Protesters marched with signs of ""Let Her Speak"" and chants of ""Shame!"" directed at the USC administration.
+""It feels really important especially right now for the Jewish voice at USC, the anti-Zionist Jewish voice at USC, to be very loud and very present,"" said demonstrator Katya Urban, 23, part of the Jewish Voice for Peace contingent at USC.
+Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed over 33,000 people, according to the Gazan health ministry, was triggered by the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Over 100 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested from New York's Columbia campus[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 18 (Reuters) - (This April 18 story has been refiled to correct the day of arrest to Thursday, not Wednesday, in paragraph 1) More than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on Thursday on the campus of Columbia University after its president authorized New York police to clear an encampment set up by students demonstrating against Israel's actions in Gaza. Columbia University President Nemat Minouche Shafik, who a day earlier came under fire from Republicans at a House of Representatives committee hearing on antisemitism on campus, said she had authorized police to clear an encampment of dozens of tents set up by protesters on Wednesday morning. ""Out of an abundance of concern for the safety of Columbia’s campus, I authorized the New York Police Department to begin clearing the encampment ... "" Shafik said in a statement. Shafik said the protesters had violated the school's rules and policies against holding unauthorized demonstrations, and were unwilling to engage with administrators. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said police made over 108 arrests without violence or injuries. Police said the arrests were related to trespassing. Columbia said it had started to suspend students who had participated in the tent encampment, considered an unauthorized protest. ""We are continuing to identify them and will be sending out formal notifications,"" a university spokesperson said by email. At least three students - Isra Hirsi, Maryam Iqbal, and Soph Dinu - have received suspension notices from Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia, for participating in the encampment, the pro-Palestinian advocacy group Institute for Middle East Understanding said.  Hirsi is the daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, who had expressed support for protesters during the hearing at which Shafik testified on Wednesday. ""Those of us in Gaza solidarity encampment will not be intimidated,"" Hirsi said on social media after being suspended. The clash, reminiscent of the demonstrations against the Vietnam War at Columbia more than 50 years ago, is the latest in a series of demonstrations disrupting university campuses, bridges and airports since the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on Oct. 7. Alongside the proliferations of protests, human rights advocates, opens new tab have also pointed to a rise in bias and hate against Jews, opens new tab, Arabs and Muslims in recent months."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/over-100-pro-palestinian-protesters-arrested-new-yorks-columbia-campus-2024-04-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Over 100 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested from New York's Columbia campus[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 18 (Reuters) - (This April 18 story has been refiled to correct the day of arrest to Thursday, not Wednesday, in paragraph 1)
+More than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on Thursday on the campus of Columbia University after its president authorized New York police to clear an encampment set up by students demonstrating against Israel's actions in Gaza.
+Columbia University President Nemat Minouche Shafik, who a day earlier came under fire from Republicans at a House of Representatives committee hearing on antisemitism on campus, said she had authorized police to clear an encampment of dozens of tents set up by protesters on Wednesday morning.
+""Out of an abundance of concern for the safety of Columbia’s campus, I authorized the New York Police Department to begin clearing the encampment ... "" Shafik said in a statement.
+Shafik said the protesters had violated the school's rules and policies against holding unauthorized demonstrations, and were unwilling to engage with administrators.
+New York City Mayor Eric Adams said police made over 108 arrests without violence or injuries. Police said the arrests were related to trespassing.
+Columbia said it had started to suspend students who had participated in the tent encampment, considered an unauthorized protest.
+""We are continuing to identify them and will be sending out formal notifications,"" a university spokesperson said by email.
+At least three students - Isra Hirsi, Maryam Iqbal, and Soph Dinu - have received suspension notices from Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia, for participating in the encampment, the pro-Palestinian advocacy group Institute for Middle East Understanding said.
+Hirsi is the daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, who had expressed support for protesters during the hearing at which Shafik testified on Wednesday.
+""Those of us in Gaza solidarity encampment will not be intimidated,"" Hirsi said on social media after being suspended.
+
+The clash, reminiscent of the demonstrations against the Vietnam War at Columbia more than 50 years ago, is the latest in a series of demonstrations disrupting university campuses, bridges and airports since the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on Oct. 7.
+Alongside the proliferations of protests, human rights advocates, opens new tab have also pointed to a rise in bias and hate against Jews, opens new tab, Arabs and Muslims in recent months.
+The congressional committee on Wednesday accused Shafik of failing to protect Jewish students on campus, echoing accusations leveled against three other elite university leaders at a hearing last year that sent shockwaves through higher education.
+She responded by saying the university was facing a ""moral crisis"" with antisemitism on campus, and Columbia had taken strong actions against suspected perpetrators.
+Protesters at Columbia have demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military assistance for Israel, as well as university divestment from companies profiting from Israel's incursion.
+The encampment was organized by a student-led coalition of groups, including Columbia University Apartheid Divest, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace.
+Separately on Thursday, about 500 demonstrators marched at the University of Southern California in support of Asna Tabassum, opens new tab, a Muslim student whose valedictorian speech was canceled by the university, which cited safety concerns.
+Tabassum and her supporters say the university sought to silence her because of her opposition to the Israeli assault on Gaza.
+Protesters marched with signs of ""Let Her Speak"" and chants of ""Shame!"" directed at the USC administration.
+""It feels really important especially right now for the Jewish voice at USC, the anti-Zionist Jewish voice at USC, to be very loud and very present,"" said demonstrator Katya Urban, 23, part of the Jewish Voice for Peace contingent at USC.
+Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed over 33,000 people, according to the Gazan health ministry, was triggered by the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The congressional committee on Wednesday accused Shafik of failing to protect Jewish students on campus, echoing accusations leveled against three other elite university leaders at a hearing last year that sent shockwaves through higher education.
+She responded by saying the university was facing a ""moral crisis"" with antisemitism on campus, and Columbia had taken strong actions against suspected perpetrators. Protesters at Columbia have demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military assistance for Israel, as well as university divestment from companies profiting from Israel's incursion.
+The encampment was organized by a student-led coalition of groups, including Columbia University Apartheid Divest, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace.  Separately on Thursday, about 500 demonstrators marched at the University of Southern California in support of Asna Tabassum, opens new tab, a Muslim student whose valedictorian speech was canceled by the university, which cited safety concerns. Tabassum and her supporters say the university sought to silence her because of her opposition to the Israeli assault on Gaza. Protesters marched with signs of ""Let Her Speak"" and chants of ""Shame!"" directed at the USC administration.
+""It feels really important especially right now for the Jewish voice at USC, the anti-Zionist Jewish voice at USC, to be very loud and very present,"" said demonstrator Katya Urban, 23, part of the Jewish Voice for Peace contingent at USC. Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed over 33,000 people, according to the Gazan health ministry, was triggered by the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-security-council-vote-thursday-palestinian-un-membership-2024-04-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US stops UN from recognizing a Palestinian state through membership[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 18 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday effectively stopped the United Nations from recognizing a Palestinian state by casting a veto in the Security Council to deny Palestinians full membership of the world body.
+It vetoed a draft resolution that recommended to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly that ""the State of Palestine be admitted to membership"" of the U.N. Britain and Switzerland abstained, while the remaining 12 council members voted yes.
+""The United States continues to strongly support a two-state solution. This vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood, but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties,"" Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood told the council.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the U.S. veto in a statement as ""unfair, unethical, and unjustified.""
+Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, at times emotional, told the council after the vote: ""The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will and it will not defeat our determination. We will not stop in our effort.""
+The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership came six months into a war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the U.N. considers to be illegal.
+Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz commended the United States for casting a veto.
+Addressing the 12 council members who voted in favor of the draft resolution, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said: ""It's very sad because your vote will only embolden Palestinian rejectionism even more and make peace almost impossible.""
+'START WITH GAZA'
+
+The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012. But an application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.
+""We believe that such recognition of Palestinian statehood should not come at the start of a new process, but it doesn't have to be at the very end of the process. We must start with fixing the immediate crisis in Gaza,"" Britain's U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council.
+The U.N. Security Council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.
+Algeria's U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama argued before the vote that admitting Palestinians to the United Nations would strengthen rather than undermine the two-state solution, adding: ""Peace will come from Palestine's inclusion, not from its exclusion.""
+The Palestinian Authority, headed by Abbas, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank. Hamas ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in Gaza in 2007.
+Hamas condemned the U.S. stance in a statement and called on the international community to ""support the struggle of our Palestinian people and their legitimate right to determine their destiny.""
+Israel is retaliating against Hamas in Gaza over an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel led by the militant group.
+Israel says about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 people were taken hostage in the assault, and Gaza health authorities say Israel has killed nearly 34,000 people in its offensive in Gaza since then.
+""Failure to make progress towards a two-State solution will only increase volatility and risk for hundreds of millions of people across the region, who will continue to live under the constant threat of violence,"" U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council earlier on Thursday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US stops UN from recognizing a Palestinian state through membership[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 18 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday effectively stopped the United Nations from recognizing a Palestinian state by casting a veto in the Security Council to deny Palestinians full membership of the world body. It vetoed a draft resolution that recommended to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly that ""the State of Palestine be admitted to membership"" of the U.N. Britain and Switzerland abstained, while the remaining 12 council members voted yes.
+"" The United States continues to strongly support a two-state solution. This vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood, but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties,"" Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood told the council.  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the U.S. veto in a statement as ""unfair, unethical, and unjustified.""
+Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, at times emotional, told the council after the vote: ""The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will and it will not defeat our determination. We will not stop in our effort."" The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership came six months into a war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the U.N. considers to be illegal.
+Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz commended the United States for casting a veto.
+Addressing the 12 council members who voted in favor of the draft resolution, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said: ""It's very sad because your vote will only embolden Palestinian rejectionism even more and make peace almost impossible.""
+'START WITH GAZA'  The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012. But an application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.  ""We believe that such recognition of Palestinian statehood should not come at the start of a new process, but it doesn't have to be at the very end of the process. We must start with fixing the immediate crisis in Gaza,"" Britain's U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council.  The U.N. Security Council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-security-council-vote-thursday-palestinian-un-membership-2024-04-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US stops UN from recognizing a Palestinian state through membership[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 18 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday effectively stopped the United Nations from recognizing a Palestinian state by casting a veto in the Security Council to deny Palestinians full membership of the world body.
+It vetoed a draft resolution that recommended to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly that ""the State of Palestine be admitted to membership"" of the U.N. Britain and Switzerland abstained, while the remaining 12 council members voted yes.
+""The United States continues to strongly support a two-state solution. This vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood, but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties,"" Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood told the council.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the U.S. veto in a statement as ""unfair, unethical, and unjustified.""
+Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, at times emotional, told the council after the vote: ""The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will and it will not defeat our determination. We will not stop in our effort.""
+The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership came six months into a war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the U.N. considers to be illegal.
+Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz commended the United States for casting a veto.
+Addressing the 12 council members who voted in favor of the draft resolution, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said: ""It's very sad because your vote will only embolden Palestinian rejectionism even more and make peace almost impossible.""
+'START WITH GAZA'
+
+The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012. But an application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.
+""We believe that such recognition of Palestinian statehood should not come at the start of a new process, but it doesn't have to be at the very end of the process. We must start with fixing the immediate crisis in Gaza,"" Britain's U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council.
+The U.N. Security Council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.
+Algeria's U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama argued before the vote that admitting Palestinians to the United Nations would strengthen rather than undermine the two-state solution, adding: ""Peace will come from Palestine's inclusion, not from its exclusion.""
+The Palestinian Authority, headed by Abbas, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank. Hamas ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in Gaza in 2007.
+Hamas condemned the U.S. stance in a statement and called on the international community to ""support the struggle of our Palestinian people and their legitimate right to determine their destiny.""
+Israel is retaliating against Hamas in Gaza over an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel led by the militant group.
+Israel says about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 people were taken hostage in the assault, and Gaza health authorities say Israel has killed nearly 34,000 people in its offensive in Gaza since then.
+""Failure to make progress towards a two-State solution will only increase volatility and risk for hundreds of millions of people across the region, who will continue to live under the constant threat of violence,"" U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council earlier on Thursday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Algeria's U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama argued before the vote that admitting Palestinians to the United Nations would strengthen rather than undermine the two-state solution, adding: ""Peace will come from Palestine's inclusion, not from its exclusion.""
+The Palestinian Authority, headed by Abbas, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank. Hamas ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in Gaza in 2007. Hamas condemned the U.S. stance in a statement and called on the international community to ""support the struggle of our Palestinian people and their legitimate right to determine their destiny.""
+Israel is retaliating against Hamas in Gaza over an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel led by the militant group. Israel says about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 people were taken hostage in the assault, and Gaza health authorities say Israel has killed nearly 34,000 people in its offensive in Gaza since then.  ""Failure to make progress towards a two-State solution will only increase volatility and risk for hundreds of millions of people across the region, who will continue to live under the constant threat of violence,"" U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council earlier on Thursday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/column-can-drivers-blocked-by-protesters-sue-this-law-firm-thinks-so-2024-04-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Can drivers blocked by protesters sue? This law firm thinks so.[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 18 (Reuters) - A lost day of wages. A missed flight. A canceled medical procedure. The acute discomfort of an over-full bladder.
+Those were among the grievances shared on social media by my Marin County, California, neighbors who were caught in an hours-long traffic jam when protesters on Monday shut down the Golden Gate Bridge. Local authorities arrested 26 people, with charging decisions pending, a spokesman for the San Francisco DA's office told me.
+It wasn’t just the Bay Area. Protesters across the country took to the streets on Monday in a multi-city blockage to express “solidarity with Palestine,” according to organizers, opens new tab -- the latest in a series of traffic-stopping demonstrations since the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza began in October.(To be clear, my focus here isn't on the content of the message; it's on the legal rights of those involved.)
+While acknowledging the disruption, San Francisco-based defense lawyer Jeff Wozniak, a member of the National Lawyers Guild who is volunteering to represent arrestees, said that blocking bridge or highway traffic is a way to draw attention to “a life or death issue.”
+But while grabbing the public's attention, are protesters also inviting litigation from drivers claiming lost time and money?
+On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court coincidentally may have opened the door more widely to private civil actions against protest organizers in a case that stemmed from a 2016 Black Lives Matter demonstration in Baton Rouge.
+The high court allowed, opens new tab a lawsuit by a Louisiana police officer against civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson to go forward, declining to review an appeals court decision, opens new tab. The officer, who was hit in the head with a rock thrown by an unidentified protester, sued Mckesson for negligence in allegedly organizing a protest that turned violent.
+As my Reuters colleague Andrew Chung reported, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Mckesson’s defense that his rights to free speech and assembly under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protected him from the negligence claim.
+“The goal of lawsuits like these is to prevent people from showing up at a protest out of the fear that they might be held responsible if anything happens,” Mckesson said in a statement released by his lawyers from the ACLU.
+Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute co-founder Ted Frank, however, sees value in deterring unlawful protest behavior.
+Frank, who is mostly known for objecting to the terms of class action settlements, told me that he and his colleague Ned Hedley are putting together class action litigation seeking both monetary damages and injunctive relief over what he calls ""obnoxious and illegal"" road-blocking tactics.
+Frank recognizes that some demonstrators may be judgment proof because they have few assets, and he said the litigation by his nonprofit firm is also intended to discourage future highway shutdowns.
+The firm has put out calls on X for plaintiffs who were stuck in traffic during a Feb. 1 protest in the Washington, D.C., area and on Monday in Chicago. Frank said the complaint will assert claims of public nuisance and false imprisonment on behalf of people trapped in their cars. He said he aims to file the suit by summer, most likely in Washinton, D.C., federal court.
+
+When I asked him about potential First Amendment implications of the litigation, Frank said people “are entitled to engage in civil disobedience, but part of that is facing consequences for your actions.”
+Sonya Meyerson-Knox, director of communications for Jewish Voice for Peace, however, decried using class action litigation ""to stifle social advocacy.""
+Members of the self-described anti-Zionist organization for the past six months have been participating in protests demanding the U.S. government call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and stop selling weapons to the Israeli military, she said.
+""Lawsuits to censor and silence the First Amendment right to protest would destroy a vital component of any thriving democracy,"" Meyerson-Knox said.
+Still, Wozniak of the National Lawyers Guild told me he’s skeptical that a class action would be viable or that it would dissuade future protesters, who already knowingly risk arrest and criminal charges for their acts of civil disobedience (though charges are often dismissed or consist of community service or a fine).
+Civil litigation against protesters would be ""an attempt to chill free speech,” he said, adding there’s a decades-long history of activists blocking roadways to call attention to their causes.
+He’s right of course, but the tactics in recent years have evolved.
+In 1988, for example, Act Up protesters blocked Wall Street in New York to demand more money for AIDS research. What’s striking to me in watching archived television footage is how easily police removed them, simply dragging away the demonstrators, limp and non-resisting.
+That’s not what it looks like now.
+Protesters on the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday chained themselves to parked cars, the California Highway Patrol said.
+The technique – where protesters insert their arms into PVC or metal pipes threaded with carriage bolts and lock themselves to the bolts via carabiners, is called the “sleeping dragon.”
+Crowd Operations Dynamix founder Robert Leverone, a retired Massachusetts state police lieutenant who trains law enforcement in dealing with protester lockdown devices, said it takes special tools and expertise to safely remove people from the devices.
+For demonstrators, it’s “a force multiplier,” he told me.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Can drivers blocked by protesters sue? This law firm thinks so.[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 18 (Reuters) - A lost day of wages. A missed flight. A canceled medical procedure. The acute discomfort of an over-full bladder.  Those were among the grievances shared on social media by my Marin County, California, neighbors who were caught in an hours-long traffic jam when protesters on Monday shut down the Golden Gate Bridge. Local authorities arrested 26 people, with charging decisions pending, a spokesman for the San Francisco DA's office told me.  It wasn’t just the Bay Area. Protesters across the country took to the streets on Monday in a multi-city blockage to express “solidarity with Palestine,” according to organizers, opens new tab -- the latest in a series of traffic-stopping demonstrations since the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza began in October.(To be clear, my focus here isn't on the content of the message; it's on the legal rights of those involved. ) While acknowledging the disruption, San Francisco-based defense lawyer Jeff Wozniak, a member of the National Lawyers Guild who is volunteering to represent arrestees, said that blocking bridge or highway traffic is a way to draw attention to “a life or death issue.”
+But while grabbing the public's attention, are protesters also inviting litigation from drivers claiming lost time and money? On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court coincidentally may have opened the door more widely to private civil actions against protest organizers in a case that stemmed from a 2016 Black Lives Matter demonstration in Baton Rouge.  The high court allowed, opens new tab a lawsuit by a Louisiana police officer against civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson to go forward, declining to review an appeals court decision, opens new tab. The officer, who was hit in the head with a rock thrown by an unidentified protester, sued Mckesson for negligence in allegedly organizing a protest that turned violent. As my Reuters colleague Andrew Chung reported, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Mckesson’s defense that his rights to free speech and assembly under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protected him from the negligence claim. “The goal of lawsuits like these is to prevent people from showing up at a protest out of the fear that they might be held responsible if anything happens,” Mckesson said in a statement released by his lawyers from the ACLU. Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute co-founder Ted Frank, however, sees value in deterring unlawful protest behavior."
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/column-can-drivers-blocked-by-protesters-sue-this-law-firm-thinks-so-2024-04-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Can drivers blocked by protesters sue? This law firm thinks so.[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 18 (Reuters) - A lost day of wages. A missed flight. A canceled medical procedure. The acute discomfort of an over-full bladder.
+Those were among the grievances shared on social media by my Marin County, California, neighbors who were caught in an hours-long traffic jam when protesters on Monday shut down the Golden Gate Bridge. Local authorities arrested 26 people, with charging decisions pending, a spokesman for the San Francisco DA's office told me.
+It wasn’t just the Bay Area. Protesters across the country took to the streets on Monday in a multi-city blockage to express “solidarity with Palestine,” according to organizers, opens new tab -- the latest in a series of traffic-stopping demonstrations since the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza began in October.(To be clear, my focus here isn't on the content of the message; it's on the legal rights of those involved.)
+While acknowledging the disruption, San Francisco-based defense lawyer Jeff Wozniak, a member of the National Lawyers Guild who is volunteering to represent arrestees, said that blocking bridge or highway traffic is a way to draw attention to “a life or death issue.”
+But while grabbing the public's attention, are protesters also inviting litigation from drivers claiming lost time and money?
+On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court coincidentally may have opened the door more widely to private civil actions against protest organizers in a case that stemmed from a 2016 Black Lives Matter demonstration in Baton Rouge.
+The high court allowed, opens new tab a lawsuit by a Louisiana police officer against civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson to go forward, declining to review an appeals court decision, opens new tab. The officer, who was hit in the head with a rock thrown by an unidentified protester, sued Mckesson for negligence in allegedly organizing a protest that turned violent.
+As my Reuters colleague Andrew Chung reported, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Mckesson’s defense that his rights to free speech and assembly under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protected him from the negligence claim.
+“The goal of lawsuits like these is to prevent people from showing up at a protest out of the fear that they might be held responsible if anything happens,” Mckesson said in a statement released by his lawyers from the ACLU.
+Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute co-founder Ted Frank, however, sees value in deterring unlawful protest behavior.
+Frank, who is mostly known for objecting to the terms of class action settlements, told me that he and his colleague Ned Hedley are putting together class action litigation seeking both monetary damages and injunctive relief over what he calls ""obnoxious and illegal"" road-blocking tactics.
+Frank recognizes that some demonstrators may be judgment proof because they have few assets, and he said the litigation by his nonprofit firm is also intended to discourage future highway shutdowns.
+The firm has put out calls on X for plaintiffs who were stuck in traffic during a Feb. 1 protest in the Washington, D.C., area and on Monday in Chicago. Frank said the complaint will assert claims of public nuisance and false imprisonment on behalf of people trapped in their cars. He said he aims to file the suit by summer, most likely in Washinton, D.C., federal court.
+
+When I asked him about potential First Amendment implications of the litigation, Frank said people “are entitled to engage in civil disobedience, but part of that is facing consequences for your actions.”
+Sonya Meyerson-Knox, director of communications for Jewish Voice for Peace, however, decried using class action litigation ""to stifle social advocacy.""
+Members of the self-described anti-Zionist organization for the past six months have been participating in protests demanding the U.S. government call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and stop selling weapons to the Israeli military, she said.
+""Lawsuits to censor and silence the First Amendment right to protest would destroy a vital component of any thriving democracy,"" Meyerson-Knox said.
+Still, Wozniak of the National Lawyers Guild told me he’s skeptical that a class action would be viable or that it would dissuade future protesters, who already knowingly risk arrest and criminal charges for their acts of civil disobedience (though charges are often dismissed or consist of community service or a fine).
+Civil litigation against protesters would be ""an attempt to chill free speech,” he said, adding there’s a decades-long history of activists blocking roadways to call attention to their causes.
+He’s right of course, but the tactics in recent years have evolved.
+In 1988, for example, Act Up protesters blocked Wall Street in New York to demand more money for AIDS research. What’s striking to me in watching archived television footage is how easily police removed them, simply dragging away the demonstrators, limp and non-resisting.
+That’s not what it looks like now.
+Protesters on the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday chained themselves to parked cars, the California Highway Patrol said.
+The technique – where protesters insert their arms into PVC or metal pipes threaded with carriage bolts and lock themselves to the bolts via carabiners, is called the “sleeping dragon.”
+Crowd Operations Dynamix founder Robert Leverone, a retired Massachusetts state police lieutenant who trains law enforcement in dealing with protester lockdown devices, said it takes special tools and expertise to safely remove people from the devices.
+For demonstrators, it’s “a force multiplier,” he told me.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Frank, who is mostly known for objecting to the terms of class action settlements, told me that he and his colleague Ned Hedley are putting together class action litigation seeking both monetary damages and injunctive relief over what he calls ""obnoxious and illegal"" road-blocking tactics.  Frank recognizes that some demonstrators may be judgment proof because they have few assets, and he said the litigation by his nonprofit firm is also intended to discourage future highway shutdowns.  The firm has put out calls on X for plaintiffs who were stuck in traffic during a Feb. 1 protest in the Washington, D.C., area and on Monday in Chicago. Frank said the complaint will assert claims of public nuisance and false imprisonment on behalf of people trapped in their cars. He said he aims to file the suit by summer, most likely in Washinton, D.C., federal court. When I asked him about potential First Amendment implications of the litigation, Frank said people “are entitled to engage in civil disobedience, but part of that is facing consequences for your actions.” Sonya Meyerson-Knox, director of communications for Jewish Voice for Peace, however, decried using class action litigation ""to stifle social advocacy.""
+Members of the self-described anti-Zionist organization for the past six months have been participating in protests demanding the U.S. government call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and stop selling weapons to the Israeli military, she said. ""Lawsuits to censor and silence the First Amendment right to protest would destroy a vital component of any thriving democracy,"" Meyerson-Knox said. Still, Wozniak of the National Lawyers Guild told me he’s skeptical that a class action would be viable or that it would dissuade future protesters, who already knowingly risk arrest and criminal charges for their acts of civil disobedience (though charges are often dismissed or consist of community service or a fine). Civil litigation against protesters would be ""an attempt to chill free speech,” he said, adding there’s a decades-long history of activists blocking roadways to call attention to their causes.  He’s right of course, but the tactics in recent years have evolved.  In 1988, for example, Act Up protesters blocked Wall Street in New York to demand more money for AIDS research. What’s striking to me in watching archived television footage is how easily police removed them, simply dragging away the demonstrators, limp and non-resisting. That’s not what it looks like now. Protesters on the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday chained themselves to parked cars, the California Highway Patrol said."
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/column-can-drivers-blocked-by-protesters-sue-this-law-firm-thinks-so-2024-04-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Can drivers blocked by protesters sue? This law firm thinks so.[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 18 (Reuters) - A lost day of wages. A missed flight. A canceled medical procedure. The acute discomfort of an over-full bladder.
+Those were among the grievances shared on social media by my Marin County, California, neighbors who were caught in an hours-long traffic jam when protesters on Monday shut down the Golden Gate Bridge. Local authorities arrested 26 people, with charging decisions pending, a spokesman for the San Francisco DA's office told me.
+It wasn’t just the Bay Area. Protesters across the country took to the streets on Monday in a multi-city blockage to express “solidarity with Palestine,” according to organizers, opens new tab -- the latest in a series of traffic-stopping demonstrations since the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza began in October.(To be clear, my focus here isn't on the content of the message; it's on the legal rights of those involved.)
+While acknowledging the disruption, San Francisco-based defense lawyer Jeff Wozniak, a member of the National Lawyers Guild who is volunteering to represent arrestees, said that blocking bridge or highway traffic is a way to draw attention to “a life or death issue.”
+But while grabbing the public's attention, are protesters also inviting litigation from drivers claiming lost time and money?
+On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court coincidentally may have opened the door more widely to private civil actions against protest organizers in a case that stemmed from a 2016 Black Lives Matter demonstration in Baton Rouge.
+The high court allowed, opens new tab a lawsuit by a Louisiana police officer against civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson to go forward, declining to review an appeals court decision, opens new tab. The officer, who was hit in the head with a rock thrown by an unidentified protester, sued Mckesson for negligence in allegedly organizing a protest that turned violent.
+As my Reuters colleague Andrew Chung reported, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Mckesson’s defense that his rights to free speech and assembly under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protected him from the negligence claim.
+“The goal of lawsuits like these is to prevent people from showing up at a protest out of the fear that they might be held responsible if anything happens,” Mckesson said in a statement released by his lawyers from the ACLU.
+Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute co-founder Ted Frank, however, sees value in deterring unlawful protest behavior.
+Frank, who is mostly known for objecting to the terms of class action settlements, told me that he and his colleague Ned Hedley are putting together class action litigation seeking both monetary damages and injunctive relief over what he calls ""obnoxious and illegal"" road-blocking tactics.
+Frank recognizes that some demonstrators may be judgment proof because they have few assets, and he said the litigation by his nonprofit firm is also intended to discourage future highway shutdowns.
+The firm has put out calls on X for plaintiffs who were stuck in traffic during a Feb. 1 protest in the Washington, D.C., area and on Monday in Chicago. Frank said the complaint will assert claims of public nuisance and false imprisonment on behalf of people trapped in their cars. He said he aims to file the suit by summer, most likely in Washinton, D.C., federal court.
+
+When I asked him about potential First Amendment implications of the litigation, Frank said people “are entitled to engage in civil disobedience, but part of that is facing consequences for your actions.”
+Sonya Meyerson-Knox, director of communications for Jewish Voice for Peace, however, decried using class action litigation ""to stifle social advocacy.""
+Members of the self-described anti-Zionist organization for the past six months have been participating in protests demanding the U.S. government call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and stop selling weapons to the Israeli military, she said.
+""Lawsuits to censor and silence the First Amendment right to protest would destroy a vital component of any thriving democracy,"" Meyerson-Knox said.
+Still, Wozniak of the National Lawyers Guild told me he’s skeptical that a class action would be viable or that it would dissuade future protesters, who already knowingly risk arrest and criminal charges for their acts of civil disobedience (though charges are often dismissed or consist of community service or a fine).
+Civil litigation against protesters would be ""an attempt to chill free speech,” he said, adding there’s a decades-long history of activists blocking roadways to call attention to their causes.
+He’s right of course, but the tactics in recent years have evolved.
+In 1988, for example, Act Up protesters blocked Wall Street in New York to demand more money for AIDS research. What’s striking to me in watching archived television footage is how easily police removed them, simply dragging away the demonstrators, limp and non-resisting.
+That’s not what it looks like now.
+Protesters on the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday chained themselves to parked cars, the California Highway Patrol said.
+The technique – where protesters insert their arms into PVC or metal pipes threaded with carriage bolts and lock themselves to the bolts via carabiners, is called the “sleeping dragon.”
+Crowd Operations Dynamix founder Robert Leverone, a retired Massachusetts state police lieutenant who trains law enforcement in dealing with protester lockdown devices, said it takes special tools and expertise to safely remove people from the devices.
+For demonstrators, it’s “a force multiplier,” he told me.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The technique – where protesters insert their arms into PVC or metal pipes threaded with carriage bolts and lock themselves to the bolts via carabiners, is called the “sleeping dragon.”
+Crowd Operations Dynamix founder Robert Leverone, a retired Massachusetts state police lieutenant who trains law enforcement in dealing with protester lockdown devices, said it takes special tools and expertise to safely remove people from the devices.  For demonstrators, it’s “a force multiplier,” he told me.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-foreign-minister-says-beijing-jakarta-want-regional-peace-stability-2024-04-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]China foreign minister says Beijing and Jakarta want regional peace and stability[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JAKARTA, April 18 (Reuters) - China and Indonesia have pledged to strengthen economic ties and maintain peace and stability in the region, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday after a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, in Jakarta.
+Wang also called for all parties in the Gaza conflict to exercise restraint, and said the United States should support a United Nations resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza.
+""Both ministers expressed resentment over the humanitarian disaster due to the Palestine-Israel conflict. We agree that the UN Security Council resolution on a ceasefire must be fully implemented and without any condition,"" Wang said after the meeting, in remarks that were translated into Indonesian.
+Wang urged the United States to ""listen to the international community"" amid concerns over the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
+""The UN Security Council is a collective security mechanism that must not be used by a certain country,"" Wang said.
+Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said she hoped China would ""would use its influence to prevent escalation"" in Gaza, emphasising the need for a two-state solution.
+Indonesia and China, its largest trading and investment partner, are seeking to further strengthen economic ties through deepened investment in infrastructure, downstreaming, food sustainability and Indonesia's energy transition, Retno said.
+Chinese investment in Indonesia reached more than $7.4 billion last year, she added.
+Wang is scheduled to attend the China-Indonesia High-Level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism meeting with several senior Indonesian ministers in Labuan Bajo on Friday to discuss further cooperation in more detail.
+During the bilateral meeting both countries pledged to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, with Yang saying he expected that negotiations on the code of conduct on the South China Sea could be accelerated.
+The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have for years been trying to create a framework to negotiate a code of conduct, a plan dating as far back as 2002. But progress has been slow despite commitments by all parties to advance and expedite the process.
+Wang also met Indonesia's outgoing President Joko ""Jokowi"" Widodo, discussing further economic partnerships, including possible investments in the transportation sector in the country's new capital and the petrochemical industry in North Kalimantan province, Retno said, without elaborating.
+Jokowi also emphasised the importance for all parties to restrain in the Middle Eastern conflict, Retno added.
+Wang also met Indonesia's president-elect and defence minister Prabowo Subianto, where they discussed a plan to have a joint military exercise between the two countries, the latter's ministry said in a statement without providing details.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]China foreign minister says Beijing and Jakarta want regional peace and stability[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JAKARTA, April 18 (Reuters) - China and Indonesia have pledged to strengthen economic ties and maintain peace and stability in the region, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday after a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, in Jakarta. Wang also called for all parties in the Gaza conflict to exercise restraint, and said the United States should support a United Nations resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza.
+"" Both ministers expressed resentment over the humanitarian disaster due to the Palestine-Israel conflict. We agree that the UN Security Council resolution on a ceasefire must be fully implemented and without any condition,"" Wang said after the meeting, in remarks that were translated into Indonesian. Wang urged the United States to ""listen to the international community"" amid concerns over the escalating conflict in the Middle East. ""The UN Security Council is a collective security mechanism that must not be used by a certain country,"" Wang said. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said she hoped China would ""would use its influence to prevent escalation"" in Gaza, emphasising the need for a two-state solution. Indonesia and China, its largest trading and investment partner, are seeking to further strengthen economic ties through deepened investment in infrastructure, downstreaming, food sustainability and Indonesia's energy transition, Retno said. Chinese investment in Indonesia reached more than $7.4 billion last year, she added.
+Wang is scheduled to attend the China-Indonesia High-Level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism meeting with several senior Indonesian ministers in Labuan Bajo on Friday to discuss further cooperation in more detail. During the bilateral meeting both countries pledged to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, with Yang saying he expected that negotiations on the code of conduct on the South China Sea could be accelerated. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have for years been trying to create a framework to negotiate a code of conduct, a plan dating as far back as 2002. But progress has been slow despite commitments by all parties to advance and expedite the process.  Wang also met Indonesia's outgoing President Joko ""Jokowi"" Widodo, discussing further economic partnerships, including possible investments in the transportation sector in the country's new capital and the petrochemical industry in North Kalimantan province, Retno said, without elaborating.  Jokowi also emphasised the importance for all parties to restrain in the Middle Eastern conflict, Retno added."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-foreign-minister-says-beijing-jakarta-want-regional-peace-stability-2024-04-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]China foreign minister says Beijing and Jakarta want regional peace and stability[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JAKARTA, April 18 (Reuters) - China and Indonesia have pledged to strengthen economic ties and maintain peace and stability in the region, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday after a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, in Jakarta.
+Wang also called for all parties in the Gaza conflict to exercise restraint, and said the United States should support a United Nations resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza.
+""Both ministers expressed resentment over the humanitarian disaster due to the Palestine-Israel conflict. We agree that the UN Security Council resolution on a ceasefire must be fully implemented and without any condition,"" Wang said after the meeting, in remarks that were translated into Indonesian.
+Wang urged the United States to ""listen to the international community"" amid concerns over the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
+""The UN Security Council is a collective security mechanism that must not be used by a certain country,"" Wang said.
+Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said she hoped China would ""would use its influence to prevent escalation"" in Gaza, emphasising the need for a two-state solution.
+Indonesia and China, its largest trading and investment partner, are seeking to further strengthen economic ties through deepened investment in infrastructure, downstreaming, food sustainability and Indonesia's energy transition, Retno said.
+Chinese investment in Indonesia reached more than $7.4 billion last year, she added.
+Wang is scheduled to attend the China-Indonesia High-Level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism meeting with several senior Indonesian ministers in Labuan Bajo on Friday to discuss further cooperation in more detail.
+During the bilateral meeting both countries pledged to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, with Yang saying he expected that negotiations on the code of conduct on the South China Sea could be accelerated.
+The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have for years been trying to create a framework to negotiate a code of conduct, a plan dating as far back as 2002. But progress has been slow despite commitments by all parties to advance and expedite the process.
+Wang also met Indonesia's outgoing President Joko ""Jokowi"" Widodo, discussing further economic partnerships, including possible investments in the transportation sector in the country's new capital and the petrochemical industry in North Kalimantan province, Retno said, without elaborating.
+Jokowi also emphasised the importance for all parties to restrain in the Middle Eastern conflict, Retno added.
+Wang also met Indonesia's president-elect and defence minister Prabowo Subianto, where they discussed a plan to have a joint military exercise between the two countries, the latter's ministry said in a statement without providing details.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Wang also met Indonesia's president-elect and defence minister Prabowo Subianto, where they discussed a plan to have a joint military exercise between the two countries, the latter's ministry said in a statement without providing details.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/university-southern-california-cancels-muslim-valedictorians-speech-citing-2024-04-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]California university cancels Muslim valedictorian's speech, citing safety concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LOS ANGELES, April 16 (Reuters) - The University of Southern California, citing safety concerns and passions around the latest Middle East conflict, has canceled its valedictorian speech from a Muslim student who said she was being silenced by anti-Palestinian hatred for her views on human rights.
+USC Provost Andrew Guzman said in a statement on Monday that the decision to scrub the traditional valedictorian address at next month's graduation had ""nothing to do with freedom of speech"" and was simply aimed at protecting campus security.
+The valedictorian, biomedical engineering major Asna Tabassum, in her own statement challenged the university's rationale, questioning ""whether USC's decision to revoke my invitation to speak is made solely on the basis of safety.""
+Guzman's statement did not refer to Tabassum by name, or specify what about her speech, background or political views had raised concerns. Nor did it detail any particular threats.
+The provost referred more broadly to how ""discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian had taken on an alarming tenor"" in recent days.
+""The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement,"" he wrote.
+As a consequence, ""we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement,"" Guzman wrote, adding, ""tradition must give way to safety."" The Los Angeles Times reported the decision was a first for USC.
+Public safety officials and civil rights advocates have reported a rise in hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, Arabs and Palestinians in the United States, along with heightened tensions on college campuses related to the Israel-Gaza war, since the conflict erupted on Oct. 7.
+According to Tabassum, who described herself as a ""first-generation South Asian-American Muslim,"" USC officials refused in an April 14 meeting with her to share details of the university's security assessment.
+USC, renowned for an intercollegiate athletic program whose football and other teams are known as the Trojans, did not respond to Reuters' request for further comment.
+'CAVING TO FEAR'
+Tabassum said she also was told USC possessed the ability ""to take appropriate safety measures for my valedictory speech"" but opted not to because a tougher security posture was ""not what the university wants to 'present as an image.'""
+Instead, Tabassum said USC was ""caving to fear and rewarding hatred,"" which she said was being directed by ""anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices"" targeting her ""because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all.""
+Neither Tabassum nor USC made explicit mention of the Israel-Gaza war.
+Trojans for Israel, a USC-based group, and We Are Tov (Hebrew for ""good""), a group advocating support for Israel and Jews in collegiate life, had called for Tabassum's removal as commencement speaker earlier this month, saying she had espoused antisemitic views in the past.
+Local media reported both groups had mounted opposition to Tabassum based on her social media profile, including an Instagram account with a link directing users to a slideshow about ""what's happening in Palestine and how to help."" It advocated for ""one Palestinian state"" and ""the complete abolishment of the state of Israel.""
+Tabassum told an NBC News affiliate that she posted the link five years earlier and did not author the slideshow.
+In her statement, Tabassum said her undergraduate minor studies in genocide resistance had shown her the danger of allowing ""cries for equality and human dignity"" to be deliberately conflated with ""expressions of hatred.""
+""Due to widespread fear, I was hoping to use my commencement speech to inspire my classmates with a message of hope,"" she wrote.
+Sonya Meyerson-Knox, spokesperson for the Jewish anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, said the USC episode was part of a larger pattern on U.S. college campuses of students being censured as anti-Jewish for criticizing Israel's government or for expressing support for Palestinian rights.
+""Holding the government of Israel accountable for committing grave human rights violations and war crimes and possible genocide has nothing to do with antisemitism,"" she said.
+Other Jewish groups have countered that anti-Zionist rhetoric - sometimes marked by calls for Israel's destruction or right to exist - frequently feeds overt forms of anti-Jewish hatred.
+Tabassum was chosen valedictorian from nearly 100 applicants - submitted from among the more than 200 graduating seniors - who qualified for the honor based on their grade-point-averages, according to USC.
+The university had not asked for an advanced copy of Tabassum's address before withdrawing her invitation to speak, and she had not even begun working on her speech, said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, an advocacy group that circulated her statement.
+The council launched an online campaign calling for USC to reinstate Tabassum's invitation to speak.
+The May 10 commencement exercises, honoring this year's class of 19,000-plus graduates, is expected to draw 65,000 people to the downtown Los Angeles campus of USC, long regarded as one of California's most prestigious private universities.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]California university cancels Muslim valedictorian's speech, citing safety concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LOS ANGELES, April 16 (Reuters) - The University of Southern California, citing safety concerns and passions around the latest Middle East conflict, has canceled its valedictorian speech from a Muslim student who said she was being silenced by anti-Palestinian hatred for her views on human rights.  USC Provost Andrew Guzman said in a statement on Monday that the decision to scrub the traditional valedictorian address at next month's graduation had ""nothing to do with freedom of speech"" and was simply aimed at protecting campus security.
+The valedictorian, biomedical engineering major Asna Tabassum, in her own statement challenged the university's rationale, questioning ""whether USC's decision to revoke my invitation to speak is made solely on the basis of safety.""
+Guzman's statement did not refer to Tabassum by name, or specify what about her speech, background or political views had raised concerns. Nor did it detail any particular threats.  The provost referred more broadly to how ""discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian had taken on an alarming tenor"" in recent days. ""The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement,"" he wrote. As a consequence, ""we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement,"" Guzman wrote, adding, ""tradition must give way to safety."" The Los Angeles Times reported the decision was a first for USC. Public safety officials and civil rights advocates have reported a rise in hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, Arabs and Palestinians in the United States, along with heightened tensions on college campuses related to the Israel-Gaza war, since the conflict erupted on Oct. 7. According to Tabassum, who described herself as a ""first-generation South Asian-American Muslim,"" USC officials refused in an April 14 meeting with her to share details of the university's security assessment.
+USC, renowned for an intercollegiate athletic program whose football and other teams are known as the Trojans, did not respond to Reuters' request for further comment.
+'CAVING TO FEAR'  Tabassum said she also was told USC possessed the ability ""to take appropriate safety measures for my valedictory speech"" but opted not to because a tougher security posture was ""not what the university wants to 'present as an image.' """
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/university-southern-california-cancels-muslim-valedictorians-speech-citing-2024-04-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]California university cancels Muslim valedictorian's speech, citing safety concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LOS ANGELES, April 16 (Reuters) - The University of Southern California, citing safety concerns and passions around the latest Middle East conflict, has canceled its valedictorian speech from a Muslim student who said she was being silenced by anti-Palestinian hatred for her views on human rights.
+USC Provost Andrew Guzman said in a statement on Monday that the decision to scrub the traditional valedictorian address at next month's graduation had ""nothing to do with freedom of speech"" and was simply aimed at protecting campus security.
+The valedictorian, biomedical engineering major Asna Tabassum, in her own statement challenged the university's rationale, questioning ""whether USC's decision to revoke my invitation to speak is made solely on the basis of safety.""
+Guzman's statement did not refer to Tabassum by name, or specify what about her speech, background or political views had raised concerns. Nor did it detail any particular threats.
+The provost referred more broadly to how ""discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian had taken on an alarming tenor"" in recent days.
+""The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement,"" he wrote.
+As a consequence, ""we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement,"" Guzman wrote, adding, ""tradition must give way to safety."" The Los Angeles Times reported the decision was a first for USC.
+Public safety officials and civil rights advocates have reported a rise in hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, Arabs and Palestinians in the United States, along with heightened tensions on college campuses related to the Israel-Gaza war, since the conflict erupted on Oct. 7.
+According to Tabassum, who described herself as a ""first-generation South Asian-American Muslim,"" USC officials refused in an April 14 meeting with her to share details of the university's security assessment.
+USC, renowned for an intercollegiate athletic program whose football and other teams are known as the Trojans, did not respond to Reuters' request for further comment.
+'CAVING TO FEAR'
+Tabassum said she also was told USC possessed the ability ""to take appropriate safety measures for my valedictory speech"" but opted not to because a tougher security posture was ""not what the university wants to 'present as an image.'""
+Instead, Tabassum said USC was ""caving to fear and rewarding hatred,"" which she said was being directed by ""anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices"" targeting her ""because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all.""
+Neither Tabassum nor USC made explicit mention of the Israel-Gaza war.
+Trojans for Israel, a USC-based group, and We Are Tov (Hebrew for ""good""), a group advocating support for Israel and Jews in collegiate life, had called for Tabassum's removal as commencement speaker earlier this month, saying she had espoused antisemitic views in the past.
+Local media reported both groups had mounted opposition to Tabassum based on her social media profile, including an Instagram account with a link directing users to a slideshow about ""what's happening in Palestine and how to help."" It advocated for ""one Palestinian state"" and ""the complete abolishment of the state of Israel.""
+Tabassum told an NBC News affiliate that she posted the link five years earlier and did not author the slideshow.
+In her statement, Tabassum said her undergraduate minor studies in genocide resistance had shown her the danger of allowing ""cries for equality and human dignity"" to be deliberately conflated with ""expressions of hatred.""
+""Due to widespread fear, I was hoping to use my commencement speech to inspire my classmates with a message of hope,"" she wrote.
+Sonya Meyerson-Knox, spokesperson for the Jewish anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, said the USC episode was part of a larger pattern on U.S. college campuses of students being censured as anti-Jewish for criticizing Israel's government or for expressing support for Palestinian rights.
+""Holding the government of Israel accountable for committing grave human rights violations and war crimes and possible genocide has nothing to do with antisemitism,"" she said.
+Other Jewish groups have countered that anti-Zionist rhetoric - sometimes marked by calls for Israel's destruction or right to exist - frequently feeds overt forms of anti-Jewish hatred.
+Tabassum was chosen valedictorian from nearly 100 applicants - submitted from among the more than 200 graduating seniors - who qualified for the honor based on their grade-point-averages, according to USC.
+The university had not asked for an advanced copy of Tabassum's address before withdrawing her invitation to speak, and she had not even begun working on her speech, said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, an advocacy group that circulated her statement.
+The council launched an online campaign calling for USC to reinstate Tabassum's invitation to speak.
+The May 10 commencement exercises, honoring this year's class of 19,000-plus graduates, is expected to draw 65,000 people to the downtown Los Angeles campus of USC, long regarded as one of California's most prestigious private universities.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Instead, Tabassum said USC was ""caving to fear and rewarding hatred,"" which she said was being directed by ""anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices"" targeting her ""because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all.""  Neither Tabassum nor USC made explicit mention of the Israel-Gaza war.  Trojans for Israel, a USC-based group, and We Are Tov (Hebrew for ""good""), a group advocating support for Israel and Jews in collegiate life, had called for Tabassum's removal as commencement speaker earlier this month, saying she had espoused antisemitic views in the past.
+Local media reported both groups had mounted opposition to Tabassum based on her social media profile, including an Instagram account with a link directing users to a slideshow about ""what's happening in Palestine and how to help."" It advocated for ""one Palestinian state"" and ""the complete abolishment of the state of Israel."" Tabassum told an NBC News affiliate that she posted the link five years earlier and did not author the slideshow.  In her statement, Tabassum said her undergraduate minor studies in genocide resistance had shown her the danger of allowing ""cries for equality and human dignity"" to be deliberately conflated with ""expressions of hatred. ""
+""Due to widespread fear, I was hoping to use my commencement speech to inspire my classmates with a message of hope,"" she wrote. Sonya Meyerson-Knox, spokesperson for the Jewish anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, said the USC episode was part of a larger pattern on U.S. college campuses of students being censured as anti-Jewish for criticizing Israel's government or for expressing support for Palestinian rights. ""Holding the government of Israel accountable for committing grave human rights violations and war crimes and possible genocide has nothing to do with antisemitism,"" she said.
+Other Jewish groups have countered that anti-Zionist rhetoric - sometimes marked by calls for Israel's destruction or right to exist - frequently feeds overt forms of anti-Jewish hatred.
+Tabassum was chosen valedictorian from nearly 100 applicants - submitted from among the more than 200 graduating seniors - who qualified for the honor based on their grade-point-averages, according to USC. The university had not asked for an advanced copy of Tabassum's address before withdrawing her invitation to speak, and she had not even begun working on her speech, said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, an advocacy group that circulated her statement. The council launched an online campaign calling for USC to reinstate Tabassum's invitation to speak."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/university-southern-california-cancels-muslim-valedictorians-speech-citing-2024-04-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]California university cancels Muslim valedictorian's speech, citing safety concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LOS ANGELES, April 16 (Reuters) - The University of Southern California, citing safety concerns and passions around the latest Middle East conflict, has canceled its valedictorian speech from a Muslim student who said she was being silenced by anti-Palestinian hatred for her views on human rights.
+USC Provost Andrew Guzman said in a statement on Monday that the decision to scrub the traditional valedictorian address at next month's graduation had ""nothing to do with freedom of speech"" and was simply aimed at protecting campus security.
+The valedictorian, biomedical engineering major Asna Tabassum, in her own statement challenged the university's rationale, questioning ""whether USC's decision to revoke my invitation to speak is made solely on the basis of safety.""
+Guzman's statement did not refer to Tabassum by name, or specify what about her speech, background or political views had raised concerns. Nor did it detail any particular threats.
+The provost referred more broadly to how ""discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian had taken on an alarming tenor"" in recent days.
+""The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement,"" he wrote.
+As a consequence, ""we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement,"" Guzman wrote, adding, ""tradition must give way to safety."" The Los Angeles Times reported the decision was a first for USC.
+Public safety officials and civil rights advocates have reported a rise in hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, Arabs and Palestinians in the United States, along with heightened tensions on college campuses related to the Israel-Gaza war, since the conflict erupted on Oct. 7.
+According to Tabassum, who described herself as a ""first-generation South Asian-American Muslim,"" USC officials refused in an April 14 meeting with her to share details of the university's security assessment.
+USC, renowned for an intercollegiate athletic program whose football and other teams are known as the Trojans, did not respond to Reuters' request for further comment.
+'CAVING TO FEAR'
+Tabassum said she also was told USC possessed the ability ""to take appropriate safety measures for my valedictory speech"" but opted not to because a tougher security posture was ""not what the university wants to 'present as an image.'""
+Instead, Tabassum said USC was ""caving to fear and rewarding hatred,"" which she said was being directed by ""anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices"" targeting her ""because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all.""
+Neither Tabassum nor USC made explicit mention of the Israel-Gaza war.
+Trojans for Israel, a USC-based group, and We Are Tov (Hebrew for ""good""), a group advocating support for Israel and Jews in collegiate life, had called for Tabassum's removal as commencement speaker earlier this month, saying she had espoused antisemitic views in the past.
+Local media reported both groups had mounted opposition to Tabassum based on her social media profile, including an Instagram account with a link directing users to a slideshow about ""what's happening in Palestine and how to help."" It advocated for ""one Palestinian state"" and ""the complete abolishment of the state of Israel.""
+Tabassum told an NBC News affiliate that she posted the link five years earlier and did not author the slideshow.
+In her statement, Tabassum said her undergraduate minor studies in genocide resistance had shown her the danger of allowing ""cries for equality and human dignity"" to be deliberately conflated with ""expressions of hatred.""
+""Due to widespread fear, I was hoping to use my commencement speech to inspire my classmates with a message of hope,"" she wrote.
+Sonya Meyerson-Knox, spokesperson for the Jewish anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, said the USC episode was part of a larger pattern on U.S. college campuses of students being censured as anti-Jewish for criticizing Israel's government or for expressing support for Palestinian rights.
+""Holding the government of Israel accountable for committing grave human rights violations and war crimes and possible genocide has nothing to do with antisemitism,"" she said.
+Other Jewish groups have countered that anti-Zionist rhetoric - sometimes marked by calls for Israel's destruction or right to exist - frequently feeds overt forms of anti-Jewish hatred.
+Tabassum was chosen valedictorian from nearly 100 applicants - submitted from among the more than 200 graduating seniors - who qualified for the honor based on their grade-point-averages, according to USC.
+The university had not asked for an advanced copy of Tabassum's address before withdrawing her invitation to speak, and she had not even begun working on her speech, said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, an advocacy group that circulated her statement.
+The council launched an online campaign calling for USC to reinstate Tabassum's invitation to speak.
+The May 10 commencement exercises, honoring this year's class of 19,000-plus graduates, is expected to draw 65,000 people to the downtown Los Angeles campus of USC, long regarded as one of California's most prestigious private universities.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The May 10 commencement exercises, honoring this year's class of 19,000-plus graduates, is expected to draw 65,000 people to the downtown Los Angeles campus of USC, long regarded as one of California's most prestigious private universities.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/un-security-council-vote-friday-palestinian-un-membership-2024-04-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN Security Council to vote Friday on Palestinian UN membership[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 17 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote Friday on a Palestinian request for full U.N. membership, said diplomats, a move that Israel ally the United States is expected to block because it would effectively recognize a Palestinian state.
+The 15-member council is due to vote at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) Friday on a draft resolution that recommends to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly that ""the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations,"" diplomats said.
+A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., Britain, France, Russia or China to pass. Diplomats say the measure could have the support of up to 13 council members, which would force the U.S. to use its veto.
+Council member Algeria, which put forward the draft resolution, had requested a vote for Thursday afternoon to coincide with a Security Council meeting on the Middle East, which is due to be attended by several ministers.
+The United States has said that establishing an independent Palestinian state should happen through direct negotiations between the parties and not at the United Nations.
+""We do not see that doing a resolution in the Security Council will necessarily get us to a place where we can find ... a two-state solution moving forward,"" U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Wednesday.
+The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly in 2012. But an application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.
+'PEACE-LOVING STATES'
+The U.N. Security Council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.
+Little progress has been made on achieving Palestinian statehood since the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s.
+The Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and is Israel's partner to the Oslo Accords. Hamas in 2007 ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in the Gaza Strip.
+The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership comes six months into a war between Israel andHamas in Gaza, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan on Wednesday accused the Security Council of ""investing its time in promoting the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state.""
+""If the Security Council decides to recommend full membership for the Palestinian Authority, which incites and finances terrorism and has no control over its territory, it will lose all legitimacy,"" Erdan said.
+A Security Council committee on the admission of new members - made up of all 15 council members - met twice last week to discuss the Palestinian application and agreed to a report on the issue on Tuesday.
+""Regarding the issue of whether the application met all the criteria for membership ... the Committee was unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council,"" the report said, adding that ""differing views were expressed.""
+U.N. membership is open to ""peace-loving states"" that accept the obligations in the founding U.N. Charter and are able and willing to carry them out.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN Security Council to vote Friday on Palestinian UN membership[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 17 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote Friday on a Palestinian request for full U.N. membership, said diplomats, a move that Israel ally the United States is expected to block because it would effectively recognize a Palestinian state. The 15-member council is due to vote at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) Friday on a draft resolution that recommends to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly that ""the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations,"" diplomats said.  A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., Britain, France, Russia or China to pass. Diplomats say the measure could have the support of up to 13 council members, which would force the U.S. to use its veto. Council member Algeria, which put forward the draft resolution, had requested a vote for Thursday afternoon to coincide with a Security Council meeting on the Middle East, which is due to be attended by several ministers. The United States has said that establishing an independent Palestinian state should happen through direct negotiations between the parties and not at the United Nations. ""We do not see that doing a resolution in the Security Council will necessarily get us to a place where we can find ... a two-state solution moving forward,"" U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Wednesday.  The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly in 2012. But an application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.
+' PEACE-LOVING STATES' The U.N. Security Council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967. Little progress has been made on achieving Palestinian statehood since the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s.
+The Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and is Israel's partner to the Oslo Accords. Hamas in 2007 ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in the Gaza Strip. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/un-security-council-vote-friday-palestinian-un-membership-2024-04-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN Security Council to vote Friday on Palestinian UN membership[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 17 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote Friday on a Palestinian request for full U.N. membership, said diplomats, a move that Israel ally the United States is expected to block because it would effectively recognize a Palestinian state.
+The 15-member council is due to vote at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) Friday on a draft resolution that recommends to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly that ""the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations,"" diplomats said.
+A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., Britain, France, Russia or China to pass. Diplomats say the measure could have the support of up to 13 council members, which would force the U.S. to use its veto.
+Council member Algeria, which put forward the draft resolution, had requested a vote for Thursday afternoon to coincide with a Security Council meeting on the Middle East, which is due to be attended by several ministers.
+The United States has said that establishing an independent Palestinian state should happen through direct negotiations between the parties and not at the United Nations.
+""We do not see that doing a resolution in the Security Council will necessarily get us to a place where we can find ... a two-state solution moving forward,"" U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Wednesday.
+The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly in 2012. But an application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.
+'PEACE-LOVING STATES'
+The U.N. Security Council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.
+Little progress has been made on achieving Palestinian statehood since the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s.
+The Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and is Israel's partner to the Oslo Accords. Hamas in 2007 ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in the Gaza Strip.
+The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership comes six months into a war between Israel andHamas in Gaza, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan on Wednesday accused the Security Council of ""investing its time in promoting the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state.""
+""If the Security Council decides to recommend full membership for the Palestinian Authority, which incites and finances terrorism and has no control over its territory, it will lose all legitimacy,"" Erdan said.
+A Security Council committee on the admission of new members - made up of all 15 council members - met twice last week to discuss the Palestinian application and agreed to a report on the issue on Tuesday.
+""Regarding the issue of whether the application met all the criteria for membership ... the Committee was unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council,"" the report said, adding that ""differing views were expressed.""
+U.N. membership is open to ""peace-loving states"" that accept the obligations in the founding U.N. Charter and are able and willing to carry them out.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership comes six months into a war between Israel andHamas in Gaza, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan on Wednesday accused the Security Council of ""investing its time in promoting the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state. "" ""If the Security Council decides to recommend full membership for the Palestinian Authority, which incites and finances terrorism and has no control over its territory, it will lose all legitimacy,"" Erdan said. A Security Council committee on the admission of new members - made up of all 15 council members - met twice last week to discuss the Palestinian application and agreed to a report on the issue on Tuesday.
+""Regarding the issue of whether the application met all the criteria for membership ... the Committee was unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council,"" the report said, adding that ""differing views were expressed. "" U.N. membership is open to ""peace-loving states"" that accept the obligations in the founding U.N. Charter and are able and willing to carry them out.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/slovenia-spain-prioritize-recognition-palestinian-state-2024-04-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Slovenia, Spain prioritize recognition of Palestinian state[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 16 (Reuters) - Slovenia and Spain agree on the need to formally recognize a Palestinian state as a way to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the leaders of the two countries said on Tuesday.
+They must also act to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza amid the war between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave, they said.
+""The most important thing is that we have addressed a whole series of questions - when, not if, but when is the best moment to recognize Palestine,"" Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said at a joint news conference with Spain's Pedro Sanchez.
+Golob gave no timeline, saying the matter did not depend on Slovenia and Spain alone but on other international factors. But Slovenia would vote in the United Nations Security Council for full membership of a Palestinian state, he said.
+Spain, long a champion of Palestinian rights, last month agreed with the leaders of Ireland, Malta and Slovenia to take the first steps towards recognizing a Palestinian state.
+The efforts come as the death toll in Gaza from Israel's offensive to crush Hamas neared 34,000. Much of the territory has been flattened by Israeli bombardments, leaving most of the people destitute while a famine looms.
+Israel has said the four EU countries' initiative would amount to a ""prize for terrorism"" that would reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the generations-old conflict. The latest Gaza war broke out after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct.7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostage.
+Sanchez's visit to Slovenia was part of a tour of several European countries to try to garner support for the recognition of a Palestinian state.
+Arab states and the European Union agreed at a meeting in Spain in November that a two-state solution was the answer to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The goal of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel has long been the basis for international peace efforts, but these have been stalled for a decade.
+Since 1988, 139 out of 193 United Nations member states have recognised Palestinian statehood.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Slovenia, Spain prioritize recognition of Palestinian state[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 16 (Reuters) - Slovenia and Spain agree on the need to formally recognize a Palestinian state as a way to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the leaders of the two countries said on Tuesday. They must also act to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza amid the war between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave, they said. ""The most important thing is that we have addressed a whole series of questions - when, not if, but when is the best moment to recognize Palestine,"" Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said at a joint news conference with Spain's Pedro Sanchez.  Golob gave no timeline, saying the matter did not depend on Slovenia and Spain alone but on other international factors. But Slovenia would vote in the United Nations Security Council for full membership of a Palestinian state, he said. Spain, long a champion of Palestinian rights, last month agreed with the leaders of Ireland, Malta and Slovenia to take the first steps towards recognizing a Palestinian state.  The efforts come as the death toll in Gaza from Israel's offensive to crush Hamas neared 34,000. Much of the territory has been flattened by Israeli bombardments, leaving most of the people destitute while a famine looms. Israel has said the four EU countries' initiative would amount to a ""prize for terrorism"" that would reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the generations-old conflict. The latest Gaza war broke out after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on Oct.7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostage. Sanchez's visit to Slovenia was part of a tour of several European countries to try to garner support for the recognition of a Palestinian state.  Arab states and the European Union agreed at a meeting in Spain in November that a two-state solution was the answer to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The goal of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel has long been the basis for international peace efforts, but these have been stalled for a decade. Since 1988, 139 out of 193 United Nations member states have recognised Palestinian statehood.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-teen-west-bank-military-raid-2024-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces, armed settlers kill three Palestinians in rising West Bank violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, April 15 (Reuters) - Armed Israeli settlers shot dead two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Monday, hours after Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teen during a military raid, officials said.
+Monday's violence brought to eight the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or armed settlers since Friday, as Palestinian authorities reported increased settler rampages across the West Bank.
+Salah Bani Jaber, mayor of Aqraba, a town near the northern city of Nablus, witnessed Monday's settler attack. He told Reuters that some 50 settlers, many of them armed, attacked members of his community and fired at Palestinian youth, killing two of them and wounding others.
+""There were Israeli soldiers at the scene who stood idly by watching the settlers,"" he said.
+The Palestine Red Crescent Society said soldiers blocked its ambulances from reaching the area and tending to the wounded.
+The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident.
+Earlier on Monday, Israeli forces raided Nablus, killing 17-year-old Yazan Ishtayeh and wounding three other people, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
+A spokesperson for Israel's Border Police said that undercover border police officers together with Israeli soldiers launched an operation in Nablus to arrest a suspect.
+During the activity, there was rioting in which one person threw an explosive device at the troops and was shot dead by the undercover unit, the spokesperson said.
+Over the weekend, hundreds of armed Jewish settlers raided Palestinian villages near the city of Ramallah, blocking roads, setting houses and cars ablaze, and firing at civilians, medics and civilians said.
+Israeli authorities said the escalation began after a 14-year-old Israeli went missing in the West Bank. His body was discovered on Saturday in what Israel said was a suspected militant attack.
+The U.S. State Department condemned the killing of the Israeli teen and also said it was increasingly concerned by violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
+In one incident caught on video and published by Israeli rights group Yesh Din on Sunday, a group of masked settlers appeared to set fire to a car in a West Bank town under the watch of at least three Israeli soldiers.
+In response to the video, the Israeli military said: ""The behaviour of the soldiers in the video does not correspond to the values and orders of the army. The incident is being examined and the soldiers will be dealt with accordingly.""
+Violence in the West Bank was already on the rise before Israel's assault on Gaza, which was triggered by an Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. It has escalated since, with stepped-up Israeli military raids, settler violence and Palestinian street attacks.
+In addition to more than 33,000 Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza, according to Hamas-run authorities, the Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 466 people in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, among them armed fighters.
+In the same period, at least 13 Israelis, including two members of Israel's security forces, have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an Israeli tally.
+Palestinians have long aimed to establish an independent state in the territories Israel occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Most countries view Israeli settlements on occupied land as illegal, a view that Israel disputes.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces, armed settlers kill three Palestinians in rising West Bank violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, April 15 (Reuters) - Armed Israeli settlers shot dead two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Monday, hours after Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teen during a military raid, officials said.  Monday's violence brought to eight the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or armed settlers since Friday, as Palestinian authorities reported increased settler rampages across the West Bank.
+Salah Bani Jaber, mayor of Aqraba, a town near the northern city of Nablus, witnessed Monday's settler attack. He told Reuters that some 50 settlers, many of them armed, attacked members of his community and fired at Palestinian youth, killing two of them and wounding others. ""There were Israeli soldiers at the scene who stood idly by watching the settlers,"" he said. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said soldiers blocked its ambulances from reaching the area and tending to the wounded. The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident. Earlier on Monday, Israeli forces raided Nablus, killing 17-year-old Yazan Ishtayeh and wounding three other people, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. A spokesperson for Israel's Border Police said that undercover border police officers together with Israeli soldiers launched an operation in Nablus to arrest a suspect. During the activity, there was rioting in which one person threw an explosive device at the troops and was shot dead by the undercover unit, the spokesperson said. Over the weekend, hundreds of armed Jewish settlers raided Palestinian villages near the city of Ramallah, blocking roads, setting houses and cars ablaze, and firing at civilians, medics and civilians said.  Israeli authorities said the escalation began after a 14-year-old Israeli went missing in the West Bank. His body was discovered on Saturday in what Israel said was a suspected militant attack. The U.S. State Department condemned the killing of the Israeli teen and also said it was increasingly concerned by violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. In one incident caught on video and published by Israeli rights group Yesh Din on Sunday, a group of masked settlers appeared to set fire to a car in a West Bank town under the watch of at least three Israeli soldiers.  In response to the video, the Israeli military said: ""The behaviour of the soldiers in the video does not correspond to the values and orders of the army. The incident is being examined and the soldiers will be dealt with accordingly."" "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-teen-west-bank-military-raid-2024-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces, armed settlers kill three Palestinians in rising West Bank violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, April 15 (Reuters) - Armed Israeli settlers shot dead two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Monday, hours after Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teen during a military raid, officials said.
+Monday's violence brought to eight the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or armed settlers since Friday, as Palestinian authorities reported increased settler rampages across the West Bank.
+Salah Bani Jaber, mayor of Aqraba, a town near the northern city of Nablus, witnessed Monday's settler attack. He told Reuters that some 50 settlers, many of them armed, attacked members of his community and fired at Palestinian youth, killing two of them and wounding others.
+""There were Israeli soldiers at the scene who stood idly by watching the settlers,"" he said.
+The Palestine Red Crescent Society said soldiers blocked its ambulances from reaching the area and tending to the wounded.
+The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident.
+Earlier on Monday, Israeli forces raided Nablus, killing 17-year-old Yazan Ishtayeh and wounding three other people, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
+A spokesperson for Israel's Border Police said that undercover border police officers together with Israeli soldiers launched an operation in Nablus to arrest a suspect.
+During the activity, there was rioting in which one person threw an explosive device at the troops and was shot dead by the undercover unit, the spokesperson said.
+Over the weekend, hundreds of armed Jewish settlers raided Palestinian villages near the city of Ramallah, blocking roads, setting houses and cars ablaze, and firing at civilians, medics and civilians said.
+Israeli authorities said the escalation began after a 14-year-old Israeli went missing in the West Bank. His body was discovered on Saturday in what Israel said was a suspected militant attack.
+The U.S. State Department condemned the killing of the Israeli teen and also said it was increasingly concerned by violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
+In one incident caught on video and published by Israeli rights group Yesh Din on Sunday, a group of masked settlers appeared to set fire to a car in a West Bank town under the watch of at least three Israeli soldiers.
+In response to the video, the Israeli military said: ""The behaviour of the soldiers in the video does not correspond to the values and orders of the army. The incident is being examined and the soldiers will be dealt with accordingly.""
+Violence in the West Bank was already on the rise before Israel's assault on Gaza, which was triggered by an Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. It has escalated since, with stepped-up Israeli military raids, settler violence and Palestinian street attacks.
+In addition to more than 33,000 Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza, according to Hamas-run authorities, the Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 466 people in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, among them armed fighters.
+In the same period, at least 13 Israelis, including two members of Israel's security forces, have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an Israeli tally.
+Palestinians have long aimed to establish an independent state in the territories Israel occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Most countries view Israeli settlements on occupied land as illegal, a view that Israel disputes.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Violence in the West Bank was already on the rise before Israel's assault on Gaza, which was triggered by an Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. It has escalated since, with stepped-up Israeli military raids, settler violence and Palestinian street attacks. In addition to more than 33,000 Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza, according to Hamas-run authorities, the Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 466 people in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, among them armed fighters. In the same period, at least 13 Israelis, including two members of Israel's security forces, have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an Israeli tally.  Palestinians have long aimed to establish an independent state in the territories Israel occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Most countries view Israeli settlements on occupied land as illegal, a view that Israel disputes.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/freed-gaza-detainees-allege-abuse-mistreatment-by-israel-palestinian-officials-2024-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Freed Gaza detainees allege abuse, mistreatment by Israel, Palestinian officials say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, April 15 (Reuters) - Israel released 150 Palestinians detained during its military operations in Gaza back into the enclave on Monday and many have alleged they were abused during their time in captivity, Palestinian border officials said.
+The detainees, including two members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) who had been detained for 50 days, were released through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza on Monday, the border officials said.
+Several were admitted to hospitals, complaining of abuse and ill-treatment inside Israeli jails, they said. The Israeli has military has denied the allegations.
+Many of those freed said they had been questioned over whether they had connections to the militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza.
+""I went into jail with two legs and I returned with one leg,"" Sufian Abu Salah, said by phone from the hospital, adding that he had no medical history of chronic diseases.
+""I had inflammations in my leg and they (the Israelis) refused to take me to hospital, a week later the inflammations spread and became gangrene. They took me to hospital where I had the surgery,"" said Abu Salah, adding that he had been beaten by his Israeli captors.
+A resident of Abassan town east of Khan Younis, Abu Salah, 42, told Reuters was arrested by Israel forces at the end of February from a school where he and his family had taken refuge.
+The father of four, who said he had no medical history of illnesses before his arrest, said he had no idea where he had been held, but that ""it looked like an army camp not a prison.""
+According to the Palestinian Prisoners Association, there are at least 9,100 Palestinians from both Gaza and the West Bank detained in Israel. That figure does not include those arrested in Gaza since the beginning of the Oct. 7 war as Israel has not disclosed numbers related to its offensive.
+The Israeli military said in a statement to Reuters it acts according to Israeli and international law and those it arrests get access to food, water, medication and proper clothing.
+""The IDF is operating to restore security to the citizens of Israel, to bring home the hostages, and to achieve the objectives of the war while operating by international law,"" the military told Reuters, adding that specific complaints of inappropriate behavior are forwarded to relevant authorities for review.
+NO INFORMATION ON DETAINEES
+Palestinian and international human rights groups have said they were aware of claims of mistreatment in Israeli jails. They said Israel has been refusing to disclose information on Gaza detainees, including how many people it was holding and where.
+In December, the U.N. Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said that it had received numerous reports, opens new tab of mass detentions, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance of Palestinians in northern Gaza by the Israeli military.
+On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told Reuters it has not been able to visit any Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails since October, when Israel suspended such visits, but that it was aware of media reports of a high rate of arrests by Israeli forces, as well as references to the ill-treatment of detainees.
+""Detainees originating from occupied territories are considered protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949,"" it said. ""The ICRC must be notified of all protected persons deprived of liberty and ensure that ICRC delegates have access to them wherever they are held, including in interrogation centres, prisons, hospitals or military camps.""
+The Gaza Civil Emergency Service said that the captives freed on Monday had been subjected to ""various kinds of abuse and torture"" and that many were admitted to hospitals upon their release. It did not give examples of the kinds of physical or mental abuse.
+The Palestinian Prisoners Association accused Israel of continuing to withhold information on the people it detained in Gaza, including where they are being held.
+Israel's operation in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's Oct. 7 attack, which by its tallies killed 1,200 with 253 taken hostage. Israel in turn has accused Hamas of abusing the hostages, including sexually.
+The subsequent bombardment has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, with tens of thousands more wounded, and many feared still trapped under the rubble. The majority of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced and aid agencies have warned famine is imminent.
+In the past 24 hours, Israel's operations have killed 68 people and wounded 98, Palestinian health officials said.
+Israel says it takes all possible precautions to avoid civilian casualties.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Freed Gaza detainees allege abuse, mistreatment by Israel, Palestinian officials say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, April 15 (Reuters) - Israel released 150 Palestinians detained during its military operations in Gaza back into the enclave on Monday and many have alleged they were abused during their time in captivity, Palestinian border officials said. The detainees, including two members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) who had been detained for 50 days, were released through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza on Monday, the border officials said.  Several were admitted to hospitals, complaining of abuse and ill-treatment inside Israeli jails, they said. The Israeli has military has denied the allegations. Many of those freed said they had been questioned over whether they had connections to the militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza.  ""I went into jail with two legs and I returned with one leg,"" Sufian Abu Salah, said by phone from the hospital, adding that he had no medical history of chronic diseases.
+""I had inflammations in my leg and they (the Israelis) refused to take me to hospital, a week later the inflammations spread and became gangrene. They took me to hospital where I had the surgery,"" said Abu Salah, adding that he had been beaten by his Israeli captors. A resident of Abassan town east of Khan Younis, Abu Salah, 42, told Reuters was arrested by Israel forces at the end of February from a school where he and his family had taken refuge.  The father of four, who said he had no medical history of illnesses before his arrest, said he had no idea where he had been held, but that ""it looked like an army camp not a prison.""
+According to the Palestinian Prisoners Association, there are at least 9,100 Palestinians from both Gaza and the West Bank detained in Israel. That figure does not include those arrested in Gaza since the beginning of the Oct. 7 war as Israel has not disclosed numbers related to its offensive.  The Israeli military said in a statement to Reuters it acts according to Israeli and international law and those it arrests get access to food, water, medication and proper clothing.
+"" The IDF is operating to restore security to the citizens of Israel, to bring home the hostages, and to achieve the objectives of the war while operating by international law,"" the military told Reuters, adding that specific complaints of inappropriate behavior are forwarded to relevant authorities for review.  NO INFORMATION ON DETAINEES
+Palestinian and international human rights groups have said they were aware of claims of mistreatment in Israeli jails."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/freed-gaza-detainees-allege-abuse-mistreatment-by-israel-palestinian-officials-2024-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Freed Gaza detainees allege abuse, mistreatment by Israel, Palestinian officials say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, April 15 (Reuters) - Israel released 150 Palestinians detained during its military operations in Gaza back into the enclave on Monday and many have alleged they were abused during their time in captivity, Palestinian border officials said.
+The detainees, including two members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) who had been detained for 50 days, were released through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza on Monday, the border officials said.
+Several were admitted to hospitals, complaining of abuse and ill-treatment inside Israeli jails, they said. The Israeli has military has denied the allegations.
+Many of those freed said they had been questioned over whether they had connections to the militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza.
+""I went into jail with two legs and I returned with one leg,"" Sufian Abu Salah, said by phone from the hospital, adding that he had no medical history of chronic diseases.
+""I had inflammations in my leg and they (the Israelis) refused to take me to hospital, a week later the inflammations spread and became gangrene. They took me to hospital where I had the surgery,"" said Abu Salah, adding that he had been beaten by his Israeli captors.
+A resident of Abassan town east of Khan Younis, Abu Salah, 42, told Reuters was arrested by Israel forces at the end of February from a school where he and his family had taken refuge.
+The father of four, who said he had no medical history of illnesses before his arrest, said he had no idea where he had been held, but that ""it looked like an army camp not a prison.""
+According to the Palestinian Prisoners Association, there are at least 9,100 Palestinians from both Gaza and the West Bank detained in Israel. That figure does not include those arrested in Gaza since the beginning of the Oct. 7 war as Israel has not disclosed numbers related to its offensive.
+The Israeli military said in a statement to Reuters it acts according to Israeli and international law and those it arrests get access to food, water, medication and proper clothing.
+""The IDF is operating to restore security to the citizens of Israel, to bring home the hostages, and to achieve the objectives of the war while operating by international law,"" the military told Reuters, adding that specific complaints of inappropriate behavior are forwarded to relevant authorities for review.
+NO INFORMATION ON DETAINEES
+Palestinian and international human rights groups have said they were aware of claims of mistreatment in Israeli jails. They said Israel has been refusing to disclose information on Gaza detainees, including how many people it was holding and where.
+In December, the U.N. Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said that it had received numerous reports, opens new tab of mass detentions, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance of Palestinians in northern Gaza by the Israeli military.
+On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told Reuters it has not been able to visit any Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails since October, when Israel suspended such visits, but that it was aware of media reports of a high rate of arrests by Israeli forces, as well as references to the ill-treatment of detainees.
+""Detainees originating from occupied territories are considered protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949,"" it said. ""The ICRC must be notified of all protected persons deprived of liberty and ensure that ICRC delegates have access to them wherever they are held, including in interrogation centres, prisons, hospitals or military camps.""
+The Gaza Civil Emergency Service said that the captives freed on Monday had been subjected to ""various kinds of abuse and torture"" and that many were admitted to hospitals upon their release. It did not give examples of the kinds of physical or mental abuse.
+The Palestinian Prisoners Association accused Israel of continuing to withhold information on the people it detained in Gaza, including where they are being held.
+Israel's operation in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's Oct. 7 attack, which by its tallies killed 1,200 with 253 taken hostage. Israel in turn has accused Hamas of abusing the hostages, including sexually.
+The subsequent bombardment has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, with tens of thousands more wounded, and many feared still trapped under the rubble. The majority of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced and aid agencies have warned famine is imminent.
+In the past 24 hours, Israel's operations have killed 68 people and wounded 98, Palestinian health officials said.
+Israel says it takes all possible precautions to avoid civilian casualties.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","They said Israel has been refusing to disclose information on Gaza detainees, including how many people it was holding and where. In December, the U.N. Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said that it had received numerous reports, opens new tab of mass detentions, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance of Palestinians in northern Gaza by the Israeli military. On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told Reuters it has not been able to visit any Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails since October, when Israel suspended such visits, but that it was aware of media reports of a high rate of arrests by Israeli forces, as well as references to the ill-treatment of detainees.  ""Detainees originating from occupied territories are considered protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949,"" it said. ""The ICRC must be notified of all protected persons deprived of liberty and ensure that ICRC delegates have access to them wherever they are held, including in interrogation centres, prisons, hospitals or military camps.""  The Gaza Civil Emergency Service said that the captives freed on Monday had been subjected to ""various kinds of abuse and torture"" and that many were admitted to hospitals upon their release. It did not give examples of the kinds of physical or mental abuse. The Palestinian Prisoners Association accused Israel of continuing to withhold information on the people it detained in Gaza, including where they are being held. Israel's operation in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's Oct. 7 attack, which by its tallies killed 1,200 with 253 taken hostage. Israel in turn has accused Hamas of abusing the hostages, including sexually.  The subsequent bombardment has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, with tens of thousands more wounded, and many feared still trapped under the rubble. The majority of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced and aid agencies have warned famine is imminent. In the past 24 hours, Israel's operations have killed 68 people and wounded 98, Palestinian health officials said. Israel says it takes all possible precautions to avoid civilian casualties.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/portuguese-pm-not-keen-spains-leader-palestine-statehood-2024-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Portuguese PM not as keen as Spain's leader on Palestine statehood[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MADRID, April 15 (Reuters) - Portugal's new prime minister told his Spanish counterpart on Monday his country will ""not go as far"" as Spain in its plan to recognise a Palestinian state without a concerted European Union approach.
+Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has visited several countries in the past few days on a diplomatic campaign to garner support for the initiative, reiterated his plan to recognise Palestinian statehood in the coming months.
+But Luis Montenegro, who met Sanchez in Madrid, said that while Portugal will support a full U.N. membership for a Palestinian state in an upcoming General Assembly vote, it would wait for the EU to work out a common stance on the matter before moving forward.
+""We don't go as far as other governments... because we maintain that understanding must be built on a multilateral basis within the European Union and the United Nations,"" Montenegro told reporters.
+Both leaders called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza where death toll from Israel's offensive to rout out Hamas has been mounting, prompting calls for a lasting solution for peace in the region. Both also condemned Iran's missile attack on Israel over the weekend.
+""We need to immediately launch a peace process for which Spain has been advocating since the beginning of the crisis and base it on the two-state solution,"" Sanchez said.
+""We are talking with a number of EU member states, also states from outside the European Union, so that there are a few of us who take this step together (recognition). But in any case, the Spanish government is going to take that step.""
+Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia last month announced that they would jointly work toward the recognition of a Palestinian state, prompting a rebuke from Israel which said their initiative would amount to a ""prize for terrorism"" and reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the conflict.
+Since 1988, 139 out of 193 United Nations member states have recognised Palestinian statehood.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Portuguese PM not as keen as Spain's leader on Palestine statehood[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MADRID, April 15 (Reuters) - Portugal's new prime minister told his Spanish counterpart on Monday his country will ""not go as far"" as Spain in its plan to recognise a Palestinian state without a concerted European Union approach. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has visited several countries in the past few days on a diplomatic campaign to garner support for the initiative, reiterated his plan to recognise Palestinian statehood in the coming months. But Luis Montenegro, who met Sanchez in Madrid, said that while Portugal will support a full U.N. membership for a Palestinian state in an upcoming General Assembly vote, it would wait for the EU to work out a common stance on the matter before moving forward. ""We don't go as far as other governments... because we maintain that understanding must be built on a multilateral basis within the European Union and the United Nations,"" Montenegro told reporters.  Both leaders called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza where death toll from Israel's offensive to rout out Hamas has been mounting, prompting calls for a lasting solution for peace in the region. Both also condemned Iran's missile attack on Israel over the weekend. ""We need to immediately launch a peace process for which Spain has been advocating since the beginning of the crisis and base it on the two-state solution,"" Sanchez said. ""We are talking with a number of EU member states, also states from outside the European Union, so that there are a few of us who take this step together (recognition). But in any case, the Spanish government is going to take that step.""
+Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia last month announced that they would jointly work toward the recognition of a Palestinian state, prompting a rebuke from Israel which said their initiative would amount to a ""prize for terrorism"" and reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the conflict. Since 1988, 139 out of 193 United Nations member states have recognised Palestinian statehood.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/middle-east-is-complicating-wests-grand-strategy-2024-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Middle East is complicating West’s grand strategy[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TINOS, Greece, April 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Six months ago, President Joe Biden’s administration seemingly thought, opens new tab the Middle East was a sideshow to global geopolitics. The U.S. and its allies wanted to focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine and stopping China from becoming too powerful.
+But all that changed when Hamas gunmen carried out the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, leading to a mounting humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. Now Iran’s weekend assault on Israel has underlined the risk of a regional war.
+The war in Gaza is not just distracting the rich democracies from helping Ukraine. It is also undermining support among poorer countries and has boosted Donald Trump’s chance of returning to the White House. All this is hurting the West’s grand strategy.
+Failure to achieve their geopolitical goals will harm rich democracies. The rule of law, which underpins trade as well as security, will break down further. Countries will have to ramp up their defence spending even more than they are already planning to. The Western alliance could also fracture, as Russia and China play off countries against one another. If Russia defeats Ukraine, the European Union could even fragment.
+The future may not turn out that way. Biden may find a way to stop the Middle East conflict escalating. Now that he is pushing, opens new tab Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a ceasefire in Gaza, he may even find a way to bring peace to Palestine and Israel. If he fails, the U.S. may still be able to pursue its broader objectives effectively. But it is operating with a handicap.
+ATTENTION DEFICIT
+The conflict between Israel and Hamas was bound to distract Western countries from their other priorities. Leaders have limited bandwidth. As more civilians in Gaza have been killed or driven to the edge of starvation, Western politicians have been trying to stop the fighting.
+They are now also desperately attempting to prevent the conflict spreading. After Iran on Saturday launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, Biden warned Netanyahu that the U.S. will not take part in a counterattack against Tehran. For its part the Islamic Republic, which launched the attack following a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria, said it now “deemed the matter concluded”.
+Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces had previously disrupted shipping through the Suez Canal, while the United Nations warned, opens new tab last week that conflict between Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel was expanding.
+Ukraine is suffering from lack of attention. Despite running short of weapons and a recent Russian assault on the country’s energy infrastructure, the Biden administration has still been unable to push a new funding package for Kyiv through Congress.
+DOUBLE STANDARDS
+The Gaza conflict has also made the U.S. and its allies more vulnerable to accusations of double standards. These complaints existed long before the latest fighting broke out. Some developing countries are still angry about the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Some are bitter that rich countries did not share Covid vaccines more swiftly. And others are upset that Western nations have not kept their promises to provide funding to combat climate change - and are not paying enough attention to debt problems in the developing world.
+Yet the U.S. reaction to how Israel has conducted its assault on Gaza has added to these concerns. The U.S. vetoed three draft resolutions on the war in Gaza in the United Nations Security Council before last month abstaining on a call for a ceasefire. It also criticised, opens new tab South Africa for bringing a case against Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice.
+At the same time, Western countries seem to have taken their eye off their plan to help developing countries fast-track their green transitions. This Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment is supposed to mobilise $600 billion, opens new tab by 2027 to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It needs a reboot.
+The U.S. still has a multiplicity of commercial, diplomatic, and military relationships in the rest of the world. But China and Russia have been able to exploit its double standards and attention deficit to advance their own argument that poorer countries suffer from U.S. hegemony.
+TRUMP DANGER
+The Gaza conflict is also hurting Biden’s re-election chances back at home. Voters who sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians are unlikely to switch their support to Trump. But a substantial number have protested the administration’s Gaza policy by voting “uncommitted” in Democratic primaries. Some could choose to stay at home during November’s presidential election.
+The outbreak of fighting in Israel put Biden in a lose-lose position. If he had offered less public support to Netanyahu he would have lost pro-Israeli voters. But alienating voters on the Democratic party’s progressive wing could be even more damaging in a tight race.
+If Trump does return to the White House, he could throw the West’s grand strategy up in the air. American support for Netanyahu’s hard-line approach in Gaza could put it at odds with its European allies. Meanwhile, Trump is friendlier towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and has questioned the Nato alliance.
+It is unclear whether the weekend’s hostilities will affect the U.S. president’s approach. But Israel’s initial reaction was mixed. It reopened a crossing into Gaza and is taking part in new ceasefire negotiations. However, Netanyahu also said he had set a date to invade Rafah, where most of Gaza’s residents are now huddled.
+If Biden can help bring about a peace deal, his grand strategy will be back on course. But stopping further escalation and securing a temporary ceasefire - which are in themselves big tasks - will only be the first step in a long and arduous process. The longer the Middle East is in conflict, the more it will complicate the West’s bigger geopolitical objectives.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Middle East is complicating West’s grand strategy[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TINOS, Greece, April 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Six months ago, President Joe Biden’s administration seemingly thought, opens new tab the Middle East was a sideshow to global geopolitics. The U.S. and its allies wanted to focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine and stopping China from becoming too powerful. But all that changed when Hamas gunmen carried out the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, leading to a mounting humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. Now Iran’s weekend assault on Israel has underlined the risk of a regional war. The war in Gaza is not just distracting the rich democracies from helping Ukraine. It is also undermining support among poorer countries and has boosted Donald Trump’s chance of returning to the White House. All this is hurting the West’s grand strategy.  Failure to achieve their geopolitical goals will harm rich democracies. The rule of law, which underpins trade as well as security, will break down further. Countries will have to ramp up their defence spending even more than they are already planning to. The Western alliance could also fracture, as Russia and China play off countries against one another. If Russia defeats Ukraine, the European Union could even fragment. The future may not turn out that way. Biden may find a way to stop the Middle East conflict escalating. Now that he is pushing, opens new tab Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a ceasefire in Gaza, he may even find a way to bring peace to Palestine and Israel. If he fails, the U.S. may still be able to pursue its broader objectives effectively. But it is operating with a handicap. ATTENTION DEFICIT The conflict between Israel and Hamas was bound to distract Western countries from their other priorities. Leaders have limited bandwidth. As more civilians in Gaza have been killed or driven to the edge of starvation, Western politicians have been trying to stop the fighting. They are now also desperately attempting to prevent the conflict spreading. After Iran on Saturday launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, Biden warned Netanyahu that the U.S. will not take part in a counterattack against Tehran. For its part the Islamic Republic, which launched the attack following a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria, said it now “deemed the matter concluded”. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces had previously disrupted shipping through the Suez Canal, while the United Nations warned, opens new tab last week that conflict between Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel was expanding.  Ukraine is suffering from lack of attention."
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/middle-east-is-complicating-wests-grand-strategy-2024-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Middle East is complicating West’s grand strategy[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TINOS, Greece, April 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Six months ago, President Joe Biden’s administration seemingly thought, opens new tab the Middle East was a sideshow to global geopolitics. The U.S. and its allies wanted to focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine and stopping China from becoming too powerful.
+But all that changed when Hamas gunmen carried out the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, leading to a mounting humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. Now Iran’s weekend assault on Israel has underlined the risk of a regional war.
+The war in Gaza is not just distracting the rich democracies from helping Ukraine. It is also undermining support among poorer countries and has boosted Donald Trump’s chance of returning to the White House. All this is hurting the West’s grand strategy.
+Failure to achieve their geopolitical goals will harm rich democracies. The rule of law, which underpins trade as well as security, will break down further. Countries will have to ramp up their defence spending even more than they are already planning to. The Western alliance could also fracture, as Russia and China play off countries against one another. If Russia defeats Ukraine, the European Union could even fragment.
+The future may not turn out that way. Biden may find a way to stop the Middle East conflict escalating. Now that he is pushing, opens new tab Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a ceasefire in Gaza, he may even find a way to bring peace to Palestine and Israel. If he fails, the U.S. may still be able to pursue its broader objectives effectively. But it is operating with a handicap.
+ATTENTION DEFICIT
+The conflict between Israel and Hamas was bound to distract Western countries from their other priorities. Leaders have limited bandwidth. As more civilians in Gaza have been killed or driven to the edge of starvation, Western politicians have been trying to stop the fighting.
+They are now also desperately attempting to prevent the conflict spreading. After Iran on Saturday launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, Biden warned Netanyahu that the U.S. will not take part in a counterattack against Tehran. For its part the Islamic Republic, which launched the attack following a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria, said it now “deemed the matter concluded”.
+Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces had previously disrupted shipping through the Suez Canal, while the United Nations warned, opens new tab last week that conflict between Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel was expanding.
+Ukraine is suffering from lack of attention. Despite running short of weapons and a recent Russian assault on the country’s energy infrastructure, the Biden administration has still been unable to push a new funding package for Kyiv through Congress.
+DOUBLE STANDARDS
+The Gaza conflict has also made the U.S. and its allies more vulnerable to accusations of double standards. These complaints existed long before the latest fighting broke out. Some developing countries are still angry about the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Some are bitter that rich countries did not share Covid vaccines more swiftly. And others are upset that Western nations have not kept their promises to provide funding to combat climate change - and are not paying enough attention to debt problems in the developing world.
+Yet the U.S. reaction to how Israel has conducted its assault on Gaza has added to these concerns. The U.S. vetoed three draft resolutions on the war in Gaza in the United Nations Security Council before last month abstaining on a call for a ceasefire. It also criticised, opens new tab South Africa for bringing a case against Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice.
+At the same time, Western countries seem to have taken their eye off their plan to help developing countries fast-track their green transitions. This Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment is supposed to mobilise $600 billion, opens new tab by 2027 to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It needs a reboot.
+The U.S. still has a multiplicity of commercial, diplomatic, and military relationships in the rest of the world. But China and Russia have been able to exploit its double standards and attention deficit to advance their own argument that poorer countries suffer from U.S. hegemony.
+TRUMP DANGER
+The Gaza conflict is also hurting Biden’s re-election chances back at home. Voters who sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians are unlikely to switch their support to Trump. But a substantial number have protested the administration’s Gaza policy by voting “uncommitted” in Democratic primaries. Some could choose to stay at home during November’s presidential election.
+The outbreak of fighting in Israel put Biden in a lose-lose position. If he had offered less public support to Netanyahu he would have lost pro-Israeli voters. But alienating voters on the Democratic party’s progressive wing could be even more damaging in a tight race.
+If Trump does return to the White House, he could throw the West’s grand strategy up in the air. American support for Netanyahu’s hard-line approach in Gaza could put it at odds with its European allies. Meanwhile, Trump is friendlier towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and has questioned the Nato alliance.
+It is unclear whether the weekend’s hostilities will affect the U.S. president’s approach. But Israel’s initial reaction was mixed. It reopened a crossing into Gaza and is taking part in new ceasefire negotiations. However, Netanyahu also said he had set a date to invade Rafah, where most of Gaza’s residents are now huddled.
+If Biden can help bring about a peace deal, his grand strategy will be back on course. But stopping further escalation and securing a temporary ceasefire - which are in themselves big tasks - will only be the first step in a long and arduous process. The longer the Middle East is in conflict, the more it will complicate the West’s bigger geopolitical objectives.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Despite running short of weapons and a recent Russian assault on the country’s energy infrastructure, the Biden administration has still been unable to push a new funding package for Kyiv through Congress. DOUBLE STANDARDS  The Gaza conflict has also made the U.S. and its allies more vulnerable to accusations of double standards. These complaints existed long before the latest fighting broke out. Some developing countries are still angry about the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Some are bitter that rich countries did not share Covid vaccines more swiftly. And others are upset that Western nations have not kept their promises to provide funding to combat climate change - and are not paying enough attention to debt problems in the developing world. Yet the U.S. reaction to how Israel has conducted its assault on Gaza has added to these concerns. The U.S. vetoed three draft resolutions on the war in Gaza in the United Nations Security Council before last month abstaining on a call for a ceasefire. It also criticised, opens new tab South Africa for bringing a case against Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice.  At the same time, Western countries seem to have taken their eye off their plan to help developing countries fast-track their green transitions. This Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment is supposed to mobilise $600 billion, opens new tab by 2027 to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It needs a reboot.  The U.S. still has a multiplicity of commercial, diplomatic, and military relationships in the rest of the world. But China and Russia have been able to exploit its double standards and attention deficit to advance their own argument that poorer countries suffer from U.S. hegemony. TRUMP DANGER The Gaza conflict is also hurting Biden’s re-election chances back at home. Voters who sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians are unlikely to switch their support to Trump. But a substantial number have protested the administration’s Gaza policy by voting “uncommitted” in Democratic primaries. Some could choose to stay at home during November’s presidential election.  The outbreak of fighting in Israel put Biden in a lose-lose position. If he had offered less public support to Netanyahu he would have lost pro-Israeli voters. But alienating voters on the Democratic party’s progressive wing could be even more damaging in a tight race. If Trump does return to the White House, he could throw the West’s grand strategy up in the air. American support for Netanyahu’s hard-line approach in Gaza could put it at odds with its European allies. Meanwhile, Trump is friendlier towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and has questioned the Nato alliance. "
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/middle-east-is-complicating-wests-grand-strategy-2024-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Middle East is complicating West’s grand strategy[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TINOS, Greece, April 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Six months ago, President Joe Biden’s administration seemingly thought, opens new tab the Middle East was a sideshow to global geopolitics. The U.S. and its allies wanted to focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine and stopping China from becoming too powerful.
+But all that changed when Hamas gunmen carried out the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, leading to a mounting humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. Now Iran’s weekend assault on Israel has underlined the risk of a regional war.
+The war in Gaza is not just distracting the rich democracies from helping Ukraine. It is also undermining support among poorer countries and has boosted Donald Trump’s chance of returning to the White House. All this is hurting the West’s grand strategy.
+Failure to achieve their geopolitical goals will harm rich democracies. The rule of law, which underpins trade as well as security, will break down further. Countries will have to ramp up their defence spending even more than they are already planning to. The Western alliance could also fracture, as Russia and China play off countries against one another. If Russia defeats Ukraine, the European Union could even fragment.
+The future may not turn out that way. Biden may find a way to stop the Middle East conflict escalating. Now that he is pushing, opens new tab Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a ceasefire in Gaza, he may even find a way to bring peace to Palestine and Israel. If he fails, the U.S. may still be able to pursue its broader objectives effectively. But it is operating with a handicap.
+ATTENTION DEFICIT
+The conflict between Israel and Hamas was bound to distract Western countries from their other priorities. Leaders have limited bandwidth. As more civilians in Gaza have been killed or driven to the edge of starvation, Western politicians have been trying to stop the fighting.
+They are now also desperately attempting to prevent the conflict spreading. After Iran on Saturday launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, Biden warned Netanyahu that the U.S. will not take part in a counterattack against Tehran. For its part the Islamic Republic, which launched the attack following a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria, said it now “deemed the matter concluded”.
+Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces had previously disrupted shipping through the Suez Canal, while the United Nations warned, opens new tab last week that conflict between Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel was expanding.
+Ukraine is suffering from lack of attention. Despite running short of weapons and a recent Russian assault on the country’s energy infrastructure, the Biden administration has still been unable to push a new funding package for Kyiv through Congress.
+DOUBLE STANDARDS
+The Gaza conflict has also made the U.S. and its allies more vulnerable to accusations of double standards. These complaints existed long before the latest fighting broke out. Some developing countries are still angry about the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Some are bitter that rich countries did not share Covid vaccines more swiftly. And others are upset that Western nations have not kept their promises to provide funding to combat climate change - and are not paying enough attention to debt problems in the developing world.
+Yet the U.S. reaction to how Israel has conducted its assault on Gaza has added to these concerns. The U.S. vetoed three draft resolutions on the war in Gaza in the United Nations Security Council before last month abstaining on a call for a ceasefire. It also criticised, opens new tab South Africa for bringing a case against Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice.
+At the same time, Western countries seem to have taken their eye off their plan to help developing countries fast-track their green transitions. This Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment is supposed to mobilise $600 billion, opens new tab by 2027 to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It needs a reboot.
+The U.S. still has a multiplicity of commercial, diplomatic, and military relationships in the rest of the world. But China and Russia have been able to exploit its double standards and attention deficit to advance their own argument that poorer countries suffer from U.S. hegemony.
+TRUMP DANGER
+The Gaza conflict is also hurting Biden’s re-election chances back at home. Voters who sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians are unlikely to switch their support to Trump. But a substantial number have protested the administration’s Gaza policy by voting “uncommitted” in Democratic primaries. Some could choose to stay at home during November’s presidential election.
+The outbreak of fighting in Israel put Biden in a lose-lose position. If he had offered less public support to Netanyahu he would have lost pro-Israeli voters. But alienating voters on the Democratic party’s progressive wing could be even more damaging in a tight race.
+If Trump does return to the White House, he could throw the West’s grand strategy up in the air. American support for Netanyahu’s hard-line approach in Gaza could put it at odds with its European allies. Meanwhile, Trump is friendlier towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and has questioned the Nato alliance.
+It is unclear whether the weekend’s hostilities will affect the U.S. president’s approach. But Israel’s initial reaction was mixed. It reopened a crossing into Gaza and is taking part in new ceasefire negotiations. However, Netanyahu also said he had set a date to invade Rafah, where most of Gaza’s residents are now huddled.
+If Biden can help bring about a peace deal, his grand strategy will be back on course. But stopping further escalation and securing a temporary ceasefire - which are in themselves big tasks - will only be the first step in a long and arduous process. The longer the Middle East is in conflict, the more it will complicate the West’s bigger geopolitical objectives.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","It is unclear whether the weekend’s hostilities will affect the U.S. president’s approach. But Israel’s initial reaction was mixed. It reopened a crossing into Gaza and is taking part in new ceasefire negotiations. However, Netanyahu also said he had set a date to invade Rafah, where most of Gaza’s residents are now huddled.  If Biden can help bring about a peace deal, his grand strategy will be back on course. But stopping further escalation and securing a temporary ceasefire - which are in themselves big tasks - will only be the first step in a long and arduous process. The longer the Middle East is in conflict, the more it will complicate the West’s bigger geopolitical objectives.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/palestinian-americans-fundraise-gaza-aid-groups-receive-record-donations-2023-10-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian Americans fundraise for Gaza, as aid groups receive record donations[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Oct 31 (Reuters) - (This Oct. 31 story has been corrected to fix casualty estimates, in paragraph 6)
+Palestinian Americans and aid groups in the United States are raising funds for Gaza, which faces a deepening humanitarian crisis as the Israel-Hamas war enters its fourth week - but they have as yet limited ability to get supplies into the besieged enclave.
+Aid organizations that serve civilians in Gaza say they are receiving record amounts of donations in a sign of public support for relief efforts even as a growing stock of supplies remain stalled at Egypt's Rafah border crossing.
+In the Gaza Strip, where 2.3 million people live, civilians are in dire need of clean water, food and medicine, emergency medics say. Half of Gaza's population was already living in poverty before the crisis.
+""We've seen a significant increase in donations, unlike we've ever seen before,"" said Steve Sosebee, president of the U.S.-based Palestine Children's Relief Fund, which has a staff of 40 in Gaza that provide medical support. He said the fund, which usually has an annual budget of around $12 million, had raised $15 million in just 10 days.
+However, with a web of political and logistical obstacles on getting aid in, much of the money and supplies intended for Gaza is in limbo, forcing aid groups to wait as they amass truckloads of goods.
+Hamas militants burst over the Gaza border and rampaged through Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 229 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel launched its most intense air bombardment campaign on the tiny enclave, along with a ""total siege,"" banning food, water and fuel imports.
+Aid groups say they are building up supplies in hopes of eventually getting them through to civilians in Gaza, nearly half of whom are children.
+There has been ""a five-fold increase in the total number of donors versus typical past emergencies,"" said Derek Madsen, chief development officer of Anera, opens new tab, a nonpartisan emergency relief group for refugees throughout the Middle East. The organization, which maintains the privacy of individual donors, said it had recently received the largest single donation from an individual in its 55-year-old history.
+The majority of support comes from donors based in the United States, he added, with individual donations averaging around $138. The efforts mirror those of Jewish groups in the U.S. and Canada who also fundraised millions for Israel.
+Anera was using the last of its stocks this week to distribute meals and vegetable parcels in Gaza. Its staff of 12, like everyone in Gaza, were facing ""unbelievable, unimaginable trauma,"" he said.
+GLUED TO THE TELEVISION
+In Ann Arbor, Michigan, Rabia Shafie, national director of the Palestine Aid Society, said her group was speaking to student and Muslim groups on local university campuses and community centers to spread awareness and raise donations for the Red Crescent and UNRWA, the UN aid agency that serves Palestinian refugees.
+""The money is needed to help people survive at this point of time. Medical support is so essential,"" she said.
+""People are glued to the television ... watching the news moment to moment and very stressed out over the situation,"" said Shafie, adding that it was difficult as a Palestinian American to watch ""the massacre and injustice done to our people back home.""
+Gaza, governed by Hamas, is one of the most densely packed places on earth and medical authorities there say over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed since airstrikes began, including more than 3,000 children.
+Anera's Madsen called for a ceasefire and establishment of a humanitarian corridor ""so that people literally do not starve to death, literally do not die of dehydration.""
+Last week, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, home to one of New York's largest Muslim and Arab communities, hundreds of protesters called for a ceasefire with signs written in Arabic, Spanish, Hebrew and Korean.
+In Clifton, New Jersey, the Palestinian American Community Center's priority is advocating for U.S. officials to support a ceasefire and for the hundreds of Americans trapped in Gaza, said Basma Bsharat, the education director of the center.
+The center has also been collecting cash donations to send on to UNRWA. It has asked people not to donate supplies, which it has no easy way of sending to those in need in Gaza.
+Last week, a woman came to the center anyway, hauling bags filled with goods.
+""We didn't know how to say no,"" said Bsharat. ""She was like, I just want to do something. I just want to help somehow.""
+""It's a very difficult time, and the fact that we do see the support coming in it, it gives some relief,"" she said. ""It gives some kind of solace.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian Americans fundraise for Gaza, as aid groups receive record donations[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Oct 31 (Reuters) - (This Oct. 31 story has been corrected to fix casualty estimates, in paragraph 6) Palestinian Americans and aid groups in the United States are raising funds for Gaza, which faces a deepening humanitarian crisis as the Israel-Hamas war enters its fourth week - but they have as yet limited ability to get supplies into the besieged enclave. Aid organizations that serve civilians in Gaza say they are receiving record amounts of donations in a sign of public support for relief efforts even as a growing stock of supplies remain stalled at Egypt's Rafah border crossing. In the Gaza Strip, where 2.3 million people live, civilians are in dire need of clean water, food and medicine, emergency medics say. Half of Gaza's population was already living in poverty before the crisis.  ""We've seen a significant increase in donations, unlike we've ever seen before,"" said Steve Sosebee, president of the U.S.-based Palestine Children's Relief Fund, which has a staff of 40 in Gaza that provide medical support. He said the fund, which usually has an annual budget of around $12 million, had raised $15 million in just 10 days. However, with a web of political and logistical obstacles on getting aid in, much of the money and supplies intended for Gaza is in limbo, forcing aid groups to wait as they amass truckloads of goods.  Hamas militants burst over the Gaza border and rampaged through Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 229 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel launched its most intense air bombardment campaign on the tiny enclave, along with a ""total siege,"" banning food, water and fuel imports. Aid groups say they are building up supplies in hopes of eventually getting them through to civilians in Gaza, nearly half of whom are children. There has been ""a five-fold increase in the total number of donors versus typical past emergencies,"" said Derek Madsen, chief development officer of Anera, opens new tab, a nonpartisan emergency relief group for refugees throughout the Middle East. The organization, which maintains the privacy of individual donors, said it had recently received the largest single donation from an individual in its 55-year-old history.  The majority of support comes from donors based in the United States, he added, with individual donations averaging around $138. The efforts mirror those of Jewish groups in the U.S. and Canada who also fundraised millions for Israel."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/palestinian-americans-fundraise-gaza-aid-groups-receive-record-donations-2023-10-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian Americans fundraise for Gaza, as aid groups receive record donations[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Oct 31 (Reuters) - (This Oct. 31 story has been corrected to fix casualty estimates, in paragraph 6)
+Palestinian Americans and aid groups in the United States are raising funds for Gaza, which faces a deepening humanitarian crisis as the Israel-Hamas war enters its fourth week - but they have as yet limited ability to get supplies into the besieged enclave.
+Aid organizations that serve civilians in Gaza say they are receiving record amounts of donations in a sign of public support for relief efforts even as a growing stock of supplies remain stalled at Egypt's Rafah border crossing.
+In the Gaza Strip, where 2.3 million people live, civilians are in dire need of clean water, food and medicine, emergency medics say. Half of Gaza's population was already living in poverty before the crisis.
+""We've seen a significant increase in donations, unlike we've ever seen before,"" said Steve Sosebee, president of the U.S.-based Palestine Children's Relief Fund, which has a staff of 40 in Gaza that provide medical support. He said the fund, which usually has an annual budget of around $12 million, had raised $15 million in just 10 days.
+However, with a web of political and logistical obstacles on getting aid in, much of the money and supplies intended for Gaza is in limbo, forcing aid groups to wait as they amass truckloads of goods.
+Hamas militants burst over the Gaza border and rampaged through Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 229 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel launched its most intense air bombardment campaign on the tiny enclave, along with a ""total siege,"" banning food, water and fuel imports.
+Aid groups say they are building up supplies in hopes of eventually getting them through to civilians in Gaza, nearly half of whom are children.
+There has been ""a five-fold increase in the total number of donors versus typical past emergencies,"" said Derek Madsen, chief development officer of Anera, opens new tab, a nonpartisan emergency relief group for refugees throughout the Middle East. The organization, which maintains the privacy of individual donors, said it had recently received the largest single donation from an individual in its 55-year-old history.
+The majority of support comes from donors based in the United States, he added, with individual donations averaging around $138. The efforts mirror those of Jewish groups in the U.S. and Canada who also fundraised millions for Israel.
+Anera was using the last of its stocks this week to distribute meals and vegetable parcels in Gaza. Its staff of 12, like everyone in Gaza, were facing ""unbelievable, unimaginable trauma,"" he said.
+GLUED TO THE TELEVISION
+In Ann Arbor, Michigan, Rabia Shafie, national director of the Palestine Aid Society, said her group was speaking to student and Muslim groups on local university campuses and community centers to spread awareness and raise donations for the Red Crescent and UNRWA, the UN aid agency that serves Palestinian refugees.
+""The money is needed to help people survive at this point of time. Medical support is so essential,"" she said.
+""People are glued to the television ... watching the news moment to moment and very stressed out over the situation,"" said Shafie, adding that it was difficult as a Palestinian American to watch ""the massacre and injustice done to our people back home.""
+Gaza, governed by Hamas, is one of the most densely packed places on earth and medical authorities there say over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed since airstrikes began, including more than 3,000 children.
+Anera's Madsen called for a ceasefire and establishment of a humanitarian corridor ""so that people literally do not starve to death, literally do not die of dehydration.""
+Last week, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, home to one of New York's largest Muslim and Arab communities, hundreds of protesters called for a ceasefire with signs written in Arabic, Spanish, Hebrew and Korean.
+In Clifton, New Jersey, the Palestinian American Community Center's priority is advocating for U.S. officials to support a ceasefire and for the hundreds of Americans trapped in Gaza, said Basma Bsharat, the education director of the center.
+The center has also been collecting cash donations to send on to UNRWA. It has asked people not to donate supplies, which it has no easy way of sending to those in need in Gaza.
+Last week, a woman came to the center anyway, hauling bags filled with goods.
+""We didn't know how to say no,"" said Bsharat. ""She was like, I just want to do something. I just want to help somehow.""
+""It's a very difficult time, and the fact that we do see the support coming in it, it gives some relief,"" she said. ""It gives some kind of solace.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Anera was using the last of its stocks this week to distribute meals and vegetable parcels in Gaza. Its staff of 12, like everyone in Gaza, were facing ""unbelievable, unimaginable trauma,"" he said.  GLUED TO THE TELEVISION
+In Ann Arbor, Michigan, Rabia Shafie, national director of the Palestine Aid Society, said her group was speaking to student and Muslim groups on local university campuses and community centers to spread awareness and raise donations for the Red Crescent and UNRWA, the UN aid agency that serves Palestinian refugees.
+"" The money is needed to help people survive at this point of time. Medical support is so essential,"" she said. ""People are glued to the television ... watching the news moment to moment and very stressed out over the situation,"" said Shafie, adding that it was difficult as a Palestinian American to watch ""the massacre and injustice done to our people back home.""
+Gaza, governed by Hamas, is one of the most densely packed places on earth and medical authorities there say over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed since airstrikes began, including more than 3,000 children.  Anera's Madsen called for a ceasefire and establishment of a humanitarian corridor ""so that people literally do not starve to death, literally do not die of dehydration."" Last week, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, home to one of New York's largest Muslim and Arab communities, hundreds of protesters called for a ceasefire with signs written in Arabic, Spanish, Hebrew and Korean. In Clifton, New Jersey, the Palestinian American Community Center's priority is advocating for U.S. officials to support a ceasefire and for the hundreds of Americans trapped in Gaza, said Basma Bsharat, the education director of the center. The center has also been collecting cash donations to send on to UNRWA. It has asked people not to donate supplies, which it has no easy way of sending to those in need in Gaza. Last week, a woman came to the center anyway, hauling bags filled with goods.  ""We didn't know how to say no,"" said Bsharat. ""She was like, I just want to do something. I just want to help somehow. "" ""It's a very difficult time, and the fact that we do see the support coming in it, it gives some relief,"" she said. ""It gives some kind of solace.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-attack-israel-stirs-admiration-among-gaza-palestinians-2024-04-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's attack on Israel stirs admiration among Gaza Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, April 14 (Reuters) - Iran's attack on Israel drew applause from many Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday as rare payback for the Israeli offensive on their enclave, although some said they suspected Tehran had staged the assault more for show than to inflict real damage.
+""For the first time, we saw some rockets that didn’t land in our areas. These rockets were going into the occupied Palestine,” said Abu Abdallah, referring to land that became Israel in 1948 rather the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
+“We are hopeful that if Iran or any other country enters the war a solution for Gaza might be nearer than ever. The Americans may have to resolve Gaza to end the roots of the problem,” said Abu Abdallah, 32, using a nickname rather than his full name.
+Many in Gaza have felt abandoned by Middle East neighbours since Israel began an offensive that has killed more than 33,000 people in response to attacks on Israeli soil by Hamas, who killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostage on Oct. 7.
+However support has come from Iran and its regional proxies, who are allies of Gaza's Hamas Islamist rulers. Syria and Yemen's Houthi group called the Iranian strike legitimate. Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon praised the attack as ""brave"".
+Footage circulated from the enclave showed many residents, including inside displacement tents, whistling and others chanting Allah Akbar (God is the Greatest) in joy as the skies were lit up by Iranian rockets and Israeli interceptions.
+""Whoever decides to attack Israel, dares to attack Israel at a time when the whole world acts in its service, is a hero in the eyes of Palestinians regardless of whether we share their (Iran's) ideology or not,” said Majed Abu Hamza, 52, a father of seven, from Gaza City.
+“We have been slaughtered for over six months and no one dared to do anything. Now Iran, after its consulate was hit, is hitting back at Israel and this brings joy into our hearts,” Abu Hamza added.
+Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran's regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza.
+NATURAL RIGHT
+Hamas, which has been locked in a war with Israel in Gaza since Oct. 7, defended Iran's attack, saying in a statement the assault was ""a natural right and a deserved response"" to the strike on the Iranian embassy compound.
+The Palestinian Popular Resistance Committee (PRC), an armed group that fights Israel alongside Hamas in Gaza, said the Iranian engagement could boost the Palestinian cause, saying that for Israel it was ""the final nail in its coffin.""
+Islamic Jihad, which like Hamas receives financial and military support from Iran, defended the Iranian attack and condemned countries whom it said acted as a ""protective shield"" for Israel.
+Not everyone was supportive. Some Palestinians saw the attack as an attempt by Iran merely to preserve its dignity.
+""Curtains down on the face-saving piece of theatre ... The Palestinian people are the only ones who pay the price with their flesh and blood,"" Munir al-Gaghoub, a resident of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, wrote on his Facebook page.
+Some others on social media said they believed the assault was agreed with the U.S. in order to cause no harm, pointing to the hours it took for Iranian drones to get close to Israel, and saying this gave Israel plenty of time to shoot them down.
+Meanwhile, Israel kept up its military strikes across the Gaza Strip, killing 43 Palestinians and wounding 62 others in the past 24 hours, according to the territory's health ministry.
+In the latest incident, a Palestinian woman was killed and 23 others were wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on dozens of people who tried to cross back into northern Gaza areas from the south, medics and residents said. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the woman's death.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's attack on Israel stirs admiration among Gaza Palestinians[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, April 14 (Reuters) - Iran's attack on Israel drew applause from many Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday as rare payback for the Israeli offensive on their enclave, although some said they suspected Tehran had staged the assault more for show than to inflict real damage.  ""For the first time, we saw some rockets that didn’t land in our areas. These rockets were going into the occupied Palestine,” said Abu Abdallah, referring to land that became Israel in 1948 rather the occupied West Bank and Gaza.  “We are hopeful that if Iran or any other country enters the war a solution for Gaza might be nearer than ever. The Americans may have to resolve Gaza to end the roots of the problem,” said Abu Abdallah, 32, using a nickname rather than his full name. Many in Gaza have felt abandoned by Middle East neighbours since Israel began an offensive that has killed more than 33,000 people in response to attacks on Israeli soil by Hamas, who killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostage on Oct. 7. However support has come from Iran and its regional proxies, who are allies of Gaza's Hamas Islamist rulers. Syria and Yemen's Houthi group called the Iranian strike legitimate. Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon praised the attack as ""brave"". Footage circulated from the enclave showed many residents, including inside displacement tents, whistling and others chanting Allah Akbar (God is the Greatest) in joy as the skies were lit up by Iranian rockets and Israeli interceptions.
+""Whoever decides to attack Israel, dares to attack Israel at a time when the whole world acts in its service, is a hero in the eyes of Palestinians regardless of whether we share their (Iran's) ideology or not,” said Majed Abu Hamza, 52, a father of seven, from Gaza City. “We have been slaughtered for over six months and no one dared to do anything. Now Iran, after its consulate was hit, is hitting back at Israel and this brings joy into our hearts,” Abu Hamza added. Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran's regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza. NATURAL RIGHT
+Hamas, which has been locked in a war with Israel in Gaza since Oct. 7, defended Iran's attack, saying in a statement the assault was ""a natural right and a deserved response"" to the strike on the Iranian embassy compound."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-attack-israel-stirs-admiration-among-gaza-palestinians-2024-04-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's attack on Israel stirs admiration among Gaza Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, April 14 (Reuters) - Iran's attack on Israel drew applause from many Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday as rare payback for the Israeli offensive on their enclave, although some said they suspected Tehran had staged the assault more for show than to inflict real damage.
+""For the first time, we saw some rockets that didn’t land in our areas. These rockets were going into the occupied Palestine,” said Abu Abdallah, referring to land that became Israel in 1948 rather the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
+“We are hopeful that if Iran or any other country enters the war a solution for Gaza might be nearer than ever. The Americans may have to resolve Gaza to end the roots of the problem,” said Abu Abdallah, 32, using a nickname rather than his full name.
+Many in Gaza have felt abandoned by Middle East neighbours since Israel began an offensive that has killed more than 33,000 people in response to attacks on Israeli soil by Hamas, who killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostage on Oct. 7.
+However support has come from Iran and its regional proxies, who are allies of Gaza's Hamas Islamist rulers. Syria and Yemen's Houthi group called the Iranian strike legitimate. Iran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon praised the attack as ""brave"".
+Footage circulated from the enclave showed many residents, including inside displacement tents, whistling and others chanting Allah Akbar (God is the Greatest) in joy as the skies were lit up by Iranian rockets and Israeli interceptions.
+""Whoever decides to attack Israel, dares to attack Israel at a time when the whole world acts in its service, is a hero in the eyes of Palestinians regardless of whether we share their (Iran's) ideology or not,” said Majed Abu Hamza, 52, a father of seven, from Gaza City.
+“We have been slaughtered for over six months and no one dared to do anything. Now Iran, after its consulate was hit, is hitting back at Israel and this brings joy into our hearts,” Abu Hamza added.
+Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran's regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza.
+NATURAL RIGHT
+Hamas, which has been locked in a war with Israel in Gaza since Oct. 7, defended Iran's attack, saying in a statement the assault was ""a natural right and a deserved response"" to the strike on the Iranian embassy compound.
+The Palestinian Popular Resistance Committee (PRC), an armed group that fights Israel alongside Hamas in Gaza, said the Iranian engagement could boost the Palestinian cause, saying that for Israel it was ""the final nail in its coffin.""
+Islamic Jihad, which like Hamas receives financial and military support from Iran, defended the Iranian attack and condemned countries whom it said acted as a ""protective shield"" for Israel.
+Not everyone was supportive. Some Palestinians saw the attack as an attempt by Iran merely to preserve its dignity.
+""Curtains down on the face-saving piece of theatre ... The Palestinian people are the only ones who pay the price with their flesh and blood,"" Munir al-Gaghoub, a resident of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, wrote on his Facebook page.
+Some others on social media said they believed the assault was agreed with the U.S. in order to cause no harm, pointing to the hours it took for Iranian drones to get close to Israel, and saying this gave Israel plenty of time to shoot them down.
+Meanwhile, Israel kept up its military strikes across the Gaza Strip, killing 43 Palestinians and wounding 62 others in the past 24 hours, according to the territory's health ministry.
+In the latest incident, a Palestinian woman was killed and 23 others were wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on dozens of people who tried to cross back into northern Gaza areas from the south, medics and residents said. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the woman's death.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Palestinian Popular Resistance Committee (PRC), an armed group that fights Israel alongside Hamas in Gaza, said the Iranian engagement could boost the Palestinian cause, saying that for Israel it was ""the final nail in its coffin.""
+Islamic Jihad, which like Hamas receives financial and military support from Iran, defended the Iranian attack and condemned countries whom it said acted as a ""protective shield"" for Israel.  Not everyone was supportive. Some Palestinians saw the attack as an attempt by Iran merely to preserve its dignity.  ""Curtains down on the face-saving piece of theatre ... The Palestinian people are the only ones who pay the price with their flesh and blood,"" Munir al-Gaghoub, a resident of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, wrote on his Facebook page. Some others on social media said they believed the assault was agreed with the U.S. in order to cause no harm, pointing to the hours it took for Iranian drones to get close to Israel, and saying this gave Israel plenty of time to shoot them down.
+Meanwhile, Israel kept up its military strikes across the Gaza Strip, killing 43 Palestinians and wounding 62 others in the past 24 hours, according to the territory's health ministry.
+In the latest incident, a Palestinian woman was killed and 23 others were wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on dozens of people who tried to cross back into northern Gaza areas from the south, medics and residents said. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the woman's death.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-ally-venezuela-follows-worrying-events-middle-east-2024-04-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran ally Venezuela follows 'worrying events' in Middle East[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CARACAS, April 13 (Reuters) - The government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is following the ""worrying events"" in the Middle East, it said on Saturday, but it did not condemn Iran's retaliatory strike on Israel earlier in the day.
+Venezuela is an ally of Iran, Russia and China. Its communication with the United States has somewhat improved in the past two years as Maduro's government has promised the U.S. it will allow greater participation by the political opposition in upcoming elections.
+Peace in the Middle East could only be guaranteed once justice and international law were reestablished, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said in a statement on the X social media website, adding that this was mainly with regard to the Palestinian people and state.
+""As a result of the genocide in Palestine and the irrationality of the Israeli regime as well as the inaction of the United Nations, the situation of instability in the region has worsened dramatically in recent weeks,"" the statement said.
+""Venezuela advocates the construction of peace with justice as most countries in the world want.""
+On Friday, White House officials confirmed that delegates of U.S. President Joe Biden had met secretly with representatives of the Maduro government in Mexico this week.
+The U.S. has lifted sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry temporarily as a result of an agreement to give the opposition more participation in the elections this year.
+It will decide by April 18 whether to reimpose the sanctions in response to what it considers Maduro's failure to live up to his commitment to the agreement on the elections.
+Most other countries in the region condemned the Iranian attacks.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran ally Venezuela follows 'worrying events' in Middle East[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CARACAS, April 13 (Reuters) - The government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is following the ""worrying events"" in the Middle East, it said on Saturday, but it did not condemn Iran's retaliatory strike on Israel earlier in the day.  Venezuela is an ally of Iran, Russia and China. Its communication with the United States has somewhat improved in the past two years as Maduro's government has promised the U.S. it will allow greater participation by the political opposition in upcoming elections. Peace in the Middle East could only be guaranteed once justice and international law were reestablished, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said in a statement on the X social media website, adding that this was mainly with regard to the Palestinian people and state. ""As a result of the genocide in Palestine and the irrationality of the Israeli regime as well as the inaction of the United Nations, the situation of instability in the region has worsened dramatically in recent weeks,"" the statement said.
+""Venezuela advocates the construction of peace with justice as most countries in the world want.""
+On Friday, White House officials confirmed that delegates of U.S. President Joe Biden had met secretly with representatives of the Maduro government in Mexico this week. The U.S. has lifted sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry temporarily as a result of an agreement to give the opposition more participation in the elections this year. It will decide by April 18 whether to reimpose the sanctions in response to what it considers Maduro's failure to live up to his commitment to the agreement on the elections.
+Most other countries in the region condemned the Iranian attacks.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/police-shut-down-pro-palestinian-gathering-germany-over-hate-speech-fears-2024-04-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police shut down pro-Palestinian gathering in Germany over hate speech fears[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, April 12 (Reuters) - German police cut the power and shut down a conference of pro-Palestinian activists on Friday after a banned speaker appeared by video link, organisers said.
+The three-day Palestine Congress, promoted by pro-Palestinian groups including former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis's DIEM25 party, said it aimed to raise awareness of what it called Israel's ""genocide"" in Gaza.
+The police banned the final two days of the event, citing concern about the potential for hate speech.
+Among the speakers was activist Salman Abu Sitta, author of a January essay that expressed understanding for the Hamas militants who on Oct. 7 raided Israel.
+""A speaker was projected who was subject to a ban on political activity,"" Berlin police said on social media. ""There is a risk of a speaker being put on screen who in the past made antisemitic and violence-glorifying remarks. The gathering was ended and banned on Saturday and Sunday.""
+Organisers of the conference said police intervened when Salman, who according to Stern magazine was banned from entering Germany, began speaking on video.
+""The police violence, like we were some sort of criminals, was unbearable for a democratic country,"" said Karin de Rigo, a parliamentary candidate for the German offshoot of DIEM25. ""They not only stormed the stage, they cut the power like we were transmitting violence.""
+In Germany as in other Western countries, the war in Gaza has stirred growing popular opposition as the Palestinian death toll has mounted.
+Germany's backing for Israel is rooted in a desire to atone for the genocide of Europe's Jews in the Nazi Holocaust. The presence of a large, growing Muslim and Arab population in Germany has made the tension particularly acute.
+Many protesters have complained that expressions of solidarity with Palestinians are effectively criminalised by authorities on alert for antisemitism.
+""It is right and necessary that the Berlin police intervened firmly at the so-called Palestine Congress,"" Interior Minister Nancy Faeser posted on social media. She earlier had urged police to be on guard for signs of hate speech at the congress.
+In the Oct 7 attack on Israel, Hamas militants killed 1,200 and took 253 hostages, according to Israel. This triggered Israel's war in Gaza, in which more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police shut down pro-Palestinian gathering in Germany over hate speech fears[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, April 12 (Reuters) - German police cut the power and shut down a conference of pro-Palestinian activists on Friday after a banned speaker appeared by video link, organisers said. The three-day Palestine Congress, promoted by pro-Palestinian groups including former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis's DIEM25 party, said it aimed to raise awareness of what it called Israel's ""genocide"" in Gaza. The police banned the final two days of the event, citing concern about the potential for hate speech.
+Among the speakers was activist Salman Abu Sitta, author of a January essay that expressed understanding for the Hamas militants who on Oct. 7 raided Israel.
+""A speaker was projected who was subject to a ban on political activity,"" Berlin police said on social media. ""There is a risk of a speaker being put on screen who in the past made antisemitic and violence-glorifying remarks. The gathering was ended and banned on Saturday and Sunday.""
+Organisers of the conference said police intervened when Salman, who according to Stern magazine was banned from entering Germany, began speaking on video.  ""The police violence, like we were some sort of criminals, was unbearable for a democratic country,"" said Karin de Rigo, a parliamentary candidate for the German offshoot of DIEM25. ""They not only stormed the stage, they cut the power like we were transmitting violence.""
+In Germany as in other Western countries, the war in Gaza has stirred growing popular opposition as the Palestinian death toll has mounted.  Germany's backing for Israel is rooted in a desire to atone for the genocide of Europe's Jews in the Nazi Holocaust. The presence of a large, growing Muslim and Arab population in Germany has made the tension particularly acute. Many protesters have complained that expressions of solidarity with Palestinians are effectively criminalised by authorities on alert for antisemitism.  ""It is right and necessary that the Berlin police intervened firmly at the so-called Palestine Congress,"" Interior Minister Nancy Faeser posted on social media. She earlier had urged police to be on guard for signs of hate speech at the congress.  In the Oct 7 attack on Israel, Hamas militants killed 1,200 and took 253 hostages, according to Israel. This triggered Israel's war in Gaza, in which more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-two-palestinians-including-hamas-gunman-west-bank-2024-04-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Three Palestinians killed in West Bank military raids and settler rampage[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, April 12 (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians, including a member of the armed wing of Hamas, in raids in the occupied West Bank on Friday and the Palestinian Health Ministry reported at least one person was killed in an Israeli settler rampage near Ramallah.
+The Israeli military said Mohammad Omar Daraghmeh, whom it described as the head of Hamas infrastructure in the Tubas area of the Jordan valley was killed during an exchange of fire with security forces. It said a number of weapons and military-style equipment, including automatic rifles were found in his vehicle.
+Hamas confirmed Daraghmeh's death and his membership of its armed Al Qassam Brigades.
+The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said another man was killed by Israeli forces conducting a raid in the Al-Far'a refugee camp in Tubas. Hamas mourned the man's death but did not claim him as a member.
+The military said forces carrying out the operation opened fire on Palestinians who threw explosive devices and killed one man it said was attempting to attack them.
+Israel has stepped up military raids in the West Bank since launching an unrelenting assault on Gaza following a Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on its southern communities and military bases.
+Later on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said one person was shot dead in al-Mughayyer near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah as residents reported of dozens of Jewish settlers rampaging through their village. It was not immediately clear whether he was shot by Israeli forces or settlers.
+The Palestine Red Crescent said at least 10 people were wounded, most of them by live fire, and that some ambulances trying to reach the area were shot at.
+The head of al-Mughayyer's local council, Ameen Abu Alia, said settlers had previously attacked the village but Friday's raid was the most intense, with some 400 armed settlers, backed by military forces, firing at residents, vandalising the village and setting several houses and cars ablaze.
+He said they were still assessing the damage when the Israeli military put the village under strict closure, placing a checkpoint at its only entrance.
+In unverified videos circulating on social media, gunshots could be heard and heavy smoke was seen rising from a car set ablaze as residents called for help.
+The Israeli military said it forces put up roadblocks and launched a search for a 14-year-old who had gone missing in the area, who police described as a Jewish resident of Jerusalem.
+During the searches, security forces took action to disperse violent riots in the area, the military said, adding that rocks were hurled at soldiers who responded with fire and that ""hits were identified"".
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, condemned Friday's settler attack and demanded urgent international intervention, particularly by the United States.
+Since the start of the Gaza war, Palestinian Health Ministry records show at least 460 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, among them armed fighters from militant groups.
+In the same period, at least 13 Israelis, among them two members of Israeli forces, have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an Israeli tally.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Three Palestinians killed in West Bank military raids and settler rampage[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, April 12 (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians, including a member of the armed wing of Hamas, in raids in the occupied West Bank on Friday and the Palestinian Health Ministry reported at least one person was killed in an Israeli settler rampage near Ramallah.  The Israeli military said Mohammad Omar Daraghmeh, whom it described as the head of Hamas infrastructure in the Tubas area of the Jordan valley was killed during an exchange of fire with security forces. It said a number of weapons and military-style equipment, including automatic rifles were found in his vehicle. Hamas confirmed Daraghmeh's death and his membership of its armed Al Qassam Brigades.  The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said another man was killed by Israeli forces conducting a raid in the Al-Far'a refugee camp in Tubas. Hamas mourned the man's death but did not claim him as a member. The military said forces carrying out the operation opened fire on Palestinians who threw explosive devices and killed one man it said was attempting to attack them.
+Israel has stepped up military raids in the West Bank since launching an unrelenting assault on Gaza following a Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on its southern communities and military bases.  Later on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said one person was shot dead in al-Mughayyer near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah as residents reported of dozens of Jewish settlers rampaging through their village. It was not immediately clear whether he was shot by Israeli forces or settlers. The Palestine Red Crescent said at least 10 people were wounded, most of them by live fire, and that some ambulances trying to reach the area were shot at. The head of al-Mughayyer's local council, Ameen Abu Alia, said settlers had previously attacked the village but Friday's raid was the most intense, with some 400 armed settlers, backed by military forces, firing at residents, vandalising the village and setting several houses and cars ablaze. He said they were still assessing the damage when the Israeli military put the village under strict closure, placing a checkpoint at its only entrance. In unverified videos circulating on social media, gunshots could be heard and heavy smoke was seen rising from a car set ablaze as residents called for help. The Israeli military said it forces put up roadblocks and launched a search for a 14-year-old who had gone missing in the area, who police described as a Jewish resident of Jerusalem."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-two-palestinians-including-hamas-gunman-west-bank-2024-04-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Three Palestinians killed in West Bank military raids and settler rampage[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, April 12 (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians, including a member of the armed wing of Hamas, in raids in the occupied West Bank on Friday and the Palestinian Health Ministry reported at least one person was killed in an Israeli settler rampage near Ramallah.
+The Israeli military said Mohammad Omar Daraghmeh, whom it described as the head of Hamas infrastructure in the Tubas area of the Jordan valley was killed during an exchange of fire with security forces. It said a number of weapons and military-style equipment, including automatic rifles were found in his vehicle.
+Hamas confirmed Daraghmeh's death and his membership of its armed Al Qassam Brigades.
+The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said another man was killed by Israeli forces conducting a raid in the Al-Far'a refugee camp in Tubas. Hamas mourned the man's death but did not claim him as a member.
+The military said forces carrying out the operation opened fire on Palestinians who threw explosive devices and killed one man it said was attempting to attack them.
+Israel has stepped up military raids in the West Bank since launching an unrelenting assault on Gaza following a Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on its southern communities and military bases.
+Later on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said one person was shot dead in al-Mughayyer near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah as residents reported of dozens of Jewish settlers rampaging through their village. It was not immediately clear whether he was shot by Israeli forces or settlers.
+The Palestine Red Crescent said at least 10 people were wounded, most of them by live fire, and that some ambulances trying to reach the area were shot at.
+The head of al-Mughayyer's local council, Ameen Abu Alia, said settlers had previously attacked the village but Friday's raid was the most intense, with some 400 armed settlers, backed by military forces, firing at residents, vandalising the village and setting several houses and cars ablaze.
+He said they were still assessing the damage when the Israeli military put the village under strict closure, placing a checkpoint at its only entrance.
+In unverified videos circulating on social media, gunshots could be heard and heavy smoke was seen rising from a car set ablaze as residents called for help.
+The Israeli military said it forces put up roadblocks and launched a search for a 14-year-old who had gone missing in the area, who police described as a Jewish resident of Jerusalem.
+During the searches, security forces took action to disperse violent riots in the area, the military said, adding that rocks were hurled at soldiers who responded with fire and that ""hits were identified"".
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, condemned Friday's settler attack and demanded urgent international intervention, particularly by the United States.
+Since the start of the Gaza war, Palestinian Health Ministry records show at least 460 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, among them armed fighters from militant groups.
+In the same period, at least 13 Israelis, among them two members of Israeli forces, have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an Israeli tally.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","During the searches, security forces took action to disperse violent riots in the area, the military said, adding that rocks were hurled at soldiers who responded with fire and that ""hits were identified"". Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, condemned Friday's settler attack and demanded urgent international intervention, particularly by the United States.
+Since the start of the Gaza war, Palestinian Health Ministry records show at least 460 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, among them armed fighters from militant groups. In the same period, at least 13 Israelis, among them two members of Israeli forces, have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an Israeli tally.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/ireland-says-moving-closer-recognising-palestinian-state-2024-04-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ireland says moving closer to recognising Palestinian state[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBLIN, April 12 (Reuters) - Ireland is close to formally recognising a Palestinian state and would like to do so in concert with Spain and other like-minded countries, new prime minister Simon Harris said on Friday after meeting his Spanish counterpart.
+Spain and Ireland, long champions of Palestinian rights, last month announced alongside Malta and Slovenia that they would jointly work toward the recognition of a Palestinian state. The efforts come as a mounting death toll in Gaza from Israel's offensive to rout out Hamas prompts calls globally for a ceasefire and lasting solution for peace in the region.
+""Let me this evening say our assessment is that that point is coming much closer and we would like to move together in doing so,"" Harris said after meeting Sanchez, the first premier to visit Dublin since Harris became prime minister this week.
+""When we move forward, we would like to do so with as many others as possible to lend weight to the decision and to send the strongest message. The people of Israel deserve a secure and peaceful future, so do the people of Palestine. Equal sovereignty, equal respect.""
+Israel told the four EU countries that committed to moving towards Palestinian recognition that their initiative would amount to a ""prize for terrorism"" that would reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the generations-old conflict.
+The meeting with Harris was part of a number Sanchez planned this week with EU counterparts to try to garner support for the recognition of a Palestinian state.
+Sanchez said following a meeting in Oslo with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store earlier on Friday that there were ""clear signs"" in Europe that countries in the region were prepared to recognise a Palestinian state.
+Sanchez has previously said he expects Madrid to extend recognition to Palestinians by July.
+Harris said Dublin would continue discussions with other like-minded countries in Europe and beyond, including at next week's meeting of EU leaders.
+Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said earlier this week that he was preparing to bring a formal proposal to government on the recognition of a Palestinian state.
+Since 1988, 139 out of 193 United Nations member states have recognised Palestinian statehood.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ireland says moving closer to recognising Palestinian state[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBLIN, April 12 (Reuters) - Ireland is close to formally recognising a Palestinian state and would like to do so in concert with Spain and other like-minded countries, new prime minister Simon Harris said on Friday after meeting his Spanish counterpart. Spain and Ireland, long champions of Palestinian rights, last month announced alongside Malta and Slovenia that they would jointly work toward the recognition of a Palestinian state. The efforts come as a mounting death toll in Gaza from Israel's offensive to rout out Hamas prompts calls globally for a ceasefire and lasting solution for peace in the region.  ""Let me this evening say our assessment is that that point is coming much closer and we would like to move together in doing so,"" Harris said after meeting Sanchez, the first premier to visit Dublin since Harris became prime minister this week.
+""When we move forward, we would like to do so with as many others as possible to lend weight to the decision and to send the strongest message. The people of Israel deserve a secure and peaceful future, so do the people of Palestine. Equal sovereignty, equal respect. "" Israel told the four EU countries that committed to moving towards Palestinian recognition that their initiative would amount to a ""prize for terrorism"" that would reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the generations-old conflict. The meeting with Harris was part of a number Sanchez planned this week with EU counterparts to try to garner support for the recognition of a Palestinian state. Sanchez said following a meeting in Oslo with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store earlier on Friday that there were ""clear signs"" in Europe that countries in the region were prepared to recognise a Palestinian state.
+Sanchez has previously said he expects Madrid to extend recognition to Palestinians by July. Harris said Dublin would continue discussions with other like-minded countries in Europe and beyond, including at next week's meeting of EU leaders. Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said earlier this week that he was preparing to bring a formal proposal to government on the recognition of a Palestinian state. Since 1988, 139 out of 193 United Nations member states have recognised Palestinian statehood.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/poland-warns-against-travel-israel-palestine-lebanon-2024-04-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Poland warns against travel to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WARSAW, April 12 (Reuters) - Poland's foreign ministry advises against travel to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon, it said in updated travel guidance published on Friday.
+""It cannot be ruled out that there will be a sudden escalation of military operations, which would cause significant difficulties in leaving these three countries,"" the ministry said in a statement.
+""Any escalation may lead to significant restrictions in air traffic and the inability to cross land border crossings.""
+The Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories consist of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Poland warns against travel to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon[/TITLE] [CONTENT]WARSAW, April 12 (Reuters) - Poland's foreign ministry advises against travel to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon, it said in updated travel guidance published on Friday.  ""It cannot be ruled out that there will be a sudden escalation of military operations, which would cause significant difficulties in leaving these three countries,"" the ministry said in a statement.
+"" Any escalation may lead to significant restrictions in air traffic and the inability to cross land border crossings. ""  The Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories consist of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/dozens-palestinians-killed-gaza-hamas-official-vows-break-israel-2024-04-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Dozens of Palestinians killed in Gaza as Hamas official vows to 'break' Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, April 12 (Reuters) - Israeli forces fought Palestinian militants in the north and centre of theGaza Strip on Friday as Khaled Meshaal, a senior official in Gaza's ruling Hamas movement, said its six-month-old battle with Israel would ""break the enemy soon"".
+Most Israeli troops have been pulled out of the Palestinian enclave in preparation for an assault on its southernmost city Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering, but fighting has continued in various areas.
+Residents of Al-Nusseirat camp in central Gaza said dozens were dead or wounded after Israeli bombardment from air, land and sea that had followed a surprise ground assault on Thursday, and that houses and two mosques had been destroyed.
+Health officials said earlier that six people had been killed in strikes on the cinder-block camp, which has housed Palestinian refugee families since 1948, with around 70 wounded, including three Palestinian journalists.
+In Gaza City, Palestinian health officials said at least 25 people had been killed and several wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood. Gaza's health ministry said 89 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli military strikes in the space of 24 hours.
+The Israeli military (IDF) said in a statement that it was pursuing ""a precise intelligence-based operation"" against militants and their infrastructure in central Gaza.
+""Over the past day, IDF fighter jets struck over 60 terror targets in the Gaza Strip, including underground launch posts, military infrastructure and sites in which armed terrorists operated,"" it said. ""In parallel, IDF artillery struck terrorist infrastructure in the central Gaza Strip.""
+In a statement, Hamas said Israel's bombardment in Al-Nusseirat targeted civilian homes and property ""after failing to achieve any military accomplishment on the ground or to implement any of its criminal agendas by displacing our people"".
+Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians, accusing Hamas of using residential buildings for cover. Hamas denies this.
+Meshaal, who lives in exile and heads Hamas' political office in the diaspora, spoke at an event in Doha, Qatar to mourn members of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's family killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza on Wednesday.
+""This is not the final round,"" Meshaal said, referring to the current war. ""It is an important round on the path of liberating Palestine and defeating the Zionist project.""
+At least 33,634 Palestinians, including 89 in the past 24 hours, have been killed since the Israeli offensive began, Gaza's health ministry said in an update on Friday, with most of the 2.3 million population displaced and much of the densely populated enclave demolished.
+The war began when Hamas led a lightning cross-border attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage. Around 130 are still being held incommunicado in Gaza, Israel says.
+Deflecting repeated U.S. calls for restraint, Israel vows to storm Rafah because, it says, significant Hamas combat forces are hiding there after being routed elsewhere.
+In the latest sign that an Israeli assault on Rafah could be imminent, warplanes dropped leaflets on a western neighbourhood asking for information about the hostages.
+“To residents of Tel Al-Sultan, look carefully around you, the hostages could be somewhere near you. If you want to protect your families and your future, don’t hesitate to provide us with any information about the hostages and their captors,” the leaflets read.
+The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Dozens of Palestinians killed in Gaza as Hamas official vows to 'break' Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, April 12 (Reuters) - Israeli forces fought Palestinian militants in the north and centre of theGaza Strip on Friday as Khaled Meshaal, a senior official in Gaza's ruling Hamas movement, said its six-month-old battle with Israel would ""break the enemy soon"". Most Israeli troops have been pulled out of the Palestinian enclave in preparation for an assault on its southernmost city Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering, but fighting has continued in various areas.  Residents of Al-Nusseirat camp in central Gaza said dozens were dead or wounded after Israeli bombardment from air, land and sea that had followed a surprise ground assault on Thursday, and that houses and two mosques had been destroyed.
+Health officials said earlier that six people had been killed in strikes on the cinder-block camp, which has housed Palestinian refugee families since 1948, with around 70 wounded, including three Palestinian journalists.
+In Gaza City, Palestinian health officials said at least 25 people had been killed and several wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood. Gaza's health ministry said 89 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli military strikes in the space of 24 hours. The Israeli military (IDF) said in a statement that it was pursuing ""a precise intelligence-based operation"" against militants and their infrastructure in central Gaza.  ""Over the past day, IDF fighter jets struck over 60 terror targets in the Gaza Strip, including underground launch posts, military infrastructure and sites in which armed terrorists operated,"" it said. ""In parallel, IDF artillery struck terrorist infrastructure in the central Gaza Strip."" In a statement, Hamas said Israel's bombardment in Al-Nusseirat targeted civilian homes and property ""after failing to achieve any military accomplishment on the ground or to implement any of its criminal agendas by displacing our people"".  Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians, accusing Hamas of using residential buildings for cover. Hamas denies this. Meshaal, who lives in exile and heads Hamas' political office in the diaspora, spoke at an event in Doha, Qatar to mourn members of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's family killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza on Wednesday.  ""This is not the final round,"" Meshaal said, referring to the current war."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/dozens-palestinians-killed-gaza-hamas-official-vows-break-israel-2024-04-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Dozens of Palestinians killed in Gaza as Hamas official vows to 'break' Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, April 12 (Reuters) - Israeli forces fought Palestinian militants in the north and centre of theGaza Strip on Friday as Khaled Meshaal, a senior official in Gaza's ruling Hamas movement, said its six-month-old battle with Israel would ""break the enemy soon"".
+Most Israeli troops have been pulled out of the Palestinian enclave in preparation for an assault on its southernmost city Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering, but fighting has continued in various areas.
+Residents of Al-Nusseirat camp in central Gaza said dozens were dead or wounded after Israeli bombardment from air, land and sea that had followed a surprise ground assault on Thursday, and that houses and two mosques had been destroyed.
+Health officials said earlier that six people had been killed in strikes on the cinder-block camp, which has housed Palestinian refugee families since 1948, with around 70 wounded, including three Palestinian journalists.
+In Gaza City, Palestinian health officials said at least 25 people had been killed and several wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood. Gaza's health ministry said 89 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli military strikes in the space of 24 hours.
+The Israeli military (IDF) said in a statement that it was pursuing ""a precise intelligence-based operation"" against militants and their infrastructure in central Gaza.
+""Over the past day, IDF fighter jets struck over 60 terror targets in the Gaza Strip, including underground launch posts, military infrastructure and sites in which armed terrorists operated,"" it said. ""In parallel, IDF artillery struck terrorist infrastructure in the central Gaza Strip.""
+In a statement, Hamas said Israel's bombardment in Al-Nusseirat targeted civilian homes and property ""after failing to achieve any military accomplishment on the ground or to implement any of its criminal agendas by displacing our people"".
+Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians, accusing Hamas of using residential buildings for cover. Hamas denies this.
+Meshaal, who lives in exile and heads Hamas' political office in the diaspora, spoke at an event in Doha, Qatar to mourn members of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's family killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza on Wednesday.
+""This is not the final round,"" Meshaal said, referring to the current war. ""It is an important round on the path of liberating Palestine and defeating the Zionist project.""
+At least 33,634 Palestinians, including 89 in the past 24 hours, have been killed since the Israeli offensive began, Gaza's health ministry said in an update on Friday, with most of the 2.3 million population displaced and much of the densely populated enclave demolished.
+The war began when Hamas led a lightning cross-border attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage. Around 130 are still being held incommunicado in Gaza, Israel says.
+Deflecting repeated U.S. calls for restraint, Israel vows to storm Rafah because, it says, significant Hamas combat forces are hiding there after being routed elsewhere.
+In the latest sign that an Israeli assault on Rafah could be imminent, warplanes dropped leaflets on a western neighbourhood asking for information about the hostages.
+“To residents of Tel Al-Sultan, look carefully around you, the hostages could be somewhere near you. If you want to protect your families and your future, don’t hesitate to provide us with any information about the hostages and their captors,” the leaflets read.
+The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""It is an important round on the path of liberating Palestine and defeating the Zionist project.""
+At least 33,634 Palestinians, including 89 in the past 24 hours, have been killed since the Israeli offensive began, Gaza's health ministry said in an update on Friday, with most of the 2.3 million population displaced and much of the densely populated enclave demolished.  The war began when Hamas led a lightning cross-border attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage. Around 130 are still being held incommunicado in Gaza, Israel says. Deflecting repeated U.S. calls for restraint, Israel vows to storm Rafah because, it says, significant Hamas combat forces are hiding there after being routed elsewhere. In the latest sign that an Israeli assault on Rafah could be imminent, warplanes dropped leaflets on a western neighbourhood asking for information about the hostages. “To residents of Tel Al-Sultan, look carefully around you, the hostages could be somewhere near you. If you want to protect your families and your future, don’t hesitate to provide us with any information about the hostages and their captors,” the leaflets read. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gazans-live-memories-past-eid-festivals-war-ruins-special-day-2024-04-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gazans live on memories of past Eid festivals as war ruins special day[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, April 10 (Reuters) - Palestinians visited the graves of loved ones killed in the Gaza war and prayed beside the wreckage of a mosque and in shattered streets as the devastating conflict cast a pall over the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
+Millions of Muslims around the world are observing Eid, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, with festivities, feasts and family gatherings.
+But few in Gaza can take solace from this special time for Muslims. After six months of war, their focus is on surviving Israeli air strikes, shelling, a ground offensive and a humanitarian crisis.
+Amany Mansour and her mother stood at her young son's grave, recalling happier times. She said the last Eid was the best one of her life.
+""My son was beside me, in my arms, getting him ready. Everything he wanted I did for him,"" she said.
+""I wish he was here with me. He would go to the mosque in the morning and say to me 'prepare my present for when I return'. Gone. Everything good about my life is gone.""
+'SAD FOR THE DAYS THAT HAVE PASSED'
+During better times, people like Mahmoud al-Hamaydeh in Gaza's southern city of Rafah would gather with family and friends for festivities and big meals during the Eid holiday.
+""This day, for me, is heartbreaking, compared to last Eid. I look at my children and I feel heartbroken. When I sit with them and I start to cry, feeling sad for the days that have passed,"" said Hamaydeh, who is now pushed in a wheelchair after being wounded by the Israeli military.
+""I remember last Eid and I remember this Eid. Last Eid, I was surrounded by my children, looking at them with joy. But today I am injured, unable to move or go anywhere.""
+Instead, he endures Israeli airstrikes that have turned much of Gaza, a densely-populated Hamas-run enclave, into rows of rubble and dust.
+The war erupted on Oct. 7 when the Palestinian Islamist group burst across the border and rampaged in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israel responded with ferocious air strikes and a ground invasion which has killed over 33,000 Palestinians, wounded more than 75,000 and created a humanitarian crisis.
+
+Most of the enclave's 2.3 million people are homeless. Hospitals have been destroyed, medicine is in short supply and many Gazans are at risk of famine.
+As Palestinians look around the Gaza Strip, there is little to celebrate. Israel has said it will keep up the military pressure until it destroys Hamas.
+Children played among the crushed cement and twisted medal left by airstrikes, near the ruins of Rafah's al Farouk mosque that was struck in an Israeli attack.
+Another resident, Abu Shaer, called on his fellow Muslims to try to draw some strength from the Eid holiday.
+""Despite the great feeling of pain and the continuous Zionist killing during the last six months of our lives, we must show joy on this day,"" he said.
+PRAYERS AND PROTEST
+Worshippers knelt in the street next to the wreckage of the the mosque, laying out their prayer mats in the shadow of a white minaret, still standing amid the otherwise flattened building.
+More than one million people are crammed into Rafah, on Gaza's southern border with Egypt, having fled bombardments of their homes further north.
+It is the last relatively safe place in Gaza. But Israel has repeatedly flagged plans to assault Rafah to destroy remaining battalions of Hamas.
+Elsewhere in the Middle East, where many have lived through war and sectarian bloodshed, Muslims prayed for an end to the war.
+""We turn to God asking for a near relief and victory for our brothers in Palestine,"" said Omar Nizar Karim in Iraq's capital Baghdad. ""This is a message we are sending today from this blessed place to our people in Gaza and to our people in Palestine.""
+In Jordan, pro-Palestinians gathered near the Israeli embassy in Amman to show their solidarity with Gaza's people.
+""The title of the protest today is 'There is no Eid while Gaza is annihilated',"" said Abdel Majid Rantisi. ""Our Eid is on the day of the victory of the resistance, the victory of Gaza.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gazans live on memories of past Eid festivals as war ruins special day[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, April 10 (Reuters) - Palestinians visited the graves of loved ones killed in the Gaza war and prayed beside the wreckage of a mosque and in shattered streets as the devastating conflict cast a pall over the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Millions of Muslims around the world are observing Eid, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, with festivities, feasts and family gatherings. But few in Gaza can take solace from this special time for Muslims. After six months of war, their focus is on surviving Israeli air strikes, shelling, a ground offensive and a humanitarian crisis.  Amany Mansour and her mother stood at her young son's grave, recalling happier times. She said the last Eid was the best one of her life.  ""My son was beside me, in my arms, getting him ready. Everything he wanted I did for him,"" she said.  ""I wish he was here with me. He would go to the mosque in the morning and say to me 'prepare my present for when I return'. Gone. Everything good about my life is gone. ""
+'SAD FOR THE DAYS THAT HAVE PASSED'
+During better times, people like Mahmoud al-Hamaydeh in Gaza's southern city of Rafah would gather with family and friends for festivities and big meals during the Eid holiday.  ""This day, for me, is heartbreaking, compared to last Eid. I look at my children and I feel heartbroken. When I sit with them and I start to cry, feeling sad for the days that have passed,"" said Hamaydeh, who is now pushed in a wheelchair after being wounded by the Israeli military.  ""I remember last Eid and I remember this Eid. Last Eid, I was surrounded by my children, looking at them with joy. But today I am injured, unable to move or go anywhere. ""
+Instead, he endures Israeli airstrikes that have turned much of Gaza, a densely-populated Hamas-run enclave, into rows of rubble and dust. The war erupted on Oct. 7 when the Palestinian Islamist group burst across the border and rampaged in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel responded with ferocious air strikes and a ground invasion which has killed over 33,000 Palestinians, wounded more than 75,000 and created a humanitarian crisis.  Most of the enclave's 2.3 million people are homeless. Hospitals have been destroyed, medicine is in short supply and many Gazans are at risk of famine. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gazans-live-memories-past-eid-festivals-war-ruins-special-day-2024-04-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gazans live on memories of past Eid festivals as war ruins special day[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, April 10 (Reuters) - Palestinians visited the graves of loved ones killed in the Gaza war and prayed beside the wreckage of a mosque and in shattered streets as the devastating conflict cast a pall over the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
+Millions of Muslims around the world are observing Eid, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, with festivities, feasts and family gatherings.
+But few in Gaza can take solace from this special time for Muslims. After six months of war, their focus is on surviving Israeli air strikes, shelling, a ground offensive and a humanitarian crisis.
+Amany Mansour and her mother stood at her young son's grave, recalling happier times. She said the last Eid was the best one of her life.
+""My son was beside me, in my arms, getting him ready. Everything he wanted I did for him,"" she said.
+""I wish he was here with me. He would go to the mosque in the morning and say to me 'prepare my present for when I return'. Gone. Everything good about my life is gone.""
+'SAD FOR THE DAYS THAT HAVE PASSED'
+During better times, people like Mahmoud al-Hamaydeh in Gaza's southern city of Rafah would gather with family and friends for festivities and big meals during the Eid holiday.
+""This day, for me, is heartbreaking, compared to last Eid. I look at my children and I feel heartbroken. When I sit with them and I start to cry, feeling sad for the days that have passed,"" said Hamaydeh, who is now pushed in a wheelchair after being wounded by the Israeli military.
+""I remember last Eid and I remember this Eid. Last Eid, I was surrounded by my children, looking at them with joy. But today I am injured, unable to move or go anywhere.""
+Instead, he endures Israeli airstrikes that have turned much of Gaza, a densely-populated Hamas-run enclave, into rows of rubble and dust.
+The war erupted on Oct. 7 when the Palestinian Islamist group burst across the border and rampaged in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israel responded with ferocious air strikes and a ground invasion which has killed over 33,000 Palestinians, wounded more than 75,000 and created a humanitarian crisis.
+
+Most of the enclave's 2.3 million people are homeless. Hospitals have been destroyed, medicine is in short supply and many Gazans are at risk of famine.
+As Palestinians look around the Gaza Strip, there is little to celebrate. Israel has said it will keep up the military pressure until it destroys Hamas.
+Children played among the crushed cement and twisted medal left by airstrikes, near the ruins of Rafah's al Farouk mosque that was struck in an Israeli attack.
+Another resident, Abu Shaer, called on his fellow Muslims to try to draw some strength from the Eid holiday.
+""Despite the great feeling of pain and the continuous Zionist killing during the last six months of our lives, we must show joy on this day,"" he said.
+PRAYERS AND PROTEST
+Worshippers knelt in the street next to the wreckage of the the mosque, laying out their prayer mats in the shadow of a white minaret, still standing amid the otherwise flattened building.
+More than one million people are crammed into Rafah, on Gaza's southern border with Egypt, having fled bombardments of their homes further north.
+It is the last relatively safe place in Gaza. But Israel has repeatedly flagged plans to assault Rafah to destroy remaining battalions of Hamas.
+Elsewhere in the Middle East, where many have lived through war and sectarian bloodshed, Muslims prayed for an end to the war.
+""We turn to God asking for a near relief and victory for our brothers in Palestine,"" said Omar Nizar Karim in Iraq's capital Baghdad. ""This is a message we are sending today from this blessed place to our people in Gaza and to our people in Palestine.""
+In Jordan, pro-Palestinians gathered near the Israeli embassy in Amman to show their solidarity with Gaza's people.
+""The title of the protest today is 'There is no Eid while Gaza is annihilated',"" said Abdel Majid Rantisi. ""Our Eid is on the day of the victory of the resistance, the victory of Gaza.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","As Palestinians look around the Gaza Strip, there is little to celebrate. Israel has said it will keep up the military pressure until it destroys Hamas. Children played among the crushed cement and twisted medal left by airstrikes, near the ruins of Rafah's al Farouk mosque that was struck in an Israeli attack.
+Another resident, Abu Shaer, called on his fellow Muslims to try to draw some strength from the Eid holiday. ""Despite the great feeling of pain and the continuous Zionist killing during the last six months of our lives, we must show joy on this day,"" he said.  PRAYERS AND PROTEST
+Worshippers knelt in the street next to the wreckage of the the mosque, laying out their prayer mats in the shadow of a white minaret, still standing amid the otherwise flattened building.
+More than one million people are crammed into Rafah, on Gaza's southern border with Egypt, having fled bombardments of their homes further north.
+It is the last relatively safe place in Gaza. But Israel has repeatedly flagged plans to assault Rafah to destroy remaining battalions of Hamas. Elsewhere in the Middle East, where many have lived through war and sectarian bloodshed, Muslims prayed for an end to the war.
+""We turn to God asking for a near relief and victory for our brothers in Palestine,"" said Omar Nizar Karim in Iraq's capital Baghdad. ""This is a message we are sending today from this blessed place to our people in Gaza and to our people in Palestine. ""
+In Jordan, pro-Palestinians gathered near the Israeli embassy in Amman to show their solidarity with Gaza's people.  ""The title of the protest today is 'There is no Eid while Gaza is annihilated',"" said Abdel Majid Rantisi. ""Our Eid is on the day of the victory of the resistance, the victory of Gaza.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/rights-lawyers-go-court-stop-german-arms-deliveries-israel-2024-04-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rights lawyers go to court to stop German arms deliveries to Israel
[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, April 5 (Reuters) - Human rights lawyers said on Friday they had filed an urgent appeal against Germany's government to stop exports of war weapons to Israel, citing reasons to believe they were being used in ways violating international humanitarian law in Gaza.
+A Dutch court has ordered the Netherlands to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used for attacks on civilian targets in the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed.
+Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians in the Gaza war, saying Hamas militants use residential areas for cover, which the Palestinian Islamist group denies.
+The Berlin case, brought by several organisations including the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Law for Palestine and the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, was filed in an administrative court on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza.
+In a statement, the lawyers said the arms deliveries and support Germany has provided to Israel violated the country's obligations under the War Weapons Control Act.
+They cited a January order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, which it has subjected to siege and invasion since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Israel denies genocide allegations.
+""Just the assumption is sufficient - that the weapons are used to commit acts that violate international law - to revoke arms experts under the Act,"" lawyer Ahmed Abed told a press conference on Friday in Berlin.
+He said he expected a ruling within two to three weeks.
+'POLITICAL PRESSURE'
+German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann said she could not comment about the Berlin court case and whether Germany would suspend arms exports to Israel pending a ruling.
+""The federal government generally examines each arms export individually and takes a number of factors into account, including human rights and humanitarian law,"" she said when asked about the matter by reporters.
+International law experts said the litigation was unlikely to be able to force a halt to such arms exports under administrative law, though could push Berlin to review its stance if evidence were provided.
+""It could build up political pressure on the German government ... to be more transparent and declare which arms it is planning to transfer or which arms it actually has transferred to Israel,"" Max Mutschler, a senior researcher at the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies, said.
+Rights groups would have a better chance of success if they took the case to the ICJ in The Hague, said lawyer Holger Rothbauer, who successfully sued arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch over arms deliveries to Mexico in 2010.
+""It seems to me that a (German) law to cover the case is missing,"" Rothbauer told Reuters, saying only a party directly affected by an administrative decision could sue to stop it. The rights lawyers said they were acting on behalf of Gazans.
+More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and 75,750 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in an update on Friday.
+With Gaza in ruins, and most of its 2.3 million population forced from their homes and relying on aid for survival, Israel faces rising calls from allies to halt the war and allow unfettered aid into the enclave, with critics saying governments should threaten to withhold military aid if it does not do so.
+Since Hamas' October assault on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, Germany has been one of Israel's staunchest allies alongside the United States, underlining its commitment to atonement for its perpetration of the World War Two Nazi Holocaust in which 6 million Jews died.
+Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth a 326.5 million euros ($353.70 million), including military equipment and war weapons, a 10-fold increase compared with 2022, according to Economy Ministry data.
+($1 = 0.9231 euros)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rights lawyers go to court to stop German arms deliveries to Israel
[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, April 5 (Reuters) - Human rights lawyers said on Friday they had filed an urgent appeal against Germany's government to stop exports of war weapons to Israel, citing reasons to believe they were being used in ways violating international humanitarian law in Gaza . A Dutch court has ordered the Netherlands to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used for attacks on civilian targets in the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed. Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians in the Gaza war, saying Hamas militants use residential areas for cover, which the Palestinian Islamist group denies.
+The Berlin case, brought by several organisations including the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Law for Palestine and the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, was filed in an administrative court on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza. In a statement, the lawyers said the arms deliveries and support Germany has provided to Israel violated the country's obligations under the War Weapons Control Act.  They cited a January order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, which it has subjected to siege and invasion since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Israel denies genocide allegations. ""Just the assumption is sufficient - that the weapons are used to commit acts that violate international law - to revoke arms experts under the Act,"" lawyer Ahmed Abed told a press conference on Friday in Berlin. He said he expected a ruling within two to three weeks. 'POLITICAL PRESSURE'
+German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann said she could not comment about the Berlin court case and whether Germany would suspend arms exports to Israel pending a ruling.
+""The federal government generally examines each arms export individually and takes a number of factors into account, including human rights and humanitarian law,"" she said when asked about the matter by reporters. International law experts said the litigation was unlikely to be able to force a halt to such arms exports under administrative law, though could push Berlin to review its stance if evidence were provided.
+"" It could build up political pressure on the German government ... to be more transparent and declare which arms it is planning to transfer or which arms it actually has transferred to Israel,"" Max Mutschler, a senior researcher at the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies, said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/rights-lawyers-go-court-stop-german-arms-deliveries-israel-2024-04-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rights lawyers go to court to stop German arms deliveries to Israel
[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, April 5 (Reuters) - Human rights lawyers said on Friday they had filed an urgent appeal against Germany's government to stop exports of war weapons to Israel, citing reasons to believe they were being used in ways violating international humanitarian law in Gaza.
+A Dutch court has ordered the Netherlands to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used for attacks on civilian targets in the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed.
+Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians in the Gaza war, saying Hamas militants use residential areas for cover, which the Palestinian Islamist group denies.
+The Berlin case, brought by several organisations including the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Law for Palestine and the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, was filed in an administrative court on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza.
+In a statement, the lawyers said the arms deliveries and support Germany has provided to Israel violated the country's obligations under the War Weapons Control Act.
+They cited a January order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, which it has subjected to siege and invasion since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Israel denies genocide allegations.
+""Just the assumption is sufficient - that the weapons are used to commit acts that violate international law - to revoke arms experts under the Act,"" lawyer Ahmed Abed told a press conference on Friday in Berlin.
+He said he expected a ruling within two to three weeks.
+'POLITICAL PRESSURE'
+German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann said she could not comment about the Berlin court case and whether Germany would suspend arms exports to Israel pending a ruling.
+""The federal government generally examines each arms export individually and takes a number of factors into account, including human rights and humanitarian law,"" she said when asked about the matter by reporters.
+International law experts said the litigation was unlikely to be able to force a halt to such arms exports under administrative law, though could push Berlin to review its stance if evidence were provided.
+""It could build up political pressure on the German government ... to be more transparent and declare which arms it is planning to transfer or which arms it actually has transferred to Israel,"" Max Mutschler, a senior researcher at the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies, said.
+Rights groups would have a better chance of success if they took the case to the ICJ in The Hague, said lawyer Holger Rothbauer, who successfully sued arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch over arms deliveries to Mexico in 2010.
+""It seems to me that a (German) law to cover the case is missing,"" Rothbauer told Reuters, saying only a party directly affected by an administrative decision could sue to stop it. The rights lawyers said they were acting on behalf of Gazans.
+More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and 75,750 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in an update on Friday.
+With Gaza in ruins, and most of its 2.3 million population forced from their homes and relying on aid for survival, Israel faces rising calls from allies to halt the war and allow unfettered aid into the enclave, with critics saying governments should threaten to withhold military aid if it does not do so.
+Since Hamas' October assault on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, Germany has been one of Israel's staunchest allies alongside the United States, underlining its commitment to atonement for its perpetration of the World War Two Nazi Holocaust in which 6 million Jews died.
+Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth a 326.5 million euros ($353.70 million), including military equipment and war weapons, a 10-fold increase compared with 2022, according to Economy Ministry data.
+($1 = 0.9231 euros)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Rights groups would have a better chance of success if they took the case to the ICJ in The Hague, said lawyer Holger Rothbauer, who successfully sued arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch over arms deliveries to Mexico in 2010. ""It seems to me that a (German) law to cover the case is missing,"" Rothbauer told Reuters, saying only a party directly affected by an administrative decision could sue to stop it. The rights lawyers said they were acting on behalf of Gazans. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and 75,750 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in an update on Friday. With Gaza in ruins, and most of its 2.3 million population forced from their homes and relying on aid for survival, Israel faces rising calls from allies to halt the war and allow unfettered aid into the enclave, with critics saying governments should threaten to withhold military aid if it does not do so.  Since Hamas' October assault on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, Germany has been one of Israel's staunchest allies alongside the United States, underlining its commitment to atonement for its perpetration of the World War Two Nazi Holocaust in which 6 million Jews died.
+Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth a 326.5 million euros ($353.70 million), including military equipment and war weapons, a 10-fold increase compared with 2022, according to Economy Ministry data.
+($1 = 0.9231 euros)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/irelands-sovereign-investment-fund-divest-six-israeli-firms-2024-04-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ireland's sovereign investment fund to divest from six Israeli firms[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBLIN, April 5 (Reuters) - Ireland's 15-billion-euro sovereign investment fund will divest from six Israeli companies, including some of its largest banks, over their activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, Finance Minister Michael McGrath said on Friday.
+The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), which invests at home to support economic growth but also holds a portfolio of liquid international assets, has come under pressure from the main opposition party, Sinn Fein, to divest the assets.
+Long a champion of Palestinian rights, Ireland last month joined Spain, Malta and Slovenia in taking the first steps toward recognising Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
+It will sell shareholdings totalling 2.95 million euros ($3.20 million) in Bank Hapoalim BM (POLI.TA), opens new tab, Bank Leumi-le Israel BM (LUMI.TA), opens new tab, Israel Discount Bank (DSCT.TA), opens new tab, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd (MZTF.TA), opens new tab, First International Bank (FIBI.TA), opens new tab and Rami Levi CN Stores (RMLI.TA), opens new tab, one of Israel's leading supermarket chains.
+""I have been advised by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) that it has decided to divest from certain ISIF global portfolio investments in companies that have certain activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,"" McGrath said in a statement.
+The decision will be implemented as soon as possible over the coming weeks, he added.
+The world's largest sovereign wealth fund, Norway's $1.6 trillion fund, has over the years divested from nine Israeli companies over activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine that the Palestinians want for a state - in 1967, and has since built extensive Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
+The U.N. refers to the territories as occupied, something Israel disputes, and demands that Israeli forces withdraw.
+($1 = 0.9225 euros)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ireland's sovereign investment fund to divest from six Israeli firms[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBLIN, April 5 (Reuters) - Ireland's 15-billion-euro sovereign investment fund will divest from six Israeli companies, including some of its largest banks, over their activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, Finance Minister Michael McGrath said on Friday. The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), which invests at home to support economic growth but also holds a portfolio of liquid international assets, has come under pressure from the main opposition party, Sinn Fein, to divest the assets. Long a champion of Palestinian rights, Ireland last month joined Spain, Malta and Slovenia in taking the first steps toward recognising Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It will sell shareholdings totalling 2.95 million euros ($3.20 million) in Bank Hapoalim BM (POLI.TA), opens new tab, Bank Leumi-le Israel BM (LUMI.TA), opens new tab, Israel Discount Bank (DSCT.TA), opens new tab, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd (MZTF.TA), opens new tab, First International Bank (FIBI.TA), opens new tab and Rami Levi CN Stores (RMLI.TA), opens new tab, one of Israel's leading supermarket chains.
+""I have been advised by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) that it has decided to divest from certain ISIF global portfolio investments in companies that have certain activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,"" McGrath said in a statement. The decision will be implemented as soon as possible over the coming weeks, he added. The world's largest sovereign wealth fund, Norway's $1.6 trillion fund, has over the years divested from nine Israeli companies over activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine that the Palestinians want for a state - in 1967, and has since built extensive Jewish settlements in the West Bank.  The U.N. refers to the territories as occupied, something Israel disputes, and demands that Israeli forces withdraw.
+($1 = 0.9225 euros)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-war-has-hit-gaza-strip-2024-03-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Six months on, how war has hit the Gaza Strip[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 4 (Reuters) - Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed tens of thousands, caused a humanitarian catastrophe and raised the chances of a wider conflict across the Middle East.
+Here are some facts about the territory:
+WHAT IS THE GAZA STRIP?
+The Gaza Strip is situated at the southeast corner of the Mediterranean, 45 km (25 miles) long and at most 10 km (6 miles) wide. It is wedged between Israel to the north and east, and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to the south.
+Formerly part of British-mandate Palestine, the Gaza Strip emerged as a territory during the 1948 war of Israel's creation, when invading Egyptian forces established control over the sliver of territory.
+Israel occupied the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war, along with the West Bank. The Palestinians have long sought to establish a state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
+WHO LIVES IN GAZA?
+About 2.3 million Palestinians live in Gaza, giving it one of the highest population densities in the world. Some 1.7 million of them are refugees or descendants of refugees who were expelled or fled their homes during the 1948 war.
+Even before the latest war erupted, some 81.5% of the population lived in poverty, according to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA.
+HOW DID WE GET HERE?
+In 1987, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank rose up against Israeli occupation in the first Intifada.
+In 1993, the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel signed a historic peace agreement, paving the way for limited Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The newly created Palestinian Authority cracked down on opponents of the peace process, including the Islamist group Hamas.
+Gaza was a theatre of the Second Intifada which erupted after the failure of peace talks in 2000. Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from the territory in 2005, but continued to control its land and sea borders - bar the crossing to Egypt.
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
+
+Israel and Egypt tightened restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings.
+Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought numerous conflicts with Israel since then, including a 50-day war in 2014. Confrontations have been largely defined by Palestinian rocket fire into Israel and Israeli air and artillery bombardments of the Gaza Strip.
+The latest war erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants raided southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting some 250 others, according to Israeli tallies.
+HOW BAD IS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION?
+The Health Ministry in Gaza said 33,037 people have been confirmed killed in the Israeli air and ground assault, and 75,668 injured, as of April 4, with thousands more dead still unrecovered in the rubble. The ministry has said children make up around 40% of those killed.
+UNRWA said as of March 16 up to 1.7 million people, or over 75% of the population, had been displaced since Oct. 7, some of them several times. More than 1 million displaced are in Rafah on Gaza's southernmost fringe close to the boundary with Egypt.
+More than 60% of housing units have been destroyed, along with 392 education facilities, 123 ambulances and 184 mosques, it said.
+Mains electricity stopped working in October.
+Children are dying of starvation in northern Gaza, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X on March 4, citing a WHO team that visited two hospitals.
+Famine is imminent and likely to occur by May in northern Gaza and could spread across the enclave by July, the world's hunger watchdog, known as the Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification (IPC), said on March 18.
+It said 70% of people in parts of northern Gaza were suffering the most severe level of food shortage, more than triple the 20% threshold to be considered famine. In all, 1.1 million Gazans, about half the population, were experiencing ""catastrophic"" shortages of food.
+The healthcare system in Gaza has essentially collapsed, Western doctors who visited the Palestinian enclave in recent months told an event at the United Nations on March 19.
+UNRWA said on Feb. 22 that only 12 hospitals were still partially functioning in Gaza and that there were more than 300,000 reported cases of acute respiratory infections and more than 200,000 reported cases of watery diarrhoea.
+Satellite images analysed by the U.N. Satellite Centre show that 35% of the Gaza Strip's buildings have been destroyed or damaged in the Israeli offensive, the centre said on March 21.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Six months on, how war has hit the Gaza Strip[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 4 (Reuters) - Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed tens of thousands, caused a humanitarian catastrophe and raised the chances of a wider conflict across the Middle East. Here are some facts about the territory:
+WHAT IS THE GAZA STRIP?  The Gaza Strip is situated at the southeast corner of the Mediterranean, 45 km (25 miles) long and at most 10 km (6 miles) wide. It is wedged between Israel to the north and east, and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to the south. Formerly part of British-mandate Palestine, the Gaza Strip emerged as a territory during the 1948 war of Israel's creation, when invading Egyptian forces established control over the sliver of territory.  Israel occupied the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war, along with the West Bank. The Palestinians have long sought to establish a state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital. WHO LIVES IN GAZA? About 2.3 million Palestinians live in Gaza, giving it one of the highest population densities in the world. Some 1.7 million of them are refugees or descendants of refugees who were expelled or fled their homes during the 1948 war. Even before the latest war erupted, some 81.5% of the population lived in poverty, according to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA. HOW DID WE GET HERE? In 1987, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank rose up against Israeli occupation in the first Intifada.  In 1993, the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel signed a historic peace agreement, paving the way for limited Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The newly created Palestinian Authority cracked down on opponents of the peace process, including the Islamist group Hamas. Gaza was a theatre of the Second Intifada which erupted after the failure of peace talks in 2000. Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from the territory in 2005, but continued to control its land and sea borders - bar the crossing to Egypt. In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
+
+Israel and Egypt tightened restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings. Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought numerous conflicts with Israel since then, including a 50-day war in 2014. Confrontations have been largely defined by Palestinian rocket fire into Israel and Israeli air and artillery bombardments of the Gaza Strip."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-war-has-hit-gaza-strip-2024-03-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Six months on, how war has hit the Gaza Strip[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 4 (Reuters) - Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed tens of thousands, caused a humanitarian catastrophe and raised the chances of a wider conflict across the Middle East.
+Here are some facts about the territory:
+WHAT IS THE GAZA STRIP?
+The Gaza Strip is situated at the southeast corner of the Mediterranean, 45 km (25 miles) long and at most 10 km (6 miles) wide. It is wedged between Israel to the north and east, and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to the south.
+Formerly part of British-mandate Palestine, the Gaza Strip emerged as a territory during the 1948 war of Israel's creation, when invading Egyptian forces established control over the sliver of territory.
+Israel occupied the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war, along with the West Bank. The Palestinians have long sought to establish a state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
+WHO LIVES IN GAZA?
+About 2.3 million Palestinians live in Gaza, giving it one of the highest population densities in the world. Some 1.7 million of them are refugees or descendants of refugees who were expelled or fled their homes during the 1948 war.
+Even before the latest war erupted, some 81.5% of the population lived in poverty, according to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA.
+HOW DID WE GET HERE?
+In 1987, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank rose up against Israeli occupation in the first Intifada.
+In 1993, the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel signed a historic peace agreement, paving the way for limited Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The newly created Palestinian Authority cracked down on opponents of the peace process, including the Islamist group Hamas.
+Gaza was a theatre of the Second Intifada which erupted after the failure of peace talks in 2000. Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from the territory in 2005, but continued to control its land and sea borders - bar the crossing to Egypt.
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
+
+Israel and Egypt tightened restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings.
+Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought numerous conflicts with Israel since then, including a 50-day war in 2014. Confrontations have been largely defined by Palestinian rocket fire into Israel and Israeli air and artillery bombardments of the Gaza Strip.
+The latest war erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants raided southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting some 250 others, according to Israeli tallies.
+HOW BAD IS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION?
+The Health Ministry in Gaza said 33,037 people have been confirmed killed in the Israeli air and ground assault, and 75,668 injured, as of April 4, with thousands more dead still unrecovered in the rubble. The ministry has said children make up around 40% of those killed.
+UNRWA said as of March 16 up to 1.7 million people, or over 75% of the population, had been displaced since Oct. 7, some of them several times. More than 1 million displaced are in Rafah on Gaza's southernmost fringe close to the boundary with Egypt.
+More than 60% of housing units have been destroyed, along with 392 education facilities, 123 ambulances and 184 mosques, it said.
+Mains electricity stopped working in October.
+Children are dying of starvation in northern Gaza, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X on March 4, citing a WHO team that visited two hospitals.
+Famine is imminent and likely to occur by May in northern Gaza and could spread across the enclave by July, the world's hunger watchdog, known as the Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification (IPC), said on March 18.
+It said 70% of people in parts of northern Gaza were suffering the most severe level of food shortage, more than triple the 20% threshold to be considered famine. In all, 1.1 million Gazans, about half the population, were experiencing ""catastrophic"" shortages of food.
+The healthcare system in Gaza has essentially collapsed, Western doctors who visited the Palestinian enclave in recent months told an event at the United Nations on March 19.
+UNRWA said on Feb. 22 that only 12 hospitals were still partially functioning in Gaza and that there were more than 300,000 reported cases of acute respiratory infections and more than 200,000 reported cases of watery diarrhoea.
+Satellite images analysed by the U.N. Satellite Centre show that 35% of the Gaza Strip's buildings have been destroyed or damaged in the Israeli offensive, the centre said on March 21.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The latest war erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants raided southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting some 250 others, according to Israeli tallies.
+HOW BAD IS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION?  The Health Ministry in Gaza said 33,037 people have been confirmed killed in the Israeli air and ground assault, and 75,668 injured, as of April 4, with thousands more dead still unrecovered in the rubble. The ministry has said children make up around 40% of those killed.  UNRWA said as of March 16 up to 1.7 million people, or over 75% of the population, had been displaced since Oct. 7, some of them several times. More than 1 million displaced are in Rafah on Gaza's southernmost fringe close to the boundary with Egypt. More than 60% of housing units have been destroyed, along with 392 education facilities, 123 ambulances and 184 mosques, it said. Mains electricity stopped working in October.
+Children are dying of starvation in northern Gaza, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X on March 4, citing a WHO team that visited two hospitals. Famine is imminent and likely to occur by May in northern Gaza and could spread across the enclave by July, the world's hunger watchdog, known as the Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification (IPC), said on March 18.  It said 70% of people in parts of northern Gaza were suffering the most severe level of food shortage, more than triple the 20% threshold to be considered famine. In all, 1.1 million Gazans, about half the population, were experiencing ""catastrophic"" shortages of food. The healthcare system in Gaza has essentially collapsed, Western doctors who visited the Palestinian enclave in recent months told an event at the United Nations on March 19. UNRWA said on Feb. 22 that only 12 hospitals were still partially functioning in Gaza and that there were more than 300,000 reported cases of acute respiratory infections and more than 200,000 reported cases of watery diarrhoea.  Satellite images analysed by the U.N. Satellite Centre show that 35% of the Gaza Strip's buildings have been destroyed or damaged in the Israeli offensive, the centre said on March 21.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/whats-israel-palestinian-conflict-about-how-did-it-start-2024-01-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas have been waging war since gunmen from the Palestinian militant group went on the rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign in which more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed.
+The war is the bloodiest ruction in a longer conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that has rumbled on for seven decades and destabilised the Middle East.
+WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT?
+The conflict pits Israeli demands for secure homeland in what it has long regarded as a hostile Middle East against Palestinians' unmet aspirations for a state of their own.
+In 1947, while Palestine was under British mandate rule, the United Nations General Assembly agreed a plan to partition it into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, giving them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected the proposal.
+Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurion, proclaimed the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948, a day before the scheduled end of British rule, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties dating to antiquity.
+Violence had been intensifying between Arabs, who made up about two thirds of the population in the late 1940s, and Jews. A day after Israel was created in 1948, troops from five Arab states attacked.
+In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+Palestinians lament this as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe. Israel contests the assertion that it forced out Palestinians.
+Armistice agreements halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace. The descendants of Palestinians who stayed put in the war make up about 20% of Israel's population now.
+WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel captured the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt.
+An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
+In 1973, Egypt and Syria made a surprise attack on Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, touching off the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.
+Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. Israeli troops pulled out of Lebanon in 2000.
+In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006, and seized full control of Gaza in 2007. Gaza saw major flare-ups of fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021.
+In 2006, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers in the volatile border region and Israel launched military action, triggering a six-week war.
+Besides wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, from 1987 to 1993, and 2000 to 2005. During the second, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups carried out suicide bombings against Israelis, and Israel carried out tank assaults and airstrikes on Palestinian cities.
+Since then there have been several rounds of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel and is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the European Union, the United States and other countries. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation.
+
+WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?
+In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, which agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egyptian rule.
+In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.
+U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.
+In 2002, a proposed Arab League plan offered Israel normal relations with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees. The presentation of the plan was overshadowed by Hamas, which blew up an Israeli hotel full of Holocaust survivors during a Passover seder meal.
+Further Palestinian-Israeli peace efforts have been stalled since 2014.
+Under U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel reached agreements known as the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
+Palestinians stopped dealing with the U.S. administration after Trump broke with decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
+Qatar and Egypt have acted as mediators in the latest war, securing a truce that lasted seven days, during which hostages held by Hamas were exchanged for prisoners held by Israel, and more humanitarian aid flowed into Gaza.
+WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?
+Talks on a further truce have so far proven fruitless, with Israel insisting it will discuss only a temporary pause in fighting and Hamas saying it will not release hostages without an agreement that envisions an end to the war.
+U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that would include normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. But Riyadh says this would require progress towards creating an independent Palestinian state, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out.
+WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?
+A two-state solution, Israeli settlements on occupied land, the status of Jerusalem, agreed borders, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
+Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Netanyahu says Israel must have security control over all land west of the Jordan River, which precludes a sovereign Palestinian state.
+Settlements: Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 to be illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. Continued settlement expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.
+Jerusalem: Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital.
+Israel's claim to Jerusalem's eastern part is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city, and moved the U.S. Embassy there in 2018.
+Refugees: Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.
+Palestinians have long demanded that refugees and their millions of descendents should be allowed to return. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas have been waging war since gunmen from the Palestinian militant group went on the rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign in which more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed. The war is the bloodiest ruction in a longer conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that has rumbled on for seven decades and destabilised the Middle East. WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT? The conflict pits Israeli demands for secure homeland in what it has long regarded as a hostile Middle East against Palestinians' unmet aspirations for a state of their own.  In 1947, while Palestine was under British mandate rule, the United Nations General Assembly agreed a plan to partition it into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, giving them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected the proposal. Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurion, proclaimed the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948, a day before the scheduled end of British rule, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties dating to antiquity. Violence had been intensifying between Arabs, who made up about two thirds of the population in the late 1940s, and Jews. A day after Israel was created in 1948, troops from five Arab states attacked. In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.  Palestinians lament this as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe. Israel contests the assertion that it forced out Palestinians.  Armistice agreements halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace. The descendants of Palestinians who stayed put in the war make up about 20% of Israel's population now. WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel captured the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them Palestinian refugees and their descendants.  In 1973, Egypt and Syria made a surprise attack on Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, touching off the Yom Kippur War."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/whats-israel-palestinian-conflict-about-how-did-it-start-2024-01-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas have been waging war since gunmen from the Palestinian militant group went on the rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign in which more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed.
+The war is the bloodiest ruction in a longer conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that has rumbled on for seven decades and destabilised the Middle East.
+WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT?
+The conflict pits Israeli demands for secure homeland in what it has long regarded as a hostile Middle East against Palestinians' unmet aspirations for a state of their own.
+In 1947, while Palestine was under British mandate rule, the United Nations General Assembly agreed a plan to partition it into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, giving them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected the proposal.
+Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurion, proclaimed the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948, a day before the scheduled end of British rule, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties dating to antiquity.
+Violence had been intensifying between Arabs, who made up about two thirds of the population in the late 1940s, and Jews. A day after Israel was created in 1948, troops from five Arab states attacked.
+In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+Palestinians lament this as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe. Israel contests the assertion that it forced out Palestinians.
+Armistice agreements halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace. The descendants of Palestinians who stayed put in the war make up about 20% of Israel's population now.
+WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel captured the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt.
+An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
+In 1973, Egypt and Syria made a surprise attack on Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, touching off the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.
+Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. Israeli troops pulled out of Lebanon in 2000.
+In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006, and seized full control of Gaza in 2007. Gaza saw major flare-ups of fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021.
+In 2006, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers in the volatile border region and Israel launched military action, triggering a six-week war.
+Besides wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, from 1987 to 1993, and 2000 to 2005. During the second, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups carried out suicide bombings against Israelis, and Israel carried out tank assaults and airstrikes on Palestinian cities.
+Since then there have been several rounds of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel and is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the European Union, the United States and other countries. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation.
+
+WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?
+In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, which agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egyptian rule.
+In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.
+U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.
+In 2002, a proposed Arab League plan offered Israel normal relations with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees. The presentation of the plan was overshadowed by Hamas, which blew up an Israeli hotel full of Holocaust survivors during a Passover seder meal.
+Further Palestinian-Israeli peace efforts have been stalled since 2014.
+Under U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel reached agreements known as the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
+Palestinians stopped dealing with the U.S. administration after Trump broke with decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
+Qatar and Egypt have acted as mediators in the latest war, securing a truce that lasted seven days, during which hostages held by Hamas were exchanged for prisoners held by Israel, and more humanitarian aid flowed into Gaza.
+WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?
+Talks on a further truce have so far proven fruitless, with Israel insisting it will discuss only a temporary pause in fighting and Hamas saying it will not release hostages without an agreement that envisions an end to the war.
+U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that would include normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. But Riyadh says this would require progress towards creating an independent Palestinian state, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out.
+WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?
+A two-state solution, Israeli settlements on occupied land, the status of Jerusalem, agreed borders, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
+Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Netanyahu says Israel must have security control over all land west of the Jordan River, which precludes a sovereign Palestinian state.
+Settlements: Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 to be illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. Continued settlement expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.
+Jerusalem: Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital.
+Israel's claim to Jerusalem's eastern part is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city, and moved the U.S. Embassy there in 2018.
+Refugees: Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.
+Palestinians have long demanded that refugees and their millions of descendents should be allowed to return. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.  Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. Israeli troops pulled out of Lebanon in 2000. In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006, and seized full control of Gaza in 2007. Gaza saw major flare-ups of fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021. In 2006, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers in the volatile border region and Israel launched military action, triggering a six-week war.  Besides wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, from 1987 to 1993, and 2000 to 2005. During the second, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups carried out suicide bombings against Israelis, and Israel carried out tank assaults and airstrikes on Palestinian cities.  Since then there have been several rounds of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel and is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the European Union, the United States and other countries. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation. WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?  In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, which agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egyptian rule.
+In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.  U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.
+In 2002, a proposed Arab League plan offered Israel normal relations with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees. The presentation of the plan was overshadowed by Hamas, which blew up an Israeli hotel full of Holocaust survivors during a Passover seder meal. Further Palestinian-Israeli peace efforts have been stalled since 2014.
+Under U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel reached agreements known as the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
+Palestinians stopped dealing with the U.S. administration after Trump broke with decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/whats-israel-palestinian-conflict-about-how-did-it-start-2024-01-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas have been waging war since gunmen from the Palestinian militant group went on the rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign in which more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed.
+The war is the bloodiest ruction in a longer conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that has rumbled on for seven decades and destabilised the Middle East.
+WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT?
+The conflict pits Israeli demands for secure homeland in what it has long regarded as a hostile Middle East against Palestinians' unmet aspirations for a state of their own.
+In 1947, while Palestine was under British mandate rule, the United Nations General Assembly agreed a plan to partition it into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, giving them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected the proposal.
+Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurion, proclaimed the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948, a day before the scheduled end of British rule, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties dating to antiquity.
+Violence had been intensifying between Arabs, who made up about two thirds of the population in the late 1940s, and Jews. A day after Israel was created in 1948, troops from five Arab states attacked.
+In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+Palestinians lament this as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe. Israel contests the assertion that it forced out Palestinians.
+Armistice agreements halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace. The descendants of Palestinians who stayed put in the war make up about 20% of Israel's population now.
+WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel captured the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt.
+An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
+In 1973, Egypt and Syria made a surprise attack on Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, touching off the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.
+Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. Israeli troops pulled out of Lebanon in 2000.
+In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006, and seized full control of Gaza in 2007. Gaza saw major flare-ups of fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021.
+In 2006, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers in the volatile border region and Israel launched military action, triggering a six-week war.
+Besides wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, from 1987 to 1993, and 2000 to 2005. During the second, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups carried out suicide bombings against Israelis, and Israel carried out tank assaults and airstrikes on Palestinian cities.
+Since then there have been several rounds of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel and is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the European Union, the United States and other countries. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation.
+
+WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?
+In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, which agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egyptian rule.
+In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.
+U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.
+In 2002, a proposed Arab League plan offered Israel normal relations with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees. The presentation of the plan was overshadowed by Hamas, which blew up an Israeli hotel full of Holocaust survivors during a Passover seder meal.
+Further Palestinian-Israeli peace efforts have been stalled since 2014.
+Under U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel reached agreements known as the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
+Palestinians stopped dealing with the U.S. administration after Trump broke with decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
+Qatar and Egypt have acted as mediators in the latest war, securing a truce that lasted seven days, during which hostages held by Hamas were exchanged for prisoners held by Israel, and more humanitarian aid flowed into Gaza.
+WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?
+Talks on a further truce have so far proven fruitless, with Israel insisting it will discuss only a temporary pause in fighting and Hamas saying it will not release hostages without an agreement that envisions an end to the war.
+U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that would include normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. But Riyadh says this would require progress towards creating an independent Palestinian state, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out.
+WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?
+A two-state solution, Israeli settlements on occupied land, the status of Jerusalem, agreed borders, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
+Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Netanyahu says Israel must have security control over all land west of the Jordan River, which precludes a sovereign Palestinian state.
+Settlements: Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 to be illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. Continued settlement expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.
+Jerusalem: Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital.
+Israel's claim to Jerusalem's eastern part is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city, and moved the U.S. Embassy there in 2018.
+Refugees: Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.
+Palestinians have long demanded that refugees and their millions of descendents should be allowed to return. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Qatar and Egypt have acted as mediators in the latest war, securing a truce that lasted seven days, during which hostages held by Hamas were exchanged for prisoners held by Israel, and more humanitarian aid flowed into Gaza.
+WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?  Talks on a further truce have so far proven fruitless, with Israel insisting it will discuss only a temporary pause in fighting and Hamas saying it will not release hostages without an agreement that envisions an end to the war.
+U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that would include normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. But Riyadh says this would require progress towards creating an independent Palestinian state, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out. WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES? A two-state solution, Israeli settlements on occupied land, the status of Jerusalem, agreed borders, and the fate of Palestinian refugees. Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Netanyahu says Israel must have security control over all land west of the Jordan River, which precludes a sovereign Palestinian state.  Settlements: Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 to be illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. Continued settlement expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.  Jerusalem: Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital.  Israel's claim to Jerusalem's eastern part is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city, and moved the U.S. Embassy there in 2018.  Refugees: Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.  Palestinians have long demanded that refugees and their millions of descendents should be allowed to return. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/brief-history-gazas-centuries-war-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A brief history of Gaza's centuries of war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 4 (Reuters) - Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lay on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore.
+It has been inhabited for thousands of years and fought over by many - including Egyptian Pharaohs, Babylonians, Philistines, and Alexander the Great who besieged and captured Gaza City, killing the men and enslaving women and children.
+Its location near where Asia meets Africa saw it become a thriving trade centre in antiquity, part of the Philistine confederacy of five cities along the coastal plain.
+It features prominently in Biblical accounts, including the battles of King David.
+In later centuries Romans, Mongols, Crusaders and later Napoleon conquered it. Christianity spread there - a small Christian community in Gaza still exists - and 1,400 years ago Muslim armies invaded.
+It was part of the Ottoman Empire for most of the period from the 16th century until 1917, when was it taken by British troops during World War I. It then became part of the British Mandate of Palestine.
+Over the last century Gaza passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule and is now a fenced-in enclave inhabited by around 2.3 million Palestinians, most of them refugees.
+Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history.
+1948 - End of British rule
+As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbours in May 1948.
+Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes in a mass displacement known by Palestinians as ""Nakba"", meaning ""catastrophe"" in Arabic. The invading Egyptian army had seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long, which ran from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon.
+The influx of refugees saw Gaza's population triple to around 200,000.
+1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, allowing Palestinians to work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals.
+The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
+1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.
+With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could gain easy access at that time. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and to guard the settlements that Israel built in the following decades. These became a source of growing Palestinian resentment.
+1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed
+Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.
+Seizing the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and restoration of Islamic rule in what it saw as occupied Palestine, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party that led the Palestine Liberation Organization.
+1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile.
+The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle.
+2000 - Second Palestinian intifada
+In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli airstrikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.
+
+One casualty was Gaza International Airport, a symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence and the Palestinians' only direct link to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel or Egypt. Opened in 1998, it was deemed a security threat by Israel which destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
+Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, a restriction it said was necessary to stop boats smuggling weapons.
+2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+In August 2005 Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, which was by then completely fenced off from the outside world by Israel.
+Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt.
+The pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.
+Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas because they regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization.
+Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt also imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings.
+Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy away from Israel foundered before they even started.
+Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt's military-backed leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took power in 2014, closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse.
+Conflict cycle
+Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.
+Before 2023, some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel.
+Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighbourhoods in Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.
+October 2023 - Surprise attack
+While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.
+On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen made a surprise cross-border assault on Israel by air, land and sea in which they overwhelmed Israel's border forces and rampaged through towns, kibbutzim and military bases, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza.
+Israel took revenge, first hammering Gaza with its heaviest-ever air and artillery strikes and later launching a ground invasion after mobilizing hundreds of thousands of reservists and placing Gaza under blockade in what it said was an effort to destroy Hamas.
+Israel instructed Palestinian civilians to move south as its forces tried to clear Hamas from northern Gaza first. Israeli troops fought battles with Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups, with Hamas operating from the ruins and an extensive network of tunnels that it had built under Gaza.
+Israel accused Hamas of hiding its military infrastructure beneath civilian buildings to use the population of Gaza as human shields. Palestinians and their supporters accused Israel of using disproportionate force. Both sides denied the others' accusations.
+There was a brief truce in November during which aid supplies entered Gaza and Hamas released some hostages, but hostilities resumed.
+More than 33,000 Palestinians were confirmed killed as of April 4, according to the health ministry in Gaza, with thousands more dead feared unrecovered in the rubble. Israel said as of April 3 that 256 of its soldiers had been killed in Gaza.
+By early 2024 aid agencies said that a humanitarian disaster was unfolding in Gaza, with most of its 2.3 million population displaced.
+Amid the heaviest bombing in Gaza's history, many families were forced to move into huge tented encampments that sprang up in the south of Gaza, with little food, water, medical care, fuel or secure shelter.
+With so many packed into the area around Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, the World Health Organization has warned that an Israeli military offensive against the city would cause an ""unfathomable catastrophe"".
+Through the first three months of 2024, talks on an extended ceasefire to let in more aid and free more hostages had yet to bear fruit.
+
+
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]A brief history of Gaza's centuries of war[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]April 4 (Reuters) - Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lay on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore. It has been inhabited for thousands of years and fought over by many - including Egyptian Pharaohs, Babylonians, Philistines, and Alexander the Great who besieged and captured Gaza City, killing the men and enslaving women and children. Its location near where Asia meets Africa saw it become a thriving trade centre in antiquity, part of the Philistine confederacy of five cities along the coastal plain. It features prominently in Biblical accounts, including the battles of King David.  In later centuries Romans, Mongols, Crusaders and later Napoleon conquered it. Christianity spread there - a small Christian community in Gaza still exists - and 1,400 years ago Muslim armies invaded.  It was part of the Ottoman Empire for most of the period from the 16th century until 1917, when was it taken by British troops during World War I. It then became part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Over the last century Gaza passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule and is now a fenced-in enclave inhabited by around 2.3 million Palestinians, most of them refugees. Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history. 1948 - End of British rule
+As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbours in May 1948.  Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes in a mass displacement known by Palestinians as ""Nakba"", meaning ""catastrophe"" in Arabic. The invading Egyptian army had seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long, which ran from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon. The influx of refugees saw Gaza's population triple to around 200,000. 1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, allowing Palestinians to work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals. The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank. 1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/brief-history-gazas-centuries-war-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A brief history of Gaza's centuries of war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 4 (Reuters) - Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lay on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore.
+It has been inhabited for thousands of years and fought over by many - including Egyptian Pharaohs, Babylonians, Philistines, and Alexander the Great who besieged and captured Gaza City, killing the men and enslaving women and children.
+Its location near where Asia meets Africa saw it become a thriving trade centre in antiquity, part of the Philistine confederacy of five cities along the coastal plain.
+It features prominently in Biblical accounts, including the battles of King David.
+In later centuries Romans, Mongols, Crusaders and later Napoleon conquered it. Christianity spread there - a small Christian community in Gaza still exists - and 1,400 years ago Muslim armies invaded.
+It was part of the Ottoman Empire for most of the period from the 16th century until 1917, when was it taken by British troops during World War I. It then became part of the British Mandate of Palestine.
+Over the last century Gaza passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule and is now a fenced-in enclave inhabited by around 2.3 million Palestinians, most of them refugees.
+Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history.
+1948 - End of British rule
+As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbours in May 1948.
+Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes in a mass displacement known by Palestinians as ""Nakba"", meaning ""catastrophe"" in Arabic. The invading Egyptian army had seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long, which ran from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon.
+The influx of refugees saw Gaza's population triple to around 200,000.
+1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, allowing Palestinians to work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals.
+The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
+1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.
+With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could gain easy access at that time. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and to guard the settlements that Israel built in the following decades. These became a source of growing Palestinian resentment.
+1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed
+Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.
+Seizing the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and restoration of Islamic rule in what it saw as occupied Palestine, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party that led the Palestine Liberation Organization.
+1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile.
+The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle.
+2000 - Second Palestinian intifada
+In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli airstrikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.
+
+One casualty was Gaza International Airport, a symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence and the Palestinians' only direct link to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel or Egypt. Opened in 1998, it was deemed a security threat by Israel which destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
+Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, a restriction it said was necessary to stop boats smuggling weapons.
+2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+In August 2005 Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, which was by then completely fenced off from the outside world by Israel.
+Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt.
+The pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.
+Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas because they regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization.
+Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt also imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings.
+Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy away from Israel foundered before they even started.
+Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt's military-backed leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took power in 2014, closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse.
+Conflict cycle
+Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.
+Before 2023, some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel.
+Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighbourhoods in Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.
+October 2023 - Surprise attack
+While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.
+On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen made a surprise cross-border assault on Israel by air, land and sea in which they overwhelmed Israel's border forces and rampaged through towns, kibbutzim and military bases, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza.
+Israel took revenge, first hammering Gaza with its heaviest-ever air and artillery strikes and later launching a ground invasion after mobilizing hundreds of thousands of reservists and placing Gaza under blockade in what it said was an effort to destroy Hamas.
+Israel instructed Palestinian civilians to move south as its forces tried to clear Hamas from northern Gaza first. Israeli troops fought battles with Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups, with Hamas operating from the ruins and an extensive network of tunnels that it had built under Gaza.
+Israel accused Hamas of hiding its military infrastructure beneath civilian buildings to use the population of Gaza as human shields. Palestinians and their supporters accused Israel of using disproportionate force. Both sides denied the others' accusations.
+There was a brief truce in November during which aid supplies entered Gaza and Hamas released some hostages, but hostilities resumed.
+More than 33,000 Palestinians were confirmed killed as of April 4, according to the health ministry in Gaza, with thousands more dead feared unrecovered in the rubble. Israel said as of April 3 that 256 of its soldiers had been killed in Gaza.
+By early 2024 aid agencies said that a humanitarian disaster was unfolding in Gaza, with most of its 2.3 million population displaced.
+Amid the heaviest bombing in Gaza's history, many families were forced to move into huge tented encampments that sprang up in the south of Gaza, with little food, water, medical care, fuel or secure shelter.
+With so many packed into the area around Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, the World Health Organization has warned that an Israeli military offensive against the city would cause an ""unfathomable catastrophe"".
+Through the first three months of 2024, talks on an extended ceasefire to let in more aid and free more hostages had yet to bear fruit.
+
+
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.  With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could gain easy access at that time. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and to guard the settlements that Israel built in the following decades. These became a source of growing Palestinian resentment.  1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.  Seizing the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and restoration of Islamic rule in what it saw as occupied Palestine, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party that led the Palestine Liberation Organization.  1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile. The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.  Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle. 2000 - Second Palestinian intifada In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli airstrikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.  One casualty was Gaza International Airport, a symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence and the Palestinians' only direct link to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel or Egypt. Opened in 1998, it was deemed a security threat by Israel which destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/brief-history-gazas-centuries-war-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A brief history of Gaza's centuries of war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 4 (Reuters) - Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lay on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore.
+It has been inhabited for thousands of years and fought over by many - including Egyptian Pharaohs, Babylonians, Philistines, and Alexander the Great who besieged and captured Gaza City, killing the men and enslaving women and children.
+Its location near where Asia meets Africa saw it become a thriving trade centre in antiquity, part of the Philistine confederacy of five cities along the coastal plain.
+It features prominently in Biblical accounts, including the battles of King David.
+In later centuries Romans, Mongols, Crusaders and later Napoleon conquered it. Christianity spread there - a small Christian community in Gaza still exists - and 1,400 years ago Muslim armies invaded.
+It was part of the Ottoman Empire for most of the period from the 16th century until 1917, when was it taken by British troops during World War I. It then became part of the British Mandate of Palestine.
+Over the last century Gaza passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule and is now a fenced-in enclave inhabited by around 2.3 million Palestinians, most of them refugees.
+Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history.
+1948 - End of British rule
+As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbours in May 1948.
+Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes in a mass displacement known by Palestinians as ""Nakba"", meaning ""catastrophe"" in Arabic. The invading Egyptian army had seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long, which ran from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon.
+The influx of refugees saw Gaza's population triple to around 200,000.
+1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, allowing Palestinians to work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals.
+The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
+1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.
+With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could gain easy access at that time. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and to guard the settlements that Israel built in the following decades. These became a source of growing Palestinian resentment.
+1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed
+Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.
+Seizing the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and restoration of Islamic rule in what it saw as occupied Palestine, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party that led the Palestine Liberation Organization.
+1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile.
+The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle.
+2000 - Second Palestinian intifada
+In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli airstrikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.
+
+One casualty was Gaza International Airport, a symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence and the Palestinians' only direct link to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel or Egypt. Opened in 1998, it was deemed a security threat by Israel which destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
+Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, a restriction it said was necessary to stop boats smuggling weapons.
+2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+In August 2005 Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, which was by then completely fenced off from the outside world by Israel.
+Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt.
+The pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.
+Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas because they regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization.
+Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt also imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings.
+Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy away from Israel foundered before they even started.
+Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt's military-backed leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took power in 2014, closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse.
+Conflict cycle
+Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.
+Before 2023, some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel.
+Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighbourhoods in Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.
+October 2023 - Surprise attack
+While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.
+On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen made a surprise cross-border assault on Israel by air, land and sea in which they overwhelmed Israel's border forces and rampaged through towns, kibbutzim and military bases, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza.
+Israel took revenge, first hammering Gaza with its heaviest-ever air and artillery strikes and later launching a ground invasion after mobilizing hundreds of thousands of reservists and placing Gaza under blockade in what it said was an effort to destroy Hamas.
+Israel instructed Palestinian civilians to move south as its forces tried to clear Hamas from northern Gaza first. Israeli troops fought battles with Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups, with Hamas operating from the ruins and an extensive network of tunnels that it had built under Gaza.
+Israel accused Hamas of hiding its military infrastructure beneath civilian buildings to use the population of Gaza as human shields. Palestinians and their supporters accused Israel of using disproportionate force. Both sides denied the others' accusations.
+There was a brief truce in November during which aid supplies entered Gaza and Hamas released some hostages, but hostilities resumed.
+More than 33,000 Palestinians were confirmed killed as of April 4, according to the health ministry in Gaza, with thousands more dead feared unrecovered in the rubble. Israel said as of April 3 that 256 of its soldiers had been killed in Gaza.
+By early 2024 aid agencies said that a humanitarian disaster was unfolding in Gaza, with most of its 2.3 million population displaced.
+Amid the heaviest bombing in Gaza's history, many families were forced to move into huge tented encampments that sprang up in the south of Gaza, with little food, water, medical care, fuel or secure shelter.
+With so many packed into the area around Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, the World Health Organization has warned that an Israeli military offensive against the city would cause an ""unfathomable catastrophe"".
+Through the first three months of 2024, talks on an extended ceasefire to let in more aid and free more hostages had yet to bear fruit.
+
+
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, a restriction it said was necessary to stop boats smuggling weapons. 2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+In August 2005 Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, which was by then completely fenced off from the outside world by Israel.  Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt. The pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans. 2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas. Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas because they regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization.  Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt also imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings.  Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy away from Israel foundered before they even started.
+Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt's military-backed leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took power in 2014, closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse. Conflict cycle Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups. Before 2023, some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel.  Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighbourhoods in Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians. October 2023 - Surprise attack While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.  On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen made a surprise cross-border assault on Israel by air, land and sea in which they overwhelmed Israel's border forces and rampaged through towns, kibbutzim and military bases, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/brief-history-gazas-centuries-war-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A brief history of Gaza's centuries of war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]April 4 (Reuters) - Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lay on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore.
+It has been inhabited for thousands of years and fought over by many - including Egyptian Pharaohs, Babylonians, Philistines, and Alexander the Great who besieged and captured Gaza City, killing the men and enslaving women and children.
+Its location near where Asia meets Africa saw it become a thriving trade centre in antiquity, part of the Philistine confederacy of five cities along the coastal plain.
+It features prominently in Biblical accounts, including the battles of King David.
+In later centuries Romans, Mongols, Crusaders and later Napoleon conquered it. Christianity spread there - a small Christian community in Gaza still exists - and 1,400 years ago Muslim armies invaded.
+It was part of the Ottoman Empire for most of the period from the 16th century until 1917, when was it taken by British troops during World War I. It then became part of the British Mandate of Palestine.
+Over the last century Gaza passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule and is now a fenced-in enclave inhabited by around 2.3 million Palestinians, most of them refugees.
+Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history.
+1948 - End of British rule
+As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbours in May 1948.
+Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes in a mass displacement known by Palestinians as ""Nakba"", meaning ""catastrophe"" in Arabic. The invading Egyptian army had seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long, which ran from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon.
+The influx of refugees saw Gaza's population triple to around 200,000.
+1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, allowing Palestinians to work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals.
+The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
+1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.
+With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could gain easy access at that time. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and to guard the settlements that Israel built in the following decades. These became a source of growing Palestinian resentment.
+1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed
+Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.
+Seizing the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and restoration of Islamic rule in what it saw as occupied Palestine, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party that led the Palestine Liberation Organization.
+1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile.
+The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle.
+2000 - Second Palestinian intifada
+In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli airstrikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.
+
+One casualty was Gaza International Airport, a symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence and the Palestinians' only direct link to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel or Egypt. Opened in 1998, it was deemed a security threat by Israel which destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
+Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, a restriction it said was necessary to stop boats smuggling weapons.
+2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+In August 2005 Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, which was by then completely fenced off from the outside world by Israel.
+Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt.
+The pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.
+Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas because they regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization.
+Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt also imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings.
+Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy away from Israel foundered before they even started.
+Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt's military-backed leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took power in 2014, closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse.
+Conflict cycle
+Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.
+Before 2023, some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel.
+Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighbourhoods in Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.
+October 2023 - Surprise attack
+While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.
+On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen made a surprise cross-border assault on Israel by air, land and sea in which they overwhelmed Israel's border forces and rampaged through towns, kibbutzim and military bases, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza.
+Israel took revenge, first hammering Gaza with its heaviest-ever air and artillery strikes and later launching a ground invasion after mobilizing hundreds of thousands of reservists and placing Gaza under blockade in what it said was an effort to destroy Hamas.
+Israel instructed Palestinian civilians to move south as its forces tried to clear Hamas from northern Gaza first. Israeli troops fought battles with Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups, with Hamas operating from the ruins and an extensive network of tunnels that it had built under Gaza.
+Israel accused Hamas of hiding its military infrastructure beneath civilian buildings to use the population of Gaza as human shields. Palestinians and their supporters accused Israel of using disproportionate force. Both sides denied the others' accusations.
+There was a brief truce in November during which aid supplies entered Gaza and Hamas released some hostages, but hostilities resumed.
+More than 33,000 Palestinians were confirmed killed as of April 4, according to the health ministry in Gaza, with thousands more dead feared unrecovered in the rubble. Israel said as of April 3 that 256 of its soldiers had been killed in Gaza.
+By early 2024 aid agencies said that a humanitarian disaster was unfolding in Gaza, with most of its 2.3 million population displaced.
+Amid the heaviest bombing in Gaza's history, many families were forced to move into huge tented encampments that sprang up in the south of Gaza, with little food, water, medical care, fuel or secure shelter.
+With so many packed into the area around Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, the World Health Organization has warned that an Israeli military offensive against the city would cause an ""unfathomable catastrophe"".
+Through the first three months of 2024, talks on an extended ceasefire to let in more aid and free more hostages had yet to bear fruit.
+
+
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel took revenge, first hammering Gaza with its heaviest-ever air and artillery strikes and later launching a ground invasion after mobilizing hundreds of thousands of reservists and placing Gaza under blockade in what it said was an effort to destroy Hamas.  Israel instructed Palestinian civilians to move south as its forces tried to clear Hamas from northern Gaza first. Israeli troops fought battles with Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups, with Hamas operating from the ruins and an extensive network of tunnels that it had built under Gaza.  Israel accused Hamas of hiding its military infrastructure beneath civilian buildings to use the population of Gaza as human shields. Palestinians and their supporters accused Israel of using disproportionate force. Both sides denied the others' accusations. There was a brief truce in November during which aid supplies entered Gaza and Hamas released some hostages, but hostilities resumed. More than 33,000 Palestinians were confirmed killed as of April 4, according to the health ministry in Gaza, with thousands more dead feared unrecovered in the rubble. Israel said as of April 3 that 256 of its soldiers had been killed in Gaza.
+By early 2024 aid agencies said that a humanitarian disaster was unfolding in Gaza, with most of its 2.3 million population displaced. Amid the heaviest bombing in Gaza's history, many families were forced to move into huge tented encampments that sprang up in the south of Gaza, with little food, water, medical care, fuel or secure shelter. With so many packed into the area around Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, the World Health Organization has warned that an Israeli military offensive against the city would cause an ""unfathomable catastrophe"".
+Through the first three months of 2024, talks on an extended ceasefire to let in more aid and free more hostages had yet to bear fruit.  [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/palestinians-should-seek-statehood-through-direct-talks-not-un-us-says-2024-04-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians should seek statehood through direct talks, not at UN, US says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS, April 3 (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday that establishing an independent Palestinian state should happen through direct negotiations between the parties and not at the United Nations.
+The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday asked for renewed consideration of a 2011 application to become a full member of the United Nations. It currently has de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine after the United Nations granted it the status of a non-member observer state in 2012.
+The position of the U.S., Israel's most important ally, mirrors the Israeli stance on the issue.
+An application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the 15-member U.N. Security Council - where the United States can cast a veto - and then at least two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly.
+When asked if the U.S. would use its Security Council veto to block the Palestinian bid, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said: ""I'm not going to speculate about what may happen down the road.""
+But he added that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel ""is something that should be done through direct negotiations between the parties - it's something we are pursuing at this time - and not at the United Nations.""
+The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership comes as the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza nears a six-month milestone and Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.
+Malta is president of the Security Council for April. Malta's U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier said on Wednesday that the Palestinian request had been circulated to council members.
+""We will be consulting with each member to consider the appropriate way forward,"" she told reporters.
+Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told Reuters on Monday that the aim was for the Security Council to take a decision at an April 18 ministerial meeting on the Middle East, but that a vote had yet to be scheduled.
+Little progress has been made on achieving Palestinian statehood since the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians should seek statehood through direct talks, not at UN, US says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS, April 3 (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday that establishing an independent Palestinian state should happen through direct negotiations between the parties and not at the United Nations.  The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday asked for renewed consideration of a 2011 application to become a full member of the United Nations. It currently has de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine after the United Nations granted it the status of a non-member observer state in 2012. The position of the U.S., Israel's most important ally, mirrors the Israeli stance on the issue.  An application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the 15-member U.N. Security Council - where the United States can cast a veto - and then at least two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly.
+When asked if the U.S. would use its Security Council veto to block the Palestinian bid, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said: ""I'm not going to speculate about what may happen down the road. "" But he added that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel ""is something that should be done through direct negotiations between the parties - it's something we are pursuing at this time - and not at the United Nations."" The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership comes as the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza nears a six-month milestone and Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.  Malta is president of the Security Council for April. Malta's U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier said on Wednesday that the Palestinian request had been circulated to council members. ""We will be consulting with each member to consider the appropriate way forward,"" she told reporters. Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told Reuters on Monday that the aim was for the Security Council to take a decision at an April 18 ministerial meeting on the Middle East, but that a vote had yet to be scheduled.
+Little progress has been made on achieving Palestinian statehood since the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/mcdonalds-did-not-congratulate-israeli-military-over-gaza-killings-2024-04-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: McDonald’s did not congratulate Israeli military over Gaza killings[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]McDonald’s in Scotland did not publish a customer notice congratulating the Israeli military on the killing of thousands of civilians in Gaza, as suggested in social media posts sharing a photo of a poster bearing that message and the company’s logo.
+The notice was created by an activist group and displayed at McDonald’s outlets across Glasgow.
+Images of the poster placed on a window have been shared on Facebook, opens new tab with captions such as, “McDonald’s at proud from Israel Army because they killed the civilians in Gaza” and “As if McDonalds didn’t already contribute to type 2 diabetes, they directly contribute to Israeli terrorists.”
+The poster carries the yellow McDonald’s logo and says, “We are proud to say that McDonalds supplies the Israeli military with free meals, especially while the rest of Gaza starves. We simply don’t care.”
+McDonald’s Corporation told Reuters in an email that the poster is not authentic, adding: “We are dismayed by the disinformation and inaccurate reports regarding our position in response to the conflict in the Middle East. McDonald’s Corporation is not funding or supporting any governments involved in this conflict.“
+The American fast-food chain has been the object of boycotts and protests since its subsidiary McDonald’s Israel announced shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that it would be donating free meals to the Israeli military.
+McDonald’s Corporation, the parent company, distanced itself from the move in November issuing a statement on the social media accounts of subsidiaries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, opens new tab, UAE, opens new tab and Kuwait, opens new tab. The statement said that the decision to donate meals was made independently by local Developmental Licensee business partners.
+Activist group Art Workers For Palestine Scotland wrote on Instagram, opens new tab that the group created the customer notice stickers and placed them in McDonald's outlets in Glasgow. The post caption adds, “It’s time to escalate the boycott of McDonalds” and urges people to print their own posters, directing them to a link for downloading the PDF.
+In a post from March 17, opens new tab, the group also refers to a stack of the same posters as “fake McDonald’s customer notices.”
+No such notices or press releases can be found on the McDonald’s UK, opens new tab or the McDonald’s Corporation, opens new tab websites.
+Art Workers for Palestine Scotland did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. A “customer notice” about McDonald’s supplying meals to the IDF was created by a Scottish activist group, not the fast-food company.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: McDonald’s did not congratulate Israeli military over Gaza killings[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]McDonald’s in Scotland did not publish a customer notice congratulating the Israeli military on the killing of thousands of civilians in Gaza, as suggested in social media posts sharing a photo of a poster bearing that message and the company’s logo.  The notice was created by an activist group and displayed at McDonald’s outlets across Glasgow.
+Images of the poster placed on a window have been shared on Facebook, opens new tab with captions such as, “McDonald’s at proud from Israel Army because they killed the civilians in Gaza” and “As if McDonalds didn’t already contribute to type 2 diabetes, they directly contribute to Israeli terrorists.”
+The poster carries the yellow McDonald’s logo and says, “We are proud to say that McDonalds supplies the Israeli military with free meals, especially while the rest of Gaza starves. We simply don’t care.”  McDonald’s Corporation told Reuters in an email that the poster is not authentic, adding: “We are dismayed by the disinformation and inaccurate reports regarding our position in response to the conflict in the Middle East. McDonald’s Corporation is not funding or supporting any governments involved in this conflict. “
+The American fast-food chain has been the object of boycotts and protests since its subsidiary McDonald’s Israel announced shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that it would be donating free meals to the Israeli military.  McDonald’s Corporation, the parent company, distanced itself from the move in November issuing a statement on the social media accounts of subsidiaries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, opens new tab, UAE, opens new tab and Kuwait, opens new tab. The statement said that the decision to donate meals was made independently by local Developmental Licensee business partners.  Activist group Art Workers For Palestine Scotland wrote on Instagram, opens new tab that the group created the customer notice stickers and placed them in McDonald's outlets in Glasgow. The post caption adds, “It’s time to escalate the boycott of McDonalds” and urges people to print their own posters, directing them to a link for downloading the PDF.  In a post from March 17, opens new tab, the group also refers to a stack of the same posters as “fake McDonald’s customer notices.”
+No such notices or press releases can be found on the McDonald’s UK, opens new tab or the McDonald’s Corporation, opens new tab websites.  Art Workers for Palestine Scotland did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  VERDICT
+Miscaptioned."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/mcdonalds-did-not-congratulate-israeli-military-over-gaza-killings-2024-04-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: McDonald’s did not congratulate Israeli military over Gaza killings[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]McDonald’s in Scotland did not publish a customer notice congratulating the Israeli military on the killing of thousands of civilians in Gaza, as suggested in social media posts sharing a photo of a poster bearing that message and the company’s logo.
+The notice was created by an activist group and displayed at McDonald’s outlets across Glasgow.
+Images of the poster placed on a window have been shared on Facebook, opens new tab with captions such as, “McDonald’s at proud from Israel Army because they killed the civilians in Gaza” and “As if McDonalds didn’t already contribute to type 2 diabetes, they directly contribute to Israeli terrorists.”
+The poster carries the yellow McDonald’s logo and says, “We are proud to say that McDonalds supplies the Israeli military with free meals, especially while the rest of Gaza starves. We simply don’t care.”
+McDonald’s Corporation told Reuters in an email that the poster is not authentic, adding: “We are dismayed by the disinformation and inaccurate reports regarding our position in response to the conflict in the Middle East. McDonald’s Corporation is not funding or supporting any governments involved in this conflict.“
+The American fast-food chain has been the object of boycotts and protests since its subsidiary McDonald’s Israel announced shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that it would be donating free meals to the Israeli military.
+McDonald’s Corporation, the parent company, distanced itself from the move in November issuing a statement on the social media accounts of subsidiaries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, opens new tab, UAE, opens new tab and Kuwait, opens new tab. The statement said that the decision to donate meals was made independently by local Developmental Licensee business partners.
+Activist group Art Workers For Palestine Scotland wrote on Instagram, opens new tab that the group created the customer notice stickers and placed them in McDonald's outlets in Glasgow. The post caption adds, “It’s time to escalate the boycott of McDonalds” and urges people to print their own posters, directing them to a link for downloading the PDF.
+In a post from March 17, opens new tab, the group also refers to a stack of the same posters as “fake McDonald’s customer notices.”
+No such notices or press releases can be found on the McDonald’s UK, opens new tab or the McDonald’s Corporation, opens new tab websites.
+Art Workers for Palestine Scotland did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. A “customer notice” about McDonald’s supplying meals to the IDF was created by a Scottish activist group, not the fast-food company.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","A “customer notice” about McDonald’s supplying meals to the IDF was created by a Scottish activist group, not the fast-food company.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-anti-muslim-incidents-hit-record-high-2023-due-israel-gaza-war-2024-04-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US anti-Muslim incidents hit record high in 2023 due to Israel-Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - Reported discrimination and attacks against Muslims and Palestinians reached a record high in the U.S. in 2023, driven by rising Islamophobia and bias as the Israel-Gaza war raged late in the year, data from an advocacy group showed on Tuesday.
+Complaints totaled 8,061 in 2023, a 56% rise from the year before and the highest since the Council on American-Islamic Relations began records nearly 30 years ago. About 3,600 of those incidents occurred from October to December, CAIR said.
+Human rights advocates have similarly reported a global rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism since the latest eruption of conflict in the Middle East.
+U.S. incidents have included the fatal October stabbing of 6-year-old Palestinian American Wadea Al-Fayoume in Illinois, the November shooting of three students, opens new tab of Palestinian descent in Vermont and the February stabbing of a Palestinian American man, opens new tab in Texas.
+CAIR's report said 2023 saw a ""resurgence of anti-Muslim hate"" after the first ever recorded annual drop in complaints in 2022. In the first nine months of 2023, such incidents averaged around 500 a month before jumping to nearly 1,200 a month in the last quarter.
+""The primary force behind this wave of heightened Islamophobia was the escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine in October 2023,"" the report said.
+The most numerous complaints in 2023 were in the categories of immigration and asylum, employment discrimination, hate crimes and education discrimination, CAIR said.
+Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked, opens new tab Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed over 32,000 people, according to the local health ministry, displaced nearly all its 2.3 million population, put Gaza on the brink of starvation, opens new tab and led to genocide allegations, opens new tab that Israel denies.
+CAIR said it compiled the numbers by reviewing public statements and videos as well as reports from public calls, emails and an online complaint system. It contacted people whose incidents were reported in the media.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US anti-Muslim incidents hit record high in 2023 due to Israel-Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - Reported discrimination and attacks against Muslims and Palestinians reached a record high in the U.S. in 2023, driven by rising Islamophobia and bias as the Israel-Gaza war raged late in the year, data from an advocacy group showed on Tuesday.  Complaints totaled 8,061 in 2023, a 56% rise from the year before and the highest since the Council on American-Islamic Relations began records nearly 30 years ago. About 3,600 of those incidents occurred from October to December, CAIR said. Human rights advocates have similarly reported a global rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism since the latest eruption of conflict in the Middle East. U.S. incidents have included the fatal October stabbing of 6-year-old Palestinian American Wadea Al-Fayoume in Illinois, the November shooting of three students, opens new tab of Palestinian descent in Vermont and the February stabbing of a Palestinian American man, opens new tab in Texas.  CAIR's report said 2023 saw a ""resurgence of anti-Muslim hate"" after the first ever recorded annual drop in complaints in 2022. In the first nine months of 2023, such incidents averaged around 500 a month before jumping to nearly 1,200 a month in the last quarter. ""The primary force behind this wave of heightened Islamophobia was the escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine in October 2023,"" the report said. The most numerous complaints in 2023 were in the categories of immigration and asylum, employment discrimination, hate crimes and education discrimination, CAIR said.
+Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked, opens new tab Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed over 32,000 people, according to the local health ministry, displaced nearly all its 2.3 million population, put Gaza on the brink of starvation, opens new tab and led to genocide allegations, opens new tab that Israel denies.  CAIR said it compiled the numbers by reviewing public statements and videos as well as reports from public calls, emails and an online complaint system. It contacted people whose incidents were reported in the media.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/france-seeks-un-security-council-resolution-gaza-truce-monitoring-2024-04-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]France seeks UN Security Council resolution for Gaza truce monitoring[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 1 (Reuters) - France on Monday proposed a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that seeks options for possible U.N. monitoring of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and proposals to help the Palestinian Authority assume responsibilities.
+""It's an ambitious project. It will take time,"" French U.N. Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere said of the text, which will need at least 9 votes in favor and no vetoes by the four other permanent members: the United States, Britain, Russia and China.
+The draft resolution, seen by Reuters, also calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians militants Hamas in Gaza and demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas and others.
+Israel's ally the United States abstained from a vote last month to allow the 15-member council to demand an immediate ceasefire for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which ends next week, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. It has not been implemented by the warring parties.
+A truce, including the release of some hostages, last took place in November.
+The war began after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israel retaliated by imposing a total siege on Gaza, then launching an air and ground assault that has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, health authorities in Gaza say.
+The draft U.N. text condemns the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. Hamas in 2007 ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in the Gaza Strip.
+Alongside a push to end the war, global pressure has grown for a resumption of efforts to broker a two-state solution - with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
+The draft Security Council resolution ""decides that a negotiated solution should be achieved urgently through decisive and irreversible measures taken by parties towards a two-State solution where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace.""
+It also calls for the ""massive delivery of humanitarian aid"" to civilians in Gaza.
+A global authority on food security has warned that famine is imminent in parts of Gaza, where more than three-quarters of the 2.3 million people have been forced from their homes and swathes of the territory are in ruins.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]France seeks UN Security Council resolution for Gaza truce monitoring[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 1 (Reuters) - France on Monday proposed a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that seeks options for possible U.N. monitoring of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and proposals to help the Palestinian Authority assume responsibilities.  ""It's an ambitious project. It will take time,"" French U.N. Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere said of the text, which will need at least 9 votes in favor and no vetoes by the four other permanent members: the United States, Britain, Russia and China. The draft resolution, seen by Reuters, also calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians militants Hamas in Gaza and demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas and others.  Israel's ally the United States abstained from a vote last month to allow the 15-member council to demand an immediate ceasefire for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which ends next week, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. It has not been implemented by the warring parties. A truce, including the release of some hostages, last took place in November. The war began after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel retaliated by imposing a total siege on Gaza, then launching an air and ground assault that has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, health authorities in Gaza say.  The draft U.N. text condemns the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. Hamas in 2007 ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in the Gaza Strip. Alongside a push to end the war, global pressure has grown for a resumption of efforts to broker a two-state solution - with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. The draft Security Council resolution ""decides that a negotiated solution should be achieved urgently through decisive and irreversible measures taken by parties towards a two-State solution where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace.""
+It also calls for the ""massive delivery of humanitarian aid"" to civilians in Gaza. A global authority on food security has warned that famine is imminent in parts of Gaza, where more than three-quarters of the 2.3 million people have been forced from their homes and swathes of the territory are in ruins.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-want-april-vote-full-united-nations-membership-2024-04-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians want April vote on full United Nations membership[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 1 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority wants the United Nations Security Council to vote this month to make it a full member of the world body, the Palestinian U.N. envoy told Reuters on Monday, a move that can be blocked by Israel's ally the United States.
+Riyad Mansour, who has permanent observer status in the U.N., made the Palestinian plans public as the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza nears a six-month milestone and Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.
+Mansour told Reuters that the aim was for the Security Council to take a decision at an April 18 ministerial meeting on the Middle East, but that a vote had yet to be scheduled. He said a 2011 Palestinian application for full membership was still pending because the 15-member council never took a formal decision.
+""The intention is to put the application to a vote in the Security Council this month,"" he added.
+Malta is president of the Security Council for April. Malta's U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier said she had yet to receive a formal request for action from the Palestinians.
+Alongside a push to end the war, global pressure has grown for a resumption of efforts to broker a two-state solution - with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
+The war began after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel retaliated by imposing a total siege on Gaza, then launching an air and ground assault that has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, health authorities in Gaza say.
+UN APPROVAL
+An application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council - where the United States can cast a veto - and then at least two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly.
+The U.S. mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said that the Palestinian Authority had not met the required criteria for statehood in its 2011 bid for full U.N. membership and ""has only moved further from the goals it should achieve since.""
+""In addition, whoever supports recognizing a Palestinian state at such a time not only gives a prize to terror, but also backs unilateral steps which are contradictory to the agreed upon principle of direct negotiations,"" Erdan said.
+A Security Council committee assessed the Palestinian application in 2011 for several weeks. But the committee did not reach a unanimous position and the council never voted on a resolution to recommend Palestinian membership.
+At the time, diplomats said the Palestinians did not have enough support in the Security Council to force a veto by the United States, which had said it opposed the move. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., Russia, China, France or Britain to be adopted.
+Instead of pushing for a council vote, the Palestinians went to the U.N. General Assembly seeking to become a non-member observer state. The assembly approved de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012.
+Little progress has been made on achieving Palestinian statehood since the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s. Among the obstacles are expanding Israeli settlements.
+The Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and is Israel's partner to the Oslo Accords. Hamas in 2007 ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in the Gaza Strip.
+Israeli settlements risk eliminating any practical possibly of a Palestinian state, U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said last month. He said the transfer by Israel of its own population into occupied territory amounted to a war crime.
+U.S. President Joe Biden's administration said in February that Israel's expansion of West Bank settlements was inconsistent with international law, signaling a return to long-standing U.S. policy on the issue that had been reversed by the previous administration of Donald Trump.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians want April vote on full United Nations membership[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 1 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority wants the United Nations Security Council to vote this month to make it a full member of the world body, the Palestinian U.N. envoy told Reuters on Monday, a move that can be blocked by Israel's ally the United States. Riyad Mansour, who has permanent observer status in the U.N., made the Palestinian plans public as the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza nears a six-month milestone and Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.  Mansour told Reuters that the aim was for the Security Council to take a decision at an April 18 ministerial meeting on the Middle East, but that a vote had yet to be scheduled. He said a 2011 Palestinian application for full membership was still pending because the 15-member council never took a formal decision. ""The intention is to put the application to a vote in the Security Council this month,"" he added.  Malta is president of the Security Council for April. Malta's U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier said she had yet to receive a formal request for action from the Palestinians. Alongside a push to end the war, global pressure has grown for a resumption of efforts to broker a two-state solution - with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. The war began after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel retaliated by imposing a total siege on Gaza, then launching an air and ground assault that has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, health authorities in Gaza say. UN APPROVAL
+An application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council - where the United States can cast a veto - and then at least two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly.
+The U.S. mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said that the Palestinian Authority had not met the required criteria for statehood in its 2011 bid for full U.N. membership and ""has only moved further from the goals it should achieve since.""  ""In addition, whoever supports recognizing a Palestinian state at such a time not only gives a prize to terror, but also backs unilateral steps which are contradictory to the agreed upon principle of direct negotiations,"" Erdan said. A Security Council committee assessed the Palestinian application in 2011 for several weeks. But the committee did not reach a unanimous position and the council never voted on a resolution to recommend Palestinian membership. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-want-april-vote-full-united-nations-membership-2024-04-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians want April vote on full United Nations membership[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, April 1 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority wants the United Nations Security Council to vote this month to make it a full member of the world body, the Palestinian U.N. envoy told Reuters on Monday, a move that can be blocked by Israel's ally the United States.
+Riyad Mansour, who has permanent observer status in the U.N., made the Palestinian plans public as the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza nears a six-month milestone and Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.
+Mansour told Reuters that the aim was for the Security Council to take a decision at an April 18 ministerial meeting on the Middle East, but that a vote had yet to be scheduled. He said a 2011 Palestinian application for full membership was still pending because the 15-member council never took a formal decision.
+""The intention is to put the application to a vote in the Security Council this month,"" he added.
+Malta is president of the Security Council for April. Malta's U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier said she had yet to receive a formal request for action from the Palestinians.
+Alongside a push to end the war, global pressure has grown for a resumption of efforts to broker a two-state solution - with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
+The war began after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel retaliated by imposing a total siege on Gaza, then launching an air and ground assault that has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, health authorities in Gaza say.
+UN APPROVAL
+An application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council - where the United States can cast a veto - and then at least two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly.
+The U.S. mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said that the Palestinian Authority had not met the required criteria for statehood in its 2011 bid for full U.N. membership and ""has only moved further from the goals it should achieve since.""
+""In addition, whoever supports recognizing a Palestinian state at such a time not only gives a prize to terror, but also backs unilateral steps which are contradictory to the agreed upon principle of direct negotiations,"" Erdan said.
+A Security Council committee assessed the Palestinian application in 2011 for several weeks. But the committee did not reach a unanimous position and the council never voted on a resolution to recommend Palestinian membership.
+At the time, diplomats said the Palestinians did not have enough support in the Security Council to force a veto by the United States, which had said it opposed the move. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., Russia, China, France or Britain to be adopted.
+Instead of pushing for a council vote, the Palestinians went to the U.N. General Assembly seeking to become a non-member observer state. The assembly approved de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012.
+Little progress has been made on achieving Palestinian statehood since the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s. Among the obstacles are expanding Israeli settlements.
+The Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and is Israel's partner to the Oslo Accords. Hamas in 2007 ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in the Gaza Strip.
+Israeli settlements risk eliminating any practical possibly of a Palestinian state, U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said last month. He said the transfer by Israel of its own population into occupied territory amounted to a war crime.
+U.S. President Joe Biden's administration said in February that Israel's expansion of West Bank settlements was inconsistent with international law, signaling a return to long-standing U.S. policy on the issue that had been reversed by the previous administration of Donald Trump.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","At the time, diplomats said the Palestinians did not have enough support in the Security Council to force a veto by the United States, which had said it opposed the move. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., Russia, China, France or Britain to be adopted.  Instead of pushing for a council vote, the Palestinians went to the U.N. General Assembly seeking to become a non-member observer state. The assembly approved de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012. Little progress has been made on achieving Palestinian statehood since the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s. Among the obstacles are expanding Israeli settlements.  The Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and is Israel's partner to the Oslo Accords. Hamas in 2007 ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in the Gaza Strip.  Israeli settlements risk eliminating any practical possibly of a Palestinian state, U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said last month. He said the transfer by Israel of its own population into occupied territory amounted to a war crime.  U.S. President Joe Biden's administration said in February that Israel's expansion of West Bank settlements was inconsistent with international law, signaling a return to long-standing U.S. policy on the issue that had been reversed by the previous administration of Donald Trump.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-fisherman-braves-israeli-navy-fire-support-his-family-2024-03-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza fisherman braves Israeli navy fire to support his family[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, March 29 (Reuters) - Before the Gaza war, Palestinian fisherman Jalal Qaraan navigated his small boat for long distances in search of a good catch. These days he says merely casting his nets could be deadly if he draws the wrath of the Israeli navy.
+Israeli airstrikes and shelling have reduced large swathes of the densely populated coastal Gaza Strip to rubble and killed more than 32,000 Palestinians as the war with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas rages.
+There are also plenty of dangers at sea for fishermen like Qaraan, who must nevertheless support his family.
+""When we attempt to go out.. we are besieged with gunfire, bombarded with shells, sound bombs. It's always a risk, entering the water is a risk,"" he said as he pulled his boat to shore after catching a few fish.
+""There is not a day that goes by without them coming at us. It's all fear and terror, but despite this, I go in to be able to provide a secure living for my children.""
+The Israeli military was not immediately available for comment.
+Qaraan is especially eager to work the seas during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when families usually enjoy large meals together after fasting. But festivities are hard to come by these days.
+At least 32,623 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground offensive into Hamas-run Gaza, according to the health ministry there. Thousands more are believed to be lying dead under rubble, and more than 80% of the 2.3 million population have been displaced, many of them at risk of famine.
+The war began when Islamist Hamas militants broke through the border on Oct. 7 and rampaged through nearby communities, killing 1,200 people and abducting 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies.
+Judges at the International Court of Justice on Thursday unanimously ordered Israel to take all the necessary and effective action to ensure basic food supplies without delay to the Palestinian population in Gaza.
+The court said the Palestinians in Gaza face worsening conditions of life and famine and starvation are spreading.
+""As for the fishing, there is no quantity. Today in Ramadan, I'm fasting, risking my life to get one or two kilos of fish to eat or to sell them to buy household necessities,"" said Qaraan, preparing his fishing net.
+Other Gazans are feeling the effects of the fishing crisis.
+As she prepared for the breaking of the fast Umm al-Zein, one of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans, said her children craved fish.
+""Palestine is known for its great fish and seafood but due to the war fish is not available. Unfortunately, we haven't eaten fish since before October 7th,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza fisherman braves Israeli navy fire to support his family[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, March 29 (Reuters) - Before the Gaza war, Palestinian fisherman Jalal Qaraan navigated his small boat for long distances in search of a good catch. These days he says merely casting his nets could be deadly if he draws the wrath of the Israeli navy. Israeli airstrikes and shelling have reduced large swathes of the densely populated coastal Gaza Strip to rubble and killed more than 32,000 Palestinians as the war with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas rages.
+There are also plenty of dangers at sea for fishermen like Qaraan, who must nevertheless support his family.  ""When we attempt to go out.. we are besieged with gunfire, bombarded with shells, sound bombs. It's always a risk, entering the water is a risk,"" he said as he pulled his boat to shore after catching a few fish.  ""There is not a day that goes by without them coming at us. It's all fear and terror, but despite this, I go in to be able to provide a secure living for my children."" The Israeli military was not immediately available for comment.  Qaraan is especially eager to work the seas during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when families usually enjoy large meals together after fasting. But festivities are hard to come by these days. At least 32,623 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground offensive into Hamas-run Gaza, according to the health ministry there. Thousands more are believed to be lying dead under rubble, and more than 80% of the 2.3 million population have been displaced, many of them at risk of famine. The war began when Islamist Hamas militants broke through the border on Oct. 7 and rampaged through nearby communities, killing 1,200 people and abducting 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies. Judges at the International Court of Justice on Thursday unanimously ordered Israel to take all the necessary and effective action to ensure basic food supplies without delay to the Palestinian population in Gaza. The court said the Palestinians in Gaza face worsening conditions of life and famine and starvation are spreading.
+""As for the fishing, there is no quantity. Today in Ramadan, I'm fasting, risking my life to get one or two kilos of fish to eat or to sell them to buy household necessities,"" said Qaraan, preparing his fishing net. Other Gazans are feeling the effects of the fishing crisis. As she prepared for the breaking of the fast Umm al-Zein, one of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans, said her children craved fish. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-fisherman-braves-israeli-navy-fire-support-his-family-2024-03-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza fisherman braves Israeli navy fire to support his family[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, March 29 (Reuters) - Before the Gaza war, Palestinian fisherman Jalal Qaraan navigated his small boat for long distances in search of a good catch. These days he says merely casting his nets could be deadly if he draws the wrath of the Israeli navy.
+Israeli airstrikes and shelling have reduced large swathes of the densely populated coastal Gaza Strip to rubble and killed more than 32,000 Palestinians as the war with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas rages.
+There are also plenty of dangers at sea for fishermen like Qaraan, who must nevertheless support his family.
+""When we attempt to go out.. we are besieged with gunfire, bombarded with shells, sound bombs. It's always a risk, entering the water is a risk,"" he said as he pulled his boat to shore after catching a few fish.
+""There is not a day that goes by without them coming at us. It's all fear and terror, but despite this, I go in to be able to provide a secure living for my children.""
+The Israeli military was not immediately available for comment.
+Qaraan is especially eager to work the seas during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when families usually enjoy large meals together after fasting. But festivities are hard to come by these days.
+At least 32,623 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground offensive into Hamas-run Gaza, according to the health ministry there. Thousands more are believed to be lying dead under rubble, and more than 80% of the 2.3 million population have been displaced, many of them at risk of famine.
+The war began when Islamist Hamas militants broke through the border on Oct. 7 and rampaged through nearby communities, killing 1,200 people and abducting 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies.
+Judges at the International Court of Justice on Thursday unanimously ordered Israel to take all the necessary and effective action to ensure basic food supplies without delay to the Palestinian population in Gaza.
+The court said the Palestinians in Gaza face worsening conditions of life and famine and starvation are spreading.
+""As for the fishing, there is no quantity. Today in Ramadan, I'm fasting, risking my life to get one or two kilos of fish to eat or to sell them to buy household necessities,"" said Qaraan, preparing his fishing net.
+Other Gazans are feeling the effects of the fishing crisis.
+As she prepared for the breaking of the fast Umm al-Zein, one of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans, said her children craved fish.
+""Palestine is known for its great fish and seafood but due to the war fish is not available. Unfortunately, we haven't eaten fish since before October 7th,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""Palestine is known for its great fish and seafood but due to the war fish is not available. Unfortunately, we haven't eaten fish since before October 7th,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/islamic-state-spokesperson-praises-groups-attack-concert-hall-russia-2024-03-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Islamic State spokesperson praises group's attack on concert hall in Russia[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, March 28 (Reuters) - The spokesperson for Islamic State praised the group's attack that killed more than 140 people in a Russian concert hall near Moscow.
+Abu Huthaifa al-Ansari was speaking in a recorded message posted on Thursday on the militant group's Telegram channel.
+Al-Ansari also reiterated urging the group's supporters to target ""crusaders"" everywhere, especially in the United States, Europe and Israel.
+""We ask God that you make it to Palestine so you could fight the Jews face to face in an endless religious war,"" he said.
+Russian investigators said on Thursday they had found proof that the concert hall gunmen were linked to ""Ukrainian nationalists"", an assertion immediately dismissed by the United States as baseless propaganda.
+Eleven people were arrested in the first 24 hours after the shooting and eight of them, including the four suspected gunmen, have been placed in pre-trial detention. Seven are from the Central Asian state of Tajikistan and the other from Kyrgyzstan.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Islamic State spokesperson praises group's attack on concert hall in Russia[/TITLE] [CONTENT]CAIRO, March 28 (Reuters) - The spokesperson for Islamic State praised the group's attack that killed more than 140 people in a Russian concert hall near Moscow. Abu Huthaifa al-Ansari was speaking in a recorded message posted on Thursday on the militant group's Telegram channel. Al-Ansari also reiterated urging the group's supporters to target ""crusaders"" everywhere, especially in the United States, Europe and Israel.
+""We ask God that you make it to Palestine so you could fight the Jews face to face in an endless religious war,"" he said.  Russian investigators said on Thursday they had found proof that the concert hall gunmen were linked to ""Ukrainian nationalists"", an assertion immediately dismissed by the United States as baseless propaganda.
+Eleven people were arrested in the first 24 hours after the shooting and eight of them, including the four suspected gunmen, have been placed in pre-trial detention. Seven are from the Central Asian state of Tajikistan and the other from Kyrgyzstan.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-agency-palestine-refugees-suspends-teacher-lebanon-2024-03-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN agency for Palestine refugees suspends teacher in Lebanon[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, March 27 (Reuters) - Dozens of people protested outside the Beirut office of the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency on Wednesday after it put a staff member on administrative leave over possible violations of staff conduct regulations.
+School teacher Fathi al-Sharif was put on leave for three months without pay as the U.N. agency investigated alleged activities ""that are in violation of the Agency's regulatory framework governing staff conduct,"" the agency told Reuters in a statement.
+UNRWA said it could not discuss further details. It did not say whether he was accused of membership of an armed group.
+Sharif spoke at the protest on Wednesday, where a crowd had gathered to support him. Several people told Reuters that he had been accused of links to Palestinian faction Hamas, which carried out a deadly attack in Israel in October.
+""The job can go, and we will stay!"" he told those gathered.
+UNRWA, which provides essential services including education and health to Palestinian refugees across the region, has been in crisis.
+Israel informed the U.N. that it will no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to the north of Gaza, where famine is possible by May, according to a U.N.-backed report published last week. An Israeli government spokesman said on Monday Israel would stop working with UNRWA altogether in Gaza.
+Earlier this year, Israel accused 12 UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip of taking part in the Hamas-led attack on Israeli soil on Oct. 7 that left 1,200 people dead, with more than 130 still held hostage by the group.
+Israel launched a land, sea and air offensive in response that the Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say has left more than 32,000 Palestinians dead.
+Israel's allegations prompted a suspension of funding by more than a dozen donors, many of whom have resumed funding.
+They also sparked an investigation by a U.N. oversight body and a separate review process by UNRWA, which its Lebanon representative Dorothee Klaus told Reuters would examine safeguards protecting its neutrality and independence.
+She said she expected her branch of the agency would be consulted in a possible review of whether staff in Lebanon were affiliated to armed groups.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN agency for Palestine refugees suspends teacher in Lebanon[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, March 27 (Reuters) - Dozens of people protested outside the Beirut office of the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency on Wednesday after it put a staff member on administrative leave over possible violations of staff conduct regulations. School teacher Fathi al-Sharif was put on leave for three months without pay as the U.N. agency investigated alleged activities ""that are in violation of the Agency's regulatory framework governing staff conduct,"" the agency told Reuters in a statement.  UNRWA said it could not discuss further details. It did not say whether he was accused of membership of an armed group.  Sharif spoke at the protest on Wednesday, where a crowd had gathered to support him. Several people told Reuters that he had been accused of links to Palestinian faction Hamas, which carried out a deadly attack in Israel in October.  ""The job can go, and we will stay!"" he told those gathered.
+UNRWA, which provides essential services including education and health to Palestinian refugees across the region, has been in crisis.
+Israel informed the U.N. that it will no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to the north of Gaza, where famine is possible by May, according to a U.N.-backed report published last week. An Israeli government spokesman said on Monday Israel would stop working with UNRWA altogether in Gaza. Earlier this year, Israel accused 12 UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip of taking part in the Hamas-led attack on Israeli soil on Oct. 7 that left 1,200 people dead, with more than 130 still held hostage by the group. Israel launched a land, sea and air offensive in response that the Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say has left more than 32,000 Palestinians dead. Israel's allegations prompted a suspension of funding by more than a dozen donors, many of whom have resumed funding. They also sparked an investigation by a U.N. oversight body and a separate review process by UNRWA, which its Lebanon representative Dorothee Klaus told Reuters would examine safeguards protecting its neutrality and independence.  She said she expected her branch of the agency would be consulted in a possible review of whether staff in Lebanon were affiliated to armed groups.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/more-handshakes-fewer-rallies-biden-2024-campaign-takes-shape-2024-03-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]More handshakes, fewer rallies as Biden 2024 campaign takes shape[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden is criss-crossing the country as his reelection campaign kicks into high gear, skipping big, loud rallies favored by his rival Donald Trump in favor of shaking hands at union halls, churches and restaurants.
+It is an unusual approach that plays to Biden's strengths amid an increasingly fragmented U.S. media landscape, allies and many analysts say. Biden interacts with smaller groups, limiting highly-scrutinized teleprompter assisted events that sometimes lead to gaffes, while keeping at bay protesters angry about his handling of the Israel-Gaza war.
+Biden's meetings with ordinary Americans are being turned into polished campaign videos and first-person TikTok posts viewed by millions, that often draw sharp contrasts with Trump's interactions with the public.
+Biden, no stranger to big audiences, won praise for his fiery State of the Union speech on March 7 and is gearing up for another large event on Thursday, a rally with former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama that is expected to draw 6,000.
+He has visited nine states since the March 7 speech, including battlegrounds Nevada and Arizona last week and Michigan and Wisconsin the week before. Most of the time, he has spoken to crowds of 100 people or fewer.
+The campaign is betting its patchwork approach, of pricey targeted ads, small events that generate local media coverage, radio spots and surrogate appearances - all amplified by social media will help galvanize Democrats and independents needed to re-elect Biden.
+""Biden has never been Cicero and never will be,"" said Larry Sabato, who heads the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, referring to the Roman statesman known for his oratory skills. He ""depends more on what he has done and is doing to reach his supporters,"" he said.
+Campaign officials see the dawn of a post-COVID era of campaigning, but David Barker, a professor at American University in Washington, isn't so sure. ""If Obama were the candidate, you’d see a lot of big rallies.""
+Barker said relying on digital media to pull in the crowds could exclude some older voters who don't use social media and rely more on TV broadcasts. But he said the pool of persuadable voters was small - not more than 5-7% of voters - fewer than half of them could be influenced by media coverage anyway.
+EVERY BATTLEGROUND STATE
+With a slim 1 percentage point lead in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of registered voters, Biden needs to highlight stark differences with Trump, strategists and donors say, and build enthusiasm among the fractious coalition of Black voters, suburban women and Latinos that got him elected in 2020.
+Biden didn't hold big rallies in 2020 either because of COVID-19, while Trump hosted events with thousands of attendees.
+Republicans mocked him for campaigning from his ""basement,"" but Biden won the popular vote by seven million and every battleground state, most by a very thin margin.
+Campaign staff say they learned then that Biden could hop on a Zoom call with 5,000 supporters and still have a big impact.
+Small events with carefully vetted participants also allow the campaign to avoid protests that have haunted Biden for months over his support of Israel's assault on Gaza that has killed more than 32,000 and now threatens famine. Israel is reacting to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that killed 1,200.
+In November a rabbi interrupted Biden at a fundraiser in Minnesota, urging him to call for a ""ceasefire right now."" In January, a Biden event in Virginia was repeatedly interrupted by shouts of ""Ceasefire now"" and ""Genocide Joe.""
+In Dallas this month, protesters blew whistles and chanted “free Palestine” starting at 5:00 a.m., rousing hotel guests where Biden was staying. In North Caroline on Tuesday, they interrupted his remarks.
+Campaign officials insist the protests are not dictating strategy, but the White House has stopped providing exact locations until just before Biden's events, making it difficult for demonstrators to assemble big crowds.
+ADVICE ON A STUTTER
+Online, Biden's campaign is focused on posts that highlight him displaying empathy, doling out advice and sharing fast food meals with families.
+A video of his meeting with nine-year-old Harry Abramson, a boy with a stutter who had asked Biden how he overcame his own, has been viewed 1.2 million times on TikTok and generated over 280,000 likes on Instagram.
+""He has that human connection with people and that’s different from Trump’s mega rallies and giant, roaring, menacing chants,"" said Wisconsin Democratic Party chief Ben Wikler.
+Trump's incendiary rhetoric helps him dominate the news cycle, experts say, like a March 16 stop outside Dayton, Ohio, where he warned of a ""bloodbath"" if he loses in November.
+The supporters who attend his rallies reflect the Republican Party's transformation in recent years: many are working-class voters who say they are in lockstep with Trump on issues ranging from immigration to trade and foreign policy.
+Trump focused heavily on early nominating states until he secured his party's nomination, hosting rallies attended by hundreds or thousands of supporters. In early April, he is due to hold a rally in Wisconsin, a key battleground state.
+Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was greeted by ""crowds of enthusiastic Americans everywhere he goes.""
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]More handshakes, fewer rallies as Biden 2024 campaign takes shape[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden is criss-crossing the country as his reelection campaign kicks into high gear, skipping big, loud rallies favored by his rival Donald Trump in favor of shaking hands at union halls, churches and restaurants. It is an unusual approach that plays to Biden's strengths amid an increasingly fragmented U.S. media landscape, allies and many analysts say. Biden interacts with smaller groups, limiting highly-scrutinized teleprompter assisted events that sometimes lead to gaffes, while keeping at bay protesters angry about his handling of the Israel-Gaza war. Biden's meetings with ordinary Americans are being turned into polished campaign videos and first-person TikTok posts viewed by millions, that often draw sharp contrasts with Trump's interactions with the public.
+Biden, no stranger to big audiences, won praise for his fiery State of the Union speech on March 7 and is gearing up for another large event on Thursday, a rally with former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama that is expected to draw 6,000.
+He has visited nine states since the March 7 speech, including battlegrounds Nevada and Arizona last week and Michigan and Wisconsin the week before. Most of the time, he has spoken to crowds of 100 people or fewer. The campaign is betting its patchwork approach, of pricey targeted ads, small events that generate local media coverage, radio spots and surrogate appearances - all amplified by social media will help galvanize Democrats and independents needed to re-elect Biden.  ""Biden has never been Cicero and never will be,"" said Larry Sabato, who heads the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, referring to the Roman statesman known for his oratory skills. He ""depends more on what he has done and is doing to reach his supporters,"" he said.  Campaign officials see the dawn of a post-COVID era of campaigning, but David Barker, a professor at American University in Washington, isn't so sure. ""If Obama were the candidate, you’d see a lot of big rallies.""  Barker said relying on digital media to pull in the crowds could exclude some older voters who don't use social media and rely more on TV broadcasts. But he said the pool of persuadable voters was small - not more than 5-7% of voters - fewer than half of them could be influenced by media coverage anyway. EVERY BATTLEGROUND STATE "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/more-handshakes-fewer-rallies-biden-2024-campaign-takes-shape-2024-03-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]More handshakes, fewer rallies as Biden 2024 campaign takes shape[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden is criss-crossing the country as his reelection campaign kicks into high gear, skipping big, loud rallies favored by his rival Donald Trump in favor of shaking hands at union halls, churches and restaurants.
+It is an unusual approach that plays to Biden's strengths amid an increasingly fragmented U.S. media landscape, allies and many analysts say. Biden interacts with smaller groups, limiting highly-scrutinized teleprompter assisted events that sometimes lead to gaffes, while keeping at bay protesters angry about his handling of the Israel-Gaza war.
+Biden's meetings with ordinary Americans are being turned into polished campaign videos and first-person TikTok posts viewed by millions, that often draw sharp contrasts with Trump's interactions with the public.
+Biden, no stranger to big audiences, won praise for his fiery State of the Union speech on March 7 and is gearing up for another large event on Thursday, a rally with former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama that is expected to draw 6,000.
+He has visited nine states since the March 7 speech, including battlegrounds Nevada and Arizona last week and Michigan and Wisconsin the week before. Most of the time, he has spoken to crowds of 100 people or fewer.
+The campaign is betting its patchwork approach, of pricey targeted ads, small events that generate local media coverage, radio spots and surrogate appearances - all amplified by social media will help galvanize Democrats and independents needed to re-elect Biden.
+""Biden has never been Cicero and never will be,"" said Larry Sabato, who heads the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, referring to the Roman statesman known for his oratory skills. He ""depends more on what he has done and is doing to reach his supporters,"" he said.
+Campaign officials see the dawn of a post-COVID era of campaigning, but David Barker, a professor at American University in Washington, isn't so sure. ""If Obama were the candidate, you’d see a lot of big rallies.""
+Barker said relying on digital media to pull in the crowds could exclude some older voters who don't use social media and rely more on TV broadcasts. But he said the pool of persuadable voters was small - not more than 5-7% of voters - fewer than half of them could be influenced by media coverage anyway.
+EVERY BATTLEGROUND STATE
+With a slim 1 percentage point lead in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of registered voters, Biden needs to highlight stark differences with Trump, strategists and donors say, and build enthusiasm among the fractious coalition of Black voters, suburban women and Latinos that got him elected in 2020.
+Biden didn't hold big rallies in 2020 either because of COVID-19, while Trump hosted events with thousands of attendees.
+Republicans mocked him for campaigning from his ""basement,"" but Biden won the popular vote by seven million and every battleground state, most by a very thin margin.
+Campaign staff say they learned then that Biden could hop on a Zoom call with 5,000 supporters and still have a big impact.
+Small events with carefully vetted participants also allow the campaign to avoid protests that have haunted Biden for months over his support of Israel's assault on Gaza that has killed more than 32,000 and now threatens famine. Israel is reacting to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that killed 1,200.
+In November a rabbi interrupted Biden at a fundraiser in Minnesota, urging him to call for a ""ceasefire right now."" In January, a Biden event in Virginia was repeatedly interrupted by shouts of ""Ceasefire now"" and ""Genocide Joe.""
+In Dallas this month, protesters blew whistles and chanted “free Palestine” starting at 5:00 a.m., rousing hotel guests where Biden was staying. In North Caroline on Tuesday, they interrupted his remarks.
+Campaign officials insist the protests are not dictating strategy, but the White House has stopped providing exact locations until just before Biden's events, making it difficult for demonstrators to assemble big crowds.
+ADVICE ON A STUTTER
+Online, Biden's campaign is focused on posts that highlight him displaying empathy, doling out advice and sharing fast food meals with families.
+A video of his meeting with nine-year-old Harry Abramson, a boy with a stutter who had asked Biden how he overcame his own, has been viewed 1.2 million times on TikTok and generated over 280,000 likes on Instagram.
+""He has that human connection with people and that’s different from Trump’s mega rallies and giant, roaring, menacing chants,"" said Wisconsin Democratic Party chief Ben Wikler.
+Trump's incendiary rhetoric helps him dominate the news cycle, experts say, like a March 16 stop outside Dayton, Ohio, where he warned of a ""bloodbath"" if he loses in November.
+The supporters who attend his rallies reflect the Republican Party's transformation in recent years: many are working-class voters who say they are in lockstep with Trump on issues ranging from immigration to trade and foreign policy.
+Trump focused heavily on early nominating states until he secured his party's nomination, hosting rallies attended by hundreds or thousands of supporters. In early April, he is due to hold a rally in Wisconsin, a key battleground state.
+Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was greeted by ""crowds of enthusiastic Americans everywhere he goes.""
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","With a slim 1 percentage point lead in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of registered voters, Biden needs to highlight stark differences with Trump, strategists and donors say, and build enthusiasm among the fractious coalition of Black voters, suburban women and Latinos that got him elected in 2020. Biden didn't hold big rallies in 2020 either because of COVID-19, while Trump hosted events with thousands of attendees.
+Republicans mocked him for campaigning from his ""basement,"" but Biden won the popular vote by seven million and every battleground state, most by a very thin margin. Campaign staff say they learned then that Biden could hop on a Zoom call with 5,000 supporters and still have a big impact. Small events with carefully vetted participants also allow the campaign to avoid protests that have haunted Biden for months over his support of Israel's assault on Gaza that has killed more than 32,000 and now threatens famine. Israel is reacting to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that killed 1,200.  In November a rabbi interrupted Biden at a fundraiser in Minnesota, urging him to call for a ""ceasefire right now."" In January, a Biden event in Virginia was repeatedly interrupted by shouts of ""Ceasefire now"" and ""Genocide Joe.""  In Dallas this month, protesters blew whistles and chanted “free Palestine” starting at 5:00 a.m., rousing hotel guests where Biden was staying. In North Caroline on Tuesday, they interrupted his remarks. Campaign officials insist the protests are not dictating strategy, but the White House has stopped providing exact locations until just before Biden's events, making it difficult for demonstrators to assemble big crowds. ADVICE ON A STUTTER
+Online, Biden's campaign is focused on posts that highlight him displaying empathy, doling out advice and sharing fast food meals with families. A video of his meeting with nine-year-old Harry Abramson, a boy with a stutter who had asked Biden how he overcame his own, has been viewed 1.2 million times on TikTok and generated over 280,000 likes on Instagram.
+""He has that human connection with people and that’s different from Trump’s mega rallies and giant, roaring, menacing chants ,"" said Wisconsin Democratic Party chief Ben Wikler. Trump's incendiary rhetoric helps him dominate the news cycle, experts say, like a March 16 stop outside Dayton, Ohio, where he warned of a ""bloodbath"" if he loses in November. The supporters who attend his rallies reflect the Republican Party's transformation in recent years: many are working-class voters who say they are in lockstep with Trump on issues ranging from immigration to trade and foreign policy. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/more-handshakes-fewer-rallies-biden-2024-campaign-takes-shape-2024-03-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]More handshakes, fewer rallies as Biden 2024 campaign takes shape[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden is criss-crossing the country as his reelection campaign kicks into high gear, skipping big, loud rallies favored by his rival Donald Trump in favor of shaking hands at union halls, churches and restaurants.
+It is an unusual approach that plays to Biden's strengths amid an increasingly fragmented U.S. media landscape, allies and many analysts say. Biden interacts with smaller groups, limiting highly-scrutinized teleprompter assisted events that sometimes lead to gaffes, while keeping at bay protesters angry about his handling of the Israel-Gaza war.
+Biden's meetings with ordinary Americans are being turned into polished campaign videos and first-person TikTok posts viewed by millions, that often draw sharp contrasts with Trump's interactions with the public.
+Biden, no stranger to big audiences, won praise for his fiery State of the Union speech on March 7 and is gearing up for another large event on Thursday, a rally with former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama that is expected to draw 6,000.
+He has visited nine states since the March 7 speech, including battlegrounds Nevada and Arizona last week and Michigan and Wisconsin the week before. Most of the time, he has spoken to crowds of 100 people or fewer.
+The campaign is betting its patchwork approach, of pricey targeted ads, small events that generate local media coverage, radio spots and surrogate appearances - all amplified by social media will help galvanize Democrats and independents needed to re-elect Biden.
+""Biden has never been Cicero and never will be,"" said Larry Sabato, who heads the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, referring to the Roman statesman known for his oratory skills. He ""depends more on what he has done and is doing to reach his supporters,"" he said.
+Campaign officials see the dawn of a post-COVID era of campaigning, but David Barker, a professor at American University in Washington, isn't so sure. ""If Obama were the candidate, you’d see a lot of big rallies.""
+Barker said relying on digital media to pull in the crowds could exclude some older voters who don't use social media and rely more on TV broadcasts. But he said the pool of persuadable voters was small - not more than 5-7% of voters - fewer than half of them could be influenced by media coverage anyway.
+EVERY BATTLEGROUND STATE
+With a slim 1 percentage point lead in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of registered voters, Biden needs to highlight stark differences with Trump, strategists and donors say, and build enthusiasm among the fractious coalition of Black voters, suburban women and Latinos that got him elected in 2020.
+Biden didn't hold big rallies in 2020 either because of COVID-19, while Trump hosted events with thousands of attendees.
+Republicans mocked him for campaigning from his ""basement,"" but Biden won the popular vote by seven million and every battleground state, most by a very thin margin.
+Campaign staff say they learned then that Biden could hop on a Zoom call with 5,000 supporters and still have a big impact.
+Small events with carefully vetted participants also allow the campaign to avoid protests that have haunted Biden for months over his support of Israel's assault on Gaza that has killed more than 32,000 and now threatens famine. Israel is reacting to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that killed 1,200.
+In November a rabbi interrupted Biden at a fundraiser in Minnesota, urging him to call for a ""ceasefire right now."" In January, a Biden event in Virginia was repeatedly interrupted by shouts of ""Ceasefire now"" and ""Genocide Joe.""
+In Dallas this month, protesters blew whistles and chanted “free Palestine” starting at 5:00 a.m., rousing hotel guests where Biden was staying. In North Caroline on Tuesday, they interrupted his remarks.
+Campaign officials insist the protests are not dictating strategy, but the White House has stopped providing exact locations until just before Biden's events, making it difficult for demonstrators to assemble big crowds.
+ADVICE ON A STUTTER
+Online, Biden's campaign is focused on posts that highlight him displaying empathy, doling out advice and sharing fast food meals with families.
+A video of his meeting with nine-year-old Harry Abramson, a boy with a stutter who had asked Biden how he overcame his own, has been viewed 1.2 million times on TikTok and generated over 280,000 likes on Instagram.
+""He has that human connection with people and that’s different from Trump’s mega rallies and giant, roaring, menacing chants,"" said Wisconsin Democratic Party chief Ben Wikler.
+Trump's incendiary rhetoric helps him dominate the news cycle, experts say, like a March 16 stop outside Dayton, Ohio, where he warned of a ""bloodbath"" if he loses in November.
+The supporters who attend his rallies reflect the Republican Party's transformation in recent years: many are working-class voters who say they are in lockstep with Trump on issues ranging from immigration to trade and foreign policy.
+Trump focused heavily on early nominating states until he secured his party's nomination, hosting rallies attended by hundreds or thousands of supporters. In early April, he is due to hold a rally in Wisconsin, a key battleground state.
+Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was greeted by ""crowds of enthusiastic Americans everywhere he goes.""
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Trump focused heavily on early nominating states until he secured his party's nomination, hosting rallies attended by hundreds or thousands of supporters. In early April, he is due to hold a rally in Wisconsin, a key battleground state. Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was greeted by ""crowds of enthusiastic Americans everywhere he goes."" [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/israel-will-not-host-2025-european-artistic-championships-organisers-say-2024-03-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel will not host 2025 European artistic championships, organisers say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 26 (Reuters) - Tel Aviv will no longer host the 2025 European Championships in Artistic Gymnastics ""due to the current situation in Israel"", the executive committee of European Gymnastics (EG) said on Monday, referring to the war in Gaza.
+Several international sporting events have moved out of the region since the conflict began on Oct. 7, including home matches of the Israel and Palestine soccer teams, and the European Water Polo Championships of 2024.
+EG said it has reopened the bidding process for hosting the 11th edition of the continental gymnastics championships, inviting bids from member federations by April 23.
+""We acknowledge the efforts done by the Israeli Gymnastics Federation, the excellent host of several European Championships in the past 8 years,"" EG said in a statement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel will not host 2025 European artistic championships, organisers say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 26 (Reuters) - Tel Aviv will no longer host the 2025 European Championships in Artistic Gymnastics ""due to the current situation in Israel"", the executive committee of European Gymnastics (EG) said on Monday, referring to the war in Gaza. Several international sporting events have moved out of the region since the conflict began on Oct. 7, including home matches of the Israel and Palestine soccer teams, and the European Water Polo Championships of 2024.
+EG said it has reopened the bidding process for hosting the 11th edition of the continental gymnastics championships, inviting bids from member federations by April 23.  ""We acknowledge the efforts done by the Israeli Gymnastics Federation, the excellent host of several European Championships in the past 8 years,"" EG said in a statement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/goodwin-brace-edges-australia-closer-world-cup-2024-03-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Goodwin brace edges Australia closer to World Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, March 26 (Reuters) - Craig Goodwin scored a brace on his return from illness as Australia booked their place in the third round of Asian World Cup qualifying with a 5-0 rout of Lebanon at Canberra Stadium on Tuesday.
+Forward Goodwin, who sat out last week's 2-0 win over the Lebanese while battling a virus, rocketed in a long-range strike after half-time and steered in the final goal in the 81st minute to the delight of a record crowd of 25,023 at the venue.
+Goodwin, 32, also set up former Adelaide team mate Kusini Yengi's first international goal in the second minute and had a hand in a Lebanon own goal a minute before his first strike.
+""Maybe I'll have to be sick more often,"" the Saudi-based winger joked.
+""It turned out well, I had a good rest.
+""I'd only had a couple of training sessions before the game but I spoke with the boss and felt good, so he chucked me in.""
+With their fourth straight win in the current phase, Graham Arnold's Australia cemented top spot in Asia's Group I, which also includes Palestine and Bangladesh.
+The match was Lebanon's ""home"" qualifier, after the Asian Football Confederation requested the tie be moved from the nation due to the war in Gaza.
+Australia won few plaudits after their scrappy win over 115th-ranked Lebanon in Sydney but Arnold was thrilled with the response in Canberra where Patrick Yazbek, of Lebanese descent, enjoyed a fruitful debut off the bench.
+Norway-based midfielder Yazbek replaced injured playmaker Ajdin Hrustic before the hour-mark and set up John Iredale's first international goal in his second Socceroos match with a neat cross from the left in the 68th minute.
+""I was very happy and proud of the young ones. They took ownership when they went on the park and the future is bright,"" Arnold said.
+After a gutsy effort in Sydney, Lebanon had a tough night in Canberra and were lucky only to be a goal down at the break after Australia squandered a slew of early chances.
+The floodgates opened straight after the restart, however, with Goodwin finding Harry Souttar's head with a free kick.
+Lebanon keeper Mostafa Matar parried the ball off the line but it pinged off team mate Bassel Jradi's shins into the net.
+A minute later, Hrustic scooped a ball over to Goodwin at the inside left channel where he chested it down and volleyed into the right corner from distance.
+Lebanon all but pared one back minutes later when Nader Matar fired a long shot into the cross-bar.
+However, Lebanon's momentum was lost seconds later when midfielder Ali Tneich committed a studs-up challenge on Hrustic.
+It drew a yellow card and had the injured Socceroo limp off the ground with trainers after a long break in play.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Goodwin brace edges Australia closer to World Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, March 26 (Reuters) - Craig Goodwin scored a brace on his return from illness as Australia booked their place in the third round of Asian World Cup qualifying with a 5-0 rout of Lebanon at Canberra Stadium on Tuesday. Forward Goodwin, who sat out last week's 2-0 win over the Lebanese while battling a virus, rocketed in a long-range strike after half-time and steered in the final goal in the 81st minute to the delight of a record crowd of 25,023 at the venue. Goodwin, 32, also set up former Adelaide team mate Kusini Yengi's first international goal in the second minute and had a hand in a Lebanon own goal a minute before his first strike. ""Maybe I'll have to be sick more often,"" the Saudi-based winger joked.
+""It turned out well, I had a good rest. ""I'd only had a couple of training sessions before the game but I spoke with the boss and felt good, so he chucked me in.""  With their fourth straight win in the current phase, Graham Arnold's Australia cemented top spot in Asia's Group I, which also includes Palestine and Bangladesh. The match was Lebanon's ""home"" qualifier, after the Asian Football Confederation requested the tie be moved from the nation due to the war in Gaza.
+Australia won few plaudits after their scrappy win over 115th-ranked Lebanon in Sydney but Arnold was thrilled with the response in Canberra where Patrick Yazbek, of Lebanese descent, enjoyed a fruitful debut off the bench.  Norway-based midfielder Yazbek replaced injured playmaker Ajdin Hrustic before the hour-mark and set up John Iredale's first international goal in his second Socceroos match with a neat cross from the left in the 68th minute. ""I was very happy and proud of the young ones. They took ownership when they went on the park and the future is bright,"" Arnold said. After a gutsy effort in Sydney, Lebanon had a tough night in Canberra and were lucky only to be a goal down at the break after Australia squandered a slew of early chances. The floodgates opened straight after the restart, however, with Goodwin finding Harry Souttar's head with a free kick.
+Lebanon keeper Mostafa Matar parried the ball off the line but it pinged off team mate Bassel Jradi's shins into the net.  A minute later, Hrustic scooped a ball over to Goodwin at the inside left channel where he chested it down and volleyed into the right corner from distance."
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/goodwin-brace-edges-australia-closer-world-cup-2024-03-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Goodwin brace edges Australia closer to World Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, March 26 (Reuters) - Craig Goodwin scored a brace on his return from illness as Australia booked their place in the third round of Asian World Cup qualifying with a 5-0 rout of Lebanon at Canberra Stadium on Tuesday.
+Forward Goodwin, who sat out last week's 2-0 win over the Lebanese while battling a virus, rocketed in a long-range strike after half-time and steered in the final goal in the 81st minute to the delight of a record crowd of 25,023 at the venue.
+Goodwin, 32, also set up former Adelaide team mate Kusini Yengi's first international goal in the second minute and had a hand in a Lebanon own goal a minute before his first strike.
+""Maybe I'll have to be sick more often,"" the Saudi-based winger joked.
+""It turned out well, I had a good rest.
+""I'd only had a couple of training sessions before the game but I spoke with the boss and felt good, so he chucked me in.""
+With their fourth straight win in the current phase, Graham Arnold's Australia cemented top spot in Asia's Group I, which also includes Palestine and Bangladesh.
+The match was Lebanon's ""home"" qualifier, after the Asian Football Confederation requested the tie be moved from the nation due to the war in Gaza.
+Australia won few plaudits after their scrappy win over 115th-ranked Lebanon in Sydney but Arnold was thrilled with the response in Canberra where Patrick Yazbek, of Lebanese descent, enjoyed a fruitful debut off the bench.
+Norway-based midfielder Yazbek replaced injured playmaker Ajdin Hrustic before the hour-mark and set up John Iredale's first international goal in his second Socceroos match with a neat cross from the left in the 68th minute.
+""I was very happy and proud of the young ones. They took ownership when they went on the park and the future is bright,"" Arnold said.
+After a gutsy effort in Sydney, Lebanon had a tough night in Canberra and were lucky only to be a goal down at the break after Australia squandered a slew of early chances.
+The floodgates opened straight after the restart, however, with Goodwin finding Harry Souttar's head with a free kick.
+Lebanon keeper Mostafa Matar parried the ball off the line but it pinged off team mate Bassel Jradi's shins into the net.
+A minute later, Hrustic scooped a ball over to Goodwin at the inside left channel where he chested it down and volleyed into the right corner from distance.
+Lebanon all but pared one back minutes later when Nader Matar fired a long shot into the cross-bar.
+However, Lebanon's momentum was lost seconds later when midfielder Ali Tneich committed a studs-up challenge on Hrustic.
+It drew a yellow card and had the injured Socceroo limp off the ground with trainers after a long break in play.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Lebanon all but pared one back minutes later when Nader Matar fired a long shot into the cross-bar. However, Lebanon's momentum was lost seconds later when midfielder Ali Tneich committed a studs-up challenge on Hrustic. It drew a yellow card and had the injured Socceroo limp off the ground with trainers after a long break in play.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/berlin-drag-show-together-seeks-address-middle-east-grief-2024-03-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Berlin drag show ‘Together’ seeks to address Middle East grief[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]For seven years, an Israeli drag queen and Syrian belly dancer had hosted a joint monthly show at Berlin LGBT clubs, celebrating their coexistence in an extravagant party resembling a Middle Eastern wedding.
+
+But when Hamas gunmen carried out a deadly attack on southern Israel in October, triggering an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, their relationship was tested.
+
+“We spent long days talking. I was really insecure about where our relationship was going,” said the Syrian belly dancer, who uses the stage name The Darvish.
+
+The artists also had to agree on the future of their show, “Yalla Hafla,” which means “Let’s Party” in Arabic — an approach that no longer seemed appropriate at a time of grief in Berlin’s Arab and Israeli communities.
+
+Out of that grief, a new show, “Together,” was born.
+
+In Tipsy Bear, a cramped, purple-lit bar in the German capital, the event starts with a medley of Arabic, English and Hebrew songs in which the black-cloaked Israeli drag queen, who uses the name Judy LaDivina, gives melodramatic lip-synching performances while The Darvish belly-dances in a jangling sequined skirt.
+
+Less of a wedding party, the music now reflects a more subdued mood.
+
+“It was not an option for us to go on stage in a celebration, but it was very important for us to give space for a dialogue to share our grief,” said LaDivina.
+
+For the second half of the show, the audience is offered scraps of paper to contribute questions, remarks or confessions.
+
+“We had a lot of people come to hug us every show,” The Darvish said, adding that the show has also sparked hateful comments and even death threats.
+
+Caught between protecting artistic freedoms while recognising what many Germans see as a historic responsibility to Israel after the Nazi Holocaust, the show is one of a few events in Germany offering such space to discuss the Middle East conflict, The Darvish said.
+
+“I’m rarely seeing organizations or artists that are not afraid of saying Palestine and Israel in the same sentence,” LaDivina said.
+
+“It was not an option for us to go on stage in a celebration, but it was very important for us to give space for a dialogue to share our grief.”
+
+Judy LaDivina, Israeli drag queen[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Berlin drag show ‘Together’ seeks to address Middle East grief[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]For seven years, an Israeli drag queen and Syrian belly dancer had hosted a joint monthly show at Berlin LGBT clubs, celebrating their coexistence in an extravagant party resembling a Middle Eastern wedding. But when Hamas gunmen carried out a deadly attack on southern Israel in October, triggering an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, their relationship was tested.  “We spent long days talking. I was really insecure about where our relationship was going,” said the Syrian belly dancer, who uses the stage name The Darvish. The artists also had to agree on the future of their show, “Yalla Hafla,” which means “Let’s Party” in Arabic — an approach that no longer seemed appropriate at a time of grief in Berlin’s Arab and Israeli communities. Out of that grief, a new show, “Together,” was born. In Tipsy Bear, a cramped, purple-lit bar in the German capital, the event starts with a medley of Arabic, English and Hebrew songs in which the black-cloaked Israeli drag queen, who uses the name Judy LaDivina, gives melodramatic lip-synching performances while The Darvish belly-dances in a jangling sequined skirt.
+
+Less of a wedding party, the music now reflects a more subdued mood. “It was not an option for us to go on stage in a celebration, but it was very important for us to give space for a dialogue to share our grief,” said LaDivina. For the second half of the show, the audience is offered scraps of paper to contribute questions, remarks or confessions. “We had a lot of people come to hug us every show,” The Darvish said, adding that the show has also sparked hateful comments and even death threats. Caught between protecting artistic freedoms while recognising what many Germans see as a historic responsibility to Israel after the Nazi Holocaust, the show is one of a few events in Germany offering such space to discuss the Middle East conflict, The Darvish said. “I’m rarely seeing organizations or artists that are not afraid of saying Palestine and Israel in the same sentence,” LaDivina said.  “It was not an option for us to go on stage in a celebration, but it was very important for us to give space for a dialogue to share our grief. ”
+
+Judy LaDivina, Israeli drag queen[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/london-mayor-tfl-did-not-authorise-boycott-barclays-tube-ads-2024-03-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: London Mayor and TfL did not authorise Boycott Barclays Tube ads[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Advertisements spotted on the London Underground that call for a boycott of Barclays bank were not authorised by the local transport network or the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, spokespeople for both told Reuters.
+Images of the posters, which say the British bank is “financing genocide” and ask any Tube passengers reading the ads to “Join the #BoycottBarclays campaign”, were posted on social media, opens new tab in March.
+Captioning two images of the ads on X, a user wrote: “Sadiq Khan bans ads for cake shops, but ads claiming ‘Barclays bankrolls Israel's genocide’ are suddenly fine?!?”
+A spokesperson for Transport for London (TfL) said in an email: “We are aware of these unauthorised adverts on the TfL network. They are now being removed.”
+The Mayor of London’s office said the advertisements were not approved by the mayor and that they are being removed.
+TfL also responded, opens new tab to users on X who spotted the adverts, saying the posters were unauthorised and asked for location information, opens new tab so they could be removed.
+Pro-Palestinian activists calling for the Barclays boycott say the bank, opens new tab is complicit in the deaths of Palestinians during Israel’s war with Hamas. They say this is due to Barclays having financial ties with arms companies selling weapons to Israel.
+Barclays did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. However, responding to British media, opens new tab in January 2024, a spokesperson said, opens new tab: “Barclays is committed to respecting human rights as defined by the International Bill of Human Rights and takes account of other internationally accepted human rights standards and frameworks.”
+The bank pointed to its defence and security statement, opens new tab for its policy positions on restricting some financing activities, as well as “enhanced due diligence” on some of its clients in the same sector.
+“As a universal bank, Barclays provides a range of client services in relation to the shares of publicly listed companies, including those in the defence and security sector,” the spokesperson said to the British outlets.
+“Such client-driven activities may result in Barclays holding shares in those companies, for example, through hedging positions, market making, custody and underwriting activity.
+“Barclays does not itself intend to make any direct strategic equity investments in the defence and security sector.”
+VERDICT
+Misleading. ""Boycott Barclays"" adverts seen on London Underground were not authorised by TfL or the Mayor of London, and they are being removed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: London Mayor and TfL did not authorise Boycott Barclays Tube ads[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Advertisements spotted on the London Underground that call for a boycott of Barclays bank were not authorised by the local transport network or the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, spokespeople for both told Reuters.  Images of the posters, which say the British bank is “financing genocide” and ask any Tube passengers reading the ads to “Join the #BoycottBarclays campaign”, were posted on social media, opens new tab in March. Captioning two images of the ads on X, a user wrote: “Sadiq Khan bans ads for cake shops, but ads claiming ‘Barclays bankrolls Israel's genocide’ are suddenly fine?!?”  A spokesperson for Transport for London (TfL) said in an email: “We are aware of these unauthorised adverts on the TfL network. They are now being removed. ”  The Mayor of London’s office said the advertisements were not approved by the mayor and that they are being removed.
+TfL also responded, opens new tab to users on X who spotted the adverts, saying the posters were unauthorised and asked for location information, opens new tab so they could be removed.
+Pro-Palestinian activists calling for the Barclays boycott say the bank, opens new tab is complicit in the deaths of Palestinians during Israel’s war with Hamas. They say this is due to Barclays having financial ties with arms companies selling weapons to Israel. Barclays did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. However, responding to British media, opens new tab in January 2024, a spokesperson said, opens new tab: “Barclays is committed to respecting human rights as defined by the International Bill of Human Rights and takes account of other internationally accepted human rights standards and frameworks.” The bank pointed to its defence and security statement, opens new tab for its policy positions on restricting some financing activities, as well as “enhanced due diligence” on some of its clients in the same sector.
+“As a universal bank, Barclays provides a range of client services in relation to the shares of publicly listed companies, including those in the defence and security sector,” the spokesperson said to the British outlets. “Such client-driven activities may result in Barclays holding shares in those companies, for example, through hedging positions, market making, custody and underwriting activity. “Barclays does not itself intend to make any direct strategic equity investments in the defence and security sector.”  VERDICT
+Misleading."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/london-mayor-tfl-did-not-authorise-boycott-barclays-tube-ads-2024-03-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: London Mayor and TfL did not authorise Boycott Barclays Tube ads[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Advertisements spotted on the London Underground that call for a boycott of Barclays bank were not authorised by the local transport network or the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, spokespeople for both told Reuters.
+Images of the posters, which say the British bank is “financing genocide” and ask any Tube passengers reading the ads to “Join the #BoycottBarclays campaign”, were posted on social media, opens new tab in March.
+Captioning two images of the ads on X, a user wrote: “Sadiq Khan bans ads for cake shops, but ads claiming ‘Barclays bankrolls Israel's genocide’ are suddenly fine?!?”
+A spokesperson for Transport for London (TfL) said in an email: “We are aware of these unauthorised adverts on the TfL network. They are now being removed.”
+The Mayor of London’s office said the advertisements were not approved by the mayor and that they are being removed.
+TfL also responded, opens new tab to users on X who spotted the adverts, saying the posters were unauthorised and asked for location information, opens new tab so they could be removed.
+Pro-Palestinian activists calling for the Barclays boycott say the bank, opens new tab is complicit in the deaths of Palestinians during Israel’s war with Hamas. They say this is due to Barclays having financial ties with arms companies selling weapons to Israel.
+Barclays did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. However, responding to British media, opens new tab in January 2024, a spokesperson said, opens new tab: “Barclays is committed to respecting human rights as defined by the International Bill of Human Rights and takes account of other internationally accepted human rights standards and frameworks.”
+The bank pointed to its defence and security statement, opens new tab for its policy positions on restricting some financing activities, as well as “enhanced due diligence” on some of its clients in the same sector.
+“As a universal bank, Barclays provides a range of client services in relation to the shares of publicly listed companies, including those in the defence and security sector,” the spokesperson said to the British outlets.
+“Such client-driven activities may result in Barclays holding shares in those companies, for example, through hedging positions, market making, custody and underwriting activity.
+“Barclays does not itself intend to make any direct strategic equity investments in the defence and security sector.”
+VERDICT
+Misleading. ""Boycott Barclays"" adverts seen on London Underground were not authorised by TfL or the Mayor of London, and they are being removed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""Boycott Barclays"" adverts seen on London Underground were not authorised by TfL or the Mayor of London, and they are being removed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-nine-palestinians-west-bank-24-hours-wafa-news-agency-says-2024-03-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill 10 Palestinians in West Bank in 24 hours, WAFA news agency says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 21 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, increasing to 10 the number of Palestinians killed in the territory over 24 hours, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
+Since the Gaza war began, Israel has stepped up military raids in the West Bank, where violence had already been surging for over a year. U.N. records show that Israeli forces or settlers have killed hundreds of Palestinians in West Bank clashes since Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war.
+A 19-year-old Palestinian died after being shot by Israeli forces in El Bireh near Ramallah on Thursday morning, the Palestinian health ministry said, and another man died after being shot in the area of Jericho. WAFA said they were wounded during confrontations with Israeli forces.
+Israel police said it was carrying out an operation in the Jericho area against a man planning to carry out a suicide attack. During the raid, officers exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen there, police said.
+South of Bethlehem, Israeli forces shot dead a 63-year-old Palestinian near the settlement of El'azar, WAFA reported.
+The Israeli military said soldiers had fired shots towards ""a Palestinian who aroused their suspicion at the El'azar Junction.""
+""A hit was identified and he was later pronounced dead,"" it said, adding that military police had opened an investigation into the incident.
+Citing Hebrew-language media, the Times of Israel reported that the 63 year-old man had his hands in the air when he was shot but there was no immediate confirmation from the military.
+Israel captured both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war. Palestinians have long aimed to establish an independent state in the territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
+Israeli forces also killed four Palestinians in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm overnight, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, adding that two of them were shot and the other two killed in an Israeli strike.
+Residents said Israeli forces bulldozed roads in the area. Israel said it had struck militants firing rifles and throwing explosives at its troops during a counter-terrorism operation there.
+Israeli forces also killed three Palestinians in the city of Jenin on Wednesday night, WAFA and the Palestine health ministry said, in what Israel's military said was an operation targeting Palestinian militants.
+The militant group Islamic Jihad said three of its fighters had been killed, calling it an assassination operation.
+Following the incident, local sources said Palestinian militants shot dead a Palestinian man in Jenin accused of spying for Israel.
+Militants also clashed in Jenin with security forces from the Palestinian Authority (PA), the body led by President Mahmoud Abbas that exercises limited self-rule over patches of the West Bank, angered at the arrest of one of their members, local sources said.
+HAMAS SUPPORT DIPS BUT ABOVE PRE-WAR LEVEL
+Tensions have long simmered in the West Bank between militants and the PA, established under interim peace agreements with Israel three decades ago.
+The PA lost control of Gaza in 2007 to Hamas, the militant group behind the Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in another 253 being abducted, according to Israeli tallies.
+Some 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip by Israel's devastating retaliatory offensive, according to health authorities in the territory.
+A poll, opens new tab conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Research in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in March found that support for Hamas had dropped in recent months, with 34% of people saying they supported the group when asked which faction they backed, compared with 43% in December. Six months ago - before the Gaza war - support for Hamas was at 22%.
+Support for Abbas' Fatah party was unchanged from December's level at 17%. The poll found that 84% want Abbas to resign, down from 88% three months ago.
+A vast majority across the West Bank and Gaza - 71% - said Hamas' decision to launch the Oct. 7 attack was correct, virtually unchanged from 72% in December.
+The Palestinians last held a presidential election in 2005, won by Abbas, while Hamas won the last parliamentary polls, held in 2006.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill 10 Palestinians in West Bank in 24 hours , WAFA news agency says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 21 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, increasing to 10 the number of Palestinians killed in the territory over 24 hours, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Since the Gaza war began, Israel has stepped up military raids in the West Bank, where violence had already been surging for over a year. U.N. records show that Israeli forces or settlers have killed hundreds of Palestinians in West Bank clashes since Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war.  A 19-year-old Palestinian died after being shot by Israeli forces in El Bireh near Ramallah on Thursday morning, the Palestinian health ministry said, and another man died after being shot in the area of Jericho. WAFA said they were wounded during confrontations with Israeli forces.  Israel police said it was carrying out an operation in the Jericho area against a man planning to carry out a suicide attack. During the raid, officers exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen there, police said. South of Bethlehem, Israeli forces shot dead a 63-year-old Palestinian near the settlement of El'azar, WAFA reported.  The Israeli military said soldiers had fired shots towards ""a Palestinian who aroused their suspicion at the El'azar Junction. ""
+""A hit was identified and he was later pronounced dead,"" it said, adding that military police had opened an investigation into the incident.
+Citing Hebrew-language media, the Times of Israel reported that the 63 year-old man had his hands in the air when he was shot but there was no immediate confirmation from the military. Israel captured both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war. Palestinians have long aimed to establish an independent state in the territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israeli forces also killed four Palestinians in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm overnight, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, adding that two of them were shot and the other two killed in an Israeli strike.  Residents said Israeli forces bulldozed roads in the area. Israel said it had struck militants firing rifles and throwing explosives at its troops during a counter-terrorism operation there. Israeli forces also killed three Palestinians in the city of Jenin on Wednesday night, WAFA and the Palestine health ministry said, in what Israel's military said was an operation targeting Palestinian militants."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-nine-palestinians-west-bank-24-hours-wafa-news-agency-says-2024-03-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill 10 Palestinians in West Bank in 24 hours, WAFA news agency says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 21 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, increasing to 10 the number of Palestinians killed in the territory over 24 hours, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
+Since the Gaza war began, Israel has stepped up military raids in the West Bank, where violence had already been surging for over a year. U.N. records show that Israeli forces or settlers have killed hundreds of Palestinians in West Bank clashes since Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war.
+A 19-year-old Palestinian died after being shot by Israeli forces in El Bireh near Ramallah on Thursday morning, the Palestinian health ministry said, and another man died after being shot in the area of Jericho. WAFA said they were wounded during confrontations with Israeli forces.
+Israel police said it was carrying out an operation in the Jericho area against a man planning to carry out a suicide attack. During the raid, officers exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen there, police said.
+South of Bethlehem, Israeli forces shot dead a 63-year-old Palestinian near the settlement of El'azar, WAFA reported.
+The Israeli military said soldiers had fired shots towards ""a Palestinian who aroused their suspicion at the El'azar Junction.""
+""A hit was identified and he was later pronounced dead,"" it said, adding that military police had opened an investigation into the incident.
+Citing Hebrew-language media, the Times of Israel reported that the 63 year-old man had his hands in the air when he was shot but there was no immediate confirmation from the military.
+Israel captured both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war. Palestinians have long aimed to establish an independent state in the territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
+Israeli forces also killed four Palestinians in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm overnight, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, adding that two of them were shot and the other two killed in an Israeli strike.
+Residents said Israeli forces bulldozed roads in the area. Israel said it had struck militants firing rifles and throwing explosives at its troops during a counter-terrorism operation there.
+Israeli forces also killed three Palestinians in the city of Jenin on Wednesday night, WAFA and the Palestine health ministry said, in what Israel's military said was an operation targeting Palestinian militants.
+The militant group Islamic Jihad said three of its fighters had been killed, calling it an assassination operation.
+Following the incident, local sources said Palestinian militants shot dead a Palestinian man in Jenin accused of spying for Israel.
+Militants also clashed in Jenin with security forces from the Palestinian Authority (PA), the body led by President Mahmoud Abbas that exercises limited self-rule over patches of the West Bank, angered at the arrest of one of their members, local sources said.
+HAMAS SUPPORT DIPS BUT ABOVE PRE-WAR LEVEL
+Tensions have long simmered in the West Bank between militants and the PA, established under interim peace agreements with Israel three decades ago.
+The PA lost control of Gaza in 2007 to Hamas, the militant group behind the Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in another 253 being abducted, according to Israeli tallies.
+Some 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip by Israel's devastating retaliatory offensive, according to health authorities in the territory.
+A poll, opens new tab conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Research in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in March found that support for Hamas had dropped in recent months, with 34% of people saying they supported the group when asked which faction they backed, compared with 43% in December. Six months ago - before the Gaza war - support for Hamas was at 22%.
+Support for Abbas' Fatah party was unchanged from December's level at 17%. The poll found that 84% want Abbas to resign, down from 88% three months ago.
+A vast majority across the West Bank and Gaza - 71% - said Hamas' decision to launch the Oct. 7 attack was correct, virtually unchanged from 72% in December.
+The Palestinians last held a presidential election in 2005, won by Abbas, while Hamas won the last parliamentary polls, held in 2006.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The militant group Islamic Jihad said three of its fighters had been killed, calling it an assassination operation.
+Following the incident, local sources said Palestinian militants shot dead a Palestinian man in Jenin accused of spying for Israel.
+Militants also clashed in Jenin with security forces from the Palestinian Authority (PA), the body led by President Mahmoud Abbas that exercises limited self-rule over patches of the West Bank, angered at the arrest of one of their members, local sources said. HAMAS SUPPORT DIPS BUT ABOVE PRE-WAR LEVEL
+Tensions have long simmered in the West Bank between militants and the PA, established under interim peace agreements with Israel three decades ago.
+The PA lost control of Gaza in 2007 to Hamas, the militant group behind the Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in another 253 being abducted, according to Israeli tallies.
+Some 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip by Israel's devastating retaliatory offensive, according to health authorities in the territory.
+A poll, opens new tab conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Research in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in March found that support for Hamas had dropped in recent months, with 34% of people saying they supported the group when asked which faction they backed, compared with 43% in December. Six months ago - before the Gaza war - support for Hamas was at 22%.  Support for Abbas' Fatah party was unchanged from December's level at 17%. The poll found that 84% want Abbas to resign, down from 88% three months ago. A vast majority across the West Bank and Gaza - 71% - said Hamas' decision to launch the Oct. 7 attack was correct, virtually unchanged from 72% in December. The Palestinians last held a presidential election in 2005, won by Abbas, while Hamas won the last parliamentary polls, held in 2006.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-congress-spending-plan-backs-israel-extends-anti-aids-program-2024-03-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US Congress spending plan backs Israel, extends anti-AIDS program[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Foreign policy provisions in the $1.2 trillion spending plan unveiled by U.S. congressional leaders on Thursday included billions of dollars in military spending, concessions to Israel and a long-awaited extension of PEPFAR, a life-saving program to fight AIDS.
+As Reuters reported on Tuesday, the State Department appropriations bill continues a ban on U.S. funding for UNRWA, the main U.N. agency for Palestinians, for at least a year. It also eliminates funding for the UN Commission of Inquiry against Israel and fully funds the annual U.S. security commitment of $3.3 billion for Israel.
+President Joe Biden's administration said in January it was temporarily pausing new funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after Israel accused 12 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
+Backers of the aid have been trying to get it restored, calling on Washington to support the relief body as relief groups work to ward off famine in Gaza.
+Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat who has argued that UNRWA remains essential to save lives, said the decision was ""unconscionable,"" given the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
+""UNWRA is the primary means of distributing desperately-needed assistance in Gaza – so denying funding for UNRWA is tantamount to denying food to starving people and restricting medical supplies to injured civilians,"" he said in a statement.
+The State Department funding bill also includes a one-year reauthorization of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). PEPFAR began in 2003 under Republican President George W. Bush and enjoyed bipartisan support until recently. The program was renewed 5-1/2 years ago by unanimous consent - with no objections from either Republicans or Democrats.
+But this year, Republican opponents of abortion rights came out against a five-year reauthorization. Advocates say PEPFAR does not fund or provide abortion services and that none of its money goes directly or indirectly to fund abortion services.
+The State Department says more than $100 billion has been spent on the global HIV/AIDS response through the program, which has saved 25 million lives.
+The Defense Appropriations bill covers a record $886 billion in annual military spending, which was authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, passed, opens new tab last year.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US Congress spending plan backs Israel, extends anti-AIDS program[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Foreign policy provisions in the $1.2 trillion spending plan unveiled by U.S. congressional leaders on Thursday included billions of dollars in military spending, concessions to Israel and a long-awaited extension of PEPFAR, a life-saving program to fight AIDS.  As Reuters reported on Tuesday, the State Department appropriations bill continues a ban on U.S. funding for UNRWA, the main U.N. agency for Palestinians, for at least a year. It also eliminates funding for the UN Commission of Inquiry against Israel and fully funds the annual U.S. security commitment of $3.3 billion for Israel. President Joe Biden's administration said in January it was temporarily pausing new funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after Israel accused 12 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Backers of the aid have been trying to get it restored, calling on Washington to support the relief body as relief groups work to ward off famine in Gaza. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat who has argued that UNRWA remains essential to save lives, said the decision was ""unconscionable,"" given the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. ""UNWRA is the primary means of distributing desperately-needed assistance in Gaza – so denying funding for UNRWA is tantamount to denying food to starving people and restricting medical supplies to injured civilians,"" he said in a statement.  The State Department funding bill also includes a one-year reauthorization of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). PEPFAR began in 2003 under Republican President George W. Bush and enjoyed bipartisan support until recently. The program was renewed 5-1/2 years ago by unanimous consent - with no objections from either Republicans or Democrats. But this year, Republican opponents of abortion rights came out against a five-year reauthorization. Advocates say PEPFAR does not fund or provide abortion services and that none of its money goes directly or indirectly to fund abortion services. The State Department says more than $100 billion has been spent on the global HIV/AIDS response through the program, which has saved 25 million lives.  The Defense Appropriations bill covers a record $886 billion in annual military spending, which was authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, passed, opens new tab last year.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-air-strike-west-bank-kills-three-palestinian-fighters-2024-03-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli air strike in West Bank kills three Palestinian fighters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JENIN, West Bank, March 20 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed three Palestinians and wounded another in an air strike in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday, the Palestine health ministry said, in what Israel's military said was an operation targeting Palestinian militants.
+The Israeli military said an aircraft struck four Palestinian fighters in a car in the Jenin area, among them two senior Islamic Jihad members who had led attacks on Israelis.
+Mahmoud Ghrayyeb, a resident of the Jenin refugee camp who said he witnessed the incident through a surveillance camera, said the strike hit the car around 5:37 p.m. when traffic was busy ahead of iftar, the meal that breaks the fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
+""We saw limbs flying onto the street,"" he said. ""A man and his wife were in another car driving past, they were saved by a miracle.""
+Footage from Ghrayyeb's CCTV, shared with Reuters, showed a car on a busy road suddenly engulfed by a flame and veering off. Another car that was seen approaching from the opposite direction then stops and retreats.
+As night fell, firefighters arrived at the scene and people inspected the car, seen burned down to the frame.
+Since the Gaza war broke out in October, Israel has stepped up military raids in the West Bank, where violence had already been surging for over a year. U.N. records show that at least 358 Palestinians have been killed there by Israeli forces or settlers since Oct. 7, a quarter of them children.
+Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem are among territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East war and where some Palestinians have taken up arms to resist Israeli military rule.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli air strike in West Bank kills three Palestinian fighters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JENIN, West Bank, March 20 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed three Palestinians and wounded another in an air strike in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday, the Palestine health ministry said, in what Israel's military said was an operation targeting Palestinian militants. The Israeli military said an aircraft struck four Palestinian fighters in a car in the Jenin area, among them two senior Islamic Jihad members who had led attacks on Israelis. Mahmoud Ghrayyeb, a resident of the Jenin refugee camp who said he witnessed the incident through a surveillance camera, said the strike hit the car around 5:37 p.m. when traffic was busy ahead of iftar, the meal that breaks the fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.  ""We saw limbs flying onto the street,"" he said. ""A man and his wife were in another car driving past, they were saved by a miracle.""  Footage from Ghrayyeb's CCTV, shared with Reuters, showed a car on a busy road suddenly engulfed by a flame and veering off. Another car that was seen approaching from the opposite direction then stops and retreats. As night fell, firefighters arrived at the scene and people inspected the car, seen burned down to the frame. Since the Gaza war broke out in October, Israel has stepped up military raids in the West Bank, where violence had already been surging for over a year. U.N. records show that at least 358 Palestinians have been killed there by Israeli forces or settlers since Oct. 7, a quarter of them children.  Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem are among territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East war and where some Palestinians have taken up arms to resist Israeli military rule.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/with-no-chance-celebrate-ramadan-gazans-gather-soup-kitchens-2024-03-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]With no chance to celebrate Ramadan, Gazans gather at soup kitchens[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JABALIA, Gaza, March 20 (Reuters) - In the Jabalia refugee camp, hungry Gazans hold out pots to receive soup during the holy month of Ramadan.
+As other Muslims around the world consume traditional Ramadan meals and desserts to break their fast after sunset, residents of the besieged strip are lucky to find a few scraps of food, or sips of water, after more than five months of Israeli bombardment in its war with Hamas.
+The United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday said Israel's restrictions on humanitarian aid for Gaza may amount to a starvation tactic that could be a war crime, after a U.N.-backed report found famine is likely by May without an end to the fighting.
+Israel has denied blocking aid to Gaza.
+
+""The children of Palestine are innocent, they need the basic necessities of life, and all this is due to the siege and the destruction of homes and all that,"" said Bassam al-Hilou, a resident of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
+He called on human rights organisations to take action to end the siege for the ""dignity"" of the Palestinian people and for an end to the Israeli military campaign, which shows no sign of easing despite mediation efforts by Qatar and Egypt.
+Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and reduced much of the enclave to rubble.
+The campaign was triggered by Hamas's Oct. 7 attack, in which Israel said 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.
+Children walk away from the crowded aid stations with enough food in their pots, perhaps for a few hours, until hunger sets in again.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]With no chance to celebrate Ramadan , Gazans gather at soup kitchens[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JABALIA, Gaza, March 20 (Reuters) - In the Jabalia refugee camp, hungry Gazans hold out pots to receive soup during the holy month of Ramadan. As other Muslims around the world consume traditional Ramadan meals and desserts to break their fast after sunset, residents of the besieged strip are lucky to find a few scraps of food, or sips of water, after more than five months of Israeli bombardment in its war with Hamas. The United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday said Israel's restrictions on humanitarian aid for Gaza may amount to a starvation tactic that could be a war crime, after a U.N.-backed report found famine is likely by May without an end to the fighting. Israel has denied blocking aid to Gaza. ""The children of Palestine are innocent, they need the basic necessities of life, and all this is due to the siege and the destruction of homes and all that,"" said Bassam al-Hilou, a resident of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. He called on human rights organisations to take action to end the siege for the ""dignity"" of the Palestinian people and for an end to the Israeli military campaign, which shows no sign of easing despite mediation efforts by Qatar and Egypt. Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and reduced much of the enclave to rubble. The campaign was triggered by Hamas's Oct. 7 attack, in which Israel said 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.  Children walk away from the crowded aid stations with enough food in their pots, perhaps for a few hours, until hunger sets in again.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-congress-deal-bars-us-funds-unrwa-until-march-2025-sources-say-2024-03-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US Congress deal bars US funds to UNRWA until March 2025, sources say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - An agreement reached by U.S. congressional leaders and the White House on a massive bill funding military, State Department and a range of other government programs will continue a ban on U.S. funding for UNRWA, the main U.N. agency for Palestinians, until March 2025, two sources said on Tuesday.
+President Joe Biden's administration said in January it was temporarily pausing new funding to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after Israel accused 12 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
+The U.S. Senate passed legislation last month cutting off funding for the agency, part of a $95 billion bill providing aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that has stalled in the House of Representativies.
+Backers of the aid have been trying to get it restored, calling on Washington to support the relief body as aid groups work to ward off famine in Gaza.
+The two sources familiar with the agreement said the funding would be blocked for a year, and that details of alternative efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza would be discussed after the legislation is made public.
+The White House and congressional leaders declined comment on details of the agreement until texts of the spending bills are released.
+The U.N. has launched an investigation into the allegations against the UNRWA staff, and the agency fired some staff after Israel provided it with information.
+The U.S., UNRWA's largest donor, providing $300 million to $400 million annually, said it wants to see the results of that inquiry and corrective measures taken before it will consider resuming funding.
+The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas fighters crossed into Israel on a rampage on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Nearly 32,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israel's retaliatory onslaught, according to Palestinian health officials, with thousands more feared lost under the rubble.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US Congress deal bars US funds to UNRWA until March 2025, sources say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - An agreement reached by U.S. congressional leaders and the White House on a massive bill funding military, State Department and a range of other government programs will continue a ban on U.S. funding for UNRWA, the main U.N. agency for Palestinians, until March 2025, two sources said on Tuesday. President Joe Biden's administration said in January it was temporarily pausing new funding to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after Israel accused 12 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The U.S. Senate passed legislation last month cutting off funding for the agency, part of a $95 billion bill providing aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that has stalled in the House of Representativies. Backers of the aid have been trying to get it restored, calling on Washington to support the relief body as aid groups work to ward off famine in Gaza. The two sources familiar with the agreement said the funding would be blocked for a year, and that details of alternative efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza would be discussed after the legislation is made public. The White House and congressional leaders declined comment on details of the agreement until texts of the spending bills are released. The U.N. has launched an investigation into the allegations against the UNRWA staff, and the agency fired some staff after Israel provided it with information.  The U.S., UNRWA's largest donor, providing $300 million to $400 million annually, said it wants to see the results of that inquiry and corrective measures taken before it will consider resuming funding.
+The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas fighters crossed into Israel on a rampage on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Nearly 32,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israel's retaliatory onslaught, according to Palestinian health officials, with thousands more feared lost under the rubble.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/canada-parliament-vote-motion-backing-palestinian-statehood-2024-03-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Canada's parliament passes vote after language on Palestinian statehood dropped[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OTTAWA, March 18 (Reuters) - Canada's parliament passed a non-binding motion late Monday calling on the international community to work toward a two-state solution to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, in line with government policy.
+The vote had been delayed by last-minute wrangling over wording supporting Palestinian statehood, an idea that looked set to deepen splits inside the ruling Liberal Party.
+The original motion was drawn up by the minority left-leaning New Democrats (NDP), who are helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party in power and are unhappy with what they see as his failure to do enough to protect civilians in Gaza.
+The amended motion, which also adopted stronger language against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, passed by 204 votes to 117 after most of the Liberal cabinet - including Ya’ara Saks, who is Jewish - and caucus voted in favor.
+It was opposed by some Liberal members of parliament -- Anthony Housefather, Ben Carr and Marco Mendicino, a former federal minister.
+The initial version called on Canada to ""officially recognize the State of Palestine"" - a step that no member of the Group of Seven industrialized nations has taken.
+After back-room negotiations between the NDP and the Liberals, that wording was dropped in favor of language calling on the international community to work toward the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution.
+But Liberal and opposition legislators in the House of Commons complained that they had no notice of the new wording and demanded the chance to debate it, so proceedings were briefly suspended.
+Last week, Canada said it had paused non-lethal military exports to Israel since January. Trudeau, while asserting Israel's right to defend itself, has taken an increasingly critical stance over the Israeli military campaign in Hamas-run Gaza after the militant group's attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
+The initial motion had demanded a suspension of all trade in military goods and technology with Israel. It also urged an immediate ceasefire, an end to illegal arms transfers to Hamas and calls on the group to release all the hostages it took during the Oct. 7 attack.
+There had been clear signs of division inside the Liberal caucus over policy toward the Gaza conflict, with prominent backbench legislators variously backing and opposing the motion.
+Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed had earlier condemned the original idea of a vote on Palestinian statehood, saying it would ""only evoke more bloodshed and jeopardize any peaceful resolution to the conflict.""
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Canada's parliament passes vote after language on Palestinian statehood dropped[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OTTAWA, March 18 (Reuters) - Canada's parliament passed a non-binding motion late Monday calling on the international community to work toward a two-state solution to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, in line with government policy. The vote had been delayed by last-minute wrangling over wording supporting Palestinian statehood, an idea that looked set to deepen splits inside the ruling Liberal Party. The original motion was drawn up by the minority left-leaning New Democrats (NDP), who are helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party in power and are unhappy with what they see as his failure to do enough to protect civilians in Gaza. The amended motion, which also adopted stronger language against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, passed by 204 votes to 117 after most of the Liberal cabinet - including Ya’ara Saks, who is Jewish - and caucus voted in favor.
+It was opposed by some Liberal members of parliament -- Anthony Housefather, Ben Carr and Marco Mendicino, a former federal minister. The initial version called on Canada to ""officially recognize the State of Palestine"" - a step that no member of the Group of Seven industrialized nations has taken.
+After back-room negotiations between the NDP and the Liberals, that wording was dropped in favor of language calling on the international community to work toward the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution. But Liberal and opposition legislators in the House of Commons complained that they had no notice of the new wording and demanded the chance to debate it, so proceedings were briefly suspended. Last week, Canada said it had paused non-lethal military exports to Israel since January. Trudeau, while asserting Israel's right to defend itself, has taken an increasingly critical stance over the Israeli military campaign in Hamas-run Gaza after the militant group's attack on Israel on Oct. 7.  The initial motion had demanded a suspension of all trade in military goods and technology with Israel. It also urged an immediate ceasefire, an end to illegal arms transfers to Hamas and calls on the group to release all the hostages it took during the Oct. 7 attack. There had been clear signs of division inside the Liberal caucus over policy toward the Gaza conflict, with prominent backbench legislators variously backing and opposing the motion. Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed had earlier condemned the original idea of a vote on Palestinian statehood, saying it would ""only evoke more bloodshed and jeopardize any peaceful resolution to the conflict.""
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/asian-champions-qatar-shift-focus-world-cup-preliminaries-resume-2024-03-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Asian champions Qatar shift focus as World Cup preliminaries resume[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG, March 19 (Reuters) - Qatar will resume their quest for a first-ever qualification for the World Cup against Kuwait on Thursday with stability in the dugout but change on the pitch six weeks after retaining the Asian Cup on home soil.
+Marquez Lopez, who led Qatar's successful defence of their continental title last month, was handed a contract until 2026 last month having taken the reins in December on an interim basis from Carlos Queiroz.
+But while a familiar face will sit on the bench at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, there will be a new man wearing the armband after Hassan Al-Haydos announced his retirement from the international scene.
+The 33-year-old captained the team to their Asian Cup successes in 2019 and last month, as well as in their disappointing showing as 2022 World Cup hosts, and leaves a creative void at the heart of the team.
+Lopes has inherited a squad that sits on six points at the top of Group A after wins in their opening matches against Afghanistan and India, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the next phase of the preliminaries.
+Eight Asian nations are guaranteed to qualify for the finals with a ninth progressing to an intercontinental playoff.
+Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup but have never qualified for the finals, with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia claiming the Asian berths at the most recent edition.
+On Thursday, the Japanese face the first of two meetings with North Korea, playing in Tokyo before a tricky trip to Pyongyang on Tuesday for Hajime Moriyasu's side in their first internationals since underperforming at the Asian Cup.
+Japan lead Group B with maximum points from two games with the North Koreans level on three points with Syria, who play Myanmar.
+South Korea go into their meeting with Thailand under Hwang Sun-hong, the interim replacement for Juergen Klinsmann following the German's post-Asian Cup sacking.
+Klinsmann's side were eliminated from the semi-finals of the continental championship following a bust-up involving captain Son Heung-min and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in.
+The Koreans lead Group C, also on six points, with the Thais and China three points adrift.
+Iran are level on four points with Uzbekistan in Group E and host Turkmenistan in Tehran, with the Uzbeks travelling to take on Hong Kong.
+Australia top Group I having secured maximum points ahead of their clash with Lebanon, while Palestine face Bangladesh in Kuwait City due to the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict.
+Group G leaders Saudi Arabia play second-placed Tajikistan with Roberto Mancini's side holding a two-point lead over the surprise Asian Cup quarter-finalists.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Asian champions Qatar shift focus as World Cup preliminaries resume[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG, March 19 (Reuters) - Qatar will resume their quest for a first-ever qualification for the World Cup against Kuwait on Thursday with stability in the dugout but change on the pitch six weeks after retaining the Asian Cup on home soil. Marquez Lopez, who led Qatar's successful defence of their continental title last month, was handed a contract until 2026 last month having taken the reins in December on an interim basis from Carlos Queiroz. But while a familiar face will sit on the bench at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, there will be a new man wearing the armband after Hassan Al-Haydos announced his retirement from the international scene.
+The 33-year-old captained the team to their Asian Cup successes in 2019 and last month, as well as in their disappointing showing as 2022 World Cup hosts, and leaves a creative void at the heart of the team.
+Lopes has inherited a squad that sits on six points at the top of Group A after wins in their opening matches against Afghanistan and India, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the next phase of the preliminaries. Eight Asian nations are guaranteed to qualify for the finals with a ninth progressing to an intercontinental playoff. Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup but have never qualified for the finals, with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia claiming the Asian berths at the most recent edition. On Thursday, the Japanese face the first of two meetings with North Korea, playing in Tokyo before a tricky trip to Pyongyang on Tuesday for Hajime Moriyasu's side in their first internationals since underperforming at the Asian Cup. Japan lead Group B with maximum points from two games with the North Koreans level on three points with Syria, who play Myanmar. South Korea go into their meeting with Thailand under Hwang Sun-hong, the interim replacement for Juergen Klinsmann following the German's post-Asian Cup sacking. Klinsmann's side were eliminated from the semi-finals of the continental championship following a bust-up involving captain Son Heung-min and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in. The Koreans lead Group C, also on six points, with the Thais and China three points adrift. "
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/asian-champions-qatar-shift-focus-world-cup-preliminaries-resume-2024-03-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Asian champions Qatar shift focus as World Cup preliminaries resume[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG, March 19 (Reuters) - Qatar will resume their quest for a first-ever qualification for the World Cup against Kuwait on Thursday with stability in the dugout but change on the pitch six weeks after retaining the Asian Cup on home soil.
+Marquez Lopez, who led Qatar's successful defence of their continental title last month, was handed a contract until 2026 last month having taken the reins in December on an interim basis from Carlos Queiroz.
+But while a familiar face will sit on the bench at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, there will be a new man wearing the armband after Hassan Al-Haydos announced his retirement from the international scene.
+The 33-year-old captained the team to their Asian Cup successes in 2019 and last month, as well as in their disappointing showing as 2022 World Cup hosts, and leaves a creative void at the heart of the team.
+Lopes has inherited a squad that sits on six points at the top of Group A after wins in their opening matches against Afghanistan and India, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the next phase of the preliminaries.
+Eight Asian nations are guaranteed to qualify for the finals with a ninth progressing to an intercontinental playoff.
+Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup but have never qualified for the finals, with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia claiming the Asian berths at the most recent edition.
+On Thursday, the Japanese face the first of two meetings with North Korea, playing in Tokyo before a tricky trip to Pyongyang on Tuesday for Hajime Moriyasu's side in their first internationals since underperforming at the Asian Cup.
+Japan lead Group B with maximum points from two games with the North Koreans level on three points with Syria, who play Myanmar.
+South Korea go into their meeting with Thailand under Hwang Sun-hong, the interim replacement for Juergen Klinsmann following the German's post-Asian Cup sacking.
+Klinsmann's side were eliminated from the semi-finals of the continental championship following a bust-up involving captain Son Heung-min and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in.
+The Koreans lead Group C, also on six points, with the Thais and China three points adrift.
+Iran are level on four points with Uzbekistan in Group E and host Turkmenistan in Tehran, with the Uzbeks travelling to take on Hong Kong.
+Australia top Group I having secured maximum points ahead of their clash with Lebanon, while Palestine face Bangladesh in Kuwait City due to the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict.
+Group G leaders Saudi Arabia play second-placed Tajikistan with Roberto Mancini's side holding a two-point lead over the surprise Asian Cup quarter-finalists.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Iran are level on four points with Uzbekistan in Group E and host Turkmenistan in Tehran, with the Uzbeks travelling to take on Hong Kong.
+Australia top Group I having secured maximum points ahead of their clash with Lebanon, while Palestine face Bangladesh in Kuwait City due to the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict.
+Group G leaders Saudi Arabia play second-placed Tajikistan with Roberto Mancini's side holding a two-point lead over the surprise Asian Cup quarter-finalists.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/famine-looms-gaza-how-will-world-know-it-has-arrived-2024-03-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Is there famine in Gaza? Here's what we know[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Reuters) - Famine is looming by May in the Gaza Strip, a U.N.-backed report forecast on Monday, without an end to fighting that has decimated the Palestinian territory and cut off supplies.
+WHAT IS FAMINE AND WHO DECLARES ONE?
+Famine is assessed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an initiative of more than a dozen U.N. agencies, regional bodies and aid groups.
+On Monday the IPC said that across the whole of the Gaza Strip the number of people facing ""catastrophic hunger"" has risen to 1.1 million, about half the population of the besieged coastal enclave.
+That is nearly double the figure deemed at risk of catastrophic hunger in the previous IPC report in December, when there was already record hunger.
+""Famine is now projected and imminent in the North Gaza and Gaza Governorates and is expected to become manifest during the projection period from mid-March 2024 to May 2024,"" it said.
+For famine to be declared, at least 20% of the population must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease.
+Famine has been declared twice in the past 13 years: in Somalia in 2011 and in parts of South Sudan in 2017.
+WHAT IS THE CURRENT ASSESSMENT IN GAZA?
+On Monday the IPC said that from mid-March to mid-July, in the most likely scenario and assuming a worsening of the war including a ground offensive in Rafah city, half of Gaza's population or 1.11 million people were expected to face catastrophic conditions.
+In late December, the IPC said the situation in Gaza had already exceeded the 20% threshold.
+It said the remaining two thresholds - the number of children acutely malnourished and the number of people dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease - ""may also be breached at some point"" in the coming months.
+WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DECLARE FAMINE?
+While a declaration of famine does not trigger any formal response, it can help focus global attention on how to help. But as U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said: ""Once a famine is declared, it is too late for too many people.""
+WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELFARE OF GAZA?
+The United Nations views Israel as the occupying power in Gaza and says the Israeli military has a responsibility to facilitate humanitarian operations within the enclave.
+Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions on the laws of war: ""To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the occupying power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population.""
+WHAT DOES ISRAEL SAY?
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in a 1967 war. These are areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and Hamas won elections in 2006. But Israel, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls the borders of the enclave.
+Israeli leaders have long argued that Gaza and the West Bank are not formally occupied on the basis that they were captured from Jordan and Egypt during the 1967 war rather than from a sovereign Palestine. Israel also stresses the Jewish people's historical and Biblical ties to the land.
+WHY IS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN GAZA SO DIRE?
+The war in Gaza began when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel retaliated by initially imposing a ""total siege"" on Gaza and launching an air and ground assault has since killed about 30,000 Palestinians, health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say.
+Some aid can be delivered into southern Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt and Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel.
+The U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA has said that during February an average of nearly 97 trucks were able to enter Gaza each day, compared with about 150 trucks a day in January - well below a target of 500 trucks a day.
+The United Nations has described aid access as ""unpredictable and insufficient,"" blaming military operations, insecurity and extensive restrictions to delivery of essential supplies.
+Specifically the U.N. cites: border crossing closures, serious movement restrictions, access denials, onerous vetting procedures, security risks, incidents by desperate civilians, a breakdown of law and order, and restrictions on communications and protective equipment.
+Israel has said it is committed to improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza and there is no limit on the aid for civilians. It has blamed the United Nations for any delivery issues, saying limitations on the quantity and pace of aid are dependent on the capacity of the U.N. and other agencies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Is there famine in Gaza ? Here's what we know[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Reuters) - Famine is looming by May in the Gaza Strip, a U.N.-backed report forecast on Monday, without an end to fighting that has decimated the Palestinian territory and cut off supplies. WHAT IS FAMINE AND WHO DECLARES ONE? Famine is assessed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an initiative of more than a dozen U.N. agencies, regional bodies and aid groups. On Monday the IPC said that across the whole of the Gaza Strip the number of people facing ""catastrophic hunger"" has risen to 1.1 million, about half the population of the besieged coastal enclave.  That is nearly double the figure deemed at risk of catastrophic hunger in the previous IPC report in December, when there was already record hunger. ""Famine is now projected and imminent in the North Gaza and Gaza Governorates and is expected to become manifest during the projection period from mid-March 2024 to May 2024,"" it said. For famine to be declared, at least 20% of the population must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease. Famine has been declared twice in the past 13 years: in Somalia in 2011 and in parts of South Sudan in 2017. WHAT IS THE CURRENT ASSESSMENT IN GAZA? On Monday the IPC said that from mid-March to mid-July, in the most likely scenario and assuming a worsening of the war including a ground offensive in Rafah city, half of Gaza's population or 1.11 million people were expected to face catastrophic conditions. In late December, the IPC said the situation in Gaza had already exceeded the 20% threshold. It said the remaining two thresholds - the number of children acutely malnourished and the number of people dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease - ""may also be breached at some point"" in the coming months. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DECLARE FAMINE? While a declaration of famine does not trigger any formal response, it can help focus global attention on how to help. But as U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said: ""Once a famine is declared, it is too late for too many people."" WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELFARE OF GAZA? The United Nations views Israel as the occupying power in Gaza and says the Israeli military has a responsibility to facilitate humanitarian operations within the enclave."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/famine-looms-gaza-how-will-world-know-it-has-arrived-2024-03-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Is there famine in Gaza? Here's what we know[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Reuters) - Famine is looming by May in the Gaza Strip, a U.N.-backed report forecast on Monday, without an end to fighting that has decimated the Palestinian territory and cut off supplies.
+WHAT IS FAMINE AND WHO DECLARES ONE?
+Famine is assessed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an initiative of more than a dozen U.N. agencies, regional bodies and aid groups.
+On Monday the IPC said that across the whole of the Gaza Strip the number of people facing ""catastrophic hunger"" has risen to 1.1 million, about half the population of the besieged coastal enclave.
+That is nearly double the figure deemed at risk of catastrophic hunger in the previous IPC report in December, when there was already record hunger.
+""Famine is now projected and imminent in the North Gaza and Gaza Governorates and is expected to become manifest during the projection period from mid-March 2024 to May 2024,"" it said.
+For famine to be declared, at least 20% of the population must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease.
+Famine has been declared twice in the past 13 years: in Somalia in 2011 and in parts of South Sudan in 2017.
+WHAT IS THE CURRENT ASSESSMENT IN GAZA?
+On Monday the IPC said that from mid-March to mid-July, in the most likely scenario and assuming a worsening of the war including a ground offensive in Rafah city, half of Gaza's population or 1.11 million people were expected to face catastrophic conditions.
+In late December, the IPC said the situation in Gaza had already exceeded the 20% threshold.
+It said the remaining two thresholds - the number of children acutely malnourished and the number of people dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease - ""may also be breached at some point"" in the coming months.
+WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DECLARE FAMINE?
+While a declaration of famine does not trigger any formal response, it can help focus global attention on how to help. But as U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said: ""Once a famine is declared, it is too late for too many people.""
+WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELFARE OF GAZA?
+The United Nations views Israel as the occupying power in Gaza and says the Israeli military has a responsibility to facilitate humanitarian operations within the enclave.
+Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions on the laws of war: ""To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the occupying power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population.""
+WHAT DOES ISRAEL SAY?
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in a 1967 war. These are areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and Hamas won elections in 2006. But Israel, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls the borders of the enclave.
+Israeli leaders have long argued that Gaza and the West Bank are not formally occupied on the basis that they were captured from Jordan and Egypt during the 1967 war rather than from a sovereign Palestine. Israel also stresses the Jewish people's historical and Biblical ties to the land.
+WHY IS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN GAZA SO DIRE?
+The war in Gaza began when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel retaliated by initially imposing a ""total siege"" on Gaza and launching an air and ground assault has since killed about 30,000 Palestinians, health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say.
+Some aid can be delivered into southern Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt and Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel.
+The U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA has said that during February an average of nearly 97 trucks were able to enter Gaza each day, compared with about 150 trucks a day in January - well below a target of 500 trucks a day.
+The United Nations has described aid access as ""unpredictable and insufficient,"" blaming military operations, insecurity and extensive restrictions to delivery of essential supplies.
+Specifically the U.N. cites: border crossing closures, serious movement restrictions, access denials, onerous vetting procedures, security risks, incidents by desperate civilians, a breakdown of law and order, and restrictions on communications and protective equipment.
+Israel has said it is committed to improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza and there is no limit on the aid for civilians. It has blamed the United Nations for any delivery issues, saying limitations on the quantity and pace of aid are dependent on the capacity of the U.N. and other agencies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions on the laws of war: ""To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the occupying power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population.""
+WHAT DOES ISRAEL SAY?  Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in a 1967 war. These are areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and Hamas won elections in 2006. But Israel, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls the borders of the enclave. Israeli leaders have long argued that Gaza and the West Bank are not formally occupied on the basis that they were captured from Jordan and Egypt during the 1967 war rather than from a sovereign Palestine. Israel also stresses the Jewish people's historical and Biblical ties to the land. WHY IS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN GAZA SO DIRE? The war in Gaza began when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel retaliated by initially imposing a ""total siege"" on Gaza and launching an air and ground assault has since killed about 30,000 Palestinians, health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say. Some aid can be delivered into southern Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt and Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel. The U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA has said that during February an average of nearly 97 trucks were able to enter Gaza each day, compared with about 150 trucks a day in January - well below a target of 500 trucks a day. The United Nations has described aid access as ""unpredictable and insufficient,"" blaming military operations, insecurity and extensive restrictions to delivery of essential supplies. Specifically the U.N. cites: border crossing closures, serious movement restrictions, access denials, onerous vetting procedures, security risks, incidents by desperate civilians, a breakdown of law and order, and restrictions on communications and protective equipment.  Israel has said it is committed to improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza and there is no limit on the aid for civilians. It has blamed the United Nations for any delivery issues, saying limitations on the quantity and pace of aid are dependent on the capacity of the U.N. and other agencies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/toronto-police-report-surge-hate-crimes-against-jews-muslims-2024-03-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Toronto police report surge in hate crimes against Jews, Muslims[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Toronto, March 18 (Reuters) - The number of antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes in Canada's largest city of Toronto have risen significantly during the war in Gaza that followed Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack inside Israel, Toronto police said on Monday.
+Toronto has seen 69 arrests and 173 charges related to hate crimes during this period, police Chief Myron Demkiw said in a statement. Since October 2023, Toronto has witnessed 203 confirmed hate crimes, a 93% rise from a year ago, the statement added.
+Demkiw said hate crime calls dropped in December and January, but then picked up in February, rising 67%. Of the 84 hate crimes so far in 2024, 56% are antisemitic, Demkiw said.
+The second highest bias category this year are hate crimes targeting the 2SLGBTQI+ communities, followed by anti-Black, and anti-Muslim/Arab/Palestine, Demkiw added.
+The latest conflict between Israel and Palestine started on Oct 7, when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's assault has killed more than 31,000 Gazans, according to Palestinian health officials.
+""While underreporting of all forms of hate crimes is a concern, I know from talking to people in the community that Islamophobia is a significant concern, and given our statistics I am concerned about significant under-reporting in this regard,” Demkiw told reporters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Toronto police report surge in hate crimes against Jews, Muslims[/TITLE] [CONTENT]Toronto, March 18 (Reuters) - The number of antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes in Canada's largest city of Toronto have risen significantly during the war in Gaza that followed Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack inside Israel, Toronto police said on Monday.  Toronto has seen 69 arrests and 173 charges related to hate crimes during this period, police Chief Myron Demkiw said in a statement. Since October 2023, Toronto has witnessed 203 confirmed hate crimes, a 93% rise from a year ago, the statement added.  Demkiw said hate crime calls dropped in December and January, but then picked up in February, rising 67%. Of the 84 hate crimes so far in 2024, 56% are antisemitic, Demkiw said. The second highest bias category this year are hate crimes targeting the 2SLGBTQI+ communities, followed by anti-Black, and anti-Muslim/Arab/Palestine, Demkiw added.  The latest conflict between Israel and Palestine started on Oct 7, when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's assault has killed more than 31,000 Gazans, according to Palestinian health officials.  ""While underreporting of all forms of hate crimes is a concern, I know from talking to people in the community that Islamophobia is a significant concern, and given our statistics I am concerned about significant under-reporting in this regard,” Demkiw told reporters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/egypt-us-should-make-clear-israel-consequences-rafah-operation-2024-03-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Egypt: US should make clear to Israel consequences of Rafah operation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, March 18 (Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister said on Monday the U.S. should make clear to Israel what the consequences of a military push into the south Gaza city of Rafah on the border with Egypt would be, after Washington voiced opposition to such a move.
+Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed to a cabinet meeting on Sunday that Israeli forces would thrust into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny, crowded Gaza enclave after more than five months of war, despite international pressure for Israel to avoid civilian casualties.
+Israel's allies have heaped pressure on Netanyahu not to attack Rafah, where more than a million displaced people from other parts of the devastated enclave have sought shelter, without a plan to protect civilians.
+""It is not enough for rhetoric, it is not enough to state opposition, it is also important to indicate what if that position is circumvented, what if that position is not respected,"" Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said at a news briefing with United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) chief Philippe Lazzarini in Cairo.
+""It is also up to the international community and the United States, who have indicated their refusal to such an eventuality, to make clear what are the consequences if their appeals are not heeded,"" Shoukry added in English-language remarks.
+He also warned that the humanitarian consequences and the loss of lives that would result from an Israeli ground assault on Rafah would be ""catastrophic"".
+Egypt has warned before of the ""dire consequences"" of a potential Israeli military push near its border, where it controls the Rafah crossing - the focal point of efforts to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza and allow out injured people and foreign passport holders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Egypt: US should make clear to Israel consequences of Rafah operation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, March 18 (Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister said on Monday the U.S. should make clear to Israel what the consequences of a military push into the south Gaza city of Rafah on the border with Egypt would be, after Washington voiced opposition to such a move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed to a cabinet meeting on Sunday that Israeli forces would thrust into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny, crowded Gaza enclave after more than five months of war, despite international pressure for Israel to avoid civilian casualties.
+Israel's allies have heaped pressure on Netanyahu not to attack Rafah, where more than a million displaced people from other parts of the devastated enclave have sought shelter, without a plan to protect civilians. ""It is not enough for rhetoric, it is not enough to state opposition, it is also important to indicate what if that position is circumvented, what if that position is not respected,"" Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said at a news briefing with United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) chief Philippe Lazzarini in Cairo. ""It is also up to the international community and the United States, who have indicated their refusal to such an eventuality, to make clear what are the consequences if their appeals are not heeded,"" Shoukry added in English-language remarks. He also warned that the humanitarian consequences and the loss of lives that would result from an Israeli ground assault on Rafah would be ""catastrophic"".  Egypt has warned before of the ""dire consequences"" of a potential Israeli military push near its border, where it controls the Rafah crossing - the focal point of efforts to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza and allow out injured people and foreign passport holders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-attend-new-ceasefire-talks-un-says-gaza-hunger-crisis-worsens-2024-03-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel prepares return to ceasefire talks; UN says Gaza hunger crisis worsens[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA/JERUSALEM, March 16 (Reuters) - The main U.N. aid agency operating in Gaza said on Saturday that acute malnutrition was accelerating in the north of the Palestinian enclave as Israel prepared to send a delegation to Qatar for new ceasefire talks on a hostage deal with Hamas.
+The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said one in three children under the age of two in northern Gaza is now acutely malnourished, putting more pressure on Israel over the looming famine.
+On Friday, Israel said it would send a delegation to Qatar for more talks with mediators after its enemy Hamas presented a new proposal for a ceasefire with an exchange of hostages and prisoners.
+The delegation will be led by the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, a source familiar with the talks said, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking to convene his security cabinet to discuss the proposal before the talks start. Netanyahu's office has said the latest Hamas offer was still based on ""unrealistic demands.""
+Efforts failed to secure a temporary ceasefire before Islam's holy month of Ramadan started a week ago, and Israel said on Friday it planned a new offensive against an Hamas stronghold in Rafah, the last relatively safe city in Gaza after five months of war.
+German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, starting a visit to the region, voiced concern about an assault on Rafah, saying there was a danger it would result ""in many terrible civilian casualties"".
+On Friday, Netanyahu's office said he had approved an attack plan on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are sheltering, and that the civilian population would be evacuated. It gave no time frame and there was no sign of imminent preparations on the ground.
+The Hamas offer, reviewed by Reuters, foresees dozens of Israeli hostages freed in return for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails during a weeks-long ceasefire that would let more aid into Gaza. Hamas also called for talks in a later stage on ending the war, but Israel has said it is only willing to negotiate a temporary truce.
+Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera the group's proposal is so realistic that ""no one can object to it"" and claimed mediators had reacted positively.
+He said it consists of two stages, with a complete ""cessation of aggression"" at the start of the second one - something Israel has rejected, vowing to resume its goal of destroying Hamas once any truce expires.
+Families of Israeli hostages and their supporters again gathered in Tel Aviv, urging a deal for their release.
+
+At the same time, anti-government protesters, estimated by Israeli media at a few thousand, called for new elections and blocked streets in Tel Aviv.
+HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
+The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas sent fighters into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israel's ground and air campaign has killed more than 31,500 people, mostly women and children, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza. Israel says it has killed at least 13,000 Hamas members.
+The assault has forcing many inhabitants from their homes, leaving much of the territory in rubble and triggering a hunger crisis.
+""Children's malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza,"" UNRWA said in a social media post. Hospitals in Gaza have reported some children dying of malnutrition and dehydration.
+Later, Palestinian media outlets said aid trucks had reached the northern Gaza areas of Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya for the first time in four months. The 13 trucks carrying flour arrived at an UNWRA facility, according to the reports.
+Western countries have called on Israel to do more to allow in aid, with the U.N. saying it faced ""overwhelming obstacles"" including crossing closures, onerous vetting and unrest inside Gaza.
+Israel says it puts no limit on humanitarian aid for Gaza and blames slow aid delivery on a lack of capacity or inefficiency among U.N. agencies.
+A first sea shipment of aid into Gaza by the World Central Kitchen, using a new route via Cyprus, arrived on Friday.
+A second cargo of food aid was ready to depart, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said, while the U.S. and Jordan carried out an air drop of humanitarian aid.
+Queen Rania of Jordan told CNN the airdrops were ""literally just drops in the ocean of unmet needs"" and accused Israel of ""cutting off everything that is required to sustain a human life: food, fuel, medicine, water.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel prepares return to ceasefire talks; UN says Gaza hunger crisis worsens[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA/JERUSALEM, March 16 (Reuters) - The main U.N. aid agency operating in Gaza said on Saturday that acute malnutrition was accelerating in the north of the Palestinian enclave as Israel prepared to send a delegation to Qatar for new ceasefire talks on a hostage deal with Hamas. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said one in three children under the age of two in northern Gaza is now acutely malnourished, putting more pressure on Israel over the looming famine. On Friday, Israel said it would send a delegation to Qatar for more talks with mediators after its enemy Hamas presented a new proposal for a ceasefire with an exchange of hostages and prisoners. The delegation will be led by the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, a source familiar with the talks said, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking to convene his security cabinet to discuss the proposal before the talks start. Netanyahu's office has said the latest Hamas offer was still based on ""unrealistic demands.""  Efforts failed to secure a temporary ceasefire before Islam's holy month of Ramadan started a week ago, and Israel said on Friday it planned a new offensive against an Hamas stronghold in Rafah, the last relatively safe city in Gaza after five months of war.  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, starting a visit to the region, voiced concern about an assault on Rafah, saying there was a danger it would result ""in many terrible civilian casualties"".
+On Friday, Netanyahu's office said he had approved an attack plan on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are sheltering, and that the civilian population would be evacuated. It gave no time frame and there was no sign of imminent preparations on the ground. The Hamas offer, reviewed by Reuters, foresees dozens of Israeli hostages freed in return for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails during a weeks-long ceasefire that would let more aid into Gaza. Hamas also called for talks in a later stage on ending the war, but Israel has said it is only willing to negotiate a temporary truce. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera the group's proposal is so realistic that ""no one can object to it"" and claimed mediators had reacted positively.
+He said it consists of two stages, with a complete ""cessation of aggression"" at the start of the second one - something Israel has rejected, vowing to resume its goal of destroying Hamas once any truce expires."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-attend-new-ceasefire-talks-un-says-gaza-hunger-crisis-worsens-2024-03-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel prepares return to ceasefire talks; UN says Gaza hunger crisis worsens[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA/JERUSALEM, March 16 (Reuters) - The main U.N. aid agency operating in Gaza said on Saturday that acute malnutrition was accelerating in the north of the Palestinian enclave as Israel prepared to send a delegation to Qatar for new ceasefire talks on a hostage deal with Hamas.
+The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said one in three children under the age of two in northern Gaza is now acutely malnourished, putting more pressure on Israel over the looming famine.
+On Friday, Israel said it would send a delegation to Qatar for more talks with mediators after its enemy Hamas presented a new proposal for a ceasefire with an exchange of hostages and prisoners.
+The delegation will be led by the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, a source familiar with the talks said, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking to convene his security cabinet to discuss the proposal before the talks start. Netanyahu's office has said the latest Hamas offer was still based on ""unrealistic demands.""
+Efforts failed to secure a temporary ceasefire before Islam's holy month of Ramadan started a week ago, and Israel said on Friday it planned a new offensive against an Hamas stronghold in Rafah, the last relatively safe city in Gaza after five months of war.
+German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, starting a visit to the region, voiced concern about an assault on Rafah, saying there was a danger it would result ""in many terrible civilian casualties"".
+On Friday, Netanyahu's office said he had approved an attack plan on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are sheltering, and that the civilian population would be evacuated. It gave no time frame and there was no sign of imminent preparations on the ground.
+The Hamas offer, reviewed by Reuters, foresees dozens of Israeli hostages freed in return for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails during a weeks-long ceasefire that would let more aid into Gaza. Hamas also called for talks in a later stage on ending the war, but Israel has said it is only willing to negotiate a temporary truce.
+Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera the group's proposal is so realistic that ""no one can object to it"" and claimed mediators had reacted positively.
+He said it consists of two stages, with a complete ""cessation of aggression"" at the start of the second one - something Israel has rejected, vowing to resume its goal of destroying Hamas once any truce expires.
+Families of Israeli hostages and their supporters again gathered in Tel Aviv, urging a deal for their release.
+
+At the same time, anti-government protesters, estimated by Israeli media at a few thousand, called for new elections and blocked streets in Tel Aviv.
+HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
+The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas sent fighters into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israel's ground and air campaign has killed more than 31,500 people, mostly women and children, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza. Israel says it has killed at least 13,000 Hamas members.
+The assault has forcing many inhabitants from their homes, leaving much of the territory in rubble and triggering a hunger crisis.
+""Children's malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza,"" UNRWA said in a social media post. Hospitals in Gaza have reported some children dying of malnutrition and dehydration.
+Later, Palestinian media outlets said aid trucks had reached the northern Gaza areas of Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya for the first time in four months. The 13 trucks carrying flour arrived at an UNWRA facility, according to the reports.
+Western countries have called on Israel to do more to allow in aid, with the U.N. saying it faced ""overwhelming obstacles"" including crossing closures, onerous vetting and unrest inside Gaza.
+Israel says it puts no limit on humanitarian aid for Gaza and blames slow aid delivery on a lack of capacity or inefficiency among U.N. agencies.
+A first sea shipment of aid into Gaza by the World Central Kitchen, using a new route via Cyprus, arrived on Friday.
+A second cargo of food aid was ready to depart, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said, while the U.S. and Jordan carried out an air drop of humanitarian aid.
+Queen Rania of Jordan told CNN the airdrops were ""literally just drops in the ocean of unmet needs"" and accused Israel of ""cutting off everything that is required to sustain a human life: food, fuel, medicine, water.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Families of Israeli hostages and their supporters again gathered in Tel Aviv, urging a deal for their release.
+
+At the same time, anti-government protesters, estimated by Israeli media at a few thousand, called for new elections and blocked streets in Tel Aviv. HUMANITARIAN CRISIS The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas sent fighters into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israel's ground and air campaign has killed more than 31,500 people, mostly women and children, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza. Israel says it has killed at least 13,000 Hamas members. The assault has forcing many inhabitants from their homes, leaving much of the territory in rubble and triggering a hunger crisis.  ""Children's malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza,"" UNRWA said in a social media post. Hospitals in Gaza have reported some children dying of malnutrition and dehydration.  Later, Palestinian media outlets said aid trucks had reached the northern Gaza areas of Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya for the first time in four months. The 13 trucks carrying flour arrived at an UNWRA facility, according to the reports. Western countries have called on Israel to do more to allow in aid, with the U.N. saying it faced ""overwhelming obstacles"" including crossing closures, onerous vetting and unrest inside Gaza. Israel says it puts no limit on humanitarian aid for Gaza and blames slow aid delivery on a lack of capacity or inefficiency among U.N. agencies. A first sea shipment of aid into Gaza by the World Central Kitchen, using a new route via Cyprus, arrived on Friday. A second cargo of food aid was ready to depart, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said, while the U.S. and Jordan carried out an air drop of humanitarian aid.
+Queen Rania of Jordan told CNN the airdrops were ""literally just drops in the ocean of unmet needs"" and accused Israel of ""cutting off everything that is required to sustain a human life: food, fuel, medicine, water.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-agency-gaza-says-one-three-children-under-2-is-acutely-malnourished-2024-03-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. agency in Gaza says one in three children under 2 is acutely malnourished[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]U.N. agency in Gaza says one in three children under 2 is acutely malnourished
+
+March 16 (Reuters) - One in three children under age 2 in northern Gaza is now acutely malnourished and famine is looming, the main U.N. agency operating in the Palestinian enclave said on Saturday.
+""Children's malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza,"" the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said in a social media post.
+More than five months into Israel's air and ground campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, much of the enclave is in ruins with most of its 2.3 million population displaced and facing a major humanitarian crisis.
+Hospitals in Gaza have reported some children dying of malnutrition and dehydration.
+The international food insecurity watchdog, the IPC, is expected to report soon on the extent of the hunger crisis in Gaza after saying in December there was a risk of famine in the projection period through May.
+For the IPC to declare famine, at least 20% of the population must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.
+Western countries have called on Israel to do more to allow in aid, with the U.N. saying it faced ""overwhelming obstacles"" including crossing closures, onerous vetting, restrictions on movement and unrest inside Gaza.
+Israel says it puts no limit on humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and blames slow aid delivery on incapacity or inefficiency among U.N. agencies.
+Air and sea relief deliveries into Gaza have started, but aid agencies say these are no substitute for bringing in supplies by land.
+A first delivery into Gaza by the World Central Kitchen, pioneering a new sea route via Cyprus, arrived on Thursday and was off-loaded, the charity said.
+Israel has accused UNRWA of complicity with Hamas, saying some staff members took part in the Oct. 7 attack and calling for the agency to be dismantled. Several major donors have paused funding over the allegations.
+UNRWA denies complicity with Hamas and said in February that it had dismissed 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza shortly after Israel accused them of involvement. The U.N. oversight body and UNRWA itself have launched investigations that have yet to report.
+European Union humanitarian chief Janez Lenarcic said on Thursday he had seen no evidence from Israel yet to back up its accusations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. agency in Gaza says one in three children under 2 is acutely malnourished[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]U.N. agency in Gaza says one in three children under 2 is acutely malnourished
+
+March 16 (Reuters) - One in three children under age 2 in northern Gaza is now acutely malnourished and famine is looming, the main U.N. agency operating in the Palestinian enclave said on Saturday. ""Children's malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza,"" the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said in a social media post. More than five months into Israel's air and ground campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, much of the enclave is in ruins with most of its 2.3 million population displaced and facing a major humanitarian crisis.
+Hospitals in Gaza have reported some children dying of malnutrition and dehydration. The international food insecurity watchdog, the IPC, is expected to report soon on the extent of the hunger crisis in Gaza after saying in December there was a risk of famine in the projection period through May. For the IPC to declare famine, at least 20% of the population must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease. Western countries have called on Israel to do more to allow in aid, with the U.N. saying it faced ""overwhelming obstacles"" including crossing closures, onerous vetting, restrictions on movement and unrest inside Gaza. Israel says it puts no limit on humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and blames slow aid delivery on incapacity or inefficiency among U.N. agencies. Air and sea relief deliveries into Gaza have started, but aid agencies say these are no substitute for bringing in supplies by land. A first delivery into Gaza by the World Central Kitchen, pioneering a new sea route via Cyprus, arrived on Thursday and was off-loaded, the charity said.  Israel has accused UNRWA of complicity with Hamas, saying some staff members took part in the Oct. 7 attack and calling for the agency to be dismantled. Several major donors have paused funding over the allegations.
+UNRWA denies complicity with Hamas and said in February that it had dismissed 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza shortly after Israel accused them of involvement. The U.N. oversight body and UNRWA itself have launched investigations that have yet to report. European Union humanitarian chief Janez Lenarcic said on Thursday he had seen no evidence from Israel yet to back up its accusations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/choppy-times-us-israeli-relations-2024-03-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US-Israel relations stumble on deepening rift over Gaza
[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 15 (Reuters) - A rift between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza red lines has set up a potential showdown between the two leaders, raising questions about whether the U.S. might restrict military aid if Israel goes ahead with a ground offensive in the south of the enclave.
+The United States has been a staunch ally of Israel since President Harry Truman became the first world leader to recognize the newly established state in 1948.
+But strains have emerged in the normally solid ties over the decades. Here are milestones:
+1948
+President Harry Truman becomes the first world leader to recognize the newly-established Israel.
+1956
+Furious at Israel's capture of the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt in a campaign with France and Britain, the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower insists on unconditional Israeli withdrawal and threatens to suspend vital U.S. financial aid to Israel unless it pulls out. It does so.
+1967
+The U.S. stands behind Israel in its June war with surrounding Arab states. But relations are jolted by Israel's attack in international waters on the Liberty, a U.S. spy ship. Thirty-four American seamen are killed and 174 wounded. Israel apologized, saying it had mistaken the Liberty for an Egyptian ship.
+1973
+President Richard Nixon rushes to Israel's aid with an airlift of military hardware after Egypt and Syria, which lost territory in the 1967 war, launched a surprise attack on Israel on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.
+1975
+The U.S. administration of President Gerald Ford threatens to reappraise U.S. ties with Israel unless it signs a ""disengagement"" treaty with Egypt to pull back from the Sinai peninsula, captured in 1967.
+1979
+President Jimmy Carter hosts the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, concluded in talks at Camp David. Israel eventually withdraws from the Sinai peninsula.
+1981
+The U.S. condemns Israel's bombing of Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor.
+1982
+In a telephone call to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, President Ronald Reagan expresses what a spokesman calls ""outrage"" over Israeli bombing raids in Beirut during a war in Lebanon, and pressures him into a ceasefire.
+1990
+Secretary of State James Baker says the U.S. is growing weary of Israeli foot-dragging over peace negotiations with the Palestinians and recites a White House telephone number, urging both sides ""to call us when you are serious about peace"".
+1991
+President George Bush Sr. pressures Israel to stay out of first Gulf War, concerned that an Israeli attack on Iraq would cause a U.S.-led coalition to disintegrate.
+Washington withholds $10 billion in loan guarantees sought by Israel to absorb the immigration of Soviet Jews, piling pressure on Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to attend the Madrid peace conference. Bush cites the best interests of the peace process in justifying the postponement, and says he will not grant the guarantees unless Israel freezes settlement-building in territories captured in the 1967 war.
+1992
+Bush approves Israel's loan guarantees request after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin offers a limited curtailment of settlement-building.
+1993
+President Bill Clinton hosts a handshake between Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at the signing of a Declaration of Principles on interim Palestinian self-government.
+1998
+Clinton hosts a summit between Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Wye River, Maryland. Netanyahu agrees to hand over more occupied land to Palestinian self-rule.
+2003
+President George W. Bush announces a ""road map"" peace plan, three years after the start of a Palestinian uprising, setting an outline for an end to violence and return to statehood talks.
+2004
+Bush tells Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that ""existing major Israeli population centers"" - an indirect reference to Jewish settlement enclaves in the occupied West Bank - make it ""unrealistic"" to expect Israel to return to armistice lines drawn in 1949.
+2009
+Bush tells Israel's parliament the unbreakable bond between Israel and the U.S. runs deeper than any treaty and is grounded in the shared link to the Bible.
+2010
+The administration of President Barack Obama is furious with Israel for announcing the building of more settler homes around Jerusalem during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls the move ""insulting"".
+2011
+Netanyahu lectures Obama in the White House Oval Office days after Obama stated publicly that ""the borders between Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines"".
+2015
+Obama says the international community does not believe that Israel is serious about a two-state solution.
+2016
+Obama, in the final weeks of his presidency, allows a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement building to be adopted by withholding the U.S. veto. It breaks with a history of U.S. shielding Israel at the United Nations.
+2017
+Reversing decades of U.S. policy, President Donald Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The new U.S. embassy opens there in 2018.
+2019
+The Trump administration recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, territory captured from Syria in the 1967 war. The U.S. is the only country to do this.
+2023
+Oct. 7 - U.S. President Joe Biden offers Israel ""all appropriate means of support"" after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launches its Oct. 7 attack on Israel from Gaza, and warns ""any party hostile to Israel"" not to seek advantage.
+Dec. 12 - Biden warns Israel it is losing international support because of its ""indiscriminate"" bombing of Gaza civilians in its war against Hamas militants.
+2024
+Feb. 8 - Biden says he seeks a ""sustained pause in the fighting"".
+Feb. 11 - Biden tells Netanyahu Israel should not launch a military operation in Gaza's southernmost town of Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of the roughly 1 million people sheltering there.
+Feb. 27 - Netanyahu says he has consistently resisted pressure to end the war prematurely and this stand has popular U.S. support.
+March 9 - Biden says Israel’s threatened invasion of Rafah would be his “red line” for Netanyahu but then backtracks, saying there is no red line and ""I’m never going to leave Israel."" Biden says his message to Netanyahu about civilian casualties is that he is ""hurting Israel more than helping"" by acting in a way ""contrary to what Israel stands for"".
+March 12 - Netanyahu says Israel will press forward with its military campaign into Rafah.
+March 14 - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calls for new elections in Israel and labels Netanyahu an obstacle to peace. The next day, Biden says that Schumer's concerns are shared by many Americans.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US-Israel relations stumble on deepening rift over Gaza [/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 15 (Reuters) - A rift between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza red lines has set up a potential showdown between the two leaders, raising questions about whether the U.S. might restrict military aid if Israel goes ahead with a ground offensive in the south of the enclave. The United States has been a staunch ally of Israel since President Harry Truman became the first world leader to recognize the newly established state in 1948. But strains have emerged in the normally solid ties over the decades. Here are milestones: 1948
+President Harry Truman becomes the first world leader to recognize the newly-established Israel. 1956  Furious at Israel's capture of the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt in a campaign with France and Britain, the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower insists on unconditional Israeli withdrawal and threatens to suspend vital U.S. financial aid to Israel unless it pulls out. It does so. 1967  The U.S. stands behind Israel in its June war with surrounding Arab states. But relations are jolted by Israel's attack in international waters on the Liberty, a U.S. spy ship. Thirty-four American seamen are killed and 174 wounded. Israel apologized, saying it had mistaken the Liberty for an Egyptian ship. 1973 President Richard Nixon rushes to Israel's aid with an airlift of military hardware after Egypt and Syria, which lost territory in the 1967 war, launched a surprise attack on Israel on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.
+1975 The U.S. administration of President Gerald Ford threatens to reappraise U.S. ties with Israel unless it signs a ""disengagement"" treaty with Egypt to pull back from the Sinai peninsula, captured in 1967.
+1979  President Jimmy Carter hosts the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, concluded in talks at Camp David. Israel eventually withdraws from the Sinai peninsula.  1981 The U.S. condemns Israel's bombing of Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor.
+1982 In a telephone call to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, President Ronald Reagan expresses what a spokesman calls ""outrage"" over Israeli bombing raids in Beirut during a war in Lebanon, and pressures him into a ceasefire.
+1990
+Secretary of State James Baker says the U.S. is growing weary of Israeli foot-dragging over peace negotiations with the Palestinians and recites a White House telephone number, urging both sides ""to call us when you are serious about peace"".
+1991 "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/choppy-times-us-israeli-relations-2024-03-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US-Israel relations stumble on deepening rift over Gaza
[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 15 (Reuters) - A rift between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza red lines has set up a potential showdown between the two leaders, raising questions about whether the U.S. might restrict military aid if Israel goes ahead with a ground offensive in the south of the enclave.
+The United States has been a staunch ally of Israel since President Harry Truman became the first world leader to recognize the newly established state in 1948.
+But strains have emerged in the normally solid ties over the decades. Here are milestones:
+1948
+President Harry Truman becomes the first world leader to recognize the newly-established Israel.
+1956
+Furious at Israel's capture of the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt in a campaign with France and Britain, the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower insists on unconditional Israeli withdrawal and threatens to suspend vital U.S. financial aid to Israel unless it pulls out. It does so.
+1967
+The U.S. stands behind Israel in its June war with surrounding Arab states. But relations are jolted by Israel's attack in international waters on the Liberty, a U.S. spy ship. Thirty-four American seamen are killed and 174 wounded. Israel apologized, saying it had mistaken the Liberty for an Egyptian ship.
+1973
+President Richard Nixon rushes to Israel's aid with an airlift of military hardware after Egypt and Syria, which lost territory in the 1967 war, launched a surprise attack on Israel on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.
+1975
+The U.S. administration of President Gerald Ford threatens to reappraise U.S. ties with Israel unless it signs a ""disengagement"" treaty with Egypt to pull back from the Sinai peninsula, captured in 1967.
+1979
+President Jimmy Carter hosts the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, concluded in talks at Camp David. Israel eventually withdraws from the Sinai peninsula.
+1981
+The U.S. condemns Israel's bombing of Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor.
+1982
+In a telephone call to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, President Ronald Reagan expresses what a spokesman calls ""outrage"" over Israeli bombing raids in Beirut during a war in Lebanon, and pressures him into a ceasefire.
+1990
+Secretary of State James Baker says the U.S. is growing weary of Israeli foot-dragging over peace negotiations with the Palestinians and recites a White House telephone number, urging both sides ""to call us when you are serious about peace"".
+1991
+President George Bush Sr. pressures Israel to stay out of first Gulf War, concerned that an Israeli attack on Iraq would cause a U.S.-led coalition to disintegrate.
+Washington withholds $10 billion in loan guarantees sought by Israel to absorb the immigration of Soviet Jews, piling pressure on Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to attend the Madrid peace conference. Bush cites the best interests of the peace process in justifying the postponement, and says he will not grant the guarantees unless Israel freezes settlement-building in territories captured in the 1967 war.
+1992
+Bush approves Israel's loan guarantees request after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin offers a limited curtailment of settlement-building.
+1993
+President Bill Clinton hosts a handshake between Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at the signing of a Declaration of Principles on interim Palestinian self-government.
+1998
+Clinton hosts a summit between Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Wye River, Maryland. Netanyahu agrees to hand over more occupied land to Palestinian self-rule.
+2003
+President George W. Bush announces a ""road map"" peace plan, three years after the start of a Palestinian uprising, setting an outline for an end to violence and return to statehood talks.
+2004
+Bush tells Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that ""existing major Israeli population centers"" - an indirect reference to Jewish settlement enclaves in the occupied West Bank - make it ""unrealistic"" to expect Israel to return to armistice lines drawn in 1949.
+2009
+Bush tells Israel's parliament the unbreakable bond between Israel and the U.S. runs deeper than any treaty and is grounded in the shared link to the Bible.
+2010
+The administration of President Barack Obama is furious with Israel for announcing the building of more settler homes around Jerusalem during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls the move ""insulting"".
+2011
+Netanyahu lectures Obama in the White House Oval Office days after Obama stated publicly that ""the borders between Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines"".
+2015
+Obama says the international community does not believe that Israel is serious about a two-state solution.
+2016
+Obama, in the final weeks of his presidency, allows a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement building to be adopted by withholding the U.S. veto. It breaks with a history of U.S. shielding Israel at the United Nations.
+2017
+Reversing decades of U.S. policy, President Donald Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The new U.S. embassy opens there in 2018.
+2019
+The Trump administration recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, territory captured from Syria in the 1967 war. The U.S. is the only country to do this.
+2023
+Oct. 7 - U.S. President Joe Biden offers Israel ""all appropriate means of support"" after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launches its Oct. 7 attack on Israel from Gaza, and warns ""any party hostile to Israel"" not to seek advantage.
+Dec. 12 - Biden warns Israel it is losing international support because of its ""indiscriminate"" bombing of Gaza civilians in its war against Hamas militants.
+2024
+Feb. 8 - Biden says he seeks a ""sustained pause in the fighting"".
+Feb. 11 - Biden tells Netanyahu Israel should not launch a military operation in Gaza's southernmost town of Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of the roughly 1 million people sheltering there.
+Feb. 27 - Netanyahu says he has consistently resisted pressure to end the war prematurely and this stand has popular U.S. support.
+March 9 - Biden says Israel’s threatened invasion of Rafah would be his “red line” for Netanyahu but then backtracks, saying there is no red line and ""I’m never going to leave Israel."" Biden says his message to Netanyahu about civilian casualties is that he is ""hurting Israel more than helping"" by acting in a way ""contrary to what Israel stands for"".
+March 12 - Netanyahu says Israel will press forward with its military campaign into Rafah.
+March 14 - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calls for new elections in Israel and labels Netanyahu an obstacle to peace. The next day, Biden says that Schumer's concerns are shared by many Americans.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","President George Bush Sr. pressures Israel to stay out of first Gulf War, concerned that an Israeli attack on Iraq would cause a U.S.-led coalition to disintegrate.
+Washington withholds $10 billion in loan guarantees sought by Israel to absorb the immigration of Soviet Jews, piling pressure on Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to attend the Madrid peace conference. Bush cites the best interests of the peace process in justifying the postponement, and says he will not grant the guarantees unless Israel freezes settlement-building in territories captured in the 1967 war. 1992  Bush approves Israel's loan guarantees request after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin offers a limited curtailment of settlement-building. 1993 President Bill Clinton hosts a handshake between Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at the signing of a Declaration of Principles on interim Palestinian self-government.  1998  Clinton hosts a summit between Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Wye River, Maryland. Netanyahu agrees to hand over more occupied land to Palestinian self-rule.  2003 President George W. Bush announces a ""road map"" peace plan, three years after the start of a Palestinian uprising, setting an outline for an end to violence and return to statehood talks. 2004
+Bush tells Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that ""existing major Israeli population centers"" - an indirect reference to Jewish settlement enclaves in the occupied West Bank - make it ""unrealistic"" to expect Israel to return to armistice lines drawn in 1949. 2009
+Bush tells Israel's parliament the unbreakable bond between Israel and the U.S. runs deeper than any treaty and is grounded in the shared link to the Bible.
+2010  The administration of President Barack Obama is furious with Israel for announcing the building of more settler homes around Jerusalem during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls the move ""insulting"". 2011 Netanyahu lectures Obama in the White House Oval Office days after Obama stated publicly that ""the borders between Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines"". 2015 Obama says the international community does not believe that Israel is serious about a two-state solution. 2016 Obama, in the final weeks of his presidency, allows a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement building to be adopted by withholding the U.S. veto. It breaks with a history of U.S. shielding Israel at the United Nations. 2017  Reversing decades of U.S. policy, President Donald Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The new U.S. embassy opens there in 2018. 2019  The Trump administration recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, territory captured from Syria in the 1967 war."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/choppy-times-us-israeli-relations-2024-03-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US-Israel relations stumble on deepening rift over Gaza
[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 15 (Reuters) - A rift between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza red lines has set up a potential showdown between the two leaders, raising questions about whether the U.S. might restrict military aid if Israel goes ahead with a ground offensive in the south of the enclave.
+The United States has been a staunch ally of Israel since President Harry Truman became the first world leader to recognize the newly established state in 1948.
+But strains have emerged in the normally solid ties over the decades. Here are milestones:
+1948
+President Harry Truman becomes the first world leader to recognize the newly-established Israel.
+1956
+Furious at Israel's capture of the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt in a campaign with France and Britain, the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower insists on unconditional Israeli withdrawal and threatens to suspend vital U.S. financial aid to Israel unless it pulls out. It does so.
+1967
+The U.S. stands behind Israel in its June war with surrounding Arab states. But relations are jolted by Israel's attack in international waters on the Liberty, a U.S. spy ship. Thirty-four American seamen are killed and 174 wounded. Israel apologized, saying it had mistaken the Liberty for an Egyptian ship.
+1973
+President Richard Nixon rushes to Israel's aid with an airlift of military hardware after Egypt and Syria, which lost territory in the 1967 war, launched a surprise attack on Israel on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.
+1975
+The U.S. administration of President Gerald Ford threatens to reappraise U.S. ties with Israel unless it signs a ""disengagement"" treaty with Egypt to pull back from the Sinai peninsula, captured in 1967.
+1979
+President Jimmy Carter hosts the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, concluded in talks at Camp David. Israel eventually withdraws from the Sinai peninsula.
+1981
+The U.S. condemns Israel's bombing of Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor.
+1982
+In a telephone call to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, President Ronald Reagan expresses what a spokesman calls ""outrage"" over Israeli bombing raids in Beirut during a war in Lebanon, and pressures him into a ceasefire.
+1990
+Secretary of State James Baker says the U.S. is growing weary of Israeli foot-dragging over peace negotiations with the Palestinians and recites a White House telephone number, urging both sides ""to call us when you are serious about peace"".
+1991
+President George Bush Sr. pressures Israel to stay out of first Gulf War, concerned that an Israeli attack on Iraq would cause a U.S.-led coalition to disintegrate.
+Washington withholds $10 billion in loan guarantees sought by Israel to absorb the immigration of Soviet Jews, piling pressure on Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to attend the Madrid peace conference. Bush cites the best interests of the peace process in justifying the postponement, and says he will not grant the guarantees unless Israel freezes settlement-building in territories captured in the 1967 war.
+1992
+Bush approves Israel's loan guarantees request after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin offers a limited curtailment of settlement-building.
+1993
+President Bill Clinton hosts a handshake between Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at the signing of a Declaration of Principles on interim Palestinian self-government.
+1998
+Clinton hosts a summit between Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Wye River, Maryland. Netanyahu agrees to hand over more occupied land to Palestinian self-rule.
+2003
+President George W. Bush announces a ""road map"" peace plan, three years after the start of a Palestinian uprising, setting an outline for an end to violence and return to statehood talks.
+2004
+Bush tells Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that ""existing major Israeli population centers"" - an indirect reference to Jewish settlement enclaves in the occupied West Bank - make it ""unrealistic"" to expect Israel to return to armistice lines drawn in 1949.
+2009
+Bush tells Israel's parliament the unbreakable bond between Israel and the U.S. runs deeper than any treaty and is grounded in the shared link to the Bible.
+2010
+The administration of President Barack Obama is furious with Israel for announcing the building of more settler homes around Jerusalem during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls the move ""insulting"".
+2011
+Netanyahu lectures Obama in the White House Oval Office days after Obama stated publicly that ""the borders between Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines"".
+2015
+Obama says the international community does not believe that Israel is serious about a two-state solution.
+2016
+Obama, in the final weeks of his presidency, allows a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement building to be adopted by withholding the U.S. veto. It breaks with a history of U.S. shielding Israel at the United Nations.
+2017
+Reversing decades of U.S. policy, President Donald Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The new U.S. embassy opens there in 2018.
+2019
+The Trump administration recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, territory captured from Syria in the 1967 war. The U.S. is the only country to do this.
+2023
+Oct. 7 - U.S. President Joe Biden offers Israel ""all appropriate means of support"" after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launches its Oct. 7 attack on Israel from Gaza, and warns ""any party hostile to Israel"" not to seek advantage.
+Dec. 12 - Biden warns Israel it is losing international support because of its ""indiscriminate"" bombing of Gaza civilians in its war against Hamas militants.
+2024
+Feb. 8 - Biden says he seeks a ""sustained pause in the fighting"".
+Feb. 11 - Biden tells Netanyahu Israel should not launch a military operation in Gaza's southernmost town of Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of the roughly 1 million people sheltering there.
+Feb. 27 - Netanyahu says he has consistently resisted pressure to end the war prematurely and this stand has popular U.S. support.
+March 9 - Biden says Israel’s threatened invasion of Rafah would be his “red line” for Netanyahu but then backtracks, saying there is no red line and ""I’m never going to leave Israel."" Biden says his message to Netanyahu about civilian casualties is that he is ""hurting Israel more than helping"" by acting in a way ""contrary to what Israel stands for"".
+March 12 - Netanyahu says Israel will press forward with its military campaign into Rafah.
+March 14 - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calls for new elections in Israel and labels Netanyahu an obstacle to peace. The next day, Biden says that Schumer's concerns are shared by many Americans.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The U.S. is the only country to do this. 2023 Oct. 7 - U.S. President Joe Biden offers Israel ""all appropriate means of support"" after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launches its Oct. 7 attack on Israel from Gaza, and warns ""any party hostile to Israel"" not to seek advantage.
+Dec. 12 - Biden warns Israel it is losing international support because of its ""indiscriminate"" bombing of Gaza civilians in its war against Hamas militants.  2024 Feb. 8 - Biden says he seeks a ""sustained pause in the fighting"".
+Feb. 11 - Biden tells Netanyahu Israel should not launch a military operation in Gaza's southernmost town of Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of the roughly 1 million people sheltering there.  Feb. 27 - Netanyahu says he has consistently resisted pressure to end the war prematurely and this stand has popular U.S. support. March 9 - Biden says Israel’s threatened invasion of Rafah would be his “red line” for Netanyahu but then backtracks, saying there is no red line and ""I’m never going to leave Israel."" Biden says his message to Netanyahu about civilian casualties is that he is ""hurting Israel more than helping"" by acting in a way ""contrary to what Israel stands for"".  March 12 - Netanyahu says Israel will press forward with its military campaign into Rafah.
+March 14 - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calls for new elections in Israel and labels Netanyahu an obstacle to peace. The next day, Biden says that Schumer's concerns are shared by many Americans.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/australia-resume-funding-uns-main-palestinian-relief-agency-2024-03-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia to resume funding to UN's main Palestinian relief agency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, March 15 (Reuters) - Australia will resume funding to the United Nations' main Palestinian relief agency, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday, almost two months after pausing ties over allegations that some of the agency's employees participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
+Australia had consulted with UNRWA and other donors and was satisfied the aid agency was not a terror organisation, Wong said. New and additional safeguards would protect aid money, and A$6 million ($3.9 million) in paused funding would be released immediately, she said.
+""We have children and families that are starving and we have a capacity along with the international community to assist them,"" Wong said at a news conference.
+""We know that UNRWA is central and vital to delivering that assistance.""
+Australia along with more than a dozen countries, suspended funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in January after Israel accused 12 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
+The U.N. has launched an investigation into the allegations, and UNRWA fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information on the allegations.
+Sweden, Canada and the European Union have resumed funding to some degree. The organisation's head said last week he cautiously optimistic other donors would resume funding soon.
+Wong also announced a further A$4 million in funding for UNICEF and A$2 million for a separate UN facility for Gaza. Australia will also give Jordan and the United Arab Emirates 140 parachutes to use for air drops of aid.
+Asked about reports of several Palestinians left stranded in transit after Australia cancelled temporary visas, Wong said all applicants were subject to security checks and referred the question to the Minister for Home Affairs.
+($1 = 1.5246 Australian dollars)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia to resume funding to UN's main Palestinian relief agency[/TITLE] [CONTENT]SYDNEY, March 15 (Reuters) - Australia will resume funding to the United Nations' main Palestinian relief agency, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday, almost two months after pausing ties over allegations that some of the agency's employees participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.  Australia had consulted with UNRWA and other donors and was satisfied the aid agency was not a terror organisation, Wong said. New and additional safeguards would protect aid money, and A$6 million ($3.9 million) in paused funding would be released immediately, she said.  ""We have children and families that are starving and we have a capacity along with the international community to assist them,"" Wong said at a news conference.
+"" We know that UNRWA is central and vital to delivering that assistance."" Australia along with more than a dozen countries, suspended funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in January after Israel accused 12 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
+The U.N. has launched an investigation into the allegations, and UNRWA fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information on the allegations.  Sweden, Canada and the European Union have resumed funding to some degree. The organisation's head said last week he cautiously optimistic other donors would resume funding soon.  Wong also announced a further A$4 million in funding for UNICEF and A$2 million for a separate UN facility for Gaza. Australia will also give Jordan and the United Arab Emirates 140 parachutes to use for air drops of aid. Asked about reports of several Palestinians left stranded in transit after Australia cancelled temporary visas, Wong said all applicants were subject to security checks and referred the question to the Minister for Home Affairs.  ($1 = 1.5246 Australian dollars)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-is-mohammad-mustafa-man-who-could-be-next-palestinian-pm-2024-02-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Who is Mohammad Mustafa, the new Palestinian PM?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/RAMALLAH, March 14 (Reuters) - Mohammad Mustafa, appointed prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA) on Thursday, is one of the leading Palestinian business figures who has overseen Gaza reconstruction under Hamas Islamist rule.
+A rare ally of PA head Mahmoud Abbas, U.S.-educated economist Mustafa once ran the Palestinian telecoms company Paltel and more recently the PA's public Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), with nearly $1 billion in assets funding projects across the Palestinian territories.
+He was tapped a decade ago to help lead reconstruction efforts in Gaza after an earlier war between Israel and Islamist militant group Hamas.
+Palestinian leaders hope he could now emerge as a unifying figure as he prepares to rebuild the enclave after five months of Israeli bombardment since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
+The internationally recognised PA, which exercises limited self rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank but lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007, aims to reunify governance of Palestinian lands after the Gaza war.
+Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, a member of Abbas's Fatah faction, stepped down in February to pave the way for a unity cabinet. Though close to Abbas, Mustafa is not a Fatah member, potentially making him less contentious.
+Mustafa faces a huge task of management and diplomacy. Swathes of Gaza are now rubble and most of its 2.3 million people have been displaced and need aid. The West Bank, too, has seen the worst violence in decades.
+In addition to overseeing billions in expected international aid, Mustafa will need both political buy-in from Hamas and its supporters and cooperation from Israel, which wants to eradicate Hamas.
+Washington, which wants the PA to play a leading role in post-war governance of Gaza, has called for deep reforms in how it is run.
+""Everyone is in crisis. Fatah is in crisis in the West Bank and Hamas is clearly in crisis in Gaza,"" Palestinian economist Mohammad Abu Jayyab said, speaking before Mustafa's appointment. Mustafa, 69, could represent the ""way out"" for both, he said.
+OCT. 7 'A SYMPTOM OF A BIGGER PROBLEM'
+Abbas appointed Mustafa as PIF chairman in 2015. He served as a deputy prime minister responsible for economic affairs from 2013 to 2014, when he led a committee tasked with rebuilding Gaza after the seven-week war in which more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed.
+Speaking at Davos on Jan. 17, Mustafa said the ""catastrophe and the humanitarian impact"" of the war now was much greater than a decade ago.
+Gaza health authorities say more than 31,000 people are confirmed killed, with thousands of others believed buried under rubble.
+Israel says it will never cooperate with any Palestinian government that refuses to repudiate Hamas and its Oct. 7 attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 abducted, according to Israeli tallies.
+Mustafa, in his Davos remarks, described the Oct. 7 attack as ""unfortunate for everybody"".
+""But it's also a symptom of a bigger problem ... that the Palestinian people have been suffering for 75 years non-stop,"" he said.
+""Until today, we still believe that statehood for Palestinians is the way forward, so we hope that this time around we will be able to achieve that, so that all people in the region can live in security and peace,"" he said.
+He is a member of the executive committee of the Abbas-led Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which recognised Israel at the start of the peace process in 1993, hoping to establish a Palestinian state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war - the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
+Biden administration officials have previously said they have urged Abbas to bring new blood, including technocrats and economic specialists, into a revamped PA to help govern post-war Gaza. But they have said they do not want to be seen pressuring for the approval or rejection of specific individuals.
+'THE WAY FORWARD'
+Mustafa has said the PA could do better ""in terms of building better institutions, providing better governance so that ... we can reunite Gaza and the West Bank"".
+But ""if we cannot remove occupation, no reformed government, no reformed institutions can actually build a good successful governing system, or develop a proper economy"", he said.
+Mustafa has a PhD in Business Administration and Economics from George Washington University, and has worked at the World Bank in Washington. He was born in the West Bank city of Tulkarm.
+He said in his Jan. 17 remarks that $15 billion would be needed just to rebuild homes.
+He said he would continue to focus on humanitarian efforts in the short and medium term, expressing hope that Gaza's borders would be opened and a reconstruction conference convened.
+Asked what future role he saw for Hamas, Mustafa also said the ""best way forward is to be as inclusive as possible"", adding that he would like Palestinians to unite around the PLO agenda.
+(This story has been refiled to remove a reference to a meeting in Moscow in paragraph 6)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Who is Mohammad Mustafa, the new Palestinian PM?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/RAMALLAH, March 14 (Reuters) - Mohammad Mustafa, appointed prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA) on Thursday, is one of the leading Palestinian business figures who has overseen Gaza reconstruction under Hamas Islamist rule. A rare ally of PA head Mahmoud Abbas, U.S.-educated economist Mustafa once ran the Palestinian telecoms company Paltel and more recently the PA's public Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), with nearly $1 billion in assets funding projects across the Palestinian territories.
+He was tapped a decade ago to help lead reconstruction efforts in Gaza after an earlier war between Israel and Islamist militant group Hamas. Palestinian leaders hope he could now emerge as a unifying figure as he prepares to rebuild the enclave after five months of Israeli bombardment since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. The internationally recognised PA, which exercises limited self rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank but lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007, aims to reunify governance of Palestinian lands after the Gaza war.  Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, a member of Abbas's Fatah faction, stepped down in February to pave the way for a unity cabinet. Though close to Abbas, Mustafa is not a Fatah member, potentially making him less contentious.  Mustafa faces a huge task of management and diplomacy. Swathes of Gaza are now rubble and most of its 2.3 million people have been displaced and need aid. The West Bank, too, has seen the worst violence in decades. In addition to overseeing billions in expected international aid, Mustafa will need both political buy-in from Hamas and its supporters and cooperation from Israel, which wants to eradicate Hamas. Washington, which wants the PA to play a leading role in post-war governance of Gaza, has called for deep reforms in how it is run.  ""Everyone is in crisis. Fatah is in crisis in the West Bank and Hamas is clearly in crisis in Gaza,"" Palestinian economist Mohammad Abu Jayyab said, speaking before Mustafa's appointment. Mustafa, 69, could represent the ""way out"" for both, he said. OCT. 7 'A SYMPTOM OF A BIGGER PROBLEM'
+Abbas appointed Mustafa as PIF chairman in 2015. He served as a deputy prime minister responsible for economic affairs from 2013 to 2014, when he led a committee tasked with rebuilding Gaza after the seven-week war in which more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed. Speaking at Davos on Jan. 17, Mustafa said the ""catastrophe and the humanitarian impact"" of the war now was much greater than a decade ago."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-is-mohammad-mustafa-man-who-could-be-next-palestinian-pm-2024-02-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Who is Mohammad Mustafa, the new Palestinian PM?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/RAMALLAH, March 14 (Reuters) - Mohammad Mustafa, appointed prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA) on Thursday, is one of the leading Palestinian business figures who has overseen Gaza reconstruction under Hamas Islamist rule.
+A rare ally of PA head Mahmoud Abbas, U.S.-educated economist Mustafa once ran the Palestinian telecoms company Paltel and more recently the PA's public Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), with nearly $1 billion in assets funding projects across the Palestinian territories.
+He was tapped a decade ago to help lead reconstruction efforts in Gaza after an earlier war between Israel and Islamist militant group Hamas.
+Palestinian leaders hope he could now emerge as a unifying figure as he prepares to rebuild the enclave after five months of Israeli bombardment since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
+The internationally recognised PA, which exercises limited self rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank but lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007, aims to reunify governance of Palestinian lands after the Gaza war.
+Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, a member of Abbas's Fatah faction, stepped down in February to pave the way for a unity cabinet. Though close to Abbas, Mustafa is not a Fatah member, potentially making him less contentious.
+Mustafa faces a huge task of management and diplomacy. Swathes of Gaza are now rubble and most of its 2.3 million people have been displaced and need aid. The West Bank, too, has seen the worst violence in decades.
+In addition to overseeing billions in expected international aid, Mustafa will need both political buy-in from Hamas and its supporters and cooperation from Israel, which wants to eradicate Hamas.
+Washington, which wants the PA to play a leading role in post-war governance of Gaza, has called for deep reforms in how it is run.
+""Everyone is in crisis. Fatah is in crisis in the West Bank and Hamas is clearly in crisis in Gaza,"" Palestinian economist Mohammad Abu Jayyab said, speaking before Mustafa's appointment. Mustafa, 69, could represent the ""way out"" for both, he said.
+OCT. 7 'A SYMPTOM OF A BIGGER PROBLEM'
+Abbas appointed Mustafa as PIF chairman in 2015. He served as a deputy prime minister responsible for economic affairs from 2013 to 2014, when he led a committee tasked with rebuilding Gaza after the seven-week war in which more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed.
+Speaking at Davos on Jan. 17, Mustafa said the ""catastrophe and the humanitarian impact"" of the war now was much greater than a decade ago.
+Gaza health authorities say more than 31,000 people are confirmed killed, with thousands of others believed buried under rubble.
+Israel says it will never cooperate with any Palestinian government that refuses to repudiate Hamas and its Oct. 7 attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 abducted, according to Israeli tallies.
+Mustafa, in his Davos remarks, described the Oct. 7 attack as ""unfortunate for everybody"".
+""But it's also a symptom of a bigger problem ... that the Palestinian people have been suffering for 75 years non-stop,"" he said.
+""Until today, we still believe that statehood for Palestinians is the way forward, so we hope that this time around we will be able to achieve that, so that all people in the region can live in security and peace,"" he said.
+He is a member of the executive committee of the Abbas-led Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which recognised Israel at the start of the peace process in 1993, hoping to establish a Palestinian state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war - the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
+Biden administration officials have previously said they have urged Abbas to bring new blood, including technocrats and economic specialists, into a revamped PA to help govern post-war Gaza. But they have said they do not want to be seen pressuring for the approval or rejection of specific individuals.
+'THE WAY FORWARD'
+Mustafa has said the PA could do better ""in terms of building better institutions, providing better governance so that ... we can reunite Gaza and the West Bank"".
+But ""if we cannot remove occupation, no reformed government, no reformed institutions can actually build a good successful governing system, or develop a proper economy"", he said.
+Mustafa has a PhD in Business Administration and Economics from George Washington University, and has worked at the World Bank in Washington. He was born in the West Bank city of Tulkarm.
+He said in his Jan. 17 remarks that $15 billion would be needed just to rebuild homes.
+He said he would continue to focus on humanitarian efforts in the short and medium term, expressing hope that Gaza's borders would be opened and a reconstruction conference convened.
+Asked what future role he saw for Hamas, Mustafa also said the ""best way forward is to be as inclusive as possible"", adding that he would like Palestinians to unite around the PLO agenda.
+(This story has been refiled to remove a reference to a meeting in Moscow in paragraph 6)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Gaza health authorities say more than 31,000 people are confirmed killed, with thousands of others believed buried under rubble. Israel says it will never cooperate with any Palestinian government that refuses to repudiate Hamas and its Oct. 7 attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 abducted, according to Israeli tallies.
+Mustafa, in his Davos remarks, described the Oct. 7 attack as ""unfortunate for everybody"".
+""But it's also a symptom of a bigger problem ... that the Palestinian people have been suffering for 75 years non-stop,"" he said. ""Until today, we still believe that statehood for Palestinians is the way forward, so we hope that this time around we will be able to achieve that, so that all people in the region can live in security and peace,"" he said. He is a member of the executive committee of the Abbas-led Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which recognised Israel at the start of the peace process in 1993, hoping to establish a Palestinian state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war - the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Biden administration officials have previously said they have urged Abbas to bring new blood, including technocrats and economic specialists, into a revamped PA to help govern post-war Gaza. But they have said they do not want to be seen pressuring for the approval or rejection of specific individuals. 'THE WAY FORWARD' Mustafa has said the PA could do better ""in terms of building better institutions, providing better governance so that ... we can reunite Gaza and the West Bank"". But ""if we cannot remove occupation, no reformed government, no reformed institutions can actually build a good successful governing system, or develop a proper economy"", he said.  Mustafa has a PhD in Business Administration and Economics from George Washington University, and has worked at the World Bank in Washington. He was born in the West Bank city of Tulkarm. He said in his Jan. 17 remarks that $15 billion would be needed just to rebuild homes. He said he would continue to focus on humanitarian efforts in the short and medium term, expressing hope that Gaza's borders would be opened and a reconstruction conference convened.
+Asked what future role he saw for Hamas, Mustafa also said the ""best way forward is to be as inclusive as possible"", adding that he would like Palestinians to unite around the PLO agenda.  (This story has been refiled to remove a reference to a meeting in Moscow in paragraph 6)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-pause-funding-un-relief-agency-palestinians-may-become-permanent-2024-03-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US pause on funding UN's main Palestinian relief agency may become permanent[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - U.S. officials are preparing for a pause on funding the main U.N. agency for Palestinians to become permanent due to opposition in Congress, even as the Biden administration insists the aid group's humanitarian work is indispensable.
+The U.S., along with more than a dozen countries, suspended its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in January after Israel accused 12 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
+The U.N. has launched an investigation into the allegations, and UNRWA fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information on the allegations.
+The U.S., which is UNRWA's largest donor, providing $300 million to $400 million annually, said it wants to see the results of that inquiry and corrective measures taken before it will consider resuming funding.
+Even if the pause is lifted, only about $300,000 - what is left of already appropriated funds - would be released to UNRWA. Anything further would require congressional approval.
+Bipartisan opposition in Congress to funding UNRWA makes it unlikely the U.S. will resume regular donations anytime soon, even as countries such as Sweden and Canada have said they will restart their contributions.
+A supplemental funding bill in the U.S. Congress that includes military aid to Israel and Ukraine contains a provision that would block UNRWA from receiving funds if it becomes law. President Joe Biden's administration supports the bill.
+U.S. officials say they recognize ""the critical role"" UNRWA plays in distributing aid inside the densely-populated enclave that has been brought close to famine by Israel's assault during the past five months.
+""We have to plan for the fact that Congress may make that pause permanent,"" State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Tuesday.
+Washington has been looking at working with humanitarian partners on the ground, such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), to continue giving aid.
+But officials are aware that UNRWA is hard to replace.
+""There are other organizations that are now providing some distribution of aid inside Gaza, but that is primarily the role that UNRWA is equipped to play that no one else is due to their longstanding work and their networks of distribution and their history inside Gaza,"" Miller said.
+'UNRWA IS A FRONT'
+A few Democrats in the U.S. Senate, including Senator Chris Van Hollen, along with some progressive members in the U.S. House of Representatives, have opposed an indefinite ban on funding to UNRWA.
+But any new funding would need the support of at least some Republicans, who hold a majority in the House. Many have expressed their opposition to UNRWA.
+""UNRWA is a front, plain and simple,"" Representative Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability, said in a statement.
+""It masquerades as a relief organization while building the infrastructure to support Hamas ... It is literally funneling American tax dollars to terrorism,"" Mast said.
+Asked for comment on Mast's claims, UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma said an independent review led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is assessing the ""measures that UNRWA has in place with regards to the neutrality of the agency, its staff and programs.""
+""We encourage member states, individuals and entities to share any information about accusations against UNRWA with the investigation, or with the ongoing review, to look into them,"" Touma said.
+UNRWA was established in 1949 by a U.N. General Assembly resolution after the war that followed Israel's founding, when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes.
+Today it directly employs 30,000 Palestinians, serving the civic and humanitarian needs of 5.9 million descendants of those refugees, in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and in vast camps in neighboring Arab countries.
+In Gaza, UNRWA runs the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributes humanitarian aid.
+William Deere, director of UNRWA's Washington Representative Office, told Reuters that U.S. support accounts for one-third of UNRWA's budget.
+""That's going to be very hard to overcome,"" he said. ""Please remember that UNRWA is more than Gaza. It's health care and education and social services. It's East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon.""
+Fighters from Hamas, which administers Gaza, killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and took 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies, an assault that sparked one of the bloodiest wars in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Israel's retaliatory military campaign on the densely populated enclave has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza authorities, while infrastructure has been obliterated and hundreds of thousands are now close to famine.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US pause on funding UN's main Palestinian relief agency may become permanent[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - U.S. officials are preparing for a pause on funding the main U.N. agency for Palestinians to become permanent due to opposition in Congress, even as the Biden administration insists the aid group's humanitarian work is indispensable. The U.S., along with more than a dozen countries, suspended its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in January after Israel accused 12 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
+The U.N. has launched an investigation into the allegations, and UNRWA fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information on the allegations.  The U.S., which is UNRWA's largest donor, providing $300 million to $400 million annually, said it wants to see the results of that inquiry and corrective measures taken before it will consider resuming funding. Even if the pause is lifted, only about $300,000 - what is left of already appropriated funds - would be released to UNRWA. Anything further would require congressional approval. Bipartisan opposition in Congress to funding UNRWA makes it unlikely the U.S. will resume regular donations anytime soon, even as countries such as Sweden and Canada have said they will restart their contributions.
+A supplemental funding bill in the U.S. Congress that includes military aid to Israel and Ukraine contains a provision that would block UNRWA from receiving funds if it becomes law. President Joe Biden's administration supports the bill. U.S. officials say they recognize ""the critical role"" UNRWA plays in distributing aid inside the densely-populated enclave that has been brought close to famine by Israel's assault during the past five months. ""We have to plan for the fact that Congress may make that pause permanent,"" State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Tuesday. Washington has been looking at working with humanitarian partners on the ground, such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), to continue giving aid. But officials are aware that UNRWA is hard to replace.  ""There are other organizations that are now providing some distribution of aid inside Gaza, but that is primarily the role that UNRWA is equipped to play that no one else is due to their longstanding work and their networks of distribution and their history inside Gaza,"" Miller said.
+' UNRWA IS A FRONT' A few Democrats in the U.S. Senate, including Senator Chris Van Hollen, along with some progressive members in the U.S. House of Representatives, have opposed an indefinite ban on funding to UNRWA. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-pause-funding-un-relief-agency-palestinians-may-become-permanent-2024-03-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US pause on funding UN's main Palestinian relief agency may become permanent[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - U.S. officials are preparing for a pause on funding the main U.N. agency for Palestinians to become permanent due to opposition in Congress, even as the Biden administration insists the aid group's humanitarian work is indispensable.
+The U.S., along with more than a dozen countries, suspended its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in January after Israel accused 12 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
+The U.N. has launched an investigation into the allegations, and UNRWA fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information on the allegations.
+The U.S., which is UNRWA's largest donor, providing $300 million to $400 million annually, said it wants to see the results of that inquiry and corrective measures taken before it will consider resuming funding.
+Even if the pause is lifted, only about $300,000 - what is left of already appropriated funds - would be released to UNRWA. Anything further would require congressional approval.
+Bipartisan opposition in Congress to funding UNRWA makes it unlikely the U.S. will resume regular donations anytime soon, even as countries such as Sweden and Canada have said they will restart their contributions.
+A supplemental funding bill in the U.S. Congress that includes military aid to Israel and Ukraine contains a provision that would block UNRWA from receiving funds if it becomes law. President Joe Biden's administration supports the bill.
+U.S. officials say they recognize ""the critical role"" UNRWA plays in distributing aid inside the densely-populated enclave that has been brought close to famine by Israel's assault during the past five months.
+""We have to plan for the fact that Congress may make that pause permanent,"" State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Tuesday.
+Washington has been looking at working with humanitarian partners on the ground, such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), to continue giving aid.
+But officials are aware that UNRWA is hard to replace.
+""There are other organizations that are now providing some distribution of aid inside Gaza, but that is primarily the role that UNRWA is equipped to play that no one else is due to their longstanding work and their networks of distribution and their history inside Gaza,"" Miller said.
+'UNRWA IS A FRONT'
+A few Democrats in the U.S. Senate, including Senator Chris Van Hollen, along with some progressive members in the U.S. House of Representatives, have opposed an indefinite ban on funding to UNRWA.
+But any new funding would need the support of at least some Republicans, who hold a majority in the House. Many have expressed their opposition to UNRWA.
+""UNRWA is a front, plain and simple,"" Representative Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability, said in a statement.
+""It masquerades as a relief organization while building the infrastructure to support Hamas ... It is literally funneling American tax dollars to terrorism,"" Mast said.
+Asked for comment on Mast's claims, UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma said an independent review led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is assessing the ""measures that UNRWA has in place with regards to the neutrality of the agency, its staff and programs.""
+""We encourage member states, individuals and entities to share any information about accusations against UNRWA with the investigation, or with the ongoing review, to look into them,"" Touma said.
+UNRWA was established in 1949 by a U.N. General Assembly resolution after the war that followed Israel's founding, when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes.
+Today it directly employs 30,000 Palestinians, serving the civic and humanitarian needs of 5.9 million descendants of those refugees, in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and in vast camps in neighboring Arab countries.
+In Gaza, UNRWA runs the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributes humanitarian aid.
+William Deere, director of UNRWA's Washington Representative Office, told Reuters that U.S. support accounts for one-third of UNRWA's budget.
+""That's going to be very hard to overcome,"" he said. ""Please remember that UNRWA is more than Gaza. It's health care and education and social services. It's East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon.""
+Fighters from Hamas, which administers Gaza, killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and took 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies, an assault that sparked one of the bloodiest wars in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Israel's retaliatory military campaign on the densely populated enclave has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza authorities, while infrastructure has been obliterated and hundreds of thousands are now close to famine.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","But any new funding would need the support of at least some Republicans, who hold a majority in the House. Many have expressed their opposition to UNRWA.  ""UNRWA is a front, plain and simple,"" Representative Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability, said in a statement.
+"" It masquerades as a relief organization while building the infrastructure to support Hamas ... It is literally funneling American tax dollars to terrorism,"" Mast said.  Asked for comment on Mast's claims, UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma said an independent review led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is assessing the ""measures that UNRWA has in place with regards to the neutrality of the agency, its staff and programs. ""
+""We encourage member states, individuals and entities to share any information about accusations against UNRWA with the investigation, or with the ongoing review, to look into them,"" Touma said. UNRWA was established in 1949 by a U.N. General Assembly resolution after the war that followed Israel's founding, when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes. Today it directly employs 30,000 Palestinians, serving the civic and humanitarian needs of 5.9 million descendants of those refugees, in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and in vast camps in neighboring Arab countries.  In Gaza, UNRWA runs the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributes humanitarian aid. William Deere, director of UNRWA's Washington Representative Office, told Reuters that U.S. support accounts for one-third of UNRWA's budget.  ""That's going to be very hard to overcome,"" he said. ""Please remember that UNRWA is more than Gaza. It's health care and education and social services. It's East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon."" Fighters from Hamas, which administers Gaza, killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and took 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies, an assault that sparked one of the bloodiest wars in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel's retaliatory military campaign on the densely populated enclave has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza authorities, while infrastructure has been obliterated and hundreds of thousands are now close to famine.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/fiorentina-supporters-group-defy-early-entry-order-maccabi-haifa-tie-2024-03-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fiorentina supporters group to defy early entry order for Maccabi Haifa tie[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 12 (Reuters) - Fiorentina supporters group Curva Fiesole would defy an order to arrive early for Thursday's Europa Conference League home game against Maccabi Haifa to protest the presence of any visiting fans who support attacks on civilians in Gaza, the group said.
+The Florence-based Serie A club's supporters were asked by the club management to enter the stadium at least half an hour before kick-off, Curva Fiesole said in a post on Instagram.
+""Next Thursday's match will see heavy restrictions for (Fiorentina) fans, from empty stands in the Parterre, to the absurd obligation to enter by 6.15pm on a working day,"" the group wrote on Monday.
+""All this, it seems, in order to guarantee the visit of a supporter who showed up in (the first leg match) with banners praising an army attacking civilians, guilty of waiting for water, food and medicine.
+""Why should we pay for all this? The Curva Fiesole will present itself as usual at the gates shortly before the start of the match... it will be up to those in charge to decide whether or not to let us in. Our conscience is in the right place.""
+The conflict in Gaza, triggered by the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage according to Israeli tallies, has led to the deaths of 31,000 Palestinians according to Gaza officials.
+The supporters group criticised UEFA for allowing the participation of Israeli clubs in European competitions during the conflict.
+""Football teams belonging to the Russian Federation are excluded from UEFA competitions following the war in Ukraine,"" they wrote.
+""Does UEFA, from the height of the moral principles it boasts of upholding, have nothing to say about the ongoing massacre in Palestine?""
+Fiorentina lead the last 16 tie 4-3, having beaten Haifa in the first leg in Budapest on March 7.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fiorentina supporters group to defy early entry order for Maccabi Haifa tie[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 12 (Reuters) - Fiorentina supporters group Curva Fiesole would defy an order to arrive early for Thursday's Europa Conference League home game against Maccabi Haifa to protest the presence of any visiting fans who support attacks on civilians in Gaza, the group said. The Florence-based Serie A club's supporters were asked by the club management to enter the stadium at least half an hour before kick-off, Curva Fiesole said in a post on Instagram. ""Next Thursday's match will see heavy restrictions for (Fiorentina) fans, from empty stands in the Parterre, to the absurd obligation to enter by 6.15pm on a working day,"" the group wrote on Monday. ""All this, it seems, in order to guarantee the visit of a supporter who showed up in (the first leg match) with banners praising an army attacking civilians, guilty of waiting for water, food and medicine. ""Why should we pay for all this? The Curva Fiesole will present itself as usual at the gates shortly before the start of the match... it will be up to those in charge to decide whether or not to let us in. Our conscience is in the right place."" The conflict in Gaza, triggered by the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage according to Israeli tallies, has led to the deaths of 31,000 Palestinians according to Gaza officials. The supporters group criticised UEFA for allowing the participation of Israeli clubs in European competitions during the conflict. ""Football teams belonging to the Russian Federation are excluded from UEFA competitions following the war in Ukraine,"" they wrote. ""Does UEFA, from the height of the moral principles it boasts of upholding, have nothing to say about the ongoing massacre in Palestine?"" Fiorentina lead the last 16 tie 4-3, having beaten Haifa in the first leg in Budapest on March 7.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-palestinian-refugee-agency-risk-death-unrwa-chief-says-2024-03-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNRWA chief 'cautiously optimistic' some donors will resume funding soon[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, March 9 (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said he was cautiously optimistic some donors would start funding it again within weeks, warning it was ""at risk of death"" after Israel alleged some of its staff took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
+An independent review of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been launched under French former foreign minister Catherine Colonna, and her final report is expected to be published next month.
+""I am cautiously optimistic that within the next few weeks, and also following the publication of Catherine Colonna's report, a number of donors will return,"" UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RTS that was aired on Saturday.
+Lazzarini told RTS that UNRWA was at ""risk of death, at risk of dismantlement"".
+Colonna, whose work on the review began in mid-February, said on Saturday she would visit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Amman next week.
+UNRWA, which provides aid and essential services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and across the region, has been in crisis since Israel accused 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza of involvement in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war in the Palestinian enclave.
+The allegations prompted several countries, including the United States, to pause funding.
+Canada and Sweden announced this week they were resuming their funding the agency, which Israel described as a ""serious mistake"".
+""The return to funding UNRWA will not change the fact that the organization is part of the problem and will not be part of the solution in the Gaza Strip,"" the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
+When the allegations emerged, UNRWA fired some staff members, saying it acted to protect the agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, and an independent internal U.N. investigation was launched.
+UNRWA said some employees released into Gaza from Israeli detention reported having been pressured by Israeli authorities into falsely stating that staff took part in the Oct. 7 attack, according to a report by the agency dated February.
+""What is at stake is the fate of the Palestinians today in Gaza in the short term who are going through an absolutely unprecedented humanitarian crisis,"" Lazzarini told RTS.
+UNRWA runs schools, clinics and other social services in Gaza, and distributes humanitarian aid. The U.N. has said some 3,000 members of staff are still working to deliver aid in the enclave, where it says 576,000 people - one quarter of the population - are a step away from famine.
+""The agency I currently manage is the only agency that delivers public services to Palestinian refugees,"" Lazzarini said.
+""We are the quasi-ministry of education, of primary health. If we were to get rid of such a body, who would bring back the million of girls and boys who are traumatised in the Gaza Strip today back to a learning environment?""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNRWA chief 'cautiously optimistic' some donors will resume funding soon[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, March 9 (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said he was cautiously optimistic some donors would start funding it again within weeks, warning it was ""at risk of death"" after Israel alleged some of its staff took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. An independent review of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been launched under French former foreign minister Catherine Colonna, and her final report is expected to be published next month. ""I am cautiously optimistic that within the next few weeks, and also following the publication of Catherine Colonna's report, a number of donors will return,"" UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RTS that was aired on Saturday. Lazzarini told RTS that UNRWA was at ""risk of death, at risk of dismantlement"". Colonna, whose work on the review began in mid-February, said on Saturday she would visit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Amman next week. UNRWA, which provides aid and essential services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and across the region, has been in crisis since Israel accused 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza of involvement in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war in the Palestinian enclave.
+The allegations prompted several countries, including the United States, to pause funding. Canada and Sweden announced this week they were resuming their funding the agency, which Israel described as a ""serious mistake"".  ""The return to funding UNRWA will not change the fact that the organization is part of the problem and will not be part of the solution in the Gaza Strip,"" the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
+When the allegations emerged, UNRWA fired some staff members, saying it acted to protect the agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, and an independent internal U.N. investigation was launched. UNRWA said some employees released into Gaza from Israeli detention reported having been pressured by Israeli authorities into falsely stating that staff took part in the Oct. 7 attack, according to a report by the agency dated February. ""What is at stake is the fate of the Palestinians today in Gaza in the short term who are going through an absolutely unprecedented humanitarian crisis,"" Lazzarini told RTS.  UNRWA runs schools, clinics and other social services in Gaza, and distributes humanitarian aid."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-palestinian-refugee-agency-risk-death-unrwa-chief-says-2024-03-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNRWA chief 'cautiously optimistic' some donors will resume funding soon[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, March 9 (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said he was cautiously optimistic some donors would start funding it again within weeks, warning it was ""at risk of death"" after Israel alleged some of its staff took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
+An independent review of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been launched under French former foreign minister Catherine Colonna, and her final report is expected to be published next month.
+""I am cautiously optimistic that within the next few weeks, and also following the publication of Catherine Colonna's report, a number of donors will return,"" UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RTS that was aired on Saturday.
+Lazzarini told RTS that UNRWA was at ""risk of death, at risk of dismantlement"".
+Colonna, whose work on the review began in mid-February, said on Saturday she would visit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Amman next week.
+UNRWA, which provides aid and essential services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and across the region, has been in crisis since Israel accused 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza of involvement in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war in the Palestinian enclave.
+The allegations prompted several countries, including the United States, to pause funding.
+Canada and Sweden announced this week they were resuming their funding the agency, which Israel described as a ""serious mistake"".
+""The return to funding UNRWA will not change the fact that the organization is part of the problem and will not be part of the solution in the Gaza Strip,"" the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
+When the allegations emerged, UNRWA fired some staff members, saying it acted to protect the agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, and an independent internal U.N. investigation was launched.
+UNRWA said some employees released into Gaza from Israeli detention reported having been pressured by Israeli authorities into falsely stating that staff took part in the Oct. 7 attack, according to a report by the agency dated February.
+""What is at stake is the fate of the Palestinians today in Gaza in the short term who are going through an absolutely unprecedented humanitarian crisis,"" Lazzarini told RTS.
+UNRWA runs schools, clinics and other social services in Gaza, and distributes humanitarian aid. The U.N. has said some 3,000 members of staff are still working to deliver aid in the enclave, where it says 576,000 people - one quarter of the population - are a step away from famine.
+""The agency I currently manage is the only agency that delivers public services to Palestinian refugees,"" Lazzarini said.
+""We are the quasi-ministry of education, of primary health. If we were to get rid of such a body, who would bring back the million of girls and boys who are traumatised in the Gaza Strip today back to a learning environment?""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The U.N. has said some 3,000 members of staff are still working to deliver aid in the enclave, where it says 576,000 people - one quarter of the population - are a step away from famine.  ""The agency I currently manage is the only agency that delivers public services to Palestinian refugees,"" Lazzarini said.
+""We are the quasi-ministry of education, of primary health. If we were to get rid of such a body, who would bring back the million of girls and boys who are traumatised in the Gaza Strip today back to a learning environment?""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/activist-slashes-painting-british-author-jewish-homeland-declaration-2024-03-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Activist slashes painting of British author of Jewish homeland declaration[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - A pro-Palestinian activist slashed a painting of the early 20th-century British foreign minister Arthur Balfour at Cambridge University on Friday, saying his 1917 declaration was the reason the Palestinians had lost their homeland to Israel.
+A video posted on social media by the Palestine Action protest group showed a woman spraying red paint over the life-size portrait before cutting it repeatedly with a knife - the latest in a flurry of protests prompted by the Israel-Hamas war.
+Balfour's declaration, made as Ottoman rule was crumbling in the Middle East and Britain a global power, said London would ""view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people"" and work toward it - albeit without prejudicing ""the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities"".
+It was the first time a major power had publicly expressed support for a Jewish homeland, gave a boost to the growing worldwide Zionist movement - and shaped what was to become interim British ""mandate"" rule of Palestine from 1918 onward.
+Palestinians have long demanded that Britain apologise for the 67-word statement.
+British oversight of Palestine ended traumatically in 1947-48 with war between Jews and Arabs, the declaration of the State of Israel and the exodus of some 750,000 Palestinians who were forced out or fled.
+""Balfour’s declaration began the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by promising the land away — which the British never had the right to do,"" Palestine Action said in a caption accompanying the clip.
+Last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for tougher policing of protests in light of an increase in hate speech.
+His government has particularly alleged threatening behaviour by some of those attending a wave of protests against the thousands of civilian deaths and the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip.
+Sunak said people had the right to protest, but could not use support for Gaza's Palestinians to justify backing Hamas, the armed movement that rules Gaza, which Britain considers a terrorist group.
+More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's military since Oct. 7, when Palestinian militants led by Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted 253, by Israeli counts.
+Cambridge's Trinity College said it regretted the damage, and that support was available for college members.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Activist slashes painting of British author of Jewish homeland declaration[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - A pro-Palestinian activist slashed a painting of the early 20th-century British foreign minister Arthur Balfour at Cambridge University on Friday, saying his 1917 declaration was the reason the Palestinians had lost their homeland to Israel. A video posted on social media by the Palestine Action protest group showed a woman spraying red paint over the life-size portrait before cutting it repeatedly with a knife - the latest in a flurry of protests prompted by the Israel-Hamas war.
+Balfour's declaration, made as Ottoman rule was crumbling in the Middle East and Britain a global power, said London would ""view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people"" and work toward it - albeit without prejudicing ""the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities"". It was the first time a major power had publicly expressed support for a Jewish homeland, gave a boost to the growing worldwide Zionist movement - and shaped what was to become interim British ""mandate"" rule of Palestine from 1918 onward.
+Palestinians have long demanded that Britain apologise for the 67-word statement.  British oversight of Palestine ended traumatically in 1947-48 with war between Jews and Arabs, the declaration of the State of Israel and the exodus of some 750,000 Palestinians who were forced out or fled. ""Balfour’s declaration began the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by promising the land away — which the British never had the right to do,"" Palestine Action said in a caption accompanying the clip. Last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for tougher policing of protests in light of an increase in hate speech. His government has particularly alleged threatening behaviour by some of those attending a wave of protests against the thousands of civilian deaths and the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip. Sunak said people had the right to protest, but could not use support for Gaza's Palestinians to justify backing Hamas, the armed movement that rules Gaza, which Britain considers a terrorist group. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's military since Oct. 7, when Palestinian militants led by Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted 253, by Israeli counts. Cambridge's Trinity College said it regretted the damage, and that support was available for college members.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-says-it-will-resume-funding-un-palestinian-refugee-agency-2024-03-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Canada says it will resume funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OTTAWA, March 8 (Reuters) - Canada will resume funding to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, International Aid Minister Ahmed Hussen said on Friday, becoming one of the first international donors to announce such a move.
+Ottawa paused funding on Jan. 26 after Israel alleged some of the staff at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) agency had been involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
+""Canada will be lifting its temporary pause on funding to (UNRWA),"" Hussen said in a statement, but did not say exactly when this would happen. ""UNRWA plays a vital role in Gaza.""
+Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that Ottawa was waiting for the results of an internal United Nations probe into the Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA staff had been involved in the attacks in which around 1,200 people died, according to Israeli tallies.
+A total of 16 donors, including the United States and Britain, paused their funding to UNRWA.
+Hussen said Canada had reviewed the interim report of the U.N. investigation and looked forward to the final version.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Canada says it will resume funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency[/TITLE] [CONTENT]OTTAWA, March 8 (Reuters) - Canada will resume funding to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, International Aid Minister Ahmed Hussen said on Friday, becoming one of the first international donors to announce such a move.  Ottawa paused funding on Jan. 26 after Israel alleged some of the staff at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) agency had been involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
+""Canada will be lifting its temporary pause on funding to (UNRWA),"" Hussen said in a statement, but did not say exactly when this would happen. ""UNRWA plays a vital role in Gaza."" Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that Ottawa was waiting for the results of an internal United Nations probe into the Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA staff had been involved in the attacks in which around 1,200 people died, according to Israeli tallies. A total of 16 donors, including the United States and Britain, paused their funding to UNRWA. Hussen said Canada had reviewed the interim report of the U.N. investigation and looked forward to the final version.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-expert-torture-examines-treatment-palestinian-detainees-2024-03-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. expert on torture examines treatment of Palestinian detainees[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, March 8 (Reuters) - The United Nations expert on torture said on Friday she was investigating allegations of torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees in Israel, and was in talks to visit the country.
+Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Dr Alice Jill Edwards said she had recently received allegations of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinians being detained in the Israeli-occupied West Bank or as a result of the conflict in Gaza, where Israel is fighting the ruling Palestinian Hamas movement.
+""I'm looking into that as we speak and carrying out a fact-finding investigation,"" said Edwards, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
+""I'm calling on ... Hamas, the state of Palestine, Israel to put their torture tools down, to really have a focus on peace and a prospect of living side-by-side as neighbours in the future.""
+The Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva confirmed that it had received Edwards' request to visit Israel, which was passed on to Jerusalem for further consideration.
+The U.N. human rights office says it has received numerous reports of mass detention, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance of Palestinians in northern Gaza by the Israeli military, and has recorded the arrests of thousands in the West Bank.
+The Israeli military has said its operation in Gaza is designed to ""dismantle Hamas' military capabilities"" and rescue hostages captured by Hamas in the attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 that triggered the conflict.
+""Israel denies general and unsubstantiated claims regarding abuse of detainees in the IDF's detention facilities. The mistreatment of detainees during their time in detention or whilst under interrogation violates IDF values and contravenes IDF orders and is therefore absolutely prohibited,"" the Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva said in a statement to Reuters.
+Edwards said she had also raised allegations of mass murders and mutilations of hostages and sexual violence against them with Palestinian authorities through the Palestinian Permanent Mission in Geneva.
+She said she had, however, received ""a disappointing reply"" that ""showed no empathy for those individuals who were subject to terrible atrocities on the 7th of October"".
+The mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Israel says Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 Israelis and abducted 253 on Oct. 7. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says Israel has killed almost 31,000 Palestinians in its retaliatory offensive.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. expert on torture examines treatment of Palestinian detainees[/TITLE] [CONTENT]GENEVA, March 8 (Reuters) - The United Nations expert on torture said on Friday she was investigating allegations of torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees in Israel, and was in talks to visit the country. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Dr Alice Jill Edwards said she had recently received allegations of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinians being detained in the Israeli-occupied West Bank or as a result of the conflict in Gaza, where Israel is fighting the ruling Palestinian Hamas movement. ""I'm looking into that as we speak and carrying out a fact-finding investigation,"" said Edwards, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. ""I'm calling on ... Hamas, the state of Palestine, Israel to put their torture tools down, to really have a focus on peace and a prospect of living side-by-side as neighbours in the future."" The Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva confirmed that it had received Edwards' request to visit Israel, which was passed on to Jerusalem for further consideration.  The U.N. human rights office says it has received numerous reports of mass detention, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance of Palestinians in northern Gaza by the Israeli military, and has recorded the arrests of thousands in the West Bank.
+The Israeli military has said its operation in Gaza is designed to ""dismantle Hamas' military capabilities"" and rescue hostages captured by Hamas in the attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 that triggered the conflict.
+"" Israel denies general and unsubstantiated claims regarding abuse of detainees in the IDF's detention facilities. The mistreatment of detainees during their time in detention or whilst under interrogation violates IDF values and contravenes IDF orders and is therefore absolutely prohibited,"" the Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva said in a statement to Reuters. Edwards said she had also raised allegations of mass murders and mutilations of hostages and sexual violence against them with Palestinian authorities through the Palestinian Permanent Mission in Geneva. She said she had, however, received ""a disappointing reply"" that ""showed no empathy for those individuals who were subject to terrible atrocities on the 7th of October"". The mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  Israel says Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 Israelis and abducted 253 on Oct. 7. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says Israel has killed almost 31,000 Palestinians in its retaliatory offensive.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/canada-pm-trudeau-says-no-decision-yet-funding-un-palestinian-refugee-agency-2024-03-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Canada PM Trudeau says no decision yet on funding for UN Palestinian refugee agency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OTTAWA, March 7 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said Ottawa had not decided whether it would resume funding to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency after Israel alleged some staff had been involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
+Earlier this week the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Associated Press cited unnamed government sources as saying Canada would reverse its Jan 26 decision to pause any additional funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
+But Trudeau, asked directly whether this was the case, said Ottawa was waiting for the results of an internal United Nations probe into the Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA staff had been involved in the attacks in which around 1,200 people died, according to Israeli tallies.
+""We're not making any announcements today ... we will continue to look at this situation. We will continue to watch the U.N. as it looks into what's happening within this organization,"" he told reporters in Toronto.
+A total of 16 donors, including the United States and Britain, have paused their funding to UNRWA.
+""The ongoing humanitarian crisis and disaster in Gaza is heart wrenching for everyone. We know how important it is to get aid into Gaza,"" said Trudeau, saying people in the enclave faced starvation. Local Gaza health officials say almost 31,000 people have died in Israel's offensive.
+Trudeau said no one could remain indifferent to the suffering in Gaza and noted ""Canadians have very strong feelings about the conflict"".
+Police in Toronto, Canada's largest city, say the number of antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes has spiked significantly since the start of the conflict.
+Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters on Saturday blocked entrances to a Toronto building where Trudeau was due to host a reception for visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The event was canceled.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Canada PM Trudeau says no decision yet on funding for UN Palestinian refugee agency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OTTAWA, March 7 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said Ottawa had not decided whether it would resume funding to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency after Israel alleged some staff had been involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Earlier this week the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Associated Press cited unnamed government sources as saying Canada would reverse its Jan 26 decision to pause any additional funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). But Trudeau, asked directly whether this was the case, said Ottawa was waiting for the results of an internal United Nations probe into the Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA staff had been involved in the attacks in which around 1,200 people died, according to Israeli tallies.  ""We're not making any announcements today ... we will continue to look at this situation. We will continue to watch the U.N. as it looks into what's happening within this organization,"" he told reporters in Toronto. A total of 16 donors, including the United States and Britain, have paused their funding to UNRWA.  ""The ongoing humanitarian crisis and disaster in Gaza is heart wrenching for everyone. We know how important it is to get aid into Gaza,"" said Trudeau, saying people in the enclave faced starvation. Local Gaza health officials say almost 31,000 people have died in Israel's offensive. Trudeau said no one could remain indifferent to the suffering in Gaza and noted ""Canadians have very strong feelings about the conflict"". Police in Toronto, Canada's largest city, say the number of antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes has spiked significantly since the start of the conflict. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters on Saturday blocked entrances to a Toronto building where Trudeau was due to host a reception for visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The event was canceled.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/unrwa-head-warns-concerted-campaign-end-its-operations-2024-03-04/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNRWA head warns of 'concerted campaign' to end its operations[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, March 4 (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency warned on Monday of ""a deliberate and concerted campaign"" aimed at ending its operations as Israel accused the organization of employing over 450 ""military operatives"" from Hamas and other armed groups.
+Philippe Lazzarini did not specifically address the latest allegations made by the Israeli military on Monday, but he called out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for ""openly stating that UNRWA will not be part of post-war Gaza.""
+""UNRWA is facing a deliberate and concerted campaign to undermine its operations, and ultimately end them,"" Lazzarini - head of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) - told the U.N. General Assembly.
+""The implementation of this plan is already underway with the destruction of our infrastructure across the Gaza Strip,"" he said. ""Dismantling UNRWA is short sighted. By doing so, we will sacrifice an entire generation of children, sowing the seeds of hatred, resentment, and future conflict.""
+Lazzarini told the 193-member assembly that UNRWA was ""functioning hand-to-mouth"" after 16 countries paused a total of $450 million in funding when Israel in January accused 12 UNRWA staff of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.
+The UNRWA staff were fired and an independent internal U.N. investigation launched.
+""The fate of the agency, and the millions of people who depend on it, hang in the balance,"" Lazzarini told the General Assembly, describing UNRWA as ""the backbone of humanitarian assistance in Gaza.""
+UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running schools, healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid. The U.N. has said some 3,000 are currently still working to deliver aid in Gaza, where 576,000 people - one quarter of the population - are one step away from famine.
+""In Gaza, the U.N. is a terror organization itself,"" Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the General Assembly earlier on Monday.
+The war in Gaza was triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, when around 1,200 people were killed and 253 hostages seized, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's air and ground campaign in Gaza has since killed around 30,000 Palestinians, health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNRWA head warns of 'concerted campaign' to end its operations[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, March 4 (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency warned on Monday of ""a deliberate and concerted campaign"" aimed at ending its operations as Israel accused the organization of employing over 450 ""military operatives"" from Hamas and other armed groups.  Philippe Lazzarini did not specifically address the latest allegations made by the Israeli military on Monday, but he called out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for ""openly stating that UNRWA will not be part of post-war Gaza. "" ""UNRWA is facing a deliberate and concerted campaign to undermine its operations, and ultimately end them,"" Lazzarini - head of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) - told the U.N. General Assembly.  ""The implementation of this plan is already underway with the destruction of our infrastructure across the Gaza Strip,"" he said. ""Dismantling UNRWA is short sighted. By doing so, we will sacrifice an entire generation of children, sowing the seeds of hatred, resentment, and future conflict."" Lazzarini told the 193-member assembly that UNRWA was ""functioning hand-to-mouth"" after 16 countries paused a total of $450 million in funding when Israel in January accused 12 UNRWA staff of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants. The UNRWA staff were fired and an independent internal U.N. investigation launched. ""The fate of the agency, and the millions of people who depend on it, hang in the balance,"" Lazzarini told the General Assembly, describing UNRWA as ""the backbone of humanitarian assistance in Gaza.""  UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running schools, healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid. The U.N. has said some 3,000 are currently still working to deliver aid in Gaza, where 576,000 people - one quarter of the population - are one step away from famine. ""In Gaza, the U.N. is a terror organization itself,"" Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the General Assembly earlier on Monday. The war in Gaza was triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, when around 1,200 people were killed and 253 hostages seized, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's air and ground campaign in Gaza has since killed around 30,000 Palestinians, health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/jack-teixeira-plead-guilty-massive-leak-pentagon-secrets-2024-03-04/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pentagon leak defendant Jack Teixeira pleads guilty, faces years in prison[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BOSTON, March 4 (Reuters) - Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard charged with leaking classified military documents on a social media platform, pleaded guilty on Monday to carrying out one of the most serious U.S. national security breaches in years.
+Teixeira, who has remained in custody since his arrest last April, admitted wrongdoing during a hearing in federal court in Boston after striking a plea deal, opens new tab with prosecutors who plan to ask a judge to sentence him to over 16 years in prison.
+The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to national defense over a leak last year of a trove of classified records to a group of gamers on the messaging app Discord.
+Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, who heads the U.S. Department of Justice's National Security Division, at a press conference said the plea ""brings a measure of closure to a chapter that created profound harms for our nation's security.""
+In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed not to charge Teixeira with further violations of the Espionage Act.
+The plea deal calls for a sentence of at least 11 years in prison, and prosecutors plan to ask U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to sentence Teixeira to 16 years, eight months in custody. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 27.
+Before his arrest at his mother's house in North Dighton, Massachusetts, Teixeira had been an airman 1st class at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, where he worked as a cyber defense operations journeyman, or information technology support specialist.
+Despite being a low-level airman, Teixeira held a top-secret security clearance, and starting in January 2022 began accessing hundreds of classified documents related to topics including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to prosecutors.
+He did so even though his superiors admonished him twice in 2022 about his handling of classified information and warned him against conducting “deep dives” into intelligence information, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey said in court on Monday.
+Under the username ""TheExcaliburEffect,"" Teixeira shared classified information on Discord in private servers - a kind of chat room - while bragging he had access to ""stuff for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iran and China.""
+The leaked documents held highly classified information on allies and adversaries, with details ranging from troop movements in Ukraine to Israel's Mossad spy agency.
+Michael Bachrach, a lawyer for Teixeira, told reporters that his client was ""unfortunately very much a kid"" whose youth played a significant role in his actions.
+""He is significantly remorseful for his conduct,"" Bachrach said.
+In December, the U.S. Air Force announced it had moved to discipline 15 personnel over the leak and relieved Colonel Sean Riley of the command of the unit to which Teixeira belonged.
+It did so after an Air Force inspector general report on the incident found that some members of Teixeria's unit and leadership ""had information about as many as four separate instances of his questionable activity.""
+A smaller number of people had a more complete picture of his intelligence-seeking behavior and ""intentionally failed to report the full details of these security concerns/incidents,"" the report said.
+Olsen, the Justice Department official, told reporters the Defense Department is now undertaking a ""thorough review"" of how it monitors access to classified information. The Defense Department had no immediate comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pentagon leak defendant Jack Teixeira pleads guilty, faces years in prison[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BOSTON, March 4 (Reuters) - Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard charged with leaking classified military documents on a social media platform, pleaded guilty on Monday to carrying out one of the most serious U.S. national security breaches in years. Teixeira, who has remained in custody since his arrest last April, admitted wrongdoing during a hearing in federal court in Boston after striking a plea deal, opens new tab with prosecutors who plan to ask a judge to sentence him to over 16 years in prison.  The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to national defense over a leak last year of a trove of classified records to a group of gamers on the messaging app Discord. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, who heads the U.S. Department of Justice's National Security Division, at a press conference said the plea ""brings a measure of closure to a chapter that created profound harms for our nation's security."" In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed not to charge Teixeira with further violations of the Espionage Act.  The plea deal calls for a sentence of at least 11 years in prison, and prosecutors plan to ask U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to sentence Teixeira to 16 years, eight months in custody. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 27. Before his arrest at his mother's house in North Dighton, Massachusetts, Teixeira had been an airman 1st class at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, where he worked as a cyber defense operations journeyman, or information technology support specialist. Despite being a low-level airman, Teixeira held a top-secret security clearance, and starting in January 2022 began accessing hundreds of classified documents related to topics including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to prosecutors.
+He did so even though his superiors admonished him twice in 2022 about his handling of classified information and warned him against conducting “deep dives” into intelligence information, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey said in court on Monday.  Under the username ""TheExcaliburEffect,"" Teixeira shared classified information on Discord in private servers - a kind of chat room - while bragging he had access to ""stuff for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iran and China.""
+The leaked documents held highly classified information on allies and adversaries, with details ranging from troop movements in Ukraine to Israel's Mossad spy agency."
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/jack-teixeira-plead-guilty-massive-leak-pentagon-secrets-2024-03-04/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pentagon leak defendant Jack Teixeira pleads guilty, faces years in prison[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BOSTON, March 4 (Reuters) - Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard charged with leaking classified military documents on a social media platform, pleaded guilty on Monday to carrying out one of the most serious U.S. national security breaches in years.
+Teixeira, who has remained in custody since his arrest last April, admitted wrongdoing during a hearing in federal court in Boston after striking a plea deal, opens new tab with prosecutors who plan to ask a judge to sentence him to over 16 years in prison.
+The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to national defense over a leak last year of a trove of classified records to a group of gamers on the messaging app Discord.
+Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, who heads the U.S. Department of Justice's National Security Division, at a press conference said the plea ""brings a measure of closure to a chapter that created profound harms for our nation's security.""
+In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed not to charge Teixeira with further violations of the Espionage Act.
+The plea deal calls for a sentence of at least 11 years in prison, and prosecutors plan to ask U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to sentence Teixeira to 16 years, eight months in custody. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 27.
+Before his arrest at his mother's house in North Dighton, Massachusetts, Teixeira had been an airman 1st class at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, where he worked as a cyber defense operations journeyman, or information technology support specialist.
+Despite being a low-level airman, Teixeira held a top-secret security clearance, and starting in January 2022 began accessing hundreds of classified documents related to topics including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to prosecutors.
+He did so even though his superiors admonished him twice in 2022 about his handling of classified information and warned him against conducting “deep dives” into intelligence information, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey said in court on Monday.
+Under the username ""TheExcaliburEffect,"" Teixeira shared classified information on Discord in private servers - a kind of chat room - while bragging he had access to ""stuff for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iran and China.""
+The leaked documents held highly classified information on allies and adversaries, with details ranging from troop movements in Ukraine to Israel's Mossad spy agency.
+Michael Bachrach, a lawyer for Teixeira, told reporters that his client was ""unfortunately very much a kid"" whose youth played a significant role in his actions.
+""He is significantly remorseful for his conduct,"" Bachrach said.
+In December, the U.S. Air Force announced it had moved to discipline 15 personnel over the leak and relieved Colonel Sean Riley of the command of the unit to which Teixeira belonged.
+It did so after an Air Force inspector general report on the incident found that some members of Teixeria's unit and leadership ""had information about as many as four separate instances of his questionable activity.""
+A smaller number of people had a more complete picture of his intelligence-seeking behavior and ""intentionally failed to report the full details of these security concerns/incidents,"" the report said.
+Olsen, the Justice Department official, told reporters the Defense Department is now undertaking a ""thorough review"" of how it monitors access to classified information. The Defense Department had no immediate comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Michael Bachrach, a lawyer for Teixeira, told reporters that his client was ""unfortunately very much a kid"" whose youth played a significant role in his actions. ""He is significantly remorseful for his conduct,"" Bachrach said.  In December, the U.S. Air Force announced it had moved to discipline 15 personnel over the leak and relieved Colonel Sean Riley of the command of the unit to which Teixeira belonged.  It did so after an Air Force inspector general report on the incident found that some members of Teixeria's unit and leadership ""had information about as many as four separate instances of his questionable activity. ""
+A smaller number of people had a more complete picture of his intelligence-seeking behavior and ""intentionally failed to report the full details of these security concerns/incidents,"" the report said.  Olsen, the Justice Department official, told reporters the Defense Department is now undertaking a ""thorough review"" of how it monitors access to classified information. The Defense Department had no immediate comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/two-months-after-failed-voyage-14500-australian-livestock-sail-again-israel-2024-03-04/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Two months after failed voyage, 14,500 Australian livestock sail again for Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CANBERRA, March 4 (Reuters) - Around 14,500 livestock sailed from Australia to Israel on Sunday for the second time, two months after their first voyage was curtailed by the threat of attack by Houthi militants in the Red Sea.
+The animals left Fremantle port in Perth on Jan. 5 but halfway to the Middle East, their ship abandoned its route and was ordered home by the Australian government.
+The turn-back was part of the havoc wrought by the Houthi strikes in support of Hamas militants in Palestine that have forced shippers to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa.
+The livestock endured weeks of limbo aboard the vessel and, since disembarking in mid-February, in holding facilities on land, where Australia's biosecurity laws require they must be quarantined.
+Activists and some politicians branded the animals' treatment as torture and demanded a swift end to the live sheep trade, but the government and industry say they have been in good condition and health.
+The agriculture ministry said in mid-February that four cattle and 64 sheep had died on board the Bahijah since it set sail on Jan. 5 but that these were below reportable mortality levels.
+The livestock were loaded onto the same ship they first sailed on, the MV Bahijah, over the weekend and left Fremantle on Sunday, said Geoff Pearson, the head of livestock at farm group WAFarmers.
+He said around 14,000 sheep and 500 cattle were on board and the remaining cattle would be exported on other ships in the coming weeks.
+The agriculture ministry said it had approved the shipment.
+""The exporter intends to transport the livestock to Israel without passing through the Red Sea,"" it said in a statement.
+The route from Australia around Africa to Israel takes around 33 days, industry figures say.
+Reuters has been unable to contact the exporter, Bassem Dabbah. The ship's manager, Korkyra Shipping, has not responded to requests for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Two months after failed voyage, 14,500 Australian livestock sail again for Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CANBERRA, March 4 (Reuters) - Around 14,500 livestock sailed from Australia to Israel on Sunday for the second time, two months after their first voyage was curtailed by the threat of attack by Houthi militants in the Red Sea. The animals left Fremantle port in Perth on Jan. 5 but halfway to the Middle East, their ship abandoned its route and was ordered home by the Australian government. The turn-back was part of the havoc wrought by the Houthi strikes in support of Hamas militants in Palestine that have forced shippers to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa. The livestock endured weeks of limbo aboard the vessel and, since disembarking in mid-February, in holding facilities on land, where Australia's biosecurity laws require they must be quarantined.
+Activists and some politicians branded the animals' treatment as torture and demanded a swift end to the live sheep trade, but the government and industry say they have been in good condition and health.  The agriculture ministry said in mid-February that four cattle and 64 sheep had died on board the Bahijah since it set sail on Jan. 5 but that these were below reportable mortality levels. The livestock were loaded onto the same ship they first sailed on, the MV Bahijah, over the weekend and left Fremantle on Sunday, said Geoff Pearson, the head of livestock at farm group WAFarmers. He said around 14,000 sheep and 500 cattle were on board and the remaining cattle would be exported on other ships in the coming weeks. The agriculture ministry said it had approved the shipment. ""The exporter intends to transport the livestock to Israel without passing through the Red Sea,"" it said in a statement. The route from Australia around Africa to Israel takes around 33 days, industry figures say. Reuters has been unable to contact the exporter, Bassem Dabbah. The ship's manager, Korkyra Shipping, has not responded to requests for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pope-francis-recovering-bronchitis-calls-end-gaza-conflict-2024-03-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope Francis, recovering from bronchitis, calls for end of Gaza conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, March 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for an end to the conflict in Gaza, as he showed signs of recovery after suffering from bronchitis.
+On Saturday the 87-year-old pope delegated the reading of a speech at a ceremony to an aide, and on Wednesday he made a brief trip to a Rome hospital after he missed reading at his weekly audience, saying he had ""a bit of cold"".
+""Each day I carry in my heart with pain the suffering of the populations in Palestine and Israel due to the ongoing hostilities, thousands of dead, injured, displaced,"" Francis said, speaking by himself with a clear voice at the Angelus payer in Rome.
+Addressing believers in St Peter's Square, Francis stressed the consequences of the conflict on children and asked for the release of all the hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7 raid.
+""Do you really think you can build a better world in this way? Do you really think you will achieve peace? Enough please! Let us all say enough please! Stop!"" Francis said
+Francis has had a number of health issues in recent months.
+He was forced to cancel a planned trip to a COP28 climate meeting in Dubai at the start of December because of the effects of influenza and lung inflammation.
+In January, he was unable to complete a speech owing to ""a touch of bronchitis"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope Francis, recovering from bronchitis, calls for end of Gaza conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, March 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for an end to the conflict in Gaza, as he showed signs of recovery after suffering from bronchitis.  On Saturday the 87-year-old pope delegated the reading of a speech at a ceremony to an aide, and on Wednesday he made a brief trip to a Rome hospital after he missed reading at his weekly audience, saying he had ""a bit of cold"". ""Each day I carry in my heart with pain the suffering of the populations in Palestine and Israel due to the ongoing hostilities, thousands of dead, injured, displaced,"" Francis said, speaking by himself with a clear voice at the Angelus payer in Rome.  Addressing believers in St Peter's Square, Francis stressed the consequences of the conflict on children and asked for the release of all the hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7 raid.
+""Do you really think you can build a better world in this way? Do you really think you will achieve peace? Enough please! Let us all say enough please! Stop!"" Francis said
+Francis has had a number of health issues in recent months. He was forced to cancel a planned trip to a COP28 climate meeting in Dubai at the start of December because of the effects of influenza and lung inflammation.  In January, he was unable to complete a speech owing to ""a touch of bronchitis"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/irish-soccer-team-did-not-turn-away-during-israels-anthem-2024-02-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Irish soccer team did not turn away during Israel’s anthem[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]The Ireland Under-17 women’s soccer team did not turn their backs as Israel’s national anthem played before a match on Feb. 23, spokespeople from both countries’ soccer associations, as well as Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA, told Reuters.
+Since-deleted footage posted online by Al Jazeera Sports, opens new tab, shared by other social media users, opens new tab, shows Irish players with their backs turned on the pitch as the Israeli anthem plays. Their Israeli opponents are seen facing the camera.
+“In solidarity with Palestine, the players of the Irish under-17 women's football team turn their backs while the Israeli anthem is played, before their match in the qualifiers for the European Championship 2024,” Al Jazeera Sports captioned the video in Arabic.
+Ireland won 3-0 in the UEFA European Women’s U-17 Championship, opens new tab qualifier against Israel on Feb. 23.
+There is, however, no evidence that the Irish team turned their backs as Israel’s anthem played ahead of kick-off.
+The event was streamed live on YouTube, opens new tab by the soccer association in Albania, where the match was played, and shows the Irish players facing the camera along with their Israeli opponents during the Israeli national anthem, before clapping and turning to face the other direction as the Irish anthem begins.
+TURNING TO THE TRICOLOUR
+Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA, as well as spokespersons for Ireland and Israel’s soccer associations, told Reuters separately that the Irish players only turned around during the Irish anthem. This was so they could face the Irish flag, which was positioned in the stand behind them, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said.
+UEFA's press office added that the Irish players also turned toward their flag ahead of their Feb. 20 match against Albania, opens new tab, the livestream for which is also available on YouTube, opens new tab.
+In a statement shared with Reuters via email, the FAI said: “Both teams were facing in the same direction during the Israeli national anthem before the Ireland team turned to face the tricolour, as is tradition amongst many Irish teams, for the playing of Amhrán na bhFiann.”
+An Israel Football Association (IFA) spokesperson told Reuters via WhatsApp that the Ireland players respected the Israel national anthem.
+The IFA spokesperson said the game ""was played in the most respectful and appropriate manner on the part of both teams.""
+Al Jazeera Sports did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
+VERDICT
+Altered. The livestream shows the Irish players facing the same direction as their Israeli opponents while the Israeli anthem plays. They turn to face the opposite way as the Irish anthem begins, which UEFA and the FAI said was so they could face the Irish flag.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Irish soccer team did not turn away during Israel’s anthem[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]The Ireland Under-17 women’s soccer team did not turn their backs as Israel’s national anthem played before a match on Feb. 23, spokespeople from both countries’ soccer associations, as well as Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA, told Reuters. Since-deleted footage posted online by Al Jazeera Sports, opens new tab, shared by other social media users, opens new tab, shows Irish players with their backs turned on the pitch as the Israeli anthem plays. Their Israeli opponents are seen facing the camera.
+“In solidarity with Palestine, the players of the Irish under-17 women's football team turn their backs while the Israeli anthem is played, before their match in the qualifiers for the European Championship 2024,” Al Jazeera Sports captioned the video in Arabic. Ireland won 3-0 in the UEFA European Women’s U-17 Championship, opens new tab qualifier against Israel on Feb. 23. There is, however, no evidence that the Irish team turned their backs as Israel’s anthem played ahead of kick-off. The event was streamed live on YouTube, opens new tab by the soccer association in Albania, where the match was played, and shows the Irish players facing the camera along with their Israeli opponents during the Israeli national anthem, before clapping and turning to face the other direction as the Irish anthem begins. TURNING TO THE TRICOLOUR
+Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA, as well as spokespersons for Ireland and Israel’s soccer associations, told Reuters separately that the Irish players only turned around during the Irish anthem. This was so they could face the Irish flag, which was positioned in the stand behind them, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said. UEFA's press office added that the Irish players also turned toward their flag ahead of their Feb. 20 match against Albania, opens new tab, the livestream for which is also available on YouTube, opens new tab. In a statement shared with Reuters via email, the FAI said: “Both teams were facing in the same direction during the Israeli national anthem before the Ireland team turned to face the tricolour, as is tradition amongst many Irish teams, for the playing of Amhrán na bhFiann.” An Israel Football Association (IFA) spokesperson told Reuters via WhatsApp that the Ireland players respected the Israel national anthem.
+The IFA spokesperson said the game ""was played in the most respectful and appropriate manner on the part of both teams."" Al Jazeera Sports did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.  VERDICT
+Altered."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/irish-soccer-team-did-not-turn-away-during-israels-anthem-2024-02-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Irish soccer team did not turn away during Israel’s anthem[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]The Ireland Under-17 women’s soccer team did not turn their backs as Israel’s national anthem played before a match on Feb. 23, spokespeople from both countries’ soccer associations, as well as Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA, told Reuters.
+Since-deleted footage posted online by Al Jazeera Sports, opens new tab, shared by other social media users, opens new tab, shows Irish players with their backs turned on the pitch as the Israeli anthem plays. Their Israeli opponents are seen facing the camera.
+“In solidarity with Palestine, the players of the Irish under-17 women's football team turn their backs while the Israeli anthem is played, before their match in the qualifiers for the European Championship 2024,” Al Jazeera Sports captioned the video in Arabic.
+Ireland won 3-0 in the UEFA European Women’s U-17 Championship, opens new tab qualifier against Israel on Feb. 23.
+There is, however, no evidence that the Irish team turned their backs as Israel’s anthem played ahead of kick-off.
+The event was streamed live on YouTube, opens new tab by the soccer association in Albania, where the match was played, and shows the Irish players facing the camera along with their Israeli opponents during the Israeli national anthem, before clapping and turning to face the other direction as the Irish anthem begins.
+TURNING TO THE TRICOLOUR
+Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA, as well as spokespersons for Ireland and Israel’s soccer associations, told Reuters separately that the Irish players only turned around during the Irish anthem. This was so they could face the Irish flag, which was positioned in the stand behind them, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said.
+UEFA's press office added that the Irish players also turned toward their flag ahead of their Feb. 20 match against Albania, opens new tab, the livestream for which is also available on YouTube, opens new tab.
+In a statement shared with Reuters via email, the FAI said: “Both teams were facing in the same direction during the Israeli national anthem before the Ireland team turned to face the tricolour, as is tradition amongst many Irish teams, for the playing of Amhrán na bhFiann.”
+An Israel Football Association (IFA) spokesperson told Reuters via WhatsApp that the Ireland players respected the Israel national anthem.
+The IFA spokesperson said the game ""was played in the most respectful and appropriate manner on the part of both teams.""
+Al Jazeera Sports did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
+VERDICT
+Altered. The livestream shows the Irish players facing the same direction as their Israeli opponents while the Israeli anthem plays. They turn to face the opposite way as the Irish anthem begins, which UEFA and the FAI said was so they could face the Irish flag.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The livestream shows the Irish players facing the same direction as their Israeli opponents while the Israeli anthem plays. They turn to face the opposite way as the Irish anthem begins, which UEFA and the FAI said was so they could face the Irish flag.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/lebanon-home-wc-qualifier-v-australia-moved-canberra-2024-03-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Lebanon home WC qualifier v Australia moved to Canberra[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, March 1 (Reuters) - Lebanon's home World Cup qualifier against Australia has been switched to Canberra because of the instability in the Middle East caused by the conflict in Gaza, Football Australia (FA) said on Friday.
+Australia were scheduled to host Lebanon in Group I in Sydney on March 21 and will now also stage the return match at Canberra Stadium in the nation's capital five days later.
+""I think first and foremost we wanted to be good global citizens and support our counterparts at the Lebanon Football Association,"" FA chief executive James Johnson said in a news release.
+""For all intents and purposes this is a home game for Lebanon, despite it being played on Australian soil. Our team at Football Australia will be doing everything possible to assist them in the successful delivery of this match.""
+Palestinian health authorities say more than 30,000 people have died in Gaza in the five months since Israeli forces invaded the enclave in response to a deadly attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+Lebanon, who have never played at the World Cup finals, were also forced to move their previous home fixture in the second round of Asian qualifying to a neutral ground, drawing 0-0 with Palestine in the United Arab Emirates in November.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Lebanon home WC qualifier v Australia moved to Canberra[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, March 1 (Reuters) - Lebanon's home World Cup qualifier against Australia has been switched to Canberra because of the instability in the Middle East caused by the conflict in Gaza, Football Australia (FA) said on Friday. Australia were scheduled to host Lebanon in Group I in Sydney on March 21 and will now also stage the return match at Canberra Stadium in the nation's capital five days later.  ""I think first and foremost we wanted to be good global citizens and support our counterparts at the Lebanon Football Association,"" FA chief executive James Johnson said in a news release.
+"" For all intents and purposes this is a home game for Lebanon, despite it being played on Australian soil. Our team at Football Australia will be doing everything possible to assist them in the successful delivery of this match."" Palestinian health authorities say more than 30,000 people have died in Gaza in the five months since Israeli forces invaded the enclave in response to a deadly attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas. Lebanon, who have never played at the World Cup finals, were also forced to move their previous home fixture in the second round of Asian qualifying to a neutral ground, drawing 0-0 with Palestine in the United Arab Emirates in November. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-inquiry-into-unrwa-staff-hopes-get-material-shortly-israel-2024-02-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN inquiry into UNRWA staff hopes to get material shortly from Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Feb 29 (Reuters) - United Nations investigators expect to receive shortly materials from Israel related to its accusations that staff with the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency took part in the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants, a U.N. spokesman said on Thursday.
+The allegations became public five weeks ago when the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced it had fired some staff after Israel verbally provided the agency with information. Israel had accused 12 staffers, of which nine were fired, the U.N. later said.
+The independent, internal U.N. investigation by the Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was immediately launched as the United States - the largest donor to UNRWA - and other countries paused funding following the allegations.
+OIOS briefed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday on its work over the past month, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Thursday. Dujarric did not say when the investigation might be complete.
+""The investigation remains ongoing. OIOS will continue to seek and to corroborate additional information and to compare the information obtained with materials held by Israeli authorities, which OIOS expects to receive shortly,"" he said.
+""OIOS staff are planning to visit Israel soon to obtain information from Israeli authorities that may be relevant to the investigation. Cooperation with the OIOS investigation by Member States has thus far been adequate,"" Dujarric added.
+Guterres has described UNRWA as ""the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza"" and pledged to act immediately on any new information from Israel related to ""infiltration of Hamas"" in the world body.
+UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid. Guterres has said some 3,000 are currently still working to deliver aid.
+At least 576,000 people in the Gaza Strip - one quarter of the population - are one step away from famine, a senior U.N. aid official told the Security Council on Tuesday, warning that widespread famine could be ""almost inevitable"" without action.
+The war in Gaza began when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's air and ground campaign in Gaza has since killed around 30,000 Palestinians, health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN inquiry into UNRWA staff hopes to get material shortly from Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Feb 29 (Reuters) - United Nations investigators expect to receive shortly materials from Israel related to its accusations that staff with the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency took part in the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants, a U.N. spokesman said on Thursday. The allegations became public five weeks ago when the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced it had fired some staff after Israel verbally provided the agency with information. Israel had accused 12 staffers, of which nine were fired, the U.N. later said. The independent, internal U.N. investigation by the Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was immediately launched as the United States - the largest donor to UNRWA - and other countries paused funding following the allegations.  OIOS briefed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday on its work over the past month, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Thursday. Dujarric did not say when the investigation might be complete.  ""The investigation remains ongoing. OIOS will continue to seek and to corroborate additional information and to compare the information obtained with materials held by Israeli authorities, which OIOS expects to receive shortly,"" he said.  ""OIOS staff are planning to visit Israel soon to obtain information from Israeli authorities that may be relevant to the investigation. Cooperation with the OIOS investigation by Member States has thus far been adequate,"" Dujarric added. Guterres has described UNRWA as ""the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza"" and pledged to act immediately on any new information from Israel related to ""infiltration of Hamas"" in the world body.  UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid. Guterres has said some 3,000 are currently still working to deliver aid. At least 576,000 people in the Gaza Strip - one quarter of the population - are one step away from famine, a senior U.N. aid official told the Security Council on Tuesday, warning that widespread famine could be ""almost inevitable"" without action.  The war in Gaza began when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's air and ground campaign in Gaza has since killed around 30,000 Palestinians, health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-calls-palestinians-unite-moscow-talks-2024-02-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russia calls on Palestinians to unite at Moscow talks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday urged Palestinian groups holding talks in Moscow about the formation of a unified government to set aside their differences and unite for the sake of the Palestinian people.
+The talks between representatives of Hamas and the Fatah political faction come days after Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh resigned.
+Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Wednesday the shake-up was designed to build support for an expanded role for the Western-backed Palestinian Authority following Israel's war in Gaza against its ruling Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
+He said also that he hoped the Moscow talks would result in ""mutual understanding between all factions"" about the need to support a technocratic government.
+Addressing the Palestinian delegations, Lavrov said Moscow had long advocated direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority but that, for reasons beyond its control, they were not taking place.
+""One of the pretexts for postponing and rescheduling these negotiations is the lack of unity within Palestinian ranks. Sceptics have argued that it is impossible to negotiate when one does not know who speaks for the Palestinians,"" said Lavrov.
+""Jesus Christ was born in Palestine. One of his sayings is: 'A house divided against itself will not stand.' Christ is honoured by both Muslims and Christians. I think that quote reflects the challenge of restoring Palestinian unity.
+""It does not depend on anyone but the Palestinians themselves.""
+Lavrov said the Russian foreign ministry and Russian Middle East specialists were on hand to help and consult the delegates.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russia calls on Palestinians to unite at Moscow talks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday urged Palestinian groups holding talks in Moscow about the formation of a unified government to set aside their differences and unite for the sake of the Palestinian people. The talks between representatives of Hamas and the Fatah political faction come days after Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh resigned.
+Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Wednesday the shake-up was designed to build support for an expanded role for the Western-backed Palestinian Authority following Israel's war in Gaza against its ruling Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. He said also that he hoped the Moscow talks would result in ""mutual understanding between all factions"" about the need to support a technocratic government.
+Addressing the Palestinian delegations, Lavrov said Moscow had long advocated direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority but that, for reasons beyond its control, they were not taking place.
+""One of the pretexts for postponing and rescheduling these negotiations is the lack of unity within Palestinian ranks. Sceptics have argued that it is impossible to negotiate when one does not know who speaks for the Palestinians,"" said Lavrov. ""Jesus Christ was born in Palestine. One of his sayings is: 'A house divided against itself will not stand.' Christ is honoured by both Muslims and Christians. I think that quote reflects the challenge of restoring Palestinian unity. ""It does not depend on anyone but the Palestinians themselves.""
+Lavrov said the Russian foreign ministry and Russian Middle East specialists were on hand to help and consult the delegates.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/keys-lost-homes-gaza-become-latest-symbols-palestinian-displacement-2024-02-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Keys to lost homes in Gaza become latest symbols of Palestinian displacement[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Palestinians displaced by Israel's military offensive on Gaza are holding onto keys to damaged or destroyed homes as a symbol of their loss, a tradition dating back to the mass displacement of 1948.
+Most people in Gaza are refugees or descendants of refugees who fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation, an event known to Palestinians as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe.
+The keys to homes lost in 1948 have been handed down the generations of some refugee families, a symbol of what they consider their right to return - one of the most intractable issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Now, keys to homes bombarded in the Israel-Hamas war raging since October are also taking on a symbolic meaning.
+""History is repeating itself,"" said Hatem Al-Ferani, sheltering in a tent in Rafah, southern Gaza, with his family.
+""My grandfather took the key and left with it, hoping to come back, and I took the key hoping to return to my apartment and find it as it was.""
+Instead, during a week-long truce in November, Al-Ferani received pictures showing that the family home, an apartment in a block shared with his parents and brothers in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, had been destroyed.
+""This is the key to that home, which I worked hard for,"" he said, holding it up. ""I am now 44 years old. At this age, I need to start my life from the beginning and build a new house.""
+The war began when militants from Hamas, the Islamist group that has run Gaza since 2007, attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostage, according to Israel. It was the worst day of violence against Jews since the Holocaust.
+Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has responded with an air and ground offensive on Gaza that has killed more than 30,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry. It has laid waste to much of the territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million people, and caused widespread hunger and disease.
+SYMBOL OF A DREAM
+Hussein Abu Amsha is in a similar situation to that of Al-Ferani. He and his family are in a tent in Rafah, and during the truce he received a video that showed their home in Beit Hanoun, northeastern Gaza, had been bombarded.
+""This key is all that's left of the house,"" he said, showing a key fastened to a keyring made from a coin with the word ""Palestine"" on it, which he said dated back to the British Mandate period, before the creation of Israel.
+""The key represents the homeland for all of us. We cannot live without a homeland,"" said Abu Amsha. ""We hope to be able to go back, even if it's just to a tent on top of our house.""
+Mohammed Al-Majdalawi, displaced from Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, said he remembered his grandfather showing him an old key and recounting memories of 1948, and now he was going through a similar experience.
+""What did I do to Israel for them to destroy my home? The children of the world are living well while our children are living in humiliation, dying and getting sick in this cold,"" he said.
+In the West Bank, also dotted with refugee camps dating back to 1948, giant keys can be seen in various locations, part of an iconography of displacement whose meaning is understood by everyone there.
+""The key represents the right of return,"" said Mohammed Said, head of the media office of a committee administering Qalandia refugee camp, between Jerusalem and Ramallah.
+""The key is a metal object that can be made anywhere, but holding on to this key means that you have a dream to fulfil.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Keys to lost homes in Gaza become latest symbols of Palestinian displacement[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Palestinians displaced by Israel's military offensive on Gaza are holding onto keys to damaged or destroyed homes as a symbol of their loss, a tradition dating back to the mass displacement of 1948. Most people in Gaza are refugees or descendants of refugees who fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation, an event known to Palestinians as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe. The keys to homes lost in 1948 have been handed down the generations of some refugee families, a symbol of what they consider their right to return - one of the most intractable issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Now, keys to homes bombarded in the Israel-Hamas war raging since October are also taking on a symbolic meaning. ""History is repeating itself,"" said Hatem Al-Ferani, sheltering in a tent in Rafah, southern Gaza, with his family.
+"" My grandfather took the key and left with it, hoping to come back, and I took the key hoping to return to my apartment and find it as it was."" Instead, during a week-long truce in November, Al-Ferani received pictures showing that the family home, an apartment in a block shared with his parents and brothers in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, had been destroyed.  ""This is the key to that home, which I worked hard for,"" he said, holding it up. ""I am now 44 years old. At this age, I need to start my life from the beginning and build a new house.""
+The war began when militants from Hamas, the Islamist group that has run Gaza since 2007, attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostage, according to Israel. It was the worst day of violence against Jews since the Holocaust.  Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has responded with an air and ground offensive on Gaza that has killed more than 30,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry. It has laid waste to much of the territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million people, and caused widespread hunger and disease.  SYMBOL OF A DREAM
+Hussein Abu Amsha is in a similar situation to that of Al-Ferani. He and his family are in a tent in Rafah, and during the truce he received a video that showed their home in Beit Hanoun, northeastern Gaza, had been bombarded."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/keys-lost-homes-gaza-become-latest-symbols-palestinian-displacement-2024-02-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Keys to lost homes in Gaza become latest symbols of Palestinian displacement[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Palestinians displaced by Israel's military offensive on Gaza are holding onto keys to damaged or destroyed homes as a symbol of their loss, a tradition dating back to the mass displacement of 1948.
+Most people in Gaza are refugees or descendants of refugees who fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation, an event known to Palestinians as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe.
+The keys to homes lost in 1948 have been handed down the generations of some refugee families, a symbol of what they consider their right to return - one of the most intractable issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Now, keys to homes bombarded in the Israel-Hamas war raging since October are also taking on a symbolic meaning.
+""History is repeating itself,"" said Hatem Al-Ferani, sheltering in a tent in Rafah, southern Gaza, with his family.
+""My grandfather took the key and left with it, hoping to come back, and I took the key hoping to return to my apartment and find it as it was.""
+Instead, during a week-long truce in November, Al-Ferani received pictures showing that the family home, an apartment in a block shared with his parents and brothers in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, had been destroyed.
+""This is the key to that home, which I worked hard for,"" he said, holding it up. ""I am now 44 years old. At this age, I need to start my life from the beginning and build a new house.""
+The war began when militants from Hamas, the Islamist group that has run Gaza since 2007, attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostage, according to Israel. It was the worst day of violence against Jews since the Holocaust.
+Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has responded with an air and ground offensive on Gaza that has killed more than 30,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry. It has laid waste to much of the territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million people, and caused widespread hunger and disease.
+SYMBOL OF A DREAM
+Hussein Abu Amsha is in a similar situation to that of Al-Ferani. He and his family are in a tent in Rafah, and during the truce he received a video that showed their home in Beit Hanoun, northeastern Gaza, had been bombarded.
+""This key is all that's left of the house,"" he said, showing a key fastened to a keyring made from a coin with the word ""Palestine"" on it, which he said dated back to the British Mandate period, before the creation of Israel.
+""The key represents the homeland for all of us. We cannot live without a homeland,"" said Abu Amsha. ""We hope to be able to go back, even if it's just to a tent on top of our house.""
+Mohammed Al-Majdalawi, displaced from Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, said he remembered his grandfather showing him an old key and recounting memories of 1948, and now he was going through a similar experience.
+""What did I do to Israel for them to destroy my home? The children of the world are living well while our children are living in humiliation, dying and getting sick in this cold,"" he said.
+In the West Bank, also dotted with refugee camps dating back to 1948, giant keys can be seen in various locations, part of an iconography of displacement whose meaning is understood by everyone there.
+""The key represents the right of return,"" said Mohammed Said, head of the media office of a committee administering Qalandia refugee camp, between Jerusalem and Ramallah.
+""The key is a metal object that can be made anywhere, but holding on to this key means that you have a dream to fulfil.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""This key is all that's left of the house,"" he said, showing a key fastened to a keyring made from a coin with the word ""Palestine"" on it, which he said dated back to the British Mandate period, before the creation of Israel.  ""The key represents the homeland for all of us. We cannot live without a homeland,"" said Abu Amsha. ""We hope to be able to go back, even if it's just to a tent on top of our house."" Mohammed Al-Majdalawi, displaced from Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, said he remembered his grandfather showing him an old key and recounting memories of 1948, and now he was going through a similar experience.  ""What did I do to Israel for them to destroy my home? The children of the world are living well while our children are living in humiliation, dying and getting sick in this cold,"" he said. In the West Bank, also dotted with refugee camps dating back to 1948, giant keys can be seen in various locations, part of an iconography of displacement whose meaning is understood by everyone there. ""The key represents the right of return,"" said Mohammed Said, head of the media office of a committee administering Qalandia refugee camp, between Jerusalem and Ramallah.  ""The key is a metal object that can be made anywhere, but holding on to this key means that you have a dream to fulfil.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/asylum-applications-eu-highest-level-since-201516-crisis-2024-02-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Asylum applications in EU at highest level since 2015/16 crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Asylum applications in the European Union jumped 18% to 1.14 million in 2023, the highest level since the 2015-2016 migrant crisis, data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) showed on Wednesday.
+The new data will likely fuel an already heated debate about migration and far-right sentiment ahead of a slew of local and national votes across the continent as well as European Parliament elections in June.
+Syrians and Afghans remained the largest applicant groups, according to the EUAA data. In a new trend, Turkish nationals made up the third largest applicant group, lodging 82% more applications than in the previous year.
+The number of Palestinians applying for asylum rose to a record high of nearly 11,600 in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, it said, noting it was difficult to correctly register their number given a majority of EU member countries do not recognise Palestine as a state.
+Germany was once more the leading destination of asylum seekers in the EU, receiving nearly a third of all applications, while Cyprus received by far the most applications in relative terms - one per 78 inhabitants.
+While the 2023 asylum applications are just under 2016 levels, they come on top of the 4.4 million Ukrainians that have sought refuge from Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the European Union - and do not need to formally apply.
+The EUAA data comes a month after the European Union's border protection agency, Frontex, registered the highest rise in irregular border crossings since 2016.
+Such high levels have galvanized discussion about how to curb migration as some local authorities say they are overwhelmed.
+The European Union has tightened external borders and its asylum laws since the 2015-2016 crisis, and struck deals in the Middle East and North Africa to have more people stay there.
+The bloc also reached a landmark agreement in December on new rules designed to share the cost and work of hosting migrants more evenly and to limit the numbers of people coming in. But some parties say those rules do not go far enough.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Asylum applications in EU at highest level since 2015/16 crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Asylum applications in the European Union jumped 18% to 1.14 million in 2023, the highest level since the 2015-2016 migrant crisis , data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) showed on Wednesday. The new data will likely fuel an already heated debate about migration and far-right sentiment ahead of a slew of local and national votes across the continent as well as European Parliament elections in June.  Syrians and Afghans remained the largest applicant groups, according to the EUAA data. In a new trend, Turkish nationals made up the third largest applicant group, lodging 82% more applications than in the previous year. The number of Palestinians applying for asylum rose to a record high of nearly 11,600 in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, it said, noting it was difficult to correctly register their number given a majority of EU member countries do not recognise Palestine as a state. Germany was once more the leading destination of asylum seekers in the EU, receiving nearly a third of all applications, while Cyprus received by far the most applications in relative terms - one per 78 inhabitants. While the 2023 asylum applications are just under 2016 levels, they come on top of the 4.4 million Ukrainians that have sought refuge from Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the European Union - and do not need to formally apply.
+The EUAA data comes a month after the European Union's border protection agency, Frontex, registered the highest rise in irregular border crossings since 2016.
+Such high levels have galvanized discussion about how to curb migration as some local authorities say they are overwhelmed.  The European Union has tightened external borders and its asylum laws since the 2015-2016 crisis, and struck deals in the Middle East and North Africa to have more people stay there. The bloc also reached a landmark agreement in December on new rules designed to share the cost and work of hosting migrants more evenly and to limit the numbers of people coming in. But some parties say those rules do not go far enough.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/despondency-gaza-dominate-election-northern-englands-rochdale-2024-02-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despondency and Gaza dominate election in northern England's Rochdale[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ROCHDALE, England, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Voters in the northern English town of Rochdale say they have little enthusiasm for an election this week dominated by political disputes over the Gaza war and paving the way for leftist firebrand George Galloway to return to parliament.
+Britain's opposition Labour Party, riding high in the polls nationally, had been the clear favourite to retain the seat until its candidate Azhar Ali was recorded espousing conspiracy theories about Israel, forcing the party to ditch him.
+He remains in the race as an independent, leaving Labour with no official candidate, and giving the impetus to the veteran left winger.
+Labour has been engulfed by an internal battle over its policy towards the Gaza conflict, after its leader Keir Starmer initially gave full backing to Israel following the Oct. 7 attack. The party has recently called for a ceasefire.
+While the result of Thursday's vote is unlikely to dent Labour's standing in the opinion polls, fielding no candidate robs it of the momentum it was building after winning two seats from the governing Conservatives this month, potentially just months ahead of a national election.
+Galloway had himself been thrown out of Labour more than two decades ago over his opposition to the Iraq war, and went on to represent two other parliamentary seats, including Bradford, which he declared an ""Israel-free zone"" in 2014.
+Locals in Rochdale, a former cotton mill town which sits 10 miles (16 km) north of Manchester, look on with bewilderment.
+""I think it's pointless really. What are they actually going to do for the community?"" asked Jagga Singh, 33, who manages market stalls in the town centre.
+""Our town is going downhill, every single day. I've been supporting Labour all my life, my family as well. But what have they actually done for us? Nothing.""
+Rochdale in 2019 ranked in the top 5% most deprived local authorities in England, according to official statistics.
+Almost one in five, opens new tab of its residents are Asian by ethnic group - double the proportion nationally.
+While a new shopping complex and refurbished town hall dominate the centre of Rochdale, much of the rest of the town comprises rows of small, Victorian terraced houses. Pro-Palestine slogans adorn brick walls in some areas.
+GAZA CONFLICT
+Bookmakers say Galloway, leader of the far-left Workers Party of Britain, is now the odds-on favourite to become the town's next member of parliament.
+An outspoken Scot, Galloway said he wanted to highlight the sense of Rochdale's decline, local governance and the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.
+""Gaza obviously matters ... not only (to) Muslims, certainly all Muslims, but also many others,"" Galloway, 69, told Reuters.
+""(Rochdale) had an identity and that identity has been gradually erased. So I'm trying to put Rochdale back on the map, nationally and internationally.""
+Other parties say Galloway is a political opportunist who has turned up to capitalise on Rochdale's troubles.
+""Obviously we've had a lot of outsiders come in and this by-election is somewhat strange now, but I'm here for the people of Rochdale,"" said Paul Ellison, who is standing as the Conservative Party's candidate.
+Galloway said it was ""Labour schtick"" to suggest he was an opportunist, adding that he had long connections with the Manchester regions and knew the town well.
+Whoever wins on Thursday will have a tough challenge in overcoming a sense of despondency that now runs deeply through Rochdale's voters.
+Pensioner Brian Edwards, standing with his wife Pat outside the town hall, said he doubted Galloway could provide any answers.
+""I can't be doing with the fella,"" he said.
+""We've lived here a long, long, time ... It used to be a nice town. But I don't know what's going on now.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despondency and Gaza dominate election in northern England's Rochdale[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ROCHDALE, England, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Voters in the northern English town of Rochdale say they have little enthusiasm for an election this week dominated by political disputes over the Gaza war and paving the way for leftist firebrand George Galloway to return to parliament. Britain's opposition Labour Party, riding high in the polls nationally, had been the clear favourite to retain the seat until its candidate Azhar Ali was recorded espousing conspiracy theories about Israel, forcing the party to ditch him.  He remains in the race as an independent, leaving Labour with no official candidate, and giving the impetus to the veteran left winger.
+Labour has been engulfed by an internal battle over its policy towards the Gaza conflict, after its leader Keir Starmer initially gave full backing to Israel following the Oct. 7 attack. The party has recently called for a ceasefire. While the result of Thursday's vote is unlikely to dent Labour's standing in the opinion polls, fielding no candidate robs it of the momentum it was building after winning two seats from the governing Conservatives this month, potentially just months ahead of a national election. Galloway had himself been thrown out of Labour more than two decades ago over his opposition to the Iraq war, and went on to represent two other parliamentary seats, including Bradford, which he declared an ""Israel-free zone"" in 2014.  Locals in Rochdale, a former cotton mill town which sits 10 miles (16 km) north of Manchester, look on with bewilderment.
+""I think it's pointless really. What are they actually going to do for the community?"" asked Jagga Singh, 33, who manages market stalls in the town centre.  ""Our town is going downhill, every single day. I've been supporting Labour all my life, my family as well. But what have they actually done for us? Nothing. ""
+Rochdale in 2019 ranked in the top 5% most deprived local authorities in England, according to official statistics. Almost one in five, opens new tab of its residents are Asian by ethnic group - double the proportion nationally. While a new shopping complex and refurbished town hall dominate the centre of Rochdale, much of the rest of the town comprises rows of small, Victorian terraced houses. Pro-Palestine slogans adorn brick walls in some areas. GAZA CONFLICT Bookmakers say Galloway, leader of the far-left Workers Party of Britain, is now the odds-on favourite to become the town's next member of parliament."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/despondency-gaza-dominate-election-northern-englands-rochdale-2024-02-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despondency and Gaza dominate election in northern England's Rochdale[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ROCHDALE, England, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Voters in the northern English town of Rochdale say they have little enthusiasm for an election this week dominated by political disputes over the Gaza war and paving the way for leftist firebrand George Galloway to return to parliament.
+Britain's opposition Labour Party, riding high in the polls nationally, had been the clear favourite to retain the seat until its candidate Azhar Ali was recorded espousing conspiracy theories about Israel, forcing the party to ditch him.
+He remains in the race as an independent, leaving Labour with no official candidate, and giving the impetus to the veteran left winger.
+Labour has been engulfed by an internal battle over its policy towards the Gaza conflict, after its leader Keir Starmer initially gave full backing to Israel following the Oct. 7 attack. The party has recently called for a ceasefire.
+While the result of Thursday's vote is unlikely to dent Labour's standing in the opinion polls, fielding no candidate robs it of the momentum it was building after winning two seats from the governing Conservatives this month, potentially just months ahead of a national election.
+Galloway had himself been thrown out of Labour more than two decades ago over his opposition to the Iraq war, and went on to represent two other parliamentary seats, including Bradford, which he declared an ""Israel-free zone"" in 2014.
+Locals in Rochdale, a former cotton mill town which sits 10 miles (16 km) north of Manchester, look on with bewilderment.
+""I think it's pointless really. What are they actually going to do for the community?"" asked Jagga Singh, 33, who manages market stalls in the town centre.
+""Our town is going downhill, every single day. I've been supporting Labour all my life, my family as well. But what have they actually done for us? Nothing.""
+Rochdale in 2019 ranked in the top 5% most deprived local authorities in England, according to official statistics.
+Almost one in five, opens new tab of its residents are Asian by ethnic group - double the proportion nationally.
+While a new shopping complex and refurbished town hall dominate the centre of Rochdale, much of the rest of the town comprises rows of small, Victorian terraced houses. Pro-Palestine slogans adorn brick walls in some areas.
+GAZA CONFLICT
+Bookmakers say Galloway, leader of the far-left Workers Party of Britain, is now the odds-on favourite to become the town's next member of parliament.
+An outspoken Scot, Galloway said he wanted to highlight the sense of Rochdale's decline, local governance and the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.
+""Gaza obviously matters ... not only (to) Muslims, certainly all Muslims, but also many others,"" Galloway, 69, told Reuters.
+""(Rochdale) had an identity and that identity has been gradually erased. So I'm trying to put Rochdale back on the map, nationally and internationally.""
+Other parties say Galloway is a political opportunist who has turned up to capitalise on Rochdale's troubles.
+""Obviously we've had a lot of outsiders come in and this by-election is somewhat strange now, but I'm here for the people of Rochdale,"" said Paul Ellison, who is standing as the Conservative Party's candidate.
+Galloway said it was ""Labour schtick"" to suggest he was an opportunist, adding that he had long connections with the Manchester regions and knew the town well.
+Whoever wins on Thursday will have a tough challenge in overcoming a sense of despondency that now runs deeply through Rochdale's voters.
+Pensioner Brian Edwards, standing with his wife Pat outside the town hall, said he doubted Galloway could provide any answers.
+""I can't be doing with the fella,"" he said.
+""We've lived here a long, long, time ... It used to be a nice town. But I don't know what's going on now.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","An outspoken Scot, Galloway said he wanted to highlight the sense of Rochdale's decline, local governance and the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.  ""Gaza obviously matters ... not only (to) Muslims, certainly all Muslims, but also many others,"" Galloway, 69, told Reuters.
+""(Rochdale) had an identity and that identity has been gradually erased. So I'm trying to put Rochdale back on the map, nationally and internationally. ""
+Other parties say Galloway is a political opportunist who has turned up to capitalise on Rochdale's troubles. ""Obviously we've had a lot of outsiders come in and this by-election is somewhat strange now, but I'm here for the people of Rochdale,"" said Paul Ellison, who is standing as the Conservative Party's candidate. Galloway said it was ""Labour schtick"" to suggest he was an opportunist, adding that he had long connections with the Manchester regions and knew the town well.
+Whoever wins on Thursday will have a tough challenge in overcoming a sense of despondency that now runs deeply through Rochdale's voters. Pensioner Brian Edwards, standing with his wife Pat outside the town hall, said he doubted Galloway could provide any answers. ""I can't be doing with the fella,"" he said. ""We've lived here a long, long, time ... It used to be a nice town. But I don't know what's going on now.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/thousands-artists-ask-venice-biennale-exclude-israel-2024-02-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Thousands of artists ask Venice Biennale to exclude Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ROME, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Almost 9,000 people, including artists, curators and museum directors, have signed an online appeal calling for Israel to be excluded from this year's Venice Biennale art fair and accusing the country of ""genocide"" in Gaza.
+Israel has been facing mounting international criticism, including in the arts world, over its military offensive in the Palestinian enclave, which was triggered by an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel.
+Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostage in the raids, according to Israeli tallies. Nearly 30,000 people have been killed and most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced during Israel's offensive, Gaza health officials say.
+Israel rejects any accusation that its actions amount to genocide.
+""Any official representation of Israel on the international cultural stage is an endorsement of its policies and of the genocide in Gaza,"" said the online statement by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) collective.
+ANGA said the Venice Biennale had previously banned South Africa over its apartheid policy of white minority rule, and excluded Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
+Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said the appeal was an ""unacceptable, as well as shameful ... diktat of those who believe they are the custodians of truth, and with arrogance and hatred, think they can threaten freedom of thought and creative expression.""
+He said in a statement that Israel ""not only has the right to express its art, but also the duty to bear witness to its people"" after being attacked by ""merciless terrorists"".
+The Venice Biennale press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Signatories of the appeal include Palestine Museum U.S. director Faisal Saleh, activist U.S. photographer Nan Goldin and British visual artist Jesse Darling, who won last year's Turner Prize.
+Dubbed the ""Olympics of the art world"", the Biennale is one of the main events in the international arts calendar. This year's edition, ""Foreigners Everywhere"", is due to host pavilions from 90 countries between April 20 and Nov. 24.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Thousands of artists ask Venice Biennale to exclude Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ROME, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Almost 9,000 people, including artists, curators and museum directors, have signed an online appeal calling for Israel to be excluded from this year's Venice Biennale art fair and accusing the country of ""genocide"" in Gaza. Israel has been facing mounting international criticism, including in the arts world, over its military offensive in the Palestinian enclave, which was triggered by an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel.  Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostage in the raids, according to Israeli tallies. Nearly 30,000 people have been killed and most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced during Israel's offensive, Gaza health officials say. Israel rejects any accusation that its actions amount to genocide. ""Any official representation of Israel on the international cultural stage is an endorsement of its policies and of the genocide in Gaza,"" said the online statement by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) collective. ANGA said the Venice Biennale had previously banned South Africa over its apartheid policy of white minority rule, and excluded Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said the appeal was an ""unacceptable, as well as shameful ... diktat of those who believe they are the custodians of truth, and with arrogance and hatred, think they can threaten freedom of thought and creative expression."" He said in a statement that Israel ""not only has the right to express its art, but also the duty to bear witness to its people"" after being attacked by ""merciless terrorists"". The Venice Biennale press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Signatories of the appeal include Palestine Museum U.S. director Faisal Saleh, activist U.S. photographer Nan Goldin and British visual artist Jesse Darling, who won last year's Turner Prize.
+Dubbed the ""Olympics of the art world"", the Biennale is one of the main events in the international arts calendar. This year's edition, ""Foreigners Everywhere"", is due to host pavilions from 90 countries between April 20 and Nov. 24.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/michigan-democrats-challenge-biden-dnc-gaza-2024-02-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Michigan Democrats challenge Biden, DNC on Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DEARBORN, Michigan, Feb 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden faces two long-shot opponents in Michigan's Democratic primary race on Tuesday, but his biggest challenge comes from a group of previous supporters who are asking voters to mark ""uncommitted"" on their ballots.
+The protest vote is part of a nationwide movement hoping to push Biden and elected Democrats to back a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and halt military aid to Israel in Gaza. The battleground state of Michigan has the largest Arab American population, per capita, of any U.S. state. Here is why these voters are upset:
+ADAM ABUSALAH, ORGANIZER, NEW GENERATION FOR PALESTINE
+""In 2020, 75% of Muslims in Michigan voted for Biden. We put him over the top ... Right now, as our families are being bombed, he can’t even say that they deserve to live in peace and dignity, but rather than that he’s sending more bombs, more weapons to bomb Palestinian children.""
+ABBAS ALAWIEH, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, EX-CONGRESS STAFFER
+""What I want is better from the Democratic Party ... Unless something changes drastically, then it’s possible that the Democratic Party and this president are risking losing an entire generation of voters, Arab Americans, Muslims and young voters.""
+""There are far-right elements that have captured too much influence in Democratic politics.""
+HUWAIDA ARRAF, HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY
+""It doesn't matter what the party says. It's got to be actually fighting for what you believe in and fighting for these rights we deserve. I think we're failing and we're losing young people because of that.""
+""Biden is supporting a genocide. I know that maybe if Trump was in power now [he] probably [would] do the same thing. But it's a lot different when it's coming from someone who claims to be the empathetic president.""
+GERMINE AWAD, PROFESSOR, U. MICH ANN ARBOR
+""I'm a social justice person, and Biden has failed tremendously. And the alternative is terrifying.""
+ANTONIO COSME, MEXICAN-PUERTO RICAN ACTIVIST BACKING ABANDON BIDEN CAMPAIGN
+""The Democrats had a chance with Bernie (Sanders) to really consolidate the Democratic Party and strengthen it in so many ways, but they gave that away. There is an overwhelming sense in my generation that we are not headed in a good direction.""
+""It's been horrifying. Every single day, we're watching our news feed and seeing kids slaughtered in hospitals, people crying, holding their babies.""
+LAYLA ELABED, 'UNCOMMITTED' ORGANIZER
+""What's happening in Gaza, and this genocide that is happening right before our eyes, is our litmus test, and we are failing as a nation, and we're failing as Democrats.""
+JOSEPH GEEVARGHESE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OUR REVOLUTION
+""We are making sure that the progressive base doesn't sit it out in November...Does the uncommitted vote mean these voters wholesale reject Joe Biden? No, not necessarily, but they are registering a protest vote on the issue that is most salient to them.""
+ABDULLAH HAMMOUD, MAYOR OF DEARBORN
+""The word I hear used most often is betrayal. You know, in 2020, we were promised a president who was going to bring decency back to the White House, who led with humanity, and what we found since the events unfolding October 7 isn't that...Our lives should matter, just as anybody else's.""
+""For us, this is not something we will ever forget because we have personally bid farewell to family members and to friends, who are watching the villages of our parents and our grandparents being wiped off the map.""
+""The Democratic Party leadership is in shambles.""
+BERNIE PORN, POLLSTER AT EPIC-MRA IN MICHIGAN
+""Biden is underperforming right now and this uncommitted movement could hurt him in November.
+In the end, if it gets Trump elected, that is not going to be something they will be happy with. They must ask themselves are they fired up about having Trump back in the White House given his history with everything and especially with him being a bigger supporter of Israel than Biden has been thus far.""
+AMANDA SAAB, CHEF, 'CHEFS FOR PALESTINE' ORGANIZER ""Thirty thousand people lost their lives for no reason under the Biden administration. How can you redeem yourself from that?""
+""The US does not have to continue in this way. For those that say, 'Oh, you know, if you don't vote for Biden, you're voting for Trump.' No, we're voting for humanity. And that's where we stand firmly, unequivocally. If that means somebody else becomes president, because we can't trust the leadership that we currently have, then I put it back on everybody else to give us better options.""
+WALEED SHAHID, SENIOR DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, ADVISER TO 'LISTEN TO MICHIGAN' CAMPAIGN
+""Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by only 10,000 votes in 2016. This November will look a lot like 2016 in terms of how close the election is, and what this multi-faith coalition of voters is trying to show is, we hold the margin of victory for Joe Biden in November, and he needs to earn our votes.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Michigan Democrats challenge Biden, DNC on Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DEARBORN, Michigan, Feb 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden faces two long-shot opponents in Michigan's Democratic primary race on Tuesday, but his biggest challenge comes from a group of previous supporters who are asking voters to mark ""uncommitted"" on their ballots.  The protest vote is part of a nationwide movement hoping to push Biden and elected Democrats to back a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and halt military aid to Israel in Gaza. The battleground state of Michigan has the largest Arab American population, per capita, of any U.S. state. Here is why these voters are upset: ADAM ABUSALAH, ORGANIZER, NEW GENERATION FOR PALESTINE
+"" In 2020, 75% of Muslims in Michigan voted for Biden. We put him over the top ... Right now, as our families are being bombed, he can’t even say that they deserve to live in peace and dignity, but rather than that he’s sending more bombs, more weapons to bomb Palestinian children."" ABBAS ALAWIEH, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, EX-CONGRESS STAFFER
+"" What I want is better from the Democratic Party ... Unless something changes drastically, then it’s possible that the Democratic Party and this president are risking losing an entire generation of voters, Arab Americans, Muslims and young voters. ""  ""There are far-right elements that have captured too much influence in Democratic politics.""
+HUWAIDA ARRAF, HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY
+"" It doesn't matter what the party says. It's got to be actually fighting for what you believe in and fighting for these rights we deserve. I think we're failing and we're losing young people because of that.""  ""Biden is supporting a genocide. I know that maybe if Trump was in power now [he] probably [would] do the same thing. But it's a lot different when it's coming from someone who claims to be the empathetic president.""
+GERMINE AWAD, PROFESSOR, U. MICH ANN ARBOR
+"" I'm a social justice person, and Biden has failed tremendously. And the alternative is terrifying."" ANTONIO COSME, MEXICAN-PUERTO RICAN ACTIVIST BACKING ABANDON BIDEN CAMPAIGN
+""The Democrats had a chance with Bernie (Sanders) to really consolidate the Democratic Party and strengthen it in so many ways, but they gave that away. There is an overwhelming sense in my generation that we are not headed in a good direction. ""  ""It's been horrifying. Every single day, we're watching our news feed and seeing kids slaughtered in hospitals, people crying, holding their babies."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/michigan-democrats-challenge-biden-dnc-gaza-2024-02-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Michigan Democrats challenge Biden, DNC on Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DEARBORN, Michigan, Feb 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden faces two long-shot opponents in Michigan's Democratic primary race on Tuesday, but his biggest challenge comes from a group of previous supporters who are asking voters to mark ""uncommitted"" on their ballots.
+The protest vote is part of a nationwide movement hoping to push Biden and elected Democrats to back a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and halt military aid to Israel in Gaza. The battleground state of Michigan has the largest Arab American population, per capita, of any U.S. state. Here is why these voters are upset:
+ADAM ABUSALAH, ORGANIZER, NEW GENERATION FOR PALESTINE
+""In 2020, 75% of Muslims in Michigan voted for Biden. We put him over the top ... Right now, as our families are being bombed, he can’t even say that they deserve to live in peace and dignity, but rather than that he’s sending more bombs, more weapons to bomb Palestinian children.""
+ABBAS ALAWIEH, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, EX-CONGRESS STAFFER
+""What I want is better from the Democratic Party ... Unless something changes drastically, then it’s possible that the Democratic Party and this president are risking losing an entire generation of voters, Arab Americans, Muslims and young voters.""
+""There are far-right elements that have captured too much influence in Democratic politics.""
+HUWAIDA ARRAF, HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY
+""It doesn't matter what the party says. It's got to be actually fighting for what you believe in and fighting for these rights we deserve. I think we're failing and we're losing young people because of that.""
+""Biden is supporting a genocide. I know that maybe if Trump was in power now [he] probably [would] do the same thing. But it's a lot different when it's coming from someone who claims to be the empathetic president.""
+GERMINE AWAD, PROFESSOR, U. MICH ANN ARBOR
+""I'm a social justice person, and Biden has failed tremendously. And the alternative is terrifying.""
+ANTONIO COSME, MEXICAN-PUERTO RICAN ACTIVIST BACKING ABANDON BIDEN CAMPAIGN
+""The Democrats had a chance with Bernie (Sanders) to really consolidate the Democratic Party and strengthen it in so many ways, but they gave that away. There is an overwhelming sense in my generation that we are not headed in a good direction.""
+""It's been horrifying. Every single day, we're watching our news feed and seeing kids slaughtered in hospitals, people crying, holding their babies.""
+LAYLA ELABED, 'UNCOMMITTED' ORGANIZER
+""What's happening in Gaza, and this genocide that is happening right before our eyes, is our litmus test, and we are failing as a nation, and we're failing as Democrats.""
+JOSEPH GEEVARGHESE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OUR REVOLUTION
+""We are making sure that the progressive base doesn't sit it out in November...Does the uncommitted vote mean these voters wholesale reject Joe Biden? No, not necessarily, but they are registering a protest vote on the issue that is most salient to them.""
+ABDULLAH HAMMOUD, MAYOR OF DEARBORN
+""The word I hear used most often is betrayal. You know, in 2020, we were promised a president who was going to bring decency back to the White House, who led with humanity, and what we found since the events unfolding October 7 isn't that...Our lives should matter, just as anybody else's.""
+""For us, this is not something we will ever forget because we have personally bid farewell to family members and to friends, who are watching the villages of our parents and our grandparents being wiped off the map.""
+""The Democratic Party leadership is in shambles.""
+BERNIE PORN, POLLSTER AT EPIC-MRA IN MICHIGAN
+""Biden is underperforming right now and this uncommitted movement could hurt him in November.
+In the end, if it gets Trump elected, that is not going to be something they will be happy with. They must ask themselves are they fired up about having Trump back in the White House given his history with everything and especially with him being a bigger supporter of Israel than Biden has been thus far.""
+AMANDA SAAB, CHEF, 'CHEFS FOR PALESTINE' ORGANIZER ""Thirty thousand people lost their lives for no reason under the Biden administration. How can you redeem yourself from that?""
+""The US does not have to continue in this way. For those that say, 'Oh, you know, if you don't vote for Biden, you're voting for Trump.' No, we're voting for humanity. And that's where we stand firmly, unequivocally. If that means somebody else becomes president, because we can't trust the leadership that we currently have, then I put it back on everybody else to give us better options.""
+WALEED SHAHID, SENIOR DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, ADVISER TO 'LISTEN TO MICHIGAN' CAMPAIGN
+""Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by only 10,000 votes in 2016. This November will look a lot like 2016 in terms of how close the election is, and what this multi-faith coalition of voters is trying to show is, we hold the margin of victory for Joe Biden in November, and he needs to earn our votes.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""
+LAYLA ELABED, 'UNCOMMITTED' ORGANIZER  ""What's happening in Gaza, and this genocide that is happening right before our eyes, is our litmus test, and we are failing as a nation, and we're failing as Democrats. "" JOSEPH GEEVARGHESE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OUR REVOLUTION
+"" We are making sure that the progressive base doesn't sit it out in November... Does the uncommitted vote mean these voters wholesale reject Joe Biden? No, not necessarily, but they are registering a protest vote on the issue that is most salient to them. "" ABDULLAH HAMMOUD, MAYOR OF DEARBORN
+"" The word I hear used most often is betrayal. You know, in 2020, we were promised a president who was going to bring decency back to the White House, who led with humanity, and what we found since the events unfolding October 7 isn't that... Our lives should matter, just as anybody else's."" ""For us, this is not something we will ever forget because we have personally bid farewell to family members and to friends, who are watching the villages of our parents and our grandparents being wiped off the map."" ""The Democratic Party leadership is in shambles.""  BERNIE PORN, POLLSTER AT EPIC-MRA IN MICHIGAN
+"" Biden is underperforming right now and this uncommitted movement could hurt him in November.  In the end, if it gets Trump elected, that is not going to be something they will be happy with. They must ask themselves are they fired up about having Trump back in the White House given his history with everything and especially with him being a bigger supporter of Israel than Biden has been thus far. "" AMANDA SAAB, CHEF, 'CHEFS FOR PALESTINE' ORGANIZER ""Thirty thousand people lost their lives for no reason under the Biden administration. How can you redeem yourself from that?""
+""The US does not have to continue in this way. For those that say, 'Oh, you know, if you don't vote for Biden, you're voting for Trump.' No, we're voting for humanity. And that's where we stand firmly, unequivocally. If that means somebody else becomes president, because we can't trust the leadership that we currently have, then I put it back on everybody else to give us better options. ""
+WALEED SHAHID, SENIOR DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, ADVISER TO 'LISTEN TO MICHIGAN' CAMPAIGN
+"" Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by only 10,000 votes in 2016."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/michigan-democrats-challenge-biden-dnc-gaza-2024-02-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Michigan Democrats challenge Biden, DNC on Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DEARBORN, Michigan, Feb 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden faces two long-shot opponents in Michigan's Democratic primary race on Tuesday, but his biggest challenge comes from a group of previous supporters who are asking voters to mark ""uncommitted"" on their ballots.
+The protest vote is part of a nationwide movement hoping to push Biden and elected Democrats to back a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and halt military aid to Israel in Gaza. The battleground state of Michigan has the largest Arab American population, per capita, of any U.S. state. Here is why these voters are upset:
+ADAM ABUSALAH, ORGANIZER, NEW GENERATION FOR PALESTINE
+""In 2020, 75% of Muslims in Michigan voted for Biden. We put him over the top ... Right now, as our families are being bombed, he can’t even say that they deserve to live in peace and dignity, but rather than that he’s sending more bombs, more weapons to bomb Palestinian children.""
+ABBAS ALAWIEH, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, EX-CONGRESS STAFFER
+""What I want is better from the Democratic Party ... Unless something changes drastically, then it’s possible that the Democratic Party and this president are risking losing an entire generation of voters, Arab Americans, Muslims and young voters.""
+""There are far-right elements that have captured too much influence in Democratic politics.""
+HUWAIDA ARRAF, HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY
+""It doesn't matter what the party says. It's got to be actually fighting for what you believe in and fighting for these rights we deserve. I think we're failing and we're losing young people because of that.""
+""Biden is supporting a genocide. I know that maybe if Trump was in power now [he] probably [would] do the same thing. But it's a lot different when it's coming from someone who claims to be the empathetic president.""
+GERMINE AWAD, PROFESSOR, U. MICH ANN ARBOR
+""I'm a social justice person, and Biden has failed tremendously. And the alternative is terrifying.""
+ANTONIO COSME, MEXICAN-PUERTO RICAN ACTIVIST BACKING ABANDON BIDEN CAMPAIGN
+""The Democrats had a chance with Bernie (Sanders) to really consolidate the Democratic Party and strengthen it in so many ways, but they gave that away. There is an overwhelming sense in my generation that we are not headed in a good direction.""
+""It's been horrifying. Every single day, we're watching our news feed and seeing kids slaughtered in hospitals, people crying, holding their babies.""
+LAYLA ELABED, 'UNCOMMITTED' ORGANIZER
+""What's happening in Gaza, and this genocide that is happening right before our eyes, is our litmus test, and we are failing as a nation, and we're failing as Democrats.""
+JOSEPH GEEVARGHESE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OUR REVOLUTION
+""We are making sure that the progressive base doesn't sit it out in November...Does the uncommitted vote mean these voters wholesale reject Joe Biden? No, not necessarily, but they are registering a protest vote on the issue that is most salient to them.""
+ABDULLAH HAMMOUD, MAYOR OF DEARBORN
+""The word I hear used most often is betrayal. You know, in 2020, we were promised a president who was going to bring decency back to the White House, who led with humanity, and what we found since the events unfolding October 7 isn't that...Our lives should matter, just as anybody else's.""
+""For us, this is not something we will ever forget because we have personally bid farewell to family members and to friends, who are watching the villages of our parents and our grandparents being wiped off the map.""
+""The Democratic Party leadership is in shambles.""
+BERNIE PORN, POLLSTER AT EPIC-MRA IN MICHIGAN
+""Biden is underperforming right now and this uncommitted movement could hurt him in November.
+In the end, if it gets Trump elected, that is not going to be something they will be happy with. They must ask themselves are they fired up about having Trump back in the White House given his history with everything and especially with him being a bigger supporter of Israel than Biden has been thus far.""
+AMANDA SAAB, CHEF, 'CHEFS FOR PALESTINE' ORGANIZER ""Thirty thousand people lost their lives for no reason under the Biden administration. How can you redeem yourself from that?""
+""The US does not have to continue in this way. For those that say, 'Oh, you know, if you don't vote for Biden, you're voting for Trump.' No, we're voting for humanity. And that's where we stand firmly, unequivocally. If that means somebody else becomes president, because we can't trust the leadership that we currently have, then I put it back on everybody else to give us better options.""
+WALEED SHAHID, SENIOR DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, ADVISER TO 'LISTEN TO MICHIGAN' CAMPAIGN
+""Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by only 10,000 votes in 2016. This November will look a lot like 2016 in terms of how close the election is, and what this multi-faith coalition of voters is trying to show is, we hold the margin of victory for Joe Biden in November, and he needs to earn our votes.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","This November will look a lot like 2016 in terms of how close the election is, and what this multi-faith coalition of voters is trying to show is, we hold the margin of victory for Joe Biden in November, and he needs to earn our votes.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-airman-dies-after-setting-himself-fire-outside-israeli-embassy-reports-say-2024-02-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US airman dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli embassy, in apparent Gaza protest[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. Air Force airman who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington in an apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza has died, the military and local police said on Monday.
+Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, a cyber defense operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron, died from injuries sustained in the incident, the Air Force said in a statement.
+""When a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the Air Force feels it,"" U.S. Air Force Colonel Celina Noyes said in the statement. ""We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Airman Bushnell. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and we ask that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.""
+Officer Lee Lepe, a spokesperson for the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, confirmed the death.
+The Pentagon said the death was a ""tragic event"" and that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was following the situation.
+Bushnell was initially hospitalized in critical condition after U.S. Secret Service officers put out the flames on Sunday, D.C. Fire and EMS said earlier. Bushnell, wearing military fatigues, broadcast the incident live over the internet.
+""I will no longer be complicit in genocide,"" the man said before dousing himself in a clear liquid and setting himself on fire, screaming ""Free Palestine,"" according to a video seen by Reuters.
+""We express our heartfelt condolences and full solidarity with the family and friends of the American pilot Aaron Bushnell, who immortalized his name as a defender of human values and the plight of the Palestinian people, who are oppressed by the American administration and its unjust policies,"" Hamas said in a post on Telegram Messenger.
+The incident comes amid ongoing pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests in the United States following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis and seized 253 hostages in a cross-border attack.
+Israeli forces then launched a military campaign against the Palestinian Islamist group that rules Gaza, destroying much of the coastal enclave, with nearly 30,000 people confirmed killed, according to Palestinian health officials.
+Israel's embassies have drawn continued protest against the war. In December, a woman protesting the war set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US airman dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli embassy, in apparent Gaza protest[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. Air Force airman who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington in an apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza has died, the military and local police said on Monday.  Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, a cyber defense operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron, died from injuries sustained in the incident, the Air Force said in a statement.
+""When a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the Air Force feels it,"" U.S. Air Force Colonel Celina Noyes said in the statement. ""We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Airman Bushnell. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and we ask that you respect their privacy during this difficult time."" Officer Lee Lepe, a spokesperson for the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, confirmed the death.  The Pentagon said the death was a ""tragic event"" and that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was following the situation.
+Bushnell was initially hospitalized in critical condition after U.S. Secret Service officers put out the flames on Sunday, D.C. Fire and EMS said earlier. Bushnell, wearing military fatigues, broadcast the incident live over the internet.  ""I will no longer be complicit in genocide,"" the man said before dousing himself in a clear liquid and setting himself on fire, screaming ""Free Palestine,"" according to a video seen by Reuters.
+"" We express our heartfelt condolences and full solidarity with the family and friends of the American pilot Aaron Bushnell, who immortalized his name as a defender of human values and the plight of the Palestinian people, who are oppressed by the American administration and its unjust policies,"" Hamas said in a post on Telegram Messenger. The incident comes amid ongoing pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests in the United States following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis and seized 253 hostages in a cross-border attack. Israeli forces then launched a military campaign against the Palestinian Islamist group that rules Gaza, destroying much of the coastal enclave, with nearly 30,000 people confirmed killed, according to Palestinian health officials.  Israel's embassies have drawn continued protest against the war. In December, a woman protesting the war set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-prime-minister-shtayyeh-resigns-2024-02-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian PM resigns as pressure grows over post-war Gaza plans[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced his resignation on Monday, as the Palestinian Authority looks to build support for an expanded role following Israel's war against the Islamist group Hamas in Gaza.
+The move comes amid growing U.S. pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas to shake up the Authority as international efforts intensify to stop the fighting in Gaza and begin work on a political structure to govern the enclave after the war.
+Abbas accepted Shtayyeh's resignation and asked him to stay on as caretaker until a permanent replacement is appointed.
+The Palestinian Authority, created about 30 years ago as part of the interim Oslo peace accords, has been badly undermined by accusations of ineffectiveness and corruption and the prime minister holds little effective power.
+But Shtayyeh's departure marks a symbolic shift that underlines Abbas' determination to ensure the Authority maintains its claim to leadership as international pressure grows for a revival of efforts to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
+In a statement to cabinet, Shtayyeh, an academic economist who took office in 2019, said the next administration would need to take account of the emerging reality in Gaza, which has been laid waste by nearly five months of heavy fighting.
+He said the next stage would ""require new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the emerging reality in the Gaza Strip, the national unity talks, and the urgent need for an inter-Palestinian consensus"".
+In addition, it would require ""the extension of the Authority's authority over the entire land, Palestine"".
+No successor has been appointed but Abbas is widely expected to name Mohammad Mustafa, a former World Bank official who is chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) with experience of rebuilding Gaza after a previous war in 2014. There has been no word on elections, which have not been held since 2006.
+The Palestinian Authority exercises limited governance over parts of the occupied West Bank but lost power in Gaza following a factional struggle with Hamas in 2007.
+It has been badly weakened over the years and surveys show it is deeply unpopular among Palestinians. But it remains the only leadership body generally recognised by the international community.
+Palestinian leaders say its ability to exercise effective governance has been effectively blocked by Israeli restrictions, which have included withholding tax revenues due under the Oslo accords. For months, the Authority has been unable to pay full public sector salaries because of a row over the refusal by the Israeli finance ministry to release part of the funds.
+Israel has long accused the Authority of supporting terrorism by offering financial support to the families of militants killed by Israeli forces and allowing antisemitic material to be included in school text books.
+Israel has also attacked Palestinian leaders, including Abbas, for not condemning the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
+Fatah, the faction that controls the Authority, and Hamas, designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union, have made efforts to bridge their differences and reach an agreement over a unity government and are due to meet in Moscow on Wednesday. A senior Hamas official said the move had to be followed by a broader agreement on governance for the Palestinians.
+""The resignation of Shtayyeh's government only makes sense if it comes within the context of national consensus on arrangements for the next phase,"" senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
+Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and says that for security reasons, it will not accept Palestinian Authority rule over Gaza after the war, which broke out following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli tallies.
+So far, almost 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza fighting, according to Palestinian health authorities, and almost the entire population have been driven from their homes.
+
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian PM resigns as pressure grows over post-war Gaza plans[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced his resignation on Monday, as the Palestinian Authority looks to build support for an expanded role following Israel's war against the Islamist group Hamas in Gaza. The move comes amid growing U.S. pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas to shake up the Authority as international efforts intensify to stop the fighting in Gaza and begin work on a political structure to govern the enclave after the war. Abbas accepted Shtayyeh's resignation and asked him to stay on as caretaker until a permanent replacement is appointed. The Palestinian Authority, created about 30 years ago as part of the interim Oslo peace accords, has been badly undermined by accusations of ineffectiveness and corruption and the prime minister holds little effective power. But Shtayyeh's departure marks a symbolic shift that underlines Abbas' determination to ensure the Authority maintains its claim to leadership as international pressure grows for a revival of efforts to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel. In a statement to cabinet, Shtayyeh, an academic economist who took office in 2019, said the next administration would need to take account of the emerging reality in Gaza, which has been laid waste by nearly five months of heavy fighting. He said the next stage would ""require new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the emerging reality in the Gaza Strip, the national unity talks, and the urgent need for an inter-Palestinian consensus"".  In addition, it would require ""the extension of the Authority's authority over the entire land, Palestine"".
+No successor has been appointed but Abbas is widely expected to name Mohammad Mustafa, a former World Bank official who is chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) with experience of rebuilding Gaza after a previous war in 2014. There has been no word on elections, which have not been held since 2006. The Palestinian Authority exercises limited governance over parts of the occupied West Bank but lost power in Gaza following a factional struggle with Hamas in 2007.  It has been badly weakened over the years and surveys show it is deeply unpopular among Palestinians. But it remains the only leadership body generally recognised by the international community. Palestinian leaders say its ability to exercise effective governance has been effectively blocked by Israeli restrictions, which have included withholding tax revenues due under the Oslo accords. For months, the Authority has been unable to pay full public sector salaries because of a row over the refusal by the Israeli finance ministry to release part of the funds."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-prime-minister-shtayyeh-resigns-2024-02-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian PM resigns as pressure grows over post-war Gaza plans[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced his resignation on Monday, as the Palestinian Authority looks to build support for an expanded role following Israel's war against the Islamist group Hamas in Gaza.
+The move comes amid growing U.S. pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas to shake up the Authority as international efforts intensify to stop the fighting in Gaza and begin work on a political structure to govern the enclave after the war.
+Abbas accepted Shtayyeh's resignation and asked him to stay on as caretaker until a permanent replacement is appointed.
+The Palestinian Authority, created about 30 years ago as part of the interim Oslo peace accords, has been badly undermined by accusations of ineffectiveness and corruption and the prime minister holds little effective power.
+But Shtayyeh's departure marks a symbolic shift that underlines Abbas' determination to ensure the Authority maintains its claim to leadership as international pressure grows for a revival of efforts to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
+In a statement to cabinet, Shtayyeh, an academic economist who took office in 2019, said the next administration would need to take account of the emerging reality in Gaza, which has been laid waste by nearly five months of heavy fighting.
+He said the next stage would ""require new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the emerging reality in the Gaza Strip, the national unity talks, and the urgent need for an inter-Palestinian consensus"".
+In addition, it would require ""the extension of the Authority's authority over the entire land, Palestine"".
+No successor has been appointed but Abbas is widely expected to name Mohammad Mustafa, a former World Bank official who is chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) with experience of rebuilding Gaza after a previous war in 2014. There has been no word on elections, which have not been held since 2006.
+The Palestinian Authority exercises limited governance over parts of the occupied West Bank but lost power in Gaza following a factional struggle with Hamas in 2007.
+It has been badly weakened over the years and surveys show it is deeply unpopular among Palestinians. But it remains the only leadership body generally recognised by the international community.
+Palestinian leaders say its ability to exercise effective governance has been effectively blocked by Israeli restrictions, which have included withholding tax revenues due under the Oslo accords. For months, the Authority has been unable to pay full public sector salaries because of a row over the refusal by the Israeli finance ministry to release part of the funds.
+Israel has long accused the Authority of supporting terrorism by offering financial support to the families of militants killed by Israeli forces and allowing antisemitic material to be included in school text books.
+Israel has also attacked Palestinian leaders, including Abbas, for not condemning the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
+Fatah, the faction that controls the Authority, and Hamas, designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union, have made efforts to bridge their differences and reach an agreement over a unity government and are due to meet in Moscow on Wednesday. A senior Hamas official said the move had to be followed by a broader agreement on governance for the Palestinians.
+""The resignation of Shtayyeh's government only makes sense if it comes within the context of national consensus on arrangements for the next phase,"" senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
+Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and says that for security reasons, it will not accept Palestinian Authority rule over Gaza after the war, which broke out following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli tallies.
+So far, almost 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza fighting, according to Palestinian health authorities, and almost the entire population have been driven from their homes.
+
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel has long accused the Authority of supporting terrorism by offering financial support to the families of militants killed by Israeli forces and allowing antisemitic material to be included in school text books. Israel has also attacked Palestinian leaders, including Abbas, for not condemning the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7.  Fatah, the faction that controls the Authority, and Hamas, designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union, have made efforts to bridge their differences and reach an agreement over a unity government and are due to meet in Moscow on Wednesday. A senior Hamas official said the move had to be followed by a broader agreement on governance for the Palestinians. ""The resignation of Shtayyeh's government only makes sense if it comes within the context of national consensus on arrangements for the next phase,"" senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and says that for security reasons, it will not accept Palestinian Authority rule over Gaza after the war, which broke out following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli tallies. So far, almost 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza fighting, according to Palestinian health authorities, and almost the entire population have been driven from their homes. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-hezbollah-strikes-cloud-lebanons-economy-minister-says-2024-02-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Hezbollah strikes cloud Lebanon's economy, minister says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ABU DHABI, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Lebanon's long-troubled economy is shrouded in uncertainty by conflict on its southern border between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants, Lebanon's economy minister said on Monday.
+Minister of Economy and Trade Amin Salam told reporters in Abu Dhabi that Lebanon would miss an annual growth forecast of 2-4% this year as a direct result of the cross-border strikes.
+""Lebanon is in a state of lot of questions now but definitely things are declining in a negative way,"" he said on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting.
+He said it was unclear if visitors from the Lebanese diaspora and other tourists, who he said injected about $5-7 billion into the economy last summer, would come to the country this season.
+The recent winter season had seen fewer overseas visitors than expected after a strong summer season before the war, he said. The U.S., Brazil, and Australia, home to many Lebanese, are urging their citizens to reconsider travelling to Lebanon.
+""We don't know really if in the next few months we can look at a summer season that will pump back billions of dollars into the economy,"" he said, uncertain if the diaspora will stay away.
+Israeli forces and Lebanon's Hezbollah have for months traded fire across Lebanon's southern border, which the Iran-backed group says is in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas.
+Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7 that left around 1,200 people dead, with more than 200 taken hostage, of which around 100 have been released.
+In retaliation, Israel has bombed and invaded Gaza with the aim, its government says, of destroying the Iran-backed Hamas, which rules the coastal enclave of some 2.5 million people. The military operations have killed more than 29,000 Palestinians.
+""Lebanon is not just affected by the war in Palestine and Gaza. Lebanon is in a state of war. We are losing our land,"" Salam said.
+Salam said the southern border fighting had weakened Lebanon's exports with about $2.5 billion in agricultural land, trees and goods damaged or destroyed so far in the strikes.
+He said the government was seeking international assistance to rehabilitate farmland damaged by the fighting.
+""It will take years and it will take a lot of money, so definitely we will be seeking international community to aid us in rehabilitating all the areas,"" Salam said.
+Lebanon's economy began to unravel in 2019 after decades of profligate state spending and corruption.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Hezbollah strikes cloud Lebanon's economy , minister says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ABU DHABI, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Lebanon's long-troubled economy is shrouded in uncertainty by conflict on its southern border between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants, Lebanon's economy minister said on Monday. Minister of Economy and Trade Amin Salam told reporters in Abu Dhabi that Lebanon would miss an annual growth forecast of 2-4% this year as a direct result of the cross-border strikes. ""Lebanon is in a state of lot of questions now but definitely things are declining in a negative way,"" he said on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting. He said it was unclear if visitors from the Lebanese diaspora and other tourists, who he said injected about $5-7 billion into the economy last summer, would come to the country this season. The recent winter season had seen fewer overseas visitors than expected after a strong summer season before the war, he said. The U.S., Brazil, and Australia, home to many Lebanese, are urging their citizens to reconsider travelling to Lebanon. ""We don't know really if in the next few months we can look at a summer season that will pump back billions of dollars into the economy,"" he said, uncertain if the diaspora will stay away. Israeli forces and Lebanon's Hezbollah have for months traded fire across Lebanon's southern border, which the Iran-backed group says is in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas. Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7 that left around 1,200 people dead, with more than 200 taken hostage, of which around 100 have been released.  In retaliation, Israel has bombed and invaded Gaza with the aim, its government says, of destroying the Iran-backed Hamas, which rules the coastal enclave of some 2.5 million people. The military operations have killed more than 29,000 Palestinians. ""Lebanon is not just affected by the war in Palestine and Gaza. Lebanon is in a state of war. We are losing our land,"" Salam said. Salam said the southern border fighting had weakened Lebanon's exports with about $2.5 billion in agricultural land, trees and goods damaged or destroyed so far in the strikes. He said the government was seeking international assistance to rehabilitate farmland damaged by the fighting. ""It will take years and it will take a lot of money, so definitely we will be seeking international community to aid us in rehabilitating all the areas,"" Salam said. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-hezbollah-strikes-cloud-lebanons-economy-minister-says-2024-02-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Hezbollah strikes cloud Lebanon's economy, minister says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ABU DHABI, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Lebanon's long-troubled economy is shrouded in uncertainty by conflict on its southern border between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants, Lebanon's economy minister said on Monday.
+Minister of Economy and Trade Amin Salam told reporters in Abu Dhabi that Lebanon would miss an annual growth forecast of 2-4% this year as a direct result of the cross-border strikes.
+""Lebanon is in a state of lot of questions now but definitely things are declining in a negative way,"" he said on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting.
+He said it was unclear if visitors from the Lebanese diaspora and other tourists, who he said injected about $5-7 billion into the economy last summer, would come to the country this season.
+The recent winter season had seen fewer overseas visitors than expected after a strong summer season before the war, he said. The U.S., Brazil, and Australia, home to many Lebanese, are urging their citizens to reconsider travelling to Lebanon.
+""We don't know really if in the next few months we can look at a summer season that will pump back billions of dollars into the economy,"" he said, uncertain if the diaspora will stay away.
+Israeli forces and Lebanon's Hezbollah have for months traded fire across Lebanon's southern border, which the Iran-backed group says is in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas.
+Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7 that left around 1,200 people dead, with more than 200 taken hostage, of which around 100 have been released.
+In retaliation, Israel has bombed and invaded Gaza with the aim, its government says, of destroying the Iran-backed Hamas, which rules the coastal enclave of some 2.5 million people. The military operations have killed more than 29,000 Palestinians.
+""Lebanon is not just affected by the war in Palestine and Gaza. Lebanon is in a state of war. We are losing our land,"" Salam said.
+Salam said the southern border fighting had weakened Lebanon's exports with about $2.5 billion in agricultural land, trees and goods damaged or destroyed so far in the strikes.
+He said the government was seeking international assistance to rehabilitate farmland damaged by the fighting.
+""It will take years and it will take a lot of money, so definitely we will be seeking international community to aid us in rehabilitating all the areas,"" Salam said.
+Lebanon's economy began to unravel in 2019 after decades of profligate state spending and corruption.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]",Lebanon's economy began to unravel in 2019 after decades of profligate state spending and corruption.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/man-sets-himself-fire-outside-israeli-embassy-washington-2024-02-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US airman sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - A U.S. military service member set himself on fire, in an apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza, outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
+The man was transported to an area hospital after the fire was put out by U.S. Secret Service officers, DC Fire and EMS posted online. The man remains in critical condition, a Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson said Sunday afternoon. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed that the incident involved a active duty airman.
+""I will no longer be complicit in genocide,"" said the man, wearing military fatigues, in a video he broadcasted live over the internet, according to the New York Times.
+He then doused himself in a clear liquid and set himself on fire, screaming ""Free Palestine,"" the Times reported.
+Local police and Secret Service are investigating the incident.
+Israel's embassy has been the target of continued protest against the war in Gaza. The war in Gaza has led to pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests in the United States. The protests started after Oct. 7 when Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that rules Gaza, killed 1,200 Israelis and seized 253 hostages in a cross-border attack.
+Since then, Israeli forces have waged a military campaign against the coastal enclave, laying much of it to waste, with nearly 30,000 people dead, according to Palestinian health officials.
+In December, a protester set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US airman sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - A U.S. military service member set himself on fire, in an apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza, outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.  The man was transported to an area hospital after the fire was put out by U.S. Secret Service officers, DC Fire and EMS posted online. The man remains in critical condition, a Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson said Sunday afternoon. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed that the incident involved a active duty airman. ""I will no longer be complicit in genocide,"" said the man, wearing military fatigues, in a video he broadcasted live over the internet, according to the New York Times.  He then doused himself in a clear liquid and set himself on fire, screaming ""Free Palestine,"" the Times reported.
+Local police and Secret Service are investigating the incident.
+Israel's embassy has been the target of continued protest against the war in Gaza. The war in Gaza has led to pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests in the United States. The protests started after Oct. 7 when Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that rules Gaza, killed 1,200 Israelis and seized 253 hostages in a cross-border attack.  Since then, Israeli forces have waged a military campaign against the coastal enclave, laying much of it to waste, with nearly 30,000 people dead, according to Palestinian health officials.
+In December, a protester set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-parliament-must-not-bend-intimidation-says-pm-sunak-2024-02-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK parliament must not bend to intimidation, says PM Sunak[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday that a decision by the House of Commons speaker to break with procedure due to threats facing some lawmakers over their views on the Gaza conflict sent a dangerous signal that intimidation works.
+Parliament descended into chaos on Wednesday night as tensions flared over a vote on whether to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and the exact language to use.
+The speaker of the lower house, Lindsay Hoyle, said he broke with usual parliamentary procedure for the vote because of what he described as ""absolutely frightening"" threats against lawmakers.
+""In parliament this week, a dangerous signal was sent that intimidation works,"" Sunak said in a post on X.
+""It is toxic for our society and our politics and is an affront to the liberties and values we hold dear here in Britain. Our democracy cannot and must not bend to the threat of violence and intimidation or fall into polarised camps who hate each other.""
+On Saturday, Sunak's Conservatives suspended one of their lawmakers and former party vice chairman, Lee Anderson, after he refused to apologise for saying the London mayor was under the control of Islamists.
+Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters had gathered outside parliament on Wednesday, with messages beamed onto the building's Elizabeth Tower including ""From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"", a slogan critics interpret as a call for the elimination of Israel.
+Sunak said Britain had seen an emerging pattern of events which ""should not be tolerated"".
+""Legitimate protests hijacked by extremists to promote and glorify terrorism, elected representatives verbally threatened and physically, violently targeted, and antisemitic tropes beamed onto our own parliament building,"" he said.
+""The explosion in prejudice and antisemitism since the Hamas terrorist attacks on the 7th October are as unacceptable as they are un-British.""
+Earlier this month lawmaker Mike Freer, who represents an area in London with a large Jewish population, said he would be giving up his parliamentary seat at the next election due to having received threats and after an arson attack on his office.
+The Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph newspapers both reported that several members of parliament have been given taxpayer-funded bodyguards after being assessed to be at risk.
+Conservative lawmaker David Amess was killed in 2021 by a man who said he was acting in revenge for the lawmaker's support for air strikes on Syria.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK parliament must not bend to intimidation, says PM Sunak[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday that a decision by the House of Commons speaker to break with procedure due to threats facing some lawmakers over their views on the Gaza conflict sent a dangerous signal that intimidation works. Parliament descended into chaos on Wednesday night as tensions flared over a vote on whether to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and the exact language to use.
+The speaker of the lower house, Lindsay Hoyle, said he broke with usual parliamentary procedure for the vote because of what he described as ""absolutely frightening"" threats against lawmakers.  ""In parliament this week, a dangerous signal was sent that intimidation works,"" Sunak said in a post on X.
+""It is toxic for our society and our politics and is an affront to the liberties and values we hold dear here in Britain. Our democracy cannot and must not bend to the threat of violence and intimidation or fall into polarised camps who hate each other.""
+On Saturday, Sunak's Conservatives suspended one of their lawmakers and former party vice chairman, Lee Anderson, after he refused to apologise for saying the London mayor was under the control of Islamists. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters had gathered outside parliament on Wednesday, with messages beamed onto the building's Elizabeth Tower including ""From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"", a slogan critics interpret as a call for the elimination of Israel.
+Sunak said Britain had seen an emerging pattern of events which ""should not be tolerated"".
+""Legitimate protests hijacked by extremists to promote and glorify terrorism, elected representatives verbally threatened and physically, violently targeted, and antisemitic tropes beamed onto our own parliament building,"" he said. ""The explosion in prejudice and antisemitism since the Hamas terrorist attacks on the 7th October are as unacceptable as they are un-British.""
+Earlier this month lawmaker Mike Freer, who represents an area in London with a large Jewish population, said he would be giving up his parliamentary seat at the next election due to having received threats and after an arson attack on his office. The Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph newspapers both reported that several members of parliament have been given taxpayer-funded bodyguards after being assessed to be at risk. Conservative lawmaker David Amess was killed in 2021 by a man who said he was acting in revenge for the lawmaker's support for air strikes on Syria.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-test-gaza-day-after-vision-with-humanitarian-pockets-2024-02-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel proposes Palestinian-run 'humanitarian pockets' in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Israel is seeking Palestinians who are not affiliated with Hamas to manage civilian affairs in areas of the Gaza Strip designed as testing grounds for post-war administration of the enclave, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday.
+But Hamas said the plan, which the Israeli official said would also exclude anybody on the payroll of the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority (PA), would effectively mean an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza and was doomed to failure.
+The Israeli official said the planned ""humanitarian pockets"" would be in districts of the Gaza Strip from which Hamas has been expelled, but that their ultimate success would hinge on Israel achieving its goal of destroying the Islamist faction across the tiny coastal territory that it has been governing.
+""We're looking for the right people to step up to the plate,"" the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. ""But it is clear that this will take time, as no one will come forward if they think Hamas will put a bullet in their head.""
+The plan, the official added, ""may be achieved once Hamas is destroyed and doesn't pose a threat to Israel or to Gazans"".
+Israel's top-rated Channel 12 TV reported that the Zeitoun neighbourhood of northern Gaza City was a candidate for implementation of the plan, under which local merchants and civil society leaders would distribute humanitarian aid.
+The Israeli military would provide peripheral security in Zeitoun, Channel 12 said, describing renewed troop incursions there this week as designed to root out remnants of a Hamas garrison that was hit hard in the early stages of the war.
+There was no official confirmation of the Channel 12 report.
+'SIGN OF CONFUSION'
+Asked about the Israeli official's comments and the Channel 12 report, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said such a plan would be tantamount to Israel reoccupying Gaza, from which it withdrew troops and settlers in 2005. Israel says it will have indefinite security control over Gaza after the war, but denies this would be a reoccupation.
+""We are confident this project is pointless and is a sign of confusion and it will never succeed,"" Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
+The Israeli official also made clear the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank, would also be barred as a partner in the ""humanitarian pockets"" on account of its failure to condemn the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
+The militants killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in that attack, Israel says, prompting an Israeli ground offensive and aerial bombardment of Gaza in which nearly 30,000 people have been killed, according to Gazan health authorities.
+""Anyone who took part in, or even failed to condemn, October 7 is ruled out,"" the official said.
+Wassel Abu Yousef, a senior official with the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation of which the PA is part, also appeared dismissive of the Israeli plan on Thursday.
+""All of Israel’s attempts to change the geographic and demographic features of Gaza will not succeed,"" he told Reuters.
+The United States has called for a ""revitalised"" PA to govern Gaza after the war. But Israel has been cool to the idea, noting that the PA provides payouts to jailed militants.
+Still, the official said, Israel would be willing to consider ""humanitarian pocket"" partners with past links to the PA's dominant Fatah faction, a more secular rival to Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel proposes Palestinian-run 'humanitarian pockets' in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Israel is seeking Palestinians who are not affiliated with Hamas to manage civilian affairs in areas of the Gaza Strip designed as testing grounds for post-war administration of the enclave, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday. But Hamas said the plan, which the Israeli official said would also exclude anybody on the payroll of the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority (PA), would effectively mean an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza and was doomed to failure. The Israeli official said the planned ""humanitarian pockets"" would be in districts of the Gaza Strip from which Hamas has been expelled, but that their ultimate success would hinge on Israel achieving its goal of destroying the Islamist faction across the tiny coastal territory that it has been governing.  ""We're looking for the right people to step up to the plate,"" the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. ""But it is clear that this will take time, as no one will come forward if they think Hamas will put a bullet in their head.""
+The plan, the official added, ""may be achieved once Hamas is destroyed and doesn't pose a threat to Israel or to Gazans"". Israel's top-rated Channel 12 TV reported that the Zeitoun neighbourhood of northern Gaza City was a candidate for implementation of the plan, under which local merchants and civil society leaders would distribute humanitarian aid. The Israeli military would provide peripheral security in Zeitoun, Channel 12 said, describing renewed troop incursions there this week as designed to root out remnants of a Hamas garrison that was hit hard in the early stages of the war. There was no official confirmation of the Channel 12 report.  'SIGN OF CONFUSION'  Asked about the Israeli official's comments and the Channel 12 report, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said such a plan would be tantamount to Israel reoccupying Gaza, from which it withdrew troops and settlers in 2005. Israel says it will have indefinite security control over Gaza after the war, but denies this would be a reoccupation. ""We are confident this project is pointless and is a sign of confusion and it will never succeed,"" Abu Zuhri told Reuters. The Israeli official also made clear the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank, would also be barred as a partner in the ""humanitarian pockets"" on account of its failure to condemn the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-test-gaza-day-after-vision-with-humanitarian-pockets-2024-02-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel proposes Palestinian-run 'humanitarian pockets' in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Israel is seeking Palestinians who are not affiliated with Hamas to manage civilian affairs in areas of the Gaza Strip designed as testing grounds for post-war administration of the enclave, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday.
+But Hamas said the plan, which the Israeli official said would also exclude anybody on the payroll of the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority (PA), would effectively mean an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza and was doomed to failure.
+The Israeli official said the planned ""humanitarian pockets"" would be in districts of the Gaza Strip from which Hamas has been expelled, but that their ultimate success would hinge on Israel achieving its goal of destroying the Islamist faction across the tiny coastal territory that it has been governing.
+""We're looking for the right people to step up to the plate,"" the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. ""But it is clear that this will take time, as no one will come forward if they think Hamas will put a bullet in their head.""
+The plan, the official added, ""may be achieved once Hamas is destroyed and doesn't pose a threat to Israel or to Gazans"".
+Israel's top-rated Channel 12 TV reported that the Zeitoun neighbourhood of northern Gaza City was a candidate for implementation of the plan, under which local merchants and civil society leaders would distribute humanitarian aid.
+The Israeli military would provide peripheral security in Zeitoun, Channel 12 said, describing renewed troop incursions there this week as designed to root out remnants of a Hamas garrison that was hit hard in the early stages of the war.
+There was no official confirmation of the Channel 12 report.
+'SIGN OF CONFUSION'
+Asked about the Israeli official's comments and the Channel 12 report, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said such a plan would be tantamount to Israel reoccupying Gaza, from which it withdrew troops and settlers in 2005. Israel says it will have indefinite security control over Gaza after the war, but denies this would be a reoccupation.
+""We are confident this project is pointless and is a sign of confusion and it will never succeed,"" Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
+The Israeli official also made clear the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank, would also be barred as a partner in the ""humanitarian pockets"" on account of its failure to condemn the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
+The militants killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in that attack, Israel says, prompting an Israeli ground offensive and aerial bombardment of Gaza in which nearly 30,000 people have been killed, according to Gazan health authorities.
+""Anyone who took part in, or even failed to condemn, October 7 is ruled out,"" the official said.
+Wassel Abu Yousef, a senior official with the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation of which the PA is part, also appeared dismissive of the Israeli plan on Thursday.
+""All of Israel’s attempts to change the geographic and demographic features of Gaza will not succeed,"" he told Reuters.
+The United States has called for a ""revitalised"" PA to govern Gaza after the war. But Israel has been cool to the idea, noting that the PA provides payouts to jailed militants.
+Still, the official said, Israel would be willing to consider ""humanitarian pocket"" partners with past links to the PA's dominant Fatah faction, a more secular rival to Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The militants killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in that attack, Israel says, prompting an Israeli ground offensive and aerial bombardment of Gaza in which nearly 30,000 people have been killed, according to Gazan health authorities. ""Anyone who took part in, or even failed to condemn, October 7 is ruled out,"" the official said. Wassel Abu Yousef, a senior official with the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation of which the PA is part, also appeared dismissive of the Israeli plan on Thursday.
+""All of Israel’s attempts to change the geographic and demographic features of Gaza will not succeed,"" he told Reuters.  The United States has called for a ""revitalised"" PA to govern Gaza after the war. But Israel has been cool to the idea, noting that the PA provides payouts to jailed militants. Still, the official said, Israel would be willing to consider ""humanitarian pocket"" partners with past links to the PA's dominant Fatah faction, a more secular rival to Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-russia-speak-israeli-occupation-top-un-court-2024-02-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US stresses need to consider Israel's security at top UN court[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday the World Court should not order the unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territories as it considers a request for its opinion on the legality of the occupation.
+The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the top U.N. court which is also known as the World Court, was asked in 2022 by the U.N. General Assembly to issue a non-binding opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation.
+While the court was not asked to issue an opinion about the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied territories, many states participating in the hearings have called on Israel to do so.
+Israel, which is not taking part, said in written comments that the court's involvement could be harmful to achieving a negotiated settlement.
+""Any movement towards Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration for Israel's very real security needs,"" Richard Visek, acting legal adviser at the U.S. State Department, told the court in The Hague.
+""We were all reminded of those security needs on October 7, and they persist. Regrettably those needs have been ignored by many of the participants"" in the court's hearings.
+More than 50 states will present arguments until Feb. 26.
+Russia's ambassador to the Netherlands, Vladimir Tarabrin, called on Israel to end the occupation and abide by United National Security Council resolutions aimed at achieving a two-state solution.
+DEEPLY-ROOTED GRIEVANCES
+""Israel is under an international legal obligation to respect the rights of the Palestinian people to self determination, and to stop all settlement activities in the occupied territory.""
+On Monday, Palestinian representatives asked the judges to declare Israel's occupation of their territory illegal and said its opinion could help reach a two-state solution.
+The latest surge of violence in Gaza that followed Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in Israel has complicated already deeply-rooted grievances in the Middle East and damaged efforts towards finding a path to peace.
+The ICJ's 15-judge panel has been asked to review Israel's ""occupation, settlement and annexation ... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures"".
+The judges are expected to take roughly six months to issue their opinion on the request, which also asks them to consider the legal status of the occupation and its consequences for states.
+Israel ignored a World Court opinion in 2004 when it found that Israel's separation wall in the West Bank violated international law and should be dismantled. Instead, it has been extended.
+The current hearings could increase political pressure over Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed about 29,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in the 1967 conflict. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls its borders.
+Israeli leaders have long disputed that the territories are formally occupied on the basis that they were captured from Jordan and Egypt during the 1967 war rather than from a sovereign Palestine.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US stresses need to consider Israel's security at top UN court[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday the World Court should not order the unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territories as it considers a request for its opinion on the legality of the occupation. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the top U.N. court which is also known as the World Court, was asked in 2022 by the U.N. General Assembly to issue a non-binding opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation. While the court was not asked to issue an opinion about the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied territories, many states participating in the hearings have called on Israel to do so. Israel, which is not taking part, said in written comments that the court's involvement could be harmful to achieving a negotiated settlement.
+""Any movement towards Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration for Israel's very real security needs,"" Richard Visek, acting legal adviser at the U.S. State Department, told the court in The Hague.  ""We were all reminded of those security needs on October 7, and they persist. Regrettably those needs have been ignored by many of the participants"" in the court's hearings. More than 50 states will present arguments until Feb. 26.  Russia's ambassador to the Netherlands, Vladimir Tarabrin, called on Israel to end the occupation and abide by United National Security Council resolutions aimed at achieving a two-state solution.
+DEEPLY-ROOTED GRIEVANCES
+"" Israel is under an international legal obligation to respect the rights of the Palestinian people to self determination, and to stop all settlement activities in the occupied territory."" On Monday, Palestinian representatives asked the judges to declare Israel's occupation of their territory illegal and said its opinion could help reach a two-state solution. The latest surge of violence in Gaza that followed Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in Israel has complicated already deeply-rooted grievances in the Middle East and damaged efforts towards finding a path to peace.
+The ICJ's 15-judge panel has been asked to review Israel's ""occupation, settlement and annexation ... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures"".
+The judges are expected to take roughly six months to issue their opinion on the request, which also asks them to consider the legal status of the occupation and its consequences for states. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-russia-speak-israeli-occupation-top-un-court-2024-02-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US stresses need to consider Israel's security at top UN court[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday the World Court should not order the unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territories as it considers a request for its opinion on the legality of the occupation.
+The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the top U.N. court which is also known as the World Court, was asked in 2022 by the U.N. General Assembly to issue a non-binding opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation.
+While the court was not asked to issue an opinion about the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied territories, many states participating in the hearings have called on Israel to do so.
+Israel, which is not taking part, said in written comments that the court's involvement could be harmful to achieving a negotiated settlement.
+""Any movement towards Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration for Israel's very real security needs,"" Richard Visek, acting legal adviser at the U.S. State Department, told the court in The Hague.
+""We were all reminded of those security needs on October 7, and they persist. Regrettably those needs have been ignored by many of the participants"" in the court's hearings.
+More than 50 states will present arguments until Feb. 26.
+Russia's ambassador to the Netherlands, Vladimir Tarabrin, called on Israel to end the occupation and abide by United National Security Council resolutions aimed at achieving a two-state solution.
+DEEPLY-ROOTED GRIEVANCES
+""Israel is under an international legal obligation to respect the rights of the Palestinian people to self determination, and to stop all settlement activities in the occupied territory.""
+On Monday, Palestinian representatives asked the judges to declare Israel's occupation of their territory illegal and said its opinion could help reach a two-state solution.
+The latest surge of violence in Gaza that followed Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in Israel has complicated already deeply-rooted grievances in the Middle East and damaged efforts towards finding a path to peace.
+The ICJ's 15-judge panel has been asked to review Israel's ""occupation, settlement and annexation ... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures"".
+The judges are expected to take roughly six months to issue their opinion on the request, which also asks them to consider the legal status of the occupation and its consequences for states.
+Israel ignored a World Court opinion in 2004 when it found that Israel's separation wall in the West Bank violated international law and should be dismantled. Instead, it has been extended.
+The current hearings could increase political pressure over Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed about 29,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in the 1967 conflict. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls its borders.
+Israeli leaders have long disputed that the territories are formally occupied on the basis that they were captured from Jordan and Egypt during the 1967 war rather than from a sovereign Palestine.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel ignored a World Court opinion in 2004 when it found that Israel's separation wall in the West Bank violated international law and should be dismantled. Instead, it has been extended. The current hearings could increase political pressure over Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed about 29,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.  Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in the 1967 conflict. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls its borders. Israeli leaders have long disputed that the territories are formally occupied on the basis that they were captured from Jordan and Egypt during the 1967 war rather than from a sovereign Palestine.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/berlinale-eurovision-anger-over-gaza-clouds-europes-cultural-events-2024-02-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]From Berlinale to Eurovision, anger over Gaza clouds Europe's cultural events[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Indian-American filmmaker Suneil Sanzgiri was set to showcase his film about anti-colonial resistance against the Portuguese empire at this month's Berlinale film festival but dropped out.
+Announcing his boycott on Instagram, Sanzgiri accused the German authorities of silencing voices speaking out for Palestinians in the war in Gaza. ""I will not be complicit. We all have blood on our hands,"" he wrote.
+Sanzgiri's is one of at least three films that were withdrawn by their creators, while other events at the festival also saw artists pulling out.
+The withdrawals showed the tricky waters Germany's cultural institutions are navigating, caught between protecting artistic freedoms while recognising what many Germans see as a historic responsibility for Israel after the Nazi Holocaust.
+Such disputes have also flared elsewhere in Europe since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants. The European Broadcasting Union has resisted calls for Israel to be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest.
+Protests erupted in the Italian city of Naples in February after state broadcaster RAI distanced itself from an appeal made by rapper Ghali to ""stop the genocide"" during the closing night of the popular Sanremo Music Festival.
+In Britain, a network of artists has been documenting events that were axed over artists' pro-Palestinian views. The Arnolfini art gallery in Bristol also sparked a backlash after cancelling two Palestinian film events, fearing they could ""stray into political activity"".
+In France, a group of artists in November organised a ""silent march"" where they held a white banner with no slogans.
+STRIKE GERMANY
+In Germany, anger over the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has killed 29,000 Palestinians, has clashed with sensibilities over supporting Israel. Critics say crackdowns on pro-Palestinian voices confuse criticism with legitimate protest.
+As cultural events are often state supported, critics say the government has used its financial power to prevent any criticism of Israel, a charge the government strongly rejects.
+""Freedom of art and freedom of expression are among the most important basic principles of democracy in Germany, which are of course also protected by the federal government,"" a spokesperson for the culture ministry said.
+""The institutions and projects funded at the federal level have curatorial freedom and decide for themselves which artists they work with,"" the spokesperson added.
+While announcing his Berlinale boycott, filmmaker Sanzgiri voiced support for Strike Germany, an initiative launched by anonymous artists in January calling on filmmakers, musicians, writers and artists to withdraw from cultural events in Germany.
+""It is a call to refuse German cultural institutions' use of McCarthyist policies that suppress freedom of expression, specifically expressions of solidarity with Palestine,"" the organisers wrote.
+Some 1,600 artists have signed up, according a list on the initiative's website, including French Nobel prize winner Annie Ernaux. Reuters could not verify the list's authenticity.
+Last month, Berlin's CTM music festival announced several artists withdrawing in solidarity with Strike Germany.
+Strike Germany calls for the adoption of a different definition of anti-Semitism that does not include criticism of the state of Israel.
+The Berlinale has not shied away from the Gaza issue. It is hosting a so-called Tiny House initiative, a small space inviting disparate voices to debate the war. One of the films spotlighted Israeli settlers encroaching on land.
+It is one of several cultural events in Germany clouded by anger over Gaza.
+Hundreds of international writers condemned the Frankfurt Book Fair after a Palestinian writer's award was postponed in October. In November, the entire selection committee for one of Europe's most important art exhibitions, ""documenta"", resigned after disputes over the Israel-Hamas conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]From Berlinale to Eurovision, anger over Gaza clouds Europe's cultural events[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Indian-American filmmaker Suneil Sanzgiri was set to showcase his film about anti-colonial resistance against the Portuguese empire at this month's Berlinale film festival but dropped out.  Announcing his boycott on Instagram, Sanzgiri accused the German authorities of silencing voices speaking out for Palestinians in the war in Gaza. ""I will not be complicit. We all have blood on our hands,"" he wrote. Sanzgiri's is one of at least three films that were withdrawn by their creators, while other events at the festival also saw artists pulling out.  The withdrawals showed the tricky waters Germany's cultural institutions are navigating, caught between protecting artistic freedoms while recognising what many Germans see as a historic responsibility for Israel after the Nazi Holocaust.
+Such disputes have also flared elsewhere in Europe since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants. The European Broadcasting Union has resisted calls for Israel to be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest. Protests erupted in the Italian city of Naples in February after state broadcaster RAI distanced itself from an appeal made by rapper Ghali to ""stop the genocide"" during the closing night of the popular Sanremo Music Festival.  In Britain, a network of artists has been documenting events that were axed over artists' pro-Palestinian views. The Arnolfini art gallery in Bristol also sparked a backlash after cancelling two Palestinian film events, fearing they could ""stray into political activity"". In France, a group of artists in November organised a ""silent march"" where they held a white banner with no slogans. STRIKE GERMANY  In Germany, anger over the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has killed 29,000 Palestinians, has clashed with sensibilities over supporting Israel. Critics say crackdowns on pro-Palestinian voices confuse criticism with legitimate protest. As cultural events are often state supported, critics say the government has used its financial power to prevent any criticism of Israel, a charge the government strongly rejects.
+""Freedom of art and freedom of expression are among the most important basic principles of democracy in Germany, which are of course also protected by the federal government,"" a spokesperson for the culture ministry said. ""The institutions and projects funded at the federal level have curatorial freedom and decide for themselves which artists they work with,"" the spokesperson added. While announcing his Berlinale boycott, filmmaker Sanzgiri voiced support for Strike Germany, an initiative launched by anonymous artists in January calling on filmmakers, musicians, writers and artists to withdraw from cultural events in Germany."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/berlinale-eurovision-anger-over-gaza-clouds-europes-cultural-events-2024-02-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]From Berlinale to Eurovision, anger over Gaza clouds Europe's cultural events[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Indian-American filmmaker Suneil Sanzgiri was set to showcase his film about anti-colonial resistance against the Portuguese empire at this month's Berlinale film festival but dropped out.
+Announcing his boycott on Instagram, Sanzgiri accused the German authorities of silencing voices speaking out for Palestinians in the war in Gaza. ""I will not be complicit. We all have blood on our hands,"" he wrote.
+Sanzgiri's is one of at least three films that were withdrawn by their creators, while other events at the festival also saw artists pulling out.
+The withdrawals showed the tricky waters Germany's cultural institutions are navigating, caught between protecting artistic freedoms while recognising what many Germans see as a historic responsibility for Israel after the Nazi Holocaust.
+Such disputes have also flared elsewhere in Europe since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants. The European Broadcasting Union has resisted calls for Israel to be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest.
+Protests erupted in the Italian city of Naples in February after state broadcaster RAI distanced itself from an appeal made by rapper Ghali to ""stop the genocide"" during the closing night of the popular Sanremo Music Festival.
+In Britain, a network of artists has been documenting events that were axed over artists' pro-Palestinian views. The Arnolfini art gallery in Bristol also sparked a backlash after cancelling two Palestinian film events, fearing they could ""stray into political activity"".
+In France, a group of artists in November organised a ""silent march"" where they held a white banner with no slogans.
+STRIKE GERMANY
+In Germany, anger over the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has killed 29,000 Palestinians, has clashed with sensibilities over supporting Israel. Critics say crackdowns on pro-Palestinian voices confuse criticism with legitimate protest.
+As cultural events are often state supported, critics say the government has used its financial power to prevent any criticism of Israel, a charge the government strongly rejects.
+""Freedom of art and freedom of expression are among the most important basic principles of democracy in Germany, which are of course also protected by the federal government,"" a spokesperson for the culture ministry said.
+""The institutions and projects funded at the federal level have curatorial freedom and decide for themselves which artists they work with,"" the spokesperson added.
+While announcing his Berlinale boycott, filmmaker Sanzgiri voiced support for Strike Germany, an initiative launched by anonymous artists in January calling on filmmakers, musicians, writers and artists to withdraw from cultural events in Germany.
+""It is a call to refuse German cultural institutions' use of McCarthyist policies that suppress freedom of expression, specifically expressions of solidarity with Palestine,"" the organisers wrote.
+Some 1,600 artists have signed up, according a list on the initiative's website, including French Nobel prize winner Annie Ernaux. Reuters could not verify the list's authenticity.
+Last month, Berlin's CTM music festival announced several artists withdrawing in solidarity with Strike Germany.
+Strike Germany calls for the adoption of a different definition of anti-Semitism that does not include criticism of the state of Israel.
+The Berlinale has not shied away from the Gaza issue. It is hosting a so-called Tiny House initiative, a small space inviting disparate voices to debate the war. One of the films spotlighted Israeli settlers encroaching on land.
+It is one of several cultural events in Germany clouded by anger over Gaza.
+Hundreds of international writers condemned the Frankfurt Book Fair after a Palestinian writer's award was postponed in October. In November, the entire selection committee for one of Europe's most important art exhibitions, ""documenta"", resigned after disputes over the Israel-Hamas conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""It is a call to refuse German cultural institutions' use of McCarthyist policies that suppress freedom of expression, specifically expressions of solidarity with Palestine,"" the organisers wrote.  Some 1,600 artists have signed up, according a list on the initiative's website, including French Nobel prize winner Annie Ernaux. Reuters could not verify the list's authenticity. Last month, Berlin's CTM music festival announced several artists withdrawing in solidarity with Strike Germany. Strike Germany calls for the adoption of a different definition of anti-Semitism that does not include criticism of the state of Israel.  The Berlinale has not shied away from the Gaza issue. It is hosting a so-called Tiny House initiative, a small space inviting disparate voices to debate the war. One of the films spotlighted Israeli settlers encroaching on land. It is one of several cultural events in Germany clouded by anger over Gaza.  Hundreds of international writers condemned the Frankfurt Book Fair after a Palestinian writer's award was postponed in October. In November, the entire selection committee for one of Europe's most important art exhibitions, ""documenta"", resigned after disputes over the Israel-Hamas conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-completes-second-gaza-hospital-evacuation-amid-fighting-2024-02-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]WHO completes second Gaza hospital evacuation amid fighting[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA/CAIRO, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it had completed a second evacuation mission from Gaza's Nasser Hospital but voiced concern for nearly 150 patients and medics who remain at the site amid continuing fighting.
+The Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza's second-largest, stopped working last week after a week-long Israeli siege followed by a raid, the U.N. agency said. WHO staff and other aid groups have so far evacuated a total of 32 critical patients including injured children and those with paralysis, but the agency is concerned for those left behind with supplies dwindling.
+""WHO fears for the safety and well-being of the patients and health workers remaining in the hospital and warns that further disruption to lifesaving care for the sick and injured would lead to more deaths,"" the WHO said on the social media site X, opens new tab, saying those remaining included 130 patients and 15 medics.
+Israel says Hamas, the Islamist group that has run Gaza since 2007, uses hospitals for cover. Hamas denies this and says Israel's allegations serve as a pretext to destroy the healthcare system.
+The WHO's Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva that WHO staff who were part of the rescue mission had to navigate through pitch-black corridors with flashlights to find patients against a backdrop of gunfire.
+Help had to arrive on foot because a deep, muddy ditch near the site made the road impassable, the WHO said.
+""It's very difficult to see these scenes of people just being cut off,"" Jasarevic said, saying food supplies were limited. ""It's heartbreaking to see that there are people in health facilities who are not able to be treated correctly.""
+Efforts to transfer the remaining patients are continuing, WHO said. The site has no electricity or running water and medical waste and garbage are ""creating a breeding ground for disease,"" it added.
+Palestinian health authorities said the situation had reached a ""catastrophic level"" and that Israeli forces had effectively converted the site into a ""military barracks.""
+At least eight patients have already died at the facility, mostly due to fuel shortages and oxygen shortages, Palestinian health authorities have said. They said the lives of those remaining there are directly threatened.
+The more than four-month-old war was triggered by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage, according to Israel.
+Intent on destroying Hamas, Israel has responded with an air and ground assault that according to the Gaza health ministry's tallies has killed 29,195 Palestinians and wounded more than 69,000.
+NEW INCURSION
+As night fell on Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said two Israeli air strikes in Rafah, Gazans' last refuge, killed six people including two traveling in a car. In Central Gaza areas, medics said 12 people have been killed, most of them during an air strike on a house in Deir Al-Balah city.
+The war has displaced most of the enclave's 2.3 million people and over 1 million of them are now living in U.N. shelters or in tents and cardboard boxes in the southernmost tip of the enclave, against the border with Egypt.
+A little before midnight, an Israeli air strike on a house in the city of Rafah, where over a million people are concentrated, killed eight people, health officials said.
+In the nearby city of Khan Younis, residents said Israeli tanks advanced on the coastal road effectively separating Khan Younis and Rafah from the rest of the enclave.
+The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said its medical teams evacuated two bodies and eight injured people from the Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) headquarters on the coastal road, Al-Rashid Street, west of Khan Yunis.
+""The mission was carried out in coordination with and accompanied by a team from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). They were transported to the International Medical Corps field hospital in #Rafah,"" PRCS said in a statement on social media platform X.
+In Cairo, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, was expected to hold new meetings with Egyptian officials, who along with Qatari counterparts were trying to mediate a new hostage deal between the Islamist faction and Israel, but gaps remain.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]WHO completes second Gaza hospital evacuation amid fighting[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA/CAIRO, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it had completed a second evacuation mission from Gaza's Nasser Hospital but voiced concern for nearly 150 patients and medics who remain at the site amid continuing fighting.  The Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza's second-largest, stopped working last week after a week-long Israeli siege followed by a raid, the U.N. agency said. WHO staff and other aid groups have so far evacuated a total of 32 critical patients including injured children and those with paralysis, but the agency is concerned for those left behind with supplies dwindling. ""WHO fears for the safety and well-being of the patients and health workers remaining in the hospital and warns that further disruption to lifesaving care for the sick and injured would lead to more deaths,"" the WHO said on the social media site X, opens new tab, saying those remaining included 130 patients and 15 medics. Israel says Hamas, the Islamist group that has run Gaza since 2007, uses hospitals for cover. Hamas denies this and says Israel's allegations serve as a pretext to destroy the healthcare system. The WHO's Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva that WHO staff who were part of the rescue mission had to navigate through pitch-black corridors with flashlights to find patients against a backdrop of gunfire. Help had to arrive on foot because a deep, muddy ditch near the site made the road impassable, the WHO said.  ""It's very difficult to see these scenes of people just being cut off,"" Jasarevic said, saying food supplies were limited. ""It's heartbreaking to see that there are people in health facilities who are not able to be treated correctly.""
+Efforts to transfer the remaining patients are continuing, WHO said. The site has no electricity or running water and medical waste and garbage are ""creating a breeding ground for disease,"" it added. Palestinian health authorities said the situation had reached a ""catastrophic level"" and that Israeli forces had effectively converted the site into a ""military barracks."" At least eight patients have already died at the facility, mostly due to fuel shortages and oxygen shortages, Palestinian health authorities have said. They said the lives of those remaining there are directly threatened. The more than four-month-old war was triggered by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage, according to Israel."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-completes-second-gaza-hospital-evacuation-amid-fighting-2024-02-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]WHO completes second Gaza hospital evacuation amid fighting[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA/CAIRO, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it had completed a second evacuation mission from Gaza's Nasser Hospital but voiced concern for nearly 150 patients and medics who remain at the site amid continuing fighting.
+The Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza's second-largest, stopped working last week after a week-long Israeli siege followed by a raid, the U.N. agency said. WHO staff and other aid groups have so far evacuated a total of 32 critical patients including injured children and those with paralysis, but the agency is concerned for those left behind with supplies dwindling.
+""WHO fears for the safety and well-being of the patients and health workers remaining in the hospital and warns that further disruption to lifesaving care for the sick and injured would lead to more deaths,"" the WHO said on the social media site X, opens new tab, saying those remaining included 130 patients and 15 medics.
+Israel says Hamas, the Islamist group that has run Gaza since 2007, uses hospitals for cover. Hamas denies this and says Israel's allegations serve as a pretext to destroy the healthcare system.
+The WHO's Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva that WHO staff who were part of the rescue mission had to navigate through pitch-black corridors with flashlights to find patients against a backdrop of gunfire.
+Help had to arrive on foot because a deep, muddy ditch near the site made the road impassable, the WHO said.
+""It's very difficult to see these scenes of people just being cut off,"" Jasarevic said, saying food supplies were limited. ""It's heartbreaking to see that there are people in health facilities who are not able to be treated correctly.""
+Efforts to transfer the remaining patients are continuing, WHO said. The site has no electricity or running water and medical waste and garbage are ""creating a breeding ground for disease,"" it added.
+Palestinian health authorities said the situation had reached a ""catastrophic level"" and that Israeli forces had effectively converted the site into a ""military barracks.""
+At least eight patients have already died at the facility, mostly due to fuel shortages and oxygen shortages, Palestinian health authorities have said. They said the lives of those remaining there are directly threatened.
+The more than four-month-old war was triggered by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage, according to Israel.
+Intent on destroying Hamas, Israel has responded with an air and ground assault that according to the Gaza health ministry's tallies has killed 29,195 Palestinians and wounded more than 69,000.
+NEW INCURSION
+As night fell on Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said two Israeli air strikes in Rafah, Gazans' last refuge, killed six people including two traveling in a car. In Central Gaza areas, medics said 12 people have been killed, most of them during an air strike on a house in Deir Al-Balah city.
+The war has displaced most of the enclave's 2.3 million people and over 1 million of them are now living in U.N. shelters or in tents and cardboard boxes in the southernmost tip of the enclave, against the border with Egypt.
+A little before midnight, an Israeli air strike on a house in the city of Rafah, where over a million people are concentrated, killed eight people, health officials said.
+In the nearby city of Khan Younis, residents said Israeli tanks advanced on the coastal road effectively separating Khan Younis and Rafah from the rest of the enclave.
+The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said its medical teams evacuated two bodies and eight injured people from the Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) headquarters on the coastal road, Al-Rashid Street, west of Khan Yunis.
+""The mission was carried out in coordination with and accompanied by a team from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). They were transported to the International Medical Corps field hospital in #Rafah,"" PRCS said in a statement on social media platform X.
+In Cairo, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, was expected to hold new meetings with Egyptian officials, who along with Qatari counterparts were trying to mediate a new hostage deal between the Islamist faction and Israel, but gaps remain.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Intent on destroying Hamas, Israel has responded with an air and ground assault that according to the Gaza health ministry's tallies has killed 29,195 Palestinians and wounded more than 69,000. NEW INCURSION
+As night fell on Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said two Israeli air strikes in Rafah, Gazans' last refuge, killed six people including two traveling in a car. In Central Gaza areas, medics said 12 people have been killed, most of them during an air strike on a house in Deir Al-Balah city. The war has displaced most of the enclave's 2.3 million people and over 1 million of them are now living in U.N. shelters or in tents and cardboard boxes in the southernmost tip of the enclave, against the border with Egypt. A little before midnight, an Israeli air strike on a house in the city of Rafah, where over a million people are concentrated, killed eight people, health officials said. In the nearby city of Khan Younis, residents said Israeli tanks advanced on the coastal road effectively separating Khan Younis and Rafah from the rest of the enclave. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said its medical teams evacuated two bodies and eight injured people from the Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) headquarters on the coastal road, Al-Rashid Street, west of Khan Yunis. ""The mission was carried out in coordination with and accompanied by a team from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). They were transported to the International Medical Corps field hospital in #Rafah,"" PRCS said in a statement on social media platform X.
+In Cairo, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, was expected to hold new meetings with Egyptian officials, who along with Qatari counterparts were trying to mediate a new hostage deal between the Islamist faction and Israel, but gaps remain.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/palestine-become-member-international-climbing-federation-2024-02-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestine to become member of international climbing federation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 20 (Reuters) - The Palestine Social Sport Climbing Club Association (PCA) is to become a member of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), officials said on Tuesday, providing recognition to the body in the fast growing Olympic sport.
+The executive board of the IFSC voted to include the Palestine organisation, along with federations representing Bolivia, Guam and Nigeria, in a decision that will be ratified at the IFSC General Assembly in Chile on March 22 and 23.
+""The PCA is the 26th IFSC member federation on the Asian continent, and is led by president Hiba Shaheen, vice president Tawfiq Alnejada and secretary general Taher Sharaf,"" the IFSC said in a statement.
+IFSC has 98 members, including Israel. Russia and Belarus are currently suspended due to the conflict in Ukraine.
+Palestine's inclusion in the IFSC comes amid the backdrop of Israel's military conflict with Hamas in Gaza, which has since killed more than 29,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, say health authorities in the enclave.
+The conflict began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters smashed border defences to raid Israeli towns, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and dragging back 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Sport climbing is part of the programme at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the final field in the men’s and women’s competitions still to be decided.
+There are two remaining qualifier series events to be staged in Shanghai (May 16-19) and Budapest (June 20-23). The sport made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.
+(This story has been refiled to say recognition to the ‘body,’ not ‘state’ in paragraph 1)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestine to become member of international climbing federation[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]Feb 20 (Reuters) - The Palestine Social Sport Climbing Club Association (PCA) is to become a member of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), officials said on Tuesday, providing recognition to the body in the fast growing Olympic sport.  The executive board of the IFSC voted to include the Palestine organisation, along with federations representing Bolivia, Guam and Nigeria, in a decision that will be ratified at the IFSC General Assembly in Chile on March 22 and 23.
+"" The PCA is the 26th IFSC member federation on the Asian continent, and is led by president Hiba Shaheen, vice president Tawfiq Alnejada and secretary general Taher Sharaf,"" the IFSC said in a statement.  IFSC has 98 members, including Israel. Russia and Belarus are currently suspended due to the conflict in Ukraine. Palestine's inclusion in the IFSC comes amid the backdrop of Israel's military conflict with Hamas in Gaza, which has since killed more than 29,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, say health authorities in the enclave.  The conflict began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters smashed border defences to raid Israeli towns, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and dragging back 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Sport climbing is part of the programme at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the final field in the men’s and women’s competitions still to be decided.
+There are two remaining qualifier series events to be staged in Shanghai (May 16-19) and Budapest (June 20-23). The sport made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.  (This story has been refiled to say recognition to the ‘body,’ not ‘state’ in paragraph 1)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/world-court-hear-arguments-israeli-occupation-palestinian-territories-2024-02-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At World Court, Palestinians seek end to Israeli occupation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Palestinian representatives on Monday asked judges at the U.N.'s highest court to declare Israel's occupation of their territory illegal, saying their advisory opinion could contribute to a two-state solution and a lasting peace.
+The requests came at the opening of a week of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The U.N. General Assembly sought an advisory, or non-binding, opinion on the occupation in 2022. More than 50 states will present arguments through Feb. 26.
+""We call on you to confirm that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal,"" Riad Mansour, the Palestinian representative to the United Nations, said in a speech in which his voice cracked and he shed tears.
+""A finding from this distinguished court. ..would contribute to bringing (occupation) to an immediate end, paving a way to a just and lasting peace,"" he said. ""A future in which no Palestinians and no Israelis are killed. A future in which two states live side by side in peace and security.""
+The latest surge of violence in Gaza, promoted by the Oct.7 attacks in Israel by Hamas has complicated already deeply-rooted grievances in the Middle East and damaged efforts towards finding a path to peace.
+The ICJ's 15-judge panel has been asked to review Israel's ""occupation, settlement and annexation ... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures.""
+Israel is not attending the hearings but sent a 5-page written statement published by the court on Monday in which it said an advisory opinion would be ""harmful"" to attempts to resolve the conflict because the questions posed by the U.N. General Assembly were prejudiced.
+The judges are expected to take roughly six months to issue an opinion on the request, which also asks them to consider the legal status of the occupation and its consequences.
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in a 1967 war and has since built settlements in the West Bank and steadily expanded them.
+Israeli leaders have long disputed that the territories are formally occupied on the basis that they were captured from Jordan and Egypt during a war rather than from a sovereign Palestine.
+The United Nations has since 1967 referred to the territories as occupied by Israel and demanded that Israeli forces withdraw, saying it is the only way to secure peace. Its 1967 resolution did not, however, specifically label the occupation as illegal.
+While Israel has ignored legal opinions in the past, this one could increase political pressure over its war in Gaza, which has killed about 29,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
+It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls its borders. It has also annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognised by most countries.
+'MORAL, POLITICAL AND LEGAL IMPERATIVE'
+The hearing is part of Palestinian efforts to get international legal institutions to examine Israel's conduct. These have stepped up since Israel's war on Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks, which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israel has said it faces an existential threat by Hamas militants and other groups and is acting in self-defence.
+There are mounting concerns about an Israeli ground offensive against the Gaza city of Rafah, a last refuge for more than a million Palestinians after they fled to the south of the enclave to avoid Israeli assaults.
+It is the second time the U.N. General Assembly has asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, for an advisory opinion related to the occupied Palestinian territory.
+In July 2004, the court found that Israel's separation wall in the West Bank violated international law and should be dismantled, though it still stands to this day.
+(This story has been refiled to read 'occupation,' not 'resolution,' in paragraph 11)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]At World Court , Palestinians seek end to Israeli occupation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Palestinian representatives on Monday asked judges at the U.N.'s highest court to declare Israel's occupation of their territory illegal, saying their advisory opinion could contribute to a two-state solution and a lasting peace. The requests came at the opening of a week of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The U.N. General Assembly sought an advisory, or non-binding, opinion on the occupation in 2022. More than 50 states will present arguments through Feb. 26. ""We call on you to confirm that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal,"" Riad Mansour, the Palestinian representative to the United Nations, said in a speech in which his voice cracked and he shed tears. ""A finding from this distinguished court. ..would contribute to bringing (occupation) to an immediate end, paving a way to a just and lasting peace,"" he said. ""A future in which no Palestinians and no Israelis are killed. A future in which two states live side by side in peace and security."" The latest surge of violence in Gaza, promoted by the Oct.7 attacks in Israel by Hamas has complicated already deeply-rooted grievances in the Middle East and damaged efforts towards finding a path to peace.
+The ICJ's 15-judge panel has been asked to review Israel's ""occupation, settlement and annexation ... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures.""
+Israel is not attending the hearings but sent a 5-page written statement published by the court on Monday in which it said an advisory opinion would be ""harmful"" to attempts to resolve the conflict because the questions posed by the U.N. General Assembly were prejudiced.
+The judges are expected to take roughly six months to issue an opinion on the request, which also asks them to consider the legal status of the occupation and its consequences. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in a 1967 war and has since built settlements in the West Bank and steadily expanded them. Israeli leaders have long disputed that the territories are formally occupied on the basis that they were captured from Jordan and Egypt during a war rather than from a sovereign Palestine. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/world-court-hear-arguments-israeli-occupation-palestinian-territories-2024-02-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At World Court, Palestinians seek end to Israeli occupation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Palestinian representatives on Monday asked judges at the U.N.'s highest court to declare Israel's occupation of their territory illegal, saying their advisory opinion could contribute to a two-state solution and a lasting peace.
+The requests came at the opening of a week of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The U.N. General Assembly sought an advisory, or non-binding, opinion on the occupation in 2022. More than 50 states will present arguments through Feb. 26.
+""We call on you to confirm that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal,"" Riad Mansour, the Palestinian representative to the United Nations, said in a speech in which his voice cracked and he shed tears.
+""A finding from this distinguished court. ..would contribute to bringing (occupation) to an immediate end, paving a way to a just and lasting peace,"" he said. ""A future in which no Palestinians and no Israelis are killed. A future in which two states live side by side in peace and security.""
+The latest surge of violence in Gaza, promoted by the Oct.7 attacks in Israel by Hamas has complicated already deeply-rooted grievances in the Middle East and damaged efforts towards finding a path to peace.
+The ICJ's 15-judge panel has been asked to review Israel's ""occupation, settlement and annexation ... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures.""
+Israel is not attending the hearings but sent a 5-page written statement published by the court on Monday in which it said an advisory opinion would be ""harmful"" to attempts to resolve the conflict because the questions posed by the U.N. General Assembly were prejudiced.
+The judges are expected to take roughly six months to issue an opinion on the request, which also asks them to consider the legal status of the occupation and its consequences.
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in a 1967 war and has since built settlements in the West Bank and steadily expanded them.
+Israeli leaders have long disputed that the territories are formally occupied on the basis that they were captured from Jordan and Egypt during a war rather than from a sovereign Palestine.
+The United Nations has since 1967 referred to the territories as occupied by Israel and demanded that Israeli forces withdraw, saying it is the only way to secure peace. Its 1967 resolution did not, however, specifically label the occupation as illegal.
+While Israel has ignored legal opinions in the past, this one could increase political pressure over its war in Gaza, which has killed about 29,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
+It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls its borders. It has also annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognised by most countries.
+'MORAL, POLITICAL AND LEGAL IMPERATIVE'
+The hearing is part of Palestinian efforts to get international legal institutions to examine Israel's conduct. These have stepped up since Israel's war on Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks, which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israel has said it faces an existential threat by Hamas militants and other groups and is acting in self-defence.
+There are mounting concerns about an Israeli ground offensive against the Gaza city of Rafah, a last refuge for more than a million Palestinians after they fled to the south of the enclave to avoid Israeli assaults.
+It is the second time the U.N. General Assembly has asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, for an advisory opinion related to the occupied Palestinian territory.
+In July 2004, the court found that Israel's separation wall in the West Bank violated international law and should be dismantled, though it still stands to this day.
+(This story has been refiled to read 'occupation,' not 'resolution,' in paragraph 11)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The United Nations has since 1967 referred to the territories as occupied by Israel and demanded that Israeli forces withdraw, saying it is the only way to secure peace. Its 1967 resolution did not, however, specifically label the occupation as illegal.  While Israel has ignored legal opinions in the past, this one could increase political pressure over its war in Gaza, which has killed about 29,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
+It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls its borders. It has also annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognised by most countries.  'MORAL, POLITICAL AND LEGAL IMPERATIVE'  The hearing is part of Palestinian efforts to get international legal institutions to examine Israel's conduct. These have stepped up since Israel's war on Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks, which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has said it faces an existential threat by Hamas militants and other groups and is acting in self-defence. There are mounting concerns about an Israeli ground offensive against the Gaza city of Rafah, a last refuge for more than a million Palestinians after they fled to the south of the enclave to avoid Israeli assaults. It is the second time the U.N. General Assembly has asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, for an advisory opinion related to the occupied Palestinian territory. In July 2004, the court found that Israel's separation wall in the West Bank violated international law and should be dismantled, though it still stands to this day. (This story has been refiled to read 'occupation,' not 'resolution,' in paragraph 11)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/europe-risks-falling-into-levants-powder-keg-2024-02-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Europe risks falling into Levant’s powder keg[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The Gaza-Israeli war is compounding dire economic conditions in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. With the countries on the brink of collapse, Western powers, and particularly the European Union, may have to brace for another refugee crisis, regardless of how much aid they throw at them.
+In the last four months, almost 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive on Gaza following an attack by Hamas militants on Israeli soil that left 1,200 people dead. Yet the repercussions of this war extend well beyond the battlefields, exacerbating long-standing social and economic crises in surrounding countries.
+Egypt and Lebanon are drowning in debt. As a percentage of GDP the two countries’ debt burdens have reached 93% and 280% respectively, according to the International Monetary Fund. Things are about to get worse. Tourism receipts, the lifeblood of the region’s economies, plummeted, opens new tab by 45% in Lebanon in October, compared to the previous year. The war could lead to a loss of $10 billion in the combined GDP of Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, if it drags on for three more months. That would rise to $18 billion, or 4% of combined GDP, if the conflict goes on till the summer, according to a recent assessment by international development agencies. During the same period, over half a million people in the three countries might fall into poverty, the report found.
+NEVER-ENDING CRISIS
+Lebanon’s present crisis dates back to at least 2020, when an explosion in the port of Beirut, the capital, killed more than 200 people. Since then, the Lebanese lira has lost around 98% of its value against the dollar in the parallel market, and triple digit inflation has wiped out incomes. The country’s GDP more than halved between 2019 and 2022 and the World Bank expects it to have contracted by up to 0.9% in 2023, opens new tab because of the war. Ongoing displacement of people on Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, along with school closures and damaged public infrastructure, could lead to a continued decline in GDP, spiralling inflation, widespread unemployment, and millions in need of urgent assistance, according to the United Nations Development Programme.
+Despite that, the government has stonewalled the financial and public reforms it had promised to unlock billions in IMF aid. That led the multilateral organisation to warn, opens new tab that the country will be stuck in a “never-ending crisis”. Without reforms, public debt could reach 547% of GDP by 2027, the IMF predicted.
+The situation is equally dire in Egypt, amid similar resistance to economic reforms by the administration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Revenues from the Suez Canal – a key source, opens new tab of foreign exchange – nearly halved, opens new tab in January compared to the same period last year as the attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial vessels prompted shipping companies to reroute their cargoes. What’s more, a chronic lack of investor confidence has led to significant capital outflows, opens new tab, further exacerbating a foreign currency crunch.
+International agencies are now racing to stave off a full-blown crisis. In December 2022, the IMF approved its fourth loan to Egypt totalling $3 billion over a 46-month period. More than one year on, there’s now some talk the loan will have to be increased even though the IMF withheld some aid after the government’s delayed reforms.
+A harder problem lies in the military’s hold over the private sector. The army owns, opens new tab bottled water companies, dairy producers, chains of petrol kiosks, and its intelligence agencies have even snapped up local media companies. To appease the IMF, the government said, opens new tab it would sell some of these companies but large swathes of the army’s empire have remained untouched.
+FORTRESS EUROPE
+All of this leaves Europe in an unenviable position. Withholding critical aid to countries deemed too big to fail because of corrupt elites might precipitate another crisis that no one can afford. That’s why the EU is rushing to conclude, opens new tab a loan package with Egypt that, among many other things, will provide funds to ensure that people displaced from the war in Gaza and wider regional instability do not reach its shores.
+But similar arrangements with Morocco, opens new tab and Tunisia, opens new tab to outsource migration management have thus far failed to stem the tide of refugees. Between January and November 2023, Europe received, opens new tab more than one million asylum applications, while the number of Egyptian nationals seeking asylum doubled between 2021 to 2022, according to the latest available data, opens new tab. And last December, opens new tab, roughly 5,600 refugees mostly from Palestine, Syria, and Afghanistan arrived in Greece, a 150% increase compared to the year before, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
+These statistics are “reminiscent, opens new tab” of the Syrian refugee crisis of 2015-2016, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum based in Malta. That humanitarian disaster, which saw the arrival of more than one million asylum seekers at the EU’s borders, played a major part in bolstering the case of those who campaigned for Britain to leave the bloc in a 2016 referendum, academic studies later found, opens new tab.
+This time, a new influx of displaced people could play into the hands of populist parties, which are already projected, opens new tab to make gains in elections for the European Parliament due to take place in June. The latest polls suggest that almost half of the European Parliament seats will be occupied by MEPs outside the “super grand coalition” of the three largest centrist groups; a new balance of power in the European Parliament could influence EU policy on anything from foreign affairs to climate change.
+Aid officials have sought to downplay the risks of a renewed surge in refugees, explaining that the current situation is already unprecedented and spillover effects from the war will likely be contained within the region. Egypt, for its part, is rushing to build a security fence in the Sinai to prepare for a sudden influx of refugees. But as the Israeli military gears up to enter Rafah in southern Gaza, where over a million Palestinians are seeking refuge, European governments need to brace for the fact that current policies will fail to prevent another crisis, even after the war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Europe risks falling into Levant’s powder keg[/TITLE] [CONTENT]LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The Gaza-Israeli war is compounding dire economic conditions in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. With the countries on the brink of collapse, Western powers, and particularly the European Union, may have to brace for another refugee crisis, regardless of how much aid they throw at them. In the last four months, almost 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive on Gaza following an attack by Hamas militants on Israeli soil that left 1,200 people dead. Yet the repercussions of this war extend well beyond the battlefields, exacerbating long-standing social and economic crises in surrounding countries.  Egypt and Lebanon are drowning in debt. As a percentage of GDP the two countries’ debt burdens have reached 93% and 280% respectively, according to the International Monetary Fund. Things are about to get worse. Tourism receipts, the lifeblood of the region’s economies, plummeted, opens new tab by 45% in Lebanon in October, compared to the previous year. The war could lead to a loss of $10 billion in the combined GDP of Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, if it drags on for three more months. That would rise to $18 billion, or 4% of combined GDP, if the conflict goes on till the summer, according to a recent assessment by international development agencies. During the same period, over half a million people in the three countries might fall into poverty, the report found. NEVER-ENDING CRISIS Lebanon’s present crisis dates back to at least 2020, when an explosion in the port of Beirut, the capital, killed more than 200 people. Since then, the Lebanese lira has lost around 98% of its value against the dollar in the parallel market, and triple digit inflation has wiped out incomes. The country’s GDP more than halved between 2019 and 2022 and the World Bank expects it to have contracted by up to 0.9% in 2023, opens new tab because of the war. Ongoing displacement of people on Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, along with school closures and damaged public infrastructure, could lead to a continued decline in GDP, spiralling inflation, widespread unemployment, and millions in need of urgent assistance, according to the United Nations Development Programme.  Despite that, the government has stonewalled the financial and public reforms it had promised to unlock billions in IMF aid. That led the multilateral organisation to warn, opens new tab that the country will be stuck in a “never-ending crisis”."
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/europe-risks-falling-into-levants-powder-keg-2024-02-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Europe risks falling into Levant’s powder keg[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The Gaza-Israeli war is compounding dire economic conditions in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. With the countries on the brink of collapse, Western powers, and particularly the European Union, may have to brace for another refugee crisis, regardless of how much aid they throw at them.
+In the last four months, almost 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive on Gaza following an attack by Hamas militants on Israeli soil that left 1,200 people dead. Yet the repercussions of this war extend well beyond the battlefields, exacerbating long-standing social and economic crises in surrounding countries.
+Egypt and Lebanon are drowning in debt. As a percentage of GDP the two countries’ debt burdens have reached 93% and 280% respectively, according to the International Monetary Fund. Things are about to get worse. Tourism receipts, the lifeblood of the region’s economies, plummeted, opens new tab by 45% in Lebanon in October, compared to the previous year. The war could lead to a loss of $10 billion in the combined GDP of Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, if it drags on for three more months. That would rise to $18 billion, or 4% of combined GDP, if the conflict goes on till the summer, according to a recent assessment by international development agencies. During the same period, over half a million people in the three countries might fall into poverty, the report found.
+NEVER-ENDING CRISIS
+Lebanon’s present crisis dates back to at least 2020, when an explosion in the port of Beirut, the capital, killed more than 200 people. Since then, the Lebanese lira has lost around 98% of its value against the dollar in the parallel market, and triple digit inflation has wiped out incomes. The country’s GDP more than halved between 2019 and 2022 and the World Bank expects it to have contracted by up to 0.9% in 2023, opens new tab because of the war. Ongoing displacement of people on Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, along with school closures and damaged public infrastructure, could lead to a continued decline in GDP, spiralling inflation, widespread unemployment, and millions in need of urgent assistance, according to the United Nations Development Programme.
+Despite that, the government has stonewalled the financial and public reforms it had promised to unlock billions in IMF aid. That led the multilateral organisation to warn, opens new tab that the country will be stuck in a “never-ending crisis”. Without reforms, public debt could reach 547% of GDP by 2027, the IMF predicted.
+The situation is equally dire in Egypt, amid similar resistance to economic reforms by the administration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Revenues from the Suez Canal – a key source, opens new tab of foreign exchange – nearly halved, opens new tab in January compared to the same period last year as the attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial vessels prompted shipping companies to reroute their cargoes. What’s more, a chronic lack of investor confidence has led to significant capital outflows, opens new tab, further exacerbating a foreign currency crunch.
+International agencies are now racing to stave off a full-blown crisis. In December 2022, the IMF approved its fourth loan to Egypt totalling $3 billion over a 46-month period. More than one year on, there’s now some talk the loan will have to be increased even though the IMF withheld some aid after the government’s delayed reforms.
+A harder problem lies in the military’s hold over the private sector. The army owns, opens new tab bottled water companies, dairy producers, chains of petrol kiosks, and its intelligence agencies have even snapped up local media companies. To appease the IMF, the government said, opens new tab it would sell some of these companies but large swathes of the army’s empire have remained untouched.
+FORTRESS EUROPE
+All of this leaves Europe in an unenviable position. Withholding critical aid to countries deemed too big to fail because of corrupt elites might precipitate another crisis that no one can afford. That’s why the EU is rushing to conclude, opens new tab a loan package with Egypt that, among many other things, will provide funds to ensure that people displaced from the war in Gaza and wider regional instability do not reach its shores.
+But similar arrangements with Morocco, opens new tab and Tunisia, opens new tab to outsource migration management have thus far failed to stem the tide of refugees. Between January and November 2023, Europe received, opens new tab more than one million asylum applications, while the number of Egyptian nationals seeking asylum doubled between 2021 to 2022, according to the latest available data, opens new tab. And last December, opens new tab, roughly 5,600 refugees mostly from Palestine, Syria, and Afghanistan arrived in Greece, a 150% increase compared to the year before, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
+These statistics are “reminiscent, opens new tab” of the Syrian refugee crisis of 2015-2016, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum based in Malta. That humanitarian disaster, which saw the arrival of more than one million asylum seekers at the EU’s borders, played a major part in bolstering the case of those who campaigned for Britain to leave the bloc in a 2016 referendum, academic studies later found, opens new tab.
+This time, a new influx of displaced people could play into the hands of populist parties, which are already projected, opens new tab to make gains in elections for the European Parliament due to take place in June. The latest polls suggest that almost half of the European Parliament seats will be occupied by MEPs outside the “super grand coalition” of the three largest centrist groups; a new balance of power in the European Parliament could influence EU policy on anything from foreign affairs to climate change.
+Aid officials have sought to downplay the risks of a renewed surge in refugees, explaining that the current situation is already unprecedented and spillover effects from the war will likely be contained within the region. Egypt, for its part, is rushing to build a security fence in the Sinai to prepare for a sudden influx of refugees. But as the Israeli military gears up to enter Rafah in southern Gaza, where over a million Palestinians are seeking refuge, European governments need to brace for the fact that current policies will fail to prevent another crisis, even after the war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Without reforms, public debt could reach 547% of GDP by 2027, the IMF predicted. The situation is equally dire in Egypt, amid similar resistance to economic reforms by the administration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Revenues from the Suez Canal – a key source, opens new tab of foreign exchange – nearly halved, opens new tab in January compared to the same period last year as the attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial vessels prompted shipping companies to reroute their cargoes. What’s more, a chronic lack of investor confidence has led to significant capital outflows, opens new tab, further exacerbating a foreign currency crunch. International agencies are now racing to stave off a full-blown crisis. In December 2022, the IMF approved its fourth loan to Egypt totalling $3 billion over a 46-month period. More than one year on, there’s now some talk the loan will have to be increased even though the IMF withheld some aid after the government’s delayed reforms.  A harder problem lies in the military’s hold over the private sector. The army owns, opens new tab bottled water companies, dairy producers, chains of petrol kiosks, and its intelligence agencies have even snapped up local media companies. To appease the IMF, the government said, opens new tab it would sell some of these companies but large swathes of the army’s empire have remained untouched. FORTRESS EUROPE  All of this leaves Europe in an unenviable position. Withholding critical aid to countries deemed too big to fail because of corrupt elites might precipitate another crisis that no one can afford. That’s why the EU is rushing to conclude, opens new tab a loan package with Egypt that, among many other things, will provide funds to ensure that people displaced from the war in Gaza and wider regional instability do not reach its shores. But similar arrangements with Morocco, opens new tab and Tunisia, opens new tab to outsource migration management have thus far failed to stem the tide of refugees. Between January and November 2023, Europe received, opens new tab more than one million asylum applications, while the number of Egyptian nationals seeking asylum doubled between 2021 to 2022, according to the latest available data, opens new tab. And last December, opens new tab, roughly 5,600 refugees mostly from Palestine, Syria, and Afghanistan arrived in Greece, a 150% increase compared to the year before, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.  These statistics are “reminiscent, opens new tab” of the Syrian refugee crisis of 2015-2016, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum based in Malta."
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/europe-risks-falling-into-levants-powder-keg-2024-02-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Europe risks falling into Levant’s powder keg[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The Gaza-Israeli war is compounding dire economic conditions in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. With the countries on the brink of collapse, Western powers, and particularly the European Union, may have to brace for another refugee crisis, regardless of how much aid they throw at them.
+In the last four months, almost 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive on Gaza following an attack by Hamas militants on Israeli soil that left 1,200 people dead. Yet the repercussions of this war extend well beyond the battlefields, exacerbating long-standing social and economic crises in surrounding countries.
+Egypt and Lebanon are drowning in debt. As a percentage of GDP the two countries’ debt burdens have reached 93% and 280% respectively, according to the International Monetary Fund. Things are about to get worse. Tourism receipts, the lifeblood of the region’s economies, plummeted, opens new tab by 45% in Lebanon in October, compared to the previous year. The war could lead to a loss of $10 billion in the combined GDP of Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, if it drags on for three more months. That would rise to $18 billion, or 4% of combined GDP, if the conflict goes on till the summer, according to a recent assessment by international development agencies. During the same period, over half a million people in the three countries might fall into poverty, the report found.
+NEVER-ENDING CRISIS
+Lebanon’s present crisis dates back to at least 2020, when an explosion in the port of Beirut, the capital, killed more than 200 people. Since then, the Lebanese lira has lost around 98% of its value against the dollar in the parallel market, and triple digit inflation has wiped out incomes. The country’s GDP more than halved between 2019 and 2022 and the World Bank expects it to have contracted by up to 0.9% in 2023, opens new tab because of the war. Ongoing displacement of people on Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, along with school closures and damaged public infrastructure, could lead to a continued decline in GDP, spiralling inflation, widespread unemployment, and millions in need of urgent assistance, according to the United Nations Development Programme.
+Despite that, the government has stonewalled the financial and public reforms it had promised to unlock billions in IMF aid. That led the multilateral organisation to warn, opens new tab that the country will be stuck in a “never-ending crisis”. Without reforms, public debt could reach 547% of GDP by 2027, the IMF predicted.
+The situation is equally dire in Egypt, amid similar resistance to economic reforms by the administration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Revenues from the Suez Canal – a key source, opens new tab of foreign exchange – nearly halved, opens new tab in January compared to the same period last year as the attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial vessels prompted shipping companies to reroute their cargoes. What’s more, a chronic lack of investor confidence has led to significant capital outflows, opens new tab, further exacerbating a foreign currency crunch.
+International agencies are now racing to stave off a full-blown crisis. In December 2022, the IMF approved its fourth loan to Egypt totalling $3 billion over a 46-month period. More than one year on, there’s now some talk the loan will have to be increased even though the IMF withheld some aid after the government’s delayed reforms.
+A harder problem lies in the military’s hold over the private sector. The army owns, opens new tab bottled water companies, dairy producers, chains of petrol kiosks, and its intelligence agencies have even snapped up local media companies. To appease the IMF, the government said, opens new tab it would sell some of these companies but large swathes of the army’s empire have remained untouched.
+FORTRESS EUROPE
+All of this leaves Europe in an unenviable position. Withholding critical aid to countries deemed too big to fail because of corrupt elites might precipitate another crisis that no one can afford. That’s why the EU is rushing to conclude, opens new tab a loan package with Egypt that, among many other things, will provide funds to ensure that people displaced from the war in Gaza and wider regional instability do not reach its shores.
+But similar arrangements with Morocco, opens new tab and Tunisia, opens new tab to outsource migration management have thus far failed to stem the tide of refugees. Between January and November 2023, Europe received, opens new tab more than one million asylum applications, while the number of Egyptian nationals seeking asylum doubled between 2021 to 2022, according to the latest available data, opens new tab. And last December, opens new tab, roughly 5,600 refugees mostly from Palestine, Syria, and Afghanistan arrived in Greece, a 150% increase compared to the year before, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
+These statistics are “reminiscent, opens new tab” of the Syrian refugee crisis of 2015-2016, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum based in Malta. That humanitarian disaster, which saw the arrival of more than one million asylum seekers at the EU’s borders, played a major part in bolstering the case of those who campaigned for Britain to leave the bloc in a 2016 referendum, academic studies later found, opens new tab.
+This time, a new influx of displaced people could play into the hands of populist parties, which are already projected, opens new tab to make gains in elections for the European Parliament due to take place in June. The latest polls suggest that almost half of the European Parliament seats will be occupied by MEPs outside the “super grand coalition” of the three largest centrist groups; a new balance of power in the European Parliament could influence EU policy on anything from foreign affairs to climate change.
+Aid officials have sought to downplay the risks of a renewed surge in refugees, explaining that the current situation is already unprecedented and spillover effects from the war will likely be contained within the region. Egypt, for its part, is rushing to build a security fence in the Sinai to prepare for a sudden influx of refugees. But as the Israeli military gears up to enter Rafah in southern Gaza, where over a million Palestinians are seeking refuge, European governments need to brace for the fact that current policies will fail to prevent another crisis, even after the war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","That humanitarian disaster, which saw the arrival of more than one million asylum seekers at the EU’s borders, played a major part in bolstering the case of those who campaigned for Britain to leave the bloc in a 2016 referendum, academic studies later found, opens new tab. This time, a new influx of displaced people could play into the hands of populist parties, which are already projected, opens new tab to make gains in elections for the European Parliament due to take place in June. The latest polls suggest that almost half of the European Parliament seats will be occupied by MEPs outside the “super grand coalition” of the three largest centrist groups; a new balance of power in the European Parliament could influence EU policy on anything from foreign affairs to climate change. Aid officials have sought to downplay the risks of a renewed surge in refugees, explaining that the current situation is already unprecedented and spillover effects from the war will likely be contained within the region. Egypt, for its part, is rushing to build a security fence in the Sinai to prepare for a sudden influx of refugees. But as the Israeli military gears up to enter Rafah in southern Gaza, where over a million Palestinians are seeking refuge, European governments need to brace for the fact that current policies will fail to prevent another crisis, even after the war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-six-week-drive-hit-hamas-rafah-scale-back-war-2024-02-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rafah attack: How Israel plans to hit Hamas and scale back war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Israel expects to continue full-scale military operations in Gaza for another six to eight weeks as it prepares to mount a ground invasion of the enclave's southernmost city of Rafah, four officials familiar with the strategy said.
+Military chiefs believe they can significantly damage Hamas' remaining capabilities in that time, paving the way for a shift to a lower-intensity phase of targeted airstrikes and special forces operations, according to the two Israeli and two regional officials who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely.
+There is little chance that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government will heed international criticism to call off a Rafah ground assault, said Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official and a negotiator in the first and second Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, in the 1980s and 2000s.
+""Rafah is the last bastion of Hamas control and there remain battalions in Rafah which Israel must dismantle to achieve its goals in this war,"" he added.
+Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were planning operations in Rafah targeting Hamas fighters, command centres and tunnels, though gave no timeline for the campaign. He stressed that ""extraordinary measures"" were being taken to avoid civilian casualties.
+""There were 24 regional battalions in Gaza – we have dismantled 18 of them,"" he told a media briefing. ""Now, Rafah is the next Hamas centre of gravity.""
+World leaders fear a humanitarian catastrophe.
+Trapped between the two sworn enemies are more than a million Palestinian civilians crammed into the city on the Egyptian border, with nowhere left to run, after fleeing Israeli attacks that have laid waste to much of the enclave.
+In a past week of high diplomatic tension, U.S. President Joe Biden phoned the Israeli leader twice to warn him against launching a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of civilians. Netanyahu himself said civilians would be allowed to leave the battle zone before the offensive, even as he vowed ""complete victory"".
+The IDF hasn't explained how it will move more than a million people within the ruins of the enclave.
+According to one Israeli security source and an international aid official, who asked not to be identified, Gazans could be screened to weed out any Hamas fighters before being sent northwards. A separate Israeli source said Israel could also build a floating jetty north of Rafah to enable international aid and hospital ships to arrive by sea.
+Nonetheless, an Israeli defence official said Palestinians wouldn't be allowed to return to north Gaza en masse, leaving scrubland around Rafah as an option for makeshift tent cities. The regional officials also said it wouldn't be safe to move a large number of people into a northern zone with no power and running water which hasn't been cleared of unexploded ordinance.
+Washington is sceptical Israel has made sufficient preparations for a secure civilian evacuation, several officials familiar with the conversations between the two governments said. Biden said on Friday he didn't expect a ""massive"" Israeli ground invasion to happen soon.
+Furthermore, according to Hamas, the total victory promised by Netanyahu won't be quick or easy.
+A Hamas official based in Qatar told Reuters that the group estimated it had lost 6,000 fighters during the four-month-old conflict, half the 12,000 Israel says it has killed.
+Gaza's ruling group can keep fighting and is prepared for a long war in Rafah and Gaza, said the official, who requested anonymity.
+""Netanyahu's options are difficult and ours are too. He can occupy Gaza but Hamas is still standing and fighting. He hasn't achieved his goals to kill the Hamas leadership or annihilate Hamas,"" he added.
+'NO EMPTY SPACE IN RAFAH'
+Hamas triggered the conflict on Oct. 7 last year when its fighters burst out of the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages. The surprise attack prompted a massive retaliatory Israeli bombardment and ground invasion that have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.
+Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble by Israel. Fighting continues in the southern city of Khan Younis, with sporadic clashes still breaking out in northern areas supposedly cleared.
+More than 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants have been left homeless. Most of the displaced have sought shelter in Rafah, which had a pre-war population of about 300,000.
+""There is no empty space in Rafah, over a million and half people are here. Does the world know that? A slaughter is going to take place if the tanks enter,"" said Emad Joudat, 55, who fled there with his family early in the war from Gaza City, where he ran a furniture business.
+""I am in charge of a big family,"" said the father-of-five, who lives in a tent city with no food or water in Rafah. ""I feel helpless because don't know where to go with them if Israel launches an invasion.""
+Egypt has sealed off its border to the enclave. Cairo has framed its opposition to the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza as part of wider Arab rejection of any repeat of the ""Nakba"", or ""catastrophe"", when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation.
+Egypt is nonetheless preparing an area at the border that could accommodate Palestinians, as a contingency should an Israeli offensive into Rafah prompt an exodus across the frontier, three security sources in Egypt told Reuters, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
+The Egyptian government denied making any such preparations.
+Israeli Defense Minister Gallant said Israel had no intention of evacuating Palestinian civilians to Egypt.
+'PLEDGE TO SACRED VICTIMS'
+Melamed, the former Israeli intelligence official and negotiator, said the only potential delay to the Israeli assault on Rafah could come should Hamas give ground in hostage negotiations and hand over the prisoners it took on Oct. 7.
+""Even that would only delay the advance on Rafah unless it is coupled with the demilitarization of the city and surrender of the Hamas battalions there,"" he added.
+A senior regional security official said Israel believed some Hamas commanders and hostages were in Rafah.
+This month, after weeks of negotiations, Hamas proposed a ceasefire of 4-1/2 months during which it would free all Israeli hostages, Israel would withdraw its troops from Gaza and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
+Netanyahu rejected the offer as ""delusional"". A new round of talks involving America, Egypt, Israel and Qatar on a truce ended without a breakthrough in Cairo on Tuesday.
+Senior American officials see securing a deal to release the remaining hostages in exchange for an extended pause in the conflict as the best path to creating space for broader talks, the U.S. sources said. Yet they're concerned such a deal may not materialise in coming weeks and war will continue into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March and April, which could intensify global criticism of Israel's campaign, they added.
+An overarching agreement to end the conflict appears remote.
+Any attempt to form a post-war government in Gaza could only succeed if it has Hamas' approval, according to several sources in the region, including from the militant group and the Palestinian Authority, which was pushed out of Gaza by Hamas in 2007.
+Yet something has to give.
+Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas. And the group's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, will fight to the death rather than surrender or go into exile, according to Hamas and regional officials.
+Israel also remains opposed to any deal involving a permanent ceasefire or a Palestinian state, despite U.S. pressure and international outcry over civilian suffering in Gaza and the lack of progress to a lasting peace solution.
+Since October, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made five visits to the region. Last month, the State Department said Washington was ""actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state"" with security guarantees for Israel and exploring options with partners in the region.
+UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron also told lawmakers that Britain and its allies ""will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations"".
+Israel, the U.S. and Britain haven't formally recognised Palestine, unlike nearly 140 other U.N. nations.
+Yet for Netanyahu and many other Israeli officials, talk of a two-state solution amounts to a betrayal of the people killed on Oct. 7.
+""I say clearly to anyone still stuck in October 6: We will never lend a hand to the creation of a Palestinian state,"" Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar said on social media last month. ""This is our pledge to the sacred murder victims.""
+(This story has been refiled to include additional reporting byline)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rafah attack: How Israel plans to hit Hamas and scale back war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Israel expects to continue full-scale military operations in Gaza for another six to eight weeks as it prepares to mount a ground invasion of the enclave's southernmost city of Rafah, four officials familiar with the strategy said. Military chiefs believe they can significantly damage Hamas' remaining capabilities in that time, paving the way for a shift to a lower-intensity phase of targeted airstrikes and special forces operations, according to the two Israeli and two regional officials who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely.
+There is little chance that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government will heed international criticism to call off a Rafah ground assault, said Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official and a negotiator in the first and second Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, in the 1980s and 2000s. ""Rafah is the last bastion of Hamas control and there remain battalions in Rafah which Israel must dismantle to achieve its goals in this war,"" he added.  Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were planning operations in Rafah targeting Hamas fighters, command centres and tunnels, though gave no timeline for the campaign. He stressed that ""extraordinary measures"" were being taken to avoid civilian casualties.  ""There were 24 regional battalions in Gaza – we have dismantled 18 of them,"" he told a media briefing. ""Now, Rafah is the next Hamas centre of gravity."" World leaders fear a humanitarian catastrophe. Trapped between the two sworn enemies are more than a million Palestinian civilians crammed into the city on the Egyptian border, with nowhere left to run, after fleeing Israeli attacks that have laid waste to much of the enclave.
+In a past week of high diplomatic tension, U.S. President Joe Biden phoned the Israeli leader twice to warn him against launching a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of civilians. Netanyahu himself said civilians would be allowed to leave the battle zone before the offensive, even as he vowed ""complete victory"". The IDF hasn't explained how it will move more than a million people within the ruins of the enclave.  According to one Israeli security source and an international aid official, who asked not to be identified, Gazans could be screened to weed out any Hamas fighters before being sent northwards. A separate Israeli source said Israel could also build a floating jetty north of Rafah to enable international aid and hospital ships to arrive by sea."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-six-week-drive-hit-hamas-rafah-scale-back-war-2024-02-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rafah attack: How Israel plans to hit Hamas and scale back war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Israel expects to continue full-scale military operations in Gaza for another six to eight weeks as it prepares to mount a ground invasion of the enclave's southernmost city of Rafah, four officials familiar with the strategy said.
+Military chiefs believe they can significantly damage Hamas' remaining capabilities in that time, paving the way for a shift to a lower-intensity phase of targeted airstrikes and special forces operations, according to the two Israeli and two regional officials who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely.
+There is little chance that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government will heed international criticism to call off a Rafah ground assault, said Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official and a negotiator in the first and second Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, in the 1980s and 2000s.
+""Rafah is the last bastion of Hamas control and there remain battalions in Rafah which Israel must dismantle to achieve its goals in this war,"" he added.
+Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were planning operations in Rafah targeting Hamas fighters, command centres and tunnels, though gave no timeline for the campaign. He stressed that ""extraordinary measures"" were being taken to avoid civilian casualties.
+""There were 24 regional battalions in Gaza – we have dismantled 18 of them,"" he told a media briefing. ""Now, Rafah is the next Hamas centre of gravity.""
+World leaders fear a humanitarian catastrophe.
+Trapped between the two sworn enemies are more than a million Palestinian civilians crammed into the city on the Egyptian border, with nowhere left to run, after fleeing Israeli attacks that have laid waste to much of the enclave.
+In a past week of high diplomatic tension, U.S. President Joe Biden phoned the Israeli leader twice to warn him against launching a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of civilians. Netanyahu himself said civilians would be allowed to leave the battle zone before the offensive, even as he vowed ""complete victory"".
+The IDF hasn't explained how it will move more than a million people within the ruins of the enclave.
+According to one Israeli security source and an international aid official, who asked not to be identified, Gazans could be screened to weed out any Hamas fighters before being sent northwards. A separate Israeli source said Israel could also build a floating jetty north of Rafah to enable international aid and hospital ships to arrive by sea.
+Nonetheless, an Israeli defence official said Palestinians wouldn't be allowed to return to north Gaza en masse, leaving scrubland around Rafah as an option for makeshift tent cities. The regional officials also said it wouldn't be safe to move a large number of people into a northern zone with no power and running water which hasn't been cleared of unexploded ordinance.
+Washington is sceptical Israel has made sufficient preparations for a secure civilian evacuation, several officials familiar with the conversations between the two governments said. Biden said on Friday he didn't expect a ""massive"" Israeli ground invasion to happen soon.
+Furthermore, according to Hamas, the total victory promised by Netanyahu won't be quick or easy.
+A Hamas official based in Qatar told Reuters that the group estimated it had lost 6,000 fighters during the four-month-old conflict, half the 12,000 Israel says it has killed.
+Gaza's ruling group can keep fighting and is prepared for a long war in Rafah and Gaza, said the official, who requested anonymity.
+""Netanyahu's options are difficult and ours are too. He can occupy Gaza but Hamas is still standing and fighting. He hasn't achieved his goals to kill the Hamas leadership or annihilate Hamas,"" he added.
+'NO EMPTY SPACE IN RAFAH'
+Hamas triggered the conflict on Oct. 7 last year when its fighters burst out of the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages. The surprise attack prompted a massive retaliatory Israeli bombardment and ground invasion that have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.
+Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble by Israel. Fighting continues in the southern city of Khan Younis, with sporadic clashes still breaking out in northern areas supposedly cleared.
+More than 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants have been left homeless. Most of the displaced have sought shelter in Rafah, which had a pre-war population of about 300,000.
+""There is no empty space in Rafah, over a million and half people are here. Does the world know that? A slaughter is going to take place if the tanks enter,"" said Emad Joudat, 55, who fled there with his family early in the war from Gaza City, where he ran a furniture business.
+""I am in charge of a big family,"" said the father-of-five, who lives in a tent city with no food or water in Rafah. ""I feel helpless because don't know where to go with them if Israel launches an invasion.""
+Egypt has sealed off its border to the enclave. Cairo has framed its opposition to the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza as part of wider Arab rejection of any repeat of the ""Nakba"", or ""catastrophe"", when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation.
+Egypt is nonetheless preparing an area at the border that could accommodate Palestinians, as a contingency should an Israeli offensive into Rafah prompt an exodus across the frontier, three security sources in Egypt told Reuters, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
+The Egyptian government denied making any such preparations.
+Israeli Defense Minister Gallant said Israel had no intention of evacuating Palestinian civilians to Egypt.
+'PLEDGE TO SACRED VICTIMS'
+Melamed, the former Israeli intelligence official and negotiator, said the only potential delay to the Israeli assault on Rafah could come should Hamas give ground in hostage negotiations and hand over the prisoners it took on Oct. 7.
+""Even that would only delay the advance on Rafah unless it is coupled with the demilitarization of the city and surrender of the Hamas battalions there,"" he added.
+A senior regional security official said Israel believed some Hamas commanders and hostages were in Rafah.
+This month, after weeks of negotiations, Hamas proposed a ceasefire of 4-1/2 months during which it would free all Israeli hostages, Israel would withdraw its troops from Gaza and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
+Netanyahu rejected the offer as ""delusional"". A new round of talks involving America, Egypt, Israel and Qatar on a truce ended without a breakthrough in Cairo on Tuesday.
+Senior American officials see securing a deal to release the remaining hostages in exchange for an extended pause in the conflict as the best path to creating space for broader talks, the U.S. sources said. Yet they're concerned such a deal may not materialise in coming weeks and war will continue into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March and April, which could intensify global criticism of Israel's campaign, they added.
+An overarching agreement to end the conflict appears remote.
+Any attempt to form a post-war government in Gaza could only succeed if it has Hamas' approval, according to several sources in the region, including from the militant group and the Palestinian Authority, which was pushed out of Gaza by Hamas in 2007.
+Yet something has to give.
+Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas. And the group's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, will fight to the death rather than surrender or go into exile, according to Hamas and regional officials.
+Israel also remains opposed to any deal involving a permanent ceasefire or a Palestinian state, despite U.S. pressure and international outcry over civilian suffering in Gaza and the lack of progress to a lasting peace solution.
+Since October, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made five visits to the region. Last month, the State Department said Washington was ""actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state"" with security guarantees for Israel and exploring options with partners in the region.
+UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron also told lawmakers that Britain and its allies ""will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations"".
+Israel, the U.S. and Britain haven't formally recognised Palestine, unlike nearly 140 other U.N. nations.
+Yet for Netanyahu and many other Israeli officials, talk of a two-state solution amounts to a betrayal of the people killed on Oct. 7.
+""I say clearly to anyone still stuck in October 6: We will never lend a hand to the creation of a Palestinian state,"" Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar said on social media last month. ""This is our pledge to the sacred murder victims.""
+(This story has been refiled to include additional reporting byline)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Nonetheless, an Israeli defence official said Palestinians wouldn't be allowed to return to north Gaza en masse, leaving scrubland around Rafah as an option for makeshift tent cities. The regional officials also said it wouldn't be safe to move a large number of people into a northern zone with no power and running water which hasn't been cleared of unexploded ordinance. Washington is sceptical Israel has made sufficient preparations for a secure civilian evacuation, several officials familiar with the conversations between the two governments said. Biden said on Friday he didn't expect a ""massive"" Israeli ground invasion to happen soon. Furthermore, according to Hamas, the total victory promised by Netanyahu won't be quick or easy. A Hamas official based in Qatar told Reuters that the group estimated it had lost 6,000 fighters during the four-month-old conflict, half the 12,000 Israel says it has killed. Gaza's ruling group can keep fighting and is prepared for a long war in Rafah and Gaza, said the official, who requested anonymity. ""Netanyahu's options are difficult and ours are too. He can occupy Gaza but Hamas is still standing and fighting. He hasn't achieved his goals to kill the Hamas leadership or annihilate Hamas,"" he added.  'NO EMPTY SPACE IN RAFAH'
+Hamas triggered the conflict on Oct. 7 last year when its fighters burst out of the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages. The surprise attack prompted a massive retaliatory Israeli bombardment and ground invasion that have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.  Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble by Israel. Fighting continues in the southern city of Khan Younis, with sporadic clashes still breaking out in northern areas supposedly cleared. More than 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants have been left homeless. Most of the displaced have sought shelter in Rafah, which had a pre-war population of about 300,000. ""There is no empty space in Rafah, over a million and half people are here. Does the world know that? A slaughter is going to take place if the tanks enter,"" said Emad Joudat, 55, who fled there with his family early in the war from Gaza City, where he ran a furniture business.  ""I am in charge of a big family,"" said the father-of-five, who lives in a tent city with no food or water in Rafah. ""I feel helpless because don't know where to go with them if Israel launches an invasion."" Egypt has sealed off its border to the enclave."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-six-week-drive-hit-hamas-rafah-scale-back-war-2024-02-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rafah attack: How Israel plans to hit Hamas and scale back war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Israel expects to continue full-scale military operations in Gaza for another six to eight weeks as it prepares to mount a ground invasion of the enclave's southernmost city of Rafah, four officials familiar with the strategy said.
+Military chiefs believe they can significantly damage Hamas' remaining capabilities in that time, paving the way for a shift to a lower-intensity phase of targeted airstrikes and special forces operations, according to the two Israeli and two regional officials who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely.
+There is little chance that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government will heed international criticism to call off a Rafah ground assault, said Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official and a negotiator in the first and second Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, in the 1980s and 2000s.
+""Rafah is the last bastion of Hamas control and there remain battalions in Rafah which Israel must dismantle to achieve its goals in this war,"" he added.
+Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were planning operations in Rafah targeting Hamas fighters, command centres and tunnels, though gave no timeline for the campaign. He stressed that ""extraordinary measures"" were being taken to avoid civilian casualties.
+""There were 24 regional battalions in Gaza – we have dismantled 18 of them,"" he told a media briefing. ""Now, Rafah is the next Hamas centre of gravity.""
+World leaders fear a humanitarian catastrophe.
+Trapped between the two sworn enemies are more than a million Palestinian civilians crammed into the city on the Egyptian border, with nowhere left to run, after fleeing Israeli attacks that have laid waste to much of the enclave.
+In a past week of high diplomatic tension, U.S. President Joe Biden phoned the Israeli leader twice to warn him against launching a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of civilians. Netanyahu himself said civilians would be allowed to leave the battle zone before the offensive, even as he vowed ""complete victory"".
+The IDF hasn't explained how it will move more than a million people within the ruins of the enclave.
+According to one Israeli security source and an international aid official, who asked not to be identified, Gazans could be screened to weed out any Hamas fighters before being sent northwards. A separate Israeli source said Israel could also build a floating jetty north of Rafah to enable international aid and hospital ships to arrive by sea.
+Nonetheless, an Israeli defence official said Palestinians wouldn't be allowed to return to north Gaza en masse, leaving scrubland around Rafah as an option for makeshift tent cities. The regional officials also said it wouldn't be safe to move a large number of people into a northern zone with no power and running water which hasn't been cleared of unexploded ordinance.
+Washington is sceptical Israel has made sufficient preparations for a secure civilian evacuation, several officials familiar with the conversations between the two governments said. Biden said on Friday he didn't expect a ""massive"" Israeli ground invasion to happen soon.
+Furthermore, according to Hamas, the total victory promised by Netanyahu won't be quick or easy.
+A Hamas official based in Qatar told Reuters that the group estimated it had lost 6,000 fighters during the four-month-old conflict, half the 12,000 Israel says it has killed.
+Gaza's ruling group can keep fighting and is prepared for a long war in Rafah and Gaza, said the official, who requested anonymity.
+""Netanyahu's options are difficult and ours are too. He can occupy Gaza but Hamas is still standing and fighting. He hasn't achieved his goals to kill the Hamas leadership or annihilate Hamas,"" he added.
+'NO EMPTY SPACE IN RAFAH'
+Hamas triggered the conflict on Oct. 7 last year when its fighters burst out of the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages. The surprise attack prompted a massive retaliatory Israeli bombardment and ground invasion that have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.
+Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble by Israel. Fighting continues in the southern city of Khan Younis, with sporadic clashes still breaking out in northern areas supposedly cleared.
+More than 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants have been left homeless. Most of the displaced have sought shelter in Rafah, which had a pre-war population of about 300,000.
+""There is no empty space in Rafah, over a million and half people are here. Does the world know that? A slaughter is going to take place if the tanks enter,"" said Emad Joudat, 55, who fled there with his family early in the war from Gaza City, where he ran a furniture business.
+""I am in charge of a big family,"" said the father-of-five, who lives in a tent city with no food or water in Rafah. ""I feel helpless because don't know where to go with them if Israel launches an invasion.""
+Egypt has sealed off its border to the enclave. Cairo has framed its opposition to the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza as part of wider Arab rejection of any repeat of the ""Nakba"", or ""catastrophe"", when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation.
+Egypt is nonetheless preparing an area at the border that could accommodate Palestinians, as a contingency should an Israeli offensive into Rafah prompt an exodus across the frontier, three security sources in Egypt told Reuters, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
+The Egyptian government denied making any such preparations.
+Israeli Defense Minister Gallant said Israel had no intention of evacuating Palestinian civilians to Egypt.
+'PLEDGE TO SACRED VICTIMS'
+Melamed, the former Israeli intelligence official and negotiator, said the only potential delay to the Israeli assault on Rafah could come should Hamas give ground in hostage negotiations and hand over the prisoners it took on Oct. 7.
+""Even that would only delay the advance on Rafah unless it is coupled with the demilitarization of the city and surrender of the Hamas battalions there,"" he added.
+A senior regional security official said Israel believed some Hamas commanders and hostages were in Rafah.
+This month, after weeks of negotiations, Hamas proposed a ceasefire of 4-1/2 months during which it would free all Israeli hostages, Israel would withdraw its troops from Gaza and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
+Netanyahu rejected the offer as ""delusional"". A new round of talks involving America, Egypt, Israel and Qatar on a truce ended without a breakthrough in Cairo on Tuesday.
+Senior American officials see securing a deal to release the remaining hostages in exchange for an extended pause in the conflict as the best path to creating space for broader talks, the U.S. sources said. Yet they're concerned such a deal may not materialise in coming weeks and war will continue into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March and April, which could intensify global criticism of Israel's campaign, they added.
+An overarching agreement to end the conflict appears remote.
+Any attempt to form a post-war government in Gaza could only succeed if it has Hamas' approval, according to several sources in the region, including from the militant group and the Palestinian Authority, which was pushed out of Gaza by Hamas in 2007.
+Yet something has to give.
+Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas. And the group's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, will fight to the death rather than surrender or go into exile, according to Hamas and regional officials.
+Israel also remains opposed to any deal involving a permanent ceasefire or a Palestinian state, despite U.S. pressure and international outcry over civilian suffering in Gaza and the lack of progress to a lasting peace solution.
+Since October, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made five visits to the region. Last month, the State Department said Washington was ""actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state"" with security guarantees for Israel and exploring options with partners in the region.
+UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron also told lawmakers that Britain and its allies ""will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations"".
+Israel, the U.S. and Britain haven't formally recognised Palestine, unlike nearly 140 other U.N. nations.
+Yet for Netanyahu and many other Israeli officials, talk of a two-state solution amounts to a betrayal of the people killed on Oct. 7.
+""I say clearly to anyone still stuck in October 6: We will never lend a hand to the creation of a Palestinian state,"" Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar said on social media last month. ""This is our pledge to the sacred murder victims.""
+(This story has been refiled to include additional reporting byline)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Cairo has framed its opposition to the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza as part of wider Arab rejection of any repeat of the ""Nakba"", or ""catastrophe"", when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation. Egypt is nonetheless preparing an area at the border that could accommodate Palestinians, as a contingency should an Israeli offensive into Rafah prompt an exodus across the frontier, three security sources in Egypt told Reuters, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
+The Egyptian government denied making any such preparations.  Israeli Defense Minister Gallant said Israel had no intention of evacuating Palestinian civilians to Egypt. 'PLEDGE TO SACRED VICTIMS'
+Melamed, the former Israeli intelligence official and negotiator, said the only potential delay to the Israeli assault on Rafah could come should Hamas give ground in hostage negotiations and hand over the prisoners it took on Oct. 7.
+""Even that would only delay the advance on Rafah unless it is coupled with the demilitarization of the city and surrender of the Hamas battalions there,"" he added.  A senior regional security official said Israel believed some Hamas commanders and hostages were in Rafah.
+This month, after weeks of negotiations, Hamas proposed a ceasefire of 4-1/2 months during which it would free all Israeli hostages, Israel would withdraw its troops from Gaza and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
+Netanyahu rejected the offer as ""delusional"". A new round of talks involving America, Egypt, Israel and Qatar on a truce ended without a breakthrough in Cairo on Tuesday.  Senior American officials see securing a deal to release the remaining hostages in exchange for an extended pause in the conflict as the best path to creating space for broader talks, the U.S. sources said. Yet they're concerned such a deal may not materialise in coming weeks and war will continue into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March and April, which could intensify global criticism of Israel's campaign, they added. An overarching agreement to end the conflict appears remote. Any attempt to form a post-war government in Gaza could only succeed if it has Hamas' approval, according to several sources in the region, including from the militant group and the Palestinian Authority, which was pushed out of Gaza by Hamas in 2007. Yet something has to give. Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas. And the group's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, will fight to the death rather than surrender or go into exile, according to Hamas and regional officials."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-six-week-drive-hit-hamas-rafah-scale-back-war-2024-02-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rafah attack: How Israel plans to hit Hamas and scale back war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Israel expects to continue full-scale military operations in Gaza for another six to eight weeks as it prepares to mount a ground invasion of the enclave's southernmost city of Rafah, four officials familiar with the strategy said.
+Military chiefs believe they can significantly damage Hamas' remaining capabilities in that time, paving the way for a shift to a lower-intensity phase of targeted airstrikes and special forces operations, according to the two Israeli and two regional officials who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely.
+There is little chance that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government will heed international criticism to call off a Rafah ground assault, said Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official and a negotiator in the first and second Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, in the 1980s and 2000s.
+""Rafah is the last bastion of Hamas control and there remain battalions in Rafah which Israel must dismantle to achieve its goals in this war,"" he added.
+Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were planning operations in Rafah targeting Hamas fighters, command centres and tunnels, though gave no timeline for the campaign. He stressed that ""extraordinary measures"" were being taken to avoid civilian casualties.
+""There were 24 regional battalions in Gaza – we have dismantled 18 of them,"" he told a media briefing. ""Now, Rafah is the next Hamas centre of gravity.""
+World leaders fear a humanitarian catastrophe.
+Trapped between the two sworn enemies are more than a million Palestinian civilians crammed into the city on the Egyptian border, with nowhere left to run, after fleeing Israeli attacks that have laid waste to much of the enclave.
+In a past week of high diplomatic tension, U.S. President Joe Biden phoned the Israeli leader twice to warn him against launching a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of civilians. Netanyahu himself said civilians would be allowed to leave the battle zone before the offensive, even as he vowed ""complete victory"".
+The IDF hasn't explained how it will move more than a million people within the ruins of the enclave.
+According to one Israeli security source and an international aid official, who asked not to be identified, Gazans could be screened to weed out any Hamas fighters before being sent northwards. A separate Israeli source said Israel could also build a floating jetty north of Rafah to enable international aid and hospital ships to arrive by sea.
+Nonetheless, an Israeli defence official said Palestinians wouldn't be allowed to return to north Gaza en masse, leaving scrubland around Rafah as an option for makeshift tent cities. The regional officials also said it wouldn't be safe to move a large number of people into a northern zone with no power and running water which hasn't been cleared of unexploded ordinance.
+Washington is sceptical Israel has made sufficient preparations for a secure civilian evacuation, several officials familiar with the conversations between the two governments said. Biden said on Friday he didn't expect a ""massive"" Israeli ground invasion to happen soon.
+Furthermore, according to Hamas, the total victory promised by Netanyahu won't be quick or easy.
+A Hamas official based in Qatar told Reuters that the group estimated it had lost 6,000 fighters during the four-month-old conflict, half the 12,000 Israel says it has killed.
+Gaza's ruling group can keep fighting and is prepared for a long war in Rafah and Gaza, said the official, who requested anonymity.
+""Netanyahu's options are difficult and ours are too. He can occupy Gaza but Hamas is still standing and fighting. He hasn't achieved his goals to kill the Hamas leadership or annihilate Hamas,"" he added.
+'NO EMPTY SPACE IN RAFAH'
+Hamas triggered the conflict on Oct. 7 last year when its fighters burst out of the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages. The surprise attack prompted a massive retaliatory Israeli bombardment and ground invasion that have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.
+Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble by Israel. Fighting continues in the southern city of Khan Younis, with sporadic clashes still breaking out in northern areas supposedly cleared.
+More than 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants have been left homeless. Most of the displaced have sought shelter in Rafah, which had a pre-war population of about 300,000.
+""There is no empty space in Rafah, over a million and half people are here. Does the world know that? A slaughter is going to take place if the tanks enter,"" said Emad Joudat, 55, who fled there with his family early in the war from Gaza City, where he ran a furniture business.
+""I am in charge of a big family,"" said the father-of-five, who lives in a tent city with no food or water in Rafah. ""I feel helpless because don't know where to go with them if Israel launches an invasion.""
+Egypt has sealed off its border to the enclave. Cairo has framed its opposition to the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza as part of wider Arab rejection of any repeat of the ""Nakba"", or ""catastrophe"", when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation.
+Egypt is nonetheless preparing an area at the border that could accommodate Palestinians, as a contingency should an Israeli offensive into Rafah prompt an exodus across the frontier, three security sources in Egypt told Reuters, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
+The Egyptian government denied making any such preparations.
+Israeli Defense Minister Gallant said Israel had no intention of evacuating Palestinian civilians to Egypt.
+'PLEDGE TO SACRED VICTIMS'
+Melamed, the former Israeli intelligence official and negotiator, said the only potential delay to the Israeli assault on Rafah could come should Hamas give ground in hostage negotiations and hand over the prisoners it took on Oct. 7.
+""Even that would only delay the advance on Rafah unless it is coupled with the demilitarization of the city and surrender of the Hamas battalions there,"" he added.
+A senior regional security official said Israel believed some Hamas commanders and hostages were in Rafah.
+This month, after weeks of negotiations, Hamas proposed a ceasefire of 4-1/2 months during which it would free all Israeli hostages, Israel would withdraw its troops from Gaza and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
+Netanyahu rejected the offer as ""delusional"". A new round of talks involving America, Egypt, Israel and Qatar on a truce ended without a breakthrough in Cairo on Tuesday.
+Senior American officials see securing a deal to release the remaining hostages in exchange for an extended pause in the conflict as the best path to creating space for broader talks, the U.S. sources said. Yet they're concerned such a deal may not materialise in coming weeks and war will continue into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March and April, which could intensify global criticism of Israel's campaign, they added.
+An overarching agreement to end the conflict appears remote.
+Any attempt to form a post-war government in Gaza could only succeed if it has Hamas' approval, according to several sources in the region, including from the militant group and the Palestinian Authority, which was pushed out of Gaza by Hamas in 2007.
+Yet something has to give.
+Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas. And the group's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, will fight to the death rather than surrender or go into exile, according to Hamas and regional officials.
+Israel also remains opposed to any deal involving a permanent ceasefire or a Palestinian state, despite U.S. pressure and international outcry over civilian suffering in Gaza and the lack of progress to a lasting peace solution.
+Since October, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made five visits to the region. Last month, the State Department said Washington was ""actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state"" with security guarantees for Israel and exploring options with partners in the region.
+UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron also told lawmakers that Britain and its allies ""will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations"".
+Israel, the U.S. and Britain haven't formally recognised Palestine, unlike nearly 140 other U.N. nations.
+Yet for Netanyahu and many other Israeli officials, talk of a two-state solution amounts to a betrayal of the people killed on Oct. 7.
+""I say clearly to anyone still stuck in October 6: We will never lend a hand to the creation of a Palestinian state,"" Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar said on social media last month. ""This is our pledge to the sacred murder victims.""
+(This story has been refiled to include additional reporting byline)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel also remains opposed to any deal involving a permanent ceasefire or a Palestinian state, despite U.S. pressure and international outcry over civilian suffering in Gaza and the lack of progress to a lasting peace solution.  Since October, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made five visits to the region. Last month, the State Department said Washington was ""actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state"" with security guarantees for Israel and exploring options with partners in the region. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron also told lawmakers that Britain and its allies ""will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations"". Israel, the U.S. and Britain haven't formally recognised Palestine, unlike nearly 140 other U.N. nations. Yet for Netanyahu and many other Israeli officials, talk of a two-state solution amounts to a betrayal of the people killed on Oct. 7.
+""I say clearly to anyone still stuck in October 6: We will never lend a hand to the creation of a Palestinian state,"" Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar said on social media last month. ""This is our pledge to the sacred murder victims.""  (This story has been refiled to include additional reporting byline)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/united-states-johnston-top-seed-400m-medley-doha-2024-02-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli swimmer booed by crowd in sour finish to World Championships[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - An Israeli medallist was booed by the crowd in a sour finish to the Doha World Championships on Sunday, taking the gloss off some stunning achievements in the pool highlighted by Sarah Sjostrom's third consecutive 50 metres freestyle world title.
+Anastasia Gorbenko took silver in the women's 400m individual medley but her celebrations were spoiled as a chorus of boos rained down from the terraces, drowning out her post-race interview by the floor presenter.
+The jeers continued as Gorbenko left the Aspire Dome pool, and she was booed again at the medals ceremony though there was also applause. Briton Freya Constance Colbert won the race.
+The presence of Israeli swimmers at the championships has drawn criticism from some Qatari media outlets and pro-Palestine groups amid Israel's military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
+Gorbenko said she had been booed multiple times during the week and it had affected her emotionally. But she was defiant that she deserved her moment on the podium.
+""I'm here to represent my country... And I'm doing this with the Israeli flag and I'm proud of that. And whoever doesn't like it, it's just not my problem,"" the 20-year-old told reporters.
+Swimming's global governing body World Aquatics declined to comment.
+Politics infused the event in Doha where Belarusian swimmers competed as neutrals due to restrictions imposed on their athletes, and Russia's, stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- which Moscow called a ""special military operation"".
+Russia's swimming federation called the restrictions unacceptable and none of the country's swimmers competed.
+The boycott further weakened the competition, with Doha snubbed by a number of top swimmers due to its unusual scheduling in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics in July and August.
+Swede Sjostrom, however, gave the event a much-needed boost.
+The world record holder showed she will be the woman to beat for the Olympic 50m freestyle gold by rocketing to the title with a blazing time of 23.69, the fourth fastest in history.
+""That was amazing. I'm super happy that I was able to swim so fast... I came here with confidence that I did a really good time yesterday,"" said Sjostrom, who beat American silver medal winner Kate Douglass by more than two-tenths of a second.
+""So it gives me a lot of confidence coming up to Paris.""
+WIFFEN EYES WORLD RECORD
+Ireland hailed a new distance champion in Daniel Wiffen, who obliterated the field for the 1,500m freestyle gold, days after winning the country's first world title in the 800m.
+Wiffen posted a time of 14:34.07, finishing more than 10 seconds clear of German runner-up Florian Wellbrock.
+He said he was eyeing Sun Yang's world record of 14:31.02.
+""I’ve been planning to get it at some point but it’s unreal to get that time in February,"" said Wiffen, who set the 800m short course world record in December.
+New Zealand celebrated a second gold medal of a big meeting for the nation when Lewis Clareburt took the 400m individual medley title in a time of 4:09.72, edging Briton Max Litchfield into silver.
+A year and a half after getting kicked out of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham over medication misuse, Australia's Isaac Cooper won his first world title in the non-Olympic men's 50m backstroke.
+With a time of 24.13 seconds, Cooper edged American defending champion Hunter Armstrong into silver.
+World record holder Ruta Meilutyte successfully defended her non-Olympic 50m breaststroke title, rebounding from her surprisingly poor 100m defence when she missed the final.
+Though the medals table did not necessarily reflect the strength of nations due to the depleted field, the United States secured top spot with an eighth gold and 20 medals in total.
+The U.S. men claimed the 4x100 medley relay title over the Netherlands to secure their eighth gold, while second-placed China finished with seven golds from 11 medals.
+Australia, third-placed with three titles, finished off strongly with gold in the women's 4x100m medley relay.
+""Everyone in the team did their job and that's why we're number one,"" said Australia's Shayna Jack, who swam the freestyle leg.
+""We definitely are in a great position (for Paris).""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli swimmer booed by crowd in sour finish to World Championships[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - An Israeli medallist was booed by the crowd in a sour finish to the Doha World Championships on Sunday, taking the gloss off some stunning achievements in the pool highlighted by Sarah Sjostrom's third consecutive 50 metres freestyle world title. Anastasia Gorbenko took silver in the women's 400m individual medley but her celebrations were spoiled as a chorus of boos rained down from the terraces, drowning out her post-race interview by the floor presenter. The jeers continued as Gorbenko left the Aspire Dome pool, and she was booed again at the medals ceremony though there was also applause. Briton Freya Constance Colbert won the race. The presence of Israeli swimmers at the championships has drawn criticism from some Qatari media outlets and pro-Palestine groups amid Israel's military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.  Gorbenko said she had been booed multiple times during the week and it had affected her emotionally. But she was defiant that she deserved her moment on the podium.  ""I'm here to represent my country... And I'm doing this with the Israeli flag and I'm proud of that. And whoever doesn't like it, it's just not my problem,"" the 20-year-old told reporters. Swimming's global governing body World Aquatics declined to comment. Politics infused the event in Doha where Belarusian swimmers competed as neutrals due to restrictions imposed on their athletes, and Russia's, stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- which Moscow called a ""special military operation"". Russia's swimming federation called the restrictions unacceptable and none of the country's swimmers competed. The boycott further weakened the competition, with Doha snubbed by a number of top swimmers due to its unusual scheduling in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics in July and August. Swede Sjostrom, however, gave the event a much-needed boost. The world record holder showed she will be the woman to beat for the Olympic 50m freestyle gold by rocketing to the title with a blazing time of 23.69, the fourth fastest in history.  ""That was amazing. I'm super happy that I was able to swim so fast... I came here with confidence that I did a really good time yesterday,"" said Sjostrom, who beat American silver medal winner Kate Douglass by more than two-tenths of a second. "
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/united-states-johnston-top-seed-400m-medley-doha-2024-02-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli swimmer booed by crowd in sour finish to World Championships[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - An Israeli medallist was booed by the crowd in a sour finish to the Doha World Championships on Sunday, taking the gloss off some stunning achievements in the pool highlighted by Sarah Sjostrom's third consecutive 50 metres freestyle world title.
+Anastasia Gorbenko took silver in the women's 400m individual medley but her celebrations were spoiled as a chorus of boos rained down from the terraces, drowning out her post-race interview by the floor presenter.
+The jeers continued as Gorbenko left the Aspire Dome pool, and she was booed again at the medals ceremony though there was also applause. Briton Freya Constance Colbert won the race.
+The presence of Israeli swimmers at the championships has drawn criticism from some Qatari media outlets and pro-Palestine groups amid Israel's military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
+Gorbenko said she had been booed multiple times during the week and it had affected her emotionally. But she was defiant that she deserved her moment on the podium.
+""I'm here to represent my country... And I'm doing this with the Israeli flag and I'm proud of that. And whoever doesn't like it, it's just not my problem,"" the 20-year-old told reporters.
+Swimming's global governing body World Aquatics declined to comment.
+Politics infused the event in Doha where Belarusian swimmers competed as neutrals due to restrictions imposed on their athletes, and Russia's, stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- which Moscow called a ""special military operation"".
+Russia's swimming federation called the restrictions unacceptable and none of the country's swimmers competed.
+The boycott further weakened the competition, with Doha snubbed by a number of top swimmers due to its unusual scheduling in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics in July and August.
+Swede Sjostrom, however, gave the event a much-needed boost.
+The world record holder showed she will be the woman to beat for the Olympic 50m freestyle gold by rocketing to the title with a blazing time of 23.69, the fourth fastest in history.
+""That was amazing. I'm super happy that I was able to swim so fast... I came here with confidence that I did a really good time yesterday,"" said Sjostrom, who beat American silver medal winner Kate Douglass by more than two-tenths of a second.
+""So it gives me a lot of confidence coming up to Paris.""
+WIFFEN EYES WORLD RECORD
+Ireland hailed a new distance champion in Daniel Wiffen, who obliterated the field for the 1,500m freestyle gold, days after winning the country's first world title in the 800m.
+Wiffen posted a time of 14:34.07, finishing more than 10 seconds clear of German runner-up Florian Wellbrock.
+He said he was eyeing Sun Yang's world record of 14:31.02.
+""I’ve been planning to get it at some point but it’s unreal to get that time in February,"" said Wiffen, who set the 800m short course world record in December.
+New Zealand celebrated a second gold medal of a big meeting for the nation when Lewis Clareburt took the 400m individual medley title in a time of 4:09.72, edging Briton Max Litchfield into silver.
+A year and a half after getting kicked out of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham over medication misuse, Australia's Isaac Cooper won his first world title in the non-Olympic men's 50m backstroke.
+With a time of 24.13 seconds, Cooper edged American defending champion Hunter Armstrong into silver.
+World record holder Ruta Meilutyte successfully defended her non-Olympic 50m breaststroke title, rebounding from her surprisingly poor 100m defence when she missed the final.
+Though the medals table did not necessarily reflect the strength of nations due to the depleted field, the United States secured top spot with an eighth gold and 20 medals in total.
+The U.S. men claimed the 4x100 medley relay title over the Netherlands to secure their eighth gold, while second-placed China finished with seven golds from 11 medals.
+Australia, third-placed with three titles, finished off strongly with gold in the women's 4x100m medley relay.
+""Everyone in the team did their job and that's why we're number one,"" said Australia's Shayna Jack, who swam the freestyle leg.
+""We definitely are in a great position (for Paris).""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""So it gives me a lot of confidence coming up to Paris.""
+WIFFEN EYES WORLD RECORD
+Ireland hailed a new distance champion in Daniel Wiffen, who obliterated the field for the 1,500m freestyle gold, days after winning the country's first world title in the 800m. Wiffen posted a time of 14:34.07, finishing more than 10 seconds clear of German runner-up Florian Wellbrock. He said he was eyeing Sun Yang's world record of 14:31.02.
+""I’ve been planning to get it at some point but it’s unreal to get that time in February,"" said Wiffen, who set the 800m short course world record in December. New Zealand celebrated a second gold medal of a big meeting for the nation when Lewis Clareburt took the 400m individual medley title in a time of 4:09.72, edging Briton Max Litchfield into silver. A year and a half after getting kicked out of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham over medication misuse, Australia's Isaac Cooper won his first world title in the non-Olympic men's 50m backstroke.
+With a time of 24.13 seconds, Cooper edged American defending champion Hunter Armstrong into silver. World record holder Ruta Meilutyte successfully defended her non-Olympic 50m breaststroke title, rebounding from her surprisingly poor 100m defence when she missed the final.
+Though the medals table did not necessarily reflect the strength of nations due to the depleted field, the United States secured top spot with an eighth gold and 20 medals in total. The U.S. men claimed the 4x100 medley relay title over the Netherlands to secure their eighth gold, while second-placed China finished with seven golds from 11 medals. Australia, third-placed with three titles, finished off strongly with gold in the women's 4x100m medley relay.
+""Everyone in the team did their job and that's why we're number one,"" said Australia's Shayna Jack, who swam the freestyle leg.  ""We definitely are in a great position (for Paris).""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/israel-swimmer-gorbenko-booed-doha-world-championships-2024-02-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel swimmer Gorbenko defiant after being booed at World championships[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Israel swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko was booed by sections of the crowd at the Doha World Championships after finishing runner-up in the women's 400 metres individual medley on Sunday.
+Gorbenko's celebrations were spoiled as a chorus of boos rained down from the terraces, drowning out her post-race interview by the floor presenter.
+The jeers continued as Gorbenko left the Aspire Dome pool, and she was booed again at the medals ceremony though there was also applause. Briton Freya Constance Colbert won the race.
+The presence of Israeli swimmers at the championships has drawn criticism from some Doha media outlets and pro-Palestine groups amid Israel's military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+Gorbenko smiled when she mounted the podium and sighed during the mix of boos and cheers from spectators. She later said it was not the first time she had been jeered at the event.
+""I've been here a week, I heard all these noises but I'm with ear-plugs. I'm in my zone. I'm here to do what I love to do, which is sports,"" she told reporters.
+""I'm here to represent my country... And I'm doing this with the Israeli flag and I'm proud of that. And whoever doesn't like it, it's just not my problem.""
+Swimming's global governing body World Aquatics did not provide immediate comment.
+Gorbenko said she had no hesitation about mounting the podium but the booing had impacted her during the week.
+""There was no way I was going to miss (the podium) just because some little kids are going to do whatever they want to,"" she added.
+""It does affect me emotionally. It's been like a long week for me. I expected myself to do better than what I did.""
+She said she would not hesitate to swim at future events at Arab countries.
+""At the end of the day, Israeli is in the Middle East as well; I hope one day we'll be able to make some peace with everyone.""
+Gorbenko, whose parents are Ukrainian, was born and raised in Israel.
+She said she had relatives in Ukraine and was concerned for them during the country's war with Russia.
+""I have relatives in Ukraine. Of course it's hard as well. But there's nothing I can do,"" she said.
+""Whatever I can do is do my best in the swimming pool and support my country and my family this way.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel swimmer Gorbenko defiant after being booed at World championships[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Israel swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko was booed by sections of the crowd at the Doha World Championships after finishing runner-up in the women's 400 metres individual medley on Sunday. Gorbenko's celebrations were spoiled as a chorus of boos rained down from the terraces, drowning out her post-race interview by the floor presenter.  The jeers continued as Gorbenko left the Aspire Dome pool, and she was booed again at the medals ceremony though there was also applause. Briton Freya Constance Colbert won the race.  The presence of Israeli swimmers at the championships has drawn criticism from some Doha media outlets and pro-Palestine groups amid Israel's military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+Gorbenko smiled when she mounted the podium and sighed during the mix of boos and cheers from spectators. She later said it was not the first time she had been jeered at the event.  ""I've been here a week, I heard all these noises but I'm with ear-plugs. I'm in my zone. I'm here to do what I love to do, which is sports,"" she told reporters.  ""I'm here to represent my country... And I'm doing this with the Israeli flag and I'm proud of that. And whoever doesn't like it, it's just not my problem."" Swimming's global governing body World Aquatics did not provide immediate comment. Gorbenko said she had no hesitation about mounting the podium but the booing had impacted her during the week. ""There was no way I was going to miss (the podium) just because some little kids are going to do whatever they want to,"" she added.  ""It does affect me emotionally. It's been like a long week for me. I expected myself to do better than what I did.""  She said she would not hesitate to swim at future events at Arab countries.
+"" At the end of the day, Israeli is in the Middle East as well; I hope one day we'll be able to make some peace with everyone."" Gorbenko, whose parents are Ukrainian, was born and raised in Israel. She said she had relatives in Ukraine and was concerned for them during the country's war with Russia.  ""I have relatives in Ukraine. Of course it's hard as well. But there's nothing I can do,"" she said."
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/israel-swimmer-gorbenko-booed-doha-world-championships-2024-02-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel swimmer Gorbenko defiant after being booed at World championships[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Israel swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko was booed by sections of the crowd at the Doha World Championships after finishing runner-up in the women's 400 metres individual medley on Sunday.
+Gorbenko's celebrations were spoiled as a chorus of boos rained down from the terraces, drowning out her post-race interview by the floor presenter.
+The jeers continued as Gorbenko left the Aspire Dome pool, and she was booed again at the medals ceremony though there was also applause. Briton Freya Constance Colbert won the race.
+The presence of Israeli swimmers at the championships has drawn criticism from some Doha media outlets and pro-Palestine groups amid Israel's military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+Gorbenko smiled when she mounted the podium and sighed during the mix of boos and cheers from spectators. She later said it was not the first time she had been jeered at the event.
+""I've been here a week, I heard all these noises but I'm with ear-plugs. I'm in my zone. I'm here to do what I love to do, which is sports,"" she told reporters.
+""I'm here to represent my country... And I'm doing this with the Israeli flag and I'm proud of that. And whoever doesn't like it, it's just not my problem.""
+Swimming's global governing body World Aquatics did not provide immediate comment.
+Gorbenko said she had no hesitation about mounting the podium but the booing had impacted her during the week.
+""There was no way I was going to miss (the podium) just because some little kids are going to do whatever they want to,"" she added.
+""It does affect me emotionally. It's been like a long week for me. I expected myself to do better than what I did.""
+She said she would not hesitate to swim at future events at Arab countries.
+""At the end of the day, Israeli is in the Middle East as well; I hope one day we'll be able to make some peace with everyone.""
+Gorbenko, whose parents are Ukrainian, was born and raised in Israel.
+She said she had relatives in Ukraine and was concerned for them during the country's war with Russia.
+""I have relatives in Ukraine. Of course it's hard as well. But there's nothing I can do,"" she said.
+""Whatever I can do is do my best in the swimming pool and support my country and my family this way.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""Whatever I can do is do my best in the swimming pool and support my country and my family this way.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-pm-sees-imminent-deal-transfer-tax-funds-between-israel-palestinians-2024-02-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway PM sees imminent deal to transfer tax funds between Israel and Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MUNICH, Feb 17 (Reuters) - An agreement to unfreeze tax funds earmarked for the Palestinian Authority (PA) that are held by Israel is ""imminent"", Norway's prime minister, whose country is working as an intermediary, said on Saturday.
+Under interim peace accords reached in the 1990s, Israel's finance ministry collects tax on behalf of the Palestinians and makes monthly transfers to the PA. But no payments have taken place since November following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip in October.
+On Jan. 21, Israeli officials said the cabinet had approved a plan for frozen tax funds earmarked for the Gaza Strip to be held by Norway instead of transferred to the PA.
+""I would say that the talks have been concluded and we are very close to settling an arrangement,"" Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told Reuters in an interview, saying he believed they had been able to forge a compromise.
+Accessing this revenue is key to the survival of the PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Several Western countries, including the United States, want the PA to play a role in the administration of the Gaza Strip, should the war come to an end.
+""I think we are trusted by the parties to manage financial support to the PA in a responsible way,"" he said. ""It has taken a lot of diplomatic work between Norway, the PA, Israel, the U.S., but I will say that we are very close, imminent.""
+Norway is part of an international effort to build a broad, Palestinian unity government, with Western nations aiming for the PA to play a key role in it.
+The country served as a facilitator in the 1992-93 talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993.
+It has remained involved as chair of the donor group coordinating international assistance to the Palestinian territories, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC).
+Since Israel has stepped up strikes on Gaza in its war against Hamas, there has been interest to revive the AHLC as a possible channel for diplomacy.
+Stoere said there were consultations to assess when it would be the right time to call another meeting, but the priority was getting humanitarian aid into the enclave.
+""We believe that seeing the PA fail and go broke is in no one's interest. It would be a disaster for Palestinians and it would be also very bad for Israel's security,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway PM sees imminent deal to transfer tax funds between Israel and Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MUNICH, Feb 17 (Reuters) - An agreement to unfreeze tax funds earmarked for the Palestinian Authority (PA) that are held by Israel is ""imminent"", Norway's prime minister, whose country is working as an intermediary, said on Saturday.  Under interim peace accords reached in the 1990s, Israel's finance ministry collects tax on behalf of the Palestinians and makes monthly transfers to the PA. But no payments have taken place since November following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip in October. On Jan. 21, Israeli officials said the cabinet had approved a plan for frozen tax funds earmarked for the Gaza Strip to be held by Norway instead of transferred to the PA. ""I would say that the talks have been concluded and we are very close to settling an arrangement,"" Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told Reuters in an interview, saying he believed they had been able to forge a compromise.
+Accessing this revenue is key to the survival of the PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Several Western countries, including the United States, want the PA to play a role in the administration of the Gaza Strip, should the war come to an end.  ""I think we are trusted by the parties to manage financial support to the PA in a responsible way,"" he said. ""It has taken a lot of diplomatic work between Norway, the PA, Israel, the U.S., but I will say that we are very close, imminent. "" Norway is part of an international effort to build a broad, Palestinian unity government, with Western nations aiming for the PA to play a key role in it. The country served as a facilitator in the 1992-93 talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993. It has remained involved as chair of the donor group coordinating international assistance to the Palestinian territories, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC).  Since Israel has stepped up strikes on Gaza in its war against Hamas, there has been interest to revive the AHLC as a possible channel for diplomacy.
+Stoere said there were consultations to assess when it would be the right time to call another meeting, but the priority was getting humanitarian aid into the enclave.
+""We believe that seeing the PA fail and go broke is in no one's interest. It would be a disaster for Palestinians and it would be also very bad for Israel's security ,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/frances-macron-opens-door-recognising-palestinian-state-2024-02-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]France's Macron opens door to recognising Palestinian state[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The recognition of a Palestinian state is no longer a taboo for France, President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, suggesting Paris could make the decision if efforts for a two-state solution stalled because of Israeli opposition.
+A unilateral French recognition would do little to change the situation on the ground without true negotiations, but would weigh symbolically and diplomatically.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, saying he will not compromise on full Israeli security control west of Jordan and that this stands contrary to a Palestinian state.
+French lawmakers voted in 2014 to urge their government to recognise Palestine, a symbolic move that had little impact on France's diplomatic stance.
+Macron's comments were the first time a French leader had made such a suggestion and highlighted further impatience among Western leaders as casualties mount in Gaza from Israeli retaliation after an attack on Oct. 7 by Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas that killed 1,200 people, and took 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+""Our partners in the region, notably Jordan, are working on it, we are working on it with them. We are ready to contribute to it, in Europe and in the Security Council. The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a taboo for France,"" Macron said alongside Jordan's King Abdullah II in Paris.
+""We owe it to the Palestinians, whose aspirations have been trampled on for too long. We owe it to the Israelis who lived through the greatest anti-Semitic massacre of our century. We owe it to a region that longs to escape the promoters of chaos and the those who sow revenge,"" he said.
+Macron's comments are likely aimed at adding pressure on Israel.
+Israel's massive aerial and ground offensive in small, densely populated Gaza has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, flattened built-up areas and left most of its 2.3 million people homeless.
+While most developing countries recognise Palestine as a state, most Western European countries do not, arguing that an independent Palestinian state should emerge from negotiations with Israel.
+British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said earlier this month that part of British policy is to say there will be a time when Britain would look to recognise a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations.
+Macron added that an Israeli offensive in Rafah could only lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and would be a turning point in the conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]France's Macron opens door to recognising Palestinian state[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The recognition of a Palestinian state is no longer a taboo for France, President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, suggesting Paris could make the decision if efforts for a two-state solution stalled because of Israeli opposition. A unilateral French recognition would do little to change the situation on the ground without true negotiations, but would weigh symbolically and diplomatically. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, saying he will not compromise on full Israeli security control west of Jordan and that this stands contrary to a Palestinian state.
+French lawmakers voted in 2014 to urge their government to recognise Palestine, a symbolic move that had little impact on France's diplomatic stance.  Macron's comments were the first time a French leader had made such a suggestion and highlighted further impatience among Western leaders as casualties mount in Gaza from Israeli retaliation after an attack on Oct. 7 by Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas that killed 1,200 people, and took 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+"" Our partners in the region, notably Jordan, are working on it, we are working on it with them. We are ready to contribute to it, in Europe and in the Security Council. The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a taboo for France,"" Macron said alongside Jordan's King Abdullah II in Paris.  ""We owe it to the Palestinians, whose aspirations have been trampled on for too long. We owe it to the Israelis who lived through the greatest anti-Semitic massacre of our century. We owe it to a region that longs to escape the promoters of chaos and the those who sow revenge,"" he said. Macron's comments are likely aimed at adding pressure on Israel. Israel's massive aerial and ground offensive in small, densely populated Gaza has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, flattened built-up areas and left most of its 2.3 million people homeless. While most developing countries recognise Palestine as a state, most Western European countries do not, arguing that an independent Palestinian state should emerge from negotiations with Israel. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said earlier this month that part of British policy is to say there will be a time when Britain would look to recognise a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations. Macron added that an Israeli offensive in Rafah could only lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and would be a turning point in the conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-sanctions-against-houthis-over-red-sea-attacks-take-effect-2024-02-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US sanctions on Houthis over Red Sea attacks take effect[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday returned the Houthis to a list of terrorist groups as planned, hitting the Iran-aligned group with harsh sanctions that the United Nations fears could hurt Yemen's fragile economy and civilians.
+The United States in January said it would designate the Houthis as a ""Specially Designated Global Terrorist"" as it aimed to cut off funding and weapons the group has used to attack or hijack ships in vital Red Sea shipping lanes.
+But a senior U.N. aid official on Wednesday said the sanctions could harm the war-torn country's economy, particularly commercial imports of essential items. The U.N. says more than 18 million people need help in Yemen.
+The attacks on ships, which the Houthis say are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, have disrupted global commerce, stoked fears of inflation and deepened concern about the fallout from the Israel-Hamas war.
+Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said in a statement the U.S. decision reflects ""blatant hypocrisy"" and accused the U.S. of sponsoring terrorism by supporting Israel.
+""Yemen persists in supporting Gaza by all available means, and continues to prevent Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine until the Israeli aggression ceases and the blockade on Gaza is lifted,"" Abdulsalam said.
+A U.S. State Department spokesperson said that the 30-day period from when Washington announced it would relist the Houthis as a terror group was used in part to give the Iran-backed rebels the opportunity to scale down their attacks.
+Washington also worked with the shipping and financial industry as well as humanitarian assistance organizations to minimize the impact on the Yemeni people and make them aware of transactions that are allowed despite the sanctions, the spokesperson said.
+The U.S. Treasury Department in January issued licenses authorizing certain transactions involving the Houthis, including those related to agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices.
+Former President Donald Trump's administration added the Houthis to two lists designating them as terrorists a day before its term ended. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revoked the designations days after taking office in 2021.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US sanctions on Houthis over Red Sea attacks take effect[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday returned the Houthis to a list of terrorist groups as planned, hitting the Iran-aligned group with harsh sanctions that the United Nations fears could hurt Yemen's fragile economy and civilians.  The United States in January said it would designate the Houthis as a ""Specially Designated Global Terrorist"" as it aimed to cut off funding and weapons the group has used to attack or hijack ships in vital Red Sea shipping lanes.
+But a senior U.N. aid official on Wednesday said the sanctions could harm the war-torn country's economy, particularly commercial imports of essential items. The U.N. says more than 18 million people need help in Yemen. The attacks on ships, which the Houthis say are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, have disrupted global commerce, stoked fears of inflation and deepened concern about the fallout from the Israel-Hamas war.
+Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said in a statement the U.S. decision reflects ""blatant hypocrisy"" and accused the U.S. of sponsoring terrorism by supporting Israel.
+""Yemen persists in supporting Gaza by all available means, and continues to prevent Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine until the Israeli aggression ceases and the blockade on Gaza is lifted,"" Abdulsalam said. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said that the 30-day period from when Washington announced it would relist the Houthis as a terror group was used in part to give the Iran-backed rebels the opportunity to scale down their attacks.
+Washington also worked with the shipping and financial industry as well as humanitarian assistance organizations to minimize the impact on the Yemeni people and make them aware of transactions that are allowed despite the sanctions, the spokesperson said. The U.S. Treasury Department in January issued licenses authorizing certain transactions involving the Houthis, including those related to agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices.  Former President Donald Trump's administration added the Houthis to two lists designating them as terrorists a day before its term ended. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revoked the designations days after taking office in 2021.  [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/world-court-holds-hearings-israels-occupation-palestinian-territories-2024-02-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]ICJ holds hearings on Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A record 52 states will present arguments about the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the U.N.'s highest legal body.
+The ICJ's six days of hearings starting on Monday come after the U.N. General Assembly asked the court in 2022 for an advisory, or non-binding, opinion on the occupation. While Israel has ignored such opinions in the past, it could add political pressure over its ongoing operation in Gaza, which has killed 28,775 people, mostly civilians.
+It is part of a Palestinian push to get international law institutions such as the ICJ to examine Israel's conduct which has become more urgent since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas in Israel and Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip.
+""Politically, this will help in achieving a two-state solution. We are using the platform of the largest judicial body to advance our cause,"" Omar Awadallah, a senior official in the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, told journalists at a briefing before the hearings.
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in a 1967 war. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls its borders.
+It is the second time the U.N. General Assembly has asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, for an advisory opinion related to the occupied Palestinian territory. In July 2004, the court found that Israel's separation wall in the West Bank violated international law and should be dismantled, though it still stands to this day.
+“The International Court of Justice is set for the first time to broadly consider the legal consequences of Israel’s nearly six-decades-long occupation and mistreatment of the Palestinian people,” said Clive Baldwin, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch.
+“Governments that are presenting their arguments to the court should seize these landmark hearings to highlight the grave abuses Israeli authorities are committing against Palestinians, including the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution.”
+The advisory opinion proceedings are separate from the genocide case that South Africa filed at the World Court against Israel for its alleged violations in Gaza of the 1948 Genocide Convention. In late January the ICJ in that case ordered Israel to do everything in its power to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.
+The outcome of the advisory opinion would not be legally binding but would carry ""great legal weight and moral authority,"" according to the ICJ.
+The precise question put to the court is to give an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's ""occupation, settlement and annexation ... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures.""
+The general assembly also asked the 15-judge panel of the ICJ to advise on how those policies and practices ""affect the legal status of the occupation"" and what legal consequences arise for all countries and the United Nations from this status.
+The court will hear over 50 states and three international organisations over six days of hearings including the United States, Russia, China and South Africa. While Israel has filed a written statement with the court, it has not asked to participate in the hearings. On Monday proceedings will start with submissions from the Palestinian authorities.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]ICJ holds hearings on Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories[/TITLE] [CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A record 52 states will present arguments about the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the U.N.'s highest legal body. The ICJ's six days of hearings starting on Monday come after the U.N. General Assembly asked the court in 2022 for an advisory, or non-binding, opinion on the occupation. While Israel has ignored such opinions in the past, it could add political pressure over its ongoing operation in Gaza, which has killed 28,775 people, mostly civilians. It is part of a Palestinian push to get international law institutions such as the ICJ to examine Israel's conduct which has become more urgent since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas in Israel and Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip.  ""Politically, this will help in achieving a two-state solution. We are using the platform of the largest judicial body to advance our cause,"" Omar Awadallah, a senior official in the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, told journalists at a briefing before the hearings.  Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in a 1967 war. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls its borders.  It is the second time the U.N. General Assembly has asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, for an advisory opinion related to the occupied Palestinian territory. In July 2004, the court found that Israel's separation wall in the West Bank violated international law and should be dismantled, though it still stands to this day.  “The International Court of Justice is set for the first time to broadly consider the legal consequences of Israel’s nearly six-decades-long occupation and mistreatment of the Palestinian people,” said Clive Baldwin, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch.
+“Governments that are presenting their arguments to the court should seize these landmark hearings to highlight the grave abuses Israeli authorities are committing against Palestinians, including the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution. ”  The advisory opinion proceedings are separate from the genocide case that South Africa filed at the World Court against Israel for its alleged violations in Gaza of the 1948 Genocide Convention. In late January the ICJ in that case ordered Israel to do everything in its power to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza. The outcome of the advisory opinion would not be legally binding but would carry ""great legal weight and moral authority,"" according to the ICJ."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/world-court-holds-hearings-israels-occupation-palestinian-territories-2024-02-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]ICJ holds hearings on Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A record 52 states will present arguments about the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the U.N.'s highest legal body.
+The ICJ's six days of hearings starting on Monday come after the U.N. General Assembly asked the court in 2022 for an advisory, or non-binding, opinion on the occupation. While Israel has ignored such opinions in the past, it could add political pressure over its ongoing operation in Gaza, which has killed 28,775 people, mostly civilians.
+It is part of a Palestinian push to get international law institutions such as the ICJ to examine Israel's conduct which has become more urgent since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas in Israel and Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip.
+""Politically, this will help in achieving a two-state solution. We are using the platform of the largest judicial body to advance our cause,"" Omar Awadallah, a senior official in the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, told journalists at a briefing before the hearings.
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in a 1967 war. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but, along with neighbouring Egypt, still controls its borders.
+It is the second time the U.N. General Assembly has asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, for an advisory opinion related to the occupied Palestinian territory. In July 2004, the court found that Israel's separation wall in the West Bank violated international law and should be dismantled, though it still stands to this day.
+“The International Court of Justice is set for the first time to broadly consider the legal consequences of Israel’s nearly six-decades-long occupation and mistreatment of the Palestinian people,” said Clive Baldwin, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch.
+“Governments that are presenting their arguments to the court should seize these landmark hearings to highlight the grave abuses Israeli authorities are committing against Palestinians, including the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution.”
+The advisory opinion proceedings are separate from the genocide case that South Africa filed at the World Court against Israel for its alleged violations in Gaza of the 1948 Genocide Convention. In late January the ICJ in that case ordered Israel to do everything in its power to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.
+The outcome of the advisory opinion would not be legally binding but would carry ""great legal weight and moral authority,"" according to the ICJ.
+The precise question put to the court is to give an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's ""occupation, settlement and annexation ... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures.""
+The general assembly also asked the 15-judge panel of the ICJ to advise on how those policies and practices ""affect the legal status of the occupation"" and what legal consequences arise for all countries and the United Nations from this status.
+The court will hear over 50 states and three international organisations over six days of hearings including the United States, Russia, China and South Africa. While Israel has filed a written statement with the court, it has not asked to participate in the hearings. On Monday proceedings will start with submissions from the Palestinian authorities.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The precise question put to the court is to give an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's ""occupation, settlement and annexation ... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures.""
+The general assembly also asked the 15-judge panel of the ICJ to advise on how those policies and practices ""affect the legal status of the occupation"" and what legal consequences arise for all countries and the United Nations from this status.  The court will hear over 50 states and three international organisations over six days of hearings including the United States, Russia, China and South Africa. While Israel has filed a written statement with the court, it has not asked to participate in the hearings. On Monday proceedings will start with submissions from the Palestinian authorities. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/why-palestinian-displacement-gaza-war-alarms-un-arabs-2023-12-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Why Palestinian displacement alarms the UN and Arabs[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Israel's plans to storm a city sheltering more than half of Gaza's population are raising international concerns that a humanitarian crisis there could worsen sharply and drive Palestinians over the border to Egypt.
+Israeli air strikes have in recent days started hitting Rafah, which lies right on the Egyptian border and is where hundreds of thousands of people displaced by violence further north are trapped in desperate conditions. Israeli forces are gearing up for a ground assault on the southern city.
+For displaced Gazans, reports that Egypt is bracing for the possibility of a Palestinian exodus have only hardened their fears of being driven off the land entirely.
+Three security sources said Egypt had begun preparing a desert area with some basic facilities which could be used to shelter Palestinians, emphasising this was a contingency step.
+Egypt denied making any such preparations.
+WHAT IS BEHIND THE CONCERNS?
+Palestinians have long been haunted by what they call the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe, when 700,000 of them were dispossessed from their homes when Israel was created in 1948.
+Many were driven out or fled to neighbouring Arab states, including to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, where many of them or their descendants still live in refugee camps. Some went to Gaza. Israel disputes the account that they were forced out.
+The conflict since Oct. 7 has seen an unprecedented Israeli bombardment and land offensive in Gaza, devastating urban areas throughout the enclave. Palestinians and U.N. officials say there are no longer any safe areas inside Gaza to seek shelter.
+UNRWA, a U.N. agency which provides Palestinians with aid and essential services, says there are nearly 1.5 million people in Rafah, six times the population compared to before Oct. 7.
+WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING THIS CONFLICT?
+Before Israel launched its ground offensive in Gaza, it initially told Palestinians in north Gaza to move to what it said were safe areas in the south. As the offensive expanded, Israel told them to head further south towards Rafah.
+According to U.N. estimates, up to 85% of the 2.3 million people in Gaza - one of the most densely populated areas of the world - have already been displaced from their homes and are now crammed in an ever smaller area near the border.
+WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING PREVIOUS GAZA BORDER INCIDENTS?
+There has been no precedent for people fleeing en masse from Gaza during conflicts and flare-ups with Israel in recent years, although no previous war has been this fierce. However, there have been incidents when Gaza's border with Egypt was breached, although those crossing numbered hundreds or thousands, and those people were not seeking shelter or to stay.
+Following Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Palestinians breached the fence, with some clambering over with make-shift ramps and using ropes. At one place, Palestinian militants rammed a concrete barrier to break a hole.
+Hamas breached the frontier again in 2008, challenging a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the group seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority. The border remained breached for about 10 days before Egypt resealed it.
+COULD A MAJOR DISPLACEMENT HAPPEN IN THIS CONFLICT?
+Many Palestinians inside Gaza have said they would not leave even if they could because they fear it might lead to another permanent displacement in a repeat of 1948. Egypt, meanwhile, has kept the border firmly closed except to let a few thousand foreigners, dual nationals and a handful of others leave Gaza.
+Egypt and other Arab nations strongly oppose any attempt to push Palestinians over the border.
+Yet, the scale of this conflict eclipses other Gaza crises or flare-ups in past decades, and the humanitarian disaster deepens for Palestinians by the day.
+WHAT ARE ARAB, WESTERN STATES AND THE U.N. SAYING?
+From the earliest days of the conflict, Arab governments, particularly Israel's neighbours Egypt and Jordan, have said Palestinians must not be driven from land where they want to make a future state, which would include the West Bank and Gaza.
+Like Palestinians, they fear any mass movement across the border would further undermine prospects for a ""two-state solution"" - the idea of creating a state of Palestine next to Israel - and leave Arab nations dealing with the consequences.
+Top U.N. officials have added their voices to concerns about a mass displacement.
+U.S. President Joe Biden has said Israel should not proceed with a Rafah operation without a plan to ensure the safety of people sheltering there. Other allies of Israel have expressed concern about the prospect of a Rafah offensive.
+U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Feb. 15 it was an ""illusion"" to think people in Gaza could evacuate to a safe place and warned of the possibility of Palestinians spilling into Egypt if Israel launches its operation in Rafah.
+WHAT HAVE ISRAEL'S GOVERNMENT AND ITS POLITICIANS SAID?
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Rafah as the ""last bastion"" of Hamas, with four battalions of gunmen, and that Israel cannot achieve its goal of eliminating the group while they remain there.
+Israel has said its army is drawing up a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah to other parts of the Gaza Strip.
+Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Feb. 16 Israel had no plans to deport Palestinians from Gaza. Israel would coordinate with Egypt on Palestinian refugees and find a way to not harm Egypt's interests, Katz added.
+However, comments by some in the government have stoked Palestinian and Arab fears of a new Nakba.
+Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Dec. 31 for Palestinian residents of Gaza to leave the besieged enclave. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the war presented an ""opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza.""
+After Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Dec. 10 that Israel's offensive was ""a systematic effort to empty Gaza of its people,"" Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy called those comments ""outrageous and false accusations.""
+POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW
+If large numbers of Gazans are forced to flee Rafah and cross the border due to an Israeli offensive, that could constitute a violation of international humanitarian law, said André Nollkaemper, a professor of international law at the University of Amsterdam.
+If Gazans fleeing across the border acted because they felt they had no option due to the threat of a massive military campaign, then ""it seems that it would be highly, highly difficult to justify under international humanitarian law,"" he said.
+Israel says it must eliminate Hamas and that its military operations are justified as self-defence. It has said it does all it can to protect the civilian population, avoid unnecessary death and operate within international law at all times.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Why Palestinian displacement alarms the UN and Arabs[/TITLE] [CONTENT]BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Israel's plans to storm a city sheltering more than half of Gaza's population are raising international concerns that a humanitarian crisis there could worsen sharply and drive Palestinians over the border to Egypt. Israeli air strikes have in recent days started hitting Rafah, which lies right on the Egyptian border and is where hundreds of thousands of people displaced by violence further north are trapped in desperate conditions. Israeli forces are gearing up for a ground assault on the southern city. For displaced Gazans, reports that Egypt is bracing for the possibility of a Palestinian exodus have only hardened their fears of being driven off the land entirely.
+Three security sources said Egypt had begun preparing a desert area with some basic facilities which could be used to shelter Palestinians, emphasising this was a contingency step.
+Egypt denied making any such preparations. WHAT IS BEHIND THE CONCERNS? Palestinians have long been haunted by what they call the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe, when 700,000 of them were dispossessed from their homes when Israel was created in 1948.  Many were driven out or fled to neighbouring Arab states, including to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, where many of them or their descendants still live in refugee camps. Some went to Gaza. Israel disputes the account that they were forced out. The conflict since Oct. 7 has seen an unprecedented Israeli bombardment and land offensive in Gaza, devastating urban areas throughout the enclave. Palestinians and U.N. officials say there are no longer any safe areas inside Gaza to seek shelter. UNRWA, a U.N. agency which provides Palestinians with aid and essential services, says there are nearly 1.5 million people in Rafah, six times the population compared to before Oct. 7. WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING THIS CONFLICT? Before Israel launched its ground offensive in Gaza, it initially told Palestinians in north Gaza to move to what it said were safe areas in the south. As the offensive expanded, Israel told them to head further south towards Rafah. According to U.N. estimates, up to 85% of the 2.3 million people in Gaza - one of the most densely populated areas of the world - have already been displaced from their homes and are now crammed in an ever smaller area near the border.
+WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING PREVIOUS GAZA BORDER INCIDENTS?  There has been no precedent for people fleeing en masse from Gaza during conflicts and flare-ups with Israel in recent years, although no previous war has been this fierce."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/why-palestinian-displacement-gaza-war-alarms-un-arabs-2023-12-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Why Palestinian displacement alarms the UN and Arabs[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Israel's plans to storm a city sheltering more than half of Gaza's population are raising international concerns that a humanitarian crisis there could worsen sharply and drive Palestinians over the border to Egypt.
+Israeli air strikes have in recent days started hitting Rafah, which lies right on the Egyptian border and is where hundreds of thousands of people displaced by violence further north are trapped in desperate conditions. Israeli forces are gearing up for a ground assault on the southern city.
+For displaced Gazans, reports that Egypt is bracing for the possibility of a Palestinian exodus have only hardened their fears of being driven off the land entirely.
+Three security sources said Egypt had begun preparing a desert area with some basic facilities which could be used to shelter Palestinians, emphasising this was a contingency step.
+Egypt denied making any such preparations.
+WHAT IS BEHIND THE CONCERNS?
+Palestinians have long been haunted by what they call the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe, when 700,000 of them were dispossessed from their homes when Israel was created in 1948.
+Many were driven out or fled to neighbouring Arab states, including to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, where many of them or their descendants still live in refugee camps. Some went to Gaza. Israel disputes the account that they were forced out.
+The conflict since Oct. 7 has seen an unprecedented Israeli bombardment and land offensive in Gaza, devastating urban areas throughout the enclave. Palestinians and U.N. officials say there are no longer any safe areas inside Gaza to seek shelter.
+UNRWA, a U.N. agency which provides Palestinians with aid and essential services, says there are nearly 1.5 million people in Rafah, six times the population compared to before Oct. 7.
+WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING THIS CONFLICT?
+Before Israel launched its ground offensive in Gaza, it initially told Palestinians in north Gaza to move to what it said were safe areas in the south. As the offensive expanded, Israel told them to head further south towards Rafah.
+According to U.N. estimates, up to 85% of the 2.3 million people in Gaza - one of the most densely populated areas of the world - have already been displaced from their homes and are now crammed in an ever smaller area near the border.
+WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING PREVIOUS GAZA BORDER INCIDENTS?
+There has been no precedent for people fleeing en masse from Gaza during conflicts and flare-ups with Israel in recent years, although no previous war has been this fierce. However, there have been incidents when Gaza's border with Egypt was breached, although those crossing numbered hundreds or thousands, and those people were not seeking shelter or to stay.
+Following Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Palestinians breached the fence, with some clambering over with make-shift ramps and using ropes. At one place, Palestinian militants rammed a concrete barrier to break a hole.
+Hamas breached the frontier again in 2008, challenging a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the group seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority. The border remained breached for about 10 days before Egypt resealed it.
+COULD A MAJOR DISPLACEMENT HAPPEN IN THIS CONFLICT?
+Many Palestinians inside Gaza have said they would not leave even if they could because they fear it might lead to another permanent displacement in a repeat of 1948. Egypt, meanwhile, has kept the border firmly closed except to let a few thousand foreigners, dual nationals and a handful of others leave Gaza.
+Egypt and other Arab nations strongly oppose any attempt to push Palestinians over the border.
+Yet, the scale of this conflict eclipses other Gaza crises or flare-ups in past decades, and the humanitarian disaster deepens for Palestinians by the day.
+WHAT ARE ARAB, WESTERN STATES AND THE U.N. SAYING?
+From the earliest days of the conflict, Arab governments, particularly Israel's neighbours Egypt and Jordan, have said Palestinians must not be driven from land where they want to make a future state, which would include the West Bank and Gaza.
+Like Palestinians, they fear any mass movement across the border would further undermine prospects for a ""two-state solution"" - the idea of creating a state of Palestine next to Israel - and leave Arab nations dealing with the consequences.
+Top U.N. officials have added their voices to concerns about a mass displacement.
+U.S. President Joe Biden has said Israel should not proceed with a Rafah operation without a plan to ensure the safety of people sheltering there. Other allies of Israel have expressed concern about the prospect of a Rafah offensive.
+U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Feb. 15 it was an ""illusion"" to think people in Gaza could evacuate to a safe place and warned of the possibility of Palestinians spilling into Egypt if Israel launches its operation in Rafah.
+WHAT HAVE ISRAEL'S GOVERNMENT AND ITS POLITICIANS SAID?
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Rafah as the ""last bastion"" of Hamas, with four battalions of gunmen, and that Israel cannot achieve its goal of eliminating the group while they remain there.
+Israel has said its army is drawing up a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah to other parts of the Gaza Strip.
+Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Feb. 16 Israel had no plans to deport Palestinians from Gaza. Israel would coordinate with Egypt on Palestinian refugees and find a way to not harm Egypt's interests, Katz added.
+However, comments by some in the government have stoked Palestinian and Arab fears of a new Nakba.
+Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Dec. 31 for Palestinian residents of Gaza to leave the besieged enclave. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the war presented an ""opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza.""
+After Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Dec. 10 that Israel's offensive was ""a systematic effort to empty Gaza of its people,"" Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy called those comments ""outrageous and false accusations.""
+POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW
+If large numbers of Gazans are forced to flee Rafah and cross the border due to an Israeli offensive, that could constitute a violation of international humanitarian law, said André Nollkaemper, a professor of international law at the University of Amsterdam.
+If Gazans fleeing across the border acted because they felt they had no option due to the threat of a massive military campaign, then ""it seems that it would be highly, highly difficult to justify under international humanitarian law,"" he said.
+Israel says it must eliminate Hamas and that its military operations are justified as self-defence. It has said it does all it can to protect the civilian population, avoid unnecessary death and operate within international law at all times.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","However, there have been incidents when Gaza's border with Egypt was breached, although those crossing numbered hundreds or thousands, and those people were not seeking shelter or to stay.  Following Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Palestinians breached the fence, with some clambering over with make-shift ramps and using ropes. At one place, Palestinian militants rammed a concrete barrier to break a hole.  Hamas breached the frontier again in 2008, challenging a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the group seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority. The border remained breached for about 10 days before Egypt resealed it. COULD A MAJOR DISPLACEMENT HAPPEN IN THIS CONFLICT?  Many Palestinians inside Gaza have said they would not leave even if they could because they fear it might lead to another permanent displacement in a repeat of 1948. Egypt, meanwhile, has kept the border firmly closed except to let a few thousand foreigners, dual nationals and a handful of others leave Gaza. Egypt and other Arab nations strongly oppose any attempt to push Palestinians over the border. Yet, the scale of this conflict eclipses other Gaza crises or flare-ups in past decades, and the humanitarian disaster deepens for Palestinians by the day. WHAT ARE ARAB, WESTERN STATES AND THE U.N. SAYING? From the earliest days of the conflict, Arab governments, particularly Israel's neighbours Egypt and Jordan, have said Palestinians must not be driven from land where they want to make a future state, which would include the West Bank and Gaza. Like Palestinians, they fear any mass movement across the border would further undermine prospects for a ""two-state solution"" - the idea of creating a state of Palestine next to Israel - and leave Arab nations dealing with the consequences. Top U.N. officials have added their voices to concerns about a mass displacement. U.S. President Joe Biden has said Israel should not proceed with a Rafah operation without a plan to ensure the safety of people sheltering there. Other allies of Israel have expressed concern about the prospect of a Rafah offensive. U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Feb. 15 it was an ""illusion"" to think people in Gaza could evacuate to a safe place and warned of the possibility of Palestinians spilling into Egypt if Israel launches its operation in Rafah.
+WHAT HAVE ISRAEL'S GOVERNMENT AND ITS POLITICIANS SAID?
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Rafah as the ""last bastion"" of Hamas, with four battalions of gunmen, and that Israel cannot achieve its goal of eliminating the group while they remain there."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/why-palestinian-displacement-gaza-war-alarms-un-arabs-2023-12-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Why Palestinian displacement alarms the UN and Arabs[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Israel's plans to storm a city sheltering more than half of Gaza's population are raising international concerns that a humanitarian crisis there could worsen sharply and drive Palestinians over the border to Egypt.
+Israeli air strikes have in recent days started hitting Rafah, which lies right on the Egyptian border and is where hundreds of thousands of people displaced by violence further north are trapped in desperate conditions. Israeli forces are gearing up for a ground assault on the southern city.
+For displaced Gazans, reports that Egypt is bracing for the possibility of a Palestinian exodus have only hardened their fears of being driven off the land entirely.
+Three security sources said Egypt had begun preparing a desert area with some basic facilities which could be used to shelter Palestinians, emphasising this was a contingency step.
+Egypt denied making any such preparations.
+WHAT IS BEHIND THE CONCERNS?
+Palestinians have long been haunted by what they call the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe, when 700,000 of them were dispossessed from their homes when Israel was created in 1948.
+Many were driven out or fled to neighbouring Arab states, including to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, where many of them or their descendants still live in refugee camps. Some went to Gaza. Israel disputes the account that they were forced out.
+The conflict since Oct. 7 has seen an unprecedented Israeli bombardment and land offensive in Gaza, devastating urban areas throughout the enclave. Palestinians and U.N. officials say there are no longer any safe areas inside Gaza to seek shelter.
+UNRWA, a U.N. agency which provides Palestinians with aid and essential services, says there are nearly 1.5 million people in Rafah, six times the population compared to before Oct. 7.
+WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING THIS CONFLICT?
+Before Israel launched its ground offensive in Gaza, it initially told Palestinians in north Gaza to move to what it said were safe areas in the south. As the offensive expanded, Israel told them to head further south towards Rafah.
+According to U.N. estimates, up to 85% of the 2.3 million people in Gaza - one of the most densely populated areas of the world - have already been displaced from their homes and are now crammed in an ever smaller area near the border.
+WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING PREVIOUS GAZA BORDER INCIDENTS?
+There has been no precedent for people fleeing en masse from Gaza during conflicts and flare-ups with Israel in recent years, although no previous war has been this fierce. However, there have been incidents when Gaza's border with Egypt was breached, although those crossing numbered hundreds or thousands, and those people were not seeking shelter or to stay.
+Following Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Palestinians breached the fence, with some clambering over with make-shift ramps and using ropes. At one place, Palestinian militants rammed a concrete barrier to break a hole.
+Hamas breached the frontier again in 2008, challenging a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the group seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority. The border remained breached for about 10 days before Egypt resealed it.
+COULD A MAJOR DISPLACEMENT HAPPEN IN THIS CONFLICT?
+Many Palestinians inside Gaza have said they would not leave even if they could because they fear it might lead to another permanent displacement in a repeat of 1948. Egypt, meanwhile, has kept the border firmly closed except to let a few thousand foreigners, dual nationals and a handful of others leave Gaza.
+Egypt and other Arab nations strongly oppose any attempt to push Palestinians over the border.
+Yet, the scale of this conflict eclipses other Gaza crises or flare-ups in past decades, and the humanitarian disaster deepens for Palestinians by the day.
+WHAT ARE ARAB, WESTERN STATES AND THE U.N. SAYING?
+From the earliest days of the conflict, Arab governments, particularly Israel's neighbours Egypt and Jordan, have said Palestinians must not be driven from land where they want to make a future state, which would include the West Bank and Gaza.
+Like Palestinians, they fear any mass movement across the border would further undermine prospects for a ""two-state solution"" - the idea of creating a state of Palestine next to Israel - and leave Arab nations dealing with the consequences.
+Top U.N. officials have added their voices to concerns about a mass displacement.
+U.S. President Joe Biden has said Israel should not proceed with a Rafah operation without a plan to ensure the safety of people sheltering there. Other allies of Israel have expressed concern about the prospect of a Rafah offensive.
+U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Feb. 15 it was an ""illusion"" to think people in Gaza could evacuate to a safe place and warned of the possibility of Palestinians spilling into Egypt if Israel launches its operation in Rafah.
+WHAT HAVE ISRAEL'S GOVERNMENT AND ITS POLITICIANS SAID?
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Rafah as the ""last bastion"" of Hamas, with four battalions of gunmen, and that Israel cannot achieve its goal of eliminating the group while they remain there.
+Israel has said its army is drawing up a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah to other parts of the Gaza Strip.
+Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Feb. 16 Israel had no plans to deport Palestinians from Gaza. Israel would coordinate with Egypt on Palestinian refugees and find a way to not harm Egypt's interests, Katz added.
+However, comments by some in the government have stoked Palestinian and Arab fears of a new Nakba.
+Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Dec. 31 for Palestinian residents of Gaza to leave the besieged enclave. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the war presented an ""opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza.""
+After Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Dec. 10 that Israel's offensive was ""a systematic effort to empty Gaza of its people,"" Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy called those comments ""outrageous and false accusations.""
+POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW
+If large numbers of Gazans are forced to flee Rafah and cross the border due to an Israeli offensive, that could constitute a violation of international humanitarian law, said André Nollkaemper, a professor of international law at the University of Amsterdam.
+If Gazans fleeing across the border acted because they felt they had no option due to the threat of a massive military campaign, then ""it seems that it would be highly, highly difficult to justify under international humanitarian law,"" he said.
+Israel says it must eliminate Hamas and that its military operations are justified as self-defence. It has said it does all it can to protect the civilian population, avoid unnecessary death and operate within international law at all times.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel has said its army is drawing up a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah to other parts of the Gaza Strip.  Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Feb. 16 Israel had no plans to deport Palestinians from Gaza. Israel would coordinate with Egypt on Palestinian refugees and find a way to not harm Egypt's interests, Katz added. However, comments by some in the government have stoked Palestinian and Arab fears of a new Nakba.  Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Dec. 31 for Palestinian residents of Gaza to leave the besieged enclave. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the war presented an ""opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza.""
+After Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Dec. 10 that Israel's offensive was ""a systematic effort to empty Gaza of its people,"" Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy called those comments ""outrageous and false accusations.""
+POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW
+If large numbers of Gazans are forced to flee Rafah and cross the border due to an Israeli offensive, that could constitute a violation of international humanitarian law, said André Nollkaemper, a professor of international law at the University of Amsterdam. If Gazans fleeing across the border acted because they felt they had no option due to the threat of a massive military campaign, then ""it seems that it would be highly, highly difficult to justify under international humanitarian law,"" he said.  Israel says it must eliminate Hamas and that its military operations are justified as self-defence. It has said it does all it can to protect the civilian population, avoid unnecessary death and operate within international law at all times. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/pro-palestinian-groups-file-legal-action-against-german-politician-over-gaza-war-2024-02-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pro-Palestinian groups file legal action against German politician over Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Pro-Palestinian activists have filed criminal charges against a German politician for suspected incitement of hate and denial of war crimes in Israel's war in Gaza, they said on Friday.
+The charges against Volker Beck, a former member of parliament and the head of the German-Israeli Society, were brought by Palestinian solidarity groups Palestine Speaks and Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East.
+""This is the first step in holding public figures who publicly make genocidal statements legally accountable,"" the group wrote on its Instagram.
+The charges, filed at five prosecutor offices across Germany, cite Beck's statements on social media, in opinion pieces and media interviews in which he expressed support for Israel's military operation in Gaza, calling for making humanitarian aid conditional on Hamas freeing Israeli hostages.
+Beck rejected the claims as ""nonsense"".
+""There is no genocide in Gaza and I do not advocate genocide,"" he told Reuters, adding that he had filed complaints against the groups for defamation.
+""These people have a disturbed relationship with the rule of law if they believe that many complaints lead to more investigations.""
+Germany has staunchly defended Israel's right to defend itself since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, underscoring its duty to stand by the country's side in atonement for the Holocaust in which six million Jews died.
+The government has faced accusations - including from prominent Jewish residents in Germany - of allowing guilt to blinker its response to Israel's retaliation, which has caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
+Berlin has shifted towards a more critical stance of its ally as the Palestinian civilian death toll has mounted, stressing the need for Israel to adhere to international law.
+The International Court of Justice last month ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its troops from committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa.
+Israel has denied allegations of genocide.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pro-Palestinian groups file legal action against German politician over Gaza war[/TITLE] [CONTENT]BERLIN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Pro-Palestinian activists have filed criminal charges against a German politician for suspected incitement of hate and denial of war crimes in Israel's war in Gaza, they said on Friday. The charges against Volker Beck, a former member of parliament and the head of the German-Israeli Society, were brought by Palestinian solidarity groups Palestine Speaks and Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East. ""This is the first step in holding public figures who publicly make genocidal statements legally accountable,"" the group wrote on its Instagram. The charges, filed at five prosecutor offices across Germany, cite Beck's statements on social media, in opinion pieces and media interviews in which he expressed support for Israel's military operation in Gaza, calling for making humanitarian aid conditional on Hamas freeing Israeli hostages. Beck rejected the claims as ""nonsense"". ""There is no genocide in Gaza and I do not advocate genocide,"" he told Reuters, adding that he had filed complaints against the groups for defamation.
+""These people have a disturbed relationship with the rule of law if they believe that many complaints lead to more investigations.""
+Germany has staunchly defended Israel's right to defend itself since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, underscoring its duty to stand by the country's side in atonement for the Holocaust in which six million Jews died. The government has faced accusations - including from prominent Jewish residents in Germany - of allowing guilt to blinker its response to Israel's retaliation, which has caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Berlin has shifted towards a more critical stance of its ally as the Palestinian civilian death toll has mounted, stressing the need for Israel to adhere to international law. The International Court of Justice last month ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its troops from committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa. Israel has denied allegations of genocide.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blinken-says-gaza-hostage-deal-still-possible-very-hard-issues-remain-2024-02-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Blinken says Gaza hostage deal still possible but 'very hard' issues remain[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TIRANA and WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that a deal on the release of hostages held by Hamas remains possible but ""very hard"" issues remain to be resolved.
+Talks involving intelligence chiefs from the U.S., Egypt and Israel and the Qatari prime minister on a deal that would see a pause in Israel's four-month-old war in Gaza ended without a breakthrough on Tuesday.
+Asked whether an agreement could be reached on a break in hostilities before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on March 10, Blinken said an earlier response from Hamas on a potential deal had included some ""clear non-starters"" but offered the possibility of working toward an agreement.
+""We're now in the process with our counterparts from Qatar, from Egypt, from Israel, in working on that and working very intensely on that with the goal of trying to find an agreement and I believe that it is possible,"" Blinken said at a news conference during a visit to Albania.
+""There are some very, very hard issues that have to be resolved. But we're committed to doing everything we can to move forward and to see if we can reach an agreement,"" Blinken said.
+The Israelis rejected Hamas’ proposals for the releases of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in return for the freeing of hostages, said two sources familiar with the discussions. The Israelis “did not like the ratio (of prisoners to hostages) they were proposing,” said one of the sources.
+The timing for a pause in fighting was another source of disagreement, with Hamas wanting to implement a pause sooner and Israel wanting a later date, said the sources.
+CIA director Bill Burns was in Israel on Thursday for further talks, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
+The CIA declined to comment.
+Blinken also called for Israel to investigate reports that its forces killed a Palestinian American teenager in the occupied West Bank on Feb. 10, the second such death in recent weeks.
+Asked about the death of 17-year-old Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, -- which came after the Jan. 19 killing of Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, also 17, that Israel has pledged to investigate -- Blinken offered his condolences, but said privacy laws limited what he could say about the cases.
+""We've made clear that... there needs to be an investigation. We need to get the facts and, if appropriate, there needs to be accountability,"" he said.
+Defense for Children International - Palestine, an NGO, said it had gathered evidence that Israeli forces opened fire on a car with Khdour inside. Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.
+An Israeli military spokesperson referred Reuters to the Shin Bet internal security service, which did not immediately respond.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Blinken says Gaza hostage deal still possible but 'very hard' issues remain[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TIRANA and WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that a deal on the release of hostages held by Hamas remains possible but ""very hard"" issues remain to be resolved. Talks involving intelligence chiefs from the U.S., Egypt and Israel and the Qatari prime minister on a deal that would see a pause in Israel's four-month-old war in Gaza ended without a breakthrough on Tuesday. Asked whether an agreement could be reached on a break in hostilities before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on March 10, Blinken said an earlier response from Hamas on a potential deal had included some ""clear non-starters"" but offered the possibility of working toward an agreement.  ""We're now in the process with our counterparts from Qatar, from Egypt, from Israel, in working on that and working very intensely on that with the goal of trying to find an agreement and I believe that it is possible,"" Blinken said at a news conference during a visit to Albania.
+""There are some very, very hard issues that have to be resolved. But we're committed to doing everything we can to move forward and to see if we can reach an agreement,"" Blinken said.  The Israelis rejected Hamas’ proposals for the releases of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in return for the freeing of hostages, said two sources familiar with the discussions. The Israelis “did not like the ratio (of prisoners to hostages) they were proposing,” said one of the sources. The timing for a pause in fighting was another source of disagreement, with Hamas wanting to implement a pause sooner and Israel wanting a later date, said the sources.
+CIA director Bill Burns was in Israel on Thursday for further talks, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
+The CIA declined to comment. Blinken also called for Israel to investigate reports that its forces killed a Palestinian American teenager in the occupied West Bank on Feb. 10, the second such death in recent weeks. Asked about the death of 17-year-old Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, -- which came after the Jan. 19 killing of Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, also 17, that Israel has pledged to investigate -- Blinken offered his condolences, but said privacy laws limited what he could say about the cases.  ""We've made clear that... there needs to be an investigation. We need to get the facts and, if appropriate, there needs to be accountability,"" he said. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blinken-says-gaza-hostage-deal-still-possible-very-hard-issues-remain-2024-02-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Blinken says Gaza hostage deal still possible but 'very hard' issues remain[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TIRANA and WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that a deal on the release of hostages held by Hamas remains possible but ""very hard"" issues remain to be resolved.
+Talks involving intelligence chiefs from the U.S., Egypt and Israel and the Qatari prime minister on a deal that would see a pause in Israel's four-month-old war in Gaza ended without a breakthrough on Tuesday.
+Asked whether an agreement could be reached on a break in hostilities before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on March 10, Blinken said an earlier response from Hamas on a potential deal had included some ""clear non-starters"" but offered the possibility of working toward an agreement.
+""We're now in the process with our counterparts from Qatar, from Egypt, from Israel, in working on that and working very intensely on that with the goal of trying to find an agreement and I believe that it is possible,"" Blinken said at a news conference during a visit to Albania.
+""There are some very, very hard issues that have to be resolved. But we're committed to doing everything we can to move forward and to see if we can reach an agreement,"" Blinken said.
+The Israelis rejected Hamas’ proposals for the releases of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in return for the freeing of hostages, said two sources familiar with the discussions. The Israelis “did not like the ratio (of prisoners to hostages) they were proposing,” said one of the sources.
+The timing for a pause in fighting was another source of disagreement, with Hamas wanting to implement a pause sooner and Israel wanting a later date, said the sources.
+CIA director Bill Burns was in Israel on Thursday for further talks, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
+The CIA declined to comment.
+Blinken also called for Israel to investigate reports that its forces killed a Palestinian American teenager in the occupied West Bank on Feb. 10, the second such death in recent weeks.
+Asked about the death of 17-year-old Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, -- which came after the Jan. 19 killing of Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, also 17, that Israel has pledged to investigate -- Blinken offered his condolences, but said privacy laws limited what he could say about the cases.
+""We've made clear that... there needs to be an investigation. We need to get the facts and, if appropriate, there needs to be accountability,"" he said.
+Defense for Children International - Palestine, an NGO, said it had gathered evidence that Israeli forces opened fire on a car with Khdour inside. Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.
+An Israeli military spokesperson referred Reuters to the Shin Bet internal security service, which did not immediately respond.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Defense for Children International - Palestine, an NGO, said it had gathered evidence that Israeli forces opened fire on a car with Khdour inside. Reuters was unable to independently verify the report. An Israeli military spokesperson referred Reuters to the Shin Bet internal security service, which did not immediately respond. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/brazils-lula-slams-israel-gaza-war-says-un-failed-2024-02-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Brazil's Lula slams Israel on Gaza war, says UN failed[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that the United Nations has failed to resolve international conflicts and harshly criticized Israeli actions in Gaza.
+""Israel's behavior has no explanation: with the pretext of fighting Hamas, it is killing women and children,"" he said after a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
+Speaking later to the Arab League, Lula said Brazil had condemned the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, but he added that the Israel's response was ""disproportional and indiscriminate"" and unacceptable.
+Lula said there would not be peace without the establishment of a Palestinian state and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
+""The killing must be stopped,"" he said.
+The Brazilian leader said Palestine should be recognized as a sovereign state and admitted to the United Nations as a full member, and he called for reform of the U.N. Security Council.
+""The multilateral institutions that were created to help solve these problems do not work, which is why Brazil is committed to making the necessary changes in global governance bodies, and we hope to count on Egypt's support,"" he said to reporters alongside Sisi.
+Lula said the permanent Security Council should be expanded and its veto powers abolished. ""It is the permanent members of the Security Council that foment wars,"" he said.
+Brazil has supported South Africa's case brought before the International Court of Justice against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, he added.
+The leftist president, who's on his third non-consecutive term, also announced his government will make a new contribution to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), which is facing a cash crunch after Israel alleged that 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in the Oct. 7 attack.
+""The recent allegations against the agency's staff need to be properly investigated, but they cannot paralyze it,"" he said, calling other countries ""to maintain and increase their contributions.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Brazil's Lula slams Israel on Gaza war, says UN failed[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that the United Nations has failed to resolve international conflicts and harshly criticized Israeli actions in Gaza. ""Israel's behavior has no explanation: with the pretext of fighting Hamas, it is killing women and children,"" he said after a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Speaking later to the Arab League, Lula said Brazil had condemned the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, but he added that the Israel's response was ""disproportional and indiscriminate"" and unacceptable. Lula said there would not be peace without the establishment of a Palestinian state and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. ""The killing must be stopped,"" he said. The Brazilian leader said Palestine should be recognized as a sovereign state and admitted to the United Nations as a full member, and he called for reform of the U.N. Security Council. ""The multilateral institutions that were created to help solve these problems do not work, which is why Brazil is committed to making the necessary changes in global governance bodies, and we hope to count on Egypt's support,"" he said to reporters alongside Sisi. Lula said the permanent Security Council should be expanded and its veto powers abolished. ""It is the permanent members of the Security Council that foment wars,"" he said. Brazil has supported South Africa's case brought before the International Court of Justice against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, he added. The leftist president, who's on his third non-consecutive term, also announced his government will make a new contribution to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), which is facing a cash crunch after Israel alleged that 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in the Oct. 7 attack.  ""The recent allegations against the agency's staff need to be properly investigated, but they cannot paralyze it,"" he said, calling other countries ""to maintain and increase their contributions.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-shielding-palestinians-us-deportation-new-york-times-reports-2024-02-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden blocks deportation of Palestinians in US, citing conditions in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 14 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden has signed an order shielding Palestinians in the United States from deportation for the next 18 months, the White House said on Wednesday, citing deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
+The move grants ""deferred enforced departure"" to an estimated 6,000 Palestinians, a Biden administration official said.
+In a statement, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that following ""the horrific October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel, and Israel’s ensuing military response, humanitarian conditions in Gaza have significantly deteriorated.""
+Sullivan said Biden's move would give Palestinians in the U.S. ""a temporary safe haven."" Anyone who voluntarily returns to the Palestinian territories would lose their protections, he added.
+After more than four months of war, Biden is facing pressure to do more to protect Palestinians in Gaza and get aid into the enclave. He has also faced criticism from Arab-American and Muslim leaders for not calling for a permanent ceasefire in the conflict.
+Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said in a statement there ""is a desperate need"" for measures protecting Palestinians in the U.S.
+""We see the situation in Gaza and Palestine is not getting better, and this is something that is welcome, and we are glad to see it implemented,"" Ayoub said.
+Gaza health officials say at least 28,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took around 250 hostage during a rampage in southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden blocks deportation of Palestinians in US, citing conditions in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 14 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden has signed an order shielding Palestinians in the United States from deportation for the next 18 months, the White House said on Wednesday, citing deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. The move grants ""deferred enforced departure"" to an estimated 6,000 Palestinians, a Biden administration official said.  In a statement, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that following ""the horrific October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel, and Israel’s ensuing military response, humanitarian conditions in Gaza have significantly deteriorated.""
+Sullivan said Biden's move would give Palestinians in the U.S. ""a temporary safe haven."" Anyone who voluntarily returns to the Palestinian territories would lose their protections, he added.  After more than four months of war, Biden is facing pressure to do more to protect Palestinians in Gaza and get aid into the enclave. He has also faced criticism from Arab-American and Muslim leaders for not calling for a permanent ceasefire in the conflict. Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said in a statement there ""is a desperate need"" for measures protecting Palestinians in the U.S.
+""We see the situation in Gaza and Palestine is not getting better, and this is something that is welcome, and we are glad to see it implemented,"" Ayoub said.  Gaza health officials say at least 28,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took around 250 hostage during a rampage in southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/netanyahu-is-pursuing-war-for-his-personal-career-palestinian-fm-says-2024-02-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Netanyahu is pursuing war 'for his personal career', Palestinian FM says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NICOSIA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday of caring only about his political survival as attempts to end the conflict in Gaza appeared inconclusive.
+More than 28,000 people have been killed and 68,000 injured in Gaza during Israel's retaliatory military campaign against Hamas militants who run the enclave following their deadly cross-border attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7, when they killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages.
+Now, concerns are mounting of an Israeli ground offensive against the town of Rafah, a last refuge for more than a million Palestinians virtually trapped after they fled to the south of the enclave to avoid Israeli strikes.
+Maliki, a member of the Palestinian Authority running the West Bank, said it was imperative to find ways to prevent an attack on Rafah.
+""Netanyahu is determined that he wants to continue the war for his personal career, for his personal future, and it is very clear that he doesn't care about the destiny, the lives of innocent people, both in Israel and in Palestine, the Israeli hostages and the Palestinian innocent people in Gaza,"" Maliki said after meeting Constantinos Kombos, the Cypriot foreign minister.
+In Jerusalem, there was no immediate reply from Netanyahu's office to a request for comment on Maliki's remark.
+Cyprus, the closest EU member state to the Middle East, has proposed setting up a dedicated, one way maritime corridor to deliver aid directly into Gaza. The project cannot get off the ground without a sustained ceasefire.
+""We agree that the escalating humanitarian needs call for a scaled up, unhindered flow of aid,"" the Cypriot minister said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Netanyahu is pursuing war 'for his personal career', Palestinian FM says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NICOSIA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday of caring only about his political survival as attempts to end the conflict in Gaza appeared inconclusive. More than 28,000 people have been killed and 68,000 injured in Gaza during Israel's retaliatory military campaign against Hamas militants who run the enclave following their deadly cross-border attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7, when they killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages. Now, concerns are mounting of an Israeli ground offensive against the town of Rafah, a last refuge for more than a million Palestinians virtually trapped after they fled to the south of the enclave to avoid Israeli strikes. Maliki, a member of the Palestinian Authority running the West Bank, said it was imperative to find ways to prevent an attack on Rafah.
+""Netanyahu is determined that he wants to continue the war for his personal career, for his personal future, and it is very clear that he doesn't care about the destiny, the lives of innocent people, both in Israel and in Palestine, the Israeli hostages and the Palestinian innocent people in Gaza ,"" Maliki said after meeting Constantinos Kombos, the Cypriot foreign minister. In Jerusalem, there was no immediate reply from Netanyahu's office to a request for comment on Maliki's remark.  Cyprus, the closest EU member state to the Middle East, has proposed setting up a dedicated, one way maritime corridor to deliver aid directly into Gaza. The project cannot get off the ground without a sustained ceasefire.  ""We agree that the escalating humanitarian needs call for a scaled up, unhindered flow of aid,"" the Cypriot minister said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/israeli-embassy-protests-after-vatican-denounces-gaza-carnage-2024-02-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli embassy protests after Vatican denounces Gaza 'carnage'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Israel protested with the Vatican on Wednesday after Pope Francis' deputy defined what is happening in Gaza as ""carnage"" resulting from a disproportionate Israeli military response to Hamas.
+""It is a deplorable statement. Judging the legitimacy of a war without taking into account all relevant circumstances and data inevitably leads to wrong conclusions,"" the Israeli embassy to the Holy See said in a statement.
+A day earlier, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin reiterated the ""request that Israel's right to defence, which has been invoked to justify this operation, be proportional, and certainly with 30,000 deaths, it is not.""
+""I believe we are all outraged by what is happening, by this carnage, but we must have the courage to move forward and not lose hope,"" Parolin said, adding that ""we must find other ways to solve the problem of Gaza, the problem of Palestine.""
+A Wednesday editorial in the Vatican's official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, reinforced the message.
+""No one can define what is happening in the (Gaza) Strip as 'collateral damage' in the fight against terrorism. The right to defence, Israel's right to bring the perpetrators of the October massacre to justice, cannot justify this carnage,"" it said.
+At least 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 250 were taken hostage in a raid by Hamas militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7, prompting Israel to retaliate. At least 28,576 Palestinians have since been killed in Israeli strikes, the health ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday.
+Noting that Hamas uses hospitals and schools as shields, and suggesting that most of Gaza's population ""actively"" supports the group, Israel's embassy insisted Hamas bears all the blame for the death and destruction in the Palestinian enclave.
+The pope, who has issued multiple pleas for peace in the Middle East and elsewhere, has faced previous criticism from Jewish groups over Vatican positions on the Israeli-Gaza conflict.
+In November, a messy dispute broke out over whether Francis used the word ""genocide"" to describe events in Gaza, with Palestinians who met with him insisting that he did, and the Vatican saying he did not.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli embassy protests after Vatican denounces Gaza 'carnage'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Israel protested with the Vatican on Wednesday after Pope Francis' deputy defined what is happening in Gaza as ""carnage"" resulting from a disproportionate Israeli military response to Hamas.  ""It is a deplorable statement. Judging the legitimacy of a war without taking into account all relevant circumstances and data inevitably leads to wrong conclusions,"" the Israeli embassy to the Holy See said in a statement.  A day earlier, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin reiterated the ""request that Israel's right to defence, which has been invoked to justify this operation, be proportional, and certainly with 30,000 deaths, it is not. ""
+""I believe we are all outraged by what is happening, by this carnage, but we must have the courage to move forward and not lose hope,"" Parolin said, adding that ""we must find other ways to solve the problem of Gaza, the problem of Palestine.""
+A Wednesday editorial in the Vatican's official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, reinforced the message.  ""No one can define what is happening in the (Gaza) Strip as 'collateral damage' in the fight against terrorism. The right to defence, Israel's right to bring the perpetrators of the October massacre to justice, cannot justify this carnage,"" it said.  At least 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 250 were taken hostage in a raid by Hamas militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7, prompting Israel to retaliate. At least 28,576 Palestinians have since been killed in Israeli strikes, the health ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday. Noting that Hamas uses hospitals and schools as shields, and suggesting that most of Gaza's population ""actively"" supports the group, Israel's embassy insisted Hamas bears all the blame for the death and destruction in the Palestinian enclave. The pope, who has issued multiple pleas for peace in the Middle East and elsewhere, has faced previous criticism from Jewish groups over Vatican positions on the Israeli-Gaza conflict.  In November, a messy dispute broke out over whether Francis used the word ""genocide"" to describe events in Gaza, with Palestinians who met with him insisting that he did, and the Vatican saying he did not.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italian-police-protesters-clash-over-state-broadcaster-rais-gaza-stance-2024-02-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Italian police, protesters clash over state broadcaster RAI's Gaza stance[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NAPLES, Italy, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Italian police and demonstrators clashed in the southern city of Naples on Tuesday in front of the offices of state broadcaster RAI following a protest over the company's coverage of the conflict in Gaza.
+The protesters accused RAI management of supporting Israel and ignoring the plight of Palestinians trapped in Gaza.
+""Palestine will be free,"" the crowd chanted before police in riot gear and wielding truncheons pushed them away from the gates of the RAI building.
+The protest was called after RAI distanced itself from an appeal made by rapper Ghali to ""stop the genocide"" during the closing night of the hugely popular song festival Sanremo at the weekend, which is watched by most households in Italy.
+Ghali did not mention Israel or Gaza by name.
+In an angry response to the Italian-Tunisian rapper, the Israeli ambassador to Rome wrote on the X social media platform that the festival had been ""exploited to spread hatred and provocation in a superficial and irresponsible way"".
+Appearing on RAI the following day, Ghali said he had made calls for peace throughout his career. ""People feel that they (risk) losing something if they support peace.""
+During the same programme, a letter written by Rai's chief executive Roberto Sergio was read out in which he expressed his support for ""the people of Israel and the Jewish community"".
+He recalled the Israeli men, women and children killed by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, but made no mention of Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli forces in the subsequent war, angering many pro-Palestinian sympathisers in Italy.
+""The next time, RAI should think twice before publicly saying that it is on the side of Israel in the genocide"", one of the protesters said on Tuesday, speaking through a megaphone.
+Five police officers and five protesters were injured in the clashes, Italian press agency ANSA reported.
+Initial strong support for Israel in Italy following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack has ebbed as the number of Palestinians civilians killed by Israel has soared.
+A poll published on Jan. 29 said 58% of Italians thought Israel did not have the right to continue bombing Gaza, with only 26% saying they did.
+RAI's critics say it has fallen under the sway of the country's right-wing coalition government, which has been highly supportive of Israel.
+RAI ""does not represent Italy or the new generations"", journalist and author Roberto Saviano said on X.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Italian police, protesters clash over state broadcaster RAI's Gaza stance[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NAPLES, Italy, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Italian police and demonstrators clashed in the southern city of Naples on Tuesday in front of the offices of state broadcaster RAI following a protest over the company's coverage of the conflict in Gaza. The protesters accused RAI management of supporting Israel and ignoring the plight of Palestinians trapped in Gaza. ""Palestine will be free,"" the crowd chanted before police in riot gear and wielding truncheons pushed them away from the gates of the RAI building. The protest was called after RAI distanced itself from an appeal made by rapper Ghali to ""stop the genocide"" during the closing night of the hugely popular song festival Sanremo at the weekend, which is watched by most households in Italy. Ghali did not mention Israel or Gaza by name.  In an angry response to the Italian-Tunisian rapper, the Israeli ambassador to Rome wrote on the X social media platform that the festival had been ""exploited to spread hatred and provocation in a superficial and irresponsible way"".
+Appearing on RAI the following day, Ghali said he had made calls for peace throughout his career. ""People feel that they (risk) losing something if they support peace."" During the same programme, a letter written by Rai's chief executive Roberto Sergio was read out in which he expressed his support for ""the people of Israel and the Jewish community"". He recalled the Israeli men, women and children killed by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, but made no mention of Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli forces in the subsequent war, angering many pro-Palestinian sympathisers in Italy. ""The next time, RAI should think twice before publicly saying that it is on the side of Israel in the genocide"", one of the protesters said on Tuesday, speaking through a megaphone.
+Five police officers and five protesters were injured in the clashes, Italian press agency ANSA reported. Initial strong support for Israel in Italy following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack has ebbed as the number of Palestinians civilians killed by Israel has soared.
+A poll published on Jan. 29 said 58% of Italians thought Israel did not have the right to continue bombing Gaza, with only 26% saying they did. RAI's critics say it has fallen under the sway of the country's right-wing coalition government, which has been highly supportive of Israel.  RAI ""does not represent Italy or the new generations"", journalist and author Roberto Saviano said on X.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-strikes-rafah-refugee-camp-22-killed-local-health-officials-say-2024-02-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel frees two hostages, Palestinian TV says 74 killed in assault[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA/JERUSALEM, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Israel on Monday freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages held by Hamas in Rafah in a ferocious rescue operation that killed 74 Palestinians in the southern Gaza city where about one million civilians have sought refuge from months of bombardments.
+The mission by the Israeli military, the Shin Bet security service and a special police unit freed Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70, the military said. They were among 250 people seized during the Oct. 7 raid on Israel by Hamas militants that triggered Israel's war on Gaza.
+More than four months on, much of the densely populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials, with many others believed to be buried under rubble.
+The Israeli military says 31 hostages have died in that time, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday's rescue showed that military pressure should continue and he brushed aside international alarm at plans for a ground assault on Rafah.
+Washington welcomed the hostage release, but said it was pushing Israel for a ceasefire and increased aid for Gaza.
+John Kirby, White House national security spokesperson, told reporters that some progress had been made in negotiations toward a pause in fighting but that more work remained to be done.
+In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority's official television station, Palestine TV, said 74 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation in Rafah. There was no immediate confirmation from the Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas.
+A Reuters journalist at the scene in Rafah saw a vast area of rubble where buildings, including a mosque, had been destroyed.
+""I've been collecting my family's body parts since the morning,"" said Ibrahim Hassouna, as a woman knelt over the body of a young child nearby. ""I only recognised their toes or fingers.""
+LONG-PLANNED OPERATION
+An Israeli military spokesman said the hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with explosives during the raid amid heavy exchanges of gunfire with surrounding buildings.
+""We've been working a long time on this operation,"" Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said. ""We were waiting for the right conditions.""
+A relative of one of the hostages said he had seen both freed men following their rescue and found them ""a bit frail, a bit thin, a bit pale"" but overall in good condition.
+Edan Begerano, Hare's son-in-law, said the hostages had been sleeping when ""within a minute"" the commandos were in the building and covering them as they fought the captors.
+""We were a bit shocked... We hadn’t expected it,” he said of the rescue, adding that Israel and Hamas need to reach a swift deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
+Hamas said a further three hostages injured in recent Israeli airstrikes had now died, adding the fate of other wounded hostages was not yet clear.
+Israel's military said airstrikes had coincided with the raid to allow its forces to be extracted.
+Hassouna, displaced from northern Gaza, said his relatives were killed at least 4 km (2 miles) from the military operation.
+""We have nothing to do with anything. Why did you bomb us?"" he asked.
+People in Rafah said two mosques and several residential buildings were hit in more than an hour of strikes, which also ripped through tents where people had taken shelter.
+Wounded children lay waiting for treatment in the Kuwait hospital in Rafah.
+""We were in the tent, me and all my family, when the bullets all came at us,"" said Mai Al-Najjar, who had shrapnel wounds in her shoulder and face. She fought back tears as she described how her father had been killed in the car as they fled.
+Israel says many of those killed are militants; the Gaza ministry says 70% are civilians.
+RAFAH ATTACK FEARS
+Some Palestinians feared Israel had begun a long-expected ground offensive in the city.
+But U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. did not believe the strikes were the beginning of a full-scale ground attack.
+Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 incursion into Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel said it had killed more than 12,000 Hamas militants and taken out three-quarters of its battalions, of which it said earlier that four were in Rafah.
+U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk called the prospect of an attack on Rafah ""terrifying"".
+""Those with influence must restrain, rather than enable,"" he said in a statement.
+Many Western leaders have expressed alarm at Israel's offensive while continuing to support the country.
+European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday suggested that the way to reduce civilian casualties would to be stop arms supplies to Israel.
+""If the international community believes that this is a slaughter, that too many people are being killed, maybe we have to think about the provision of arms,"" he told reporters in Brussels.
+The State Department's Miller said he does not believe cutting aid would be ""more impactful than the steps Washington has already taken"".
+A Dutch appeals court said it had blocked the export of F-35 fighter jets parts to Israel over a ""clear risk of violations of international humanitarian law"" in Gaza. However, the government said it would appeal.
+Britain urged Israel to agree to a truce to free its hostages, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on a visit to Jerusalem said he had warned Netanyahu not to advance.
+The prime minister on Friday ordered the military to create a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah to protect them during the offensive against Rafah.
+Asked about evacuation plans for civilians Lieutenant Colonel Hecht said he still didn't know how it would be done.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel frees two hostages, Palestinian TV says 74 killed in assault[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA/JERUSALEM, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Israel on Monday freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages held by Hamas in Rafah in a ferocious rescue operation that killed 74 Palestinians in the southern Gaza city where about one million civilians have sought refuge from months of bombardments.  The mission by the Israeli military, the Shin Bet security service and a special police unit freed Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70, the military said. They were among 250 people seized during the Oct. 7 raid on Israel by Hamas militants that triggered Israel's war on Gaza. More than four months on, much of the densely populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials, with many others believed to be buried under rubble. The Israeli military says 31 hostages have died in that time, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday's rescue showed that military pressure should continue and he brushed aside international alarm at plans for a ground assault on Rafah. Washington welcomed the hostage release, but said it was pushing Israel for a ceasefire and increased aid for Gaza. John Kirby, White House national security spokesperson, told reporters that some progress had been made in negotiations toward a pause in fighting but that more work remained to be done.  In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority's official television station, Palestine TV, said 74 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation in Rafah. There was no immediate confirmation from the Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas. A Reuters journalist at the scene in Rafah saw a vast area of rubble where buildings, including a mosque, had been destroyed.  ""I've been collecting my family's body parts since the morning,"" said Ibrahim Hassouna, as a woman knelt over the body of a young child nearby. ""I only recognised their toes or fingers. ""
+LONG-PLANNED OPERATION An Israeli military spokesman said the hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with explosives during the raid amid heavy exchanges of gunfire with surrounding buildings.  ""We've been working a long time on this operation,"" Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said. ""We were waiting for the right conditions."" "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-strikes-rafah-refugee-camp-22-killed-local-health-officials-say-2024-02-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel frees two hostages, Palestinian TV says 74 killed in assault[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA/JERUSALEM, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Israel on Monday freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages held by Hamas in Rafah in a ferocious rescue operation that killed 74 Palestinians in the southern Gaza city where about one million civilians have sought refuge from months of bombardments.
+The mission by the Israeli military, the Shin Bet security service and a special police unit freed Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70, the military said. They were among 250 people seized during the Oct. 7 raid on Israel by Hamas militants that triggered Israel's war on Gaza.
+More than four months on, much of the densely populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials, with many others believed to be buried under rubble.
+The Israeli military says 31 hostages have died in that time, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday's rescue showed that military pressure should continue and he brushed aside international alarm at plans for a ground assault on Rafah.
+Washington welcomed the hostage release, but said it was pushing Israel for a ceasefire and increased aid for Gaza.
+John Kirby, White House national security spokesperson, told reporters that some progress had been made in negotiations toward a pause in fighting but that more work remained to be done.
+In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority's official television station, Palestine TV, said 74 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation in Rafah. There was no immediate confirmation from the Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas.
+A Reuters journalist at the scene in Rafah saw a vast area of rubble where buildings, including a mosque, had been destroyed.
+""I've been collecting my family's body parts since the morning,"" said Ibrahim Hassouna, as a woman knelt over the body of a young child nearby. ""I only recognised their toes or fingers.""
+LONG-PLANNED OPERATION
+An Israeli military spokesman said the hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with explosives during the raid amid heavy exchanges of gunfire with surrounding buildings.
+""We've been working a long time on this operation,"" Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said. ""We were waiting for the right conditions.""
+A relative of one of the hostages said he had seen both freed men following their rescue and found them ""a bit frail, a bit thin, a bit pale"" but overall in good condition.
+Edan Begerano, Hare's son-in-law, said the hostages had been sleeping when ""within a minute"" the commandos were in the building and covering them as they fought the captors.
+""We were a bit shocked... We hadn’t expected it,” he said of the rescue, adding that Israel and Hamas need to reach a swift deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
+Hamas said a further three hostages injured in recent Israeli airstrikes had now died, adding the fate of other wounded hostages was not yet clear.
+Israel's military said airstrikes had coincided with the raid to allow its forces to be extracted.
+Hassouna, displaced from northern Gaza, said his relatives were killed at least 4 km (2 miles) from the military operation.
+""We have nothing to do with anything. Why did you bomb us?"" he asked.
+People in Rafah said two mosques and several residential buildings were hit in more than an hour of strikes, which also ripped through tents where people had taken shelter.
+Wounded children lay waiting for treatment in the Kuwait hospital in Rafah.
+""We were in the tent, me and all my family, when the bullets all came at us,"" said Mai Al-Najjar, who had shrapnel wounds in her shoulder and face. She fought back tears as she described how her father had been killed in the car as they fled.
+Israel says many of those killed are militants; the Gaza ministry says 70% are civilians.
+RAFAH ATTACK FEARS
+Some Palestinians feared Israel had begun a long-expected ground offensive in the city.
+But U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. did not believe the strikes were the beginning of a full-scale ground attack.
+Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 incursion into Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel said it had killed more than 12,000 Hamas militants and taken out three-quarters of its battalions, of which it said earlier that four were in Rafah.
+U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk called the prospect of an attack on Rafah ""terrifying"".
+""Those with influence must restrain, rather than enable,"" he said in a statement.
+Many Western leaders have expressed alarm at Israel's offensive while continuing to support the country.
+European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday suggested that the way to reduce civilian casualties would to be stop arms supplies to Israel.
+""If the international community believes that this is a slaughter, that too many people are being killed, maybe we have to think about the provision of arms,"" he told reporters in Brussels.
+The State Department's Miller said he does not believe cutting aid would be ""more impactful than the steps Washington has already taken"".
+A Dutch appeals court said it had blocked the export of F-35 fighter jets parts to Israel over a ""clear risk of violations of international humanitarian law"" in Gaza. However, the government said it would appeal.
+Britain urged Israel to agree to a truce to free its hostages, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on a visit to Jerusalem said he had warned Netanyahu not to advance.
+The prime minister on Friday ordered the military to create a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah to protect them during the offensive against Rafah.
+Asked about evacuation plans for civilians Lieutenant Colonel Hecht said he still didn't know how it would be done.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","A relative of one of the hostages said he had seen both freed men following their rescue and found them ""a bit frail, a bit thin, a bit pale"" but overall in good condition.
+Edan Begerano, Hare's son-in-law, said the hostages had been sleeping when ""within a minute"" the commandos were in the building and covering them as they fought the captors.
+""We were a bit shocked... We hadn’t expected it,” he said of the rescue, adding that Israel and Hamas need to reach a swift deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages. Hamas said a further three hostages injured in recent Israeli airstrikes had now died, adding the fate of other wounded hostages was not yet clear.
+Israel's military said airstrikes had coincided with the raid to allow its forces to be extracted.  Hassouna, displaced from northern Gaza, said his relatives were killed at least 4 km (2 miles) from the military operation.  ""We have nothing to do with anything. Why did you bomb us?"" he asked. People in Rafah said two mosques and several residential buildings were hit in more than an hour of strikes, which also ripped through tents where people had taken shelter. Wounded children lay waiting for treatment in the Kuwait hospital in Rafah.  ""We were in the tent, me and all my family, when the bullets all came at us,"" said Mai Al-Najjar, who had shrapnel wounds in her shoulder and face. She fought back tears as she described how her father had been killed in the car as they fled. Israel says many of those killed are militants; the Gaza ministry says 70% are civilians.
+RAFAH ATTACK FEARS
+Some Palestinians feared Israel had begun a long-expected ground offensive in the city.
+But U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. did not believe the strikes were the beginning of a full-scale ground attack.  Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 incursion into Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel said it had killed more than 12,000 Hamas militants and taken out three-quarters of its battalions, of which it said earlier that four were in Rafah. U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk called the prospect of an attack on Rafah ""terrifying"".
+""Those with influence must restrain, rather than enable,"" he said in a statement."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-strikes-rafah-refugee-camp-22-killed-local-health-officials-say-2024-02-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel frees two hostages, Palestinian TV says 74 killed in assault[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA/JERUSALEM, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Israel on Monday freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages held by Hamas in Rafah in a ferocious rescue operation that killed 74 Palestinians in the southern Gaza city where about one million civilians have sought refuge from months of bombardments.
+The mission by the Israeli military, the Shin Bet security service and a special police unit freed Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70, the military said. They were among 250 people seized during the Oct. 7 raid on Israel by Hamas militants that triggered Israel's war on Gaza.
+More than four months on, much of the densely populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials, with many others believed to be buried under rubble.
+The Israeli military says 31 hostages have died in that time, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday's rescue showed that military pressure should continue and he brushed aside international alarm at plans for a ground assault on Rafah.
+Washington welcomed the hostage release, but said it was pushing Israel for a ceasefire and increased aid for Gaza.
+John Kirby, White House national security spokesperson, told reporters that some progress had been made in negotiations toward a pause in fighting but that more work remained to be done.
+In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority's official television station, Palestine TV, said 74 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation in Rafah. There was no immediate confirmation from the Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas.
+A Reuters journalist at the scene in Rafah saw a vast area of rubble where buildings, including a mosque, had been destroyed.
+""I've been collecting my family's body parts since the morning,"" said Ibrahim Hassouna, as a woman knelt over the body of a young child nearby. ""I only recognised their toes or fingers.""
+LONG-PLANNED OPERATION
+An Israeli military spokesman said the hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with explosives during the raid amid heavy exchanges of gunfire with surrounding buildings.
+""We've been working a long time on this operation,"" Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said. ""We were waiting for the right conditions.""
+A relative of one of the hostages said he had seen both freed men following their rescue and found them ""a bit frail, a bit thin, a bit pale"" but overall in good condition.
+Edan Begerano, Hare's son-in-law, said the hostages had been sleeping when ""within a minute"" the commandos were in the building and covering them as they fought the captors.
+""We were a bit shocked... We hadn’t expected it,” he said of the rescue, adding that Israel and Hamas need to reach a swift deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
+Hamas said a further three hostages injured in recent Israeli airstrikes had now died, adding the fate of other wounded hostages was not yet clear.
+Israel's military said airstrikes had coincided with the raid to allow its forces to be extracted.
+Hassouna, displaced from northern Gaza, said his relatives were killed at least 4 km (2 miles) from the military operation.
+""We have nothing to do with anything. Why did you bomb us?"" he asked.
+People in Rafah said two mosques and several residential buildings were hit in more than an hour of strikes, which also ripped through tents where people had taken shelter.
+Wounded children lay waiting for treatment in the Kuwait hospital in Rafah.
+""We were in the tent, me and all my family, when the bullets all came at us,"" said Mai Al-Najjar, who had shrapnel wounds in her shoulder and face. She fought back tears as she described how her father had been killed in the car as they fled.
+Israel says many of those killed are militants; the Gaza ministry says 70% are civilians.
+RAFAH ATTACK FEARS
+Some Palestinians feared Israel had begun a long-expected ground offensive in the city.
+But U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. did not believe the strikes were the beginning of a full-scale ground attack.
+Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 incursion into Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel said it had killed more than 12,000 Hamas militants and taken out three-quarters of its battalions, of which it said earlier that four were in Rafah.
+U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk called the prospect of an attack on Rafah ""terrifying"".
+""Those with influence must restrain, rather than enable,"" he said in a statement.
+Many Western leaders have expressed alarm at Israel's offensive while continuing to support the country.
+European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday suggested that the way to reduce civilian casualties would to be stop arms supplies to Israel.
+""If the international community believes that this is a slaughter, that too many people are being killed, maybe we have to think about the provision of arms,"" he told reporters in Brussels.
+The State Department's Miller said he does not believe cutting aid would be ""more impactful than the steps Washington has already taken"".
+A Dutch appeals court said it had blocked the export of F-35 fighter jets parts to Israel over a ""clear risk of violations of international humanitarian law"" in Gaza. However, the government said it would appeal.
+Britain urged Israel to agree to a truce to free its hostages, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on a visit to Jerusalem said he had warned Netanyahu not to advance.
+The prime minister on Friday ordered the military to create a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah to protect them during the offensive against Rafah.
+Asked about evacuation plans for civilians Lieutenant Colonel Hecht said he still didn't know how it would be done.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Many Western leaders have expressed alarm at Israel's offensive while continuing to support the country.
+European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday suggested that the way to reduce civilian casualties would to be stop arms supplies to Israel.
+""If the international community believes that this is a slaughter, that too many people are being killed, maybe we have to think about the provision of arms,"" he told reporters in Brussels. The State Department's Miller said he does not believe cutting aid would be ""more impactful than the steps Washington has already taken"". A Dutch appeals court said it had blocked the export of F-35 fighter jets parts to Israel over a ""clear risk of violations of international humanitarian law"" in Gaza. However, the government said it would appeal. Britain urged Israel to agree to a truce to free its hostages, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on a visit to Jerusalem said he had warned Netanyahu not to advance. The prime minister on Friday ordered the military to create a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah to protect them during the offensive against Rafah.  Asked about evacuation plans for civilians Lieutenant Colonel Hecht said he still didn't know how it would be done.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-president-qatar-discuss-ceasefire-efforts-2024-02-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian president in Qatar to discuss ceasefire efforts[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA/RAMALLAH, West Bank, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Doha on Sunday for talks on securing a ceasefire in the Gaza war with the Qatari emir, whose country has been at the heart of mediation efforts and hosts political leaders of militant group Hamas.
+Palestinian news agency WAFA said Abbas would meet emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday, but did not say if he would also meet leaders of Hamas, a group that has long been at odds with Abbas and his West Bank-based Fatah group.
+The Palestinian ambassador to Qatar, Munir Ghannam, told Voice of Palestine Radio on Sunday that Abbas and the emir would discuss efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire with Israel and ways to increase aid for the territory's 2.3 million people.
+""Qatar plays an important role in the international efforts and mediation to reach a ceasefire. Therefore, coordination with Qatar, also with Egypt, is of special importance, to bring an end to this aggression against our people,"" Ghannam said.
+Qatar hosts the head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, as well as another senior leader in the group, Khaled Meshaal, who handles diaspora affairs in the Hamas political office.
+Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 from Ramallah-based Abbas after a brief civil war with security forces that were loyal to the Palestinian president.
+Abbas' authority has largely been reduced to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which is larger than Gaza but which is also fractured by Israeli settlements.
+Past attempts, mainly led by Egypt, to resolve disputes between Hamas and Fatah have so far failed to end the rifts, which analysts say weakens Palestinian efforts to secure a state of their own on land now occupied by Israel.
+Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in a 1967 Middle East war as illegal. Israel disputes this.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian president in Qatar to discuss ceasefire efforts[/TITLE] [CONTENT]DOHA/RAMALLAH, West Bank, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Doha on Sunday for talks on securing a ceasefire in the Gaza war with the Qatari emir, whose country has been at the heart of mediation efforts and hosts political leaders of militant group Hamas.  Palestinian news agency WAFA said Abbas would meet emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday, but did not say if he would also meet leaders of Hamas, a group that has long been at odds with Abbas and his West Bank-based Fatah group.
+The Palestinian ambassador to Qatar, Munir Ghannam, told Voice of Palestine Radio on Sunday that Abbas and the emir would discuss efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire with Israel and ways to increase aid for the territory's 2.3 million people.
+""Qatar plays an important role in the international efforts and mediation to reach a ceasefire. Therefore , coordination with Qatar, also with Egypt, is of special importance, to bring an end to this aggression against our people,"" Ghannam said. Qatar hosts the head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, as well as another senior leader in the group, Khaled Meshaal, who handles diaspora affairs in the Hamas political office. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 from Ramallah-based Abbas after a brief civil war with security forces that were loyal to the Palestinian president. Abbas' authority has largely been reduced to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which is larger than Gaza but which is also fractured by Israeli settlements. Past attempts, mainly led by Egypt, to resolve disputes between Hamas and Fatah have so far failed to end the rifts, which analysts say weakens Palestinian efforts to secure a state of their own on land now occupied by Israel.  Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in a 1967 Middle East war as illegal. Israel disputes this.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-refugees-west-bank-fear-unrwa-closure-2024-02-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian refugees in West Bank fear UNRWA closure[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Feb 11 (Reuters) - In refugee camps in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinians relying on the U.N. agency UNRWA for schooling and healthcare fear key services will stop as donors have paused funding over accusations staff members took part in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
+Most of the focus on the fate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees has been on its emergency operations in war-devastated Gaza where it is critical to an aid effort for the enclave's 2.3 million inhabitants.
+But the agency is also a lifeline for Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, including in the West Bank where it serves more than 870,000 people, running 96 schools and 43 primary healthcare facilities.
+""If they cut off aid from UNRWA, there will be no help of any kind for residents, especially in refugee camps because they rely on UNRWA,"" said Mohammad al-Masri, a resident of Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem.
+UNRWA announced last month that it had dismissed staff after Israel presented it with allegations that 12 of its 13,000 employees in Gaza had taken part in the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas fighters who stormed border fences and attacked Israeli towns.
+The Islamist militant group killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and dragged more than 250 back into Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's aerial and ground war in the Hamas-run enclave has killed more than 28,000 people there, health authorities there say.
+Accusations against UNRWA have reignited longstanding Israeli demands to dismantle an agency which both sides see as closely linked to a refugee problem dating to Israel's creation in 1948 that lies at the heart of their decades-long conflict.
+Some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what 75 years ago was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were expelled, many spilling into neighbouring Arab countries where they and their descendants remain. The tent camps they lived in after 1948 evolved into built-up townships.
+With no lasting settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the horizon, they retain the status of refugees, including in the West Bank and Gaza, and assert a right to return to their homes within Israel's borders.
+Israel has always rejected that, saying they chose to leave and have no right to go back. Last month Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed demands for UNRWA to be shut down, saying ""it seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees"".
+REFUGEES
+Daoud Faraj was 10 years old when his family became refugees. Now 85, he has lived most of his life in the West Bank's Aida refugee camp near Jerusalem.
+""Cutting off aid will hurt many people. Not only me,"" he said, referring to the health services and schools that UNRWA manages in the camp.
+The agency has said it hopes donors will review their funding decisions in a few weeks after a preliminary report into Israeli accusations and UNRWA's handling of them.
+It has said that it may run out of funds to operate services by the end of February if funding is not restored.
+""It is possible for UNRWA to be forced into the worst scenario, which is a nightmare for us, and it is to stop our operations. Not only in Gaza, (but) in other locations where we operate,"" said agency spokesperson Kazem Abu Khalaf.
+An internal U.N. investigation has been launched as the United States - the largest donor to UNRWA - and other countries paused funding following the allegations.
+Outside UNRWA's West Bank operations hub in Jerusalem, the city's deputy mayor Aryeh King spoke at a protest by Israelis demanding that the agency be shuttered.
+""It is time that the government of Israel decides to deal with this organisation like an enemy,"" King said as demonstrators held up placards reading ""Expel UNRWA"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian refugees in West Bank fear UNRWA closure[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Feb 11 (Reuters) - In refugee camps in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinians relying on the U.N. agency UNRWA for schooling and healthcare fear key services will stop as donors have paused funding over accusations staff members took part in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Most of the focus on the fate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees has been on its emergency operations in war-devastated Gaza where it is critical to an aid effort for the enclave's 2.3 million inhabitants.
+But the agency is also a lifeline for Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, including in the West Bank where it serves more than 870,000 people, running 96 schools and 43 primary healthcare facilities. ""If they cut off aid from UNRWA, there will be no help of any kind for residents, especially in refugee camps because they rely on UNRWA,"" said Mohammad al-Masri, a resident of Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem. UNRWA announced last month that it had dismissed staff after Israel presented it with allegations that 12 of its 13,000 employees in Gaza had taken part in the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas fighters who stormed border fences and attacked Israeli towns. The Islamist militant group killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and dragged more than 250 back into Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's aerial and ground war in the Hamas-run enclave has killed more than 28,000 people there, health authorities there say. Accusations against UNRWA have reignited longstanding Israeli demands to dismantle an agency which both sides see as closely linked to a refugee problem dating to Israel's creation in 1948 that lies at the heart of their decades-long conflict.  Some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what 75 years ago was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were expelled, many spilling into neighbouring Arab countries where they and their descendants remain. The tent camps they lived in after 1948 evolved into built-up townships.  With no lasting settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the horizon, they retain the status of refugees, including in the West Bank and Gaza, and assert a right to return to their homes within Israel's borders.
+Israel has always rejected that, saying they chose to leave and have no right to go back. Last month Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed demands for UNRWA to be shut down, saying ""it seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees"".  REFUGEES
+Daoud Faraj was 10 years old when his family became refugees."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-refugees-west-bank-fear-unrwa-closure-2024-02-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian refugees in West Bank fear UNRWA closure[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Feb 11 (Reuters) - In refugee camps in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinians relying on the U.N. agency UNRWA for schooling and healthcare fear key services will stop as donors have paused funding over accusations staff members took part in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
+Most of the focus on the fate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees has been on its emergency operations in war-devastated Gaza where it is critical to an aid effort for the enclave's 2.3 million inhabitants.
+But the agency is also a lifeline for Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, including in the West Bank where it serves more than 870,000 people, running 96 schools and 43 primary healthcare facilities.
+""If they cut off aid from UNRWA, there will be no help of any kind for residents, especially in refugee camps because they rely on UNRWA,"" said Mohammad al-Masri, a resident of Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem.
+UNRWA announced last month that it had dismissed staff after Israel presented it with allegations that 12 of its 13,000 employees in Gaza had taken part in the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas fighters who stormed border fences and attacked Israeli towns.
+The Islamist militant group killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and dragged more than 250 back into Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's aerial and ground war in the Hamas-run enclave has killed more than 28,000 people there, health authorities there say.
+Accusations against UNRWA have reignited longstanding Israeli demands to dismantle an agency which both sides see as closely linked to a refugee problem dating to Israel's creation in 1948 that lies at the heart of their decades-long conflict.
+Some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what 75 years ago was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were expelled, many spilling into neighbouring Arab countries where they and their descendants remain. The tent camps they lived in after 1948 evolved into built-up townships.
+With no lasting settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the horizon, they retain the status of refugees, including in the West Bank and Gaza, and assert a right to return to their homes within Israel's borders.
+Israel has always rejected that, saying they chose to leave and have no right to go back. Last month Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed demands for UNRWA to be shut down, saying ""it seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees"".
+REFUGEES
+Daoud Faraj was 10 years old when his family became refugees. Now 85, he has lived most of his life in the West Bank's Aida refugee camp near Jerusalem.
+""Cutting off aid will hurt many people. Not only me,"" he said, referring to the health services and schools that UNRWA manages in the camp.
+The agency has said it hopes donors will review their funding decisions in a few weeks after a preliminary report into Israeli accusations and UNRWA's handling of them.
+It has said that it may run out of funds to operate services by the end of February if funding is not restored.
+""It is possible for UNRWA to be forced into the worst scenario, which is a nightmare for us, and it is to stop our operations. Not only in Gaza, (but) in other locations where we operate,"" said agency spokesperson Kazem Abu Khalaf.
+An internal U.N. investigation has been launched as the United States - the largest donor to UNRWA - and other countries paused funding following the allegations.
+Outside UNRWA's West Bank operations hub in Jerusalem, the city's deputy mayor Aryeh King spoke at a protest by Israelis demanding that the agency be shuttered.
+""It is time that the government of Israel decides to deal with this organisation like an enemy,"" King said as demonstrators held up placards reading ""Expel UNRWA"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Now 85, he has lived most of his life in the West Bank's Aida refugee camp near Jerusalem.  ""Cutting off aid will hurt many people. Not only me,"" he said, referring to the health services and schools that UNRWA manages in the camp. The agency has said it hopes donors will review their funding decisions in a few weeks after a preliminary report into Israeli accusations and UNRWA's handling of them. It has said that it may run out of funds to operate services by the end of February if funding is not restored.  ""It is possible for UNRWA to be forced into the worst scenario, which is a nightmare for us, and it is to stop our operations. Not only in Gaza, (but) in other locations where we operate ,"" said agency spokesperson Kazem Abu Khalaf. An internal U.N. investigation has been launched as the United States - the largest donor to UNRWA - and other countries paused funding following the allegations.  Outside UNRWA's West Bank operations hub in Jerusalem, the city's deputy mayor Aryeh King spoke at a protest by Israelis demanding that the agency be shuttered.  ""It is time that the government of Israel decides to deal with this organisation like an enemy,"" King said as demonstrators held up placards reading ""Expel UNRWA"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/body-gaza-girl-ambulance-team-trapped-under-israeli-fire-found-after-12-days-2024-02-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Body of Gaza girl trapped under Israeli fire found after 12 days[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 10 (Reuters) - Relatives found the body on Saturday of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who had begged Gaza rescuers to send help after being trapped by Israeli military fire, along with the bodies of five of her family members and two ambulance workers who had gone to save her.
+The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) accused Israel of deliberately targeting the ambulance it sent to rescue Hind Rajab after she had spent hours on the phone to dispatchers begging for help with the sound of shooting echoing around.
+""The occupation deliberately targeted the Red Crescent crew despite prior coordination to allow the ambulance to arrive at the site to rescue Hind,"" the Red Crescent said in a statement.
+Israel's military did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the Red Crescent statement.
+Family members found Hind's body along with those of her uncle and aunt and their three children still in a car near a roundabout in the Tel al-Hawa suburb of Gaza City, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
+The PCRS released a photo of the ambulance, seen almost completely burned out. Al Jazeera footage of the scene appeared to show the ambulance only steps away from the car they said the family was in, a damaged black Kia Picanto riddled with bullet holes.
+The plight of Hind, revealed in harrowing audio clips of her terrified conversation with rescue workers 12 days ago, underlined the impossible conditions for civilians in the face of Israel's four-month assault on Gaza.
+The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies.
+
+Israel's military has since overrun most of the tiny Palestinian enclave under an intense bombardment in a conflict that has killed more than 28,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
+During the course of the war, the Israeli military has said it takes steps to avoid civilian casualties. It has faced strong international criticism over the casualty toll.
+The audio clips released by the Red Crescent earlier this month recorded a call to dispatchers that was first made by Hind's teenage cousin Layan Hamadeh, saying an Israeli tank was approaching before shots rang out and she screamed.
+Believed to be the only survivor, Hind stayed on the line for three hours with dispatchers, who tried to soothe her as they prepared to send an ambulance.
+""Come and get me,"" Hind was heard crying desperately in another audio recording. ""I'm so scared, please come.""
+The PCRS said that after coordinating with the Israeli military through mediators and receiving a green light, it determined it was safe enough to send an ambulance with two crew, Youssef Zeino and Ahmed Al-Madhoon.
+""In our last communication with the team, they said the occupation forces aimed a laser beam at them. We heard gunshots and then an explosion,"" said Red Crescent spokesperson in Ramallah, Nebal Farsakh.
+Contact was then lost with both the ambulance team and Hind, leaving their families, colleagues and many around the world concerned about their fate.
+""While we continue to look into exactly what happened, we want to reiterate that civilians must be protected - no child should ever be terrified for their life, surrounded by the bodies of their family members. That these were potentially Hind's last moments is devastating and unbearable,"" a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told Reuters.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Body of Gaza girl trapped under Israeli fire found after 12 days[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 10 (Reuters) - Relatives found the body on Saturday of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who had begged Gaza rescuers to send help after being trapped by Israeli military fire, along with the bodies of five of her family members and two ambulance workers who had gone to save her. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) accused Israel of deliberately targeting the ambulance it sent to rescue Hind Rajab after she had spent hours on the phone to dispatchers begging for help with the sound of shooting echoing around. ""The occupation deliberately targeted the Red Crescent crew despite prior coordination to allow the ambulance to arrive at the site to rescue Hind,"" the Red Crescent said in a statement. Israel's military did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the Red Crescent statement. Family members found Hind's body along with those of her uncle and aunt and their three children still in a car near a roundabout in the Tel al-Hawa suburb of Gaza City, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.  The PCRS released a photo of the ambulance, seen almost completely burned out. Al Jazeera footage of the scene appeared to show the ambulance only steps away from the car they said the family was in, a damaged black Kia Picanto riddled with bullet holes. The plight of Hind, revealed in harrowing audio clips of her terrified conversation with rescue workers 12 days ago, underlined the impossible conditions for civilians in the face of Israel's four-month assault on Gaza. The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies.
+
+Israel's military has since overrun most of the tiny Palestinian enclave under an intense bombardment in a conflict that has killed more than 28,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.  During the course of the war, the Israeli military has said it takes steps to avoid civilian casualties. It has faced strong international criticism over the casualty toll. The audio clips released by the Red Crescent earlier this month recorded a call to dispatchers that was first made by Hind's teenage cousin Layan Hamadeh, saying an Israeli tank was approaching before shots rang out and she screamed.
+Believed to be the only survivor, Hind stayed on the line for three hours with dispatchers, who tried to soothe her as they prepared to send an ambulance. ""Come and get me,"" Hind was heard crying desperately in another audio recording. "" I'm so scared, please come. """
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/body-gaza-girl-ambulance-team-trapped-under-israeli-fire-found-after-12-days-2024-02-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Body of Gaza girl trapped under Israeli fire found after 12 days[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 10 (Reuters) - Relatives found the body on Saturday of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who had begged Gaza rescuers to send help after being trapped by Israeli military fire, along with the bodies of five of her family members and two ambulance workers who had gone to save her.
+The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) accused Israel of deliberately targeting the ambulance it sent to rescue Hind Rajab after she had spent hours on the phone to dispatchers begging for help with the sound of shooting echoing around.
+""The occupation deliberately targeted the Red Crescent crew despite prior coordination to allow the ambulance to arrive at the site to rescue Hind,"" the Red Crescent said in a statement.
+Israel's military did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the Red Crescent statement.
+Family members found Hind's body along with those of her uncle and aunt and their three children still in a car near a roundabout in the Tel al-Hawa suburb of Gaza City, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
+The PCRS released a photo of the ambulance, seen almost completely burned out. Al Jazeera footage of the scene appeared to show the ambulance only steps away from the car they said the family was in, a damaged black Kia Picanto riddled with bullet holes.
+The plight of Hind, revealed in harrowing audio clips of her terrified conversation with rescue workers 12 days ago, underlined the impossible conditions for civilians in the face of Israel's four-month assault on Gaza.
+The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies.
+
+Israel's military has since overrun most of the tiny Palestinian enclave under an intense bombardment in a conflict that has killed more than 28,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
+During the course of the war, the Israeli military has said it takes steps to avoid civilian casualties. It has faced strong international criticism over the casualty toll.
+The audio clips released by the Red Crescent earlier this month recorded a call to dispatchers that was first made by Hind's teenage cousin Layan Hamadeh, saying an Israeli tank was approaching before shots rang out and she screamed.
+Believed to be the only survivor, Hind stayed on the line for three hours with dispatchers, who tried to soothe her as they prepared to send an ambulance.
+""Come and get me,"" Hind was heard crying desperately in another audio recording. ""I'm so scared, please come.""
+The PCRS said that after coordinating with the Israeli military through mediators and receiving a green light, it determined it was safe enough to send an ambulance with two crew, Youssef Zeino and Ahmed Al-Madhoon.
+""In our last communication with the team, they said the occupation forces aimed a laser beam at them. We heard gunshots and then an explosion,"" said Red Crescent spokesperson in Ramallah, Nebal Farsakh.
+Contact was then lost with both the ambulance team and Hind, leaving their families, colleagues and many around the world concerned about their fate.
+""While we continue to look into exactly what happened, we want to reiterate that civilians must be protected - no child should ever be terrified for their life, surrounded by the bodies of their family members. That these were potentially Hind's last moments is devastating and unbearable,"" a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told Reuters.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The PCRS said that after coordinating with the Israeli military through mediators and receiving a green light, it determined it was safe enough to send an ambulance with two crew, Youssef Zeino and Ahmed Al-Madhoon.  ""In our last communication with the team, they said the occupation forces aimed a laser beam at them. We heard gunshots and then an explosion,"" said Red Crescent spokesperson in Ramallah, Nebal Farsakh. Contact was then lost with both the ambulance team and Hind, leaving their families, colleagues and many around the world concerned about their fate.
+""While we continue to look into exactly what happened, we want to reiterate that civilians must be protected - no child should ever be terrified for their life, surrounded by the bodies of their family members. That these were potentially Hind's last moments is devastating and unbearable,"" a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told Reuters. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-chief-vows-immediate-action-any-new-information-infiltration-hamas-un-2024-02-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief vows immediate action on 'infiltration of Hamas' in UN[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday pledged to act immediately on any new information from Israel related to ""infiltration of Hamas"" in the world body after nine U.N. staff in the Gaza Strip were fired last month.
+Israel last month accused 12 staff with the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants. Of the remaining three staff, one is dead, while the U.N. was clarifying the identity of the other two.
+An internal U.N. investigation has been launched as the United States - the largest donor to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) - and other countries paused funding following the allegations.
+""One thing that you can be absolutely sure, any allegation that is presented to us by the government of Israel in relation to any other infiltration of Hamas in the U.N., at whatever level, we will act immediately upon it,"" Guterres told reporters on Thursday.
+A six-page Israeli intelligence dossier, seen by Reuters, further alleges that some 190 UNRWA employees, including teachers, have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants.
+However, Guterres and UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini have not received any further information from Israel since the initial accusations against the 12 staff. It was not clear whether Israel had provided information to the internal U.N. inquiry.
+Guterres defended the decision to fire the staff before an inquiry was complete, citing credible information from Israel, adding: ""We couldn't run the risk not to act immediately as the accusations were related to criminal activities.""
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA. UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid.
+Guterres last month described UNRWA as ""the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza"" and appealed to all countries to ""guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's lifesaving work.""
+(This Feb 8 story has been correction to say 'allegation,' not 'delegation,' in paragraph 4)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief vows immediate action on 'infiltration of Hamas' in UN[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday pledged to act immediately on any new information from Israel related to ""infiltration of Hamas"" in the world body after nine U.N. staff in the Gaza Strip were fired last month. Israel last month accused 12 staff with the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants. Of the remaining three staff, one is dead, while the U.N. was clarifying the identity of the other two. An internal U.N. investigation has been launched as the United States - the largest donor to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) - and other countries paused funding following the allegations. ""One thing that you can be absolutely sure, any allegation that is presented to us by the government of Israel in relation to any other infiltration of Hamas in the U.N., at whatever level, we will act immediately upon it,"" Guterres told reporters on Thursday. A six-page Israeli intelligence dossier, seen by Reuters, further alleges that some 190 UNRWA employees, including teachers, have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants.  However, Guterres and UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini have not received any further information from Israel since the initial accusations against the 12 staff. It was not clear whether Israel had provided information to the internal U.N. inquiry.  Guterres defended the decision to fire the staff before an inquiry was complete, citing credible information from Israel, adding: ""We couldn't run the risk not to act immediately as the accusations were related to criminal activities.""
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA. UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid. Guterres last month described UNRWA as ""the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza"" and appealed to all countries to ""guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's lifesaving work.""
+(This Feb 8 story has been correction to say 'allegation,' not 'delegation,' in paragraph 4)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/arab-foreign-ministers-discuss-gaza-riyadh-following-blinken-visit-region-2024-02-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Arab foreign ministers discuss Gaza in Riyadh following Blinken visit to the region[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Several Arab foreign ministers discussed the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza at talks in Riyadh, Saudi state media reported on Friday, following a Middle East tour by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that stirred hopes for a long-awaited Gaza truce deal.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected Hamas' latest terms for a ceasefire and return of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but Blinken said there was still room for negotiation toward an agreement.
+Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called for Thursday's meeting in Riyadh, which included the foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates along with the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Hussein al-Sheikh, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
+The Arab ministers emphasised the need to reach an immediate and complete ceasefire in Gaza and ""the importance of taking irreversible steps to implement the two-state solution,"" SPA added, referring to Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state.
+They also expressed support for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) after 16 countries suspended their funding to the agency following Israeli claims that a dozen of its employees took part in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+The United Arab Emirates foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for an intensification of efforts to prevent the expansion of conflict in the region during the meeting, the UAE state news agency said on Friday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Arab foreign ministers discuss Gaza in Riyadh following Blinken visit to the region[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Several Arab foreign ministers discussed the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza at talks in Riyadh, Saudi state media reported on Friday, following a Middle East tour by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that stirred hopes for a long-awaited Gaza truce deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected Hamas' latest terms for a ceasefire and return of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but Blinken said there was still room for negotiation toward an agreement. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called for Thursday's meeting in Riyadh, which included the foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates along with the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Hussein al-Sheikh, Saudi state news agency SPA reported. The Arab ministers emphasised the need to reach an immediate and complete ceasefire in Gaza and ""the importance of taking irreversible steps to implement the two-state solution,"" SPA added, referring to Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state. They also expressed support for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) after 16 countries suspended their funding to the agency following Israeli claims that a dozen of its employees took part in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.  The United Arab Emirates foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for an intensification of efforts to prevent the expansion of conflict in the region during the meeting, the UAE state news agency said on Friday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-unrwa-crisis-means-palestinian-refugees-beyond-gaza-2024-02-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What UNRWA crisis means for Palestinian refugees beyond Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/AMMAN, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The prospect of the U.N. agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) being forced to shut down services by the end of February is deepening despair in refugee camps across the Middle East, where it has long provided a lifeline for millions of people.
+It is also causing concern in Arab states hosting the refugees, which do not have resources to fill the gap and fear any end to UNRWA would be deeply destabilising.
+UNRWA, which provides healthcare, education and other services, has been pitched into crisis since Israel alleged that 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel that precipitated the Israel-Hamas war, prompting donors to suspend funding.
+UNRWA hopes donors will review the suspension once a preliminary report into the assertions is published in the next several weeks.
+For Palestinians, UNRWA's importance goes beyond vital services. They view its existence as enmeshed with the preservation of their rights as refugees, especially their hope of returning to homes from which they or their ancestors fled or were expelled in the war over Israel's creation in 1948.
+In the Burj al-Barajneh camp on the outskirts of Beirut, Raghida al-Arbaje said she depends on UNRWA to school two of her children and cover medical bills for a third who suffers from an eye condition.
+""If there is no UNRWA, I can't do any of this,"" said Arbaje, 44, adding that the agency had also paid for cancer treatment for her late husband, who died five months ago.
+A shanty of feebly constructed buildings and narrow alleys, Burj al-Barajneh depends on UNRWA in many ways, including programmes that offer $20 a day for labour - vital income for refugees who are barred from many jobs in Lebanon, Arbaje said.
+She described the bleak situation for Palestinians in Lebanon, saying: ""We are dead even as we live.""
+Appealing to donors to keep funding UNRWA, she added: ""Don't kill our hope"".
+RIGHT OF RETURN
+UNRWA - the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East - was set up in 1949 to provide refugees with vital services.
+Today, it serves 5.9 million Palestinians across the region.
+More than half a million children are enrolled in its schools. More than 7 million visits are made each year to its clinics, according to UNRWA's website.
+""The role this agency has played in protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees is fundamental,"" UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told Reuters in an interview.
+UNRWA has said the allegations against the 12 staff - if true - are a betrayal of U.N. values and the people it serves.
+The Hamas-led attack killed 1,200 people and abducting another 240, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, an Israeli offensive has killed more than 27,000 people in Gaza, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza.
+Israel wants UNRWA shut down.
+""It seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees. We must replace UNRWA with other U.N. agencies and other aid agencies, if we want to solve the Gaza problem as we plan to do,"" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Jan. 31.
+In Jordan, Palestinians have held protests against any such move. ""The Destruction of UNRWA will not pass ... Yes to the right of return"", declared signs held aloft at a Feb. 2 protest in Amman.
+Hilmi Aqel, a refugee born in the Baqa'a Palestinian refugee camp, 20 km (12 miles) north of Amman, said his UNRWA ration card ""proves that me and my children are refugees"".
+""It enshrines my right.""
+'CATASTROPHIC'
+Arab states hosting the refugees have long upheld the Palestinians' right of return, rejecting any suggestion they should be resettled in the countries to which they fled in 1948.
+In Lebanon, where UNRWA estimates up to 250,000 Palestinian refugees reside, the issue is infused with long-standing concerns about how the presence of the predominantly Sunni Muslim refugees affects Lebanon's sectarian balance.
+Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar said decisions by donor states to suspend aid were unfair and political, and the repercussions would be ""catastrophic"" for the Palestinians.
+""If we deny the Palestinians this, what are we telling them? We are telling them to go die, or to go to extremism,"" he told Reuters in an interview. The decision would be destabilising for Lebanese, as well as Palestinians and refugees from the war in neighbouring Syria, he said.
+In Jordan, the UNRWA crisis has touched on long-standing concerns. Jordan is home to some 2 million registered Palestinian refugees, most of whom have Jordanian citizenship. Officials fear any move to dismantle UNRWA would whittle away their right of return, shifting the burden onto Jordan.
+Norway, a donor that has not cut its funding, has said it is reasonably optimistic some countries that had paused funding would resume payments, realising the situation could not last long.
+The United States has said UNRWA needs to make ""fundamental changes"" before it will resume funding.
+Moussa Brahim Dirawi, a refugee in Burj al-Barajneh in Beirut, expressed fear for Palestinian children were UNRWA schools forced to shut down.
+""You are contributing to making a whole generation ignorant. If you are not able to put your children in school, you would put them on the streets. What would the streets raise?"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What UNRWA crisis means for Palestinian refugees beyond Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/AMMAN, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The prospect of the U.N. agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) being forced to shut down services by the end of February is deepening despair in refugee camps across the Middle East, where it has long provided a lifeline for millions of people . It is also causing concern in Arab states hosting the refugees, which do not have resources to fill the gap and fear any end to UNRWA would be deeply destabilising. UNRWA, which provides healthcare, education and other services, has been pitched into crisis since Israel alleged that 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel that precipitated the Israel-Hamas war, prompting donors to suspend funding. UNRWA hopes donors will review the suspension once a preliminary report into the assertions is published in the next several weeks.  For Palestinians, UNRWA's importance goes beyond vital services. They view its existence as enmeshed with the preservation of their rights as refugees, especially their hope of returning to homes from which they or their ancestors fled or were expelled in the war over Israel's creation in 1948. In the Burj al-Barajneh camp on the outskirts of Beirut, Raghida al-Arbaje said she depends on UNRWA to school two of her children and cover medical bills for a third who suffers from an eye condition.
+""If there is no UNRWA, I can't do any of this,"" said Arbaje, 44, adding that the agency had also paid for cancer treatment for her late husband, who died five months ago. A shanty of feebly constructed buildings and narrow alleys, Burj al-Barajneh depends on UNRWA in many ways, including programmes that offer $20 a day for labour - vital income for refugees who are barred from many jobs in Lebanon, Arbaje said. She described the bleak situation for Palestinians in Lebanon, saying: ""We are dead even as we live.""
+Appealing to donors to keep funding UNRWA, she added: ""Don't kill our hope"".
+RIGHT OF RETURN
+UNRWA - the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East - was set up in 1949 to provide refugees with vital services.  Today, it serves 5.9 million Palestinians across the region.  More than half a million children are enrolled in its schools."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-unrwa-crisis-means-palestinian-refugees-beyond-gaza-2024-02-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What UNRWA crisis means for Palestinian refugees beyond Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/AMMAN, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The prospect of the U.N. agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) being forced to shut down services by the end of February is deepening despair in refugee camps across the Middle East, where it has long provided a lifeline for millions of people.
+It is also causing concern in Arab states hosting the refugees, which do not have resources to fill the gap and fear any end to UNRWA would be deeply destabilising.
+UNRWA, which provides healthcare, education and other services, has been pitched into crisis since Israel alleged that 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel that precipitated the Israel-Hamas war, prompting donors to suspend funding.
+UNRWA hopes donors will review the suspension once a preliminary report into the assertions is published in the next several weeks.
+For Palestinians, UNRWA's importance goes beyond vital services. They view its existence as enmeshed with the preservation of their rights as refugees, especially their hope of returning to homes from which they or their ancestors fled or were expelled in the war over Israel's creation in 1948.
+In the Burj al-Barajneh camp on the outskirts of Beirut, Raghida al-Arbaje said she depends on UNRWA to school two of her children and cover medical bills for a third who suffers from an eye condition.
+""If there is no UNRWA, I can't do any of this,"" said Arbaje, 44, adding that the agency had also paid for cancer treatment for her late husband, who died five months ago.
+A shanty of feebly constructed buildings and narrow alleys, Burj al-Barajneh depends on UNRWA in many ways, including programmes that offer $20 a day for labour - vital income for refugees who are barred from many jobs in Lebanon, Arbaje said.
+She described the bleak situation for Palestinians in Lebanon, saying: ""We are dead even as we live.""
+Appealing to donors to keep funding UNRWA, she added: ""Don't kill our hope"".
+RIGHT OF RETURN
+UNRWA - the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East - was set up in 1949 to provide refugees with vital services.
+Today, it serves 5.9 million Palestinians across the region.
+More than half a million children are enrolled in its schools. More than 7 million visits are made each year to its clinics, according to UNRWA's website.
+""The role this agency has played in protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees is fundamental,"" UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told Reuters in an interview.
+UNRWA has said the allegations against the 12 staff - if true - are a betrayal of U.N. values and the people it serves.
+The Hamas-led attack killed 1,200 people and abducting another 240, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, an Israeli offensive has killed more than 27,000 people in Gaza, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza.
+Israel wants UNRWA shut down.
+""It seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees. We must replace UNRWA with other U.N. agencies and other aid agencies, if we want to solve the Gaza problem as we plan to do,"" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Jan. 31.
+In Jordan, Palestinians have held protests against any such move. ""The Destruction of UNRWA will not pass ... Yes to the right of return"", declared signs held aloft at a Feb. 2 protest in Amman.
+Hilmi Aqel, a refugee born in the Baqa'a Palestinian refugee camp, 20 km (12 miles) north of Amman, said his UNRWA ration card ""proves that me and my children are refugees"".
+""It enshrines my right.""
+'CATASTROPHIC'
+Arab states hosting the refugees have long upheld the Palestinians' right of return, rejecting any suggestion they should be resettled in the countries to which they fled in 1948.
+In Lebanon, where UNRWA estimates up to 250,000 Palestinian refugees reside, the issue is infused with long-standing concerns about how the presence of the predominantly Sunni Muslim refugees affects Lebanon's sectarian balance.
+Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar said decisions by donor states to suspend aid were unfair and political, and the repercussions would be ""catastrophic"" for the Palestinians.
+""If we deny the Palestinians this, what are we telling them? We are telling them to go die, or to go to extremism,"" he told Reuters in an interview. The decision would be destabilising for Lebanese, as well as Palestinians and refugees from the war in neighbouring Syria, he said.
+In Jordan, the UNRWA crisis has touched on long-standing concerns. Jordan is home to some 2 million registered Palestinian refugees, most of whom have Jordanian citizenship. Officials fear any move to dismantle UNRWA would whittle away their right of return, shifting the burden onto Jordan.
+Norway, a donor that has not cut its funding, has said it is reasonably optimistic some countries that had paused funding would resume payments, realising the situation could not last long.
+The United States has said UNRWA needs to make ""fundamental changes"" before it will resume funding.
+Moussa Brahim Dirawi, a refugee in Burj al-Barajneh in Beirut, expressed fear for Palestinian children were UNRWA schools forced to shut down.
+""You are contributing to making a whole generation ignorant. If you are not able to put your children in school, you would put them on the streets. What would the streets raise?"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","More than 7 million visits are made each year to its clinics, according to UNRWA's website.
+""The role this agency has played in protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees is fundamental,"" UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told Reuters in an interview. UNRWA has said the allegations against the 12 staff - if true - are a betrayal of U.N. values and the people it serves.  The Hamas-led attack killed 1,200 people and abducting another 240, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, an Israeli offensive has killed more than 27,000 people in Gaza, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza. Israel wants UNRWA shut down.  ""It seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees. We must replace UNRWA with other U.N. agencies and other aid agencies, if we want to solve the Gaza problem as we plan to do,"" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Jan. 31.  In Jordan, Palestinians have held protests against any such move. ""The Destruction of UNRWA will not pass ... Yes to the right of return"", declared signs held aloft at a Feb. 2 protest in Amman. Hilmi Aqel, a refugee born in the Baqa'a Palestinian refugee camp, 20 km (12 miles) north of Amman, said his UNRWA ration card ""proves that me and my children are refugees"".
+""It enshrines my right.""
+'CATASTROPHIC'
+Arab states hosting the refugees have long upheld the Palestinians' right of return, rejecting any suggestion they should be resettled in the countries to which they fled in 1948.
+In Lebanon, where UNRWA estimates up to 250,000 Palestinian refugees reside, the issue is infused with long-standing concerns about how the presence of the predominantly Sunni Muslim refugees affects Lebanon's sectarian balance.  Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar said decisions by donor states to suspend aid were unfair and political, and the repercussions would be ""catastrophic"" for the Palestinians.  ""If we deny the Palestinians this, what are we telling them? We are telling them to go die, or to go to extremism,"" he told Reuters in an interview. The decision would be destabilising for Lebanese, as well as Palestinians and refugees from the war in neighbouring Syria, he said.  In Jordan, the UNRWA crisis has touched on long-standing concerns. Jordan is home to some 2 million registered Palestinian refugees, most of whom have Jordanian citizenship. Officials fear any move to dismantle UNRWA would whittle away their right of return, shifting the burden onto Jordan."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-unrwa-crisis-means-palestinian-refugees-beyond-gaza-2024-02-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What UNRWA crisis means for Palestinian refugees beyond Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/AMMAN, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The prospect of the U.N. agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) being forced to shut down services by the end of February is deepening despair in refugee camps across the Middle East, where it has long provided a lifeline for millions of people.
+It is also causing concern in Arab states hosting the refugees, which do not have resources to fill the gap and fear any end to UNRWA would be deeply destabilising.
+UNRWA, which provides healthcare, education and other services, has been pitched into crisis since Israel alleged that 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel that precipitated the Israel-Hamas war, prompting donors to suspend funding.
+UNRWA hopes donors will review the suspension once a preliminary report into the assertions is published in the next several weeks.
+For Palestinians, UNRWA's importance goes beyond vital services. They view its existence as enmeshed with the preservation of their rights as refugees, especially their hope of returning to homes from which they or their ancestors fled or were expelled in the war over Israel's creation in 1948.
+In the Burj al-Barajneh camp on the outskirts of Beirut, Raghida al-Arbaje said she depends on UNRWA to school two of her children and cover medical bills for a third who suffers from an eye condition.
+""If there is no UNRWA, I can't do any of this,"" said Arbaje, 44, adding that the agency had also paid for cancer treatment for her late husband, who died five months ago.
+A shanty of feebly constructed buildings and narrow alleys, Burj al-Barajneh depends on UNRWA in many ways, including programmes that offer $20 a day for labour - vital income for refugees who are barred from many jobs in Lebanon, Arbaje said.
+She described the bleak situation for Palestinians in Lebanon, saying: ""We are dead even as we live.""
+Appealing to donors to keep funding UNRWA, she added: ""Don't kill our hope"".
+RIGHT OF RETURN
+UNRWA - the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East - was set up in 1949 to provide refugees with vital services.
+Today, it serves 5.9 million Palestinians across the region.
+More than half a million children are enrolled in its schools. More than 7 million visits are made each year to its clinics, according to UNRWA's website.
+""The role this agency has played in protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees is fundamental,"" UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told Reuters in an interview.
+UNRWA has said the allegations against the 12 staff - if true - are a betrayal of U.N. values and the people it serves.
+The Hamas-led attack killed 1,200 people and abducting another 240, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, an Israeli offensive has killed more than 27,000 people in Gaza, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza.
+Israel wants UNRWA shut down.
+""It seeks to preserve the issue of Palestinian refugees. We must replace UNRWA with other U.N. agencies and other aid agencies, if we want to solve the Gaza problem as we plan to do,"" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Jan. 31.
+In Jordan, Palestinians have held protests against any such move. ""The Destruction of UNRWA will not pass ... Yes to the right of return"", declared signs held aloft at a Feb. 2 protest in Amman.
+Hilmi Aqel, a refugee born in the Baqa'a Palestinian refugee camp, 20 km (12 miles) north of Amman, said his UNRWA ration card ""proves that me and my children are refugees"".
+""It enshrines my right.""
+'CATASTROPHIC'
+Arab states hosting the refugees have long upheld the Palestinians' right of return, rejecting any suggestion they should be resettled in the countries to which they fled in 1948.
+In Lebanon, where UNRWA estimates up to 250,000 Palestinian refugees reside, the issue is infused with long-standing concerns about how the presence of the predominantly Sunni Muslim refugees affects Lebanon's sectarian balance.
+Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar said decisions by donor states to suspend aid were unfair and political, and the repercussions would be ""catastrophic"" for the Palestinians.
+""If we deny the Palestinians this, what are we telling them? We are telling them to go die, or to go to extremism,"" he told Reuters in an interview. The decision would be destabilising for Lebanese, as well as Palestinians and refugees from the war in neighbouring Syria, he said.
+In Jordan, the UNRWA crisis has touched on long-standing concerns. Jordan is home to some 2 million registered Palestinian refugees, most of whom have Jordanian citizenship. Officials fear any move to dismantle UNRWA would whittle away their right of return, shifting the burden onto Jordan.
+Norway, a donor that has not cut its funding, has said it is reasonably optimistic some countries that had paused funding would resume payments, realising the situation could not last long.
+The United States has said UNRWA needs to make ""fundamental changes"" before it will resume funding.
+Moussa Brahim Dirawi, a refugee in Burj al-Barajneh in Beirut, expressed fear for Palestinian children were UNRWA schools forced to shut down.
+""You are contributing to making a whole generation ignorant. If you are not able to put your children in school, you would put them on the streets. What would the streets raise?"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Norway, a donor that has not cut its funding, has said it is reasonably optimistic some countries that had paused funding would resume payments, realising the situation could not last long. The United States has said UNRWA needs to make ""fundamental changes"" before it will resume funding.  Moussa Brahim Dirawi, a refugee in Burj al-Barajneh in Beirut, expressed fear for Palestinian children were UNRWA schools forced to shut down.
+"" You are contributing to making a whole generation ignorant. If you are not able to put your children in school, you would put them on the streets. What would the streets raise?"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-stabbing-palestinian-american-probed-bias-crime-police-say-2024-02-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Texas stabbing of Palestinian American probed as bias crime, police say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 6 (Reuters) - Police in Austin, Texas, said on Tuesday that they were investigating a reported stabbing of a Palestinian-American man over the weekend by a white suspect as a ""bias-motivated incident"" and that a hate-crime panel would review the case.
+The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) advocacy group said a group of Muslim Americans were driving home from a pro-Palestinian protest on Sunday when the suspect attacked their vehicle at a stop sign.
+The suspect, identified by police as Bert James Baker, shouted obscenities, attempted to rip a ""Free Palestine"" flag from their car and stabbed a 23-year-old Palestinian-American in the chest, CAIR said.
+Police provided no details about the victim. His father, Niza Doar, identified him as Zacharia Doar. The father told a CAIR-hosted press conference on Tuesday his son was trying to subdue Baker when he was stabbed and suffered a broken rib.
+Zacharia Doar underwent surgery and was recovering at the hospital on Tuesday, the father said.
+Baker was arrested on Sunday evening, booked into county jail and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said on Tuesday. Baker could not immediately be reached for comment. It was unclear whether he had legal representation.
+""Based on the information we received, we believe the February 4, 2024 incident to be bias-motivated and will be reviewed by the Hate Crimes Review Committee,"" a police statement said.
+Human rights advocates cite a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism in the U.S. that began with a Palestinian Hamas attack on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israel has responded with a ground and air attack on Hamas-ruled Gaza, killing more than 27,000 people, according to the local health ministry.
+At the CAIR press conference livestreamed from Austin, the victim's father said his son blamed President Joe Biden for the attack, citing a message from his son to the president saying: ""'If you would have called for a ceasefire three months ago, this would have never happened.'""
+Previous U.S. incidents include a November shooting of three students of Palestinian descent in Vermont and the fatal October stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American in Illinois.
+Separately on Tuesday, the Muslim Legal Fund of America said the U.S. Department of Education was investigating accusations Harvard University failed to protect pro-Palestinian students from threats. A similar probe is under way into a complaint on behalf of Jewish students.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Texas stabbing of Palestinian American probed as bias crime, police say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 6 (Reuters) - Police in Austin, Texas, said on Tuesday that they were investigating a reported stabbing of a Palestinian-American man over the weekend by a white suspect as a ""bias-motivated incident"" and that a hate-crime panel would review the case. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) advocacy group said a group of Muslim Americans were driving home from a pro-Palestinian protest on Sunday when the suspect attacked their vehicle at a stop sign. The suspect, identified by police as Bert James Baker, shouted obscenities, attempted to rip a ""Free Palestine"" flag from their car and stabbed a 23-year-old Palestinian-American in the chest, CAIR said.  Police provided no details about the victim. His father, Niza Doar, identified him as Zacharia Doar. The father told a CAIR-hosted press conference on Tuesday his son was trying to subdue Baker when he was stabbed and suffered a broken rib. Zacharia Doar underwent surgery and was recovering at the hospital on Tuesday, the father said.  Baker was arrested on Sunday evening, booked into county jail and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said on Tuesday. Baker could not immediately be reached for comment. It was unclear whether he had legal representation. ""Based on the information we received, we believe the February 4, 2024 incident to be bias-motivated and will be reviewed by the Hate Crimes Review Committee,"" a police statement said. Human rights advocates cite a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism in the U.S. that began with a Palestinian Hamas attack on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has responded with a ground and air attack on Hamas-ruled Gaza, killing more than 27,000 people, according to the local health ministry. At the CAIR press conference livestreamed from Austin, the victim's father said his son blamed President Joe Biden for the attack, citing a message from his son to the president saying: ""'If you would have called for a ceasefire three months ago, this would have never happened.'""
+Previous U.S. incidents include a November shooting of three students of Palestinian descent in Vermont and the fatal October stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American in Illinois.  Separately on Tuesday, the Muslim Legal Fund of America said the U.S. Department of Education was investigating accusations Harvard University failed to protect pro-Palestinian students from threats."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-stabbing-palestinian-american-probed-bias-crime-police-say-2024-02-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Texas stabbing of Palestinian American probed as bias crime, police say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 6 (Reuters) - Police in Austin, Texas, said on Tuesday that they were investigating a reported stabbing of a Palestinian-American man over the weekend by a white suspect as a ""bias-motivated incident"" and that a hate-crime panel would review the case.
+The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) advocacy group said a group of Muslim Americans were driving home from a pro-Palestinian protest on Sunday when the suspect attacked their vehicle at a stop sign.
+The suspect, identified by police as Bert James Baker, shouted obscenities, attempted to rip a ""Free Palestine"" flag from their car and stabbed a 23-year-old Palestinian-American in the chest, CAIR said.
+Police provided no details about the victim. His father, Niza Doar, identified him as Zacharia Doar. The father told a CAIR-hosted press conference on Tuesday his son was trying to subdue Baker when he was stabbed and suffered a broken rib.
+Zacharia Doar underwent surgery and was recovering at the hospital on Tuesday, the father said.
+Baker was arrested on Sunday evening, booked into county jail and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said on Tuesday. Baker could not immediately be reached for comment. It was unclear whether he had legal representation.
+""Based on the information we received, we believe the February 4, 2024 incident to be bias-motivated and will be reviewed by the Hate Crimes Review Committee,"" a police statement said.
+Human rights advocates cite a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism in the U.S. that began with a Palestinian Hamas attack on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israel has responded with a ground and air attack on Hamas-ruled Gaza, killing more than 27,000 people, according to the local health ministry.
+At the CAIR press conference livestreamed from Austin, the victim's father said his son blamed President Joe Biden for the attack, citing a message from his son to the president saying: ""'If you would have called for a ceasefire three months ago, this would have never happened.'""
+Previous U.S. incidents include a November shooting of three students of Palestinian descent in Vermont and the fatal October stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American in Illinois.
+Separately on Tuesday, the Muslim Legal Fund of America said the U.S. Department of Education was investigating accusations Harvard University failed to protect pro-Palestinian students from threats. A similar probe is under way into a complaint on behalf of Jewish students.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]",A similar probe is under way into a complaint on behalf of Jewish students.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]
+https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/british-columbia-minister-resigns-palestine-comments-2024-02-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]British Columbia minister resigns for Palestine comments[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 5 (Reuters) - A senior government minister in the Canadian province of British Columbia resigned on Monday after saying last week that modern Israel was founded on a ""crappy piece of land,"" a comment that outraged pro-Palestinian groups.
+Selina Robinson, who is Jewish, made the comments during a panel discussion on Thursday and apologized in a public statement on Friday.
+She said she understood her ""flippant comment"" diminished the connection Palestinians also had to the land.
+The modern state of Israel was created in 1948 from land that was previously part of Palestine, triggering decades of conflict in the Middle East including the current war that has been raging since October.
+British Columbia premier David Eby said Robinson, the province's minister of advanced education, and he jointly decided she should step down after reaching out to many communities that were harmed by her remarks.
+""Selina's comments were wrong, they crossed the line, they were belittling and demeaning to a community of people that is already under profound pressure due to the war in the Middle East,"" Eby told a news conference.
+Robinson will remain a member of the New Democratic Party caucus.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]British Columbia minister resigns for Palestine comments[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 5 (Reuters) - A senior government minister in the Canadian province of British Columbia resigned on Monday after saying last week that modern Israel was founded on a ""crappy piece of land,"" a comment that outraged pro-Palestinian groups. Selina Robinson, who is Jewish, made the comments during a panel discussion on Thursday and apologized in a public statement on Friday.
+She said she understood her ""flippant comment"" diminished the connection Palestinians also had to the land. The modern state of Israel was created in 1948 from land that was previously part of Palestine, triggering decades of conflict in the Middle East including the current war that has been raging since October.
+British Columbia premier David Eby said Robinson, the province's minister of advanced education, and he jointly decided she should step down after reaching out to many communities that were harmed by her remarks.
+""Selina's comments were wrong, they crossed the line, they were belittling and demeaning to a community of people that is already under profound pressure due to the war in the Middle East,"" Eby told a news conference. Robinson will remain a member of the New Democratic Party caucus.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/japans-itochu-end-cooperation-with-israels-elbit-over-gaza-war-2024-02-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Japan's Itochu to end cooperation with Israel's Elbit amid Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TOKYO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Itochu Corp's (8001.T), opens new tab aviation unit will end its strategic cooperation with Israeli defence company Elbit Systems Ltd (ESLT.TA), opens new tab by the end of February amid the war in Gaza, the Japanese trading house's executive said on Monday.
+Itochu plans to end the collaboration after the World Court ordered Israel last month to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and do more to help civilians, Itochu Chief Financial Officer Tsuyoshi Hachimura said.
+""The partnership is based on a request from the Japan's defence ministry for the purpose of importing defence equipment for the Self-Defense Forces necessary for Japan's security, and is not in any way related to the current conflict between Israel and Palestine,"" Hachimura told an earnings press conference.
+""Taking into consideration the International Court of Justice's order on January 26, and that the Japanese government supports the role of the Court, we have already suspended new activities related to the MOU, and plan to end the MOU by the end of February,"" he said.
+Itochu Aviation, Elbit Systems and Nippon Aircraft Supply (NAS) signed the strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) in March 2023, seven months before the outbreak of the war.
+As for Israel-related business, Itochu has small fintech investments and a car sales business, but it faces no problems with debt collection or other issues, Hachimura said.
+Itochu reported a 10.3% drop in April-December net profit due to lower prices of coal and pulp as well as smaller gains from energy trading.
+It posted a profit of 611.7 billion yen ($4.1 billion) in the nine months through Dec. 31 compared with 682.2 billion yen a year earlier.
+The trading company stuck to its full-year profit forecast through end-March of 800 billion yen, below the 821 billion yen mean estimate in a poll of 9 analysts compiled by LSEG.
+($1 = 148.3000 yen)
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Japan's Itochu to end cooperation with Israel's Elbit amid Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TOKYO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Itochu Corp's (8001.T), opens new tab aviation unit will end its strategic cooperation with Israeli defence company Elbit Systems Ltd (ESLT.TA), opens new tab by the end of February amid the war in Gaza, the Japanese trading house's executive said on Monday. Itochu plans to end the collaboration after the World Court ordered Israel last month to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and do more to help civilians, Itochu Chief Financial Officer Tsuyoshi Hachimura said. ""The partnership is based on a request from the Japan's defence ministry for the purpose of importing defence equipment for the Self-Defense Forces necessary for Japan's security, and is not in any way related to the current conflict between Israel and Palestine,"" Hachimura told an earnings press conference. ""Taking into consideration the International Court of Justice's order on January 26, and that the Japanese government supports the role of the Court, we have already suspended new activities related to the MOU, and plan to end the MOU by the end of February,"" he said. Itochu Aviation, Elbit Systems and Nippon Aircraft Supply (NAS) signed the strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) in March 2023, seven months before the outbreak of the war. As for Israel-related business, Itochu has small fintech investments and a car sales business, but it faces no problems with debt collection or other issues, Hachimura said. Itochu reported a 10.3% drop in April-December net profit due to lower prices of coal and pulp as well as smaller gains from energy trading. It posted a profit of 611.7 billion yen ($4.1 billion) in the nine months through Dec. 31 compared with 682.2 billion yen a year earlier. The trading company stuck to its full-year profit forecast through end-March of 800 billion yen, below the 821 billion yen mean estimate in a poll of 9 analysts compiled by LSEG.  ($1 = 148.3000 yen) [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ireland-seeking-review-eu-israel-agreement-over-rights-concerns-2024-02-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ireland seeking review of EU-Israel agreement over rights concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 1 (Reuters) - Ireland is in talks with other EU members who want a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the basis that Israel may be breaching the agreement's human rights clause, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.
+A number of EU states are also talking about a possible joint recognition of a Palestinian state after the current conflict, he said.
+""EU-Israeli relations are founded on an agreement which has a human rights clause, and a lot of us believe that Israel may be in breach of it,"" Varadkar told reporters following an EU summit. ""That's something we're talking about.""
+""There isn't full agreement, but it's something I called for today, and I called for last December.""
+Ireland has long been a champion of Palestinian rights, and ministers have repeatedly said the government is considering recognising a Palestinian state. Speaking at the end of the EU summit, Varadkar said there were a lot of ""very like-minded countries"" around the EU table.
+""Another thing we are talking about is recognition. That a number of EU states acting together to recognise Palestine could allow a more equal negotiation to happen after the war has ended in Gaza in and around a two-state solution,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ireland seeking review of EU-Israel agreement over rights concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Feb 1 (Reuters) - Ireland is in talks with other EU members who want a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the basis that Israel may be breaching the agreement's human rights clause, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.  A number of EU states are also talking about a possible joint recognition of a Palestinian state after the current conflict, he said.
+""EU-Israeli relations are founded on an agreement which has a human rights clause, and a lot of us believe that Israel may be in breach of it,"" Varadkar told reporters following an EU summit. ""That's something we're talking about.""
+""There isn't full agreement, but it's something I called for today, and I called for last December.""  Ireland has long been a champion of Palestinian rights, and ministers have repeatedly said the government is considering recognising a Palestinian state. Speaking at the end of the EU summit, Varadkar said there were a lot of ""very like-minded countries"" around the EU table.  ""Another thing we are talking about is recognition. That a number of EU states acting together to recognise Palestine could allow a more equal negotiation to happen after the war has ended in Gaza in and around a two-state solution ,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/unrwa-could-shut-down-by-end-february-if-funding-does-not-resume-2024-02-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNRWA could shut down by end of February if funding does not resume[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said on Thursday that it will most likely be forced to shut down its operations in the Middle East, including in Gaza, by the end of the month if funding does not resume.
+A string of countries including the United States, Germany and Britain have paused their funding to the aid agency in the wake of allegations that some UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel.
+""The agency remains the largest aid organization in one of the most severe and complex humanitarian crises in the world,"" UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.
+""If the funding remains suspended, we will most likely be forced to shut down our operations by end of February not only in Gaza but also across the region.""
+The Israeli offensive launched in the wake of the attacks, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage, has displaced most of Gaza's population, left many homes and civilian infrastructure in ruins, and caused acute shortages of food, water and medicine.
+Aid groups and other U.N. agencies have urged donors to keep supporting UNRWA, with the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warning on Wednesday that defunding would have ""catastrophic consequences"" for the people of Gaza.
+Israeli authorities have long called for the agency to be dismantled, arguing that its mission is obsolete and fosters anti-Israeli sentiment, something UNRWA has vigorously denied.
+On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his call to terminate UNRWA's mandate and to replace it with other U.N. or non-U.N. aid agencies.
+UNRWA, formally the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, was established in 1949 by the U.N. General Assembly after the war surrounding the founding of Israel as a Jewish state, when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes.
+It employs 30,000 Palestinians to serve the civic and humanitarian needs of 5.9 million descendants of those refugees - in the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank and in vast camps in neighbouring Arab countries.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNRWA could shut down by end of February if funding does not resume[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said on Thursday that it will most likely be forced to shut down its operations in the Middle East, including in Gaza, by the end of the month if funding does not resume. A string of countries including the United States, Germany and Britain have paused their funding to the aid agency in the wake of allegations that some UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel.
+"" The agency remains the largest aid organization in one of the most severe and complex humanitarian crises in the world,"" UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement. ""If the funding remains suspended, we will most likely be forced to shut down our operations by end of February not only in Gaza but also across the region.""
+The Israeli offensive launched in the wake of the attacks, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage, has displaced most of Gaza's population, left many homes and civilian infrastructure in ruins, and caused acute shortages of food, water and medicine. Aid groups and other U.N. agencies have urged donors to keep supporting UNRWA, with the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warning on Wednesday that defunding would have ""catastrophic consequences"" for the people of Gaza. Israeli authorities have long called for the agency to be dismantled, arguing that its mission is obsolete and fosters anti-Israeli sentiment, something UNRWA has vigorously denied. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his call to terminate UNRWA's mandate and to replace it with other U.N. or non-U.N. aid agencies. UNRWA, formally the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, was established in 1949 by the U.N. General Assembly after the war surrounding the founding of Israel as a Jewish state, when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes.  It employs 30,000 Palestinians to serve the civic and humanitarian needs of 5.9 million descendants of those refugees - in the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank and in vast camps in neighbouring Arab countries.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/judge-tosses-suit-against-florida-over-ban-pro-palestinian-group-2024-02-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Judge tosses suit against Florida over ban on pro-Palestinian group[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - A judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit that claimed Florida's proposed ban on a pro-Palestinian university group violated students' free speech rights, ruling that the case was not valid because the ban had not been enforced.
+Florida's university system, joined by Governor Ron DeSantis, late last year asked colleges, opens new tab to shut down, opens new tab chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group at the center of U.S. campus activism since war broke out in Gaza.
+But none of the schools acted on the proposal.
+The governor's labeling of group members as ""terrorists"" who support ""jihad"" understandably made them anxious, Chief Judge Mark Walker of U.S. District Court for northern Florida wrote on Wednesday.
+But the group's closure ""remains merely speculative,"" he said.
+After the judge denied its request for preliminary injunction on Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents SJP, said the group would sue again if Florida officials tried to act on closure of its chapters.
+""Florida officials are now on notice that if they attempt to enforce the deactivation order, we will be back in court to uphold our client's First Amendment rights,"" said ACLU attorney Brian Hauss.
+Rights advocates have noted, opens new tab a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism in the U.S. since war erupted in Gaza in October. U.S. colleges have simmered with tension amid the conflict.
+Israel says Palestinian Islamist group Hamas killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and took about 240 hostages to Gaza. Gaza health authorities say nearly 27,000 people have been killed in Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Judge tosses suit against Florida over ban on pro-Palestinian group[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - A judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit that claimed Florida's proposed ban on a pro-Palestinian university group violated students' free speech rights, ruling that the case was not valid because the ban had not been enforced. Florida's university system, joined by Governor Ron DeSantis, late last year asked colleges, opens new tab to shut down, opens new tab chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group at the center of U.S. campus activism since war broke out in Gaza . But none of the schools acted on the proposal.
+The governor's labeling of group members as ""terrorists"" who support ""jihad"" understandably made them anxious, Chief Judge Mark Walker of U.S. District Court for northern Florida wrote on Wednesday. But the group's closure ""remains merely speculative,"" he said. After the judge denied its request for preliminary injunction on Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents SJP, said the group would sue again if Florida officials tried to act on closure of its chapters. ""Florida officials are now on notice that if they attempt to enforce the deactivation order, we will be back in court to uphold our client's First Amendment rights,"" said ACLU attorney Brian Hauss. Rights advocates have noted, opens new tab a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism in the U.S. since war erupted in Gaza in October. U.S. colleges have simmered with tension amid the conflict. Israel says Palestinian Islamist group Hamas killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and took about 240 hostages to Gaza. Gaza health authorities say nearly 27,000 people have been killed in Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/donors-seek-fast-answers-allegations-over-un-agency-gaza-crisis-2024-01-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Donors seek fast answers to allegations over U.N. agency in Gaza crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK/BEIRUT/GENEVA, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Any halt to operations by the U.N. Palestinian agency over Israeli accusations that some of its staff took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack could hamstring the entire humanitarian effort in devastated Gaza, aid agencies say.
+Donors are demanding a swift investigation before resuming funding, though they have praised the work of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Gaza and its response so far to the allegations.
+UNRWA believes it has responded rapidly and transparently to Israel's allegations, which came as Israel faced a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war, and after years of it calling for the agency to be disbanded.
+Israel's offensive in the Palestinian enclave has caused the world's most acute humanitarian crisis, with 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants homeless, large numbers starving and others falling sick.
+UNRWA is at the heart of all aid work in Gaza through its 13,000 employees in the enclave, its clinics and schools, many now acting as packed shelters, and its logistics hubs.
+""The entire aid system in Gaza will be closer to the point of collapse,"" said Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, calling UNRWA ""vital in coordinating aid and providing shelter"".
+""No other organisation than UNRWA has the infrastructure to do the work that they do,"" said the U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
+Some 15 of the agency's most important donors, including top two the United States and Germany, have suspended funding over Israel's allegations.
+About $440 million is at risk, said UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma.
+""The decision to suspend funding from these countries is tantamount to a death sentence for Palestinians,"" the charity Action Aid said.
+The agency and the wider U.N. now face a race to persuade donors they have responded appropriately to Israel's accusations before money runs out at the end of February.
+PROACTIVE
+It is not clear how long the investigation by the U.N.'s oversight office may take. It was important for it to be thorough and ""unimpeachable"", but also swift, U.N. spokesperson Dujarric said.
+Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy accused UNRWA of acting ""as a front for Hamas"" and said it was ""not bad apples"" that were the problem but a systemic failure to address accusations of support for extremism in its ranks.
+Responding to those comments, Touma said UNRWA had on Jan. 17 ordered an independent review to establish the truth of longstanding claims about UNRWA and its staff.
+Inside the organisation, the accusation that 12 staff members took part in the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel had come as a deep shock.
+""If these allegations are true, they are a betrayal of U.N. values and a betrayal of the people we serve,"" Touma said.
+The organisation believes it has acted quickly despite Israel only making direct accusations to it about 12 staff while allegations were leaked to media that a larger number of employees have Hamas links.
+""UNRWA took a very proactive approach,"" said Touma the UNRWA spokesperson. Its head Philippe Lazzarini went to the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and to the U.S. and other top donors after Israel verbally told him on Jan. 18 it had evidence against 12 UNRWA staff, she said.
+Lazzarini fired those allegedly involved, an unusual step he is allowed to take ""in the best interests of the agency"", Touma said.
+""UNRWA then went public with the information before anyone else,"" she added.
+Neither Israel nor any other official source has shared with UNRWA a dossier alleging that 190 of the agency's staff members in Gaza are Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants, but learned about it only when reported in the press, Touma said. Reuters viewed and reported on the Israel intelligence dossier on Monday.
+UNRWA regularly shares lists of its employees with Israel and with the governments of countries hosting Palestinian refugees. It last did so in May 2023, Touma said. Israel has never provided a response to those lists ""let alone an objection"", she said.
+A spokesperson for Israel's government did not respond to Reuters questions on what information they had shared with UNRWA and the UN and major donors or about how long it had known about Hamas links to UNRWA employees.
+LONG-TERM ROLE
+Israel has long criticised UNRWA and says its mandate should be given to other U.N. agencies. Its 30,000 staff provide schooling and primary health clinics for Palestinian refugees in several Middle East countries.
+The first ever U.N. agency, UNRWA was established by a resolution of the body's General Assembly in 1949 to look after refugees who fled or were pushed from their homes when Israel was created.
+Israel has long criticised the curriculum taught in schools UNRWA runs and disputes the agency's count of refugees - an important political issue in any eventual peace talks, with Palestinians demanding a right of return.
+""Israel would like there to be an existential threat to UNRWA because they mistakenly think if you get rid of UNRWA then you suddenly get rid of the refugees and their right to return,"" said former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness.
+""Palestinians have been told across U.N. facilities that they are still refugees from a war that took place decades ago, that they possess a right that does not exist,"" said the Israeli spokesperson Levy.
+However, UNRWA's mandate was renewed by the U.N. General Assembly in 2023 until mid 2026 and the agency could only be disbanded by a new General Assembly resolution.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Donors seek fast answers to allegations over U.N. agency in Gaza crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK/BEIRUT/GENEVA, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Any halt to operations by the U.N. Palestinian agency over Israeli accusations that some of its staff took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack could hamstring the entire humanitarian effort in devastated Gaza, aid agencies say. Donors are demanding a swift investigation before resuming funding, though they have praised the work of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Gaza and its response so far to the allegations. UNRWA believes it has responded rapidly and transparently to Israel's allegations, which came as Israel faced a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war, and after years of it calling for the agency to be disbanded. Israel's offensive in the Palestinian enclave has caused the world's most acute humanitarian crisis, with 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants homeless, large numbers starving and others falling sick. UNRWA is at the heart of all aid work in Gaza through its 13,000 employees in the enclave, its clinics and schools, many now acting as packed shelters, and its logistics hubs. ""The entire aid system in Gaza will be closer to the point of collapse,"" said Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, calling UNRWA ""vital in coordinating aid and providing shelter"". ""No other organisation than UNRWA has the infrastructure to do the work that they do,"" said the U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. Some 15 of the agency's most important donors, including top two the United States and Germany, have suspended funding over Israel's allegations. About $440 million is at risk, said UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma. ""The decision to suspend funding from these countries is tantamount to a death sentence for Palestinians,"" the charity Action Aid said. The agency and the wider U.N. now face a race to persuade donors they have responded appropriately to Israel's accusations before money runs out at the end of February. PROACTIVE  It is not clear how long the investigation by the U.N.'s oversight office may take. It was important for it to be thorough and ""unimpeachable"", but also swift, U.N. spokesperson Dujarric said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/donors-seek-fast-answers-allegations-over-un-agency-gaza-crisis-2024-01-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Donors seek fast answers to allegations over U.N. agency in Gaza crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK/BEIRUT/GENEVA, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Any halt to operations by the U.N. Palestinian agency over Israeli accusations that some of its staff took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack could hamstring the entire humanitarian effort in devastated Gaza, aid agencies say.
+Donors are demanding a swift investigation before resuming funding, though they have praised the work of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Gaza and its response so far to the allegations.
+UNRWA believes it has responded rapidly and transparently to Israel's allegations, which came as Israel faced a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war, and after years of it calling for the agency to be disbanded.
+Israel's offensive in the Palestinian enclave has caused the world's most acute humanitarian crisis, with 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants homeless, large numbers starving and others falling sick.
+UNRWA is at the heart of all aid work in Gaza through its 13,000 employees in the enclave, its clinics and schools, many now acting as packed shelters, and its logistics hubs.
+""The entire aid system in Gaza will be closer to the point of collapse,"" said Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, calling UNRWA ""vital in coordinating aid and providing shelter"".
+""No other organisation than UNRWA has the infrastructure to do the work that they do,"" said the U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
+Some 15 of the agency's most important donors, including top two the United States and Germany, have suspended funding over Israel's allegations.
+About $440 million is at risk, said UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma.
+""The decision to suspend funding from these countries is tantamount to a death sentence for Palestinians,"" the charity Action Aid said.
+The agency and the wider U.N. now face a race to persuade donors they have responded appropriately to Israel's accusations before money runs out at the end of February.
+PROACTIVE
+It is not clear how long the investigation by the U.N.'s oversight office may take. It was important for it to be thorough and ""unimpeachable"", but also swift, U.N. spokesperson Dujarric said.
+Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy accused UNRWA of acting ""as a front for Hamas"" and said it was ""not bad apples"" that were the problem but a systemic failure to address accusations of support for extremism in its ranks.
+Responding to those comments, Touma said UNRWA had on Jan. 17 ordered an independent review to establish the truth of longstanding claims about UNRWA and its staff.
+Inside the organisation, the accusation that 12 staff members took part in the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel had come as a deep shock.
+""If these allegations are true, they are a betrayal of U.N. values and a betrayal of the people we serve,"" Touma said.
+The organisation believes it has acted quickly despite Israel only making direct accusations to it about 12 staff while allegations were leaked to media that a larger number of employees have Hamas links.
+""UNRWA took a very proactive approach,"" said Touma the UNRWA spokesperson. Its head Philippe Lazzarini went to the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and to the U.S. and other top donors after Israel verbally told him on Jan. 18 it had evidence against 12 UNRWA staff, she said.
+Lazzarini fired those allegedly involved, an unusual step he is allowed to take ""in the best interests of the agency"", Touma said.
+""UNRWA then went public with the information before anyone else,"" she added.
+Neither Israel nor any other official source has shared with UNRWA a dossier alleging that 190 of the agency's staff members in Gaza are Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants, but learned about it only when reported in the press, Touma said. Reuters viewed and reported on the Israel intelligence dossier on Monday.
+UNRWA regularly shares lists of its employees with Israel and with the governments of countries hosting Palestinian refugees. It last did so in May 2023, Touma said. Israel has never provided a response to those lists ""let alone an objection"", she said.
+A spokesperson for Israel's government did not respond to Reuters questions on what information they had shared with UNRWA and the UN and major donors or about how long it had known about Hamas links to UNRWA employees.
+LONG-TERM ROLE
+Israel has long criticised UNRWA and says its mandate should be given to other U.N. agencies. Its 30,000 staff provide schooling and primary health clinics for Palestinian refugees in several Middle East countries.
+The first ever U.N. agency, UNRWA was established by a resolution of the body's General Assembly in 1949 to look after refugees who fled or were pushed from their homes when Israel was created.
+Israel has long criticised the curriculum taught in schools UNRWA runs and disputes the agency's count of refugees - an important political issue in any eventual peace talks, with Palestinians demanding a right of return.
+""Israel would like there to be an existential threat to UNRWA because they mistakenly think if you get rid of UNRWA then you suddenly get rid of the refugees and their right to return,"" said former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness.
+""Palestinians have been told across U.N. facilities that they are still refugees from a war that took place decades ago, that they possess a right that does not exist,"" said the Israeli spokesperson Levy.
+However, UNRWA's mandate was renewed by the U.N. General Assembly in 2023 until mid 2026 and the agency could only be disbanded by a new General Assembly resolution.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy accused UNRWA of acting ""as a front for Hamas"" and said it was ""not bad apples"" that were the problem but a systemic failure to address accusations of support for extremism in its ranks.
+Responding to those comments, Touma said UNRWA had on Jan. 17 ordered an independent review to establish the truth of longstanding claims about UNRWA and its staff.
+Inside the organisation, the accusation that 12 staff members took part in the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel had come as a deep shock. ""If these allegations are true, they are a betrayal of U.N. values and a betrayal of the people we serve,"" Touma said. The organisation believes it has acted quickly despite Israel only making direct accusations to it about 12 staff while allegations were leaked to media that a larger number of employees have Hamas links.  ""UNRWA took a very proactive approach,"" said Touma the UNRWA spokesperson. Its head Philippe Lazzarini went to the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and to the U.S. and other top donors after Israel verbally told him on Jan. 18 it had evidence against 12 UNRWA staff, she said. Lazzarini fired those allegedly involved, an unusual step he is allowed to take ""in the best interests of the agency"", Touma said.
+""UNRWA then went public with the information before anyone else,"" she added. Neither Israel nor any other official source has shared with UNRWA a dossier alleging that 190 of the agency's staff members in Gaza are Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants, but learned about it only when reported in the press, Touma said. Reuters viewed and reported on the Israel intelligence dossier on Monday.  UNRWA regularly shares lists of its employees with Israel and with the governments of countries hosting Palestinian refugees. It last did so in May 2023, Touma said. Israel has never provided a response to those lists ""let alone an objection"", she said. A spokesperson for Israel's government did not respond to Reuters questions on what information they had shared with UNRWA and the UN and major donors or about how long it had known about Hamas links to UNRWA employees. LONG-TERM ROLE Israel has long criticised UNRWA and says its mandate should be given to other U.N. agencies. Its 30,000 staff provide schooling and primary health clinics for Palestinian refugees in several Middle East countries."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/donors-seek-fast-answers-allegations-over-un-agency-gaza-crisis-2024-01-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Donors seek fast answers to allegations over U.N. agency in Gaza crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK/BEIRUT/GENEVA, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Any halt to operations by the U.N. Palestinian agency over Israeli accusations that some of its staff took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack could hamstring the entire humanitarian effort in devastated Gaza, aid agencies say.
+Donors are demanding a swift investigation before resuming funding, though they have praised the work of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Gaza and its response so far to the allegations.
+UNRWA believes it has responded rapidly and transparently to Israel's allegations, which came as Israel faced a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war, and after years of it calling for the agency to be disbanded.
+Israel's offensive in the Palestinian enclave has caused the world's most acute humanitarian crisis, with 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants homeless, large numbers starving and others falling sick.
+UNRWA is at the heart of all aid work in Gaza through its 13,000 employees in the enclave, its clinics and schools, many now acting as packed shelters, and its logistics hubs.
+""The entire aid system in Gaza will be closer to the point of collapse,"" said Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, calling UNRWA ""vital in coordinating aid and providing shelter"".
+""No other organisation than UNRWA has the infrastructure to do the work that they do,"" said the U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
+Some 15 of the agency's most important donors, including top two the United States and Germany, have suspended funding over Israel's allegations.
+About $440 million is at risk, said UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma.
+""The decision to suspend funding from these countries is tantamount to a death sentence for Palestinians,"" the charity Action Aid said.
+The agency and the wider U.N. now face a race to persuade donors they have responded appropriately to Israel's accusations before money runs out at the end of February.
+PROACTIVE
+It is not clear how long the investigation by the U.N.'s oversight office may take. It was important for it to be thorough and ""unimpeachable"", but also swift, U.N. spokesperson Dujarric said.
+Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy accused UNRWA of acting ""as a front for Hamas"" and said it was ""not bad apples"" that were the problem but a systemic failure to address accusations of support for extremism in its ranks.
+Responding to those comments, Touma said UNRWA had on Jan. 17 ordered an independent review to establish the truth of longstanding claims about UNRWA and its staff.
+Inside the organisation, the accusation that 12 staff members took part in the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel had come as a deep shock.
+""If these allegations are true, they are a betrayal of U.N. values and a betrayal of the people we serve,"" Touma said.
+The organisation believes it has acted quickly despite Israel only making direct accusations to it about 12 staff while allegations were leaked to media that a larger number of employees have Hamas links.
+""UNRWA took a very proactive approach,"" said Touma the UNRWA spokesperson. Its head Philippe Lazzarini went to the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and to the U.S. and other top donors after Israel verbally told him on Jan. 18 it had evidence against 12 UNRWA staff, she said.
+Lazzarini fired those allegedly involved, an unusual step he is allowed to take ""in the best interests of the agency"", Touma said.
+""UNRWA then went public with the information before anyone else,"" she added.
+Neither Israel nor any other official source has shared with UNRWA a dossier alleging that 190 of the agency's staff members in Gaza are Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants, but learned about it only when reported in the press, Touma said. Reuters viewed and reported on the Israel intelligence dossier on Monday.
+UNRWA regularly shares lists of its employees with Israel and with the governments of countries hosting Palestinian refugees. It last did so in May 2023, Touma said. Israel has never provided a response to those lists ""let alone an objection"", she said.
+A spokesperson for Israel's government did not respond to Reuters questions on what information they had shared with UNRWA and the UN and major donors or about how long it had known about Hamas links to UNRWA employees.
+LONG-TERM ROLE
+Israel has long criticised UNRWA and says its mandate should be given to other U.N. agencies. Its 30,000 staff provide schooling and primary health clinics for Palestinian refugees in several Middle East countries.
+The first ever U.N. agency, UNRWA was established by a resolution of the body's General Assembly in 1949 to look after refugees who fled or were pushed from their homes when Israel was created.
+Israel has long criticised the curriculum taught in schools UNRWA runs and disputes the agency's count of refugees - an important political issue in any eventual peace talks, with Palestinians demanding a right of return.
+""Israel would like there to be an existential threat to UNRWA because they mistakenly think if you get rid of UNRWA then you suddenly get rid of the refugees and their right to return,"" said former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness.
+""Palestinians have been told across U.N. facilities that they are still refugees from a war that took place decades ago, that they possess a right that does not exist,"" said the Israeli spokesperson Levy.
+However, UNRWA's mandate was renewed by the U.N. General Assembly in 2023 until mid 2026 and the agency could only be disbanded by a new General Assembly resolution.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The first ever U.N. agency, UNRWA was established by a resolution of the body's General Assembly in 1949 to look after refugees who fled or were pushed from their homes when Israel was created.
+Israel has long criticised the curriculum taught in schools UNRWA runs and disputes the agency's count of refugees - an important political issue in any eventual peace talks, with Palestinians demanding a right of return. ""Israel would like there to be an existential threat to UNRWA because they mistakenly think if you get rid of UNRWA then you suddenly get rid of the refugees and their right to return,"" said former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness. ""Palestinians have been told across U.N. facilities that they are still refugees from a war that took place decades ago, that they possess a right that does not exist,"" said the Israeli spokesperson Levy. However, UNRWA's mandate was renewed by the U.N. General Assembly in 2023 until mid 2026 and the agency could only be disbanded by a new General Assembly resolution.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-chief-says-unrwa-is-backbone-gaza-aid-response-2024-01-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief says UNRWA is 'backbone' of Gaza aid response[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Jan 31 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday described the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) as ""the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza"" and appealed to all countries to ""guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's lifesaving work.""
+The United States is the biggest donor to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and has temporarily paused its funding - along with several other countries - after Israel accused some agency staff of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.
+""I was personally horrified by these accusations,"" Guterres told the U.N. Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. ""Yesterday, I met with donors to listen to their concerns and to outline the steps we are taking to address them.""
+The accusations became public on Friday when UNRWA announced it had fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information. Guterres said on Sunday that of 12 people implicated nine were fired, one is dead, and the identity of the remaining two was being clarified.
+At a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Gaza on Wednesday, U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths stressed the importance of UNRWA.
+""To put it very simply and bluntly: our humanitarian response for the occupied Palestinian territory is dependent, completely dependent, on UNRWA being adequately funded and operational,"" Griffiths told the 15-member council.
+""UNRWA's lifesaving services ... to over three quarters of Gaza's residents should not be jeopardized by the alleged actions of a few individuals. It is a matter of extraordinary disproportion,"" he said.
+U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council that Washington's decision to temporarily pause funding was made independently from other donors.
+""Let me be clear, it was not a punitive measure. But it is a wake up call. We need to see fundamental changes at UNRWA to prevent this from happening again,"" she said.
+An Israeli intelligence dossier, seen by Reuters on Monday, includes accusations that some UNRWA staff took part in abductions and killings during the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the Gaza war and alleges some 190 UNRWA employees have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants.
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA.
+UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid.
+""The humanitarian system in Gaza is collapsing,"" Guterres said. ""I am extremely concerned by the inhumane conditions faced by Gaza's 2.2 million people, as they struggle to survive without any of the basics.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief says UNRWA is 'backbone' of Gaza aid response[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Jan 31 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday described the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) as ""the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza"" and appealed to all countries to ""guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's lifesaving work."" The United States is the biggest donor to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and has temporarily paused its funding - along with several other countries - after Israel accused some agency staff of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.  ""I was personally horrified by these accusations,"" Guterres told the U.N. Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. ""Yesterday, I met with donors to listen to their concerns and to outline the steps we are taking to address them.""  The accusations became public on Friday when UNRWA announced it had fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information. Guterres said on Sunday that of 12 people implicated nine were fired, one is dead, and the identity of the remaining two was being clarified.  At a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Gaza on Wednesday, U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths stressed the importance of UNRWA.  ""To put it very simply and bluntly: our humanitarian response for the occupied Palestinian territory is dependent, completely dependent, on UNRWA being adequately funded and operational,"" Griffiths told the 15-member council.
+"" UNRWA's lifesaving services ... to over three quarters of Gaza's residents should not be jeopardized by the alleged actions of a few individuals. It is a matter of extraordinary disproportion,"" he said. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council that Washington's decision to temporarily pause funding was made independently from other donors.  ""Let me be clear, it was not a punitive measure. But it is a wake up call. We need to see fundamental changes at UNRWA to prevent this from happening again,"" she said. An Israeli intelligence dossier, seen by Reuters on Monday, includes accusations that some UNRWA staff took part in abductions and killings during the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the Gaza war and alleges some 190 UNRWA employees have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants.
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA.
+UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid.  ""The humanitarian system in Gaza is collapsing,"" Guterres said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-chief-says-unrwa-is-backbone-gaza-aid-response-2024-01-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief says UNRWA is 'backbone' of Gaza aid response[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Jan 31 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday described the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) as ""the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza"" and appealed to all countries to ""guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's lifesaving work.""
+The United States is the biggest donor to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and has temporarily paused its funding - along with several other countries - after Israel accused some agency staff of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.
+""I was personally horrified by these accusations,"" Guterres told the U.N. Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. ""Yesterday, I met with donors to listen to their concerns and to outline the steps we are taking to address them.""
+The accusations became public on Friday when UNRWA announced it had fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information. Guterres said on Sunday that of 12 people implicated nine were fired, one is dead, and the identity of the remaining two was being clarified.
+At a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Gaza on Wednesday, U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths stressed the importance of UNRWA.
+""To put it very simply and bluntly: our humanitarian response for the occupied Palestinian territory is dependent, completely dependent, on UNRWA being adequately funded and operational,"" Griffiths told the 15-member council.
+""UNRWA's lifesaving services ... to over three quarters of Gaza's residents should not be jeopardized by the alleged actions of a few individuals. It is a matter of extraordinary disproportion,"" he said.
+U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council that Washington's decision to temporarily pause funding was made independently from other donors.
+""Let me be clear, it was not a punitive measure. But it is a wake up call. We need to see fundamental changes at UNRWA to prevent this from happening again,"" she said.
+An Israeli intelligence dossier, seen by Reuters on Monday, includes accusations that some UNRWA staff took part in abductions and killings during the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the Gaza war and alleges some 190 UNRWA employees have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants.
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA.
+UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid.
+""The humanitarian system in Gaza is collapsing,"" Guterres said. ""I am extremely concerned by the inhumane conditions faced by Gaza's 2.2 million people, as they struggle to survive without any of the basics.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""I am extremely concerned by the inhumane conditions faced by Gaza's 2.2 million people, as they struggle to survive without any of the basics.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/starbucks-did-not-rebrand-itself-vista-coffee-ireland-2024-01-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Starbucks did not rebrand itself as 'Vista Coffee' in Ireland[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]The replacement of a Starbucks outlet in Dublin Airport with another coffee brand, which is temporarily selling Starbucks products as a result of an arrangement with the franchisee, has prompted a baseless claim online that the global coffee chain rebranded itself because of boycott calls over its stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
+Posts on social media platforms X, opens new tab and Facebook, opens new tab shared photographs of the new Vista Coffee outlet at Dublin Airport Terminal 1, claiming it showed an officially rebranded Starbucks.
+“Starbucks changed its name to Vista Coffee as a result of losing billions of money due to boycotts carried out by a number of countries regarding Israel’s aggression against Gaza, Palestine,” reads the caption accompanying the example post on X.
+There were calls in 2023 for a boycott of Starbucks following its reaction to a now-deleted post, opens new tab by Workers United, a union for its baristas, which expressed support for Palestinians after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the outbreak of war in Gaza. The company criticised the post, saying it reflected ""support for violence perpetrated by Hamas"".
+Starbucks and Workers United, opens new tab have since sued each other.
+Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said protests over the company’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war have been ""influenced by misrepresentation on social media"" of what the coffee chain stands for.
+In a Dec. 29 statement, opens new tab, the brand said: “Starbucks stands for humanity. We condemn violence, the loss of innocent life and all hate and weaponized speech.”
+VISTA COFFEE
+A Starbucks spokesperson told Reuters in an email that the Vista Coffee outlet in Dublin Airport Terminal 1 is not operated by Starbucks.
+They said the outlet closed and ceased operating as Starbucks on Dec. 31, 2023, when its lease expired.
+According to Dublin Airport’s website, opens new tab, three other Starbucks outlets remain open and operating under the Starbucks brand in Terminals 1 and 2.
+A spokesperson for Dublin Airport told Reuters that KSG Catering, a specialist restaurant and food services company in Ireland, had taken over the former Starbucks outlet and had opened temporarily as Vista Coffee until a local brand opens there in spring 2024.
+KSG Catering secured a deal in the meantime to use the fixtures and fittings left behind by the previous occupier, SSP, opens new tab, the franchisee of the specific Starbucks outlet, opens new tab, and for SSP to supply KSG with products on a temporary basis, the Dublin Airport spokesperson said.
+Neither KSG Catering nor SSP responded to Reuters requests for comment.
+KSG Catering said in a Jan. 18 press release, opens new tab that it will operate 15 new cafes, bars, and restaurants across Terminals 1 and 2, in partnership with Dublin Airport.
+The Dublin Airport spokesperson added: “This change is part of a major overhaul of the food and beverage offerings in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 which will happen over the coming months. This will see several units operate on a temporary basis – under generic brands – for short periods, while fit-out works are completed.”
+VERDICT
+Misleading. Starbucks has not rebranded itself. A new operator runs Vista Coffee in the former Starbucks outlet. The new brand, operated by KSG Catering, is temporarily being supplied with products from the Starbucks franchisee until a local brand opens in spring 2024. Three other Starbucks outlets remain open in Terminals 1 and 2.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Starbucks did not rebrand itself as 'Vista Coffee' in Ireland[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]The replacement of a Starbucks outlet in Dublin Airport with another coffee brand, which is temporarily selling Starbucks products as a result of an arrangement with the franchisee, has prompted a baseless claim online that the global coffee chain rebranded itself because of boycott calls over its stance on the Israel-Hamas war. Posts on social media platforms X, opens new tab and Facebook, opens new tab shared photographs of the new Vista Coffee outlet at Dublin Airport Terminal 1, claiming it showed an officially rebranded Starbucks.  “Starbucks changed its name to Vista Coffee as a result of losing billions of money due to boycotts carried out by a number of countries regarding Israel’s aggression against Gaza, Palestine,” reads the caption accompanying the example post on X.
+There were calls in 2023 for a boycott of Starbucks following its reaction to a now-deleted post, opens new tab by Workers United, a union for its baristas, which expressed support for Palestinians after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the outbreak of war in Gaza. The company criticised the post, saying it reflected ""support for violence perpetrated by Hamas"". Starbucks and Workers United, opens new tab have since sued each other. Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said protests over the company’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war have been ""influenced by misrepresentation on social media"" of what the coffee chain stands for.  In a Dec. 29 statement, opens new tab, the brand said: “Starbucks stands for humanity. We condemn violence, the loss of innocent life and all hate and weaponized speech. ” VISTA COFFEE
+A Starbucks spokesperson told Reuters in an email that the Vista Coffee outlet in Dublin Airport Terminal 1 is not operated by Starbucks. They said the outlet closed and ceased operating as Starbucks on Dec. 31, 2023, when its lease expired. According to Dublin Airport’s website, opens new tab, three other Starbucks outlets remain open and operating under the Starbucks brand in Terminals 1 and 2. A spokesperson for Dublin Airport told Reuters that KSG Catering, a specialist restaurant and food services company in Ireland, had taken over the former Starbucks outlet and had opened temporarily as Vista Coffee until a local brand opens there in spring 2024.
+KSG Catering secured a deal in the meantime to use the fixtures and fittings left behind by the previous occupier, SSP, opens new tab, the franchisee of the specific Starbucks outlet, opens new tab, and for SSP to supply KSG with products on a temporary basis, the Dublin Airport spokesperson said."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/starbucks-did-not-rebrand-itself-vista-coffee-ireland-2024-01-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Starbucks did not rebrand itself as 'Vista Coffee' in Ireland[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]The replacement of a Starbucks outlet in Dublin Airport with another coffee brand, which is temporarily selling Starbucks products as a result of an arrangement with the franchisee, has prompted a baseless claim online that the global coffee chain rebranded itself because of boycott calls over its stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
+Posts on social media platforms X, opens new tab and Facebook, opens new tab shared photographs of the new Vista Coffee outlet at Dublin Airport Terminal 1, claiming it showed an officially rebranded Starbucks.
+“Starbucks changed its name to Vista Coffee as a result of losing billions of money due to boycotts carried out by a number of countries regarding Israel’s aggression against Gaza, Palestine,” reads the caption accompanying the example post on X.
+There were calls in 2023 for a boycott of Starbucks following its reaction to a now-deleted post, opens new tab by Workers United, a union for its baristas, which expressed support for Palestinians after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the outbreak of war in Gaza. The company criticised the post, saying it reflected ""support for violence perpetrated by Hamas"".
+Starbucks and Workers United, opens new tab have since sued each other.
+Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said protests over the company’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war have been ""influenced by misrepresentation on social media"" of what the coffee chain stands for.
+In a Dec. 29 statement, opens new tab, the brand said: “Starbucks stands for humanity. We condemn violence, the loss of innocent life and all hate and weaponized speech.”
+VISTA COFFEE
+A Starbucks spokesperson told Reuters in an email that the Vista Coffee outlet in Dublin Airport Terminal 1 is not operated by Starbucks.
+They said the outlet closed and ceased operating as Starbucks on Dec. 31, 2023, when its lease expired.
+According to Dublin Airport’s website, opens new tab, three other Starbucks outlets remain open and operating under the Starbucks brand in Terminals 1 and 2.
+A spokesperson for Dublin Airport told Reuters that KSG Catering, a specialist restaurant and food services company in Ireland, had taken over the former Starbucks outlet and had opened temporarily as Vista Coffee until a local brand opens there in spring 2024.
+KSG Catering secured a deal in the meantime to use the fixtures and fittings left behind by the previous occupier, SSP, opens new tab, the franchisee of the specific Starbucks outlet, opens new tab, and for SSP to supply KSG with products on a temporary basis, the Dublin Airport spokesperson said.
+Neither KSG Catering nor SSP responded to Reuters requests for comment.
+KSG Catering said in a Jan. 18 press release, opens new tab that it will operate 15 new cafes, bars, and restaurants across Terminals 1 and 2, in partnership with Dublin Airport.
+The Dublin Airport spokesperson added: “This change is part of a major overhaul of the food and beverage offerings in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 which will happen over the coming months. This will see several units operate on a temporary basis – under generic brands – for short periods, while fit-out works are completed.”
+VERDICT
+Misleading. Starbucks has not rebranded itself. A new operator runs Vista Coffee in the former Starbucks outlet. The new brand, operated by KSG Catering, is temporarily being supplied with products from the Starbucks franchisee until a local brand opens in spring 2024. Three other Starbucks outlets remain open in Terminals 1 and 2.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Neither KSG Catering nor SSP responded to Reuters requests for comment.  KSG Catering said in a Jan. 18 press release, opens new tab that it will operate 15 new cafes, bars, and restaurants across Terminals 1 and 2, in partnership with Dublin Airport.
+The Dublin Airport spokesperson added: “This change is part of a major overhaul of the food and beverage offerings in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 which will happen over the coming months. This will see several units operate on a temporary basis – under generic brands – for short periods, while fit-out works are completed.”  VERDICT
+Misleading. Starbucks has not rebranded itself. A new operator runs Vista Coffee in the former Starbucks outlet. The new brand, operated by KSG Catering, is temporarily being supplied with products from the Starbucks franchisee until a local brand opens in spring 2024. Three other Starbucks outlets remain open in Terminals 1 and 2.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-says-fundamental-changes-needed-before-unrwa-funding-resumes-2024-01-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US calls for 'fundamental changes' before UNRWA funding resumes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The United States said on Tuesday that the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees needs to make ""fundamental changes"" before Washington will resume funding that was halted over Israeli accusations that some agency staff took part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.
+U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield welcomed a U.N. inquiry into the accusations against staff at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and a planned agency review. She also said the U.S. was seeking more detail from Israel about the allegations.
+She described ""fundamental changes"" as: ""We need to look at the organization, how it operates in Gaza, how they manage their staff and to ensure that people who commit criminal acts, such as these 12 individuals, are held accountable immediately so that UNRWA can continue the essential work that it's doing.""
+The accusations became public on Friday when UNRWA announced it had fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday that of 12 people implicated nine were fired, one is dead, and the identity of the remaining two was being clarified.
+The United States - UNRWA's biggest donor - temporarily paused its funding, along with a cascade of other countries. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that Washington provides $300-400 million a year.
+Miller said that in the current fiscal year, which began in October, the U.S. had so far provided about $121 million to UNRWA.
+Guterres met with dozens of UNRWA donors in New York for more than two hours on Tuesday to discuss the U.N. action being taken in response to the Israeli allegations and hear concerns. Several ambassadors described the meeting as constructive.
+Guterres appealed to countries who had suspended UNRWA funding to reconsider and to ""other countries, including those in the region, also to step up to the plate,"" Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters after the meeting.
+China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said Guterres shared information with donors about the individual accusations made against UNRWA staff.
+""We are at a very critical moment in coping with the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the war is still going on ... we should not allow these individual cases to dilute our attention in pursuing a ceasefire,"" Zhang told reporters.
+'NO SUBSTITUTION'
+An Israeli intelligence dossier, seen by Reuters on Monday, includes accusations that some UNRWA staff took part in abductions and killings during the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the Gaza war and alleges some 190 UNRWA employees have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants.
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA.
+U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday that Israel has not yet shared the intelligence dossier with the U.N.
+UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid.
+""Every year, UNRWA shares its list of staff with the host countries where it works,"" said Dujarric. ""For the work that it does in Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA shares the list of staff with both the Palestinian Authority and with the Israeli government, as the occupying power for those areas.""
+Earlier on Tuesday, the U.N. Security Council expressed concern about the ""dire and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation"" and urged all parties to work with U.N. Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag.
+The statement by the 15-member council came after Kaag briefed the body behind closed doors for the first time since she was appointed about a month ago. Kaag said there was ""no substitution"" for the humanitarian role of UNRWA.
+""There is no way that any organization can replace or substitute the tremendous capacity, the fabric of UNRWA, the ability and their knowledge of the population in Gaza,"" Kaag told reporters after the briefing.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US calls for 'fundamental changes' before UNRWA funding resumes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The United States said on Tuesday that the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees needs to make ""fundamental changes"" before Washington will resume funding that was halted over Israeli accusations that some agency staff took part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.  U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield welcomed a U.N. inquiry into the accusations against staff at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and a planned agency review. She also said the U.S. was seeking more detail from Israel about the allegations. She described ""fundamental changes"" as: ""We need to look at the organization, how it operates in Gaza, how they manage their staff and to ensure that people who commit criminal acts, such as these 12 individuals, are held accountable immediately so that UNRWA can continue the essential work that it's doing.""  The accusations became public on Friday when UNRWA announced it had fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday that of 12 people implicated nine were fired, one is dead, and the identity of the remaining two was being clarified. The United States - UNRWA's biggest donor - temporarily paused its funding, along with a cascade of other countries. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that Washington provides $300-400 million a year. Miller said that in the current fiscal year, which began in October, the U.S. had so far provided about $121 million to UNRWA.  Guterres met with dozens of UNRWA donors in New York for more than two hours on Tuesday to discuss the U.N. action being taken in response to the Israeli allegations and hear concerns. Several ambassadors described the meeting as constructive. Guterres appealed to countries who had suspended UNRWA funding to reconsider and to ""other countries, including those in the region, also to step up to the plate,"" Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters after the meeting. China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said Guterres shared information with donors about the individual accusations made against UNRWA staff.  ""We are at a very critical moment in coping with the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the war is still going on ... we should not allow these individual cases to dilute our attention in pursuing a ceasefire,"" Zhang told reporters. 'NO SUBSTITUTION'"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-says-fundamental-changes-needed-before-unrwa-funding-resumes-2024-01-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US calls for 'fundamental changes' before UNRWA funding resumes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The United States said on Tuesday that the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees needs to make ""fundamental changes"" before Washington will resume funding that was halted over Israeli accusations that some agency staff took part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.
+U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield welcomed a U.N. inquiry into the accusations against staff at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and a planned agency review. She also said the U.S. was seeking more detail from Israel about the allegations.
+She described ""fundamental changes"" as: ""We need to look at the organization, how it operates in Gaza, how they manage their staff and to ensure that people who commit criminal acts, such as these 12 individuals, are held accountable immediately so that UNRWA can continue the essential work that it's doing.""
+The accusations became public on Friday when UNRWA announced it had fired some staff after Israel provided the agency with information. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday that of 12 people implicated nine were fired, one is dead, and the identity of the remaining two was being clarified.
+The United States - UNRWA's biggest donor - temporarily paused its funding, along with a cascade of other countries. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that Washington provides $300-400 million a year.
+Miller said that in the current fiscal year, which began in October, the U.S. had so far provided about $121 million to UNRWA.
+Guterres met with dozens of UNRWA donors in New York for more than two hours on Tuesday to discuss the U.N. action being taken in response to the Israeli allegations and hear concerns. Several ambassadors described the meeting as constructive.
+Guterres appealed to countries who had suspended UNRWA funding to reconsider and to ""other countries, including those in the region, also to step up to the plate,"" Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters after the meeting.
+China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said Guterres shared information with donors about the individual accusations made against UNRWA staff.
+""We are at a very critical moment in coping with the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the war is still going on ... we should not allow these individual cases to dilute our attention in pursuing a ceasefire,"" Zhang told reporters.
+'NO SUBSTITUTION'
+An Israeli intelligence dossier, seen by Reuters on Monday, includes accusations that some UNRWA staff took part in abductions and killings during the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the Gaza war and alleges some 190 UNRWA employees have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants.
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA.
+U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday that Israel has not yet shared the intelligence dossier with the U.N.
+UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid.
+""Every year, UNRWA shares its list of staff with the host countries where it works,"" said Dujarric. ""For the work that it does in Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA shares the list of staff with both the Palestinian Authority and with the Israeli government, as the occupying power for those areas.""
+Earlier on Tuesday, the U.N. Security Council expressed concern about the ""dire and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation"" and urged all parties to work with U.N. Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag.
+The statement by the 15-member council came after Kaag briefed the body behind closed doors for the first time since she was appointed about a month ago. Kaag said there was ""no substitution"" for the humanitarian role of UNRWA.
+""There is no way that any organization can replace or substitute the tremendous capacity, the fabric of UNRWA, the ability and their knowledge of the population in Gaza,"" Kaag told reporters after the briefing.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","An Israeli intelligence dossier, seen by Reuters on Monday, includes accusations that some UNRWA staff took part in abductions and killings during the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the Gaza war and alleges some 190 UNRWA employees have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants.
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday that Israel has not yet shared the intelligence dossier with the U.N.
+UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid.  ""Every year, UNRWA shares its list of staff with the host countries where it works,"" said Dujarric. ""For the work that it does in Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA shares the list of staff with both the Palestinian Authority and with the Israeli government, as the occupying power for those areas.""  Earlier on Tuesday, the U.N. Security Council expressed concern about the ""dire and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation"" and urged all parties to work with U.N. Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag.  The statement by the 15-member council came after Kaag briefed the body behind closed doors for the first time since she was appointed about a month ago. Kaag said there was ""no substitution"" for the humanitarian role of UNRWA.  ""There is no way that any organization can replace or substitute the tremendous capacity, the fabric of UNRWA, the ability and their knowledge of the population in Gaza,"" Kaag told reporters after the briefing.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/what-is-unrwa-un-palestinian-refugee-agency-2024-01-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is UNRWA and why are some countries suspending its funding?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Major donors to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) have suspended funding after allegations emerged that around 12 of its tens of thousands of Palestinian employees were suspected of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas.
+Here are some facts about UNRWA:
+WHAT DOES UNRWA DO?
+UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) was established in 1949 by a U.N. General Assembly resolution, following the war surrounding the founding of Israel, when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes.
+Today it directly employs 30,000 Palestinians, serving the civic and humanitarian needs of 5.9 million descendants of those refugees, in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and in vast camps in neighbouring Arab countries. In Gaza, it employs 13,000 people, running the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, as well as distributing humanitarian aid. Its services in Gaza have increased in importance since 2005, when Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade causing an economic collapse with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.
+Since Israel launched its war following the Oct. 7 attacks, around a million Gazans, or nearly 45% of the enclave's population, have been sheltering in UNRWA schools, clinics and other public buildings.
+Nearly the entire Gazan population now relies on UNRWA for basic necessities, including food, water and hygiene supplies.
+More than 150 UNRWA staff have been killed since the start of the conflict, making it the deadliest conflict ever for U.N. employees.
+WHO ARE ITS MAIN DONORS?
+Contributions from United Nations member states, including regional governments and the European Union, account for more than 89% of the agency's funding. It also receives funding from the regular U.N. budget and financial contributions from other U.N. bodies.
+In 2022, its top government donors were the United States, Germany, the European Union, Sweden, Norway, Japan, France, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Turkey.
+Countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland have suspended their funding of the agency in the wake of the allegations.
+WHAT ARE ISRAEL'S ALLEGATIONS?
+A six-page Israeli dossier shared with the United States and reviewed by Reuters says 12 UNRWA staff members took part in the Oct. 7 attacks, including nine who worked as teachers in the agency's schools. Ten of them directly participated in the raid into Israeli territory, during which fighters killed 1,200 people and captured more than 240 hostages, and two others were summoned to assist the raid.
+Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the number of UNRWA staff that participated in the raid was 13.
+The dossier says Israel also has wider evidence that UNRWA has employed 190 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants.
+WHAT DOES UNRWA SAY ABOUT THE ISRAELI ACCUSATIONS?
+UNRWA says it acted swiftly to fire staff after being alerted of Israeli evidence that they participated in the Oct. 7 attacks. It believes the cuts to its funding now could jeopardise its entire mission and dramatically worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian emergency in Gaza.
+""It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation,"" UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said.
+A spokesperson for the agency said on Monday that UNRWA would not be able to continue operations in Gaza and across the region beyond the end of February if funding did not resume.
+UNRWA has been under financial strain for years. In January 2023, it appealed for $1.6 billion in funding, saying its operations were at risk.
+WHAT HAS ISRAEL SAID ABOUT UNRWA OVER THE YEARS?
+Israeli authorities have long called for the agency to be dismantled, arguing that its mission is obsolete and it fosters anti-Israeli sentiment among its staff, in its schools and in its wider social mission. UNRWA strongly disputes this characterisation.
+UNRWA is ""perforated with Hamas"", Netanyahu said on Monday. ""In UNRWA schools they've been teaching the doctrines of extermination for Israel - the doctrines of terrorism, glorifying terrorism, lauding terrorism"".
+Netanyahu has in the past called on the United States, Israel's top ally and the agency's biggest donor, to roll back its support. He praised the Donald Trump administration for defunding the agency.
+UNRWA has also faced other controversies in the past. In 2019, the head of the agency resigned amid a misconduct inquiry. In 2014, the head of the United Nations expressed alarm after rockets were found at a vacant UNRWA school and later went missing.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is UNRWA and why are some countries suspending its funding?[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Major donors to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) have suspended funding after allegations emerged that around 12 of its tens of thousands of Palestinian employees were suspected of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas. Here are some facts about UNRWA:
+WHAT DOES UNRWA DO? UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) was established in 1949 by a U.N. General Assembly resolution, following the war surrounding the founding of Israel, when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes. Today it directly employs 30,000 Palestinians, serving the civic and humanitarian needs of 5.9 million descendants of those refugees, in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and in vast camps in neighbouring Arab countries. In Gaza, it employs 13,000 people, running the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, as well as distributing humanitarian aid. Its services in Gaza have increased in importance since 2005, when Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade causing an economic collapse with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. Since Israel launched its war following the Oct. 7 attacks, around a million Gazans, or nearly 45% of the enclave's population, have been sheltering in UNRWA schools, clinics and other public buildings. Nearly the entire Gazan population now relies on UNRWA for basic necessities, including food, water and hygiene supplies. More than 150 UNRWA staff have been killed since the start of the conflict, making it the deadliest conflict ever for U.N. employees.
+WHO ARE ITS MAIN DONORS?  Contributions from United Nations member states, including regional governments and the European Union, account for more than 89% of the agency's funding. It also receives funding from the regular U.N. budget and financial contributions from other U.N. bodies. In 2022, its top government donors were the United States, Germany, the European Union, Sweden, Norway, Japan, France, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Turkey. Countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland have suspended their funding of the agency in the wake of the allegations.
+WHAT ARE ISRAEL'S ALLEGATIONS?  A six-page Israeli dossier shared with the United States and reviewed by Reuters says 12 UNRWA staff members took part in the Oct. 7 attacks, including nine who worked as teachers in the agency's schools."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/what-is-unrwa-un-palestinian-refugee-agency-2024-01-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is UNRWA and why are some countries suspending its funding?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Major donors to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) have suspended funding after allegations emerged that around 12 of its tens of thousands of Palestinian employees were suspected of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas.
+Here are some facts about UNRWA:
+WHAT DOES UNRWA DO?
+UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) was established in 1949 by a U.N. General Assembly resolution, following the war surrounding the founding of Israel, when 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes.
+Today it directly employs 30,000 Palestinians, serving the civic and humanitarian needs of 5.9 million descendants of those refugees, in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and in vast camps in neighbouring Arab countries. In Gaza, it employs 13,000 people, running the enclave's schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, as well as distributing humanitarian aid. Its services in Gaza have increased in importance since 2005, when Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade causing an economic collapse with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.
+Since Israel launched its war following the Oct. 7 attacks, around a million Gazans, or nearly 45% of the enclave's population, have been sheltering in UNRWA schools, clinics and other public buildings.
+Nearly the entire Gazan population now relies on UNRWA for basic necessities, including food, water and hygiene supplies.
+More than 150 UNRWA staff have been killed since the start of the conflict, making it the deadliest conflict ever for U.N. employees.
+WHO ARE ITS MAIN DONORS?
+Contributions from United Nations member states, including regional governments and the European Union, account for more than 89% of the agency's funding. It also receives funding from the regular U.N. budget and financial contributions from other U.N. bodies.
+In 2022, its top government donors were the United States, Germany, the European Union, Sweden, Norway, Japan, France, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Turkey.
+Countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland have suspended their funding of the agency in the wake of the allegations.
+WHAT ARE ISRAEL'S ALLEGATIONS?
+A six-page Israeli dossier shared with the United States and reviewed by Reuters says 12 UNRWA staff members took part in the Oct. 7 attacks, including nine who worked as teachers in the agency's schools. Ten of them directly participated in the raid into Israeli territory, during which fighters killed 1,200 people and captured more than 240 hostages, and two others were summoned to assist the raid.
+Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the number of UNRWA staff that participated in the raid was 13.
+The dossier says Israel also has wider evidence that UNRWA has employed 190 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants.
+WHAT DOES UNRWA SAY ABOUT THE ISRAELI ACCUSATIONS?
+UNRWA says it acted swiftly to fire staff after being alerted of Israeli evidence that they participated in the Oct. 7 attacks. It believes the cuts to its funding now could jeopardise its entire mission and dramatically worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian emergency in Gaza.
+""It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation,"" UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said.
+A spokesperson for the agency said on Monday that UNRWA would not be able to continue operations in Gaza and across the region beyond the end of February if funding did not resume.
+UNRWA has been under financial strain for years. In January 2023, it appealed for $1.6 billion in funding, saying its operations were at risk.
+WHAT HAS ISRAEL SAID ABOUT UNRWA OVER THE YEARS?
+Israeli authorities have long called for the agency to be dismantled, arguing that its mission is obsolete and it fosters anti-Israeli sentiment among its staff, in its schools and in its wider social mission. UNRWA strongly disputes this characterisation.
+UNRWA is ""perforated with Hamas"", Netanyahu said on Monday. ""In UNRWA schools they've been teaching the doctrines of extermination for Israel - the doctrines of terrorism, glorifying terrorism, lauding terrorism"".
+Netanyahu has in the past called on the United States, Israel's top ally and the agency's biggest donor, to roll back its support. He praised the Donald Trump administration for defunding the agency.
+UNRWA has also faced other controversies in the past. In 2019, the head of the agency resigned amid a misconduct inquiry. In 2014, the head of the United Nations expressed alarm after rockets were found at a vacant UNRWA school and later went missing.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Ten of them directly participated in the raid into Israeli territory, during which fighters killed 1,200 people and captured more than 240 hostages, and two others were summoned to assist the raid. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the number of UNRWA staff that participated in the raid was 13. The dossier says Israel also has wider evidence that UNRWA has employed 190 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants. WHAT DOES UNRWA SAY ABOUT THE ISRAELI ACCUSATIONS?  UNRWA says it acted swiftly to fire staff after being alerted of Israeli evidence that they participated in the Oct. 7 attacks. It believes the cuts to its funding now could jeopardise its entire mission and dramatically worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian emergency in Gaza. ""It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation,"" UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said. A spokesperson for the agency said on Monday that UNRWA would not be able to continue operations in Gaza and across the region beyond the end of February if funding did not resume.  UNRWA has been under financial strain for years. In January 2023, it appealed for $1.6 billion in funding, saying its operations were at risk.  WHAT HAS ISRAEL SAID ABOUT UNRWA OVER THE YEARS?
+Israeli authorities have long called for the agency to be dismantled, arguing that its mission is obsolete and it fosters anti-Israeli sentiment among its staff, in its schools and in its wider social mission. UNRWA strongly disputes this characterisation.  UNRWA is ""perforated with Hamas"", Netanyahu said on Monday. ""In UNRWA schools they've been teaching the doctrines of extermination for Israel - the doctrines of terrorism, glorifying terrorism, lauding terrorism"".  Netanyahu has in the past called on the United States, Israel's top ally and the agency's biggest donor, to roll back its support. He praised the Donald Trump administration for defunding the agency.  UNRWA has also faced other controversies in the past. In 2019, the head of the agency resigned amid a misconduct inquiry. In 2014, the head of the United Nations expressed alarm after rockets were found at a vacant UNRWA school and later went missing.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-gaza-see-unrwa-funding-cuts-death-sentence-2024-01-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians in Gaza see UNRWA funding cuts as 'death sentence'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Palestinian mother Mazouza Hassan stood aghast at the potential threats to the work of the U.N. agency that handles most aid in Gaza after some Western states suspended funding to it over allegations employees took part in the Hamas attack on Israel.
+""We are thrown into tents and our children need to be vaccinated and pregnant women need to give birth ... Where will these people go?"" said Hassan, one of the 85% of Gaza residents made homeless by Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
+The war has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian catastrophe, leaving its shelled-out population at risk from famine and disease with the medical system in collapse, schools turned into shelters and much of the population living in tents.
+For many of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was already critically important even before the latest Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7.
+UNRWA ran Gaza's schools, primary healthcare clinics and other social services. As the main conduit for aid in the tiny, crowded enclave it now stands to many Palestinians as a last barrier between them and total disaster.
+An UNRWA spokesperson said the agency would not be able to continue such operations after February if funding were not resumed. More than 10 countries including major donor the United States have suspended funding.
+""UNRWA is our future and our life from the beginning until today. Who will support us?"" Hassan said, standing near her children in Rafah at the southern end of the Gaza Strip.
+The agency employs about 13,000 people in Gaza, part of a total workforce of about 30,000 working with Palestinian refugees around the Middle East.
+Israel has alleged that 13 of UNRWA's Gaza employees took part in the surprise Hamas incursion into Israel that killed more than 1,200 people and triggered the conflict. A dossier Israel has produced says a total of 190 UNRWA staff have also been militants with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
+The agency has said it has fired some staffers and is investigating Israel's allegations.
+Israel's assault on Gaza since Oct. 7 has killed at least 26,600 people, say health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, prompting a South African charge of genocide, denied by Israel, at the International Court of Justice.
+'DEATH SENTENCE'
+At an UNRWA aid distribution point in Rafah, a city on the border with Egypt swollen by displaced people, men toted heavy sacks of flour as Palestinians stood in line for supplies.
+Former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said the organisation had long faced funding problems as it worked to provide core services such as education. However, it was UNRWA's emergency humanitarian work that he now feared for most.
+""Its emergency programme now is most important. You can't procure food if you have no money to pay suppliers,"" he said.
+""The real risk is that the most desperate people, women with newborn babies turning up for food and medicine and water and hygiene products, will face the worst impact.""
+One man waiting at the distribution centre, Ahmed al-Nahal, called the funding halts ""a death sentence"", saying people would starve in the streets if aid supplies were halted.
+""If it were not for God and then the UNRWA agency, we would be dead,"" he added.
+UNWRA was founded in 1948 to carry out relief operations for Palestinian refugees from the war which accompanied the foundation of the state of Israel. Israel has long called for it to be dismantled, arguing its mission is obsolete and that it fosters anti-Israeli sentiment among its staff, which the agency denies.
+""It is about time to dissolve UNRWA and to think about other ways to support the Palestinians,"" said Israeli lawmaker Danny Danon from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party.
+Cooking flat bread with UNRWA-supplied flour in a homemade oven next to the tent where she now lives, Umm Hassan al-Masry said she relied on the agency for everything.
+""We are waiting for their aid by the hour,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians in Gaza see UNRWA funding cuts as 'death sentence'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Palestinian mother Mazouza Hassan stood aghast at the potential threats to the work of the U.N. agency that handles most aid in Gaza after some Western states suspended funding to it over allegations employees took part in the Hamas attack on Israel. ""We are thrown into tents and our children need to be vaccinated and pregnant women need to give birth ... Where will these people go?"" said Hassan, one of the 85% of Gaza residents made homeless by Israel's military campaign in Gaza. The war has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian catastrophe, leaving its shelled-out population at risk from famine and disease with the medical system in collapse, schools turned into shelters and much of the population living in tents. For many of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was already critically important even before the latest Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7.  UNRWA ran Gaza's schools, primary healthcare clinics and other social services. As the main conduit for aid in the tiny, crowded enclave it now stands to many Palestinians as a last barrier between them and total disaster. An UNRWA spokesperson said the agency would not be able to continue such operations after February if funding were not resumed. More than 10 countries including major donor the United States have suspended funding. ""UNRWA is our future and our life from the beginning until today. Who will support us?"" Hassan said, standing near her children in Rafah at the southern end of the Gaza Strip. The agency employs about 13,000 people in Gaza, part of a total workforce of about 30,000 working with Palestinian refugees around the Middle East.  Israel has alleged that 13 of UNRWA's Gaza employees took part in the surprise Hamas incursion into Israel that killed more than 1,200 people and triggered the conflict. A dossier Israel has produced says a total of 190 UNRWA staff have also been militants with Hamas or Islamic Jihad. The agency has said it has fired some staffers and is investigating Israel's allegations. Israel's assault on Gaza since Oct. 7 has killed at least 26,600 people, say health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, prompting a South African charge of genocide, denied by Israel, at the International Court of Justice. 'DEATH SENTENCE' "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-gaza-see-unrwa-funding-cuts-death-sentence-2024-01-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians in Gaza see UNRWA funding cuts as 'death sentence'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Palestinian mother Mazouza Hassan stood aghast at the potential threats to the work of the U.N. agency that handles most aid in Gaza after some Western states suspended funding to it over allegations employees took part in the Hamas attack on Israel.
+""We are thrown into tents and our children need to be vaccinated and pregnant women need to give birth ... Where will these people go?"" said Hassan, one of the 85% of Gaza residents made homeless by Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
+The war has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian catastrophe, leaving its shelled-out population at risk from famine and disease with the medical system in collapse, schools turned into shelters and much of the population living in tents.
+For many of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was already critically important even before the latest Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7.
+UNRWA ran Gaza's schools, primary healthcare clinics and other social services. As the main conduit for aid in the tiny, crowded enclave it now stands to many Palestinians as a last barrier between them and total disaster.
+An UNRWA spokesperson said the agency would not be able to continue such operations after February if funding were not resumed. More than 10 countries including major donor the United States have suspended funding.
+""UNRWA is our future and our life from the beginning until today. Who will support us?"" Hassan said, standing near her children in Rafah at the southern end of the Gaza Strip.
+The agency employs about 13,000 people in Gaza, part of a total workforce of about 30,000 working with Palestinian refugees around the Middle East.
+Israel has alleged that 13 of UNRWA's Gaza employees took part in the surprise Hamas incursion into Israel that killed more than 1,200 people and triggered the conflict. A dossier Israel has produced says a total of 190 UNRWA staff have also been militants with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
+The agency has said it has fired some staffers and is investigating Israel's allegations.
+Israel's assault on Gaza since Oct. 7 has killed at least 26,600 people, say health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, prompting a South African charge of genocide, denied by Israel, at the International Court of Justice.
+'DEATH SENTENCE'
+At an UNRWA aid distribution point in Rafah, a city on the border with Egypt swollen by displaced people, men toted heavy sacks of flour as Palestinians stood in line for supplies.
+Former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said the organisation had long faced funding problems as it worked to provide core services such as education. However, it was UNRWA's emergency humanitarian work that he now feared for most.
+""Its emergency programme now is most important. You can't procure food if you have no money to pay suppliers,"" he said.
+""The real risk is that the most desperate people, women with newborn babies turning up for food and medicine and water and hygiene products, will face the worst impact.""
+One man waiting at the distribution centre, Ahmed al-Nahal, called the funding halts ""a death sentence"", saying people would starve in the streets if aid supplies were halted.
+""If it were not for God and then the UNRWA agency, we would be dead,"" he added.
+UNWRA was founded in 1948 to carry out relief operations for Palestinian refugees from the war which accompanied the foundation of the state of Israel. Israel has long called for it to be dismantled, arguing its mission is obsolete and that it fosters anti-Israeli sentiment among its staff, which the agency denies.
+""It is about time to dissolve UNRWA and to think about other ways to support the Palestinians,"" said Israeli lawmaker Danny Danon from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party.
+Cooking flat bread with UNRWA-supplied flour in a homemade oven next to the tent where she now lives, Umm Hassan al-Masry said she relied on the agency for everything.
+""We are waiting for their aid by the hour,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","At an UNRWA aid distribution point in Rafah, a city on the border with Egypt swollen by displaced people, men toted heavy sacks of flour as Palestinians stood in line for supplies.
+Former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said the organisation had long faced funding problems as it worked to provide core services such as education. However, it was UNRWA's emergency humanitarian work that he now feared for most. ""Its emergency programme now is most important. You can't procure food if you have no money to pay suppliers,"" he said. ""The real risk is that the most desperate people, women with newborn babies turning up for food and medicine and water and hygiene products, will face the worst impact.""
+One man waiting at the distribution centre, Ahmed al-Nahal, called the funding halts ""a death sentence"", saying people would starve in the streets if aid supplies were halted.
+""If it were not for God and then the UNRWA agency, we would be dead,"" he added. UNWRA was founded in 1948 to carry out relief operations for Palestinian refugees from the war which accompanied the foundation of the state of Israel. Israel has long called for it to be dismantled, arguing its mission is obsolete and that it fosters anti-Israeli sentiment among its staff, which the agency denies. ""It is about time to dissolve UNRWA and to think about other ways to support the Palestinians,"" said Israeli lawmaker Danny Danon from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. Cooking flat bread with UNRWA-supplied flour in a homemade oven next to the tent where she now lives, Umm Hassan al-Masry said she relied on the agency for everything.  ""We are waiting for their aid by the hour,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-intelligence-accuses-190-gaza-un-staff-hamas-islamic-jihad-roles-2024-01-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel accuses 190 UN staff of being 'hardened' militants[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GENEVA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - An Israeli intelligence dossier that prompted a cascade of countries to halt funds for a U.N. Palestinian aid agency includes allegations that some staff took part in abductions and killings during the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the Gaza war.
+The six-page dossier, seen by Reuters, alleges that some 190 UNRWA employees, including teachers, have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants. It has names and pictures for 11 them.
+The United Nations has not formally received a copy of the dossier, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA, which says it has fired some staffers and is investigating the allegations.
+The dossier said one of the 11 is a school counsellor who helped his son abduct a woman during the Hamas infiltration in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 253 kidnapped.
+Another, an UNRWA social worker, is accused of unspecified involvement in the transfer to Gaza of a slain Israeli soldier's corpse and of coordinating the movements of pick-up trucks used by the raiders and of weapons supplies.
+A third Palestinian in the dossier is accused of taking part in a rampage in the Israeli border village Beeri, one-tenth of whose residents were killed. A fourth is accused of participating in an attack on Reim, site both of an army base that was overrun and a rave where more than 360 revellers died.
+Foreign Minister Israel Katz said UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini should go. ""UNRWA employees participated in the massacre of October 7,"" he said. ""Lazzarini should draw conclusions and resign.""
+Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh accused Israel of a ""premeditated political attack"" on the agency, which it has long criticized, and called for restoration of aid funds.
+The dossier was shown to Reuters by a source who could not be identified by name or nationality. The source said that it had been compiled by Israeli intelligence and shared with the United States, which on Friday suspended funding for UNRWA.
+An Israeli official told Reuters the 190 mentioned in the dossier were ""hardened fighters, killers"" whereas overall some 10% of UNRWA staff were believed to have more general affiliation with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
+The agency employs 13,000 people in Gaza. More than 10 countries, including major donors the United States and Germany, have halted their funding to the agency.
+AID OPERATION JEOPARDIZED
+That is a huge problem for an agency that more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians look to for day-to-day assistance, and which has already been hard-stretched by Israel's war on Hamas in the enclave.
+UNRWA said on Monday it would be unable to continue operations in Gaza and across the region beyond the end of February if funding were not resumed.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is due to meet with major UNRWA donors in New York on Tuesday, Dujarric said.
+Guterres spoke on Monday with the leaders of Jordan and Egypt and also met with the head of U.N. internal investigations to ensure that an inquiry into the Israeli accusations ""will be done swiftly and as efficiently as possible,"" Dujarric said.
+Washington would be looking very hard at the steps UNRWA takes in response to the allegations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference, describing the allegations as ""highly credible"" and ""deeply, deeply troubling.""
+Asked under what circumstances and how soon the U.S. could consider resuming support for UNRWA, Blinken said, ""It is imperative that UNRWA immediately, as it said it would, investigate, that it hold people accountable as necessary, and that it review its procedures.""
+The United Nations Relief and Works Agency was set up for refugees of the 1948 war at Israel's founding in what had been British-ruled Palestine. It also tends to millions of the original refugees' descendants in Palestinian territories and abroad.
+Israel has long accused UNRWA of perpetuating conflict by discouraging resettlement of refugees and on occasions in the past has said agency staff took part in armed attacks.
+UNRWA denies wrongdoing, describing its role as relief only.
+""From intelligence information, documents and identity cards seized during the course of the fighting, it is now possible to flag around 190 Hamas and PIJ terrorist operatives who serve as UNRWA employees,"" the Hebrew-language dossier says.
+It accuses Hamas of ""methodically and deliberately deploying its terrorist infrastructure in a wide range of U.N. facilities and assets"" including schools. Hamas denies that.
+Two of the alleged Hamas operatives cited in the dossier are described as ""eliminated"", or killed by Israeli forces. A 12th Palestinian whose name and picture are provided is said to have no factional membership and to have infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7.
+Also in the list of 12 men are an UNRWA teacher accused of arming himself with an anti-tank rocket, another teacher accused of filming a hostage and the manager of a shop in an UNRWA school accused of opening a war-room for Islamic Jihad.
+More than 26,000 people have been killed in Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, the enclave's health ministry said. With flows of aid like food and medicine just a trickle of pre-conflict levels, deaths from preventable diseases as well as risk of famine are growing, aid workers say.
+Most of Gaza's people have become more reliant on UNRWA aid, including about one million who have fled Israeli bombardments to shelter in its facilities.
+""The terrorist organisations are cynically exploiting the residents of the Strip and the international organisations whose mission is to provide aid ... and in doing so are causing de facto harm to residents of the Strip,"" the dossier said.
+At the weekend, Guterres vowed to hold to account any employee involved in ""abhorrent"" acts, but implored nations to keep funding UNRWA for humanitarian reasons.
+""The tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized,"" Guterres said on Sunday. ""The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel accuses 190 UN staff of being 'hardened' militants[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GENEVA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - An Israeli intelligence dossier that prompted a cascade of countries to halt funds for a U.N. Palestinian aid agency includes allegations that some staff took part in abductions and killings during the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the Gaza war.  The six-page dossier, seen by Reuters, alleges that some 190 UNRWA employees, including teachers, have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants. It has names and pictures for 11 them. The United Nations has not formally received a copy of the dossier, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday. The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA, which says it has fired some staffers and is investigating the allegations. The dossier said one of the 11 is a school counsellor who helped his son abduct a woman during the Hamas infiltration in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 253 kidnapped. Another, an UNRWA social worker, is accused of unspecified involvement in the transfer to Gaza of a slain Israeli soldier's corpse and of coordinating the movements of pick-up trucks used by the raiders and of weapons supplies.  A third Palestinian in the dossier is accused of taking part in a rampage in the Israeli border village Beeri, one-tenth of whose residents were killed. A fourth is accused of participating in an attack on Reim, site both of an army base that was overrun and a rave where more than 360 revellers died. Foreign Minister Israel Katz said UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini should go. ""UNRWA employees participated in the massacre of October 7,"" he said. ""Lazzarini should draw conclusions and resign.""  Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh accused Israel of a ""premeditated political attack"" on the agency, which it has long criticized, and called for restoration of aid funds.
+The dossier was shown to Reuters by a source who could not be identified by name or nationality. The source said that it had been compiled by Israeli intelligence and shared with the United States, which on Friday suspended funding for UNRWA. An Israeli official told Reuters the 190 mentioned in the dossier were ""hardened fighters, killers"" whereas overall some 10% of UNRWA staff were believed to have more general affiliation with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
+The agency employs 13,000 people in Gaza. More than 10 countries, including major donors the United States and Germany, have halted their funding to the agency. AID OPERATION JEOPARDIZED"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-intelligence-accuses-190-gaza-un-staff-hamas-islamic-jihad-roles-2024-01-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel accuses 190 UN staff of being 'hardened' militants[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GENEVA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - An Israeli intelligence dossier that prompted a cascade of countries to halt funds for a U.N. Palestinian aid agency includes allegations that some staff took part in abductions and killings during the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the Gaza war.
+The six-page dossier, seen by Reuters, alleges that some 190 UNRWA employees, including teachers, have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants. It has names and pictures for 11 them.
+The United Nations has not formally received a copy of the dossier, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA, which says it has fired some staffers and is investigating the allegations.
+The dossier said one of the 11 is a school counsellor who helped his son abduct a woman during the Hamas infiltration in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 253 kidnapped.
+Another, an UNRWA social worker, is accused of unspecified involvement in the transfer to Gaza of a slain Israeli soldier's corpse and of coordinating the movements of pick-up trucks used by the raiders and of weapons supplies.
+A third Palestinian in the dossier is accused of taking part in a rampage in the Israeli border village Beeri, one-tenth of whose residents were killed. A fourth is accused of participating in an attack on Reim, site both of an army base that was overrun and a rave where more than 360 revellers died.
+Foreign Minister Israel Katz said UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini should go. ""UNRWA employees participated in the massacre of October 7,"" he said. ""Lazzarini should draw conclusions and resign.""
+Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh accused Israel of a ""premeditated political attack"" on the agency, which it has long criticized, and called for restoration of aid funds.
+The dossier was shown to Reuters by a source who could not be identified by name or nationality. The source said that it had been compiled by Israeli intelligence and shared with the United States, which on Friday suspended funding for UNRWA.
+An Israeli official told Reuters the 190 mentioned in the dossier were ""hardened fighters, killers"" whereas overall some 10% of UNRWA staff were believed to have more general affiliation with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
+The agency employs 13,000 people in Gaza. More than 10 countries, including major donors the United States and Germany, have halted their funding to the agency.
+AID OPERATION JEOPARDIZED
+That is a huge problem for an agency that more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians look to for day-to-day assistance, and which has already been hard-stretched by Israel's war on Hamas in the enclave.
+UNRWA said on Monday it would be unable to continue operations in Gaza and across the region beyond the end of February if funding were not resumed.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is due to meet with major UNRWA donors in New York on Tuesday, Dujarric said.
+Guterres spoke on Monday with the leaders of Jordan and Egypt and also met with the head of U.N. internal investigations to ensure that an inquiry into the Israeli accusations ""will be done swiftly and as efficiently as possible,"" Dujarric said.
+Washington would be looking very hard at the steps UNRWA takes in response to the allegations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference, describing the allegations as ""highly credible"" and ""deeply, deeply troubling.""
+Asked under what circumstances and how soon the U.S. could consider resuming support for UNRWA, Blinken said, ""It is imperative that UNRWA immediately, as it said it would, investigate, that it hold people accountable as necessary, and that it review its procedures.""
+The United Nations Relief and Works Agency was set up for refugees of the 1948 war at Israel's founding in what had been British-ruled Palestine. It also tends to millions of the original refugees' descendants in Palestinian territories and abroad.
+Israel has long accused UNRWA of perpetuating conflict by discouraging resettlement of refugees and on occasions in the past has said agency staff took part in armed attacks.
+UNRWA denies wrongdoing, describing its role as relief only.
+""From intelligence information, documents and identity cards seized during the course of the fighting, it is now possible to flag around 190 Hamas and PIJ terrorist operatives who serve as UNRWA employees,"" the Hebrew-language dossier says.
+It accuses Hamas of ""methodically and deliberately deploying its terrorist infrastructure in a wide range of U.N. facilities and assets"" including schools. Hamas denies that.
+Two of the alleged Hamas operatives cited in the dossier are described as ""eliminated"", or killed by Israeli forces. A 12th Palestinian whose name and picture are provided is said to have no factional membership and to have infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7.
+Also in the list of 12 men are an UNRWA teacher accused of arming himself with an anti-tank rocket, another teacher accused of filming a hostage and the manager of a shop in an UNRWA school accused of opening a war-room for Islamic Jihad.
+More than 26,000 people have been killed in Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, the enclave's health ministry said. With flows of aid like food and medicine just a trickle of pre-conflict levels, deaths from preventable diseases as well as risk of famine are growing, aid workers say.
+Most of Gaza's people have become more reliant on UNRWA aid, including about one million who have fled Israeli bombardments to shelter in its facilities.
+""The terrorist organisations are cynically exploiting the residents of the Strip and the international organisations whose mission is to provide aid ... and in doing so are causing de facto harm to residents of the Strip,"" the dossier said.
+At the weekend, Guterres vowed to hold to account any employee involved in ""abhorrent"" acts, but implored nations to keep funding UNRWA for humanitarian reasons.
+""The tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized,"" Guterres said on Sunday. ""The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","That is a huge problem for an agency that more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians look to for day-to-day assistance, and which has already been hard-stretched by Israel's war on Hamas in the enclave. UNRWA said on Monday it would be unable to continue operations in Gaza and across the region beyond the end of February if funding were not resumed.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is due to meet with major UNRWA donors in New York on Tuesday, Dujarric said. Guterres spoke on Monday with the leaders of Jordan and Egypt and also met with the head of U.N. internal investigations to ensure that an inquiry into the Israeli accusations ""will be done swiftly and as efficiently as possible,"" Dujarric said.
+Washington would be looking very hard at the steps UNRWA takes in response to the allegations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference, describing the allegations as ""highly credible"" and ""deeply, deeply troubling.""  Asked under what circumstances and how soon the U.S. could consider resuming support for UNRWA, Blinken said, ""It is imperative that UNRWA immediately, as it said it would, investigate, that it hold people accountable as necessary, and that it review its procedures.""
+The United Nations Relief and Works Agency was set up for refugees of the 1948 war at Israel's founding in what had been British-ruled Palestine. It also tends to millions of the original refugees' descendants in Palestinian territories and abroad. Israel has long accused UNRWA of perpetuating conflict by discouraging resettlement of refugees and on occasions in the past has said agency staff took part in armed attacks. UNRWA denies wrongdoing, describing its role as relief only. ""From intelligence information, documents and identity cards seized during the course of the fighting, it is now possible to flag around 190 Hamas and PIJ terrorist operatives who serve as UNRWA employees,"" the Hebrew-language dossier says.  It accuses Hamas of ""methodically and deliberately deploying its terrorist infrastructure in a wide range of U.N. facilities and assets"" including schools. Hamas denies that. Two of the alleged Hamas operatives cited in the dossier are described as ""eliminated"", or killed by Israeli forces. A 12th Palestinian whose name and picture are provided is said to have no factional membership and to have infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7. Also in the list of 12 men are an UNRWA teacher accused of arming himself with an anti-tank rocket, another teacher accused of filming a hostage and the manager of a shop in an UNRWA school accused of opening a war-room for Islamic Jihad."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-intelligence-accuses-190-gaza-un-staff-hamas-islamic-jihad-roles-2024-01-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel accuses 190 UN staff of being 'hardened' militants[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GENEVA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - An Israeli intelligence dossier that prompted a cascade of countries to halt funds for a U.N. Palestinian aid agency includes allegations that some staff took part in abductions and killings during the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the Gaza war.
+The six-page dossier, seen by Reuters, alleges that some 190 UNRWA employees, including teachers, have doubled as Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants. It has names and pictures for 11 them.
+The United Nations has not formally received a copy of the dossier, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA, which says it has fired some staffers and is investigating the allegations.
+The dossier said one of the 11 is a school counsellor who helped his son abduct a woman during the Hamas infiltration in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 253 kidnapped.
+Another, an UNRWA social worker, is accused of unspecified involvement in the transfer to Gaza of a slain Israeli soldier's corpse and of coordinating the movements of pick-up trucks used by the raiders and of weapons supplies.
+A third Palestinian in the dossier is accused of taking part in a rampage in the Israeli border village Beeri, one-tenth of whose residents were killed. A fourth is accused of participating in an attack on Reim, site both of an army base that was overrun and a rave where more than 360 revellers died.
+Foreign Minister Israel Katz said UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini should go. ""UNRWA employees participated in the massacre of October 7,"" he said. ""Lazzarini should draw conclusions and resign.""
+Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh accused Israel of a ""premeditated political attack"" on the agency, which it has long criticized, and called for restoration of aid funds.
+The dossier was shown to Reuters by a source who could not be identified by name or nationality. The source said that it had been compiled by Israeli intelligence and shared with the United States, which on Friday suspended funding for UNRWA.
+An Israeli official told Reuters the 190 mentioned in the dossier were ""hardened fighters, killers"" whereas overall some 10% of UNRWA staff were believed to have more general affiliation with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
+The agency employs 13,000 people in Gaza. More than 10 countries, including major donors the United States and Germany, have halted their funding to the agency.
+AID OPERATION JEOPARDIZED
+That is a huge problem for an agency that more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians look to for day-to-day assistance, and which has already been hard-stretched by Israel's war on Hamas in the enclave.
+UNRWA said on Monday it would be unable to continue operations in Gaza and across the region beyond the end of February if funding were not resumed.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is due to meet with major UNRWA donors in New York on Tuesday, Dujarric said.
+Guterres spoke on Monday with the leaders of Jordan and Egypt and also met with the head of U.N. internal investigations to ensure that an inquiry into the Israeli accusations ""will be done swiftly and as efficiently as possible,"" Dujarric said.
+Washington would be looking very hard at the steps UNRWA takes in response to the allegations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference, describing the allegations as ""highly credible"" and ""deeply, deeply troubling.""
+Asked under what circumstances and how soon the U.S. could consider resuming support for UNRWA, Blinken said, ""It is imperative that UNRWA immediately, as it said it would, investigate, that it hold people accountable as necessary, and that it review its procedures.""
+The United Nations Relief and Works Agency was set up for refugees of the 1948 war at Israel's founding in what had been British-ruled Palestine. It also tends to millions of the original refugees' descendants in Palestinian territories and abroad.
+Israel has long accused UNRWA of perpetuating conflict by discouraging resettlement of refugees and on occasions in the past has said agency staff took part in armed attacks.
+UNRWA denies wrongdoing, describing its role as relief only.
+""From intelligence information, documents and identity cards seized during the course of the fighting, it is now possible to flag around 190 Hamas and PIJ terrorist operatives who serve as UNRWA employees,"" the Hebrew-language dossier says.
+It accuses Hamas of ""methodically and deliberately deploying its terrorist infrastructure in a wide range of U.N. facilities and assets"" including schools. Hamas denies that.
+Two of the alleged Hamas operatives cited in the dossier are described as ""eliminated"", or killed by Israeli forces. A 12th Palestinian whose name and picture are provided is said to have no factional membership and to have infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7.
+Also in the list of 12 men are an UNRWA teacher accused of arming himself with an anti-tank rocket, another teacher accused of filming a hostage and the manager of a shop in an UNRWA school accused of opening a war-room for Islamic Jihad.
+More than 26,000 people have been killed in Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, the enclave's health ministry said. With flows of aid like food and medicine just a trickle of pre-conflict levels, deaths from preventable diseases as well as risk of famine are growing, aid workers say.
+Most of Gaza's people have become more reliant on UNRWA aid, including about one million who have fled Israeli bombardments to shelter in its facilities.
+""The terrorist organisations are cynically exploiting the residents of the Strip and the international organisations whose mission is to provide aid ... and in doing so are causing de facto harm to residents of the Strip,"" the dossier said.
+At the weekend, Guterres vowed to hold to account any employee involved in ""abhorrent"" acts, but implored nations to keep funding UNRWA for humanitarian reasons.
+""The tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized,"" Guterres said on Sunday. ""The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","More than 26,000 people have been killed in Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, the enclave's health ministry said. With flows of aid like food and medicine just a trickle of pre-conflict levels, deaths from preventable diseases as well as risk of famine are growing, aid workers say. Most of Gaza's people have become more reliant on UNRWA aid, including about one million who have fled Israeli bombardments to shelter in its facilities. ""The terrorist organisations are cynically exploiting the residents of the Strip and the international organisations whose mission is to provide aid ... and in doing so are causing de facto harm to residents of the Strip,"" the dossier said.  At the weekend, Guterres vowed to hold to account any employee involved in ""abhorrent"" acts, but implored nations to keep funding UNRWA for humanitarian reasons.
+""The tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized,"" Guterres said on Sunday. ""The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-factions-insist-israel-must-halt-its-gaza-offensive-before-any-2024-01-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian factions insist Israel must halt its Gaza offensive before any prisoner exchange takes place[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) reiterated that Israel must halt its Gaza offensive and withdraw from the Strip before any prisoner exchange takes place, Hamas said in a statement on Monday.
+The PFLP is the second major faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) after President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. It joined the fighting against Israel following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian factions insist Israel must halt its Gaza offensive before any prisoner exchange takes place[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) reiterated that Israel must halt its Gaza offensive and withdraw from the Strip before any prisoner exchange takes place, Hamas said in a statement on Monday. The PFLP is the second major faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) after President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. It joined the fighting against Israel following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/holders-qatar-knock-palestine-out-asian-cup-secure-last-eight-spot-2024-01-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Holders Qatar knock Palestine out of Asian Cup to secure last-eight spot[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AL KHOR, Qatar, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Defending champions Qatar survived a scare to beat Palestine 2-1 and advance to the Asian Cup quarter-finals thanks to goals from Hassan Al-Haydos and Akram Afif at Al Bayt Stadium on Monday.
+Qatar notched up their 11th straight victory in the Asian Cup and will return to Al Bayt for their quarter-final where Marquez Lopez's side will play the winners of Tuesday's last-16 tie between Uzbekistan and Thailand.
+Although they conceded the first goal against the run of play, Qatar were composed and clinical when they created their best chances to punish Palestine, who were making their debut in the Asian Cup knockouts.
+A moment's silence for victims of the Israel-Hamas conflict was held before the game, with a handful of fans screaming ""Free Palestine"". Once the referee's whistle blew the crowd focused on watching both teams get straight down to business.
+Despite Qatar starting as firm favourites on home turf in front of nearly 64,000 fans, it was an industrious Palestine side who looked more promising in attack in the first half and they were rewarded for their perseverance in the 37th minute.
+Palestine stole the ball off Qatar high up the pitch before Oday Dabbagh embarked on a solo run and shot past keeper Meshaal Barsham into the bottom corner for his third goal of the tournament and the country's first ever in the knockout stage.
+Although Qatar fell behind the goal was still warmly applauded by the home fans as Palestine's players sank to their knees as one near the corner flag.
+'IT WAS EMOTIONAL'
+""It was a game against Palestine and it was emotional. With all my respect I understand our fans (cheering for Palestine),"" Lopez told reporters.
+""This is football, you can plan for something and it doesn't always go to plan. Palestine's players played very well, they were brave.
+""The most important thing is we qualified (for the next round) and we have to retain our positivity for the future.""
+Qatar skipper Al-Haydos equalised with the last kick of the half when he latched onto Afif's low cross from a corner and fired it home through two defenders and keeper Rami Hamadeh.
+Qatar then took the lead minutes after the break when Almoez Ali was brought down by a late sliding tackle from Mohammed Saleh and Afif stepped up to score his fourth goal in as many games at the tournament.
+Palestine had a few chances to equalise but lacked the finishing touch and did not really test keeper Meshaal Barsham again as Qatar held on to advance.
+""My players gave all that they have despite the difficult circumstances. I cannot ask them to do more than what they've done,"" Palestine coach Makram Daboub said.
+""I'm very proud of my champions. They have big ambition and they're proud to represent the Palestinian people.
+""The Palestinian people are very passionate. We wanted to make them happy but we're sorry we couldn't. We hope to be better in our next games and compensate for today's loss.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Holders Qatar knock Palestine out of Asian Cup to secure last-eight spot[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AL KHOR, Qatar, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Defending champions Qatar survived a scare to beat Palestine 2-1 and advance to the Asian Cup quarter-finals thanks to goals from Hassan Al-Haydos and Akram Afif at Al Bayt Stadium on Monday. Qatar notched up their 11th straight victory in the Asian Cup and will return to Al Bayt for their quarter-final where Marquez Lopez's side will play the winners of Tuesday's last-16 tie between Uzbekistan and Thailand.
+Although they conceded the first goal against the run of play, Qatar were composed and clinical when they created their best chances to punish Palestine, who were making their debut in the Asian Cup knockouts.  A moment's silence for victims of the Israel-Hamas conflict was held before the game, with a handful of fans screaming ""Free Palestine"". Once the referee's whistle blew the crowd focused on watching both teams get straight down to business.  Despite Qatar starting as firm favourites on home turf in front of nearly 64,000 fans, it was an industrious Palestine side who looked more promising in attack in the first half and they were rewarded for their perseverance in the 37th minute. Palestine stole the ball off Qatar high up the pitch before Oday Dabbagh embarked on a solo run and shot past keeper Meshaal Barsham into the bottom corner for his third goal of the tournament and the country's first ever in the knockout stage. Although Qatar fell behind the goal was still warmly applauded by the home fans as Palestine's players sank to their knees as one near the corner flag. 'IT WAS EMOTIONAL'  ""It was a game against Palestine and it was emotional. With all my respect I understand our fans (cheering for Palestine),"" Lopez told reporters.  ""This is football, you can plan for something and it doesn't always go to plan. Palestine 's players played very well, they were brave.
+"" The most important thing is we qualified (for the next round) and we have to retain our positivity for the future."" Qatar skipper Al-Haydos equalised with the last kick of the half when he latched onto Afif's low cross from a corner and fired it home through two defenders and keeper Rami Hamadeh. Qatar then took the lead minutes after the break when Almoez Ali was brought down by a late sliding tackle from Mohammed Saleh and Afif stepped up to score his fourth goal in as many games at the tournament."
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/holders-qatar-knock-palestine-out-asian-cup-secure-last-eight-spot-2024-01-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Holders Qatar knock Palestine out of Asian Cup to secure last-eight spot[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AL KHOR, Qatar, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Defending champions Qatar survived a scare to beat Palestine 2-1 and advance to the Asian Cup quarter-finals thanks to goals from Hassan Al-Haydos and Akram Afif at Al Bayt Stadium on Monday.
+Qatar notched up their 11th straight victory in the Asian Cup and will return to Al Bayt for their quarter-final where Marquez Lopez's side will play the winners of Tuesday's last-16 tie between Uzbekistan and Thailand.
+Although they conceded the first goal against the run of play, Qatar were composed and clinical when they created their best chances to punish Palestine, who were making their debut in the Asian Cup knockouts.
+A moment's silence for victims of the Israel-Hamas conflict was held before the game, with a handful of fans screaming ""Free Palestine"". Once the referee's whistle blew the crowd focused on watching both teams get straight down to business.
+Despite Qatar starting as firm favourites on home turf in front of nearly 64,000 fans, it was an industrious Palestine side who looked more promising in attack in the first half and they were rewarded for their perseverance in the 37th minute.
+Palestine stole the ball off Qatar high up the pitch before Oday Dabbagh embarked on a solo run and shot past keeper Meshaal Barsham into the bottom corner for his third goal of the tournament and the country's first ever in the knockout stage.
+Although Qatar fell behind the goal was still warmly applauded by the home fans as Palestine's players sank to their knees as one near the corner flag.
+'IT WAS EMOTIONAL'
+""It was a game against Palestine and it was emotional. With all my respect I understand our fans (cheering for Palestine),"" Lopez told reporters.
+""This is football, you can plan for something and it doesn't always go to plan. Palestine's players played very well, they were brave.
+""The most important thing is we qualified (for the next round) and we have to retain our positivity for the future.""
+Qatar skipper Al-Haydos equalised with the last kick of the half when he latched onto Afif's low cross from a corner and fired it home through two defenders and keeper Rami Hamadeh.
+Qatar then took the lead minutes after the break when Almoez Ali was brought down by a late sliding tackle from Mohammed Saleh and Afif stepped up to score his fourth goal in as many games at the tournament.
+Palestine had a few chances to equalise but lacked the finishing touch and did not really test keeper Meshaal Barsham again as Qatar held on to advance.
+""My players gave all that they have despite the difficult circumstances. I cannot ask them to do more than what they've done,"" Palestine coach Makram Daboub said.
+""I'm very proud of my champions. They have big ambition and they're proud to represent the Palestinian people.
+""The Palestinian people are very passionate. We wanted to make them happy but we're sorry we couldn't. We hope to be better in our next games and compensate for today's loss.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Palestine had a few chances to equalise but lacked the finishing touch and did not really test keeper Meshaal Barsham again as Qatar held on to advance.  ""My players gave all that they have despite the difficult circumstances. I cannot ask them to do more than what they've done,"" Palestine coach Makram Daboub said.  ""I'm very proud of my champions. They have big ambition and they're proud to represent the Palestinian people.
+"" The Palestinian people are very passionate. We wanted to make them happy but we're sorry we couldn't. We hope to be better in our next games and compensate for today's loss.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/britain-italy-finland-pause-funding-un-refugee-agency-gaza-2024-01-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]More countries pause funds for UN Palestinian agency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Six European countries paused funding for the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) on Saturday, following allegations that some of its staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
+Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland on Saturday joined the United States, Australia and Canada in pausing funding to the aid agency, a critical source of support for people in Gaza, after the allegations by Israel.
+""Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment,"" Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner-general, said on X. ""This stains all of us.""
+The agency said on Friday it had opened an investigation into several employees and severed ties with those people.
+Encouraging more donor suspensions, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said UNRWA should be replaced once fighting in the enclave dies down and accused it of ties to Islamist militants in Gaza.
+""In Gaza's rebuilding, @UNRWA must be replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development,"" he added on X.
+Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq, asked about Katz's remarks, said: “We are not responding to rhetoric. UNRWA overall had had a strong record, which we have repeatedly underscored.”
+Lazzarini said the decision by the nine countries threatened its humanitarian work across the region, especially in Gaza.
+“It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the Agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation,"" he said in a statement.
+The Palestinian foreign ministry criticised what it described as an Israeli campaign against UNRWA, and Hamas condemned the termination of employee contracts ""based on information derived from the Zionist enemy"".
+AGENCY PLAYS BIG ROLE IN GAZA AID
+UNRWA was set up to help refugees of the 1948 war at Israel's founding and provides education, health and aid services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. It helps about two thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million population and has played a pivotal aid role during the war that Israel launched to eliminate Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks.
+Announcing the investigation, Lazzarini said on Friday that he had decided to terminate the contracts of some staff members to protect the agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance.
+Lazzarini did not disclose the number of employees allegedly involved in the attacks, nor the nature of their alleged involvement. He said, however, that ""any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror"" would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.
+During weeks of Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave, UNRWA has repeatedly said its capacity to render humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.
+Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the Palestinians' umbrella political body the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said cutting support to the agency brought major political and relief risks.
+""We call on countries that announced the cessation of their support for UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision,"" he said on X.
+The Foreign Ministry in Germany, a major donor to UNRWA, welcomed UNRWA's investigation, saying it was deeply concerned about the allegations raised against agency employees.
+""We expect Lazzarini to make it clear within UNRWA's workforce that all forms of hatred and violence are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,"" it said on X.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]More countries pause funds for UN Palestinian agency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Six European countries paused funding for the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) on Saturday, following allegations that some of its staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.  Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland on Saturday joined the United States, Australia and Canada in pausing funding to the aid agency, a critical source of support for people in Gaza, after the allegations by Israel.
+""Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment,"" Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner-general, said on X. ""This stains all of us."" The agency said on Friday it had opened an investigation into several employees and severed ties with those people.
+Encouraging more donor suspensions, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said UNRWA should be replaced once fighting in the enclave dies down and accused it of ties to Islamist militants in Gaza.
+""In Gaza's rebuilding, @UNRWA must be replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development,"" he added on X.  Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq, asked about Katz's remarks, said: “We are not responding to rhetoric. UNRWA overall had had a strong record, which we have repeatedly underscored.” Lazzarini said the decision by the nine countries threatened its humanitarian work across the region, especially in Gaza. “It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the Agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation,"" he said in a statement.
+The Palestinian foreign ministry criticised what it described as an Israeli campaign against UNRWA, and Hamas condemned the termination of employee contracts ""based on information derived from the Zionist enemy"".  AGENCY PLAYS BIG ROLE IN GAZA AID
+UNRWA was set up to help refugees of the 1948 war at Israel's founding and provides education, health and aid services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. It helps about two thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million population and has played a pivotal aid role during the war that Israel launched to eliminate Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks. Announcing the investigation, Lazzarini said on Friday that he had decided to terminate the contracts of some staff members to protect the agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance.  Lazzarini did not disclose the number of employees allegedly involved in the attacks, nor the nature of their alleged involvement."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/britain-italy-finland-pause-funding-un-refugee-agency-gaza-2024-01-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]More countries pause funds for UN Palestinian agency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Six European countries paused funding for the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) on Saturday, following allegations that some of its staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
+Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland on Saturday joined the United States, Australia and Canada in pausing funding to the aid agency, a critical source of support for people in Gaza, after the allegations by Israel.
+""Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment,"" Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner-general, said on X. ""This stains all of us.""
+The agency said on Friday it had opened an investigation into several employees and severed ties with those people.
+Encouraging more donor suspensions, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said UNRWA should be replaced once fighting in the enclave dies down and accused it of ties to Islamist militants in Gaza.
+""In Gaza's rebuilding, @UNRWA must be replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development,"" he added on X.
+Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq, asked about Katz's remarks, said: “We are not responding to rhetoric. UNRWA overall had had a strong record, which we have repeatedly underscored.”
+Lazzarini said the decision by the nine countries threatened its humanitarian work across the region, especially in Gaza.
+“It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the Agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation,"" he said in a statement.
+The Palestinian foreign ministry criticised what it described as an Israeli campaign against UNRWA, and Hamas condemned the termination of employee contracts ""based on information derived from the Zionist enemy"".
+AGENCY PLAYS BIG ROLE IN GAZA AID
+UNRWA was set up to help refugees of the 1948 war at Israel's founding and provides education, health and aid services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. It helps about two thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million population and has played a pivotal aid role during the war that Israel launched to eliminate Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks.
+Announcing the investigation, Lazzarini said on Friday that he had decided to terminate the contracts of some staff members to protect the agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance.
+Lazzarini did not disclose the number of employees allegedly involved in the attacks, nor the nature of their alleged involvement. He said, however, that ""any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror"" would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.
+During weeks of Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave, UNRWA has repeatedly said its capacity to render humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.
+Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the Palestinians' umbrella political body the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said cutting support to the agency brought major political and relief risks.
+""We call on countries that announced the cessation of their support for UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision,"" he said on X.
+The Foreign Ministry in Germany, a major donor to UNRWA, welcomed UNRWA's investigation, saying it was deeply concerned about the allegations raised against agency employees.
+""We expect Lazzarini to make it clear within UNRWA's workforce that all forms of hatred and violence are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,"" it said on X.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","He said, however, that ""any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror"" would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution. During weeks of Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave, UNRWA has repeatedly said its capacity to render humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.  Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the Palestinians' umbrella political body the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said cutting support to the agency brought major political and relief risks.
+"" We call on countries that announced the cessation of their support for UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision,"" he said on X.
+The Foreign Ministry in Germany, a major donor to UNRWA, welcomed UNRWA's investigation, saying it was deeply concerned about the allegations raised against agency employees.  ""We expect Lazzarini to make it clear within UNRWA's workforce that all forms of hatred and violence are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,"" it said on X.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/nyc-religious-procession-misrepresented-pro-palestinian-protest-2024-01-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: NYC religious procession misrepresented as pro-Palestinian protest[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A Catholic procession through the streets of New York City in October 2023 has been misrepresented online as a demonstration for Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.
+The months-old clip, shot on 50th Street in Midtown Manhattan, opens new tab, circulated on Facebook, opens new tab in January with the superimposed caption: “Catholics supporting Palestine”. It followed protests earlier in the month where hundreds of people were arrested after blocking several bridges and a tunnel in New York, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
+The religious procession video, however, shows an opening event of a Catholic conference on Oct. 10, 2023, and was first shared online on Oct. 11, opens new tab by conference organisers Napa Institute Foundation, opens new tab, a Catholic philanthropic organisation.
+There is no evidence that the procession was a pro-Palestinian protest. Napa Institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+On X, the Napa Institute, while sharing the video, said Father Michael Schmitz participated in the procession after celebrating mass. This aligns with the schedule of the Napa Institute’s 2023, opens new tab Principled Entrepreneurship Conference, opens new tab, which Schmitz opened on Oct. 10.
+A full version of Schmitz celebrating mass can be found on YouTube, opens new tab. Reference to the Israel-Hamas war, which started three days earlier, is made twice: First, at timestamp 2:21 by Napa Institute co-founder and chairman of the board Tim Busch; and second, at timestamp 35:52 by Schmitz.
+Both speakers say the intention of the mass is “for peace in Israel”.
+The procession through New York was also a feature of the same conference, opens new tab in 2022.
+The 2023 procession was organised at least six months before war broke out in Gaza, owing to an April post on Instagram, opens new tab announcing the event.
+Another procession is scheduled, opens new tab for the conference in 2024.
+On Oct. 27, Napa Institute joined Pope Francis’ call, opens new tab for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the Middle East and other areas of conflict.
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. The video shows a Catholic procession at the opening of a conference in 2023 and was arranged at least six months before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: NYC religious procession misrepresented as pro-Palestinian protest[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A Catholic procession through the streets of New York City in October 2023 has been misrepresented online as a demonstration for Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.  The months-old clip, shot on 50th Street in Midtown Manhattan, opens new tab, circulated on Facebook, opens new tab in January with the superimposed caption: “Catholics supporting Palestine”. It followed protests earlier in the month where hundreds of people were arrested after blocking several bridges and a tunnel in New York, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The religious procession video, however, shows an opening event of a Catholic conference on Oct. 10, 2023, and was first shared online on Oct. 11, opens new tab by conference organisers Napa Institute Foundation, opens new tab, a Catholic philanthropic organisation. There is no evidence that the procession was a pro-Palestinian protest. Napa Institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  On X, the Napa Institute, while sharing the video, said Father Michael Schmitz participated in the procession after celebrating mass. This aligns with the schedule of the Napa Institute’s 2023, opens new tab Principled Entrepreneurship Conference, opens new tab, which Schmitz opened on Oct. 10. A full version of Schmitz celebrating mass can be found on YouTube, opens new tab. Reference to the Israel-Hamas war, which started three days earlier, is made twice: First, at timestamp 2:21 by Napa Institute co-founder and chairman of the board Tim Busch; and second, at timestamp 35:52 by Schmitz. Both speakers say the intention of the mass is “for peace in Israel”.
+The procession through New York was also a feature of the same conference, opens new tab in 2022.
+The 2023 procession was organised at least six months before war broke out in Gaza, owing to an April post on Instagram, opens new tab announcing the event.  Another procession is scheduled, opens new tab for the conference in 2024.  On Oct. 27, Napa Institute joined Pope Francis’ call, opens new tab for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the Middle East and other areas of conflict.  VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. The video shows a Catholic procession at the opening of a conference in 2023 and was arranged at least six months before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africa-hopes-israel-will-comply-with-world-court-order-minister-2024-01-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Mandela will be smiling,' South Africa minister says on ICJ ruling against Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JOHANNESBURG, Jan 26 (Reuters) - South Africa's liberation hero Nelson Mandela ""will be smiling in his grave"" at the World Court order imposing emergency measures against Israel over its war in Gaza, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said.
+In a case brought by South Africa, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians and do more to help civilians, although it stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire.
+It has not yet ruled on the core of South Africa's case, whether genocide has occurred in Gaza. That ruling could take years.
+""We believe that former President Mandela will be smiling in his grave as one of the advocates for the Genocide Convention,"" Lamola told Reuters on the sidelines of a gathering of the governing African National Congress party outside Johannesburg.
+The ANC has long defended the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when its struggle against oppressive white-minority rule was supported by Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation.
+It has likened Israel's actions to its struggle against apartheid, a comparison rejected by Israel, which has said South Africa's allegations of genocide are ""grossly distorted"" and that it makes the utmost efforts to avoid civilian casualties.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: ""The mere claim that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians is not only false, it's outrageous, and the willingness of the court to even discuss this is a disgrace that will not be erased for generations.""
+Lamola said South Africa taking the case to The Hague was an act of courage motivated by a desire to stand up for a rules-based world order.
+He added: ""It is a victory for the international law that there could be no exceptionalism in any part of the world and Israel cannot be exempt from complying with its international obligations.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Mandela will be smiling,' South Africa minister says on ICJ ruling against Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JOHANNESBURG, Jan 26 (Reuters) - South Africa's liberation hero Nelson Mandela ""will be smiling in his grave"" at the World Court order imposing emergency measures against Israel over its war in Gaza, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said. In a case brought by South Africa, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians and do more to help civilians, although it stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire.  It has not yet ruled on the core of South Africa's case, whether genocide has occurred in Gaza. That ruling could take years. ""We believe that former President Mandela will be smiling in his grave as one of the advocates for the Genocide Convention,"" Lamola told Reuters on the sidelines of a gathering of the governing African National Congress party outside Johannesburg. The ANC has long defended the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when its struggle against oppressive white-minority rule was supported by Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation. It has likened Israel's actions to its struggle against apartheid, a comparison rejected by Israel, which has said South Africa's allegations of genocide are ""grossly distorted"" and that it makes the utmost efforts to avoid civilian casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: ""The mere claim that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians is not only false, it's outrageous, and the willingness of the court to even discuss this is a disgrace that will not be erased for generations."" Lamola said South Africa taking the case to The Hague was an act of courage motivated by a desire to stand up for a rules-based world order.  He added: ""It is a victory for the international law that there could be no exceptionalism in any part of the world and Israel cannot be exempt from complying with its international obligations.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-two-state-solution-israel-palestinian-conflict-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Palestinian conflict: what is the two-state solution and what are the obstacles?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Gaza war has put renewed focus on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, still seen by many countries as the path to peace even though the negotiating process has been moribund for years.
+More than three months into the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian war yet, Washington has said there is no way to solve Israel's security issues and the challenge of rebuilding Gaza without a Palestinian state.
+But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, saying he will not compromise on full Israeli security control west of Jordan and that this stands contrary to a Palestinian state.
+Obstacles have long impeded the two-state solution, which envisages Israeli and Palestinian states alongside each other.
+These include Jewish settlement in occupied land the Palestinians seek for a state, uncompromising positions on core issues including Jerusalem, violence, and deep mistrust.
+WHAT ARE TWO-STATE SOLUTION'S ORIGINS?
+Conflict occurred in British-ruled Palestine between Jews who had migrated to the area and Arabs. The Jews were seeking a national home as they fled persecution in Europe and cited biblical ties to the land.
+In 1947, the United Nations agreed a plan partitioning Palestine into Arab and Jewish states with international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, which gave them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected it.
+The state of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948. A day later, five Arab states attacked. The war ended with Israel controlling 77% of the territory.
+Some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+In a 1967 war, Israel captured the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt, securing control of all territory from the Mediterranean to the Jordan valley.
+The Palestinians remain stateless, with most living under Israeli occupation or as refugees in neighbouring states. Some - mostly descendents of Palestinians who remained in Israel after its creation - have Israeli citizenship.
+HAS A DEAL EVER BEEN CLOSE?
+The two-state solution was the bedrock of the U.S.-backed peace process ushered in by the 1993 Oslo Accords, signed by Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
+The accords led the PLO to recognise Israel's right to exist and renounce violence and to the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has limited self-autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
+Palestinians hoped this would be a step towards an independent state, with East Jerusalem as the capital.
+The process was hit by rejection and violence on both sides.
+Hamas, which opposed the process, carried out suicide attacks which killed scores of people.
+Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli ultra-nationalist opposed to his peace policies.
+In 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton brought Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to Camp David to clinch a deal, but the effort failed.
+The fate of Jerusalem, deemed by Israel as its ""eternal and indivisible"" capital, was the main obstacle. The talks had also grappled with the borders of a Palestinian state, along with the fate of Palestinian refugees and Jews who had settled in the territories captured in 1967.
+The conflict escalated as the Second Intifada, or uprising, began. U.S. administrations sought to revive peace-making - to no avail.
+Israeli occupation since 1967 & expanding settlements in the West Bank jeopardize a viable Palestinian state, hindering a two-state solution & escalating regional tensions.
+WHAT MIGHT PALESTINE LOOK LIKE?
+Advocates of the two-state solution have envisaged a Palestine in the Gaza Strip and West Bank linked by a corridor through Israel.
+Two decades ago, details of how it might work were set out in a blueprint by former Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.
+Known as The Geneva Accord, opens new tab, its principles include recognition of Jerusalem's Jewish neighbourhoods as the Israeli capital, and recognition of its Arab neighbourhoods as the Palestinian capital, and a demilitarised Palestinian state.
+Israel would annex big settlements and cede other land in a swap, and resettle Jewish settlers in Palestinian sovereign territory outside there.
+A multinational force working alongside Palestinian security forces would monitor Palestine's border crossings to Jordan and Egypt, as well as air and sea ports.
+U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have both mentioned the idea of a demilitarised Palestinian state - an idea Abbas has never publicly rejected or accepted but which Hamas rejects.
+HOW BIG ARE THE OBSTACLES?
+The obstacles have grown with time.
+While Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005, Jewish settlements expanded elsewhere. Palestinians say this undermines the prospects of a viable state.
+The Israeli organisation Peace Now said in September the number had grown from 250,000 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1993, to 695,000 three decades later.
+During the Second Intifada Israel also constructed what it described as a barrier to stop Palestinian attacks. Palestinians call it a land grab.
+The PA led by President Mahmoud Abbas administers islands of West Bank land enveloped by a zone of Israeli control comprising 60% of the territory, including the Jordanian border and the settlements - arrangements set out in the Oslo Accords.
+In that zone, known as Area C, Israel has full control.
+The PA administers civil affairs and internal security in a zone known as Area A, amounting to about a fifth of the territory and including the main Palestinian cities.
+In the remaining fifth - Area B - it runs civil affairs while Israel is responsible for security.
+Israel has carried out raids in Palestinian urban centres including Ramallah, where the PA is based, during the war.
+Politics has added to the complications.
+Netanyahu's government is the most right-wing in Israeli history and includes religious nationalists who draw support from settlers. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said last year there was no such thing as a Palestinian people.
+Hamas won elections in 2006 and a year later drove forces loyal to Abbas out of Gaza, fragmenting the Palestinians.
+Hamas' 1988 founding charter calls for Israel's destruction and it refuses to recognize Israel. Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce in return for a viable Palestinian state on all territory occupied by Israel in 1967.
+Israel regards this as a ruse.
+In 2017, a document issued by Hamas said it agreed to a transitional Palestinian state within frontiers pre-dating the 1967 war, although it still opposed recognizing Israel's right to exist or ceding any Palestinian rights.
+IS THERE A WAY FORWARD?
+Gaza's fate is the immediate question.
+Israel aims to annihilate Hamas and says it will not agree to any deal that leaves it in power. Netanyahu has said Gaza must be demilitarized and under Israel's full security control.
+He has said he does not want Israel to govern Gaza or re-establish settlements there.
+Hamas says it expects to survive and has said any arrangements for Gaza that exclude it are an illusion. Hamas says it is ready for talks with Abbas's Fatah faction to form a unity government. Such talks have previously failed.
+Washington, which deems Hamas a terrorist group, has said it wants to see governance of Gaza and the West Bank reconnected under a revitalized PA.
+Netanyahu has said he will continue to insist on full Israeli security control west of the Jordan river - a position he said had prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state that would have been ""an existential danger to Israel"".
+In his 2022 autobiography, Netanyahu set out other ideas at odds with Palestinian aspirations, including an airport for Palestinians that ""could be located in Jordan or elsewhere"".
+He called for a change of approach from ""territorial continuity"" in Palestinian areas to ""transportational continuity"" with ""docks, train links, overpasses and underpasses"" enabling Palestinian freedom of movement.
+A spokesperson for Abbas said Netanyahu's recent statements showed Israel was not ""interested in peace and stability"". Hamas official Osama Hamdan said on Jan. 22 Palestinians would not accept anything less than a sovereign state with Jerusalem the capital.
+IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE?
+As the two-state solution has floundered, talk of a one-state solution has risen. Some Palestinians, convinced Israel will never cede them sovereignty, have advocated switching to a struggle for rights within a single country spanning Israel and the land it occupied in 1967.
+Critics say it is unrealistic, noting the main Palestinian factions do not back it and Israel would never accept an idea that could jeopardise its existence as a Jewish state.
+U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a Jan. 23 speech, said the two-state solution remained the only way to address the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians. He criticised ""clear and repeated rejection of the two-state solution at the highest levels of the Israeli government"".
+""This refusal, and the denial of the right to statehood to the Palestinian people, would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Palestinian conflict: what is the two-state solution and what are the obstacles?[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Gaza war has put renewed focus on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, still seen by many countries as the path to peace even though the negotiating process has been moribund for years. More than three months into the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian war yet, Washington has said there is no way to solve Israel's security issues and the challenge of rebuilding Gaza without a Palestinian state.
+But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, saying he will not compromise on full Israeli security control west of Jordan and that this stands contrary to a Palestinian state. Obstacles have long impeded the two-state solution, which envisages Israeli and Palestinian states alongside each other.  These include Jewish settlement in occupied land the Palestinians seek for a state, uncompromising positions on core issues including Jerusalem, violence, and deep mistrust.
+WHAT ARE TWO-STATE SOLUTION'S ORIGINS?
+Conflict occurred in British-ruled Palestine between Jews who had migrated to the area and Arabs. The Jews were seeking a national home as they fled persecution in Europe and cited biblical ties to the land.  In 1947, the United Nations agreed a plan partitioning Palestine into Arab and Jewish states with international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, which gave them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected it. The state of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948. A day later, five Arab states attacked. The war ended with Israel controlling 77% of the territory. Some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In a 1967 war, Israel captured the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt, securing control of all territory from the Mediterranean to the Jordan valley.  The Palestinians remain stateless, with most living under Israeli occupation or as refugees in neighbouring states. Some - mostly descendents of Palestinians who remained in Israel after its creation - have Israeli citizenship.  HAS A DEAL EVER BEEN CLOSE? The two-state solution was the bedrock of the U.S.-backed peace process ushered in by the 1993 Oslo Accords, signed by Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-two-state-solution-israel-palestinian-conflict-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Palestinian conflict: what is the two-state solution and what are the obstacles?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Gaza war has put renewed focus on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, still seen by many countries as the path to peace even though the negotiating process has been moribund for years.
+More than three months into the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian war yet, Washington has said there is no way to solve Israel's security issues and the challenge of rebuilding Gaza without a Palestinian state.
+But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, saying he will not compromise on full Israeli security control west of Jordan and that this stands contrary to a Palestinian state.
+Obstacles have long impeded the two-state solution, which envisages Israeli and Palestinian states alongside each other.
+These include Jewish settlement in occupied land the Palestinians seek for a state, uncompromising positions on core issues including Jerusalem, violence, and deep mistrust.
+WHAT ARE TWO-STATE SOLUTION'S ORIGINS?
+Conflict occurred in British-ruled Palestine between Jews who had migrated to the area and Arabs. The Jews were seeking a national home as they fled persecution in Europe and cited biblical ties to the land.
+In 1947, the United Nations agreed a plan partitioning Palestine into Arab and Jewish states with international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, which gave them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected it.
+The state of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948. A day later, five Arab states attacked. The war ended with Israel controlling 77% of the territory.
+Some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+In a 1967 war, Israel captured the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt, securing control of all territory from the Mediterranean to the Jordan valley.
+The Palestinians remain stateless, with most living under Israeli occupation or as refugees in neighbouring states. Some - mostly descendents of Palestinians who remained in Israel after its creation - have Israeli citizenship.
+HAS A DEAL EVER BEEN CLOSE?
+The two-state solution was the bedrock of the U.S.-backed peace process ushered in by the 1993 Oslo Accords, signed by Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
+The accords led the PLO to recognise Israel's right to exist and renounce violence and to the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has limited self-autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
+Palestinians hoped this would be a step towards an independent state, with East Jerusalem as the capital.
+The process was hit by rejection and violence on both sides.
+Hamas, which opposed the process, carried out suicide attacks which killed scores of people.
+Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli ultra-nationalist opposed to his peace policies.
+In 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton brought Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to Camp David to clinch a deal, but the effort failed.
+The fate of Jerusalem, deemed by Israel as its ""eternal and indivisible"" capital, was the main obstacle. The talks had also grappled with the borders of a Palestinian state, along with the fate of Palestinian refugees and Jews who had settled in the territories captured in 1967.
+The conflict escalated as the Second Intifada, or uprising, began. U.S. administrations sought to revive peace-making - to no avail.
+Israeli occupation since 1967 & expanding settlements in the West Bank jeopardize a viable Palestinian state, hindering a two-state solution & escalating regional tensions.
+WHAT MIGHT PALESTINE LOOK LIKE?
+Advocates of the two-state solution have envisaged a Palestine in the Gaza Strip and West Bank linked by a corridor through Israel.
+Two decades ago, details of how it might work were set out in a blueprint by former Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.
+Known as The Geneva Accord, opens new tab, its principles include recognition of Jerusalem's Jewish neighbourhoods as the Israeli capital, and recognition of its Arab neighbourhoods as the Palestinian capital, and a demilitarised Palestinian state.
+Israel would annex big settlements and cede other land in a swap, and resettle Jewish settlers in Palestinian sovereign territory outside there.
+A multinational force working alongside Palestinian security forces would monitor Palestine's border crossings to Jordan and Egypt, as well as air and sea ports.
+U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have both mentioned the idea of a demilitarised Palestinian state - an idea Abbas has never publicly rejected or accepted but which Hamas rejects.
+HOW BIG ARE THE OBSTACLES?
+The obstacles have grown with time.
+While Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005, Jewish settlements expanded elsewhere. Palestinians say this undermines the prospects of a viable state.
+The Israeli organisation Peace Now said in September the number had grown from 250,000 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1993, to 695,000 three decades later.
+During the Second Intifada Israel also constructed what it described as a barrier to stop Palestinian attacks. Palestinians call it a land grab.
+The PA led by President Mahmoud Abbas administers islands of West Bank land enveloped by a zone of Israeli control comprising 60% of the territory, including the Jordanian border and the settlements - arrangements set out in the Oslo Accords.
+In that zone, known as Area C, Israel has full control.
+The PA administers civil affairs and internal security in a zone known as Area A, amounting to about a fifth of the territory and including the main Palestinian cities.
+In the remaining fifth - Area B - it runs civil affairs while Israel is responsible for security.
+Israel has carried out raids in Palestinian urban centres including Ramallah, where the PA is based, during the war.
+Politics has added to the complications.
+Netanyahu's government is the most right-wing in Israeli history and includes religious nationalists who draw support from settlers. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said last year there was no such thing as a Palestinian people.
+Hamas won elections in 2006 and a year later drove forces loyal to Abbas out of Gaza, fragmenting the Palestinians.
+Hamas' 1988 founding charter calls for Israel's destruction and it refuses to recognize Israel. Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce in return for a viable Palestinian state on all territory occupied by Israel in 1967.
+Israel regards this as a ruse.
+In 2017, a document issued by Hamas said it agreed to a transitional Palestinian state within frontiers pre-dating the 1967 war, although it still opposed recognizing Israel's right to exist or ceding any Palestinian rights.
+IS THERE A WAY FORWARD?
+Gaza's fate is the immediate question.
+Israel aims to annihilate Hamas and says it will not agree to any deal that leaves it in power. Netanyahu has said Gaza must be demilitarized and under Israel's full security control.
+He has said he does not want Israel to govern Gaza or re-establish settlements there.
+Hamas says it expects to survive and has said any arrangements for Gaza that exclude it are an illusion. Hamas says it is ready for talks with Abbas's Fatah faction to form a unity government. Such talks have previously failed.
+Washington, which deems Hamas a terrorist group, has said it wants to see governance of Gaza and the West Bank reconnected under a revitalized PA.
+Netanyahu has said he will continue to insist on full Israeli security control west of the Jordan river - a position he said had prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state that would have been ""an existential danger to Israel"".
+In his 2022 autobiography, Netanyahu set out other ideas at odds with Palestinian aspirations, including an airport for Palestinians that ""could be located in Jordan or elsewhere"".
+He called for a change of approach from ""territorial continuity"" in Palestinian areas to ""transportational continuity"" with ""docks, train links, overpasses and underpasses"" enabling Palestinian freedom of movement.
+A spokesperson for Abbas said Netanyahu's recent statements showed Israel was not ""interested in peace and stability"". Hamas official Osama Hamdan said on Jan. 22 Palestinians would not accept anything less than a sovereign state with Jerusalem the capital.
+IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE?
+As the two-state solution has floundered, talk of a one-state solution has risen. Some Palestinians, convinced Israel will never cede them sovereignty, have advocated switching to a struggle for rights within a single country spanning Israel and the land it occupied in 1967.
+Critics say it is unrealistic, noting the main Palestinian factions do not back it and Israel would never accept an idea that could jeopardise its existence as a Jewish state.
+U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a Jan. 23 speech, said the two-state solution remained the only way to address the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians. He criticised ""clear and repeated rejection of the two-state solution at the highest levels of the Israeli government"".
+""This refusal, and the denial of the right to statehood to the Palestinian people, would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The accords led the PLO to recognise Israel's right to exist and renounce violence and to the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has limited self-autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinians hoped this would be a step towards an independent state, with East Jerusalem as the capital. The process was hit by rejection and violence on both sides.
+Hamas, which opposed the process, carried out suicide attacks which killed scores of people. Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli ultra-nationalist opposed to his peace policies. In 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton brought Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to Camp David to clinch a deal, but the effort failed.  The fate of Jerusalem, deemed by Israel as its ""eternal and indivisible"" capital, was the main obstacle. The talks had also grappled with the borders of a Palestinian state, along with the fate of Palestinian refugees and Jews who had settled in the territories captured in 1967. The conflict escalated as the Second Intifada, or uprising, began. U.S. administrations sought to revive peace-making - to no avail. Israeli occupation since 1967 & expanding settlements in the West Bank jeopardize a viable Palestinian state, hindering a two-state solution & escalating regional tensions.
+WHAT MIGHT PALESTINE LOOK LIKE?
+Advocates of the two-state solution have envisaged a Palestine in the Gaza Strip and West Bank linked by a corridor through Israel.
+Two decades ago, details of how it might work were set out in a blueprint by former Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.
+Known as The Geneva Accord, opens new tab, its principles include recognition of Jerusalem's Jewish neighbourhoods as the Israeli capital, and recognition of its Arab neighbourhoods as the Palestinian capital, and a demilitarised Palestinian state. Israel would annex big settlements and cede other land in a swap, and resettle Jewish settlers in Palestinian sovereign territory outside there.
+A multinational force working alongside Palestinian security forces would monitor Palestine's border crossings to Jordan and Egypt, as well as air and sea ports. U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have both mentioned the idea of a demilitarised Palestinian state - an idea Abbas has never publicly rejected or accepted but which Hamas rejects. HOW BIG ARE THE OBSTACLES? The obstacles have grown with time.
+While Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005, Jewish settlements expanded elsewhere. Palestinians say this undermines the prospects of a viable state."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-two-state-solution-israel-palestinian-conflict-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Palestinian conflict: what is the two-state solution and what are the obstacles?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Gaza war has put renewed focus on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, still seen by many countries as the path to peace even though the negotiating process has been moribund for years.
+More than three months into the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian war yet, Washington has said there is no way to solve Israel's security issues and the challenge of rebuilding Gaza without a Palestinian state.
+But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, saying he will not compromise on full Israeli security control west of Jordan and that this stands contrary to a Palestinian state.
+Obstacles have long impeded the two-state solution, which envisages Israeli and Palestinian states alongside each other.
+These include Jewish settlement in occupied land the Palestinians seek for a state, uncompromising positions on core issues including Jerusalem, violence, and deep mistrust.
+WHAT ARE TWO-STATE SOLUTION'S ORIGINS?
+Conflict occurred in British-ruled Palestine between Jews who had migrated to the area and Arabs. The Jews were seeking a national home as they fled persecution in Europe and cited biblical ties to the land.
+In 1947, the United Nations agreed a plan partitioning Palestine into Arab and Jewish states with international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, which gave them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected it.
+The state of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948. A day later, five Arab states attacked. The war ended with Israel controlling 77% of the territory.
+Some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+In a 1967 war, Israel captured the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt, securing control of all territory from the Mediterranean to the Jordan valley.
+The Palestinians remain stateless, with most living under Israeli occupation or as refugees in neighbouring states. Some - mostly descendents of Palestinians who remained in Israel after its creation - have Israeli citizenship.
+HAS A DEAL EVER BEEN CLOSE?
+The two-state solution was the bedrock of the U.S.-backed peace process ushered in by the 1993 Oslo Accords, signed by Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
+The accords led the PLO to recognise Israel's right to exist and renounce violence and to the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has limited self-autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
+Palestinians hoped this would be a step towards an independent state, with East Jerusalem as the capital.
+The process was hit by rejection and violence on both sides.
+Hamas, which opposed the process, carried out suicide attacks which killed scores of people.
+Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli ultra-nationalist opposed to his peace policies.
+In 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton brought Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to Camp David to clinch a deal, but the effort failed.
+The fate of Jerusalem, deemed by Israel as its ""eternal and indivisible"" capital, was the main obstacle. The talks had also grappled with the borders of a Palestinian state, along with the fate of Palestinian refugees and Jews who had settled in the territories captured in 1967.
+The conflict escalated as the Second Intifada, or uprising, began. U.S. administrations sought to revive peace-making - to no avail.
+Israeli occupation since 1967 & expanding settlements in the West Bank jeopardize a viable Palestinian state, hindering a two-state solution & escalating regional tensions.
+WHAT MIGHT PALESTINE LOOK LIKE?
+Advocates of the two-state solution have envisaged a Palestine in the Gaza Strip and West Bank linked by a corridor through Israel.
+Two decades ago, details of how it might work were set out in a blueprint by former Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.
+Known as The Geneva Accord, opens new tab, its principles include recognition of Jerusalem's Jewish neighbourhoods as the Israeli capital, and recognition of its Arab neighbourhoods as the Palestinian capital, and a demilitarised Palestinian state.
+Israel would annex big settlements and cede other land in a swap, and resettle Jewish settlers in Palestinian sovereign territory outside there.
+A multinational force working alongside Palestinian security forces would monitor Palestine's border crossings to Jordan and Egypt, as well as air and sea ports.
+U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have both mentioned the idea of a demilitarised Palestinian state - an idea Abbas has never publicly rejected or accepted but which Hamas rejects.
+HOW BIG ARE THE OBSTACLES?
+The obstacles have grown with time.
+While Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005, Jewish settlements expanded elsewhere. Palestinians say this undermines the prospects of a viable state.
+The Israeli organisation Peace Now said in September the number had grown from 250,000 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1993, to 695,000 three decades later.
+During the Second Intifada Israel also constructed what it described as a barrier to stop Palestinian attacks. Palestinians call it a land grab.
+The PA led by President Mahmoud Abbas administers islands of West Bank land enveloped by a zone of Israeli control comprising 60% of the territory, including the Jordanian border and the settlements - arrangements set out in the Oslo Accords.
+In that zone, known as Area C, Israel has full control.
+The PA administers civil affairs and internal security in a zone known as Area A, amounting to about a fifth of the territory and including the main Palestinian cities.
+In the remaining fifth - Area B - it runs civil affairs while Israel is responsible for security.
+Israel has carried out raids in Palestinian urban centres including Ramallah, where the PA is based, during the war.
+Politics has added to the complications.
+Netanyahu's government is the most right-wing in Israeli history and includes religious nationalists who draw support from settlers. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said last year there was no such thing as a Palestinian people.
+Hamas won elections in 2006 and a year later drove forces loyal to Abbas out of Gaza, fragmenting the Palestinians.
+Hamas' 1988 founding charter calls for Israel's destruction and it refuses to recognize Israel. Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce in return for a viable Palestinian state on all territory occupied by Israel in 1967.
+Israel regards this as a ruse.
+In 2017, a document issued by Hamas said it agreed to a transitional Palestinian state within frontiers pre-dating the 1967 war, although it still opposed recognizing Israel's right to exist or ceding any Palestinian rights.
+IS THERE A WAY FORWARD?
+Gaza's fate is the immediate question.
+Israel aims to annihilate Hamas and says it will not agree to any deal that leaves it in power. Netanyahu has said Gaza must be demilitarized and under Israel's full security control.
+He has said he does not want Israel to govern Gaza or re-establish settlements there.
+Hamas says it expects to survive and has said any arrangements for Gaza that exclude it are an illusion. Hamas says it is ready for talks with Abbas's Fatah faction to form a unity government. Such talks have previously failed.
+Washington, which deems Hamas a terrorist group, has said it wants to see governance of Gaza and the West Bank reconnected under a revitalized PA.
+Netanyahu has said he will continue to insist on full Israeli security control west of the Jordan river - a position he said had prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state that would have been ""an existential danger to Israel"".
+In his 2022 autobiography, Netanyahu set out other ideas at odds with Palestinian aspirations, including an airport for Palestinians that ""could be located in Jordan or elsewhere"".
+He called for a change of approach from ""territorial continuity"" in Palestinian areas to ""transportational continuity"" with ""docks, train links, overpasses and underpasses"" enabling Palestinian freedom of movement.
+A spokesperson for Abbas said Netanyahu's recent statements showed Israel was not ""interested in peace and stability"". Hamas official Osama Hamdan said on Jan. 22 Palestinians would not accept anything less than a sovereign state with Jerusalem the capital.
+IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE?
+As the two-state solution has floundered, talk of a one-state solution has risen. Some Palestinians, convinced Israel will never cede them sovereignty, have advocated switching to a struggle for rights within a single country spanning Israel and the land it occupied in 1967.
+Critics say it is unrealistic, noting the main Palestinian factions do not back it and Israel would never accept an idea that could jeopardise its existence as a Jewish state.
+U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a Jan. 23 speech, said the two-state solution remained the only way to address the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians. He criticised ""clear and repeated rejection of the two-state solution at the highest levels of the Israeli government"".
+""This refusal, and the denial of the right to statehood to the Palestinian people, would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Israeli organisation Peace Now said in September the number had grown from 250,000 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1993, to 695,000 three decades later.  During the Second Intifada Israel also constructed what it described as a barrier to stop Palestinian attacks. Palestinians call it a land grab. The PA led by President Mahmoud Abbas administers islands of West Bank land enveloped by a zone of Israeli control comprising 60% of the territory, including the Jordanian border and the settlements - arrangements set out in the Oslo Accords.  In that zone, known as Area C, Israel has full control. The PA administers civil affairs and internal security in a zone known as Area A, amounting to about a fifth of the territory and including the main Palestinian cities.  In the remaining fifth - Area B - it runs civil affairs while Israel is responsible for security. Israel has carried out raids in Palestinian urban centres including Ramallah, where the PA is based, during the war. Politics has added to the complications. Netanyahu's government is the most right-wing in Israeli history and includes religious nationalists who draw support from settlers. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said last year there was no such thing as a Palestinian people. Hamas won elections in 2006 and a year later drove forces loyal to Abbas out of Gaza, fragmenting the Palestinians.  Hamas' 1988 founding charter calls for Israel's destruction and it refuses to recognize Israel. Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce in return for a viable Palestinian state on all territory occupied by Israel in 1967. Israel regards this as a ruse. In 2017, a document issued by Hamas said it agreed to a transitional Palestinian state within frontiers pre-dating the 1967 war, although it still opposed recognizing Israel's right to exist or ceding any Palestinian rights.
+IS THERE A WAY FORWARD?
+Gaza's fate is the immediate question.  Israel aims to annihilate Hamas and says it will not agree to any deal that leaves it in power. Netanyahu has said Gaza must be demilitarized and under Israel's full security control. He has said he does not want Israel to govern Gaza or re-establish settlements there.  Hamas says it expects to survive and has said any arrangements for Gaza that exclude it are an illusion. Hamas says it is ready for talks with Abbas's Fatah faction to form a unity government. Such talks have previously failed. Washington, which deems Hamas a terrorist group, has said it wants to see governance of Gaza and the West Bank reconnected under a revitalized PA."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-two-state-solution-israel-palestinian-conflict-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Palestinian conflict: what is the two-state solution and what are the obstacles?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Gaza war has put renewed focus on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, still seen by many countries as the path to peace even though the negotiating process has been moribund for years.
+More than three months into the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian war yet, Washington has said there is no way to solve Israel's security issues and the challenge of rebuilding Gaza without a Palestinian state.
+But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, saying he will not compromise on full Israeli security control west of Jordan and that this stands contrary to a Palestinian state.
+Obstacles have long impeded the two-state solution, which envisages Israeli and Palestinian states alongside each other.
+These include Jewish settlement in occupied land the Palestinians seek for a state, uncompromising positions on core issues including Jerusalem, violence, and deep mistrust.
+WHAT ARE TWO-STATE SOLUTION'S ORIGINS?
+Conflict occurred in British-ruled Palestine between Jews who had migrated to the area and Arabs. The Jews were seeking a national home as they fled persecution in Europe and cited biblical ties to the land.
+In 1947, the United Nations agreed a plan partitioning Palestine into Arab and Jewish states with international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, which gave them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected it.
+The state of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948. A day later, five Arab states attacked. The war ended with Israel controlling 77% of the territory.
+Some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+In a 1967 war, Israel captured the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt, securing control of all territory from the Mediterranean to the Jordan valley.
+The Palestinians remain stateless, with most living under Israeli occupation or as refugees in neighbouring states. Some - mostly descendents of Palestinians who remained in Israel after its creation - have Israeli citizenship.
+HAS A DEAL EVER BEEN CLOSE?
+The two-state solution was the bedrock of the U.S.-backed peace process ushered in by the 1993 Oslo Accords, signed by Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
+The accords led the PLO to recognise Israel's right to exist and renounce violence and to the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has limited self-autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
+Palestinians hoped this would be a step towards an independent state, with East Jerusalem as the capital.
+The process was hit by rejection and violence on both sides.
+Hamas, which opposed the process, carried out suicide attacks which killed scores of people.
+Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli ultra-nationalist opposed to his peace policies.
+In 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton brought Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to Camp David to clinch a deal, but the effort failed.
+The fate of Jerusalem, deemed by Israel as its ""eternal and indivisible"" capital, was the main obstacle. The talks had also grappled with the borders of a Palestinian state, along with the fate of Palestinian refugees and Jews who had settled in the territories captured in 1967.
+The conflict escalated as the Second Intifada, or uprising, began. U.S. administrations sought to revive peace-making - to no avail.
+Israeli occupation since 1967 & expanding settlements in the West Bank jeopardize a viable Palestinian state, hindering a two-state solution & escalating regional tensions.
+WHAT MIGHT PALESTINE LOOK LIKE?
+Advocates of the two-state solution have envisaged a Palestine in the Gaza Strip and West Bank linked by a corridor through Israel.
+Two decades ago, details of how it might work were set out in a blueprint by former Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.
+Known as The Geneva Accord, opens new tab, its principles include recognition of Jerusalem's Jewish neighbourhoods as the Israeli capital, and recognition of its Arab neighbourhoods as the Palestinian capital, and a demilitarised Palestinian state.
+Israel would annex big settlements and cede other land in a swap, and resettle Jewish settlers in Palestinian sovereign territory outside there.
+A multinational force working alongside Palestinian security forces would monitor Palestine's border crossings to Jordan and Egypt, as well as air and sea ports.
+U.S. President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have both mentioned the idea of a demilitarised Palestinian state - an idea Abbas has never publicly rejected or accepted but which Hamas rejects.
+HOW BIG ARE THE OBSTACLES?
+The obstacles have grown with time.
+While Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005, Jewish settlements expanded elsewhere. Palestinians say this undermines the prospects of a viable state.
+The Israeli organisation Peace Now said in September the number had grown from 250,000 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1993, to 695,000 three decades later.
+During the Second Intifada Israel also constructed what it described as a barrier to stop Palestinian attacks. Palestinians call it a land grab.
+The PA led by President Mahmoud Abbas administers islands of West Bank land enveloped by a zone of Israeli control comprising 60% of the territory, including the Jordanian border and the settlements - arrangements set out in the Oslo Accords.
+In that zone, known as Area C, Israel has full control.
+The PA administers civil affairs and internal security in a zone known as Area A, amounting to about a fifth of the territory and including the main Palestinian cities.
+In the remaining fifth - Area B - it runs civil affairs while Israel is responsible for security.
+Israel has carried out raids in Palestinian urban centres including Ramallah, where the PA is based, during the war.
+Politics has added to the complications.
+Netanyahu's government is the most right-wing in Israeli history and includes religious nationalists who draw support from settlers. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said last year there was no such thing as a Palestinian people.
+Hamas won elections in 2006 and a year later drove forces loyal to Abbas out of Gaza, fragmenting the Palestinians.
+Hamas' 1988 founding charter calls for Israel's destruction and it refuses to recognize Israel. Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce in return for a viable Palestinian state on all territory occupied by Israel in 1967.
+Israel regards this as a ruse.
+In 2017, a document issued by Hamas said it agreed to a transitional Palestinian state within frontiers pre-dating the 1967 war, although it still opposed recognizing Israel's right to exist or ceding any Palestinian rights.
+IS THERE A WAY FORWARD?
+Gaza's fate is the immediate question.
+Israel aims to annihilate Hamas and says it will not agree to any deal that leaves it in power. Netanyahu has said Gaza must be demilitarized and under Israel's full security control.
+He has said he does not want Israel to govern Gaza or re-establish settlements there.
+Hamas says it expects to survive and has said any arrangements for Gaza that exclude it are an illusion. Hamas says it is ready for talks with Abbas's Fatah faction to form a unity government. Such talks have previously failed.
+Washington, which deems Hamas a terrorist group, has said it wants to see governance of Gaza and the West Bank reconnected under a revitalized PA.
+Netanyahu has said he will continue to insist on full Israeli security control west of the Jordan river - a position he said had prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state that would have been ""an existential danger to Israel"".
+In his 2022 autobiography, Netanyahu set out other ideas at odds with Palestinian aspirations, including an airport for Palestinians that ""could be located in Jordan or elsewhere"".
+He called for a change of approach from ""territorial continuity"" in Palestinian areas to ""transportational continuity"" with ""docks, train links, overpasses and underpasses"" enabling Palestinian freedom of movement.
+A spokesperson for Abbas said Netanyahu's recent statements showed Israel was not ""interested in peace and stability"". Hamas official Osama Hamdan said on Jan. 22 Palestinians would not accept anything less than a sovereign state with Jerusalem the capital.
+IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE?
+As the two-state solution has floundered, talk of a one-state solution has risen. Some Palestinians, convinced Israel will never cede them sovereignty, have advocated switching to a struggle for rights within a single country spanning Israel and the land it occupied in 1967.
+Critics say it is unrealistic, noting the main Palestinian factions do not back it and Israel would never accept an idea that could jeopardise its existence as a Jewish state.
+U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a Jan. 23 speech, said the two-state solution remained the only way to address the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians. He criticised ""clear and repeated rejection of the two-state solution at the highest levels of the Israeli government"".
+""This refusal, and the denial of the right to statehood to the Palestinian people, would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Netanyahu has said he will continue to insist on full Israeli security control west of the Jordan river - a position he said had prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state that would have been ""an existential danger to Israel"".  In his 2022 autobiography, Netanyahu set out other ideas at odds with Palestinian aspirations, including an airport for Palestinians that ""could be located in Jordan or elsewhere"".  He called for a change of approach from ""territorial continuity"" in Palestinian areas to ""transportational continuity"" with ""docks, train links, overpasses and underpasses"" enabling Palestinian freedom of movement.
+A spokesperson for Abbas said Netanyahu's recent statements showed Israel was not ""interested in peace and stability"". Hamas official Osama Hamdan said on Jan. 22 Palestinians would not accept anything less than a sovereign state with Jerusalem the capital.  IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE? As the two-state solution has floundered, talk of a one-state solution has risen. Some Palestinians, convinced Israel will never cede them sovereignty, have advocated switching to a struggle for rights within a single country spanning Israel and the land it occupied in 1967.  Critics say it is unrealistic, noting the main Palestinian factions do not back it and Israel would never accept an idea that could jeopardise its existence as a Jewish state.
+U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a Jan. 23 speech, said the two-state solution remained the only way to address the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians. He criticised ""clear and repeated rejection of the two-state solution at the highest levels of the Israeli government"". ""This refusal, and the denial of the right to statehood to the Palestinian people, would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-are-veteran-south-african-israeli-judges-hearing-gaza-genocide-case-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Who are the veteran South African and Israeli judges hearing the Gaza genocide case?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The United Nations' top court will rule on Friday on whether it will grant emergency measures against Israel following accusations by South Africa that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide against Palestinians.
+The 15 judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, are joined for this case by a judge specially appointed by South Africa and one by Israel. Both are distinguished figures in their countries with extraordinary personal histories. The court's legally-binding decisions are made by a simple majority but it has no way to enforce them.
+DIKGANG MOSENEKE
+- Moseneke, 76, is one of South Africa's most senior retired judges who fought against apartheid and played a key role in the country's transition to democracy.
+- He was imprisoned at the age of 15 for protesting apartheid and spent 10 years in South Africa's notorious Robben Island prison, where he befriended Nelson Mandela.
+- Moseneke studied for his university degree while behind bars and worked as an attorney after his release. He was later asked by Mandela to help draft South Africa's interim constitution and oversee its first democratic elections. - He was appointed to South Africa's Constitutional Court in 2002. In 2005, he was appointed Deputy Chief Justice, a position he held until his retirement in 2016.
+- In a 2021 interview with Oxford University about his autobiography he recalled he had a very deep sense of right and wrong as a child. ""Apartheid was already a big teacher, like most states... it taught people inequality."".
+- He has a reputation as ""a fair-minded and thorough judge who follows the facts of the case"", according to Frans Viljoen, a professor of international human rights law at the University of Pretoria.
+AHARON BARAK
+- Barak, 87, is a Holocaust survivor born in Lithuania in 1936 who became a chief justice of Israel's Supreme Court.
+- He is one of few children to survive the Jewish ghetto in the central Lithuanian city of Kovno (Kaunas) during World War Two. He has called his survival a miracle. ""Since that episode, I have never feared death,"" he said.
+- Barak was smuggled out of the ghetto by his mother who hid him in a bag of uniforms that were manufactured there. He immigrated to then-British Mandate Palestine in 1947, a year before it became Israel
+- Between 1975 and 1978 Barak served as Israel's Attorney General. In 1978 he was appointed to the Supreme Court and served as its president from 1995 to 2006 when he retired.
+- Barak is known as a champion of Supreme Court activism and has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose judicial reform push last year bitterly polarized the public.
+- In an interview last November with Canadian daily the Globe and Mail, Barak voiced support for Israel's military actions in Gaza. ""I agree totally with what the government is doing,"" he said. Asked about accusations that Israel was conducting a genocidal war in Gaza, Barak said that term should be used to describe the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Who are the veteran South African and Israeli judges hearing the Gaza genocide case?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The United Nations' top court will rule on Friday on whether it will grant emergency measures against Israel following accusations by South Africa that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide against Palestinians.  The 15 judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, are joined for this case by a judge specially appointed by South Africa and one by Israel. Both are distinguished figures in their countries with extraordinary personal histories. The court's legally-binding decisions are made by a simple majority but it has no way to enforce them. DIKGANG MOSENEKE
+- Moseneke, 76, is one of South Africa's most senior retired judges who fought against apartheid and played a key role in the country's transition to democracy.  - He was imprisoned at the age of 15 for protesting apartheid and spent 10 years in South Africa's notorious Robben Island prison, where he befriended Nelson Mandela.
+- Moseneke studied for his university degree while behind bars and worked as an attorney after his release. He was later asked by Mandela to help draft South Africa's interim constitution and oversee its first democratic elections. - He was appointed to South Africa's Constitutional Court in 2002. In 2005, he was appointed Deputy Chief Justice, a position he held until his retirement in 2016.  - In a 2021 interview with Oxford University about his autobiography he recalled he had a very deep sense of right and wrong as a child. ""Apartheid was already a big teacher, like most states... it taught people inequality."". - He has a reputation as ""a fair-minded and thorough judge who follows the facts of the case"", according to Frans Viljoen, a professor of international human rights law at the University of Pretoria.  AHARON BARAK
+- Barak, 87, is a Holocaust survivor born in Lithuania in 1936 who became a chief justice of Israel's Supreme Court.
+- He is one of few children to survive the Jewish ghetto in the central Lithuanian city of Kovno (Kaunas) during World War Two. He has called his survival a miracle. ""Since that episode, I have never feared death,"" he said.  - Barak was smuggled out of the ghetto by his mother who hid him in a bag of uniforms that were manufactured there. He immigrated to then-British Mandate Palestine in 1947, a year before it became Israel
+- Between 1975 and 1978 Barak served as Israel's Attorney General."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-are-veteran-south-african-israeli-judges-hearing-gaza-genocide-case-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Who are the veteran South African and Israeli judges hearing the Gaza genocide case?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The United Nations' top court will rule on Friday on whether it will grant emergency measures against Israel following accusations by South Africa that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide against Palestinians.
+The 15 judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, are joined for this case by a judge specially appointed by South Africa and one by Israel. Both are distinguished figures in their countries with extraordinary personal histories. The court's legally-binding decisions are made by a simple majority but it has no way to enforce them.
+DIKGANG MOSENEKE
+- Moseneke, 76, is one of South Africa's most senior retired judges who fought against apartheid and played a key role in the country's transition to democracy.
+- He was imprisoned at the age of 15 for protesting apartheid and spent 10 years in South Africa's notorious Robben Island prison, where he befriended Nelson Mandela.
+- Moseneke studied for his university degree while behind bars and worked as an attorney after his release. He was later asked by Mandela to help draft South Africa's interim constitution and oversee its first democratic elections. - He was appointed to South Africa's Constitutional Court in 2002. In 2005, he was appointed Deputy Chief Justice, a position he held until his retirement in 2016.
+- In a 2021 interview with Oxford University about his autobiography he recalled he had a very deep sense of right and wrong as a child. ""Apartheid was already a big teacher, like most states... it taught people inequality."".
+- He has a reputation as ""a fair-minded and thorough judge who follows the facts of the case"", according to Frans Viljoen, a professor of international human rights law at the University of Pretoria.
+AHARON BARAK
+- Barak, 87, is a Holocaust survivor born in Lithuania in 1936 who became a chief justice of Israel's Supreme Court.
+- He is one of few children to survive the Jewish ghetto in the central Lithuanian city of Kovno (Kaunas) during World War Two. He has called his survival a miracle. ""Since that episode, I have never feared death,"" he said.
+- Barak was smuggled out of the ghetto by his mother who hid him in a bag of uniforms that were manufactured there. He immigrated to then-British Mandate Palestine in 1947, a year before it became Israel
+- Between 1975 and 1978 Barak served as Israel's Attorney General. In 1978 he was appointed to the Supreme Court and served as its president from 1995 to 2006 when he retired.
+- Barak is known as a champion of Supreme Court activism and has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose judicial reform push last year bitterly polarized the public.
+- In an interview last November with Canadian daily the Globe and Mail, Barak voiced support for Israel's military actions in Gaza. ""I agree totally with what the government is doing,"" he said. Asked about accusations that Israel was conducting a genocidal war in Gaza, Barak said that term should be used to describe the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In 1978 he was appointed to the Supreme Court and served as its president from 1995 to 2006 when he retired.  - Barak is known as a champion of Supreme Court activism and has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose judicial reform push last year bitterly polarized the public.
+- In an interview last November with Canadian daily the Globe and Mail, Barak voiced support for Israel's military actions in Gaza. ""I agree totally with what the government is doing,"" he said. Asked about accusations that Israel was conducting a genocidal war in Gaza, Barak said that term should be used to describe the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/asian-cup-minnows-make-their-mark-advance-last-16-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Asian Cup minnows make their mark to advance to last 16[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Jan 25 (Reuters) - A 24-team Asian Cup can dilute the quality of the matches with only eight teams going home after the group stage, but for some of the less illustrious nations it is a rare opportunity to show they belong at a major tournament.
+Tajikistan, Palestine, Syria and Indonesia have all secured historic first knockout stage spots at this year's edition in Qatar, with the latter three all going through after finishing third in their groups.
+Palestine qualified for the last 16 at their third attempt, winning an Asian Cup game for the first time when they beat Hong Kong 3-0 to advance on Tuesday, with the Palestinian players sinking to the turf in relief at the final whistle.
+Despite a raging conflict with Israel back home in Gaza where more than 25,000 people have been killed according to Palestinian health officials, the team has remained focused on the task at hand.
+""This achievement will motivate and bring smiles, both inside and outside of Palestine,"" said Palestine skipper Musab Al-Battat.
+""On the pitch, emotions were set aside as we believed in the group and team spirit. Delivering the right message, we showcased ourselves as capable players, proving that we deserve to be here. Our gratitude is extended to all our fans.""
+SURPRISE PACKAGE
+Tournament debutants Tajikistan were the surprise package in the group stage as the central Asian team automatically qualified for the knockouts when they finished second behind defending champions Qatar.
+Led by the charismatic and vocal Croatian manager Petar Segrt, Tajikistan found themselves on the ropes in their final group game against Lebanon before a rousing comeback saw them advance with their first goals and first win in the Asian Cup.
+""For us, it's a big dream to go through. The first dream was to qualify and the second dream was to go into second round. Now we dream again,"" Segrt said.
+""We will go step by step, we must respect our opponents. Too much dreaming is not so good. I'm realistic and must stay realistic.""
+Syria qualified for the knockout stages for the first time since their Asian Cup debut in 1980, leading to emotional scenes where even the interpreter for coach Hector Cuper could not hold back tears of joy during a post-match interview.
+""We started with the dream of qualifying for the Asian Cup, which was followed by an ambition to make it to the round of 16,"" the 68-year-old Cuper said.
+""We know there are many big teams in this competition for whom that isn't a big achievement. But for us, it feels great and we will do what it takes to stay here for as long as possible.""
+Indonesia had to wait until Oman failed to qualify, with the south-east Asian team scraping through after previously exiting in the group stage four times.
+""I coached one of the weakest teams among the 24 here in this tournament. Indonesia are ranked 146 but our performance was not the same as the ranking,"" coach Shin Tae-yong said.
+""We were the youngest team in the group and playing the best teams in Asia will help us keep improving.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Asian Cup minnows make their mark to advance to last 16[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Jan 25 (Reuters) - A 24-team Asian Cup can dilute the quality of the matches with only eight teams going home after the group stage, but for some of the less illustrious nations it is a rare opportunity to show they belong at a major tournament. Tajikistan, Palestine, Syria and Indonesia have all secured historic first knockout stage spots at this year's edition in Qatar, with the latter three all going through after finishing third in their groups. Palestine qualified for the last 16 at their third attempt, winning an Asian Cup game for the first time when they beat Hong Kong 3-0 to advance on Tuesday, with the Palestinian players sinking to the turf in relief at the final whistle. Despite a raging conflict with Israel back home in Gaza where more than 25,000 people have been killed according to Palestinian health officials, the team has remained focused on the task at hand.  ""This achievement will motivate and bring smiles, both inside and outside of Palestine,"" said Palestine skipper Musab Al-Battat.
+""On the pitch, emotions were set aside as we believed in the group and team spirit. Delivering the right message, we showcased ourselves as capable players, proving that we deserve to be here. Our gratitude is extended to all our fans. ""
+SURPRISE PACKAGE
+Tournament debutants Tajikistan were the surprise package in the group stage as the central Asian team automatically qualified for the knockouts when they finished second behind defending champions Qatar. Led by the charismatic and vocal Croatian manager Petar Segrt, Tajikistan found themselves on the ropes in their final group game against Lebanon before a rousing comeback saw them advance with their first goals and first win in the Asian Cup.  ""For us, it's a big dream to go through. The first dream was to qualify and the second dream was to go into second round. Now we dream again,"" Segrt said.  ""We will go step by step, we must respect our opponents. Too much dreaming is not so good. I'm realistic and must stay realistic.""
+Syria qualified for the knockout stages for the first time since their Asian Cup debut in 1980, leading to emotional scenes where even the interpreter for coach Hector Cuper could not hold back tears of joy during a post-match interview.  ""We started with the dream of qualifying for the Asian Cup, which was followed by an ambition to make it to the round of 16,"" the 68-year-old Cuper said.
+"""
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/asian-cup-minnows-make-their-mark-advance-last-16-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Asian Cup minnows make their mark to advance to last 16[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Jan 25 (Reuters) - A 24-team Asian Cup can dilute the quality of the matches with only eight teams going home after the group stage, but for some of the less illustrious nations it is a rare opportunity to show they belong at a major tournament.
+Tajikistan, Palestine, Syria and Indonesia have all secured historic first knockout stage spots at this year's edition in Qatar, with the latter three all going through after finishing third in their groups.
+Palestine qualified for the last 16 at their third attempt, winning an Asian Cup game for the first time when they beat Hong Kong 3-0 to advance on Tuesday, with the Palestinian players sinking to the turf in relief at the final whistle.
+Despite a raging conflict with Israel back home in Gaza where more than 25,000 people have been killed according to Palestinian health officials, the team has remained focused on the task at hand.
+""This achievement will motivate and bring smiles, both inside and outside of Palestine,"" said Palestine skipper Musab Al-Battat.
+""On the pitch, emotions were set aside as we believed in the group and team spirit. Delivering the right message, we showcased ourselves as capable players, proving that we deserve to be here. Our gratitude is extended to all our fans.""
+SURPRISE PACKAGE
+Tournament debutants Tajikistan were the surprise package in the group stage as the central Asian team automatically qualified for the knockouts when they finished second behind defending champions Qatar.
+Led by the charismatic and vocal Croatian manager Petar Segrt, Tajikistan found themselves on the ropes in their final group game against Lebanon before a rousing comeback saw them advance with their first goals and first win in the Asian Cup.
+""For us, it's a big dream to go through. The first dream was to qualify and the second dream was to go into second round. Now we dream again,"" Segrt said.
+""We will go step by step, we must respect our opponents. Too much dreaming is not so good. I'm realistic and must stay realistic.""
+Syria qualified for the knockout stages for the first time since their Asian Cup debut in 1980, leading to emotional scenes where even the interpreter for coach Hector Cuper could not hold back tears of joy during a post-match interview.
+""We started with the dream of qualifying for the Asian Cup, which was followed by an ambition to make it to the round of 16,"" the 68-year-old Cuper said.
+""We know there are many big teams in this competition for whom that isn't a big achievement. But for us, it feels great and we will do what it takes to stay here for as long as possible.""
+Indonesia had to wait until Oman failed to qualify, with the south-east Asian team scraping through after previously exiting in the group stage four times.
+""I coached one of the weakest teams among the 24 here in this tournament. Indonesia are ranked 146 but our performance was not the same as the ranking,"" coach Shin Tae-yong said.
+""We were the youngest team in the group and playing the best teams in Asia will help us keep improving.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","We know there are many big teams in this competition for whom that isn't a big achievement. But for us, it feels great and we will do what it takes to stay here for as long as possible. "" Indonesia had to wait until Oman failed to qualify, with the south-east Asian team scraping through after previously exiting in the group stage four times.  ""I coached one of the weakest teams among the 24 here in this tournament. Indonesia are ranked 146 but our performance was not the same as the ranking,"" coach Shin Tae-yong said.  ""We were the youngest team in the group and playing the best teams in Asia will help us keep improving.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/starbucks-watermelon-mug-predates-israel-hamas-war-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Starbucks watermelon mug predates Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Starbucks UK's watermelon-themed mug was released as part of a summer collection in May 2023, a spokesperson for the coffee chain told Reuters, and is unrelated to the Israel-Hamas war that started five months later.
+In January 2024, UK-based TikTok user Deanna Hassanein posted to the platform, opens new tab about feeling “utter shock” upon seeing a watermelon-themed mug in a Starbucks branch.
+She captioned the clip with the hashtags: “#palestine” and “#boycottstarbucks”.
+The same claim has since been shared on Instagram, opens new tab and Facebook, opens new tab.
+The watermelon is used, opens new tab as a symbol of solidarity, opens new tab with Palestinians, as a sliced watermelon has the same colours, opens new tab of the Palestinian flag.
+There have been calls for a boycott of Starbucks following its reaction, opens new tab to a now-deleted post by Workers United, a union for its baristas, expressing support for Palestinians after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the outbreak of war in Gaza. The company criticised the post, saying it reflected ""support for violence perpetrated by Hamas"".
+Starbucks and Workers United, opens new tab have since sued each other.
+Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said protests against the company over its stance on the Israel-Hamas war have been ""influenced by misrepresentation on social media"" of what the coffee chain stands for.
+In a Dec. 29 statement, opens new tab, the brand said: “Starbucks stands for humanity. We condemn violence, the loss of innocent life and all hate and weaponized speech.”
+Jaci Anderson, director of corporate communications for Starbucks, told Reuters that the watermelon mug was released in May 2023 as part of a summer collection and has no ties to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+It is only available in the UK and in a select few stores, she said.
+The mug was available on Amazon, opens new tab from June 1, 2023, opens new tab, and Starbucks UK posted a picture of it to Facebook, opens new tab on June 22, 2023.
+Starbucks in the United Arab Emirates also posted a video featuring the mug on Instagram, opens new tab in May 2023. Anderson told Reuters that the video shows the full Starbucks summer 2023 merchandise range, from which respective regions select products to sell.
+The mug was not sold in Starbucks UAE stores or others in the Middle East, she said.
+Responding via email to a request for comment from Reuters, Hassanein said: “They are not new mugs they have just resurfaced on the shelves in this specific branch. No idea why they're on the shelf again since they were released in May 2023.”
+According to Anderson, it is common for seasonal merchandise to be sold out of season when stock is available, which she said is the case in Hassanein’s video.
+VERDICT
+Missing context. The watermelon mug was part of a summer merchandise collection released by Starbucks in the UK in May 2023, months before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Starbucks watermelon mug predates Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Starbucks UK's watermelon-themed mug was released as part of a summer collection in May 2023, a spokesperson for the coffee chain told Reuters, and is unrelated to the Israel-Hamas war that started five months later. In January 2024, UK-based TikTok user Deanna Hassanein posted to the platform, opens new tab about feeling “utter shock” upon seeing a watermelon-themed mug in a Starbucks branch. She captioned the clip with the hashtags: “#palestine” and “#boycottstarbucks”. The same claim has since been shared on Instagram, opens new tab and Facebook, opens new tab. The watermelon is used, opens new tab as a symbol of solidarity, opens new tab with Palestinians, as a sliced watermelon has the same colours, opens new tab of the Palestinian flag. There have been calls for a boycott of Starbucks following its reaction, opens new tab to a now-deleted post by Workers United, a union for its baristas, expressing support for Palestinians after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the outbreak of war in Gaza. The company criticised the post, saying it reflected ""support for violence perpetrated by Hamas"". Starbucks and Workers United, opens new tab have since sued each other.  Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said protests against the company over its stance on the Israel-Hamas war have been ""influenced by misrepresentation on social media"" of what the coffee chain stands for.
+In a Dec. 29 statement, opens new tab, the brand said: “Starbucks stands for humanity. We condemn violence, the loss of innocent life and all hate and weaponized speech.” Jaci Anderson, director of corporate communications for Starbucks, told Reuters that the watermelon mug was released in May 2023 as part of a summer collection and has no ties to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+It is only available in the UK and in a select few stores, she said. The mug was available on Amazon, opens new tab from June 1, 2023, opens new tab, and Starbucks UK posted a picture of it to Facebook, opens new tab on June 22, 2023.  Starbucks in the United Arab Emirates also posted a video featuring the mug on Instagram, opens new tab in May 2023. Anderson told Reuters that the video shows the full Starbucks summer 2023 merchandise range, from which respective regions select products to sell. The mug was not sold in Starbucks UAE stores or others in the Middle East, she said. "
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/starbucks-watermelon-mug-predates-israel-hamas-war-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Starbucks watermelon mug predates Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Starbucks UK's watermelon-themed mug was released as part of a summer collection in May 2023, a spokesperson for the coffee chain told Reuters, and is unrelated to the Israel-Hamas war that started five months later.
+In January 2024, UK-based TikTok user Deanna Hassanein posted to the platform, opens new tab about feeling “utter shock” upon seeing a watermelon-themed mug in a Starbucks branch.
+She captioned the clip with the hashtags: “#palestine” and “#boycottstarbucks”.
+The same claim has since been shared on Instagram, opens new tab and Facebook, opens new tab.
+The watermelon is used, opens new tab as a symbol of solidarity, opens new tab with Palestinians, as a sliced watermelon has the same colours, opens new tab of the Palestinian flag.
+There have been calls for a boycott of Starbucks following its reaction, opens new tab to a now-deleted post by Workers United, a union for its baristas, expressing support for Palestinians after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the outbreak of war in Gaza. The company criticised the post, saying it reflected ""support for violence perpetrated by Hamas"".
+Starbucks and Workers United, opens new tab have since sued each other.
+Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said protests against the company over its stance on the Israel-Hamas war have been ""influenced by misrepresentation on social media"" of what the coffee chain stands for.
+In a Dec. 29 statement, opens new tab, the brand said: “Starbucks stands for humanity. We condemn violence, the loss of innocent life and all hate and weaponized speech.”
+Jaci Anderson, director of corporate communications for Starbucks, told Reuters that the watermelon mug was released in May 2023 as part of a summer collection and has no ties to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+It is only available in the UK and in a select few stores, she said.
+The mug was available on Amazon, opens new tab from June 1, 2023, opens new tab, and Starbucks UK posted a picture of it to Facebook, opens new tab on June 22, 2023.
+Starbucks in the United Arab Emirates also posted a video featuring the mug on Instagram, opens new tab in May 2023. Anderson told Reuters that the video shows the full Starbucks summer 2023 merchandise range, from which respective regions select products to sell.
+The mug was not sold in Starbucks UAE stores or others in the Middle East, she said.
+Responding via email to a request for comment from Reuters, Hassanein said: “They are not new mugs they have just resurfaced on the shelves in this specific branch. No idea why they're on the shelf again since they were released in May 2023.”
+According to Anderson, it is common for seasonal merchandise to be sold out of season when stock is available, which she said is the case in Hassanein’s video.
+VERDICT
+Missing context. The watermelon mug was part of a summer merchandise collection released by Starbucks in the UK in May 2023, months before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Responding via email to a request for comment from Reuters, Hassanein said: “They are not new mugs they have just resurfaced on the shelves in this specific branch. No idea why they're on the shelf again since they were released in May 2023. ”  According to Anderson, it is common for seasonal merchandise to be sold out of season when stock is available, which she said is the case in Hassanein’s video.
+VERDICT
+Missing context. The watermelon mug was part of a summer merchandise collection released by Starbucks in the UK in May 2023, months before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/norway-help-tax-funds-transfer-between-israel-palestinian-authority-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway to help tax funds transfer between Israel and Palestinian Authority[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OSLO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Norway has agreed to act as an intermediary to help unfreeze tax funds earmarked for the Palestinian Authority (PA) that are held by Israel, the Norwegian foreign minister said on Thursday.
+Under interim peace accords reached in the 1990s, Israel's finance ministry collects tax on behalf of the Palestinians and makes monthly transfers to the PA. But no payments have taken place since November following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip in October.
+On Jan. 21, Israeli officials said the Israeli cabinet had approved a plan for frozen tax funds earmarked for the Gaza Strip to be held by Norway instead of transferred to the PA.
+On Thursday, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Norway had agreed to act as an intermediary for the transfer of the tax funds but that the specifics were still being worked out.
+""Work is now underway to try to establish the framework for such a solution. We are in dialogue with both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities and other stakeholders,"" Barth Eide told Reuters, without giving further details.
+He said he was deeply concerned about the PA's financial situation, which he described as ""grave"".
+In addition, the freeze ""endangers the (PA's) ability to provide basic services, like paying salaries to health workers and teachers, among others,"" he said.
+Accessing this revenue is key to the survival of the PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Several Western countries, including the United States, want the PA to play a role in the administration of the Gaza Strip, should the war come to an end.
+Norway is part of an international effort to build a broad, Palestinian unity government, with Western nations aiming for the PA to play a key role in it.
+The country served as a facilitator in the 1992-1993 talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993.
+On Nov. 2, Israel said it would proceed with a tax revenue transfer to the PA in the West Bank but would withhold funds bound for Gaza, ruled by Hamas but where the PA helps cover public sector wages as well as medicine and social assistance programmes.
+But on Nov. 6, the PA said it wanted the money in full and would not accept conditions that prevent it from paying its staff. It is estimated to spend some 30% of its budget in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway to help tax funds transfer between Israel and Palestinian Authority[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OSLO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Norway has agreed to act as an intermediary to help unfreeze tax funds earmarked for the Palestinian Authority (PA) that are held by Israel, the Norwegian foreign minister said on Thursday.  Under interim peace accords reached in the 1990s, Israel's finance ministry collects tax on behalf of the Palestinians and makes monthly transfers to the PA. But no payments have taken place since November following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip in October. On Jan. 21, Israeli officials said the Israeli cabinet had approved a plan for frozen tax funds earmarked for the Gaza Strip to be held by Norway instead of transferred to the PA. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Norway had agreed to act as an intermediary for the transfer of the tax funds but that the specifics were still being worked out. ""Work is now underway to try to establish the framework for such a solution. We are in dialogue with both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities and other stakeholders,"" Barth Eide told Reuters, without giving further details. He said he was deeply concerned about the PA's financial situation, which he described as ""grave"". In addition, the freeze ""endangers the (PA's) ability to provide basic services, like paying salaries to health workers and teachers, among others,"" he said. Accessing this revenue is key to the survival of the PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Several Western countries, including the United States, want the PA to play a role in the administration of the Gaza Strip, should the war come to an end. Norway is part of an international effort to build a broad, Palestinian unity government, with Western nations aiming for the PA to play a key role in it. The country served as a facilitator in the 1992-1993 talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993. On Nov. 2, Israel said it would proceed with a tax revenue transfer to the PA in the West Bank but would withhold funds bound for Gaza, ruled by Hamas but where the PA helps cover public sector wages as well as medicine and social assistance programmes.  But on Nov. 6, the PA said it wanted the money in full and would not accept conditions that prevent it from paying its staff. It is estimated to spend some 30% of its budget in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/nearly-all-us-senate-democrats-back-two-state-solution-israel-palestinians-2024-01-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Nearly all US Senate Democrats back two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - An overwhelming majority of President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday backed a statement reiterating U.S. support of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Forty-nine of the 51 members of the Senate Democratic caucus backed an amendment supporting a negotiated solution to the conflict that results in Israeli and Palestinian states living side by side, ensuring Israel's survival as a secure, democratic, Jewish state and fulfilling the Palestinians' ""legitimate aspirations"" for a state of their own.
+Senator Brian Schatz introduced the measure as an amendment to an upcoming bill that would provide national security aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
+""What will determine the future of Israel and Palestine is whether or not there's hope. And the two-state solution has to be that hope,"" Schatz told a news conference.
+With war raging in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference this month that he objected to any Palestinian statehood that did not guarantee Israel's security.
+The statement provoked international concern, including from Israel's biggest backer the United States. Washington maintains that the two-state solution is the only feasible way to bring lasting peace to the region.
+The only two Democratic senators who did not sign onto the amendment were John Fetterman and Joe Manchin.
+Fetterman has long supported a two-state solution, but he believed the measure should include language stipulating the destruction of Hamas as a precondition to peace, an aide said.
+Manchin issued a statement, in which he said: ""Once a Palestinian government with its peoples’ best interests at heart agrees that Israel should be a state, I will be the first one to sign on to a bipartisan amendment supporting that Israel recognize a Palestinian state."" Many of Biden's fellow Democrats in Congress have been pushing the administration to do more to address the steep toll on Palestinian civilians of Israel's campaign against Hamas since the militant group's deadly assault on Oct. 7.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Nearly all US Senate Democrats back two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - An overwhelming majority of President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday backed a statement reiterating U.S. support of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Forty-nine of the 51 members of the Senate Democratic caucus backed an amendment supporting a negotiated solution to the conflict that results in Israeli and Palestinian states living side by side, ensuring Israel's survival as a secure, democratic, Jewish state and fulfilling the Palestinians' ""legitimate aspirations"" for a state of their own. Senator Brian Schatz introduced the measure as an amendment to an upcoming bill that would provide national security aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.  ""What will determine the future of Israel and Palestine is whether or not there's hope. And the two-state solution has to be that hope,"" Schatz told a news conference. With war raging in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference this month that he objected to any Palestinian statehood that did not guarantee Israel's security.
+The statement provoked international concern, including from Israel's biggest backer the United States. Washington maintains that the two-state solution is the only feasible way to bring lasting peace to the region. The only two Democratic senators who did not sign onto the amendment were John Fetterman and Joe Manchin. Fetterman has long supported a two-state solution, but he believed the measure should include language stipulating the destruction of Hamas as a precondition to peace, an aide said.  Manchin issued a statement, in which he said: ""Once a Palestinian government with its peoples’ best interests at heart agrees that Israel should be a state, I will be the first one to sign on to a bipartisan amendment supporting that Israel recognize a Palestinian state."" Many of Biden's fellow Democrats in Congress have been pushing the administration to do more to address the steep toll on Palestinian civilians of Israel's campaign against Hamas since the militant group's deadly assault on Oct. 7.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-raisi-meets-erdogan-turkey-talks-gaza-conflict-energy-2024-01-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey, Iran agree on need to avoid escalating Mideast tensions -Erdogan[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he and Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi agreed at a meeting on Wednesday on the need to avoid steps that could further threaten Middle East stability three months into the Gaza war.
+Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has harshly criticised Israel for its attacks on Gaza, called for an immediate ceasefire, and backed legal steps for Israel to be tried for genocide.
+Unlike its Western allies and some Arab nations, NATO member Turkey does not consider Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack on Israel led to the retaliatory Israeli military campaign on Gaza, a terrorist group.
+Iran leads what it calls the Axis of Resistance, a loose coalition that includes Hamas and armed Shi'ite Muslim groups around the region that have militarily confronted Israel and its Western allies. It has voiced support for Hamas.
+Speaking at a news conference after meeting Raisi in Ankara, Erdogan said the two leaders had discussed ending Israel's ""inhumane"" attacks on Gaza and the need to take steps for a fair and lasting peace in the region.
+""We agreed on the importance of refraining from steps that will further threaten the security and stability of our region,"" he said, adding the two neighbours had also agreed to continue cooperation against cross-border militant threats.
+In a sign of the conflict widening, U.S. and British strikes hit Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen this month, in response for attacks on Red Sea shipping. Erdogan slammed the strikes as a disproportionate use of force.
+Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also said last week he had spoken to his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts after the neighbours traded cross-border fire, and called for calm.
+Despite its harsh rhetoric, Ankara has maintained commercial ties with Israel, prompting criticism at home and in Iran.
+Raisi accused the United States of supporting what he called Israel's crimes against Palestinians in Gaza and repeated Tehran's appeal for Muslim countries to cut their economic and political relations with the ""Zionist regime"".
+""What is happening in Palestine and Gaza is a crime against humanity ... and the United States and the West are supporting these crimes,"" he said. ""Cutting economic and political ties with this regime can certainly have an impact on the Zionist regime to end its crimes.""
+Turkey and Iran have usually had complicated ties, standing at odds over a host of issues, primarily the Syrian civil war.
+Ankara has backed rebels looking to oust President Bashar al-Assad and mounted several incursions into northern Syria against militants, while Tehran supports his government. Turkey has recently taken steps to improve ties with Damascus.
+Raisi had twice postponed his visit, initially planned for November, over scheduling issues and attacks in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman. On Wednesday, the two leaders chaired a meeting of a Turkish-Iranian business council and signed various agreements.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey, Iran agree on need to avoid escalating Mideast tensions -Erdogan[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he and Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi agreed at a meeting on Wednesday on the need to avoid steps that could further threaten Middle East stability three months into the Gaza war. Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has harshly criticised Israel for its attacks on Gaza, called for an immediate ceasefire, and backed legal steps for Israel to be tried for genocide. Unlike its Western allies and some Arab nations, NATO member Turkey does not consider Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack on Israel led to the retaliatory Israeli military campaign on Gaza, a terrorist group.  Iran leads what it calls the Axis of Resistance, a loose coalition that includes Hamas and armed Shi'ite Muslim groups around the region that have militarily confronted Israel and its Western allies. It has voiced support for Hamas. Speaking at a news conference after meeting Raisi in Ankara, Erdogan said the two leaders had discussed ending Israel's ""inhumane"" attacks on Gaza and the need to take steps for a fair and lasting peace in the region. ""We agreed on the importance of refraining from steps that will further threaten the security and stability of our region,"" he said, adding the two neighbours had also agreed to continue cooperation against cross-border militant threats.  In a sign of the conflict widening, U.S. and British strikes hit Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen this month, in response for attacks on Red Sea shipping. Erdogan slammed the strikes as a disproportionate use of force. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also said last week he had spoken to his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts after the neighbours traded cross-border fire, and called for calm. Despite its harsh rhetoric, Ankara has maintained commercial ties with Israel, prompting criticism at home and in Iran. Raisi accused the United States of supporting what he called Israel's crimes against Palestinians in Gaza and repeated Tehran's appeal for Muslim countries to cut their economic and political relations with the ""Zionist regime"".
+""What is happening in Palestine and Gaza is a crime against humanity ... and the United States and the West are supporting these crimes,"" he said. ""Cutting economic and political ties with this regime can certainly have an impact on the Zionist regime to end its crimes."" Turkey and Iran have usually had complicated ties, standing at odds over a host of issues, primarily the Syrian civil war. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-raisi-meets-erdogan-turkey-talks-gaza-conflict-energy-2024-01-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey, Iran agree on need to avoid escalating Mideast tensions -Erdogan[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he and Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi agreed at a meeting on Wednesday on the need to avoid steps that could further threaten Middle East stability three months into the Gaza war.
+Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has harshly criticised Israel for its attacks on Gaza, called for an immediate ceasefire, and backed legal steps for Israel to be tried for genocide.
+Unlike its Western allies and some Arab nations, NATO member Turkey does not consider Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack on Israel led to the retaliatory Israeli military campaign on Gaza, a terrorist group.
+Iran leads what it calls the Axis of Resistance, a loose coalition that includes Hamas and armed Shi'ite Muslim groups around the region that have militarily confronted Israel and its Western allies. It has voiced support for Hamas.
+Speaking at a news conference after meeting Raisi in Ankara, Erdogan said the two leaders had discussed ending Israel's ""inhumane"" attacks on Gaza and the need to take steps for a fair and lasting peace in the region.
+""We agreed on the importance of refraining from steps that will further threaten the security and stability of our region,"" he said, adding the two neighbours had also agreed to continue cooperation against cross-border militant threats.
+In a sign of the conflict widening, U.S. and British strikes hit Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen this month, in response for attacks on Red Sea shipping. Erdogan slammed the strikes as a disproportionate use of force.
+Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also said last week he had spoken to his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts after the neighbours traded cross-border fire, and called for calm.
+Despite its harsh rhetoric, Ankara has maintained commercial ties with Israel, prompting criticism at home and in Iran.
+Raisi accused the United States of supporting what he called Israel's crimes against Palestinians in Gaza and repeated Tehran's appeal for Muslim countries to cut their economic and political relations with the ""Zionist regime"".
+""What is happening in Palestine and Gaza is a crime against humanity ... and the United States and the West are supporting these crimes,"" he said. ""Cutting economic and political ties with this regime can certainly have an impact on the Zionist regime to end its crimes.""
+Turkey and Iran have usually had complicated ties, standing at odds over a host of issues, primarily the Syrian civil war.
+Ankara has backed rebels looking to oust President Bashar al-Assad and mounted several incursions into northern Syria against militants, while Tehran supports his government. Turkey has recently taken steps to improve ties with Damascus.
+Raisi had twice postponed his visit, initially planned for November, over scheduling issues and attacks in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman. On Wednesday, the two leaders chaired a meeting of a Turkish-Iranian business council and signed various agreements.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Ankara has backed rebels looking to oust President Bashar al-Assad and mounted several incursions into northern Syria against militants, while Tehran supports his government. Turkey has recently taken steps to improve ties with Damascus.  Raisi had twice postponed his visit, initially planned for November, over scheduling issues and attacks in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman. On Wednesday, the two leaders chaired a meeting of a Turkish-Iranian business council and signed various agreements.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-chief-says-unacceptable-israel-reject-two-state-solution-2024-01-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief: Israel rejection of two-state solution will embolden extremists[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said it was ""unacceptable"" for Israel's government to reject a two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians, warning that the move would ""embolden extremists everywhere.""
+At a high-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the Middle East, Guterres said: ""Israel's occupation must end.""
+The 15-member council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.
+With war raging in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel needs security control over all land west of the Jordan River - which covers the Palestinian territories - adding: ""It clashes with the principle of sovereignty but what can you do.""
+On Oct. 7 Hamas fighters launched an attack in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 253 people taken hostage. Israel retaliated by bombarding Hamas-ruled Gaza from the air and launching a ground offensive. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials.
+""The entire population of Gaza is enduring destruction at a scale and speed without parallel in recent history,"" Guterres told the Security Council. ""Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.""
+Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki singled out Netanyahu in his Security Council address, accusing him of being ""driven by a single goal - his own political survival at the expense of the survival of millions of Palestinians under Israel's illegal occupation and peace and security for all.""
+ISRAEL FOCUS ON IRAN
+Al-Maliki said it was time for ""the admission of the State of Palestine to the U.N."" Such a move requires the 15-member council - where Israel's ally, the United States, holds a veto - to make a recommendation to the 193-member General Assembly.
+""Israel should no longer entertain the illusion that there is somehow a third path whereby it can choose continued occupation and colonialism and apartheid and somehow still achieve regional peace and security,"" Al-Maliki said.
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said that if Hamas turned over those responsible for the Oct. 7 attacks and released all hostages then ""this war would be over immediately."" He also said Hamas could not remain in power in Gaza.
+But Erdan focused much of his statement in the Security Council on Iran, slamming the presence of Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
+""How absurd is it that the foreign minister of the number one state sponsor of terrorism, that aspires to destabilize the Middle East, is here,"" Erdan said. ""Can you imagine Hitler's foreign minister participating in a serious discussion on how to defend the Jews during the Holocaust?""
+Iran backs Hamas militants in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. The Gaza war has sparked clashes between Israel and Hezbollah militants along the Lebanese border, attacks by Iran-linked groups on U.S. targets in Iraq and Syria, and Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
+""Stopping the genocide in Gaza is the main key to the restoration of security to the region,"" Amirabdollahian told the council. ""The killing of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank cannot continue until the so-called 'total destruction of Hamas' because that time will never come.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief: Israel rejection of two-state solution will embolden extremists[/TITLE] [CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said it was ""unacceptable"" for Israel's government to reject a two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians, warning that the move would ""embolden extremists everywhere."" At a high-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the Middle East, Guterres said: ""Israel's occupation must end."" The 15-member council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.  With war raging in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel needs security control over all land west of the Jordan River - which covers the Palestinian territories - adding: ""It clashes with the principle of sovereignty but what can you do.""
+On Oct. 7 Hamas fighters launched an attack in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 253 people taken hostage. Israel retaliated by bombarding Hamas-ruled Gaza from the air and launching a ground offensive. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials.  ""The entire population of Gaza is enduring destruction at a scale and speed without parallel in recent history,"" Guterres told the Security Council. ""Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.""  Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki singled out Netanyahu in his Security Council address, accusing him of being ""driven by a single goal - his own political survival at the expense of the survival of millions of Palestinians under Israel's illegal occupation and peace and security for all.""
+ISRAEL FOCUS ON IRAN
+Al-Maliki said it was time for ""the admission of the State of Palestine to the U.N."" Such a move requires the 15-member council - where Israel's ally, the United States, holds a veto - to make a recommendation to the 193-member General Assembly. ""Israel should no longer entertain the illusion that there is somehow a third path whereby it can choose continued occupation and colonialism and apartheid and somehow still achieve regional peace and security,"" Al-Maliki said.  Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said that if Hamas turned over those responsible for the Oct. 7 attacks and released all hostages then ""this war would be over immediately."" He also said Hamas could not remain in power in Gaza."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-chief-says-unacceptable-israel-reject-two-state-solution-2024-01-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief: Israel rejection of two-state solution will embolden extremists[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said it was ""unacceptable"" for Israel's government to reject a two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians, warning that the move would ""embolden extremists everywhere.""
+At a high-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the Middle East, Guterres said: ""Israel's occupation must end.""
+The 15-member council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.
+With war raging in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel needs security control over all land west of the Jordan River - which covers the Palestinian territories - adding: ""It clashes with the principle of sovereignty but what can you do.""
+On Oct. 7 Hamas fighters launched an attack in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 253 people taken hostage. Israel retaliated by bombarding Hamas-ruled Gaza from the air and launching a ground offensive. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials.
+""The entire population of Gaza is enduring destruction at a scale and speed without parallel in recent history,"" Guterres told the Security Council. ""Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.""
+Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki singled out Netanyahu in his Security Council address, accusing him of being ""driven by a single goal - his own political survival at the expense of the survival of millions of Palestinians under Israel's illegal occupation and peace and security for all.""
+ISRAEL FOCUS ON IRAN
+Al-Maliki said it was time for ""the admission of the State of Palestine to the U.N."" Such a move requires the 15-member council - where Israel's ally, the United States, holds a veto - to make a recommendation to the 193-member General Assembly.
+""Israel should no longer entertain the illusion that there is somehow a third path whereby it can choose continued occupation and colonialism and apartheid and somehow still achieve regional peace and security,"" Al-Maliki said.
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said that if Hamas turned over those responsible for the Oct. 7 attacks and released all hostages then ""this war would be over immediately."" He also said Hamas could not remain in power in Gaza.
+But Erdan focused much of his statement in the Security Council on Iran, slamming the presence of Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
+""How absurd is it that the foreign minister of the number one state sponsor of terrorism, that aspires to destabilize the Middle East, is here,"" Erdan said. ""Can you imagine Hitler's foreign minister participating in a serious discussion on how to defend the Jews during the Holocaust?""
+Iran backs Hamas militants in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. The Gaza war has sparked clashes between Israel and Hezbollah militants along the Lebanese border, attacks by Iran-linked groups on U.S. targets in Iraq and Syria, and Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
+""Stopping the genocide in Gaza is the main key to the restoration of security to the region,"" Amirabdollahian told the council. ""The killing of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank cannot continue until the so-called 'total destruction of Hamas' because that time will never come.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","But Erdan focused much of his statement in the Security Council on Iran, slamming the presence of Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.  ""How absurd is it that the foreign minister of the number one state sponsor of terrorism, that aspires to destabilize the Middle East, is here,"" Erdan said. ""Can you imagine Hitler's foreign minister participating in a serious discussion on how to defend the Jews during the Holocaust?""  Iran backs Hamas militants in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. The Gaza war has sparked clashes between Israel and Hezbollah militants along the Lebanese border, attacks by Iran-linked groups on U.S. targets in Iraq and Syria, and Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.  ""Stopping the genocide in Gaza is the main key to the restoration of security to the region,"" Amirabdollahian told the council. ""The killing of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank cannot continue until the so-called 'total destruction of Hamas' because that time will never come.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-palestinian-group-hamas-2023-10-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Palestinian group Hamas?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 23 (Reuters) - The Palestinian group Hamas carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages in the deadliest day in Israel's history, according to Israeli tallies.
+It triggered an Israel-Hamas war that has seen the heaviest Israeli bombardment of Gaza in 75 years of conflict. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, who say thousands more dead are feared lost in the rubble.
+WHAT IS HAMAS?
+Hamas is an acronym of the Arabic phrase ""Islamic Resistance Movement"". It was founded in 1987 by the Muslim Brotherhood during the first Palestinian Intifada, or uprising.
+It is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Britain, Canada and Japan. Hamas characterizes its armed activities as resistance against Israeli occupation.
+WHAT DOES HAMAS WANT TO ACHIEVE?
+Hamas' 1988 founding charter called for the destruction of Israel, although Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce, or Hudna in Arabic, with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel regards this as a ruse.
+The group refuses to recognise Israel, and violently opposed the Oslo peace accords negotiated by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the mid-1990s.
+While Hamas wants all the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan, which includes the modern state of Israel as well as the occupied West Bank and Gaza, in 2017 it said it might accept a transitional solution.
+In a document issued on May 1 that year by its outgoing chief Khaled Meshaal, Hamas said it agreed to a transitional Palestinian state within frontiers pre-dating the 1967 war, although it still opposed recognizing Israel's right to exist or ceding any Palestinian rights. One of Hamas' most senior officials, Mahmoud al-Zahar, later said the document was not a substitute for its founding charter.
+HOW DID HAMAS COME TO POWER?
+Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 – the first time it took part, and the last time they were held. It took over the Gaza Strip in 2007 after a brief civil war in which it routed the western-backed Palestinian forces loyal to Hamas's domestic rival President Mahmoud Abbas.
+Abbas is based in the West Bank and heads the more secular Palestine Liberation Organization and the PLO's dominant party, Fatah.
+Abbas described the Gaza takeover as a coup. Hamas accused Abbas of conspiring against it.
+Since then, there have been numerous rounds of conflict with Israel, often involving Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and Israeli airstrikes and bombardment of Gaza.
+WHO ARE THE HAMAS MILITANTS?
+Hamas' armed wing is called the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades. It has sent gunmen and suicide bombers into Israel and fired thousands of rockets and mortar shells.
+The military wing is highly secretive and is run by Mohammed Deif, who masterminded the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+It has bases all over Gaza, but also members across the Israeli-occupied West Bank and farther afield. Many of its leaders and fighters are now thought to be fighting Israel's ground forces in Gaza from an underground network of tunnels.
+WHO IS FUNDING HAMAS?
+Although a Sunni Muslim group, Hamas is part of a regional alliance comprising Iran, Syria and the Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which all broadly oppose U.S. policy in the Middle East and Israel.
+While its power base is in Gaza, Hamas also has supporters across the Palestinian territories, and it has leaders spread across the Middle East in countries including Qatar.
+It has received money, weapons and training from Iran, but also has a global fund-raising network, which it uses to funnel support from charities and friendly nations, passing cash through Gaza tunnels or using cryptocurrencies to bypass international sanctions, according to experts and officials.
+The U.S. State Department said Hamas raises funds in other Gulf countries and gets donations from Palestinians, other expatriates and its own charities.
+Matthew Levitt, a former U.S. official specialised in counterterrorism, estimated that the bulk of Hamas' budget of more than $300 million came from taxes on business, as well as from countries including Iran and Qatar or charities.
+A Qatari official said late last year that Qatar's aid to Gaza was delivered directly to families needing essentials such as food and medicine, under strict guarantees to ensure it reaches affected civilians. The distribution is coordinated with Israel, U.N. agencies and the United States, the official said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Palestinian group Hamas?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 23 (Reuters) - The Palestinian group Hamas carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages in the deadliest day in Israel's history, according to Israeli tallies.  It triggered an Israel-Hamas war that has seen the heaviest Israeli bombardment of Gaza in 75 years of conflict. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, who say thousands more dead are feared lost in the rubble. WHAT IS HAMAS?  Hamas is an acronym of the Arabic phrase ""Islamic Resistance Movement"". It was founded in 1987 by the Muslim Brotherhood during the first Palestinian Intifada, or uprising.  It is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Britain, Canada and Japan. Hamas characterizes its armed activities as resistance against Israeli occupation. WHAT DOES HAMAS WANT TO ACHIEVE?  Hamas' 1988 founding charter called for the destruction of Israel, although Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce, or Hudna in Arabic, with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel regards this as a ruse. The group refuses to recognise Israel, and violently opposed the Oslo peace accords negotiated by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the mid-1990s. While Hamas wants all the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan, which includes the modern state of Israel as well as the occupied West Bank and Gaza, in 2017 it said it might accept a transitional solution. In a document issued on May 1 that year by its outgoing chief Khaled Meshaal, Hamas said it agreed to a transitional Palestinian state within frontiers pre-dating the 1967 war, although it still opposed recognizing Israel's right to exist or ceding any Palestinian rights. One of Hamas' most senior officials, Mahmoud al-Zahar, later said the document was not a substitute for its founding charter. HOW DID HAMAS COME TO POWER?  Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 – the first time it took part, and the last time they were held. It took over the Gaza Strip in 2007 after a brief civil war in which it routed the western-backed Palestinian forces loyal to Hamas's domestic rival President Mahmoud Abbas.  Abbas is based in the West Bank and heads the more secular Palestine Liberation Organization and the PLO's dominant party, Fatah.  Abbas described the Gaza takeover as a coup."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-palestinian-group-hamas-2023-10-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Palestinian group Hamas?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 23 (Reuters) - The Palestinian group Hamas carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages in the deadliest day in Israel's history, according to Israeli tallies.
+It triggered an Israel-Hamas war that has seen the heaviest Israeli bombardment of Gaza in 75 years of conflict. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, who say thousands more dead are feared lost in the rubble.
+WHAT IS HAMAS?
+Hamas is an acronym of the Arabic phrase ""Islamic Resistance Movement"". It was founded in 1987 by the Muslim Brotherhood during the first Palestinian Intifada, or uprising.
+It is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Britain, Canada and Japan. Hamas characterizes its armed activities as resistance against Israeli occupation.
+WHAT DOES HAMAS WANT TO ACHIEVE?
+Hamas' 1988 founding charter called for the destruction of Israel, although Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce, or Hudna in Arabic, with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel regards this as a ruse.
+The group refuses to recognise Israel, and violently opposed the Oslo peace accords negotiated by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the mid-1990s.
+While Hamas wants all the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan, which includes the modern state of Israel as well as the occupied West Bank and Gaza, in 2017 it said it might accept a transitional solution.
+In a document issued on May 1 that year by its outgoing chief Khaled Meshaal, Hamas said it agreed to a transitional Palestinian state within frontiers pre-dating the 1967 war, although it still opposed recognizing Israel's right to exist or ceding any Palestinian rights. One of Hamas' most senior officials, Mahmoud al-Zahar, later said the document was not a substitute for its founding charter.
+HOW DID HAMAS COME TO POWER?
+Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 – the first time it took part, and the last time they were held. It took over the Gaza Strip in 2007 after a brief civil war in which it routed the western-backed Palestinian forces loyal to Hamas's domestic rival President Mahmoud Abbas.
+Abbas is based in the West Bank and heads the more secular Palestine Liberation Organization and the PLO's dominant party, Fatah.
+Abbas described the Gaza takeover as a coup. Hamas accused Abbas of conspiring against it.
+Since then, there have been numerous rounds of conflict with Israel, often involving Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and Israeli airstrikes and bombardment of Gaza.
+WHO ARE THE HAMAS MILITANTS?
+Hamas' armed wing is called the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades. It has sent gunmen and suicide bombers into Israel and fired thousands of rockets and mortar shells.
+The military wing is highly secretive and is run by Mohammed Deif, who masterminded the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+It has bases all over Gaza, but also members across the Israeli-occupied West Bank and farther afield. Many of its leaders and fighters are now thought to be fighting Israel's ground forces in Gaza from an underground network of tunnels.
+WHO IS FUNDING HAMAS?
+Although a Sunni Muslim group, Hamas is part of a regional alliance comprising Iran, Syria and the Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which all broadly oppose U.S. policy in the Middle East and Israel.
+While its power base is in Gaza, Hamas also has supporters across the Palestinian territories, and it has leaders spread across the Middle East in countries including Qatar.
+It has received money, weapons and training from Iran, but also has a global fund-raising network, which it uses to funnel support from charities and friendly nations, passing cash through Gaza tunnels or using cryptocurrencies to bypass international sanctions, according to experts and officials.
+The U.S. State Department said Hamas raises funds in other Gulf countries and gets donations from Palestinians, other expatriates and its own charities.
+Matthew Levitt, a former U.S. official specialised in counterterrorism, estimated that the bulk of Hamas' budget of more than $300 million came from taxes on business, as well as from countries including Iran and Qatar or charities.
+A Qatari official said late last year that Qatar's aid to Gaza was delivered directly to families needing essentials such as food and medicine, under strict guarantees to ensure it reaches affected civilians. The distribution is coordinated with Israel, U.N. agencies and the United States, the official said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Hamas accused Abbas of conspiring against it.  Since then, there have been numerous rounds of conflict with Israel, often involving Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and Israeli airstrikes and bombardment of Gaza. WHO ARE THE HAMAS MILITANTS? Hamas' armed wing is called the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades. It has sent gunmen and suicide bombers into Israel and fired thousands of rockets and mortar shells.  The military wing is highly secretive and is run by Mohammed Deif, who masterminded the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+It has bases all over Gaza, but also members across the Israeli-occupied West Bank and farther afield. Many of its leaders and fighters are now thought to be fighting Israel's ground forces in Gaza from an underground network of tunnels. WHO IS FUNDING HAMAS?
+Although a Sunni Muslim group, Hamas is part of a regional alliance comprising Iran, Syria and the Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which all broadly oppose U.S. policy in the Middle East and Israel.
+While its power base is in Gaza, Hamas also has supporters across the Palestinian territories, and it has leaders spread across the Middle East in countries including Qatar. It has received money, weapons and training from Iran, but also has a global fund-raising network, which it uses to funnel support from charities and friendly nations, passing cash through Gaza tunnels or using cryptocurrencies to bypass international sanctions, according to experts and officials. The U.S. State Department said Hamas raises funds in other Gulf countries and gets donations from Palestinians, other expatriates and its own charities. Matthew Levitt, a former U.S. official specialised in counterterrorism, estimated that the bulk of Hamas' budget of more than $300 million came from taxes on business, as well as from countries including Iran and Qatar or charities.  A Qatari official said late last year that Qatar's aid to Gaza was delivered directly to families needing essentials such as food and medicine, under strict guarantees to ensure it reaches affected civilians. The distribution is coordinated with Israel, U.N. agencies and the United States, the official said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-approves-plan-palestinian-tax-funds-be-held-by-third-party-country-2024-01-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel OKs plan for Gaza tax funds to be held by Norway[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Israel's cabinet approved a plan for frozen tax funds earmarked for the Hamas-run Gaza Strip to be held by Norway instead of transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA), officials said on Sunday.
+Under interim peace accords reached in the 1990s, Israel's finance ministry collects tax on behalf of the Palestinians and makes monthly transfers to the Western-backed PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+But there have been constant wrangles over the arrangement, including Israel's demand that the funds do not reach Hamas, which it and most of the West deem a terrorist group.
+Hamas seized control of Gaza from the Western-backed PA in 2007 after a brief civil war, and two years after Israel withdrew settlers and military forces. Despite the Hamas takeover, many PA public sector employees in Gaza kept their jobs and continued to be paid with transferred tax revenues.
+Israel is now at war in Gaza to wipe out Hamas after a cross-border attack by militants of the Palestinian Islamist movement on Oct. 7.
+Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet decision on the tax funds was supported by Norway and the United States, which will be a guarantor that the framework holds.
+Netanyahu's offices said the money, or any equivalent, will not be transferred ""in any situation, except with the approval of the Israeli finance minister, and also not through a third party.""
+The Palestine Liberation Organisation said on Sunday it wanted the money in full and would not accept conditions that prevent it from paying its staff, including in Gaza.
+""Any deductions from our financial rights or any conditions imposed by Israel that prevent the PA from paying our people in the Gaza Strip are rejected by us,"" Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the PLO, said on social media platform X.
+A spokesman for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads a far-right, pro-settlement party, confirmed that Norway would hold the funds under the arrangement.
+""Not one shekel will go to Gaza,"" said Smotrich, who has long been opposed to transferring funds to the PA.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel OKs plan for Gaza tax funds to be held by Norway[/TITLE] [CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Israel's cabinet approved a plan for frozen tax funds earmarked for the Hamas-run Gaza Strip to be held by Norway instead of transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA), officials said on Sunday. Under interim peace accords reached in the 1990s, Israel's finance ministry collects tax on behalf of the Palestinians and makes monthly transfers to the Western-backed PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. But there have been constant wrangles over the arrangement, including Israel's demand that the funds do not reach Hamas, which it and most of the West deem a terrorist group.  Hamas seized control of Gaza from the Western-backed PA in 2007 after a brief civil war, and two years after Israel withdrew settlers and military forces. Despite the Hamas takeover, many PA public sector employees in Gaza kept their jobs and continued to be paid with transferred tax revenues.
+Israel is now at war in Gaza to wipe out Hamas after a cross-border attack by militants of the Palestinian Islamist movement on Oct. 7.
+Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet decision on the tax funds was supported by Norway and the United States, which will be a guarantor that the framework holds. Netanyahu's offices said the money, or any equivalent, will not be transferred ""in any situation, except with the approval of the Israeli finance minister, and also not through a third party.""
+The Palestine Liberation Organisation said on Sunday it wanted the money in full and would not accept conditions that prevent it from paying its staff, including in Gaza.
+"" Any deductions from our financial rights or any conditions imposed by Israel that prevent the PA from paying our people in the Gaza Strip are rejected by us,"" Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the PLO, said on social media platform X. A spokesman for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads a far-right, pro-settlement party, confirmed that Norway would hold the funds under the arrangement.  ""Not one shekel will go to Gaza,"" said Smotrich, who has long been opposed to transferring funds to the PA.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-labours-foreign-policy-pitch-maintains-strong-support-ukraine-2024-01-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK Labour's foreign policy pitch maintains strong support for Ukraine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party signaled it would continue the current government's strong support for Ukraine in its war with Russia if it came to power, with its foreign policy spokesperson warning the rest of Europe against complacency.
+The Labour Party is currently around 20 percentage points ahead of the governing Conservatives in opinion polls ahead of an election expected this year, while February will mark the two-year anniversary of Russia's full invasion of Ukraine.
+In a speech on Saturday, Labour's foreign policy chief David Lammy will reiterate Labour's desire for a new British-EU security pact, and will say that if Labour came to power, he would visit Kyiv in the first 100 days in office ""to demonstrate Labour's long-term commitment to stop Vladimir Putin and begin work on a pathway towards Ukraine's NATO membership.""
+""We in Europe risk taking our eye off the ball,"" Lammy will say, according to extracts of the speech, which added he would label Putin a ""ringleader of a new form of fascism"".
+Lammy criticised the Conservatives for damaging Britain's standing on the world stage over 14 years of government, during which Britain left the European Union.
+He will also cite the Middle East as an arena where Britain's diplomatic standing has fallen, saying the country's reputation for preventative diplomacy ""needs urgent revival.""
+""We must return to diplomacy to stop the whole region descending into full-scale war,"" he will say, adding Labour would seek a new International Contact Group to work towards peace in the Middle East.
+Labour has backed Israel's right to retaliate against Hamas after the militant group's deadly Oct. 7 assault, but has also called for a ""sustainable ceasefire"", predicated on the release of hostages, to end the bombardment of Gaza and prevent escalation in the region, and wants to work towards a two-state solution.
+""The quest for Palestinian statehood is a just cause,"" Lammy will say. ""That is why a Labour government will work with international partners to recognise the state of Palestine.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK Labour's foreign policy pitch maintains strong support for Ukraine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party signaled it would continue the current government's strong support for Ukraine in its war with Russia if it came to power, with its foreign policy spokesperson warning the rest of Europe against complacency. The Labour Party is currently around 20 percentage points ahead of the governing Conservatives in opinion polls ahead of an election expected this year, while February will mark the two-year anniversary of Russia's full invasion of Ukraine.  In a speech on Saturday, Labour's foreign policy chief David Lammy will reiterate Labour's desire for a new British-EU security pact, and will say that if Labour came to power, he would visit Kyiv in the first 100 days in office ""to demonstrate Labour's long-term commitment to stop Vladimir Putin and begin work on a pathway towards Ukraine's NATO membership. ""
+""We in Europe risk taking our eye off the ball,"" Lammy will say, according to extracts of the speech, which added he would label Putin a ""ringleader of a new form of fascism"".  Lammy criticised the Conservatives for damaging Britain's standing on the world stage over 14 years of government, during which Britain left the European Union. He will also cite the Middle East as an arena where Britain's diplomatic standing has fallen, saying the country's reputation for preventative diplomacy ""needs urgent revival. ""
+""We must return to diplomacy to stop the whole region descending into full-scale war,"" he will say, adding Labour would seek a new International Contact Group to work towards peace in the Middle East.
+Labour has backed Israel's right to retaliate against Hamas after the militant group's deadly Oct. 7 assault, but has also called for a ""sustainable ceasefire"", predicated on the release of hostages, to end the bombardment of Gaza and prevent escalation in the region, and wants to work towards a two-state solution.
+""The quest for Palestinian statehood is a just cause,"" Lammy will say. ""That is why a Labour government will work with international partners to recognise the state of Palestine.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/heard-davos-what-we-learned-wef-2024-2024-01-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Heard in Davos: What we learned from the WEF in 2024[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19 (Reuters) - World leaders and business executives left the freezing temperatures of the Swiss mountain resort of Davos after a week of high-stakes meetings about key world issues.
+Here's what we learned:
+MIDDLE EAST
+Gaza dominated the agenda of the World Economic Forum (WEF), but leaders failed to produce clear details on any practical pathway to Palestinian statehood, or a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+The war is slowing down the economy of the entire region, said Qatar's finance minister. The head of the Palestine Investment Fund estimated at least $15 billion would be needed to rebuild houses in Gaza alone. Arab states said they would not fund reconstruction unless there was a lasting peace.
+""We agree that regional peace includes peace for Israel, but that could only happen through peace for the Palestinians through a Palestinian state,"" Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a WEF panel.
+RED SEA
+Attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group on ships in the Red Sea would drive the cost of goods from Asia to Europe much higher, logistics giant DP World said. CEOs at Davos said they were gaming out alternative supply routes. Yemen's vice president and Iran's foreign minister said the attacks would not stop until Israel ended the war in Gaza.
+""If it's in the short term, tankers might be available ... But if it's longer term, it might be a problem,"" said Amin Nasser, CEO of oil giant Saudi Aramco.
+CHINA
+Premier Li Qiang told Davos China's economy was open for business and highlighted its potential for foreign investment, but investors remained cautious amid sluggish post-pandemic recovery and tensions with the United States. Asked how helpful a closed-door lunch with Li was, one CEO said ""medium"", underscoring the scepticism about China's charm offensive.
+""I'm glad that people are all talking,"" JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon after the Li lunch.
+ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
+Talk of AI rippled through Davos meeting rooms and panels, its promise touted on signs and its security risks invoked by China's premier. While conversations included how to regulate the burgeoning technology and how to apply it to scientific discovery, the question of how to monetize it persisted.
+""Everyone's like, yeah, I can build these cool demos,"" said Cloudflare (NET.N), opens new tab CEO Matthew Prince, ""but where's the real value?""
+DEBT RESTRUCTURING
+Argentina's newly-elected President Javier Milei made his debut with a speech on the main Davos stage - and then quickly sat down with the International Monetary Fund's managing director Kristalina Georgieva to discuss his plan to navigate his country's debt maze. Ghana will re-engage with its international bondholders as the country seeks to build on momentum in debt restructuring.
+""Free enterprise capitalism is the only tool we have to end hunger and poverty,"" said Milei.
+ECONOMY
+Heads of global banks warned of inflationary pressures from increased shipping costs and the possibility of oil price rises. Bank executives fear the market is mispricing interest rate cuts, and that geopolitical risks could cause volatility.
+""It's a big year in general with many elections around the world which could change potentially the way fiscal stimulus is handled around the globe,"" said Suni Harford, President Asset Management and Group Executive Board Lead for Sustainability and Impact at UBS.
+BANKING
+Consolidation of European banks was discussed behind closed doors, but executives say cross-border mergers are difficult to achieve without uniform regulation across the region. Selective mergers of national players were seen as more likely.
+ENERGY
+While several panels focused on the end of fossil fuels, the head of Aramco told Reuters demand for oil would not peak any time soon. The number of energy executives in Davos was smaller than in years past. Oil bosses from Shell, TotalEnergies and Aramco met on the sidelines to discuss how to help decarbonise industries they supply, three industry sources said.
+UKRAINE
+With other crises jostling for attention, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy put Ukraine on the Davos agenda early. Talks with more than 80 national security advisers from around the world led to Switzerland offering to host peace talks. Zelenskiy also met with Wall Street's Jamie Dimon and other bank leaders to seek financing for Ukraine's reconstruction.
+""Ukraine can prevail in this war but we must continue to empower their resistance,"" European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, urging Kyiv's Western allies to continue arms deliveries and financial support.
+GENDER
+The WEF said that around 28% of the total of 3,000 participants, including 350 heads of state and government and ministers, who gathered in Davos this year were women.
+""This year marks a significant milestone in the 54-year history of the Annual Meeting, as we expect to welcome more than 800 women to Davos — the highest number in our records,"" it said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Heard in Davos: What we learned from the WEF in 2024[/TITLE] [CONTENT]DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19 (Reuters) - World leaders and business executives left the freezing temperatures of the Swiss mountain resort of Davos after a week of high-stakes meetings about key world issues. Here's what we learned:
+MIDDLE EAST
+Gaza dominated the agenda of the World Economic Forum (WEF), but leaders failed to produce clear details on any practical pathway to Palestinian statehood, or a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Palestinian militant group Hamas. The war is slowing down the economy of the entire region, said Qatar's finance minister. The head of the Palestine Investment Fund estimated at least $15 billion would be needed to rebuild houses in Gaza alone. Arab states said they would not fund reconstruction unless there was a lasting peace. ""We agree that regional peace includes peace for Israel, but that could only happen through peace for the Palestinians through a Palestinian state,"" Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a WEF panel. RED SEA  Attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group on ships in the Red Sea would drive the cost of goods from Asia to Europe much higher, logistics giant DP World said. CEOs at Davos said they were gaming out alternative supply routes. Yemen's vice president and Iran's foreign minister said the attacks would not stop until Israel ended the war in Gaza. ""If it's in the short term, tankers might be available ... But if it's longer term, it might be a problem,"" said Amin Nasser, CEO of oil giant Saudi Aramco.  CHINA  Premier Li Qiang told Davos China's economy was open for business and highlighted its potential for foreign investment, but investors remained cautious amid sluggish post-pandemic recovery and tensions with the United States. Asked how helpful a closed-door lunch with Li was, one CEO said ""medium"", underscoring the scepticism about China's charm offensive. ""I'm glad that people are all talking,"" JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon after the Li lunch.  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
+Talk of AI rippled through Davos meeting rooms and panels, its promise touted on signs and its security risks invoked by China's premier. While conversations included how to regulate the burgeoning technology and how to apply it to scientific discovery, the question of how to monetize it persisted. ""Everyone's like, yeah, I can build these cool demos,"" said Cloudflare (NET.N), opens new tab CEO Matthew Prince, ""but where's the real value?"" DEBT RESTRUCTURING"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/heard-davos-what-we-learned-wef-2024-2024-01-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Heard in Davos: What we learned from the WEF in 2024[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19 (Reuters) - World leaders and business executives left the freezing temperatures of the Swiss mountain resort of Davos after a week of high-stakes meetings about key world issues.
+Here's what we learned:
+MIDDLE EAST
+Gaza dominated the agenda of the World Economic Forum (WEF), but leaders failed to produce clear details on any practical pathway to Palestinian statehood, or a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+The war is slowing down the economy of the entire region, said Qatar's finance minister. The head of the Palestine Investment Fund estimated at least $15 billion would be needed to rebuild houses in Gaza alone. Arab states said they would not fund reconstruction unless there was a lasting peace.
+""We agree that regional peace includes peace for Israel, but that could only happen through peace for the Palestinians through a Palestinian state,"" Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a WEF panel.
+RED SEA
+Attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group on ships in the Red Sea would drive the cost of goods from Asia to Europe much higher, logistics giant DP World said. CEOs at Davos said they were gaming out alternative supply routes. Yemen's vice president and Iran's foreign minister said the attacks would not stop until Israel ended the war in Gaza.
+""If it's in the short term, tankers might be available ... But if it's longer term, it might be a problem,"" said Amin Nasser, CEO of oil giant Saudi Aramco.
+CHINA
+Premier Li Qiang told Davos China's economy was open for business and highlighted its potential for foreign investment, but investors remained cautious amid sluggish post-pandemic recovery and tensions with the United States. Asked how helpful a closed-door lunch with Li was, one CEO said ""medium"", underscoring the scepticism about China's charm offensive.
+""I'm glad that people are all talking,"" JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon after the Li lunch.
+ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
+Talk of AI rippled through Davos meeting rooms and panels, its promise touted on signs and its security risks invoked by China's premier. While conversations included how to regulate the burgeoning technology and how to apply it to scientific discovery, the question of how to monetize it persisted.
+""Everyone's like, yeah, I can build these cool demos,"" said Cloudflare (NET.N), opens new tab CEO Matthew Prince, ""but where's the real value?""
+DEBT RESTRUCTURING
+Argentina's newly-elected President Javier Milei made his debut with a speech on the main Davos stage - and then quickly sat down with the International Monetary Fund's managing director Kristalina Georgieva to discuss his plan to navigate his country's debt maze. Ghana will re-engage with its international bondholders as the country seeks to build on momentum in debt restructuring.
+""Free enterprise capitalism is the only tool we have to end hunger and poverty,"" said Milei.
+ECONOMY
+Heads of global banks warned of inflationary pressures from increased shipping costs and the possibility of oil price rises. Bank executives fear the market is mispricing interest rate cuts, and that geopolitical risks could cause volatility.
+""It's a big year in general with many elections around the world which could change potentially the way fiscal stimulus is handled around the globe,"" said Suni Harford, President Asset Management and Group Executive Board Lead for Sustainability and Impact at UBS.
+BANKING
+Consolidation of European banks was discussed behind closed doors, but executives say cross-border mergers are difficult to achieve without uniform regulation across the region. Selective mergers of national players were seen as more likely.
+ENERGY
+While several panels focused on the end of fossil fuels, the head of Aramco told Reuters demand for oil would not peak any time soon. The number of energy executives in Davos was smaller than in years past. Oil bosses from Shell, TotalEnergies and Aramco met on the sidelines to discuss how to help decarbonise industries they supply, three industry sources said.
+UKRAINE
+With other crises jostling for attention, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy put Ukraine on the Davos agenda early. Talks with more than 80 national security advisers from around the world led to Switzerland offering to host peace talks. Zelenskiy also met with Wall Street's Jamie Dimon and other bank leaders to seek financing for Ukraine's reconstruction.
+""Ukraine can prevail in this war but we must continue to empower their resistance,"" European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, urging Kyiv's Western allies to continue arms deliveries and financial support.
+GENDER
+The WEF said that around 28% of the total of 3,000 participants, including 350 heads of state and government and ministers, who gathered in Davos this year were women.
+""This year marks a significant milestone in the 54-year history of the Annual Meeting, as we expect to welcome more than 800 women to Davos — the highest number in our records,"" it said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Argentina's newly-elected President Javier Milei made his debut with a speech on the main Davos stage - and then quickly sat down with the International Monetary Fund's managing director Kristalina Georgieva to discuss his plan to navigate his country's debt maze. Ghana will re- engage with its international bondholders as the country seeks to build on momentum in debt restructuring. ""Free enterprise capitalism is the only tool we have to end hunger and poverty,"" said Milei.  ECONOMY
+Heads of global banks warned of inflationary pressures from increased shipping costs and the possibility of oil price rises. Bank executives fear the market is mispricing interest rate cuts, and that geopolitical risks could cause volatility. ""It's a big year in general with many elections around the world which could change potentially the way fiscal stimulus is handled around the globe,"" said Suni Harford, President Asset Management and Group Executive Board Lead for Sustainability and Impact at UBS.  BANKING  Consolidation of European banks was discussed behind closed doors, but executives say cross-border mergers are difficult to achieve without uniform regulation across the region. Selective mergers of national players were seen as more likely.
+ENERGY While several panels focused on the end of fossil fuels, the head of Aramco told Reuters demand for oil would not peak any time soon. The number of energy executives in Davos was smaller than in years past. Oil bosses from Shell, TotalEnergies and Aramco met on the sidelines to discuss how to help decarbonise industries they supply, three industry sources said. UKRAINE  With other crises jostling for attention, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy put Ukraine on the Davos agenda early. Talks with more than 80 national security advisers from around the world led to Switzerland offering to host peace talks. Zelenskiy also met with Wall Street's Jamie Dimon and other bank leaders to seek financing for Ukraine's reconstruction. ""Ukraine can prevail in this war but we must continue to empower their resistance,"" European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, urging Kyiv's Western allies to continue arms deliveries and financial support.  GENDER
+The WEF said that around 28% of the total of 3,000 participants, including 350 heads of state and government and ministers, who gathered in Davos this year were women.  ""This year marks a significant milestone in the 54-year history of the Annual Meeting, as we expect to welcome more than 800 women to Davos — the highest number in our records,"" it said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/yemens-self-styled-tiktok-pirate-takes-social-media-by-storm-2024-01-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Yemen's self-styled TikTok 'pirate' takes social media by storm[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SANAA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A Yemeni teenager who calls himself a ""pirate"" has become a social media sensation after posting video selfies that include one showing him gripping Yemen's flag on board a commercial container ship seized in the Red Sea by the Houthis.
+Rashed Al-Haddad, 19, has achieved his success despite offering no evidence that he's been involved in the seizure of any vessel.
+""The king of the pirates has arrived in the Red Sea. Free Palestine,"" he wrote on X above a video showing him on the container ship Galaxy Leader.
+That post, in which he sported a thin beard and wore a khaki shirt and military-style belt, had 36,500 views and included a comment from @MaryMorrisey saying: ""Got a love, a rockstar pirate"".
+Other posts on X or TikTok show him in a skiff alongside the vessel. One had more than 60,000 views.
+The Galaxy Leader was seized on Nov. 19, after the Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, started attacks on ships in the Red Sea which they said were to support Palestinians during the Gaza war. The vessel is now docked in Yemen.
+Some comments on Haddad's posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, and other social media sites, have described him as ""hot"". One person wrote: ""You're so good looking.""
+Speaking from Yemen, he told Reuters: ""They compared me to a Hollywood actor. I did not care about these tweets at all. I tweeted and said we need to focus on the Palestinian cause.""
+He spoke while sitting on a living room couch, wearing a military belt typically used by soldiers to carry ammunition. At one point he had an AK-47 assault rifle beside him.
+Israel began its military campaign in Gaza after a deadly rampage by Palestinian militants through Israel on Oct. 7. The offensive has caused fury, particularly in the Arab world, as the Palestinian death toll has mounted.
+More than 24,000 Palestinians have been killed, after about 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack.
+The Houthis say their attacks on shipping will continue until Israel halts its military offensive in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Yemen's self-styled TikTok 'pirate' takes social media by storm[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SANAA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A Yemeni teenager who calls himself a ""pirate"" has become a social media sensation after posting video selfies that include one showing him gripping Yemen's flag on board a commercial container ship seized in the Red Sea by the Houthis.  Rashed Al-Haddad, 19, has achieved his success despite offering no evidence that he's been involved in the seizure of any vessel.
+""The king of the pirates has arrived in the Red Sea. Free Palestine,"" he wrote on X above a video showing him on the container ship Galaxy Leader. That post, in which he sported a thin beard and wore a khaki shirt and military-style belt, had 36,500 views and included a comment from @MaryMorrisey saying: ""Got a love, a rockstar pirate"".  Other posts on X or TikTok show him in a skiff alongside the vessel. One had more than 60,000 views.  The Galaxy Leader was seized on Nov. 19, after the Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, started attacks on ships in the Red Sea which they said were to support Palestinians during the Gaza war. The vessel is now docked in Yemen.  Some comments on Haddad's posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, and other social media sites, have described him as ""hot"". One person wrote: ""You're so good looking.""  Speaking from Yemen, he told Reuters: ""They compared me to a Hollywood actor. I did not care about these tweets at all. I tweeted and said we need to focus on the Palestinian cause.""  He spoke while sitting on a living room couch, wearing a military belt typically used by soldiers to carry ammunition. At one point he had an AK-47 assault rifle beside him.  Israel began its military campaign in Gaza after a deadly rampage by Palestinian militants through Israel on Oct. 7. The offensive has caused fury, particularly in the Arab world, as the Palestinian death toll has mounted. More than 24,000 Palestinians have been killed, after about 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack.  The Houthis say their attacks on shipping will continue until Israel halts its military offensive in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eus-borrell-says-israel-financed-creation-gaza-rulers-hamas-2024-01-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU's Borrell says Israel financed creation of Gaza rulers Hamas[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MADRID, Jan 19 (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday that Israel had financed the creation of Palestinian militant group Hamas, publicly contradicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has denied such allegations.
+Opponents of the Israeli government and some global media have accused Natanyahu governments of boosting Gaza rulers Hamas for years, including by allowing Qatari financing of Gaza.
+""Yes, Hamas was financed by the government of Israel in an attempt to weaken the Palestinian Authority led by Fatah,"" Borrell said in a speech in the University of Valladolid in Spain without elaborating.
+Borrell added the only peaceful solution included the creation of a Palestinian state.
+""We only believe a two-state solution imposed from the outside would bring peace even though Israel insists on the negative,"" he said.
+Hamas carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people and seizing around 240 hostages in the deadliest day in Israel's history.
+The Israeli government launched a counteroffensive in which more than 24,700 Palestinians have since been killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.
+Hamas has run the Gaza Strip since 2007 after a brief civil war with forces loyal to the Fatah movement led by President Mahmoud Abbas, who is based in the West Bank and also heads the Palestine Liberation Organization.
+Israel has criticised different countries, including Borrell's native Spain, for what it says is showing sympathy for Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU's Borrell says Israel financed creation of Gaza rulers Hamas[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MADRID, Jan 19 (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday that Israel had financed the creation of Palestinian militant group Hamas, publicly contradicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has denied such allegations. Opponents of the Israeli government and some global media have accused Natanyahu governments of boosting Gaza rulers Hamas for years, including by allowing Qatari financing of Gaza. ""Yes, Hamas was financed by the government of Israel in an attempt to weaken the Palestinian Authority led by Fatah,"" Borrell said in a speech in the University of Valladolid in Spain without elaborating. Borrell added the only peaceful solution included the creation of a Palestinian state. ""We only believe a two-state solution imposed from the outside would bring peace even though Israel insists on the negative,"" he said.
+Hamas carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people and seizing around 240 hostages in the deadliest day in Israel's history. The Israeli government launched a counteroffensive in which more than 24,700 Palestinians have since been killed, according to the Gaza health ministry. Hamas has run the Gaza Strip since 2007 after a brief civil war with forces loyal to the Fatah movement led by President Mahmoud Abbas, who is based in the West Bank and also heads the Palestine Liberation Organization.  Israel has criticised different countries, including Borrell's native Spain, for what it says is showing sympathy for Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-says-southern-gaza-hospital-badly-damaged-by-israeli-shelling-nearby-2024-01-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza: Khan Younis battle threatens biggest hospital still working[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/DOHA/JERUSALEM, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Israeli forces advanced into the southern Gaza Strip's main city on Thursday, pounding areas near the enclave's biggest functioning hospital, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau vowed ""many more months"" of fighting until total victory is achieved.
+The heaviest battle of the year was under way in Khan Younis, sheltering hundreds of thousands of people who fled the north earlier in the war, now in its fourth month.
+Residents described heavy fighting and intense bombardment in the north and east of the city and, for the first time, in the west, where they said tanks had advanced to carry out a raid before withdrawing.
+Khan Younis residents said on Thursday the fighting had come within a whisker of Nasser Hospital, the biggest hospital still working in the enclave. It has been receiving hundreds of wounded patients a day, crammed into wards and treated on the floors since the fighting shifted to the south last month.
+""What is happening in Khan Younis now is complete madness: the occupation bombards the city in all directions, from the air and the ground too,"" said Abu El-Abed, 45, now living in Khan Younis after being displaced several times with his family of seven since leaving Gaza City in the north earlier in the war.
+Israeli officials have accused Hamas fighters of operating from Nasser Hospital, which staff deny.
+In an update on progress, Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces had destroyed ""16 or 17"" out of 24 of Hamas' organised combat regiments, adding the next step would be ""clearing the territory"" of militants.
+""The first action is usually shorter, the second usually takes longer,"" Netanyahu said at a news briefing.
+""Victory will take many more months but we are determined to achieve it.""
+The Israeli military said a brigade in Khan Younis, now operating further south than troops had ventured before, had ""eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters combat and with the assistance of tank fire and air support"". It said it had killed 60 fighters in the previous 24 hours, including 40 in Khan Younis.
+The charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, which has doctors at the city's Nasser Hospital, said patients and displaced people sheltering there were fleeing in panic.
+In Rafah, further south, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million people are now crammed into a small city by the Egyptian border, 16 bodies were laid out on the bloodstained cobbles outside a morgue, most in white shrouds, a few in body bags.
+A branch of the Zameli family had been wiped out in a strike that destroyed their home overnight. Half the bundles were tiny, holding the bodies of small children. A grey-haired man howled in sorrow as he clung to one of the bodies, burying his face in the face of the shrouded corpse. A woman in a pink headscarf keened and stroked one of the shrouds.
+At the scene of the bombing, a tattered schoolbag lay in the rubble. Tears rolled down the cheeks of 10-year-old cousin Mahmoud al-Zameli, who lived next door and had escaped.
+""Yesterday, I was playing with the children over there. They have all died,"" he sobbed. ""I'm the only one still alive.""
+
+TOO MANY CIVILIANS DYING
+Gaza health authorities said on Thursday the war's death toll had risen to 24,620 with many more feared buried under the rubble. More than 170 were killed in the past 24 hours. Israel claims it has killed 9,000 Hamas fighters.
+The U.S. again warned there had been too many civilian casualties in Gaza and vowed to keep working for a two-state solution.
+""There will be a post-conflict Gaza, no reoccupation of Gaza,"" White House national security adviser John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One.
+Reiterating his plans for a post-conflict Gaza, Netanyahu said the enclave must be demilitarized and run by a civil administration that does not preach the destruction of Israel.
+Israel has said it is planning to wind down its ground operations and shift to smaller-scale tactics. But it appeared determined to first capture all of Khan Younis, which it says is now the principal base for the Hamas fighters who stormed across the border on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages.
+In central Gaza, the Israeli military said it had destroyed facilities that were the ""heart of Hamas' weapons manufacturing industry"". Reuters could not independently verify the assertion.
+HOSPITALS
+Two-thirds of Gaza's hospitals have now ceased functioning and losing Nasser would curtail the limited trauma care still available.
+In a statement on Thursday, Hamas denied claims aired by released Israeli hostage Sharon Aloni in an interview on CNN that she and other prisoners had been detained in rooms in Nasser Hospital.
+The group ""considers this to be in line with the lies of Israel and its old and new incitement against hospitals to justify its destruction of them"".
+In November, Israel stormed Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza and showed what it said were Hamas weapons and equipment found on the premises.
+MSF Head of Mission for Palestine Leo Cans, who reached Nasser Hospital, said fighting had come ""very close"".
+""The wounded people that we take care of, many of them lost their legs, lost their arms. There are really complex wounds that require a lot of surgery. And we don't have the capacity to do this now.""
+Israelis marked the first birthday of the youngest hostage, baby Kfir Bibas, who was not among scores of women and children freed during a truce in November. Hamas says it is no longer holding children, and that Kfir and his family were killed in an Israeli air strike, though it has released no images confirming their deaths.
+""His whereabouts are unknown,"" Israeli President Isaac Herzog said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, sitting next to a photograph of the baby. ""I call upon the entire universe to work endlessly to free Kfir and all the hostages.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza: Khan Younis battle threatens biggest hospital still working[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/DOHA/JERUSALEM, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Israeli forces advanced into the southern Gaza Strip's main city on Thursday, pounding areas near the enclave's biggest functioning hospital, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau vowed ""many more months"" of fighting until total victory is achieved. The heaviest battle of the year was under way in Khan Younis, sheltering hundreds of thousands of people who fled the north earlier in the war, now in its fourth month.
+Residents described heavy fighting and intense bombardment in the north and east of the city and, for the first time, in the west, where they said tanks had advanced to carry out a raid before withdrawing.
+Khan Younis residents said on Thursday the fighting had come within a whisker of Nasser Hospital, the biggest hospital still working in the enclave. It has been receiving hundreds of wounded patients a day, crammed into wards and treated on the floors since the fighting shifted to the south last month. ""What is happening in Khan Younis now is complete madness: the occupation bombards the city in all directions, from the air and the ground too,"" said Abu El-Abed, 45, now living in Khan Younis after being displaced several times with his family of seven since leaving Gaza City in the north earlier in the war. Israeli officials have accused Hamas fighters of operating from Nasser Hospital, which staff deny. In an update on progress, Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces had destroyed ""16 or 17"" out of 24 of Hamas' organised combat regiments, adding the next step would be ""clearing the territory"" of militants.
+""The first action is usually shorter, the second usually takes longer,"" Netanyahu said at a news briefing. ""Victory will take many more months but we are determined to achieve it.""  The Israeli military said a brigade in Khan Younis, now operating further south than troops had ventured before, had ""eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters combat and with the assistance of tank fire and air support"". It said it had killed 60 fighters in the previous 24 hours, including 40 in Khan Younis. The charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, which has doctors at the city's Nasser Hospital, said patients and displaced people sheltering there were fleeing in panic. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-says-southern-gaza-hospital-badly-damaged-by-israeli-shelling-nearby-2024-01-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza: Khan Younis battle threatens biggest hospital still working[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/DOHA/JERUSALEM, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Israeli forces advanced into the southern Gaza Strip's main city on Thursday, pounding areas near the enclave's biggest functioning hospital, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau vowed ""many more months"" of fighting until total victory is achieved.
+The heaviest battle of the year was under way in Khan Younis, sheltering hundreds of thousands of people who fled the north earlier in the war, now in its fourth month.
+Residents described heavy fighting and intense bombardment in the north and east of the city and, for the first time, in the west, where they said tanks had advanced to carry out a raid before withdrawing.
+Khan Younis residents said on Thursday the fighting had come within a whisker of Nasser Hospital, the biggest hospital still working in the enclave. It has been receiving hundreds of wounded patients a day, crammed into wards and treated on the floors since the fighting shifted to the south last month.
+""What is happening in Khan Younis now is complete madness: the occupation bombards the city in all directions, from the air and the ground too,"" said Abu El-Abed, 45, now living in Khan Younis after being displaced several times with his family of seven since leaving Gaza City in the north earlier in the war.
+Israeli officials have accused Hamas fighters of operating from Nasser Hospital, which staff deny.
+In an update on progress, Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces had destroyed ""16 or 17"" out of 24 of Hamas' organised combat regiments, adding the next step would be ""clearing the territory"" of militants.
+""The first action is usually shorter, the second usually takes longer,"" Netanyahu said at a news briefing.
+""Victory will take many more months but we are determined to achieve it.""
+The Israeli military said a brigade in Khan Younis, now operating further south than troops had ventured before, had ""eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters combat and with the assistance of tank fire and air support"". It said it had killed 60 fighters in the previous 24 hours, including 40 in Khan Younis.
+The charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, which has doctors at the city's Nasser Hospital, said patients and displaced people sheltering there were fleeing in panic.
+In Rafah, further south, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million people are now crammed into a small city by the Egyptian border, 16 bodies were laid out on the bloodstained cobbles outside a morgue, most in white shrouds, a few in body bags.
+A branch of the Zameli family had been wiped out in a strike that destroyed their home overnight. Half the bundles were tiny, holding the bodies of small children. A grey-haired man howled in sorrow as he clung to one of the bodies, burying his face in the face of the shrouded corpse. A woman in a pink headscarf keened and stroked one of the shrouds.
+At the scene of the bombing, a tattered schoolbag lay in the rubble. Tears rolled down the cheeks of 10-year-old cousin Mahmoud al-Zameli, who lived next door and had escaped.
+""Yesterday, I was playing with the children over there. They have all died,"" he sobbed. ""I'm the only one still alive.""
+
+TOO MANY CIVILIANS DYING
+Gaza health authorities said on Thursday the war's death toll had risen to 24,620 with many more feared buried under the rubble. More than 170 were killed in the past 24 hours. Israel claims it has killed 9,000 Hamas fighters.
+The U.S. again warned there had been too many civilian casualties in Gaza and vowed to keep working for a two-state solution.
+""There will be a post-conflict Gaza, no reoccupation of Gaza,"" White House national security adviser John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One.
+Reiterating his plans for a post-conflict Gaza, Netanyahu said the enclave must be demilitarized and run by a civil administration that does not preach the destruction of Israel.
+Israel has said it is planning to wind down its ground operations and shift to smaller-scale tactics. But it appeared determined to first capture all of Khan Younis, which it says is now the principal base for the Hamas fighters who stormed across the border on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages.
+In central Gaza, the Israeli military said it had destroyed facilities that were the ""heart of Hamas' weapons manufacturing industry"". Reuters could not independently verify the assertion.
+HOSPITALS
+Two-thirds of Gaza's hospitals have now ceased functioning and losing Nasser would curtail the limited trauma care still available.
+In a statement on Thursday, Hamas denied claims aired by released Israeli hostage Sharon Aloni in an interview on CNN that she and other prisoners had been detained in rooms in Nasser Hospital.
+The group ""considers this to be in line with the lies of Israel and its old and new incitement against hospitals to justify its destruction of them"".
+In November, Israel stormed Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza and showed what it said were Hamas weapons and equipment found on the premises.
+MSF Head of Mission for Palestine Leo Cans, who reached Nasser Hospital, said fighting had come ""very close"".
+""The wounded people that we take care of, many of them lost their legs, lost their arms. There are really complex wounds that require a lot of surgery. And we don't have the capacity to do this now.""
+Israelis marked the first birthday of the youngest hostage, baby Kfir Bibas, who was not among scores of women and children freed during a truce in November. Hamas says it is no longer holding children, and that Kfir and his family were killed in an Israeli air strike, though it has released no images confirming their deaths.
+""His whereabouts are unknown,"" Israeli President Isaac Herzog said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, sitting next to a photograph of the baby. ""I call upon the entire universe to work endlessly to free Kfir and all the hostages.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In Rafah, further south, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million people are now crammed into a small city by the Egyptian border, 16 bodies were laid out on the bloodstained cobbles outside a morgue, most in white shrouds, a few in body bags.  A branch of the Zameli family had been wiped out in a strike that destroyed their home overnight. Half the bundles were tiny, holding the bodies of small children. A grey-haired man howled in sorrow as he clung to one of the bodies, burying his face in the face of the shrouded corpse. A woman in a pink headscarf keened and stroked one of the shrouds.  At the scene of the bombing, a tattered schoolbag lay in the rubble. Tears rolled down the cheeks of 10-year-old cousin Mahmoud al-Zameli, who lived next door and had escaped.  ""Yesterday, I was playing with the children over there. They have all died,"" he sobbed. ""I'm the only one still alive."" TOO MANY CIVILIANS DYING
+Gaza health authorities said on Thursday the war's death toll had risen to 24,620 with many more feared buried under the rubble. More than 170 were killed in the past 24 hours. Israel claims it has killed 9,000 Hamas fighters. The U.S. again warned there had been too many civilian casualties in Gaza and vowed to keep working for a two-state solution.
+""There will be a post-conflict Gaza, no reoccupation of Gaza,"" White House national security adviser John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One.
+Reiterating his plans for a post-conflict Gaza, Netanyahu said the enclave must be demilitarized and run by a civil administration that does not preach the destruction of Israel.  Israel has said it is planning to wind down its ground operations and shift to smaller-scale tactics. But it appeared determined to first capture all of Khan Younis, which it says is now the principal base for the Hamas fighters who stormed across the border on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages.  In central Gaza, the Israeli military said it had destroyed facilities that were the ""heart of Hamas' weapons manufacturing industry"". Reuters could not independently verify the assertion.  HOSPITALS Two-thirds of Gaza's hospitals have now ceased functioning and losing Nasser would curtail the limited trauma care still available.  In a statement on Thursday, Hamas denied claims aired by released Israeli hostage Sharon Aloni in an interview on CNN that she and other prisoners had been detained in rooms in Nasser Hospital."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-says-southern-gaza-hospital-badly-damaged-by-israeli-shelling-nearby-2024-01-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza: Khan Younis battle threatens biggest hospital still working[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/DOHA/JERUSALEM, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Israeli forces advanced into the southern Gaza Strip's main city on Thursday, pounding areas near the enclave's biggest functioning hospital, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau vowed ""many more months"" of fighting until total victory is achieved.
+The heaviest battle of the year was under way in Khan Younis, sheltering hundreds of thousands of people who fled the north earlier in the war, now in its fourth month.
+Residents described heavy fighting and intense bombardment in the north and east of the city and, for the first time, in the west, where they said tanks had advanced to carry out a raid before withdrawing.
+Khan Younis residents said on Thursday the fighting had come within a whisker of Nasser Hospital, the biggest hospital still working in the enclave. It has been receiving hundreds of wounded patients a day, crammed into wards and treated on the floors since the fighting shifted to the south last month.
+""What is happening in Khan Younis now is complete madness: the occupation bombards the city in all directions, from the air and the ground too,"" said Abu El-Abed, 45, now living in Khan Younis after being displaced several times with his family of seven since leaving Gaza City in the north earlier in the war.
+Israeli officials have accused Hamas fighters of operating from Nasser Hospital, which staff deny.
+In an update on progress, Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces had destroyed ""16 or 17"" out of 24 of Hamas' organised combat regiments, adding the next step would be ""clearing the territory"" of militants.
+""The first action is usually shorter, the second usually takes longer,"" Netanyahu said at a news briefing.
+""Victory will take many more months but we are determined to achieve it.""
+The Israeli military said a brigade in Khan Younis, now operating further south than troops had ventured before, had ""eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters combat and with the assistance of tank fire and air support"". It said it had killed 60 fighters in the previous 24 hours, including 40 in Khan Younis.
+The charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, which has doctors at the city's Nasser Hospital, said patients and displaced people sheltering there were fleeing in panic.
+In Rafah, further south, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million people are now crammed into a small city by the Egyptian border, 16 bodies were laid out on the bloodstained cobbles outside a morgue, most in white shrouds, a few in body bags.
+A branch of the Zameli family had been wiped out in a strike that destroyed their home overnight. Half the bundles were tiny, holding the bodies of small children. A grey-haired man howled in sorrow as he clung to one of the bodies, burying his face in the face of the shrouded corpse. A woman in a pink headscarf keened and stroked one of the shrouds.
+At the scene of the bombing, a tattered schoolbag lay in the rubble. Tears rolled down the cheeks of 10-year-old cousin Mahmoud al-Zameli, who lived next door and had escaped.
+""Yesterday, I was playing with the children over there. They have all died,"" he sobbed. ""I'm the only one still alive.""
+
+TOO MANY CIVILIANS DYING
+Gaza health authorities said on Thursday the war's death toll had risen to 24,620 with many more feared buried under the rubble. More than 170 were killed in the past 24 hours. Israel claims it has killed 9,000 Hamas fighters.
+The U.S. again warned there had been too many civilian casualties in Gaza and vowed to keep working for a two-state solution.
+""There will be a post-conflict Gaza, no reoccupation of Gaza,"" White House national security adviser John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One.
+Reiterating his plans for a post-conflict Gaza, Netanyahu said the enclave must be demilitarized and run by a civil administration that does not preach the destruction of Israel.
+Israel has said it is planning to wind down its ground operations and shift to smaller-scale tactics. But it appeared determined to first capture all of Khan Younis, which it says is now the principal base for the Hamas fighters who stormed across the border on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages.
+In central Gaza, the Israeli military said it had destroyed facilities that were the ""heart of Hamas' weapons manufacturing industry"". Reuters could not independently verify the assertion.
+HOSPITALS
+Two-thirds of Gaza's hospitals have now ceased functioning and losing Nasser would curtail the limited trauma care still available.
+In a statement on Thursday, Hamas denied claims aired by released Israeli hostage Sharon Aloni in an interview on CNN that she and other prisoners had been detained in rooms in Nasser Hospital.
+The group ""considers this to be in line with the lies of Israel and its old and new incitement against hospitals to justify its destruction of them"".
+In November, Israel stormed Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza and showed what it said were Hamas weapons and equipment found on the premises.
+MSF Head of Mission for Palestine Leo Cans, who reached Nasser Hospital, said fighting had come ""very close"".
+""The wounded people that we take care of, many of them lost their legs, lost their arms. There are really complex wounds that require a lot of surgery. And we don't have the capacity to do this now.""
+Israelis marked the first birthday of the youngest hostage, baby Kfir Bibas, who was not among scores of women and children freed during a truce in November. Hamas says it is no longer holding children, and that Kfir and his family were killed in an Israeli air strike, though it has released no images confirming their deaths.
+""His whereabouts are unknown,"" Israeli President Isaac Herzog said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, sitting next to a photograph of the baby. ""I call upon the entire universe to work endlessly to free Kfir and all the hostages.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The group ""considers this to be in line with the lies of Israel and its old and new incitement against hospitals to justify its destruction of them"".  In November, Israel stormed Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza and showed what it said were Hamas weapons and equipment found on the premises. MSF Head of Mission for Palestine Leo Cans, who reached Nasser Hospital, said fighting had come ""very close"".  ""The wounded people that we take care of, many of them lost their legs, lost their arms. There are really complex wounds that require a lot of surgery. And we don't have the capacity to do this now.""  Israelis marked the first birthday of the youngest hostage, baby Kfir Bibas, who was not among scores of women and children freed during a truce in November. Hamas says it is no longer holding children, and that Kfir and his family were killed in an Israeli air strike, though it has released no images confirming their deaths.  ""His whereabouts are unknown,"" Israeli President Isaac Herzog said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, sitting next to a photograph of the baby. ""I call upon the entire universe to work endlessly to free Kfir and all the hostages.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-post-war-housing-reconstruction-cost-least-15-bln-fund-2024-01-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At least $15 bln needed for Gaza housing - Palestinian official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) - At least $15 billion will be needed to rebuild houses in Gaza, the head of the Palestine Investment Fund said on Wednesday, underlining the scale of devastation caused by Israel's offensive.
+Chairman Mohammed Mustafa said international reports indicated 350,000 housing units had been completely or partially damaged in Gaza. Assuming 150,000 of these would need to be rebuilt at an average cost of $100,000 per unit, ""that's $15 billion for housing units"", he said.
+""We still didn't talk about infrastructure, we didn't talk about the hospitals that were damaged, the grids...,"" he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
+The figure points to reconstruction costs that will dwarf previous bills for rebuilding Gaza after earlier conflicts, with the war not yet over more than three months since it began.
+Following a 2014 war between Hamas and Israel, which lasted seven weeks and killed 2,100 Palestinians, Qatar spent over $1 billion on housing and relief projects in Gaza.
+Israel has laid waste to much of the territory in a campaign which health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza say has killed 24,448 people since Oct. 7, when the Palestinian group ignited the war by storming Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 240 more, according to Israeli tallies.
+Figures released by the Hamas-run media office in Gaza show more than 360,000 housing units have sustained severe or partial damage, and more than 70,000 have been completely destroyed.
+Mustafa said the Palestinian leadership would, in the short-term, continue to focus on humanitarian aid including food and water but eventually the focus would shift to reconstruction.
+RISK OF HUNGER AND FAMINE
+The war has driven most of Gaza's 2.3 million people from their homes, some of them several times, and caused a humanitarian crisis, with food, fuel and medical supplies running low.
+""If the war in Gaza continues, more people are likely to die of hunger or famine than war,"" Mustafa said.
+The first steps should be to bring food, medicine, water and electricity back to the besieged enclave, he added.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday Arab countries were not keen to get involved in the rebuilding of Gaza if the enclave will be ""leveled"" again in a few years.
+Mustafa said the reconstruction effort would be huge and the financial needs significant. He also said money would not solve Gaza's problem, adding that it needed a political solution.
+The Ramallah-based Palestine Investment Fund is part of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas, which was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in a brief civil war in 2007.
+Israel says its campaign aims to destroy Hamas and recover the Israeli hostages.
+The United States has said it wants to see the West Bank and Gaza reunited under Palestinian-led governance after the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a role for the PA.
+Asked what future role he saw a role for Hamas, Mustafa said the ""best way forward is to be as inclusive as possible"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]At least $15 bln needed for Gaza housing - Palestinian official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) - At least $15 billion will be needed to rebuild houses in Gaza, the head of the Palestine Investment Fund said on Wednesday, underlining the scale of devastation caused by Israel's offensive.  Chairman Mohammed Mustafa said international reports indicated 350,000 housing units had been completely or partially damaged in Gaza. Assuming 150,000 of these would need to be rebuilt at an average cost of $100,000 per unit, ""that's $15 billion for housing units"", he said. ""We still didn't talk about infrastructure, we didn't talk about the hospitals that were damaged, the grids...,"" he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The figure points to reconstruction costs that will dwarf previous bills for rebuilding Gaza after earlier conflicts, with the war not yet over more than three months since it began. Following a 2014 war between Hamas and Israel, which lasted seven weeks and killed 2,100 Palestinians, Qatar spent over $1 billion on housing and relief projects in Gaza. Israel has laid waste to much of the territory in a campaign which health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza say has killed 24,448 people since Oct. 7, when the Palestinian group ignited the war by storming Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 240 more, according to Israeli tallies. Figures released by the Hamas-run media office in Gaza show more than 360,000 housing units have sustained severe or partial damage, and more than 70,000 have been completely destroyed. Mustafa said the Palestinian leadership would, in the short-term, continue to focus on humanitarian aid including food and water but eventually the focus would shift to reconstruction.  RISK OF HUNGER AND FAMINE
+The war has driven most of Gaza's 2.3 million people from their homes, some of them several times, and caused a humanitarian crisis, with food, fuel and medical supplies running low. ""If the war in Gaza continues, more people are likely to die of hunger or famine than war,"" Mustafa said. The first steps should be to bring food, medicine, water and electricity back to the besieged enclave, he added. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday Arab countries were not keen to get involved in the rebuilding of Gaza if the enclave will be ""leveled"" again in a few years.  Mustafa said the reconstruction effort would be huge and the financial needs significant. He also said money would not solve Gaza's problem, adding that it needed a political solution."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-post-war-housing-reconstruction-cost-least-15-bln-fund-2024-01-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At least $15 bln needed for Gaza housing - Palestinian official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) - At least $15 billion will be needed to rebuild houses in Gaza, the head of the Palestine Investment Fund said on Wednesday, underlining the scale of devastation caused by Israel's offensive.
+Chairman Mohammed Mustafa said international reports indicated 350,000 housing units had been completely or partially damaged in Gaza. Assuming 150,000 of these would need to be rebuilt at an average cost of $100,000 per unit, ""that's $15 billion for housing units"", he said.
+""We still didn't talk about infrastructure, we didn't talk about the hospitals that were damaged, the grids...,"" he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
+The figure points to reconstruction costs that will dwarf previous bills for rebuilding Gaza after earlier conflicts, with the war not yet over more than three months since it began.
+Following a 2014 war between Hamas and Israel, which lasted seven weeks and killed 2,100 Palestinians, Qatar spent over $1 billion on housing and relief projects in Gaza.
+Israel has laid waste to much of the territory in a campaign which health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza say has killed 24,448 people since Oct. 7, when the Palestinian group ignited the war by storming Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 240 more, according to Israeli tallies.
+Figures released by the Hamas-run media office in Gaza show more than 360,000 housing units have sustained severe or partial damage, and more than 70,000 have been completely destroyed.
+Mustafa said the Palestinian leadership would, in the short-term, continue to focus on humanitarian aid including food and water but eventually the focus would shift to reconstruction.
+RISK OF HUNGER AND FAMINE
+The war has driven most of Gaza's 2.3 million people from their homes, some of them several times, and caused a humanitarian crisis, with food, fuel and medical supplies running low.
+""If the war in Gaza continues, more people are likely to die of hunger or famine than war,"" Mustafa said.
+The first steps should be to bring food, medicine, water and electricity back to the besieged enclave, he added.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday Arab countries were not keen to get involved in the rebuilding of Gaza if the enclave will be ""leveled"" again in a few years.
+Mustafa said the reconstruction effort would be huge and the financial needs significant. He also said money would not solve Gaza's problem, adding that it needed a political solution.
+The Ramallah-based Palestine Investment Fund is part of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas, which was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in a brief civil war in 2007.
+Israel says its campaign aims to destroy Hamas and recover the Israeli hostages.
+The United States has said it wants to see the West Bank and Gaza reunited under Palestinian-led governance after the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a role for the PA.
+Asked what future role he saw a role for Hamas, Mustafa said the ""best way forward is to be as inclusive as possible"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Ramallah-based Palestine Investment Fund is part of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas, which was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in a brief civil war in 2007. Israel says its campaign aims to destroy Hamas and recover the Israeli hostages. The United States has said it wants to see the West Bank and Gaza reunited under Palestinian-led governance after the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a role for the PA.  Asked what future role he saw a role for Hamas, Mustafa said the ""best way forward is to be as inclusive as possible"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-allies-working-concept-unified-palestinian-government-2024-01-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway, allies work on concept for Palestinian-chosen govt to attract funds[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 16 (Reuters) - A number of European states, ""concerned"" Arab countries and the United States are working on a concept for a unified Palestinian government that could attract reconstruction funds, Norway's foreign minister said in an interview in Davos.
+""A number of countries are working with us... trying to build a broad unity government,"" Espen Barth Eide said, without naming the specific countries.
+Norway was of the view that a unified Palestinian territory should be run by the Palestinian Authority, but ""prefacing everything, it has to be what the Palestinians want"", he added.
+Norway served as a facilitator in the 1992-1993 talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993.
+The Palestinian Authority, set up under that agreement, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and held talks with Israel on a Palestinian state before they collapsed in 2014. Islamist Hamas has ruled in Gaza since 2007 and is sworn to Israel's destruction.
+Since the Oslo talks, Norway has chaired a donor group coordinating international assistance to the Palestinian territories, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), and worked with others to try to revive a diplomatic channel between Israel and the Palestinians.
+Barth Eide said work on a two-state solution was becoming urgent as the conflict was spreading in the region, but that only the United States and the Israeli people could influence Israel's position.
+""What we can do is work on Palestinian unity, and think about models with interested countries,"" he said.
+Calls for a two-state solution have grown in the wake of attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 in which Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages, prompting an Israeli bombardment and ground offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza in which health authorities in the territory say more than 24,000 people have been killed.
+""The long term stability of Israel and peace and prosperity for Palestinians does require a two state solution,"" Barth Eide said.
+A two-state agreement would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized so as not to threaten its security.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway, allies work on concept for Palestinian-chosen govt to attract funds[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 16 (Reuters) - A number of European states, ""concerned"" Arab countries and the United States are working on a concept for a unified Palestinian government that could attract reconstruction funds, Norway's foreign minister said in an interview in Davos. ""A number of countries are working with us... trying to build a broad unity government,"" Espen Barth Eide said, without naming the specific countries. Norway was of the view that a unified Palestinian territory should be run by the Palestinian Authority, but ""prefacing everything, it has to be what the Palestinians want"", he added.
+Norway served as a facilitator in the 1992-1993 talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993.  The Palestinian Authority, set up under that agreement, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and held talks with Israel on a Palestinian state before they collapsed in 2014. Islamist Hamas has ruled in Gaza since 2007 and is sworn to Israel's destruction. Since the Oslo talks, Norway has chaired a donor group coordinating international assistance to the Palestinian territories, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), and worked with others to try to revive a diplomatic channel between Israel and the Palestinians.
+Barth Eide said work on a two-state solution was becoming urgent as the conflict was spreading in the region, but that only the United States and the Israeli people could influence Israel's position.  ""What we can do is work on Palestinian unity, and think about models with interested countries,"" he said. Calls for a two-state solution have grown in the wake of attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 in which Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages, prompting an Israeli bombardment and ground offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza in which health authorities in the territory say more than 24,000 people have been killed.
+""The long term stability of Israel and peace and prosperity for Palestinians does require a two state solution,"" Barth Eide said. A two-state agreement would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized so as not to threaten its security.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-imposes-sanctions-hamas-political-leader-gaza-2024-01-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU imposes sanctions on Hamas political leader in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BRUSSELS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The European Union imposed sanctions on Tuesday on Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas in Gaza, over the Palestinian militant group's deadly attack on Israel last October.
+The decision by the European Council, which considers Hamas a terrorist organisation, makes Sinwar subject to an asset freeze in the 27-nation bloc and bars EU citizens from conducting financial transactions with him.
+""The Council decided today to add one individual to the EU terrorist list,"" the EU executive said in a statement.
+""This decision comes as part of the European Union's response to the threat posed by Hamas and its brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023.""
+Hamas gunmen who entered Israel from the Gaza Strip killed about 1,200 people and took about 240 hostage in the Oct. 7 attack, triggering an Israeli offensive to eliminate Hamas and secure the hostages' release that is now in its fourth month.
+Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz welcomed what he said was a ""just and moral decision"" by the EU.
+""This decision is also a result of our diplomatic efforts to strangle the resources of the Hamas, to delegitimize them and prohibit all support to them,"" Katz wrote on social media platform X. ""We will continue to eradicate the root of evil, in Gaza and wherever it raises its head.""
+Taher Al-Nono, media advisor to Qatar-based Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, accused the EU of bias and called for an end to what he said was its ""double-standard policy"".
+""These are ridiculous and silly sanctions, because everyone knows that Yahya Al-Sinwar has no assents or money, neither in Palestine nor outside it,"" he told Reuters.
+""Such a decision has no value against Hamas, but the idea of imposing sanctions on the leaders of resistance and Hamas, which is resisting the (Israeli) occupation, as granted by international law, shows bias to the occupation.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU imposes sanctions on Hamas political leader in Gaza[/TITLE] [CONTENT]BRUSSELS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The European Union imposed sanctions on Tuesday on Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas in Gaza, over the Palestinian militant group's deadly attack on Israel last October. The decision by the European Council, which considers Hamas a terrorist organisation, makes Sinwar subject to an asset freeze in the 27-nation bloc and bars EU citizens from conducting financial transactions with him.
+""The Council decided today to add one individual to the EU terrorist list,"" the EU executive said in a statement.
+"" This decision comes as part of the European Union's response to the threat posed by Hamas and its brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023."" Hamas gunmen who entered Israel from the Gaza Strip killed about 1,200 people and took about 240 hostage in the Oct. 7 attack, triggering an Israeli offensive to eliminate Hamas and secure the hostages' release that is now in its fourth month.
+Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz welcomed what he said was a ""just and moral decision"" by the EU.  ""This decision is also a result of our diplomatic efforts to strangle the resources of the Hamas, to delegitimize them and prohibit all support to them,"" Katz wrote on social media platform X. ""We will continue to eradicate the root of evil, in Gaza and wherever it raises its head."" Taher Al-Nono, media advisor to Qatar-based Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, accused the EU of bias and called for an end to what he said was its ""double-standard policy"". ""These are ridiculous and silly sanctions, because everyone knows that Yahya Al-Sinwar has no assents or money, neither in Palestine nor outside it,"" he told Reuters.  ""Such a decision has no value against Hamas, but the idea of imposing sanctions on the leaders of resistance and Hamas, which is resisting the (Israeli) occupation, as granted by international law, shows bias to the occupation.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/houthis-vow-keep-up-red-sea-attacks-after-us-led-strikes-2024-01-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Houthis vow to keep up Red Sea attacks after US-led strikes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RIYADH, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The chief negotiator for Yemen's Houthis said on Monday the group's stance has not changed since U.S.-led air strikes on its positions, and warned that attacks on ships headed to Israel will continue.
+U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines last week launched dozens of air strikes across Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which the Iran-aligned movement cast as a response to Israel's offensive in Gaza.
+""Attacks to stop Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of the occupied Palestine will continue,"" Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters.
+He said the group was still demanding an end of the war in Gaza, and humanitarian aid deliveries to the north and south of the Gaza Strip.
+""We do not want escalation in the Red and Arabian Seas,"" Abdulsalam said. It was the United States and Britain that were militarizing the Red Sea with their warships, he added.
+""Our communication ... continues to clarify our position, and confirm that all commercial ships in the Red and Arabian Seas are safe, with the exception of Israeli ships or those heading to Israel, only and only,"" he said.
+Israel has regularly denied having links to vessels that have come under attack in the Red Sea, and several international shipping lines have paused deliveries or switched to longer, most costly routes.
+""Our position comes from religious, moral and humanitarian principles ... as well as in response to the calls of the people of Palestine ... to support the oppressed in the Gaza Strip,"" Abdulsalam said.
+The U.S. military said on Sunday a U.S. fighter jet shot down an anti-ship cruise missile which the Houthis fired towards the USS Laboon in the southern Red Sea. ""There were no injuries or damage reported,"" the U.S. Central Command added.
+The Houthi movement controls much of Yemen after nearly a decade of war against a U.S.-backed and Saudi-led coalition.
+The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday demanded the Houthis immediately end attacks on ships in the Red Sea and implicitly endorsed a U.S.-led task force that has been defending vessels while cautioning against escalating tensions.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Houthis vow to keep up Red Sea attacks after US-led strikes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RIYADH, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The chief negotiator for Yemen's Houthis said on Monday the group's stance has not changed since U.S.-led air strikes on its positions, and warned that attacks on ships headed to Israel will continue.
+U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines last week launched dozens of air strikes across Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which the Iran-aligned movement cast as a response to Israel's offensive in Gaza.
+""Attacks to stop Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of the occupied Palestine will continue,"" Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters. He said the group was still demanding an end of the war in Gaza, and humanitarian aid deliveries to the north and south of the Gaza Strip.  ""We do not want escalation in the Red and Arabian Seas,"" Abdulsalam said. It was the United States and Britain that were militarizing the Red Sea with their warships, he added. ""Our communication ... continues to clarify our position, and confirm that all commercial ships in the Red and Arabian Seas are safe, with the exception of Israeli ships or those heading to Israel, only and only,"" he said. Israel has regularly denied having links to vessels that have come under attack in the Red Sea, and several international shipping lines have paused deliveries or switched to longer, most costly routes. ""Our position comes from religious, moral and humanitarian principles ... as well as in response to the calls of the people of Palestine ... to support the oppressed in the Gaza Strip,"" Abdulsalam said. The U.S. military said on Sunday a U.S. fighter jet shot down an anti-ship cruise missile which the Houthis fired towards the USS Laboon in the southern Red Sea. ""There were no injuries or damage reported,"" the U.S. Central Command added. The Houthi movement controls much of Yemen after nearly a decade of war against a U.S.-backed and Saudi-led coalition. The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday demanded the Houthis immediately end attacks on ships in the Red Sea and implicitly endorsed a U.S.-led task force that has been defending vessels while cautioning against escalating tensions.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/end-gaza-war-stop-houthi-attacks-qatari-pm-davos-2024-01-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]End Gaza war to stop Houthi attacks - Qatari PM at Davos[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAVOS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Military strikes will not contain attacks by Yemen's Houthis on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea, but an end to the war in Gaza will, Qatar's prime minister said on Tuesday during the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos.
+Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described the current regional situation as a ""recipe for escalation everywhere"" and said Qatar believes that defusing the conflict in Gaza will stop the escalation on other fronts.
+""We need to address the central issue, which is Gaza in order to get everything else defused...if we are just focusing on the symptoms and not treating the real issues, (solutions) will be temporary,"" he said.
+Conflict has spread to parts of Middle East since the war between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas began on Oct. 7, with groups allied to Iran carrying out attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
+Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group has since November been attacking vessels in the Red Sea, part of a route that accounts for about 12% of the world's shipping traffic, in what they say is an effort to support Palestinians in the war with Israel.
+U.S. and British forces have responded by carrying out dozens of air and sea strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since Friday.
+Sheikh Mohammed said U.S. and British attacks create ""a high risk of further escalation and further expansion of"" the conflict.
+""We always prefer diplomacy over any military resolutions,"" he said.
+Without a viable, sustainable two-state solution in Israel and Palestine, the international community will be unwilling to finance the reconstruction of Gaza, Sheikh Mohammed said.
+""The bigger picture cannot be ignored,"" he said, urging the international community to require Israel to agree to a time-bound, irreversible pathway to a two-state solution.
+""We cannot leave this just at the hand of the Israelis,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]End Gaza war to stop Houthi attacks - Qatari PM at Davos[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]DAVOS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Military strikes will not contain attacks by Yemen's Houthis on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea, but an end to the war in Gaza will, Qatar's prime minister said on Tuesday during the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos.  Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described the current regional situation as a ""recipe for escalation everywhere"" and said Qatar believes that defusing the conflict in Gaza will stop the escalation on other fronts.
+"" We need to address the central issue, which is Gaza in order to get everything else defused...if we are just focusing on the symptoms and not treating the real issues, (solutions) will be temporary,"" he said. Conflict has spread to parts of Middle East since the war between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas began on Oct. 7, with groups allied to Iran carrying out attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group has since November been attacking vessels in the Red Sea, part of a route that accounts for about 12% of the world's shipping traffic, in what they say is an effort to support Palestinians in the war with Israel. U.S. and British forces have responded by carrying out dozens of air and sea strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since Friday. Sheikh Mohammed said U.S. and British attacks create ""a high risk of further escalation and further expansion of"" the conflict.
+""We always prefer diplomacy over any military resolutions,"" he said. Without a viable, sustainable two-state solution in Israel and Palestine, the international community will be unwilling to finance the reconstruction of Gaza, Sheikh Mohammed said. ""The bigger picture cannot be ignored,"" he said, urging the international community to require Israel to agree to a time-bound, irreversible pathway to a two-state solution.  ""We cannot leave this just at the hand of the Israelis,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-says-it-shot-down-anti-ship-cruise-missile-houthi-controlled-areas-2024-01-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US says it shot down anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - U.S. fighter aircraft shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward a U.S. destroyer operating in the Southern Red Sea, the U.S. military said on Sunday.
+The midair interception is the latest incident in the Red Sea where the Houthis have been attacking international shipping in what they say is a campaign to support Palestinians under seige from Israeli forces in Gaza.
+It follows a series of American and British airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that have drawn threats of a ""strong"" response from the Iranian-backed militia.
+There were no injuries or damage reported in the latest incident, according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which released the news in a statement posted on the social media platform X.
+CENTCOM said the missile was shot down near Yemen's port city of Hodeidah.
+Earlier on Sunday, the Houthis complained that U.S. aircraft were observed flying close to Yemeni airspace and coastal areas.
+Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam described the activity by ""enemy"" aircraft as a blatant violation of national sovereignty.
+Reuters could not immediately determine whether the incidents were one and the same. CENTCOM did not immediately respond to an email seeking further details about the interception.
+The Red Sea crisis has added to anxieties over a wider conflict in the Middle East beyond Gaza, which Israel is reducing to rubble in what it says is a campaign to annihilate the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which rules the strip and, like the Houthis, is backed by Tehran.
+Also on Sunday, pro-Palestinian activists protested at the gates of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, angry that the British base was used as a launch pad for strikes against the Houthis.
+""We are here because we condemn the complicity of the UK government and using Cypriot land for their agenda to support Israel in their onslaught of Gaza,"" said Natalia Olivia of the Cyprus-based United for Palestine organisation.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US says it shot down anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - U.S. fighter aircraft shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward a U.S. destroyer operating in the Southern Red Sea, the U.S. military said on Sunday. The midair interception is the latest incident in the Red Sea where the Houthis have been attacking international shipping in what they say is a campaign to support Palestinians under seige from Israeli forces in Gaza.  It follows a series of American and British airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that have drawn threats of a ""strong"" response from the Iranian-backed militia.  There were no injuries or damage reported in the latest incident, according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which released the news in a statement posted on the social media platform X.
+CENTCOM said the missile was shot down near Yemen's port city of Hodeidah.  Earlier on Sunday, the Houthis complained that U.S. aircraft were observed flying close to Yemeni airspace and coastal areas.
+Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam described the activity by ""enemy"" aircraft as a blatant violation of national sovereignty.
+Reuters could not immediately determine whether the incidents were one and the same. CENTCOM did not immediately respond to an email seeking further details about the interception. The Red Sea crisis has added to anxieties over a wider conflict in the Middle East beyond Gaza, which Israel is reducing to rubble in what it says is a campaign to annihilate the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which rules the strip and, like the Houthis, is backed by Tehran. Also on Sunday, pro-Palestinian activists protested at the gates of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, angry that the British base was used as a launch pad for strikes against the Houthis.  ""We are here because we condemn the complicity of the UK government and using Cypriot land for their agenda to support Israel in their onslaught of Gaza,"" said Natalia Olivia of the Cyprus-based United for Palestine organisation.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/clinical-iran-hand-palestine-team-4-1-defeat-asian-cup-2024-01-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Clinical Iran hand Palestine 4-1 defeat at Asian Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Iran beat Palestine 4-1 in their Asian Cup Group C opener on Sunday at the Education City Stadium where a show of solidarity by Iranian fans and players was quickly followed by a football masterclass from the three-times champions.
+Goals from Karim Ansarifard, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Mehdi Ghayedi and Sardar Azmoun gave Iran all three points while Tamer Seyam scored a consolation for Palestine, who are still seeking their first win at the Asian Cup.
+Huge cheers greeted the Palestine squad before their national anthem was played as the Iranian fans showed solidarity with their Middle Eastern counterparts, with some holding the Iran flag side-by-side with the Palestine colours.
+A moment's silence was also held before the game for the loss of lives in the Israel-Palestinian conflict which has raged on for 100 days and killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza.
+The latest conflict in a war that has rumbled on for seven decades began after the devastating Hamas attack on Oct. 7, in which Israel says about 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage.
+""I thank all the fans that were in the stadium, the Iranian fans, the Qatari fans, the Arab fans, everyone who supported Palestine,"" Palestine coach Makram Daboub told reporters.
+""It was a lot of support for Palestine and the cause, we thank them and hope the support continues in the next game.""
+But once the referee blew the whistle for kickoff, Iran got straight down to business and opened the scoring in the second minute when Saman Ghoddos played the ball to Ansarifard, who curled his shot past the keeper into the far corner.
+Iran doubled their lead from a set piece with Ghoddos the provider yet again, his floating cross to the far post finding Khalilzadeh who smartly turned the ball into the net to make it 2-0 in the 12th minute.
+TACTICALLY SUPERIOR
+Iran were technically and tactically superior to the Palestinians, who barely managed to get out of their own half at times, and they conceded a third before the break when Ghayedi found the bottom corner from a flowing move.
+Palestine did not test Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand until the last minute of first-half stoppage time when they finally got on the board from a set piece where Seyam scored with a close range header.
+But Iran shut down any hopes of a comeback after the break when substitute Azmoun made it 4-1 while VAR intervened late in the game to overturn a straight red card for Palestinian defender Mohammed Saleh who made a last-man tackle.
+Although the Palestinians managed to mount a couple of promising attacks, Iran held firm to go top of the group while Palestine are bottom.
+Despite notching up the biggest win of the tournament so far, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei was not entirely impressed with his team's performance.
+""The first match is difficult, we're happy with the result but not the quality of the performance. Scoring early made it easier for us,"" he said.
+""I'm satisfied with the players, but in general we expect more from them.""
+Earlier in the first Group C game, the United Arab Emirates beat Hong Kong 3-1 thanks to penalties from Sultan Alamiri and Yahya Al-Ghassani while Zayed Sultan also got on the scoresheet. Chan Siu Kwan was Hong Kong's lone goal scorer.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Clinical Iran hand Palestine 4-1 defeat at Asian Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Iran beat Palestine 4-1 in their Asian Cup Group C opener on Sunday at the Education City Stadium where a show of solidarity by Iranian fans and players was quickly followed by a football masterclass from the three-times champions. Goals from Karim Ansarifard, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Mehdi Ghayedi and Sardar Azmoun gave Iran all three points while Tamer Seyam scored a consolation for Palestine, who are still seeking their first win at the Asian Cup. Huge cheers greeted the Palestine squad before their national anthem was played as the Iranian fans showed solidarity with their Middle Eastern counterparts, with some holding the Iran flag side-by-side with the Palestine colours.
+A moment's silence was also held before the game for the loss of lives in the Israel-Palestinian conflict which has raged on for 100 days and killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza. The latest conflict in a war that has rumbled on for seven decades began after the devastating Hamas attack on Oct. 7, in which Israel says about 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage. ""I thank all the fans that were in the stadium, the Iranian fans, the Qatari fans, the Arab fans, everyone who supported Palestine,"" Palestine coach Makram Daboub told reporters.
+""It was a lot of support for Palestine and the cause, we thank them and hope the support continues in the next game.""
+But once the referee blew the whistle for kickoff, Iran got straight down to business and opened the scoring in the second minute when Saman Ghoddos played the ball to Ansarifard, who curled his shot past the keeper into the far corner. Iran doubled their lead from a set piece with Ghoddos the provider yet again, his floating cross to the far post finding Khalilzadeh who smartly turned the ball into the net to make it 2-0 in the 12th minute. TACTICALLY SUPERIOR
+Iran were technically and tactically superior to the Palestinians, who barely managed to get out of their own half at times, and they conceded a third before the break when Ghayedi found the bottom corner from a flowing move. Palestine did not test Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand until the last minute of first-half stoppage time when they finally got on the board from a set piece where Seyam scored with a close range header."
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/clinical-iran-hand-palestine-team-4-1-defeat-asian-cup-2024-01-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Clinical Iran hand Palestine 4-1 defeat at Asian Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Iran beat Palestine 4-1 in their Asian Cup Group C opener on Sunday at the Education City Stadium where a show of solidarity by Iranian fans and players was quickly followed by a football masterclass from the three-times champions.
+Goals from Karim Ansarifard, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Mehdi Ghayedi and Sardar Azmoun gave Iran all three points while Tamer Seyam scored a consolation for Palestine, who are still seeking their first win at the Asian Cup.
+Huge cheers greeted the Palestine squad before their national anthem was played as the Iranian fans showed solidarity with their Middle Eastern counterparts, with some holding the Iran flag side-by-side with the Palestine colours.
+A moment's silence was also held before the game for the loss of lives in the Israel-Palestinian conflict which has raged on for 100 days and killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza.
+The latest conflict in a war that has rumbled on for seven decades began after the devastating Hamas attack on Oct. 7, in which Israel says about 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage.
+""I thank all the fans that were in the stadium, the Iranian fans, the Qatari fans, the Arab fans, everyone who supported Palestine,"" Palestine coach Makram Daboub told reporters.
+""It was a lot of support for Palestine and the cause, we thank them and hope the support continues in the next game.""
+But once the referee blew the whistle for kickoff, Iran got straight down to business and opened the scoring in the second minute when Saman Ghoddos played the ball to Ansarifard, who curled his shot past the keeper into the far corner.
+Iran doubled their lead from a set piece with Ghoddos the provider yet again, his floating cross to the far post finding Khalilzadeh who smartly turned the ball into the net to make it 2-0 in the 12th minute.
+TACTICALLY SUPERIOR
+Iran were technically and tactically superior to the Palestinians, who barely managed to get out of their own half at times, and they conceded a third before the break when Ghayedi found the bottom corner from a flowing move.
+Palestine did not test Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand until the last minute of first-half stoppage time when they finally got on the board from a set piece where Seyam scored with a close range header.
+But Iran shut down any hopes of a comeback after the break when substitute Azmoun made it 4-1 while VAR intervened late in the game to overturn a straight red card for Palestinian defender Mohammed Saleh who made a last-man tackle.
+Although the Palestinians managed to mount a couple of promising attacks, Iran held firm to go top of the group while Palestine are bottom.
+Despite notching up the biggest win of the tournament so far, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei was not entirely impressed with his team's performance.
+""The first match is difficult, we're happy with the result but not the quality of the performance. Scoring early made it easier for us,"" he said.
+""I'm satisfied with the players, but in general we expect more from them.""
+Earlier in the first Group C game, the United Arab Emirates beat Hong Kong 3-1 thanks to penalties from Sultan Alamiri and Yahya Al-Ghassani while Zayed Sultan also got on the scoresheet. Chan Siu Kwan was Hong Kong's lone goal scorer.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","But Iran shut down any hopes of a comeback after the break when substitute Azmoun made it 4-1 while VAR intervened late in the game to overturn a straight red card for Palestinian defender Mohammed Saleh who made a last-man tackle. Although the Palestinians managed to mount a couple of promising attacks, Iran held firm to go top of the group while Palestine are bottom. Despite notching up the biggest win of the tournament so far, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei was not entirely impressed with his team's performance.  ""The first match is difficult, we're happy with the result but not the quality of the performance. Scoring early made it easier for us,"" he said. ""I'm satisfied with the players, but in general we expect more from them.""  Earlier in the first Group C game, the United Arab Emirates beat Hong Kong 3-1 thanks to penalties from Sultan Alamiri and Yahya Al-Ghassani while Zayed Sultan also got on the scoresheet. Chan Siu Kwan was Hong Kong's lone goal scorer.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hezbollah-sees-all-maritime-navigation-danger-after-us-strikes-yemen-2024-01-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hezbollah says security of all shipping harmed after US strikes on Yemen[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Sunday U.S. actions in the Red Sea would harm the security of all shipping as the area had now become a conflict zone, saying the Houthis of Yemen would keep up attacks despite U.S. and British strikes.
+Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose group is a leading part of an Iran-aligned regional alliance which includes the Houthis, said Houthi targeting of ships belonging to Israel or heading to its ports would continue.
+""The more dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea will harm the security of all maritime navigation, even the ships that are not going to Palestine, even the ships which are not Israeli, even the ships that have nothing to do with the matter, because the sea has become a theatre of fighting, missiles, drones and war ships,"" he said.
+""Security has been disrupted.""
+U.S. and British forces on Friday launched dozens of air strikes against Houthi forces in retaliation for attacks on Red Sea shipping. The group says it took the action to support Palestinians under Israeli siege and attack in Gaza. Washington launched another strike overnight Friday-Saturday.
+The Houthis have vowed to retaliate for the attacks.
+The Red Sea crisis has fueled fears of a further escalation of the conflict that has rippled around the Middle East since war erupted between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel on Oct. 7.
+Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq have all entered the fray since then, with Hezbollah firing at Israeli positions along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier, and Iraqi militias firing on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.
+Nasrallah said envoys sent to Lebanon had been seeking to ""extinguish"" the Lebanon front by delivering a warning that if the group did not stop its attacks ""Israel will launch a war on Lebanon"". He did not identify the envoys.
+Nasrallah said the aim of the Lebanon front was to ""stop the aggression against Gaza"".
+The United States should understand ""that the security of the Red Sea and calm on Lebanon’s front, the situation in Iraq, and all developments in the region is tied to one thing: to stop the aggression against Gaza"", Nasrallah said.
+""You are trying to deal with the consequences and the results, go fix the reason.""
+Nasrallah was speaking to commemorate the death of a top Hezbollah commander, Wissam Tawil, who was killed in south Lebanon last week, the most senior Hezbollah commander to die in three months of hostilities with Israel.
+The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters stormed Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 240 more, according to Israeli tallies.
+Since then, nearly 24,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli offensive which has laid waste to the territory, according to the toll of the health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza.
+The Houthis have also fired drones and missiles up the Red Sea at Israel itself. Many of the vessels attacked by the Houthis have had no known connection to Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hezbollah says security of all shipping harmed after US strikes on Yemen[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Sunday U.S. actions in the Red Sea would harm the security of all shipping as the area had now become a conflict zone, saying the Houthis of Yemen would keep up attacks despite U.S. and British strikes. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose group is a leading part of an Iran-aligned regional alliance which includes the Houthis, said Houthi targeting of ships belonging to Israel or heading to its ports would continue.
+""The more dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea will harm the security of all maritime navigation, even the ships that are not going to Palestine, even the ships which are not Israeli, even the ships that have nothing to do with the matter, because the sea has become a theatre of fighting, missiles, drones and war ships,"" he said. ""Security has been disrupted."" U.S. and British forces on Friday launched dozens of air strikes against Houthi forces in retaliation for attacks on Red Sea shipping. The group says it took the action to support Palestinians under Israeli siege and attack in Gaza. Washington launched another strike overnight Friday-Saturday. The Houthis have vowed to retaliate for the attacks. The Red Sea crisis has fueled fears of a further escalation of the conflict that has rippled around the Middle East since war erupted between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel on Oct. 7. Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq have all entered the fray since then, with Hezbollah firing at Israeli positions along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier, and Iraqi militias firing on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.  Nasrallah said envoys sent to Lebanon had been seeking to ""extinguish"" the Lebanon front by delivering a warning that if the group did not stop its attacks ""Israel will launch a war on Lebanon"". He did not identify the envoys. Nasrallah said the aim of the Lebanon front was to ""stop the aggression against Gaza"". The United States should understand ""that the security of the Red Sea and calm on Lebanon’s front, the situation in Iraq, and all developments in the region is tied to one thing: to stop the aggression against Gaza"", Nasrallah said. ""You are trying to deal with the consequences and the results, go fix the reason."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hezbollah-sees-all-maritime-navigation-danger-after-us-strikes-yemen-2024-01-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hezbollah says security of all shipping harmed after US strikes on Yemen[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Sunday U.S. actions in the Red Sea would harm the security of all shipping as the area had now become a conflict zone, saying the Houthis of Yemen would keep up attacks despite U.S. and British strikes.
+Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose group is a leading part of an Iran-aligned regional alliance which includes the Houthis, said Houthi targeting of ships belonging to Israel or heading to its ports would continue.
+""The more dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea will harm the security of all maritime navigation, even the ships that are not going to Palestine, even the ships which are not Israeli, even the ships that have nothing to do with the matter, because the sea has become a theatre of fighting, missiles, drones and war ships,"" he said.
+""Security has been disrupted.""
+U.S. and British forces on Friday launched dozens of air strikes against Houthi forces in retaliation for attacks on Red Sea shipping. The group says it took the action to support Palestinians under Israeli siege and attack in Gaza. Washington launched another strike overnight Friday-Saturday.
+The Houthis have vowed to retaliate for the attacks.
+The Red Sea crisis has fueled fears of a further escalation of the conflict that has rippled around the Middle East since war erupted between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel on Oct. 7.
+Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq have all entered the fray since then, with Hezbollah firing at Israeli positions along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier, and Iraqi militias firing on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.
+Nasrallah said envoys sent to Lebanon had been seeking to ""extinguish"" the Lebanon front by delivering a warning that if the group did not stop its attacks ""Israel will launch a war on Lebanon"". He did not identify the envoys.
+Nasrallah said the aim of the Lebanon front was to ""stop the aggression against Gaza"".
+The United States should understand ""that the security of the Red Sea and calm on Lebanon’s front, the situation in Iraq, and all developments in the region is tied to one thing: to stop the aggression against Gaza"", Nasrallah said.
+""You are trying to deal with the consequences and the results, go fix the reason.""
+Nasrallah was speaking to commemorate the death of a top Hezbollah commander, Wissam Tawil, who was killed in south Lebanon last week, the most senior Hezbollah commander to die in three months of hostilities with Israel.
+The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters stormed Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 240 more, according to Israeli tallies.
+Since then, nearly 24,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli offensive which has laid waste to the territory, according to the toll of the health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza.
+The Houthis have also fired drones and missiles up the Red Sea at Israel itself. Many of the vessels attacked by the Houthis have had no known connection to Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Nasrallah was speaking to commemorate the death of a top Hezbollah commander, Wissam Tawil, who was killed in south Lebanon last week, the most senior Hezbollah commander to die in three months of hostilities with Israel. The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters stormed Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 240 more, according to Israeli tallies.
+Since then, nearly 24,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli offensive which has laid waste to the territory, according to the toll of the health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza. The Houthis have also fired drones and missiles up the Red Sea at Israel itself. Many of the vessels attacked by the Houthis have had no known connection to Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/activists-protest-british-base-cyprus-used-yemen-strikes-2024-01-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Activists protest at British base in Cyprus used in Yemen strikes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AKROTIRI, Cyprus Jan 14 (Reuters) - Pro-Palestinian activists protested at the gates of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on Sunday, angry that the British base was used as a launch pad for strikes against the Houthi militia in Yemen.
+U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines launched dozens of air strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen overnight Thursday to Friday in retaliation for attacks on Red Sea shipping that the Iran-backed group says is a response to the war in Gaza.
+RAF Akrotiri was used as a staging point for Typhoon fighter jets involved in the operation.
+Several hundred protesters chanted ""Out with the Bases of Death"" at the entrance to RAF Akrotiri, one of two bases Britain retains in Cyprus, a former colony.
+The iron gates to the heavily-guarded compound, which sits on a peninsula on Cyprus's southernmost tip, were locked with dozens of police present.
+""We are here because we condemn the complicity of the UK government and using Cypriot land for their agenda to support Israel in their onslaught of Gaza,"" said Natalia Olivia of the Cyprus-based United for Palestine organisation.
+Another activist, Nicos Panayiotou, called the use of the British bases a disgrace. ""They are using Cypriot land to do something every Cypriot is condemning,"" he said.
+Britain is not obliged to seek permission from Cyprus for operations out of Akrotiri under the terms of the bases' presence on the island.
+The strikes have added to concerns that the Israel-Gaza war could spread through the Middle East, with Iran's allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.
+Sunday's demonstration was organised before Akrotiri was used for the strikes on Yemen amid perceptions - denied by Britain - that the base is being used to offer logistical support to Israel.
+In response to the protests, a British Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: ""British Forces Cyprus continue to support the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza and no RAF flights into Israel have transported any lethal cargo.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Activists protest at British base in Cyprus used in Yemen strikes[/TITLE] [CONTENT]AKROTIRI, Cyprus Jan 14 (Reuters) - Pro-Palestinian activists protested at the gates of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on Sunday, angry that the British base was used as a launch pad for strikes against the Houthi militia in Yemen. U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines launched dozens of air strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen overnight Thursday to Friday in retaliation for attacks on Red Sea shipping that the Iran-backed group says is a response to the war in Gaza. RAF Akrotiri was used as a staging point for Typhoon fighter jets involved in the operation. Several hundred protesters chanted ""Out with the Bases of Death"" at the entrance to RAF Akrotiri, one of two bases Britain retains in Cyprus, a former colony. The iron gates to the heavily-guarded compound, which sits on a peninsula on Cyprus's southernmost tip, were locked with dozens of police present.
+""We are here because we condemn the complicity of the UK government and using Cypriot land for their agenda to support Israel in their onslaught of Gaza,"" said Natalia Olivia of the Cyprus-based United for Palestine organisation.  Another activist, Nicos Panayiotou, called the use of the British bases a disgrace. ""They are using Cypriot land to do something every Cypriot is condemning,"" he said. Britain is not obliged to seek permission from Cyprus for operations out of Akrotiri under the terms of the bases' presence on the island. The strikes have added to concerns that the Israel-Gaza war could spread through the Middle East, with Iran's allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Sunday's demonstration was organised before Akrotiri was used for the strikes on Yemen amid perceptions - denied by Britain - that the base is being used to offer logistical support to Israel.  In response to the protests, a British Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: ""British Forces Cyprus continue to support the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza and no RAF flights into Israel have transported any lethal cargo.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/relatives-recount-gaza-deaths-protesters-washington-demand-ceasefire-2024-01-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Relatives recount Gaza deaths as protesters in Washington demand ceasefire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Family members of Palestinians killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza shared grief-ridden stories with thousands of protesters who gathered in downtown Washington on Saturday demanding an immediate ceasefire.
+In one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations to date in the U.S. capital, the protesters repeated their call for U.S. President Joe Biden to stop sending arms to Israel and chanted ""free Palestine"" and ""ceasefire now.""
+Some people chanted: ""From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"" - a slogan that critics interpret as a call for the elimination of Israel.
+Adam Abosherieah, one of the speakers, said over 100 family members, including his 83-year-old father, mother, and brother, have been killed in Israeli air strikes.
+""Dozens of my family members' bodies are still under the rubble,"" Abosherieah, a pharmacist from New Jersey, said. ""President Biden can easily put a stop to this genocide ... He can easily pick up the phone and call Israel to stop this madness.""
+Other speakers included Randa Muhtaseb, who said she lost 36 family members in Gaza, and Alaa Hussein Ali, who spoke about over 100 of his relatives killed in Israeli attacks. Reuters could not independently verify these figures.
+The latest escalation in the Gaza conflict followed an attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which Israel said killed 1,200 people.
+Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, about 1% of the 2.3 million population there, according to Gaza's health ministry.
+Israel and the U.S. deny allegations of a genocide in Gaza. South Africa has officially pressed those charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Washington and Israel have also argued a ceasefire will benefit Hamas and have resisted such calls.
+The war has led to protests in many parts of the U.S., including near airports and bridges in New York City and Los Angeles, vigils outside the White House, and marches in Washington near the U.S. Capitol.
+On Saturday, protesters came to Washington from different parts of the country and echoed concerns about Biden's military support for Israel.
+""We cannot tolerate this, we cannot allow our money to be used to murder children across the world ... that money could be used over here for good causes,"" said Suhail Mustafa, a protester from Cleveland.
+Though long a fervent supporter of Israel, Biden has expressed concern over civilian deaths as the war has gone on.
+Biden has previously described Israel's bombing campaign as ""indiscriminate,"" and said on Monday he had been working ""quietly"" with the Israeli government to encourage it to reduce its attacks and ""significantly get out of Gaza.""
+Mohammed Kaiseruddin, 79, who flew in from Chicago for the protest, was holding a sign that read: “Freedom for Gaza and the West Bank.”
+“The Biden administration has truly disappointed everyone,” said Kaiseruddin, who described himself as typically voting for Democrats. “They seem to have lost their sense of humanity. When it comes to Palestine and Israel, his values are upside down completely.”
+Another protester, Judy Johnson, said she resigned from the Democratic Party over U.S. military support for Israel, although she added she would still vote for Democrats in the November U.S. presidential elections if the choice was between Biden and Republican rival former President Donald Trump.
+""I don't think people see an alternative to Trump, so they'll vote for Biden,"" Johnson said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Relatives recount Gaza deaths as protesters in Washington demand ceasefire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Family members of Palestinians killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza shared grief-ridden stories with thousands of protesters who gathered in downtown Washington on Saturday demanding an immediate ceasefire. In one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations to date in the U.S. capital, the protesters repeated their call for U.S. President Joe Biden to stop sending arms to Israel and chanted ""free Palestine"" and ""ceasefire now.""
+Some people chanted: ""From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"" - a slogan that critics interpret as a call for the elimination of Israel. Adam Abosherieah, one of the speakers, said over 100 family members, including his 83-year-old father, mother, and brother, have been killed in Israeli air strikes.  ""Dozens of my family members' bodies are still under the rubble,"" Abosherieah, a pharmacist from New Jersey, said. ""President Biden can easily put a stop to this genocide ... He can easily pick up the phone and call Israel to stop this madness.""
+Other speakers included Randa Muhtaseb, who said she lost 36 family members in Gaza, and Alaa Hussein Ali, who spoke about over 100 of his relatives killed in Israeli attacks. Reuters could not independently verify these figures. The latest escalation in the Gaza conflict followed an attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which Israel said killed 1,200 people. Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, about 1% of the 2.3 million population there, according to Gaza's health ministry.  Israel and the U.S. deny allegations of a genocide in Gaza. South Africa has officially pressed those charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Washington and Israel have also argued a ceasefire will benefit Hamas and have resisted such calls. The war has led to protests in many parts of the U.S., including near airports and bridges in New York City and Los Angeles, vigils outside the White House, and marches in Washington near the U.S. Capitol.  On Saturday, protesters came to Washington from different parts of the country and echoed concerns about Biden's military support for Israel. ""We cannot tolerate this, we cannot allow our money to be used to murder children across the world ... that money could be used over here for good causes,"" said Suhail Mustafa, a protester from Cleveland. Though long a fervent supporter of Israel, Biden has expressed concern over civilian deaths as the war has gone on."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/relatives-recount-gaza-deaths-protesters-washington-demand-ceasefire-2024-01-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Relatives recount Gaza deaths as protesters in Washington demand ceasefire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Family members of Palestinians killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza shared grief-ridden stories with thousands of protesters who gathered in downtown Washington on Saturday demanding an immediate ceasefire.
+In one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations to date in the U.S. capital, the protesters repeated their call for U.S. President Joe Biden to stop sending arms to Israel and chanted ""free Palestine"" and ""ceasefire now.""
+Some people chanted: ""From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"" - a slogan that critics interpret as a call for the elimination of Israel.
+Adam Abosherieah, one of the speakers, said over 100 family members, including his 83-year-old father, mother, and brother, have been killed in Israeli air strikes.
+""Dozens of my family members' bodies are still under the rubble,"" Abosherieah, a pharmacist from New Jersey, said. ""President Biden can easily put a stop to this genocide ... He can easily pick up the phone and call Israel to stop this madness.""
+Other speakers included Randa Muhtaseb, who said she lost 36 family members in Gaza, and Alaa Hussein Ali, who spoke about over 100 of his relatives killed in Israeli attacks. Reuters could not independently verify these figures.
+The latest escalation in the Gaza conflict followed an attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which Israel said killed 1,200 people.
+Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, about 1% of the 2.3 million population there, according to Gaza's health ministry.
+Israel and the U.S. deny allegations of a genocide in Gaza. South Africa has officially pressed those charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Washington and Israel have also argued a ceasefire will benefit Hamas and have resisted such calls.
+The war has led to protests in many parts of the U.S., including near airports and bridges in New York City and Los Angeles, vigils outside the White House, and marches in Washington near the U.S. Capitol.
+On Saturday, protesters came to Washington from different parts of the country and echoed concerns about Biden's military support for Israel.
+""We cannot tolerate this, we cannot allow our money to be used to murder children across the world ... that money could be used over here for good causes,"" said Suhail Mustafa, a protester from Cleveland.
+Though long a fervent supporter of Israel, Biden has expressed concern over civilian deaths as the war has gone on.
+Biden has previously described Israel's bombing campaign as ""indiscriminate,"" and said on Monday he had been working ""quietly"" with the Israeli government to encourage it to reduce its attacks and ""significantly get out of Gaza.""
+Mohammed Kaiseruddin, 79, who flew in from Chicago for the protest, was holding a sign that read: “Freedom for Gaza and the West Bank.”
+“The Biden administration has truly disappointed everyone,” said Kaiseruddin, who described himself as typically voting for Democrats. “They seem to have lost their sense of humanity. When it comes to Palestine and Israel, his values are upside down completely.”
+Another protester, Judy Johnson, said she resigned from the Democratic Party over U.S. military support for Israel, although she added she would still vote for Democrats in the November U.S. presidential elections if the choice was between Biden and Republican rival former President Donald Trump.
+""I don't think people see an alternative to Trump, so they'll vote for Biden,"" Johnson said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"," Biden has previously described Israel's bombing campaign as ""indiscriminate,"" and said on Monday he had been working ""quietly"" with the Israeli government to encourage it to reduce its attacks and ""significantly get out of Gaza.""
+Mohammed Kaiseruddin, 79, who flew in from Chicago for the protest, was holding a sign that read: “Freedom for Gaza and the West Bank. ”  “The Biden administration has truly disappointed everyone,” said Kaiseruddin, who described himself as typically voting for Democrats. “They seem to have lost their sense of humanity. When it comes to Palestine and Israel, his values are upside down completely.” Another protester, Judy Johnson, said she resigned from the Democratic Party over U.S. military support for Israel, although she added she would still vote for Democrats in the November U.S. presidential elections if the choice was between Biden and Republican rival former President Donald Trump.
+""I don't think people see an alternative to Trump, so they'll vote for Biden,"" Johnson said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-warns-more-strikes-yemens-houthis-if-red-sea-attacks-persist-2024-01-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Yemen's Houthis vow strong response after new US strike[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/ADEN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Houthi militia threatened a ""strong and effective response"" after the United States carried out another strike in Yemen overnight, further ratcheting up tensions as Washington vowed to protect shipping from attacks by the Iran-aligned movement.
+The strikes have added to concerns about the escalation of a conflict that has spread through the Middle East since the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel went to war, with Iran's allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.
+President Joe Biden said the United States had sent a private message to Iran about the Houthi attacks. He did not elaborate, telling reporters, ""We delivered it privately and we're confident we're well-prepared.""
+The latest strike, which the U.S. said hit a radar site, came a day after dozens of American and British strikes on Houthi facilities in Yemen.
+""This new strike will have a firm, strong and effective response,"" Houthi spokesperson Nasruldeen Amer told Al Jazeera, adding there had been no injuries nor ""material damages.""
+Mohammed Abdulsalam, another Houthi spokesperson, told Reuters the strikes, including the one overnight that hit a military base in Sanaa, had no significant impact on the group's ability to prevent Israel-affiliated vessels from passing through the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.
+The Pentagon said on Friday the U.S.-British strikes had ""good effects.""
+Hans Grundberg, U.N. special envoy for Yemen, called on Saturday for maximum restraint by ""all involved"" and warned of an increasingly precarious situation in the region.
+The Houthis say their maritime campaign aims to support Palestinians under Israeli siege and attack in Gaza, which is ruled by the Iran-backed Hamas. Many of the vessels they have attacked had no known connection to Israel.
+The group, which controls Sanaa and much of the west and north of Yemen, has also fired drones and missiles up the Red Sea at Israel itself.
+The guided missile destroyer Carney used Tomahawk missiles in the follow-on strike early on Saturday local time ""to degrade the Houthis' ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels,"" U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X.
+'BRUTAL AGGRESSION'
+In Sanaa, government employee Mohammed Samei said the attacks were an act of ""brutal aggression"" and marked a new stage of a war Yemen has endured for 10 years.
+Hussein Kabsi, a retired government employee, said supporting the Palestinians was a ""religious and moral duty.""
+""Our stance is unwavering, we will (continue) to stand with our brothers in Palestine and Gaza until victory and until all Palestinian land is liberated - not just Gaza,"" he said.
+On Friday, hundreds of thousands of people rallied in Sanaa, chanting slogans denouncing Israel and the United States, footage broadcast by the Houthis' Al-Masirah TV showed.
+White House spokesperson John Kirby said the initial strikes had hit the Houthis' ability to store, launch and guide missiles or drones, which the group has used to threaten shipping. He said Washington had no interest in a war with Yemen.
+The Houthis said five fighters were killed in the initial strikes.
+Biden, whose administration removed the Houthis from a State Department list of ""foreign terrorist organizations"" in 2021, was asked by reporters whether he felt the term ""terrorist"" described the movement now. ""I think they are,"" he said.
+The Red Sea crisis has added to the spread of conflict through the Middle East since Hamas militants rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages.
+Israel has responded by laying waste to large sections of Gaza to try to annihilate Hamas. A total of 23,843 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on the enclave since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday the country planned a ""huge"" addition to its defense budget as part of a build-up designed to cover its needs for years to come.
+At the U.N. Security Council on Friday, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the U.S. and Britain ""single-handedly triggered a spillover of the conflict (in Gaza) to the entire region.""
+A senior U.S. official accused Tehran of providing the Yemeni group with military capabilities and intelligence. There has been no sign so far Iran is seeking direct conflict, although Iran condemned the American and British strikes.
+Houthi attacks have forced commercial ships to take a longer, costlier route around Africa, creating concern about a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption. Container shipping rates for some global routes have soared this week.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Yemen's Houthis vow strong response after new US strike[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/ADEN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Houthi militia threatened a ""strong and effective response"" after the United States carried out another strike in Yemen overnight, further ratcheting up tensions as Washington vowed to protect shipping from attacks by the Iran-aligned movement. The strikes have added to concerns about the escalation of a conflict that has spread through the Middle East since the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel went to war, with Iran's allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.  President Joe Biden said the United States had sent a private message to Iran about the Houthi attacks. He did not elaborate, telling reporters, ""We delivered it privately and we're confident we're well-prepared."" The latest strike, which the U.S. said hit a radar site, came a day after dozens of American and British strikes on Houthi facilities in Yemen. ""This new strike will have a firm, strong and effective response,"" Houthi spokesperson Nasruldeen Amer told Al Jazeera, adding there had been no injuries nor ""material damages.""
+Mohammed Abdulsalam, another Houthi spokesperson, told Reuters the strikes, including the one overnight that hit a military base in Sanaa, had no significant impact on the group's ability to prevent Israel-affiliated vessels from passing through the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. The Pentagon said on Friday the U.S.-British strikes had ""good effects.""
+Hans Grundberg, U.N. special envoy for Yemen, called on Saturday for maximum restraint by ""all involved"" and warned of an increasingly precarious situation in the region.  The Houthis say their maritime campaign aims to support Palestinians under Israeli siege and attack in Gaza, which is ruled by the Iran-backed Hamas. Many of the vessels they have attacked had no known connection to Israel. The group, which controls Sanaa and much of the west and north of Yemen, has also fired drones and missiles up the Red Sea at Israel itself. The guided missile destroyer Carney used Tomahawk missiles in the follow-on strike early on Saturday local time ""to degrade the Houthis' ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels,"" U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X.
+'BRUTAL AGGRESSION'
+In Sanaa, government employee Mohammed Samei said the attacks were an act of ""brutal aggression"" and marked a new stage of a war Yemen has endured for 10 years. Hussein Kabsi, a retired government employee, said supporting the Palestinians was a ""religious and moral duty."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-warns-more-strikes-yemens-houthis-if-red-sea-attacks-persist-2024-01-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Yemen's Houthis vow strong response after new US strike[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/ADEN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Houthi militia threatened a ""strong and effective response"" after the United States carried out another strike in Yemen overnight, further ratcheting up tensions as Washington vowed to protect shipping from attacks by the Iran-aligned movement.
+The strikes have added to concerns about the escalation of a conflict that has spread through the Middle East since the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel went to war, with Iran's allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.
+President Joe Biden said the United States had sent a private message to Iran about the Houthi attacks. He did not elaborate, telling reporters, ""We delivered it privately and we're confident we're well-prepared.""
+The latest strike, which the U.S. said hit a radar site, came a day after dozens of American and British strikes on Houthi facilities in Yemen.
+""This new strike will have a firm, strong and effective response,"" Houthi spokesperson Nasruldeen Amer told Al Jazeera, adding there had been no injuries nor ""material damages.""
+Mohammed Abdulsalam, another Houthi spokesperson, told Reuters the strikes, including the one overnight that hit a military base in Sanaa, had no significant impact on the group's ability to prevent Israel-affiliated vessels from passing through the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.
+The Pentagon said on Friday the U.S.-British strikes had ""good effects.""
+Hans Grundberg, U.N. special envoy for Yemen, called on Saturday for maximum restraint by ""all involved"" and warned of an increasingly precarious situation in the region.
+The Houthis say their maritime campaign aims to support Palestinians under Israeli siege and attack in Gaza, which is ruled by the Iran-backed Hamas. Many of the vessels they have attacked had no known connection to Israel.
+The group, which controls Sanaa and much of the west and north of Yemen, has also fired drones and missiles up the Red Sea at Israel itself.
+The guided missile destroyer Carney used Tomahawk missiles in the follow-on strike early on Saturday local time ""to degrade the Houthis' ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels,"" U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X.
+'BRUTAL AGGRESSION'
+In Sanaa, government employee Mohammed Samei said the attacks were an act of ""brutal aggression"" and marked a new stage of a war Yemen has endured for 10 years.
+Hussein Kabsi, a retired government employee, said supporting the Palestinians was a ""religious and moral duty.""
+""Our stance is unwavering, we will (continue) to stand with our brothers in Palestine and Gaza until victory and until all Palestinian land is liberated - not just Gaza,"" he said.
+On Friday, hundreds of thousands of people rallied in Sanaa, chanting slogans denouncing Israel and the United States, footage broadcast by the Houthis' Al-Masirah TV showed.
+White House spokesperson John Kirby said the initial strikes had hit the Houthis' ability to store, launch and guide missiles or drones, which the group has used to threaten shipping. He said Washington had no interest in a war with Yemen.
+The Houthis said five fighters were killed in the initial strikes.
+Biden, whose administration removed the Houthis from a State Department list of ""foreign terrorist organizations"" in 2021, was asked by reporters whether he felt the term ""terrorist"" described the movement now. ""I think they are,"" he said.
+The Red Sea crisis has added to the spread of conflict through the Middle East since Hamas militants rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages.
+Israel has responded by laying waste to large sections of Gaza to try to annihilate Hamas. A total of 23,843 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on the enclave since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday the country planned a ""huge"" addition to its defense budget as part of a build-up designed to cover its needs for years to come.
+At the U.N. Security Council on Friday, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the U.S. and Britain ""single-handedly triggered a spillover of the conflict (in Gaza) to the entire region.""
+A senior U.S. official accused Tehran of providing the Yemeni group with military capabilities and intelligence. There has been no sign so far Iran is seeking direct conflict, although Iran condemned the American and British strikes.
+Houthi attacks have forced commercial ships to take a longer, costlier route around Africa, creating concern about a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption. Container shipping rates for some global routes have soared this week.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""
+""Our stance is unwavering, we will (continue) to stand with our brothers in Palestine and Gaza until victory and until all Palestinian land is liberated - not just Gaza,"" he said. On Friday, hundreds of thousands of people rallied in Sanaa, chanting slogans denouncing Israel and the United States, footage broadcast by the Houthis' Al-Masirah TV showed.  White House spokesperson John Kirby said the initial strikes had hit the Houthis' ability to store, launch and guide missiles or drones, which the group has used to threaten shipping. He said Washington had no interest in a war with Yemen. The Houthis said five fighters were killed in the initial strikes. Biden, whose administration removed the Houthis from a State Department list of ""foreign terrorist organizations"" in 2021, was asked by reporters whether he felt the term ""terrorist"" described the movement now. ""I think they are,"" he said. The Red Sea crisis has added to the spread of conflict through the Middle East since Hamas militants rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages.  Israel has responded by laying waste to large sections of Gaza to try to annihilate Hamas. A total of 23,843 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on the enclave since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday the country planned a ""huge"" addition to its defense budget as part of a build-up designed to cover its needs for years to come. At the U.N. Security Council on Friday, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the U.S. and Britain ""single-handedly triggered a spillover of the conflict (in Gaza) to the entire region.""  A senior U.S. official accused Tehran of providing the Yemeni group with military capabilities and intelligence. There has been no sign so far Iran is seeking direct conflict, although Iran condemned the American and British strikes. Houthi attacks have forced commercial ships to take a longer, costlier route around Africa, creating concern about a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption. Container shipping rates for some global routes have soared this week.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/hard-palestinian-players-stay-focused-asian-cup-coach-says-2024-01-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hard for Palestinian players to stay focused at Asian Cup, coach says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Palestinian squad at the Asian Cup are finding it very hard to focus due to the conflict in Gaza, coach Makram Daboub said on Saturday, but he added that their presence at the tournament should remind the world that ""Palestine exists"".
+Israel kept up bombardments in the Gaza Strip on Saturday as its war on the enclave's Hamas rulers approached 100 days with no end in sight.
+The Israeli offensive follows a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants in which Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza. Israel's campaign has demolished much of the coastal strip and killed almost 24,000 people according to Palestinian health authorities in the enclave.
+""Keeping focused, honestly, is difficult because most of the time the players are focusing on news after training or before it, even on the bus while going to training,"" Daboub told reporters ahead of their group opener against Iran on Sunday.
+""Everyone is focused on the news and what is happening, but even with that... there is a message that we need to deliver to the whole world. We have a big responsibility that we are the ambassadors for Palestinian soccer, for Palestine.
+""The Palestinian people deserve a better life and they deserve freedom. Through the matches, our presence and what we will deliver in this tournament should be a message for the whole world that Palestine exists.""
+The team's captain Musab Al-Battat said stopping sporting activity in Gaza for the past three months had had negative consequences on the players, who have had training camps outside the region due to the conflict.
+He also hoped their presence at the Asian Cup would deliver a message to the world.
+""As Palestinian players, we have a message that we can deliver to the whole world and that is the Palestinian team and state is a country like all others that has the right to participate and be part of any tournament anywhere,"" he said.
+""Hopefully all these circumstances will be a positive push for us as players to present the best result because our people truly deserve it and our fans deserve it.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hard for Palestinian players to stay focused at Asian Cup, coach says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Palestinian squad at the Asian Cup are finding it very hard to focus due to the conflict in Gaza, coach Makram Daboub said on Saturday, but he added that their presence at the tournament should remind the world that ""Palestine exists"". Israel kept up bombardments in the Gaza Strip on Saturday as its war on the enclave's Hamas rulers approached 100 days with no end in sight.  The Israeli offensive follows a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants in which Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza. Israel's campaign has demolished much of the coastal strip and killed almost 24,000 people according to Palestinian health authorities in the enclave. ""Keeping focused, honestly, is difficult because most of the time the players are focusing on news after training or before it, even on the bus while going to training,"" Daboub told reporters ahead of their group opener against Iran on Sunday.
+"" Everyone is focused on the news and what is happening, but even with that... there is a message that we need to deliver to the whole world. We have a big responsibility that we are the ambassadors for Palestinian soccer, for Palestine. ""The Palestinian people deserve a better life and they deserve freedom. Through the matches, our presence and what we will deliver in this tournament should be a message for the whole world that Palestine exists.""
+The team's captain Musab Al-Battat said stopping sporting activity in Gaza for the past three months had had negative consequences on the players, who have had training camps outside the region due to the conflict. He also hoped their presence at the Asian Cup would deliver a message to the world.  ""As Palestinian players, we have a message that we can deliver to the whole world and that is the Palestinian team and state is a country like all others that has the right to participate and be part of any tournament anywhere,"" he said.
+""Hopefully all these circumstances will be a positive push for us as players to present the best result because our people truly deserve it and our fans deserve it.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-counter-genocide-accusations-world-court-2024-01-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel rejects genocide charges, tells World Court it must defend itself[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Israel on Friday rejected as false and ""grossly distorted"" accusations brought by South Africa at the U.N.'s top court that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign against Palestinians.
+Arguing it was acting to defend itself and was fighting Hamas, not the Palestinian population, Israel called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to dismiss the case as groundless and reject South Africa's request to order it to halt the offensive.
+""This is no genocide,"" lawyer Malcolm Shaw said.
+South Africa told the court on Thursday that Israel's aerial and ground offensive - which has laid waste to much of the enclave and killed almost 24,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities - aimed to bring about ""the destruction of the population"" of Gaza.
+Israel rejected the accusations, saying it respected international law and had a right to defend itself.
+Israel launched its war in Gaza after a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by militants from Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction. Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage.
+""The appalling suffering of civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian, is first and foremost the result of Hamas' strategy,"" the Israeli foreign ministry's legal adviser, Tal Becker told the court.
+""If there were acts of genocide, they have been perpetrated against Israel,"" Becker said. ""Hamas seeks genocide against Israel.""
+The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as ""acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group"".
+SUFFERING
+Israel, its defence team argued, was doing what it could to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza, including efforts to urge Palestinians to evacuate.
+The court is expected to rule later this month on possible emergency measures - including South Africa's request that it orders Israel to halt its offensive.
+It will not rule at that time on the genocide accusations. Those proceedings could take years.
+The ICJ's decisions are final and without appeal, but the court has no way to enforce them.
+Palestinian backers with flags marched through The Hague and watched proceedings on a giant screen in front of the Peace Palace. As the Israeli delegation spoke in court, they chanted: ""Liar! Liar!""
+Asked what she thought of Israel's arguments that the Gaza campaign was a matter of self-defence, Neen Haijjawi, a Palestinian who recently came to Netherlands said: ""How can an occupier that's been oppressing people for 75 years say it's self-defence?""
+Israeli supporters were holding a separate gathering of family members of hostages taken by Hamas.
+Israel has said South Africa is acting as a mouthpiece for Islamist Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, Britain and several other nations. South Africa has rejected that accusation.
+Since Israeli forces started their offensive, nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes at least once, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe.
+Post-apartheid South Africa has long advocated the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when the African National Congress' struggle against white-minority rule was supported by Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation.
+""My grandfather always regarded the Palestinian struggle as the greatest moral issue of our time,"" Mandla Mandela, a grandson of the late South Africa president Nelson Mandela, said at a rally in support of the Palestinians in Cape Town.
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel rejects genocide charges, tells World Court it must defend itself[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Israel on Friday rejected as false and ""grossly distorted"" accusations brought by South Africa at the U.N.'s top court that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign against Palestinians. Arguing it was acting to defend itself and was fighting Hamas, not the Palestinian population, Israel called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to dismiss the case as groundless and reject South Africa's request to order it to halt the offensive.
+""This is no genocide,"" lawyer Malcolm Shaw said. South Africa told the court on Thursday that Israel's aerial and ground offensive - which has laid waste to much of the enclave and killed almost 24,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities - aimed to bring about ""the destruction of the population"" of Gaza.  Israel rejected the accusations, saying it respected international law and had a right to defend itself.
+Israel launched its war in Gaza after a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by militants from Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction. Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage. ""The appalling suffering of civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian, is first and foremost the result of Hamas' strategy,"" the Israeli foreign ministry's legal adviser, Tal Becker told the court.  ""If there were acts of genocide, they have been perpetrated against Israel,"" Becker said. ""Hamas seeks genocide against Israel."" The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as ""acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group"". SUFFERING
+Israel, its defence team argued, was doing what it could to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza, including efforts to urge Palestinians to evacuate. The court is expected to rule later this month on possible emergency measures - including South Africa's request that it orders Israel to halt its offensive.  It will not rule at that time on the genocide accusations. Those proceedings could take years. The ICJ's decisions are final and without appeal, but the court has no way to enforce them.  Palestinian backers with flags marched through The Hague and watched proceedings on a giant screen in front of the Peace Palace. As the Israeli delegation spoke in court, they chanted: ""Liar! Liar!"""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-counter-genocide-accusations-world-court-2024-01-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel rejects genocide charges, tells World Court it must defend itself[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Israel on Friday rejected as false and ""grossly distorted"" accusations brought by South Africa at the U.N.'s top court that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign against Palestinians.
+Arguing it was acting to defend itself and was fighting Hamas, not the Palestinian population, Israel called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to dismiss the case as groundless and reject South Africa's request to order it to halt the offensive.
+""This is no genocide,"" lawyer Malcolm Shaw said.
+South Africa told the court on Thursday that Israel's aerial and ground offensive - which has laid waste to much of the enclave and killed almost 24,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities - aimed to bring about ""the destruction of the population"" of Gaza.
+Israel rejected the accusations, saying it respected international law and had a right to defend itself.
+Israel launched its war in Gaza after a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by militants from Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction. Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage.
+""The appalling suffering of civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian, is first and foremost the result of Hamas' strategy,"" the Israeli foreign ministry's legal adviser, Tal Becker told the court.
+""If there were acts of genocide, they have been perpetrated against Israel,"" Becker said. ""Hamas seeks genocide against Israel.""
+The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as ""acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group"".
+SUFFERING
+Israel, its defence team argued, was doing what it could to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza, including efforts to urge Palestinians to evacuate.
+The court is expected to rule later this month on possible emergency measures - including South Africa's request that it orders Israel to halt its offensive.
+It will not rule at that time on the genocide accusations. Those proceedings could take years.
+The ICJ's decisions are final and without appeal, but the court has no way to enforce them.
+Palestinian backers with flags marched through The Hague and watched proceedings on a giant screen in front of the Peace Palace. As the Israeli delegation spoke in court, they chanted: ""Liar! Liar!""
+Asked what she thought of Israel's arguments that the Gaza campaign was a matter of self-defence, Neen Haijjawi, a Palestinian who recently came to Netherlands said: ""How can an occupier that's been oppressing people for 75 years say it's self-defence?""
+Israeli supporters were holding a separate gathering of family members of hostages taken by Hamas.
+Israel has said South Africa is acting as a mouthpiece for Islamist Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, Britain and several other nations. South Africa has rejected that accusation.
+Since Israeli forces started their offensive, nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes at least once, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe.
+Post-apartheid South Africa has long advocated the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when the African National Congress' struggle against white-minority rule was supported by Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation.
+""My grandfather always regarded the Palestinian struggle as the greatest moral issue of our time,"" Mandla Mandela, a grandson of the late South Africa president Nelson Mandela, said at a rally in support of the Palestinians in Cape Town.
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Asked what she thought of Israel's arguments that the Gaza campaign was a matter of self-defence, Neen Haijjawi, a Palestinian who recently came to Netherlands said: ""How can an occupier that's been oppressing people for 75 years say it's self-defence?"" Israeli supporters were holding a separate gathering of family members of hostages taken by Hamas. Israel has said South Africa is acting as a mouthpiece for Islamist Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, Britain and several other nations. South Africa has rejected that accusation. Since Israeli forces started their offensive, nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes at least once, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe.
+Post-apartheid South Africa has long advocated the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when the African National Congress' struggle against white-minority rule was supported by Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation.  ""My grandfather always regarded the Palestinian struggle as the greatest moral issue of our time,"" Mandla Mandela, a grandson of the late South Africa president Nelson Mandela, said at a rally in support of the Palestinians in Cape Town. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/cricket/south-africa-stand-down-u19-captain-world-cup-over-protest-fears-2024-01-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]South Africa stand down U19 captain for World Cup over protest fears[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 12 (Reuters) - Hosts South Africa have stripped skipper David Teeger of the captaincy for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup amid fears he could be a target for anti-war protesters, but he will remain part of the squad, officials confirmed on Friday.
+Teeger was cleared of wrong-doing by an independent inquiry established by Cricket South Africa (CSA) last month following comments he made in support of Israeli soldiers at an awards ceremony in October.
+The teenager was recognised at the Jewish Achiever Awards and said: ""I’m now the rising star, but the true rising stars are the young soldiers in Israel. And I’d like to dedicate it to the state of Israel and every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the diaspora.""
+The comments drew the ire of the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA), who lodged a complaint with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).
+Teeger was cleared by the inquiry, but his demotion comes as the South African government has levelled an accusation of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and CSA say they fear keeping the 19-year-old as captain could inflame tensions during the tournament.
+""We have been advised that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament,"" CSA said in a statement on Friday.
+""We have also been advised that they are likely to focus on the position of the SA Under-19 captain David Teeger, and that there is a risk that they could result in conflict or even violence, including between rival groups of protestors.
+""In the circumstances, CSA has decided that David should be relieved of the captaincy for the tournament. This is in the best interests of all the players, the SA U19 team and David himself.""
+CSA confirmed that Teeger remains a part of the squad for the Jan. 19-Feb. 11 event.
+""David will remain an important and active member of the squad and we wish him and the team every success in the tournament.
+""The newly appointed captain will be announced in due course,"" the statement concluded.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]South Africa stand down U19 captain for World Cup over protest fears[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 12 (Reuters) - Hosts South Africa have stripped skipper David Teeger of the captaincy for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup amid fears he could be a target for anti-war protesters, but he will remain part of the squad, officials confirmed on Friday. Teeger was cleared of wrong-doing by an independent inquiry established by Cricket South Africa (CSA) last month following comments he made in support of Israeli soldiers at an awards ceremony in October.  The teenager was recognised at the Jewish Achiever Awards and said: ""I’m now the rising star, but the true rising stars are the young soldiers in Israel. And I’d like to dedicate it to the state of Israel and every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the diaspora."" The comments drew the ire of the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA), who lodged a complaint with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC). Teeger was cleared by the inquiry, but his demotion comes as the South African government has levelled an accusation of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and CSA say they fear keeping the 19-year-old as captain could inflame tensions during the tournament.  ""We have been advised that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament,"" CSA said in a statement on Friday.
+"" We have also been advised that they are likely to focus on the position of the SA Under-19 captain David Teeger, and that there is a risk that they could result in conflict or even violence, including between rival groups of protestors. ""In the circumstances, CSA has decided that David should be relieved of the captaincy for the tournament. This is in the best interests of all the players, the SA U19 team and David himself. ""
+CSA confirmed that Teeger remains a part of the squad for the Jan. 19-Feb. 11 event. ""David will remain an important and active member of the squad and we wish him and the team every success in the tournament.  ""The newly appointed captain will be announced in due course,"" the statement concluded.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/anti-war-activists-new-york-city-washington-protest-us-uk-strikes-yemen-2024-01-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Anti-war activists in New York City, Washington protest U.S., UK strikes in Yemen[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - A few dozen anti-war activists gathered at Times Square in New York City and outside the White House late on Thursday to protest U.S. and British strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen, saying the step threatened to widen the war in Gaza.
+The United States and Britain launched the strikes, opens new tab from the air and sea in response to attacks by Houthis on ships in the Red Sea, which the movement says is a show of support for Palestinians under siege by Israel in Hamas-governed Gaza.
+Protesters at Times Square chanted slogans such as ""hands off the Middle East,"" ""hands off Yemen,"" and ""hands off Gaza.""
+The demonstrators near the White House waved Palestinian flags and carried banners that read ""Free Palestine"" and ""stop bombing Yemen.""
+The strikes in Yemen represent one of the most dramatic demonstrations to date of the widening of the war in Gaza since it erupted in October, although the U.S. and its allies said in a joint statement there was no intent to escalate tensions.
+Iran-backed Houthis, who control most of Yemen, have targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea with drones and missiles, forcing shippers to change course and take longer routes.
+The Gaza conflict followed an attack on Israel on Oct 7 by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which Israel said killed 1,200 people.
+Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed, opens new tab more than 23,000 Palestinians, about 1% of the 2.3 million population there, according to Gaza's health ministry.
+Thursday's protests were organized by, among others, the coalition group ANSWER, an acronym for ""Act Now to Stop War and End Racism.""
+The group considers the strikes in Yemen a ""major escalation"" that could lead to a broad regional war, it said on the social media platform X.
+The Gaza war has led to protests in many parts of the U.S., including near airports, opens new tab and bridges in New York City, opens new tab and Los Angeles, vigils outside the White House, and marches in Washington, opens new tab near the U.S. Capitol.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Anti-war activists in New York City, Washington protest U.S., UK strikes in Yemen[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - A few dozen anti-war activists gathered at Times Square in New York City and outside the White House late on Thursday to protest U.S. and British strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen, saying the step threatened to widen the war in Gaza. The United States and Britain launched the strikes, opens new tab from the air and sea in response to attacks by Houthis on ships in the Red Sea, which the movement says is a show of support for Palestinians under siege by Israel in Hamas-governed Gaza. Protesters at Times Square chanted slogans such as ""hands off the Middle East,"" ""hands off Yemen,"" and ""hands off Gaza.""
+The demonstrators near the White House waved Palestinian flags and carried banners that read ""Free Palestine"" and ""stop bombing Yemen.""  The strikes in Yemen represent one of the most dramatic demonstrations to date of the widening of the war in Gaza since it erupted in October, although the U.S. and its allies said in a joint statement there was no intent to escalate tensions.
+Iran-backed Houthis, who control most of Yemen, have targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea with drones and missiles, forcing shippers to change course and take longer routes.
+The Gaza conflict followed an attack on Israel on Oct 7 by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which Israel said killed 1,200 people.
+Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed, opens new tab more than 23,000 Palestinians, about 1% of the 2.3 million population there, according to Gaza's health ministry.
+Thursday's protests were organized by, among others, the coalition group ANSWER, an acronym for ""Act Now to Stop War and End Racism.""
+The group considers the strikes in Yemen a ""major escalation"" that could lead to a broad regional war, it said on the social media platform X.
+The Gaza war has led to protests in many parts of the U.S., including near airports, opens new tab and bridges in New York City, opens new tab and Los Angeles, vigils outside the White House, and marches in Washington, opens new tab near the U.S. Capitol.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-safrica-face-off-un-top-court-gaza-genocide-case-2024-01-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At ICJ, South Africa accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 11 (Reuters) - South Africa accused Israel on Thursday of carrying out genocide in Gaza and demanded that the U.N.'s top court order an emergency suspension of Israel's devastating military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.
+On the first of two days of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), South Africa said Israel's offensive, which has demolished much of the coastal enclave and killed more than 23,000 people according to Gaza health authorities, aimed to bring about ""the destruction of the population"" of Gaza.
+""The intent to destroy Gaza has been nurtured at the highest level of state,"" Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, advocate of the High Court of South Africa, told the court. He said Israel's political and military leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were among ""the genocidal inciters"".
+""That is evident from the way in which this military attack is being conducted,"" he said.
+Israel rejected the accusations of genocide as false and baseless and said South Africa was speaking on behalf of Hamas - which Pretoria said was untrue.
+Netanyahu said the court had been presented with hypocrisy and lies.
+""Today we saw an upside-down world. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide,"" he said in a statement.
+""Israel is fighting murderous terrorists who carried out crimes against humanity: They slaughtered, they raped, they burned, they dismembered, they beheaded - children, women, elderly, young men and women,"" he said.
+Israel launched its onslaught after a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants in which Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza.
+Israel says it is waging war against Palestinian militants, not the Palestinian people.
+Laying out its allegations of genocidal acts, South Africa also pointed to Israel's sustained bombing campaign and to comments by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who said early in the war that Israel would impose a total blockade as part of a battle against ""human animals"".
+""The evidence of genocidal intent is not only chilling, it is also overwhelming and incontrovertible,"" Ngcukaitobi said.
+The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as ""acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group"".
+EMERGENCY RULING
+Since Israeli forces launched their offensive, nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people in Gaza, one of the world's most densely populated places, have been driven from their homes at least once, causing a humanitarian catastrophe.
+""Every day, there is mounting, irreparable loss of life, property, dignity, and humanity for the Palestinian people,"" said Adila Hassim, advocate of South Africa's high court.
+""Nothing will stop the suffering, except an order from this court.""
+Post-apartheid South Africa has long defended the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when the African National Congress' struggle against white-minority rule was cheered on by Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation.
+South Africa concluded its arguments by requesting emergency measures to stop the war. The court will listen to Israel's response on Friday.
+The court is expected to rule on possible emergency measures later this month but will not rule at that time on the genocide allegations - those proceedings could take years.
+The ICJ's decisions are final and without appeal - but the court has no way to enforce them.
+PRO-PALESTINIAN AND PRO-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATIONS
+In its court filings, South Africa cites Israel's failure to provide food, water, medicine and other essential assistance to Gaza, where Hamas seized power in 2007, two years after Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from the enclave.
+In Gaza, Amer Salah, 23, who is sheltering in a U.N. school in the south after fleeing his home, said he hoped the trial would help pile pressure on Israel.
+""We call upon the world to say enough to Israeli killings, enough to massacres, enough to the destruction of Gaza, enough to the bloodshed,"" he said.
+Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group was following the court proceedings with great interest.
+""Justice is going to be tested today,"" he said. ""We urge the court to reject all pressure and take a decision to criminalise the Israeli occupation and stop the aggression on Gaza.""
+Supporters of both sides held marches and rallies in The Hague.
+Thousands of pro-Israel protesters marched in the city centre, carrying Israeli and Dutch flags and posters with images of people taken hostage by Hamas.
+Gabi Patlis, a native of Tel Aviv who now lives in the Netherlands, said it was painful to hear Israel accused of genocide. ""Especially after 7 October - we were the ones that were attacked,"" he told Reuters at the rally.
+Police ensured the pro-Israel march was kept away from a pro-Palestinian march, in which some carried placards reading ""Free Palestine. Stop genocide"", surrounded by red-and-green coloured smoke symbolising the Palestinian flag.
+""What I hope is that they (the court) can achieve what has not been able to achieve until now, which is a permanent ceasefire, a safety corridor for humanitarian help so that the death toll doesn't go up even further,"" said Sara Galli, a pro-Palestinian demonstrator.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]At ICJ , South Africa accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 11 (Reuters) - South Africa accused Israel on Thursday of carrying out genocide in Gaza and demanded that the U.N.'s top court order an emergency suspension of Israel's devastating military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.  On the first of two days of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), South Africa said Israel's offensive, which has demolished much of the coastal enclave and killed more than 23,000 people according to Gaza health authorities, aimed to bring about ""the destruction of the population"" of Gaza.
+""The intent to destroy Gaza has been nurtured at the highest level of state,"" Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, advocate of the High Court of South Africa, told the court. He said Israel's political and military leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were among ""the genocidal inciters"". ""That is evident from the way in which this military attack is being conducted,"" he said.  Israel rejected the accusations of genocide as false and baseless and said South Africa was speaking on behalf of Hamas - which Pretoria said was untrue. Netanyahu said the court had been presented with hypocrisy and lies. ""Today we saw an upside-down world. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide,"" he said in a statement. ""Israel is fighting murderous terrorists who carried out crimes against humanity: They slaughtered, they raped, they burned, they dismembered, they beheaded - children, women, elderly, young men and women,"" he said. Israel launched its onslaught after a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants in which Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza. Israel says it is waging war against Palestinian militants, not the Palestinian people. Laying out its allegations of genocidal acts, South Africa also pointed to Israel's sustained bombing campaign and to comments by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who said early in the war that Israel would impose a total blockade as part of a battle against ""human animals"". ""The evidence of genocidal intent is not only chilling, it is also overwhelming and incontrovertible,"" Ngcukaitobi said. The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as ""acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group"". EMERGENCY RULING"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-safrica-face-off-un-top-court-gaza-genocide-case-2024-01-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At ICJ, South Africa accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 11 (Reuters) - South Africa accused Israel on Thursday of carrying out genocide in Gaza and demanded that the U.N.'s top court order an emergency suspension of Israel's devastating military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.
+On the first of two days of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), South Africa said Israel's offensive, which has demolished much of the coastal enclave and killed more than 23,000 people according to Gaza health authorities, aimed to bring about ""the destruction of the population"" of Gaza.
+""The intent to destroy Gaza has been nurtured at the highest level of state,"" Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, advocate of the High Court of South Africa, told the court. He said Israel's political and military leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were among ""the genocidal inciters"".
+""That is evident from the way in which this military attack is being conducted,"" he said.
+Israel rejected the accusations of genocide as false and baseless and said South Africa was speaking on behalf of Hamas - which Pretoria said was untrue.
+Netanyahu said the court had been presented with hypocrisy and lies.
+""Today we saw an upside-down world. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide,"" he said in a statement.
+""Israel is fighting murderous terrorists who carried out crimes against humanity: They slaughtered, they raped, they burned, they dismembered, they beheaded - children, women, elderly, young men and women,"" he said.
+Israel launched its onslaught after a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants in which Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza.
+Israel says it is waging war against Palestinian militants, not the Palestinian people.
+Laying out its allegations of genocidal acts, South Africa also pointed to Israel's sustained bombing campaign and to comments by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who said early in the war that Israel would impose a total blockade as part of a battle against ""human animals"".
+""The evidence of genocidal intent is not only chilling, it is also overwhelming and incontrovertible,"" Ngcukaitobi said.
+The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as ""acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group"".
+EMERGENCY RULING
+Since Israeli forces launched their offensive, nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people in Gaza, one of the world's most densely populated places, have been driven from their homes at least once, causing a humanitarian catastrophe.
+""Every day, there is mounting, irreparable loss of life, property, dignity, and humanity for the Palestinian people,"" said Adila Hassim, advocate of South Africa's high court.
+""Nothing will stop the suffering, except an order from this court.""
+Post-apartheid South Africa has long defended the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when the African National Congress' struggle against white-minority rule was cheered on by Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation.
+South Africa concluded its arguments by requesting emergency measures to stop the war. The court will listen to Israel's response on Friday.
+The court is expected to rule on possible emergency measures later this month but will not rule at that time on the genocide allegations - those proceedings could take years.
+The ICJ's decisions are final and without appeal - but the court has no way to enforce them.
+PRO-PALESTINIAN AND PRO-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATIONS
+In its court filings, South Africa cites Israel's failure to provide food, water, medicine and other essential assistance to Gaza, where Hamas seized power in 2007, two years after Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from the enclave.
+In Gaza, Amer Salah, 23, who is sheltering in a U.N. school in the south after fleeing his home, said he hoped the trial would help pile pressure on Israel.
+""We call upon the world to say enough to Israeli killings, enough to massacres, enough to the destruction of Gaza, enough to the bloodshed,"" he said.
+Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group was following the court proceedings with great interest.
+""Justice is going to be tested today,"" he said. ""We urge the court to reject all pressure and take a decision to criminalise the Israeli occupation and stop the aggression on Gaza.""
+Supporters of both sides held marches and rallies in The Hague.
+Thousands of pro-Israel protesters marched in the city centre, carrying Israeli and Dutch flags and posters with images of people taken hostage by Hamas.
+Gabi Patlis, a native of Tel Aviv who now lives in the Netherlands, said it was painful to hear Israel accused of genocide. ""Especially after 7 October - we were the ones that were attacked,"" he told Reuters at the rally.
+Police ensured the pro-Israel march was kept away from a pro-Palestinian march, in which some carried placards reading ""Free Palestine. Stop genocide"", surrounded by red-and-green coloured smoke symbolising the Palestinian flag.
+""What I hope is that they (the court) can achieve what has not been able to achieve until now, which is a permanent ceasefire, a safety corridor for humanitarian help so that the death toll doesn't go up even further,"" said Sara Galli, a pro-Palestinian demonstrator.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Since Israeli forces launched their offensive, nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people in Gaza, one of the world's most densely populated places, have been driven from their homes at least once, causing a humanitarian catastrophe. ""Every day, there is mounting, irreparable loss of life, property, dignity, and humanity for the Palestinian people,"" said Adila Hassim, advocate of South Africa's high court.
+""Nothing will stop the suffering, except an order from this court.""  Post-apartheid South Africa has long defended the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when the African National Congress' struggle against white-minority rule was cheered on by Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation.  South Africa concluded its arguments by requesting emergency measures to stop the war. The court will listen to Israel's response on Friday. The court is expected to rule on possible emergency measures later this month but will not rule at that time on the genocide allegations - those proceedings could take years. The ICJ's decisions are final and without appeal - but the court has no way to enforce them. PRO-PALESTINIAN AND PRO-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATIONS  In its court filings, South Africa cites Israel's failure to provide food, water, medicine and other essential assistance to Gaza, where Hamas seized power in 2007, two years after Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from the enclave.  In Gaza, Amer Salah, 23, who is sheltering in a U.N. school in the south after fleeing his home, said he hoped the trial would help pile pressure on Israel.
+"" We call upon the world to say enough to Israeli killings, enough to massacres, enough to the destruction of Gaza, enough to the bloodshed,"" he said. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group was following the court proceedings with great interest.  ""Justice is going to be tested today,"" he said. ""We urge the court to reject all pressure and take a decision to criminalise the Israeli occupation and stop the aggression on Gaza.""  Supporters of both sides held marches and rallies in The Hague. Thousands of pro-Israel protesters marched in the city centre, carrying Israeli and Dutch flags and posters with images of people taken hostage by Hamas. Gabi Patlis, a native of Tel Aviv who now lives in the Netherlands, said it was painful to hear Israel accused of genocide. ""Especially after 7 October - we were the ones that were attacked,"" he told Reuters at the rally."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-safrica-face-off-un-top-court-gaza-genocide-case-2024-01-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At ICJ, South Africa accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 11 (Reuters) - South Africa accused Israel on Thursday of carrying out genocide in Gaza and demanded that the U.N.'s top court order an emergency suspension of Israel's devastating military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.
+On the first of two days of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), South Africa said Israel's offensive, which has demolished much of the coastal enclave and killed more than 23,000 people according to Gaza health authorities, aimed to bring about ""the destruction of the population"" of Gaza.
+""The intent to destroy Gaza has been nurtured at the highest level of state,"" Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, advocate of the High Court of South Africa, told the court. He said Israel's political and military leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were among ""the genocidal inciters"".
+""That is evident from the way in which this military attack is being conducted,"" he said.
+Israel rejected the accusations of genocide as false and baseless and said South Africa was speaking on behalf of Hamas - which Pretoria said was untrue.
+Netanyahu said the court had been presented with hypocrisy and lies.
+""Today we saw an upside-down world. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide,"" he said in a statement.
+""Israel is fighting murderous terrorists who carried out crimes against humanity: They slaughtered, they raped, they burned, they dismembered, they beheaded - children, women, elderly, young men and women,"" he said.
+Israel launched its onslaught after a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants in which Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza.
+Israel says it is waging war against Palestinian militants, not the Palestinian people.
+Laying out its allegations of genocidal acts, South Africa also pointed to Israel's sustained bombing campaign and to comments by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who said early in the war that Israel would impose a total blockade as part of a battle against ""human animals"".
+""The evidence of genocidal intent is not only chilling, it is also overwhelming and incontrovertible,"" Ngcukaitobi said.
+The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as ""acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group"".
+EMERGENCY RULING
+Since Israeli forces launched their offensive, nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people in Gaza, one of the world's most densely populated places, have been driven from their homes at least once, causing a humanitarian catastrophe.
+""Every day, there is mounting, irreparable loss of life, property, dignity, and humanity for the Palestinian people,"" said Adila Hassim, advocate of South Africa's high court.
+""Nothing will stop the suffering, except an order from this court.""
+Post-apartheid South Africa has long defended the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when the African National Congress' struggle against white-minority rule was cheered on by Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation.
+South Africa concluded its arguments by requesting emergency measures to stop the war. The court will listen to Israel's response on Friday.
+The court is expected to rule on possible emergency measures later this month but will not rule at that time on the genocide allegations - those proceedings could take years.
+The ICJ's decisions are final and without appeal - but the court has no way to enforce them.
+PRO-PALESTINIAN AND PRO-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATIONS
+In its court filings, South Africa cites Israel's failure to provide food, water, medicine and other essential assistance to Gaza, where Hamas seized power in 2007, two years after Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from the enclave.
+In Gaza, Amer Salah, 23, who is sheltering in a U.N. school in the south after fleeing his home, said he hoped the trial would help pile pressure on Israel.
+""We call upon the world to say enough to Israeli killings, enough to massacres, enough to the destruction of Gaza, enough to the bloodshed,"" he said.
+Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group was following the court proceedings with great interest.
+""Justice is going to be tested today,"" he said. ""We urge the court to reject all pressure and take a decision to criminalise the Israeli occupation and stop the aggression on Gaza.""
+Supporters of both sides held marches and rallies in The Hague.
+Thousands of pro-Israel protesters marched in the city centre, carrying Israeli and Dutch flags and posters with images of people taken hostage by Hamas.
+Gabi Patlis, a native of Tel Aviv who now lives in the Netherlands, said it was painful to hear Israel accused of genocide. ""Especially after 7 October - we were the ones that were attacked,"" he told Reuters at the rally.
+Police ensured the pro-Israel march was kept away from a pro-Palestinian march, in which some carried placards reading ""Free Palestine. Stop genocide"", surrounded by red-and-green coloured smoke symbolising the Palestinian flag.
+""What I hope is that they (the court) can achieve what has not been able to achieve until now, which is a permanent ceasefire, a safety corridor for humanitarian help so that the death toll doesn't go up even further,"" said Sara Galli, a pro-Palestinian demonstrator.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Police ensured the pro-Israel march was kept away from a pro-Palestinian march, in which some carried placards reading ""Free Palestine. Stop genocide"", surrounded by red-and-green coloured smoke symbolising the Palestinian flag.  ""What I hope is that they (the court) can achieve what has not been able to achieve until now, which is a permanent ceasefire, a safety corridor for humanitarian help so that the death toll doesn't go up even further,"" said Sara Galli, a pro-Palestinian demonstrator.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/with-gaza-their-hearts-palestinian-squad-seek-first-win-asian-cup-2024-01-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]With Gaza in their hearts, Palestinian squad seek first win at Asian Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The Palestinian squad at the Asian Cup in Qatar hope to bring honour to their compatriots in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip with their first victory at the tournament since the team's debut in 2015.
+Israel has killed more than 23,000 people in its more than three-month-old offensive, according to Palestinian health authorities in the Hamas-ruled enclave.
+""For us, the message we are here to deliver through football is to qualify for the second round because Palestine and its people want to live. This is what we can offer,"" midfielder Oday Kharoub told Reuters on Thursday.
+The 26-member squad play Asian powerhouse Iran on Sunday followed by the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, hoping to advance to the knockout stage.
+Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants in which Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza.
+Kharoub said it has been difficult for players, especially those with families in Gaza, to focus on training when their eyes are glued to the news between sessions, keenly following what is happening back home.
+""Our hearts are with them and we can only pray for them,"" Kharoub said. ""Inshallah, we can make them happy, even if it's just a little bit, by qualifying for the next round. This is our ambition.""
+Defender Mousa Farawi said they have steeled themselves to play in high spirits despite the situation in Gaza.
+""The group we have is really special, so we hope for God to give us good fortune and give each player the bravery to deliver on a high level. I see Palestine in the second round, God willing.""
+Defender Yaser Hamed said: ""The whole team is motivated with what's happening in Palestine, it's a difficult time for all families. But we're professional players, we should keep it up the same way as we've been working in the last few weeks.""
+Israel were once Asian Cup champions when they hosted the tournament in 1964. But amid political tension and boycotts by Middle East nations, Israel made the switch to European confederation UEFA in 1994.
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]With Gaza in their hearts, Palestinian squad seek first win at Asian Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The Palestinian squad at the Asian Cup in Qatar hope to bring honour to their compatriots in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip with their first victory at the tournament since the team's debut in 2015. Israel has killed more than 23,000 people in its more than three-month-old offensive, according to Palestinian health authorities in the Hamas-ruled enclave. ""For us, the message we are here to deliver through football is to qualify for the second round because Palestine and its people want to live. This is what we can offer,"" midfielder Oday Kharoub told Reuters on Thursday. The 26-member squad play Asian powerhouse Iran on Sunday followed by the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, hoping to advance to the knockout stage.
+Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants in which Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza. Kharoub said it has been difficult for players, especially those with families in Gaza, to focus on training when their eyes are glued to the news between sessions, keenly following what is happening back home.  ""Our hearts are with them and we can only pray for them,"" Kharoub said. ""Inshallah, we can make them happy, even if it's just a little bit, by qualifying for the next round. This is our ambition.""  Defender Mousa Farawi said they have steeled themselves to play in high spirits despite the situation in Gaza.
+"" The group we have is really special, so we hope for God to give us good fortune and give each player the bravery to deliver on a high level. I see Palestine in the second round, God willing.""  Defender Yaser Hamed said: ""The whole team is motivated with what's happening in Palestine, it's a difficult time for all families. But we're professional players, we should keep it up the same way as we've been working in the last few weeks.""  Israel were once Asian Cup champions when they hosted the tournament in 1964. But amid political tension and boycotts by Middle East nations, Israel made the switch to European confederation UEFA in 1994. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/reaction-south-africas-un-court-case-against-israels-war-gaza-2024-01-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Reaction to South Africa's UN court case against Israel's war in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 11 (Reuters) - South Africa accused Israel on Thursday of subjecting Palestinians to genocidal acts at the opening of hearings at the top U.N. court on a case the country brought against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Israel says the case is baseless.
+The following are reactions to the proceedings that began at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
+PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT ISSUED IN RAMALLAH IN THE ISRAELI-OCCUPIED WEST BANK
+""South Africa's case before the International Court of Justice... is a historic event in the process of the joint Palestinian and South African struggle in the face of the injustice and genocide.
+""Holding Israel, the illegal occupying power, accountable, using all legal tools, and through international justice institutions and international law enforcement, is the main focus of the legal strategy of the State of Palestine, and the core of the diplomatic and international movement.
+""...What encouraged Israel and its various tools, including government officials, military personnel, and colonialists, to commit crimes, leading to the commission of, and incitement to commit, the crime of genocide, is due to international failure, the failure to take practical steps to hold it accountable..., and supplying Israel with various types of lethal weapons and political support...""
+GAZA'S RULING HAMAS GROUP
+Political official Basem Naim: ""We welcome the convening of the (case)...on the accusation of ethnic cleansing and genocide. We are looking forward to seeing a decision by the court that would achieve justice for the (Palestinian) victims, end the aggression on Gaza, and hold the war criminals accountable.""
+Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri: ""The Palestinian people are following the court session in The Hague with great concern and interest ... We urge the court to reject all pressure and take a decision to criminalise the Israeli occupation and stop the aggression on Gaza.""
+U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN
+""The U.S. believes South Africa's genocide submission against Israel distracts the world from important efforts for peace and security.""
+ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY
+""Today we witnessed one of the greatest shows of hypocrisy in history and a series of baseless and false claims. South Africa...(is) ignoring the fact that Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, murdered, executed, massacred, raped and kidnapped Israeli citizens, just because they were Israelis, in an attempt to carry out genocide.
+""...South African lawyers also ignore the fact that Hamas uses the civilian population in Gaza as human shields and operates from hospitals, schools, U.N. shelters, mosques and churches with the intention of endangering the lives of the residents of the Gaza Strip.""
+""The state of Israel will continue to...work for the release of all abductees and the elimination of ...Hamas, a racist and antisemitic terrorist organization that calls in its art for the destruction of the state of Israel and the murder of Jews.""
+SOUTH AFRICAN JEWISH BOARD OF DEPUTIES
+""South Africa’s double-speak and double-standards is also evident with dogged determination to remain neutral and `talk to both' sides in the Russia-Ukraine war. Yet, with Israel it has taken constant punitive action, including refusing to offer condolences to Israel after the 7 October massacre, closing the South African embassy, issuing a demarche to the Israeli ambassador and now taking Israel to the ICJ.
+""The SA Jewish Board of Deputies regrets all loss of civilian lives. We too, desperately want to see peace in the region and will support all initiatives that will bring about a two-state solution.
+""Hamas started this war. Hamas can end it. South Africa could play a role in facilitating this.""
+AMER SALAH, 23, A DISPLACED PALESTINIAN IN GAZA
+""Israel has always been a state above the law. They did what they did in Gaza because they knew they couldn't be punished as long as America was on their side. It is time to change that.
+""We salute South Africa, and we want the war to be stopped and the court can do that. We call upon the world to say enough to Israeli killings, enough to massacres, enough to the destruction of Gaza, enough to the bloodshed.""
+GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANNALENA BAERBOCK
+""It is a fact that genocide preconditions the intention, to destroy or partly destroy a group because of their nationality, ethnicity, race or religion. I cannot detect any of this intention by Israel in its self-defence against an armed terror group Hamas. We will observe the hearing closely.""
+SOUTH AFRICA'S NELSON MANDELA FOUNDATION
+""The Nelson Mandela Foundation extends support to the South African legal team as they appear before the International Court of Justice today. Wishing them strength and success in their pursuit of truth, justice and peace. #CeasefireNow.""
+LEBANON'S FOREIGN MINISTRY
+(""We hope for a) fair and expeditious verdict that reflects respect for human values and rights, especially international humanitarian law."" ‎‎ ‎‎[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Reaction to South Africa's UN court case against Israel's war in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 11 (Reuters) - South Africa accused Israel on Thursday of subjecting Palestinians to genocidal acts at the opening of hearings at the top U.N. court on a case the country brought against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Israel says the case is baseless. The following are reactions to the proceedings that began at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT ISSUED IN RAMALLAH IN THE ISRAELI-OCCUPIED WEST BANK
+"" South Africa's case before the International Court of Justice... is a historic event in the process of the joint Palestinian and South African struggle in the face of the injustice and genocide.  ""Holding Israel, the illegal occupying power, accountable, using all legal tools, and through international justice institutions and international law enforcement, is the main focus of the legal strategy of the State of Palestine, and the core of the diplomatic and international movement.
+"" ...What encouraged Israel and its various tools, including government officials, military personnel, and colonialists, to commit crimes, leading to the commission of, and incitement to commit, the crime of genocide, is due to international failure, the failure to take practical steps to hold it accountable..., and supplying Israel with various types of lethal weapons and political support... ""
+GAZA'S RULING HAMAS GROUP
+Political official Basem Naim: ""We welcome the convening of the (case)...on the accusation of ethnic cleansing and genocide. We are looking forward to seeing a decision by the court that would achieve justice for the (Palestinian) victims, end the aggression on Gaza, and hold the war criminals accountable."" Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri: ""The Palestinian people are following the court session in The Hague with great concern and interest ... We urge the court to reject all pressure and take a decision to criminalise the Israeli occupation and stop the aggression on Gaza. "" U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN
+"" The U.S. believes South Africa's genocide submission against Israel distracts the world from important efforts for peace and security."" ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY
+"" Today we witnessed one of the greatest shows of hypocrisy in history and a series of baseless and false claims. South Africa...(is) ignoring the fact that Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, murdered, executed, massacred, raped and kidnapped Israeli citizens, just because they were Israelis, in an attempt to carry out genocide.
+"""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/reaction-south-africas-un-court-case-against-israels-war-gaza-2024-01-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Reaction to South Africa's UN court case against Israel's war in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Jan 11 (Reuters) - South Africa accused Israel on Thursday of subjecting Palestinians to genocidal acts at the opening of hearings at the top U.N. court on a case the country brought against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Israel says the case is baseless.
+The following are reactions to the proceedings that began at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
+PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT ISSUED IN RAMALLAH IN THE ISRAELI-OCCUPIED WEST BANK
+""South Africa's case before the International Court of Justice... is a historic event in the process of the joint Palestinian and South African struggle in the face of the injustice and genocide.
+""Holding Israel, the illegal occupying power, accountable, using all legal tools, and through international justice institutions and international law enforcement, is the main focus of the legal strategy of the State of Palestine, and the core of the diplomatic and international movement.
+""...What encouraged Israel and its various tools, including government officials, military personnel, and colonialists, to commit crimes, leading to the commission of, and incitement to commit, the crime of genocide, is due to international failure, the failure to take practical steps to hold it accountable..., and supplying Israel with various types of lethal weapons and political support...""
+GAZA'S RULING HAMAS GROUP
+Political official Basem Naim: ""We welcome the convening of the (case)...on the accusation of ethnic cleansing and genocide. We are looking forward to seeing a decision by the court that would achieve justice for the (Palestinian) victims, end the aggression on Gaza, and hold the war criminals accountable.""
+Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri: ""The Palestinian people are following the court session in The Hague with great concern and interest ... We urge the court to reject all pressure and take a decision to criminalise the Israeli occupation and stop the aggression on Gaza.""
+U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN
+""The U.S. believes South Africa's genocide submission against Israel distracts the world from important efforts for peace and security.""
+ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY
+""Today we witnessed one of the greatest shows of hypocrisy in history and a series of baseless and false claims. South Africa...(is) ignoring the fact that Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, murdered, executed, massacred, raped and kidnapped Israeli citizens, just because they were Israelis, in an attempt to carry out genocide.
+""...South African lawyers also ignore the fact that Hamas uses the civilian population in Gaza as human shields and operates from hospitals, schools, U.N. shelters, mosques and churches with the intention of endangering the lives of the residents of the Gaza Strip.""
+""The state of Israel will continue to...work for the release of all abductees and the elimination of ...Hamas, a racist and antisemitic terrorist organization that calls in its art for the destruction of the state of Israel and the murder of Jews.""
+SOUTH AFRICAN JEWISH BOARD OF DEPUTIES
+""South Africa’s double-speak and double-standards is also evident with dogged determination to remain neutral and `talk to both' sides in the Russia-Ukraine war. Yet, with Israel it has taken constant punitive action, including refusing to offer condolences to Israel after the 7 October massacre, closing the South African embassy, issuing a demarche to the Israeli ambassador and now taking Israel to the ICJ.
+""The SA Jewish Board of Deputies regrets all loss of civilian lives. We too, desperately want to see peace in the region and will support all initiatives that will bring about a two-state solution.
+""Hamas started this war. Hamas can end it. South Africa could play a role in facilitating this.""
+AMER SALAH, 23, A DISPLACED PALESTINIAN IN GAZA
+""Israel has always been a state above the law. They did what they did in Gaza because they knew they couldn't be punished as long as America was on their side. It is time to change that.
+""We salute South Africa, and we want the war to be stopped and the court can do that. We call upon the world to say enough to Israeli killings, enough to massacres, enough to the destruction of Gaza, enough to the bloodshed.""
+GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANNALENA BAERBOCK
+""It is a fact that genocide preconditions the intention, to destroy or partly destroy a group because of their nationality, ethnicity, race or religion. I cannot detect any of this intention by Israel in its self-defence against an armed terror group Hamas. We will observe the hearing closely.""
+SOUTH AFRICA'S NELSON MANDELA FOUNDATION
+""The Nelson Mandela Foundation extends support to the South African legal team as they appear before the International Court of Justice today. Wishing them strength and success in their pursuit of truth, justice and peace. #CeasefireNow.""
+LEBANON'S FOREIGN MINISTRY
+(""We hope for a) fair and expeditious verdict that reflects respect for human values and rights, especially international humanitarian law."" ‎‎ ‎‎[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","...South African lawyers also ignore the fact that Hamas uses the civilian population in Gaza as human shields and operates from hospitals, schools, U.N. shelters, mosques and churches with the intention of endangering the lives of the residents of the Gaza Strip. ""  ""The state of Israel will continue to...work for the release of all abductees and the elimination of ...Hamas, a racist and antisemitic terrorist organization that calls in its art for the destruction of the state of Israel and the murder of Jews. "" SOUTH AFRICAN JEWISH BOARD OF DEPUTIES
+"" South Africa’s double-speak and double-standards is also evident with dogged determination to remain neutral and `talk to both' sides in the Russia-Ukraine war. Yet, with Israel it has taken constant punitive action, including refusing to offer condolences to Israel after the 7 October massacre, closing the South African embassy, issuing a demarche to the Israeli ambassador and now taking Israel to the ICJ.  ""The SA Jewish Board of Deputies regrets all loss of civilian lives. We too, desperately want to see peace in the region and will support all initiatives that will bring about a two-state solution.
+"" Hamas started this war. Hamas can end it. South Africa could play a role in facilitating this. "" AMER SALAH, 23, A DISPLACED PALESTINIAN IN GAZA
+"" Israel has always been a state above the law. They did what they did in Gaza because they knew they couldn't be punished as long as America was on their side. It is time to change that.  ""We salute South Africa, and we want the war to be stopped and the court can do that. We call upon the world to say enough to Israeli killings, enough to massacres, enough to the destruction of Gaza, enough to the bloodshed."" GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANNALENA BAERBOCK  ""It is a fact that genocide preconditions the intention, to destroy or partly destroy a group because of their nationality, ethnicity, race or religion. I cannot detect any of this intention by Israel in its self-defence against an armed terror group Hamas. We will observe the hearing closely. "" SOUTH AFRICA'S NELSON MANDELA FOUNDATION
+"" The Nelson Mandela Foundation extends support to the South African legal team as they appear before the International Court of Justice today. Wishing them strength and success in their pursuit of truth, justice and peace. #CeasefireNow. ""
+LEBANON'S FOREIGN MINISTRY
+(""We hope for a) fair and expeditious verdict that reflects respect for human values and rights, especially international humanitarian law."" ‎‎ ‎‎[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-proclaims-targeted-phase-war-gazans-find-little-change-2024-01-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]As Israel proclaims 'targeted' phase of war, Gazans find little change[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Palestinians see little respite from Israeli bombardment that has shattered Gaza despite Israel's announcement of a new ""more targeted"" phase of its war and the top U.S. diplomat's renewed push for protection of civilians during a visit.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had said on Thursday that the military ""will transition to a new combat approach"" with a less intensive air campaign, after saying earlier it would start pulling some troops out of the Gaza Strip.
+However, families continue to rush into Gaza's hospitals each morning, carrying relatives injured during overnight bombardment, and finding crammed, sometimes bloodstained wards and corridors. Rescue workers arrive to offload corpses pulled from pancaked buildings.
+""Any moving thing is targeted in Palestine, and in Gaza especially,"" Shehada Tabash said as he arrived at the European Hospital in Khan Younis after losing his niece and cousin to an air strike.
+Health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza said early on Tuesday that 126 people were killed over the previous 24 hours, bringing the toll since Oct. 7 to 23,210, with thousands more bodies feared still lying, uncounted, under the rubble.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was an ""absolute imperative"" for Israel to do more to protect civilians before he arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, part of a regional tour.
+In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken ""stressed the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza"", State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
+But for many Gazans, most of whom are now homeless after three months of bombing that has smashed apartment blocks, schools, hospital buildings and even graveyards, those words ring hollow.
+""We are being bombed by American(-made) planes, blown up by American weapons so let Blinken stop this nonsense,"" said Shaban Abad, 45, an IT specialist from Gaza City who was displaced first to Khan Younis and then to Rafah with his five children.
+""Since he arrived in the region the bombing in Gaza, in Rafah, which is supposed to be a safe place, has not stopped. Doesn't he see it?"" Abad added.
+Israel's stated objective is to destroy Hamas, which killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized 240 hostages when its fighters rampaged across the border on Oct. 7, triggering the war.
+However, while much of the tiny, densely populated coastal enclave has been pummelled to rubble, the Islamist militant group is still fighting and its top leaders remain at large.
+Israel's military, which says Palestinian civilians should not try returning to their homes in the north of Gaza, where it began its offensive in October, has meanwhile expanded its operations in Khan Younis in the south, it said on Tuesday.
+'WE DON'T SEE ANY GLIMMER OF HOPE'
+After Israel ordered all civilians to leave northern Gaza, many took refuge in the south, though it continued to shell that area too. Its ground troops have since invaded the south, pushing displaced Palestinians into ever more crowded shanties on the enclave's southern edge bordering Egypt.
+In Khan Younis, 8-year-old Abdel Jaber Mohammed al-Farra said he and his father and younger brother had fled their home with nothing, fired upon by Israeli forces as they sought shelter at the European Hospital.
+""We heard the sound of tanks in the street. We ran. We saw forces on foot. We hid behind a wall. The soldier started firing at the wall. We left with nothing,"" he said.
+The Farra family is joining a huge mass of displaced people unable to return home, entirely reliant on inadequate aid supplies and seeing no end to the war.
+At a makeshift camp near the hospital where the Farra family is now looking for shelter, Youssef Salem Hijazi said his family's house in the north had been destroyed. Even so, they want to go back there to put up a tent in the rubble and start piecing their life back together, he said.
+Blinken's comments urging Israel to ease its offensive and allow civilians to go back home were welcome, Hijazi said. ""But we hear his words in vain. We see nothing. We follow the news but see nothing to build any hope on in reality. We don't see any glimmer of home.""
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]As Israel proclaims 'targeted' phase of war, Gazans find little change[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Palestinians see little respite from Israeli bombardment that has shattered Gaza despite Israel's announcement of a new ""more targeted"" phase of its war and the top U.S. diplomat's renewed push for protection of civilians during a visit. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had said on Thursday that the military ""will transition to a new combat approach"" with a less intensive air campaign, after saying earlier it would start pulling some troops out of the Gaza Strip.
+However, families continue to rush into Gaza's hospitals each morning, carrying relatives injured during overnight bombardment, and finding crammed, sometimes bloodstained wards and corridors. Rescue workers arrive to offload corpses pulled from pancaked buildings. ""Any moving thing is targeted in Palestine, and in Gaza especially,"" Shehada Tabash said as he arrived at the European Hospital in Khan Younis after losing his niece and cousin to an air strike. Health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza said early on Tuesday that 126 people were killed over the previous 24 hours, bringing the toll since Oct. 7 to 23,210, with thousands more bodies feared still lying, uncounted, under the rubble. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was an ""absolute imperative"" for Israel to do more to protect civilians before he arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, part of a regional tour. In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken ""stressed the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza"", State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. But for many Gazans, most of whom are now homeless after three months of bombing that has smashed apartment blocks, schools, hospital buildings and even graveyards, those words ring hollow. ""We are being bombed by American(-made) planes, blown up by American weapons so let Blinken stop this nonsense,"" said Shaban Abad, 45, an IT specialist from Gaza City who was displaced first to Khan Younis and then to Rafah with his five children. ""Since he arrived in the region the bombing in Gaza, in Rafah, which is supposed to be a safe place, has not stopped. Doesn't he see it?"" Abad added. Israel's stated objective is to destroy Hamas, which killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized 240 hostages when its fighters rampaged across the border on Oct. 7, triggering the war."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-proclaims-targeted-phase-war-gazans-find-little-change-2024-01-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]As Israel proclaims 'targeted' phase of war, Gazans find little change[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Palestinians see little respite from Israeli bombardment that has shattered Gaza despite Israel's announcement of a new ""more targeted"" phase of its war and the top U.S. diplomat's renewed push for protection of civilians during a visit.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had said on Thursday that the military ""will transition to a new combat approach"" with a less intensive air campaign, after saying earlier it would start pulling some troops out of the Gaza Strip.
+However, families continue to rush into Gaza's hospitals each morning, carrying relatives injured during overnight bombardment, and finding crammed, sometimes bloodstained wards and corridors. Rescue workers arrive to offload corpses pulled from pancaked buildings.
+""Any moving thing is targeted in Palestine, and in Gaza especially,"" Shehada Tabash said as he arrived at the European Hospital in Khan Younis after losing his niece and cousin to an air strike.
+Health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza said early on Tuesday that 126 people were killed over the previous 24 hours, bringing the toll since Oct. 7 to 23,210, with thousands more bodies feared still lying, uncounted, under the rubble.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was an ""absolute imperative"" for Israel to do more to protect civilians before he arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, part of a regional tour.
+In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken ""stressed the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza"", State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
+But for many Gazans, most of whom are now homeless after three months of bombing that has smashed apartment blocks, schools, hospital buildings and even graveyards, those words ring hollow.
+""We are being bombed by American(-made) planes, blown up by American weapons so let Blinken stop this nonsense,"" said Shaban Abad, 45, an IT specialist from Gaza City who was displaced first to Khan Younis and then to Rafah with his five children.
+""Since he arrived in the region the bombing in Gaza, in Rafah, which is supposed to be a safe place, has not stopped. Doesn't he see it?"" Abad added.
+Israel's stated objective is to destroy Hamas, which killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized 240 hostages when its fighters rampaged across the border on Oct. 7, triggering the war.
+However, while much of the tiny, densely populated coastal enclave has been pummelled to rubble, the Islamist militant group is still fighting and its top leaders remain at large.
+Israel's military, which says Palestinian civilians should not try returning to their homes in the north of Gaza, where it began its offensive in October, has meanwhile expanded its operations in Khan Younis in the south, it said on Tuesday.
+'WE DON'T SEE ANY GLIMMER OF HOPE'
+After Israel ordered all civilians to leave northern Gaza, many took refuge in the south, though it continued to shell that area too. Its ground troops have since invaded the south, pushing displaced Palestinians into ever more crowded shanties on the enclave's southern edge bordering Egypt.
+In Khan Younis, 8-year-old Abdel Jaber Mohammed al-Farra said he and his father and younger brother had fled their home with nothing, fired upon by Israeli forces as they sought shelter at the European Hospital.
+""We heard the sound of tanks in the street. We ran. We saw forces on foot. We hid behind a wall. The soldier started firing at the wall. We left with nothing,"" he said.
+The Farra family is joining a huge mass of displaced people unable to return home, entirely reliant on inadequate aid supplies and seeing no end to the war.
+At a makeshift camp near the hospital where the Farra family is now looking for shelter, Youssef Salem Hijazi said his family's house in the north had been destroyed. Even so, they want to go back there to put up a tent in the rubble and start piecing their life back together, he said.
+Blinken's comments urging Israel to ease its offensive and allow civilians to go back home were welcome, Hijazi said. ""But we hear his words in vain. We see nothing. We follow the news but see nothing to build any hope on in reality. We don't see any glimmer of home.""
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","However, while much of the tiny, densely populated coastal enclave has been pummelled to rubble, the Islamist militant group is still fighting and its top leaders remain at large. Israel's military, which says Palestinian civilians should not try returning to their homes in the north of Gaza, where it began its offensive in October, has meanwhile expanded its operations in Khan Younis in the south, it said on Tuesday.
+'WE DON'T SEE ANY GLIMMER OF HOPE'  After Israel ordered all civilians to leave northern Gaza, many took refuge in the south, though it continued to shell that area too. Its ground troops have since invaded the south, pushing displaced Palestinians into ever more crowded shanties on the enclave's southern edge bordering Egypt. In Khan Younis, 8-year-old Abdel Jaber Mohammed al-Farra said he and his father and younger brother had fled their home with nothing, fired upon by Israeli forces as they sought shelter at the European Hospital.  ""We heard the sound of tanks in the street. We ran. We saw forces on foot. We hid behind a wall. The soldier started firing at the wall. We left with nothing,"" he said. The Farra family is joining a huge mass of displaced people unable to return home, entirely reliant on inadequate aid supplies and seeing no end to the war.  At a makeshift camp near the hospital where the Farra family is now looking for shelter, Youssef Salem Hijazi said his family's house in the north had been destroyed. Even so, they want to go back there to put up a tent in the rubble and start piecing their life back together, he said.  Blinken's comments urging Israel to ease its offensive and allow civilians to go back home were welcome, Hijazi said. ""But we hear his words in vain. We see nothing. We follow the news but see nothing to build any hope on in reality. We don't see any glimmer of home.""  [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blinken-presses-arab-states-discuss-future-gaza-2024-01-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. opposes displacement of Palestinians, Blinken says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN/DOHA, Jan 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Arab leaders on Sunday that Washington opposes the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the occupied West Bank, as he looked to kickstart talks on Gaza's post-war future.
+Jordan's King Abdullah had raised his country's concerns over displacement with Blinken during their meeting in Amman, according to a palace statement, as Israel pushes on with its military campaign that has turned much of Gaza to rubble and left its 2.3 million residents on the verge of starvation, according to aid workers.
+""Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They cannot, they must not, be pressed to leave Gaza,"" Blinken said at a press conference following a separate meeting with top Qatari officials in Doha.
+Most of Gaza's residents have been displaced by the conflict, and violence has also flared in the West Bank, including a deadly clash in the city of Jenin on Sunday.
+King Abdullah told Blinken that Washington had a major role to play in pressuring Israel into an immediate ceasefire, and warned of the ""catastrophic repercussions"" of the continuation of the war in Gaza, which began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 240 hostage.
+Israel's subsequent air and ground assault had killed 22,722 Palestinians by Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials.
+Blinken is touring the region amid heightened fears that Israel's offensive against Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza will spark a broader regional conflagration.
+""This is a moment of profound tension for the region. This is a conflict that could easily metastasize, causing even more insecurity and suffering,"" he told reporters in Doha.
+The trip comes after a drone strike in Beirut killed a senior Hamas leader and Israel exchanged fire with Iran-backed militia Hezbollah across its northern border with Lebanon. Washington is also rallying allies to deter attacks on Red Sea shipping by Houthi militants who control most of Yemen.
+Blinken arrived in Jordan late on Saturday and met King Abdullah on Sunday before traveling to Qatar for meetings with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also serves as foreign minister.
+In Doha, Blinken said discussions included efforts to free the more than 100 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas after an earlier agreement mediated by Qatar broke down.
+Qatar's prime minister said the killing of a Hamas leader by an Israeli drone strike has affected Doha's ability to mediate between the Palestinian group and Israel.
+Washington wants Israel's Arab neighbors to play a role in reconstruction, governance and security in Gaza in expectation that Israel's assault will eliminate Hamas, which has run the territory since 2007, officials have said.
+The U.S. delegation aims to gather Arab states' views on the future of Gaza before taking those positions to Israel, the U.S. official said, acknowledging that stances would be far apart.
+Blinken will end the day in the United Arab Emirates.
+HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
+In a camp for displaced people in Rafah, southern Gaza, some Palestinians called on Blinken to live up to U.S. calls for a two-state solution to the conflict.
+""We hope that it is a visit for our benefit, for peace's benefit and for the benefit of establishing a Palestinian state next to a Jewish state, in line with U.N. resolutions ... and with what America has been calling for,"" said Moussa al-Atawneh, a 76-year-old displaced man.
+In Amman, Blinken visited a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse storing canned food bound for Gaza.
+WFP acting country director for Palestine Laura Turner said ahead of a meeting with Blinken that he should push to halt the conflict and for Israel to open border crossings into northern Gaza.
+""That's where the population is that we haven't been able to access for six weeks and we're most concerned about,"" Turner said, adding that aid sent north from southern Gaza was being seized en route by other Palestinians also in dire need of food.
+Blinken said the U.S. was working to keep aid routes into the strip open and to multiply them.
+""We are intensely focused on the very difficult and indeed deteriorating food situation for men, women and children in Gaza, and it's something we're working on 24/7,"" Blinken said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. opposes displacement of Palestinians, Blinken says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN/DOHA, Jan 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Arab leaders on Sunday that Washington opposes the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the occupied West Bank, as he looked to kickstart talks on Gaza's post-war future. Jordan's King Abdullah had raised his country's concerns over displacement with Blinken during their meeting in Amman, according to a palace statement, as Israel pushes on with its military campaign that has turned much of Gaza to rubble and left its 2.3 million residents on the verge of starvation, according to aid workers.  ""Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They cannot, they must not, be pressed to leave Gaza,"" Blinken said at a press conference following a separate meeting with top Qatari officials in Doha. Most of Gaza's residents have been displaced by the conflict, and violence has also flared in the West Bank, including a deadly clash in the city of Jenin on Sunday. King Abdullah told Blinken that Washington had a major role to play in pressuring Israel into an immediate ceasefire, and warned of the ""catastrophic repercussions"" of the continuation of the war in Gaza, which began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 240 hostage. Israel's subsequent air and ground assault had killed 22,722 Palestinians by Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials. Blinken is touring the region amid heightened fears that Israel's offensive against Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza will spark a broader regional conflagration.
+"" This is a moment of profound tension for the region. This is a conflict that could easily metastasize, causing even more insecurity and suffering,"" he told reporters in Doha.  The trip comes after a drone strike in Beirut killed a senior Hamas leader and Israel exchanged fire with Iran-backed militia Hezbollah across its northern border with Lebanon. Washington is also rallying allies to deter attacks on Red Sea shipping by Houthi militants who control most of Yemen.  Blinken arrived in Jordan late on Saturday and met King Abdullah on Sunday before traveling to Qatar for meetings with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also serves as foreign minister. In Doha, Blinken said discussions included efforts to free the more than 100 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas after an earlier agreement mediated by Qatar broke down. Qatar's prime minister said the killing of a Hamas leader by an Israeli drone strike has affected Doha's ability to mediate between the Palestinian group and Israel."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blinken-presses-arab-states-discuss-future-gaza-2024-01-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. opposes displacement of Palestinians, Blinken says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN/DOHA, Jan 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Arab leaders on Sunday that Washington opposes the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the occupied West Bank, as he looked to kickstart talks on Gaza's post-war future.
+Jordan's King Abdullah had raised his country's concerns over displacement with Blinken during their meeting in Amman, according to a palace statement, as Israel pushes on with its military campaign that has turned much of Gaza to rubble and left its 2.3 million residents on the verge of starvation, according to aid workers.
+""Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They cannot, they must not, be pressed to leave Gaza,"" Blinken said at a press conference following a separate meeting with top Qatari officials in Doha.
+Most of Gaza's residents have been displaced by the conflict, and violence has also flared in the West Bank, including a deadly clash in the city of Jenin on Sunday.
+King Abdullah told Blinken that Washington had a major role to play in pressuring Israel into an immediate ceasefire, and warned of the ""catastrophic repercussions"" of the continuation of the war in Gaza, which began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 240 hostage.
+Israel's subsequent air and ground assault had killed 22,722 Palestinians by Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials.
+Blinken is touring the region amid heightened fears that Israel's offensive against Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza will spark a broader regional conflagration.
+""This is a moment of profound tension for the region. This is a conflict that could easily metastasize, causing even more insecurity and suffering,"" he told reporters in Doha.
+The trip comes after a drone strike in Beirut killed a senior Hamas leader and Israel exchanged fire with Iran-backed militia Hezbollah across its northern border with Lebanon. Washington is also rallying allies to deter attacks on Red Sea shipping by Houthi militants who control most of Yemen.
+Blinken arrived in Jordan late on Saturday and met King Abdullah on Sunday before traveling to Qatar for meetings with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also serves as foreign minister.
+In Doha, Blinken said discussions included efforts to free the more than 100 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas after an earlier agreement mediated by Qatar broke down.
+Qatar's prime minister said the killing of a Hamas leader by an Israeli drone strike has affected Doha's ability to mediate between the Palestinian group and Israel.
+Washington wants Israel's Arab neighbors to play a role in reconstruction, governance and security in Gaza in expectation that Israel's assault will eliminate Hamas, which has run the territory since 2007, officials have said.
+The U.S. delegation aims to gather Arab states' views on the future of Gaza before taking those positions to Israel, the U.S. official said, acknowledging that stances would be far apart.
+Blinken will end the day in the United Arab Emirates.
+HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
+In a camp for displaced people in Rafah, southern Gaza, some Palestinians called on Blinken to live up to U.S. calls for a two-state solution to the conflict.
+""We hope that it is a visit for our benefit, for peace's benefit and for the benefit of establishing a Palestinian state next to a Jewish state, in line with U.N. resolutions ... and with what America has been calling for,"" said Moussa al-Atawneh, a 76-year-old displaced man.
+In Amman, Blinken visited a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse storing canned food bound for Gaza.
+WFP acting country director for Palestine Laura Turner said ahead of a meeting with Blinken that he should push to halt the conflict and for Israel to open border crossings into northern Gaza.
+""That's where the population is that we haven't been able to access for six weeks and we're most concerned about,"" Turner said, adding that aid sent north from southern Gaza was being seized en route by other Palestinians also in dire need of food.
+Blinken said the U.S. was working to keep aid routes into the strip open and to multiply them.
+""We are intensely focused on the very difficult and indeed deteriorating food situation for men, women and children in Gaza, and it's something we're working on 24/7,"" Blinken said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Washington wants Israel's Arab neighbors to play a role in reconstruction, governance and security in Gaza in expectation that Israel's assault will eliminate Hamas, which has run the territory since 2007, officials have said. The U.S. delegation aims to gather Arab states' views on the future of Gaza before taking those positions to Israel, the U.S. official said, acknowledging that stances would be far apart. Blinken will end the day in the United Arab Emirates. HUMANITARIAN CRISIS In a camp for displaced people in Rafah, southern Gaza, some Palestinians called on Blinken to live up to U.S. calls for a two-state solution to the conflict. ""We hope that it is a visit for our benefit, for peace's benefit and for the benefit of establishing a Palestinian state next to a Jewish state, in line with U.N. resolutions ... and with what America has been calling for,"" said Moussa al-Atawneh, a 76-year-old displaced man. In Amman, Blinken visited a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse storing canned food bound for Gaza. WFP acting country director for Palestine Laura Turner said ahead of a meeting with Blinken that he should push to halt the conflict and for Israel to open border crossings into northern Gaza.
+""That's where the population is that we haven't been able to access for six weeks and we're most concerned about,"" Turner said, adding that aid sent north from southern Gaza was being seized en route by other Palestinians also in dire need of food. Blinken said the U.S. was working to keep aid routes into the strip open and to multiply them. ""We are intensely focused on the very difficult and indeed deteriorating food situation for men, women and children in Gaza, and it's something we're working on 24/7,"" Blinken said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/slain-hamas-deputy-chief-buried-palestinian-camp-beirut-2024-01-04/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Slain Hamas deputy chief buried in Palestinian camp in Beirut[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The slain deputy chief of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri, was buried in the Palestinian camp of Shatila in Beirut on Thursday, amid throngs of mourners launching volleys of gunfire.
+Arouri was killed in a drone strike on Tuesday on the southern suburb of Beirut, a stronghold of allied Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, as he was meeting with a group of Palestinian and Lebanese men from factions allied to Hamas.
+The attack was widely attributed to Hamas' sworn foe Israel. Israel, which has laid waste to the Gaza Strip in a war aimed at wiping out Hamas that rules the enclave, has neither confirmed nor denied that it assassinated Arouri.
+All seven people attending the meeting in Beirut were killed. The bodies of several, including Arouri, were blown into several parts by the strike, complicating preparations for the burial.
+Two of the Palestinians - a member of Hamas's armed wing the Qassam Brigades and another Palestinian - who were killed alongside Arouri were also buried in Shatila Martyrs Cemetery that is the graveyard for Palestinians, including civilians, political officials and combatants.
+""Palestine and Lebanon bid farewell today, along with the people of the nation, to strong men who fought battles in all fields and directions,"" said Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in a statement from outside Lebanon.
+Their coffins were draped in Palestinian flags and carried by men wearing green caps with ""Hamas"" written on the front. Heavy bursts of gunfire rang out for hours.
+Arouri's death was the first targeted assassination of a Hamas official outside Palestinian territories since the Palestinian group's deadly assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7 that triggered Israel's onslaught on Gaza.
+Analysts said it was also a message from Israel to Hezbollah that even its prime stronghold on the edge of Beirut could be reached.
+Arouri, 57, was one of the founder of the Qassam Brigades before taking on a political portfolio in recent years.
+Though less influential than Hamas' leaders in Gaza, Arouri was seen as a key player in the movement, masterminding its operations in the West Bank from exile in Syria, Turkey, Qatar and finally Lebanon after long stints in Israeli prisons.
+He has been viewed as repairing the relationship between Hezbollah and Hamas after the two backed opposing sides in the Syrian war that erupted in 2011.
+The head of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, blamed Israel for Arouri's killing, saying on Wednesday that it was ""a major, dangerous crime about which we cannot be silent"".
+Israel has long accused Arouri of lethal attacks on its citizens, but a Hamas official said he was also ""at the heart of negotiations"" over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of hostages held by Hamas, conducted by Qatar and Egypt.
+In Arouri's home village of Aroura, in the occupied West Bank, streets were adorned with Palestinian flags and banners celebrating him and dozens of people gathered in a hall near his family home to watch the funeral broadcast live.
+""All the people of Aroura consider him as their son, also all the people of Palestine,"" Arouri's brother, Salameh Al-Arouri, told Reuters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Slain Hamas deputy chief buried in Palestinian camp in Beirut[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The slain deputy chief of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri, was buried in the Palestinian camp of Shatila in Beirut on Thursday, amid throngs of mourners launching volleys of gunfire. Arouri was killed in a drone strike on Tuesday on the southern suburb of Beirut, a stronghold of allied Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, as he was meeting with a group of Palestinian and Lebanese men from factions allied to Hamas. The attack was widely attributed to Hamas' sworn foe Israel. Israel, which has laid waste to the Gaza Strip in a war aimed at wiping out Hamas that rules the enclave, has neither confirmed nor denied that it assassinated Arouri.  All seven people attending the meeting in Beirut were killed. The bodies of several, including Arouri, were blown into several parts by the strike, complicating preparations for the burial. Two of the Palestinians - a member of Hamas's armed wing the Qassam Brigades and another Palestinian - who were killed alongside Arouri were also buried in Shatila Martyrs Cemetery that is the graveyard for Palestinians, including civilians, political officials and combatants. ""Palestine and Lebanon bid farewell today, along with the people of the nation, to strong men who fought battles in all fields and directions,"" said Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in a statement from outside Lebanon.  Their coffins were draped in Palestinian flags and carried by men wearing green caps with ""Hamas"" written on the front. Heavy bursts of gunfire rang out for hours. Arouri's death was the first targeted assassination of a Hamas official outside Palestinian territories since the Palestinian group's deadly assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7 that triggered Israel's onslaught on Gaza. Analysts said it was also a message from Israel to Hezbollah that even its prime stronghold on the edge of Beirut could be reached."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/slain-hamas-deputy-chief-buried-palestinian-camp-beirut-2024-01-04/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Slain Hamas deputy chief buried in Palestinian camp in Beirut[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The slain deputy chief of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri, was buried in the Palestinian camp of Shatila in Beirut on Thursday, amid throngs of mourners launching volleys of gunfire.
+Arouri was killed in a drone strike on Tuesday on the southern suburb of Beirut, a stronghold of allied Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, as he was meeting with a group of Palestinian and Lebanese men from factions allied to Hamas.
+The attack was widely attributed to Hamas' sworn foe Israel. Israel, which has laid waste to the Gaza Strip in a war aimed at wiping out Hamas that rules the enclave, has neither confirmed nor denied that it assassinated Arouri.
+All seven people attending the meeting in Beirut were killed. The bodies of several, including Arouri, were blown into several parts by the strike, complicating preparations for the burial.
+Two of the Palestinians - a member of Hamas's armed wing the Qassam Brigades and another Palestinian - who were killed alongside Arouri were also buried in Shatila Martyrs Cemetery that is the graveyard for Palestinians, including civilians, political officials and combatants.
+""Palestine and Lebanon bid farewell today, along with the people of the nation, to strong men who fought battles in all fields and directions,"" said Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in a statement from outside Lebanon.
+Their coffins were draped in Palestinian flags and carried by men wearing green caps with ""Hamas"" written on the front. Heavy bursts of gunfire rang out for hours.
+Arouri's death was the first targeted assassination of a Hamas official outside Palestinian territories since the Palestinian group's deadly assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7 that triggered Israel's onslaught on Gaza.
+Analysts said it was also a message from Israel to Hezbollah that even its prime stronghold on the edge of Beirut could be reached.
+Arouri, 57, was one of the founder of the Qassam Brigades before taking on a political portfolio in recent years.
+Though less influential than Hamas' leaders in Gaza, Arouri was seen as a key player in the movement, masterminding its operations in the West Bank from exile in Syria, Turkey, Qatar and finally Lebanon after long stints in Israeli prisons.
+He has been viewed as repairing the relationship between Hezbollah and Hamas after the two backed opposing sides in the Syrian war that erupted in 2011.
+The head of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, blamed Israel for Arouri's killing, saying on Wednesday that it was ""a major, dangerous crime about which we cannot be silent"".
+Israel has long accused Arouri of lethal attacks on its citizens, but a Hamas official said he was also ""at the heart of negotiations"" over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of hostages held by Hamas, conducted by Qatar and Egypt.
+In Arouri's home village of Aroura, in the occupied West Bank, streets were adorned with Palestinian flags and banners celebrating him and dozens of people gathered in a hall near his family home to watch the funeral broadcast live.
+""All the people of Aroura consider him as their son, also all the people of Palestine,"" Arouri's brother, Salameh Al-Arouri, told Reuters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Arouri, 57, was one of the founder of the Qassam Brigades before taking on a political portfolio in recent years.
+Though less influential than Hamas' leaders in Gaza, Arouri was seen as a key player in the movement, masterminding its operations in the West Bank from exile in Syria, Turkey, Qatar and finally Lebanon after long stints in Israeli prisons.
+He has been viewed as repairing the relationship between Hezbollah and Hamas after the two backed opposing sides in the Syrian war that erupted in 2011.
+The head of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, blamed Israel for Arouri's killing, saying on Wednesday that it was ""a major, dangerous crime about which we cannot be silent"".
+Israel has long accused Arouri of lethal attacks on its citizens, but a Hamas official said he was also ""at the heart of negotiations"" over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of hostages held by Hamas, conducted by Qatar and Egypt.  In Arouri's home village of Aroura, in the occupied West Bank, streets were adorned with Palestinian flags and banners celebrating him and dozens of people gathered in a hall near his family home to watch the funeral broadcast live. ""All the people of Aroura consider him as their son, also all the people of Palestine ,"" Arouri's brother, Salameh Al-Arouri, told Reuters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/rutgers-law-student-claims-antisemitism-lawsuit-against-school-2024-01-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rutgers law student claims antisemitism in lawsuit against school[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 3 (Reuters) - A Rutgers law student sued the university and several law school administrators on Tuesday, alleging they discriminated and retaliated against him for raising concerns over antisemitism on campus.
+Yoel Ackerman, an Orthodox Jewish first-year law student at the school in Newark, New Jersey, claims Rutgers wrongfully initiated disciplinary action against him when he reported to law school administrators what he deemed as pro-Hamas messages circulated by classmates in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+Ackerman’s lawsuit, filed in a New Jersey state court, alleges he is facing potential expulsion or other “serious punishment” at hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday. His lawyer, David Mazie of Mazie Slater Katz and Freeman, said Wednesday that the hearing has since been adjourned without a new date.
+The suit is one of several legal problems for universities stemming from the war between Hamas and Israel. The University of California, Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania have been sued by students claiming antisemitism, and a growing number of campuses are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for alleged antisemitism and Islamophobia amid clashes.
+Administrators allege that Ackerman engaged in defamation and disorderly conduct, as defined in the university’s code of student conduct, when he reported to the law school several messages exchanged in a group chat among members of the Student Bar Association, according to the complaint, opens new tab. Ackerman was elected to that group to represent the first-year class, his suit says.
+At least one student told law school officials that Ackerman was seeking to “dox” law students supporting Palestine — which means to reveal personal information about them — the complaint alleges.
+Ackerman’s suit claims that he forwarded the messages to administrators, one of which was a reposted video justifying Hamas’ attack, “with the intent to protect his fellow Jewish students and community from what he had a reasonably and in good faith believed to be harassment, intimidation, bullying and discriminatory conduct aimed at Jewish law students at the Law School,” the complaint alleges.
+Rutgers spokesman Kevin Lorincz said on Wednesday that the university does not comment on pending litigation. He also said that it “takes seriously” claims of bias and intolerance in all forms.
+“Any such claims are investigated and reviewed, and where appropriate, remedial or disciplinary actions are taken,” he said.
+Ackerman also alleges that law school administrators denied his October request to attend classes virtually because he felt “unsafe and humiliated” on campus.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rutgers law student claims antisemitism in lawsuit against school[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Jan 3 (Reuters) - A Rutgers law student sued the university and several law school administrators on Tuesday, alleging they discriminated and retaliated against him for raising concerns over antisemitism on campus. Yoel Ackerman, an Orthodox Jewish first-year law student at the school in Newark, New Jersey, claims Rutgers wrongfully initiated disciplinary action against him when he reported to law school administrators what he deemed as pro-Hamas messages circulated by classmates in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.  Ackerman’s lawsuit, filed in a New Jersey state court, alleges he is facing potential expulsion or other “serious punishment” at hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday. His lawyer, David Mazie of Mazie Slater Katz and Freeman, said Wednesday that the hearing has since been adjourned without a new date.  The suit is one of several legal problems for universities stemming from the war between Hamas and Israel. The University of California, Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania have been sued by students claiming antisemitism, and a growing number of campuses are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for alleged antisemitism and Islamophobia amid clashes.  Administrators allege that Ackerman engaged in defamation and disorderly conduct, as defined in the university’s code of student conduct, when he reported to the law school several messages exchanged in a group chat among members of the Student Bar Association, according to the complaint, opens new tab. Ackerman was elected to that group to represent the first-year class, his suit says. At least one student told law school officials that Ackerman was seeking to “dox” law students supporting Palestine — which means to reveal personal information about them — the complaint alleges. Ackerman’s suit claims that he forwarded the messages to administrators, one of which was a reposted video justifying Hamas’ attack, “with the intent to protect his fellow Jewish students and community from what he had a reasonably and in good faith believed to be harassment, intimidation, bullying and discriminatory conduct aimed at Jewish law students at the Law School,” the complaint alleges.  Rutgers spokesman Kevin Lorincz said on Wednesday that the university does not comment on pending litigation. He also said that it “takes seriously” claims of bias and intolerance in all forms. “Any such claims are investigated and reviewed, and where appropriate, remedial or disciplinary actions are taken,” he said.  Ackerman also alleges that law school administrators denied his October request to attend classes virtually because he felt “unsafe and humiliated” on campus.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-aircraft-tanks-step-up-strikes-it-plans-reduce-troops-2024-01-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli drone kills Hamas deputy leader in Beirut -Lebanese, Palestinian sources
+[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/CAIRO/GAZA, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Israel killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanese and Palestinian security sources said, as its tanks and warplanes pummelled Gaza in further ""high-intensity"" warfare against the Islamist militant group in the enclave.
+Arouri, 57, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a shattering air and ground offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers almost three months ago after a shock Hamas militant rampage into Israeli towns.
+His killing could heighten the risk of the Israel-Hamas war spreading well beyond the Gaza Strip. Lebanon's heavily armed Hezbollah group, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since the war in Gaza began.
+Hamas radio and TV and Lebanon's pro-Iranian Mayadeen TV confirmed word from security sources that Arouri, a member of the Palestinian Islamist movement's politburo based abroad and a co-founder of Hamas' military wing, the Izz-el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, had been killed when a drone struck a Hamas office in south Beirut.
+In all, the drone attack killed six people in the city's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah redoubt, the Lebanese state news agency said. Two security sources said the drone targeted a meeting and Hamas' Al Aqsa TV said commanders of the group's armed wing in Lebanon - Samir Findi Abu Amer and Azzam Al-Aqraa Abu Ammar - were among the dead.
+Asked to confirm that Israel was behind Arouri's slaying, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a media briefing: ""We are focused on killing Hamas.""
+He declined to elaborate.
+Mark Regev, an adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said in an interview with MSNBC TV that Israel ""has not taken responsibility for this attack.""
+""But whoever did it, it must be clear - this was not an attack on the Lebanese state,"" he said. ""Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership"".
+Israel had accused Arouri of ordering and supervising Hamas attacks in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for years.
+""I am waiting for martyrdom (death) and I think I have lived too long,"" Arouri said in August 2023, alluding to Israeli threats to eliminate Hamas leaders whether in Gaza or abroad.
+Arouri had spent time recently in both Lebanon and Qatar, where a Hamas official said he was at ""the heart of negotiations"" conducted by Cairo and Doha over ways of resolving the Gaza conflict, and the release of hostages Hamas took in its Oct. 7 incursion into Israel.
+Lebanese caretaker premier Najib Mikati condemned the attack as a ""new Israeli crime"" and an attempt to pull Lebanon into war. His office said he asked his foreign minister to file a complaint to the U.N. Security Council over all ""new Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty"".
+Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Iran, a major supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, said Arouri's killing would ""undoubtedly ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers, not only in Palestine but also in the region and among all freedom-seekers worldwide"".
+In a televised speech in August, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had warned Israel against carrying out any assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a ""severe reaction"".
+Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the West Bank to condemn Arouri's killing, chanting, ""Revenge, revenge, Qassam!""
+
+The Gaza war was triggered by a shock cross-border Hamas assault on Israeli towns on Oct. 7 that Israel says killed 1,200 people with some 240 hostages spirited back to Gaza - the bloodiest single day in the Jewish state's 75-year history.
+The Gaza health ministry said 207 people had been killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recorded Palestinian death toll to 22,185 in nearly three months of war in Gaza, the most lethal chapter of the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said operations around Khan Younis, southern Gaza's main city, concentrated on areas above the tunnel network where Hamas leaders were believed to be hiding.
+""We are reaching them all ways. There already is engagement and there are (Israeli) hostages there too, sadly,"" he told troops in Gaza in footage shown on Israeli television.
+Civilian casualties have mounted in south Gaza as the brunt of Israel's offensive has shifted there from the north. Israel says it tries to avoid harm to civilians and blames Hamas for embedding fighters among them, an accusation Hamas denies.
+The United States, Israel's main supporter, has been urging it to rein in its air and ground blitz, which has demolished vast tracts of densely populated Gaza, in favour of more targeted strikes focusing on Hamas leaders.
+Israel has announced plans to pull back some troops, hinting at a new phase in the war amid a rising global outcry over the plight of Gaza civilians, although also warned its offensive has many months to run.
+Israeli bombardments have engulfed Gaza's 2.3 million residents in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies.
+HAMAS RESPONSE TO CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL
+Shortly before Arouri's killing, Hamas' paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is also based outside Gaza, said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal.
+He reiterated that Hamas' conditions entailed ""a complete cessation"" of Israel's offensive in exchange for further releases of hostages.
+Israel believes 129 hostages remain in Gaza after some were released during a brief truce in late November and others were killed during air strikes and rescue or escape attempts.
+Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it has wiped out Hamas but it is unclear what it plans to do with the enclave should it succeed, and where that leaves the prospect of an independent Palestinian state.
+Gaza residents said Israeli warplanes and tanks stepped up bombardments of eastern and northern districts of Khan Younis, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge after being forced to flee their homes elsewhere.
+In the Gaza Strip's north, Gallant said, Israel had destroyed 12 Hamas regiments and only a few thousand militants remained out of 15,000-18,000 that had been based in the area. Others had fled to the south, he said.
+(This story has been corrected to fix the name of a suburb to say 'Dahiyeh', not 'Daliyeh', in paragraph 5)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli drone kills Hamas deputy leader in Beirut -Lebanese, Palestinian sources
+[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/CAIRO/GAZA, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Israel killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanese and Palestinian security sources said, as its tanks and warplanes pummelled Gaza in further ""high-intensity"" warfare against the Islamist militant group in the enclave. Arouri, 57, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a shattering air and ground offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers almost three months ago after a shock Hamas militant rampage into Israeli towns.  His killing could heighten the risk of the Israel-Hamas war spreading well beyond the Gaza Strip. Lebanon's heavily armed Hezbollah group, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since the war in Gaza began. Hamas radio and TV and Lebanon's pro-Iranian Mayadeen TV confirmed word from security sources that Arouri, a member of the Palestinian Islamist movement's politburo based abroad and a co-founder of Hamas' military wing, the Izz-el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, had been killed when a drone struck a Hamas office in south Beirut. In all, the drone attack killed six people in the city's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah redoubt, the Lebanese state news agency said. Two security sources said the drone targeted a meeting and Hamas' Al Aqsa TV said commanders of the group's armed wing in Lebanon - Samir Findi Abu Amer and Azzam Al-Aqraa Abu Ammar - were among the dead. Asked to confirm that Israel was behind Arouri's slaying, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a media briefing: ""We are focused on killing Hamas."" He declined to elaborate. Mark Regev, an adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said in an interview with MSNBC TV that Israel ""has not taken responsibility for this attack.""
+""But whoever did it, it must be clear - this was not an attack on the Lebanese state,"" he said. ""Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership"". Israel had accused Arouri of ordering and supervising Hamas attacks in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for years. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-aircraft-tanks-step-up-strikes-it-plans-reduce-troops-2024-01-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli drone kills Hamas deputy leader in Beirut -Lebanese, Palestinian sources
+[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/CAIRO/GAZA, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Israel killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanese and Palestinian security sources said, as its tanks and warplanes pummelled Gaza in further ""high-intensity"" warfare against the Islamist militant group in the enclave.
+Arouri, 57, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a shattering air and ground offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers almost three months ago after a shock Hamas militant rampage into Israeli towns.
+His killing could heighten the risk of the Israel-Hamas war spreading well beyond the Gaza Strip. Lebanon's heavily armed Hezbollah group, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since the war in Gaza began.
+Hamas radio and TV and Lebanon's pro-Iranian Mayadeen TV confirmed word from security sources that Arouri, a member of the Palestinian Islamist movement's politburo based abroad and a co-founder of Hamas' military wing, the Izz-el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, had been killed when a drone struck a Hamas office in south Beirut.
+In all, the drone attack killed six people in the city's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah redoubt, the Lebanese state news agency said. Two security sources said the drone targeted a meeting and Hamas' Al Aqsa TV said commanders of the group's armed wing in Lebanon - Samir Findi Abu Amer and Azzam Al-Aqraa Abu Ammar - were among the dead.
+Asked to confirm that Israel was behind Arouri's slaying, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a media briefing: ""We are focused on killing Hamas.""
+He declined to elaborate.
+Mark Regev, an adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said in an interview with MSNBC TV that Israel ""has not taken responsibility for this attack.""
+""But whoever did it, it must be clear - this was not an attack on the Lebanese state,"" he said. ""Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership"".
+Israel had accused Arouri of ordering and supervising Hamas attacks in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for years.
+""I am waiting for martyrdom (death) and I think I have lived too long,"" Arouri said in August 2023, alluding to Israeli threats to eliminate Hamas leaders whether in Gaza or abroad.
+Arouri had spent time recently in both Lebanon and Qatar, where a Hamas official said he was at ""the heart of negotiations"" conducted by Cairo and Doha over ways of resolving the Gaza conflict, and the release of hostages Hamas took in its Oct. 7 incursion into Israel.
+Lebanese caretaker premier Najib Mikati condemned the attack as a ""new Israeli crime"" and an attempt to pull Lebanon into war. His office said he asked his foreign minister to file a complaint to the U.N. Security Council over all ""new Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty"".
+Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Iran, a major supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, said Arouri's killing would ""undoubtedly ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers, not only in Palestine but also in the region and among all freedom-seekers worldwide"".
+In a televised speech in August, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had warned Israel against carrying out any assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a ""severe reaction"".
+Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the West Bank to condemn Arouri's killing, chanting, ""Revenge, revenge, Qassam!""
+
+The Gaza war was triggered by a shock cross-border Hamas assault on Israeli towns on Oct. 7 that Israel says killed 1,200 people with some 240 hostages spirited back to Gaza - the bloodiest single day in the Jewish state's 75-year history.
+The Gaza health ministry said 207 people had been killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recorded Palestinian death toll to 22,185 in nearly three months of war in Gaza, the most lethal chapter of the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said operations around Khan Younis, southern Gaza's main city, concentrated on areas above the tunnel network where Hamas leaders were believed to be hiding.
+""We are reaching them all ways. There already is engagement and there are (Israeli) hostages there too, sadly,"" he told troops in Gaza in footage shown on Israeli television.
+Civilian casualties have mounted in south Gaza as the brunt of Israel's offensive has shifted there from the north. Israel says it tries to avoid harm to civilians and blames Hamas for embedding fighters among them, an accusation Hamas denies.
+The United States, Israel's main supporter, has been urging it to rein in its air and ground blitz, which has demolished vast tracts of densely populated Gaza, in favour of more targeted strikes focusing on Hamas leaders.
+Israel has announced plans to pull back some troops, hinting at a new phase in the war amid a rising global outcry over the plight of Gaza civilians, although also warned its offensive has many months to run.
+Israeli bombardments have engulfed Gaza's 2.3 million residents in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies.
+HAMAS RESPONSE TO CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL
+Shortly before Arouri's killing, Hamas' paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is also based outside Gaza, said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal.
+He reiterated that Hamas' conditions entailed ""a complete cessation"" of Israel's offensive in exchange for further releases of hostages.
+Israel believes 129 hostages remain in Gaza after some were released during a brief truce in late November and others were killed during air strikes and rescue or escape attempts.
+Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it has wiped out Hamas but it is unclear what it plans to do with the enclave should it succeed, and where that leaves the prospect of an independent Palestinian state.
+Gaza residents said Israeli warplanes and tanks stepped up bombardments of eastern and northern districts of Khan Younis, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge after being forced to flee their homes elsewhere.
+In the Gaza Strip's north, Gallant said, Israel had destroyed 12 Hamas regiments and only a few thousand militants remained out of 15,000-18,000 that had been based in the area. Others had fled to the south, he said.
+(This story has been corrected to fix the name of a suburb to say 'Dahiyeh', not 'Daliyeh', in paragraph 5)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""I am waiting for martyrdom (death) and I think I have lived too long,"" Arouri said in August 2023, alluding to Israeli threats to eliminate Hamas leaders whether in Gaza or abroad.
+Arouri had spent time recently in both Lebanon and Qatar, where a Hamas official said he was at ""the heart of negotiations"" conducted by Cairo and Doha over ways of resolving the Gaza conflict, and the release of hostages Hamas took in its Oct. 7 incursion into Israel.
+Lebanese caretaker premier Najib Mikati condemned the attack as a ""new Israeli crime"" and an attempt to pull Lebanon into war. His office said he asked his foreign minister to file a complaint to the U.N. Security Council over all ""new Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty"". Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Iran, a major supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, said Arouri's killing would ""undoubtedly ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers, not only in Palestine but also in the region and among all freedom-seekers worldwide"". In a televised speech in August, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had warned Israel against carrying out any assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a ""severe reaction"".
+Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the West Bank to condemn Arouri's killing, chanting, ""Revenge, revenge, Qassam!"" The Gaza war was triggered by a shock cross-border Hamas assault on Israeli towns on Oct. 7 that Israel says killed 1,200 people with some 240 hostages spirited back to Gaza - the bloodiest single day in the Jewish state's 75-year history. The Gaza health ministry said 207 people had been killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recorded Palestinian death toll to 22,185 in nearly three months of war in Gaza, the most lethal chapter of the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said operations around Khan Younis, southern Gaza's main city, concentrated on areas above the tunnel network where Hamas leaders were believed to be hiding.  ""We are reaching them all ways. There already is engagement and there are (Israeli) hostages there too, sadly,"" he told troops in Gaza in footage shown on Israeli television. Civilian casualties have mounted in south Gaza as the brunt of Israel's offensive has shifted there from the north. Israel says it tries to avoid harm to civilians and blames Hamas for embedding fighters among them, an accusation Hamas denies."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-aircraft-tanks-step-up-strikes-it-plans-reduce-troops-2024-01-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli drone kills Hamas deputy leader in Beirut -Lebanese, Palestinian sources
+[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT/CAIRO/GAZA, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Israel killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanese and Palestinian security sources said, as its tanks and warplanes pummelled Gaza in further ""high-intensity"" warfare against the Islamist militant group in the enclave.
+Arouri, 57, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a shattering air and ground offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers almost three months ago after a shock Hamas militant rampage into Israeli towns.
+His killing could heighten the risk of the Israel-Hamas war spreading well beyond the Gaza Strip. Lebanon's heavily armed Hezbollah group, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since the war in Gaza began.
+Hamas radio and TV and Lebanon's pro-Iranian Mayadeen TV confirmed word from security sources that Arouri, a member of the Palestinian Islamist movement's politburo based abroad and a co-founder of Hamas' military wing, the Izz-el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, had been killed when a drone struck a Hamas office in south Beirut.
+In all, the drone attack killed six people in the city's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah redoubt, the Lebanese state news agency said. Two security sources said the drone targeted a meeting and Hamas' Al Aqsa TV said commanders of the group's armed wing in Lebanon - Samir Findi Abu Amer and Azzam Al-Aqraa Abu Ammar - were among the dead.
+Asked to confirm that Israel was behind Arouri's slaying, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a media briefing: ""We are focused on killing Hamas.""
+He declined to elaborate.
+Mark Regev, an adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said in an interview with MSNBC TV that Israel ""has not taken responsibility for this attack.""
+""But whoever did it, it must be clear - this was not an attack on the Lebanese state,"" he said. ""Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership"".
+Israel had accused Arouri of ordering and supervising Hamas attacks in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for years.
+""I am waiting for martyrdom (death) and I think I have lived too long,"" Arouri said in August 2023, alluding to Israeli threats to eliminate Hamas leaders whether in Gaza or abroad.
+Arouri had spent time recently in both Lebanon and Qatar, where a Hamas official said he was at ""the heart of negotiations"" conducted by Cairo and Doha over ways of resolving the Gaza conflict, and the release of hostages Hamas took in its Oct. 7 incursion into Israel.
+Lebanese caretaker premier Najib Mikati condemned the attack as a ""new Israeli crime"" and an attempt to pull Lebanon into war. His office said he asked his foreign minister to file a complaint to the U.N. Security Council over all ""new Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty"".
+Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Iran, a major supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, said Arouri's killing would ""undoubtedly ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers, not only in Palestine but also in the region and among all freedom-seekers worldwide"".
+In a televised speech in August, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had warned Israel against carrying out any assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a ""severe reaction"".
+Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the West Bank to condemn Arouri's killing, chanting, ""Revenge, revenge, Qassam!""
+
+The Gaza war was triggered by a shock cross-border Hamas assault on Israeli towns on Oct. 7 that Israel says killed 1,200 people with some 240 hostages spirited back to Gaza - the bloodiest single day in the Jewish state's 75-year history.
+The Gaza health ministry said 207 people had been killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recorded Palestinian death toll to 22,185 in nearly three months of war in Gaza, the most lethal chapter of the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said operations around Khan Younis, southern Gaza's main city, concentrated on areas above the tunnel network where Hamas leaders were believed to be hiding.
+""We are reaching them all ways. There already is engagement and there are (Israeli) hostages there too, sadly,"" he told troops in Gaza in footage shown on Israeli television.
+Civilian casualties have mounted in south Gaza as the brunt of Israel's offensive has shifted there from the north. Israel says it tries to avoid harm to civilians and blames Hamas for embedding fighters among them, an accusation Hamas denies.
+The United States, Israel's main supporter, has been urging it to rein in its air and ground blitz, which has demolished vast tracts of densely populated Gaza, in favour of more targeted strikes focusing on Hamas leaders.
+Israel has announced plans to pull back some troops, hinting at a new phase in the war amid a rising global outcry over the plight of Gaza civilians, although also warned its offensive has many months to run.
+Israeli bombardments have engulfed Gaza's 2.3 million residents in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies.
+HAMAS RESPONSE TO CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL
+Shortly before Arouri's killing, Hamas' paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is also based outside Gaza, said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal.
+He reiterated that Hamas' conditions entailed ""a complete cessation"" of Israel's offensive in exchange for further releases of hostages.
+Israel believes 129 hostages remain in Gaza after some were released during a brief truce in late November and others were killed during air strikes and rescue or escape attempts.
+Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it has wiped out Hamas but it is unclear what it plans to do with the enclave should it succeed, and where that leaves the prospect of an independent Palestinian state.
+Gaza residents said Israeli warplanes and tanks stepped up bombardments of eastern and northern districts of Khan Younis, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge after being forced to flee their homes elsewhere.
+In the Gaza Strip's north, Gallant said, Israel had destroyed 12 Hamas regiments and only a few thousand militants remained out of 15,000-18,000 that had been based in the area. Others had fled to the south, he said.
+(This story has been corrected to fix the name of a suburb to say 'Dahiyeh', not 'Daliyeh', in paragraph 5)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The United States, Israel's main supporter, has been urging it to rein in its air and ground blitz, which has demolished vast tracts of densely populated Gaza, in favour of more targeted strikes focusing on Hamas leaders. Israel has announced plans to pull back some troops, hinting at a new phase in the war amid a rising global outcry over the plight of Gaza civilians, although also warned its offensive has many months to run. Israeli bombardments have engulfed Gaza's 2.3 million residents in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies. HAMAS RESPONSE TO CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL
+Shortly before Arouri's killing, Hamas' paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is also based outside Gaza, said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal. He reiterated that Hamas' conditions entailed ""a complete cessation"" of Israel's offensive in exchange for further releases of hostages. Israel believes 129 hostages remain in Gaza after some were released during a brief truce in late November and others were killed during air strikes and rescue or escape attempts. Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it has wiped out Hamas but it is unclear what it plans to do with the enclave should it succeed, and where that leaves the prospect of an independent Palestinian state. Gaza residents said Israeli warplanes and tanks stepped up bombardments of eastern and northern districts of Khan Younis, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge after being forced to flee their homes elsewhere.  In the Gaza Strip's north, Gallant said, Israel had destroyed 12 Hamas regiments and only a few thousand militants remained out of 15,000-18,000 that had been based in the area. Others had fled to the south, he said.  (This story has been corrected to fix the name of a suburb to say 'Dahiyeh', not 'Daliyeh', in paragraph 5)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-rows-white-shrouds-symbolise-mounting-civilian-deaths-2023-12-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Gaza, rows of white shrouds symbolise mounting civilian deaths[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, RAFA, CAIRO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - ""My life, my eyes, my soul,"" a husband writes on the white shroud wrapped around his wife after the war devastating Gaza took her life.
+A bereaved son writes ""my mother and everything"" on the burial cloth covering his mother, another of the more than 21,000 Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas confrontation.
+Over the past 12 weeks the piece of white cloth has become a symbol of civilian deaths wrought by Israel as it retaliates for Hamas killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages in its Oct. 7 cross-border raid, the deadliest day in Israel's history.
+While the besieged Palestinian territory faces severe shortages of food, water and medicine, the white coverings used to wrap dead Palestinians have remained in abundant supply.
+Not all the shrouds bear loving words. Such is the war's chaos, some of the dead cannot immediately be identified.
+In such cases, the shrouds bear the words ""unknown male"" or ""unknown female"", and before burial pictures are taken and the date and place of the strike documented so individuals can be identified by relatives later.
+If the conflict escalates, the supply of the white coverings donated by Arab governments and charities is expected to keep pace with demand. But there are difficulties brought on by the sheer number of the dead, and sometimes there are gaps in the local availability of the shrouds.
+""The challenges we face are too much, there is shortage in the knives and the scissors that we need to prepare the shrouds and cut them,"" said Mohammed Abu Mussa, a volunteer at Keratan society, which prepares dead bodies for burial.
+KNIVES, SCISSORS, COTTON
+""As you know, there is a blockade and there are no materials in the Gaza Strip, so we find difficulties getting knives, scissors, and cotton,” he said, adding that so many people are dying that sometimes donated shrouds are not enough and he has to wrap four of five people in one shroud.
+Marwan Al-Hams, director of Abu Yousef Al Najjar hospital, said the prevalence of the shrouds signifies Gaza's suffering.
+“The big number of the martyrs made the white shroud a symbol for this war and it became parallel to the Palestine flag in its influence and the knowledge of the world about the significance of our cause,"" he said.
+The white covering goes back to a narration by the Prophet Muhammed, who encouraged his followers to wear white clothes and also wrap the dead in white.
+Shrouds from Arab donors come packed with a bar of soap, perfume, cotton, and eucalyptus, for the preparation of bodies for burial, a doctor at a hospital in the southern town of Rafah told Reuters.
+A Gaza Health Ministry official told Reuters shrouds are manufactured either from textile or nylon material. While the nylon ones are made in both white and black, white is the traditional colour and is preferred.
+In Gaza in normal times the minute someone dies, a relative goes to the market and buys a ""Kafan"", or shroud.
+SCENES OF CHAOS
+But for Abdel-Hamid Abdel-Atti, a local journalist, the process in war-time Gaza began amid scenes of chaos and devastation, with bodies of six of his loved ones including his mother and brother being pulled from rubble.
+The six were killed in an Israeli strike on Al-Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on Dec. 7. The strike smashed a building on top of them as they slept.
+Describing the procedure as the most painful experience of his life, he obtained shrouds from a hospital and wrapped them around his relatives' bodies.
+""The first one I did was my brother, the rest came wrapped in blankets and I asked they don't be taken off, I put the shrouds over the blankets, and tied them carefully, before paying them farewell,"" Abdel-Atti told Reuters.
+""As I wrapped them in shrouds I wondered what was their fault ... Why did Israel kill them as they slept in peace?""
+The only consolation, he said, was his relatives are going to heaven. ""White resembles peace, resembles calm. It is part of our tradition and belief and by white shrouds, it is as if we are asking God to remove and clear all their sins and accept them in heaven,” said Abdel-Atti.
+Asked how much the risk of death preoccupied him, the journalist replied: ""Each one of us is afraid. With nightfall, people feel as if they are in a closed cage and each awaits his or her turn to die.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Gaza , rows of white shrouds symbolise mounting civilian deaths[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, RAFA, CAIRO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - ""My life, my eyes, my soul,"" a husband writes on the white shroud wrapped around his wife after the war devastating Gaza took her life. A bereaved son writes ""my mother and everything"" on the burial cloth covering his mother, another of the more than 21,000 Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas confrontation. Over the past 12 weeks the piece of white cloth has become a symbol of civilian deaths wrought by Israel as it retaliates for Hamas killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages in its Oct. 7 cross-border raid, the deadliest day in Israel's history. While the besieged Palestinian territory faces severe shortages of food, water and medicine, the white coverings used to wrap dead Palestinians have remained in abundant supply.  Not all the shrouds bear loving words. Such is the war's chaos, some of the dead cannot immediately be identified.  In such cases, the shrouds bear the words ""unknown male"" or ""unknown female"", and before burial pictures are taken and the date and place of the strike documented so individuals can be identified by relatives later. If the conflict escalates, the supply of the white coverings donated by Arab governments and charities is expected to keep pace with demand. But there are difficulties brought on by the sheer number of the dead, and sometimes there are gaps in the local availability of the shrouds. ""The challenges we face are too much, there is shortage in the knives and the scissors that we need to prepare the shrouds and cut them,"" said Mohammed Abu Mussa, a volunteer at Keratan society, which prepares dead bodies for burial.  KNIVES, SCISSORS, COTTON
+"" As you know, there is a blockade and there are no materials in the Gaza Strip, so we find difficulties getting knives, scissors, and cotton,” he said, adding that so many people are dying that sometimes donated shrouds are not enough and he has to wrap four of five people in one shroud. Marwan Al-Hams, director of Abu Yousef Al Najjar hospital, said the prevalence of the shrouds signifies Gaza's suffering."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-rows-white-shrouds-symbolise-mounting-civilian-deaths-2023-12-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Gaza, rows of white shrouds symbolise mounting civilian deaths[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, RAFA, CAIRO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - ""My life, my eyes, my soul,"" a husband writes on the white shroud wrapped around his wife after the war devastating Gaza took her life.
+A bereaved son writes ""my mother and everything"" on the burial cloth covering his mother, another of the more than 21,000 Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas confrontation.
+Over the past 12 weeks the piece of white cloth has become a symbol of civilian deaths wrought by Israel as it retaliates for Hamas killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages in its Oct. 7 cross-border raid, the deadliest day in Israel's history.
+While the besieged Palestinian territory faces severe shortages of food, water and medicine, the white coverings used to wrap dead Palestinians have remained in abundant supply.
+Not all the shrouds bear loving words. Such is the war's chaos, some of the dead cannot immediately be identified.
+In such cases, the shrouds bear the words ""unknown male"" or ""unknown female"", and before burial pictures are taken and the date and place of the strike documented so individuals can be identified by relatives later.
+If the conflict escalates, the supply of the white coverings donated by Arab governments and charities is expected to keep pace with demand. But there are difficulties brought on by the sheer number of the dead, and sometimes there are gaps in the local availability of the shrouds.
+""The challenges we face are too much, there is shortage in the knives and the scissors that we need to prepare the shrouds and cut them,"" said Mohammed Abu Mussa, a volunteer at Keratan society, which prepares dead bodies for burial.
+KNIVES, SCISSORS, COTTON
+""As you know, there is a blockade and there are no materials in the Gaza Strip, so we find difficulties getting knives, scissors, and cotton,” he said, adding that so many people are dying that sometimes donated shrouds are not enough and he has to wrap four of five people in one shroud.
+Marwan Al-Hams, director of Abu Yousef Al Najjar hospital, said the prevalence of the shrouds signifies Gaza's suffering.
+“The big number of the martyrs made the white shroud a symbol for this war and it became parallel to the Palestine flag in its influence and the knowledge of the world about the significance of our cause,"" he said.
+The white covering goes back to a narration by the Prophet Muhammed, who encouraged his followers to wear white clothes and also wrap the dead in white.
+Shrouds from Arab donors come packed with a bar of soap, perfume, cotton, and eucalyptus, for the preparation of bodies for burial, a doctor at a hospital in the southern town of Rafah told Reuters.
+A Gaza Health Ministry official told Reuters shrouds are manufactured either from textile or nylon material. While the nylon ones are made in both white and black, white is the traditional colour and is preferred.
+In Gaza in normal times the minute someone dies, a relative goes to the market and buys a ""Kafan"", or shroud.
+SCENES OF CHAOS
+But for Abdel-Hamid Abdel-Atti, a local journalist, the process in war-time Gaza began amid scenes of chaos and devastation, with bodies of six of his loved ones including his mother and brother being pulled from rubble.
+The six were killed in an Israeli strike on Al-Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on Dec. 7. The strike smashed a building on top of them as they slept.
+Describing the procedure as the most painful experience of his life, he obtained shrouds from a hospital and wrapped them around his relatives' bodies.
+""The first one I did was my brother, the rest came wrapped in blankets and I asked they don't be taken off, I put the shrouds over the blankets, and tied them carefully, before paying them farewell,"" Abdel-Atti told Reuters.
+""As I wrapped them in shrouds I wondered what was their fault ... Why did Israel kill them as they slept in peace?""
+The only consolation, he said, was his relatives are going to heaven. ""White resembles peace, resembles calm. It is part of our tradition and belief and by white shrouds, it is as if we are asking God to remove and clear all their sins and accept them in heaven,” said Abdel-Atti.
+Asked how much the risk of death preoccupied him, the journalist replied: ""Each one of us is afraid. With nightfall, people feel as if they are in a closed cage and each awaits his or her turn to die.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","“The big number of the martyrs made the white shroud a symbol for this war and it became parallel to the Palestine flag in its influence and the knowledge of the world about the significance of our cause,"" he said.
+The white covering goes back to a narration by the Prophet Muhammed, who encouraged his followers to wear white clothes and also wrap the dead in white.
+Shrouds from Arab donors come packed with a bar of soap, perfume, cotton, and eucalyptus, for the preparation of bodies for burial, a doctor at a hospital in the southern town of Rafah told Reuters.  A Gaza Health Ministry official told Reuters shrouds are manufactured either from textile or nylon material. While the nylon ones are made in both white and black, white is the traditional colour and is preferred.  In Gaza in normal times the minute someone dies, a relative goes to the market and buys a ""Kafan"", or shroud.  SCENES OF CHAOS But for Abdel-Hamid Abdel-Atti, a local journalist, the process in war-time Gaza began amid scenes of chaos and devastation, with bodies of six of his loved ones including his mother and brother being pulled from rubble. The six were killed in an Israeli strike on Al-Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on Dec. 7. The strike smashed a building on top of them as they slept. Describing the procedure as the most painful experience of his life, he obtained shrouds from a hospital and wrapped them around his relatives' bodies.  ""The first one I did was my brother, the rest came wrapped in blankets and I asked they don't be taken off, I put the shrouds over the blankets, and tied them carefully, before paying them farewell,"" Abdel-Atti told Reuters.
+"" As I wrapped them in shrouds I wondered what was their fault ... Why did Israel kill them as they slept in peace?""
+The only consolation, he said, was his relatives are going to heaven. ""White resembles peace, resembles calm. It is part of our tradition and belief and by white shrouds, it is as if we are asking God to remove and clear all their sins and accept them in heaven,” said Abdel-Atti.  Asked how much the risk of death preoccupied him, the journalist replied: ""Each one of us is afraid. With nightfall, people feel as if they are in a closed cage and each awaits his or her turn to die.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fighting-between-israeli-forces-hamas-rages-after-nearly-200-killed-gaza-2023-12-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel seeks full control of Gaza-Egypt border, Netanyahu says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Israel must take full control of the Gaza Strip border corridor with Egypt to ensure a ""demilitarisation"" of the area, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday, as Israel's military pushed deeper into central and southern Gaza.
+Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu said: ""The Philadelphi Corridor - or to put it more correctly, the southern closing point (of Gaza) - must be in our hands. It must be shut. It is clear that any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarisation that we seek.""
+He did not elaborate. If accomplished, such a move would mark a de facto reversal of Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, placing the enclave under exclusive Israeli control after years being run by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+Netanyahu's comments about the buffer zone came as Israeli military forces pressed ahead with an offensive that the prime minister reiterated will last ""for many more months.""
+Fighting was focused in al-Bureij, Nuseirat, Maghazi and Khan Younis, according to residents, and was backed by intensive air strikes that filled hospitals with wounded Palestinians.
+The bombardment has killed 165 people and wounded 250 others in Gaza over the past 24 hours, Palestinian health authorities said.
+At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the biggest medical facility in the south of the crowded territory, a Red Crescent video showed paramedics rushing a tiny, dust-covered baby into a ward as one shouted ""there is breathing, there is breathing"".
+Almost all Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been forced from their homes by Israel's 12-week assault, triggered after Hamas and allied groups killed 1,200 people and captured 240 hostages in a rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
+The offensive has killed at least 21,672 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza, with more than 56,000 injured and thousands more feared dead under the rubble.
+Israel says 172 of its military personnel have been killed in the Gaza fighting.
+On Saturday, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said an Israeli soldier being held captive in Gaza by the group had been killed in an Israeli air strike that also wounded some of his captors.
+A spokesperson for the group told Al Araby television the air strike followed a failed attempt by Israeli commandos to free the soldier.
+The spokesperson gave no details of location or when the soldier had been taken captive.
+The Israeli military declined comment.
+FLEEING BOMBARDMENT
+The conflict risks spreading across the region, drawing in Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, that have exchanged fire with Israel and its U.S. ally, or targeted merchant shipping.
+Bombardment has smashed houses, apartment blocks, businesses and hospitals. On Saturday the Palestinian Culture Ministry said Israeli strikes had struck a medieval bathhouse. Gaza's Great Mosque was hit earlier in the war.
+Ziad, a medic in Maghazi in central Gaza, was fleeing with his three children to Rafah, on the border with Egypt.
+""We want a ceasefire now,"" he said. ""Enough, more than enough, already.""
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday troops were reaching Hamas command centres and arms depots. Pictures released by the military showed soldiers moving across churned-up earth among ruins of destroyed buildings.
+The Israeli military said it had destroyed a tunnel complex in the basement of one of the houses of the Hamas leader for Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza City. Troops also raided the Hamas military intelligence headquarters and an Islamic Jihad command centre in Khan Younis, and destroyed targets including a weapons foundry, a military statement said.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad - both sworn to Israel's destruction - said in separate statements their fighters destroyed and damaged several Israeli tanks and troop carriers in attacks across Gaza on Saturday. They also said they fired mortars against Israeli forces in Khan Younis and Al-Bureij as well as in northern Gaza.
+Israel's stated aim is to destroy Hamas and while the U.S. has called for it to scale down the war and move to targeted operations against the group's leaders, so far it shows no sign of doing so.
+VACCINES FOR GAZA
+Israel said on Friday it had facilitated the entry of vaccines into Gaza in coordination with UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency, to help prevent the spread of disease.
+The little aid reaching the enclave since the start of the war, when Israel imposed a near total blockade on all food, medicine and fuel, has come across the border with Egypt.
+Israel has only allowed access to the south of the enclave, where it started ordering all Gaza civilians to move from October, and aid agencies have said Israeli inspections have stopped all but a small fraction of needed supplies getting in.
+The Israeli government said it does not limit humanitarian aid and the problem was with distribution inside Gaza.
+Al-Bureij, Nuseirat and Khan Younis are three of eight camps set up in Gaza for some of the Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during Israel's creation in 1948. The camps have gradually become crowded urban areas after decades of building. Other Palestinian refugees live in camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the West Bank.
+The Gaza war has also stoked violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. On Saturday, Israeli troops shot a Palestinian motorist who tried to ram them near the West Bank city of Hebron, the army said. He was killed in the incident, the Palestinian health ministry said.
+A Palestinian journalist working for Al-Quds TV was killed along with some of his family members in an airstrike on their house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip on Friday, health officials and fellow journalists said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel seeks full control of Gaza-Egypt border, Netanyahu says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Israel must take full control of the Gaza Strip border corridor with Egypt to ensure a ""demilitarisation"" of the area, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday, as Israel's military pushed deeper into central and southern Gaza.  Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu said: ""The Philadelphi Corridor - or to put it more correctly, the southern closing point (of Gaza) - must be in our hands. It must be shut. It is clear that any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarisation that we seek."" He did not elaborate. If accomplished, such a move would mark a de facto reversal of Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, placing the enclave under exclusive Israeli control after years being run by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Netanyahu's comments about the buffer zone came as Israeli military forces pressed ahead with an offensive that the prime minister reiterated will last ""for many more months.""
+Fighting was focused in al-Bureij, Nuseirat, Maghazi and Khan Younis, according to residents, and was backed by intensive air strikes that filled hospitals with wounded Palestinians. The bombardment has killed 165 people and wounded 250 others in Gaza over the past 24 hours, Palestinian health authorities said.  At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the biggest medical facility in the south of the crowded territory, a Red Crescent video showed paramedics rushing a tiny, dust-covered baby into a ward as one shouted ""there is breathing, there is breathing"".
+Almost all Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been forced from their homes by Israel's 12-week assault, triggered after Hamas and allied groups killed 1,200 people and captured 240 hostages in a rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
+The offensive has killed at least 21,672 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza, with more than 56,000 injured and thousands more feared dead under the rubble. Israel says 172 of its military personnel have been killed in the Gaza fighting. On Saturday, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said an Israeli soldier being held captive in Gaza by the group had been killed in an Israeli air strike that also wounded some of his captors. A spokesperson for the group told Al Araby television the air strike followed a failed attempt by Israeli commandos to free the soldier.
+The spokesperson gave no details of location or when the soldier had been taken captive. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fighting-between-israeli-forces-hamas-rages-after-nearly-200-killed-gaza-2023-12-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel seeks full control of Gaza-Egypt border, Netanyahu says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Israel must take full control of the Gaza Strip border corridor with Egypt to ensure a ""demilitarisation"" of the area, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday, as Israel's military pushed deeper into central and southern Gaza.
+Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu said: ""The Philadelphi Corridor - or to put it more correctly, the southern closing point (of Gaza) - must be in our hands. It must be shut. It is clear that any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarisation that we seek.""
+He did not elaborate. If accomplished, such a move would mark a de facto reversal of Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, placing the enclave under exclusive Israeli control after years being run by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+Netanyahu's comments about the buffer zone came as Israeli military forces pressed ahead with an offensive that the prime minister reiterated will last ""for many more months.""
+Fighting was focused in al-Bureij, Nuseirat, Maghazi and Khan Younis, according to residents, and was backed by intensive air strikes that filled hospitals with wounded Palestinians.
+The bombardment has killed 165 people and wounded 250 others in Gaza over the past 24 hours, Palestinian health authorities said.
+At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the biggest medical facility in the south of the crowded territory, a Red Crescent video showed paramedics rushing a tiny, dust-covered baby into a ward as one shouted ""there is breathing, there is breathing"".
+Almost all Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been forced from their homes by Israel's 12-week assault, triggered after Hamas and allied groups killed 1,200 people and captured 240 hostages in a rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
+The offensive has killed at least 21,672 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza, with more than 56,000 injured and thousands more feared dead under the rubble.
+Israel says 172 of its military personnel have been killed in the Gaza fighting.
+On Saturday, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said an Israeli soldier being held captive in Gaza by the group had been killed in an Israeli air strike that also wounded some of his captors.
+A spokesperson for the group told Al Araby television the air strike followed a failed attempt by Israeli commandos to free the soldier.
+The spokesperson gave no details of location or when the soldier had been taken captive.
+The Israeli military declined comment.
+FLEEING BOMBARDMENT
+The conflict risks spreading across the region, drawing in Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, that have exchanged fire with Israel and its U.S. ally, or targeted merchant shipping.
+Bombardment has smashed houses, apartment blocks, businesses and hospitals. On Saturday the Palestinian Culture Ministry said Israeli strikes had struck a medieval bathhouse. Gaza's Great Mosque was hit earlier in the war.
+Ziad, a medic in Maghazi in central Gaza, was fleeing with his three children to Rafah, on the border with Egypt.
+""We want a ceasefire now,"" he said. ""Enough, more than enough, already.""
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday troops were reaching Hamas command centres and arms depots. Pictures released by the military showed soldiers moving across churned-up earth among ruins of destroyed buildings.
+The Israeli military said it had destroyed a tunnel complex in the basement of one of the houses of the Hamas leader for Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza City. Troops also raided the Hamas military intelligence headquarters and an Islamic Jihad command centre in Khan Younis, and destroyed targets including a weapons foundry, a military statement said.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad - both sworn to Israel's destruction - said in separate statements their fighters destroyed and damaged several Israeli tanks and troop carriers in attacks across Gaza on Saturday. They also said they fired mortars against Israeli forces in Khan Younis and Al-Bureij as well as in northern Gaza.
+Israel's stated aim is to destroy Hamas and while the U.S. has called for it to scale down the war and move to targeted operations against the group's leaders, so far it shows no sign of doing so.
+VACCINES FOR GAZA
+Israel said on Friday it had facilitated the entry of vaccines into Gaza in coordination with UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency, to help prevent the spread of disease.
+The little aid reaching the enclave since the start of the war, when Israel imposed a near total blockade on all food, medicine and fuel, has come across the border with Egypt.
+Israel has only allowed access to the south of the enclave, where it started ordering all Gaza civilians to move from October, and aid agencies have said Israeli inspections have stopped all but a small fraction of needed supplies getting in.
+The Israeli government said it does not limit humanitarian aid and the problem was with distribution inside Gaza.
+Al-Bureij, Nuseirat and Khan Younis are three of eight camps set up in Gaza for some of the Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during Israel's creation in 1948. The camps have gradually become crowded urban areas after decades of building. Other Palestinian refugees live in camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the West Bank.
+The Gaza war has also stoked violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. On Saturday, Israeli troops shot a Palestinian motorist who tried to ram them near the West Bank city of Hebron, the army said. He was killed in the incident, the Palestinian health ministry said.
+A Palestinian journalist working for Al-Quds TV was killed along with some of his family members in an airstrike on their house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip on Friday, health officials and fellow journalists said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Israeli military declined comment.
+FLEEING BOMBARDMENT
+The conflict risks spreading across the region, drawing in Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, that have exchanged fire with Israel and its U.S. ally, or targeted merchant shipping.
+Bombardment has smashed houses, apartment blocks, businesses and hospitals. On Saturday the Palestinian Culture Ministry said Israeli strikes had struck a medieval bathhouse. Gaza's Great Mosque was hit earlier in the war. Ziad, a medic in Maghazi in central Gaza, was fleeing with his three children to Rafah, on the border with Egypt.
+""We want a ceasefire now,"" he said. ""Enough, more than enough, already. "" Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday troops were reaching Hamas command centres and arms depots. Pictures released by the military showed soldiers moving across churned-up earth among ruins of destroyed buildings. The Israeli military said it had destroyed a tunnel complex in the basement of one of the houses of the Hamas leader for Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza City. Troops also raided the Hamas military intelligence headquarters and an Islamic Jihad command centre in Khan Younis, and destroyed targets including a weapons foundry, a military statement said.  Hamas and Islamic Jihad - both sworn to Israel's destruction - said in separate statements their fighters destroyed and damaged several Israeli tanks and troop carriers in attacks across Gaza on Saturday. They also said they fired mortars against Israeli forces in Khan Younis and Al-Bureij as well as in northern Gaza. Israel's stated aim is to destroy Hamas and while the U.S. has called for it to scale down the war and move to targeted operations against the group's leaders, so far it shows no sign of doing so. VACCINES FOR GAZA
+Israel said on Friday it had facilitated the entry of vaccines into Gaza in coordination with UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency, to help prevent the spread of disease. The little aid reaching the enclave since the start of the war, when Israel imposed a near total blockade on all food, medicine and fuel, has come across the border with Egypt. Israel has only allowed access to the south of the enclave, where it started ordering all Gaza civilians to move from October, and aid agencies have said Israeli inspections have stopped all but a small fraction of needed supplies getting in. The Israeli government said it does not limit humanitarian aid and the problem was with distribution inside Gaza. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fighting-between-israeli-forces-hamas-rages-after-nearly-200-killed-gaza-2023-12-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel seeks full control of Gaza-Egypt border, Netanyahu says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Israel must take full control of the Gaza Strip border corridor with Egypt to ensure a ""demilitarisation"" of the area, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday, as Israel's military pushed deeper into central and southern Gaza.
+Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu said: ""The Philadelphi Corridor - or to put it more correctly, the southern closing point (of Gaza) - must be in our hands. It must be shut. It is clear that any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarisation that we seek.""
+He did not elaborate. If accomplished, such a move would mark a de facto reversal of Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, placing the enclave under exclusive Israeli control after years being run by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+Netanyahu's comments about the buffer zone came as Israeli military forces pressed ahead with an offensive that the prime minister reiterated will last ""for many more months.""
+Fighting was focused in al-Bureij, Nuseirat, Maghazi and Khan Younis, according to residents, and was backed by intensive air strikes that filled hospitals with wounded Palestinians.
+The bombardment has killed 165 people and wounded 250 others in Gaza over the past 24 hours, Palestinian health authorities said.
+At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the biggest medical facility in the south of the crowded territory, a Red Crescent video showed paramedics rushing a tiny, dust-covered baby into a ward as one shouted ""there is breathing, there is breathing"".
+Almost all Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been forced from their homes by Israel's 12-week assault, triggered after Hamas and allied groups killed 1,200 people and captured 240 hostages in a rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
+The offensive has killed at least 21,672 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza, with more than 56,000 injured and thousands more feared dead under the rubble.
+Israel says 172 of its military personnel have been killed in the Gaza fighting.
+On Saturday, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said an Israeli soldier being held captive in Gaza by the group had been killed in an Israeli air strike that also wounded some of his captors.
+A spokesperson for the group told Al Araby television the air strike followed a failed attempt by Israeli commandos to free the soldier.
+The spokesperson gave no details of location or when the soldier had been taken captive.
+The Israeli military declined comment.
+FLEEING BOMBARDMENT
+The conflict risks spreading across the region, drawing in Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, that have exchanged fire with Israel and its U.S. ally, or targeted merchant shipping.
+Bombardment has smashed houses, apartment blocks, businesses and hospitals. On Saturday the Palestinian Culture Ministry said Israeli strikes had struck a medieval bathhouse. Gaza's Great Mosque was hit earlier in the war.
+Ziad, a medic in Maghazi in central Gaza, was fleeing with his three children to Rafah, on the border with Egypt.
+""We want a ceasefire now,"" he said. ""Enough, more than enough, already.""
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday troops were reaching Hamas command centres and arms depots. Pictures released by the military showed soldiers moving across churned-up earth among ruins of destroyed buildings.
+The Israeli military said it had destroyed a tunnel complex in the basement of one of the houses of the Hamas leader for Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza City. Troops also raided the Hamas military intelligence headquarters and an Islamic Jihad command centre in Khan Younis, and destroyed targets including a weapons foundry, a military statement said.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad - both sworn to Israel's destruction - said in separate statements their fighters destroyed and damaged several Israeli tanks and troop carriers in attacks across Gaza on Saturday. They also said they fired mortars against Israeli forces in Khan Younis and Al-Bureij as well as in northern Gaza.
+Israel's stated aim is to destroy Hamas and while the U.S. has called for it to scale down the war and move to targeted operations against the group's leaders, so far it shows no sign of doing so.
+VACCINES FOR GAZA
+Israel said on Friday it had facilitated the entry of vaccines into Gaza in coordination with UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency, to help prevent the spread of disease.
+The little aid reaching the enclave since the start of the war, when Israel imposed a near total blockade on all food, medicine and fuel, has come across the border with Egypt.
+Israel has only allowed access to the south of the enclave, where it started ordering all Gaza civilians to move from October, and aid agencies have said Israeli inspections have stopped all but a small fraction of needed supplies getting in.
+The Israeli government said it does not limit humanitarian aid and the problem was with distribution inside Gaza.
+Al-Bureij, Nuseirat and Khan Younis are three of eight camps set up in Gaza for some of the Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during Israel's creation in 1948. The camps have gradually become crowded urban areas after decades of building. Other Palestinian refugees live in camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the West Bank.
+The Gaza war has also stoked violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. On Saturday, Israeli troops shot a Palestinian motorist who tried to ram them near the West Bank city of Hebron, the army said. He was killed in the incident, the Palestinian health ministry said.
+A Palestinian journalist working for Al-Quds TV was killed along with some of his family members in an airstrike on their house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip on Friday, health officials and fellow journalists said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Al-Bureij, Nuseirat and Khan Younis are three of eight camps set up in Gaza for some of the Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during Israel's creation in 1948. The camps have gradually become crowded urban areas after decades of building. Other Palestinian refugees live in camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the West Bank. The Gaza war has also stoked violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. On Saturday, Israeli troops shot a Palestinian motorist who tried to ram them near the West Bank city of Hebron, the army said. He was killed in the incident, the Palestinian health ministry said.  A Palestinian journalist working for Al-Quds TV was killed along with some of his family members in an airstrike on their house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip on Friday, health officials and fellow journalists said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-arrested-under-israeli-occupation-childhood-disrupted-2023-12-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]For Palestinians arrested under occupation, a childhood disrupted[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Fourteen-year-old Abdelrahman al-Zaghal was one of the youngest Palestinians released by Israel in exchange for hostages seized during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led raid on Israel.
+Weeks later, his life still bears little resemblance to that of a normal teenager - he is recovering from serious injuries sustained the day of his arrest, and said his school is still awaiting Israel's permission for him to attend.
+He was shot in August, when he said he left home to buy bread, only to wake up cuffed to a hospital bed, flanked by two police officers and with bullet wounds to the head and pelvis.
+Israel charged Zaghal with hurling a petrol bomb, which he denies. His mother Najah said he was shot by a man guarding a Jewish settlement near their home in East Jerusalem.
+A police statement released the night Zaghal was shot said Border Police officers shot at and critically wounded an unnamed teen after they sensed their lives were in danger.
+As a Jerusalem resident, Zaghal's case went to an Israeli civil court. The judge ordered him placed under house arrest, but outside his neighbourhood, until the end of his trial.
+The day of his release, Zaghal said he jumped for joy. But the celebrations were muted as he was about to undergo surgery for brain damage caused by the shooting, his mother said.
+Among the 240 Palestinians released by Israel during a November pause in the Gaza war, Zaghal is one of 104 under the age of 18. In exchange, Hamas released 110 women, children and foreigners abducted on Oct. 7.
+More than half the Palestinians released as part of the deal were detained without charge, Israel's records showed.
+Since 2000, the Israeli military has detained some 13,000 Palestinian children, almost all boys between the ages of 12 and 17, said Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP).
+""Everywhere a Palestinian child turns, there is the Israeli military to exert some kind of control over their life,"" said DCIP advocacy officer Miranda Cleland.
+Israel says it arrests Palestinians on suspicion of attacking or planning attacks against its citizens. Its military said enforcement agencies in the occupied West Bank ""work to protect the rights of minors throughout all administrative and criminal proceedings"".
+In the West Bank, Palestinians and Israelis are subjected to different legal systems. Palestinians, including minors, are prosecuted in a military court.
+Based on collected affidavits from 766 children detained between 2016 and 2022, DCIP found about 59% were abducted by soldiers at night.
+Some 75% of children were subjected to physical violence and 97% were interrogated without a family member or lawyer present. One in four are placed in solitary confinement for two or more days even before the beginning of a trial, said Cleland.
+Lawyers work on getting children plea deals, she said, because the conviction rate is above 95%.
+One of the challenges in post-release counselling is that teens expect to be re-arrested – and many are, said Dr. Samah Jabr, a psychiatrist who heads the Palestinian Health Ministry's mental health unit.
+Zaghal said he had been detained by Israeli forces twice before. The first time, at 12, he said soldiers beat him with their rifles while he was playing with his cousin in Jericho. He said they accused him of hurling rocks, which he denied.
+Throwing stones is the most common charge against Palestinian minors detained in the West Bank, punishable by up to 20 years in prison under Israeli military law, said Palestinian rights group Addameer.
+Zaghal remembers going to swim at a Tel Aviv pool with his late father on the weekends, and wants to become a lifeguard. He said he loved school and was eager to go back.
+Israel's Education Ministry said Palestinians released from Israeli detention would not attend its schools until January 2024 and would instead be visited by assigned officers.
+It did not respond to Reuters questions on the reason for this decision.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]For Palestinians arrested under occupation , a childhood disrupted[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Fourteen-year-old Abdelrahman al-Zaghal was one of the youngest Palestinians released by Israel in exchange for hostages seized during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led raid on Israel. Weeks later, his life still bears little resemblance to that of a normal teenager - he is recovering from serious injuries sustained the day of his arrest, and said his school is still awaiting Israel's permission for him to attend.
+He was shot in August, when he said he left home to buy bread, only to wake up cuffed to a hospital bed, flanked by two police officers and with bullet wounds to the head and pelvis.  Israel charged Zaghal with hurling a petrol bomb, which he denies. His mother Najah said he was shot by a man guarding a Jewish settlement near their home in East Jerusalem. A police statement released the night Zaghal was shot said Border Police officers shot at and critically wounded an unnamed teen after they sensed their lives were in danger.
+As a Jerusalem resident, Zaghal's case went to an Israeli civil court. The judge ordered him placed under house arrest, but outside his neighbourhood, until the end of his trial. The day of his release, Zaghal said he jumped for joy. But the celebrations were muted as he was about to undergo surgery for brain damage caused by the shooting , his mother said.  Among the 240 Palestinians released by Israel during a November pause in the Gaza war, Zaghal is one of 104 under the age of 18. In exchange, Hamas released 110 women, children and foreigners abducted on Oct. 7. More than half the Palestinians released as part of the deal were detained without charge, Israel's records showed. Since 2000, the Israeli military has detained some 13,000 Palestinian children, almost all boys between the ages of 12 and 17, said Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP).
+""Everywhere a Palestinian child turns, there is the Israeli military to exert some kind of control over their life,"" said DCIP advocacy officer Miranda Cleland.  Israel says it arrests Palestinians on suspicion of attacking or planning attacks against its citizens. Its military said enforcement agencies in the occupied West Bank ""work to protect the rights of minors throughout all administrative and criminal proceedings"".  In the West Bank, Palestinians and Israelis are subjected to different legal systems. Palestinians, including minors, are prosecuted in a military court."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-arrested-under-israeli-occupation-childhood-disrupted-2023-12-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]For Palestinians arrested under occupation, a childhood disrupted[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Fourteen-year-old Abdelrahman al-Zaghal was one of the youngest Palestinians released by Israel in exchange for hostages seized during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led raid on Israel.
+Weeks later, his life still bears little resemblance to that of a normal teenager - he is recovering from serious injuries sustained the day of his arrest, and said his school is still awaiting Israel's permission for him to attend.
+He was shot in August, when he said he left home to buy bread, only to wake up cuffed to a hospital bed, flanked by two police officers and with bullet wounds to the head and pelvis.
+Israel charged Zaghal with hurling a petrol bomb, which he denies. His mother Najah said he was shot by a man guarding a Jewish settlement near their home in East Jerusalem.
+A police statement released the night Zaghal was shot said Border Police officers shot at and critically wounded an unnamed teen after they sensed their lives were in danger.
+As a Jerusalem resident, Zaghal's case went to an Israeli civil court. The judge ordered him placed under house arrest, but outside his neighbourhood, until the end of his trial.
+The day of his release, Zaghal said he jumped for joy. But the celebrations were muted as he was about to undergo surgery for brain damage caused by the shooting, his mother said.
+Among the 240 Palestinians released by Israel during a November pause in the Gaza war, Zaghal is one of 104 under the age of 18. In exchange, Hamas released 110 women, children and foreigners abducted on Oct. 7.
+More than half the Palestinians released as part of the deal were detained without charge, Israel's records showed.
+Since 2000, the Israeli military has detained some 13,000 Palestinian children, almost all boys between the ages of 12 and 17, said Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP).
+""Everywhere a Palestinian child turns, there is the Israeli military to exert some kind of control over their life,"" said DCIP advocacy officer Miranda Cleland.
+Israel says it arrests Palestinians on suspicion of attacking or planning attacks against its citizens. Its military said enforcement agencies in the occupied West Bank ""work to protect the rights of minors throughout all administrative and criminal proceedings"".
+In the West Bank, Palestinians and Israelis are subjected to different legal systems. Palestinians, including minors, are prosecuted in a military court.
+Based on collected affidavits from 766 children detained between 2016 and 2022, DCIP found about 59% were abducted by soldiers at night.
+Some 75% of children were subjected to physical violence and 97% were interrogated without a family member or lawyer present. One in four are placed in solitary confinement for two or more days even before the beginning of a trial, said Cleland.
+Lawyers work on getting children plea deals, she said, because the conviction rate is above 95%.
+One of the challenges in post-release counselling is that teens expect to be re-arrested – and many are, said Dr. Samah Jabr, a psychiatrist who heads the Palestinian Health Ministry's mental health unit.
+Zaghal said he had been detained by Israeli forces twice before. The first time, at 12, he said soldiers beat him with their rifles while he was playing with his cousin in Jericho. He said they accused him of hurling rocks, which he denied.
+Throwing stones is the most common charge against Palestinian minors detained in the West Bank, punishable by up to 20 years in prison under Israeli military law, said Palestinian rights group Addameer.
+Zaghal remembers going to swim at a Tel Aviv pool with his late father on the weekends, and wants to become a lifeguard. He said he loved school and was eager to go back.
+Israel's Education Ministry said Palestinians released from Israeli detention would not attend its schools until January 2024 and would instead be visited by assigned officers.
+It did not respond to Reuters questions on the reason for this decision.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Based on collected affidavits from 766 children detained between 2016 and 2022, DCIP found about 59% were abducted by soldiers at night.  Some 75% of children were subjected to physical violence and 97% were interrogated without a family member or lawyer present. One in four are placed in solitary confinement for two or more days even before the beginning of a trial, said Cleland. Lawyers work on getting children plea deals, she said, because the conviction rate is above 95%. One of the challenges in post-release counselling is that teens expect to be re-arrested – and many are, said Dr. Samah Jabr, a psychiatrist who heads the Palestinian Health Ministry's mental health unit.  Zaghal said he had been detained by Israeli forces twice before. The first time, at 12, he said soldiers beat him with their rifles while he was playing with his cousin in Jericho. He said they accused him of hurling rocks, which he denied. Throwing stones is the most common charge against Palestinian minors detained in the West Bank, punishable by up to 20 years in prison under Israeli military law, said Palestinian rights group Addameer.  Zaghal remembers going to swim at a Tel Aviv pool with his late father on the weekends, and wants to become a lifeguard. He said he loved school and was eager to go back. Israel's Education Ministry said Palestinians released from Israeli detention would not attend its schools until January 2024 and would instead be visited by assigned officers. It did not respond to Reuters questions on the reason for this decision.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/south-africa-seeks-international-court-justice-genocide-order-against-israel-2023-12-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]South Africa files genocide case against Israel at World Court[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMSTERDAM/CAPE TOWN, Dec 29 (Reuters) - South Africa asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday for an urgent order declaring that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its crackdown against the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.
+The ICJ, sometimes known as the World Court, is the United Nations venue for resolving disputes between states. Israel's foreign ministry said in a reaction that the suit was ""baseless.""
+South Africa's filing alleged Israel was violating its obligations under the treaty, drafted in the wake of the Holocaust, which makes it a crime to attempt to destroy a people in whole or in part.
+It asked the court to issue provisional, or short-term, measures ordering Israel to stop its military campaign in Gaza, which it said were ""necessary in this case to protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people.""
+No date has been set for a hearing.
+While the ICJ in The Hague is considered the U.N.'s highest court, its rulings are sometimes ignored. In March 2022 the court ordered Russia to immediately halt its military campaign in Ukraine.
+ISRAEL REJECTS FILING
+War began on Oct. 7 when militants of the Islamist group Hamas killed 1,200 people in a cross-border attack on Israel and seized 240 hostages by Israel's count. Israel responded with an assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza, killing more than 21,000 people, Palestinian health officials say.
+In a first response to South Africa's suit, Israel's foreign ministry blamed Hamas for the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by using them as human shields and stealing humanitarian aid from them, accusations Hamas denies.
+""Israel has made it clear that the residents of the Gaza Strip are not the enemy, and is making every effort to limit harm to the non-involved,"" the ministry statement said.
+Palestine, whose statehood is contested but is seen by the court as having ""observer state"" status, said it welcomed South Africa's suit.
+""The court must immediately take action to protect the Palestinian people and call on Israel, the occupying power, to halt its onslaught,"" the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
+The court application is the latest move by South Africa, a critic of Israel's war, to ratchet up pressure after its lawmakers last month voted in favour of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending diplomatic relations.
+In a statement from South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the government said the application against Israel was filed on Friday.
+""Israel, since 7 October 2023 in particular, has failed to prevent genocide and has failed to prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide,"" DIRCO said in a statement.
+South Africa has backed the Palestinian cause for statehood in Israeli-occupied territories for decades, likening the plight of Palestinians to those of the Black majority in South Africa during the repressive apartheid era, a comparison that Israel vehemently denies.
+A different court in The Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC), is separately investigating alleged atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, but has not named any suspects. Israel is not a member of the ICC and rejects its jurisdiction.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]South Africa files genocide case against Israel at World Court[/TITLE] [CONTENT]AMSTERDAM/CAPE TOWN, Dec 29 (Reuters) - South Africa asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday for an urgent order declaring that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its crackdown against the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza. The ICJ, sometimes known as the World Court, is the United Nations venue for resolving disputes between states. Israel's foreign ministry said in a reaction that the suit was ""baseless."" South Africa's filing alleged Israel was violating its obligations under the treaty, drafted in the wake of the Holocaust, which makes it a crime to attempt to destroy a people in whole or in part.  It asked the court to issue provisional, or short-term, measures ordering Israel to stop its military campaign in Gaza, which it said were ""necessary in this case to protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people.""
+No date has been set for a hearing.
+While the ICJ in The Hague is considered the U.N.'s highest court, its rulings are sometimes ignored. In March 2022 the court ordered Russia to immediately halt its military campaign in Ukraine.  ISRAEL REJECTS FILING
+War began on Oct. 7 when militants of the Islamist group Hamas killed 1,200 people in a cross-border attack on Israel and seized 240 hostages by Israel's count. Israel responded with an assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza, killing more than 21,000 people, Palestinian health officials say. In a first response to South Africa's suit, Israel's foreign ministry blamed Hamas for the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by using them as human shields and stealing humanitarian aid from them, accusations Hamas denies. ""Israel has made it clear that the residents of the Gaza Strip are not the enemy, and is making every effort to limit harm to the non-involved,"" the ministry statement said. Palestine, whose statehood is contested but is seen by the court as having ""observer state"" status, said it welcomed South Africa's suit.
+""The court must immediately take action to protect the Palestinian people and call on Israel, the occupying power, to halt its onslaught,"" the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The court application is the latest move by South Africa, a critic of Israel's war, to ratchet up pressure after its lawmakers last month voted in favour of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending diplomatic relations."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/south-africa-seeks-international-court-justice-genocide-order-against-israel-2023-12-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]South Africa files genocide case against Israel at World Court[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMSTERDAM/CAPE TOWN, Dec 29 (Reuters) - South Africa asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday for an urgent order declaring that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its crackdown against the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.
+The ICJ, sometimes known as the World Court, is the United Nations venue for resolving disputes between states. Israel's foreign ministry said in a reaction that the suit was ""baseless.""
+South Africa's filing alleged Israel was violating its obligations under the treaty, drafted in the wake of the Holocaust, which makes it a crime to attempt to destroy a people in whole or in part.
+It asked the court to issue provisional, or short-term, measures ordering Israel to stop its military campaign in Gaza, which it said were ""necessary in this case to protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people.""
+No date has been set for a hearing.
+While the ICJ in The Hague is considered the U.N.'s highest court, its rulings are sometimes ignored. In March 2022 the court ordered Russia to immediately halt its military campaign in Ukraine.
+ISRAEL REJECTS FILING
+War began on Oct. 7 when militants of the Islamist group Hamas killed 1,200 people in a cross-border attack on Israel and seized 240 hostages by Israel's count. Israel responded with an assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza, killing more than 21,000 people, Palestinian health officials say.
+In a first response to South Africa's suit, Israel's foreign ministry blamed Hamas for the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by using them as human shields and stealing humanitarian aid from them, accusations Hamas denies.
+""Israel has made it clear that the residents of the Gaza Strip are not the enemy, and is making every effort to limit harm to the non-involved,"" the ministry statement said.
+Palestine, whose statehood is contested but is seen by the court as having ""observer state"" status, said it welcomed South Africa's suit.
+""The court must immediately take action to protect the Palestinian people and call on Israel, the occupying power, to halt its onslaught,"" the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
+The court application is the latest move by South Africa, a critic of Israel's war, to ratchet up pressure after its lawmakers last month voted in favour of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending diplomatic relations.
+In a statement from South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the government said the application against Israel was filed on Friday.
+""Israel, since 7 October 2023 in particular, has failed to prevent genocide and has failed to prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide,"" DIRCO said in a statement.
+South Africa has backed the Palestinian cause for statehood in Israeli-occupied territories for decades, likening the plight of Palestinians to those of the Black majority in South Africa during the repressive apartheid era, a comparison that Israel vehemently denies.
+A different court in The Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC), is separately investigating alleged atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, but has not named any suspects. Israel is not a member of the ICC and rejects its jurisdiction.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In a statement from South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the government said the application against Israel was filed on Friday.
+""Israel, since 7 October 2023 in particular, has failed to prevent genocide and has failed to prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide,"" DIRCO said in a statement.  South Africa has backed the Palestinian cause for statehood in Israeli-occupied territories for decades, likening the plight of Palestinians to those of the Black majority in South Africa during the repressive apartheid era, a comparison that Israel vehemently denies.
+A different court in The Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC), is separately investigating alleged atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, but has not named any suspects. Israel is not a member of the ICC and rejects its jurisdiction.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-step-up-security-measures-new-years-celebrations-2023-12-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]France to step up security measures for New Year's celebrations[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Dec 29 (Reuters) - France will have large numbers of police and soldiers deployed for this weekend's New Year's celebrations due to the 'very high' terrorist threat facing the country, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Friday.
+Darmanin said there would be around 90,000 police deployed across France, with 6,000 of them in Paris. There would also be 5,000 soldiers deployed from the 'Sentinelle' unit, set up to deal with terrorist threats.
+""I have called for an extremely high turnout of police and security forces given the context of the very high terrorist threat due to, clearly, what is happening in Israel and in Palestine,"" Darmanin told reporters.
+European security officials have stated that there is a growing risk of attacks by Islamists radicalised by the Israel-Hamas war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]France to step up security measures for New Year's celebrations[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Dec 29 (Reuters) - France will have large numbers of police and soldiers deployed for this weekend's New Year's celebrations due to the 'very high' terrorist threat facing the country , Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Friday. Darmanin said there would be around 90,000 police deployed across France, with 6,000 of them in Paris. There would also be 5,000 soldiers deployed from the 'Sentinelle' unit, set up to deal with terrorist threats. ""I have called for an extremely high turnout of police and security forces given the context of the very high terrorist threat due to, clearly, what is happening in Israel and in Palestine,"" Darmanin told reporters. European security officials have stated that there is a growing risk of attacks by Islamists radicalised by the Israel-Hamas war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-allies-reluctant-red-sea-task-force-2023-12-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US allies reluctant on Red Sea task force[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/MADRID/ROME, Dec 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden hoped to present a firm international response to Yemen's Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping by launching a new maritime force, but a week after its launch many allies don't want to be associated with it, publicly, or at all.
+Two of America's European allies who were listed as contributors to Operation Prosperity Guardian - Italy and Spain - issued statements appearing to distance themselves from the maritime force.
+The Pentagon says the force is a defensive coalition of more than 20 nations to ensure billions of dollars' worth of commerce can flow freely through a vital shipping chokepoint in Red Sea waters off Yemen.
+But nearly half of those countries have so far not come forward to acknowledge their contributions or allowed the U.S. to do so. Those contributions can range from dispatching warships to merely sending a staff officer.
+The reluctance of some U.S. allies to link themselves to the effort partly reflects the fissures created by the conflict in Gaza, which has seen Biden maintain firm support for Israel even as international criticism rises over its offensive, which Gaza's health ministry says has killed more than 21,000 Palestinians.
+""European governments are very worried that part of their potential electorate will turn against them,"" said David Hernandez, a professor of international relations at the Complutense University of Madrid, noting that the European public is increasingly critical of Israel and wary of being drawn into a conflict.
+The Iran-backed Houthis have attacked or seized a dozen ships with missiles and drones since Nov. 19, trying to inflict an international cost over Israel's campaign, which followed the Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostage.
+The navies of the United States, Britain and France have each shot down Houthi-launched drones or missiles.
+A person familiar with Biden administration thinking said the U.S. believes escalating Houthi attacks call for an international response separate from the conflict raging in Gaza.
+The Rea Sea is the entry point for ships using the Suez Canal, which handles about 12% of worldwide trade and is vital for the movement of goods between Asia and Europe. Houthi attacks have seen some ships rerouted around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, substantially increasing sailing time and costs.
+Denmark's giant container firm Maersk said on Saturday it would resume shipping operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. But Germany's Hapag Lloyd said on Wednesday it still believes the Red Sea is too dangerous and will continue to send ships around the Cape of Good Hope.
+DISCORD OVER GAZA
+While the U.S. says 20 countries have signed up for its maritime task force, it has announced the names of only 12.
+""We'll allow other countries, defer to them to talk about their participation,"" U.S. Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters last week.
+The EU has signaled its support of the maritime task force with a joint statement, opens new tab condemning the Houthi attacks.
+Although Britain, Greece and others have publicly embraced the U.S. operation, several mentioned in the U.S. announcement were quick to say they are not directly involved.
+Italy's defense ministry said that it would send a ship to the Red Sea following requests from Italian ship owners and not as part of the U.S. operation. France said it supports efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea but that its ships would remain under French command.
+Spain has said it will not join Operation Prosperity Guardian and opposes using an existing EU anti-piracy mission, Atalanta, to protect Red Sea shipping. But on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was willing to consider the creation of a different mission to tackle the problem.
+Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates earlier proclaimed no interest in the venture.
+Public anger over Israel's Gaza offensive helps explain some of the reluctance of political leaders. A recent Yougov poll, opens new tab found that strong majorities of Western Europeans - particularly Spain and Italy - think Israel should stop military action in Gaza.
+There is also the risk that participating countries become subject to Houthi retaliation. The person familiar with the U.S. administration's thinking says that it is this risk - rather disagreements over Gaza - driving some countries to steer clear of the effort.
+That appears to be the case for India, which is unlikely to join the U.S. operation, according to a senior Indian military official. An Indian government official said the government worries that aligning itself with the U.S. could make it more of a target.
+One European diplomatic source downplayed concerns about cohesion in the coalition and said the effort was still taking shape and not in jeopardy of falling apart. The source added that Washington's allies understood the challenges confronting Biden at home with regard to the Israel-Gaza war.
+INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED
+In reality, many European and Gulf countries already participate in one of several U.S.-led military groups in the Middle East, including the 39-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
+The EU's Atalanta operation already cooperates in a ""reciprocal relationship"" with CMF, according to a spokesperson for the group.
+That means that some countries not formally joining the Red Sea maritime task force could still coordinate patrols with the U.S. Navy.
+For example, while Italy - a member of Atalanta - has not said it will join Operation Prosperity Guardian, an Italian government source told Reuters that the U.S.-led coalition is satisfied with Italy's contribution.
+The source added that the decision to send a naval frigate as part of existing operations was a way to speed the deployment and did not require a new parliamentary authorization.
+The U.S. effort to draw international support for its Red Sea security push comes as the United States faces pressure on multiple fronts from Iran's military proxies in the region.
+Beyond the Houthis in Yemen, Iran-backed militia have been attacking U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq.
+So far, the United States has carried out limited retaliatory air strikes against the militia in Iraq and Syria, but it has refrained from doing so in Yemen.
+Michael Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East under the Trump administration, said the Pentagon's goal with the new maritime coalition appeared to be to make any future Houthi attacks an international issue in order to divorce it from the Israel-Hamas war.
+""Once the military vessels in Operation Prosperity Guardian start protecting commercial shipping and come under a direct attack, (the Houthis) will be attacking the coalition, not just the U.S.,"" Mulroy said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US allies reluctant on Red Sea task force[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/MADRID/ROME, Dec 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden hoped to present a firm international response to Yemen's Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping by launching a new maritime force, but a week after its launch many allies don't want to be associated with it, publicly, or at all. Two of America's European allies who were listed as contributors to Operation Prosperity Guardian - Italy and Spain - issued statements appearing to distance themselves from the maritime force. The Pentagon says the force is a defensive coalition of more than 20 nations to ensure billions of dollars' worth of commerce can flow freely through a vital shipping chokepoint in Red Sea waters off Yemen.  But nearly half of those countries have so far not come forward to acknowledge their contributions or allowed the U.S. to do so. Those contributions can range from dispatching warships to merely sending a staff officer. The reluctance of some U.S. allies to link themselves to the effort partly reflects the fissures created by the conflict in Gaza, which has seen Biden maintain firm support for Israel even as international criticism rises over its offensive, which Gaza's health ministry says has killed more than 21,000 Palestinians. ""European governments are very worried that part of their potential electorate will turn against them,"" said David Hernandez, a professor of international relations at the Complutense University of Madrid, noting that the European public is increasingly critical of Israel and wary of being drawn into a conflict. The Iran-backed Houthis have attacked or seized a dozen ships with missiles and drones since Nov. 19, trying to inflict an international cost over Israel's campaign, which followed the Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostage. The navies of the United States, Britain and France have each shot down Houthi-launched drones or missiles. A person familiar with Biden administration thinking said the U.S. believes escalating Houthi attacks call for an international response separate from the conflict raging in Gaza.  The Rea Sea is the entry point for ships using the Suez Canal, which handles about 12% of worldwide trade and is vital for the movement of goods between Asia and Europe. Houthi attacks have seen some ships rerouted around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, substantially increasing sailing time and costs.  Denmark's giant container firm Maersk said on Saturday it would resume shipping operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. But Germany's Hapag Lloyd said on Wednesday it still believes the Red Sea is too dangerous and will continue to send ships around the Cape of Good Hope."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-allies-reluctant-red-sea-task-force-2023-12-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US allies reluctant on Red Sea task force[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/MADRID/ROME, Dec 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden hoped to present a firm international response to Yemen's Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping by launching a new maritime force, but a week after its launch many allies don't want to be associated with it, publicly, or at all.
+Two of America's European allies who were listed as contributors to Operation Prosperity Guardian - Italy and Spain - issued statements appearing to distance themselves from the maritime force.
+The Pentagon says the force is a defensive coalition of more than 20 nations to ensure billions of dollars' worth of commerce can flow freely through a vital shipping chokepoint in Red Sea waters off Yemen.
+But nearly half of those countries have so far not come forward to acknowledge their contributions or allowed the U.S. to do so. Those contributions can range from dispatching warships to merely sending a staff officer.
+The reluctance of some U.S. allies to link themselves to the effort partly reflects the fissures created by the conflict in Gaza, which has seen Biden maintain firm support for Israel even as international criticism rises over its offensive, which Gaza's health ministry says has killed more than 21,000 Palestinians.
+""European governments are very worried that part of their potential electorate will turn against them,"" said David Hernandez, a professor of international relations at the Complutense University of Madrid, noting that the European public is increasingly critical of Israel and wary of being drawn into a conflict.
+The Iran-backed Houthis have attacked or seized a dozen ships with missiles and drones since Nov. 19, trying to inflict an international cost over Israel's campaign, which followed the Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostage.
+The navies of the United States, Britain and France have each shot down Houthi-launched drones or missiles.
+A person familiar with Biden administration thinking said the U.S. believes escalating Houthi attacks call for an international response separate from the conflict raging in Gaza.
+The Rea Sea is the entry point for ships using the Suez Canal, which handles about 12% of worldwide trade and is vital for the movement of goods between Asia and Europe. Houthi attacks have seen some ships rerouted around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, substantially increasing sailing time and costs.
+Denmark's giant container firm Maersk said on Saturday it would resume shipping operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. But Germany's Hapag Lloyd said on Wednesday it still believes the Red Sea is too dangerous and will continue to send ships around the Cape of Good Hope.
+DISCORD OVER GAZA
+While the U.S. says 20 countries have signed up for its maritime task force, it has announced the names of only 12.
+""We'll allow other countries, defer to them to talk about their participation,"" U.S. Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters last week.
+The EU has signaled its support of the maritime task force with a joint statement, opens new tab condemning the Houthi attacks.
+Although Britain, Greece and others have publicly embraced the U.S. operation, several mentioned in the U.S. announcement were quick to say they are not directly involved.
+Italy's defense ministry said that it would send a ship to the Red Sea following requests from Italian ship owners and not as part of the U.S. operation. France said it supports efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea but that its ships would remain under French command.
+Spain has said it will not join Operation Prosperity Guardian and opposes using an existing EU anti-piracy mission, Atalanta, to protect Red Sea shipping. But on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was willing to consider the creation of a different mission to tackle the problem.
+Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates earlier proclaimed no interest in the venture.
+Public anger over Israel's Gaza offensive helps explain some of the reluctance of political leaders. A recent Yougov poll, opens new tab found that strong majorities of Western Europeans - particularly Spain and Italy - think Israel should stop military action in Gaza.
+There is also the risk that participating countries become subject to Houthi retaliation. The person familiar with the U.S. administration's thinking says that it is this risk - rather disagreements over Gaza - driving some countries to steer clear of the effort.
+That appears to be the case for India, which is unlikely to join the U.S. operation, according to a senior Indian military official. An Indian government official said the government worries that aligning itself with the U.S. could make it more of a target.
+One European diplomatic source downplayed concerns about cohesion in the coalition and said the effort was still taking shape and not in jeopardy of falling apart. The source added that Washington's allies understood the challenges confronting Biden at home with regard to the Israel-Gaza war.
+INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED
+In reality, many European and Gulf countries already participate in one of several U.S.-led military groups in the Middle East, including the 39-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
+The EU's Atalanta operation already cooperates in a ""reciprocal relationship"" with CMF, according to a spokesperson for the group.
+That means that some countries not formally joining the Red Sea maritime task force could still coordinate patrols with the U.S. Navy.
+For example, while Italy - a member of Atalanta - has not said it will join Operation Prosperity Guardian, an Italian government source told Reuters that the U.S.-led coalition is satisfied with Italy's contribution.
+The source added that the decision to send a naval frigate as part of existing operations was a way to speed the deployment and did not require a new parliamentary authorization.
+The U.S. effort to draw international support for its Red Sea security push comes as the United States faces pressure on multiple fronts from Iran's military proxies in the region.
+Beyond the Houthis in Yemen, Iran-backed militia have been attacking U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq.
+So far, the United States has carried out limited retaliatory air strikes against the militia in Iraq and Syria, but it has refrained from doing so in Yemen.
+Michael Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East under the Trump administration, said the Pentagon's goal with the new maritime coalition appeared to be to make any future Houthi attacks an international issue in order to divorce it from the Israel-Hamas war.
+""Once the military vessels in Operation Prosperity Guardian start protecting commercial shipping and come under a direct attack, (the Houthis) will be attacking the coalition, not just the U.S.,"" Mulroy said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","DISCORD OVER GAZA
+While the U.S. says 20 countries have signed up for its maritime task force, it has announced the names of only 12. ""We'll allow other countries, defer to them to talk about their participation,"" U.S. Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters last week. The EU has signaled its support of the maritime task force with a joint statement, opens new tab condemning the Houthi attacks. Although Britain, Greece and others have publicly embraced the U.S. operation, several mentioned in the U.S. announcement were quick to say they are not directly involved. Italy's defense ministry said that it would send a ship to the Red Sea following requests from Italian ship owners and not as part of the U.S. operation. France said it supports efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea but that its ships would remain under French command.  Spain has said it will not join Operation Prosperity Guardian and opposes using an existing EU anti-piracy mission, Atalanta, to protect Red Sea shipping. But on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was willing to consider the creation of a different mission to tackle the problem. Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates earlier proclaimed no interest in the venture.  Public anger over Israel's Gaza offensive helps explain some of the reluctance of political leaders. A recent Yougov poll, opens new tab found that strong majorities of Western Europeans - particularly Spain and Italy - think Israel should stop military action in Gaza.  There is also the risk that participating countries become subject to Houthi retaliation. The person familiar with the U.S. administration's thinking says that it is this risk - rather disagreements over Gaza - driving some countries to steer clear of the effort.  That appears to be the case for India, which is unlikely to join the U.S. operation, according to a senior Indian military official. An Indian government official said the government worries that aligning itself with the U.S. could make it more of a target.  One European diplomatic source downplayed concerns about cohesion in the coalition and said the effort was still taking shape and not in jeopardy of falling apart. The source added that Washington's allies understood the challenges confronting Biden at home with regard to the Israel-Gaza war. INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED In reality, many European and Gulf countries already participate in one of several U.S.-led military groups in the Middle East, including the 39-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). The EU's Atalanta operation already cooperates in a ""reciprocal relationship"" with CMF, according to a spokesperson for the group. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-allies-reluctant-red-sea-task-force-2023-12-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US allies reluctant on Red Sea task force[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/MADRID/ROME, Dec 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden hoped to present a firm international response to Yemen's Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping by launching a new maritime force, but a week after its launch many allies don't want to be associated with it, publicly, or at all.
+Two of America's European allies who were listed as contributors to Operation Prosperity Guardian - Italy and Spain - issued statements appearing to distance themselves from the maritime force.
+The Pentagon says the force is a defensive coalition of more than 20 nations to ensure billions of dollars' worth of commerce can flow freely through a vital shipping chokepoint in Red Sea waters off Yemen.
+But nearly half of those countries have so far not come forward to acknowledge their contributions or allowed the U.S. to do so. Those contributions can range from dispatching warships to merely sending a staff officer.
+The reluctance of some U.S. allies to link themselves to the effort partly reflects the fissures created by the conflict in Gaza, which has seen Biden maintain firm support for Israel even as international criticism rises over its offensive, which Gaza's health ministry says has killed more than 21,000 Palestinians.
+""European governments are very worried that part of their potential electorate will turn against them,"" said David Hernandez, a professor of international relations at the Complutense University of Madrid, noting that the European public is increasingly critical of Israel and wary of being drawn into a conflict.
+The Iran-backed Houthis have attacked or seized a dozen ships with missiles and drones since Nov. 19, trying to inflict an international cost over Israel's campaign, which followed the Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostage.
+The navies of the United States, Britain and France have each shot down Houthi-launched drones or missiles.
+A person familiar with Biden administration thinking said the U.S. believes escalating Houthi attacks call for an international response separate from the conflict raging in Gaza.
+The Rea Sea is the entry point for ships using the Suez Canal, which handles about 12% of worldwide trade and is vital for the movement of goods between Asia and Europe. Houthi attacks have seen some ships rerouted around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, substantially increasing sailing time and costs.
+Denmark's giant container firm Maersk said on Saturday it would resume shipping operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. But Germany's Hapag Lloyd said on Wednesday it still believes the Red Sea is too dangerous and will continue to send ships around the Cape of Good Hope.
+DISCORD OVER GAZA
+While the U.S. says 20 countries have signed up for its maritime task force, it has announced the names of only 12.
+""We'll allow other countries, defer to them to talk about their participation,"" U.S. Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters last week.
+The EU has signaled its support of the maritime task force with a joint statement, opens new tab condemning the Houthi attacks.
+Although Britain, Greece and others have publicly embraced the U.S. operation, several mentioned in the U.S. announcement were quick to say they are not directly involved.
+Italy's defense ministry said that it would send a ship to the Red Sea following requests from Italian ship owners and not as part of the U.S. operation. France said it supports efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea but that its ships would remain under French command.
+Spain has said it will not join Operation Prosperity Guardian and opposes using an existing EU anti-piracy mission, Atalanta, to protect Red Sea shipping. But on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was willing to consider the creation of a different mission to tackle the problem.
+Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates earlier proclaimed no interest in the venture.
+Public anger over Israel's Gaza offensive helps explain some of the reluctance of political leaders. A recent Yougov poll, opens new tab found that strong majorities of Western Europeans - particularly Spain and Italy - think Israel should stop military action in Gaza.
+There is also the risk that participating countries become subject to Houthi retaliation. The person familiar with the U.S. administration's thinking says that it is this risk - rather disagreements over Gaza - driving some countries to steer clear of the effort.
+That appears to be the case for India, which is unlikely to join the U.S. operation, according to a senior Indian military official. An Indian government official said the government worries that aligning itself with the U.S. could make it more of a target.
+One European diplomatic source downplayed concerns about cohesion in the coalition and said the effort was still taking shape and not in jeopardy of falling apart. The source added that Washington's allies understood the challenges confronting Biden at home with regard to the Israel-Gaza war.
+INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED
+In reality, many European and Gulf countries already participate in one of several U.S.-led military groups in the Middle East, including the 39-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
+The EU's Atalanta operation already cooperates in a ""reciprocal relationship"" with CMF, according to a spokesperson for the group.
+That means that some countries not formally joining the Red Sea maritime task force could still coordinate patrols with the U.S. Navy.
+For example, while Italy - a member of Atalanta - has not said it will join Operation Prosperity Guardian, an Italian government source told Reuters that the U.S.-led coalition is satisfied with Italy's contribution.
+The source added that the decision to send a naval frigate as part of existing operations was a way to speed the deployment and did not require a new parliamentary authorization.
+The U.S. effort to draw international support for its Red Sea security push comes as the United States faces pressure on multiple fronts from Iran's military proxies in the region.
+Beyond the Houthis in Yemen, Iran-backed militia have been attacking U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq.
+So far, the United States has carried out limited retaliatory air strikes against the militia in Iraq and Syria, but it has refrained from doing so in Yemen.
+Michael Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East under the Trump administration, said the Pentagon's goal with the new maritime coalition appeared to be to make any future Houthi attacks an international issue in order to divorce it from the Israel-Hamas war.
+""Once the military vessels in Operation Prosperity Guardian start protecting commercial shipping and come under a direct attack, (the Houthis) will be attacking the coalition, not just the U.S.,"" Mulroy said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","That means that some countries not formally joining the Red Sea maritime task force could still coordinate patrols with the U.S. Navy. For example, while Italy - a member of Atalanta - has not said it will join Operation Prosperity Guardian, an Italian government source told Reuters that the U.S.-led coalition is satisfied with Italy's contribution. The source added that the decision to send a naval frigate as part of existing operations was a way to speed the deployment and did not require a new parliamentary authorization. The U.S. effort to draw international support for its Red Sea security push comes as the United States faces pressure on multiple fronts from Iran's military proxies in the region.
+Beyond the Houthis in Yemen, Iran-backed militia have been attacking U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq. So far, the United States has carried out limited retaliatory air strikes against the militia in Iraq and Syria, but it has refrained from doing so in Yemen. Michael Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East under the Trump administration, said the Pentagon's goal with the new maritime coalition appeared to be to make any future Houthi attacks an international issue in order to divorce it from the Israel-Hamas war.  ""Once the military vessels in Operation Prosperity Guardian start protecting commercial shipping and come under a direct attack, (the Houthis) will be attacking the coalition, not just the U.S.,"" Mulroy said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/dozens-arrested-pro-palestinian-protests-two-major-us-airports-2023-12-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Dozens arrested in pro-Palestinian protests at two major US airports[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Dec 27 (Reuters) - Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked morning traffic on Wednesday around Los Angeles International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport - two of the nation's busiest - in coast-to-coast demonstrations that ended with dozens of arrests.
+Thirty-six people were taken into custody at LAX, where demonstrators became unruly, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
+""Protesters threw a police officer to the ground, used construction debris, road signs, tree branches and blocks of concrete to obstruct"" a road leading into the airport ""while attacking uninvolved passersby in their vehicles,"" police said in a statement.
+Most of those detained were booked on rioting charges and at least one was arrested for battery on a police officer, according to the statement.
+Airport police said the entrance to the complex was reopened within about 45 minutes with ""no impacts to fights,"" the Los Angeles City News Service reported.
+Across the country, the Port Authority Police Department of New York said 26 people were arrested for disorderly conduct and impeding vehicular traffic during a protest along the Van Wyck Expressway inside JFK Airport in Queens.
+During the disruption, the Port Authority dispatched two airport buses offering rides to travelers caught in the resulting traffic backup to help them reach the airport safely, the agency said.
+The roadway was reopened after about 20 minutes, police said.
+Local news coverage of both protests showed demonstrators carrying banners with messages such as ""free Palestine"" and ""divest from genocide,"" in opposition to Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip over the past 11 weeks.
+The protests came as the U.N. health agency reported thousands of people trying to flee fighting that has raged in the coastal Palestinian enclave since the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7.
+Some 1,200 people were killed in the surprise cross-border raid, marking the deadliest day in Israel's history.
+A sustained Israeli counterattack on Gaza by air, land and sea has killed at least 21,000 and wounded more than 55,000 others, according to the Gaza health ministry. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Dozens arrested in pro-Palestinian protests at two major US airports[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Dec 27 (Reuters) - Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked morning traffic on Wednesday around Los Angeles International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport - two of the nation's busiest - in coast-to-coast demonstrations that ended with dozens of arrests. Thirty-six people were taken into custody at LAX, where demonstrators became unruly, the Los Angeles Police Department said. ""Protesters threw a police officer to the ground, used construction debris, road signs, tree branches and blocks of concrete to obstruct"" a road leading into the airport ""while attacking uninvolved passersby in their vehicles,"" police said in a statement. Most of those detained were booked on rioting charges and at least one was arrested for battery on a police officer, according to the statement. Airport police said the entrance to the complex was reopened within about 45 minutes with ""no impacts to fights,"" the Los Angeles City News Service reported. Across the country, the Port Authority Police Department of New York said 26 people were arrested for disorderly conduct and impeding vehicular traffic during a protest along the Van Wyck Expressway inside JFK Airport in Queens. During the disruption, the Port Authority dispatched two airport buses offering rides to travelers caught in the resulting traffic backup to help them reach the airport safely, the agency said. The roadway was reopened after about 20 minutes, police said. Local news coverage of both protests showed demonstrators carrying banners with messages such as ""free Palestine"" and ""divest from genocide,"" in opposition to Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip over the past 11 weeks. The protests came as the U.N. health agency reported thousands of people trying to flee fighting that has raged in the coastal Palestinian enclave since the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7. Some 1,200 people were killed in the surprise cross-border raid, marking the deadliest day in Israel's history.  A sustained Israeli counterattack on Gaza by air, land and sea has killed at least 21,000 and wounded more than 55,000 others, according to the Gaza health ministry. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes.  [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/christmas-day-message-pope-decries-gazas-appalling-harvest-civilian-deaths-2023-12-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Christmas Day message, pope decries Gaza's 'appalling harvest' of civilian deaths[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said in his Christmas message on Monday that children dying in wars, including in Gaza, are the ""little Jesuses of today"" and that Israeli strikes there were reaping an ""appalling harvest"" of innocent civilians.
+In his Christmas Day ""Urbi et Orbi"" (to the city and world) address, Francis also called the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants ""abominable"" and again appealed for the release of around 100 hostages still being held in Gaza.
+Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, he took another swipe at the armaments industry, saying it ultimately controlled the ""puppet-strings of war"".
+The 87-year-old Francis, celebrating the 11th Christmas of his pontificate, called for an end to conflicts, political, social or military, in places including Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and he defended the rights of migrants around the world.
+""How many innocents are being slaughtered in our world! In their mothers' wombs, in odysseys undertaken in desperation and in search of hope, in the lives of all those little ones whose childhood has been devastated by war. They are the little Jesuses of today,"" he said.
+He gave particular attention to the Holy Land, including Gaza, where, according to Palestinian health officials, Israeli air strikes killed at least 78 people in one of the besieged enclave's deadliest nights of Israel's 11-week-old battle with Hamas.
+""May it (peace) come in Israel and Palestine, where war is devastating the lives of those peoples. I embrace them all, particularly the Christian communities of Gaza and the entire Holy Land,"" Francis said.
+Speaking from the same balcony where he first appeared to the world on the night of his election on March 13, 2013, he said his ""heart grieves for the victims of the abominable attack of 7 October"" and again called for the release of hostages.
+'APPALLING HARVEST'
+""I plead for an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims, and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by an opening to the provision of humanitarian aid,"" he said.
+Last week, a U.N.-backed body said in a report that the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza was facing crisis levels of hunger and that the risk of famine was increasing every day.
+The Vatican, which has diplomatic relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, believes a two-state solution is the only answer to the long-running conflict. Francis called for ""persevering dialogue between the parties, sustained by strong political will and the support of the international community"".
+Dedicating an entire paragraph of his message to the weapons trade, Francis said: ""And how can we even speak of peace, when arms production, sales and trade are on the rise?""
+He called for more investigation of the armaments trade.
+""It should be talked about and written about, so as to bring to light the interests and the profits that move the puppet-strings of war,"" he said.a[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Christmas Day message , pope decries Gaza's 'appalling harvest' of civilian deaths[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said in his Christmas message on Monday that children dying in wars, including in Gaza, are the ""little Jesuses of today"" and that Israeli strikes there were reaping an ""appalling harvest"" of innocent civilians.  In his Christmas Day ""Urbi et Orbi"" (to the city and world) address, Francis also called the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants ""abominable"" and again appealed for the release of around 100 hostages still being held in Gaza.
+Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, he took another swipe at the armaments industry, saying it ultimately controlled the ""puppet-strings of war"". The 87-year-old Francis, celebrating the 11th Christmas of his pontificate, called for an end to conflicts, political, social or military, in places including Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and he defended the rights of migrants around the world. ""How many innocents are being slaughtered in our world! In their mothers' wombs, in odysseys undertaken in desperation and in search of hope, in the lives of all those little ones whose childhood has been devastated by war. They are the little Jesuses of today,"" he said. He gave particular attention to the Holy Land, including Gaza, where, according to Palestinian health officials, Israeli air strikes killed at least 78 people in one of the besieged enclave's deadliest nights of Israel's 11-week-old battle with Hamas.  ""May it (peace) come in Israel and Palestine, where war is devastating the lives of those peoples. I embrace them all, particularly the Christian communities of Gaza and the entire Holy Land,"" Francis said. Speaking from the same balcony where he first appeared to the world on the night of his election on March 13, 2013, he said his ""heart grieves for the victims of the abominable attack of 7 October"" and again called for the release of hostages.
+'APPALLING HARVEST'
+""I plead for an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims, and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by an opening to the provision of humanitarian aid,"" he said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/christmas-day-message-pope-decries-gazas-appalling-harvest-civilian-deaths-2023-12-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Christmas Day message, pope decries Gaza's 'appalling harvest' of civilian deaths[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said in his Christmas message on Monday that children dying in wars, including in Gaza, are the ""little Jesuses of today"" and that Israeli strikes there were reaping an ""appalling harvest"" of innocent civilians.
+In his Christmas Day ""Urbi et Orbi"" (to the city and world) address, Francis also called the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants ""abominable"" and again appealed for the release of around 100 hostages still being held in Gaza.
+Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, he took another swipe at the armaments industry, saying it ultimately controlled the ""puppet-strings of war"".
+The 87-year-old Francis, celebrating the 11th Christmas of his pontificate, called for an end to conflicts, political, social or military, in places including Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and he defended the rights of migrants around the world.
+""How many innocents are being slaughtered in our world! In their mothers' wombs, in odysseys undertaken in desperation and in search of hope, in the lives of all those little ones whose childhood has been devastated by war. They are the little Jesuses of today,"" he said.
+He gave particular attention to the Holy Land, including Gaza, where, according to Palestinian health officials, Israeli air strikes killed at least 78 people in one of the besieged enclave's deadliest nights of Israel's 11-week-old battle with Hamas.
+""May it (peace) come in Israel and Palestine, where war is devastating the lives of those peoples. I embrace them all, particularly the Christian communities of Gaza and the entire Holy Land,"" Francis said.
+Speaking from the same balcony where he first appeared to the world on the night of his election on March 13, 2013, he said his ""heart grieves for the victims of the abominable attack of 7 October"" and again called for the release of hostages.
+'APPALLING HARVEST'
+""I plead for an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims, and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by an opening to the provision of humanitarian aid,"" he said.
+Last week, a U.N.-backed body said in a report that the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza was facing crisis levels of hunger and that the risk of famine was increasing every day.
+The Vatican, which has diplomatic relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, believes a two-state solution is the only answer to the long-running conflict. Francis called for ""persevering dialogue between the parties, sustained by strong political will and the support of the international community"".
+Dedicating an entire paragraph of his message to the weapons trade, Francis said: ""And how can we even speak of peace, when arms production, sales and trade are on the rise?""
+He called for more investigation of the armaments trade.
+""It should be talked about and written about, so as to bring to light the interests and the profits that move the puppet-strings of war,"" he said.a[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Last week, a U.N.-backed body said in a report that the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza was facing crisis levels of hunger and that the risk of famine was increasing every day.
+The Vatican, which has diplomatic relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, believes a two-state solution is the only answer to the long-running conflict. Francis called for ""persevering dialogue between the parties, sustained by strong political will and the support of the international community"". Dedicating an entire paragraph of his message to the weapons trade, Francis said: ""And how can we even speak of peace, when arms production, sales and trade are on the rise?""
+He called for more investigation of the armaments trade.  ""It should be talked about and written about, so as to bring to light the interests and the profits that move the puppet-strings of war,"" he said.a[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/thousands-march-rabat-demanding-end-morocco-israel-ties-2023-12-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Thousands march in Rabat demanding end to Morocco-Israel ties[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RABAT, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters staged one of the largest pro-Palestinian marches in Rabat on Sunday since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, demanding an end to Morocco's ties with Israel.
+Protests against Israel's war in Gaza have repeatedly drawn thousands of people in Morocco since the conflict began more than two months ago, mostly led by pan-Arab and Islamist groups.
+Sunday's march was co-organised by leftist groups and the outlawed but tolerated Al-Adl wal-Ihsan Islamists.
+Most of the 10,000 protesters appeared to be Islamists with men marching separately from women, waving Palestinian flags and holding placards reading ""resistance till victory"", ""stop Moroccan government normalization with Israel"" and ""free Palestine"".
+Morocco agreed to strengthen ties with Israel in 2020, under a deal brokered by the U.S. administration under then President Donald Trump that also included Washington recognising Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
+Protesters in Sunday's march also called for a boycott of brands they accuse of supporting Israel.
+Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, after Hamas militants burst across the border fence on Oct. 7 and went on a rampage through Israeli towns, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages.
+Since then, Gaza's health authorities say more than 20,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israeli strikes and a ground offensive, with thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
+Despite their policy of normalising ties with Israel, Moroccan authorities have continued to back the creation of a Palestinian state and have urged a ceasefire in Gaza and the protection of all civilians there.
+Although Morocco and Israel have not yet completed the process of setting up full embassies in each other's countries as they agreed, they have moved closer together, signing a defence cooperation pact.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Thousands march in Rabat demanding end to Morocco-Israel ties[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RABAT, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters staged one of the largest pro-Palestinian marches in Rabat on Sunday since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, demanding an end to Morocco's ties with Israel. Protests against Israel's war in Gaza have repeatedly drawn thousands of people in Morocco since the conflict began more than two months ago, mostly led by pan-Arab and Islamist groups. Sunday's march was co-organised by leftist groups and the outlawed but tolerated Al-Adl wal-Ihsan Islamists. Most of the 10,000 protesters appeared to be Islamists with men marching separately from women, waving Palestinian flags and holding placards reading ""resistance till victory"", ""stop Moroccan government normalization with Israel"" and ""free Palestine"". Morocco agreed to strengthen ties with Israel in 2020, under a deal brokered by the U.S. administration under then President Donald Trump that also included Washington recognising Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Protesters in Sunday's march also called for a boycott of brands they accuse of supporting Israel.
+Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, after Hamas militants burst across the border fence on Oct. 7 and went on a rampage through Israeli towns, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages.  Since then, Gaza's health authorities say more than 20,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israeli strikes and a ground offensive, with thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
+Despite their policy of normalising ties with Israel, Moroccan authorities have continued to back the creation of a Palestinian state and have urged a ceasefire in Gaza and the protection of all civilians there.
+Although Morocco and Israel have not yet completed the process of setting up full embassies in each other's countries as they agreed, they have moved closer together, signing a defence cooperation pact.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/banksy-artwork-showing-drones-stop-sign-stolen-london-2023-12-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Banksy artwork showing drones on a STOP sign stolen in London[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The latest artwork by British street artist Banksy showing three drones plastered across a ""STOP"" traffic sign in south London was removed by an unidentified man shortly after it was unveiled by its creator on Friday.
+Pictures and videos posted online showed the man, with assistance from another person, using pliers to break the sign off its post and run off with it as passersby looked on.
+Banksy posted a picture of the artwork on his website as well as on Instagram, where he has more than 12 million followers. It was not clear if its removal was part of the stunt.
+The red STOP sign had grey drone-like aircraft flying diagonally across it.
+Banksy usually provides confirmation of his work on social media, but gives few other details. The new artwork was revealed at a time of heated discourse over the Israel-Palestine conflict, with world leaders divided over a decision to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
+A U.N. Security Council vote on a bid to boost aid deliveries to Gaza is due later on Friday, after repeated delays by the U.S., which has twice vetoed Security Council action since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+The U.S. and Israel have opposed a ceasefire, believing it would only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and free hostages taken by Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Banksy artwork showing drones on a STOP sign stolen in London[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The latest artwork by British street artist Banksy showing three drones plastered across a ""STOP"" traffic sign in south London was removed by an unidentified man shortly after it was unveiled by its creator on Friday. Pictures and videos posted online showed the man, with assistance from another person, using pliers to break the sign off its post and run off with it as passersby looked on.  Banksy posted a picture of the artwork on his website as well as on Instagram, where he has more than 12 million followers. It was not clear if its removal was part of the stunt.  The red STOP sign had grey drone-like aircraft flying diagonally across it.
+Banksy usually provides confirmation of his work on social media, but gives few other details. The new artwork was revealed at a time of heated discourse over the Israel-Palestine conflict, with world leaders divided over a decision to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. A U.N. Security Council vote on a bid to boost aid deliveries to Gaza is due later on Friday, after repeated delays by the U.S., which has twice vetoed Security Council action since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas. The U.S. and Israel have opposed a ceasefire, believing it would only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and free hostages taken by Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fight-keep-counting-dead-gaza-2023-12-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza death toll: why counting the dead has become a daily struggle[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - In the morgue of the Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza, workers wrap the corpses of people killed in Israeli airstrikes in white cloth amid the stench of death. They record whatever basic facts they can about the dead: name, identity card number, age, sex.
+Some of the bodies are badly mutilated. Only those that have been identified or claimed by relatives can go for burial and be included in the Gaza Health Ministry's death toll for the war. The rest are stored in the morgue's refrigerator, often for weeks.
+The toll reached 20,057 people on Friday, amid renewed international calls for a fresh ceasefire in Gaza. The ministry says thousands more dead remain buried beneath the rubble. About 70% of those killed are women and children, it says.
+The ministry's figures have drawn international attention to the high number of civilians being killed in the Israeli military's offensive, which it launched after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the bloodiest in the country's 75-year history.
+But with most hospitals across Gaza now closed, hundreds of doctors and other health workers killed, and communications hampered by lack of fuel and electricity, it's becoming increasingly difficult to compile the casualty figures.
+The morgue workers at the Nasser Hospital are part of an international effort ��� including doctors and health officials in Gaza as well as academics, activists and volunteers around the world – to ensure the toll doesn't become a casualty of the increasingly dire conditions of the war.
+The workers, some of them volunteers, do not have enough food or water for their families, but they keep going because recording the number of Palestinians dying matters to them, said Hamad Hassan Al Najjar.
+He said the psychological strain of the work was immense. Holding a piece of white paper with handwritten information about one of the dead, the 42-year-old said he was often shocked to find the badly damaged corpse of a friend or relative brought in.
+The body of the morgue's director, Saeed Al-Shorbaji, and those of several of his family members, arrived in early December, after they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, Al Najjar said.
+""He was one of the pillars of this morgue,"" said Al Najjar, his face worn with sadness and fatigue. Preparing the bodies of dead children, some of them missing heads or limbs, was the most painful task: ""It takes you hours to recover your psychological balance, to recover from the effects of this shock.""
+The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has expressed regret for civilian deaths but blamed Hamas – the Palestinian militant group that ran the Gaza Strip - for sheltering in densely populated areas. Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack, most of them civilians, and seized some 240 hostages.
+Israel says it will continue its offensive until Hamas is eliminated, the hostages returned and the threat of future attacks on Israel removed.
+An Israeli military spokesperson said in response to a comment request for this article that the IDF ""follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm"".
+U.N. VOUCHES FOR THE DATA
+The data recorded by Al Najjar and his colleagues is collated by workers at a central information centre set up by the health ministry at the Nasser Hospital, which pools information from the functioning emergency departments and hospitals across Gaza. Ministry staff fled their offices at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza after Israeli forces entered it in mid-November.
+Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra, a 50-year-old doctor, said the team uses a computerized data system established in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO), which obliges hospital workers to fill in mandatory information before a death can be registered.
+""The numbers used by the Ministry of Health reflect verified data,"" said Al-Qidra, noting that many bodies were not being recorded due to lack of information or because they did not pass through hospitals before burial. In Al-Shifa hospital, for example, there are currently no staff so no deaths were being registered, he said: ""The real numbers (of casualties) are much greater than this.""
+Since early December, the ministry has said it was unable to collect regular reports from morgues at hospitals in northern Gaza, amid the collapse of communications services and other infrastructure in Gaza due to the Israeli offensive. According to the WHO, only six of Gaza's 36 hospitals were receiving casualties as of Wednesday, all of them in the south.
+The U.N. health agency cited this as one reason it believes the ministry's tally may be an undercount; the toll also excludes dead who were never taken to hospitals or whose bodies were never recovered. The WHO and other experts said it was not possible for now to determine the extent of any undercounting.
+U.S. President Joe Biden said on Oct. 25 he had ""no confidence"" in the Palestinian data. The ministry's figures say nothing about cause of death, and they don't distinguish between civilians and combatants.
+Following Biden's remark, the ministry released a 212-page report listing 7,028 people killed in the conflict until Oct. 26, including identity cards, names, age and sex. Since then, the ministry has not released such detailed data, making it hard for researchers to corroborate the latest figures.
+However, the United Nations – which has long-standing cooperation with Palestinian health authorities - continues to vouch for the quality of the data. The WHO noted that – compared to previous conflicts in Gaza – the figures show more civilians have been killed, including a greater proportion of women and children.
+Israeli officials this month said they believe the data released to date is broadly accurate; they have estimated that one third of those killed in Gaza are enemy combatants, without providing detailed figures.
+The Palestinian Health Ministry, which is located in the occupied West Bank and pays the salaries of Gazan ministry workers, said it has lost almost all contact recently with hospitals in the enclave. It also has no information on the fate of several hundred health workers arrested by Israeli forces, it added.
+Asked about the arrests, the IDF said it had detained some hospital staff based on intelligence that Hamas was using medical facilities for its operations. Those not involved in these activities were released after questioning, it said, without providing the number of detainees.
+INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
+Academics, advocates and volunteers across Europe, the United States and India are working to analyse the data provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, to corroborate the details of those killed and determine the numbers of civilian casualties.
+Much of this is based on the Oct. 26 list that includes names, identity card numbers, and other details. Some other researchers, meanwhile, are ""scraping"" social media to preserve accounts posted there for future analysis.
+""There are far more eyes and players involved in recording Gaza deaths than is normal and than exist in the world's other worst crises"", said Leslie Roberts, Professor Emeritus of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Roberts has been involved in more than 50 mortality surveys during wars since the early 1990s.
+London-based Airwars – a non-profit affiliated with the department of media and communications at Goldsmiths, University of London, that investigates civilian deaths in conflicts - is using social media and the ministry's Oct. 26 document to compile a detailed record of casualties.
+Airwars director Emily Tripp said some 20 volunteers were working on the project alongside regular staff, and so far it had positively identified some 900 civilians killed in the fighting. Even if the fighting stopped today, it could take another year to finish the survey, she said.
+""What we're also seeing now is civilians who've been killed who are displaced from other areas, so they're not easily identified by their neighbors,"" Tripp told Reuters. ""That makes the process of counting and identification really challenging.""
+Zeina Jamaluddine, a doctoral student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, co-authored an analysis last month in the Lancet medical journal based on the health ministry's Oct. 26 list. The study concluded that the identification numbers of those listed as killed were highly correlated with age, a pattern unlikely to arise from data fabrication.
+She said the Palestinian health authorities' systems for collecting data had been tested over multiple wars and revised through United Nations-backed efforts: ""While no data is 100% perfect, Palestine has high quality data.""
+While excess mortality experts have tools for calculating total deaths after conflicts end, there are challenges to doing so and the final post-war toll could end up being incomplete unless deaths are recorded to the greatest extent possible in real time, she said.
+""Every name on the list represents a person, a life, a story. Each one deserves to be remembered.""
+ENTIRE FAMILIES KILLED
+Researchers use methods such as surveys of households after a conflict is over to estimate the overall toll.
+Household surveys could be difficult following this conflict because in some cases entire families have been killed by bombardments – sometimes dozens of members, according to the Oct. 26 list. More than four-fifth of Gaza's pre-war population has fled their homes - 1.9 million people, according to U.N. figures - and may be difficult to locate, experts say.
+But given how close-knit Gazan society is, there is hope that such studies could eventually be conducted in a meaningful way, said Hamit Dardagan of the Iraq Body Count (IBC), an organisation that records violent deaths resulting from the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The IBC has already published an analysis on age and other characteristics of those killed in Gaza, based on the ministry's Oct. 26 data.
+""The pace of civilian deaths - at least 200 each day since October 7, except for the week-long truce - is unprecedented this century, and was not seen at height of the Iraq invasion,"" Dardagan said.
+It will take years to recover the remains of people from beneath the rubble, and the costly, technical process will not result in the identification of each body, said Dr Gilbert Burnham, a doctor and professor at Johns Hopkins University who has worked since the 1970s on humanitarian health problems in wars.
+In addition to the dead, the ministry says there have been more than 53,300 people wounded in the conflict. The WHO points to the growing risk of disease due to a lack of clean water, food and medical attention.
+Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta, a British-Palestinian surgeon who volunteered in two hospitals in northern Gaza for the first six weeks of the war, said some people were dying because of lack of treatment of open wounds.
+""The death toll is a poor proxy of human suffering"", said Dr Annie Sparrow, a pediatrician who has worked with medics treating the wounded in the Syrian civil war for more than a decade and is an Associate Professor of Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
+But the use of records to fight the fear of erasure runs deep in Palestinian culture, said Abdel Razzaq Takriti, associate professor of Modern Arab History at Rice University in Texas. He quoted from a poem by prominent Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: ""You will be forgotten as if you never were"".
+Takriti said many Palestinians see the Gaza war as part of a history of conflict and displacement by Israeli forces dating back to the Nakba – or catastrophe in Arabic – when more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in what is now Israel during the war over the formation of the country in 1948.
+""For the sake of the present, future, and the past, we need to have an accurate rendition of numbers,"" Takriti said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza death toll: why counting the dead has become a daily struggle[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - In the morgue of the Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza, workers wrap the corpses of people killed in Israeli airstrikes in white cloth amid the stench of death. They record whatever basic facts they can about the dead: name, identity card number, age, sex.  Some of the bodies are badly mutilated. Only those that have been identified or claimed by relatives can go for burial and be included in the Gaza Health Ministry's death toll for the war. The rest are stored in the morgue's refrigerator, often for weeks. The toll reached 20,057 people on Friday, amid renewed international calls for a fresh ceasefire in Gaza. The ministry says thousands more dead remain buried beneath the rubble. About 70% of those killed are women and children, it says. The ministry's figures have drawn international attention to the high number of civilians being killed in the Israeli military's offensive, which it launched after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the bloodiest in the country's 75-year history. But with most hospitals across Gaza now closed, hundreds of doctors and other health workers killed, and communications hampered by lack of fuel and electricity, it's becoming increasingly difficult to compile the casualty figures. The morgue workers at the Nasser Hospital are part of an international effort – including doctors and health officials in Gaza as well as academics, activists and volunteers around the world – to ensure the toll doesn't become a casualty of the increasingly dire conditions of the war. The workers, some of them volunteers, do not have enough food or water for their families, but they keep going because recording the number of Palestinians dying matters to them, said Hamad Hassan Al Najjar.  He said the psychological strain of the work was immense. Holding a piece of white paper with handwritten information about one of the dead, the 42-year-old said he was often shocked to find the badly damaged corpse of a friend or relative brought in.  The body of the morgue's director, Saeed Al-Shorbaji, and those of several of his family members, arrived in early December, after they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, Al Najjar said.
+""He was one of the pillars of this morgue,"" said Al Najjar, his face worn with sadness and fatigue."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fight-keep-counting-dead-gaza-2023-12-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza death toll: why counting the dead has become a daily struggle[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - In the morgue of the Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza, workers wrap the corpses of people killed in Israeli airstrikes in white cloth amid the stench of death. They record whatever basic facts they can about the dead: name, identity card number, age, sex.
+Some of the bodies are badly mutilated. Only those that have been identified or claimed by relatives can go for burial and be included in the Gaza Health Ministry's death toll for the war. The rest are stored in the morgue's refrigerator, often for weeks.
+The toll reached 20,057 people on Friday, amid renewed international calls for a fresh ceasefire in Gaza. The ministry says thousands more dead remain buried beneath the rubble. About 70% of those killed are women and children, it says.
+The ministry's figures have drawn international attention to the high number of civilians being killed in the Israeli military's offensive, which it launched after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the bloodiest in the country's 75-year history.
+But with most hospitals across Gaza now closed, hundreds of doctors and other health workers killed, and communications hampered by lack of fuel and electricity, it's becoming increasingly difficult to compile the casualty figures.
+The morgue workers at the Nasser Hospital are part of an international effort – including doctors and health officials in Gaza as well as academics, activists and volunteers around the world – to ensure the toll doesn't become a casualty of the increasingly dire conditions of the war.
+The workers, some of them volunteers, do not have enough food or water for their families, but they keep going because recording the number of Palestinians dying matters to them, said Hamad Hassan Al Najjar.
+He said the psychological strain of the work was immense. Holding a piece of white paper with handwritten information about one of the dead, the 42-year-old said he was often shocked to find the badly damaged corpse of a friend or relative brought in.
+The body of the morgue's director, Saeed Al-Shorbaji, and those of several of his family members, arrived in early December, after they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, Al Najjar said.
+""He was one of the pillars of this morgue,"" said Al Najjar, his face worn with sadness and fatigue. Preparing the bodies of dead children, some of them missing heads or limbs, was the most painful task: ""It takes you hours to recover your psychological balance, to recover from the effects of this shock.""
+The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has expressed regret for civilian deaths but blamed Hamas – the Palestinian militant group that ran the Gaza Strip - for sheltering in densely populated areas. Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack, most of them civilians, and seized some 240 hostages.
+Israel says it will continue its offensive until Hamas is eliminated, the hostages returned and the threat of future attacks on Israel removed.
+An Israeli military spokesperson said in response to a comment request for this article that the IDF ""follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm"".
+U.N. VOUCHES FOR THE DATA
+The data recorded by Al Najjar and his colleagues is collated by workers at a central information centre set up by the health ministry at the Nasser Hospital, which pools information from the functioning emergency departments and hospitals across Gaza. Ministry staff fled their offices at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza after Israeli forces entered it in mid-November.
+Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra, a 50-year-old doctor, said the team uses a computerized data system established in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO), which obliges hospital workers to fill in mandatory information before a death can be registered.
+""The numbers used by the Ministry of Health reflect verified data,"" said Al-Qidra, noting that many bodies were not being recorded due to lack of information or because they did not pass through hospitals before burial. In Al-Shifa hospital, for example, there are currently no staff so no deaths were being registered, he said: ""The real numbers (of casualties) are much greater than this.""
+Since early December, the ministry has said it was unable to collect regular reports from morgues at hospitals in northern Gaza, amid the collapse of communications services and other infrastructure in Gaza due to the Israeli offensive. According to the WHO, only six of Gaza's 36 hospitals were receiving casualties as of Wednesday, all of them in the south.
+The U.N. health agency cited this as one reason it believes the ministry's tally may be an undercount; the toll also excludes dead who were never taken to hospitals or whose bodies were never recovered. The WHO and other experts said it was not possible for now to determine the extent of any undercounting.
+U.S. President Joe Biden said on Oct. 25 he had ""no confidence"" in the Palestinian data. The ministry's figures say nothing about cause of death, and they don't distinguish between civilians and combatants.
+Following Biden's remark, the ministry released a 212-page report listing 7,028 people killed in the conflict until Oct. 26, including identity cards, names, age and sex. Since then, the ministry has not released such detailed data, making it hard for researchers to corroborate the latest figures.
+However, the United Nations – which has long-standing cooperation with Palestinian health authorities - continues to vouch for the quality of the data. The WHO noted that – compared to previous conflicts in Gaza – the figures show more civilians have been killed, including a greater proportion of women and children.
+Israeli officials this month said they believe the data released to date is broadly accurate; they have estimated that one third of those killed in Gaza are enemy combatants, without providing detailed figures.
+The Palestinian Health Ministry, which is located in the occupied West Bank and pays the salaries of Gazan ministry workers, said it has lost almost all contact recently with hospitals in the enclave. It also has no information on the fate of several hundred health workers arrested by Israeli forces, it added.
+Asked about the arrests, the IDF said it had detained some hospital staff based on intelligence that Hamas was using medical facilities for its operations. Those not involved in these activities were released after questioning, it said, without providing the number of detainees.
+INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
+Academics, advocates and volunteers across Europe, the United States and India are working to analyse the data provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, to corroborate the details of those killed and determine the numbers of civilian casualties.
+Much of this is based on the Oct. 26 list that includes names, identity card numbers, and other details. Some other researchers, meanwhile, are ""scraping"" social media to preserve accounts posted there for future analysis.
+""There are far more eyes and players involved in recording Gaza deaths than is normal and than exist in the world's other worst crises"", said Leslie Roberts, Professor Emeritus of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Roberts has been involved in more than 50 mortality surveys during wars since the early 1990s.
+London-based Airwars – a non-profit affiliated with the department of media and communications at Goldsmiths, University of London, that investigates civilian deaths in conflicts - is using social media and the ministry's Oct. 26 document to compile a detailed record of casualties.
+Airwars director Emily Tripp said some 20 volunteers were working on the project alongside regular staff, and so far it had positively identified some 900 civilians killed in the fighting. Even if the fighting stopped today, it could take another year to finish the survey, she said.
+""What we're also seeing now is civilians who've been killed who are displaced from other areas, so they're not easily identified by their neighbors,"" Tripp told Reuters. ""That makes the process of counting and identification really challenging.""
+Zeina Jamaluddine, a doctoral student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, co-authored an analysis last month in the Lancet medical journal based on the health ministry's Oct. 26 list. The study concluded that the identification numbers of those listed as killed were highly correlated with age, a pattern unlikely to arise from data fabrication.
+She said the Palestinian health authorities' systems for collecting data had been tested over multiple wars and revised through United Nations-backed efforts: ""While no data is 100% perfect, Palestine has high quality data.""
+While excess mortality experts have tools for calculating total deaths after conflicts end, there are challenges to doing so and the final post-war toll could end up being incomplete unless deaths are recorded to the greatest extent possible in real time, she said.
+""Every name on the list represents a person, a life, a story. Each one deserves to be remembered.""
+ENTIRE FAMILIES KILLED
+Researchers use methods such as surveys of households after a conflict is over to estimate the overall toll.
+Household surveys could be difficult following this conflict because in some cases entire families have been killed by bombardments – sometimes dozens of members, according to the Oct. 26 list. More than four-fifth of Gaza's pre-war population has fled their homes - 1.9 million people, according to U.N. figures - and may be difficult to locate, experts say.
+But given how close-knit Gazan society is, there is hope that such studies could eventually be conducted in a meaningful way, said Hamit Dardagan of the Iraq Body Count (IBC), an organisation that records violent deaths resulting from the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The IBC has already published an analysis on age and other characteristics of those killed in Gaza, based on the ministry's Oct. 26 data.
+""The pace of civilian deaths - at least 200 each day since October 7, except for the week-long truce - is unprecedented this century, and was not seen at height of the Iraq invasion,"" Dardagan said.
+It will take years to recover the remains of people from beneath the rubble, and the costly, technical process will not result in the identification of each body, said Dr Gilbert Burnham, a doctor and professor at Johns Hopkins University who has worked since the 1970s on humanitarian health problems in wars.
+In addition to the dead, the ministry says there have been more than 53,300 people wounded in the conflict. The WHO points to the growing risk of disease due to a lack of clean water, food and medical attention.
+Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta, a British-Palestinian surgeon who volunteered in two hospitals in northern Gaza for the first six weeks of the war, said some people were dying because of lack of treatment of open wounds.
+""The death toll is a poor proxy of human suffering"", said Dr Annie Sparrow, a pediatrician who has worked with medics treating the wounded in the Syrian civil war for more than a decade and is an Associate Professor of Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
+But the use of records to fight the fear of erasure runs deep in Palestinian culture, said Abdel Razzaq Takriti, associate professor of Modern Arab History at Rice University in Texas. He quoted from a poem by prominent Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: ""You will be forgotten as if you never were"".
+Takriti said many Palestinians see the Gaza war as part of a history of conflict and displacement by Israeli forces dating back to the Nakba – or catastrophe in Arabic – when more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in what is now Israel during the war over the formation of the country in 1948.
+""For the sake of the present, future, and the past, we need to have an accurate rendition of numbers,"" Takriti said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Preparing the bodies of dead children, some of them missing heads or limbs, was the most painful task: ""It takes you hours to recover your psychological balance, to recover from the effects of this shock.""  The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has expressed regret for civilian deaths but blamed Hamas – the Palestinian militant group that ran the Gaza Strip - for sheltering in densely populated areas. Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack, most of them civilians, and seized some 240 hostages. Israel says it will continue its offensive until Hamas is eliminated, the hostages returned and the threat of future attacks on Israel removed. An Israeli military spokesperson said in response to a comment request for this article that the IDF ""follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm"".
+U.N. VOUCHES FOR THE DATA
+The data recorded by Al Najjar and his colleagues is collated by workers at a central information centre set up by the health ministry at the Nasser Hospital, which pools information from the functioning emergency departments and hospitals across Gaza. Ministry staff fled their offices at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza after Israeli forces entered it in mid-November. Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra, a 50-year-old doctor, said the team uses a computerized data system established in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO), which obliges hospital workers to fill in mandatory information before a death can be registered.  ""The numbers used by the Ministry of Health reflect verified data,"" said Al-Qidra, noting that many bodies were not being recorded due to lack of information or because they did not pass through hospitals before burial. In Al-Shifa hospital, for example, there are currently no staff so no deaths were being registered, he said: ""The real numbers (of casualties) are much greater than this.""  Since early December, the ministry has said it was unable to collect regular reports from morgues at hospitals in northern Gaza, amid the collapse of communications services and other infrastructure in Gaza due to the Israeli offensive. According to the WHO, only six of Gaza's 36 hospitals were receiving casualties as of Wednesday, all of them in the south.  The U.N. health agency cited this as one reason it believes the ministry's tally may be an undercount; the toll also excludes dead who were never taken to hospitals or whose bodies were never recovered. The WHO and other experts said it was not possible for now to determine the extent of any undercounting. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Oct. 25 he had ""no confidence"" in the Palestinian data."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fight-keep-counting-dead-gaza-2023-12-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza death toll: why counting the dead has become a daily struggle[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - In the morgue of the Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza, workers wrap the corpses of people killed in Israeli airstrikes in white cloth amid the stench of death. They record whatever basic facts they can about the dead: name, identity card number, age, sex.
+Some of the bodies are badly mutilated. Only those that have been identified or claimed by relatives can go for burial and be included in the Gaza Health Ministry's death toll for the war. The rest are stored in the morgue's refrigerator, often for weeks.
+The toll reached 20,057 people on Friday, amid renewed international calls for a fresh ceasefire in Gaza. The ministry says thousands more dead remain buried beneath the rubble. About 70% of those killed are women and children, it says.
+The ministry's figures have drawn international attention to the high number of civilians being killed in the Israeli military's offensive, which it launched after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the bloodiest in the country's 75-year history.
+But with most hospitals across Gaza now closed, hundreds of doctors and other health workers killed, and communications hampered by lack of fuel and electricity, it's becoming increasingly difficult to compile the casualty figures.
+The morgue workers at the Nasser Hospital are part of an international effort – including doctors and health officials in Gaza as well as academics, activists and volunteers around the world – to ensure the toll doesn't become a casualty of the increasingly dire conditions of the war.
+The workers, some of them volunteers, do not have enough food or water for their families, but they keep going because recording the number of Palestinians dying matters to them, said Hamad Hassan Al Najjar.
+He said the psychological strain of the work was immense. Holding a piece of white paper with handwritten information about one of the dead, the 42-year-old said he was often shocked to find the badly damaged corpse of a friend or relative brought in.
+The body of the morgue's director, Saeed Al-Shorbaji, and those of several of his family members, arrived in early December, after they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, Al Najjar said.
+""He was one of the pillars of this morgue,"" said Al Najjar, his face worn with sadness and fatigue. Preparing the bodies of dead children, some of them missing heads or limbs, was the most painful task: ""It takes you hours to recover your psychological balance, to recover from the effects of this shock.""
+The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has expressed regret for civilian deaths but blamed Hamas – the Palestinian militant group that ran the Gaza Strip - for sheltering in densely populated areas. Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack, most of them civilians, and seized some 240 hostages.
+Israel says it will continue its offensive until Hamas is eliminated, the hostages returned and the threat of future attacks on Israel removed.
+An Israeli military spokesperson said in response to a comment request for this article that the IDF ""follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm"".
+U.N. VOUCHES FOR THE DATA
+The data recorded by Al Najjar and his colleagues is collated by workers at a central information centre set up by the health ministry at the Nasser Hospital, which pools information from the functioning emergency departments and hospitals across Gaza. Ministry staff fled their offices at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza after Israeli forces entered it in mid-November.
+Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra, a 50-year-old doctor, said the team uses a computerized data system established in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO), which obliges hospital workers to fill in mandatory information before a death can be registered.
+""The numbers used by the Ministry of Health reflect verified data,"" said Al-Qidra, noting that many bodies were not being recorded due to lack of information or because they did not pass through hospitals before burial. In Al-Shifa hospital, for example, there are currently no staff so no deaths were being registered, he said: ""The real numbers (of casualties) are much greater than this.""
+Since early December, the ministry has said it was unable to collect regular reports from morgues at hospitals in northern Gaza, amid the collapse of communications services and other infrastructure in Gaza due to the Israeli offensive. According to the WHO, only six of Gaza's 36 hospitals were receiving casualties as of Wednesday, all of them in the south.
+The U.N. health agency cited this as one reason it believes the ministry's tally may be an undercount; the toll also excludes dead who were never taken to hospitals or whose bodies were never recovered. The WHO and other experts said it was not possible for now to determine the extent of any undercounting.
+U.S. President Joe Biden said on Oct. 25 he had ""no confidence"" in the Palestinian data. The ministry's figures say nothing about cause of death, and they don't distinguish between civilians and combatants.
+Following Biden's remark, the ministry released a 212-page report listing 7,028 people killed in the conflict until Oct. 26, including identity cards, names, age and sex. Since then, the ministry has not released such detailed data, making it hard for researchers to corroborate the latest figures.
+However, the United Nations – which has long-standing cooperation with Palestinian health authorities - continues to vouch for the quality of the data. The WHO noted that – compared to previous conflicts in Gaza – the figures show more civilians have been killed, including a greater proportion of women and children.
+Israeli officials this month said they believe the data released to date is broadly accurate; they have estimated that one third of those killed in Gaza are enemy combatants, without providing detailed figures.
+The Palestinian Health Ministry, which is located in the occupied West Bank and pays the salaries of Gazan ministry workers, said it has lost almost all contact recently with hospitals in the enclave. It also has no information on the fate of several hundred health workers arrested by Israeli forces, it added.
+Asked about the arrests, the IDF said it had detained some hospital staff based on intelligence that Hamas was using medical facilities for its operations. Those not involved in these activities were released after questioning, it said, without providing the number of detainees.
+INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
+Academics, advocates and volunteers across Europe, the United States and India are working to analyse the data provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, to corroborate the details of those killed and determine the numbers of civilian casualties.
+Much of this is based on the Oct. 26 list that includes names, identity card numbers, and other details. Some other researchers, meanwhile, are ""scraping"" social media to preserve accounts posted there for future analysis.
+""There are far more eyes and players involved in recording Gaza deaths than is normal and than exist in the world's other worst crises"", said Leslie Roberts, Professor Emeritus of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Roberts has been involved in more than 50 mortality surveys during wars since the early 1990s.
+London-based Airwars – a non-profit affiliated with the department of media and communications at Goldsmiths, University of London, that investigates civilian deaths in conflicts - is using social media and the ministry's Oct. 26 document to compile a detailed record of casualties.
+Airwars director Emily Tripp said some 20 volunteers were working on the project alongside regular staff, and so far it had positively identified some 900 civilians killed in the fighting. Even if the fighting stopped today, it could take another year to finish the survey, she said.
+""What we're also seeing now is civilians who've been killed who are displaced from other areas, so they're not easily identified by their neighbors,"" Tripp told Reuters. ""That makes the process of counting and identification really challenging.""
+Zeina Jamaluddine, a doctoral student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, co-authored an analysis last month in the Lancet medical journal based on the health ministry's Oct. 26 list. The study concluded that the identification numbers of those listed as killed were highly correlated with age, a pattern unlikely to arise from data fabrication.
+She said the Palestinian health authorities' systems for collecting data had been tested over multiple wars and revised through United Nations-backed efforts: ""While no data is 100% perfect, Palestine has high quality data.""
+While excess mortality experts have tools for calculating total deaths after conflicts end, there are challenges to doing so and the final post-war toll could end up being incomplete unless deaths are recorded to the greatest extent possible in real time, she said.
+""Every name on the list represents a person, a life, a story. Each one deserves to be remembered.""
+ENTIRE FAMILIES KILLED
+Researchers use methods such as surveys of households after a conflict is over to estimate the overall toll.
+Household surveys could be difficult following this conflict because in some cases entire families have been killed by bombardments – sometimes dozens of members, according to the Oct. 26 list. More than four-fifth of Gaza's pre-war population has fled their homes - 1.9 million people, according to U.N. figures - and may be difficult to locate, experts say.
+But given how close-knit Gazan society is, there is hope that such studies could eventually be conducted in a meaningful way, said Hamit Dardagan of the Iraq Body Count (IBC), an organisation that records violent deaths resulting from the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The IBC has already published an analysis on age and other characteristics of those killed in Gaza, based on the ministry's Oct. 26 data.
+""The pace of civilian deaths - at least 200 each day since October 7, except for the week-long truce - is unprecedented this century, and was not seen at height of the Iraq invasion,"" Dardagan said.
+It will take years to recover the remains of people from beneath the rubble, and the costly, technical process will not result in the identification of each body, said Dr Gilbert Burnham, a doctor and professor at Johns Hopkins University who has worked since the 1970s on humanitarian health problems in wars.
+In addition to the dead, the ministry says there have been more than 53,300 people wounded in the conflict. The WHO points to the growing risk of disease due to a lack of clean water, food and medical attention.
+Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta, a British-Palestinian surgeon who volunteered in two hospitals in northern Gaza for the first six weeks of the war, said some people were dying because of lack of treatment of open wounds.
+""The death toll is a poor proxy of human suffering"", said Dr Annie Sparrow, a pediatrician who has worked with medics treating the wounded in the Syrian civil war for more than a decade and is an Associate Professor of Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
+But the use of records to fight the fear of erasure runs deep in Palestinian culture, said Abdel Razzaq Takriti, associate professor of Modern Arab History at Rice University in Texas. He quoted from a poem by prominent Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: ""You will be forgotten as if you never were"".
+Takriti said many Palestinians see the Gaza war as part of a history of conflict and displacement by Israeli forces dating back to the Nakba – or catastrophe in Arabic – when more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in what is now Israel during the war over the formation of the country in 1948.
+""For the sake of the present, future, and the past, we need to have an accurate rendition of numbers,"" Takriti said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The ministry's figures say nothing about cause of death, and they don't distinguish between civilians and combatants.  Following Biden's remark, the ministry released a 212-page report listing 7,028 people killed in the conflict until Oct. 26, including identity cards, names, age and sex. Since then, the ministry has not released such detailed data, making it hard for researchers to corroborate the latest figures. However, the United Nations – which has long-standing cooperation with Palestinian health authorities - continues to vouch for the quality of the data. The WHO noted that – compared to previous conflicts in Gaza – the figures show more civilians have been killed, including a greater proportion of women and children. Israeli officials this month said they believe the data released to date is broadly accurate; they have estimated that one third of those killed in Gaza are enemy combatants, without providing detailed figures.
+The Palestinian Health Ministry, which is located in the occupied West Bank and pays the salaries of Gazan ministry workers, said it has lost almost all contact recently with hospitals in the enclave. It also has no information on the fate of several hundred health workers arrested by Israeli forces, it added.  Asked about the arrests, the IDF said it had detained some hospital staff based on intelligence that Hamas was using medical facilities for its operations. Those not involved in these activities were released after questioning, it said, without providing the number of detainees. INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
+Academics, advocates and volunteers across Europe, the United States and India are working to analyse the data provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, to corroborate the details of those killed and determine the numbers of civilian casualties.  Much of this is based on the Oct. 26 list that includes names, identity card numbers, and other details. Some other researchers, meanwhile, are ""scraping"" social media to preserve accounts posted there for future analysis.  ""There are far more eyes and players involved in recording Gaza deaths than is normal and than exist in the world's other worst crises"", said Leslie Roberts, Professor Emeritus of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Roberts has been involved in more than 50 mortality surveys during wars since the early 1990s. London-based Airwars – a non-profit affiliated with the department of media and communications at Goldsmiths, University of London, that investigates civilian deaths in conflicts - is using social media and the ministry's Oct. 26 document to compile a detailed record of casualties. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fight-keep-counting-dead-gaza-2023-12-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza death toll: why counting the dead has become a daily struggle[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - In the morgue of the Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza, workers wrap the corpses of people killed in Israeli airstrikes in white cloth amid the stench of death. They record whatever basic facts they can about the dead: name, identity card number, age, sex.
+Some of the bodies are badly mutilated. Only those that have been identified or claimed by relatives can go for burial and be included in the Gaza Health Ministry's death toll for the war. The rest are stored in the morgue's refrigerator, often for weeks.
+The toll reached 20,057 people on Friday, amid renewed international calls for a fresh ceasefire in Gaza. The ministry says thousands more dead remain buried beneath the rubble. About 70% of those killed are women and children, it says.
+The ministry's figures have drawn international attention to the high number of civilians being killed in the Israeli military's offensive, which it launched after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the bloodiest in the country's 75-year history.
+But with most hospitals across Gaza now closed, hundreds of doctors and other health workers killed, and communications hampered by lack of fuel and electricity, it's becoming increasingly difficult to compile the casualty figures.
+The morgue workers at the Nasser Hospital are part of an international effort – including doctors and health officials in Gaza as well as academics, activists and volunteers around the world – to ensure the toll doesn't become a casualty of the increasingly dire conditions of the war.
+The workers, some of them volunteers, do not have enough food or water for their families, but they keep going because recording the number of Palestinians dying matters to them, said Hamad Hassan Al Najjar.
+He said the psychological strain of the work was immense. Holding a piece of white paper with handwritten information about one of the dead, the 42-year-old said he was often shocked to find the badly damaged corpse of a friend or relative brought in.
+The body of the morgue's director, Saeed Al-Shorbaji, and those of several of his family members, arrived in early December, after they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, Al Najjar said.
+""He was one of the pillars of this morgue,"" said Al Najjar, his face worn with sadness and fatigue. Preparing the bodies of dead children, some of them missing heads or limbs, was the most painful task: ""It takes you hours to recover your psychological balance, to recover from the effects of this shock.""
+The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has expressed regret for civilian deaths but blamed Hamas – the Palestinian militant group that ran the Gaza Strip - for sheltering in densely populated areas. Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack, most of them civilians, and seized some 240 hostages.
+Israel says it will continue its offensive until Hamas is eliminated, the hostages returned and the threat of future attacks on Israel removed.
+An Israeli military spokesperson said in response to a comment request for this article that the IDF ""follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm"".
+U.N. VOUCHES FOR THE DATA
+The data recorded by Al Najjar and his colleagues is collated by workers at a central information centre set up by the health ministry at the Nasser Hospital, which pools information from the functioning emergency departments and hospitals across Gaza. Ministry staff fled their offices at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza after Israeli forces entered it in mid-November.
+Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra, a 50-year-old doctor, said the team uses a computerized data system established in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO), which obliges hospital workers to fill in mandatory information before a death can be registered.
+""The numbers used by the Ministry of Health reflect verified data,"" said Al-Qidra, noting that many bodies were not being recorded due to lack of information or because they did not pass through hospitals before burial. In Al-Shifa hospital, for example, there are currently no staff so no deaths were being registered, he said: ""The real numbers (of casualties) are much greater than this.""
+Since early December, the ministry has said it was unable to collect regular reports from morgues at hospitals in northern Gaza, amid the collapse of communications services and other infrastructure in Gaza due to the Israeli offensive. According to the WHO, only six of Gaza's 36 hospitals were receiving casualties as of Wednesday, all of them in the south.
+The U.N. health agency cited this as one reason it believes the ministry's tally may be an undercount; the toll also excludes dead who were never taken to hospitals or whose bodies were never recovered. The WHO and other experts said it was not possible for now to determine the extent of any undercounting.
+U.S. President Joe Biden said on Oct. 25 he had ""no confidence"" in the Palestinian data. The ministry's figures say nothing about cause of death, and they don't distinguish between civilians and combatants.
+Following Biden's remark, the ministry released a 212-page report listing 7,028 people killed in the conflict until Oct. 26, including identity cards, names, age and sex. Since then, the ministry has not released such detailed data, making it hard for researchers to corroborate the latest figures.
+However, the United Nations – which has long-standing cooperation with Palestinian health authorities - continues to vouch for the quality of the data. The WHO noted that – compared to previous conflicts in Gaza – the figures show more civilians have been killed, including a greater proportion of women and children.
+Israeli officials this month said they believe the data released to date is broadly accurate; they have estimated that one third of those killed in Gaza are enemy combatants, without providing detailed figures.
+The Palestinian Health Ministry, which is located in the occupied West Bank and pays the salaries of Gazan ministry workers, said it has lost almost all contact recently with hospitals in the enclave. It also has no information on the fate of several hundred health workers arrested by Israeli forces, it added.
+Asked about the arrests, the IDF said it had detained some hospital staff based on intelligence that Hamas was using medical facilities for its operations. Those not involved in these activities were released after questioning, it said, without providing the number of detainees.
+INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
+Academics, advocates and volunteers across Europe, the United States and India are working to analyse the data provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, to corroborate the details of those killed and determine the numbers of civilian casualties.
+Much of this is based on the Oct. 26 list that includes names, identity card numbers, and other details. Some other researchers, meanwhile, are ""scraping"" social media to preserve accounts posted there for future analysis.
+""There are far more eyes and players involved in recording Gaza deaths than is normal and than exist in the world's other worst crises"", said Leslie Roberts, Professor Emeritus of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Roberts has been involved in more than 50 mortality surveys during wars since the early 1990s.
+London-based Airwars – a non-profit affiliated with the department of media and communications at Goldsmiths, University of London, that investigates civilian deaths in conflicts - is using social media and the ministry's Oct. 26 document to compile a detailed record of casualties.
+Airwars director Emily Tripp said some 20 volunteers were working on the project alongside regular staff, and so far it had positively identified some 900 civilians killed in the fighting. Even if the fighting stopped today, it could take another year to finish the survey, she said.
+""What we're also seeing now is civilians who've been killed who are displaced from other areas, so they're not easily identified by their neighbors,"" Tripp told Reuters. ""That makes the process of counting and identification really challenging.""
+Zeina Jamaluddine, a doctoral student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, co-authored an analysis last month in the Lancet medical journal based on the health ministry's Oct. 26 list. The study concluded that the identification numbers of those listed as killed were highly correlated with age, a pattern unlikely to arise from data fabrication.
+She said the Palestinian health authorities' systems for collecting data had been tested over multiple wars and revised through United Nations-backed efforts: ""While no data is 100% perfect, Palestine has high quality data.""
+While excess mortality experts have tools for calculating total deaths after conflicts end, there are challenges to doing so and the final post-war toll could end up being incomplete unless deaths are recorded to the greatest extent possible in real time, she said.
+""Every name on the list represents a person, a life, a story. Each one deserves to be remembered.""
+ENTIRE FAMILIES KILLED
+Researchers use methods such as surveys of households after a conflict is over to estimate the overall toll.
+Household surveys could be difficult following this conflict because in some cases entire families have been killed by bombardments – sometimes dozens of members, according to the Oct. 26 list. More than four-fifth of Gaza's pre-war population has fled their homes - 1.9 million people, according to U.N. figures - and may be difficult to locate, experts say.
+But given how close-knit Gazan society is, there is hope that such studies could eventually be conducted in a meaningful way, said Hamit Dardagan of the Iraq Body Count (IBC), an organisation that records violent deaths resulting from the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The IBC has already published an analysis on age and other characteristics of those killed in Gaza, based on the ministry's Oct. 26 data.
+""The pace of civilian deaths - at least 200 each day since October 7, except for the week-long truce - is unprecedented this century, and was not seen at height of the Iraq invasion,"" Dardagan said.
+It will take years to recover the remains of people from beneath the rubble, and the costly, technical process will not result in the identification of each body, said Dr Gilbert Burnham, a doctor and professor at Johns Hopkins University who has worked since the 1970s on humanitarian health problems in wars.
+In addition to the dead, the ministry says there have been more than 53,300 people wounded in the conflict. The WHO points to the growing risk of disease due to a lack of clean water, food and medical attention.
+Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta, a British-Palestinian surgeon who volunteered in two hospitals in northern Gaza for the first six weeks of the war, said some people were dying because of lack of treatment of open wounds.
+""The death toll is a poor proxy of human suffering"", said Dr Annie Sparrow, a pediatrician who has worked with medics treating the wounded in the Syrian civil war for more than a decade and is an Associate Professor of Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
+But the use of records to fight the fear of erasure runs deep in Palestinian culture, said Abdel Razzaq Takriti, associate professor of Modern Arab History at Rice University in Texas. He quoted from a poem by prominent Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: ""You will be forgotten as if you never were"".
+Takriti said many Palestinians see the Gaza war as part of a history of conflict and displacement by Israeli forces dating back to the Nakba – or catastrophe in Arabic – when more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in what is now Israel during the war over the formation of the country in 1948.
+""For the sake of the present, future, and the past, we need to have an accurate rendition of numbers,"" Takriti said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Airwars director Emily Tripp said some 20 volunteers were working on the project alongside regular staff, and so far it had positively identified some 900 civilians killed in the fighting. Even if the fighting stopped today, it could take another year to finish the survey, she said.  ""What we're also seeing now is civilians who've been killed who are displaced from other areas, so they're not easily identified by their neighbors,"" Tripp told Reuters. ""That makes the process of counting and identification really challenging.""  Zeina Jamaluddine, a doctoral student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, co-authored an analysis last month in the Lancet medical journal based on the health ministry's Oct. 26 list. The study concluded that the identification numbers of those listed as killed were highly correlated with age, a pattern unlikely to arise from data fabrication. She said the Palestinian health authorities' systems for collecting data had been tested over multiple wars and revised through United Nations-backed efforts: ""While no data is 100% perfect, Palestine has high quality data.""
+While excess mortality experts have tools for calculating total deaths after conflicts end, there are challenges to doing so and the final post-war toll could end up being incomplete unless deaths are recorded to the greatest extent possible in real time, she said.  "" Every name on the list represents a person, a life, a story. Each one deserves to be remembered.""
+ENTIRE FAMILIES KILLED Researchers use methods such as surveys of households after a conflict is over to estimate the overall toll.  Household surveys could be difficult following this conflict because in some cases entire families have been killed by bombardments – sometimes dozens of members, according to the Oct. 26 list. More than four-fifth of Gaza's pre-war population has fled their homes - 1.9 million people, according to U.N. figures - and may be difficult to locate, experts say. But given how close-knit Gazan society is, there is hope that such studies could eventually be conducted in a meaningful way, said Hamit Dardagan of the Iraq Body Count (IBC), an organisation that records violent deaths resulting from the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The IBC has already published an analysis on age and other characteristics of those killed in Gaza, based on the ministry's Oct. 26 data. ""The pace of civilian deaths - at least 200 each day since October 7, except for the week-long truce - is unprecedented this century, and was not seen at height of the Iraq invasion,"" Dardagan said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fight-keep-counting-dead-gaza-2023-12-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza death toll: why counting the dead has become a daily struggle[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - In the morgue of the Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza, workers wrap the corpses of people killed in Israeli airstrikes in white cloth amid the stench of death. They record whatever basic facts they can about the dead: name, identity card number, age, sex.
+Some of the bodies are badly mutilated. Only those that have been identified or claimed by relatives can go for burial and be included in the Gaza Health Ministry's death toll for the war. The rest are stored in the morgue's refrigerator, often for weeks.
+The toll reached 20,057 people on Friday, amid renewed international calls for a fresh ceasefire in Gaza. The ministry says thousands more dead remain buried beneath the rubble. About 70% of those killed are women and children, it says.
+The ministry's figures have drawn international attention to the high number of civilians being killed in the Israeli military's offensive, which it launched after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the bloodiest in the country's 75-year history.
+But with most hospitals across Gaza now closed, hundreds of doctors and other health workers killed, and communications hampered by lack of fuel and electricity, it's becoming increasingly difficult to compile the casualty figures.
+The morgue workers at the Nasser Hospital are part of an international effort – including doctors and health officials in Gaza as well as academics, activists and volunteers around the world – to ensure the toll doesn't become a casualty of the increasingly dire conditions of the war.
+The workers, some of them volunteers, do not have enough food or water for their families, but they keep going because recording the number of Palestinians dying matters to them, said Hamad Hassan Al Najjar.
+He said the psychological strain of the work was immense. Holding a piece of white paper with handwritten information about one of the dead, the 42-year-old said he was often shocked to find the badly damaged corpse of a friend or relative brought in.
+The body of the morgue's director, Saeed Al-Shorbaji, and those of several of his family members, arrived in early December, after they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, Al Najjar said.
+""He was one of the pillars of this morgue,"" said Al Najjar, his face worn with sadness and fatigue. Preparing the bodies of dead children, some of them missing heads or limbs, was the most painful task: ""It takes you hours to recover your psychological balance, to recover from the effects of this shock.""
+The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has expressed regret for civilian deaths but blamed Hamas – the Palestinian militant group that ran the Gaza Strip - for sheltering in densely populated areas. Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack, most of them civilians, and seized some 240 hostages.
+Israel says it will continue its offensive until Hamas is eliminated, the hostages returned and the threat of future attacks on Israel removed.
+An Israeli military spokesperson said in response to a comment request for this article that the IDF ""follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm"".
+U.N. VOUCHES FOR THE DATA
+The data recorded by Al Najjar and his colleagues is collated by workers at a central information centre set up by the health ministry at the Nasser Hospital, which pools information from the functioning emergency departments and hospitals across Gaza. Ministry staff fled their offices at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza after Israeli forces entered it in mid-November.
+Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra, a 50-year-old doctor, said the team uses a computerized data system established in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO), which obliges hospital workers to fill in mandatory information before a death can be registered.
+""The numbers used by the Ministry of Health reflect verified data,"" said Al-Qidra, noting that many bodies were not being recorded due to lack of information or because they did not pass through hospitals before burial. In Al-Shifa hospital, for example, there are currently no staff so no deaths were being registered, he said: ""The real numbers (of casualties) are much greater than this.""
+Since early December, the ministry has said it was unable to collect regular reports from morgues at hospitals in northern Gaza, amid the collapse of communications services and other infrastructure in Gaza due to the Israeli offensive. According to the WHO, only six of Gaza's 36 hospitals were receiving casualties as of Wednesday, all of them in the south.
+The U.N. health agency cited this as one reason it believes the ministry's tally may be an undercount; the toll also excludes dead who were never taken to hospitals or whose bodies were never recovered. The WHO and other experts said it was not possible for now to determine the extent of any undercounting.
+U.S. President Joe Biden said on Oct. 25 he had ""no confidence"" in the Palestinian data. The ministry's figures say nothing about cause of death, and they don't distinguish between civilians and combatants.
+Following Biden's remark, the ministry released a 212-page report listing 7,028 people killed in the conflict until Oct. 26, including identity cards, names, age and sex. Since then, the ministry has not released such detailed data, making it hard for researchers to corroborate the latest figures.
+However, the United Nations – which has long-standing cooperation with Palestinian health authorities - continues to vouch for the quality of the data. The WHO noted that – compared to previous conflicts in Gaza – the figures show more civilians have been killed, including a greater proportion of women and children.
+Israeli officials this month said they believe the data released to date is broadly accurate; they have estimated that one third of those killed in Gaza are enemy combatants, without providing detailed figures.
+The Palestinian Health Ministry, which is located in the occupied West Bank and pays the salaries of Gazan ministry workers, said it has lost almost all contact recently with hospitals in the enclave. It also has no information on the fate of several hundred health workers arrested by Israeli forces, it added.
+Asked about the arrests, the IDF said it had detained some hospital staff based on intelligence that Hamas was using medical facilities for its operations. Those not involved in these activities were released after questioning, it said, without providing the number of detainees.
+INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
+Academics, advocates and volunteers across Europe, the United States and India are working to analyse the data provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, to corroborate the details of those killed and determine the numbers of civilian casualties.
+Much of this is based on the Oct. 26 list that includes names, identity card numbers, and other details. Some other researchers, meanwhile, are ""scraping"" social media to preserve accounts posted there for future analysis.
+""There are far more eyes and players involved in recording Gaza deaths than is normal and than exist in the world's other worst crises"", said Leslie Roberts, Professor Emeritus of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Roberts has been involved in more than 50 mortality surveys during wars since the early 1990s.
+London-based Airwars – a non-profit affiliated with the department of media and communications at Goldsmiths, University of London, that investigates civilian deaths in conflicts - is using social media and the ministry's Oct. 26 document to compile a detailed record of casualties.
+Airwars director Emily Tripp said some 20 volunteers were working on the project alongside regular staff, and so far it had positively identified some 900 civilians killed in the fighting. Even if the fighting stopped today, it could take another year to finish the survey, she said.
+""What we're also seeing now is civilians who've been killed who are displaced from other areas, so they're not easily identified by their neighbors,"" Tripp told Reuters. ""That makes the process of counting and identification really challenging.""
+Zeina Jamaluddine, a doctoral student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, co-authored an analysis last month in the Lancet medical journal based on the health ministry's Oct. 26 list. The study concluded that the identification numbers of those listed as killed were highly correlated with age, a pattern unlikely to arise from data fabrication.
+She said the Palestinian health authorities' systems for collecting data had been tested over multiple wars and revised through United Nations-backed efforts: ""While no data is 100% perfect, Palestine has high quality data.""
+While excess mortality experts have tools for calculating total deaths after conflicts end, there are challenges to doing so and the final post-war toll could end up being incomplete unless deaths are recorded to the greatest extent possible in real time, she said.
+""Every name on the list represents a person, a life, a story. Each one deserves to be remembered.""
+ENTIRE FAMILIES KILLED
+Researchers use methods such as surveys of households after a conflict is over to estimate the overall toll.
+Household surveys could be difficult following this conflict because in some cases entire families have been killed by bombardments – sometimes dozens of members, according to the Oct. 26 list. More than four-fifth of Gaza's pre-war population has fled their homes - 1.9 million people, according to U.N. figures - and may be difficult to locate, experts say.
+But given how close-knit Gazan society is, there is hope that such studies could eventually be conducted in a meaningful way, said Hamit Dardagan of the Iraq Body Count (IBC), an organisation that records violent deaths resulting from the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The IBC has already published an analysis on age and other characteristics of those killed in Gaza, based on the ministry's Oct. 26 data.
+""The pace of civilian deaths - at least 200 each day since October 7, except for the week-long truce - is unprecedented this century, and was not seen at height of the Iraq invasion,"" Dardagan said.
+It will take years to recover the remains of people from beneath the rubble, and the costly, technical process will not result in the identification of each body, said Dr Gilbert Burnham, a doctor and professor at Johns Hopkins University who has worked since the 1970s on humanitarian health problems in wars.
+In addition to the dead, the ministry says there have been more than 53,300 people wounded in the conflict. The WHO points to the growing risk of disease due to a lack of clean water, food and medical attention.
+Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta, a British-Palestinian surgeon who volunteered in two hospitals in northern Gaza for the first six weeks of the war, said some people were dying because of lack of treatment of open wounds.
+""The death toll is a poor proxy of human suffering"", said Dr Annie Sparrow, a pediatrician who has worked with medics treating the wounded in the Syrian civil war for more than a decade and is an Associate Professor of Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
+But the use of records to fight the fear of erasure runs deep in Palestinian culture, said Abdel Razzaq Takriti, associate professor of Modern Arab History at Rice University in Texas. He quoted from a poem by prominent Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: ""You will be forgotten as if you never were"".
+Takriti said many Palestinians see the Gaza war as part of a history of conflict and displacement by Israeli forces dating back to the Nakba – or catastrophe in Arabic – when more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in what is now Israel during the war over the formation of the country in 1948.
+""For the sake of the present, future, and the past, we need to have an accurate rendition of numbers,"" Takriti said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","It will take years to recover the remains of people from beneath the rubble, and the costly, technical process will not result in the identification of each body, said Dr Gilbert Burnham, a doctor and professor at Johns Hopkins University who has worked since the 1970s on humanitarian health problems in wars.  In addition to the dead, the ministry says there have been more than 53,300 people wounded in the conflict. The WHO points to the growing risk of disease due to a lack of clean water, food and medical attention. Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta, a British-Palestinian surgeon who volunteered in two hospitals in northern Gaza for the first six weeks of the war, said some people were dying because of lack of treatment of open wounds.
+""The death toll is a poor proxy of human suffering"", said Dr Annie Sparrow, a pediatrician who has worked with medics treating the wounded in the Syrian civil war for more than a decade and is an Associate Professor of Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. But the use of records to fight the fear of erasure runs deep in Palestinian culture, said Abdel Razzaq Takriti, associate professor of Modern Arab History at Rice University in Texas. He quoted from a poem by prominent Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: ""You will be forgotten as if you never were"". Takriti said many Palestinians see the Gaza war as part of a history of conflict and displacement by Israeli forces dating back to the Nakba – or catastrophe in Arabic – when more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in what is now Israel during the war over the formation of the country in 1948.  ""For the sake of the present, future, and the past, we need to have an accurate rendition of numbers,"" Takriti said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/cricket/australias-khawaja-contest-icc-reprimand-over-black-armband-2023-12-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Khawaja to contest ICC reprimand over 'personal' armband[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Australia's Usman Khawaja said on Friday the black armband he wore in the test match against Pakistan was for a ""personal bereavement"" and he would contest the International Cricket Council's (ICC) reprimand.
+The Pakistan-born opener was reprimanded by cricket's global governing body on Thursday for wearing the armband during the 360-run win over Pakistan in the series-opener in Perth.
+That came after he was prevented by ICC rules from displaying the messages 'Freedom is a human right' and 'All lives are equal' in the colours of the Palestinian flag on his boots for the match at Perth Stadium.
+Khawaja told reporters he would take up the reprimand with the ICC and that he only wanted consistency in the application of its rules.
+""I told them it was for a personal bereavement. I never ever stated it was for anything else. The shoes were a different matter, I'm happy to say that,"" the 37-year-old said at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
+""But the armband (decision) made no sense to me.
+""I respect ... the ICC and the rules and regulations they have.
+""I just asked - and will be asking them and contesting that they make it fair and equitable for everyone and they have consistency in how they officiate. That's all I ask for.""
+An ICC spokesman on Thursday said Khawaja had displayed a ""personal message"" against Pakistan without seeking prior approval from Cricket Australia (CA) and the ICC as required.
+'RESPECTIVE WAY'
+Khawaja said players had displayed personal messages during past matches without ICC approval and not been sanctioned.
+""Guys have put stickers on their bats, names on their shoes and all sorts of things in the past without ICC approval and never been reprimanded,"" said Khawaja, adding he would not wear the armband again.
+""From my point of view, that consistency hasn't been done yet.""
+Khawaja has been vocal on social media with calls for an end to the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, where nearly 20,000 Gazans have died since the start of the conflict with Israel, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
+Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to fight on until the eradication of Hamas, the Islamist group that sent fighters over the border into southern Israel on Oct. 7, taking some 240 hostages and killing 1,200 people.
+Cricket Australia did not endorse Khawaja's boots or his armband but CEO Nick Hockley said it was working with him and the ICC to see whether there was a ""really respectful way"" the batsman could share his message on field.
+""That is the subject now of ICC consideration,"" Hockley told a press conference alongside Khawaja.
+The second test against Pakistan starts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
+The ICC has been selective about allowing players to wear political messages during matches.
+West Indies players were permitted to wear 'Black Lives Matter' logos on their shirts during a test series against England in 2020.
+England's Moeen Ali, however, was banned from wearing wristbands with messages 'Save Gaza' and 'Free Palestine' during a home test against India in 2014.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Khawaja to contest ICC reprimand over 'personal' armband[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Australia's Usman Khawaja said on Friday the black armband he wore in the test match against Pakistan was for a ""personal bereavement"" and he would contest the International Cricket Council's (ICC) reprimand. The Pakistan-born opener was reprimanded by cricket's global governing body on Thursday for wearing the armband during the 360-run win over Pakistan in the series-opener in Perth. That came after he was prevented by ICC rules from displaying the messages 'Freedom is a human right' and 'All lives are equal' in the colours of the Palestinian flag on his boots for the match at Perth Stadium. Khawaja told reporters he would take up the reprimand with the ICC and that he only wanted consistency in the application of its rules.  ""I told them it was for a personal bereavement. I never ever stated it was for anything else. The shoes were a different matter, I'm happy to say that,"" the 37-year-old said at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.  ""But the armband (decision) made no sense to me.
+"" I respect ... the ICC and the rules and regulations they have. ""I just asked - and will be asking them and contesting that they make it fair and equitable for everyone and they have consistency in how they officiate. That's all I ask for."" An ICC spokesman on Thursday said Khawaja had displayed a ""personal message"" against Pakistan without seeking prior approval from Cricket Australia (CA) and the ICC as required. 'RESPECTIVE WAY' Khawaja said players had displayed personal messages during past matches without ICC approval and not been sanctioned. ""Guys have put stickers on their bats, names on their shoes and all sorts of things in the past without ICC approval and never been reprimanded,"" said Khawaja, adding he would not wear the armband again.
+""From my point of view, that consistency hasn't been done yet."" Khawaja has been vocal on social media with calls for an end to the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, where nearly 20,000 Gazans have died since the start of the conflict with Israel, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to fight on until the eradication of Hamas, the Islamist group that sent fighters over the border into southern Israel on Oct. 7, taking some 240 hostages and killing 1,200 people."
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/cricket/australias-khawaja-contest-icc-reprimand-over-black-armband-2023-12-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Khawaja to contest ICC reprimand over 'personal' armband[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Australia's Usman Khawaja said on Friday the black armband he wore in the test match against Pakistan was for a ""personal bereavement"" and he would contest the International Cricket Council's (ICC) reprimand.
+The Pakistan-born opener was reprimanded by cricket's global governing body on Thursday for wearing the armband during the 360-run win over Pakistan in the series-opener in Perth.
+That came after he was prevented by ICC rules from displaying the messages 'Freedom is a human right' and 'All lives are equal' in the colours of the Palestinian flag on his boots for the match at Perth Stadium.
+Khawaja told reporters he would take up the reprimand with the ICC and that he only wanted consistency in the application of its rules.
+""I told them it was for a personal bereavement. I never ever stated it was for anything else. The shoes were a different matter, I'm happy to say that,"" the 37-year-old said at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
+""But the armband (decision) made no sense to me.
+""I respect ... the ICC and the rules and regulations they have.
+""I just asked - and will be asking them and contesting that they make it fair and equitable for everyone and they have consistency in how they officiate. That's all I ask for.""
+An ICC spokesman on Thursday said Khawaja had displayed a ""personal message"" against Pakistan without seeking prior approval from Cricket Australia (CA) and the ICC as required.
+'RESPECTIVE WAY'
+Khawaja said players had displayed personal messages during past matches without ICC approval and not been sanctioned.
+""Guys have put stickers on their bats, names on their shoes and all sorts of things in the past without ICC approval and never been reprimanded,"" said Khawaja, adding he would not wear the armband again.
+""From my point of view, that consistency hasn't been done yet.""
+Khawaja has been vocal on social media with calls for an end to the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, where nearly 20,000 Gazans have died since the start of the conflict with Israel, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
+Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to fight on until the eradication of Hamas, the Islamist group that sent fighters over the border into southern Israel on Oct. 7, taking some 240 hostages and killing 1,200 people.
+Cricket Australia did not endorse Khawaja's boots or his armband but CEO Nick Hockley said it was working with him and the ICC to see whether there was a ""really respectful way"" the batsman could share his message on field.
+""That is the subject now of ICC consideration,"" Hockley told a press conference alongside Khawaja.
+The second test against Pakistan starts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
+The ICC has been selective about allowing players to wear political messages during matches.
+West Indies players were permitted to wear 'Black Lives Matter' logos on their shirts during a test series against England in 2020.
+England's Moeen Ali, however, was banned from wearing wristbands with messages 'Save Gaza' and 'Free Palestine' during a home test against India in 2014.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Cricket Australia did not endorse Khawaja's boots or his armband but CEO Nick Hockley said it was working with him and the ICC to see whether there was a ""really respectful way"" the batsman could share his message on field. ""That is the subject now of ICC consideration,"" Hockley told a press conference alongside Khawaja. The second test against Pakistan starts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday. The ICC has been selective about allowing players to wear political messages during matches. West Indies players were permitted to wear 'Black Lives Matter' logos on their shirts during a test series against England in 2020. England's Moeen Ali, however, was banned from wearing wristbands with messages 'Save Gaza' and 'Free Palestine' during a home test against India in 2014.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-foreign-minister-meets-with-palestinian-official-abu-dhabi-2023-12-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UAE foreign minister meets with Palestinian official in Abu Dhabi[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) foreign minister has met a senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official in Abu Dhabi where they discussed international efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, the Emirati state news agency reported on Thursday.
+Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Secretary General Hussein Sheikh to also discuss the humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave.
+In the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah stressed the importance of prioritising negotiations towards a framework for a two-state peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians, WAM reported.
+The UAE, a Gulf power, is one of few Arab states that has official diplomatic relations with Israel. It established ties in 2020 under a U.S.-brokered deal that paved the way for other Arab states to build their own relations with Israel.
+Fellow Gulf state Qatar has been mediating negotiations with Israel for the release of hostages and for a ceasefire.
+Qatar and Egypt mediated between Israel and Hamas in the late November truce during which Hamas released 110 women, children and foreigners it was holding in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and teenagers freed from Israeli jails.
+Abu Dhabi has condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and called on the Palestinian Islamist group to release hostages held in Gaza. The Gulf state has also condemned Israel's bombardment of the enclave and used its non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council to push for a ceasefire in the war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UAE foreign minister meets with Palestinian official in Abu Dhabi[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) foreign minister has met a senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official in Abu Dhabi where they discussed international efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, the Emirati state news agency reported on Thursday. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Secretary General Hussein Sheikh to also discuss the humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave. In the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah stressed the importance of prioritising negotiations towards a framework for a two-state peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians, WAM reported.  The UAE, a Gulf power, is one of few Arab states that has official diplomatic relations with Israel. It established ties in 2020 under a U.S.-brokered deal that paved the way for other Arab states to build their own relations with Israel. Fellow Gulf state Qatar has been mediating negotiations with Israel for the release of hostages and for a ceasefire. Qatar and Egypt mediated between Israel and Hamas in the late November truce during which Hamas released 110 women, children and foreigners it was holding in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and teenagers freed from Israeli jails.  Abu Dhabi has condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and called on the Palestinian Islamist group to release hostages held in Gaza. The Gulf state has also condemned Israel's bombardment of the enclave and used its non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council to push for a ceasefire in the war.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/dua-lipas-social-media-comments-israel-gaza-edited-online-2023-12-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Dua Lipa's social media comments on Israel and Gaza edited online[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An expression of grief by British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa addressed to both the people of Israel and Palestine has been cropped in some posts online to remove the inclusion of Israel.
+“DUA LIPA stands with PALESTINE! ‘With each passing day, my heart aches for the people of Palestine. Grief as I witness the unprecedented suffering in Gaza, where 2.2 million souls, half of them children, endure unimaginable hardships,’” a user of both messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) wrote on Dec. 12.
+Dua Lipa's representative directed Reuters to her authentic statement, which shows the version being shared in some social media posts has been edited to exclude mention of Israel.
+A screenshot of the original statement, which is no longer available on Dua Lipa’s online, opens new tab profiles, opens new tab, was shared in October by The Express Tribune, opens new tab, Global Village Space, opens new tab and Ary News, opens new tab.
+The complete statement reads: “With each passing day, my heart aches for the people of Israel and Palestine. Grief for the lives lost in the horrifying attacks in Israel. Grief as I witness the unprecedented suffering in Gaza, where 2.2 million souls, half of them children, endure unimaginable hardships. For now, I desperately hope for a ceasefire in Gaza and urge governments to halt the unfolding crisis. Our hope lies in finding the empathy to recognize this dire humanitarian situation. Sending love to Palestinian and Jewish communities worldwide, who bear this burden more heavily than most.”[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Dua Lipa's social media comments on Israel and Gaza edited online[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An expression of grief by British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa addressed to both the people of Israel and Palestine has been cropped in some posts online to remove the inclusion of Israel.  “DUA LIPA stands with PALESTINE! ‘With each passing day, my heart aches for the people of Palestine. Grief as I witness the unprecedented suffering in Gaza, where 2.2 million souls, half of them children, endure unimaginable hardships,’” a user of both messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) wrote on Dec. 12.  Dua Lipa's representative directed Reuters to her authentic statement, which shows the version being shared in some social media posts has been edited to exclude mention of Israel. A screenshot of the original statement, which is no longer available on Dua Lipa’s online, opens new tab profiles, opens new tab, was shared in October by The Express Tribune, opens new tab, Global Village Space, opens new tab and Ary News, opens new tab. The complete statement reads: “With each passing day, my heart aches for the people of Israel and Palestine. Grief for the lives lost in the horrifying attacks in Israel. Grief as I witness the unprecedented suffering in Gaza, where 2.2 million souls, half of them children, endure unimaginable hardships. For now, I desperately hope for a ceasefire in Gaza and urge governments to halt the unfolding crisis. Our hope lies in finding the empathy to recognize this dire humanitarian situation. Sending love to Palestinian and Jewish communities worldwide, who bear this burden more heavily than most.”[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/joint-patrols-guard-ships-response-attacks-by-houthis-backing-palestinians-2023-12-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel keeps pounding Gaza, Houthis vow more Red Sea attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/GAZA, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Israeli forces pounded the shattered Gaza Strip on Tuesday while Yemen's Houthis vowed to defy a U.S.-led naval mission and keep targeting Red Sea shipping in support of the Palestinian enclave's ruling Hamas movement.
+Israel's campaign to eradicate Hamas militants behind an Oct. 7 massacre has left the coastal enclave in ruins, brought widespread hunger and homelessness, and killed nearly 20,000 Gazans, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry.
+Under foreign pressure to avoid killing innocents, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war will not stop until a remaining 129 hostages are freed and Hamas is obliterated after its fighters' slaying of 1,200 Israelis.
+The conflict has spread beyond Gaza, including into the Red Sea where Iran-aligned Houthi forces have been attacking vessels with missiles and drones. That has prompted the creation of a multinational naval operation to protect commerce in the area, but the Houthis said they would carry on anyway, possibly with a sea operation every 12 hours.
+""Our position will not change in the direction of the Palestinian issue, whether a naval alliance is established or not,"" Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters, saying only Israeli ships or those going to Israel would be targeted.
+""Our position in support of Palestine and the Gaza Strip will remain until the end of the siege, the entry of food and medicine, and our support for the oppressed Palestinian people will remain continuous.""
+Announcing the naval operation, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in Bahrain that joint patrols would be held in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which encompass a major East-West global shipping route.
+""This is an international challenge that demands collective action,"" Austin said.
+British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Tuesday it received information of a potential boarding attempt west of Yemen's Aden port city, adding that the attack was unsuccessful and all crew were safe.
+Some shippers are re-routing around Africa.
+
+DEATHS MOUNT
+In Gaza, Israeli latest missiles hit the southern Rafah area, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees have amassed in recent weeks, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens as they slept at home, local health officials said.
+Residents said they had to dig in the rubble with bare hands. ""This is a barbarian act,"" said Mohammed Zurub, whose family lost 11 people in the attack.
+In the north, another strike killed 13 people and wounded about 75 in the Jabalia refugee camp, the health ministry said.
+Local Palestinians reported intensifying Israeli aerial and tank bombardment of Jabalia as darkness descended later on Tuesday.
+Israel says it warns of strikes in advance so civilians can escape, and accuses Hamas fighters of hunkering down in residential areas and using hospitals and schools as cover, which the Islamist group denies.
+
+Israeli military officials told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday that heavy civilian casualties are the cost of Israel's intense campaign to destroy Hamas and the militants' urban warfare strategy, despite global alarm at the huge human toll.
+One official, a military legal adviser, said the air force was carrying out ""thousands and thousands of attacks and often attacks that require heavy firepower"" to break through Hamas' underground tunnel network.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had told Israeli leaders on a visit on Monday that protecting civilians in Gaza was both ""a moral duty and a strategic imperative"", warning that excessive violence bred resentment that would benefit Hamas and make peaceful coexistence even harder in the long term.
+OVER 90% OF POPULATION HOMELESS
+The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA said more than 60% of Gaza's infrastructure was destroyed or damaged, with more than 90% of the 2.3 million population uprooted.
+In the ground war, where Israel has lost 132 soldiers, tanks advanced further into the southern city of Khan Younis and shelled a market area but met heavy resistance, residents said.
+Thousands of Hamas fighters, based in tunnels, are waging guerrilla-style war against Israeli forces.
+""The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is continuing to operate against Hamas terrorist infrastructure and operatives in the Gaza Strip,"" the military said in a statement.
+Israeli President Isaac Herzog signalled readiness on the part of the country on Tuesday to enter another foreign-mediated ""humanitarian pause"" in fighting to recover more hostages held by Hamas and enable more aid to reach besieged Gaza.
+A truce in late November mediated by Qatari and U.S. diplomats lasted for a week before collapsing and yielded the release of 110 hostages by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.
+Basem Naem, a senior Hamas official based outside Gaza, ruled out further negotiations on exchanging prisoners while the war continued, but said Hamas was open to any initiative to end it and bring relief to Gaza Palestinians.
+A source briefed on diplomatic efforts told Reuters on Tuesday that Qatar's prime minister and the heads of the U.S. and Israeli intelligence services had held ""positive"" talks in Warsaw, Poland to explore ways of reviving negotiations. But a deal was not expected imminently, the source added.
+CHILD AMPUTEES KILLED IN HOSPITALS, UN SAYS
+The Gaza health ministry said on Tuesday that 19,667 Palestinians had been killed and 52,586 wounded since Oct. 7.
+U.N. officials voiced outrage about the plight of Gaza's hospitals, which lack supplies and safety.
+""I'm furious that children who are recovering from amputations in hospitals are then killed in those hospitals,"" said James Elder, spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, saying Nasser Hospital, the largest operational one left in the enclave, had been shelled twice in the past 48 hours.
+One of the dead in the paediatric ward was a 13-year-old amputee named Dina who had survived a strike on her home that killed her family.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel keeps pounding Gaza, Houthis vow more Red Sea attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/GAZA, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Israeli forces pounded the shattered Gaza Strip on Tuesday while Yemen's Houthis vowed to defy a U.S.-led naval mission and keep targeting Red Sea shipping in support of the Palestinian enclave's ruling Hamas movement. Israel's campaign to eradicate Hamas militants behind an Oct. 7 massacre has left the coastal enclave in ruins, brought widespread hunger and homelessness, and killed nearly 20,000 Gazans, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry.
+Under foreign pressure to avoid killing innocents, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war will not stop until a remaining 129 hostages are freed and Hamas is obliterated after its fighters' slaying of 1,200 Israelis. The conflict has spread beyond Gaza, including into the Red Sea where Iran-aligned Houthi forces have been attacking vessels with missiles and drones. That has prompted the creation of a multinational naval operation to protect commerce in the area, but the Houthis said they would carry on anyway, possibly with a sea operation every 12 hours.  ""Our position will not change in the direction of the Palestinian issue, whether a naval alliance is established or not,"" Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters, saying only Israeli ships or those going to Israel would be targeted.
+""Our position in support of Palestine and the Gaza Strip will remain until the end of the siege, the entry of food and medicine, and our support for the oppressed Palestinian people will remain continuous. "" Announcing the naval operation, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in Bahrain that joint patrols would be held in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which encompass a major East-West global shipping route. ""This is an international challenge that demands collective action,"" Austin said. British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Tuesday it received information of a potential boarding attempt west of Yemen's Aden port city, adding that the attack was unsuccessful and all crew were safe.
+Some shippers are re-routing around Africa.
+
+DEATHS MOUNT  In Gaza, Israeli latest missiles hit the southern Rafah area, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees have amassed in recent weeks, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens as they slept at home, local health officials said. Residents said they had to dig in the rubble with bare hands. ""This is a barbarian act,"" said Mohammed Zurub, whose family lost 11 people in the attack. In the north, another strike killed 13 people and wounded about 75 in the Jabalia refugee camp, the health ministry said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/joint-patrols-guard-ships-response-attacks-by-houthis-backing-palestinians-2023-12-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel keeps pounding Gaza, Houthis vow more Red Sea attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/GAZA, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Israeli forces pounded the shattered Gaza Strip on Tuesday while Yemen's Houthis vowed to defy a U.S.-led naval mission and keep targeting Red Sea shipping in support of the Palestinian enclave's ruling Hamas movement.
+Israel's campaign to eradicate Hamas militants behind an Oct. 7 massacre has left the coastal enclave in ruins, brought widespread hunger and homelessness, and killed nearly 20,000 Gazans, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry.
+Under foreign pressure to avoid killing innocents, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war will not stop until a remaining 129 hostages are freed and Hamas is obliterated after its fighters' slaying of 1,200 Israelis.
+The conflict has spread beyond Gaza, including into the Red Sea where Iran-aligned Houthi forces have been attacking vessels with missiles and drones. That has prompted the creation of a multinational naval operation to protect commerce in the area, but the Houthis said they would carry on anyway, possibly with a sea operation every 12 hours.
+""Our position will not change in the direction of the Palestinian issue, whether a naval alliance is established or not,"" Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters, saying only Israeli ships or those going to Israel would be targeted.
+""Our position in support of Palestine and the Gaza Strip will remain until the end of the siege, the entry of food and medicine, and our support for the oppressed Palestinian people will remain continuous.""
+Announcing the naval operation, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in Bahrain that joint patrols would be held in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which encompass a major East-West global shipping route.
+""This is an international challenge that demands collective action,"" Austin said.
+British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Tuesday it received information of a potential boarding attempt west of Yemen's Aden port city, adding that the attack was unsuccessful and all crew were safe.
+Some shippers are re-routing around Africa.
+
+DEATHS MOUNT
+In Gaza, Israeli latest missiles hit the southern Rafah area, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees have amassed in recent weeks, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens as they slept at home, local health officials said.
+Residents said they had to dig in the rubble with bare hands. ""This is a barbarian act,"" said Mohammed Zurub, whose family lost 11 people in the attack.
+In the north, another strike killed 13 people and wounded about 75 in the Jabalia refugee camp, the health ministry said.
+Local Palestinians reported intensifying Israeli aerial and tank bombardment of Jabalia as darkness descended later on Tuesday.
+Israel says it warns of strikes in advance so civilians can escape, and accuses Hamas fighters of hunkering down in residential areas and using hospitals and schools as cover, which the Islamist group denies.
+
+Israeli military officials told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday that heavy civilian casualties are the cost of Israel's intense campaign to destroy Hamas and the militants' urban warfare strategy, despite global alarm at the huge human toll.
+One official, a military legal adviser, said the air force was carrying out ""thousands and thousands of attacks and often attacks that require heavy firepower"" to break through Hamas' underground tunnel network.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had told Israeli leaders on a visit on Monday that protecting civilians in Gaza was both ""a moral duty and a strategic imperative"", warning that excessive violence bred resentment that would benefit Hamas and make peaceful coexistence even harder in the long term.
+OVER 90% OF POPULATION HOMELESS
+The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA said more than 60% of Gaza's infrastructure was destroyed or damaged, with more than 90% of the 2.3 million population uprooted.
+In the ground war, where Israel has lost 132 soldiers, tanks advanced further into the southern city of Khan Younis and shelled a market area but met heavy resistance, residents said.
+Thousands of Hamas fighters, based in tunnels, are waging guerrilla-style war against Israeli forces.
+""The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is continuing to operate against Hamas terrorist infrastructure and operatives in the Gaza Strip,"" the military said in a statement.
+Israeli President Isaac Herzog signalled readiness on the part of the country on Tuesday to enter another foreign-mediated ""humanitarian pause"" in fighting to recover more hostages held by Hamas and enable more aid to reach besieged Gaza.
+A truce in late November mediated by Qatari and U.S. diplomats lasted for a week before collapsing and yielded the release of 110 hostages by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.
+Basem Naem, a senior Hamas official based outside Gaza, ruled out further negotiations on exchanging prisoners while the war continued, but said Hamas was open to any initiative to end it and bring relief to Gaza Palestinians.
+A source briefed on diplomatic efforts told Reuters on Tuesday that Qatar's prime minister and the heads of the U.S. and Israeli intelligence services had held ""positive"" talks in Warsaw, Poland to explore ways of reviving negotiations. But a deal was not expected imminently, the source added.
+CHILD AMPUTEES KILLED IN HOSPITALS, UN SAYS
+The Gaza health ministry said on Tuesday that 19,667 Palestinians had been killed and 52,586 wounded since Oct. 7.
+U.N. officials voiced outrage about the plight of Gaza's hospitals, which lack supplies and safety.
+""I'm furious that children who are recovering from amputations in hospitals are then killed in those hospitals,"" said James Elder, spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, saying Nasser Hospital, the largest operational one left in the enclave, had been shelled twice in the past 48 hours.
+One of the dead in the paediatric ward was a 13-year-old amputee named Dina who had survived a strike on her home that killed her family.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Local Palestinians reported intensifying Israeli aerial and tank bombardment of Jabalia as darkness descended later on Tuesday. Israel says it warns of strikes in advance so civilians can escape, and accuses Hamas fighters of hunkering down in residential areas and using hospitals and schools as cover, which the Islamist group denies. Israeli military officials told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday that heavy civilian casualties are the cost of Israel's intense campaign to destroy Hamas and the militants' urban warfare strategy, despite global alarm at the huge human toll.
+One official, a military legal adviser, said the air force was carrying out ""thousands and thousands of attacks and often attacks that require heavy firepower"" to break through Hamas' underground tunnel network. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had told Israeli leaders on a visit on Monday that protecting civilians in Gaza was both ""a moral duty and a strategic imperative"", warning that excessive violence bred resentment that would benefit Hamas and make peaceful coexistence even harder in the long term.
+OVER 90% OF POPULATION HOMELESS
+The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA said more than 60% of Gaza's infrastructure was destroyed or damaged, with more than 90% of the 2.3 million population uprooted. In the ground war, where Israel has lost 132 soldiers, tanks advanced further into the southern city of Khan Younis and shelled a market area but met heavy resistance, residents said.
+Thousands of Hamas fighters, based in tunnels, are waging guerrilla-style war against Israeli forces. ""The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is continuing to operate against Hamas terrorist infrastructure and operatives in the Gaza Strip,"" the military said in a statement. Israeli President Isaac Herzog signalled readiness on the part of the country on Tuesday to enter another foreign-mediated ""humanitarian pause"" in fighting to recover more hostages held by Hamas and enable more aid to reach besieged Gaza. A truce in late November mediated by Qatari and U.S. diplomats lasted for a week before collapsing and yielded the release of 110 hostages by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.  Basem Naem, a senior Hamas official based outside Gaza, ruled out further negotiations on exchanging prisoners while the war continued, but said Hamas was open to any initiative to end it and bring relief to Gaza Palestinians.
+A source briefed on diplomatic efforts told Reuters on Tuesday that Qatar's prime minister and the heads of the U.S. and Israeli intelligence services had held ""positive"" talks in Warsaw, Poland to explore ways of reviving negotiations. But a deal was not expected imminently, the source added."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/joint-patrols-guard-ships-response-attacks-by-houthis-backing-palestinians-2023-12-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel keeps pounding Gaza, Houthis vow more Red Sea attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO/GAZA, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Israeli forces pounded the shattered Gaza Strip on Tuesday while Yemen's Houthis vowed to defy a U.S.-led naval mission and keep targeting Red Sea shipping in support of the Palestinian enclave's ruling Hamas movement.
+Israel's campaign to eradicate Hamas militants behind an Oct. 7 massacre has left the coastal enclave in ruins, brought widespread hunger and homelessness, and killed nearly 20,000 Gazans, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry.
+Under foreign pressure to avoid killing innocents, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war will not stop until a remaining 129 hostages are freed and Hamas is obliterated after its fighters' slaying of 1,200 Israelis.
+The conflict has spread beyond Gaza, including into the Red Sea where Iran-aligned Houthi forces have been attacking vessels with missiles and drones. That has prompted the creation of a multinational naval operation to protect commerce in the area, but the Houthis said they would carry on anyway, possibly with a sea operation every 12 hours.
+""Our position will not change in the direction of the Palestinian issue, whether a naval alliance is established or not,"" Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters, saying only Israeli ships or those going to Israel would be targeted.
+""Our position in support of Palestine and the Gaza Strip will remain until the end of the siege, the entry of food and medicine, and our support for the oppressed Palestinian people will remain continuous.""
+Announcing the naval operation, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in Bahrain that joint patrols would be held in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which encompass a major East-West global shipping route.
+""This is an international challenge that demands collective action,"" Austin said.
+British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Tuesday it received information of a potential boarding attempt west of Yemen's Aden port city, adding that the attack was unsuccessful and all crew were safe.
+Some shippers are re-routing around Africa.
+
+DEATHS MOUNT
+In Gaza, Israeli latest missiles hit the southern Rafah area, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees have amassed in recent weeks, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens as they slept at home, local health officials said.
+Residents said they had to dig in the rubble with bare hands. ""This is a barbarian act,"" said Mohammed Zurub, whose family lost 11 people in the attack.
+In the north, another strike killed 13 people and wounded about 75 in the Jabalia refugee camp, the health ministry said.
+Local Palestinians reported intensifying Israeli aerial and tank bombardment of Jabalia as darkness descended later on Tuesday.
+Israel says it warns of strikes in advance so civilians can escape, and accuses Hamas fighters of hunkering down in residential areas and using hospitals and schools as cover, which the Islamist group denies.
+
+Israeli military officials told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday that heavy civilian casualties are the cost of Israel's intense campaign to destroy Hamas and the militants' urban warfare strategy, despite global alarm at the huge human toll.
+One official, a military legal adviser, said the air force was carrying out ""thousands and thousands of attacks and often attacks that require heavy firepower"" to break through Hamas' underground tunnel network.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had told Israeli leaders on a visit on Monday that protecting civilians in Gaza was both ""a moral duty and a strategic imperative"", warning that excessive violence bred resentment that would benefit Hamas and make peaceful coexistence even harder in the long term.
+OVER 90% OF POPULATION HOMELESS
+The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA said more than 60% of Gaza's infrastructure was destroyed or damaged, with more than 90% of the 2.3 million population uprooted.
+In the ground war, where Israel has lost 132 soldiers, tanks advanced further into the southern city of Khan Younis and shelled a market area but met heavy resistance, residents said.
+Thousands of Hamas fighters, based in tunnels, are waging guerrilla-style war against Israeli forces.
+""The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is continuing to operate against Hamas terrorist infrastructure and operatives in the Gaza Strip,"" the military said in a statement.
+Israeli President Isaac Herzog signalled readiness on the part of the country on Tuesday to enter another foreign-mediated ""humanitarian pause"" in fighting to recover more hostages held by Hamas and enable more aid to reach besieged Gaza.
+A truce in late November mediated by Qatari and U.S. diplomats lasted for a week before collapsing and yielded the release of 110 hostages by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.
+Basem Naem, a senior Hamas official based outside Gaza, ruled out further negotiations on exchanging prisoners while the war continued, but said Hamas was open to any initiative to end it and bring relief to Gaza Palestinians.
+A source briefed on diplomatic efforts told Reuters on Tuesday that Qatar's prime minister and the heads of the U.S. and Israeli intelligence services had held ""positive"" talks in Warsaw, Poland to explore ways of reviving negotiations. But a deal was not expected imminently, the source added.
+CHILD AMPUTEES KILLED IN HOSPITALS, UN SAYS
+The Gaza health ministry said on Tuesday that 19,667 Palestinians had been killed and 52,586 wounded since Oct. 7.
+U.N. officials voiced outrage about the plight of Gaza's hospitals, which lack supplies and safety.
+""I'm furious that children who are recovering from amputations in hospitals are then killed in those hospitals,"" said James Elder, spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, saying Nasser Hospital, the largest operational one left in the enclave, had been shelled twice in the past 48 hours.
+One of the dead in the paediatric ward was a 13-year-old amputee named Dina who had survived a strike on her home that killed her family.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","CHILD AMPUTEES KILLED IN HOSPITALS, UN SAYS
+The Gaza health ministry said on Tuesday that 19,667 Palestinians had been killed and 52,586 wounded since Oct. 7. U.N. officials voiced outrage about the plight of Gaza's hospitals, which lack supplies and safety. ""I'm furious that children who are recovering from amputations in hospitals are then killed in those hospitals,"" said James Elder, spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, saying Nasser Hospital, the largest operational one left in the enclave, had been shelled twice in the past 48 hours.  One of the dead in the paediatric ward was a 13-year-old amputee named Dina who had survived a strike on her home that killed her family.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/saudis-best-foreign-investment-will-be-gaza-2023-12-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Saudi’s best foreign investment will be in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The war in Gaza leaves Mohammed bin Salman with a choice. In 2024, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince could keep using the kingdom’s $700 billion Public Investment Fund to buy Western corporate and sporting trinkets. A more far-sighted policy would see him help finance the reconstruction of Palestine.
+A few months into the war, that might sound implausible. The bloody invasion of Gaza that followed Hamas’ murder of around 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7 had as of early December killed over 14,000 Palestinians. A November summit of Arab and Islamic leaders, chaired by MbS in Riyadh, castigated, opens new tab Israel for “war crimes”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in early November he wanted Israel to control a post-war Gaza, increasing the risk that a weakened Hamas or a different extremist group maintains the support of significant numbers of Palestinians. If Donald Trump gets re-elected as U.S. president in 2024, his zealous support for Israel could polarise the situation further.
+Yet it’s possible to imagine a better scenario. If Israel ditches Netanyahu’s discredited far-right administration, a more moderate government might reopen Palestinian peace talks. Gulf states, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace theorises, opens new tab, could promote a new version of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. The first incarnation saw major Arab states offer peace and normalised relations with Israel in return for measures that included the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. In 2024 Palestinians could be offered, among other things, financing and diplomatic assistance to recover.
+It’s unclear who would lead a post-war Palestine, so such an outcome is fraught with difficulties. But it would suit MbS, who was already pursuing normalisation talks with Israel before Oct. 7. His Vision 2030 scheme to pivot Saudi’s economy away from oil requires $100 billion of foreign direct investment inflows annually by 2030, but in 2022 the kingdom only managed $33 billion, even after overhauling, opens new tab its FDI methodology. Securing what’s needed requires a quieter Middle East, not a war-torn one.
+
+Despite the $120 billion in extra, opens new tab net oil export revenues Saudi received in 2022 relative to 2021, Riyadh doesn’t have limitless resources to throw at Gaza. The kingdom may have budget deficits until 2026, Capital Economics flags, opens new tab. If oil prices slump, big diversification projects like MbS’s flagship Red Sea city Neom might face capital spending cuts.
+Yet one key reason why FDI inflows into Saudi have stuttered is foreign investors’ misgivings about MbS himself following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in 2018. If the Saudi leader were to host a major Arab peace conference in Riyadh and offer billions of dollars in scarce resources in reconstruction aid, he could build a more positive reputation. Western leaders and investors might see him more as a statesman and less as a loose cannon.
+That would still be a risky use for Saudi resources. But plenty of PIF punts, like its $45 billion bet on the SoftBank Vision Fund, went wrong without yielding any political benefits. If U.S. and European investors became more sanguine about heading to Riyadh, it could be the best investment MbS ever made.
+
+CONTEXT NEWS
+Leaders at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit, which concluded in Riyadh on Nov. 11, jointly condemned, opens new tab the “brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank”.
+Delegates, which included Gulf state leaders and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, said it was “impossible to achieve regional peace while overlooking the Palestinian cause or attempting to ignore the rights of the Palestinian people”.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Saudi’s best foreign investment will be in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The war in Gaza leaves Mohammed bin Salman with a choice. In 2024, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince could keep using the kingdom’s $700 billion Public Investment Fund to buy Western corporate and sporting trinkets. A more far-sighted policy would see him help finance the reconstruction of Palestine. A few months into the war, that might sound implausible. The bloody invasion of Gaza that followed Hamas’ murder of around 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7 had as of early December killed over 14,000 Palestinians. A November summit of Arab and Islamic leaders, chaired by MbS in Riyadh, castigated, opens new tab Israel for “war crimes”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in early November he wanted Israel to control a post-war Gaza, increasing the risk that a weakened Hamas or a different extremist group maintains the support of significant numbers of Palestinians. If Donald Trump gets re-elected as U.S. president in 2024, his zealous support for Israel could polarise the situation further.  Yet it’s possible to imagine a better scenario. If Israel ditches Netanyahu’s discredited far-right administration, a more moderate government might reopen Palestinian peace talks. Gulf states, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace theorises, opens new tab, could promote a new version of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. The first incarnation saw major Arab states offer peace and normalised relations with Israel in return for measures that included the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. In 2024 Palestinians could be offered, among other things, financing and diplomatic assistance to recover.  It’s unclear who would lead a post-war Palestine, so such an outcome is fraught with difficulties. But it would suit MbS, who was already pursuing normalisation talks with Israel before Oct. 7. His Vision 2030 scheme to pivot Saudi’s economy away from oil requires $100 billion of foreign direct investment inflows annually by 2030, but in 2022 the kingdom only managed $33 billion, even after overhauling, opens new tab its FDI methodology. Securing what’s needed requires a quieter Middle East, not a war-torn one.  Despite the $120 billion in extra, opens new tab net oil export revenues Saudi received in 2022 relative to 2021, Riyadh doesn’t have limitless resources to throw at Gaza. The kingdom may have budget deficits until 2026, Capital Economics flags, opens new tab. If oil prices slump, big diversification projects like MbS’s flagship Red Sea city Neom might face capital spending cuts. "
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/saudis-best-foreign-investment-will-be-gaza-2023-12-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Saudi’s best foreign investment will be in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The war in Gaza leaves Mohammed bin Salman with a choice. In 2024, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince could keep using the kingdom’s $700 billion Public Investment Fund to buy Western corporate and sporting trinkets. A more far-sighted policy would see him help finance the reconstruction of Palestine.
+A few months into the war, that might sound implausible. The bloody invasion of Gaza that followed Hamas’ murder of around 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7 had as of early December killed over 14,000 Palestinians. A November summit of Arab and Islamic leaders, chaired by MbS in Riyadh, castigated, opens new tab Israel for “war crimes”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in early November he wanted Israel to control a post-war Gaza, increasing the risk that a weakened Hamas or a different extremist group maintains the support of significant numbers of Palestinians. If Donald Trump gets re-elected as U.S. president in 2024, his zealous support for Israel could polarise the situation further.
+Yet it’s possible to imagine a better scenario. If Israel ditches Netanyahu’s discredited far-right administration, a more moderate government might reopen Palestinian peace talks. Gulf states, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace theorises, opens new tab, could promote a new version of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. The first incarnation saw major Arab states offer peace and normalised relations with Israel in return for measures that included the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. In 2024 Palestinians could be offered, among other things, financing and diplomatic assistance to recover.
+It’s unclear who would lead a post-war Palestine, so such an outcome is fraught with difficulties. But it would suit MbS, who was already pursuing normalisation talks with Israel before Oct. 7. His Vision 2030 scheme to pivot Saudi’s economy away from oil requires $100 billion of foreign direct investment inflows annually by 2030, but in 2022 the kingdom only managed $33 billion, even after overhauling, opens new tab its FDI methodology. Securing what’s needed requires a quieter Middle East, not a war-torn one.
+
+Despite the $120 billion in extra, opens new tab net oil export revenues Saudi received in 2022 relative to 2021, Riyadh doesn’t have limitless resources to throw at Gaza. The kingdom may have budget deficits until 2026, Capital Economics flags, opens new tab. If oil prices slump, big diversification projects like MbS’s flagship Red Sea city Neom might face capital spending cuts.
+Yet one key reason why FDI inflows into Saudi have stuttered is foreign investors’ misgivings about MbS himself following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in 2018. If the Saudi leader were to host a major Arab peace conference in Riyadh and offer billions of dollars in scarce resources in reconstruction aid, he could build a more positive reputation. Western leaders and investors might see him more as a statesman and less as a loose cannon.
+That would still be a risky use for Saudi resources. But plenty of PIF punts, like its $45 billion bet on the SoftBank Vision Fund, went wrong without yielding any political benefits. If U.S. and European investors became more sanguine about heading to Riyadh, it could be the best investment MbS ever made.
+
+CONTEXT NEWS
+Leaders at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit, which concluded in Riyadh on Nov. 11, jointly condemned, opens new tab the “brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank”.
+Delegates, which included Gulf state leaders and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, said it was “impossible to achieve regional peace while overlooking the Palestinian cause or attempting to ignore the rights of the Palestinian people”.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Yet one key reason why FDI inflows into Saudi have stuttered is foreign investors’ misgivings about MbS himself following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in 2018. If the Saudi leader were to host a major Arab peace conference in Riyadh and offer billions of dollars in scarce resources in reconstruction aid, he could build a more positive reputation. Western leaders and investors might see him more as a statesman and less as a loose cannon.  That would still be a risky use for Saudi resources. But plenty of PIF punts, like its $45 billion bet on the SoftBank Vision Fund, went wrong without yielding any political benefits. If U.S. and European investors became more sanguine about heading to Riyadh, it could be the best investment MbS ever made. CONTEXT NEWS Leaders at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit, which concluded in Riyadh on Nov. 11, jointly condemned, opens new tab the “brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank”.  Delegates, which included Gulf state leaders and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, said it was “impossible to achieve regional peace while overlooking the Palestinian cause or attempting to ignore the rights of the Palestinian people”.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-truck-driving-into-protest-predates-la-demonstration-2023-2023-12-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video of truck driving into protest predates LA demonstration in 2023[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A 2020 video of a red truck driving through a crowd on a highway has been shared with the false claim that it shows a vehicle running into activists blocking traffic on a Los Angeles highway demanding a ceasefire to the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.
+On Dec. 13, 2023, protesters from IfNotNow, opens new tab, a U.S. Jewish group calling for the end to U.S. support for Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories blocked the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles and held up placards demanding Israel halt military operations in Gaza. Video shared by local channel KCAL-TV showed a few enraged motorists fighting with protesters, Reuters reported.
+After the protest, users on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and X social media, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), shared a video of a red pickup truck with a large trailer in tow driving into a crowd of people, with the caption: “A truck drives through a crowd of #Palestine protesters blocking the freeway in Los Angeles.”
+The video, however, is not from Los Angeles and predates the incident by over three years. NBC uploaded the clip on YouTube showing a truck driving into Black Lives Matter protesters on I-244 in Tulsa, Oklahoma in June 2020, opens new tab.
+A separate live report, opens new tab that day by a local news outlet features the incident from a different angle. The ONEOK baseball park visible at 1:32 can be geolocated, opens new tab to the same interstate highway in Tulsa.
+There are no credible reports of a truck driving into protesters on a Los Angeles freeway on Dec. 13.
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. Video shows a truck driving through a crowd of protesters in Oklahoma in 2020 not Los Angeles in 2023.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video of truck driving into protest predates LA demonstration in 2023[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A 2020 video of a red truck driving through a crowd on a highway has been shared with the false claim that it shows a vehicle running into activists blocking traffic on a Los Angeles highway demanding a ceasefire to the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. On Dec. 13, 2023, protesters from IfNotNow, opens new tab, a U.S. Jewish group calling for the end to U.S. support for Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories blocked the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles and held up placards demanding Israel halt military operations in Gaza. Video shared by local channel KCAL-TV showed a few enraged motorists fighting with protesters, Reuters reported. After the protest, users on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and X social media, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), shared a video of a red pickup truck with a large trailer in tow driving into a crowd of people, with the caption: “A truck drives through a crowd of #Palestine protesters blocking the freeway in Los Angeles.” The video, however, is not from Los Angeles and predates the incident by over three years. NBC uploaded the clip on YouTube showing a truck driving into Black Lives Matter protesters on I-244 in Tulsa, Oklahoma in June 2020, opens new tab.  A separate live report, opens new tab that day by a local news outlet features the incident from a different angle. The ONEOK baseball park visible at 1:32 can be geolocated, opens new tab to the same interstate highway in Tulsa. There are no credible reports of a truck driving into protesters on a Los Angeles freeway on Dec. 13.  VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. Video shows a truck driving through a crowd of protesters in Oklahoma in 2020 not Los Angeles in 2023.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-keffiyeh-scarves-controversial-symbol-solidarity-2023-12-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian keffiyeh scarves - a controversial symbol of solidarity[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN/PARIS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Across the world, the black-and-white keffiyeh head scarf has become an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian cause as war rages between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. It has also become a problem for those wearing it.
+Supporters of Israel see the chequered scarf as a provocation and a sign of backing for what they see as terrorism.
+Thousands of people have worn keffiyehs in huge protests in Britain and elsewhere in support of the Palestinians and calling for a ceasefire in the conflict.
+But activists say police in France and Germany - which have cracked down on pro-Palestinian protests - have cautioned, fined or detained people wearing it.
+Ramy Al-Asheq, a Palestinian Syrian poet who lives in Berlin, believes he has found a way around the problem. He had the length of his forearm tattooed with the pattern of a keffiyeh.
+""The keffiyeh was being criminalized and people were asked to take it off,"" he said. ""I said: 'Okay, you can make me take it off but you have to cut my arm to do so.""
+""I am celebrating my anger and my criminalized culture,"" he told Reuters as a tattooist put the finishing touches on his work. ""It's also beautiful and a reminder to never forget that so many people were killed.""
+Yet Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper called the keffiyeh the ""problem cloth"" and suggested German pro-Palestinian protesters wear a Nazi uniform instead.
+Israel supporters say it shows a disregard for the 1,200 Israelis killed in the cross-border raid by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 that triggered the Israeli assault on Gaza.
+Palestinian supporters point to the more than 18,000 people killed in the offensive and Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian territory.
+In the heated atmosphere, this has also led to violence. In Vermont in the United States last month, three college students of Palestinian descent - two wearing keffiyehs - were shot, leaving one paralysed.
+SYMBOL OF REVOLT
+The keffiyeh has long been a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, exemplified by the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat, who was rarely photographed without one. He folded it in a way that depicted the shape of historic Palestine.
+It first took on a political significance with the 1936-1939 revolt against British rule, when rural guerrillas covered their faces with the cloth, design historian Anu Lingala told Reuters. It showed ""unified resistance,"" she said.
+
+The black-and-white pattern came in the 1950s, when British commander General John Glubb assigned it to Palestinian soldiers in the Arab Legion to distinguish them from the red-and-white of Jordanian soldiers, U.S. historian Ted Swedenburg wrote in his book ""Memories of Revolt"".
+It was later adopted by Palestinian militants, like Laila Khaled, who hijacked an American TWA airliner in 1969. South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, whose African National Congress was close to the PLO, sometimes sported one.
+As the Palestinian flag was banned in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza between 1967 and 1993, the keffiyeh grew as a symbol of the struggle for a Palestinian state.
+""What was used to cover the identity of the anti-British colonialism rebels is now a symbol to show this identity,"" the poet Asheq said.
+SOUGHT-AFTER SCARF
+Since the start of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, online orders for the scarf have soared on the website of Hirbawi, opens new tab, the last keffiyeh factory on Palestinian territory.
+With a monthly capacity of 5,000 keffiyehs, it will take years to fill the backlog of 150,000 people who have expressed interest, Nael Alqassis, the company's partner in Europe, told Reuters.
+Loai Hayatleh, a salesman at a Berlin oriental trinkets shop, said the Gaza war had increased demand by 200%.
+""We had to get two air shipments from Syria,"" said Hayatleh, whose shop had drawn police attention due to the Palestinian flag he hung above the shop window.
+Berlin and Paris police said that wearing a keffiyeh was not illegal unless it covered the face. But the Berlin police said they could restrict or prohibit an outdoor gathering if they believed public safety was in immediate danger, and this could involve banning keffiyehs.
+Paris police declined to comment on specific cases.
+Ghassen Mzoughi was stopped by police when leaving a march in Paris in November and was told to remove a red keffiyeh that he had draped over his shoulders.
+""They were calm, but the message was clear – remove it or you are not leaving,"" the 39-year-old computer programmer said.
+Police asked scientist Yosra Messai, 44, to remove her scarf while she was riding the Paris metro. She refused, and was fined 30 euros for mounting an unauthorised protest.
+""I was shocked and in tears. It is a symbol – it is the least we can do,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian keffiyeh scarves - a controversial symbol of solidarity[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN/PARIS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Across the world, the black-and-white keffiyeh head scarf has become an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian cause as war rages between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. It has also become a problem for those wearing it. Supporters of Israel see the chequered scarf as a provocation and a sign of backing for what they see as terrorism. Thousands of people have worn keffiyehs in huge protests in Britain and elsewhere in support of the Palestinians and calling for a ceasefire in the conflict. But activists say police in France and Germany - which have cracked down on pro-Palestinian protests - have cautioned, fined or detained people wearing it.  Ramy Al-Asheq, a Palestinian Syrian poet who lives in Berlin, believes he has found a way around the problem. He had the length of his forearm tattooed with the pattern of a keffiyeh.  ""The keffiyeh was being criminalized and people were asked to take it off,"" he said. ""I said: 'Okay, you can make me take it off but you have to cut my arm to do so.""  ""I am celebrating my anger and my criminalized culture,"" he told Reuters as a tattooist put the finishing touches on his work. ""It's also beautiful and a reminder to never forget that so many people were killed."" Yet Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper called the keffiyeh the ""problem cloth"" and suggested German pro-Palestinian protesters wear a Nazi uniform instead.
+Israel supporters say it shows a disregard for the 1,200 Israelis killed in the cross-border raid by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 that triggered the Israeli assault on Gaza. Palestinian supporters point to the more than 18,000 people killed in the offensive and Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian territory.  In the heated atmosphere, this has also led to violence. In Vermont in the United States last month, three college students of Palestinian descent - two wearing keffiyehs - were shot, leaving one paralysed.  SYMBOL OF REVOLT  The keffiyeh has long been a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, exemplified by the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat, who was rarely photographed without one. He folded it in a way that depicted the shape of historic Palestine. It first took on a political significance with the 1936-1939 revolt against British rule, when rural guerrillas covered their faces with the cloth, design historian Anu Lingala told Reuters. It showed ""unified resistance,"" she said. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-keffiyeh-scarves-controversial-symbol-solidarity-2023-12-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian keffiyeh scarves - a controversial symbol of solidarity[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN/PARIS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Across the world, the black-and-white keffiyeh head scarf has become an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian cause as war rages between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. It has also become a problem for those wearing it.
+Supporters of Israel see the chequered scarf as a provocation and a sign of backing for what they see as terrorism.
+Thousands of people have worn keffiyehs in huge protests in Britain and elsewhere in support of the Palestinians and calling for a ceasefire in the conflict.
+But activists say police in France and Germany - which have cracked down on pro-Palestinian protests - have cautioned, fined or detained people wearing it.
+Ramy Al-Asheq, a Palestinian Syrian poet who lives in Berlin, believes he has found a way around the problem. He had the length of his forearm tattooed with the pattern of a keffiyeh.
+""The keffiyeh was being criminalized and people were asked to take it off,"" he said. ""I said: 'Okay, you can make me take it off but you have to cut my arm to do so.""
+""I am celebrating my anger and my criminalized culture,"" he told Reuters as a tattooist put the finishing touches on his work. ""It's also beautiful and a reminder to never forget that so many people were killed.""
+Yet Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper called the keffiyeh the ""problem cloth"" and suggested German pro-Palestinian protesters wear a Nazi uniform instead.
+Israel supporters say it shows a disregard for the 1,200 Israelis killed in the cross-border raid by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 that triggered the Israeli assault on Gaza.
+Palestinian supporters point to the more than 18,000 people killed in the offensive and Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian territory.
+In the heated atmosphere, this has also led to violence. In Vermont in the United States last month, three college students of Palestinian descent - two wearing keffiyehs - were shot, leaving one paralysed.
+SYMBOL OF REVOLT
+The keffiyeh has long been a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, exemplified by the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat, who was rarely photographed without one. He folded it in a way that depicted the shape of historic Palestine.
+It first took on a political significance with the 1936-1939 revolt against British rule, when rural guerrillas covered their faces with the cloth, design historian Anu Lingala told Reuters. It showed ""unified resistance,"" she said.
+
+The black-and-white pattern came in the 1950s, when British commander General John Glubb assigned it to Palestinian soldiers in the Arab Legion to distinguish them from the red-and-white of Jordanian soldiers, U.S. historian Ted Swedenburg wrote in his book ""Memories of Revolt"".
+It was later adopted by Palestinian militants, like Laila Khaled, who hijacked an American TWA airliner in 1969. South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, whose African National Congress was close to the PLO, sometimes sported one.
+As the Palestinian flag was banned in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza between 1967 and 1993, the keffiyeh grew as a symbol of the struggle for a Palestinian state.
+""What was used to cover the identity of the anti-British colonialism rebels is now a symbol to show this identity,"" the poet Asheq said.
+SOUGHT-AFTER SCARF
+Since the start of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, online orders for the scarf have soared on the website of Hirbawi, opens new tab, the last keffiyeh factory on Palestinian territory.
+With a monthly capacity of 5,000 keffiyehs, it will take years to fill the backlog of 150,000 people who have expressed interest, Nael Alqassis, the company's partner in Europe, told Reuters.
+Loai Hayatleh, a salesman at a Berlin oriental trinkets shop, said the Gaza war had increased demand by 200%.
+""We had to get two air shipments from Syria,"" said Hayatleh, whose shop had drawn police attention due to the Palestinian flag he hung above the shop window.
+Berlin and Paris police said that wearing a keffiyeh was not illegal unless it covered the face. But the Berlin police said they could restrict or prohibit an outdoor gathering if they believed public safety was in immediate danger, and this could involve banning keffiyehs.
+Paris police declined to comment on specific cases.
+Ghassen Mzoughi was stopped by police when leaving a march in Paris in November and was told to remove a red keffiyeh that he had draped over his shoulders.
+""They were calm, but the message was clear – remove it or you are not leaving,"" the 39-year-old computer programmer said.
+Police asked scientist Yosra Messai, 44, to remove her scarf while she was riding the Paris metro. She refused, and was fined 30 euros for mounting an unauthorised protest.
+""I was shocked and in tears. It is a symbol – it is the least we can do,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The black-and-white pattern came in the 1950s, when British commander General John Glubb assigned it to Palestinian soldiers in the Arab Legion to distinguish them from the red-and-white of Jordanian soldiers, U.S. historian Ted Swedenburg wrote in his book ""Memories of Revolt"".
+It was later adopted by Palestinian militants, like Laila Khaled, who hijacked an American TWA airliner in 1969. South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, whose African National Congress was close to the PLO, sometimes sported one. As the Palestinian flag was banned in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza between 1967 and 1993, the keffiyeh grew as a symbol of the struggle for a Palestinian state.
+""What was used to cover the identity of the anti-British colonialism rebels is now a symbol to show this identity,"" the poet Asheq said. SOUGHT-AFTER SCARF Since the start of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, online orders for the scarf have soared on the website of Hirbawi, opens new tab, the last keffiyeh factory on Palestinian territory. With a monthly capacity of 5,000 keffiyehs, it will take years to fill the backlog of 150,000 people who have expressed interest, Nael Alqassis, the company's partner in Europe, told Reuters. Loai Hayatleh, a salesman at a Berlin oriental trinkets shop, said the Gaza war had increased demand by 200%. ""We had to get two air shipments from Syria,"" said Hayatleh, whose shop had drawn police attention due to the Palestinian flag he hung above the shop window.  Berlin and Paris police said that wearing a keffiyeh was not illegal unless it covered the face. But the Berlin police said they could restrict or prohibit an outdoor gathering if they believed public safety was in immediate danger, and this could involve banning keffiyehs. Paris police declined to comment on specific cases. Ghassen Mzoughi was stopped by police when leaving a march in Paris in November and was told to remove a red keffiyeh that he had draped over his shoulders. ""They were calm, but the message was clear – remove it or you are not leaving,"" the 39-year-old computer programmer said.  Police asked scientist Yosra Messai, 44, to remove her scarf while she was riding the Paris metro. She refused, and was fined 30 euros for mounting an unauthorised protest.  ""I was shocked and in tears. It is a symbol – it is the least we can do,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/copenhagen-police-danish-intelligence-make-arrests-suspicion-preparations-attack-2023-12-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Seven arrested in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands over suspected terrorism plots[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]COPENHAGEN/BERLIN, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Seven people, including four suspected Hamas members, were arrested in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe, authorities in the three countries said on Thursday.
+The arrests were made as Israel pressed on with its operation to destroy Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a war that was touched off by a cross-border Oct. 7 assault on Israeli towns by militants of the Palestinian Islamist movement.
+Three of the suspects were detained in Berlin and another was detained in the Netherlands, all four longstanding members of Hamas with close links to the leadership of Hamas' military branch, German prosecutors said in a statement.
+A Hamas official denied those held were connected to the group.
+Three people arrested in Denmark would be charged under the terrorism clause of the criminal code and put in front of a judge for preliminary questioning, police said. It was not clear if there was a link between the arrests in Denmark and those in Germany and the Netherlands.
+Dutch national Nazih R was arrested by police in Rotterdam, while Lebanon-born Abdelhamid Al A and Ibrahim El-R, as well as Egyptian national Mohamed B, were arrested in the German capital, German prosecutors said.
+Abdelhamid Al A had been assigned by Hamas leaders in Lebanon with finding sources for weapons, prosecutors said. The weapons were due to be taken to Berlin and kept ready for potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions, prosecutors said.
+""Following the terrible attacks by Hamas on the Israeli population, attacks on Jews in Jewish institutions have also increased in our country in recent weeks,"" German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement on the detentions.
+""We must therefore do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again.""
+Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters: ""We deny there are members of Hamas detained in Denmark, Germany, or any other European country. Publishing these allegations aims to influence the mass rallies that are supportive of Palestine in Europe.""
+Dutch police said they had arrested a 57-year-old man in Rotterdam on Thursday on request of German authorities in a Danish-German investigation.
+Israel's Mossad spy agency said Denmark had exposed ""Hamas infrastructure on European soil,"" a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.
+The Danish police and intelligence service were not immediately available for comment on the Israeli statement. The justice ministry declined to comment.
+Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was quoted by Ritzau news agency as saying: ""It is of course - in relation to Israel and Gaza - completely unacceptable for someone to bring a conflict elsewhere in the world into Danish society.""
+Danish police said Thursday's raids followed investigations made in close cooperation with partners abroad, which had revealed a network of people preparing a terrorist attack.
+Police said they would increase their public presence in coming days, in particular in Copenhagen and around Jewish localities. The Jewish Community in Denmark said it had been briefed about the raids but did not have any knowledge about actual threats to Jewish targets.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Seven arrested in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands over suspected terrorism plots[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]COPENHAGEN/BERLIN, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Seven people, including four suspected Hamas members, were arrested in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe, authorities in the three countries said on Thursday. The arrests were made as Israel pressed on with its operation to destroy Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a war that was touched off by a cross-border Oct. 7 assault on Israeli towns by militants of the Palestinian Islamist movement. Three of the suspects were detained in Berlin and another was detained in the Netherlands, all four longstanding members of Hamas with close links to the leadership of Hamas' military branch, German prosecutors said in a statement. A Hamas official denied those held were connected to the group.
+Three people arrested in Denmark would be charged under the terrorism clause of the criminal code and put in front of a judge for preliminary questioning, police said. It was not clear if there was a link between the arrests in Denmark and those in Germany and the Netherlands. Dutch national Nazih R was arrested by police in Rotterdam, while Lebanon-born Abdelhamid Al A and Ibrahim El-R, as well as Egyptian national Mohamed B, were arrested in the German capital, German prosecutors said.  Abdelhamid Al A had been assigned by Hamas leaders in Lebanon with finding sources for weapons, prosecutors said. The weapons were due to be taken to Berlin and kept ready for potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions, prosecutors said. ""Following the terrible attacks by Hamas on the Israeli population, attacks on Jews in Jewish institutions have also increased in our country in recent weeks,"" German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement on the detentions.  ""We must therefore do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again.""
+Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters: ""We deny there are members of Hamas detained in Denmark, Germany, or any other European country. Publishing these allegations aims to influence the mass rallies that are supportive of Palestine in Europe."" Dutch police said they had arrested a 57-year-old man in Rotterdam on Thursday on request of German authorities in a Danish-German investigation. Israel's Mossad spy agency said Denmark had exposed ""Hamas infrastructure on European soil,"" a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.  The Danish police and intelligence service were not immediately available for comment on the Israeli statement. The justice ministry declined to comment."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/copenhagen-police-danish-intelligence-make-arrests-suspicion-preparations-attack-2023-12-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Seven arrested in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands over suspected terrorism plots[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]COPENHAGEN/BERLIN, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Seven people, including four suspected Hamas members, were arrested in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe, authorities in the three countries said on Thursday.
+The arrests were made as Israel pressed on with its operation to destroy Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a war that was touched off by a cross-border Oct. 7 assault on Israeli towns by militants of the Palestinian Islamist movement.
+Three of the suspects were detained in Berlin and another was detained in the Netherlands, all four longstanding members of Hamas with close links to the leadership of Hamas' military branch, German prosecutors said in a statement.
+A Hamas official denied those held were connected to the group.
+Three people arrested in Denmark would be charged under the terrorism clause of the criminal code and put in front of a judge for preliminary questioning, police said. It was not clear if there was a link between the arrests in Denmark and those in Germany and the Netherlands.
+Dutch national Nazih R was arrested by police in Rotterdam, while Lebanon-born Abdelhamid Al A and Ibrahim El-R, as well as Egyptian national Mohamed B, were arrested in the German capital, German prosecutors said.
+Abdelhamid Al A had been assigned by Hamas leaders in Lebanon with finding sources for weapons, prosecutors said. The weapons were due to be taken to Berlin and kept ready for potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions, prosecutors said.
+""Following the terrible attacks by Hamas on the Israeli population, attacks on Jews in Jewish institutions have also increased in our country in recent weeks,"" German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement on the detentions.
+""We must therefore do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again.""
+Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters: ""We deny there are members of Hamas detained in Denmark, Germany, or any other European country. Publishing these allegations aims to influence the mass rallies that are supportive of Palestine in Europe.""
+Dutch police said they had arrested a 57-year-old man in Rotterdam on Thursday on request of German authorities in a Danish-German investigation.
+Israel's Mossad spy agency said Denmark had exposed ""Hamas infrastructure on European soil,"" a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.
+The Danish police and intelligence service were not immediately available for comment on the Israeli statement. The justice ministry declined to comment.
+Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was quoted by Ritzau news agency as saying: ""It is of course - in relation to Israel and Gaza - completely unacceptable for someone to bring a conflict elsewhere in the world into Danish society.""
+Danish police said Thursday's raids followed investigations made in close cooperation with partners abroad, which had revealed a network of people preparing a terrorist attack.
+Police said they would increase their public presence in coming days, in particular in Copenhagen and around Jewish localities. The Jewish Community in Denmark said it had been briefed about the raids but did not have any knowledge about actual threats to Jewish targets.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was quoted by Ritzau news agency as saying: ""It is of course - in relation to Israel and Gaza - completely unacceptable for someone to bring a conflict elsewhere in the world into Danish society."" Danish police said Thursday's raids followed investigations made in close cooperation with partners abroad, which had revealed a network of people preparing a terrorist attack.  Police said they would increase their public presence in coming days, in particular in Copenhagen and around Jewish localities. The Jewish Community in Denmark said it had been briefed about the raids but did not have any knowledge about actual threats to Jewish targets.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk-sanctions-iranians-linked-quds-force-palestinian-militant-groups-2023-12-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK, US sanction Iranians linked to Quds Force, Palestinian militant groups[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Britain said it had adopted a new sanctions regime against Iran on Thursday as it announced measures against seven individuals, including the head of Tehran's Quds Force, for threatening or planning the destabilisation of Israel.
+The British government said the new regime, which it said gave it greater powers to act against Iran and its decisionmakers, had been brought in response to ""unprecedented threats"" from Tehran to peace in the Middle East and to plots to kill individuals in Britain.
+""The behaviour of the Iranian regime poses an unacceptable threat to the UK and our partners,"" foreign minister David Cameron said in a statement.
+""It continues to threaten people on UK soil and uses its influence to destabilise the Middle East through its support to armed groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).""
+Those subject to travel bans and asset freezes under the new sanctions included Esmail Qaani, the head of the Quds Force, which is the arm of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) that controls its allied militia from Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen to Syria.
+Also sanctioned were Mohammed Saeed Izadi, the head of IRGC-QF Palestine branch, and three other members from that branch: Ali Marshad Shirazi, Majid Zaree and Mostafa Majid Khani.
+The entire branch itself is subject to asset freezes, the government said, while Hamas and PIJ representatives to Iran, Khaled Qaddoumi and Nasser Abu Sharif, respectively, also face travel bans and asset freezes.
+London has accused Iran of supporting Houthi militant attacks on shipping in the Red Sea but the British Chief of the Defence Staff, Tony Radakin, said Britain did not think Tehran wanted a war in the Middle East.
+""We assess Iran doesn’t want a direct war ... But Iran is comfortable with the way events have unfolded, the dilemmas for Israel, the threat posed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, militia groups exploiting this crisis to challenge America’s role in the region,"" Radakin said in a speech on Wednesday.
+The United States on Thursday also imposed sanctions on a Quds Force official, the Treasury Department said in a statement, accusing Majid Zaree of being involved in support to groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
+The action freezes any of the official's U.S. assets and generally bars Americans from dealing with him. Those that engage in certain transactions with him also risk being hit with sanctions.
+“The United States continues to coordinate with our partners, including the United Kingdom, to tackle terrorist financing and threats from Iran,"" Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in the statement.
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK, US sanction Iranians linked to Quds Force, Palestinian militant groups[/TITLE] [CONTENT]LONDON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Britain said it had adopted a new sanctions regime against Iran on Thursday as it announced measures against seven individuals, including the head of Tehran's Quds Force, for threatening or planning the destabilisation of Israel.  The British government said the new regime, which it said gave it greater powers to act against Iran and its decisionmakers, had been brought in response to ""unprecedented threats"" from Tehran to peace in the Middle East and to plots to kill individuals in Britain.
+"" The behaviour of the Iranian regime poses an unacceptable threat to the UK and our partners,"" foreign minister David Cameron said in a statement.  ""It continues to threaten people on UK soil and uses its influence to destabilise the Middle East through its support to armed groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). ""
+Those subject to travel bans and asset freezes under the new sanctions included Esmail Qaani, the head of the Quds Force, which is the arm of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) that controls its allied militia from Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen to Syria. Also sanctioned were Mohammed Saeed Izadi, the head of IRGC-QF Palestine branch, and three other members from that branch: Ali Marshad Shirazi, Majid Zaree and Mostafa Majid Khani.
+The entire branch itself is subject to asset freezes, the government said, while Hamas and PIJ representatives to Iran, Khaled Qaddoumi and Nasser Abu Sharif, respectively, also face travel bans and asset freezes. London has accused Iran of supporting Houthi militant attacks on shipping in the Red Sea but the British Chief of the Defence Staff, Tony Radakin, said Britain did not think Tehran wanted a war in the Middle East.  ""We assess Iran doesn’t want a direct war ... But Iran is comfortable with the way events have unfolded, the dilemmas for Israel, the threat posed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, militia groups exploiting this crisis to challenge America’s role in the region,"" Radakin said in a speech on Wednesday. The United States on Thursday also imposed sanctions on a Quds Force official, the Treasury Department said in a statement, accusing Majid Zaree of being involved in support to groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. The action freezes any of the official's U.S. assets and generally bars Americans from dealing with him. Those that engage in certain transactions with him also risk being hit with sanctions."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk-sanctions-iranians-linked-quds-force-palestinian-militant-groups-2023-12-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK, US sanction Iranians linked to Quds Force, Palestinian militant groups[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Britain said it had adopted a new sanctions regime against Iran on Thursday as it announced measures against seven individuals, including the head of Tehran's Quds Force, for threatening or planning the destabilisation of Israel.
+The British government said the new regime, which it said gave it greater powers to act against Iran and its decisionmakers, had been brought in response to ""unprecedented threats"" from Tehran to peace in the Middle East and to plots to kill individuals in Britain.
+""The behaviour of the Iranian regime poses an unacceptable threat to the UK and our partners,"" foreign minister David Cameron said in a statement.
+""It continues to threaten people on UK soil and uses its influence to destabilise the Middle East through its support to armed groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).""
+Those subject to travel bans and asset freezes under the new sanctions included Esmail Qaani, the head of the Quds Force, which is the arm of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) that controls its allied militia from Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen to Syria.
+Also sanctioned were Mohammed Saeed Izadi, the head of IRGC-QF Palestine branch, and three other members from that branch: Ali Marshad Shirazi, Majid Zaree and Mostafa Majid Khani.
+The entire branch itself is subject to asset freezes, the government said, while Hamas and PIJ representatives to Iran, Khaled Qaddoumi and Nasser Abu Sharif, respectively, also face travel bans and asset freezes.
+London has accused Iran of supporting Houthi militant attacks on shipping in the Red Sea but the British Chief of the Defence Staff, Tony Radakin, said Britain did not think Tehran wanted a war in the Middle East.
+""We assess Iran doesn’t want a direct war ... But Iran is comfortable with the way events have unfolded, the dilemmas for Israel, the threat posed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, militia groups exploiting this crisis to challenge America’s role in the region,"" Radakin said in a speech on Wednesday.
+The United States on Thursday also imposed sanctions on a Quds Force official, the Treasury Department said in a statement, accusing Majid Zaree of being involved in support to groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
+The action freezes any of the official's U.S. assets and generally bars Americans from dealing with him. Those that engage in certain transactions with him also risk being hit with sanctions.
+“The United States continues to coordinate with our partners, including the United Kingdom, to tackle terrorist financing and threats from Iran,"" Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in the statement.
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","“The United States continues to coordinate with our partners, including the United Kingdom, to tackle terrorist financing and threats from Iran,"" Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in the statement. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-shows-idf-spokesperson-with-oct-7-victims-2023-12-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video shows IDF spokesperson with Oct. 7 victims[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman has been misidentified as a journalist online in a video where he was also falsely claimed to be showing bodies of IDF soldiers killed by Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah.
+The spokesman speaks in Spanish in the clip as he walks into a refrigerated shipping container stacked with filled body bags.
+A Nov. 7 post sharing the clip on messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) identified the individual as a journalist called Ephraim Mordechai who was presenting “Israeli military casualties from the north of occupied Palestine, i.e. those killed by Hezbollah.
+“He said the Israeli army will not hand over the body to their families, presumably because it reveals casualty numbers,” the post said, adding that the individual was later arrested.
+But the man makes no such comment in the video, nor does he mention Hezbollah or say the bodies are of military personnel.
+Reuters traced a longer and higher quality version of the video to an Oct. 23 X post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) by Major Reservist Roni Kaplan, an IDF spokesman for Spanish-speaking media, whose name badge is visible on his chest.
+“This is how Hamas paid us, leaving each and every one murdered, whole kibbutzim,” he says, in Spanish, at timestamp 01:27, a line that was cut from the version being shared in posts with the false claim.
+Kaplan told Reuters via WhatsApp that he is the man in the video, not an Ephraim Mordechai, and that the bodies shown in the video were victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
+He said the video was captured on Oct. 23 at Shura defence base, where Reuters reported on the temporary morgue consisting of shipping containers erected there to identify the dead.
+Reuters did not find credible reporting on the arrest of a journalist called Ephraim Mordechai, nor is there any evidence online of a person using the name Ephraim Mordechai who showed body bags in a video and claimed them to be IDF personnel killed by Hezbollah.
+Israel’s Government Press Office (GPO) told Reuters that no journalist by the name of Ephraim Mordechai had received a GPO press card since at least 2013, when a new press accreditation system was introduced with a new database.
+The GPO card allows journalists entry to official events such as press conferences and courts, opens new tab and is valid for up to two years, opens new tab.
+Israeli Police did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
+VERDICT
+False. The video shows IDF spokesman Roni Kaplan presenting body bags of those killed during Hamas' attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video shows IDF spokesperson with Oct. 7 victims[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman has been misidentified as a journalist online in a video where he was also falsely claimed to be showing bodies of IDF soldiers killed by Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah. The spokesman speaks in Spanish in the clip as he walks into a refrigerated shipping container stacked with filled body bags. A Nov. 7 post sharing the clip on messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) identified the individual as a journalist called Ephraim Mordechai who was presenting “Israeli military casualties from the north of occupied Palestine, i.e. those killed by Hezbollah. “He said the Israeli army will not hand over the body to their families, presumably because it reveals casualty numbers,” the post said, adding that the individual was later arrested.
+But the man makes no such comment in the video, nor does he mention Hezbollah or say the bodies are of military personnel.  Reuters traced a longer and higher quality version of the video to an Oct. 23 X post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) by Major Reservist Roni Kaplan, an IDF spokesman for Spanish-speaking media, whose name badge is visible on his chest. “This is how Hamas paid us, leaving each and every one murdered, whole kibbutzim,” he says, in Spanish, at timestamp 01:27, a line that was cut from the version being shared in posts with the false claim. Kaplan told Reuters via WhatsApp that he is the man in the video, not an Ephraim Mordechai, and that the bodies shown in the video were victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. He said the video was captured on Oct. 23 at Shura defence base, where Reuters reported on the temporary morgue consisting of shipping containers erected there to identify the dead. Reuters did not find credible reporting on the arrest of a journalist called Ephraim Mordechai, nor is there any evidence online of a person using the name Ephraim Mordechai who showed body bags in a video and claimed them to be IDF personnel killed by Hezbollah. Israel’s Government Press Office (GPO) told Reuters that no journalist by the name of Ephraim Mordechai had received a GPO press card since at least 2013, when a new press accreditation system was introduced with a new database. The GPO card allows journalists entry to official events such as press conferences and courts, opens new tab and is valid for up to two years, opens new tab. Israeli Police did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.  VERDICT
+False."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-shows-idf-spokesperson-with-oct-7-victims-2023-12-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video shows IDF spokesperson with Oct. 7 victims[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman has been misidentified as a journalist online in a video where he was also falsely claimed to be showing bodies of IDF soldiers killed by Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah.
+The spokesman speaks in Spanish in the clip as he walks into a refrigerated shipping container stacked with filled body bags.
+A Nov. 7 post sharing the clip on messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) identified the individual as a journalist called Ephraim Mordechai who was presenting “Israeli military casualties from the north of occupied Palestine, i.e. those killed by Hezbollah.
+“He said the Israeli army will not hand over the body to their families, presumably because it reveals casualty numbers,” the post said, adding that the individual was later arrested.
+But the man makes no such comment in the video, nor does he mention Hezbollah or say the bodies are of military personnel.
+Reuters traced a longer and higher quality version of the video to an Oct. 23 X post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) by Major Reservist Roni Kaplan, an IDF spokesman for Spanish-speaking media, whose name badge is visible on his chest.
+“This is how Hamas paid us, leaving each and every one murdered, whole kibbutzim,” he says, in Spanish, at timestamp 01:27, a line that was cut from the version being shared in posts with the false claim.
+Kaplan told Reuters via WhatsApp that he is the man in the video, not an Ephraim Mordechai, and that the bodies shown in the video were victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
+He said the video was captured on Oct. 23 at Shura defence base, where Reuters reported on the temporary morgue consisting of shipping containers erected there to identify the dead.
+Reuters did not find credible reporting on the arrest of a journalist called Ephraim Mordechai, nor is there any evidence online of a person using the name Ephraim Mordechai who showed body bags in a video and claimed them to be IDF personnel killed by Hezbollah.
+Israel’s Government Press Office (GPO) told Reuters that no journalist by the name of Ephraim Mordechai had received a GPO press card since at least 2013, when a new press accreditation system was introduced with a new database.
+The GPO card allows journalists entry to official events such as press conferences and courts, opens new tab and is valid for up to two years, opens new tab.
+Israeli Police did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
+VERDICT
+False. The video shows IDF spokesman Roni Kaplan presenting body bags of those killed during Hamas' attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]",The video shows IDF spokesman Roni Kaplan presenting body bags of those killed during Hamas' attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/yemens-houthis-warn-ships-red-sea-avoid-travel-palestinian-territories-2023-12-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Yemen's Houthis warn ships in Red Sea to avoid travel to Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, Dec 12 (Reuters) - (This Dec 12. story has been corrected to make it clear that the Houthi statement was referring to Israel in the headline, paragraph 1 and paragraph 3)
+A senior official from Yemen's Houthis on Tuesday warned cargo ships in the Red Sea to avoid traveling toward Israel, after the Iran-aligned group claimed an attack on a commercial tanker earlier in the day.
+The Houthis earlier said they hit a Norwegian commercial tanker with a missile in their latest protest against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, underlining the risks of a conflict that has shaken the Middle East.
+In addition to avoid heading toward Israel, which the group referred to as ""occupied Palestine"", ships that pass Yemen should keep radios turned on, and quickly respond to Houthi attempts at communication, Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, head of Yemen's Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, said in a message on the X social media platform.
+Al-Houthi also warned cargo ships against ""falsifying their identity"" or raising flags different from the country belonging to cargo ship owner.
+The Iran-aligned group attacked the tanker, the STRINDA, because it was delivering crude oil to an Israeli terminal and after its crew ignored all warnings, Houthi military spokesperson Yehia Sarea had previously said in a statement.
+The Houthis have waded into the Israel-Hamas conflict - which has spread around the region - attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles at Israel more than 1,000 miles from their seat of power in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Yemen's Houthis warn ships in Red Sea to avoid travel to Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, Dec 12 (Reuters) - (This Dec 12. story has been corrected to make it clear that the Houthi statement was referring to Israel in the headline, paragraph 1 and paragraph 3) A senior official from Yemen's Houthis on Tuesday warned cargo ships in the Red Sea to avoid traveling toward Israel, after the Iran-aligned group claimed an attack on a commercial tanker earlier in the day.
+The Houthis earlier said they hit a Norwegian commercial tanker with a missile in their latest protest against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, underlining the risks of a conflict that has shaken the Middle East. In addition to avoid heading toward Israel, which the group referred to as ""occupied Palestine"", ships that pass Yemen should keep radios turned on, and quickly respond to Houthi attempts at communication, Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, head of Yemen's Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, said in a message on the X social media platform.
+Al-Houthi also warned cargo ships against ""falsifying their identity"" or raising flags different from the country belonging to cargo ship owner. The Iran-aligned group attacked the tanker, the STRINDA, because it was delivering crude oil to an Israeli terminal and after its crew ignored all warnings, Houthi military spokesperson Yehia Sarea had previously said in a statement.  The Houthis have waded into the Israel-Hamas conflict - which has spread around the region - attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles at Israel more than 1,000 miles from their seat of power in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/zara-pulls-advert-website-front-page-after-gaza-boycott-calls-2023-12-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Zara pulls advert from website front page after Gaza boycott calls[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MADRID/LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Zara pulled an advertising campaign featuring mannequins with missing limbs and statues wrapped in white from the front page of its website and app on Monday after it prompted calls by some pro-Palestine activists for a boycott of the fashion retailer.
+Inditex (ITX.MC), opens new tab, which owns Zara, said the change was part of its normal procedure of refreshing content. It did not comment on the boycott calls, but said the ""Atelier"" collection was conceived in July and the photos were taken in September. The war between Israel and Hamas began after Oct. 7
+Zara's Instagram account saw tens of thousands of comments posted about the photos, many with Palestinian flags, while ""#BoycottZara"" was trending on messaging platform X.
+In one of the photos a model is pictured carrying a mannequin wrapped in white, in another a bust lies on the floor and another features a mannequin with no arms. Critics said they resembled photos of corpses in white shrouds in Gaza.
+Zara said at the launch of the collection on Dec. 7 that it was inspired by men's tailoring from past centuries. The photos appear to show an artist studio with ladders, packing materials, wooden crates and cranes, and assistants wearing overalls.
+The reaction highlights heightened sensitivity international brands are navigating as fighting across Gaza intensifies and calls for company boycotts rise. The CEO of Web Summit resigned in October after comments he made on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+The photos, which featured on Zara's online store home page on Monday morning, were no longer visible on the website or on its app by 1230 GMT.
+A link on the UK website to Zara Atelier led to a page showcasing last year's collection.
+The collection, of six jackets, is one of Zara's most expensive, priced from $229 for a grey wool blazer with chunky knit sleeves, to $799 for a studded leather jacket.
+It's not the first time an advertising campaign has landed a fashion label in controversy.
+French luxury group Kering last year set up a group level position to oversee brand safety after advertising images from its label Balenciaga featuring children sparked a backlash that dented sales.
+Dolce & Gabbana was removed from ecommerce sites in China in 2018 after a campaign showing models struggling to eat typical Italian food with chopsticks -- decried as racist by local celebrities and social media.
+Zara last year came under fire from some Palestinians and Israelis after the head of the retailer's local franchise in Israel hosted a campaign event for an ultranationalist politician.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Zara pulls advert from website front page after Gaza boycott calls[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MADRID/LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Zara pulled an advertising campaign featuring mannequins with missing limbs and statues wrapped in white from the front page of its website and app on Monday after it prompted calls by some pro-Palestine activists for a boycott of the fashion retailer.  Inditex (ITX.MC), opens new tab, which owns Zara, said the change was part of its normal procedure of refreshing content. It did not comment on the boycott calls, but said the ""Atelier"" collection was conceived in July and the photos were taken in September. The war between Israel and Hamas began after Oct. 7
+Zara's Instagram account saw tens of thousands of comments posted about the photos, many with Palestinian flags, while ""#BoycottZara"" was trending on messaging platform X.
+In one of the photos a model is pictured carrying a mannequin wrapped in white, in another a bust lies on the floor and another features a mannequin with no arms. Critics said they resembled photos of corpses in white shrouds in Gaza.  Zara said at the launch of the collection on Dec. 7 that it was inspired by men's tailoring from past centuries. The photos appear to show an artist studio with ladders, packing materials, wooden crates and cranes, and assistants wearing overalls.  The reaction highlights heightened sensitivity international brands are navigating as fighting across Gaza intensifies and calls for company boycotts rise. The CEO of Web Summit resigned in October after comments he made on the Israel-Hamas conflict. The photos, which featured on Zara's online store home page on Monday morning, were no longer visible on the website or on its app by 1230 GMT. A link on the UK website to Zara Atelier led to a page showcasing last year's collection.
+The collection, of six jackets, is one of Zara's most expensive, priced from $229 for a grey wool blazer with chunky knit sleeves, to $799 for a studded leather jacket.  It's not the first time an advertising campaign has landed a fashion label in controversy."
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/zara-pulls-advert-website-front-page-after-gaza-boycott-calls-2023-12-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Zara pulls advert from website front page after Gaza boycott calls[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MADRID/LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Zara pulled an advertising campaign featuring mannequins with missing limbs and statues wrapped in white from the front page of its website and app on Monday after it prompted calls by some pro-Palestine activists for a boycott of the fashion retailer.
+Inditex (ITX.MC), opens new tab, which owns Zara, said the change was part of its normal procedure of refreshing content. It did not comment on the boycott calls, but said the ""Atelier"" collection was conceived in July and the photos were taken in September. The war between Israel and Hamas began after Oct. 7
+Zara's Instagram account saw tens of thousands of comments posted about the photos, many with Palestinian flags, while ""#BoycottZara"" was trending on messaging platform X.
+In one of the photos a model is pictured carrying a mannequin wrapped in white, in another a bust lies on the floor and another features a mannequin with no arms. Critics said they resembled photos of corpses in white shrouds in Gaza.
+Zara said at the launch of the collection on Dec. 7 that it was inspired by men's tailoring from past centuries. The photos appear to show an artist studio with ladders, packing materials, wooden crates and cranes, and assistants wearing overalls.
+The reaction highlights heightened sensitivity international brands are navigating as fighting across Gaza intensifies and calls for company boycotts rise. The CEO of Web Summit resigned in October after comments he made on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+The photos, which featured on Zara's online store home page on Monday morning, were no longer visible on the website or on its app by 1230 GMT.
+A link on the UK website to Zara Atelier led to a page showcasing last year's collection.
+The collection, of six jackets, is one of Zara's most expensive, priced from $229 for a grey wool blazer with chunky knit sleeves, to $799 for a studded leather jacket.
+It's not the first time an advertising campaign has landed a fashion label in controversy.
+French luxury group Kering last year set up a group level position to oversee brand safety after advertising images from its label Balenciaga featuring children sparked a backlash that dented sales.
+Dolce & Gabbana was removed from ecommerce sites in China in 2018 after a campaign showing models struggling to eat typical Italian food with chopsticks -- decried as racist by local celebrities and social media.
+Zara last year came under fire from some Palestinians and Israelis after the head of the retailer's local franchise in Israel hosted a campaign event for an ultranationalist politician.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","French luxury group Kering last year set up a group level position to oversee brand safety after advertising images from its label Balenciaga featuring children sparked a backlash that dented sales.
+Dolce & Gabbana was removed from ecommerce sites in China in 2018 after a campaign showing models struggling to eat typical Italian food with chopsticks -- decried as racist by local celebrities and social media.
+Zara last year came under fire from some Palestinians and Israelis after the head of the retailer's local franchise in Israel hosted a campaign event for an ultranationalist politician.  [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-demands-release-hostages-talks-with-palestinians-2023-12-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russia demands release of hostages in talks with Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov demanded the release of hostages held in Gaza in telephone calls on Sunday and Monday with Hamas and other Palestinian factions, the Russian foreign ministry said.
+The statement followed a series of meetings and calls between President Vladimir Putin and Middle East leaders in the past week.
+The ministry said Bogdanov's conversations highlighted the military and humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Russia ""confirmed its principled position on the need to cease hostilities and urgently resolve all humanitarian problems that have arisen, including the release of hostages"".
+The statement did not make clear whether Russia sought the release of all hostages seized by Hamas during its Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel or just the release of any Russian nationals among them.
+The minister spoke to senior figures in the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), the Palestinian Democratic Union, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Hamas.
+Bogdanov stressed the need to restore Palestinian unity ""in the framework of the PLO"" and reaffirmed Moscow's support for a Palestinian state to co-exist alongside Israel, the statement said.
+Russia called on Sunday for an international monitoring mission to go to Gaza to assess the humanitarian situation.
+Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow strongly condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, but it was unacceptable for Israel to use that as justification for ""the collective punishment of millions of Palestinian people with indiscriminate shelling"".
+Analysts say the Gaza war has proved helpful to Russia by distracting the world's attention from its war in Ukraine and making it harder for Kyiv to compete for Washington's attention and military aid.
+Putin has also used it as an opportunity to criticise the failings of U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East and raise Russia's own profile as a regional player with ties to all the main actors.
+Putin has stepped up his own contacts in the past week, though the aim of his latest diplomatic flurry is not yet clear.
+He spoke to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyuhu on Sunday, having last week met the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russia demands release of hostages in talks with Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov demanded the release of hostages held in Gaza in telephone calls on Sunday and Monday with Hamas and other Palestinian factions, the Russian foreign ministry said. The statement followed a series of meetings and calls between President Vladimir Putin and Middle East leaders in the past week. The ministry said Bogdanov's conversations highlighted the military and humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Russia ""confirmed its principled position on the need to cease hostilities and urgently resolve all humanitarian problems that have arisen, including the release of hostages"". The statement did not make clear whether Russia sought the release of all hostages seized by Hamas during its Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel or just the release of any Russian nationals among them.
+The minister spoke to senior figures in the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), the Palestinian Democratic Union, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Hamas.
+Bogdanov stressed the need to restore Palestinian unity ""in the framework of the PLO"" and reaffirmed Moscow's support for a Palestinian state to co-exist alongside Israel, the statement said. Russia called on Sunday for an international monitoring mission to go to Gaza to assess the humanitarian situation. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow strongly condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, but it was unacceptable for Israel to use that as justification for ""the collective punishment of millions of Palestinian people with indiscriminate shelling"". Analysts say the Gaza war has proved helpful to Russia by distracting the world's attention from its war in Ukraine and making it harder for Kyiv to compete for Washington's attention and military aid. Putin has also used it as an opportunity to criticise the failings of U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East and raise Russia's own profile as a regional player with ties to all the main actors. Putin has stepped up his own contacts in the past week, though the aim of his latest diplomatic flurry is not yet clear. He spoke to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyuhu on Sunday, having last week met the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-foreign-minister-says-neither-iran-nor-israel-believe-two-state-solution-2023-12-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iranian foreign minister says neither Iran nor Israel believe in a two state solution[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The only thing Iran and Israel share is that both do not believe in a two-state solution, Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Monday via translation at an international forum in Doha.
+During the forum, Amirabdollahian reiterated Iran's proposal that a referendum be held to determine the fate of Palestine, with only descendants of those who lived there prior to 1948 being permitted to vote.
+Most countries publicly support the creation of a separate Palestinian state alongside Israel. Critics of Israeli policy say its actions are intended to make this impossible.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iranian foreign minister says neither Iran nor Israel believe in a two state solution[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The only thing Iran and Israel share is that both do not believe in a two-state solution, Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Monday via translation at an international forum in Doha. During the forum, Amirabdollahian reiterated Iran's proposal that a referendum be held to determine the fate of Palestine, with only descendants of those who lived there prior to 1948 being permitted to vote.  Most countries publicly support the creation of a separate Palestinian state alongside Israel. Critics of Israeli policy say its actions are intended to make this impossible.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-mourn-gaza-poet-educator-killed-israeli-strike-2023-12-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian poet killed in Gaza bombardment[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Refaat Alareer, a poet killed in an Israeli air strike last week, drew praise from Palestinian intellectuals for his writings on life in Gaza and condemnation from Jewish groups for his comments following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
+The 44-year-old, who wrote in English, taught world literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza and edited two short story collections, ""Gaza Unsilenced"" and ""Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza, Palestine.""
+""My heart is broken, my friend and colleague Refaat Alareer was killed with his family,"" Mosab Abu Toha, a Palestinian poet and librarian from Gaza wrote on Facebook in a tribute among many from Palestinian intellectuals. ""I don't want to believe this.""
+Alareer, a bitter foe of Israel, mocked victims of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas gunmen on social media and dismissed multiple accounts of sexual violence against Israelis during the Hamas assault as ""lies and anti-Palestinian bigotry"".
+The Oct. 7 attack was the deadliest day for Israel in its 75 year history. In its immediate aftermath, Alareer, a father of six, said he and his wife had lost more than 30 relatives in different Israeli assaults against Gaza, which has seen multiple wars between Israel and Hamas since the Islamist movement took control of the enclave in 2007.
+The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Alareer.
+Alareer helped found ""We Are Not Numbers"", which connected young Palestinian writers with mentors to tell stories that go beyond the numbers in the news.
+Israel's bombardment has killed more than 17,000 Palestinians in the Hamas-run enclave and internally displaced most of its population since the start of the war.
+The latest escalation began when Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing more than 240 as hostages.
+On both sides, most of the victims have been civilians and include babies, small children and teenagers.
+In a BBC interview hours after the Hamas attack, Alareer said Palestinian resistance was ""legitimate and moral"" and compared the attack to Jewish resistance to Nazi Germany in World War Two.
+""This is exactly like the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. This is the Gaza Ghetto Uprising against 100 years of European and Zionist colonialism and occupation,"" he said in the interview.
+The comparison, which is sometimes made by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, drew outrage in Israel. The Ghetto Uprising, which began in April 1943, was the largest armed Jewish uprising in Europe during the Nazi campaign of extermination that killed around six million Jews. Some of the few survivors subsequently testified that they knew their act of resistance on Warsaw could not succeed.
+""To call Oct. 7, the Hamas attack on Israel, a Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, is unbelievable,"" said David Silberklang, a historian at the International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. ""There is no comparison.""
+During the 1943 uprising, hundreds of poorly armed Jewish fighters held out against German forces for almost a month to resist a roundup of the surviving population of Warsaw's Jewish ghetto and transport them to Nazi death camps.
+(This story has been refiled to fix the dateline)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian poet killed in Gaza bombardment[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Refaat Alareer, a poet killed in an Israeli air strike last week, drew praise from Palestinian intellectuals for his writings on life in Gaza and condemnation from Jewish groups for his comments following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas . The 44-year-old, who wrote in English, taught world literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza and edited two short story collections, ""Gaza Unsilenced"" and ""Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza, Palestine.""
+""My heart is broken, my friend and colleague Refaat Alareer was killed with his family,"" Mosab Abu Toha, a Palestinian poet and librarian from Gaza wrote on Facebook in a tribute among many from Palestinian intellectuals. ""I don't want to believe this."" Alareer, a bitter foe of Israel, mocked victims of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas gunmen on social media and dismissed multiple accounts of sexual violence against Israelis during the Hamas assault as ""lies and anti-Palestinian bigotry"".  The Oct. 7 attack was the deadliest day for Israel in its 75 year history. In its immediate aftermath, Alareer, a father of six, said he and his wife had lost more than 30 relatives in different Israeli assaults against Gaza, which has seen multiple wars between Israel and Hamas since the Islamist movement took control of the enclave in 2007. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Alareer. Alareer helped found ""We Are Not Numbers"", which connected young Palestinian writers with mentors to tell stories that go beyond the numbers in the news. Israel's bombardment has killed more than 17,000 Palestinians in the Hamas-run enclave and internally displaced most of its population since the start of the war. The latest escalation began when Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing more than 240 as hostages.
+On both sides, most of the victims have been civilians and include babies, small children and teenagers.  In a BBC interview hours after the Hamas attack, Alareer said Palestinian resistance was ""legitimate and moral"" and compared the attack to Jewish resistance to Nazi Germany in World War Two.  ""This is exactly like the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. This is the Gaza Ghetto Uprising against 100 years of European and Zionist colonialism and occupation,"" he said in the interview. The comparison, which is sometimes made by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, drew outrage in Israel."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-mourn-gaza-poet-educator-killed-israeli-strike-2023-12-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian poet killed in Gaza bombardment[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Refaat Alareer, a poet killed in an Israeli air strike last week, drew praise from Palestinian intellectuals for his writings on life in Gaza and condemnation from Jewish groups for his comments following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
+The 44-year-old, who wrote in English, taught world literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza and edited two short story collections, ""Gaza Unsilenced"" and ""Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza, Palestine.""
+""My heart is broken, my friend and colleague Refaat Alareer was killed with his family,"" Mosab Abu Toha, a Palestinian poet and librarian from Gaza wrote on Facebook in a tribute among many from Palestinian intellectuals. ""I don't want to believe this.""
+Alareer, a bitter foe of Israel, mocked victims of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas gunmen on social media and dismissed multiple accounts of sexual violence against Israelis during the Hamas assault as ""lies and anti-Palestinian bigotry"".
+The Oct. 7 attack was the deadliest day for Israel in its 75 year history. In its immediate aftermath, Alareer, a father of six, said he and his wife had lost more than 30 relatives in different Israeli assaults against Gaza, which has seen multiple wars between Israel and Hamas since the Islamist movement took control of the enclave in 2007.
+The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Alareer.
+Alareer helped found ""We Are Not Numbers"", which connected young Palestinian writers with mentors to tell stories that go beyond the numbers in the news.
+Israel's bombardment has killed more than 17,000 Palestinians in the Hamas-run enclave and internally displaced most of its population since the start of the war.
+The latest escalation began when Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing more than 240 as hostages.
+On both sides, most of the victims have been civilians and include babies, small children and teenagers.
+In a BBC interview hours after the Hamas attack, Alareer said Palestinian resistance was ""legitimate and moral"" and compared the attack to Jewish resistance to Nazi Germany in World War Two.
+""This is exactly like the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. This is the Gaza Ghetto Uprising against 100 years of European and Zionist colonialism and occupation,"" he said in the interview.
+The comparison, which is sometimes made by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, drew outrage in Israel. The Ghetto Uprising, which began in April 1943, was the largest armed Jewish uprising in Europe during the Nazi campaign of extermination that killed around six million Jews. Some of the few survivors subsequently testified that they knew their act of resistance on Warsaw could not succeed.
+""To call Oct. 7, the Hamas attack on Israel, a Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, is unbelievable,"" said David Silberklang, a historian at the International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. ""There is no comparison.""
+During the 1943 uprising, hundreds of poorly armed Jewish fighters held out against German forces for almost a month to resist a roundup of the surviving population of Warsaw's Jewish ghetto and transport them to Nazi death camps.
+(This story has been refiled to fix the dateline)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Ghetto Uprising, which began in April 1943, was the largest armed Jewish uprising in Europe during the Nazi campaign of extermination that killed around six million Jews. Some of the few survivors subsequently testified that they knew their act of resistance on Warsaw could not succeed.  ""To call Oct. 7, the Hamas attack on Israel, a Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, is unbelievable,"" said David Silberklang, a historian at the International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. ""There is no comparison."" During the 1943 uprising, hundreds of poorly armed Jewish fighters held out against German forces for almost a month to resist a roundup of the surviving population of Warsaw's Jewish ghetto and transport them to Nazi death camps. (This story has been refiled to fix the dateline)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/moroccans-angry-attacks-gaza-demand-halt-ties-with-israel-2023-12-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Moroccans, angry at attacks on Gaza, demand halt to ties with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RABAT, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Moroccans waving Palestinian flags took to the streets of the capital Rabat on Sunday calling on the government to cut ties with Israel in protest against continued Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip which have killed thousands of civilians.
+Protests against Israel's war in Gaza have repeatedly drawn thousands of people in Morocco since the conflict began two months ago, mostly led by pan-Arab and Islamist groups.
+Sunday's march by about 3,000 protesters was the first to have been led by the PJD, Morocco's biggest Islamist party which led the elected government from 2011 until 2021, a sign the movement is growing more vocal in opposition.
+Protesters chanted ""Palestine is not for sale"", ""Resistance go ahead to victory and liberation"" and ""the people want an end to normalisation"", referring to the policy of Morocco and other Arab states normalising ties with Israel.
+Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, after Hamas militants burst across the fence on Oct. 7 and went on a rampage through Israeli towns, gunning down families in their homes, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages.
+Since then, Gaza's health authorities say at least 17,700 people have been confirmed killed in Israeli strikes, with thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
+Morocco agreed to strengthen ties with Israel in 2020, under a deal brokered by the U.S. administration under then President Donald Trump that also included Washington recognising Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
+Despite their policy of normalising ties with Israel, Moroccan authorities have said they continue to back the creation of a Palestinian state and have urged a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the protection of all civilians there.
+Islamist and leftist parties and groups in Morocco have increasingly spoken out against the normalisation policy since the start of the war in Gaza on Oct. 7.
+Protesters on Sunday also called for a boycott of brands they accuse of supporting Israel.
+""We call on Morocco to end diplomatic relations with Israel, a country that killed children and women in Gaza and destroyed hospitals in full brutality,"" said Ahmed El Yandouzi, as he was queuing to sign a petition with a Palestinian scarf around his neck.
+Although Morocco and Israel have not yet completed the process of setting up full embassies in each other's countries as they agreed to do, they have moved closer together, signing a defence cooperation pact.
+The PJD was in office when Morocco agreed the normalisation deal with Israel, with its then leader Saad Dine El Otmani signing it as prime minister, but the policy was ultimately set by King Mohammed, who sets overall strategy.
+The new PJD leader, Abdelilah Benkirane, has said signing the agreement was a mistake.
+The royal court has previously asked the PJD to stop criticising Morocco's ties with Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Moroccans, angry at attacks on Gaza, demand halt to ties with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RABAT, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Moroccans waving Palestinian flags took to the streets of the capital Rabat on Sunday calling on the government to cut ties with Israel in protest against continued Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip which have killed thousands of civilians. Protests against Israel's war in Gaza have repeatedly drawn thousands of people in Morocco since the conflict began two months ago, mostly led by pan-Arab and Islamist groups. Sunday's march by about 3,000 protesters was the first to have been led by the PJD, Morocco's biggest Islamist party which led the elected government from 2011 until 2021, a sign the movement is growing more vocal in opposition. Protesters chanted ""Palestine is not for sale"", ""Resistance go ahead to victory and liberation"" and ""the people want an end to normalisation"", referring to the policy of Morocco and other Arab states normalising ties with Israel.
+Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, after Hamas militants burst across the fence on Oct. 7 and went on a rampage through Israeli towns, gunning down families in their homes, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages.
+Since then, Gaza's health authorities say at least 17,700 people have been confirmed killed in Israeli strikes, with thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble. Morocco agreed to strengthen ties with Israel in 2020, under a deal brokered by the U.S. administration under then President Donald Trump that also included Washington recognising Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Despite their policy of normalising ties with Israel, Moroccan authorities have said they continue to back the creation of a Palestinian state and have urged a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the protection of all civilians there.
+Islamist and leftist parties and groups in Morocco have increasingly spoken out against the normalisation policy since the start of the war in Gaza on Oct. 7.
+Protesters on Sunday also called for a boycott of brands they accuse of supporting Israel.
+""We call on Morocco to end diplomatic relations with Israel, a country that killed children and women in Gaza and destroyed hospitals in full brutality,"" said Ahmed El Yandouzi, as he was queuing to sign a petition with a Palestinian scarf around his neck. Although Morocco and Israel have not yet completed the process of setting up full embassies in each other's countries as they agreed to do, they have moved closer together, signing a defence cooperation pact."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/moroccans-angry-attacks-gaza-demand-halt-ties-with-israel-2023-12-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Moroccans, angry at attacks on Gaza, demand halt to ties with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RABAT, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Moroccans waving Palestinian flags took to the streets of the capital Rabat on Sunday calling on the government to cut ties with Israel in protest against continued Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip which have killed thousands of civilians.
+Protests against Israel's war in Gaza have repeatedly drawn thousands of people in Morocco since the conflict began two months ago, mostly led by pan-Arab and Islamist groups.
+Sunday's march by about 3,000 protesters was the first to have been led by the PJD, Morocco's biggest Islamist party which led the elected government from 2011 until 2021, a sign the movement is growing more vocal in opposition.
+Protesters chanted ""Palestine is not for sale"", ""Resistance go ahead to victory and liberation"" and ""the people want an end to normalisation"", referring to the policy of Morocco and other Arab states normalising ties with Israel.
+Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, after Hamas militants burst across the fence on Oct. 7 and went on a rampage through Israeli towns, gunning down families in their homes, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages.
+Since then, Gaza's health authorities say at least 17,700 people have been confirmed killed in Israeli strikes, with thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
+Morocco agreed to strengthen ties with Israel in 2020, under a deal brokered by the U.S. administration under then President Donald Trump that also included Washington recognising Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
+Despite their policy of normalising ties with Israel, Moroccan authorities have said they continue to back the creation of a Palestinian state and have urged a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the protection of all civilians there.
+Islamist and leftist parties and groups in Morocco have increasingly spoken out against the normalisation policy since the start of the war in Gaza on Oct. 7.
+Protesters on Sunday also called for a boycott of brands they accuse of supporting Israel.
+""We call on Morocco to end diplomatic relations with Israel, a country that killed children and women in Gaza and destroyed hospitals in full brutality,"" said Ahmed El Yandouzi, as he was queuing to sign a petition with a Palestinian scarf around his neck.
+Although Morocco and Israel have not yet completed the process of setting up full embassies in each other's countries as they agreed to do, they have moved closer together, signing a defence cooperation pact.
+The PJD was in office when Morocco agreed the normalisation deal with Israel, with its then leader Saad Dine El Otmani signing it as prime minister, but the policy was ultimately set by King Mohammed, who sets overall strategy.
+The new PJD leader, Abdelilah Benkirane, has said signing the agreement was a mistake.
+The royal court has previously asked the PJD to stop criticising Morocco's ties with Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The PJD was in office when Morocco agreed the normalisation deal with Israel, with its then leader Saad Dine El Otmani signing it as prime minister, but the policy was ultimately set by King Mohammed, who sets overall strategy. The new PJD leader, Abdelilah Benkirane, has said signing the agreement was a mistake.
+The royal court has previously asked the PJD to stop criticising Morocco's ties with Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/conflict-forces-palestinian-team-jabal-al-mukaber-withdraw-afc-cup-2023-12-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Conflict forces Palestinian team Jabal Al Mukaber to withdraw from AFC Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Dec 9 (Reuters) - Palestinian club Jabal Al Mukaber have withdrawn from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup as a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict, the region's governing body has announced.
+A statement on the AFC's official website said the Palestine Football Association had informed the Kuala Lumpur-based organisation of Jabal Al Mukaber's decision to pull out of the continent's second-tier club competition.
+""The AFC notes the club's withdrawal with regret and the matter has now been referred to the AFC Competitions Committee for relevant further action, including the recognition of force majeure,"" the confederation said.
+Jabal Al Mukaber had been drawn in Group A of the competition and had won their opening game 1-0 against Syria's Al-Futuwa before losing 4-0 to Al-Nahda from Oman prior to the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
+The withdrawal means all of Jabal Al Mukaber's results will be cancelled and considered null and avoid, in accordance with AFC tournament regulations.
+The move is the latest to affect Palestinian teams as a result of the conflict.
+The Palestinian national team's World Cup qualifier against Australia last month, which was due to be played in the West Bank, was moved to Kuwait due to security concerns.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Conflict forces Palestinian team Jabal Al Mukaber to withdraw from AFC Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Dec 9 (Reuters) - Palestinian club Jabal Al Mukaber have withdrawn from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup as a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict, the region's governing body has announced.  A statement on the AFC's official website said the Palestine Football Association had informed the Kuala Lumpur-based organisation of Jabal Al Mukaber's decision to pull out of the continent's second-tier club competition.
+"" The AFC notes the club's withdrawal with regret and the matter has now been referred to the AFC Competitions Committee for relevant further action, including the recognition of force majeure,"" the confederation said. Jabal Al Mukaber had been drawn in Group A of the competition and had won their opening game 1-0 against Syria's Al-Futuwa before losing 4-0 to Al-Nahda from Oman prior to the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. The withdrawal means all of Jabal Al Mukaber's results will be cancelled and considered null and avoid, in accordance with AFC tournament regulations. The move is the latest to affect Palestinian teams as a result of the conflict. The Palestinian national team's World Cup qualifier against Australia last month, which was due to be played in the West Bank, was moved to Kuwait due to security concerns.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/recovering-pope-reads-prayer-unaided-vatican-window-2023-12-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Recovering pope reads prayer from Vatican window, visits Rome church[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Pope Francis was well enough to read the Angelus prayer from a Vatican window overlooking St. Peter's Square on Friday, speaking unaided for the first time since suffering from an acute lung inflammation two weeks ago.
+Marking the Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception, the pope later visited the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, and also read a prayer during a ceremony at a monument to the Virgin Mary in the city's Piazza di Spagna.
+The pontiff, who turns 87 this month, had asked aides to help read his prayers and messages since late last month and cancelled a planned trip to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai on doctor's orders after a bout of flu and the associated lung problem.
+Wearing a full-length white overcoat on a cool day, the pope stood throughout the brief Angelus prayer, recited on Sundays and on all holy feasts. He also smiled and waved to greet the crowds in the square.
+
+""I ask all the faithful ... to pray for peace in Ukraine, in Palestine and Israel and in all the lands wounded by war. We ask for peace, for hearts to be pacified,"" he said.
+""There must be peace,"" he added.
+He appeared to cough very briefly at one point and made no reference to his health during his appearance at the Vatican.
+Francis used a wheelchair during the visit to Santa Maria Maggiore and for some of the time he spent at Piazza di Spagna.
+He had said on Wednesday that he was feeling much better, although he added that his voice was still weak. A part of his lungs was removed when Francis was a young man in his native Argentina.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Recovering pope reads prayer from Vatican window, visits Rome church[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Pope Francis was well enough to read the Angelus prayer from a Vatican window overlooking St. Peter's Square on Friday, speaking unaided for the first time since suffering from an acute lung inflammation two weeks ago. Marking the Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception, the pope later visited the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, and also read a prayer during a ceremony at a monument to the Virgin Mary in the city's Piazza di Spagna. The pontiff, who turns 87 this month, had asked aides to help read his prayers and messages since late last month and cancelled a planned trip to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai on doctor's orders after a bout of flu and the associated lung problem.  Wearing a full-length white overcoat on a cool day, the pope stood throughout the brief Angelus prayer, recited on Sundays and on all holy feasts. He also smiled and waved to greet the crowds in the square. ""I ask all the faithful ... to pray for peace in Ukraine, in Palestine and Israel and in all the lands wounded by war. We ask for peace, for hearts to be pacified,"" he said. ""There must be peace,"" he added.  He appeared to cough very briefly at one point and made no reference to his health during his appearance at the Vatican.
+Francis used a wheelchair during the visit to Santa Maria Maggiore and for some of the time he spent at Piazza di Spagna.
+He had said on Wednesday that he was feeling much better, although he added that his voice was still weak. A part of his lungs was removed when Francis was a young man in his native Argentina.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-misidentifies-palestinian-prisoner-mohammed-nazzal-2023-12-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video misidentifies Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Nazzal[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Side-by-side images of two different young Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in the same week are circulating online with claims that they are the same person and that the bandaged hands on the boy in one image represent faked injuries because the boy in the other image has no apparent injury.
+In late November 2023, Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel, opens new tab in exchange for Israeli hostages, who were abducted by Islamist militant group Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, amid a temporary seven-day-long truce that expired on Dec. 1.
+Following his release, 18-year-old Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Nazzal was seen in news reports, opens new tab saying that he had sustained broken bones in his hands from alleged abuse in prison. Nazzal can be seen wearing bandages on both arms while speaking to news outlets, opens new tab.
+Posts from UK- and U.S.-based accounts on social media platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) circulated an image showing Nazzal with his arms bandaged juxtaposed against video of another individual, without bandages, embracing people. The posts say the video shows Nazzal after his release but before he donned the bandages to fake his injuries.
+The image of Nazzal shared in the posts matches his appearance and the background in an interview (0:24), opens new tab uploaded to YouTube by Quds News Network on Nov. 30.
+However, the video of the other individual shows freed Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Shatara, according to posts by Al Jazeera Palestine, opens new tab and Palestinian news outlet Silwanic, opens new tab on Facebook sharing the same video.
+Still images taken, opens new tab from published videos of both Nazzal (top) and Shatara (bottom) show they are two different individuals.
+Reuters did not independently verify reports of Nazzal having sustained injuries in an Israeli prison.
+Israel has denied the claim that Nazzal was injured in prison. On Nov. 29, Israel’s official account on X shared a video of Nazzal, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) leaving prison “with two perfectly working arms,” according to its caption.
+Media outlets, including the BBC, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and Misbar, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) reported on x-rays provided by Nazzal’s family that show fractures in both hands. BBC also published images purportedly showing Nazzal’s injuries from his time in an Israeli prison.
+VERDICT
+Misleading. Video shows Mohammed Shatara, not Mohammed Nazzal, embracing his relatives and is not evidence for claims that Nazzal’s injuries were faked.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video misidentifies Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Nazzal[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Side-by-side images of two different young Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in the same week are circulating online with claims that they are the same person and that the bandaged hands on the boy in one image represent faked injuries because the boy in the other image has no apparent injury. In late November 2023, Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel, opens new tab in exchange for Israeli hostages, who were abducted by Islamist militant group Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, amid a temporary seven-day-long truce that expired on Dec. 1.  Following his release, 18-year-old Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Nazzal was seen in news reports, opens new tab saying that he had sustained broken bones in his hands from alleged abuse in prison. Nazzal can be seen wearing bandages on both arms while speaking to news outlets, opens new tab.  Posts from UK- and U.S.-based accounts on social media platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) circulated an image showing Nazzal with his arms bandaged juxtaposed against video of another individual, without bandages, embracing people. The posts say the video shows Nazzal after his release but before he donned the bandages to fake his injuries. The image of Nazzal shared in the posts matches his appearance and the background in an interview (0:24), opens new tab uploaded to YouTube by Quds News Network on Nov. 30. However, the video of the other individual shows freed Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Shatara, according to posts by Al Jazeera Palestine, opens new tab and Palestinian news outlet Silwanic, opens new tab on Facebook sharing the same video. Still images taken, opens new tab from published videos of both Nazzal (top) and Shatara (bottom) show they are two different individuals. Reuters did not independently verify reports of Nazzal having sustained injuries in an Israeli prison.  Israel has denied the claim that Nazzal was injured in prison. On Nov. 29, Israel’s official account on X shared a video of Nazzal, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) leaving prison “with two perfectly working arms,” according to its caption. Media outlets, including the BBC, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and Misbar, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) reported on x-rays provided by Nazzal’s family that show fractures in both hands. BBC also published images purportedly showing Nazzal’s injuries from his time in an Israeli prison.  VERDICT
+Misleading."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-misidentifies-palestinian-prisoner-mohammed-nazzal-2023-12-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video misidentifies Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Nazzal[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Side-by-side images of two different young Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in the same week are circulating online with claims that they are the same person and that the bandaged hands on the boy in one image represent faked injuries because the boy in the other image has no apparent injury.
+In late November 2023, Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel, opens new tab in exchange for Israeli hostages, who were abducted by Islamist militant group Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, amid a temporary seven-day-long truce that expired on Dec. 1.
+Following his release, 18-year-old Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Nazzal was seen in news reports, opens new tab saying that he had sustained broken bones in his hands from alleged abuse in prison. Nazzal can be seen wearing bandages on both arms while speaking to news outlets, opens new tab.
+Posts from UK- and U.S.-based accounts on social media platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) circulated an image showing Nazzal with his arms bandaged juxtaposed against video of another individual, without bandages, embracing people. The posts say the video shows Nazzal after his release but before he donned the bandages to fake his injuries.
+The image of Nazzal shared in the posts matches his appearance and the background in an interview (0:24), opens new tab uploaded to YouTube by Quds News Network on Nov. 30.
+However, the video of the other individual shows freed Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Shatara, according to posts by Al Jazeera Palestine, opens new tab and Palestinian news outlet Silwanic, opens new tab on Facebook sharing the same video.
+Still images taken, opens new tab from published videos of both Nazzal (top) and Shatara (bottom) show they are two different individuals.
+Reuters did not independently verify reports of Nazzal having sustained injuries in an Israeli prison.
+Israel has denied the claim that Nazzal was injured in prison. On Nov. 29, Israel’s official account on X shared a video of Nazzal, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) leaving prison “with two perfectly working arms,” according to its caption.
+Media outlets, including the BBC, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and Misbar, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) reported on x-rays provided by Nazzal’s family that show fractures in both hands. BBC also published images purportedly showing Nazzal’s injuries from his time in an Israeli prison.
+VERDICT
+Misleading. Video shows Mohammed Shatara, not Mohammed Nazzal, embracing his relatives and is not evidence for claims that Nazzal’s injuries were faked.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Video shows Mohammed Shatara, not Mohammed Nazzal, embracing his relatives and is not evidence for claims that Nazzal’s injuries were faked.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-raisi-condemns-gaza-genocide-moscow-talks-with-putin-2023-12-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's Raisi tells Putin in Moscow that West backs Gaza ""genocide""[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi accused the West on Thursday of supporting ""genocide"" by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza, at the start of talks in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin. As part of a burst of meetings focused on the Middle East, Putin greeted Raisi in the Kremlin a day after visiting the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where he discussed the wars in Gaza and Ukraine and efforts by Russia and OPEC to boost oil prices. In televised opening remarks, neither leader referred to their countries' growing military cooperation - a source of concern to the United States, which says Iran is supplying Russia with weapons to use against Ukraine. Putin said it was very important to discuss the situation in the Middle East, especially in the Palestinian territories. Raisi responded via a translator: ""What is happening in Palestine and Gaza is of course genocide and a crime against humanity."" He said it was ""even more sad"" that this was supported by the United States and the West. Iran backs the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, in its war with Israel. Russia has relations with all the key players in the region including Hamas and Israel, which it angered by hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow in October. Analysts say the conflict has helped Russia by distracting world attention from the war in Ukraine and enabling Moscow to align itself with developing countries in solidarity with the Palestinians. Putin has said the sight of suffering and bloodied children in Gaza makes ""tears come to your eyes"", but Western governments say such comments are hypocritical when Putin's forces have killed thousands of civilians in Ukraine. Russia and Arab countries say the West is showing double standards by supporting Israel's bombing and siege of Gaza while accusing Russia of war crimes. Israel has previously said allegations of genocide are deplorable and that its actions target Hamas, not civilians. MILITARY TIES Like North Korea, whose leader Kim Jong Un met Putin in Russia's far east in September, Iran is an avowed enemy of the U.S. and can provide Moscow with military hardware for its war in Ukraine, where Russia has made extensive use of Iranian drones. The Kremlin last month said Russia and Iran were developing relations, ""including in the field of military-technical cooperation"", but declined to comment on a suggestion by the White House that Iran may be considering providing Russia with ballistic missiles. White House spokesman John Kirby on Wednesday described the burgeoning defence relationship as ""worrisome"". Iranian authorities have said military cooperation with Russia is expanding day by day. Iran said last month it had finalised arrangements for Russia to provide it with Su-35 fighter jets, Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 pilot training aircraft. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was present at Thursday's meeting, as was Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Putin's point man on oil.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's Raisi tells Putin in Moscow that West backs Gaza ""genocide""[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi accused the West on Thursday of supporting ""genocide"" by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza, at the start of talks in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin. As part of a burst of meetings focused on the Middle East, Putin greeted Raisi in the Kremlin a day after visiting the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where he discussed the wars in Gaza and Ukraine and efforts by Russia and OPEC to boost oil prices. In televised opening remarks, neither leader referred to their countries' growing military cooperation - a source of concern to the United States, which says Iran is supplying Russia with weapons to use against Ukraine. Putin said it was very important to discuss the situation in the Middle East, especially in the Palestinian territories. Raisi responded via a translator: ""What is happening in Palestine and Gaza is of course genocide and a crime against humanity."" He said it was ""even more sad"" that this was supported by the United States and the West. Iran backs the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, in its war with Israel. Russia has relations with all the key players in the region including Hamas and Israel, which it angered by hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow in October. Analysts say the conflict has helped Russia by distracting world attention from the war in Ukraine and enabling Moscow to align itself with developing countries in solidarity with the Palestinians. Putin has said the sight of suffering and bloodied children in Gaza makes ""tears come to your eyes"", but Western governments say such comments are hypocritical when Putin's forces have killed thousands of civilians in Ukraine. Russia and Arab countries say the West is showing double standards by supporting Israel's bombing and siege of Gaza while accusing Russia of war crimes. Israel has previously said allegations of genocide are deplorable and that its actions target Hamas, not civilians. MILITARY TIES Like North Korea, whose leader Kim Jong Un met Putin in Russia's far east in September, Iran is an avowed enemy of the U.S. and can provide Moscow with military hardware for its war in Ukraine, where Russia has made extensive use of Iranian drones. The Kremlin last month said Russia and Iran were developing relations, ""including in the field of military-technical cooperation"", but declined to comment on a suggestion by the White House that Iran may be considering providing Russia with ballistic missiles. White House spokesman John Kirby on Wednesday described the burgeoning defence relationship as ""worrisome"". Iranian authorities have said military cooperation with Russia is expanding day by day."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-raisi-condemns-gaza-genocide-moscow-talks-with-putin-2023-12-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's Raisi tells Putin in Moscow that West backs Gaza ""genocide""[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi accused the West on Thursday of supporting ""genocide"" by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza, at the start of talks in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin. As part of a burst of meetings focused on the Middle East, Putin greeted Raisi in the Kremlin a day after visiting the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where he discussed the wars in Gaza and Ukraine and efforts by Russia and OPEC to boost oil prices. In televised opening remarks, neither leader referred to their countries' growing military cooperation - a source of concern to the United States, which says Iran is supplying Russia with weapons to use against Ukraine. Putin said it was very important to discuss the situation in the Middle East, especially in the Palestinian territories. Raisi responded via a translator: ""What is happening in Palestine and Gaza is of course genocide and a crime against humanity."" He said it was ""even more sad"" that this was supported by the United States and the West. Iran backs the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, in its war with Israel. Russia has relations with all the key players in the region including Hamas and Israel, which it angered by hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow in October. Analysts say the conflict has helped Russia by distracting world attention from the war in Ukraine and enabling Moscow to align itself with developing countries in solidarity with the Palestinians. Putin has said the sight of suffering and bloodied children in Gaza makes ""tears come to your eyes"", but Western governments say such comments are hypocritical when Putin's forces have killed thousands of civilians in Ukraine. Russia and Arab countries say the West is showing double standards by supporting Israel's bombing and siege of Gaza while accusing Russia of war crimes. Israel has previously said allegations of genocide are deplorable and that its actions target Hamas, not civilians. MILITARY TIES Like North Korea, whose leader Kim Jong Un met Putin in Russia's far east in September, Iran is an avowed enemy of the U.S. and can provide Moscow with military hardware for its war in Ukraine, where Russia has made extensive use of Iranian drones. The Kremlin last month said Russia and Iran were developing relations, ""including in the field of military-technical cooperation"", but declined to comment on a suggestion by the White House that Iran may be considering providing Russia with ballistic missiles. White House spokesman John Kirby on Wednesday described the burgeoning defence relationship as ""worrisome"". Iranian authorities have said military cooperation with Russia is expanding day by day. Iran said last month it had finalised arrangements for Russia to provide it with Su-35 fighter jets, Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 pilot training aircraft. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was present at Thursday's meeting, as was Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Putin's point man on oil.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Iran said last month it had finalised arrangements for Russia to provide it with Su-35 fighter jets, Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 pilot training aircraft. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was present at Thursday's meeting, as was Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Putin's point man on oil.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/50-days-hamas-captivity-thai-man-recalls-beatings-bleakness-2023-12-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Exclusive: 50 days in Hamas captivity - Thai man recalls beatings and bleakness[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DON PILA, Thailand, Dec 7 (Reuters) - When Thai farm labourer Anucha Angkaew scrambled out of the bunker where he had been sheltering from rockets on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip around 7.30 am on Oct. 7, he expected to see Israeli soldiers.
+Instead, Anucha and his five Thai colleagues were accosted by 10 armed militants, whom he identified as Hamas by the Palestine flags on their sleeves.
+""We shouted 'Thailand, Thailand',"" said Anucha, a soft-spoken 28-year-old with a wispy goatee. ""But they didn't care.""
+Two of the six Thais were killed soon after, including a friend who Anucha said was shot dead in front of him in a random act of violence. The rest were forced on to a truck for a roughly 30 minute ride into Gaza.
+Anucha's first person account offers a glimpse into what many hostages endured - and some continue to endure. He described sleeping on a sandy floor and beatings by Hamas captors, who he said singled out Israelis for especially brutal treatment.
+To keep their hopes up, the four Thai men relied on chess games on a makeshift board, memories of family and craving for Thai food.
+Few of the freed hostages have spoken at length about their ordeal, though others who have since been released also described beatings and death threats.
+Hamas officials did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on Anucha's account.
+""I thought I would die,"" he said on Wednesday, at his family home in rural northeastern Thailand, where he returned this month after 50 days in captivity.
+Almost all that time was spent inside two small underground rooms, secured by armed guards and accessed by dark narrow tunnels.
+At least 240 people - Israelis and foreign nationals - were abducted to Gaza on Oct 7. by Hamas militants who burst through the border and killed some 1,200 people.
+More than 100 hostages - largely women, children and non-Israelis - have been released.
+In retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack, Israel mounted a devastating bombing campaign and ground offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people, according to figures from Palestinian health officials deemed reliable by the United Nations.
+Some 130 people, including eight Thais, remain captive.
+Before the war, around 30,000 Thai labourers worked in the agriculture sector, making them one of Israel's largest migrant worker groups. Israel offers the farmhands higher wages.
+Thailand, which has friendly ties with Israel, recognised Palestine as a sovereign state in 2012.
+Israel's Foreign Ministry has compared the dead Thai hostages to ""heroes"" and said the released captives would receive the same benefits as their Israeli counterparts.
+TWO MEALS, TWO BOTTLES OF WATER
+Once in Gaza, the uniformed militants handed the Thais to a small group of men who took them to an abandoned house and tied their hands behind their backs.
+The Thais were joined by a terrified 18-year-old Israeli, a man Anucha said he knew from Kibbutz Re'im, where he worked on an avocado farm.
+Beatings began shortly after, as their captors punched and kicked them. ""We shouted 'Thailand, Thailand',"" he said, which eased the intensity of the blows. The young Israeli wasn't spared.
+An hour later, all five were put into another truck that drove for about 30 minutes to a small building that led into a tunnel.
+Near the mouth of the tunnel, they were beaten again and photographed, Anucha said, before walking through a dark, roughly meter-wide passage to a small room.
+
+In this windowless space, which measured around 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters and was lit by a bulb, the five were joined by another Israeli man.
+The militants continued kicking and punching the captives for two days, Anucha said. After that, they persisted with another two days of beatings for the Israelis, who were whipped using electrical wires.
+Anucha was not seriously injured but weeks after his release from captivity, his wrist still bore marks from the restraints.
+The captives slept on the bare sandy floor. The six men were served flat bread twice a day and shared two bottles of water between them that was replenished daily.
+Their toilet was a hole in the ground near the room, where they were taken by one of eight guards armed with assault weapons that resembled AK-47s. Guards told them not to talk among themselves.
+""I felt hopeless,"" Anucha said.
+Anucha initially counted down the days by the number of meals. After four days, the six were marched to another room.
+During the walk, Anucha said the tunnel, which was lit by flash lights carried by their captors, was lined with metal doors.
+'THAILAND, GO HOME'
+Their new room was more spacious. They had plastic sheets to sleep on. Three bulbs lit the space. An alcove served as their toilet.
+The beatings stopped. The food improved to include nuts, butter and, later, rice.
+Still using meals to measure time, Anucha left scratches on the floor to mark the number of days in captivity.
+That changed when a guard brought in some papers for them to sign. He, like the other guards, only spoke Arabic. The Israelis interpreted for Anucha, who said he speaks rudimentary Hebrew.
+But the guard left behind a white ballpoint pen. They used it to mark time, draw tattoos and sketch a chessboard on the plastic sheet. Chess pieces were crafted out of a pink-and-green toothpaste box.
+Another distraction was talk of food. Anucha craved soi ju, a Thai delicacy of pieces of raw beef dipped in spicy sauce, that he dreamt and spoke of.
+""Food was a source of hope,"" he said, smiling.
+Weeks passed. Anucha had no inkling of the Israeli raids and bombings aboveground. He often thought of home, his father, his seven year old daughter and his partner of 14 years.
+On Day 35, a man dressed in black arrived for a brief inspection. From his demeanour and the respectful behaviour of the guards, the captives surmised he was a senior Hamas leader.
+Their routine resumed, until one day, a guard arrived following their first meal and announced: ""Thailand, go home.""
+The four Thais were led through tunnels for roughly two hours and arrived overground to a Hamas facility, where a handful of female Israeli hostages were also waiting.
+Some 11 hours later, they were handed over to the Red Cross, which drove them out of Gaza on Nov. 25.
+""I didn't think I would get released,"" he said, ""It was like I was reborn.""
+But the hardest part was still what he saw on Oct. 7, Anucha said. ""I lost my friend in front of my eyes.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Exclusive: 50 days in Hamas captivity - Thai man recalls beatings and bleakness[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DON PILA, Thailand, Dec 7 (Reuters) - When Thai farm labourer Anucha Angkaew scrambled out of the bunker where he had been sheltering from rockets on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip around 7.30 am on Oct. 7, he expected to see Israeli soldiers. Instead, Anucha and his five Thai colleagues were accosted by 10 armed militants, whom he identified as Hamas by the Palestine flags on their sleeves.  ""We shouted 'Thailand, Thailand',"" said Anucha, a soft-spoken 28-year-old with a wispy goatee. ""But they didn't care.""
+Two of the six Thais were killed soon after, including a friend who Anucha said was shot dead in front of him in a random act of violence. The rest were forced on to a truck for a roughly 30 minute ride into Gaza.  Anucha's first person account offers a glimpse into what many hostages endured - and some continue to endure. He described sleeping on a sandy floor and beatings by Hamas captors, who he said singled out Israelis for especially brutal treatment. To keep their hopes up, the four Thai men relied on chess games on a makeshift board, memories of family and craving for Thai food. Few of the freed hostages have spoken at length about their ordeal, though others who have since been released also described beatings and death threats. Hamas officials did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on Anucha's account.
+""I thought I would die,"" he said on Wednesday, at his family home in rural northeastern Thailand, where he returned this month after 50 days in captivity. Almost all that time was spent inside two small underground rooms, secured by armed guards and accessed by dark narrow tunnels. At least 240 people - Israelis and foreign nationals - were abducted to Gaza on Oct 7. by Hamas militants who burst through the border and killed some 1,200 people. More than 100 hostages - largely women, children and non-Israelis - have been released. In retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack, Israel mounted a devastating bombing campaign and ground offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people, according to figures from Palestinian health officials deemed reliable by the United Nations. Some 130 people, including eight Thais, remain captive.  Before the war, around 30,000 Thai labourers worked in the agriculture sector, making them one of Israel's largest migrant worker groups. Israel offers the farmhands higher wages."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/50-days-hamas-captivity-thai-man-recalls-beatings-bleakness-2023-12-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Exclusive: 50 days in Hamas captivity - Thai man recalls beatings and bleakness[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DON PILA, Thailand, Dec 7 (Reuters) - When Thai farm labourer Anucha Angkaew scrambled out of the bunker where he had been sheltering from rockets on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip around 7.30 am on Oct. 7, he expected to see Israeli soldiers.
+Instead, Anucha and his five Thai colleagues were accosted by 10 armed militants, whom he identified as Hamas by the Palestine flags on their sleeves.
+""We shouted 'Thailand, Thailand',"" said Anucha, a soft-spoken 28-year-old with a wispy goatee. ""But they didn't care.""
+Two of the six Thais were killed soon after, including a friend who Anucha said was shot dead in front of him in a random act of violence. The rest were forced on to a truck for a roughly 30 minute ride into Gaza.
+Anucha's first person account offers a glimpse into what many hostages endured - and some continue to endure. He described sleeping on a sandy floor and beatings by Hamas captors, who he said singled out Israelis for especially brutal treatment.
+To keep their hopes up, the four Thai men relied on chess games on a makeshift board, memories of family and craving for Thai food.
+Few of the freed hostages have spoken at length about their ordeal, though others who have since been released also described beatings and death threats.
+Hamas officials did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on Anucha's account.
+""I thought I would die,"" he said on Wednesday, at his family home in rural northeastern Thailand, where he returned this month after 50 days in captivity.
+Almost all that time was spent inside two small underground rooms, secured by armed guards and accessed by dark narrow tunnels.
+At least 240 people - Israelis and foreign nationals - were abducted to Gaza on Oct 7. by Hamas militants who burst through the border and killed some 1,200 people.
+More than 100 hostages - largely women, children and non-Israelis - have been released.
+In retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack, Israel mounted a devastating bombing campaign and ground offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people, according to figures from Palestinian health officials deemed reliable by the United Nations.
+Some 130 people, including eight Thais, remain captive.
+Before the war, around 30,000 Thai labourers worked in the agriculture sector, making them one of Israel's largest migrant worker groups. Israel offers the farmhands higher wages.
+Thailand, which has friendly ties with Israel, recognised Palestine as a sovereign state in 2012.
+Israel's Foreign Ministry has compared the dead Thai hostages to ""heroes"" and said the released captives would receive the same benefits as their Israeli counterparts.
+TWO MEALS, TWO BOTTLES OF WATER
+Once in Gaza, the uniformed militants handed the Thais to a small group of men who took them to an abandoned house and tied their hands behind their backs.
+The Thais were joined by a terrified 18-year-old Israeli, a man Anucha said he knew from Kibbutz Re'im, where he worked on an avocado farm.
+Beatings began shortly after, as their captors punched and kicked them. ""We shouted 'Thailand, Thailand',"" he said, which eased the intensity of the blows. The young Israeli wasn't spared.
+An hour later, all five were put into another truck that drove for about 30 minutes to a small building that led into a tunnel.
+Near the mouth of the tunnel, they were beaten again and photographed, Anucha said, before walking through a dark, roughly meter-wide passage to a small room.
+
+In this windowless space, which measured around 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters and was lit by a bulb, the five were joined by another Israeli man.
+The militants continued kicking and punching the captives for two days, Anucha said. After that, they persisted with another two days of beatings for the Israelis, who were whipped using electrical wires.
+Anucha was not seriously injured but weeks after his release from captivity, his wrist still bore marks from the restraints.
+The captives slept on the bare sandy floor. The six men were served flat bread twice a day and shared two bottles of water between them that was replenished daily.
+Their toilet was a hole in the ground near the room, where they were taken by one of eight guards armed with assault weapons that resembled AK-47s. Guards told them not to talk among themselves.
+""I felt hopeless,"" Anucha said.
+Anucha initially counted down the days by the number of meals. After four days, the six were marched to another room.
+During the walk, Anucha said the tunnel, which was lit by flash lights carried by their captors, was lined with metal doors.
+'THAILAND, GO HOME'
+Their new room was more spacious. They had plastic sheets to sleep on. Three bulbs lit the space. An alcove served as their toilet.
+The beatings stopped. The food improved to include nuts, butter and, later, rice.
+Still using meals to measure time, Anucha left scratches on the floor to mark the number of days in captivity.
+That changed when a guard brought in some papers for them to sign. He, like the other guards, only spoke Arabic. The Israelis interpreted for Anucha, who said he speaks rudimentary Hebrew.
+But the guard left behind a white ballpoint pen. They used it to mark time, draw tattoos and sketch a chessboard on the plastic sheet. Chess pieces were crafted out of a pink-and-green toothpaste box.
+Another distraction was talk of food. Anucha craved soi ju, a Thai delicacy of pieces of raw beef dipped in spicy sauce, that he dreamt and spoke of.
+""Food was a source of hope,"" he said, smiling.
+Weeks passed. Anucha had no inkling of the Israeli raids and bombings aboveground. He often thought of home, his father, his seven year old daughter and his partner of 14 years.
+On Day 35, a man dressed in black arrived for a brief inspection. From his demeanour and the respectful behaviour of the guards, the captives surmised he was a senior Hamas leader.
+Their routine resumed, until one day, a guard arrived following their first meal and announced: ""Thailand, go home.""
+The four Thais were led through tunnels for roughly two hours and arrived overground to a Hamas facility, where a handful of female Israeli hostages were also waiting.
+Some 11 hours later, they were handed over to the Red Cross, which drove them out of Gaza on Nov. 25.
+""I didn't think I would get released,"" he said, ""It was like I was reborn.""
+But the hardest part was still what he saw on Oct. 7, Anucha said. ""I lost my friend in front of my eyes.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Thailand, which has friendly ties with Israel, recognised Palestine as a sovereign state in 2012.  Israel's Foreign Ministry has compared the dead Thai hostages to ""heroes"" and said the released captives would receive the same benefits as their Israeli counterparts.
+TWO MEALS, TWO BOTTLES OF WATER
+Once in Gaza, the uniformed militants handed the Thais to a small group of men who took them to an abandoned house and tied their hands behind their backs.
+The Thais were joined by a terrified 18-year-old Israeli, a man Anucha said he knew from Kibbutz Re'im, where he worked on an avocado farm.
+Beatings began shortly after, as their captors punched and kicked them. ""We shouted 'Thailand, Thailand',"" he said, which eased the intensity of the blows. The young Israeli wasn't spared. An hour later, all five were put into another truck that drove for about 30 minutes to a small building that led into a tunnel. Near the mouth of the tunnel, they were beaten again and photographed, Anucha said, before walking through a dark, roughly meter-wide passage to a small room. In this windowless space, which measured around 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters and was lit by a bulb, the five were joined by another Israeli man.  The militants continued kicking and punching the captives for two days, Anucha said. After that, they persisted with another two days of beatings for the Israelis, who were whipped using electrical wires. Anucha was not seriously injured but weeks after his release from captivity, his wrist still bore marks from the restraints.  The captives slept on the bare sandy floor. The six men were served flat bread twice a day and shared two bottles of water between them that was replenished daily. Their toilet was a hole in the ground near the room, where they were taken by one of eight guards armed with assault weapons that resembled AK-47s. Guards told them not to talk among themselves. ""I felt hopeless,"" Anucha said.  Anucha initially counted down the days by the number of meals. After four days, the six were marched to another room. During the walk, Anucha said the tunnel, which was lit by flash lights carried by their captors, was lined with metal doors. 'THAILAND, GO HOME'  Their new room was more spacious. They had plastic sheets to sleep on. Three bulbs lit the space. An alcove served as their toilet.  The beatings stopped. The food improved to include nuts, butter and, later, rice. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/50-days-hamas-captivity-thai-man-recalls-beatings-bleakness-2023-12-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Exclusive: 50 days in Hamas captivity - Thai man recalls beatings and bleakness[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DON PILA, Thailand, Dec 7 (Reuters) - When Thai farm labourer Anucha Angkaew scrambled out of the bunker where he had been sheltering from rockets on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip around 7.30 am on Oct. 7, he expected to see Israeli soldiers.
+Instead, Anucha and his five Thai colleagues were accosted by 10 armed militants, whom he identified as Hamas by the Palestine flags on their sleeves.
+""We shouted 'Thailand, Thailand',"" said Anucha, a soft-spoken 28-year-old with a wispy goatee. ""But they didn't care.""
+Two of the six Thais were killed soon after, including a friend who Anucha said was shot dead in front of him in a random act of violence. The rest were forced on to a truck for a roughly 30 minute ride into Gaza.
+Anucha's first person account offers a glimpse into what many hostages endured - and some continue to endure. He described sleeping on a sandy floor and beatings by Hamas captors, who he said singled out Israelis for especially brutal treatment.
+To keep their hopes up, the four Thai men relied on chess games on a makeshift board, memories of family and craving for Thai food.
+Few of the freed hostages have spoken at length about their ordeal, though others who have since been released also described beatings and death threats.
+Hamas officials did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on Anucha's account.
+""I thought I would die,"" he said on Wednesday, at his family home in rural northeastern Thailand, where he returned this month after 50 days in captivity.
+Almost all that time was spent inside two small underground rooms, secured by armed guards and accessed by dark narrow tunnels.
+At least 240 people - Israelis and foreign nationals - were abducted to Gaza on Oct 7. by Hamas militants who burst through the border and killed some 1,200 people.
+More than 100 hostages - largely women, children and non-Israelis - have been released.
+In retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack, Israel mounted a devastating bombing campaign and ground offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people, according to figures from Palestinian health officials deemed reliable by the United Nations.
+Some 130 people, including eight Thais, remain captive.
+Before the war, around 30,000 Thai labourers worked in the agriculture sector, making them one of Israel's largest migrant worker groups. Israel offers the farmhands higher wages.
+Thailand, which has friendly ties with Israel, recognised Palestine as a sovereign state in 2012.
+Israel's Foreign Ministry has compared the dead Thai hostages to ""heroes"" and said the released captives would receive the same benefits as their Israeli counterparts.
+TWO MEALS, TWO BOTTLES OF WATER
+Once in Gaza, the uniformed militants handed the Thais to a small group of men who took them to an abandoned house and tied their hands behind their backs.
+The Thais were joined by a terrified 18-year-old Israeli, a man Anucha said he knew from Kibbutz Re'im, where he worked on an avocado farm.
+Beatings began shortly after, as their captors punched and kicked them. ""We shouted 'Thailand, Thailand',"" he said, which eased the intensity of the blows. The young Israeli wasn't spared.
+An hour later, all five were put into another truck that drove for about 30 minutes to a small building that led into a tunnel.
+Near the mouth of the tunnel, they were beaten again and photographed, Anucha said, before walking through a dark, roughly meter-wide passage to a small room.
+
+In this windowless space, which measured around 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters and was lit by a bulb, the five were joined by another Israeli man.
+The militants continued kicking and punching the captives for two days, Anucha said. After that, they persisted with another two days of beatings for the Israelis, who were whipped using electrical wires.
+Anucha was not seriously injured but weeks after his release from captivity, his wrist still bore marks from the restraints.
+The captives slept on the bare sandy floor. The six men were served flat bread twice a day and shared two bottles of water between them that was replenished daily.
+Their toilet was a hole in the ground near the room, where they were taken by one of eight guards armed with assault weapons that resembled AK-47s. Guards told them not to talk among themselves.
+""I felt hopeless,"" Anucha said.
+Anucha initially counted down the days by the number of meals. After four days, the six were marched to another room.
+During the walk, Anucha said the tunnel, which was lit by flash lights carried by their captors, was lined with metal doors.
+'THAILAND, GO HOME'
+Their new room was more spacious. They had plastic sheets to sleep on. Three bulbs lit the space. An alcove served as their toilet.
+The beatings stopped. The food improved to include nuts, butter and, later, rice.
+Still using meals to measure time, Anucha left scratches on the floor to mark the number of days in captivity.
+That changed when a guard brought in some papers for them to sign. He, like the other guards, only spoke Arabic. The Israelis interpreted for Anucha, who said he speaks rudimentary Hebrew.
+But the guard left behind a white ballpoint pen. They used it to mark time, draw tattoos and sketch a chessboard on the plastic sheet. Chess pieces were crafted out of a pink-and-green toothpaste box.
+Another distraction was talk of food. Anucha craved soi ju, a Thai delicacy of pieces of raw beef dipped in spicy sauce, that he dreamt and spoke of.
+""Food was a source of hope,"" he said, smiling.
+Weeks passed. Anucha had no inkling of the Israeli raids and bombings aboveground. He often thought of home, his father, his seven year old daughter and his partner of 14 years.
+On Day 35, a man dressed in black arrived for a brief inspection. From his demeanour and the respectful behaviour of the guards, the captives surmised he was a senior Hamas leader.
+Their routine resumed, until one day, a guard arrived following their first meal and announced: ""Thailand, go home.""
+The four Thais were led through tunnels for roughly two hours and arrived overground to a Hamas facility, where a handful of female Israeli hostages were also waiting.
+Some 11 hours later, they were handed over to the Red Cross, which drove them out of Gaza on Nov. 25.
+""I didn't think I would get released,"" he said, ""It was like I was reborn.""
+But the hardest part was still what he saw on Oct. 7, Anucha said. ""I lost my friend in front of my eyes.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Still using meals to measure time, Anucha left scratches on the floor to mark the number of days in captivity.  That changed when a guard brought in some papers for them to sign. He, like the other guards, only spoke Arabic. The Israelis interpreted for Anucha, who said he speaks rudimentary Hebrew.  But the guard left behind a white ballpoint pen. They used it to mark time, draw tattoos and sketch a chessboard on the plastic sheet. Chess pieces were crafted out of a pink-and-green toothpaste box. Another distraction was talk of food. Anucha craved soi ju, a Thai delicacy of pieces of raw beef dipped in spicy sauce, that he dreamt and spoke of.  ""Food was a source of hope,"" he said, smiling.
+Weeks passed. Anucha had no inkling of the Israeli raids and bombings aboveground. He often thought of home, his father, his seven year old daughter and his partner of 14 years.  On Day 35, a man dressed in black arrived for a brief inspection. From his demeanour and the respectful behaviour of the guards, the captives surmised he was a senior Hamas leader. Their routine resumed, until one day, a guard arrived following their first meal and announced: ""Thailand, go home."" The four Thais were led through tunnels for roughly two hours and arrived overground to a Hamas facility, where a handful of female Israeli hostages were also waiting.  Some 11 hours later, they were handed over to the Red Cross, which drove them out of Gaza on Nov. 25.
+""I didn't think I would get released,"" he said, ""It was like I was reborn. "" But the hardest part was still what he saw on Oct. 7, Anucha said. ""I lost my friend in front of my eyes.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/river-sea-chant-not-yet-granted-us-trademark-2023-12-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: ‘From the river to the sea’ chant not yet granted a U.S. trademark[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A trademark application for the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” which was filed in the United States on Nov. 17, 2023, has not yet been granted as of Dec. 6, contrary to claims online. A spokesperson for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has said that the application is still pending.
+“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” is a chant frequently used at pro-Palestinian demonstrations (archived) amid the Israel-Hamas war. Critics of the phrase say it is antisemitic and a call for Israel's eradication. Other groups dispute that interpretation of the chant.
+Posts on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), formerly Twitter, shared a screenshot of the application from the United States Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS), with the caption, “A Jewish lawyer in the US got the trademark for ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ He plans to sue anyone who uses it.”
+The application shows a Nov. 17, 2023, filing date and the applicant as a company called “River to the Sea LLC” based in New Jersey.
+The publicly accessible trademark application file, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on the USPTO website shows that while the application has been accepted by the agency, it has not yet been assigned to an examining attorney.
+Under “Goods and Services,” it says the trademark application is for hats and shirts.
+A spokesperson for USPTO said to Reuters in an email that the trademark has not been registered and the application is pending.
+The website also states that the process of registration usually takes 12 to 18 months, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), with the average time for “first action”, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on new applications recorded at 8.5 months in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023.
+The USPTO says on its website, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) that there is no guarantee that a trademark application will be successful as it might be refused for “various legal reasons.”
+Lisa Ramsey, a professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, said: “The USPTO is likely to reject this application on the ground this is a political message that fails to function as a source-identifying trademark for shirts and hats.”
+Strong trademarks, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), according to the USPTO, are those that are “inherently distinctive” and “quickly and clearly identify” the source of particular goods and services.
+Ramsey added that trademark examiners had previously refused to register political and social messages as trademarks for clothing and other types of expressive merchandise.
+Posts sharing the claim on social media also misleadingly suggest, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) that if the application is successful, the trademark owner can sue anybody who uses the phrase.
+According to USPTO, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), however, having a trademark for a word or a phrase does not mean the owner can prevent others from using it. “You don’t have rights to the word or phrase in general, only to how that word or phrase is used with your specific goods or services,” it says.
+Ed Timberlake, assistant professor of law at the University of New Hampshire, said that a trademark registration “would provide the owner no power to stop other people from saying the words, or chanting the words, or writing the words in articles, or otherwise employing the words in a way unrelated to trademarks for shirts or hats.”
+The email listed on the River to the Sea LLC’s application did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
+VERDICT
+Missing context. A trademark bid for the pro-Palestinian slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” has not yet been approved in the U.S.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: ‘From the river to the sea’ chant not yet granted a U.S. trademark[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A trademark application for the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” which was filed in the United States on Nov. 17, 2023, has not yet been granted as of Dec. 6, contrary to claims online. A spokesperson for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has said that the application is still pending.  “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” is a chant frequently used at pro-Palestinian demonstrations (archived) amid the Israel-Hamas war. Critics of the phrase say it is antisemitic and a call for Israel's eradication. Other groups dispute that interpretation of the chant.  Posts on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), formerly Twitter, shared a screenshot of the application from the United States Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS), with the caption, “A Jewish lawyer in the US got the trademark for ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ He plans to sue anyone who uses it.” The application shows a Nov. 17, 2023, filing date and the applicant as a company called “River to the Sea LLC” based in New Jersey. The publicly accessible trademark application file, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on the USPTO website shows that while the application has been accepted by the agency, it has not yet been assigned to an examining attorney. Under “Goods and Services,” it says the trademark application is for hats and shirts. A spokesperson for USPTO said to Reuters in an email that the trademark has not been registered and the application is pending. The website also states that the process of registration usually takes 12 to 18 months, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), with the average time for “first action”, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on new applications recorded at 8.5 months in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/river-sea-chant-not-yet-granted-us-trademark-2023-12-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: ‘From the river to the sea’ chant not yet granted a U.S. trademark[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A trademark application for the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” which was filed in the United States on Nov. 17, 2023, has not yet been granted as of Dec. 6, contrary to claims online. A spokesperson for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has said that the application is still pending.
+“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” is a chant frequently used at pro-Palestinian demonstrations (archived) amid the Israel-Hamas war. Critics of the phrase say it is antisemitic and a call for Israel's eradication. Other groups dispute that interpretation of the chant.
+Posts on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), formerly Twitter, shared a screenshot of the application from the United States Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS), with the caption, “A Jewish lawyer in the US got the trademark for ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ He plans to sue anyone who uses it.”
+The application shows a Nov. 17, 2023, filing date and the applicant as a company called “River to the Sea LLC” based in New Jersey.
+The publicly accessible trademark application file, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on the USPTO website shows that while the application has been accepted by the agency, it has not yet been assigned to an examining attorney.
+Under “Goods and Services,” it says the trademark application is for hats and shirts.
+A spokesperson for USPTO said to Reuters in an email that the trademark has not been registered and the application is pending.
+The website also states that the process of registration usually takes 12 to 18 months, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), with the average time for “first action”, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on new applications recorded at 8.5 months in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023.
+The USPTO says on its website, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) that there is no guarantee that a trademark application will be successful as it might be refused for “various legal reasons.”
+Lisa Ramsey, a professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, said: “The USPTO is likely to reject this application on the ground this is a political message that fails to function as a source-identifying trademark for shirts and hats.”
+Strong trademarks, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), according to the USPTO, are those that are “inherently distinctive” and “quickly and clearly identify” the source of particular goods and services.
+Ramsey added that trademark examiners had previously refused to register political and social messages as trademarks for clothing and other types of expressive merchandise.
+Posts sharing the claim on social media also misleadingly suggest, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) that if the application is successful, the trademark owner can sue anybody who uses the phrase.
+According to USPTO, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), however, having a trademark for a word or a phrase does not mean the owner can prevent others from using it. “You don’t have rights to the word or phrase in general, only to how that word or phrase is used with your specific goods or services,” it says.
+Ed Timberlake, assistant professor of law at the University of New Hampshire, said that a trademark registration “would provide the owner no power to stop other people from saying the words, or chanting the words, or writing the words in articles, or otherwise employing the words in a way unrelated to trademarks for shirts or hats.”
+The email listed on the River to the Sea LLC’s application did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
+VERDICT
+Missing context. A trademark bid for the pro-Palestinian slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” has not yet been approved in the U.S.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The USPTO says on its website, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) that there is no guarantee that a trademark application will be successful as it might be refused for “various legal reasons.”
+Lisa Ramsey, a professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, said: “The USPTO is likely to reject this application on the ground this is a political message that fails to function as a source-identifying trademark for shirts and hats.”
+Strong trademarks, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), according to the USPTO, are those that are “inherently distinctive” and “quickly and clearly identify” the source of particular goods and services.
+Ramsey added that trademark examiners had previously refused to register political and social messages as trademarks for clothing and other types of expressive merchandise.
+Posts sharing the claim on social media also misleadingly suggest, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) that if the application is successful, the trademark owner can sue anybody who uses the phrase. According to USPTO, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), however, having a trademark for a word or a phrase does not mean the owner can prevent others from using it. “You don’t have rights to the word or phrase in general, only to how that word or phrase is used with your specific goods or services,” it says. Ed Timberlake, assistant professor of law at the University of New Hampshire, said that a trademark registration “would provide the owner no power to stop other people from saying the words, or chanting the words, or writing the words in articles, or otherwise employing the words in a way unrelated to trademarks for shirts or hats.”
+The email listed on the River to the Sea LLC’s application did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.  VERDICT
+Missing context. A trademark bid for the pro-Palestinian slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” has not yet been approved in the U.S.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/despite-gaza-death-toll-soaring-us-unlikely-rethink-weapons-supplies-israel-2023-12-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despite Gaza death toll soaring, U.S. unlikely to rethink weapons supplies to Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/LONDON/BEIRUT, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Facing a soaring death toll from Israel's renewed offensive in southern Gaza, the Biden administration is trying to pressure its ally to minimize civilian deaths while stopping well short of the kind of measures that might force it to listen, such as threatening to restrict military aid.
+Top U.S. officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have urged Israel publicly to conduct a more surgical offensive in the south to avoid the heavy civilian casualties inflicted by its attacks in the north.
+About 900 people in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes between Friday when a truce ended and Monday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, about the same number killed in strikes in Gaza over the four days following the Hamas cross-border raid on Israel on Oct. 7, though fewer than the 1,199 who died in the four days following the start of Israel's ground offensive on northern Gaza Oct 28.
+Washington is for now ruling out withholding delivery of weapons or harshly criticizing Israel as a means of changing its tactics because the U.S. believes the existing strategy of privately negotiating is effective, according to two U.S. officials.
+""We think what we're doing is moving them"" a senior U.S. official said, citing how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shifted from refusing to allow aid into Gaza to allowing nearly 200 trucks of assistance a day, saying those improvements were the result of intense diplomacy, not threats.
+The U.S. official spoke after three days of resumed aerial bombardments of southern Gaza left residents pulling the bodies of children and adults from the rubble.
+But the U.S. official said reducing military support to Israel would carry major risks.
+""You start lessening aid to Israel, you start encouraging other parties to come into the conflict, you weaken the deterrence effect and you encourage Israel's other enemies,"" the official said.
+The United States has called its support unwavering. The Israeli government appears unmoved by international demands to change its strategy.
+""I must admit I sense that the prime minister feels zero pressure, and that we will do whatever it takes to achieve our military goals,"" Netanyahu's foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk told Reuters last week when asked about the international pressure on Israel.
+
+SIGNIFICANT U.S. LEVERAGE
+The United States gives Israel $3.8 billion in military aid annually, ranging from fighter jets to powerful bombs that could destroy Hamas tunnels, and the Biden administration has asked Congress to approve an additional $14 billion.
+Such support gives Washington ""significant leverage"" over how the war against Hamas is conducted, said Seth Binder, director of advocacy at The Project on Middle East Democracy.
+""Withholding certain types of equipment or delaying refilling stockpiles of various arms would force the Israeli government to adjust strategies and tactics because they would not be guaranteed to have more in the pipeline,"" said Binder. ""To date, the administration has demonstrated an unwillingness to use that leverage.""
+Weighing on Biden is the 2024 presidential election, even as senior aides have stepped up calls for Israeli restraint. Any attempt to cut aid could hurt the Democratic president with pro-Israel independent voters as he seeks re-election.
+Biden also faces pressure from a faction of progressive Democrats who want the U.S. to set conditions on military aid to its closest Middle East ally, and for the president to support calls for an immediate ceasefire.
+A senior Israeli security source said that so far there has been no change in U.S. support for Israel. ""At the moment there is an understanding and there is continued coordination,"" said the source. ""If the U.S. shifts course, Israel will have to speed up its operations and wrap things up quickly.""
+Fighting between Israel and Hamas resumed on Friday after a seven-day pause to exchange hostages and prisoners and deliver humanitarian aid. Israel is retaliating for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that it says killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages.
+Gaza's health ministry, whose data the U.N. has deemed broadly reliable, said on Monday that at least 15,899 Palestinians, 70% of them women or people under 18 whom it defines as children, have been killed in Israeli bombardments over eight weeks of warfare.
+SEEING 'EYE TO EYE' WITH ISRAEL
+The Israeli military's offensive in northern Gaza began with intense aerial bombardment, then a large-scale ground incursion that ultimately saw Israeli forces surround and enter Gaza City, the largest settlement in the enclave.
+Israeli officials say they are conducting operations in the south differently, allowing more time for non-combatants in combat areas to evacuate, but can't promise to eliminate civilian casualties.
+""We are going to continue with our campaign to destroy Hamas, a campaign that the United States sees eye to eye with us about,"" Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said on Tuesday. He repeated Israeli accusations that Hamas uses woman and children as human shields.
+On Friday, Israel's military began posting grid-based maps online ordering Palestinians to leave parts of southern Gaza, directing them towards the Mediterranean coast and Rafah, near the Egyptian border. Some residents said the so-called ""safe areas"" where they told to go also came under fire that caused casualties.
+U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday that Washington expects the Israelis to follow through on not attacking those areas.
+A second U.S. official said the fact that Israel was being more deliberate in saying what areas civilians should avoid was a sign U.S. pressure was working. The official said the U.S. wants Israel to be more precise with its strikes in southern Gaza, but it was too early to tell whether Israel had taken this advice on board.
+Residents and journalists on the ground said intense Israeli airstrikes hit southern Gaza on Monday, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians.
+""All indications and reports suggest that the same pattern – of dropping heavy duty bombs and using artillery in densely populated areas – is continuing” since Israel's offensive resumed, said Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch.
+On Tuesday, Amnesty International said it had found that U.S.-made munitions had killed 43 civilians in two Israeli air strikes in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despite Gaza death toll soaring, U.S. unlikely to rethink weapons supplies to Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/LONDON/BEIRUT, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Facing a soaring death toll from Israel's renewed offensive in southern Gaza, the Biden administration is trying to pressure its ally to minimize civilian deaths while stopping well short of the kind of measures that might force it to listen, such as threatening to restrict military aid. Top U.S. officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have urged Israel publicly to conduct a more surgical offensive in the south to avoid the heavy civilian casualties inflicted by its attacks in the north. About 900 people in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes between Friday when a truce ended and Monday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, about the same number killed in strikes in Gaza over the four days following the Hamas cross-border raid on Israel on Oct. 7, though fewer than the 1,199 who died in the four days following the start of Israel's ground offensive on northern Gaza Oct 28. Washington is for now ruling out withholding delivery of weapons or harshly criticizing Israel as a means of changing its tactics because the U.S. believes the existing strategy of privately negotiating is effective, according to two U.S. officials. ""We think what we're doing is moving them"" a senior U.S. official said, citing how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shifted from refusing to allow aid into Gaza to allowing nearly 200 trucks of assistance a day, saying those improvements were the result of intense diplomacy, not threats. The U.S. official spoke after three days of resumed aerial bombardments of southern Gaza left residents pulling the bodies of children and adults from the rubble.
+But the U.S. official said reducing military support to Israel would carry major risks.  ""You start lessening aid to Israel, you start encouraging other parties to come into the conflict, you weaken the deterrence effect and you encourage Israel's other enemies,"" the official said.  The United States has called its support unwavering. The Israeli government appears unmoved by international demands to change its strategy. ""I must admit I sense that the prime minister feels zero pressure, and that we will do whatever it takes to achieve our military goals,"" Netanyahu's foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk told Reuters last week when asked about the international pressure on Israel. SIGNIFICANT U.S. LEVERAGE The United States gives Israel $3.8 billion in military aid annually, ranging from fighter jets to powerful bombs that could destroy Hamas tunnels, and the Biden administration has asked Congress to approve an additional $14 billion."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/despite-gaza-death-toll-soaring-us-unlikely-rethink-weapons-supplies-israel-2023-12-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despite Gaza death toll soaring, U.S. unlikely to rethink weapons supplies to Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/LONDON/BEIRUT, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Facing a soaring death toll from Israel's renewed offensive in southern Gaza, the Biden administration is trying to pressure its ally to minimize civilian deaths while stopping well short of the kind of measures that might force it to listen, such as threatening to restrict military aid.
+Top U.S. officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have urged Israel publicly to conduct a more surgical offensive in the south to avoid the heavy civilian casualties inflicted by its attacks in the north.
+About 900 people in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes between Friday when a truce ended and Monday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, about the same number killed in strikes in Gaza over the four days following the Hamas cross-border raid on Israel on Oct. 7, though fewer than the 1,199 who died in the four days following the start of Israel's ground offensive on northern Gaza Oct 28.
+Washington is for now ruling out withholding delivery of weapons or harshly criticizing Israel as a means of changing its tactics because the U.S. believes the existing strategy of privately negotiating is effective, according to two U.S. officials.
+""We think what we're doing is moving them"" a senior U.S. official said, citing how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shifted from refusing to allow aid into Gaza to allowing nearly 200 trucks of assistance a day, saying those improvements were the result of intense diplomacy, not threats.
+The U.S. official spoke after three days of resumed aerial bombardments of southern Gaza left residents pulling the bodies of children and adults from the rubble.
+But the U.S. official said reducing military support to Israel would carry major risks.
+""You start lessening aid to Israel, you start encouraging other parties to come into the conflict, you weaken the deterrence effect and you encourage Israel's other enemies,"" the official said.
+The United States has called its support unwavering. The Israeli government appears unmoved by international demands to change its strategy.
+""I must admit I sense that the prime minister feels zero pressure, and that we will do whatever it takes to achieve our military goals,"" Netanyahu's foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk told Reuters last week when asked about the international pressure on Israel.
+
+SIGNIFICANT U.S. LEVERAGE
+The United States gives Israel $3.8 billion in military aid annually, ranging from fighter jets to powerful bombs that could destroy Hamas tunnels, and the Biden administration has asked Congress to approve an additional $14 billion.
+Such support gives Washington ""significant leverage"" over how the war against Hamas is conducted, said Seth Binder, director of advocacy at The Project on Middle East Democracy.
+""Withholding certain types of equipment or delaying refilling stockpiles of various arms would force the Israeli government to adjust strategies and tactics because they would not be guaranteed to have more in the pipeline,"" said Binder. ""To date, the administration has demonstrated an unwillingness to use that leverage.""
+Weighing on Biden is the 2024 presidential election, even as senior aides have stepped up calls for Israeli restraint. Any attempt to cut aid could hurt the Democratic president with pro-Israel independent voters as he seeks re-election.
+Biden also faces pressure from a faction of progressive Democrats who want the U.S. to set conditions on military aid to its closest Middle East ally, and for the president to support calls for an immediate ceasefire.
+A senior Israeli security source said that so far there has been no change in U.S. support for Israel. ""At the moment there is an understanding and there is continued coordination,"" said the source. ""If the U.S. shifts course, Israel will have to speed up its operations and wrap things up quickly.""
+Fighting between Israel and Hamas resumed on Friday after a seven-day pause to exchange hostages and prisoners and deliver humanitarian aid. Israel is retaliating for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that it says killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages.
+Gaza's health ministry, whose data the U.N. has deemed broadly reliable, said on Monday that at least 15,899 Palestinians, 70% of them women or people under 18 whom it defines as children, have been killed in Israeli bombardments over eight weeks of warfare.
+SEEING 'EYE TO EYE' WITH ISRAEL
+The Israeli military's offensive in northern Gaza began with intense aerial bombardment, then a large-scale ground incursion that ultimately saw Israeli forces surround and enter Gaza City, the largest settlement in the enclave.
+Israeli officials say they are conducting operations in the south differently, allowing more time for non-combatants in combat areas to evacuate, but can't promise to eliminate civilian casualties.
+""We are going to continue with our campaign to destroy Hamas, a campaign that the United States sees eye to eye with us about,"" Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said on Tuesday. He repeated Israeli accusations that Hamas uses woman and children as human shields.
+On Friday, Israel's military began posting grid-based maps online ordering Palestinians to leave parts of southern Gaza, directing them towards the Mediterranean coast and Rafah, near the Egyptian border. Some residents said the so-called ""safe areas"" where they told to go also came under fire that caused casualties.
+U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday that Washington expects the Israelis to follow through on not attacking those areas.
+A second U.S. official said the fact that Israel was being more deliberate in saying what areas civilians should avoid was a sign U.S. pressure was working. The official said the U.S. wants Israel to be more precise with its strikes in southern Gaza, but it was too early to tell whether Israel had taken this advice on board.
+Residents and journalists on the ground said intense Israeli airstrikes hit southern Gaza on Monday, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians.
+""All indications and reports suggest that the same pattern – of dropping heavy duty bombs and using artillery in densely populated areas – is continuing” since Israel's offensive resumed, said Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch.
+On Tuesday, Amnesty International said it had found that U.S.-made munitions had killed 43 civilians in two Israeli air strikes in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Such support gives Washington ""significant leverage"" over how the war against Hamas is conducted, said Seth Binder, director of advocacy at The Project on Middle East Democracy.  ""Withholding certain types of equipment or delaying refilling stockpiles of various arms would force the Israeli government to adjust strategies and tactics because they would not be guaranteed to have more in the pipeline,"" said Binder. ""To date, the administration has demonstrated an unwillingness to use that leverage.""  Weighing on Biden is the 2024 presidential election, even as senior aides have stepped up calls for Israeli restraint. Any attempt to cut aid could hurt the Democratic president with pro-Israel independent voters as he seeks re-election. Biden also faces pressure from a faction of progressive Democrats who want the U.S. to set conditions on military aid to its closest Middle East ally, and for the president to support calls for an immediate ceasefire.  A senior Israeli security source said that so far there has been no change in U.S. support for Israel. ""At the moment there is an understanding and there is continued coordination,"" said the source. ""If the U.S. shifts course, Israel will have to speed up its operations and wrap things up quickly.""  Fighting between Israel and Hamas resumed on Friday after a seven-day pause to exchange hostages and prisoners and deliver humanitarian aid. Israel is retaliating for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that it says killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages.  Gaza's health ministry, whose data the U.N. has deemed broadly reliable, said on Monday that at least 15,899 Palestinians, 70% of them women or people under 18 whom it defines as children, have been killed in Israeli bombardments over eight weeks of warfare.
+SEEING 'EYE TO EYE' WITH ISRAEL
+The Israeli military's offensive in northern Gaza began with intense aerial bombardment, then a large-scale ground incursion that ultimately saw Israeli forces surround and enter Gaza City, the largest settlement in the enclave.
+Israeli officials say they are conducting operations in the south differently, allowing more time for non-combatants in combat areas to evacuate, but can't promise to eliminate civilian casualties.
+""We are going to continue with our campaign to destroy Hamas, a campaign that the United States sees eye to eye with us about,"" Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said on Tuesday. He repeated Israeli accusations that Hamas uses woman and children as human shields.  On Friday, Israel's military began posting grid-based maps online ordering Palestinians to leave parts of southern Gaza, directing them towards the Mediterranean coast and Rafah, near the Egyptian border."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/despite-gaza-death-toll-soaring-us-unlikely-rethink-weapons-supplies-israel-2023-12-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despite Gaza death toll soaring, U.S. unlikely to rethink weapons supplies to Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/LONDON/BEIRUT, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Facing a soaring death toll from Israel's renewed offensive in southern Gaza, the Biden administration is trying to pressure its ally to minimize civilian deaths while stopping well short of the kind of measures that might force it to listen, such as threatening to restrict military aid.
+Top U.S. officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have urged Israel publicly to conduct a more surgical offensive in the south to avoid the heavy civilian casualties inflicted by its attacks in the north.
+About 900 people in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes between Friday when a truce ended and Monday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, about the same number killed in strikes in Gaza over the four days following the Hamas cross-border raid on Israel on Oct. 7, though fewer than the 1,199 who died in the four days following the start of Israel's ground offensive on northern Gaza Oct 28.
+Washington is for now ruling out withholding delivery of weapons or harshly criticizing Israel as a means of changing its tactics because the U.S. believes the existing strategy of privately negotiating is effective, according to two U.S. officials.
+""We think what we're doing is moving them"" a senior U.S. official said, citing how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shifted from refusing to allow aid into Gaza to allowing nearly 200 trucks of assistance a day, saying those improvements were the result of intense diplomacy, not threats.
+The U.S. official spoke after three days of resumed aerial bombardments of southern Gaza left residents pulling the bodies of children and adults from the rubble.
+But the U.S. official said reducing military support to Israel would carry major risks.
+""You start lessening aid to Israel, you start encouraging other parties to come into the conflict, you weaken the deterrence effect and you encourage Israel's other enemies,"" the official said.
+The United States has called its support unwavering. The Israeli government appears unmoved by international demands to change its strategy.
+""I must admit I sense that the prime minister feels zero pressure, and that we will do whatever it takes to achieve our military goals,"" Netanyahu's foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk told Reuters last week when asked about the international pressure on Israel.
+
+SIGNIFICANT U.S. LEVERAGE
+The United States gives Israel $3.8 billion in military aid annually, ranging from fighter jets to powerful bombs that could destroy Hamas tunnels, and the Biden administration has asked Congress to approve an additional $14 billion.
+Such support gives Washington ""significant leverage"" over how the war against Hamas is conducted, said Seth Binder, director of advocacy at The Project on Middle East Democracy.
+""Withholding certain types of equipment or delaying refilling stockpiles of various arms would force the Israeli government to adjust strategies and tactics because they would not be guaranteed to have more in the pipeline,"" said Binder. ""To date, the administration has demonstrated an unwillingness to use that leverage.""
+Weighing on Biden is the 2024 presidential election, even as senior aides have stepped up calls for Israeli restraint. Any attempt to cut aid could hurt the Democratic president with pro-Israel independent voters as he seeks re-election.
+Biden also faces pressure from a faction of progressive Democrats who want the U.S. to set conditions on military aid to its closest Middle East ally, and for the president to support calls for an immediate ceasefire.
+A senior Israeli security source said that so far there has been no change in U.S. support for Israel. ""At the moment there is an understanding and there is continued coordination,"" said the source. ""If the U.S. shifts course, Israel will have to speed up its operations and wrap things up quickly.""
+Fighting between Israel and Hamas resumed on Friday after a seven-day pause to exchange hostages and prisoners and deliver humanitarian aid. Israel is retaliating for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that it says killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages.
+Gaza's health ministry, whose data the U.N. has deemed broadly reliable, said on Monday that at least 15,899 Palestinians, 70% of them women or people under 18 whom it defines as children, have been killed in Israeli bombardments over eight weeks of warfare.
+SEEING 'EYE TO EYE' WITH ISRAEL
+The Israeli military's offensive in northern Gaza began with intense aerial bombardment, then a large-scale ground incursion that ultimately saw Israeli forces surround and enter Gaza City, the largest settlement in the enclave.
+Israeli officials say they are conducting operations in the south differently, allowing more time for non-combatants in combat areas to evacuate, but can't promise to eliminate civilian casualties.
+""We are going to continue with our campaign to destroy Hamas, a campaign that the United States sees eye to eye with us about,"" Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said on Tuesday. He repeated Israeli accusations that Hamas uses woman and children as human shields.
+On Friday, Israel's military began posting grid-based maps online ordering Palestinians to leave parts of southern Gaza, directing them towards the Mediterranean coast and Rafah, near the Egyptian border. Some residents said the so-called ""safe areas"" where they told to go also came under fire that caused casualties.
+U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday that Washington expects the Israelis to follow through on not attacking those areas.
+A second U.S. official said the fact that Israel was being more deliberate in saying what areas civilians should avoid was a sign U.S. pressure was working. The official said the U.S. wants Israel to be more precise with its strikes in southern Gaza, but it was too early to tell whether Israel had taken this advice on board.
+Residents and journalists on the ground said intense Israeli airstrikes hit southern Gaza on Monday, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians.
+""All indications and reports suggest that the same pattern – of dropping heavy duty bombs and using artillery in densely populated areas – is continuing” since Israel's offensive resumed, said Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch.
+On Tuesday, Amnesty International said it had found that U.S.-made munitions had killed 43 civilians in two Israeli air strikes in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Some residents said the so-called ""safe areas"" where they told to go also came under fire that caused casualties. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday that Washington expects the Israelis to follow through on not attacking those areas. A second U.S. official said the fact that Israel was being more deliberate in saying what areas civilians should avoid was a sign U.S. pressure was working. The official said the U.S. wants Israel to be more precise with its strikes in southern Gaza, but it was too early to tell whether Israel had taken this advice on board. Residents and journalists on the ground said intense Israeli airstrikes hit southern Gaza on Monday, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians.
+""All indications and reports suggest that the same pattern – of dropping heavy duty bombs and using artillery in densely populated areas – is continuing” since Israel's offensive resumed, said Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch.  On Tuesday, Amnesty International said it had found that U.S.-made munitions had killed 43 civilians in two Israeli air strikes in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/decade-after-mandelas-death-his-pro-palestinian-legacy-lives-2023-12-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A decade after Mandela's death, his pro-Palestinian legacy lives on[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]By Carien du Plessis and Shafiek Tassiem
+JOHANNESBURG, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Days after his release from 27 years in prison in February 1990, anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela gave Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a bear hug, symbolising his embrace of a cause his country's governing ANC party continues to champion.
+It was a gesture as controversial then as South Africa's support for the Palestinian cause is today, but Mandela brushed off criticism.
+Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation had been an unwavering supporter of Mandela's struggle against white minority rule and many South Africans saw parallels between it and the Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation.
+""We were fortunate that with their support, we were able to achieve our freedom ... My grandfather ... said our freedom is incomplete without the Palestinian struggle,"" his grandson Mandla Mandela recalled in an interview ahead of the 10th commemoration of Mandela's death.
+From Dec. 3 to 5 Mandla Mandela, who is also an ANC lawmaker, hosted a solidarity conference in Johannesburg for the Palestinians.
+It was attended by members of Hamas, an organisation Israel has vowed to annihilate in retaliation for its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw around 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israeli bombing of Gaza since then has killed more than 15,500 people, according to Gaza's Hamas-run government, and displaced more than three-quarters of the Strip's 2.3 million population.
+
+Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, is labelled a terrorist organisation by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and the United States.
+Last month, the ruling ANC backed a motion in South Africa's parliament to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel until it agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza.
+""LAND ANNEXED""
+""Palestinians still do not enjoy fully their freedom on their land. And instead their land has been annexed more and more, something that we also faced in South Africa,"" said the ANC's deputy chair of international relations, Obed Bapela.
+Israel has disputed the comparison with apartheid as a lie motivated by antisemitism, but many South Africans follow Mandela's lead.
+""That's something that he (Mandela) never compromised on and nor should we,"" poet and author Lebogang Mashile told Reuters.
+Some in South Africa's Jewish community criticise the ANC's stance, pointing out that Mandela himself eventually tried to build bridges with Israel.
+Historian and author of ""Jewish Memories of Mandela"", David Saks, noted that Mandela was the only South African president to have visited Israel since 1994 - albeit only after he left office - and that ""he received a rapturous welcome from the Israeli public,"" addressing then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak and then-President Ezer Weisman as ""my friends"".
+""He pointed the way which things should have gone (diplomatically with Israel), but (they) didn’t go that way,"" Saks said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]A decade after Mandela's death, his pro-Palestinian legacy lives on[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]By Carien du Plessis and Shafiek Tassiem
+JOHANNESBURG, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Days after his release from 27 years in prison in February 1990, anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela gave Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a bear hug, symbolising his embrace of a cause his country's governing ANC party continues to champion. It was a gesture as controversial then as South Africa's support for the Palestinian cause is today, but Mandela brushed off criticism. Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation had been an unwavering supporter of Mandela's struggle against white minority rule and many South Africans saw parallels between it and the Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation.  ""We were fortunate that with their support, we were able to achieve our freedom ... My grandfather ... said our freedom is incomplete without the Palestinian struggle,"" his grandson Mandla Mandela recalled in an interview ahead of the 10th commemoration of Mandela's death. From Dec. 3 to 5 Mandla Mandela, who is also an ANC lawmaker, hosted a solidarity conference in Johannesburg for the Palestinians. It was attended by members of Hamas, an organisation Israel has vowed to annihilate in retaliation for its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw around 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israeli bombing of Gaza since then has killed more than 15,500 people, according to Gaza's Hamas-run government, and displaced more than three-quarters of the Strip's 2.3 million population.
+
+Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, is labelled a terrorist organisation by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and the United States. Last month, the ruling ANC backed a motion in South Africa's parliament to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel until it agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza. ""LAND ANNEXED"" ""Palestinians still do not enjoy fully their freedom on their land. And instead their land has been annexed more and more, something that we also faced in South Africa,"" said the ANC's deputy chair of international relations, Obed Bapela. Israel has disputed the comparison with apartheid as a lie motivated by antisemitism, but many South Africans follow Mandela's lead. ""That's something that he (Mandela) never compromised on and nor should we,"" poet and author Lebogang Mashile told Reuters. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/decade-after-mandelas-death-his-pro-palestinian-legacy-lives-2023-12-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A decade after Mandela's death, his pro-Palestinian legacy lives on[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]By Carien du Plessis and Shafiek Tassiem
+JOHANNESBURG, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Days after his release from 27 years in prison in February 1990, anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela gave Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a bear hug, symbolising his embrace of a cause his country's governing ANC party continues to champion.
+It was a gesture as controversial then as South Africa's support for the Palestinian cause is today, but Mandela brushed off criticism.
+Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation had been an unwavering supporter of Mandela's struggle against white minority rule and many South Africans saw parallels between it and the Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation.
+""We were fortunate that with their support, we were able to achieve our freedom ... My grandfather ... said our freedom is incomplete without the Palestinian struggle,"" his grandson Mandla Mandela recalled in an interview ahead of the 10th commemoration of Mandela's death.
+From Dec. 3 to 5 Mandla Mandela, who is also an ANC lawmaker, hosted a solidarity conference in Johannesburg for the Palestinians.
+It was attended by members of Hamas, an organisation Israel has vowed to annihilate in retaliation for its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw around 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
+Israeli bombing of Gaza since then has killed more than 15,500 people, according to Gaza's Hamas-run government, and displaced more than three-quarters of the Strip's 2.3 million population.
+
+Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, is labelled a terrorist organisation by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and the United States.
+Last month, the ruling ANC backed a motion in South Africa's parliament to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel until it agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza.
+""LAND ANNEXED""
+""Palestinians still do not enjoy fully their freedom on their land. And instead their land has been annexed more and more, something that we also faced in South Africa,"" said the ANC's deputy chair of international relations, Obed Bapela.
+Israel has disputed the comparison with apartheid as a lie motivated by antisemitism, but many South Africans follow Mandela's lead.
+""That's something that he (Mandela) never compromised on and nor should we,"" poet and author Lebogang Mashile told Reuters.
+Some in South Africa's Jewish community criticise the ANC's stance, pointing out that Mandela himself eventually tried to build bridges with Israel.
+Historian and author of ""Jewish Memories of Mandela"", David Saks, noted that Mandela was the only South African president to have visited Israel since 1994 - albeit only after he left office - and that ""he received a rapturous welcome from the Israeli public,"" addressing then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak and then-President Ezer Weisman as ""my friends"".
+""He pointed the way which things should have gone (diplomatically with Israel), but (they) didn’t go that way,"" Saks said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Some in South Africa's Jewish community criticise the ANC's stance, pointing out that Mandela himself eventually tried to build bridges with Israel.
+Historian and author of ""Jewish Memories of Mandela"", David Saks, noted that Mandela was the only South African president to have visited Israel since 1994 - albeit only after he left office - and that ""he received a rapturous welcome from the Israeli public,"" addressing then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak and then-President Ezer Weisman as ""my friends"".
+""He pointed the way which things should have gone (diplomatically with Israel), but (they) didn’t go that way,"" Saks said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/whats-israel-palestinian-conflict-about-how-did-it-start-2023-10-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Dec 5 (Reuters) - A war between Israel and Hamas that has raged since October is the latest in a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians which has rumbled on for seven decades and destabilised the Middle East.
+The Palestinian militant group launched a devastating cross-border attack on Israeli territory on Oct. 7 and Israel has responded with a fierce air and land offensive on the Gaza Strip, saying its goal is to wipe out Hamas.
+WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT?
+The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile Middle East against Palestinians' unmet aspirations for a state of their own.
+In 1947, while Palestine was under British mandate rule, the United Nations General Assembly agreed a plan to partition it into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, giving them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected the proposal.
+Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948, a day before the scheduled end of British rule, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties dating to antiquity.
+Violence had been intensifying between Arabs, who made up were about two thirds of the population in the late 1940s, and Jews. A day after Israel was created in 1948, troops from five Arab states attacked.
+In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+Palestinians lament this as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe. Israel contests the assertion that it forced out Palestinians.
+Armistice agreements halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace. Palestinians who stayed put in the war and their descendants make up about 20% of Israel's population now.
+WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel captured the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Gaza Strip from Egypt and occupied them.
+An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
+In 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, touching off the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.
+Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. Israeli troops pulled out of Lebanon in 2000.
+In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006, and seized full control of Gaza in 2007. Gaza saw major flare-ups of fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021.
+In 2006, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers in the volatile border region and Israel launched military action, triggering a six-week war.
+Besides wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, from 1987 to 1993 and 2000 to 2005. During the second, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups carried out suicide bombings against Israelis, and Israel carried out tank and airstrikes on Palestinian cities.
+Since then there have been several rounds of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel and is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union and other countries. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation.
+
+WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?
+In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel.
+In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.
+U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.
+In 2002, an Arab League plan offered Israel normal relations with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees. The presentation of the plan was overshadowed by Hamas, which blew up an Israeli hotel full of Holocaust survivors during a Passover seder meal.
+Further peace efforts have been stalled since 2014.
+Palestinians stopped dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump's 2017-2019 administration after he broke with decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
+Qatar and Egypt have acted as mediators in the latest war, securing a truce that lasted seven days, during which hostages held by Hamas were exchanged for prisoners held by Israel, and more humanitarian aid flowed into Gaza.
+WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?
+The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that includes normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam's two holiest shrines.
+The latest war is diplomatically awkward for Riyadh as well as for other Arab states, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia which have signed peace deals with Israel.
+WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?
+A two-state solution, Israeli settlements on occupied land, the status of Jerusalem, agreed borders, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
+Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten its security.
+Settlements: Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 as illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. Continued settlement expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and international community.
+Jerusalem: Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital.
+Israel's claim to Jerusalem's eastern part is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city, and moved the U.S. embassy there in 2018.
+Refugees: Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.
+Palestinians have long demanded that refugees should be allowed to return, along with millions of their descendants. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Dec 5 (Reuters) - A war between Israel and Hamas that has raged since October is the latest in a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians which has rumbled on for seven decades and destabilised the Middle East. The Palestinian militant group launched a devastating cross-border attack on Israeli territory on Oct. 7 and Israel has responded with a fierce air and land offensive on the Gaza Strip, saying its goal is to wipe out Hamas. WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT? The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile Middle East against Palestinians' unmet aspirations for a state of their own.  In 1947, while Palestine was under British mandate rule, the United Nations General Assembly agreed a plan to partition it into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, giving them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected the proposal. Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948, a day before the scheduled end of British rule, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties dating to antiquity. Violence had been intensifying between Arabs, who made up were about two thirds of the population in the late 1940s, and Jews. A day after Israel was created in 1948, troops from five Arab states attacked. In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.  Palestinians lament this as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe. Israel contests the assertion that it forced out Palestinians.  Armistice agreements halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace. Palestinians who stayed put in the war and their descendants make up about 20% of Israel's population now. WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?  In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel captured the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Gaza Strip from Egypt and occupied them. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them Palestinian refugees and their descendants.  In 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, touching off the Yom Kippur War."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/whats-israel-palestinian-conflict-about-how-did-it-start-2023-10-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Dec 5 (Reuters) - A war between Israel and Hamas that has raged since October is the latest in a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians which has rumbled on for seven decades and destabilised the Middle East.
+The Palestinian militant group launched a devastating cross-border attack on Israeli territory on Oct. 7 and Israel has responded with a fierce air and land offensive on the Gaza Strip, saying its goal is to wipe out Hamas.
+WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT?
+The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile Middle East against Palestinians' unmet aspirations for a state of their own.
+In 1947, while Palestine was under British mandate rule, the United Nations General Assembly agreed a plan to partition it into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, giving them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected the proposal.
+Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948, a day before the scheduled end of British rule, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties dating to antiquity.
+Violence had been intensifying between Arabs, who made up were about two thirds of the population in the late 1940s, and Jews. A day after Israel was created in 1948, troops from five Arab states attacked.
+In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+Palestinians lament this as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe. Israel contests the assertion that it forced out Palestinians.
+Armistice agreements halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace. Palestinians who stayed put in the war and their descendants make up about 20% of Israel's population now.
+WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel captured the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Gaza Strip from Egypt and occupied them.
+An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
+In 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, touching off the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.
+Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. Israeli troops pulled out of Lebanon in 2000.
+In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006, and seized full control of Gaza in 2007. Gaza saw major flare-ups of fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021.
+In 2006, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers in the volatile border region and Israel launched military action, triggering a six-week war.
+Besides wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, from 1987 to 1993 and 2000 to 2005. During the second, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups carried out suicide bombings against Israelis, and Israel carried out tank and airstrikes on Palestinian cities.
+Since then there have been several rounds of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel and is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union and other countries. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation.
+
+WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?
+In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel.
+In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.
+U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.
+In 2002, an Arab League plan offered Israel normal relations with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees. The presentation of the plan was overshadowed by Hamas, which blew up an Israeli hotel full of Holocaust survivors during a Passover seder meal.
+Further peace efforts have been stalled since 2014.
+Palestinians stopped dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump's 2017-2019 administration after he broke with decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
+Qatar and Egypt have acted as mediators in the latest war, securing a truce that lasted seven days, during which hostages held by Hamas were exchanged for prisoners held by Israel, and more humanitarian aid flowed into Gaza.
+WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?
+The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that includes normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam's two holiest shrines.
+The latest war is diplomatically awkward for Riyadh as well as for other Arab states, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia which have signed peace deals with Israel.
+WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?
+A two-state solution, Israeli settlements on occupied land, the status of Jerusalem, agreed borders, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
+Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten its security.
+Settlements: Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 as illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. Continued settlement expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and international community.
+Jerusalem: Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital.
+Israel's claim to Jerusalem's eastern part is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city, and moved the U.S. embassy there in 2018.
+Refugees: Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.
+Palestinians have long demanded that refugees should be allowed to return, along with millions of their descendants. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.  Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. Israeli troops pulled out of Lebanon in 2000. In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006, and seized full control of Gaza in 2007. Gaza saw major flare-ups of fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021. In 2006, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers in the volatile border region and Israel launched military action, triggering a six-week war.  Besides wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, from 1987 to 1993 and 2000 to 2005. During the second, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups carried out suicide bombings against Israelis, and Israel carried out tank and airstrikes on Palestinian cities.  Since then there have been several rounds of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel and is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union and other countries. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation. WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE? In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel.  In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan. U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.  In 2002, an Arab League plan offered Israel normal relations with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees. The presentation of the plan was overshadowed by Hamas, which blew up an Israeli hotel full of Holocaust survivors during a Passover seder meal.  Further peace efforts have been stalled since 2014.
+Palestinians stopped dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump's 2017-2019 administration after he broke with decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Qatar and Egypt have acted as mediators in the latest war, securing a truce that lasted seven days, during which hostages held by Hamas were exchanged for prisoners held by Israel, and more humanitarian aid flowed into Gaza.
+WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/whats-israel-palestinian-conflict-about-how-did-it-start-2023-10-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Dec 5 (Reuters) - A war between Israel and Hamas that has raged since October is the latest in a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians which has rumbled on for seven decades and destabilised the Middle East.
+The Palestinian militant group launched a devastating cross-border attack on Israeli territory on Oct. 7 and Israel has responded with a fierce air and land offensive on the Gaza Strip, saying its goal is to wipe out Hamas.
+WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT?
+The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile Middle East against Palestinians' unmet aspirations for a state of their own.
+In 1947, while Palestine was under British mandate rule, the United Nations General Assembly agreed a plan to partition it into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, giving them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected the proposal.
+Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948, a day before the scheduled end of British rule, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties dating to antiquity.
+Violence had been intensifying between Arabs, who made up were about two thirds of the population in the late 1940s, and Jews. A day after Israel was created in 1948, troops from five Arab states attacked.
+In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+Palestinians lament this as the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe. Israel contests the assertion that it forced out Palestinians.
+Armistice agreements halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace. Palestinians who stayed put in the war and their descendants make up about 20% of Israel's population now.
+WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel captured the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Gaza Strip from Egypt and occupied them.
+An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
+In 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, touching off the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.
+Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. Israeli troops pulled out of Lebanon in 2000.
+In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006, and seized full control of Gaza in 2007. Gaza saw major flare-ups of fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021.
+In 2006, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers in the volatile border region and Israel launched military action, triggering a six-week war.
+Besides wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, from 1987 to 1993 and 2000 to 2005. During the second, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups carried out suicide bombings against Israelis, and Israel carried out tank and airstrikes on Palestinian cities.
+Since then there have been several rounds of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel and is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union and other countries. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation.
+
+WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?
+In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel.
+In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.
+U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.
+In 2002, an Arab League plan offered Israel normal relations with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees. The presentation of the plan was overshadowed by Hamas, which blew up an Israeli hotel full of Holocaust survivors during a Passover seder meal.
+Further peace efforts have been stalled since 2014.
+Palestinians stopped dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump's 2017-2019 administration after he broke with decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
+Qatar and Egypt have acted as mediators in the latest war, securing a truce that lasted seven days, during which hostages held by Hamas were exchanged for prisoners held by Israel, and more humanitarian aid flowed into Gaza.
+WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?
+The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that includes normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam's two holiest shrines.
+The latest war is diplomatically awkward for Riyadh as well as for other Arab states, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia which have signed peace deals with Israel.
+WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?
+A two-state solution, Israeli settlements on occupied land, the status of Jerusalem, agreed borders, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
+Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten its security.
+Settlements: Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 as illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. Continued settlement expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and international community.
+Jerusalem: Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital.
+Israel's claim to Jerusalem's eastern part is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city, and moved the U.S. embassy there in 2018.
+Refugees: Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.
+Palestinians have long demanded that refugees should be allowed to return, along with millions of their descendants. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that includes normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam's two holiest shrines.
+The latest war is diplomatically awkward for Riyadh as well as for other Arab states, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia which have signed peace deals with Israel.
+WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?
+A two-state solution, Israeli settlements on occupied land, the status of Jerusalem, agreed borders, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
+Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten its security.  Settlements: Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 as illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. Continued settlement expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and international community.  Jerusalem: Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital.  Israel's claim to Jerusalem's eastern part is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city, and moved the U.S. embassy there in 2018.  Refugees: Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps. Palestinians have long demanded that refugees should be allowed to return, along with millions of their descendants. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sales-palestinian-keffiyehs-soar-even-wearers-targeted-2023-12-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US sales of Palestinian keffiyehs soar, even as wearers targeted[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - A growing number of Americans are donning the keffiyeh, the distinctive patterned scarf that's closely linked with Palestinians, to demand a ceasefire to Israel's attacks on Gaza or to signal their support for Palestinians.
+Sales of the scarves have jumped since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, U.S. distributors say, even as keffiyehs have been forcibly removed by security forces at some protests and wearers report being targeted for verbal and physical abuse.
+""It was like a light switch. All of a sudden, we had hundreds of people on the website simultaneously and buying whatever they could,"" said Azar Aghayev, the U.S. distributor for Hirbawi, which opened in 1961 and is the only manufacturer of keffiyehs left in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+""In two days, the stock that we had was just gone, and not just gone, it was oversold.""
+Hirbawi, which has patented its brand, sells scarves internationally via its U.S. and German websites and on Amazon. All 40 variations on the U.S. website, which include many in bright colors as well as the traditional black and white, are sold out, Aghayev said.
+Unit sales of keffiyeh scarves have risen 75% in the 56 days between Oct. 7 and Dec. 2 on Amazon.com compared with the previous 56 days, data from e-commerce analytics firm Jungle Scout showed. Searches for ""Palestinian scarf for women"" rose by 159% in the three months to Dec. 4 compared with the previous three months; searches for ""military scarf shemagh,"" ""keffiyeh palestine"" and ""keffiyeh"" rose 333%, 75%, and 68%, respectively.
+The keffiyeh, with its fishing net pattern, is common throughout the Arab world, with roots dating as far back as 3100 BC. It first came to symbolize Palestinian resistance during the 1936 Arab Revolt against British rule and later became the signature head gear of Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat.
+While Hirbawi is the best-known manufacturer, others include small artisans and global copycats; luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton sold a version in 2021.
+U.S. supporters of the Palestinians and Israel have faced threats and attacks since the Middle East conflict began, with Jewish Americans seeing an increase in antisemitism and Muslim Americans an uptick in Islamaphobia.
+Hazami Barmada, 38, a former United Nations official who lives in Virginia, wore one recently as she protested outside the White House and in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood in support of a ceasefire in Gaza.
+Donning the scarf felt like a ""superpower,"" she said, reconnecting her with her Palestinian heritage and offering a symbolic link to children in Gaza. But she believes it also attracts verbal abuse. ""I'm taking a calculated risk,"" said Barmada.
+SECURITY TARGET, VERMONT SHOOTING
+At New York City's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in November, one attendee who wore a keffiyeh had it yanked off by a security officer - a moment captured in a Reuters photograph.
+
+The security officer approached protesters at the front of the crowd who had a banner, a Palestinian flag, and one wearing a keffiyeh, and grabbed all three items, taking the keffiyeh from around the neck of the protester, photographer Eduardo Munnoz said.
+The Council on American-Islamic Relations has documented several instances of people targeted for wearing a keffiyeh, from a father assaulted on a Brooklyn playground to a Harvard graduate student who was told she was wearing a ""terrorist"" scarf.
+In the most serious incident, three college students of Palestinian descent - two wearing keffiyehs - were shot in Burlington, Vermont, while taking a walk last month. Hisham Awartani, 20, is paralyzed from the chest down. Authorities have charged a suspect with attempted murder in the shootings and are investigating whether it was a hate-motivated crime.
+Tamara Tamimi, the mother of one of the students, Kinnan Abdalhamid, told CBS News last week that she believed they would not have been targeted if they had not been ""dressed the way that they were and speaking Arabic.""
+Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group at the center of U.S. campus activism since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. has been encouraging students to “wear your keffiyeh” in solidarity with the students shot in Vermont in the week after the incident.
+Still, in Houston, Texas, SJP member Anna Rajagopal said she and other members had not worn their keffiyeh outside spaces they considered friendly to Arabs and Muslims since October, after people waving Israeli flags surrounded a cafe they were in, screaming insults.
+""Myself and a friend have been cognizant of taking off our keffiyehs after leaving Palestinian, Arab spaces to be safe,"" said Rajagopal, 23, a freelance writer who graduated from Rice University in May and is also a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that advocates for Palestinian independence.
+Demand is unabated, though, sellers say. ""If we could stock 20,000 keffiyehs, we would have sold them,"" said Morgan Totah, founder of Handmade Palestine, a group based in the Palestinian city of Ramallah that sells local artisans' wares online.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US sales of Palestinian keffiyehs soar, even as wearers targeted[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - A growing number of Americans are donning the keffiyeh, the distinctive patterned scarf that's closely linked with Palestinians, to demand a ceasefire to Israel's attacks on Gaza or to signal their support for Palestinians.  Sales of the scarves have jumped since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, U.S. distributors say, even as keffiyehs have been forcibly removed by security forces at some protests and wearers report being targeted for verbal and physical abuse.
+"" It was like a light switch. All of a sudden, we had hundreds of people on the website simultaneously and buying whatever they could,"" said Azar Aghayev, the U.S. distributor for Hirbawi, which opened in 1961 and is the only manufacturer of keffiyehs left in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. ""In two days, the stock that we had was just gone, and not just gone, it was oversold.""  Hirbawi, which has patented its brand, sells scarves internationally via its U.S. and German websites and on Amazon. All 40 variations on the U.S. website, which include many in bright colors as well as the traditional black and white, are sold out, Aghayev said.  Unit sales of keffiyeh scarves have risen 75% in the 56 days between Oct. 7 and Dec. 2 on Amazon.com compared with the previous 56 days, data from e-commerce analytics firm Jungle Scout showed. Searches for ""Palestinian scarf for women"" rose by 159% in the three months to Dec. 4 compared with the previous three months; searches for ""military scarf shemagh,"" ""keffiyeh palestine"" and ""keffiyeh"" rose 333%, 75%, and 68%, respectively.  The keffiyeh, with its fishing net pattern, is common throughout the Arab world, with roots dating as far back as 3100 BC. It first came to symbolize Palestinian resistance during the 1936 Arab Revolt against British rule and later became the signature head gear of Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat. While Hirbawi is the best-known manufacturer, others include small artisans and global copycats; luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton sold a version in 2021. U.S. supporters of the Palestinians and Israel have faced threats and attacks since the Middle East conflict began, with Jewish Americans seeing an increase in antisemitism and Muslim Americans an uptick in Islamaphobia. Hazami Barmada, 38, a former United Nations official who lives in Virginia, wore one recently as she protested outside the White House and in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sales-palestinian-keffiyehs-soar-even-wearers-targeted-2023-12-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US sales of Palestinian keffiyehs soar, even as wearers targeted[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - A growing number of Americans are donning the keffiyeh, the distinctive patterned scarf that's closely linked with Palestinians, to demand a ceasefire to Israel's attacks on Gaza or to signal their support for Palestinians.
+Sales of the scarves have jumped since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, U.S. distributors say, even as keffiyehs have been forcibly removed by security forces at some protests and wearers report being targeted for verbal and physical abuse.
+""It was like a light switch. All of a sudden, we had hundreds of people on the website simultaneously and buying whatever they could,"" said Azar Aghayev, the U.S. distributor for Hirbawi, which opened in 1961 and is the only manufacturer of keffiyehs left in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+""In two days, the stock that we had was just gone, and not just gone, it was oversold.""
+Hirbawi, which has patented its brand, sells scarves internationally via its U.S. and German websites and on Amazon. All 40 variations on the U.S. website, which include many in bright colors as well as the traditional black and white, are sold out, Aghayev said.
+Unit sales of keffiyeh scarves have risen 75% in the 56 days between Oct. 7 and Dec. 2 on Amazon.com compared with the previous 56 days, data from e-commerce analytics firm Jungle Scout showed. Searches for ""Palestinian scarf for women"" rose by 159% in the three months to Dec. 4 compared with the previous three months; searches for ""military scarf shemagh,"" ""keffiyeh palestine"" and ""keffiyeh"" rose 333%, 75%, and 68%, respectively.
+The keffiyeh, with its fishing net pattern, is common throughout the Arab world, with roots dating as far back as 3100 BC. It first came to symbolize Palestinian resistance during the 1936 Arab Revolt against British rule and later became the signature head gear of Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat.
+While Hirbawi is the best-known manufacturer, others include small artisans and global copycats; luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton sold a version in 2021.
+U.S. supporters of the Palestinians and Israel have faced threats and attacks since the Middle East conflict began, with Jewish Americans seeing an increase in antisemitism and Muslim Americans an uptick in Islamaphobia.
+Hazami Barmada, 38, a former United Nations official who lives in Virginia, wore one recently as she protested outside the White House and in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood in support of a ceasefire in Gaza.
+Donning the scarf felt like a ""superpower,"" she said, reconnecting her with her Palestinian heritage and offering a symbolic link to children in Gaza. But she believes it also attracts verbal abuse. ""I'm taking a calculated risk,"" said Barmada.
+SECURITY TARGET, VERMONT SHOOTING
+At New York City's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in November, one attendee who wore a keffiyeh had it yanked off by a security officer - a moment captured in a Reuters photograph.
+
+The security officer approached protesters at the front of the crowd who had a banner, a Palestinian flag, and one wearing a keffiyeh, and grabbed all three items, taking the keffiyeh from around the neck of the protester, photographer Eduardo Munnoz said.
+The Council on American-Islamic Relations has documented several instances of people targeted for wearing a keffiyeh, from a father assaulted on a Brooklyn playground to a Harvard graduate student who was told she was wearing a ""terrorist"" scarf.
+In the most serious incident, three college students of Palestinian descent - two wearing keffiyehs - were shot in Burlington, Vermont, while taking a walk last month. Hisham Awartani, 20, is paralyzed from the chest down. Authorities have charged a suspect with attempted murder in the shootings and are investigating whether it was a hate-motivated crime.
+Tamara Tamimi, the mother of one of the students, Kinnan Abdalhamid, told CBS News last week that she believed they would not have been targeted if they had not been ""dressed the way that they were and speaking Arabic.""
+Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group at the center of U.S. campus activism since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. has been encouraging students to “wear your keffiyeh” in solidarity with the students shot in Vermont in the week after the incident.
+Still, in Houston, Texas, SJP member Anna Rajagopal said she and other members had not worn their keffiyeh outside spaces they considered friendly to Arabs and Muslims since October, after people waving Israeli flags surrounded a cafe they were in, screaming insults.
+""Myself and a friend have been cognizant of taking off our keffiyehs after leaving Palestinian, Arab spaces to be safe,"" said Rajagopal, 23, a freelance writer who graduated from Rice University in May and is also a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that advocates for Palestinian independence.
+Demand is unabated, though, sellers say. ""If we could stock 20,000 keffiyehs, we would have sold them,"" said Morgan Totah, founder of Handmade Palestine, a group based in the Palestinian city of Ramallah that sells local artisans' wares online.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Donning the scarf felt like a ""superpower,"" she said, reconnecting her with her Palestinian heritage and offering a symbolic link to children in Gaza. But she believes it also attracts verbal abuse. ""I'm taking a calculated risk,"" said Barmada. SECURITY TARGET, VERMONT SHOOTING
+At New York City's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in November, one attendee who wore a keffiyeh had it yanked off by a security officer - a moment captured in a Reuters photograph. The security officer approached protesters at the front of the crowd who had a banner, a Palestinian flag, and one wearing a keffiyeh, and grabbed all three items, taking the keffiyeh from around the neck of the protester, photographer Eduardo Munnoz said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has documented several instances of people targeted for wearing a keffiyeh, from a father assaulted on a Brooklyn playground to a Harvard graduate student who was told she was wearing a ""terrorist"" scarf.  In the most serious incident, three college students of Palestinian descent - two wearing keffiyehs - were shot in Burlington, Vermont, while taking a walk last month. Hisham Awartani, 20, is paralyzed from the chest down. Authorities have charged a suspect with attempted murder in the shootings and are investigating whether it was a hate-motivated crime. Tamara Tamimi, the mother of one of the students, Kinnan Abdalhamid, told CBS News last week that she believed they would not have been targeted if they had not been ""dressed the way that they were and speaking Arabic.""
+Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group at the center of U.S. campus activism since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. has been encouraging students to “wear your keffiyeh” in solidarity with the students shot in Vermont in the week after the incident. Still, in Houston, Texas, SJP member Anna Rajagopal said she and other members had not worn their keffiyeh outside spaces they considered friendly to Arabs and Muslims since October, after people waving Israeli flags surrounded a cafe they were in, screaming insults.
+""Myself and a friend have been cognizant of taking off our keffiyehs after leaving Palestinian, Arab spaces to be safe,"" said Rajagopal, 23, a freelance writer who graduated from Rice University in May and is also a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that advocates for Palestinian independence. Demand is unabated, though, sellers say. ""If we could stock 20,000 keffiyehs, we would have sold them,"" said Morgan Totah, founder of Handmade Palestine, a group based in the Palestinian city of Ramallah that sells local artisans' wares online.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/one-dead-one-injured-after-assailant-attacks-passersby-paris-minister-2023-12-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Knifeman kills German tourist, wounds others near France's Eiffel Tower[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A man armed with a knife and a hammer killed a German tourist and left two people, including a British man, wounded near the Eiffel Tower in Paris late on Saturday in what President Emmanuel Macron called ""a terrorist attack"".
+A 26-year-old suspect, a French national arrested after the attack, had pledged allegiance to Islamic State in a video recorded beforehand, anti-terrorism Prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said on Sunday.
+The suspect had told police he was angry about the situation in Gaza and the fact that ""so many Muslims are dying in Afghanistan and in Palestine,"" Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.
+The German tourist suffered fatal injuries when he was attacked on the Quai de Grenelle, a few feet from the Eiffel Tower, authorities said.
+The attacker was chased by police and assaulted two other people, including the British man, with a hammer, officials added.
+European security officials have warned of a growing risk of attacks by Islamist militants amid the Israel-Hamas war, with the biggest threat likely from ""lone wolf"" assailants who are hard to track.
+An investigation was underway into murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist organisation, prosecutor Ricard told a news conference. Three other people from the suspect's family or entourage were in police custody, he added.
+The suspect had in 2016 been sentenced to four years in prison for planning another attack, and had been on the French security services' watch list, Darmanin said. He was also known for having psychiatric disorders, Darmanin added.
+
+German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on X that he was ""shocked"" by the attack. Britain's foreign ministry said it was working with French authorities to support the British man.
+France has been on high alert since raising its security threshold in October, when a Chechen-origin man with a knife killed a teacher in a school in northern France.
+PARIS OLYMPICS SECURITY
+The attack in central Paris comes less than eight months before the French capital is due to host the Olympic Games and could raise questions about security at the global sporting event.
+The city was planning an opening ceremony on the Seine river with the potential to attract as many as 600,000 spectators.
+Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told BFM TV on Sunday that the terrorism threat was ""permanent"" and that the opening ceremony had been prepared with security measures taking into account a ""high level"" of terrorism threat.
+""I send all my condolences to the family and loved ones of the German national who died ... during the terrorist attack in Paris and think with emotion of the people currently injured and in care,"" President Macron said on the social network platform X.
+Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne wrote on X: ""We will not give in to terrorism.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Knifeman kills German tourist, wounds others near France's Eiffel Tower[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A man armed with a knife and a hammer killed a German tourist and left two people, including a British man, wounded near the Eiffel Tower in Paris late on Saturday in what President Emmanuel Macron called ""a terrorist attack"". A 26-year-old suspect, a French national arrested after the attack, had pledged allegiance to Islamic State in a video recorded beforehand, anti-terrorism Prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said on Sunday. The suspect had told police he was angry about the situation in Gaza and the fact that ""so many Muslims are dying in Afghanistan and in Palestine,"" Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. The German tourist suffered fatal injuries when he was attacked on the Quai de Grenelle, a few feet from the Eiffel Tower, authorities said. The attacker was chased by police and assaulted two other people, including the British man, with a hammer, officials added. European security officials have warned of a growing risk of attacks by Islamist militants amid the Israel-Hamas war, with the biggest threat likely from ""lone wolf"" assailants who are hard to track.  An investigation was underway into murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist organisation, prosecutor Ricard told a news conference. Three other people from the suspect's family or entourage were in police custody, he added.  The suspect had in 2016 been sentenced to four years in prison for planning another attack, and had been on the French security services' watch list, Darmanin said. He was also known for having psychiatric disorders, Darmanin added.  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on X that he was ""shocked"" by the attack. Britain's foreign ministry said it was working with French authorities to support the British man. France has been on high alert since raising its security threshold in October, when a Chechen-origin man with a knife killed a teacher in a school in northern France. PARIS OLYMPICS SECURITY
+The attack in central Paris comes less than eight months before the French capital is due to host the Olympic Games and could raise questions about security at the global sporting event. The city was planning an opening ceremony on the Seine river with the potential to attract as many as 600,000 spectators. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told BFM TV on Sunday that the terrorism threat was ""permanent"" and that the opening ceremony had been prepared with security measures taking into account a ""high level"" of terrorism threat.
+"""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/one-dead-one-injured-after-assailant-attacks-passersby-paris-minister-2023-12-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Knifeman kills German tourist, wounds others near France's Eiffel Tower[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A man armed with a knife and a hammer killed a German tourist and left two people, including a British man, wounded near the Eiffel Tower in Paris late on Saturday in what President Emmanuel Macron called ""a terrorist attack"".
+A 26-year-old suspect, a French national arrested after the attack, had pledged allegiance to Islamic State in a video recorded beforehand, anti-terrorism Prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said on Sunday.
+The suspect had told police he was angry about the situation in Gaza and the fact that ""so many Muslims are dying in Afghanistan and in Palestine,"" Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.
+The German tourist suffered fatal injuries when he was attacked on the Quai de Grenelle, a few feet from the Eiffel Tower, authorities said.
+The attacker was chased by police and assaulted two other people, including the British man, with a hammer, officials added.
+European security officials have warned of a growing risk of attacks by Islamist militants amid the Israel-Hamas war, with the biggest threat likely from ""lone wolf"" assailants who are hard to track.
+An investigation was underway into murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist organisation, prosecutor Ricard told a news conference. Three other people from the suspect's family or entourage were in police custody, he added.
+The suspect had in 2016 been sentenced to four years in prison for planning another attack, and had been on the French security services' watch list, Darmanin said. He was also known for having psychiatric disorders, Darmanin added.
+
+German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on X that he was ""shocked"" by the attack. Britain's foreign ministry said it was working with French authorities to support the British man.
+France has been on high alert since raising its security threshold in October, when a Chechen-origin man with a knife killed a teacher in a school in northern France.
+PARIS OLYMPICS SECURITY
+The attack in central Paris comes less than eight months before the French capital is due to host the Olympic Games and could raise questions about security at the global sporting event.
+The city was planning an opening ceremony on the Seine river with the potential to attract as many as 600,000 spectators.
+Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told BFM TV on Sunday that the terrorism threat was ""permanent"" and that the opening ceremony had been prepared with security measures taking into account a ""high level"" of terrorism threat.
+""I send all my condolences to the family and loved ones of the German national who died ... during the terrorist attack in Paris and think with emotion of the people currently injured and in care,"" President Macron said on the social network platform X.
+Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne wrote on X: ""We will not give in to terrorism.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","I send all my condolences to the family and loved ones of the German national who died ... during the terrorist attack in Paris and think with emotion of the people currently injured and in care,"" President Macron said on the social network platform X. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne wrote on X: ""We will not give in to terrorism.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/cop28-rare-chance-uae-protests-palestinians-climate-action-2023-12-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]COP28 a rare chance in UAE for protests on Palestinians, climate action[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - More than 100 protesters gathered on Sunday on the sidelines of the COP28 U.N. climate summit to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, an unusual sight in the United Arab Emirates where freedom of expression is limited.
+The UAE tolerates little dissent and bans organised groups like political parties and labour unions, but as hosts of the annual U.N. conference, the Gulf state is allowing protests to take place at COP28 itself.
+Holding banners calling for a ""ceasefire"" and ""climate decolonisation"", activists in the Dubai Expo City chanted ""Free, Free Palestine"".
+""We are seeking an end to the siege, end to the occupation,"" Palestinian-American Tariq Luthun told Reuters after taking part in an earlier, smaller demonstration calling for a ceasefire.
+Jacob Maurice Johns, an Indigenous activist from North America, said Palestinian voices were being silenced and needed the world to stand in solidarity with them.
+In a statement issued on Sunday at COP28, Israel's Consul General Liron Zaslanaky said her country was fighting in self-defence and doing its best to avoid harming civilians.
+Israel says Hamas gunmen killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners and took around 240 hostage when they stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7. Gazan health officials say more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's subsequent bombardment and invasion of the coastal enclave.
+There so far have been no demonstrations outside the COP28 site, unlike at previous U.N. climate summits such as COP26 in Glasgow where thousands of climate activists rallied in the streets.
+Even within the confines of COP28, climate activists said they were trying humor to draw delegates' attention as they sought to delicately navigate UAE restrictions on freedom of expression even as they stayed within the summit's compound.
+American activist Alice McGown dressed up Sunday as a dugong and held a sign saying ""no more fossils"" to protest the planned expansion of state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co's offshore gas operations in a protected marine area that is home to the aquatic mammals.
+Some activists at COP28 expressed worry about UAE surveillance.
+""This is a very restricted political space,"" said Lyndinyda Nacpil, a Filipino activist who said she had to navigate strict U.N. rules in helping to organise Sunday's larger Palestinian rally.
+Others at the rally said there could be ""no climate justice without human rights"", but they were careful not criticise Israel by name to adhere to U.N. guidelines.
+A COP28 spokesperson said the UAE protects the right to protest in line with international agreements. UAE authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the protests.
+The war in Gaza has featured prominently at COP28, where several world leaders on Friday spoke critically of Israel's bombardment.
+While country exhibition spaces typically focus on climate-related issues, the Israeli pavilion this year features a book of photographs of hostages taken by the militant Palestinian group Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]COP28 a rare chance in UAE for protests on Palestinians, climate action[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - More than 100 protesters gathered on Sunday on the sidelines of the COP28 U.N. climate summit to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, an unusual sight in the United Arab Emirates where freedom of expression is limited. The UAE tolerates little dissent and bans organised groups like political parties and labour unions, but as hosts of the annual U.N. conference, the Gulf state is allowing protests to take place at COP28 itself. Holding banners calling for a ""ceasefire"" and ""climate decolonisation"", activists in the Dubai Expo City chanted ""Free, Free Palestine"". ""We are seeking an end to the siege, end to the occupation,"" Palestinian-American Tariq Luthun told Reuters after taking part in an earlier, smaller demonstration calling for a ceasefire.
+Jacob Maurice Johns, an Indigenous activist from North America, said Palestinian voices were being silenced and needed the world to stand in solidarity with them.  In a statement issued on Sunday at COP28, Israel's Consul General Liron Zaslanaky said her country was fighting in self-defence and doing its best to avoid harming civilians.  Israel says Hamas gunmen killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners and took around 240 hostage when they stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7. Gazan health officials say more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's subsequent bombardment and invasion of the coastal enclave. There so far have been no demonstrations outside the COP28 site, unlike at previous U.N. climate summits such as COP26 in Glasgow where thousands of climate activists rallied in the streets. Even within the confines of COP28, climate activists said they were trying humor to draw delegates' attention as they sought to delicately navigate UAE restrictions on freedom of expression even as they stayed within the summit's compound. American activist Alice McGown dressed up Sunday as a dugong and held a sign saying ""no more fossils"" to protest the planned expansion of state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co's offshore gas operations in a protected marine area that is home to the aquatic mammals.
+Some activists at COP28 expressed worry about UAE surveillance. ""This is a very restricted political space,"" said Lyndinyda Nacpil, a Filipino activist who said she had to navigate strict U.N. rules in helping to organise Sunday's larger Palestinian rally. Others at the rally said there could be ""no climate justice without human rights"", but they were careful not criticise Israel by name to adhere to U.N. guidelines. A COP28 spokesperson said the UAE protects the right to protest in line with international agreements."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/cop28-rare-chance-uae-protests-palestinians-climate-action-2023-12-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]COP28 a rare chance in UAE for protests on Palestinians, climate action[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - More than 100 protesters gathered on Sunday on the sidelines of the COP28 U.N. climate summit to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, an unusual sight in the United Arab Emirates where freedom of expression is limited.
+The UAE tolerates little dissent and bans organised groups like political parties and labour unions, but as hosts of the annual U.N. conference, the Gulf state is allowing protests to take place at COP28 itself.
+Holding banners calling for a ""ceasefire"" and ""climate decolonisation"", activists in the Dubai Expo City chanted ""Free, Free Palestine"".
+""We are seeking an end to the siege, end to the occupation,"" Palestinian-American Tariq Luthun told Reuters after taking part in an earlier, smaller demonstration calling for a ceasefire.
+Jacob Maurice Johns, an Indigenous activist from North America, said Palestinian voices were being silenced and needed the world to stand in solidarity with them.
+In a statement issued on Sunday at COP28, Israel's Consul General Liron Zaslanaky said her country was fighting in self-defence and doing its best to avoid harming civilians.
+Israel says Hamas gunmen killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners and took around 240 hostage when they stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7. Gazan health officials say more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's subsequent bombardment and invasion of the coastal enclave.
+There so far have been no demonstrations outside the COP28 site, unlike at previous U.N. climate summits such as COP26 in Glasgow where thousands of climate activists rallied in the streets.
+Even within the confines of COP28, climate activists said they were trying humor to draw delegates' attention as they sought to delicately navigate UAE restrictions on freedom of expression even as they stayed within the summit's compound.
+American activist Alice McGown dressed up Sunday as a dugong and held a sign saying ""no more fossils"" to protest the planned expansion of state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co's offshore gas operations in a protected marine area that is home to the aquatic mammals.
+Some activists at COP28 expressed worry about UAE surveillance.
+""This is a very restricted political space,"" said Lyndinyda Nacpil, a Filipino activist who said she had to navigate strict U.N. rules in helping to organise Sunday's larger Palestinian rally.
+Others at the rally said there could be ""no climate justice without human rights"", but they were careful not criticise Israel by name to adhere to U.N. guidelines.
+A COP28 spokesperson said the UAE protects the right to protest in line with international agreements. UAE authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the protests.
+The war in Gaza has featured prominently at COP28, where several world leaders on Friday spoke critically of Israel's bombardment.
+While country exhibition spaces typically focus on climate-related issues, the Israeli pavilion this year features a book of photographs of hostages taken by the militant Palestinian group Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","UAE authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the protests. The war in Gaza has featured prominently at COP28, where several world leaders on Friday spoke critically of Israel's bombardment.  While country exhibition spaces typically focus on climate-related issues, the Israeli pavilion this year features a book of photographs of hostages taken by the militant Palestinian group Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-informs-arab-states-it-wants-buffer-zone-post-war-gaza-sources-2023-12-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel tells Arab states it wants buffer zone in post-war Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/CAIRO/LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the enclave after war ends, Egyptian and regional sources said.
+According to three regional sources, Israel related its plans to its neighbours Egypt and Jordan, along with the United Arab Emirates, which normalised ties with Israel in 2020.
+They also said that Saudi Arabia, which does not have ties with Israel and which halted a U.S.-mediated normalisation process after the Gaza war flared on Oct. 7, had been informed. The sources did not say how the information reached Riyadh, which officially does not have direct communication channels with Israel. Non-Arab Turkey was also told, the sources said.
+The initiative does not indicate an imminent end to Israel's offensive - which resumed on Friday after a seven-day truce - but it shows Israel is reaching out beyond established Arab mediators, such as Egypt or Qatar, as it seeks to shape a post-war Gaza.
+No Arab states have shown any willingness to police or administer Gaza in future and most have roundly condemned Israel's offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people and levelled swathes of Gaza's urban areas. Hamas killed 1,200 people in its Oct. 7 raid and took more than 200 hostages.
+""Israel wants this buffer zone between Gaza and Israel from the north to the south to prevent any Hamas or other militants from infiltrating or attacking Israel,"" said a senior regional security official, one of the three regional sources who asked not to be identified by nationality.
+The Egyptian, Saudi, Qatari and Turkish governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jordanian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
+A UAE official did not respond directly when asked if Abu Dhabi had been told about the buffer zone, but said: ""The UAE will support any future post-war arrangements agreed upon by all the concerned parties"" to achieve stability and a Palestinian state.
+Asked about plans for a buffer zone, Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Reuters: ""The plan is more detailed than that. It's based on a three-tier process for the day after Hamas.""
+Outlining the Israeli government's position, he said the three tiers involved destroying Hamas, demilitarising Gaza and de-radicalising the enclave.
+""A buffer zone may be part of the demilitarisation process,"" he said. He declined to offer details when asked whether those plans had been raised with international partners, including
+Arab states.
+Arab states have dismissed as impossible Israel's goal of wiping out Hamas, saying it was more than simply a militant force that could be defeated.
+SQUEEZING PALESTINIANS
+Israel has suggested in the past it was considering a buffer zone inside Gaza, but the sources said it was now presenting them to Arab states as part of its future security plans for Gaza. Israeli troops withdrew from the enclave in 2005.
+A U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said Israel had ""floated"" the buffer zone idea without saying to whom. But the official also repeated Washington's opposition to any plan that reduced the size of Palestinian territory.
+Jordan, Egypt and other Arab states have voiced fears that Israel wants to squeeze Palestinians out of Gaza, repeating the dispossession of land Palestinians suffered when Israel was created in 1948. The Israeli government denies any such aim.
+A senior Israeli security source said the buffer zone idea was ""being examined"", adding: ""It is not clear at the moment how deep this will be and whether it could be 1 km or 2 km or hundreds of metres (inside Gaza).""
+Any encroachment into Gaza, which is about 40 km (25 miles) long and between about 5 km (3 miles) and 12 km (7.5 miles) wide, would cram its 2.3 million people into an even smaller area.
+In Washington, an Israeli official said the Israeli defense establishment was talking about ""some kind of security buffer on the Gaza side of the border so that Hamas cannot gather military capabilities close to the border and surprise Israel again.""
+""It is a security measure, not a political one,"" the official said on condition of anonymity. ""We do not intend to remain on the Gaza side of the border.""
+Till now, Egypt, the first Arab state to sign a peace deal with Israel, and Qatar, which does not have formal ties but keeps communication channels open, have been at the centre of mediation talks with Israel that have focused on exchanging hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians in Israeli jails.
+SHIFTING FOCUS
+Two Egyptian security sources said Israel had raised the idea in mediation talks with Egypt and Qatar of disarming northern Gaza and setting up a buffer zone in north Gaza with international supervision.
+The sources said several Arab states opposed this. While Arab states might not oppose a security barrier between the two sides, there was disagreement over where it was located, they added.
+The Egyptian sources said Israel had said in a meeting in Cairo in November that the Hamas leaders should be tried internationally in return for a full ceasefire. Mediators said the issue should be postponed until after the war to avoid derailing talks about hostage releases, the sources said.
+A source in the Israeli prime minister's office declined to address the reports, adding: ""Netanyahu's War Cabinet has defined the war missions: destroy Hamas and bring all the hostages back home, and we will continue until we complete our missions.""
+One of the Egyptian sources said Israel, in its discussions with Egypt and Qatar, had shifted from a focus on retaliation earlier in the crisis towards showing a greater willingness to ""rethink its demands as mediation continued.""
+The regional sources compared the Gaza buffer zone plan to the ""security zone"" Israel once had in south Lebanon. Israel evacuated that zone, which was about 15 km (10 miles) deep, in 2000 after years of fighting and attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah.
+They also said Israel's plan for post-war Gaza included deporting leaders of Hamas, an action that would also mirror the Israeli campaign in Lebanon in the 1980s when it drove out the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which had launched attacks from Lebanon into Israel.
+""Israel is ready to pay a costly price to expel and evict Hamas completely from Gaza to other countries in the region similar to what it did in Lebanon, but it's not the same. Getting rid of Hamas is difficult and not certain,"" said another of the regional officials familiar with the discussions.
+A senior Israeli official said Israel did not consider Hamas to be like the PLO nor believe that it would act like the PLO.
+Mohammad Dahlan, Gaza's former security chief from the Palestinian Fatah faction which was ejected from the enclave when Hamas took control in 2007, said Israel's buffer zone plan was unrealistic and would not protect Israeli forces.
+""The buffer zone could make (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's forces a target also in the zone,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel tells Arab states it wants buffer zone in post-war Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/CAIRO/LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the enclave after war ends, Egyptian and regional sources said. According to three regional sources, Israel related its plans to its neighbours Egypt and Jordan, along with the United Arab Emirates, which normalised ties with Israel in 2020.  They also said that Saudi Arabia, which does not have ties with Israel and which halted a U.S.-mediated normalisation process after the Gaza war flared on Oct. 7, had been informed. The sources did not say how the information reached Riyadh, which officially does not have direct communication channels with Israel. Non-Arab Turkey was also told, the sources said. The initiative does not indicate an imminent end to Israel's offensive - which resumed on Friday after a seven-day truce - but it shows Israel is reaching out beyond established Arab mediators, such as Egypt or Qatar, as it seeks to shape a post-war Gaza.  No Arab states have shown any willingness to police or administer Gaza in future and most have roundly condemned Israel's offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people and levelled swathes of Gaza's urban areas. Hamas killed 1,200 people in its Oct. 7 raid and took more than 200 hostages. ""Israel wants this buffer zone between Gaza and Israel from the north to the south to prevent any Hamas or other militants from infiltrating or attacking Israel,"" said a senior regional security official, one of the three regional sources who asked not to be identified by nationality.  The Egyptian, Saudi, Qatari and Turkish governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jordanian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.  A UAE official did not respond directly when asked if Abu Dhabi had been told about the buffer zone, but said: ""The UAE will support any future post-war arrangements agreed upon by all the concerned parties"" to achieve stability and a Palestinian state.
+Asked about plans for a buffer zone, Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Reuters: ""The plan is more detailed than that. It's based on a three-tier process for the day after Hamas."" Outlining the Israeli government's position, he said the three tiers involved destroying Hamas, demilitarising Gaza and de-radicalising the enclave.  ""A buffer zone may be part of the demilitarisation process,"" he said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-informs-arab-states-it-wants-buffer-zone-post-war-gaza-sources-2023-12-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel tells Arab states it wants buffer zone in post-war Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/CAIRO/LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the enclave after war ends, Egyptian and regional sources said.
+According to three regional sources, Israel related its plans to its neighbours Egypt and Jordan, along with the United Arab Emirates, which normalised ties with Israel in 2020.
+They also said that Saudi Arabia, which does not have ties with Israel and which halted a U.S.-mediated normalisation process after the Gaza war flared on Oct. 7, had been informed. The sources did not say how the information reached Riyadh, which officially does not have direct communication channels with Israel. Non-Arab Turkey was also told, the sources said.
+The initiative does not indicate an imminent end to Israel's offensive - which resumed on Friday after a seven-day truce - but it shows Israel is reaching out beyond established Arab mediators, such as Egypt or Qatar, as it seeks to shape a post-war Gaza.
+No Arab states have shown any willingness to police or administer Gaza in future and most have roundly condemned Israel's offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people and levelled swathes of Gaza's urban areas. Hamas killed 1,200 people in its Oct. 7 raid and took more than 200 hostages.
+""Israel wants this buffer zone between Gaza and Israel from the north to the south to prevent any Hamas or other militants from infiltrating or attacking Israel,"" said a senior regional security official, one of the three regional sources who asked not to be identified by nationality.
+The Egyptian, Saudi, Qatari and Turkish governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jordanian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
+A UAE official did not respond directly when asked if Abu Dhabi had been told about the buffer zone, but said: ""The UAE will support any future post-war arrangements agreed upon by all the concerned parties"" to achieve stability and a Palestinian state.
+Asked about plans for a buffer zone, Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Reuters: ""The plan is more detailed than that. It's based on a three-tier process for the day after Hamas.""
+Outlining the Israeli government's position, he said the three tiers involved destroying Hamas, demilitarising Gaza and de-radicalising the enclave.
+""A buffer zone may be part of the demilitarisation process,"" he said. He declined to offer details when asked whether those plans had been raised with international partners, including
+Arab states.
+Arab states have dismissed as impossible Israel's goal of wiping out Hamas, saying it was more than simply a militant force that could be defeated.
+SQUEEZING PALESTINIANS
+Israel has suggested in the past it was considering a buffer zone inside Gaza, but the sources said it was now presenting them to Arab states as part of its future security plans for Gaza. Israeli troops withdrew from the enclave in 2005.
+A U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said Israel had ""floated"" the buffer zone idea without saying to whom. But the official also repeated Washington's opposition to any plan that reduced the size of Palestinian territory.
+Jordan, Egypt and other Arab states have voiced fears that Israel wants to squeeze Palestinians out of Gaza, repeating the dispossession of land Palestinians suffered when Israel was created in 1948. The Israeli government denies any such aim.
+A senior Israeli security source said the buffer zone idea was ""being examined"", adding: ""It is not clear at the moment how deep this will be and whether it could be 1 km or 2 km or hundreds of metres (inside Gaza).""
+Any encroachment into Gaza, which is about 40 km (25 miles) long and between about 5 km (3 miles) and 12 km (7.5 miles) wide, would cram its 2.3 million people into an even smaller area.
+In Washington, an Israeli official said the Israeli defense establishment was talking about ""some kind of security buffer on the Gaza side of the border so that Hamas cannot gather military capabilities close to the border and surprise Israel again.""
+""It is a security measure, not a political one,"" the official said on condition of anonymity. ""We do not intend to remain on the Gaza side of the border.""
+Till now, Egypt, the first Arab state to sign a peace deal with Israel, and Qatar, which does not have formal ties but keeps communication channels open, have been at the centre of mediation talks with Israel that have focused on exchanging hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians in Israeli jails.
+SHIFTING FOCUS
+Two Egyptian security sources said Israel had raised the idea in mediation talks with Egypt and Qatar of disarming northern Gaza and setting up a buffer zone in north Gaza with international supervision.
+The sources said several Arab states opposed this. While Arab states might not oppose a security barrier between the two sides, there was disagreement over where it was located, they added.
+The Egyptian sources said Israel had said in a meeting in Cairo in November that the Hamas leaders should be tried internationally in return for a full ceasefire. Mediators said the issue should be postponed until after the war to avoid derailing talks about hostage releases, the sources said.
+A source in the Israeli prime minister's office declined to address the reports, adding: ""Netanyahu's War Cabinet has defined the war missions: destroy Hamas and bring all the hostages back home, and we will continue until we complete our missions.""
+One of the Egyptian sources said Israel, in its discussions with Egypt and Qatar, had shifted from a focus on retaliation earlier in the crisis towards showing a greater willingness to ""rethink its demands as mediation continued.""
+The regional sources compared the Gaza buffer zone plan to the ""security zone"" Israel once had in south Lebanon. Israel evacuated that zone, which was about 15 km (10 miles) deep, in 2000 after years of fighting and attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah.
+They also said Israel's plan for post-war Gaza included deporting leaders of Hamas, an action that would also mirror the Israeli campaign in Lebanon in the 1980s when it drove out the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which had launched attacks from Lebanon into Israel.
+""Israel is ready to pay a costly price to expel and evict Hamas completely from Gaza to other countries in the region similar to what it did in Lebanon, but it's not the same. Getting rid of Hamas is difficult and not certain,"" said another of the regional officials familiar with the discussions.
+A senior Israeli official said Israel did not consider Hamas to be like the PLO nor believe that it would act like the PLO.
+Mohammad Dahlan, Gaza's former security chief from the Palestinian Fatah faction which was ejected from the enclave when Hamas took control in 2007, said Israel's buffer zone plan was unrealistic and would not protect Israeli forces.
+""The buffer zone could make (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's forces a target also in the zone,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","He declined to offer details when asked whether those plans had been raised with international partners, including
+Arab states.  Arab states have dismissed as impossible Israel's goal of wiping out Hamas, saying it was more than simply a militant force that could be defeated.
+SQUEEZING PALESTINIANS
+Israel has suggested in the past it was considering a buffer zone inside Gaza, but the sources said it was now presenting them to Arab states as part of its future security plans for Gaza. Israeli troops withdrew from the enclave in 2005.  A U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said Israel had ""floated"" the buffer zone idea without saying to whom. But the official also repeated Washington's opposition to any plan that reduced the size of Palestinian territory.  Jordan, Egypt and other Arab states have voiced fears that Israel wants to squeeze Palestinians out of Gaza, repeating the dispossession of land Palestinians suffered when Israel was created in 1948. The Israeli government denies any such aim. A senior Israeli security source said the buffer zone idea was ""being examined"", adding: ""It is not clear at the moment how deep this will be and whether it could be 1 km or 2 km or hundreds of metres (inside Gaza).""
+Any encroachment into Gaza, which is about 40 km (25 miles) long and between about 5 km (3 miles) and 12 km (7.5 miles) wide, would cram its 2.3 million people into an even smaller area.  In Washington, an Israeli official said the Israeli defense establishment was talking about ""some kind of security buffer on the Gaza side of the border so that Hamas cannot gather military capabilities close to the border and surprise Israel again. ""
+""It is a security measure, not a political one,"" the official said on condition of anonymity. ""We do not intend to remain on the Gaza side of the border.""
+Till now, Egypt, the first Arab state to sign a peace deal with Israel, and Qatar, which does not have formal ties but keeps communication channels open, have been at the centre of mediation talks with Israel that have focused on exchanging hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians in Israeli jails. SHIFTING FOCUS  Two Egyptian security sources said Israel had raised the idea in mediation talks with Egypt and Qatar of disarming northern Gaza and setting up a buffer zone in north Gaza with international supervision.
+The sources said several Arab states opposed this. While Arab states might not oppose a security barrier between the two sides, there was disagreement over where it was located, they added. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-informs-arab-states-it-wants-buffer-zone-post-war-gaza-sources-2023-12-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel tells Arab states it wants buffer zone in post-war Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/CAIRO/LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the enclave after war ends, Egyptian and regional sources said.
+According to three regional sources, Israel related its plans to its neighbours Egypt and Jordan, along with the United Arab Emirates, which normalised ties with Israel in 2020.
+They also said that Saudi Arabia, which does not have ties with Israel and which halted a U.S.-mediated normalisation process after the Gaza war flared on Oct. 7, had been informed. The sources did not say how the information reached Riyadh, which officially does not have direct communication channels with Israel. Non-Arab Turkey was also told, the sources said.
+The initiative does not indicate an imminent end to Israel's offensive - which resumed on Friday after a seven-day truce - but it shows Israel is reaching out beyond established Arab mediators, such as Egypt or Qatar, as it seeks to shape a post-war Gaza.
+No Arab states have shown any willingness to police or administer Gaza in future and most have roundly condemned Israel's offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people and levelled swathes of Gaza's urban areas. Hamas killed 1,200 people in its Oct. 7 raid and took more than 200 hostages.
+""Israel wants this buffer zone between Gaza and Israel from the north to the south to prevent any Hamas or other militants from infiltrating or attacking Israel,"" said a senior regional security official, one of the three regional sources who asked not to be identified by nationality.
+The Egyptian, Saudi, Qatari and Turkish governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jordanian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
+A UAE official did not respond directly when asked if Abu Dhabi had been told about the buffer zone, but said: ""The UAE will support any future post-war arrangements agreed upon by all the concerned parties"" to achieve stability and a Palestinian state.
+Asked about plans for a buffer zone, Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Reuters: ""The plan is more detailed than that. It's based on a three-tier process for the day after Hamas.""
+Outlining the Israeli government's position, he said the three tiers involved destroying Hamas, demilitarising Gaza and de-radicalising the enclave.
+""A buffer zone may be part of the demilitarisation process,"" he said. He declined to offer details when asked whether those plans had been raised with international partners, including
+Arab states.
+Arab states have dismissed as impossible Israel's goal of wiping out Hamas, saying it was more than simply a militant force that could be defeated.
+SQUEEZING PALESTINIANS
+Israel has suggested in the past it was considering a buffer zone inside Gaza, but the sources said it was now presenting them to Arab states as part of its future security plans for Gaza. Israeli troops withdrew from the enclave in 2005.
+A U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said Israel had ""floated"" the buffer zone idea without saying to whom. But the official also repeated Washington's opposition to any plan that reduced the size of Palestinian territory.
+Jordan, Egypt and other Arab states have voiced fears that Israel wants to squeeze Palestinians out of Gaza, repeating the dispossession of land Palestinians suffered when Israel was created in 1948. The Israeli government denies any such aim.
+A senior Israeli security source said the buffer zone idea was ""being examined"", adding: ""It is not clear at the moment how deep this will be and whether it could be 1 km or 2 km or hundreds of metres (inside Gaza).""
+Any encroachment into Gaza, which is about 40 km (25 miles) long and between about 5 km (3 miles) and 12 km (7.5 miles) wide, would cram its 2.3 million people into an even smaller area.
+In Washington, an Israeli official said the Israeli defense establishment was talking about ""some kind of security buffer on the Gaza side of the border so that Hamas cannot gather military capabilities close to the border and surprise Israel again.""
+""It is a security measure, not a political one,"" the official said on condition of anonymity. ""We do not intend to remain on the Gaza side of the border.""
+Till now, Egypt, the first Arab state to sign a peace deal with Israel, and Qatar, which does not have formal ties but keeps communication channels open, have been at the centre of mediation talks with Israel that have focused on exchanging hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians in Israeli jails.
+SHIFTING FOCUS
+Two Egyptian security sources said Israel had raised the idea in mediation talks with Egypt and Qatar of disarming northern Gaza and setting up a buffer zone in north Gaza with international supervision.
+The sources said several Arab states opposed this. While Arab states might not oppose a security barrier between the two sides, there was disagreement over where it was located, they added.
+The Egyptian sources said Israel had said in a meeting in Cairo in November that the Hamas leaders should be tried internationally in return for a full ceasefire. Mediators said the issue should be postponed until after the war to avoid derailing talks about hostage releases, the sources said.
+A source in the Israeli prime minister's office declined to address the reports, adding: ""Netanyahu's War Cabinet has defined the war missions: destroy Hamas and bring all the hostages back home, and we will continue until we complete our missions.""
+One of the Egyptian sources said Israel, in its discussions with Egypt and Qatar, had shifted from a focus on retaliation earlier in the crisis towards showing a greater willingness to ""rethink its demands as mediation continued.""
+The regional sources compared the Gaza buffer zone plan to the ""security zone"" Israel once had in south Lebanon. Israel evacuated that zone, which was about 15 km (10 miles) deep, in 2000 after years of fighting and attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah.
+They also said Israel's plan for post-war Gaza included deporting leaders of Hamas, an action that would also mirror the Israeli campaign in Lebanon in the 1980s when it drove out the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which had launched attacks from Lebanon into Israel.
+""Israel is ready to pay a costly price to expel and evict Hamas completely from Gaza to other countries in the region similar to what it did in Lebanon, but it's not the same. Getting rid of Hamas is difficult and not certain,"" said another of the regional officials familiar with the discussions.
+A senior Israeli official said Israel did not consider Hamas to be like the PLO nor believe that it would act like the PLO.
+Mohammad Dahlan, Gaza's former security chief from the Palestinian Fatah faction which was ejected from the enclave when Hamas took control in 2007, said Israel's buffer zone plan was unrealistic and would not protect Israeli forces.
+""The buffer zone could make (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's forces a target also in the zone,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Egyptian sources said Israel had said in a meeting in Cairo in November that the Hamas leaders should be tried internationally in return for a full ceasefire. Mediators said the issue should be postponed until after the war to avoid derailing talks about hostage releases, the sources said. A source in the Israeli prime minister's office declined to address the reports, adding: ""Netanyahu's War Cabinet has defined the war missions: destroy Hamas and bring all the hostages back home, and we will continue until we complete our missions.""
+One of the Egyptian sources said Israel, in its discussions with Egypt and Qatar, had shifted from a focus on retaliation earlier in the crisis towards showing a greater willingness to ""rethink its demands as mediation continued.""  The regional sources compared the Gaza buffer zone plan to the ""security zone"" Israel once had in south Lebanon. Israel evacuated that zone, which was about 15 km (10 miles) deep, in 2000 after years of fighting and attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah. They also said Israel's plan for post-war Gaza included deporting leaders of Hamas, an action that would also mirror the Israeli campaign in Lebanon in the 1980s when it drove out the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which had launched attacks from Lebanon into Israel.  ""Israel is ready to pay a costly price to expel and evict Hamas completely from Gaza to other countries in the region similar to what it did in Lebanon, but it's not the same. Getting rid of Hamas is difficult and not certain,"" said another of the regional officials familiar with the discussions. A senior Israeli official said Israel did not consider Hamas to be like the PLO nor believe that it would act like the PLO. Mohammad Dahlan, Gaza's former security chief from the Palestinian Fatah faction which was ejected from the enclave when Hamas took control in 2007, said Israel's buffer zone plan was unrealistic and would not protect Israeli forces.  ""The buffer zone could make (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's forces a target also in the zone,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/cop28-spotlights-global-warnings-about-pain-climate-change-2023-12-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Clashes over fossil fuels, Gaza conflict cloud COP28 climate summit[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders at the COP28 climate summit on Friday to plan for a future without fossil fuels, saying there was no other way to curb global warming.
+Speaking a day after COP28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber proposed embracing the continued use of fossil fuels, Guterres said: ""We cannot save a burning planet with a fire hose of fossil fuels.""
+""The 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not reduce. Not abate,"" he said, referring to nascent technologies to capture and store carbon emissions.
+The competing visions summed up the difficulty of this year's U.N. climate summit in the oil-producing United Arab Emirates, where divisions over fossil fuel, acrimony over lagging finance and geopolitical tensions around the war in Gaza threatened to distract delegates from making progress.
+King Charles III of Britain pleaded with world leaders to make progress in the global climate agenda.
+""Scientists have been warning for so long, we are seeing alarming tipping points being reached,"" he said.
+""Unless we rapidly repair and restore nature's economy, based on harmony and balance, which is our ultimate sustainer, our own economy and survivability will be imperilled,"" said the king, who has spent most of his adult life campaigning on the environment.
+The comments from Charles appeared to be at odds with his government's. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who announced 1.6 billion pounds ($2.02 billion) in climate finance, has rolled back several domestic measures set by previous governments to help the country meet its 2050 net-zero targets.
+Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to admonish wealthy countries for their role in releasing the most climate-warming emissions since the Industrial Revolution.
+""We do not have much time to correct the mistakes of the last century,"" Modi said. ""Over the past century, a small section of humanity has indiscriminately exploited nature. However, entire humanity is paying the price for this, especially people living in the global south.""
+A former Marshall Islands president, whose country faces inundation from climate-driven sea level rise, resigned from the main COP28 advisory board on Friday in protest at the UAE's support of continued use of fossil fuels.
+Hilda Heine said in her resignation letter that she was ""deeply disappointed"" that the UAE had reportedly used its COP28 role to broker oil and gas deals. The UAE has strongly denied the accusations.
+The UAE's COP28 presidency said it was ""extremely disappointed"" by Heine's resignation. ""We have been completely clear, open, and honest throughout this process,"" the statement said.
+ANGER OVER GAZA
+
+Some world leaders took their turn at the podium on Friday to criticize Israel's bombardment of Gaza, breaking an unspoken agreement to steer clear of politics at U.N. climate summits.
+Turkey's President Tayyip Erodgan and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza during their speeches, while an Israeli official said the military was abiding by international law and was intent on destroying Hamas.
+""South Africa is appalled by the cruel tragedy that is underway in Gaza. The war against the innocent people of Palestine is a war crime that must be ended now,"" Ramaphosa said.
+A group of demonstrators at the conference, some wearing shirts that spelled ""ceasefire"", chanted ""Free Palestine"". Elsewhere, a display of shoes was meant to represent the thousands killed in Gaza.
+OPTIONS FOR A COP28 DEAL
+Away from the main stage, delegations and technical committees set to work on Friday on the mammoth task of assessing their progress in meeting global climate targets, specifically the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), above pre-industrial temperatures.
+Scientists say that a global temperature rise beyond this threshold will unleash catastrophic and irreversible impacts worldwide.
+The United Nations on Friday published its first draft for what could serve as a template for a final agreement from the COP28 summit, which ends Dec. 12.
+The draft offers ""building blocks"" for a political outcome and includes several options to address the central problem of whether, and to what extent, fossil fuels should play a role in the future.
+One of the options involves including commitments to either ""phase down"" or ""phase out"" the use of fossil fuels, to quit coal energy and to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
+Also on the table for discussion is whether to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, which totalled some $7 trillion globally last year, and whether to include provisions for carbon capture and removal technology.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Clashes over fossil fuels, Gaza conflict cloud COP28 climate summit[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders at the COP28 climate summit on Friday to plan for a future without fossil fuels, saying there was no other way to curb global warming.  Speaking a day after COP28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber proposed embracing the continued use of fossil fuels, Guterres said: ""We cannot save a burning planet with a fire hose of fossil fuels.""
+""The 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not reduce. Not abate,"" he said, referring to nascent technologies to capture and store carbon emissions. The competing visions summed up the difficulty of this year's U.N. climate summit in the oil-producing United Arab Emirates, where divisions over fossil fuel, acrimony over lagging finance and geopolitical tensions around the war in Gaza threatened to distract delegates from making progress. King Charles III of Britain pleaded with world leaders to make progress in the global climate agenda.
+""Scientists have been warning for so long, we are seeing alarming tipping points being reached,"" he said. ""Unless we rapidly repair and restore nature's economy, based on harmony and balance, which is our ultimate sustainer, our own economy and survivability will be imperilled,"" said the king, who has spent most of his adult life campaigning on the environment.  The comments from Charles appeared to be at odds with his government's. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who announced 1.6 billion pounds ($2.02 billion) in climate finance, has rolled back several domestic measures set by previous governments to help the country meet its 2050 net-zero targets. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to admonish wealthy countries for their role in releasing the most climate-warming emissions since the Industrial Revolution.  ""We do not have much time to correct the mistakes of the last century,"" Modi said. ""Over the past century, a small section of humanity has indiscriminately exploited nature. However, entire humanity is paying the price for this, especially people living in the global south."" A former Marshall Islands president, whose country faces inundation from climate-driven sea level rise, resigned from the main COP28 advisory board on Friday in protest at the UAE's support of continued use of fossil fuels.  Hilda Heine said in her resignation letter that she was ""deeply disappointed"" that the UAE had reportedly used its COP28 role to broker oil and gas deals. The UAE has strongly denied the accusations. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/cop28-spotlights-global-warnings-about-pain-climate-change-2023-12-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Clashes over fossil fuels, Gaza conflict cloud COP28 climate summit[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders at the COP28 climate summit on Friday to plan for a future without fossil fuels, saying there was no other way to curb global warming.
+Speaking a day after COP28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber proposed embracing the continued use of fossil fuels, Guterres said: ""We cannot save a burning planet with a fire hose of fossil fuels.""
+""The 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not reduce. Not abate,"" he said, referring to nascent technologies to capture and store carbon emissions.
+The competing visions summed up the difficulty of this year's U.N. climate summit in the oil-producing United Arab Emirates, where divisions over fossil fuel, acrimony over lagging finance and geopolitical tensions around the war in Gaza threatened to distract delegates from making progress.
+King Charles III of Britain pleaded with world leaders to make progress in the global climate agenda.
+""Scientists have been warning for so long, we are seeing alarming tipping points being reached,"" he said.
+""Unless we rapidly repair and restore nature's economy, based on harmony and balance, which is our ultimate sustainer, our own economy and survivability will be imperilled,"" said the king, who has spent most of his adult life campaigning on the environment.
+The comments from Charles appeared to be at odds with his government's. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who announced 1.6 billion pounds ($2.02 billion) in climate finance, has rolled back several domestic measures set by previous governments to help the country meet its 2050 net-zero targets.
+Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to admonish wealthy countries for their role in releasing the most climate-warming emissions since the Industrial Revolution.
+""We do not have much time to correct the mistakes of the last century,"" Modi said. ""Over the past century, a small section of humanity has indiscriminately exploited nature. However, entire humanity is paying the price for this, especially people living in the global south.""
+A former Marshall Islands president, whose country faces inundation from climate-driven sea level rise, resigned from the main COP28 advisory board on Friday in protest at the UAE's support of continued use of fossil fuels.
+Hilda Heine said in her resignation letter that she was ""deeply disappointed"" that the UAE had reportedly used its COP28 role to broker oil and gas deals. The UAE has strongly denied the accusations.
+The UAE's COP28 presidency said it was ""extremely disappointed"" by Heine's resignation. ""We have been completely clear, open, and honest throughout this process,"" the statement said.
+ANGER OVER GAZA
+
+Some world leaders took their turn at the podium on Friday to criticize Israel's bombardment of Gaza, breaking an unspoken agreement to steer clear of politics at U.N. climate summits.
+Turkey's President Tayyip Erodgan and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza during their speeches, while an Israeli official said the military was abiding by international law and was intent on destroying Hamas.
+""South Africa is appalled by the cruel tragedy that is underway in Gaza. The war against the innocent people of Palestine is a war crime that must be ended now,"" Ramaphosa said.
+A group of demonstrators at the conference, some wearing shirts that spelled ""ceasefire"", chanted ""Free Palestine"". Elsewhere, a display of shoes was meant to represent the thousands killed in Gaza.
+OPTIONS FOR A COP28 DEAL
+Away from the main stage, delegations and technical committees set to work on Friday on the mammoth task of assessing their progress in meeting global climate targets, specifically the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), above pre-industrial temperatures.
+Scientists say that a global temperature rise beyond this threshold will unleash catastrophic and irreversible impacts worldwide.
+The United Nations on Friday published its first draft for what could serve as a template for a final agreement from the COP28 summit, which ends Dec. 12.
+The draft offers ""building blocks"" for a political outcome and includes several options to address the central problem of whether, and to what extent, fossil fuels should play a role in the future.
+One of the options involves including commitments to either ""phase down"" or ""phase out"" the use of fossil fuels, to quit coal energy and to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
+Also on the table for discussion is whether to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, which totalled some $7 trillion globally last year, and whether to include provisions for carbon capture and removal technology.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The UAE's COP28 presidency said it was ""extremely disappointed"" by Heine's resignation. ""We have been completely clear, open, and honest throughout this process,"" the statement said.  ANGER OVER GAZA
+
+Some world leaders took their turn at the podium on Friday to criticize Israel's bombardment of Gaza, breaking an unspoken agreement to steer clear of politics at U.N. climate summits. Turkey's President Tayyip Erodgan and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza during their speeches, while an Israeli official said the military was abiding by international law and was intent on destroying Hamas. ""South Africa is appalled by the cruel tragedy that is underway in Gaza. The war against the innocent people of Palestine is a war crime that must be ended now,"" Ramaphosa said.  A group of demonstrators at the conference, some wearing shirts that spelled ""ceasefire"", chanted ""Free Palestine"". Elsewhere, a display of shoes was meant to represent the thousands killed in Gaza. OPTIONS FOR A COP28 DEAL
+Away from the main stage, delegations and technical committees set to work on Friday on the mammoth task of assessing their progress in meeting global climate targets, specifically the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), above pre-industrial temperatures. Scientists say that a global temperature rise beyond this threshold will unleash catastrophic and irreversible impacts worldwide. The United Nations on Friday published its first draft for what could serve as a template for a final agreement from the COP28 summit, which ends Dec. 12. The draft offers ""building blocks"" for a political outcome and includes several options to address the central problem of whether, and to what extent, fossil fuels should play a role in the future. One of the options involves including commitments to either ""phase down"" or ""phase out"" the use of fossil fuels, to quit coal energy and to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. Also on the table for discussion is whether to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, which totalled some $7 trillion globally last year, and whether to include provisions for carbon capture and removal technology.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/climate-summit-turkey-south-africa-hit-out-israel-over-gaza-war-2023-12-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At climate summit, Turkey, South Africa hit out at Israel over Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - As the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed, some world leaders at the U.N. climate summit criticized Israel on Friday and called for the Gaza war to end, while U.S. and UK officials held meetings on the conflict on the gathering's sidelines.
+The war's prominence in speeches at the Dubai event served to highlight international divisions over the bloodshed and presented a distraction for a summit where nations are trying to find consensus on the shared threat posed by climate change.
+""While discussing the climate crisis, we cannot ignore the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Palestinian territories right beside us,"" Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan told leaders during his formal speech to the COP28 conference.
+""The current situation in Gaza constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity; those responsible must be held accountable under international law,"" he said.
+South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa echoed the sentiment.
+""South Africa is appalled by the cruel tragedy that is under way in Gaza. The war against the innocent people of Palestine is a war crime that must be ended now,"" he said in his address.
+Jordan's King Abdullah said it was difficult to focus on global warming while the fighting was going on.
+""This year's conference of the parties must recognise even more than ever that we cannot talk about climate change in isolation from the humanitarian tragedies unfolding around us,"" he said.
+A group of demonstrators at the conference, some wearing shirts that spelled ""ceasefire"", chanted ""Free Palestine"". Elsewhere on the summit grounds, a display of shoes was meant to represent the thousands killed in Gaza.
+An Israeli official told Reuters the military was abiding by international law and was intent on destroying the militant group Hamas.
+Protests, while a common feature of climate conferences, are a rarity in the autocratic United Arab Emirates, the COP28's host nation. A COP28 spokesperson said ""the UAE protects the right to protests in line with relevant international agreements.""
+""Today was pretty awful,"" Mohammed Ursof, a Palestinian student from Gaza based in Qatar and attending the summit, said of the resumption in fighting. The ""international youth delegate"" said he would try to raise awareness at the COP28 conference of the Palestinian cause.
+BILATERALS
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that he met officials from Arab states and discussed the future of the Gaza Strip on the sidelines of the COP28. A senior State Department official said Blinken met foreign ministers from Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, alongside representatives of the Palestinian Authority.
+The office of the British prime minister said Rishi Sunak and Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, both at the Dubai conference, discussed their deep regret over the collapse of the temporary pause in fighting.
+Israel's President Isaac Herzog was also at COP28, where a day earlier he met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE is one of few Arab states with official ties with Israel
+But Herzog, who stood in the traditional ""family photo"" with other world leaders, did not give his scheduled address on Friday.
+Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General Oded Joseph told Reuters that Israel remained intent on freeing those held hostage by Hamas and destroying the militant group.
+Israel's bombardment and invasion of Gaza has killed over 15,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health officials. It was launched in retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, and led to 240 hostages being taken into Gaza.
+The assault sparked outrage in the Arab world, though most Western leaders have supported what they say is Israel's right to defend itself. Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday.
+Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid called for an end to the war.
+Iran's delegation left the summit in protest at Israel's presence, Iranian media reported, while Colombia's President Gustavo Petro linked environmental issues with the war.
+""If Palestine could be free today then tomorrow humanity will escape alive out of the throes of the climate crisis,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]At climate summit, Turkey, South Africa hit out at Israel over Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - As the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed, some world leaders at the U.N. climate summit criticized Israel on Friday and called for the Gaza war to end, while U.S. and UK officials held meetings on the conflict on the gathering's sidelines. The war's prominence in speeches at the Dubai event served to highlight international divisions over the bloodshed and presented a distraction for a summit where nations are trying to find consensus on the shared threat posed by climate change.
+""While discussing the climate crisis, we cannot ignore the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Palestinian territories right beside us,"" Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan told leaders during his formal speech to the COP28 conference. ""The current situation in Gaza constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity; those responsible must be held accountable under international law,"" he said.  South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa echoed the sentiment.
+""South Africa is appalled by the cruel tragedy that is under way in Gaza. The war against the innocent people of Palestine is a war crime that must be ended now,"" he said in his address. Jordan's King Abdullah said it was difficult to focus on global warming while the fighting was going on. ""This year's conference of the parties must recognise even more than ever that we cannot talk about climate change in isolation from the humanitarian tragedies unfolding around us,"" he said. A group of demonstrators at the conference, some wearing shirts that spelled ""ceasefire"", chanted ""Free Palestine"". Elsewhere on the summit grounds, a display of shoes was meant to represent the thousands killed in Gaza. An Israeli official told Reuters the military was abiding by international law and was intent on destroying the militant group Hamas. Protests, while a common feature of climate conferences, are a rarity in the autocratic United Arab Emirates, the COP28's host nation. A COP28 spokesperson said ""the UAE protects the right to protests in line with relevant international agreements. ""
+""Today was pretty awful,"" Mohammed Ursof, a Palestinian student from Gaza based in Qatar and attending the summit, said of the resumption in fighting. The ""international youth delegate"" said he would try to raise awareness at the COP28 conference of the Palestinian cause. BILATERALS
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that he met officials from Arab states and discussed the future of the Gaza Strip on the sidelines of the COP28."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/climate-summit-turkey-south-africa-hit-out-israel-over-gaza-war-2023-12-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At climate summit, Turkey, South Africa hit out at Israel over Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - As the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed, some world leaders at the U.N. climate summit criticized Israel on Friday and called for the Gaza war to end, while U.S. and UK officials held meetings on the conflict on the gathering's sidelines.
+The war's prominence in speeches at the Dubai event served to highlight international divisions over the bloodshed and presented a distraction for a summit where nations are trying to find consensus on the shared threat posed by climate change.
+""While discussing the climate crisis, we cannot ignore the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Palestinian territories right beside us,"" Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan told leaders during his formal speech to the COP28 conference.
+""The current situation in Gaza constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity; those responsible must be held accountable under international law,"" he said.
+South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa echoed the sentiment.
+""South Africa is appalled by the cruel tragedy that is under way in Gaza. The war against the innocent people of Palestine is a war crime that must be ended now,"" he said in his address.
+Jordan's King Abdullah said it was difficult to focus on global warming while the fighting was going on.
+""This year's conference of the parties must recognise even more than ever that we cannot talk about climate change in isolation from the humanitarian tragedies unfolding around us,"" he said.
+A group of demonstrators at the conference, some wearing shirts that spelled ""ceasefire"", chanted ""Free Palestine"". Elsewhere on the summit grounds, a display of shoes was meant to represent the thousands killed in Gaza.
+An Israeli official told Reuters the military was abiding by international law and was intent on destroying the militant group Hamas.
+Protests, while a common feature of climate conferences, are a rarity in the autocratic United Arab Emirates, the COP28's host nation. A COP28 spokesperson said ""the UAE protects the right to protests in line with relevant international agreements.""
+""Today was pretty awful,"" Mohammed Ursof, a Palestinian student from Gaza based in Qatar and attending the summit, said of the resumption in fighting. The ""international youth delegate"" said he would try to raise awareness at the COP28 conference of the Palestinian cause.
+BILATERALS
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that he met officials from Arab states and discussed the future of the Gaza Strip on the sidelines of the COP28. A senior State Department official said Blinken met foreign ministers from Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, alongside representatives of the Palestinian Authority.
+The office of the British prime minister said Rishi Sunak and Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, both at the Dubai conference, discussed their deep regret over the collapse of the temporary pause in fighting.
+Israel's President Isaac Herzog was also at COP28, where a day earlier he met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE is one of few Arab states with official ties with Israel
+But Herzog, who stood in the traditional ""family photo"" with other world leaders, did not give his scheduled address on Friday.
+Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General Oded Joseph told Reuters that Israel remained intent on freeing those held hostage by Hamas and destroying the militant group.
+Israel's bombardment and invasion of Gaza has killed over 15,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health officials. It was launched in retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, and led to 240 hostages being taken into Gaza.
+The assault sparked outrage in the Arab world, though most Western leaders have supported what they say is Israel's right to defend itself. Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday.
+Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid called for an end to the war.
+Iran's delegation left the summit in protest at Israel's presence, Iranian media reported, while Colombia's President Gustavo Petro linked environmental issues with the war.
+""If Palestine could be free today then tomorrow humanity will escape alive out of the throes of the climate crisis,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","A senior State Department official said Blinken met foreign ministers from Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, alongside representatives of the Palestinian Authority. The office of the British prime minister said Rishi Sunak and Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, both at the Dubai conference, discussed their deep regret over the collapse of the temporary pause in fighting.  Israel's President Isaac Herzog was also at COP28, where a day earlier he met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE is one of few Arab states with official ties with Israel
+But Herzog, who stood in the traditional ""family photo"" with other world leaders, did not give his scheduled address on Friday.  Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General Oded Joseph told Reuters that Israel remained intent on freeing those held hostage by Hamas and destroying the militant group.
+Israel's bombardment and invasion of Gaza has killed over 15,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health officials. It was launched in retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, and led to 240 hostages being taken into Gaza.  The assault sparked outrage in the Arab world, though most Western leaders have supported what they say is Israel's right to defend itself. Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday. Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid called for an end to the war. Iran's delegation left the summit in protest at Israel's presence, Iranian media reported, while Colombia's President Gustavo Petro linked environmental issues with the war.
+""If Palestine could be free today then tomorrow humanity will escape alive out of the throes of the climate crisis,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/palestinian-official-flag-1939-did-not-show-star-david-2023-11-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Palestinian official flag in 1939 did not show Star of David[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An image of a Zionist movement flag from the 1930s does not show the “official” Palestinian flag in 1939, according to historians, despite online posts sharing a photograph of the flag with the Jewish Star of David symbol that purportedly appeared in a French dictionary of the era.
+The image of the flag, which is half white and half blue with the Star of David in its centre, is spreading on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) with claims that it shows the official 1939 Palestinian flag.
+“The 1939 flag of Palestine shows that it was recognized as a Jewish entity even then,” one Facebook account wrote, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab).
+However, the same photographs seen in some posts online, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), purportedly showing a flag gallery in a 1939 edition of a Larousse French dictionary, were uploaded in 2015, opens new tab to Wikipedia by the account of an Israel-based website that also published them in an article dated Nov. 16, 2014, opens new tab. The 2014 article, in turn, credits its unverified claims to a website, opens new tab that no longer exists.
+According to academics who spoke to Reuters, the flag seen in circulating images is not an official flag of historical Palestine.
+Shay Hazkani, an associate professor at the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Program and Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Maryland, opens new tab, said: “This flag appears to be an unofficial flag that sometimes appeared on Jewish-owned ships during the mandatory period when the official English name of the country was still Palestine.
+“It was most certainly not the official flag of mandate Palestine.”
+Between 1920 and 1948, the Palestinian territory was under British administration as a League of Nations ""mandate"", opens new tab.
+“During the British mandate the Union Jack was used with the word Palestine inserted in it,” said Salim Tamari, associate researcher at the Institute of Palestine Studies, opens new tab and emeritus professor of sociology at Birzeit University.
+An example of a mandate-era official flag, opens new tab from 1946 can be seen on the British Imperial War Museums website.
+Tamari said the flag posted on social media with the star of David is one of several examples from Zionist movements in the territory.
+The Palestinian national movement also had its own flag at the time, like the current flag of Sharif Hussein but with a star, he added.
+Derek Penslar, William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History and director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard University, opens new tab, also said the official flag of mandate Palestine in 1939 was the Union Jack.
+“A modified version of the Union Jack was used for some governmental purposes,��� he said.
+But, Penlsar added, Jewish institutions within mandate Palestine routinely used variations of the Zionist movement’s flag with the star of David against a blue and white background.
+Tamir Sorek, liberal arts professor of Middle East history at Penn State University, opens new tab, who has written on the history, opens new tab of the Palestinian flag, said there were many attempts to establish a flag for the Zionist movement, which often included the blue and white sections with star of David.
+The present Palestinian flag was designed by Sharif Hussein for the Arab Revolt, an armed uprising against the Ottoman Empire in June 1916, and was re-adopted in 1948, opens new tab, according to the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs.
+Publisher editions Larousse did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the authenticity of the circulating dictionary images.
+VERDICT
+False. The official flag of mandate Palestine in 1939, during which Palestine was administered by Britain as a League of Nations Mandate, was a Union Jack.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Palestinian official flag in 1939 did not show Star of David[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An image of a Zionist movement flag from the 1930s does not show the “official” Palestinian flag in 1939, according to historians, despite online posts sharing a photograph of the flag with the Jewish Star of David symbol that purportedly appeared in a French dictionary of the era. The image of the flag, which is half white and half blue with the Star of David in its centre, is spreading on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) with claims that it shows the official 1939 Palestinian flag. “The 1939 flag of Palestine shows that it was recognized as a Jewish entity even then,” one Facebook account wrote, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab).  However, the same photographs seen in some posts online, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), purportedly showing a flag gallery in a 1939 edition of a Larousse French dictionary, were uploaded in 2015, opens new tab to Wikipedia by the account of an Israel-based website that also published them in an article dated Nov. 16, 2014, opens new tab. The 2014 article, in turn, credits its unverified claims to a website, opens new tab that no longer exists . According to academics who spoke to Reuters, the flag seen in circulating images is not an official flag of historical Palestine. Shay Hazkani, an associate professor at the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Program and Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Maryland, opens new tab, said: “This flag appears to be an unofficial flag that sometimes appeared on Jewish-owned ships during the mandatory period when the official English name of the country was still Palestine. “It was most certainly not the official flag of mandate Palestine.” Between 1920 and 1948, the Palestinian territory was under British administration as a League of Nations ""mandate"", opens new tab. “During the British mandate the Union Jack was used with the word Palestine inserted in it,” said Salim Tamari, associate researcher at the Institute of Palestine Studies, opens new tab and emeritus professor of sociology at Birzeit University. An example of a mandate-era official flag, opens new tab from 1946 can be seen on the British Imperial War Museums website. Tamari said the flag posted on social media with the star of David is one of several examples from Zionist movements in the territory. The Palestinian national movement also had its own flag at the time, like the current flag of Sharif Hussein but with a star, he added."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/palestinian-official-flag-1939-did-not-show-star-david-2023-11-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Palestinian official flag in 1939 did not show Star of David[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An image of a Zionist movement flag from the 1930s does not show the “official” Palestinian flag in 1939, according to historians, despite online posts sharing a photograph of the flag with the Jewish Star of David symbol that purportedly appeared in a French dictionary of the era.
+The image of the flag, which is half white and half blue with the Star of David in its centre, is spreading on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) with claims that it shows the official 1939 Palestinian flag.
+“The 1939 flag of Palestine shows that it was recognized as a Jewish entity even then,” one Facebook account wrote, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab).
+However, the same photographs seen in some posts online, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), purportedly showing a flag gallery in a 1939 edition of a Larousse French dictionary, were uploaded in 2015, opens new tab to Wikipedia by the account of an Israel-based website that also published them in an article dated Nov. 16, 2014, opens new tab. The 2014 article, in turn, credits its unverified claims to a website, opens new tab that no longer exists.
+According to academics who spoke to Reuters, the flag seen in circulating images is not an official flag of historical Palestine.
+Shay Hazkani, an associate professor at the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Program and Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Maryland, opens new tab, said: “This flag appears to be an unofficial flag that sometimes appeared on Jewish-owned ships during the mandatory period when the official English name of the country was still Palestine.
+“It was most certainly not the official flag of mandate Palestine.”
+Between 1920 and 1948, the Palestinian territory was under British administration as a League of Nations ""mandate"", opens new tab.
+“During the British mandate the Union Jack was used with the word Palestine inserted in it,” said Salim Tamari, associate researcher at the Institute of Palestine Studies, opens new tab and emeritus professor of sociology at Birzeit University.
+An example of a mandate-era official flag, opens new tab from 1946 can be seen on the British Imperial War Museums website.
+Tamari said the flag posted on social media with the star of David is one of several examples from Zionist movements in the territory.
+The Palestinian national movement also had its own flag at the time, like the current flag of Sharif Hussein but with a star, he added.
+Derek Penslar, William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History and director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard University, opens new tab, also said the official flag of mandate Palestine in 1939 was the Union Jack.
+“A modified version of the Union Jack was used for some governmental purposes,” he said.
+But, Penlsar added, Jewish institutions within mandate Palestine routinely used variations of the Zionist movement’s flag with the star of David against a blue and white background.
+Tamir Sorek, liberal arts professor of Middle East history at Penn State University, opens new tab, who has written on the history, opens new tab of the Palestinian flag, said there were many attempts to establish a flag for the Zionist movement, which often included the blue and white sections with star of David.
+The present Palestinian flag was designed by Sharif Hussein for the Arab Revolt, an armed uprising against the Ottoman Empire in June 1916, and was re-adopted in 1948, opens new tab, according to the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs.
+Publisher editions Larousse did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the authenticity of the circulating dictionary images.
+VERDICT
+False. The official flag of mandate Palestine in 1939, during which Palestine was administered by Britain as a League of Nations Mandate, was a Union Jack.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Derek Penslar, William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History and director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Harvard University, opens new tab, also said the official flag of mandate Palestine in 1939 was the Union Jack. “A modified version of the Union Jack was used for some governmental purposes,” he said. But, Penlsar added, Jewish institutions within mandate Palestine routinely used variations of the Zionist movement’s flag with the star of David against a blue and white background. Tamir Sorek, liberal arts professor of Middle East history at Penn State University, opens new tab, who has written on the history, opens new tab of the Palestinian flag, said there were many attempts to establish a flag for the Zionist movement, which often included the blue and white sections with star of David . The present Palestinian flag was designed by Sharif Hussein for the Arab Revolt, an armed uprising against the Ottoman Empire in June 1916, and was re-adopted in 1948, opens new tab, according to the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. Publisher editions Larousse did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the authenticity of the circulating dictionary images.  VERDICT False. The official flag of mandate Palestine in 1939, during which Palestine was administered by Britain as a League of Nations Mandate, was a Union Jack.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/back-war-zone-stranded-palestinians-head-home-gaza-during-truce-2023-11-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Back to a war zone: stranded Palestinians head home to Gaza during truce[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAFAH, Gaza, Nov 30 (Reuters) - About 1,000 Palestinians who were stranded outside the Gaza Strip when war broke out between Israel and Hamas have returned home during the seven-day truce, braving the prospect of renewed bombardment, a Palestinian border official said on Thursday.
+At the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, yellow taxis with suitcases and cardboard boxes piled high on their roofs and trunks so full of luggage they could not be closed were carrying Palestinians back into their ravaged homeland.
+One of them was Abu Nader, who said he had travelled to Turkey on Oct. 4 to accompany one of his daughters who was starting her studies there. The war began three days later, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel.
+Abu Nader flew to Egypt on Oct. 24 but could not return to Gaza as the Rafah crossing was closed. He found himself stuck in Egypt until the truce.
+He said his house in the al-Nasser neighbourhood in Gaza City had been destroyed by an Israeli strike and he had lost relatives, but was nevertheless desperate to get home to be with his other children and the rest of his family.
+""No one leaves their children or their country, even if they lose their house. All Palestine is my home, not just Gaza or the house in al-Nasser, the whole nation is my home,"" he said.
+Egypt had announced via the Palestinian embassy in Cairo on Nov. 23, the day before the truce came into effect, that Palestinians wishing to return to Gaza would be allowed, though not compelled, to do so.
+The border official who spoke to Reuters on Thursday said crossings had begun on Nov. 24 and had carried on since then.
+MOONSCAPE
+The returnees will find a very different Gaza from the one they left behind.
+Much of the northern half of the Strip, including Gaza City, has been blasted into a moonscape by seven weeks of Israeli bombardment, while in the south hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering in tents and schools.
+Hospitals have stopped functioning, food, water and fuel are scarce, and diseases are spreading in what the United Nations has called a humanitarian catastrophe.
+Despite all that, Intisar Barakat said she still wanted to return.
+""You can't leave your country, your children, your home, your husband,"" she said. ""God willing, may everyone come back and peace prevail.""
+The truce was initially agreed for four days but has repeatedly been renewed, for 24 to 48 hours at a time. Mediators were pressing on with attempts on Thursday to extend it further.
+The war was triggered by Hamas militants who rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people including babies and children and taking 240 hostages of all ages, according to Israeli numbers.
+Vowing to destroy Hamas in response, Israel launched an air, sea and ground assault on the densely populated Gaza Strip that has killed more than 15,000 people, 40% of them children, according to Palestinian health officials.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Back to a war zone: stranded Palestinians head home to Gaza during truce[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAFAH, Gaza, Nov 30 (Reuters) - About 1,000 Palestinians who were stranded outside the Gaza Strip when war broke out between Israel and Hamas have returned home during the seven-day truce, braving the prospect of renewed bombardment, a Palestinian border official said on Thursday. At the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, yellow taxis with suitcases and cardboard boxes piled high on their roofs and trunks so full of luggage they could not be closed were carrying Palestinians back into their ravaged homeland.  One of them was Abu Nader, who said he had travelled to Turkey on Oct. 4 to accompany one of his daughters who was starting her studies there. The war began three days later, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel.  Abu Nader flew to Egypt on Oct. 24 but could not return to Gaza as the Rafah crossing was closed. He found himself stuck in Egypt until the truce.  He said his house in the al-Nasser neighbourhood in Gaza City had been destroyed by an Israeli strike and he had lost relatives, but was nevertheless desperate to get home to be with his other children and the rest of his family.
+""No one leaves their children or their country, even if they lose their house. All Palestine is my home, not just Gaza or the house in al-Nasser, the whole nation is my home,"" he said. Egypt had announced via the Palestinian embassy in Cairo on Nov. 23, the day before the truce came into effect, that Palestinians wishing to return to Gaza would be allowed, though not compelled, to do so. The border official who spoke to Reuters on Thursday said crossings had begun on Nov. 24 and had carried on since then. MOONSCAPE The returnees will find a very different Gaza from the one they left behind.
+Much of the northern half of the Strip, including Gaza City, has been blasted into a moonscape by seven weeks of Israeli bombardment, while in the south hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering in tents and schools.  Hospitals have stopped functioning, food, water and fuel are scarce, and diseases are spreading in what the United Nations has called a humanitarian catastrophe. Despite all that, Intisar Barakat said she still wanted to return.  ""You can't leave your country, your children, your home, your husband,"" she said. ""God willing, may everyone come back and peace prevail."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/back-war-zone-stranded-palestinians-head-home-gaza-during-truce-2023-11-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Back to a war zone: stranded Palestinians head home to Gaza during truce[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAFAH, Gaza, Nov 30 (Reuters) - About 1,000 Palestinians who were stranded outside the Gaza Strip when war broke out between Israel and Hamas have returned home during the seven-day truce, braving the prospect of renewed bombardment, a Palestinian border official said on Thursday.
+At the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, yellow taxis with suitcases and cardboard boxes piled high on their roofs and trunks so full of luggage they could not be closed were carrying Palestinians back into their ravaged homeland.
+One of them was Abu Nader, who said he had travelled to Turkey on Oct. 4 to accompany one of his daughters who was starting her studies there. The war began three days later, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel.
+Abu Nader flew to Egypt on Oct. 24 but could not return to Gaza as the Rafah crossing was closed. He found himself stuck in Egypt until the truce.
+He said his house in the al-Nasser neighbourhood in Gaza City had been destroyed by an Israeli strike and he had lost relatives, but was nevertheless desperate to get home to be with his other children and the rest of his family.
+""No one leaves their children or their country, even if they lose their house. All Palestine is my home, not just Gaza or the house in al-Nasser, the whole nation is my home,"" he said.
+Egypt had announced via the Palestinian embassy in Cairo on Nov. 23, the day before the truce came into effect, that Palestinians wishing to return to Gaza would be allowed, though not compelled, to do so.
+The border official who spoke to Reuters on Thursday said crossings had begun on Nov. 24 and had carried on since then.
+MOONSCAPE
+The returnees will find a very different Gaza from the one they left behind.
+Much of the northern half of the Strip, including Gaza City, has been blasted into a moonscape by seven weeks of Israeli bombardment, while in the south hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering in tents and schools.
+Hospitals have stopped functioning, food, water and fuel are scarce, and diseases are spreading in what the United Nations has called a humanitarian catastrophe.
+Despite all that, Intisar Barakat said she still wanted to return.
+""You can't leave your country, your children, your home, your husband,"" she said. ""God willing, may everyone come back and peace prevail.""
+The truce was initially agreed for four days but has repeatedly been renewed, for 24 to 48 hours at a time. Mediators were pressing on with attempts on Thursday to extend it further.
+The war was triggered by Hamas militants who rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people including babies and children and taking 240 hostages of all ages, according to Israeli numbers.
+Vowing to destroy Hamas in response, Israel launched an air, sea and ground assault on the densely populated Gaza Strip that has killed more than 15,000 people, 40% of them children, according to Palestinian health officials.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The truce was initially agreed for four days but has repeatedly been renewed, for 24 to 48 hours at a time. Mediators were pressing on with attempts on Thursday to extend it further. The war was triggered by Hamas militants who rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people including babies and children and taking 240 hostages of all ages, according to Israeli numbers.  Vowing to destroy Hamas in response, Israel launched an air, sea and ground assault on the densely populated Gaza Strip that has killed more than 15,000 people, 40% of them children, according to Palestinian health officials.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-chief-says-gaza-midst-epic-humanitarian-catastrophe-2023-11-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief says Gaza in midst of 'epic humanitarian catastrophe'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned that the Gaza Strip was in the midst of an ""epic humanitarian catastrophe,"" as calls grew for a ceasefire to replace the temporary truce between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants.
+""Intense negotiations are taking place to prolong the truce – which we strongly welcome - but we believe we need a true humanitarian ceasefire,"" he told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, chaired by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi because China is president of the 15-member council for November.
+Last-minute talks continued between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas on Wednesday to extend a truce in Gaza.
+""We should work for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire with the greatest urgency,"" Wang told the council. ""There is no firewall in Gaza either. Resumed fighting would only, most likely, turn into a calamity that devours the whole region.""
+Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud - standing with counterparts from Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia - told reporters at the United Nations that aid entering Gaza was ""far less than is needed.""
+""The danger is that if ... this truce expires we will return to the killing at the scale that we have seen, which is unbearable,"" he said. ""So we are here to make a clear statement that a truce is not enough. What is needed is a ceasefire.""
+Addressing the Security Council, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused the ministers of supporting ""a terror organization that aims to annihilate Israel.""
+""Anyone who supports a ceasefire basically supports Hamas continued reign of terror in Gaza. Hamas is a genocidal terror organization - they don't hide it - not a reliable partner for peace,"" Erdan said.
+CIVILIAN PROTECTION
+Israel says Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostage in a surprise assault on Oct. 7. Israel has focused its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, bombarding it from the air, imposing a siege and launching a ground assault.
+U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said everything possible must be done to scale up aid and protect civilians, including U.N. staff and journalists.
+""The United States has urged Israel to take every possible measure to prevent civilian casualties as it exercises its rights to safeguard its people from acts of terror,"" she told the Security Council, adding that Hamas' use of civilians as human shields ""does not lessen Israel's responsibility.""
+More than 15,000 people are confirmed killed, some 40% of them under the age of 18, according to Palestinian health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations. Many more are feared buried under the ruins.
+""The truce must become a ceasefire, a permanent ceasefire. The massacres cannot be allowed to resume,"" Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told the Security Council.
+""Our people are faced with an existential threat. Make no mistake about it. With all the talk about the destruction of Israel, it is Palestine that is facing a plan to destroy it, implemented in broad daylight,"" he said.
+Guterres briefed the Security Council on the implementation of a resolution it adopted earlier this month that called for humanitarian pauses in fighting to allow aid access and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
+The United Nations has scaled up the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza - a coastal enclave of 2.3 million people - during the truce, but Guterres said the level of aid ""remains completely inadequate to meet the huge needs.""
+""The people of Gaza are in the midst of an epic humanitarian catastrophe before the eyes of the world,"" he said. ""We must not look away.""
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief says Gaza in midst of 'epic humanitarian catastrophe'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned that the Gaza Strip was in the midst of an ""epic humanitarian catastrophe,"" as calls grew for a ceasefire to replace the temporary truce between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants. ""Intense negotiations are taking place to prolong the truce – which we strongly welcome - but we believe we need a true humanitarian ceasefire,"" he told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, chaired by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi because China is president of the 15-member council for November.  Last-minute talks continued between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas on Wednesday to extend a truce in Gaza.
+""We should work for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire with the greatest urgency,"" Wang told the council. ""There is no firewall in Gaza either. Resumed fighting would only, most likely, turn into a calamity that devours the whole region. "" Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud - standing with counterparts from Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia - told reporters at the United Nations that aid entering Gaza was ""far less than is needed.""
+""The danger is that if ... this truce expires we will return to the killing at the scale that we have seen, which is unbearable,"" he said. ""So we are here to make a clear statement that a truce is not enough. What is needed is a ceasefire."" Addressing the Security Council, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused the ministers of supporting ""a terror organization that aims to annihilate Israel.""  ""Anyone who supports a ceasefire basically supports Hamas continued reign of terror in Gaza. Hamas is a genocidal terror organization - they don't hide it - not a reliable partner for peace,"" Erdan said. CIVILIAN PROTECTION Israel says Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostage in a surprise assault on Oct. 7. Israel has focused its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, bombarding it from the air, imposing a siege and launching a ground assault. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said everything possible must be done to scale up aid and protect civilians, including U.N. staff and journalists. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-chief-says-gaza-midst-epic-humanitarian-catastrophe-2023-11-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN chief says Gaza in midst of 'epic humanitarian catastrophe'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned that the Gaza Strip was in the midst of an ""epic humanitarian catastrophe,"" as calls grew for a ceasefire to replace the temporary truce between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants.
+""Intense negotiations are taking place to prolong the truce – which we strongly welcome - but we believe we need a true humanitarian ceasefire,"" he told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, chaired by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi because China is president of the 15-member council for November.
+Last-minute talks continued between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas on Wednesday to extend a truce in Gaza.
+""We should work for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire with the greatest urgency,"" Wang told the council. ""There is no firewall in Gaza either. Resumed fighting would only, most likely, turn into a calamity that devours the whole region.""
+Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud - standing with counterparts from Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia - told reporters at the United Nations that aid entering Gaza was ""far less than is needed.""
+""The danger is that if ... this truce expires we will return to the killing at the scale that we have seen, which is unbearable,"" he said. ""So we are here to make a clear statement that a truce is not enough. What is needed is a ceasefire.""
+Addressing the Security Council, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused the ministers of supporting ""a terror organization that aims to annihilate Israel.""
+""Anyone who supports a ceasefire basically supports Hamas continued reign of terror in Gaza. Hamas is a genocidal terror organization - they don't hide it - not a reliable partner for peace,"" Erdan said.
+CIVILIAN PROTECTION
+Israel says Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostage in a surprise assault on Oct. 7. Israel has focused its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, bombarding it from the air, imposing a siege and launching a ground assault.
+U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said everything possible must be done to scale up aid and protect civilians, including U.N. staff and journalists.
+""The United States has urged Israel to take every possible measure to prevent civilian casualties as it exercises its rights to safeguard its people from acts of terror,"" she told the Security Council, adding that Hamas' use of civilians as human shields ""does not lessen Israel's responsibility.""
+More than 15,000 people are confirmed killed, some 40% of them under the age of 18, according to Palestinian health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations. Many more are feared buried under the ruins.
+""The truce must become a ceasefire, a permanent ceasefire. The massacres cannot be allowed to resume,"" Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told the Security Council.
+""Our people are faced with an existential threat. Make no mistake about it. With all the talk about the destruction of Israel, it is Palestine that is facing a plan to destroy it, implemented in broad daylight,"" he said.
+Guterres briefed the Security Council on the implementation of a resolution it adopted earlier this month that called for humanitarian pauses in fighting to allow aid access and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
+The United Nations has scaled up the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza - a coastal enclave of 2.3 million people - during the truce, but Guterres said the level of aid ""remains completely inadequate to meet the huge needs.""
+""The people of Gaza are in the midst of an epic humanitarian catastrophe before the eyes of the world,"" he said. ""We must not look away.""
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""The United States has urged Israel to take every possible measure to prevent civilian casualties as it exercises its rights to safeguard its people from acts of terror,"" she told the Security Council, adding that Hamas' use of civilians as human shields ""does not lessen Israel's responsibility.""
+More than 15,000 people are confirmed killed, some 40% of them under the age of 18, according to Palestinian health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations. Many more are feared buried under the ruins.  ""The truce must become a ceasefire, a permanent ceasefire. The massacres cannot be allowed to resume,"" Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told the Security Council. ""Our people are faced with an existential threat. Make no mistake about it. With all the talk about the destruction of Israel, it is Palestine that is facing a plan to destroy it, implemented in broad daylight,"" he said.  Guterres briefed the Security Council on the implementation of a resolution it adopted earlier this month that called for humanitarian pauses in fighting to allow aid access and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.  The United Nations has scaled up the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza - a coastal enclave of 2.3 million people - during the truce, but Guterres said the level of aid ""remains completely inadequate to meet the huge needs. ""  ""The people of Gaza are in the midst of an epic humanitarian catastrophe before the eyes of the world,"" he said. ""We must not look away.""  [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-calls-irreversible-move-toward-two-state-solution-israel-crisis-2023-11-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN calls for 'irreversible' move toward two-state solution to Israel crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The United Nations on Wednesday called for the international community to move towards a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, saying Jerusalem should serve as the capital of both states.
+""It is long past time to move in a determined, irreversible way towards a two-state solution, on the basis of United Nations resolutions and international law,"" said Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the U.N. office in Geneva, delivering a speech authored by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
+She added this would mean ""Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.""
+The comments coincide with the United Nations' International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which it observes annually. It marks the United Nations General Assembly's approval of a plan to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem.
+Calls for a two-state solution have grown in the wake of attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 in which Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. The assault prompted an Israeli bombardment and ground offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza that has killed more than 15,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities in the densely-populated enclave.
+A two-state agreement would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized so as not to threaten its security.
+Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital.
+Ibrahim Khraishi, Palestinian ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said the current conflict had served as a wake-up call for the international community to support the two-state solution.
+""The two-state solution is difficult after the (Israeli) settlement and shrinking (of territory), but still possible if there is a will,"" he said. ""Now is the moment. And it's good for Israel by the way. If they don't accept the idea, it will be too late for them, not for us.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN calls for 'irreversible' move toward two-state solution to Israel crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The United Nations on Wednesday called for the international community to move towards a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, saying Jerusalem should serve as the capital of both states. ""It is long past time to move in a determined, irreversible way towards a two-state solution, on the basis of United Nations resolutions and international law,"" said Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the U.N. office in Geneva, delivering a speech authored by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.  She added this would mean ""Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.""
+The comments coincide with the United Nations' International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which it observes annually. It marks the United Nations General Assembly's approval of a plan to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem.  Calls for a two-state solution have grown in the wake of attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 in which Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. The assault prompted an Israeli bombardment and ground offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza that has killed more than 15,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities in the densely-populated enclave. A two-state agreement would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized so as not to threaten its security.  Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital. Ibrahim Khraishi, Palestinian ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said the current conflict had served as a wake-up call for the international community to support the two-state solution.
+""The two-state solution is difficult after the (Israeli) settlement and shrinking (of territory), but still possible if there is a will,"" he said. ""Now is the moment. And it's good for Israel by the way. If they don't accept the idea, it will be too late for them, not for us.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/jewish-groups-sue-uc-berkeley-over-unchecked-antisemitism-2023-11-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jewish groups sue UC Berkeley over 'unchecked' antisemitism[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 28 (Reuters) - The University of California, Berkeley was sued on Tuesday by Jewish groups who said it has become a hotbed of ""unchecked"" antisemitism, including at its elite law school.
+According to a complaint by the nonprofit Louis D. Brandeis Center, UC Berkeley's leadership turns a blind eye to the long-festering problem of antisemitism on campus, even after displays of harassment and physical violence against Jews following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+The complaint filed in San Francisco federal court is among the first against a major university since the war between Israel and Hamas sparked protests on many college campuses.
+It described two protesters striking the head of a Jewish undergraduate draped in an Israeli flag with a metal water bottle, and how a faculty member allegedly cut short a class for 1,000 freshmen to go on an 18-minute anti-Israel rant.
+The complaint also said ""no fewer"" than 23 law school groups have anti-Jewish policies. It said these include requirements that invited speakers repudiate Zionism, and Jewish students wanting to provide pro bono legal services undergo ""Palestine 101"" training that emphasizes Israel's supposed illegitimacy.
+In a statement, UC Berkeley said it has long been committed to confronting antisemitism, and that while it cannot censor offensive speech it recognized that some demonstrations have been ""upsetting and frightening"" to Jewish students.
+""While we appreciate the concerns expressed by the Brandeis Center, UC Berkeley believes the claims made in the lawsuit are not consistent with the First Amendment of the Constitution, or the facts of what is actually happening on our campus,"" the university said.
+Law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional law specialist, said the complaint painted a ""stunningly inaccurate"" picture of the school. He said the school is dedicated to a conducive learning environment for all students, and that student groups have a First Amendment right to choose speakers.
+The law school, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, the University of California system and its President Michael Drake are among the other defendants.
+Other plaintiffs include the Brandeis Center's Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, a nationwide group whose members include UC Berkeley staff and students.
+The lawsuit says UC Berkeley's ""inaction"" violates the plaintiffs' religious and equal protection rights under the Constitution and federal civil rights laws.
+It seeks a permanent injunction requiring that UC Berkeley end the hostile environment toward Jews, enforce its nondiscrimination policies, and neither fund nor recognize student groups that exclude Jews.
+UC Berkeley's law school routinely ranks among the top 10 law schools nationwide in academics and reputation.
+On Nov. 14, New York University was sued by three Jewish students who accused that school of tolerating pervasive antisemitism, including by allowing chants such as ""gas the Jews"" and ""Hitler was right.""
+NYU said it took antisemitism ""extremely seriously"" and would challenge the lawsuit in court.
+The case is Louis D. Brandeis Center Inc et al v Regents of the University of California et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 23-06133.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jewish groups sue UC Berkeley over 'unchecked' antisemitism[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 28 (Reuters) - The University of California, Berkeley was sued on Tuesday by Jewish groups who said it has become a hotbed of ""unchecked"" antisemitism, including at its elite law school. According to a complaint by the nonprofit Louis D. Brandeis Center, UC Berkeley's leadership turns a blind eye to the long-festering problem of antisemitism on campus, even after displays of harassment and physical violence against Jews following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+The complaint filed in San Francisco federal court is among the first against a major university since the war between Israel and Hamas sparked protests on many college campuses.  It described two protesters striking the head of a Jewish undergraduate draped in an Israeli flag with a metal water bottle, and how a faculty member allegedly cut short a class for 1,000 freshmen to go on an 18-minute anti-Israel rant.
+The complaint also said ""no fewer"" than 23 law school groups have anti-Jewish policies. It said these include requirements that invited speakers repudiate Zionism, and Jewish students wanting to provide pro bono legal services undergo ""Palestine 101"" training that emphasizes Israel's supposed illegitimacy.  In a statement, UC Berkeley said it has long been committed to confronting antisemitism, and that while it cannot censor offensive speech it recognized that some demonstrations have been ""upsetting and frightening"" to Jewish students.
+""While we appreciate the concerns expressed by the Brandeis Center, UC Berkeley believes the claims made in the lawsuit are not consistent with the First Amendment of the Constitution, or the facts of what is actually happening on our campus,"" the university said.
+Law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional law specialist, said the complaint painted a ""stunningly inaccurate"" picture of the school. He said the school is dedicated to a conducive learning environment for all students, and that student groups have a First Amendment right to choose speakers. The law school, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, the University of California system and its President Michael Drake are among the other defendants.
+Other plaintiffs include the Brandeis Center's Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, a nationwide group whose members include UC Berkeley staff and students. The lawsuit says UC Berkeley's ""inaction"" violates the plaintiffs' religious and equal protection rights under the Constitution and federal civil rights laws. It seeks a permanent injunction requiring that UC Berkeley end the hostile environment toward Jews, enforce its nondiscrimination policies, and neither fund nor recognize student groups that exclude Jews."
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/jewish-groups-sue-uc-berkeley-over-unchecked-antisemitism-2023-11-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jewish groups sue UC Berkeley over 'unchecked' antisemitism[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 28 (Reuters) - The University of California, Berkeley was sued on Tuesday by Jewish groups who said it has become a hotbed of ""unchecked"" antisemitism, including at its elite law school.
+According to a complaint by the nonprofit Louis D. Brandeis Center, UC Berkeley's leadership turns a blind eye to the long-festering problem of antisemitism on campus, even after displays of harassment and physical violence against Jews following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
+The complaint filed in San Francisco federal court is among the first against a major university since the war between Israel and Hamas sparked protests on many college campuses.
+It described two protesters striking the head of a Jewish undergraduate draped in an Israeli flag with a metal water bottle, and how a faculty member allegedly cut short a class for 1,000 freshmen to go on an 18-minute anti-Israel rant.
+The complaint also said ""no fewer"" than 23 law school groups have anti-Jewish policies. It said these include requirements that invited speakers repudiate Zionism, and Jewish students wanting to provide pro bono legal services undergo ""Palestine 101"" training that emphasizes Israel's supposed illegitimacy.
+In a statement, UC Berkeley said it has long been committed to confronting antisemitism, and that while it cannot censor offensive speech it recognized that some demonstrations have been ""upsetting and frightening"" to Jewish students.
+""While we appreciate the concerns expressed by the Brandeis Center, UC Berkeley believes the claims made in the lawsuit are not consistent with the First Amendment of the Constitution, or the facts of what is actually happening on our campus,"" the university said.
+Law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional law specialist, said the complaint painted a ""stunningly inaccurate"" picture of the school. He said the school is dedicated to a conducive learning environment for all students, and that student groups have a First Amendment right to choose speakers.
+The law school, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, the University of California system and its President Michael Drake are among the other defendants.
+Other plaintiffs include the Brandeis Center's Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, a nationwide group whose members include UC Berkeley staff and students.
+The lawsuit says UC Berkeley's ""inaction"" violates the plaintiffs' religious and equal protection rights under the Constitution and federal civil rights laws.
+It seeks a permanent injunction requiring that UC Berkeley end the hostile environment toward Jews, enforce its nondiscrimination policies, and neither fund nor recognize student groups that exclude Jews.
+UC Berkeley's law school routinely ranks among the top 10 law schools nationwide in academics and reputation.
+On Nov. 14, New York University was sued by three Jewish students who accused that school of tolerating pervasive antisemitism, including by allowing chants such as ""gas the Jews"" and ""Hitler was right.""
+NYU said it took antisemitism ""extremely seriously"" and would challenge the lawsuit in court.
+The case is Louis D. Brandeis Center Inc et al v Regents of the University of California et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 23-06133.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","UC Berkeley's law school routinely ranks among the top 10 law schools nationwide in academics and reputation. On Nov. 14, New York University was sued by three Jewish students who accused that school of tolerating pervasive antisemitism, including by allowing chants such as ""gas the Jews"" and ""Hitler was right."" NYU said it took antisemitism ""extremely seriously"" and would challenge the lawsuit in court. The case is Louis D. Brandeis Center Inc et al v Regents of the University of California et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 23-06133.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraq-sees-risk-regional-conflict-if-gaza-war-resumes-2023-11-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iraq sees risk of regional conflict if Gaza war resumes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BAGHDAD, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Iraq sees a risk of regional conflict if the current truce in Gaza is not turned into a permanent ceasefire, the Iraqi prime minister's foreign affairs adviser said, as mediators sought an extension of the temporary four-day Israel-Hamas truce.
+Israel's devastating bombardment of Gaza in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel has drawn in Iran-aligned armed groups in the region including Lebanese Hezbollah and several Iraqi factions, who have mounted near-daily attacks on Israeli and U.S. forces.
+But there have been no reports of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq or Syria since Israel and Hamas began a four-day truce last week that was set to expire on Monday, compared to over 70 in the weeks prior.
+Some of the main Iraqi armed factions behind the recent attacks, including Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and Kataeb Hezbollah, have announced they will abide by the Gaza ceasefire but indicated they would resume attacks if it ends.
+They have also said in statements that they still seek the eventual ouster of U.S. forces in Iraq. There are around 2,500 U.S. troops on a mission the U.S. says is to advise and assist Iraqi forces battling remnants of Islamic State.
+""The entire region is on the verge of a devastating conflict that may include everyone, and the extent of its expansion or how to control and stop it is not known,"" said Farhad Alaadin, foreign affairs adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
+""For this reason, we see any ceasefire in the conflict as beneficial and important at this stage for the people of Palestine and Gaza first and for all countries in the region, including Iraq,"" he told Reuters.
+European Union Ambassador to Iraq Thomas Seiler said in a social media post that he hopes Iraqi factions ""continue with their cessation of attacks.""
+Two sets of U.S. strikes in Iraq last week killed 10 members of Kataeb Hezbollah, according to posts by the group on social media, a move condemned by the Iraqi government as escalatory and a violation of sovereignty.
+Kataeb Hezbollah is part of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a group of mostly Shi'ite Muslim armed groups formed to fight Islamic State in 2014 that became an official security agency under the command of the prime minister.
+While technically part of the state, some of the PMF's most powerful Iran-backed factions often act outside the chain of command. Sudani has said attacks by armed groups on foreign forces in Iraq were unlawful and went against the country's national interest.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iraq sees risk of regional conflict if Gaza war resumes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BAGHDAD, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Iraq sees a risk of regional conflict if the current truce in Gaza is not turned into a permanent ceasefire, the Iraqi prime minister's foreign affairs adviser said, as mediators sought an extension of the temporary four-day Israel-Hamas truce. Israel's devastating bombardment of Gaza in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel has drawn in Iran-aligned armed groups in the region including Lebanese Hezbollah and several Iraqi factions, who have mounted near-daily attacks on Israeli and U.S. forces. But there have been no reports of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq or Syria since Israel and Hamas began a four-day truce last week that was set to expire on Monday, compared to over 70 in the weeks prior.  Some of the main Iraqi armed factions behind the recent attacks, including Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and Kataeb Hezbollah, have announced they will abide by the Gaza ceasefire but indicated they would resume attacks if it ends.
+They have also said in statements that they still seek the eventual ouster of U.S. forces in Iraq. There are around 2,500 U.S. troops on a mission the U.S. says is to advise and assist Iraqi forces battling remnants of Islamic State. ""The entire region is on the verge of a devastating conflict that may include everyone, and the extent of its expansion or how to control and stop it is not known,"" said Farhad Alaadin, foreign affairs adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. ""For this reason, we see any ceasefire in the conflict as beneficial and important at this stage for the people of Palestine and Gaza first and for all countries in the region, including Iraq,"" he told Reuters.  European Union Ambassador to Iraq Thomas Seiler said in a social media post that he hopes Iraqi factions ""continue with their cessation of attacks.""
+Two sets of U.S. strikes in Iraq last week killed 10 members of Kataeb Hezbollah, according to posts by the group on social media, a move condemned by the Iraqi government as escalatory and a violation of sovereignty.
+Kataeb Hezbollah is part of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a group of mostly Shi'ite Muslim armed groups formed to fight Islamic State in 2014 that became an official security agency under the command of the prime minister.
+While technically part of the state, some of the PMF's most powerful Iran-backed factions often act outside the chain of command. Sudani has said attacks by armed groups on foreign forces in Iraq were unlawful and went against the country's national interest. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraq-sees-risk-regional-conflict-if-gaza-war-resumes-2023-11-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iraq sees risk of regional conflict if Gaza war resumes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BAGHDAD, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Iraq sees a risk of regional conflict if the current truce in Gaza is not turned into a permanent ceasefire, the Iraqi prime minister's foreign affairs adviser said, as mediators sought an extension of the temporary four-day Israel-Hamas truce.
+Israel's devastating bombardment of Gaza in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel has drawn in Iran-aligned armed groups in the region including Lebanese Hezbollah and several Iraqi factions, who have mounted near-daily attacks on Israeli and U.S. forces.
+But there have been no reports of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq or Syria since Israel and Hamas began a four-day truce last week that was set to expire on Monday, compared to over 70 in the weeks prior.
+Some of the main Iraqi armed factions behind the recent attacks, including Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and Kataeb Hezbollah, have announced they will abide by the Gaza ceasefire but indicated they would resume attacks if it ends.
+They have also said in statements that they still seek the eventual ouster of U.S. forces in Iraq. There are around 2,500 U.S. troops on a mission the U.S. says is to advise and assist Iraqi forces battling remnants of Islamic State.
+""The entire region is on the verge of a devastating conflict that may include everyone, and the extent of its expansion or how to control and stop it is not known,"" said Farhad Alaadin, foreign affairs adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
+""For this reason, we see any ceasefire in the conflict as beneficial and important at this stage for the people of Palestine and Gaza first and for all countries in the region, including Iraq,"" he told Reuters.
+European Union Ambassador to Iraq Thomas Seiler said in a social media post that he hopes Iraqi factions ""continue with their cessation of attacks.""
+Two sets of U.S. strikes in Iraq last week killed 10 members of Kataeb Hezbollah, according to posts by the group on social media, a move condemned by the Iraqi government as escalatory and a violation of sovereignty.
+Kataeb Hezbollah is part of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a group of mostly Shi'ite Muslim armed groups formed to fight Islamic State in 2014 that became an official security agency under the command of the prime minister.
+While technically part of the state, some of the PMF's most powerful Iran-backed factions often act outside the chain of command. Sudani has said attacks by armed groups on foreign forces in Iraq were unlawful and went against the country's national interest.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]",[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/satirical-malaysian-film-falsely-linked-israel-gaza-conflict-2023-11-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Satirical Malaysian film falsely linked to Israel-Gaza conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An image from a satirical Malaysian TV movie released in 2018 has been shared online as evidence of Palestinians staging pictures of people in hospital during Israel’s war with Hamas.
+Social media posts on X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) shared a photo of a single scene from the TV movie Laksa Di Ambang Wati, where an actor had electrodes from an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) stuck to his cheeks and forehead, and a pulse oximeter attached to his nose.
+Included in the image is a caption: “Just a few important items: 1. The EKG heart monitoring electrodes go on the chest and not your face. // 2. The Pulse Oximeter goes on your finger, and not your nose. #pallywood.”
+“Pallywood”, a portmanteau of Palestine and Hollywood, is a term that comes up in online claims of media manipulation by Palestinians, such as using crisis actors, or faking injuries and deaths during times of conflict with Israel.
+THE MOVIE
+In May 2018, Malaysian filmmaker Al Jafree Md Yusop, opens new tab posted on his Facebook page, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) photos showing two different angles of the same scene with a main in a hospital bed with electrodes on his face and oximeter on his nose.
+Yusop captioned the photos in Malay: “Shooting scene this morning. Eid telemovie ‘Laksa Di Ambang Wati’.”
+Contacted by Reuters, Yusop confirmed that the image was a screengrab from his TV film he shot in 2018.
+“It's absurdist satire about Malaysian rural life and corrupt politics. It has nothing to do with the unfortunate conflict in Gaza,"" he said.
+Malaysian actor Tapai Gegarlawak, opens new tab starred in the scene, Yusop added.
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. The image is from a 2018 satirical Malaysian TV movie.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Satirical Malaysian film falsely linked to Israel-Gaza conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An image from a satirical Malaysian TV movie released in 2018 has been shared online as evidence of Palestinians staging pictures of people in hospital during Israel’s war with Hamas. Social media posts on X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) shared a photo of a single scene from the TV movie Laksa Di Ambang Wati, where an actor had electrodes from an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) stuck to his cheeks and forehead, and a pulse oximeter attached to his nose.  Included in the image is a caption: “Just a few important items: 1. The EKG heart monitoring electrodes go on the chest and not your face. // 2. The Pulse Oximeter goes on your finger, and not your nose. #pallywood. ”
+“Pallywood”, a portmanteau of Palestine and Hollywood, is a term that comes up in online claims of media manipulation by Palestinians, such as using crisis actors, or faking injuries and deaths during times of conflict with Israel. THE MOVIE In May 2018, Malaysian filmmaker Al Jafree Md Yusop, opens new tab posted on his Facebook page, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) photos showing two different angles of the same scene with a main in a hospital bed with electrodes on his face and oximeter on his nose.  Yusop captioned the photos in Malay: “Shooting scene this morning. Eid telemovie ‘Laksa Di Ambang Wati’.”  Contacted by Reuters, Yusop confirmed that the image was a screengrab from his TV film he shot in 2018.  “It's absurdist satire about Malaysian rural life and corrupt politics. It has nothing to do with the unfortunate conflict in Gaza,"" he said. Malaysian actor Tapai Gegarlawak, opens new tab starred in the scene, Yusop added.  VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. The image is from a 2018 satirical Malaysian TV movie.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/us-retailers-hope-draw-picky-black-friday-shoppers-stores-2023-11-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A lot quieter' Black Friday brings out discount hunters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK/RALEIGH, N.C., Nov 24 (Reuters) - Shoppers took to stores across the world on a Black Friday that appeared subdued compared with prior years, looking for discounted electronics, clothing and household goods in the kickoff to the holiday shopping season crucial to big retailers.
+Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. Discounts in October and November removed the excitement and urgency of Black Friday.
+""People have already got what they want,"" said David Klink, senior analyst at Huntington Private Bank, which owns shares of Walmart and Target. ""There are only so many big-screen TVs and Alexa [Amazon voice assistants] you can buy.""
+With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. Most major retailers slashed their seasonal hiring. Retailers will likely continue to discount throughout the season to avoid inventory gluts at yearend.
+Caution from shoppers -- coupled with a strong quarterly performance from discount retailers like Target (TGT.N), opens new tab and Ross Stores (ROST.O), opens new tab -- show lingering concern over inflation and a higher cost of living even as fears of a recession recede.
+“People are more value conscious,” said Barbara Kahn, a professor at The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. “People are spending, but they’re spending more conservatively.”
+A record 130.7 million people are expected to shop in stores and online in the U.S. on Black Friday this year, the National Retail Federation estimates. But at 6 a.m. on Friday at a Walmart in New Milford, Connecticut, the parking lot was only half full.
+""It's a lot quieter this year, a lot quieter,"" said shopper Theresa Forsberg, who visits the same five stores with her family at dawn every Black Friday. She was at a nearby Kohl's (KSS.N), opens new tab store at 5 a.m.
+In Paramus, New Jersey, crowds at the Garden State Plaza mall were thinner than prior years, according to Michael Brown, a partner at consulting firm Kearney, who has checked shopping activity for the past 35 years.
+""It wasn't the good, old-fashioned kick-the-doors-down-type"" shopping event this year, he said. Mall goers ""were carrying a bag or two, not the armfuls that you would see in pre-pandemic years. They are not blowing the budget today.""
+
+U.S. shoppers plan to spend an average $875 on holiday purchases - $42 more than last year - with clothing, gift cards and toys at the top of most shopping lists, according to a survey of 8,424 adults conducted in early November by the National Retail Federation.
+The Black Friday tradition began in the U.S. but has gone global, as well as moving online. The rise of online shopping has reduced the importance of Black Friday as a single-day event.
+Shoppers spent an estimated $7.3 billion online through 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Black Friday, a 7.4% increase compared with last year, data from Adobe Analytics showed. On Thanksgiving day, they shelled out $5.6  billion online, Adobe said.
+""I think people are going to still spend on travel and leisure activities that might be online and not necessarily in stores,"" said Jimmy Lee, CEO of The Wealth Consulting Group, which holds Amazon shares.
+
+""The excitement of waiting in lines on Black Friday - there's not as much of that anymore. A lot of people .... would rather just sit at home and look for deals.""
+
+DEEPER DISCOUNTS
+Retailers from Macy's <M.N> to Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab launched deals as early as October and are likely to offer additional discounts closer to Christmas, Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette told investors this month.
+Whether those deals will attract inflation-weary consumers is the biggest worry for retailers.
+Best Buy (BBY.N), opens new tab is offering between $100 and $1,600 off electronics including laptops, flat-screen TVs and KitchenAid mixers after telling investors this week that shoppers are holding off on big-ticket purchases.
+A downturn in luxury spending prompted department stores, including Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom (JWN.N), opens new tab, to offer steep discounts on items such as Balenciaga shoes and Oscar de la Renta earrings.
+On Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, shoppers were unimpressed. Carlos Araejo-Ruiz, 17, hoped for a deal on designer belts at Nordstrom.
+“There was an enthusiastic factor when you’re looking forward to jaw-dropping deals. It’s not the equivalent to years before,” he said.
+Paul Aheren, 69, who drove from Indianapolis, said he remembered when luxury department stores had markdowns up to 70%.
+“At Saks,' if you came in from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., they had a bunch of stuff reduced. You don’t see any of that anymore,” he said. “What they are doing now is clearing the stock they couldn’t sell. I don’t consider that a bargain.”
+SPORADIC PROTESTS
+Black Friday came at the start of a four-day Israel-Hamas truce. Protesters held sporadic “shut it down for Palestine” demonstrations across the United States.
+Demonstrators staged a die-in at a Dallas mall; in Raleigh, protesters briefly shut down the Crabtree Valley Mall, according to online videos; and in Boston, dozens protested outside a Puma shop, a brand that protesters say is the main sponsor of the Israel Football Association.
+Puma said it does not support any political direction, political parties or governments.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]A lot quieter' Black Friday brings out discount hunters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK/RALEIGH, N.C., Nov 24 (Reuters) - Shoppers took to stores across the world on a Black Friday that appeared subdued compared with prior years, looking for discounted electronics, clothing and household goods in the kickoff to the holiday shopping season crucial to big retailers. Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. Discounts in October and November removed the excitement and urgency of Black Friday.  ""People have already got what they want,"" said David Klink, senior analyst at Huntington Private Bank, which owns shares of Walmart and Target. ""There are only so many big-screen TVs and Alexa [Amazon voice assistants] you can buy.""  With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. Most major retailers slashed their seasonal hiring. Retailers will likely continue to discount throughout the season to avoid inventory gluts at yearend. Caution from shoppers -- coupled with a strong quarterly performance from discount retailers like Target (TGT.N), opens new tab and Ross Stores (ROST.O), opens new tab -- show lingering concern over inflation and a higher cost of living even as fears of a recession recede.
+“People are more value conscious,” said Barbara Kahn, a professor at The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. “People are spending, but they’re spending more conservatively. ”  A record 130.7 million people are expected to shop in stores and online in the U.S. on Black Friday this year, the National Retail Federation estimates. But at 6 a.m. on Friday at a Walmart in New Milford, Connecticut, the parking lot was only half full.  ""It's a lot quieter this year, a lot quieter,"" said shopper Theresa Forsberg, who visits the same five stores with her family at dawn every Black Friday. She was at a nearby Kohl's (KSS.N), opens new tab store at 5 a.m.
+In Paramus, New Jersey, crowds at the Garden State Plaza mall were thinner than prior years, according to Michael Brown, a partner at consulting firm Kearney, who has checked shopping activity for the past 35 years. ""It wasn't the good, old-fashioned kick-the-doors-down-type"" shopping event this year, he said. Mall goers ""were carrying a bag or two, not the armfuls that you would see in pre-pandemic years."
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/us-retailers-hope-draw-picky-black-friday-shoppers-stores-2023-11-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A lot quieter' Black Friday brings out discount hunters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK/RALEIGH, N.C., Nov 24 (Reuters) - Shoppers took to stores across the world on a Black Friday that appeared subdued compared with prior years, looking for discounted electronics, clothing and household goods in the kickoff to the holiday shopping season crucial to big retailers.
+Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. Discounts in October and November removed the excitement and urgency of Black Friday.
+""People have already got what they want,"" said David Klink, senior analyst at Huntington Private Bank, which owns shares of Walmart and Target. ""There are only so many big-screen TVs and Alexa [Amazon voice assistants] you can buy.""
+With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. Most major retailers slashed their seasonal hiring. Retailers will likely continue to discount throughout the season to avoid inventory gluts at yearend.
+Caution from shoppers -- coupled with a strong quarterly performance from discount retailers like Target (TGT.N), opens new tab and Ross Stores (ROST.O), opens new tab -- show lingering concern over inflation and a higher cost of living even as fears of a recession recede.
+“People are more value conscious,” said Barbara Kahn, a professor at The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. “People are spending, but they’re spending more conservatively.”
+A record 130.7 million people are expected to shop in stores and online in the U.S. on Black Friday this year, the National Retail Federation estimates. But at 6 a.m. on Friday at a Walmart in New Milford, Connecticut, the parking lot was only half full.
+""It's a lot quieter this year, a lot quieter,"" said shopper Theresa Forsberg, who visits the same five stores with her family at dawn every Black Friday. She was at a nearby Kohl's (KSS.N), opens new tab store at 5 a.m.
+In Paramus, New Jersey, crowds at the Garden State Plaza mall were thinner than prior years, according to Michael Brown, a partner at consulting firm Kearney, who has checked shopping activity for the past 35 years.
+""It wasn't the good, old-fashioned kick-the-doors-down-type"" shopping event this year, he said. Mall goers ""were carrying a bag or two, not the armfuls that you would see in pre-pandemic years. They are not blowing the budget today.""
+
+U.S. shoppers plan to spend an average $875 on holiday purchases - $42 more than last year - with clothing, gift cards and toys at the top of most shopping lists, according to a survey of 8,424 adults conducted in early November by the National Retail Federation.
+The Black Friday tradition began in the U.S. but has gone global, as well as moving online. The rise of online shopping has reduced the importance of Black Friday as a single-day event.
+Shoppers spent an estimated $7.3 billion online through 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Black Friday, a 7.4% increase compared with last year, data from Adobe Analytics showed. On Thanksgiving day, they shelled out $5.6  billion online, Adobe said.
+""I think people are going to still spend on travel and leisure activities that might be online and not necessarily in stores,"" said Jimmy Lee, CEO of The Wealth Consulting Group, which holds Amazon shares.
+
+""The excitement of waiting in lines on Black Friday - there's not as much of that anymore. A lot of people .... would rather just sit at home and look for deals.""
+
+DEEPER DISCOUNTS
+Retailers from Macy's <M.N> to Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab launched deals as early as October and are likely to offer additional discounts closer to Christmas, Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette told investors this month.
+Whether those deals will attract inflation-weary consumers is the biggest worry for retailers.
+Best Buy (BBY.N), opens new tab is offering between $100 and $1,600 off electronics including laptops, flat-screen TVs and KitchenAid mixers after telling investors this week that shoppers are holding off on big-ticket purchases.
+A downturn in luxury spending prompted department stores, including Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom (JWN.N), opens new tab, to offer steep discounts on items such as Balenciaga shoes and Oscar de la Renta earrings.
+On Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, shoppers were unimpressed. Carlos Araejo-Ruiz, 17, hoped for a deal on designer belts at Nordstrom.
+“There was an enthusiastic factor when you’re looking forward to jaw-dropping deals. It’s not the equivalent to years before,” he said.
+Paul Aheren, 69, who drove from Indianapolis, said he remembered when luxury department stores had markdowns up to 70%.
+“At Saks,' if you came in from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., they had a bunch of stuff reduced. You don’t see any of that anymore,” he said. “What they are doing now is clearing the stock they couldn’t sell. I don’t consider that a bargain.”
+SPORADIC PROTESTS
+Black Friday came at the start of a four-day Israel-Hamas truce. Protesters held sporadic “shut it down for Palestine” demonstrations across the United States.
+Demonstrators staged a die-in at a Dallas mall; in Raleigh, protesters briefly shut down the Crabtree Valley Mall, according to online videos; and in Boston, dozens protested outside a Puma shop, a brand that protesters say is the main sponsor of the Israel Football Association.
+Puma said it does not support any political direction, political parties or governments.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","They are not blowing the budget today.""  U.S. shoppers plan to spend an average $875 on holiday purchases - $42 more than last year - with clothing, gift cards and toys at the top of most shopping lists, according to a survey of 8,424 adults conducted in early November by the National Retail Federation.
+The Black Friday tradition began in the U.S. but has gone global, as well as moving online. The rise of online shopping has reduced the importance of Black Friday as a single-day event. Shoppers spent an estimated $7.3 billion online through 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Black Friday, a 7.4% increase compared with last year, data from Adobe Analytics showed. On Thanksgiving day, they shelled out $5.6  billion online, Adobe said. ""I think people are going to still spend on travel and leisure activities that might be online and not necessarily in stores,"" said Jimmy Lee, CEO of The Wealth Consulting Group, which holds Amazon shares.  ""The excitement of waiting in lines on Black Friday - there's not as much of that anymore. A lot of people .... would rather just sit at home and look for deals. ""
+
+DEEPER DISCOUNTS
+Retailers from Macy's <M.N> to Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab launched deals as early as October and are likely to offer additional discounts closer to Christmas, Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette told investors this month.
+Whether those deals will attract inflation-weary consumers is the biggest worry for retailers. Best Buy (BBY.N), opens new tab is offering between $100 and $1,600 off electronics including laptops, flat-screen TVs and KitchenAid mixers after telling investors this week that shoppers are holding off on big-ticket purchases. A downturn in luxury spending prompted department stores, including Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom (JWN.N), opens new tab, to offer steep discounts on items such as Balenciaga shoes and Oscar de la Renta earrings.  On Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, shoppers were unimpressed. Carlos Araejo-Ruiz, 17, hoped for a deal on designer belts at Nordstrom. “There was an enthusiastic factor when you’re looking forward to jaw-dropping deals. It’s not the equivalent to years before,” he said. Paul Aheren, 69, who drove from Indianapolis, said he remembered when luxury department stores had markdowns up to 70%.  “At Saks,' if you came in from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., they had a bunch of stuff reduced. You don’t see any of that anymore,” he said."
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/us-retailers-hope-draw-picky-black-friday-shoppers-stores-2023-11-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A lot quieter' Black Friday brings out discount hunters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK/RALEIGH, N.C., Nov 24 (Reuters) - Shoppers took to stores across the world on a Black Friday that appeared subdued compared with prior years, looking for discounted electronics, clothing and household goods in the kickoff to the holiday shopping season crucial to big retailers.
+Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. Discounts in October and November removed the excitement and urgency of Black Friday.
+""People have already got what they want,"" said David Klink, senior analyst at Huntington Private Bank, which owns shares of Walmart and Target. ""There are only so many big-screen TVs and Alexa [Amazon voice assistants] you can buy.""
+With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. Most major retailers slashed their seasonal hiring. Retailers will likely continue to discount throughout the season to avoid inventory gluts at yearend.
+Caution from shoppers -- coupled with a strong quarterly performance from discount retailers like Target (TGT.N), opens new tab and Ross Stores (ROST.O), opens new tab -- show lingering concern over inflation and a higher cost of living even as fears of a recession recede.
+“People are more value conscious,” said Barbara Kahn, a professor at The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. “People are spending, but they’re spending more conservatively.”
+A record 130.7 million people are expected to shop in stores and online in the U.S. on Black Friday this year, the National Retail Federation estimates. But at 6 a.m. on Friday at a Walmart in New Milford, Connecticut, the parking lot was only half full.
+""It's a lot quieter this year, a lot quieter,"" said shopper Theresa Forsberg, who visits the same five stores with her family at dawn every Black Friday. She was at a nearby Kohl's (KSS.N), opens new tab store at 5 a.m.
+In Paramus, New Jersey, crowds at the Garden State Plaza mall were thinner than prior years, according to Michael Brown, a partner at consulting firm Kearney, who has checked shopping activity for the past 35 years.
+""It wasn't the good, old-fashioned kick-the-doors-down-type"" shopping event this year, he said. Mall goers ""were carrying a bag or two, not the armfuls that you would see in pre-pandemic years. They are not blowing the budget today.""
+
+U.S. shoppers plan to spend an average $875 on holiday purchases - $42 more than last year - with clothing, gift cards and toys at the top of most shopping lists, according to a survey of 8,424 adults conducted in early November by the National Retail Federation.
+The Black Friday tradition began in the U.S. but has gone global, as well as moving online. The rise of online shopping has reduced the importance of Black Friday as a single-day event.
+Shoppers spent an estimated $7.3 billion online through 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Black Friday, a 7.4% increase compared with last year, data from Adobe Analytics showed. On Thanksgiving day, they shelled out $5.6  billion online, Adobe said.
+""I think people are going to still spend on travel and leisure activities that might be online and not necessarily in stores,"" said Jimmy Lee, CEO of The Wealth Consulting Group, which holds Amazon shares.
+
+""The excitement of waiting in lines on Black Friday - there's not as much of that anymore. A lot of people .... would rather just sit at home and look for deals.""
+
+DEEPER DISCOUNTS
+Retailers from Macy's <M.N> to Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab launched deals as early as October and are likely to offer additional discounts closer to Christmas, Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette told investors this month.
+Whether those deals will attract inflation-weary consumers is the biggest worry for retailers.
+Best Buy (BBY.N), opens new tab is offering between $100 and $1,600 off electronics including laptops, flat-screen TVs and KitchenAid mixers after telling investors this week that shoppers are holding off on big-ticket purchases.
+A downturn in luxury spending prompted department stores, including Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom (JWN.N), opens new tab, to offer steep discounts on items such as Balenciaga shoes and Oscar de la Renta earrings.
+On Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, shoppers were unimpressed. Carlos Araejo-Ruiz, 17, hoped for a deal on designer belts at Nordstrom.
+“There was an enthusiastic factor when you’re looking forward to jaw-dropping deals. It’s not the equivalent to years before,” he said.
+Paul Aheren, 69, who drove from Indianapolis, said he remembered when luxury department stores had markdowns up to 70%.
+“At Saks,' if you came in from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., they had a bunch of stuff reduced. You don’t see any of that anymore,” he said. “What they are doing now is clearing the stock they couldn’t sell. I don’t consider that a bargain.”
+SPORADIC PROTESTS
+Black Friday came at the start of a four-day Israel-Hamas truce. Protesters held sporadic “shut it down for Palestine” demonstrations across the United States.
+Demonstrators staged a die-in at a Dallas mall; in Raleigh, protesters briefly shut down the Crabtree Valley Mall, according to online videos; and in Boston, dozens protested outside a Puma shop, a brand that protesters say is the main sponsor of the Israel Football Association.
+Puma said it does not support any political direction, political parties or governments.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","“What they are doing now is clearing the stock they couldn’t sell. I don’t consider that a bargain. ” SPORADIC PROTESTS  Black Friday came at the start of a four-day Israel-Hamas truce. Protesters held sporadic “shut it down for Palestine” demonstrations across the United States. Demonstrators staged a die-in at a Dallas mall; in Raleigh, protesters briefly shut down the Crabtree Valley Mall, according to online videos; and in Boston, dozens protested outside a Puma shop, a brand that protesters say is the main sponsor of the Israel Football Association.
+Puma said it does not support any political direction, political parties or governments.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-cheers-us-diplomacy-behind-gaza-hostage-release-says-only-start-2023-11-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden hopeful about Israel-Hamas truce extension, US hostages release[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NANTUCKET, Mass., Nov 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that the chances were ""real"" of a truce between Israel and Hamas being extended and he expressed hope that U.S. citizens taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group would be freed soon.
+Biden also praised U.S. diplomacy behind the truce and Friday's release of 24 hostages who were taken by Hamas to Gaza in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, saying it was the start of what he expected would be further releases in coming days.
+""Beginning this morning, under a deal reached by extensive U.S. diplomacy, including numerous calls I've made from the Oval Office to leaders across the region, fighting in Gaza will halt for four days,"" Biden told a press conference.
+Asked whether the truce could be extended, Biden said: ""I think the chances are real.""
+Biden declined to speculate about how long the Israel-Hamas war would last. Asked by a reporter what his expectations were, Biden said Israel's goal of eliminating Hamas was a legitimate but difficult mission.
+""I don't know how long it will take,"" Biden told reporters.
+""My expectation and hope is that as we move forward, the rest of the Arab world and the region is also putting pressure on all sides to slow this down, to bring this to an end as quickly as we can.""
+Under the terms of the truce, 50 women and children hostages are to be released over four days, in return for 150 Palestinian women and children among thousands of detainees in Israeli jails. Israel says the truce could be extended if more hostages are released at a rate of 10 per day.
+Both sides have promised a return to fighting.
+
+Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing, said in a video message that this was a ""temporary truce"" and called for an ""escalation of the confrontation ... on all resistance fronts"", including the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke similarly, calling the pause ""short"" and saying that at its conclusion ""the war (and) fighting will continue with great might.""
+Israel has retaliated against Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack in which the government says Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized about 240 hostages.
+The Israeli military has bombarded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, killing about 14,000 Gazans, around 40% of them children, according to Palestinian health authorities.
+The civilian death toll has generated international outcry and protests even in the United States, a staunch ally of Israel.
+Biden spoke to reporters on Friday while vacationing with his family on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket.
+As Biden and his wife, Jill, walked around Nantucket after his remarks, some in the gathered crowd loudly shouted: ""Free Palestine!""
+Biden said earlier that he had raised civilian casualties with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
+""I've encouraged the prime minister to focus on trying to reduce the number of casualties while he is attempting to eliminate Hamas, which is a legitimate objective,"" Biden told reporters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden hopeful about Israel-Hamas truce extension, US hostages release[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NANTUCKET, Mass., Nov 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that the chances were ""real"" of a truce between Israel and Hamas being extended and he expressed hope that U.S. citizens taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group would be freed soon. Biden also praised U.S. diplomacy behind the truce and Friday's release of 24 hostages who were taken by Hamas to Gaza in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, saying it was the start of what he expected would be further releases in coming days.
+""Beginning this morning, under a deal reached by extensive U.S. diplomacy, including numerous calls I've made from the Oval Office to leaders across the region, fighting in Gaza will halt for four days,"" Biden told a press conference.  Asked whether the truce could be extended, Biden said: ""I think the chances are real.""
+Biden declined to speculate about how long the Israel-Hamas war would last. Asked by a reporter what his expectations were, Biden said Israel's goal of eliminating Hamas was a legitimate but difficult mission. ""I don't know how long it will take,"" Biden told reporters. ""My expectation and hope is that as we move forward, the rest of the Arab world and the region is also putting pressure on all sides to slow this down, to bring this to an end as quickly as we can.""  Under the terms of the truce, 50 women and children hostages are to be released over four days, in return for 150 Palestinian women and children among thousands of detainees in Israeli jails. Israel says the truce could be extended if more hostages are released at a rate of 10 per day. Both sides have promised a return to fighting. Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing, said in a video message that this was a ""temporary truce"" and called for an ""escalation of the confrontation ... on all resistance fronts"", including the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke similarly, calling the pause ""short"" and saying that at its conclusion ""the war (and) fighting will continue with great might.""  Israel has retaliated against Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack in which the government says Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized about 240 hostages. The Israeli military has bombarded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, killing about 14,000 Gazans, around 40% of them children, according to Palestinian health authorities."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-cheers-us-diplomacy-behind-gaza-hostage-release-says-only-start-2023-11-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden hopeful about Israel-Hamas truce extension, US hostages release[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NANTUCKET, Mass., Nov 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that the chances were ""real"" of a truce between Israel and Hamas being extended and he expressed hope that U.S. citizens taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group would be freed soon.
+Biden also praised U.S. diplomacy behind the truce and Friday's release of 24 hostages who were taken by Hamas to Gaza in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, saying it was the start of what he expected would be further releases in coming days.
+""Beginning this morning, under a deal reached by extensive U.S. diplomacy, including numerous calls I've made from the Oval Office to leaders across the region, fighting in Gaza will halt for four days,"" Biden told a press conference.
+Asked whether the truce could be extended, Biden said: ""I think the chances are real.""
+Biden declined to speculate about how long the Israel-Hamas war would last. Asked by a reporter what his expectations were, Biden said Israel's goal of eliminating Hamas was a legitimate but difficult mission.
+""I don't know how long it will take,"" Biden told reporters.
+""My expectation and hope is that as we move forward, the rest of the Arab world and the region is also putting pressure on all sides to slow this down, to bring this to an end as quickly as we can.""
+Under the terms of the truce, 50 women and children hostages are to be released over four days, in return for 150 Palestinian women and children among thousands of detainees in Israeli jails. Israel says the truce could be extended if more hostages are released at a rate of 10 per day.
+Both sides have promised a return to fighting.
+
+Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing, said in a video message that this was a ""temporary truce"" and called for an ""escalation of the confrontation ... on all resistance fronts"", including the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke similarly, calling the pause ""short"" and saying that at its conclusion ""the war (and) fighting will continue with great might.""
+Israel has retaliated against Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack in which the government says Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized about 240 hostages.
+The Israeli military has bombarded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, killing about 14,000 Gazans, around 40% of them children, according to Palestinian health authorities.
+The civilian death toll has generated international outcry and protests even in the United States, a staunch ally of Israel.
+Biden spoke to reporters on Friday while vacationing with his family on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket.
+As Biden and his wife, Jill, walked around Nantucket after his remarks, some in the gathered crowd loudly shouted: ""Free Palestine!""
+Biden said earlier that he had raised civilian casualties with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
+""I've encouraged the prime minister to focus on trying to reduce the number of casualties while he is attempting to eliminate Hamas, which is a legitimate objective,"" Biden told reporters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The civilian death toll has generated international outcry and protests even in the United States, a staunch ally of Israel. Biden spoke to reporters on Friday while vacationing with his family on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket.
+As Biden and his wife, Jill, walked around Nantucket after his remarks, some in the gathered crowd loudly shouted: ""Free Palestine!"" Biden said earlier that he had raised civilian casualties with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ""I've encouraged the prime minister to focus on trying to reduce the number of casualties while he is attempting to eliminate Hamas, which is a legitimate objective,"" Biden told reporters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-extremely-concerned-about-those-left-al-shifa-hospital-2023-11-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN agencies hope truce will allow aid to flow to northern Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - U.N. agencies voiced hope that a shaky truce that began between Israel and Hamas on Friday would allow for a ramping-up of aid and the first flows to northern Gaza in weeks as fresh hospital rescue efforts got under way.
+Aid agencies have said they are aiming to deliver supplies to the northern part of the Palestinian enclave where hospitals have collapsed due to bombings and lack of fuel and where there are major concerns about dehydration and disease in a situation described as a siege within a siege.
+But they say a more permanent ceasefire is required to deliver the mass amount of aid to address Gaza's full needs, with nearly three-quarters of the population or some 1.7 million people displaced, thousands killed and many more -- both dead and alive -- thought to be trapped beneath the rubble.
+""The north has suffered brutally so it's one of our big priorities across U.N. agencies, irrespective of what the delivery is, is to get to the north,"" said James Elder, a spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency in Gaza.
+UNICEF is aiming to get 30 trucks a day into Gaza during the truce and is prioritising delivering water and blankets, he said, describing scenes of people drinking salty water and sleeping in their cars with smashed-out windows.
+He called for a longer period of sustained peace for children to recover physically and mentally, describing meeting a 7-year-old orphan who kept shutting his eyes so as not to forget his dead parents whose house was bombed.
+""We cannot in all decent conscience go from a four or five day pause into killing of children again. I mean, that seems absolutely callous,"" he told Reuters.
+Asked whether the United Nations had guarantees from Israel that it could deliver aid to the north, Jens Laerke of the U.N. humanitarian office said: ""We proceed on the basis of the hope and the expectation that we will reach people in need, where they are.""
+Egypt says that during the truce 200 trucks will cross the Rafah crossing daily - more than double the recent average - and about twice the amount of fuel (130,000 litres), but it is not clear how the ramp-up is being managed.
+That border crossing, intended for pedestrians, is the only one currently open and logistical limitations, bottlenecks and slow vetting processes have been constraining flows.
+WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said the agency was working on further hospital evacuations as soon as possible, voicing concern for some 100 patients and health care workers left in Al Shifa Hospital.
+The Palestine Red Crescent said on social media that it had evacuated about 120 people, opens new tab from Ahli Baptist Hospital to Khan Younis in the south. It also received two new ambulances and 85 trucks with aid, it said.
+Other aid groups were sceptical that the short pause would make a difference.
+""For medical operations, a four-day pause is a band-aid not healthcare. This is not humanitarian access, it's a joke,"" said Joel Weiller, Director General at Medecins du Monde.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN agencies hope truce will allow aid to flow to northern Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - U.N. agencies voiced hope that a shaky truce that began between Israel and Hamas on Friday would allow for a ramping-up of aid and the first flows to northern Gaza in weeks as fresh hospital rescue efforts got under way. Aid agencies have said they are aiming to deliver supplies to the northern part of the Palestinian enclave where hospitals have collapsed due to bombings and lack of fuel and where there are major concerns about dehydration and disease in a situation described as a siege within a siege. But they say a more permanent ceasefire is required to deliver the mass amount of aid to address Gaza's full needs, with nearly three-quarters of the population or some 1.7 million people displaced, thousands killed and many more -- both dead and alive -- thought to be trapped beneath the rubble. ""The north has suffered brutally so it's one of our big priorities across U.N. agencies, irrespective of what the delivery is, is to get to the north,"" said James Elder, a spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency in Gaza. UNICEF is aiming to get 30 trucks a day into Gaza during the truce and is prioritising delivering water and blankets, he said, describing scenes of people drinking salty water and sleeping in their cars with smashed-out windows.  He called for a longer period of sustained peace for children to recover physically and mentally, describing meeting a 7-year-old orphan who kept shutting his eyes so as not to forget his dead parents whose house was bombed.
+""We cannot in all decent conscience go from a four or five day pause into killing of children again. I mean, that seems absolutely callous,"" he told Reuters. Asked whether the United Nations had guarantees from Israel that it could deliver aid to the north, Jens Laerke of the U.N. humanitarian office said: ""We proceed on the basis of the hope and the expectation that we will reach people in need, where they are."" Egypt says that during the truce 200 trucks will cross the Rafah crossing daily - more than double the recent average - and about twice the amount of fuel (130,000 litres), but it is not clear how the ramp-up is being managed. That border crossing, intended for pedestrians, is the only one currently open and logistical limitations, bottlenecks and slow vetting processes have been constraining flows. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-extremely-concerned-about-those-left-al-shifa-hospital-2023-11-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN agencies hope truce will allow aid to flow to northern Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - U.N. agencies voiced hope that a shaky truce that began between Israel and Hamas on Friday would allow for a ramping-up of aid and the first flows to northern Gaza in weeks as fresh hospital rescue efforts got under way.
+Aid agencies have said they are aiming to deliver supplies to the northern part of the Palestinian enclave where hospitals have collapsed due to bombings and lack of fuel and where there are major concerns about dehydration and disease in a situation described as a siege within a siege.
+But they say a more permanent ceasefire is required to deliver the mass amount of aid to address Gaza's full needs, with nearly three-quarters of the population or some 1.7 million people displaced, thousands killed and many more -- both dead and alive -- thought to be trapped beneath the rubble.
+""The north has suffered brutally so it's one of our big priorities across U.N. agencies, irrespective of what the delivery is, is to get to the north,"" said James Elder, a spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency in Gaza.
+UNICEF is aiming to get 30 trucks a day into Gaza during the truce and is prioritising delivering water and blankets, he said, describing scenes of people drinking salty water and sleeping in their cars with smashed-out windows.
+He called for a longer period of sustained peace for children to recover physically and mentally, describing meeting a 7-year-old orphan who kept shutting his eyes so as not to forget his dead parents whose house was bombed.
+""We cannot in all decent conscience go from a four or five day pause into killing of children again. I mean, that seems absolutely callous,"" he told Reuters.
+Asked whether the United Nations had guarantees from Israel that it could deliver aid to the north, Jens Laerke of the U.N. humanitarian office said: ""We proceed on the basis of the hope and the expectation that we will reach people in need, where they are.""
+Egypt says that during the truce 200 trucks will cross the Rafah crossing daily - more than double the recent average - and about twice the amount of fuel (130,000 litres), but it is not clear how the ramp-up is being managed.
+That border crossing, intended for pedestrians, is the only one currently open and logistical limitations, bottlenecks and slow vetting processes have been constraining flows.
+WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said the agency was working on further hospital evacuations as soon as possible, voicing concern for some 100 patients and health care workers left in Al Shifa Hospital.
+The Palestine Red Crescent said on social media that it had evacuated about 120 people, opens new tab from Ahli Baptist Hospital to Khan Younis in the south. It also received two new ambulances and 85 trucks with aid, it said.
+Other aid groups were sceptical that the short pause would make a difference.
+""For medical operations, a four-day pause is a band-aid not healthcare. This is not humanitarian access, it's a joke,"" said Joel Weiller, Director General at Medecins du Monde.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said the agency was working on further hospital evacuations as soon as possible, voicing concern for some 100 patients and health care workers left in Al Shifa Hospital.
+The Palestine Red Crescent said on social media that it had evacuated about 120 people, opens new tab from Ahli Baptist Hospital to Khan Younis in the south. It also received two new ambulances and 85 trucks with aid, it said. Other aid groups were sceptical that the short pause would make a difference. ""For medical operations, a four-day pause is a band-aid not healthcare. This is not humanitarian access, it's a joke,"" said Joel Weiller, Director General at Medecins du Monde.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-showing-policing-pro-palestinian-protest-misrepresented-2023-11-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video showing policing of Pro-Palestinian protest misrepresented[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video of London police officers flanking a column of pro-Palestinian protesters has been falsely claimed online to show police participating in the rally.
+The claim appeared on social media after more than 140 people were arrested at a large pro-Palestinian demonstration and a far-right counter protest in Britain’s capital on Nov. 11.
+A Nov. 12 post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on messaging platform X, formerly Twitter, shared the video with the caption: “2000 Police officers have marched in Central London to Hyde Park Corner to protest against Israel for the atrocities in Palestine… I am so proud of the British Police for standing up for Justice!!! #PalestineGenocide #londonpolice #israel”.
+The same claim and video, which shows people carrying Palestinian flags and a “Ceasefire Now” banner through Regent Street, opens new tab, was also shared on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab).
+Reuters dated the video to at least Nov. 4, when it was posted on TikTok, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab). A pro-Palestinian rally was reported by Reuters and in local media that day, opens new tab.
+The police officers in the video are seen walking alongside the march and none of them are carrying flags, banners or placards, unlike the protesters themselves.
+A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said in an email to Reuters that the officers were not participating in the protest but policing it.
+There are no reliable reports about the Metropolitan Police participating in pro-Palestinian rallies.
+VERDICT
+Misleading. The video shows officers policing a pro-Palestinian protest in London, not taking part in it.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video showing policing of Pro-Palestinian protest misrepresented[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video of London police officers flanking a column of pro-Palestinian protesters has been falsely claimed online to show police participating in the rally. The claim appeared on social media after more than 140 people were arrested at a large pro-Palestinian demonstration and a far-right counter protest in Britain’s capital on Nov. 11.  A Nov. 12 post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on messaging platform X, formerly Twitter, shared the video with the caption: “2000 Police officers have marched in Central London to Hyde Park Corner to protest against Israel for the atrocities in Palestine… I am so proud of the British Police for standing up for Justice!!! #PalestineGenocide #londonpolice #israel” . The same claim and video, which shows people carrying Palestinian flags and a “Ceasefire Now” banner through Regent Street, opens new tab, was also shared on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab).  Reuters dated the video to at least Nov. 4, when it was posted on TikTok, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab). A pro-Palestinian rally was reported by Reuters and in local media that day, opens new tab. The police officers in the video are seen walking alongside the march and none of them are carrying flags, banners or placards, unlike the protesters themselves. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said in an email to Reuters that the officers were not participating in the protest but policing it.  There are no reliable reports about the Metropolitan Police participating in pro-Palestinian rallies.  VERDICT
+Misleading. The video shows officers policing a pro-Palestinian protest in London, not taking part in it.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/what-is-black-friday-will-shoppers-find-bargains-this-year-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What Black Friday deals can shoppers find today?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - Retailers are preparing for what they hope will be yet another record-setting global shopping spree on Black Friday, the fourth Friday of November, which this year is Nov. 24.
+Known for crowds lining up at big-box stores to pounce on doorbuster discounts during the early hours after American Thanksgiving, Black Friday normally marks the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season.
+Retailers in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere will be trying to cash in on the hoopla. Here is what to expect from Black Friday 2023.
+WHY IS IT CALLED 'BLACK' FRIDAY?
+Starting around the 1960s and early 1970s, police and bus drivers in Philadelphia used the term ""Black Friday"" to refer to the chaos an influx of people to the city created before the Thanksgiving weekend. Visitors would trawl the stores in Philadelphia on Friday with their Christmas lists looking for gifts. Shoplifting and parking violations ensued.
+Department stores re-branded the term to ""Big Friday"" to put a more positive spin on it. But the name did not stick, and since the 1980s retailers began to describe Black Friday as the day when their retail ledgers are allegedly ""in the black,"" or operating at a profit, as customers start holiday shopping, according to Marcus Collins, a marketing professor with Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.
+""What we know is Black Friday, because it's so ceremonial, we get more people participating in it,"" Collins said.
+WILL SHOPPERS FIND BLACK FRIDAY DEALS THIS YEAR?
+Several major retailers from Dollar General (DG.N), opens new tab to Walmart (WMT.N), opens new tab and Macy's (M.N), opens new tab could be saddled with too much stock for a second straight year, according to a Reuters analysis. They likely will need to offer discounts in order to drive shoppers to their stores and websites.
+Even ahead of Black Friday, research firm Jane Hali & Associates said discounts at Kohl's (KSS.N), opens new tab and Macy's were as high as 60%, with foot traffic lower at these two retailers and Nordstrom (JWN.N), opens new tab compared to last year.
+Online discounts were expected to be as steep as 35% on toys, 24% on sporting goods and 19% on furniture, according to data from Adobe Analytics.
+WHAT ITEMS ARE HOT FOR BLACK FRIDAY THIS YEAR?
+IPhones will be hot again, with the recent launch of the iPhone 15. Last year, shoppers looking for Apple's (AAPL.O), opens new tab iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max returned empty handed as the technology company struggled with production snafus in China.
+Electronics are expected to be the top pick this shopping season, with estimates of a 6% growth, according to a report by Mastercard.
+Best Buy kicked off its Black Friday deals in late October with offers such as its Play Station 5 for $499.99 bundled with either ""Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III"" or Marvel's ""Spider-Man 2"", though the retailer on Tuesday forecast a bigger decline in annual comparable sales and pointed to ""difficult to predict"" consumer demand.
+Skin and hair care products remain popular, with Ulta Beauty offering up to 40% discount on CoverGirl and Lancome mascaras, Bobbi Brown concealers and select products of its own label.
+ARE BLACK FRIDAY CROWDS LIKELY THIS YEAR?
+Around 130.7 million people are planning to shop on Black Friday this year, according to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF). Thanksgiving weekend, which encompasses Black Friday and Cyber Monday - the Monday after Thanksgiving - is typically the busiest shopping period in the United States.
+But Dana Telsey, CEO of Telsey Advisory Group, said Black Friday itself will not be as important this year. With Christmas falling on a Monday, the ""procrastination factor (is) even greater because shoppers can wait until Saturday or Sunday"" before Christmas to get gifts, she said this week.
+Throughout the holiday season, in-store traffic is expected to fall slightly this year, dropping by 3.5% compared to last year, according to retail analytics firm Sensormatic Solutions.
+Wet weather, which deterred in-store traffic in some parts of the U.S. last year on Black Friday morning, is largely not expected this year, according AccuWeather.
+Although most U.S. stores will be closed on Thanksgiving again this year, opening for shoppers at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. on Friday, some retailers are advertising discounts online that kick in starting at 12:01 a.m. on Thanksgiving.
+Among them is Kohl's, which is promoting what it calls a ""Super Deal"" on Thanksgiving and Black Friday on products including Beats Studio Buds wireless noise cancelling earbuds for $89.99, from the regular price of $149.99.
+
+Retailers big and small are touting online ordering and curbside pick-up this year for the convenience of shoppers who want to avoid stores. In the past decade, Americans' Black Friday purchases online have more than tripled, reaching $9.12 billion on the day last year, according to Adobe.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS' PLANS THIS YEAR?
+Retailers including Best Buy, Macy's, H&M and pure e-commerce retailers like Shein and Temu were touting early Black Friday ""deals"" of up to 30% off on some limited merchandise online and in stores.
+Such early promotions could help them measure shopper demand and avoid product shortages, which could be a big problem this year. Water levels in a key shipping artery, the Panama Canal, have dropped due to a severe drought, cutting the number of ships carrying merchandise through it.
+Many retailers in the U.S. intentionally muted their holiday hiring plans. Labor shortages are also a challenge for retailers in Europe, meaning shoppers could find fewer staff to help them.
+ARE DISRUPTIONS EXPECTED DURING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND?
+High-profile events could be attractive targets for protestors, disruptions and rallies pertaining to the Israel-Hamas war. On Thursday about 20 pro-Palestinian protesters halted New York's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for a few minutes after lining across Sixth Avenue. Many of them wore tops emblazoned with ""Stop the Genocide"" as they unfurled a banner saying ""Free Palestine,"" ""Land Back"" and ""Genocide Then, Genocide Now.""
+More than 400 Macy's workers in Washington state are planning a three-day strike from Black Friday through Sunday, alleging unfair labor practices and demanding better wages, according to UFCW Local 3000's website.
+Amazon workers in more than a dozen U.S. warehouses are striking on Black Friday, in a fight for higher wages, improved environmental efforts and tax payments to Europe. Protests are slated in more than 30 countries, including Germany, India and Spain, where at least 30 facilities will see walk-outs.
+The strike's organizer Make Amazon Pay expects ""thousands of workers"" to participate with the hopes of causing friction to the e-retail giant's supply chain, which sees peak demand during the holiday shopping season. ""Tens of thousands"" of workers participated in three previous Amazon Black Friday walk-outs.
+HOW MUCH ARE SHOPPERS EXPECTED TO SPEND?
+Cyber Week, the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, is expected to generate $37.2 billion in spending online, according to Adobe, not counting spending in stores. That is less than a fourth of the $156.4 billion that shoppers spent during China's Singles Day shopping event that ended on Nov. 11, according to data provider Syntun.
+Retail sales during the holidays are expected to be up 3% to 4% year-over-year across all sales channels - online, click and collect and in-store purchases, according to David Bujnicki, senior vice president of investor relations and strategy at Kimco Realty Corp (KIM.N), opens new tab, an owner of open-air shopping centers. As of Sept. 30, Kimco owned interests in 527 U.S. shopping centers and mixed-use assets.
+""Black Friday, while still a very important retail shopping day, is no longer the make or break benchmark,"" he said. ""Retailers and consumers are spreading out their holiday sales deals beginning in November.""
+Spending online during Black Friday is expected to rise 5.7% to roughly $9.6 billion, according to Adobe.
+In the United Kingdom, online spending during Black Friday is expected to rise 4.5% to 1.05 billion pounds ($1.30 billion), with total sales over the Cyber Weekend reaching 3.8 billion pounds, according to an Adobe forecast.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS DOING TO ATTRACT HOLIDAY SHOPPERS?
+With student loan payments returning, and costs of housing and essentials pinching household budgets, analysts believe retailers will have to rely on promotions and early offers to stay afloat this holiday season.
+Consumers were looking to make the most of promotional events and wrap up their shopping in just 5.8 weeks this year, when compared to a 7.4-week window pre-pandemic, according to data from Deloitte.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS SAYING ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BLACK FRIDAY?
+Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette on Thursday said the competitive landscape has shifted to Black Friday deals prior to Black Friday. ""We're in the midst of that along with our competitors, customers are taking advantage of that.""
+Mattel President Steve Totzke told Reuters on Monday that he is expecting a strong Black Friday and run-up to the holidays even as the toymaker warned of slowing demand for the toy industry last month.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What Black Friday deals can shoppers find today?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - Retailers are preparing for what they hope will be yet another record-setting global shopping spree on Black Friday, the fourth Friday of November, which this year is Nov. 24. Known for crowds lining up at big-box stores to pounce on doorbuster discounts during the early hours after American Thanksgiving, Black Friday normally marks the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season. Retailers in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere will be trying to cash in on the hoopla. Here is what to expect from Black Friday 2023. WHY IS IT CALLED 'BLACK' FRIDAY?  Starting around the 1960s and early 1970s, police and bus drivers in Philadelphia used the term ""Black Friday"" to refer to the chaos an influx of people to the city created before the Thanksgiving weekend. Visitors would trawl the stores in Philadelphia on Friday with their Christmas lists looking for gifts. Shoplifting and parking violations ensued.  Department stores re-branded the term to ""Big Friday"" to put a more positive spin on it. But the name did not stick, and since the 1980s retailers began to describe Black Friday as the day when their retail ledgers are allegedly ""in the black,"" or operating at a profit, as customers start holiday shopping, according to Marcus Collins, a marketing professor with Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. ""What we know is Black Friday, because it's so ceremonial, we get more people participating in it,"" Collins said. WILL SHOPPERS FIND BLACK FRIDAY DEALS THIS YEAR? Several major retailers from Dollar General (DG.N), opens new tab to Walmart (WMT.N), opens new tab and Macy's (M.N), opens new tab could be saddled with too much stock for a second straight year, according to a Reuters analysis. They likely will need to offer discounts in order to drive shoppers to their stores and websites. Even ahead of Black Friday, research firm Jane Hali & Associates said discounts at Kohl's (KSS.N), opens new tab and Macy's were as high as 60%, with foot traffic lower at these two retailers and Nordstrom (JWN.N), opens new tab compared to last year. Online discounts were expected to be as steep as 35% on toys, 24% on sporting goods and 19% on furniture, according to data from Adobe Analytics. WHAT ITEMS ARE HOT FOR BLACK FRIDAY THIS YEAR? IPhones will be hot again, with the recent launch of the iPhone 15."
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/what-is-black-friday-will-shoppers-find-bargains-this-year-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What Black Friday deals can shoppers find today?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - Retailers are preparing for what they hope will be yet another record-setting global shopping spree on Black Friday, the fourth Friday of November, which this year is Nov. 24.
+Known for crowds lining up at big-box stores to pounce on doorbuster discounts during the early hours after American Thanksgiving, Black Friday normally marks the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season.
+Retailers in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere will be trying to cash in on the hoopla. Here is what to expect from Black Friday 2023.
+WHY IS IT CALLED 'BLACK' FRIDAY?
+Starting around the 1960s and early 1970s, police and bus drivers in Philadelphia used the term ""Black Friday"" to refer to the chaos an influx of people to the city created before the Thanksgiving weekend. Visitors would trawl the stores in Philadelphia on Friday with their Christmas lists looking for gifts. Shoplifting and parking violations ensued.
+Department stores re-branded the term to ""Big Friday"" to put a more positive spin on it. But the name did not stick, and since the 1980s retailers began to describe Black Friday as the day when their retail ledgers are allegedly ""in the black,"" or operating at a profit, as customers start holiday shopping, according to Marcus Collins, a marketing professor with Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.
+""What we know is Black Friday, because it's so ceremonial, we get more people participating in it,"" Collins said.
+WILL SHOPPERS FIND BLACK FRIDAY DEALS THIS YEAR?
+Several major retailers from Dollar General (DG.N), opens new tab to Walmart (WMT.N), opens new tab and Macy's (M.N), opens new tab could be saddled with too much stock for a second straight year, according to a Reuters analysis. They likely will need to offer discounts in order to drive shoppers to their stores and websites.
+Even ahead of Black Friday, research firm Jane Hali & Associates said discounts at Kohl's (KSS.N), opens new tab and Macy's were as high as 60%, with foot traffic lower at these two retailers and Nordstrom (JWN.N), opens new tab compared to last year.
+Online discounts were expected to be as steep as 35% on toys, 24% on sporting goods and 19% on furniture, according to data from Adobe Analytics.
+WHAT ITEMS ARE HOT FOR BLACK FRIDAY THIS YEAR?
+IPhones will be hot again, with the recent launch of the iPhone 15. Last year, shoppers looking for Apple's (AAPL.O), opens new tab iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max returned empty handed as the technology company struggled with production snafus in China.
+Electronics are expected to be the top pick this shopping season, with estimates of a 6% growth, according to a report by Mastercard.
+Best Buy kicked off its Black Friday deals in late October with offers such as its Play Station 5 for $499.99 bundled with either ""Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III"" or Marvel's ""Spider-Man 2"", though the retailer on Tuesday forecast a bigger decline in annual comparable sales and pointed to ""difficult to predict"" consumer demand.
+Skin and hair care products remain popular, with Ulta Beauty offering up to 40% discount on CoverGirl and Lancome mascaras, Bobbi Brown concealers and select products of its own label.
+ARE BLACK FRIDAY CROWDS LIKELY THIS YEAR?
+Around 130.7 million people are planning to shop on Black Friday this year, according to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF). Thanksgiving weekend, which encompasses Black Friday and Cyber Monday - the Monday after Thanksgiving - is typically the busiest shopping period in the United States.
+But Dana Telsey, CEO of Telsey Advisory Group, said Black Friday itself will not be as important this year. With Christmas falling on a Monday, the ""procrastination factor (is) even greater because shoppers can wait until Saturday or Sunday"" before Christmas to get gifts, she said this week.
+Throughout the holiday season, in-store traffic is expected to fall slightly this year, dropping by 3.5% compared to last year, according to retail analytics firm Sensormatic Solutions.
+Wet weather, which deterred in-store traffic in some parts of the U.S. last year on Black Friday morning, is largely not expected this year, according AccuWeather.
+Although most U.S. stores will be closed on Thanksgiving again this year, opening for shoppers at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. on Friday, some retailers are advertising discounts online that kick in starting at 12:01 a.m. on Thanksgiving.
+Among them is Kohl's, which is promoting what it calls a ""Super Deal"" on Thanksgiving and Black Friday on products including Beats Studio Buds wireless noise cancelling earbuds for $89.99, from the regular price of $149.99.
+
+Retailers big and small are touting online ordering and curbside pick-up this year for the convenience of shoppers who want to avoid stores. In the past decade, Americans' Black Friday purchases online have more than tripled, reaching $9.12 billion on the day last year, according to Adobe.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS' PLANS THIS YEAR?
+Retailers including Best Buy, Macy's, H&M and pure e-commerce retailers like Shein and Temu were touting early Black Friday ""deals"" of up to 30% off on some limited merchandise online and in stores.
+Such early promotions could help them measure shopper demand and avoid product shortages, which could be a big problem this year. Water levels in a key shipping artery, the Panama Canal, have dropped due to a severe drought, cutting the number of ships carrying merchandise through it.
+Many retailers in the U.S. intentionally muted their holiday hiring plans. Labor shortages are also a challenge for retailers in Europe, meaning shoppers could find fewer staff to help them.
+ARE DISRUPTIONS EXPECTED DURING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND?
+High-profile events could be attractive targets for protestors, disruptions and rallies pertaining to the Israel-Hamas war. On Thursday about 20 pro-Palestinian protesters halted New York's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for a few minutes after lining across Sixth Avenue. Many of them wore tops emblazoned with ""Stop the Genocide"" as they unfurled a banner saying ""Free Palestine,"" ""Land Back"" and ""Genocide Then, Genocide Now.""
+More than 400 Macy's workers in Washington state are planning a three-day strike from Black Friday through Sunday, alleging unfair labor practices and demanding better wages, according to UFCW Local 3000's website.
+Amazon workers in more than a dozen U.S. warehouses are striking on Black Friday, in a fight for higher wages, improved environmental efforts and tax payments to Europe. Protests are slated in more than 30 countries, including Germany, India and Spain, where at least 30 facilities will see walk-outs.
+The strike's organizer Make Amazon Pay expects ""thousands of workers"" to participate with the hopes of causing friction to the e-retail giant's supply chain, which sees peak demand during the holiday shopping season. ""Tens of thousands"" of workers participated in three previous Amazon Black Friday walk-outs.
+HOW MUCH ARE SHOPPERS EXPECTED TO SPEND?
+Cyber Week, the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, is expected to generate $37.2 billion in spending online, according to Adobe, not counting spending in stores. That is less than a fourth of the $156.4 billion that shoppers spent during China's Singles Day shopping event that ended on Nov. 11, according to data provider Syntun.
+Retail sales during the holidays are expected to be up 3% to 4% year-over-year across all sales channels - online, click and collect and in-store purchases, according to David Bujnicki, senior vice president of investor relations and strategy at Kimco Realty Corp (KIM.N), opens new tab, an owner of open-air shopping centers. As of Sept. 30, Kimco owned interests in 527 U.S. shopping centers and mixed-use assets.
+""Black Friday, while still a very important retail shopping day, is no longer the make or break benchmark,"" he said. ""Retailers and consumers are spreading out their holiday sales deals beginning in November.""
+Spending online during Black Friday is expected to rise 5.7% to roughly $9.6 billion, according to Adobe.
+In the United Kingdom, online spending during Black Friday is expected to rise 4.5% to 1.05 billion pounds ($1.30 billion), with total sales over the Cyber Weekend reaching 3.8 billion pounds, according to an Adobe forecast.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS DOING TO ATTRACT HOLIDAY SHOPPERS?
+With student loan payments returning, and costs of housing and essentials pinching household budgets, analysts believe retailers will have to rely on promotions and early offers to stay afloat this holiday season.
+Consumers were looking to make the most of promotional events and wrap up their shopping in just 5.8 weeks this year, when compared to a 7.4-week window pre-pandemic, according to data from Deloitte.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS SAYING ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BLACK FRIDAY?
+Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette on Thursday said the competitive landscape has shifted to Black Friday deals prior to Black Friday. ""We're in the midst of that along with our competitors, customers are taking advantage of that.""
+Mattel President Steve Totzke told Reuters on Monday that he is expecting a strong Black Friday and run-up to the holidays even as the toymaker warned of slowing demand for the toy industry last month.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Last year, shoppers looking for Apple's (AAPL.O), opens new tab iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max returned empty handed as the technology company struggled with production snafus in China. Electronics are expected to be the top pick this shopping season, with estimates of a 6% growth, according to a report by Mastercard.  Best Buy kicked off its Black Friday deals in late October with offers such as its Play Station 5 for $499.99 bundled with either ""Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III"" or Marvel's ""Spider-Man 2"", though the retailer on Tuesday forecast a bigger decline in annual comparable sales and pointed to ""difficult to predict"" consumer demand.
+Skin and hair care products remain popular, with Ulta Beauty offering up to 40% discount on CoverGirl and Lancome mascaras, Bobbi Brown concealers and select products of its own label.
+ARE BLACK FRIDAY CROWDS LIKELY THIS YEAR?
+Around 130.7 million people are planning to shop on Black Friday this year, according to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF). Thanksgiving weekend, which encompasses Black Friday and Cyber Monday - the Monday after Thanksgiving - is typically the busiest shopping period in the United States. But Dana Telsey, CEO of Telsey Advisory Group, said Black Friday itself will not be as important this year. With Christmas falling on a Monday, the ""procrastination factor (is) even greater because shoppers can wait until Saturday or Sunday"" before Christmas to get gifts, she said this week. Throughout the holiday season, in-store traffic is expected to fall slightly this year, dropping by 3.5% compared to last year, according to retail analytics firm Sensormatic Solutions. Wet weather, which deterred in-store traffic in some parts of the U.S. last year on Black Friday morning, is largely not expected this year, according AccuWeather. Although most U.S. stores will be closed on Thanksgiving again this year, opening for shoppers at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. on Friday, some retailers are advertising discounts online that kick in starting at 12:01 a.m. on Thanksgiving. Among them is Kohl's, which is promoting what it calls a ""Super Deal"" on Thanksgiving and Black Friday on products including Beats Studio Buds wireless noise cancelling earbuds for $89.99, from the regular price of $149.99.  Retailers big and small are touting online ordering and curbside pick-up this year for the convenience of shoppers who want to avoid stores. In the past decade, Americans' Black Friday purchases online have more than tripled, reaching $9.12 billion on the day last year, according to Adobe. WHAT ARE RETAILERS' PLANS THIS YEAR?"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/what-is-black-friday-will-shoppers-find-bargains-this-year-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What Black Friday deals can shoppers find today?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - Retailers are preparing for what they hope will be yet another record-setting global shopping spree on Black Friday, the fourth Friday of November, which this year is Nov. 24.
+Known for crowds lining up at big-box stores to pounce on doorbuster discounts during the early hours after American Thanksgiving, Black Friday normally marks the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season.
+Retailers in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere will be trying to cash in on the hoopla. Here is what to expect from Black Friday 2023.
+WHY IS IT CALLED 'BLACK' FRIDAY?
+Starting around the 1960s and early 1970s, police and bus drivers in Philadelphia used the term ""Black Friday"" to refer to the chaos an influx of people to the city created before the Thanksgiving weekend. Visitors would trawl the stores in Philadelphia on Friday with their Christmas lists looking for gifts. Shoplifting and parking violations ensued.
+Department stores re-branded the term to ""Big Friday"" to put a more positive spin on it. But the name did not stick, and since the 1980s retailers began to describe Black Friday as the day when their retail ledgers are allegedly ""in the black,"" or operating at a profit, as customers start holiday shopping, according to Marcus Collins, a marketing professor with Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.
+""What we know is Black Friday, because it's so ceremonial, we get more people participating in it,"" Collins said.
+WILL SHOPPERS FIND BLACK FRIDAY DEALS THIS YEAR?
+Several major retailers from Dollar General (DG.N), opens new tab to Walmart (WMT.N), opens new tab and Macy's (M.N), opens new tab could be saddled with too much stock for a second straight year, according to a Reuters analysis. They likely will need to offer discounts in order to drive shoppers to their stores and websites.
+Even ahead of Black Friday, research firm Jane Hali & Associates said discounts at Kohl's (KSS.N), opens new tab and Macy's were as high as 60%, with foot traffic lower at these two retailers and Nordstrom (JWN.N), opens new tab compared to last year.
+Online discounts were expected to be as steep as 35% on toys, 24% on sporting goods and 19% on furniture, according to data from Adobe Analytics.
+WHAT ITEMS ARE HOT FOR BLACK FRIDAY THIS YEAR?
+IPhones will be hot again, with the recent launch of the iPhone 15. Last year, shoppers looking for Apple's (AAPL.O), opens new tab iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max returned empty handed as the technology company struggled with production snafus in China.
+Electronics are expected to be the top pick this shopping season, with estimates of a 6% growth, according to a report by Mastercard.
+Best Buy kicked off its Black Friday deals in late October with offers such as its Play Station 5 for $499.99 bundled with either ""Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III"" or Marvel's ""Spider-Man 2"", though the retailer on Tuesday forecast a bigger decline in annual comparable sales and pointed to ""difficult to predict"" consumer demand.
+Skin and hair care products remain popular, with Ulta Beauty offering up to 40% discount on CoverGirl and Lancome mascaras, Bobbi Brown concealers and select products of its own label.
+ARE BLACK FRIDAY CROWDS LIKELY THIS YEAR?
+Around 130.7 million people are planning to shop on Black Friday this year, according to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF). Thanksgiving weekend, which encompasses Black Friday and Cyber Monday - the Monday after Thanksgiving - is typically the busiest shopping period in the United States.
+But Dana Telsey, CEO of Telsey Advisory Group, said Black Friday itself will not be as important this year. With Christmas falling on a Monday, the ""procrastination factor (is) even greater because shoppers can wait until Saturday or Sunday"" before Christmas to get gifts, she said this week.
+Throughout the holiday season, in-store traffic is expected to fall slightly this year, dropping by 3.5% compared to last year, according to retail analytics firm Sensormatic Solutions.
+Wet weather, which deterred in-store traffic in some parts of the U.S. last year on Black Friday morning, is largely not expected this year, according AccuWeather.
+Although most U.S. stores will be closed on Thanksgiving again this year, opening for shoppers at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. on Friday, some retailers are advertising discounts online that kick in starting at 12:01 a.m. on Thanksgiving.
+Among them is Kohl's, which is promoting what it calls a ""Super Deal"" on Thanksgiving and Black Friday on products including Beats Studio Buds wireless noise cancelling earbuds for $89.99, from the regular price of $149.99.
+
+Retailers big and small are touting online ordering and curbside pick-up this year for the convenience of shoppers who want to avoid stores. In the past decade, Americans' Black Friday purchases online have more than tripled, reaching $9.12 billion on the day last year, according to Adobe.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS' PLANS THIS YEAR?
+Retailers including Best Buy, Macy's, H&M and pure e-commerce retailers like Shein and Temu were touting early Black Friday ""deals"" of up to 30% off on some limited merchandise online and in stores.
+Such early promotions could help them measure shopper demand and avoid product shortages, which could be a big problem this year. Water levels in a key shipping artery, the Panama Canal, have dropped due to a severe drought, cutting the number of ships carrying merchandise through it.
+Many retailers in the U.S. intentionally muted their holiday hiring plans. Labor shortages are also a challenge for retailers in Europe, meaning shoppers could find fewer staff to help them.
+ARE DISRUPTIONS EXPECTED DURING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND?
+High-profile events could be attractive targets for protestors, disruptions and rallies pertaining to the Israel-Hamas war. On Thursday about 20 pro-Palestinian protesters halted New York's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for a few minutes after lining across Sixth Avenue. Many of them wore tops emblazoned with ""Stop the Genocide"" as they unfurled a banner saying ""Free Palestine,"" ""Land Back"" and ""Genocide Then, Genocide Now.""
+More than 400 Macy's workers in Washington state are planning a three-day strike from Black Friday through Sunday, alleging unfair labor practices and demanding better wages, according to UFCW Local 3000's website.
+Amazon workers in more than a dozen U.S. warehouses are striking on Black Friday, in a fight for higher wages, improved environmental efforts and tax payments to Europe. Protests are slated in more than 30 countries, including Germany, India and Spain, where at least 30 facilities will see walk-outs.
+The strike's organizer Make Amazon Pay expects ""thousands of workers"" to participate with the hopes of causing friction to the e-retail giant's supply chain, which sees peak demand during the holiday shopping season. ""Tens of thousands"" of workers participated in three previous Amazon Black Friday walk-outs.
+HOW MUCH ARE SHOPPERS EXPECTED TO SPEND?
+Cyber Week, the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, is expected to generate $37.2 billion in spending online, according to Adobe, not counting spending in stores. That is less than a fourth of the $156.4 billion that shoppers spent during China's Singles Day shopping event that ended on Nov. 11, according to data provider Syntun.
+Retail sales during the holidays are expected to be up 3% to 4% year-over-year across all sales channels - online, click and collect and in-store purchases, according to David Bujnicki, senior vice president of investor relations and strategy at Kimco Realty Corp (KIM.N), opens new tab, an owner of open-air shopping centers. As of Sept. 30, Kimco owned interests in 527 U.S. shopping centers and mixed-use assets.
+""Black Friday, while still a very important retail shopping day, is no longer the make or break benchmark,"" he said. ""Retailers and consumers are spreading out their holiday sales deals beginning in November.""
+Spending online during Black Friday is expected to rise 5.7% to roughly $9.6 billion, according to Adobe.
+In the United Kingdom, online spending during Black Friday is expected to rise 4.5% to 1.05 billion pounds ($1.30 billion), with total sales over the Cyber Weekend reaching 3.8 billion pounds, according to an Adobe forecast.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS DOING TO ATTRACT HOLIDAY SHOPPERS?
+With student loan payments returning, and costs of housing and essentials pinching household budgets, analysts believe retailers will have to rely on promotions and early offers to stay afloat this holiday season.
+Consumers were looking to make the most of promotional events and wrap up their shopping in just 5.8 weeks this year, when compared to a 7.4-week window pre-pandemic, according to data from Deloitte.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS SAYING ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BLACK FRIDAY?
+Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette on Thursday said the competitive landscape has shifted to Black Friday deals prior to Black Friday. ""We're in the midst of that along with our competitors, customers are taking advantage of that.""
+Mattel President Steve Totzke told Reuters on Monday that he is expecting a strong Black Friday and run-up to the holidays even as the toymaker warned of slowing demand for the toy industry last month.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Retailers including Best Buy, Macy's, H&M and pure e-commerce retailers like Shein and Temu were touting early Black Friday ""deals"" of up to 30% off on some limited merchandise online and in stores.  Such early promotions could help them measure shopper demand and avoid product shortages, which could be a big problem this year. Water levels in a key shipping artery, the Panama Canal, have dropped due to a severe drought, cutting the number of ships carrying merchandise through it.  Many retailers in the U.S. intentionally muted their holiday hiring plans. Labor shortages are also a challenge for retailers in Europe, meaning shoppers could find fewer staff to help them. ARE DISRUPTIONS EXPECTED DURING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND?  High-profile events could be attractive targets for protestors, disruptions and rallies pertaining to the Israel-Hamas war. On Thursday about 20 pro-Palestinian protesters halted New York's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for a few minutes after lining across Sixth Avenue. Many of them wore tops emblazoned with ""Stop the Genocide"" as they unfurled a banner saying ""Free Palestine,"" ""Land Back"" and ""Genocide Then, Genocide Now."" More than 400 Macy's workers in Washington state are planning a three-day strike from Black Friday through Sunday, alleging unfair labor practices and demanding better wages, according to UFCW Local 3000's website. Amazon workers in more than a dozen U.S. warehouses are striking on Black Friday, in a fight for higher wages, improved environmental efforts and tax payments to Europe. Protests are slated in more than 30 countries, including Germany, India and Spain, where at least 30 facilities will see walk-outs.  The strike's organizer Make Amazon Pay expects ""thousands of workers"" to participate with the hopes of causing friction to the e-retail giant's supply chain, which sees peak demand during the holiday shopping season. ""Tens of thousands"" of workers participated in three previous Amazon Black Friday walk-outs. HOW MUCH ARE SHOPPERS EXPECTED TO SPEND? Cyber Week, the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, is expected to generate $37.2 billion in spending online, according to Adobe, not counting spending in stores. That is less than a fourth of the $156.4 billion that shoppers spent during China's Singles Day shopping event that ended on Nov. 11, according to data provider Syntun. "
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/what-is-black-friday-will-shoppers-find-bargains-this-year-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What Black Friday deals can shoppers find today?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - Retailers are preparing for what they hope will be yet another record-setting global shopping spree on Black Friday, the fourth Friday of November, which this year is Nov. 24.
+Known for crowds lining up at big-box stores to pounce on doorbuster discounts during the early hours after American Thanksgiving, Black Friday normally marks the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season.
+Retailers in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere will be trying to cash in on the hoopla. Here is what to expect from Black Friday 2023.
+WHY IS IT CALLED 'BLACK' FRIDAY?
+Starting around the 1960s and early 1970s, police and bus drivers in Philadelphia used the term ""Black Friday"" to refer to the chaos an influx of people to the city created before the Thanksgiving weekend. Visitors would trawl the stores in Philadelphia on Friday with their Christmas lists looking for gifts. Shoplifting and parking violations ensued.
+Department stores re-branded the term to ""Big Friday"" to put a more positive spin on it. But the name did not stick, and since the 1980s retailers began to describe Black Friday as the day when their retail ledgers are allegedly ""in the black,"" or operating at a profit, as customers start holiday shopping, according to Marcus Collins, a marketing professor with Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.
+""What we know is Black Friday, because it's so ceremonial, we get more people participating in it,"" Collins said.
+WILL SHOPPERS FIND BLACK FRIDAY DEALS THIS YEAR?
+Several major retailers from Dollar General (DG.N), opens new tab to Walmart (WMT.N), opens new tab and Macy's (M.N), opens new tab could be saddled with too much stock for a second straight year, according to a Reuters analysis. They likely will need to offer discounts in order to drive shoppers to their stores and websites.
+Even ahead of Black Friday, research firm Jane Hali & Associates said discounts at Kohl's (KSS.N), opens new tab and Macy's were as high as 60%, with foot traffic lower at these two retailers and Nordstrom (JWN.N), opens new tab compared to last year.
+Online discounts were expected to be as steep as 35% on toys, 24% on sporting goods and 19% on furniture, according to data from Adobe Analytics.
+WHAT ITEMS ARE HOT FOR BLACK FRIDAY THIS YEAR?
+IPhones will be hot again, with the recent launch of the iPhone 15. Last year, shoppers looking for Apple's (AAPL.O), opens new tab iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max returned empty handed as the technology company struggled with production snafus in China.
+Electronics are expected to be the top pick this shopping season, with estimates of a 6% growth, according to a report by Mastercard.
+Best Buy kicked off its Black Friday deals in late October with offers such as its Play Station 5 for $499.99 bundled with either ""Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III"" or Marvel's ""Spider-Man 2"", though the retailer on Tuesday forecast a bigger decline in annual comparable sales and pointed to ""difficult to predict"" consumer demand.
+Skin and hair care products remain popular, with Ulta Beauty offering up to 40% discount on CoverGirl and Lancome mascaras, Bobbi Brown concealers and select products of its own label.
+ARE BLACK FRIDAY CROWDS LIKELY THIS YEAR?
+Around 130.7 million people are planning to shop on Black Friday this year, according to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF). Thanksgiving weekend, which encompasses Black Friday and Cyber Monday - the Monday after Thanksgiving - is typically the busiest shopping period in the United States.
+But Dana Telsey, CEO of Telsey Advisory Group, said Black Friday itself will not be as important this year. With Christmas falling on a Monday, the ""procrastination factor (is) even greater because shoppers can wait until Saturday or Sunday"" before Christmas to get gifts, she said this week.
+Throughout the holiday season, in-store traffic is expected to fall slightly this year, dropping by 3.5% compared to last year, according to retail analytics firm Sensormatic Solutions.
+Wet weather, which deterred in-store traffic in some parts of the U.S. last year on Black Friday morning, is largely not expected this year, according AccuWeather.
+Although most U.S. stores will be closed on Thanksgiving again this year, opening for shoppers at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. on Friday, some retailers are advertising discounts online that kick in starting at 12:01 a.m. on Thanksgiving.
+Among them is Kohl's, which is promoting what it calls a ""Super Deal"" on Thanksgiving and Black Friday on products including Beats Studio Buds wireless noise cancelling earbuds for $89.99, from the regular price of $149.99.
+
+Retailers big and small are touting online ordering and curbside pick-up this year for the convenience of shoppers who want to avoid stores. In the past decade, Americans' Black Friday purchases online have more than tripled, reaching $9.12 billion on the day last year, according to Adobe.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS' PLANS THIS YEAR?
+Retailers including Best Buy, Macy's, H&M and pure e-commerce retailers like Shein and Temu were touting early Black Friday ""deals"" of up to 30% off on some limited merchandise online and in stores.
+Such early promotions could help them measure shopper demand and avoid product shortages, which could be a big problem this year. Water levels in a key shipping artery, the Panama Canal, have dropped due to a severe drought, cutting the number of ships carrying merchandise through it.
+Many retailers in the U.S. intentionally muted their holiday hiring plans. Labor shortages are also a challenge for retailers in Europe, meaning shoppers could find fewer staff to help them.
+ARE DISRUPTIONS EXPECTED DURING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND?
+High-profile events could be attractive targets for protestors, disruptions and rallies pertaining to the Israel-Hamas war. On Thursday about 20 pro-Palestinian protesters halted New York's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for a few minutes after lining across Sixth Avenue. Many of them wore tops emblazoned with ""Stop the Genocide"" as they unfurled a banner saying ""Free Palestine,"" ""Land Back"" and ""Genocide Then, Genocide Now.""
+More than 400 Macy's workers in Washington state are planning a three-day strike from Black Friday through Sunday, alleging unfair labor practices and demanding better wages, according to UFCW Local 3000's website.
+Amazon workers in more than a dozen U.S. warehouses are striking on Black Friday, in a fight for higher wages, improved environmental efforts and tax payments to Europe. Protests are slated in more than 30 countries, including Germany, India and Spain, where at least 30 facilities will see walk-outs.
+The strike's organizer Make Amazon Pay expects ""thousands of workers"" to participate with the hopes of causing friction to the e-retail giant's supply chain, which sees peak demand during the holiday shopping season. ""Tens of thousands"" of workers participated in three previous Amazon Black Friday walk-outs.
+HOW MUCH ARE SHOPPERS EXPECTED TO SPEND?
+Cyber Week, the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, is expected to generate $37.2 billion in spending online, according to Adobe, not counting spending in stores. That is less than a fourth of the $156.4 billion that shoppers spent during China's Singles Day shopping event that ended on Nov. 11, according to data provider Syntun.
+Retail sales during the holidays are expected to be up 3% to 4% year-over-year across all sales channels - online, click and collect and in-store purchases, according to David Bujnicki, senior vice president of investor relations and strategy at Kimco Realty Corp (KIM.N), opens new tab, an owner of open-air shopping centers. As of Sept. 30, Kimco owned interests in 527 U.S. shopping centers and mixed-use assets.
+""Black Friday, while still a very important retail shopping day, is no longer the make or break benchmark,"" he said. ""Retailers and consumers are spreading out their holiday sales deals beginning in November.""
+Spending online during Black Friday is expected to rise 5.7% to roughly $9.6 billion, according to Adobe.
+In the United Kingdom, online spending during Black Friday is expected to rise 4.5% to 1.05 billion pounds ($1.30 billion), with total sales over the Cyber Weekend reaching 3.8 billion pounds, according to an Adobe forecast.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS DOING TO ATTRACT HOLIDAY SHOPPERS?
+With student loan payments returning, and costs of housing and essentials pinching household budgets, analysts believe retailers will have to rely on promotions and early offers to stay afloat this holiday season.
+Consumers were looking to make the most of promotional events and wrap up their shopping in just 5.8 weeks this year, when compared to a 7.4-week window pre-pandemic, according to data from Deloitte.
+WHAT ARE RETAILERS SAYING ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BLACK FRIDAY?
+Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette on Thursday said the competitive landscape has shifted to Black Friday deals prior to Black Friday. ""We're in the midst of that along with our competitors, customers are taking advantage of that.""
+Mattel President Steve Totzke told Reuters on Monday that he is expecting a strong Black Friday and run-up to the holidays even as the toymaker warned of slowing demand for the toy industry last month.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Retail sales during the holidays are expected to be up 3% to 4% year-over-year across all sales channels - online, click and collect and in-store purchases, according to David Bujnicki, senior vice president of investor relations and strategy at Kimco Realty Corp (KIM.N), opens new tab, an owner of open-air shopping centers. As of Sept. 30, Kimco owned interests in 527 U.S. shopping centers and mixed-use assets.  ""Black Friday, while still a very important retail shopping day, is no longer the make or break benchmark,"" he said. ""Retailers and consumers are spreading out their holiday sales deals beginning in November.""
+Spending online during Black Friday is expected to rise 5.7% to roughly $9.6 billion, according to Adobe.  In the United Kingdom, online spending during Black Friday is expected to rise 4.5% to 1.05 billion pounds ($1.30 billion), with total sales over the Cyber Weekend reaching 3.8 billion pounds, according to an Adobe forecast. WHAT ARE RETAILERS DOING TO ATTRACT HOLIDAY SHOPPERS?
+With student loan payments returning, and costs of housing and essentials pinching household budgets, analysts believe retailers will have to rely on promotions and early offers to stay afloat this holiday season.
+Consumers were looking to make the most of promotional events and wrap up their shopping in just 5.8 weeks this year, when compared to a 7.4-week window pre-pandemic, according to data from Deloitte. WHAT ARE RETAILERS SAYING ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BLACK FRIDAY?
+Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette on Thursday said the competitive landscape has shifted to Black Friday deals prior to Black Friday. ""We're in the midst of that along with our competitors, customers are taking advantage of that."" Mattel President Steve Totzke told Reuters on Monday that he is expecting a strong Black Friday and run-up to the holidays even as the toymaker warned of slowing demand for the toy industry last month.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/cuba-stages-pro-palestine-march-past-us-embassy-havana-2023-11-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Cuba stages pro-Palestine march past US embassy in Havana[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HAVANA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Cubans on Thursday marched in front of the U.S. embassy in Havana charging Israel was committing “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza.
+The march, led by President Miguel Diaz-Canel, and which moved along Havana’s seaside drive, the Malecon where the U.S. diplomatic headquarters is located, was the first of its kind in more than a decade.
+Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, now deceased, was famous for staging similar, but much larger demonstrations to protest U.S. sanctions and meddling in Cuban affairs.
+The crowd, sporting Palestinian flags and banners, chanted ""free, free Palestine, Israel is genocide"" and ""up with Palestinian freedom"" as it marched by the building and rallied nearby.
+Communist-run Cuba has been a strong backer of the Palestinian cause for decades and has trained more than 200 Palestinian doctors. It does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
+""We are here and it is no coincidence that we have marched in front of the United States embassy,"" Anet Rodríguez, a university professor, said.
+""The United States is one of the most responsible for supporting the State of Israel ... it is supporting a massacre of the Palestinians and international laws are being violated,"" she said.
+Israel launched its invasion of Gaza after gunmen from Palestinian Islamist group Hamas burst across the border fence, killing 1,200 people and seizing about 240 hostages on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies.
+Since then, some 14,800 Gazans have been killed by Israeli bombardment, around 40% of them children, according to Palestinian health authorities.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Cuba stages pro-Palestine march past US embassy in Havana[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HAVANA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Cubans on Thursday marched in front of the U.S. embassy in Havana charging Israel was committing “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. The march, led by President Miguel Diaz-Canel, and which moved along Havana’s seaside drive, the Malecon where the U.S. diplomatic headquarters is located, was the first of its kind in more than a decade. Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, now deceased, was famous for staging similar, but much larger demonstrations to protest U.S. sanctions and meddling in Cuban affairs. The crowd, sporting Palestinian flags and banners, chanted ""free, free Palestine, Israel is genocide"" and ""up with Palestinian freedom"" as it marched by the building and rallied nearby.
+Communist-run Cuba has been a strong backer of the Palestinian cause for decades and has trained more than 200 Palestinian doctors. It does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. ""We are here and it is no coincidence that we have marched in front of the United States embassy,"" Anet Rodríguez, a university professor, said. ""The United States is one of the most responsible for supporting the State of Israel ... it is supporting a massacre of the Palestinians and international laws are being violated,"" she said. Israel launched its invasion of Gaza after gunmen from Palestinian Islamist group Hamas burst across the border fence, killing 1,200 people and seizing about 240 hostages on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, some 14,800 Gazans have been killed by Israeli bombardment, around 40% of them children, according to Palestinian health authorities.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/americans-celebrate-thanksgiving-edge-over-world-events-2023-11-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on edge over war in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 23 (Reuters) - Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday with heightened security measures in place and tensions running high over the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, potentially casting a shadow over a normally joyous holiday.
+War in the Middle East has prompted officials to take extra precautions at airports and shopping malls across the United States and along the route of New York's signature Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
+A quintessential American rite, Thanksgiving brings together family and friends for turkey dinner and watching the parade and American football on TV. It also marks the most intense week of the year for travel and start of the holiday shopping season on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Both are seen as indicators for the health of the economy.
+But this year the holiday takes place against the backdrop of a war that has provoked a surge in antisemitism and Islamophobia in the United States. The FBI has warned Congress that the threat of terrorist attacks are at the highest in nearly a decade.
+Reflecting the anxiety, a fiery car crash on a U.S.-Canadian border bridge set off alarm bells on Wednesday before officials announced there was no connection to terrorism.
+President Joe Biden urged national unity and ""decency"" in a phone call with NBC television during coverage of Thursday's parade.
+""Today is about coming together,"" Biden said. ""We can have different political views but ... we should focus on dealing with our problems. ... And stop the rancor.""
+New York Mayor Eric Adams, when asked about protests that may unfold during the parade, told reporters the city respected free-speech rights but would not tolerate any disruption.
+""You're not going to destroy property, you're not going to injure people,"" Adams said on Wednesday.
+But a group of about 20 pro-Palestinian protesters did halt the parade for a few minutes after lining across Sixth Avenue. Many of them wore tops emblazoned with ""Stop the Genocide"" as they unfurled a banner saying ""Free Palestine,"" ""Land Back"" and ""Genocide Then, Genocide Now.""
+Officers led off the protesters, clasped in zip ties. A New York Police Department spokesman declined to comment.
+Thanksgiving Day as an official holiday dates to 1863, in the middle of the American Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a day to give thanks and seek healing.
+U.S. schoolchildren learn that the holiday roots trace back to the Pilgrims, who settled in modern-day Massachusetts at Plymouth Rock. In 1620 the newcomers celebrated the autumn harvest with the native Wampanoag people. For many Native Americans, however, Thanksgiving is a day of dark reflection about the genocide that followed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on edge over war in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 23 (Reuters) - Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday with heightened security measures in place and tensions running high over the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, potentially casting a shadow over a normally joyous holiday. War in the Middle East has prompted officials to take extra precautions at airports and shopping malls across the United States and along the route of New York's signature Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. A quintessential American rite, Thanksgiving brings together family and friends for turkey dinner and watching the parade and American football on TV. It also marks the most intense week of the year for travel and start of the holiday shopping season on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Both are seen as indicators for the health of the economy.  But this year the holiday takes place against the backdrop of a war that has provoked a surge in antisemitism and Islamophobia in the United States. The FBI has warned Congress that the threat of terrorist attacks are at the highest in nearly a decade. Reflecting the anxiety, a fiery car crash on a U.S.-Canadian border bridge set off alarm bells on Wednesday before officials announced there was no connection to terrorism. President Joe Biden urged national unity and ""decency"" in a phone call with NBC television during coverage of Thursday's parade.  ""Today is about coming together,"" Biden said. ""We can have different political views but ... we should focus on dealing with our problems. ... And stop the rancor.""
+New York Mayor Eric Adams, when asked about protests that may unfold during the parade, told reporters the city respected free-speech rights but would not tolerate any disruption. ""You're not going to destroy property, you're not going to injure people,"" Adams said on Wednesday. But a group of about 20 pro-Palestinian protesters did halt the parade for a few minutes after lining across Sixth Avenue. Many of them wore tops emblazoned with ""Stop the Genocide"" as they unfurled a banner saying ""Free Palestine,"" ""Land Back"" and ""Genocide Then, Genocide Now.""  Officers led off the protesters, clasped in zip ties. A New York Police Department spokesman declined to comment.  Thanksgiving Day as an official holiday dates to 1863, in the middle of the American Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a day to give thanks and seek healing.
+U.S. schoolchildren learn that the holiday roots trace back to the Pilgrims, who settled in modern-day Massachusetts at Plymouth Rock."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/americans-celebrate-thanksgiving-edge-over-world-events-2023-11-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on edge over war in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 23 (Reuters) - Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday with heightened security measures in place and tensions running high over the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, potentially casting a shadow over a normally joyous holiday.
+War in the Middle East has prompted officials to take extra precautions at airports and shopping malls across the United States and along the route of New York's signature Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
+A quintessential American rite, Thanksgiving brings together family and friends for turkey dinner and watching the parade and American football on TV. It also marks the most intense week of the year for travel and start of the holiday shopping season on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Both are seen as indicators for the health of the economy.
+But this year the holiday takes place against the backdrop of a war that has provoked a surge in antisemitism and Islamophobia in the United States. The FBI has warned Congress that the threat of terrorist attacks are at the highest in nearly a decade.
+Reflecting the anxiety, a fiery car crash on a U.S.-Canadian border bridge set off alarm bells on Wednesday before officials announced there was no connection to terrorism.
+President Joe Biden urged national unity and ""decency"" in a phone call with NBC television during coverage of Thursday's parade.
+""Today is about coming together,"" Biden said. ""We can have different political views but ... we should focus on dealing with our problems. ... And stop the rancor.""
+New York Mayor Eric Adams, when asked about protests that may unfold during the parade, told reporters the city respected free-speech rights but would not tolerate any disruption.
+""You're not going to destroy property, you're not going to injure people,"" Adams said on Wednesday.
+But a group of about 20 pro-Palestinian protesters did halt the parade for a few minutes after lining across Sixth Avenue. Many of them wore tops emblazoned with ""Stop the Genocide"" as they unfurled a banner saying ""Free Palestine,"" ""Land Back"" and ""Genocide Then, Genocide Now.""
+Officers led off the protesters, clasped in zip ties. A New York Police Department spokesman declined to comment.
+Thanksgiving Day as an official holiday dates to 1863, in the middle of the American Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a day to give thanks and seek healing.
+U.S. schoolchildren learn that the holiday roots trace back to the Pilgrims, who settled in modern-day Massachusetts at Plymouth Rock. In 1620 the newcomers celebrated the autumn harvest with the native Wampanoag people. For many Native Americans, however, Thanksgiving is a day of dark reflection about the genocide that followed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In 1620 the newcomers celebrated the autumn harvest with the native Wampanoag people. For many Native Americans, however, Thanksgiving is a day of dark reflection about the genocide that followed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-most-dangerous-place-world-be-child-unicef-2023-11-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza 'most dangerous place in the world to be a child' - UNICEF[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 22 (Reuters) - The Gaza Strip is the ""most dangerous place in the world to be a child,"" the head of the United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Wednesday.
+UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told the U.N. Security Council that more than 5,300 Palestinian children had reportedly been killed since Oct. 7 - when Palestinian militants of Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking hostages, most of them civilians.
+Israel has focused its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, a territory of 2.3 million people.
+""The true cost of this latest war in Palestine and Israel will be measured in children's lives – those lost to the violence and those forever changed by it. Without an end to the fighting and full humanitarian access, the cost will continue to grow exponentially,"" Russell, who last week visited Gaza, said at a council briefing on women and children there.
+Israel has bombarded Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and invaded with soldiers and tanks.
+""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child,"" Russell said. ""In Gaza, the effects of the violence perpetrated on children have been catastrophic, indiscriminate and disproportionate.""
+Israel agreed on Wednesday to a ceasefire with Hamas for four days to let in humanitarian aid and free at least 50 hostages held by militants in exchange for at least 150 Palestinians jailed in Israel.
+
+""Women in Gaza have told us that they pray for peace, but that if peace does not come, they pray for a quick death, in their sleep, with their children in their arms. It should shame us all that any mother, anywhere, has such a prayer,"" U.N. Women Executive Director Sima Bahous told the 15-member council.
+ISRAEL ACCUSES HAMAS OF EXPLOITING CHILDREN
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused Hamas of exploiting children in Gaza for years and repeated long-held criticisms that the United Nations is biased against Israel.
+""Make no mistake as soon as the pause ends, we will continue striving towards our goals with full force,"" he said. ""We will not stop until we eliminate all of Hamas' terror capabilities and ensure that they can no longer rule Gaza and threaten both Israeli civilians and the women and children of Gaza.""
+Hamas denies operating from places such as hospitals in Gaza and denies using civilians as human shields.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire agreement as ""an important step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done to end the suffering.""
+There are 5,500 pregnant women expected to give birth in Gaza in the coming month, the head of the U.N Population Fund (UNFPA), the world body's sexual and reproductive health agency, told the Security Council.
+""Every day approximately 180 women deliver under appalling conditions, the future for their newborns uncertain,"" said Executive-Director Natalia Kanem, adding that UNFPA was also worried about some 7,000 women who gave birth over the past 47 days and lack access to care, water, sanitation and nutrition.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza 'most dangerous place in the world to be a child' - UNICEF[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]Nov 22 (Reuters) - The Gaza Strip is the ""most dangerous place in the world to be a child,"" the head of the United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Wednesday. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told the U.N. Security Council that more than 5,300 Palestinian children had reportedly been killed since Oct. 7 - when Palestinian militants of Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking hostages, most of them civilians. Israel has focused its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, a territory of 2.3 million people.  ""The true cost of this latest war in Palestine and Israel will be measured in children's lives – those lost to the violence and those forever changed by it. Without an end to the fighting and full humanitarian access, the cost will continue to grow exponentially,"" Russell, who last week visited Gaza, said at a council briefing on women and children there. Israel has bombarded Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and invaded with soldiers and tanks.
+""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child,"" Russell said. ""In Gaza, the effects of the violence perpetrated on children have been catastrophic, indiscriminate and disproportionate.""  Israel agreed on Wednesday to a ceasefire with Hamas for four days to let in humanitarian aid and free at least 50 hostages held by militants in exchange for at least 150 Palestinians jailed in Israel.
+
+""Women in Gaza have told us that they pray for peace, but that if peace does not come, they pray for a quick death, in their sleep, with their children in their arms. It should shame us all that any mother, anywhere, has such a prayer,"" U.N. Women Executive Director Sima Bahous told the 15-member council. ISRAEL ACCUSES HAMAS OF EXPLOITING CHILDREN
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused Hamas of exploiting children in Gaza for years and repeated long-held criticisms that the United Nations is biased against Israel.
+""Make no mistake as soon as the pause ends, we will continue striving towards our goals with full force ,"" he said. ""We will not stop until we eliminate all of Hamas' terror capabilities and ensure that they can no longer rule Gaza and threaten both Israeli civilians and the women and children of Gaza."" "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-most-dangerous-place-world-be-child-unicef-2023-11-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza 'most dangerous place in the world to be a child' - UNICEF[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 22 (Reuters) - The Gaza Strip is the ""most dangerous place in the world to be a child,"" the head of the United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Wednesday.
+UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told the U.N. Security Council that more than 5,300 Palestinian children had reportedly been killed since Oct. 7 - when Palestinian militants of Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking hostages, most of them civilians.
+Israel has focused its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, a territory of 2.3 million people.
+""The true cost of this latest war in Palestine and Israel will be measured in children's lives – those lost to the violence and those forever changed by it. Without an end to the fighting and full humanitarian access, the cost will continue to grow exponentially,"" Russell, who last week visited Gaza, said at a council briefing on women and children there.
+Israel has bombarded Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and invaded with soldiers and tanks.
+""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child,"" Russell said. ""In Gaza, the effects of the violence perpetrated on children have been catastrophic, indiscriminate and disproportionate.""
+Israel agreed on Wednesday to a ceasefire with Hamas for four days to let in humanitarian aid and free at least 50 hostages held by militants in exchange for at least 150 Palestinians jailed in Israel.
+
+""Women in Gaza have told us that they pray for peace, but that if peace does not come, they pray for a quick death, in their sleep, with their children in their arms. It should shame us all that any mother, anywhere, has such a prayer,"" U.N. Women Executive Director Sima Bahous told the 15-member council.
+ISRAEL ACCUSES HAMAS OF EXPLOITING CHILDREN
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused Hamas of exploiting children in Gaza for years and repeated long-held criticisms that the United Nations is biased against Israel.
+""Make no mistake as soon as the pause ends, we will continue striving towards our goals with full force,"" he said. ""We will not stop until we eliminate all of Hamas' terror capabilities and ensure that they can no longer rule Gaza and threaten both Israeli civilians and the women and children of Gaza.""
+Hamas denies operating from places such as hospitals in Gaza and denies using civilians as human shields.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire agreement as ""an important step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done to end the suffering.""
+There are 5,500 pregnant women expected to give birth in Gaza in the coming month, the head of the U.N Population Fund (UNFPA), the world body's sexual and reproductive health agency, told the Security Council.
+""Every day approximately 180 women deliver under appalling conditions, the future for their newborns uncertain,"" said Executive-Director Natalia Kanem, adding that UNFPA was also worried about some 7,000 women who gave birth over the past 47 days and lack access to care, water, sanitation and nutrition.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Hamas denies operating from places such as hospitals in Gaza and denies using civilians as human shields.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire agreement as ""an important step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done to end the suffering. ""
+There are 5,500 pregnant women expected to give birth in Gaza in the coming month, the head of the U.N Population Fund (UNFPA), the world body's sexual and reproductive health agency, told the Security Council.  ""Every day approximately 180 women deliver under appalling conditions, the future for their newborns uncertain,"" said Executive-Director Natalia Kanem, adding that UNFPA was also worried about some 7,000 women who gave birth over the past 47 days and lack access to care, water, sanitation and nutrition.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/corrected-spain-favour-humanitarian-ceasefire-gaza-the-very-short-term-2023-11-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]CORRECTED Spain in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza in 'the very short term'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MADRID, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Thursday said his country is in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ""in the very short term"".
+""Our position with regards to Palestine and the Palestinian people is clear. We are in favour of a Palestinian State. In the very short term, what is truly urgent is for a humanitarian ceasefire to happen,"" Albares said in an interview with Spanish radio station RNE.
+The existence of a Palestinian state ""will be the best guarantee for peace in the Middle East"", ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to Israel and the West Bank on Thursday.
+He reiterated that Spain is ready to hold a peace conference on the conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]CORRECTED Spain in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza in 'the very short term'[/TITLE] [CONTENT]MADRID, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Thursday said his country is in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ""in the very short term"".  ""Our position with regards to Palestine and the Palestinian people is clear. We are in favour of a Palestinian State. In the very short term, what is truly urgent is for a humanitarian ceasefire to happen,"" Albares said in an interview with Spanish radio station RNE. The existence of a Palestinian state ""will be the best guarantee for peace in the Middle East"", ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to Israel and the West Bank on Thursday. He reiterated that Spain is ready to hold a peace conference on the conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-we-must-think-how-stop-the-tragedy-ukraine-2023-11-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Putin says we must think how to stop 'the tragedy' of war in Ukraine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told the leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) on Wednesday that it was necessary to think about how to stop ""the tragedy"" of the war in Ukraine, some of his most placatory remarks to date about the conflict.
+Putin's decision to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022 triggered Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two and the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the depths of the Cold War.
+Addressing G20 leaders for the first time since the start of the war, the Kremlin chief said some leaders had said in their speeches that they were shocked by the ongoing ""aggression"" of Russia in Ukraine.
+""Yes, of course, military actions are always a tragedy,"" Putin told the virtual G20 meeting called by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
+""And of course, we should think about how to stop this tragedy,"" Putin said. ""By the way, Russia has never refused peace talks with Ukraine.""
+The remark, although clearly intended for international consumption, is one of Putin's most dovish on the war for months and contrasts with his sometimes long diatribes about the failings and arrogance of the United States.
+Fighting in Ukraine since February 2022 has killed or wounded hundreds of thousands, displaced millions more and devastated swathes of the country's south and east.
+Putin used the word ""war"" to describe the conflict instead of the current Kremlin term of ""special military operation"".
+""I understand that this war, and the death of people, cannot but shock,"" Putin said, before setting out the Russian case that Ukraine had persecuted people in eastern Ukraine.
+The conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014 after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution and Russia annexed Crimea, with Russian-backed separatist forces fighting Ukraine's armed forces.
+About 14,000 people were killed there between 2014 and the end of 2021, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, including 3,106 civilians.
+""And the extermination of the civilian population in Palestine, in the Gaza Strip today, is not shocking?"" Putin asked.
+He also said it was surely shocking that doctors in Gaza were having to perform operations on children without anaesthesia.
+UKRAINIAN SUPPORT
+The West and Ukraine have repeatedly vowed to defeat Russia in the war and to eject Russian forces, though the failure of a Ukrainian counteroffensive to achieve any real gains this year has raised concerns in the West over the strategy.
+Along with Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, Russia controls about 17.5% of Ukrainian territory, according to estimates by the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School. Putin says that territory is now part of Russia.
+While U.S. President Joe Biden and other Western leaders have promised to support Ukraine, there is increasing division over aid for Ukraine in the U.S. Congress ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November 2024.
+Some American lawmakers are prioritising aid to Israel even as U.S. defence officials stress that Washington can support both allies simultaneously.
+Ukraine has vowed to fight until the last Russian soldier has left its territory, though some inside Ukraine have called for a different strategy.
+Putin skipped previous G20 summits in New Delhi and Nusa Dua, Indonesia, sending Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov instead.
+The Russian leader addressed the 2021 and 2020 summits from Moscow. He last attended a G20 gathering in person in Osaka, Japan, in 2019.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Putin says we must think how to stop 'the tragedy' of war in Ukraine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told the leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) on Wednesday that it was necessary to think about how to stop ""the tragedy"" of the war in Ukraine, some of his most placatory remarks to date about the conflict. Putin's decision to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022 triggered Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two and the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the depths of the Cold War. Addressing G20 leaders for the first time since the start of the war, the Kremlin chief said some leaders had said in their speeches that they were shocked by the ongoing ""aggression"" of Russia in Ukraine. ""Yes, of course, military actions are always a tragedy,"" Putin told the virtual G20 meeting called by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  ""And of course, we should think about how to stop this tragedy,"" Putin said. ""By the way, Russia has never refused peace talks with Ukraine."" The remark, although clearly intended for international consumption, is one of Putin's most dovish on the war for months and contrasts with his sometimes long diatribes about the failings and arrogance of the United States.
+Fighting in Ukraine since February 2022 has killed or wounded hundreds of thousands, displaced millions more and devastated swathes of the country's south and east.
+Putin used the word ""war"" to describe the conflict instead of the current Kremlin term of ""special military operation"". ""I understand that this war, and the death of people, cannot but shock,"" Putin said, before setting out the Russian case that Ukraine had persecuted people in eastern Ukraine. The conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014 after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution and Russia annexed Crimea, with Russian-backed separatist forces fighting Ukraine's armed forces.
+About 14,000 people were killed there between 2014 and the end of 2021, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, including 3,106 civilians.
+""And the extermination of the civilian population in Palestine, in the Gaza Strip today, is not shocking?"" Putin asked.
+He also said it was surely shocking that doctors in Gaza were having to perform operations on children without anaesthesia. UKRAINIAN SUPPORT"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-we-must-think-how-stop-the-tragedy-ukraine-2023-11-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Putin says we must think how to stop 'the tragedy' of war in Ukraine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told the leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) on Wednesday that it was necessary to think about how to stop ""the tragedy"" of the war in Ukraine, some of his most placatory remarks to date about the conflict.
+Putin's decision to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022 triggered Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two and the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the depths of the Cold War.
+Addressing G20 leaders for the first time since the start of the war, the Kremlin chief said some leaders had said in their speeches that they were shocked by the ongoing ""aggression"" of Russia in Ukraine.
+""Yes, of course, military actions are always a tragedy,"" Putin told the virtual G20 meeting called by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
+""And of course, we should think about how to stop this tragedy,"" Putin said. ""By the way, Russia has never refused peace talks with Ukraine.""
+The remark, although clearly intended for international consumption, is one of Putin's most dovish on the war for months and contrasts with his sometimes long diatribes about the failings and arrogance of the United States.
+Fighting in Ukraine since February 2022 has killed or wounded hundreds of thousands, displaced millions more and devastated swathes of the country's south and east.
+Putin used the word ""war"" to describe the conflict instead of the current Kremlin term of ""special military operation"".
+""I understand that this war, and the death of people, cannot but shock,"" Putin said, before setting out the Russian case that Ukraine had persecuted people in eastern Ukraine.
+The conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014 after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution and Russia annexed Crimea, with Russian-backed separatist forces fighting Ukraine's armed forces.
+About 14,000 people were killed there between 2014 and the end of 2021, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, including 3,106 civilians.
+""And the extermination of the civilian population in Palestine, in the Gaza Strip today, is not shocking?"" Putin asked.
+He also said it was surely shocking that doctors in Gaza were having to perform operations on children without anaesthesia.
+UKRAINIAN SUPPORT
+The West and Ukraine have repeatedly vowed to defeat Russia in the war and to eject Russian forces, though the failure of a Ukrainian counteroffensive to achieve any real gains this year has raised concerns in the West over the strategy.
+Along with Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, Russia controls about 17.5% of Ukrainian territory, according to estimates by the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School. Putin says that territory is now part of Russia.
+While U.S. President Joe Biden and other Western leaders have promised to support Ukraine, there is increasing division over aid for Ukraine in the U.S. Congress ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November 2024.
+Some American lawmakers are prioritising aid to Israel even as U.S. defence officials stress that Washington can support both allies simultaneously.
+Ukraine has vowed to fight until the last Russian soldier has left its territory, though some inside Ukraine have called for a different strategy.
+Putin skipped previous G20 summits in New Delhi and Nusa Dua, Indonesia, sending Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov instead.
+The Russian leader addressed the 2021 and 2020 summits from Moscow. He last attended a G20 gathering in person in Osaka, Japan, in 2019.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The West and Ukraine have repeatedly vowed to defeat Russia in the war and to eject Russian forces, though the failure of a Ukrainian counteroffensive to achieve any real gains this year has raised concerns in the West over the strategy.  Along with Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, Russia controls about 17.5% of Ukrainian territory, according to estimates by the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School. Putin says that territory is now part of Russia. While U.S. President Joe Biden and other Western leaders have promised to support Ukraine, there is increasing division over aid for Ukraine in the U.S. Congress ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November 2024. Some American lawmakers are prioritising aid to Israel even as U.S. defence officials stress that Washington can support both allies simultaneously.
+Ukraine has vowed to fight until the last Russian soldier has left its territory, though some inside Ukraine have called for a different strategy.
+Putin skipped previous G20 summits in New Delhi and Nusa Dua, Indonesia, sending Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov instead.  The Russian leader addressed the 2021 and 2020 summits from Moscow. He last attended a G20 gathering in person in Osaka, Japan, in 2019.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/celtic-fined-fans-displaying-palestinian-flags-champions-league-game-2023-11-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Celtic fined for fans displaying Palestinian flags in Champions League game[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 22 (Reuters) - Celtic have been fined 15,200 pounds ($19,000) after their fans waved Palestinian flags during their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid last month in Glasgow, UEFA said on Wednesday.
+The flags, which numbered in the hundreds, were deemed to be ""provocative messages of an offensive nature"", UEFA said in a statement.
+Fans, who had been warned by the Scottish club not to display flags before the Oct. 25 game, could be heard singing ""You'll Never Walk Alone"" while holding the Palestinian flags in a video shared widely on Instagram.
+Supporters also unfurled two large banners at Celtic Park that read ""Free Palestine"" and ""Victory to the Resistance"".
+Gaza's Hamas-run government says at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,600 children, in the war with Israel.
+Celtic are fourth in Champions League Group E on one point after four games.
+They were also fined 10,000 pounds for fans blocking passageways and using pyrotechnics.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Celtic fined for fans displaying Palestinian flags in Champions League game[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 22 (Reuters) - Celtic have been fined 15,200 pounds ($19,000) after their fans waved Palestinian flags during their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid last month in Glasgow, UEFA said on Wednesday. The flags, which numbered in the hundreds, were deemed to be ""provocative messages of an offensive nature"", UEFA said in a statement. Fans, who had been warned by the Scottish club not to display flags before the Oct. 25 game, could be heard singing ""You'll Never Walk Alone"" while holding the Palestinian flags in a video shared widely on Instagram. Supporters also unfurled two large banners at Celtic Park that read ""Free Palestine"" and ""Victory to the Resistance"". Gaza's Hamas-run government says at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,600 children, in the war with Israel. Celtic are fourth in Champions League Group E on one point after four games.
+They were also fined 10,000 pounds for fans blocking passageways and using pyrotechnics.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pro-palestinian-protesters-arrested-australian-port-2023-11-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at Australian port[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Australian police arrested 23 pro-Palestinian protesters for blocking roads near one of the country's largest container ports in Sydney, authorities said on Wednesday, after they protested against a ship owned by Israeli carrier Zim.
+About 400 people had gathered near Port Botany on Tuesday evening for a planned unauthorised protest activity, New South Wales state police said. Protesters who did not comply with directions and occupied roads near the port were charged with offences, including disrupting operations of a major facility.
+Protesters carried Palestinian flags, chanted ""free Palestine"" to banging drums, and held signs ""Boycott ZIM"" and ""End the Gaza Blockade"", television footage showed. Police forcibly removed some protesters from near the port's entrance.
+The Israel-Hamas conflict has triggered protests from both Jewish and Palestinian groups across the world, including in Australia, which has seen rallies in its largest cities.
+Anti-Israeli stickers were plastered on the front doors and red paint was sprayed on the walls of an outlet of McDonald's (MCD.N), opens new tab and Starbucks (SBUX.O), opens new tab in Melbourne early this week after a protest march on Sunday, media reported.
+McDonald's said it was dismayed by the disinformation and inaccurate reports on its position and that it was not funding or supporting any governments involved in the conflict.
+Hamas took about 240 hostages, including children and elderly people, during an Oct. 7 assault on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israel's tally. In Israeli attacks, the Hamas-run government says at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,600 children.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday asked his government to back a deal to clear the way for the release of some of the hostages.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at Australian port[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Australian police arrested 23 pro-Palestinian protesters for blocking roads near one of the country's largest container ports in Sydney, authorities said on Wednesday, after they protested against a ship owned by Israeli carrier Zim. About 400 people had gathered near Port Botany on Tuesday evening for a planned unauthorised protest activity, New South Wales state police said. Protesters who did not comply with directions and occupied roads near the port were charged with offences, including disrupting operations of a major facility. Protesters carried Palestinian flags, chanted ""free Palestine"" to banging drums, and held signs ""Boycott ZIM"" and ""End the Gaza Blockade"", television footage showed. Police forcibly removed some protesters from near the port's entrance. The Israel-Hamas conflict has triggered protests from both Jewish and Palestinian groups across the world, including in Australia, which has seen rallies in its largest cities. Anti-Israeli stickers were plastered on the front doors and red paint was sprayed on the walls of an outlet of McDonald's (MCD.N), opens new tab and Starbucks (SBUX.O), opens new tab in Melbourne early this week after a protest march on Sunday, media reported. McDonald's said it was dismayed by the disinformation and inaccurate reports on its position and that it was not funding or supporting any governments involved in the conflict. Hamas took about 240 hostages, including children and elderly people, during an Oct. 7 assault on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israel's tally. In Israeli attacks, the Hamas-run government says at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,600 children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday asked his government to back a deal to clear the way for the release of some of the hostages.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-says-it-beefs-up-army-presence-along-borders-with-israel-2023-11-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jordan says it beefs up army presence along borders with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Jordan said on Tuesday the army had beefed up its presence along its borders with Israel and warned that any Israeli attempt to forcibly push Palestinians across the Jordan River would represent a breach of its peace accord with its neighbour.
+Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said his country would resort to ""all the means in its power"" to prevent Israel from implementing any transfer policy to expel Palestinians en masse from the West Bank.
+The Israel-Gaza conflict has stirred long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. Right-wing, ultra-nationalist hardliners now in the Israeli government have long espoused a Jordan-is-Palestine solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
+Israel has launched a massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip since the deadly Oct. 7 rampage by the Islamist group Hamas into southern Israel, that has left some 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.3 million people internally displaced
+""Any displacements or creating the conditions that would lead to it, Jordan will consider it a declaration of war and constitutes a material breach of the peace treaty,"" state media quoted Khasawneh as saying, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Israel.
+""This would lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and to harming the national security of Jordan,"" Khasawneh added.
+Jordan, the second Arab country after Egypt to sign a peace accord, has had strong security ties with Israel. But relations have plummeted since the advent of one of the most right-wing governments in Israel's history.
+""The peace treaty would be a piece of paper on a shelf covered with dust if Israel did not respect its obligations and violated it,"" Khasawneh said.
+Any threat to Jordan's national security would ""put all options on the table"", Khasawneh said, adding that recent deployments of troops along the borders with Israel were part of measures to protect the country's security.
+Residents and witnesses have seen large columns of armoured vehicles and tanks moving along a main highway leading to the Jordan Valley opposite the West Bank in the last few days.
+Officials say the army was already in a heightened alert for any eventualities.
+Khasawneh said Israeli actions in the West Bank could trigger wider violence, citing growing Jewish settler attacks on Palestinian civilians since the Oct. 7 attacks.
+Washington has also urged Israel to curb settler violence, fearing wider conflict.
+""Israel should steer away from any escalation in the West Bank... This is a red line Jordan won't accept,"" the prime minister added.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jordan says it beefs up army presence along borders with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Jordan said on Tuesday the army had beefed up its presence along its borders with Israel and warned that any Israeli attempt to forcibly push Palestinians across the Jordan River would represent a breach of its peace accord with its neighbour . Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said his country would resort to ""all the means in its power"" to prevent Israel from implementing any transfer policy to expel Palestinians en masse from the West Bank. The Israel-Gaza conflict has stirred long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. Right-wing, ultra-nationalist hardliners now in the Israeli government have long espoused a Jordan-is-Palestine solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.  Israel has launched a massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip since the deadly Oct. 7 rampage by the Islamist group Hamas into southern Israel, that has left some 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.3 million people internally displaced
+"" Any displacements or creating the conditions that would lead to it, Jordan will consider it a declaration of war and constitutes a material breach of the peace treaty,"" state media quoted Khasawneh as saying, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Israel. ""This would lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and to harming the national security of Jordan,"" Khasawneh added. Jordan, the second Arab country after Egypt to sign a peace accord, has had strong security ties with Israel. But relations have plummeted since the advent of one of the most right-wing governments in Israel's history. ""The peace treaty would be a piece of paper on a shelf covered with dust if Israel did not respect its obligations and violated it,"" Khasawneh said. Any threat to Jordan's national security would ""put all options on the table"", Khasawneh said, adding that recent deployments of troops along the borders with Israel were part of measures to protect the country's security. Residents and witnesses have seen large columns of armoured vehicles and tanks moving along a main highway leading to the Jordan Valley opposite the West Bank in the last few days. Officials say the army was already in a heightened alert for any eventualities. Khasawneh said Israeli actions in the West Bank could trigger wider violence, citing growing Jewish settler attacks on Palestinian civilians since the Oct. 7 attacks. Washington has also urged Israel to curb settler violence, fearing wider conflict.  ""Israel should steer away from any escalation in the West Bank..."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-says-it-beefs-up-army-presence-along-borders-with-israel-2023-11-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jordan says it beefs up army presence along borders with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Jordan said on Tuesday the army had beefed up its presence along its borders with Israel and warned that any Israeli attempt to forcibly push Palestinians across the Jordan River would represent a breach of its peace accord with its neighbour.
+Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said his country would resort to ""all the means in its power"" to prevent Israel from implementing any transfer policy to expel Palestinians en masse from the West Bank.
+The Israel-Gaza conflict has stirred long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. Right-wing, ultra-nationalist hardliners now in the Israeli government have long espoused a Jordan-is-Palestine solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
+Israel has launched a massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip since the deadly Oct. 7 rampage by the Islamist group Hamas into southern Israel, that has left some 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.3 million people internally displaced
+""Any displacements or creating the conditions that would lead to it, Jordan will consider it a declaration of war and constitutes a material breach of the peace treaty,"" state media quoted Khasawneh as saying, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Israel.
+""This would lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and to harming the national security of Jordan,"" Khasawneh added.
+Jordan, the second Arab country after Egypt to sign a peace accord, has had strong security ties with Israel. But relations have plummeted since the advent of one of the most right-wing governments in Israel's history.
+""The peace treaty would be a piece of paper on a shelf covered with dust if Israel did not respect its obligations and violated it,"" Khasawneh said.
+Any threat to Jordan's national security would ""put all options on the table"", Khasawneh said, adding that recent deployments of troops along the borders with Israel were part of measures to protect the country's security.
+Residents and witnesses have seen large columns of armoured vehicles and tanks moving along a main highway leading to the Jordan Valley opposite the West Bank in the last few days.
+Officials say the army was already in a heightened alert for any eventualities.
+Khasawneh said Israeli actions in the West Bank could trigger wider violence, citing growing Jewish settler attacks on Palestinian civilians since the Oct. 7 attacks.
+Washington has also urged Israel to curb settler violence, fearing wider conflict.
+""Israel should steer away from any escalation in the West Bank... This is a red line Jordan won't accept,"" the prime minister added.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","This is a red line Jordan won't accept,"" the prime minister added.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/putin-says-brics-could-help-reach-political-settlement-gaza-conflict-2023-11-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Putin says BRICS could help reach political settlement in Gaza conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Tuesday for a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said regional states and members of the BRICS group of countries could be involved in efforts to reach such a settlement.
+In televised comments to a virtual BRICS summit, Putin once again blamed the Middle East crisis on the failure of U.S. diplomacy in the region.
+""We call for the joint efforts of the international community aimed at de-escalating the situation, a ceasefire and finding a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. And the BRICS states and countries of the region could play a key role in this work,"" Putin said.
+He did not elaborate on how such an effort might be organised.
+The BRICS group includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It agreed in August to expand by adding Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates as members.
+
+Russian and Western policy experts say Putin is trying to use the Gaza crisis to his geopolitical advantage as part of a strategy to court allies in developing countries and build what he calls a new world order to counter U.S. dominance.
+In previous comments he has repeatedly attacked U.S. policy, urged Israel to show restraint and has expressed sympathy for the plight of Palestinians.
+Last month he cautioned Israel against laying siege to Gaza in the same way that Nazi Germany besieged Leningrad during World War Two, saying a ground offensive there would lead to an ""absolutely unacceptable"" number of civilian casualties.
+On Tuesday he said it was ""terrible"" that Palestinian children were dying in large numbers, adding that the sight of operations being performed on children without anaesthetics ""evokes special feelings"".
+""Due to the sabotage of U.N. decisions, which clearly provide for the creation and peaceful coexistence of two independent and sovereign states - Israel and Palestine - more than one generation of Palestinians has been brought up in an atmosphere of injustice towards their people, and the Israelis cannot fully guarantee the security of their state,"" Putin said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Putin says BRICS could help reach political settlement in Gaza conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Tuesday for a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said regional states and members of the BRICS group of countries could be involved in efforts to reach such a settlement.  In televised comments to a virtual BRICS summit, Putin once again blamed the Middle East crisis on the failure of U.S. diplomacy in the region.
+"" We call for the joint efforts of the international community aimed at de-escalating the situation, a ceasefire and finding a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. And the BRICS states and countries of the region could play a key role in this work,"" Putin said.  He did not elaborate on how such an effort might be organised.
+The BRICS group includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It agreed in August to expand by adding Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates as members. Russian and Western policy experts say Putin is trying to use the Gaza crisis to his geopolitical advantage as part of a strategy to court allies in developing countries and build what he calls a new world order to counter U.S. dominance. In previous comments he has repeatedly attacked U.S. policy, urged Israel to show restraint and has expressed sympathy for the plight of Palestinians. Last month he cautioned Israel against laying siege to Gaza in the same way that Nazi Germany besieged Leningrad during World War Two, saying a ground offensive there would lead to an ""absolutely unacceptable"" number of civilian casualties.
+On Tuesday he said it was ""terrible"" that Palestinian children were dying in large numbers, adding that the sight of operations being performed on children without anaesthetics ""evokes special feelings"".
+""Due to the sabotage of U.N. decisions, which clearly provide for the creation and peaceful coexistence of two independent and sovereign states - Israel and Palestine - more than one generation of Palestinians has been brought up in an atmosphere of injustice towards their people, and the Israelis cannot fully guarantee the security of their state,"" Putin said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/son-scores-twice-down-china-koreans-maintain-perfect-record-2023-11-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Son bags double for South Korea as top sides win in Asian qualifiers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG, Nov 21 (Reuters) - South Korea's Son Heung-min scored twice and set up the third in a 3-0 win over China as Asia's top sides claimed victories in the second round of qualifying on Tuesday for the 2026 World Cup.
+Japan, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia all won, while Kuwait and North Korea scored a flurry of goals en route to victories.
+Australia and Palestine players stood for a minute's silence ahead of their game, which was played in Kuwait due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+Son was in top form as South Korea completed back-to-back wins at the start of their challenge for a place at the 2026 finals.
+He put the Koreans in front in the Group C clash in the second phase of Asia's preliminaries when he steered an 11th-minute penalty to the right of Chinese goalkeeper Yan Junling.
+He added the second in the 45th minute with a header following Lee Kang-in's corner before turning provider three minutes from time when he drifted in a free kick that Jung Seung-hyun headed past Yan to seal the victory.
+The win maintains the Koreans' perfect record after two games in the second round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and was China's first defeat after winning against Thailand on Thursday.
+The Thais bounced back from that loss to beat Singapore 3-1 with Suphanat Mueanta scoring twice in the second half for Mano Polking's team, who move level with China on three points.
+Japan also recorded a second successive win with Ayase Ueda scoring twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Syria in Jeddah that gives Hajime Moriyasu's side a three-point lead over North Korea and the Syrians in Group B.
+Jong Il Gwan scored a hat-trick as North Korea picked up their first win of the campaign with a 6-1 thrashing of Myanmar in Yangon having started their quest for a place at the finals last Thursday with a loss against Syria.
+Harry Souttar scored the only goal in Australia's 1-0 win over Palestine in Group I, which was played in Kuwait's Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
+Players held a minute's silence ahead of kickoff before Souttar scored the game's only goal with an 18th-minute header.
+Australia are top of the group with six points, four ahead of Lebanon who drew 1-1 with Bangladesh.
+Second-half goals from Oston Orunov and Igor Sergeev saw Uzbekistan fight back from a two-goal halftime deficit to draw 2-2 with Iran in Group E, leaving both teams on four points, three ahead of Hong Kong and Turkmenistan following their 2-2 draw.
+Mohanad Ali scored six minutes into injury time to earn Iraq a 1-0 win over hosts Vietnam in Group F as Jesus Casas' side moved onto six points.
+Vietnam remain second in the group standings after the Philippines and Indonesia shared a 1-1 draw in Manila.
+Substitute Darren Lok claimed the only goal as Malaysia defeated Taiwan for their second win in Group D while Kyrgyzstan won 1-0 against Oman to join the Gulf side on three points.
+Qatar won their second game in a row with a 3-0 defeat of India in Group A and Yemen picked up their first victory in Group H with a 2-0 win over Nepal.
+Tajikistan downed Pakistan 6-1 with Amadoni Kamolov hitting a brace in Islamabad in Group G, while Saudi Arabia's Saleh Al Shehri scored twice in a 2-0 win over Jordan, who sit third in the group with just one point after two matches.
+Also maintaining a perfect record in Group H were United Arab Emirates with a 2-0 victory over Bahrain after a powerful first-half strike from Abdalla Bekheet and a penalty a minute from fulltime which Ali Mabkhout converted.
+Kuwait, meanwhile, thrashed Afghanistan 4-0 away to move into second place in Group A behind Qatar.
+The qualifying games will resume in March next year.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Son bags double for South Korea as top sides win in Asian qualifiers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG, Nov 21 (Reuters) - South Korea's Son Heung-min scored twice and set up the third in a 3-0 win over China as Asia's top sides claimed victories in the second round of qualifying on Tuesday for the 2026 World Cup. Japan, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia all won, while Kuwait and North Korea scored a flurry of goals en route to victories.
+Australia and Palestine players stood for a minute's silence ahead of their game, which was played in Kuwait due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.  Son was in top form as South Korea completed back-to-back wins at the start of their challenge for a place at the 2026 finals.
+He put the Koreans in front in the Group C clash in the second phase of Asia's preliminaries when he steered an 11th-minute penalty to the right of Chinese goalkeeper Yan Junling. He added the second in the 45th minute with a header following Lee Kang-in's corner before turning provider three minutes from time when he drifted in a free kick that Jung Seung-hyun headed past Yan to seal the victory.
+The win maintains the Koreans' perfect record after two games in the second round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and was China's first defeat after winning against Thailand on Thursday.
+The Thais bounced back from that loss to beat Singapore 3-1 with Suphanat Mueanta scoring twice in the second half for Mano Polking's team, who move level with China on three points.
+Japan also recorded a second successive win with Ayase Ueda scoring twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Syria in Jeddah that gives Hajime Moriyasu's side a three-point lead over North Korea and the Syrians in Group B.
+Jong Il Gwan scored a hat-trick as North Korea picked up their first win of the campaign with a 6-1 thrashing of Myanmar in Yangon having started their quest for a place at the finals last Thursday with a loss against Syria.
+Harry Souttar scored the only goal in Australia's 1-0 win over Palestine in Group I, which was played in Kuwait's Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. Players held a minute's silence ahead of kickoff before Souttar scored the game's only goal with an 18th-minute header.
+Australia are top of the group with six points, four ahead of Lebanon who drew 1-1 with Bangladesh."
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/son-scores-twice-down-china-koreans-maintain-perfect-record-2023-11-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Son bags double for South Korea as top sides win in Asian qualifiers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG, Nov 21 (Reuters) - South Korea's Son Heung-min scored twice and set up the third in a 3-0 win over China as Asia's top sides claimed victories in the second round of qualifying on Tuesday for the 2026 World Cup.
+Japan, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia all won, while Kuwait and North Korea scored a flurry of goals en route to victories.
+Australia and Palestine players stood for a minute's silence ahead of their game, which was played in Kuwait due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+Son was in top form as South Korea completed back-to-back wins at the start of their challenge for a place at the 2026 finals.
+He put the Koreans in front in the Group C clash in the second phase of Asia's preliminaries when he steered an 11th-minute penalty to the right of Chinese goalkeeper Yan Junling.
+He added the second in the 45th minute with a header following Lee Kang-in's corner before turning provider three minutes from time when he drifted in a free kick that Jung Seung-hyun headed past Yan to seal the victory.
+The win maintains the Koreans' perfect record after two games in the second round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and was China's first defeat after winning against Thailand on Thursday.
+The Thais bounced back from that loss to beat Singapore 3-1 with Suphanat Mueanta scoring twice in the second half for Mano Polking's team, who move level with China on three points.
+Japan also recorded a second successive win with Ayase Ueda scoring twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Syria in Jeddah that gives Hajime Moriyasu's side a three-point lead over North Korea and the Syrians in Group B.
+Jong Il Gwan scored a hat-trick as North Korea picked up their first win of the campaign with a 6-1 thrashing of Myanmar in Yangon having started their quest for a place at the finals last Thursday with a loss against Syria.
+Harry Souttar scored the only goal in Australia's 1-0 win over Palestine in Group I, which was played in Kuwait's Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
+Players held a minute's silence ahead of kickoff before Souttar scored the game's only goal with an 18th-minute header.
+Australia are top of the group with six points, four ahead of Lebanon who drew 1-1 with Bangladesh.
+Second-half goals from Oston Orunov and Igor Sergeev saw Uzbekistan fight back from a two-goal halftime deficit to draw 2-2 with Iran in Group E, leaving both teams on four points, three ahead of Hong Kong and Turkmenistan following their 2-2 draw.
+Mohanad Ali scored six minutes into injury time to earn Iraq a 1-0 win over hosts Vietnam in Group F as Jesus Casas' side moved onto six points.
+Vietnam remain second in the group standings after the Philippines and Indonesia shared a 1-1 draw in Manila.
+Substitute Darren Lok claimed the only goal as Malaysia defeated Taiwan for their second win in Group D while Kyrgyzstan won 1-0 against Oman to join the Gulf side on three points.
+Qatar won their second game in a row with a 3-0 defeat of India in Group A and Yemen picked up their first victory in Group H with a 2-0 win over Nepal.
+Tajikistan downed Pakistan 6-1 with Amadoni Kamolov hitting a brace in Islamabad in Group G, while Saudi Arabia's Saleh Al Shehri scored twice in a 2-0 win over Jordan, who sit third in the group with just one point after two matches.
+Also maintaining a perfect record in Group H were United Arab Emirates with a 2-0 victory over Bahrain after a powerful first-half strike from Abdalla Bekheet and a penalty a minute from fulltime which Ali Mabkhout converted.
+Kuwait, meanwhile, thrashed Afghanistan 4-0 away to move into second place in Group A behind Qatar.
+The qualifying games will resume in March next year.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Second-half goals from Oston Orunov and Igor Sergeev saw Uzbekistan fight back from a two-goal halftime deficit to draw 2-2 with Iran in Group E, leaving both teams on four points, three ahead of Hong Kong and Turkmenistan following their 2-2 draw.  Mohanad Ali scored six minutes into injury time to earn Iraq a 1-0 win over hosts Vietnam in Group F as Jesus Casas' side moved onto six points. Vietnam remain second in the group standings after the Philippines and Indonesia shared a 1-1 draw in Manila. Substitute Darren Lok claimed the only goal as Malaysia defeated Taiwan for their second win in Group D while Kyrgyzstan won 1-0 against Oman to join the Gulf side on three points. Qatar won their second game in a row with a 3-0 defeat of India in Group A and Yemen picked up their first victory in Group H with a 2-0 win over Nepal. Tajikistan downed Pakistan 6-1 with Amadoni Kamolov hitting a brace in Islamabad in Group G, while Saudi Arabia's Saleh Al Shehri scored twice in a 2-0 win over Jordan, who sit third in the group with just one point after two matches. Also maintaining a perfect record in Group H were United Arab Emirates with a 2-0 victory over Bahrain after a powerful first-half strike from Abdalla Bekheet and a penalty a minute from fulltime which Ali Mabkhout converted. Kuwait, meanwhile, thrashed Afghanistan 4-0 away to move into second place in Group A behind Qatar.  The qualifying games will resume in March next year.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/beijing-arab-muslim-ministers-urge-end-gaza-war-2023-11-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Beijing, Arab and Muslim ministers urge end to Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Arab and Muslim ministers called on Monday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as their delegation visited Beijing on the first leg of a tour to push for an end to hostilities and to allow humanitarian aid into the devastated Palestinian enclave.
+The delegation, which is set to meet officials representing each of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, is also piling pressure on the West to reject Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defence.
+The officials holding meetings with China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Monday are from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestinian authorities and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, among others.
+""We are here to send a clear signal: that is we must immediately stop the fighting and the killings, we must immediately deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza,"" said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
+The extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh this month also urged the International Criminal Court to investigate ""war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing"" in the Palestinian territories.
+Saudi Arabia has sought to press the United States and Israel for an end to hostilities in Gaza, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, gathered Arab and Muslim leaders to reinforce that message.
+In comments posted by his ministry on X, formerly known as Twitter, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told his Chinese counterpart: ""We look forward to a stronger role on the part of great powers such as China in order to stop the attacks against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, there are major countries that give cover to the current Israeli attacks.""
+About 240 hostages were taken during Hamas's deadly cross-border rampage into Israel on Oct. 7, which prompted Israel to invade the Gaza Strip with the intention of eradicating the Islamist militant group.
+Gaza's Hamas-run government said at least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli bombardments since then, including at least 5,500 children.
+Israeli ambassador to Beijing Irit Ben-Abba told foreign reporters at a briefing on Monday that she hoped there would not be ""any statements from this visit about a ceasefire, now is not the time.""
+She said that Israel hoped that the delegation would talk about hostages captured by Hamas ""and call for their immediate release without preconditions,"" adding that the parties involved should talk together about Egypt's ""role in facilitating humanitarian assistance.""
+'BROTHER AND FRIEND'
+China's Wang said Beijing was a ""good friend and brother of Arab and Muslim countries,"" adding it has ""always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and interests.""
+Since the start of hostilities, China's foreign ministry has repeatedly stopped short of condemning Hamas, instead calling for de-escalation and for Israel and Palestine to pursue a ""two-state solution"" for an independent Palestine.
+Since the end of China's nearly three years of COVID lockdowns, Xi has launched a diplomatic push aimed at countering the United States and its allies, who he says seek to contain and suppress his country.
+Beijing has deepened alliances with non-Western led multilateral groups such as the BRICS bloc of nations while strengthening ties with countries in the Middle East and the Global South.
+On Monday, Wang added China will work to ""quell the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible, alleviate the humanitarian crisis and promote an early, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue.""
+China's special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, has engaged officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority - which governs in the occupied West Bank - as well as the Arab League and EU in the last year to discuss a two-state solution and recognition for Palestine at the United Nations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Beijing , Arab and Muslim ministers urge end to Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Arab and Muslim ministers called on Monday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as their delegation visited Beijing on the first leg of a tour to push for an end to hostilities and to allow humanitarian aid into the devastated Palestinian enclave. The delegation, which is set to meet officials representing each of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, is also piling pressure on the West to reject Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defence.  The officials holding meetings with China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Monday are from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestinian authorities and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, among others. ""We are here to send a clear signal: that is we must immediately stop the fighting and the killings, we must immediately deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza,"" said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh this month also urged the International Criminal Court to investigate ""war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing"" in the Palestinian territories.
+Saudi Arabia has sought to press the United States and Israel for an end to hostilities in Gaza, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, gathered Arab and Muslim leaders to reinforce that message.  In comments posted by his ministry on X, formerly known as Twitter, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told his Chinese counterpart: ""We look forward to a stronger role on the part of great powers such as China in order to stop the attacks against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, there are major countries that give cover to the current Israeli attacks."" About 240 hostages were taken during Hamas's deadly cross-border rampage into Israel on Oct. 7, which prompted Israel to invade the Gaza Strip with the intention of eradicating the Islamist militant group. Gaza's Hamas-run government said at least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli bombardments since then, including at least 5,500 children. Israeli ambassador to Beijing Irit Ben-Abba told foreign reporters at a briefing on Monday that she hoped there would not be ""any statements from this visit about a ceasefire, now is not the time."" She said that Israel hoped that the delegation would talk about hostages captured by Hamas ""and call for their immediate release without preconditions,"" adding that the parties involved should talk together about Egypt's ""role in facilitating humanitarian assistance.""
+'BROTHER AND FRIEND' "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/beijing-arab-muslim-ministers-urge-end-gaza-war-2023-11-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Beijing, Arab and Muslim ministers urge end to Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Arab and Muslim ministers called on Monday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as their delegation visited Beijing on the first leg of a tour to push for an end to hostilities and to allow humanitarian aid into the devastated Palestinian enclave.
+The delegation, which is set to meet officials representing each of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, is also piling pressure on the West to reject Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defence.
+The officials holding meetings with China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Monday are from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestinian authorities and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, among others.
+""We are here to send a clear signal: that is we must immediately stop the fighting and the killings, we must immediately deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza,"" said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
+The extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh this month also urged the International Criminal Court to investigate ""war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing"" in the Palestinian territories.
+Saudi Arabia has sought to press the United States and Israel for an end to hostilities in Gaza, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, gathered Arab and Muslim leaders to reinforce that message.
+In comments posted by his ministry on X, formerly known as Twitter, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told his Chinese counterpart: ""We look forward to a stronger role on the part of great powers such as China in order to stop the attacks against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, there are major countries that give cover to the current Israeli attacks.""
+About 240 hostages were taken during Hamas's deadly cross-border rampage into Israel on Oct. 7, which prompted Israel to invade the Gaza Strip with the intention of eradicating the Islamist militant group.
+Gaza's Hamas-run government said at least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli bombardments since then, including at least 5,500 children.
+Israeli ambassador to Beijing Irit Ben-Abba told foreign reporters at a briefing on Monday that she hoped there would not be ""any statements from this visit about a ceasefire, now is not the time.""
+She said that Israel hoped that the delegation would talk about hostages captured by Hamas ""and call for their immediate release without preconditions,"" adding that the parties involved should talk together about Egypt's ""role in facilitating humanitarian assistance.""
+'BROTHER AND FRIEND'
+China's Wang said Beijing was a ""good friend and brother of Arab and Muslim countries,"" adding it has ""always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and interests.""
+Since the start of hostilities, China's foreign ministry has repeatedly stopped short of condemning Hamas, instead calling for de-escalation and for Israel and Palestine to pursue a ""two-state solution"" for an independent Palestine.
+Since the end of China's nearly three years of COVID lockdowns, Xi has launched a diplomatic push aimed at countering the United States and its allies, who he says seek to contain and suppress his country.
+Beijing has deepened alliances with non-Western led multilateral groups such as the BRICS bloc of nations while strengthening ties with countries in the Middle East and the Global South.
+On Monday, Wang added China will work to ""quell the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible, alleviate the humanitarian crisis and promote an early, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue.""
+China's special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, has engaged officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority - which governs in the occupied West Bank - as well as the Arab League and EU in the last year to discuss a two-state solution and recognition for Palestine at the United Nations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","China's Wang said Beijing was a ""good friend and brother of Arab and Muslim countries,"" adding it has ""always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and interests.""
+Since the start of hostilities, China's foreign ministry has repeatedly stopped short of condemning Hamas, instead calling for de-escalation and for Israel and Palestine to pursue a ""two-state solution"" for an independent Palestine.
+Since the end of China's nearly three years of COVID lockdowns, Xi has launched a diplomatic push aimed at countering the United States and its allies, who he says seek to contain and suppress his country. Beijing has deepened alliances with non-Western led multilateral groups such as the BRICS bloc of nations while strengthening ties with countries in the Middle East and the Global South. On Monday, Wang added China will work to ""quell the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible, alleviate the humanitarian crisis and promote an early, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue."" China's special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, has engaged officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority - which governs in the occupied West Bank - as well as the Arab League and EU in the last year to discuss a two-state solution and recognition for Palestine at the United Nations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-shows-madrid-protest-over-catalan-amnesty-deal-2023-11-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video shows Madrid protest over Catalan amnesty deal[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video of a protest in Madrid against a plan by Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to grant amnesty to Catalan separatists has been falsely claimed online to show a pro-Palestinian protest.
+The acting premier’s Socialist Party (PSOE) secured the backing of the Catalan separatist party Junts on Nov. 9 via a deal that included passing a law to grant amnesty to individuals convicted over Catalonia's attempt to secede from Spain in 2017.
+Thousands of people gathered across Spain on Nov. 12 to oppose the deal.
+On Nov. 13, posts on messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), formerly Twitter, and on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) shared the video, which was captured from atop a building and pans across thousands of people in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, opens new tab square, with the caption: “Human flood in Spain for Palestine.”
+But Spanish news outlets El Mundo, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and Libertad Digital, opens new tab used the same video in their Nov. 12 coverage of the protest against Sanchez and the amnesty for Catalan separatists.
+Photographs, opens new tab and livestreams, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) also captured different angles, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) of the same protest.
+Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have also been held across Spanish cities, opens new tab since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7, and they have been reported in local media, opens new tab.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video shows Madrid protest over Catalan amnesty deal[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video of a protest in Madrid against a plan by Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to grant amnesty to Catalan separatists has been falsely claimed online to show a pro-Palestinian protest. The acting premier’s Socialist Party (PSOE) secured the backing of the Catalan separatist party Junts on Nov. 9 via a deal that included passing a law to grant amnesty to individuals convicted over Catalonia's attempt to secede from Spain in 2017. Thousands of people gathered across Spain on Nov. 12 to oppose the deal. On Nov. 13, posts on messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab), formerly Twitter, and on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) shared the video, which was captured from atop a building and pans across thousands of people in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, opens new tab square, with the caption: “Human flood in Spain for Palestine.” But Spanish news outlets El Mundo, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and Libertad Digital, opens new tab used the same video in their Nov. 12 coverage of the protest against Sanchez and the amnesty for Catalan separatists.  Photographs, opens new tab and livestreams, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) also captured different angles, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) of the same protest. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have also been held across Spanish cities, opens new tab since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7, and they have been reported in local media, opens new tab.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/three-more-journalists-killed-gaza-israeli-offensive-relatives-say-2023-11-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Three more journalists killed in Gaza in Israeli offensive, relatives say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 19 (Reuters) - The head of a prominent media institution in Gaza and two other journalists were killed during the weekend in Israel's offensive in the territory, their relatives said on Sunday, adding to the dozens of reporters who have died in the six-week conflict.
+The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the weekend deaths raised to 48 the number of journalists and media workers it had confirmed killed in the region since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli offensive.
+The CPJ, whose list covers journalists killed on both sides of the conflict although most have been in Gaza, said it seeks at least two sources to verify each death. It said its list of those killed comprised 43 Palestinians, four Israelis and one Lebanese.
+""Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heart-breaking conflict. Those in Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and face exponential threats,"" Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said in an email to Reuters.
+On Sunday, Belal Jadallah, a journalist and head of the board of the Press House-Palestine, a non-governmental organisation, was killed and his pharmacist brother-in-law was seriously wounded, his sister and other relatives told Reuters.
+Jadallah told his sister earlier on Sunday he was heading out of Gaza City towards the south. He was killed in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City, said his sister, who added that people who found him and took him to a medical centre where he was declared dead said he had been killed by an Israeli tank shell.
+Reuters could not independently verify this report or the report of the other two journalists killed this weekend.
+Four of Jadallah's relatives work for Reuters in Gaza or abroad. One of the journalists on CPJ's list of those killed is Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah who was killed in Lebanon near the border with Israel on Oct. 13.
+In addition to Jadallah, two freelance journalists - Hassouna Sleem and Sary Mansour - were killed on Saturday in an Israeli assault on Bureij refugee camp, in the centre of the Gaza Strip, their relatives and Palestinian health officials said. The health officials said 17 people died in the incident.
+The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the deaths of Jadallah or the others.
+In the past, the Israeli military has said it was pursuing its offensive to dismantle Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack and it would look into individual cases at a later date. It has also said it makes every feasible effort to mitigate civilian harm.
+The Press House-Palestine says on its website that its overall objective is to contribute to developing an ""independent Palestinian media, that reflects the values of democracy and freedom of expression and its principles.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Three more journalists killed in Gaza in Israeli offensive, relatives say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 19 (Reuters) - The head of a prominent media institution in Gaza and two other journalists were killed during the weekend in Israel's offensive in the territory, their relatives said on Sunday, adding to the dozens of reporters who have died in the six-week conflict. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the weekend deaths raised to 48 the number of journalists and media workers it had confirmed killed in the region since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli offensive.  The CPJ, whose list covers journalists killed on both sides of the conflict although most have been in Gaza, said it seeks at least two sources to verify each death. It said its list of those killed comprised 43 Palestinians, four Israelis and one Lebanese.  ""Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heart-breaking conflict. Those in Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and face exponential threats,"" Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said in an email to Reuters. On Sunday, Belal Jadallah, a journalist and head of the board of the Press House-Palestine, a non-governmental organisation, was killed and his pharmacist brother-in-law was seriously wounded , his sister and other relatives told Reuters.  Jadallah told his sister earlier on Sunday he was heading out of Gaza City towards the south. He was killed in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City, said his sister, who added that people who found him and took him to a medical centre where he was declared dead said he had been killed by an Israeli tank shell. Reuters could not independently verify this report or the report of the other two journalists killed this weekend.  Four of Jadallah's relatives work for Reuters in Gaza or abroad. One of the journalists on CPJ's list of those killed is Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah who was killed in Lebanon near the border with Israel on Oct. 13.  In addition to Jadallah, two freelance journalists - Hassouna Sleem and Sary Mansour - were killed on Saturday in an Israeli assault on Bureij refugee camp, in the centre of the Gaza Strip, their relatives and Palestinian health officials said. The health officials said 17 people died in the incident. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/three-more-journalists-killed-gaza-israeli-offensive-relatives-say-2023-11-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Three more journalists killed in Gaza in Israeli offensive, relatives say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 19 (Reuters) - The head of a prominent media institution in Gaza and two other journalists were killed during the weekend in Israel's offensive in the territory, their relatives said on Sunday, adding to the dozens of reporters who have died in the six-week conflict.
+The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the weekend deaths raised to 48 the number of journalists and media workers it had confirmed killed in the region since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli offensive.
+The CPJ, whose list covers journalists killed on both sides of the conflict although most have been in Gaza, said it seeks at least two sources to verify each death. It said its list of those killed comprised 43 Palestinians, four Israelis and one Lebanese.
+""Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heart-breaking conflict. Those in Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and face exponential threats,"" Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said in an email to Reuters.
+On Sunday, Belal Jadallah, a journalist and head of the board of the Press House-Palestine, a non-governmental organisation, was killed and his pharmacist brother-in-law was seriously wounded, his sister and other relatives told Reuters.
+Jadallah told his sister earlier on Sunday he was heading out of Gaza City towards the south. He was killed in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City, said his sister, who added that people who found him and took him to a medical centre where he was declared dead said he had been killed by an Israeli tank shell.
+Reuters could not independently verify this report or the report of the other two journalists killed this weekend.
+Four of Jadallah's relatives work for Reuters in Gaza or abroad. One of the journalists on CPJ's list of those killed is Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah who was killed in Lebanon near the border with Israel on Oct. 13.
+In addition to Jadallah, two freelance journalists - Hassouna Sleem and Sary Mansour - were killed on Saturday in an Israeli assault on Bureij refugee camp, in the centre of the Gaza Strip, their relatives and Palestinian health officials said. The health officials said 17 people died in the incident.
+The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the deaths of Jadallah or the others.
+In the past, the Israeli military has said it was pursuing its offensive to dismantle Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack and it would look into individual cases at a later date. It has also said it makes every feasible effort to mitigate civilian harm.
+The Press House-Palestine says on its website that its overall objective is to contribute to developing an ""independent Palestinian media, that reflects the values of democracy and freedom of expression and its principles.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the deaths of Jadallah or the others.
+In the past, the Israeli military has said it was pursuing its offensive to dismantle Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack and it would look into individual cases at a later date. It has also said it makes every feasible effort to mitigate civilian harm.  The Press House-Palestine says on its website that its overall objective is to contribute to developing an ""independent Palestinian media, that reflects the values of democracy and freedom of expression and its principles.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordans-king-says-immediate-ceasefire-gaza-needed-avert-humanitarian-catastrophe-2023-11-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jordan's king says immediate ceasefire in Gaza needed to avert humanitarian catastrophe[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah said on Sunday the international community should push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to stop a humanitarian catastrophe caused by what he termed Israel's ""ugly war against civilians"".
+In remarks made during a meeting with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, the monarch said global powers should force Israel to comply with international law to protect civilians and ensure Israel heeds calls to allow uninterrupted flow of aid into the enclave.
+Israel launched its offensive after the militant Hamas groups' Oct. 7 rampage inside Israel.
+But Abdullah said Israel was not acting in self-defence, as it maintains, by ""indiscriminate strikes"" that killed thousands of civilians risking a wider conflict that would fuel radicalism for years to come.
+The monarch, who has lobbied Western leaders since the start of Israel's military campaign, has criticized the West's unwillingness so far to call for an end to hostilities, saying Palestinians lives appeared to matter less than Israelis.
+""Gazan families being bombed out of their homes are victims of this collective punishment, with no place to take shelter. No hospital, no school and no U.N. building is safe any longer,"" the monarch said in an op-ed last Tuesday published in the Washington Post.
+Abdullah said only a sovereign Palestinian state on land that Israel had captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, where Palestinians would live in dignity alongside Israel, would bring real peace.
+""An Israeli leadership that is unwilling to take the path of peace on the basis of the two-state solution will not be able to provide its people the security they need,"" the monarch said in the article.
+Separately, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi left on Sunday to China in the first leg of a tour by a ministerial delegation set up by the Arab-Islamic summit that also includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey and Palestine, among others.
+The delegation, who will meet senior officials representing the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, will pile pressure on Western powers still resisting a call for an immediate ceasefire, officials said.
+""The aim is to show the humanitarian catastrophe that the war is creating and to expose the brutal Israeli crimes against civilians and repeated attacks on civilian targets and hospitals,"" said Sufain al Qudah, spokesperson of the Jordanian foreign ministry.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jordan's king says immediate ceasefire in Gaza needed to avert humanitarian catastrophe[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah said on Sunday the international community should push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to stop a humanitarian catastrophe caused by what he termed Israel's ""ugly war against civilians"". In remarks made during a meeting with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, the monarch said global powers should force Israel to comply with international law to protect civilians and ensure Israel heeds calls to allow uninterrupted flow of aid into the enclave. Israel launched its offensive after the militant Hamas groups' Oct. 7 rampage inside Israel. But Abdullah said Israel was not acting in self-defence, as it maintains, by ""indiscriminate strikes"" that killed thousands of civilians risking a wider conflict that would fuel radicalism for years to come.  The monarch, who has lobbied Western leaders since the start of Israel's military campaign, has criticized the West's unwillingness so far to call for an end to hostilities, saying Palestinians lives appeared to matter less than Israelis.
+""Gazan families being bombed out of their homes are victims of this collective punishment, with no place to take shelter. No hospital, no school and no U.N. building is safe any longer,"" the monarch said in an op-ed last Tuesday published in the Washington Post. Abdullah said only a sovereign Palestinian state on land that Israel had captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, where Palestinians would live in dignity alongside Israel, would bring real peace.
+""An Israeli leadership that is unwilling to take the path of peace on the basis of the two-state solution will not be able to provide its people the security they need,"" the monarch said in the article. Separately, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi left on Sunday to China in the first leg of a tour by a ministerial delegation set up by the Arab-Islamic summit that also includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey and Palestine, among others. The delegation, who will meet senior officials representing the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, will pile pressure on Western powers still resisting a call for an immediate ceasefire, officials said.  ""The aim is to show the humanitarian catastrophe that the war is creating and to expose the brutal Israeli crimes against civilians and repeated attacks on civilian targets and hospitals,"" said Sufain al Qudah, spokesperson of the Jordanian foreign ministry.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pope-says-peace-ukraine-middle-east-possible-with-good-will-2023-11-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope says peace in Ukraine, Middle East possible with good will[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MILAN, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday renewed calls for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East during his Angelus prayer, saying it was essential to keep up efforts to stop the ongoing conflicts.
+""I pray for the tormented population of Ukraine ... and the people in Palestine and Israel,"" he told the crowds gathered in St. Peter's square, adding he had spotted some yellow and blue Ukrainian flags.
+""Peace is possible, good will is needed ... we must not resign ourselves because, always, always, always war is a defeat from which only weapon manufacturers profit,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope says peace in Ukraine, Middle East possible with good will[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MILAN, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday renewed calls for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East during his Angelus prayer, saying it was essential to keep up efforts to stop the ongoing conflicts. ""I pray for the tormented population of Ukraine ... and the people in Palestine and Israel,"" he told the crowds gathered in St. Peter's square, adding he had spotted some yellow and blue Ukrainian flags.
+""Peace is possible, good will is needed ... we must not resign ourselves because, always, always, always war is a defeat from which only weapon manufacturers profit,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-says-palestinian-authority-should-ultimately-govern-gaza-west-bank-2023-11-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian Authority should govern Gaza and West Bank, Biden says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday the Palestinian Authority should ultimately govern the Gaza Strip and the West Bank following the Israel-Hamas war.
+""As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution,"" Biden said in an opinion article in the Washington Post.
+""There must be no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, and no reduction in territory,"" Biden said.
+He used the op-ed to try to answer the question of what the United States wants for Gaza once the conflict is over.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took issue with Biden's plan for the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza.
+""I think that the PA in its current form is not capable of accepting the responsibility for Gaza after we’ve fought and done all this, to pass it to them,"" he said at a news conference in Tel Aviv.
+Netanyahu has previously said Israel must maintain ""overall military responsibility"" in Gaza ""for the foreseeable future.""
+The Palestinian Authority used to run both the West Bank and Gaza but was ousted from the latter in 2007 after a brief civil war with Hamas.
+Biden also said the United States is prepared to issue visa bans against ""extremists"" attacking civilians in the West Bank. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has increased since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
+""I have been emphatic with Israel’s leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable,"" Biden said.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Biden to pressure Israel to stop violence against Palestinians.
+""I also call on you to urgently intervene to stop the attacks by Israeli forces and the continuous terrorism by settlers against our people in the West Bank and Jerusalem, which foreshadow an imminent explosion,"" he said in a special address aired by Palestine TV.
+The West Bank, home to 3 million Palestinians who live among more than half a million Jewish settlers, has been seething for more than 18 months, drawing growing international concern as violence has escalated after Oct. 7.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian Authority should govern Gaza and West Bank, Biden says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday the Palestinian Authority should ultimately govern the Gaza Strip and the West Bank following the Israel-Hamas war. ""As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution,"" Biden said in an opinion article in the Washington Post.
+""There must be no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, and no reduction in territory,"" Biden said. He used the op-ed to try to answer the question of what the United States wants for Gaza once the conflict is over. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took issue with Biden's plan for the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza. ""I think that the PA in its current form is not capable of accepting the responsibility for Gaza after we’ve fought and done all this, to pass it to them,"" he said at a news conference in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu has previously said Israel must maintain ""overall military responsibility"" in Gaza ""for the foreseeable future.""  The Palestinian Authority used to run both the West Bank and Gaza but was ousted from the latter in 2007 after a brief civil war with Hamas.
+Biden also said the United States is prepared to issue visa bans against ""extremists"" attacking civilians in the West Bank. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has increased since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. ""I have been emphatic with Israel’s leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable,"" Biden said. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Biden to pressure Israel to stop violence against Palestinians. ""I also call on you to urgently intervene to stop the attacks by Israeli forces and the continuous terrorism by settlers against our people in the West Bank and Jerusalem, which foreshadow an imminent explosion,"" he said in a special address aired by Palestine TV. The West Bank, home to 3 million Palestinians who live among more than half a million Jewish settlers, has been seething for more than 18 months, drawing growing international concern as violence has escalated after Oct. 7.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/no-anomalies-germanys-aid-palestinians-foreign-ministry-2023-11-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]No anomalies in Germany's aid to Palestinians, Foreign Ministry says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Germany's Foreign Ministry has scrutinised humanitarian aid payments to the Palestinian territories and has not detected any misuse, the ministry said on Saturday after a review prompted by the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
+Europe is one of the main sources of aid to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories where the United Nations estimates that around 2.1 million people need humanitarian assistance, among them 1 million children.
+The German announcement of the aid review had sparked a mixed reaction at home and elsewhere, with critics saying the Palestinian people were not responsible for the Hamas attacks.
+Berlin, which has pledged its unwavering support for Israel, says Israeli security is its ""reason of state"" due its responsibility for the Holocaust, in which about six million Jews were killed in Nazi Germany.
+""The review of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians has been completed and there have been no anomalies regarding possible indirect aid for terrorist organisations,"" the foreign ministry said.
+However, a separate review by the Development Ministry, which suspended development aid to Palestinian people after Hamas' attacks, has not been concluded yet, a ministry spokesperson told Reuters.
+The European Commission also announced on Oct. 9 it would suspend aid to Palestinians, only to backtrack later the same day after EU countries complained it had overstepped the mark.
+The German Development Ministry had earmarked 250 million euros ($272 million) for bilateral projects in the Palestinian territories for this year and next. It did not say how much of that it has already disbursed so far.
+The spokesperson said that pledges totalling 71 million euros ($77.44 million) for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) were released and an additional 20 million euros were made available.
+These will be used to finance measures to maintain basic services for displaced people in Gaza and to support Palestinian refugees in Jordan.
+Germany has provided humanitarian aid totalling around 161 million euros ($175.6 million) for people in Palestinian territories this year.
+The country, together with the United States, is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday during a visit to Nuthetal in Brandenburg state.
+""It is not the states in the neighbourhood, although some are very rich,"" he said in reference to Arab countries. ""We are the ones who make it possible for schools and hospitals to be run there,"" he said about the Palestinian territories.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]No anomalies in Germany's aid to Palestinians , Foreign Ministry says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Germany's Foreign Ministry has scrutinised humanitarian aid payments to the Palestinian territories and has not detected any misuse, the ministry said on Saturday after a review prompted by the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Europe is one of the main sources of aid to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories where the United Nations estimates that around 2.1 million people need humanitarian assistance, among them 1 million children. The German announcement of the aid review had sparked a mixed reaction at home and elsewhere, with critics saying the Palestinian people were not responsible for the Hamas attacks.
+Berlin, which has pledged its unwavering support for Israel, says Israeli security is its ""reason of state"" due its responsibility for the Holocaust, in which about six million Jews were killed in Nazi Germany.
+""The review of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians has been completed and there have been no anomalies regarding possible indirect aid for terrorist organisations,"" the foreign ministry said. However, a separate review by the Development Ministry, which suspended development aid to Palestinian people after Hamas' attacks, has not been concluded yet, a ministry spokesperson told Reuters. The European Commission also announced on Oct. 9 it would suspend aid to Palestinians, only to backtrack later the same day after EU countries complained it had overstepped the mark.  The German Development Ministry had earmarked 250 million euros ($272 million) for bilateral projects in the Palestinian territories for this year and next. It did not say how much of that it has already disbursed so far. The spokesperson said that pledges totalling 71 million euros ($77.44 million) for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) were released and an additional 20 million euros were made available. These will be used to finance measures to maintain basic services for displaced people in Gaza and to support Palestinian refugees in Jordan. Germany has provided humanitarian aid totalling around 161 million euros ($175.6 million) for people in Palestinian territories this year. The country, together with the United States, is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday during a visit to Nuthetal in Brandenburg state.  ""It is not the states in the neighbourhood, although some are very rich,"" he said in reference to Arab countries. ""We are the ones who make it possible for schools and hospitals to be run there,"" he said about the Palestinian territories.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranians-protest-civilian-gaza-deaths-guards-chief-sees-war-attrition-2023-11-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iranians protest civilian Gaza deaths, Guards chief sees 'war of attrition'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Thousands of Iranians took part in state-sponsored marches on Saturday to protest against the deaths of children and other civilians in the Gaza war, and a top military commander said Israel was going towards its doom in a war of attrition.
+""Palestine stands on the path of a war of attrition...Israel will face a definitive defeat and end up in the dustbin of history,"" Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami told a rally in the capital Tehran, which was aired live on state TV.
+""The battle is not over, the Islamic world will do whatever it has to do. There are still great (unused) capacities left,"" Salami said, without referring to any possible moves by Iran to join the conflict.
+State television showed some protesters carrying bundled white shrouds symbolising the children killed in Gaza, during the nationwide marches, held ahead of World Children's Day on Monday.
+Tensions in the region have flared since a deadly attack by Iran-backed Hamas militants who burst through the border from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages, including children, according to Israeli tallies.
+Gaza health authorities raised their death toll on Friday to more than 12,000, including 5,000 children, after Israeli attacks there. The United Nations deems those figures credible, though they are now updated infrequently due to the difficulty of collecting information.
+Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday called on the international community to help stop the ""killing machine and organised terrorism of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and hold Zionist criminals accountable to justice and international law"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iranians protest civilian Gaza deaths, Guards chief sees 'war of attrition'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Thousands of Iranians took part in state-sponsored marches on Saturday to protest against the deaths of children and other civilians in the Gaza war, and a top military commander said Israel was going towards its doom in a war of attrition.  ""Palestine stands on the path of a war of attrition... Israel will face a definitive defeat and end up in the dustbin of history,"" Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami told a rally in the capital Tehran, which was aired live on state TV.  ""The battle is not over, the Islamic world will do whatever it has to do. There are still great (unused) capacities left,"" Salami said, without referring to any possible moves by Iran to join the conflict. State television showed some protesters carrying bundled white shrouds symbolising the children killed in Gaza, during the nationwide marches, held ahead of World Children's Day on Monday. Tensions in the region have flared since a deadly attack by Iran-backed Hamas militants who burst through the border from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages, including children, according to Israeli tallies. Gaza health authorities raised their death toll on Friday to more than 12,000, including 5,000 children, after Israeli attacks there. The United Nations deems those figures credible, though they are now updated infrequently due to the difficulty of collecting information.  Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday called on the international community to help stop the ""killing machine and organised terrorism of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and hold Zionist criminals accountable to justice and international law"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/australias-duke-expecting-emotional-game-ahead-palestine-qualifier-2023-11-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia's Duke expecting 'emotional game' ahead of Palestine qualifier[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 18 (Reuters) - Australia striker Mitchell Duke is expecting a highly motivated Palestine to present a major obstacle to the Socceroos' quest for back-to-back victories in Asia's preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup when they take on Makram Daboub's side on Tuesday.
+The game, originally slated as a home fixture for Palestine, will be played in Kuwait's Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium as a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict, with the Palestinians looking to build on an opening draw against Lebanon on Thursday.
+""It's going to be an emotional game - they are going to be up for it,"" said Duke, who scored twice for Australia in a 7-0 thrashing of Bangladesh in Melbourne in their first game in the second round of Asia's World Cup preliminaries.
+""The challenges are going to be strong. Physically it will be a tough game and intensity will be high. We need to be prepared for that mentally and physically, which I know we will be.""
+It will be important to not ""get caught up in anything, if people try to rile you up, stay composed and focused on the job at hand,"" Duke said.
+Graham Arnold's squad left Melbourne to travel to Kuwait on Saturday and are preparing to face a partisan crowd despite the game being played on neutral territory, with many Palestinian expatriates expected to turn out to back their team.
+""You always love a good atmosphere, it will probably be a little bit hostile and they will create as much of a home advantage as they can,"" Duke said.
+""But a lot of the boys have experienced that before; for those who haven't, it will be a great learning experience.""
+Central defender Harry Souttar said he and his team mates would be focused solely on the game despite the ongoing situation in Israel and Gaza.
+""We know what's going on - it's horrendous for both sides,"" the Leicester City centre half said.
+""I'm not going to stand here and give a political view. All I can say is that we will be going in focusing purely on the game and nothing else.
+""We know they are going to be right up for it and playing for a lot more than just football.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia's Duke expecting 'emotional game' ahead of Palestine qualifier[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 18 (Reuters) - Australia striker Mitchell Duke is expecting a highly motivated Palestine to present a major obstacle to the Socceroos' quest for back-to-back victories in Asia's preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup when they take on Makram Daboub's side on Tuesday. The game, originally slated as a home fixture for Palestine, will be played in Kuwait's Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium as a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict, with the Palestinians looking to build on an opening draw against Lebanon on Thursday.
+"" It's going to be an emotional game - they are going to be up for it,"" said Duke, who scored twice for Australia in a 7-0 thrashing of Bangladesh in Melbourne in their first game in the second round of Asia's World Cup preliminaries.  ""The challenges are going to be strong. Physically it will be a tough game and intensity will be high. We need to be prepared for that mentally and physically, which I know we will be. ""
+It will be important to not ""get caught up in anything, if people try to rile you up, stay composed and focused on the job at hand,"" Duke said.
+Graham Arnold's squad left Melbourne to travel to Kuwait on Saturday and are preparing to face a partisan crowd despite the game being played on neutral territory, with many Palestinian expatriates expected to turn out to back their team. ""You always love a good atmosphere, it will probably be a little bit hostile and they will create as much of a home advantage as they can,"" Duke said. ""But a lot of the boys have experienced that before; for those who haven't, it will be a great learning experience."" Central defender Harry Souttar said he and his team mates would be focused solely on the game despite the ongoing situation in Israel and Gaza. ""We know what's going on - it's horrendous for both sides,"" the Leicester City centre half said.  ""I'm not going to stand here and give a political view. All I can say is that we will be going in focusing purely on the game and nothing else.  ""We know they are going to be right up for it and playing for a lot more than just football.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/five-nations-seek-war-crimes-probe-palestinian-territories-2023-11-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Five nations seek war crimes probe in Palestinian territories[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMSTERDAM, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Friday said he had received a joint request from five countries to investigate the situation in the Palestinian territories.
+Prosecutor Karim Kahn said the referral had come from South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros and Djibouti. South Africa said the request was made ""to ensure that the ICC pays urgent attention to the grave situation in Palestine.""
+The ICC already has an ongoing investigation into ""the situation in the State of Palestine"" for alleged war crimes committed since June 13, 2014.
+Last month ,Kahn said that his office had jurisdiction both over Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and any crimes committed as part of Israel's response including bombings in the Gaza Strip.
+Because an investigation was already under way, Friday's request will have limited practical impact.
+In a statement, the prosecutor's office said it had so far ""collected a significant volume of information and evidence"" on crimes in the Palestinian territories and also committed by Palestinians.
+Israel is not a member of the court and does not recognise its jurisdiction.
+The ICC can investigate nationals of non-member states in certain circumstances, including when crimes are alleged to have been committed in the territories of member states. The Palestinian territories have been listed among the ICC's members since 2015.
+A court of last resort, the ICC prosecutes individuals for alleged criminal conduct when its 124 member states are unwilling or unable to prosecute themselves.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Five nations seek war crimes probe in Palestinian territories[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMSTERDAM, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Friday said he had received a joint request from five countries to investigate the situation in the Palestinian territories. Prosecutor Karim Kahn said the referral had come from South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros and Djibouti. South Africa said the request was made ""to ensure that the ICC pays urgent attention to the grave situation in Palestine."" The ICC already has an ongoing investigation into ""the situation in the State of Palestine"" for alleged war crimes committed since June 13, 2014. Last month ,Kahn said that his office had jurisdiction both over Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and any crimes committed as part of Israel's response including bombings in the Gaza Strip.
+Because an investigation was already under way, Friday's request will have limited practical impact.
+In a statement, the prosecutor's office said it had so far ""collected a significant volume of information and evidence"" on crimes in the Palestinian territories and also committed by Palestinians. Israel is not a member of the court and does not recognise its jurisdiction. The ICC can investigate nationals of non-member states in certain circumstances, including when crimes are alleged to have been committed in the territories of member states. The Palestinian territories have been listed among the ICC's members since 2015. A court of last resort, the ICC prosecutes individuals for alleged criminal conduct when its 124 member states are unwilling or unable to prosecute themselves.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/russias-putin-sees-political-economic-upside-israels-war-with-hamas-2023-11-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russia's Putin tries to use Gaza war to his geopolitical advantage[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin waited three days before commenting on Hamas' massacre of Israelis, which happened to take place on his 71st birthday. When he did, he blamed the United States, not Hamas.
+""I think that many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failed policy in the Middle East of the United States, which tried to monopolise the settlement process,"" Putin told Iraq's prime minister.
+It was a further six days before Putin spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer his condolences over the killing of around 1,200 Israelis. Ten days after that, Russia said a Hamas delegation was in Moscow for talks.
+Putin, say Russian and Western policy experts, is trying to use Israel's war against Hamas to escalate what he has cast as an existential battle with the West for a new world order that would end U.S. dominance in favour of a multilateral system he believes is already taking shape.
+""Russia understands that the U.S. and the EU have fully supported Israel, but the U.S. and the EU are now the embodiment of evil and cannot be right in any way,"" Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, wrote in his blog, explaining Putin's need to differentiate himself.
+""Therefore, Russia will not be in the same camp with the U.S. and the EU. Israel's main ally is the United States, Russia's main enemy right now. And Hamas' ally is Iran, an ally of Russia.""
+Moscow enjoys an increasingly close relationship with Tehran - which backs Hamas and whom Washington has accused of supplying Moscow with drones for Ukraine which is locked in a grinding war of attrition with Russia.
+Hanna Notte, a Berlin-based Russian foreign policy expert, told the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center she thought Moscow had dropped its earlier, more balanced position on the Middle East and adopted ""quite an overt pro-Palestinian position"".
+""In doing all of this, Russia understands very well that it aligns itself with constituencies across the Middle East and even beyond - in the Global South, in their views on the Palestinian issue where the Palestinian cause continues to resonate,"" she said.
+It is precisely those constituencies which Putin is seeking to win over in his drive for a new world order that would dilute U.S. influence.
+""The most important way in which Russia stands to benefit from this crisis in Gaza is by scoring points in the court of global public opinion,"" said Notte.
+Putin has said that ""when you look at the suffering and bloodied children (in Gaza), you clench your fists and tears come to your eyes.""
+'DOUBLE STANDARDS'
+Russian politicians have pointedly contrasted what they say is the carte blanche that Washington has given Israel to bomb Gaza to Washington's punitive response to Russia's own war in Ukraine, where Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians even though thousands of civilians have been killed.
+Israel's U.N. ambassador has said Russia is in no position to lecture others given what it has been doing itself in Ukraine.
+But Senator Alexei Pushkov said the West had fallen into a trap of its own making by exposing its own double standards over how it treated different countries depending on its self-interested political preferences.
+""The unequivocal support of the United States and the West for Israel's actions has dealt a powerful blow to Western foreign policy in the eyes of the Arab world and the entire Global South,"" Pushkov wrote on Telegram.
+Russia also sees the crisis as a chance for Moscow to try to grow its clout in the Middle East by casting itself as a potential peacemaker with links to all sides, said former Kremlin adviser Markov.
+Moscow has offered to host a regional meeting of foreign ministers and Putin has said that Russia is well placed to help.
+""We have very stable, businesslike relations with Israel, we have had friendly relations with Palestine for decades, our friends know this. And Russia, in my opinion, could also make its own contribution to the settlement process,"" Putin told an Arab TV channel in October.
+There are potential economic benefits too, said Markov, and the added bonus of drawing Western financial and military resources away from Ukraine.
+""Russia benefits from an increase in the price of oil which will result from this war,"" said Markov. ""(And) Russia benefits from any conflict that the U.S. and EU have to devote resources to because it reduces resources for the anti-Russian regime in Ukraine.""
+Alex Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said he believed Moscow had tilted its Middle East policy because of the war in Ukraine.
+""My explanation is it's because the war is becoming the organising principle of Russian foreign policy and (because of) ties with Iran, which brings military materiel to the table. The central Russian war effort is more important than, for example, the relationship with Israel.""
+WORSENING TIES
+Russia's ties with Israel, traditionally close and pragmatic, have suffered.
+Moscow's reception of a Hamas delegation less than two weeks after the Oct. 7 massacre angered Israel, prompting it to summon Russia's ambassador, Anatoly Viktorov, for sending ""a message legitimising terrorism"".
+The discontent was mutual; Alexander Ben Zvi, Israel's ambassador, has been summoned for talks with the Russian foreign ministry at least twice and the two countries' U.N. envoys have traded harsh words after Moscow's representative questioned the scope of Israel's right to defend itself.
+Mikhail Bogdanov, one of Russia's deputy foreign ministers, has said that Israel has stopped routinely warning Moscow of air strikes against Russian ally Syria in advance.
+When a since-suspended Israeli junior minister appeared to express openness to the idea of Israel carrying out a nuclear strike on Gaza, Russia said the remarks raised ""a huge number of questions"" and queried whether it amounted to an official admission from Israel that it had nuclear weapons.
+Amir Weitmann, chairman of the libertarian caucus in Netanyahu's Likud party, has said Israel will one day punish Moscow for its position.
+""We're going to finish this war (with Hamas) ... After this, Russia will pay the price,"" Weitmann said in a stormy October interview with Russian state broadcaster RT.
+""Russia is supporting the enemies of Israel. Afterwards we're not forgetting what you are doing. We will come, we will make sure that Ukraine wins,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russia's Putin tries to use Gaza war to his geopolitical advantage[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin waited three days before commenting on Hamas' massacre of Israelis, which happened to take place on his 71st birthday. When he did, he blamed the United States, not Hamas. ""I think that many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failed policy in the Middle East of the United States, which tried to monopolise the settlement process,"" Putin told Iraq's prime minister.  It was a further six days before Putin spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer his condolences over the killing of around 1,200 Israelis. Ten days after that, Russia said a Hamas delegation was in Moscow for talks. Putin, say Russian and Western policy experts, is trying to use Israel's war against Hamas to escalate what he has cast as an existential battle with the West for a new world order that would end U.S. dominance in favour of a multilateral system he believes is already taking shape.  ""Russia understands that the U.S. and the EU have fully supported Israel, but the U.S. and the EU are now the embodiment of evil and cannot be right in any way,"" Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, wrote in his blog, explaining Putin's need to differentiate himself.
+""Therefore, Russia will not be in the same camp with the U.S. and the EU. Israel's main ally is the United States, Russia's main enemy right now. And Hamas' ally is Iran, an ally of Russia.""
+Moscow enjoys an increasingly close relationship with Tehran - which backs Hamas and whom Washington has accused of supplying Moscow with drones for Ukraine which is locked in a grinding war of attrition with Russia. Hanna Notte, a Berlin-based Russian foreign policy expert, told the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center she thought Moscow had dropped its earlier, more balanced position on the Middle East and adopted ""quite an overt pro-Palestinian position"".
+""In doing all of this, Russia understands very well that it aligns itself with constituencies across the Middle East and even beyond - in the Global South, in their views on the Palestinian issue where the Palestinian cause continues to resonate,"" she said. It is precisely those constituencies which Putin is seeking to win over in his drive for a new world order that would dilute U.S. influence. ""The most important way in which Russia stands to benefit from this crisis in Gaza is by scoring points in the court of global public opinion,"" said Notte."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/russias-putin-sees-political-economic-upside-israels-war-with-hamas-2023-11-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russia's Putin tries to use Gaza war to his geopolitical advantage[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin waited three days before commenting on Hamas' massacre of Israelis, which happened to take place on his 71st birthday. When he did, he blamed the United States, not Hamas.
+""I think that many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failed policy in the Middle East of the United States, which tried to monopolise the settlement process,"" Putin told Iraq's prime minister.
+It was a further six days before Putin spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer his condolences over the killing of around 1,200 Israelis. Ten days after that, Russia said a Hamas delegation was in Moscow for talks.
+Putin, say Russian and Western policy experts, is trying to use Israel's war against Hamas to escalate what he has cast as an existential battle with the West for a new world order that would end U.S. dominance in favour of a multilateral system he believes is already taking shape.
+""Russia understands that the U.S. and the EU have fully supported Israel, but the U.S. and the EU are now the embodiment of evil and cannot be right in any way,"" Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, wrote in his blog, explaining Putin's need to differentiate himself.
+""Therefore, Russia will not be in the same camp with the U.S. and the EU. Israel's main ally is the United States, Russia's main enemy right now. And Hamas' ally is Iran, an ally of Russia.""
+Moscow enjoys an increasingly close relationship with Tehran - which backs Hamas and whom Washington has accused of supplying Moscow with drones for Ukraine which is locked in a grinding war of attrition with Russia.
+Hanna Notte, a Berlin-based Russian foreign policy expert, told the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center she thought Moscow had dropped its earlier, more balanced position on the Middle East and adopted ""quite an overt pro-Palestinian position"".
+""In doing all of this, Russia understands very well that it aligns itself with constituencies across the Middle East and even beyond - in the Global South, in their views on the Palestinian issue where the Palestinian cause continues to resonate,"" she said.
+It is precisely those constituencies which Putin is seeking to win over in his drive for a new world order that would dilute U.S. influence.
+""The most important way in which Russia stands to benefit from this crisis in Gaza is by scoring points in the court of global public opinion,"" said Notte.
+Putin has said that ""when you look at the suffering and bloodied children (in Gaza), you clench your fists and tears come to your eyes.""
+'DOUBLE STANDARDS'
+Russian politicians have pointedly contrasted what they say is the carte blanche that Washington has given Israel to bomb Gaza to Washington's punitive response to Russia's own war in Ukraine, where Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians even though thousands of civilians have been killed.
+Israel's U.N. ambassador has said Russia is in no position to lecture others given what it has been doing itself in Ukraine.
+But Senator Alexei Pushkov said the West had fallen into a trap of its own making by exposing its own double standards over how it treated different countries depending on its self-interested political preferences.
+""The unequivocal support of the United States and the West for Israel's actions has dealt a powerful blow to Western foreign policy in the eyes of the Arab world and the entire Global South,"" Pushkov wrote on Telegram.
+Russia also sees the crisis as a chance for Moscow to try to grow its clout in the Middle East by casting itself as a potential peacemaker with links to all sides, said former Kremlin adviser Markov.
+Moscow has offered to host a regional meeting of foreign ministers and Putin has said that Russia is well placed to help.
+""We have very stable, businesslike relations with Israel, we have had friendly relations with Palestine for decades, our friends know this. And Russia, in my opinion, could also make its own contribution to the settlement process,"" Putin told an Arab TV channel in October.
+There are potential economic benefits too, said Markov, and the added bonus of drawing Western financial and military resources away from Ukraine.
+""Russia benefits from an increase in the price of oil which will result from this war,"" said Markov. ""(And) Russia benefits from any conflict that the U.S. and EU have to devote resources to because it reduces resources for the anti-Russian regime in Ukraine.""
+Alex Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said he believed Moscow had tilted its Middle East policy because of the war in Ukraine.
+""My explanation is it's because the war is becoming the organising principle of Russian foreign policy and (because of) ties with Iran, which brings military materiel to the table. The central Russian war effort is more important than, for example, the relationship with Israel.""
+WORSENING TIES
+Russia's ties with Israel, traditionally close and pragmatic, have suffered.
+Moscow's reception of a Hamas delegation less than two weeks after the Oct. 7 massacre angered Israel, prompting it to summon Russia's ambassador, Anatoly Viktorov, for sending ""a message legitimising terrorism"".
+The discontent was mutual; Alexander Ben Zvi, Israel's ambassador, has been summoned for talks with the Russian foreign ministry at least twice and the two countries' U.N. envoys have traded harsh words after Moscow's representative questioned the scope of Israel's right to defend itself.
+Mikhail Bogdanov, one of Russia's deputy foreign ministers, has said that Israel has stopped routinely warning Moscow of air strikes against Russian ally Syria in advance.
+When a since-suspended Israeli junior minister appeared to express openness to the idea of Israel carrying out a nuclear strike on Gaza, Russia said the remarks raised ""a huge number of questions"" and queried whether it amounted to an official admission from Israel that it had nuclear weapons.
+Amir Weitmann, chairman of the libertarian caucus in Netanyahu's Likud party, has said Israel will one day punish Moscow for its position.
+""We're going to finish this war (with Hamas) ... After this, Russia will pay the price,"" Weitmann said in a stormy October interview with Russian state broadcaster RT.
+""Russia is supporting the enemies of Israel. Afterwards we're not forgetting what you are doing. We will come, we will make sure that Ukraine wins,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Putin has said that ""when you look at the suffering and bloodied children (in Gaza), you clench your fists and tears come to your eyes.""
+'DOUBLE STANDARDS'
+Russian politicians have pointedly contrasted what they say is the carte blanche that Washington has given Israel to bomb Gaza to Washington's punitive response to Russia's own war in Ukraine, where Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians even though thousands of civilians have been killed.
+Israel's U.N. ambassador has said Russia is in no position to lecture others given what it has been doing itself in Ukraine.
+But Senator Alexei Pushkov said the West had fallen into a trap of its own making by exposing its own double standards over how it treated different countries depending on its self-interested political preferences. ""The unequivocal support of the United States and the West for Israel's actions has dealt a powerful blow to Western foreign policy in the eyes of the Arab world and the entire Global South,"" Pushkov wrote on Telegram. Russia also sees the crisis as a chance for Moscow to try to grow its clout in the Middle East by casting itself as a potential peacemaker with links to all sides, said former Kremlin adviser Markov. Moscow has offered to host a regional meeting of foreign ministers and Putin has said that Russia is well placed to help.  ""We have very stable, businesslike relations with Israel, we have had friendly relations with Palestine for decades, our friends know this. And Russia, in my opinion, could also make its own contribution to the settlement process ,"" Putin told an Arab TV channel in October. There are potential economic benefits too, said Markov, and the added bonus of drawing Western financial and military resources away from Ukraine.  ""Russia benefits from an increase in the price of oil which will result from this war,"" said Markov. ""(And) Russia benefits from any conflict that the U.S. and EU have to devote resources to because it reduces resources for the anti-Russian regime in Ukraine."" Alex Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said he believed Moscow had tilted its Middle East policy because of the war in Ukraine.
+"" My explanation is it's because the war is becoming the organising principle of Russian foreign policy and (because of) ties with Iran, which brings military materiel to the table. The central Russian war effort is more important than, for example, the relationship with Israel."" WORSENING TIES
+Russia's ties with Israel, traditionally close and pragmatic, have suffered."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/russias-putin-sees-political-economic-upside-israels-war-with-hamas-2023-11-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russia's Putin tries to use Gaza war to his geopolitical advantage[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin waited three days before commenting on Hamas' massacre of Israelis, which happened to take place on his 71st birthday. When he did, he blamed the United States, not Hamas.
+""I think that many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failed policy in the Middle East of the United States, which tried to monopolise the settlement process,"" Putin told Iraq's prime minister.
+It was a further six days before Putin spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer his condolences over the killing of around 1,200 Israelis. Ten days after that, Russia said a Hamas delegation was in Moscow for talks.
+Putin, say Russian and Western policy experts, is trying to use Israel's war against Hamas to escalate what he has cast as an existential battle with the West for a new world order that would end U.S. dominance in favour of a multilateral system he believes is already taking shape.
+""Russia understands that the U.S. and the EU have fully supported Israel, but the U.S. and the EU are now the embodiment of evil and cannot be right in any way,"" Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, wrote in his blog, explaining Putin's need to differentiate himself.
+""Therefore, Russia will not be in the same camp with the U.S. and the EU. Israel's main ally is the United States, Russia's main enemy right now. And Hamas' ally is Iran, an ally of Russia.""
+Moscow enjoys an increasingly close relationship with Tehran - which backs Hamas and whom Washington has accused of supplying Moscow with drones for Ukraine which is locked in a grinding war of attrition with Russia.
+Hanna Notte, a Berlin-based Russian foreign policy expert, told the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center she thought Moscow had dropped its earlier, more balanced position on the Middle East and adopted ""quite an overt pro-Palestinian position"".
+""In doing all of this, Russia understands very well that it aligns itself with constituencies across the Middle East and even beyond - in the Global South, in their views on the Palestinian issue where the Palestinian cause continues to resonate,"" she said.
+It is precisely those constituencies which Putin is seeking to win over in his drive for a new world order that would dilute U.S. influence.
+""The most important way in which Russia stands to benefit from this crisis in Gaza is by scoring points in the court of global public opinion,"" said Notte.
+Putin has said that ""when you look at the suffering and bloodied children (in Gaza), you clench your fists and tears come to your eyes.""
+'DOUBLE STANDARDS'
+Russian politicians have pointedly contrasted what they say is the carte blanche that Washington has given Israel to bomb Gaza to Washington's punitive response to Russia's own war in Ukraine, where Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians even though thousands of civilians have been killed.
+Israel's U.N. ambassador has said Russia is in no position to lecture others given what it has been doing itself in Ukraine.
+But Senator Alexei Pushkov said the West had fallen into a trap of its own making by exposing its own double standards over how it treated different countries depending on its self-interested political preferences.
+""The unequivocal support of the United States and the West for Israel's actions has dealt a powerful blow to Western foreign policy in the eyes of the Arab world and the entire Global South,"" Pushkov wrote on Telegram.
+Russia also sees the crisis as a chance for Moscow to try to grow its clout in the Middle East by casting itself as a potential peacemaker with links to all sides, said former Kremlin adviser Markov.
+Moscow has offered to host a regional meeting of foreign ministers and Putin has said that Russia is well placed to help.
+""We have very stable, businesslike relations with Israel, we have had friendly relations with Palestine for decades, our friends know this. And Russia, in my opinion, could also make its own contribution to the settlement process,"" Putin told an Arab TV channel in October.
+There are potential economic benefits too, said Markov, and the added bonus of drawing Western financial and military resources away from Ukraine.
+""Russia benefits from an increase in the price of oil which will result from this war,"" said Markov. ""(And) Russia benefits from any conflict that the U.S. and EU have to devote resources to because it reduces resources for the anti-Russian regime in Ukraine.""
+Alex Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said he believed Moscow had tilted its Middle East policy because of the war in Ukraine.
+""My explanation is it's because the war is becoming the organising principle of Russian foreign policy and (because of) ties with Iran, which brings military materiel to the table. The central Russian war effort is more important than, for example, the relationship with Israel.""
+WORSENING TIES
+Russia's ties with Israel, traditionally close and pragmatic, have suffered.
+Moscow's reception of a Hamas delegation less than two weeks after the Oct. 7 massacre angered Israel, prompting it to summon Russia's ambassador, Anatoly Viktorov, for sending ""a message legitimising terrorism"".
+The discontent was mutual; Alexander Ben Zvi, Israel's ambassador, has been summoned for talks with the Russian foreign ministry at least twice and the two countries' U.N. envoys have traded harsh words after Moscow's representative questioned the scope of Israel's right to defend itself.
+Mikhail Bogdanov, one of Russia's deputy foreign ministers, has said that Israel has stopped routinely warning Moscow of air strikes against Russian ally Syria in advance.
+When a since-suspended Israeli junior minister appeared to express openness to the idea of Israel carrying out a nuclear strike on Gaza, Russia said the remarks raised ""a huge number of questions"" and queried whether it amounted to an official admission from Israel that it had nuclear weapons.
+Amir Weitmann, chairman of the libertarian caucus in Netanyahu's Likud party, has said Israel will one day punish Moscow for its position.
+""We're going to finish this war (with Hamas) ... After this, Russia will pay the price,"" Weitmann said in a stormy October interview with Russian state broadcaster RT.
+""Russia is supporting the enemies of Israel. Afterwards we're not forgetting what you are doing. We will come, we will make sure that Ukraine wins,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Moscow's reception of a Hamas delegation less than two weeks after the Oct. 7 massacre angered Israel, prompting it to summon Russia's ambassador, Anatoly Viktorov, for sending ""a message legitimising terrorism"". The discontent was mutual; Alexander Ben Zvi, Israel's ambassador, has been summoned for talks with the Russian foreign ministry at least twice and the two countries' U.N. envoys have traded harsh words after Moscow's representative questioned the scope of Israel's right to defend itself. Mikhail Bogdanov, one of Russia's deputy foreign ministers, has said that Israel has stopped routinely warning Moscow of air strikes against Russian ally Syria in advance. When a since-suspended Israeli junior minister appeared to express openness to the idea of Israel carrying out a nuclear strike on Gaza, Russia said the remarks raised ""a huge number of questions"" and queried whether it amounted to an official admission from Israel that it had nuclear weapons.
+Amir Weitmann, chairman of the libertarian caucus in Netanyahu's Likud party, has said Israel will one day punish Moscow for its position.  ""We're going to finish this war (with Hamas) ... After this, Russia will pay the price,"" Weitmann said in a stormy October interview with Russian state broadcaster RT.  ""Russia is supporting the enemies of Israel. Afterwards we're not forgetting what you are doing. We will come, we will make sure that Ukraine wins,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/socceroos-donate-part-match-fees-humanitarian-efforts-gaza-2023-11-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Socceroos to donate part of match fees to humanitarian efforts in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 17 (Reuters) - Australia will donate part of their match fees from a World Cup 2026 qualifier against Palestine in Kuwait City on Tuesday towards humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
+The Socceroos' donation will be a five-figure sum and will be made through the Professional Footballers Australia Footballers' Trust. The donation will be provided to Oxfam and will be matched by Football Australia.
+The match between Palestine and Australia had been scheduled to be played in the West Bank, but officials switched the venue to the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait after Israeli forces attacked Gaza in retaliation for an Oct. 7 assault by Hamas militants on southern Israel.
+Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people, and took about 240 hostages. Gaza health authorities say more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli counteroffensive.
+Australia, ranked 27th in the world and fourth in Asia, top their qualifying group following a 7-0 win over Bangladesh. World number 96 Palestine are third after drawing with Lebanon.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Socceroos to donate part of match fees to humanitarian efforts in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 17 (Reuters) - Australia will donate part of their match fees from a World Cup 2026 qualifier against Palestine in Kuwait City on Tuesday towards humanitarian efforts in Gaza.  The Socceroos' donation will be a five-figure sum and will be made through the Professional Footballers Australia Footballers' Trust. The donation will be provided to Oxfam and will be matched by Football Australia. The match between Palestine and Australia had been scheduled to be played in the West Bank, but officials switched the venue to the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait after Israeli forces attacked Gaza in retaliation for an Oct. 7 assault by Hamas militants on southern Israel. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people, and took about 240 hostages. Gaza health authorities say more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli counteroffensive. Australia, ranked 27th in the world and fourth in Asia, top their qualifying group following a 7-0 win over Bangladesh. World number 96 Palestine are third after drawing with Lebanon.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/florida-sued-over-ban-pro-palestinian-student-groups-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Florida sued over ban on pro-Palestinian student groups[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union challenged Florida's ban on pro-Palestinian university groups, arguing in a federal lawsuit on Thursday that the state is violating students' free speech as tensions roil U.S. campuses over Israel's war with Hamas.
+Florida’s university system, joined by Governor Ron DeSantis, last month ordered colleges to shut down chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group at the center of U.S. campus activism since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
+The lawsuit - against DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential hopeful, and several state university system officials - was filed on behalf of the University of Florida's SJP chapter and seeks a preliminary injunction to a state order blocking SJP from receiving school funds and using campus facilities.
+""If Florida officials think silencing pro-Palestinian students protects the Jewish community – or anyone, they’re wrong. This attack on free speech is dangerous,"" Howard Simon, interim executive director of ACLU of Florida, said in a statement.
+A spokesperson for DeSantis said the governor was right to disband the groups.
+""Groups that claim to be part of a foreign terrorist movement have no place on our university campuses,"" governor spokesperson Jeremy Redfern said.
+State University System of Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues did not respond to a request for comment.
+Students at U.S. universities have clashed over issues emerging on both sides of the nearly six-week-old conflict. Some accuse their schools of not doing enough to denounce antisemitism and others that the schools ignore the plight of Gazans under Israeli fire.
+The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Florida by the ACLU, ACLU of Florida and Palestine Legal, cites a Supreme Court decision affirming students' right to associate and speak out on matters of public concern, and another case establishing that federal law does not criminalize ""independent political advocacy"" as long as it is not done in coordination with, or at the direction of, foreign terrorist groups.
+Brandeis University has also banned SJP indefinitely, and Columbia University and George Washington University have suspended the group. The schools have cited the national organization's support for the Hamas attack and said their campus chapters violated school policies.
+The student groups call the suspensions and bans unjust. Videos posted to Instagram have shown Palestinian supporters rallying at Columbia and George Washington on Wednesday in protest over the SJP groups' suspensions.
+Florida's university system has said it based its ban on a ""toolkit"" issued by the national organization to chapters that referred to Hamas' attack as ""the resistance"" and stated ""Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement.""
+In his Oct. 24 memo ordering the ban, Chancellor Rodrigues said the national SJP identified itself as part of Hamas' attack and that it was a felony under Florida law ""to provide material support... to a designated foreign terrorist organization.""
+Brian Hauss, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology project and counsel in the case, said the student plaintiffs in the state university system were victims of ""guilt by association"" in this case.
+""They are a completely autonomous and independent group that is in no way beholden to the national Students for Justice in Palestine,"" Hauss said in an interview, adding that he did not believe the national organization could be found criminally liable for its statements about Hamas.
+Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 assault and took about 240 hostages to Gaza. Gaza health authorities say more than 11,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Florida sued over ban on pro-Palestinian student groups[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union challenged Florida's ban on pro-Palestinian university groups, arguing in a federal lawsuit on Thursday that the state is violating students' free speech as tensions roil U.S. campuses over Israel's war with Hamas. Florida’s university system, joined by Governor Ron DeSantis, last month ordered colleges to shut down chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group at the center of U.S. campus activism since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The lawsuit - against DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential hopeful, and several state university system officials - was filed on behalf of the University of Florida's SJP chapter and seeks a preliminary injunction to a state order blocking SJP from receiving school funds and using campus facilities.  ""If Florida officials think silencing pro-Palestinian students protects the Jewish community – or anyone, they’re wrong. This attack on free speech is dangerous,"" Howard Simon, interim executive director of ACLU of Florida, said in a statement. A spokesperson for DeSantis said the governor was right to disband the groups. ""Groups that claim to be part of a foreign terrorist movement have no place on our university campuses,"" governor spokesperson Jeremy Redfern said. State University System of Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues did not respond to a request for comment.  Students at U.S. universities have clashed over issues emerging on both sides of the nearly six-week-old conflict. Some accuse their schools of not doing enough to denounce antisemitism and others that the schools ignore the plight of Gazans under Israeli fire. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Florida by the ACLU, ACLU of Florida and Palestine Legal, cites a Supreme Court decision affirming students' right to associate and speak out on matters of public concern, and another case establishing that federal law does not criminalize ""independent political advocacy"" as long as it is not done in coordination with, or at the direction of, foreign terrorist groups.  Brandeis University has also banned SJP indefinitely, and Columbia University and George Washington University have suspended the group. The schools have cited the national organization's support for the Hamas attack and said their campus chapters violated school policies.  The student groups call the suspensions and bans unjust. Videos posted to Instagram have shown Palestinian supporters rallying at Columbia and George Washington on Wednesday in protest over the SJP groups' suspensions."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/florida-sued-over-ban-pro-palestinian-student-groups-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Florida sued over ban on pro-Palestinian student groups[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union challenged Florida's ban on pro-Palestinian university groups, arguing in a federal lawsuit on Thursday that the state is violating students' free speech as tensions roil U.S. campuses over Israel's war with Hamas.
+Florida’s university system, joined by Governor Ron DeSantis, last month ordered colleges to shut down chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group at the center of U.S. campus activism since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
+The lawsuit - against DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential hopeful, and several state university system officials - was filed on behalf of the University of Florida's SJP chapter and seeks a preliminary injunction to a state order blocking SJP from receiving school funds and using campus facilities.
+""If Florida officials think silencing pro-Palestinian students protects the Jewish community – or anyone, they’re wrong. This attack on free speech is dangerous,"" Howard Simon, interim executive director of ACLU of Florida, said in a statement.
+A spokesperson for DeSantis said the governor was right to disband the groups.
+""Groups that claim to be part of a foreign terrorist movement have no place on our university campuses,"" governor spokesperson Jeremy Redfern said.
+State University System of Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues did not respond to a request for comment.
+Students at U.S. universities have clashed over issues emerging on both sides of the nearly six-week-old conflict. Some accuse their schools of not doing enough to denounce antisemitism and others that the schools ignore the plight of Gazans under Israeli fire.
+The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Florida by the ACLU, ACLU of Florida and Palestine Legal, cites a Supreme Court decision affirming students' right to associate and speak out on matters of public concern, and another case establishing that federal law does not criminalize ""independent political advocacy"" as long as it is not done in coordination with, or at the direction of, foreign terrorist groups.
+Brandeis University has also banned SJP indefinitely, and Columbia University and George Washington University have suspended the group. The schools have cited the national organization's support for the Hamas attack and said their campus chapters violated school policies.
+The student groups call the suspensions and bans unjust. Videos posted to Instagram have shown Palestinian supporters rallying at Columbia and George Washington on Wednesday in protest over the SJP groups' suspensions.
+Florida's university system has said it based its ban on a ""toolkit"" issued by the national organization to chapters that referred to Hamas' attack as ""the resistance"" and stated ""Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement.""
+In his Oct. 24 memo ordering the ban, Chancellor Rodrigues said the national SJP identified itself as part of Hamas' attack and that it was a felony under Florida law ""to provide material support... to a designated foreign terrorist organization.""
+Brian Hauss, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology project and counsel in the case, said the student plaintiffs in the state university system were victims of ""guilt by association"" in this case.
+""They are a completely autonomous and independent group that is in no way beholden to the national Students for Justice in Palestine,"" Hauss said in an interview, adding that he did not believe the national organization could be found criminally liable for its statements about Hamas.
+Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 assault and took about 240 hostages to Gaza. Gaza health authorities say more than 11,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Florida's university system has said it based its ban on a ""toolkit"" issued by the national organization to chapters that referred to Hamas' attack as ""the resistance"" and stated ""Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement."" In his Oct. 24 memo ordering the ban, Chancellor Rodrigues said the national SJP identified itself as part of Hamas' attack and that it was a felony under Florida law ""to provide material support... to a designated foreign terrorist organization.""
+Brian Hauss, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology project and counsel in the case, said the student plaintiffs in the state university system were victims of ""guilt by association"" in this case. ""They are a completely autonomous and independent group that is in no way beholden to the national Students for Justice in Palestine,"" Hauss said in an interview, adding that he did not believe the national organization could be found criminally liable for its statements about Hamas. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 assault and took about 240 hostages to Gaza. Gaza health authorities say more than 11,000 people have been confirmed killed in Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/lebanon-palestine-draw-0-0-world-cup-qualifier-held-uae-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Lebanon and Palestine draw 0-0 in World Cup qualifier held in UAE[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - Palestine drew 0-0 with Lebanon on Thursday in a World Cup qualifier played without fans in the United Arab Emirates due to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
+The match had been scheduled to be played in Beirut but Israel's response to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 caused officials to switch the match to Sharjah.
+The whole Palestinian team wore traditional keffiyeh, chequered black and white scarves, before the national anthems and there was a minute's silence for those killed in the conflict before kickoff.
+Despite starting official training only four days ago, the Palestinians started the game well.
+Yet Lebanon captain Hassan Maatouk had the first chance after 12 minutes, with his long-range shot going wide, before Atta Gaber responded for the Palestinians with a header on the half-hour mark that went over.
+Karim Darwich missed a good chance for Lebanon three minutes into the second half and Palestine, ranked 94th by FIFA, had a Tamer Seyam shot saved by Lebanon goalkeeper Moustafa Matar.
+Lebanon's Ali Al Haj shot into the side netting after 87 minutes before Matar saved Oday Dabbagh's close-range shot with his out-stretched leg in the final minute.
+""We faced a difficult opponent, and everyone did their job,"" said Matar. ""I am happy to come out with a clean sheet, and I look forward to the next match, where our goal will be three points.""
+Lebanon coach Nikola Jurcevic said after the match that the result was ""fair"".
+""Let's be realistic. We knew that we would face a difficult opponent who is very well physically which they showed in the second half,"" said Jurcevic.
+""But I am satisfied with Lebanon’s performance, which created some chances, so I consider the result fair and we can build on for the future.""
+This week's matches marked the start of the second phase of qualifiers for the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, when Asia will have eight guaranteed berths plus a possible ninth available through an intercontinental playoff.
+The top two finishers in each of the nine groups advance to the third phase.
+The Palestinians usually host games at Al-Ram's Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium on the West Bank but they will meet Australia next in Kuwait on Nov. 21.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Lebanon and Palestine draw 0-0 in World Cup qualifier held in UAE[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - Palestine drew 0-0 with Lebanon on Thursday in a World Cup qualifier played without fans in the United Arab Emirates due to the Israel-Gaza conflict. The match had been scheduled to be played in Beirut but Israel's response to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 caused officials to switch the match to Sharjah. The whole Palestinian team wore traditional keffiyeh, chequered black and white scarves, before the national anthems and there was a minute's silence for those killed in the conflict before kickoff. Despite starting official training only four days ago, the Palestinians started the game well.
+Yet Lebanon captain Hassan Maatouk had the first chance after 12 minutes, with his long-range shot going wide, before Atta Gaber responded for the Palestinians with a header on the half-hour mark that went over. Karim Darwich missed a good chance for Lebanon three minutes into the second half and Palestine, ranked 94th by FIFA, had a Tamer Seyam shot saved by Lebanon goalkeeper Moustafa Matar. Lebanon's Ali Al Haj shot into the side netting after 87 minutes before Matar saved Oday Dabbagh's close-range shot with his out-stretched leg in the final minute.  ""We faced a difficult opponent, and everyone did their job,"" said Matar. ""I am happy to come out with a clean sheet, and I look forward to the next match, where our goal will be three points."" Lebanon coach Nikola Jurcevic said after the match that the result was ""fair"".  ""Let's be realistic. We knew that we would face a difficult opponent who is very well physically which they showed in the second half,"" said Jurcevic. ""But I am satisfied with Lebanon’s performance, which created some chances, so I consider the result fair and we can build on for the future.""
+This week's matches marked the start of the second phase of qualifiers for the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, when Asia will have eight guaranteed berths plus a possible ninth available through an intercontinental playoff.
+The top two finishers in each of the nine groups advance to the third phase.  The Palestinians usually host games at Al-Ram's Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium on the West Bank but they will meet Australia next in Kuwait on Nov. 21.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/israel-hamas-war-protesters-block-key-san-francisco-bridge-during-apec-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police arrest anti-Israel protesters on San Francisco bridge[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Dozens of the hundreds of police assembled moved car to car seeking and arresting anti-Israel protesters on Thursday as authorities slowly reopened the vital Bay Bridge heading into San Francisco as the city hosts the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
+The demonstrators called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and hoisted signs saying ""Stop The Genocide"" and ""No US Military Aid to Israel"" as they blocked the key commuter route into the city.
+Police arrested ""dozens"" of demonstrators, one of the groups involved in the action told Reuters in an email. The demonstrators continued to chanted ""free, free Palestine"" and ""Palestine will be free"" after they were arrested.
+As many as 250 officers total detained protesters in zip ties, after the California Highway Patrol issued a dispersal order to the assembled group. Authorities deployed tow trucks on the bridge to potentially remove cars that protesters used to quickly halt traffic when the demonstration began during morning rush hour.
+The bridge demonstration follows several protests on Wednesday as President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping were set to meet on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
+After traffic began to flow again in at least one lane, officers stopped a Honda that was proceeding with the other vehicles, according to a Reuters witness. Police ordered the car to stop, and arrested the occupants, including someone in the trunk, who appeared to be a demonstrator.
+Two people among those arrested said they were not associated with the protests and should not have been arrested. Stanford University physics professor Lauren Tompkins told Reuters she was on her way to work, and complied with law enforcement's orders when she was arrested in her car.
+Earlier on Thursday about 200 protesters amassed on the bridge, organizers said. Several groups participated in the demonstration, including the Palestinian Youth Movement and Bay Area Palestine Solidarity, according to a press release.
+Protesters aimed to disrupt ""business as usual"" during the APEC summit, and urged Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war, Arab Resource and Organizing Center executive Lara Kiswani said.
+Before the dispersal, protesters chained themselves together through vehicles adorned with signs that said ""Free Palestine"" among others, social media posts showed. Several protesters appeared to be lying on the asphalt covered with white sheets.
+SNARLED TRAFFIC
+Traffic traveling on the bridge toward San Francisco began to move as of about 10:45 a.m. local time (1845 GMT), but was backed up for several hours as a result of the demonstration.
+The Bay Bridge is one of the main commercial arteries that links San Francisco from the surrounding region. Tens of thousands of vehicles cross every day.
+Claudia Felix, 28, a demolition remediation worker left her home in inland Stockton at 4:30 a.m and got stuck in traffic before traveling onto the bridge and was forced to exit a little after 10 a.m., almost six hours after she left home. She pulled over to the side of an access road and said she felt stressed.
+“It is a good idea because they are against a war but I think they should be more safe and protest in the city, not the bridge,” Felix said.
+Vicky Hamlin, 73, a retired construction worker said she was forced off the Bay Bridge due to the protests.
+""I think what's happening to the people in Gaza is so horrific that nothing that happens to us here, nothing that we experience is worth complaining about,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police arrest anti-Israel protesters on San Francisco bridge[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Dozens of the hundreds of police assembled moved car to car seeking and arresting anti-Israel protesters on Thursday as authorities slowly reopened the vital Bay Bridge heading into San Francisco as the city hosts the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.  The demonstrators called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and hoisted signs saying ""Stop The Genocide"" and ""No US Military Aid to Israel"" as they blocked the key commuter route into the city.
+Police arrested ""dozens"" of demonstrators, one of the groups involved in the action told Reuters in an email. The demonstrators continued to chanted ""free, free Palestine"" and ""Palestine will be free"" after they were arrested.  As many as 250 officers total detained protesters in zip ties, after the California Highway Patrol issued a dispersal order to the assembled group. Authorities deployed tow trucks on the bridge to potentially remove cars that protesters used to quickly halt traffic when the demonstration began during morning rush hour. The bridge demonstration follows several protests on Wednesday as President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping were set to meet on the sidelines of the APEC summit. After traffic began to flow again in at least one lane, officers stopped a Honda that was proceeding with the other vehicles, according to a Reuters witness. Police ordered the car to stop, and arrested the occupants, including someone in the trunk, who appeared to be a demonstrator.  Two people among those arrested said they were not associated with the protests and should not have been arrested. Stanford University physics professor Lauren Tompkins told Reuters she was on her way to work, and complied with law enforcement's orders when she was arrested in her car. Earlier on Thursday about 200 protesters amassed on the bridge, organizers said. Several groups participated in the demonstration, including the Palestinian Youth Movement and Bay Area Palestine Solidarity, according to a press release. Protesters aimed to disrupt ""business as usual"" during the APEC summit, and urged Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war, Arab Resource and Organizing Center executive Lara Kiswani said. Before the dispersal, protesters chained themselves together through vehicles adorned with signs that said ""Free Palestine"" among others, social media posts showed. Several protesters appeared to be lying on the asphalt covered with white sheets. SNARLED TRAFFIC
+Traffic traveling on the bridge toward San Francisco began to move as of about 10:45 a.m. local time (1845 GMT), but was backed up for several hours as a result of the demonstration."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/israel-hamas-war-protesters-block-key-san-francisco-bridge-during-apec-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police arrest anti-Israel protesters on San Francisco bridge[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Dozens of the hundreds of police assembled moved car to car seeking and arresting anti-Israel protesters on Thursday as authorities slowly reopened the vital Bay Bridge heading into San Francisco as the city hosts the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
+The demonstrators called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and hoisted signs saying ""Stop The Genocide"" and ""No US Military Aid to Israel"" as they blocked the key commuter route into the city.
+Police arrested ""dozens"" of demonstrators, one of the groups involved in the action told Reuters in an email. The demonstrators continued to chanted ""free, free Palestine"" and ""Palestine will be free"" after they were arrested.
+As many as 250 officers total detained protesters in zip ties, after the California Highway Patrol issued a dispersal order to the assembled group. Authorities deployed tow trucks on the bridge to potentially remove cars that protesters used to quickly halt traffic when the demonstration began during morning rush hour.
+The bridge demonstration follows several protests on Wednesday as President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping were set to meet on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
+After traffic began to flow again in at least one lane, officers stopped a Honda that was proceeding with the other vehicles, according to a Reuters witness. Police ordered the car to stop, and arrested the occupants, including someone in the trunk, who appeared to be a demonstrator.
+Two people among those arrested said they were not associated with the protests and should not have been arrested. Stanford University physics professor Lauren Tompkins told Reuters she was on her way to work, and complied with law enforcement's orders when she was arrested in her car.
+Earlier on Thursday about 200 protesters amassed on the bridge, organizers said. Several groups participated in the demonstration, including the Palestinian Youth Movement and Bay Area Palestine Solidarity, according to a press release.
+Protesters aimed to disrupt ""business as usual"" during the APEC summit, and urged Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war, Arab Resource and Organizing Center executive Lara Kiswani said.
+Before the dispersal, protesters chained themselves together through vehicles adorned with signs that said ""Free Palestine"" among others, social media posts showed. Several protesters appeared to be lying on the asphalt covered with white sheets.
+SNARLED TRAFFIC
+Traffic traveling on the bridge toward San Francisco began to move as of about 10:45 a.m. local time (1845 GMT), but was backed up for several hours as a result of the demonstration.
+The Bay Bridge is one of the main commercial arteries that links San Francisco from the surrounding region. Tens of thousands of vehicles cross every day.
+Claudia Felix, 28, a demolition remediation worker left her home in inland Stockton at 4:30 a.m and got stuck in traffic before traveling onto the bridge and was forced to exit a little after 10 a.m., almost six hours after she left home. She pulled over to the side of an access road and said she felt stressed.
+“It is a good idea because they are against a war but I think they should be more safe and protest in the city, not the bridge,” Felix said.
+Vicky Hamlin, 73, a retired construction worker said she was forced off the Bay Bridge due to the protests.
+""I think what's happening to the people in Gaza is so horrific that nothing that happens to us here, nothing that we experience is worth complaining about,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"," The Bay Bridge is one of the main commercial arteries that links San Francisco from the surrounding region. Tens of thousands of vehicles cross every day.  Claudia Felix, 28, a demolition remediation worker left her home in inland Stockton at 4:30 a.m and got stuck in traffic before traveling onto the bridge and was forced to exit a little after 10 a.m., almost six hours after she left home. She pulled over to the side of an access road and said she felt stressed. “It is a good idea because they are against a war but I think they should be more safe and protest in the city, not the bridge,” Felix said.
+Vicky Hamlin, 73, a retired construction worker said she was forced off the Bay Bridge due to the protests.  ""I think what's happening to the people in Gaza is so horrific that nothing that happens to us here, nothing that we experience is worth complaining about,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-qaani-says-resistance-front-stays-united-with-hamas-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's Qaani says the resistance front stays united with Hamas[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The top commander of Iran's Quds force said the resistance front supported the Tehran-backed Hamas militant group in its war with Israel in Gaza.
+“Your brothers in the Axis of Resistance stand united with you … the resistance will not allow the enemy to achieve its dirty goals in Gaza and Palestine,” Esmail Qaani said in a message to the commanders of the Tehran-backed group on Thursday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
+Iran, which refers to its aligned armed groups around the Middle East as being part of the ""Resistance Axis"", has warned Israel of escalation if it failed to end aggressions in the Gaza Strip.
+The Quds Force is the arm of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) that controls its allied militia in the region, from Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen to Syria.
+Tensions in the region have flared since a deadly attack by Hamas militants who burst through the border from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages, including children, according to Israeli tallies.
+In response, Israel launched an air, ground and sea offensive in Gaza, killing more than 11,500 people, around 40% of them children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave Gaza Strip.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's Qaani says the resistance front stays united with Hamas[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The top commander of Iran's Quds force said the resistance front supported the Tehran-backed Hamas militant group in its war with Israel in Gaza. “Your brothers in the Axis of Resistance stand united with you … the resistance will not allow the enemy to achieve its dirty goals in Gaza and Palestine,” Esmail Qaani said in a message to the commanders of the Tehran-backed group on Thursday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. Iran, which refers to its aligned armed groups around the Middle East as being part of the ""Resistance Axis"", has warned Israel of escalation if it failed to end aggressions in the Gaza Strip.
+The Quds Force is the arm of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) that controls its allied militia in the region, from Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen to Syria. Tensions in the region have flared since a deadly attack by Hamas militants who burst through the border from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages, including children, according to Israeli tallies.  In response, Israel launched an air, ground and sea offensive in Gaza, killing more than 11,500 people, around 40% of them children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave Gaza Strip.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-governing-anc-backs-motion-close-israeli-embassy-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]South Africa's governing ANC backs motion to close Israeli embassy[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JOHANNESBURG, Nov 16 (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party said on Thursday that it would support a parliamentary motion calling for the Israeli embassy in South Africa to be closed and diplomatic relations to be suspended.
+The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) proposed the motion on Thursday in solidarity with the Palestinian people over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
+South Africa's strong support for Palestinians dates back to former President Nelson Mandela's days, with the country likening their plight to its own before the end of apartheid in 1994. Israel rejects the comparison.
+The ANC said in a statement it would support the motion ""to close the Israel Embassy in South Africa and suspend all diplomatic relations with Israel until Israel agrees to a ceasefire and commits to binding United Nations facilitated negotiations whose outcome must be a just, sustainable and lasting peace"".
+The Israeli embassy did not respond to a request for comment on the ANC's remarks.
+Gift of the Givers, a South African non-governmental organisation which has operations in Palestine, said it fully supported the motion in parliament, after it said its office head in Gaza was killed by Israeli forces.
+Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas that rules Gaza have been at war for more than a month after militants rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7. In retaliation, Israel has enforced a strict blockade of Gaza and conducted an aerial bombardment and armoured ground offensive.
+The EFF's motion is largely symbolic as it will be up to President Cyril Ramaphosa's government whether to implement it.
+But ANC leader Ramaphosa and senior foreign ministry officials have been vocal in their criticism of Israel's leadership during its military campaign against Hamas, calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate them for potential war crimes.
+Ramaphosa reiterated on Wednesday during a state visit to Qatar that South Africa was opposed to Israel's operation in Gaza, ""particularly as it is now targeting hospitals"".
+South Africa earlier this month recalled its diplomats from Israel.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]South Africa's governing ANC backs motion to close Israeli embassy[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JOHANNESBURG, Nov 16 (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party said on Thursday that it would support a parliamentary motion calling for the Israeli embassy in South Africa to be closed and diplomatic relations to be suspended. The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) proposed the motion on Thursday in solidarity with the Palestinian people over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. South Africa's strong support for Palestinians dates back to former President Nelson Mandela's days, with the country likening their plight to its own before the end of apartheid in 1994. Israel rejects the comparison. The ANC said in a statement it would support the motion ""to close the Israel Embassy in South Africa and suspend all diplomatic relations with Israel until Israel agrees to a ceasefire and commits to binding United Nations facilitated negotiations whose outcome must be a just, sustainable and lasting peace"". The Israeli embassy did not respond to a request for comment on the ANC's remarks. Gift of the Givers, a South African non-governmental organisation which has operations in Palestine, said it fully supported the motion in parliament, after it said its office head in Gaza was killed by Israeli forces.  Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas that rules Gaza have been at war for more than a month after militants rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7. In retaliation, Israel has enforced a strict blockade of Gaza and conducted an aerial bombardment and armoured ground offensive. The EFF's motion is largely symbolic as it will be up to President Cyril Ramaphosa's government whether to implement it. But ANC leader Ramaphosa and senior foreign ministry officials have been vocal in their criticism of Israel's leadership during its military campaign against Hamas, calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate them for potential war crimes.
+Ramaphosa reiterated on Wednesday during a state visit to Qatar that South Africa was opposed to Israel's operation in Gaza, ""particularly as it is now targeting hospitals"".
+South Africa earlier this month recalled its diplomats from Israel.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/gaza-conflict-takes-toll-palestinian-players-says-pfa-official-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza conflict takes toll on Palestinian players, says PFA official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Israel-Gaza conflict has disrupted preparations by the Palestinian team for their 2026 World Cup qualifier against Lebanon on Thursday, but the players are determined to put on a good showing, a team official and player said.
+The match is being played in neutral venue of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, because of the conflict.
+It had originally been scheduled to be played in Beirut, with the Palestinians set to host Australia the following week, but Israel's response to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 forced officials to find new venues.
+The Palestinians usually host games at Al-Ram's Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium on the West Bank.
+""Everything changed after Oct. 7 with the start of the conflict in Gaza,"" Palestine Football Association (PFA) media manager Ahmed Rajoub told the National media outlet.
+""All sporting activities stopped completely in Palestine, and the football team was forced to move to Jordan. The first real training for the national team ... took place on Monday in Sharjah four days ago.""
+""We had some training sessions in Jordan, and in the absence of Gazan players, this was not enough to prepare for an ideal match in the qualifiers.""
+Lebanon and the Palestinians meet at the Khalid bin Mohammed Stadium in the UAE before the latter take on Australia in Kuwait on Nov. 21.
+Rajoub said the situation in Gaza was weighing heavily on the players.
+""We just can't get the players focused on the game when people are killed and injured every day since the conflict started,"" he said.
+""The players don't talk about football, but about the war, and when they are in the room or the bus, they rush to follow the current events via their mobile phones to check on their families, relatives and friends.
+""But we want to say, despite all these issues and this difficult period, the players definitely want to win, no matter how hard it may be.""
+Palestinian midfielder Mohammed Rashid said the team would give their best.
+""It's really hard to stay focused,"" Rashid said. ""I think there's no choice for us to, for example, postpone the game; we have to play, so this is exactly why we're here now.
+""We want to show our best, and we want to show the whole world that we're people, just like any other country, that we can exercise our rights to be free and play the beautiful game of football.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza conflict takes toll on Palestinian players, says PFA official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Israel-Gaza conflict has disrupted preparations by the Palestinian team for their 2026 World Cup qualifier against Lebanon on Thursday, but the players are determined to put on a good showing , a team official and player said. The match is being played in neutral venue of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, because of the conflict. It had originally been scheduled to be played in Beirut, with the Palestinians set to host Australia the following week, but Israel's response to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 forced officials to find new venues. The Palestinians usually host games at Al-Ram's Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium on the West Bank. ""Everything changed after Oct. 7 with the start of the conflict in Gaza,"" Palestine Football Association (PFA) media manager Ahmed Rajoub told the National media outlet.  ""All sporting activities stopped completely in Palestine, and the football team was forced to move to Jordan. The first real training for the national team ... took place on Monday in Sharjah four days ago. ""
+""We had some training sessions in Jordan, and in the absence of Gazan players, this was not enough to prepare for an ideal match in the qualifiers."" Lebanon and the Palestinians meet at the Khalid bin Mohammed Stadium in the UAE before the latter take on Australia in Kuwait on Nov. 21. Rajoub said the situation in Gaza was weighing heavily on the players.  ""We just can't get the players focused on the game when people are killed and injured every day since the conflict started,"" he said.
+"" The players don't talk about football, but about the war, and when they are in the room or the bus, they rush to follow the current events via their mobile phones to check on their families, relatives and friends.  ""But we want to say, despite all these issues and this difficult period, the players definitely want to win, no matter how hard it may be.""
+Palestinian midfielder Mohammed Rashid said the team would give their best.
+""It's really hard to stay focused,"" Rashid said. "" I think there's no choice for us to, for example, postpone the game; we have to play, so this is exactly why we're here now. "
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/gaza-conflict-takes-toll-palestinian-players-says-pfa-official-2023-11-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza conflict takes toll on Palestinian players, says PFA official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Israel-Gaza conflict has disrupted preparations by the Palestinian team for their 2026 World Cup qualifier against Lebanon on Thursday, but the players are determined to put on a good showing, a team official and player said.
+The match is being played in neutral venue of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, because of the conflict.
+It had originally been scheduled to be played in Beirut, with the Palestinians set to host Australia the following week, but Israel's response to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 forced officials to find new venues.
+The Palestinians usually host games at Al-Ram's Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium on the West Bank.
+""Everything changed after Oct. 7 with the start of the conflict in Gaza,"" Palestine Football Association (PFA) media manager Ahmed Rajoub told the National media outlet.
+""All sporting activities stopped completely in Palestine, and the football team was forced to move to Jordan. The first real training for the national team ... took place on Monday in Sharjah four days ago.""
+""We had some training sessions in Jordan, and in the absence of Gazan players, this was not enough to prepare for an ideal match in the qualifiers.""
+Lebanon and the Palestinians meet at the Khalid bin Mohammed Stadium in the UAE before the latter take on Australia in Kuwait on Nov. 21.
+Rajoub said the situation in Gaza was weighing heavily on the players.
+""We just can't get the players focused on the game when people are killed and injured every day since the conflict started,"" he said.
+""The players don't talk about football, but about the war, and when they are in the room or the bus, they rush to follow the current events via their mobile phones to check on their families, relatives and friends.
+""But we want to say, despite all these issues and this difficult period, the players definitely want to win, no matter how hard it may be.""
+Palestinian midfielder Mohammed Rashid said the team would give their best.
+""It's really hard to stay focused,"" Rashid said. ""I think there's no choice for us to, for example, postpone the game; we have to play, so this is exactly why we're here now.
+""We want to show our best, and we want to show the whole world that we're people, just like any other country, that we can exercise our rights to be free and play the beautiful game of football.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""We want to show our best, and we want to show the whole world that we're people, just like any other country, that we can exercise our rights to be free and play the beautiful game of football.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/apec-protesters-turn-out-early-xi-jinping-joe-biden-meeting-day-2023-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Xi Jinping focus of APEC demonstrations as he meets Joe Biden[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 15 (Reuters) - A demonstrator draped in a Free Tibet flag climbed a flagpole in front of the hotel where Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to meet with U.S. CEOs on Wednesday evening, capping a day of demonstrations against, and for, the Chinese leader.
+Protesters of the Israel-Hamas war, critics of the global response to climate change and other causes all turned out for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco, where global leaders and CEOs offered tempting targets.
+The day began with a couple of hundred protesters obstructing San Francisco streets and entrances to the convention center area for the meetings.
+But the focus of demonstrators shifted more towards anti- and pro-China during the day.
+Hundreds of critics of Xi marched through downtown around noon, a major protest against the leader. They moved through the city's center, chanting ""free Tibet"" and ""free Hong Kong.""
+Headed by a police escort, the peaceful group - which stretched for multiple city blocks - blocked one of the main downtown thoroughfares, as it moved in a slow circle around the convention center's perimeter.
+“We can say beyond a reasonable doubt that this will be the largest anti-Xi protest during the bilateral talks hosted here in the United States in the history of Xi Jinping’s time as a dictator of China,” Pema Doma, executive director of Students for a Free Tibet, said early in the day.
+Still, local television showed crowds welcoming Xi, waving huge Chinese and American flags, as well as posters of the two flags together, along a highway south of San Francisco where the presidents met. Some protesters also lined that route.
+
+And in the evening, ahead of the meeting between Xi and U.S. CEOs, supporters and protesters initially both lined the street. That is where the flagpole climber took the message of Free Tibet up the pole.
+By midevening, a couple hundred pro-China supporters dominated the block, singing and waving flags.
+Demonstrators for non-Chinese causes have been active since at least Sunday, some crowds stretching for blocks. The group early on Wednesday formed a human chain that prevented some conference attendees from walking through the intersection.
+""I'm actually kind of impressed by the fact that there's so few people here and they've actually kind of gummed up the works a little bit,"" said Gary Hughes from the advocacy group Biofuelwatch.
+Protesters held signs that said ""War criminals out of SF"" and ""From Palestine to the Philippines stop the US war machine.""
+Police donned protective helmets, but there were no major clashes.
+San Francisco has cleaned up downtown streets for the meeting, and it had prepared for potential confrontation with demonstrators: eight-foot-high (2.4-meter-high) metal mesh barriers have been erected to keep people on sidewalks from interfering with vehicle traffic near the convention center.
+The potential for disruptions around the summit site, portions of which were shut to vehicles and foot traffic, led the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to designate the meeting a national special security event, putting the U.S. Secret Service in charge of coordination of policing agencies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Xi Jinping focus of APEC demonstrations as he meets Joe Biden[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 15 (Reuters) - A demonstrator draped in a Free Tibet flag climbed a flagpole in front of the hotel where Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to meet with U.S. CEOs on Wednesday evening, capping a day of demonstrations against, and for, the Chinese leader. Protesters of the Israel-Hamas war, critics of the global response to climate change and other causes all turned out for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco, where global leaders and CEOs offered tempting targets.
+The day began with a couple of hundred protesters obstructing San Francisco streets and entrances to the convention center area for the meetings. But the focus of demonstrators shifted more towards anti- and pro-China during the day.  Hundreds of critics of Xi marched through downtown around noon, a major protest against the leader. They moved through the city's center, chanting ""free Tibet"" and ""free Hong Kong."" Headed by a police escort, the peaceful group - which stretched for multiple city blocks - blocked one of the main downtown thoroughfares, as it moved in a slow circle around the convention center's perimeter. “We can say beyond a reasonable doubt that this will be the largest anti-Xi protest during the bilateral talks hosted here in the United States in the history of Xi Jinping’s time as a dictator of China,” Pema Doma, executive director of Students for a Free Tibet, said early in the day.  Still, local television showed crowds welcoming Xi, waving huge Chinese and American flags, as well as posters of the two flags together, along a highway south of San Francisco where the presidents met. Some protesters also lined that route. And in the evening, ahead of the meeting between Xi and U.S. CEOs, supporters and protesters initially both lined the street. That is where the flagpole climber took the message of Free Tibet up the pole.  By midevening, a couple hundred pro-China supporters dominated the block, singing and waving flags.
+Demonstrators for non-Chinese causes have been active since at least Sunday, some crowds stretching for blocks. The group early on Wednesday formed a human chain that prevented some conference attendees from walking through the intersection. ""I'm actually kind of impressed by the fact that there's so few people here and they've actually kind of gummed up the works a little bit,"" said Gary Hughes from the advocacy group Biofuelwatch."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/apec-protesters-turn-out-early-xi-jinping-joe-biden-meeting-day-2023-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Xi Jinping focus of APEC demonstrations as he meets Joe Biden[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 15 (Reuters) - A demonstrator draped in a Free Tibet flag climbed a flagpole in front of the hotel where Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to meet with U.S. CEOs on Wednesday evening, capping a day of demonstrations against, and for, the Chinese leader.
+Protesters of the Israel-Hamas war, critics of the global response to climate change and other causes all turned out for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco, where global leaders and CEOs offered tempting targets.
+The day began with a couple of hundred protesters obstructing San Francisco streets and entrances to the convention center area for the meetings.
+But the focus of demonstrators shifted more towards anti- and pro-China during the day.
+Hundreds of critics of Xi marched through downtown around noon, a major protest against the leader. They moved through the city's center, chanting ""free Tibet"" and ""free Hong Kong.""
+Headed by a police escort, the peaceful group - which stretched for multiple city blocks - blocked one of the main downtown thoroughfares, as it moved in a slow circle around the convention center's perimeter.
+“We can say beyond a reasonable doubt that this will be the largest anti-Xi protest during the bilateral talks hosted here in the United States in the history of Xi Jinping’s time as a dictator of China,” Pema Doma, executive director of Students for a Free Tibet, said early in the day.
+Still, local television showed crowds welcoming Xi, waving huge Chinese and American flags, as well as posters of the two flags together, along a highway south of San Francisco where the presidents met. Some protesters also lined that route.
+
+And in the evening, ahead of the meeting between Xi and U.S. CEOs, supporters and protesters initially both lined the street. That is where the flagpole climber took the message of Free Tibet up the pole.
+By midevening, a couple hundred pro-China supporters dominated the block, singing and waving flags.
+Demonstrators for non-Chinese causes have been active since at least Sunday, some crowds stretching for blocks. The group early on Wednesday formed a human chain that prevented some conference attendees from walking through the intersection.
+""I'm actually kind of impressed by the fact that there's so few people here and they've actually kind of gummed up the works a little bit,"" said Gary Hughes from the advocacy group Biofuelwatch.
+Protesters held signs that said ""War criminals out of SF"" and ""From Palestine to the Philippines stop the US war machine.""
+Police donned protective helmets, but there were no major clashes.
+San Francisco has cleaned up downtown streets for the meeting, and it had prepared for potential confrontation with demonstrators: eight-foot-high (2.4-meter-high) metal mesh barriers have been erected to keep people on sidewalks from interfering with vehicle traffic near the convention center.
+The potential for disruptions around the summit site, portions of which were shut to vehicles and foot traffic, led the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to designate the meeting a national special security event, putting the U.S. Secret Service in charge of coordination of policing agencies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Protesters held signs that said ""War criminals out of SF"" and ""From Palestine to the Philippines stop the US war machine.""  Police donned protective helmets, but there were no major clashes. San Francisco has cleaned up downtown streets for the meeting, and it had prepared for potential confrontation with demonstrators: eight-foot-high (2.4-meter-high) metal mesh barriers have been erected to keep people on sidewalks from interfering with vehicle traffic near the convention center.  The potential for disruptions around the summit site, portions of which were shut to vehicles and foot traffic, led the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to designate the meeting a national special security event, putting the U.S. Secret Service in charge of coordination of policing agencies.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-axis-resistance-against-israel-faces-trial-by-fire-2023-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Insight: Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel faces trial by fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader delivered a clear message to the head of Hamas when they met in Tehran in early November, according to three senior officials: You gave us no warning of your Oct. 7 attack on Israel and we will not enter the war on your behalf.
+Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Ismail Haniyeh that Iran - a longtime backer of Hamas - would continue to lend the group its political and moral support, but wouldn't intervene directly, said the Iranian and Hamas officials with knowledge of the discussions who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely.
+The supreme leader pressed Haniyeh to silence those voices in the Palestinian group publicly calling for Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah to join the battle against Israel in full force, a Hamas official told Reuters.
+Hamas didn't respond to questions sent by Reuters before the publication of this report. After publication, the group posted a statement on Telegram saying it denied the validity of the report, which it described as ""baseless"". The post didn't specify what was inaccurate, and Hamas didn't immediately respond to a request for clarification.
+Iran's foreign ministry didn't respond to a request for comment about the meeting, which both Tehran and Hamas announced publicly, and the country's response to the crisis. Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, have said publicly several times that they don't want the Israel-Hamas war to spread across the region.
+The unfolding crisis marks the first time that the so-called Axis of Resistance - a military alliance built by Iran over four decades to oppose Israeli and American power in the Middle East - has mobilised on multiple fronts at the same time.
+Hezbollah has engaged in the heaviest clashes with Israel for almost 20 years. Iran-backed militias have targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. Yemen's Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel.
+The conflict is also testing the limits of the regional coalition whose members - which include the Syrian government, Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups from Iraq to Yemen - have differing priorities and domestic challenges.
+Three sources close to Hezbollah said the Lebanese group was also taken by surprise by Hamas' devastating assault last month that killed 1,200 Israelis. They said its fighters were not even on alert in villages near the border that were frontlines in its 2006 war with Israel, and had to be rapidly called up.
+""We woke up to a war,"" said a Hezbollah commander.
+Mohanad Hage Ali, an expert on Hezbollah at the Carnegie Middle East Center think-tank in Beirut, said Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel had left its axis partners facing tough choices in confronting an adversary with far superior firepower.
+""When you wake up the bear with such an attack, it's quite difficult for your allies to stand in the same position as you.""
+HAMAS CALLS FOR AXIS HELP
+Hamas, the ruling group of Gaza, is fighting for its survival against an avenging Israel, which vows to wipe it out and has launched a retaliatory onslaught on the tiny enclave that's killed more than 11,000 Palestinians.
+On Oct. 7, Hamas' military commander Mohammed Deif called on its axis allies to join the struggle. ""Our brothers in the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, this is the day when your resistance unites with your people in Palestine,"" he said in an audio message.
+Hints of frustration surfaced in subsequent public statements by Hamas leaders including Khaled Meshaal, who in an Oct. 16 TV interview thanked Hezbollah for its actions thus far but said ""the battle requires more"" .
+Nonetheless, alliance leader Iran won't directly intervene in the conflict unless it is itself attacked by Israel or the United States, according to six officials with direct knowledge of Tehran's thinking who declined to named due to the sensitive nature of the matter.
+Instead, Iran's clerical rulers plan to continue using their axis network of armed allies, including Hezbollah, to launch rocket and drone attacks on Israeli and American targets across the Middle East, the officials said.
+The strategy is a calibrated effort to demonstrate solidarity for Hamas in Gaza and stretch Israeli forces without becoming engaged in a direct confrontation with Israel that could draw in the United States, they added.
+""This is their way of trying to create deterrence,"" said Dennis Ross, a former senior U.S. diplomat specialising in the Middle East who now works at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think-tank. ""A way of saying: 'Look as long as you don't attack us, this is the way it will remain. But if you attack us, everything changes'.""
+Iran has repeatedly said that all members of the alliance make their own decisions independently. Axis of Resistance is a term of disputed origin that has been used by Iranian officials to describe the coalition.
+HEZBOLLAH'S HOME PROBLEMS
+Hezbollah, the most powerful group in the axis, boasting 100,000 fighters, has exchanged fire with Israeli forces across the Lebanon-Israel border on an almost daily basis since Hamas went to war with Israel and more than 70 of its fighters have been killed.
+Yet, like its backer Iran, Hezbollah has avoided an all-out confrontation.
+The group has calibrated its attacks in a way that has kept the violence largely contained to a narrow strip of territory at the border, even as it has escalated those strikes in recent days, according to the people familiar with its thinking.
+One of the sources said Hamas wanted Hezbollah to strike deeper into Israel with its massive arsenal of rockets but that Hezbollah believed this would lead Israel to lay waste to Lebanon without halting its attack on Gaza.
+Hezbollah, which is also a political movement deeply involved in Lebanese government affairs, knows Lebanon can ill afford another war with Israel, more than four years into a financial crisis that has driven up poverty and hollowed out the country's governing institutions.
+Lebanon took years to rebuild from the 2006 war, during which Israeli bombardment pounded the Hezbollah-controlled south of the country and destroyed swathes of its stronghold in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut.
+Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a Nov. 3 speech that Hamas had kept its attack on Israel a secret from its allies and this had ensured its success and not ""upset anyone"" in the axis. Hezbollah attacks at the Israeli border were unprecedented and amounted to ""a real battle"", he said.
+AMERICA COMES UNDER FIRE
+The United States, too, is keen to avoid the war spiralling beyond Gaza. Having fought two costly and ill-fated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades, it now finds itself bankrolling Ukraine's defence against Russia's invasion.
+President Joe Biden has so far sought to limit the U.S. role in the Gaza crisis mostly to ensuring military aid to Israel. He has also moved two aircraft carriers and fighter jets to the eastern Mediterranean, partly as a warning to Tehran.
+The temperature is rising; at least 40 drone and rocket attacks have been launched at U.S. forces by axis militias in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war began in response to American support for Israel, according to the Pentagon. U.S. officials say America has conducted three sets of retaliatory strikes against facilities in Syria used by militias linked to Iran.
+On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed the risk of another major front being opened in the conflict.
+""What we've seen throughout this conflict, throughout this crisis, is tit-for-tat exchanges between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israeli forces,"" he told a news conference in Seoul. ""No one wants to see another conflict break out in the north.""
+ISRAEL LOOKS TO THE NORTH
+Austin emphasised the need to avoid any regional escalation when he spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant over the weekend, according to a readout of the call.
+The Israeli prime minister's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.
+Two Israeli security sources, who declined to be identified, said that Israel didn't seek any spread of hostilities but added that the country was prepared to fight on new fronts if needed to protect itself. They said security officials deemed the most potent immediate threat to Israel came from Hezbollah.
+Enmity runs deep between Israel and Iran.
+Iran does not recognise Israel's existence, while Israel has long threatened military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its disputed nuclear activity.
+In the current crisis, real politik may prevail for Tehran, according to Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank.
+""Iran has shown a four-decade commitment to fighting America and Israel without entering into direct conflict. The regime's revolutionary ideology is based on opposition to America and Israel, but its leaders are not suicidal, they want to stay in power.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Insight: Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel faces trial by fire[/TITLE] [CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader delivered a clear message to the head of Hamas when they met in Tehran in early November, according to three senior officials: You gave us no warning of your Oct. 7 attack on Israel and we will not enter the war on your behalf. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Ismail Haniyeh that Iran - a longtime backer of Hamas - would continue to lend the group its political and moral support, but wouldn't intervene directly, said the Iranian and Hamas officials with knowledge of the discussions who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely. The supreme leader pressed Haniyeh to silence those voices in the Palestinian group publicly calling for Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah to join the battle against Israel in full force, a Hamas official told Reuters.  Hamas didn't respond to questions sent by Reuters before the publication of this report. After publication, the group posted a statement on Telegram saying it denied the validity of the report, which it described as ""baseless"". The post didn't specify what was inaccurate, and Hamas didn't immediately respond to a request for clarification.  Iran's foreign ministry didn't respond to a request for comment about the meeting, which both Tehran and Hamas announced publicly, and the country's response to the crisis. Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, have said publicly several times that they don't want the Israel-Hamas war to spread across the region. The unfolding crisis marks the first time that the so-called Axis of Resistance - a military alliance built by Iran over four decades to oppose Israeli and American power in the Middle East - has mobilised on multiple fronts at the same time. Hezbollah has engaged in the heaviest clashes with Israel for almost 20 years. Iran-backed militias have targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. Yemen's Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel. The conflict is also testing the limits of the regional coalition whose members - which include the Syrian government, Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups from Iraq to Yemen - have differing priorities and domestic challenges.  Three sources close to Hezbollah said the Lebanese group was also taken by surprise by Hamas' devastating assault last month that killed 1,200 Israelis. They said its fighters were not even on alert in villages near the border that were frontlines in its 2006 war with Israel, and had to be rapidly called up. ""We woke up to a war,"" said a Hezbollah commander."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-axis-resistance-against-israel-faces-trial-by-fire-2023-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Insight: Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel faces trial by fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader delivered a clear message to the head of Hamas when they met in Tehran in early November, according to three senior officials: You gave us no warning of your Oct. 7 attack on Israel and we will not enter the war on your behalf.
+Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Ismail Haniyeh that Iran - a longtime backer of Hamas - would continue to lend the group its political and moral support, but wouldn't intervene directly, said the Iranian and Hamas officials with knowledge of the discussions who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely.
+The supreme leader pressed Haniyeh to silence those voices in the Palestinian group publicly calling for Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah to join the battle against Israel in full force, a Hamas official told Reuters.
+Hamas didn't respond to questions sent by Reuters before the publication of this report. After publication, the group posted a statement on Telegram saying it denied the validity of the report, which it described as ""baseless"". The post didn't specify what was inaccurate, and Hamas didn't immediately respond to a request for clarification.
+Iran's foreign ministry didn't respond to a request for comment about the meeting, which both Tehran and Hamas announced publicly, and the country's response to the crisis. Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, have said publicly several times that they don't want the Israel-Hamas war to spread across the region.
+The unfolding crisis marks the first time that the so-called Axis of Resistance - a military alliance built by Iran over four decades to oppose Israeli and American power in the Middle East - has mobilised on multiple fronts at the same time.
+Hezbollah has engaged in the heaviest clashes with Israel for almost 20 years. Iran-backed militias have targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. Yemen's Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel.
+The conflict is also testing the limits of the regional coalition whose members - which include the Syrian government, Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups from Iraq to Yemen - have differing priorities and domestic challenges.
+Three sources close to Hezbollah said the Lebanese group was also taken by surprise by Hamas' devastating assault last month that killed 1,200 Israelis. They said its fighters were not even on alert in villages near the border that were frontlines in its 2006 war with Israel, and had to be rapidly called up.
+""We woke up to a war,"" said a Hezbollah commander.
+Mohanad Hage Ali, an expert on Hezbollah at the Carnegie Middle East Center think-tank in Beirut, said Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel had left its axis partners facing tough choices in confronting an adversary with far superior firepower.
+""When you wake up the bear with such an attack, it's quite difficult for your allies to stand in the same position as you.""
+HAMAS CALLS FOR AXIS HELP
+Hamas, the ruling group of Gaza, is fighting for its survival against an avenging Israel, which vows to wipe it out and has launched a retaliatory onslaught on the tiny enclave that's killed more than 11,000 Palestinians.
+On Oct. 7, Hamas' military commander Mohammed Deif called on its axis allies to join the struggle. ""Our brothers in the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, this is the day when your resistance unites with your people in Palestine,"" he said in an audio message.
+Hints of frustration surfaced in subsequent public statements by Hamas leaders including Khaled Meshaal, who in an Oct. 16 TV interview thanked Hezbollah for its actions thus far but said ""the battle requires more"" .
+Nonetheless, alliance leader Iran won't directly intervene in the conflict unless it is itself attacked by Israel or the United States, according to six officials with direct knowledge of Tehran's thinking who declined to named due to the sensitive nature of the matter.
+Instead, Iran's clerical rulers plan to continue using their axis network of armed allies, including Hezbollah, to launch rocket and drone attacks on Israeli and American targets across the Middle East, the officials said.
+The strategy is a calibrated effort to demonstrate solidarity for Hamas in Gaza and stretch Israeli forces without becoming engaged in a direct confrontation with Israel that could draw in the United States, they added.
+""This is their way of trying to create deterrence,"" said Dennis Ross, a former senior U.S. diplomat specialising in the Middle East who now works at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think-tank. ""A way of saying: 'Look as long as you don't attack us, this is the way it will remain. But if you attack us, everything changes'.""
+Iran has repeatedly said that all members of the alliance make their own decisions independently. Axis of Resistance is a term of disputed origin that has been used by Iranian officials to describe the coalition.
+HEZBOLLAH'S HOME PROBLEMS
+Hezbollah, the most powerful group in the axis, boasting 100,000 fighters, has exchanged fire with Israeli forces across the Lebanon-Israel border on an almost daily basis since Hamas went to war with Israel and more than 70 of its fighters have been killed.
+Yet, like its backer Iran, Hezbollah has avoided an all-out confrontation.
+The group has calibrated its attacks in a way that has kept the violence largely contained to a narrow strip of territory at the border, even as it has escalated those strikes in recent days, according to the people familiar with its thinking.
+One of the sources said Hamas wanted Hezbollah to strike deeper into Israel with its massive arsenal of rockets but that Hezbollah believed this would lead Israel to lay waste to Lebanon without halting its attack on Gaza.
+Hezbollah, which is also a political movement deeply involved in Lebanese government affairs, knows Lebanon can ill afford another war with Israel, more than four years into a financial crisis that has driven up poverty and hollowed out the country's governing institutions.
+Lebanon took years to rebuild from the 2006 war, during which Israeli bombardment pounded the Hezbollah-controlled south of the country and destroyed swathes of its stronghold in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut.
+Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a Nov. 3 speech that Hamas had kept its attack on Israel a secret from its allies and this had ensured its success and not ""upset anyone"" in the axis. Hezbollah attacks at the Israeli border were unprecedented and amounted to ""a real battle"", he said.
+AMERICA COMES UNDER FIRE
+The United States, too, is keen to avoid the war spiralling beyond Gaza. Having fought two costly and ill-fated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades, it now finds itself bankrolling Ukraine's defence against Russia's invasion.
+President Joe Biden has so far sought to limit the U.S. role in the Gaza crisis mostly to ensuring military aid to Israel. He has also moved two aircraft carriers and fighter jets to the eastern Mediterranean, partly as a warning to Tehran.
+The temperature is rising; at least 40 drone and rocket attacks have been launched at U.S. forces by axis militias in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war began in response to American support for Israel, according to the Pentagon. U.S. officials say America has conducted three sets of retaliatory strikes against facilities in Syria used by militias linked to Iran.
+On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed the risk of another major front being opened in the conflict.
+""What we've seen throughout this conflict, throughout this crisis, is tit-for-tat exchanges between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israeli forces,"" he told a news conference in Seoul. ""No one wants to see another conflict break out in the north.""
+ISRAEL LOOKS TO THE NORTH
+Austin emphasised the need to avoid any regional escalation when he spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant over the weekend, according to a readout of the call.
+The Israeli prime minister's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.
+Two Israeli security sources, who declined to be identified, said that Israel didn't seek any spread of hostilities but added that the country was prepared to fight on new fronts if needed to protect itself. They said security officials deemed the most potent immediate threat to Israel came from Hezbollah.
+Enmity runs deep between Israel and Iran.
+Iran does not recognise Israel's existence, while Israel has long threatened military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its disputed nuclear activity.
+In the current crisis, real politik may prevail for Tehran, according to Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank.
+""Iran has shown a four-decade commitment to fighting America and Israel without entering into direct conflict. The regime's revolutionary ideology is based on opposition to America and Israel, but its leaders are not suicidal, they want to stay in power.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Mohanad Hage Ali, an expert on Hezbollah at the Carnegie Middle East Center think-tank in Beirut, said Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel had left its axis partners facing tough choices in confronting an adversary with far superior firepower.
+""When you wake up the bear with such an attack, it's quite difficult for your allies to stand in the same position as you.""
+HAMAS CALLS FOR AXIS HELP
+Hamas, the ruling group of Gaza, is fighting for its survival against an avenging Israel, which vows to wipe it out and has launched a retaliatory onslaught on the tiny enclave that's killed more than 11,000 Palestinians.
+On Oct. 7, Hamas' military commander Mohammed Deif called on its axis allies to join the struggle. ""Our brothers in the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, this is the day when your resistance unites with your people in Palestine,"" he said in an audio message. Hints of frustration surfaced in subsequent public statements by Hamas leaders including Khaled Meshaal, who in an Oct. 16 TV interview thanked Hezbollah for its actions thus far but said ""the battle requires more"" . Nonetheless, alliance leader Iran won't directly intervene in the conflict unless it is itself attacked by Israel or the United States, according to six officials with direct knowledge of Tehran's thinking who declined to named due to the sensitive nature of the matter. Instead, Iran's clerical rulers plan to continue using their axis network of armed allies, including Hezbollah, to launch rocket and drone attacks on Israeli and American targets across the Middle East, the officials said. The strategy is a calibrated effort to demonstrate solidarity for Hamas in Gaza and stretch Israeli forces without becoming engaged in a direct confrontation with Israel that could draw in the United States, they added.  ""This is their way of trying to create deterrence,"" said Dennis Ross, a former senior U.S. diplomat specialising in the Middle East who now works at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think-tank. ""A way of saying: 'Look as long as you don't attack us, this is the way it will remain. But if you attack us, everything changes'. "" Iran has repeatedly said that all members of the alliance make their own decisions independently. Axis of Resistance is a term of disputed origin that has been used by Iranian officials to describe the coalition."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-axis-resistance-against-israel-faces-trial-by-fire-2023-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Insight: Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel faces trial by fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader delivered a clear message to the head of Hamas when they met in Tehran in early November, according to three senior officials: You gave us no warning of your Oct. 7 attack on Israel and we will not enter the war on your behalf.
+Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Ismail Haniyeh that Iran - a longtime backer of Hamas - would continue to lend the group its political and moral support, but wouldn't intervene directly, said the Iranian and Hamas officials with knowledge of the discussions who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely.
+The supreme leader pressed Haniyeh to silence those voices in the Palestinian group publicly calling for Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah to join the battle against Israel in full force, a Hamas official told Reuters.
+Hamas didn't respond to questions sent by Reuters before the publication of this report. After publication, the group posted a statement on Telegram saying it denied the validity of the report, which it described as ""baseless"". The post didn't specify what was inaccurate, and Hamas didn't immediately respond to a request for clarification.
+Iran's foreign ministry didn't respond to a request for comment about the meeting, which both Tehran and Hamas announced publicly, and the country's response to the crisis. Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, have said publicly several times that they don't want the Israel-Hamas war to spread across the region.
+The unfolding crisis marks the first time that the so-called Axis of Resistance - a military alliance built by Iran over four decades to oppose Israeli and American power in the Middle East - has mobilised on multiple fronts at the same time.
+Hezbollah has engaged in the heaviest clashes with Israel for almost 20 years. Iran-backed militias have targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. Yemen's Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel.
+The conflict is also testing the limits of the regional coalition whose members - which include the Syrian government, Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups from Iraq to Yemen - have differing priorities and domestic challenges.
+Three sources close to Hezbollah said the Lebanese group was also taken by surprise by Hamas' devastating assault last month that killed 1,200 Israelis. They said its fighters were not even on alert in villages near the border that were frontlines in its 2006 war with Israel, and had to be rapidly called up.
+""We woke up to a war,"" said a Hezbollah commander.
+Mohanad Hage Ali, an expert on Hezbollah at the Carnegie Middle East Center think-tank in Beirut, said Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel had left its axis partners facing tough choices in confronting an adversary with far superior firepower.
+""When you wake up the bear with such an attack, it's quite difficult for your allies to stand in the same position as you.""
+HAMAS CALLS FOR AXIS HELP
+Hamas, the ruling group of Gaza, is fighting for its survival against an avenging Israel, which vows to wipe it out and has launched a retaliatory onslaught on the tiny enclave that's killed more than 11,000 Palestinians.
+On Oct. 7, Hamas' military commander Mohammed Deif called on its axis allies to join the struggle. ""Our brothers in the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, this is the day when your resistance unites with your people in Palestine,"" he said in an audio message.
+Hints of frustration surfaced in subsequent public statements by Hamas leaders including Khaled Meshaal, who in an Oct. 16 TV interview thanked Hezbollah for its actions thus far but said ""the battle requires more"" .
+Nonetheless, alliance leader Iran won't directly intervene in the conflict unless it is itself attacked by Israel or the United States, according to six officials with direct knowledge of Tehran's thinking who declined to named due to the sensitive nature of the matter.
+Instead, Iran's clerical rulers plan to continue using their axis network of armed allies, including Hezbollah, to launch rocket and drone attacks on Israeli and American targets across the Middle East, the officials said.
+The strategy is a calibrated effort to demonstrate solidarity for Hamas in Gaza and stretch Israeli forces without becoming engaged in a direct confrontation with Israel that could draw in the United States, they added.
+""This is their way of trying to create deterrence,"" said Dennis Ross, a former senior U.S. diplomat specialising in the Middle East who now works at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think-tank. ""A way of saying: 'Look as long as you don't attack us, this is the way it will remain. But if you attack us, everything changes'.""
+Iran has repeatedly said that all members of the alliance make their own decisions independently. Axis of Resistance is a term of disputed origin that has been used by Iranian officials to describe the coalition.
+HEZBOLLAH'S HOME PROBLEMS
+Hezbollah, the most powerful group in the axis, boasting 100,000 fighters, has exchanged fire with Israeli forces across the Lebanon-Israel border on an almost daily basis since Hamas went to war with Israel and more than 70 of its fighters have been killed.
+Yet, like its backer Iran, Hezbollah has avoided an all-out confrontation.
+The group has calibrated its attacks in a way that has kept the violence largely contained to a narrow strip of territory at the border, even as it has escalated those strikes in recent days, according to the people familiar with its thinking.
+One of the sources said Hamas wanted Hezbollah to strike deeper into Israel with its massive arsenal of rockets but that Hezbollah believed this would lead Israel to lay waste to Lebanon without halting its attack on Gaza.
+Hezbollah, which is also a political movement deeply involved in Lebanese government affairs, knows Lebanon can ill afford another war with Israel, more than four years into a financial crisis that has driven up poverty and hollowed out the country's governing institutions.
+Lebanon took years to rebuild from the 2006 war, during which Israeli bombardment pounded the Hezbollah-controlled south of the country and destroyed swathes of its stronghold in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut.
+Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a Nov. 3 speech that Hamas had kept its attack on Israel a secret from its allies and this had ensured its success and not ""upset anyone"" in the axis. Hezbollah attacks at the Israeli border were unprecedented and amounted to ""a real battle"", he said.
+AMERICA COMES UNDER FIRE
+The United States, too, is keen to avoid the war spiralling beyond Gaza. Having fought two costly and ill-fated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades, it now finds itself bankrolling Ukraine's defence against Russia's invasion.
+President Joe Biden has so far sought to limit the U.S. role in the Gaza crisis mostly to ensuring military aid to Israel. He has also moved two aircraft carriers and fighter jets to the eastern Mediterranean, partly as a warning to Tehran.
+The temperature is rising; at least 40 drone and rocket attacks have been launched at U.S. forces by axis militias in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war began in response to American support for Israel, according to the Pentagon. U.S. officials say America has conducted three sets of retaliatory strikes against facilities in Syria used by militias linked to Iran.
+On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed the risk of another major front being opened in the conflict.
+""What we've seen throughout this conflict, throughout this crisis, is tit-for-tat exchanges between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israeli forces,"" he told a news conference in Seoul. ""No one wants to see another conflict break out in the north.""
+ISRAEL LOOKS TO THE NORTH
+Austin emphasised the need to avoid any regional escalation when he spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant over the weekend, according to a readout of the call.
+The Israeli prime minister's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.
+Two Israeli security sources, who declined to be identified, said that Israel didn't seek any spread of hostilities but added that the country was prepared to fight on new fronts if needed to protect itself. They said security officials deemed the most potent immediate threat to Israel came from Hezbollah.
+Enmity runs deep between Israel and Iran.
+Iran does not recognise Israel's existence, while Israel has long threatened military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its disputed nuclear activity.
+In the current crisis, real politik may prevail for Tehran, according to Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank.
+""Iran has shown a four-decade commitment to fighting America and Israel without entering into direct conflict. The regime's revolutionary ideology is based on opposition to America and Israel, but its leaders are not suicidal, they want to stay in power.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","HEZBOLLAH'S HOME PROBLEMS
+Hezbollah, the most powerful group in the axis, boasting 100,000 fighters, has exchanged fire with Israeli forces across the Lebanon-Israel border on an almost daily basis since Hamas went to war with Israel and more than 70 of its fighters have been killed. Yet, like its backer Iran, Hezbollah has avoided an all-out confrontation.
+The group has calibrated its attacks in a way that has kept the violence largely contained to a narrow strip of territory at the border, even as it has escalated those strikes in recent days, according to the people familiar with its thinking.
+One of the sources said Hamas wanted Hezbollah to strike deeper into Israel with its massive arsenal of rockets but that Hezbollah believed this would lead Israel to lay waste to Lebanon without halting its attack on Gaza.
+Hezbollah, which is also a political movement deeply involved in Lebanese government affairs, knows Lebanon can ill afford another war with Israel, more than four years into a financial crisis that has driven up poverty and hollowed out the country's governing institutions. Lebanon took years to rebuild from the 2006 war, during which Israeli bombardment pounded the Hezbollah-controlled south of the country and destroyed swathes of its stronghold in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut.  Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a Nov. 3 speech that Hamas had kept its attack on Israel a secret from its allies and this had ensured its success and not ""upset anyone"" in the axis. Hezbollah attacks at the Israeli border were unprecedented and amounted to ""a real battle"", he said.  AMERICA COMES UNDER FIRE
+The United States, too, is keen to avoid the war spiralling beyond Gaza. Having fought two costly and ill-fated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades, it now finds itself bankrolling Ukraine's defence against Russia's invasion. President Joe Biden has so far sought to limit the U.S. role in the Gaza crisis mostly to ensuring military aid to Israel. He has also moved two aircraft carriers and fighter jets to the eastern Mediterranean, partly as a warning to Tehran. The temperature is rising; at least 40 drone and rocket attacks have been launched at U.S. forces by axis militias in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war began in response to American support for Israel, according to the Pentagon. U.S. officials say America has conducted three sets of retaliatory strikes against facilities in Syria used by militias linked to Iran. On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed the risk of another major front being opened in the conflict. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-axis-resistance-against-israel-faces-trial-by-fire-2023-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Insight: Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel faces trial by fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader delivered a clear message to the head of Hamas when they met in Tehran in early November, according to three senior officials: You gave us no warning of your Oct. 7 attack on Israel and we will not enter the war on your behalf.
+Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Ismail Haniyeh that Iran - a longtime backer of Hamas - would continue to lend the group its political and moral support, but wouldn't intervene directly, said the Iranian and Hamas officials with knowledge of the discussions who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely.
+The supreme leader pressed Haniyeh to silence those voices in the Palestinian group publicly calling for Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah to join the battle against Israel in full force, a Hamas official told Reuters.
+Hamas didn't respond to questions sent by Reuters before the publication of this report. After publication, the group posted a statement on Telegram saying it denied the validity of the report, which it described as ""baseless"". The post didn't specify what was inaccurate, and Hamas didn't immediately respond to a request for clarification.
+Iran's foreign ministry didn't respond to a request for comment about the meeting, which both Tehran and Hamas announced publicly, and the country's response to the crisis. Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, have said publicly several times that they don't want the Israel-Hamas war to spread across the region.
+The unfolding crisis marks the first time that the so-called Axis of Resistance - a military alliance built by Iran over four decades to oppose Israeli and American power in the Middle East - has mobilised on multiple fronts at the same time.
+Hezbollah has engaged in the heaviest clashes with Israel for almost 20 years. Iran-backed militias have targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. Yemen's Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel.
+The conflict is also testing the limits of the regional coalition whose members - which include the Syrian government, Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups from Iraq to Yemen - have differing priorities and domestic challenges.
+Three sources close to Hezbollah said the Lebanese group was also taken by surprise by Hamas' devastating assault last month that killed 1,200 Israelis. They said its fighters were not even on alert in villages near the border that were frontlines in its 2006 war with Israel, and had to be rapidly called up.
+""We woke up to a war,"" said a Hezbollah commander.
+Mohanad Hage Ali, an expert on Hezbollah at the Carnegie Middle East Center think-tank in Beirut, said Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel had left its axis partners facing tough choices in confronting an adversary with far superior firepower.
+""When you wake up the bear with such an attack, it's quite difficult for your allies to stand in the same position as you.""
+HAMAS CALLS FOR AXIS HELP
+Hamas, the ruling group of Gaza, is fighting for its survival against an avenging Israel, which vows to wipe it out and has launched a retaliatory onslaught on the tiny enclave that's killed more than 11,000 Palestinians.
+On Oct. 7, Hamas' military commander Mohammed Deif called on its axis allies to join the struggle. ""Our brothers in the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, this is the day when your resistance unites with your people in Palestine,"" he said in an audio message.
+Hints of frustration surfaced in subsequent public statements by Hamas leaders including Khaled Meshaal, who in an Oct. 16 TV interview thanked Hezbollah for its actions thus far but said ""the battle requires more"" .
+Nonetheless, alliance leader Iran won't directly intervene in the conflict unless it is itself attacked by Israel or the United States, according to six officials with direct knowledge of Tehran's thinking who declined to named due to the sensitive nature of the matter.
+Instead, Iran's clerical rulers plan to continue using their axis network of armed allies, including Hezbollah, to launch rocket and drone attacks on Israeli and American targets across the Middle East, the officials said.
+The strategy is a calibrated effort to demonstrate solidarity for Hamas in Gaza and stretch Israeli forces without becoming engaged in a direct confrontation with Israel that could draw in the United States, they added.
+""This is their way of trying to create deterrence,"" said Dennis Ross, a former senior U.S. diplomat specialising in the Middle East who now works at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think-tank. ""A way of saying: 'Look as long as you don't attack us, this is the way it will remain. But if you attack us, everything changes'.""
+Iran has repeatedly said that all members of the alliance make their own decisions independently. Axis of Resistance is a term of disputed origin that has been used by Iranian officials to describe the coalition.
+HEZBOLLAH'S HOME PROBLEMS
+Hezbollah, the most powerful group in the axis, boasting 100,000 fighters, has exchanged fire with Israeli forces across the Lebanon-Israel border on an almost daily basis since Hamas went to war with Israel and more than 70 of its fighters have been killed.
+Yet, like its backer Iran, Hezbollah has avoided an all-out confrontation.
+The group has calibrated its attacks in a way that has kept the violence largely contained to a narrow strip of territory at the border, even as it has escalated those strikes in recent days, according to the people familiar with its thinking.
+One of the sources said Hamas wanted Hezbollah to strike deeper into Israel with its massive arsenal of rockets but that Hezbollah believed this would lead Israel to lay waste to Lebanon without halting its attack on Gaza.
+Hezbollah, which is also a political movement deeply involved in Lebanese government affairs, knows Lebanon can ill afford another war with Israel, more than four years into a financial crisis that has driven up poverty and hollowed out the country's governing institutions.
+Lebanon took years to rebuild from the 2006 war, during which Israeli bombardment pounded the Hezbollah-controlled south of the country and destroyed swathes of its stronghold in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut.
+Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a Nov. 3 speech that Hamas had kept its attack on Israel a secret from its allies and this had ensured its success and not ""upset anyone"" in the axis. Hezbollah attacks at the Israeli border were unprecedented and amounted to ""a real battle"", he said.
+AMERICA COMES UNDER FIRE
+The United States, too, is keen to avoid the war spiralling beyond Gaza. Having fought two costly and ill-fated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades, it now finds itself bankrolling Ukraine's defence against Russia's invasion.
+President Joe Biden has so far sought to limit the U.S. role in the Gaza crisis mostly to ensuring military aid to Israel. He has also moved two aircraft carriers and fighter jets to the eastern Mediterranean, partly as a warning to Tehran.
+The temperature is rising; at least 40 drone and rocket attacks have been launched at U.S. forces by axis militias in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war began in response to American support for Israel, according to the Pentagon. U.S. officials say America has conducted three sets of retaliatory strikes against facilities in Syria used by militias linked to Iran.
+On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed the risk of another major front being opened in the conflict.
+""What we've seen throughout this conflict, throughout this crisis, is tit-for-tat exchanges between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israeli forces,"" he told a news conference in Seoul. ""No one wants to see another conflict break out in the north.""
+ISRAEL LOOKS TO THE NORTH
+Austin emphasised the need to avoid any regional escalation when he spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant over the weekend, according to a readout of the call.
+The Israeli prime minister's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.
+Two Israeli security sources, who declined to be identified, said that Israel didn't seek any spread of hostilities but added that the country was prepared to fight on new fronts if needed to protect itself. They said security officials deemed the most potent immediate threat to Israel came from Hezbollah.
+Enmity runs deep between Israel and Iran.
+Iran does not recognise Israel's existence, while Israel has long threatened military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its disputed nuclear activity.
+In the current crisis, real politik may prevail for Tehran, according to Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank.
+""Iran has shown a four-decade commitment to fighting America and Israel without entering into direct conflict. The regime's revolutionary ideology is based on opposition to America and Israel, but its leaders are not suicidal, they want to stay in power.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""What we've seen throughout this conflict, throughout this crisis, is tit-for-tat exchanges between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israeli forces,"" he told a news conference in Seoul. ""No one wants to see another conflict break out in the north. "" ISRAEL LOOKS TO THE NORTH
+Austin emphasised the need to avoid any regional escalation when he spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant over the weekend, according to a readout of the call.
+The Israeli prime minister's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.  Two Israeli security sources, who declined to be identified, said that Israel didn't seek any spread of hostilities but added that the country was prepared to fight on new fronts if needed to protect itself. They said security officials deemed the most potent immediate threat to Israel came from Hezbollah. Enmity runs deep between Israel and Iran. Iran does not recognise Israel's existence, while Israel has long threatened military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its disputed nuclear activity.  In the current crisis, real politik may prevail for Tehran, according to Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank.
+"" Iran has shown a four-decade commitment to fighting America and Israel without entering into direct conflict. The regime's revolutionary ideology is based on opposition to America and Israel, but its leaders are not suicidal, they want to stay in power.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/more-than-50-uk-labour-lawmakers-defy-leader-back-gaza-ceasefire-2023-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]More than 50 UK Labour lawmakers defy leader to back Gaza ceasefire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - British opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer was under pressure on Wednesday after 56 of his lawmakers, including several of his policy team, voted with another opposition party to demand the government call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+The so-called amendment - a proposed addition to the government's legislative agenda for the next year - to call for a ceasefire in the violence did not pass and so will not become law. But the backing of so many Labour lawmakers showed the levels of disquiet in the party over the Middle East conflict.
+Nearly a third of Labour's 198 lawmakers backed the amendment introduced by the Scottish National Party which said: ""(We) call on the government to join with the international community in urgently pressing all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire"".
+Starmer, like Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the United States and the European Union, has called for ""humanitarian pauses"" to help aid reach Gaza rather than a ceasefire which, they say, would allow Hamas to regroup after its attack on Oct. 7.
+Eight members of Starmer's 'shadow' ministerial team left their roles in order to defy the party position.
+""On this occasion I must vote with my constituents, my head and my heart,"" Jess Phillips, who resigned from her policy role to vote for a ceasefire, said in a letter to Starmer posted on the social media platform X.
+""I can see no route where the current military action does anything but put at risk the hope of peace and security for anyone in the region now and in the future.""
+It was a blow to Starmer, who is keen to present his party as united, disciplined and ready for power before a national election expected next year which Labour is on target to win, according to opinion polls.
+""I regret that some colleagues felt unable to support the position tonight. But I wanted to be clear about where I stood, and where I will stand,"" Starmer said after the vote.
+Several lawmakers in Britain's parliament have been pressing Starmer and Sunak to call for a ceasefire to end Israel's siege of Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of war over a month ago.
+A large protest by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign outside parliament demanding lawmakers back a ceasefire took place while the vote was going on.
+Starmer had put forward a rival amendment, toughening the party's position to say humanitarian pauses ""must be longer to deliver humanitarian assistance ... a necessary step to an enduring cessation of fighting as soon as possible"".
+That amendment was backed by 183 lawmakers, with 290 voting against it.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]More than 50 UK Labour lawmakers defy leader to back Gaza ceasefire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - British opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer was under pressure on Wednesday after 56 of his lawmakers, including several of his policy team, voted with another opposition party to demand the government call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The so-called amendment - a proposed addition to the government's legislative agenda for the next year - to call for a ceasefire in the violence did not pass and so will not become law. But the backing of so many Labour lawmakers showed the levels of disquiet in the party over the Middle East conflict. Nearly a third of Labour's 198 lawmakers backed the amendment introduced by the Scottish National Party which said: ""(We) call on the government to join with the international community in urgently pressing all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire"". Starmer, like Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the United States and the European Union, has called for ""humanitarian pauses"" to help aid reach Gaza rather than a ceasefire which, they say, would allow Hamas to regroup after its attack on Oct. 7. Eight members of Starmer's 'shadow' ministerial team left their roles in order to defy the party position.
+""On this occasion I must vote with my constituents, my head and my heart,"" Jess Phillips, who resigned from her policy role to vote for a ceasefire, said in a letter to Starmer posted on the social media platform X. ""I can see no route where the current military action does anything but put at risk the hope of peace and security for anyone in the region now and in the future.""
+It was a blow to Starmer, who is keen to present his party as united, disciplined and ready for power before a national election expected next year which Labour is on target to win, according to opinion polls.  ""I regret that some colleagues felt unable to support the position tonight. But I wanted to be clear about where I stood, and where I will stand,"" Starmer said after the vote. Several lawmakers in Britain's parliament have been pressing Starmer and Sunak to call for a ceasefire to end Israel's siege of Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of war over a month ago."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/more-than-50-uk-labour-lawmakers-defy-leader-back-gaza-ceasefire-2023-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]More than 50 UK Labour lawmakers defy leader to back Gaza ceasefire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - British opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer was under pressure on Wednesday after 56 of his lawmakers, including several of his policy team, voted with another opposition party to demand the government call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+The so-called amendment - a proposed addition to the government's legislative agenda for the next year - to call for a ceasefire in the violence did not pass and so will not become law. But the backing of so many Labour lawmakers showed the levels of disquiet in the party over the Middle East conflict.
+Nearly a third of Labour's 198 lawmakers backed the amendment introduced by the Scottish National Party which said: ""(We) call on the government to join with the international community in urgently pressing all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire"".
+Starmer, like Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the United States and the European Union, has called for ""humanitarian pauses"" to help aid reach Gaza rather than a ceasefire which, they say, would allow Hamas to regroup after its attack on Oct. 7.
+Eight members of Starmer's 'shadow' ministerial team left their roles in order to defy the party position.
+""On this occasion I must vote with my constituents, my head and my heart,"" Jess Phillips, who resigned from her policy role to vote for a ceasefire, said in a letter to Starmer posted on the social media platform X.
+""I can see no route where the current military action does anything but put at risk the hope of peace and security for anyone in the region now and in the future.""
+It was a blow to Starmer, who is keen to present his party as united, disciplined and ready for power before a national election expected next year which Labour is on target to win, according to opinion polls.
+""I regret that some colleagues felt unable to support the position tonight. But I wanted to be clear about where I stood, and where I will stand,"" Starmer said after the vote.
+Several lawmakers in Britain's parliament have been pressing Starmer and Sunak to call for a ceasefire to end Israel's siege of Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of war over a month ago.
+A large protest by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign outside parliament demanding lawmakers back a ceasefire took place while the vote was going on.
+Starmer had put forward a rival amendment, toughening the party's position to say humanitarian pauses ""must be longer to deliver humanitarian assistance ... a necessary step to an enduring cessation of fighting as soon as possible"".
+That amendment was backed by 183 lawmakers, with 290 voting against it.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","A large protest by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign outside parliament demanding lawmakers back a ceasefire took place while the vote was going on.
+Starmer had put forward a rival amendment, toughening the party's position to say humanitarian pauses ""must be longer to deliver humanitarian assistance ... a necessary step to an enduring cessation of fighting as soon as possible"".
+That amendment was backed by 183 lawmakers, with 290 voting against it.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/lebanon-focused-despite-starting-wc-qualifying-neutral-ground-coach-2023-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Lebanon focused despite starting WC qualifying on neutral ground - coach[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 15 (Reuters) - Lebanon coach Nikola Jurcevic lamented playing his team's first home match in 2026 World Cup qualifying outside the country but said the players were very focused for the game against Palestine in United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
+The sides begin their challenge for a place in the next phase of Asia's 2026 World Cup preliminaries at a neutral venue due to the impact of the Israel-Hamas war.
+""It is important for any team to play in front of their own fans because it gives additional strength, but we are facing special circumstances, and I do not want to talk about this matter or discuss it with the players because what is important is to focus on the way we play and achieve a positive result,"" Croatian Jurcevic said.
+The match had been scheduled to be played in Beirut but Israel's response to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 forced a switch of venues.
+Lebanon and Palestine meet at the Khalid bin Mohammed Stadium before the Palestinians, who usually host games at Al-Ram's Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium on the West Bank, face Australia in Kuwait on Nov. 21.
+Jurcevic said he was happy with the preparations.
+""I see that the Lebanese national team players are in a state of high concentration and have exceptional enthusiasm for tomorrow’s match,"" he said.
+This week's matches mark the start of the second phase of qualifiers for the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, when Asia will have eight guaranteed berths plus a possible ninth available through an intercontinental playoff.
+The top two finishers in each of the nine groups advance to the third phase.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Lebanon focused despite starting WC qualifying on neutral ground - coach[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 15 (Reuters) - Lebanon coach Nikola Jurcevic lamented playing his team's first home match in 2026 World Cup qualifying outside the country but said the players were very focused for the game against Palestine in United Arab Emirates on Thursday. The sides begin their challenge for a place in the next phase of Asia's 2026 World Cup preliminaries at a neutral venue due to the impact of the Israel-Hamas war.
+""It is important for any team to play in front of their own fans because it gives additional strength, but we are facing special circumstances, and I do not want to talk about this matter or discuss it with the players because what is important is to focus on the way we play and achieve a positive result,"" Croatian Jurcevic said. The match had been scheduled to be played in Beirut but Israel's response to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 forced a switch of venues. Lebanon and Palestine meet at the Khalid bin Mohammed Stadium before the Palestinians, who usually host games at Al-Ram's Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium on the West Bank, face Australia in Kuwait on Nov. 21. Jurcevic said he was happy with the preparations. ""I see that the Lebanese national team players are in a state of high concentration and have exceptional enthusiasm for tomorrow’s match,"" he said. This week's matches mark the start of the second phase of qualifiers for the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, when Asia will have eight guaranteed berths plus a possible ninth available through an intercontinental playoff.  The top two finishers in each of the nine groups advance to the third phase.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/al-shifa-gazas-largest-hospital-headlines-2023-11-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Al Shifa: What to know about Gaza's largest hospital[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 15 (Reuters) - Al Shifa Hospital, which has been raided by Israel, is the largest in the Gaza Strip.
+Both Israel and the United States have said that Hamas militants were using Gaza's hospitals, including Shifa, to hide command posts and hostages using underground tunnels.
+Hamas, which has controlled the coastal enclave since 2007, has built a tunnel city stretching beneath Gaza for hundreds of kilometres, up to 80 metres (87 yards) deep in parts.
+Hamas, health authorities and Shifa directors have denied that the group is concealing military infrastructure in or under the complex and have said they would welcome an international inspection.
+WHAT DOES SHIFA MEAN?
+Shifa is a sprawling complex of buildings and courtyards a few hundred metres from Gaza City's small fishing port, sandwiched between Beach refugee camp and the city's Rimal neighbourhood.
+Its name comes from the Arabic word ""healing"" - common for hospitals in the Middle East.
+WHAT ABOUT THE PATIENTS?
+The hospital was caring for 36 babies as of Tuesday, according to medical staff there who said there was no clear mechanism to move them despite an Israeli effort to supply incubators for an evacuation.
+Three of the original 39 premature babies have already died since Gaza's biggest hospital ran out of fuel at the weekend to power generators that had kept their incubators going.
+HOW DID IT BECOME A FLASHPOINT?
+It was built in 1946 during British rule, two years before Britain withdrew from Palestine. It survived the Egyptian invasion in 1948 and two decades of Egyptian military rule.
+In 1967, Israel captured and occupied the Gaza Strip and in subsequent years, there were regular clashes nearby which sometimes moved into the grounds.
+In 1971, the Times of London reported a gun battle between a Palestinian militant who hid under a bed in the nurses' quarters and an Israeli army patrol that was searching the hospital.
+On Dec. 9 1987, the first day of the First Intifada against Israeli occupation during which Hamas was formed, Shifa was again pulled into the conflict.
+The story, taken from the Reuters archive, begins:
+""An Israeli army helicopter circled three times on Wednesday over Gaza's Shifa Hospital, then flew low over the walls and dropped a tear-gas grenade into the central courtyard.
+""Palestinian orderlies, patients' relatives and students scattered in panic, their eyes streaming. A youth picked up the grenade and threw it out into the street. 'They are firing from the helicopter,' someone shouted.
+""It was a false rumour, one of dozens that circulated as teenagers armed with stones and bottles manned burning street barricades outside the hospital.""
+In 1994, Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat's security forces saluted the Palestinian flag when it was raised over the hospital after Palestinians were granted limited self-autonomy in Gaza during the Oslo peace process.
+Islamist Hamas won a surprise election victory in Gaza in 2006 by appealing to residents disaffected by corruption within the-then Palestinian Authority. The following year, Hamas staged a military takeover of Gaza, forcing Fatah, the secular group that has long dominated the Palestinian Authority, out of the enclave.
+During the power struggle building up to that takeover, fighters from both Fatah and Hamas were treated at Shifa and other hospitals, under the understanding that neither would harm the other side's wounded.
+Hamas has ruled Gaza ever since, but the hospital is staffed by medics paid by the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank.
+During a 2008-9 war in which more than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed, Israel accused Hamas of using underground areas in Shifa to hide. Hamas denied it and Reuters was not able to verify the accusations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Al Shifa: What to know about Gaza's largest hospital[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 15 (Reuters) - Al Shifa Hospital, which has been raided by Israel, is the largest in the Gaza Strip. Both Israel and the United States have said that Hamas militants were using Gaza's hospitals, including Shifa, to hide command posts and hostages using underground tunnels. Hamas, which has controlled the coastal enclave since 2007, has built a tunnel city stretching beneath Gaza for hundreds of kilometres, up to 80 metres (87 yards) deep in parts. Hamas, health authorities and Shifa directors have denied that the group is concealing military infrastructure in or under the complex and have said they would welcome an international inspection. WHAT DOES SHIFA MEAN? Shifa is a sprawling complex of buildings and courtyards a few hundred metres from Gaza City's small fishing port, sandwiched between Beach refugee camp and the city's Rimal neighbourhood. Its name comes from the Arabic word ""healing"" - common for hospitals in the Middle East. WHAT ABOUT THE PATIENTS? The hospital was caring for 36 babies as of Tuesday, according to medical staff there who said there was no clear mechanism to move them despite an Israeli effort to supply incubators for an evacuation. Three of the original 39 premature babies have already died since Gaza's biggest hospital ran out of fuel at the weekend to power generators that had kept their incubators going. HOW DID IT BECOME A FLASHPOINT? It was built in 1946 during British rule, two years before Britain withdrew from Palestine. It survived the Egyptian invasion in 1948 and two decades of Egyptian military rule. In 1967, Israel captured and occupied the Gaza Strip and in subsequent years, there were regular clashes nearby which sometimes moved into the grounds. In 1971, the Times of London reported a gun battle between a Palestinian militant who hid under a bed in the nurses' quarters and an Israeli army patrol that was searching the hospital. On Dec. 9 1987, the first day of the First Intifada against Israeli occupation during which Hamas was formed, Shifa was again pulled into the conflict.  The story, taken from the Reuters archive, begins:
+""An Israeli army helicopter circled three times on Wednesday over Gaza's Shifa Hospital, then flew low over the walls and dropped a tear-gas grenade into the central courtyard.
+"" Palestinian orderlies, patients' relatives and students scattered in panic, their eyes streaming. A youth picked up the grenade and threw it out into the street. 'They are firing from the helicopter,' someone shouted.  """
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/al-shifa-gazas-largest-hospital-headlines-2023-11-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Al Shifa: What to know about Gaza's largest hospital[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 15 (Reuters) - Al Shifa Hospital, which has been raided by Israel, is the largest in the Gaza Strip.
+Both Israel and the United States have said that Hamas militants were using Gaza's hospitals, including Shifa, to hide command posts and hostages using underground tunnels.
+Hamas, which has controlled the coastal enclave since 2007, has built a tunnel city stretching beneath Gaza for hundreds of kilometres, up to 80 metres (87 yards) deep in parts.
+Hamas, health authorities and Shifa directors have denied that the group is concealing military infrastructure in or under the complex and have said they would welcome an international inspection.
+WHAT DOES SHIFA MEAN?
+Shifa is a sprawling complex of buildings and courtyards a few hundred metres from Gaza City's small fishing port, sandwiched between Beach refugee camp and the city's Rimal neighbourhood.
+Its name comes from the Arabic word ""healing"" - common for hospitals in the Middle East.
+WHAT ABOUT THE PATIENTS?
+The hospital was caring for 36 babies as of Tuesday, according to medical staff there who said there was no clear mechanism to move them despite an Israeli effort to supply incubators for an evacuation.
+Three of the original 39 premature babies have already died since Gaza's biggest hospital ran out of fuel at the weekend to power generators that had kept their incubators going.
+HOW DID IT BECOME A FLASHPOINT?
+It was built in 1946 during British rule, two years before Britain withdrew from Palestine. It survived the Egyptian invasion in 1948 and two decades of Egyptian military rule.
+In 1967, Israel captured and occupied the Gaza Strip and in subsequent years, there were regular clashes nearby which sometimes moved into the grounds.
+In 1971, the Times of London reported a gun battle between a Palestinian militant who hid under a bed in the nurses' quarters and an Israeli army patrol that was searching the hospital.
+On Dec. 9 1987, the first day of the First Intifada against Israeli occupation during which Hamas was formed, Shifa was again pulled into the conflict.
+The story, taken from the Reuters archive, begins:
+""An Israeli army helicopter circled three times on Wednesday over Gaza's Shifa Hospital, then flew low over the walls and dropped a tear-gas grenade into the central courtyard.
+""Palestinian orderlies, patients' relatives and students scattered in panic, their eyes streaming. A youth picked up the grenade and threw it out into the street. 'They are firing from the helicopter,' someone shouted.
+""It was a false rumour, one of dozens that circulated as teenagers armed with stones and bottles manned burning street barricades outside the hospital.""
+In 1994, Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat's security forces saluted the Palestinian flag when it was raised over the hospital after Palestinians were granted limited self-autonomy in Gaza during the Oslo peace process.
+Islamist Hamas won a surprise election victory in Gaza in 2006 by appealing to residents disaffected by corruption within the-then Palestinian Authority. The following year, Hamas staged a military takeover of Gaza, forcing Fatah, the secular group that has long dominated the Palestinian Authority, out of the enclave.
+During the power struggle building up to that takeover, fighters from both Fatah and Hamas were treated at Shifa and other hospitals, under the understanding that neither would harm the other side's wounded.
+Hamas has ruled Gaza ever since, but the hospital is staffed by medics paid by the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank.
+During a 2008-9 war in which more than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed, Israel accused Hamas of using underground areas in Shifa to hide. Hamas denied it and Reuters was not able to verify the accusations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","It was a false rumour, one of dozens that circulated as teenagers armed with stones and bottles manned burning street barricades outside the hospital."" In 1994, Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat's security forces saluted the Palestinian flag when it was raised over the hospital after Palestinians were granted limited self-autonomy in Gaza during the Oslo peace process. Islamist Hamas won a surprise election victory in Gaza in 2006 by appealing to residents disaffected by corruption within the-then Palestinian Authority. The following year, Hamas staged a military takeover of Gaza, forcing Fatah, the secular group that has long dominated the Palestinian Authority, out of the enclave. During the power struggle building up to that takeover, fighters from both Fatah and Hamas were treated at Shifa and other hospitals, under the understanding that neither would harm the other side's wounded. Hamas has ruled Gaza ever since, but the hospital is staffed by medics paid by the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank.  During a 2008-9 war in which more than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed, Israel accused Hamas of using underground areas in Shifa to hide. Hamas denied it and Reuters was not able to verify the accusations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-urges-faithful-pray-every-day-peace-ukraine-mideast-2023-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope urges faithful to pray every day for peace in Ukraine, MidEast[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday called on the faithful to pray regularly for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan and all other war-torn places.
+""Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for peace, in a special way for martyred Ukraine, it is suffering a lot. And then the Holy Land, Palestine and Israel, and let's not forget Sudan,"" Francis said during his weekly audience in St Peter's Square.
+""Let us think (about) all places where there is war, there are many wars. Let us pray for peace, every day someone should take some time to pray for peace,"" he added.
+The Vatican has offered to mediate in both the Russian-Ukrainian and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, but its efforts have so far not proved successful.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope urges faithful to pray every day for peace in Ukraine, MidEast[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday called on the faithful to pray regularly for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan and all other war-torn places. ""Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for peace, in a special way for martyred Ukraine, it is suffering a lot. And then the Holy Land, Palestine and Israel, and let's not forget Sudan ,"" Francis said during his weekly audience in St Peter's Square.
+""Let us think (about) all places where there is war, there are many wars. Let us pray for peace, every day someone should take some time to pray for peace,"" he added. The Vatican has offered to mediate in both the Russian-Ukrainian and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, but its efforts have so far not proved successful. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-says-gaza-hospitals-must-be-protected-2023-11-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. backs claim Hamas uses Gaza hospitals as military cover amid hopes for hostages' release[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday its independent intelligence supported Israel's claim that Hamas was using Gaza's hospitals, including its biggest, to hide command posts and hostages while a glimmer of progress emerged in hostage negotiations.
+President Joe Biden said he was in discussions daily with parties involved in talks to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas in its cross-border rampage into Israel on Oct. 7. More than 235 people are thought to still be held by the Islamist group in Gaza.
+When asked by reporters at the White House what his message to family members of hostages was, he said: ""Hang in there, we're coming.""
+ABC News reported that progress had been made on a hostage deal. A breakthrough could come in the next 48 to 72 hours, it said, citing a senior Israeli political source.
+White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on the presidential plane, Air Force One, that intelligence confirmed the militant Hamas group, which rules Gaza, used tunnels underneath Al-Shifa and other hospitals to conceal military operations and to hold hostages.
+Israel has made the same claims, which Hamas denies.
+""We have information that confirms that Hamas is using that particular hospital for a command and control node"" and probably to store weapons, Kirby said. ""That is a war crime.""
+Five weeks after Israel swore to destroy Hamas in retaliation for militants' cross-border assault, the fate of Al-Shifa has become a focus of international alarm, including from Israel's closest ally, the United States.
+Israeli forces have waged fierce street battles against Hamas fighters over the past 10 days, advanced into the centre of Gaza City and surrounded Al-Shifa, the seaside enclave's biggest hospital.
+Kirby said that the U.S. intelligence came from a variety of methods but that he could not be specific about the evidence.
+Hamas said on Telegram it rejected U.S. claims about its use of hospitals and that they ""give a green light to the Israeli occupation to commit further brutal massacres targeting hospitals.""
+Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director for Human Rights Watch, said that even if Hamas was proven to be using hospitals to conduct military operations, international law required that effective warnings be given before attacks.
+This meant people there needed a safe place to go and a safe way to get there, Shakir said. ""It's very alarming because you have to remember hospitals in Gaza are housing tens of thousands of displaced persons.""
+AL-SHIFA THE FOCUS OF CONFLICT
+Hamas says 650 patients and 5,000 to 7,000 other civilians are trapped inside Al-Shifa hospital grounds, under constant fire from Israeli snipers and drones. Amid worsening shortages of fuel, water and supplies, it says 40 patients have died in recent days, including three premature babies whose incubators were knocked out.
+Palestinians trapped in the hospital were digging a mass grave on Tuesday to bury patients who died and no plan was in place to evacuate babies despite Israel announcing an offer to send portable incubators, Ashraf Al-Qidra, Gaza's health ministry spokesman, said.
+
+An Israeli officer who oversees coordination with Gaza told Reuters he had been in contact with Al-Shifa's hospital director and presented a plan to evacuate the babies through a safe corridor, possibly to Egypt. He said he was awaiting a response.
+Reached by telephone inside the hospital compound, Qidra said that so far no arrangements had been established to carry out any evacuation. ""The occupation is still besieging the hospital and they are firing into the yards from time to time,"" he said.
+Qidra said there were about 100 bodies decomposing inside and no way to get them out.
+""We are planning to bury them today in a mass grave inside the Al-Shifa medical complex. It is going to be very dangerous as we don't have any cover or protection from the ICRC,"" he told Reuters, referring to the International Committee of the Red Cross/Crescent.
+Israel denies the hospital is under siege and says its forces allow exit routes for those inside. Medics and officials inside the hospital deny this and say those trying to leave come under fire. Reuters could not verify the situation.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply disturbed by the ""dramatic loss of life"" in the hospitals, his spokesman said. ""In the name of humanity, the secretary-general calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,"" the spokesman told reporters.
+Medical officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 11,000 people are confirmed dead from Israeli strikes, around 40% of them children, and countless others trapped under rubble. Around two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been made homeless, unable to escape the territory where food, fuel, fresh water and medical supplies are running out.
+Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 rampage. The United States and Britain imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Hamas on Tuesday.
+BIDEN ADVISER HEADS TO MIDDLE EAST
+Shortly after Biden's remarks about the hostages, the White House said Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, was heading to the region for talks with officials in Israel, the West Bank, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other nations. Efforts to win the hostages' release will be among the topics on his agenda.
+Hamas leader Ezzat El Rashq said on Telegram Israel was not serious about winning the hostages' freedom ""but is stalling in order to gain more time to continue its aggression.""
+The armed wing of Hamas said it was ready to free up to 70 women and children held in Gaza in exchange for a five-day ceasefire. Al-Qassam Brigade spokesman Abu Ubaida said Israel had asked for 100 to be freed.
+There was no immediate public response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
+Relatives of hostages set off from Tel Aviv on a days-long protest march to Jerusalem to plead for more government action.
+Yuval Haran, from Kibbutz Be'eri where Hamas fighters killed scores of civilians including his father, said he was marching out of desperation to free seven family members.
+""For 39 days we have been in infinite anxiety. We are living this pain each and every moment. And I cannot keep sitting down and waiting,"" he said. ""They must be brought home now.""
+In Washington, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Tuesday for a ""March for Israel"" to show solidarity with Israel in its war with Hamas and condemn rising antisemitism.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. backs claim Hamas uses Gaza hospitals as military cover amid hopes for hostages' release[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday its independent intelligence supported Israel's claim that Hamas was using Gaza's hospitals, including its biggest, to hide command posts and hostages while a glimmer of progress emerged in hostage negotiations. President Joe Biden said he was in discussions daily with parties involved in talks to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas in its cross-border rampage into Israel on Oct. 7. More than 235 people are thought to still be held by the Islamist group in Gaza. When asked by reporters at the White House what his message to family members of hostages was, he said: ""Hang in there, we're coming.""  ABC News reported that progress had been made on a hostage deal. A breakthrough could come in the next 48 to 72 hours, it said, citing a senior Israeli political source.  White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on the presidential plane, Air Force One, that intelligence confirmed the militant Hamas group, which rules Gaza, used tunnels underneath Al-Shifa and other hospitals to conceal military operations and to hold hostages.
+Israel has made the same claims, which Hamas denies.
+""We have information that confirms that Hamas is using that particular hospital for a command and control node"" and probably to store weapons, Kirby said. "" That is a war crime."" Five weeks after Israel swore to destroy Hamas in retaliation for militants' cross-border assault, the fate of Al-Shifa has become a focus of international alarm, including from Israel's closest ally, the United States. Israeli forces have waged fierce street battles against Hamas fighters over the past 10 days, advanced into the centre of Gaza City and surrounded Al-Shifa, the seaside enclave's biggest hospital. Kirby said that the U.S. intelligence came from a variety of methods but that he could not be specific about the evidence.
+Hamas said on Telegram it rejected U.S. claims about its use of hospitals and that they ""give a green light to the Israeli occupation to commit further brutal massacres targeting hospitals.""
+Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director for Human Rights Watch, said that even if Hamas was proven to be using hospitals to conduct military operations, international law required that effective warnings be given before attacks.  This meant people there needed a safe place to go and a safe way to get there, Shakir said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-says-gaza-hospitals-must-be-protected-2023-11-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. backs claim Hamas uses Gaza hospitals as military cover amid hopes for hostages' release[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday its independent intelligence supported Israel's claim that Hamas was using Gaza's hospitals, including its biggest, to hide command posts and hostages while a glimmer of progress emerged in hostage negotiations.
+President Joe Biden said he was in discussions daily with parties involved in talks to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas in its cross-border rampage into Israel on Oct. 7. More than 235 people are thought to still be held by the Islamist group in Gaza.
+When asked by reporters at the White House what his message to family members of hostages was, he said: ""Hang in there, we're coming.""
+ABC News reported that progress had been made on a hostage deal. A breakthrough could come in the next 48 to 72 hours, it said, citing a senior Israeli political source.
+White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on the presidential plane, Air Force One, that intelligence confirmed the militant Hamas group, which rules Gaza, used tunnels underneath Al-Shifa and other hospitals to conceal military operations and to hold hostages.
+Israel has made the same claims, which Hamas denies.
+""We have information that confirms that Hamas is using that particular hospital for a command and control node"" and probably to store weapons, Kirby said. ""That is a war crime.""
+Five weeks after Israel swore to destroy Hamas in retaliation for militants' cross-border assault, the fate of Al-Shifa has become a focus of international alarm, including from Israel's closest ally, the United States.
+Israeli forces have waged fierce street battles against Hamas fighters over the past 10 days, advanced into the centre of Gaza City and surrounded Al-Shifa, the seaside enclave's biggest hospital.
+Kirby said that the U.S. intelligence came from a variety of methods but that he could not be specific about the evidence.
+Hamas said on Telegram it rejected U.S. claims about its use of hospitals and that they ""give a green light to the Israeli occupation to commit further brutal massacres targeting hospitals.""
+Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director for Human Rights Watch, said that even if Hamas was proven to be using hospitals to conduct military operations, international law required that effective warnings be given before attacks.
+This meant people there needed a safe place to go and a safe way to get there, Shakir said. ""It's very alarming because you have to remember hospitals in Gaza are housing tens of thousands of displaced persons.""
+AL-SHIFA THE FOCUS OF CONFLICT
+Hamas says 650 patients and 5,000 to 7,000 other civilians are trapped inside Al-Shifa hospital grounds, under constant fire from Israeli snipers and drones. Amid worsening shortages of fuel, water and supplies, it says 40 patients have died in recent days, including three premature babies whose incubators were knocked out.
+Palestinians trapped in the hospital were digging a mass grave on Tuesday to bury patients who died and no plan was in place to evacuate babies despite Israel announcing an offer to send portable incubators, Ashraf Al-Qidra, Gaza's health ministry spokesman, said.
+
+An Israeli officer who oversees coordination with Gaza told Reuters he had been in contact with Al-Shifa's hospital director and presented a plan to evacuate the babies through a safe corridor, possibly to Egypt. He said he was awaiting a response.
+Reached by telephone inside the hospital compound, Qidra said that so far no arrangements had been established to carry out any evacuation. ""The occupation is still besieging the hospital and they are firing into the yards from time to time,"" he said.
+Qidra said there were about 100 bodies decomposing inside and no way to get them out.
+""We are planning to bury them today in a mass grave inside the Al-Shifa medical complex. It is going to be very dangerous as we don't have any cover or protection from the ICRC,"" he told Reuters, referring to the International Committee of the Red Cross/Crescent.
+Israel denies the hospital is under siege and says its forces allow exit routes for those inside. Medics and officials inside the hospital deny this and say those trying to leave come under fire. Reuters could not verify the situation.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply disturbed by the ""dramatic loss of life"" in the hospitals, his spokesman said. ""In the name of humanity, the secretary-general calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,"" the spokesman told reporters.
+Medical officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 11,000 people are confirmed dead from Israeli strikes, around 40% of them children, and countless others trapped under rubble. Around two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been made homeless, unable to escape the territory where food, fuel, fresh water and medical supplies are running out.
+Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 rampage. The United States and Britain imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Hamas on Tuesday.
+BIDEN ADVISER HEADS TO MIDDLE EAST
+Shortly after Biden's remarks about the hostages, the White House said Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, was heading to the region for talks with officials in Israel, the West Bank, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other nations. Efforts to win the hostages' release will be among the topics on his agenda.
+Hamas leader Ezzat El Rashq said on Telegram Israel was not serious about winning the hostages' freedom ""but is stalling in order to gain more time to continue its aggression.""
+The armed wing of Hamas said it was ready to free up to 70 women and children held in Gaza in exchange for a five-day ceasefire. Al-Qassam Brigade spokesman Abu Ubaida said Israel had asked for 100 to be freed.
+There was no immediate public response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
+Relatives of hostages set off from Tel Aviv on a days-long protest march to Jerusalem to plead for more government action.
+Yuval Haran, from Kibbutz Be'eri where Hamas fighters killed scores of civilians including his father, said he was marching out of desperation to free seven family members.
+""For 39 days we have been in infinite anxiety. We are living this pain each and every moment. And I cannot keep sitting down and waiting,"" he said. ""They must be brought home now.""
+In Washington, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Tuesday for a ""March for Israel"" to show solidarity with Israel in its war with Hamas and condemn rising antisemitism.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""It's very alarming because you have to remember hospitals in Gaza are housing tens of thousands of displaced persons.""  AL-SHIFA THE FOCUS OF CONFLICT
+Hamas says 650 patients and 5,000 to 7,000 other civilians are trapped inside Al-Shifa hospital grounds, under constant fire from Israeli snipers and drones. Amid worsening shortages of fuel, water and supplies, it says 40 patients have died in recent days, including three premature babies whose incubators were knocked out. Palestinians trapped in the hospital were digging a mass grave on Tuesday to bury patients who died and no plan was in place to evacuate babies despite Israel announcing an offer to send portable incubators, Ashraf Al-Qidra, Gaza's health ministry spokesman, said.  An Israeli officer who oversees coordination with Gaza told Reuters he had been in contact with Al-Shifa's hospital director and presented a plan to evacuate the babies through a safe corridor, possibly to Egypt. He said he was awaiting a response.  Reached by telephone inside the hospital compound, Qidra said that so far no arrangements had been established to carry out any evacuation. ""The occupation is still besieging the hospital and they are firing into the yards from time to time,"" he said. Qidra said there were about 100 bodies decomposing inside and no way to get them out.  ""We are planning to bury them today in a mass grave inside the Al-Shifa medical complex. It is going to be very dangerous as we don't have any cover or protection from the ICRC,"" he told Reuters, referring to the International Committee of the Red Cross/Crescent.  Israel denies the hospital is under siege and says its forces allow exit routes for those inside. Medics and officials inside the hospital deny this and say those trying to leave come under fire. Reuters could not verify the situation. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply disturbed by the ""dramatic loss of life"" in the hospitals, his spokesman said. ""In the name of humanity, the secretary-general calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,"" the spokesman told reporters.  Medical officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 11,000 people are confirmed dead from Israeli strikes, around 40% of them children, and countless others trapped under rubble. Around two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been made homeless, unable to escape the territory where food, fuel, fresh water and medical supplies are running out. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 rampage. The United States and Britain imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Hamas on Tuesday. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-says-gaza-hospitals-must-be-protected-2023-11-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. backs claim Hamas uses Gaza hospitals as military cover amid hopes for hostages' release[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday its independent intelligence supported Israel's claim that Hamas was using Gaza's hospitals, including its biggest, to hide command posts and hostages while a glimmer of progress emerged in hostage negotiations.
+President Joe Biden said he was in discussions daily with parties involved in talks to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas in its cross-border rampage into Israel on Oct. 7. More than 235 people are thought to still be held by the Islamist group in Gaza.
+When asked by reporters at the White House what his message to family members of hostages was, he said: ""Hang in there, we're coming.""
+ABC News reported that progress had been made on a hostage deal. A breakthrough could come in the next 48 to 72 hours, it said, citing a senior Israeli political source.
+White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on the presidential plane, Air Force One, that intelligence confirmed the militant Hamas group, which rules Gaza, used tunnels underneath Al-Shifa and other hospitals to conceal military operations and to hold hostages.
+Israel has made the same claims, which Hamas denies.
+""We have information that confirms that Hamas is using that particular hospital for a command and control node"" and probably to store weapons, Kirby said. ""That is a war crime.""
+Five weeks after Israel swore to destroy Hamas in retaliation for militants' cross-border assault, the fate of Al-Shifa has become a focus of international alarm, including from Israel's closest ally, the United States.
+Israeli forces have waged fierce street battles against Hamas fighters over the past 10 days, advanced into the centre of Gaza City and surrounded Al-Shifa, the seaside enclave's biggest hospital.
+Kirby said that the U.S. intelligence came from a variety of methods but that he could not be specific about the evidence.
+Hamas said on Telegram it rejected U.S. claims about its use of hospitals and that they ""give a green light to the Israeli occupation to commit further brutal massacres targeting hospitals.""
+Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director for Human Rights Watch, said that even if Hamas was proven to be using hospitals to conduct military operations, international law required that effective warnings be given before attacks.
+This meant people there needed a safe place to go and a safe way to get there, Shakir said. ""It's very alarming because you have to remember hospitals in Gaza are housing tens of thousands of displaced persons.""
+AL-SHIFA THE FOCUS OF CONFLICT
+Hamas says 650 patients and 5,000 to 7,000 other civilians are trapped inside Al-Shifa hospital grounds, under constant fire from Israeli snipers and drones. Amid worsening shortages of fuel, water and supplies, it says 40 patients have died in recent days, including three premature babies whose incubators were knocked out.
+Palestinians trapped in the hospital were digging a mass grave on Tuesday to bury patients who died and no plan was in place to evacuate babies despite Israel announcing an offer to send portable incubators, Ashraf Al-Qidra, Gaza's health ministry spokesman, said.
+
+An Israeli officer who oversees coordination with Gaza told Reuters he had been in contact with Al-Shifa's hospital director and presented a plan to evacuate the babies through a safe corridor, possibly to Egypt. He said he was awaiting a response.
+Reached by telephone inside the hospital compound, Qidra said that so far no arrangements had been established to carry out any evacuation. ""The occupation is still besieging the hospital and they are firing into the yards from time to time,"" he said.
+Qidra said there were about 100 bodies decomposing inside and no way to get them out.
+""We are planning to bury them today in a mass grave inside the Al-Shifa medical complex. It is going to be very dangerous as we don't have any cover or protection from the ICRC,"" he told Reuters, referring to the International Committee of the Red Cross/Crescent.
+Israel denies the hospital is under siege and says its forces allow exit routes for those inside. Medics and officials inside the hospital deny this and say those trying to leave come under fire. Reuters could not verify the situation.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply disturbed by the ""dramatic loss of life"" in the hospitals, his spokesman said. ""In the name of humanity, the secretary-general calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,"" the spokesman told reporters.
+Medical officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 11,000 people are confirmed dead from Israeli strikes, around 40% of them children, and countless others trapped under rubble. Around two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been made homeless, unable to escape the territory where food, fuel, fresh water and medical supplies are running out.
+Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 rampage. The United States and Britain imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Hamas on Tuesday.
+BIDEN ADVISER HEADS TO MIDDLE EAST
+Shortly after Biden's remarks about the hostages, the White House said Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, was heading to the region for talks with officials in Israel, the West Bank, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other nations. Efforts to win the hostages' release will be among the topics on his agenda.
+Hamas leader Ezzat El Rashq said on Telegram Israel was not serious about winning the hostages' freedom ""but is stalling in order to gain more time to continue its aggression.""
+The armed wing of Hamas said it was ready to free up to 70 women and children held in Gaza in exchange for a five-day ceasefire. Al-Qassam Brigade spokesman Abu Ubaida said Israel had asked for 100 to be freed.
+There was no immediate public response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
+Relatives of hostages set off from Tel Aviv on a days-long protest march to Jerusalem to plead for more government action.
+Yuval Haran, from Kibbutz Be'eri where Hamas fighters killed scores of civilians including his father, said he was marching out of desperation to free seven family members.
+""For 39 days we have been in infinite anxiety. We are living this pain each and every moment. And I cannot keep sitting down and waiting,"" he said. ""They must be brought home now.""
+In Washington, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Tuesday for a ""March for Israel"" to show solidarity with Israel in its war with Hamas and condemn rising antisemitism.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","BIDEN ADVISER HEADS TO MIDDLE EAST
+Shortly after Biden's remarks about the hostages, the White House said Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, was heading to the region for talks with officials in Israel, the West Bank, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other nations. Efforts to win the hostages' release will be among the topics on his agenda.  Hamas leader Ezzat El Rashq said on Telegram Israel was not serious about winning the hostages' freedom ""but is stalling in order to gain more time to continue its aggression.""
+The armed wing of Hamas said it was ready to free up to 70 women and children held in Gaza in exchange for a five-day ceasefire. Al-Qassam Brigade spokesman Abu Ubaida said Israel had asked for 100 to be freed. There was no immediate public response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. Relatives of hostages set off from Tel Aviv on a days-long protest march to Jerusalem to plead for more government action.
+Yuval Haran, from Kibbutz Be'eri where Hamas fighters killed scores of civilians including his father, said he was marching out of desperation to free seven family members. ""For 39 days we have been in infinite anxiety. We are living this pain each and every moment. And I cannot keep sitting down and waiting,"" he said. ""They must be brought home now.""  In Washington, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Tuesday for a ""March for Israel"" to show solidarity with Israel in its war with Hamas and condemn rising antisemitism.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/divisions-mount-over-us-law-firms-response-israel-hamas-war-2023-11-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Divisions mount over US law firms' response to Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 14 (Reuters) - A letter from at least 220 U.S. law firms warning law school deans to rein in campus antisemitism has become a flashpoint in an ongoing debate on lawyers' statements about the war between Israel and Hamas.
+The National Association of Muslim Lawyers and a dozen other allied bar associations on Tuesday said in a response to the firms, opens new tab that taking a ""one-sided approach"" has made Muslim, Arab and Palestinian lawyers afraid to speak their minds about the conflict.
+The law firms' Nov. 1 letter urged the deans of the nation's top-ranked law schools to stand up against both antisemitism and Islamophobia. But the firms — including nearly all of the country's largest law firms — focused mainly on discrimination against Jews in their letter, the Muslim groups asserted, claiming their message has minimized Palestinian suffering.
+Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and Israel's military response have sparked angry protests against Israeli policies at many U.S. universities. Antisemitic incidents have surged in the United States since the fighting began. Reports of Islamophobia have also risen sharply.
+The Muslim groups said law firms should pen a new letter to law deans focused on Islamophobia and anti-Arab bigotry.
+Joseph Shenker, a real estate lawyer at law firm Sullivan & Cromwell who organized the firms' original letter, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Edward Ahmed Mitchell, president of the National Association of Muslim Lawyers, told Reuters that lawyers feel now that ""even in their personal time, on their personal social media accounts, that they cannot say anything about the plight of the Palestinian people or they will get fired.""
+An associate at law firm Sidley Austin wrote in a Medium post, opens new tab last week that it was not antisemitic to question Israel's legitimacy and that the firms' Nov. 1 letter could have a ""chilling effect"" on lawyers who are critical of the Israeli government.
+The New York-based attorney, Melat Kiros, was fired by Sidley a day later, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Her firing was first reported by The American Lawyer. Sidley declined to comment.
+Law firm Davis, Polk & Wardwell last month rescinded job offers to law students in leadership positions at Harvard and Columbia University groups that issued public statements supporting Palestine, calling the statements ""contrary to our firm’s values.""
+A week earlier Winston & Strawn said it had retracted a job offer to former New York University Student Bar Association president Ryna Workman, after Workman wrote that ""Israel bears full responsibility"" for Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack in an online bar association newsletter.
+This month a federal judge in Arkansas asked his future clerks and interns to confirm they or groups they belong to have not done anything that could be construed as condoning Hamas' attack on Israel or acts of antisemitism or Islamophobia.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Divisions mount over US law firms' response to Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE] [CONTENT]Nov 14 (Reuters) - A letter from at least 220 U.S. law firms warning law school deans to rein in campus antisemitism has become a flashpoint in an ongoing debate on lawyers' statements about the war between Israel and Hamas. The National Association of Muslim Lawyers and a dozen other allied bar associations on Tuesday said in a response to the firms, opens new tab that taking a ""one-sided approach"" has made Muslim, Arab and Palestinian lawyers afraid to speak their minds about the conflict.  The law firms' Nov. 1 letter urged the deans of the nation's top-ranked law schools to stand up against both antisemitism and Islamophobia. But the firms — including nearly all of the country's largest law firms — focused mainly on discrimination against Jews in their letter, the Muslim groups asserted, claiming their message has minimized Palestinian suffering. Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and Israel's military response have sparked angry protests against Israeli policies at many U.S. universities. Antisemitic incidents have surged in the United States since the fighting began. Reports of Islamophobia have also risen sharply. The Muslim groups said law firms should pen a new letter to law deans focused on Islamophobia and anti-Arab bigotry.
+Joseph Shenker, a real estate lawyer at law firm Sullivan & Cromwell who organized the firms' original letter, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Edward Ahmed Mitchell, president of the National Association of Muslim Lawyers, told Reuters that lawyers feel now that ""even in their personal time, on their personal social media accounts, that they cannot say anything about the plight of the Palestinian people or they will get fired.""
+An associate at law firm Sidley Austin wrote in a Medium post, opens new tab last week that it was not antisemitic to question Israel's legitimacy and that the firms' Nov. 1 letter could have a ""chilling effect"" on lawyers who are critical of the Israeli government.  The New York-based attorney, Melat Kiros, was fired by Sidley a day later, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Her firing was first reported by The American Lawyer. Sidley declined to comment."
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/divisions-mount-over-us-law-firms-response-israel-hamas-war-2023-11-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Divisions mount over US law firms' response to Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 14 (Reuters) - A letter from at least 220 U.S. law firms warning law school deans to rein in campus antisemitism has become a flashpoint in an ongoing debate on lawyers' statements about the war between Israel and Hamas.
+The National Association of Muslim Lawyers and a dozen other allied bar associations on Tuesday said in a response to the firms, opens new tab that taking a ""one-sided approach"" has made Muslim, Arab and Palestinian lawyers afraid to speak their minds about the conflict.
+The law firms' Nov. 1 letter urged the deans of the nation's top-ranked law schools to stand up against both antisemitism and Islamophobia. But the firms — including nearly all of the country's largest law firms — focused mainly on discrimination against Jews in their letter, the Muslim groups asserted, claiming their message has minimized Palestinian suffering.
+Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and Israel's military response have sparked angry protests against Israeli policies at many U.S. universities. Antisemitic incidents have surged in the United States since the fighting began. Reports of Islamophobia have also risen sharply.
+The Muslim groups said law firms should pen a new letter to law deans focused on Islamophobia and anti-Arab bigotry.
+Joseph Shenker, a real estate lawyer at law firm Sullivan & Cromwell who organized the firms' original letter, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Edward Ahmed Mitchell, president of the National Association of Muslim Lawyers, told Reuters that lawyers feel now that ""even in their personal time, on their personal social media accounts, that they cannot say anything about the plight of the Palestinian people or they will get fired.""
+An associate at law firm Sidley Austin wrote in a Medium post, opens new tab last week that it was not antisemitic to question Israel's legitimacy and that the firms' Nov. 1 letter could have a ""chilling effect"" on lawyers who are critical of the Israeli government.
+The New York-based attorney, Melat Kiros, was fired by Sidley a day later, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Her firing was first reported by The American Lawyer. Sidley declined to comment.
+Law firm Davis, Polk & Wardwell last month rescinded job offers to law students in leadership positions at Harvard and Columbia University groups that issued public statements supporting Palestine, calling the statements ""contrary to our firm’s values.""
+A week earlier Winston & Strawn said it had retracted a job offer to former New York University Student Bar Association president Ryna Workman, after Workman wrote that ""Israel bears full responsibility"" for Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack in an online bar association newsletter.
+This month a federal judge in Arkansas asked his future clerks and interns to confirm they or groups they belong to have not done anything that could be construed as condoning Hamas' attack on Israel or acts of antisemitism or Islamophobia.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Law firm Davis, Polk & Wardwell last month rescinded job offers to law students in leadership positions at Harvard and Columbia University groups that issued public statements supporting Palestine, calling the statements ""contrary to our firm’s values.""
+A week earlier Winston & Strawn said it had retracted a job offer to former New York University Student Bar Association president Ryna Workman, after Workman wrote that ""Israel bears full responsibility"" for Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack in an online bar association newsletter. This month a federal judge in Arkansas asked his future clerks and interns to confirm they or groups they belong to have not done anything that could be construed as condoning Hamas' attack on Israel or acts of antisemitism or Islamophobia.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/posts-about-us-representative-tlaibs-birthplace-lack-context-2023-11-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Posts about US Representative Tlaib’s birthplace lack context[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, the first and only Palestinian-American congresswoman, is a Detroit native, despite posts suggesting that she was not born in the U.S. and should be deported.
+Tlaib represents Michigan’s 12th congressional district, opens new tab, which includes the cities of Detroit, Dearborn, Southfield and surrounding suburbs. The House voted to censure Tlaib on Nov. 7 for comments she made online in response to the conflict between Hamas and Israel that began on Oct. 7.
+Posts referencing Tlaib’s remarks and suggesting that she immigrated from Palestinian territories include a Nov. 7 post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on Facebook: “And by the way, if Rashida Tlaib love Palestine so much, why the hell she leave there to come here and stir up trouble?” The post also suggested that Tlaib should be deported.
+Another post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) referring to Tlaib said: “She should have never been admitted as an immigrant to this country” while a similar one, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) said: “Go away. Resign. Move back to ‘Palestine’.”
+
+However, Tlaib was born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents, Reuters reported in a 2018 article about her election to represent Michigan’s 13th district and reactions from some of her relatives living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Tlaib has publicly stated her birthplace to be the U.S. In an October 2018 interview with Yahoo media brand Makers, she recalled being asked to present a birth certificate while serving in Michigan’s state legislature. “I was born in this country,” she said during the interview, opens new tab.
+The Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, opens new tab says that Tlaib was born in Detroit on July 24, 1976. A biography, opens new tab on the congresswoman’s website also describes her as “the oldest of 14 children, born and raised in Detroit, the proud daughter of Palestinian immigrant parents.”
+All members of the U.S. House of Representatives are required to be at least 25 years old, to inhabit the state they represent and to have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, as explained, opens new tab on the House.gov website (click “Representatives”).
+Deportation refers to the removal of non-citizens from the U.S. for violating immigration law, according to the U.S. government’s official website, USA.gov, opens new tab. Tlaib is a natural-born citizen, opens new tab, an individual born on U.S. soil who is therefore automatically a U.S. citizen at birth. While naturalized citizens, who received citizenship later in life, can lose citizenship, opens new tab in specific circumstances, natural-born citizens can only lose citizenship by voluntarily relinquishing it, opens new tab.
+A spokesperson for Tlaib did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+VERDICT
+Missing context. U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib is a U.S. citizen born in Detroit, Michigan.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Posts about US Representative Tlaib’s birthplace lack context[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, the first and only Palestinian-American congresswoman, is a Detroit native, despite posts suggesting that she was not born in the U.S. and should be deported.  Tlaib represents Michigan’s 12th congressional district, opens new tab, which includes the cities of Detroit, Dearborn, Southfield and surrounding suburbs. The House voted to censure Tlaib on Nov. 7 for comments she made online in response to the conflict between Hamas and Israel that began on Oct. 7.  Posts referencing Tlaib’s remarks and suggesting that she immigrated from Palestinian territories include a Nov. 7 post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on Facebook: “And by the way, if Rashida Tlaib love Palestine so much, why the hell she leave there to come here and stir up trouble?” The post also suggested that Tlaib should be deported. Another post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) referring to Tlaib said: “She should have never been admitted as an immigrant to this country” while a similar one, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) said: “Go away. Resign. Move back to ‘Palestine’.” However, Tlaib was born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents, Reuters reported in a 2018 article about her election to represent Michigan’s 13th district and reactions from some of her relatives living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.  Tlaib has publicly stated her birthplace to be the U.S. In an October 2018 interview with Yahoo media brand Makers, she recalled being asked to present a birth certificate while serving in Michigan’s state legislature. “I was born in this country,” she said during the interview, opens new tab. The Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, opens new tab says that Tlaib was born in Detroit on July 24, 1976. A biography, opens new tab on the congresswoman’s website also describes her as “the oldest of 14 children, born and raised in Detroit, the proud daughter of Palestinian immigrant parents.” All members of the U.S. House of Representatives are required to be at least 25 years old, to inhabit the state they represent and to have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, as explained, opens new tab on the House.gov website (click “Representatives”).  Deportation refers to the removal of non-citizens from the U.S. for violating immigration law, according to the U.S. government’s official website, USA.gov, opens new tab."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/posts-about-us-representative-tlaibs-birthplace-lack-context-2023-11-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Posts about US Representative Tlaib’s birthplace lack context[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, the first and only Palestinian-American congresswoman, is a Detroit native, despite posts suggesting that she was not born in the U.S. and should be deported.
+Tlaib represents Michigan’s 12th congressional district, opens new tab, which includes the cities of Detroit, Dearborn, Southfield and surrounding suburbs. The House voted to censure Tlaib on Nov. 7 for comments she made online in response to the conflict between Hamas and Israel that began on Oct. 7.
+Posts referencing Tlaib’s remarks and suggesting that she immigrated from Palestinian territories include a Nov. 7 post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) on Facebook: “And by the way, if Rashida Tlaib love Palestine so much, why the hell she leave there to come here and stir up trouble?” The post also suggested that Tlaib should be deported.
+Another post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) referring to Tlaib said: “She should have never been admitted as an immigrant to this country” while a similar one, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) said: “Go away. Resign. Move back to ‘Palestine’.”
+
+However, Tlaib was born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents, Reuters reported in a 2018 article about her election to represent Michigan’s 13th district and reactions from some of her relatives living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Tlaib has publicly stated her birthplace to be the U.S. In an October 2018 interview with Yahoo media brand Makers, she recalled being asked to present a birth certificate while serving in Michigan’s state legislature. “I was born in this country,” she said during the interview, opens new tab.
+The Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, opens new tab says that Tlaib was born in Detroit on July 24, 1976. A biography, opens new tab on the congresswoman’s website also describes her as “the oldest of 14 children, born and raised in Detroit, the proud daughter of Palestinian immigrant parents.”
+All members of the U.S. House of Representatives are required to be at least 25 years old, to inhabit the state they represent and to have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, as explained, opens new tab on the House.gov website (click “Representatives”).
+Deportation refers to the removal of non-citizens from the U.S. for violating immigration law, according to the U.S. government’s official website, USA.gov, opens new tab. Tlaib is a natural-born citizen, opens new tab, an individual born on U.S. soil who is therefore automatically a U.S. citizen at birth. While naturalized citizens, who received citizenship later in life, can lose citizenship, opens new tab in specific circumstances, natural-born citizens can only lose citizenship by voluntarily relinquishing it, opens new tab.
+A spokesperson for Tlaib did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+VERDICT
+Missing context. U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib is a U.S. citizen born in Detroit, Michigan.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Tlaib is a natural-born citizen, opens new tab, an individual born on U.S. soil who is therefore automatically a U.S. citizen at birth. While naturalized citizens, who received citizenship later in life, can lose citizenship, opens new tab in specific circumstances, natural-born citizens can only lose citizenship by voluntarily relinquishing it, opens new tab. A spokesperson for Tlaib did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  VERDICT
+Missing context. U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib is a U.S. citizen born in Detroit, Michigan.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/norway-urges-israel-release-full-palestinian-tax-transfer-2023-11-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway urges Israel to release full Palestinian tax transfer[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OSLO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere urged Israel on Monday to release the full tax transfer it is withholding from the Palestinian Authority (PA), saying the payment was ""critical"" for the welfare the Palestinian population.
+Norway is the chair of the international donor group to the Palestinian territories, known as the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee. It was a facilitator in the 1992-93 talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization that led to the Oslo Accords providing for limited Palestinian self-rule.
+On Nov. 2, Israel said it would proceed with a tax revenue transfer to the PA in the Israeli-occupied West Bank but would withhold funds bound for Hamas-ruled Gaza, where the PA helps cover public sector wages and pay for electricity.
+Israel's decision came after an internal cabinet debate over whether to make the transfer as Israel battles Hamas militants that rule the Gaza Strip.
+On Nov. 6, the PA said it would not accept a partial transfer from Israel. It is estimated to spend some 30% of its budget in Gaza, where it also pays for medicine and social assistance programmes.
+""We call on Israel to maintain the agreed transfer of what is Palestinian value creation, because these are taxes and VAT and financial sources (of income),"" Stoere told Reuters in an interview in Oslo.
+The tax transfer helped deliver essential services in Gaza and in the West Bank, he said, so withholding it was ""directly affecting the welfare and health of the Palestinian population"".
+""Norway has been very clear that any development towards (the) breakdown of the PA will only serve the extremist forces on the Palestinian side,"" he added.
+Stoere did not say how much the withholding of money was worth but said it was ""a substantial amount"".
+The Western-backed PA exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank but does not administer Gaza, where Islamist rival Hamas seized control in a brief civil war in 2007. The PA still has thousands of Gaza civil servants on its payroll.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Norway urges Israel to release full Palestinian tax transfer[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OSLO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere urged Israel on Monday to release the full tax transfer it is withholding from the Palestinian Authority (PA), saying the payment was ""critical"" for the welfare the Palestinian population.  Norway is the chair of the international donor group to the Palestinian territories, known as the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee. It was a facilitator in the 1992-93 talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization that led to the Oslo Accords providing for limited Palestinian self-rule. On Nov. 2, Israel said it would proceed with a tax revenue transfer to the PA in the Israeli-occupied West Bank but would withhold funds bound for Hamas-ruled Gaza, where the PA helps cover public sector wages and pay for electricity. Israel's decision came after an internal cabinet debate over whether to make the transfer as Israel battles Hamas militants that rule the Gaza Strip.  On Nov. 6, the PA said it would not accept a partial transfer from Israel. It is estimated to spend some 30% of its budget in Gaza, where it also pays for medicine and social assistance programmes. ""We call on Israel to maintain the agreed transfer of what is Palestinian value creation, because these are taxes and VAT and financial sources (of income),"" Stoere told Reuters in an interview in Oslo. The tax transfer helped deliver essential services in Gaza and in the West Bank, he said, so withholding it was ""directly affecting the welfare and health of the Palestinian population"". ""Norway has been very clear that any development towards (the) breakdown of the PA will only serve the extremist forces on the Palestinian side,"" he added. Stoere did not say how much the withholding of money was worth but said it was ""a substantial amount"".  The Western-backed PA exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank but does not administer Gaza, where Islamist rival Hamas seized control in a brief civil war in 2007. The PA still has thousands of Gaza civil servants on its payroll.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/war-forces-palestine-lebanon-teams-begin-world-cup-quest-away-home-2023-11-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]War forces Palestine, Lebanon teams to begin World Cup quest away from home[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Palestine's national soccer team begin their challenge for a place in the next phase of Asia's 2026 World Cup preliminaries in Sharjah on Thursday, facing off against Lebanon at a neutral venue due to the impact of the Israel-Hamas war in the region.
+Thursday's opener had originally been scheduled to be played in Beirut before Palestine were set to host Australia the following week but Israel's response to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 forced officials to find new venues.
+Lebanon and Palestine will meet at the Khalid bin Mohammed Stadium in the United Arab Emirates before the Palestinians, who usually host games at Al-Ram's Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium on the West Bank, take on Australia in Kuwait on Nov. 21.
+Graham Arnold's Socceroos host Bangladesh in Melbourne before facing Palestine.
+This week's matches mark the start of the second phase of the continent's qualifiers for the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, when Asia will have eight guaranteed berths plus a possible ninth available through an intercontinental playoff.
+The top two finishers in each of the nine groups advance to the third phase, which is scheduled to kick off next September.
+Japan face Myanmar in Osaka in Group B, which also features Syria and North Korea, while South Korea face Singapore in Group C, with Thailand taking on China in the other group fixture.
+Iran kick off their quest for a seventh World Cup appearance against Hong Kong in Group E, where Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan also feature.
+Saudi Arabia's challenge begins in Group G against Pakistan, who have qualified for the second phase of Asia's preliminaries for the first time, with Tajikistan taking on Jordan.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]War forces Palestine, Lebanon teams to begin World Cup quest away from home[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Palestine's national soccer team begin their challenge for a place in the next phase of Asia's 2026 World Cup preliminaries in Sharjah on Thursday, facing off against Lebanon at a neutral venue due to the impact of the Israel-Hamas war in the region. Thursday's opener had originally been scheduled to be played in Beirut before Palestine were set to host Australia the following week but Israel's response to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 forced officials to find new venues. Lebanon and Palestine will meet at the Khalid bin Mohammed Stadium in the United Arab Emirates before the Palestinians, who usually host games at Al-Ram's Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium on the West Bank, take on Australia in Kuwait on Nov. 21. Graham Arnold's Socceroos host Bangladesh in Melbourne before facing Palestine. This week's matches mark the start of the second phase of the continent's qualifiers for the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, when Asia will have eight guaranteed berths plus a possible ninth available through an intercontinental playoff. The top two finishers in each of the nine groups advance to the third phase, which is scheduled to kick off next September.
+Japan face Myanmar in Osaka in Group B, which also features Syria and North Korea, while South Korea face Singapore in Group C, with Thailand taking on China in the other group fixture. Iran kick off their quest for a seventh World Cup appearance against Hong Kong in Group E, where Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan also feature.  Saudi Arabia's challenge begins in Group G against Pakistan, who have qualified for the second phase of Asia's preliminaries for the first time, with Tajikistan taking on Jordan.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-host-extraordinary-joint-islamic-arab-summit-riyadh-saturday-2023-11-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Arab and Muslim leaders demand immediate end to Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RIYADH, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries called on Saturday for an immediate end to military operations in Gaza, rejecting Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defence.
+The extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh urged the International Criminal Court to investigate ""war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing"" in the Palestinian territories, according to a final communique.
+Saudi Arabia has sought to press the United States and Israel for an end to hostilities in Gaza, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, gathered Arab and Muslim leaders to reinforce that message.
+Dozens of leaders including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was welcomed back into the Arab League this year, attended.
+Prince Mohammed affirmed the kingdom's ""condemnation and categorical rejection of this barbaric war against our brothers in Palestine"".
+""We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe that proves the failure of the Security Council and the international community to put an end to the flagrant Israeli violations of international laws,"" he said in an address to the summit.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Palestinians were facing a ""genocidal war"" and urged the United States to end Israeli ""aggression"".
+Raisi hailed the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas for fighting against Israel and urged Islamic countries to impose oil and goods sanctions on Israel.
+""There is no other way but to resist Israel. We kiss the hands of Hamas for its resistance against Israel,"" Raisi said in his address.
+The Middle East has been on edge since Hamas fighters rampaged into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people.
+Since then, Israel has escalated its assault on Gaza, where 11,078 people had been killed as of Friday, 40% of them children, according to Palestinian officials.
+APPROACHES DIFFER
+Fighting intensified overnight into Saturday near Gaza City's overcrowded hospitals, Palestinian officials said.
+A baby died in an incubator at Gaza's largest hospital after it lost power, and a patient in intensive care was killed by an Israeli shell, the Palestinian health ministry said.
+The war has upended traditional Middle East alliances as Riyadh has engaged more closely with Iran, pushed back against U.S. pressure to condemn Hamas, and put on hold its plans to normalise ties with Israel.
+
+Raisi's trip to Saudi Arabia is the first by an Iranian head of state in more than a decade. Tehran and Riyadh formally ended years of hostility under a Chinese-brokered deal in March.
+Erdogan called for an international peace conference to find a permanent solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestinians.
+""What we need in Gaza is not pauses for a couple of hours, rather we need a permanent ceasefire,"" Erdogan told the summit.
+Qatar's emir said his country, where several Hamas leaders are based, was seeking to mediate the release of Israeli hostages and hoped a humanitarian truce would be reached soon.
+""For how long will the international community treat Israel as if it is above international laws?"" he asked.
+President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population, said the “Indonesia Hospital in North Gaza continues to be the target of Israeli attacks and has run out of fuel.""
+He said a way must be found to make Israel cease fire immediately, before adding: “The OIC must use all fronts to hold Israel accountable for the humanitarian atrocities it has committed.""
+Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters there could be no talks about the future of Gaza except ""talks about an immediate ceasefire"".
+The summit also demanded an end to the siege of Gaza, access for humanitarian aid, and a halt to the sale of arms to Israel.
+The kingdom had been scheduled to host two extraordinary summits, of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League, on Saturday and Sunday, but opted for a joint summit because of the ""extraordinary"" Gaza situation, the Saudi foreign ministry said.
+Hamas had urged the summit to take ""a historic and decisive decision and move to stop the Zionist aggression immediately"".
+Some Arab countries, led by Algeria, called for a complete cut in diplomatic ties with Israel, two delegates told Reuters.
+Other Arab countries that have established diplomatic relations with Israel pushed back, stressing the need to keep channels open with Netanyahu's government, they said.
+At a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Arab leadership to ""stand up against Hamas.""
+""It only brought two things to the Gaza Strip - poverty and blood,"" Netanyahu said. ""Hamas is an integral part of the terror axis that Iran leads and that axis of terror and hatred endangers the whole world and the whole Arab world.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Arab and Muslim leaders demand immediate end to Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RIYADH, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries called on Saturday for an immediate end to military operations in Gaza, rejecting Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defence. The extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh urged the International Criminal Court to investigate ""war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing"" in the Palestinian territories, according to a final communique.
+Saudi Arabia has sought to press the United States and Israel for an end to hostilities in Gaza, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, gathered Arab and Muslim leaders to reinforce that message.  Dozens of leaders including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was welcomed back into the Arab League this year, attended.  Prince Mohammed affirmed the kingdom's ""condemnation and categorical rejection of this barbaric war against our brothers in Palestine"".
+"" We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe that proves the failure of the Security Council and the international community to put an end to the flagrant Israeli violations of international laws,"" he said in an address to the summit. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Palestinians were facing a ""genocidal war"" and urged the United States to end Israeli ""aggression"". Raisi hailed the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas for fighting against Israel and urged Islamic countries to impose oil and goods sanctions on Israel.  ""There is no other way but to resist Israel. We kiss the hands of Hamas for its resistance against Israel,"" Raisi said in his address. The Middle East has been on edge since Hamas fighters rampaged into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people. Since then, Israel has escalated its assault on Gaza, where 11,078 people had been killed as of Friday, 40% of them children, according to Palestinian officials.
+APPROACHES DIFFER
+Fighting intensified overnight into Saturday near Gaza City's overcrowded hospitals, Palestinian officials said. A baby died in an incubator at Gaza's largest hospital after it lost power, and a patient in intensive care was killed by an Israeli shell, the Palestinian health ministry said. The war has upended traditional Middle East alliances as Riyadh has engaged more closely with Iran, pushed back against U.S. pressure to condemn Hamas, and put on hold its plans to normalise ties with Israel.
+
+Raisi's trip to Saudi Arabia is the first by an Iranian head of state in more than a decade."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-host-extraordinary-joint-islamic-arab-summit-riyadh-saturday-2023-11-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Arab and Muslim leaders demand immediate end to Gaza war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RIYADH, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries called on Saturday for an immediate end to military operations in Gaza, rejecting Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defence.
+The extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh urged the International Criminal Court to investigate ""war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing"" in the Palestinian territories, according to a final communique.
+Saudi Arabia has sought to press the United States and Israel for an end to hostilities in Gaza, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, gathered Arab and Muslim leaders to reinforce that message.
+Dozens of leaders including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was welcomed back into the Arab League this year, attended.
+Prince Mohammed affirmed the kingdom's ""condemnation and categorical rejection of this barbaric war against our brothers in Palestine"".
+""We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe that proves the failure of the Security Council and the international community to put an end to the flagrant Israeli violations of international laws,"" he said in an address to the summit.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Palestinians were facing a ""genocidal war"" and urged the United States to end Israeli ""aggression"".
+Raisi hailed the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas for fighting against Israel and urged Islamic countries to impose oil and goods sanctions on Israel.
+""There is no other way but to resist Israel. We kiss the hands of Hamas for its resistance against Israel,"" Raisi said in his address.
+The Middle East has been on edge since Hamas fighters rampaged into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people.
+Since then, Israel has escalated its assault on Gaza, where 11,078 people had been killed as of Friday, 40% of them children, according to Palestinian officials.
+APPROACHES DIFFER
+Fighting intensified overnight into Saturday near Gaza City's overcrowded hospitals, Palestinian officials said.
+A baby died in an incubator at Gaza's largest hospital after it lost power, and a patient in intensive care was killed by an Israeli shell, the Palestinian health ministry said.
+The war has upended traditional Middle East alliances as Riyadh has engaged more closely with Iran, pushed back against U.S. pressure to condemn Hamas, and put on hold its plans to normalise ties with Israel.
+
+Raisi's trip to Saudi Arabia is the first by an Iranian head of state in more than a decade. Tehran and Riyadh formally ended years of hostility under a Chinese-brokered deal in March.
+Erdogan called for an international peace conference to find a permanent solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestinians.
+""What we need in Gaza is not pauses for a couple of hours, rather we need a permanent ceasefire,"" Erdogan told the summit.
+Qatar's emir said his country, where several Hamas leaders are based, was seeking to mediate the release of Israeli hostages and hoped a humanitarian truce would be reached soon.
+""For how long will the international community treat Israel as if it is above international laws?"" he asked.
+President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population, said the “Indonesia Hospital in North Gaza continues to be the target of Israeli attacks and has run out of fuel.""
+He said a way must be found to make Israel cease fire immediately, before adding: “The OIC must use all fronts to hold Israel accountable for the humanitarian atrocities it has committed.""
+Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters there could be no talks about the future of Gaza except ""talks about an immediate ceasefire"".
+The summit also demanded an end to the siege of Gaza, access for humanitarian aid, and a halt to the sale of arms to Israel.
+The kingdom had been scheduled to host two extraordinary summits, of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League, on Saturday and Sunday, but opted for a joint summit because of the ""extraordinary"" Gaza situation, the Saudi foreign ministry said.
+Hamas had urged the summit to take ""a historic and decisive decision and move to stop the Zionist aggression immediately"".
+Some Arab countries, led by Algeria, called for a complete cut in diplomatic ties with Israel, two delegates told Reuters.
+Other Arab countries that have established diplomatic relations with Israel pushed back, stressing the need to keep channels open with Netanyahu's government, they said.
+At a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Arab leadership to ""stand up against Hamas.""
+""It only brought two things to the Gaza Strip - poverty and blood,"" Netanyahu said. ""Hamas is an integral part of the terror axis that Iran leads and that axis of terror and hatred endangers the whole world and the whole Arab world.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Tehran and Riyadh formally ended years of hostility under a Chinese-brokered deal in March.  Erdogan called for an international peace conference to find a permanent solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestinians. ""What we need in Gaza is not pauses for a couple of hours, rather we need a permanent ceasefire,"" Erdogan told the summit. Qatar's emir said his country, where several Hamas leaders are based, was seeking to mediate the release of Israeli hostages and hoped a humanitarian truce would be reached soon.
+""For how long will the international community treat Israel as if it is above international laws?"" he asked. President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population, said the “Indonesia Hospital in North Gaza continues to be the target of Israeli attacks and has run out of fuel.""
+He said a way must be found to make Israel cease fire immediately, before adding: “The OIC must use all fronts to hold Israel accountable for the humanitarian atrocities it has committed."" Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters there could be no talks about the future of Gaza except ""talks about an immediate ceasefire"". The summit also demanded an end to the siege of Gaza, access for humanitarian aid, and a halt to the sale of arms to Israel.
+The kingdom had been scheduled to host two extraordinary summits, of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League, on Saturday and Sunday, but opted for a joint summit because of the ""extraordinary"" Gaza situation, the Saudi foreign ministry said. Hamas had urged the summit to take ""a historic and decisive decision and move to stop the Zionist aggression immediately"". Some Arab countries, led by Algeria, called for a complete cut in diplomatic ties with Israel, two delegates told Reuters. Other Arab countries that have established diplomatic relations with Israel pushed back, stressing the need to keep channels open with Netanyahu's government, they said. At a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Arab leadership to ""stand up against Hamas.""
+""It only brought two things to the Gaza Strip - poverty and blood,"" Netanyahu said. ""Hamas is an integral part of the terror axis that Iran leads and that axis of terror and hatred endangers the whole world and the whole Arab world.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/huge-crowds-expected-london-pro-palestinian-rally-police-gear-trouble-2023-11-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]London police arrest over 120 as pro-Palestinian rally draws counter-protests[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - More than 300,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London on Saturday, with police arresting over 120 people as they sought to stop far-right counter-protesters from ambushing the main rally.
+Skirmishes broke out between police and the far-right groups gathered to protest against the demonstration taking place on Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of World War One, when Britain commemorates its war dead.
+Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the violence seen at the Cenotaph war memorial and also attacked ""Hamas sympathisers"" who joined the bigger rally, ""singing antisemitic chants and brandishing pro-Hamas signs and clothing on today's protest"".
+Tensions had been running high before Saturday's march - the biggest in a series to show support for the Palestinians and call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip - after interior minister Suella Braverman called them ""hate marches"" led by ""mobs"".
+London's Metropolitan Police had refused ministerial requests to block the event, saying they did not have indications that there would be serious violence, straining relations with the government.
+Police said in a statement late on Saturday that they had arrested 126 people so far, the majority of whom were right wing protesters who formed part of a group several hundred strong which police said included football hooligans.
+""The extreme violence from the right wing protesters towards the police today was extraordinary and deeply concerning,"" Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said, adding that a knife and knuckleduster were found during searches.
+The intense debate about protest and policing in the run-up to the march had raised community tensions, he said.
+While the much larger pro-Palestinian rally did not see physical violence, the senior officer said small groups had broken away from the main march, and about 150 people wearing face coverings had fired fireworks which struck officers in their faces, leading to arrests.
+Investigations into a small number of hate crime and support for proscribed organisation offences were also ongoing, he said.
+Sunak called for the police to take a tough line.
+""All criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law,"" he said in a statement late on Saturday. ""That is what I told the Met Police Commissioner on Wednesday, that is what they are accountable for and that is what I expect.""
+
+Skirmishes between police and right wing protesters continued throughout the day, with police in riot gear using batons to try to contain protesters who threw bottles.
+London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Scotland's first minister, Humza Yousaf, said Braverman had inflamed tensions and emboldened the far-right by accusing the police of favouring ""pro-Palestinian mobs"" before the event.
+OVER 300,000 JOIN MARCH
+Police said more than 300,000 had joined the pro-Palestinian rally, while organisers put the figure at 800,000.
+Some marchers chanted ""From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"", a rallying cry viewed by many Jews as antisemitic and a call for Israel's eradication.
+Others carried banners reading ""Free Palestine"", ""Stop the Massacre"" and ""Stop Bombing Gaza"".
+Since Hamas's assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7, there has been strong support and sympathy for Israel from Western governments, including Britain's, and many citizens. But the Israeli military response has also prompted anger, with weekly protests in London demanding a ceasefire.
+In the U.S., hundreds of protesters rallied near President Joe Biden’s house in Wilmington, Delaware, shortly before he arrived home for the weekend. Biden’s motorcade circumvented the demonstration, in which hundreds also walked down the tree-lined street to get closer to the Biden residence. Many wore the Palestinian flag and carried signs demanding a ceasefire.
+Hanaa A., who declined to provide her last name, said she came to Wilmington to protest the killing of innocent children and demand an immediate ceasefire. Asked about the likely contest next November between Biden and former President Donald Trump she said ""We will pray and wait, but at this point, we will not elect him (Biden).”
+About 21,000 people took part in a pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels on Saturday, and in Paris, left-wing lawmakers were among some 16,000 protesters who marched with pro-Palestinian banners and flags to call for a ceasefire.
+Some French leftist politicians have welcomed President Emmanuel Macron's call this week for a ceasefire and opposition to Israel's bombing campaign.
+Senior French lawmakers have called a protest against antisemitism for Sunday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]London police arrest over 120 as pro-Palestinian rally draws counter-protests[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - More than 300,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London on Saturday, with police arresting over 120 people as they sought to stop far-right counter-protesters from ambushing the main rally. Skirmishes broke out between police and the far-right groups gathered to protest against the demonstration taking place on Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of World War One, when Britain commemorates its war dead. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the violence seen at the Cenotaph war memorial and also attacked ""Hamas sympathisers"" who joined the bigger rally, ""singing antisemitic chants and brandishing pro-Hamas signs and clothing on today's protest"". Tensions had been running high before Saturday's march - the biggest in a series to show support for the Palestinians and call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip - after interior minister Suella Braverman called them ""hate marches"" led by ""mobs"". London's Metropolitan Police had refused ministerial requests to block the event, saying they did not have indications that there would be serious violence, straining relations with the government. Police said in a statement late on Saturday that they had arrested 126 people so far, the majority of whom were right wing protesters who formed part of a group several hundred strong which police said included football hooligans. ""The extreme violence from the right wing protesters towards the police today was extraordinary and deeply concerning,"" Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said, adding that a knife and knuckleduster were found during searches. The intense debate about protest and policing in the run-up to the march had raised community tensions, he said. While the much larger pro-Palestinian rally did not see physical violence, the senior officer said small groups had broken away from the main march, and about 150 people wearing face coverings had fired fireworks which struck officers in their faces, leading to arrests. Investigations into a small number of hate crime and support for proscribed organisation offences were also ongoing, he said.  Sunak called for the police to take a tough line.  ""All criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law,"" he said in a statement late on Saturday. ""That is what I told the Met Police Commissioner on Wednesday, that is what they are accountable for and that is what I expect."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/huge-crowds-expected-london-pro-palestinian-rally-police-gear-trouble-2023-11-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]London police arrest over 120 as pro-Palestinian rally draws counter-protests[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - More than 300,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London on Saturday, with police arresting over 120 people as they sought to stop far-right counter-protesters from ambushing the main rally.
+Skirmishes broke out between police and the far-right groups gathered to protest against the demonstration taking place on Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of World War One, when Britain commemorates its war dead.
+Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the violence seen at the Cenotaph war memorial and also attacked ""Hamas sympathisers"" who joined the bigger rally, ""singing antisemitic chants and brandishing pro-Hamas signs and clothing on today's protest"".
+Tensions had been running high before Saturday's march - the biggest in a series to show support for the Palestinians and call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip - after interior minister Suella Braverman called them ""hate marches"" led by ""mobs"".
+London's Metropolitan Police had refused ministerial requests to block the event, saying they did not have indications that there would be serious violence, straining relations with the government.
+Police said in a statement late on Saturday that they had arrested 126 people so far, the majority of whom were right wing protesters who formed part of a group several hundred strong which police said included football hooligans.
+""The extreme violence from the right wing protesters towards the police today was extraordinary and deeply concerning,"" Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said, adding that a knife and knuckleduster were found during searches.
+The intense debate about protest and policing in the run-up to the march had raised community tensions, he said.
+While the much larger pro-Palestinian rally did not see physical violence, the senior officer said small groups had broken away from the main march, and about 150 people wearing face coverings had fired fireworks which struck officers in their faces, leading to arrests.
+Investigations into a small number of hate crime and support for proscribed organisation offences were also ongoing, he said.
+Sunak called for the police to take a tough line.
+""All criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law,"" he said in a statement late on Saturday. ""That is what I told the Met Police Commissioner on Wednesday, that is what they are accountable for and that is what I expect.""
+
+Skirmishes between police and right wing protesters continued throughout the day, with police in riot gear using batons to try to contain protesters who threw bottles.
+London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Scotland's first minister, Humza Yousaf, said Braverman had inflamed tensions and emboldened the far-right by accusing the police of favouring ""pro-Palestinian mobs"" before the event.
+OVER 300,000 JOIN MARCH
+Police said more than 300,000 had joined the pro-Palestinian rally, while organisers put the figure at 800,000.
+Some marchers chanted ""From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"", a rallying cry viewed by many Jews as antisemitic and a call for Israel's eradication.
+Others carried banners reading ""Free Palestine"", ""Stop the Massacre"" and ""Stop Bombing Gaza"".
+Since Hamas's assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7, there has been strong support and sympathy for Israel from Western governments, including Britain's, and many citizens. But the Israeli military response has also prompted anger, with weekly protests in London demanding a ceasefire.
+In the U.S., hundreds of protesters rallied near President Joe Biden’s house in Wilmington, Delaware, shortly before he arrived home for the weekend. Biden’s motorcade circumvented the demonstration, in which hundreds also walked down the tree-lined street to get closer to the Biden residence. Many wore the Palestinian flag and carried signs demanding a ceasefire.
+Hanaa A., who declined to provide her last name, said she came to Wilmington to protest the killing of innocent children and demand an immediate ceasefire. Asked about the likely contest next November between Biden and former President Donald Trump she said ""We will pray and wait, but at this point, we will not elect him (Biden).”
+About 21,000 people took part in a pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels on Saturday, and in Paris, left-wing lawmakers were among some 16,000 protesters who marched with pro-Palestinian banners and flags to call for a ceasefire.
+Some French leftist politicians have welcomed President Emmanuel Macron's call this week for a ceasefire and opposition to Israel's bombing campaign.
+Senior French lawmakers have called a protest against antisemitism for Sunday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Skirmishes between police and right wing protesters continued throughout the day, with police in riot gear using batons to try to contain protesters who threw bottles.
+London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Scotland's first minister, Humza Yousaf, said Braverman had inflamed tensions and emboldened the far-right by accusing the police of favouring ""pro-Palestinian mobs"" before the event.
+OVER 300,000 JOIN MARCH
+Police said more than 300,000 had joined the pro-Palestinian rally, while organisers put the figure at 800,000.
+Some marchers chanted ""From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"", a rallying cry viewed by many Jews as antisemitic and a call for Israel's eradication.
+Others carried banners reading ""Free Palestine"", ""Stop the Massacre"" and ""Stop Bombing Gaza"".  Since Hamas's assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7, there has been strong support and sympathy for Israel from Western governments, including Britain's, and many citizens. But the Israeli military response has also prompted anger, with weekly protests in London demanding a ceasefire.  In the U.S., hundreds of protesters rallied near President Joe Biden’s house in Wilmington, Delaware, shortly before he arrived home for the weekend. Biden’s motorcade circumvented the demonstration, in which hundreds also walked down the tree-lined street to get closer to the Biden residence. Many wore the Palestinian flag and carried signs demanding a ceasefire.  Hanaa A., who declined to provide her last name, said she came to Wilmington to protest the killing of innocent children and demand an immediate ceasefire. Asked about the likely contest next November between Biden and former President Donald Trump she said ""We will pray and wait, but at this point, we will not elect him (Biden).” About 21,000 people took part in a pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels on Saturday, and in Paris, left-wing lawmakers were among some 16,000 protesters who marched with pro-Palestinian banners and flags to call for a ceasefire. Some French leftist politicians have welcomed President Emmanuel Macron's call this week for a ceasefire and opposition to Israel's bombing campaign. Senior French lawmakers have called a protest against antisemitism for Sunday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/more-than-20000-people-join-pro-palestinian-rally-brussels-2023-11-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]More than 20,000 people join pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BRUSSELS, Nov 11 (Reuters) - About 21,000 people took part in a pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels on Saturday, police said, many chanting slogans such as ""Free Palestine"" and demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as they marched peacefully through the city.
+""What is happening right now in Gaza is beyond devastating,"" one demonstrator said, carrying a poster that read ""Ceasefire now!"" in Dutch.
+Other protesters held up posters that read ""Stop the Genocide"", ""Human Rights for Palestinians"" or demanded the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what they called war crimes.
+""It is important to let our voice be heard, that we cannot accept people being bombed and being murdered,"" another demonstrator said.
+Since the Hamas group's assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7, there has been strong support and sympathy for Israel from Western governments and many citizens.
+But the Israeli military response has also prompted anger, with protests in cities around the world demanding a ceasefire.
+In London, more than 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets on Saturday. In Paris, several thousand demonstrators, including some left-wing lawmakers, marched with Palestinian flags and banners to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]More than 20,000 people join pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BRUSSELS, Nov 11 (Reuters) - About 21,000 people took part in a pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels on Saturday, police said, many chanting slogans such as ""Free Palestine"" and demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as they marched peacefully through the city. ""What is happening right now in Gaza is beyond devastating,"" one demonstrator said, carrying a poster that read ""Ceasefire now!"" in Dutch. Other protesters held up posters that read ""Stop the Genocide"", ""Human Rights for Palestinians"" or demanded the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what they called war crimes.
+""It is important to let our voice be heard, that we cannot accept people being bombed and being murdered,"" another demonstrator said. Since the Hamas group's assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7, there has been strong support and sympathy for Israel from Western governments and many citizens. But the Israeli military response has also prompted anger, with protests in cities around the world demanding a ceasefire.  In London, more than 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets on Saturday. In Paris, several thousand demonstrators, including some left-wing lawmakers, marched with Palestinian flags and banners to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-president-raisi-says-action-not-words-needed-gaza-2023-11-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran President Raisi says action, not words, needed on Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 11 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that the time had come for action over the conflict in Gaza rather than talk as he headed to Saudi Arabia to attend a summit on the war between Israel and Hamas militants.
+""Gaza is not an arena for words. It should be for action,"" Raisi said at Tehran airport before departing for the summit of Arab and Islamic nations in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.
+""Today, the unity of the Islamic countries is very important,"" he added.
+
+It is the first visit to Saudi Arabia by an Iranian head of state since Tehran and Riyadh ended years of hostility under a China-brokered deal in March.
+""The summit will send a strong message to warmongers in the region and result in the cessation of war crimes in Palestine,"" Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who is accompanying Raisi, was quoted as saying by the Padolat government website.
+""America says it doesn't want an expansion of the war and has sent messages to Iran and several countries [to this effect]. But these statements are not consistent with America's actions,"" Raisi said in the televised comments at Tehran airport.
+""The war machine in Gaza is in the hands of America, which is preventing a ceasefire in Gaza and expanding the war. The world must see the true face of America,"" Raisi said.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran President Raisi says action, not words, needed on Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 11 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that the time had come for action over the conflict in Gaza rather than talk as he headed to Saudi Arabia to attend a summit on the war between Israel and Hamas militants.  ""Gaza is not an arena for words. It should be for action,"" Raisi said at Tehran airport before departing for the summit of Arab and Islamic nations in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh. ""Today, the unity of the Islamic countries is very important,"" he added. It is the first visit to Saudi Arabia by an Iranian head of state since Tehran and Riyadh ended years of hostility under a China-brokered deal in March. ""The summit will send a strong message to warmongers in the region and result in the cessation of war crimes in Palestine,"" Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who is accompanying Raisi, was quoted as saying by the Padolat government website.
+""America says it doesn't want an expansion of the war and has sent messages to Iran and several countries [to this effect]. But these statements are not consistent with America's actions,"" Raisi said in the televised comments at Tehran airport.  ""The war machine in Gaza is in the hands of America, which is preventing a ceasefire in Gaza and expanding the war. The world must see the true face of America,"" Raisi said.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-authority-could-play-gaza-role-part-wider-palestinian-solution-abbas-2023-11-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian Authority could play Gaza role as part of wider Palestinian solution, Abbas says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday the Palestinian Authority could play a role in administering the Gaza Strip, on condition that there was a full political solution that also encompassed the occupied West Bank.
+With Israeli forces now deep inside Gaza, some two weeks after the start of a ground operation to destroy the Islamist movement Hamas, there has been increasing speculation over what the future may look like after the fighting ends.
+The United States has said that Palestinians should govern Gaza after the war but how that would work in practice remains open.
+Abbas said he held Israel completely responsible for events in Gaza, which has been subject to a weeks-long bombardment that has killed more than 11,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. The air and ground assault follows an attack by Hamas gunmen from Gaza on Oct. 7 in which Israel said on Friday that around 1,200 people were killed, a revision downward from a previous government estimate of 1,400.
+The Palestinian Authority could be part of a wider political solution with an independent Palestinian state, Abbas said.
+""Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine, and we will assume our full responsibilities within the framework of a comprehensive political solution, encompassing both the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza,"" he said.
+Attempts to secure an agreement for a two state solution with an independent Palestinian state have been stalled for almost a decade after the last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks stalled in 2014. Although countries including the United States have continued to call for a two state solution, there have been no firm signs of any revival in the peace process.
+Abbas said there should be an international peace conference to work out specific timelines, backed by international guarantees.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian Authority could play Gaza role as part of wider Palestinian solution, Abbas says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday the Palestinian Authority could play a role in administering the Gaza Strip, on condition that there was a full political solution that also encompassed the occupied West Bank.  With Israeli forces now deep inside Gaza, some two weeks after the start of a ground operation to destroy the Islamist movement Hamas, there has been increasing speculation over what the future may look like after the fighting ends. The United States has said that Palestinians should govern Gaza after the war but how that would work in practice remains open.  Abbas said he held Israel completely responsible for events in Gaza, which has been subject to a weeks-long bombardment that has killed more than 11,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. The air and ground assault follows an attack by Hamas gunmen from Gaza on Oct. 7 in which Israel said on Friday that around 1,200 people were killed, a revision downward from a previous government estimate of 1,400. The Palestinian Authority could be part of a wider political solution with an independent Palestinian state, Abbas said. ""Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine, and we will assume our full responsibilities within the framework of a comprehensive political solution, encompassing both the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza,"" he said. Attempts to secure an agreement for a two state solution with an independent Palestinian state have been stalled for almost a decade after the last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks stalled in 2014. Although countries including the United States have continued to call for a two state solution, there have been no firm signs of any revival in the peace process.  Abbas said there should be an international peace conference to work out specific timelines, backed by international guarantees.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/india-us-begin-talks-boost-partnership-amid-global-challenges-2023-11-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]India and US push defence deals amid 'global challenges'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW DELHI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - India and the United States announced progress on key defence deals and said they would expand their growing partnership in the face of geopolitical challenges as their top diplomats and senior ministers met on Friday.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi as part of their annual ""2+2 Dialogue"", focused on the Indo-Pacific region.
+The two countries which were once on opposite sides of the Cold War are now working on landmark deals including for the U.S. to supply and manufacture engines for Indian fighter jets.
+Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said that deal between the aerospace unit of General Electric (GE.N), opens new tab and India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics (HIAE.NS), opens new tab was on track.
+""We are finalising the commercial arrangements and the necessary legal requirements are being put in place,"" he told reporters after the talks.
+A more than $3 billion deal for India to buy 31 armed drones made by General Atomics is also being processed and India is waiting for the company to get U.S. government clearances for the next steps, Aramane said.
+Washington had offered several infantry combat vehicle systems and New Delhi has expressed interest, he added without giving details.
+Indian media reports have said the Pentagon has offered the Stryker family of eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicles produced by General Dynamic Land Systems (GD.N), opens new tab and that New Delhi is interested in jointly manufacturing them in India.
+Before the talks, Defense Secretary Austin said it was more important than ever that the world's two largest democracies exchange views and find common goals ""in the face of urgent global challenges"".
+""We're integrating our industrial bases, strengthening our inter-operability and sharing cutting-edge technology,"" he said.
+India-U.S. relations have steadily grown stronger on several fronts in the last two decades but New Delhi has also carefully preserved long-standing relations with Russia, much to the frustration of the West amid the war in Ukraine.
+India has close strategic links with Israel and strong diplomatic and economic relationships with oil and gas producing countries in the Middle East.
+New Delhi has condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants in Israel as a ""terrorist attack"" while also reiterating its longstanding position for an independent Palestine.
+A joint statement issued after Friday's talks said the two sides called for the ""immediate release of all remaining hostages"" in Gaza.
+""They expressed support for humanitarian pauses and committed to continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key partners in the region, to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace,"" it said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]India and US push defence deals amid 'global challenges'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW DELHI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - India and the United States announced progress on key defence deals and said they would expand their growing partnership in the face of geopolitical challenges as their top diplomats and senior ministers met on Friday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi as part of their annual ""2+2 Dialogue"", focused on the Indo-Pacific region. The two countries which were once on opposite sides of the Cold War are now working on landmark deals including for the U.S. to supply and manufacture engines for Indian fighter jets. Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said that deal between the aerospace unit of General Electric (GE.N), opens new tab and India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics (HIAE.NS), opens new tab was on track.
+""We are finalising the commercial arrangements and the necessary legal requirements are being put in place,"" he told reporters after the talks.  A more than $3 billion deal for India to buy 31 armed drones made by General Atomics is also being processed and India is waiting for the company to get U.S. government clearances for the next steps, Aramane said. Washington had offered several infantry combat vehicle systems and New Delhi has expressed interest, he added without giving details. Indian media reports have said the Pentagon has offered the Stryker family of eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicles produced by General Dynamic Land Systems (GD.N), opens new tab and that New Delhi is interested in jointly manufacturing them in India. Before the talks, Defense Secretary Austin said it was more important than ever that the world's two largest democracies exchange views and find common goals ""in the face of urgent global challenges"". ""We're integrating our industrial bases, strengthening our inter-operability and sharing cutting-edge technology,"" he said. India-U.S. relations have steadily grown stronger on several fronts in the last two decades but New Delhi has also carefully preserved long-standing relations with Russia, much to the frustration of the West amid the war in Ukraine.  India has close strategic links with Israel and strong diplomatic and economic relationships with oil and gas producing countries in the Middle East. New Delhi has condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants in Israel as a ""terrorist attack"" while also reiterating its longstanding position for an independent Palestine.
+A joint statement issued after Friday's talks said the two sides called for the ""immediate release of all remaining hostages"" in Gaza. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/india-us-begin-talks-boost-partnership-amid-global-challenges-2023-11-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]India and US push defence deals amid 'global challenges'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW DELHI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - India and the United States announced progress on key defence deals and said they would expand their growing partnership in the face of geopolitical challenges as their top diplomats and senior ministers met on Friday.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi as part of their annual ""2+2 Dialogue"", focused on the Indo-Pacific region.
+The two countries which were once on opposite sides of the Cold War are now working on landmark deals including for the U.S. to supply and manufacture engines for Indian fighter jets.
+Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said that deal between the aerospace unit of General Electric (GE.N), opens new tab and India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics (HIAE.NS), opens new tab was on track.
+""We are finalising the commercial arrangements and the necessary legal requirements are being put in place,"" he told reporters after the talks.
+A more than $3 billion deal for India to buy 31 armed drones made by General Atomics is also being processed and India is waiting for the company to get U.S. government clearances for the next steps, Aramane said.
+Washington had offered several infantry combat vehicle systems and New Delhi has expressed interest, he added without giving details.
+Indian media reports have said the Pentagon has offered the Stryker family of eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicles produced by General Dynamic Land Systems (GD.N), opens new tab and that New Delhi is interested in jointly manufacturing them in India.
+Before the talks, Defense Secretary Austin said it was more important than ever that the world's two largest democracies exchange views and find common goals ""in the face of urgent global challenges"".
+""We're integrating our industrial bases, strengthening our inter-operability and sharing cutting-edge technology,"" he said.
+India-U.S. relations have steadily grown stronger on several fronts in the last two decades but New Delhi has also carefully preserved long-standing relations with Russia, much to the frustration of the West amid the war in Ukraine.
+India has close strategic links with Israel and strong diplomatic and economic relationships with oil and gas producing countries in the Middle East.
+New Delhi has condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants in Israel as a ""terrorist attack"" while also reiterating its longstanding position for an independent Palestine.
+A joint statement issued after Friday's talks said the two sides called for the ""immediate release of all remaining hostages"" in Gaza.
+""They expressed support for humanitarian pauses and committed to continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key partners in the region, to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace,"" it said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""They expressed support for humanitarian pauses and committed to continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key partners in the region, to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace,"" it said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-arab-minority-feels-closer-country-war-poll-finds-2023-11-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel's Arab minority feels closer to country in war, poll finds[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The Gaza war has dramatically increased the sense of solidarity with Israel among its 21% Arab minority, who often identify as Palestinian and have long complained of discrimination by the state, a poll published on Friday found.
+Asked if they feel part of the country, 70% of Arab citizens polled said ""yes"", up from 48% in June, the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) said, describing it as the highest finding for the sector since it began such surveys 20 years ago.
+However, just 27% of Arab respondents said they felt optimistic about Israel's future, compared to 72% of Jews.
+Among Israel's Jewish majority, 94% feel part of the country, the IDI said, a peak last matched in 2003, when the country was at the height of military operation against Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank.
+Israel went to war in Gaza following an Oct 7 cross-border onslaught by Hamas gunmen in which some 1,400 of its civilians and soldiers were killed, among them Arab citizens. More than 10,000 Palestinian in Gaza have been killed by Israeli forces since.
+The Arab minority, who are predominantly Muslim, are descended from Palestinian Arabs who remained in Israel when it was founded in the 1948 war in what had been British-ruled Palestine. Hundreds of thousands of their kinsmen fled or were expelled.
+Asked if, given an alternative Western citizenship, they would leave Israel, 80.5% of Jewish respondents said they would stay, as did 59% of Arab respondents, the IDI poll found.
+Israel's far-right minister for police has warned that internal Arab unrest could be sparked as it was during a previous Gaza war in 2021. But this has not been borne out.
+Police have carried out arrests among Arab citizens accused of social media posts inciting pro-Palestinian violence, and on Thursday arrested five leaders of the Arab community who had planned to organise an anti-war protest.
+Lawyers for those arrested called the moves undemocratic.
+The IDI is a non-partisan think tank. Its poll was conducted on November 5-6, had a representative sample of 502 respondents and a margin of error of 4.04%.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel's Arab minority feels closer to country in war, poll finds[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The Gaza war has dramatically increased the sense of solidarity with Israel among its 21% Arab minority, who often identify as Palestinian and have long complained of discrimination by the state, a poll published on Friday found. Asked if they feel part of the country, 70% of Arab citizens polled said ""yes"", up from 48% in June, the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) said, describing it as the highest finding for the sector since it began such surveys 20 years ago. However, just 27% of Arab respondents said they felt optimistic about Israel's future, compared to 72% of Jews. Among Israel's Jewish majority, 94% feel part of the country, the IDI said, a peak last matched in 2003, when the country was at the height of military operation against Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank.  Israel went to war in Gaza following an Oct 7 cross-border onslaught by Hamas gunmen in which some 1,400 of its civilians and soldiers were killed, among them Arab citizens. More than 10,000 Palestinian in Gaza have been killed by Israeli forces since. The Arab minority, who are predominantly Muslim, are descended from Palestinian Arabs who remained in Israel when it was founded in the 1948 war in what had been British-ruled Palestine. Hundreds of thousands of their kinsmen fled or were expelled. Asked if, given an alternative Western citizenship, they would leave Israel, 80.5% of Jewish respondents said they would stay, as did 59% of Arab respondents, the IDI poll found.  Israel's far-right minister for police has warned that internal Arab unrest could be sparked as it was during a previous Gaza war in 2021. But this has not been borne out. Police have carried out arrests among Arab citizens accused of social media posts inciting pro-Palestinian violence, and on Thursday arrested five leaders of the Arab community who had planned to organise an anti-war protest.  Lawyers for those arrested called the moves undemocratic.
+The IDI is a non-partisan think tank. Its poll was conducted on November 5-6, had a representative sample of 502 respondents and a margin of error of 4.04%.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-groups-ask-war-crimes-court-investigate-genocide-accusations-2023-11-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians ask war crimes court to probe Israel over genocide allegations[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Three Palestinian human rights groups said they have asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel, accusing it of committing war crimes including genocide by bombing and besieging the Gaza Strip.
+Israel is not a member of the Hague-based court and does not recognise its jurisdiction. It has previously said allegations of genocide are deplorable and that its actions target militants of the Hamas group that rules Gaza, not civilians.
+Asked for comment, a spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry said: ""Israel is also collecting evidence for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack (on Israel) and afterwards, including the use of civilians as human shields (in Gaza).""
+The three rights groups - Al Haq, Al Mezan and the Palestine Human Rights Campaign - said they had asked the ICC to focus on Israeli air strikes on densely populated civilian areas of Gaza, the siege of the territory and displacement of the population.
+""These actions amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide and incitement to genocide,"" they said in a joint press statement.
+The ICC said on Friday it had received a communication from the three groups and would assess the information, without going into detail on its contents.
+Israel unleashed its assault on Gaza in response to a cross-border Hamas raid on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which gunmen killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took about 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Palestinian officials say Israel's actions in Gaza have since killed more than 10,000 people in the small enclave.
+The ICC can investigate nationals of non-member states in certain circumstances, including when crimes are said to have been committed in the territories of member states. The Palestinian territories are listed among the ICC's members.
+Last week, families of Israeli victims of the Oct. 7 attacks also filed papers at the ICC urging it to look into Hamas crimes.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians ask war crimes court to probe Israel over genocide allegations[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Three Palestinian human rights groups said they have asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel, accusing it of committing war crimes including genocide by bombing and besieging the Gaza Strip.  Israel is not a member of the Hague-based court and does not recognise its jurisdiction. It has previously said allegations of genocide are deplorable and that its actions target militants of the Hamas group that rules Gaza, not civilians. Asked for comment, a spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry said: ""Israel is also collecting evidence for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack (on Israel) and afterwards, including the use of civilians as human shields (in Gaza)."" The three rights groups - Al Haq, Al Mezan and the Palestine Human Rights Campaign - said they had asked the ICC to focus on Israeli air strikes on densely populated civilian areas of Gaza, the siege of the territory and displacement of the population.
+""These actions amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide and incitement to genocide,"" they said in a joint press statement. The ICC said on Friday it had received a communication from the three groups and would assess the information, without going into detail on its contents.
+Israel unleashed its assault on Gaza in response to a cross-border Hamas raid on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which gunmen killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took about 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
+Palestinian officials say Israel's actions in Gaza have since killed more than 10,000 people in the small enclave.  The ICC can investigate nationals of non-member states in certain circumstances, including when crimes are said to have been committed in the territories of member states. The Palestinian territories are listed among the ICC's members. Last week, families of Israeli victims of the Oct. 7 attacks also filed papers at the ICC urging it to look into Hamas crimes.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/altered-miscaptioned-images-cristiano-ronaldo-pro-palestinian-video-2023-11-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Altered, miscaptioned images of Cristiano Ronaldo in pro-Palestinian video[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video showing mostly altered photographs and miscaptioned videos of Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is being shared online alongside claims that the images reflect his support for Palestinians.
+A Facebook post, opens new tab published on Oct. 27, 2023, sharing the video compilation that lasts over one minute had more than 21,000 views at the time of publishing. The caption reads: “Cristiano Ronaldo Full support palestine.”
+
+In the first video clip of the circulating compilation, Ronaldo is framed by a poster and map overlaid on the video and he says: “We know that you have been suffering a lot. I am a very famous player but you are the true heroes. Don’t lose your hope. The world is with you. We care about you. I am with you.”
+The same video without the overlays was shared, opens new tab by Ronaldo’s official Facebook page on Dec. 23, 2016 with the caption: “A message of hope to the children affected by the conflict in Syria. @SavetheChildren.”
+The compilation of the miscaptioned images then continues to show a variety of suggestive clips and images. However, some do not show Ronaldo or contain references to supporting Palestinians while others are altered to add those references.
+At the 0:17 mark in the compilation, Moroccan soccer player Jawad El Yamiq is seen on Dec. 1, 2022 celebrating a win over Canada, opens new tab with a Palestinian flag during the World Cup, as reported by the Middle East Eye on its YouTube page, opens new tab.
+The 0:27 mark shows a photo of Ronaldo at a soccer match on Feb. 21, 2010, in which his shirt has been digitally altered to say: “Save Palestine.” The original Reuters photograph, opens new tab shows the word “Madeira,” the name of the Portuguese island region, opens new tab where Ronaldo was born, written on the shirt.
+Three more clips between 0:30 and 0:55 show Ronaldo at events with no connection to Palestinian themes, including a scene in Lyon, France in June 2016, opens new tab, a press conference in Budapest in June 2020, opens new tab, and receiving, opens new tab the Silver Ball trophy following the FIFA Club World Cup final in Morocco in December 2014.
+The clip at 0:55 in the compilation shows Ronaldo removing a silver medal from his neck with the words “Israel Press” overlaid on the scene, which does not appear in the original clip, opens new tab posted by UK broadcaster TNT Sports on its page on social media platform X in December 2019.
+The next scene shows the altered “Madeira” shirt again, followed by an image of Ronaldo holding a digitally-altered sign that reads, “I (heart) Gaza And You?”. In the original photo, opens new tab, Ronaldo holds a sign that reads: “TODOS con Lorca,” during a visit to residents affected by the earthquake in Lorca, Spain in 2011. A similar altered version of the same photo was previously fact checked by Reuters, opens new tab.
+Following an image of Ronaldo altered to add a headpiece and clothing, as seen on image searching platform TinEye, opens new tab, the compilation shows the altered “TODOS con Lorca” photo of Ronaldo with the sign changed to read: “TODOS con Palestine.”
+The last image shown in the compilation circulating online dates to at least January 2013, according to a search on TinEye, opens new tab.
+In June 2022, the France 24 channel’s factcheckers, The Observers, identified the photograph, opens new tab as showing delegates from the Palestinian Football Association at FIFA but explained that Ronaldo posing for the photo with the group “is not a sign of support for the Palestinian cause.”
+Representatives for Ronaldo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Reuters has previously fact-checked images of soccer star Lionel Messi altered to suggest support for Palestinians, opens new tab and Israelis, opens new tab in the context of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.
+(This article was updated on Nov. 9 to restore a dropped word in paragraph 8.)
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. The videos and images in the video compilation pre-date the 2023 Israel-Hamas war and many are altered or miscaptioned.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Altered, miscaptioned images of Cristiano Ronaldo in pro-Palestinian video[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video showing mostly altered photographs and miscaptioned videos of Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is being shared online alongside claims that the images reflect his support for Palestinians.  A Facebook post, opens new tab published on Oct. 27, 2023, sharing the video compilation that lasts over one minute had more than 21,000 views at the time of publishing. The caption reads: “Cristiano Ronaldo Full support palestine.”  In the first video clip of the circulating compilation, Ronaldo is framed by a poster and map overlaid on the video and he says: “We know that you have been suffering a lot. I am a very famous player but you are the true heroes. Don’t lose your hope. The world is with you. We care about you. I am with you.” The same video without the overlays was shared, opens new tab by Ronaldo’s official Facebook page on Dec. 23, 2016 with the caption: “A message of hope to the children affected by the conflict in Syria. @SavetheChildren. ”  The compilation of the miscaptioned images then continues to show a variety of suggestive clips and images. However, some do not show Ronaldo or contain references to supporting Palestinians while others are altered to add those references. At the 0:17 mark in the compilation, Moroccan soccer player Jawad El Yamiq is seen on Dec. 1, 2022 celebrating a win over Canada, opens new tab with a Palestinian flag during the World Cup, as reported by the Middle East Eye on its YouTube page, opens new tab.  The 0:27 mark shows a photo of Ronaldo at a soccer match on Feb. 21, 2010, in which his shirt has been digitally altered to say: “Save Palestine.” The original Reuters photograph, opens new tab shows the word “Madeira,” the name of the Portuguese island region, opens new tab where Ronaldo was born, written on the shirt. Three more clips between 0:30 and 0:55 show Ronaldo at events with no connection to Palestinian themes, including a scene in Lyon, France in June 2016, opens new tab, a press conference in Budapest in June 2020, opens new tab, and receiving, opens new tab the Silver Ball trophy following the FIFA Club World Cup final in Morocco in December 2014."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/altered-miscaptioned-images-cristiano-ronaldo-pro-palestinian-video-2023-11-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Altered, miscaptioned images of Cristiano Ronaldo in pro-Palestinian video[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video showing mostly altered photographs and miscaptioned videos of Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is being shared online alongside claims that the images reflect his support for Palestinians.
+A Facebook post, opens new tab published on Oct. 27, 2023, sharing the video compilation that lasts over one minute had more than 21,000 views at the time of publishing. The caption reads: “Cristiano Ronaldo Full support palestine.”
+
+In the first video clip of the circulating compilation, Ronaldo is framed by a poster and map overlaid on the video and he says: “We know that you have been suffering a lot. I am a very famous player but you are the true heroes. Don’t lose your hope. The world is with you. We care about you. I am with you.”
+The same video without the overlays was shared, opens new tab by Ronaldo’s official Facebook page on Dec. 23, 2016 with the caption: “A message of hope to the children affected by the conflict in Syria. @SavetheChildren.”
+The compilation of the miscaptioned images then continues to show a variety of suggestive clips and images. However, some do not show Ronaldo or contain references to supporting Palestinians while others are altered to add those references.
+At the 0:17 mark in the compilation, Moroccan soccer player Jawad El Yamiq is seen on Dec. 1, 2022 celebrating a win over Canada, opens new tab with a Palestinian flag during the World Cup, as reported by the Middle East Eye on its YouTube page, opens new tab.
+The 0:27 mark shows a photo of Ronaldo at a soccer match on Feb. 21, 2010, in which his shirt has been digitally altered to say: “Save Palestine.” The original Reuters photograph, opens new tab shows the word “Madeira,” the name of the Portuguese island region, opens new tab where Ronaldo was born, written on the shirt.
+Three more clips between 0:30 and 0:55 show Ronaldo at events with no connection to Palestinian themes, including a scene in Lyon, France in June 2016, opens new tab, a press conference in Budapest in June 2020, opens new tab, and receiving, opens new tab the Silver Ball trophy following the FIFA Club World Cup final in Morocco in December 2014.
+The clip at 0:55 in the compilation shows Ronaldo removing a silver medal from his neck with the words “Israel Press” overlaid on the scene, which does not appear in the original clip, opens new tab posted by UK broadcaster TNT Sports on its page on social media platform X in December 2019.
+The next scene shows the altered “Madeira” shirt again, followed by an image of Ronaldo holding a digitally-altered sign that reads, “I (heart) Gaza And You?”. In the original photo, opens new tab, Ronaldo holds a sign that reads: “TODOS con Lorca,” during a visit to residents affected by the earthquake in Lorca, Spain in 2011. A similar altered version of the same photo was previously fact checked by Reuters, opens new tab.
+Following an image of Ronaldo altered to add a headpiece and clothing, as seen on image searching platform TinEye, opens new tab, the compilation shows the altered “TODOS con Lorca” photo of Ronaldo with the sign changed to read: “TODOS con Palestine.”
+The last image shown in the compilation circulating online dates to at least January 2013, according to a search on TinEye, opens new tab.
+In June 2022, the France 24 channel’s factcheckers, The Observers, identified the photograph, opens new tab as showing delegates from the Palestinian Football Association at FIFA but explained that Ronaldo posing for the photo with the group “is not a sign of support for the Palestinian cause.”
+Representatives for Ronaldo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Reuters has previously fact-checked images of soccer star Lionel Messi altered to suggest support for Palestinians, opens new tab and Israelis, opens new tab in the context of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.
+(This article was updated on Nov. 9 to restore a dropped word in paragraph 8.)
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. The videos and images in the video compilation pre-date the 2023 Israel-Hamas war and many are altered or miscaptioned.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The clip at 0:55 in the compilation shows Ronaldo removing a silver medal from his neck with the words “Israel Press” overlaid on the scene, which does not appear in the original clip, opens new tab posted by UK broadcaster TNT Sports on its page on social media platform X in December 2019.  The next scene shows the altered “Madeira” shirt again, followed by an image of Ronaldo holding a digitally-altered sign that reads, “I (heart) Gaza And You?”. In the original photo, opens new tab, Ronaldo holds a sign that reads: “TODOS con Lorca,” during a visit to residents affected by the earthquake in Lorca, Spain in 2011. A similar altered version of the same photo was previously fact checked by Reuters, opens new tab. Following an image of Ronaldo altered to add a headpiece and clothing, as seen on image searching platform TinEye, opens new tab, the compilation shows the altered “TODOS con Lorca” photo of Ronaldo with the sign changed to read: “TODOS con Palestine.” The last image shown in the compilation circulating online dates to at least January 2013, according to a search on TinEye, opens new tab.  In June 2022, the France 24 channel’s factcheckers, The Observers, identified the photograph, opens new tab as showing delegates from the Palestinian Football Association at FIFA but explained that Ronaldo posing for the photo with the group “is not a sign of support for the Palestinian cause.”
+Representatives for Ronaldo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters has previously fact-checked images of soccer star Lionel Messi altered to suggest support for Palestinians, opens new tab and Israelis, opens new tab in the context of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. (This article was updated on Nov. 9 to restore a dropped word in paragraph 8.)
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. The videos and images in the video compilation pre-date the 2023 Israel-Hamas war and many are altered or miscaptioned.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-appointed-judge-presses-future-clerks-israel-hamas-war-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Trump-appointed judge presses future clerks on Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 9 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Arkansas has asked his future clerks and interns to confirm they or groups they belong to have not done anything that could be construed as condoning the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel or acts of antisemitism or Islamophobia.
+U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump in Little Rock, made the request on Tuesday as pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations continue to roil U.S. college campuses a month into the Israel-Hamas war.
+The situation has prompted concern by major law firms, two of which have rescinded offers to incoming associates at law schools who had made or signed on to public statements supporting Palestine or saying Israel bore responsibility for Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which killed over 1,400 Israelis.
+The Biden administration on Tuesday warned, opens new tab U.S. colleges of their obligations to address discrimination and harassment, citing an ""alarming rise in reports of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and other hate-based or bias-based incidents"" on campuses since the war began.
+In an email reviewed by Reuters that Rudofsky sent to law students who plan to clerk for him, the judge asked them to confirm they or any organizations they belong to had not done anything that could be construed as ""celebrating or condoning the 10/7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas in Israel.""
+He also sought to confirm they had not engaged in antisemitism or Islamophobia, advocated for targeting civilians, or ripped down pictures of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack posted in public spaces by activists.
+Rudofsky stressed he did not care about their ""policy views--expressed or otherwise--on things like the viability of a two-state solution, the merits and demerits of a ceasefire or humanitarian pause in the current war, or the relative strengths of the Palestinians' claim to Israel versus the Jewish People’s claim to Israel.""
+But he said the four actions he listed were a ""qualitatively different thing.""
+""And if you or an organization in which you remain a member engaged in any of those actions, it is hard for me to believe I will conclude that you have the judgment, the compassion, the integrity, or the moral compass necessary to fulfill your contemplated role in my chambers,"" Rudofsky wrote.
+Rudofsky told Reuters on Thursday that all five of his future clerks and interns confirmed they did not ""have problems of this sort."" He said he plans to ask similar questions when hiring clerks in the future.
+The email was first reported on the podcast Advisory Opinions.
+Another Trump-appointed judge, Judge Matthew Solomson of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, had announced in an Oct. 11 LinkedIn post, opens new tab that he would not hire students who signed letters he believed reflected support for Hamas and ""what can only be described as Nazi-like horrors in Israel.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Trump-appointed judge presses future clerks on Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 9 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Arkansas has asked his future clerks and interns to confirm they or groups they belong to have not done anything that could be construed as condoning the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel or acts of antisemitism or Islamophobia. U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump in Little Rock, made the request on Tuesday as pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations continue to roil U.S. college campuses a month into the Israel-Hamas war. The situation has prompted concern by major law firms, two of which have rescinded offers to incoming associates at law schools who had made or signed on to public statements supporting Palestine or saying Israel bore responsibility for Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which killed over 1,400 Israelis. The Biden administration on Tuesday warned, opens new tab U.S. colleges of their obligations to address discrimination and harassment, citing an ""alarming rise in reports of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and other hate-based or bias-based incidents"" on campuses since the war began. In an email reviewed by Reuters that Rudofsky sent to law students who plan to clerk for him, the judge asked them to confirm they or any organizations they belong to had not done anything that could be construed as ""celebrating or condoning the 10/7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas in Israel."" He also sought to confirm they had not engaged in antisemitism or Islamophobia, advocated for targeting civilians, or ripped down pictures of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack posted in public spaces by activists.  Rudofsky stressed he did not care about their ""policy views--expressed or otherwise--on things like the viability of a two-state solution, the merits and demerits of a ceasefire or humanitarian pause in the current war, or the relative strengths of the Palestinians' claim to Israel versus the Jewish People’s claim to Israel.""
+But he said the four actions he listed were a ""qualitatively different thing. "" ""And if you or an organization in which you remain a member engaged in any of those actions, it is hard for me to believe I will conclude that you have the judgment, the compassion, the integrity, or the moral compass necessary to fulfill your contemplated role in my chambers,"" Rudofsky wrote.  Rudofsky told Reuters on Thursday that all five of his future clerks and interns confirmed they did not ""have problems of this sort."" He said he plans to ask similar questions when hiring clerks in the future."
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-appointed-judge-presses-future-clerks-israel-hamas-war-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Trump-appointed judge presses future clerks on Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 9 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Arkansas has asked his future clerks and interns to confirm they or groups they belong to have not done anything that could be construed as condoning the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel or acts of antisemitism or Islamophobia.
+U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump in Little Rock, made the request on Tuesday as pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations continue to roil U.S. college campuses a month into the Israel-Hamas war.
+The situation has prompted concern by major law firms, two of which have rescinded offers to incoming associates at law schools who had made or signed on to public statements supporting Palestine or saying Israel bore responsibility for Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which killed over 1,400 Israelis.
+The Biden administration on Tuesday warned, opens new tab U.S. colleges of their obligations to address discrimination and harassment, citing an ""alarming rise in reports of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and other hate-based or bias-based incidents"" on campuses since the war began.
+In an email reviewed by Reuters that Rudofsky sent to law students who plan to clerk for him, the judge asked them to confirm they or any organizations they belong to had not done anything that could be construed as ""celebrating or condoning the 10/7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas in Israel.""
+He also sought to confirm they had not engaged in antisemitism or Islamophobia, advocated for targeting civilians, or ripped down pictures of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack posted in public spaces by activists.
+Rudofsky stressed he did not care about their ""policy views--expressed or otherwise--on things like the viability of a two-state solution, the merits and demerits of a ceasefire or humanitarian pause in the current war, or the relative strengths of the Palestinians' claim to Israel versus the Jewish People’s claim to Israel.""
+But he said the four actions he listed were a ""qualitatively different thing.""
+""And if you or an organization in which you remain a member engaged in any of those actions, it is hard for me to believe I will conclude that you have the judgment, the compassion, the integrity, or the moral compass necessary to fulfill your contemplated role in my chambers,"" Rudofsky wrote.
+Rudofsky told Reuters on Thursday that all five of his future clerks and interns confirmed they did not ""have problems of this sort."" He said he plans to ask similar questions when hiring clerks in the future.
+The email was first reported on the podcast Advisory Opinions.
+Another Trump-appointed judge, Judge Matthew Solomson of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, had announced in an Oct. 11 LinkedIn post, opens new tab that he would not hire students who signed letters he believed reflected support for Hamas and ""what can only be described as Nazi-like horrors in Israel.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The email was first reported on the podcast Advisory Opinions. Another Trump-appointed judge, Judge Matthew Solomson of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, had announced in an Oct. 11 LinkedIn post, opens new tab that he would not hire students who signed letters he believed reflected support for Hamas and ""what can only be described as Nazi-like horrors in Israel.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/unrwa-seeks-half-billion-dollars-aid-gaza-west-bank-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNRWA seeks half billion dollars in aid, warns of 'potential mass displacement' in Lebanon[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said on Thursday it is seeking $481 million for Gaza due to ""unprecedented devastation"" there as well as growing needs in the occupied West Bank and a possible mass displacement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
+""One month into a tight (Israeli) siege and a brutal war, the humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip are colossal. They grow by the hour,"" UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said.
+UNRWA said in a statement the money would be used to provide basic food assistance, shelter, water and sanitation to 1.6 million people in Gaza and provide basic health care and protection to those in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+It also said the funding was needed for Lebanon ""in anticipation of a potential mass displacement of Palestine refugees, particularly in the areas of Saida and Tyre, in the southern part of the country"".
+Tens of thousands have already been displaced by clashes on the Israel-Lebanon border that have escalated since the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza erupted, the U.N. previously said.
+The new appeal follows a previous U.N. appeal for $1.2 billion announced last week.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNRWA seeks half billion dollars in aid, warns of 'potential mass displacement' in Lebanon[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said on Thursday it is seeking $481 million for Gaza due to ""unprecedented devastation"" there as well as growing needs in the occupied West Bank and a possible mass displacement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.  ""One month into a tight (Israeli) siege and a brutal war, the humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip are colossal. They grow by the hour,"" UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said. UNRWA said in a statement the money would be used to provide basic food assistance, shelter, water and sanitation to 1.6 million people in Gaza and provide basic health care and protection to those in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It also said the funding was needed for Lebanon ""in anticipation of a potential mass displacement of Palestine refugees, particularly in the areas of Saida and Tyre, in the southern part of the country"". Tens of thousands have already been displaced by clashes on the Israel-Lebanon border that have escalated since the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza erupted, the U.N. previously said.  The new appeal follows a previous U.N. appeal for $1.2 billion announced last week.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/edinburgh-war-memorial-vandalised-2022-not-2023-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Edinburgh war memorial vandalised in 2022, not 2023[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Edinburgh’s war memorial has not been vandalised in 2023, said the city’s council, despite online accounts sharing the aftermath of its vandalising in 2022 as if recent.
+Posts on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) suggest footage of the Scotland cenotaph’s burnt wreaths after being set alight by vandals, opens new tab in 2022 is new.
+Some accounts link the damage to pro-Palestinian demonstrations responding to the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.
+“Wreaths set on fire by Pro Palestine protesters,” one Facebook user wrote on Nov. 9, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab).
+The claims emerged ahead of a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for Nov. 11 that Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said was ""disrespectful"" to hold on Remembrance Day, observed to commemorate armed forces members killed on-duty.
+A war memorial in Rochdale, northern England, was defaced on Nov. 7, opens new tab.
+However, the images circulating online of Edinburgh’s cenotaph are from 2022.
+The City of Edinburgh Council told Reuters the footage is from last year’s incident.
+“We’ve had no reports of any damage to war memorials this year,” a spokesperson for the council said.
+Reuters contacted Scotland Police for comment.
+There were no records of reports of a 2023 incident at the site of the Edinburgh war memorial as of Nov. 9.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Edinburgh war memorial vandalised in 2022, not 2023[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Edinburgh’s war memorial has not been vandalised in 2023, said the city’s council, despite online accounts sharing the aftermath of its vandalising in 2022 as if recent. Posts on Facebook, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) and messaging platform X, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) suggest footage of the Scotland cenotaph’s burnt wreaths after being set alight by vandals, opens new tab in 2022 is new. Some accounts link the damage to pro-Palestinian demonstrations responding to the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. “Wreaths set on fire by Pro Palestine protesters,” one Facebook user wrote on Nov. 9, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab). The claims emerged ahead of a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for Nov. 11 that Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said was ""disrespectful"" to hold on Remembrance Day, observed to commemorate armed forces members killed on-duty. A war memorial in Rochdale, northern England, was defaced on Nov. 7, opens new tab. However, the images circulating online of Edinburgh’s cenotaph are from 2022. The City of Edinburgh Council told Reuters the footage is from last year’s incident. “We’ve had no reports of any damage to war memorials this year,” a spokesperson for the council said. Reuters contacted Scotland Police for comment.  There were no records of reports of a 2023 incident at the site of the Edinburgh war memorial as of Nov. 9.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/few-expectations-france-seeks-tangible-results-gaza-conference-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Aid groups call at Paris conference for immediate ceasefire in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - International organisations and aid agencies called on Thursday for an immediate ceasefire to end a ""haemorrhage of human lives"" in Gaza, warning that the situation could quickly spiral out of control.
+They made their appeals at a conference in Paris intended to coordinate aid and assess how to help people wounded in Gaza since Israeli launched its ground and air offensive in response to an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
+Representatives of Arab nations, Western powers and members of the Group of 20 major economies were among those attending the conference, but Israel was not invited and few heads of state, government or foreign ministers were there. Expectations for concrete results are low if there is no pause in fighting.
+Participants were set to discuss a proposal to create a maritime corridor to ship humanitarian aid into Gaza or evacuate the wounded, the establishment of field hospitals and financial assistance to ease the growing humanitarian crisis.
+""We cannot wait a minute more for a humanitarian ceasefire or lifting of siege which is collective punishment,"" said Jan Egeland, the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
+""Without a ceasefire, lifting of siege and indiscriminate bombarding and warfare, the haemorrhage of human lives will continue,"" he said in comments echoed by the United Nations and the International Red Cross.
+Israel has ruled out an immediate ceasefire that might help strengthen Hamas. The United States has echoed the Israeli view, warning that a ceasefire could help Hamas regroup, but has called for humanitarian pauses.
+Doctors Without Borders chief Isabelle Defourny, whose staff operate in Gaza, said safe zones for Palestinians in southern Gaza were unrealistic and that sustained halts in fighting were needed, ""not an hour (pause) here or there.""
+Palestinian officials said 10,569 Gaza residents had been killed as of Wednesday, about 40% of them children. Israel said Hamas gunmen killed 1,400 people and took about 240 others hostage in the Oct. 7 assault.
+
+MACRON SEEKS A PAUSE
+Opening the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a swift humanitarian pause.
+
+""The situation is serious and getting worse each day. We need a humanitarian pause very quickly and (a) push for a ceasefire,"" he said.
+Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh was present at the conference. French officials said Israel was being kept informed of developments.
+""How many Palestinians must be killed for the war to stop,"" Shtayyeh asked. ""Is killing 10,000 people in 30 days enough?""
+Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said all crossings into Gaza should be opened.
+Without buy-in from Israel or Hamas for a pause in fighting, there is little prospect of things moving quickly. But French officials hope the conference will lay the groundwork for a swift international response when there is a pause.
+Efforts will be made at the conference to mobilise financial resources, with several sectors identified for emergency support based on U.N. assessments of the $1.1 billion of immediate needs.
+Re-establishing supplies of water, fuel and electricity will also be discussed, while ensuring accountability processes to ensure aid is not diverted to Hamas.
+Macron said France would raise financial aid to Palestinians this year from 20 million euros to 100 million euros ($106.87 million).
+Cyprus outlined the proposal to set up a maritime corridor to use sea lanes to ship humanitarian aid into Gaza and see how ships could be used to help evacuate the wounded.
+Although the conference was expected to assess the prospect for establishing field hospitals, diplomats have said Egypt is reluctant to host a multitude of hospitals on its territory, while setting them up in Gaza could be difficult without a humanitarian pause or ceasefire.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Aid groups call at Paris conference for immediate ceasefire in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - International organisations and aid agencies called on Thursday for an immediate ceasefire to end a ""haemorrhage of human lives"" in Gaza, warning that the situation could quickly spiral out of control. They made their appeals at a conference in Paris intended to coordinate aid and assess how to help people wounded in Gaza since Israeli launched its ground and air offensive in response to an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7.  Representatives of Arab nations, Western powers and members of the Group of 20 major economies were among those attending the conference, but Israel was not invited and few heads of state, government or foreign ministers were there. Expectations for concrete results are low if there is no pause in fighting. Participants were set to discuss a proposal to create a maritime corridor to ship humanitarian aid into Gaza or evacuate the wounded, the establishment of field hospitals and financial assistance to ease the growing humanitarian crisis.
+""We cannot wait a minute more for a humanitarian ceasefire or lifting of siege which is collective punishment,"" said Jan Egeland, the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. ""Without a ceasefire, lifting of siege and indiscriminate bombarding and warfare, the haemorrhage of human lives will continue,"" he said in comments echoed by the United Nations and the International Red Cross.  Israel has ruled out an immediate ceasefire that might help strengthen Hamas. The United States has echoed the Israeli view, warning that a ceasefire could help Hamas regroup, but has called for humanitarian pauses. Doctors Without Borders chief Isabelle Defourny, whose staff operate in Gaza, said safe zones for Palestinians in southern Gaza were unrealistic and that sustained halts in fighting were needed, ""not an hour (pause) here or there.""
+Palestinian officials said 10,569 Gaza residents had been killed as of Wednesday, about 40% of them children. Israel said Hamas gunmen killed 1,400 people and took about 240 others hostage in the Oct. 7 assault. MACRON SEEKS A PAUSE Opening the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a swift humanitarian pause.
+
+""The situation is serious and getting worse each day. We need a humanitarian pause very quickly and (a) push for a ceasefire,"" he said.  Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh was present at the conference. French officials said Israel was being kept informed of developments. ""How many Palestinians must be killed for the war to stop,"" Shtayyeh asked. ""Is killing 10,000 people in 30 days enough?"""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/few-expectations-france-seeks-tangible-results-gaza-conference-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Aid groups call at Paris conference for immediate ceasefire in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - International organisations and aid agencies called on Thursday for an immediate ceasefire to end a ""haemorrhage of human lives"" in Gaza, warning that the situation could quickly spiral out of control.
+They made their appeals at a conference in Paris intended to coordinate aid and assess how to help people wounded in Gaza since Israeli launched its ground and air offensive in response to an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
+Representatives of Arab nations, Western powers and members of the Group of 20 major economies were among those attending the conference, but Israel was not invited and few heads of state, government or foreign ministers were there. Expectations for concrete results are low if there is no pause in fighting.
+Participants were set to discuss a proposal to create a maritime corridor to ship humanitarian aid into Gaza or evacuate the wounded, the establishment of field hospitals and financial assistance to ease the growing humanitarian crisis.
+""We cannot wait a minute more for a humanitarian ceasefire or lifting of siege which is collective punishment,"" said Jan Egeland, the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
+""Without a ceasefire, lifting of siege and indiscriminate bombarding and warfare, the haemorrhage of human lives will continue,"" he said in comments echoed by the United Nations and the International Red Cross.
+Israel has ruled out an immediate ceasefire that might help strengthen Hamas. The United States has echoed the Israeli view, warning that a ceasefire could help Hamas regroup, but has called for humanitarian pauses.
+Doctors Without Borders chief Isabelle Defourny, whose staff operate in Gaza, said safe zones for Palestinians in southern Gaza were unrealistic and that sustained halts in fighting were needed, ""not an hour (pause) here or there.""
+Palestinian officials said 10,569 Gaza residents had been killed as of Wednesday, about 40% of them children. Israel said Hamas gunmen killed 1,400 people and took about 240 others hostage in the Oct. 7 assault.
+
+MACRON SEEKS A PAUSE
+Opening the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a swift humanitarian pause.
+
+""The situation is serious and getting worse each day. We need a humanitarian pause very quickly and (a) push for a ceasefire,"" he said.
+Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh was present at the conference. French officials said Israel was being kept informed of developments.
+""How many Palestinians must be killed for the war to stop,"" Shtayyeh asked. ""Is killing 10,000 people in 30 days enough?""
+Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said all crossings into Gaza should be opened.
+Without buy-in from Israel or Hamas for a pause in fighting, there is little prospect of things moving quickly. But French officials hope the conference will lay the groundwork for a swift international response when there is a pause.
+Efforts will be made at the conference to mobilise financial resources, with several sectors identified for emergency support based on U.N. assessments of the $1.1 billion of immediate needs.
+Re-establishing supplies of water, fuel and electricity will also be discussed, while ensuring accountability processes to ensure aid is not diverted to Hamas.
+Macron said France would raise financial aid to Palestinians this year from 20 million euros to 100 million euros ($106.87 million).
+Cyprus outlined the proposal to set up a maritime corridor to use sea lanes to ship humanitarian aid into Gaza and see how ships could be used to help evacuate the wounded.
+Although the conference was expected to assess the prospect for establishing field hospitals, diplomats have said Egypt is reluctant to host a multitude of hospitals on its territory, while setting them up in Gaza could be difficult without a humanitarian pause or ceasefire.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said all crossings into Gaza should be opened.  Without buy-in from Israel or Hamas for a pause in fighting, there is little prospect of things moving quickly. But French officials hope the conference will lay the groundwork for a swift international response when there is a pause. Efforts will be made at the conference to mobilise financial resources, with several sectors identified for emergency support based on U.N. assessments of the $1.1 billion of immediate needs.
+Re-establishing supplies of water, fuel and electricity will also be discussed, while ensuring accountability processes to ensure aid is not diverted to Hamas. Macron said France would raise financial aid to Palestinians this year from 20 million euros to 100 million euros ($106.87 million). Cyprus outlined the proposal to set up a maritime corridor to use sea lanes to ship humanitarian aid into Gaza and see how ships could be used to help evacuate the wounded. Although the conference was expected to assess the prospect for establishing field hospitals, diplomats have said Egypt is reluctant to host a multitude of hospitals on its territory, while setting them up in Gaza could be difficult without a humanitarian pause or ceasefire.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-government-accuses-police-pro-palestinian-bias-over-marches-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK's interior minister accuses police of pro-Palestinian bias over marches[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Britain's interior minister escalated a dispute with London's police force on Thursday over the handling of a planned, large pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day, accusing officers of taking a softer stance towards left-wing causes.
+Home Secretary Suella Braverman has taken a tough line on the tens of thousands of protesters who have gathered in London since the Hamas group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, calling them ""hate marches"" and ""mobs"" that threaten the Jewish community.
+Her criticism of the police ahead of Saturday deepened tensions with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Downing Street office, which said it had not cleared the comments before publication. Yet a spokesperson said Sunak still had full confidence in Braverman.
+""I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza,"" Braverman, who is on the right of her party and in charge of policing, wrote in The Times. ""They are an assertion of primacy by certain groups - particularly Islamists — of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland.
+She said there was ""a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters"", citing what she said was the contrasting treatment of anti-lockdown groups during the COVID pandemic, and Black Lives Matters demonstrations.
+Critics in opposing parties and her own accuse Braverman of stoking division and undermining the police. They question her commitment to free speech after she asked why some public gatherings should not be banned when they are offensive.
+The issue came to a head after police said they expected a large rally on Saturday, the anniversary of the end of World War One, prompting fears that counter-protesters would also descend on the capital, leading to violence.
+London police chief Mark Rowley has said any ban would require intelligence of a threat of serious disorder and that so far that threshold had not been crossed.
+RALLYING CRY
+Protesters have gathered in London every weekend to demand a halt to Israel's aerial and ground offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza, with around 100,000 the largest number marshalled so far.
+While there has been little overt violence, banners appearing to celebrate the cross-border Hamas attack - in which 1,400 Israelis were killed, mainly civilians - have been seen and the chant of ""From the river to the sea"" heard, a pro-Palestinian rallying cry that is viewed by many Jews as antisemitic and calling for Israel's eradication.
+In total since Oct. 7, police say they have arrested nearly 200 people for acts of antisemitism, Islamophobia and public order offences such as letting off fireworks towards officers.
+Sunak has described the march as disrespectful and said he would hold Rowley to account that the remembrance events are safeguarded.
+But he said Britain must remain true to the principles it fought for during two world wars, including the right to peacefully protest and to free speech ""even if we disagree"".
+Braverman, seen as a possible future Conservative Party leader, often takes a harder line than many in her party on issues such as crime and immigration. She recently described being homeless as a ""lifestyle"" choice.
+A government source said Downing Street officials saw a draft of the article and suggested changes that were not incorporated.
+Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said Sunak was too weak to challenge her, and Yvette Cooper, Labour's shadow home secretary, said Braverman was ""out of control"".
+Some centrist Conservative lawmakers called for her dismissal. Even those on the right-wing of the party said she should be more careful with her language, saying the reference to Northern Ireland would alienate those who held civil rights marches and pro-British Loyalist rallies in the past.
+Neil Basu, a former senior London police officer, said the political criticism could increase the risk of violence.
+""It's somewhat ironic that all of this rhetoric about this march might actually be increasing the intelligence case, to have it banned,"" he told LBC Radio. Two men were arrested for defacing the Cenotaph war memorial with ""Free Palestine"" in the northern English town of Rochdale this week.
+Organisers have said they do not plan to march in London on Sunday Nov. 12 when political leaders join King Charles and members of the military to remember those who have died in war at a sombre annual ceremony.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK's interior minister accuses police of pro-Palestinian bias over marches[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Britain's interior minister escalated a dispute with London's police force on Thursday over the handling of a planned, large pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day, accusing officers of taking a softer stance towards left-wing causes.  Home Secretary Suella Braverman has taken a tough line on the tens of thousands of protesters who have gathered in London since the Hamas group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, calling them ""hate marches"" and ""mobs"" that threaten the Jewish community.
+Her criticism of the police ahead of Saturday deepened tensions with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Downing Street office, which said it had not cleared the comments before publication. Yet a spokesperson said Sunak still had full confidence in Braverman.  ""I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza,"" Braverman, who is on the right of her party and in charge of policing, wrote in The Times. ""They are an assertion of primacy by certain groups - particularly Islamists — of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland. She said there was ""a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters"", citing what she said was the contrasting treatment of anti-lockdown groups during the COVID pandemic, and Black Lives Matters demonstrations.  Critics in opposing parties and her own accuse Braverman of stoking division and undermining the police. They question her commitment to free speech after she asked why some public gatherings should not be banned when they are offensive. The issue came to a head after police said they expected a large rally on Saturday, the anniversary of the end of World War One, prompting fears that counter-protesters would also descend on the capital, leading to violence. London police chief Mark Rowley has said any ban would require intelligence of a threat of serious disorder and that so far that threshold had not been crossed.
+RALLYING CRY
+Protesters have gathered in London every weekend to demand a halt to Israel's aerial and ground offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza, with around 100,000 the largest number marshalled so far. While there has been little overt violence, banners appearing to celebrate the cross-border Hamas attack - in which 1,400 Israelis were killed, mainly civilians - have been seen and the chant of ""From the river to the sea"" heard, a pro-Palestinian rallying cry that is viewed by many Jews as antisemitic and calling for Israel's eradication."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-government-accuses-police-pro-palestinian-bias-over-marches-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK's interior minister accuses police of pro-Palestinian bias over marches[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Britain's interior minister escalated a dispute with London's police force on Thursday over the handling of a planned, large pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day, accusing officers of taking a softer stance towards left-wing causes.
+Home Secretary Suella Braverman has taken a tough line on the tens of thousands of protesters who have gathered in London since the Hamas group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, calling them ""hate marches"" and ""mobs"" that threaten the Jewish community.
+Her criticism of the police ahead of Saturday deepened tensions with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Downing Street office, which said it had not cleared the comments before publication. Yet a spokesperson said Sunak still had full confidence in Braverman.
+""I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza,"" Braverman, who is on the right of her party and in charge of policing, wrote in The Times. ""They are an assertion of primacy by certain groups - particularly Islamists — of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland.
+She said there was ""a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters"", citing what she said was the contrasting treatment of anti-lockdown groups during the COVID pandemic, and Black Lives Matters demonstrations.
+Critics in opposing parties and her own accuse Braverman of stoking division and undermining the police. They question her commitment to free speech after she asked why some public gatherings should not be banned when they are offensive.
+The issue came to a head after police said they expected a large rally on Saturday, the anniversary of the end of World War One, prompting fears that counter-protesters would also descend on the capital, leading to violence.
+London police chief Mark Rowley has said any ban would require intelligence of a threat of serious disorder and that so far that threshold had not been crossed.
+RALLYING CRY
+Protesters have gathered in London every weekend to demand a halt to Israel's aerial and ground offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza, with around 100,000 the largest number marshalled so far.
+While there has been little overt violence, banners appearing to celebrate the cross-border Hamas attack - in which 1,400 Israelis were killed, mainly civilians - have been seen and the chant of ""From the river to the sea"" heard, a pro-Palestinian rallying cry that is viewed by many Jews as antisemitic and calling for Israel's eradication.
+In total since Oct. 7, police say they have arrested nearly 200 people for acts of antisemitism, Islamophobia and public order offences such as letting off fireworks towards officers.
+Sunak has described the march as disrespectful and said he would hold Rowley to account that the remembrance events are safeguarded.
+But he said Britain must remain true to the principles it fought for during two world wars, including the right to peacefully protest and to free speech ""even if we disagree"".
+Braverman, seen as a possible future Conservative Party leader, often takes a harder line than many in her party on issues such as crime and immigration. She recently described being homeless as a ""lifestyle"" choice.
+A government source said Downing Street officials saw a draft of the article and suggested changes that were not incorporated.
+Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said Sunak was too weak to challenge her, and Yvette Cooper, Labour's shadow home secretary, said Braverman was ""out of control"".
+Some centrist Conservative lawmakers called for her dismissal. Even those on the right-wing of the party said she should be more careful with her language, saying the reference to Northern Ireland would alienate those who held civil rights marches and pro-British Loyalist rallies in the past.
+Neil Basu, a former senior London police officer, said the political criticism could increase the risk of violence.
+""It's somewhat ironic that all of this rhetoric about this march might actually be increasing the intelligence case, to have it banned,"" he told LBC Radio. Two men were arrested for defacing the Cenotaph war memorial with ""Free Palestine"" in the northern English town of Rochdale this week.
+Organisers have said they do not plan to march in London on Sunday Nov. 12 when political leaders join King Charles and members of the military to remember those who have died in war at a sombre annual ceremony.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In total since Oct. 7, police say they have arrested nearly 200 people for acts of antisemitism, Islamophobia and public order offences such as letting off fireworks towards officers. Sunak has described the march as disrespectful and said he would hold Rowley to account that the remembrance events are safeguarded. But he said Britain must remain true to the principles it fought for during two world wars, including the right to peacefully protest and to free speech ""even if we disagree"".  Braverman, seen as a possible future Conservative Party leader, often takes a harder line than many in her party on issues such as crime and immigration. She recently described being homeless as a ""lifestyle"" choice. A government source said Downing Street officials saw a draft of the article and suggested changes that were not incorporated.
+Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said Sunak was too weak to challenge her, and Yvette Cooper, Labour's shadow home secretary, said Braverman was ""out of control"".  Some centrist Conservative lawmakers called for her dismissal. Even those on the right-wing of the party said she should be more careful with her language, saying the reference to Northern Ireland would alienate those who held civil rights marches and pro-British Loyalist rallies in the past. Neil Basu, a former senior London police officer, said the political criticism could increase the risk of violence.  ""It's somewhat ironic that all of this rhetoric about this march might actually be increasing the intelligence case, to have it banned,"" he told LBC Radio. Two men were arrested for defacing the Cenotaph war memorial with ""Free Palestine"" in the northern English town of Rochdale this week. Organisers have said they do not plan to march in London on Sunday Nov. 12 when political leaders join King Charles and members of the military to remember those who have died in war at a sombre annual ceremony.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/gaza-activist-speaking-tour-france-detained-awaiting-deportation-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza activist on speaking tour in France detained, awaiting deportation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Palestinian activist Mariam Abudaqa, who came to France for a speaking tour in September, was taken into custody on Wednesday night in Paris after a court approved her deportation, her lawyer said.
+Wednesday's ruling by the Conseil d'Etat, France's highest administrative court, said 72-year-old Abudaqa, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), was ""likely to seriously disturb public order.""
+Abudaqa, who had been put under house arrest for four days in October, had said she planned to leave Paris for Egypt on Saturday.
+She is currently being held in a police station in Paris, her lawyer said. Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+The French government has cracked down on expressions of solidarity with Palestine in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants who killed 1,400 people according to Israeli tallies. Some protests have been banned and events cancelled, and French authorities have accused some pro-Palestine groups of condoning terrorism.
+More than 10,000 people have been killed in Hamas-controlled Gaza by Israel's retaliatory assault on the enclave, according to health officials there. Abudaqa said she had lost 30 members of her family since the beginning of the war.
+""We are supposed to die without even saying ouch, without expressing pain,"" Abudaqa said at a news conference on Tuesday.
+The anti-occupation and women's rights activist had been invited to speak at the French national assembly at an event on Thursday, but her participation was blocked in October by the Assembly president.
+The Conseil d'Etat based its ruling on Abudaqa's membership of the PFLP, stating that she occupies a ""leadership"" position.
+The PFLP is the second largest faction in the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which is recognised by the UN and Israel, but is blacklisted by the EU and has carried out attacks on Israelis.
+Pierre Stambul, activist with the Union of French Jews for Peace which supported Abudaqa's challenge in court, said she hadn't held a senior position in the group for more than twenty years.
+The decision is a ""continuation of the criminalisation of the Palestinian population"", he said.
+The interior minister's office did not respond for comment.
+Abudaqa said she has trouble sleeping as Israeli strikes on Gaza continue and has become scared of checking her phone, for fear of more bad news.
+""Death is much easier than staying here, while my heart aches for them. Or having to receive news every day of one of them dying,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza activist on speaking tour in France detained, awaiting deportation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Palestinian activist Mariam Abudaqa, who came to France for a speaking tour in September, was taken into custody on Wednesday night in Paris after a court approved her deportation, her lawyer said. Wednesday's ruling by the Conseil d'Etat, France's highest administrative court, said 72-year-old Abudaqa, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), was ""likely to seriously disturb public order."" Abudaqa, who had been put under house arrest for four days in October, had said she planned to leave Paris for Egypt on Saturday. She is currently being held in a police station in Paris, her lawyer said. Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The French government has cracked down on expressions of solidarity with Palestine in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants who killed 1,400 people according to Israeli tallies. Some protests have been banned and events cancelled, and French authorities have accused some pro-Palestine groups of condoning terrorism. More than 10,000 people have been killed in Hamas-controlled Gaza by Israel's retaliatory assault on the enclave, according to health officials there. Abudaqa said she had lost 30 members of her family since the beginning of the war. ""We are supposed to die without even saying ouch, without expressing pain,"" Abudaqa said at a news conference on Tuesday. The anti-occupation and women's rights activist had been invited to speak at the French national assembly at an event on Thursday, but her participation was blocked in October by the Assembly president. The Conseil d'Etat based its ruling on Abudaqa's membership of the PFLP, stating that she occupies a ""leadership"" position. The PFLP is the second largest faction in the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which is recognised by the UN and Israel, but is blacklisted by the EU and has carried out attacks on Israelis. Pierre Stambul, activist with the Union of French Jews for Peace which supported Abudaqa's challenge in court, said she hadn't held a senior position in the group for more than twenty years. The decision is a ""continuation of the criminalisation of the Palestinian population"", he said. The interior minister's office did not respond for comment.  Abudaqa said she has trouble sleeping as Israeli strikes on Gaza continue and has become scared of checking her phone, for fear of more bad news.
+""Death is much easier than staying here, while my heart aches for them."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/gaza-activist-speaking-tour-france-detained-awaiting-deportation-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza activist on speaking tour in France detained, awaiting deportation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Palestinian activist Mariam Abudaqa, who came to France for a speaking tour in September, was taken into custody on Wednesday night in Paris after a court approved her deportation, her lawyer said.
+Wednesday's ruling by the Conseil d'Etat, France's highest administrative court, said 72-year-old Abudaqa, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), was ""likely to seriously disturb public order.""
+Abudaqa, who had been put under house arrest for four days in October, had said she planned to leave Paris for Egypt on Saturday.
+She is currently being held in a police station in Paris, her lawyer said. Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+The French government has cracked down on expressions of solidarity with Palestine in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants who killed 1,400 people according to Israeli tallies. Some protests have been banned and events cancelled, and French authorities have accused some pro-Palestine groups of condoning terrorism.
+More than 10,000 people have been killed in Hamas-controlled Gaza by Israel's retaliatory assault on the enclave, according to health officials there. Abudaqa said she had lost 30 members of her family since the beginning of the war.
+""We are supposed to die without even saying ouch, without expressing pain,"" Abudaqa said at a news conference on Tuesday.
+The anti-occupation and women's rights activist had been invited to speak at the French national assembly at an event on Thursday, but her participation was blocked in October by the Assembly president.
+The Conseil d'Etat based its ruling on Abudaqa's membership of the PFLP, stating that she occupies a ""leadership"" position.
+The PFLP is the second largest faction in the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which is recognised by the UN and Israel, but is blacklisted by the EU and has carried out attacks on Israelis.
+Pierre Stambul, activist with the Union of French Jews for Peace which supported Abudaqa's challenge in court, said she hadn't held a senior position in the group for more than twenty years.
+The decision is a ""continuation of the criminalisation of the Palestinian population"", he said.
+The interior minister's office did not respond for comment.
+Abudaqa said she has trouble sleeping as Israeli strikes on Gaza continue and has become scared of checking her phone, for fear of more bad news.
+""Death is much easier than staying here, while my heart aches for them. Or having to receive news every day of one of them dying,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Or having to receive news every day of one of them dying,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/australia-coach-arnold-calls-up-uncapped-yengi-2026-qualifiers-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia coach Arnold to give A-League hopefuls time to impress[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Australia coach Graham Arnold is far from settled on his Asian Cup squad and will give home-based players more time to prove themselves and show form in the A-League.
+Arnold included Melbourne City striker Jamie Maclaren in his squad on Thursday for the Socceroos' opening World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh and Palestine, one of only four A-League players in the 23.
+Though his immediate focus is on Bangladesh in Melbourne in a week's time, Arnold said he would sit back and watch the domestic league before shaping his roster for the Jan. 12 - Feb. 10 Asian Cup in Qatar.
+""The A-League's only three games in and then they're going to have another 10-day break for a FIFA (international) window, which is great because then the players are free for that,"" he told reporters at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
+""I've pretty much just gone the last six months with overseas-based players because the A-League hasn't been playing.
+""It's hard to speak to the players about that because then you're taking away their opportunity to play for the nation.
+""But they've got the time now to show me before the Asian Cup.""
+Having won two games to reach the last 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the nation's best showing at the global showpiece, Australia kick off a 16-game stretch to earn a spot at the 2026 finals in North America against world number 183 Bangladesh.
+The Socceroos then play Palestine five days later in Kuwait, the Gulf nation hosting the match due to the Israel-Hamas war.
+Arnold said he had ""complete trust and faith"" in governing body Football Australia, which agreed to the neutral venue.
+""That was a conversation obviously with the FA and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) and Palestine because it's their home game,"" he said.
+He also shrugged off concerns that the crowd in Kuwait could throw their support behind the Palestine team and create a more hostile atmosphere for the Socceroos.
+""We will be ready for that,"" Arnold said.
+Australia start the qualifying cycle with a young squad lacking a single player competing in the top European leagues.
+Midfield stalwarts Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic have retired, while experienced defender Milos Degenek was not included because of a lack of minutes at Red Star Belgrade, along with Italy-based midfielder Ajdin Hrustic.
+Melbourne City winger Mathew Leckie is also out injured.
+Arnold included uncapped striker Kusini Yengi, who has been among the goals for English third tier club Portsmouth since crossing from A-League side Western Sydney in the off-season.
+The 24-year-old Yengi is one of only two uncapped players, the other being Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer, who joins rookie keeper Joe Gauci in the Mat Ryan-captained squad.
+""Time changes things,"" said Arnold.
+""It's important we build younger players and give them the opportunity.
+""It's not just about today, it's also about the future.""
+Australia squad:
+Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan (capt), Joe Gauci, Ashley Maynard-Brewer
+Defenders: Aziz Behich, Jordy Bos, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Lewis Miller, Kye Rowles, Harry Souttar, Ryan Strain
+Midfielders: Keanu Baccus, Jackson Irvine, Massimo Luongo, Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O'Neill
+Forwards: Brandon Borrello, Martin Boyle, Mitch Duke, Craig Goodwin, Jamie Maclaren, Sam Silvera, Kusini Yengi[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia coach Arnold to give A-League hopefuls time to impress[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Australia coach Graham Arnold is far from settled on his Asian Cup squad and will give home-based players more time to prove themselves and show form in the A-League. Arnold included Melbourne City striker Jamie Maclaren in his squad on Thursday for the Socceroos' opening World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh and Palestine, one of only four A-League players in the 23. Though his immediate focus is on Bangladesh in Melbourne in a week's time, Arnold said he would sit back and watch the domestic league before shaping his roster for the Jan. 12 - Feb. 10 Asian Cup in Qatar. ""The A-League's only three games in and then they're going to have another 10-day break for a FIFA (international) window, which is great because then the players are free for that,"" he told reporters at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. ""I've pretty much just gone the last six months with overseas-based players because the A-League hasn't been playing.
+"" It's hard to speak to the players about that because then you're taking away their opportunity to play for the nation. ""But they've got the time now to show me before the Asian Cup.""
+Having won two games to reach the last 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the nation's best showing at the global showpiece, Australia kick off a 16-game stretch to earn a spot at the 2026 finals in North America against world number 183 Bangladesh. The Socceroos then play Palestine five days later in Kuwait, the Gulf nation hosting the match due to the Israel-Hamas war. Arnold said he had ""complete trust and faith"" in governing body Football Australia, which agreed to the neutral venue. ""That was a conversation obviously with the FA and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) and Palestine because it's their home game,"" he said. He also shrugged off concerns that the crowd in Kuwait could throw their support behind the Palestine team and create a more hostile atmosphere for the Socceroos.
+""We will be ready for that,"" Arnold said. Australia start the qualifying cycle with a young squad lacking a single player competing in the top European leagues. Midfield stalwarts Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic have retired, while experienced defender Milos Degenek was not included because of a lack of minutes at Red Star Belgrade, along with Italy-based midfielder Ajdin Hrustic. Melbourne City winger Mathew Leckie is also out injured."
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/australia-coach-arnold-calls-up-uncapped-yengi-2026-qualifiers-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia coach Arnold to give A-League hopefuls time to impress[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Australia coach Graham Arnold is far from settled on his Asian Cup squad and will give home-based players more time to prove themselves and show form in the A-League.
+Arnold included Melbourne City striker Jamie Maclaren in his squad on Thursday for the Socceroos' opening World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh and Palestine, one of only four A-League players in the 23.
+Though his immediate focus is on Bangladesh in Melbourne in a week's time, Arnold said he would sit back and watch the domestic league before shaping his roster for the Jan. 12 - Feb. 10 Asian Cup in Qatar.
+""The A-League's only three games in and then they're going to have another 10-day break for a FIFA (international) window, which is great because then the players are free for that,"" he told reporters at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
+""I've pretty much just gone the last six months with overseas-based players because the A-League hasn't been playing.
+""It's hard to speak to the players about that because then you're taking away their opportunity to play for the nation.
+""But they've got the time now to show me before the Asian Cup.""
+Having won two games to reach the last 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the nation's best showing at the global showpiece, Australia kick off a 16-game stretch to earn a spot at the 2026 finals in North America against world number 183 Bangladesh.
+The Socceroos then play Palestine five days later in Kuwait, the Gulf nation hosting the match due to the Israel-Hamas war.
+Arnold said he had ""complete trust and faith"" in governing body Football Australia, which agreed to the neutral venue.
+""That was a conversation obviously with the FA and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) and Palestine because it's their home game,"" he said.
+He also shrugged off concerns that the crowd in Kuwait could throw their support behind the Palestine team and create a more hostile atmosphere for the Socceroos.
+""We will be ready for that,"" Arnold said.
+Australia start the qualifying cycle with a young squad lacking a single player competing in the top European leagues.
+Midfield stalwarts Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic have retired, while experienced defender Milos Degenek was not included because of a lack of minutes at Red Star Belgrade, along with Italy-based midfielder Ajdin Hrustic.
+Melbourne City winger Mathew Leckie is also out injured.
+Arnold included uncapped striker Kusini Yengi, who has been among the goals for English third tier club Portsmouth since crossing from A-League side Western Sydney in the off-season.
+The 24-year-old Yengi is one of only two uncapped players, the other being Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer, who joins rookie keeper Joe Gauci in the Mat Ryan-captained squad.
+""Time changes things,"" said Arnold.
+""It's important we build younger players and give them the opportunity.
+""It's not just about today, it's also about the future.""
+Australia squad:
+Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan (capt), Joe Gauci, Ashley Maynard-Brewer
+Defenders: Aziz Behich, Jordy Bos, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Lewis Miller, Kye Rowles, Harry Souttar, Ryan Strain
+Midfielders: Keanu Baccus, Jackson Irvine, Massimo Luongo, Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O'Neill
+Forwards: Brandon Borrello, Martin Boyle, Mitch Duke, Craig Goodwin, Jamie Maclaren, Sam Silvera, Kusini Yengi[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Arnold included uncapped striker Kusini Yengi, who has been among the goals for English third tier club Portsmouth since crossing from A-League side Western Sydney in the off-season. The 24-year-old Yengi is one of only two uncapped players, the other being Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer, who joins rookie keeper Joe Gauci in the Mat Ryan-captained squad. ""Time changes things,"" said Arnold.  ""It's important we build younger players and give them the opportunity.
+"" It's not just about today, it's also about the future."" Australia squad:
+Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan (capt), Joe Gauci, Ashley Maynard-Brewer
+Defenders: Aziz Behich, Jordy Bos, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Lewis Miller, Kye Rowles, Harry Souttar, Ryan Strain
+Midfielders: Keanu Baccus, Jackson Irvine, Massimo Luongo, Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O'Neill
+Forwards: Brandon Borrello, Martin Boyle, Mitch Duke, Craig Goodwin, Jamie Maclaren, Sam Silvera, Kusini Yengi[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-policeman-set-fire-is-2020-mexico-protest-not-london-2023-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video of policeman set on fire is from 2020 Mexico protest, not London 2023[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A graphic video of a policeman being set on fire at a protest in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2020 has been falsely labeled online as a British policeman being set on fire by pro-Palestinian protesters in London calling for an end to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
+The caption of a social media post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) sharing the dated footage reads: “Savage! The UK is history. Pro Palestine aggressors are brutal animals and they keep inviting them into their country. ‘Aggressive pro-Palestinian protesters set a policeman on fire in London.’””
+The claims were shared as thousands have taken part in multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrations across London in response to the conflict that began on Oct.7 when Hamas militants stormed Israeli towns and killed 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and took more than 240 hostage.
+The clip shared online is unrelated to the London protests, however, and could be traced to a video showing protests in Guadalajara in June 2020, opens new tab (0:25) in which a Mexican police officer was set on fire amid unrest over alleged police brutality after the death of a local man in custody.
+The scene in the video shows Guadalajara’s Zona Centro, at Av. Juárez 354, with the exact location visible on Google Steet View, opens new tab.
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. A video shows a police officer set ablaze by protesters in Mexico in June 2020, not pro-Palestine protesters in London in 2023.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video of policeman set on fire is from 2020 Mexico protest, not London 2023[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A graphic video of a policeman being set on fire at a protest in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2020 has been falsely labeled online as a British policeman being set on fire by pro-Palestinian protesters in London calling for an end to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.  The caption of a social media post, opens new tab (archived, opens new tab) sharing the dated footage reads: “Savage! The UK is history. Pro Palestine aggressors are brutal animals and they keep inviting them into their country. ‘Aggressive pro-Palestinian protesters set a policeman on fire in London.’” ”
+The claims were shared as thousands have taken part in multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrations across London in response to the conflict that began on Oct.7 when Hamas militants stormed Israeli towns and killed 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and took more than 240 hostage. The clip shared online is unrelated to the London protests, however, and could be traced to a video showing protests in Guadalajara in June 2020, opens new tab (0:25) in which a Mexican police officer was set on fire amid unrest over alleged police brutality after the death of a local man in custody.  The scene in the video shows Guadalajara’s Zona Centro, at Av. Juárez 354, with the exact location visible on Google Steet View, opens new tab.
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. A video shows a police officer set ablaze by protesters in Mexico in June 2020, not pro-Palestine protesters in London in 2023.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-calls-limits-israeli-control-post-war-gaza-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US says Palestinians should govern Gaza after war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Palestinians should govern Gaza once Israel ends its war against Hamas, the United States said on Wednesday, pushing back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's idea that Israel would be responsible for security indefinitely.
+Hamas gunmen from Gaza burst through the border to Israel on Oct. 7 and killed 1,400 people, Israel says. Now a month later, Washington has begun discussing with Israeli and Arab leaders a future for the Gaza Strip without Hamas rule.
+While a plan has yet to emerge, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday outlined in the most comprehensive comments on the issue to date Washington's red lines and expectations for the besieged coastal territory.
+""No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza,"" Blinken said at a press conference in Tokyo.
+Blinken said there may be a need for ""some transition period"" at the end of the conflict, but that post-crisis governance in Gaza must include Palestinian voices.
+""It must include Palestinian-led governance and Gaza unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.""
+On Monday, Netanyahu told ABC News that Israel will ""for an indefinite period"" have security responsibility of the enclave after the war. His comments appeared at odds with U.S. officials who say Israel does not want to administer Gaza post-Hamas.
+""I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, will have the overall security responsibility because we've seen what happens when we don't have that security responsibility,"" Netanyahu said.
+Israeli officials have since tried to clarify they do not intend to occupy Gaza after the war, but they have yet to articulate how they might ensure security without maintaining a military presence. Israel withdrew its forces from Gaza in 2005.
+The Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, says Gaza, where Hamas has ruled since 2007, is an integral part of what it envisions for a future Palestinian state.
+'NOT GOING TO GO TO GAZA ON AN ISRAELI MILITARY TANK'
+But top officials including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas say a PA return to Gaza must be accompanied by a political solution that ends Israel's occupation of territory it captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+""(We) are not going to go to Gaza on an Israeli military tank,"" PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh told PBS this week. ""We are going to go to Gaza as part of a solution that deals with the question of Palestine, that deals with occupation.""
+Hamas took over Gaza after a brief civil war in 2007 with Abbas' Fatah party. Years of reconciliation talks between the rivals failed to reach a breakthrough for resuming PA administration of Gaza. The PA still pays for electricity, water and some civil servant salaries in Gaza.
+Since Oct. 7, more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in a relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip - home to 2.3 million - by Israeli forces, say Palestinian health officials in Gaza. About 40% of those killed are children, they say.
+Arab states, which provide the PA with financial aid, have advocated for an immediate ceasefire but have shown reluctance to discuss a post-war status for Gaza. They say the focus should remain on stopping hostilities.
+But Blinken said the conversation about the future should take place now.
+""Because identifying the longer-term objectives and a pathway to get there will help shape our approach to addressing immediate needs,"" he said.
+Since conflict broke out, the Biden administration has reasserted its support for a solution based on Israeli and Palestinian states side by side but has yet to outline a path to reviving long-stalled peace talks, the last round of which broke down in 2014.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said ""best-case scenario"" would be a ""hopefully re-invigorated"" Palestinian Authority assuming some political control over Gaza.
+White House spokesperson John Kirby said Washington and its partners were still discussing what a Gaza governance structure might look like.
+""We believe that the Palestinians should be in charge of their future and they should be the determining voice and factor in their future,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US says Palestinians should govern Gaza after war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Palestinians should govern Gaza once Israel ends its war against Hamas, the United States said on Wednesday, pushing back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's idea that Israel would be responsible for security indefinitely.  Hamas gunmen from Gaza burst through the border to Israel on Oct. 7 and killed 1,400 people, Israel says. Now a month later, Washington has begun discussing with Israeli and Arab leaders a future for the Gaza Strip without Hamas rule. While a plan has yet to emerge, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday outlined in the most comprehensive comments on the issue to date Washington's red lines and expectations for the besieged coastal territory. ""No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza,"" Blinken said at a press conference in Tokyo. Blinken said there may be a need for ""some transition period"" at the end of the conflict, but that post-crisis governance in Gaza must include Palestinian voices.
+"" It must include Palestinian-led governance and Gaza unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.""  On Monday, Netanyahu told ABC News that Israel will ""for an indefinite period"" have security responsibility of the enclave after the war. His comments appeared at odds with U.S. officials who say Israel does not want to administer Gaza post-Hamas. ""I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, will have the overall security responsibility because we've seen what happens when we don't have that security responsibility,"" Netanyahu said.  Israeli officials have since tried to clarify they do not intend to occupy Gaza after the war, but they have yet to articulate how they might ensure security without maintaining a military presence. Israel withdrew its forces from Gaza in 2005. The Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, says Gaza, where Hamas has ruled since 2007, is an integral part of what it envisions for a future Palestinian state. 'NOT GOING TO GO TO GAZA ON AN ISRAELI MILITARY TANK'
+But top officials including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas say a PA return to Gaza must be accompanied by a political solution that ends Israel's occupation of territory it captured in the 1967 Middle East war.  ""(We) are not going to go to Gaza on an Israeli military tank,"" PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh told PBS this week."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-calls-limits-israeli-control-post-war-gaza-2023-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US says Palestinians should govern Gaza after war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Palestinians should govern Gaza once Israel ends its war against Hamas, the United States said on Wednesday, pushing back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's idea that Israel would be responsible for security indefinitely.
+Hamas gunmen from Gaza burst through the border to Israel on Oct. 7 and killed 1,400 people, Israel says. Now a month later, Washington has begun discussing with Israeli and Arab leaders a future for the Gaza Strip without Hamas rule.
+While a plan has yet to emerge, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday outlined in the most comprehensive comments on the issue to date Washington's red lines and expectations for the besieged coastal territory.
+""No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza,"" Blinken said at a press conference in Tokyo.
+Blinken said there may be a need for ""some transition period"" at the end of the conflict, but that post-crisis governance in Gaza must include Palestinian voices.
+""It must include Palestinian-led governance and Gaza unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.""
+On Monday, Netanyahu told ABC News that Israel will ""for an indefinite period"" have security responsibility of the enclave after the war. His comments appeared at odds with U.S. officials who say Israel does not want to administer Gaza post-Hamas.
+""I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, will have the overall security responsibility because we've seen what happens when we don't have that security responsibility,"" Netanyahu said.
+Israeli officials have since tried to clarify they do not intend to occupy Gaza after the war, but they have yet to articulate how they might ensure security without maintaining a military presence. Israel withdrew its forces from Gaza in 2005.
+The Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, says Gaza, where Hamas has ruled since 2007, is an integral part of what it envisions for a future Palestinian state.
+'NOT GOING TO GO TO GAZA ON AN ISRAELI MILITARY TANK'
+But top officials including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas say a PA return to Gaza must be accompanied by a political solution that ends Israel's occupation of territory it captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+""(We) are not going to go to Gaza on an Israeli military tank,"" PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh told PBS this week. ""We are going to go to Gaza as part of a solution that deals with the question of Palestine, that deals with occupation.""
+Hamas took over Gaza after a brief civil war in 2007 with Abbas' Fatah party. Years of reconciliation talks between the rivals failed to reach a breakthrough for resuming PA administration of Gaza. The PA still pays for electricity, water and some civil servant salaries in Gaza.
+Since Oct. 7, more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in a relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip - home to 2.3 million - by Israeli forces, say Palestinian health officials in Gaza. About 40% of those killed are children, they say.
+Arab states, which provide the PA with financial aid, have advocated for an immediate ceasefire but have shown reluctance to discuss a post-war status for Gaza. They say the focus should remain on stopping hostilities.
+But Blinken said the conversation about the future should take place now.
+""Because identifying the longer-term objectives and a pathway to get there will help shape our approach to addressing immediate needs,"" he said.
+Since conflict broke out, the Biden administration has reasserted its support for a solution based on Israeli and Palestinian states side by side but has yet to outline a path to reviving long-stalled peace talks, the last round of which broke down in 2014.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said ""best-case scenario"" would be a ""hopefully re-invigorated"" Palestinian Authority assuming some political control over Gaza.
+White House spokesperson John Kirby said Washington and its partners were still discussing what a Gaza governance structure might look like.
+""We believe that the Palestinians should be in charge of their future and they should be the determining voice and factor in their future,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""We are going to go to Gaza as part of a solution that deals with the question of Palestine, that deals with occupation. ""  Hamas took over Gaza after a brief civil war in 2007 with Abbas' Fatah party. Years of reconciliation talks between the rivals failed to reach a breakthrough for resuming PA administration of Gaza. The PA still pays for electricity, water and some civil servant salaries in Gaza. Since Oct. 7, more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in a relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip - home to 2.3 million - by Israeli forces, say Palestinian health officials in Gaza. About 40% of those killed are children, they say.  Arab states, which provide the PA with financial aid, have advocated for an immediate ceasefire but have shown reluctance to discuss a post-war status for Gaza. They say the focus should remain on stopping hostilities. But Blinken said the conversation about the future should take place now.
+""Because identifying the longer-term objectives and a pathway to get there will help shape our approach to addressing immediate needs,"" he said. Since conflict broke out, the Biden administration has reasserted its support for a solution based on Israeli and Palestinian states side by side but has yet to outline a path to reviving long-stalled peace talks, the last round of which broke down in 2014. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said ""best-case scenario"" would be a ""hopefully re-invigorated"" Palestinian Authority assuming some political control over Gaza.  White House spokesperson John Kirby said Washington and its partners were still discussing what a Gaza governance structure might look like.
+"" We believe that the Palestinians should be in charge of their future and they should be the determining voice and factor in their future,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/gaza-activist-speaking-tour-france-faces-deportation-2023-11-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza activist on speaking tour in France faces deportation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Nov 7 (Reuters) - A French court has approved the deportation of Palestinian activist Mariam Abudaqa, who came to France for a speaking tour in September and was put under house arrest after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
+The ruling, which overturns a court decision last month that the interior minister appealed, said 72-year-old Abudaqa, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), was ""likely to seriously disturb public order.""
+The French government has cracked down on expressions of solidarity with Palestine in the wake of Hamas's Oct. 7 attack which killed 1,400 people, banning protests, cancelling events and accusing some pro-Palestine groups of condoning terrorism.
+More than 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israel's retaliatory assault on the enclave. Abudaqa said she had lost 30 members of her family since the beginning of the war.
+""We are supposed to die without even saying ouch, without expressing pain,"" said Abudaqa of her arrest and speaking ban on Tuesday before the court decision came.
+The anti-occupation and women's rights activist had been invited to speak at the French national assembly at an event on Thursday, but her participation was blocked in October by the Assembly president.
+The Conseil d'Etat, France's highest administrative court, based its ruling on Abudaqa's membership of the PFLP, stating that she occupies a ""leadership"" position.
+The PFLP is the second largest faction in the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which is recognised by the UN and Israel, but is blacklisted by the EU and has carried out attacks on Israelis.
+Pierre Stambul, activist with the Union of French Jews for Peace which supported Abudaqa's challenge in court, said she hadn't held a senior position in the group for more than twenty years.
+The decision is a ""continuation of the criminalisation of the Palestinian population"", he said.
+The interior minister's office did not respond for comment.
+The court ruling does not specify by what date Abudaqa must leave and where she must go. Abudaqa said she plans to fly to Egypt on Saturday and hopes the border crossing will open so that she can return to Gaza.
+She said she had trouble sleeping as Israeli strikes on Gaza continue and has become scared of checking her phone, for fear of more bad news.
+""Death is much easier than staying here, while my heart aches for them. Or having to receive news everyday of one of them dying,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza activist on speaking tour in France faces deportation[/TITLE] [CONTENT]PARIS, Nov 7 (Reuters) - A French court has approved the deportation of Palestinian activist Mariam Abudaqa, who came to France for a speaking tour in September and was put under house arrest after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants. The ruling, which overturns a court decision last month that the interior minister appealed, said 72-year-old Abudaqa, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), was ""likely to seriously disturb public order."" The French government has cracked down on expressions of solidarity with Palestine in the wake of Hamas's Oct. 7 attack which killed 1,400 people, banning protests, cancelling events and accusing some pro-Palestine groups of condoning terrorism. More than 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israel's retaliatory assault on the enclave. Abudaqa said she had lost 30 members of her family since the beginning of the war. ""We are supposed to die without even saying ouch, without expressing pain,"" said Abudaqa of her arrest and speaking ban on Tuesday before the court decision came. The anti-occupation and women's rights activist had been invited to speak at the French national assembly at an event on Thursday, but her participation was blocked in October by the Assembly president. The Conseil d'Etat, France's highest administrative court, based its ruling on Abudaqa's membership of the PFLP, stating that she occupies a ""leadership"" position. The PFLP is the second largest faction in the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which is recognised by the UN and Israel, but is blacklisted by the EU and has carried out attacks on Israelis. Pierre Stambul, activist with the Union of French Jews for Peace which supported Abudaqa's challenge in court, said she hadn't held a senior position in the group for more than twenty years. The decision is a ""continuation of the criminalisation of the Palestinian population"", he said. The interior minister's office did not respond for comment. The court ruling does not specify by what date Abudaqa must leave and where she must go. Abudaqa said she plans to fly to Egypt on Saturday and hopes the border crossing will open so that she can return to Gaza. She said she had trouble sleeping as Israeli strikes on Gaza continue and has become scared of checking her phone, for fear of more bad news.
+""Death is much easier than staying here, while my heart aches for them. Or having to receive news everyday of one of them dying,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-president-scheduled-meet-us-president-biden-this-month-2023-11-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Indonesian president to meet Biden at White House on Monday[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/JAKARTA, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo will meet U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House next week for talks on regional security and clean-energy transition, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.
+Jean-Pierre told a news briefing the meeting would take pace on Monday, confirming an earlier Reuters report.
+She said the two would discuss ways to uphold international law and ensure a free-and-open Indo-Pacific, a reference Washington uses to describe its efforts to push back against China's growing power and influence in the region.
+""During the visit, President Biden will reaffirm the United States' commitment to deepening our nearly 75-year-long partnership between the world's second and third largest democracies,"" she said.
+Jean-Pierre said the two leaders would also explore opportunities to enhance cooperation on the transition to clean energy, to advance economic prosperity, and to bolster regional peace and stability.
+Jokowi, as the Indonesian president is known, is scheduled to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco from Nov. 15-17.
+Plans for the Washington meeting were first announced in September after Biden disappointed Indonesia by not attending a summit with Southeast Asian leaders in Jakarta in August and sent Vice President Kamala Harris instead.
+Indonesia is the most populous country in Southeast Asia and an important regional partner for Washington.
+While China is a key economic partner for Indonesia, Jakarta has also become a big buyer of U.S. arms, and regional experts expect the two sides to discuss bolstering security ties next week in Washington.
+They are also keen to advance cooperation on critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries, although this has met some resistance, opens new tab in the U.S. Congress.
+The Middle East war also presents an awkward backdrop, with Indonesia the world's largest secular Muslim majority nation and the United States Israel's main ally.
+Indonesia has joined a chorus of international condemnation of Israel's invasion of Gaza following Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and has called for an immediate ceasefire. On Tuesday, Widodo said Indonesia's support for Palestine would ""never waver.""
+On Monday, the Financial Times quoted the Indonesian leader as calling on the U.S. and other Western countries to release a promised $20 billion to finance Indonesia's green energy transition and to do more to support its critical minerals industry.
+The paper quoted Widodo as saying in an interview that there was ""tremendous"" concern in Indonesia over delay of the funds, which Washington and its G7 partners promised a year ago to help accelerate the closure of Indonesia's coal-powered plants.
+""Don’t question Indonesia’s commitment towards (the) energy transition. What I’m questioning is the commitment of the developed states,"" Widodo said.
+""Indonesia has walked the talk. We have even gone so far as developing the electric vehicle industry to support green energy,"" he said, while adding he was confident that Western financing would materialize.
+Plans to reduce the use of coal in Indonesia and Vietnam with financial support from Western donors have faced teething problems, which could have implications for the prospects of richer countries helping poorer ones shift to cleaner energy, a key priority for Biden's administration.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Indonesian president to meet Biden at White House on Monday[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/JAKARTA, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo will meet U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House next week for talks on regional security and clean-energy transition, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. Jean-Pierre told a news briefing the meeting would take pace on Monday, confirming an earlier Reuters report.
+She said the two would discuss ways to uphold international law and ensure a free-and-open Indo-Pacific, a reference Washington uses to describe its efforts to push back against China's growing power and influence in the region.
+""During the visit, President Biden will reaffirm the United States' commitment to deepening our nearly 75-year-long partnership between the world's second and third largest democracies,"" she said. Jean-Pierre said the two leaders would also explore opportunities to enhance cooperation on the transition to clean energy, to advance economic prosperity, and to bolster regional peace and stability. Jokowi, as the Indonesian president is known, is scheduled to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco from Nov. 15-17. Plans for the Washington meeting were first announced in September after Biden disappointed Indonesia by not attending a summit with Southeast Asian leaders in Jakarta in August and sent Vice President Kamala Harris instead.
+Indonesia is the most populous country in Southeast Asia and an important regional partner for Washington. While China is a key economic partner for Indonesia, Jakarta has also become a big buyer of U.S. arms, and regional experts expect the two sides to discuss bolstering security ties next week in Washington. They are also keen to advance cooperation on critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries, although this has met some resistance, opens new tab in the U.S. Congress. The Middle East war also presents an awkward backdrop, with Indonesia the world's largest secular Muslim majority nation and the United States Israel's main ally.  Indonesia has joined a chorus of international condemnation of Israel's invasion of Gaza following Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and has called for an immediate ceasefire. On Tuesday, Widodo said Indonesia's support for Palestine would ""never waver."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-president-scheduled-meet-us-president-biden-this-month-2023-11-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Indonesian president to meet Biden at White House on Monday[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/JAKARTA, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo will meet U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House next week for talks on regional security and clean-energy transition, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.
+Jean-Pierre told a news briefing the meeting would take pace on Monday, confirming an earlier Reuters report.
+She said the two would discuss ways to uphold international law and ensure a free-and-open Indo-Pacific, a reference Washington uses to describe its efforts to push back against China's growing power and influence in the region.
+""During the visit, President Biden will reaffirm the United States' commitment to deepening our nearly 75-year-long partnership between the world's second and third largest democracies,"" she said.
+Jean-Pierre said the two leaders would also explore opportunities to enhance cooperation on the transition to clean energy, to advance economic prosperity, and to bolster regional peace and stability.
+Jokowi, as the Indonesian president is known, is scheduled to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco from Nov. 15-17.
+Plans for the Washington meeting were first announced in September after Biden disappointed Indonesia by not attending a summit with Southeast Asian leaders in Jakarta in August and sent Vice President Kamala Harris instead.
+Indonesia is the most populous country in Southeast Asia and an important regional partner for Washington.
+While China is a key economic partner for Indonesia, Jakarta has also become a big buyer of U.S. arms, and regional experts expect the two sides to discuss bolstering security ties next week in Washington.
+They are also keen to advance cooperation on critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries, although this has met some resistance, opens new tab in the U.S. Congress.
+The Middle East war also presents an awkward backdrop, with Indonesia the world's largest secular Muslim majority nation and the United States Israel's main ally.
+Indonesia has joined a chorus of international condemnation of Israel's invasion of Gaza following Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and has called for an immediate ceasefire. On Tuesday, Widodo said Indonesia's support for Palestine would ""never waver.""
+On Monday, the Financial Times quoted the Indonesian leader as calling on the U.S. and other Western countries to release a promised $20 billion to finance Indonesia's green energy transition and to do more to support its critical minerals industry.
+The paper quoted Widodo as saying in an interview that there was ""tremendous"" concern in Indonesia over delay of the funds, which Washington and its G7 partners promised a year ago to help accelerate the closure of Indonesia's coal-powered plants.
+""Don’t question Indonesia’s commitment towards (the) energy transition. What I’m questioning is the commitment of the developed states,"" Widodo said.
+""Indonesia has walked the talk. We have even gone so far as developing the electric vehicle industry to support green energy,"" he said, while adding he was confident that Western financing would materialize.
+Plans to reduce the use of coal in Indonesia and Vietnam with financial support from Western donors have faced teething problems, which could have implications for the prospects of richer countries helping poorer ones shift to cleaner energy, a key priority for Biden's administration.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","On Monday, the Financial Times quoted the Indonesian leader as calling on the U.S. and other Western countries to release a promised $20 billion to finance Indonesia's green energy transition and to do more to support its critical minerals industry.
+The paper quoted Widodo as saying in an interview that there was ""tremendous"" concern in Indonesia over delay of the funds, which Washington and its G7 partners promised a year ago to help accelerate the closure of Indonesia's coal-powered plants. ""Don’t question Indonesia’s commitment towards (the) energy transition. What I’m questioning is the commitment of the developed states,"" Widodo said.  ""Indonesia has walked the talk. We have even gone so far as developing the electric vehicle industry to support green energy,"" he said, while adding he was confident that Western financing would materialize.  Plans to reduce the use of coal in Indonesia and Vietnam with financial support from Western donors have faced teething problems, which could have implications for the prospects of richer countries helping poorer ones shift to cleaner energy, a key priority for Biden's administration.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gazas-main-hospital-becomes-teeming-camp-displaced-people-2023-11-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza's main hospital becomes teeming camp for displaced people[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Crammed under makeshift canvas shelters in the car park, sleeping in corridors or on landings, passing the hours of the day in stairwells, hanging laundry on the roof - thousands of displaced Gazans are filling every space at Al Shifa Hospital.
+The main hospital in Gaza City has turned into a giant refuge for people whose homes have been bombarded, or who fear that they will be, in Israel's military assault on the Gaza Strip, which is entering its second month.
+""We ran from our house because of the heavy air strikes,"" said Um Haitham Hejela, a woman sheltering with young children in an improvised tent fashioned from fabric, string and mats.
+""The situation is getting worse day after day,"" she said. ""There is no food, no water. When my son goes to pick up water, he queues for three or four hours in the line. They struck bakeries, we don't have bread.""
+Reuters journalists visiting the hospital on Tuesday saw people lying on both sides of corridors, leaving only a narrow space for anyone to walk, personal belongings stored in staircases and on window sills, and piles of refuse bags. The overwhelming impression was of extreme crowding.
+The situation is not unique to Al Shifa. The World Health Organization estimates 122,000 displaced Gazans are sheltering in hospitals, churches and other public buildings across the strip, with a further 827,000 in schools.
+The war was triggered by an Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas fighters who killed 1,400 people and took 240 others hostage. In response, Israel has mounted an air, sea and ground onslaught against Hamas which has killed more than 10,000 people in the densely populated coastal strip, according to officials in Gaza.
+'FROM FEAR INTO FEAR'
+For hospitals, the displacement crisis is compounding an already catastrophic situation, with shortages of medical supplies and electricity as huge numbers of gravely injured patients arrive daily. Staff are resorting to desperate measures, such as performing surgery without anaesthetics.
+At Al Shifa, displaced people said they had come seeking safety, but did not feel safe because of nearby air strikes and the approaching Israeli military. Israel has said its forces had surrounded Gaza City.
+The Israeli military has accused the Islamist movement Hamas of hiding tunnel entrances and operational centres inside Al Shifa, which Hamas has denied.
+""We have run from fear into fear,"" said Um Lama, a grieving mother sheltering in a corridor with several children and older relatives.
+Her daughter Lama was among those killed by a strike on an ambulance just outside the hospital gate on Friday. The hospital director said 15 people had been killed and 60 injured.
+Israel said it had targeted an ambulance carrying Hamas fighters. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said the ambulance had been one of a convoy of five attempting to evacuate severely wounded people.
+""Look at our situation. Is this a life that we are living? We have no food, no electricity or water. We sleep in the corridors,"" said Um Lama.
+Israel has told Gazans still living in the north of the strip to move to the south, which is also being bombarded though less intensively.
+An Israeli military spokesman was asked at a media briefing on Tuesday about reports of flash bombs going off over Al Shifa overnight.
+""I'm aware that it happened. There was probably some operational requirement,"" he said.
+""We're trying to get people to leave, that's all I can say about that. These are the sorts of messaging for people to try to get out of there.""
+But the women sheltering in the hospital said that despite the dire living conditions and the fear, they had no intention of leaving as they had nowhere to go, and nowhere was safe.
+""We are strong. Whatever they do with us, we won't leave Al Shifa. They cut the water, the electricity, no food, but we are strong. We can eat only biscuits and nuts. We can eat anything,"" said Hejela.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza's main hospital becomes teeming camp for displaced people[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Crammed under makeshift canvas shelters in the car park, sleeping in corridors or on landings, passing the hours of the day in stairwells, hanging laundry on the roof - thousands of displaced Gazans are filling every space at Al Shifa Hospital. The main hospital in Gaza City has turned into a giant refuge for people whose homes have been bombarded, or who fear that they will be, in Israel's military assault on the Gaza Strip, which is entering its second month. ""We ran from our house because of the heavy air strikes,"" said Um Haitham Hejela, a woman sheltering with young children in an improvised tent fashioned from fabric, string and mats.  ""The situation is getting worse day after day,"" she said. ""There is no food, no water. When my son goes to pick up water, he queues for three or four hours in the line. They struck bakeries, we don't have bread.""  Reuters journalists visiting the hospital on Tuesday saw people lying on both sides of corridors, leaving only a narrow space for anyone to walk, personal belongings stored in staircases and on window sills, and piles of refuse bags. The overwhelming impression was of extreme crowding. The situation is not unique to Al Shifa. The World Health Organization estimates 122,000 displaced Gazans are sheltering in hospitals, churches and other public buildings across the strip, with a further 827,000 in schools.  The war was triggered by an Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas fighters who killed 1,400 people and took 240 others hostage. In response, Israel has mounted an air, sea and ground onslaught against Hamas which has killed more than 10,000 people in the densely populated coastal strip, according to officials in Gaza.
+'FROM FEAR INTO FEAR' For hospitals, the displacement crisis is compounding an already catastrophic situation, with shortages of medical supplies and electricity as huge numbers of gravely injured patients arrive daily. Staff are resorting to desperate measures, such as performing surgery without anaesthetics.  At Al Shifa, displaced people said they had come seeking safety, but did not feel safe because of nearby air strikes and the approaching Israeli military. Israel has said its forces had surrounded Gaza City. The Israeli military has accused the Islamist movement Hamas of hiding tunnel entrances and operational centres inside Al Shifa, which Hamas has denied. ""We have run from fear into fear,"" said Um Lama, a grieving mother sheltering in a corridor with several children and older relatives. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gazas-main-hospital-becomes-teeming-camp-displaced-people-2023-11-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza's main hospital becomes teeming camp for displaced people[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Crammed under makeshift canvas shelters in the car park, sleeping in corridors or on landings, passing the hours of the day in stairwells, hanging laundry on the roof - thousands of displaced Gazans are filling every space at Al Shifa Hospital.
+The main hospital in Gaza City has turned into a giant refuge for people whose homes have been bombarded, or who fear that they will be, in Israel's military assault on the Gaza Strip, which is entering its second month.
+""We ran from our house because of the heavy air strikes,"" said Um Haitham Hejela, a woman sheltering with young children in an improvised tent fashioned from fabric, string and mats.
+""The situation is getting worse day after day,"" she said. ""There is no food, no water. When my son goes to pick up water, he queues for three or four hours in the line. They struck bakeries, we don't have bread.""
+Reuters journalists visiting the hospital on Tuesday saw people lying on both sides of corridors, leaving only a narrow space for anyone to walk, personal belongings stored in staircases and on window sills, and piles of refuse bags. The overwhelming impression was of extreme crowding.
+The situation is not unique to Al Shifa. The World Health Organization estimates 122,000 displaced Gazans are sheltering in hospitals, churches and other public buildings across the strip, with a further 827,000 in schools.
+The war was triggered by an Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas fighters who killed 1,400 people and took 240 others hostage. In response, Israel has mounted an air, sea and ground onslaught against Hamas which has killed more than 10,000 people in the densely populated coastal strip, according to officials in Gaza.
+'FROM FEAR INTO FEAR'
+For hospitals, the displacement crisis is compounding an already catastrophic situation, with shortages of medical supplies and electricity as huge numbers of gravely injured patients arrive daily. Staff are resorting to desperate measures, such as performing surgery without anaesthetics.
+At Al Shifa, displaced people said they had come seeking safety, but did not feel safe because of nearby air strikes and the approaching Israeli military. Israel has said its forces had surrounded Gaza City.
+The Israeli military has accused the Islamist movement Hamas of hiding tunnel entrances and operational centres inside Al Shifa, which Hamas has denied.
+""We have run from fear into fear,"" said Um Lama, a grieving mother sheltering in a corridor with several children and older relatives.
+Her daughter Lama was among those killed by a strike on an ambulance just outside the hospital gate on Friday. The hospital director said 15 people had been killed and 60 injured.
+Israel said it had targeted an ambulance carrying Hamas fighters. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said the ambulance had been one of a convoy of five attempting to evacuate severely wounded people.
+""Look at our situation. Is this a life that we are living? We have no food, no electricity or water. We sleep in the corridors,"" said Um Lama.
+Israel has told Gazans still living in the north of the strip to move to the south, which is also being bombarded though less intensively.
+An Israeli military spokesman was asked at a media briefing on Tuesday about reports of flash bombs going off over Al Shifa overnight.
+""I'm aware that it happened. There was probably some operational requirement,"" he said.
+""We're trying to get people to leave, that's all I can say about that. These are the sorts of messaging for people to try to get out of there.""
+But the women sheltering in the hospital said that despite the dire living conditions and the fear, they had no intention of leaving as they had nowhere to go, and nowhere was safe.
+""We are strong. Whatever they do with us, we won't leave Al Shifa. They cut the water, the electricity, no food, but we are strong. We can eat only biscuits and nuts. We can eat anything,"" said Hejela.
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Her daughter Lama was among those killed by a strike on an ambulance just outside the hospital gate on Friday. The hospital director said 15 people had been killed and 60 injured. Israel said it had targeted an ambulance carrying Hamas fighters. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said the ambulance had been one of a convoy of five attempting to evacuate severely wounded people.  ""Look at our situation. Is this a life that we are living? We have no food, no electricity or water. We sleep in the corridors,"" said Um Lama. Israel has told Gazans still living in the north of the strip to move to the south, which is also being bombarded though less intensively. An Israeli military spokesman was asked at a media briefing on Tuesday about reports of flash bombs going off over Al Shifa overnight.  ""I'm aware that it happened. There was probably some operational requirement,"" he said.  ""We're trying to get people to leave, that's all I can say about that. These are the sorts of messaging for people to try to get out of there. ""
+But the women sheltering in the hospital said that despite the dire living conditions and the fear, they had no intention of leaving as they had nowhere to go, and nowhere was safe. ""We are strong. Whatever they do with us, we won't leave Al Shifa. They cut the water, the electricity, no food, but we are strong. We can eat only biscuits and nuts. We can eat anything,"" said Hejela. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-releases-aid-palestinians-gives-extra-20-mln-euros-2023-11-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Germany releases aid for Palestinians, gives extra 20 mln euros[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 7 (Reuters) - Germany has decided to release 71 million euros ($75.80 million) in aid as part of an ongoing review of its support for Palestinians, and has pledged an additional 20 million euros in new funding, the development ministry said on Tuesday.
+Germany responded to Hamas militants' bloody attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by temporarily suspending its development aid to the Palestinian Territories pending review.
+""Due to the fragile situation in the region, the review has not yet been fully completed,"" a statement from the ministry said.
+However, it said the review has focused on continuing support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), given the needs of people in the Gaza Strip and the increasingly unstable situation in neighbouring countries.
+The total sum of 91 million euros will go towards providing basic services for displaced people in the Gaza Strip and assistance for Palestinian refugees in Jordan.
+Israel's campaign to annihilate the Hamas Islamists who launched the attack has devastated the enclave.
+The UNRWA activities funded by Germany will focus on the permanent provision of drinking water as well as hygiene and sanitation in emergency shelters for internally displaced people in Gaza, the ministry said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Germany releases aid for Palestinians, gives extra 20 mln euros[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 7 (Reuters) - Germany has decided to release 71 million euros ($75.80 million) in aid as part of an ongoing review of its support for Palestinians, and has pledged an additional 20 million euros in new funding, the development ministry said on Tuesday. Germany responded to Hamas militants' bloody attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by temporarily suspending its development aid to the Palestinian Territories pending review. ""Due to the fragile situation in the region, the review has not yet been fully completed,"" a statement from the ministry said. However, it said the review has focused on continuing support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), given the needs of people in the Gaza Strip and the increasingly unstable situation in neighbouring countries. The total sum of 91 million euros will go towards providing basic services for displaced people in the Gaza Strip and assistance for Palestinian refugees in Jordan. Israel's campaign to annihilate the Hamas Islamists who launched the attack has devastated the enclave.  The UNRWA activities funded by Germany will focus on the permanent provision of drinking water as well as hygiene and sanitation in emergency shelters for internally displaced people in Gaza, the ministry said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/malaysia-pm-will-not-recognise-unilateral-sanctions-response-us-bill-2023-11-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Malaysia says won't recognise unilateral sanctions on supporters of Palestinian groups[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Malaysia said on Tuesday it will not recognise unilateral sanctions in response to a proposed U.S. law to level sanctions against foreign supporters of Hamas and other militant groups operating in Palestine.
+The Hamas International Financing Prevention Act, aimed at cutting off international financing to the groups, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week and is awaiting voting by the Senate.
+Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government was closely monitoring developments on the bill's passage, adding that it could affect Malaysia only if it is proven to provide material support to Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
+""Any sanctions against Malaysia can also affect the assessment of the U.S. government and U.S. companies towards Malaysia, as well as affect U.S companies' investment opportunities in Malaysia,"" Anwar said in a written reply to parliament on Tuesday.
+Muslim-majority Malaysia has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has advocated for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
+Top Hamas leaders in the past have often visited Malaysia and met with its premiers.
+Anwar previously rejected Western pressure to condemn Hamas and said the U.S. had raised concerns with Malaysia regarding its stance on Palestine.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Malaysia says won't recognise unilateral sanctions on supporters of Palestinian groups[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Malaysia said on Tuesday it will not recognise unilateral sanctions in response to a proposed U.S. law to level sanctions against foreign supporters of Hamas and other militant groups operating in Palestine. The Hamas International Financing Prevention Act, aimed at cutting off international financing to the groups, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week and is awaiting voting by the Senate.
+Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government was closely monitoring developments on the bill's passage, adding that it could affect Malaysia only if it is proven to provide material support to Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
+""Any sanctions against Malaysia can also affect the assessment of the U.S. government and U.S. companies towards Malaysia, as well as affect U.S companies' investment opportunities in Malaysia,"" Anwar said in a written reply to parliament on Tuesday.  Muslim-majority Malaysia has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has advocated for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Top Hamas leaders in the past have often visited Malaysia and met with its premiers. Anwar previously rejected Western pressure to condemn Hamas and said the U.S. had raised concerns with Malaysia regarding its stance on Palestine.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-says-all-options-open-gaza-conflict-intensifies-2023-11-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jordan open to 'all options' as Gaza conflict intensifies[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Jordan said on Monday it was leaving ""all options"" open in its response to what it called Israel's failure to discriminate between military and civilian targets in its intensifying bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip.
+Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh did not elaborate on what steps Jordan would take, days after it recalled its ambassador from Israel in protest at Israel's offensive in Gaza after a cross-border Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
+Jordan also announced last week that Israel's ambassador, who left Amman shortly after Hamas' attack, would not be allowed to come back, effectively declaring him persona non grata.
+""All options are on the table for Jordan in our dealing with the Israeli aggression on Gaza and its repercussions,"" Khasawneh, whose country signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, told state media.
+Khasawneh said Israel's siege of the densely populated Gaza was not self-defence as it maintains. ""The brutal Israeli attack does not discriminate between civilian and military targets and is extending to safe areas and ambulances,"" he said.
+Israel has denied deliberately targeting civilian objects in heavily populated areas, saying Hamas was using civilians as human shields, had dug tunnels under hospitals and was using ambulances to transport its fighters.
+In a statement, Israel's foreign ministry said the country's ""relations with Jordan are of strategic importance to both countries and we regret the inflammatory statements from Jordan's leadership.""
+Jordan is reviewing its economic, security and political ties with Israel and may freeze or revoke parts of its peace treaty if the Gaza conflict worsens, diplomats familiar with Jordanian thinking said.
+The Israel-Hamas war has reawakened long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. They fear that Israel could expel Palestinians en masse from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian inhabitants have surged since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
+Such worries have increased since Israel's religious-nationalist ruling coalition, its most right-wing government ever, took office last year, with some hardliners espousing the ""Jordan is Palestine option"".
+King Abdullah voiced these concerns during talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, warning of widespread violence in the West Bank and mainly Arab-inhabited east Jerusalem if attacks by Jewish settlers against Palestinian civilians are not curbed, officials said.
+Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said any move to drive Palestinians across to Jordan, which shares a border with the West Bank, was a ""red line"" amounting to a declaration of war.
+""Any attempt to expel Palestinians in an attempt by Israel to change geography and demography we will confront,"" Safadi said last week.
+The Jordanian army has already fortified its positions along its borders, security sources said.
+The U.S. ally fears a spillover of the violence in a country where pro-Palestinian sentiment is widespread and anger against Israel has led to large rallies in support of Hamas.
+Jordan's worries have taken centre stage in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken since the Gaza war erupted and are likely to be raised in a meeting with CIA Director William Burns during a stopover in Jordan shortly, diplomats said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jordan open to 'all options' as Gaza conflict intensifies[/TITLE] [CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Jordan said on Monday it was leaving ""all options"" open in its response to what it called Israel's failure to discriminate between military and civilian targets in its intensifying bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh did not elaborate on what steps Jordan would take, days after it recalled its ambassador from Israel in protest at Israel's offensive in Gaza after a cross-border Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Jordan also announced last week that Israel's ambassador, who left Amman shortly after Hamas' attack, would not be allowed to come back, effectively declaring him persona non grata. ""All options are on the table for Jordan in our dealing with the Israeli aggression on Gaza and its repercussions,"" Khasawneh, whose country signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, told state media.  Khasawneh said Israel's siege of the densely populated Gaza was not self-defence as it maintains. ""The brutal Israeli attack does not discriminate between civilian and military targets and is extending to safe areas and ambulances,"" he said. Israel has denied deliberately targeting civilian objects in heavily populated areas, saying Hamas was using civilians as human shields, had dug tunnels under hospitals and was using ambulances to transport its fighters.  In a statement, Israel's foreign ministry said the country's ""relations with Jordan are of strategic importance to both countries and we regret the inflammatory statements from Jordan's leadership. ""
+Jordan is reviewing its economic, security and political ties with Israel and may freeze or revoke parts of its peace treaty if the Gaza conflict worsens, diplomats familiar with Jordanian thinking said. The Israel-Hamas war has reawakened long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. They fear that Israel could expel Palestinians en masse from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian inhabitants have surged since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Such worries have increased since Israel's religious-nationalist ruling coalition, its most right-wing government ever, took office last year, with some hardliners espousing the ""Jordan is Palestine option"".
+King Abdullah voiced these concerns during talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, warning of widespread violence in the West Bank and mainly Arab-inhabited east Jerusalem if attacks by Jewish settlers against Palestinian civilians are not curbed, officials said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-says-all-options-open-gaza-conflict-intensifies-2023-11-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jordan open to 'all options' as Gaza conflict intensifies[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Jordan said on Monday it was leaving ""all options"" open in its response to what it called Israel's failure to discriminate between military and civilian targets in its intensifying bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip.
+Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh did not elaborate on what steps Jordan would take, days after it recalled its ambassador from Israel in protest at Israel's offensive in Gaza after a cross-border Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
+Jordan also announced last week that Israel's ambassador, who left Amman shortly after Hamas' attack, would not be allowed to come back, effectively declaring him persona non grata.
+""All options are on the table for Jordan in our dealing with the Israeli aggression on Gaza and its repercussions,"" Khasawneh, whose country signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, told state media.
+Khasawneh said Israel's siege of the densely populated Gaza was not self-defence as it maintains. ""The brutal Israeli attack does not discriminate between civilian and military targets and is extending to safe areas and ambulances,"" he said.
+Israel has denied deliberately targeting civilian objects in heavily populated areas, saying Hamas was using civilians as human shields, had dug tunnels under hospitals and was using ambulances to transport its fighters.
+In a statement, Israel's foreign ministry said the country's ""relations with Jordan are of strategic importance to both countries and we regret the inflammatory statements from Jordan's leadership.""
+Jordan is reviewing its economic, security and political ties with Israel and may freeze or revoke parts of its peace treaty if the Gaza conflict worsens, diplomats familiar with Jordanian thinking said.
+The Israel-Hamas war has reawakened long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. They fear that Israel could expel Palestinians en masse from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian inhabitants have surged since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
+Such worries have increased since Israel's religious-nationalist ruling coalition, its most right-wing government ever, took office last year, with some hardliners espousing the ""Jordan is Palestine option"".
+King Abdullah voiced these concerns during talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, warning of widespread violence in the West Bank and mainly Arab-inhabited east Jerusalem if attacks by Jewish settlers against Palestinian civilians are not curbed, officials said.
+Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said any move to drive Palestinians across to Jordan, which shares a border with the West Bank, was a ""red line"" amounting to a declaration of war.
+""Any attempt to expel Palestinians in an attempt by Israel to change geography and demography we will confront,"" Safadi said last week.
+The Jordanian army has already fortified its positions along its borders, security sources said.
+The U.S. ally fears a spillover of the violence in a country where pro-Palestinian sentiment is widespread and anger against Israel has led to large rallies in support of Hamas.
+Jordan's worries have taken centre stage in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken since the Gaza war erupted and are likely to be raised in a meeting with CIA Director William Burns during a stopover in Jordan shortly, diplomats said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said any move to drive Palestinians across to Jordan, which shares a border with the West Bank, was a ""red line"" amounting to a declaration of war.
+""Any attempt to expel Palestinians in an attempt by Israel to change geography and demography we will confront,"" Safadi said last week. The Jordanian army has already fortified its positions along its borders, security sources said. The U.S. ally fears a spillover of the violence in a country where pro-Palestinian sentiment is widespread and anger against Israel has led to large rallies in support of Hamas.  Jordan's worries have taken centre stage in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken since the Gaza war erupted and are likely to be raised in a meeting with CIA Director William Burns during a stopover in Jordan shortly, diplomats said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africa-recalls-diplomats-israel-assess-its-position-minister-2023-11-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]South Africa recalls diplomats from Israel to assess its position -minister[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PRETORIA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - South Africa is recalling diplomats from Israel to assess its relationship with the country amid a rise in civilian casualties from its war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, its foreign minister said on Monday.
+South Africa has long been an advocate for peace in the Middle East and has rallied behind Palestinians, likening their plight to its own under an apartheid regime that ended in 1994.
+Calling the return of diplomats a ""normal practice"", Naledi Pandor said the recall was to determine ""whether there is any potential for you to be of assistance and whether the continued relationship is actually able to be sustained in all terms.""
+South Africa does not have an ambassador in Israel.
+The country is ""extremely concerned at the continued killing of children and innocent civilians"" in the Palestinian territory, the foreign minister said.
+""We believe the nature of response by Israel has become one of collective punishment,"" she said, adding the country would continue to call for a comprehensive ceasefire in Palestine.
+
+Over 1,400 people were killed by Hamas in the deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, which South Africa has condemned, while also calling for the return of hostages. More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza have said.
+""The South African government's decision to recall its diplomatic staff is a victory for the Hamas terrorist organization and rewards it for the massacre it carried out on October 7,"" the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.
+It said Israel expects South Africa to condemn Hamas and ""respect Israel's right to defend itself.""
+During the Cairo Peace Summit last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on countries to not supply weapons to either side of the conflict while its foreign ministry urged the United Nations to deploy forces to protect civilians in Gaza.
+Pandor made the remarks in Pretoria during a joint press briefing with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.
+She said there had been progress in two of the 10 points tabled during the African peace initiative aimed at ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine - return of the children to Ukraine from Russia and continued exchange of prisoners.
+The minister did not provide any further details on the progress.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]South Africa recalls diplomats from Israel to assess its position -minister[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PRETORIA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - South Africa is recalling diplomats from Israel to assess its relationship with the country amid a rise in civilian casualties from its war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, its foreign minister said on Monday. South Africa has long been an advocate for peace in the Middle East and has rallied behind Palestinians, likening their plight to its own under an apartheid regime that ended in 1994. Calling the return of diplomats a ""normal practice"", Naledi Pandor said the recall was to determine ""whether there is any potential for you to be of assistance and whether the continued relationship is actually able to be sustained in all terms.""
+South Africa does not have an ambassador in Israel. The country is ""extremely concerned at the continued killing of children and innocent civilians"" in the Palestinian territory, the foreign minister said. ""We believe the nature of response by Israel has become one of collective punishment,"" she said, adding the country would continue to call for a comprehensive ceasefire in Palestine. Over 1,400 people were killed by Hamas in the deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, which South Africa has condemned, while also calling for the return of hostages. More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza have said. ""The South African government's decision to recall its diplomatic staff is a victory for the Hamas terrorist organization and rewards it for the massacre it carried out on October 7,"" the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. It said Israel expects South Africa to condemn Hamas and ""respect Israel's right to defend itself."" During the Cairo Peace Summit last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on countries to not supply weapons to either side of the conflict while its foreign ministry urged the United Nations to deploy forces to protect civilians in Gaza. Pandor made the remarks in Pretoria during a joint press briefing with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba. She said there had been progress in two of the 10 points tabled during the African peace initiative aimed at ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine - return of the children to Ukraine from Russia and continued exchange of prisoners. The minister did not provide any further details on the progress.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-raisi-attend-oic-talks-riyadh-gaza-crisis-website-2023-11-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's Raisi to attend OIC talks in Riyadh on Gaza crisis - website[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, the Etemadonline news website reported on Monday, the first visit by an Iranian head of state since Tehran and Riyadh ended years of hostility under a China-brokered deal in March.
+""President Raisi will attend the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation' (OIC) summit in Riyadh, where the issue of Palestine will be discussed,"" the Iranian website reported.
+World and regional powers have failed to reach any consensus on how to deal with the escalating conflict in the four weeks since fighters from Hamas militants stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,400 Israelis, mainly civilians, and taking more than 240 people hostage.
+Israel has since struck Hamas-controlled Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and launched a ground assault, stirring global alarm over humanitarian conditions in the enclave. At least 10,022 Palestinians, including 4,104 children, have been killed so far in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said on Monday.
+Regional rivals Tehran and Riyadh agreed to resume ties in March under a deal negotiated by China after seven years of hostility, which had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's Raisi to attend OIC talks in Riyadh on Gaza crisis - website[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, the Etemadonline news website reported on Monday, the first visit by an Iranian head of state since Tehran and Riyadh ended years of hostility under a China-brokered deal in March. ""President Raisi will attend the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation' (OIC) summit in Riyadh, where the issue of Palestine will be discussed,"" the Iranian website reported. World and regional powers have failed to reach any consensus on how to deal with the escalating conflict in the four weeks since fighters from Hamas militants stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,400 Israelis, mainly civilians, and taking more than 240 people hostage.  Israel has since struck Hamas-controlled Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and launched a ground assault, stirring global alarm over humanitarian conditions in the enclave. At least 10,022 Palestinians, including 4,104 children, have been killed so far in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said on Monday. Regional rivals Tehran and Riyadh agreed to resume ties in March under a deal negotiated by China after seven years of hostility, which had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gazas-centuries-war-brief-history-2023-10-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza's centuries of war - a brief history[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Gaza, which thrived in antiquity as a trade centre on the Mediterranean coast where Asia meets Africa, has been inhabited for thousands of years and fought over by Egyptian Pharaohs, Babylonians, Philistines, Macedonian Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Mongols, Crusaders, Ottomans and even Napoleon.
+Part of an ancient Philistine confederacy of five cities along the coastal plain, it featured in Biblical accounts: the judge Samson was held in captivity there.
+Alexander the Great besieged and captured Gaza City, killing the men and enslaving women and children. In Roman times, Christianity spread there and a tiny Christian community in Gaza still exists - its church was damaged during the latest round of hostilities.
+Arab armies invaded 1,400 years ago and brought Islam. Gaza was part of the Ottoman Empire for most of the period from the 16th century until 1917, when was it taken by British troops during World War I.
+Over the last century Gaza passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule. It is now a fenced-in enclave inhabited by around 2.3 million Palestinians, most of them descendants of refugees.
+Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history.
+1948 - End of British rule
+As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbours in May 1948.
+The invading Egyptian army seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon. Tens of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were driven from Israel sought shelter there, tripling the population to around 200,000.
+1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, letting Palestinians work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals.
+The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
+1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.
+With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could then gain easy access. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and guard settlements that Israel built in the following decades.
+1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed
+Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising, after an Israeli military truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers near Gaza's Jabalia refugee camps, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.
+Seizing on the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and the restoration of Islamic rule, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party.
+1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority.
+Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile.
+The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.
+
+Hamas and another militant group, Islamic Jihad, carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle.
+2000 - Second Palestinian intifada
+In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli air strikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.
+One casualty was Gaza International Airport, opened in 1998. A symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence, it was deemed a security threat by Israel, which destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
+Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, citing a need to stop boats smuggling weapons.
+2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+In August 2005, Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, by then completely fenced off from the outside world.
+Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt.
+But the pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and then in 2007 seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.
+Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas, regarding Hamas as a terrorist organization.
+Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering, cutting off an important source of income.
+Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only power plant.
+Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy east, away from Israel, foundered. Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse.
+Conflict cycle
+Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.
+Some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel. Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated Gaza neighbourhoods. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.
+2023 - Surprise attack
+While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.
+On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack on Israel, rampaging through towns, killing 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and took more than 240 hostages. Israel's ensuing bombardment of the Gaza Strip has killed at least 9,700 people, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled enclave.Israeli troops backed by tanks pressed into the Palestinian enclave with a ground assault, expecting to meet opposition from Hamas and other Palestinian militants dug into a network of hundreds of kilometres of tunnels underneath Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza's centuries of war - a brief history[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Gaza, which thrived in antiquity as a trade centre on the Mediterranean coast where Asia meets Africa, has been inhabited for thousands of years and fought over by Egyptian Pharaohs, Babylonians, Philistines, Macedonian Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Mongols, Crusaders, Ottomans and even Napoleon. Part of an ancient Philistine confederacy of five cities along the coastal plain, it featured in Biblical accounts: the judge Samson was held in captivity there.  Alexander the Great besieged and captured Gaza City, killing the men and enslaving women and children. In Roman times, Christianity spread there and a tiny Christian community in Gaza still exists - its church was damaged during the latest round of hostilities.  Arab armies invaded 1,400 years ago and brought Islam. Gaza was part of the Ottoman Empire for most of the period from the 16th century until 1917, when was it taken by British troops during World War I.
+Over the last century Gaza passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule. It is now a fenced-in enclave inhabited by around 2.3 million Palestinians, most of them descendants of refugees. Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history. 1948 - End of British rule
+As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbours in May 1948. The invading Egyptian army seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon. Tens of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were driven from Israel sought shelter there, tripling the population to around 200,000. 1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, letting Palestinians work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals. The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank. 1967 - War and Israeli military occupation Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.  With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could then gain easy access."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gazas-centuries-war-brief-history-2023-10-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza's centuries of war - a brief history[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Gaza, which thrived in antiquity as a trade centre on the Mediterranean coast where Asia meets Africa, has been inhabited for thousands of years and fought over by Egyptian Pharaohs, Babylonians, Philistines, Macedonian Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Mongols, Crusaders, Ottomans and even Napoleon.
+Part of an ancient Philistine confederacy of five cities along the coastal plain, it featured in Biblical accounts: the judge Samson was held in captivity there.
+Alexander the Great besieged and captured Gaza City, killing the men and enslaving women and children. In Roman times, Christianity spread there and a tiny Christian community in Gaza still exists - its church was damaged during the latest round of hostilities.
+Arab armies invaded 1,400 years ago and brought Islam. Gaza was part of the Ottoman Empire for most of the period from the 16th century until 1917, when was it taken by British troops during World War I.
+Over the last century Gaza passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule. It is now a fenced-in enclave inhabited by around 2.3 million Palestinians, most of them descendants of refugees.
+Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history.
+1948 - End of British rule
+As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbours in May 1948.
+The invading Egyptian army seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon. Tens of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were driven from Israel sought shelter there, tripling the population to around 200,000.
+1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, letting Palestinians work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals.
+The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
+1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.
+With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could then gain easy access. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and guard settlements that Israel built in the following decades.
+1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed
+Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising, after an Israeli military truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers near Gaza's Jabalia refugee camps, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.
+Seizing on the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and the restoration of Islamic rule, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party.
+1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority.
+Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile.
+The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.
+
+Hamas and another militant group, Islamic Jihad, carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle.
+2000 - Second Palestinian intifada
+In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli air strikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.
+One casualty was Gaza International Airport, opened in 1998. A symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence, it was deemed a security threat by Israel, which destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
+Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, citing a need to stop boats smuggling weapons.
+2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+In August 2005, Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, by then completely fenced off from the outside world.
+Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt.
+But the pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and then in 2007 seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.
+Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas, regarding Hamas as a terrorist organization.
+Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering, cutting off an important source of income.
+Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only power plant.
+Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy east, away from Israel, foundered. Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse.
+Conflict cycle
+Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.
+Some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel. Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated Gaza neighbourhoods. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.
+2023 - Surprise attack
+While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.
+On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack on Israel, rampaging through towns, killing 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and took more than 240 hostages. Israel's ensuing bombardment of the Gaza Strip has killed at least 9,700 people, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled enclave.Israeli troops backed by tanks pressed into the Palestinian enclave with a ground assault, expecting to meet opposition from Hamas and other Palestinian militants dug into a network of hundreds of kilometres of tunnels underneath Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and guard settlements that Israel built in the following decades.  1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising, after an Israeli military truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers near Gaza's Jabalia refugee camps, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.  Seizing on the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and the restoration of Islamic rule, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party. 1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority.  Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile. The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.  Hamas and another militant group, Islamic Jihad, carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle. 2000 - Second Palestinian intifada In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli air strikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.  One casualty was Gaza International Airport, opened in 1998. A symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence, it was deemed a security threat by Israel, which destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.  Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, citing a need to stop boats smuggling weapons. 2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+In August 2005, Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, by then completely fenced off from the outside world.
+Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gazas-centuries-war-brief-history-2023-10-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza's centuries of war - a brief history[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Gaza, which thrived in antiquity as a trade centre on the Mediterranean coast where Asia meets Africa, has been inhabited for thousands of years and fought over by Egyptian Pharaohs, Babylonians, Philistines, Macedonian Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Mongols, Crusaders, Ottomans and even Napoleon.
+Part of an ancient Philistine confederacy of five cities along the coastal plain, it featured in Biblical accounts: the judge Samson was held in captivity there.
+Alexander the Great besieged and captured Gaza City, killing the men and enslaving women and children. In Roman times, Christianity spread there and a tiny Christian community in Gaza still exists - its church was damaged during the latest round of hostilities.
+Arab armies invaded 1,400 years ago and brought Islam. Gaza was part of the Ottoman Empire for most of the period from the 16th century until 1917, when was it taken by British troops during World War I.
+Over the last century Gaza passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule. It is now a fenced-in enclave inhabited by around 2.3 million Palestinians, most of them descendants of refugees.
+Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history.
+1948 - End of British rule
+As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbours in May 1948.
+The invading Egyptian army seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon. Tens of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were driven from Israel sought shelter there, tripling the population to around 200,000.
+1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, letting Palestinians work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals.
+The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
+1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.
+With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could then gain easy access. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and guard settlements that Israel built in the following decades.
+1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed
+Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising, after an Israeli military truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers near Gaza's Jabalia refugee camps, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.
+Seizing on the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and the restoration of Islamic rule, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party.
+1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority.
+Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile.
+The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.
+
+Hamas and another militant group, Islamic Jihad, carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle.
+2000 - Second Palestinian intifada
+In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli air strikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.
+One casualty was Gaza International Airport, opened in 1998. A symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence, it was deemed a security threat by Israel, which destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
+Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, citing a need to stop boats smuggling weapons.
+2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+In August 2005, Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, by then completely fenced off from the outside world.
+Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt.
+But the pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and then in 2007 seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.
+Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas, regarding Hamas as a terrorist organization.
+Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering, cutting off an important source of income.
+Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only power plant.
+Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy east, away from Israel, foundered. Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse.
+Conflict cycle
+Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.
+Some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel. Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated Gaza neighbourhoods. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.
+2023 - Surprise attack
+While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.
+On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack on Israel, rampaging through towns, killing 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and took more than 240 hostages. Israel's ensuing bombardment of the Gaza Strip has killed at least 9,700 people, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled enclave.Israeli troops backed by tanks pressed into the Palestinian enclave with a ground assault, expecting to meet opposition from Hamas and other Palestinian militants dug into a network of hundreds of kilometres of tunnels underneath Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt. But the pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and then in 2007 seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.  Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas, regarding Hamas as a terrorist organization.  Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering, cutting off an important source of income.
+Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only power plant.  Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy east, away from Israel, foundered. Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse. Conflict cycle
+Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.  Some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel. Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated Gaza neighbourhoods. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians. 2023 - Surprise attack While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.  On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack on Israel, rampaging through towns, killing 1,400 people, mainly civilians, and took more than 240 hostages. Israel's ensuing bombardment of the Gaza Strip has killed at least 9,700 people, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled enclave. Israeli troops backed by tanks pressed into the Palestinian enclave with a ground assault, expecting to meet opposition from Hamas and other Palestinian militants dug into a network of hundreds of kilometres of tunnels underneath Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-refuse-accept-partial-tax-transfer-israel-2023-11-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians refuse to accept partial tax transfer from Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority will not accept a partial transfer of tax revenues from Israel that withholds sums earmarked for administration expenses in Gaza, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Monday.
+He said he hoped international pressure would bring a speedy transfer of the funds, which are collected by Israel in areas of the occupied West Bank, and paid to the Palestinian Authority under a longstanding arrangement between the two sides.
+Part of the funds go to pay for expenses in Gaza that are still covered by the Palestinian Authority, including the salaries of medical workers and other health and education costs, even though the Islamist movement Hamas controls the blockaded enclave.
+This month, the transfers have been held up by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads one of the hardline nationalist-religious parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition.
+Smotrich has refused to release the full package of funds, saying he will not allow funds to go to Gaza and accusing the Palestinian Authority of supporting the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel which killed around 1,400 people.
+Instead he has agreed to a partial transfer of funds that would withhold the $140 million he says goes to Gaza, according to Shtayyeh's statement.
+""I say that this is a political decision aimed at separating Gaza from the West Bank, and we will not allow that,"" Shtayyeh said. ""Gaza is an integral part of our national fabric and an essential geographical component of the State of Palestine.""
+Palestinian officials said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had stressed the need for the funds to be released in full during his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday.
+The issue has also caused tension within the Israeli government. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has called for the funds to be disbursed immediately, saying they are needed to maintain stability in the volatile West Bank, which has seen a surge in violence over the past month.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians refuse to accept partial tax transfer from Israel[/TITLE] [CONTENT]RAMALLAH, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority will not accept a partial transfer of tax revenues from Israel that withholds sums earmarked for administration expenses in Gaza, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Monday. He said he hoped international pressure would bring a speedy transfer of the funds, which are collected by Israel in areas of the occupied West Bank, and paid to the Palestinian Authority under a longstanding arrangement between the two sides. Part of the funds go to pay for expenses in Gaza that are still covered by the Palestinian Authority, including the salaries of medical workers and other health and education costs, even though the Islamist movement Hamas controls the blockaded enclave. This month, the transfers have been held up by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads one of the hardline nationalist-religious parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition.
+Smotrich has refused to release the full package of funds, saying he will not allow funds to go to Gaza and accusing the Palestinian Authority of supporting the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel which killed around 1,400 people.
+Instead he has agreed to a partial transfer of funds that would withhold the $140 million he says goes to Gaza, according to Shtayyeh's statement.  ""I say that this is a political decision aimed at separating Gaza from the West Bank, and we will not allow that,"" Shtayyeh said. ""Gaza is an integral part of our national fabric and an essential geographical component of the State of Palestine."" Palestinian officials said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had stressed the need for the funds to be released in full during his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday. The issue has also caused tension within the Israeli government. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has called for the funds to be disbursed immediately, saying they are needed to maintain stability in the volatile West Bank, which has seen a surge in violence over the past month.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/russia-warns-terrorist-risk-gaza-fighting-calls-palestinian-unity-2023-11-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russia warns of 'terrorist' risk from Gaza fighting, calls for Palestinian unity[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Russia on Monday called for an end to the fighting in Gaza and said a resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations was essential to avoid the risk of a broader war and an increase in ""terrorist activity"".
+Russia, which has relationships with Iran, Hamas and major Arab powers as well as with the Palestinians and with Israel, has repeatedly accused the United States and the West of ignoring the need for an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders.
+""The priority today is the speedy cessation of hostilities in Gaza,"" Russia's foreign ministry said. ""If not, we will face the risks of radicalisation and an increase in terrorist activity and the danger of the conflict expanding its geography.""
+Russia, which last month angered Israel by inviting a Hamas delegation to Moscow, said that Palestinian unity was essential on the basis of the Palestine Liberation Organization, led by Mahmoud Abbas.
+""It seems especially necessary to ensure inter-Palestinian national unity on the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which provides for the recognition of Israel and a negotiated solution,"" Russia said.
+It said world powers should seek to deter the settlement of areas of the West Bank as well as the trampling of Jerusalem's holy sites.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russia warns of 'terrorist' risk from Gaza fighting, calls for Palestinian unity[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Russia on Monday called for an end to the fighting in Gaza and said a resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations was essential to avoid the risk of a broader war and an increase in ""terrorist activity"". Russia, which has relationships with Iran, Hamas and major Arab powers as well as with the Palestinians and with Israel, has repeatedly accused the United States and the West of ignoring the need for an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders.
+""The priority today is the speedy cessation of hostilities in Gaza,"" Russia's foreign ministry said. ""If not, we will face the risks of radicalisation and an increase in terrorist activity and the danger of the conflict expanding its geography."" Russia, which last month angered Israel by inviting a Hamas delegation to Moscow, said that Palestinian unity was essential on the basis of the Palestine Liberation Organization, led by Mahmoud Abbas.
+""It seems especially necessary to ensure inter-Palestinian national unity on the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which provides for the recognition of Israel and a negotiated solution,"" Russia said. It said world powers should seek to deter the settlement of areas of the West Bank as well as the trampling of Jerusalem's holy sites.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/pope-says-two-state-solution-needed-israel-palestine-2023-11-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope says two-state solution needed for Israel-Palestine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Wednesday a two-state solution was needed for Israel and Palestine in order to put an end to wars such as the current one and called for a special status for Jerusalem.
+In an interview with Italian state television RAI's TG1 news channel, Francis also said he hoped a regional escalation could be avoided in the conflict that began when Hamas militants entered Israel, killing some 1,400 Israelis, mainly civilians, and taking about 230 hostages.
+""(Those are) two peoples who have to live together. With that wise solution, two states. The Oslo accords, two well-defined states and Jerusalem with a special status,"" Francis said in an interview with Italy's RAI broadcaster.
+In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy.
+U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.
+Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in 1967 and in 1980 declared the entire city its ""united and eternal capital"". Palestinians see the eastern part of the city as the capital of an eventual future state.
+Israel has consistently rejected suggestions that the city, which is sacred to Christians, Muslims and Jews, could have a special, or international, status.
+""The war in the Holy Land frightens me,"" Francis said. ""How will these people end this story?""
+An escalation, he said, ""would mean the end of so many things and so many lives"".
+Francis, who has called for humanitarian corridors to help Gazans and a ceasefire, said he speaks by telephone every day to priests and nuns running a parish in Gaza that was sheltering about 560 people, mostly Christians but also some Muslims.
+""For now, thank God, Israeli forces are respecting that parish,"" he said.
+He also said that he was concerned about the rise in antisemitism, adding that much of it still ""remains hidden"".
+The war between Israel and Hamas, he said, should not make people forget other conflicts, including in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and Myanmar.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope says two-state solution needed for Israel-Palestine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Wednesday a two-state solution was needed for Israel and Palestine in order to put an end to wars such as the current one and called for a special status for Jerusalem.  In an interview with Italian state television RAI's TG1 news channel, Francis also said he hoped a regional escalation could be avoided in the conflict that began when Hamas militants entered Israel, killing some 1,400 Israelis, mainly civilians, and taking about 230 hostages.
+"" (Those are) two peoples who have to live together. With that wise solution, two states. The Oslo accords, two well-defined states and Jerusalem with a special status ,"" Francis said in an interview with Italy's RAI broadcaster. In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy.  U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.
+Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in 1967 and in 1980 declared the entire city its ""united and eternal capital"". Palestinians see the eastern part of the city as the capital of an eventual future state. Israel has consistently rejected suggestions that the city, which is sacred to Christians, Muslims and Jews, could have a special, or international, status.  ""The war in the Holy Land frightens me,"" Francis said. ""How will these people end this story?"" An escalation, he said, ""would mean the end of so many things and so many lives"". Francis, who has called for humanitarian corridors to help Gazans and a ceasefire, said he speaks by telephone every day to priests and nuns running a parish in Gaza that was sheltering about 560 people, mostly Christians but also some Muslims. ""For now, thank God, Israeli forces are respecting that parish,"" he said. He also said that he was concerned about the rise in antisemitism, adding that much of it still ""remains hidden"". The war between Israel and Hamas, he said, should not make people forget other conflicts, including in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and Myanmar.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-says-it-agreed-with-egypt-take-gaza-cancer-patients-treatment-2023-11-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey says it agreed with Egypt to take Gaza cancer patients for treatment[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Turkey and Egypt have agreed for some 1,000 cancer patients and other injured civilians needing urgent care in Gaza to be sent to Turkey for treatment, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Sunday, adding work was underway to plan the move.
+Koca said on Thursday that Ankara was prepared to bring in cancer patients from the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospital in Gaza, the enclave's only cancer treatment hospital, which went out of service after running out of fuel this week.
+On Sunday, Koca said he held a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart on Saturday to discuss the matter.
+""Our efforts continue for almost 1,000 patients, especially cancer patients who were being treated at the Turkey-Palestine Friendship hospital in Gaza that had to stop its operations, and wounded persons we were previously notified about and who are in need of urgent care, to be brought to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing,"" Koca said on social media platform X.
+""After that, it is being planned for the cancer patients and those in emergency conditions to be transferred to our country via ambulance planes and hospital ships,"" he said.
+On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates said it planned to treat 1,000 Palestinian children from Gaza, without saying how they would leave the enclave for the Gulf state.
+Turkey has sent more than 200 tonnes of humanitarian aid and a team of medical personnel to Egypt for Gazans, while also offering to set up a field hospital near the Rafah border crossing. It has strongly condemned Israeli attacks on Gaza and called for a ceasefire.
+Israel has tightened its blockade and bombarded Gaza for nearly four weeks in retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack by Islamist group Hamas that Israeli authorities say killed 1,400.
+Koca also said Egypt had granted permission for two Turkish vessels currently on hold in Turkey and carrying ambulances and materials for a field hospital for Gazans to approach its docks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey says it agreed with Egypt to take Gaza cancer patients for treatment[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Turkey and Egypt have agreed for some 1,000 cancer patients and other injured civilians needing urgent care in Gaza to be sent to Turkey for treatment, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Sunday, adding work was underway to plan the move. Koca said on Thursday that Ankara was prepared to bring in cancer patients from the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospital in Gaza, the enclave's only cancer treatment hospital, which went out of service after running out of fuel this week. On Sunday, Koca said he held a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart on Saturday to discuss the matter. ""Our efforts continue for almost 1,000 patients, especially cancer patients who were being treated at the Turkey-Palestine Friendship hospital in Gaza that had to stop its operations, and wounded persons we were previously notified about and who are in need of urgent care, to be brought to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing,"" Koca said on social media platform X.
+""After that, it is being planned for the cancer patients and those in emergency conditions to be transferred to our country via ambulance planes and hospital ships,"" he said. On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates said it planned to treat 1,000 Palestinian children from Gaza, without saying how they would leave the enclave for the Gulf state.  Turkey has sent more than 200 tonnes of humanitarian aid and a team of medical personnel to Egypt for Gazans, while also offering to set up a field hospital near the Rafah border crossing. It has strongly condemned Israeli attacks on Gaza and called for a ceasefire. Israel has tightened its blockade and bombarded Gaza for nearly four weeks in retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack by Islamist group Hamas that Israeli authorities say killed 1,400. Koca also said Egypt had granted permission for two Turkish vessels currently on hold in Turkey and carrying ambulances and materials for a field hospital for Gazans to approach its docks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pope-urges-stop-name-god-calls-gaza-humanitarian-aid-2023-11-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope urges 'stop in the name of God', calls for Gaza humanitarian aid[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis made an urgent plea for a halt to the conflict in Gaza on Sunday, calling for humanitarian aid and help for those injured in order to ease the ""very grave"" situation.
+""I keep thinking about the grave situation in Palestine and Israel where many people have lost their life. I pray you to stop in the name of god, cease the fire,"" he said, speaking to crowds in St Peter's Square after his weekly Angelus prayer.
+""I hope that all will be done to avoid the conflict from widening, that the injured will be rescued and aid will arrive to the population of Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is very grave,"" he said.
+The pontiff renewed his calls for a ceasefire and for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack, focusing on the children, who he said ""must return to their families"".
+""Let's think about the children, all the children involved in this war, like in Ukraine and in other conflicts, their future is being killed,"" he added.
+Francis, 86, has already called for the creation of humanitarian corridors and has said a two-state solution was needed to put an end to the Israel-Hamas war.
+A Gaza health official said on Sunday more than 9,770 Palestinians have been killed in the war, which began when Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 240 others hostage.
+The Pope said that his prayers we also addressed to the Nepal earthquake victims, Afghan refugees and the victims in Italy's floods.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope urges 'stop in the name of God', calls for Gaza humanitarian aid[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis made an urgent plea for a halt to the conflict in Gaza on Sunday, calling for humanitarian aid and help for those injured in order to ease the ""very grave"" situation.  ""I keep thinking about the grave situation in Palestine and Israel where many people have lost their life. I pray you to stop in the name of god, cease the fire,"" he said, speaking to crowds in St Peter's Square after his weekly Angelus prayer. ""I hope that all will be done to avoid the conflict from widening, that the injured will be rescued and aid will arrive to the population of Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is very grave,"" he said. The pontiff renewed his calls for a ceasefire and for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack, focusing on the children, who he said ""must return to their families"".
+""Let's think about the children, all the children involved in this war, like in Ukraine and in other conflicts, their future is being killed,"" he added. Francis, 86, has already called for the creation of humanitarian corridors and has said a two-state solution was needed to put an end to the Israel-Hamas war. A Gaza health official said on Sunday more than 9,770 Palestinians have been killed in the war, which began when Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 240 others hostage.  The Pope said that his prayers we also addressed to the Nepal earthquake victims, Afghan refugees and the victims in Italy's floods.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/protesters-oppose-biden-war-policy-large-pro-palestinian-rally-washington-2023-11-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pro-Palestinian protesters oppose Biden war policy in Washington[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters gathered in Washington on Saturday to demand a ceasefire in Gaza where thousands have been killed in an Israeli offensive since an attack by Palestinian Islamists Hamas, and to denounce President Joe Biden's policy towards the war.
+Protesters carried placards with slogans such as ""Palestinian Lives Matter,"" ""Let Gaza Live"" and ""Their blood is in on your hands,"" as the U.S. government continued to reject demands to add its voice to calls for a blanket ceasefire.
+Activists called the planned protest a ""National March on Washington: Free Palestine"" and organized buses to the U.S. capital from across the country for demonstrators to attend, said coalition group ANSWER, an acronym for ""Act Now to Stop War and End Racism.""
+""What we want and what we demand is a ceasefire now,"" said Mahdi Bray, national director of the American Muslim Alliance.
+The demonstration was among the largest pro-Palestinian gatherings in the United States and among the biggest for any cause in Washington in recent years.
+Crowds began gathering at Freedom Plaza near the White House in the afternoon before the protest started with a moment of silence as demonstrators held up a large poster with names of Palestinians killed since Israel's massive retaliation began.
+
+The deep-rooted Israeli-Palestinian conflict reignited, opens new tab on Oct. 7 when scores of fighters from Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, crossed into Israel, killing at least 1,400 people.
+Israel has since struck Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and launched a ground assault, stirring global alarm at humanitarian conditions in the enclave. Gaza health officials said at least 9,488 Palestinians had been killed as of Saturday.
+The growing number of civilian deaths has intensified international calls for a ceasefire, opens new tab, but Washington, like Israel, has so far dismissed them, opens new tab, saying a halt will give Hamas chance to regroup.
+A group of independent United Nations experts has also called for a humanitarian ceasefire, saying time was running out for Palestinians there who are at ""grave risk of genocide, opens new tab"".
+""Biden, Biden you cannot hide, you signed up for genocide,"" protesters chanted in Washington on Saturday.
+Washington has sought to persuade Israel to accept localized pauses, which Israel has thus far rejected.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pro-Palestinian protesters oppose Biden war policy in Washington[/TITLE] [CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters gathered in Washington on Saturday to demand a ceasefire in Gaza where thousands have been killed in an Israeli offensive since an attack by Palestinian Islamists Hamas, and to denounce President Joe Biden's policy towards the war. Protesters carried placards with slogans such as ""Palestinian Lives Matter,"" ""Let Gaza Live"" and ""Their blood is in on your hands,"" as the U.S. government continued to reject demands to add its voice to calls for a blanket ceasefire.
+Activists called the planned protest a ""National March on Washington: Free Palestine"" and organized buses to the U.S. capital from across the country for demonstrators to attend, said coalition group ANSWER, an acronym for ""Act Now to Stop War and End Racism. ""
+""What we want and what we demand is a ceasefire now,"" said Mahdi Bray, national director of the American Muslim Alliance. The demonstration was among the largest pro-Palestinian gatherings in the United States and among the biggest for any cause in Washington in recent years.
+Crowds began gathering at Freedom Plaza near the White House in the afternoon before the protest started with a moment of silence as demonstrators held up a large poster with names of Palestinians killed since Israel's massive retaliation began.
+
+The deep-rooted Israeli-Palestinian conflict reignited, opens new tab on Oct. 7 when scores of fighters from Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, crossed into Israel, killing at least 1,400 people.
+Israel has since struck Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and launched a ground assault, stirring global alarm at humanitarian conditions in the enclave. Gaza health officials said at least 9,488 Palestinians had been killed as of Saturday. The growing number of civilian deaths has intensified international calls for a ceasefire, opens new tab, but Washington, like Israel, has so far dismissed them, opens new tab, saying a halt will give Hamas chance to regroup. A group of independent United Nations experts has also called for a humanitarian ceasefire, saying time was running out for Palestinians there who are at ""grave risk of genocide, opens new tab"".
+""Biden, Biden you cannot hide, you signed up for genocide,"" protesters chanted in Washington on Saturday. Washington has sought to persuade Israel to accept localized pauses, which Israel has thus far rejected.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/pro-palestinian-protesters-demand-gaza-ceasefire-european-marches-2023-11-04/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Protesters march in major cities to demand Gaza ceasefire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged protests in London, Berlin, Paris, Ankara, Istanbul and Washington on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and castigate Israel after its military intensified its assault against Hamas.
+In London, television footage showed large crowds holding sit-down protests blocking parts of the city centre, before marching to Trafalgar Square.
+Protesters held ""Freedom for Palestine"" placards and chanted ""ceasefire now"" and ""in our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians"".
+Police said they made 29 arrests for offences including inciting racial hatred and racially aggravated public order.
+Two people were arrested on suspicion of breaching terrorism legislation in connection with the wording of a banner displayed during the protest.
+Britain has supported Israel's right to defend itself after Hamas killed 1,400 people and took more than 240 hostage in an Oct. 7 assault in southern Israel.
+Echoing Washington's stance, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire, and instead advocated humanitarian pauses to allow aid into Gaza.
+Thousands of protesters marched down the streets of Washington waving Palestinian flags, some chanting ""Biden, Biden you cannot hide, you signed up for genocide,"" before congregating at Freedom Plaza, steps away from the White House.
+Speakers denounced President Joe Biden's support of Israel, declaring ""you have blood on your hands."" Some vowed not to support Biden's bid for a second term in the White House next year as well as campaigns by other Democrats seeking office, calling them ""two-faced"" liberals who were ""not a refuge from right wingers.""
+Others lashed out at civil rights leaders for not condemning the killing of women and children by Israeli bombings.
+Gaza health officials said on Saturday that more than 9,488 Palestinians have been killed so far in the Israeli assault.
+In central Paris, thousands marched to call for a ceasefire with placards reading ""Stop the cycle of violence"" and ""To do nothing, to say nothing is to be complicit.""
+
+It was one of the first, big gatherings in support of Palestinians to be legally allowed in Paris since the Hamas attack of Oct. 7.
+French authorities had banned some previous pro-Palestinian gatherings due to concerns about public disorder.
+France will host an international humanitarian conference on Gaza on Nov. 9 as it looks to coordinate aid for the enclave.
+""We came here today to show the people of France's solidarity with the Palestinian people and our support for peace, for a peace solution with two states, an Israeli state and a Palestinian state,"" said Antoine Guerreiro, a 30-year old civil servant.
+Wahid Barek, a 66-year old retiree, lamented the deaths of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
+""I deplore civilian deaths on both sides. Civilians have nothing to do with these actions. It really is shameful,"" he said.
+In Berlin, demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, demanding a ceasefire. One woman marched with her arm in the air, her hand covered in fake blood.
+Hundreds of protesters gathered in Istanbul and Ankara, a day before a visit to Turkey by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for talks on Gaza.
+Turkey, which has sharply criticised Israel and Western countries as the humanitarian crisis has intensified in Gaza, supports a two-state solution and hosts members of Hamas. Ankara does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation, unlike the United States, the European Union, and some Gulf states.
+In Istanbul's Sarachane park, protesters held banners saying ""Blinken, the accomplice of the massacre, go away from Turkey,"" with a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blinken together with a red ""X"" mark on it.
+""Children are dying, babies are dying there, being bombed,"" said 45-year-old teacher Gulsum Alpay.
+Footage from Ankara showed protesters gathered near the U.S. Embassy, chanting slogans and holding posters which read: ""Israel bombs hospitals, Biden pays for it.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Protesters march in major cities to demand Gaza ceasefire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged protests in London, Berlin, Paris, Ankara, Istanbul and Washington on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and castigate Israel after its military intensified its assault against Hamas. In London, television footage showed large crowds holding sit-down protests blocking parts of the city centre, before marching to Trafalgar Square.
+Protesters held ""Freedom for Palestine"" placards and chanted ""ceasefire now"" and ""in our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians"".
+Police said they made 29 arrests for offences including inciting racial hatred and racially aggravated public order. Two people were arrested on suspicion of breaching terrorism legislation in connection with the wording of a banner displayed during the protest. Britain has supported Israel's right to defend itself after Hamas killed 1,400 people and took more than 240 hostage in an Oct. 7 assault in southern Israel.
+Echoing Washington's stance, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire, and instead advocated humanitarian pauses to allow aid into Gaza.
+Thousands of protesters marched down the streets of Washington waving Palestinian flags, some chanting ""Biden, Biden you cannot hide, you signed up for genocide,"" before congregating at Freedom Plaza, steps away from the White House.  Speakers denounced President Joe Biden's support of Israel, declaring ""you have blood on your hands."" Some vowed not to support Biden's bid for a second term in the White House next year as well as campaigns by other Democrats seeking office, calling them ""two-faced"" liberals who were ""not a refuge from right wingers."" Others lashed out at civil rights leaders for not condemning the killing of women and children by Israeli bombings.
+Gaza health officials said on Saturday that more than 9,488 Palestinians have been killed so far in the Israeli assault.
+In central Paris, thousands marched to call for a ceasefire with placards reading ""Stop the cycle of violence"" and ""To do nothing, to say nothing is to be complicit.""
+
+It was one of the first, big gatherings in support of Palestinians to be legally allowed in Paris since the Hamas attack of Oct. 7. French authorities had banned some previous pro-Palestinian gatherings due to concerns about public disorder. France will host an international humanitarian conference on Gaza on Nov. 9 as it looks to coordinate aid for the enclave."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/pro-palestinian-protesters-demand-gaza-ceasefire-european-marches-2023-11-04/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Protesters march in major cities to demand Gaza ceasefire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged protests in London, Berlin, Paris, Ankara, Istanbul and Washington on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and castigate Israel after its military intensified its assault against Hamas.
+In London, television footage showed large crowds holding sit-down protests blocking parts of the city centre, before marching to Trafalgar Square.
+Protesters held ""Freedom for Palestine"" placards and chanted ""ceasefire now"" and ""in our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians"".
+Police said they made 29 arrests for offences including inciting racial hatred and racially aggravated public order.
+Two people were arrested on suspicion of breaching terrorism legislation in connection with the wording of a banner displayed during the protest.
+Britain has supported Israel's right to defend itself after Hamas killed 1,400 people and took more than 240 hostage in an Oct. 7 assault in southern Israel.
+Echoing Washington's stance, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire, and instead advocated humanitarian pauses to allow aid into Gaza.
+Thousands of protesters marched down the streets of Washington waving Palestinian flags, some chanting ""Biden, Biden you cannot hide, you signed up for genocide,"" before congregating at Freedom Plaza, steps away from the White House.
+Speakers denounced President Joe Biden's support of Israel, declaring ""you have blood on your hands."" Some vowed not to support Biden's bid for a second term in the White House next year as well as campaigns by other Democrats seeking office, calling them ""two-faced"" liberals who were ""not a refuge from right wingers.""
+Others lashed out at civil rights leaders for not condemning the killing of women and children by Israeli bombings.
+Gaza health officials said on Saturday that more than 9,488 Palestinians have been killed so far in the Israeli assault.
+In central Paris, thousands marched to call for a ceasefire with placards reading ""Stop the cycle of violence"" and ""To do nothing, to say nothing is to be complicit.""
+
+It was one of the first, big gatherings in support of Palestinians to be legally allowed in Paris since the Hamas attack of Oct. 7.
+French authorities had banned some previous pro-Palestinian gatherings due to concerns about public disorder.
+France will host an international humanitarian conference on Gaza on Nov. 9 as it looks to coordinate aid for the enclave.
+""We came here today to show the people of France's solidarity with the Palestinian people and our support for peace, for a peace solution with two states, an Israeli state and a Palestinian state,"" said Antoine Guerreiro, a 30-year old civil servant.
+Wahid Barek, a 66-year old retiree, lamented the deaths of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
+""I deplore civilian deaths on both sides. Civilians have nothing to do with these actions. It really is shameful,"" he said.
+In Berlin, demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, demanding a ceasefire. One woman marched with her arm in the air, her hand covered in fake blood.
+Hundreds of protesters gathered in Istanbul and Ankara, a day before a visit to Turkey by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for talks on Gaza.
+Turkey, which has sharply criticised Israel and Western countries as the humanitarian crisis has intensified in Gaza, supports a two-state solution and hosts members of Hamas. Ankara does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation, unlike the United States, the European Union, and some Gulf states.
+In Istanbul's Sarachane park, protesters held banners saying ""Blinken, the accomplice of the massacre, go away from Turkey,"" with a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blinken together with a red ""X"" mark on it.
+""Children are dying, babies are dying there, being bombed,"" said 45-year-old teacher Gulsum Alpay.
+Footage from Ankara showed protesters gathered near the U.S. Embassy, chanting slogans and holding posters which read: ""Israel bombs hospitals, Biden pays for it.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""We came here today to show the people of France's solidarity with the Palestinian people and our support for peace, for a peace solution with two states, an Israeli state and a Palestinian state,"" said Antoine Guerreiro, a 30-year old civil servant. Wahid Barek, a 66-year old retiree, lamented the deaths of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.  ""I deplore civilian deaths on both sides. Civilians have nothing to do with these actions. It really is shameful,"" he said.  In Berlin, demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, demanding a ceasefire. One woman marched with her arm in the air, her hand covered in fake blood. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Istanbul and Ankara, a day before a visit to Turkey by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for talks on Gaza.  Turkey, which has sharply criticised Israel and Western countries as the humanitarian crisis has intensified in Gaza, supports a two-state solution and hosts members of Hamas. Ankara does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation, unlike the United States, the European Union, and some Gulf states. In Istanbul's Sarachane park, protesters held banners saying ""Blinken, the accomplice of the massacre, go away from Turkey,"" with a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blinken together with a red ""X"" mark on it.
+""Children are dying, babies are dying there, being bombed,"" said 45-year-old teacher Gulsum Alpay.  Footage from Ankara showed protesters gathered near the U.S. Embassy, chanting slogans and holding posters which read: ""Israel bombs hospitals, Biden pays for it.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/state-organised-rallies-iran-mark-1979-us-embassy-seizure-support-gaza-2023-11-04/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]State-organised rallies in Iran mark 1979 US embassy seizure, support Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 4 (Reuters) - State-organised rallies were held across Iran on Saturday marking the 1979 seizure of the U.S. embassy with cries of ""Death to America"" and ""Death to Israel"" in support of Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza.
+Radical Iranian revolutionary students stormed the embassy soon after the fall of the U.S.-backed Shah 44 years ago, holding 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
+In Tehran, demonstrators marched on Saturday from Palestine Square in the heart of the capital to the former U.S. embassy a few kilometers away.
+State television showed demonstrators burning the Israeli flag and carrying pictures of dead Palestinian children from Israeli strikes in Gaza.
+The Israeli military has struck Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and launched a ground assault after the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas that rules Gaza killed 1,400 people and took more than 240 others captive in an Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel.
+Gaza health officials say more than 9,250 Palestinians have been killed and medical services are collapsing.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a halt to fighting unless captives held by Hamas are freed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]State-organised rallies in Iran mark 1979 US embassy seizure, support Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 4 (Reuters) - State-organised rallies were held across Iran on Saturday marking the 1979 seizure of the U.S. embassy with cries of ""Death to America"" and ""Death to Israel"" in support of Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza. Radical Iranian revolutionary students stormed the embassy soon after the fall of the U.S.-backed Shah 44 years ago, holding 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. In Tehran, demonstrators marched on Saturday from Palestine Square in the heart of the capital to the former U.S. embassy a few kilometers away.
+State television showed demonstrators burning the Israeli flag and carrying pictures of dead Palestinian children from Israeli strikes in Gaza. The Israeli military has struck Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and launched a ground assault after the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas that rules Gaza killed 1,400 people and took more than 240 others captive in an Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel. Gaza health officials say more than 9,250 Palestinians have been killed and medical services are collapsing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a halt to fighting unless captives held by Hamas are freed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/pro-palestinian-halloween-billboard-pictured-tunisia-not-chicago-2023-11-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Pro-Palestinian Halloween billboard pictured in Tunisia, not Chicago[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Multiple pro-Palestinian billboards were put up in the North African country of Tunisia before Halloween, despite online posts sharing an image that miscaptions one of these billboards as in Chicago, Illinois amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
+The billboard shows a black and blue illustration showing the silhouette of a child and reads: “No Halloween this year… The Horror IS REAL!” with “#SavePalestine” seen in the lower right corner.
+An Oct. 30 post, opens new tab on social media included American and Palestinian flag emojis and said: “Chicago stands with PALESTINE!” The accompanying photo of the billboard also includes the text: “JUST WENT UP IN CHICAGO.” Another post, opens new tab sharing the image said: “Chicago don’t play!”
+
+However, multiple images of the billboard at different locations appeared online in late October and were described as Tunisia, not Chicago.
+Various social media users have shared these displays, opens new tab naming the location as Tunisia, opens new tab, including one on Oct. 26, opens new tab that shows the same billboard as in the miscaptioned social media posts. The billboard, camera angle, streetlamp and buildings in the background match the image shared on social media.
+There is further reporting on the same billboards being part of a campaign in Tunisia. On Oct. 25, news outlet Tunis Tribune shared images of the billboard on Facebook, opens new tab and on messaging platform X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, captioned in French as billboards in Tunisia to denounce Israeli actions in Gaza.
+Tunis Tribune CEO and Founder Hannachi Issam said in an email that the outlet had identified the location of several billboards seen in Tunis, including along Boulevard Mohamed Bouazizi toward Tunis-Carthage International Airport, Route de la Marsa, Route X3 and the neighborhoods of Menzah V and VI.
+Tunis-based advertising agency Declic, which posts photos of its billboards, opens new tab in the city on Facebook, also shared images, opens new tab of the pro-Palestinian billboards placed at different locations on Oct. 26. The white-on-black license plates seen on vehicles on the road in the photos match plates, opens new tab from Tunisia, opens new tab.
+Humzah Khan, a Fulbright fellow in Tunisia, shared an image, opens new tab of the billboard on X with the caption, “several billboards like this in Tunis. Interesting to see it in English, and not French or even Arabic.”
+Khan said in an email that the image was captured on Route 9 between Tunis and Marsa in Tunisia. He provided metadata to Reuters showing the photo was taken on Oct. 27 with an iPhone 12 near the Carrefour shopping mall, opens new tab.
+On Nov. 2, Al Jazeera reported, opens new tab that the Tunisian parliament began debating a bill that would criminalize the normalization of ties with Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
+The Chicago Department of Buildings’ managing deputy commissioner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Pro-Palestinian Halloween billboard pictured in Tunisia, not Chicago[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Multiple pro-Palestinian billboards were put up in the North African country of Tunisia before Halloween, despite online posts sharing an image that miscaptions one of these billboards as in Chicago, Illinois amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The billboard shows a black and blue illustration showing the silhouette of a child and reads: “No Halloween this year… The Horror IS REAL!” with “#SavePalestine” seen in the lower right corner.  An Oct. 30 post, opens new tab on social media included American and Palestinian flag emojis and said: “Chicago stands with PALESTINE!” The accompanying photo of the billboard also includes the text: “JUST WENT UP IN CHICAGO.” Another post, opens new tab sharing the image said: “Chicago don’t play!” However, multiple images of the billboard at different locations appeared online in late October and were described as Tunisia, not Chicago.  Various social media users have shared these displays, opens new tab naming the location as Tunisia, opens new tab, including one on Oct. 26, opens new tab that shows the same billboard as in the miscaptioned social media posts. The billboard, camera angle, streetlamp and buildings in the background match the image shared on social media.  There is further reporting on the same billboards being part of a campaign in Tunisia. On Oct. 25, news outlet Tunis Tribune shared images of the billboard on Facebook, opens new tab and on messaging platform X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, captioned in French as billboards in Tunisia to denounce Israeli actions in Gaza.  Tunis Tribune CEO and Founder Hannachi Issam said in an email that the outlet had identified the location of several billboards seen in Tunis, including along Boulevard Mohamed Bouazizi toward Tunis-Carthage International Airport, Route de la Marsa, Route X3 and the neighborhoods of Menzah V and VI.
+Tunis-based advertising agency Declic, which posts photos of its billboards, opens new tab in the city on Facebook, also shared images, opens new tab of the pro-Palestinian billboards placed at different locations on Oct. 26. The white-on-black license plates seen on vehicles on the road in the photos match plates, opens new tab from Tunisia, opens new tab. Humzah Khan, a Fulbright fellow in Tunisia, shared an image, opens new tab of the billboard on X with the caption, “several billboards like this in Tunis. Interesting to see it in English, and not French or even Arabic.” "
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/pro-palestinian-halloween-billboard-pictured-tunisia-not-chicago-2023-11-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Pro-Palestinian Halloween billboard pictured in Tunisia, not Chicago[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Multiple pro-Palestinian billboards were put up in the North African country of Tunisia before Halloween, despite online posts sharing an image that miscaptions one of these billboards as in Chicago, Illinois amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
+The billboard shows a black and blue illustration showing the silhouette of a child and reads: “No Halloween this year… The Horror IS REAL!” with “#SavePalestine” seen in the lower right corner.
+An Oct. 30 post, opens new tab on social media included American and Palestinian flag emojis and said: “Chicago stands with PALESTINE!” The accompanying photo of the billboard also includes the text: “JUST WENT UP IN CHICAGO.” Another post, opens new tab sharing the image said: “Chicago don’t play!”
+
+However, multiple images of the billboard at different locations appeared online in late October and were described as Tunisia, not Chicago.
+Various social media users have shared these displays, opens new tab naming the location as Tunisia, opens new tab, including one on Oct. 26, opens new tab that shows the same billboard as in the miscaptioned social media posts. The billboard, camera angle, streetlamp and buildings in the background match the image shared on social media.
+There is further reporting on the same billboards being part of a campaign in Tunisia. On Oct. 25, news outlet Tunis Tribune shared images of the billboard on Facebook, opens new tab and on messaging platform X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, captioned in French as billboards in Tunisia to denounce Israeli actions in Gaza.
+Tunis Tribune CEO and Founder Hannachi Issam said in an email that the outlet had identified the location of several billboards seen in Tunis, including along Boulevard Mohamed Bouazizi toward Tunis-Carthage International Airport, Route de la Marsa, Route X3 and the neighborhoods of Menzah V and VI.
+Tunis-based advertising agency Declic, which posts photos of its billboards, opens new tab in the city on Facebook, also shared images, opens new tab of the pro-Palestinian billboards placed at different locations on Oct. 26. The white-on-black license plates seen on vehicles on the road in the photos match plates, opens new tab from Tunisia, opens new tab.
+Humzah Khan, a Fulbright fellow in Tunisia, shared an image, opens new tab of the billboard on X with the caption, “several billboards like this in Tunis. Interesting to see it in English, and not French or even Arabic.”
+Khan said in an email that the image was captured on Route 9 between Tunis and Marsa in Tunisia. He provided metadata to Reuters showing the photo was taken on Oct. 27 with an iPhone 12 near the Carrefour shopping mall, opens new tab.
+On Nov. 2, Al Jazeera reported, opens new tab that the Tunisian parliament began debating a bill that would criminalize the normalization of ties with Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
+The Chicago Department of Buildings’ managing deputy commissioner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Khan said in an email that the image was captured on Route 9 between Tunis and Marsa in Tunisia. He provided metadata to Reuters showing the photo was taken on Oct. 27 with an iPhone 12 near the Carrefour shopping mall, opens new tab. On Nov. 2, Al Jazeera reported, opens new tab that the Tunisian parliament began debating a bill that would criminalize the normalization of ties with Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The Chicago Department of Buildings’ managing deputy commissioner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-provide-65-million-additional-humanitarian-aid-palestinians-2023-11-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Japan to provide $65 million additional humanitarian aid to Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TOKYO, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Japan will provide $65 million in additional humanitarian aid to Palestinians out of concern over the conflict in Gaza, foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said during a tour of Israel and Jordan on Friday.
+Speaking to reporters in Jordan after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki, Kamikawa also said Japan was planning to provide material aid to war-torn Gaza.
+""It is necessary for Israel and Palestine to be able to coexist peacefully in order to prevent the repeat of another tragic act of terrorism,"" Kamikawa said, adding that she had communicated Japan's continued support for a two-state solution to both Cohen and Maliki.
+The visit comes days before Japan is set to host the foreign ministers of the industrialised Group of Seven nations in Tokyo as the crisis in Gaza deepens, with Israel resisting calls for a humanitarian pause and the leader of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group warning of the conflict spilling over to neighbouring areas.
+Kamikawa refrained from commenting on whether Israel's strikes on Gaza was within the limits of international law, but said that actors must comply with the spirit of protecting human rights and not cause needless civilian deaths.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Japan to provide $65 million additional humanitarian aid to Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TOKYO, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Japan will provide $65 million in additional humanitarian aid to Palestinians out of concern over the conflict in Gaza, foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said during a tour of Israel and Jordan on Friday. Speaking to reporters in Jordan after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki, Kamikawa also said Japan was planning to provide material aid to war-torn Gaza. ""It is necessary for Israel and Palestine to be able to coexist peacefully in order to prevent the repeat of another tragic act of terrorism,"" Kamikawa said, adding that she had communicated Japan's continued support for a two-state solution to both Cohen and Maliki.  The visit comes days before Japan is set to host the foreign ministers of the industrialised Group of Seven nations in Tokyo as the crisis in Gaza deepens, with Israel resisting calls for a humanitarian pause and the leader of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group warning of the conflict spilling over to neighbouring areas.
+Kamikawa refrained from commenting on whether Israel's strikes on Gaza was within the limits of international law, but said that actors must comply with the spirit of protecting human rights and not cause needless civilian deaths.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-rights-office-raises-alarm-over-situation-west-bank-2023-11-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN cites 'alarming' rise in Israeli army operations in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The United Nations rights office on Friday described ""alarming"" conditions in the occupied West Bank, saying Israeli forces were increasingly using military tactics and weapons in law enforcement operations there.
+""While much attention has been on the (Hamas) attacks inside Israel and the escalation of hostilities in Gaza since the 7th of October, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is alarming and urgent,"" said Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
+She said at least 132 Palestinians, including 41 children, have been were killed in the West Bank, 124 of those by Israeli forces and some eight by Israeli settlers, since violence there intensified in the wake of Hamas' assault on Israel from Gaza.
+Two Israeli soldiers were also killed.
+The Israeli military has reported a sharp increase in operations against militants in the West Bank since the Oct. 7 attack, making some 1,260 arrests, of whom it said some 760 were affiliated with Hamas.
+The worsening violence in the West Bank has fuelled concerns that the flashpoint Palestinian territory could become a third front in a wider war, in addition to Israel's northern border where clashes with Lebanese Hezbollah forces have mounted.
+
+While Hamas and the smaller Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad militant group are mainly based in Gaza, over recent years they have also expanded their presence across the West Bank, notably in volatile cities including Jenin and Nablus.
+Throssell said Israeli forces were increasingly using military tactics and weapons in law enforcement operations while settler violence against Palestinian inhabitants, which was already at record levels, had ""escalated dramatically"".
+""We have documented that in many of these incidents, settlers were accompanied by members of the Israeli forces, or the settlers were wearing uniforms and carrying army rifles,"" she said.
+""Along with the near-total impunity for settler violence, we are concerned that armed settlers have been acting with the acquiescence and collaboration of Israeli forces and authorities.""
+Ammar Al-Dwaik, Director General of the Independent Commission of Human Rights of Palestine in Ramallah, seat of the limited Palestinian self-rule authority in the West Bank, said that many people were afraid to venture far from their homes.
+""We see increasing numbers of soldiers everywhere. The Israeli army’s treatment of people is becoming more and more aggressive and humiliating,"" he told reporters in Geneva via videolink.
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN cites 'alarming' rise in Israeli army operations in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The United Nations rights office on Friday described ""alarming"" conditions in the occupied West Bank, saying Israeli forces were increasingly using military tactics and weapons in law enforcement operations there. ""While much attention has been on the (Hamas) attacks inside Israel and the escalation of hostilities in Gaza since the 7th of October, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is alarming and urgent,"" said Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). She said at least 132 Palestinians, including 41 children, have been were killed in the West Bank, 124 of those by Israeli forces and some eight by Israeli settlers, since violence there intensified in the wake of Hamas' assault on Israel from Gaza.
+Two Israeli soldiers were also killed.
+The Israeli military has reported a sharp increase in operations against militants in the West Bank since the Oct. 7 attack, making some 1,260 arrests, of whom it said some 760 were affiliated with Hamas. The worsening violence in the West Bank has fuelled concerns that the flashpoint Palestinian territory could become a third front in a wider war, in addition to Israel's northern border where clashes with Lebanese Hezbollah forces have mounted. While Hamas and the smaller Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad militant group are mainly based in Gaza, over recent years they have also expanded their presence across the West Bank, notably in volatile cities including Jenin and Nablus. Throssell said Israeli forces were increasingly using military tactics and weapons in law enforcement operations while settler violence against Palestinian inhabitants, which was already at record levels, had ""escalated dramatically"". ""We have documented that in many of these incidents, settlers were accompanied by members of the Israeli forces, or the settlers were wearing uniforms and carrying army rifles,"" she said.  ""Along with the near-total impunity for settler violence, we are concerned that armed settlers have been acting with the acquiescence and collaboration of Israeli forces and authorities. ""
+Ammar Al-Dwaik, Director General of the Independent Commission of Human Rights of Palestine in Ramallah, seat of the limited Palestinian self-rule authority in the West Bank, said that many people were afraid to venture far from their homes.  ""We see increasing numbers of soldiers everywhere. The Israeli army’s treatment of people is becoming more and more aggressive and humiliating,"" he told reporters in Geneva via videolink. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-sunak-warns-pro-palestinian-protests-armistice-day-provocative-2023-11-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK PM Sunak warns pro-Palestinian protests on Armistice Day 'provocative'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Plans by pro-Palestinian demonstrators to march in central London on Armistice Day are ""provocative and disrespectful"", British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday, as police said they would do everything possible to prevent disruption.
+Britain has supported Israel's right to defend itself after an Oct. 7 attack by militant group Hamas that Israel has said killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
+Israel has bombed the enclave daily since, killing more than 9,000 Palestinians, and prompting tens of thousands of pro-Palestinians to march through central London every Saturday demanding the British government call for a ceasefire.
+London's Metropolitan Police has said pro-Palestinians intend to hold a ""significant demonstration"" on Nov. 11, the anniversary of the end of World War One, but have no plans to protest on Nov. 12, when formal Remembrance Sunday events are held.
+Previous pro-Palestinian demonstrations have passed through the government district of Whitehall, where the Cenotaph war memorial is situated.
+""To plan protests on Armistice Day is provocative and disrespectful, and there is a clear and present risk that the Cenotaph and other war memorials could be desecrated, something that would be an affront to the British public and the values we stand for,"" Sunak said on messaging platform X.
+""The right to remember, in peace and dignity, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for those freedoms must be protected.""
+Sunak said he had asked interior minister Suella Braverman to support police ""in doing everything necessary to protect the sanctity of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday"".
+The Met has said it would have a ""significant policing and security operation"" across the Nov. 11-12 weekend and would ""use all the powers available to us to ensure anyone intent on disrupting it will not succeed"".
+The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has said it is willing to avoid the Whitehall area, the Met added.
+""We have already been in positive dialogue with PSC,"" Met Police Commander Karen Findlay told reporters on Friday.
+""They have already expressed that they have no intention to disrupt remembrance events.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK PM Sunak warns pro-Palestinian protests on Armistice Day 'provocative'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Plans by pro-Palestinian demonstrators to march in central London on Armistice Day are ""provocative and disrespectful"", British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday, as police said they would do everything possible to prevent disruption. Britain has supported Israel's right to defend itself after an Oct. 7 attack by militant group Hamas that Israel has said killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians. Israel has bombed the enclave daily since, killing more than 9,000 Palestinians, and prompting tens of thousands of pro-Palestinians to march through central London every Saturday demanding the British government call for a ceasefire. London's Metropolitan Police has said pro-Palestinians intend to hold a ""significant demonstration"" on Nov. 11, the anniversary of the end of World War One, but have no plans to protest on Nov. 12, when formal Remembrance Sunday events are held.  Previous pro-Palestinian demonstrations have passed through the government district of Whitehall, where the Cenotaph war memorial is situated.
+"" To plan protests on Armistice Day is provocative and disrespectful, and there is a clear and present risk that the Cenotaph and other war memorials could be desecrated, something that would be an affront to the British public and the values we stand for,"" Sunak said on messaging platform X. ""The right to remember, in peace and dignity, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for those freedoms must be protected."" Sunak said he had asked interior minister Suella Braverman to support police ""in doing everything necessary to protect the sanctity of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday"". The Met has said it would have a ""significant policing and security operation"" across the Nov. 11-12 weekend and would ""use all the powers available to us to ensure anyone intent on disrupting it will not succeed"".
+The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has said it is willing to avoid the Whitehall area, the Met added. ""We have already been in positive dialogue with PSC,"" Met Police Commander Karen Findlay told reporters on Friday. ""They have already expressed that they have no intention to disrupt remembrance events.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-does-not-show-putin-announcing-russian-support-palestinians-2023-11-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video does not show Putin announcing Russian support for Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin giving a speech at a military parade in 2021 has been misleadingly captioned to suggest it shows Putin stating his support for Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in 2023.
+The snippet of Putin’s speech was shared on Facebook, opens new tab and X social media, opens new tab with the caption, “Vladimir putin announced Russia will openly help to Palestine. No one can stop us. Uraaaaaaaaaaa.”
+
+
+
+The video and the speech, however, are unrelated to the 2023 Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which began after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
+A Reuters translation of Putin’s comments in Russian in the video clip is: “Glory to the Victorious Nation! Happy holiday! Happy great victory day! Hurrah!”. In response, military personnel seen in the video can be heard saying, “Hurrah, hurrah!”
+The clip could be traced to a May 9, 2021, livestream of Russia’s Victory Day Parade, opens new tab uploaded to YouTube by Russian outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda. The excerpt of the speech shared online can be viewed at timecodes 37:05 to 37:25.
+At the time, Reuters reported on the parade held on Moscow's Red Square to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two and Putin’s Russia-focused speech.
+A transcript, opens new tab of Putin’s May 9, 2021 address published by Russian state-owned news agency TASS, shows that there was no mention of Israel or Palestine in the speech.
+On Oct.30, 2023, Putin sought to blame the West for the crisis in the Middle East, saying the “ruling elites of the U.S.” and their “satellites” stood behind the killing of Gaza's Palestinians, and behind conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, Reuters reported.
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. A video shows Vladimir Putin making a speech in 2021 where he did not mention Palestine or the Israel-Hamas conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video does not show Putin announcing Russian support for Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin giving a speech at a military parade in 2021 has been misleadingly captioned to suggest it shows Putin stating his support for Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in 2023.  The snippet of Putin’s speech was shared on Facebook, opens new tab and X social media, opens new tab with the caption, “Vladimir putin announced Russia will openly help to Palestine. No one can stop us. Uraaaaaaaaaaa.” The video and the speech, however, are unrelated to the 2023 Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which began after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.  A Reuters translation of Putin’s comments in Russian in the video clip is: “Glory to the Victorious Nation! Happy holiday! Happy great victory day! Hurrah!”. In response, military personnel seen in the video can be heard saying, “Hurrah, hurrah!”  The clip could be traced to a May 9, 2021, livestream of Russia’s Victory Day Parade, opens new tab uploaded to YouTube by Russian outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda. The excerpt of the speech shared online can be viewed at timecodes 37:05 to 37:25.  At the time, Reuters reported on the parade held on Moscow's Red Square to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two and Putin’s Russia-focused speech.  A transcript, opens new tab of Putin’s May 9, 2021 address published by Russian state-owned news agency TASS, shows that there was no mention of Israel or Palestine in the speech. On Oct.30, 2023, Putin sought to blame the West for the crisis in the Middle East, saying the “ruling elites of the U.S.” and their “satellites” stood behind the killing of Gaza's Palestinians, and behind conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, Reuters reported.  VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. A video shows Vladimir Putin making a speech in 2021 where he did not mention Palestine or the Israel-Hamas conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/tiktok-denies-pushing-pro-palestine-content-2023-11-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]TikTok denies pushing pro-Palestine content[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 2 (Reuters) - Short-form video app TikTok said on Thursday that a hashtag expressing support for Israel in its war against Hamas has received more views than a pro-Palestine hashtag, refuting accusations the platform has pushed content in support of Palestine.
+In a blog post, TikTok said U.S. views of the hashtag ""standwithisrael"" garnered 46 million views between Oct. 7 and Oct. 31, compared with 29 million views of the hashtag ""standwithpalestine"" over the same period.
+""Over the last few days, there has been unsound analysis of TikTok hashtag data around the conflict, causing some commentators to falsely insinuate TikTok is pushing pro-Palestine content over pro-Israel content to U.S. users,"" the company said in the blog post.
+Hamas gunmen killed 1,400 people in Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's ensuing bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 9,000, according to Gaza authorities. TikTok said it had removed more than 925,000 videos in the region since Oct. 7 for violating policies about violence and misinformation.
+The app, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, also said it took down 24 million fake accounts.
+False claims about the conflict have spread on social platforms including X, Facebook and TikTok, Reuters previously reported.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]TikTok denies pushing pro-Palestine content[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 2 (Reuters) - Short-form video app TikTok said on Thursday that a hashtag expressing support for Israel in its war against Hamas has received more views than a pro-Palestine hashtag, refuting accusations the platform has pushed content in support of Palestine. In a blog post, TikTok said U.S. views of the hashtag ""standwithisrael"" garnered 46 million views between Oct. 7 and Oct. 31, compared with 29 million views of the hashtag ""standwithpalestine"" over the same period.
+""Over the last few days, there has been unsound analysis of TikTok hashtag data around the conflict, causing some commentators to falsely insinuate TikTok is pushing pro-Palestine content over pro-Israel content to U.S. users,"" the company said in the blog post. Hamas gunmen killed 1,400 people in Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's ensuing bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 9,000, according to Gaza authorities. TikTok said it had removed more than 925,000 videos in the region since Oct. 7 for violating policies about violence and misinformation. The app, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, also said it took down 24 million fake accounts.  False claims about the conflict have spread on social platforms including X, Facebook and TikTok, Reuters previously reported.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/major-us-law-firms-call-law-schools-condemn-antisemitism-islamophobia-2023-11-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Major US law firms call on law schools to condemn 'antisemitism, Islamophobia'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 2 (Reuters) - More than two dozen major U.S. law firms sent a letter on Wednesday to the deans of the nation’s top-ranked law schools expressing concern over a wave of antisemitism and intimidation on university campuses amid the latest fighting between Israel and Hamas.
+The 27 firms urged 14 of the top-ranked law schools in the U.S. to take a “unequivocal stance” against discrimination and harassment and said they “look forward” to learning from law schools how they are addressing the situation on their own campuses.
+“There is no room for antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism or any other form of violence, hatred or bigotry on your campuses, in our workplaces or our communities,” reads the firms’ letter, opens new tab, which cites reports of antisemitic harassment, vandalism, and rallies calling for the elimination of Israel on college campuses.
+A Sullivan & Cromwell spokesperson said on Thursday that senior chair Joseph Shenker spearheaded the letter to the law schools known in the legal industry as the ""T-14,"" as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Other signatories include some on the nation’s biggest and most profitable law firms, including Cravath, Swaine & Moore; Latham & Watkins; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
+University of California, Berkeley law dean Erwin Chemerinsky said on Thursday that he welcomes the firms’ statement condemning antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism but was unclear on next steps.
+“I am unsure what the law firms are asking law schools to do, but it is certainly our role to protect the freedom of speech of all of our students, while also ensuring that there is a conducive learning environment and preparing students for the practice of law at the highest levels of the profession,” Chemerinsky said.
+Palestine Legal, an organization that seeks to protect the rights of people in the U.S. to speak out on behalf of Palestinians, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the firms' letter.
+Spokespeople from the other law schools receiving the letter did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
+A Columbia Law spokesperson referred to dean Gillian Lester’s Oct. 31 message to students that said the school was convening a working group to examine its conduct rules and would continue to limit access to its building for those outside the law school.
+The law firms’ letter comes after at least two big firms, Winston & Strawn and Davis Polk & Wardwell, have rescinded offers to incoming associates who had made or signed on to public statements supporting Palestine in the wake of Hamas’ deadly attacks in Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Major US law firms call on law schools to condemn 'antisemitism, Islamophobia'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 2 (Reuters) - More than two dozen major U.S. law firms sent a letter on Wednesday to the deans of the nation’s top-ranked law schools expressing concern over a wave of antisemitism and intimidation on university campuses amid the latest fighting between Israel and Hamas.  The 27 firms urged 14 of the top-ranked law schools in the U.S. to take a “unequivocal stance” against discrimination and harassment and said they “look forward” to learning from law schools how they are addressing the situation on their own campuses.
+“There is no room for antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism or any other form of violence, hatred or bigotry on your campuses, in our workplaces or our communities,” reads the firms’ letter, opens new tab, which cites reports of antisemitic harassment, vandalism, and rallies calling for the elimination of Israel on college campuses.
+A Sullivan & Cromwell spokesperson said on Thursday that senior chair Joseph Shenker spearheaded the letter to the law schools known in the legal industry as the ""T-14,"" as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Other signatories include some on the nation’s biggest and most profitable law firms, including Cravath, Swaine & Moore; Latham & Watkins; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. University of California, Berkeley law dean Erwin Chemerinsky said on Thursday that he welcomes the firms’ statement condemning antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism but was unclear on next steps. “I am unsure what the law firms are asking law schools to do, but it is certainly our role to protect the freedom of speech of all of our students, while also ensuring that there is a conducive learning environment and preparing students for the practice of law at the highest levels of the profession,” Chemerinsky said. Palestine Legal, an organization that seeks to protect the rights of people in the U.S. to speak out on behalf of Palestinians, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the firms' letter. Spokespeople from the other law schools receiving the letter did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A Columbia Law spokesperson referred to dean Gillian Lester’s Oct. 31 message to students that said the school was convening a working group to examine its conduct rules and would continue to limit access to its building for those outside the law school. "
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/major-us-law-firms-call-law-schools-condemn-antisemitism-islamophobia-2023-11-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Major US law firms call on law schools to condemn 'antisemitism, Islamophobia'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Nov 2 (Reuters) - More than two dozen major U.S. law firms sent a letter on Wednesday to the deans of the nation’s top-ranked law schools expressing concern over a wave of antisemitism and intimidation on university campuses amid the latest fighting between Israel and Hamas.
+The 27 firms urged 14 of the top-ranked law schools in the U.S. to take a “unequivocal stance” against discrimination and harassment and said they “look forward” to learning from law schools how they are addressing the situation on their own campuses.
+“There is no room for antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism or any other form of violence, hatred or bigotry on your campuses, in our workplaces or our communities,” reads the firms’ letter, opens new tab, which cites reports of antisemitic harassment, vandalism, and rallies calling for the elimination of Israel on college campuses.
+A Sullivan & Cromwell spokesperson said on Thursday that senior chair Joseph Shenker spearheaded the letter to the law schools known in the legal industry as the ""T-14,"" as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Other signatories include some on the nation’s biggest and most profitable law firms, including Cravath, Swaine & Moore; Latham & Watkins; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
+University of California, Berkeley law dean Erwin Chemerinsky said on Thursday that he welcomes the firms’ statement condemning antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism but was unclear on next steps.
+“I am unsure what the law firms are asking law schools to do, but it is certainly our role to protect the freedom of speech of all of our students, while also ensuring that there is a conducive learning environment and preparing students for the practice of law at the highest levels of the profession,” Chemerinsky said.
+Palestine Legal, an organization that seeks to protect the rights of people in the U.S. to speak out on behalf of Palestinians, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the firms' letter.
+Spokespeople from the other law schools receiving the letter did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
+A Columbia Law spokesperson referred to dean Gillian Lester’s Oct. 31 message to students that said the school was convening a working group to examine its conduct rules and would continue to limit access to its building for those outside the law school.
+The law firms’ letter comes after at least two big firms, Winston & Strawn and Davis Polk & Wardwell, have rescinded offers to incoming associates who had made or signed on to public statements supporting Palestine in the wake of Hamas’ deadly attacks in Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The law firms’ letter comes after at least two big firms, Winston & Strawn and Davis Polk & Wardwell, have rescinded offers to incoming associates who had made or signed on to public statements supporting Palestine in the wake of Hamas’ deadly attacks in Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-foreign-minister-calls-immediate-steps-ceasefire-amid-violence-israel-2021-05-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UAE urges Mideast ceasefire, offers condolences to all victims -WAM[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, May 14 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates foreign minister on Friday voiced his country's concern over the escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence and called for a ceasefire and the start of a diplomatic dialogue, state news agency WAM reported.
+Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan offered condolences to all victims of the fighting, citing the promise of September accords that made the UAE and Bahrain the first Arab states in a quarter century to establish formal ties with Israel.
+""The UAE is alarmed by the escalating spiral of violence in Israel and Palestine. We express our condolences to all victims of the recent fighting, and join others in calling for an immediate cessation of violence and hostilities,"" he said.
+""The UAE calls on all parties to take immediate steps to commit to a ceasefire, initiate a political dialogue, and exercise maximum restraint,"" the minister added.
+""We reflect on the promise that the Abraham Accords hold for current and future generations, to live with their neighbours in peace, dignity and prosperity,"" he said, offering his country's support to all efforts to de-escalate tensions.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UAE urges Mideast ceasefire, offers condolences to all victims -WAM[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, May 14 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates foreign minister on Friday voiced his country's concern over the escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence and called for a ceasefire and the start of a diplomatic dialogue, state news agency WAM reported. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan offered condolences to all victims of the fighting, citing the promise of September accords that made the UAE and Bahrain the first Arab states in a quarter century to establish formal ties with Israel.
+"" The UAE is alarmed by the escalating spiral of violence in Israel and Palestine. We express our condolences to all victims of the recent fighting, and join others in calling for an immediate cessation of violence and hostilities,"" he said. ""The UAE calls on all parties to take immediate steps to commit to a ceasefire, initiate a political dialogue, and exercise maximum restraint,"" the minister added.  ""We reflect on the promise that the Abraham Accords hold for current and future generations, to live with their neighbours in peace, dignity and prosperity,"" he said, offering his country's support to all efforts to de-escalate tensions.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kenyan-police-disperse-protesters-demonstrating-against-israeli-attacks-gaza-2021-05-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Kenyan police disperse protesters demonstrating against Israeli attacks on Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NAIROBI, May 13 (Reuters) - Police fired teargas to disperse a crowd of more than 200 people protesting in Kenya's capital Nairobi on Thursday against the Israeli bombing of the Palestinian territory of Gaza.
+Several demonstrators were arrested, a Reuters witness said.
+The march started after Eid prayers at a nearby mosque.
+Protesters waved banners with the Palestinian flag and with the words: ""Kenyans stand with Palestine"" and ""Our freedom is incomplete without the Freedom of Palestine - Nelson Mandela"".
+
+
+""I stand with my brothers and sisters in Palestine and I pray day and night that my sisters and brothers get peace,"" said protestor Rayan Sheikh.
+Dozens of people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza since violence escalated on Monday, and several people in Israel have been killed by Hamas rocket fire.
+""Israel is the last apartheid nation in the world,"" Boniface Mwangi, an anti-corruption and human rights activist, said just before teargas was thrown to disperse the marchers.
+""Apartheid in South Africa would not have fallen without international pressure...our silence justifies what Israel is doing.""
+Some critics of Israeli policies regarding the Palestinians, including Human Rights Watch, have accused it of a form of apartheid, the former system of white minority rule in South Africa. Israel rejects the comparison.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Kenyan police disperse protesters demonstrating against Israeli attacks on Gaza[/TITLE] [CONTENT]NAIROBI, May 13 (Reuters) - Police fired teargas to disperse a crowd of more than 200 people protesting in Kenya's capital Nairobi on Thursday against the Israeli bombing of the Palestinian territory of Gaza. Several demonstrators were arrested, a Reuters witness said. The march started after Eid prayers at a nearby mosque. Protesters waved banners with the Palestinian flag and with the words: ""Kenyans stand with Palestine"" and ""Our freedom is incomplete without the Freedom of Palestine - Nelson Mandela"". ""I stand with my brothers and sisters in Palestine and I pray day and night that my sisters and brothers get peace,"" said protestor Rayan Sheikh. Dozens of people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza since violence escalated on Monday, and several people in Israel have been killed by Hamas rocket fire. ""Israel is the last apartheid nation in the world,"" Boniface Mwangi, an anti-corruption and human rights activist, said just before teargas was thrown to disperse the marchers.
+""Apartheid in South Africa would not have fallen without international pressure... our silence justifies what Israel is doing."" Some critics of Israeli policies regarding the Palestinians, including Human Rights Watch, have accused it of a form of apartheid, the former system of white minority rule in South Africa. Israel rejects the comparison.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-nationalists-march-east-jerusalem-prompt-palestinian-day-rage-2021-06-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli nationalists march in East Jerusalem, raising tensions with Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, June 15 (Reuters) - Thousands of Israeli far-right nationalists marched in a flag-waving procession through East Jerusalem on Tuesday, an event that reignited tensions with Palestinians and posed an early challenge to Israel’s new government.
+Last month, Israeli-Palestinian confrontations in contested Jerusalem helped trigger 11 days of cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group.
+On Tuesday, Israeli police in riot gear and on horseback cordoned off areas leading to the walled Old City's flashpoint Damascus Gate, clearing the area to Palestinians before the marchers arrived.
+Dancing and singing ""the people of Israel live"", the crowd of mostly religious Jews, many carrying blue and white Israeli flags, filled the plaza in front of the gate, usually a popular social gathering spot for Palestinians.
+""Take a good look at our flag. Live and suffer,"" one marcher, a megaphone in one hand and a cigar in the other, shouted in Hebrew at Palestinian merchants on the other side of police barriers erected on an East Jerusalem street.
+Israel, which occupied East Jerusalem in a 1967 war and later annexed it in a move that has not won international recognition, regards the entire city as its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state that would include the West Bank and Gaza.
+Sitting on a bench outside the police cordon, Khalil Mitwani, a 50-year-old Palestinian, said of the marchers: ""They are making a big problem in Jerusalem. All the people here want peace - why make problems here?""
+Hamas had warned of renewed hostilities over the march, testing the mettle of new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's administration of right-wing, centrist, left-wing and Arab parties and prompting Israel to beef up its deployment of the Iron Dome anti-missile system.
+But as the marchers began to disperse after nightfall in Jerusalem, there was no sign of rocket fire from Gaza.
+Several hours before the event started, however, Palestinians in Gaza launched incendiary balloons which the Israeli fire brigade said caused at least 20 blazes in fields in Israeli communities near the fenced border with the enclave.
+Such incidents had stopped with the ceasefire that ended last month's hostilities, in which Gaza militants unleashed rocket barrages into Israel and Israel pounded the small, densely populated coastal enclave with air strikes.
+Israeli media reports said Bennett's administration would order retaliation for the resumption of the balloon launches, though not necessarily immediately.
+
+RE-ROUTING
+At least 27 Palestinians were injured in clashes in East Jerusalem with Israeli police firing stun grenades, the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said.
+But the violence was not as extensive as many had feared.
+In an apparent effort to avoid friction with Palestinians during the march, a police-charted route kept participants from going throughthe Damascus Gate, the main entry to the Muslim Quarter of the Old City and home to shrines sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
+The marchers took a more peripheral route instead to Judaism's sacred Western Wall, singing nationalist songs that echoed in alleyways where Palestinian merchants had shuttered their shops.
+Yair Lapid, Bennett's foreign minister and main partner in the governing coalition that ended Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as prime minister, condemned chants of ""Death to the Arabs"" from some of the marchers.
+""That's not Judaism, and that's not being Israeli, and it is certainly not what our flag symbolises,"" Lapid wrote on Twitter.
+Tuesday's march was originally scheduled for May 10 as part of ""Jerusalem Day"" festivities that celebrate Israel's capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war.
+At the last minute, that march was diverted away from the Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter, but the move was not enough to dissuade Hamas from firing rockets towards Jerusalem.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli nationalists march in East Jerusalem, raising tensions with Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, June 15 (Reuters) - Thousands of Israeli far-right nationalists marched in a flag-waving procession through East Jerusalem on Tuesday, an event that reignited tensions with Palestinians and posed an early challenge to Israel’s new government. Last month, Israeli-Palestinian confrontations in contested Jerusalem helped trigger 11 days of cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group. On Tuesday, Israeli police in riot gear and on horseback cordoned off areas leading to the walled Old City's flashpoint Damascus Gate, clearing the area to Palestinians before the marchers arrived.
+Dancing and singing ""the people of Israel live"", the crowd of mostly religious Jews, many carrying blue and white Israeli flags, filled the plaza in front of the gate, usually a popular social gathering spot for Palestinians.  ""Take a good look at our flag. Live and suffer,"" one marcher, a megaphone in one hand and a cigar in the other, shouted in Hebrew at Palestinian merchants on the other side of police barriers erected on an East Jerusalem street.  Israel, which occupied East Jerusalem in a 1967 war and later annexed it in a move that has not won international recognition, regards the entire city as its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state that would include the West Bank and Gaza. Sitting on a bench outside the police cordon, Khalil Mitwani, a 50-year-old Palestinian, said of the marchers: ""They are making a big problem in Jerusalem. All the people here want peace - why make problems here?"" Hamas had warned of renewed hostilities over the march, testing the mettle of new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's administration of right-wing, centrist, left-wing and Arab parties and prompting Israel to beef up its deployment of the Iron Dome anti-missile system. But as the marchers began to disperse after nightfall in Jerusalem, there was no sign of rocket fire from Gaza. Several hours before the event started, however, Palestinians in Gaza launched incendiary balloons which the Israeli fire brigade said caused at least 20 blazes in fields in Israeli communities near the fenced border with the enclave. Such incidents had stopped with the ceasefire that ended last month's hostilities, in which Gaza militants unleashed rocket barrages into Israel and Israel pounded the small, densely populated coastal enclave with air strikes."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-nationalists-march-east-jerusalem-prompt-palestinian-day-rage-2021-06-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli nationalists march in East Jerusalem, raising tensions with Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, June 15 (Reuters) - Thousands of Israeli far-right nationalists marched in a flag-waving procession through East Jerusalem on Tuesday, an event that reignited tensions with Palestinians and posed an early challenge to Israel’s new government.
+Last month, Israeli-Palestinian confrontations in contested Jerusalem helped trigger 11 days of cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group.
+On Tuesday, Israeli police in riot gear and on horseback cordoned off areas leading to the walled Old City's flashpoint Damascus Gate, clearing the area to Palestinians before the marchers arrived.
+Dancing and singing ""the people of Israel live"", the crowd of mostly religious Jews, many carrying blue and white Israeli flags, filled the plaza in front of the gate, usually a popular social gathering spot for Palestinians.
+""Take a good look at our flag. Live and suffer,"" one marcher, a megaphone in one hand and a cigar in the other, shouted in Hebrew at Palestinian merchants on the other side of police barriers erected on an East Jerusalem street.
+Israel, which occupied East Jerusalem in a 1967 war and later annexed it in a move that has not won international recognition, regards the entire city as its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state that would include the West Bank and Gaza.
+Sitting on a bench outside the police cordon, Khalil Mitwani, a 50-year-old Palestinian, said of the marchers: ""They are making a big problem in Jerusalem. All the people here want peace - why make problems here?""
+Hamas had warned of renewed hostilities over the march, testing the mettle of new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's administration of right-wing, centrist, left-wing and Arab parties and prompting Israel to beef up its deployment of the Iron Dome anti-missile system.
+But as the marchers began to disperse after nightfall in Jerusalem, there was no sign of rocket fire from Gaza.
+Several hours before the event started, however, Palestinians in Gaza launched incendiary balloons which the Israeli fire brigade said caused at least 20 blazes in fields in Israeli communities near the fenced border with the enclave.
+Such incidents had stopped with the ceasefire that ended last month's hostilities, in which Gaza militants unleashed rocket barrages into Israel and Israel pounded the small, densely populated coastal enclave with air strikes.
+Israeli media reports said Bennett's administration would order retaliation for the resumption of the balloon launches, though not necessarily immediately.
+
+RE-ROUTING
+At least 27 Palestinians were injured in clashes in East Jerusalem with Israeli police firing stun grenades, the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said.
+But the violence was not as extensive as many had feared.
+In an apparent effort to avoid friction with Palestinians during the march, a police-charted route kept participants from going throughthe Damascus Gate, the main entry to the Muslim Quarter of the Old City and home to shrines sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
+The marchers took a more peripheral route instead to Judaism's sacred Western Wall, singing nationalist songs that echoed in alleyways where Palestinian merchants had shuttered their shops.
+Yair Lapid, Bennett's foreign minister and main partner in the governing coalition that ended Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as prime minister, condemned chants of ""Death to the Arabs"" from some of the marchers.
+""That's not Judaism, and that's not being Israeli, and it is certainly not what our flag symbolises,"" Lapid wrote on Twitter.
+Tuesday's march was originally scheduled for May 10 as part of ""Jerusalem Day"" festivities that celebrate Israel's capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war.
+At the last minute, that march was diverted away from the Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter, but the move was not enough to dissuade Hamas from firing rockets towards Jerusalem.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israeli media reports said Bennett's administration would order retaliation for the resumption of the balloon launches, though not necessarily immediately.
+
+RE-ROUTING
+At least 27 Palestinians were injured in clashes in East Jerusalem with Israeli police firing stun grenades, the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said. But the violence was not as extensive as many had feared. In an apparent effort to avoid friction with Palestinians during the march, a police-charted route kept participants from going throughthe Damascus Gate, the main entry to the Muslim Quarter of the Old City and home to shrines sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
+The marchers took a more peripheral route instead to Judaism's sacred Western Wall, singing nationalist songs that echoed in alleyways where Palestinian merchants had shuttered their shops. Yair Lapid, Bennett's foreign minister and main partner in the governing coalition that ended Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as prime minister, condemned chants of ""Death to the Arabs"" from some of the marchers. ""That's not Judaism, and that's not being Israeli, and it is certainly not what our flag symbolises,"" Lapid wrote on Twitter.
+Tuesday's march was originally scheduled for May 10 as part of ""Jerusalem Day"" festivities that celebrate Israel's capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war.
+At the last minute, that march was diverted away from the Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter, but the move was not enough to dissuade Hamas from firing rockets towards Jerusalem.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-see-little-difference-old-new-israeli-leaders-2021-06-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians see little difference in old and new Israeli leaders[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH/GAZA, June 3 (Reuters) - Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza on Thursday mostly dismissed a change in Israeli government, saying the nationalist leader due to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would likely pursue the same right-wing agenda.
+Naftali Bennett, opens new tab, a former head of Israel’s main West Bank settler organisation, would be the country’s new leader under a patchwork coalition struck on Wednesday.
+On Thursday Bennett placed much of the blame for the conflict on the Palestinians.
+""The truth must be told: The national struggle between Israel and the Palestinians is not over territory. The Palestinians do not recognise our very existence here, and it would appear that this will be the case for some time,"" he told Israel's Channel 12 TV station.
+Speaking before Bennett's latest remarks Bassem Al-Salhi, a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said the prime minister designate was no less extreme than Netanyahu, adding: ""He will make sure to express how extreme he is in the government.""
+Similar sentiments were voiced elsewhere. ""There is no difference between one Israeli leader and another,"" said Ahmed Rezik, 29, a government worker in Gaza.
+""They are good or bad for their nation. And when it comes to us, they are all bad, and they all refuse to give the Palestinians their rights and their land.""
+Hamas, the Islamist group which controls the Gaza Strip, said it made no difference who governs Israel.
+“Palestinians have seen dozens of Israeli governments throughout history, right, left, centre, as they call it. But all of them have been hostile when it comes to the rights of our Palestinian people and they all had hostile policies of expansionism,” spokesman Hazem Qassem said.
+In what would be a first in Israel, a governing coalition would include an Islamist party elected by members of Israel's 21% Arab minority, who are Palestinian by culture and heritage and Israeli by citizenship.
+Its leader, Mansour Abbas, opens new tab, said the coalition agreement would bring more than 53 billion shekels ($16 billion) to improve infrastructure and combat violent crime in Arab towns.
+But he has been criticised in the West Bank and Gaza for siding with what they see as the enemy.
+""He is a traitor. What will he do when they ask him to vote on launching a new war on Gaza?"" said Badri Karam, 21, in Gaza.
+""Will he accept it, being a part of the killing of Palestinians?""
+Bennett has been a strong advocate of annexing parts of the West Bank that Israel captured and occupied in a 1967 war. But in his first public remarks on the issue in recent days, he appeared to propose a continuation of the status quo, with some easing of conditions for Palestinians.
+“My thinking in this context is to shrink the conflict. We will not resolve it. But wherever we can (improve conditions) - more crossing points, more quality of life, more business, more industry - we will do so.”[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians see little difference in old and new Israeli leaders[/TITLE] [CONTENT]RAMALLAH/GAZA, June 3 (Reuters) - Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza on Thursday mostly dismissed a change in Israeli government, saying the nationalist leader due to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would likely pursue the same right-wing agenda. Naftali Bennett, opens new tab, a former head of Israel’s main West Bank settler organisation, would be the country’s new leader under a patchwork coalition struck on Wednesday.  On Thursday Bennett placed much of the blame for the conflict on the Palestinians.
+"" The truth must be told: The national struggle between Israel and the Palestinians is not over territory. The Palestinians do not recognise our very existence here, and it would appear that this will be the case for some time,"" he told Israel's Channel 12 TV station.  Speaking before Bennett's latest remarks Bassem Al-Salhi, a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said the prime minister designate was no less extreme than Netanyahu, adding: ""He will make sure to express how extreme he is in the government.""
+Similar sentiments were voiced elsewhere. ""There is no difference between one Israeli leader and another,"" said Ahmed Rezik, 29, a government worker in Gaza. ""They are good or bad for their nation. And when it comes to us, they are all bad, and they all refuse to give the Palestinians their rights and their land. "" Hamas, the Islamist group which controls the Gaza Strip, said it made no difference who governs Israel.
+“ Palestinians have seen dozens of Israeli governments throughout history, right, left, centre, as they call it. But all of them have been hostile when it comes to the rights of our Palestinian people and they all had hostile policies of expansionism,” spokesman Hazem Qassem said.  In what would be a first in Israel, a governing coalition would include an Islamist party elected by members of Israel's 21% Arab minority, who are Palestinian by culture and heritage and Israeli by citizenship.  Its leader, Mansour Abbas, opens new tab, said the coalition agreement would bring more than 53 billion shekels ($16 billion) to improve infrastructure and combat violent crime in Arab towns. But he has been criticised in the West Bank and Gaza for siding with what they see as the enemy.  ""He is a traitor. What will he do when they ask him to vote on launching a new war on Gaza?"" said Badri Karam, 21, in Gaza. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-see-little-difference-old-new-israeli-leaders-2021-06-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians see little difference in old and new Israeli leaders[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH/GAZA, June 3 (Reuters) - Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza on Thursday mostly dismissed a change in Israeli government, saying the nationalist leader due to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would likely pursue the same right-wing agenda.
+Naftali Bennett, opens new tab, a former head of Israel’s main West Bank settler organisation, would be the country’s new leader under a patchwork coalition struck on Wednesday.
+On Thursday Bennett placed much of the blame for the conflict on the Palestinians.
+""The truth must be told: The national struggle between Israel and the Palestinians is not over territory. The Palestinians do not recognise our very existence here, and it would appear that this will be the case for some time,"" he told Israel's Channel 12 TV station.
+Speaking before Bennett's latest remarks Bassem Al-Salhi, a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said the prime minister designate was no less extreme than Netanyahu, adding: ""He will make sure to express how extreme he is in the government.""
+Similar sentiments were voiced elsewhere. ""There is no difference between one Israeli leader and another,"" said Ahmed Rezik, 29, a government worker in Gaza.
+""They are good or bad for their nation. And when it comes to us, they are all bad, and they all refuse to give the Palestinians their rights and their land.""
+Hamas, the Islamist group which controls the Gaza Strip, said it made no difference who governs Israel.
+“Palestinians have seen dozens of Israeli governments throughout history, right, left, centre, as they call it. But all of them have been hostile when it comes to the rights of our Palestinian people and they all had hostile policies of expansionism,” spokesman Hazem Qassem said.
+In what would be a first in Israel, a governing coalition would include an Islamist party elected by members of Israel's 21% Arab minority, who are Palestinian by culture and heritage and Israeli by citizenship.
+Its leader, Mansour Abbas, opens new tab, said the coalition agreement would bring more than 53 billion shekels ($16 billion) to improve infrastructure and combat violent crime in Arab towns.
+But he has been criticised in the West Bank and Gaza for siding with what they see as the enemy.
+""He is a traitor. What will he do when they ask him to vote on launching a new war on Gaza?"" said Badri Karam, 21, in Gaza.
+""Will he accept it, being a part of the killing of Palestinians?""
+Bennett has been a strong advocate of annexing parts of the West Bank that Israel captured and occupied in a 1967 war. But in his first public remarks on the issue in recent days, he appeared to propose a continuation of the status quo, with some easing of conditions for Palestinians.
+“My thinking in this context is to shrink the conflict. We will not resolve it. But wherever we can (improve conditions) - more crossing points, more quality of life, more business, more industry - we will do so.”[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""Will he accept it, being a part of the killing of Palestinians?""
+Bennett has been a strong advocate of annexing parts of the West Bank that Israel captured and occupied in a 1967 war. But in his first public remarks on the issue in recent days, he appeared to propose a continuation of the status quo, with some easing of conditions for Palestinians.  “My thinking in this context is to shrink the conflict. We will not resolve it. But wherever we can (improve conditions) - more crossing points, more quality of life, more business, more industry - we will do so.”[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/end-netanyahu-era-could-be-cards-israeli-political-drama-2021-05-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Netanyahu's grip on power loosens as rival moves to unseat him[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 30 (Reuters) - Far-right party leader Naftali Bennett threw his crucial support on Sunday behind a ""unity government"" in Israel to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in what would be the end of a political era.
+Bennett's decision, which he announced in a televised address, could enable opposition chief Yair Lapid to put together a coalition of right-wing, centrist and leftist parties and hand Netanyahu his first election defeat since 1999.
+Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party that finished second to Netanyahu's right-wing Likud in an inconclusive March 23 national ballot, faces a Wednesday deadline from Israel's president to announce a new government.
+Lapid's chances of success have rested largely with Bennett, a former defence chief and a high-tech millionaire whose Yamina party's six seats in the 120-member parliament are enough to give him the status of kingmaker. read more
+Under a prospective power-sharing deal, Bennett would replace Netanyahu, the 71-year-old head of the Likud party, as prime minister and later give way to centrist Lapid in a rotation agreement.
+""I am announcing today that I intend to work with all my might towards establishing a unity government with Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid,"" Bennett said in his speech. ""It's either a fifth election, or a unity government.""
+Responding on television to Bennett's announcement, Netanyahu accused him of perpetrating ""the fraud of the century"", citing past public promises Bennett made not to join up with Lapid. He said a right-wing government was still a possibility.
+Israel has held four elections since April 2019 that ended with no clear winner and left Netanyahu and his rivals short of a parliamentary majority, with the veteran leader remaining in office as head of a caretaker government.
+The new prospective coalition's diverse members would have little in common apart from the desire to end the 12-year run of Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, now on trial over corruption charges that he denies.
+An anti-Netanyahu alliance would be fragile and require outside backing by Arab members of parliament who oppose much of Bennett's agenda, which includes more settlement building in the occupied West Bank and its partial annexation.
+
+It would be expected to focus on the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, while setting aside issues on which members disagree, such as the role of religion in society and Palestinian aspirations for statehood.
+Netanyahu said such a coalition was a danger to Israel's security and future.
+""What will it do for Israel's deterrence? How will we look in the eyes of our enemies,"" he said. ""What will they do in Iran and in Gaza? What will they say in the halls of government in Washington?""
+A Bennett-Lapid agreement had already been reported to be close when violence broke out between Israel and Gaza militants on May 10 and Bennett suspended the discussions. The fighting ended with a ceasefire after 11 days.
+A Palestine Liberation Organization official said after Bennett's speech that the prospective government would be ""extreme rightist"" and no different than administrations headed by Netanyahu.
+COUNTER-OFFER
+Trying to scupper an opposition deal, Netanyahu made a three-way counter-offer on Sunday to stand aside in favour of another right-wing politician, Gideon Saar.
+Under that blueprint, Saar would serve as prime minister for 15 months, Netanyahu would return for two years, and Bennett would then take over for the rest of the government's term.
+However, Saar, a former Likud cabinet minister, swiftly rejected the offer.
+Netanyahu's rivals have cited his corruption case as a main reason why Israel needs a new leader, arguing that he might use a new term to legislate immunity to shield himself.
+If Lapid, 57, fails to announce a government by Wednesday, at the end of a 28-day period to build a coalition, a new election is likely.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Netanyahu's grip on power loosens as rival moves to unseat him[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 30 (Reuters) - Far-right party leader Naftali Bennett threw his crucial support on Sunday behind a ""unity government"" in Israel to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in what would be the end of a political era. Bennett's decision, which he announced in a televised address, could enable opposition chief Yair Lapid to put together a coalition of right-wing, centrist and leftist parties and hand Netanyahu his first election defeat since 1999.
+Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party that finished second to Netanyahu's right-wing Likud in an inconclusive March 23 national ballot, faces a Wednesday deadline from Israel's president to announce a new government.  Lapid's chances of success have rested largely with Bennett, a former defence chief and a high-tech millionaire whose Yamina party's six seats in the 120-member parliament are enough to give him the status of kingmaker. read more Under a prospective power-sharing deal, Bennett would replace Netanyahu, the 71-year-old head of the Likud party, as prime minister and later give way to centrist Lapid in a rotation agreement.  ""I am announcing today that I intend to work with all my might towards establishing a unity government with Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid,"" Bennett said in his speech. ""It's either a fifth election, or a unity government.""  Responding on television to Bennett's announcement, Netanyahu accused him of perpetrating ""the fraud of the century"", citing past public promises Bennett made not to join up with Lapid. He said a right-wing government was still a possibility. Israel has held four elections since April 2019 that ended with no clear winner and left Netanyahu and his rivals short of a parliamentary majority, with the veteran leader remaining in office as head of a caretaker government. The new prospective coalition's diverse members would have little in common apart from the desire to end the 12-year run of Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, now on trial over corruption charges that he denies. An anti-Netanyahu alliance would be fragile and require outside backing by Arab members of parliament who oppose much of Bennett's agenda, which includes more settlement building in the occupied West Bank and its partial annexation.
+
+It would be expected to focus on the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, while setting aside issues on which members disagree, such as the role of religion in society and Palestinian aspirations for statehood. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/end-netanyahu-era-could-be-cards-israeli-political-drama-2021-05-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Netanyahu's grip on power loosens as rival moves to unseat him[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 30 (Reuters) - Far-right party leader Naftali Bennett threw his crucial support on Sunday behind a ""unity government"" in Israel to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in what would be the end of a political era.
+Bennett's decision, which he announced in a televised address, could enable opposition chief Yair Lapid to put together a coalition of right-wing, centrist and leftist parties and hand Netanyahu his first election defeat since 1999.
+Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party that finished second to Netanyahu's right-wing Likud in an inconclusive March 23 national ballot, faces a Wednesday deadline from Israel's president to announce a new government.
+Lapid's chances of success have rested largely with Bennett, a former defence chief and a high-tech millionaire whose Yamina party's six seats in the 120-member parliament are enough to give him the status of kingmaker. read more
+Under a prospective power-sharing deal, Bennett would replace Netanyahu, the 71-year-old head of the Likud party, as prime minister and later give way to centrist Lapid in a rotation agreement.
+""I am announcing today that I intend to work with all my might towards establishing a unity government with Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid,"" Bennett said in his speech. ""It's either a fifth election, or a unity government.""
+Responding on television to Bennett's announcement, Netanyahu accused him of perpetrating ""the fraud of the century"", citing past public promises Bennett made not to join up with Lapid. He said a right-wing government was still a possibility.
+Israel has held four elections since April 2019 that ended with no clear winner and left Netanyahu and his rivals short of a parliamentary majority, with the veteran leader remaining in office as head of a caretaker government.
+The new prospective coalition's diverse members would have little in common apart from the desire to end the 12-year run of Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, now on trial over corruption charges that he denies.
+An anti-Netanyahu alliance would be fragile and require outside backing by Arab members of parliament who oppose much of Bennett's agenda, which includes more settlement building in the occupied West Bank and its partial annexation.
+
+It would be expected to focus on the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, while setting aside issues on which members disagree, such as the role of religion in society and Palestinian aspirations for statehood.
+Netanyahu said such a coalition was a danger to Israel's security and future.
+""What will it do for Israel's deterrence? How will we look in the eyes of our enemies,"" he said. ""What will they do in Iran and in Gaza? What will they say in the halls of government in Washington?""
+A Bennett-Lapid agreement had already been reported to be close when violence broke out between Israel and Gaza militants on May 10 and Bennett suspended the discussions. The fighting ended with a ceasefire after 11 days.
+A Palestine Liberation Organization official said after Bennett's speech that the prospective government would be ""extreme rightist"" and no different than administrations headed by Netanyahu.
+COUNTER-OFFER
+Trying to scupper an opposition deal, Netanyahu made a three-way counter-offer on Sunday to stand aside in favour of another right-wing politician, Gideon Saar.
+Under that blueprint, Saar would serve as prime minister for 15 months, Netanyahu would return for two years, and Bennett would then take over for the rest of the government's term.
+However, Saar, a former Likud cabinet minister, swiftly rejected the offer.
+Netanyahu's rivals have cited his corruption case as a main reason why Israel needs a new leader, arguing that he might use a new term to legislate immunity to shield himself.
+If Lapid, 57, fails to announce a government by Wednesday, at the end of a 28-day period to build a coalition, a new election is likely.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Netanyahu said such a coalition was a danger to Israel's security and future.
+""What will it do for Israel's deterrence? How will we look in the eyes of our enemies,"" he said. ""What will they do in Iran and in Gaza? What will they say in the halls of government in Washington?"" A Bennett-Lapid agreement had already been reported to be close when violence broke out between Israel and Gaza militants on May 10 and Bennett suspended the discussions. The fighting ended with a ceasefire after 11 days. A Palestine Liberation Organization official said after Bennett's speech that the prospective government would be ""extreme rightist"" and no different than administrations headed by Netanyahu. COUNTER-OFFER
+Trying to scupper an opposition deal, Netanyahu made a three-way counter-offer on Sunday to stand aside in favour of another right-wing politician, Gideon Saar. Under that blueprint, Saar would serve as prime minister for 15 months, Netanyahu would return for two years, and Bennett would then take over for the rest of the government's term. However, Saar, a former Likud cabinet minister, swiftly rejected the offer. Netanyahu's rivals have cited his corruption case as a main reason why Israel needs a new leader, arguing that he might use a new term to legislate immunity to shield himself.  If Lapid, 57, fails to announce a government by Wednesday, at the end of a 28-day period to build a coalition, a new election is likely.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/muslim-countries-seek-un-probe-into-possible-crimes-gaza-conflict-2021-05-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Muslim countries seek U.N. probe into possible crimes in Gaza conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, May 25 (Reuters) - Muslim countries are calling on the United Nations to investigate possible crimes committed during the 11-day conflict between Israel and the Palestinian military group Hamas and to establish command responsibility.
+The U.N. Human Rights Council will hold a special session on the latest conflict on Thursday, at the request of Pakistan, as coordinator of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the state of Palestine. read more
+Those countries submitted a draft resolution late on Tuesday that would establish an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate all human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, since April 13.
+It would also examine all underlying root causes of tensions and instability, ""including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity,"" the draft said.
+The independent team would collect and analyse evidence of crimes perpetrated, including forensic material, ""in order to maximise the possibility of its admissibility in legal proceedings"".
+Reporting back in June 2022, it would identify those responsible to try and end impunity and ensure legal accountability.
+Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said in a tweet last week that convening the session ""targeting Israel is testament to the clear anti-Israeli agenda of this body"". Its sponsors were ""only rewarding the actions of Hamas, a terrorist organization"", she added, referring to the Islamist rulers of the coastal strip.
+Since being set up in 2006, the U.N. rights council, a 47-member forum, has held eight previous special sessions that have condemned Israel and set up several probes into alleged war crimes.
+The United States rejoined the forum under President Biden after the Trump administration quit accusing it of an anti-Israel bias. The U.S. delegation currently has observer status but no vote.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Middle East on Tuesday and pledged that Washington would provide new aid to help rebuild Gaza as part of efforts to bolster a ceasefire between its Hamas Islamist rulers and Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Muslim countries seek U.N. probe into possible crimes in Gaza conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, May 25 (Reuters) - Muslim countries are calling on the United Nations to investigate possible crimes committed during the 11-day conflict between Israel and the Palestinian military group Hamas and to establish command responsibility. The U.N. Human Rights Council will hold a special session on the latest conflict on Thursday, at the request of Pakistan, as coordinator of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the state of Palestine. read more Those countries submitted a draft resolution late on Tuesday that would establish an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate all human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, since April 13. It would also examine all underlying root causes of tensions and instability, ""including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity,"" the draft said. The independent team would collect and analyse evidence of crimes perpetrated, including forensic material, ""in order to maximise the possibility of its admissibility in legal proceedings"".
+Reporting back in June 2022, it would identify those responsible to try and end impunity and ensure legal accountability.
+Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said in a tweet last week that convening the session ""targeting Israel is testament to the clear anti-Israeli agenda of this body"". Its sponsors were ""only rewarding the actions of Hamas, a terrorist organization"", she added, referring to the Islamist rulers of the coastal strip. Since being set up in 2006, the U.N. rights council, a 47-member forum, has held eight previous special sessions that have condemned Israel and set up several probes into alleged war crimes.  The United States rejoined the forum under President Biden after the Trump administration quit accusing it of an anti-Israel bias. The U.S. delegation currently has observer status but no vote. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Middle East on Tuesday and pledged that Washington would provide new aid to help rebuild Gaza as part of efforts to bolster a ceasefire between its Hamas Islamist rulers and Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/after-ceasefire-tensions-over-mideast-still-boil-california-campus-2021-05-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]After ceasefire, tensions over Mideast still boil on California campus[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]May 25 (Reuters) - Lea Toubian was deep into an online discussion with university administrators about the safety of Jewish students when news of a truce between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas was relayed to the group. It left her with some hope that tensions on campus would ease.
+Now the senior at the University of California, Santa Barbara says she is worried an expected measure this week will reignite divisions at the beachside school, where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been a source of discord, driving a wedge between even Democrats like herself and liberal groups on campus.
+On Wednesday, a group of students are planning to submit a resolution to the student body senate calling on the university to sell stocks it holds in companies that supply Israel with equipment or services that further its military campaigns or violate the rights of Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank.
+While such resolutions from the so-called Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions or BDS movement are largely symbolic, UC Santa Barbara is the only school in the University of California system which has never passed one.
+Mainstream Jewish organizations, including Hillel, an influential group that is active on 550 North American colleges and universities, want to avoid the college being the last domino to drop.
+""To bring something like this now is about the craziest thing that I can imagine,"" said Toubian, a Hillel member who just ended her term as student body president last week and who says she is supportive of both Israel and Palestinian rights.
+""It only serves to divide and inflame the campus climate.""
+The latest flare up in the conflict between Israel and Hamas has reopened fault lines for some young, liberal American Jews whose progressive ideals clash with their religious or community identities.
+Some like Alia Sky, a 21-year-old Jewish-American, have come to oppose Israel outright. A member of the Students for Justice in Palestine, the UC Santa Barbara senior supports the resolution as a way to condemn Israel, even as last week's ceasefire continues to hold. L2N2NA056
+""Israel is ethnically cleansing Palestinians. It's a genocide,"" Sky said.
+Like many young American Jews interviewed by Reuters, Sky said her views had evolved from earlier years when she was influenced by relatives who described Israel in mostly glowing terms. She said classes on the Middle East in her sophomore year and involvement with the SJP group were critical to her shift.
+For some, the racial protests that followed the 2020 killing of Minneapolis Black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer helped them see Palestinians in a new light.
+A survey published this month by the Pew Research Center showed about half of U.S. Jews under the age of 30 described themselves as emotionally attached to Israel, compared with two-thirds of those 65 and above.
+The same poll found 37 percent of U.S. Jews ages 18-29 said the United States was too supportive of Israel, more than double who felt that way in the 65-plus cohort.
+Zachary Federman, a student at Brown University, said many Jewish students believed they were taught a ""sugar coated"" version of Israel in their youth.
+""I think younger Jews continuously are more likely to question narratives of unequivocal support that we've been fed,"" said Federman, who is the co-president of Brown's chapter of J Street U, a self-described pro-Israel, pro-peace group committed to a two-state solution.
+The trend towards greater scrutiny of Israel dovetails with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, whose lawmakers have tried to block a $735 million sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel in response to the conflict. read more
+JEWISH STUDENTS HECKLED
+Jessy Gonzalez, one of the authors of the Santa Barbara resolution, said he was optimistic it would fare better than the six previous resolutions - all of which failed, including the latest in 2019 which was defeated in a 14-10 vote.
+Gonzalez, a first year student, acknowledged passage might not lead to immediate actions by the school. But he said he still sees significance in sending a message that UC students don't want to support companies that help Israel to ""destroy Palestinian lands.""
+The movement to boycott Israel has been building on U.S. college campuses for years, gathering momentum following the 2014 Gaza war and the emergence of a clutch of Democratic lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who are critical of how Israel treats the Palestinians. Even so, the BDS movement has little support in the U.S. Congress.
+Of the 83 resolutions put to a vote at U.S. universities since 2015, 52 percent have passed and the remainder failed, according to the AMCHA Initiative, a non-profit organization which aims to combat antisemitism at U.S. universities.
+Opponents of the BDS movement often call such resolutions antisemitic, saying they hold Israel to a higher standard and paint a one-sided narrative ignoring attacks from Hamas. Practically, they are also not legally binding and generally do not lead a university to divest.
+Rabbi Evan Goodman, executive director of Santa Barbara Hillel, worries the resolution could nevertheless inflame tensions on campus. He said the online discussion with administrators was prompted in part by an incident in which a group of Jewish students were heckled by others yelling ""from the river to the sea"", a phrase associated with Arab calls to wipe Israel off the map.
+As Toubian prepares to graduate, she worries students who share her views will face an increasingly polarized environment in which they must make binary choices about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other issues.
+Toubian said it has been difficult to be both a Democrat and supportive of Israel, which she believes has a right to defend itself. She says she's been called ""a white colonizer"" and ""violent towards people of color"" for her beliefs.
+Toubian says Jewish students are feeling scared and isolated, with some removing their yarmulke and other symbols of their faith.
+For them, she said, the resolution is ""a huge source of dread.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]After ceasefire, tensions over Mideast still boil on California campus[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]May 25 (Reuters) - Lea Toubian was deep into an online discussion with university administrators about the safety of Jewish students when news of a truce between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas was relayed to the group. It left her with some hope that tensions on campus would ease. Now the senior at the University of California, Santa Barbara says she is worried an expected measure this week will reignite divisions at the beachside school, where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been a source of discord, driving a wedge between even Democrats like herself and liberal groups on campus. On Wednesday, a group of students are planning to submit a resolution to the student body senate calling on the university to sell stocks it holds in companies that supply Israel with equipment or services that further its military campaigns or violate the rights of Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank. While such resolutions from the so-called Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions or BDS movement are largely symbolic, UC Santa Barbara is the only school in the University of California system which has never passed one.
+Mainstream Jewish organizations, including Hillel, an influential group that is active on 550 North American colleges and universities, want to avoid the college being the last domino to drop.
+""To bring something like this now is about the craziest thing that I can imagine,"" said Toubian, a Hillel member who just ended her term as student body president last week and who says she is supportive of both Israel and Palestinian rights. ""It only serves to divide and inflame the campus climate.""
+The latest flare up in the conflict between Israel and Hamas has reopened fault lines for some young, liberal American Jews whose progressive ideals clash with their religious or community identities.  Some like Alia Sky, a 21-year-old Jewish-American, have come to oppose Israel outright. A member of the Students for Justice in Palestine, the UC Santa Barbara senior supports the resolution as a way to condemn Israel, even as last week's ceasefire continues to hold. L2N2NA056 ""Israel is ethnically cleansing Palestinians. It's a genocide,"" Sky said.  Like many young American Jews interviewed by Reuters, Sky said her views had evolved from earlier years when she was influenced by relatives who described Israel in mostly glowing terms. She said classes on the Middle East in her sophomore year and involvement with the SJP group were critical to her shift."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/after-ceasefire-tensions-over-mideast-still-boil-california-campus-2021-05-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]After ceasefire, tensions over Mideast still boil on California campus[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]May 25 (Reuters) - Lea Toubian was deep into an online discussion with university administrators about the safety of Jewish students when news of a truce between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas was relayed to the group. It left her with some hope that tensions on campus would ease.
+Now the senior at the University of California, Santa Barbara says she is worried an expected measure this week will reignite divisions at the beachside school, where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been a source of discord, driving a wedge between even Democrats like herself and liberal groups on campus.
+On Wednesday, a group of students are planning to submit a resolution to the student body senate calling on the university to sell stocks it holds in companies that supply Israel with equipment or services that further its military campaigns or violate the rights of Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank.
+While such resolutions from the so-called Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions or BDS movement are largely symbolic, UC Santa Barbara is the only school in the University of California system which has never passed one.
+Mainstream Jewish organizations, including Hillel, an influential group that is active on 550 North American colleges and universities, want to avoid the college being the last domino to drop.
+""To bring something like this now is about the craziest thing that I can imagine,"" said Toubian, a Hillel member who just ended her term as student body president last week and who says she is supportive of both Israel and Palestinian rights.
+""It only serves to divide and inflame the campus climate.""
+The latest flare up in the conflict between Israel and Hamas has reopened fault lines for some young, liberal American Jews whose progressive ideals clash with their religious or community identities.
+Some like Alia Sky, a 21-year-old Jewish-American, have come to oppose Israel outright. A member of the Students for Justice in Palestine, the UC Santa Barbara senior supports the resolution as a way to condemn Israel, even as last week's ceasefire continues to hold. L2N2NA056
+""Israel is ethnically cleansing Palestinians. It's a genocide,"" Sky said.
+Like many young American Jews interviewed by Reuters, Sky said her views had evolved from earlier years when she was influenced by relatives who described Israel in mostly glowing terms. She said classes on the Middle East in her sophomore year and involvement with the SJP group were critical to her shift.
+For some, the racial protests that followed the 2020 killing of Minneapolis Black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer helped them see Palestinians in a new light.
+A survey published this month by the Pew Research Center showed about half of U.S. Jews under the age of 30 described themselves as emotionally attached to Israel, compared with two-thirds of those 65 and above.
+The same poll found 37 percent of U.S. Jews ages 18-29 said the United States was too supportive of Israel, more than double who felt that way in the 65-plus cohort.
+Zachary Federman, a student at Brown University, said many Jewish students believed they were taught a ""sugar coated"" version of Israel in their youth.
+""I think younger Jews continuously are more likely to question narratives of unequivocal support that we've been fed,"" said Federman, who is the co-president of Brown's chapter of J Street U, a self-described pro-Israel, pro-peace group committed to a two-state solution.
+The trend towards greater scrutiny of Israel dovetails with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, whose lawmakers have tried to block a $735 million sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel in response to the conflict. read more
+JEWISH STUDENTS HECKLED
+Jessy Gonzalez, one of the authors of the Santa Barbara resolution, said he was optimistic it would fare better than the six previous resolutions - all of which failed, including the latest in 2019 which was defeated in a 14-10 vote.
+Gonzalez, a first year student, acknowledged passage might not lead to immediate actions by the school. But he said he still sees significance in sending a message that UC students don't want to support companies that help Israel to ""destroy Palestinian lands.""
+The movement to boycott Israel has been building on U.S. college campuses for years, gathering momentum following the 2014 Gaza war and the emergence of a clutch of Democratic lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who are critical of how Israel treats the Palestinians. Even so, the BDS movement has little support in the U.S. Congress.
+Of the 83 resolutions put to a vote at U.S. universities since 2015, 52 percent have passed and the remainder failed, according to the AMCHA Initiative, a non-profit organization which aims to combat antisemitism at U.S. universities.
+Opponents of the BDS movement often call such resolutions antisemitic, saying they hold Israel to a higher standard and paint a one-sided narrative ignoring attacks from Hamas. Practically, they are also not legally binding and generally do not lead a university to divest.
+Rabbi Evan Goodman, executive director of Santa Barbara Hillel, worries the resolution could nevertheless inflame tensions on campus. He said the online discussion with administrators was prompted in part by an incident in which a group of Jewish students were heckled by others yelling ""from the river to the sea"", a phrase associated with Arab calls to wipe Israel off the map.
+As Toubian prepares to graduate, she worries students who share her views will face an increasingly polarized environment in which they must make binary choices about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other issues.
+Toubian said it has been difficult to be both a Democrat and supportive of Israel, which she believes has a right to defend itself. She says she's been called ""a white colonizer"" and ""violent towards people of color"" for her beliefs.
+Toubian says Jewish students are feeling scared and isolated, with some removing their yarmulke and other symbols of their faith.
+For them, she said, the resolution is ""a huge source of dread.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","For some, the racial protests that followed the 2020 killing of Minneapolis Black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer helped them see Palestinians in a new light. A survey published this month by the Pew Research Center showed about half of U.S. Jews under the age of 30 described themselves as emotionally attached to Israel, compared with two-thirds of those 65 and above. The same poll found 37 percent of U.S. Jews ages 18-29 said the United States was too supportive of Israel, more than double who felt that way in the 65-plus cohort. Zachary Federman, a student at Brown University, said many Jewish students believed they were taught a ""sugar coated"" version of Israel in their youth.
+"" I think younger Jews continuously are more likely to question narratives of unequivocal support that we've been fed,"" said Federman, who is the co-president of Brown's chapter of J Street U, a self-described pro-Israel, pro-peace group committed to a two-state solution.  The trend towards greater scrutiny of Israel dovetails with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, whose lawmakers have tried to block a $735 million sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel in response to the conflict. read more JEWISH STUDENTS HECKLED
+Jessy Gonzalez, one of the authors of the Santa Barbara resolution, said he was optimistic it would fare better than the six previous resolutions - all of which failed, including the latest in 2019 which was defeated in a 14-10 vote.  Gonzalez, a first year student, acknowledged passage might not lead to immediate actions by the school. But he said he still sees significance in sending a message that UC students don't want to support companies that help Israel to ""destroy Palestinian lands.""  The movement to boycott Israel has been building on U.S. college campuses for years, gathering momentum following the 2014 Gaza war and the emergence of a clutch of Democratic lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who are critical of how Israel treats the Palestinians. Even so, the BDS movement has little support in the U.S. Congress. Of the 83 resolutions put to a vote at U.S. universities since 2015, 52 percent have passed and the remainder failed, according to the AMCHA Initiative, a non-profit organization which aims to combat antisemitism at U.S. universities.  Opponents of the BDS movement often call such resolutions antisemitic, saying they hold Israel to a higher standard and paint a one-sided narrative ignoring attacks from Hamas."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/after-ceasefire-tensions-over-mideast-still-boil-california-campus-2021-05-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]After ceasefire, tensions over Mideast still boil on California campus[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]May 25 (Reuters) - Lea Toubian was deep into an online discussion with university administrators about the safety of Jewish students when news of a truce between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas was relayed to the group. It left her with some hope that tensions on campus would ease.
+Now the senior at the University of California, Santa Barbara says she is worried an expected measure this week will reignite divisions at the beachside school, where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been a source of discord, driving a wedge between even Democrats like herself and liberal groups on campus.
+On Wednesday, a group of students are planning to submit a resolution to the student body senate calling on the university to sell stocks it holds in companies that supply Israel with equipment or services that further its military campaigns or violate the rights of Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank.
+While such resolutions from the so-called Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions or BDS movement are largely symbolic, UC Santa Barbara is the only school in the University of California system which has never passed one.
+Mainstream Jewish organizations, including Hillel, an influential group that is active on 550 North American colleges and universities, want to avoid the college being the last domino to drop.
+""To bring something like this now is about the craziest thing that I can imagine,"" said Toubian, a Hillel member who just ended her term as student body president last week and who says she is supportive of both Israel and Palestinian rights.
+""It only serves to divide and inflame the campus climate.""
+The latest flare up in the conflict between Israel and Hamas has reopened fault lines for some young, liberal American Jews whose progressive ideals clash with their religious or community identities.
+Some like Alia Sky, a 21-year-old Jewish-American, have come to oppose Israel outright. A member of the Students for Justice in Palestine, the UC Santa Barbara senior supports the resolution as a way to condemn Israel, even as last week's ceasefire continues to hold. L2N2NA056
+""Israel is ethnically cleansing Palestinians. It's a genocide,"" Sky said.
+Like many young American Jews interviewed by Reuters, Sky said her views had evolved from earlier years when she was influenced by relatives who described Israel in mostly glowing terms. She said classes on the Middle East in her sophomore year and involvement with the SJP group were critical to her shift.
+For some, the racial protests that followed the 2020 killing of Minneapolis Black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer helped them see Palestinians in a new light.
+A survey published this month by the Pew Research Center showed about half of U.S. Jews under the age of 30 described themselves as emotionally attached to Israel, compared with two-thirds of those 65 and above.
+The same poll found 37 percent of U.S. Jews ages 18-29 said the United States was too supportive of Israel, more than double who felt that way in the 65-plus cohort.
+Zachary Federman, a student at Brown University, said many Jewish students believed they were taught a ""sugar coated"" version of Israel in their youth.
+""I think younger Jews continuously are more likely to question narratives of unequivocal support that we've been fed,"" said Federman, who is the co-president of Brown's chapter of J Street U, a self-described pro-Israel, pro-peace group committed to a two-state solution.
+The trend towards greater scrutiny of Israel dovetails with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, whose lawmakers have tried to block a $735 million sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel in response to the conflict. read more
+JEWISH STUDENTS HECKLED
+Jessy Gonzalez, one of the authors of the Santa Barbara resolution, said he was optimistic it would fare better than the six previous resolutions - all of which failed, including the latest in 2019 which was defeated in a 14-10 vote.
+Gonzalez, a first year student, acknowledged passage might not lead to immediate actions by the school. But he said he still sees significance in sending a message that UC students don't want to support companies that help Israel to ""destroy Palestinian lands.""
+The movement to boycott Israel has been building on U.S. college campuses for years, gathering momentum following the 2014 Gaza war and the emergence of a clutch of Democratic lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who are critical of how Israel treats the Palestinians. Even so, the BDS movement has little support in the U.S. Congress.
+Of the 83 resolutions put to a vote at U.S. universities since 2015, 52 percent have passed and the remainder failed, according to the AMCHA Initiative, a non-profit organization which aims to combat antisemitism at U.S. universities.
+Opponents of the BDS movement often call such resolutions antisemitic, saying they hold Israel to a higher standard and paint a one-sided narrative ignoring attacks from Hamas. Practically, they are also not legally binding and generally do not lead a university to divest.
+Rabbi Evan Goodman, executive director of Santa Barbara Hillel, worries the resolution could nevertheless inflame tensions on campus. He said the online discussion with administrators was prompted in part by an incident in which a group of Jewish students were heckled by others yelling ""from the river to the sea"", a phrase associated with Arab calls to wipe Israel off the map.
+As Toubian prepares to graduate, she worries students who share her views will face an increasingly polarized environment in which they must make binary choices about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other issues.
+Toubian said it has been difficult to be both a Democrat and supportive of Israel, which she believes has a right to defend itself. She says she's been called ""a white colonizer"" and ""violent towards people of color"" for her beliefs.
+Toubian says Jewish students are feeling scared and isolated, with some removing their yarmulke and other symbols of their faith.
+For them, she said, the resolution is ""a huge source of dread.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Practically, they are also not legally binding and generally do not lead a university to divest.  Rabbi Evan Goodman, executive director of Santa Barbara Hillel, worries the resolution could nevertheless inflame tensions on campus. He said the online discussion with administrators was prompted in part by an incident in which a group of Jewish students were heckled by others yelling ""from the river to the sea"", a phrase associated with Arab calls to wipe Israel off the map. As Toubian prepares to graduate, she worries students who share her views will face an increasingly polarized environment in which they must make binary choices about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other issues.  Toubian said it has been difficult to be both a Democrat and supportive of Israel, which she believes has a right to defend itself. She says she's been called ""a white colonizer"" and ""violent towards people of color"" for her beliefs. Toubian says Jewish students are feeling scared and isolated, with some removing their yarmulke and other symbols of their faith. For them, she said, the resolution is ""a huge source of dread.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-gaza-challenge-stopping-metal-tubes-turning-into-rockets-2021-05-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Insight: Israel’s Gaza challenge: stopping metal tubes turning into rockets[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 23 (Reuters) - The Israel-Hamas conflict that ended with a ceasefire on Friday showed the Palestinian group’s ability to build an arsenal of home-made rockets largely with civilian materials and Iranian expertise, analysts and officials said, a feat it can likely replicate.
+The low cost of such arms and the need to rebuild Gaza leaves Israel and the international community with a quandary of how to meet Gazans' basic needs yet keep ordinary items such as pipes, sugar and concrete from being put to military uses.
+Current and former officials see no easy answers, saying it is all but impossible to seal off even a relatively small area such as Gaza and to prevent goods for reconstruction from being turned into locally-made rockets.
+Hamas and fellow militant group Palestine Islamic Jihad, both deemed foreign terrorist organizations by Washington, have boosted the quantity and quality of their rockets since the last Gaza conflict with Israel in 2014.
+“We were extremely surprised by Hamas’ capacities this time around. They had long-distance rockets they didn’t have before. That is all down to Iran,” said a senior European official on condition of anonymity.
+Israel said Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups fired around 4,360 rockets from Gaza during the conflict, of which around 680 fell short into the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Iron Dome interceptors, activated against rockets that threatened its population centres, had a successful shoot-down rate of around 90%, the military said.
+It said 60 or 70 rockets still struck population centres, implying an accuracy rate of around 15%. Others fell in open areas, nonetheless triggering panic and sending Israelis scrambling for shelters as they flew overhead.
+The majority of the rockets, analysts said, were short-range, unsophisticated and homemade.
+“They’re extremely simple to fabricate and they use metal tubing, metal pipes. They often, believe it or not, will use detritus from Israeli missiles,” said Daniel Benjamin, a former U.S. State Department coordinator for coaterterrorism.
+""It's just virtually impossible to make a place completely airtight,"" said Benjamin, now president of the American Academy in Berlin.
+The latest Israel-Hamas hostilities were triggered on May 10 in part by Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa compound, one of Islam's holiest sites, and clashes with Palestinians during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
+ROCKET FACTORIES
+A Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said the group had developed its own expertise producing rockets and needed no help.
+""Therefore, any attempt to tighten the blockade on Gaza to limit the abilities of the resistance will be worthless,"" he told Reuters by phone from Mauritania, where he is visiting.
+Palestinian militant groups have used rockets for years. Before Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, its Gaza settlements were frequent targets for short-range mortar and rocket fire from nearby Palestinian towns.
+Rockets only became the go-to weapon for Hamas, opens new tab after the military barrier that Israel began building around and through the occupied West Bank in 2003 made it harder for suicide bombers and gunmen to cross into Israel and carry out attacks.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad smuggled in factory-grade missiles via the Egyptian Sinai until the 2013 ouster of Islamist Mohammed Mursi, Egypt's first democratically-elected president. After he was replaced by Egypt's current president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Cairo largely choked off that route by destroying tunnels into Gaza.
+Egypt's crackdown triggered what one Israeli official called a strategic shift by Hamas to develop local rocket fabrication capabilities with Iranian assistance, provided both by Iranians visiting Gaza and Gazans traveling abroad.
+Now, Israeli and Palestinian sources say, the guerrillas use Iranian funding and instruction to make rockets inside Gaza that have ranges of 200 km (125 miles) or more, some with warheads carrying hundreds of kilograms of TNT and shrapnel.
+One Iranian security official said Hamas now had at least three underground factories to produce rockets in Gaza.
+In the conflict's final days, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Al-Nakhala boasted about his group's ability to improvise weapons from everyday materials.
+""The silent world should know that our weapons, by which we face the most advanced arsenal produced by American industry, are water pipes that engineers of the resistance turned into the rockets that you see,"" he said on Wednesday.
+'SUITCASES OF MONEY'
+Money, in many ways, is not the issue.
+Qatar, with Israeli acquiescence, has provided substantial funding to Hamas in recent years, by some tallies, millions of dollars a month, chiefly to pay administrative salaries, some of which can then be siphoned off.
+""It's not rocket science, so to speak. A guy from Qatar comes every month with his suitcases of money accompanied by Israeli soldiers to pay Hamas administrative staff. That then disappears,"" said the senior European official.
+An Iranian diplomat in the region said millions of dollars were handed over to Hamas representatives almost every month, either carried into Gaza or neighboring countries.
+""It does not mean money always came from inside Iran. We have businesses (in the region) that funded Hamas and it's not a secret,"" the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
+A western official who follows Hamas activities closely said the group was able to tap investment portfolios worth hundreds of millions of dollars in companies across the Middle East.
+""It controls about 40 companies in Turkey, UAE, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Algeria which deal mainly in real estate and infrastructure,"" the official said.
+A second official said the group was also able to obtain resources from charities sympathetic to its cause across Europe.
+A U.S. Treasury spokesperson said Washington will continue to work to identify and sanction individuals and entities that support Hamas, while continuing to press foreign partners to implement its sanctions and take action against the group themselves.
+U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that aid would be sent quickly to Gaza, but coordinated with the Palestinian Authority - Hamas' Western-backed rival in the occupied West Bank - ""in a manner that does not permit Hamas to simply restock its military arsenal"".
+That is easier said than done.
+It would likely require on-the-ground monitoring, and it is not obvious whether Hamas would permit that or who might do it.
+Dennis Ross, Washington's former lead diplomat on Israeli-Palestinian peace, said someone, possibly the Egyptians and others, would need to have a physical presence in Gaza to inspect imported goods and monitor their use.
+""If Hamas says 'no' then you put the spotlight on them,"" he said, adding one could pressure the militants by saying, ""We'd like to be providing material to Gaza, but Hamas won't permit it.""
+An Israeli official was blunt about the challenge.
+“Someone has to find a better way to monitor what’s going in, how it’s supervised and what it’s used for,” he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Insight: Israel’s Gaza challenge: stopping metal tubes turning into rockets[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 23 (Reuters) - The Israel-Hamas conflict that ended with a ceasefire on Friday showed the Palestinian group’s ability to build an arsenal of home-made rockets largely with civilian materials and Iranian expertise, analysts and officials said, a feat it can likely replicate.  The low cost of such arms and the need to rebuild Gaza leaves Israel and the international community with a quandary of how to meet Gazans' basic needs yet keep ordinary items such as pipes, sugar and concrete from being put to military uses.
+Current and former officials see no easy answers, saying it is all but impossible to seal off even a relatively small area such as Gaza and to prevent goods for reconstruction from being turned into locally-made rockets.
+Hamas and fellow militant group Palestine Islamic Jihad, both deemed foreign terrorist organizations by Washington, have boosted the quantity and quality of their rockets since the last Gaza conflict with Israel in 2014.
+“We were extremely surprised by Hamas’ capacities this time around. They had long-distance rockets they didn’t have before. That is all down to Iran,” said a senior European official on condition of anonymity. Israel said Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups fired around 4,360 rockets from Gaza during the conflict, of which around 680 fell short into the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Iron Dome interceptors, activated against rockets that threatened its population centres, had a successful shoot-down rate of around 90%, the military said. It said 60 or 70 rockets still struck population centres, implying an accuracy rate of around 15%. Others fell in open areas, nonetheless triggering panic and sending Israelis scrambling for shelters as they flew overhead. The majority of the rockets, analysts said, were short-range, unsophisticated and homemade.  “They’re extremely simple to fabricate and they use metal tubing, metal pipes. They often, believe it or not, will use detritus from Israeli missiles,” said Daniel Benjamin, a former U.S. State Department coordinator for coaterterrorism. ""It's just virtually impossible to make a place completely airtight,"" said Benjamin, now president of the American Academy in Berlin. The latest Israel-Hamas hostilities were triggered on May 10 in part by Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa compound, one of Islam's holiest sites, and clashes with Palestinians during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. ROCKET FACTORIES
+A Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said the group had developed its own expertise producing rockets and needed no help. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-gaza-challenge-stopping-metal-tubes-turning-into-rockets-2021-05-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Insight: Israel’s Gaza challenge: stopping metal tubes turning into rockets[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 23 (Reuters) - The Israel-Hamas conflict that ended with a ceasefire on Friday showed the Palestinian group’s ability to build an arsenal of home-made rockets largely with civilian materials and Iranian expertise, analysts and officials said, a feat it can likely replicate.
+The low cost of such arms and the need to rebuild Gaza leaves Israel and the international community with a quandary of how to meet Gazans' basic needs yet keep ordinary items such as pipes, sugar and concrete from being put to military uses.
+Current and former officials see no easy answers, saying it is all but impossible to seal off even a relatively small area such as Gaza and to prevent goods for reconstruction from being turned into locally-made rockets.
+Hamas and fellow militant group Palestine Islamic Jihad, both deemed foreign terrorist organizations by Washington, have boosted the quantity and quality of their rockets since the last Gaza conflict with Israel in 2014.
+“We were extremely surprised by Hamas’ capacities this time around. They had long-distance rockets they didn’t have before. That is all down to Iran,” said a senior European official on condition of anonymity.
+Israel said Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups fired around 4,360 rockets from Gaza during the conflict, of which around 680 fell short into the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Iron Dome interceptors, activated against rockets that threatened its population centres, had a successful shoot-down rate of around 90%, the military said.
+It said 60 or 70 rockets still struck population centres, implying an accuracy rate of around 15%. Others fell in open areas, nonetheless triggering panic and sending Israelis scrambling for shelters as they flew overhead.
+The majority of the rockets, analysts said, were short-range, unsophisticated and homemade.
+“They’re extremely simple to fabricate and they use metal tubing, metal pipes. They often, believe it or not, will use detritus from Israeli missiles,” said Daniel Benjamin, a former U.S. State Department coordinator for coaterterrorism.
+""It's just virtually impossible to make a place completely airtight,"" said Benjamin, now president of the American Academy in Berlin.
+The latest Israel-Hamas hostilities were triggered on May 10 in part by Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa compound, one of Islam's holiest sites, and clashes with Palestinians during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
+ROCKET FACTORIES
+A Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said the group had developed its own expertise producing rockets and needed no help.
+""Therefore, any attempt to tighten the blockade on Gaza to limit the abilities of the resistance will be worthless,"" he told Reuters by phone from Mauritania, where he is visiting.
+Palestinian militant groups have used rockets for years. Before Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, its Gaza settlements were frequent targets for short-range mortar and rocket fire from nearby Palestinian towns.
+Rockets only became the go-to weapon for Hamas, opens new tab after the military barrier that Israel began building around and through the occupied West Bank in 2003 made it harder for suicide bombers and gunmen to cross into Israel and carry out attacks.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad smuggled in factory-grade missiles via the Egyptian Sinai until the 2013 ouster of Islamist Mohammed Mursi, Egypt's first democratically-elected president. After he was replaced by Egypt's current president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Cairo largely choked off that route by destroying tunnels into Gaza.
+Egypt's crackdown triggered what one Israeli official called a strategic shift by Hamas to develop local rocket fabrication capabilities with Iranian assistance, provided both by Iranians visiting Gaza and Gazans traveling abroad.
+Now, Israeli and Palestinian sources say, the guerrillas use Iranian funding and instruction to make rockets inside Gaza that have ranges of 200 km (125 miles) or more, some with warheads carrying hundreds of kilograms of TNT and shrapnel.
+One Iranian security official said Hamas now had at least three underground factories to produce rockets in Gaza.
+In the conflict's final days, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Al-Nakhala boasted about his group's ability to improvise weapons from everyday materials.
+""The silent world should know that our weapons, by which we face the most advanced arsenal produced by American industry, are water pipes that engineers of the resistance turned into the rockets that you see,"" he said on Wednesday.
+'SUITCASES OF MONEY'
+Money, in many ways, is not the issue.
+Qatar, with Israeli acquiescence, has provided substantial funding to Hamas in recent years, by some tallies, millions of dollars a month, chiefly to pay administrative salaries, some of which can then be siphoned off.
+""It's not rocket science, so to speak. A guy from Qatar comes every month with his suitcases of money accompanied by Israeli soldiers to pay Hamas administrative staff. That then disappears,"" said the senior European official.
+An Iranian diplomat in the region said millions of dollars were handed over to Hamas representatives almost every month, either carried into Gaza or neighboring countries.
+""It does not mean money always came from inside Iran. We have businesses (in the region) that funded Hamas and it's not a secret,"" the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
+A western official who follows Hamas activities closely said the group was able to tap investment portfolios worth hundreds of millions of dollars in companies across the Middle East.
+""It controls about 40 companies in Turkey, UAE, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Algeria which deal mainly in real estate and infrastructure,"" the official said.
+A second official said the group was also able to obtain resources from charities sympathetic to its cause across Europe.
+A U.S. Treasury spokesperson said Washington will continue to work to identify and sanction individuals and entities that support Hamas, while continuing to press foreign partners to implement its sanctions and take action against the group themselves.
+U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that aid would be sent quickly to Gaza, but coordinated with the Palestinian Authority - Hamas' Western-backed rival in the occupied West Bank - ""in a manner that does not permit Hamas to simply restock its military arsenal"".
+That is easier said than done.
+It would likely require on-the-ground monitoring, and it is not obvious whether Hamas would permit that or who might do it.
+Dennis Ross, Washington's former lead diplomat on Israeli-Palestinian peace, said someone, possibly the Egyptians and others, would need to have a physical presence in Gaza to inspect imported goods and monitor their use.
+""If Hamas says 'no' then you put the spotlight on them,"" he said, adding one could pressure the militants by saying, ""We'd like to be providing material to Gaza, but Hamas won't permit it.""
+An Israeli official was blunt about the challenge.
+“Someone has to find a better way to monitor what’s going in, how it’s supervised and what it’s used for,” he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""Therefore, any attempt to tighten the blockade on Gaza to limit the abilities of the resistance will be worthless,"" he told Reuters by phone from Mauritania, where he is visiting.
+Palestinian militant groups have used rockets for years. Before Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, its Gaza settlements were frequent targets for short-range mortar and rocket fire from nearby Palestinian towns. Rockets only became the go-to weapon for Hamas, opens new tab after the military barrier that Israel began building around and through the occupied West Bank in 2003 made it harder for suicide bombers and gunmen to cross into Israel and carry out attacks.  Hamas and Islamic Jihad smuggled in factory-grade missiles via the Egyptian Sinai until the 2013 ouster of Islamist Mohammed Mursi, Egypt's first democratically-elected president. After he was replaced by Egypt's current president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Cairo largely choked off that route by destroying tunnels into Gaza. Egypt's crackdown triggered what one Israeli official called a strategic shift by Hamas to develop local rocket fabrication capabilities with Iranian assistance, provided both by Iranians visiting Gaza and Gazans traveling abroad. Now, Israeli and Palestinian sources say, the guerrillas use Iranian funding and instruction to make rockets inside Gaza that have ranges of 200 km (125 miles) or more, some with warheads carrying hundreds of kilograms of TNT and shrapnel. One Iranian security official said Hamas now had at least three underground factories to produce rockets in Gaza. In the conflict's final days, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Al-Nakhala boasted about his group's ability to improvise weapons from everyday materials.  ""The silent world should know that our weapons, by which we face the most advanced arsenal produced by American industry, are water pipes that engineers of the resistance turned into the rockets that you see,"" he said on Wednesday.
+'SUITCASES OF MONEY'
+Money, in many ways, is not the issue.
+Qatar, with Israeli acquiescence, has provided substantial funding to Hamas in recent years, by some tallies, millions of dollars a month, chiefly to pay administrative salaries, some of which can then be siphoned off.
+""It's not rocket science, so to speak. A guy from Qatar comes every month with his suitcases of money accompanied by Israeli soldiers to pay Hamas administrative staff. That then disappears,"" said the senior European official. An Iranian diplomat in the region said millions of dollars were handed over to Hamas representatives almost every month, either carried into Gaza or neighboring countries.
+"" It does not mean money always came from inside Iran."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-gaza-challenge-stopping-metal-tubes-turning-into-rockets-2021-05-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Insight: Israel’s Gaza challenge: stopping metal tubes turning into rockets[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 23 (Reuters) - The Israel-Hamas conflict that ended with a ceasefire on Friday showed the Palestinian group’s ability to build an arsenal of home-made rockets largely with civilian materials and Iranian expertise, analysts and officials said, a feat it can likely replicate.
+The low cost of such arms and the need to rebuild Gaza leaves Israel and the international community with a quandary of how to meet Gazans' basic needs yet keep ordinary items such as pipes, sugar and concrete from being put to military uses.
+Current and former officials see no easy answers, saying it is all but impossible to seal off even a relatively small area such as Gaza and to prevent goods for reconstruction from being turned into locally-made rockets.
+Hamas and fellow militant group Palestine Islamic Jihad, both deemed foreign terrorist organizations by Washington, have boosted the quantity and quality of their rockets since the last Gaza conflict with Israel in 2014.
+“We were extremely surprised by Hamas’ capacities this time around. They had long-distance rockets they didn’t have before. That is all down to Iran,” said a senior European official on condition of anonymity.
+Israel said Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups fired around 4,360 rockets from Gaza during the conflict, of which around 680 fell short into the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Iron Dome interceptors, activated against rockets that threatened its population centres, had a successful shoot-down rate of around 90%, the military said.
+It said 60 or 70 rockets still struck population centres, implying an accuracy rate of around 15%. Others fell in open areas, nonetheless triggering panic and sending Israelis scrambling for shelters as they flew overhead.
+The majority of the rockets, analysts said, were short-range, unsophisticated and homemade.
+“They’re extremely simple to fabricate and they use metal tubing, metal pipes. They often, believe it or not, will use detritus from Israeli missiles,” said Daniel Benjamin, a former U.S. State Department coordinator for coaterterrorism.
+""It's just virtually impossible to make a place completely airtight,"" said Benjamin, now president of the American Academy in Berlin.
+The latest Israel-Hamas hostilities were triggered on May 10 in part by Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa compound, one of Islam's holiest sites, and clashes with Palestinians during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
+ROCKET FACTORIES
+A Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said the group had developed its own expertise producing rockets and needed no help.
+""Therefore, any attempt to tighten the blockade on Gaza to limit the abilities of the resistance will be worthless,"" he told Reuters by phone from Mauritania, where he is visiting.
+Palestinian militant groups have used rockets for years. Before Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, its Gaza settlements were frequent targets for short-range mortar and rocket fire from nearby Palestinian towns.
+Rockets only became the go-to weapon for Hamas, opens new tab after the military barrier that Israel began building around and through the occupied West Bank in 2003 made it harder for suicide bombers and gunmen to cross into Israel and carry out attacks.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad smuggled in factory-grade missiles via the Egyptian Sinai until the 2013 ouster of Islamist Mohammed Mursi, Egypt's first democratically-elected president. After he was replaced by Egypt's current president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Cairo largely choked off that route by destroying tunnels into Gaza.
+Egypt's crackdown triggered what one Israeli official called a strategic shift by Hamas to develop local rocket fabrication capabilities with Iranian assistance, provided both by Iranians visiting Gaza and Gazans traveling abroad.
+Now, Israeli and Palestinian sources say, the guerrillas use Iranian funding and instruction to make rockets inside Gaza that have ranges of 200 km (125 miles) or more, some with warheads carrying hundreds of kilograms of TNT and shrapnel.
+One Iranian security official said Hamas now had at least three underground factories to produce rockets in Gaza.
+In the conflict's final days, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Al-Nakhala boasted about his group's ability to improvise weapons from everyday materials.
+""The silent world should know that our weapons, by which we face the most advanced arsenal produced by American industry, are water pipes that engineers of the resistance turned into the rockets that you see,"" he said on Wednesday.
+'SUITCASES OF MONEY'
+Money, in many ways, is not the issue.
+Qatar, with Israeli acquiescence, has provided substantial funding to Hamas in recent years, by some tallies, millions of dollars a month, chiefly to pay administrative salaries, some of which can then be siphoned off.
+""It's not rocket science, so to speak. A guy from Qatar comes every month with his suitcases of money accompanied by Israeli soldiers to pay Hamas administrative staff. That then disappears,"" said the senior European official.
+An Iranian diplomat in the region said millions of dollars were handed over to Hamas representatives almost every month, either carried into Gaza or neighboring countries.
+""It does not mean money always came from inside Iran. We have businesses (in the region) that funded Hamas and it's not a secret,"" the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
+A western official who follows Hamas activities closely said the group was able to tap investment portfolios worth hundreds of millions of dollars in companies across the Middle East.
+""It controls about 40 companies in Turkey, UAE, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Algeria which deal mainly in real estate and infrastructure,"" the official said.
+A second official said the group was also able to obtain resources from charities sympathetic to its cause across Europe.
+A U.S. Treasury spokesperson said Washington will continue to work to identify and sanction individuals and entities that support Hamas, while continuing to press foreign partners to implement its sanctions and take action against the group themselves.
+U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that aid would be sent quickly to Gaza, but coordinated with the Palestinian Authority - Hamas' Western-backed rival in the occupied West Bank - ""in a manner that does not permit Hamas to simply restock its military arsenal"".
+That is easier said than done.
+It would likely require on-the-ground monitoring, and it is not obvious whether Hamas would permit that or who might do it.
+Dennis Ross, Washington's former lead diplomat on Israeli-Palestinian peace, said someone, possibly the Egyptians and others, would need to have a physical presence in Gaza to inspect imported goods and monitor their use.
+""If Hamas says 'no' then you put the spotlight on them,"" he said, adding one could pressure the militants by saying, ""We'd like to be providing material to Gaza, but Hamas won't permit it.""
+An Israeli official was blunt about the challenge.
+“Someone has to find a better way to monitor what’s going in, how it’s supervised and what it’s used for,” he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","We have businesses (in the region) that funded Hamas and it's not a secret,"" the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. A western official who follows Hamas activities closely said the group was able to tap investment portfolios worth hundreds of millions of dollars in companies across the Middle East. ""It controls about 40 companies in Turkey, UAE, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Algeria which deal mainly in real estate and infrastructure,"" the official said. A second official said the group was also able to obtain resources from charities sympathetic to its cause across Europe. A U.S. Treasury spokesperson said Washington will continue to work to identify and sanction individuals and entities that support Hamas, while continuing to press foreign partners to implement its sanctions and take action against the group themselves.
+U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that aid would be sent quickly to Gaza, but coordinated with the Palestinian Authority - Hamas' Western-backed rival in the occupied West Bank - ""in a manner that does not permit Hamas to simply restock its military arsenal"".
+That is easier said than done.
+It would likely require on-the-ground monitoring, and it is not obvious whether Hamas would permit that or who might do it. Dennis Ross, Washington's former lead diplomat on Israeli-Palestinian peace, said someone, possibly the Egyptians and others, would need to have a physical presence in Gaza to inspect imported goods and monitor their use.
+""If Hamas says 'no' then you put the spotlight on them,"" he said, adding one could pressure the militants by saying, ""We'd like to be providing material to Gaza, but Hamas won't permit it."" An Israeli official was blunt about the challenge.  “Someone has to find a better way to monitor what’s going in, how it’s supervised and what it’s used for,” he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-minister-cancels-austrian-visit-over-israeli-flag-2021-05-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iranian minister cancels Austrian visit over Israeli flag[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ZURICH, May 15 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister cancelled a visit with his Austrian counterpart to show displeasure that Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's government had flown the Israeli flag in Vienna in a show of solidarity, the Austrian foreign ministry said on Saturday.
+Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was supposed to meet Alexander Schallenberg but had called off the trip, a spokeswoman for Schallenberg said, confirming a report in newspaper Die Presse.
+""We regret this and take note of it, but for us it is as clear as day that when Hamas fires more than 2,000 rockets at civilian targets in Israel then we will not remain silent,"" the spokeswoman said.
+Hamas is the Islamist group that runs Gaza. Israel has pummelled Gaza with air strikes and Palestinian militants have launched rocket barrages at Israel in the worst escalation of violence in years. read more
+In Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told the semi-official news agency ISNA: ""Mr Zarif did not consider the trip beneficial in these circumstances, and therefore the travel arrangements were not finalised.""
+The dispute comes during talks in Vienna to try to revive a 2015 accord with western powers in which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from sanctions. Former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018, prompting Iran to begin violating its terms. read more
+Kurz, who is firmly pro-Israel, had called flying the Israeli flag over the federal chancellery on Friday a mark of solidarity amid the violent clashes. But Abbas Araqchi, who heads the Iranian delegation at the Vienna talks, criticised the move.
+""Vienna is the seat of (nuclear watchdog) IAEA & UN, and (Austria) so far been a great host for negotiations,"" Araqchi wrote on Twitter. ""Shocking & painful to see flag of the occupying regime, that brutally killed tens of innocent civilians, inc many children in just few days, over govt offices in Vienna. We stand with Palestine.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iranian minister cancels Austrian visit over Israeli flag[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ZURICH, May 15 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister cancelled a visit with his Austrian counterpart to show displeasure that Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's government had flown the Israeli flag in Vienna in a show of solidarity, the Austrian foreign ministry said on Saturday. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was supposed to meet Alexander Schallenberg but had called off the trip, a spokeswoman for Schallenberg said, confirming a report in newspaper Die Presse. ""We regret this and take note of it, but for us it is as clear as day that when Hamas fires more than 2,000 rockets at civilian targets in Israel then we will not remain silent,"" the spokeswoman said. Hamas is the Islamist group that runs Gaza. Israel has pummelled Gaza with air strikes and Palestinian militants have launched rocket barrages at Israel in the worst escalation of violence in years. read more
+In Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told the semi-official news agency ISNA: ""Mr Zarif did not consider the trip beneficial in these circumstances, and therefore the travel arrangements were not finalised.""  The dispute comes during talks in Vienna to try to revive a 2015 accord with western powers in which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from sanctions. Former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018, prompting Iran to begin violating its terms. read more  Kurz, who is firmly pro-Israel, had called flying the Israeli flag over the federal chancellery on Friday a mark of solidarity amid the violent clashes. But Abbas Araqchi, who heads the Iranian delegation at the Vienna talks, criticised the move.  ""Vienna is the seat of (nuclear watchdog) IAEA & UN, and (Austria) so far been a great host for negotiations,"" Araqchi wrote on Twitter. ""Shocking & painful to see flag of the occupying regime, that brutally killed tens of innocent civilians, inc many children in just few days, over govt offices in Vienna. We stand with Palestine.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/police-fire-water-cannon-pro-palestinian-demonstrators-athens-2021-05-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police fire water cannon at pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Athens[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ATHENS, May 15 (Reuters) - Greek police fired tear gas and water cannon on Saturday to disperse pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting in Athens against Israeli attacks on Gaza.
+Hundreds of people shouting ""Freedom to Palestine"" and waving Palestinian flags marched to the Israeli embassy, which was cordoned off by police buses.
+The demonstration in the Greek capital follows similar protests in cities around the world following days of intense conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police fire water cannon at pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Athens[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ATHENS, May 15 (Reuters) - Greek police fired tear gas and water cannon on Saturday to disperse pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting in Athens against Israeli attacks on Gaza . Hundreds of people shouting ""Freedom to Palestine"" and waving Palestinian flags marched to the Israeli embassy, which was cordoned off by police buses. The demonstration in the Greek capital follows similar protests in cities around the world following days of intense conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blinken-discusses-gaza-calls-with-qatari-egyptian-foreign-ministers-2021-05-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Blinken discusses Gaza in calls with Qatari, Egyptian, Saudi foreign ministers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in phone calls with the Qatari, Egyptian and Saudi foreign ministers, the State Department said on Sunday.
+Blinken and Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani discussed ""efforts to restore calm in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza in light of the tragic loss of civilian life"", the State Department said.
+The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two officials discussed ""the recent Israeli attacks on worshippers at the Al Aqsa Compound and the attack on the besieged Gaza Strip.""
+Al-Thani stressed the ""need for urgent action by the international community to stop the repeated brutal Israeli attacks against civilians in Gaza and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque,"" it added.
+Meanwhile, a growing group of U.S. senators on Sunday called for a ceasefire. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Republican Todd Young, the senior members of a Foreign Relations panel, said in a statement: ""As a result of Hamas’ rocket attacks and Israel’s response, both sides must recognize that too many lives have been lost and must not escalate the conflict further.""
+Twenty-five other Democratic U.S. senators and two independents issued a separate, similar statement urging an immediate ceasefire.
+In his call with Egypt's Sameh Shoukry, Blinken ""reiterated his call on all parties to de-escalate tensions and bring a halt to the violence, which has claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children"", the State Department said in another statement.
+Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Sunday that Blinken also had a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss the latest developments ""in Palestine and in the region.""
+The State Department said the two discussed ""the ongoing efforts to calm tensions in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza and bring the current violence to an end.""
+Qatar's Al-Thani also held a phone call on Sunday with Shoukry, in which they reviewed ""bilateral cooperation relations and developments in Palestine,"" the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a separate statement.
+The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two ministers agreed on ""the importance of working to reach an immediate ceasefire between the two sides, and they also agreed to continue coordination in the bilateral framework, as well as in regional and international ones, regarding what is in the interest of the Palestinian people and reaching a ceasefire,""
+The truce efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations have so far offered no sign of progress.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Blinken discusses Gaza in calls with Qatari, Egyptian, Saudi foreign ministers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in phone calls with the Qatari, Egyptian and Saudi foreign ministers, the State Department said on Sunday. Blinken and Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani discussed ""efforts to restore calm in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza in light of the tragic loss of civilian life"", the State Department said. The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two officials discussed ""the recent Israeli attacks on worshippers at the Al Aqsa Compound and the attack on the besieged Gaza Strip.""
+Al-Thani stressed the ""need for urgent action by the international community to stop the repeated brutal Israeli attacks against civilians in Gaza and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque,"" it added.  Meanwhile, a growing group of U.S. senators on Sunday called for a ceasefire. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Republican Todd Young, the senior members of a Foreign Relations panel, said in a statement: ""As a result of Hamas’ rocket attacks and Israel’s response, both sides must recognize that too many lives have been lost and must not escalate the conflict further."" Twenty-five other Democratic U.S. senators and two independents issued a separate, similar statement urging an immediate ceasefire.
+In his call with Egypt's Sameh Shoukry, Blinken ""reiterated his call on all parties to de-escalate tensions and bring a halt to the violence, which has claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children"", the State Department said in another statement. Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Sunday that Blinken also had a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss the latest developments ""in Palestine and in the region.""
+The State Department said the two discussed ""the ongoing efforts to calm tensions in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza and bring the current violence to an end.""
+Qatar's Al-Thani also held a phone call on Sunday with Shoukry, in which they reviewed ""bilateral cooperation relations and developments in Palestine,"" the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a separate statement. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blinken-discusses-gaza-calls-with-qatari-egyptian-foreign-ministers-2021-05-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Blinken discusses Gaza in calls with Qatari, Egyptian, Saudi foreign ministers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in phone calls with the Qatari, Egyptian and Saudi foreign ministers, the State Department said on Sunday.
+Blinken and Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani discussed ""efforts to restore calm in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza in light of the tragic loss of civilian life"", the State Department said.
+The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two officials discussed ""the recent Israeli attacks on worshippers at the Al Aqsa Compound and the attack on the besieged Gaza Strip.""
+Al-Thani stressed the ""need for urgent action by the international community to stop the repeated brutal Israeli attacks against civilians in Gaza and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque,"" it added.
+Meanwhile, a growing group of U.S. senators on Sunday called for a ceasefire. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Republican Todd Young, the senior members of a Foreign Relations panel, said in a statement: ""As a result of Hamas’ rocket attacks and Israel’s response, both sides must recognize that too many lives have been lost and must not escalate the conflict further.""
+Twenty-five other Democratic U.S. senators and two independents issued a separate, similar statement urging an immediate ceasefire.
+In his call with Egypt's Sameh Shoukry, Blinken ""reiterated his call on all parties to de-escalate tensions and bring a halt to the violence, which has claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children"", the State Department said in another statement.
+Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Sunday that Blinken also had a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss the latest developments ""in Palestine and in the region.""
+The State Department said the two discussed ""the ongoing efforts to calm tensions in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza and bring the current violence to an end.""
+Qatar's Al-Thani also held a phone call on Sunday with Shoukry, in which they reviewed ""bilateral cooperation relations and developments in Palestine,"" the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a separate statement.
+The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two ministers agreed on ""the importance of working to reach an immediate ceasefire between the two sides, and they also agreed to continue coordination in the bilateral framework, as well as in regional and international ones, regarding what is in the interest of the Palestinian people and reaching a ceasefire,""
+The truce efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations have so far offered no sign of progress.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two ministers agreed on ""the importance of working to reach an immediate ceasefire between the two sides, and they also agreed to continue coordination in the bilateral framework, as well as in regional and international ones, regarding what is in the interest of the Palestinian people and reaching a ceasefire,""
+The truce efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations have so far offered no sign of progress.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/can-israel-blast-gaza-still-make-friends-gulf-2021-05-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Can Israel blast Gaza and still make friends in the Gulf?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, May 17 (Reuters) - Scenes of devastation in Gaza are likely to make it harder for Israel to win its biggest diplomatic prize: recognition by Saudi Arabia. But so far, the other rich Gulf states that invested in opening ties with Israel last year are showing no public sign of second thoughts.
+Arab officials have come together to condemn what they describe as flagrant Israeli violations during the past two weeks, from Israeli police action around Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque to deadly air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
+But in the United Arab Emirates, which along with Bahrain recognised Israel last year under the U.S.-backed ""Abraham Accords"", official criticism of Israel now often comes balanced with popular expression of hard words for the other side.
+In some cases in the UAE, which has long denounced Islamist political movements, condemnation of the Hamas militants who control Gaza even echoes Israeli talking points.
+""Hamas launches rockets from within civilian neighbourhoods and when the response comes Hamas cries 'where are the Arabs and Muslims'? You have made Gaza a graveyard for the innocent and children,"" Waseem Yousef, a Muslim preacher in the UAE, tweeted to his 1.6 million followers on Twitter.
+In a country where social media is closely monitored by the authorities, another Emirati, Munther al-Shehhi, tweeted: ""I will not stand by or empathise with any terrorist group such as Hamas in support of any cause, even if it is packaged as humanitarian or religious. #No To Terrorism.""
+A social media hashtag has even begun circulating among some Gulf Arabs, which reads ""#Palestine Is Not My Cause"".
+SAUDIS KEEP DISTANCE
+So far, such sentiment does not seem to have made inroads too deeply into Saudi Arabia. The biggest, richest and most powerful of the Gulf monarchies is widely presumed to have given its tacit blessing to last year's decision by neighbours Bahrain and the UAE to embrace Israeli ties. But it held back from recognising Israel itself, and now appears far less likely to do so, at least in the medium term.
+Many Saudis have responded to the ""Not My Cause"" hashtag by posting pictures of King Salman, with his quote: ""The Palestinian cause is our first cause"".
+On May 13, Saudi television aired footage of a cleric in Mecca praying for Palestinian victory against ""the enemy of God"", less than year after the kingdom's leading imam discouraged rhetoric against Jews following the September accords.
+It would now be ""inconceivable"" that the Saudi leadership could contemplate normalising ties with Israel for at least a couple of years, said Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at Britain's Chatham House think tank.
+Last year's decisions by the UAE and Bahrain, followed by Sudan and Morocco, to recognise Israel were denounced by the Palestinians as abandoning a unified position under which Arab states would make peace only if Israel gave up occupied land.
+The UAE and Bahrain argued that their agreements would ultimately benefit the Palestinians, including because Israel had promised to abandon plans to annex West Bank territory.
+Abdulrahman al-Towajry, 29, a Saudi national visiting a Riyadh shopping mall, said the countries that had made peace should ""really reconsider it"" as Israel could not be ""trusted to abide by promises"".
+""There is strength in unity so if Arab and Muslim countries unite, the conflict would end. It could have ended a long time ago if they had,"" he told Reuters.
+But the Emiratis and others probably have too much invested in the policy to change course abruptly now.
+The agreements have propelled tourism, investment and cooperation in fields from energy to technology. A UAE investment fund has plans to purchase a stake in an Israeli gas field and Dubai's port operator is bidding for Haifa Port.
+""The Abraham Accords are an irreversible process,"" said prominent Emirati commentator Abdulkhaleq Abdulla. ""It was very clear that it was in keeping with the UAE's national priorities and strategic interests so there is no going back.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Can Israel blast Gaza and still make friends in the Gulf?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, May 17 (Reuters) - Scenes of devastation in Gaza are likely to make it harder for Israel to win its biggest diplomatic prize: recognition by Saudi Arabia. But so far, the other rich Gulf states that invested in opening ties with Israel last year are showing no public sign of second thoughts. Arab officials have come together to condemn what they describe as flagrant Israeli violations during the past two weeks, from Israeli police action around Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque to deadly air strikes on the Gaza Strip. But in the United Arab Emirates, which along with Bahrain recognised Israel last year under the U.S.-backed ""Abraham Accords"", official criticism of Israel now often comes balanced with popular expression of hard words for the other side.  In some cases in the UAE, which has long denounced Islamist political movements, condemnation of the Hamas militants who control Gaza even echoes Israeli talking points.
+""Hamas launches rockets from within civilian neighbourhoods and when the response comes Hamas cries 'where are the Arabs and Muslims'? You have made Gaza a graveyard for the innocent and children,"" Waseem Yousef, a Muslim preacher in the UAE, tweeted to his 1.6 million followers on Twitter.  In a country where social media is closely monitored by the authorities, another Emirati, Munther al-Shehhi, tweeted: ""I will not stand by or empathise with any terrorist group such as Hamas in support of any cause, even if it is packaged as humanitarian or religious. #No To Terrorism. "" A social media hashtag has even begun circulating among some Gulf Arabs, which reads ""#Palestine Is Not My Cause"".  SAUDIS KEEP DISTANCE
+So far, such sentiment does not seem to have made inroads too deeply into Saudi Arabia. The biggest, richest and most powerful of the Gulf monarchies is widely presumed to have given its tacit blessing to last year's decision by neighbours Bahrain and the UAE to embrace Israeli ties. But it held back from recognising Israel itself, and now appears far less likely to do so, at least in the medium term.
+Many Saudis have responded to the ""Not My Cause"" hashtag by posting pictures of King Salman, with his quote: ""The Palestinian cause is our first cause"". On May 13, Saudi television aired footage of a cleric in Mecca praying for Palestinian victory against ""the enemy of God"", less than year after the kingdom's leading imam discouraged rhetoric against Jews following the September accords."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/can-israel-blast-gaza-still-make-friends-gulf-2021-05-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Can Israel blast Gaza and still make friends in the Gulf?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, May 17 (Reuters) - Scenes of devastation in Gaza are likely to make it harder for Israel to win its biggest diplomatic prize: recognition by Saudi Arabia. But so far, the other rich Gulf states that invested in opening ties with Israel last year are showing no public sign of second thoughts.
+Arab officials have come together to condemn what they describe as flagrant Israeli violations during the past two weeks, from Israeli police action around Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque to deadly air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
+But in the United Arab Emirates, which along with Bahrain recognised Israel last year under the U.S.-backed ""Abraham Accords"", official criticism of Israel now often comes balanced with popular expression of hard words for the other side.
+In some cases in the UAE, which has long denounced Islamist political movements, condemnation of the Hamas militants who control Gaza even echoes Israeli talking points.
+""Hamas launches rockets from within civilian neighbourhoods and when the response comes Hamas cries 'where are the Arabs and Muslims'? You have made Gaza a graveyard for the innocent and children,"" Waseem Yousef, a Muslim preacher in the UAE, tweeted to his 1.6 million followers on Twitter.
+In a country where social media is closely monitored by the authorities, another Emirati, Munther al-Shehhi, tweeted: ""I will not stand by or empathise with any terrorist group such as Hamas in support of any cause, even if it is packaged as humanitarian or religious. #No To Terrorism.""
+A social media hashtag has even begun circulating among some Gulf Arabs, which reads ""#Palestine Is Not My Cause"".
+SAUDIS KEEP DISTANCE
+So far, such sentiment does not seem to have made inroads too deeply into Saudi Arabia. The biggest, richest and most powerful of the Gulf monarchies is widely presumed to have given its tacit blessing to last year's decision by neighbours Bahrain and the UAE to embrace Israeli ties. But it held back from recognising Israel itself, and now appears far less likely to do so, at least in the medium term.
+Many Saudis have responded to the ""Not My Cause"" hashtag by posting pictures of King Salman, with his quote: ""The Palestinian cause is our first cause"".
+On May 13, Saudi television aired footage of a cleric in Mecca praying for Palestinian victory against ""the enemy of God"", less than year after the kingdom's leading imam discouraged rhetoric against Jews following the September accords.
+It would now be ""inconceivable"" that the Saudi leadership could contemplate normalising ties with Israel for at least a couple of years, said Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at Britain's Chatham House think tank.
+Last year's decisions by the UAE and Bahrain, followed by Sudan and Morocco, to recognise Israel were denounced by the Palestinians as abandoning a unified position under which Arab states would make peace only if Israel gave up occupied land.
+The UAE and Bahrain argued that their agreements would ultimately benefit the Palestinians, including because Israel had promised to abandon plans to annex West Bank territory.
+Abdulrahman al-Towajry, 29, a Saudi national visiting a Riyadh shopping mall, said the countries that had made peace should ""really reconsider it"" as Israel could not be ""trusted to abide by promises"".
+""There is strength in unity so if Arab and Muslim countries unite, the conflict would end. It could have ended a long time ago if they had,"" he told Reuters.
+But the Emiratis and others probably have too much invested in the policy to change course abruptly now.
+The agreements have propelled tourism, investment and cooperation in fields from energy to technology. A UAE investment fund has plans to purchase a stake in an Israeli gas field and Dubai's port operator is bidding for Haifa Port.
+""The Abraham Accords are an irreversible process,"" said prominent Emirati commentator Abdulkhaleq Abdulla. ""It was very clear that it was in keeping with the UAE's national priorities and strategic interests so there is no going back.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","It would now be ""inconceivable"" that the Saudi leadership could contemplate normalising ties with Israel for at least a couple of years, said Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at Britain's Chatham House think tank. Last year's decisions by the UAE and Bahrain, followed by Sudan and Morocco, to recognise Israel were denounced by the Palestinians as abandoning a unified position under which Arab states would make peace only if Israel gave up occupied land.  The UAE and Bahrain argued that their agreements would ultimately benefit the Palestinians, including because Israel had promised to abandon plans to annex West Bank territory.
+Abdulrahman al-Towajry, 29, a Saudi national visiting a Riyadh shopping mall, said the countries that had made peace should ""really reconsider it"" as Israel could not be ""trusted to abide by promises"".
+""There is strength in unity so if Arab and Muslim countries unite, the conflict would end. It could have ended a long time ago if they had,"" he told Reuters. But the Emiratis and others probably have too much invested in the policy to change course abruptly now.  The agreements have propelled tourism, investment and cooperation in fields from energy to technology. A UAE investment fund has plans to purchase a stake in an Israeli gas field and Dubai's port operator is bidding for Haifa Port.  ""The Abraham Accords are an irreversible process,"" said prominent Emirati commentator Abdulkhaleq Abdulla. ""It was very clear that it was in keeping with the UAE's national priorities and strategic interests so there is no going back.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-blinken-discuss-ways-reduce-israel-palestinian-tensions-wam-2021-05-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UAE, Blinken discuss ways to reduce Israel-Palestinian tensions - WAM[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, May 17 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates' foreign minister discussed with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ""ways to reduce tensions and strengthen global efforts to stop the acts of violence in Israel and Palestine,"" state news agency WAM said on Monday.
+Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that ""the UAE supports U.S. efforts and the efforts of its envoy to the Middle East, Hady Amr, in order to work to calm the situation, reduce tensions, and stop acts of violence in Israel and Palestine,"" WAM reported.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UAE, Blinken discuss ways to reduce Israel-Palestinian tensions - WAM[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, May 17 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates' foreign minister discussed with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ""ways to reduce tensions and strengthen global efforts to stop the acts of violence in Israel and Palestine,"" state news agency WAM said on Monday. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that ""the UAE supports U.S. efforts and the efforts of its envoy to the Middle East, Hady Amr, in order to work to calm the situation, reduce tensions, and stop acts of violence in Israel and Palestine,"" WAM reported.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesian-faces-jail-tiktok-clip-denigrating-palestine-2021-05-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Indonesian faces jail for Tiktok clip denigrating Palestine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JAKARTA, May 19 (Reuters) - An Indonesian janitor is facing a maximum six years in prison for violating a cyber law after he posted a video on social media platform Tiktok allegedly calling for the ""slaughter"" of Palestinian ""pigs"".
+Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, is a staunch supporter of Palestine and the clip quickly drew the ire of police in West Nusa Tenggara province.
+""The suspect has made slanderous Tiktok content against the state of Palestine with inappropriate words,"" police said in a statement.
+Reuters could not independently identify the suspect's Tiktok account. Local news channel, Kompas TV, which showed the clip, said he has since apologised and said that he had mistaken Palestine for Israel.
+The 23-year-old suspect has been charged with violating a 2008 electronic information and transactions (ITE) law, which regulates online activity, including for defamation and hate speech.
+The law has long been criticised by rights activists who say its broad interpretation allows it to be used to silence dissent, target government opponents and curtail free speech.
+Nearly 700 people were imprisoned from 2016 to 2020 under the law, according to data compiled by digital advocacy group, the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet).
+Separately, a 16-year-old student on Sumatra island was expelled for posting a similar message on Tiktok this week, according to local media.
+Erasmus Napitupulu, executive director of the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, said charging and expelling young people was the wrong approach.
+""The response that needs to be given is education, not punishment,"" he said.
+Indonesian President Joko Widodo has strongly condemned the violence in Gaza and in a tweet on Saturday called for Israel to end what he called aggression.
+Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi was headed to New York to attend a United Nations general assembly to discuss the Palestine issue, a ministry spokesman said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Indonesian faces jail for Tiktok clip denigrating Palestine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JAKARTA, May 19 (Reuters) - An Indonesian janitor is facing a maximum six years in prison for violating a cyber law after he posted a video on social media platform Tiktok allegedly calling for the ""slaughter"" of Palestinian ""pigs"". Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, is a staunch supporter of Palestine and the clip quickly drew the ire of police in West Nusa Tenggara province. ""The suspect has made slanderous Tiktok content against the state of Palestine with inappropriate words,"" police said in a statement.  Reuters could not independently identify the suspect's Tiktok account. Local news channel, Kompas TV, which showed the clip, said he has since apologised and said that he had mistaken Palestine for Israel. The 23-year-old suspect has been charged with violating a 2008 electronic information and transactions (ITE) law, which regulates online activity, including for defamation and hate speech. The law has long been criticised by rights activists who say its broad interpretation allows it to be used to silence dissent, target government opponents and curtail free speech. Nearly 700 people were imprisoned from 2016 to 2020 under the law, according to data compiled by digital advocacy group, the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet). Separately, a 16-year-old student on Sumatra island was expelled for posting a similar message on Tiktok this week, according to local media. Erasmus Napitupulu, executive director of the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, said charging and expelling young people was the wrong approach. ""The response that needs to be given is education, not punishment,"" he said. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has strongly condemned the violence in Gaza and in a tweet on Saturday called for Israel to end what he called aggression. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi was headed to New York to attend a United Nations general assembly to discuss the Palestine issue, a ministry spokesman said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-johnson-says-will-call-out-anti-semitism-after-rise-incidents-2021-05-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]PM Johnson vows support for UK Jewish community after rise in anti-Semitic incidents[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday the government would support Britain's Jewish community in any way it could after a spike in anti-Semitic incidents, including an attack on a rabbi, following the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza.
+The Community Security Trust (CST), which advises Britain's estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, said it had recorded 106 anti-Semitic incidents since May 8 compared to 19 in the 11 previous days, a fivefold increase.
+Responding to a question in parliament from Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, Johnson said: ""I share his horror at the outbreak of anti-Semitic incidents and the government has conveyed that message loud and clear to those who are responsible for enforcing the law against hate crime.""
+""As a country and as a society ... we call this out at every stage. We will not let it take root, we will not allow it to grow and fester.""
+In one high-profile incident, a video posted on social media on Sunday showed a convoy of cars bearing Palestinian flags driving through a Jewish community in north London and broadcasting anti-Semitic messages from a megaphone.
+Detectives have since arrested four men on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences and they were later released on police bail pending further investigation.
+ASSAULT, THREATS
+Police have also arrested two men for a religiously-aggravated assault on a rabbi in Chigwell, to the north of London. He needed hospital treatment for concussion after receiving a number of blows to the head.
+The CST said there had been several incidents of individuals shouting ""Free Palestine"" at random Jewish people, daubing graffiti next door to a synagogue and emailing abuse to Jewish community leaders.
+In another case, a man stopped Jewish schoolchildren in London and threatened to punch them if they did not say they supported Palestine.
+""There is a particular problem of cars, either individually or in convoys, driving through Jewish neighbourhoods, waving Palestinian flags and shouting slogans in a way that is clearly intended to intimidate local Jewish communities,"" the CST said.
+""The level of anger and hate that is directed at Israel always spills over into anti-Semitism at times like this and yet the people stoking this anger, online and on the streets, never take responsibility for this particular consequence.""
+Israel said on Wednesday it was not setting a timeframe for an end to hostilities with Gaza as its military pounded the Palestinian enclave with air strikes and Hamas militants unleashed new cross-border rocket attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]PM Johnson vows support for UK Jewish community after rise in anti-Semitic incidents[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday the government would support Britain's Jewish community in any way it could after a spike in anti-Semitic incidents, including an attack on a rabbi, following the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza. The Community Security Trust (CST), which advises Britain's estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, said it had recorded 106 anti-Semitic incidents since May 8 compared to 19 in the 11 previous days, a fivefold increase.  Responding to a question in parliament from Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, Johnson said: ""I share his horror at the outbreak of anti-Semitic incidents and the government has conveyed that message loud and clear to those who are responsible for enforcing the law against hate crime.""
+""As a country and as a society ... we call this out at every stage. We will not let it take root, we will not allow it to grow and fester."" In one high-profile incident, a video posted on social media on Sunday showed a convoy of cars bearing Palestinian flags driving through a Jewish community in north London and broadcasting anti-Semitic messages from a megaphone. Detectives have since arrested four men on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences and they were later released on police bail pending further investigation. ASSAULT, THREATS  Police have also arrested two men for a religiously-aggravated assault on a rabbi in Chigwell, to the north of London. He needed hospital treatment for concussion after receiving a number of blows to the head. The CST said there had been several incidents of individuals shouting ""Free Palestine"" at random Jewish people, daubing graffiti next door to a synagogue and emailing abuse to Jewish community leaders. In another case, a man stopped Jewish schoolchildren in London and threatened to punch them if they did not say they supported Palestine.
+""There is a particular problem of cars, either individually or in convoys, driving through Jewish neighbourhoods, waving Palestinian flags and shouting slogans in a way that is clearly intended to intimidate local Jewish communities,"" the CST said. ""The level of anger and hate that is directed at Israel always spills over into anti-Semitism at times like this and yet the people stoking this anger, online and on the streets, never take responsibility for this particular consequence."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-johnson-says-will-call-out-anti-semitism-after-rise-incidents-2021-05-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]PM Johnson vows support for UK Jewish community after rise in anti-Semitic incidents[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday the government would support Britain's Jewish community in any way it could after a spike in anti-Semitic incidents, including an attack on a rabbi, following the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza.
+The Community Security Trust (CST), which advises Britain's estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, said it had recorded 106 anti-Semitic incidents since May 8 compared to 19 in the 11 previous days, a fivefold increase.
+Responding to a question in parliament from Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, Johnson said: ""I share his horror at the outbreak of anti-Semitic incidents and the government has conveyed that message loud and clear to those who are responsible for enforcing the law against hate crime.""
+""As a country and as a society ... we call this out at every stage. We will not let it take root, we will not allow it to grow and fester.""
+In one high-profile incident, a video posted on social media on Sunday showed a convoy of cars bearing Palestinian flags driving through a Jewish community in north London and broadcasting anti-Semitic messages from a megaphone.
+Detectives have since arrested four men on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences and they were later released on police bail pending further investigation.
+ASSAULT, THREATS
+Police have also arrested two men for a religiously-aggravated assault on a rabbi in Chigwell, to the north of London. He needed hospital treatment for concussion after receiving a number of blows to the head.
+The CST said there had been several incidents of individuals shouting ""Free Palestine"" at random Jewish people, daubing graffiti next door to a synagogue and emailing abuse to Jewish community leaders.
+In another case, a man stopped Jewish schoolchildren in London and threatened to punch them if they did not say they supported Palestine.
+""There is a particular problem of cars, either individually or in convoys, driving through Jewish neighbourhoods, waving Palestinian flags and shouting slogans in a way that is clearly intended to intimidate local Jewish communities,"" the CST said.
+""The level of anger and hate that is directed at Israel always spills over into anti-Semitism at times like this and yet the people stoking this anger, online and on the streets, never take responsibility for this particular consequence.""
+Israel said on Wednesday it was not setting a timeframe for an end to hostilities with Gaza as its military pounded the Palestinian enclave with air strikes and Hamas militants unleashed new cross-border rocket attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]",Israel said on Wednesday it was not setting a timeframe for an end to hostilities with Gaza as its military pounded the Palestinian enclave with air strikes and Hamas militants unleashed new cross-border rocket attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/silos-saturation-salvoes-gaza-rockets-bedevil-israel-2021-05-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Silos and saturation salvoes: Gaza rockets bedevil Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GAZA, May 19 (Reuters) - Named after slain Islamist commanders and fashioned mostly from makeshift materials in clandestine Gaza workshops, the rockets of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have long bedevilled a technologically superior Israeli military. The current cross-border fighting has seen a new tactic by the Gazan militant groups: mass-launches aimed at exploiting the statistical failure rate of Israel's air defences and increasing the chance of causing casualties in its cities.
+The rocket fire has set off a near-incessant wail of sirens in Israeli communities near the Gaza border and prompted tens of thousands of residents to seek shelter. Twelve people have been killed in Israel since the hostilities erupted on May 10.
+Israel has been heavily shelling densely populated Gaza, where officials say 219 Palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians. Israel says at least 160 guerrillas have been killed, among them rocket operators and manufacturers.
+According to Israeli officials, a Gaza arsenal of around 29,000 rockets or mortars before the violence began has now been halved. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have not confirmed that.
+The factions' promotional videos have shown rockets being pre-loaded into small silos for remote-launches - a means of keeping their operators protected from Israeli counter-strikes.
+Counter-strikes may also be delayed or called off against manned crews operating within residential areas, Israel says.
+The firing of as many as 140 rockets within a few minutes at Tel Aviv and elsewhere has ""challenged our exceptional systems,"" Ofir Akunis, an Israeli cabinet minister and ex-spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Army Radio on Wednesday.
+He was referring to the Iron Dome rocket interceptor, which, according to Israeli figures corroborated by U.S. military observers, has a 90% chance of shooting down rockets that radars show to be on trajectories that threaten populated areas.
+In quieter times, Iron Dome is programmed to fire two Tamir interceptor missiles at an incoming rocket, increasing the chance of interception to around 99%. But an Israeli air force general said the Iron Domes were now mostly being limited to one Tamir per interception, meaning 10% of rockets may get through.
+FACTORY-GRADE MISSILES
+""You don't intercept 140 rockets with 280 (Tamirs). It's just too much,"" the general told reporters at air force headquarters in Tel Aviv on Saturday. He added that Israel was husbanding the missiles - valued at $50,000 each - but saw no supply problems.
+It has been 20 years since Gaza militants first fired rockets into Israel. Those projectiles, named after the Syrian preacher Izz al-Din al-Qassam who fought against the British in colonial-era Palestine in the 1930s, were short-range and had warheads weighting a few kilograms.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad proceeded to boost their arsenals with factory-grade missiles smuggled in through the Egyptian Sinai. Cairo's crackdowns have largely choked off that conduit.
+Now, Israeli and Palestinian sources say, the guerrillas use Iranian funding and instructions to produce rockets within Gaza that have ranges of 200 km (125 miles) or more, some with warheads carrying hundreds of kilograms of TNT and shrapnel.
+Iran does not publicly disclose details of its support to Palestinian and Lebanese armed groups opposed to Israel. But the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said in a televised speech on Wednesday that Iran supports Palestinians' fight against Israel. ""The Palestinians have emerged as a missile equipped nation"", said Hossein Salami. read more
+In 2020 Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the power balance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had been transformed with Iranian planning and ""divine guidance and assistance"" after Iran had taken note of Palestinian lack of access to weapons.
+The arsenal often appears rudimentary. One Hamas video shows rockets being made from disused water pipes. A rocket that hit Beersheba, 50 km (30 miles) from Gaza, tumbled on a road after failing to explode, CCTV footage showed.
+Citing the same tracking data it used for Iron Dome interceptions, the Israeli military says that between 20% and one-third of the Palestinians' rockets have fallen short within Gaza in the latest fighting, causing at least 17 civilian fatalities.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Silos and saturation salvoes: Gaza rockets bedevil Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GAZA, May 19 (Reuters) - Named after slain Islamist commanders and fashioned mostly from makeshift materials in clandestine Gaza workshops, the rockets of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have long bedevilled a technologically superior Israeli military. The current cross-border fighting has seen a new tactic by the Gazan militant groups: mass-launches aimed at exploiting the statistical failure rate of Israel's air defences and increasing the chance of causing casualties in its cities.  The rocket fire has set off a near-incessant wail of sirens in Israeli communities near the Gaza border and prompted tens of thousands of residents to seek shelter. Twelve people have been killed in Israel since the hostilities erupted on May 10. Israel has been heavily shelling densely populated Gaza, where officials say 219 Palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians. Israel says at least 160 guerrillas have been killed, among them rocket operators and manufacturers.  According to Israeli officials, a Gaza arsenal of around 29,000 rockets or mortars before the violence began has now been halved. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have not confirmed that. The factions' promotional videos have shown rockets being pre-loaded into small silos for remote-launches - a means of keeping their operators protected from Israeli counter-strikes. Counter-strikes may also be delayed or called off against manned crews operating within residential areas, Israel says. The firing of as many as 140 rockets within a few minutes at Tel Aviv and elsewhere has ""challenged our exceptional systems,"" Ofir Akunis, an Israeli cabinet minister and ex-spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Army Radio on Wednesday. He was referring to the Iron Dome rocket interceptor, which, according to Israeli figures corroborated by U.S. military observers, has a 90% chance of shooting down rockets that radars show to be on trajectories that threaten populated areas.  In quieter times, Iron Dome is programmed to fire two Tamir interceptor missiles at an incoming rocket, increasing the chance of interception to around 99%. But an Israeli air force general said the Iron Domes were now mostly being limited to one Tamir per interception, meaning 10% of rockets may get through. FACTORY-GRADE MISSILES ""You don't intercept 140 rockets with 280 (Tamirs). It's just too much,"" the general told reporters at air force headquarters in Tel Aviv on Saturday. He added that Israel was husbanding the missiles - valued at $50,000 each - but saw no supply problems.  It has been 20 years since Gaza militants first fired rockets into Israel."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/silos-saturation-salvoes-gaza-rockets-bedevil-israel-2021-05-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Silos and saturation salvoes: Gaza rockets bedevil Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GAZA, May 19 (Reuters) - Named after slain Islamist commanders and fashioned mostly from makeshift materials in clandestine Gaza workshops, the rockets of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have long bedevilled a technologically superior Israeli military. The current cross-border fighting has seen a new tactic by the Gazan militant groups: mass-launches aimed at exploiting the statistical failure rate of Israel's air defences and increasing the chance of causing casualties in its cities.
+The rocket fire has set off a near-incessant wail of sirens in Israeli communities near the Gaza border and prompted tens of thousands of residents to seek shelter. Twelve people have been killed in Israel since the hostilities erupted on May 10.
+Israel has been heavily shelling densely populated Gaza, where officials say 219 Palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians. Israel says at least 160 guerrillas have been killed, among them rocket operators and manufacturers.
+According to Israeli officials, a Gaza arsenal of around 29,000 rockets or mortars before the violence began has now been halved. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have not confirmed that.
+The factions' promotional videos have shown rockets being pre-loaded into small silos for remote-launches - a means of keeping their operators protected from Israeli counter-strikes.
+Counter-strikes may also be delayed or called off against manned crews operating within residential areas, Israel says.
+The firing of as many as 140 rockets within a few minutes at Tel Aviv and elsewhere has ""challenged our exceptional systems,"" Ofir Akunis, an Israeli cabinet minister and ex-spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Army Radio on Wednesday.
+He was referring to the Iron Dome rocket interceptor, which, according to Israeli figures corroborated by U.S. military observers, has a 90% chance of shooting down rockets that radars show to be on trajectories that threaten populated areas.
+In quieter times, Iron Dome is programmed to fire two Tamir interceptor missiles at an incoming rocket, increasing the chance of interception to around 99%. But an Israeli air force general said the Iron Domes were now mostly being limited to one Tamir per interception, meaning 10% of rockets may get through.
+FACTORY-GRADE MISSILES
+""You don't intercept 140 rockets with 280 (Tamirs). It's just too much,"" the general told reporters at air force headquarters in Tel Aviv on Saturday. He added that Israel was husbanding the missiles - valued at $50,000 each - but saw no supply problems.
+It has been 20 years since Gaza militants first fired rockets into Israel. Those projectiles, named after the Syrian preacher Izz al-Din al-Qassam who fought against the British in colonial-era Palestine in the 1930s, were short-range and had warheads weighting a few kilograms.
+Hamas and Islamic Jihad proceeded to boost their arsenals with factory-grade missiles smuggled in through the Egyptian Sinai. Cairo's crackdowns have largely choked off that conduit.
+Now, Israeli and Palestinian sources say, the guerrillas use Iranian funding and instructions to produce rockets within Gaza that have ranges of 200 km (125 miles) or more, some with warheads carrying hundreds of kilograms of TNT and shrapnel.
+Iran does not publicly disclose details of its support to Palestinian and Lebanese armed groups opposed to Israel. But the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said in a televised speech on Wednesday that Iran supports Palestinians' fight against Israel. ""The Palestinians have emerged as a missile equipped nation"", said Hossein Salami. read more
+In 2020 Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the power balance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had been transformed with Iranian planning and ""divine guidance and assistance"" after Iran had taken note of Palestinian lack of access to weapons.
+The arsenal often appears rudimentary. One Hamas video shows rockets being made from disused water pipes. A rocket that hit Beersheba, 50 km (30 miles) from Gaza, tumbled on a road after failing to explode, CCTV footage showed.
+Citing the same tracking data it used for Iron Dome interceptions, the Israeli military says that between 20% and one-third of the Palestinians' rockets have fallen short within Gaza in the latest fighting, causing at least 17 civilian fatalities.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Those projectiles, named after the Syrian preacher Izz al-Din al-Qassam who fought against the British in colonial-era Palestine in the 1930s, were short-range and had warheads weighting a few kilograms.  Hamas and Islamic Jihad proceeded to boost their arsenals with factory-grade missiles smuggled in through the Egyptian Sinai. Cairo's crackdowns have largely choked off that conduit. Now, Israeli and Palestinian sources say, the guerrillas use Iranian funding and instructions to produce rockets within Gaza that have ranges of 200 km (125 miles) or more, some with warheads carrying hundreds of kilograms of TNT and shrapnel.  Iran does not publicly disclose details of its support to Palestinian and Lebanese armed groups opposed to Israel. But the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said in a televised speech on Wednesday that Iran supports Palestinians' fight against Israel. ""The Palestinians have emerged as a missile equipped nation"", said Hossein Salami. read more In 2020 Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the power balance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had been transformed with Iranian planning and ""divine guidance and assistance"" after Iran had taken note of Palestinian lack of access to weapons.  The arsenal often appears rudimentary. One Hamas video shows rockets being made from disused water pipes. A rocket that hit Beersheba, 50 km (30 miles) from Gaza, tumbled on a road after failing to explode, CCTV footage showed.  Citing the same tracking data it used for Iron Dome interceptions, the Israeli military says that between 20% and one-third of the Palestinians' rockets have fallen short within Gaza in the latest fighting, causing at least 17 civilian fatalities.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kuwaiti-protesters-burn-israeli-flag-reject-normalisation-deals-2021-05-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Kuwaiti protesters burn Israeli flag, reject normalisation deals[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KUWAIT, May 19 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Kuwaitis demonstrated on Wednesday in support of Palestinians and burned an Israeli flag to protest at the bombardment of Gaza after authorities allowed the rally to proceed despite coronavirus restrictions.
+Protesters, who were only granted access to a main square on foot to limit numbers, chanted ""Death to Israel"" and held banners rejecting normalisation accords struck by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to forge ties with Israel.
+""We send a message to our friends in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries that any normalisation with the Zionists will not help. It helps the killer against the Palestinian people,"" said 43-year-old Osama al-Zaid, a Kuwaiti political activist.
+Israeli aerial bombardments of Gaza have killed 227 people in the 10-day conflict while rocket attacks by militant group Hamas have killed 12 people in Israel.
+Hamas began firing rockets on May 10 in retaliation for what it said were Israeli rights abuses against Palestinians in Jerusalem and following Israeli police clashes with worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
+""Palestine and Al-Aqsa are in our hearts. We absolutely refuse it (normalisation),"" said 30-year-old Kuwaiti employee Zahraa Habeeb.
+Other protesters, who included dozens of expatriates, chanted slogans calling for rocket attacks on Tel Aviv.
+In neighbouring states such as the UAE, some citizens have criticised Hamas for provoking Israeli air strikes. read more
+Kuwait, which launched a relief campaign for Palestinians this week, prevented a similar rally, citing COVID-19 concerns.
+Protests are rare in the Gulf region, where governments keep a lid on dissent and political parties are not allowed. Qatar has also permitted a pro-Palestinian protest.
+Gulf states have condemned what they called flagrant Israeli violations of Palestinian rights and called for a halt to hostilities.
+(This story refiles to change dateline)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Kuwaiti protesters burn Israeli flag, reject normalisation deals[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KUWAIT, May 19 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Kuwaitis demonstrated on Wednesday in support of Palestinians and burned an Israeli flag to protest at the bombardment of Gaza after authorities allowed the rally to proceed despite coronavirus restrictions.  Protesters, who were only granted access to a main square on foot to limit numbers, chanted ""Death to Israel"" and held banners rejecting normalisation accords struck by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to forge ties with Israel.
+"" We send a message to our friends in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries that any normalisation with the Zionists will not help. It helps the killer against the Palestinian people,"" said 43-year-old Osama al-Zaid, a Kuwaiti political activist. Israeli aerial bombardments of Gaza have killed 227 people in the 10-day conflict while rocket attacks by militant group Hamas have killed 12 people in Israel.  Hamas began firing rockets on May 10 in retaliation for what it said were Israeli rights abuses against Palestinians in Jerusalem and following Israeli police clashes with worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
+""Palestine and Al-Aqsa are in our hearts. We absolutely refuse it (normalisation),"" said 30-year-old Kuwaiti employee Zahraa Habeeb. Other protesters, who included dozens of expatriates, chanted slogans calling for rocket attacks on Tel Aviv.  In neighbouring states such as the UAE, some citizens have criticised Hamas for provoking Israeli air strikes. read more  Kuwait, which launched a relief campaign for Palestinians this week, prevented a similar rally, citing COVID-19 concerns.
+Protests are rare in the Gulf region, where governments keep a lid on dissent and political parties are not allowed. Qatar has also permitted a pro-Palestinian protest. Gulf states have condemned what they called flagrant Israeli violations of Palestinian rights and called for a halt to hostilities. (This story refiles to change dateline)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/white-house-says-reports-move-toward-cease-fire-israeli-palestinian-conflict-are-2021-05-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]White House says steps toward ceasefire in Mideast are encouraging[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that reports of a move toward a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were encouraging, even as Israel threatened to step up strikes on Gaza and Hamas rocket fire resumed after a pause.
+Diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire gathered pace on Thursday after U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek ""de-escalation"", and a Hamas political official, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said he believed a ceasefire would be reached ""within a day or two"". read more
+An Egyptian security source - whose country has been mediating between the sides - said they had agreed in principle to a mutual halt in hostilities but details needed to be worked out.
+""We have seen reports of a move toward a potential ceasefire. That's clearly encouraging,"" White House press secretary Jen Psaki told a regular news briefing.
+""We believe the Israelis have achieved significant military objectives that they laid out to achieve, in relation to protecting their people and to responding to the thousands of rocket attacks from Hamas,"" Psaki said.
+""So that's why in part that we feel they're in a position to start winding their operation down,"" she said.
+Rocket attacks on Israel stopped for eight hours on Thursday - the 11th day of hostilities - before resuming against communities near the Gaza border and the city of Beersheba.
+Israel continued air strikes in Hamas-run Gaza, saying it wanted to destroy the Islamist militant group's capabilities and deter it from future confrontation after the current conflict.
+Hamas, regarded by the West as a terrorist organization, has not been part of the mainstream Palestine Liberation Organization's engagement with Israel, which led to interim peace deals in the 1990s and the establishment of limited Palestinian self-rule in the occupied West Bank.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]White House says steps toward ceasefire in Mideast are encouraging[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that reports of a move toward a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were encouraging, even as Israel threatened to step up strikes on Gaza and Hamas rocket fire resumed after a pause.  Diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire gathered pace on Thursday after U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek ""de-escalation"", and a Hamas political official, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said he believed a ceasefire would be reached ""within a day or two"". read more  An Egyptian security source - whose country has been mediating between the sides - said they had agreed in principle to a mutual halt in hostilities but details needed to be worked out.
+"" We have seen reports of a move toward a potential ceasefire. That's clearly encouraging,"" White House press secretary Jen Psaki told a regular news briefing. ""We believe the Israelis have achieved significant military objectives that they laid out to achieve, in relation to protecting their people and to responding to the thousands of rocket attacks from Hamas,"" Psaki said. ""So that's why in part that we feel they're in a position to start winding their operation down,"" she said. Rocket attacks on Israel stopped for eight hours on Thursday - the 11th day of hostilities - before resuming against communities near the Gaza border and the city of Beersheba.
+Israel continued air strikes in Hamas-run Gaza, saying it wanted to destroy the Islamist militant group's capabilities and deter it from future confrontation after the current conflict. Hamas, regarded by the West as a terrorist organization, has not been part of the mainstream Palestine Liberation Organization's engagement with Israel, which led to interim peace deals in the 1990s and the establishment of limited Palestinian self-rule in the occupied West Bank.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/world-reacts-israeli-hamas-truce-2021-05-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]World reacts to Israeli-Hamas truce[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]May 21 (Reuters) - The world reacted to an Israeli-Hamas truce ending some of the worst fighting in years. read more
+U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES
+“I stress that Israeli and Palestinian leaders have a responsibility beyond the restoration of calm to start a serious dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict.
+“Gaza is an integral part of the future Palestinian state and no effort should be spared to bring about real national reconciliation that ends the division.”
+U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
+""We remain committed to work with the United Nations and other international stakeholders to provide rapid humanitarian assistance and to marshal international support for the people in Gaza and in the Gaza reconstruction efforts.""
+""I believe the Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely and enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity and democracy.""
+""My administration will continue our quiet, relentless diplomacy toward that end. I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I am committed to working for it."" read more
+EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT ABDEL FATTAH AL-SISI
+""With utter happiness I have received a phone call from President Biden in which we have exchanged visions around reaching a formula that would calm the current conflict between Israel and Gaza, our vision was in tune about managing the conflict between all parties with diplomacy.""
+U.N. MIDDLE EAST PEACE ENVOY TOR WENNESLAND
+""I welcome the ceasefire between #Gaza & #Israel. I extend my deepest condolences to the victims of the violence & their loved ones. I commend #Egypt & #Qatar for the efforts carried out, in close contact w/ the @UN, to help restore calm. The work of building #Palestine can start.""
+U.S AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD
+""Now, we must turn our focus toward making more tangible progress toward a durable peace. And we must work together to address the urgent humanitarian needs on the ground, which are especially – in fact significantly – immense in Gaza.""
+BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DOMINIC RAAB
+""Welcome news of a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. All sides must work to make the ceasefire durable and end the unacceptable cycle of violence and loss of civilian life. UK continues to support efforts to bring about peace.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]World reacts to Israeli-Hamas truce[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]May 21 (Reuters) - The world reacted to an Israeli-Hamas truce ending some of the worst fighting in years. read more U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES
+“I stress that Israeli and Palestinian leaders have a responsibility beyond the restoration of calm to start a serious dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict. “Gaza is an integral part of the future Palestinian state and no effort should be spared to bring about real national reconciliation that ends the division.” U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
+""We remain committed to work with the United Nations and other international stakeholders to provide rapid humanitarian assistance and to marshal international support for the people in Gaza and in the Gaza reconstruction efforts.""  ""I believe the Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely and enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity and democracy.""
+""My administration will continue our quiet, relentless diplomacy toward that end. I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I am committed to working for it."" read more EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT ABDEL FATTAH AL-SISI  ""With utter happiness I have received a phone call from President Biden in which we have exchanged visions around reaching a formula that would calm the current conflict between Israel and Gaza, our vision was in tune about managing the conflict between all parties with diplomacy."" U.N. MIDDLE EAST PEACE ENVOY TOR WENNESLAND
+"" I welcome the ceasefire between #Gaza & #Israel. I extend my deepest condolences to the victims of the violence & their loved ones. I commend #Egypt & #Qatar for the efforts carried out, in close contact w/ the @UN, to help restore calm. The work of building #Palestine can start."" U.S AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD
+"" Now, we must turn our focus toward making more tangible progress toward a durable peace. And we must work together to address the urgent humanitarian needs on the ground, which are especially – in fact significantly – immense in Gaza. ""
+BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DOMINIC RAAB
+""Welcome news of a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. All sides must work to make the ceasefire durable and end the unacceptable cycle of violence and loss of civilian life. UK continues to support efforts to bring about peace.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-hopes-gaza-truce-holds-wants-israel-account-crimes-2021-05-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey hopes Gaza truce holds, wants Israel to account for 'crimes'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, May 21 (Reuters) - Turkey welcomed a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and hopes it will last, but Israel must be held to account for crimes it committed in Gaza the last two weeks, the foreign ministry said on Friday.
+The truce took hold on Friday after the worst violence in years. read more
+""In order to prevent a repeat of the pain and tears seen in Palestine, Israel must be held accountable in the international arena for the crimes it committed. A lifting of the inhumane siege it imposed on Gaza must be ensured,"" the ministry said, calling on the United Nations Security Council to take action.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey hopes Gaza truce holds, wants Israel to account for 'crimes'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, May 21 (Reuters) - Turkey welcomed a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and hopes it will last, but Israel must be held to account for crimes it committed in Gaza the last two weeks, the foreign ministry said on Friday. The truce took hold on Friday after the worst violence in years. read more  ""In order to prevent a repeat of the pain and tears seen in Palestine, Israel must be held accountable in the international arena for the crimes it committed. A lifting of the inhumane siege it imposed on Gaza must be ensured,"" the ministry said, calling on the United Nations Security Council to take action.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistanis-rally-support-palestinians-2021-05-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pakistanis rally in support of Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KARACHI, Pakistan, May 21 (Reuters) - Ten of thousands of Pakistanis marched in support of the Palestinians on Friday as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect after 11 days of fighting, but a bomb blast killed six people at one rally in southwest Pakistan.
+Shrugging aside restrictions linked to the coronavirus pandemic, people waved Palestinian flags and placards that read ""All unite to free Palestine"" and ""Boycott Israel"" at the rallies, many organised by Islamic groups, in a number of cities across the country including Islamabad and Karachi.
+In Peshawar demonstrators burned Israeli flags.
+The bomb blast, which also wounded 13 people, occurred in the city of Chaman in the province of Balochistan near the Afghan border, the region's police chief, Jafar Khan, told Reuters by telephone. read more
+There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
+Police in Karachi halted a rally organised by the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami when demonstrators trying to march on the U.S. consulate in the port city caused a massive traffic jam.
+""The Palestinian issue is more of a humanitarian issue than a religious issue. You don't need to be a Muslim or a Christian to condemn whatever is going on in Palestine. You need to be a human being to condemn it,"" Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain told foreign media on Friday.
+Pakistan, a largely Muslim country, has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
+Prime Minister Imran Khan applauded Friday's rallies across Pakistan and said international public opinion was tilting in favour of the Palestinians.
+The foreign ministry said in a tweet that Pakistan continued to believe that peace in the Middle East hinged on the creation of a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel.
+Both Israel and Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza, claimed victory on Friday as the ceasefire, mediated by Egypt, came into force.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pakistanis rally in support of Palestinians[/TITLE] [CONTENT]KARACHI, Pakistan, May 21 (Reuters) - Ten of thousands of Pakistanis marched in support of the Palestinians on Friday as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect after 11 days of fighting, but a bomb blast killed six people at one rally in southwest Pakistan. Shrugging aside restrictions linked to the coronavirus pandemic, people waved Palestinian flags and placards that read ""All unite to free Palestine"" and ""Boycott Israel"" at the rallies, many organised by Islamic groups, in a number of cities across the country including Islamabad and Karachi. In Peshawar demonstrators burned Israeli flags.  The bomb blast, which also wounded 13 people, occurred in the city of Chaman in the province of Balochistan near the Afghan border, the region's police chief, Jafar Khan, told Reuters by telephone. read more There was no immediate claim of responsibility.  Police in Karachi halted a rally organised by the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami when demonstrators trying to march on the U.S. consulate in the port city caused a massive traffic jam.
+""The Palestinian issue is more of a humanitarian issue than a religious issue. You don't need to be a Muslim or a Christian to condemn whatever is going on in Palestine. You need to be a human being to condemn it,"" Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain told foreign media on Friday. Pakistan, a largely Muslim country, has no diplomatic relations with Israel. Prime Minister Imran Khan applauded Friday's rallies across Pakistan and said international public opinion was tilting in favour of the Palestinians.
+The foreign ministry said in a tweet that Pakistan continued to believe that peace in the Middle East hinged on the creation of a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel.  Both Israel and Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza, claimed victory on Friday as the ceasefire, mediated by Egypt, came into force.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-moves-forward-with-plans-some-3000-settler-homes-monitoring-group-says-2021-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel moves ahead with thousands of settler homes despite U.S. opposition[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Israel moved forward on Wednesday with plans to build some 3,000 homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, defying the Biden administration's strongest criticism to date of such projects.
+A senior Palestinian official said the decision showed that Israel's new government, led by far-right politician Naftali Bennett, was ""no less extreme"" than the administration of the veteran leader he replaced, Benjamin Netanyahu.
+An Israeli defence official said a planning forum of Israel's liaison office with the Palestinians gave preliminary approval for plans to build 1,344 housing units and its final go-ahead for projects to construct 1,800 homes.
+It will be up to Defence Minister Benny Gantz, a centrist in Israel's politically diverse government, to give the nod for construction permits to be issued, with further friction with Washington looming.
+""This government is trying to balance between its good relations with the Biden administration and the various political constraints,"" a senior Israeli official told Reuters.
+The United States said on Tuesday it was ""deeply concerned"" about Israel's plans to advance thousands of settlement units. It called such steps damaging to prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said it strongly opposes settlement expansion.
+Asked about Wednesday's developments, a State Department spokesperson said: ""As we have said, this administration is strongly opposed to the expansion of settlements.""
+Washington desisted from such criticism when Democratic President Joe Biden's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, was in office.
+A senior U.S. State department official said Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the issue with Gantz on Tuesday. Their phone call was first reported by the Axios news website, which cited Israeli officials as saying it was a tense conversation in which the chief U.S. diplomat voiced U.S. opposition to the settlement plan.
+The State Department spokesperson declined ""to characterize our private discussions.""
+The latest projects, as well as tenders published on Sunday, opens new tab for more than 1,300 settler homes, amounted to the first major test case over settlement policy with the Biden administration that took office in January.
+""The behaviour of the Israeli government under Bennett is no less extreme than what it had been under Netanyahu,"" Bassam Al-Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters.
+""The U.S. administration has words, and no deeds, to change the policy that had been put in place by Trump,"" Salhe said.
+TIGHTROPE
+Walking a political and diplomatic tightrope, Bennett has been facing calls from settler leaders to step up construction. Such projects are likely to be welcomed by his ultranationalist constituents, who share his opposition to Palestinian statehood.
+But along with the prospect of straining relations with Washington, Bennett could alienate left-wing and Arab parties in a coalition governing with a razor-thin parliamentary majority, if they view settlement plans as too ambitious.
+Most countries regard the settlements Israel has built in territory it captured in a 1967 Middle East war as illegal.
+Israel disputes that and has settled some 440,000 Israelis in the West Bank, citing biblical, historical and political ties to the area, where 3 million Palestinians live.
+Palestinians seek to create a state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel moves ahead with thousands of settler homes despite U.S. opposition[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Israel moved forward on Wednesday with plans to build some 3,000 homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, defying the Biden administration's strongest criticism to date of such projects. A senior Palestinian official said the decision showed that Israel's new government, led by far-right politician Naftali Bennett, was ""no less extreme"" than the administration of the veteran leader he replaced, Benjamin Netanyahu.
+An Israeli defence official said a planning forum of Israel's liaison office with the Palestinians gave preliminary approval for plans to build 1,344 housing units and its final go-ahead for projects to construct 1,800 homes. It will be up to Defence Minister Benny Gantz, a centrist in Israel's politically diverse government, to give the nod for construction permits to be issued, with further friction with Washington looming. ""This government is trying to balance between its good relations with the Biden administration and the various political constraints,"" a senior Israeli official told Reuters.  The United States said on Tuesday it was ""deeply concerned"" about Israel's plans to advance thousands of settlement units. It called such steps damaging to prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said it strongly opposes settlement expansion.  Asked about Wednesday's developments, a State Department spokesperson said: ""As we have said, this administration is strongly opposed to the expansion of settlements.""
+Washington desisted from such criticism when Democratic President Joe Biden's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, was in office.
+A senior U.S. State department official said Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the issue with Gantz on Tuesday. Their phone call was first reported by the Axios news website, which cited Israeli officials as saying it was a tense conversation in which the chief U.S. diplomat voiced U.S. opposition to the settlement plan. The State Department spokesperson declined ""to characterize our private discussions.""
+The latest projects, as well as tenders published on Sunday, opens new tab for more than 1,300 settler homes, amounted to the first major test case over settlement policy with the Biden administration that took office in January. ""The behaviour of the Israeli government under Bennett is no less extreme than what it had been under Netanyahu,"" Bassam Al-Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters. ""The U.S. administration has words, and no deeds, to change the policy that had been put in place by Trump,"" Salhe said. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-moves-forward-with-plans-some-3000-settler-homes-monitoring-group-says-2021-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel moves ahead with thousands of settler homes despite U.S. opposition[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Israel moved forward on Wednesday with plans to build some 3,000 homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, defying the Biden administration's strongest criticism to date of such projects.
+A senior Palestinian official said the decision showed that Israel's new government, led by far-right politician Naftali Bennett, was ""no less extreme"" than the administration of the veteran leader he replaced, Benjamin Netanyahu.
+An Israeli defence official said a planning forum of Israel's liaison office with the Palestinians gave preliminary approval for plans to build 1,344 housing units and its final go-ahead for projects to construct 1,800 homes.
+It will be up to Defence Minister Benny Gantz, a centrist in Israel's politically diverse government, to give the nod for construction permits to be issued, with further friction with Washington looming.
+""This government is trying to balance between its good relations with the Biden administration and the various political constraints,"" a senior Israeli official told Reuters.
+The United States said on Tuesday it was ""deeply concerned"" about Israel's plans to advance thousands of settlement units. It called such steps damaging to prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said it strongly opposes settlement expansion.
+Asked about Wednesday's developments, a State Department spokesperson said: ""As we have said, this administration is strongly opposed to the expansion of settlements.""
+Washington desisted from such criticism when Democratic President Joe Biden's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, was in office.
+A senior U.S. State department official said Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the issue with Gantz on Tuesday. Their phone call was first reported by the Axios news website, which cited Israeli officials as saying it was a tense conversation in which the chief U.S. diplomat voiced U.S. opposition to the settlement plan.
+The State Department spokesperson declined ""to characterize our private discussions.""
+The latest projects, as well as tenders published on Sunday, opens new tab for more than 1,300 settler homes, amounted to the first major test case over settlement policy with the Biden administration that took office in January.
+""The behaviour of the Israeli government under Bennett is no less extreme than what it had been under Netanyahu,"" Bassam Al-Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters.
+""The U.S. administration has words, and no deeds, to change the policy that had been put in place by Trump,"" Salhe said.
+TIGHTROPE
+Walking a political and diplomatic tightrope, Bennett has been facing calls from settler leaders to step up construction. Such projects are likely to be welcomed by his ultranationalist constituents, who share his opposition to Palestinian statehood.
+But along with the prospect of straining relations with Washington, Bennett could alienate left-wing and Arab parties in a coalition governing with a razor-thin parliamentary majority, if they view settlement plans as too ambitious.
+Most countries regard the settlements Israel has built in territory it captured in a 1967 Middle East war as illegal.
+Israel disputes that and has settled some 440,000 Israelis in the West Bank, citing biblical, historical and political ties to the area, where 3 million Palestinians live.
+Palestinians seek to create a state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","TIGHTROPE
+Walking a political and diplomatic tightrope, Bennett has been facing calls from settler leaders to step up construction. Such projects are likely to be welcomed by his ultranationalist constituents, who share his opposition to Palestinian statehood. But along with the prospect of straining relations with Washington, Bennett could alienate left-wing and Arab parties in a coalition governing with a razor-thin parliamentary majority, if they view settlement plans as too ambitious.
+Most countries regard the settlements Israel has built in territory it captured in a 1967 Middle East war as illegal.
+Israel disputes that and has settled some 440,000 Israelis in the West Bank, citing biblical, historical and political ties to the area, where 3 million Palestinians live.  Palestinians seek to create a state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/israel-designates-six-palestinian-civil-society-groups-terrorists-2021-10-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel designates Palestinian civil society groups as terrorists, U.N. 'alarmed'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TEL AVIV, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Israel on Friday designated six Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organisations and accused them of funnelling donor aid to militants, a move that drew criticism from the United Nations and human rights watchdogs.
+Israel's defence ministry said the groups had ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), a left-wing faction with an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis.
+The groups include Palestinian human rights organisations Addameer and Al-Haq, which document alleged rights violations by both Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank.
+""(The) declared organizations received large sums of money from European countries and international organizations, using a variety of forgery and deceit,"" the defence ministry said, alleging that the money had supported PFLP's activities.
+The designations authorise Israeli authorities to close the groups' offices, seize their assets and arrest their staff in the West Bank, watchdogs Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said in a joint statement.
+Addameer and another of the groups, Defense for Children International - Palestine, rejected the accusations as an ""attempt to eliminate Palestinian civil society.""
+The United Nations Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territories said it was ""alarmed"" by the announcement.
+""Counter-terrorism legislation must not be used to constrain legitimate human rights and humanitarian work,"" it said, adding that some of the reasons given appeared vague or irrelevant.
+""These designations are the latest development in a long stigmatizing campaign against these and other organizations, damaging their ability to deliver on their crucial work,"" it said.
+Israel's ally the United States was not given advance warning of the move and would engage Israel for more information about the basis for the designations, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters.
+""We believe respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and a strong civil society are critically important to responsible and responsive governance,"" he said.
+But Israel's defence ministry said: ""Those organizations present themselves as acting for humanitarian purposes; however, they serve as a cover for the 'Popular Front' promotion and financing.""
+An official with the PFLP, which is on United States and European Union terrorism blacklists, did not outright reject ties to the six groups but said they maintain relations with civil society organisations across the West Bank and Gaza.
+""It is part of the rough battle Israel is launching against the Palestinian people and against civil society groups, in order to exhaust them,"" PFLP official Kayed Al-Ghoul said.
+Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said the ""decision is an alarming escalation that threatens to shut down the work of Palestine's most prominent civil society organizations.""
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians seek the territories for a future state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel designates Palestinian civil society groups as terrorists, U.N. 'alarmed'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TEL AVIV, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Israel on Friday designated six Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organisations and accused them of funnelling donor aid to militants, a move that drew criticism from the United Nations and human rights watchdogs. Israel's defence ministry said the groups had ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), a left-wing faction with an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis. The groups include Palestinian human rights organisations Addameer and Al-Haq, which document alleged rights violations by both Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank. ""(The) declared organizations received large sums of money from European countries and international organizations, using a variety of forgery and deceit,"" the defence ministry said, alleging that the money had supported PFLP's activities. The designations authorise Israeli authorities to close the groups' offices, seize their assets and arrest their staff in the West Bank, watchdogs Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said in a joint statement. Addameer and another of the groups, Defense for Children International - Palestine, rejected the accusations as an ""attempt to eliminate Palestinian civil society.""
+The United Nations Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territories said it was ""alarmed"" by the announcement.  ""Counter-terrorism legislation must not be used to constrain legitimate human rights and humanitarian work,"" it said, adding that some of the reasons given appeared vague or irrelevant.
+"" These designations are the latest development in a long stigmatizing campaign against these and other organizations, damaging their ability to deliver on their crucial work,"" it said. Israel's ally the United States was not given advance warning of the move and would engage Israel for more information about the basis for the designations, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters. ""We believe respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and a strong civil society are critically important to responsible and responsive governance,"" he said. But Israel's defence ministry said: ""Those organizations present themselves as acting for humanitarian purposes; however, they serve as a cover for the 'Popular Front' promotion and financing."" An official with the PFLP, which is on United States and European Union terrorism blacklists, did not outright reject ties to the six groups but said they maintain relations with civil society organisations across the West Bank and Gaza. "
+https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/israel-designates-six-palestinian-civil-society-groups-terrorists-2021-10-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel designates Palestinian civil society groups as terrorists, U.N. 'alarmed'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TEL AVIV, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Israel on Friday designated six Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organisations and accused them of funnelling donor aid to militants, a move that drew criticism from the United Nations and human rights watchdogs.
+Israel's defence ministry said the groups had ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), a left-wing faction with an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis.
+The groups include Palestinian human rights organisations Addameer and Al-Haq, which document alleged rights violations by both Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank.
+""(The) declared organizations received large sums of money from European countries and international organizations, using a variety of forgery and deceit,"" the defence ministry said, alleging that the money had supported PFLP's activities.
+The designations authorise Israeli authorities to close the groups' offices, seize their assets and arrest their staff in the West Bank, watchdogs Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said in a joint statement.
+Addameer and another of the groups, Defense for Children International - Palestine, rejected the accusations as an ""attempt to eliminate Palestinian civil society.""
+The United Nations Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territories said it was ""alarmed"" by the announcement.
+""Counter-terrorism legislation must not be used to constrain legitimate human rights and humanitarian work,"" it said, adding that some of the reasons given appeared vague or irrelevant.
+""These designations are the latest development in a long stigmatizing campaign against these and other organizations, damaging their ability to deliver on their crucial work,"" it said.
+Israel's ally the United States was not given advance warning of the move and would engage Israel for more information about the basis for the designations, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters.
+""We believe respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and a strong civil society are critically important to responsible and responsive governance,"" he said.
+But Israel's defence ministry said: ""Those organizations present themselves as acting for humanitarian purposes; however, they serve as a cover for the 'Popular Front' promotion and financing.""
+An official with the PFLP, which is on United States and European Union terrorism blacklists, did not outright reject ties to the six groups but said they maintain relations with civil society organisations across the West Bank and Gaza.
+""It is part of the rough battle Israel is launching against the Palestinian people and against civil society groups, in order to exhaust them,"" PFLP official Kayed Al-Ghoul said.
+Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said the ""decision is an alarming escalation that threatens to shut down the work of Palestine's most prominent civil society organizations.""
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians seek the territories for a future state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""It is part of the rough battle Israel is launching against the Palestinian people and against civil society groups, in order to exhaust them,"" PFLP official Kayed Al-Ghoul said.
+Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said the ""decision is an alarming escalation that threatens to shut down the work of Palestine's most prominent civil society organizations.""
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians seek the territories for a future state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-takes-steps-return-un-cultural-body-that-trump-quit-2021-10-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. takes steps to return to U.N. cultural body that Trump quit[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/PARIS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - The United States is making early moves toward rejoining the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO four years after former President Donald Trump withdrew the country over accusations of anti-Israel bias, congressional and diplomatic sources said.
+The United States provided one-fifth of the Paris-based agency's funding, but Trump's predecessor Barack Obama stopped paying in 2011 when Palestine became a full member because it is barred by U.S. law. Washington owed $542 million when it quit.
+However, encouraged by President Joe Biden's administration, the Senate Appropriations Committee introduced legislation this week to waive that law if Biden - and appropriate congressional committees - believe rejoining UNESCO would allow Washington to counter Chinese influence or promote other U.S. interests.
+""We don't have anything to announce on UNESCO at this time,"" said a U.S. diplomat.
+Israel also withdrew from UNESCO at the same time as the United States. A Western diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Israel was keen to return, but was waiting for Washington to move first.
+UNESCO said in a statement that the return of the United States and Israel would be ""good news"" and sees ""real hope"" for their return but ""the timing and modalities ... have yet to be defined.""
+According to the Senate legislation, the United States would be required to withdraw from UNESCO if the Palestinians joined any more U.N. agencies. Washington would also have to quit those bodies.
+To become law, the appropriations bill containing the waiver would have to pass both the Senate and House of Representatives, and there has been no indication from congressional leaders when such a vote might take place.
+UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, who is set to be elected for a new term next month, travelled to the United States last month. She lobbied Biden's wife, Jill, who has been involved in past UNESCO teaching programmes, as well as senators, said a diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
+Israel's foreign ministry declined to comment when asked about a potential return to UNESCO, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
+It is best known for designating and protecting archaeological and heritage sites, from the Galapagos Islands to the tombs of Timbuktu.
+Diplomats said that while Israel and the Palestinians had clashed at UNESCO in the past, both parties were now cooperating under UNESCO mediation, even though Israel is not a member.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.S. takes steps to return to U.N. cultural body that Trump quit[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON/PARIS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - The United States is making early moves toward rejoining the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO four years after former President Donald Trump withdrew the country over accusations of anti-Israel bias, congressional and diplomatic sources said.  The United States provided one-fifth of the Paris-based agency's funding, but Trump's predecessor Barack Obama stopped paying in 2011 when Palestine became a full member because it is barred by U.S. law. Washington owed $542 million when it quit. However, encouraged by President Joe Biden's administration, the Senate Appropriations Committee introduced legislation this week to waive that law if Biden - and appropriate congressional committees - believe rejoining UNESCO would allow Washington to counter Chinese influence or promote other U.S. interests. ""We don't have anything to announce on UNESCO at this time,"" said a U.S. diplomat.  Israel also withdrew from UNESCO at the same time as the United States. A Western diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Israel was keen to return, but was waiting for Washington to move first. UNESCO said in a statement that the return of the United States and Israel would be ""good news"" and sees ""real hope"" for their return but ""the timing and modalities ... have yet to be defined.""  According to the Senate legislation, the United States would be required to withdraw from UNESCO if the Palestinians joined any more U.N. agencies. Washington would also have to quit those bodies. To become law, the appropriations bill containing the waiver would have to pass both the Senate and House of Representatives, and there has been no indication from congressional leaders when such a vote might take place.  UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, who is set to be elected for a new term next month, travelled to the United States last month. She lobbied Biden's wife, Jill, who has been involved in past UNESCO teaching programmes, as well as senators, said a diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. Israel's foreign ministry declined to comment when asked about a potential return to UNESCO, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It is best known for designating and protecting archaeological and heritage sites, from the Galapagos Islands to the tombs of Timbuktu. Diplomats said that while Israel and the Palestinians had clashed at UNESCO in the past, both parties were now cooperating under UNESCO mediation, even though Israel is not a member.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-lebanese-forces-party-2021-10-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Lebanese Forces party?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Oct 21 (Reuters) - The leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces party denied on Thursday his group has any fighters, rebutting claims by Shi'ite Hezbollah that he has assembled a militia as the fallout of deadly violence, opens new tab in Beirut last week continues to roil Lebanon. read more
+The standoff is fuelling concerns over Lebanon's stability, opens new tab as the country grapples with a devastating two-year-long economic meltdown, opens new tab.
+What is the Lebanese Forces?
+ESTABLISHED IN CIVIL WAR
+- The LF was established in 1976 as Lebanon descended into civil war. Bashir Gemayel, a Maronite Christian, created the LF by unifying an array of Christian militias including the armed wing of his family's Kataeb, or Phalange, party.
+- It fought numerous adversaries, notably the Palestine Liberation Organisation - which controlled swathes of Lebanon at the time - and was backed by Israel. The LF's Lebanese foes included Walid Jumblatt's Druze militia.
+- Gemayel was assassinated in 1982, a month after he was elected president after Israel invaded all the way to Beirut. The killing triggered the massacre by Christian militiamen of Palestinian civilians at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps.
+- In 1983, the LF was defeated by Druze fighters in the Chouf mountains, leading some 250,000 Christians to flee the area, the biggest single sectarian displacement of the war.
+- Samir Geagea, who rose through the ranks under Gemayel, took control of the LF in 1986. Under his command, the LF remained the most powerful Christian militia and ran a Christian enclave.
+- The final years of the civil war were marked by a war between the LF and then-army commander Michel Aoun, who was head of one of the two rival Lebanese governments at the time, for control of the Christian area. This conflict, known as the ""war of elimination"", heaped destruction on Christian areas.
+FORCED UNDERGROUND
+- The LF agreed to the peace agreement that ended civil war and ceded control of its territory and weapons to the army in 1991. But tensions quickly surfaced between the LF and the new, Damascus-dominated order in Beirut as it became clear the Syrian army was not going to withdraw as set out in the agreement.
+- In 1994, Geagea was arrested and put on trial for bombing a church and political killings in the war. He denied the accusations, saying he was the target of a politically motivated prosecution. Asked about cases brought against him from that time, Geagea has said they were fabricated by the Syrian-Lebanese security apparatus.
+- He was acquitted of the church bombing but convicted of political killings. He spent 11 years in solitary confinement, the only militia leader to go to jail, while others benefited from an amnesty and took cabinet posts.
+- The Syria-backed Lebanese authorities banned the LF in 1994, jailing many LF activists and seizing its assets.
+OPPOSING HEZBOLLAH
+- A new phase began in 2005 when the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon following Rafik al-Hariri's assassination. Geagea was released from prison.
+- The LF joined an anti-Syrian alliance including civil war foes in confronting pro-Damascus factions, chief among them the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
+- Like Hezbollah's other opponents, the LF believes the group's arsenal undermines the state and sees it as a major factor contributing to Lebanon's other problems.
+- The LF has vociferously stuck by this position while some of Hezbollah's other critics have set the issue to one side, saying the question of Hezbollah's weapons can only be addressed by foreign powers. With this hawkish stance, the LF is widely seen as one of Saudi Arabia's last Lebanese allies.
+- The second largest Christian party in parliament, the LF has stayed out of the cabinet since a popular uprising against the sectarian elite in 2019. It says Lebanon's problems can only be fixed by a cabinet that is independent of political factions.
+- The LF, which says it remains a political party with no military wing, has a decades-long rivalry, opens new tab with another Christian faction supporting now-President Michel Aoun in the Free Patriotic Movement he founded.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Lebanese Forces party?[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Oct 21 (Reuters) - The leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces party denied on Thursday his group has any fighters, rebutting claims by Shi'ite Hezbollah that he has assembled a militia as the fallout of deadly violence, opens new tab in Beirut last week continues to roil Lebanon. read more
+The standoff is fuelling concerns over Lebanon's stability, opens new tab as the country grapples with a devastating two-year-long economic meltdown, opens new tab. What is the Lebanese Forces?  ESTABLISHED IN CIVIL WAR
+- The LF was established in 1976 as Lebanon descended into civil war. Bashir Gemayel, a Maronite Christian, created the LF by unifying an array of Christian militias including the armed wing of his family's Kataeb, or Phalange, party.  - It fought numerous adversaries, notably the Palestine Liberation Organisation - which controlled swathes of Lebanon at the time - and was backed by Israel. The LF's Lebanese foes included Walid Jumblatt's Druze militia. - Gemayel was assassinated in 1982, a month after he was elected president after Israel invaded all the way to Beirut. The killing triggered the massacre by Christian militiamen of Palestinian civilians at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps. - In 1983, the LF was defeated by Druze fighters in the Chouf mountains, leading some 250,000 Christians to flee the area, the biggest single sectarian displacement of the war.  - Samir Geagea, who rose through the ranks under Gemayel, took control of the LF in 1986. Under his command, the LF remained the most powerful Christian militia and ran a Christian enclave.
+- The final years of the civil war were marked by a war between the LF and then-army commander Michel Aoun, who was head of one of the two rival Lebanese governments at the time, for control of the Christian area. This conflict, known as the ""war of elimination"", heaped destruction on Christian areas. FORCED UNDERGROUND
+- The LF agreed to the peace agreement that ended civil war and ceded control of its territory and weapons to the army in 1991. But tensions quickly surfaced between the LF and the new, Damascus-dominated order in Beirut as it became clear the Syrian army was not going to withdraw as set out in the agreement. - In 1994, Geagea was arrested and put on trial for bombing a church and political killings in the war. He denied the accusations, saying he was the target of a politically motivated prosecution. Asked about cases brought against him from that time, Geagea has said they were fabricated by the Syrian-Lebanese security apparatus. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-lebanese-forces-party-2021-10-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Lebanese Forces party?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Oct 21 (Reuters) - The leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces party denied on Thursday his group has any fighters, rebutting claims by Shi'ite Hezbollah that he has assembled a militia as the fallout of deadly violence, opens new tab in Beirut last week continues to roil Lebanon. read more
+The standoff is fuelling concerns over Lebanon's stability, opens new tab as the country grapples with a devastating two-year-long economic meltdown, opens new tab.
+What is the Lebanese Forces?
+ESTABLISHED IN CIVIL WAR
+- The LF was established in 1976 as Lebanon descended into civil war. Bashir Gemayel, a Maronite Christian, created the LF by unifying an array of Christian militias including the armed wing of his family's Kataeb, or Phalange, party.
+- It fought numerous adversaries, notably the Palestine Liberation Organisation - which controlled swathes of Lebanon at the time - and was backed by Israel. The LF's Lebanese foes included Walid Jumblatt's Druze militia.
+- Gemayel was assassinated in 1982, a month after he was elected president after Israel invaded all the way to Beirut. The killing triggered the massacre by Christian militiamen of Palestinian civilians at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps.
+- In 1983, the LF was defeated by Druze fighters in the Chouf mountains, leading some 250,000 Christians to flee the area, the biggest single sectarian displacement of the war.
+- Samir Geagea, who rose through the ranks under Gemayel, took control of the LF in 1986. Under his command, the LF remained the most powerful Christian militia and ran a Christian enclave.
+- The final years of the civil war were marked by a war between the LF and then-army commander Michel Aoun, who was head of one of the two rival Lebanese governments at the time, for control of the Christian area. This conflict, known as the ""war of elimination"", heaped destruction on Christian areas.
+FORCED UNDERGROUND
+- The LF agreed to the peace agreement that ended civil war and ceded control of its territory and weapons to the army in 1991. But tensions quickly surfaced between the LF and the new, Damascus-dominated order in Beirut as it became clear the Syrian army was not going to withdraw as set out in the agreement.
+- In 1994, Geagea was arrested and put on trial for bombing a church and political killings in the war. He denied the accusations, saying he was the target of a politically motivated prosecution. Asked about cases brought against him from that time, Geagea has said they were fabricated by the Syrian-Lebanese security apparatus.
+- He was acquitted of the church bombing but convicted of political killings. He spent 11 years in solitary confinement, the only militia leader to go to jail, while others benefited from an amnesty and took cabinet posts.
+- The Syria-backed Lebanese authorities banned the LF in 1994, jailing many LF activists and seizing its assets.
+OPPOSING HEZBOLLAH
+- A new phase began in 2005 when the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon following Rafik al-Hariri's assassination. Geagea was released from prison.
+- The LF joined an anti-Syrian alliance including civil war foes in confronting pro-Damascus factions, chief among them the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
+- Like Hezbollah's other opponents, the LF believes the group's arsenal undermines the state and sees it as a major factor contributing to Lebanon's other problems.
+- The LF has vociferously stuck by this position while some of Hezbollah's other critics have set the issue to one side, saying the question of Hezbollah's weapons can only be addressed by foreign powers. With this hawkish stance, the LF is widely seen as one of Saudi Arabia's last Lebanese allies.
+- The second largest Christian party in parliament, the LF has stayed out of the cabinet since a popular uprising against the sectarian elite in 2019. It says Lebanon's problems can only be fixed by a cabinet that is independent of political factions.
+- The LF, which says it remains a political party with no military wing, has a decades-long rivalry, opens new tab with another Christian faction supporting now-President Michel Aoun in the Free Patriotic Movement he founded.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","- He was acquitted of the church bombing but convicted of political killings. He spent 11 years in solitary confinement, the only militia leader to go to jail, while others benefited from an amnesty and took cabinet posts. - The Syria-backed Lebanese authorities banned the LF in 1994, jailing many LF activists and seizing its assets.  OPPOSING HEZBOLLAH
+- A new phase began in 2005 when the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon following Rafik al-Hariri's assassination. Geagea was released from prison. - The LF joined an anti-Syrian alliance including civil war foes in confronting pro-Damascus factions, chief among them the Iran-backed Hezbollah. - Like Hezbollah's other opponents, the LF believes the group's arsenal undermines the state and sees it as a major factor contributing to Lebanon's other problems.
+- The LF has vociferously stuck by this position while some of Hezbollah's other critics have set the issue to one side, saying the question of Hezbollah's weapons can only be addressed by foreign powers. With this hawkish stance, the LF is widely seen as one of Saudi Arabia's last Lebanese allies. - The second largest Christian party in parliament, the LF has stayed out of the cabinet since a popular uprising against the sectarian elite in 2019. It says Lebanon's problems can only be fixed by a cabinet that is independent of political factions.  - The LF, which says it remains a political party with no military wing, has a decades-long rivalry, opens new tab with another Christian faction supporting now-President Michel Aoun in the Free Patriotic Movement he founded.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/we-want-our-stories-travel-netflix-launches-palestinian-film-collection-2021-10-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]We want our stories to travel': Netflix launches Palestinian film collection[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank/JERUSALEM, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Palestinian director Ameen Nayfeh says he felt proud after bringing to life through film his personal struggle in crossing an Israeli military checkpoint to visit his dying grandfather. But he didn't expect his short film to have a wide audience.
+That all changed for Nayfeh on Thursday, when Netflix launched a new Palestinian film collection, the first of its kind by a major streaming service, that includes his award-winning short ""The Crossing"".
+“This is why we make films, because we want our stories to travel, we want people to know about us,” Nayfeh, 33, told Reuters.
+“Now when you type Palestine in the search button on Netflix, you will see so many different titles that you can watch. Before, when I would type Palestine I would get Israeli titles,” he said.
+Netflix's new Palestinian collection, titled “Palestinian Stories”, is made up of 32 award-winning films that are either directed by Palestinian filmmakers or tell Palestinian stories, the company said in a press release on Tuesday.
+“The diversification of our content sits close to my heart as Netflix works to become the home of Arabic cinema,” said Nuha El Tayeb, a spokesperson for Netflix.
+Many of the films tell stories of Palestinian life in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians seek for a future independent state.
+Israel maintains military checkpoints in the West Bank, citing security concerns. Palestinians say the roadblocks severely restrict their mobility throughout the territory.
+Before filmmakers, Palestinian musicians began reaping the benefits of streaming to a global audience after Spotify launched its music streaming service in the Middle East and North Africa in 2018.
+Netflix has made the new collection of Palestinian films available to all customers, the company said.
+Huda al Imam, an actress in the Oscar-nominated film ""Ave Maria"", which is also featured in Netflix's Palestinian collection, said it would expand the reach of Palestinian stories.
+“Thanks to Netflix, now Palestinian stories and Palestinian life with its beauty and agony will be shown all around the world,"" al Imam said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]We want our stories to travel': Netflix launches Palestinian film collection[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank/JERUSALEM, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Palestinian director Ameen Nayfeh says he felt proud after bringing to life through film his personal struggle in crossing an Israeli military checkpoint to visit his dying grandfather. But he didn't expect his short film to have a wide audience. That all changed for Nayfeh on Thursday, when Netflix launched a new Palestinian film collection, the first of its kind by a major streaming service, that includes his award-winning short ""The Crossing"". “This is why we make films, because we want our stories to travel, we want people to know about us,” Nayfeh, 33, told Reuters.  “Now when you type Palestine in the search button on Netflix, you will see so many different titles that you can watch. Before, when I would type Palestine I would get Israeli titles,” he said. Netflix's new Palestinian collection, titled “Palestinian Stories”, is made up of 32 award-winning films that are either directed by Palestinian filmmakers or tell Palestinian stories, the company said in a press release on Tuesday. “The diversification of our content sits close to my heart as Netflix works to become the home of Arabic cinema,” said Nuha El Tayeb, a spokesperson for Netflix.  Many of the films tell stories of Palestinian life in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Israel maintains military checkpoints in the West Bank, citing security concerns. Palestinians say the roadblocks severely restrict their mobility throughout the territory. Before filmmakers, Palestinian musicians began reaping the benefits of streaming to a global audience after Spotify launched its music streaming service in the Middle East and North Africa in 2018. Netflix has made the new collection of Palestinian films available to all customers, the company said.  Huda al Imam, an actress in the Oscar-nominated film ""Ave Maria"", which is also featured in Netflix's Palestinian collection, said it would expand the reach of Palestinian stories.
+“Thanks to Netflix, now Palestinian stories and Palestinian life with its beauty and agony will be shown all around the world,"" al Imam said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-says-top-israeli-diplomats-trip-bahrain-stains-its-rulers-2021-10-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran says top Israeli diplomat's trip to Bahrain 'stains' its rulers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 1 (Reuters) - Iran said on Friday that a visit by Israel's foreign minister to Bahrain this week to mark the establishment of relations left a stain on the Gulf Arab state's rulers that ""will not be erased"".
+Bahrain and Gulf neighbour United Arab Emirates normalised ties with Israel last year in a U.S.-brokered deal known as the Abraham Accords that built on common commercial interests and worries about Iran. Sudan and Morocco followed suit.
+Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa on Thursday. To signal cause against Iran, Lapid toured Bahrain's headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, which has faced off with Iranian vessels in recent years.
+“We condemn any scheme that bolsters Israel’s destructive presence in the region,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.
+“It is unfortunate that Bahrain’s rulers ignore the Zionist regime’s daily crimes against the oppressed but resilient people of Palestine,” Khatibzadeh said, referring to Israel.
+“This stain will not be erased from the reputation of Bahrain’s rulers. The people of the region will continue to oppose the process of normalisation of ties with the Zionist regime.”
+Bahrain, a Sunni Muslim-ruled kingdom, accuses Iran of stoking unrest in Bahrain, a charge that Shi'ite Muslim Tehran denies. The island state, which quashed an uprising led mostly by Shi'ite members of its population in 2011, saw some sporadic acts of protest after the Abraham Accords were signed.
+Palestinians denounced the accords, saying they abandoned a unified position under which Arab states would make peace with Israel only if Israel gave up occupied territory.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran says top Israeli diplomat's trip to Bahrain 'stains' its rulers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 1 (Reuters) - Iran said on Friday that a visit by Israel's foreign minister to Bahrain this week to mark the establishment of relations left a stain on the Gulf Arab state's rulers that ""will not be erased"".  Bahrain and Gulf neighbour United Arab Emirates normalised ties with Israel last year in a U.S.-brokered deal known as the Abraham Accords that built on common commercial interests and worries about Iran. Sudan and Morocco followed suit.  Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa on Thursday. To signal cause against Iran, Lapid toured Bahrain's headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, which has faced off with Iranian vessels in recent years. “We condemn any scheme that bolsters Israel’s destructive presence in the region,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.
+“It is unfortunate that Bahrain’s rulers ignore the Zionist regime’s daily crimes against the oppressed but resilient people of Palestine,” Khatibzadeh said, referring to Israel.  “This stain will not be erased from the reputation of Bahrain’s rulers. The people of the region will continue to oppose the process of normalisation of ties with the Zionist regime.”  Bahrain, a Sunni Muslim-ruled kingdom, accuses Iran of stoking unrest in Bahrain, a charge that Shi'ite Muslim Tehran denies. The island state, which quashed an uprising led mostly by Shi'ite members of its population in 2011, saw some sporadic acts of protest after the Abraham Accords were signed. Palestinians denounced the accords, saying they abandoned a unified position under which Arab states would make peace with Israel only if Israel gave up occupied territory.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-israeli-pm-bennett-says-iran-has-crossed-nuclear-red-lines-2021-09-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli PM says Iran has crossed nuclear 'red lines'; Tehran calls it 'full of lies'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday that Iran had crossed ""all red lines"" in its nuclear program and vowed that Israel would not allow Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
+In his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Bennett said Iran sought to dominate the Middle East under a ""nuclear umbrella"" and urged a more concerted international effort to halt Iran's nuclear activities.
+But he also hinted at the potential for Israel to act on its own against Iran, something it has repeatedly threatened.
+""Iran's nuclear program has hit a watershed moment, and so has our tolerance. Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning,"" Bennett said. ""Israel will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.""
+The U.N. ambassador for Iran, which has denied seeking a nuclear bomb, rejected Bennett's speech as ""full of lies.""
+Bennett, a far-right politician who opposes Palestinian statehood, also drew an angry Palestinian reaction after he failed to mention the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Bennett, who ended Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as prime minister in June, wants U.S. President Joe Biden to harden his stance against Iran, Israel's regional archfoe. He opposes U.S. efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, abandoned in 2018.
+Indirect U.S.-Iran talks in Vienna have stalled as Washington awaits the next move by Iran's new hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi.
+Bennett struck a less combative tone at the United Nations than Netanyahu, who often relied on props to dramatize his accusations against Iran, an approach that critics derided as political stunts.
+But Bennett has been just as adamant as Netanyahu was in pledging to do whatever is necessary to prevent Iran, which Israel views as an existential threat, from building a nuclear weapon.
+""Iran's nuclear weapons program is at a critical point. All red lines have been crossed,"" Bennett said.
+He called for international action. ""If we put our heads to it, if we're serious about stopping it, if we use our resourcefulness, we can prevail,"" Bennett said.
+Biden told Bennett in White House talks in August that he was putting ""diplomacy first"" with Iran but if negotiations fail he would be prepared to turn to other unspecified options. The U.N. atomic watchdog said in an August report that Iran had accelerated enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade. read more
+Bennett also took aim at Raisi, referring to him as the ""butcher of Tehran"" and accusing him of human rights abuses over the years. Raisi, a Shi'ite cleric, is under U.S. sanctions over allegations of rights violations when he was a judge.
+""Iran-phobia runs rampant at UN,"" Iran's U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi posted on Twitter. Israel ""is in no position to discuss our peaceful program when it has hundreds of nuclear warheads,"" he said, referring to Israel's widely believed status as the Middle East's sole nuclear-armed state.
+IGNORES ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
+Bennett made not a single direct mention of the Palestinians in his remarks, except to accuse Iran of backing anti-Israel militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
+Bennett, who sits atop an ideologically diverse coalition, was formerly the leader of the main settler movement in the occupied West Bank.
+""Deliberately omitting a reference to Palestine reflects his fear of it, and once again proves to the international community that he is not and will not be a partner for Palestinians in the peace and negotiation process,"" Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told Reuters.
+Biden, in his U.N. speech last week, declared renewed U.S. support for a two-state solution, after Trump distanced himself from that longstanding tenet of U.S. policy, but said Israel and the Palestinians were a long way from achieving it.
+Biden’s aides are mindful that U.S. pressure for a resumption of long-dormant peace talks could destabilize the fragile Israeli coalition.
+Addressing the General Assembly on Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of destroying the two-state solution with actions he said could lead Palestinians to demand equal rights within one binational state comprising Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. read more
+Bennett focused instead on Israel’s landmark normalization agreements brokered by the Trump administration last year with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. ""More is to come,"" he said.
+Palestinian officials said they felt betrayed by their Arab brethren for reaching deals with Israel without first demanding progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli PM says Iran has crossed nuclear 'red lines'; Tehran calls it 'full of lies'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday that Iran had crossed ""all red lines"" in its nuclear program and vowed that Israel would not allow Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon. In his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Bennett said Iran sought to dominate the Middle East under a ""nuclear umbrella"" and urged a more concerted international effort to halt Iran's nuclear activities.
+But he also hinted at the potential for Israel to act on its own against Iran, something it has repeatedly threatened.  ""Iran's nuclear program has hit a watershed moment, and so has our tolerance. Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning,"" Bennett said. ""Israel will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon."" The U.N. ambassador for Iran, which has denied seeking a nuclear bomb, rejected Bennett's speech as ""full of lies.""
+Bennett, a far-right politician who opposes Palestinian statehood, also drew an angry Palestinian reaction after he failed to mention the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Bennett, who ended Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as prime minister in June, wants U.S. President Joe Biden to harden his stance against Iran, Israel's regional archfoe. He opposes U.S. efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, abandoned in 2018. Indirect U.S.-Iran talks in Vienna have stalled as Washington awaits the next move by Iran's new hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi. Bennett struck a less combative tone at the United Nations than Netanyahu, who often relied on props to dramatize his accusations against Iran, an approach that critics derided as political stunts. But Bennett has been just as adamant as Netanyahu was in pledging to do whatever is necessary to prevent Iran, which Israel views as an existential threat, from building a nuclear weapon.  ""Iran's nuclear weapons program is at a critical point. All red lines have been crossed,"" Bennett said. He called for international action. ""If we put our heads to it, if we're serious about stopping it, if we use our resourcefulness, we can prevail,"" Bennett said.  Biden told Bennett in White House talks in August that he was putting ""diplomacy first"" with Iran but if negotiations fail he would be prepared to turn to other unspecified options. The U.N. atomic watchdog said in an August report that Iran had accelerated enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade. read more "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-israeli-pm-bennett-says-iran-has-crossed-nuclear-red-lines-2021-09-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli PM says Iran has crossed nuclear 'red lines'; Tehran calls it 'full of lies'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday that Iran had crossed ""all red lines"" in its nuclear program and vowed that Israel would not allow Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
+In his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Bennett said Iran sought to dominate the Middle East under a ""nuclear umbrella"" and urged a more concerted international effort to halt Iran's nuclear activities.
+But he also hinted at the potential for Israel to act on its own against Iran, something it has repeatedly threatened.
+""Iran's nuclear program has hit a watershed moment, and so has our tolerance. Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning,"" Bennett said. ""Israel will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.""
+The U.N. ambassador for Iran, which has denied seeking a nuclear bomb, rejected Bennett's speech as ""full of lies.""
+Bennett, a far-right politician who opposes Palestinian statehood, also drew an angry Palestinian reaction after he failed to mention the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Bennett, who ended Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as prime minister in June, wants U.S. President Joe Biden to harden his stance against Iran, Israel's regional archfoe. He opposes U.S. efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, abandoned in 2018.
+Indirect U.S.-Iran talks in Vienna have stalled as Washington awaits the next move by Iran's new hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi.
+Bennett struck a less combative tone at the United Nations than Netanyahu, who often relied on props to dramatize his accusations against Iran, an approach that critics derided as political stunts.
+But Bennett has been just as adamant as Netanyahu was in pledging to do whatever is necessary to prevent Iran, which Israel views as an existential threat, from building a nuclear weapon.
+""Iran's nuclear weapons program is at a critical point. All red lines have been crossed,"" Bennett said.
+He called for international action. ""If we put our heads to it, if we're serious about stopping it, if we use our resourcefulness, we can prevail,"" Bennett said.
+Biden told Bennett in White House talks in August that he was putting ""diplomacy first"" with Iran but if negotiations fail he would be prepared to turn to other unspecified options. The U.N. atomic watchdog said in an August report that Iran had accelerated enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade. read more
+Bennett also took aim at Raisi, referring to him as the ""butcher of Tehran"" and accusing him of human rights abuses over the years. Raisi, a Shi'ite cleric, is under U.S. sanctions over allegations of rights violations when he was a judge.
+""Iran-phobia runs rampant at UN,"" Iran's U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi posted on Twitter. Israel ""is in no position to discuss our peaceful program when it has hundreds of nuclear warheads,"" he said, referring to Israel's widely believed status as the Middle East's sole nuclear-armed state.
+IGNORES ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
+Bennett made not a single direct mention of the Palestinians in his remarks, except to accuse Iran of backing anti-Israel militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
+Bennett, who sits atop an ideologically diverse coalition, was formerly the leader of the main settler movement in the occupied West Bank.
+""Deliberately omitting a reference to Palestine reflects his fear of it, and once again proves to the international community that he is not and will not be a partner for Palestinians in the peace and negotiation process,"" Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told Reuters.
+Biden, in his U.N. speech last week, declared renewed U.S. support for a two-state solution, after Trump distanced himself from that longstanding tenet of U.S. policy, but said Israel and the Palestinians were a long way from achieving it.
+Biden’s aides are mindful that U.S. pressure for a resumption of long-dormant peace talks could destabilize the fragile Israeli coalition.
+Addressing the General Assembly on Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of destroying the two-state solution with actions he said could lead Palestinians to demand equal rights within one binational state comprising Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. read more
+Bennett focused instead on Israel’s landmark normalization agreements brokered by the Trump administration last year with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. ""More is to come,"" he said.
+Palestinian officials said they felt betrayed by their Arab brethren for reaching deals with Israel without first demanding progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Bennett also took aim at Raisi, referring to him as the ""butcher of Tehran"" and accusing him of human rights abuses over the years. Raisi, a Shi'ite cleric, is under U.S. sanctions over allegations of rights violations when he was a judge.  ""Iran-phobia runs rampant at UN,"" Iran's U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi posted on Twitter. Israel ""is in no position to discuss our peaceful program when it has hundreds of nuclear warheads,"" he said, referring to Israel's widely believed status as the Middle East's sole nuclear-armed state. IGNORES ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT Bennett made not a single direct mention of the Palestinians in his remarks, except to accuse Iran of backing anti-Israel militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Bennett, who sits atop an ideologically diverse coalition, was formerly the leader of the main settler movement in the occupied West Bank.
+""Deliberately omitting a reference to Palestine reflects his fear of it, and once again proves to the international community that he is not and will not be a partner for Palestinians in the peace and negotiation process,"" Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told Reuters. Biden, in his U.N. speech last week, declared renewed U.S. support for a two-state solution, after Trump distanced himself from that longstanding tenet of U.S. policy, but said Israel and the Palestinians were a long way from achieving it. Biden’s aides are mindful that U.S. pressure for a resumption of long-dormant peace talks could destabilize the fragile Israeli coalition.  Addressing the General Assembly on Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of destroying the two-state solution with actions he said could lead Palestinians to demand equal rights within one binational state comprising Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. read more  Bennett focused instead on Israel’s landmark normalization agreements brokered by the Trump administration last year with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. ""More is to come,"" he said.  Palestinian officials said they felt betrayed by their Arab brethren for reaching deals with Israel without first demanding progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-4-palestinians-west-bank-raids-palestinian-health-ministry-2021-09-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli troops kill five Hamas gunmen in West Bank raids: military[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed five Hamas militants in gun battles during raids on Sunday against one of the group's cells in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli military spokesperson said.
+Two soldiers - including an officer - were critically wounded in one of the incidents, the spokesperson added.
+The shootouts marked the deadliest violence between Israel and Hamas since an 11-day Gaza war in May and threatened to raise tensions along the Israeli border with the coastal enclave and in the West Bank.
+An uncle of one of the Palestinians killed said he was a 16-year-old walking to school when he was shot.
+A military spokesperson said, ""as far as we are concerned, all those killed were armed Hamas operatives, taking part in firefights"", but added he was checking the relative's information.
+Israeli officials have long voiced concern that Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, intends to gain strength in the West Bank and challenge its rival there, the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), heightening security risks for Israel.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party lost control of Gaza to Hamas in internal fighting in 2007, accused Israel in a statement of ""field executions against our people"".
+
+Hamas called on Palestinians in the West Bank ""to escalate resistance against the occupier in all areas"" after the raids. Hamas said four of its men were killed in the Israeli operation, and did not include the name of the fifth fatality in its list.
+An Israeli military spokesperson said troops carried out five raids in the West Bank ""in order to stop a Hamas terrorist organisation cell from operating"" and launching attacks.
+The Palestinian Health Ministry also said five Palestinians were killed, but it did not specify whether they belonged to Hamas. The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said four other Palestinians were wounded.
+On a flight to New York, where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the Hamas men were ""about to carry out terrorist attacks"".
+He said Israeli forces ""engaged the enemy, and we back them completely"".
+Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza in a 1967 war. It withdrew troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
+The PA, which seeks a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, exercises limited self-rule in the territory under interim peace deals with Israel. Hamas advocates Israel's destruction.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli troops kill five Hamas gunmen in West Bank raids: military[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed five Hamas militants in gun battles during raids on Sunday against one of the group's cells in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli military spokesperson said. Two soldiers - including an officer - were critically wounded in one of the incidents, the spokesperson added. The shootouts marked the deadliest violence between Israel and Hamas since an 11-day Gaza war in May and threatened to raise tensions along the Israeli border with the coastal enclave and in the West Bank. An uncle of one of the Palestinians killed said he was a 16-year-old walking to school when he was shot. A military spokesperson said, ""as far as we are concerned, all those killed were armed Hamas operatives, taking part in firefights"", but added he was checking the relative's information.
+Israeli officials have long voiced concern that Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, intends to gain strength in the West Bank and challenge its rival there, the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), heightening security risks for Israel.  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party lost control of Gaza to Hamas in internal fighting in 2007, accused Israel in a statement of ""field executions against our people"".
+
+Hamas called on Palestinians in the West Bank ""to escalate resistance against the occupier in all areas"" after the raids. Hamas said four of its men were killed in the Israeli operation, and did not include the name of the fifth fatality in its list.  An Israeli military spokesperson said troops carried out five raids in the West Bank ""in order to stop a Hamas terrorist organisation cell from operating"" and launching attacks.
+The Palestinian Health Ministry also said five Palestinians were killed, but it did not specify whether they belonged to Hamas. The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said four other Palestinians were wounded. On a flight to New York, where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the Hamas men were ""about to carry out terrorist attacks"". He said Israeli forces ""engaged the enemy, and we back them completely"".  Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza in a 1967 war. It withdrew troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005. The PA, which seeks a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, exercises limited self-rule in the territory under interim peace deals with Israel. Hamas advocates Israel's destruction.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/abbas-tells-un-israeli-actions-could-lead-one-state-2021-09-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Abbas tells U.N. Israeli actions could lead to 'one state'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel on Friday of destroying the two-state solution with actions he said could lead Palestinians to demand equal rights within one binational state comprising Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
+Addressing the United Nations General Assembly via video link from the West Bank, Abbas urged countries to act to save the two-state formula that for decades has been the bedrock of diplomacy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Abbas said Israel was ""destroying the prospect of a political settlement based on the two-state solution"" through its settlements on West Bank land it captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+Most countries view the settlements as illegal, a position Israel disputes.
+Abbas threatened to rescind the Palestinians' recognition of Israel if it does not withdraw from the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem within a year.
+""If this is not achieved, why maintain recognition of Israel based on the 1967 borders? Why maintain this recognition?"" Abbas asked.
+Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United States, denounced 85-year-old Abbas's comments, accusing the Palestinians of refusing peace with Israel.
+""Abu Mazen’s (Abbas) speech was full of lies,"" he wrote on Twitter. ""Those who truly support peace and negotiations do not threaten delusional ultimatums.""
+In his U.N. address, Abbas accused Israel of imposing apartheid on Palestinians, repeating an accusation that Israel rejects.
+""Circumstances on the ground will inevitably impose equal and full political rights for all on the land of historical Palestine, within one state. In all cases, Israel has to choose,"" Abbas said from Ramallah, the seat of his Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule in the West Bank.
+Critics say internal Palestinian divisions have also contributed to the deadlock in U.S.-sponsored peace talks, which collapsed in 2014.
+Under interim peace accords with Israel, Abbas's Palestinian Authority was meant to exercise control in Gaza as well. But his Islamist rivals Hamas seized the coastal enclave in 2007 and years of on-and-off talks have failed to break their impasse.
+Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a far-rightist who sits atop a cross-partisan coalition, will address the assembly on Monday. He opposes Palestinian statehood but his government has vowed to avoid sensitive decisions towards the Palestinians and instead focus on economic issues.
+While some Palestinians and Israelis support the idea of a single binational state, most have very different ideas of what that entity would look like and how it would be governed.
+Most analysts contend a single state would not be viable, for religious, political and demographic reasons. Israeli governments have viewed a one-state concept as undermining the essence of an independent Jewish state.
+U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated his support for the two-state solution during his own U.N. address on Tuesday, saying it would ensure ""Israel's future as a Jewish, democratic state living in peace alongside a viable and democratic Palestinian state.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Abbas tells U.N. Israeli actions could lead to 'one state'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel on Friday of destroying the two-state solution with actions he said could lead Palestinians to demand equal rights within one binational state comprising Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly via video link from the West Bank, Abbas urged countries to act to save the two-state formula that for decades has been the bedrock of diplomacy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Abbas said Israel was ""destroying the prospect of a political settlement based on the two-state solution"" through its settlements on West Bank land it captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Most countries view the settlements as illegal, a position Israel disputes.  Abbas threatened to rescind the Palestinians' recognition of Israel if it does not withdraw from the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem within a year.
+""If this is not achieved, why maintain recognition of Israel based on the 1967 borders? Why maintain this recognition?"" Abbas asked.  Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United States, denounced 85-year-old Abbas's comments, accusing the Palestinians of refusing peace with Israel.
+"" Abu Mazen’s (Abbas) speech was full of lies,"" he wrote on Twitter. ""Those who truly support peace and negotiations do not threaten delusional ultimatums.""  In his U.N. address, Abbas accused Israel of imposing apartheid on Palestinians, repeating an accusation that Israel rejects.
+""Circumstances on the ground will inevitably impose equal and full political rights for all on the land of historical Palestine, within one state. In all cases, Israel has to choose,"" Abbas said from Ramallah, the seat of his Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule in the West Bank. Critics say internal Palestinian divisions have also contributed to the deadlock in U.S.-sponsored peace talks, which collapsed in 2014.  Under interim peace accords with Israel, Abbas's Palestinian Authority was meant to exercise control in Gaza as well. But his Islamist rivals Hamas seized the coastal enclave in 2007 and years of on-and-off talks have failed to break their impasse.  Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a far-rightist who sits atop a cross-partisan coalition, will address the assembly on Monday. He opposes Palestinian statehood but his government has vowed to avoid sensitive decisions towards the Palestinians and instead focus on economic issues."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/abbas-tells-un-israeli-actions-could-lead-one-state-2021-09-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Abbas tells U.N. Israeli actions could lead to 'one state'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel on Friday of destroying the two-state solution with actions he said could lead Palestinians to demand equal rights within one binational state comprising Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
+Addressing the United Nations General Assembly via video link from the West Bank, Abbas urged countries to act to save the two-state formula that for decades has been the bedrock of diplomacy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Abbas said Israel was ""destroying the prospect of a political settlement based on the two-state solution"" through its settlements on West Bank land it captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+Most countries view the settlements as illegal, a position Israel disputes.
+Abbas threatened to rescind the Palestinians' recognition of Israel if it does not withdraw from the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem within a year.
+""If this is not achieved, why maintain recognition of Israel based on the 1967 borders? Why maintain this recognition?"" Abbas asked.
+Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United States, denounced 85-year-old Abbas's comments, accusing the Palestinians of refusing peace with Israel.
+""Abu Mazen’s (Abbas) speech was full of lies,"" he wrote on Twitter. ""Those who truly support peace and negotiations do not threaten delusional ultimatums.""
+In his U.N. address, Abbas accused Israel of imposing apartheid on Palestinians, repeating an accusation that Israel rejects.
+""Circumstances on the ground will inevitably impose equal and full political rights for all on the land of historical Palestine, within one state. In all cases, Israel has to choose,"" Abbas said from Ramallah, the seat of his Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule in the West Bank.
+Critics say internal Palestinian divisions have also contributed to the deadlock in U.S.-sponsored peace talks, which collapsed in 2014.
+Under interim peace accords with Israel, Abbas's Palestinian Authority was meant to exercise control in Gaza as well. But his Islamist rivals Hamas seized the coastal enclave in 2007 and years of on-and-off talks have failed to break their impasse.
+Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a far-rightist who sits atop a cross-partisan coalition, will address the assembly on Monday. He opposes Palestinian statehood but his government has vowed to avoid sensitive decisions towards the Palestinians and instead focus on economic issues.
+While some Palestinians and Israelis support the idea of a single binational state, most have very different ideas of what that entity would look like and how it would be governed.
+Most analysts contend a single state would not be viable, for religious, political and demographic reasons. Israeli governments have viewed a one-state concept as undermining the essence of an independent Jewish state.
+U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated his support for the two-state solution during his own U.N. address on Tuesday, saying it would ensure ""Israel's future as a Jewish, democratic state living in peace alongside a viable and democratic Palestinian state.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","While some Palestinians and Israelis support the idea of a single binational state, most have very different ideas of what that entity would look like and how it would be governed.  Most analysts contend a single state would not be viable, for religious, political and demographic reasons. Israeli governments have viewed a one-state concept as undermining the essence of an independent Jewish state. U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated his support for the two-state solution during his own U.N. address on Tuesday, saying it would ensure ""Israel's future as a Jewish, democratic state living in peace alongside a viable and democratic Palestinian state.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-plan-reopen-jerusalem-consulate-palestinians-bad-idea-israeli-fm-says-2021-09-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel opposes Biden plan to reopen U.S. Palestinian mission in Jerusalem[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Israel said on Wednesday that a U.S. plan to reopen its consulate in Jerusalem that has traditionally been a base for diplomatic outreach to Palestinians is a ""bad idea"" and could destabilise Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's new government.
+The prior administration of President Donald Trump signalled support for Israel's claim on Jerusalem as its capital by moving the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv. It later subsumed the consulate, in west Jerusalem, in that mission.
+It was among several moves that incensed the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as capital of a hoped-for, future state.
+President Joe Biden has pledged to restore ties with the Palestinians, back a two-state solution and move forward with reopening the consulate. It has been closed since 2019, with Palestinian affairs handled by the embassy.
+""We think it's a bad idea,"" Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told a news conference when asked about the reopening. ""Jerusalem is the sovereign capital of Israel and Israel alone, and therefore we don't think it's a good idea.
+""We know that the (Biden) administration has a different way of looking at this, but since it is happening in Israel, we are sure they are listening to us very carefully.""
+Wasel Abu Youssef, a senior Palestine Liberation Organization official, told Reuters that the Israeli rejection of the consulate's opening was expected, adding: ""They are trying to maintain the status quo and block any political solution"".
+Asked about Lapid's remarks, a U.S. Embassy spokesperson said: ""As Secretary Blinken announced in May, the United States will be moving forward with the process to reopen our consulate in Jerusalem. We do not have additional information to share at this time.""
+The spokesperson said the United States was not reversing its decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem nor its recognition of the city as Israel's capital.
+Israel captured the city's east, along with the occupied West Bank and Gaza, in the 1967 Middle East war.
+It deems all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital - a status not recognised internationally. In recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017, Trump said he was not taking a position on ""any final-status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem"".
+Bennett, a nationalist atop a cross-partisan coalition, opposes Palestinian statehood. Reopening the consulate could unsettle Bennett's government, which ended long-term premier Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure in June, Lapid said.
+""We have an interesting and yet delicate structure of our government and we think this might destabilise this government and I don't think the American administration wants this to happen,"" he said.
+Divisions among Palestinians also cast doubt about the prospects for diplomacy, Lapid said. ""I am a devoted believer in the two-state solution ... but we'll have to admit the fact this is not feasible in the current situation.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel opposes Biden plan to reopen U.S. Palestinian mission in Jerusalem[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Israel said on Wednesday that a U.S. plan to reopen its consulate in Jerusalem that has traditionally been a base for diplomatic outreach to Palestinians is a ""bad idea"" and could destabilise Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's new government. The prior administration of President Donald Trump signalled support for Israel's claim on Jerusalem as its capital by moving the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv. It later subsumed the consulate, in west Jerusalem, in that mission. It was among several moves that incensed the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as capital of a hoped-for, future state. President Joe Biden has pledged to restore ties with the Palestinians, back a two-state solution and move forward with reopening the consulate. It has been closed since 2019, with Palestinian affairs handled by the embassy.  ""We think it's a bad idea,"" Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told a news conference when asked about the reopening. ""Jerusalem is the sovereign capital of Israel and Israel alone, and therefore we don't think it's a good idea. ""We know that the (Biden) administration has a different way of looking at this, but since it is happening in Israel, we are sure they are listening to us very carefully.""  Wasel Abu Youssef, a senior Palestine Liberation Organization official, told Reuters that the Israeli rejection of the consulate's opening was expected, adding: ""They are trying to maintain the status quo and block any political solution"".
+Asked about Lapid's remarks, a U.S. Embassy spokesperson said: ""As Secretary Blinken announced in May, the United States will be moving forward with the process to reopen our consulate in Jerusalem. We do not have additional information to share at this time."" The spokesperson said the United States was not reversing its decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem nor its recognition of the city as Israel's capital.
+Israel captured the city's east, along with the occupied West Bank and Gaza, in the 1967 Middle East war.  It deems all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital - a status not recognised internationally. In recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017, Trump said he was not taking a position on ""any final-status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem"".  Bennett, a nationalist atop a cross-partisan coalition, opposes Palestinian statehood. Reopening the consulate could unsettle Bennett's government, which ended long-term premier Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure in June, Lapid said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-plan-reopen-jerusalem-consulate-palestinians-bad-idea-israeli-fm-says-2021-09-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel opposes Biden plan to reopen U.S. Palestinian mission in Jerusalem[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Israel said on Wednesday that a U.S. plan to reopen its consulate in Jerusalem that has traditionally been a base for diplomatic outreach to Palestinians is a ""bad idea"" and could destabilise Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's new government.
+The prior administration of President Donald Trump signalled support for Israel's claim on Jerusalem as its capital by moving the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv. It later subsumed the consulate, in west Jerusalem, in that mission.
+It was among several moves that incensed the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as capital of a hoped-for, future state.
+President Joe Biden has pledged to restore ties with the Palestinians, back a two-state solution and move forward with reopening the consulate. It has been closed since 2019, with Palestinian affairs handled by the embassy.
+""We think it's a bad idea,"" Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told a news conference when asked about the reopening. ""Jerusalem is the sovereign capital of Israel and Israel alone, and therefore we don't think it's a good idea.
+""We know that the (Biden) administration has a different way of looking at this, but since it is happening in Israel, we are sure they are listening to us very carefully.""
+Wasel Abu Youssef, a senior Palestine Liberation Organization official, told Reuters that the Israeli rejection of the consulate's opening was expected, adding: ""They are trying to maintain the status quo and block any political solution"".
+Asked about Lapid's remarks, a U.S. Embassy spokesperson said: ""As Secretary Blinken announced in May, the United States will be moving forward with the process to reopen our consulate in Jerusalem. We do not have additional information to share at this time.""
+The spokesperson said the United States was not reversing its decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem nor its recognition of the city as Israel's capital.
+Israel captured the city's east, along with the occupied West Bank and Gaza, in the 1967 Middle East war.
+It deems all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital - a status not recognised internationally. In recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017, Trump said he was not taking a position on ""any final-status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem"".
+Bennett, a nationalist atop a cross-partisan coalition, opposes Palestinian statehood. Reopening the consulate could unsettle Bennett's government, which ended long-term premier Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure in June, Lapid said.
+""We have an interesting and yet delicate structure of our government and we think this might destabilise this government and I don't think the American administration wants this to happen,"" he said.
+Divisions among Palestinians also cast doubt about the prospects for diplomacy, Lapid said. ""I am a devoted believer in the two-state solution ... but we'll have to admit the fact this is not feasible in the current situation.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""We have an interesting and yet delicate structure of our government and we think this might destabilise this government and I don't think the American administration wants this to happen,"" he said. Divisions among Palestinians also cast doubt about the prospects for diplomacy, Lapid said. ""I am a devoted believer in the two-state solution ... but we'll have to admit the fact this is not feasible in the current situation.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-4-palestinians-west-bank-clash-palestinian-official-2021-08-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill 4 Palestinians in West Bank clash -Palestinian official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Israeli forces on a raid in the occupied West Bank exchanged fire on Monday with Palestinian gunmen, Israeli police said, while a Palestinian local official said at least four Palestinians were killed.
+The incident occurred in the city of Jenin, where, Israeli police said in a statement, special forces disguised as Palestinians came under heavy fire from ""a large number"" of attackers while on a mission to detain a militant.
+""The undercover forces returned fire towards the terrorists and neutralised them,"" the police said.
+On Voice of Palestine radio, Jenin's governor said at least four Palestinians were killed. Israeli police said there were no Israeli casualties.
+Israel captured the West Bank in a 1967 Middle East war, and Palestinians seek the territory as well as the Gaza Strip for a future state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
+The Palestinian Authority, set up under interim peace accords with Israel in the 1990s, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, but Israeli forces are dominant in the area, where they often carry out raids to detain suspected militants.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill 4 Palestinians in West Bank clash -Palestinian official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Israeli forces on a raid in the occupied West Bank exchanged fire on Monday with Palestinian gunmen, Israeli police said, while a Palestinian local official said at least four Palestinians were killed. The incident occurred in the city of Jenin, where, Israeli police said in a statement, special forces disguised as Palestinians came under heavy fire from ""a large number"" of attackers while on a mission to detain a militant. ""The undercover forces returned fire towards the terrorists and neutralised them,"" the police said.  On Voice of Palestine radio, Jenin's governor said at least four Palestinians were killed. Israeli police said there were no Israeli casualties. Israel captured the West Bank in a 1967 Middle East war, and Palestinians seek the territory as well as the Gaza Strip for a future state with East Jerusalem as its capital.  The Palestinian Authority, set up under interim peace accords with Israel in the 1990s, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, but Israeli forces are dominant in the area, where they often carry out raids to detain suspected militants.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hezbollah-chief-nasrallah-said-group-could-escalate-response-israel-2021-08-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hezbollah chief Nasrallah says group could escalate its response to Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The leader of Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah said on Saturday that his group had chosen to respond to Israeli air strikes on open land, but could escalate its actions in the future.
+No strikes were reported on Saturday, and no casualties have been reported thus far.
+On Friday, Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israeli forces, drawing retaliatory fire from Israel into south Lebanon. read more Both sides targeted open land, indicating that they did not wish to escalate the salvos further.
+In a speech commemorating the end of the 2006 war with Israel, Nasrallah said this week's Israeli air strikes were a ""dangerous development"" that had not been seen in the last 15 years.
+He said the group wanted to show any Israeli air strike would be responded to in ""the appropriate and proportional way"".
+""We chose yesterday open land in the Shebaa Farms area to send a message, and to take a step, and we can later escalate by another step,"" Nasrallah said.
+Nasrallah said that Hezbollah's options included a response on any open land in ""northern occupied Palestine,"" Galilee, or the Golan Heights.
+The exchanges began on Wednesday with a rocket strike on Israel from Lebanon for which no group claimed responsibility. That attack, on which Hezbollah has not commented, drew retaliatory Israeli artillery and air strikes.
+Regional tensions are running high following an alleged Iranian attack on an Israeli-managed oil tanker in the Gulf last week in which two crew members were killed. Tehran denies involvement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hezbollah chief Nasrallah says group could escalate its response to Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The leader of Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah said on Saturday that his group had chosen to respond to Israeli air strikes on open land, but could escalate its actions in the future. No strikes were reported on Saturday, and no casualties have been reported thus far.  On Friday, Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israeli forces, drawing retaliatory fire from Israel into south Lebanon. read more Both sides targeted open land, indicating that they did not wish to escalate the salvos further. In a speech commemorating the end of the 2006 war with Israel, Nasrallah said this week's Israeli air strikes were a ""dangerous development"" that had not been seen in the last 15 years. He said the group wanted to show any Israeli air strike would be responded to in ""the appropriate and proportional way"". ""We chose yesterday open land in the Shebaa Farms area to send a message, and to take a step, and we can later escalate by another step,"" Nasrallah said. Nasrallah said that Hezbollah's options included a response on any open land in ""northern occupied Palestine,"" Galilee, or the Golan Heights.  The exchanges began on Wednesday with a rocket strike on Israel from Lebanon for which no group claimed responsibility. That attack, on which Hezbollah has not commented, drew retaliatory Israeli artillery and air strikes. Regional tensions are running high following an alleged Iranian attack on an Israeli-managed oil tanker in the Gulf last week in which two crew members were killed. Tehran denies involvement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/israeli-troops-shoot-dead-palestinian-west-bank-clash-2021-08-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli troops shoot dead Palestinian in West Bank clash[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian and injured others on Friday during clashes at a protest against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry and medics said.
+The Israeli military said that 700 Palestinians had gathered in the area, south of the Palestinian city of Nablus, burning tyres and throwing rocks and petrol bombs towards troops and border police.
+Israeli forces ""responded with riot dispersal means"", the military said in a statement. ""We are aware of reports that a Palestinian was killed and a number of Palestinians were injured.""
+The man who died had been rushed to a Nablus hospital, later succumbing to his injuries, the Palestinian health ministry said. He was 38 years old, it said.
+The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said that 21 other Palestinians had been shot by Israeli troops, most of them with rubber-tipped bullets. Others were treated for tear gas inhalation, it said in a statement.
+The West Bank is among territories where Palestinians seek statehood. Violence has simmered there since U.S.-sponsored talks between the Palestinians and Israel broke down in 2014.
+Palestinians have staged near-daily protests in Beita, south of Nablus, to voice anger at a nearby Israeli settler outpost, often leading to violent clashes with Israeli troops.
+The settlers agreed to leave the outpost in July under an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, following weeks of demonstrations by Palestinians lighting fires that often engulfed the outpost in smoke. read more
+But some of the outpost's buildings remained, locked and under military guard. Palestinians, who claim the land the outpost is on, have vowed to continue their demonstrations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli troops shoot dead Palestinian in West Bank clash[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian and injured others on Friday during clashes at a protest against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry and medics said. The Israeli military said that 700 Palestinians had gathered in the area, south of the Palestinian city of Nablus, burning tyres and throwing rocks and petrol bombs towards troops and border police. Israeli forces ""responded with riot dispersal means"", the military said in a statement. ""We are aware of reports that a Palestinian was killed and a number of Palestinians were injured.""  The man who died had been rushed to a Nablus hospital, later succumbing to his injuries, the Palestinian health ministry said. He was 38 years old, it said.  The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said that 21 other Palestinians had been shot by Israeli troops, most of them with rubber-tipped bullets. Others were treated for tear gas inhalation, it said in a statement.  The West Bank is among territories where Palestinians seek statehood. Violence has simmered there since U.S.-sponsored talks between the Palestinians and Israel broke down in 2014. Palestinians have staged near-daily protests in Beita, south of Nablus, to voice anger at a nearby Israeli settler outpost, often leading to violent clashes with Israeli troops.  The settlers agreed to leave the outpost in July under an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, following weeks of demonstrations by Palestinians lighting fires that often engulfed the outpost in smoke. read more
+But some of the outpost's buildings remained, locked and under military guard. Palestinians, who claim the land the outpost is on, have vowed to continue their demonstrations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/first-palestinian-weightlifter-olympics-braced-make-history-2021-07-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]First Palestinian weightlifter at Olympics braced to make history[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, July 19 (Reuters) - Gaza weightlifter Mohammad Hamada says he is aiming to rank among the top ten when he makes history as the first Palestinian to compete in the sport at the Olympics that kicks off in Tokyo later this month.
+The 19-year-old left Gaza several weeks ago to ensure he faces no issues travelling to the Games in which he secured his place after having participated in six international qualifying contests since 2019.
+""When I get to Tokyo, I will do the impossible, and I will exert every effort to be distinctive,"" Hamada told Reuters in Doha, in Qatar, where he trains five hours a day.
+""I can't describe my feeling to have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.""
+Last May, he placed seventh in the Asia championship and eighth at the world championship in Uzbekistan for athletes under 20, where he performed a 141 kg snatch and 171 kg clean and jerk - for a total weight of 312 kg in the two lifts.
+""I hope to achieve a new personal record ... and come in the first top 10 places,"" said Hamada, who heads to Japan on July 20, three days before the Games are scheduled to start.
+Entry to and exit from Gaza is controlled by Israel and Egypt, and restrictions have increased since the Islamist group Hamas seized control of the coastal strip since 2007.
+Hamada and his brother, Hussam, who is also the Palestinian national weightlifting team coach, did not want to take any risk and headed to Doha.
+
+""This is the first Palestinian participation in history in weightlifting,"" said Hussam. ""Training is a complicated process, and the athlete being my brother made it easier for me.""
+He said Palestinian athletes suffered from a lack of well-equipped clubs, proper training tools and more international participation in contests outside their territories.
+Palestine has been participating in the Olympic Games since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1996, following the first peace accords with Israel.
+Asad Al-Majdalawi, deputy chairman of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, said Hamada's participation was an achievement regardless of whether he won a medal.
+""It is a legendary event to have Mohammad Hamada, a young, ambitious champion from Palestine, from Gaza, that witnessed wars and blockades, in Tokyo waving the Palestinian flag and competing against world champions,"" he said.
+Majdalawi said four other Palestinian athletes from Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem would compete in the Games.
+""We are looking forward to writing a Palestinian record in the Olympic contests, regardless of what that record would be,"" he told Reuters.
+At Hamada's home in Gaza City, his parents proudly displayed several gold, silver and bronze medals.
+""Mohammad achieved our dream, a dream we had waited for long,"" said his father, Khamees. ""I am relieved... I am proud of Mohammad and Hussam. We made it to Tokyo.""
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]First Palestinian weightlifter at Olympics braced to make history[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, July 19 (Reuters) - Gaza weightlifter Mohammad Hamada says he is aiming to rank among the top ten when he makes history as the first Palestinian to compete in the sport at the Olympics that kicks off in Tokyo later this month. The 19-year-old left Gaza several weeks ago to ensure he faces no issues travelling to the Games in which he secured his place after having participated in six international qualifying contests since 2019.
+""When I get to Tokyo, I will do the impossible, and I will exert every effort to be distinctive,"" Hamada told Reuters in Doha, in Qatar, where he trains five hours a day. ""I can't describe my feeling to have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.""
+Last May, he placed seventh in the Asia championship and eighth at the world championship in Uzbekistan for athletes under 20, where he performed a 141 kg snatch and 171 kg clean and jerk - for a total weight of 312 kg in the two lifts.
+""I hope to achieve a new personal record ... and come in the first top 10 places,"" said Hamada, who heads to Japan on July 20, three days before the Games are scheduled to start. Entry to and exit from Gaza is controlled by Israel and Egypt, and restrictions have increased since the Islamist group Hamas seized control of the coastal strip since 2007.  Hamada and his brother, Hussam, who is also the Palestinian national weightlifting team coach, did not want to take any risk and headed to Doha.
+
+""This is the first Palestinian participation in history in weightlifting,"" said Hussam. ""Training is a complicated process, and the athlete being my brother made it easier for me."" He said Palestinian athletes suffered from a lack of well-equipped clubs, proper training tools and more international participation in contests outside their territories. Palestine has been participating in the Olympic Games since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1996, following the first peace accords with Israel. Asad Al-Majdalawi, deputy chairman of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, said Hamada's participation was an achievement regardless of whether he won a medal. ""It is a legendary event to have Mohammad Hamada, a young, ambitious champion from Palestine, from Gaza, that witnessed wars and blockades, in Tokyo waving the Palestinian flag and competing against world champions,"" he said."
+https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/first-palestinian-weightlifter-olympics-braced-make-history-2021-07-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]First Palestinian weightlifter at Olympics braced to make history[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, July 19 (Reuters) - Gaza weightlifter Mohammad Hamada says he is aiming to rank among the top ten when he makes history as the first Palestinian to compete in the sport at the Olympics that kicks off in Tokyo later this month.
+The 19-year-old left Gaza several weeks ago to ensure he faces no issues travelling to the Games in which he secured his place after having participated in six international qualifying contests since 2019.
+""When I get to Tokyo, I will do the impossible, and I will exert every effort to be distinctive,"" Hamada told Reuters in Doha, in Qatar, where he trains five hours a day.
+""I can't describe my feeling to have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.""
+Last May, he placed seventh in the Asia championship and eighth at the world championship in Uzbekistan for athletes under 20, where he performed a 141 kg snatch and 171 kg clean and jerk - for a total weight of 312 kg in the two lifts.
+""I hope to achieve a new personal record ... and come in the first top 10 places,"" said Hamada, who heads to Japan on July 20, three days before the Games are scheduled to start.
+Entry to and exit from Gaza is controlled by Israel and Egypt, and restrictions have increased since the Islamist group Hamas seized control of the coastal strip since 2007.
+Hamada and his brother, Hussam, who is also the Palestinian national weightlifting team coach, did not want to take any risk and headed to Doha.
+
+""This is the first Palestinian participation in history in weightlifting,"" said Hussam. ""Training is a complicated process, and the athlete being my brother made it easier for me.""
+He said Palestinian athletes suffered from a lack of well-equipped clubs, proper training tools and more international participation in contests outside their territories.
+Palestine has been participating in the Olympic Games since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1996, following the first peace accords with Israel.
+Asad Al-Majdalawi, deputy chairman of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, said Hamada's participation was an achievement regardless of whether he won a medal.
+""It is a legendary event to have Mohammad Hamada, a young, ambitious champion from Palestine, from Gaza, that witnessed wars and blockades, in Tokyo waving the Palestinian flag and competing against world champions,"" he said.
+Majdalawi said four other Palestinian athletes from Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem would compete in the Games.
+""We are looking forward to writing a Palestinian record in the Olympic contests, regardless of what that record would be,"" he told Reuters.
+At Hamada's home in Gaza City, his parents proudly displayed several gold, silver and bronze medals.
+""Mohammad achieved our dream, a dream we had waited for long,"" said his father, Khamees. ""I am relieved... I am proud of Mohammad and Hussam. We made it to Tokyo.""
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Majdalawi said four other Palestinian athletes from Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem would compete in the Games.
+""We are looking forward to writing a Palestinian record in the Olympic contests, regardless of what that record would be,"" he told Reuters. At Hamada's home in Gaza City, his parents proudly displayed several gold, silver and bronze medals.  ""Mohammad achieved our dream, a dream we had waited for long,"" said his father, Khamees. ""I am relieved... I am proud of Mohammad and Hussam. We made it to Tokyo.""
[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/ben-jerrys-end-ice-cream-sales-occupied-palestinian-territories-2021-07-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ben & Jerry's to end ice-cream sales in occupied Palestinian territories[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]July 19 (Reuters) - American ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry's on Monday said it would stop marketing its products in the occupied Palestinian territories, bowing to Palestinian pressure campaigns and saying that selling there was ""inconsistent"" with company values.
+The South Burlington, Vermont-based company, which is owned by Britain's Unilever Plc (ULVR.L), opens new tab, has come under pressure from pro-Palestinian groups over its business in Israel and Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which is handled through a licensee partner since 1987.
+Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose party favors Jewish settlements in the West Bank, said Ben & Jerry's was making a ""morally wrong"" decision.
+More than 440,000 Israeli settlers live uneasily among some 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank, land that Israel captured and occupied in a 1967 war but which Palestinians say is the heartland of a future state.
+Most countries consider Israeli settlements on Palestinian land to be illegal. Israel disputes this.
+On Monday, Ben & Jerry's said it would not renew its license agreement with its Israeli partner when it expires at the end of next year. It will, however, stay in Israel under a different arrangement, without sales in the Palestinian territories.
+Unilever, in a separate statement, said it remains ""fully committed"" to its presence in Israel. It said it has always recognized Ben & Jerry's right ""to take decisions about its social mission"".
+""We also welcome the fact that Ben & Jerry's will stay in Israel,"" Unilever said.
+Ben & Jerry's operates a manufacturing facility and two scoop shops in Israel, which it describes on its website, opens new tab as being located ""outside the occupied territories, just south of Tel Aviv.""
+""We welcome the decision of any company to stop its work and investments in Israeli settlements,"" Wasel Abu Youssef, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
+Israel's Bennett said: ""There are many ice cream brands, but only one Jewish state.""
+""The boycott against Israel – a democracy surrounded by islands of terrorism – reflects a total loss of way. The boycott does not work and will not work, and we will fight it with full force,"" he said.
+The Israeli boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) welcomed the move as ""a decisive step towards ending the company’s complicity in Israel’s occupation and violations of Palestinian rights.""
+""Ben & Jerry’s, a leading socially responsible international company, is finally bringing its policy on Israel’s regime of oppression against Palestinians in line with its progressive positions on Black Lives Matter and other justice struggles,"" it said.
+Israel has said the BDS movement is motivated by a desire to paint Israel as illegitimate.
+""Over 30 states in the United States have passed anti-BDS legislation in recent years. I plan on asking each of them to enforce these laws against Ben & Jerry's,"" said Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.
+Vermonters for Justice in Palestine said in a provisional statement the move still ""fail(ed) to address the widespread anger at the actions of the Israeli government against Palestinian people who live in occupied territory"" and that ""Ben & Jerry's should completely disengage from Israel.""
+Ben & Jerry's was acquired by Unilever in 2000 in a unique deal that allows it to operate with more autonomy than other subsidiaries.
+It is well known for its commitment to social justice, opens new tab that has recently included strongly supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ+ rights and electoral campaign finance reform.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ben & Jerry's to end ice-cream sales in occupied Palestinian territories[/TITLE] [CONTENT]July 19 (Reuters) - American ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry's on Monday said it would stop marketing its products in the occupied Palestinian territories, bowing to Palestinian pressure campaigns and saying that selling there was ""inconsistent"" with company values. The South Burlington, Vermont-based company, which is owned by Britain's Unilever Plc (ULVR.L), opens new tab, has come under pressure from pro-Palestinian groups over its business in Israel and Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which is handled through a licensee partner since 1987. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose party favors Jewish settlements in the West Bank, said Ben & Jerry's was making a ""morally wrong"" decision.
+More than 440,000 Israeli settlers live uneasily among some 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank, land that Israel captured and occupied in a 1967 war but which Palestinians say is the heartland of a future state.
+Most countries consider Israeli settlements on Palestinian land to be illegal. Israel disputes this.  On Monday, Ben & Jerry's said it would not renew its license agreement with its Israeli partner when it expires at the end of next year. It will, however, stay in Israel under a different arrangement, without sales in the Palestinian territories.  Unilever, in a separate statement, said it remains ""fully committed"" to its presence in Israel. It said it has always recognized Ben & Jerry's right ""to take decisions about its social mission"". ""We also welcome the fact that Ben & Jerry's will stay in Israel,"" Unilever said. Ben & Jerry's operates a manufacturing facility and two scoop shops in Israel, which it describes on its website, opens new tab as being located ""outside the occupied territories, just south of Tel Aviv.""
+""We welcome the decision of any company to stop its work and investments in Israeli settlements,"" Wasel Abu Youssef, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization.  Israel's Bennett said: ""There are many ice cream brands, but only one Jewish state.""
+""The boycott against Israel – a democracy surrounded by islands of terrorism – reflects a total loss of way. The boycott does not work and will not work, and we will fight it with full force,"" he said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/ben-jerrys-end-ice-cream-sales-occupied-palestinian-territories-2021-07-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ben & Jerry's to end ice-cream sales in occupied Palestinian territories[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]July 19 (Reuters) - American ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry's on Monday said it would stop marketing its products in the occupied Palestinian territories, bowing to Palestinian pressure campaigns and saying that selling there was ""inconsistent"" with company values.
+The South Burlington, Vermont-based company, which is owned by Britain's Unilever Plc (ULVR.L), opens new tab, has come under pressure from pro-Palestinian groups over its business in Israel and Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which is handled through a licensee partner since 1987.
+Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose party favors Jewish settlements in the West Bank, said Ben & Jerry's was making a ""morally wrong"" decision.
+More than 440,000 Israeli settlers live uneasily among some 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank, land that Israel captured and occupied in a 1967 war but which Palestinians say is the heartland of a future state.
+Most countries consider Israeli settlements on Palestinian land to be illegal. Israel disputes this.
+On Monday, Ben & Jerry's said it would not renew its license agreement with its Israeli partner when it expires at the end of next year. It will, however, stay in Israel under a different arrangement, without sales in the Palestinian territories.
+Unilever, in a separate statement, said it remains ""fully committed"" to its presence in Israel. It said it has always recognized Ben & Jerry's right ""to take decisions about its social mission"".
+""We also welcome the fact that Ben & Jerry's will stay in Israel,"" Unilever said.
+Ben & Jerry's operates a manufacturing facility and two scoop shops in Israel, which it describes on its website, opens new tab as being located ""outside the occupied territories, just south of Tel Aviv.""
+""We welcome the decision of any company to stop its work and investments in Israeli settlements,"" Wasel Abu Youssef, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
+Israel's Bennett said: ""There are many ice cream brands, but only one Jewish state.""
+""The boycott against Israel – a democracy surrounded by islands of terrorism – reflects a total loss of way. The boycott does not work and will not work, and we will fight it with full force,"" he said.
+The Israeli boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) welcomed the move as ""a decisive step towards ending the company’s complicity in Israel’s occupation and violations of Palestinian rights.""
+""Ben & Jerry’s, a leading socially responsible international company, is finally bringing its policy on Israel’s regime of oppression against Palestinians in line with its progressive positions on Black Lives Matter and other justice struggles,"" it said.
+Israel has said the BDS movement is motivated by a desire to paint Israel as illegitimate.
+""Over 30 states in the United States have passed anti-BDS legislation in recent years. I plan on asking each of them to enforce these laws against Ben & Jerry's,"" said Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.
+Vermonters for Justice in Palestine said in a provisional statement the move still ""fail(ed) to address the widespread anger at the actions of the Israeli government against Palestinian people who live in occupied territory"" and that ""Ben & Jerry's should completely disengage from Israel.""
+Ben & Jerry's was acquired by Unilever in 2000 in a unique deal that allows it to operate with more autonomy than other subsidiaries.
+It is well known for its commitment to social justice, opens new tab that has recently included strongly supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ+ rights and electoral campaign finance reform.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Israeli boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) welcomed the move as ""a decisive step towards ending the company’s complicity in Israel’s occupation and violations of Palestinian rights.""
+""Ben & Jerry’s, a leading socially responsible international company, is finally bringing its policy on Israel’s regime of oppression against Palestinians in line with its progressive positions on Black Lives Matter and other justice struggles,"" it said. Israel has said the BDS movement is motivated by a desire to paint Israel as illegitimate.
+""Over 30 states in the United States have passed anti-BDS legislation in recent years. I plan on asking each of them to enforce these laws against Ben & Jerry's,"" said Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. Vermonters for Justice in Palestine said in a provisional statement the move still ""fail(ed) to address the widespread anger at the actions of the Israeli government against Palestinian people who live in occupied territory"" and that ""Ben & Jerry's should completely disengage from Israel.""
+Ben & Jerry's was acquired by Unilever in 2000 in a unique deal that allows it to operate with more autonomy than other subsidiaries.  It is well known for its commitment to social justice, opens new tab that has recently included strongly supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ+ rights and electoral campaign finance reform.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-withhold-180-million-palestinian-funds-over-militant-stipends-2021-07-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel to withhold $180 million in Palestinian funds over militant stipends[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 11 (Reuters) - Israel will withhold $180 million in tax revenue it collect last year on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, or about 7% of the PA's total tax revenue, to offset stipends paid to militants and their families, the Israeli cabinet said on Sunday.
+Under a 2018 law, Israel calculates each year how much it believes the Palestinian Authority has paid in stipends to militants, and deducts that amount from the taxes it has collected on the Palestinians' behalf.
+Taxes collected by Israel form about half of the income of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Israel calls stipends for militants and their families a “pay for slay” policy that encourages violence. Palestinians hail their jailed brethren as heroes in a struggle for an independent state and their families as deserving of support.
+Qadri Abu Baker, head of prisoners affairs in the Palestine Liberation Organization, called the Israeli measure a crime of “terror and piracy.”[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel to withhold $180 million in Palestinian funds over militant stipends[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 11 (Reuters) - Israel will withhold $180 million in tax revenue it collect last year on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, or about 7% of the PA's total tax revenue, to offset stipends paid to militants and their families, the Israeli cabinet said on Sunday.  Under a 2018 law, Israel calculates each year how much it believes the Palestinian Authority has paid in stipends to militants, and deducts that amount from the taxes it has collected on the Palestinians' behalf.
+Taxes collected by Israel form about half of the income of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Israel calls stipends for militants and their families a “pay for slay” policy that encourages violence. Palestinians hail their jailed brethren as heroes in a struggle for an independent state and their families as deserving of support.  Qadri Abu Baker, head of prisoners affairs in the Palestine Liberation Organization, called the Israeli measure a crime of “terror and piracy.”[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/ahmed-jibril-founder-pro-syrian-palestinian-guerrilla-group-buried-damascus-2021-07-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ahmed Jibril, founder of pro-Syrian Palestinian guerrilla group, buried in Damascus[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAMASCUS, July 9 (Reuters) - Palestinians turned out in Damascus on Friday to mourn Ahmed Jibril, whose Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command fought Israel in the 1970s and 1980s and backed Syria's government in the civil war.
+Relatives and members of factions, some armed and wearing camouflaged uniforms, joined a convoy taking his body to the city's Al-Othman Mosque and then on to the cemetery at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk.
+""Before he died he said that during this long struggle he never sold his principles or gave up and we shouldn't either,"" Khaled Jibril, his son and the group's director of military and security, told Reuters.
+Ahmed Jibril, who died on Wednesday aged 83, founded his PFLP-GC in 1968 after splitting from the PFLP of Palestinian nationalist leader George Habash. read more
+In its early years, the PFLP-GC, designated as a terrorist group by the United States, carried out dozens of attacks in the Middle East and Europe, including airplane bombings, kidnappings and letter bombs.
+Jibril was long at odds with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his successor Mahmoud Abbas over peace accords with Israel.
+Jibril had fought alongside Syrian government troops to retake Yarmouk during Syria's decade-long conflict and was criticised by some Palestinians for aligning his group behind President Bashar al-Assad's forces throughout the war.
+His funeral was attended by the Iranian ambassador in Damascus, leaders of Palestinian factions in Syria and top officials from Syria's ruling party.
+Jibril's youngest son, Mohamed Bader, led the prayers over the coffin which was draped with the Palestinian flag.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ahmed Jibril, founder of pro-Syrian Palestinian guerrilla group, buried in Damascus[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAMASCUS, July 9 (Reuters) - Palestinians turned out in Damascus on Friday to mourn Ahmed Jibril, whose Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command fought Israel in the 1970s and 1980s and backed Syria's government in the civil war. Relatives and members of factions, some armed and wearing camouflaged uniforms, joined a convoy taking his body to the city's Al-Othman Mosque and then on to the cemetery at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk. ""Before he died he said that during this long struggle he never sold his principles or gave up and we shouldn't either,"" Khaled Jibril, his son and the group's director of military and security, told Reuters.  Ahmed Jibril, who died on Wednesday aged 83, founded his PFLP-GC in 1968 after splitting from the PFLP of Palestinian nationalist leader George Habash. read more In its early years, the PFLP-GC, designated as a terrorist group by the United States, carried out dozens of attacks in the Middle East and Europe, including airplane bombings, kidnappings and letter bombs. Jibril was long at odds with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his successor Mahmoud Abbas over peace accords with Israel. Jibril had fought alongside Syrian government troops to retake Yarmouk during Syria's decade-long conflict and was criticised by some Palestinians for aligning his group behind President Bashar al-Assad's forces throughout the war. His funeral was attended by the Iranian ambassador in Damascus, leaders of Palestinian factions in Syria and top officials from Syria's ruling party.  Jibril's youngest son, Mohamed Bader, led the prayers over the coffin which was draped with the Palestinian flag.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/ahmed-jibril-founder-pro-syrian-palestinian-guerrilla-faction-dies-83-2021-07-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ahmed Jibril, founder of pro-Syrian Palestinian guerrilla faction, dies at 83[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, July 7 (Reuters) - Ahmed Jibril, whose Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command was one of the main guerrilla groups fighting against Israel in the 1970s and 1980s and more recently backed Syria's government in civil war, died in Damascus on Wednesday. He was 83.
+""He has dedicated his life to serving Palestine and the front and stayed the course until his death,"" the PFLP-GC, which is designated as a terrorist group by Washington, said in a statement mourning its leader.
+Jibril founded his PFLP-GC in 1968, after splitting from the PFLP of Palestinian nationalist leader George Habash.
+In its early years the group carried out dozens of attacks in the Middle East and Europe, including airplane bombings, kidnappings and letter bombs. According to Israel's International Insitute for Counter-Terrorism, these included the 1970 bombing of a Swiss airliner in mid-air, killing all 47 passengers and crew, and a 1972 attempt to blow up an El Al plane using a booby-trapped record player.
+It was also one of the first groups to use suicide squads. In 1974, three members attacked the town of Kiryat Shemona in northern Israel, killing 18 hostages before they were killed by Israeli troops. In November 1987 it used motorised hang-gliders to fly two guerrillas across the border from Lebanon, killing six Israeli soldiers.
+Jibril was later at odds with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his successor Mahmoud Abbas over their peace accords with Israel and the way the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) was led.
+A prisoner swap Jibril negotiated with Israel in 1985 won him fame among Palestinians at the time. The deal saw the release of more than 1,000 prisoners, including long-serving Palestinian detainees, in return for the release of three Israeli soldiers. Among those released was Hamas co-founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
+For decades he took the side of Syria's government, and was criticized by some Palestinians for aligning his group behind President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the civil war there over the past decade. PFLP-GC fighters fought alongside Syrian troops in battles to retake Yarmouk camp, a district in Damascus that is home to the largest concentration of Palestinians in Syria.
+The group, which has close ties to the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group that mourned him on Wednesday, has a small presence in Lebanon's refugee camps.
+Jibril lost his son in a car bomb in Lebanon in 2002. He had relocated to Syria from Lebanon in the early 1990s.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ahmed Jibril, founder of pro-Syrian Palestinian guerrilla faction, dies at 83[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, July 7 (Reuters) - Ahmed Jibril, whose Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command was one of the main guerrilla groups fighting against Israel in the 1970s and 1980s and more recently backed Syria's government in civil war, died in Damascus on Wednesday. He was 83. ""He has dedicated his life to serving Palestine and the front and stayed the course until his death,"" the PFLP-GC, which is designated as a terrorist group by Washington, said in a statement mourning its leader.
+Jibril founded his PFLP-GC in 1968, after splitting from the PFLP of Palestinian nationalist leader George Habash.  In its early years the group carried out dozens of attacks in the Middle East and Europe, including airplane bombings, kidnappings and letter bombs. According to Israel's International Insitute for Counter-Terrorism, these included the 1970 bombing of a Swiss airliner in mid-air, killing all 47 passengers and crew, and a 1972 attempt to blow up an El Al plane using a booby-trapped record player.  It was also one of the first groups to use suicide squads. In 1974, three members attacked the town of Kiryat Shemona in northern Israel, killing 18 hostages before they were killed by Israeli troops. In November 1987 it used motorised hang-gliders to fly two guerrillas across the border from Lebanon, killing six Israeli soldiers. Jibril was later at odds with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his successor Mahmoud Abbas over their peace accords with Israel and the way the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) was led.  A prisoner swap Jibril negotiated with Israel in 1985 won him fame among Palestinians at the time. The deal saw the release of more than 1,000 prisoners, including long-serving Palestinian detainees, in return for the release of three Israeli soldiers. Among those released was Hamas co-founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.  For decades he took the side of Syria's government, and was criticized by some Palestinians for aligning his group behind President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the civil war there over the past decade. PFLP-GC fighters fought alongside Syrian troops in battles to retake Yarmouk camp, a district in Damascus that is home to the largest concentration of Palestinians in Syria. The group, which has close ties to the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group that mourned him on Wednesday, has a small presence in Lebanon's refugee camps.  Jibril lost his son in a car bomb in Lebanon in 2002. He had relocated to Syria from Lebanon in the early 1990s.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/nordic-fund-klp-excludes-16-companies-over-links-israeli-settlements-west-bank-2021-07-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Nordic fund KLP excludes 16 companies over links to Israeli settlements in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OSLO, July 5 (Reuters) - Norway's largest pension fund KLP said on Monday it would no longer invest in 16 companies including Alstom (ALSO.PA), opens new tab and Motorola (MSI.N), opens new tab because of their links to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
+Along with a number of other countries, Norway considers the settlements a breach of international law. Israel disputes this and cites Biblical and historical ties to the land, as well as security needs.
+A 2020 United Nations report said it had found 112 companies that have operations linked to the West Bank, captured by Israel in a 1967 war and now home to around 450,000 Israelis and 3 million Palestinians.
+The companies, which span telecoms, banking, energy and construction, all help facilitate Israel's presence and therefore risk being complicit in breaches of international law, and against KLP's ethical guidelines, it said in a statement.
+""In KLP's assessment, there is an unacceptable risk that the excluded companies are contributing to the abuse of human rights in situations of war and conflict through their links with the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank,"" KLP said.
+The move by KLP follows a decision by Norway's sovereign wealth fund in May to exclude two companies linked to construction and real estate in the Palestinian territories. read more
+KLP, which had $70 billion worth of assets under management at the end of the first quarter, said it had sold shares in the companies worth 275 million crowns ($31.81 million) and as of June had completed the process. In Motorola and Alstom, it had also sold its bond holdings.
+Selling Motorola Solutions was ""a very straightforward decision"" as its video security and software was used in border surveillance.
+Alstom did not reply to a request for comment. Motorola, with headquarters in Chicago, did not reply to a request for comment sent outside of U.S. office hours.
+A senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) welcomed KLP's move.
+""The Norwegian step is significant to stop dealing with companies that support settlements on Palestinian land. We welcome it, and we urge other countries to take similar steps,"" Wasel Abu Youssef told Reuters.
+""After the United Nations announced its blacklist of companies that operate in settlements, all countries must either suspend the work of these companies or boycott them.""
+Israeli authorities condemned KLP's action.
+""The decision harms Israelis and Palestinians and does not contribute to the resolution of the conflict,"" an Israeli official said.
+DIVESTMENTS
+Telecoms companies including Bezeq (BEZQ.TA), opens new tab and Cellcom Israel (CEL.TA), opens new tab were removed as the services they provide help make the settlements more attractive residential areas, KLP said, while banks including Leumi (LUMI.TA), opens new tab helped finance the infrastructure.
+In a similar vein, construction and engineering groups such as Alstom and local peers Ashtrom (ASHG.TA), opens new tab and Electra (ELTR.TA), opens new tab were responsible for building the infrastructure, while Paz Oil (PZOL.TA), opens new tab helped power them.
+The other companies to be excluded were: Bank Hapoalim (POLI.TA), opens new tab, Israel Discount Bank (DSCT.TA), opens new tab, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank (MZTF.TA), opens new tab, Delek Group (DLEKG.TA), opens new tab, Energix Renewable Energies (ENRG.TA), opens new tab, First International Bank of Israel (FIBI.TA), opens new tab and Partner Communications (PTNR.TA), opens new tab.
+Energix Renewable Energies told Reuters that, as of today, it had no activity or investments in the West Bank. In March 2021, it agreed to sell its stake in a photovoltaic plant there, and the sale concluded in June, filings to the Tel Aviv stock exchange showed.
+Bezeq, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, Bank Hapoalim and Partner Communications declined to comment. The other companies did not reply to requests for comment.
+Telecoms company Altice, which was listed until January 2021, was also excluded.
+Altice did not reply to a request for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Nordic fund KLP excludes 16 companies over links to Israeli settlements in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OSLO, July 5 (Reuters) - Norway's largest pension fund KLP said on Monday it would no longer invest in 16 companies including Alstom (ALSO.PA), opens new tab and Motorola (MSI.N), opens new tab because of their links to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank .  Along with a number of other countries, Norway considers the settlements a breach of international law. Israel disputes this and cites Biblical and historical ties to the land, as well as security needs. A 2020 United Nations report said it had found 112 companies that have operations linked to the West Bank, captured by Israel in a 1967 war and now home to around 450,000 Israelis and 3 million Palestinians. The companies, which span telecoms, banking, energy and construction, all help facilitate Israel's presence and therefore risk being complicit in breaches of international law, and against KLP's ethical guidelines, it said in a statement.
+""In KLP's assessment, there is an unacceptable risk that the excluded companies are contributing to the abuse of human rights in situations of war and conflict through their links with the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank,"" KLP said.  The move by KLP follows a decision by Norway's sovereign wealth fund in May to exclude two companies linked to construction and real estate in the Palestinian territories. read more  KLP, which had $70 billion worth of assets under management at the end of the first quarter, said it had sold shares in the companies worth 275 million crowns ($31.81 million) and as of June had completed the process. In Motorola and Alstom, it had also sold its bond holdings.  Selling Motorola Solutions was ""a very straightforward decision"" as its video security and software was used in border surveillance.
+Alstom did not reply to a request for comment. Motorola, with headquarters in Chicago, did not reply to a request for comment sent outside of U.S. office hours.  A senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) welcomed KLP's move.
+""The Norwegian step is significant to stop dealing with companies that support settlements on Palestinian land. We welcome it, and we urge other countries to take similar steps,"" Wasel Abu Youssef told Reuters. ""After the United Nations announced its blacklist of companies that operate in settlements, all countries must either suspend the work of these companies or boycott them.""
+Israeli authorities condemned KLP's action."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/nordic-fund-klp-excludes-16-companies-over-links-israeli-settlements-west-bank-2021-07-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Nordic fund KLP excludes 16 companies over links to Israeli settlements in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OSLO, July 5 (Reuters) - Norway's largest pension fund KLP said on Monday it would no longer invest in 16 companies including Alstom (ALSO.PA), opens new tab and Motorola (MSI.N), opens new tab because of their links to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
+Along with a number of other countries, Norway considers the settlements a breach of international law. Israel disputes this and cites Biblical and historical ties to the land, as well as security needs.
+A 2020 United Nations report said it had found 112 companies that have operations linked to the West Bank, captured by Israel in a 1967 war and now home to around 450,000 Israelis and 3 million Palestinians.
+The companies, which span telecoms, banking, energy and construction, all help facilitate Israel's presence and therefore risk being complicit in breaches of international law, and against KLP's ethical guidelines, it said in a statement.
+""In KLP's assessment, there is an unacceptable risk that the excluded companies are contributing to the abuse of human rights in situations of war and conflict through their links with the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank,"" KLP said.
+The move by KLP follows a decision by Norway's sovereign wealth fund in May to exclude two companies linked to construction and real estate in the Palestinian territories. read more
+KLP, which had $70 billion worth of assets under management at the end of the first quarter, said it had sold shares in the companies worth 275 million crowns ($31.81 million) and as of June had completed the process. In Motorola and Alstom, it had also sold its bond holdings.
+Selling Motorola Solutions was ""a very straightforward decision"" as its video security and software was used in border surveillance.
+Alstom did not reply to a request for comment. Motorola, with headquarters in Chicago, did not reply to a request for comment sent outside of U.S. office hours.
+A senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) welcomed KLP's move.
+""The Norwegian step is significant to stop dealing with companies that support settlements on Palestinian land. We welcome it, and we urge other countries to take similar steps,"" Wasel Abu Youssef told Reuters.
+""After the United Nations announced its blacklist of companies that operate in settlements, all countries must either suspend the work of these companies or boycott them.""
+Israeli authorities condemned KLP's action.
+""The decision harms Israelis and Palestinians and does not contribute to the resolution of the conflict,"" an Israeli official said.
+DIVESTMENTS
+Telecoms companies including Bezeq (BEZQ.TA), opens new tab and Cellcom Israel (CEL.TA), opens new tab were removed as the services they provide help make the settlements more attractive residential areas, KLP said, while banks including Leumi (LUMI.TA), opens new tab helped finance the infrastructure.
+In a similar vein, construction and engineering groups such as Alstom and local peers Ashtrom (ASHG.TA), opens new tab and Electra (ELTR.TA), opens new tab were responsible for building the infrastructure, while Paz Oil (PZOL.TA), opens new tab helped power them.
+The other companies to be excluded were: Bank Hapoalim (POLI.TA), opens new tab, Israel Discount Bank (DSCT.TA), opens new tab, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank (MZTF.TA), opens new tab, Delek Group (DLEKG.TA), opens new tab, Energix Renewable Energies (ENRG.TA), opens new tab, First International Bank of Israel (FIBI.TA), opens new tab and Partner Communications (PTNR.TA), opens new tab.
+Energix Renewable Energies told Reuters that, as of today, it had no activity or investments in the West Bank. In March 2021, it agreed to sell its stake in a photovoltaic plant there, and the sale concluded in June, filings to the Tel Aviv stock exchange showed.
+Bezeq, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, Bank Hapoalim and Partner Communications declined to comment. The other companies did not reply to requests for comment.
+Telecoms company Altice, which was listed until January 2021, was also excluded.
+Altice did not reply to a request for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""The decision harms Israelis and Palestinians and does not contribute to the resolution of the conflict,"" an Israeli official said.  DIVESTMENTS
+Telecoms companies including Bezeq (BEZQ.TA), opens new tab and Cellcom Israel (CEL.TA), opens new tab were removed as the services they provide help make the settlements more attractive residential areas, KLP said, while banks including Leumi (LUMI.TA), opens new tab helped finance the infrastructure . In a similar vein, construction and engineering groups such as Alstom and local peers Ashtrom (ASHG.TA), opens new tab and Electra (ELTR.TA), opens new tab were responsible for building the infrastructure, while Paz Oil (PZOL.TA), opens new tab helped power them. The other companies to be excluded were: Bank Hapoalim (POLI.TA), opens new tab, Israel Discount Bank (DSCT.TA), opens new tab, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank (MZTF.TA), opens new tab, Delek Group (DLEKG.TA), opens new tab, Energix Renewable Energies (ENRG.TA), opens new tab, First International Bank of Israel (FIBI.TA), opens new tab and Partner Communications (PTNR.TA), opens new tab. Energix Renewable Energies told Reuters that, as of today, it had no activity or investments in the West Bank. In March 2021, it agreed to sell its stake in a photovoltaic plant there, and the sale concluded in June, filings to the Tel Aviv stock exchange showed.  Bezeq, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, Bank Hapoalim and Partner Communications declined to comment. The other companies did not reply to requests for comment. Telecoms company Altice, which was listed until January 2021, was also excluded. Altice did not reply to a request for comment.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-mourners-call-change-funeral-abbas-critic-2021-06-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian mourners call for change at funeral of Abbas critic[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HEBRON, West Bank, June 25 (Reuters) - Palestinian mourners called on Friday for a change of government as they marched through Hebron for the funeral of one of President Mahmoud Abbas's most prominent critics, who died after being arrested by security forces.
+Thousands of people accompanied Nizar Banat's coffin through the streets of the occupied West Bank city, many of them chanting ""The people want the fall of the regime"" and ""Leave, leave Abbas"".
+Some waved Palestinian flags and others the flag of Hamas, Abbas's Islamist rivals in Gaza. Protesters also gathered in Ramallah and outside East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque.
+Banat's family said Palestinian Authority (PA) forces broke into his house in the city in the early hours of Thursday and hit him repeatedly with a metal rod before arresting him. read more
+He suffered blows to the head, the PA's Independent Commission for Human Rights said after conducting an autopsy. read more
+Abbas' Palestinian Authority said it would hold an inquiry, but has not commented on the accusations. Its governor for Hebron, Jibrin Al-Bakri, said Banat died when his health ""deteriorated"" during his arrest.
+Abbas' popularity has plummeted since the 85-year-old was elected president in 2005, with many Palestinians facing economic hardship and complaining of widespread corruption. He has ruled the PA by decree for over a decade.
+Making its first statement since Banat's death, the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which Abbas chairs, said the PA inquiry would be impartial and that it would announce its findings at the earliest opportunity.
+But the PLO called on Palestinians ""and especially the family of the martyr, Nizar, to assume national responsibility ... and not allow anyone to politicise this issue and divert it from its national, humanitarian and legal track.""
+Banat, 43, was a social activist who had accused Abbas's PA of corruption, including over a short-lived COVID-19 vaccine exchange with Israel this month and Abbas's postponement of a long-delayed election in May.
+Banat had registered as a parliamentary candidate for that contest.
+Human rights groups say Abbas regularly arrests critics. A Human Rights Watch official said Banat's arrest was ""no anomaly"". Abbas denies the accusations.
+The United States, the United Nations and the European Union called on the PA to conduct a ""transparent"" inquiry into Banat's death.
+Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, urged Palestinians to rise up and ""put a final end to the widespread violation by the (PA) against the freedoms and rights of our people"".
+Abbas and the PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, reject accusations they are corrupt and that they arrest people for their political views. They also deny torture.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian mourners call for change at funeral of Abbas critic[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HEBRON, West Bank, June 25 (Reuters) - Palestinian mourners called on Friday for a change of government as they marched through Hebron for the funeral of one of President Mahmoud Abbas's most prominent critics, who died after being arrested by security forces. Thousands of people accompanied Nizar Banat's coffin through the streets of the occupied West Bank city, many of them chanting ""The people want the fall of the regime"" and ""Leave, leave Abbas"".  Some waved Palestinian flags and others the flag of Hamas, Abbas's Islamist rivals in Gaza. Protesters also gathered in Ramallah and outside East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque. Banat's family said Palestinian Authority (PA) forces broke into his house in the city in the early hours of Thursday and hit him repeatedly with a metal rod before arresting him. read more  He suffered blows to the head, the PA's Independent Commission for Human Rights said after conducting an autopsy. read more  Abbas' Palestinian Authority said it would hold an inquiry, but has not commented on the accusations. Its governor for Hebron, Jibrin Al-Bakri, said Banat died when his health ""deteriorated"" during his arrest.  Abbas' popularity has plummeted since the 85-year-old was elected president in 2005, with many Palestinians facing economic hardship and complaining of widespread corruption. He has ruled the PA by decree for over a decade. Making its first statement since Banat's death, the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which Abbas chairs, said the PA inquiry would be impartial and that it would announce its findings at the earliest opportunity. But the PLO called on Palestinians ""and especially the family of the martyr, Nizar, to assume national responsibility ... and not allow anyone to politicise this issue and divert it from its national, humanitarian and legal track.""
+Banat, 43, was a social activist who had accused Abbas's PA of corruption, including over a short-lived COVID-19 vaccine exchange with Israel this month and Abbas's postponement of a long-delayed election in May. Banat had registered as a parliamentary candidate for that contest.  Human rights groups say Abbas regularly arrests critics. A Human Rights Watch official said Banat's arrest was ""no anomaly"". Abbas denies the accusations. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-mourners-call-change-funeral-abbas-critic-2021-06-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian mourners call for change at funeral of Abbas critic[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HEBRON, West Bank, June 25 (Reuters) - Palestinian mourners called on Friday for a change of government as they marched through Hebron for the funeral of one of President Mahmoud Abbas's most prominent critics, who died after being arrested by security forces.
+Thousands of people accompanied Nizar Banat's coffin through the streets of the occupied West Bank city, many of them chanting ""The people want the fall of the regime"" and ""Leave, leave Abbas"".
+Some waved Palestinian flags and others the flag of Hamas, Abbas's Islamist rivals in Gaza. Protesters also gathered in Ramallah and outside East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque.
+Banat's family said Palestinian Authority (PA) forces broke into his house in the city in the early hours of Thursday and hit him repeatedly with a metal rod before arresting him. read more
+He suffered blows to the head, the PA's Independent Commission for Human Rights said after conducting an autopsy. read more
+Abbas' Palestinian Authority said it would hold an inquiry, but has not commented on the accusations. Its governor for Hebron, Jibrin Al-Bakri, said Banat died when his health ""deteriorated"" during his arrest.
+Abbas' popularity has plummeted since the 85-year-old was elected president in 2005, with many Palestinians facing economic hardship and complaining of widespread corruption. He has ruled the PA by decree for over a decade.
+Making its first statement since Banat's death, the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which Abbas chairs, said the PA inquiry would be impartial and that it would announce its findings at the earliest opportunity.
+But the PLO called on Palestinians ""and especially the family of the martyr, Nizar, to assume national responsibility ... and not allow anyone to politicise this issue and divert it from its national, humanitarian and legal track.""
+Banat, 43, was a social activist who had accused Abbas's PA of corruption, including over a short-lived COVID-19 vaccine exchange with Israel this month and Abbas's postponement of a long-delayed election in May.
+Banat had registered as a parliamentary candidate for that contest.
+Human rights groups say Abbas regularly arrests critics. A Human Rights Watch official said Banat's arrest was ""no anomaly"". Abbas denies the accusations.
+The United States, the United Nations and the European Union called on the PA to conduct a ""transparent"" inquiry into Banat's death.
+Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, urged Palestinians to rise up and ""put a final end to the widespread violation by the (PA) against the freedoms and rights of our people"".
+Abbas and the PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, reject accusations they are corrupt and that they arrest people for their political views. They also deny torture.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The United States, the United Nations and the European Union called on the PA to conduct a ""transparent"" inquiry into Banat's death.
+Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, urged Palestinians to rise up and ""put a final end to the widespread violation by the (PA) against the freedoms and rights of our people"".
+Abbas and the PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, reject accusations they are corrupt and that they arrest people for their political views. They also deny torture.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-gives-nod-4427-new-settlement-homes-watchdog-says-2022-05-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel gives nod for 4,427 new settlement homes, watchdog says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 12 (Reuters) - Israel on Thursday approved the building of 4,427 new homes in its settlements on occupied West Bank land where Palestinians seek statehood, a watchdog group said about the plans that have drawn U.S. criticism.
+Peace Now, an anti-settlement group, provided the figure after a meeting of Israel's Higher Planning Council, which convened to ratify the construction. At the meeting, 2,791 homes received final approval and 1,636 received an initial nod, the watchdog said.
+There was no immediate government statement, but responding on Twitter to Peace Now's tally, Israel's nationalist interior minister, Ayelet Shaked, called it ""a festive day for the settlement of Judea and Samaria"" - biblical names for the West Bank.
+Last week, Shaked announced the plan to approve the new homes, and the Biden administration voiced its ""strong"" opposition in response.
+Asked on Thursday about the housing council's decision, a U.S. Embassy spokesperson referred Reuters to remarks made by the State Department after Shaked spoke last week.
+""Israel's programme of expanding settlements deeply damages the prospect for a two-state solution,"" the State Department said on Friday, referring to a vision of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Talks on that goal stalled in 2014.
+In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Bassam al-Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, urged Palestinians to ""step up their struggle in the face of these settlement projects"".
+He also called on the international community ""to take deterrent action against Israel to compel it to stop settlement and its aggression against our Palestinian people"".
+The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, condemned Israel's decision on Thursday, which he described as ""unilateral and provocative"".
+""Continued settlement expansion further entrenches the occupation, encroaches upon Palestinian land and natural resources, and hampers the free movement of the Palestinian population,"" he said.
+Most world powers deem Israel's settlements - on land it captured in a 1967 war - as illegal. Israel disputes this, citing security needs and biblical, historical and political connections to the territory.
+No date was immediately given for construction of the homes that would expand 22 of Israel's 132 government-backed settlements in the West Bank.
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel gives nod for 4,427 new settlement homes, watchdog says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 12 (Reuters) - Israel on Thursday approved the building of 4,427 new homes in its settlements on occupied West Bank land where Palestinians seek statehood, a watchdog group said about the plans that have drawn U.S. criticism.
+Peace Now, an anti-settlement group, provided the figure after a meeting of Israel's Higher Planning Council, which convened to ratify the construction. At the meeting, 2,791 homes received final approval and 1,636 received an initial nod, the watchdog said. There was no immediate government statement, but responding on Twitter to Peace Now's tally, Israel's nationalist interior minister, Ayelet Shaked, called it ""a festive day for the settlement of Judea and Samaria"" - biblical names for the West Bank. Last week, Shaked announced the plan to approve the new homes, and the Biden administration voiced its ""strong"" opposition in response.  Asked on Thursday about the housing council's decision, a U.S. Embassy spokesperson referred Reuters to remarks made by the State Department after Shaked spoke last week.  ""Israel's programme of expanding settlements deeply damages the prospect for a two-state solution,"" the State Department said on Friday, referring to a vision of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Talks on that goal stalled in 2014.  In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Bassam al-Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, urged Palestinians to ""step up their struggle in the face of these settlement projects"".
+He also called on the international community ""to take deterrent action against Israel to compel it to stop settlement and its aggression against our Palestinian people"". The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, condemned Israel's decision on Thursday, which he described as ""unilateral and provocative"". ""Continued settlement expansion further entrenches the occupation, encroaches upon Palestinian land and natural resources, and hampers the free movement of the Palestinian population,"" he said.  Most world powers deem Israel's settlements - on land it captured in a 1967 war - as illegal. Israel disputes this, citing security needs and biblical, historical and political connections to the territory. No date was immediately given for construction of the homes that would expand 22 of Israel's 132 government-backed settlements in the West Bank. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-guards-commander-says-israel-is-creating-conditions-its-own-destruction-2022-04-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's Guards commander says Israel creating conditions for own destruction[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, April 29 (Reuters) - Israel's actions are creating conditions for its own destruction, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander on Friday told a Jerusalem Day rally at which the country’s new domestically-made Kheibar Buster missile was displayed.
+State television said millions of Iranians joined rallies marking Quds Day, the Arabic name for Jerusalem, in state-organised marches across the country.
+It showed the Israeli flag being set on fire and groups of people around the country shouting choreographed “Death to America, Death to Israel” slogans.
+Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech that anti-Israeli protests and attacks showed that Palestinians rejected compromises by Arab authorities with Israel.
+Opposition to Israel is a touchstone of belief for Iran, which backs Palestinian and Lebanese Islamist militant groups opposed to peace with Isreal, which Tehran does not recognise.
+""What has happened in Palestine in recent years annuls all plans for compromise with the Zionist enemy (Israel) because no plan for Palestine can be implemented in the absence or contrary to the opinions of its owners, the Palestinians,"" Khamenei said, speaking in Arabic and addressing Palestinians and other Arabs.
+Thus, Khamenei said, all previous peace agreements -- such as the 1993 Oslo Accords, the two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and former U.S. President Donald Trump's plan dubbed the Deal of the Century ""are null and void"".
+President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s military commanders and senior officials also attended the rallies in which people were allowed to march through the streets, the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago.
+Iran's Jerusalem Day rallies are held annually in support of Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war, on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
+""Stop your vicious deeds. You know well that we are people of action and reaction,” Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, addressing Israel, told demonstrators in Tehran.
+
+""Our responses are painful. You create conditions for your own destruction. We will not leave you alone ...You know better than me what will befall you if you take evil action.”
+Iran's military has vowed to retaliate harshly against any attack by Israel, which has often voiced concern over the Iranian nuclear programme. Tehran says the programme is for peaceful purposes only.
+Israel, whose existence the Islamic Republic does not recognise, has long threatened military action against Iran if talks between Tehran and world powers fail to curb Iranian nuclear activity. Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
+In February, the Islamic Republic unveiled its ""Kheibar Buster"" missile with a range of 1,450 km (900 miles).
+Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East, says its ballistic missiles have a range of up to 2,000 km (1,200 miles) and are capable of reaching its arch-foe Israel and U.S. bases in the region.
+Kheibar refers to an ancient Jewish oasis in the Arabian Peninsula's Hijaz region that was overrun by Muslim warriors in the 7th century.
+Tehran regards its ballistic missile programme as an important deterrent against the United States, Israel and other adversaries, and has rejected Western demands to halt it.
+Over the past year, Iran and the United States have engaged in fitful, indirect talks in Vienna to revive a 2015 nuclear deal that then-President Donald Trump reneged on in 2018 and that Iran, in turn, began violating in 2019.
+Under the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in return for relief from economic sanctions.
+While they appeared close to resurrecting the deal in March, talks stalled over last-minute Russian demands and whether Washington might drop Iran's Revolutionary Guards from its Foreign Terrorist Organization list.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's Guards commander says Israel creating conditions for own destruction[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, April 29 (Reuters) - Israel's actions are creating conditions for its own destruction, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander on Friday told a Jerusalem Day rally at which the country’s new domestically-made Kheibar Buster missile was displayed. State television said millions of Iranians joined rallies marking Quds Day, the Arabic name for Jerusalem, in state-organised marches across the country. It showed the Israeli flag being set on fire and groups of people around the country shouting choreographed “Death to America, Death to Israel” slogans.
+Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech that anti-Israeli protests and attacks showed that Palestinians rejected compromises by Arab authorities with Israel.  Opposition to Israel is a touchstone of belief for Iran, which backs Palestinian and Lebanese Islamist militant groups opposed to peace with Isreal, which Tehran does not recognise.
+""What has happened in Palestine in recent years annuls all plans for compromise with the Zionist enemy (Israel) because no plan for Palestine can be implemented in the absence or contrary to the opinions of its owners, the Palestinians,"" Khamenei said, speaking in Arabic and addressing Palestinians and other Arabs. Thus, Khamenei said, all previous peace agreements -- such as the 1993 Oslo Accords, the two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and former U.S. President Donald Trump's plan dubbed the Deal of the Century ""are null and void"". President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s military commanders and senior officials also attended the rallies in which people were allowed to march through the streets, the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago.  Iran's Jerusalem Day rallies are held annually in support of Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war, on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
+""Stop your vicious deeds. You know well that we are people of action and reaction,” Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, addressing Israel, told demonstrators in Tehran.  ""Our responses are painful. You create conditions for your own destruction. We will not leave you alone ... You know better than me what will befall you if you take evil action.”  Iran's military has vowed to retaliate harshly against any attack by Israel, which has often voiced concern over the Iranian nuclear programme. Tehran says the programme is for peaceful purposes only."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-guards-commander-says-israel-is-creating-conditions-its-own-destruction-2022-04-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's Guards commander says Israel creating conditions for own destruction[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, April 29 (Reuters) - Israel's actions are creating conditions for its own destruction, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander on Friday told a Jerusalem Day rally at which the country’s new domestically-made Kheibar Buster missile was displayed.
+State television said millions of Iranians joined rallies marking Quds Day, the Arabic name for Jerusalem, in state-organised marches across the country.
+It showed the Israeli flag being set on fire and groups of people around the country shouting choreographed “Death to America, Death to Israel” slogans.
+Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech that anti-Israeli protests and attacks showed that Palestinians rejected compromises by Arab authorities with Israel.
+Opposition to Israel is a touchstone of belief for Iran, which backs Palestinian and Lebanese Islamist militant groups opposed to peace with Isreal, which Tehran does not recognise.
+""What has happened in Palestine in recent years annuls all plans for compromise with the Zionist enemy (Israel) because no plan for Palestine can be implemented in the absence or contrary to the opinions of its owners, the Palestinians,"" Khamenei said, speaking in Arabic and addressing Palestinians and other Arabs.
+Thus, Khamenei said, all previous peace agreements -- such as the 1993 Oslo Accords, the two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and former U.S. President Donald Trump's plan dubbed the Deal of the Century ""are null and void"".
+President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s military commanders and senior officials also attended the rallies in which people were allowed to march through the streets, the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago.
+Iran's Jerusalem Day rallies are held annually in support of Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war, on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
+""Stop your vicious deeds. You know well that we are people of action and reaction,” Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, addressing Israel, told demonstrators in Tehran.
+
+""Our responses are painful. You create conditions for your own destruction. We will not leave you alone ...You know better than me what will befall you if you take evil action.”
+Iran's military has vowed to retaliate harshly against any attack by Israel, which has often voiced concern over the Iranian nuclear programme. Tehran says the programme is for peaceful purposes only.
+Israel, whose existence the Islamic Republic does not recognise, has long threatened military action against Iran if talks between Tehran and world powers fail to curb Iranian nuclear activity. Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
+In February, the Islamic Republic unveiled its ""Kheibar Buster"" missile with a range of 1,450 km (900 miles).
+Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East, says its ballistic missiles have a range of up to 2,000 km (1,200 miles) and are capable of reaching its arch-foe Israel and U.S. bases in the region.
+Kheibar refers to an ancient Jewish oasis in the Arabian Peninsula's Hijaz region that was overrun by Muslim warriors in the 7th century.
+Tehran regards its ballistic missile programme as an important deterrent against the United States, Israel and other adversaries, and has rejected Western demands to halt it.
+Over the past year, Iran and the United States have engaged in fitful, indirect talks in Vienna to revive a 2015 nuclear deal that then-President Donald Trump reneged on in 2018 and that Iran, in turn, began violating in 2019.
+Under the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in return for relief from economic sanctions.
+While they appeared close to resurrecting the deal in March, talks stalled over last-minute Russian demands and whether Washington might drop Iran's Revolutionary Guards from its Foreign Terrorist Organization list.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel, whose existence the Islamic Republic does not recognise, has long threatened military action against Iran if talks between Tehran and world powers fail to curb Iranian nuclear activity. Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful. In February, the Islamic Republic unveiled its ""Kheibar Buster"" missile with a range of 1,450 km (900 miles). Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East, says its ballistic missiles have a range of up to 2,000 km (1,200 miles) and are capable of reaching its arch-foe Israel and U.S. bases in the region.
+Kheibar refers to an ancient Jewish oasis in the Arabian Peninsula's Hijaz region that was overrun by Muslim warriors in the 7th century. Tehran regards its ballistic missile programme as an important deterrent against the United States, Israel and other adversaries, and has rejected Western demands to halt it.
+Over the past year, Iran and the United States have engaged in fitful, indirect talks in Vienna to revive a 2015 nuclear deal that then-President Donald Trump reneged on in 2018 and that Iran, in turn, began violating in 2019. Under the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in return for relief from economic sanctions. While they appeared close to resurrecting the deal in March, talks stalled over last-minute Russian demands and whether Washington might drop Iran's Revolutionary Guards from its Foreign Terrorist Organization list.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-top-diplomat-visit-israel-may-24-amid-efforts-mend-fences-2022-04-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey's top diplomat to visit Israel on May 24 amid efforts to mend fences[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, April 20 (Reuters) - Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he will visit Israel on May 24 amid increasing efforts between the regional rivals to mend ties, four years after they expelled ambassadors.
+Turkey and Israel have in recent weeks been working to mend their long-strained ties, and energy has emerged as a potential area of cooperation.
+President Tayyip Erdogan said last month he was ""very, very hopeful"" for energy cooperation with Israel, and he hoped to discuss the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
+On Tuesday, Erdogan said he told his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog that he was ""very upset"" by Palestinians injured or killed in the West Bank and Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
+The two countries expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.
+Speaking to broadcaster CNN Turk, Cavusoglu said he will travel to Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez on May 24 and would discuss the appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey's top diplomat to visit Israel on May 24 amid efforts to mend fences[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, April 20 (Reuters) - Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he will visit Israel on May 24 amid increasing efforts between the regional rivals to mend ties, four years after they expelled ambassadors. Turkey and Israel have in recent weeks been working to mend their long-strained ties, and energy has emerged as a potential area of cooperation. President Tayyip Erdogan said last month he was ""very, very hopeful"" for energy cooperation with Israel, and he hoped to discuss the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
+On Tuesday, Erdogan said he told his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog that he was ""very upset"" by Palestinians injured or killed in the West Bank and Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
+The two countries expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.  Speaking to broadcaster CNN Turk, Cavusoglu said he will travel to Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez on May 24 and would discuss the appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-says-erdogan-israels-herzog-speak-after-jerusalem-clashes-2022-04-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Erdogan tells Herzog he is 'very upset' by injured or killed Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, April 19 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he told his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog that he was ""very upset"" by Palestinians injured or killed in the West Bank and Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
+Since Friday, Al Aqsa - also revered by Jews as a vestige of two ancient temples - has seen confrontations between Palestinian stone-throwers and Israeli riot police, recalling violence that helped fan a Gaza war one year ago. read more
+On Friday, at least 152 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli riot police inside the mosque's compound, the latest outbreak in an upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict. read more
+In a tweet, Erdogan said the two leaders had discussed the recent events caused by ""some radical Israeli groups and security forces"" in a phone call that comes amid efforts to normalise ties between the two countries.
+The ""raids by fanatic groups"" at Al-Aqsa in recent days and the violence spreading to Gaza were also upsetting, Erdogan told Herzog.
+Erdogan said he also ""emphasised the necessity of not allowing provocations and threats against the status and spirituality of the Al-Aqsa Mosque during this sensitive time.""
+Regional rivals Turkey and Israel expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.
+Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has said it believes a rapprochement with Israel will also help find a solution to the issue, but that it would not abandon commitments to Palestinians for better ties with Israel. read more
+Palestinians accuse Israel of encroaching at Al Aqsa during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Israel says Palestinian protesters seek to disrupt Muslim prayer for political ends and to prevent visits by Jews, who are now celebrating Passover.
+While it has criticised the clashes in Jerusalem, Turkey's reaction to the violence has been much calmer than in the past, when it had launched various initiatives at the United Nations and other platforms to condemn Israel and support Palestinians.
+Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he would visit Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez in May and discuss the re-appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Erdogan tells Herzog he is 'very upset' by injured or killed Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, April 19 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he told his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog that he was ""very upset"" by Palestinians injured or killed in the West Bank and Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.  Since Friday, Al Aqsa - also revered by Jews as a vestige of two ancient temples - has seen confrontations between Palestinian stone-throwers and Israeli riot police, recalling violence that helped fan a Gaza war one year ago. read more  On Friday, at least 152 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli riot police inside the mosque's compound, the latest outbreak in an upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict. read more In a tweet, Erdogan said the two leaders had discussed the recent events caused by ""some radical Israeli groups and security forces"" in a phone call that comes amid efforts to normalise ties between the two countries. The ""raids by fanatic groups"" at Al-Aqsa in recent days and the violence spreading to Gaza were also upsetting, Erdogan told Herzog.  Erdogan said he also ""emphasised the necessity of not allowing provocations and threats against the status and spirituality of the Al-Aqsa Mosque during this sensitive time.""
+Regional rivals Turkey and Israel expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.
+Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has said it believes a rapprochement with Israel will also help find a solution to the issue, but that it would not abandon commitments to Palestinians for better ties with Israel. read more  Palestinians accuse Israel of encroaching at Al Aqsa during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Israel says Palestinian protesters seek to disrupt Muslim prayer for political ends and to prevent visits by Jews, who are now celebrating Passover. While it has criticised the clashes in Jerusalem, Turkey's reaction to the violence has been much calmer than in the past, when it had launched various initiatives at the United Nations and other platforms to condemn Israel and support Palestinians. Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he would visit Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez in May and discuss the re-appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-says-he-condemns-israeli-intervention-al-aqsa-mosque-2022-04-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey's Erdogan condemns Israeli 'intervention' at Al-Aqsa mosque[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, April 17 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday he had told his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas that he condemned Israeli ""intervention on worshippers"" at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque and threats to its ""status or spirit"".
+Erdogan's comments come amid efforts by Turkey and Israel in recent weeks to normalise their long-strained ties, as part of a regional charm offensive launched by Ankara in 2020.
+On Friday, at least 152 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli riot police inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the latest outbreak in an upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict. read more
+Most of the Palestinian injuries were incurred from rubber bullets, stun grenades and beatings with police batons, the Palestine Red Crescent said.
+""During our call, I told Mr Abbas that I strongly condemned Israel's intervention on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque and that we will stand against provocations and threats to its status or spirit,"" Erdogan said on Twitter.
+""Turkey always stands with Palestine,"" he added.
+Erdogan later said he had discussed developments at Al-Aqsa with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, adding he Israel's ""interventions and provocations"" had ""unacceptable"" results. They also discussed possible joint steps for regional peace, Erdogan added.
+Turkey has in the past launched various initiatives within the United Nations and Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) against Israeli actions towards Palestinians and its policies regarding Jerusalem or its status.
+The Al-Aqsa compound sits atop the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, and is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or The Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews as Temple Mount.
+Tensions this year have been heightened in part by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish celebration of Passover.
+Regional rivals Turkey and Israel expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.
+Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has said it believes a rapprochement with Israel will also help find a solution to the issue, but that it would not abandon commitments to Palestinians for better ties with Israel.
+Earlier this month, Erdogan had told his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog, whom he also met in Ankara last month, that Ankara expected Israeli authorities to be sensitive over Al-Aqsa during Ramadan and stressed the importance of allowing Palestinians to enter Israel. read more
+Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he would visit Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez in mid-May and discuss the re-appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey's Erdogan condemns Israeli 'intervention' at Al-Aqsa mosque[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, April 17 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday he had told his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas that he condemned Israeli ""intervention on worshippers"" at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque and threats to its ""status or spirit"". Erdogan's comments come amid efforts by Turkey and Israel in recent weeks to normalise their long-strained ties, as part of a regional charm offensive launched by Ankara in 2020.  On Friday, at least 152 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli riot police inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the latest outbreak in an upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict. read more Most of the Palestinian injuries were incurred from rubber bullets, stun grenades and beatings with police batons, the Palestine Red Crescent said. ""During our call, I told Mr Abbas that I strongly condemned Israel's intervention on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque and that we will stand against provocations and threats to its status or spirit,"" Erdogan said on Twitter.
+""Turkey always stands with Palestine,"" he added.  Erdogan later said he had discussed developments at Al-Aqsa with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, adding he Israel's ""interventions and provocations"" had ""unacceptable"" results. They also discussed possible joint steps for regional peace, Erdogan added. Turkey has in the past launched various initiatives within the United Nations and Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) against Israeli actions towards Palestinians and its policies regarding Jerusalem or its status."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-says-he-condemns-israeli-intervention-al-aqsa-mosque-2022-04-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey's Erdogan condemns Israeli 'intervention' at Al-Aqsa mosque[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, April 17 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday he had told his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas that he condemned Israeli ""intervention on worshippers"" at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque and threats to its ""status or spirit"".
+Erdogan's comments come amid efforts by Turkey and Israel in recent weeks to normalise their long-strained ties, as part of a regional charm offensive launched by Ankara in 2020.
+On Friday, at least 152 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli riot police inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the latest outbreak in an upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict. read more
+Most of the Palestinian injuries were incurred from rubber bullets, stun grenades and beatings with police batons, the Palestine Red Crescent said.
+""During our call, I told Mr Abbas that I strongly condemned Israel's intervention on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque and that we will stand against provocations and threats to its status or spirit,"" Erdogan said on Twitter.
+""Turkey always stands with Palestine,"" he added.
+Erdogan later said he had discussed developments at Al-Aqsa with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, adding he Israel's ""interventions and provocations"" had ""unacceptable"" results. They also discussed possible joint steps for regional peace, Erdogan added.
+Turkey has in the past launched various initiatives within the United Nations and Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) against Israeli actions towards Palestinians and its policies regarding Jerusalem or its status.
+The Al-Aqsa compound sits atop the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, and is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or The Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews as Temple Mount.
+Tensions this year have been heightened in part by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish celebration of Passover.
+Regional rivals Turkey and Israel expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.
+Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has said it believes a rapprochement with Israel will also help find a solution to the issue, but that it would not abandon commitments to Palestinians for better ties with Israel.
+Earlier this month, Erdogan had told his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog, whom he also met in Ankara last month, that Ankara expected Israeli authorities to be sensitive over Al-Aqsa during Ramadan and stressed the importance of allowing Palestinians to enter Israel. read more
+Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he would visit Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez in mid-May and discuss the re-appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Al-Aqsa compound sits atop the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, and is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or The Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews as Temple Mount.
+Tensions this year have been heightened in part by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish celebration of Passover.
+Regional rivals Turkey and Israel expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.
+Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has said it believes a rapprochement with Israel will also help find a solution to the issue, but that it would not abandon commitments to Palestinians for better ties with Israel.
+Earlier this month, Erdogan had told his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog, whom he also met in Ankara last month, that Ankara expected Israeli authorities to be sensitive over Al-Aqsa during Ramadan and stressed the importance of allowing Palestinians to enter Israel. read more
+Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he would visit Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez in mid-May and discuss the re-appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-police-palestinians-clash-jerusalem-holy-site-2022-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians clash with Israeli police at Jerusalem holy site, 152 injured[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, April 15 (Reuters) - At least 152 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli riot police inside Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Friday, the latest outbreak in a recent upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict.
+Most of the Palestinian injuries were incurred from rubber bullets, stun grenades and beatings with police batons, the Palestine Red Crescent said, at the most sensitive site in the generations-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Israeli security forces have been on high alert after a series of deadly Arab street attacks throughout the country over the past two weeks. Confrontations at the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's walled Old City pose the risk of a relapse into a broader conflagration like last year's Gaza war.
+The Al-Aqsa compound sits atop the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, and is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or The Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews as Temple Mount.
+Tensions this year have been heightened in part by Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish celebration of Passover.
+In a statement, Israeli police said hundreds of Palestinians hurled firecrackers and stones at their forces and toward the nearby Jewish prayer area of the Western Wall in the Old City after Ramadan morning prayers.
+It said police then entered the Al-Aqsa compound to ""disperse and push back (the crowd and) enable the rest of the worshippers to leave the place safely."" adding that three officers were injured in the clashes.
+Police detained hundreds of Palestinians, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a tweet.
+""We are working to restore calm, on the Temple Mount and across Israel. Alongside that, we are preparing for any scenario and the security forces are ready for any task,"" Bennett said.
+Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations stepped up their mediation between Palestinian factions - led by the Islamist group Hamas, which runs Gaza - and Israel in a bid to prevent further escalation of violence, a Palestinian official told Reuters.
+Hamas demanded that Israel frees nearly 500 people it had detained on Friday, stop ""provocative visits"" to Al-Aqsa mosque by Jewish groups, and end military incursions into West Bank cities.
+
+In a sign of lowering tensions, Israel released all but 100 of those detained, Palestinians said.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, referring to the violence in the holy compound, said it ""holds Israel fully and directly responsible for this crime and its consequences.""
+'FLAGRANT VIOLATION'
+The international community should intervene immediately to ""stop Israeli aggression against Al-Aqsa mosque and prevent things from going out of control,"" said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who governs self-ruled areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Jordan, whose Hashemite monarchy is the custodian of Muslim and Christian sanctuaries in East Jerusalem, condemned the Israeli police raid into the compound as ""a flagrant violation"".
+Israel recognized the Hashemite role as custodian of Al-Aqsa as part of the two countries' 1994 peace treaty, and maintains overall security control over the site.
+U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said tensions should be eased. ""We call on all sides to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions and rhetoric, and preserve the historic status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount,"" he said in a statement.
+Tor Wennesland, the U.N. special envoy for Middle East peacemaking, urged all sides ""to help calm the situation, avoid spreading inflammatory rhetoric and speak up against those seeking to escalate the situation"".
+Last year, there were nightly clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police during the Muslim fasting month. Threats of Palestinian displacement in East Jerusalem and police raids at Al-Aqsa helped ignite an 11-day Israel-Gaza war that killed more than 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 people in Israel.
+Since last month, Israeli forces have killed 29 Palestinians in the course of carrying out raids in the West Bank after Palestinian assailants killed 14 Israelis in a string of attacks in Israeli cities.
+Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam and also revered by Jews as the location of two ancient temples.
+Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its eternal capital. Palestinians seek to make East Jerusalem, including its Muslim, Christian and Jewish holy sites, the capital of a future state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians clash with Israeli police at Jerusalem holy site, 152 injured[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, April 15 (Reuters) - At least 152 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli riot police inside Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Friday, the latest outbreak in a recent upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict. Most of the Palestinian injuries were incurred from rubber bullets, stun grenades and beatings with police batons, the Palestine Red Crescent said, at the most sensitive site in the generations-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Israeli security forces have been on high alert after a series of deadly Arab street attacks throughout the country over the past two weeks. Confrontations at the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's walled Old City pose the risk of a relapse into a broader conflagration like last year's Gaza war.  The Al-Aqsa compound sits atop the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, and is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or The Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews as Temple Mount.
+Tensions this year have been heightened in part by Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish celebration of Passover.  In a statement, Israeli police said hundreds of Palestinians hurled firecrackers and stones at their forces and toward the nearby Jewish prayer area of the Western Wall in the Old City after Ramadan morning prayers. It said police then entered the Al-Aqsa compound to ""disperse and push back (the crowd and) enable the rest of the worshippers to leave the place safely."" adding that three officers were injured in the clashes. Police detained hundreds of Palestinians, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a tweet.  ""We are working to restore calm, on the Temple Mount and across Israel. Alongside that, we are preparing for any scenario and the security forces are ready for any task,"" Bennett said. Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations stepped up their mediation between Palestinian factions - led by the Islamist group Hamas, which runs Gaza - and Israel in a bid to prevent further escalation of violence, a Palestinian official told Reuters. Hamas demanded that Israel frees nearly 500 people it had detained on Friday, stop ""provocative visits"" to Al-Aqsa mosque by Jewish groups, and end military incursions into West Bank cities. In a sign of lowering tensions, Israel released all but 100 of those detained, Palestinians said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-police-palestinians-clash-jerusalem-holy-site-2022-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians clash with Israeli police at Jerusalem holy site, 152 injured[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, April 15 (Reuters) - At least 152 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli riot police inside Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Friday, the latest outbreak in a recent upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict.
+Most of the Palestinian injuries were incurred from rubber bullets, stun grenades and beatings with police batons, the Palestine Red Crescent said, at the most sensitive site in the generations-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+Israeli security forces have been on high alert after a series of deadly Arab street attacks throughout the country over the past two weeks. Confrontations at the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's walled Old City pose the risk of a relapse into a broader conflagration like last year's Gaza war.
+The Al-Aqsa compound sits atop the Old City plateau of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, and is known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or The Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews as Temple Mount.
+Tensions this year have been heightened in part by Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish celebration of Passover.
+In a statement, Israeli police said hundreds of Palestinians hurled firecrackers and stones at their forces and toward the nearby Jewish prayer area of the Western Wall in the Old City after Ramadan morning prayers.
+It said police then entered the Al-Aqsa compound to ""disperse and push back (the crowd and) enable the rest of the worshippers to leave the place safely."" adding that three officers were injured in the clashes.
+Police detained hundreds of Palestinians, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a tweet.
+""We are working to restore calm, on the Temple Mount and across Israel. Alongside that, we are preparing for any scenario and the security forces are ready for any task,"" Bennett said.
+Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations stepped up their mediation between Palestinian factions - led by the Islamist group Hamas, which runs Gaza - and Israel in a bid to prevent further escalation of violence, a Palestinian official told Reuters.
+Hamas demanded that Israel frees nearly 500 people it had detained on Friday, stop ""provocative visits"" to Al-Aqsa mosque by Jewish groups, and end military incursions into West Bank cities.
+
+In a sign of lowering tensions, Israel released all but 100 of those detained, Palestinians said.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, referring to the violence in the holy compound, said it ""holds Israel fully and directly responsible for this crime and its consequences.""
+'FLAGRANT VIOLATION'
+The international community should intervene immediately to ""stop Israeli aggression against Al-Aqsa mosque and prevent things from going out of control,"" said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who governs self-ruled areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
+Jordan, whose Hashemite monarchy is the custodian of Muslim and Christian sanctuaries in East Jerusalem, condemned the Israeli police raid into the compound as ""a flagrant violation"".
+Israel recognized the Hashemite role as custodian of Al-Aqsa as part of the two countries' 1994 peace treaty, and maintains overall security control over the site.
+U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said tensions should be eased. ""We call on all sides to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions and rhetoric, and preserve the historic status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount,"" he said in a statement.
+Tor Wennesland, the U.N. special envoy for Middle East peacemaking, urged all sides ""to help calm the situation, avoid spreading inflammatory rhetoric and speak up against those seeking to escalate the situation"".
+Last year, there were nightly clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police during the Muslim fasting month. Threats of Palestinian displacement in East Jerusalem and police raids at Al-Aqsa helped ignite an 11-day Israel-Gaza war that killed more than 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 people in Israel.
+Since last month, Israeli forces have killed 29 Palestinians in the course of carrying out raids in the West Bank after Palestinian assailants killed 14 Israelis in a string of attacks in Israeli cities.
+Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam and also revered by Jews as the location of two ancient temples.
+Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its eternal capital. Palestinians seek to make East Jerusalem, including its Muslim, Christian and Jewish holy sites, the capital of a future state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, referring to the violence in the holy compound, said it ""holds Israel fully and directly responsible for this crime and its consequences.""
+'FLAGRANT VIOLATION'
+The international community should intervene immediately to ""stop Israeli aggression against Al-Aqsa mosque and prevent things from going out of control,"" said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who governs self-ruled areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Jordan, whose Hashemite monarchy is the custodian of Muslim and Christian sanctuaries in East Jerusalem, condemned the Israeli police raid into the compound as ""a flagrant violation"".
+Israel recognized the Hashemite role as custodian of Al-Aqsa as part of the two countries' 1994 peace treaty, and maintains overall security control over the site.
+U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said tensions should be eased. "" We call on all sides to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions and rhetoric, and preserve the historic status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount,"" he said in a statement. Tor Wennesland, the U.N. special envoy for Middle East peacemaking, urged all sides ""to help calm the situation, avoid spreading inflammatory rhetoric and speak up against those seeking to escalate the situation"".
+Last year, there were nightly clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police during the Muslim fasting month. Threats of Palestinian displacement in East Jerusalem and police raids at Al-Aqsa helped ignite an 11-day Israel-Gaza war that killed more than 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 people in Israel.
+Since last month, Israeli forces have killed 29 Palestinians in the course of carrying out raids in the West Bank after Palestinian assailants killed 14 Israelis in a string of attacks in Israeli cities. Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam and also revered by Jews as the location of two ancient temples.  Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its eternal capital. Palestinians seek to make East Jerusalem, including its Muslim, Christian and Jewish holy sites, the capital of a future state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jerusalem-clashes-raise-fears-wider-conflict-2022-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jerusalem clashes raise fears of wider conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, April 15 (Reuters) - One year after events in Jerusalem led to war in Gaza, clashes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan are raising fears of renewed Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with leaders on both sides warning of possible escalation.
+At least 152 Palestinians were wounded when Israeli riot police entered the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Friday to disperse Palestinians who threw firecrackers and stones at them and towards a Jewish prayer area.
+The Al-Aqsa compound sits on a plateau in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed. Known to Jews as Temple Mount, the area is the most sensitive in the generations-old conflict.
+""Jerusalem is perhaps the number one issue that has the potential of triggering widescale violence,"" said Palestinian pollster Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. ""We have seen that in the past.""
+Already strained by deadly attacks on Israelis by Palestinian assailants in the last two weeks and Israeli army killings of Palestinians in the West Bank, the atmosphere in the holy city has been heightened as Ramadan, Passover and Easter are all being marked this month.
+Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh described the Israeli riot police actions at Al-Aqsa as a ""brutal assault on worshipers during the holy month"" and a dangerous omen.
+At a rally in Gaza, a spokesman for the armed Islamist group Hamas, which rules the enclave, said that Israeli use of force would not go unanswered.
+""We will draw the line again in defence of Jerusalem and we will launch a new era; weapons for weapons, and force will only be met by force and we will defend Jerusalem by all our might,"" Fawzi Barhoum said.
+Last May, Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel after Hamas demanded Israeli police withdraw from Al-Aqsa and the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where a court threat to dispossess Palestinian residents had led to protests and confrontation.
+In the 11-day war that followed, 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 people in Israel were killed.
+Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said authorities were working to restore calm in Jerusalem and across Israel, but were ready if the situation deteriorated.
+""We are preparing for any scenario and the security forces are ready for any task,"" Bennett said in a statement.
+WAVE OF KILLINGS
+Last week, a Palestinian from a refugee camp in the West Bank town of Jenin shot dead three Israelis and wounded several more at a Tel Aviv bar. The shooting was the latest in a string of Palestinian attacks in Israeli cities that killed 14 people.
+Bennett called the attacks, which were the deadliest since 2016, ""a new wave of terror"".
+The Israeli army has killed 40 Palestinians this year in a cycle which Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli public opinion expert and political analyst, said could be traced to early February when Israeli forces killed three Palestinian militants in Hebron.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry described that killing as ""an ugly field execution"".
+Alongside what it considers as security measures, such as mending breaches in the barrier which separates it from the West Bank and conducting mass arrests, Israel has also relatively eased Palestinian movement from the West Bank and Gaza into Israel and Jerusalem.
+""There are no restrictions on the use of force,"" Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Thursday, echoing Bennett. He added that Israel would allow Palestinians who ""maintain the quiet"" to work and celebrate Ramadan without disruptions.
+Until Friday's clashes at Al-Aqsa, those relief measures had appeared to ease some Palestinian frustrations, Shikaki said.
+However, the pent-up anger and grievances over Israel’s 55-year military occupation of territories it captured in the 1967 war, and where Palestinians seek to establish a state, outweigh the current concessions, he added.
+In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 2021 marked the highest rate of Palestinian home demolitions since 2016, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.
+In the last five years, Israel has granted just 33 building permits to Palestinians and over 16,500 building permits to Jewish settlers in the 60% of the West Bank it directly controls, according to Itay Epshtain, a humanitarian law and policy consultant, citing data disclosed by Israel's Defence Ministry.
+""The whole structure that is in place, of the occupation, is violent,"" said Diana Buttu, a former legal advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organization. ""It's been decades of this, decades of daily violence, and it gets to a point where eventually it just boomerangs back onto Israel.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jerusalem clashes raise fears of wider conflict[/TITLE] [CONTENT]JERUSALEM, April 15 (Reuters) - One year after events in Jerusalem led to war in Gaza, clashes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan are raising fears of renewed Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with leaders on both sides warning of possible escalation. At least 152 Palestinians were wounded when Israeli riot police entered the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Friday to disperse Palestinians who threw firecrackers and stones at them and towards a Jewish prayer area.  The Al-Aqsa compound sits on a plateau in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed. Known to Jews as Temple Mount, the area is the most sensitive in the generations-old conflict.  ""Jerusalem is perhaps the number one issue that has the potential of triggering widescale violence,"" said Palestinian pollster Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. ""We have seen that in the past."" Already strained by deadly attacks on Israelis by Palestinian assailants in the last two weeks and Israeli army killings of Palestinians in the West Bank, the atmosphere in the holy city has been heightened as Ramadan, Passover and Easter are all being marked this month.
+Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh described the Israeli riot police actions at Al-Aqsa as a ""brutal assault on worshipers during the holy month"" and a dangerous omen.
+At a rally in Gaza, a spokesman for the armed Islamist group Hamas, which rules the enclave, said that Israeli use of force would not go unanswered.  ""We will draw the line again in defence of Jerusalem and we will launch a new era; weapons for weapons, and force will only be met by force and we will defend Jerusalem by all our might,"" Fawzi Barhoum said. Last May, Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel after Hamas demanded Israeli police withdraw from Al-Aqsa and the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where a court threat to dispossess Palestinian residents had led to protests and confrontation. In the 11-day war that followed, 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 people in Israel were killed. Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said authorities were working to restore calm in Jerusalem and across Israel, but were ready if the situation deteriorated. ""We are preparing for any scenario and the security forces are ready for any task,"" Bennett said in a statement.  WAVE OF KILLINGS
+Last week, a Palestinian from a refugee camp in the West Bank town of Jenin shot dead three Israelis and wounded several more at a Tel Aviv bar."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jerusalem-clashes-raise-fears-wider-conflict-2022-04-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jerusalem clashes raise fears of wider conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, April 15 (Reuters) - One year after events in Jerusalem led to war in Gaza, clashes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan are raising fears of renewed Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with leaders on both sides warning of possible escalation.
+At least 152 Palestinians were wounded when Israeli riot police entered the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Friday to disperse Palestinians who threw firecrackers and stones at them and towards a Jewish prayer area.
+The Al-Aqsa compound sits on a plateau in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed. Known to Jews as Temple Mount, the area is the most sensitive in the generations-old conflict.
+""Jerusalem is perhaps the number one issue that has the potential of triggering widescale violence,"" said Palestinian pollster Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. ""We have seen that in the past.""
+Already strained by deadly attacks on Israelis by Palestinian assailants in the last two weeks and Israeli army killings of Palestinians in the West Bank, the atmosphere in the holy city has been heightened as Ramadan, Passover and Easter are all being marked this month.
+Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh described the Israeli riot police actions at Al-Aqsa as a ""brutal assault on worshipers during the holy month"" and a dangerous omen.
+At a rally in Gaza, a spokesman for the armed Islamist group Hamas, which rules the enclave, said that Israeli use of force would not go unanswered.
+""We will draw the line again in defence of Jerusalem and we will launch a new era; weapons for weapons, and force will only be met by force and we will defend Jerusalem by all our might,"" Fawzi Barhoum said.
+Last May, Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel after Hamas demanded Israeli police withdraw from Al-Aqsa and the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where a court threat to dispossess Palestinian residents had led to protests and confrontation.
+In the 11-day war that followed, 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 people in Israel were killed.
+Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said authorities were working to restore calm in Jerusalem and across Israel, but were ready if the situation deteriorated.
+""We are preparing for any scenario and the security forces are ready for any task,"" Bennett said in a statement.
+WAVE OF KILLINGS
+Last week, a Palestinian from a refugee camp in the West Bank town of Jenin shot dead three Israelis and wounded several more at a Tel Aviv bar. The shooting was the latest in a string of Palestinian attacks in Israeli cities that killed 14 people.
+Bennett called the attacks, which were the deadliest since 2016, ""a new wave of terror"".
+The Israeli army has killed 40 Palestinians this year in a cycle which Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli public opinion expert and political analyst, said could be traced to early February when Israeli forces killed three Palestinian militants in Hebron.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry described that killing as ""an ugly field execution"".
+Alongside what it considers as security measures, such as mending breaches in the barrier which separates it from the West Bank and conducting mass arrests, Israel has also relatively eased Palestinian movement from the West Bank and Gaza into Israel and Jerusalem.
+""There are no restrictions on the use of force,"" Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Thursday, echoing Bennett. He added that Israel would allow Palestinians who ""maintain the quiet"" to work and celebrate Ramadan without disruptions.
+Until Friday's clashes at Al-Aqsa, those relief measures had appeared to ease some Palestinian frustrations, Shikaki said.
+However, the pent-up anger and grievances over Israel’s 55-year military occupation of territories it captured in the 1967 war, and where Palestinians seek to establish a state, outweigh the current concessions, he added.
+In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 2021 marked the highest rate of Palestinian home demolitions since 2016, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.
+In the last five years, Israel has granted just 33 building permits to Palestinians and over 16,500 building permits to Jewish settlers in the 60% of the West Bank it directly controls, according to Itay Epshtain, a humanitarian law and policy consultant, citing data disclosed by Israel's Defence Ministry.
+""The whole structure that is in place, of the occupation, is violent,"" said Diana Buttu, a former legal advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organization. ""It's been decades of this, decades of daily violence, and it gets to a point where eventually it just boomerangs back onto Israel.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The shooting was the latest in a string of Palestinian attacks in Israeli cities that killed 14 people. Bennett called the attacks, which were the deadliest since 2016, ""a new wave of terror"".
+The Israeli army has killed 40 Palestinians this year in a cycle which Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli public opinion expert and political analyst, said could be traced to early February when Israeli forces killed three Palestinian militants in Hebron.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry described that killing as ""an ugly field execution"". Alongside what it considers as security measures, such as mending breaches in the barrier which separates it from the West Bank and conducting mass arrests, Israel has also relatively eased Palestinian movement from the West Bank and Gaza into Israel and Jerusalem.  ""There are no restrictions on the use of force,"" Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Thursday, echoing Bennett. He added that Israel would allow Palestinians who ""maintain the quiet"" to work and celebrate Ramadan without disruptions. Until Friday's clashes at Al-Aqsa, those relief measures had appeared to ease some Palestinian frustrations, Shikaki said. However, the pent-up anger and grievances over Israel’s 55-year military occupation of territories it captured in the 1967 war, and where Palestinians seek to establish a state, outweigh the current concessions, he added. In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 2021 marked the highest rate of Palestinian home demolitions since 2016, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.
+In the last five years, Israel has granted just 33 building permits to Palestinians and over 16,500 building permits to Jewish settlers in the 60% of the West Bank it directly controls, according to Itay Epshtain, a humanitarian law and policy consultant, citing data disclosed by Israel's Defence Ministry.  ""The whole structure that is in place, of the occupation, is violent,"" said Diana Buttu, a former legal advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organization. ""It's been decades of this, decades of daily violence, and it gets to a point where eventually it just boomerangs back onto Israel.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-soldiers-fatally-shoot-palestinian-wbank-palestinian-ministry-says-2022-04-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces fatally shoot three Palestinians in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, April 13 (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, one a teenager and the other a lawyer, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, as troops mounted more sweeps in the territory after deadly Arab attacks in Israel.
+The Health Ministry said soldiers shot and killed a 14-year-old near Bethlehem. The Israeli military said he had thrown a petrol bomb at the soldiers, who ""used live ammunition in order to stop the immediate threat.""
+In a separate incident, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli military gunfire in Nablus, on a main street near Joseph's Tomb, the ministry said, referring to a Jewish shrine where Israel carried out repair work on Wednesday after Palestinians had vandalised it.
+The ministry identified him as Mohammed Assaf, 34, a lawyer who worked for a department of the Palestine Liberation Organisation that documents and lobbies against Israeli settlement activity on land Palestinians seek for a state.
+An official from the PLO anti-settlement unit said Assaf had been driving his nephews to a nearby school and had stopped on the side of the road to watch events unfold when clashes erupted at the tomb.
+A military statement on West Bank operations on Wednesday said an ""armed suspect"" was hit near Nablus. It was unclear whether it was referring to Assaf.
+Israeli troops had secured the area around the tomb while the repair work was under way. The military said hundreds of Palestinians threw stones and petrol bombs at the soldiers, who responded with live fire and riot dispersal measures.
+Near Ramallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said another Palestinian was killed in clashes that erupted after Israeli forces carried out an arrest raid. There was no immediate comment fromthe Israeli military or police.
+Footage showed dozens of Palestinians throwing rocks at Israeli armoured vehicles and occasional gunfire could be heard.
+The Shin Bet domestic security service said three Palestinians planning to carry out an imminent attack against Israelis were apprehended in that raid. Around 20 people described as terror suspects were detained in Wednesday's operations, according to military and police statements.
+The Israeli military stepped up its raids in the West Bank following attacks by two Palestinians from the territory and three members of Israel's Arab minority which have killed 14 people in Israel since late March.
+More than 20 Palestinians, many of them gunmen, have been killed by Israeli forces since January.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it held Israel ""fully responsible for the repercussions"" from the military's actions and a spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas appealed for the international community to intervene.
+Israel has accused the Palestinian Authority of not doing enough to rein in militants and of encouraging violence against Israelis by paying stipends to families of Palestinians in Israeli jails, some of them convicted of deadly attacks.
+The bloodshed has coincided with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when Israeli-Palestinian violence has erupted in the past, and last May spiralled into an 11-day war between Gaza militants and Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces fatally shoot three Palestinians in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, April 13 (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, one a teenager and the other a lawyer, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, as troops mounted more sweeps in the territory after deadly Arab attacks in Israel.  The Health Ministry said soldiers shot and killed a 14-year-old near Bethlehem. The Israeli military said he had thrown a petrol bomb at the soldiers, who ""used live ammunition in order to stop the immediate threat."" In a separate incident, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli military gunfire in Nablus, on a main street near Joseph's Tomb, the ministry said, referring to a Jewish shrine where Israel carried out repair work on Wednesday after Palestinians had vandalised it. The ministry identified him as Mohammed Assaf, 34, a lawyer who worked for a department of the Palestine Liberation Organisation that documents and lobbies against Israeli settlement activity on land Palestinians seek for a state. An official from the PLO anti-settlement unit said Assaf had been driving his nephews to a nearby school and had stopped on the side of the road to watch events unfold when clashes erupted at the tomb.  A military statement on West Bank operations on Wednesday said an ""armed suspect"" was hit near Nablus. It was unclear whether it was referring to Assaf. Israeli troops had secured the area around the tomb while the repair work was under way. The military said hundreds of Palestinians threw stones and petrol bombs at the soldiers, who responded with live fire and riot dispersal measures.  Near Ramallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said another Palestinian was killed in clashes that erupted after Israeli forces carried out an arrest raid. There was no immediate comment fromthe Israeli military or police. Footage showed dozens of Palestinians throwing rocks at Israeli armoured vehicles and occasional gunfire could be heard.  The Shin Bet domestic security service said three Palestinians planning to carry out an imminent attack against Israelis were apprehended in that raid. Around 20 people described as terror suspects were detained in Wednesday's operations, according to military and police statements. The Israeli military stepped up its raids in the West Bank following attacks by two Palestinians from the territory and three members of Israel's Arab minority which have killed 14 people in Israel since late March. More than 20 Palestinians, many of them gunmen, have been killed by Israeli forces since January."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-soldiers-fatally-shoot-palestinian-wbank-palestinian-ministry-says-2022-04-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces fatally shoot three Palestinians in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, April 13 (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, one a teenager and the other a lawyer, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, as troops mounted more sweeps in the territory after deadly Arab attacks in Israel.
+The Health Ministry said soldiers shot and killed a 14-year-old near Bethlehem. The Israeli military said he had thrown a petrol bomb at the soldiers, who ""used live ammunition in order to stop the immediate threat.""
+In a separate incident, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli military gunfire in Nablus, on a main street near Joseph's Tomb, the ministry said, referring to a Jewish shrine where Israel carried out repair work on Wednesday after Palestinians had vandalised it.
+The ministry identified him as Mohammed Assaf, 34, a lawyer who worked for a department of the Palestine Liberation Organisation that documents and lobbies against Israeli settlement activity on land Palestinians seek for a state.
+An official from the PLO anti-settlement unit said Assaf had been driving his nephews to a nearby school and had stopped on the side of the road to watch events unfold when clashes erupted at the tomb.
+A military statement on West Bank operations on Wednesday said an ""armed suspect"" was hit near Nablus. It was unclear whether it was referring to Assaf.
+Israeli troops had secured the area around the tomb while the repair work was under way. The military said hundreds of Palestinians threw stones and petrol bombs at the soldiers, who responded with live fire and riot dispersal measures.
+Near Ramallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said another Palestinian was killed in clashes that erupted after Israeli forces carried out an arrest raid. There was no immediate comment fromthe Israeli military or police.
+Footage showed dozens of Palestinians throwing rocks at Israeli armoured vehicles and occasional gunfire could be heard.
+The Shin Bet domestic security service said three Palestinians planning to carry out an imminent attack against Israelis were apprehended in that raid. Around 20 people described as terror suspects were detained in Wednesday's operations, according to military and police statements.
+The Israeli military stepped up its raids in the West Bank following attacks by two Palestinians from the territory and three members of Israel's Arab minority which have killed 14 people in Israel since late March.
+More than 20 Palestinians, many of them gunmen, have been killed by Israeli forces since January.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it held Israel ""fully responsible for the repercussions"" from the military's actions and a spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas appealed for the international community to intervene.
+Israel has accused the Palestinian Authority of not doing enough to rein in militants and of encouraging violence against Israelis by paying stipends to families of Palestinians in Israeli jails, some of them convicted of deadly attacks.
+The bloodshed has coincided with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when Israeli-Palestinian violence has erupted in the past, and last May spiralled into an 11-day war between Gaza militants and Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it held Israel ""fully responsible for the repercussions"" from the military's actions and a spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas appealed for the international community to intervene. Israel has accused the Palestinian Authority of not doing enough to rein in militants and of encouraging violence against Israelis by paying stipends to families of Palestinians in Israeli jails, some of them convicted of deadly attacks. The bloodshed has coincided with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when Israeli-Palestinian violence has erupted in the past, and last May spiralled into an 11-day war between Gaza militants and Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/erdogan-tells-israels-herzog-synergy-energy-mutually-beneficial-turkish-2022-04-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Erdogan tells Israel's Herzog synergy in energy mutually beneficial -Turkish presidency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, April 1 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog that synergy in the field of energy was mutually beneficial for their countries and that he hoped the momentum built in recent talks would continue, his office said on Friday.
+Turkey and Israel have in recent weeks been working to mend their long-strained ties, and energy has emerged as a potential area of cooperation.
+Herzog visited Turkey last month for talks with Erdogan, and the Turkish leader has said he will send his foreign and energy ministers to Israel for talks. read more
+In a statement, the Turkish presidency said that Erdogan, in a phone call with Herzog, also stressed the importance of allowing Palestinians to enter Israel during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, adding that he welcomed recent Israeli and Palestinian statements calling for easing tensions.
+""Erdogan... repeated that he expected the sensitivity shown by Israeli authorities in keeping Al-Aqsa mosque open 24 hours in the last 10 days of Ramadan and closing it to visits by non-Muslims to continue,"" his office said, adding he also condemned recent terror attacks in Israel.
+Regional rivals Turkey and Israel expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.
+Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has said it believes a rapprochement with Israel will also help find a solution to the issue, but that it would not abandon commitments to Palestinians for better ties with Israel.
+On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he will visit Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez in mid-May and discuss the appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Erdogan tells Israel's Herzog synergy in energy mutually beneficial -Turkish presidency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, April 1 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog that synergy in the field of energy was mutually beneficial for their countries and that he hoped the momentum built in recent talks would continue, his office said on Friday. Turkey and Israel have in recent weeks been working to mend their long-strained ties, and energy has emerged as a potential area of cooperation.  Herzog visited Turkey last month for talks with Erdogan, and the Turkish leader has said he will send his foreign and energy ministers to Israel for talks. read more In a statement, the Turkish presidency said that Erdogan, in a phone call with Herzog, also stressed the importance of allowing Palestinians to enter Israel during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, adding that he welcomed recent Israeli and Palestinian statements calling for easing tensions.
+""Erdogan... repeated that he expected the sensitivity shown by Israeli authorities in keeping Al-Aqsa mosque open 24 hours in the last 10 days of Ramadan and closing it to visits by non-Muslims to continue,"" his office said, adding he also condemned recent terror attacks in Israel. Regional rivals Turkey and Israel expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.
+Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has said it believes a rapprochement with Israel will also help find a solution to the issue, but that it would not abandon commitments to Palestinians for better ties with Israel.  On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he will visit Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez in mid-May and discuss the appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-says-gas-pipeline-with-israel-not-possible-short-term-2022-03-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey says gas pipeline with Israel not possible in short term[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, March 31 (Reuters) - A potential gas pipeline project between Turkey and Israel is not possible in the short-term and building an alternative system to cut dependence on Russia will not happen quickly, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.
+Turkey and Israel have in recent weeks been working to mend their long-strained ties, and energy has emerged as a potential area of cooperation.
+Turkish media on Thursday reported President Tayyip Erdogan as saying he was ""very, very hopeful"" for energy cooperation with Israel, and he hoped to discuss the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
+""If we discuss this subject with Bennett after Ramadan and we take steps immediately, the process will accelerate for Israel-Turkey cooperation, east Mediterranean crude oil and natural gas,"" he told reporters on his plane returning from a trip to Uzbekistan.
+The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on April 2.
+The regional rivals expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.
+Speaking to broadcaster A Haber, Cavusoglu said he would travel to Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez in mid-May and would discuss the appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey says gas pipeline with Israel not possible in short term[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, March 31 (Reuters) - A potential gas pipeline project between Turkey and Israel is not possible in the short-term and building an alternative system to cut dependence on Russia will not happen quickly, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.
+Turkey and Israel have in recent weeks been working to mend their long-strained ties, and energy has emerged as a potential area of cooperation.
+Turkish media on Thursday reported President Tayyip Erdogan as saying he was ""very, very hopeful"" for energy cooperation with Israel, and he hoped to discuss the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. ""If we discuss this subject with Bennett after Ramadan and we take steps immediately, the process will accelerate for Israel-Turkey cooperation, east Mediterranean crude oil and natural gas,"" he told reporters on his plane returning from a trip to Uzbekistan. The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on April 2.
+The regional rivals expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict, Turkish support of the Hamas militant group, which runs Gaza, and other issues.  Speaking to broadcaster A Haber, Cavusoglu said he would travel to Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Donmez in mid-May and would discuss the appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/sandwiched-between-wars-syrian-ukrainian-faces-uncertain-future-2022-03-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Sandwiched between wars, a Syrian-Ukrainian faces an uncertain future[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAMASCUS, March 15 (Reuters) - Born in Syria to a Palestinian father and a Ukrainian mother, Victoria Naji has spent her life in the shadow of conflict.
+Aged 24 and resident in Damascus, Naji came of age during the Syrian war that marks its 11th anniversary on Tuesday having destroyed much of the country.
+Recently graduated in fine arts from Damascus University, she had been planning to travel to Ukraine to seek out opportunities in her mother's homeland - until war erupted there last month.
+""I said to myself 'I can move to Ukraine in the future'. Now the future is very confused,"" said Naji, who is Palestinian, Ukrainian and Syrian. ""I see war everywhere. There is no safe place for me.""
+The war in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced more than half the population from their homes since spiralling out of protests against President Bashar al-Assad in March, 2011. Russia joined the war in 2015, deploying its air force to Syria in support of Assad.
+Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has sent more than 2.8 million people fleeing across Ukraine's borders and trapped hundreds of thousands in besieged cities. read more Russia calls its actions a ""special military operation"" to ""denazify"" the country.
+Naji says her friends and family had been forced to flee Kyiv to safer areas. ""God willing nothing more than this happens to Ukraine,"" she said, as she reflected on happy memories of visits to the country.
+Naji's parents married in 1983 and travelled between Ukraine and Syria before settling in Damascus in 1995. Her grandfather on her mother's side fought in World War Two.On her father's side, the family fled the town of Nazareth in 1948 when Israel was created and 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled. They were granted citizenship in Syria.
+""I should be happy to have three countries to live in, but I can't live in any of them,"" Naji said.
+Naji has lived in relative safety sincethe war in Syria broke out, in an area outside Damascus that was not badly affected. One of her friends came to stay for this reason, after her brother was killed in shelling, she added.
+The main frontlines of the conflict have been largely frozen for several years. But poverty and hardship are worse than at any point since the war erupted. read more
+Speaking about the start of the war, she said: ""The problem is we were young when these things began.""
+""We grew older and got used to them.""
+The Ukraine invasion marks the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two.
+""I am an artist ... I don't understand why this is happening and I don't want to understand, but I have to because it is my cause - as is Palestine ... and of course Syria,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Sandwiched between wars, a Syrian-Ukrainian faces an uncertain future[/TITLE] [CONTENT]DAMASCUS, March 15 (Reuters) - Born in Syria to a Palestinian father and a Ukrainian mother, Victoria Naji has spent her life in the shadow of conflict. Aged 24 and resident in Damascus, Naji came of age during the Syrian war that marks its 11th anniversary on Tuesday having destroyed much of the country. Recently graduated in fine arts from Damascus University, she had been planning to travel to Ukraine to seek out opportunities in her mother's homeland - until war erupted there last month.
+""I said to myself 'I can move to Ukraine in the future'. Now the future is very confused,"" said Naji, who is Palestinian, Ukrainian and Syrian. ""I see war everywhere. There is no safe place for me."" The war in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced more than half the population from their homes since spiralling out of protests against President Bashar al-Assad in March, 2011. Russia joined the war in 2015, deploying its air force to Syria in support of Assad.  Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has sent more than 2.8 million people fleeing across Ukraine's borders and trapped hundreds of thousands in besieged cities. read more Russia calls its actions a ""special military operation"" to ""denazify"" the country. Naji says her friends and family had been forced to flee Kyiv to safer areas. ""God willing nothing more than this happens to Ukraine,"" she said, as she reflected on happy memories of visits to the country.  Naji's parents married in 1983 and travelled between Ukraine and Syria before settling in Damascus in 1995. Her grandfather on her mother's side fought in World War Two. On her father's side, the family fled the town of Nazareth in 1948 when Israel was created and 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled. They were granted citizenship in Syria.  ""I should be happy to have three countries to live in, but I can't live in any of them,"" Naji said.
+Naji has lived in relative safety sincethe war in Syria broke out, in an area outside Damascus that was not badly affected. One of her friends came to stay for this reason, after her brother was killed in shelling, she added.  The main frontlines of the conflict have been largely frozen for several years. But poverty and hardship are worse than at any point since the war erupted. read more"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/sandwiched-between-wars-syrian-ukrainian-faces-uncertain-future-2022-03-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Sandwiched between wars, a Syrian-Ukrainian faces an uncertain future[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DAMASCUS, March 15 (Reuters) - Born in Syria to a Palestinian father and a Ukrainian mother, Victoria Naji has spent her life in the shadow of conflict.
+Aged 24 and resident in Damascus, Naji came of age during the Syrian war that marks its 11th anniversary on Tuesday having destroyed much of the country.
+Recently graduated in fine arts from Damascus University, she had been planning to travel to Ukraine to seek out opportunities in her mother's homeland - until war erupted there last month.
+""I said to myself 'I can move to Ukraine in the future'. Now the future is very confused,"" said Naji, who is Palestinian, Ukrainian and Syrian. ""I see war everywhere. There is no safe place for me.""
+The war in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced more than half the population from their homes since spiralling out of protests against President Bashar al-Assad in March, 2011. Russia joined the war in 2015, deploying its air force to Syria in support of Assad.
+Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has sent more than 2.8 million people fleeing across Ukraine's borders and trapped hundreds of thousands in besieged cities. read more Russia calls its actions a ""special military operation"" to ""denazify"" the country.
+Naji says her friends and family had been forced to flee Kyiv to safer areas. ""God willing nothing more than this happens to Ukraine,"" she said, as she reflected on happy memories of visits to the country.
+Naji's parents married in 1983 and travelled between Ukraine and Syria before settling in Damascus in 1995. Her grandfather on her mother's side fought in World War Two.On her father's side, the family fled the town of Nazareth in 1948 when Israel was created and 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled. They were granted citizenship in Syria.
+""I should be happy to have three countries to live in, but I can't live in any of them,"" Naji said.
+Naji has lived in relative safety sincethe war in Syria broke out, in an area outside Damascus that was not badly affected. One of her friends came to stay for this reason, after her brother was killed in shelling, she added.
+The main frontlines of the conflict have been largely frozen for several years. But poverty and hardship are worse than at any point since the war erupted. read more
+Speaking about the start of the war, she said: ""The problem is we were young when these things began.""
+""We grew older and got used to them.""
+The Ukraine invasion marks the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two.
+""I am an artist ... I don't understand why this is happening and I don't want to understand, but I have to because it is my cause - as is Palestine ... and of course Syria,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Speaking about the start of the war, she said: ""The problem is we were young when these things began.""
+""We grew older and got used to them.""
+The Ukraine invasion marks the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two. ""I am an artist ... I don't understand why this is happening and I don't want to understand, but I have to because it is my cause - as is Palestine ... and of course Syria,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/two-potential-successors-palestinian-president-named-top-posts-2022-02-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Two potential successors to Palestinian president named to top posts[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Two potential successors to 86-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were named on Monday to top posts in the Palestine Liberation Organization at a meeting boycotted by his Islamist rivals.
+Official Palestinian news agency WAFA said the PLO's 141-member Central Council appointed Hussein Al-Sheikh, 61, an Abbas confidant who serves as key liaison with Israel and the United States, to the PLO's Executive Committee.
+He is likely to replace the late Saeb Erekat as the committee's secretary-general.
+The council, meeting for the first time in nearly four years, picked Rawhi Fattouh, 73, another Abbas aide, to head the PLO's highest decision-making body, the National Council.
+Both men were nominated by the Western-backed Abbas and his Fatah party and are widely seen in the Palestinian territories as possible successors. They are not expected to promote any shift in policies over the handling of the conflict with Israel.
+The Hamas and Islamist Jihad movements turned down an invitation to attend the council's two-day session, which began on Sunday, saying Abbas had to institute power-sharing reforms first.
+""These appointments are void, illegal and lack (national) consensus. It is nothing but a redeployment of (Abbas's) team,"" Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in Gaza.
+Abbas heads the PLO and the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. His main rival, Hamas, runs the Gaza Strip, also an Islamic Jihad stronghold.
+Both groups have accused Abbas, who hasn't held a presidential election since 2005, of not doing enough to heal Palestinian divides holding up a ballot. Abbas blames Hamas for the current split.
+Palestinian analysts said the Central Council's appointments could improve Sheikh's and Fattouh's prospects of succeeding Abbas, but internal divisions and other potential challengers cloud the political picture.
+Abbas, who has a history of heart problems, has not proposed a successor.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Two potential successors to Palestinian president named to top posts[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Two potential successors to 86-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were named on Monday to top posts in the Palestine Liberation Organization at a meeting boycotted by his Islamist rivals. Official Palestinian news agency WAFA said the PLO's 141-member Central Council appointed Hussein Al-Sheikh, 61, an Abbas confidant who serves as key liaison with Israel and the United States, to the PLO's Executive Committee. He is likely to replace the late Saeb Erekat as the committee's secretary-general. The council, meeting for the first time in nearly four years, picked Rawhi Fattouh, 73, another Abbas aide, to head the PLO's highest decision-making body, the National Council.  Both men were nominated by the Western-backed Abbas and his Fatah party and are widely seen in the Palestinian territories as possible successors. They are not expected to promote any shift in policies over the handling of the conflict with Israel. The Hamas and Islamist Jihad movements turned down an invitation to attend the council's two-day session, which began on Sunday, saying Abbas had to institute power-sharing reforms first.  ""These appointments are void, illegal and lack (national) consensus. It is nothing but a redeployment of (Abbas's) team,"" Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in Gaza.  Abbas heads the PLO and the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. His main rival, Hamas, runs the Gaza Strip, also an Islamic Jihad stronghold. Both groups have accused Abbas, who hasn't held a presidential election since 2005, of not doing enough to heal Palestinian divides holding up a ballot. Abbas blames Hamas for the current split. Palestinian analysts said the Central Council's appointments could improve Sheikh's and Fattouh's prospects of succeeding Abbas, but internal divisions and other potential challengers cloud the political picture. Abbas, who has a history of heart problems, has not proposed a successor.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/rare-session-key-palestinian-body-could-provide-abbas-succession-clues-2022-02-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rare session of key Palestinian body could provide Abbas succession clues[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank/GAZA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A key Palestinian decision-making body convenes on Sunday for the first time in nearly four years in a session that could be a stepping stone for two potential successors to 86-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas.
+The Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) Central Council last met in 2018, hampered by internal divisions among Palestinians. Hamas and Islamist Jihad movements turned down an invitation to attend Sunday's meeting, saying Abbas had to institute power-sharing reforms first.
+Abbas heads the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. His main rival, Hamas, runs the Gaza Strip, also an Islamic Jihad stronghold.
+The elderly leader, who has a history of heart problems, has not proposed a successor. Both Islamic groups have accused Abbas, who hasn't held a presidential election since 2005, of not doing enough to heal Palestinian divides which are holding up a ballot. Abbas blames Hamas for the current split.
+The 141-member Central Council, meeting on Sunday and Monday, was widely expected to appoint two of Abbas's confidants, Hussein Al-Sheikh and Rawhi Fattouh, to senior posts, effectively placing them on a short list to replace him, Palestinian analysts said.
+Abbas, scheduled to speak at the opening session, wants 61-year-old Sheikh, now a key Palestinian liaison with Israel and the United States, to fill the post of secretary-general of the PLO's Executive Committee, replacing the late Saeb Erekat, the analysts said.
+Fattouh, 73, another Abbas aide, is his choice to head the PLO's highest decision-making body, the National Council.
+Both men are close to Abbas and are not expected to shift policies over the handling of the conflict with Israel.
+But even if the appointments are ratified by the Central Council, the path to succeeding Abbas, elected in 2005 to replace the late Yasser Arafat as PA president, could prove complicated.
+""There is a long list of successors to (Abbas) and there is a clear internal conflict,"" said West Bank-based political analyst George Giacman. ""If something happened to (him) there will be disputes.""
+Relations with Israel were also due to be discussed at the council session. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rare session of key Palestinian body could provide Abbas succession clues[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank/GAZA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A key Palestinian decision-making body convenes on Sunday for the first time in nearly four years in a session that could be a stepping stone for two potential successors to 86-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas. The Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) Central Council last met in 2018, hampered by internal divisions among Palestinians. Hamas and Islamist Jihad movements turned down an invitation to attend Sunday's meeting, saying Abbas had to institute power-sharing reforms first.  Abbas heads the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. His main rival, Hamas, runs the Gaza Strip, also an Islamic Jihad stronghold.  The elderly leader, who has a history of heart problems, has not proposed a successor. Both Islamic groups have accused Abbas, who hasn't held a presidential election since 2005, of not doing enough to heal Palestinian divides which are holding up a ballot. Abbas blames Hamas for the current split. The 141-member Central Council, meeting on Sunday and Monday, was widely expected to appoint two of Abbas's confidants, Hussein Al-Sheikh and Rawhi Fattouh, to senior posts, effectively placing them on a short list to replace him, Palestinian analysts said. Abbas, scheduled to speak at the opening session, wants 61-year-old Sheikh, now a key Palestinian liaison with Israel and the United States, to fill the post of secretary-general of the PLO's Executive Committee, replacing the late Saeb Erekat, the analysts said. Fattouh, 73, another Abbas aide, is his choice to head the PLO's highest decision-making body, the National Council. Both men are close to Abbas and are not expected to shift policies over the handling of the conflict with Israel.  But even if the appointments are ratified by the Central Council, the path to succeeding Abbas, elected in 2005 to replace the late Yasser Arafat as PA president, could prove complicated.
+""There is a long list of successors to (Abbas) and there is a clear internal conflict,"" said West Bank-based political analyst George Giacman. ""If something happened to (him) there will be disputes.""
+Relations with Israel were also due to be discussed at the council session. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/anti-terrorism-law-targeting-plo-is-unconstitutional-ny-judge-rules-2022-01-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Anti-terrorism law targeting PLO is unconstitutional, N.Y. judge rules[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT](Reuters) - Even organizations accused of encouraging heinous acts of violence have constitutional due process rights -- and Congress can't override those rights with what a New York federal judge described as a ""legislative sleight of hand"" in a ruling on Thursday.
+U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan dismissed, opens new tab an Anti-Terrorism Act lawsuit brought against the PLO and the Palestinian Authority by family members of Ari Fuld, an American stabbed to death in 2018 outside a shopping mall in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The judge described the stabbing as brutal and horrific, highlighting the plaintiffs’ allegation that the killer attacked Fuld because he was a Jewish American. The Fuld family’s campaign for justice, Furman said, was “morally compelling.”
+The judge nevertheless concluded that he could not exercise jurisdiction over the case, despite a 2019 law intended to establish victims’ right to sue the groups in U.S. courts. The Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, as I’ll explain, deemed the PLO and the Palestinian Authority to have consented to U.S. jurisdiction if, after the statute’s passage, the groups made so-called “martyr payments” to perpetrators of crimes against Americans and maintained U.S. offices (with some exceptions). Furman balked at the law's intention, concluding that ""Congress should not be permitted to circumvent fundamental constitutional rights through such sleight of hand.""
+Fuld counsel Jeffrey Fleischmann said in an email that his team will appeal the “flawed” decision. “To my knowledge, this is the first time in our nation’s history that a court of the United States has held a statute concerning foreign policy unconstitutional at the behest of a foreign government,” Fuld said. The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, which intervened in the case to defend the constitutionality, opens new tab of the 2019 statute, did not respond to a phone message requesting comment.
+Defense counsel Gassan Baloul of Squire Patton Boggs said in an email, “Judge Furman’s decision was a good January 6 reminder that the constitution remains the supreme law of the land.”
+U.S. courts have wrestled for years with the question of their jurisdiction over the PLO and the Palestinian Authority. As Furman recounts, 11 families obtained a $655.5 million judgment against the groups after a 2015 trial in federal court in Manhattan, only to see the judgment overturned by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2016’s Waldman v. Palestine Liberation Organization, opens new tab. The 2nd Circuit held that under the U.S. Supreme Court’s precedent in Daimler AG v. Baumann, opens new tab, U.S. courts did not have personal jurisdiction. The D.C. Circuit reached the same conclusion in three additional Anti-Terrorism Act cases against the Palestinian groups.
+Congress sought to address the issue in a 2018 statute and the 2019 follow-up at issue in the Fuld case. The 2019 law, which amended the Anti-Terror Act, specifically put the PLO and the Palestinian Authority on notice that if they maintained offices after January 2020 or made payments to alleged terrorists or their survivors after April 2020, the groups would be “deemed to have consented to personal jurisdiction.”
+The Justice Department and the Fuld plaintiffs, who brought their lawsuit after the 2019 amendment was passed, told Furman that because the law gave the Palestinian groups fair warning that their actions would constitute consent to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts, the groups’ due process rights were not violated. The plaintiffs’ brief opposing dismissal, opens new tab pointed out that the Palestinian Authority, in fact, had responded to the 2018 Anti-Terrorism Act amendment by restructuring operations to avoid consenting to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. Those actions, plaintiffs said, showed that the defendants understood the implications of the follow-up 2019 law.
+The Justice Department also emphasized that courts owe deference to Congress and the executive branch in reviewing a law implicating foreign policy. “Congress furthered critical interests in national security and foreign affairs by acting to discourage support for violence harming U.S. nationals,” the DOJ said in its brief.
+Furman, however, said deference to the government on matters of foreign policy does not mean courts should abdicate the job of assuring defendants’ constitutional rights.
+Nor is it sufficient, he said, that the statute gave the groups fair warning of the conduct that would trigger their purported consent to jurisdiction. Echoing a defense brief, opens new tab on the jurisdictional question, Furman cited the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1999’s College Saving Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board, opens new tab, in which the justices held that Florida could not be deemed to have waived constitutional immunity merely by operating in an area subject to Congressional regulation. There has to be more to jurisdictional consent, Furman said, than conduct post-dating the enactment of a statute.
+“A defendant's knowing and voluntary consent is a valid basis to subject it to the jurisdiction of a court, but Congress cannot simply declare anything it wants to be consent,” the judge wrote. “To hold otherwise would let fiction get the better of fact and make a mockery of the Due Process Clause.”
+In this case, he said, Congress was all too transparent: The 2019 law specifically addressed conduct that the 2nd and D.C. Circuits had already held insufficient to establish jurisdiction and declared it to signify the groups’ consent. But according to Furman, “neither form of conduct, as alleged in this case, even remotely signals approval or acceptance of the court's jurisdiction.” The statute, he said, “is too cute by half to satisfy the requirements of due process.”
+Furman is the first trial judge to rule on the constitutionality of the 2019 law but he won’t be the last. In 2020, the Supreme Court remanded the four previous cases in which appellate courts rejected jurisdiction over the PLO and the Palestinian Authority for a new look in light of the statute’s amendment of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Those cases are pending.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Anti-terrorism law targeting PLO is unconstitutional , N.Y. judge rules[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT](Reuters) - Even organizations accused of encouraging heinous acts of violence have constitutional due process rights -- and Congress can't override those rights with what a New York federal judge described as a ""legislative sleight of hand"" in a ruling on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan dismissed, opens new tab an Anti-Terrorism Act lawsuit brought against the PLO and the Palestinian Authority by family members of Ari Fuld, an American stabbed to death in 2018 outside a shopping mall in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The judge described the stabbing as brutal and horrific, highlighting the plaintiffs’ allegation that the killer attacked Fuld because he was a Jewish American. The Fuld family’s campaign for justice, Furman said, was “morally compelling.” The judge nevertheless concluded that he could not exercise jurisdiction over the case, despite a 2019 law intended to establish victims’ right to sue the groups in U.S. courts. The Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, as I’ll explain, deemed the PLO and the Palestinian Authority to have consented to U.S. jurisdiction if, after the statute’s passage, the groups made so-called “martyr payments” to perpetrators of crimes against Americans and maintained U.S. offices (with some exceptions). Furman balked at the law's intention, concluding that ""Congress should not be permitted to circumvent fundamental constitutional rights through such sleight of hand."" Fuld counsel Jeffrey Fleischmann said in an email that his team will appeal the “flawed” decision. “To my knowledge, this is the first time in our nation’s history that a court of the United States has held a statute concerning foreign policy unconstitutional at the behest of a foreign government,” Fuld said. The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, which intervened in the case to defend the constitutionality, opens new tab of the 2019 statute, did not respond to a phone message requesting comment.  Defense counsel Gassan Baloul of Squire Patton Boggs said in an email, “Judge Furman’s decision was a good January 6 reminder that the constitution remains the supreme law of the land.”
+U.S. courts have wrestled for years with the question of their jurisdiction over the PLO and the Palestinian Authority. As Furman recounts, 11 families obtained a $655.5 million judgment against the groups after a 2015 trial in federal court in Manhattan, only to see the judgment overturned by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2016’s Waldman v. Palestine Liberation Organization, opens new tab."
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/anti-terrorism-law-targeting-plo-is-unconstitutional-ny-judge-rules-2022-01-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Anti-terrorism law targeting PLO is unconstitutional, N.Y. judge rules[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT](Reuters) - Even organizations accused of encouraging heinous acts of violence have constitutional due process rights -- and Congress can't override those rights with what a New York federal judge described as a ""legislative sleight of hand"" in a ruling on Thursday.
+U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan dismissed, opens new tab an Anti-Terrorism Act lawsuit brought against the PLO and the Palestinian Authority by family members of Ari Fuld, an American stabbed to death in 2018 outside a shopping mall in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The judge described the stabbing as brutal and horrific, highlighting the plaintiffs’ allegation that the killer attacked Fuld because he was a Jewish American. The Fuld family’s campaign for justice, Furman said, was “morally compelling.”
+The judge nevertheless concluded that he could not exercise jurisdiction over the case, despite a 2019 law intended to establish victims’ right to sue the groups in U.S. courts. The Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, as I’ll explain, deemed the PLO and the Palestinian Authority to have consented to U.S. jurisdiction if, after the statute’s passage, the groups made so-called “martyr payments” to perpetrators of crimes against Americans and maintained U.S. offices (with some exceptions). Furman balked at the law's intention, concluding that ""Congress should not be permitted to circumvent fundamental constitutional rights through such sleight of hand.""
+Fuld counsel Jeffrey Fleischmann said in an email that his team will appeal the “flawed” decision. “To my knowledge, this is the first time in our nation’s history that a court of the United States has held a statute concerning foreign policy unconstitutional at the behest of a foreign government,” Fuld said. The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, which intervened in the case to defend the constitutionality, opens new tab of the 2019 statute, did not respond to a phone message requesting comment.
+Defense counsel Gassan Baloul of Squire Patton Boggs said in an email, “Judge Furman’s decision was a good January 6 reminder that the constitution remains the supreme law of the land.”
+U.S. courts have wrestled for years with the question of their jurisdiction over the PLO and the Palestinian Authority. As Furman recounts, 11 families obtained a $655.5 million judgment against the groups after a 2015 trial in federal court in Manhattan, only to see the judgment overturned by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2016’s Waldman v. Palestine Liberation Organization, opens new tab. The 2nd Circuit held that under the U.S. Supreme Court’s precedent in Daimler AG v. Baumann, opens new tab, U.S. courts did not have personal jurisdiction. The D.C. Circuit reached the same conclusion in three additional Anti-Terrorism Act cases against the Palestinian groups.
+Congress sought to address the issue in a 2018 statute and the 2019 follow-up at issue in the Fuld case. The 2019 law, which amended the Anti-Terror Act, specifically put the PLO and the Palestinian Authority on notice that if they maintained offices after January 2020 or made payments to alleged terrorists or their survivors after April 2020, the groups would be “deemed to have consented to personal jurisdiction.”
+The Justice Department and the Fuld plaintiffs, who brought their lawsuit after the 2019 amendment was passed, told Furman that because the law gave the Palestinian groups fair warning that their actions would constitute consent to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts, the groups’ due process rights were not violated. The plaintiffs’ brief opposing dismissal, opens new tab pointed out that the Palestinian Authority, in fact, had responded to the 2018 Anti-Terrorism Act amendment by restructuring operations to avoid consenting to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. Those actions, plaintiffs said, showed that the defendants understood the implications of the follow-up 2019 law.
+The Justice Department also emphasized that courts owe deference to Congress and the executive branch in reviewing a law implicating foreign policy. “Congress furthered critical interests in national security and foreign affairs by acting to discourage support for violence harming U.S. nationals,” the DOJ said in its brief.
+Furman, however, said deference to the government on matters of foreign policy does not mean courts should abdicate the job of assuring defendants’ constitutional rights.
+Nor is it sufficient, he said, that the statute gave the groups fair warning of the conduct that would trigger their purported consent to jurisdiction. Echoing a defense brief, opens new tab on the jurisdictional question, Furman cited the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1999’s College Saving Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board, opens new tab, in which the justices held that Florida could not be deemed to have waived constitutional immunity merely by operating in an area subject to Congressional regulation. There has to be more to jurisdictional consent, Furman said, than conduct post-dating the enactment of a statute.
+“A defendant's knowing and voluntary consent is a valid basis to subject it to the jurisdiction of a court, but Congress cannot simply declare anything it wants to be consent,” the judge wrote. “To hold otherwise would let fiction get the better of fact and make a mockery of the Due Process Clause.”
+In this case, he said, Congress was all too transparent: The 2019 law specifically addressed conduct that the 2nd and D.C. Circuits had already held insufficient to establish jurisdiction and declared it to signify the groups’ consent. But according to Furman, “neither form of conduct, as alleged in this case, even remotely signals approval or acceptance of the court's jurisdiction.” The statute, he said, “is too cute by half to satisfy the requirements of due process.”
+Furman is the first trial judge to rule on the constitutionality of the 2019 law but he won’t be the last. In 2020, the Supreme Court remanded the four previous cases in which appellate courts rejected jurisdiction over the PLO and the Palestinian Authority for a new look in light of the statute’s amendment of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Those cases are pending.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The 2nd Circuit held that under the U.S. Supreme Court’s precedent in Daimler AG v. Baumann, opens new tab, U.S. courts did not have personal jurisdiction. The D.C. Circuit reached the same conclusion in three additional Anti-Terrorism Act cases against the Palestinian groups.  Congress sought to address the issue in a 2018 statute and the 2019 follow-up at issue in the Fuld case. The 2019 law, which amended the Anti-Terror Act, specifically put the PLO and the Palestinian Authority on notice that if they maintained offices after January 2020 or made payments to alleged terrorists or their survivors after April 2020, the groups would be “deemed to have consented to personal jurisdiction.”  The Justice Department and the Fuld plaintiffs, who brought their lawsuit after the 2019 amendment was passed, told Furman that because the law gave the Palestinian groups fair warning that their actions would constitute consent to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts, the groups’ due process rights were not violated. The plaintiffs’ brief opposing dismissal, opens new tab pointed out that the Palestinian Authority, in fact, had responded to the 2018 Anti-Terrorism Act amendment by restructuring operations to avoid consenting to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. Those actions, plaintiffs said, showed that the defendants understood the implications of the follow-up 2019 law. The Justice Department also emphasized that courts owe deference to Congress and the executive branch in reviewing a law implicating foreign policy. “Congress furthered critical interests in national security and foreign affairs by acting to discourage support for violence harming U.S. nationals,” the DOJ said in its brief. Furman, however, said deference to the government on matters of foreign policy does not mean courts should abdicate the job of assuring defendants’ constitutional rights. Nor is it sufficient, he said, that the statute gave the groups fair warning of the conduct that would trigger their purported consent to jurisdiction. Echoing a defense brief, opens new tab on the jurisdictional question, Furman cited the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1999’s College Saving Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board, opens new tab, in which the justices held that Florida could not be deemed to have waived constitutional immunity merely by operating in an area subject to Congressional regulation. There has to be more to jurisdictional consent, Furman said, than conduct post-dating the enactment of a statute. “A defendant's knowing and voluntary consent is a valid basis to subject it to the jurisdiction of a court, but Congress cannot simply declare anything it wants to be consent,” the judge wrote."
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/anti-terrorism-law-targeting-plo-is-unconstitutional-ny-judge-rules-2022-01-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Anti-terrorism law targeting PLO is unconstitutional, N.Y. judge rules[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT](Reuters) - Even organizations accused of encouraging heinous acts of violence have constitutional due process rights -- and Congress can't override those rights with what a New York federal judge described as a ""legislative sleight of hand"" in a ruling on Thursday.
+U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan dismissed, opens new tab an Anti-Terrorism Act lawsuit brought against the PLO and the Palestinian Authority by family members of Ari Fuld, an American stabbed to death in 2018 outside a shopping mall in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The judge described the stabbing as brutal and horrific, highlighting the plaintiffs’ allegation that the killer attacked Fuld because he was a Jewish American. The Fuld family’s campaign for justice, Furman said, was “morally compelling.”
+The judge nevertheless concluded that he could not exercise jurisdiction over the case, despite a 2019 law intended to establish victims’ right to sue the groups in U.S. courts. The Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, as I’ll explain, deemed the PLO and the Palestinian Authority to have consented to U.S. jurisdiction if, after the statute’s passage, the groups made so-called “martyr payments” to perpetrators of crimes against Americans and maintained U.S. offices (with some exceptions). Furman balked at the law's intention, concluding that ""Congress should not be permitted to circumvent fundamental constitutional rights through such sleight of hand.""
+Fuld counsel Jeffrey Fleischmann said in an email that his team will appeal the “flawed” decision. “To my knowledge, this is the first time in our nation’s history that a court of the United States has held a statute concerning foreign policy unconstitutional at the behest of a foreign government,” Fuld said. The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, which intervened in the case to defend the constitutionality, opens new tab of the 2019 statute, did not respond to a phone message requesting comment.
+Defense counsel Gassan Baloul of Squire Patton Boggs said in an email, “Judge Furman’s decision was a good January 6 reminder that the constitution remains the supreme law of the land.”
+U.S. courts have wrestled for years with the question of their jurisdiction over the PLO and the Palestinian Authority. As Furman recounts, 11 families obtained a $655.5 million judgment against the groups after a 2015 trial in federal court in Manhattan, only to see the judgment overturned by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2016’s Waldman v. Palestine Liberation Organization, opens new tab. The 2nd Circuit held that under the U.S. Supreme Court’s precedent in Daimler AG v. Baumann, opens new tab, U.S. courts did not have personal jurisdiction. The D.C. Circuit reached the same conclusion in three additional Anti-Terrorism Act cases against the Palestinian groups.
+Congress sought to address the issue in a 2018 statute and the 2019 follow-up at issue in the Fuld case. The 2019 law, which amended the Anti-Terror Act, specifically put the PLO and the Palestinian Authority on notice that if they maintained offices after January 2020 or made payments to alleged terrorists or their survivors after April 2020, the groups would be “deemed to have consented to personal jurisdiction.”
+The Justice Department and the Fuld plaintiffs, who brought their lawsuit after the 2019 amendment was passed, told Furman that because the law gave the Palestinian groups fair warning that their actions would constitute consent to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts, the groups’ due process rights were not violated. The plaintiffs’ brief opposing dismissal, opens new tab pointed out that the Palestinian Authority, in fact, had responded to the 2018 Anti-Terrorism Act amendment by restructuring operations to avoid consenting to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. Those actions, plaintiffs said, showed that the defendants understood the implications of the follow-up 2019 law.
+The Justice Department also emphasized that courts owe deference to Congress and the executive branch in reviewing a law implicating foreign policy. “Congress furthered critical interests in national security and foreign affairs by acting to discourage support for violence harming U.S. nationals,” the DOJ said in its brief.
+Furman, however, said deference to the government on matters of foreign policy does not mean courts should abdicate the job of assuring defendants’ constitutional rights.
+Nor is it sufficient, he said, that the statute gave the groups fair warning of the conduct that would trigger their purported consent to jurisdiction. Echoing a defense brief, opens new tab on the jurisdictional question, Furman cited the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1999’s College Saving Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board, opens new tab, in which the justices held that Florida could not be deemed to have waived constitutional immunity merely by operating in an area subject to Congressional regulation. There has to be more to jurisdictional consent, Furman said, than conduct post-dating the enactment of a statute.
+“A defendant's knowing and voluntary consent is a valid basis to subject it to the jurisdiction of a court, but Congress cannot simply declare anything it wants to be consent,” the judge wrote. “To hold otherwise would let fiction get the better of fact and make a mockery of the Due Process Clause.”
+In this case, he said, Congress was all too transparent: The 2019 law specifically addressed conduct that the 2nd and D.C. Circuits had already held insufficient to establish jurisdiction and declared it to signify the groups’ consent. But according to Furman, “neither form of conduct, as alleged in this case, even remotely signals approval or acceptance of the court's jurisdiction.” The statute, he said, “is too cute by half to satisfy the requirements of due process.”
+Furman is the first trial judge to rule on the constitutionality of the 2019 law but he won’t be the last. In 2020, the Supreme Court remanded the four previous cases in which appellate courts rejected jurisdiction over the PLO and the Palestinian Authority for a new look in light of the statute’s amendment of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Those cases are pending.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","“To hold otherwise would let fiction get the better of fact and make a mockery of the Due Process Clause.” In this case, he said, Congress was all too transparent: The 2019 law specifically addressed conduct that the 2nd and D.C. Circuits had already held insufficient to establish jurisdiction and declared it to signify the groups’ consent. But according to Furman, “neither form of conduct, as alleged in this case, even remotely signals approval or acceptance of the court's jurisdiction.” The statute, he said, “is too cute by half to satisfy the requirements of due process.”  Furman is the first trial judge to rule on the constitutionality of the 2019 law but he won’t be the last. In 2020, the Supreme Court remanded the four previous cases in which appellate courts rejected jurisdiction over the PLO and the Palestinian Authority for a new look in light of the statute’s amendment of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Those cases are pending.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/government-withdraws-support-miss-south-africa-resisting-israel-boycott-2021-11-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Government withdraws support for Miss South Africa for resisting Israel boycott[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JOHANNESBURG, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The South African government has withdrawn its support for Miss South Africa after the organisation refused to pull out of the Miss Universe contest in Israel, amid calls for a boycott to show support for the Palestinian people.
+Pro-Palestine organisations have called on Lalela Mswane, crowned Miss South Africa in October, and pageant organiser Miss SA to boycott the December event to condemn Israel's treatment of the Palestinian people.
+The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture said in a statement on Sunday it had tried to persuade Miss SA to withdraw from the event and still hopes to convince Mswane.
+South Africa has a long history supporting the Palestinian people, and Israel's treatment of Palestians reminds many in the country of apartheid crimes against its Black population. Israel denies it maintains an apartheid policy against Palestinians.
+Political parties including the ruling African National Congress and some of the country's biggest trade unions also support the boycott.
+""At this stage, the participation of so-called Miss South Africa would be irrelevant,"" said Bram Hanekom, a board member at Palestinian solidarity group Africa4Palestine.
+""Nobody can say she is representing the country... (it) would leave her absolutely alone with the organisers who seem hell bent to proceed.""
+The Israeli government did not immediately comment. Miss SA did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Mswane also did not respond to messages sent to Instagram accounts belonging to her and a foundation she set up.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Government withdraws support for Miss South Africa for resisting Israel boycott[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JOHANNESBURG, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The South African government has withdrawn its support for Miss South Africa after the organisation refused to pull out of the Miss Universe contest in Israel, amid calls for a boycott to show support for the Palestinian people. Pro-Palestine organisations have called on Lalela Mswane, crowned Miss South Africa in October, and pageant organiser Miss SA to boycott the December event to condemn Israel's treatment of the Palestinian people.  The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture said in a statement on Sunday it had tried to persuade Miss SA to withdraw from the event and still hopes to convince Mswane.
+South Africa has a long history supporting the Palestinian people, and Israel's treatment of Palestians reminds many in the country of apartheid crimes against its Black population. Israel denies it maintains an apartheid policy against Palestinians.  Political parties including the ruling African National Congress and some of the country's biggest trade unions also support the boycott.
+"" At this stage, the participation of so-called Miss South Africa would be irrelevant,"" said Bram Hanekom, a board member at Palestinian solidarity group Africa4Palestine.  ""Nobody can say she is representing the country... (it) would leave her absolutely alone with the organisers who seem hell bent to proceed.""
+The Israeli government did not immediately comment. Miss SA did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Mswane also did not respond to messages sent to Instagram accounts belonging to her and a foundation she set up.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/spanish-citizen-pleads-guilty-funnelling-funds-palestinian-militants-israel-says-2021-11-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Spanish citizen pleads guilty to funnelling funds to Palestinian militants, Israel says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 10 (Reuters) - A Spanish resident of the occupied West Bank pleaded guilty in Israeli military court on Wednesday to diverting European aid to a Palestinian faction that is on the European Union's terrorism list, Israel's Foreign Ministry and military said.
+Israeli leaders held up Juana Ruiz Rishwami's conviction as evidence supporting their designation in October of six Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organisations, also accusing them of diverting EU funds to militants.
+Rishmawi, a fundraiser for the Health Work Committees (HWC), a Palestinian aid group, was convicted on charges that included activity in a proscribed organisation and illicit money transfers.
+Israel said Rishmawi ""duped"" European donors using financial records doctored to hide cash diversions to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a left-wing Palestinian faction with an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis.
+Rishmawi's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment. The PFLP has denied the Israeli allegations, as do the six Palestinian civil society groups, whose designation as terrorists drew condemnation from the United Nations.
+The Israeli military said Rishmawi will be sentenced on Nov. 17.
+""The entire international community must work together with Israel in order to prevent terrorist organizations from using the veneer of civilian cover, and to prevent aid funds from reaching terrorist organizations,"" Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement.
+Kayed al-Goul, a senior PFLP official in Gaza, accused Lapid of trying to use Rishmawi's conviction to deflect international criticism.
+""Israel has been embarrassed by the international response to its decision to label six Palestinian civil society groups as terror groups and Lapid's statement and the so-called conviction is a helpless attempt to respond,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Spanish citizen pleads guilty to funnelling funds to Palestinian militants, Israel says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 10 (Reuters) - A Spanish resident of the occupied West Bank pleaded guilty in Israeli military court on Wednesday to diverting European aid to a Palestinian faction that is on the European Union's terrorism list, Israel's Foreign Ministry and military said.  Israeli leaders held up Juana Ruiz Rishwami's conviction as evidence supporting their designation in October of six Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organisations, also accusing them of diverting EU funds to militants.
+Rishmawi, a fundraiser for the Health Work Committees (HWC), a Palestinian aid group, was convicted on charges that included activity in a proscribed organisation and illicit money transfers.
+Israel said Rishmawi ""duped"" European donors using financial records doctored to hide cash diversions to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a left-wing Palestinian faction with an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis.
+Rishmawi's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment. The PFLP has denied the Israeli allegations, as do the six Palestinian civil society groups, whose designation as terrorists drew condemnation from the United Nations. The Israeli military said Rishmawi will be sentenced on Nov. 17. ""The entire international community must work together with Israel in order to prevent terrorist organizations from using the veneer of civilian cover, and to prevent aid funds from reaching terrorist organizations,"" Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement. Kayed al-Goul, a senior PFLP official in Gaza, accused Lapid of trying to use Rishmawi's conviction to deflect international criticism.  ""Israel has been embarrassed by the international response to its decision to label six Palestinian civil society groups as terror groups and Lapid's statement and the so-called conviction is a helpless attempt to respond,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/unesco-chief-re-elected-second-term-2021-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNESCO chief re-elected for second-term[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay was elected to a second four-year term as head of the United Nations' cultural agency on Tuesday after a vote of its 193 members.
+Azoulay was appointed in 2017 after a bitter campaign. Her mandate was to revive the organisation's fortunes after former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States over accusations of anti-Israel bias.
+The agency, founded in the ashes of World War Two to protect the common cultural inheritance of humanity, is best known for designating and protecting archaeological and heritage sites, from the Galapagos Islands to the tombs of Timbuktu.
+Most of its activities are uncontroversial, but issues such as resolutions about how religious sites should be run in Jerusalem have been highly charged and the United States quit over accusations of anti-Israeli bias by the body.
+Washington is currently making early moves toward rejoining the agency, congressional and diplomatic sources have told Reuters. read more
+The United States provided one-fifth of the Paris-based agency's funding, but former U.S. President Barack Obama stopped paying in 2011 when Palestine became a full member because it is barred by U.S. law.
+U.S. law forbids Washington from funding U.N. bodies that have admitted Palestine as a full member, although a waiver can be sought.
+Washington owed $542 million when it quit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNESCO chief re-elected for second-term[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay was elected to a second four-year term as head of the United Nations' cultural agency on Tuesday after a vote of its 193 members.  Azoulay was appointed in 2017 after a bitter campaign. Her mandate was to revive the organisation's fortunes after former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States over accusations of anti-Israel bias. The agency, founded in the ashes of World War Two to protect the common cultural inheritance of humanity, is best known for designating and protecting archaeological and heritage sites, from the Galapagos Islands to the tombs of Timbuktu. Most of its activities are uncontroversial, but issues such as resolutions about how religious sites should be run in Jerusalem have been highly charged and the United States quit over accusations of anti-Israeli bias by the body. Washington is currently making early moves toward rejoining the agency, congressional and diplomatic sources have told Reuters. read more The United States provided one-fifth of the Paris-based agency's funding, but former U.S. President Barack Obama stopped paying in 2011 when Palestine became a full member because it is barred by U.S. law. U.S. law forbids Washington from funding U.N. bodies that have admitted Palestine as a full member, although a waiver can be sought. Washington owed $542 million when it quit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/rare-golan-heights-movie-is-highlight-palestinian-film-festival-2021-11-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rare Golan Heights movie is highlight of Palestinian film festival[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 8 (Reuters) - A rare film to be shot in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights proved a highlight of this year's six-day Palestine Cinema Days festival that ends on Monday, with hundreds flocking to watch the movie that has Syria's civil war as its backdrop.
+""The Stranger"" tells the story of Adnan, a resident of the Golan who feels like an outsider in his own community but finds a new sense of purpose in helping a man who arrives in the territory after being wounded in the Syrian conflict.
+Director and screenwriter Ameer Fakher Eldin said Adnan's experience is that of many Syrians separated from their home country in the Golan, territory that Israel captured in a 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognised internationally.
+""We live (in the Golan) on the border fence with our homeland. Imagine hearing the echoes of war but not seeing the war for 10 years,"" he said of the civil war in President Bashar al-Assad's Syria that erupted in 2011.
+Fakher Eldin told Reuters that that experience had prompted him to ask ""who do these wars belong to... and is it a war inside of us or not"".
+UNUSUAL FESTIVAL
+At the start of Palestine Cinema Days, now in its eighth year, actors and filmmakers posed on the red carpet outside Ramallah's Cultural Palace in the occupied West Bank, in scenes typical of film festivals everywhere.
+But unlike them, this festival is held across six cities often separated by borders and checkpoints. The films were seen in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Nazareth and Haifa, and audiences included members of Israel's Arab minority who regard themselves as Palestinian citizens of Israel.
+""We want to reach our audience in the different cities and towns,"" said festival spokesperson Khulood Badawi.
+""We want to give them this opportunity to go back to the cinema and to revive cinema culture in these cities despite the obstacles that the Israeli occupation is imposing.""
+Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 conflict and cites security concerns in maintaining checkpoints across the territory.
+Among other films screened at the 2021 festival was ""Bread and Butter"", which documents the precarious commute, via crowded checkpoints, of Palestinians to jobs in Israel and of those without work permits who are smuggled into the country.
+""Cinema is a tool, to raise our voices, to tell our story, our narrative,"" said Badawi.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Rare Golan Heights movie is highlight of Palestinian film festival[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 8 (Reuters) - A rare film to be shot in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights proved a highlight of this year's six-day Palestine Cinema Days festival that ends on Monday, with hundreds flocking to watch the movie that has Syria's civil war as its backdrop. ""The Stranger"" tells the story of Adnan, a resident of the Golan who feels like an outsider in his own community but finds a new sense of purpose in helping a man who arrives in the territory after being wounded in the Syrian conflict. Director and screenwriter Ameer Fakher Eldin said Adnan's experience is that of many Syrians separated from their home country in the Golan, territory that Israel captured in a 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognised internationally. ""We live (in the Golan) on the border fence with our homeland. Imagine hearing the echoes of war but not seeing the war for 10 years,"" he said of the civil war in President Bashar al-Assad's Syria that erupted in 2011. Fakher Eldin told Reuters that that experience had prompted him to ask ""who do these wars belong to... and is it a war inside of us or not"". UNUSUAL FESTIVAL At the start of Palestine Cinema Days, now in its eighth year, actors and filmmakers posed on the red carpet outside Ramallah's Cultural Palace in the occupied West Bank, in scenes typical of film festivals everywhere.  But unlike them, this festival is held across six cities often separated by borders and checkpoints. The films were seen in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Nazareth and Haifa, and audiences included members of Israel's Arab minority who regard themselves as Palestinian citizens of Israel. ""We want to reach our audience in the different cities and towns,"" said festival spokesperson Khulood Badawi. ""We want to give them this opportunity to go back to the cinema and to revive cinema culture in these cities despite the obstacles that the Israeli occupation is imposing.""
+Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 conflict and cites security concerns in maintaining checkpoints across the territory. Among other films screened at the 2021 festival was ""Bread and Butter"", which documents the precarious commute, via crowded checkpoints, of Palestinians to jobs in Israel and of those without work permits who are smuggled into the country.  ""Cinema is a tool, to raise our voices, to tell our story, our narrative,"" said Badawi.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-boy-killed-by-israeli-forces-west-bank-clash-health-ministry-2021-11-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian boy killed by Israeli forces in West Bank clash: health ministry[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot and killed a 13-year-old Palestinian boy during clashes in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry said.
+The Israeli military said Palestinians had hurled rocks towards its troops at the scene of the incident, east of the city of Nablus in the central West Bank.
+""The troops responded with riot dispersal means and live fire. We are aware of reports of a killed Palestinian. The incident is under review,"" the military said.
+The boy was shot in the abdomen and died soon after being rushed to hospital, the health ministry and medics said.
+Six other Palestinians were treated at the scene of the clashes in the village of Beit Dajan after inhaling tear gas launched by Israeli troops, the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said.
+Violence has simmered in the West Bank, part of territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war, since U.S.-sponsored peace talks broke down in 2014. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem for a future state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian boy killed by Israeli forces in West Bank clash: health ministry[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot and killed a 13-year-old Palestinian boy during clashes in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry said. The Israeli military said Palestinians had hurled rocks towards its troops at the scene of the incident, east of the city of Nablus in the central West Bank.  ""The troops responded with riot dispersal means and live fire. We are aware of reports of a killed Palestinian. The incident is under review,"" the military said. The boy was shot in the abdomen and died soon after being rushed to hospital, the health ministry and medics said. Six other Palestinians were treated at the scene of the clashes in the village of Beit Dajan after inhaling tear gas launched by Israeli troops, the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said. Violence has simmered in the West Bank, part of territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war, since U.S.-sponsored peace talks broke down in 2014. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem for a future state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/finnish-christian-charity-cuts-ties-with-palestinian-ngo-accused-by-israel-2021-11-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Finnish Christian charity cuts ties with Palestinian NGO accused by Israel of aiding militants[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HELSINKI/JERUSALEM, Nov 5 (Reuters) - A Finnish Christian missionary group has cut ties with a Palestinian children's rights NGO which Israel labelled a terrorist organisation, opens new tab, the charity's executive director said, citing concerns about possible banking sanctions.
+Defence for Children International-Palestine (DCIP) is one of six Palestinian groups Israel accused of funnelling donor aid to militants. It rejects the charge and says it has asked the missionary society Felm to reconsider cutting funds.
+Israel says the six accused groups have close ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has carried out deadly attacks on Israelis and is on U.S. and EU terrorism blacklists. read more
+Felm executive director Rolf Steffansson said his organisation had seen no evidence its funding had been misused.
+""We have actively monitored the use of the money and it has been used for work advancing children's rights,"" Steffansson, whose organisation provided DCIP with 30,000 euros annually from 2015 to 2021, told Reuters.
+But the Israeli designation had made it impossible to maintain ties with the group, Steffansson added.
+""It could have impacted the work we do in 30 countries through banking services for example,"" he said.
+DCIP, which relies on European aid to fund its advocacy and rights monitoring work in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, told Reuters no other donors had moved to cut off funding since the Israeli designation.
+""We have been subject to escalating delegitimisation and disinformation campaigns advanced by an international network of extremist groups with the support of Israeli government ministries,"" DCIP Director General Khaled Quzmar said via a lawyer.
+Felm operates under the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and receives part of its funding from the Finnish foreign ministry. None of that money has been channelled to DCIP, Steffansson and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told Reuters.
+Haavisto said he understood Felm's concern that cooperation with DCIP could impact its other aid work, but added: ""According to our understanding, the group has done normal peaceful civil society work.""
+Asked by Reuters for evidence backing its accusations that the organisations funnelled money to PFLP, an Israeli official said such documentation was classified.
+Haavisto said he was worried the Israeli designation would harm Palestinian civil society and children's rights work in territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. The United Nations and rights watchdogs have voiced similar concerns.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Finnish Christian charity cuts ties with Palestinian NGO accused by Israel of aiding militants[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HELSINKI/JERUSALEM, Nov 5 (Reuters) - A Finnish Christian missionary group has cut ties with a Palestinian children's rights NGO which Israel labelled a terrorist organisation, opens new tab, the charity's executive director said, citing concerns about possible banking sanctions.  Defence for Children International-Palestine (DCIP) is one of six Palestinian groups Israel accused of funnelling donor aid to militants. It rejects the charge and says it has asked the missionary society Felm to reconsider cutting funds.  Israel says the six accused groups have close ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has carried out deadly attacks on Israelis and is on U.S. and EU terrorism blacklists. read more
+Felm executive director Rolf Steffansson said his organisation had seen no evidence its funding had been misused. ""We have actively monitored the use of the money and it has been used for work advancing children's rights,"" Steffansson, whose organisation provided DCIP with 30,000 euros annually from 2015 to 2021, told Reuters. But the Israeli designation had made it impossible to maintain ties with the group, Steffansson added. ""It could have impacted the work we do in 30 countries through banking services for example,"" he said. DCIP, which relies on European aid to fund its advocacy and rights monitoring work in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, told Reuters no other donors had moved to cut off funding since the Israeli designation.  ""We have been subject to escalating delegitimisation and disinformation campaigns advanced by an international network of extremist groups with the support of Israeli government ministries,"" DCIP Director General Khaled Quzmar said via a lawyer.
+Felm operates under the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and receives part of its funding from the Finnish foreign ministry. None of that money has been channelled to DCIP, Steffansson and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told Reuters. Haavisto said he understood Felm's concern that cooperation with DCIP could impact its other aid work, but added: ""According to our understanding, the group has done normal peaceful civil society work."" Asked by Reuters for evidence backing its accusations that the organisations funnelled money to PFLP, an Israeli official said such documentation was classified.  Haavisto said he was worried the Israeli designation would harm Palestinian civil society and children's rights work in territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. The United Nations and rights watchdogs have voiced similar concerns.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-brings-palestinians-aid-no-new-peace-plan-2022-07-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden brings Palestinians aid but no new peace plan[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BETHLEHEM, West Bank, July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden promised on Friday not to give up efforts to end the decades-long Israeli Palestinian conflict, though he offered no new proposals to restart the stalled political dialogue between the two sides.
+As he wrapped up the first leg of a Middle Eastern trip before departing for Saudi Arabia, Biden visited a hospital in East Jerusalem and pledged a multi-year $100 million package of financial and technical help.
+But after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank town of Bethlehem, he acknowledged that the creation of an independent Palestinian state remained a distant prospect.
+""Even if the ground is not ripe at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on trying to bring the Palestinians and Israelis and both sides closer together,"" he said.
+Abbas said prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict, the model favoured by the United States and world bodies including the United Nations, were receding and the opportunity ""may not remain for a long time"".
+""Is it not time for this occupation to end?"" Abbas said.
+He reiterated demands that the United States open a consulate in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as the capital of a future independent state, remove the Palestine Liberation Organization from a list of terrorist groups and allow it to re-open an office in Washington.
+He also asked for U.S. support to bring to justice the killers of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American citizen who was killed during an Israeli raid on the West Bank city of Jenin.
+Abbas repeated the Palestinian demand for East Jerusalem to become their capital, although a White House statement said the U.S. had not changed its position that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and that its specific boundaries would have to be negotiated by the two sides.
+U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the two leaders discussed the consulate issue and said the administration did want to re-open the consulate closed by former President Donald Trump, which is located in the west of the city. But no public announcements were made on the trip.
+Before his visit, Palestinian leaders had accused Biden of prioritizing Israel's integration into a regional security arrangement with Arab countries above their concerns, including self-determination and continued Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, occupied after a war in 1967.
+
+""PALESTINIANS ARE HURTING""
+Biden acknowledged that after years of failed attempts to resolve the conflict, Palestinians living under onerous restrictions in the occupied West Bank and Gaza were suffering.
+""The Palestinian people are hurting now, you can just feel it,"" he said.
+As well as the money for East Jerusalem hospitals, he will announce measures to upgrade telecoms networks in the West Bank and Gaza to 4G standards by the end of 2023, and other measures to ease travel between the West Bank and neighbouring Jordan.
+There will be a separate $201 million funding package provided through UN relief agency UNRWA to help Palestinian refugees.
+Before departing, Biden visited the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to show support for Christians ""who face challenges across the region,"" the White house said.
+But the atmosphere that greeted Biden in the occupied West Bank was very different from the warm reception he received in Israel, where he was greeted as an old friend and awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor.
+As he was driven to the presidential palace in Bethlehem, signs saying ""Mr President, this is apartheid"" could be seen along the route, a reference to the accusation by local and international rights groups that Israel's West Bank occupation has created an apartheid system.
+In Bethlehem, a large banner reading ""Justice for Shireen"" was spread out, and a seat symbolically left empty for the Al Jazaeera journalist by former colleagues covering the meeting with Abbas.
+Biden said the United States would continue to seek accountability for her death. U.S. authorities have concluded that she was probably killed by an Israeli soldier though they say they have no reason to believe the killing was intentional.
+Many Palestinians accuse Israel of assassinating Abu Akleh, a charge Israel rejects. Israel says it is still investigating her killing.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden brings Palestinians aid but no new peace plan[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BETHLEHEM, West Bank, July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden promised on Friday not to give up efforts to end the decades-long Israeli Palestinian conflict, though he offered no new proposals to restart the stalled political dialogue between the two sides. As he wrapped up the first leg of a Middle Eastern trip before departing for Saudi Arabia, Biden visited a hospital in East Jerusalem and pledged a multi-year $100 million package of financial and technical help. But after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank town of Bethlehem, he acknowledged that the creation of an independent Palestinian state remained a distant prospect. ""Even if the ground is not ripe at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on trying to bring the Palestinians and Israelis and both sides closer together,"" he said. Abbas said prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict, the model favoured by the United States and world bodies including the United Nations, were receding and the opportunity ""may not remain for a long time"".
+""Is it not time for this occupation to end?"" Abbas said. He reiterated demands that the United States open a consulate in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as the capital of a future independent state, remove the Palestine Liberation Organization from a list of terrorist groups and allow it to re-open an office in Washington. He also asked for U.S. support to bring to justice the killers of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American citizen who was killed during an Israeli raid on the West Bank city of Jenin. Abbas repeated the Palestinian demand for East Jerusalem to become their capital, although a White House statement said the U.S. had not changed its position that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and that its specific boundaries would have to be negotiated by the two sides.  U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the two leaders discussed the consulate issue and said the administration did want to re-open the consulate closed by former President Donald Trump, which is located in the west of the city. But no public announcements were made on the trip. Before his visit, Palestinian leaders had accused Biden of prioritizing Israel's integration into a regional security arrangement with Arab countries above their concerns, including self-determination and continued Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, occupied after a war in 1967. ""PALESTINIANS ARE HURTING"" "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-brings-palestinians-aid-no-new-peace-plan-2022-07-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden brings Palestinians aid but no new peace plan[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BETHLEHEM, West Bank, July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden promised on Friday not to give up efforts to end the decades-long Israeli Palestinian conflict, though he offered no new proposals to restart the stalled political dialogue between the two sides.
+As he wrapped up the first leg of a Middle Eastern trip before departing for Saudi Arabia, Biden visited a hospital in East Jerusalem and pledged a multi-year $100 million package of financial and technical help.
+But after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank town of Bethlehem, he acknowledged that the creation of an independent Palestinian state remained a distant prospect.
+""Even if the ground is not ripe at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on trying to bring the Palestinians and Israelis and both sides closer together,"" he said.
+Abbas said prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict, the model favoured by the United States and world bodies including the United Nations, were receding and the opportunity ""may not remain for a long time"".
+""Is it not time for this occupation to end?"" Abbas said.
+He reiterated demands that the United States open a consulate in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as the capital of a future independent state, remove the Palestine Liberation Organization from a list of terrorist groups and allow it to re-open an office in Washington.
+He also asked for U.S. support to bring to justice the killers of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American citizen who was killed during an Israeli raid on the West Bank city of Jenin.
+Abbas repeated the Palestinian demand for East Jerusalem to become their capital, although a White House statement said the U.S. had not changed its position that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and that its specific boundaries would have to be negotiated by the two sides.
+U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the two leaders discussed the consulate issue and said the administration did want to re-open the consulate closed by former President Donald Trump, which is located in the west of the city. But no public announcements were made on the trip.
+Before his visit, Palestinian leaders had accused Biden of prioritizing Israel's integration into a regional security arrangement with Arab countries above their concerns, including self-determination and continued Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, occupied after a war in 1967.
+
+""PALESTINIANS ARE HURTING""
+Biden acknowledged that after years of failed attempts to resolve the conflict, Palestinians living under onerous restrictions in the occupied West Bank and Gaza were suffering.
+""The Palestinian people are hurting now, you can just feel it,"" he said.
+As well as the money for East Jerusalem hospitals, he will announce measures to upgrade telecoms networks in the West Bank and Gaza to 4G standards by the end of 2023, and other measures to ease travel between the West Bank and neighbouring Jordan.
+There will be a separate $201 million funding package provided through UN relief agency UNRWA to help Palestinian refugees.
+Before departing, Biden visited the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to show support for Christians ""who face challenges across the region,"" the White house said.
+But the atmosphere that greeted Biden in the occupied West Bank was very different from the warm reception he received in Israel, where he was greeted as an old friend and awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor.
+As he was driven to the presidential palace in Bethlehem, signs saying ""Mr President, this is apartheid"" could be seen along the route, a reference to the accusation by local and international rights groups that Israel's West Bank occupation has created an apartheid system.
+In Bethlehem, a large banner reading ""Justice for Shireen"" was spread out, and a seat symbolically left empty for the Al Jazaeera journalist by former colleagues covering the meeting with Abbas.
+Biden said the United States would continue to seek accountability for her death. U.S. authorities have concluded that she was probably killed by an Israeli soldier though they say they have no reason to believe the killing was intentional.
+Many Palestinians accuse Israel of assassinating Abu Akleh, a charge Israel rejects. Israel says it is still investigating her killing.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Biden acknowledged that after years of failed attempts to resolve the conflict, Palestinians living under onerous restrictions in the occupied West Bank and Gaza were suffering.
+"" The Palestinian people are hurting now, you can just feel it,"" he said. As well as the money for East Jerusalem hospitals, he will announce measures to upgrade telecoms networks in the West Bank and Gaza to 4G standards by the end of 2023, and other measures to ease travel between the West Bank and neighbouring Jordan. There will be a separate $201 million funding package provided through UN relief agency UNRWA to help Palestinian refugees. Before departing, Biden visited the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to show support for Christians ""who face challenges across the region,"" the White house said. But the atmosphere that greeted Biden in the occupied West Bank was very different from the warm reception he received in Israel, where he was greeted as an old friend and awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor. As he was driven to the presidential palace in Bethlehem, signs saying ""Mr President, this is apartheid"" could be seen along the route, a reference to the accusation by local and international rights groups that Israel's West Bank occupation has created an apartheid system.  In Bethlehem, a large banner reading ""Justice for Shireen"" was spread out, and a seat symbolically left empty for the Al Jazaeera journalist by former colleagues covering the meeting with Abbas.  Biden said the United States would continue to seek accountability for her death. U.S. authorities have concluded that she was probably killed by an Israeli soldier though they say they have no reason to believe the killing was intentional.  Many Palestinians accuse Israel of assassinating Abu Akleh, a charge Israel rejects. Israel says it is still investigating her killing.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/bethlehem-biden-pledges-keep-up-efforts-israel-palestine-peace-2022-07-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Bethlehem, Biden pledges to keep up efforts for Israel Palestine peace[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BETHLEHEM, West Bank, July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden pledged on Friday to keep up efforts to support a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict even though the goal of a two-state solution appeared far off.
+Speaking alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, Biden said the United States would not give up on the goal of a just settlement to the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
+""Even if the ground is not right at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on trying to bring the Palestinians, Israelis and both sides closer together.""
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Bethlehem , Biden pledges to keep up efforts for Israel Palestine peace[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BETHLEHEM, West Bank, July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden pledged on Friday to keep up efforts to support a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict even though the goal of a two-state solution appeared far off.  Speaking alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, Biden said the United States would not give up on the goal of a just settlement to the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
+"" Even if the ground is not right at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on trying to bring the Palestinians, Israelis and both sides closer together.""  [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-biden-repeats-us-support-two-state-solution-2022-07-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Israel, Biden repeats U.S. support for two-state solution[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed American support for a two-state solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Thursday, a day before a scheduled meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem.
+Biden's visit has met with deep scepticism from Palestinians who say their concerns on issues including self-determination and settlement building in the occupied West Bank have been swept aside by a drive to fix Israel into regional security arrangements with Arab countries.
+They also say Washington has failed to live up to pledges on reopening its consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem, closed by former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019.
+Speaking following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Biden said the United States wanted to see a ""lasting negotiated peace between the state of Israel and the Palestinian people"".
+""Israel must remain an independent, democratic Jewish state,"" he said.
+""The best way to achieve that remains a two-state solution, for two people, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land, living side by side in peace and security.""
+However he gave no detail and did not speak about reviving the stalled process to reach a settlement between the two sides.
+A two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state sitting alongside the existing state of Israel has long been the favoured solution for the international community but has appeared an increasingly distant prospect, with broad sections of Israeli politics opposed.
+Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, backed Biden's position, saying: ""A two-state solution is a guarantee for a strong, democratic State of Israel with a Jewish majority.""
+But with Israel heading to elections in November and little support for stopping the expansion of settlements on West Bank land that Palestinians want for a future state, immediate prospects for agreement appear remote.
+Bassam al-Salhe, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), urged Abbas to cancel his meeting with Biden.
+""By its continued support to the occupation and complicity in its plans and its continued fight against the international solidarity movement with the Palestinian people, the United States represents a prime obstacle before Palestine's freedom,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Israel , Biden repeats U.S. support for two-state solution[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed American support for a two-state solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Thursday, a day before a scheduled meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem. Biden's visit has met with deep scepticism from Palestinians who say their concerns on issues including self-determination and settlement building in the occupied West Bank have been swept aside by a drive to fix Israel into regional security arrangements with Arab countries. They also say Washington has failed to live up to pledges on reopening its consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem, closed by former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019. Speaking following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Biden said the United States wanted to see a ""lasting negotiated peace between the state of Israel and the Palestinian people"".  ""Israel must remain an independent, democratic Jewish state,"" he said.
+""The best way to achieve that remains a two-state solution, for two people, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land, living side by side in peace and security. "" However he gave no detail and did not speak about reviving the stalled process to reach a settlement between the two sides. A two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state sitting alongside the existing state of Israel has long been the favoured solution for the international community but has appeared an increasingly distant prospect, with broad sections of Israeli politics opposed. Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, backed Biden's position, saying: ""A two-state solution is a guarantee for a strong, democratic State of Israel with a Jewish majority.""
+But with Israel heading to elections in November and little support for stopping the expansion of settlements on West Bank land that Palestinians want for a future state, immediate prospects for agreement appear remote. Bassam al-Salhe, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), urged Abbas to cancel his meeting with Biden.
+""By its continued support to the occupation and complicity in its plans and its continued fight against the international solidarity movement with the Palestinian people, the United States represents a prime obstacle before Palestine's freedom,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-heads-israel-high-stakes-middle-east-visit-2022-07-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden savors Israel 'homecoming' as high-wire Saudi leg looms[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 13 (Reuters) - Israel embraced U.S. President Joe Biden as an old friend on Wednesday at the start of a high-stakes visit dominated by efforts to bring Israel closer to Saudi Arabia and persuade Washington's Gulf allies to pump more oil.
+Landing at Ben Gurion Airport, whose runway he first trod in 1973 as a senator, Biden bumped fists with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and, in a speech, described the connection between the two nations as ""bone-deep"".
+""You do not need to be a Jew to be a Zionist,"" Biden added, voicing support for the ideology behind Israel's foundation on lands with ancient Jewish roots, and which is deeply resented by many Palestinians.
+Biden also reiterated a U.S. desire for negotiations, stalled since 2014, for Palestinian independence in Israeli-occupied territory, calling this two-state solution ""the best hope"".
+After separate meetings with leaders of both sides, Biden will on Friday fly on to Saudi Arabia, where he will attend a summit of Gulf allies. Under pressure at home to bring down soaring gasoline prices that have damaged his approval ratings, he is expected to press for expanded oil production.
+Biden's first trip as president to Israel - which, in a TV interview, he described as ""kind of like going home"" - is his 10th of a long political career. Biden entered the White House 18 months ago.
+In a welcoming speech, Lapid called Biden ""one of the best friends Israel has ever known"". But Israel and the United States have at times been divided over Iranian nuclear diplomacy and Palestinian statehood prospects.
+ISRAEL-SAUDI NORMALISATION 'TO TAKE A LONG TIME'
+Biden's trip could produce more steps toward normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic adversaries but also two powerful U.S. allies with shared concerns about Iran.
+Forging Israel-Saudi relations is ""going to take a long time"", Biden told Israel's Channel 12 TV. ""But increasing the relationship in terms of the acceptance of each others' presence, the working together on certain things - it all makes sense to me.""
+He added that enhancing Israelis' integration in the region makes it ""more likely there is going to be a means by which they can eventually come to an accommodation with the Palestinians"".
+U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated Washington's desire to reopen a Jerusalem consulate shut down by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The consulate had served the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as capital of a future state. Israel wants it to stay closed.
+Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said he saw nothing new from Biden on Palestinian issues.
+“Biden’s visit aims to integrate the occupation state in the Arab region and build a new alliance against Iran. When it comes to the promises President Biden made during his electoral campaign and early in office, we don’t see any practical formula to reflect that on the ground,” he added.
+
+MBS OPTICS
+
+A centerpiece of Biden's visit will be talks in Jeddah with Saudi leaders including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accused by the U.S. intelligence community of being behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
+The meeting is a reversal of Biden's previous position of making Saudi Arabia a ""pariah"" over Khashoggi's death. How the White House handles the optics of the meeting and whether photos will be released of it will be closely watched. read more
+Aides say he will bring up human rights concerns while in Saudi Arabia, but he has nonetheless drawn fire from a wide array of critics.
+""Biden needs the Saudis to increase their oil production to help keep global energy prices in check,"" wrote Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan in an opinion piece. ""The trip sends the message that the United States is willing to look the other way when its commercial interests are at stake.""
+Biden's talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be the first between a U.S. president and a Palestinian leader since the Obama administration. The Palestinians boycotted the Trump administration over perceived pro-Israel bias.
+Tensions are high between Israel and the Palestinians over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May during an Israeli army raid in the West Bank.
+Palestinians say she was killed by Israeli troops deliberately; Israel denies this. Washington has concluded she was killed by a bullet from the direction of an Israeli position but it has no evidence it was intentional.
+Her family had accused the Biden administration of providing impunity for Israel over her killing, and asked to meet Biden during his trip to the region this week. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had spoken with the family, Sullivan said, and invited them to a meeting. read more
+The Palestinians, while appreciating the resumption of ties under Biden, want the United States to remove the PLO from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, block changes to rules for worship at Jerusalem sites revered by Muslims and Jews, and curb Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank.
+Israeli officials said Biden's visit would work towards what they called a Jerusalem Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership.
+One official said the joint declaration ""takes a very clear and united stand against Iran, its nuclear program and its aggression across the region and commits both countries to using all elements of their national power against the Iranian nuclear threat.""
+Biden is likely to face questions from Israel and from Gulf states about the wisdom of his attempts to revive a nuclear deal with Iran that was abandoned by Trump.
+At Ben Gurion Airport, Biden received a briefing on Israel's U.S.-supported Iron Dome defense system and a new laser-enabled system called Iron Beam. He also paid respects at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to Holocaust victims, wiping a tear as he spoke to two women who survived the World War Two genocide.
+Israel has been jolted by internal political strife with previous prime minister Naftali Bennett's coalition collapsing in June. This has left Lapid as caretaker until a new election in November, the fifth in less than four years. He and Biden will give a joint news conference on Thursday.
+Biden will also meet past prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now the opposition leader. Netanyahu was a close ally of Trump and a critic of the Obama administration when Biden served as vice president.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden savors Israel 'homecoming' as high-wire Saudi leg looms[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 13 (Reuters) - Israel embraced U.S. President Joe Biden as an old friend on Wednesday at the start of a high-stakes visit dominated by efforts to bring Israel closer to Saudi Arabia and persuade Washington's Gulf allies to pump more oil. Landing at Ben Gurion Airport, whose runway he first trod in 1973 as a senator, Biden bumped fists with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and, in a speech, described the connection between the two nations as ""bone-deep"".
+""You do not need to be a Jew to be a Zionist,"" Biden added, voicing support for the ideology behind Israel's foundation on lands with ancient Jewish roots, and which is deeply resented by many Palestinians.  Biden also reiterated a U.S. desire for negotiations, stalled since 2014, for Palestinian independence in Israeli-occupied territory, calling this two-state solution ""the best hope"".
+After separate meetings with leaders of both sides, Biden will on Friday fly on to Saudi Arabia, where he will attend a summit of Gulf allies. Under pressure at home to bring down soaring gasoline prices that have damaged his approval ratings, he is expected to press for expanded oil production.  Biden's first trip as president to Israel - which, in a TV interview, he described as ""kind of like going home"" - is his 10th of a long political career. Biden entered the White House 18 months ago.  In a welcoming speech, Lapid called Biden ""one of the best friends Israel has ever known"". But Israel and the United States have at times been divided over Iranian nuclear diplomacy and Palestinian statehood prospects. ISRAEL-SAUDI NORMALISATION 'TO TAKE A LONG TIME' Biden's trip could produce more steps toward normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic adversaries but also two powerful U.S. allies with shared concerns about Iran.  Forging Israel-Saudi relations is ""going to take a long time"", Biden told Israel's Channel 12 TV. ""But increasing the relationship in terms of the acceptance of each others' presence, the working together on certain things - it all makes sense to me."" He added that enhancing Israelis' integration in the region makes it ""more likely there is going to be a means by which they can eventually come to an accommodation with the Palestinians"".  U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated Washington's desire to reopen a Jerusalem consulate shut down by former U.S. President Donald Trump."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-heads-israel-high-stakes-middle-east-visit-2022-07-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden savors Israel 'homecoming' as high-wire Saudi leg looms[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 13 (Reuters) - Israel embraced U.S. President Joe Biden as an old friend on Wednesday at the start of a high-stakes visit dominated by efforts to bring Israel closer to Saudi Arabia and persuade Washington's Gulf allies to pump more oil.
+Landing at Ben Gurion Airport, whose runway he first trod in 1973 as a senator, Biden bumped fists with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and, in a speech, described the connection between the two nations as ""bone-deep"".
+""You do not need to be a Jew to be a Zionist,"" Biden added, voicing support for the ideology behind Israel's foundation on lands with ancient Jewish roots, and which is deeply resented by many Palestinians.
+Biden also reiterated a U.S. desire for negotiations, stalled since 2014, for Palestinian independence in Israeli-occupied territory, calling this two-state solution ""the best hope"".
+After separate meetings with leaders of both sides, Biden will on Friday fly on to Saudi Arabia, where he will attend a summit of Gulf allies. Under pressure at home to bring down soaring gasoline prices that have damaged his approval ratings, he is expected to press for expanded oil production.
+Biden's first trip as president to Israel - which, in a TV interview, he described as ""kind of like going home"" - is his 10th of a long political career. Biden entered the White House 18 months ago.
+In a welcoming speech, Lapid called Biden ""one of the best friends Israel has ever known"". But Israel and the United States have at times been divided over Iranian nuclear diplomacy and Palestinian statehood prospects.
+ISRAEL-SAUDI NORMALISATION 'TO TAKE A LONG TIME'
+Biden's trip could produce more steps toward normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic adversaries but also two powerful U.S. allies with shared concerns about Iran.
+Forging Israel-Saudi relations is ""going to take a long time"", Biden told Israel's Channel 12 TV. ""But increasing the relationship in terms of the acceptance of each others' presence, the working together on certain things - it all makes sense to me.""
+He added that enhancing Israelis' integration in the region makes it ""more likely there is going to be a means by which they can eventually come to an accommodation with the Palestinians"".
+U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated Washington's desire to reopen a Jerusalem consulate shut down by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The consulate had served the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as capital of a future state. Israel wants it to stay closed.
+Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said he saw nothing new from Biden on Palestinian issues.
+“Biden’s visit aims to integrate the occupation state in the Arab region and build a new alliance against Iran. When it comes to the promises President Biden made during his electoral campaign and early in office, we don’t see any practical formula to reflect that on the ground,” he added.
+
+MBS OPTICS
+
+A centerpiece of Biden's visit will be talks in Jeddah with Saudi leaders including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accused by the U.S. intelligence community of being behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
+The meeting is a reversal of Biden's previous position of making Saudi Arabia a ""pariah"" over Khashoggi's death. How the White House handles the optics of the meeting and whether photos will be released of it will be closely watched. read more
+Aides say he will bring up human rights concerns while in Saudi Arabia, but he has nonetheless drawn fire from a wide array of critics.
+""Biden needs the Saudis to increase their oil production to help keep global energy prices in check,"" wrote Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan in an opinion piece. ""The trip sends the message that the United States is willing to look the other way when its commercial interests are at stake.""
+Biden's talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be the first between a U.S. president and a Palestinian leader since the Obama administration. The Palestinians boycotted the Trump administration over perceived pro-Israel bias.
+Tensions are high between Israel and the Palestinians over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May during an Israeli army raid in the West Bank.
+Palestinians say she was killed by Israeli troops deliberately; Israel denies this. Washington has concluded she was killed by a bullet from the direction of an Israeli position but it has no evidence it was intentional.
+Her family had accused the Biden administration of providing impunity for Israel over her killing, and asked to meet Biden during his trip to the region this week. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had spoken with the family, Sullivan said, and invited them to a meeting. read more
+The Palestinians, while appreciating the resumption of ties under Biden, want the United States to remove the PLO from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, block changes to rules for worship at Jerusalem sites revered by Muslims and Jews, and curb Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank.
+Israeli officials said Biden's visit would work towards what they called a Jerusalem Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership.
+One official said the joint declaration ""takes a very clear and united stand against Iran, its nuclear program and its aggression across the region and commits both countries to using all elements of their national power against the Iranian nuclear threat.""
+Biden is likely to face questions from Israel and from Gulf states about the wisdom of his attempts to revive a nuclear deal with Iran that was abandoned by Trump.
+At Ben Gurion Airport, Biden received a briefing on Israel's U.S.-supported Iron Dome defense system and a new laser-enabled system called Iron Beam. He also paid respects at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to Holocaust victims, wiping a tear as he spoke to two women who survived the World War Two genocide.
+Israel has been jolted by internal political strife with previous prime minister Naftali Bennett's coalition collapsing in June. This has left Lapid as caretaker until a new election in November, the fifth in less than four years. He and Biden will give a joint news conference on Thursday.
+Biden will also meet past prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now the opposition leader. Netanyahu was a close ally of Trump and a critic of the Obama administration when Biden served as vice president.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The consulate had served the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as capital of a future state. Israel wants it to stay closed. Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said he saw nothing new from Biden on Palestinian issues.  “Biden’s visit aims to integrate the occupation state in the Arab region and build a new alliance against Iran. When it comes to the promises President Biden made during his electoral campaign and early in office, we don’t see any practical formula to reflect that on the ground,” he added. MBS OPTICS
+
+A centerpiece of Biden's visit will be talks in Jeddah with Saudi leaders including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accused by the U.S. intelligence community of being behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.  The meeting is a reversal of Biden's previous position of making Saudi Arabia a ""pariah"" over Khashoggi's death. How the White House handles the optics of the meeting and whether photos will be released of it will be closely watched. read more Aides say he will bring up human rights concerns while in Saudi Arabia, but he has nonetheless drawn fire from a wide array of critics.  ""Biden needs the Saudis to increase their oil production to help keep global energy prices in check,"" wrote Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan in an opinion piece. ""The trip sends the message that the United States is willing to look the other way when its commercial interests are at stake. ""  Biden's talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be the first between a U.S. president and a Palestinian leader since the Obama administration. The Palestinians boycotted the Trump administration over perceived pro-Israel bias. Tensions are high between Israel and the Palestinians over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May during an Israeli army raid in the West Bank.  Palestinians say she was killed by Israeli troops deliberately; Israel denies this. Washington has concluded she was killed by a bullet from the direction of an Israeli position but it has no evidence it was intentional.  Her family had accused the Biden administration of providing impunity for Israel over her killing, and asked to meet Biden during his trip to the region this week. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had spoken with the family, Sullivan said, and invited them to a meeting. read more The Palestinians, while appreciating the resumption of ties under Biden, want the United States to remove the PLO from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, block changes to rules for worship at Jerusalem sites revered by Muslims and Jews, and curb Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-heads-israel-high-stakes-middle-east-visit-2022-07-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden savors Israel 'homecoming' as high-wire Saudi leg looms[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 13 (Reuters) - Israel embraced U.S. President Joe Biden as an old friend on Wednesday at the start of a high-stakes visit dominated by efforts to bring Israel closer to Saudi Arabia and persuade Washington's Gulf allies to pump more oil.
+Landing at Ben Gurion Airport, whose runway he first trod in 1973 as a senator, Biden bumped fists with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and, in a speech, described the connection between the two nations as ""bone-deep"".
+""You do not need to be a Jew to be a Zionist,"" Biden added, voicing support for the ideology behind Israel's foundation on lands with ancient Jewish roots, and which is deeply resented by many Palestinians.
+Biden also reiterated a U.S. desire for negotiations, stalled since 2014, for Palestinian independence in Israeli-occupied territory, calling this two-state solution ""the best hope"".
+After separate meetings with leaders of both sides, Biden will on Friday fly on to Saudi Arabia, where he will attend a summit of Gulf allies. Under pressure at home to bring down soaring gasoline prices that have damaged his approval ratings, he is expected to press for expanded oil production.
+Biden's first trip as president to Israel - which, in a TV interview, he described as ""kind of like going home"" - is his 10th of a long political career. Biden entered the White House 18 months ago.
+In a welcoming speech, Lapid called Biden ""one of the best friends Israel has ever known"". But Israel and the United States have at times been divided over Iranian nuclear diplomacy and Palestinian statehood prospects.
+ISRAEL-SAUDI NORMALISATION 'TO TAKE A LONG TIME'
+Biden's trip could produce more steps toward normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic adversaries but also two powerful U.S. allies with shared concerns about Iran.
+Forging Israel-Saudi relations is ""going to take a long time"", Biden told Israel's Channel 12 TV. ""But increasing the relationship in terms of the acceptance of each others' presence, the working together on certain things - it all makes sense to me.""
+He added that enhancing Israelis' integration in the region makes it ""more likely there is going to be a means by which they can eventually come to an accommodation with the Palestinians"".
+U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated Washington's desire to reopen a Jerusalem consulate shut down by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The consulate had served the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as capital of a future state. Israel wants it to stay closed.
+Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said he saw nothing new from Biden on Palestinian issues.
+“Biden’s visit aims to integrate the occupation state in the Arab region and build a new alliance against Iran. When it comes to the promises President Biden made during his electoral campaign and early in office, we don’t see any practical formula to reflect that on the ground,” he added.
+
+MBS OPTICS
+
+A centerpiece of Biden's visit will be talks in Jeddah with Saudi leaders including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accused by the U.S. intelligence community of being behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
+The meeting is a reversal of Biden's previous position of making Saudi Arabia a ""pariah"" over Khashoggi's death. How the White House handles the optics of the meeting and whether photos will be released of it will be closely watched. read more
+Aides say he will bring up human rights concerns while in Saudi Arabia, but he has nonetheless drawn fire from a wide array of critics.
+""Biden needs the Saudis to increase their oil production to help keep global energy prices in check,"" wrote Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan in an opinion piece. ""The trip sends the message that the United States is willing to look the other way when its commercial interests are at stake.""
+Biden's talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be the first between a U.S. president and a Palestinian leader since the Obama administration. The Palestinians boycotted the Trump administration over perceived pro-Israel bias.
+Tensions are high between Israel and the Palestinians over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May during an Israeli army raid in the West Bank.
+Palestinians say she was killed by Israeli troops deliberately; Israel denies this. Washington has concluded she was killed by a bullet from the direction of an Israeli position but it has no evidence it was intentional.
+Her family had accused the Biden administration of providing impunity for Israel over her killing, and asked to meet Biden during his trip to the region this week. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had spoken with the family, Sullivan said, and invited them to a meeting. read more
+The Palestinians, while appreciating the resumption of ties under Biden, want the United States to remove the PLO from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, block changes to rules for worship at Jerusalem sites revered by Muslims and Jews, and curb Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank.
+Israeli officials said Biden's visit would work towards what they called a Jerusalem Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership.
+One official said the joint declaration ""takes a very clear and united stand against Iran, its nuclear program and its aggression across the region and commits both countries to using all elements of their national power against the Iranian nuclear threat.""
+Biden is likely to face questions from Israel and from Gulf states about the wisdom of his attempts to revive a nuclear deal with Iran that was abandoned by Trump.
+At Ben Gurion Airport, Biden received a briefing on Israel's U.S.-supported Iron Dome defense system and a new laser-enabled system called Iron Beam. He also paid respects at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to Holocaust victims, wiping a tear as he spoke to two women who survived the World War Two genocide.
+Israel has been jolted by internal political strife with previous prime minister Naftali Bennett's coalition collapsing in June. This has left Lapid as caretaker until a new election in November, the fifth in less than four years. He and Biden will give a joint news conference on Thursday.
+Biden will also meet past prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now the opposition leader. Netanyahu was a close ally of Trump and a critic of the Obama administration when Biden served as vice president.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israeli officials said Biden's visit would work towards what they called a Jerusalem Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership.
+One official said the joint declaration ""takes a very clear and united stand against Iran, its nuclear program and its aggression across the region and commits both countries to using all elements of their national power against the Iranian nuclear threat.""
+Biden is likely to face questions from Israel and from Gulf states about the wisdom of his attempts to revive a nuclear deal with Iran that was abandoned by Trump.
+At Ben Gurion Airport, Biden received a briefing on Israel's U.S.-supported Iron Dome defense system and a new laser-enabled system called Iron Beam. He also paid respects at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to Holocaust victims, wiping a tear as he spoke to two women who survived the World War Two genocide. Israel has been jolted by internal political strife with previous prime minister Naftali Bennett's coalition collapsing in June. This has left Lapid as caretaker until a new election in November, the fifth in less than four years. He and Biden will give a joint news conference on Thursday.  Biden will also meet past prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now the opposition leader. Netanyahu was a close ally of Trump and a critic of the Obama administration when Biden served as vice president.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-en-route-israel-high-stakes-middle-east-visit-2022-07-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden en route to Israel for high-stakes Middle East visit[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, July 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in Israel on Wednesday to kick off a high-stakes trip to the Middle East dominated by efforts to persuade Gulf allies to pump more oil and bring Israel and Saudi Arabia closer together.
+Biden will spend two days in Jerusalem for talks with Israeli leaders before meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in the occupied West Bank.
+Afterward, he will take a direct flight from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - a first for an American president - on Friday for talks with Saudi officials and to attend a summit of Gulf allies.
+U.S. officials say the trip - Biden's first to the Middle East as president - could produce more steps toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic foes but also two of America's strongest allies in the turbulent region.
+""We're making steps gradually toward that end,"" said an Israeli official. ""The fact that President Biden visits Israel, and from here will fly directly to Saudi Arabia encapsulates a lot of the dynamics that have been evolving over the last months.""
+Biden's trip aims to promote regional stability, deepen Israel's integration in the region and counter Iranian influence and aggression by Russia and China.
+""This trip will reinforce a vital American role in a strategically consequential region,"" U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday.
+Biden, under pressure at home to bring down soaring gasoline prices that have damaged his standing in public opinion polls, is expected to press Gulf allies to expand oil production to help bring down gasoline prices.
+PRESSURE OVER SAUDI VISIT
+A centerpiece of Biden's visit will be talks in Jeddah with Saudi leaders including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accused by the U.S. intelligence community of being behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
+The meeting is a reversal of Biden's previous position of making Saudi Arabia a ""pariah"" for the Khashoggi death. How the White House handles the optics of the meeting and whether photos will be released of it will be closely watched. read more
+Aides say he will bring up human rights concerns while in Saudi Arabia, but he has nonetheless drawn fire from a wide array of critics.
+""Biden needs the Saudis to increase their oil production to help keep global energy prices in check,"" wrote Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan in an opinion piece on Tuesday. ""The trip sends the message that the United States is willing to look the other way when its commercial interests are at stake.""
+Biden will make brief remarks on Wednesday at an arrival ceremony in Israel and he will receive a briefing from Israeli defense officials on the U.S.-supported Iron Dome defense system and a new laser-enabled system called Iron Beam.
+He will pay his respects at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to Holocaust victims in World War Two.
+Israel has been jolted by internal political strife with previous prime minister Naftali Bennett's coalition collapsing in June.
+This has left Yair Lapid as caretaker prime minister until new elections are held later this year, and Biden will meet with him. The pair will hold a joint news conference on Thursday.
+Biden will also meet past prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now the opposition leader.
+OUTREACH TO PALESTINIANS
+Biden's talks with Abbas will mark the highest level of face-to-face contact between the United States and the Palestinians since then-President Donald Trump took a tough approach to the Palestinians upon taking office in 2017.
+Tensions are high between Israel and the Palestinians over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May. Her family, having accused the United States of providing impunity for Israel over her killing, has asked to meet Biden during his trip to the region this week. read more
+The Palestinians, while appreciating the resumption of ties under Biden, want him to make good on pledges to reopen the U.S consulate in Jerusalem.
+They also want the United States to remove the Palestine Liberation Organization from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, preserve the historic status quo in Jerusalem and curb Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank.
+Israeli officials said Biden's visit will include what they called the Jerusalem Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership.
+One official said the joint declaration ""takes a very clear and united stand against Iran, its nuclear program and its aggression across the region and commits both countries to using all elements of their national power against the Iranian nuclear threat.""
+Biden is likely to face questions from Israel and from Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates about the wisdom of his attempts to revive the Iran nuclear deal.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden en route to Israel for high-stakes Middle East visit[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, July 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in Israel on Wednesday to kick off a high-stakes trip to the Middle East dominated by efforts to persuade Gulf allies to pump more oil and bring Israel and Saudi Arabia closer together. Biden will spend two days in Jerusalem for talks with Israeli leaders before meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in the occupied West Bank. Afterward, he will take a direct flight from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - a first for an American president - on Friday for talks with Saudi officials and to attend a summit of Gulf allies. U.S. officials say the trip - Biden's first to the Middle East as president - could produce more steps toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic foes but also two of America's strongest allies in the turbulent region. ""We're making steps gradually toward that end,"" said an Israeli official. ""The fact that President Biden visits Israel, and from here will fly directly to Saudi Arabia encapsulates a lot of the dynamics that have been evolving over the last months. ""
+Biden's trip aims to promote regional stability, deepen Israel's integration in the region and counter Iranian influence and aggression by Russia and China. ""This trip will reinforce a vital American role in a strategically consequential region,"" U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday.
+Biden, under pressure at home to bring down soaring gasoline prices that have damaged his standing in public opinion polls, is expected to press Gulf allies to expand oil production to help bring down gasoline prices.  PRESSURE OVER SAUDI VISIT A centerpiece of Biden's visit will be talks in Jeddah with Saudi leaders including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accused by the U.S. intelligence community of being behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.  The meeting is a reversal of Biden's previous position of making Saudi Arabia a ""pariah"" for the Khashoggi death. How the White House handles the optics of the meeting and whether photos will be released of it will be closely watched. read more Aides say he will bring up human rights concerns while in Saudi Arabia, but he has nonetheless drawn fire from a wide array of critics.  ""Biden needs the Saudis to increase their oil production to help keep global energy prices in check,"" wrote Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan in an opinion piece on Tuesday. ""The trip sends the message that the United States is willing to look the other way when its commercial interests are at stake."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-en-route-israel-high-stakes-middle-east-visit-2022-07-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden en route to Israel for high-stakes Middle East visit[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, July 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in Israel on Wednesday to kick off a high-stakes trip to the Middle East dominated by efforts to persuade Gulf allies to pump more oil and bring Israel and Saudi Arabia closer together.
+Biden will spend two days in Jerusalem for talks with Israeli leaders before meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in the occupied West Bank.
+Afterward, he will take a direct flight from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - a first for an American president - on Friday for talks with Saudi officials and to attend a summit of Gulf allies.
+U.S. officials say the trip - Biden's first to the Middle East as president - could produce more steps toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, historic foes but also two of America's strongest allies in the turbulent region.
+""We're making steps gradually toward that end,"" said an Israeli official. ""The fact that President Biden visits Israel, and from here will fly directly to Saudi Arabia encapsulates a lot of the dynamics that have been evolving over the last months.""
+Biden's trip aims to promote regional stability, deepen Israel's integration in the region and counter Iranian influence and aggression by Russia and China.
+""This trip will reinforce a vital American role in a strategically consequential region,"" U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday.
+Biden, under pressure at home to bring down soaring gasoline prices that have damaged his standing in public opinion polls, is expected to press Gulf allies to expand oil production to help bring down gasoline prices.
+PRESSURE OVER SAUDI VISIT
+A centerpiece of Biden's visit will be talks in Jeddah with Saudi leaders including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accused by the U.S. intelligence community of being behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
+The meeting is a reversal of Biden's previous position of making Saudi Arabia a ""pariah"" for the Khashoggi death. How the White House handles the optics of the meeting and whether photos will be released of it will be closely watched. read more
+Aides say he will bring up human rights concerns while in Saudi Arabia, but he has nonetheless drawn fire from a wide array of critics.
+""Biden needs the Saudis to increase their oil production to help keep global energy prices in check,"" wrote Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan in an opinion piece on Tuesday. ""The trip sends the message that the United States is willing to look the other way when its commercial interests are at stake.""
+Biden will make brief remarks on Wednesday at an arrival ceremony in Israel and he will receive a briefing from Israeli defense officials on the U.S.-supported Iron Dome defense system and a new laser-enabled system called Iron Beam.
+He will pay his respects at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to Holocaust victims in World War Two.
+Israel has been jolted by internal political strife with previous prime minister Naftali Bennett's coalition collapsing in June.
+This has left Yair Lapid as caretaker prime minister until new elections are held later this year, and Biden will meet with him. The pair will hold a joint news conference on Thursday.
+Biden will also meet past prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now the opposition leader.
+OUTREACH TO PALESTINIANS
+Biden's talks with Abbas will mark the highest level of face-to-face contact between the United States and the Palestinians since then-President Donald Trump took a tough approach to the Palestinians upon taking office in 2017.
+Tensions are high between Israel and the Palestinians over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May. Her family, having accused the United States of providing impunity for Israel over her killing, has asked to meet Biden during his trip to the region this week. read more
+The Palestinians, while appreciating the resumption of ties under Biden, want him to make good on pledges to reopen the U.S consulate in Jerusalem.
+They also want the United States to remove the Palestine Liberation Organization from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, preserve the historic status quo in Jerusalem and curb Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank.
+Israeli officials said Biden's visit will include what they called the Jerusalem Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership.
+One official said the joint declaration ""takes a very clear and united stand against Iran, its nuclear program and its aggression across the region and commits both countries to using all elements of their national power against the Iranian nuclear threat.""
+Biden is likely to face questions from Israel and from Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates about the wisdom of his attempts to revive the Iran nuclear deal.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Biden will make brief remarks on Wednesday at an arrival ceremony in Israel and he will receive a briefing from Israeli defense officials on the U.S.-supported Iron Dome defense system and a new laser-enabled system called Iron Beam. He will pay his respects at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to Holocaust victims in World War Two. Israel has been jolted by internal political strife with previous prime minister Naftali Bennett's coalition collapsing in June.  This has left Yair Lapid as caretaker prime minister until new elections are held later this year, and Biden will meet with him. The pair will hold a joint news conference on Thursday. Biden will also meet past prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now the opposition leader.  OUTREACH TO PALESTINIANS
+Biden's talks with Abbas will mark the highest level of face-to-face contact between the United States and the Palestinians since then-President Donald Trump took a tough approach to the Palestinians upon taking office in 2017.  Tensions are high between Israel and the Palestinians over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May. Her family, having accused the United States of providing impunity for Israel over her killing, has asked to meet Biden during his trip to the region this week. read more The Palestinians, while appreciating the resumption of ties under Biden, want him to make good on pledges to reopen the U.S consulate in Jerusalem. They also want the United States to remove the Palestine Liberation Organization from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, preserve the historic status quo in Jerusalem and curb Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank.  Israeli officials said Biden's visit will include what they called the Jerusalem Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership.
+One official said the joint declaration ""takes a very clear and united stand against Iran, its nuclear program and its aggression across the region and commits both countries to using all elements of their national power against the Iranian nuclear threat.""
+Biden is likely to face questions from Israel and from Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates about the wisdom of his attempts to revive the Iran nuclear deal.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/nine-eu-states-keep-backing-terrorist-palestinian-civil-society-groups-2022-07-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Nine EU states reject Israeli 'terrorist' designation for Palestinian NGOs[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN, July 12 (Reuters) - Nine European Union states said on Tuesday they would continue working with the six Palestinian civil society groups that Israel designated terrorist associations last year, citing a lack of evidence for that claim.
+Israel designated the Palestinian groups as terrorist organisations and accused them of funneling donor aid to militants, a move that drew criticism from the United Nations and human rights watchdogs. read more
+The groups include Palestinian human rights organisations Addameer and Al-Haq, which document alleged rights violations by both Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and which reject the charges.
+In a joint statement, the foreign ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden said they had not received ""substantial information"" from Israel that would justify reviewing their policy.
+""Should evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly,"" they said. ""In the absence of such evidence, we will continue our cooperation and strong support for the civil society in the oPT (occupied Palestinian territories).""
+The Israeli foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
+Israel said last year the six accused groups have close ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has carried out deadly attacks on Israelis and is on U.S. and EU terrorism blacklists.
+U.N. human rights experts including Michael Lynk, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in occupied Palestinian territory, said in April several funders had delayed their contributions to these NGOs while they investigated the claims, undermining their work.
+They called on the international community to instead continue or resume their support.
+""A free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values and for the two-state solution,” the nine EU states said on Tuesday.
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians seek the territories for a future state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Nine EU states reject Israeli 'terrorist' designation for Palestinian NGOs[/TITLE] [CONTENT]BERLIN, July 12 (Reuters) - Nine European Union states said on Tuesday they would continue working with the six Palestinian civil society groups that Israel designated terrorist associations last year, citing a lack of evidence for that claim.  Israel designated the Palestinian groups as terrorist organisations and accused them of funneling donor aid to militants, a move that drew criticism from the United Nations and human rights watchdogs. read more The groups include Palestinian human rights organisations Addameer and Al-Haq, which document alleged rights violations by both Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and which reject the charges. In a joint statement, the foreign ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden said they had not received ""substantial information"" from Israel that would justify reviewing their policy.  ""Should evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly,"" they said. ""In the absence of such evidence, we will continue our cooperation and strong support for the civil society in the oPT (occupied Palestinian territories)."" The Israeli foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Israel said last year the six accused groups have close ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has carried out deadly attacks on Israelis and is on U.S. and EU terrorism blacklists. U.N. human rights experts including Michael Lynk, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in occupied Palestinian territory, said in April several funders had delayed their contributions to these NGOs while they investigated the claims, undermining their work. They called on the international community to instead continue or resume their support. ""A free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values and for the two-state solution,” the nine EU states said on Tuesday.
+Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians seek the territories for a future state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-it-will-test-bullet-that-killed-reporter-palestinians-disagree-2022-07-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel says it will test bullet that killed reporter, Palestinians disagree[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, West Bank, July 3 (Reuters) - Israel said on Sunday it would test a bullet that killed a Palestinian-American journalist to determine whether one of its soldiers shot her and said a U.S. observer would be present.
+The Palestinians, who on Saturday handed over the bullet to a U.S. security coordinator, said they had been assured that Israel would not take part in the ballistics. read more
+Washington has yet to comment. The United States has a holiday weekend to mark July 4.
+The death of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, and feuding between the sides as to the circumstances, have overshadowed a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden due this month.
+Palestinians say the Israeli military deliberately killed Abu Akleh. Israel denies this, saying she may have been hit by errant army fire or by a bullet from one of the Palestinian gunmen who were clashing with its forces at the scene.
+In a separate incident, a 17-year-old Palestinian died in hospital after being shot late on Saturday by Israeli soldiers in clash in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The Israeli army said a suspect had thrown a firebomb at soldiers, who in response opened fire.
+""The (ballistic) test will not be American. The test will be an Israeli test, with an American presence throughout,"" said Israeli military spokesman Brigadier-General Ran Kochav.""In the coming days or hours it will be become clear whether it was even us who killed her, accidentally, or whether it was the Palestinian gunmen,"" he told Army Radio. ""If we killed her, we will take responsibility and feel regret for what happened.""
+Akram al-Khatib, general prosecutor for the Palestinian Authority, said the test would take place at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
+""We got guarantees from the American coordinator that the examination will be conducted by them and that the Israeli side will not take part,"" Al-Khatib told Voice of Palestine radio, adding that he expected the bullet to be returned on Sunday.
+A U.S. embassy spokesperson said: ""We don't have anything new at this time.""
+Biden is expected to hold separate meetings with Palestinian and Israeli leaders on his July 13-16 trip to the Middle East. The Abu Akleh case will be a diplomatic and domestic test for new Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
+""It will take a few days to conduct a ballistic test, with several experts, to ensure that there is an unequivocal assessment,"" Israeli Deputy Internal Security Minister Yoav Segalovitz told Army Radio.
+Israel has said the person who fired the bullet could only be determined by matching it to a gun in a forensic laboratory. Such testing usually requires finding markings on the bullet left by the unique barrel rifling of the gun it was fired from.
+The Israeli military previously said one soldier could have been in a position to fire the fatal shot, suggesting it might only consider that soldier's rifle.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel says it will test bullet that killed reporter, Palestinians disagree[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, West Bank, July 3 (Reuters) - Israel said on Sunday it would test a bullet that killed a Palestinian-American journalist to determine whether one of its soldiers shot her and said a U.S. observer would be present.  The Palestinians, who on Saturday handed over the bullet to a U.S. security coordinator, said they had been assured that Israel would not take part in the ballistics. read more
+Washington has yet to comment. The United States has a holiday weekend to mark July 4. The death of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, and feuding between the sides as to the circumstances, have overshadowed a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden due this month.
+Palestinians say the Israeli military deliberately killed Abu Akleh. Israel denies this, saying she may have been hit by errant army fire or by a bullet from one of the Palestinian gunmen who were clashing with its forces at the scene.  In a separate incident, a 17-year-old Palestinian died in hospital after being shot late on Saturday by Israeli soldiers in clash in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The Israeli army said a suspect had thrown a firebomb at soldiers, who in response opened fire.  ""The (ballistic) test will not be American. The test will be an Israeli test, with an American presence throughout,"" said Israeli military spokesman Brigadier-General Ran Kochav. ""In the coming days or hours it will be become clear whether it was even us who killed her, accidentally, or whether it was the Palestinian gunmen,"" he told Army Radio. ""If we killed her, we will take responsibility and feel regret for what happened."" Akram al-Khatib, general prosecutor for the Palestinian Authority, said the test would take place at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. ""We got guarantees from the American coordinator that the examination will be conducted by them and that the Israeli side will not take part,"" Al-Khatib told Voice of Palestine radio, adding that he expected the bullet to be returned on Sunday.
+A U.S. embassy spokesperson said: ""We don't have anything new at this time.""  Biden is expected to hold separate meetings with Palestinian and Israeli leaders on his July 13-16 trip to the Middle East. The Abu Akleh case will be a diplomatic and domestic test for new Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-it-will-test-bullet-that-killed-reporter-palestinians-disagree-2022-07-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel says it will test bullet that killed reporter, Palestinians disagree[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, West Bank, July 3 (Reuters) - Israel said on Sunday it would test a bullet that killed a Palestinian-American journalist to determine whether one of its soldiers shot her and said a U.S. observer would be present.
+The Palestinians, who on Saturday handed over the bullet to a U.S. security coordinator, said they had been assured that Israel would not take part in the ballistics. read more
+Washington has yet to comment. The United States has a holiday weekend to mark July 4.
+The death of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, and feuding between the sides as to the circumstances, have overshadowed a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden due this month.
+Palestinians say the Israeli military deliberately killed Abu Akleh. Israel denies this, saying she may have been hit by errant army fire or by a bullet from one of the Palestinian gunmen who were clashing with its forces at the scene.
+In a separate incident, a 17-year-old Palestinian died in hospital after being shot late on Saturday by Israeli soldiers in clash in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The Israeli army said a suspect had thrown a firebomb at soldiers, who in response opened fire.
+""The (ballistic) test will not be American. The test will be an Israeli test, with an American presence throughout,"" said Israeli military spokesman Brigadier-General Ran Kochav.""In the coming days or hours it will be become clear whether it was even us who killed her, accidentally, or whether it was the Palestinian gunmen,"" he told Army Radio. ""If we killed her, we will take responsibility and feel regret for what happened.""
+Akram al-Khatib, general prosecutor for the Palestinian Authority, said the test would take place at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
+""We got guarantees from the American coordinator that the examination will be conducted by them and that the Israeli side will not take part,"" Al-Khatib told Voice of Palestine radio, adding that he expected the bullet to be returned on Sunday.
+A U.S. embassy spokesperson said: ""We don't have anything new at this time.""
+Biden is expected to hold separate meetings with Palestinian and Israeli leaders on his July 13-16 trip to the Middle East. The Abu Akleh case will be a diplomatic and domestic test for new Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
+""It will take a few days to conduct a ballistic test, with several experts, to ensure that there is an unequivocal assessment,"" Israeli Deputy Internal Security Minister Yoav Segalovitz told Army Radio.
+Israel has said the person who fired the bullet could only be determined by matching it to a gun in a forensic laboratory. Such testing usually requires finding markings on the bullet left by the unique barrel rifling of the gun it was fired from.
+The Israeli military previously said one soldier could have been in a position to fire the fatal shot, suggesting it might only consider that soldier's rifle.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""It will take a few days to conduct a ballistic test, with several experts, to ensure that there is an unequivocal assessment,"" Israeli Deputy Internal Security Minister Yoav Segalovitz told Army Radio.  Israel has said the person who fired the bullet could only be determined by matching it to a gun in a forensic laboratory. Such testing usually requires finding markings on the bullet left by the unique barrel rifling of the gun it was fired from.  The Israeli military previously said one soldier could have been in a position to fire the fatal shot, suggesting it might only consider that soldier's rifle.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-pin-scant-hope-biden-visit-after-setbacks-under-trump-2022-07-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians pin scant hope on Biden visit after setbacks under Trump[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, July 1 (Reuters) - As the United States strives to boost defence ties between Israel and Arab states, Palestinians await with increasing gloom the first visit of President Joe Biden after what they see as a string of broken promises by Washington.
+Requests for the reopening of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, closed by former President Donald Trump, or lifting the classification of the Palestine Liberation Organization as a terrorist organisation have gone unheard, Palestinians say.
+""We have no illusions that the visit will achieve a political breakthrough. We will be listening to more pledges and promises,"" a senior Palestinian official said. ""This visit is about normalizing ties between Israel and Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia.""
+Biden will visit Israel and the West Bank, meeting Israeli leaders and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as Saudi Arabia from July 13-16.
+A spokesperson for the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs said Washington believed a two-state solution was the best way for both Israel and the Palestinians to resolve their generations-long conflict.
+It was also committed to reopening the consulate, seen by Palestinians as an implicit recognition of East Jerusalem's status as capital of a future Palestinian state on territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.
+In a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday, Abbas urged the administration to put pressure on Israel to preserve the historic status quo in East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa mosque compound there. Israel rejects allegations that it has tried to change the status quo.
+Palestinians also say Israel's continued settlement activities in the occupied West Bank dim any prospect for a viable Palestinian state co-existing alongside Israel.
+""Abbas told Blinken the situation can't continue like this,"" the official said.
+FOCUS ON ISRAELI-ARAB TIES
+U.S. officials reject the assertion that the Biden administration has broken its pledges to the Palestinians and point to changes after the breakdown of relations under the administration of former President Donald Trump.
+They say reopening the consulate would require Israeli cooperation and they that removing the PLO's terrorist designation would require the Palestinian Authority to take steps it has so far failed to do.
+Despite Palestinian disappointment, they say Biden has restarted aid and reopened lines of communication. The administration has also criticised Israeli settlement expansion as inconsistent with peace prospects, after the Trump administration signalled acceptance of such activities.
+""Recall that we walked into a situation in which our ties with the Palestinians were totally severed (by the Trump administration). So we turned back on the funding, rebuilt relationships …. And there will be more to come,"" a senior Biden administration official said.
+But the intense focus on boosting security cooperation between Israel and U.S.-aligned Arab countries to confront a potential threat from Iran means that any move towards a wider resolution of the Palestinian issue remains far off, according to Talal Okal, a political analyst in Gaza.
+""Biden will do nothing to change the existing reality,"" he said. ""There is no horizon for the Palestinian-Israel conflict.""
+The Biden visit comes amid increasing speculation over the future of Abbas, an 86-year-old chain smoker with a history of health problems who has ruled by decree since 2005, when the last Palestinian election was held.
+The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, received a boost last month when the European Union agreed to restore funding frozen by a dispute over school textbooks.
+There has also been increased pressure on Israel, including from the Biden administration, for action on the fatal shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as she was covering an Israeli army raid in the West Bank town of Jenin.
+But further progress has been complicated by the turmoil that saw Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's coalition government collapse, with an election now scheduled for Nov. 1.
+With an uncertain political road ahead, there is little likelihood of anything more than a minimum of U.S. economic aid for Palestinians, said political analyst Hani Al-Masri.
+""Hopes, if there were any, got washed away by the new changes in Israel, in the government and the parliament.""
+(In paragraph 2, this story corrects location of consulate to Jerusalem, not East Jerusalem.)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians pin scant hope on Biden visit after setbacks under Trump[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, July 1 (Reuters) - As the United States strives to boost defence ties between Israel and Arab states, Palestinians await with increasing gloom the first visit of President Joe Biden after what they see as a string of broken promises by Washington. Requests for the reopening of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, closed by former President Donald Trump, or lifting the classification of the Palestine Liberation Organization as a terrorist organisation have gone unheard, Palestinians say.  ""We have no illusions that the visit will achieve a political breakthrough. We will be listening to more pledges and promises,"" a senior Palestinian official said. ""This visit is about normalizing ties between Israel and Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia."" Biden will visit Israel and the West Bank, meeting Israeli leaders and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as Saudi Arabia from July 13-16. A spokesperson for the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs said Washington believed a two-state solution was the best way for both Israel and the Palestinians to resolve their generations-long conflict. It was also committed to reopening the consulate, seen by Palestinians as an implicit recognition of East Jerusalem's status as capital of a future Palestinian state on territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.  In a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday, Abbas urged the administration to put pressure on Israel to preserve the historic status quo in East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa mosque compound there. Israel rejects allegations that it has tried to change the status quo. Palestinians also say Israel's continued settlement activities in the occupied West Bank dim any prospect for a viable Palestinian state co-existing alongside Israel. ""Abbas told Blinken the situation can't continue like this,"" the official said. FOCUS ON ISRAELI-ARAB TIES
+U.S. officials reject the assertion that the Biden administration has broken its pledges to the Palestinians and point to changes after the breakdown of relations under the administration of former President Donald Trump. They say reopening the consulate would require Israeli cooperation and they that removing the PLO's terrorist designation would require the Palestinian Authority to take steps it has so far failed to do.  Despite Palestinian disappointment, they say Biden has restarted aid and reopened lines of communication. The administration has also criticised Israeli settlement expansion as inconsistent with peace prospects, after the Trump administration signalled acceptance of such activities. ""Recall that we walked into a situation in which our ties with the Palestinians were totally severed (by the Trump administration)."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-pin-scant-hope-biden-visit-after-setbacks-under-trump-2022-07-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians pin scant hope on Biden visit after setbacks under Trump[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, July 1 (Reuters) - As the United States strives to boost defence ties between Israel and Arab states, Palestinians await with increasing gloom the first visit of President Joe Biden after what they see as a string of broken promises by Washington.
+Requests for the reopening of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, closed by former President Donald Trump, or lifting the classification of the Palestine Liberation Organization as a terrorist organisation have gone unheard, Palestinians say.
+""We have no illusions that the visit will achieve a political breakthrough. We will be listening to more pledges and promises,"" a senior Palestinian official said. ""This visit is about normalizing ties between Israel and Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia.""
+Biden will visit Israel and the West Bank, meeting Israeli leaders and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as Saudi Arabia from July 13-16.
+A spokesperson for the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs said Washington believed a two-state solution was the best way for both Israel and the Palestinians to resolve their generations-long conflict.
+It was also committed to reopening the consulate, seen by Palestinians as an implicit recognition of East Jerusalem's status as capital of a future Palestinian state on territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.
+In a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday, Abbas urged the administration to put pressure on Israel to preserve the historic status quo in East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa mosque compound there. Israel rejects allegations that it has tried to change the status quo.
+Palestinians also say Israel's continued settlement activities in the occupied West Bank dim any prospect for a viable Palestinian state co-existing alongside Israel.
+""Abbas told Blinken the situation can't continue like this,"" the official said.
+FOCUS ON ISRAELI-ARAB TIES
+U.S. officials reject the assertion that the Biden administration has broken its pledges to the Palestinians and point to changes after the breakdown of relations under the administration of former President Donald Trump.
+They say reopening the consulate would require Israeli cooperation and they that removing the PLO's terrorist designation would require the Palestinian Authority to take steps it has so far failed to do.
+Despite Palestinian disappointment, they say Biden has restarted aid and reopened lines of communication. The administration has also criticised Israeli settlement expansion as inconsistent with peace prospects, after the Trump administration signalled acceptance of such activities.
+""Recall that we walked into a situation in which our ties with the Palestinians were totally severed (by the Trump administration). So we turned back on the funding, rebuilt relationships …. And there will be more to come,"" a senior Biden administration official said.
+But the intense focus on boosting security cooperation between Israel and U.S.-aligned Arab countries to confront a potential threat from Iran means that any move towards a wider resolution of the Palestinian issue remains far off, according to Talal Okal, a political analyst in Gaza.
+""Biden will do nothing to change the existing reality,"" he said. ""There is no horizon for the Palestinian-Israel conflict.""
+The Biden visit comes amid increasing speculation over the future of Abbas, an 86-year-old chain smoker with a history of health problems who has ruled by decree since 2005, when the last Palestinian election was held.
+The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, received a boost last month when the European Union agreed to restore funding frozen by a dispute over school textbooks.
+There has also been increased pressure on Israel, including from the Biden administration, for action on the fatal shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as she was covering an Israeli army raid in the West Bank town of Jenin.
+But further progress has been complicated by the turmoil that saw Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's coalition government collapse, with an election now scheduled for Nov. 1.
+With an uncertain political road ahead, there is little likelihood of anything more than a minimum of U.S. economic aid for Palestinians, said political analyst Hani Al-Masri.
+""Hopes, if there were any, got washed away by the new changes in Israel, in the government and the parliament.""
+(In paragraph 2, this story corrects location of consulate to Jerusalem, not East Jerusalem.)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","So we turned back on the funding, rebuilt relationships …. And there will be more to come,"" a senior Biden administration official said. But the intense focus on boosting security cooperation between Israel and U.S.-aligned Arab countries to confront a potential threat from Iran means that any move towards a wider resolution of the Palestinian issue remains far off, according to Talal Okal, a political analyst in Gaza.
+""Biden will do nothing to change the existing reality,"" he said. ""There is no horizon for the Palestinian-Israel conflict."" The Biden visit comes amid increasing speculation over the future of Abbas, an 86-year-old chain smoker with a history of health problems who has ruled by decree since 2005, when the last Palestinian election was held. The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, received a boost last month when the European Union agreed to restore funding frozen by a dispute over school textbooks.  There has also been increased pressure on Israel, including from the Biden administration, for action on the fatal shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as she was covering an Israeli army raid in the West Bank town of Jenin. But further progress has been complicated by the turmoil that saw Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's coalition government collapse, with an election now scheduled for Nov. 1. With an uncertain political road ahead, there is little likelihood of anything more than a minimum of U.S. economic aid for Palestinians, said political analyst Hani Al-Masri.  ""Hopes, if there were any, got washed away by the new changes in Israel, in the government and the parliament.""
+(In paragraph 2, this story corrects location of consulate to Jerusalem, not East Jerusalem.)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-torture-detained-critics-rights-group-says-2022-07-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians torture detained critics, rights group says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 1 (Reuters) - Palestinian authorities in the occupied West Bank and Gaza arbitrarily arrest and systematically torture critics and opponents, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report said.
+The international rights group on Thursday called on donors to cut funding to Palestinian security forces and for the International Criminal Court to investigate people involved in abuses, which it said may amount to crimes against humanity.
+The report came a year after Nizar Banat, a prominent critic of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was beaten to death in custody. His death sparked days of protests in the West Bank that were violently suppressed by Palestinian security forces.
+The Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, which Israel occupied in a 1967 Middle East war. The Islamist militant group Hamas rules Gaza, a coastal enclave under blockade by Israel and neighbouring Egypt.
+""More than a year after beating to death Nizar Banat, the Palestinian Authority continues to arrest and torture critics and opponents,"" said Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch.
+""Systematic abuse by the PA and Hamas forms a critical part of the repression of the Palestinian people.""
+The ongoing trial of 14 security officers charged with Banat's killing began in late 2021. They have all pleaded not guilty.
+Last week, Amnesty International called the trial ""flawed"" and said those who gave the orders to arrest Banat must also be held accountable.
+Officials of the PA and Hamas denied the allegations of systematic abuse.
+""We can arrange for human rights organisations to visit any facility that allegedly practices torture and to speak with detainees there,"" PA security services spokesman Talal Dweikat told Reuters. ""For us, the dignity of the Palestinian citizen is above all.""
+Dweikat added that he regularly meets with members of the security forces to make sure they comply with regulations.
+The spokesman of the Hamas-run interior ministry Eyad Al-Bozom said that the ministry ""continuously takes the necessary measures to ban torture at its headquarters and detention centres.""
+""Freedom of expression and freedom of political affiliation is granted to all citizens without discrimination,"" he said, adding that Hamas does not detain people on political grounds.
+The report also outlined mistreatment and torture of Palestinians by Israeli forces, adding that of the hundreds of torture complaints filed in the past 20 years with Israel's Justice Ministry, none resulted in indictments.
+HRW's findings on Thursday followed a 147-page report it released in 2018 detailing patterns of abuse that it said the Palestinian authorities routinely rely on to crush dissent, including use of torture.
+""Palestinian authorities have consistently failed to hold security forces accountable,"" the group said.
+The report, authored with the Palestinian rights group Lawyers for Justice, was submitted to the United Nations Committee Against Torture.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians torture detained critics, rights group says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 1 (Reuters) - Palestinian authorities in the occupied West Bank and Gaza arbitrarily arrest and systematically torture critics and opponents, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report said. The international rights group on Thursday called on donors to cut funding to Palestinian security forces and for the International Criminal Court to investigate people involved in abuses, which it said may amount to crimes against humanity. The report came a year after Nizar Banat, a prominent critic of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was beaten to death in custody. His death sparked days of protests in the West Bank that were violently suppressed by Palestinian security forces.  The Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, which Israel occupied in a 1967 Middle East war. The Islamist militant group Hamas rules Gaza, a coastal enclave under blockade by Israel and neighbouring Egypt.  ""More than a year after beating to death Nizar Banat, the Palestinian Authority continues to arrest and torture critics and opponents,"" said Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch.
+"" Systematic abuse by the PA and Hamas forms a critical part of the repression of the Palestinian people.""  The ongoing trial of 14 security officers charged with Banat's killing began in late 2021. They have all pleaded not guilty. Last week, Amnesty International called the trial ""flawed"" and said those who gave the orders to arrest Banat must also be held accountable.
+Officials of the PA and Hamas denied the allegations of systematic abuse.  ""We can arrange for human rights organisations to visit any facility that allegedly practices torture and to speak with detainees there,"" PA security services spokesman Talal Dweikat told Reuters. ""For us, the dignity of the Palestinian citizen is above all."" Dweikat added that he regularly meets with members of the security forces to make sure they comply with regulations. The spokesman of the Hamas-run interior ministry Eyad Al-Bozom said that the ministry ""continuously takes the necessary measures to ban torture at its headquarters and detention centres.""
+""Freedom of expression and freedom of political affiliation is granted to all citizens without discrimination,"" he said, adding that Hamas does not detain people on political grounds. The report also outlined mistreatment and torture of Palestinians by Israeli forces, adding that of the hundreds of torture complaints filed in the past 20 years with Israel's Justice Ministry, none resulted in indictments."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-torture-detained-critics-rights-group-says-2022-07-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians torture detained critics, rights group says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, July 1 (Reuters) - Palestinian authorities in the occupied West Bank and Gaza arbitrarily arrest and systematically torture critics and opponents, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report said.
+The international rights group on Thursday called on donors to cut funding to Palestinian security forces and for the International Criminal Court to investigate people involved in abuses, which it said may amount to crimes against humanity.
+The report came a year after Nizar Banat, a prominent critic of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was beaten to death in custody. His death sparked days of protests in the West Bank that were violently suppressed by Palestinian security forces.
+The Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, which Israel occupied in a 1967 Middle East war. The Islamist militant group Hamas rules Gaza, a coastal enclave under blockade by Israel and neighbouring Egypt.
+""More than a year after beating to death Nizar Banat, the Palestinian Authority continues to arrest and torture critics and opponents,"" said Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch.
+""Systematic abuse by the PA and Hamas forms a critical part of the repression of the Palestinian people.""
+The ongoing trial of 14 security officers charged with Banat's killing began in late 2021. They have all pleaded not guilty.
+Last week, Amnesty International called the trial ""flawed"" and said those who gave the orders to arrest Banat must also be held accountable.
+Officials of the PA and Hamas denied the allegations of systematic abuse.
+""We can arrange for human rights organisations to visit any facility that allegedly practices torture and to speak with detainees there,"" PA security services spokesman Talal Dweikat told Reuters. ""For us, the dignity of the Palestinian citizen is above all.""
+Dweikat added that he regularly meets with members of the security forces to make sure they comply with regulations.
+The spokesman of the Hamas-run interior ministry Eyad Al-Bozom said that the ministry ""continuously takes the necessary measures to ban torture at its headquarters and detention centres.""
+""Freedom of expression and freedom of political affiliation is granted to all citizens without discrimination,"" he said, adding that Hamas does not detain people on political grounds.
+The report also outlined mistreatment and torture of Palestinians by Israeli forces, adding that of the hundreds of torture complaints filed in the past 20 years with Israel's Justice Ministry, none resulted in indictments.
+HRW's findings on Thursday followed a 147-page report it released in 2018 detailing patterns of abuse that it said the Palestinian authorities routinely rely on to crush dissent, including use of torture.
+""Palestinian authorities have consistently failed to hold security forces accountable,"" the group said.
+The report, authored with the Palestinian rights group Lawyers for Justice, was submitted to the United Nations Committee Against Torture.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","HRW's findings on Thursday followed a 147-page report it released in 2018 detailing patterns of abuse that it said the Palestinian authorities routinely rely on to crush dissent, including use of torture.
+""Palestinian authorities have consistently failed to hold security forces accountable,"" the group said.  The report, authored with the Palestinian rights group Lawyers for Justice, was submitted to the United Nations Committee Against Torture.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/unilever-sells-ben-jerrys-israeli-business-2022-06-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Unilever sells Ben & Jerry's Israeli business to defuse BDS row[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, June 29 (Reuters) - Unilever (ULVR.L), opens new tab on Wednesday sold its Ben & Jerry's ice cream business in Israel to its local licensee for an undisclosed sum, aiming to smooth over a potentially damaging diplomatic row over the company's political stance.
+The deal comes after the U.S. ice cream brand announced last year it would stop marketing products in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, saying that selling there was ""inconsistent"" with its values. Under the new arrangement Ben & Jerry's ice cream will be available to all consumers in Israel and the occupied West Bank.
+The episode highlighted the challenges facing consumer brands taking a stand on Israel's military occupation of the Palestinians, such as San Francisco-based Airbnb, which in 2019 reversed its decision to delist Israeli settlements.
+The international boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement seeks to pressure Israel to abide by international law in its treatment of the Palestinians. Israel says such boycotts are discriminatory and anti-Semitic.
+On Wednesday, Israel's foreign ministry called the Ben & Jerry's deal ""a huge victory.""
+""We will fight delegitimization and the BDS campaign in every arena, whether in the public square, in the economic sphere or in the moral realm,"" Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement.
+Last year, Israel condemned the sales boycott as ""morally wrong"" and said Unilever would face ""severe consequences."" The consumer goods giant defended Ben & Jerry's autonomy, but said it was ""fully committed"" to Israel and would find a solution by the end of this year. read more
+Unilever had said previously it did not support the BDS movement, and reiterated that stance in a statement on Wednesday.
+The new owner is the brand's long-time Israeli ice cream licensee Avi Zinger, owner of American Quality Products. Zinger had sued Ben & Jerry's after its decision in the West Bank, saying the company illegally severed their 34-year relationship.
+""The new arrangement means Ben & Jerry’s will be sold under its Hebrew and Arabic names throughout Israel and the West Bank under the full ownership of its current licensee,"" Unilever said.
+A representative for the Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's said the company does not agree with Unilever's announcement and will no longer profit from Ben & Jerry's in Israel.
+
+""We continue to believe it is inconsistent with Ben & Jerry's values for our ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,"" the representative told Reuters.
+REACTIONS
+Pension officials in at least six U.S. states had restricted or sold Unilever stock or bonds to protest the Ben & Jerry's decision, among them New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar, and Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. read more Representatives for all three told Reuters on Wednesday they would review Unilever's move.
+Billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz, who is joining the board of Unilever next month, was involved in the discussions to bring about the resolution, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights organization that supported the deal. Peltz is the chairman of the center's board of governors.
+Peltz met with Unilever CEO Alan Jope in September before Trian Partners, the investment fund Peltz runs, bought any shares, to discuss the situation, a person familiar with the matter said.
+Trian Partners commended the new arrangement in a statement, saying that ""respect and tolerance have prevailed.""
+Ben & Jerry's and its independent board maintained the right to decide on its social mission when it was bought by Unilever in 2000. But Unilever said it ""reserved primary responsibility for financial and operational decisions and therefore has the right to enter this arrangement.""
+Israel captured the West Bank, part of the territory Palestinians want for an independent state, in a 1967 Middle East war. Most countries consider Israeli settlements on Palestinian land to be illegal. Israel disputes this.
+""The return of Ben and Jerry's to Israeli settlements, which were built on Palestinian land, exposes it to international legal accountability and its name will be on the United Nations blacklist of companies operating in settlements,"" The Palestine Liberation Organization's Wasel Abu Yussef told Reuters.
+Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said the deal sought to undermine the ""principled decision"" to stop selling the ice cream in Israeli settlements.
+""What comes next may look and taste similar, but, without Ben & Jerry's recognized social justice values, it's just a pint of ice cream,"" he said in a statement.
+Ben & Jerry's Jewish founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, no longer manage the brand but are well known for their commitment to social justice. The company has recently expressed strong support for the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ+ rights and electoral campaign finance reform.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Unilever sells Ben & Jerry's Israeli business to defuse BDS row[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, June 29 (Reuters) - Unilever (ULVR.L), opens new tab on Wednesday sold its Ben & Jerry's ice cream business in Israel to its local licensee for an undisclosed sum, aiming to smooth over a potentially damaging diplomatic row over the company's political stance.  The deal comes after the U.S. ice cream brand announced last year it would stop marketing products in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, saying that selling there was ""inconsistent"" with its values. Under the new arrangement Ben & Jerry's ice cream will be available to all consumers in Israel and the occupied West Bank. The episode highlighted the challenges facing consumer brands taking a stand on Israel's military occupation of the Palestinians, such as San Francisco-based Airbnb, which in 2019 reversed its decision to delist Israeli settlements.  The international boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement seeks to pressure Israel to abide by international law in its treatment of the Palestinians. Israel says such boycotts are discriminatory and anti-Semitic. On Wednesday, Israel's foreign ministry called the Ben & Jerry's deal ""a huge victory.""
+""We will fight delegitimization and the BDS campaign in every arena, whether in the public square, in the economic sphere or in the moral realm,"" Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement.  Last year, Israel condemned the sales boycott as ""morally wrong"" and said Unilever would face ""severe consequences."" The consumer goods giant defended Ben & Jerry's autonomy, but said it was ""fully committed"" to Israel and would find a solution by the end of this year. read more Unilever had said previously it did not support the BDS movement, and reiterated that stance in a statement on Wednesday. The new owner is the brand's long-time Israeli ice cream licensee Avi Zinger, owner of American Quality Products. Zinger had sued Ben & Jerry's after its decision in the West Bank, saying the company illegally severed their 34-year relationship.
+"" The new arrangement means Ben & Jerry’s will be sold under its Hebrew and Arabic names throughout Israel and the West Bank under the full ownership of its current licensee,"" Unilever said."
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/unilever-sells-ben-jerrys-israeli-business-2022-06-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Unilever sells Ben & Jerry's Israeli business to defuse BDS row[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, June 29 (Reuters) - Unilever (ULVR.L), opens new tab on Wednesday sold its Ben & Jerry's ice cream business in Israel to its local licensee for an undisclosed sum, aiming to smooth over a potentially damaging diplomatic row over the company's political stance.
+The deal comes after the U.S. ice cream brand announced last year it would stop marketing products in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, saying that selling there was ""inconsistent"" with its values. Under the new arrangement Ben & Jerry's ice cream will be available to all consumers in Israel and the occupied West Bank.
+The episode highlighted the challenges facing consumer brands taking a stand on Israel's military occupation of the Palestinians, such as San Francisco-based Airbnb, which in 2019 reversed its decision to delist Israeli settlements.
+The international boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement seeks to pressure Israel to abide by international law in its treatment of the Palestinians. Israel says such boycotts are discriminatory and anti-Semitic.
+On Wednesday, Israel's foreign ministry called the Ben & Jerry's deal ""a huge victory.""
+""We will fight delegitimization and the BDS campaign in every arena, whether in the public square, in the economic sphere or in the moral realm,"" Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement.
+Last year, Israel condemned the sales boycott as ""morally wrong"" and said Unilever would face ""severe consequences."" The consumer goods giant defended Ben & Jerry's autonomy, but said it was ""fully committed"" to Israel and would find a solution by the end of this year. read more
+Unilever had said previously it did not support the BDS movement, and reiterated that stance in a statement on Wednesday.
+The new owner is the brand's long-time Israeli ice cream licensee Avi Zinger, owner of American Quality Products. Zinger had sued Ben & Jerry's after its decision in the West Bank, saying the company illegally severed their 34-year relationship.
+""The new arrangement means Ben & Jerry’s will be sold under its Hebrew and Arabic names throughout Israel and the West Bank under the full ownership of its current licensee,"" Unilever said.
+A representative for the Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's said the company does not agree with Unilever's announcement and will no longer profit from Ben & Jerry's in Israel.
+
+""We continue to believe it is inconsistent with Ben & Jerry's values for our ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,"" the representative told Reuters.
+REACTIONS
+Pension officials in at least six U.S. states had restricted or sold Unilever stock or bonds to protest the Ben & Jerry's decision, among them New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar, and Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. read more Representatives for all three told Reuters on Wednesday they would review Unilever's move.
+Billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz, who is joining the board of Unilever next month, was involved in the discussions to bring about the resolution, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights organization that supported the deal. Peltz is the chairman of the center's board of governors.
+Peltz met with Unilever CEO Alan Jope in September before Trian Partners, the investment fund Peltz runs, bought any shares, to discuss the situation, a person familiar with the matter said.
+Trian Partners commended the new arrangement in a statement, saying that ""respect and tolerance have prevailed.""
+Ben & Jerry's and its independent board maintained the right to decide on its social mission when it was bought by Unilever in 2000. But Unilever said it ""reserved primary responsibility for financial and operational decisions and therefore has the right to enter this arrangement.""
+Israel captured the West Bank, part of the territory Palestinians want for an independent state, in a 1967 Middle East war. Most countries consider Israeli settlements on Palestinian land to be illegal. Israel disputes this.
+""The return of Ben and Jerry's to Israeli settlements, which were built on Palestinian land, exposes it to international legal accountability and its name will be on the United Nations blacklist of companies operating in settlements,"" The Palestine Liberation Organization's Wasel Abu Yussef told Reuters.
+Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said the deal sought to undermine the ""principled decision"" to stop selling the ice cream in Israeli settlements.
+""What comes next may look and taste similar, but, without Ben & Jerry's recognized social justice values, it's just a pint of ice cream,"" he said in a statement.
+Ben & Jerry's Jewish founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, no longer manage the brand but are well known for their commitment to social justice. The company has recently expressed strong support for the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ+ rights and electoral campaign finance reform.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","A representative for the Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's said the company does not agree with Unilever's announcement and will no longer profit from Ben & Jerry's in Israel.
+
+""We continue to believe it is inconsistent with Ben & Jerry's values for our ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,"" the representative told Reuters.  REACTIONS
+Pension officials in at least six U.S. states had restricted or sold Unilever stock or bonds to protest the Ben & Jerry's decision, among them New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar, and Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. read more Representatives for all three told Reuters on Wednesday they would review Unilever's move.  Billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz, who is joining the board of Unilever next month, was involved in the discussions to bring about the resolution, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights organization that supported the deal. Peltz is the chairman of the center's board of governors. Peltz met with Unilever CEO Alan Jope in September before Trian Partners, the investment fund Peltz runs, bought any shares, to discuss the situation, a person familiar with the matter said.  Trian Partners commended the new arrangement in a statement, saying that ""respect and tolerance have prevailed.""
+Ben & Jerry's and its independent board maintained the right to decide on its social mission when it was bought by Unilever in 2000. But Unilever said it ""reserved primary responsibility for financial and operational decisions and therefore has the right to enter this arrangement.""  Israel captured the West Bank, part of the territory Palestinians want for an independent state, in a 1967 Middle East war. Most countries consider Israeli settlements on Palestinian land to be illegal. Israel disputes this. ""The return of Ben and Jerry's to Israeli settlements, which were built on Palestinian land, exposes it to international legal accountability and its name will be on the United Nations blacklist of companies operating in settlements,"" The Palestine Liberation Organization's Wasel Abu Yussef told Reuters. Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said the deal sought to undermine the ""principled decision"" to stop selling the ice cream in Israeli settlements.
+"" What comes next may look and taste similar, but, without Ben & Jerry's recognized social justice values, it's just a pint of ice cream,"" he said in a statement.  Ben & Jerry's Jewish founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, no longer manage the brand but are well known for their commitment to social justice."
+https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/unilever-sells-ben-jerrys-israeli-business-2022-06-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Unilever sells Ben & Jerry's Israeli business to defuse BDS row[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, June 29 (Reuters) - Unilever (ULVR.L), opens new tab on Wednesday sold its Ben & Jerry's ice cream business in Israel to its local licensee for an undisclosed sum, aiming to smooth over a potentially damaging diplomatic row over the company's political stance.
+The deal comes after the U.S. ice cream brand announced last year it would stop marketing products in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, saying that selling there was ""inconsistent"" with its values. Under the new arrangement Ben & Jerry's ice cream will be available to all consumers in Israel and the occupied West Bank.
+The episode highlighted the challenges facing consumer brands taking a stand on Israel's military occupation of the Palestinians, such as San Francisco-based Airbnb, which in 2019 reversed its decision to delist Israeli settlements.
+The international boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement seeks to pressure Israel to abide by international law in its treatment of the Palestinians. Israel says such boycotts are discriminatory and anti-Semitic.
+On Wednesday, Israel's foreign ministry called the Ben & Jerry's deal ""a huge victory.""
+""We will fight delegitimization and the BDS campaign in every arena, whether in the public square, in the economic sphere or in the moral realm,"" Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement.
+Last year, Israel condemned the sales boycott as ""morally wrong"" and said Unilever would face ""severe consequences."" The consumer goods giant defended Ben & Jerry's autonomy, but said it was ""fully committed"" to Israel and would find a solution by the end of this year. read more
+Unilever had said previously it did not support the BDS movement, and reiterated that stance in a statement on Wednesday.
+The new owner is the brand's long-time Israeli ice cream licensee Avi Zinger, owner of American Quality Products. Zinger had sued Ben & Jerry's after its decision in the West Bank, saying the company illegally severed their 34-year relationship.
+""The new arrangement means Ben & Jerry’s will be sold under its Hebrew and Arabic names throughout Israel and the West Bank under the full ownership of its current licensee,"" Unilever said.
+A representative for the Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's said the company does not agree with Unilever's announcement and will no longer profit from Ben & Jerry's in Israel.
+
+""We continue to believe it is inconsistent with Ben & Jerry's values for our ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,"" the representative told Reuters.
+REACTIONS
+Pension officials in at least six U.S. states had restricted or sold Unilever stock or bonds to protest the Ben & Jerry's decision, among them New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar, and Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. read more Representatives for all three told Reuters on Wednesday they would review Unilever's move.
+Billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz, who is joining the board of Unilever next month, was involved in the discussions to bring about the resolution, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights organization that supported the deal. Peltz is the chairman of the center's board of governors.
+Peltz met with Unilever CEO Alan Jope in September before Trian Partners, the investment fund Peltz runs, bought any shares, to discuss the situation, a person familiar with the matter said.
+Trian Partners commended the new arrangement in a statement, saying that ""respect and tolerance have prevailed.""
+Ben & Jerry's and its independent board maintained the right to decide on its social mission when it was bought by Unilever in 2000. But Unilever said it ""reserved primary responsibility for financial and operational decisions and therefore has the right to enter this arrangement.""
+Israel captured the West Bank, part of the territory Palestinians want for an independent state, in a 1967 Middle East war. Most countries consider Israeli settlements on Palestinian land to be illegal. Israel disputes this.
+""The return of Ben and Jerry's to Israeli settlements, which were built on Palestinian land, exposes it to international legal accountability and its name will be on the United Nations blacklist of companies operating in settlements,"" The Palestine Liberation Organization's Wasel Abu Yussef told Reuters.
+Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said the deal sought to undermine the ""principled decision"" to stop selling the ice cream in Israeli settlements.
+""What comes next may look and taste similar, but, without Ben & Jerry's recognized social justice values, it's just a pint of ice cream,"" he said in a statement.
+Ben & Jerry's Jewish founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, no longer manage the brand but are well known for their commitment to social justice. The company has recently expressed strong support for the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ+ rights and electoral campaign finance reform.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The company has recently expressed strong support for the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ+ rights and electoral campaign finance reform.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-rocket-fire-draws-israeli-air-strikes-gaza-2022-06-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian rocket fire draws Israeli air strikes in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, June 18 (Reuters) - Palestinian militants fired a rocket toward a city in southern Israel on Saturday, drawing Israeli air strikes, the Israeli military said, after months of relative calm in the area.
+There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza or Israel, which intercepted the rocket that was launched toward the city of Ashkelon, setting off air raid sirens and sending residents to bomb shelters.
+Israel said Hamas, the Islamist militant group which controls Gaza, fired the rocket.
+""In response to the rocket attack, Israel Defence Forces aircraft struck a number of Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip,"" the Israeli military said in a statement.
+A spokesperson for Hamas's political wing, Hazem Qassem, declined to comment on the Israeli allegation and referred Reuters to the group's military wing which did not immediately comment.
+The Israel-Gaza frontier has been relatively calm since May 2021, when Israel and Palestinian militants fought an 11-day war.
+Although Saturday's cross-border fire did not appear to signal a wider escalation, violence has risen in the occupied West Bank and in Israel in recent months.
+On Friday, Israeli troops killed three Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank city of Jenin, where military raids have been stepped up after men from the area carried out several lethal street attacks in Israel. read more
+Hamas said one of the gunmen was among its members, while another militant group that draws on members of Palestinian faction Islamic Jihad claimed the dead gunmen as its own.
+Qassem said Saturday's Israeli air strikes were a ""helpless attempt to end the revolutionary actions spreading across Palestine"".
+U.S.-brokered peace talks aiming to establish a Palestinian state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza collapsed in 2014 and there is no sign of their revival.
+U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders during a visit to the region in July.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian rocket fire draws Israeli air strikes in Gaza[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, June 18 (Reuters) - Palestinian militants fired a rocket toward a city in southern Israel on Saturday, drawing Israeli air strikes, the Israeli military said, after months of relative calm in the area. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza or Israel, which intercepted the rocket that was launched toward the city of Ashkelon, setting off air raid sirens and sending residents to bomb shelters. Israel said Hamas, the Islamist militant group which controls Gaza, fired the rocket.
+""In response to the rocket attack, Israel Defence Forces aircraft struck a number of Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip,"" the Israeli military said in a statement. A spokesperson for Hamas's political wing, Hazem Qassem, declined to comment on the Israeli allegation and referred Reuters to the group's military wing which did not immediately comment.
+The Israel-Gaza frontier has been relatively calm since May 2021, when Israel and Palestinian militants fought an 11-day war. Although Saturday's cross-border fire did not appear to signal a wider escalation, violence has risen in the occupied West Bank and in Israel in recent months.  On Friday, Israeli troops killed three Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank city of Jenin, where military raids have been stepped up after men from the area carried out several lethal street attacks in Israel. read more Hamas said one of the gunmen was among its members, while another militant group that draws on members of Palestinian faction Islamic Jihad claimed the dead gunmen as its own. Qassem said Saturday's Israeli air strikes were a ""helpless attempt to end the revolutionary actions spreading across Palestine"".  U.S.-brokered peace talks aiming to establish a Palestinian state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza collapsed in 2014 and there is no sign of their revival. U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders during a visit to the region in July.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-court-convicts-palestinian-aid-worker-after-six-years-detention-2022-06-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli court convicts Palestinian aid worker after six years in detention[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEERSHEBA, Israel, June 15 (Reuters) - An Israeli court on Wednesday convicted a Palestinian aid worker who has been detained for six years on Israeli charges he funneled tens of millions of dollars in relief funds to the militant group Hamas.
+The Beersheba District Court found Mohammad El Halabi guilty of supporting a terror organisation but acquitted him of treason, judges reading out the verdict said. They set a sentencing hearing for July.
+El Halabi, head of Gaza operations for World Vision, an international Christian aidgroup, was arrested in June 2016, accused of siphoning off up to $50 million to pay Hamas fighters, buy arms and fund the group's activities.
+El Halabi has denied the charges and refused several plea deal offers. He has told Reuters the charges were ""a set of lies"" meant to target humanitarian work in Gaza.
+Hamas, which governs blockaded Gaza, is designated by Israel and the West as a terrorist organization.
+The full verdict was classified but the judges said their conviction centered on a confession by El Halabi, which they said was ""detailed, coherent, with signals of truth and particular details."" They said the confession matched details in other testimonies and evidence.
+Sitting in a guarded court booth, El Halabi received the verdict through a translator. His lawyer, Maher Hanna, has denied El Halabi ever confessed and said he would appeal once the sentence is announced.
+""I don't know what the court is basing its claim on,"" he told reporters. He said the judges' summary had ""nothing to do with the evidence that was presented in court.""
+He said the state had failed to produce evidence on what projects El Halabi was supposed to have diverted funds from, which governments had donated the money, or how the aid was transferred to Hamas.
+World Vision, which focuses on helping children, said an independent audit found no evidence of wrongdoing or of funds missing. It said that in the 10-year period El Halabi was employed, it budgeted around $22.5 million for operations in Gaza, making the amount El Halabi allegedly diverted ""hard to reconcile"".
+World Vision spokesperson Sharon Marshall said the organisation acknowledged the verdict ""with disappointment"" and said it would support any appeal because it believed El Halabi was innocent.
+International human rights organisations have criticised El Halabi's prolonged detention and trial. Human Rights Watch said the verdict ""compounds a miscarriage of justice.""
+On Tuesday, the head of the United Nations Human Rights Office in Palestine, James Heenan, also expressed concern.
+Widespread use of secret evidence, reliance on closed proceedings and credible allegations of ill-treatment in detention ""paint a picture of enormous pressure on Mr el-Halabi to confess in the absence of evidence,"" Heenan said.
+In Gaza, dozens of Palestinians gathered with posters of El Halabi to show support.
+""This is a grave mistake and an injustice,"" his father, Khalil El Halabi, told Reuters. ""My son is innocent.""
+In a separate case running parallel to El Halabi's trial, Israel's Corporation Authority (ICA), which oversees NGO activities, petitioned a Jerusalem court to dissolve World Vision in Israel, official documents obtained by Reuters showed.
+The ICA declined a request for comment.
+A 2021 review of the organization by the Department of Non-Profit Associations and Charitable Companies determined there were ""serious flaws"" in World Vision's activities that involved the transfer of funds to parties ""known to be terror operatives"", though the report did not provide evidence or elaborate on whether by ""terror operatives"" it meant El Halabi or others.
+A judge is set to rule on whether to dissolve the organization in Israel later this month.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli court convicts Palestinian aid worker after six years in detention[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEERSHEBA, Israel, June 15 (Reuters) - An Israeli court on Wednesday convicted a Palestinian aid worker who has been detained for six years on Israeli charges he funneled tens of millions of dollars in relief funds to the militant group Hamas.  The Beersheba District Court found Mohammad El Halabi guilty of supporting a terror organisation but acquitted him of treason, judges reading out the verdict said. They set a sentencing hearing for July. El Halabi, head of Gaza operations for World Vision, an international Christian aidgroup, was arrested in June 2016, accused of siphoning off up to $50 million to pay Hamas fighters, buy arms and fund the group's activities.  El Halabi has denied the charges and refused several plea deal offers. He has told Reuters the charges were ""a set of lies"" meant to target humanitarian work in Gaza. Hamas, which governs blockaded Gaza, is designated by Israel and the West as a terrorist organization.  The full verdict was classified but the judges said their conviction centered on a confession by El Halabi, which they said was ""detailed, coherent, with signals of truth and particular details."" They said the confession matched details in other testimonies and evidence.  Sitting in a guarded court booth, El Halabi received the verdict through a translator. His lawyer, Maher Hanna, has denied El Halabi ever confessed and said he would appeal once the sentence is announced.  ""I don't know what the court is basing its claim on,"" he told reporters. He said the judges' summary had ""nothing to do with the evidence that was presented in court.""  He said the state had failed to produce evidence on what projects El Halabi was supposed to have diverted funds from, which governments had donated the money, or how the aid was transferred to Hamas.
+World Vision, which focuses on helping children, said an independent audit found no evidence of wrongdoing or of funds missing. It said that in the 10-year period El Halabi was employed, it budgeted around $22.5 million for operations in Gaza, making the amount El Halabi allegedly diverted ""hard to reconcile"".  World Vision spokesperson Sharon Marshall said the organisation acknowledged the verdict ""with disappointment"" and said it would support any appeal because it believed El Halabi was innocent.
+International human rights organisations have criticised El Halabi's prolonged detention and trial."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-court-convicts-palestinian-aid-worker-after-six-years-detention-2022-06-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli court convicts Palestinian aid worker after six years in detention[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEERSHEBA, Israel, June 15 (Reuters) - An Israeli court on Wednesday convicted a Palestinian aid worker who has been detained for six years on Israeli charges he funneled tens of millions of dollars in relief funds to the militant group Hamas.
+The Beersheba District Court found Mohammad El Halabi guilty of supporting a terror organisation but acquitted him of treason, judges reading out the verdict said. They set a sentencing hearing for July.
+El Halabi, head of Gaza operations for World Vision, an international Christian aidgroup, was arrested in June 2016, accused of siphoning off up to $50 million to pay Hamas fighters, buy arms and fund the group's activities.
+El Halabi has denied the charges and refused several plea deal offers. He has told Reuters the charges were ""a set of lies"" meant to target humanitarian work in Gaza.
+Hamas, which governs blockaded Gaza, is designated by Israel and the West as a terrorist organization.
+The full verdict was classified but the judges said their conviction centered on a confession by El Halabi, which they said was ""detailed, coherent, with signals of truth and particular details."" They said the confession matched details in other testimonies and evidence.
+Sitting in a guarded court booth, El Halabi received the verdict through a translator. His lawyer, Maher Hanna, has denied El Halabi ever confessed and said he would appeal once the sentence is announced.
+""I don't know what the court is basing its claim on,"" he told reporters. He said the judges' summary had ""nothing to do with the evidence that was presented in court.""
+He said the state had failed to produce evidence on what projects El Halabi was supposed to have diverted funds from, which governments had donated the money, or how the aid was transferred to Hamas.
+World Vision, which focuses on helping children, said an independent audit found no evidence of wrongdoing or of funds missing. It said that in the 10-year period El Halabi was employed, it budgeted around $22.5 million for operations in Gaza, making the amount El Halabi allegedly diverted ""hard to reconcile"".
+World Vision spokesperson Sharon Marshall said the organisation acknowledged the verdict ""with disappointment"" and said it would support any appeal because it believed El Halabi was innocent.
+International human rights organisations have criticised El Halabi's prolonged detention and trial. Human Rights Watch said the verdict ""compounds a miscarriage of justice.""
+On Tuesday, the head of the United Nations Human Rights Office in Palestine, James Heenan, also expressed concern.
+Widespread use of secret evidence, reliance on closed proceedings and credible allegations of ill-treatment in detention ""paint a picture of enormous pressure on Mr el-Halabi to confess in the absence of evidence,"" Heenan said.
+In Gaza, dozens of Palestinians gathered with posters of El Halabi to show support.
+""This is a grave mistake and an injustice,"" his father, Khalil El Halabi, told Reuters. ""My son is innocent.""
+In a separate case running parallel to El Halabi's trial, Israel's Corporation Authority (ICA), which oversees NGO activities, petitioned a Jerusalem court to dissolve World Vision in Israel, official documents obtained by Reuters showed.
+The ICA declined a request for comment.
+A 2021 review of the organization by the Department of Non-Profit Associations and Charitable Companies determined there were ""serious flaws"" in World Vision's activities that involved the transfer of funds to parties ""known to be terror operatives"", though the report did not provide evidence or elaborate on whether by ""terror operatives"" it meant El Halabi or others.
+A judge is set to rule on whether to dissolve the organization in Israel later this month.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Human Rights Watch said the verdict ""compounds a miscarriage of justice.""
+On Tuesday, the head of the United Nations Human Rights Office in Palestine, James Heenan, also expressed concern. Widespread use of secret evidence, reliance on closed proceedings and credible allegations of ill-treatment in detention ""paint a picture of enormous pressure on Mr el-Halabi to confess in the absence of evidence,"" Heenan said. In Gaza, dozens of Palestinians gathered with posters of El Halabi to show support.  ""This is a grave mistake and an injustice,"" his father, Khalil El Halabi, told Reuters. ""My son is innocent."" In a separate case running parallel to El Halabi's trial, Israel's Corporation Authority (ICA), which oversees NGO activities, petitioned a Jerusalem court to dissolve World Vision in Israel, official documents obtained by Reuters showed. The ICA declined a request for comment.  A 2021 review of the organization by the Department of Non-Profit Associations and Charitable Companies determined there were ""serious flaws"" in World Vision's activities that involved the transfer of funds to parties ""known to be terror operatives"", though the report did not provide evidence or elaborate on whether by ""terror operatives"" it meant El Halabi or others.
+A judge is set to rule on whether to dissolve the organization in Israel later this month.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-teenager-west-bank-palestinian-ministry-says-2022-05-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill Palestinian teenager in West Bank, Palestinian ministry says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, May 27 (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement.
+The 15-year-old was shot in his neck and back in the town of al-Khader near Bethlehem, the statement added. He is the second Palestinian teen killed this week. read more
+The Israeli military said it responded with live fire when a number of suspects hurled rocks and petrol bombs at soldiers ""who were conducting routine security activity"" in the area, adding that the incident was under review.
+It was not clear whether the shot teen had participated in the clashes.
+The killing ""is part of a series of crimes and field executions carried out by the occupation forces"", the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement.
+Separately, Israeli forces injured more than 200 people in protests near the West Bank city of Nablus on Friday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a statement. read more
+Israeli forces or armed civilians have killed at least 46 Palestinians since the beginning of the year, including militants, lone assailants and bystanders. Data collected by Defence for Children International-Palestine showed at least eight of the casualties were children.
+Since March, Palestinians have killed 18 people, including civilians, police officers and a security guard, in attacks in Israel and the West Bank.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill Palestinian teenager in West Bank, Palestinian ministry says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, May 27 (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement.  The 15-year-old was shot in his neck and back in the town of al-Khader near Bethlehem, the statement added. He is the second Palestinian teen killed this week. read more The Israeli military said it responded with live fire when a number of suspects hurled rocks and petrol bombs at soldiers ""who were conducting routine security activity"" in the area, adding that the incident was under review.
+It was not clear whether the shot teen had participated in the clashes. The killing ""is part of a series of crimes and field executions carried out by the occupation forces"", the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement. Separately, Israeli forces injured more than 200 people in protests near the West Bank city of Nablus on Friday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a statement. read more  Israeli forces or armed civilians have killed at least 46 Palestinians since the beginning of the year, including militants, lone assailants and bystanders. Data collected by Defence for Children International-Palestine showed at least eight of the casualties were children. Since March, Palestinians have killed 18 people, including civilians, police officers and a security guard, in attacks in Israel and the West Bank.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraq-makes-it-illegal-attempt-normalising-ties-with-israel-2022-05-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iraq makes it illegal to attempt normalising ties with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BAGHDAD, May 26 (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament approved a law on Thursday that will ban normalizing relations with Israel, at a time when several Arab countries have established formal ties.
+The Iraqi parliament has been unable to convene on any other issue including electing a new president and forming its own government, prolonging a political standoff.
+Iraq has never recognised the state of Israel since its establishment in 1948 and Iraqi citizens and companies cannot visit Israel, but the new law goes further, specifically criminalising any attempts to normalise relations with Israel.
+The law was proposed by influential Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr whose party, which opposes close ties with the United States and Israel, won more seats in parliament in elections last October.
+""Approving the law is not only a victory for the Iraqi people but to the heroes in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon,"" said Iraqi shi'ite lawmaker Hassan Salim who represents Iranian-backed militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq.
+Lawmakers from Sadr's party said they proposed the law to curb any claims by Iranian-backed rival parties that Sadr is making coalitions with Sunni and Kurds who may have secret ties with Israel.
+Some Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, are forging ties with Israel against a backdrop of shared concerns about the threat that Iran may pose to the region.
+Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally, has made it a condition of any eventual normalization with Israel that Palestinians' quest for statehood on territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war must be addressed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iraq makes it illegal to attempt normalising ties with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BAGHDAD, May 26 (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament approved a law on Thursday that will ban normalizing relations with Israel, at a time when several Arab countries have established formal ties. The Iraqi parliament has been unable to convene on any other issue including electing a new president and forming its own government, prolonging a political standoff. Iraq has never recognised the state of Israel since its establishment in 1948 and Iraqi citizens and companies cannot visit Israel, but the new law goes further, specifically criminalising any attempts to normalise relations with Israel. The law was proposed by influential Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr whose party, which opposes close ties with the United States and Israel, won more seats in parliament in elections last October. ""Approving the law is not only a victory for the Iraqi people but to the heroes in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon,"" said Iraqi shi'ite lawmaker Hassan Salim who represents Iranian-backed militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq. Lawmakers from Sadr's party said they proposed the law to curb any claims by Iranian-backed rival parties that Sadr is making coalitions with Sunni and Kurds who may have secret ties with Israel. Some Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, are forging ties with Israel against a backdrop of shared concerns about the threat that Iran may pose to the region. Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally, has made it a condition of any eventual normalization with Israel that Palestinians' quest for statehood on territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war must be addressed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-teen-west-bank-clashes-palestinian-health-2022-05-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill Palestinian teen in West Bank clashes, Palestinian health ministry says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank May 25 (Reuters) - A 16-year-old Palestinian shot in the head by Israeli forces died early on Wednesday after clashes in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry said.
+The ministry identified the teen as Gaith Yamin. It said Israeli forces shot him near Joseph's Tomb, a flashpoint site.
+The Israeli military said on Twitter that it responded with live fire to hundreds of Palestinians who hurled rocks and petrol bombs at soldiers during a visit by Jewish worshippers to Joseph's Tomb on Tuesday night.
+Some Jews believe Joseph’s Tomb is the burial site of the Jewish patriarch. Palestinians say it is the shrine of a sheikh.
+The Palestine Red Crescent Society said it treated at least 80 people during clashes around the site, including wounds from live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets and tear gas inhalation.
+
+The Palestinian education ministry condemned the killing in a statement and stressed the need ""to deter the occupation and hold it accountable for its heinous crimes"".
+Israel has stepped up its West Bank raids since late March, following a string of deadly attacks in its cities.
+The incursions have often sparked clashes. At least 46 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or armed civilians since the beginning of the year. The casualties include militants, lone assailants and bystanders.
+The killing of veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin has drawn international concern.
+Since March, Palestinians have killed 18 people, including civilians, police officers and a security guard, in attacks in Israel and the West Bank.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill Palestinian teen in West Bank clashes , Palestinian health ministry says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank May 25 (Reuters) - A 16-year-old Palestinian shot in the head by Israeli forces died early on Wednesday after clashes in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry said.  The ministry identified the teen as Gaith Yamin. It said Israeli forces shot him near Joseph's Tomb, a flashpoint site. The Israeli military said on Twitter that it responded with live fire to hundreds of Palestinians who hurled rocks and petrol bombs at soldiers during a visit by Jewish worshippers to Joseph's Tomb on Tuesday night.  Some Jews believe Joseph’s Tomb is the burial site of the Jewish patriarch. Palestinians say it is the shrine of a sheikh. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said it treated at least 80 people during clashes around the site, including wounds from live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets and tear gas inhalation. The Palestinian education ministry condemned the killing in a statement and stressed the need ""to deter the occupation and hold it accountable for its heinous crimes"".
+Israel has stepped up its West Bank raids since late March, following a string of deadly attacks in its cities.  The incursions have often sparked clashes. At least 46 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or armed civilians since the beginning of the year. The casualties include militants, lone assailants and bystanders. The killing of veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin has drawn international concern.  Since March, Palestinians have killed 18 people, including civilians, police officers and a security guard, in attacks in Israel and the West Bank.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkish-foreign-minister-heads-palestinian-territories-israel-2022-05-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkish foreign minister backs Palestinians ahead of Israel talks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, May 24 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu started a two-day trip to the Palestinian territories and Israel on Tuesday, the first such visit by a senior Turkish official in more than a decade.
+Speaking after meeting his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in the West Bank city Ramallah, Cavusoglu said Turkish support for Palestine would not diminish even as once frozen relations with Israel thawed.
+""Our support for the Palestinian cause is completely independent from the course of our relations with Israel,"" he told reporters.
+Cavusoglu is due to see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later on Tuesday, followed by talks on Wednesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov.
+He was also expected to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
+Recent confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli police at the flashpoint site, sacred to both Muslims and Jews, have raised tensions in the region. read more
+Cavusoglu said reports of the clashes had upset Turkey. ""It is important for all Muslims that the sanctity and status of the Al-Aqsa is protected,"" he said.
+Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki hailed Cavusoglu's visit as ""historical"", with Turkey and the Palestinians signing nine cooperation agreements on Tuesday.
+""What we heard has reinforced our position and what we do to achieve freedom and independence,"" Maliki said after the meeting.
+U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, collapsed in 2014 and the two sides have not held serious talks since then.
+Israel and Turkey have been working to mend their long-strained ties with energy emerging as a key area for potential cooperation. The two countries expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkish foreign minister backs Palestinians ahead of Israel talks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, May 24 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu started a two-day trip to the Palestinian territories and Israel on Tuesday, the first such visit by a senior Turkish official in more than a decade. Speaking after meeting his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in the West Bank city Ramallah, Cavusoglu said Turkish support for Palestine would not diminish even as once frozen relations with Israel thawed.
+""Our support for the Palestinian cause is completely independent from the course of our relations with Israel,"" he told reporters.  Cavusoglu is due to see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later on Tuesday, followed by talks on Wednesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov. He was also expected to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Recent confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli police at the flashpoint site, sacred to both Muslims and Jews, have raised tensions in the region. read more  Cavusoglu said reports of the clashes had upset Turkey. ""It is important for all Muslims that the sanctity and status of the Al-Aqsa is protected,"" he said. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki hailed Cavusoglu's visit as ""historical"", with Turkey and the Palestinians signing nine cooperation agreements on Tuesday. ""What we heard has reinforced our position and what we do to achieve freedom and independence,"" Maliki said after the meeting.
+U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, collapsed in 2014 and the two sides have not held serious talks since then.  Israel and Turkey have been working to mend their long-strained ties with energy emerging as a key area for potential cooperation. The two countries expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/singapore-denies-entry-indonesian-cleric-cites-extremism-concerns-2022-05-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Singapore denies entry to Indonesian cleric, cites extremism concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]By Reuters
+May 18, 20225:20 AM GMT+2Updated 2 years ago
+SINGAPORE, May 18 (Reuters) - Singapore said late on Tuesday border officials in the city-state had denied entry to an Indonesian Muslim cleric, citing what it said were Abdul Somad Batubara's ""extremist and segregationist teachings"".
+The cleric, who had travelled by ferry from the Indonesian port of Batam to Singapore on Monday has a large online following in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country.
+""Somad has been known to preach extremist and segregationist teachings, which are unacceptable in Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious society,"" Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement.
+Somad, along with six companions, was denied entry after being interviewed by border officials at a ferry terminal in Singapore.
+""Somad has preached that suicide bombings are legitimate in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and are considered 'martyrdom' operations,"" MHA said.
+""He has also made comments denigrating members of other faith communities, such as Christians, by describing the Christian crucifix as the dwelling place of an 'infidel jinn (spirit/demon)'. In addition, Somad has publicly referred to non-Muslims as 'kafirs' (infidels),"" it said.
+Somad did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Indonesia's foreign ministry declined to comment on the incident.
+In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Somad said immigration officials had not given him an explanation for preventing him entering Singapore.
+""They need to explain to our community, why did your country, your government reject us, why did your government deport us. Why? Because of terrorism, ISIS, narcotics?""
+On Somad's Instagram page, which has 6.5 million followers, the cleric posted a photograph of himself before leaving Singapore in a room with a caged top that he likened to a ""prison"".
+The Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI), the country's highest Muslim clerical council, criticised the move to block Somad and disputed Singapore's claim he was extremist, according to a report by CNN Indonesia.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Singapore denies entry to Indonesian cleric, cites extremism concerns[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]By Reuters
+May 18, 20225:20 AM GMT+2Updated 2 years ago
+SINGAPORE, May 18 (Reuters) - Singapore said late on Tuesday border officials in the city-state had denied entry to an Indonesian Muslim cleric, citing what it said were Abdul Somad Batubara's ""extremist and segregationist teachings"". The cleric, who had travelled by ferry from the Indonesian port of Batam to Singapore on Monday has a large online following in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country.
+"" Somad has been known to preach extremist and segregationist teachings, which are unacceptable in Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious society,"" Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement. Somad, along with six companions, was denied entry after being interviewed by border officials at a ferry terminal in Singapore.  ""Somad has preached that suicide bombings are legitimate in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and are considered 'martyrdom' operations,"" MHA said.
+"" He has also made comments denigrating members of other faith communities, such as Christians, by describing the Christian crucifix as the dwelling place of an 'infidel jinn (spirit/demon)'. In addition, Somad has publicly referred to non-Muslims as 'kafirs' (infidels),"" it said. Somad did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Indonesia's foreign ministry declined to comment on the incident. In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Somad said immigration officials had not given him an explanation for preventing him entering Singapore.  ""They need to explain to our community, why did your country, your government reject us, why did your government deport us. Why? Because of terrorism, ISIS, narcotics?"" On Somad's Instagram page, which has 6.5 million followers, the cleric posted a photograph of himself before leaving Singapore in a room with a caged top that he likened to a ""prison"".  The Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI), the country's highest Muslim clerical council, criticised the move to block Somad and disputed Singapore's claim he was extremist, according to a report by CNN Indonesia.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-lebanese-forces-2022-05-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Lebanese Forces?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, May 16 (Reuters) - The Lebanese Forces (LF) party has said it is on course to emerge as the biggest bloc in Lebanon's parliament after an election on Sunday, a boost for the Saudi-aligned Christian group which is opposed to the Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim movement Hezbollah.
+The result would mean the LF overtaking Hezbollah's main Christian ally, President Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, as the biggest Christian party in parliament.
+What is the Lebanese Forces?
+ESTABLISHED IN CIVIL WAR
+- The LF was established in 1976 as Lebanon descended into civil war. Bashir Gemayel, a Maronite Christian, created the LF by unifying an array of Christian militias including the armed wing of his family's Kataeb, or Phalange, party.
+- It fought numerous adversaries, notably the Palestine Liberation Organisation - which controlled swathes of Lebanon at the time - and was backed by Israel. The LF's Lebanese foes included Walid Jumblatt's Druze militia.
+- Gemayel was assassinated in 1982, a month after he was elected president following an Israeli invastion that reached Beirut. The killing triggered the massacre by Christian militiamen of Palestinian civilians at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps.
+- In 1983, the LF was defeated by Druze fighters in the Chouf mountains, leading some 250,000 Christians to flee the area, the biggest single sectarian displacement of the war.
+- Samir Geagea, who rose through the ranks under Gemayel, took control of the LF in 1986. Under his command, the LF remained the most powerful Christian militia and ran a Christian enclave.
+- The final years of the civil war were marked by a war between the LF and then-army commander Aoun, who was head of one of the two rival Lebanese governments at the time, for control of the Christian area. This conflict, known as the ""war of elimination"", heaped destruction on Christian areas.
+FORCED UNDERGROUND
+- The LF agreed to the peace deal that ended civil war and ceded control of its territory and weapons to the army in 1991. But tensions quickly surfaced between the LF and the new, Damascus-dominated order in Beirut as it became clear the Syrian army was not going to withdraw as set out in the agreement.
+- In 1994, Geagea was arrested and put on trial for bombing a church and political killings in the war. He denied the accusations, saying he was the target of a politically motivated prosecution. Asked about cases brought against him from that time, Geagea has said they were fabricated by the Syrian-Lebanese security apparatus.
+- He was acquitted of the church bombing but convicted of political killings. He spent 11 years in solitary confinement, the only militia leader to go to jail, while others benefited from an amnesty and took cabinet posts.
+- The Syria-backed Lebanese authorities banned the LF in 1994, jailing many LF activists and seizing its assets.
+OPPOSING HEZBOLLAH
+- A new phase began in 2005 when the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon under international pressure following Rafik al-Hariri's assassination. Geagea was released from prison.
+- The LF joined an anti-Syrian alliance including civil war foes in confronting pro-Damascus factions including Hezbollah.
+- Like Hezbollah's other opponents, the LF believes the group's arsenal undermines the state and sees it as a major factor contributing to Lebanon's other problems.
+- The LF has maintained this position while some of Hezbollah's other critics set the issue to one side, saying the question of Hezbollah's weapons could only be addressed by foreign powers. With this hawkish stance, the LF is widely seen as Saudi Arabia's main Lebanese ally.
+- The LF stayed out of cabinet after a popular uprising against the sectarian elite in 2019, saying Lebanon's problems could only be fixed by a cabinet independent of political factions.
+- Clashes broke out between supporters of the LF and Hezbollah and its Shi'ite ally Amal in Beirut in 2021. Seven supporters of the Shi'ite groups were killed. Hezbollah accused the LF of perpetrating the killing.
+The LF denied this, and said supporters of the Shi'ite parties had vandalised cars in a Christian neighbourhood and left four residents wounded before a shot was fired.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Lebanese Forces?[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, May 16 (Reuters) - The Lebanese Forces (LF) party has said it is on course to emerge as the biggest bloc in Lebanon's parliament after an election on Sunday, a boost for the Saudi-aligned Christian group which is opposed to the Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim movement Hezbollah. The result would mean the LF overtaking Hezbollah's main Christian ally, President Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, as the biggest Christian party in parliament. What is the Lebanese Forces?  ESTABLISHED IN CIVIL WAR
+- The LF was established in 1976 as Lebanon descended into civil war. Bashir Gemayel, a Maronite Christian, created the LF by unifying an array of Christian militias including the armed wing of his family's Kataeb, or Phalange, party.  - It fought numerous adversaries, notably the Palestine Liberation Organisation - which controlled swathes of Lebanon at the time - and was backed by Israel. The LF's Lebanese foes included Walid Jumblatt's Druze militia. - Gemayel was assassinated in 1982, a month after he was elected president following an Israeli invastion that reached Beirut. The killing triggered the massacre by Christian militiamen of Palestinian civilians at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps. - In 1983, the LF was defeated by Druze fighters in the Chouf mountains, leading some 250,000 Christians to flee the area, the biggest single sectarian displacement of the war.  - Samir Geagea, who rose through the ranks under Gemayel, took control of the LF in 1986. Under his command, the LF remained the most powerful Christian militia and ran a Christian enclave.
+- The final years of the civil war were marked by a war between the LF and then-army commander Aoun, who was head of one of the two rival Lebanese governments at the time, for control of the Christian area. This conflict, known as the ""war of elimination"", heaped destruction on Christian areas. FORCED UNDERGROUND
+- The LF agreed to the peace deal that ended civil war and ceded control of its territory and weapons to the army in 1991. But tensions quickly surfaced between the LF and the new, Damascus-dominated order in Beirut as it became clear the Syrian army was not going to withdraw as set out in the agreement. - In 1994, Geagea was arrested and put on trial for bombing a church and political killings in the war. He denied the accusations, saying he was the target of a politically motivated prosecution. Asked about cases brought against him from that time, Geagea has said they were fabricated by the Syrian-Lebanese security apparatus. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-lebanese-forces-2022-05-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Lebanese Forces?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, May 16 (Reuters) - The Lebanese Forces (LF) party has said it is on course to emerge as the biggest bloc in Lebanon's parliament after an election on Sunday, a boost for the Saudi-aligned Christian group which is opposed to the Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim movement Hezbollah.
+The result would mean the LF overtaking Hezbollah's main Christian ally, President Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, as the biggest Christian party in parliament.
+What is the Lebanese Forces?
+ESTABLISHED IN CIVIL WAR
+- The LF was established in 1976 as Lebanon descended into civil war. Bashir Gemayel, a Maronite Christian, created the LF by unifying an array of Christian militias including the armed wing of his family's Kataeb, or Phalange, party.
+- It fought numerous adversaries, notably the Palestine Liberation Organisation - which controlled swathes of Lebanon at the time - and was backed by Israel. The LF's Lebanese foes included Walid Jumblatt's Druze militia.
+- Gemayel was assassinated in 1982, a month after he was elected president following an Israeli invastion that reached Beirut. The killing triggered the massacre by Christian militiamen of Palestinian civilians at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps.
+- In 1983, the LF was defeated by Druze fighters in the Chouf mountains, leading some 250,000 Christians to flee the area, the biggest single sectarian displacement of the war.
+- Samir Geagea, who rose through the ranks under Gemayel, took control of the LF in 1986. Under his command, the LF remained the most powerful Christian militia and ran a Christian enclave.
+- The final years of the civil war were marked by a war between the LF and then-army commander Aoun, who was head of one of the two rival Lebanese governments at the time, for control of the Christian area. This conflict, known as the ""war of elimination"", heaped destruction on Christian areas.
+FORCED UNDERGROUND
+- The LF agreed to the peace deal that ended civil war and ceded control of its territory and weapons to the army in 1991. But tensions quickly surfaced between the LF and the new, Damascus-dominated order in Beirut as it became clear the Syrian army was not going to withdraw as set out in the agreement.
+- In 1994, Geagea was arrested and put on trial for bombing a church and political killings in the war. He denied the accusations, saying he was the target of a politically motivated prosecution. Asked about cases brought against him from that time, Geagea has said they were fabricated by the Syrian-Lebanese security apparatus.
+- He was acquitted of the church bombing but convicted of political killings. He spent 11 years in solitary confinement, the only militia leader to go to jail, while others benefited from an amnesty and took cabinet posts.
+- The Syria-backed Lebanese authorities banned the LF in 1994, jailing many LF activists and seizing its assets.
+OPPOSING HEZBOLLAH
+- A new phase began in 2005 when the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon under international pressure following Rafik al-Hariri's assassination. Geagea was released from prison.
+- The LF joined an anti-Syrian alliance including civil war foes in confronting pro-Damascus factions including Hezbollah.
+- Like Hezbollah's other opponents, the LF believes the group's arsenal undermines the state and sees it as a major factor contributing to Lebanon's other problems.
+- The LF has maintained this position while some of Hezbollah's other critics set the issue to one side, saying the question of Hezbollah's weapons could only be addressed by foreign powers. With this hawkish stance, the LF is widely seen as Saudi Arabia's main Lebanese ally.
+- The LF stayed out of cabinet after a popular uprising against the sectarian elite in 2019, saying Lebanon's problems could only be fixed by a cabinet independent of political factions.
+- Clashes broke out between supporters of the LF and Hezbollah and its Shi'ite ally Amal in Beirut in 2021. Seven supporters of the Shi'ite groups were killed. Hezbollah accused the LF of perpetrating the killing.
+The LF denied this, and said supporters of the Shi'ite parties had vandalised cars in a Christian neighbourhood and left four residents wounded before a shot was fired.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","- He was acquitted of the church bombing but convicted of political killings. He spent 11 years in solitary confinement, the only militia leader to go to jail, while others benefited from an amnesty and took cabinet posts.  - The Syria-backed Lebanese authorities banned the LF in 1994, jailing many LF activists and seizing its assets.
+OPPOSING HEZBOLLAH
+- A new phase began in 2005 when the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon under international pressure following Rafik al-Hariri's assassination. Geagea was released from prison. - The LF joined an anti-Syrian alliance including civil war foes in confronting pro-Damascus factions including Hezbollah. - Like Hezbollah's other opponents, the LF believes the group's arsenal undermines the state and sees it as a major factor contributing to Lebanon's other problems.  - The LF has maintained this position while some of Hezbollah's other critics set the issue to one side, saying the question of Hezbollah's weapons could only be addressed by foreign powers. With this hawkish stance, the LF is widely seen as Saudi Arabia's main Lebanese ally.  - The LF stayed out of cabinet after a popular uprising against the sectarian elite in 2019, saying Lebanon's problems could only be fixed by a cabinet independent of political factions.
+- Clashes broke out between supporters of the LF and Hezbollah and its Shi'ite ally Amal in Beirut in 2021. Seven supporters of the Shi'ite groups were killed. Hezbollah accused the LF of perpetrating the killing.  The LF denied this, and said supporters of the Shi'ite parties had vandalised cars in a Christian neighbourhood and left four residents wounded before a shot was fired.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-resumes-raids-west-bank-area-where-journalist-was-killed-2022-05-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Lebanese Forces?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ May 13 (Reuters) - Israeli police officers charged at Palestinian 
+mourners carrying the coffin of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh 
+on Friday, before thousands led her casket through Jerusalem's Old City 
+in an outpouring of grief and anger over her killing.Packed
+ around Abu Akleh's coffin, dozens of Palestinians, some waving 
+Palestinian flags and chanting, ""with our soul and blood we will redeem 
+you Shireen,"" began walking toward the gates of St. Joseph's Hospital.Israeli
+ police officers, in an apparent bid to stop them proceeding by foot 
+rather than taking the coffin by car, burst through the courtyard gates 
+and charged at the crowd, some beating pallbearers with batons and 
+kicking them.At
+ one point the group carrying her coffin backed against a wall and 
+almost dropped the casket, recovering it just before one end hit the 
+ground as stun grenades detonated.The
+ violent scenes, which lasted only minutes, added to Palestinian outrage
+ over Abu Akleh's killing, which has threatened to fuel violence that 
+has surged since March.Abu
+ Akleh, who had covered Palestinian affairs and the Middle East for more
+ than two decades, was shot while reporting on an Israeli raid in the 
+occupied West Bank on Wednesday.  read more Palestinian
+ authorities have described Abu Akleh's killing as an assassination by 
+Israeli forces. Israel's government initially suggested Palestinian fire
+ might have been to blame, but officials have also said they could not 
+rule out it was Israeli gunfire that killed her.Israeli
+ police said a group of Palestinians outside the hospital, whom they 
+described as rioters, had begun throwing stones at officers.""The policemen were forced to act,"" they added.The
+ White House found the images disturbing, press secretary Jen Psaki told
+ reporters, and U.S. officials will remain in close contact with Israeli
+ and Palestinian authorities in the aftermath of Akleh's funeral.""Every
+ family deserves to be able to lay their loved ones to rest in a 
+dignified and unimpeded manner,"" U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken 
+said.Egypt,
+ Qatar and Al Jazeera condemned the police's conduct. Deputy U.N. 
+spokesperson Farhan Haq said the scenes were ""very shocking"" and the EU 
+said it was appalled.A
+ few minutes after police intervened, Abu Akleh's coffin was placed in a
+ vehicle that headed toward the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the 
+Virgin in Jerusalem's Walled Old City, where the funeral ceremony 
+proceeded peacefully.Crowds of Palestinians lined the narrow alleyways of the Old City as the coffin was carried to the Mount Zion Cemetery nearby.Her
+ grave was covered in wreaths and the Palestinian flag draped over the 
+grave cross as mourners surrounded it solemnly, paying tribute to Abu 
+Akleh.""We're
+ here because we are screaming for justice. Justice for Shireen Abu 
+Akleh and justice for Palestine,"" said one mourner, who did not want to 
+be identified by name.INVESTIGATIONS AND RAIDSThe
+ Israeli military said on Friday that its initial investigation 
+""concluded that it is not possible to unequivocally determine the source
+ of the gunfire which hit and killed Ms. Abu Akleh.""She
+ may have been killed by shots fired by Palestinian militants shooting 
+at Israeli military vehicles or been hit inadvertently by an Israeli 
+soldier returning fire, it said.The
+ Palestinian Attorney General's office issued a statement on Friday in 
+which it said initial investigations have found that the sole source of 
+gunfire in the area where Abu Akleh was hurt was Israeli.In
+ a statement, agreed by consensus on Friday, the 15-member U.N. Security
+ Council strongly condemned the killing and called for an ""immediate, 
+thorough, transparent, and fair and impartial investigation.""Israeli
+ forces on Friday resumed raids on the outskirts of Jenin, where Abu 
+Akleh was killed, and the Palestinian Health Ministry said 13 
+Palestinians had been wounded.The
+ Palestinian Islamic Jihad group meanwhile claimed responsibility for 
+the death of an Israeli police officer in an exchange of gunfire in 
+Jenin.A
+ spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, 
+said events in Jerusalem and Jenin could push the sides into serious 
+escalation.Abu
+ Akleh's death has drawn widespread condemnation. Video footage from the
+ moments after she was shot showed Abu Akleh, 51, wearing a blue vest 
+marked ""Press"".At
+ least two of her colleagues who were with her said that they had come 
+under Israeli sniper fire and that they were not close to militants.Israel,
+ which has voiced regret at Abu Akleh's death, has proposed a joint 
+investigation with the Palestinians, asking them to provide the bullet 
+for examination.The Palestinians have rejected the Israeli request and have called for an international investigation.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Lebanese Forces?[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ May 13 (Reuters) - Israeli police officers charged at Palestinian 
+mourners carrying the coffin of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh 
+on Friday, before thousands led her casket through Jerusalem's Old City 
+in an outpouring of grief and anger over her killing. Packed
+ around Abu Akleh's coffin, dozens of Palestinians, some waving 
+Palestinian flags and chanting, ""with our soul and blood we will redeem 
+you Shireen,"" began walking toward the gates of St. Joseph's Hospital. Israeli
+ police officers, in an apparent bid to stop them proceeding by foot 
+rather than taking the coffin by car, burst through the courtyard gates 
+and charged at the crowd, some beating pallbearers with batons and 
+kicking them. At
+ one point the group carrying her coffin backed against a wall and 
+almost dropped the casket, recovering it just before one end hit the 
+ground as stun grenades detonated. The
+ violent scenes, which lasted only minutes, added to Palestinian outrage
+ over Abu Akleh's killing, which has threatened to fuel violence that 
+has surged since March. Abu
+ Akleh, who had covered Palestinian affairs and the Middle East for more
+ than two decades, was shot while reporting on an Israeli raid in the 
+occupied West Bank on Wednesday.  read more Palestinian authorities have described Abu Akleh's killing as an assassination by 
+Israeli forces. Israel's government initially suggested Palestinian fire
+ might have been to blame, but officials have also said they could not 
+rule out it was Israeli gunfire that killed her. Israeli
+ police said a group of Palestinians outside the hospital, whom they 
+described as rioters, had begun throwing stones at officers. ""The policemen were forced to act,"" they added. The
+ White House found the images disturbing, press secretary Jen Psaki told
+ reporters, and U.S. officials will remain in close contact with Israeli
+ and Palestinian authorities in the aftermath of Akleh's funeral. ""Every
+ family deserves to be able to lay their loved ones to rest in a 
+dignified and unimpeded manner,"" U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken 
+said. Egypt,
+ Qatar and Al Jazeera condemned the police's conduct. Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said the scenes were ""very shocking"" and the EU 
+said it was appalled. A
+ few minutes after police intervened, Abu Akleh's coffin was placed in a
+ vehicle that headed toward the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the 
+Virgin in Jerusalem's Walled Old City, where the funeral ceremony 
+proceeded peacefully."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-resumes-raids-west-bank-area-where-journalist-was-killed-2022-05-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Lebanese Forces?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ May 13 (Reuters) - Israeli police officers charged at Palestinian 
+mourners carrying the coffin of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh 
+on Friday, before thousands led her casket through Jerusalem's Old City 
+in an outpouring of grief and anger over her killing.Packed
+ around Abu Akleh's coffin, dozens of Palestinians, some waving 
+Palestinian flags and chanting, ""with our soul and blood we will redeem 
+you Shireen,"" began walking toward the gates of St. Joseph's Hospital.Israeli
+ police officers, in an apparent bid to stop them proceeding by foot 
+rather than taking the coffin by car, burst through the courtyard gates 
+and charged at the crowd, some beating pallbearers with batons and 
+kicking them.At
+ one point the group carrying her coffin backed against a wall and 
+almost dropped the casket, recovering it just before one end hit the 
+ground as stun grenades detonated.The
+ violent scenes, which lasted only minutes, added to Palestinian outrage
+ over Abu Akleh's killing, which has threatened to fuel violence that 
+has surged since March.Abu
+ Akleh, who had covered Palestinian affairs and the Middle East for more
+ than two decades, was shot while reporting on an Israeli raid in the 
+occupied West Bank on Wednesday.  read more Palestinian
+ authorities have described Abu Akleh's killing as an assassination by 
+Israeli forces. Israel's government initially suggested Palestinian fire
+ might have been to blame, but officials have also said they could not 
+rule out it was Israeli gunfire that killed her.Israeli
+ police said a group of Palestinians outside the hospital, whom they 
+described as rioters, had begun throwing stones at officers.""The policemen were forced to act,"" they added.The
+ White House found the images disturbing, press secretary Jen Psaki told
+ reporters, and U.S. officials will remain in close contact with Israeli
+ and Palestinian authorities in the aftermath of Akleh's funeral.""Every
+ family deserves to be able to lay their loved ones to rest in a 
+dignified and unimpeded manner,"" U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken 
+said.Egypt,
+ Qatar and Al Jazeera condemned the police's conduct. Deputy U.N. 
+spokesperson Farhan Haq said the scenes were ""very shocking"" and the EU 
+said it was appalled.A
+ few minutes after police intervened, Abu Akleh's coffin was placed in a
+ vehicle that headed toward the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the 
+Virgin in Jerusalem's Walled Old City, where the funeral ceremony 
+proceeded peacefully.Crowds of Palestinians lined the narrow alleyways of the Old City as the coffin was carried to the Mount Zion Cemetery nearby.Her
+ grave was covered in wreaths and the Palestinian flag draped over the 
+grave cross as mourners surrounded it solemnly, paying tribute to Abu 
+Akleh.""We're
+ here because we are screaming for justice. Justice for Shireen Abu 
+Akleh and justice for Palestine,"" said one mourner, who did not want to 
+be identified by name.INVESTIGATIONS AND RAIDSThe
+ Israeli military said on Friday that its initial investigation 
+""concluded that it is not possible to unequivocally determine the source
+ of the gunfire which hit and killed Ms. Abu Akleh.""She
+ may have been killed by shots fired by Palestinian militants shooting 
+at Israeli military vehicles or been hit inadvertently by an Israeli 
+soldier returning fire, it said.The
+ Palestinian Attorney General's office issued a statement on Friday in 
+which it said initial investigations have found that the sole source of 
+gunfire in the area where Abu Akleh was hurt was Israeli.In
+ a statement, agreed by consensus on Friday, the 15-member U.N. Security
+ Council strongly condemned the killing and called for an ""immediate, 
+thorough, transparent, and fair and impartial investigation.""Israeli
+ forces on Friday resumed raids on the outskirts of Jenin, where Abu 
+Akleh was killed, and the Palestinian Health Ministry said 13 
+Palestinians had been wounded.The
+ Palestinian Islamic Jihad group meanwhile claimed responsibility for 
+the death of an Israeli police officer in an exchange of gunfire in 
+Jenin.A
+ spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, 
+said events in Jerusalem and Jenin could push the sides into serious 
+escalation.Abu
+ Akleh's death has drawn widespread condemnation. Video footage from the
+ moments after she was shot showed Abu Akleh, 51, wearing a blue vest 
+marked ""Press"".At
+ least two of her colleagues who were with her said that they had come 
+under Israeli sniper fire and that they were not close to militants.Israel,
+ which has voiced regret at Abu Akleh's death, has proposed a joint 
+investigation with the Palestinians, asking them to provide the bullet 
+for examination.The Palestinians have rejected the Israeli request and have called for an international investigation.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Crowds of Palestinians lined the narrow alleyways of the Old City as the coffin was carried to the Mount Zion Cemetery nearby. Her
+ grave was covered in wreaths and the Palestinian flag draped over the 
+grave cross as mourners surrounded it solemnly, paying tribute to Abu 
+Akleh. ""We're
+ here because we are screaming for justice. Justice for Shireen Abu 
+Akleh and justice for Palestine ,"" said one mourner, who did not want to 
+be identified by name. INVESTIGATIONS AND RAIDSThe  Israeli military said on Friday that its initial investigation 
+""concluded that it is not possible to unequivocally determine the source
+ of the gunfire which hit and killed Ms. Abu Akleh. ""She
+ may have been killed by shots fired by Palestinian militants shooting 
+at Israeli military vehicles or been hit inadvertently by an Israeli 
+soldier returning fire, it said. The
+ Palestinian Attorney General's office issued a statement on Friday in 
+which it said initial investigations have found that the sole source of 
+gunfire in the area where Abu Akleh was hurt was Israeli. In
+ a statement, agreed by consensus on Friday, the 15-member U.N. Security
+ Council strongly condemned the killing and called for an ""immediate, 
+thorough, transparent, and fair and impartial investigation.""Israeli  forces on Friday resumed raids on the outskirts of Jenin, where Abu 
+Akleh was killed, and the Palestinian Health Ministry said 13 
+Palestinians had been wounded. The
+ Palestinian Islamic Jihad group meanwhile claimed responsibility for 
+the death of an Israeli police officer in an exchange of gunfire in 
+Jenin. A
+ spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, 
+said events in Jerusalem and Jenin could push the sides into serious 
+escalation. Abu
+ Akleh's death has drawn widespread condemnation. Video footage from the
+ moments after she was shot showed Abu Akleh, 51, wearing a blue vest 
+marked ""Press"". At
+ least two of her colleagues who were with her said that they had come 
+under Israeli sniper fire and that they were not close to militants. Israel,
+ which has voiced regret at Abu Akleh's death, has proposed a joint 
+investigation with the Palestinians, asking them to provide the bullet 
+for examination. The Palestinians have rejected the Israeli request and have called for an international investigation.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/two-palestinians-killed-during-shootout-with-israeli-forces-palestinians-say-2022-10-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian militant leader, five others killed in clashes with Israeli forces[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Palestinian militant leader, five others killed in NABLUS, West Bank, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The leader of a rising militant group and five other Palestinians were killed on Tuesday after Israeli forces raided the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, setting off one of the largest firefights in weeks, Palestinian officials said.
+Forces including snipers, soldiers with shoulder-fired missiles and Shin Bet intelligence agents were deployed across Nablus, battling dozens of armed fighters as well as people throwing stones and burning tyres, the military said.
+Shards of glass and scrap metal covered the cobblestone of the Old City as shopkeepers cleared debris in the aftermath of the raid which the military said targeted an explosives manufacturing site of the ""Den of Lions"" militant group.
+The military said 31-year-old Wadi' al-Houh, a Den of Lions leader who it said was responsible for producing pipe bombs and obtaining weapons for the group, was targeted and killed in the operation.
+Mahmoud Al-Aloul, deputy chairman of the Fatah Movement, told Palestine TV that Palestinian security forces spotted Israeli undercover agents entering Nablus and a heavy exchange of fire followed, leading to several injuries among Palestinian Authority forces.
+An Israeli military official said there was no intention to target any PA forces who may have been caught in the crossfire.
+The Den of Lions, a group of mainly young Nablus gunmen with loose factional affiliations, has grown rapidly in recent months, fighting repeated clashes with Israeli forces as violence has surged across the West Bank.clashes with Israeli forces
+
+'WE WILL NOT RELENT'
+Prime Minister Yair Lapid, facing an election on Nov. 1, said Israel would continue to hit militant targets in Nablus and other cities. ""We will not relent even for a moment,"" he said.
+In all, five Palestinians, including at least two members of the Den of Lions, were killed in Nablus while a sixth man was killed in a protest near the West Bank town of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, Palestinian health officials said.
+At least 20 people, including some gunmen and members of the Palestinian security forces, were also wounded in Nablus, which has been at the centre of violent clashes in recent months and which has been under an Israeli blockade for days.
+More than 100 Palestinians from the West Bank have been killed this year, while a string of fatal street attacks by Palestinians have killed 20 people in Israel and Israeli settlements.
+Four members of Israel's security forces have also been killed, an Israeli military official said, including at least one killed by the Den of Lions.
+Palestinian officials say the Den of Lions has emerged amid rising frustration among youths in Nablus at confrontations with Israeli settlers and the military but with no clearly articulated political goals.
+A senior Den of Lions member, Tamer Kilani, was killed overnight on Sunday in what Palestinians described as a targeted explosion carried out by Israel. The militant group vowed to take revenge.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian militant leader, five others killed in clashes with Israeli forces[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Palestinian militant leader, five others killed in NABLUS, West Bank, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The leader of a rising militant group and five other Palestinians were killed on Tuesday after Israeli forces raided the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, setting off one of the largest firefights in weeks, Palestinian officials said. Forces including snipers, soldiers with shoulder-fired missiles and Shin Bet intelligence agents were deployed across Nablus, battling dozens of armed fighters as well as people throwing stones and burning tyres, the military said. Shards of glass and scrap metal covered the cobblestone of the Old City as shopkeepers cleared debris in the aftermath of the raid which the military said targeted an explosives manufacturing site of the ""Den of Lions"" militant group.
+The military said 31-year-old Wadi' al-Houh, a Den of Lions leader who it said was responsible for producing pipe bombs and obtaining weapons for the group, was targeted and killed in the operation.
+Mahmoud Al-Aloul, deputy chairman of the Fatah Movement, told Palestine TV that Palestinian security forces spotted Israeli undercover agents entering Nablus and a heavy exchange of fire followed, leading to several injuries among Palestinian Authority forces. An Israeli military official said there was no intention to target any PA forces who may have been caught in the crossfire. The Den of Lions, a group of mainly young Nablus gunmen with loose factional affiliations, has grown rapidly in recent months, fighting repeated clashes with Israeli forces as violence has surged across the West Bank.clashes with Israeli forces
+
+'WE WILL NOT RELENT'
+Prime Minister Yair Lapid, facing an election on Nov. 1, said Israel would continue to hit militant targets in Nablus and other cities. "" We will not relent even for a moment,"" he said. In all, five Palestinians, including at least two members of the Den of Lions, were killed in Nablus while a sixth man was killed in a protest near the West Bank town of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, Palestinian health officials said. At least 20 people, including some gunmen and members of the Palestinian security forces, were also wounded in Nablus, which has been at the centre of violent clashes in recent months and which has been under an Israeli blockade for days.
+More than 100 Palestinians from the West Bank have been killed this year, while a string of fatal street attacks by Palestinians have killed 20 people in Israel and Israeli settlements."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/two-palestinians-killed-during-shootout-with-israeli-forces-palestinians-say-2022-10-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian militant leader, five others killed in clashes with Israeli forces[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Palestinian militant leader, five others killed in NABLUS, West Bank, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The leader of a rising militant group and five other Palestinians were killed on Tuesday after Israeli forces raided the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, setting off one of the largest firefights in weeks, Palestinian officials said.
+Forces including snipers, soldiers with shoulder-fired missiles and Shin Bet intelligence agents were deployed across Nablus, battling dozens of armed fighters as well as people throwing stones and burning tyres, the military said.
+Shards of glass and scrap metal covered the cobblestone of the Old City as shopkeepers cleared debris in the aftermath of the raid which the military said targeted an explosives manufacturing site of the ""Den of Lions"" militant group.
+The military said 31-year-old Wadi' al-Houh, a Den of Lions leader who it said was responsible for producing pipe bombs and obtaining weapons for the group, was targeted and killed in the operation.
+Mahmoud Al-Aloul, deputy chairman of the Fatah Movement, told Palestine TV that Palestinian security forces spotted Israeli undercover agents entering Nablus and a heavy exchange of fire followed, leading to several injuries among Palestinian Authority forces.
+An Israeli military official said there was no intention to target any PA forces who may have been caught in the crossfire.
+The Den of Lions, a group of mainly young Nablus gunmen with loose factional affiliations, has grown rapidly in recent months, fighting repeated clashes with Israeli forces as violence has surged across the West Bank.clashes with Israeli forces
+
+'WE WILL NOT RELENT'
+Prime Minister Yair Lapid, facing an election on Nov. 1, said Israel would continue to hit militant targets in Nablus and other cities. ""We will not relent even for a moment,"" he said.
+In all, five Palestinians, including at least two members of the Den of Lions, were killed in Nablus while a sixth man was killed in a protest near the West Bank town of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, Palestinian health officials said.
+At least 20 people, including some gunmen and members of the Palestinian security forces, were also wounded in Nablus, which has been at the centre of violent clashes in recent months and which has been under an Israeli blockade for days.
+More than 100 Palestinians from the West Bank have been killed this year, while a string of fatal street attacks by Palestinians have killed 20 people in Israel and Israeli settlements.
+Four members of Israel's security forces have also been killed, an Israeli military official said, including at least one killed by the Den of Lions.
+Palestinian officials say the Den of Lions has emerged amid rising frustration among youths in Nablus at confrontations with Israeli settlers and the military but with no clearly articulated political goals.
+A senior Den of Lions member, Tamer Kilani, was killed overnight on Sunday in what Palestinians described as a targeted explosion carried out by Israel. The militant group vowed to take revenge.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Four members of Israel's security forces have also been killed, an Israeli military official said, including at least one killed by the Den of Lions. Palestinian officials say the Den of Lions has emerged amid rising frustration among youths in Nablus at confrontations with Israeli settlers and the military but with no clearly articulated political goals. A senior Den of Lions member, Tamer Kilani, was killed overnight on Sunday in what Palestinians described as a targeted explosion carried out by Israel. The militant group vowed to take revenge.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/war-decades-lebanon-israel-edge-towards-rare-deal-2022-10-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At war for decades, Lebanon and Israel agree a rare compromise[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct
+ 18 - Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a U.S.-mediated agreement ending
+ a decades-old dispute over their maritime boundary on Tuesday, a 
+landmark compromise between countries with a history of war.  read more Here is a timeline of conflict between the states:1948Lebanon
+ fights alongside other Arab states against the nascent state of Israel.
+ Some 100,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes in
+ Palestine during the war arrive in Lebanon as refugees.1949Lebanon and Israel conclude an armistice agreement under U.N. auspices.1968Israeli
+ commandos destroyed a dozen passenger planes at Beirut airport, a 
+response to an attack on an Israeli airliner by a Lebanon-based 
+Palestinian group.1978Israel invades south Lebanon and sets up an occupation zone in an operation against Palestinian guerrillas.1982Israel
+ invades all the way to Beirut. The Syrian army is ousted from Beirut 
+and thousands of Palestinian fighters under Yasser Arafat are evacuated 
+by sea after a bloody 10-week siege.Israel's
+ ally and head of Christian militia Lebanese Forces, Bashir Gemayel, is 
+elected president but killed before taking office. Hundreds of civilians
+ in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila are massacred by 
+Christian militiamen allowed in by Israeli troops.Bashir's brother, Amin Gemayel, becomes president.Iran's Revolutionary Guards establish Hezbollah in Lebanon.1983The
+ Gemayel government signs an accord with Israel. The terms include 
+ending hostilities and mutual recognition of independence. But 
+implementation hinges on a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. Damascus and 
+its Lebanese allies reject the agreement, rendering it still-born.1985Israel
+ establishes an occupation zone in southern Lebanon, about 15 km (nine 
+miles) deep, after it pulled back from a line further north, controlling
+ the area with a proxy force, the South Lebanon Army.1996With
+ Hezbollah regularly attacking Israeli forces in the south and firing 
+rockets into northern Israel, Israel mounts the 17-day ""Operation Grapes
+ of Wrath"" offensive that kills more than 200 people in Lebanon, 
+including 102 who die when Israel shells a U.N. base near the south 
+Lebanon village of Qana.2000Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon, ending 22 years of occupation.2006In
+ July, Hezbollah crosses the border into Israel, kidnaps two Israeli 
+soldiers and kills others, sparking a five-week war. While most of the 
+conflict is fought on land, an Israeli navy vessel is damaged in a 
+Hezbollah missile attack. At least 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly 
+civilians, and 158 Israelis, mostly soldiers, are killed.2020The
+ United States revives indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel 
+aimed at reaching an agreement on their disputed maritime boundary, with
+ the aim of facilitating oil and gas exploration. Indirect U.S.-mediated
+ talks first began years earlier but never reached a conclusion.2022The
+ Lebanese and Israeli governments agree to a U.S.-brokered deal 
+demarcating the maritime boundary, calling it historic. The deal opens 
+the way to offshore oil and gas exploration, and defuses a potential 
+source of conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]At war for decades, Lebanon and Israel agree a rare compromise[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct
+ 18 - Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a U.S.-mediated agreement ending
+ a decades-old dispute over their maritime boundary on Tuesday, a 
+landmark compromise between countries with a history of war. read more Here is a timeline of conflict between the states:1948Lebanon
+ fights alongside other Arab states against the nascent state of Israel.  Some 100,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes in
+ Palestine during the war arrive in Lebanon as refugees.1949Lebanon and Israel conclude an armistice agreement under U.N. auspices.1968Israeli
+ commandos destroyed a dozen passenger planes at Beirut airport, a 
+response to an attack on an Israeli airliner by a Lebanon-based 
+Palestinian group.1978Israel invades south Lebanon and sets up an occupation zone in an operation against Palestinian guerrillas.1982Israel
+ invades all the way to Beirut. The Syrian army is ousted from Beirut 
+and thousands of Palestinian fighters under Yasser Arafat are evacuated 
+by sea after a bloody 10-week siege. Israel's
+ ally and head of Christian militia Lebanese Forces, Bashir Gemayel, is 
+elected president but killed before taking office. Hundreds of civilians
+ in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila are massacred by 
+Christian militiamen allowed in by Israeli troops. Bashir's brother, Amin Gemayel, becomes president. Iran's Revolutionary Guards establish Hezbollah in Lebanon.1983The  Gemayel government signs an accord with Israel. The terms include 
+ending hostilities and mutual recognition of independence. But 
+implementation hinges on a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. Damascus and 
+its Lebanese allies reject the agreement, rendering it still-born.1985Israel
+ establishes an occupation zone in southern Lebanon, about 15 km (nine 
+miles) deep, after it pulled back from a line further north, controlling
+ the area with a proxy force, the South Lebanon Army.1996With
+ Hezbollah regularly attacking Israeli forces in the south and firing 
+rockets into northern Israel, Israel mounts the 17-day ""Operation Grapes
+ of Wrath"" offensive that kills more than 200 people in Lebanon, 
+including 102 who die when Israel shells a U.N. base near the south 
+Lebanon village of Qana.2000Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon, ending 22 years of occupation.2006In  July, Hezbollah crosses the border into Israel, kidnaps two Israeli 
+soldiers and kills others, sparking a five-week war. While most of the 
+conflict is fought on land, an Israeli navy vessel is damaged in a 
+Hezbollah missile attack. At least 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly 
+civilians, and 158 Israelis, mostly soldiers, are killed.2020The"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/war-decades-lebanon-israel-edge-towards-rare-deal-2022-10-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At war for decades, Lebanon and Israel agree a rare compromise[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct
+ 18 - Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a U.S.-mediated agreement ending
+ a decades-old dispute over their maritime boundary on Tuesday, a 
+landmark compromise between countries with a history of war.  read more Here is a timeline of conflict between the states:1948Lebanon
+ fights alongside other Arab states against the nascent state of Israel.
+ Some 100,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes in
+ Palestine during the war arrive in Lebanon as refugees.1949Lebanon and Israel conclude an armistice agreement under U.N. auspices.1968Israeli
+ commandos destroyed a dozen passenger planes at Beirut airport, a 
+response to an attack on an Israeli airliner by a Lebanon-based 
+Palestinian group.1978Israel invades south Lebanon and sets up an occupation zone in an operation against Palestinian guerrillas.1982Israel
+ invades all the way to Beirut. The Syrian army is ousted from Beirut 
+and thousands of Palestinian fighters under Yasser Arafat are evacuated 
+by sea after a bloody 10-week siege.Israel's
+ ally and head of Christian militia Lebanese Forces, Bashir Gemayel, is 
+elected president but killed before taking office. Hundreds of civilians
+ in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila are massacred by 
+Christian militiamen allowed in by Israeli troops.Bashir's brother, Amin Gemayel, becomes president.Iran's Revolutionary Guards establish Hezbollah in Lebanon.1983The
+ Gemayel government signs an accord with Israel. The terms include 
+ending hostilities and mutual recognition of independence. But 
+implementation hinges on a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. Damascus and 
+its Lebanese allies reject the agreement, rendering it still-born.1985Israel
+ establishes an occupation zone in southern Lebanon, about 15 km (nine 
+miles) deep, after it pulled back from a line further north, controlling
+ the area with a proxy force, the South Lebanon Army.1996With
+ Hezbollah regularly attacking Israeli forces in the south and firing 
+rockets into northern Israel, Israel mounts the 17-day ""Operation Grapes
+ of Wrath"" offensive that kills more than 200 people in Lebanon, 
+including 102 who die when Israel shells a U.N. base near the south 
+Lebanon village of Qana.2000Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon, ending 22 years of occupation.2006In
+ July, Hezbollah crosses the border into Israel, kidnaps two Israeli 
+soldiers and kills others, sparking a five-week war. While most of the 
+conflict is fought on land, an Israeli navy vessel is damaged in a 
+Hezbollah missile attack. At least 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly 
+civilians, and 158 Israelis, mostly soldiers, are killed.2020The
+ United States revives indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel 
+aimed at reaching an agreement on their disputed maritime boundary, with
+ the aim of facilitating oil and gas exploration. Indirect U.S.-mediated
+ talks first began years earlier but never reached a conclusion.2022The
+ Lebanese and Israeli governments agree to a U.S.-brokered deal 
+demarcating the maritime boundary, calling it historic. The deal opens 
+the way to offshore oil and gas exploration, and defuses a potential 
+source of conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","United States revives indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel 
+aimed at reaching an agreement on their disputed maritime boundary, with
+ the aim of facilitating oil and gas exploration. Indirect U.S.-mediated
+ talks first began years earlier but never reached a conclusion.2022The  Lebanese and Israeli governments agree to a U.S.-brokered deal 
+demarcating the maritime boundary, calling it historic. The deal opens 
+the way to offshore oil and gas exploration, and defuses a potential 
+source of conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-ultranationalist-ben-gvir-may-become-election-kingmaker-2022-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli ultranationalist Ben-Gvir may become election kingmaker[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Oct 18 (Reuters) - If Benjamin Netanyahu regains the premiership after 
+Israel's election next month, it may be thanks to an ultranationalist 
+firebrand whose romp into the mainstream has jolted voters otherwise 
+exhausted by years of political deadlock.Polls
+ predict the joint list co-headed by Itamar Ben-Gvir's ""Jewish Power"" 
+party will win as many as 13 of parliament's 120 seats, turning the 
+46-year-old into a potential kingmaker of a future conservative 
+coalition.That
+ would be a big step up for a man convicted in 2007 of racist incitement
+ and support for a group on both the Israeli and U.S. terror blacklists.
+ It would also attest to the success of a bid to cast himself as a 
+friendlier face of the far-right.Ben-Gvir
+ is burly and bespectacled, his voice hoarse after decades of 
+contretemps with Arabs and liberals on curbsides or in the Knesset. But 
+the volume has been dialed down, the slogans become measured. His 
+neckties, once askew, are knotted neatly.He
+ says he no longer advocates expulsion of all Palestinians - just of 
+those he deems traitors or terrorists. That, he adds, should include 
+Jews disloyal to the country. He also champions the death penalty and, 
+for troops, looser rules on opening fire.Ben-Gvir
+ used to brand Gay Pride parades as ""abominations"". Now he says he would
+ accept it if one of his six children were gay. He insists, however, 
+that marriages in Israel be kept subordinate to orthodox religion 
+strictures.""I'm
+ for equal rights. But whoever raises his hand against a soldier, 
+whoever comes out against the State of Israel, whoever wants to turn 
+this into Palestine - it's not where they belong,"" Ben-Gvir told Reuters
+ during a campaign stop at a Jerusalem market, where vendors feted him 
+with free drinks and watermelon.The
+ Nov. 1 ballot will be Israel's fifth in four years. In a previous 
+round, Netanyahu ruled out Ben-Gvir joining his cabinet. The messaging 
+has grown more welcoming.""I
+ would do anything for him to be part of the government,"" Miki Zohar, a 
+Netanyahu confidant in the Likud party, said last month, while 
+cautioning that Ben-Gvir would ""have to adjust himself to Likud's 
+positions and to the government's policy"".Still,
+ an ascent by Ben-Gvir, a West Bank settler, to a ministerial role would
+ further envenom Israel's standoff with the Palestinians and strain its 
+internal Jewish-Arab ties. It could also be a test for Israel's bedrock 
+U.S. relations.""Look
+ at Ben-Gvir's history, his actions, his statements,"" the conservative 
+Israel Hayom newspaper quoted an unnamed Biden administration official 
+as saying in a front-page story. ""This is not someone we want to see as 
+part of the government.""The
+ U.S. State Department did not respond to a Reuters query on whether it 
+was concerned that Ben-Gvir might have a role in the next Israeli 
+coalition.""The Left is feeling the pressure - because we are headed for victory!"" Ben-Gvir tweeted about the Israel Hayom report.The
+ Anti-Defamation League, a New York-based advocacy group, said of 
+Ben-Gvir's prospective coalition role: ""We believe such a development 
+would be corrosive to Israel's founding principles, and its standing 
+among its strongest supporters.""When
+ asked about his conviction in 2007 on Israel's Channel 12 television on
+ Sept. 22, he said it was a long time ago and said he had moved on in 
+life and had opened a legal practice.Reuters
+ sent Ben-Gvir questions on his past links to the outlawed Israeli Kach 
+group and criminal record. In a response on Twitter, his spokesman 
+accused Reuters of being ""biased"" in its line of questioning, although 
+the tweet was later deleted. He then sent links to Ben-Gvir's previous 
+televised comments.Amotz
+ Asa-El, a political analyst with the Shalom Hartman Institute, said 
+Ben-Gvir had become more cautious in his comments, calling this 
+""apparently a strategy on his part to appear more mellow than the image 
+that he originally crafted.""Ben-Gvir
+ did not serve in the military at age 18 - normally a major electoral 
+impediment. He says he was denied the draft for political reasons.If,
+ as projected by polls, Likud comes ahead in the vote, Netanyahu could 
+potentially use the threat of an alliance with Ben-Gvir to persuade more
+ centrist contenders to join instead.One
+ of these, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, insists he will not sit with 
+Netanyahu given the ex-prime minister's corruption trial. But Gantz 
+proved flexible on this in 2020, coming aboard a year-long Likud-led 
+coalition in the name of fighting COVID.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli ultranationalist Ben-Gvir may become election kingmaker[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Oct 18 (Reuters) - If Benjamin Netanyahu regains the premiership after 
+Israel's election next month , it may be thanks to an ultranationalist 
+firebrand whose romp into the mainstream has jolted voters otherwise 
+exhausted by years of political deadlock. Polls
+ predict the joint list co-headed by Itamar Ben-Gvir's ""Jewish Power"" 
+party will win as many as 13 of parliament's 120 seats, turning the 
+46-year-old into a potential kingmaker of a future conservative 
+coalition. That
+ would be a big step up for a man convicted in 2007 of racist incitement
+ and support for a group on both the Israeli and U.S. terror blacklists.  It would also attest to the success of a bid to cast himself as a 
+friendlier face of the far-right. Ben-Gvir
+ is burly and bespectacled, his voice hoarse after decades of 
+contretemps with Arabs and liberals on curbsides or in the Knesset. But 
+the volume has been dialed down, the slogans become measured. His 
+neckties, once askew, are knotted neatly. He says he no longer advocates expulsion of all Palestinians - just of 
+those he deems traitors or terrorists. That, he adds, should include 
+Jews disloyal to the country. He also champions the death penalty and, 
+for troops, looser rules on opening fire.Ben-Gvir
+ used to brand Gay Pride parades as ""abominations"". Now he says he would
+ accept it if one of his six children were gay. He insists, however, 
+that marriages in Israel be kept subordinate to orthodox religion 
+strictures.""I'm
+ for equal rights. But whoever raises his hand against a soldier, 
+whoever comes out against the State of Israel, whoever wants to turn 
+this into Palestine - it's not where they belong,"" Ben-Gvir told Reuters
+ during a campaign stop at a Jerusalem market, where vendors feted him 
+with free drinks and watermelon. The
+ Nov. 1 ballot will be Israel's fifth in four years. In a previous 
+round, Netanyahu ruled out Ben-Gvir joining his cabinet. The messaging 
+has grown more welcoming. ""I
+ would do anything for him to be part of the government,"" Miki Zohar, a 
+Netanyahu confidant in the Likud party, said last month, while 
+cautioning that Ben-Gvir would ""have to adjust himself to Likud's 
+positions and to the government's policy""."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-ultranationalist-ben-gvir-may-become-election-kingmaker-2022-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli ultranationalist Ben-Gvir may become election kingmaker[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Oct 18 (Reuters) - If Benjamin Netanyahu regains the premiership after 
+Israel's election next month, it may be thanks to an ultranationalist 
+firebrand whose romp into the mainstream has jolted voters otherwise 
+exhausted by years of political deadlock.Polls
+ predict the joint list co-headed by Itamar Ben-Gvir's ""Jewish Power"" 
+party will win as many as 13 of parliament's 120 seats, turning the 
+46-year-old into a potential kingmaker of a future conservative 
+coalition.That
+ would be a big step up for a man convicted in 2007 of racist incitement
+ and support for a group on both the Israeli and U.S. terror blacklists.
+ It would also attest to the success of a bid to cast himself as a 
+friendlier face of the far-right.Ben-Gvir
+ is burly and bespectacled, his voice hoarse after decades of 
+contretemps with Arabs and liberals on curbsides or in the Knesset. But 
+the volume has been dialed down, the slogans become measured. His 
+neckties, once askew, are knotted neatly.He
+ says he no longer advocates expulsion of all Palestinians - just of 
+those he deems traitors or terrorists. That, he adds, should include 
+Jews disloyal to the country. He also champions the death penalty and, 
+for troops, looser rules on opening fire.Ben-Gvir
+ used to brand Gay Pride parades as ""abominations"". Now he says he would
+ accept it if one of his six children were gay. He insists, however, 
+that marriages in Israel be kept subordinate to orthodox religion 
+strictures.""I'm
+ for equal rights. But whoever raises his hand against a soldier, 
+whoever comes out against the State of Israel, whoever wants to turn 
+this into Palestine - it's not where they belong,"" Ben-Gvir told Reuters
+ during a campaign stop at a Jerusalem market, where vendors feted him 
+with free drinks and watermelon.The
+ Nov. 1 ballot will be Israel's fifth in four years. In a previous 
+round, Netanyahu ruled out Ben-Gvir joining his cabinet. The messaging 
+has grown more welcoming.""I
+ would do anything for him to be part of the government,"" Miki Zohar, a 
+Netanyahu confidant in the Likud party, said last month, while 
+cautioning that Ben-Gvir would ""have to adjust himself to Likud's 
+positions and to the government's policy"".Still,
+ an ascent by Ben-Gvir, a West Bank settler, to a ministerial role would
+ further envenom Israel's standoff with the Palestinians and strain its 
+internal Jewish-Arab ties. It could also be a test for Israel's bedrock 
+U.S. relations.""Look
+ at Ben-Gvir's history, his actions, his statements,"" the conservative 
+Israel Hayom newspaper quoted an unnamed Biden administration official 
+as saying in a front-page story. ""This is not someone we want to see as 
+part of the government.""The
+ U.S. State Department did not respond to a Reuters query on whether it 
+was concerned that Ben-Gvir might have a role in the next Israeli 
+coalition.""The Left is feeling the pressure - because we are headed for victory!"" Ben-Gvir tweeted about the Israel Hayom report.The
+ Anti-Defamation League, a New York-based advocacy group, said of 
+Ben-Gvir's prospective coalition role: ""We believe such a development 
+would be corrosive to Israel's founding principles, and its standing 
+among its strongest supporters.""When
+ asked about his conviction in 2007 on Israel's Channel 12 television on
+ Sept. 22, he said it was a long time ago and said he had moved on in 
+life and had opened a legal practice.Reuters
+ sent Ben-Gvir questions on his past links to the outlawed Israeli Kach 
+group and criminal record. In a response on Twitter, his spokesman 
+accused Reuters of being ""biased"" in its line of questioning, although 
+the tweet was later deleted. He then sent links to Ben-Gvir's previous 
+televised comments.Amotz
+ Asa-El, a political analyst with the Shalom Hartman Institute, said 
+Ben-Gvir had become more cautious in his comments, calling this 
+""apparently a strategy on his part to appear more mellow than the image 
+that he originally crafted.""Ben-Gvir
+ did not serve in the military at age 18 - normally a major electoral 
+impediment. He says he was denied the draft for political reasons.If,
+ as projected by polls, Likud comes ahead in the vote, Netanyahu could 
+potentially use the threat of an alliance with Ben-Gvir to persuade more
+ centrist contenders to join instead.One
+ of these, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, insists he will not sit with 
+Netanyahu given the ex-prime minister's corruption trial. But Gantz 
+proved flexible on this in 2020, coming aboard a year-long Likud-led 
+coalition in the name of fighting COVID.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Still,
+ an ascent by Ben-Gvir, a West Bank settler, to a ministerial role would
+ further envenom Israel's standoff with the Palestinians and strain its 
+internal Jewish-Arab ties. It could also be a test for Israel's bedrock 
+U.S. relations. ""Look
+ at Ben-Gvir's history, his actions, his statements,"" the conservative 
+Israel Hayom newspaper quoted an unnamed Biden administration official 
+as saying in a front-page story. ""This is not someone we want to see as 
+part of the government. ""The U.S. State Department did not respond to a Reuters query on whether it 
+was concerned that Ben-Gvir might have a role in the next Israeli 
+coalition. ""The Left is feeling the pressure - because we are headed for victory!"" Ben-Gvir tweeted about the Israel Hayom report. The
+ Anti-Defamation League, a New York-based advocacy group, said of 
+Ben-Gvir's prospective coalition role: ""We believe such a development 
+would be corrosive to Israel's founding principles, and its standing 
+among its strongest supporters.""When
+ asked about his conviction in 2007 on Israel's Channel 12 television on
+ Sept. 22, he said it was a long time ago and said he had moved on in 
+life and had opened a legal practice. Reuters
+ sent Ben-Gvir questions on his past links to the outlawed Israeli Kach 
+group and criminal record. In a response on Twitter, his spokesman 
+accused Reuters of being ""biased"" in its line of questioning, although 
+the tweet was later deleted. He then sent links to Ben-Gvir's previous 
+televised comments. Amotz
+ Asa-El, a political analyst with the Shalom Hartman Institute, said 
+Ben-Gvir had become more cautious in his comments, calling this 
+""apparently a strategy on his part to appear more mellow than the image 
+that he originally crafted.""Ben -Gvir
+ did not serve in the military at age 18 - normally a major electoral 
+impediment. He says he was denied the draft for political reasons. If,
+ as projected by polls, Likud comes ahead in the vote, Netanyahu could 
+potentially use the threat of an alliance with Ben-Gvir to persuade more
+ centrist contenders to join instead. One
+ of these, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, insists he will not sit with 
+Netanyahu given the ex-prime minister's corruption trial. But Gantz 
+proved flexible on this in 2020, coming aboard a year-long Likud-led 
+coalition in the name of fighting COVID.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/australia-reverses-recognition-west-jerusalem-israels-capital-2022-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia reverses recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel's capital[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]City, New York, U.S., September 20, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
+, opens new tab
+SYDNEY, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Australia on Tuesday reversed the previous government's recognition of west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and said the issue should be resolved as part of peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
+""Australia is committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist, in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders,"" Foreign Minister Penny Wong said during a media briefing.
+""We will not support an approach that undermines this prospect.""
+In 2018, the conservative coalition government led by Scott Morrison formally recognised west Jerusalem as Israel's capital, reversing decades of Middle East policy.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia reverses recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel's capital[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]City, New York, U.S., September 20, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
+, opens new tab  SYDNEY, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Australia on Tuesday reversed the previous government's recognition of west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and said the issue should be resolved as part of peace talks between Israel and Palestine. ""Australia is committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist, in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders,"" Foreign Minister Penny Wong said during a media briefing.  ""We will not support an approach that undermines this prospect.""
+In 2018, the conservative coalition government led by Scott Morrison formally recognised west Jerusalem as Israel's capital, reversing decades of Middle East policy.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-rivals-agree-elections-end-dispute-doubts-persist-2022-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian rivals agree to hold elections but doubts persist[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ALGIERS/GAZA,
+ Oct 13 (Reuters) - Rival Palestinian factions signed an agreement in 
+Algiers on Thursday aimed at resolving 15 years of discord by holding 
+elections within a year after months of talks mediated by Algeria.The
+ deal aims to end a rift between President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement
+ and the Islamist group Hamas that has split Palestinian governance in 
+the Gaza Strip from the West Bank and hindered Palestinian ambitions of 
+statehood.However,
+ there was scepticism back home that the pledge to hold presidential and
+ legislative elections would deliver any concrete changes after previous
+ unmet promises. The delegations did not agree to form a unity 
+government.The
+ division between Palestinian factions, triggered after Hamas won a 
+legislative election in 2006, has prevented any further elections since 
+then.The
+ Islamist group, which opposes peace with Israel, seized control of the 
+Gaza Strip in 2007 while Abbas' Western-backed Palestinian Authority 
+stayed dominant in the West Bank.Speaking
+ after the signing ceremony, senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad vowed 
+the agreement ""will be implemented and will not remain a dead letter"", 
+describing the years of division as a ""cancer.""Hamas
+ leader Ismail Haniyeh said the agreement marked ""a happy day for the 
+Palestinians and a day of sorrow to the (Israeli) occupation.""The
+ deal also recognised the Palestine Liberation Organisation, of which 
+Abbas is the head, as the sole representative of the Palestinian people,
+ and called for elections to its national council within a year.The
+ leaders of 14 factions, including Fatah and Hamas, held two days of 
+talks in the run-up to an Arab summit in Algiers next month after months
+ of Algerian mediation.Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune hailed the agreement as historic.Tebboune
+ wants to use next month's Arab League summit - the first since the 
+COVID-19 pandemic - to cement his country's place as a regional 
+heavyweight. It has held talks for months with Palestinian factions for a
+ deal.Renewed
+ demand for Algerian oil and gas, and the end of mass street protests 
+that rocked the country from 2019-20, have bolstered its confidence on 
+the international stage.However,
+ its ongoing dispute with neighbouring Morocco, which has affected both 
+countries' relations with major European states, has overshadowed the 
+run-up to the summit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian rivals agree to hold elections but doubts persist[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ALGIERS/GAZA,
+ Oct 13 (Reuters) - Rival Palestinian factions signed an agreement in 
+Algiers on Thursday aimed at resolving 15 years of discord by holding 
+elections within a year after months of talks mediated by Algeria. The deal aims to end a rift between President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement
+ and the Islamist group Hamas that has split Palestinian governance in 
+the Gaza Strip from the West Bank and hindered Palestinian ambitions of 
+statehood. However,
+ there was scepticism back home that the pledge to hold presidential and
+ legislative elections would deliver any concrete changes after previous
+ unmet promises. The delegations did not agree to form a unity 
+government. The
+ division between Palestinian factions, triggered after Hamas won a 
+legislative election in 2006, has prevented any further elections since 
+then. The
+ Islamist group, which opposes peace with Israel, seized control of the 
+Gaza Strip in 2007 while Abbas' Western-backed Palestinian Authority 
+stayed dominant in the West Bank. Speaking
+ after the signing ceremony, senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad vowed 
+the agreement ""will be implemented and will not remain a dead letter"", 
+describing the years of division as a ""cancer. ""Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the agreement marked ""a happy day for the 
+Palestinians and a day of sorrow to the (Israeli) occupation.""The
+ deal also recognised the Palestine Liberation Organisation, of which 
+Abbas is the head, as the sole representative of the Palestinian people,
+ and called for elections to its national council within a year. The
+ leaders of 14 factions, including Fatah and Hamas, held two days of 
+talks in the run-up to an Arab summit in Algiers next month after months
+ of Algerian mediation. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune hailed the agreement as historic. Tebboune wants to use next month's Arab League summit - the first since the 
+COVID-19 pandemic - to cement his country's place as a regional 
+heavyweight. It has held talks for months with Palestinian factions for a
+ deal. Renewed demand for Algerian oil and gas, and the end of mass street protests 
+that rocked the country from 2019-20, have bolstered its confidence on 
+the international stage. However,
+ its ongoing dispute with neighbouring Morocco, which has affected both 
+countries' relations with major European states, has overshadowed the 
+run-up to the summit.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/egypt-is-set-take-part-developing-gazas-offshore-gas-field-officials-2022-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Egypt is set to take part in developing Gaza's offshore gas field -officials[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/CAIRO,
+ Oct 12 (Reuters) - Egypt is aiming to take over development of Gaza's 
+offshore natural gas field, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said, in 
+what would be a boost for the cash-strapped Palestinian economy.While
+ Egypt and Israel have been producing gas in the eastern Mediterranean 
+for years, the Gaza Marine field, about 30 km (20 miles) off the Gaza 
+coast, has remained undeveloped due to political disputes and conflict 
+with Israel, as well as economic factors.The project was last in the hands of oil major Shell (SHEL.L), opens new tab,
+ which gave up its stake in 2018. The Palestinians have been looking for
+ a new foreign group to take over. Palestinian companies would keep at 
+least 55% of the shares, according to a cabinet decision at the time.Egypt’s
+ state-owned gas company EGAS began talks last year with the Palestine 
+Investment Fund PIF and the Consolidated Contractors Company CCC, a 
+coalition of companies that are licensed to develop the field, officials
+ said.An
+ Egyptian intelligence official told Reuters in Cairo EGAS, in 
+cooperation with Palestinian authorities, will develop the offshore 
+field.The
+ Egyptian security official, who asked not to be named, said Cairo has 
+been in negotiations for about two months with Israel, which together 
+with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza and would likely have to green 
+light the project.Egypt’s petroleum ministry did not respond to a request for comment, and EGAS could not immediately be reached.Israel's energy ministry, asked about development of the field, said it was not aware that any decision had been made.Israel has said in the past it supports the field’s development.“These
+ talks are progressing positively. Once a detailed and final agreement 
+is reached, it will be announced after obtaining the official approvals 
+according to the established rules,” said one Palestinian official 
+familiar with the talks with the Egyptians.The
+ Gaza Strip is run by the Islamist group. Most of its 2.3 million 
+residents live in poverty and it suffers from rolling blackouts. Gas 
+from Gaza Marine would help fuel the coastal strip's power plants and 
+kickstart the economy.A second Palestinian official said Cairo has also been in contact with Hamas officials to secure their approval.""Cairo's
+ strategic role as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians over 
+decades makes talks easier,"" the official told Reuters.""Development
+ may take time to start once an agreement is concluded. The project 
+would be a vital tool to improve Palestinian economy,"" he added.Gaza
+ Marine is estimated to hold over 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 
+much more than is needed to power the Palestinian territories and could 
+potentially be exported.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Egypt is set to take part in developing Gaza's offshore gas field -officials[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/CAIRO,
+ Oct 12 (Reuters) - Egypt is aiming to take over development of Gaza's 
+offshore natural gas field, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said, in 
+what would be a boost for the cash-strapped Palestinian economy. While
+ Egypt and Israel have been producing gas in the eastern Mediterranean 
+for years, the Gaza Marine field, about 30 km (20 miles) off the Gaza 
+coast, has remained undeveloped due to political disputes and conflict 
+with Israel, as well as economic factors. The project was last in the hands of oil major Shell (SHEL.L), opens new tab,
+ which gave up its stake in 2018. The Palestinians have been looking for
+ a new foreign group to take over. Palestinian companies would keep at 
+least 55% of the shares, according to a cabinet decision at the time. Egypt’s
+ state-owned gas company EGAS began talks last year with the Palestine 
+Investment Fund PIF and the Consolidated Contractors Company CCC, a 
+coalition of companies that are licensed to develop the field, officials
+ said. An Egyptian intelligence official told Reuters in Cairo EGAS, in 
+cooperation with Palestinian authorities, will develop the offshore 
+field. The
+ Egyptian security official, who asked not to be named, said Cairo has 
+been in negotiations for about two months with Israel, which together 
+with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza and would likely have to green 
+light the project. Egypt’s petroleum ministry did not respond to a request for comment, and EGAS could not immediately be reached. Israel's energy ministry, asked about development of the field, said it was not aware that any decision had been made. Israel has said in the past it supports the field’s development. “These talks are progressing positively. Once a detailed and final agreement 
+is reached, it will be announced after obtaining the official approvals 
+according to the established rules,” said one Palestinian official 
+familiar with the talks with the Egyptians. The
+ Gaza Strip is run by the Islamist group. Most of its 2.3 million 
+residents live in poverty and it suffers from rolling blackouts. Gas 
+from Gaza Marine would help fuel the coastal strip's power plants and 
+kickstart the economy. A second Palestinian official said Cairo has also been in contact with Hamas officials to secure their approval. ""Cairo's
+ strategic role as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians over 
+decades makes talks easier,"" the official told Reuters."
+https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/egypt-is-set-take-part-developing-gazas-offshore-gas-field-officials-2022-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Egypt is set to take part in developing Gaza's offshore gas field -officials[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/CAIRO,
+ Oct 12 (Reuters) - Egypt is aiming to take over development of Gaza's 
+offshore natural gas field, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said, in 
+what would be a boost for the cash-strapped Palestinian economy.While
+ Egypt and Israel have been producing gas in the eastern Mediterranean 
+for years, the Gaza Marine field, about 30 km (20 miles) off the Gaza 
+coast, has remained undeveloped due to political disputes and conflict 
+with Israel, as well as economic factors.The project was last in the hands of oil major Shell (SHEL.L), opens new tab,
+ which gave up its stake in 2018. The Palestinians have been looking for
+ a new foreign group to take over. Palestinian companies would keep at 
+least 55% of the shares, according to a cabinet decision at the time.Egypt’s
+ state-owned gas company EGAS began talks last year with the Palestine 
+Investment Fund PIF and the Consolidated Contractors Company CCC, a 
+coalition of companies that are licensed to develop the field, officials
+ said.An
+ Egyptian intelligence official told Reuters in Cairo EGAS, in 
+cooperation with Palestinian authorities, will develop the offshore 
+field.The
+ Egyptian security official, who asked not to be named, said Cairo has 
+been in negotiations for about two months with Israel, which together 
+with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza and would likely have to green 
+light the project.Egypt’s petroleum ministry did not respond to a request for comment, and EGAS could not immediately be reached.Israel's energy ministry, asked about development of the field, said it was not aware that any decision had been made.Israel has said in the past it supports the field’s development.“These
+ talks are progressing positively. Once a detailed and final agreement 
+is reached, it will be announced after obtaining the official approvals 
+according to the established rules,” said one Palestinian official 
+familiar with the talks with the Egyptians.The
+ Gaza Strip is run by the Islamist group. Most of its 2.3 million 
+residents live in poverty and it suffers from rolling blackouts. Gas 
+from Gaza Marine would help fuel the coastal strip's power plants and 
+kickstart the economy.A second Palestinian official said Cairo has also been in contact with Hamas officials to secure their approval.""Cairo's
+ strategic role as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians over 
+decades makes talks easier,"" the official told Reuters.""Development
+ may take time to start once an agreement is concluded. The project 
+would be a vital tool to improve Palestinian economy,"" he added.Gaza
+ Marine is estimated to hold over 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 
+much more than is needed to power the Palestinian territories and could 
+potentially be exported.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""Development
+ may take time to start once an agreement is concluded. The project 
+would be a vital tool to improve Palestinian economy,"" he added. Gaza
+ Marine is estimated to hold over 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 
+much more than is needed to power the Palestinian territories and could 
+potentially be exported.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/bookingcom-adds-safety-advisory-west-bank-properties-2022-10-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Booking.com adds safety advisory for West Bank properties[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Online travel agency Booking.com has added safety labels to listings in the occupied West Bank, which Israel, having initially opposed the move, welcomed for not singling out Jewish settlements.
+The move was rebuked by Palestinian officials, who said the advisory should only be used for Israeli settlements.
+The company now posts an advisory on its website when customers search for West Bank properties in both Palestinian cities as well Israeli settlements, which most of the world's countries deem illegal. The note recommends that customers review their governments' travel advisories for the area, which ""may be considered conflict-affected"".
+Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that following its ""discreet and efficient"" dialogue with the company's management, and despite concerns that the West Bank and properties owned by Israelis could be singled out, no such distinction was made.
+The ministry said that the new marking will be used in about 40 areas around the world that are under dispute and applied to the whole of the West Bank as ""single geographic unit"".
+Booking.com did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
+Abu Youssef, an executive committee member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said it was ""unacceptable"" for Booking.com not to distinguish between Palestinian properties and those in Israeli settlements.
+Youssef said not making the distinction was ""contrary to international and humanitarian law"".
+The West Bank, which Israel captured in a 1967 war, is among territories where Palestinians seek statehood. Israel describes the West Bank as a Biblical birthright and defensive bulwark.
+Violence in the West Bank has surged in recent months after Israel stepped up raids into the territory following a spate of deadly Palestinian street attacks in Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Booking.com adds safety advisory for West Bank properties[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Online travel agency Booking.com has added safety labels to listings in the occupied West Bank, which Israel, having initially opposed the move, welcomed for not singling out Jewish settlements. The move was rebuked by Palestinian officials, who said the advisory should only be used for Israeli settlements.  The company now posts an advisory on its website when customers search for West Bank properties in both Palestinian cities as well Israeli settlements, which most of the world's countries deem illegal. The note recommends that customers review their governments' travel advisories for the area, which ""may be considered conflict-affected"". Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that following its ""discreet and efficient"" dialogue with the company's management, and despite concerns that the West Bank and properties owned by Israelis could be singled out, no such distinction was made.
+The ministry said that the new marking will be used in about 40 areas around the world that are under dispute and applied to the whole of the West Bank as ""single geographic unit"". Booking.com did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Abu Youssef, an executive committee member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said it was ""unacceptable"" for Booking.com not to distinguish between Palestinian properties and those in Israeli settlements.  Youssef said not making the distinction was ""contrary to international and humanitarian law"".
+The West Bank, which Israel captured in a 1967 war, is among territories where Palestinians seek statehood. Israel describes the West Bank as a Biblical birthright and defensive bulwark.  Violence in the West Bank has surged in recent months after Israel stepped up raids into the territory following a spate of deadly Palestinian street attacks in Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/obituary-sheikh-qaradawi-islamist-champion-arab-revolts-dies-96-2022-09-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]OBITUARY Sheikh Qaradawi, Islamist champion of Arab revolts, dies at 96[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, a spiritual guide to the Muslim Brotherhood who championed the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and unsettled rulers in Egypt and the Gulf with his Islamist preaching, died on Monday. He was 96.
+Born in Egypt, Qaradawi spent much of his life in Qatar, where he became one of the most recognisable and influential Sunni Muslim clerics in the Arab world thanks to regular appearances on Qatar's Al Jazeera network.
+Broadcast into millions of homes, his sermons fuelled tensions that led Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies to impose a blockade on Qatar in 2017 and declare Qaradawi a terrorist.
+his death was announced on his official Twitter account.
+Qaradawi, who studied at Cairo's Al-Azhar University, was often described by supporters as a moderate who offered a counterweight to the radical ideologies espoused by al-Qaeda. He strongly condemned the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, and supported democratic politics.
+But he also sanctioned violence in causes he favoured.
+In Iraq after a 2003 U.S.-led invasion, he backed attacks on coalition forces and he supported Palestinian suicide bombing against Israeli targets during an uprising that began in 2000.
+Several Western states banned him from entry.
+During the Arab Spring uprisings he called for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to be killed and declared jihad against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.
+Qaradawi joined the Muslim Brotherhood as a young man. Advocating Islam as a political programme, the Brotherhood has been seen as a threat by autocratic Arab leaders since it was founded in 1928 in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna, whom Qaradawi knew.
+He turned down the chance to lead the organisation, instead focusing on preaching and Islamic scholarship and building a following that extended well beyond the group.
+His prominence grew after the 2011 Arab revolts.
+Visiting Cairo after the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak, he told a packed Tahrir Square that fear had been lifted from Egyptians who had toppled a modern day pharaoh.
+The appearance captured the scale of change that seemed to be sweeping the region, with long-oppressed Islamists enjoying new freedoms and a Brotherhood member, Mohamed Mursi, being elected president in 2012.
+When the military, encouraged by mass protests, toppled Mursi a year later, Qaradawi condemned the new, army-led order as it unleashed a ferocious crackdown on the Brotherhood.
+He urged a boycott of the presidential election which made army commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi president in 2014.
+""The duty of the nation is to resist the oppressors, restrain their hands and silence their tongues,"" Qaradawi said.
+DEATH SENTENCE
+""He's somebody who was committed to democracy and popular sovereignty from an Islamic perspective,"" said David Warren, a scholar of contemporary Islam and research fellow at Washington University in St. Louis.
+""But being a democrat doesn't mean that someone has to be a pacificist, so in the context of a civil war like Libya and Syria, he could hold those positions while similarly saying that Gaddafi is a tyrant who should be killed...,"" he said.
+Jailed numerous times in Egypt as a young man, Qaradawi was sentenced to death in absentia by an Egyptian court in 2015, along with Mursi and some 90 others. Qaradawi said the rulings, which related to a mass jail break in 2011, were nonsense and violated Islamic law, noting that he was in Qatar at the time.
+He criticised Riyadh for backing Sisi, while his attacks on Sisi and help for the Brotherhood fuelled tensions between Qatar on the one hand and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, another supporter of Egypt's new government, on the other.
+Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation in 2014.
+In 2014 when Riyadh and its allies withdrew ambassadors from Doha, Qaradawi stopped his Friday sermons, saying he wanted to ease some pressure on Qatar, his adopted home since the 1960s.
+But he still criticised Egypt's new ruler in statements.
+Qaradawi, who memorised the Koran by age 10, chaired the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS). He opposed takfir, a concept used by Islamist militants to justify killing Muslims who disagreed with them by declaring them non-believers.
+Qaradawi also opposed the ultra-radical Islamic State group, saying he totally disagreed with Daesh ""in ideology and means"".
+When IS burnt alive a captured Jordanian pilot in 2015, the IUMS said the group did not represent Islam in any way.
+However, he rejected the U.S. role in fighting the group as self-interested. Critics noted how that position appeared to contrast with his tacit support for U.S. action in Syria in 2013 when Washington considered - but never carried out - strikes on the Syrian government over the use of chemical weapons.
+On that occasion, Qaradawi suggested foreign powers were God's instrument for vengeance.
+The war in Syria, where Sunni rebels battled the Alawite-led state backed by Shi'ite Iran, turned Qaradawi against the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, which he had once praised for fighting Israel. He condemned it as ""the party of the devil"".
+He staunchly supported the Palestinian struggle with Israel.
+On a 2013 visit to Gaza hosted by its ruling Hamas Islamist group, Qaradawi said: ""We should seek to liberate Palestine, all of Palestine, inch by inch.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]OBITUARY Sheikh Qaradawi, Islamist champion of Arab revolts, dies at 96[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, a spiritual guide to the Muslim Brotherhood who championed the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and unsettled rulers in Egypt and the Gulf with his Islamist preaching, died on Monday. He was 96. Born in Egypt, Qaradawi spent much of his life in Qatar, where he became one of the most recognisable and influential Sunni Muslim clerics in the Arab world thanks to regular appearances on Qatar's Al Jazeera network.  Broadcast into millions of homes, his sermons fuelled tensions that led Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies to impose a blockade on Qatar in 2017 and declare Qaradawi a terrorist.
+his death was announced on his official Twitter account.
+Qaradawi, who studied at Cairo's Al-Azhar University, was often described by supporters as a moderate who offered a counterweight to the radical ideologies espoused by al-Qaeda. He strongly condemned the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, and supported democratic politics. But he also sanctioned violence in causes he favoured.  In Iraq after a 2003 U.S.-led invasion, he backed attacks on coalition forces and he supported Palestinian suicide bombing against Israeli targets during an uprising that began in 2000. Several Western states banned him from entry. During the Arab Spring uprisings he called for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to be killed and declared jihad against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.  Qaradawi joined the Muslim Brotherhood as a young man. Advocating Islam as a political programme, the Brotherhood has been seen as a threat by autocratic Arab leaders since it was founded in 1928 in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna, whom Qaradawi knew. He turned down the chance to lead the organisation, instead focusing on preaching and Islamic scholarship and building a following that extended well beyond the group.
+His prominence grew after the 2011 Arab revolts.  Visiting Cairo after the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak, he told a packed Tahrir Square that fear had been lifted from Egyptians who had toppled a modern day pharaoh. The appearance captured the scale of change that seemed to be sweeping the region, with long-oppressed Islamists enjoying new freedoms and a Brotherhood member, Mohamed Mursi, being elected president in 2012. When the military, encouraged by mass protests, toppled Mursi a year later, Qaradawi condemned the new, army-led order as it unleashed a ferocious crackdown on the Brotherhood. He urged a boycott of the presidential election which made army commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi president in 2014."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/obituary-sheikh-qaradawi-islamist-champion-arab-revolts-dies-96-2022-09-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]OBITUARY Sheikh Qaradawi, Islamist champion of Arab revolts, dies at 96[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, a spiritual guide to the Muslim Brotherhood who championed the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and unsettled rulers in Egypt and the Gulf with his Islamist preaching, died on Monday. He was 96.
+Born in Egypt, Qaradawi spent much of his life in Qatar, where he became one of the most recognisable and influential Sunni Muslim clerics in the Arab world thanks to regular appearances on Qatar's Al Jazeera network.
+Broadcast into millions of homes, his sermons fuelled tensions that led Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies to impose a blockade on Qatar in 2017 and declare Qaradawi a terrorist.
+his death was announced on his official Twitter account.
+Qaradawi, who studied at Cairo's Al-Azhar University, was often described by supporters as a moderate who offered a counterweight to the radical ideologies espoused by al-Qaeda. He strongly condemned the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, and supported democratic politics.
+But he also sanctioned violence in causes he favoured.
+In Iraq after a 2003 U.S.-led invasion, he backed attacks on coalition forces and he supported Palestinian suicide bombing against Israeli targets during an uprising that began in 2000.
+Several Western states banned him from entry.
+During the Arab Spring uprisings he called for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to be killed and declared jihad against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.
+Qaradawi joined the Muslim Brotherhood as a young man. Advocating Islam as a political programme, the Brotherhood has been seen as a threat by autocratic Arab leaders since it was founded in 1928 in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna, whom Qaradawi knew.
+He turned down the chance to lead the organisation, instead focusing on preaching and Islamic scholarship and building a following that extended well beyond the group.
+His prominence grew after the 2011 Arab revolts.
+Visiting Cairo after the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak, he told a packed Tahrir Square that fear had been lifted from Egyptians who had toppled a modern day pharaoh.
+The appearance captured the scale of change that seemed to be sweeping the region, with long-oppressed Islamists enjoying new freedoms and a Brotherhood member, Mohamed Mursi, being elected president in 2012.
+When the military, encouraged by mass protests, toppled Mursi a year later, Qaradawi condemned the new, army-led order as it unleashed a ferocious crackdown on the Brotherhood.
+He urged a boycott of the presidential election which made army commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi president in 2014.
+""The duty of the nation is to resist the oppressors, restrain their hands and silence their tongues,"" Qaradawi said.
+DEATH SENTENCE
+""He's somebody who was committed to democracy and popular sovereignty from an Islamic perspective,"" said David Warren, a scholar of contemporary Islam and research fellow at Washington University in St. Louis.
+""But being a democrat doesn't mean that someone has to be a pacificist, so in the context of a civil war like Libya and Syria, he could hold those positions while similarly saying that Gaddafi is a tyrant who should be killed...,"" he said.
+Jailed numerous times in Egypt as a young man, Qaradawi was sentenced to death in absentia by an Egyptian court in 2015, along with Mursi and some 90 others. Qaradawi said the rulings, which related to a mass jail break in 2011, were nonsense and violated Islamic law, noting that he was in Qatar at the time.
+He criticised Riyadh for backing Sisi, while his attacks on Sisi and help for the Brotherhood fuelled tensions between Qatar on the one hand and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, another supporter of Egypt's new government, on the other.
+Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation in 2014.
+In 2014 when Riyadh and its allies withdrew ambassadors from Doha, Qaradawi stopped his Friday sermons, saying he wanted to ease some pressure on Qatar, his adopted home since the 1960s.
+But he still criticised Egypt's new ruler in statements.
+Qaradawi, who memorised the Koran by age 10, chaired the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS). He opposed takfir, a concept used by Islamist militants to justify killing Muslims who disagreed with them by declaring them non-believers.
+Qaradawi also opposed the ultra-radical Islamic State group, saying he totally disagreed with Daesh ""in ideology and means"".
+When IS burnt alive a captured Jordanian pilot in 2015, the IUMS said the group did not represent Islam in any way.
+However, he rejected the U.S. role in fighting the group as self-interested. Critics noted how that position appeared to contrast with his tacit support for U.S. action in Syria in 2013 when Washington considered - but never carried out - strikes on the Syrian government over the use of chemical weapons.
+On that occasion, Qaradawi suggested foreign powers were God's instrument for vengeance.
+The war in Syria, where Sunni rebels battled the Alawite-led state backed by Shi'ite Iran, turned Qaradawi against the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, which he had once praised for fighting Israel. He condemned it as ""the party of the devil"".
+He staunchly supported the Palestinian struggle with Israel.
+On a 2013 visit to Gaza hosted by its ruling Hamas Islamist group, Qaradawi said: ""We should seek to liberate Palestine, all of Palestine, inch by inch.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""The duty of the nation is to resist the oppressors, restrain their hands and silence their tongues,"" Qaradawi said. DEATH SENTENCE ""He's somebody who was committed to democracy and popular sovereignty from an Islamic perspective,"" said David Warren, a scholar of contemporary Islam and research fellow at Washington University in St. Louis. ""But being a democrat doesn't mean that someone has to be a pacificist, so in the context of a civil war like Libya and Syria, he could hold those positions while similarly saying that Gaddafi is a tyrant who should be killed...,"" he said. Jailed numerous times in Egypt as a young man, Qaradawi was sentenced to death in absentia by an Egyptian court in 2015, along with Mursi and some 90 others. Qaradawi said the rulings, which related to a mass jail break in 2011, were nonsense and violated Islamic law, noting that he was in Qatar at the time. He criticised Riyadh for backing Sisi, while his attacks on Sisi and help for the Brotherhood fuelled tensions between Qatar on the one hand and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, another supporter of Egypt's new government, on the other. Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation in 2014. In 2014 when Riyadh and its allies withdrew ambassadors from Doha, Qaradawi stopped his Friday sermons, saying he wanted to ease some pressure on Qatar, his adopted home since the 1960s.
+But he still criticised Egypt's new ruler in statements.  Qaradawi, who memorised the Koran by age 10, chaired the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS). He opposed takfir, a concept used by Islamist militants to justify killing Muslims who disagreed with them by declaring them non-believers. Qaradawi also opposed the ultra-radical Islamic State group, saying he totally disagreed with Daesh ""in ideology and means"".
+When IS burnt alive a captured Jordanian pilot in 2015, the IUMS said the group did not represent Islam in any way. However, he rejected the U.S. role in fighting the group as self-interested. Critics noted how that position appeared to contrast with his tacit support for U.S. action in Syria in 2013 when Washington considered - but never carried out - strikes on the Syrian government over the use of chemical weapons. On that occasion, Qaradawi suggested foreign powers were God's instrument for vengeance.  The war in Syria, where Sunni rebels battled the Alawite-led state backed by Shi'ite Iran, turned Qaradawi against the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, which he had once praised for fighting Israel."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/obituary-sheikh-qaradawi-islamist-champion-arab-revolts-dies-96-2022-09-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]OBITUARY Sheikh Qaradawi, Islamist champion of Arab revolts, dies at 96[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, a spiritual guide to the Muslim Brotherhood who championed the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and unsettled rulers in Egypt and the Gulf with his Islamist preaching, died on Monday. He was 96.
+Born in Egypt, Qaradawi spent much of his life in Qatar, where he became one of the most recognisable and influential Sunni Muslim clerics in the Arab world thanks to regular appearances on Qatar's Al Jazeera network.
+Broadcast into millions of homes, his sermons fuelled tensions that led Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies to impose a blockade on Qatar in 2017 and declare Qaradawi a terrorist.
+his death was announced on his official Twitter account.
+Qaradawi, who studied at Cairo's Al-Azhar University, was often described by supporters as a moderate who offered a counterweight to the radical ideologies espoused by al-Qaeda. He strongly condemned the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, and supported democratic politics.
+But he also sanctioned violence in causes he favoured.
+In Iraq after a 2003 U.S.-led invasion, he backed attacks on coalition forces and he supported Palestinian suicide bombing against Israeli targets during an uprising that began in 2000.
+Several Western states banned him from entry.
+During the Arab Spring uprisings he called for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to be killed and declared jihad against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.
+Qaradawi joined the Muslim Brotherhood as a young man. Advocating Islam as a political programme, the Brotherhood has been seen as a threat by autocratic Arab leaders since it was founded in 1928 in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna, whom Qaradawi knew.
+He turned down the chance to lead the organisation, instead focusing on preaching and Islamic scholarship and building a following that extended well beyond the group.
+His prominence grew after the 2011 Arab revolts.
+Visiting Cairo after the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak, he told a packed Tahrir Square that fear had been lifted from Egyptians who had toppled a modern day pharaoh.
+The appearance captured the scale of change that seemed to be sweeping the region, with long-oppressed Islamists enjoying new freedoms and a Brotherhood member, Mohamed Mursi, being elected president in 2012.
+When the military, encouraged by mass protests, toppled Mursi a year later, Qaradawi condemned the new, army-led order as it unleashed a ferocious crackdown on the Brotherhood.
+He urged a boycott of the presidential election which made army commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi president in 2014.
+""The duty of the nation is to resist the oppressors, restrain their hands and silence their tongues,"" Qaradawi said.
+DEATH SENTENCE
+""He's somebody who was committed to democracy and popular sovereignty from an Islamic perspective,"" said David Warren, a scholar of contemporary Islam and research fellow at Washington University in St. Louis.
+""But being a democrat doesn't mean that someone has to be a pacificist, so in the context of a civil war like Libya and Syria, he could hold those positions while similarly saying that Gaddafi is a tyrant who should be killed...,"" he said.
+Jailed numerous times in Egypt as a young man, Qaradawi was sentenced to death in absentia by an Egyptian court in 2015, along with Mursi and some 90 others. Qaradawi said the rulings, which related to a mass jail break in 2011, were nonsense and violated Islamic law, noting that he was in Qatar at the time.
+He criticised Riyadh for backing Sisi, while his attacks on Sisi and help for the Brotherhood fuelled tensions between Qatar on the one hand and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, another supporter of Egypt's new government, on the other.
+Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation in 2014.
+In 2014 when Riyadh and its allies withdrew ambassadors from Doha, Qaradawi stopped his Friday sermons, saying he wanted to ease some pressure on Qatar, his adopted home since the 1960s.
+But he still criticised Egypt's new ruler in statements.
+Qaradawi, who memorised the Koran by age 10, chaired the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS). He opposed takfir, a concept used by Islamist militants to justify killing Muslims who disagreed with them by declaring them non-believers.
+Qaradawi also opposed the ultra-radical Islamic State group, saying he totally disagreed with Daesh ""in ideology and means"".
+When IS burnt alive a captured Jordanian pilot in 2015, the IUMS said the group did not represent Islam in any way.
+However, he rejected the U.S. role in fighting the group as self-interested. Critics noted how that position appeared to contrast with his tacit support for U.S. action in Syria in 2013 when Washington considered - but never carried out - strikes on the Syrian government over the use of chemical weapons.
+On that occasion, Qaradawi suggested foreign powers were God's instrument for vengeance.
+The war in Syria, where Sunni rebels battled the Alawite-led state backed by Shi'ite Iran, turned Qaradawi against the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, which he had once praised for fighting Israel. He condemned it as ""the party of the devil"".
+He staunchly supported the Palestinian struggle with Israel.
+On a 2013 visit to Gaza hosted by its ruling Hamas Islamist group, Qaradawi said: ""We should seek to liberate Palestine, all of Palestine, inch by inch.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","He condemned it as ""the party of the devil"". He staunchly supported the Palestinian struggle with Israel.  On a 2013 visit to Gaza hosted by its ruling Hamas Islamist group, Qaradawi said: ""We should seek to liberate Palestine, all of Palestine, inch by inch.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-president-abbas-calls-israel-resume-negotiations-immediately-2022-09-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian President Abbas calls on Israel to resume negotiations immediately[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+Sept 23 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid's call for a two-state solution was a ""positive development"" but said the proof would be a return to negotiations.
+""The true test of the credibility and seriousness of this stance is for the Israeli government to return to the negotiation table immediately,"" he told the U.N. General Assembly, in a speech that largely lambasted Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.
+Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza - areas that Palestinians seek for an independent state - in the 1967 Middle East war. U.S.-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.
+Efforts to reach a two-state deal, which involves an Israeli and Palestinian state existing side by side, have long been stalled.
+""Our confidence in achieving peace based on justice and international law is unfortunately waning because of Israel's occupation policies,"" Abbas said, calling Israel an ""apartheid regime.""
+Palestinians and rights groups say Israel has entrenched its control of the occupied Palestinian territories through its military rule over millions of Palestinians and persistent settlement construction. Some have cast doubt over whether a two-state solution remained feasible as a result.
+""Israel has not left us any land on which we can establish our independent state because of its frantic settlement expansion,"" Abbas said. ""Where will our people live in freedom and dignity?""
+Most countries deem Israel's West Bank settlements illegal. It disputes that, describing the territory as a biblical birthright and defensive bulwark.
+
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said in a tweet on Friday that it was the Palestinians who had rejected peace plans in the past.
+Lapid's mention of a two-state formula was the first by an Israeli leader on the United Nations stage in years and echoed U.S. President Joe Biden's support in Israel in August for the long-dormant proposal.
+Lapid spoke less than six weeks before a Nov. 1 election that could return to power the right-wing former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longstanding opponent of a Palestinian state.
+Abbas said that while Western governments have supported the two-state formula, they have in effect obstructed its implementation by failing to recognise Palestine as a state and by shielding Israel from accountability.
+He asked the United Nations to recognise full state membership for Palestine and lay out a plan to end Israel's occupation.
+Erdan said in his tweet that Israel would make sure that the attempt to grant Palestinians full state status will fail.
+In his speech, Abbas reiterated the Palestinian position that Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli sniper while covering an Israeli raid in the West Bank in May. He demanded that the United States seek justice for Abu Akleh, who is a dual Palestinian-American national.
+An Israeli investigation into Abu Akleh's killing concluded that she was likely to have been shot by an Israeli soldier but was not deliberately targeted.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian President Abbas calls on Israel to resume negotiations immediately[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+Sept 23 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid's call for a two-state solution was a ""positive development"" but said the proof would be a return to negotiations.
+""The true test of the credibility and seriousness of this stance is for the Israeli government to return to the negotiation table immediately,"" he told the U.N. General Assembly, in a speech that largely lambasted Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.
+Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza - areas that Palestinians seek for an independent state - in the 1967 Middle East war. U.S.-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014. Efforts to reach a two-state deal, which involves an Israeli and Palestinian state existing side by side, have long been stalled.
+""Our confidence in achieving peace based on justice and international law is unfortunately waning because of Israel's occupation policies,"" Abbas said, calling Israel an ""apartheid regime.""  Palestinians and rights groups say Israel has entrenched its control of the occupied Palestinian territories through its military rule over millions of Palestinians and persistent settlement construction. Some have cast doubt over whether a two-state solution remained feasible as a result.  ""Israel has not left us any land on which we can establish our independent state because of its frantic settlement expansion,"" Abbas said. ""Where will our people live in freedom and dignity? ""  Most countries deem Israel's West Bank settlements illegal. It disputes that, describing the territory as a biblical birthright and defensive bulwark. Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said in a tweet on Friday that it was the Palestinians who had rejected peace plans in the past. Lapid's mention of a two-state formula was the first by an Israeli leader on the United Nations stage in years and echoed U.S. President Joe Biden's support in Israel in August for the long-dormant proposal.
+Lapid spoke less than six weeks before a Nov. 1 election that could return to power the right-wing former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longstanding opponent of a Palestinian state. Abbas said that while Western governments have supported the two-state formula, they have in effect obstructed its implementation by failing to recognise Palestine as a state and by shielding Israel from accountability. He asked the United Nations to recognise full state membership for Palestine and lay out a plan to end Israel's occupation. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-president-abbas-calls-israel-resume-negotiations-immediately-2022-09-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian President Abbas calls on Israel to resume negotiations immediately[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+Sept 23 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid's call for a two-state solution was a ""positive development"" but said the proof would be a return to negotiations.
+""The true test of the credibility and seriousness of this stance is for the Israeli government to return to the negotiation table immediately,"" he told the U.N. General Assembly, in a speech that largely lambasted Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.
+Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza - areas that Palestinians seek for an independent state - in the 1967 Middle East war. U.S.-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.
+Efforts to reach a two-state deal, which involves an Israeli and Palestinian state existing side by side, have long been stalled.
+""Our confidence in achieving peace based on justice and international law is unfortunately waning because of Israel's occupation policies,"" Abbas said, calling Israel an ""apartheid regime.""
+Palestinians and rights groups say Israel has entrenched its control of the occupied Palestinian territories through its military rule over millions of Palestinians and persistent settlement construction. Some have cast doubt over whether a two-state solution remained feasible as a result.
+""Israel has not left us any land on which we can establish our independent state because of its frantic settlement expansion,"" Abbas said. ""Where will our people live in freedom and dignity?""
+Most countries deem Israel's West Bank settlements illegal. It disputes that, describing the territory as a biblical birthright and defensive bulwark.
+
+Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said in a tweet on Friday that it was the Palestinians who had rejected peace plans in the past.
+Lapid's mention of a two-state formula was the first by an Israeli leader on the United Nations stage in years and echoed U.S. President Joe Biden's support in Israel in August for the long-dormant proposal.
+Lapid spoke less than six weeks before a Nov. 1 election that could return to power the right-wing former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longstanding opponent of a Palestinian state.
+Abbas said that while Western governments have supported the two-state formula, they have in effect obstructed its implementation by failing to recognise Palestine as a state and by shielding Israel from accountability.
+He asked the United Nations to recognise full state membership for Palestine and lay out a plan to end Israel's occupation.
+Erdan said in his tweet that Israel would make sure that the attempt to grant Palestinians full state status will fail.
+In his speech, Abbas reiterated the Palestinian position that Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli sniper while covering an Israeli raid in the West Bank in May. He demanded that the United States seek justice for Abu Akleh, who is a dual Palestinian-American national.
+An Israeli investigation into Abu Akleh's killing concluded that she was likely to have been shot by an Israeli soldier but was not deliberately targeted.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Erdan said in his tweet that Israel would make sure that the attempt to grant Palestinians full state status will fail.
+In his speech, Abbas reiterated the Palestinian position that Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli sniper while covering an Israeli raid in the West Bank in May. He demanded that the United States seek justice for Abu Akleh, who is a dual Palestinian-American national.  An Israeli investigation into Abu Akleh's killing concluded that she was likely to have been shot by an Israeli soldier but was not deliberately targeted.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-pm-lapid-backs-two-state-solution-with-palestinians-2022-09-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli PM Lapid backs two-state solution with Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called on Thursday for a two-state solution to decades of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reasserted that Israel would do ""whatever it takes"" to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.
+His mention of a two-state solution, the first by an Israeli leader in years at the United Nations General Assembly, echoed U.S. President Joe Biden's support in Israel in August for the long-dormant proposal.
+""An agreement with the Palestinians, based on two states for two peoples, is the right thing for Israel's security, for Israel's economy and for the future of our children,"" Lapid said.
+He added any agreement would be conditioned on a peaceful Palestinian state that would not threaten Israel.
+Lapid spoke less than six weeks before a Nov. 1 election that could return to power the right-wing former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longstanding opponent of the two-state solution.
+Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza - areas that Palestinians seek for an independent state - in a 1967 Middle East war. U.S.-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.
+In his speech, Lapid again denounced Iran and voiced Israel's determination to prevent its longtime foe from gaining a nuclear weapon.
+""The only way to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon is to put a credible military threat on the table,"" he said. ""We have capabilities and we are not afraid to use them.""
+
+Widely believed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear weapons, Israel regards Iran as an existential threat. Tehran denies trying to develop a nuclear weapon.
+PALESTINIANS, U.S. REACT
+Efforts to reach a two-state Israeli-Palestinian deal have long been stalled.
+Palestinians and rights groups say Israel has entrenched its control of the occupied Palestinian territories through its military rule over millions of Palestinians and persistent settlement construction.
+Wasel Abu Youssef, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters that Lapid's words ""mean nothing.""
+""Whoever wants a two-state solution must implement it on the ground,"" he said, by respecting previously reached agreements, stopping settlement expansion and recognising East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
+U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides called Lapid's speech ""courageous"" for supporting the two-state solution.
+Lapid praised efforts by Middle Eastern countries to normalise relations and cooperate with Israel. He urged Muslim countries, from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia, to make peace with it.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli PM Lapid backs two-state solution with Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called on Thursday for a two-state solution to decades of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reasserted that Israel would do ""whatever it takes"" to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. His mention of a two-state solution, the first by an Israeli leader in years at the United Nations General Assembly, echoed U.S. President Joe Biden's support in Israel in August for the long-dormant proposal.
+"" An agreement with the Palestinians, based on two states for two peoples, is the right thing for Israel's security, for Israel's economy and for the future of our children,"" Lapid said. He added any agreement would be conditioned on a peaceful Palestinian state that would not threaten Israel. Lapid spoke less than six weeks before a Nov. 1 election that could return to power the right-wing former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longstanding opponent of the two-state solution.  Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza - areas that Palestinians seek for an independent state - in a 1967 Middle East war. U.S.-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed in 2014.  In his speech, Lapid again denounced Iran and voiced Israel's determination to prevent its longtime foe from gaining a nuclear weapon.  ""The only way to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon is to put a credible military threat on the table,"" he said. ""We have capabilities and we are not afraid to use them. ""  Widely believed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear weapons, Israel regards Iran as an existential threat. Tehran denies trying to develop a nuclear weapon. PALESTINIANS, U.S. REACT
+Efforts to reach a two-state Israeli-Palestinian deal have long been stalled. Palestinians and rights groups say Israel has entrenched its control of the occupied Palestinian territories through its military rule over millions of Palestinians and persistent settlement construction. Wasel Abu Youssef, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters that Lapid's words ""mean nothing.""
+""Whoever wants a two-state solution must implement it on the ground,"" he said, by respecting previously reached agreements, stopping settlement expansion and recognising East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides called Lapid's speech ""courageous"" for supporting the two-state solution.  Lapid praised efforts by Middle Eastern countries to normalise relations and cooperate with Israel. He urged Muslim countries, from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia, to make peace with it.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/two-palestinian-gunmen-israeli-army-officer-killed-west-bank-clash-2022-09-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]West Bank killing of two Palestinian gunmen, Israeli army officer raises new concern in Washington[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Two Palestinian gunmen, one of them a member of a U.S.-backed security service, killed an Israeli army officer and were shot dead by his unit on Wednesday in an incident that stirred fresh worry in Washington.
+Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf said the United States was greatly concerned about security and economic conditions in the West Bank and that it seeks to ensure that security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) remains.
+""Our part in this is to ensure to the greatest degree possible that security cooperation is robust and continuing,"" she said in a briefing call on Wednesday.
+Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called the incident an escalation after confirming that one of the Palestinian men was a preventive intelligence officer in the PA.
+""Wherever the Authority does not maintain order, we will not hesitate to act,"" he said in a statement.
+The Palestinian Authority has not publicly responded to the incident but has previously condemned Israel's operations in the West Bank.
+The PA security forces were set up in the 1990s with U.S. funding and training to help the Authority keep order and stave off threats from Islamist rivals. Funding has tapered off but there is still some coordination between the PA security forces and Washington.
+Violence has surged in the West Bank in recent months as Israel has intensified raids following a spate of lethal Palestinian street attacks in its cities.
+Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the start of the year, the Palestinian health ministry said.
+Before dawn on Wednesday, an Israeli military spokesman said, troops intercepted two men spotted approaching an Israeli barrier along the West Bank boundary near Jenin, a Palestinian town that has been the site of near-nightly friction between the sides.
+The men opened fire, killing an army officer, and were shot dead by the other troops, the military said.
+The Jenin Brigade, a coalition of armed Palestinian factions, claimed the two dead gunmen as its members and confirmed they had killed an Israeli army officer.
+The father of one of the Palestinians killed told Palestine TV that the Israeli army was holding their bodies, and he demanded their return for burial.
+Israel's Defence minister, Benny Gantz, decided to keep the crossing where the incident occurred closed and to freeze entry permits for the Palestinian residents of Kufr Dan, the village the gunmen were from, according to a statement by COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry's liaison office to the Palestinians.
+U.S.-sponsored Palestinian statehood talks with Israel stalled in 2014. Since then, the domestic credibility of the PA, created under 1990s interim peace accords to wield limited self-government in the West Bank, has waned.
+Israel has called on the PA to crack down on hotspots like Jenin. PA officials accuse Israel of having weakened their rule.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]West Bank killing of two Palestinian gunmen, Israeli army officer raises new concern in Washington[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Two Palestinian gunmen, one of them a member of a U.S.-backed security service, killed an Israeli army officer and were shot dead by his unit on Wednesday in an incident that stirred fresh worry in Washington. Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf said the United States was greatly concerned about security and economic conditions in the West Bank and that it seeks to ensure that security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) remains.
+"" Our part in this is to ensure to the greatest degree possible that security cooperation is robust and continuing,"" she said in a briefing call on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called the incident an escalation after confirming that one of the Palestinian men was a preventive intelligence officer in the PA.
+""Wherever the Authority does not maintain order, we will not hesitate to act,"" he said in a statement. The Palestinian Authority has not publicly responded to the incident but has previously condemned Israel's operations in the West Bank. The PA security forces were set up in the 1990s with U.S. funding and training to help the Authority keep order and stave off threats from Islamist rivals. Funding has tapered off but there is still some coordination between the PA security forces and Washington. Violence has surged in the West Bank in recent months as Israel has intensified raids following a spate of lethal Palestinian street attacks in its cities. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the start of the year, the Palestinian health ministry said. Before dawn on Wednesday, an Israeli military spokesman said, troops intercepted two men spotted approaching an Israeli barrier along the West Bank boundary near Jenin, a Palestinian town that has been the site of near-nightly friction between the sides. The men opened fire, killing an army officer, and were shot dead by the other troops, the military said.
+The Jenin Brigade, a coalition of armed Palestinian factions, claimed the two dead gunmen as its members and confirmed they had killed an Israeli army officer.  The father of one of the Palestinians killed told Palestine TV that the Israeli army was holding their bodies, and he demanded their return for burial. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/two-palestinian-gunmen-israeli-army-officer-killed-west-bank-clash-2022-09-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]West Bank killing of two Palestinian gunmen, Israeli army officer raises new concern in Washington[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Two Palestinian gunmen, one of them a member of a U.S.-backed security service, killed an Israeli army officer and were shot dead by his unit on Wednesday in an incident that stirred fresh worry in Washington.
+Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf said the United States was greatly concerned about security and economic conditions in the West Bank and that it seeks to ensure that security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) remains.
+""Our part in this is to ensure to the greatest degree possible that security cooperation is robust and continuing,"" she said in a briefing call on Wednesday.
+Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called the incident an escalation after confirming that one of the Palestinian men was a preventive intelligence officer in the PA.
+""Wherever the Authority does not maintain order, we will not hesitate to act,"" he said in a statement.
+The Palestinian Authority has not publicly responded to the incident but has previously condemned Israel's operations in the West Bank.
+The PA security forces were set up in the 1990s with U.S. funding and training to help the Authority keep order and stave off threats from Islamist rivals. Funding has tapered off but there is still some coordination between the PA security forces and Washington.
+Violence has surged in the West Bank in recent months as Israel has intensified raids following a spate of lethal Palestinian street attacks in its cities.
+Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the start of the year, the Palestinian health ministry said.
+Before dawn on Wednesday, an Israeli military spokesman said, troops intercepted two men spotted approaching an Israeli barrier along the West Bank boundary near Jenin, a Palestinian town that has been the site of near-nightly friction between the sides.
+The men opened fire, killing an army officer, and were shot dead by the other troops, the military said.
+The Jenin Brigade, a coalition of armed Palestinian factions, claimed the two dead gunmen as its members and confirmed they had killed an Israeli army officer.
+The father of one of the Palestinians killed told Palestine TV that the Israeli army was holding their bodies, and he demanded their return for burial.
+Israel's Defence minister, Benny Gantz, decided to keep the crossing where the incident occurred closed and to freeze entry permits for the Palestinian residents of Kufr Dan, the village the gunmen were from, according to a statement by COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry's liaison office to the Palestinians.
+U.S.-sponsored Palestinian statehood talks with Israel stalled in 2014. Since then, the domestic credibility of the PA, created under 1990s interim peace accords to wield limited self-government in the West Bank, has waned.
+Israel has called on the PA to crack down on hotspots like Jenin. PA officials accuse Israel of having weakened their rule.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel's Defence minister, Benny Gantz, decided to keep the crossing where the incident occurred closed and to freeze entry permits for the Palestinian residents of Kufr Dan, the village the gunmen were from, according to a statement by COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry's liaison office to the Palestinians.
+U.S.-sponsored Palestinian statehood talks with Israel stalled in 2014. Since then, the domestic credibility of the PA, created under 1990s interim peace accords to wield limited self-government in the West Bank, has waned.  Israel has called on the PA to crack down on hotspots like Jenin. PA officials accuse Israel of having weakened their rule.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-cool-us-call-west-bank-tactics-review-2022-09-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel rebuffs U.S. call for West Bank tactics review[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Israel signalled opposition on Wednesday to U.S. calls to review rules of engagement in the occupied West Bank as it pressed on with a near-daily series of operations against militants in the area in which dozens of Palestinians have been killed.
+""No one will dictate our rules of engagement to us, when we are the ones fighting for our lives,"" Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said at a military ceremony in Haifa, echoing earlier remarks by Defence Minister Benny Gantz.
+The State Department said on Tuesday that Washington will urge Israel to review rules of engagement practices after its military concluded that Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was likely shot unintentionally by an Israeli soldier. read more
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of deliberately targeting Abu Akleh, who was killed on May 11 while covering an Israeli raid in the Palestinian militant stronghold city Jenin. Israel denies this.
+""Israel has expressed sorrow over the journalist's death. It was a tragedy that transpired in an incident in which there was heavy enemy fire ... The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) never intentionally shoots at innocent people,"" Lapid said.
+Israel has stepped up its incursions into the West Bank since a wave of deadly Palestinian street attacks in Israeli cities. In the latest such raid, on Wednesday, Israeli troops killed a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
+As part of near-nightly security sweeps, the army carried out arrests and searches in several locations, including the village of Tubas, where it said an improvised explosive device was thrown and shots were fired at soldiers, who returned fire.
+Islamic Jihad claimed the man killed, Younis Tayeh, as a member and said he had died during clashes. Tayeh's family denied he had taken part and said he was crossing the street when shot.
+In a separate incident, the military said a Palestinian used a hammer to attack a soldier who ""responded with live fire and neutralized the suspect.""
+U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem collapsed in 2014.
+The diplomatic stagnation has contributed to erosion of the credibility of the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), which has limited self-rule and security control in the West Bank.
+Gantz said the PA should do more to rein in militants. ""The spread of weapons and lack of governance are harming both the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority itself,"" Gantz said.
+The Palestine Liberation Organization's Wasel Abu Youssef described Gantz's remarks as ""desperate"". ""Israel alone bears the responsibility for the daily killings of our people,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel rebuffs U.S. call for West Bank tactics review[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Israel signalled opposition on Wednesday to U.S. calls to review rules of engagement in the occupied West Bank as it pressed on with a near-daily series of operations against militants in the area in which dozens of Palestinians have been killed.  ""No one will dictate our rules of engagement to us, when we are the ones fighting for our lives,"" Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said at a military ceremony in Haifa, echoing earlier remarks by Defence Minister Benny Gantz.
+The State Department said on Tuesday that Washington will urge Israel to review rules of engagement practices after its military concluded that Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was likely shot unintentionally by an Israeli soldier. read more The Palestinians have accused Israel of deliberately targeting Abu Akleh, who was killed on May 11 while covering an Israeli raid in the Palestinian militant stronghold city Jenin. Israel denies this.  ""Israel has expressed sorrow over the journalist's death. It was a tragedy that transpired in an incident in which there was heavy enemy fire ... The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) never intentionally shoots at innocent people,"" Lapid said.  Israel has stepped up its incursions into the West Bank since a wave of deadly Palestinian street attacks in Israeli cities. In the latest such raid, on Wednesday, Israeli troops killed a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.  As part of near-nightly security sweeps, the army carried out arrests and searches in several locations, including the village of Tubas, where it said an improvised explosive device was thrown and shots were fired at soldiers, who returned fire.  Islamic Jihad claimed the man killed, Younis Tayeh, as a member and said he had died during clashes. Tayeh's family denied he had taken part and said he was crossing the street when shot. In a separate incident, the military said a Palestinian used a hammer to attack a soldier who ""responded with live fire and neutralized the suspect."" U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem collapsed in 2014. The diplomatic stagnation has contributed to erosion of the credibility of the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), which has limited self-rule and security control in the West Bank.
+Gantz said the PA should do more to rein in militants. "" The spread of weapons and lack of governance are harming both the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority itself,"" Gantz said.  The Palestine Liberation Organization's Wasel Abu Youssef described Gantz's remarks as ""desperate""."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-cool-us-call-west-bank-tactics-review-2022-09-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel rebuffs U.S. call for West Bank tactics review[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Israel signalled opposition on Wednesday to U.S. calls to review rules of engagement in the occupied West Bank as it pressed on with a near-daily series of operations against militants in the area in which dozens of Palestinians have been killed.
+""No one will dictate our rules of engagement to us, when we are the ones fighting for our lives,"" Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said at a military ceremony in Haifa, echoing earlier remarks by Defence Minister Benny Gantz.
+The State Department said on Tuesday that Washington will urge Israel to review rules of engagement practices after its military concluded that Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was likely shot unintentionally by an Israeli soldier. read more
+The Palestinians have accused Israel of deliberately targeting Abu Akleh, who was killed on May 11 while covering an Israeli raid in the Palestinian militant stronghold city Jenin. Israel denies this.
+""Israel has expressed sorrow over the journalist's death. It was a tragedy that transpired in an incident in which there was heavy enemy fire ... The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) never intentionally shoots at innocent people,"" Lapid said.
+Israel has stepped up its incursions into the West Bank since a wave of deadly Palestinian street attacks in Israeli cities. In the latest such raid, on Wednesday, Israeli troops killed a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
+As part of near-nightly security sweeps, the army carried out arrests and searches in several locations, including the village of Tubas, where it said an improvised explosive device was thrown and shots were fired at soldiers, who returned fire.
+Islamic Jihad claimed the man killed, Younis Tayeh, as a member and said he had died during clashes. Tayeh's family denied he had taken part and said he was crossing the street when shot.
+In a separate incident, the military said a Palestinian used a hammer to attack a soldier who ""responded with live fire and neutralized the suspect.""
+U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem collapsed in 2014.
+The diplomatic stagnation has contributed to erosion of the credibility of the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), which has limited self-rule and security control in the West Bank.
+Gantz said the PA should do more to rein in militants. ""The spread of weapons and lack of governance are harming both the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority itself,"" Gantz said.
+The Palestine Liberation Organization's Wasel Abu Youssef described Gantz's remarks as ""desperate"". ""Israel alone bears the responsibility for the daily killings of our people,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""Israel alone bears the responsibility for the daily killings of our people,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/eus-michel-discuss-energy-qatar-trip-this-week-qatari-official-2022-09-04/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU's Michel to discuss energy on Qatar trip this week - Qatari official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA Sept 4 (Reuters) - European Council President Charles Michel will hold talks with major gas producer Qatar on Europe's energy crisis during a visit to Doha this week, a Qatari government official said on Sunday.
+Michel is expected to visit Qatar on Tuesday, according to his official schedule.
+European governments have been seeking alternatives to gas from main supplier Russia since Moscow ordered troops into Ukraine in late February, with Europe's power costs surging as Russian flows dropped. read more
+State-owned QatarEnergy, one of the world's top natural gas exporters, has been negotiating with several European buyers for months, but no new deals have been announced.
+""Charles Michel will meet several high-level officials to discuss and review regional and international issues including the Russia-Ukraine crisis, energy crisis, in addition to a number of other issues like Afghanistan, Iran, and Palestine-Israel,"" the Qatari official told Reuters.
+European leaders, already struggling to manage soaring gas prices, fear winter gas shortages as Russia announced plans to keep its major gas pipeline to Europe shut. Russia typically provides 40% of Europe's natural gas. read more
+Most current volumes of Qatari natural gas are locked into long-term contracts, mainly with buyers in Asia, which Qatar has said it will honour.
+However QatarEnergy could begin supplying Germany with gas from the Golden Pass natural gas plant in Texas, in which it owns a majority stake, as early as 2024, Qatar's deputy prime minister told a German newspaper in May. read more
+Additionally, Qatar is seeking new customers for a major expansion of its gas output which will boost its exports by some 63% and is set to come online in early 2027.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU's Michel to discuss energy on Qatar trip this week - Qatari official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA Sept 4 (Reuters) - European Council President Charles Michel will hold talks with major gas producer Qatar on Europe's energy crisis during a visit to Doha this week, a Qatari government official said on Sunday. Michel is expected to visit Qatar on Tuesday, according to his official schedule. European governments have been seeking alternatives to gas from main supplier Russia since Moscow ordered troops into Ukraine in late February, with Europe's power costs surging as Russian flows dropped. read more State-owned QatarEnergy, one of the world's top natural gas exporters, has been negotiating with several European buyers for months, but no new deals have been announced. ""Charles Michel will meet several high-level officials to discuss and review regional and international issues including the Russia-Ukraine crisis, energy crisis, in addition to a number of other issues like Afghanistan, Iran, and Palestine-Israel,"" the Qatari official told Reuters. European leaders, already struggling to manage soaring gas prices, fear winter gas shortages as Russia announced plans to keep its major gas pipeline to Europe shut. Russia typically provides 40% of Europe's natural gas. read more Most current volumes of Qatari natural gas are locked into long-term contracts, mainly with buyers in Asia, which Qatar has said it will honour.  However QatarEnergy could begin supplying Germany with gas from the Golden Pass natural gas plant in Texas, in which it owns a majority stake, as early as 2024, Qatar's deputy prime minister told a German newspaper in May. read more
+Additionally, Qatar is seeking new customers for a major expansion of its gas output which will boost its exports by some 63% and is set to come online in early 2027.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-provide-information-us-basis-ngo-closures-state-dept-2022-08-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel to provide information to U.S. on basis for NGO closures -State Dept[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Israel has said it will provide additional information to the United States on the basis for the closure of Palestinian nongovernmental organizations on Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said while expressing concern over the closures of civil society groups.
+Washington contacted Israeli officials, including at high levels, for more information, Price said at a regular news briefing, after security forces raided the offices of seven groups in the Israeli-occupied West Bank it accuses of channeling aid to militant groups. read more
+""We will review what is provided to us and come to our own conclusion,"" Price said.
+The United Nations condemned the closures and said there was no credible evidence to support the Israeli accusations.
+""Despite offers to do so, Israeli authorities have not presented to the United Nations any credible evidence to justify these declarations,"" the U.N. Human Rights Office said in a statement. ""As such, the closures appear totally arbitrary.""
+The United Nations identified the groups as the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association; Al Haq; Bisan Center for Research and Development; Defense for Children International – Palestine; Health Work Committees (HWC); Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC); the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees (UPWC).
+Nine European Union countries have said they will continue working with the groups, citing a lack of evidence for the Israeli accusation. read more [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel to provide information to U.S. on basis for NGO closures -State Dept[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Israel has said it will provide additional information to the United States on the basis for the closure of Palestinian nongovernmental organizations on Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said while expressing concern over the closures of civil society groups.  Washington contacted Israeli officials, including at high levels, for more information, Price said at a regular news briefing, after security forces raided the offices of seven groups in the Israeli-occupied West Bank it accuses of channeling aid to militant groups. read more ""We will review what is provided to us and come to our own conclusion,"" Price said. The United Nations condemned the closures and said there was no credible evidence to support the Israeli accusations.  ""Despite offers to do so, Israeli authorities have not presented to the United Nations any credible evidence to justify these declarations,"" the U.N. Human Rights Office said in a statement. ""As such, the closures appear totally arbitrary."" The United Nations identified the groups as the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association; Al Haq; Bisan Center for Research and Development; Defense for Children International – Palestine; Health Work Committees (HWC); Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC); the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees (UPWC).  Nine European Union countries have said they will continue working with the groups, citing a lack of evidence for the Israeli accusation. read more [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-west-bank-clashes-medics-say-2022-08-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces raid Palestinian NGOs, UN criticises 'arbitrary' move[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Aug 18 (Reuters) - Israel closed seven Palestinian organisations it 
+accuses of channelling aid to militant groups on Thursday, drawing 
+condemnation from the United Nations, which said the closures appeared 
+""totally arbitrary"".Security
+ forces raided offices of the non-governmental groups in the West Bank, 
+confiscating computers and equipment before sealing off entrances, 
+Palestinian witnesses and officials said.The
+ Israeli military said the groups were used by the Popular Front for the
+ Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group it has designated a terrorist 
+organisation. Israel has previously declared six of the groups as 
+terrorist organisations.  read more The
+ designation, which has drawn criticism from the United Nations and 
+human rights watchdogs, was ratified on Wednesday for three of them. The
+ United Nations called for the designations to be revoked.""Despite
+ offers to do so, Israeli authorities have not presented to the United 
+Nations any credible evidence to justify these declarations,"" the UN 
+Human Rights Office said in a statement. ""As such, the closures appear 
+totally arbitrary.""The
+ U.S. State Department said Israel had told the United States it would 
+provide more information on the reasons behind the decision to close the
+ organizations after Washington contacted Israeli officials.""We will review what is provided to us and come to our own conclusion,"" State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.  read more Nine
+ European Union countries have said they will continue working with the 
+groups, citing a lack of evidence for the Israeli accusation.  read more The
+ UN identified the groups as the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human 
+Rights Association; Al Haq; Bisan Center for Research and Development; 
+Defense for Children International – Palestine; Health Work Committees 
+(HWC); Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC); and the Union of 
+Palestinian Women's Committees (UPWC).EARLIER TENSIONSIsraeli
+ Defence Minister Benny Gantz reiterated Israel's claim that the 
+organisations had operated undercover to serve the PFLP, which has 
+carried out deadly attacks on Israelis and which the United States and 
+the EU regard as a terrorist organisation.""They
+ also assist in raising funds for the terrorist organisation via a 
+variety of methods that include forgery and fraud,"" Gantz said.Palestinian officials condemned the move, which Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said was invalid.""These
+ are legal institutions that work under the law,"" Shtayyeh told 
+reporters during a visit to the office of Al-Haq in Ramallah.Earlier,
+ Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces arriving to guard Jewish 
+worshippers visiting Joseph's Tomb, a shrine in the West Bank city of 
+Nablus. The site has seen repeated clashes between Palestinians and 
+Israeli forces.An
+ 18-year-old Palestinian, who the Israeli military alleged had shot at 
+soldiers, was killed and at least 30 people were wounded during the 
+clashes in Nablus, Palestinian medics said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces raid Palestinian NGOs, UN criticises 'arbitrary' move[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Aug 18 (Reuters) - Israel closed seven Palestinian organisations it 
+accuses of channelling aid to militant groups on Thursday, drawing condemnation from the United Nations, which said the closures appeared 
+""totally arbitrary"" . Security
+ forces raided offices of the non-governmental groups in the West Bank, 
+confiscating computers and equipment before sealing off entrances, 
+Palestinian witnesses and officials said. The
+ Israeli military said the groups were used by the Popular Front for the
+ Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group it has designated a terrorist 
+organisation. Israel has previously declared six of the groups as 
+terrorist organisations.  read more The
+ designation, which has drawn criticism from the United Nations and 
+human rights watchdogs, was ratified on Wednesday for three of them. The
+ United Nations called for the designations to be revoked. ""Despite
+ offers to do so, Israeli authorities have not presented to the United 
+Nations any credible evidence to justify these declarations,"" the UN Human Rights Office said in a statement. ""As such, the closures appear 
+totally arbitrary. ""The U.S. State Department said Israel had told the United States it would 
+provide more information on the reasons behind the decision to close the
+ organizations after Washington contacted Israeli officials. ""We will review what is provided to us and come to our own conclusion,"" State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.  read more Nine
+ European Union countries have said they will continue working with the 
+groups, citing a lack of evidence for the Israeli accusation.  read more The
+ UN identified the groups as the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human 
+Rights Association; Al Haq; Bisan Center for Research and Development; 
+Defense for Children International – Palestine; Health Work Committees 
+(HWC); Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC); and the Union of 
+Palestinian Women's Committees (UPWC).EARLIER TENSIONSIsraeli
+ Defence Minister Benny Gantz reiterated Israel's claim that the 
+organisations had operated undercover to serve the PFLP, which has 
+carried out deadly attacks on Israelis and which the United States and 
+the EU regard as a terrorist organisation. ""They
+ also assist in raising funds for the terrorist organisation via a 
+variety of methods that include forgery and fraud,"" Gantz said. Palestinian officials condemned the move, which Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said was invalid. ""These
+ are legal institutions that work under the law,"" Shtayyeh told 
+reporters during a visit to the office of Al-Haq in Ramallah."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-west-bank-clashes-medics-say-2022-08-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces raid Palestinian NGOs, UN criticises 'arbitrary' move[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Aug 18 (Reuters) - Israel closed seven Palestinian organisations it 
+accuses of channelling aid to militant groups on Thursday, drawing 
+condemnation from the United Nations, which said the closures appeared 
+""totally arbitrary"".Security
+ forces raided offices of the non-governmental groups in the West Bank, 
+confiscating computers and equipment before sealing off entrances, 
+Palestinian witnesses and officials said.The
+ Israeli military said the groups were used by the Popular Front for the
+ Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group it has designated a terrorist 
+organisation. Israel has previously declared six of the groups as 
+terrorist organisations.  read more The
+ designation, which has drawn criticism from the United Nations and 
+human rights watchdogs, was ratified on Wednesday for three of them. The
+ United Nations called for the designations to be revoked.""Despite
+ offers to do so, Israeli authorities have not presented to the United 
+Nations any credible evidence to justify these declarations,"" the UN 
+Human Rights Office said in a statement. ""As such, the closures appear 
+totally arbitrary.""The
+ U.S. State Department said Israel had told the United States it would 
+provide more information on the reasons behind the decision to close the
+ organizations after Washington contacted Israeli officials.""We will review what is provided to us and come to our own conclusion,"" State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.  read more Nine
+ European Union countries have said they will continue working with the 
+groups, citing a lack of evidence for the Israeli accusation.  read more The
+ UN identified the groups as the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human 
+Rights Association; Al Haq; Bisan Center for Research and Development; 
+Defense for Children International – Palestine; Health Work Committees 
+(HWC); Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC); and the Union of 
+Palestinian Women's Committees (UPWC).EARLIER TENSIONSIsraeli
+ Defence Minister Benny Gantz reiterated Israel's claim that the 
+organisations had operated undercover to serve the PFLP, which has 
+carried out deadly attacks on Israelis and which the United States and 
+the EU regard as a terrorist organisation.""They
+ also assist in raising funds for the terrorist organisation via a 
+variety of methods that include forgery and fraud,"" Gantz said.Palestinian officials condemned the move, which Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said was invalid.""These
+ are legal institutions that work under the law,"" Shtayyeh told 
+reporters during a visit to the office of Al-Haq in Ramallah.Earlier,
+ Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces arriving to guard Jewish 
+worshippers visiting Joseph's Tomb, a shrine in the West Bank city of 
+Nablus. The site has seen repeated clashes between Palestinians and 
+Israeli forces.An
+ 18-year-old Palestinian, who the Israeli military alleged had shot at 
+soldiers, was killed and at least 30 people were wounded during the 
+clashes in Nablus, Palestinian medics said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Earlier,
+ Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces arriving to guard Jewish 
+worshippers visiting Joseph's Tomb, a shrine in the West Bank city of 
+Nablus. The site has seen repeated clashes between Palestinians and 
+Israeli forces. An
+ 18-year-old Palestinian, who the Israeli military alleged had shot at 
+soldiers, was killed and at least 30 people were wounded during the 
+clashes in Nablus , Palestinian medics said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/some-gaza-children-another-round-violence-reopens-trauma-2022-08-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]For some Gaza children, another round of violence reopens trauma[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read moreGAZA,
+ Aug 18 (Reuters) - When Israeli missiles started landing in Gaza in 
+early August, shattering glass and collapsing buildings, Jouman Abdu put
+ on headphones, covered her eyes with a blindfold and stretched on the 
+couch.The
+ 8-year-old Palestinian girl said she came up with this ritual to escape
+ the bang of the blasts, the second round of steady violence she had 
+experienced in 15 months.""I
+ didn't want to hear the sounds of explosions,"" she told Reuters as she 
+sat with her mother. ""I was afraid they would bomb our house.""The
+ latest outbreak of hostilities lasted only a weekend but buttressed the
+ trauma faced by Palestinian children growing up in the densely 
+populated strip in the years since 2007 when Israel and Egypt imposed a 
+blockade, cutting it off from outside, four people, including parents 
+and experts, told Reuters.""If
+ you are a child in or around Gaza and you are 15 years old, in your 
+life you have already gone through five different conflicts,"" said Lucia
+ Elmi, special representative of UNICEF, the United Nations Children's 
+Fund, in Palestine.  read more Israel
+ this month launched a series of airstrikes against the Islamic Jihad 
+movement in Gaza, in response to what Israeli authorities said was a 
+concrete and imminent threat from the group following the arrest of one 
+of its senior leaders.Islamic
+ Jihad, a militant group committed to Israel's destruction and the 
+creation of an Islamic Palestinian state, fired more than 1,000 rockets 
+towards Israel and held Israel responsible for the escalation, saying it
+ had informed Egyptian mediators it was about to call off a state of 
+high alert among its fighters when the Israeli strikes began.The Western-backed Palestinian Authority also condemned Israel's attacks.Asked
+ for comment on the mental health impact of the blockade and repeated 
+violence in Gaza, the Israeli military said the reality of fighting was 
+difficult for Palestinians in Gaza and Israelis who live around the 
+strip.In a statement it said it ""took every feasible effort to reduce damage to civilians and civilian property"".Reuters was unable to independently confirm the claims made by Israel and Islamic Jihad.At
+ least 49 people, including 17 children, were killed and more than 360 
+people, among them 151 children and teenagers, were wounded, Gaza health
+ officials said, before an Egyptian-brokered truce halted the fighting.Children make up about half of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinian population.There
+ are no safe shelters in the strip, where Palestinian officials and 
+international humanitarian organisations have warned that the healthcare
+ system is on the brink of collapse.A
+ report in June by the aid group Save the Children found the 
+psychosocial wellbeing of children in Gaza was at ""alarmingly low 
+levels"" based on a survey of 488 children and 160 parents and 
+caregivers. One in two children in Gaza is in need of mental health and 
+psychosocial support, Elmi said.This
+ was already the case after May 2021, she added, when 11 days of 
+fighting between Israel and the Islamist Hamas left 250 Palestinians in 
+Gaza and 13 people in Israel dead, leading to ""a cumulative effect of 
+long-lasting trauma for children.""'CONTINUOUS'
+ TRAUMA
+No casualties were reported on the Israeli side this time but children 
+living in Israeli communities around Gaza, within immediate range of 
+rockets fired from the strip, also suffer from trauma, UNICEF's Elmi 
+said.Israeli
+ studies over the years have established that children under continuous 
+exposure to bombardment experience high levels of stress, with 
+particularly high levels of anxiety in areas near Gaza.""There
+ is endless research and work regarding the long-term effects of 
+exposure to traumatic situations,"" said psychologist Ilana Elyassi, 
+speaking in her office in Gevim, in southern Israel. ""I think it affects
+ almost any area of the personality, the internal world and people's 
+functionality.""Sitting
+ in a fortified room in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, Ravit and
+ Amit Shubely played with their two children to distract them from 
+possible sirens warning of incoming rockets.Even
+ inside a fortified room, ""there's always a fear of death,"" Ravit, the 
+mother, said. During the fighting, her children kept waking up at night 
+and repeatedly asked her what to do in case of sirens, she added.“We
+ live here in a kind of pressure cooker in which you don’t know when it 
+can hit you. It can happen at any time, in crazy hours and you cannot 
+control it,” said Amit, the father.In
+ Gaza, aid groups say, Palestinians do not have bomb shelters or the 
+missile defence systems that protect Israelis. Access to health services
+ is limited, movement is severely restricted, and the psychological 
+scars run deep, they say.A
+ 2015 study by the non-government Physicians for Human Rights–Israel 
+organisation found that average life expectancy among Palestinians in 
+the occupied territories was 10 years less than that of Israelis due to 
+significant disparities in health conditions – and the gaps were 
+increasing.
+Dr. Sam Owaida, a psychiatrist with the Gaza Community Mental Health 
+Programme, said the effects on children of the repeated bouts of 
+fighting ranged from refusing to leave the house and clinging to parents
+ to problems with speaking, bed wetting and sleep disturbance.In Gaza, ""there is no such thing as post-trauma, the trauma is continuous,"" he said.Parents
+ and caretakers, many already in poverty due to Gaza's shattered 
+economy, have become more aware of coping techniques but the resources 
+available in Gaza may not be enough to fill the growing need for trauma 
+support, he added.A
+ December 2021 humanitarian needs overview by the U.N. Office for the 
+Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs determined that existing shortages 
+in specialised personnel and medication in Gaza were compounded by 
+COVID-19 and last year’s war, with many frontline workers either 
+overloaded or unable to return to work.Elmi said UNICEF is working with partners to scale up counselling services in the strip.For
+ Najla Shawa, a humanitarian worker and mother of two in Gaza, this 
+round was difficult to experience as a parent despite a relatively short
+ duration. Previous traumas in her daughters, Zainab, 7, and Malak, 5, 
+surfaced almost immediately, she said.
+The girls refused to go anywhere alone – even to the bathroom – and 
+whenever loud explosions were heard, Zainab complained of intense 
+physical pain in her chest, their mother said.""I
+ was trying my best to really hold myself together and just be this 
+ideal parent,"" Shawa told Reuters. ""How can we comfort them? The fear is
+ shared by everyone, adults and children alike.""""There
+ is no such thing as 'they will get used to it,'"" she added. ""It is as 
+if you live through the war for the first time all over again.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]For some Gaza children, another round of violence reopens trauma[/TITLE] [CONTENT]Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read moreGAZA,
+ Aug 18 (Reuters) - When Israeli missiles started landing in Gaza in 
+early August, shattering glass and collapsing buildings, Jouman Abdu put
+ on headphones, covered her eyes with a blindfold and stretched on the 
+couch. The
+ 8-year-old Palestinian girl said she came up with this ritual to escape
+ the bang of the blasts, the second round of steady violence she had 
+experienced in 15 months. ""I
+ didn't want to hear the sounds of explosions,"" she told Reuters as she 
+sat with her mother. ""I was afraid they would bomb our house. ""The
+ latest outbreak of hostilities lasted only a weekend but buttressed the
+ trauma faced by Palestinian children growing up in the densely 
+populated strip in the years since 2007 when Israel and Egypt imposed a 
+blockade, cutting it off from outside, four people, including parents 
+and experts, told Reuters. ""If
+ you are a child in or around Gaza and you are 15 years old, in your 
+life you have already gone through five different conflicts,"" said Lucia
+ Elmi, special representative of UNICEF, the United Nations Children's 
+Fund, in Palestine.  read more Israel
+ this month launched a series of airstrikes against the Islamic Jihad 
+movement in Gaza, in response to what Israeli authorities said was a 
+concrete and imminent threat from the group following the arrest of one 
+of its senior leaders. Islamic
+ Jihad, a militant group committed to Israel's destruction and the 
+creation of an Islamic Palestinian state, fired more than 1,000 rockets 
+towards Israel and held Israel responsible for the escalation, saying it
+ had informed Egyptian mediators it was about to call off a state of 
+high alert among its fighters when the Israeli strikes began. The Western-backed Palestinian Authority also condemned Israel's attacks. Asked
+ for comment on the mental health impact of the blockade and repeated 
+violence in Gaza, the Israeli military said the reality of fighting was 
+difficult for Palestinians in Gaza and Israelis who live around the 
+strip. In a statement it said it ""took every feasible effort to reduce damage to civilians and civilian property"". Reuters was unable to independently confirm the claims made by Israel and Islamic Jihad. At
+ least 49 people, including 17 children, were killed and more than 360 
+people, among them 151 children and teenagers, were wounded, Gaza health
+ officials said, before an Egyptian-brokered truce halted the fighting."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/some-gaza-children-another-round-violence-reopens-trauma-2022-08-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]For some Gaza children, another round of violence reopens trauma[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read moreGAZA,
+ Aug 18 (Reuters) - When Israeli missiles started landing in Gaza in 
+early August, shattering glass and collapsing buildings, Jouman Abdu put
+ on headphones, covered her eyes with a blindfold and stretched on the 
+couch.The
+ 8-year-old Palestinian girl said she came up with this ritual to escape
+ the bang of the blasts, the second round of steady violence she had 
+experienced in 15 months.""I
+ didn't want to hear the sounds of explosions,"" she told Reuters as she 
+sat with her mother. ""I was afraid they would bomb our house.""The
+ latest outbreak of hostilities lasted only a weekend but buttressed the
+ trauma faced by Palestinian children growing up in the densely 
+populated strip in the years since 2007 when Israel and Egypt imposed a 
+blockade, cutting it off from outside, four people, including parents 
+and experts, told Reuters.""If
+ you are a child in or around Gaza and you are 15 years old, in your 
+life you have already gone through five different conflicts,"" said Lucia
+ Elmi, special representative of UNICEF, the United Nations Children's 
+Fund, in Palestine.  read more Israel
+ this month launched a series of airstrikes against the Islamic Jihad 
+movement in Gaza, in response to what Israeli authorities said was a 
+concrete and imminent threat from the group following the arrest of one 
+of its senior leaders.Islamic
+ Jihad, a militant group committed to Israel's destruction and the 
+creation of an Islamic Palestinian state, fired more than 1,000 rockets 
+towards Israel and held Israel responsible for the escalation, saying it
+ had informed Egyptian mediators it was about to call off a state of 
+high alert among its fighters when the Israeli strikes began.The Western-backed Palestinian Authority also condemned Israel's attacks.Asked
+ for comment on the mental health impact of the blockade and repeated 
+violence in Gaza, the Israeli military said the reality of fighting was 
+difficult for Palestinians in Gaza and Israelis who live around the 
+strip.In a statement it said it ""took every feasible effort to reduce damage to civilians and civilian property"".Reuters was unable to independently confirm the claims made by Israel and Islamic Jihad.At
+ least 49 people, including 17 children, were killed and more than 360 
+people, among them 151 children and teenagers, were wounded, Gaza health
+ officials said, before an Egyptian-brokered truce halted the fighting.Children make up about half of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinian population.There
+ are no safe shelters in the strip, where Palestinian officials and 
+international humanitarian organisations have warned that the healthcare
+ system is on the brink of collapse.A
+ report in June by the aid group Save the Children found the 
+psychosocial wellbeing of children in Gaza was at ""alarmingly low 
+levels"" based on a survey of 488 children and 160 parents and 
+caregivers. One in two children in Gaza is in need of mental health and 
+psychosocial support, Elmi said.This
+ was already the case after May 2021, she added, when 11 days of 
+fighting between Israel and the Islamist Hamas left 250 Palestinians in 
+Gaza and 13 people in Israel dead, leading to ""a cumulative effect of 
+long-lasting trauma for children.""'CONTINUOUS'
+ TRAUMA
+No casualties were reported on the Israeli side this time but children 
+living in Israeli communities around Gaza, within immediate range of 
+rockets fired from the strip, also suffer from trauma, UNICEF's Elmi 
+said.Israeli
+ studies over the years have established that children under continuous 
+exposure to bombardment experience high levels of stress, with 
+particularly high levels of anxiety in areas near Gaza.""There
+ is endless research and work regarding the long-term effects of 
+exposure to traumatic situations,"" said psychologist Ilana Elyassi, 
+speaking in her office in Gevim, in southern Israel. ""I think it affects
+ almost any area of the personality, the internal world and people's 
+functionality.""Sitting
+ in a fortified room in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, Ravit and
+ Amit Shubely played with their two children to distract them from 
+possible sirens warning of incoming rockets.Even
+ inside a fortified room, ""there's always a fear of death,"" Ravit, the 
+mother, said. During the fighting, her children kept waking up at night 
+and repeatedly asked her what to do in case of sirens, she added.“We
+ live here in a kind of pressure cooker in which you don’t know when it 
+can hit you. It can happen at any time, in crazy hours and you cannot 
+control it,” said Amit, the father.In
+ Gaza, aid groups say, Palestinians do not have bomb shelters or the 
+missile defence systems that protect Israelis. Access to health services
+ is limited, movement is severely restricted, and the psychological 
+scars run deep, they say.A
+ 2015 study by the non-government Physicians for Human Rights–Israel 
+organisation found that average life expectancy among Palestinians in 
+the occupied territories was 10 years less than that of Israelis due to 
+significant disparities in health conditions – and the gaps were 
+increasing.
+Dr. Sam Owaida, a psychiatrist with the Gaza Community Mental Health 
+Programme, said the effects on children of the repeated bouts of 
+fighting ranged from refusing to leave the house and clinging to parents
+ to problems with speaking, bed wetting and sleep disturbance.In Gaza, ""there is no such thing as post-trauma, the trauma is continuous,"" he said.Parents
+ and caretakers, many already in poverty due to Gaza's shattered 
+economy, have become more aware of coping techniques but the resources 
+available in Gaza may not be enough to fill the growing need for trauma 
+support, he added.A
+ December 2021 humanitarian needs overview by the U.N. Office for the 
+Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs determined that existing shortages 
+in specialised personnel and medication in Gaza were compounded by 
+COVID-19 and last year’s war, with many frontline workers either 
+overloaded or unable to return to work.Elmi said UNICEF is working with partners to scale up counselling services in the strip.For
+ Najla Shawa, a humanitarian worker and mother of two in Gaza, this 
+round was difficult to experience as a parent despite a relatively short
+ duration. Previous traumas in her daughters, Zainab, 7, and Malak, 5, 
+surfaced almost immediately, she said.
+The girls refused to go anywhere alone – even to the bathroom – and 
+whenever loud explosions were heard, Zainab complained of intense 
+physical pain in her chest, their mother said.""I
+ was trying my best to really hold myself together and just be this 
+ideal parent,"" Shawa told Reuters. ""How can we comfort them? The fear is
+ shared by everyone, adults and children alike.""""There
+ is no such thing as 'they will get used to it,'"" she added. ""It is as 
+if you live through the war for the first time all over again.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Children make up about half of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinian population. There are no safe shelters in the strip, where Palestinian officials and 
+international humanitarian organisations have warned that the healthcare
+ system is on the brink of collapse. A
+ report in June by the aid group Save the Children found the 
+psychosocial wellbeing of children in Gaza was at ""alarmingly low 
+levels"" based on a survey of 488 children and 160 parents and 
+caregivers. One in two children in Gaza is in need of mental health and 
+psychosocial support, Elmi said. This
+ was already the case after May 2021, she added, when 11 days of 
+fighting between Israel and the Islamist Hamas left 250 Palestinians in 
+Gaza and 13 people in Israel dead, leading to ""a cumulative effect of 
+long-lasting trauma for children. ""'CONTINUOUS'
+ TRAUMA No casualties were reported on the Israeli side this time but children 
+living in Israeli communities around Gaza, within immediate range of 
+rockets fired from the strip, also suffer from trauma, UNICEF's Elmi 
+said. Israeli
+ studies over the years have established that children under continuous 
+exposure to bombardment experience high levels of stress, with 
+particularly high levels of anxiety in areas near Gaza. ""There
+ is endless research and work regarding the long-term effects of 
+exposure to traumatic situations,"" said psychologist Ilana Elyassi, 
+speaking in her office in Gevim, in southern Israel. ""I think it affects
+ almost any area of the personality, the internal world and people's 
+functionality.""Sitting
+ in a fortified room in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, Ravit and
+ Amit Shubely played with their two children to distract them from 
+possible sirens warning of incoming rockets. Even
+ inside a fortified room, ""there's always a fear of death,"" Ravit, the 
+mother, said. During the fighting, her children kept waking up at night 
+and repeatedly asked her what to do in case of sirens, she added. “We
+ live here in a kind of pressure cooker in which you don’t know when it 
+can hit you. It can happen at any time, in crazy hours and you cannot 
+control it,” said Amit, the father. In
+ Gaza, aid groups say, Palestinians do not have bomb shelters or the 
+missile defence systems that protect Israelis. Access to health services
+ is limited, movement is severely restricted, and the psychological 
+scars run deep, they say."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/some-gaza-children-another-round-violence-reopens-trauma-2022-08-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]For some Gaza children, another round of violence reopens trauma[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read moreGAZA,
+ Aug 18 (Reuters) - When Israeli missiles started landing in Gaza in 
+early August, shattering glass and collapsing buildings, Jouman Abdu put
+ on headphones, covered her eyes with a blindfold and stretched on the 
+couch.The
+ 8-year-old Palestinian girl said she came up with this ritual to escape
+ the bang of the blasts, the second round of steady violence she had 
+experienced in 15 months.""I
+ didn't want to hear the sounds of explosions,"" she told Reuters as she 
+sat with her mother. ""I was afraid they would bomb our house.""The
+ latest outbreak of hostilities lasted only a weekend but buttressed the
+ trauma faced by Palestinian children growing up in the densely 
+populated strip in the years since 2007 when Israel and Egypt imposed a 
+blockade, cutting it off from outside, four people, including parents 
+and experts, told Reuters.""If
+ you are a child in or around Gaza and you are 15 years old, in your 
+life you have already gone through five different conflicts,"" said Lucia
+ Elmi, special representative of UNICEF, the United Nations Children's 
+Fund, in Palestine.  read more Israel
+ this month launched a series of airstrikes against the Islamic Jihad 
+movement in Gaza, in response to what Israeli authorities said was a 
+concrete and imminent threat from the group following the arrest of one 
+of its senior leaders.Islamic
+ Jihad, a militant group committed to Israel's destruction and the 
+creation of an Islamic Palestinian state, fired more than 1,000 rockets 
+towards Israel and held Israel responsible for the escalation, saying it
+ had informed Egyptian mediators it was about to call off a state of 
+high alert among its fighters when the Israeli strikes began.The Western-backed Palestinian Authority also condemned Israel's attacks.Asked
+ for comment on the mental health impact of the blockade and repeated 
+violence in Gaza, the Israeli military said the reality of fighting was 
+difficult for Palestinians in Gaza and Israelis who live around the 
+strip.In a statement it said it ""took every feasible effort to reduce damage to civilians and civilian property"".Reuters was unable to independently confirm the claims made by Israel and Islamic Jihad.At
+ least 49 people, including 17 children, were killed and more than 360 
+people, among them 151 children and teenagers, were wounded, Gaza health
+ officials said, before an Egyptian-brokered truce halted the fighting.Children make up about half of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinian population.There
+ are no safe shelters in the strip, where Palestinian officials and 
+international humanitarian organisations have warned that the healthcare
+ system is on the brink of collapse.A
+ report in June by the aid group Save the Children found the 
+psychosocial wellbeing of children in Gaza was at ""alarmingly low 
+levels"" based on a survey of 488 children and 160 parents and 
+caregivers. One in two children in Gaza is in need of mental health and 
+psychosocial support, Elmi said.This
+ was already the case after May 2021, she added, when 11 days of 
+fighting between Israel and the Islamist Hamas left 250 Palestinians in 
+Gaza and 13 people in Israel dead, leading to ""a cumulative effect of 
+long-lasting trauma for children.""'CONTINUOUS'
+ TRAUMA
+No casualties were reported on the Israeli side this time but children 
+living in Israeli communities around Gaza, within immediate range of 
+rockets fired from the strip, also suffer from trauma, UNICEF's Elmi 
+said.Israeli
+ studies over the years have established that children under continuous 
+exposure to bombardment experience high levels of stress, with 
+particularly high levels of anxiety in areas near Gaza.""There
+ is endless research and work regarding the long-term effects of 
+exposure to traumatic situations,"" said psychologist Ilana Elyassi, 
+speaking in her office in Gevim, in southern Israel. ""I think it affects
+ almost any area of the personality, the internal world and people's 
+functionality.""Sitting
+ in a fortified room in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, Ravit and
+ Amit Shubely played with their two children to distract them from 
+possible sirens warning of incoming rockets.Even
+ inside a fortified room, ""there's always a fear of death,"" Ravit, the 
+mother, said. During the fighting, her children kept waking up at night 
+and repeatedly asked her what to do in case of sirens, she added.“We
+ live here in a kind of pressure cooker in which you don’t know when it 
+can hit you. It can happen at any time, in crazy hours and you cannot 
+control it,” said Amit, the father.In
+ Gaza, aid groups say, Palestinians do not have bomb shelters or the 
+missile defence systems that protect Israelis. Access to health services
+ is limited, movement is severely restricted, and the psychological 
+scars run deep, they say.A
+ 2015 study by the non-government Physicians for Human Rights–Israel 
+organisation found that average life expectancy among Palestinians in 
+the occupied territories was 10 years less than that of Israelis due to 
+significant disparities in health conditions – and the gaps were 
+increasing.
+Dr. Sam Owaida, a psychiatrist with the Gaza Community Mental Health 
+Programme, said the effects on children of the repeated bouts of 
+fighting ranged from refusing to leave the house and clinging to parents
+ to problems with speaking, bed wetting and sleep disturbance.In Gaza, ""there is no such thing as post-trauma, the trauma is continuous,"" he said.Parents
+ and caretakers, many already in poverty due to Gaza's shattered 
+economy, have become more aware of coping techniques but the resources 
+available in Gaza may not be enough to fill the growing need for trauma 
+support, he added.A
+ December 2021 humanitarian needs overview by the U.N. Office for the 
+Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs determined that existing shortages 
+in specialised personnel and medication in Gaza were compounded by 
+COVID-19 and last year’s war, with many frontline workers either 
+overloaded or unable to return to work.Elmi said UNICEF is working with partners to scale up counselling services in the strip.For
+ Najla Shawa, a humanitarian worker and mother of two in Gaza, this 
+round was difficult to experience as a parent despite a relatively short
+ duration. Previous traumas in her daughters, Zainab, 7, and Malak, 5, 
+surfaced almost immediately, she said.
+The girls refused to go anywhere alone – even to the bathroom – and 
+whenever loud explosions were heard, Zainab complained of intense 
+physical pain in her chest, their mother said.""I
+ was trying my best to really hold myself together and just be this 
+ideal parent,"" Shawa told Reuters. ""How can we comfort them? The fear is
+ shared by everyone, adults and children alike.""""There
+ is no such thing as 'they will get used to it,'"" she added. ""It is as 
+if you live through the war for the first time all over again.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","A
+ 2015 study by the non-government Physicians for Human Rights–Israel 
+organisation found that average life expectancy among Palestinians in 
+the occupied territories was 10 years less than that of Israelis due to 
+significant disparities in health conditions – and the gaps were 
+increasing.  Dr. Sam Owaida, a psychiatrist with the Gaza Community Mental Health 
+Programme, said the effects on children of the repeated bouts of 
+fighting ranged from refusing to leave the house and clinging to parents
+ to problems with speaking, bed wetting and sleep disturbance. In Gaza, ""there is no such thing as post-trauma, the trauma is continuous,"" he said. Parents
+ and caretakers, many already in poverty due to Gaza's shattered 
+economy, have become more aware of coping techniques but the resources 
+available in Gaza may not be enough to fill the growing need for trauma 
+support, he added. A December 2021 humanitarian needs overview by the U.N. Office for the 
+Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs determined that existing shortages 
+in specialised personnel and medication in Gaza were compounded by 
+COVID-19 and last year’s war, with many frontline workers either 
+overloaded or unable to return to work. Elmi said UNICEF is working with partners to scale up counselling services in the strip. For
+ Najla Shawa, a humanitarian worker and mother of two in Gaza, this 
+round was difficult to experience as a parent despite a relatively short
+ duration. Previous traumas in her daughters, Zainab, 7, and Malak, 5, 
+surfaced almost immediately, she said. The girls refused to go anywhere alone – even to the bathroom – and 
+whenever loud explosions were heard, Zainab complained of intense 
+physical pain in her chest, their mother said. ""I
+ was trying my best to really hold myself together and just be this 
+ideal parent,"" Shawa told Reuters. ""How can we comfort them? The fear is
+ shared by everyone, adults and children alike. """"There
+ is no such thing as 'they will get used to it,'"" she added. ""It is as 
+if you live through the war for the first time all over again.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/flights-west-bank-palestinians-turkey-start-end-august-2022-08-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Flights for West Bank Palestinians to Turkey to start at end of August[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Aug 9 (Reuters) - Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank will
+ be offered special flights from Ramon Airport, near the Red Sea resort 
+city of Eilat, to destinations in Turkey, Israel's Airports Authority 
+said on Tuesday.The
+ move is Israel's latest gesture to Palestinians, following pressure 
+from the United States to ease travel for Palestinians as prospects for 
+reviving long-stalled peace talks and establishing an independent 
+Palestinian state appeared dim.""We welcome efforts to facilitate travel for the Palestinian people,"" a U.S. Embassy spokesperson told Reuters.But
+ representatives of Palestinians, whose movement is routinely restricted
+ by Israel, said they were not a party to the decision.""Nobody
+ consulted with us on this matter,"" said Wasel Abu Yousef, a senior 
+member of the Palestine Liberation Organization. ""What we seek is the 
+return of al-Quds International Airport to operate as the State of 
+Palestine's airport.""Palestinians
+ from areas Israel occupied in a 1967 war cannot fly from Israel's Ben 
+Gurion Airport without special permission. They typically travel to 
+Jordan to catch international flights, a trip that entails crossing 
+through checkpoints and can take hours.Under
+ the pilot programme, the flights will run twice a week starting at the 
+end of August to Istanbul and Antalya on Turkish carriers Atlas and 
+Pegasus and using Airbus A321 aircraft, the airports authority said.These flights will not be offered to Palestinians from Gaza.Ramon
+ Airport, which opened in 2019, is about 300 km (185 miles) from 
+Jerusalem and designed to take any planes re-routed from Ben Gurion 
+Airport, near Tel Aviv.Foreign
+ carriers such as Ryanair, Wizzair and Lufthansa began to fly non-stop 
+to older Eilat airports in 2015 during winter months after Israel 
+offered airlines 60 euros ($61) per passenger brought on direct flights 
+from abroad.But the COVID-19 pandemic largely halted those flights.The
+ airports authority said that for the first time, summer flights to 
+various destinations in Europe from Eilat would start in the coming 
+days. They include Batumi, Georgia and Larnaca, Cyprus on Israeli 
+carrier Arkia, and Warsaw and Katowice on Poland's Enter Air.Pegasus in October will fly Israelis to Turkey with four flights a week, the authority said.
+($1 = 0.9770 euros)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Flights for West Bank Palestinians to Turkey to start at end of August[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Aug 9 (Reuters) - Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank will
+ be offered special flights from Ramon Airport, near the Red Sea resort 
+city of Eilat, to destinations in Turkey, Israel's Airports Authority 
+said on Tuesday. The
+ move is Israel's latest gesture to Palestinians, following pressure 
+from the United States to ease travel for Palestinians as prospects for 
+reviving long-stalled peace talks and establishing an independent 
+Palestinian state appeared dim. ""We welcome efforts to facilitate travel for the Palestinian people,"" a U.S. Embassy spokesperson told Reuters. But
+ representatives of Palestinians, whose movement is routinely restricted
+ by Israel, said they were not a party to the decision. ""Nobody
+ consulted with us on this matter,"" said Wasel Abu Yousef, a senior 
+member of the Palestine Liberation Organization. ""What we seek is the 
+return of al-Quds International Airport to operate as the State of 
+Palestine's airport.""Palestinians
+ from areas Israel occupied in a 1967 war cannot fly from Israel's Ben 
+Gurion Airport without special permission. They typically travel to 
+Jordan to catch international flights, a trip that entails crossing 
+through checkpoints and can take hours. Under
+ the pilot programme, the flights will run twice a week starting at the 
+end of August to Istanbul and Antalya on Turkish carriers Atlas and 
+Pegasus and using Airbus A321 aircraft, the airports authority said. These flights will not be offered to Palestinians from Gaza. Ramon Airport, which opened in 2019, is about 300 km (185 miles) from 
+Jerusalem and designed to take any planes re-routed from Ben Gurion 
+Airport, near Tel Aviv. Foreign
+ carriers such as Ryanair, Wizzair and Lufthansa began to fly non-stop 
+to older Eilat airports in 2015 during winter months after Israel 
+offered airlines 60 euros ($61) per passenger brought on direct flights 
+from abroad. But the COVID-19 pandemic largely halted those flights. The
+ airports authority said that for the first time, summer flights to 
+various destinations in Europe from Eilat would start in the coming 
+days. They include Batumi, Georgia and Larnaca, Cyprus on Israeli 
+carrier Arkia, and Warsaw and Katowice on Poland's Enter Air.Pegasus in October will fly Israelis to Turkey with four flights a week, the authority said. ($1 = 0.9770 euros)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/away-gaza-islamic-jihad-digs-against-israel-west-bank-2022-08-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Away from Gaza, Islamic Jihad digs in against Israel on West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JENIN,
+ West Bank, Aug 9 (Reuters) - For the masked gunmen in Jenin refugee 
+camp, Israel's unannounced strike against Islamic Jihad in Gaza on 
+Friday can have come as little surprise after months of clashes that 
+have steadily lifted the profile of the Iran-backed militant group.Firing
+ into the air during a rally late last month to commemorate three young 
+men killed 40 days earlier, they were admonished by a voice from the 
+crowd which called out: ""Save your ammunition for the black days that 
+are coming!""The
+ weekend bombardment of Gaza by Israeli planes and the hundreds of 
+rockets fired towards Israel from Gaza were the biggest cross-border 
+confrontation in more than a year.Israel
+ focused its operation against Islamic Jihad, which it calls an Iranian 
+proxy, while carefully avoiding a direct confrontation with the larger 
+and more powerful Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip.But
+ the conflict followed regular clashes in cities in the occupied West 
+Bank and was set off by the arrest in the town of Jenin of Bassam 
+Al-Saadi, a senior leader of the movement.Formally
+ established in 1981 by Fathi Shiqaqi, a doctor, and other radicals, 
+Islamic Jihad took root in the Palestinian camps that dot Gaza and the 
+nearby West Bank. Over the years, it has carried out a string of suicide
+ bombings and gun attacks against Israelis, as well as rocket fire.For
+ the group, listed as a terrorist organization by the West, the Gaza 
+bombardment imposed a heavy cost, with two senior commanders killed, 
+while Hamas refused to do more than offer limited verbal support.Islamic
+ Jihad, which has tried to create a common front with other militant 
+groups in the refugee camps of the West Bank, has refused any compromise
+ with Israel and refused to take part in Palestinian Authority 
+elections. But the fighting allowed it to strengthen its claim to be at 
+the forefront of the fight against Israel, eight years after 
+U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed.The
+ gunmen at the Jenin rally stood alongside the black flag of Islamic 
+Jihad, the green of Hamas and the yellow of Fatah in a display intended 
+to show the unity of the main factions in Jenin.But
+ with the Palestinian Authority seen by many in the camps as out of 
+touch and compromised by its relationship with Israel, the movement has 
+offered young recruits a radical vision of resistance, unconstrained by 
+the need to govern.That
+ sets it apart even from Hamas, Israel's arch-enemy, whose 
+responsibility for the daily lives of 2.3 million people in Gaza forces 
+it to weigh carefully the risks of another war.CENTRE OF RESISTANCEWhile
+ the weekend's clashes were concentrated in Gaza, arrests of Islamic 
+Jihad leaders in the West Bank have underscored the movement's strength 
+in cities like Jenin and Nablus, suggesting there may be further 
+fighting ahead.On
+ Tuesday, Israeli forces killed Ibrahim al-Nablusi, a senior commander 
+of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and part of the recently formed 
+""Nablus Brigade"", a militant alliance which includes Islamic Jihad. 
+Another gunman was also killed and 40 people were wounded in the 
+shootout.  read more So
+ far this year, at least 400 people from Jenin have been arrested and 30
+ killed by Israeli forces, according to figures from the Palestine 
+Prisoners Society, including some who were carrying out attacks in 
+Israel.""You
+ can't find a collection of militant cells like the ones in Jenin 
+anywhere else,"" said Michael Milshtein, a former official of COGAT, the 
+Israeli military authority that oversees the West Bank. That was 
+problematic for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, he added.Jenin
+ drew world attention in May when Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu 
+Akleh was killed while reporting on an army raid in its crowded refugee 
+camp. But the scruffy northern town has a long tradition of resistance 
+going back to the days of the prewar British mandate before the creation
+ of Israel.Israeli
+ forces fought fierce battles in its warren of back streets during the 
+Second Intifada, two decades ago, demolishing much of the camp. In 
+recent months, clashes have been frequent but precise estimates of the 
+group's strength are rare.The
+ CIA World Handbook said estimates last year ranged from 1,000 to 
+several thousands. An Israeli military spokesman said Israel estimated 
+the overall number of Islamic Jihad operatives at around 10,000.Israeli
+ officials say its Gaza airstrikes have cost the group significant 
+rocket and anti-tank capabilities and undermined its command-and-control
+ structures.But
+ Islamic Jihad spokesman Musab Al-Braim said the loss of its leaders 
+could be absorbed and it controlled ""the human element, the human 
+miracle that can repair capabilities"".The
+ gunmen parading at the Jenin rally in a square off the main street 
+brandished a range of firearms including M-16 rifles and more up-to-date
+ automatic weapons used by Israeli forces, occasionally firing them into
+ the night sky.Small and slightly built beneath their masks and camouflaged combat gear, many appeared to be no more than teenagers.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Away from Gaza, Islamic Jihad digs in against Israel on West Bank[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]JENIN,
+ West Bank, Aug 9 (Reuters) - For the masked gunmen in Jenin refugee 
+camp , Israel's unannounced strike against Islamic Jihad in Gaza on 
+Friday can have come as little surprise after months of clashes that 
+have steadily lifted the profile of the Iran-backed militant group. Firing
+ into the air during a rally late last month to commemorate three young 
+men killed 40 days earlier, they were admonished by a voice from the 
+crowd which called out: ""Save your ammunition for the black days that 
+are coming!""The  weekend bombardment of Gaza by Israeli planes and the hundreds of 
+rockets fired towards Israel from Gaza were the biggest cross-border 
+confrontation in more than a year. Israel
+ focused its operation against Islamic Jihad, which it calls an Iranian 
+proxy, while carefully avoiding a direct confrontation with the larger 
+and more powerful Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip. But the conflict followed regular clashes in cities in the occupied West 
+Bank and was set off by the arrest in the town of Jenin of Bassam 
+Al-Saadi, a senior leader of the movement. Formally
+ established in 1981 by Fathi Shiqaqi, a doctor, and other radicals, 
+Islamic Jihad took root in the Palestinian camps that dot Gaza and the 
+nearby West Bank. Over the years, it has carried out a string of suicide
+ bombings and gun attacks against Israelis, as well as rocket fire. For
+ the group, listed as a terrorist organization by the West, the Gaza 
+bombardment imposed a heavy cost, with two senior commanders killed, 
+while Hamas refused to do more than offer limited verbal support. Islamic
+ Jihad, which has tried to create a common front with other militant 
+groups in the refugee camps of the West Bank, has refused any compromise
+ with Israel and refused to take part in Palestinian Authority 
+elections. But the fighting allowed it to strengthen its claim to be at 
+the forefront of the fight against Israel, eight years after 
+U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed. The
+ gunmen at the Jenin rally stood alongside the black flag of Islamic 
+Jihad, the green of Hamas and the yellow of Fatah in a display intended 
+to show the unity of the main factions in Jenin. But
+ with the Palestinian Authority seen by many in the camps as out of 
+touch and compromised by its relationship with Israel , the movement has 
+offered young recruits a radical vision of resistance, unconstrained by 
+the need to govern."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/away-gaza-islamic-jihad-digs-against-israel-west-bank-2022-08-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Away from Gaza, Islamic Jihad digs in against Israel on West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JENIN,
+ West Bank, Aug 9 (Reuters) - For the masked gunmen in Jenin refugee 
+camp, Israel's unannounced strike against Islamic Jihad in Gaza on 
+Friday can have come as little surprise after months of clashes that 
+have steadily lifted the profile of the Iran-backed militant group.Firing
+ into the air during a rally late last month to commemorate three young 
+men killed 40 days earlier, they were admonished by a voice from the 
+crowd which called out: ""Save your ammunition for the black days that 
+are coming!""The
+ weekend bombardment of Gaza by Israeli planes and the hundreds of 
+rockets fired towards Israel from Gaza were the biggest cross-border 
+confrontation in more than a year.Israel
+ focused its operation against Islamic Jihad, which it calls an Iranian 
+proxy, while carefully avoiding a direct confrontation with the larger 
+and more powerful Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip.But
+ the conflict followed regular clashes in cities in the occupied West 
+Bank and was set off by the arrest in the town of Jenin of Bassam 
+Al-Saadi, a senior leader of the movement.Formally
+ established in 1981 by Fathi Shiqaqi, a doctor, and other radicals, 
+Islamic Jihad took root in the Palestinian camps that dot Gaza and the 
+nearby West Bank. Over the years, it has carried out a string of suicide
+ bombings and gun attacks against Israelis, as well as rocket fire.For
+ the group, listed as a terrorist organization by the West, the Gaza 
+bombardment imposed a heavy cost, with two senior commanders killed, 
+while Hamas refused to do more than offer limited verbal support.Islamic
+ Jihad, which has tried to create a common front with other militant 
+groups in the refugee camps of the West Bank, has refused any compromise
+ with Israel and refused to take part in Palestinian Authority 
+elections. But the fighting allowed it to strengthen its claim to be at 
+the forefront of the fight against Israel, eight years after 
+U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed.The
+ gunmen at the Jenin rally stood alongside the black flag of Islamic 
+Jihad, the green of Hamas and the yellow of Fatah in a display intended 
+to show the unity of the main factions in Jenin.But
+ with the Palestinian Authority seen by many in the camps as out of 
+touch and compromised by its relationship with Israel, the movement has 
+offered young recruits a radical vision of resistance, unconstrained by 
+the need to govern.That
+ sets it apart even from Hamas, Israel's arch-enemy, whose 
+responsibility for the daily lives of 2.3 million people in Gaza forces 
+it to weigh carefully the risks of another war.CENTRE OF RESISTANCEWhile
+ the weekend's clashes were concentrated in Gaza, arrests of Islamic 
+Jihad leaders in the West Bank have underscored the movement's strength 
+in cities like Jenin and Nablus, suggesting there may be further 
+fighting ahead.On
+ Tuesday, Israeli forces killed Ibrahim al-Nablusi, a senior commander 
+of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and part of the recently formed 
+""Nablus Brigade"", a militant alliance which includes Islamic Jihad. 
+Another gunman was also killed and 40 people were wounded in the 
+shootout.  read more So
+ far this year, at least 400 people from Jenin have been arrested and 30
+ killed by Israeli forces, according to figures from the Palestine 
+Prisoners Society, including some who were carrying out attacks in 
+Israel.""You
+ can't find a collection of militant cells like the ones in Jenin 
+anywhere else,"" said Michael Milshtein, a former official of COGAT, the 
+Israeli military authority that oversees the West Bank. That was 
+problematic for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, he added.Jenin
+ drew world attention in May when Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu 
+Akleh was killed while reporting on an army raid in its crowded refugee 
+camp. But the scruffy northern town has a long tradition of resistance 
+going back to the days of the prewar British mandate before the creation
+ of Israel.Israeli
+ forces fought fierce battles in its warren of back streets during the 
+Second Intifada, two decades ago, demolishing much of the camp. In 
+recent months, clashes have been frequent but precise estimates of the 
+group's strength are rare.The
+ CIA World Handbook said estimates last year ranged from 1,000 to 
+several thousands. An Israeli military spokesman said Israel estimated 
+the overall number of Islamic Jihad operatives at around 10,000.Israeli
+ officials say its Gaza airstrikes have cost the group significant 
+rocket and anti-tank capabilities and undermined its command-and-control
+ structures.But
+ Islamic Jihad spokesman Musab Al-Braim said the loss of its leaders 
+could be absorbed and it controlled ""the human element, the human 
+miracle that can repair capabilities"".The
+ gunmen parading at the Jenin rally in a square off the main street 
+brandished a range of firearms including M-16 rifles and more up-to-date
+ automatic weapons used by Israeli forces, occasionally firing them into
+ the night sky.Small and slightly built beneath their masks and camouflaged combat gear, many appeared to be no more than teenagers.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","That
+ sets it apart even from Hamas, Israel's arch-enemy, whose responsibility for the daily lives of 2.3 million people in Gaza forces 
+it to weigh carefully the risks of another war. CENTRE OF RESISTANCEWhile the weekend's clashes were concentrated in Gaza, arrests of Islamic 
+Jihad leaders in the West Bank have underscored the movement's strength 
+in cities like Jenin and Nablus, suggesting there may be further 
+fighting ahead. On
+ Tuesday, Israeli forces killed Ibrahim al-Nablusi, a senior commander 
+of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and part of the recently formed 
+""Nablus Brigade"", a militant alliance which includes Islamic Jihad.  Another gunman was also killed and 40 people were wounded in the 
+shootout.  read more So
+ far this year, at least 400 people from Jenin have been arrested and 30
+ killed by Israeli forces, according to figures from the Palestine 
+Prisoners Society, including some who were carrying out attacks in 
+Israel. ""You
+ can't find a collection of militant cells like the ones in Jenin 
+anywhere else,"" said Michael Milshtein, a former official of COGAT, the 
+Israeli military authority that oversees the West Bank. That was 
+problematic for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, he added. Jenin
+ drew world attention in May when Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu 
+Akleh was killed while reporting on an army raid in its crowded refugee 
+camp. But the scruffy northern town has a long tradition of resistance 
+going back to the days of the prewar British mandate before the creation
+ of Israel. Israeli
+ forces fought fierce battles in its warren of back streets during the 
+Second Intifada, two decades ago, demolishing much of the camp. In 
+recent months, clashes have been frequent but precise estimates of the 
+group's strength are rare. The
+ CIA World Handbook said estimates last year ranged from 1,000 to 
+several thousands. An Israeli military spokesman said Israel estimated 
+the overall number of Islamic Jihad operatives at around 10,000.Israeli
+ officials say its Gaza airstrikes have cost the group significant 
+rocket and anti-tank capabilities and undermined its command-and-control
+ structures. But
+ Islamic Jihad spokesman Musab Al-Braim said the loss of its leaders 
+could be absorbed and it controlled ""the human element, the human 
+miracle that can repair capabilities"". The
+ gunmen parading at the Jenin rally in a square off the main street 
+brandished a range of firearms including M-16 rifles and more up-to-date
+ automatic weapons used by Israeli forces, occasionally firing them into
+ the night sky."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/away-gaza-islamic-jihad-digs-against-israel-west-bank-2022-08-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Away from Gaza, Islamic Jihad digs in against Israel on West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JENIN,
+ West Bank, Aug 9 (Reuters) - For the masked gunmen in Jenin refugee 
+camp, Israel's unannounced strike against Islamic Jihad in Gaza on 
+Friday can have come as little surprise after months of clashes that 
+have steadily lifted the profile of the Iran-backed militant group.Firing
+ into the air during a rally late last month to commemorate three young 
+men killed 40 days earlier, they were admonished by a voice from the 
+crowd which called out: ""Save your ammunition for the black days that 
+are coming!""The
+ weekend bombardment of Gaza by Israeli planes and the hundreds of 
+rockets fired towards Israel from Gaza were the biggest cross-border 
+confrontation in more than a year.Israel
+ focused its operation against Islamic Jihad, which it calls an Iranian 
+proxy, while carefully avoiding a direct confrontation with the larger 
+and more powerful Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip.But
+ the conflict followed regular clashes in cities in the occupied West 
+Bank and was set off by the arrest in the town of Jenin of Bassam 
+Al-Saadi, a senior leader of the movement.Formally
+ established in 1981 by Fathi Shiqaqi, a doctor, and other radicals, 
+Islamic Jihad took root in the Palestinian camps that dot Gaza and the 
+nearby West Bank. Over the years, it has carried out a string of suicide
+ bombings and gun attacks against Israelis, as well as rocket fire.For
+ the group, listed as a terrorist organization by the West, the Gaza 
+bombardment imposed a heavy cost, with two senior commanders killed, 
+while Hamas refused to do more than offer limited verbal support.Islamic
+ Jihad, which has tried to create a common front with other militant 
+groups in the refugee camps of the West Bank, has refused any compromise
+ with Israel and refused to take part in Palestinian Authority 
+elections. But the fighting allowed it to strengthen its claim to be at 
+the forefront of the fight against Israel, eight years after 
+U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed.The
+ gunmen at the Jenin rally stood alongside the black flag of Islamic 
+Jihad, the green of Hamas and the yellow of Fatah in a display intended 
+to show the unity of the main factions in Jenin.But
+ with the Palestinian Authority seen by many in the camps as out of 
+touch and compromised by its relationship with Israel, the movement has 
+offered young recruits a radical vision of resistance, unconstrained by 
+the need to govern.That
+ sets it apart even from Hamas, Israel's arch-enemy, whose 
+responsibility for the daily lives of 2.3 million people in Gaza forces 
+it to weigh carefully the risks of another war.CENTRE OF RESISTANCEWhile
+ the weekend's clashes were concentrated in Gaza, arrests of Islamic 
+Jihad leaders in the West Bank have underscored the movement's strength 
+in cities like Jenin and Nablus, suggesting there may be further 
+fighting ahead.On
+ Tuesday, Israeli forces killed Ibrahim al-Nablusi, a senior commander 
+of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and part of the recently formed 
+""Nablus Brigade"", a militant alliance which includes Islamic Jihad. 
+Another gunman was also killed and 40 people were wounded in the 
+shootout.  read more So
+ far this year, at least 400 people from Jenin have been arrested and 30
+ killed by Israeli forces, according to figures from the Palestine 
+Prisoners Society, including some who were carrying out attacks in 
+Israel.""You
+ can't find a collection of militant cells like the ones in Jenin 
+anywhere else,"" said Michael Milshtein, a former official of COGAT, the 
+Israeli military authority that oversees the West Bank. That was 
+problematic for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, he added.Jenin
+ drew world attention in May when Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu 
+Akleh was killed while reporting on an army raid in its crowded refugee 
+camp. But the scruffy northern town has a long tradition of resistance 
+going back to the days of the prewar British mandate before the creation
+ of Israel.Israeli
+ forces fought fierce battles in its warren of back streets during the 
+Second Intifada, two decades ago, demolishing much of the camp. In 
+recent months, clashes have been frequent but precise estimates of the 
+group's strength are rare.The
+ CIA World Handbook said estimates last year ranged from 1,000 to 
+several thousands. An Israeli military spokesman said Israel estimated 
+the overall number of Islamic Jihad operatives at around 10,000.Israeli
+ officials say its Gaza airstrikes have cost the group significant 
+rocket and anti-tank capabilities and undermined its command-and-control
+ structures.But
+ Islamic Jihad spokesman Musab Al-Braim said the loss of its leaders 
+could be absorbed and it controlled ""the human element, the human 
+miracle that can repair capabilities"".The
+ gunmen parading at the Jenin rally in a square off the main street 
+brandished a range of firearms including M-16 rifles and more up-to-date
+ automatic weapons used by Israeli forces, occasionally firing them into
+ the night sky.Small and slightly built beneath their masks and camouflaged combat gear, many appeared to be no more than teenagers.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Small and slightly built beneath their masks and camouflaged combat gear, many appeared to be no more than teenagers.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/first-boxing-club-opens-doors-women-gaza-2023-01-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]First Boxing Club opens doors to women in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - In Gaza's only boxing club for girls, 15-year-old Farah Abu Al-Qomsan is practising her moves, trading jabs and punches with the other girls training with coach Osama Ayoub at the Palestine Boxing Centre.
+Since taking to the sport at the age of nine, Farah has found a release from the daily stresses of life in Gaza, a narrow coastal strip where some 2.3 million Palestinians live blockaded by both Israel and neighbouring Egypt.
+""We used to train in a small garage. Now we train according to the full rules and release bad energy,"" the 15-year-old girl, at the territory's first women-only boxing center.
+
+Six years ago, Ayoub, started with two girls. As more joined, they moved out of the garage and began training on the beach or in rented spaces before moving into the new club building.
+""The girls are ready. I trained them hard for five years,"" said Ayoub. ""We are setting an example.""
+Now around 40 girls train in the centre with its full-size boxing ring, training equipment and posters of boxing heroes such as Mike Tyson on the walls, defying expectations in a region where boxing has traditionally been a sport for men.
+""Some people used to tell me 'Why boxing, what are you going to benefit from it, go and learn something girly',"" Farah said. ""I benefit a lot from boxing and today my ambition is to represent my Palestinian people and take part in world championships.""        [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]First Boxing Club opens doors to women in Gaza[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - In Gaza's only boxing club for girls, 15-year-old Farah Abu Al-Qomsan is practising her moves, trading jabs and punches with the other girls training with coach Osama Ayoub at the Palestine Boxing Centre.  Since taking to the sport at the age of nine, Farah has found a release from the daily stresses of life in Gaza, a narrow coastal strip where some 2.3 million Palestinians live blockaded by both Israel and neighbouring Egypt.
+""We used to train in a small garage. Now we train according to the full rules and release bad energy,"" the 15-year-old girl, at the territory's first women-only boxing center. Six years ago, Ayoub, started with two girls. As more joined, they moved out of the garage and began training on the beach or in rented spaces before moving into the new club building.  ""The girls are ready. I trained them hard for five years,"" said Ayoub. ""We are setting an example. "" Now around 40 girls train in the centre with its full-size boxing ring, training equipment and posters of boxing heroes such as Mike Tyson on the walls, defying expectations in a region where boxing has traditionally been a sport for men.  ""Some people used to tell me 'Why boxing, what are you going to benefit from it, go and learn something girly',"" Farah said. ""I benefit a lot from boxing and today my ambition is to represent my Palestinian people and take part in world championships.""  [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/netanyahu-says-he-discussed-saudi-arabia-with-white-houses-sullivan-2023-01-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Netanyahu says he discussed Saudi Arabia with White House's Sullivan[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Jan 19 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hosting 
+his first senior member of U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on 
+Thursday, said they had discussed prospects for a diplomatic 
+breakthrough between Israel and Saudi Arabia.Visiting
+ White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also heard from the
+ Palestinians that their hopes of achieving statehood - long a Riyadh 
+condition for normalising relations with Israel - were being endangered 
+by Israeli actions.Netanyahu,
+ who regained the top office last month for a sixth term, has pledged to
+ forge Saudi ties that would round out normalisation pacts he signed 
+with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020 dubbed the ""Abraham 
+Accords"".A
+ statement from Netanyahu's office said he and Sullivan discussed Iran 
+as well as ""the next steps to deepen the Abraham Accords and expand the 
+circle of peace, with an emphasis on a breakthrough with Saudi Arabia"".Their
+ discussions were followed by a virtual meeting among Sullivan and his 
+Israeli, Emirati and Bahraini counterparts. They discussed cooperation 
+in areas such as emerging technology, regional security and commerce, 
+according to a joint statement.Israel
+ and Gulf allies share fears over Iran, but Netanyahu's return at the 
+head of a religious-nationalist coalition government has stoked concern of an escalation in the decades-old conflict with the Palestinians.The
+ Israeli-occupied West Bank, among areas where Palestinians seek 
+statehood, has seen a surge in violence since Israel stepped up raids 
+last year in response to a spate of lethal street attacks in its cities.Hosting Sullivan in the West Bank hub city of Ramallah, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged U.S. intervention.""The
+ dangerous situation due to the Israeli escalation ... threatens 
+security and stability and destroys the two-state solution,"" Hussein 
+Al-Sheikh of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation on Twitter 
+quoted Abbas as saying.On
+ Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al 
+Saud urged Israel's new government to engage seriously on resolving the 
+conflict.Sullivan
+ was to stress the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution in the 
+Israel-Palestinian dispute during his visit, White House national 
+security spokesman John Kirby said.U.S.-brokered
+ peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state collapsed in 
+2014. Among stumbling blocks is Gaza, another Palestinian territory, 
+which is under the control of Hamas Islamists who spurn permanent 
+coexistence with Israel.Netanyahu's new government includes partners who oppose Palestinian statehood and want Israel's West Bank settlements expanded.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Netanyahu says he discussed Saudi Arabia with White House's Sullivan[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Jan 19 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hosting 
+his first senior member of U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on 
+Thursday, said they had discussed prospects for a diplomatic 
+breakthrough between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Visiting
+ White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also heard from the
+ Palestinians that their hopes of achieving statehood - long a Riyadh 
+condition for normalising relations with Israel - were being endangered 
+by Israeli actions. Netanyahu,
+ who regained the top office last month for a sixth term, has pledged to
+ forge Saudi ties that would round out normalisation pacts he signed 
+with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020 dubbed the ""Abraham 
+Accords"". A
+ statement from Netanyahu's office said he and Sullivan discussed Iran 
+as well as ""the next steps to deepen the Abraham Accords and expand the 
+circle of peace, with an emphasis on a breakthrough with Saudi Arabia"". Their
+ discussions were followed by a virtual meeting among Sullivan and his 
+Israeli, Emirati and Bahraini counterparts. They discussed cooperation 
+in areas such as emerging technology, regional security and commerce, 
+according to a joint statement. Israel
+ and Gulf allies share fears over Iran, but Netanyahu's return at the 
+head of a religious-nationalist coalition government has stoked concern of an escalation in the decades-old conflict with the Palestinians. The
+ Israeli-occupied West Bank, among areas where Palestinians seek 
+statehood, has seen a surge in violence since Israel stepped up raids 
+last year in response to a spate of lethal street attacks in its cities. Hosting Sullivan in the West Bank hub city of Ramallah, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged U.S. intervention. ""The
+ dangerous situation due to the Israeli escalation ... threatens 
+security and stability and destroys the two-state solution,"" Hussein 
+Al-Sheikh of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation on Twitter 
+quoted Abbas as saying. On
+ Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al 
+Saud urged Israel's new government to engage seriously on resolving the 
+conflict. Sullivan
+ was to stress the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution in the 
+Israel-Palestinian dispute during his visit, White House national 
+security spokesman John Kirby said.U.S.-brokered
+ peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state collapsed in 
+2014. Among stumbling blocks is Gaza, another Palestinian territory, 
+which is under the control of Hamas Islamists who spurn permanent 
+coexistence with Israel. Netanyahu's new government includes partners who oppose Palestinian statehood and want Israel's West Bank settlements expanded.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-frees-one-longest-serving-palestinian-prisoners-after-40-years-2023-01-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel frees one of longest serving Palestinian prisoners after 40 years[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ARA, ISRAEL, Jan 5 (Reuters) - (This Jan. 5 story has been refiled to correct Younis's age and conviction details)One
+ of Israel's longest serving Palestinian prisoners went free on Thursday
+ after completing a 40-year sentence, as members of the new right-wing 
+government called for him to be stripped of his citizenship.Karim
+ Younis, 65, began serving his sentence in 1983 after being convicted of
+ killing Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg, who had been making his way 
+home from his base in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.He served the longest continuous sentence of any Palestinian, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Association.In
+ his hometown, the Israeli Arab village of Ara, Younis received a hero's
+ welcome. Shrouded in a traditional Palestinian shawl, he was greeted by
+ family, friends and supporters chanting and carrying him through the 
+streets on their shoulders.“It
+ was 40 years full of stories, prisoners’ stories and each story is a 
+story of a nation,” Younis said. “I am very proud to be one of those who
+ made sacrifices for Palestine and we were ready to sacrifice more for 
+the sake of the cause of Palestine.”Arabs
+ in Israel account for around a fifth of the population and most are 
+descendants of Palestinians who remained within the newly founded state 
+after its 1948 war of independence.They
+ have long debated their place in Israel's politics, balancing their 
+Palestinian heritage with their Israeli citizenship, with many 
+identifying as or with the Palestinians.Palestinians
+ regard brethren jailed by Israel as heroes in a struggle for statehood 
+in territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel 
+considers those convicted of violence against its citizens to be 
+terrorists.On Tuesday, Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri called for Younis to be stripped of his Israeli citizenship.“Revoking
+ his citizenship will send an important message,” Deri wrote in a letter
+ to Israel’s Attorney General, “when we are speaking about someone who 
+has become a symbol for committing criminal acts of terror.”Some relatives of Israelis killed in Palestinian violence have also voiced support for this kind of measure.“Israeli
+ citizenship is a privilege. An Israeli citizen can’t hold an Israeli ID
+ card with one hand and murder a soldier with another and it can’t be 
+that the murderer will be freed from jail and walk around like anyone 
+else in our state,” Avraham Bromberg’s nephew, who is named after him, 
+told the Israeli Walla news site on Monday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel frees one of longest serving Palestinian prisoners after 40 years[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ARA, ISRAEL, Jan 5 (Reuters) - (This Jan. 5 story has been refiled to correct Younis's age and conviction details)One of Israel's longest serving Palestinian prisoners went free on Thursday
+ after completing a 40-year sentence, as members of the new right-wing 
+government called for him to be stripped of his citizenship. Karim
+ Younis, 65, began serving his sentence in 1983 after being convicted of
+ killing Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg, who had been making his way 
+home from his base in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. He served the longest continuous sentence of any Palestinian, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Association. In
+ his hometown, the Israeli Arab village of Ara, Younis received a hero's
+ welcome. Shrouded in a traditional Palestinian shawl, he was greeted by
+ family, friends and supporters chanting and carrying him through the 
+streets on their shoulders. “It
+ was 40 years full of stories, prisoners’ stories and each story is a 
+story of a nation,” Younis said. “I am very proud to be one of those who
+ made sacrifices for Palestine and we were ready to sacrifice more for 
+the sake of the cause of Palestine. ”Arabs  in Israel account for around a fifth of the population and most are 
+descendants of Palestinians who remained within the newly founded state 
+after its 1948 war of independence. They
+ have long debated their place in Israel's politics, balancing their 
+Palestinian heritage with their Israeli citizenship, with many 
+identifying as or with the Palestinians. Palestinians
+ regard brethren jailed by Israel as heroes in a struggle for statehood 
+in territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel 
+considers those convicted of violence against its citizens to be 
+terrorists. On Tuesday, Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri called for Younis to be stripped of his Israeli citizenship. “Revoking
+ his citizenship will send an important message,” Deri wrote in a letter
+ to Israel’s Attorney General, “when we are speaking about someone who 
+has become a symbol for committing criminal acts of terror. ”Some relatives of Israelis killed in Palestinian violence have also voiced support for this kind of measure. “Israeli
+ citizenship is a privilege. An Israeli citizen can’t hold an Israeli ID
+ card with one hand and murder a soldier with another and it can’t be 
+that the murderer will be freed from jail and walk around like anyone 
+else in our state,” Avraham Bromberg’s nephew, who is named after him, 
+told the Israeli Walla news site on Monday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/new-arab-allies-face-quandary-israel-shifts-hard-right-2023-01-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]New Arab allies face dilemma as Israel shifts hard-right[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/JERUSALEM/DUBAI,
+ Jan 6 (Reuters) - Israel's sharp tilt to what is likely to be the most 
+hard right government in its history puts its new Arab allies in the 
+awkward position of having to deal with ultra-nationalists while trying 
+to do more than just pay lip service to the Palestinian cause.Prime
+ Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, sworn in last week, includes 
+hardcore rightist parties who want to annex occupied West Bank land 
+where Palestinians have long sought to establish an independent state.That
+ poses a dilemma for four Arab states - the United Arab Emirates, 
+Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan - that moved toward normal ties with Israel 
+two years ago and now have to balance this new partnership with historic
+ support for Palestinian aspirations.When
+ the UAE, the Gulf business and investment hub and a rising regional 
+power, became the first Gulf Arab country to strike a deal with Israel 
+in 2020 to establish ties, it hoped that long-standing, combustible 
+issues such as Israeli settlements in occupied territory could be 
+resolved.While
+ Netanyahu has said he will have final say on policy, his government's 
+commitment to expand West Bank settlements and the inclusion of 
+ultra-nationalists in his cabinet militates against any compromise with 
+Palestinians.Security
+ Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is a pistol-packing, ex-member of an outlawed 
+Jewish militant group. He came up through the Kahane Chai organisation, 
+which is blacklisted in Israel and the United States for its virulently 
+anti-Arab doctrines.On
+ Tuesday he infuriated Palestinians and drew a barrage of condemnation 
+by visiting the Al Aqsa mosque compound, a flashpoint site revered by 
+Muslims and Jews that is located in east Jerusalem, captured in 1967 and
+ later annexed by Israel.Another
+ of Netanyahu's coalition partners is Bezalel Smotrich, head of the 
+far-right Religious Zionism party who like Ben-Gvir is a West Bank 
+settler averse to Palestinians' self-rule, let alone their hopes of statehood.""Both
+ the UAE and Bahrain would have certainly not preferred this government 
+as this will certainly test their relations with Israel,"" said Aziz 
+Alghashian, a Saudi analyst specialising in Gulf-Israel relations. ""If 
+there is conflict..., both the UAE and Bahrain would experience pressure
+ to do something.""However,
+ Alghashian said both Gulf powers had invested political capital in the 
+agreements with Israel, known as the Abraham Accords after the ancient 
+patriarch revered by Jews, Muslims and Christians alike, and are 
+unlikely to break ties if serious conflict between Israel and the 
+Palestinians recurs.DISCREET CONTACTSFor
+ the UAE, the diplomatic breakthrough with Israel capped years of 
+discreet contacts in important commerce and technology and may help the 
+Gulf monarchy craft an image as a force for stability in a turbulent 
+Middle East.The UAE did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on this article.Israel
+ and the UAE ratified a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in 
+December, after Netanyahu's election victory. It is expected to be the 
+widest-ranging deal of its kind between Israel and an Arab state.Ties
+ have also been bolstered by shared fears that Iran poses an existential
+ security threat to much of the Middle East, and early signs suggest 
+both countries want to keep the relationship strong.UAE
+ President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan called Netanyahu to 
+congratulate him on his inauguration and voice his hope ""to push forward
+ the path of partnership and peace between the two countries"", the UAE 
+state news agency said.Bahrain
+ said on Friday it was committed to working with Netanyahu's government,
+ describing the veteran Israeli leader as one of the architects of the 
+Abraham Accords and predicting the relationship would ""continue to move 
+from strength to strength"".A
+ Bahrain government spokesman said the accords provided a path to peace 
+""in a manner that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people, with 
+the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east 
+Jerusalem as its capital"".Ben-Gvir
+ indicated that he was interested in developing closer relations, 
+speaking in a videotaped interview given at a hotel reception put on by 
+the UAE embassy in Israel on Dec. 1 – after he signed a coalition pact 
+with Netanyahu.""This
+ is the proof that one can make peace without concessions, without 
+capitulation - but rather, peace, peace, between people who have 
+affection for one another,"" he said in comments published by the 
+conservative Israel Hayom newspaper.BETRAYALPalestinian
+ officials have said they feel betrayed by fellow Arabs for forging 
+relations with Israel without first demanding progress toward the 
+creation of a Palestinian state.In
+ Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Wasel Abu Youssef, a 
+member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, 
+called on Arab states to review relations with Israel.“Arab
+ countries who formed normalisation ties with the state of occupation 
+are required more than ever to revise these agreements,” he told Reuters
+ by phone.“What
+ is required today is to impose a comprehensive siege and isolation 
+against the occupation state and the government of fascist policies and 
+to expose its crimes before the world.""That may be wishful thinking.There
+ appears to be no sign of danger to the Abraham Accords, even though 
+they may not be so popular on the Arab street. But Palestinian options 
+are limited.Netanyahu
+ has pledged to build on the achievement during his previous term of the
+ Abraham Accords that opened the way to a possible normalisation of 
+relations with other Arab countries.He wants to cultivate relations even with Saudi Arabia, the most conservative and cautious Middle East heavyweight.""Peace
+ with Saudi Arabia will serve two purposes,"" he told the private Saudi 
+TV channel Al Arabiya last month. ""It will change our region in ways 
+that are unimaginable. And I think it will facilitate, ultimately, a 
+Palestinian-Israeli peace.""Saudi
+ Arabia is opening up somewhat under its de facto leader Prince Mohammed
+ bin Salman, but has been cool to normalisation with Israel in the 
+absence of progress in the Palestinians' statehood quest.“Normalisation
+ with Israel will not help us at all, on the contrary it will increase 
+the brutality against us, it will cause a war, we will face problems and
+ massacres,"" said Rawan Abu Zeid, 18, a resident of Palestinian 
+Islamist-ruled Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]New Arab allies face dilemma as Israel shifts hard-right[/TITLE ] [CONTENT]GAZA/JERUSALEM/DUBAI,
+ Jan 6 (Reuters) - Israel's sharp tilt to what is likely to be the most 
+hard right government in its history puts its new Arab allies in the 
+awkward position of having to deal with ultra-nationalists while trying 
+to do more than just pay lip service to the Palestinian cause. Prime
+ Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, sworn in last week, includes 
+hardcore rightist parties who want to annex occupied West Bank land 
+where Palestinians have long sought to establish an independent state. That
+ poses a dilemma for four Arab states - the United Arab Emirates, 
+Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan - that moved toward normal ties with Israel 
+two years ago and now have to balance this new partnership with historic
+ support for Palestinian aspirations. When
+ the UAE, the Gulf business and investment hub and a rising regional 
+power, became the first Gulf Arab country to strike a deal with Israel 
+in 2020 to establish ties, it hoped that long-standing, combustible 
+issues such as Israeli settlements in occupied territory could be 
+resolved. While
+ Netanyahu has said he will have final say on policy, his government's 
+commitment to expand West Bank settlements and the inclusion of 
+ultra-nationalists in his cabinet militates against any compromise with 
+Palestinians. Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is a pistol-packing, ex-member of an outlawed 
+Jewish militant group. He came up through the Kahane Chai organisation, 
+which is blacklisted in Israel and the United States for its virulently 
+anti-Arab doctrines. On
+ Tuesday he infuriated Palestinians and drew a barrage of condemnation 
+by visiting the Al Aqsa mosque compound, a flashpoint site revered by 
+Muslims and Jews that is located in east Jerusalem, captured in 1967 and
+ later annexed by Israel. Another
+ of Netanyahu's coalition partners is Bezalel Smotrich, head of the 
+far-right Religious Zionism party who like Ben-Gvir is a West Bank 
+settler averse to Palestinians' self-rule, let alone their hopes of statehood. ""Both
+ the UAE and Bahrain would have certainly not preferred this government 
+as this will certainly test their relations with Israel,"" said Aziz 
+Alghashian, a Saudi analyst specialising in Gulf-Israel relations."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/new-arab-allies-face-quandary-israel-shifts-hard-right-2023-01-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]New Arab allies face dilemma as Israel shifts hard-right[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/JERUSALEM/DUBAI,
+ Jan 6 (Reuters) - Israel's sharp tilt to what is likely to be the most 
+hard right government in its history puts its new Arab allies in the 
+awkward position of having to deal with ultra-nationalists while trying 
+to do more than just pay lip service to the Palestinian cause.Prime
+ Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, sworn in last week, includes 
+hardcore rightist parties who want to annex occupied West Bank land 
+where Palestinians have long sought to establish an independent state.That
+ poses a dilemma for four Arab states - the United Arab Emirates, 
+Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan - that moved toward normal ties with Israel 
+two years ago and now have to balance this new partnership with historic
+ support for Palestinian aspirations.When
+ the UAE, the Gulf business and investment hub and a rising regional 
+power, became the first Gulf Arab country to strike a deal with Israel 
+in 2020 to establish ties, it hoped that long-standing, combustible 
+issues such as Israeli settlements in occupied territory could be 
+resolved.While
+ Netanyahu has said he will have final say on policy, his government's 
+commitment to expand West Bank settlements and the inclusion of 
+ultra-nationalists in his cabinet militates against any compromise with 
+Palestinians.Security
+ Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is a pistol-packing, ex-member of an outlawed 
+Jewish militant group. He came up through the Kahane Chai organisation, 
+which is blacklisted in Israel and the United States for its virulently 
+anti-Arab doctrines.On
+ Tuesday he infuriated Palestinians and drew a barrage of condemnation 
+by visiting the Al Aqsa mosque compound, a flashpoint site revered by 
+Muslims and Jews that is located in east Jerusalem, captured in 1967 and
+ later annexed by Israel.Another
+ of Netanyahu's coalition partners is Bezalel Smotrich, head of the 
+far-right Religious Zionism party who like Ben-Gvir is a West Bank 
+settler averse to Palestinians' self-rule, let alone their hopes of statehood.""Both
+ the UAE and Bahrain would have certainly not preferred this government 
+as this will certainly test their relations with Israel,"" said Aziz 
+Alghashian, a Saudi analyst specialising in Gulf-Israel relations. ""If 
+there is conflict..., both the UAE and Bahrain would experience pressure
+ to do something.""However,
+ Alghashian said both Gulf powers had invested political capital in the 
+agreements with Israel, known as the Abraham Accords after the ancient 
+patriarch revered by Jews, Muslims and Christians alike, and are 
+unlikely to break ties if serious conflict between Israel and the 
+Palestinians recurs.DISCREET CONTACTSFor
+ the UAE, the diplomatic breakthrough with Israel capped years of 
+discreet contacts in important commerce and technology and may help the 
+Gulf monarchy craft an image as a force for stability in a turbulent 
+Middle East.The UAE did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on this article.Israel
+ and the UAE ratified a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in 
+December, after Netanyahu's election victory. It is expected to be the 
+widest-ranging deal of its kind between Israel and an Arab state.Ties
+ have also been bolstered by shared fears that Iran poses an existential
+ security threat to much of the Middle East, and early signs suggest 
+both countries want to keep the relationship strong.UAE
+ President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan called Netanyahu to 
+congratulate him on his inauguration and voice his hope ""to push forward
+ the path of partnership and peace between the two countries"", the UAE 
+state news agency said.Bahrain
+ said on Friday it was committed to working with Netanyahu's government,
+ describing the veteran Israeli leader as one of the architects of the 
+Abraham Accords and predicting the relationship would ""continue to move 
+from strength to strength"".A
+ Bahrain government spokesman said the accords provided a path to peace 
+""in a manner that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people, with 
+the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east 
+Jerusalem as its capital"".Ben-Gvir
+ indicated that he was interested in developing closer relations, 
+speaking in a videotaped interview given at a hotel reception put on by 
+the UAE embassy in Israel on Dec. 1 – after he signed a coalition pact 
+with Netanyahu.""This
+ is the proof that one can make peace without concessions, without 
+capitulation - but rather, peace, peace, between people who have 
+affection for one another,"" he said in comments published by the 
+conservative Israel Hayom newspaper.BETRAYALPalestinian
+ officials have said they feel betrayed by fellow Arabs for forging 
+relations with Israel without first demanding progress toward the 
+creation of a Palestinian state.In
+ Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Wasel Abu Youssef, a 
+member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, 
+called on Arab states to review relations with Israel.“Arab
+ countries who formed normalisation ties with the state of occupation 
+are required more than ever to revise these agreements,” he told Reuters
+ by phone.“What
+ is required today is to impose a comprehensive siege and isolation 
+against the occupation state and the government of fascist policies and 
+to expose its crimes before the world.""That may be wishful thinking.There
+ appears to be no sign of danger to the Abraham Accords, even though 
+they may not be so popular on the Arab street. But Palestinian options 
+are limited.Netanyahu
+ has pledged to build on the achievement during his previous term of the
+ Abraham Accords that opened the way to a possible normalisation of 
+relations with other Arab countries.He wants to cultivate relations even with Saudi Arabia, the most conservative and cautious Middle East heavyweight.""Peace
+ with Saudi Arabia will serve two purposes,"" he told the private Saudi 
+TV channel Al Arabiya last month. ""It will change our region in ways 
+that are unimaginable. And I think it will facilitate, ultimately, a 
+Palestinian-Israeli peace.""Saudi
+ Arabia is opening up somewhat under its de facto leader Prince Mohammed
+ bin Salman, but has been cool to normalisation with Israel in the 
+absence of progress in the Palestinians' statehood quest.“Normalisation
+ with Israel will not help us at all, on the contrary it will increase 
+the brutality against us, it will cause a war, we will face problems and
+ massacres,"" said Rawan Abu Zeid, 18, a resident of Palestinian 
+Islamist-ruled Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""If 
+there is conflict..., both the UAE and Bahrain would experience pressure
+ to do something.""However,
+ Alghashian said both Gulf powers had invested political capital in the 
+agreements with Israel, known as the Abraham Accords after the ancient 
+patriarch revered by Jews, Muslims and Christians alike, and are 
+unlikely to break ties if serious conflict between Israel and the 
+Palestinians recurs. DISCREET CONTACTSFor the UAE, the diplomatic breakthrough with Israel capped years of 
+discreet contacts in important commerce and technology and may help the 
+Gulf monarchy craft an image as a force for stability in a turbulent 
+Middle East. The UAE did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on this article. Israel and the UAE ratified a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in 
+December, after Netanyahu's election victory. It is expected to be the 
+widest-ranging deal of its kind between Israel and an Arab state. Ties
+ have also been bolstered by shared fears that Iran poses an existential
+ security threat to much of the Middle East, and early signs suggest 
+both countries want to keep the relationship strong. UAE
+ President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan called Netanyahu to 
+congratulate him on his inauguration and voice his hope ""to push forward
+ the path of partnership and peace between the two countries"", the UAE 
+state news agency said. Bahrain
+ said on Friday it was committed to working with Netanyahu's government,
+ describing the veteran Israeli leader as one of the architects of the 
+Abraham Accords and predicting the relationship would ""continue to move 
+from strength to strength"". A
+ Bahrain government spokesman said the accords provided a path to peace 
+""in a manner that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people, with 
+the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east 
+Jerusalem as its capital"". Ben-Gvir
+ indicated that he was interested in developing closer relations, 
+speaking in a videotaped interview given at a hotel reception put on by 
+the UAE embassy in Israel on Dec. 1 – after he signed a coalition pact 
+with Netanyahu. ""This
+ is the proof that one can make peace without concessions, without 
+capitulation - but rather, peace, peace, between people who have 
+affection for one another,"" he said in comments published by the 
+conservative Israel Hayom newspaper. BETRAYALPalestinian
+ officials have said they feel betrayed by fellow Arabs for forging 
+relations with Israel without first demanding progress toward the 
+creation of a Palestinian state."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/new-arab-allies-face-quandary-israel-shifts-hard-right-2023-01-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]New Arab allies face dilemma as Israel shifts hard-right[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/JERUSALEM/DUBAI,
+ Jan 6 (Reuters) - Israel's sharp tilt to what is likely to be the most 
+hard right government in its history puts its new Arab allies in the 
+awkward position of having to deal with ultra-nationalists while trying 
+to do more than just pay lip service to the Palestinian cause.Prime
+ Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, sworn in last week, includes 
+hardcore rightist parties who want to annex occupied West Bank land 
+where Palestinians have long sought to establish an independent state.That
+ poses a dilemma for four Arab states - the United Arab Emirates, 
+Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan - that moved toward normal ties with Israel 
+two years ago and now have to balance this new partnership with historic
+ support for Palestinian aspirations.When
+ the UAE, the Gulf business and investment hub and a rising regional 
+power, became the first Gulf Arab country to strike a deal with Israel 
+in 2020 to establish ties, it hoped that long-standing, combustible 
+issues such as Israeli settlements in occupied territory could be 
+resolved.While
+ Netanyahu has said he will have final say on policy, his government's 
+commitment to expand West Bank settlements and the inclusion of 
+ultra-nationalists in his cabinet militates against any compromise with 
+Palestinians.Security
+ Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is a pistol-packing, ex-member of an outlawed 
+Jewish militant group. He came up through the Kahane Chai organisation, 
+which is blacklisted in Israel and the United States for its virulently 
+anti-Arab doctrines.On
+ Tuesday he infuriated Palestinians and drew a barrage of condemnation 
+by visiting the Al Aqsa mosque compound, a flashpoint site revered by 
+Muslims and Jews that is located in east Jerusalem, captured in 1967 and
+ later annexed by Israel.Another
+ of Netanyahu's coalition partners is Bezalel Smotrich, head of the 
+far-right Religious Zionism party who like Ben-Gvir is a West Bank 
+settler averse to Palestinians' self-rule, let alone their hopes of statehood.""Both
+ the UAE and Bahrain would have certainly not preferred this government 
+as this will certainly test their relations with Israel,"" said Aziz 
+Alghashian, a Saudi analyst specialising in Gulf-Israel relations. ""If 
+there is conflict..., both the UAE and Bahrain would experience pressure
+ to do something.""However,
+ Alghashian said both Gulf powers had invested political capital in the 
+agreements with Israel, known as the Abraham Accords after the ancient 
+patriarch revered by Jews, Muslims and Christians alike, and are 
+unlikely to break ties if serious conflict between Israel and the 
+Palestinians recurs.DISCREET CONTACTSFor
+ the UAE, the diplomatic breakthrough with Israel capped years of 
+discreet contacts in important commerce and technology and may help the 
+Gulf monarchy craft an image as a force for stability in a turbulent 
+Middle East.The UAE did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on this article.Israel
+ and the UAE ratified a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in 
+December, after Netanyahu's election victory. It is expected to be the 
+widest-ranging deal of its kind between Israel and an Arab state.Ties
+ have also been bolstered by shared fears that Iran poses an existential
+ security threat to much of the Middle East, and early signs suggest 
+both countries want to keep the relationship strong.UAE
+ President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan called Netanyahu to 
+congratulate him on his inauguration and voice his hope ""to push forward
+ the path of partnership and peace between the two countries"", the UAE 
+state news agency said.Bahrain
+ said on Friday it was committed to working with Netanyahu's government,
+ describing the veteran Israeli leader as one of the architects of the 
+Abraham Accords and predicting the relationship would ""continue to move 
+from strength to strength"".A
+ Bahrain government spokesman said the accords provided a path to peace 
+""in a manner that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people, with 
+the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east 
+Jerusalem as its capital"".Ben-Gvir
+ indicated that he was interested in developing closer relations, 
+speaking in a videotaped interview given at a hotel reception put on by 
+the UAE embassy in Israel on Dec. 1 – after he signed a coalition pact 
+with Netanyahu.""This
+ is the proof that one can make peace without concessions, without 
+capitulation - but rather, peace, peace, between people who have 
+affection for one another,"" he said in comments published by the 
+conservative Israel Hayom newspaper.BETRAYALPalestinian
+ officials have said they feel betrayed by fellow Arabs for forging 
+relations with Israel without first demanding progress toward the 
+creation of a Palestinian state.In
+ Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Wasel Abu Youssef, a 
+member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, 
+called on Arab states to review relations with Israel.“Arab
+ countries who formed normalisation ties with the state of occupation 
+are required more than ever to revise these agreements,” he told Reuters
+ by phone.“What
+ is required today is to impose a comprehensive siege and isolation 
+against the occupation state and the government of fascist policies and 
+to expose its crimes before the world.""That may be wishful thinking.There
+ appears to be no sign of danger to the Abraham Accords, even though 
+they may not be so popular on the Arab street. But Palestinian options 
+are limited.Netanyahu
+ has pledged to build on the achievement during his previous term of the
+ Abraham Accords that opened the way to a possible normalisation of 
+relations with other Arab countries.He wants to cultivate relations even with Saudi Arabia, the most conservative and cautious Middle East heavyweight.""Peace
+ with Saudi Arabia will serve two purposes,"" he told the private Saudi 
+TV channel Al Arabiya last month. ""It will change our region in ways 
+that are unimaginable. And I think it will facilitate, ultimately, a 
+Palestinian-Israeli peace.""Saudi
+ Arabia is opening up somewhat under its de facto leader Prince Mohammed
+ bin Salman, but has been cool to normalisation with Israel in the 
+absence of progress in the Palestinians' statehood quest.“Normalisation
+ with Israel will not help us at all, on the contrary it will increase 
+the brutality against us, it will cause a war, we will face problems and
+ massacres,"" said Rawan Abu Zeid, 18, a resident of Palestinian 
+Islamist-ruled Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In
+ Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Wasel Abu Youssef, a 
+member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, 
+called on Arab states to review relations with Israel. “Arab
+ countries who formed normalisation ties with the state of occupation 
+are required more than ever to revise these agreements,” he told Reuters
+ by phone. “What
+ is required today is to impose a comprehensive siege and isolation 
+against the occupation state and the government of fascist policies and 
+to expose its crimes before the world. ""That may be wishful thinking. There appears to be no sign of danger to the Abraham Accords, even though 
+they may not be so popular on the Arab street. But Palestinian options 
+are limited. Netanyahu
+ has pledged to build on the achievement during his previous term of the
+ Abraham Accords that opened the way to a possible normalisation of 
+relations with other Arab countries. He wants to cultivate relations even with Saudi Arabia, the most conservative and cautious Middle East heavyweight. ""Peace
+ with Saudi Arabia will serve two purposes,"" he told the private Saudi 
+TV channel Al Arabiya last month. ""It will change our region in ways 
+that are unimaginable. And I think it will facilitate, ultimately, a 
+Palestinian-Israeli peace. ""Saudi
+ Arabia is opening up somewhat under its de facto leader Prince Mohammed
+ bin Salman, but has been cool to normalisation with Israel in the 
+absence of progress in the Palestinians' statehood quest. “Normalisation
+ with Israel will not help us at all, on the contrary it will increase 
+the brutality against us, it will cause a war, we will face problems and
+ massacres,"" said Rawan Abu Zeid, 18, a resident of Palestinian 
+Islamist-ruled Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/chile-open-embassy-palestinian-territories-says-president-2022-12-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Chile to open embassy in Palestinian territories, says president[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SANTIAGO,
+ Dec 22 (Reuters) - Chile plans to open an embassy in the Palestinian 
+territories, President Gabriel Boric said late on Wednesday, which could
+ make the Andean country one of only a handful to have an embassy-level 
+office in the territories that are contested with Israel.Chilean
+ Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola confirmed the plan on Thursday but 
+said there was no timeline in place yet and that Chile continues to 
+recognize both Palestine and Israel as legitimate states.Leftist
+ Boric, who has repeatedly expressed support for the Palestinian 
+people's demand for an independent state, made the comments at a private
+ ceremony in Santiago hosted by the city's important Palestinian 
+diaspora.""I
+ am taking a risk (saying) this... we are going to raise our official 
+representation in Palestine from having a charge d'affaires; now we are 
+going to open an embassy,"" Boric said, without giving details on where 
+the embassy would be located.A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Chile said it would not be making a public statement on the matter.The
+ Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to
+ a request for comment sent outside of business hours.The
+ Palestinian territories, which Palestinians want recognized as a state,
+ encompass the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and contest control over East 
+Jerusalem. Israel captured those areas in a 1967 Middle East war and 
+there have been regular clashes since.The
+ West Bank has experienced some of the worst levels of violence in more 
+than a decade this year, much of it concentrated around Nablus and the 
+nearby city of Jenin, with at least 150 Palestinians and more than 20 
+Israelis killed.Israeli forces killed
+ a Palestinian combatant in clashes near a flashpoint site on Thursday, 
+underlining the continuing violence in the occupied West Bank that will 
+confront Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's incoming 
+government.Netanyahu has secured a coalition
+ with religious and ultranationalist partners who oppose Palestinian 
+statehood and want to extend Jewish settlements in the West Bank.Chile's
+ Boric said the embassy was meant to give Palestinians the 
+representation they deserve and to demand that ""international law be 
+respected.""In September, Boric postponed
+ receiving the credentials of Israel's new ambassador to Chile after 
+Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager. Israel criticized the 
+decision, saying it ""seriously"" harmed bilateral ties.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Chile to open embassy in Palestinian territories, says president[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SANTIAGO,
+ Dec 22 (Reuters) - Chile plans to open an embassy in the Palestinian 
+territories, President Gabriel Boric said late on Wednesday, which could
+ make the Andean country one of only a handful to have an embassy-level 
+office in the territories that are contested with Israel. Chilean
+ Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola confirmed the plan on Thursday but 
+said there was no timeline in place yet and that Chile continues to 
+recognize both Palestine and Israel as legitimate states. Leftist Boric, who has repeatedly expressed support for the Palestinian 
+people's demand for an independent state, made the comments at a private
+ ceremony in Santiago hosted by the city's important Palestinian 
+diaspora. ""I
+ am taking a risk (saying) this... we are going to raise our official 
+representation in Palestine from having a charge d'affaires; now we are 
+going to open an embassy,"" Boric said, without giving details on where 
+the embassy would be located. A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Chile said it would not be making a public statement on the matter. The
+ Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to
+ a request for comment sent outside of business hours. The
+ Palestinian territories, which Palestinians want recognized as a state,
+ encompass the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and contest control over East 
+Jerusalem. Israel captured those areas in a 1967 Middle East war and 
+there have been regular clashes since. The
+ West Bank has experienced some of the worst levels of violence in more 
+than a decade this year, much of it concentrated around Nablus and the 
+nearby city of Jenin, with at least 150 Palestinians and more than 20 
+Israelis killed. Israeli forces killed
+ a Palestinian combatant in clashes near a flashpoint site on Thursday, 
+underlining the continuing violence in the occupied West Bank that will 
+confront Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's incoming 
+government. Netanyahu has secured a coalition
+ with religious and ultranationalist partners who oppose Palestinian 
+statehood and want to extend Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Chile's
+ Boric said the embassy was meant to give Palestinians the 
+representation they deserve and to demand that ""international law be 
+respected.""In September, Boric postponed
+ receiving the credentials of Israel's new ambassador to Chile after 
+Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager. Israel criticized the 
+decision, saying it ""seriously"" harmed bilateral ties.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jerusalem-chef-gives-tourists-palestinian-taste-life-old-city-2022-12-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jerusalem chef gives tourists a Palestinian taste of life in the Old City[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+JERUSALEM, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Palestinian chef Izzeldin Bukhari begins the tours he offers to the Old City of Jerusalem with breakfast at Abu Shukri's hummus restaurant which he says serves the perfect balance of chickpeas, tahina and lemon juice.
+""Palestinian cuisine really utilizes what the land has to offer,"" Bukhari says, explaining that these heavily plant-based recipes are deeply rooted in a connection to the local produce.
+Bukhari, descended from Sufi mystics who walked to Jerusalem from Bukhara in Uzbekistan 400 years ago, takes guests down the narrow streets of the Old City, to food stalls and restaurants, telling stories of recipes dating back thousands of years.
+For Palestinians living in the complex and often tense political environment of East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City and its holy sites of three major religions, food is a major part of their cultural identity. The stories behind it open up ways to talk about the wider culture.
+Bukhari explains that kras beid, a quiche-like dish but with a pizza-style crust, is not just a food but also a social activity which brings people together in the evenings. Even the humble plate of hummus served for breakfast has found itself at the centre of heated debates about whether it is a Jewish or Palestinian dish.
+
+""It gives me a way to talk about Palestine and the culture of Palestine through the food,"" said Bukhari.
+The overwhelming majority of East Jerusalem's more than 340,000 Palestinians hold Israeli residency permits but few have citizenship in Israel, which considers the entire holy city as its eternal, undivided capital.
+The Palestinians have long sought the city's east, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognised internationally, as the capital of a future state.
+Friction between Israel and Palestinians can sporadically arise, especially around the Al-Aqsa mosque, one of the Middle East's most volatile holy sites.
+A lesson on food becomes a lesson about a city which has changed hands, like recipes, over generations. In a spice shop, Bukhari explains that rice was once concsidered a rare delicacy and used sparsely or as a garnish served on other grains, while Palestinians mostly cook with other grains, such as Freekeh, wheat picked when it is young and then fire roasted.
+""In our area politics is a big part of the talk of the day, so to have something different which is focusing on the culture, I found it to be unique and people enjoy it as well,"" said Bukhari.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Jerusalem chef gives tourists a Palestinian taste of life in the Old City[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+JERUSALEM, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Palestinian chef Izzeldin Bukhari begins the tours he offers to the Old City of Jerusalem with breakfast at Abu Shukri's hummus restaurant which he says serves the perfect balance of chickpeas, tahina and lemon juice. ""Palestinian cuisine really utilizes what the land has to offer,"" Bukhari says, explaining that these heavily plant-based recipes are deeply rooted in a connection to the local produce.  Bukhari, descended from Sufi mystics who walked to Jerusalem from Bukhara in Uzbekistan 400 years ago, takes guests down the narrow streets of the Old City, to food stalls and restaurants, telling stories of recipes dating back thousands of years.
+For Palestinians living in the complex and often tense political environment of East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City and its holy sites of three major religions, food is a major part of their cultural identity. The stories behind it open up ways to talk about the wider culture.  Bukhari explains that kras beid, a quiche-like dish but with a pizza-style crust, is not just a food but also a social activity which brings people together in the evenings. Even the humble plate of hummus served for breakfast has found itself at the centre of heated debates about whether it is a Jewish or Palestinian dish. ""It gives me a way to talk about Palestine and the culture of Palestine through the food,"" said Bukhari.  The overwhelming majority of East Jerusalem's more than 340,000 Palestinians hold Israeli residency permits but few have citizenship in Israel, which considers the entire holy city as its eternal, undivided capital. The Palestinians have long sought the city's east, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognised internationally, as the capital of a future state. Friction between Israel and Palestinians can sporadically arise, especially around the Al-Aqsa mosque, one of the Middle East's most volatile holy sites.  A lesson on food becomes a lesson about a city which has changed hands, like recipes, over generations. In a spice shop, Bukhari explains that rice was once concsidered a rare delicacy and used sparsely or as a garnish served on other grains, while Palestinians mostly cook with other grains, such as Freekeh, wheat picked when it is young and then fire roasted.  ""In our area politics is a big part of the talk of the day, so to have something different which is focusing on the culture, I found it to be unique and people enjoy it as well,"" said Bukhari.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/senior-palestinian-militant-dies-cancer-israeli-jail-2022-12-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Senior Palestinian militant jailed by Israel dies of cancer[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH/GAZA,
+ Dec 20 (Reuters) - A senior Palestinian militant jailed for life by 
+Israel, and who was cited by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a 
+speech to the United Nations, died of cancer on Tuesday, authorities 
+said.Nasser
+ Abu Hmaid, co-founder of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of
+ Abbas's Fatah movement, had been convicted of killing seven Israelis 
+and planning other attacks. The Brigades is deemed a terrorist group in 
+Israel and the West.He was serving multiple life sentences and had been in prison since 2002.In
+ Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, armed members of Abbas's 
+Fatah faction rallied in the streets, some firing rifles into the air 
+before they announced the formation of a new armed group called ""The 
+Masked Lion"", a nom de guerre of Hmaid.Abbas
+ accused Israel of neglecting Abu Hmaid's medical needs and held it 
+responsible for his death, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA 
+said. Israel's Prisons Service said Abu Hmaid, 50, had received ""close 
+and continuous treatment"" for his lung cancer.After
+ Abu Hmaid's health condition deteriorated, the Prisons Service moved 
+him to a hospital outside the jail and let his family visit him briefly 
+on Monday, in the presence of guards, his mother told Voice of Palestine
+ radio.""Thank
+ God, I and his brothers were able to see him and pay him farewell,"" she
+ said, adding that she hoped his body would be released for burial.In
+ his speech to the U.N. General Assembly in September, Abbas said 
+Palestinians were telling ""the heroic prisoner Nasser Abu Hmaid and his 
+companions that dawn is coming, and it is time for their chains to be 
+broken"".Ismail
+ Haniyeh, the political chief of the rival Islamist Hamas group, mourned
+ Hmaid's death in a statement as ""a crime that will not go unpunished.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Senior Palestinian militant jailed by Israel dies of cancer[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH/GAZA,
+ Dec 20 (Reuters) - A senior Palestinian militant jailed for life by 
+Israel, and who was cited by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a 
+speech to the United Nations, died of cancer on Tuesday, authorities 
+said. Nasser
+ Abu Hmaid, co-founder of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of
+ Abbas's Fatah movement, had been convicted of killing seven Israelis 
+and planning other attacks. The Brigades is deemed a terrorist group in 
+Israel and the West. He was serving multiple life sentences and had been in prison since 2002.In
+ Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, armed members of Abbas's 
+Fatah faction rallied in the streets, some firing rifles into the air 
+before they announced the formation of a new armed group called ""The 
+Masked Lion"", a nom de guerre of Hmaid. Abbas
+ accused Israel of neglecting Abu Hmaid's medical needs and held it 
+responsible for his death, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA 
+said. Israel's Prisons Service said Abu Hmaid, 50, had received ""close 
+and continuous treatment"" for his lung cancer. After
+ Abu Hmaid's health condition deteriorated, the Prisons Service moved 
+him to a hospital outside the jail and let his family visit him briefly 
+on Monday, in the presence of guards, his mother told Voice of Palestine
+ radio. ""Thank
+ God, I and his brothers were able to see him and pay him farewell,"" she
+ said, adding that she hoped his body would be released for burial. In
+ his speech to the U.N. General Assembly in September, Abbas said 
+Palestinians were telling ""the heroic prisoner Nasser Abu Hmaid and his 
+companions that dawn is coming, and it is time for their chains to be 
+broken"". Ismail
+ Haniyeh, the political chief of the rival Islamist Hamas group, mourned
+ Hmaid's death in a statement as ""a crime that will not go unpunished.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-deports-palestinian-french-lawyer-after-accusing-him-security-offences-2022-12-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel deports Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri to France over security[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Dec 18 (Reuters) - Israel deported French-Palestinian human rights 
+lawyer Salah Hamouri to France on Sunday, accusing him of security 
+offences, the Israeli interior ministry said in a statement.Hamouri,
+ 37, a lifelong Jerusalem resident, was escorted to the airport where he
+ boarded an early morning flight to France with his supporters saying 
+there was no legal recourse for him to take.Israel
+ revoked Hamouri's residency on Dec. 1 on charges that he was active in 
+the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, classified by Israel 
+and its Western allies as a terror group.He
+ was previously convicted by Israel of attempting to assassinate 
+Sephardi rabbi Ovadia Yossef, the founder of the ultra-Orthodox Shas 
+party, but he has always maintained his innocence.""During
+ his life he organized, inspired and planned to commit terror attacks on
+ his own and for the organization against citizens and well-known 
+Israelis,"" a statement from the interior ministry said.Hamouri's supporters said the deportation constituted a breach of international law.""Wherever
+ a Palestinian goes, he takes with him these principles and the cause of
+ his people: his homeland carried with him to wherever he ends up,"" 
+Hamouri said in a statement.Hamouri, who was most recently detained by Israel under administrative detention without charge on March 7 until Dec. 1.Hamouri
+ was one of 1,027 prisoners Israel freed in 2011 in exchange for soldier
+ Gilad Shalit, who was held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for more 
+than five years.Hamouri holds citizenship of France through his mother.France's
+ foreign ministry denounced his deportation and said that the French 
+government had actively sought to defend his rights and has been in 
+contact with Israeli authorities multiple times.""We
+ condemn the Israeli authorities' decision against the law to deport 
+Salah Hamouri to France,"" the ministry said in a statement.The
+ overwhelming majority of East Jerusalem's more than 340,000 
+Palestinians hold Israeli residency permits but few have citizenship in 
+Israel, which considers the entire holy city as its eternal, undivided 
+capital. The Palestinians have long sought the city's east, which Israel
+ captured in a 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognised 
+internationally, as the capital of a future state.Jessica
+ Montell, executive director of HaMoked, an NGO which represents 
+Hamouri, told Reuters that Hamouri's case sets a precedent for the 
+deportation of Jerusalemites who hold alternative citizenship.""Because
+ he holds a second nationality, that makes him more vulnerable to 
+deportation,"" said Montell, adding that she expects similar cases will 
+emerge more frequently with a new right-wing coalition expected to form 
+Israel's next government.Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, called the deportation unlawful.“He
+ didn’t commit any crime to be deported from his homeland and be 
+expelled into another country, where he had stayed for a short period 
+even if he holds the nationality of that country,” Majdalani told 
+Reuters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel deports Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri to France over security[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Dec 18 (Reuters) - Israel deported French-Palestinian human rights 
+lawyer Salah Hamouri to France on Sunday, accusing him of security 
+offences, the Israeli interior ministry said in a statement. Hamouri,
+ 37, a lifelong Jerusalem resident, was escorted to the airport where he
+ boarded an early morning flight to France with his supporters saying 
+there was no legal recourse for him to take. Israel
+ revoked Hamouri's residency on Dec. 1 on charges that he was active in 
+the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, classified by Israel 
+and its Western allies as a terror group. He
+ was previously convicted by Israel of attempting to assassinate 
+Sephardi rabbi Ovadia Yossef, the founder of the ultra-Orthodox Shas 
+party, but he has always maintained his innocence. ""During
+ his life he organized, inspired and planned to commit terror attacks on
+ his own and for the organization against citizens and well-known 
+Israelis,"" a statement from the interior ministry said. Hamouri's supporters said the deportation constituted a breach of international law. ""Wherever
+ a Palestinian goes, he takes with him these principles and the cause of
+ his people: his homeland carried with him to wherever he ends up,"" 
+Hamouri said in a statement. Hamouri, who was most recently detained by Israel under administrative detention without charge on March 7 until Dec. 1.Hamouri  was one of 1,027 prisoners Israel freed in 2011 in exchange for soldier
+ Gilad Shalit, who was held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for more 
+than five years. Hamouri holds citizenship of France through his mother. France's foreign ministry denounced his deportation and said that the French 
+government had actively sought to defend his rights and has been in 
+contact with Israeli authorities multiple times. ""We
+ condemn the Israeli authorities' decision against the law to deport 
+Salah Hamouri to France,"" the ministry said in a statement. The
+ overwhelming majority of East Jerusalem's more than 340,000 
+Palestinians hold Israeli residency permits but few have citizenship in 
+Israel, which considers the entire holy city as its eternal, undivided 
+capital. The Palestinians have long sought the city's east, which Israel
+ captured in a 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognised 
+internationally, as the capital of a future state. Jessica
+ Montell, executive director of HaMoked, an NGO which represents 
+Hamouri, told Reuters that Hamouri's case sets a precedent for the 
+deportation of Jerusalemites who hold alternative citizenship."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-deports-palestinian-french-lawyer-after-accusing-him-security-offences-2022-12-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel deports Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri to France over security[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Dec 18 (Reuters) - Israel deported French-Palestinian human rights 
+lawyer Salah Hamouri to France on Sunday, accusing him of security 
+offences, the Israeli interior ministry said in a statement.Hamouri,
+ 37, a lifelong Jerusalem resident, was escorted to the airport where he
+ boarded an early morning flight to France with his supporters saying 
+there was no legal recourse for him to take.Israel
+ revoked Hamouri's residency on Dec. 1 on charges that he was active in 
+the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, classified by Israel 
+and its Western allies as a terror group.He
+ was previously convicted by Israel of attempting to assassinate 
+Sephardi rabbi Ovadia Yossef, the founder of the ultra-Orthodox Shas 
+party, but he has always maintained his innocence.""During
+ his life he organized, inspired and planned to commit terror attacks on
+ his own and for the organization against citizens and well-known 
+Israelis,"" a statement from the interior ministry said.Hamouri's supporters said the deportation constituted a breach of international law.""Wherever
+ a Palestinian goes, he takes with him these principles and the cause of
+ his people: his homeland carried with him to wherever he ends up,"" 
+Hamouri said in a statement.Hamouri, who was most recently detained by Israel under administrative detention without charge on March 7 until Dec. 1.Hamouri
+ was one of 1,027 prisoners Israel freed in 2011 in exchange for soldier
+ Gilad Shalit, who was held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for more 
+than five years.Hamouri holds citizenship of France through his mother.France's
+ foreign ministry denounced his deportation and said that the French 
+government had actively sought to defend his rights and has been in 
+contact with Israeli authorities multiple times.""We
+ condemn the Israeli authorities' decision against the law to deport 
+Salah Hamouri to France,"" the ministry said in a statement.The
+ overwhelming majority of East Jerusalem's more than 340,000 
+Palestinians hold Israeli residency permits but few have citizenship in 
+Israel, which considers the entire holy city as its eternal, undivided 
+capital. The Palestinians have long sought the city's east, which Israel
+ captured in a 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognised 
+internationally, as the capital of a future state.Jessica
+ Montell, executive director of HaMoked, an NGO which represents 
+Hamouri, told Reuters that Hamouri's case sets a precedent for the 
+deportation of Jerusalemites who hold alternative citizenship.""Because
+ he holds a second nationality, that makes him more vulnerable to 
+deportation,"" said Montell, adding that she expects similar cases will 
+emerge more frequently with a new right-wing coalition expected to form 
+Israel's next government.Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, called the deportation unlawful.“He
+ didn’t commit any crime to be deported from his homeland and be 
+expelled into another country, where he had stayed for a short period 
+even if he holds the nationality of that country,” Majdalani told 
+Reuters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""Because
+ he holds a second nationality, that makes him more vulnerable to 
+deportation,"" said Montell, adding that she expects similar cases will 
+emerge more frequently with a new right-wing coalition expected to form 
+Israel's next government. Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, called the deportation unlawful. “He
+ didn’t commit any crime to be deported from his homeland and be 
+expelled into another country, where he had stayed for a short period 
+even if he holds the nationality of that country,” Majdalani told 
+Reuters.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/soccer-world-cup-fans-see-double-standard-stadium-politics-ban-2022-12-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Soccer World Cup fans see double standard in stadium politics ban[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA Dec 3 (Reuters) - When is it and is not it acceptable to display a political banner at the World Cup in Qatar? The answer seems to depend largely on the political message, with fans criticising what they see as inconsistent enforcement of FIFA rules by the host country.
+The first World Cup in the Middle East has been anything but insulated from the troubles of the volatile region, set against a backdrop of anti-government protests in Iran and an upsurge in Israeli-Palestinian violence.
+But while airing pro-Palestinian sympathies has been allowed - people were even handing out ""Free Palestine"" T-shirts ahead of Argentina's match with Poland on Wednesday - security forces have clamped down on fans seeking to show support for protesters in Iran, who have been demanding an end to clerical rule there.
+The contrast was laid bare this week outside the Al Thumama stadium. On Thursday, security ushered through hundreds of fans draped in flags, hats and scarves showing support for Palestine ahead of the Morocco v Canada match.
+Two nights earlier, security at the same stadium confiscated items showing support for Iranian protesters, forcing fans to remove T-shirts and some flags ahead of Iran's crunch match against the United States.
+As crowds dissipated after Iran's 1-0 defeat, Reuters journalists saw guards chase men in activist shirts through the stadium precinct, tackling one to the ground as he screamed the cry of Iran's anti-government protesters: ""Woman Life Freedom"".
+Ahead of the match, FIFA's Human Rights department sent an email to fans who complained about treatment at earlier Iran matches, clarifying that 'Women.Life.Freedom' or the name or portrait of Mahsa Amini - the woman whose death in Iranian police custody sparked the unrest - are allowed in stadiums.
+Reuters saw the text of the email.
+Qatar's World Cup organisers said that ""security authorities stepped in to deescalate tension and restore calm."" Qatar's government media office did not respond to a request for comment.
+""A REAL PROBLEM""
+While fans see a double standard, analysts say the approach reflects the political priorities of Qatar, a conservative Muslim country with an authoritarian government that has long walked a diplomatic tightrope.
+Its policies have included building good ties with Iran while hosting the region's largest U.S. military base, and hosting the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas while previously having some trade relations with Israel and allowing Israelis to fly direct to Doha for the World Cup - a first.
+
+For fans, inconsistent enforcement of rules had been ""a real problem"", said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters of Europe. ""What we see in the end is that FIFA has lost control of its own tournament.""
+He said there had been ""staggering"" inconsistency over Iranian slogans, saying fans had worn T-shirts declaring support for the protests at some games while getting into trouble for wearing them at Iran's matches.
+He saw similar inconsistency when it came to shows of support for LGBT+ rights, for which Qatar has faced heavy criticism because of its ban on homosexuality.
+While rainbow flags are in theory allowed, ""in practice we see that this is very different"", he said. ""This inconsistency...is putting fans at risk,"" he said.
+A FIFA Qatar World Cup stadium code of conduct prohibits banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia of a ""political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature"".
+A FIFA spokesperson said it was ""aware of some incidents where permitted items were not allowed to be displayed at stadiums"", and continued to work closely with Qatar to ensure full implementation of regulations.
+Iranian-American Saeed Kamalinia said he wore a T-shirt declaring ""Women Life Freedom"" to six games but concealed it on his way through security for two of Iran's matches and decided against wearing it to the United States game, fearing a crackdown.
+By contrast, symbols of support for the Palestinians have been widely seen. ""I felt welcomed by the Qatari people and by all present here ... people greet us with ‘Palestine Palestine',"" said Palestinian fan Saeed Khalil.
+Maryam Alhajri, a Qatari member of Qatar Youth Against Normalization, a vocal group opposed to Arab normalisation with Israel, said pro-Palestinian sympathies showed ""that Palestine remains the primary Arab cause"".
+Arab states including the United Arab Emirates and Morocco - cheered by many Arab fans for making it to the last 16 - normalized ties with Israel in 2020.
+For Qatar, allowing shows of support for the Palestinians was part of a ""hedging strategy"", said Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University Qatar.
+Qatar was ""allowing the population to vent their anger and demonstrate their support symbolically for Palestine, while at the same time the government is laying the groundwork for improving relations if not fully normalizing them"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Soccer World Cup fans see double standard in stadium politics ban[/TITLE] [CONTENT]DOHA Dec 3 (Reuters) - When is it and is not it acceptable to display a political banner at the World Cup in Qatar? The answer seems to depend largely on the political message, with fans criticising what they see as inconsistent enforcement of FIFA rules by the host country. The first World Cup in the Middle East has been anything but insulated from the troubles of the volatile region, set against a backdrop of anti-government protests in Iran and an upsurge in Israeli-Palestinian violence. But while airing pro-Palestinian sympathies has been allowed - people were even handing out ""Free Palestine"" T-shirts ahead of Argentina's match with Poland on Wednesday - security forces have clamped down on fans seeking to show support for protesters in Iran, who have been demanding an end to clerical rule there. The contrast was laid bare this week outside the Al Thumama stadium. On Thursday, security ushered through hundreds of fans draped in flags, hats and scarves showing support for Palestine ahead of the Morocco v Canada match. Two nights earlier, security at the same stadium confiscated items showing support for Iranian protesters, forcing fans to remove T-shirts and some flags ahead of Iran's crunch match against the United States. As crowds dissipated after Iran's 1-0 defeat, Reuters journalists saw guards chase men in activist shirts through the stadium precinct, tackling one to the ground as he screamed the cry of Iran's anti-government protesters: ""Woman Life Freedom"".
+Ahead of the match, FIFA's Human Rights department sent an email to fans who complained about treatment at earlier Iran matches, clarifying that 'Women.Life.Freedom' or the name or portrait of Mahsa Amini - the woman whose death in Iranian police custody sparked the unrest - are allowed in stadiums. Reuters saw the text of the email. Qatar's World Cup organisers said that ""security authorities stepped in to deescalate tension and restore calm."" Qatar's government media office did not respond to a request for comment. ""A REAL PROBLEM"" While fans see a double standard, analysts say the approach reflects the political priorities of Qatar, a conservative Muslim country with an authoritarian government that has long walked a diplomatic tightrope. Its policies have included building good ties with Iran while hosting the region's largest U.S. military base, and hosting the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas while previously having some trade relations with Israel and allowing Israelis to fly direct to Doha for the World Cup - a first."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/soccer-world-cup-fans-see-double-standard-stadium-politics-ban-2022-12-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Soccer World Cup fans see double standard in stadium politics ban[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA Dec 3 (Reuters) - When is it and is not it acceptable to display a political banner at the World Cup in Qatar? The answer seems to depend largely on the political message, with fans criticising what they see as inconsistent enforcement of FIFA rules by the host country.
+The first World Cup in the Middle East has been anything but insulated from the troubles of the volatile region, set against a backdrop of anti-government protests in Iran and an upsurge in Israeli-Palestinian violence.
+But while airing pro-Palestinian sympathies has been allowed - people were even handing out ""Free Palestine"" T-shirts ahead of Argentina's match with Poland on Wednesday - security forces have clamped down on fans seeking to show support for protesters in Iran, who have been demanding an end to clerical rule there.
+The contrast was laid bare this week outside the Al Thumama stadium. On Thursday, security ushered through hundreds of fans draped in flags, hats and scarves showing support for Palestine ahead of the Morocco v Canada match.
+Two nights earlier, security at the same stadium confiscated items showing support for Iranian protesters, forcing fans to remove T-shirts and some flags ahead of Iran's crunch match against the United States.
+As crowds dissipated after Iran's 1-0 defeat, Reuters journalists saw guards chase men in activist shirts through the stadium precinct, tackling one to the ground as he screamed the cry of Iran's anti-government protesters: ""Woman Life Freedom"".
+Ahead of the match, FIFA's Human Rights department sent an email to fans who complained about treatment at earlier Iran matches, clarifying that 'Women.Life.Freedom' or the name or portrait of Mahsa Amini - the woman whose death in Iranian police custody sparked the unrest - are allowed in stadiums.
+Reuters saw the text of the email.
+Qatar's World Cup organisers said that ""security authorities stepped in to deescalate tension and restore calm."" Qatar's government media office did not respond to a request for comment.
+""A REAL PROBLEM""
+While fans see a double standard, analysts say the approach reflects the political priorities of Qatar, a conservative Muslim country with an authoritarian government that has long walked a diplomatic tightrope.
+Its policies have included building good ties with Iran while hosting the region's largest U.S. military base, and hosting the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas while previously having some trade relations with Israel and allowing Israelis to fly direct to Doha for the World Cup - a first.
+
+For fans, inconsistent enforcement of rules had been ""a real problem"", said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters of Europe. ""What we see in the end is that FIFA has lost control of its own tournament.""
+He said there had been ""staggering"" inconsistency over Iranian slogans, saying fans had worn T-shirts declaring support for the protests at some games while getting into trouble for wearing them at Iran's matches.
+He saw similar inconsistency when it came to shows of support for LGBT+ rights, for which Qatar has faced heavy criticism because of its ban on homosexuality.
+While rainbow flags are in theory allowed, ""in practice we see that this is very different"", he said. ""This inconsistency...is putting fans at risk,"" he said.
+A FIFA Qatar World Cup stadium code of conduct prohibits banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia of a ""political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature"".
+A FIFA spokesperson said it was ""aware of some incidents where permitted items were not allowed to be displayed at stadiums"", and continued to work closely with Qatar to ensure full implementation of regulations.
+Iranian-American Saeed Kamalinia said he wore a T-shirt declaring ""Women Life Freedom"" to six games but concealed it on his way through security for two of Iran's matches and decided against wearing it to the United States game, fearing a crackdown.
+By contrast, symbols of support for the Palestinians have been widely seen. ""I felt welcomed by the Qatari people and by all present here ... people greet us with ‘Palestine Palestine',"" said Palestinian fan Saeed Khalil.
+Maryam Alhajri, a Qatari member of Qatar Youth Against Normalization, a vocal group opposed to Arab normalisation with Israel, said pro-Palestinian sympathies showed ""that Palestine remains the primary Arab cause"".
+Arab states including the United Arab Emirates and Morocco - cheered by many Arab fans for making it to the last 16 - normalized ties with Israel in 2020.
+For Qatar, allowing shows of support for the Palestinians was part of a ""hedging strategy"", said Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University Qatar.
+Qatar was ""allowing the population to vent their anger and demonstrate their support symbolically for Palestine, while at the same time the government is laying the groundwork for improving relations if not fully normalizing them"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","For fans, inconsistent enforcement of rules had been ""a real problem"", said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters of Europe. ""What we see in the end is that FIFA has lost control of its own tournament."" He said there had been ""staggering"" inconsistency over Iranian slogans, saying fans had worn T-shirts declaring support for the protests at some games while getting into trouble for wearing them at Iran's matches.
+He saw similar inconsistency when it came to shows of support for LGBT+ rights, for which Qatar has faced heavy criticism because of its ban on homosexuality. While rainbow flags are in theory allowed, ""in practice we see that this is very different"", he said. ""This inconsistency...is putting fans at risk,"" he said. A FIFA Qatar World Cup stadium code of conduct prohibits banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia of a ""political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature"". A FIFA spokesperson said it was ""aware of some incidents where permitted items were not allowed to be displayed at stadiums"", and continued to work closely with Qatar to ensure full implementation of regulations.
+Iranian-American Saeed Kamalinia said he wore a T-shirt declaring ""Women Life Freedom"" to six games but concealed it on his way through security for two of Iran's matches and decided against wearing it to the United States game, fearing a crackdown.
+By contrast, symbols of support for the Palestinians have been widely seen. "" I felt welcomed by the Qatari people and by all present here ... people greet us with ‘Palestine Palestine',"" said Palestinian fan Saeed Khalil. Maryam Alhajri, a Qatari member of Qatar Youth Against Normalization, a vocal group opposed to Arab normalisation with Israel, said pro-Palestinian sympathies showed ""that Palestine remains the primary Arab cause"". Arab states including the United Arab Emirates and Morocco - cheered by many Arab fans for making it to the last 16 - normalized ties with Israel in 2020. For Qatar, allowing shows of support for the Palestinians was part of a ""hedging strategy"", said Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University Qatar. Qatar was ""allowing the population to vent their anger and demonstrate their support symbolically for Palestine, while at the same time the government is laying the groundwork for improving relations if not fully normalizing them"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/qatar-world-cup-mideast-tensions-spill-into-stadiums-2022-11-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At Qatar World Cup, Mideast tensions spill into stadiums[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The first World Cup in the Middle East has become a showcase for the political tensions crisscrossing one of the world's most volatile regions and the ambiguous role often played by host nation Qatar in its crises.
+Iran's matches have been the most politically charged as fans voice support for protesters who have been boldly challenging the clerical leadership at home. They have also proved diplomatically sensitive for Qatar which has good ties to Tehran.
+Pro-Palestinian sympathies among fans have also spilt into stadiums as four Arab teams compete. Qatari players have worn pro-Palestinian arm-bands, even as Qatar has allowed Israeli fans to fly in directly for the first time.
+Even the Qatari Emir has engaged in politically significant acts, donning a Saudi flag during its historic defeat of Argentina - notable support for a country with which he has been mending ties strained by regional tensions.
+Such gestures have added to the political dimensions of a tournament mired in controversy even before kickoff over the treatment of migrant workers and LGBT+ rights in the conservative host country, where homosexuality is illegal.
+The stakes are high for Qatar, which hopes a smooth tournament will cement its role on the global stage and in the Middle East, where it has survived as an independent state since 1971 despite numerous regional upheavals.
+The first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup, Qatar has often seemed a regional maverick: it hosts the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas but has also previously had some trade relations with Israel.
+It has given a platform to Islamist dissidents deemed a threat by Saudi Arabia and its allies, while befriending Riyadh's foe Iran - and hosting the largest U.S. military base in the region.
+AN 'INNER CONFLICT'
+Tensions in Iran, swept by more than two months of protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for flouting strict dress codes, have been reflected inside and outside the stadiums.
+""We wanted to come to the World Cup to support the people of Iran because we know it's a great opportunity to speak for them,"" said Shayan Khosravani, a 30-year-old Iranian-American fan who had been intending to visit family in Iran after attending the games but cancelled that plan due to the protests.
+But some say stadium security have stopped them from showing their backing for the protests. At Iran's Nov. 25 match against Wales, security denied entry to fans carrying Iran's pre-Revolution flag and T-shirts with the protest slogan ""Woman, Life, Freedom"" and ""Mahsa Amini"".
+After the game, there was tension outside the ground between opponents and supporters of the Iranian government.
+Two fans who argued with stadium security on separate occasions over the confiscations told Reuters they believed that policy stemmed from Qatar's ties with Iran.
+
+A Qatari official told Reuters that ""additional security measures have been put in place during matches involving Iran following the recent political tensions in the country.""
+When asked about confiscated material or detained fans, a spokesperson for the organising supreme committee referred Reuters to FIFA and Qatar's list of prohibited items. They ban items with ""political, offensive, or discriminatory messages"".
+Controversy has also swirled around the Iranian team, which was widely seen to show support for the protests in its first game by refraining from singing the national anthem, only to sing it - if quietly - ahead of its second match.
+Quemars Ahmed, a 30-year-old lawyer from Los Angeles, told Reuters Iranian fans were struggling with an ""inner conflict"": ""Do you root for Iran? Are you rooting for the regime and the way protests have been silenced?""
+Ahead of a decisive U.S.-Iran match on Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran's national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic in solidarity with protesters in Iran.
+The match only added to the tournament's significance for Iran, where the clerical leadership has long declared Washington the ""The Great Satan"" and accuses it of fomenting current unrest.
+A 'PROUD' STATEMENT
+Palestinian flags, meanwhile, are regularly seen at stadiums and fan zones and have sold out at shops – even though the national team didn't qualify.
+Tunisian supporters at their Nov. 26 match against Australia unfurled a massive ""Free Palestine"" banner, a move that did not appear to elicit action from organisers. Arab fans have shunned Israeli journalists reporting from Qatar.
+Omar Barakat, a soccer coach for the Palestinian national team who was in Doha for the World Cup, said he had carried his flag into matches without being stopped. ""It is a political statement and we're proud of it,"" he said.
+While tensions have surfaced at some games, the tournament has also provided a stage for some apparent reconciliatory actions, such as when Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani wrapped the Saudi flag around his neck at the Nov. 22 Argentina match.
+Qatar's ties with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt were put on ice for years over Doha's regional policies, including supporting Islamist groups during the Arab Spring uprisings from 2011.
+In another act of reconciliation between states whose ties were shaken by the Arab Spring, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shook hands with Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the opening ceremony in Doha on Nov. 20.
+Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a political scientist at Rice University's Baker Institute in the United States said the lead-up to the tournament had been ""complicated by the decade of geopolitical rivalries that followed the Arab Spring"".
+Qatari authorities have had to ""tread a fine balance"" over Iran and Palestine but, in the end, the tournament ""once again puts Qatar at the center of regional diplomacy,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]At Qatar World Cup , Mideast tensions spill into stadiums[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The first World Cup in the Middle East has become a showcase for the political tensions crisscrossing one of the world's most volatile regions and the ambiguous role often played by host nation Qatar in its crises.  Iran's matches have been the most politically charged as fans voice support for protesters who have been boldly challenging the clerical leadership at home. They have also proved diplomatically sensitive for Qatar which has good ties to Tehran. Pro-Palestinian sympathies among fans have also spilt into stadiums as four Arab teams compete. Qatari players have worn pro-Palestinian arm-bands, even as Qatar has allowed Israeli fans to fly in directly for the first time. Even the Qatari Emir has engaged in politically significant acts, donning a Saudi flag during its historic defeat of Argentina - notable support for a country with which he has been mending ties strained by regional tensions. Such gestures have added to the political dimensions of a tournament mired in controversy even before kickoff over the treatment of migrant workers and LGBT+ rights in the conservative host country, where homosexuality is illegal.
+The stakes are high for Qatar, which hopes a smooth tournament will cement its role on the global stage and in the Middle East, where it has survived as an independent state since 1971 despite numerous regional upheavals. The first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup, Qatar has often seemed a regional maverick: it hosts the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas but has also previously had some trade relations with Israel. It has given a platform to Islamist dissidents deemed a threat by Saudi Arabia and its allies, while befriending Riyadh's foe Iran - and hosting the largest U.S. military base in the region. AN 'INNER CONFLICT'
+Tensions in Iran, swept by more than two months of protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for flouting strict dress codes, have been reflected inside and outside the stadiums. ""We wanted to come to the World Cup to support the people of Iran because we know it's a great opportunity to speak for them,"" said Shayan Khosravani, a 30-year-old Iranian-American fan who had been intending to visit family in Iran after attending the games but cancelled that plan due to the protests. But some say stadium security have stopped them from showing their backing for the protests."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/qatar-world-cup-mideast-tensions-spill-into-stadiums-2022-11-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At Qatar World Cup, Mideast tensions spill into stadiums[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The first World Cup in the Middle East has become a showcase for the political tensions crisscrossing one of the world's most volatile regions and the ambiguous role often played by host nation Qatar in its crises.
+Iran's matches have been the most politically charged as fans voice support for protesters who have been boldly challenging the clerical leadership at home. They have also proved diplomatically sensitive for Qatar which has good ties to Tehran.
+Pro-Palestinian sympathies among fans have also spilt into stadiums as four Arab teams compete. Qatari players have worn pro-Palestinian arm-bands, even as Qatar has allowed Israeli fans to fly in directly for the first time.
+Even the Qatari Emir has engaged in politically significant acts, donning a Saudi flag during its historic defeat of Argentina - notable support for a country with which he has been mending ties strained by regional tensions.
+Such gestures have added to the political dimensions of a tournament mired in controversy even before kickoff over the treatment of migrant workers and LGBT+ rights in the conservative host country, where homosexuality is illegal.
+The stakes are high for Qatar, which hopes a smooth tournament will cement its role on the global stage and in the Middle East, where it has survived as an independent state since 1971 despite numerous regional upheavals.
+The first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup, Qatar has often seemed a regional maverick: it hosts the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas but has also previously had some trade relations with Israel.
+It has given a platform to Islamist dissidents deemed a threat by Saudi Arabia and its allies, while befriending Riyadh's foe Iran - and hosting the largest U.S. military base in the region.
+AN 'INNER CONFLICT'
+Tensions in Iran, swept by more than two months of protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for flouting strict dress codes, have been reflected inside and outside the stadiums.
+""We wanted to come to the World Cup to support the people of Iran because we know it's a great opportunity to speak for them,"" said Shayan Khosravani, a 30-year-old Iranian-American fan who had been intending to visit family in Iran after attending the games but cancelled that plan due to the protests.
+But some say stadium security have stopped them from showing their backing for the protests. At Iran's Nov. 25 match against Wales, security denied entry to fans carrying Iran's pre-Revolution flag and T-shirts with the protest slogan ""Woman, Life, Freedom"" and ""Mahsa Amini"".
+After the game, there was tension outside the ground between opponents and supporters of the Iranian government.
+Two fans who argued with stadium security on separate occasions over the confiscations told Reuters they believed that policy stemmed from Qatar's ties with Iran.
+
+A Qatari official told Reuters that ""additional security measures have been put in place during matches involving Iran following the recent political tensions in the country.""
+When asked about confiscated material or detained fans, a spokesperson for the organising supreme committee referred Reuters to FIFA and Qatar's list of prohibited items. They ban items with ""political, offensive, or discriminatory messages"".
+Controversy has also swirled around the Iranian team, which was widely seen to show support for the protests in its first game by refraining from singing the national anthem, only to sing it - if quietly - ahead of its second match.
+Quemars Ahmed, a 30-year-old lawyer from Los Angeles, told Reuters Iranian fans were struggling with an ""inner conflict"": ""Do you root for Iran? Are you rooting for the regime and the way protests have been silenced?""
+Ahead of a decisive U.S.-Iran match on Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran's national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic in solidarity with protesters in Iran.
+The match only added to the tournament's significance for Iran, where the clerical leadership has long declared Washington the ""The Great Satan"" and accuses it of fomenting current unrest.
+A 'PROUD' STATEMENT
+Palestinian flags, meanwhile, are regularly seen at stadiums and fan zones and have sold out at shops – even though the national team didn't qualify.
+Tunisian supporters at their Nov. 26 match against Australia unfurled a massive ""Free Palestine"" banner, a move that did not appear to elicit action from organisers. Arab fans have shunned Israeli journalists reporting from Qatar.
+Omar Barakat, a soccer coach for the Palestinian national team who was in Doha for the World Cup, said he had carried his flag into matches without being stopped. ""It is a political statement and we're proud of it,"" he said.
+While tensions have surfaced at some games, the tournament has also provided a stage for some apparent reconciliatory actions, such as when Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani wrapped the Saudi flag around his neck at the Nov. 22 Argentina match.
+Qatar's ties with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt were put on ice for years over Doha's regional policies, including supporting Islamist groups during the Arab Spring uprisings from 2011.
+In another act of reconciliation between states whose ties were shaken by the Arab Spring, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shook hands with Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the opening ceremony in Doha on Nov. 20.
+Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a political scientist at Rice University's Baker Institute in the United States said the lead-up to the tournament had been ""complicated by the decade of geopolitical rivalries that followed the Arab Spring"".
+Qatari authorities have had to ""tread a fine balance"" over Iran and Palestine but, in the end, the tournament ""once again puts Qatar at the center of regional diplomacy,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","At Iran's Nov. 25 match against Wales, security denied entry to fans carrying Iran's pre-Revolution flag and T-shirts with the protest slogan ""Woman, Life, Freedom"" and ""Mahsa Amini"". After the game, there was tension outside the ground between opponents and supporters of the Iranian government.
+Two fans who argued with stadium security on separate occasions over the confiscations told Reuters they believed that policy stemmed from Qatar's ties with Iran.  A Qatari official told Reuters that ""additional security measures have been put in place during matches involving Iran following the recent political tensions in the country.""
+When asked about confiscated material or detained fans, a spokesperson for the organising supreme committee referred Reuters to FIFA and Qatar's list of prohibited items. They ban items with ""political, offensive, or discriminatory messages"". Controversy has also swirled around the Iranian team, which was widely seen to show support for the protests in its first game by refraining from singing the national anthem, only to sing it - if quietly - ahead of its second match. Quemars Ahmed, a 30-year-old lawyer from Los Angeles, told Reuters Iranian fans were struggling with an ""inner conflict"": ""Do you root for Iran? Are you rooting for the regime and the way protests have been silenced?""  Ahead of a decisive U.S.-Iran match on Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran's national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic in solidarity with protesters in Iran. The match only added to the tournament's significance for Iran, where the clerical leadership has long declared Washington the ""The Great Satan"" and accuses it of fomenting current unrest. A 'PROUD' STATEMENT
+Palestinian flags, meanwhile, are regularly seen at stadiums and fan zones and have sold out at shops – even though the national team didn't qualify. Tunisian supporters at their Nov. 26 match against Australia unfurled a massive ""Free Palestine"" banner, a move that did not appear to elicit action from organisers. Arab fans have shunned Israeli journalists reporting from Qatar. Omar Barakat, a soccer coach for the Palestinian national team who was in Doha for the World Cup, said he had carried his flag into matches without being stopped. ""It is a political statement and we're proud of it,"" he said. While tensions have surfaced at some games, the tournament has also provided a stage for some apparent reconciliatory actions, such as when Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani wrapped the Saudi flag around his neck at the Nov. 22 Argentina match."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/qatar-world-cup-mideast-tensions-spill-into-stadiums-2022-11-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At Qatar World Cup, Mideast tensions spill into stadiums[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DOHA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The first World Cup in the Middle East has become a showcase for the political tensions crisscrossing one of the world's most volatile regions and the ambiguous role often played by host nation Qatar in its crises.
+Iran's matches have been the most politically charged as fans voice support for protesters who have been boldly challenging the clerical leadership at home. They have also proved diplomatically sensitive for Qatar which has good ties to Tehran.
+Pro-Palestinian sympathies among fans have also spilt into stadiums as four Arab teams compete. Qatari players have worn pro-Palestinian arm-bands, even as Qatar has allowed Israeli fans to fly in directly for the first time.
+Even the Qatari Emir has engaged in politically significant acts, donning a Saudi flag during its historic defeat of Argentina - notable support for a country with which he has been mending ties strained by regional tensions.
+Such gestures have added to the political dimensions of a tournament mired in controversy even before kickoff over the treatment of migrant workers and LGBT+ rights in the conservative host country, where homosexuality is illegal.
+The stakes are high for Qatar, which hopes a smooth tournament will cement its role on the global stage and in the Middle East, where it has survived as an independent state since 1971 despite numerous regional upheavals.
+The first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup, Qatar has often seemed a regional maverick: it hosts the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas but has also previously had some trade relations with Israel.
+It has given a platform to Islamist dissidents deemed a threat by Saudi Arabia and its allies, while befriending Riyadh's foe Iran - and hosting the largest U.S. military base in the region.
+AN 'INNER CONFLICT'
+Tensions in Iran, swept by more than two months of protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for flouting strict dress codes, have been reflected inside and outside the stadiums.
+""We wanted to come to the World Cup to support the people of Iran because we know it's a great opportunity to speak for them,"" said Shayan Khosravani, a 30-year-old Iranian-American fan who had been intending to visit family in Iran after attending the games but cancelled that plan due to the protests.
+But some say stadium security have stopped them from showing their backing for the protests. At Iran's Nov. 25 match against Wales, security denied entry to fans carrying Iran's pre-Revolution flag and T-shirts with the protest slogan ""Woman, Life, Freedom"" and ""Mahsa Amini"".
+After the game, there was tension outside the ground between opponents and supporters of the Iranian government.
+Two fans who argued with stadium security on separate occasions over the confiscations told Reuters they believed that policy stemmed from Qatar's ties with Iran.
+
+A Qatari official told Reuters that ""additional security measures have been put in place during matches involving Iran following the recent political tensions in the country.""
+When asked about confiscated material or detained fans, a spokesperson for the organising supreme committee referred Reuters to FIFA and Qatar's list of prohibited items. They ban items with ""political, offensive, or discriminatory messages"".
+Controversy has also swirled around the Iranian team, which was widely seen to show support for the protests in its first game by refraining from singing the national anthem, only to sing it - if quietly - ahead of its second match.
+Quemars Ahmed, a 30-year-old lawyer from Los Angeles, told Reuters Iranian fans were struggling with an ""inner conflict"": ""Do you root for Iran? Are you rooting for the regime and the way protests have been silenced?""
+Ahead of a decisive U.S.-Iran match on Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran's national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic in solidarity with protesters in Iran.
+The match only added to the tournament's significance for Iran, where the clerical leadership has long declared Washington the ""The Great Satan"" and accuses it of fomenting current unrest.
+A 'PROUD' STATEMENT
+Palestinian flags, meanwhile, are regularly seen at stadiums and fan zones and have sold out at shops – even though the national team didn't qualify.
+Tunisian supporters at their Nov. 26 match against Australia unfurled a massive ""Free Palestine"" banner, a move that did not appear to elicit action from organisers. Arab fans have shunned Israeli journalists reporting from Qatar.
+Omar Barakat, a soccer coach for the Palestinian national team who was in Doha for the World Cup, said he had carried his flag into matches without being stopped. ""It is a political statement and we're proud of it,"" he said.
+While tensions have surfaced at some games, the tournament has also provided a stage for some apparent reconciliatory actions, such as when Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani wrapped the Saudi flag around his neck at the Nov. 22 Argentina match.
+Qatar's ties with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt were put on ice for years over Doha's regional policies, including supporting Islamist groups during the Arab Spring uprisings from 2011.
+In another act of reconciliation between states whose ties were shaken by the Arab Spring, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shook hands with Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the opening ceremony in Doha on Nov. 20.
+Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a political scientist at Rice University's Baker Institute in the United States said the lead-up to the tournament had been ""complicated by the decade of geopolitical rivalries that followed the Arab Spring"".
+Qatari authorities have had to ""tread a fine balance"" over Iran and Palestine but, in the end, the tournament ""once again puts Qatar at the center of regional diplomacy,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Qatar's ties with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt were put on ice for years over Doha's regional policies, including supporting Islamist groups during the Arab Spring uprisings from 2011. In another act of reconciliation between states whose ties were shaken by the Arab Spring, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shook hands with Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the opening ceremony in Doha on Nov. 20. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a political scientist at Rice University's Baker Institute in the United States said the lead-up to the tournament had been ""complicated by the decade of geopolitical rivalries that followed the Arab Spring"".  Qatari authorities have had to ""tread a fine balance"" over Iran and Palestine but, in the end, the tournament ""once again puts Qatar at the center of regional diplomacy,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/least-21-killed-several-others-hurt-gaza-strip-fire-2022-11-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At least 21 killed, several others hurt in Gaza Strip fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+GAZA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - At least 21 people were killed and several others injured when a fire broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the Gaza Strip, health and civil emergency officials said on Thursday.
+It took fire fighters more than an hour to get control of the massive flames that burst through the top floor of a four-story residential building in the densely-populated Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip.
+Ambulances rushed several injured people to local hospitals, and Israel, which together with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza, said it would allow in those in need of medical treatment.
+Gaza's Interior Ministry said an initial investigation revealed that large amounts of gasoline had been stored at the site, fueling the blaze that quickly engulfed the building.
+Witnesses said they could hear screaming but they could not help those inside because of the intensity of the fire.
+
+
+GAZA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - At least 21 people were killed and several others injured when a fire broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the Gaza Strip, health and civil emergency officials said on Thursday.
+It took fire fighters more than an hour to get control of the massive flames that burst through the top floor of a four-story residential building in the densely-populated Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip.
+Ambulances rushed several injured people to local hospitals, and Israel, which together with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza, said it would allow in those in need of medical treatment.
+Gaza's Interior Ministry said an initial investigation revealed that large amounts of gasoline had been stored at the site, fueling the blaze that quickly engulfed the building.
+Witnesses said they could hear screaming but they could not help those inside because of the intensity of the fire.
+Palestinian Hamas police officers check the scene of a fire that broke out in a building in the northern Gaza Strip
+Palestinian Hamas police officers check the scene of a fire that broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the northern Gaza Strip November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Mohamad Qandel Purchase Licensing Rights
+, opens new tab
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called it a national tragedy and said there would be a day of mourning.
+Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said in a statement that the Palestinian Authority urged Israel to open the Erez crossing with Gaza to transport serious cases in order to treat them outside the enclave if necessary.
+""The President gave instructions to provide all forms of medical and other assistance urgently,"" Sheikh said on Twitter.
+Tor Wennesland, the United Nations' Middle East peace envoy expressed ""heartfelt condolences"" to the families of those who died in the incident, in a post on Twitter.
+Jabalia is one of eight refugee camps in Gaza, home to 2.3 million people and one of the world's most densely populated areas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]At least 21 killed, several others hurt in Gaza Strip fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+GAZA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - At least 21 people were killed and several others injured when a fire broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the Gaza Strip, health and civil emergency officials said on Thursday. It took fire fighters more than an hour to get control of the massive flames that burst through the top floor of a four-story residential building in the densely-populated Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip. Ambulances rushed several injured people to local hospitals, and Israel, which together with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza, said it would allow in those in need of medical treatment. Gaza's Interior Ministry said an initial investigation revealed that large amounts of gasoline had been stored at the site, fueling the blaze that quickly engulfed the building. Witnesses said they could hear screaming but they could not help those inside because of the intensity of the fire. GAZA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - At least 21 people were killed and several others injured when a fire broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the Gaza Strip, health and civil emergency officials said on Thursday. It took fire fighters more than an hour to get control of the massive flames that burst through the top floor of a four-story residential building in the densely-populated Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip. Ambulances rushed several injured people to local hospitals, and Israel, which together with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza, said it would allow in those in need of medical treatment. Gaza's Interior Ministry said an initial investigation revealed that large amounts of gasoline had been stored at the site, fueling the blaze that quickly engulfed the building. Witnesses said they could hear screaming but they could not help those inside because of the intensity of the fire. Palestinian Hamas police officers check the scene of a fire that broke out in a building in the northern Gaza Strip
+Palestinian Hamas police officers check the scene of a fire that broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the northern Gaza Strip November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Mohamad Qandel Purchase Licensing Rights
+, opens new tab Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called it a national tragedy and said there would be a day of mourning."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/least-21-killed-several-others-hurt-gaza-strip-fire-2022-11-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At least 21 killed, several others hurt in Gaza Strip fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+GAZA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - At least 21 people were killed and several others injured when a fire broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the Gaza Strip, health and civil emergency officials said on Thursday.
+It took fire fighters more than an hour to get control of the massive flames that burst through the top floor of a four-story residential building in the densely-populated Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip.
+Ambulances rushed several injured people to local hospitals, and Israel, which together with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza, said it would allow in those in need of medical treatment.
+Gaza's Interior Ministry said an initial investigation revealed that large amounts of gasoline had been stored at the site, fueling the blaze that quickly engulfed the building.
+Witnesses said they could hear screaming but they could not help those inside because of the intensity of the fire.
+
+
+GAZA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - At least 21 people were killed and several others injured when a fire broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the Gaza Strip, health and civil emergency officials said on Thursday.
+It took fire fighters more than an hour to get control of the massive flames that burst through the top floor of a four-story residential building in the densely-populated Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip.
+Ambulances rushed several injured people to local hospitals, and Israel, which together with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza, said it would allow in those in need of medical treatment.
+Gaza's Interior Ministry said an initial investigation revealed that large amounts of gasoline had been stored at the site, fueling the blaze that quickly engulfed the building.
+Witnesses said they could hear screaming but they could not help those inside because of the intensity of the fire.
+Palestinian Hamas police officers check the scene of a fire that broke out in a building in the northern Gaza Strip
+Palestinian Hamas police officers check the scene of a fire that broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the northern Gaza Strip November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Mohamad Qandel Purchase Licensing Rights
+, opens new tab
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called it a national tragedy and said there would be a day of mourning.
+Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said in a statement that the Palestinian Authority urged Israel to open the Erez crossing with Gaza to transport serious cases in order to treat them outside the enclave if necessary.
+""The President gave instructions to provide all forms of medical and other assistance urgently,"" Sheikh said on Twitter.
+Tor Wennesland, the United Nations' Middle East peace envoy expressed ""heartfelt condolences"" to the families of those who died in the incident, in a post on Twitter.
+Jabalia is one of eight refugee camps in Gaza, home to 2.3 million people and one of the world's most densely populated areas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said in a statement that the Palestinian Authority urged Israel to open the Erez crossing with Gaza to transport serious cases in order to treat them outside the enclave if necessary.
+""The President gave instructions to provide all forms of medical and other assistance urgently,"" Sheikh said on Twitter.  Tor Wennesland, the United Nations' Middle East peace envoy expressed ""heartfelt condolences"" to the families of those who died in the incident, in a post on Twitter.
+Jabalia is one of eight refugee camps in Gaza, home to 2.3 million people and one of the world's most densely populated areas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-leader-says-he-must-deal-with-netanyahu-despite-no-peace-prospects-2022-11-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian leader says he must deal with Netanyahu despite no peace prospects[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday he would have to deal with Benjamin Netanyahu, the former Israeli Prime Minister who won reelection this month, even though he believed Netanyahu was not interested in making peace.
+""I knew Netanyahu for a long time, since the 1990s ... He is a man who doesn't believe in peace but I have no other choice but to deal with him,"" Abbas told Palestine Television.
+The Palestinian leader, whose authority has limited control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said there must be a peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict.
+The interview, which was also broadcast by Egyptian television, was recorded on Friday.
+""I have a problem with Israel, Israel occupies my land and my country. Who is the prime minister? Netanyahu. I am forced to deal with him,"" said Abbas.
+Netanyahu, who in his previous term forged normalisation with United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, said on Sunday he sought to reach peace deals with other Arab countries, something that could eventually help end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. read more
+Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since 2014.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian leader says he must deal with Netanyahu despite no peace prospects[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday he would have to deal with Benjamin Netanyahu, the former Israeli Prime Minister who won reelection this month, even though he believed Netanyahu was not interested in making peace.  ""I knew Netanyahu for a long time, since the 1990s ... He is a man who doesn't believe in peace but I have no other choice but to deal with him,"" Abbas told Palestine Television. The Palestinian leader, whose authority has limited control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said there must be a peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict. The interview, which was also broadcast by Egyptian television, was recorded on Friday. ""I have a problem with Israel, Israel occupies my land and my country. Who is the prime minister? Netanyahu. I am forced to deal with him,"" said Abbas.  Netanyahu, who in his previous term forged normalisation with United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, said on Sunday he sought to reach peace deals with other Arab countries, something that could eventually help end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. read more
+Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since 2014.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/stories-trauma-resilience-spotlighted-palestinian-film-festival-2022-11-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At least 21 killed, several others hurt in Gaza Strip fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - At least 21 people were killed and several others injured when a fire broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the Gaza Strip, health and civil emergency officials said on Thursday.
+It took fire fighters more than an hour to get control of the massive flames that burst through the top floor of a four-story residential building in the densely-populated Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip.
+Ambulances rushed several injured people to local hospitals, and Israel, which together with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza, said it would allow in those in need of medical treatment.
+Gaza's Interior Ministry said an initial investigation revealed that large amounts of gasoline had been stored at the site, fueling the blaze that quickly engulfed the building.
+Witnesses said they could hear screaming but they could not help those inside because of the intensity of the fire. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called it a national tragedy and said there would be a day of mourning.
+Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said in a statement that the Palestinian Authority urged Israel to open the Erez crossing with Gaza to transport serious cases in order to treat them outside the enclave if necessary.
+""The President gave instructions to provide all forms of medical and other assistance urgently,"" Sheikh said on Twitter.
+Tor Wennesland, the United Nations' Middle East peace envoy expressed ""heartfelt condolences"" to the families of those who died in the incident, in a post on Twitter.
+Jabalia is one of eight refugee camps in Gaza, home to 2.3 million people and one of the world's most densely populated areas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]At least 21 killed, several others hurt in Gaza Strip fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - At least 21 people were killed and several others injured when a fire broke out in a building where residents attended a party in the Gaza Strip, health and civil emergency officials said on Thursday. It took fire fighters more than an hour to get control of the massive flames that burst through the top floor of a four-story residential building in the densely-populated Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip. Ambulances rushed several injured people to local hospitals, and Israel, which together with Egypt maintains a blockade on Gaza, said it would allow in those in need of medical treatment. Gaza's Interior Ministry said an initial investigation revealed that large amounts of gasoline had been stored at the site, fueling the blaze that quickly engulfed the building.  Witnesses said they could hear screaming but they could not help those inside because of the intensity of the fire. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called it a national tragedy and said there would be a day of mourning. Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said in a statement that the Palestinian Authority urged Israel to open the Erez crossing with Gaza to transport serious cases in order to treat them outside the enclave if necessary.
+""The President gave instructions to provide all forms of medical and other assistance urgently,"" Sheikh said on Twitter. Tor Wennesland, the United Nations' Middle East peace envoy expressed ""heartfelt condolences"" to the families of those who died in the incident, in a post on Twitter.
+Jabalia is one of eight refugee camps in Gaza, home to 2.3 million people and one of the world's most densely populated areas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-teen-militant-killed-clashes-with-israeli-troops-palestinians-say-2022-11-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Two Palestinians killed in separate incidents with Israeli forces, Palestinians say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Two Palestinians died in separate incidents with Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, Palestinian officials said, the latest in a wave of violence that has intensified in recent months.
+A 15-year-old Palestinian militant was killed during a firefight with Israeli soldiers in Nablus and a Palestinian man succumbed to his wounds after Israeli forces fired at him near Jenin, Palestinian officials said.
+The head of the Palestine Red Crescent in Jenin, Mahmoud al-Saadi, told Reuters that the ambulance service was called to transfer the man to hospital after he sustained gunshot wounds in his legs.
+Local sources said the man was a Palestinian labourer trying to cross through a breach in the separation fence. The Israeli military said in a statement its forces followed standard operating procedures, including the use of live fire, after spotting a suspect vandalising the fence. Soldiers treated the man at the scene before he was taken to a hospital, it added.
+A statement from the Palestinian health ministry said the teen died of shrapnel wounds sustained during clashes with the Israeli military early Wednesday but a statement from the Palestinian Fatah Movement said he was shot dead by Israeli fire. The militant al-Aqsa Brigades, an offshoot of the Fatah movement, claimed him as one of its members.
+The Israeli military did not confirm the teen's death but said it had been securing the entrance to a site known as Joseph's Tomb, in the West Bank city of Nablus and that troops opened fire after an explosive device was placed in the area.
+Local media reported that soldiers were there to guard a visiting group of newly elected parliamentarians from the right-wing bloc that won last week's election in Israel.
+Joseph's Tomb has been the scene of repeated clashes between Palestinians and Jewish visitors, who believe it is the burial place of the Jewish patriarch. Palestinians say it is the shrine of a sheikh.
+The Israeli military would not confirm soldiers were there to guard a delegation but the Likud party's Boaz Bismuth posted pictures of himself on Twitter visiting the tomb with elected officials from other right-wing parties.
+The West Bank city of Nablus has been an epicentre for clashes between Palestinian militant groups and Israeli forces in recent months. More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in clashes since the beginning of the year.
+Most of the casualties have been recorded since March when the Israeli army launched a crackdown in the West Bank following a series of attacks by Palestinian militants which have killed 21 people in Israel and Israeli settlements.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Two Palestinians killed in separate incidents with Israeli forces, Palestinians say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Two Palestinians died in separate incidents with Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, Palestinian officials said, the latest in a wave of violence that has intensified in recent months. A 15-year-old Palestinian militant was killed during a firefight with Israeli soldiers in Nablus and a Palestinian man succumbed to his wounds after Israeli forces fired at him near Jenin, Palestinian officials said. The head of the Palestine Red Crescent in Jenin, Mahmoud al-Saadi, told Reuters that the ambulance service was called to transfer the man to hospital after he sustained gunshot wounds in his legs.  Local sources said the man was a Palestinian labourer trying to cross through a breach in the separation fence. The Israeli military said in a statement its forces followed standard operating procedures, including the use of live fire, after spotting a suspect vandalising the fence. Soldiers treated the man at the scene before he was taken to a hospital, it added.  A statement from the Palestinian health ministry said the teen died of shrapnel wounds sustained during clashes with the Israeli military early Wednesday but a statement from the Palestinian Fatah Movement said he was shot dead by Israeli fire. The militant al-Aqsa Brigades, an offshoot of the Fatah movement, claimed him as one of its members. The Israeli military did not confirm the teen's death but said it had been securing the entrance to a site known as Joseph's Tomb, in the West Bank city of Nablus and that troops opened fire after an explosive device was placed in the area. Local media reported that soldiers were there to guard a visiting group of newly elected parliamentarians from the right-wing bloc that won last week's election in Israel. Joseph's Tomb has been the scene of repeated clashes between Palestinians and Jewish visitors, who believe it is the burial place of the Jewish patriarch. Palestinians say it is the shrine of a sheikh. The Israeli military would not confirm soldiers were there to guard a delegation but the Likud party's Boaz Bismuth posted pictures of himself on Twitter visiting the tomb with elected officials from other right-wing parties. The West Bank city of Nablus has been an epicentre for clashes between Palestinian militant groups and Israeli forces in recent months. More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in clashes since the beginning of the year. Most of the casualties have been recorded since March when the Israeli army launched a crackdown in the West Bank following a series of attacks by Palestinian militants which have killed 21 people in Israel and Israeli settlements.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-settlers-have-high-hopes-after-netanyahu-election-win-2022-11-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli settlers have high hopes after Netanyahu election win[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HILLTOP, West Bank, Nov 7 (Reuters) - High atop a rocky hill in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers exhilarated by a resounding right-wing election triumph surveyed a landscape dotted with Palestinian villages, scouting new spots to put down roots.
+The Nov. 1 ballot saw Religious Zionism, a hard-line settler party, soar to third place in parliament, positioning it as a potential powerful partner in Benjamin Netanyahu's likely coalition. Negotiations started on Sunday and could take weeks.
+But among ideological settlers who see themselves as pioneers redeeming Biblical heartland promised by God, hopes are already high for budgets, construction and infrastructure to keep their enterprise thriving.
+""Our expectations are great,"" said Daniella Weiss, a veteran settler who led the tiny scouting mission. ""This government is better for the Jews than it is for the Arabs. That's the name of the game.""
+Weiss described the election results as a revolution. ""As a person heading a settlement movement, it's a victory,"" she said. ""I have no doubt there will be acceleration in development of the settlements.""
+Most world powers deem settlements built in the territory Israel seized in the 1967 war as illegal under international law and their expansion as an obstacle to peace, since they eat away at land the Palestinians claim for a future state.
+With peace talks establishing for such state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem dormant since 2014, and with no sign of their revival, Netanyahu's likely government has simply darkened an already bleak Palestinian view.
+""There will be an increase in settlement activity and that will close the door for any political solution,"" said Wasel Abu Youssef of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). read more
+NETANYAHU
+Israel disputes the illegality of the settlements and cites Biblical and historical ties to the West Bank, which it calls by its Biblical name - Judea and Samaria.
+""I sense a chill down my spine coming back to the very places where my ancestors lived,"" said Baruch Gordon from the settlement of Bet El, where Religious Zionism election banners dot the streets.
+
+""It's our ancestral rightful homeland,"" said Gordon, who hopes to see Israel extending sovereignty to the territory, which would be a de-facto annexation.
+More than 450,000 people, or less than 5% of Israel's population, are Jewish settlers in the West Bank, home to about 3 million Palestinians who exercise limited self-rule there.
+Settlers driven ideologically to the smaller enclaves, deep in the territory, are a minority of the settler population. But they are nonetheless a powerful political force, in Netanyahu's Likud party too.
+At the Bet El religious seminary, where Gordon works as development director, the male students broke out in song and dance on election night, when the results came through.
+About 80% of Bet El's votes went to Religious Zionism, data from the Knesset's election committee showed, and almost 10% to Netanyahu's Likud.
+Set for a record sixth term in office, Netanyahu has allied himself with Religious Zionism, which advocates annexation of settlements, a pledge he made in 2020 before dropping it in return for normalising ties with the United Arab Emirates.
+That deal, extended soon after to Bahrain, was mediated by former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration saw Netanyahu's 2015-2019 solid right-wing government increasing investment in settlement development.
+With the Biden administration, which has been far sharper in its stance against settlements, Netanyahu will have to walk a tightrope between his own emerging coalition and the White House.
+But settlers are unfazed. Yigal Dilmoni, chief executive of the settlers' main umbrella organisation, said he expected Netanyahu to step up settlement development while cracking down on Palestinian construction carried out without Israeli permits.
+Netanyahu, said Dilmoni, was an astute statesman capable of sorting out any related diplomatic rift, adding that in any case, annexation was merely a matter of time.
+""If it doesn't happen tomorrow morning, it will happen in 10 or 15 years. We're in no rush,"" said Dilmoni.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli settlers have high hopes after Netanyahu election win[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HILLTOP, West Bank, Nov 7 (Reuters) - High atop a rocky hill in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers exhilarated by a resounding right-wing election triumph surveyed a landscape dotted with Palestinian villages, scouting new spots to put down roots. The Nov. 1 ballot saw Religious Zionism, a hard-line settler party, soar to third place in parliament, positioning it as a potential powerful partner in Benjamin Netanyahu's likely coalition. Negotiations started on Sunday and could take weeks. But among ideological settlers who see themselves as pioneers redeeming Biblical heartland promised by God, hopes are already high for budgets, construction and infrastructure to keep their enterprise thriving.  ""Our expectations are great,"" said Daniella Weiss, a veteran settler who led the tiny scouting mission. ""This government is better for the Jews than it is for the Arabs. That's the name of the game."" Weiss described the election results as a revolution. ""As a person heading a settlement movement, it's a victory,"" she said. ""I have no doubt there will be acceleration in development of the settlements."" Most world powers deem settlements built in the territory Israel seized in the 1967 war as illegal under international law and their expansion as an obstacle to peace, since they eat away at land the Palestinians claim for a future state.  With peace talks establishing for such state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem dormant since 2014, and with no sign of their revival, Netanyahu's likely government has simply darkened an already bleak Palestinian view.  ""There will be an increase in settlement activity and that will close the door for any political solution,"" said Wasel Abu Youssef of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). read more NETANYAHU
+Israel disputes the illegality of the settlements and cites Biblical and historical ties to the West Bank, which it calls by its Biblical name - Judea and Samaria. ""I sense a chill down my spine coming back to the very places where my ancestors lived,"" said Baruch Gordon from the settlement of Bet El, where Religious Zionism election banners dot the streets. ""It's our ancestral rightful homeland,"" said Gordon, who hopes to see Israel extending sovereignty to the territory, which would be a de-facto annexation. More than 450,000 people, or less than 5% of Israel's population, are Jewish settlers in the West Bank, home to about 3 million Palestinians who exercise limited self-rule there. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-settlers-have-high-hopes-after-netanyahu-election-win-2022-11-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli settlers have high hopes after Netanyahu election win[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HILLTOP, West Bank, Nov 7 (Reuters) - High atop a rocky hill in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers exhilarated by a resounding right-wing election triumph surveyed a landscape dotted with Palestinian villages, scouting new spots to put down roots.
+The Nov. 1 ballot saw Religious Zionism, a hard-line settler party, soar to third place in parliament, positioning it as a potential powerful partner in Benjamin Netanyahu's likely coalition. Negotiations started on Sunday and could take weeks.
+But among ideological settlers who see themselves as pioneers redeeming Biblical heartland promised by God, hopes are already high for budgets, construction and infrastructure to keep their enterprise thriving.
+""Our expectations are great,"" said Daniella Weiss, a veteran settler who led the tiny scouting mission. ""This government is better for the Jews than it is for the Arabs. That's the name of the game.""
+Weiss described the election results as a revolution. ""As a person heading a settlement movement, it's a victory,"" she said. ""I have no doubt there will be acceleration in development of the settlements.""
+Most world powers deem settlements built in the territory Israel seized in the 1967 war as illegal under international law and their expansion as an obstacle to peace, since they eat away at land the Palestinians claim for a future state.
+With peace talks establishing for such state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem dormant since 2014, and with no sign of their revival, Netanyahu's likely government has simply darkened an already bleak Palestinian view.
+""There will be an increase in settlement activity and that will close the door for any political solution,"" said Wasel Abu Youssef of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). read more
+NETANYAHU
+Israel disputes the illegality of the settlements and cites Biblical and historical ties to the West Bank, which it calls by its Biblical name - Judea and Samaria.
+""I sense a chill down my spine coming back to the very places where my ancestors lived,"" said Baruch Gordon from the settlement of Bet El, where Religious Zionism election banners dot the streets.
+
+""It's our ancestral rightful homeland,"" said Gordon, who hopes to see Israel extending sovereignty to the territory, which would be a de-facto annexation.
+More than 450,000 people, or less than 5% of Israel's population, are Jewish settlers in the West Bank, home to about 3 million Palestinians who exercise limited self-rule there.
+Settlers driven ideologically to the smaller enclaves, deep in the territory, are a minority of the settler population. But they are nonetheless a powerful political force, in Netanyahu's Likud party too.
+At the Bet El religious seminary, where Gordon works as development director, the male students broke out in song and dance on election night, when the results came through.
+About 80% of Bet El's votes went to Religious Zionism, data from the Knesset's election committee showed, and almost 10% to Netanyahu's Likud.
+Set for a record sixth term in office, Netanyahu has allied himself with Religious Zionism, which advocates annexation of settlements, a pledge he made in 2020 before dropping it in return for normalising ties with the United Arab Emirates.
+That deal, extended soon after to Bahrain, was mediated by former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration saw Netanyahu's 2015-2019 solid right-wing government increasing investment in settlement development.
+With the Biden administration, which has been far sharper in its stance against settlements, Netanyahu will have to walk a tightrope between his own emerging coalition and the White House.
+But settlers are unfazed. Yigal Dilmoni, chief executive of the settlers' main umbrella organisation, said he expected Netanyahu to step up settlement development while cracking down on Palestinian construction carried out without Israeli permits.
+Netanyahu, said Dilmoni, was an astute statesman capable of sorting out any related diplomatic rift, adding that in any case, annexation was merely a matter of time.
+""If it doesn't happen tomorrow morning, it will happen in 10 or 15 years. We're in no rush,"" said Dilmoni.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Settlers driven ideologically to the smaller enclaves, deep in the territory, are a minority of the settler population. But they are nonetheless a powerful political force, in Netanyahu's Likud party too.  At the Bet El religious seminary, where Gordon works as development director, the male students broke out in song and dance on election night, when the results came through. About 80% of Bet El's votes went to Religious Zionism, data from the Knesset's election committee showed, and almost 10% to Netanyahu's Likud. Set for a record sixth term in office, Netanyahu has allied himself with Religious Zionism, which advocates annexation of settlements, a pledge he made in 2020 before dropping it in return for normalising ties with the United Arab Emirates. That deal, extended soon after to Bahrain, was mediated by former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration saw Netanyahu's 2015-2019 solid right-wing government increasing investment in settlement development. With the Biden administration, which has been far sharper in its stance against settlements, Netanyahu will have to walk a tightrope between his own emerging coalition and the White House. But settlers are unfazed. Yigal Dilmoni, chief executive of the settlers' main umbrella organisation, said he expected Netanyahu to step up settlement development while cracking down on Palestinian construction carried out without Israeli permits. Netanyahu, said Dilmoni, was an astute statesman capable of sorting out any related diplomatic rift, adding that in any case, annexation was merely a matter of time.
+""If it doesn't happen tomorrow morning, it will happen in 10 or 15 years. We're in no rush,"" said Dilmoni.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/netanyahu-set-comeback-says-brink-big-election-win-2022-11-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Netanyahu says he is on brink of 'very big victory' in Israel election[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to return to power in one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israel's history, causing jitters among Palestinians and Arab neighbours who fear it could ratchet up tensions across the Middle East.
+With roughly 85% of votes counted, Netanyahu's conservative Likud and its likely religious and far-right allies were on pace to control a majority in parliament after Israel's fifth election in less than four years.
+""We are on the brink of a very big victory,"" a smiling Netanyahu told cheering supporters at his Likud party election headquarters, his voice hoarse from weeks of campaigning.
+Netanyahu's prospective alliance with ultranationalist firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir has alarmed Palestinians and members of Israel's minority Arabs. Asked whether Washington shared such concerns, a White House National Security Council spokesperson declined to comment.
+""We look forward to continuing to work with the Israeli government on our shared interests and values,” the spokesperson added.
+As prime minister, Netanyahu government will likely press forward with settlement activity on occupied land where Palestinians, with international support, seek statehood. But his hard line on Iran means Israel's recently struck Gulf Arab alliances should hold firm.
+""No doubt the result of such a coalition will increase the hostile attitude towards the Palestinian people and make occupation measures more extreme,"" Bassam Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters.
+In fresh violence, a Palestinian motorist wounded an Israeli soldier in a West Bank ramming attack before being shot dead.
+Netanyahu vowed to form a ""stable, national government"" that would act responsibly, avoid ""unnecessary adventures"" and ""expand the circle of peace"".Though the landscape could shift as the remaining ballot count trickles in, Israeli media predicted Netanyahu, who is on trial over corruption charges he denies, would lead a bloc of four parties taking 65 of the Knesset's 120 seats.
+After a campaign dominated by worries over security and the cost of living, support for centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid's ruling coalition collapsed. Lapid stopped short of conceding victory pending the final tally. But he also cancelled his attendance at next week's U.N. climate conference.
+Less than 18 months out of office, Netanyahu also said he would wait for official results.
+The record 12-year consecutive reign of Israel's longest serving prime minister ended in June 2021, when Lapid joined estranged Netanyahu ally Naftali Bennett to stitch together an unlikely coalition of liberals, rightists and Arab parties.
+But the fragile alliance unravelled a year into its rule.
+Netanyahu's legal battles have fed the stalemate blocking Israel's political system since 2019 and deepened the split between his supporters and opponents. But he said Israelis were thirsty for change.
+""The people want a different way. They want security,"" Netanyahu said. ""They want power, not weakness ... they want diplomatic wisdom, but with firmness.""
+It remains unclear what position Ben-Gvir and fellow far-right leader Bezalel Smotrich may have in a Netanyahu-led government. But the strength of their Religious Zionism party was one of the outstanding features of the campaign as they brought it surging in from the political margins.
+Ben-Gvir, who advocates expelling anyone deemed disloyal to Israel, is a former member of Kach, a group on Israeli and U.S. terrorist watchlists, and was once convicted for racist incitement. He has moderated some of his more extreme positions.
+His rise alongside Netanyahu has deepened Palestinian scepticism over prospects for a political solution after a campaign that unfolded during increasing violence in the occupied West Bank, with near-daily raids and clashes.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Netanyahu says he is on brink of 'very big victory' in Israel election[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to return to power in one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israel's history, causing jitters among Palestinians and Arab neighbours who fear it could ratchet up tensions across the Middle East. With roughly 85% of votes counted, Netanyahu's conservative Likud and its likely religious and far-right allies were on pace to control a majority in parliament after Israel's fifth election in less than four years.
+"" We are on the brink of a very big victory,"" a smiling Netanyahu told cheering supporters at his Likud party election headquarters, his voice hoarse from weeks of campaigning.  Netanyahu's prospective alliance with ultranationalist firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir has alarmed Palestinians and members of Israel's minority Arabs. Asked whether Washington shared such concerns, a White House National Security Council spokesperson declined to comment. ""We look forward to continuing to work with the Israeli government on our shared interests and values,” the spokesperson added.  As prime minister, Netanyahu government will likely press forward with settlement activity on occupied land where Palestinians, with international support, seek statehood. But his hard line on Iran means Israel's recently struck Gulf Arab alliances should hold firm. ""No doubt the result of such a coalition will increase the hostile attitude towards the Palestinian people and make occupation measures more extreme,"" Bassam Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters. In fresh violence, a Palestinian motorist wounded an Israeli soldier in a West Bank ramming attack before being shot dead.  Netanyahu vowed to form a ""stable, national government"" that would act responsibly, avoid ""unnecessary adventures"" and ""expand the circle of peace"". Though the landscape could shift as the remaining ballot count trickles in, Israeli media predicted Netanyahu, who is on trial over corruption charges he denies, would lead a bloc of four parties taking 65 of the Knesset's 120 seats.  After a campaign dominated by worries over security and the cost of living, support for centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid's ruling coalition collapsed. Lapid stopped short of conceding victory pending the final tally. But he also cancelled his attendance at next week's U.N. climate conference. Less than 18 months out of office, Netanyahu also said he would wait for official results."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/netanyahu-set-comeback-says-brink-big-election-win-2022-11-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Netanyahu says he is on brink of 'very big victory' in Israel election[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to return to power in one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israel's history, causing jitters among Palestinians and Arab neighbours who fear it could ratchet up tensions across the Middle East.
+With roughly 85% of votes counted, Netanyahu's conservative Likud and its likely religious and far-right allies were on pace to control a majority in parliament after Israel's fifth election in less than four years.
+""We are on the brink of a very big victory,"" a smiling Netanyahu told cheering supporters at his Likud party election headquarters, his voice hoarse from weeks of campaigning.
+Netanyahu's prospective alliance with ultranationalist firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir has alarmed Palestinians and members of Israel's minority Arabs. Asked whether Washington shared such concerns, a White House National Security Council spokesperson declined to comment.
+""We look forward to continuing to work with the Israeli government on our shared interests and values,” the spokesperson added.
+As prime minister, Netanyahu government will likely press forward with settlement activity on occupied land where Palestinians, with international support, seek statehood. But his hard line on Iran means Israel's recently struck Gulf Arab alliances should hold firm.
+""No doubt the result of such a coalition will increase the hostile attitude towards the Palestinian people and make occupation measures more extreme,"" Bassam Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters.
+In fresh violence, a Palestinian motorist wounded an Israeli soldier in a West Bank ramming attack before being shot dead.
+Netanyahu vowed to form a ""stable, national government"" that would act responsibly, avoid ""unnecessary adventures"" and ""expand the circle of peace"".Though the landscape could shift as the remaining ballot count trickles in, Israeli media predicted Netanyahu, who is on trial over corruption charges he denies, would lead a bloc of four parties taking 65 of the Knesset's 120 seats.
+After a campaign dominated by worries over security and the cost of living, support for centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid's ruling coalition collapsed. Lapid stopped short of conceding victory pending the final tally. But he also cancelled his attendance at next week's U.N. climate conference.
+Less than 18 months out of office, Netanyahu also said he would wait for official results.
+The record 12-year consecutive reign of Israel's longest serving prime minister ended in June 2021, when Lapid joined estranged Netanyahu ally Naftali Bennett to stitch together an unlikely coalition of liberals, rightists and Arab parties.
+But the fragile alliance unravelled a year into its rule.
+Netanyahu's legal battles have fed the stalemate blocking Israel's political system since 2019 and deepened the split between his supporters and opponents. But he said Israelis were thirsty for change.
+""The people want a different way. They want security,"" Netanyahu said. ""They want power, not weakness ... they want diplomatic wisdom, but with firmness.""
+It remains unclear what position Ben-Gvir and fellow far-right leader Bezalel Smotrich may have in a Netanyahu-led government. But the strength of their Religious Zionism party was one of the outstanding features of the campaign as they brought it surging in from the political margins.
+Ben-Gvir, who advocates expelling anyone deemed disloyal to Israel, is a former member of Kach, a group on Israeli and U.S. terrorist watchlists, and was once convicted for racist incitement. He has moderated some of his more extreme positions.
+His rise alongside Netanyahu has deepened Palestinian scepticism over prospects for a political solution after a campaign that unfolded during increasing violence in the occupied West Bank, with near-daily raids and clashes.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The record 12-year consecutive reign of Israel's longest serving prime minister ended in June 2021, when Lapid joined estranged Netanyahu ally Naftali Bennett to stitch together an unlikely coalition of liberals, rightists and Arab parties. But the fragile alliance unravelled a year into its rule.  Netanyahu's legal battles have fed the stalemate blocking Israel's political system since 2019 and deepened the split between his supporters and opponents. But he said Israelis were thirsty for change.  ""The people want a different way. They want security,"" Netanyahu said. ""They want power, not weakness ... they want diplomatic wisdom, but with firmness.""
+It remains unclear what position Ben-Gvir and fellow far-right leader Bezalel Smotrich may have in a Netanyahu-led government. But the strength of their Religious Zionism party was one of the outstanding features of the campaign as they brought it surging in from the political margins.  Ben-Gvir, who advocates expelling anyone deemed disloyal to Israel, is a former member of Kach, a group on Israeli and U.S. terrorist watchlists, and was once convicted for racist incitement. He has moderated some of his more extreme positions.  His rise alongside Netanyahu has deepened Palestinian scepticism over prospects for a political solution after a campaign that unfolded during increasing violence in the occupied West Bank, with near-daily raids and clashes.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/arabs-view-revived-netanyahu-with-concern-balance-against-iran-2022-11-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Arabs view revived Netanyahu with concern but as balance against Iran[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Benjamin Netanyahu's likely return to power will fuel concern about deepening tensions with Arab neighbours, but Gulf states which forged ties with Israel under his leadership will see him as a regional balance against Iranian power.
+Arab leaders were largely silent on Wednesday over Netanyahu's triumph in Israel's election. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister predicted a new maritime border deal would hold, while Palestinians and Jordanian experts forecast new strains.
+In the Gulf, where Arab concern over Iran's regional power dominates security strategy, Netanyahu's record of hardline opposition to the Shi'ite Muslim-dominated Islamic Republic has helped forge ties with Sunni Muslim Arab leaders.
+It was under Netanyahu's government that Israel normalised relations in 2020 with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and Morocco a few months later.
+Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent Emirati political analyst, said for Gulf states like the UAE, Iran is a main concern and Israel, no matter which government, has always taken a strong line against Iran and its nuclear deal with global powers.
+""Netanyahu was part of the Abraham Accords and signed it so there is no change in the course of normalisation,"" he said.
+""People here (in the Gulf) will consider this as Israeli politics and Israeli internal issues that we have nothing to do with and we are happy to deal with whomever the Israeli people choose as their leader.""
+Abdulla said the victory of what he described as the ""worst of the worst in Israeli politics"" would have an impact mainly on Palestinians and kill any talk of a two-state solution.
+Regional power Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites, has yet to normalise relations although it has taken some steps towards rapprochement.
+Saudi academic Aziz Alghashian said further moves by Riyadh should not be expected.
+""In order for there to be any significant changes ...a process of peace between Palestinians and Israelis should be present - this is now unlikely with the new government,"" Alghashian said.
+LEBANON DEAL
+With Lebanon, Netanyahu has threatened to ""neutralise"" the maritime deal brokered by the United States while Lebanon still considers itself at war with Israel, although Beirut says it was assured by Washington that the deal would not be torpedoed.
+""We're not afraid of a change in the authorities in Israel. Whether Netanyahu wins or someone else, no one can stand in the way of this (deal),"" Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati told Reuters by phone.
+He said U.S. guarantees would protect a maritime border deal with Israel despite opposition from Netanyahu, who has said it could benefit the militant group Hezbollah which has fought Israel.
+""Israel cannot go too far against U.S. wishes because it needs U.S. protection, and therefore it is unlikely that a Netanyahu-led government will tear up the U.S.-brokered maritime border agreement... despite Netanyahu's strong rhetoric,"" said Lina Khatib at London's Chatham House.
+PALESTINIANS, JORDAN
+Leaders at a summit in Algiers glossed over their own divisions over relations with Israel and repeated their support for a Palestinian state - something Netanyahu has steadfastly opposed - but made no reference to the election.
+Netanyahu, whose policies towards Palestinians have angered many in the Arab world since he first came to power 26 years ago, pledged that a government under his leadership would act responsibly, avoid ""unnecessary adventures"" and ""expand the circle of peace.""
+But in Jordan, home to millions of Palestinian refugees and their families, his expected triumph was met with concern.
+Relations between the two countries deteriorated under Netanyahu's last premiership to the extent that King Abdullah terminated part of their 1994 peace deal which allowed Israel the use of two areas of land along their border.
+""Israeli policy under Netanyahu was confrontational with Jordan's official policy,"" said Hamad Faraneh, a former deputy in Jordan's parliament - where a majority of deputies called on the government in April to revoke the peace treaty.
+""Jordan is worried more tensions and violence in Palestine would push more displacement and immigration of Palestinians to the kingdom,"" Faraneh said.
+Jordan's Islamist opposition urged Arab countries to take a robust stance.
+""Today the Israeli right is talking about expelling Palestinians, they are saying there is no (Palestinian) state ..so what is left for Arabs?"" said Murad Adailah, secretary-general of Jordan's Islamic Action Front.
+""What's required of these Arab countries is to depend on their people... and support the resistance of the Palestinians.""
+Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel and a mediator during Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, was likely to find a way to work with Netanyahu again, said HA Hellyer, non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
+Netanyahu ""has been terrible for even the semblance of a peace process which Egypt officially upholds,"" he said. ""But they have dealt with him and they will deal with him again.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Arabs view revived Netanyahu with concern but as balance against Iran[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Benjamin Netanyahu's likely return to power will fuel concern about deepening tensions with Arab neighbours, but Gulf states which forged ties with Israel under his leadership will see him as a regional balance against Iranian power.  Arab leaders were largely silent on Wednesday over Netanyahu's triumph in Israel's election. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister predicted a new maritime border deal would hold, while Palestinians and Jordanian experts forecast new strains.  In the Gulf, where Arab concern over Iran's regional power dominates security strategy, Netanyahu's record of hardline opposition to the Shi'ite Muslim-dominated Islamic Republic has helped forge ties with Sunni Muslim Arab leaders. It was under Netanyahu's government that Israel normalised relations in 2020 with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and Morocco a few months later.  Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent Emirati political analyst, said for Gulf states like the UAE, Iran is a main concern and Israel, no matter which government, has always taken a strong line against Iran and its nuclear deal with global powers.
+"" Netanyahu was part of the Abraham Accords and signed it so there is no change in the course of normalisation,"" he said. ""People here (in the Gulf) will consider this as Israeli politics and Israeli internal issues that we have nothing to do with and we are happy to deal with whomever the Israeli people choose as their leader."" Abdulla said the victory of what he described as the ""worst of the worst in Israeli politics"" would have an impact mainly on Palestinians and kill any talk of a two-state solution.
+Regional power Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites, has yet to normalise relations although it has taken some steps towards rapprochement.
+Saudi academic Aziz Alghashian said further moves by Riyadh should not be expected. ""In order for there to be any significant changes ...a process of peace between Palestinians and Israelis should be present - this is now unlikely with the new government,"" Alghashian said. LEBANON DEAL With Lebanon, Netanyahu has threatened to ""neutralise"" the maritime deal brokered by the United States while Lebanon still considers itself at war with Israel, although Beirut says it was assured by Washington that the deal would not be torpedoed. ""We're not afraid of a change in the authorities in Israel. Whether Netanyahu wins or someone else, no one can stand in the way of this (deal),"" Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati told Reuters by phone."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/arabs-view-revived-netanyahu-with-concern-balance-against-iran-2022-11-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Arabs view revived Netanyahu with concern but as balance against Iran[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Benjamin Netanyahu's likely return to power will fuel concern about deepening tensions with Arab neighbours, but Gulf states which forged ties with Israel under his leadership will see him as a regional balance against Iranian power.
+Arab leaders were largely silent on Wednesday over Netanyahu's triumph in Israel's election. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister predicted a new maritime border deal would hold, while Palestinians and Jordanian experts forecast new strains.
+In the Gulf, where Arab concern over Iran's regional power dominates security strategy, Netanyahu's record of hardline opposition to the Shi'ite Muslim-dominated Islamic Republic has helped forge ties with Sunni Muslim Arab leaders.
+It was under Netanyahu's government that Israel normalised relations in 2020 with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and Morocco a few months later.
+Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent Emirati political analyst, said for Gulf states like the UAE, Iran is a main concern and Israel, no matter which government, has always taken a strong line against Iran and its nuclear deal with global powers.
+""Netanyahu was part of the Abraham Accords and signed it so there is no change in the course of normalisation,"" he said.
+""People here (in the Gulf) will consider this as Israeli politics and Israeli internal issues that we have nothing to do with and we are happy to deal with whomever the Israeli people choose as their leader.""
+Abdulla said the victory of what he described as the ""worst of the worst in Israeli politics"" would have an impact mainly on Palestinians and kill any talk of a two-state solution.
+Regional power Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites, has yet to normalise relations although it has taken some steps towards rapprochement.
+Saudi academic Aziz Alghashian said further moves by Riyadh should not be expected.
+""In order for there to be any significant changes ...a process of peace between Palestinians and Israelis should be present - this is now unlikely with the new government,"" Alghashian said.
+LEBANON DEAL
+With Lebanon, Netanyahu has threatened to ""neutralise"" the maritime deal brokered by the United States while Lebanon still considers itself at war with Israel, although Beirut says it was assured by Washington that the deal would not be torpedoed.
+""We're not afraid of a change in the authorities in Israel. Whether Netanyahu wins or someone else, no one can stand in the way of this (deal),"" Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati told Reuters by phone.
+He said U.S. guarantees would protect a maritime border deal with Israel despite opposition from Netanyahu, who has said it could benefit the militant group Hezbollah which has fought Israel.
+""Israel cannot go too far against U.S. wishes because it needs U.S. protection, and therefore it is unlikely that a Netanyahu-led government will tear up the U.S.-brokered maritime border agreement... despite Netanyahu's strong rhetoric,"" said Lina Khatib at London's Chatham House.
+PALESTINIANS, JORDAN
+Leaders at a summit in Algiers glossed over their own divisions over relations with Israel and repeated their support for a Palestinian state - something Netanyahu has steadfastly opposed - but made no reference to the election.
+Netanyahu, whose policies towards Palestinians have angered many in the Arab world since he first came to power 26 years ago, pledged that a government under his leadership would act responsibly, avoid ""unnecessary adventures"" and ""expand the circle of peace.""
+But in Jordan, home to millions of Palestinian refugees and their families, his expected triumph was met with concern.
+Relations between the two countries deteriorated under Netanyahu's last premiership to the extent that King Abdullah terminated part of their 1994 peace deal which allowed Israel the use of two areas of land along their border.
+""Israeli policy under Netanyahu was confrontational with Jordan's official policy,"" said Hamad Faraneh, a former deputy in Jordan's parliament - where a majority of deputies called on the government in April to revoke the peace treaty.
+""Jordan is worried more tensions and violence in Palestine would push more displacement and immigration of Palestinians to the kingdom,"" Faraneh said.
+Jordan's Islamist opposition urged Arab countries to take a robust stance.
+""Today the Israeli right is talking about expelling Palestinians, they are saying there is no (Palestinian) state ..so what is left for Arabs?"" said Murad Adailah, secretary-general of Jordan's Islamic Action Front.
+""What's required of these Arab countries is to depend on their people... and support the resistance of the Palestinians.""
+Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel and a mediator during Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, was likely to find a way to work with Netanyahu again, said HA Hellyer, non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
+Netanyahu ""has been terrible for even the semblance of a peace process which Egypt officially upholds,"" he said. ""But they have dealt with him and they will deal with him again.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","He said U.S. guarantees would protect a maritime border deal with Israel despite opposition from Netanyahu, who has said it could benefit the militant group Hezbollah which has fought Israel. ""Israel cannot go too far against U.S. wishes because it needs U.S. protection, and therefore it is unlikely that a Netanyahu-led government will tear up the U.S.-brokered maritime border agreement... despite Netanyahu's strong rhetoric,"" said Lina Khatib at London's Chatham House. PALESTINIANS, JORDAN  Leaders at a summit in Algiers glossed over their own divisions over relations with Israel and repeated their support for a Palestinian state - something Netanyahu has steadfastly opposed - but made no reference to the election.
+Netanyahu, whose policies towards Palestinians have angered many in the Arab world since he first came to power 26 years ago, pledged that a government under his leadership would act responsibly, avoid ""unnecessary adventures"" and ""expand the circle of peace.""
+But in Jordan, home to millions of Palestinian refugees and their families, his expected triumph was met with concern. Relations between the two countries deteriorated under Netanyahu's last premiership to the extent that King Abdullah terminated part of their 1994 peace deal which allowed Israel the use of two areas of land along their border.
+""Israeli policy under Netanyahu was confrontational with Jordan's official policy,"" said Hamad Faraneh, a former deputy in Jordan's parliament - where a majority of deputies called on the government in April to revoke the peace treaty.
+"" Jordan is worried more tensions and violence in Palestine would push more displacement and immigration of Palestinians to the kingdom,"" Faraneh said. Jordan's Islamist opposition urged Arab countries to take a robust stance. ""Today the Israeli right is talking about expelling Palestinians, they are saying there is no (Palestinian) state ..so what is left for Arabs?"" said Murad Adailah, secretary-general of Jordan's Islamic Action Front. ""What's required of these Arab countries is to depend on their people... and support the resistance of the Palestinians.""
+Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel and a mediator during Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, was likely to find a way to work with Netanyahu again, said HA Hellyer, non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Netanyahu ""has been terrible for even the semblance of a peace process which Egypt officially upholds,"" he said. ""But they have dealt with him and they will deal with him again.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-fear-netanyahu-win-israeli-election-could-mean-more-violence-2022-11-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]alestinians fear Israeli election result could mean more violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/WEST BANK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The prospect of Benjamin Netanyahu returning to power at the head of one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israeli history has prompted concern among Palestinians who said they feared it was a prelude to further escalation of conflict with Israel.
+Netanyahu's comeback in Tuesday's election is set against the backdrop of the deadliest spell of violence in years between Israel and the Palestinians, whose hopes of statehood appear as distant as ever with Middle East peacemaking in the doldrums.
+More than 100 Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces this year while a string of fatal street attacks by Palestinians has killed 20 people in Israel and Israeli settlements.
+Palestinian officials in the West Bank and Gaza Strip said the ultra-nationalist complexion of Netanyahu's likely alliance, including the firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir, who once advocated expelling Palestinians, prompted concern over further tension.
+""No doubt the result of such a coalition will increase the hostile attitude towards the Palestinian people and make occupation measures more extreme,"" Bassam Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
+The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has fought several wars with Israel over the last decade, predicted the results meant more potential violence.
+""It is clear that the Israelis are leaning towards more extremism, which also means aggression against our people would increase,"" Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Reuters.
+""Netanyahu-led governments that launched several wars against our Palestinian people, and the presence of the most extreme figures in a coalition means that we are going to face more of the Zionist terrorism,"" he said.
+""NO PEACE""
+Netanyahu has long opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has built his career around trying to negotiate peace with Israel, did not mention the election in a speech to an Arab summit on Wednesday.
+But he aired his previously stated view that Israel was ""systematically destroying the two-state solution"", a reference to settlement expansion on territory the Palestinians seek for their state.
+Negotiations stalled in 2014.
+While negotiations have been at a standstill, Abbas has met Defence Minister Benny Gantz to calm tensions and coordinate security measures, and welcomed Prime Minister Yair Lapid's call in September for a two-state solution.
+Reham Owda, a political analyst in Gaza, said the peace process and the Palestinian Authority, in particular, may be the prime loser of a Netanyahu comeback, given his ""personal enmity with ... Abbas and his opposition to the two-state solution"".
+“With Netanyahu, the slogan will be, no peace, no two-state solution, more settlement and the focus will be on Iran,” she told Reuters.
+In the latest West Bank violence, Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian man on Wednesday after a suspected car-ramming attack at a checkpoint that left a soldier severely injured, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.
+Many Palestinians, including refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, said they saw no difference between Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians when it comes to their policies towards the Palestinians.
+""Certainly the situation is going to move from bad to worse. He will continue from where his predecessor left,” said Khaled Shriteh, 29, a Ramallah taxi driver. ""For us, the right and left parties are the same, both are our enemies,"" said Jamal Mansour, a Palestinian refugee in Bourj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut.
+Violence also flared in Gaza in August. At least 49 people including 17 children were killed in 56 hours of fighting that started with what Israel described as preemptive air strikes against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which fired hundreds of missiles into Israel during the flare-up.
+""The Palestinian people will get nothing from this government except war, destruction, killing, bloodshed, house demolition, razing of land and the building of more settlements at the expense of the Palestinian people,"" said Youssef Khattab, a TV director in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]alestinians fear Israeli election result could mean more violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/WEST BANK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The prospect of Benjamin Netanyahu returning to power at the head of one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israeli history has prompted concern among Palestinians who said they feared it was a prelude to further escalation of conflict with Israel. Netanyahu's comeback in Tuesday's election is set against the backdrop of the deadliest spell of violence in years between Israel and the Palestinians, whose hopes of statehood appear as distant as ever with Middle East peacemaking in the doldrums. More than 100 Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces this year while a string of fatal street attacks by Palestinians has killed 20 people in Israel and Israeli settlements. Palestinian officials in the West Bank and Gaza Strip said the ultra-nationalist complexion of Netanyahu's likely alliance, including the firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir, who once advocated expelling Palestinians, prompted concern over further tension.
+""No doubt the result of such a coalition will increase the hostile attitude towards the Palestinian people and make occupation measures more extreme,"" Bassam Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has fought several wars with Israel over the last decade, predicted the results meant more potential violence. ""It is clear that the Israelis are leaning towards more extremism, which also means aggression against our people would increase,"" Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Reuters. ""Netanyahu-led governments that launched several wars against our Palestinian people, and the presence of the most extreme figures in a coalition means that we are going to face more of the Zionist terrorism,"" he said. ""NO PEACE"" Netanyahu has long opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has built his career around trying to negotiate peace with Israel, did not mention the election in a speech to an Arab summit on Wednesday. But he aired his previously stated view that Israel was ""systematically destroying the two-state solution"", a reference to settlement expansion on territory the Palestinians seek for their state."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-fear-netanyahu-win-israeli-election-could-mean-more-violence-2022-11-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]alestinians fear Israeli election result could mean more violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/WEST BANK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The prospect of Benjamin Netanyahu returning to power at the head of one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israeli history has prompted concern among Palestinians who said they feared it was a prelude to further escalation of conflict with Israel.
+Netanyahu's comeback in Tuesday's election is set against the backdrop of the deadliest spell of violence in years between Israel and the Palestinians, whose hopes of statehood appear as distant as ever with Middle East peacemaking in the doldrums.
+More than 100 Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces this year while a string of fatal street attacks by Palestinians has killed 20 people in Israel and Israeli settlements.
+Palestinian officials in the West Bank and Gaza Strip said the ultra-nationalist complexion of Netanyahu's likely alliance, including the firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir, who once advocated expelling Palestinians, prompted concern over further tension.
+""No doubt the result of such a coalition will increase the hostile attitude towards the Palestinian people and make occupation measures more extreme,"" Bassam Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
+The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has fought several wars with Israel over the last decade, predicted the results meant more potential violence.
+""It is clear that the Israelis are leaning towards more extremism, which also means aggression against our people would increase,"" Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Reuters.
+""Netanyahu-led governments that launched several wars against our Palestinian people, and the presence of the most extreme figures in a coalition means that we are going to face more of the Zionist terrorism,"" he said.
+""NO PEACE""
+Netanyahu has long opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has built his career around trying to negotiate peace with Israel, did not mention the election in a speech to an Arab summit on Wednesday.
+But he aired his previously stated view that Israel was ""systematically destroying the two-state solution"", a reference to settlement expansion on territory the Palestinians seek for their state.
+Negotiations stalled in 2014.
+While negotiations have been at a standstill, Abbas has met Defence Minister Benny Gantz to calm tensions and coordinate security measures, and welcomed Prime Minister Yair Lapid's call in September for a two-state solution.
+Reham Owda, a political analyst in Gaza, said the peace process and the Palestinian Authority, in particular, may be the prime loser of a Netanyahu comeback, given his ""personal enmity with ... Abbas and his opposition to the two-state solution"".
+“With Netanyahu, the slogan will be, no peace, no two-state solution, more settlement and the focus will be on Iran,” she told Reuters.
+In the latest West Bank violence, Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian man on Wednesday after a suspected car-ramming attack at a checkpoint that left a soldier severely injured, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.
+Many Palestinians, including refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, said they saw no difference between Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians when it comes to their policies towards the Palestinians.
+""Certainly the situation is going to move from bad to worse. He will continue from where his predecessor left,” said Khaled Shriteh, 29, a Ramallah taxi driver. ""For us, the right and left parties are the same, both are our enemies,"" said Jamal Mansour, a Palestinian refugee in Bourj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut.
+Violence also flared in Gaza in August. At least 49 people including 17 children were killed in 56 hours of fighting that started with what Israel described as preemptive air strikes against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which fired hundreds of missiles into Israel during the flare-up.
+""The Palestinian people will get nothing from this government except war, destruction, killing, bloodshed, house demolition, razing of land and the building of more settlements at the expense of the Palestinian people,"" said Youssef Khattab, a TV director in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Negotiations stalled in 2014.
+While negotiations have been at a standstill, Abbas has met Defence Minister Benny Gantz to calm tensions and coordinate security measures, and welcomed Prime Minister Yair Lapid's call in September for a two-state solution.
+Reham Owda, a political analyst in Gaza, said the peace process and the Palestinian Authority, in particular, may be the prime loser of a Netanyahu comeback, given his ""personal enmity with ... Abbas and his opposition to the two-state solution"".
+“With Netanyahu, the slogan will be, no peace, no two-state solution, more settlement and the focus will be on Iran,” she told Reuters. In the latest West Bank violence, Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian man on Wednesday after a suspected car-ramming attack at a checkpoint that left a soldier severely injured, Palestinian and Israeli officials said. Many Palestinians, including refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, said they saw no difference between Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians when it comes to their policies towards the Palestinians.  ""Certainly the situation is going to move from bad to worse. He will continue from where his predecessor left,” said Khaled Shriteh, 29, a Ramallah taxi driver. ""For us, the right and left parties are the same, both are our enemies,"" said Jamal Mansour, a Palestinian refugee in Bourj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut.  Violence also flared in Gaza in August. At least 49 people including 17 children were killed in 56 hours of fighting that started with what Israel described as preemptive air strikes against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which fired hundreds of missiles into Israel during the flare-up.  ""The Palestinian people will get nothing from this government except war, destruction, killing, bloodshed, house demolition, razing of land and the building of more settlements at the expense of the Palestinian people,"" said Youssef Khattab, a TV director in Gaza.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-turkey-defence-ministers-agree-thaw-chilly-ties-2022-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel, Turkey defence ministers agree to thaw in chilly ties[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said on Thursday he had asked his staff to start the process of resuming working relations with Turkey after meeting his Turkish counterpart in Ankara on the first such visit in over a decade.
+""As agreed in our meetings, I have instructed my staff to begin the procedures required in order to resume working relations,"" Gantz told a joint news conference with Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar.
+Gantz, who is running for prime minister in next week's Israeli election, was also set to meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
+Relations between Israel and Turkey have been rocky since 2011, when Ankara expelled Israel's ambassador following a 2010 Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara aid ship to Gaza, which killed ten Turkish citizens.
+Diplomatic relations were restored in 2016 and the two countries exchanged ambassadors. But two years later Turkey recalled its diplomats from Israel and expelled Israeli envoys when Israeli forces killed a number of Palestinians who had taken part in the ""March of Return"" protests in the Gaza Strip.
+Earlier this year, Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Ankara as part of his first visit to Turkey by an Israeli leader since 2008.
+""Moving forward, we must adopt a steady, positive approach in our relations – maintaining open dialogue,"" Gantz said.
+Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said: ""The improvement of our relations and cooperation with Israel, especially in areas such as defence, security and energy, will lead to important developments regarding regional peace and stability.""
+Better relations with Israel would ""facilitate the resolution of some issues on which we have disagreements, especially on Palestine"", Akar said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel, Turkey defence ministers agree to thaw in chilly ties[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said on Thursday he had asked his staff to start the process of resuming working relations with Turkey after meeting his Turkish counterpart in Ankara on the first such visit in over a decade. ""As agreed in our meetings, I have instructed my staff to begin the procedures required in order to resume working relations,"" Gantz told a joint news conference with Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar. Gantz, who is running for prime minister in next week's Israeli election, was also set to meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Relations between Israel and Turkey have been rocky since 2011, when Ankara expelled Israel's ambassador following a 2010 Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara aid ship to Gaza, which killed ten Turkish citizens.
+Diplomatic relations were restored in 2016 and the two countries exchanged ambassadors. But two years later Turkey recalled its diplomats from Israel and expelled Israeli envoys when Israeli forces killed a number of Palestinians who had taken part in the ""March of Return"" protests in the Gaza Strip. Earlier this year, Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Ankara as part of his first visit to Turkey by an Israeli leader since 2008.  ""Moving forward, we must adopt a steady, positive approach in our relations – maintaining open dialogue,"" Gantz said.
+Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said: ""The improvement of our relations and cooperation with Israel, especially in areas such as defence, security and energy, will lead to important developments regarding regional peace and stability. ""  Better relations with Israel would ""facilitate the resolution of some issues on which we have disagreements, especially on Palestine"", Akar said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-judge-orders-accused-military-leak-suspect-remain-custody-while-awaiting-2023-05-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pentagon leak suspect Jack Teixeira ordered to remain in jail ahead of trial[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+WORCESTER,
+ May 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday ordered the Air National 
+Guardsman accused of leaking military secrets to remain in jail as he 
+awaits trial on charges he violated the Espionage Act.Magistrate
+ Judge David Hennessy made the decision after lawyers for Jack Douglas 
+Teixeira, 21, asked for him to be released to house arrest pending 
+trial. No trial date has been set.Teixeira,
+ arrested on April 13, is the primary suspect in the disclosure of 
+sensitive U.S. documents related to the Ukraine war and numerous other 
+topics - an embarrassing leak that has caused U.S. government 
+soul-searching about its failure to protect vital national security 
+secrets.""Who
+ did he put at risk?"" said Hennessy of U.S. federal court in Worcester, 
+Massachusetts. ""You could make a list as long as a phone book.""Teixeira appeared at the hearing in an orange jumpsuit and a new buzz haircut.In
+ deciding to keep Teixeira behind bars, Hennessy said it was not 
+""implausible at all that a foreign government would make overtures to 
+this defendant to get information.""The
+ judge also cited what he said was Teixeira's fascination with guns, 
+which has ""an unhealthy component,"" and a lack of integrity. The judge 
+said Teixeira did not keep his word on a number of occasions.Later in the 45-minute hearing, Hennessy added, ""He's not worried about anybody but himself.""Teixeira
+ leaked classified documents to a group of gamers on the messaging app 
+Discord, according to prosecutors. The leak is considered the most 
+serious U.S. national security breach since more than 700,000 documents,
+ videos and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010.Teixeira is charged with
+ one count of violating the Espionage Act, related to the unlawful 
+copying and transmitting of sensitive defense material, and a second 
+charge related to the unlawful removal of defense material to an 
+unauthorized location.The
+ leaked documents held highly classified information on allies and 
+adversaries, with details ranging from Ukraine's air defenses to 
+Israel's Mossad spy agency. U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered an 
+investigation into why the alleged leaker had access to the sensitive 
+information.Teixeira is being held in Plymouth County jail south of Boston.While
+ a low-level airman, Teixeira had broad access to military secrets at 
+the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing, 
+according to U.S. Justice Department lawyers.In
+ court papers filed this week, the government said Teixeira's superiors 
+had admonished him twice, in September and October, for his handling of 
+classified informationIn
+ the September incident, a superior saw him taking notes on classified 
+information and shoving a piece of paper into his pocket, according to 
+an Air Force memo filed in his court case. A month later, he was 
+admonished again about taking ""deep dives"" into classified information 
+after asking detailed questions at a briefing.Nevertheless,
+ his superiors offered Teixeira intelligence training even after the 
+admonishments, and Teixeira bragged online in early January that he had 
+broad access to top secret information.“I
+ have stuff for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iran and China,” Teixeira said
+ on social media, according to prosecutors. A month earlier, he referred
+ to “all of the shit I’ve told you guys I’m not supposed to.”[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pentagon leak suspect Jack Teixeira ordered to remain in jail ahead of trial[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+WORCESTER,
+ May 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday ordered the Air National 
+Guardsman accused of leaking military secrets to remain in jail as he 
+awaits trial on charges he violated the Espionage Act. Magistrate
+ Judge David Hennessy made the decision after lawyers for Jack Douglas 
+Teixeira, 21, asked for him to be released to house arrest pending 
+trial. No trial date has been set. Teixeira,
+ arrested on April 13, is the primary suspect in the disclosure of 
+sensitive U.S. documents related to the Ukraine war and numerous other 
+topics - an embarrassing leak that has caused U.S. government 
+soul-searching about its failure to protect vital national security 
+secrets. ""Who
+ did he put at risk?"" said Hennessy of U.S. federal court in Worcester, 
+Massachusetts. ""You could make a list as long as a phone book. ""Teixeira appeared at the hearing in an orange jumpsuit and a new buzz haircut. In
+ deciding to keep Teixeira behind bars, Hennessy said it was not 
+""implausible at all that a foreign government would make overtures to 
+this defendant to get information.""The
+ judge also cited what he said was Teixeira's fascination with guns, 
+which has ""an unhealthy component,"" and a lack of integrity. The judge 
+said Teixeira did not keep his word on a number of occasions. Later in the 45-minute hearing, Hennessy added, ""He's not worried about anybody but himself. ""Teixeira
+ leaked classified documents to a group of gamers on the messaging app 
+Discord, according to prosecutors. The leak is considered the most 
+serious U.S. national security breach since more than 700,000 documents,
+ videos and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010.Teixeira is charged with
+ one count of violating the Espionage Act, related to the unlawful 
+copying and transmitting of sensitive defense material, and a second 
+charge related to the unlawful removal of defense material to an 
+unauthorized location. The
+ leaked documents held highly classified information on allies and 
+adversaries, with details ranging from Ukraine's air defenses to 
+Israel's Mossad spy agency. U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered an 
+investigation into why the alleged leaker had access to the sensitive 
+information. Teixeira is being held in Plymouth County jail south of Boston. While
+ a low-level airman, Teixeira had broad access to military secrets at 
+the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing, 
+according to U.S. Justice Department lawyers."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-judge-orders-accused-military-leak-suspect-remain-custody-while-awaiting-2023-05-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pentagon leak suspect Jack Teixeira ordered to remain in jail ahead of trial[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+WORCESTER,
+ May 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday ordered the Air National 
+Guardsman accused of leaking military secrets to remain in jail as he 
+awaits trial on charges he violated the Espionage Act.Magistrate
+ Judge David Hennessy made the decision after lawyers for Jack Douglas 
+Teixeira, 21, asked for him to be released to house arrest pending 
+trial. No trial date has been set.Teixeira,
+ arrested on April 13, is the primary suspect in the disclosure of 
+sensitive U.S. documents related to the Ukraine war and numerous other 
+topics - an embarrassing leak that has caused U.S. government 
+soul-searching about its failure to protect vital national security 
+secrets.""Who
+ did he put at risk?"" said Hennessy of U.S. federal court in Worcester, 
+Massachusetts. ""You could make a list as long as a phone book.""Teixeira appeared at the hearing in an orange jumpsuit and a new buzz haircut.In
+ deciding to keep Teixeira behind bars, Hennessy said it was not 
+""implausible at all that a foreign government would make overtures to 
+this defendant to get information.""The
+ judge also cited what he said was Teixeira's fascination with guns, 
+which has ""an unhealthy component,"" and a lack of integrity. The judge 
+said Teixeira did not keep his word on a number of occasions.Later in the 45-minute hearing, Hennessy added, ""He's not worried about anybody but himself.""Teixeira
+ leaked classified documents to a group of gamers on the messaging app 
+Discord, according to prosecutors. The leak is considered the most 
+serious U.S. national security breach since more than 700,000 documents,
+ videos and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010.Teixeira is charged with
+ one count of violating the Espionage Act, related to the unlawful 
+copying and transmitting of sensitive defense material, and a second 
+charge related to the unlawful removal of defense material to an 
+unauthorized location.The
+ leaked documents held highly classified information on allies and 
+adversaries, with details ranging from Ukraine's air defenses to 
+Israel's Mossad spy agency. U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered an 
+investigation into why the alleged leaker had access to the sensitive 
+information.Teixeira is being held in Plymouth County jail south of Boston.While
+ a low-level airman, Teixeira had broad access to military secrets at 
+the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing, 
+according to U.S. Justice Department lawyers.In
+ court papers filed this week, the government said Teixeira's superiors 
+had admonished him twice, in September and October, for his handling of 
+classified informationIn
+ the September incident, a superior saw him taking notes on classified 
+information and shoving a piece of paper into his pocket, according to 
+an Air Force memo filed in his court case. A month later, he was 
+admonished again about taking ""deep dives"" into classified information 
+after asking detailed questions at a briefing.Nevertheless,
+ his superiors offered Teixeira intelligence training even after the 
+admonishments, and Teixeira bragged online in early January that he had 
+broad access to top secret information.“I
+ have stuff for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iran and China,” Teixeira said
+ on social media, according to prosecutors. A month earlier, he referred
+ to “all of the shit I’ve told you guys I’m not supposed to.”[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In
+ court papers filed this week, the government said Teixeira's superiors 
+had admonished him twice, in September and October, for his handling of 
+classified informationIn
+ the September incident, a superior saw him taking notes on classified 
+information and shoving a piece of paper into his pocket, according to 
+an Air Force memo filed in his court case. A month later, he was 
+admonished again about taking ""deep dives"" into classified information 
+after asking detailed questions at a briefing. Nevertheless,
+ his superiors offered Teixeira intelligence training even after the 
+admonishments, and Teixeira bragged online in early January that he had 
+broad access to top secret information. “I
+ have stuff for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iran and China,” Teixeira said
+ on social media, according to prosecutors. A month earlier, he referred
+ to “all of the shit I’ve told you guys I’m not supposed to.”[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-military-leak-suspect-got-offer-bolster-intelligence-skills-2023-05-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US military leak suspect got offer to bolster intelligence skills[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WORCESTER, Massachusetts May 19 (Reuters) - Superiors of the U.S. Air National Guardsman accused of leaking military secrets offered him intelligence-related training even after they admonished him twice for his handling of classified information, according to a memo disclosed this week by U.S. Justice Department attorneys.
+Before his arrest in April on espionage charges, Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, was offered a cross-training opportunity as an entry-level ""fusion analyst,"" an Air Force specialty that determines the value and implications of gathered intelligence.
+The offer, which Teixeira declined, came after his superiors suspected him of ignoring a cease-and-desist order given a month earlier “on deep diving into intelligence information,” according to an Oct. 27 Air Force memo filed in his court case.
+Teixeira will appear on Friday in federal court, where a judge is expected to rule on whether he can be released from detention while he awaits trial on charges he violated the Espionage Act. The FBI arrested Teixeira on April 13 at his home in Massachusetts.
+As a low-level airman, Teixeira had broad access to military secrets at the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing.
+In September, one of his superiors saw him taking notes on classified information and shoving a piece of paper into his pocket. He received a warning, and was admonished again a month later after asking detailed questions at a briefing, according to the Justice Department.
+Attorneys with the Justice Department argue that Teixeira cannot be trusted to live at home with his father. At a detention hearing last month, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini told the judge it would be hard to imagine that Teixeira would not seek to make himself available to others who want the secret information he is accused of stealing.
+Even after his warnings last year, Teixeira bragged online in early January that he had broad access to top secret information.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US military leak suspect got offer to bolster intelligence skills[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WORCESTER, Massachusetts May 19 (Reuters) - Superiors of the U.S. Air National Guardsman accused of leaking military secrets offered him intelligence-related training even after they admonished him twice for his handling of classified information, according to a memo disclosed this week by U.S. Justice Department attorneys. Before his arrest in April on espionage charges, Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, was offered a cross-training opportunity as an entry-level ""fusion analyst,"" an Air Force specialty that determines the value and implications of gathered intelligence.  The offer, which Teixeira declined, came after his superiors suspected him of ignoring a cease-and-desist order given a month earlier “on deep diving into intelligence information,” according to an Oct. 27 Air Force memo filed in his court case.
+Teixeira will appear on Friday in federal court, where a judge is expected to rule on whether he can be released from detention while he awaits trial on charges he violated the Espionage Act. The FBI arrested Teixeira on April 13 at his home in Massachusetts. As a low-level airman, Teixeira had broad access to military secrets at the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing.  In September, one of his superiors saw him taking notes on classified information and shoving a piece of paper into his pocket. He received a warning, and was admonished again a month later after asking detailed questions at a briefing, according to the Justice Department.  Attorneys with the Justice Department argue that Teixeira cannot be trusted to live at home with his father. At a detention hearing last month, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini told the judge it would be hard to imagine that Teixeira would not seek to make himself available to others who want the secret information he is accused of stealing. Even after his warnings last year, Teixeira bragged online in early January that he had broad access to top secret information.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-national-flag-march-jerusalem-rattles-palestinians-2023-05-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel's 'Flag March' in Jerusalem rattles Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 18 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Israeli nationalists marched through the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem's walled Old City under heavy security on Thursday in an annual event that drew condemnation from Palestinians.
+The parade is the main celebration on Jerusalem Day, when Israel marks its capture of Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. The event has become a show of force for Jewish nationalists and, for Palestinians, a blatant provocation meant to undermine their ties to the city.
+Despite fears the event could spark a renewed violence following days of cross-border fire with Palestinian militant fighters in Gaza last week, the march ended with no major security incidents.
+During the afternoon, rowdy crowds of Jewish youth danced and chanted, and there were heated confrontations, with shouts of ""Death to Arabs"" and other slogans. A number of journalists covering the event were attacked by marchers.
+As the march ended in a mass gathering in front of the Western Wall, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the march to go ahead despite security concerns. ""Jerusalem will stay united forever,"" he said.
+Around 2,500 officers were assigned to the march to keep it peaceful, according to police who prepared for all scenarios, including violence and anti-Arab chants by some marchers toward Palestinians.
+As crowds gathered at the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City during the afternoon at the start of the march, a handful of flags belonging to Lehava, a far-right anti-Arab group, could be seen among the mass of blue and white Israeli national flags.
+Many Palestinian shopkeers shuttered their businesses in the Old City, where march organisers hung Israeli flags along the narrow alleyways.
+Earlier on Thursday, hundreds of Jewish pilgrims, including members of parliament, toured the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City. The site, which Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary, is the third holiest in Islam and also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, a vestige of their faith's two ancient temples.
+The visits passed without incident, but Palestinians have been angered by the rising number of Jewish visitors to the compound, some of whom defy a ban on non-Muslim prayer there.Jordan, which has a custodial role over the Muslim and Christian holy sites of Jerusalem, condemned the visits as a provocation that risked escalating tensions.
+FLAG MARCHES
+Palestinians view the heavily policed Jerusalem Day procession as part of a broader campaign to bolster Jewish presence across the city to their detriment.
+Israel, which decades ago annexed East Jerusalem in a move that has not won international recognition, regards the entire city as its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem, the part captured by Israel in 1967, as the capital of a future state that would include the West Bank and Gaza.
+""Jerusalem, with its Islamic and Christian sanctities, is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine,"" Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a statement.
+Palestinians organised their own flag marches across the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Palestinian Islamist-ruled Gaza on Thursday, with some processions only a few hundred metres away from the Israel-Gaza separation fence.
+In Gaza, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said the group was not interested in an escalation of conflict with Israel.
+During the 2021 march, Hamas, the Islamist group that governs the blockaded coastal enclave, fired rockets into Israel that triggered an 11-day war which killed at least 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 people in Israel.
+Last month, an Israeli police raid in the Al-Aqsa compound drew rocket fire from groups in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
+Hamas has cast itself as a defender of Jerusalem's Palestinians and Muslim holy sites in recent years. But with another round of fighting between Israel and Gaza militants ending only last week, in which 34 Palestinians and an Israeli were killed, the appetite for more hostilities appeared low.
+Egypt, which mediated Saturday's truce, spoke to Israeli and Palestinian factions ahead of the march in efforts to reduce tensions[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel's 'Flag March' in Jerusalem rattles Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 18 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Israeli nationalists marched through the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem's walled Old City under heavy security on Thursday in an annual event that drew condemnation from Palestinians.  The parade is the main celebration on Jerusalem Day, when Israel marks its capture of Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. The event has become a show of force for Jewish nationalists and, for Palestinians, a blatant provocation meant to undermine their ties to the city. Despite fears the event could spark a renewed violence following days of cross-border fire with Palestinian militant fighters in Gaza last week, the march ended with no major security incidents.  During the afternoon, rowdy crowds of Jewish youth danced and chanted, and there were heated confrontations, with shouts of ""Death to Arabs"" and other slogans. A number of journalists covering the event were attacked by marchers. As the march ended in a mass gathering in front of the Western Wall, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the march to go ahead despite security concerns. ""Jerusalem will stay united forever,"" he said. Around 2,500 officers were assigned to the march to keep it peaceful, according to police who prepared for all scenarios, including violence and anti-Arab chants by some marchers toward Palestinians. As crowds gathered at the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City during the afternoon at the start of the march, a handful of flags belonging to Lehava, a far-right anti-Arab group, could be seen among the mass of blue and white Israeli national flags.
+Many Palestinian shopkeers shuttered their businesses in the Old City, where march organisers hung Israeli flags along the narrow alleyways.  Earlier on Thursday, hundreds of Jewish pilgrims, including members of parliament, toured the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City. The site, which Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary, is the third holiest in Islam and also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, a vestige of their faith's two ancient temples.  The visits passed without incident, but Palestinians have been angered by the rising number of Jewish visitors to the compound, some of whom defy a ban on non-Muslim prayer there. Jordan, which has a custodial role over the Muslim and Christian holy sites of Jerusalem, condemned the visits as a provocation that risked escalating tensions. FLAG MARCHES Palestinians view the heavily policed Jerusalem Day procession as part of a broader campaign to bolster Jewish presence across the city to their detriment. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-national-flag-march-jerusalem-rattles-palestinians-2023-05-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel's 'Flag March' in Jerusalem rattles Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 18 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Israeli nationalists marched through the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem's walled Old City under heavy security on Thursday in an annual event that drew condemnation from Palestinians.
+The parade is the main celebration on Jerusalem Day, when Israel marks its capture of Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. The event has become a show of force for Jewish nationalists and, for Palestinians, a blatant provocation meant to undermine their ties to the city.
+Despite fears the event could spark a renewed violence following days of cross-border fire with Palestinian militant fighters in Gaza last week, the march ended with no major security incidents.
+During the afternoon, rowdy crowds of Jewish youth danced and chanted, and there were heated confrontations, with shouts of ""Death to Arabs"" and other slogans. A number of journalists covering the event were attacked by marchers.
+As the march ended in a mass gathering in front of the Western Wall, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the march to go ahead despite security concerns. ""Jerusalem will stay united forever,"" he said.
+Around 2,500 officers were assigned to the march to keep it peaceful, according to police who prepared for all scenarios, including violence and anti-Arab chants by some marchers toward Palestinians.
+As crowds gathered at the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City during the afternoon at the start of the march, a handful of flags belonging to Lehava, a far-right anti-Arab group, could be seen among the mass of blue and white Israeli national flags.
+Many Palestinian shopkeers shuttered their businesses in the Old City, where march organisers hung Israeli flags along the narrow alleyways.
+Earlier on Thursday, hundreds of Jewish pilgrims, including members of parliament, toured the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City. The site, which Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary, is the third holiest in Islam and also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, a vestige of their faith's two ancient temples.
+The visits passed without incident, but Palestinians have been angered by the rising number of Jewish visitors to the compound, some of whom defy a ban on non-Muslim prayer there.Jordan, which has a custodial role over the Muslim and Christian holy sites of Jerusalem, condemned the visits as a provocation that risked escalating tensions.
+FLAG MARCHES
+Palestinians view the heavily policed Jerusalem Day procession as part of a broader campaign to bolster Jewish presence across the city to their detriment.
+Israel, which decades ago annexed East Jerusalem in a move that has not won international recognition, regards the entire city as its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem, the part captured by Israel in 1967, as the capital of a future state that would include the West Bank and Gaza.
+""Jerusalem, with its Islamic and Christian sanctities, is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine,"" Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a statement.
+Palestinians organised their own flag marches across the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Palestinian Islamist-ruled Gaza on Thursday, with some processions only a few hundred metres away from the Israel-Gaza separation fence.
+In Gaza, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said the group was not interested in an escalation of conflict with Israel.
+During the 2021 march, Hamas, the Islamist group that governs the blockaded coastal enclave, fired rockets into Israel that triggered an 11-day war which killed at least 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 people in Israel.
+Last month, an Israeli police raid in the Al-Aqsa compound drew rocket fire from groups in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
+Hamas has cast itself as a defender of Jerusalem's Palestinians and Muslim holy sites in recent years. But with another round of fighting between Israel and Gaza militants ending only last week, in which 34 Palestinians and an Israeli were killed, the appetite for more hostilities appeared low.
+Egypt, which mediated Saturday's truce, spoke to Israeli and Palestinian factions ahead of the march in efforts to reduce tensions[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel, which decades ago annexed East Jerusalem in a move that has not won international recognition, regards the entire city as its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem, the part captured by Israel in 1967, as the capital of a future state that would include the West Bank and Gaza. ""Jerusalem, with its Islamic and Christian sanctities, is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine,"" Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a statement.
+Palestinians organised their own flag marches across the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Palestinian Islamist-ruled Gaza on Thursday, with some processions only a few hundred metres away from the Israel-Gaza separation fence. In Gaza, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said the group was not interested in an escalation of conflict with Israel. During the 2021 march, Hamas, the Islamist group that governs the blockaded coastal enclave, fired rockets into Israel that triggered an 11-day war which killed at least 250 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 people in Israel. Last month, an Israeli police raid in the Al-Aqsa compound drew rocket fire from groups in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
+Hamas has cast itself as a defender of Jerusalem's Palestinians and Muslim holy sites in recent years. But with another round of fighting between Israel and Gaza militants ending only last week, in which 34 Palestinians and an Israeli were killed, the appetite for more hostilities appeared low. Egypt, which mediated Saturday's truce, spoke to Israeli and Palestinian factions ahead of the march in efforts to reduce tensions[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/islamic-jihad-palestinian-faction-with-rockets-iranian-backing-2023-05-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian faction with rockets and Iranian backing[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 9 (Reuters) - Israel killed three senior commanders from Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group, and 10 civilians in surprise strikes in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, medical officials said.
+Following are some facts about Islamic Jihad:
+* Founded in the late 1970s by Fathi Shiqaqi and Abdel-Aziz Odeh, Islamic Jihad gained support among Palestinians disillusioned with Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Shiqaqi was assassinated in 1995 in Malta, apparently by Israeli agents.
+* The group is sworn to destroying Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state spanning what was pre-1948 British Mandate Palestine, including the West Bank and Gaza, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+* A recipient of Iranian funding and know-how estimated by Israel to be in the tens of millions of dollars annually, Islamic Jihad has foreign headquarters in Beirut and Damascus and its deployment in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while more limited than in Gaza, has recently grown.
+* Islamic Jihad has the second-biggest armed network in Gaza after that of the enclave's governing militant group Hamas. Up-to-date figures on Islamic Jihad's strength are difficult to come by, with 2021 estimates ranging from about 1,000 to several thousand gunmen, according to the CIA's World Factbook. The group also has a significant arsenal of rockets, mortars, rockets and anti-tank missiles. Islamic Jihad does not disclose such information.
+* Unlike Hamas, Islamic Jihad has not contested Palestinian parliamentary elections and appears to have no ambition to form a government in Gaza or the West Bank.
+* Islamic Jihad is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and European countries.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian faction with rockets and Iranian backing[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 9 (Reuters) - Israel killed three senior commanders from Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group, and 10 civilians in surprise strikes in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, medical officials said. Following are some facts about Islamic Jihad:  * Founded in the late 1970s by Fathi Shiqaqi and Abdel-Aziz Odeh, Islamic Jihad gained support among Palestinians disillusioned with Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Shiqaqi was assassinated in 1995 in Malta, apparently by Israeli agents.
+* The group is sworn to destroying Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state spanning what was pre-1948 British Mandate Palestine, including the West Bank and Gaza, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.  * A recipient of Iranian funding and know-how estimated by Israel to be in the tens of millions of dollars annually, Islamic Jihad has foreign headquarters in Beirut and Damascus and its deployment in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while more limited than in Gaza, has recently grown.  * Islamic Jihad has the second-biggest armed network in Gaza after that of the enclave's governing militant group Hamas. Up-to-date figures on Islamic Jihad's strength are difficult to come by, with 2021 estimates ranging from about 1,000 to several thousand gunmen, according to the CIA's World Factbook. The group also has a significant arsenal of rockets, mortars, rockets and anti-tank missiles. Islamic Jihad does not disclose such information.  * Unlike Hamas, Islamic Jihad has not contested Palestinian parliamentary elections and appears to have no ambition to form a government in Gaza or the West Bank.  * Islamic Jihad is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and European countries.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-publishes-tenders-new-west-bank-settlement-units-2023-05-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel publishes tenders for new West Bank settlement units[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 7 (Reuters) - Israel has published tenders for more than 1,000 new housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite a commitment it made in U.S.-backed talks in February that discussion of new settlement units would be halted for the next four months.
+Since the meeting in Jordan, attended by U.S., Egyptian, Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli officials, the Israel Land Authority has published on its website separate tenders for 1,248 new housing units in West Bank settlements.
+The settlements include Beitar Illit, Efrat, Kiryat Arba, Ma'ale Efraim and Karnei Shomron in addition to 89 units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Gilo.
+""All the tenders that were published are in line with the rules and have received the required permissions, including from the defence minister,"" Israel's housing ministry said. There was no comment from the defence ministry.
+The expansion of settlements in the West Bank has been among the most contentious issues between Israel and the Palestinians and the international community for decades. It has continued despite repeated calls for construction to stop from allies including the United States.
+According to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, just under 700,000 settlers live in 279 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, up from 520,000 in 2012.
+The Palestinians say the expansion of Jewish settlements on occupied land undermines their bid for a viable state and most countries deem such construction as illegal under international law. Israel disputes that and cites biblical, historical and political ties to the West Bank, as well as security interests.
+Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist religious coalition, which includes prominent ministers from the settler movement, has pressed ahead with settlement expansion plans since coming to office in January.
+In February, the committee charged with overseeing settlement plans approved the promotion of more than 7,000 housing units, most deep inside the West Bank, according to Peace Now, an anti-settlement group that observed the hearings.
+In March, parliament cleared the way for settlers to return to four settlements in the West Bank, amending a law which ordered their evacuation in 2005.
+Although peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled since 2014, the United States helped organise meetings in Jordan and Egypt this year to try to calm a surge of violence that has lasted for months.
+As part of measures agreed following the meeting in Jordan in February, Israel said it would halt discussion of new settlements for four months.
+""By expanding settlements, Israel's extremist government is trying to make impossible the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,"" said Wasel Abu Yousef, member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's Executive Committee.
+The Palestinians aim to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+More than 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, and have endured decades of military rule that Palestinians and some rights groups say amounts to apartheid.
+Israel denies it maintains an apartheid policy against Palestinians.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel publishes tenders for new West Bank settlement units[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 7 (Reuters) - Israel has published tenders for more than 1,000 new housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite a commitment it made in U.S.-backed talks in February that discussion of new settlement units would be halted for the next four months . Since the meeting in Jordan, attended by U.S., Egyptian, Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli officials, the Israel Land Authority has published on its website separate tenders for 1,248 new housing units in West Bank settlements. The settlements include Beitar Illit, Efrat, Kiryat Arba, Ma'ale Efraim and Karnei Shomron in addition to 89 units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Gilo.  ""All the tenders that were published are in line with the rules and have received the required permissions, including from the defence minister,"" Israel's housing ministry said. There was no comment from the defence ministry.  The expansion of settlements in the West Bank has been among the most contentious issues between Israel and the Palestinians and the international community for decades. It has continued despite repeated calls for construction to stop from allies including the United States. According to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, just under 700,000 settlers live in 279 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, up from 520,000 in 2012.  The Palestinians say the expansion of Jewish settlements on occupied land undermines their bid for a viable state and most countries deem such construction as illegal under international law. Israel disputes that and cites biblical, historical and political ties to the West Bank, as well as security interests. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist religious coalition, which includes prominent ministers from the settler movement, has pressed ahead with settlement expansion plans since coming to office in January. In February, the committee charged with overseeing settlement plans approved the promotion of more than 7,000 housing units, most deep inside the West Bank, according to Peace Now, an anti-settlement group that observed the hearings. In March, parliament cleared the way for settlers to return to four settlements in the West Bank, amending a law which ordered their evacuation in 2005. Although peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled since 2014, the United States helped organise meetings in Jordan and Egypt this year to try to calm a surge of violence that has lasted for months.  As part of measures agreed following the meeting in Jordan in February, Israel said it would halt discussion of new settlements for four months."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-publishes-tenders-new-west-bank-settlement-units-2023-05-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel publishes tenders for new West Bank settlement units[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 7 (Reuters) - Israel has published tenders for more than 1,000 new housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite a commitment it made in U.S.-backed talks in February that discussion of new settlement units would be halted for the next four months.
+Since the meeting in Jordan, attended by U.S., Egyptian, Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli officials, the Israel Land Authority has published on its website separate tenders for 1,248 new housing units in West Bank settlements.
+The settlements include Beitar Illit, Efrat, Kiryat Arba, Ma'ale Efraim and Karnei Shomron in addition to 89 units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Gilo.
+""All the tenders that were published are in line with the rules and have received the required permissions, including from the defence minister,"" Israel's housing ministry said. There was no comment from the defence ministry.
+The expansion of settlements in the West Bank has been among the most contentious issues between Israel and the Palestinians and the international community for decades. It has continued despite repeated calls for construction to stop from allies including the United States.
+According to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, just under 700,000 settlers live in 279 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, up from 520,000 in 2012.
+The Palestinians say the expansion of Jewish settlements on occupied land undermines their bid for a viable state and most countries deem such construction as illegal under international law. Israel disputes that and cites biblical, historical and political ties to the West Bank, as well as security interests.
+Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist religious coalition, which includes prominent ministers from the settler movement, has pressed ahead with settlement expansion plans since coming to office in January.
+In February, the committee charged with overseeing settlement plans approved the promotion of more than 7,000 housing units, most deep inside the West Bank, according to Peace Now, an anti-settlement group that observed the hearings.
+In March, parliament cleared the way for settlers to return to four settlements in the West Bank, amending a law which ordered their evacuation in 2005.
+Although peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled since 2014, the United States helped organise meetings in Jordan and Egypt this year to try to calm a surge of violence that has lasted for months.
+As part of measures agreed following the meeting in Jordan in February, Israel said it would halt discussion of new settlements for four months.
+""By expanding settlements, Israel's extremist government is trying to make impossible the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,"" said Wasel Abu Yousef, member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's Executive Committee.
+The Palestinians aim to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+More than 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, and have endured decades of military rule that Palestinians and some rights groups say amounts to apartheid.
+Israel denies it maintains an apartheid policy against Palestinians.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""By expanding settlements, Israel's extremist government is trying to make impossible the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,"" said Wasel Abu Yousef, member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's Executive Committee. The Palestinians aim to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. More than 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, and have endured decades of military rule that Palestinians and some rights groups say amounts to apartheid.
+Israel denies it maintains an apartheid policy against Palestinians.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-say-militant-held-raid-west-bank-city-jenin-2023-04-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill Palestinian teen in West Bank clash, Palestinian officials say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, April 28 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager during clashes in the occupied West Bank on Friday, Palestinian officials said.
+The Israeli army said that dozens of Palestinians in a town near Bethlehem hurled rocks towards soldiers ""who responded with riot dispersal means and shooting into the air.""
+""Suspects continued to hurl rocks towards the soldiers, posing a life threat,"" the army said. ""The soldiers responded using live ammunition. Hits were identified.""
+It added that the incident was being reviewed.
+The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 16-year-old was shot dead during the clash.
+Earlier, Israel's military said it arrested a suspected militant and confiscated weapons in a raid in the city of Jenin that led to clashes with Palestinian fighters.
+Israeli forces said they shot at suspects who hurled explosive devices at them. Palestine TV said the soldiers wounded two people, including a 14-year-old boy. It said the forces blocked the movement of ambulances and conducted arrests before withdrawing.
+Israeli-Palestinian violence has surged this year, with frequent military raids and violence by Israeli settlers amid a spate of Palestinian attacks. More than 90 Palestinians and at least 19 Israelis and foreigners have been killed since January.
+Israel captured the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state, in the 1967 Middle East war. It has since built large settlements there while U.S.-sponsored statehood talks have stalled.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill Palestinian teen in West Bank clash, Palestinian officials say[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, April 28 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager during clashes in the occupied West Bank on Friday, Palestinian officials said.  The Israeli army said that dozens of Palestinians in a town near Bethlehem hurled rocks towards soldiers ""who responded with riot dispersal means and shooting into the air.""
+""Suspects continued to hurl rocks towards the soldiers, posing a life threat,"" the army said. "" The soldiers responded using live ammunition. Hits were identified."" It added that the incident was being reviewed. The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 16-year-old was shot dead during the clash. Earlier, Israel's military said it arrested a suspected militant and confiscated weapons in a raid in the city of Jenin that led to clashes with Palestinian fighters.  Israeli forces said they shot at suspects who hurled explosive devices at them. Palestine TV said the soldiers wounded two people, including a 14-year-old boy. It said the forces blocked the movement of ambulances and conducted arrests before withdrawing. Israeli-Palestinian violence has surged this year, with frequent military raids and violence by Israeli settlers amid a spate of Palestinian attacks. More than 90 Palestinians and at least 19 Israelis and foreigners have been killed since January.  Israel captured the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state, in the 1967 Middle East war. It has since built large settlements there while U.S.-sponsored statehood talks have stalled.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-opposition-seeks-icc-probe-police-head-over-violence-against-protesters-2023-04-14/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Kenya opposition seeks ICC probe of police head over violence against protesters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NAIROBI, April 14 (Reuters) - Kenya's opposition alliance has written to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) asking him to open an investigation into the head of the police who it accuses of ordering attacks on its supporters during anti-government protests.
+Opposition leader Raila Odinga suspended anti-government protests after an appeal from President William Ruto at the start of this month, opting to give dialogue a chance.
+Thousands participated in three marches held over two weeks last month. The protests, in part spurred by accusations of fraud in last August' s presidential election, were all marred by violence.
+The alliance, which is known as Azimio, said it had written to ICC asking it to probe Japhet Koome, the inspector general of police. It accused him of breaching the constitution by banning the protests and threatening its supporters with death and physical harm.
+Koome did not immediately respond to phone calls and messages seeking comment on the opposition's request for a probe.
+Resila Onyango, the police spokesperson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the opposition's letter to the ICC.
+""Kenya... has neglected, failed and or refused to take the requisite steps to prosecute this matter and ensure that the perpetrator is brought to justice,"" Paul Mwangi, the alliance's lawyer, said in a letter to ICC'S Office of the Prosecutor.
+The ICC does not comment on communications it receives from member states. The court gets hundreds of communications per year, which are reviewed, but it is up to the prosecutor to determine whether they warrant an investigation.
+The court is currently handling investigations from Ukraine, Israel-Palestine and Afghanistan, among others.
+The Kenyan government has previously said police officers are prohibited from using live bullets during protests and only respond with force when there is threat to life and property.
+Kenya has had cases at the International Criminal Court stemming from 2007-2008 post-election violence in which more than 1,200 people died.
+The cases, including one against Ruto and former President Uhuru Kenyatta, collapsed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Kenya opposition seeks ICC probe of police head over violence against protesters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NAIROBI, April 14 (Reuters) - Kenya's opposition alliance has written to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) asking him to open an investigation into the head of the police who it accuses of ordering attacks on its supporters during anti-government protests. Opposition leader Raila Odinga suspended anti-government protests after an appeal from President William Ruto at the start of this month, opting to give dialogue a chance.
+Thousands participated in three marches held over two weeks last month. The protests, in part spurred by accusations of fraud in last August' s presidential election, were all marred by violence.  The alliance, which is known as Azimio, said it had written to ICC asking it to probe Japhet Koome, the inspector general of police. It accused him of breaching the constitution by banning the protests and threatening its supporters with death and physical harm. Koome did not immediately respond to phone calls and messages seeking comment on the opposition's request for a probe. Resila Onyango, the police spokesperson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the opposition's letter to the ICC. ""Kenya... has neglected, failed and or refused to take the requisite steps to prosecute this matter and ensure that the perpetrator is brought to justice,"" Paul Mwangi, the alliance's lawyer, said in a letter to ICC'S Office of the Prosecutor.  The ICC does not comment on communications it receives from member states. The court gets hundreds of communications per year, which are reviewed, but it is up to the prosecutor to determine whether they warrant an investigation. The court is currently handling investigations from Ukraine, Israel-Palestine and Afghanistan, among others. The Kenyan government has previously said police officers are prohibited from using live bullets during protests and only respond with force when there is threat to life and property.
+Kenya has had cases at the International Criminal Court stemming from 2007-2008 post-election violence in which more than 1,200 people died.  The cases, including one against Ruto and former President Uhuru Kenyatta, collapsed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/pilgrims-flock-ancient-holy-land-church-palestinian-congregation-shrinks-2023-04-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pilgrims flock to ancient Holy Land church as Palestinian congregation shrinks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BURQIN, West Bank, April 13 (Reuters) - One of the world's oldest churches, built on top of a cave in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and festooned with golden icons, attracts thousands of Christian pilgrims every year.
+But the Church of the Ten Lepers' own congregation of Palestinian Christians grows ever smaller.
+The first church on the site, in the northern West Bank town of Burqin, was built more than 1,600 years ago to commemorate a miracle.
+Christians believe the cave, which used to serve as a Roman cistern, is where Jesus healed 10 lepers, who were isolating there to prevent the disease from spreading, as he passed by en route to Jerusalem from Nazareth.
+Early Christians faced persecution and the first prayers at the site were in secret. But in the fourth century, Saint Helena, the mother of the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity, visited and decided to build a church there, said Father Spiridon Shukha.
+The Greek Orthodox priest led a recent Friday service at the church before about a dozen worshippers, a congregation dwarfed by the number of visitors to the church, who Burqin's mayor said in 2019 totalled between 200 and 300 per month.
+While holiday services are held on Sundays, throughout most of the year the dwindling local community gathers for prayer on Fridays, when they are off work, said Father Shukha.
+Today, only about 70 Palestinian Christians remain in the town of 8,500 people, said Moeen Jabbour, its administrative manager.
+""In Palestine, we face several difficulties, including (Israeli) occupation and the economic situation... There are no jobs, so (our youth)... move elsewhere,"" he said. ""This is why Christian presence is shrinking in this town.""
+Burqin is not alone, and there are concerns within the Church that some Christian holy sites in Jesus' birthplace could become mere historical monuments.
+According to Protecting Holy Land Christians, a campaign organised by the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, the Christian proportion of the population across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories has dropped to 2% from 11% about a century ago.
+The campaign says Christians are also being driven out by rising acts of violence and vandalism targeting them.
+Father Shukha admitted there were challenges, but has faith in his parish's continued survival as part of the local fabric.
+""We are the children of this land. This is where Jesus lived, not Europe or the United States,"" he said. ""It is true there are few of us here, but we call ourselves the salt of the earth because even a pinch of salt can add a lot of flavour to this town.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pilgrims flock to ancient Holy Land church as Palestinian congregation shrinks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BURQIN, West Bank, April 13 (Reuters) - One of the world's oldest churches, built on top of a cave in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and festooned with golden icons, attracts thousands of Christian pilgrims every year. But the Church of the Ten Lepers' own congregation of Palestinian Christians grows ever smaller. The first church on the site, in the northern West Bank town of Burqin, was built more than 1,600 years ago to commemorate a miracle. Christians believe the cave, which used to serve as a Roman cistern, is where Jesus healed 10 lepers, who were isolating there to prevent the disease from spreading, as he passed by en route to Jerusalem from Nazareth.  Early Christians faced persecution and the first prayers at the site were in secret. But in the fourth century, Saint Helena, the mother of the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity, visited and decided to build a church there, said Father Spiridon Shukha. The Greek Orthodox priest led a recent Friday service at the church before about a dozen worshippers, a congregation dwarfed by the number of visitors to the church, who Burqin's mayor said in 2019 totalled between 200 and 300 per month. While holiday services are held on Sundays, throughout most of the year the dwindling local community gathers for prayer on Fridays, when they are off work, said Father Shukha.
+Today, only about 70 Palestinian Christians remain in the town of 8,500 people, said Moeen Jabbour, its administrative manager. ""In Palestine, we face several difficulties, including (Israeli) occupation and the economic situation... There are no jobs, so (our youth)... move elsewhere,"" he said. ""This is why Christian presence is shrinking in this town. "" Burqin is not alone, and there are concerns within the Church that some Christian holy sites in Jesus' birthplace could become mere historical monuments. According to Protecting Holy Land Christians, a campaign organised by the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, the Christian proportion of the population across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories has dropped to 2% from 11% about a century ago. The campaign says Christians are also being driven out by rising acts of violence and vandalism targeting them. Father Shukha admitted there were challenges, but has faith in his parish's continued survival as part of the local fabric. ""We are the children of this land. This is where Jesus lived, not Europe or the United States,"" he said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/pilgrims-flock-ancient-holy-land-church-palestinian-congregation-shrinks-2023-04-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pilgrims flock to ancient Holy Land church as Palestinian congregation shrinks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BURQIN, West Bank, April 13 (Reuters) - One of the world's oldest churches, built on top of a cave in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and festooned with golden icons, attracts thousands of Christian pilgrims every year.
+But the Church of the Ten Lepers' own congregation of Palestinian Christians grows ever smaller.
+The first church on the site, in the northern West Bank town of Burqin, was built more than 1,600 years ago to commemorate a miracle.
+Christians believe the cave, which used to serve as a Roman cistern, is where Jesus healed 10 lepers, who were isolating there to prevent the disease from spreading, as he passed by en route to Jerusalem from Nazareth.
+Early Christians faced persecution and the first prayers at the site were in secret. But in the fourth century, Saint Helena, the mother of the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity, visited and decided to build a church there, said Father Spiridon Shukha.
+The Greek Orthodox priest led a recent Friday service at the church before about a dozen worshippers, a congregation dwarfed by the number of visitors to the church, who Burqin's mayor said in 2019 totalled between 200 and 300 per month.
+While holiday services are held on Sundays, throughout most of the year the dwindling local community gathers for prayer on Fridays, when they are off work, said Father Shukha.
+Today, only about 70 Palestinian Christians remain in the town of 8,500 people, said Moeen Jabbour, its administrative manager.
+""In Palestine, we face several difficulties, including (Israeli) occupation and the economic situation... There are no jobs, so (our youth)... move elsewhere,"" he said. ""This is why Christian presence is shrinking in this town.""
+Burqin is not alone, and there are concerns within the Church that some Christian holy sites in Jesus' birthplace could become mere historical monuments.
+According to Protecting Holy Land Christians, a campaign organised by the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, the Christian proportion of the population across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories has dropped to 2% from 11% about a century ago.
+The campaign says Christians are also being driven out by rising acts of violence and vandalism targeting them.
+Father Shukha admitted there were challenges, but has faith in his parish's continued survival as part of the local fabric.
+""We are the children of this land. This is where Jesus lived, not Europe or the United States,"" he said. ""It is true there are few of us here, but we call ourselves the salt of the earth because even a pinch of salt can add a lot of flavour to this town.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""It is true there are few of us here, but we call ourselves the salt of the earth because even a pinch of salt can add a lot of flavour to this town.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/indonesia-fa-plans-fifa-talks-amid-protests-over-israel-u20-world-cup-2023-03-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Indonesia president says no foreign policy change in hosting Israel for U-20 World Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JAKARTA, March 28 (Reuters) - Indonesia's president said on Tuesday that Israel's participation in the Under-20 World Cup to be hosted by his country meant no change to its foreign policy, stressing amid domestic protests that sport and politics should not be mixed.
+Joko Widodo confirmed he had sent Erick Thohir, a cabinet minister and former Inter Milan chairman who heads the national football association (PSSI), to talk to soccer's world governing body FIFA after the draw for next month's tournament was cancelled over opposition to Israel taking part.
+Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, underlined Indonesia's support for Palestine and a two-state solution and said Israel's qualification was secured long after his country won hosting rights.
+""I hereby guarantee Israel's participation has nothing to do with the consistency of our foreign policy position toward Palestine, because our support for Palestine is always strong and sturdy,"" he said in a livestreamed address.
+""Do not mix matters of sports and politics.""
+Indonesia has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel and protesters have recently held marches demanding Israel be stopped from competing in the 24-team event from May 20-June 11.
+Indonesia's population is predominantly Muslim and most practice a moderate version of Islam, though a rise in religious conservatism has crept into politics in recent years.
+DRAW CANCELLED
+PSSI on Sunday said this week's draw for the tournament had been cancelled after the governor of the largely Hindu holiday island of Bali refused to host Israel's team.
+Governor Wayan Koster had urged the Ministry of Youth and Sports to ""adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali"", media reported, citing a letter from Koster.
+Koster's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The governor told media on Monday he was following a ""government stance"". Israel's football association has been contacted for comment.
+A FIFA spokesperson said inspections of the tournament venues had concluded but did not comment on the PSSI chairman's meeting or when a draw could be held.
+Jokowi made no mention on Tuesday of what Erick would propose to FIFA.
+On his Instagram page, Erick said the issue was ""not an easy matter"".
+The draw cancellation raised fears the country might lose its hosting rights and plunge Indonesian football into isolation again after it was suspended from FIFA for a year until May 2016 due to government interference.
+Indonesia is also trying to rebuild its reputation after a stampede at a stadium in East Java last year led to the deaths of 135 spectators, many crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd.
+Muhadjir Effendy, the acting sports minister, late on Tuesday said a solution must be found and that hosting the tournament was crucial for Indonesian football.
+""There are still possibilities,"" he said. ""FIFA is very appreciative, understanding of what's happening in Indonesia.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Indonesia president says no foreign policy change in hosting Israel for U-20 World Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JAKARTA, March 28 (Reuters) - Indonesia's president said on Tuesday that Israel's participation in the Under-20 World Cup to be hosted by his country meant no change to its foreign policy, stressing amid domestic protests that sport and politics should not be mixed. Joko Widodo confirmed he had sent Erick Thohir, a cabinet minister and former Inter Milan chairman who heads the national football association (PSSI), to talk to soccer's world governing body FIFA after the draw for next month's tournament was cancelled over opposition to Israel taking part.  Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, underlined Indonesia's support for Palestine and a two-state solution and said Israel's qualification was secured long after his country won hosting rights. ""I hereby guarantee Israel's participation has nothing to do with the consistency of our foreign policy position toward Palestine, because our support for Palestine is always strong and sturdy,"" he said in a livestreamed address.
+""Do not mix matters of sports and politics.""
+Indonesia has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel and protesters have recently held marches demanding Israel be stopped from competing in the 24-team event from May 20-June 11.  Indonesia's population is predominantly Muslim and most practice a moderate version of Islam, though a rise in religious conservatism has crept into politics in recent years. DRAW CANCELLED
+PSSI on Sunday said this week's draw for the tournament had been cancelled after the governor of the largely Hindu holiday island of Bali refused to host Israel's team. Governor Wayan Koster had urged the Ministry of Youth and Sports to ""adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali"", media reported, citing a letter from Koster.  Koster's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The governor told media on Monday he was following a ""government stance"". Israel's football association has been contacted for comment. A FIFA spokesperson said inspections of the tournament venues had concluded but did not comment on the PSSI chairman's meeting or when a draw could be held.
+Jokowi made no mention on Tuesday of what Erick would propose to FIFA. On his Instagram page, Erick said the issue was ""not an easy matter""."
+https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/indonesia-fa-plans-fifa-talks-amid-protests-over-israel-u20-world-cup-2023-03-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Indonesia president says no foreign policy change in hosting Israel for U-20 World Cup[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JAKARTA, March 28 (Reuters) - Indonesia's president said on Tuesday that Israel's participation in the Under-20 World Cup to be hosted by his country meant no change to its foreign policy, stressing amid domestic protests that sport and politics should not be mixed.
+Joko Widodo confirmed he had sent Erick Thohir, a cabinet minister and former Inter Milan chairman who heads the national football association (PSSI), to talk to soccer's world governing body FIFA after the draw for next month's tournament was cancelled over opposition to Israel taking part.
+Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, underlined Indonesia's support for Palestine and a two-state solution and said Israel's qualification was secured long after his country won hosting rights.
+""I hereby guarantee Israel's participation has nothing to do with the consistency of our foreign policy position toward Palestine, because our support for Palestine is always strong and sturdy,"" he said in a livestreamed address.
+""Do not mix matters of sports and politics.""
+Indonesia has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel and protesters have recently held marches demanding Israel be stopped from competing in the 24-team event from May 20-June 11.
+Indonesia's population is predominantly Muslim and most practice a moderate version of Islam, though a rise in religious conservatism has crept into politics in recent years.
+DRAW CANCELLED
+PSSI on Sunday said this week's draw for the tournament had been cancelled after the governor of the largely Hindu holiday island of Bali refused to host Israel's team.
+Governor Wayan Koster had urged the Ministry of Youth and Sports to ""adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali"", media reported, citing a letter from Koster.
+Koster's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The governor told media on Monday he was following a ""government stance"". Israel's football association has been contacted for comment.
+A FIFA spokesperson said inspections of the tournament venues had concluded but did not comment on the PSSI chairman's meeting or when a draw could be held.
+Jokowi made no mention on Tuesday of what Erick would propose to FIFA.
+On his Instagram page, Erick said the issue was ""not an easy matter"".
+The draw cancellation raised fears the country might lose its hosting rights and plunge Indonesian football into isolation again after it was suspended from FIFA for a year until May 2016 due to government interference.
+Indonesia is also trying to rebuild its reputation after a stampede at a stadium in East Java last year led to the deaths of 135 spectators, many crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd.
+Muhadjir Effendy, the acting sports minister, late on Tuesday said a solution must be found and that hosting the tournament was crucial for Indonesian football.
+""There are still possibilities,"" he said. ""FIFA is very appreciative, understanding of what's happening in Indonesia.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The draw cancellation raised fears the country might lose its hosting rights and plunge Indonesian football into isolation again after it was suspended from FIFA for a year until May 2016 due to government interference.
+Indonesia is also trying to rebuild its reputation after a stampede at a stadium in East Java last year led to the deaths of 135 spectators, many crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd. Muhadjir Effendy, the acting sports minister, late on Tuesday said a solution must be found and that hosting the tournament was crucial for Indonesian football.
+""There are still possibilities,"" he said. "" FIFA is very appreciative, understanding of what's happening in Indonesia. ""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/u-20-world-cup-draw-bali-postponed-amid-protest-against-israel-participation-2023-03-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U-20 World Cup draw in Indonesia postponed amid protest against Israel participation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 26 (Reuters) - The draw for the Under-20 FIFA World Cup that was scheduled to take place in Indonesia next week will be postponed, a source told Reuters after Bali's governor refused to host Israel's team.
+The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) said the draw that was to be held on Friday had been cancelled. FIFA were still conducting checks on tournament readiness.
+The 24-team tournament is scheduled to be held from May 20-June 11 across six cities and Israel were set to make their debut in the competition.
+The Jakarta Post reported
+, opens new tab earlier this month that Bali's governor Wayan Koster had written to the Ministry of Youth and Sports imploring them to ""adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali"" due to the conflict with Palestine.
+The letter was also sent to the PSSI. Reuters could not reach the governor's office for comment. Reuters has also contacted the Israeli FA for comment.
+""Previously, Bali governor Wayan Koster rejected the presence of the Israeli national team in the FIFA U-20 World Cup event... This can be a reason for FIFA to cancel the U-20 World Cup draw,"" the PSSI said in a statement.
+""Because, for FIFA, the governor's refusal is the same as cancelling the organising guarantee that has been issued by the Bali provincial government.""
+Earlier this month, protesters marched in the capital of Jakarta waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags while demanding Israel not be allowed to participate.
+Indonesia's population is predominantly Muslim. Most Indonesian Muslims practice a moderate version of Islam, but recent years have seen a rise in religious conservatism that has crept into politics.
+Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians. Meanwhile, more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks.
+HOSTING RIGHTS
+If Indonesia lose hosting rights as a result, PSSI Executive Committee member Arya Sinulingga said he was worried about how FIFA sanctions could ""isolate Indonesian football from the world"".
+Indonesia automatically qualified for the Under-20 World Cup as hosts but the last time they played in the tournament was in 1979.
+Indonesia were also suspended by FIFA for nearly a year for government interference, with the global soccer body lifting the suspension in May 2016.
+But at the time, the suspension had denied Indonesian teams the chance to qualify for upcoming major tournaments.
+Sinulingga said the PSSI hoped for a solution where politics could be separated from sport, with its chairman Erick Thohir set to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
+""The chairman will also report to Mr President at the first opportunity to find a solution to all this, both diplomacy and foreign policy... to save Indonesian football that we love,"" Sinulingga added.
+The PSSI said losing hosting rights would harm Indonesian football teams' chances of taking part in other FIFA tournaments in the future while the economic losses would amount to ""trillions of rupiah"".
+Indonesia is also trying to rebuild its reputation after a deadly stampede last year led to the deaths of 135 spectators at a stadium in East Java in October. Many were crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd.
+($1 = 15,150 rupiah)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]U-20 World Cup draw in Indonesia postponed amid protest against Israel participation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 26 (Reuters) - The draw for the Under-20 FIFA World Cup that was scheduled to take place in Indonesia next week will be postponed, a source told Reuters after Bali's governor refused to host Israel's team.  The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) said the draw that was to be held on Friday had been cancelled. FIFA were still conducting checks on tournament readiness. The 24-team tournament is scheduled to be held from May 20-June 11 across six cities and Israel were set to make their debut in the competition. The Jakarta Post reported
+, opens new tab earlier this month that Bali's governor Wayan Koster had written to the Ministry of Youth and Sports imploring them to ""adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali"" due to the conflict with Palestine. The letter was also sent to the PSSI. Reuters could not reach the governor's office for comment. Reuters has also contacted the Israeli FA for comment.  ""Previously, Bali governor Wayan Koster rejected the presence of the Israeli national team in the FIFA U-20 World Cup event... This can be a reason for FIFA to cancel the U-20 World Cup draw,"" the PSSI said in a statement. ""Because, for FIFA, the governor's refusal is the same as cancelling the organising guarantee that has been issued by the Bali provincial government."" Earlier this month, protesters marched in the capital of Jakarta waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags while demanding Israel not be allowed to participate.  Indonesia's population is predominantly Muslim. Most Indonesian Muslims practice a moderate version of Islam, but recent years have seen a rise in religious conservatism that has crept into politics.  Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians. Meanwhile, more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks. HOSTING RIGHTS If Indonesia lose hosting rights as a result, PSSI Executive Committee member Arya Sinulingga said he was worried about how FIFA sanctions could ""isolate Indonesian football from the world"".  Indonesia automatically qualified for the Under-20 World Cup as hosts but the last time they played in the tournament was in 1979. Indonesia were also suspended by FIFA for nearly a year for government interference, with the global soccer body lifting the suspension in May 2016. But at the time, the suspension had denied Indonesian teams the chance to qualify for upcoming major tournaments."
+https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/u-20-world-cup-draw-bali-postponed-amid-protest-against-israel-participation-2023-03-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U-20 World Cup draw in Indonesia postponed amid protest against Israel participation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]March 26 (Reuters) - The draw for the Under-20 FIFA World Cup that was scheduled to take place in Indonesia next week will be postponed, a source told Reuters after Bali's governor refused to host Israel's team.
+The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) said the draw that was to be held on Friday had been cancelled. FIFA were still conducting checks on tournament readiness.
+The 24-team tournament is scheduled to be held from May 20-June 11 across six cities and Israel were set to make their debut in the competition.
+The Jakarta Post reported
+, opens new tab earlier this month that Bali's governor Wayan Koster had written to the Ministry of Youth and Sports imploring them to ""adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali"" due to the conflict with Palestine.
+The letter was also sent to the PSSI. Reuters could not reach the governor's office for comment. Reuters has also contacted the Israeli FA for comment.
+""Previously, Bali governor Wayan Koster rejected the presence of the Israeli national team in the FIFA U-20 World Cup event... This can be a reason for FIFA to cancel the U-20 World Cup draw,"" the PSSI said in a statement.
+""Because, for FIFA, the governor's refusal is the same as cancelling the organising guarantee that has been issued by the Bali provincial government.""
+Earlier this month, protesters marched in the capital of Jakarta waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags while demanding Israel not be allowed to participate.
+Indonesia's population is predominantly Muslim. Most Indonesian Muslims practice a moderate version of Islam, but recent years have seen a rise in religious conservatism that has crept into politics.
+Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians. Meanwhile, more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks.
+HOSTING RIGHTS
+If Indonesia lose hosting rights as a result, PSSI Executive Committee member Arya Sinulingga said he was worried about how FIFA sanctions could ""isolate Indonesian football from the world"".
+Indonesia automatically qualified for the Under-20 World Cup as hosts but the last time they played in the tournament was in 1979.
+Indonesia were also suspended by FIFA for nearly a year for government interference, with the global soccer body lifting the suspension in May 2016.
+But at the time, the suspension had denied Indonesian teams the chance to qualify for upcoming major tournaments.
+Sinulingga said the PSSI hoped for a solution where politics could be separated from sport, with its chairman Erick Thohir set to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
+""The chairman will also report to Mr President at the first opportunity to find a solution to all this, both diplomacy and foreign policy... to save Indonesian football that we love,"" Sinulingga added.
+The PSSI said losing hosting rights would harm Indonesian football teams' chances of taking part in other FIFA tournaments in the future while the economic losses would amount to ""trillions of rupiah"".
+Indonesia is also trying to rebuild its reputation after a deadly stampede last year led to the deaths of 135 spectators at a stadium in East Java in October. Many were crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd.
+($1 = 15,150 rupiah)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Sinulingga said the PSSI hoped for a solution where politics could be separated from sport, with its chairman Erick Thohir set to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. ""The chairman will also report to Mr President at the first opportunity to find a solution to all this, both diplomacy and foreign policy... to save Indonesian football that we love,"" Sinulingga added. The PSSI said losing hosting rights would harm Indonesian football teams' chances of taking part in other FIFA tournaments in the future while the economic losses would amount to ""trillions of rupiah"".  Indonesia is also trying to rebuild its reputation after a deadly stampede last year led to the deaths of 135 spectators at a stadium in East Java in October. Many were crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd.  ($1 = 15,150 rupiah)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-accuse-settlers-west-bank-arson-israel-sees-electrical-fire-2023-03-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians accuse settlers of arson, Israel says electrical fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SINJEL, West Bank, March 26 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused ""Jewish terrorist elements"" of an arson attack against a family home in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, but Israeli police said the fire appeared to have been an accident.
+West Bank tensions have been running high as Palestinians mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan amid a surge of violence, including a gun attack on Saturday in which two Israeli soldiers were wounded and almost nightly arrest raids by the Israeli army.
+No one was hurt in the predawn fire in Sinjel. Ahmed Awashreh, the owner of the home that was badly damaged, said he was woken by the sound of a window smashing and managed to get his four children and wife out before the flames spread.
+""It was so close. I'm happy I saved my family,"" he said.
+A Sinjel resident who requested anonymity told Reuters he saw cars whose occupants he recognised as Jewish settlers nearby minutes before the incident.
+The Palestinian Foreign Ministry blamed the incident on ""Jewish terrorist elements"" but Israeli police, who sent investigators to the scene, said in a statement that the fire ""was mostly likely caused due to a short circuit and not a deliberate ignition"".
+Most countries deem the settlements, which take up land Palestinians seek for a state, illegal. Israeli disputes this.
+The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine militant group claimed Saturday night's drive-by shooting in Huwara, 13 km (8 miles) from Sinjel, that wounded two soldiers. It was the third time in a month that Israelis had been fired upon there.
+In a Feb. 26 attack, a gunman from the Hamas militant group killed two brothers from a nearby Jewish settlement as they sat in a car. That sparked a revenge rampage by settlers in which a Palestinian was killed and properties torched.
+Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 250 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, while more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks.
+In overnight West Bank raids, Israeli forces arrested three suspected militants, the army said on Sunday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians accuse settlers of arson, Israel says electrical fire[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SINJEL, West Bank, March 26 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused ""Jewish terrorist elements"" of an arson attack against a family home in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, but Israeli police said the fire appeared to have been an accident. West Bank tensions have been running high as Palestinians mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan amid a surge of violence, including a gun attack on Saturday in which two Israeli soldiers were wounded and almost nightly arrest raids by the Israeli army. No one was hurt in the predawn fire in Sinjel. Ahmed Awashreh, the owner of the home that was badly damaged, said he was woken by the sound of a window smashing and managed to get his four children and wife out before the flames spread.  ""It was so close. I'm happy I saved my family,"" he said. A Sinjel resident who requested anonymity told Reuters he saw cars whose occupants he recognised as Jewish settlers nearby minutes before the incident. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry blamed the incident on ""Jewish terrorist elements"" but Israeli police, who sent investigators to the scene, said in a statement that the fire ""was mostly likely caused due to a short circuit and not a deliberate ignition"".  Most countries deem the settlements, which take up land Palestinians seek for a state, illegal. Israeli disputes this.  The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine militant group claimed Saturday night's drive-by shooting in Huwara, 13 km (8 miles) from Sinjel, that wounded two soldiers. It was the third time in a month that Israelis had been fired upon there.  In a Feb. 26 attack, a gunman from the Hamas militant group killed two brothers from a nearby Jewish settlement as they sat in a car. That sparked a revenge rampage by settlers in which a Palestinian was killed and properties torched. Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 250 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, while more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks. In overnight West Bank raids, Israeli forces arrested three suspected militants, the army said on Sunday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/two-wounded-west-bank-drive-by-shooting-military-2023-03-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Two Israeli soldiers wounded in Palestinian shooting in Huwara[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 25 (Reuters) - Two Israeli soldiers were wounded on Saturday, the military said, in a drive-by shooting claimed by a Palestinian armed group in the flashpoint town of Huwara in the occupied West Bank.
+The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP) said in a statement that it had carried out the shooting. The military said it was in pursuit of the suspect.
+It was the third shooting reported around Huwara within a month, raising fears of escalation during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan that partly coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover, a time when violence has touched off in the past.
+Allaying some concern, the first Friday Ramadan prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound - a tinder-box holy site in Jerusalem, ended peacefully.
+But on Saturday night, Israeli police said they had entered the shrine to remove some worshippers who they said were planning to ""violate public order"" and disrupt early morning prayers and visits by Israelis and tourists.
+There was no immediate response from Palestinian or Muslim officials who have in the past condemned Israeli forces entering the shrine.
+On Sunday Israeli and Palestinian officials made commitments at a meeting in Egypt to de-escalate violence during Ramadan. The same day, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on an Israeli couple in their car in Huwara, wounding the man.
+A gunman from the Hamas militant group killed two settlers in a car in the same town during the first round of Israeli-Palestinian de-escalation talks last month in Aqaba.
+Settlers responded to that attack by setting fire to Palestinians' homes and cars, killing at least one Palestinian.
+Israeli media said dozens of settlers held a protest at the entrance of Huwara following Saturday's shooting and that Israeli forces prevented them from entering the town.
+Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose recent comments about the Palestinians, and earlier about Huwara, have drawn widespread criticism, said Israel must not let attacks from the town become routine.
+""When we are under fire we must take significant action,"" he said, without elaborating.
+Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, while more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Two Israeli soldiers wounded in Palestinian shooting in Huwara[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 25 (Reuters) - Two Israeli soldiers were wounded on Saturday, the military said, in a drive-by shooting claimed by a Palestinian armed group in the flashpoint town of Huwara in the occupied West Bank.  The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP) said in a statement that it had carried out the shooting. The military said it was in pursuit of the suspect. It was the third shooting reported around Huwara within a month, raising fears of escalation during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan that partly coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover, a time when violence has touched off in the past. Allaying some concern, the first Friday Ramadan prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound - a tinder-box holy site in Jerusalem, ended peacefully. But on Saturday night, Israeli police said they had entered the shrine to remove some worshippers who they said were planning to ""violate public order"" and disrupt early morning prayers and visits by Israelis and tourists. There was no immediate response from Palestinian or Muslim officials who have in the past condemned Israeli forces entering the shrine.  On Sunday Israeli and Palestinian officials made commitments at a meeting in Egypt to de-escalate violence during Ramadan. The same day, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on an Israeli couple in their car in Huwara, wounding the man. A gunman from the Hamas militant group killed two settlers in a car in the same town during the first round of Israeli-Palestinian de-escalation talks last month in Aqaba. Settlers responded to that attack by setting fire to Palestinians' homes and cars, killing at least one Palestinian. Israeli media said dozens of settlers held a protest at the entrance of Huwara following Saturday's shooting and that Israeli forces prevented them from entering the town. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose recent comments about the Palestinians, and earlier about Huwara, have drawn widespread criticism, said Israel must not let attacks from the town become routine.
+""When we are under fire we must take significant action,"" he said, without elaborating. Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, while more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/britain-israel-aim-deepen-tech-trade-security-ties-2023-03-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Britain, Israel aim to deepen tech, trade, security ties[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - Britain and Israel will sign an agreement aimed at deepening technology, trade and security ties over the next seven years when foreign minister James Cleverly meets his Israeli counterpart in London on Tuesday.
+Israel's Eli Cohen is visiting London to sign the new roadmap for relations with Britain.
+""Our roadmap will allow us to fully take advantage of the opportunities in areas of mutual interest, including tech, trade and security,"" Cleverly said in a statement ahead of the visit.
+Britain said discussions would also include the recent spike in violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestine Territories, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the threat posed by Iran.
+The new deal includes around 20 million pounds ($24.50 million) of joint funding commitments on technology and innovation, the statement added.
+Britain and Israel last year launched negotiations for a new trade agreement and said that deal was ""a key priority for both governments"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Britain, Israel aim to deepen tech, trade, security ties[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - Britain and Israel will sign an agreement aimed at deepening technology, trade and security ties over the next seven years when foreign minister James Cleverly meets his Israeli counterpart in London on Tuesday. Israel's Eli Cohen is visiting London to sign the new roadmap for relations with Britain. ""Our roadmap will allow us to fully take advantage of the opportunities in areas of mutual interest, including tech, trade and security,"" Cleverly said in a statement ahead of the visit.
+Britain said discussions would also include the recent spike in violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestine Territories, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the threat posed by Iran. The new deal includes around 20 million pounds ($24.50 million) of joint funding commitments on technology and innovation, the statement added. Britain and Israel last year launched negotiations for a new trade agreement and said that deal was ""a key priority for both governments"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/egypt-hosts-israeli-palestinian-talks-push-pre-ramadan-calm-2023-03-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, March 19 (Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian officials agreed on Sunday to establish a mechanism to curb violence and incitement, in talks that stressed the need to prevent any disruptive actions at Jerusalem's holy sites when Ramadan starts later this week.
+In a joint statement following talks in Egypt attended by U.S., Egyptian and Jordanian officials, the parties also reconfirmed commitments made at a meeting in Aqaba last month, including an Israeli pledge to stop discussion of any new settlement units for four months.
+The Feb. 26 Aqaba meeting, the first of its kind in years, failed to halt violence on the ground despite Israeli and Palestinian pledges to de-escalate that were reiterated at Sunday's talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
+Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, while more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks.
+The Israeli-occupied West Bank has seen a surge of confrontations in recent months, with near-daily Israeli military raids and escalating violence by Jewish settlers, amid a spate of attacks by Palestinians.
+At Sunday's talks Israeli and Palestinian officials ""agreed to establish a mechanism to curb and counter violence, incitement and inflammatory statements and actions,"" which would report to a new meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh in April.
+It did not give further details on the mechanism.
+Parties to the talks also ""emphasised the necessity of both Israelis and Palestinians to actively prevent any actions that would disrupt the sanctity"" of Jerusalem's holy sites during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, according to the joint statement.
+In previous years Ramadan has occasionally seen clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians, particularly around Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, revered as the Temple Mount by Jews. Ramadan coincides this year with Judaism's Passover and Christian Easter.
+On Sunday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on an Israeli couple in their car in Huwara, wounding the man.
+The incident had echoes of a similar attack in the same town during last month's Aqaba talks, when a gunman from the Hamas militant group killed two settlers in a car. Settlers responded to that attack by torching Palestinians' homes and cars, killing at least one Palestinian, a rampage a senior army commander called a ""pogrom.""
+'DEFENDING RIGHTS'
+Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, condemned the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority for taking part in Sunday's meeting attended by the Israeli government ""which is escalating its aggression against our people.""
+Hussein Al-Sheikh of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation said the Palestinian delegation was defending ""the rights of our Palestinian people to freedom and independence, and to demand an end to this continuous Israeli aggression against us.""
+A senior Israeli official said parties had renewed their commitments to the understandings reached in Aqaba.
+The Palestinians aim to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital, territories Israel captured in a 1967 war.
+Peace talks have been stalled since 2014 and Palestinians say Israel has undermined their hope for a viable state by expanding Jewish settlements on occupied land.
+Before the Aqaba talks last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government had authorised nine Jewish settler outposts in the West Bank and announced mass construction of new homes in established settlements. The move drew deep dismay from the United States.
+Israel pledged in Aqaba to halt discussions on new settlement units in the West Bank for four months and stop authorisation of outposts for six months.
+But Netanyahu later appeared to downplay any commitment, saying there would be no freeze, in an apparent nod to far-right members of his coalition.
+In Israel this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli leaders to reduce West Bank tensions. Washington was especially disturbed by settler violence against Palestinians, he said.
+The White House welcomed the understandings reached on Sunday.
+""We look forward to continuing these discussions as we enter the Holy month of Ramadan, Passover, and Easter, and over the months to follow,"" White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, March 19 (Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian officials agreed on Sunday to establish a mechanism to curb violence and incitement, in talks that stressed the need to prevent any disruptive actions at Jerusalem's holy sites when Ramadan starts later this week. In a joint statement following talks in Egypt attended by U.S., Egyptian and Jordanian officials, the parties also reconfirmed commitments made at a meeting in Aqaba last month, including an Israeli pledge to stop discussion of any new settlement units for four months. The Feb. 26 Aqaba meeting, the first of its kind in years, failed to halt violence on the ground despite Israeli and Palestinian pledges to de-escalate that were reiterated at Sunday's talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, while more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks. The Israeli-occupied West Bank has seen a surge of confrontations in recent months, with near-daily Israeli military raids and escalating violence by Jewish settlers, amid a spate of attacks by Palestinians. At Sunday's talks Israeli and Palestinian officials ""agreed to establish a mechanism to curb and counter violence, incitement and inflammatory statements and actions,"" which would report to a new meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh in April. It did not give further details on the mechanism. Parties to the talks also ""emphasised the necessity of both Israelis and Palestinians to actively prevent any actions that would disrupt the sanctity"" of Jerusalem's holy sites during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, according to the joint statement.  In previous years Ramadan has occasionally seen clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians, particularly around Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, revered as the Temple Mount by Jews. Ramadan coincides this year with Judaism's Passover and Christian Easter. On Sunday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on an Israeli couple in their car in Huwara, wounding the man.  The incident had echoes of a similar attack in the same town during last month's Aqaba talks, when a gunman from the Hamas militant group killed two settlers in a car. Settlers responded to that attack by torching Palestinians' homes and cars, killing at least one Palestinian, a rampage a senior army commander called a ""pogrom."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/egypt-hosts-israeli-palestinian-talks-push-pre-ramadan-calm-2023-03-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]CAIRO, March 19 (Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian officials agreed on Sunday to establish a mechanism to curb violence and incitement, in talks that stressed the need to prevent any disruptive actions at Jerusalem's holy sites when Ramadan starts later this week.
+In a joint statement following talks in Egypt attended by U.S., Egyptian and Jordanian officials, the parties also reconfirmed commitments made at a meeting in Aqaba last month, including an Israeli pledge to stop discussion of any new settlement units for four months.
+The Feb. 26 Aqaba meeting, the first of its kind in years, failed to halt violence on the ground despite Israeli and Palestinian pledges to de-escalate that were reiterated at Sunday's talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
+Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, while more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks.
+The Israeli-occupied West Bank has seen a surge of confrontations in recent months, with near-daily Israeli military raids and escalating violence by Jewish settlers, amid a spate of attacks by Palestinians.
+At Sunday's talks Israeli and Palestinian officials ""agreed to establish a mechanism to curb and counter violence, incitement and inflammatory statements and actions,"" which would report to a new meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh in April.
+It did not give further details on the mechanism.
+Parties to the talks also ""emphasised the necessity of both Israelis and Palestinians to actively prevent any actions that would disrupt the sanctity"" of Jerusalem's holy sites during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, according to the joint statement.
+In previous years Ramadan has occasionally seen clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians, particularly around Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, revered as the Temple Mount by Jews. Ramadan coincides this year with Judaism's Passover and Christian Easter.
+On Sunday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on an Israeli couple in their car in Huwara, wounding the man.
+The incident had echoes of a similar attack in the same town during last month's Aqaba talks, when a gunman from the Hamas militant group killed two settlers in a car. Settlers responded to that attack by torching Palestinians' homes and cars, killing at least one Palestinian, a rampage a senior army commander called a ""pogrom.""
+'DEFENDING RIGHTS'
+Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, condemned the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority for taking part in Sunday's meeting attended by the Israeli government ""which is escalating its aggression against our people.""
+Hussein Al-Sheikh of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation said the Palestinian delegation was defending ""the rights of our Palestinian people to freedom and independence, and to demand an end to this continuous Israeli aggression against us.""
+A senior Israeli official said parties had renewed their commitments to the understandings reached in Aqaba.
+The Palestinians aim to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital, territories Israel captured in a 1967 war.
+Peace talks have been stalled since 2014 and Palestinians say Israel has undermined their hope for a viable state by expanding Jewish settlements on occupied land.
+Before the Aqaba talks last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government had authorised nine Jewish settler outposts in the West Bank and announced mass construction of new homes in established settlements. The move drew deep dismay from the United States.
+Israel pledged in Aqaba to halt discussions on new settlement units in the West Bank for four months and stop authorisation of outposts for six months.
+But Netanyahu later appeared to downplay any commitment, saying there would be no freeze, in an apparent nod to far-right members of his coalition.
+In Israel this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli leaders to reduce West Bank tensions. Washington was especially disturbed by settler violence against Palestinians, he said.
+The White House welcomed the understandings reached on Sunday.
+""We look forward to continuing these discussions as we enter the Holy month of Ramadan, Passover, and Easter, and over the months to follow,"" White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","'DEFENDING RIGHTS'
+Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, condemned the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority for taking part in Sunday's meeting attended by the Israeli government ""which is escalating its aggression against our people."" Hussein Al-Sheikh of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation said the Palestinian delegation was defending ""the rights of our Palestinian people to freedom and independence, and to demand an end to this continuous Israeli aggression against us.""
+A senior Israeli official said parties had renewed their commitments to the understandings reached in Aqaba.  The Palestinians aim to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital, territories Israel captured in a 1967 war. Peace talks have been stalled since 2014 and Palestinians say Israel has undermined their hope for a viable state by expanding Jewish settlements on occupied land.  Before the Aqaba talks last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government had authorised nine Jewish settler outposts in the West Bank and announced mass construction of new homes in established settlements. The move drew deep dismay from the United States. Israel pledged in Aqaba to halt discussions on new settlement units in the West Bank for four months and stop authorisation of outposts for six months.
+But Netanyahu later appeared to downplay any commitment, saying there would be no freeze, in an apparent nod to far-right members of his coalition.  In Israel this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli leaders to reduce West Bank tensions. Washington was especially disturbed by settler violence against Palestinians, he said.  The White House welcomed the understandings reached on Sunday.
+"" We look forward to continuing these discussions as we enter the Holy month of Ramadan, Passover, and Easter, and over the months to follow,"" White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/three-palestinians-killed-by-israeli-forces-palestinians-say-2023-03-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill three Islamic Jihad gunmen in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JABA, West Bank, March 9 (Reuters) - Israeli forces raided a Palestinian village close to the West Bank city of Jenin on Thursday, killing three Islamic Jihad militants they said were suspected of carrying out shooting attacks in the area.
+Islamic Jihad claimed the three fighters, who the Israeli military said were suspected of multiple shooting attacks in Jaba village, southwest of Jenin, as well as in the area of Homesh, a nearby settlement outpost that was evacuated in 2005 and is now home to a religious school.
+The incident came on the same day U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel, where he was expected to discuss the growing violence on the West Bank.
+In Jaba, residents said they heard intense gunfire early in the morning and saw a large Israeli force in the village, where the blood-spattered wreckage of the car in which the gunmen were killed remained in the street.
+A Israeli statement said the gunmen had opened fire from their car when Israeli forces entered the area. It said two members of Islamic Jihad were killed as well as what it described as an additional armed suspect.
+Jaba, where two Islamic Jihad gunmen were killed in January, has a large presence of armed militants from different factions and as mourners assembled for the funeral of the three killed on Thursday, fighters said the raids would not deter them.
+""Day after day, more men from Jaba and neighbouring villages join us,"" said one masked gunman, as dozens of others militants prepared to take part in the funeral marches.
+Thousands of mourners, some carrying Palestinian flags and the banners of the main factions, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah and chanting for revenge, joined the funeral of the three, as gunmen fired into the air.
+GUNBATTLE
+Police seized two rifles and another gun as well as explosive devices and arrested three other suspects. According to Noaman Khalileya, owner of a local garage near to where the incident took place, security forces also confiscated his security camera and erased pictures on his mobile telephone.
+The operation came days after Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in Jenin and killed six Palestinian gunmen, including a Hamas member suspected of killing two brothers from a Jewish settlement near the Palestinian village of Huwara in the West Bank on Feb. 26.
+The Palestinian health ministry said a 14-year-old boy, wounded during the gunbattle that broke out in Jenin during the Israeli raid, had died of his wounds.
+In a statement to Voice of Palestine radio, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, accused Israel of launching a ""full-scale war"" against the Palestinians.
+The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced that it had suspended its security cooperation agreement with Israel in January, following a raid in Jenin that killed nine Palestinians, but the raids have put it under growing pressure.
+The Islamist group Hamas, which controls the blockaded Gaza Strip but which also has fighters across the West Bank, said PA security forces arrested several members of the group overnight in the West Bank city of Nablus after they took part in the funeral march of the Huwara gunman a day earlier.
+""Such a behaviour serves the Zionist occupation only,"" it said in a statement.
+Israeli forces have conducted near daily raids across the West Bank for months after a spate of deadly attacks by Palestinians in Israel last year. They have made thousands of arrests and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including both fighters and civilians. Over the same period, more than 40 Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill three Islamic Jihad gunmen in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JABA, West Bank, March 9 (Reuters) - Israeli forces raided a Palestinian village close to the West Bank city of Jenin on Thursday, killing three Islamic Jihad militants they said were suspected of carrying out shooting attacks in the area. Islamic Jihad claimed the three fighters, who the Israeli military said were suspected of multiple shooting attacks in Jaba village, southwest of Jenin, as well as in the area of Homesh, a nearby settlement outpost that was evacuated in 2005 and is now home to a religious school. The incident came on the same day U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel, where he was expected to discuss the growing violence on the West Bank.  In Jaba, residents said they heard intense gunfire early in the morning and saw a large Israeli force in the village, where the blood-spattered wreckage of the car in which the gunmen were killed remained in the street.
+A Israeli statement said the gunmen had opened fire from their car when Israeli forces entered the area. It said two members of Islamic Jihad were killed as well as what it described as an additional armed suspect. Jaba, where two Islamic Jihad gunmen were killed in January, has a large presence of armed militants from different factions and as mourners assembled for the funeral of the three killed on Thursday, fighters said the raids would not deter them. ""Day after day, more men from Jaba and neighbouring villages join us,"" said one masked gunman, as dozens of others militants prepared to take part in the funeral marches.  Thousands of mourners, some carrying Palestinian flags and the banners of the main factions, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah and chanting for revenge, joined the funeral of the three, as gunmen fired into the air.
+GUNBATTLE
+Police seized two rifles and another gun as well as explosive devices and arrested three other suspects. According to Noaman Khalileya, owner of a local garage near to where the incident took place, security forces also confiscated his security camera and erased pictures on his mobile telephone. The operation came days after Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in Jenin and killed six Palestinian gunmen, including a Hamas member suspected of killing two brothers from a Jewish settlement near the Palestinian village of Huwara in the West Bank on Feb. 26. The Palestinian health ministry said a 14-year-old boy, wounded during the gunbattle that broke out in Jenin during the Israeli raid, had died of his wounds."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/three-palestinians-killed-by-israeli-forces-palestinians-say-2023-03-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill three Islamic Jihad gunmen in West Bank[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JABA, West Bank, March 9 (Reuters) - Israeli forces raided a Palestinian village close to the West Bank city of Jenin on Thursday, killing three Islamic Jihad militants they said were suspected of carrying out shooting attacks in the area.
+Islamic Jihad claimed the three fighters, who the Israeli military said were suspected of multiple shooting attacks in Jaba village, southwest of Jenin, as well as in the area of Homesh, a nearby settlement outpost that was evacuated in 2005 and is now home to a religious school.
+The incident came on the same day U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel, where he was expected to discuss the growing violence on the West Bank.
+In Jaba, residents said they heard intense gunfire early in the morning and saw a large Israeli force in the village, where the blood-spattered wreckage of the car in which the gunmen were killed remained in the street.
+A Israeli statement said the gunmen had opened fire from their car when Israeli forces entered the area. It said two members of Islamic Jihad were killed as well as what it described as an additional armed suspect.
+Jaba, where two Islamic Jihad gunmen were killed in January, has a large presence of armed militants from different factions and as mourners assembled for the funeral of the three killed on Thursday, fighters said the raids would not deter them.
+""Day after day, more men from Jaba and neighbouring villages join us,"" said one masked gunman, as dozens of others militants prepared to take part in the funeral marches.
+Thousands of mourners, some carrying Palestinian flags and the banners of the main factions, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah and chanting for revenge, joined the funeral of the three, as gunmen fired into the air.
+GUNBATTLE
+Police seized two rifles and another gun as well as explosive devices and arrested three other suspects. According to Noaman Khalileya, owner of a local garage near to where the incident took place, security forces also confiscated his security camera and erased pictures on his mobile telephone.
+The operation came days after Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in Jenin and killed six Palestinian gunmen, including a Hamas member suspected of killing two brothers from a Jewish settlement near the Palestinian village of Huwara in the West Bank on Feb. 26.
+The Palestinian health ministry said a 14-year-old boy, wounded during the gunbattle that broke out in Jenin during the Israeli raid, had died of his wounds.
+In a statement to Voice of Palestine radio, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, accused Israel of launching a ""full-scale war"" against the Palestinians.
+The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced that it had suspended its security cooperation agreement with Israel in January, following a raid in Jenin that killed nine Palestinians, but the raids have put it under growing pressure.
+The Islamist group Hamas, which controls the blockaded Gaza Strip but which also has fighters across the West Bank, said PA security forces arrested several members of the group overnight in the West Bank city of Nablus after they took part in the funeral march of the Huwara gunman a day earlier.
+""Such a behaviour serves the Zionist occupation only,"" it said in a statement.
+Israeli forces have conducted near daily raids across the West Bank for months after a spate of deadly attacks by Palestinians in Israel last year. They have made thousands of arrests and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including both fighters and civilians. Over the same period, more than 40 Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In a statement to Voice of Palestine radio, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, accused Israel of launching a ""full-scale war"" against the Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced that it had suspended its security cooperation agreement with Israel in January, following a raid in Jenin that killed nine Palestinians, but the raids have put it under growing pressure. The Islamist group Hamas, which controls the blockaded Gaza Strip but which also has fighters across the West Bank, said PA security forces arrested several members of the group overnight in the West Bank city of Nablus after they took part in the funeral march of the Huwara gunman a day earlier.
+""Such a behaviour serves the Zionist occupation only,"" it said in a statement.  Israeli forces have conducted near daily raids across the West Bank for months after a spate of deadly attacks by Palestinians in Israel last year. They have made thousands of arrests and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including both fighters and civilians. Over the same period, more than 40 Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-settlers-clash-with-palestinians-flashpoint-west-bank-town-2023-03-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill six in raid on West Bank refugee camp[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JENIN, West Bank, March 7 (Reuters) - Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, killing at least six Palestinian gunmen, including a Hamas member suspected of shooting dead two brothers from a Jewish settlement near the village of Huwara.
+Early on Wednesday, a rocket launch was identified from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, triggering alarms and sending Israelis running to bomb shelters, though the rocket appeared to have landed inside Gaza and not in Israeli territory, the Israeli military said.
+Earlier, witnesses said fighting broke out after residents of the refugee camp saw Israeli soldiers getting out of a furniture truck near a house on a hill overlooking the centre of the sprawling camp and fighters immediately opened fire.
+In the ensuing gun battle, Israeli forces surrounded a house where the suspected gunman had barricaded himself with other fighters, and used shoulder-fired missiles against the building, the military said in a statement. The Palestinian health ministry said six Palestinians were killed and at least 16 wounded. One member of the Israeli police force was wounded and three lightly hurt.
+The military identified one of the gunmen as Abdel-Fattah Kharusha, a member of the Islamist group Hamas, who it said shot two Israelis while they sat in their car at a checkpoint near the Palestinian village of Huwara in the occupied West Bank on Feb. 26. It said his two sons had been arrested in a raid at the same time on the city of Nablus, another centre of militant activity.
+According to statements by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, all those killed were gunmen from the militant groups Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah.
+""We call upon the fighters of our people everywhere to escalate armed resistance against the occupation and to fight them everywhere on the land of our occupied home,"" Hamas' armed wing said in a statement.
+Hamas, which runs the blockaded Gaza Strip but which also has fighters in the West Bank, said Kharusha was a member and that he carried out the Huwara double killing, the latest in a series of deadly attacks on Israelis by Palestinians this year.
+Jenin, one of the major centres of militant activity in the West Bank where armed fighters parade openly, has been raided repeatedly by Israeli forces during months of violence that has caused increasing fears of a repeat of the Intifadas or uprisings of the 1980s and early 2000s.
+""The risk - not just to Palestine and to Israel but to the region - of the situation escalating out of hand is significant,"" Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, told reporters in London.
+The shooting of the two Israeli brothers triggered a revenge attack by Jewish settlers who killed a Palestinian man and torched dozens of houses and cars in a rampage described as a ""pogrom"" by a senior Israeli commander. The rampage triggered worldwide outrage and condemnation, which was increased when ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has responsibility for aspects of the West Bank administration, said Huwara should be ""erased"". Smotrich later offered a partial retraction.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated calls for both sides to de-escalate tensions, and the violence is also expected to be raised by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week when he visits Israel.
+However, there has been no sign of any let up in the violence, ahead of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover festival.
+MORE HUWARA VIOLENCE
+A spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Tuesday's raid which came after a major reinforcement of Israeli forces in the West Bank following the violence in Huwara, which sits near a major road junction where settlers and Palestinians have frequently clashed.
+Despite a crackdown by Israeli police, tensions have continued at Huwara and overnight Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the village.
+Israeli army and border police forces dispersed what the military described as ""a number of violent rioters"" in Huwara. Videos shared on social media showed black-clad youths attacking a Palestinian car before its driver manages to pull away.
+""My wife was sitting in the back and she hugged our daughter to cover her,"" said Omar Khalifa, who had just finished shopping at a supermarket and was in the car with his family. ""We could have lost her. There was real danger to our lives.""
+Other footage appeared to show Israeli soldiers dancing together with Jewish settlers in the town on what was the Jewish festival of Purim. ""Huwara has been conquered, gentlemen!"" a voice is heard saying in Hebrew.
+The military did not address a question about the footage of soldiers dancing with settlers when it responded to a request for information on the incident. Nor did it immediately respond to a Reuters query on whether there had been any arrests.
+Since the beginning of the year, Israeli forces have killed more than 70 Palestinians, including militant fighters and civilians, while in the same period, Palestinians have killed 13 Israelis and one Ukrainian woman in a series of apparently uncoordinated attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill six in raid on West Bank refugee camp[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JENIN, West Bank, March 7 (Reuters) - Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, killing at least six Palestinian gunmen, including a Hamas member suspected of shooting dead two brothers from a Jewish settlement near the village of Huwara. Early on Wednesday, a rocket launch was identified from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, triggering alarms and sending Israelis running to bomb shelters, though the rocket appeared to have landed inside Gaza and not in Israeli territory, the Israeli military said. Earlier, witnesses said fighting broke out after residents of the refugee camp saw Israeli soldiers getting out of a furniture truck near a house on a hill overlooking the centre of the sprawling camp and fighters immediately opened fire.  In the ensuing gun battle, Israeli forces surrounded a house where the suspected gunman had barricaded himself with other fighters, and used shoulder-fired missiles against the building, the military said in a statement. The Palestinian health ministry said six Palestinians were killed and at least 16 wounded. One member of the Israeli police force was wounded and three lightly hurt.  The military identified one of the gunmen as Abdel-Fattah Kharusha, a member of the Islamist group Hamas, who it said shot two Israelis while they sat in their car at a checkpoint near the Palestinian village of Huwara in the occupied West Bank on Feb. 26. It said his two sons had been arrested in a raid at the same time on the city of Nablus, another centre of militant activity. According to statements by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, all those killed were gunmen from the militant groups Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah. ""We call upon the fighters of our people everywhere to escalate armed resistance against the occupation and to fight them everywhere on the land of our occupied home,"" Hamas' armed wing said in a statement.
+Hamas, which runs the blockaded Gaza Strip but which also has fighters in the West Bank, said Kharusha was a member and that he carried out the Huwara double killing, the latest in a series of deadly attacks on Israelis by Palestinians this year.
+Jenin, one of the major centres of militant activity in the West Bank where armed fighters parade openly, has been raided repeatedly by Israeli forces during months of violence that has caused increasing fears of a repeat of the Intifadas or uprisings of the 1980s and early 2000s."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-settlers-clash-with-palestinians-flashpoint-west-bank-town-2023-03-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill six in raid on West Bank refugee camp[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JENIN, West Bank, March 7 (Reuters) - Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, killing at least six Palestinian gunmen, including a Hamas member suspected of shooting dead two brothers from a Jewish settlement near the village of Huwara.
+Early on Wednesday, a rocket launch was identified from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, triggering alarms and sending Israelis running to bomb shelters, though the rocket appeared to have landed inside Gaza and not in Israeli territory, the Israeli military said.
+Earlier, witnesses said fighting broke out after residents of the refugee camp saw Israeli soldiers getting out of a furniture truck near a house on a hill overlooking the centre of the sprawling camp and fighters immediately opened fire.
+In the ensuing gun battle, Israeli forces surrounded a house where the suspected gunman had barricaded himself with other fighters, and used shoulder-fired missiles against the building, the military said in a statement. The Palestinian health ministry said six Palestinians were killed and at least 16 wounded. One member of the Israeli police force was wounded and three lightly hurt.
+The military identified one of the gunmen as Abdel-Fattah Kharusha, a member of the Islamist group Hamas, who it said shot two Israelis while they sat in their car at a checkpoint near the Palestinian village of Huwara in the occupied West Bank on Feb. 26. It said his two sons had been arrested in a raid at the same time on the city of Nablus, another centre of militant activity.
+According to statements by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, all those killed were gunmen from the militant groups Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah.
+""We call upon the fighters of our people everywhere to escalate armed resistance against the occupation and to fight them everywhere on the land of our occupied home,"" Hamas' armed wing said in a statement.
+Hamas, which runs the blockaded Gaza Strip but which also has fighters in the West Bank, said Kharusha was a member and that he carried out the Huwara double killing, the latest in a series of deadly attacks on Israelis by Palestinians this year.
+Jenin, one of the major centres of militant activity in the West Bank where armed fighters parade openly, has been raided repeatedly by Israeli forces during months of violence that has caused increasing fears of a repeat of the Intifadas or uprisings of the 1980s and early 2000s.
+""The risk - not just to Palestine and to Israel but to the region - of the situation escalating out of hand is significant,"" Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, told reporters in London.
+The shooting of the two Israeli brothers triggered a revenge attack by Jewish settlers who killed a Palestinian man and torched dozens of houses and cars in a rampage described as a ""pogrom"" by a senior Israeli commander. The rampage triggered worldwide outrage and condemnation, which was increased when ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has responsibility for aspects of the West Bank administration, said Huwara should be ""erased"". Smotrich later offered a partial retraction.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated calls for both sides to de-escalate tensions, and the violence is also expected to be raised by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week when he visits Israel.
+However, there has been no sign of any let up in the violence, ahead of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover festival.
+MORE HUWARA VIOLENCE
+A spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Tuesday's raid which came after a major reinforcement of Israeli forces in the West Bank following the violence in Huwara, which sits near a major road junction where settlers and Palestinians have frequently clashed.
+Despite a crackdown by Israeli police, tensions have continued at Huwara and overnight Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the village.
+Israeli army and border police forces dispersed what the military described as ""a number of violent rioters"" in Huwara. Videos shared on social media showed black-clad youths attacking a Palestinian car before its driver manages to pull away.
+""My wife was sitting in the back and she hugged our daughter to cover her,"" said Omar Khalifa, who had just finished shopping at a supermarket and was in the car with his family. ""We could have lost her. There was real danger to our lives.""
+Other footage appeared to show Israeli soldiers dancing together with Jewish settlers in the town on what was the Jewish festival of Purim. ""Huwara has been conquered, gentlemen!"" a voice is heard saying in Hebrew.
+The military did not address a question about the footage of soldiers dancing with settlers when it responded to a request for information on the incident. Nor did it immediately respond to a Reuters query on whether there had been any arrests.
+Since the beginning of the year, Israeli forces have killed more than 70 Palestinians, including militant fighters and civilians, while in the same period, Palestinians have killed 13 Israelis and one Ukrainian woman in a series of apparently uncoordinated attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""The risk - not just to Palestine and to Israel but to the region - of the situation escalating out of hand is significant,"" Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, told reporters in London.  The shooting of the two Israeli brothers triggered a revenge attack by Jewish settlers who killed a Palestinian man and torched dozens of houses and cars in a rampage described as a ""pogrom"" by a senior Israeli commander. The rampage triggered worldwide outrage and condemnation, which was increased when ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has responsibility for aspects of the West Bank administration, said Huwara should be ""erased"". Smotrich later offered a partial retraction. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated calls for both sides to de-escalate tensions, and the violence is also expected to be raised by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week when he visits Israel. However, there has been no sign of any let up in the violence, ahead of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover festival. MORE HUWARA VIOLENCE
+A spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Tuesday's raid which came after a major reinforcement of Israeli forces in the West Bank following the violence in Huwara, which sits near a major road junction where settlers and Palestinians have frequently clashed. Despite a crackdown by Israeli police, tensions have continued at Huwara and overnight Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the village.  Israeli army and border police forces dispersed what the military described as ""a number of violent rioters"" in Huwara. Videos shared on social media showed black-clad youths attacking a Palestinian car before its driver manages to pull away.  ""My wife was sitting in the back and she hugged our daughter to cover her,"" said Omar Khalifa, who had just finished shopping at a supermarket and was in the car with his family. ""We could have lost her. There was real danger to our lives."" Other footage appeared to show Israeli soldiers dancing together with Jewish settlers in the town on what was the Jewish festival of Purim. ""Huwara has been conquered, gentlemen!"" a voice is heard saying in Hebrew.  The military did not address a question about the footage of soldiers dancing with settlers when it responded to a request for information on the incident. Nor did it immediately respond to a Reuters query on whether there had been any arrests."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-settlers-clash-with-palestinians-flashpoint-west-bank-town-2023-03-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill six in raid on West Bank refugee camp[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JENIN, West Bank, March 7 (Reuters) - Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, killing at least six Palestinian gunmen, including a Hamas member suspected of shooting dead two brothers from a Jewish settlement near the village of Huwara.
+Early on Wednesday, a rocket launch was identified from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, triggering alarms and sending Israelis running to bomb shelters, though the rocket appeared to have landed inside Gaza and not in Israeli territory, the Israeli military said.
+Earlier, witnesses said fighting broke out after residents of the refugee camp saw Israeli soldiers getting out of a furniture truck near a house on a hill overlooking the centre of the sprawling camp and fighters immediately opened fire.
+In the ensuing gun battle, Israeli forces surrounded a house where the suspected gunman had barricaded himself with other fighters, and used shoulder-fired missiles against the building, the military said in a statement. The Palestinian health ministry said six Palestinians were killed and at least 16 wounded. One member of the Israeli police force was wounded and three lightly hurt.
+The military identified one of the gunmen as Abdel-Fattah Kharusha, a member of the Islamist group Hamas, who it said shot two Israelis while they sat in their car at a checkpoint near the Palestinian village of Huwara in the occupied West Bank on Feb. 26. It said his two sons had been arrested in a raid at the same time on the city of Nablus, another centre of militant activity.
+According to statements by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, all those killed were gunmen from the militant groups Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah.
+""We call upon the fighters of our people everywhere to escalate armed resistance against the occupation and to fight them everywhere on the land of our occupied home,"" Hamas' armed wing said in a statement.
+Hamas, which runs the blockaded Gaza Strip but which also has fighters in the West Bank, said Kharusha was a member and that he carried out the Huwara double killing, the latest in a series of deadly attacks on Israelis by Palestinians this year.
+Jenin, one of the major centres of militant activity in the West Bank where armed fighters parade openly, has been raided repeatedly by Israeli forces during months of violence that has caused increasing fears of a repeat of the Intifadas or uprisings of the 1980s and early 2000s.
+""The risk - not just to Palestine and to Israel but to the region - of the situation escalating out of hand is significant,"" Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, told reporters in London.
+The shooting of the two Israeli brothers triggered a revenge attack by Jewish settlers who killed a Palestinian man and torched dozens of houses and cars in a rampage described as a ""pogrom"" by a senior Israeli commander. The rampage triggered worldwide outrage and condemnation, which was increased when ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has responsibility for aspects of the West Bank administration, said Huwara should be ""erased"". Smotrich later offered a partial retraction.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated calls for both sides to de-escalate tensions, and the violence is also expected to be raised by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week when he visits Israel.
+However, there has been no sign of any let up in the violence, ahead of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover festival.
+MORE HUWARA VIOLENCE
+A spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Tuesday's raid which came after a major reinforcement of Israeli forces in the West Bank following the violence in Huwara, which sits near a major road junction where settlers and Palestinians have frequently clashed.
+Despite a crackdown by Israeli police, tensions have continued at Huwara and overnight Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the village.
+Israeli army and border police forces dispersed what the military described as ""a number of violent rioters"" in Huwara. Videos shared on social media showed black-clad youths attacking a Palestinian car before its driver manages to pull away.
+""My wife was sitting in the back and she hugged our daughter to cover her,"" said Omar Khalifa, who had just finished shopping at a supermarket and was in the car with his family. ""We could have lost her. There was real danger to our lives.""
+Other footage appeared to show Israeli soldiers dancing together with Jewish settlers in the town on what was the Jewish festival of Purim. ""Huwara has been conquered, gentlemen!"" a voice is heard saying in Hebrew.
+The military did not address a question about the footage of soldiers dancing with settlers when it responded to a request for information on the incident. Nor did it immediately respond to a Reuters query on whether there had been any arrests.
+Since the beginning of the year, Israeli forces have killed more than 70 Palestinians, including militant fighters and civilians, while in the same period, Palestinians have killed 13 Israelis and one Ukrainian woman in a series of apparently uncoordinated attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Since the beginning of the year, Israeli forces have killed more than 70 Palestinians, including militant fighters and civilians, while in the same period, Palestinians have killed 13 Israelis and one Ukrainian woman in a series of apparently uncoordinated attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-it-intercepted-rocket-fired-gaza-2023-02-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians fire rockets, Israel hits Gaza days after U.S. call for calm[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft struck in Gaza on Thursday in response to Palestinian rocket fire, days after the United States called for calm, but there was no immediate sign of a wider escalation in violence following days of tension.
+With no reports of serious casualties, the exchange followed a familiar pattern that signalled neither side was seeking a wider conflict.
+Separately, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel, which collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), would use 100 million shekels ($29 million) from PA funds to compensate victims of Palestinian militant attacks, against stipends the PA pays to assailants' families, said.
+There was no immediate comment from the PA.
+The military said its air strikes targeted rocket and weapons production sites used by Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls the blockaded strip, in response to Wednesday's rocket launch.
+No Palestinian groups claimed Wednesday's rocket fire.
+Powerful explosions shook buildings and lit up the night sky over Gaza as sirens sounded in Israeli towns and villages around the strip warning of incoming rocket fire before dawn on Thursday.
+The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) said it had fired some of the rockets in response to the air strikes and the ""systematic aggression"" against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
+The exchange of fire underlined the tensions between Israel and the Palestinians after a Palestinian gunman shot dead seven people near a synagogue on the outskirts of Jerusalem and an Israeli raid in the West Bank killed 10 Palestinians, including eight militants.
+SPATE OF ATTACKS
+Last year was the deadliest in more than a decade in the West Bank, with violence steadily escalating following a spate of lethal Palestinian attacks in Israel, which drew stepped-up Israeli raids against gunmen. U.S. President Joe Biden met Jordan’s King Abdullah at the White House on Thursday and the two discussed ""opportunities and mechanisms to reduce tensions, particularly in the West Bank,” between Israel and the Palestinians, the White House said in a statement.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on both sides to restore calm while wrapping up a visit to the region on Tuesday, in which he reaffirmed Washington's support for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.
+Top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, and U.S. special representative for Palestinian affairs, Hady Amr, remained behind to pursue de-escalation talks between the sides and were due to meet Palestinian officials on Thursday.
+""They are there to support the parties and the steps the parties will have to take to break this cycle of violence,"" U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday.
+In Gaza, activists rallied in support of women prisoners held by Israel after far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees prisons, said he would push ahead with plans to toughen conditions for Palestinian prisoners.
+Ben-Gvir has vowed a crackdown on ""benefits and indulgences"" offered to Palestinian prisoners and ordered amenities including prisoner-operated bread ovens in some prisons to be curtailed.
+Hamas official Mushir Al-Masri told Reuters the latest Ben-Gvir decisions ""added fuel to the fire"".
+""The issue of prisoners has always been on the agenda of the Palestinian resistance, and the screams by female prisoners inside the jails of the Zionist enemy risk a tough confrontation in which the Palestinian resistance will not stand handcuffed,"" Masri said.
+Separately, an official from Iran-backed Islamic Jihad said a delegation from the group's political office, led by the faction's chief-in-exile Ziyad al-Nakhala, would visit Cairo on Friday for talks that would include the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
+The official, who asked not to be named, said the visit was scheduled before the latest violence but he said the current escalation in Gaza and the West Bank would inevitably be discussed.
+Cairo has also invited Hamas chief, Ismail Haniyeh, who currently resides between Qatar and Turkey, for separate talks next week, said a Palestinian official familiar with Egyptian mediation.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians fire rockets, Israel hits Gaza days after U.S. call for calm[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft struck in Gaza on Thursday in response to Palestinian rocket fire, days after the United States called for calm, but there was no immediate sign of a wider escalation in violence following days of tension.
+With no reports of serious casualties, the exchange followed a familiar pattern that signalled neither side was seeking a wider conflict. Separately, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel, which collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), would use 100 million shekels ($29 million) from PA funds to compensate victims of Palestinian militant attacks, against stipends the PA pays to assailants' families, said. There was no immediate comment from the PA. The military said its air strikes targeted rocket and weapons production sites used by Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls the blockaded strip, in response to Wednesday's rocket launch. No Palestinian groups claimed Wednesday's rocket fire.
+Powerful explosions shook buildings and lit up the night sky over Gaza as sirens sounded in Israeli towns and villages around the strip warning of incoming rocket fire before dawn on Thursday. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) said it had fired some of the rockets in response to the air strikes and the ""systematic aggression"" against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The exchange of fire underlined the tensions between Israel and the Palestinians after a Palestinian gunman shot dead seven people near a synagogue on the outskirts of Jerusalem and an Israeli raid in the West Bank killed 10 Palestinians, including eight militants. SPATE OF ATTACKS
+Last year was the deadliest in more than a decade in the West Bank, with violence steadily escalating following a spate of lethal Palestinian attacks in Israel, which drew stepped-up Israeli raids against gunmen. U.S. President Joe Biden met Jordan’s King Abdullah at the White House on Thursday and the two discussed ""opportunities and mechanisms to reduce tensions, particularly in the West Bank,” between Israel and the Palestinians, the White House said in a statement. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on both sides to restore calm while wrapping up a visit to the region on Tuesday, in which he reaffirmed Washington's support for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.
+Top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, and U.S. special representative for Palestinian affairs, Hady Amr, remained behind to pursue de-escalation talks between the sides and were due to meet Palestinian officials on Thursday. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-it-intercepted-rocket-fired-gaza-2023-02-02/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians fire rockets, Israel hits Gaza days after U.S. call for calm[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft struck in Gaza on Thursday in response to Palestinian rocket fire, days after the United States called for calm, but there was no immediate sign of a wider escalation in violence following days of tension.
+With no reports of serious casualties, the exchange followed a familiar pattern that signalled neither side was seeking a wider conflict.
+Separately, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel, which collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), would use 100 million shekels ($29 million) from PA funds to compensate victims of Palestinian militant attacks, against stipends the PA pays to assailants' families, said.
+There was no immediate comment from the PA.
+The military said its air strikes targeted rocket and weapons production sites used by Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls the blockaded strip, in response to Wednesday's rocket launch.
+No Palestinian groups claimed Wednesday's rocket fire.
+Powerful explosions shook buildings and lit up the night sky over Gaza as sirens sounded in Israeli towns and villages around the strip warning of incoming rocket fire before dawn on Thursday.
+The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) said it had fired some of the rockets in response to the air strikes and the ""systematic aggression"" against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
+The exchange of fire underlined the tensions between Israel and the Palestinians after a Palestinian gunman shot dead seven people near a synagogue on the outskirts of Jerusalem and an Israeli raid in the West Bank killed 10 Palestinians, including eight militants.
+SPATE OF ATTACKS
+Last year was the deadliest in more than a decade in the West Bank, with violence steadily escalating following a spate of lethal Palestinian attacks in Israel, which drew stepped-up Israeli raids against gunmen. U.S. President Joe Biden met Jordan’s King Abdullah at the White House on Thursday and the two discussed ""opportunities and mechanisms to reduce tensions, particularly in the West Bank,” between Israel and the Palestinians, the White House said in a statement.
+U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on both sides to restore calm while wrapping up a visit to the region on Tuesday, in which he reaffirmed Washington's support for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.
+Top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, and U.S. special representative for Palestinian affairs, Hady Amr, remained behind to pursue de-escalation talks between the sides and were due to meet Palestinian officials on Thursday.
+""They are there to support the parties and the steps the parties will have to take to break this cycle of violence,"" U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday.
+In Gaza, activists rallied in support of women prisoners held by Israel after far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees prisons, said he would push ahead with plans to toughen conditions for Palestinian prisoners.
+Ben-Gvir has vowed a crackdown on ""benefits and indulgences"" offered to Palestinian prisoners and ordered amenities including prisoner-operated bread ovens in some prisons to be curtailed.
+Hamas official Mushir Al-Masri told Reuters the latest Ben-Gvir decisions ""added fuel to the fire"".
+""The issue of prisoners has always been on the agenda of the Palestinian resistance, and the screams by female prisoners inside the jails of the Zionist enemy risk a tough confrontation in which the Palestinian resistance will not stand handcuffed,"" Masri said.
+Separately, an official from Iran-backed Islamic Jihad said a delegation from the group's political office, led by the faction's chief-in-exile Ziyad al-Nakhala, would visit Cairo on Friday for talks that would include the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
+The official, who asked not to be named, said the visit was scheduled before the latest violence but he said the current escalation in Gaza and the West Bank would inevitably be discussed.
+Cairo has also invited Hamas chief, Ismail Haniyeh, who currently resides between Qatar and Turkey, for separate talks next week, said a Palestinian official familiar with Egyptian mediation.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""They are there to support the parties and the steps the parties will have to take to break this cycle of violence,"" U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday. In Gaza, activists rallied in support of women prisoners held by Israel after far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees prisons, said he would push ahead with plans to toughen conditions for Palestinian prisoners. Ben-Gvir has vowed a crackdown on ""benefits and indulgences"" offered to Palestinian prisoners and ordered amenities including prisoner-operated bread ovens in some prisons to be curtailed. Hamas official Mushir Al-Masri told Reuters the latest Ben-Gvir decisions ""added fuel to the fire"". ""The issue of prisoners has always been on the agenda of the Palestinian resistance, and the screams by female prisoners inside the jails of the Zionist enemy risk a tough confrontation in which the Palestinian resistance will not stand handcuffed,"" Masri said. Separately, an official from Iran-backed Islamic Jihad said a delegation from the group's political office, led by the faction's chief-in-exile Ziyad al-Nakhala, would visit Cairo on Friday for talks that would include the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The official, who asked not to be named, said the visit was scheduled before the latest violence but he said the current escalation in Gaza and the West Bank would inevitably be discussed.  Cairo has also invited Hamas chief, Ismail Haniyeh, who currently resides between Qatar and Turkey, for separate talks next week, said a Palestinian official familiar with Egyptian mediation.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-president-his-unfulfilled-quest-state-2023-01-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]The Palestinian president and his unfulfilled quest for a state[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Mahmoud Abbas spent much of his life before becoming Palestinian president in the shadow of Yasser Arafat, long the figurehead of the Palestinian cause, but he has never secured the same status in the role and has not brought his people closer to statehood.
+Based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the 87-year-old has seen his role further eclipsed by the rise of Hamas, the Islamist group that has controlled Gaza since 2006, and by the expanding Jewish settlements on occupied West Bank land.
+U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited him on Tuesday, after repeating Washington's support for a two-state solution. But Abbas has previously said Western governments have effectively undermined that goal by failing to recognise Palestine as a state and by failing to hold Israel to account.
+It now seems a distant hope with rising bloodshed on the West Bank in the past year, a drive by the new Israeli government to expand West Bank settlements and recurrent exchanges over Gaza of militant rockets and Israeli airstrikes.
+""The Israeli government is responsible for what is happening today, because of its practices that undermine the two-state solution and violate the signed agreements,"" Abbas during Blinken's visit, a charge the Palestinian president often makes and which Israel refutes.
+Abbas was the first generation of Palestinian exiles, born after colonial powers drew new Middle Eastern borders and is old enough to recall the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948 when half the 1.4 million Arabs of Palestine - including Abbas himself – fled or were driven from their land into a new life as refugees.
+He was an early member of Fatah, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) faction that dominated Palestinian politics for decades. He became leader of both when Arafat died in 2004, and a year later was elected president of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited sovereignty in the West Bank.
+The high point of his career was a 1993 White House ceremony at which he and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres signed the Oslo accords which offered the prospect of Palestinian autonomy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
+Behind them were U.S. President Bill Clinton, Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, applauding warmly.
+In his suit and tie - a stark contrast to Arafat’s keffiyeh headscarf and combat fatigues - Abbas’ advocacy of dialogue over violence and long service as a negotiator raised hopes for a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+But when Arafat died more than a quarter of a century later the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was moribund and relations with Washington were at a nadir. Critics accused Abbas' inner circle of graft, nepotism and ineffectiveness.
+FEWER APPEARANCES
+He has been seen less and less in later years, and repeated visits to hospitals have added to concerns about his ability to lead the Palestinian government through political turbulence.
+One public appearance in 2018, backfired dismally when - not for the first time - he was accused of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in a speech. Amid international condemnation of his remarks, he was forced to apologise.
+Abbas was born in 1935 in Safed, a town in what was then British-ruled Palestine and is now northern Israel. He fled to Syria as a child amid fighting over the creation of Israel and later went to work in Qatar, where he joined other Palestinians including Arafat in Fatah.
+After Israel captured and occupied the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Six Day War, Arafat's Fatah seized control of the PLO and a decades-long guerrilla campaign against Israel began, with its leaders moving from Jordan to Lebanon and later Tunisia.
+When the Palestinian leadership returned from exile to Gaza after the Oslo Accords Abbas was upbeat, promising: ""I will live in Palestine."" But peace talks faltered in following years.
+Abbas won a presidential election in 2005 but his Fatah group was defeated 2006 parliamentary elections. Hamas routed Fatah in a civil war in Gaza, leaving Abbas with control of Palestinian-administered areas in the West Bank but there have been no Palestinian elections since.
+Seeking to regain the initiative, Abbas made unilateral moves to seek Palestinian statehood at the United Nations. In 2012, Palestine won ""non-member statehood"" at the U.N. General Assembly. But the goal of a state has remained elusive.
+Abbas has held little sway with successive U.S. presidents, whose role is vital in Middle East diplomacy, and he has looked ever more isolated as regional allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco have signed diplomatic deals with Israel.
+""Having contributed to achievements that place our people at the forefront of history,"" he warned as far back as 1994, ""I remain deeply concerned that we could get swept away by history, lose control, and suffer an unrecoverable setback.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]The Palestinian president and his unfulfilled quest for a state[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Mahmoud Abbas spent much of his life before becoming Palestinian president in the shadow of Yasser Arafat, long the figurehead of the Palestinian cause, but he has never secured the same status in the role and has not brought his people closer to statehood. Based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the 87-year-old has seen his role further eclipsed by the rise of Hamas, the Islamist group that has controlled Gaza since 2006, and by the expanding Jewish settlements on occupied West Bank land.  U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited him on Tuesday, after repeating Washington's support for a two-state solution. But Abbas has previously said Western governments have effectively undermined that goal by failing to recognise Palestine as a state and by failing to hold Israel to account.  It now seems a distant hope with rising bloodshed on the West Bank in the past year, a drive by the new Israeli government to expand West Bank settlements and recurrent exchanges over Gaza of militant rockets and Israeli airstrikes.
+"" The Israeli government is responsible for what is happening today, because of its practices that undermine the two-state solution and violate the signed agreements,"" Abbas during Blinken's visit, a charge the Palestinian president often makes and which Israel refutes. Abbas was the first generation of Palestinian exiles, born after colonial powers drew new Middle Eastern borders and is old enough to recall the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948 when half the 1.4 million Arabs of Palestine - including Abbas himself – fled or were driven from their land into a new life as refugees.  He was an early member of Fatah, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) faction that dominated Palestinian politics for decades. He became leader of both when Arafat died in 2004, and a year later was elected president of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited sovereignty in the West Bank. The high point of his career was a 1993 White House ceremony at which he and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres signed the Oslo accords which offered the prospect of Palestinian autonomy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Behind them were U.S. President Bill Clinton, Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, applauding warmly. In his suit and tie - a stark contrast to Arafat’s keffiyeh headscarf and combat fatigues - Abbas’ advocacy of dialogue over violence and long service as a negotiator raised hopes for a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-president-his-unfulfilled-quest-state-2023-01-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]The Palestinian president and his unfulfilled quest for a state[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Mahmoud Abbas spent much of his life before becoming Palestinian president in the shadow of Yasser Arafat, long the figurehead of the Palestinian cause, but he has never secured the same status in the role and has not brought his people closer to statehood.
+Based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the 87-year-old has seen his role further eclipsed by the rise of Hamas, the Islamist group that has controlled Gaza since 2006, and by the expanding Jewish settlements on occupied West Bank land.
+U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited him on Tuesday, after repeating Washington's support for a two-state solution. But Abbas has previously said Western governments have effectively undermined that goal by failing to recognise Palestine as a state and by failing to hold Israel to account.
+It now seems a distant hope with rising bloodshed on the West Bank in the past year, a drive by the new Israeli government to expand West Bank settlements and recurrent exchanges over Gaza of militant rockets and Israeli airstrikes.
+""The Israeli government is responsible for what is happening today, because of its practices that undermine the two-state solution and violate the signed agreements,"" Abbas during Blinken's visit, a charge the Palestinian president often makes and which Israel refutes.
+Abbas was the first generation of Palestinian exiles, born after colonial powers drew new Middle Eastern borders and is old enough to recall the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948 when half the 1.4 million Arabs of Palestine - including Abbas himself – fled or were driven from their land into a new life as refugees.
+He was an early member of Fatah, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) faction that dominated Palestinian politics for decades. He became leader of both when Arafat died in 2004, and a year later was elected president of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited sovereignty in the West Bank.
+The high point of his career was a 1993 White House ceremony at which he and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres signed the Oslo accords which offered the prospect of Palestinian autonomy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
+Behind them were U.S. President Bill Clinton, Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, applauding warmly.
+In his suit and tie - a stark contrast to Arafat’s keffiyeh headscarf and combat fatigues - Abbas’ advocacy of dialogue over violence and long service as a negotiator raised hopes for a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+But when Arafat died more than a quarter of a century later the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was moribund and relations with Washington were at a nadir. Critics accused Abbas' inner circle of graft, nepotism and ineffectiveness.
+FEWER APPEARANCES
+He has been seen less and less in later years, and repeated visits to hospitals have added to concerns about his ability to lead the Palestinian government through political turbulence.
+One public appearance in 2018, backfired dismally when - not for the first time - he was accused of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in a speech. Amid international condemnation of his remarks, he was forced to apologise.
+Abbas was born in 1935 in Safed, a town in what was then British-ruled Palestine and is now northern Israel. He fled to Syria as a child amid fighting over the creation of Israel and later went to work in Qatar, where he joined other Palestinians including Arafat in Fatah.
+After Israel captured and occupied the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Six Day War, Arafat's Fatah seized control of the PLO and a decades-long guerrilla campaign against Israel began, with its leaders moving from Jordan to Lebanon and later Tunisia.
+When the Palestinian leadership returned from exile to Gaza after the Oslo Accords Abbas was upbeat, promising: ""I will live in Palestine."" But peace talks faltered in following years.
+Abbas won a presidential election in 2005 but his Fatah group was defeated 2006 parliamentary elections. Hamas routed Fatah in a civil war in Gaza, leaving Abbas with control of Palestinian-administered areas in the West Bank but there have been no Palestinian elections since.
+Seeking to regain the initiative, Abbas made unilateral moves to seek Palestinian statehood at the United Nations. In 2012, Palestine won ""non-member statehood"" at the U.N. General Assembly. But the goal of a state has remained elusive.
+Abbas has held little sway with successive U.S. presidents, whose role is vital in Middle East diplomacy, and he has looked ever more isolated as regional allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco have signed diplomatic deals with Israel.
+""Having contributed to achievements that place our people at the forefront of history,"" he warned as far back as 1994, ""I remain deeply concerned that we could get swept away by history, lose control, and suffer an unrecoverable setback.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","But when Arafat died more than a quarter of a century later the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was moribund and relations with Washington were at a nadir. Critics accused Abbas' inner circle of graft, nepotism and ineffectiveness. FEWER APPEARANCES
+He has been seen less and less in later years, and repeated visits to hospitals have added to concerns about his ability to lead the Palestinian government through political turbulence.  One public appearance in 2018, backfired dismally when - not for the first time - he was accused of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in a speech. Amid international condemnation of his remarks, he was forced to apologise.  Abbas was born in 1935 in Safed, a town in what was then British-ruled Palestine and is now northern Israel. He fled to Syria as a child amid fighting over the creation of Israel and later went to work in Qatar, where he joined other Palestinians including Arafat in Fatah. After Israel captured and occupied the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Six Day War, Arafat's Fatah seized control of the PLO and a decades-long guerrilla campaign against Israel began, with its leaders moving from Jordan to Lebanon and later Tunisia. When the Palestinian leadership returned from exile to Gaza after the Oslo Accords Abbas was upbeat, promising: ""I will live in Palestine."" But peace talks faltered in following years.  Abbas won a presidential election in 2005 but his Fatah group was defeated 2006 parliamentary elections. Hamas routed Fatah in a civil war in Gaza, leaving Abbas with control of Palestinian-administered areas in the West Bank but there have been no Palestinian elections since.  Seeking to regain the initiative, Abbas made unilateral moves to seek Palestinian statehood at the United Nations. In 2012, Palestine won ""non-member statehood"" at the U.N. General Assembly. But the goal of a state has remained elusive. Abbas has held little sway with successive U.S. presidents, whose role is vital in Middle East diplomacy, and he has looked ever more isolated as regional allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco have signed diplomatic deals with Israel. ""Having contributed to achievements that place our people at the forefront of history,"" he warned as far back as 1994, ""I remain deeply concerned that we could get swept away by history, lose control, and suffer an unrecoverable setback.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-president-abbas-blames-israel-violence-2023-01-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian President Abbas blames Israel for violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blamed Israel on Tuesday for a sharp escalation of violence in the West Bank as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged calm on both sides and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to a two state solution.
+Calling for ""the complete cessation of unilateral Israeli actions, which violate the signed agreements and international law"", Abbas reiterated the Palestinians' longstanding demand for Israel to end its occupation.
+""We are now ready to work with the U.S. administration and the international community to restore political dialogue in order to end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,"" he said in a statement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian President Abbas blames Israel for violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blamed Israel on Tuesday for a sharp escalation of violence in the West Bank as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged calm on both sides and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to a two state solution. Calling for ""the complete cessation of unilateral Israeli actions, which violate the signed agreements and international law"", Abbas reiterated the Palestinians' longstanding demand for Israel to end its occupation.  ""We are now ready to work with the U.S. administration and the international community to restore political dialogue in order to end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,"" he said in a statement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-palestinian-refugee-agency-appeals-16-bln-funding-2023-01-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. agency: Arabs' Israel ties no impediment to aiding Palestinian refugees[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA,
+ Jan 24 (Reuters) - The head of the United Nations agency that delivers 
+basic services to millions of Palestinian refugees said on Tuesday that 
+certain Arab countries' rapprochement with Israel should pose no 
+obstacle to their funding of the organization.UNRWA
+ in recent years has come under pressure in part from a decline in 
+funding from Arab countries, which last year accounted for a mere 4% of 
+overall contributions to the agency after having made up around a 
+quarter in 2018.The
+ decision by some countries like the United Arab Emirates to cut or even
+ halt funding altogether coincides with a move toward normalising 
+relations with Israel as part of a series of agreements known as the 
+Abraham Accords.Philippe
+ Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for
+ Palestine Refugees in the Near East, said he saw no contradiction 
+between supporting Palestinian refugees and building ties with Israel.""You can have strong bilateral relations with Israel and be a strong supporter of the agency,"" Lazzarini told Reuters.""Whatever
+ rapprochement or ties (with Israel) should not have the slightest 
+impact on your commitment and your solidarity with the Palestine 
+refugees and your support to an agency like UNRWA. We should not be the 
+proxy or byproduct of any political considerations,"" he said.Established
+ in 1949, UNRWA provides public-like services including schools, primary
+ healthcare and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria 
+and Lebanon, the five countries or territories where most Palestinian 
+refugees, or their descendants, from various Arab-Israeli conflicts 
+live.UNRWA appealed on Tuesday for $1.6 billion in funding to support its programmes and operations.Lazzarini, who said in November that UNRWA was in a funding ""danger zone"",
+ said some donors had already notified the agency that they might be 
+forced to limit financing due to austerity measures at home.""My message to our member states today is: Don't take our ability to muddle through as a given,"" Lazzarini said.""It
+ would be better not to test the tipping point and it should be much 
+easier to make UNRWA a predictable partner because we are also an agency
+ contributing to the stability in a region that is highly volatile.""However,
+ Lazzarini said Israel's new governing coalition, which includes 
+ultra-nationalist parties who want to annex Israeli-occupied West Bank 
+land, has not had any effect on UNRWA's ability to operate.""We
+ have normal access when it comes to delivering our services in Gaza and
+ the West Bank, but we are very concerned about the increased violence 
+impacting this community,"" he said.Last
+ year saw the worst levels of violence in the West Bank in more than a 
+decade after Israel launched a crackdown on militants in response to 
+fatal Palestinian street attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. agency: Arabs' Israel ties no impediment to aiding Palestinian refugees[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA,
+ Jan 24 (Reuters) - The head of the United Nations agency that delivers 
+basic services to millions of Palestinian refugees said on Tuesday that 
+certain Arab countries' rapprochement with Israel should pose no 
+obstacle to their funding of the organization. UNRWA
+ in recent years has come under pressure in part from a decline in 
+funding from Arab countries, which last year accounted for a mere 4% of 
+overall contributions to the agency after having made up around a 
+quarter in 2018.The  decision by some countries like the United Arab Emirates to cut or even
+ halt funding altogether coincides with a move toward normalising 
+relations with Israel as part of a series of agreements known as the 
+Abraham Accords. Philippe
+ Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for
+ Palestine Refugees in the Near East, said he saw no contradiction 
+between supporting Palestinian refugees and building ties with Israel. ""You can have strong bilateral relations with Israel and be a strong supporter of the agency,"" Lazzarini told Reuters. ""Whatever
+ rapprochement or ties (with Israel) should not have the slightest 
+impact on your commitment and your solidarity with the Palestine 
+refugees and your support to an agency like UNRWA. We should not be the 
+proxy or byproduct of any political considerations,"" he said. Established
+ in 1949, UNRWA provides public-like services including schools, primary
+ healthcare and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria 
+and Lebanon, the five countries or territories where most Palestinian 
+refugees, or their descendants, from various Arab-Israeli conflicts 
+live. UNRWA appealed on Tuesday for $1.6 billion in funding to support its programmes and operations. Lazzarini, who said in November that UNRWA was in a funding ""danger zone"",
+ said some donors had already notified the agency that they might be 
+forced to limit financing due to austerity measures at home. ""My message to our member states today is: Don't take our ability to muddle through as a given,"" Lazzarini said. ""It
+ would be better not to test the tipping point and it should be much 
+easier to make UNRWA a predictable partner because we are also an agency
+ contributing to the stability in a region that is highly volatile.""However,
+ Lazzarini said Israel's new governing coalition, which includes 
+ultra-nationalist parties who want to annex Israeli-occupied West Bank 
+land, has not had any effect on UNRWA's ability to operate."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-palestinian-refugee-agency-appeals-16-bln-funding-2023-01-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. agency: Arabs' Israel ties no impediment to aiding Palestinian refugees[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA,
+ Jan 24 (Reuters) - The head of the United Nations agency that delivers 
+basic services to millions of Palestinian refugees said on Tuesday that 
+certain Arab countries' rapprochement with Israel should pose no 
+obstacle to their funding of the organization.UNRWA
+ in recent years has come under pressure in part from a decline in 
+funding from Arab countries, which last year accounted for a mere 4% of 
+overall contributions to the agency after having made up around a 
+quarter in 2018.The
+ decision by some countries like the United Arab Emirates to cut or even
+ halt funding altogether coincides with a move toward normalising 
+relations with Israel as part of a series of agreements known as the 
+Abraham Accords.Philippe
+ Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for
+ Palestine Refugees in the Near East, said he saw no contradiction 
+between supporting Palestinian refugees and building ties with Israel.""You can have strong bilateral relations with Israel and be a strong supporter of the agency,"" Lazzarini told Reuters.""Whatever
+ rapprochement or ties (with Israel) should not have the slightest 
+impact on your commitment and your solidarity with the Palestine 
+refugees and your support to an agency like UNRWA. We should not be the 
+proxy or byproduct of any political considerations,"" he said.Established
+ in 1949, UNRWA provides public-like services including schools, primary
+ healthcare and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria 
+and Lebanon, the five countries or territories where most Palestinian 
+refugees, or their descendants, from various Arab-Israeli conflicts 
+live.UNRWA appealed on Tuesday for $1.6 billion in funding to support its programmes and operations.Lazzarini, who said in November that UNRWA was in a funding ""danger zone"",
+ said some donors had already notified the agency that they might be 
+forced to limit financing due to austerity measures at home.""My message to our member states today is: Don't take our ability to muddle through as a given,"" Lazzarini said.""It
+ would be better not to test the tipping point and it should be much 
+easier to make UNRWA a predictable partner because we are also an agency
+ contributing to the stability in a region that is highly volatile.""However,
+ Lazzarini said Israel's new governing coalition, which includes 
+ultra-nationalist parties who want to annex Israeli-occupied West Bank 
+land, has not had any effect on UNRWA's ability to operate.""We
+ have normal access when it comes to delivering our services in Gaza and
+ the West Bank, but we are very concerned about the increased violence 
+impacting this community,"" he said.Last
+ year saw the worst levels of violence in the West Bank in more than a 
+decade after Israel launched a crackdown on militants in response to 
+fatal Palestinian street attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""We
+ have normal access when it comes to delivering our services in Gaza and
+ the West Bank, but we are very concerned about the increased violence 
+impacting this community,"" he said. Last
+ year saw the worst levels of violence in the West Bank in more than a 
+decade after Israel launched a crackdown on militants in response to 
+fatal Palestinian street attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-rules-out-jerusalem-base-saudi-envoy-palestinians-2023-08-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians, Israel differ on significance of new Saudi envoy[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Israel ruled out on Sunday any eventual physical mission in Jerusalem for the first Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, even as they cast his appointment as endorsement of their goal of a state that would include part of the city as its capital.
+Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef Al-Sudairi on Saturday expanded his credentials to include non-resident envoy to the Palestinians. A social media post by his embassy said ""consul-general in Jerusalem"" was also now among Al-Sudairi's duties.
+The move came after Washington said there had been some progress in its efforts to mediate a forging of formal relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - which had previously ruled out such a pact until Palestinian statehood goals are addressed.
+Signalling that they felt sidelined by the stepped-up indirect talks, the Palestinians voiced hope earlier this month that Riyadh would hear their concerns and coordinate with them.
+They sounded more upbeat after Al-Sudairi's appointment.
+""What does it mean to also say (he is) 'consul-general in Jerusalem'? It means a continuation of the positions of Saudi Arabia,"" Palestinian Ambassador to Riyadh Bassam Al-Agha said.
+Interviewed on Voice of Palestine radio, Al-Agha further interpreted the appointment as a ""rejection"" of the U.S. recognition in 2017 of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
+The Palestinians want a state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as their capital. U.S.-sponsored negotiations with Israel on achieving that stalled more than a decade ago.
+Among the hurdles have been Israeli settlement of occupied land and feuding between Western-backed Palestinian authorities and armed Hamas Islamists who spurn coexistence with Israel.
+Another sticking point is Jerusalem, which Israel deems its indivisible capital - a status not widely recognised abroad. Israeli authorities bar Palestinian diplomacy in the city.
+Al-Sudairi presented his credentials to the Palestinian mission in Amman, indicating the Jordanian capital would remain his base.
+""This (Al-Sudairi) could be a delegate who will meet with representatives in the Palestinian Authority,"" Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM.
+""Will there be an official physically sitting in Jerusalem? This we will not allow.""
+Israel's hard-right government has played down any prospect of it giving significant ground to the Palestinians as part of the potential normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia.
+""What is behind this development (Al-Sudairi's appointment) is that, against the backdrop of progress in the U.S. talks with Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Saudis want to relay a message to the Palestinians that they have not forgotten them,"" Cohen said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians, Israel differ on significance of new Saudi envoy[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Israel ruled out on Sunday any eventual physical mission in Jerusalem for the first Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, even as they cast his appointment as endorsement of their goal of a state that would include part of the city as its capital.  Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef Al-Sudairi on Saturday expanded his credentials to include non-resident envoy to the Palestinians. A social media post by his embassy said ""consul-general in Jerusalem"" was also now among Al-Sudairi's duties. The move came after Washington said there had been some progress in its efforts to mediate a forging of formal relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - which had previously ruled out such a pact until Palestinian statehood goals are addressed. Signalling that they felt sidelined by the stepped-up indirect talks, the Palestinians voiced hope earlier this month that Riyadh would hear their concerns and coordinate with them.  They sounded more upbeat after Al-Sudairi's appointment.
+""What does it mean to also say (he is) 'consul-general in Jerusalem'? It means a continuation of the positions of Saudi Arabia,"" Palestinian Ambassador to Riyadh Bassam Al-Agha said. Interviewed on Voice of Palestine radio, Al-Agha further interpreted the appointment as a ""rejection"" of the U.S. recognition in 2017 of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.  The Palestinians want a state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as their capital. U.S.-sponsored negotiations with Israel on achieving that stalled more than a decade ago. Among the hurdles have been Israeli settlement of occupied land and feuding between Western-backed Palestinian authorities and armed Hamas Islamists who spurn coexistence with Israel. Another sticking point is Jerusalem, which Israel deems its indivisible capital - a status not widely recognised abroad. Israeli authorities bar Palestinian diplomacy in the city. Al-Sudairi presented his credentials to the Palestinian mission in Amman, indicating the Jordanian capital would remain his base.
+""This (Al-Sudairi) could be a delegate who will meet with representatives in the Palestinian Authority,"" Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM.  ""Will there be an official physically sitting in Jerusalem? This we will not allow."" Israel's hard-right government has played down any prospect of it giving significant ground to the Palestinians as part of the potential normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-rules-out-jerusalem-base-saudi-envoy-palestinians-2023-08-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians, Israel differ on significance of new Saudi envoy[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Israel ruled out on Sunday any eventual physical mission in Jerusalem for the first Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, even as they cast his appointment as endorsement of their goal of a state that would include part of the city as its capital.
+Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef Al-Sudairi on Saturday expanded his credentials to include non-resident envoy to the Palestinians. A social media post by his embassy said ""consul-general in Jerusalem"" was also now among Al-Sudairi's duties.
+The move came after Washington said there had been some progress in its efforts to mediate a forging of formal relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - which had previously ruled out such a pact until Palestinian statehood goals are addressed.
+Signalling that they felt sidelined by the stepped-up indirect talks, the Palestinians voiced hope earlier this month that Riyadh would hear their concerns and coordinate with them.
+They sounded more upbeat after Al-Sudairi's appointment.
+""What does it mean to also say (he is) 'consul-general in Jerusalem'? It means a continuation of the positions of Saudi Arabia,"" Palestinian Ambassador to Riyadh Bassam Al-Agha said.
+Interviewed on Voice of Palestine radio, Al-Agha further interpreted the appointment as a ""rejection"" of the U.S. recognition in 2017 of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
+The Palestinians want a state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as their capital. U.S.-sponsored negotiations with Israel on achieving that stalled more than a decade ago.
+Among the hurdles have been Israeli settlement of occupied land and feuding between Western-backed Palestinian authorities and armed Hamas Islamists who spurn coexistence with Israel.
+Another sticking point is Jerusalem, which Israel deems its indivisible capital - a status not widely recognised abroad. Israeli authorities bar Palestinian diplomacy in the city.
+Al-Sudairi presented his credentials to the Palestinian mission in Amman, indicating the Jordanian capital would remain his base.
+""This (Al-Sudairi) could be a delegate who will meet with representatives in the Palestinian Authority,"" Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM.
+""Will there be an official physically sitting in Jerusalem? This we will not allow.""
+Israel's hard-right government has played down any prospect of it giving significant ground to the Palestinians as part of the potential normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia.
+""What is behind this development (Al-Sudairi's appointment) is that, against the backdrop of progress in the U.S. talks with Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Saudis want to relay a message to the Palestinians that they have not forgotten them,"" Cohen said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""What is behind this development (Al-Sudairi's appointment) is that, against the backdrop of progress in the U.S. talks with Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Saudis want to relay a message to the Palestinians that they have not forgotten them,"" Cohen said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-wound-eight-west-bank-raid-news-agency-2023-08-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill Palestinian, wound eight, in West Bank raid[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH,
+ West Bank, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian 
+man and wounded at least eight others during an operation in a refugee 
+camp in the occupied West Bank on Friday, Palestinian officials said.The
+ Israeli military said soldiers operating in the city of Tulkarm fired 
+at suspects who shot at them, hurled explosives and rocks and blocked 
+roads, and that ""hits were identified"". It said a number of military 
+vehicles were damaged but no injuries to the forces were reported.The
+ director of the Thabet Thabet Government Hospital in Tulkarm, Amin 
+Khader, told Palestine TV that the man who was killed had sustained a 
+gunshot wound in the chest and that at least eight other people were 
+wounded.The
+ Fatah party, which dominates the Palestinian Authority in the West 
+Bank, identified the dead man as Mahmoud Jarrad. It said he was a member
+ but it did not claim him as a fighter.Violence
+ in the West Bank has worsened over the past 15 months amid stepped-up 
+Israeli raids, rampages by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages and 
+Palestinian street attacks.A U.N. tally showed at least 196 Palestinians and 24 people in Israel have been killed in hostilities since January.Palestinians
+ have limited self-rule in the West Bank, among territories Israel 
+captured in a 1967 war. Israel subjects millions of Palestinians to 
+military rule there and has continued to build settlements, considered 
+by most countries as illegal, which it disputes.U.S.-brokered
+ peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank,
+ Gaza and East Jerusalem collapsed in 2014 and show no sign of resuming.Some
+ 40,700 Palestinians are registered with the U.N. agency for Palestinian
+ refugees in two camps in the Tulkarm area, descendants of people were 
+forced out or fled their homes during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's 
+creation.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill Palestinian, wound eight, in West Bank raid[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH,
+ West Bank, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian 
+man and wounded at least eight others during an operation in a refugee 
+camp in the occupied West Bank on Friday, Palestinian officials said. The
+ Israeli military said soldiers operating in the city of Tulkarm fired 
+at suspects who shot at them, hurled explosives and rocks and blocked 
+roads, and that ""hits were identified"". It said a number of military 
+vehicles were damaged but no injuries to the forces were reported. The
+ director of the Thabet Thabet Government Hospital in Tulkarm, Amin 
+Khader, told Palestine TV that the man who was killed had sustained a 
+gunshot wound in the chest and that at least eight other people were 
+wounded. The
+ Fatah party, which dominates the Palestinian Authority in the West 
+Bank, identified the dead man as Mahmoud Jarrad. It said he was a member
+ but it did not claim him as a fighter. Violence
+ in the West Bank has worsened over the past 15 months amid stepped-up 
+Israeli raids, rampages by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages and 
+Palestinian street attacks. A U.N. tally showed at least 196 Palestinians and 24 people in Israel have been killed in hostilities since January. Palestinians
+ have limited self-rule in the West Bank, among territories Israel 
+captured in a 1967 war. Israel subjects millions of Palestinians to 
+military rule there and has continued to build settlements, considered 
+by most countries as illegal, which it disputes. U.S.-brokered
+ peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank,
+ Gaza and East Jerusalem collapsed in 2014 and show no sign of resuming. Some
+ 40,700 Palestinians are registered with the U.N. agency for Palestinian
+ refugees in two camps in the Tulkarm area, descendants of people were 
+forced out or fled their homes during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's 
+creation.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/gaza-amputee-is-inspiration-young-swimmers-2023-08-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza amputee is inspiration to young swimmers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Majdi El-Tattar was just nine years old when he lost his leg in an accident. Now he is an inspiration to aspiring swimmers in Gaza - as a qualified swimming coach who runs his own school.
+Parents bringing their children to swimming classes for the first time are surprised to see Tattar standing on two crutches, but their doubts soon turn into confidence when they see his skills in the water.
+Tattar, now aged 42, lost his right leg when he was run over by a car. Faced with the problem of finding a job in the Palestinian enclave, where nearly half the working-age population is unemployed, he took to swimming and qualified as a coach.
+""I told myself I had to turn this ordeal into a blessing, I made the amputation of my leg a motive for me to become an active member of the society,"" he said.
+""I developed my skills and that enabled me to start a swimming school,"" Tattar told Reuters as a few dozen of his students trained in the water. His Palestinian Swimming Academy holds its classes in a local pool and its students include youngsters and adults alike.
+The International Committee of the Red Cross lists at least 1,600 amputees among Gaza's population of 2 million people.
+Assalama Charitable Society, which cares for wounded and people with disabilities, said 532 Gazans had lost limbs in the conflict with Israel.
+Earlier this month, the U.S.-based Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) brought together 120 Gaza children who have upper and lower limb amputations, into a summer camp.
+""Our goal in Camp Ability is to join the kids together, to bring them, to show them and show the communities they live in that they are able-bodied and they can do anything,"" PCRF Dunia Saed said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza amputee is inspiration to young swimmers[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Majdi El-Tattar was just nine years old when he lost his leg in an accident. Now he is an inspiration to aspiring swimmers in Gaza - as a qualified swimming coach who runs his own school. Parents bringing their children to swimming classes for the first time are surprised to see Tattar standing on two crutches, but their doubts soon turn into confidence when they see his skills in the water.  Tattar, now aged 42, lost his right leg when he was run over by a car. Faced with the problem of finding a job in the Palestinian enclave, where nearly half the working-age population is unemployed, he took to swimming and qualified as a coach. ""I told myself I had to turn this ordeal into a blessing, I made the amputation of my leg a motive for me to become an active member of the society,"" he said.  ""I developed my skills and that enabled me to start a swimming school,"" Tattar told Reuters as a few dozen of his students trained in the water. His Palestinian Swimming Academy holds its classes in a local pool and its students include youngsters and adults alike. The International Committee of the Red Cross lists at least 1,600 amputees among Gaza's population of 2 million people. Assalama Charitable Society, which cares for wounded and people with disabilities, said 532 Gazans had lost limbs in the conflict with Israel. Earlier this month, the U.S.-based Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) brought together 120 Gaza children who have upper and lower limb amputations, into a summer camp.  ""Our goal in Camp Ability is to join the kids together, to bring them, to show them and show the communities they live in that they are able-bodied and they can do anything,"" PCRF Dunia Saed said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-hope-saudis-will-hear-concerns-israel-deal-minister-says-2023-08-03/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians hope Saudis will hear concerns on Israel deal, minister says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority is hoping to engage with Saudi Arabia to discuss their concerns over a potential agreement normalising relations with Israel, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Thursday.
+U.S. President Joe Biden said last week a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel ""may be under way"" following months of efforts by U.S. officials to broker an agreement between the two longstanding adversaries.
+Officials from all three countries have said any agreement would be some way off, with complex issues remaining to be resolved, including the tense situation in the occupied West Bank and a potential development of civilian nuclear power by Saudi Arabia.
+But the speculation has caused concern among Palestinians that any agreement would further weaken support for their cause in the wider Arab world and undermine hopes of an independent Palestinian state.
+""What we have read from the news items (is) that Saudi has put different conditions regarding normalisation,"" Al-Maliki told a news conference in Ramallah. ""One of these conditions is really the end of the Israeli occupation and the materialisation of the state of Palestine.""
+""If that's really the case, then that's really very important,"" he said. ""I hope that the Saudis will stick to that position and not to yield to any kind pressure, intimidation coming from the Biden administration or any other power.""
+He said Saudi Arabia had shown an interest in reviving an Arab-led peace process.
+""But of course we would like very much to listen to the Saudis, to coordinate with the Saudis,"" he said. The Saudis ""could also hear from us about the steps that they should really undertake as necessary steps in order for the issue of Palestine to be resolved.""
+Saudi Arabia, Islam's birthplace, has long championed the Palestinian cause and shunned official contacts with Israel but it has quietly accepted the so-called Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
+Al-Maliki said the Palestinian leadership had been ""disappointed"" by the Biden administration, which he said had failed to live up to its promises to reverse the decision by the Trump administration to break with previous U.S. policy and recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
+""What does that tell you? It tells you that their priority is not us.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians hope Saudis will hear concerns on Israel deal , minister says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority is hoping to engage with Saudi Arabia to discuss their concerns over a potential agreement normalising relations with Israel, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Thursday. U.S. President Joe Biden said last week a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel ""may be under way"" following months of efforts by U.S. officials to broker an agreement between the two longstanding adversaries. Officials from all three countries have said any agreement would be some way off, with complex issues remaining to be resolved, including the tense situation in the occupied West Bank and a potential development of civilian nuclear power by Saudi Arabia. But the speculation has caused concern among Palestinians that any agreement would further weaken support for their cause in the wider Arab world and undermine hopes of an independent Palestinian state.  ""What we have read from the news items (is) that Saudi has put different conditions regarding normalisation,"" Al-Maliki told a news conference in Ramallah. ""One of these conditions is really the end of the Israeli occupation and the materialisation of the state of Palestine. ""  ""If that's really the case, then that's really very important,"" he said. ""I hope that the Saudis will stick to that position and not to yield to any kind pressure, intimidation coming from the Biden administration or any other power."" He said Saudi Arabia had shown an interest in reviving an Arab-led peace process.  ""But of course we would like very much to listen to the Saudis, to coordinate with the Saudis,"" he said. The Saudis ""could also hear from us about the steps that they should really undertake as necessary steps in order for the issue of Palestine to be resolved."" Saudi Arabia, Islam's birthplace, has long championed the Palestinian cause and shunned official contacts with Israel but it has quietly accepted the so-called Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Al-Maliki said the Palestinian leadership had been ""disappointed"" by the Biden administration, which he said had failed to live up to its promises to reverse the decision by the Trump administration to break with previous U.S. policy and recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.  ""What does that tell you? It tells you that their priority is not us.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/head-lebanons-hezbollah-urges-halt-palestinian-camp-clashes-2023-08-01/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Head of Lebanon's Hezbollah urges halt to Palestinian camp clashes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The head of powerful armed group Hezbollah called on Tuesday for a halt to days of deadly clashes that have raged between rival factions in the Palestinian camp of Ain el-Hilweh in southern Lebanon.
+At least 11 people - most of them militants - have been killed in the camp since fighting broke out on Saturday between mainstream faction Fatah and hardline Islamists, security sources in the camp told Reuters.
+""This fighting must not continue because its repercussions are bad - for the camp's residents, for the dear Palestinian people... for the south, for all of Lebanon,"" Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address.
+The United Nations agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said at least 2,000 people have fled their homes in the camp and UNRWA activities were suspended due to the violence.
+Negotiations between the rival factions have led to brief suspensions of fighting but have failed to secure a lasting ceasefire, with heavy clashes resuming on Tuesday.
+Hezbollah, which controls southern Lebanon and is vehemently opposed to Israel, has ties to Palestinian factions and supports their cause.
+Nasrallah on Tuesday said anyone who could ""pressure, say a word, make contact, make an effort"" to secure a truce should do so.
+UNRWA estimates that up to 250,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon's 12 Palestinian camps, which date back to the 1948 war between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The camps mainly lie outside the jurisdiction of Lebanese security services.
+Nasrallah also ramped up his rhetoric on Tuesday against those burning copies of the Muslim holy book the Koran in Denmark and Sweden in recent weeks, saying the weak response from Muslim states had left believers wanting.
+""There is no longer any meaning to waiting for anyone. You must take up this responsibility and punish these damned people with the strongest punishment,"" Nasrallah said.
+Hezbollah was founded in 1982 by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and is classified by the United States and other Western countries as a terrorist organisation.
+Last year, Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old Shi'ite Muslim American, was charged with the stabbing of Salman Rushdie, author of the 1988 novel ""The Satanic Verses,"" viewed by some Muslims as containing blasphemous passages.
+Matar's family originally hails from Yaroun, where Hezbollah has strong support. A Hezbollah official at the time said the group had no information on the attack and Nasrallah declined to comment directly on it.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Head of Lebanon's Hezbollah urges halt to Palestinian camp clashes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The head of powerful armed group Hezbollah called on Tuesday for a halt to days of deadly clashes that have raged between rival factions in the Palestinian camp of Ain el-Hilweh in southern Lebanon. At least 11 people - most of them militants - have been killed in the camp since fighting broke out on Saturday between mainstream faction Fatah and hardline Islamists, security sources in the camp told Reuters. ""This fighting must not continue because its repercussions are bad - for the camp's residents, for the dear Palestinian people... for the south, for all of Lebanon,"" Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address.
+The United Nations agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said at least 2,000 people have fled their homes in the camp and UNRWA activities were suspended due to the violence. Negotiations between the rival factions have led to brief suspensions of fighting but have failed to secure a lasting ceasefire, with heavy clashes resuming on Tuesday.  Hezbollah, which controls southern Lebanon and is vehemently opposed to Israel, has ties to Palestinian factions and supports their cause. Nasrallah on Tuesday said anyone who could ""pressure, say a word, make contact, make an effort"" to secure a truce should do so.  UNRWA estimates that up to 250,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon's 12 Palestinian camps, which date back to the 1948 war between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The camps mainly lie outside the jurisdiction of Lebanese security services. Nasrallah also ramped up his rhetoric on Tuesday against those burning copies of the Muslim holy book the Koran in Denmark and Sweden in recent weeks, saying the weak response from Muslim states had left believers wanting.  ""There is no longer any meaning to waiting for anyone. You must take up this responsibility and punish these damned people with the strongest punishment,"" Nasrallah said. Hezbollah was founded in 1982 by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and is classified by the United States and other Western countries as a terrorist organisation. Last year, Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old Shi'ite Muslim American, was charged with the stabbing of Salman Rushdie, author of the 1988 novel ""The Satanic Verses,"" viewed by some Muslims as containing blasphemous passages.  Matar's family originally hails from Yaroun, where Hezbollah has strong support. A Hezbollah official at the time said the group had no information on the attack and Nasrallah declined to comment directly on it.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/least-125-tombs-discovered-roman-era-cemetery-gaza-officials-2023-07-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]At least 125 tombs discovered at Roman-era cemetery in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+GAZA, July 24 (Reuters) - Archaeologists working on a 2,000-year-old Roman cemetery discovered in Gaza last year have found at least 125 tombs, most with skeletons still largely intact, and two rare lead sarcophaguses, the Palestinian Ministry of Antiquities said.
+The impoverished Palestinian territory was an important trading post for civilisations as far back as the ancient Egyptians and the Philistines depicted in the Bible, through the Roman empire and the crusades.
+In the past, local archaeologists reburied findings for lack of funding but French organisations have helped excavate this site, discovered in February last year by a construction crew working on an Egyptian-funded housing project.
+""It is the first time in Palestine we have discovered a cemetery that has 125 tombs, and it is the first time in Gaza we have discovered two sarcophaguses made of lead,"" Fadel Al-A’utul, an expert at the French School of Biblical and Archeological Research, told Reuters at the site.
+One of the two sarcophaguses was decorated with images of grapes and the other with dolphins said A'utul, whose organisation is supervising the work with help from French aid agency Premiere Urgance International.
+""We need funds to preserve this archeological site so that history does not get washed away,"" he added. A'utul said he hoped the site would become a tourist destination, with a museum to display the findings.
+At least 25 engineers and technicians were engaged on Sunday, despite the soaring heat, in digging, clearing the dirt, and preserving the skeletons. They have also been piecing together clay jars found inside some of the graves.
+""This is unprecedented,"" said Jamal Abu Reida, General-Director of Gaza's Antiquities Ministry.
+""It deepens Palestinian roots on this land and shows they date back thousands of years,"" he said.
+Gaza has been under an Israel-Egyptian economic blockade since 2007 when the Islamist militant group Hamas, which opposes peace with Israel, took control. The narrow coastal territory's 2.3 million Palestinian residents have since endured several wars.
+U.S.-brokered peace talks, aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, collapsed in 2014 and show no sign of revival.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]At least 125 tombs discovered at Roman-era cemetery in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]
+GAZA, July 24 (Reuters) - Archaeologists working on a 2,000-year-old Roman cemetery discovered in Gaza last year have found at least 125 tombs, most with skeletons still largely intact, and two rare lead sarcophaguses, the Palestinian Ministry of Antiquities said. The impoverished Palestinian territory was an important trading post for civilisations as far back as the ancient Egyptians and the Philistines depicted in the Bible, through the Roman empire and the crusades. In the past, local archaeologists reburied findings for lack of funding but French organisations have helped excavate this site, discovered in February last year by a construction crew working on an Egyptian-funded housing project. ""It is the first time in Palestine we have discovered a cemetery that has 125 tombs, and it is the first time in Gaza we have discovered two sarcophaguses made of lead,"" Fadel Al-A’utul, an expert at the French School of Biblical and Archeological Research, told Reuters at the site. One of the two sarcophaguses was decorated with images of grapes and the other with dolphins said A'utul, whose organisation is supervising the work with help from French aid agency Premiere Urgance International.  ""We need funds to preserve this archeological site so that history does not get washed away,"" he added. A'utul said he hoped the site would become a tourist destination, with a museum to display the findings.  At least 25 engineers and technicians were engaged on Sunday, despite the soaring heat, in digging, clearing the dirt, and preserving the skeletons. They have also been piecing together clay jars found inside some of the graves. ""This is unprecedented,"" said Jamal Abu Reida, General-Director of Gaza's Antiquities Ministry. ""It deepens Palestinian roots on this land and shows they date back thousands of years,"" he said. Gaza has been under an Israel-Egyptian economic blockade since 2007 when the Islamist militant group Hamas, which opposes peace with Israel, took control. The narrow coastal territory's 2.3 million Palestinian residents have since endured several wars.  U.S.-brokered peace talks, aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, collapsed in 2014 and show no sign of revival.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/eu-envoy-paraglides-off-gaza-show-freedom-is-way-forward-2023-07-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU envoy paraglides off Gaza to show freedom 'is the way forward'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, July 18 (Reuters) - The outgoing European Union envoy has paraglided off Gaza's coast in a rare flight designed to draw attention to the blockaded Palestinian enclave.
+Video posted online by the European Union Delegation to the Palestinians showed Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff floating off a sandy 7 metre (21 foot) cliff and over the Mediterranean sea after an initial struggle to fill his canopy with enough wind.
+The impoverished and congested Gaza Strip is kept under a cordon by Israel and Egypt designed to isolate the ruling Islamist militant group Hamas.
+A small airport inaugurated in 1998 during interim peace talks was destroyed three years later by Israeli forces, which regularly intercept rockets, drones and even flammable material-carrying balloons launched by Palestinians across the border.
+""Once you have a free Palestine, a free Gaza, you can do exactly the same thing,"" Von Burgsdorff, who is wrapping up his tenure, said in the video. A spokesperson for the EU office in Jerusalem, involved in the flight said it took place on Sunday.
+""And that's the reason why I did this. To show you the way forward. We'll work for it, okay?"" Von Burgsdorff adds.
+The paraglider belongs to the envoy, the spokesperson said, suggesting he managed to bring it past border security thanks to his diplomatic immunity.
+Von Burgsdorff was 50 meters up in the air for at least five minutes, said the spokesperson who said Israel was not informed of ""the purely local and sport activity.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU envoy paraglides off Gaza to show freedom 'is the way forward'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, July 18 (Reuters) - The outgoing European Union envoy has paraglided off Gaza's coast in a rare flight designed to draw attention to the blockaded Palestinian enclave. Video posted online by the European Union Delegation to the Palestinians showed Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff floating off a sandy 7 metre (21 foot) cliff and over the Mediterranean sea after an initial struggle to fill his canopy with enough wind. The impoverished and congested Gaza Strip is kept under a cordon by Israel and Egypt designed to isolate the ruling Islamist militant group Hamas.  A small airport inaugurated in 1998 during interim peace talks was destroyed three years later by Israeli forces, which regularly intercept rockets, drones and even flammable material-carrying balloons launched by Palestinians across the border.
+""Once you have a free Palestine, a free Gaza, you can do exactly the same thing,"" Von Burgsdorff, who is wrapping up his tenure, said in the video. A spokesperson for the EU office in Jerusalem, involved in the flight said it took place on Sunday.  ""And that's the reason why I did this. To show you the way forward. We'll work for it, okay?"" Von Burgsdorff adds.  The paraglider belongs to the envoy, the spokesperson said, suggesting he managed to bring it past border security thanks to his diplomatic immunity.
+Von Burgsdorff was 50 meters up in the air for at least five minutes, said the spokesperson who said Israel was not informed of ""the purely local and sport activity.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/progressive-us-democrat-jayapal-apologizes-calling-israel-racist-2023-07-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Progressive US Democrat Jayapal apologizes for calling Israel 'racist'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) - Representative Pramila Jayapal, who heads a large group of progressive Democrats in the U.S. Congress, on Sunday apologized for calling Israel a racist state as Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives pushed back against her initial declaration.
+""I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist,"" Jayapal said in a statement.
+""I do, however, believe that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s extreme right-wing government has engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies and that there are extreme racists driving that policy within the leadership of the current government,"" she added.
+On Saturday, Jayapal made her initial remarks - labeling Israel a ""racist state"" - at a conference held in Chicago where pro-Palestine protesters were interrupting a panel discussion, according to media reports.
+In a separate statement on Sunday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and three of his top leadership aides said that ""Israel is not a racist state,"" in an apparent rebuke to Jayapal. They added, ""There are individual members of the current Israeli governing coalition with whom we strongly disagree,"" just as they often disagree with U.S. House Republican lawmakers.
+The Jeffries statement did not specifically mention Jayapal.
+The controversy surfaced as the U.S. House and Senate have invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to address a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday, one day after his visit with President Joe Biden. Some members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus have signaled that they might not attend the event.
+Jayapal said that she has long supported a two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians, but pointed out her opposition to Israel's continued expansion of settlements in disputed areas.
+""I in no way intended to deny the deep pain and hurt of Israelis and their Jewish Diaspora community that still reels from the trauma of pogroms and persecution, the Holocaust, and continuing anti-Semitism and hate violence that is rampant today,"" Jayapal added.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Progressive US Democrat Jayapal apologizes for calling Israel 'racist'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) - Representative Pramila Jayapal, who heads a large group of progressive Democrats in the U.S. Congress, on Sunday apologized for calling Israel a racist state as Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives pushed back against her initial declaration.  ""I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist,"" Jayapal said in a statement.
+"" I do, however, believe that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s extreme right-wing government has engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies and that there are extreme racists driving that policy within the leadership of the current government,"" she added. On Saturday, Jayapal made her initial remarks - labeling Israel a ""racist state"" - at a conference held in Chicago where pro-Palestine protesters were interrupting a panel discussion, according to media reports.  In a separate statement on Sunday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and three of his top leadership aides said that ""Israel is not a racist state,"" in an apparent rebuke to Jayapal. They added, ""There are individual members of the current Israeli governing coalition with whom we strongly disagree,"" just as they often disagree with U.S. House Republican lawmakers. The Jeffries statement did not specifically mention Jayapal.  The controversy surfaced as the U.S. House and Senate have invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to address a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday, one day after his visit with President Joe Biden. Some members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus have signaled that they might not attend the event. Jayapal said that she has long supported a two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians, but pointed out her opposition to Israel's continued expansion of settlements in disputed areas.  ""I in no way intended to deny the deep pain and hurt of Israelis and their Jewish Diaspora community that still reels from the trauma of pogroms and persecution, the Holocaust, and continuing anti-Semitism and hate violence that is rampant today,"" Jayapal added.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/uefa-opens-disciplinary-proceedings-after-israeli-maltese-fans-clash-2023-07-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UEFA opens disciplinary proceedings after Israeli, Maltese fans clash[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]July 12 (Reuters) - UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings after fans clashed during a Champions League first qualifying round game between Maltese side Hamrun Spartans and Israel's Maccabi Haifa, European soccer's governing body said on Wednesday.
+Tuesday's game in Ta' Qali in Malta was interrupted twice due to the fans of both teams throwing flares and objects at each other, with some of them landing on the pitch, local media reported.
+""Disciplinary proceedings have been instigated in accordance with Article 55 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (DR) following the... match,"" UEFA said in their disciplinary update.
+Maccabi face charges for their fans lighting fireworks and committing acts of damage while both teams have been charged for their fans throwing objects and causing crowd disturbances, UEFA said.
+Police officers entered the stand where the Israeli fans were sitting in an attempt to bring the situation under control, Israeli media reported, adding that footage showed scuffles breaking out between the supporters of the two sides.
+The Times of Israel reported that Maccabi fans said they were provoked by the home crowd with racist comments and chants of ""Palestine, Palestine,"" as well as having objects thrown at them.
+Five Maccabi fans were arrested, the Times of Israel reported.
+The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) will decide on the matter in due course, UEFA said.
+Maltese media reported that the Spartans have requested for the return leg, scheduled for July 18, to be played outside of Israel.
+Maccabi Haifa beat Hamrun Spartans 4-0 in the first leg.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UEFA opens disciplinary proceedings after Israeli, Maltese fans clash[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]July 12 (Reuters) - UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings after fans clashed during a Champions League first qualifying round game between Maltese side Hamrun Spartans and Israel's Maccabi Haifa, European soccer's governing body said on Wednesday. Tuesday's game in Ta' Qali in Malta was interrupted twice due to the fans of both teams throwing flares and objects at each other, with some of them landing on the pitch, local media reported.
+""Disciplinary proceedings have been instigated in accordance with Article 55 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (DR) following the... match,"" UEFA said in their disciplinary update. Maccabi face charges for their fans lighting fireworks and committing acts of damage while both teams have been charged for their fans throwing objects and causing crowd disturbances, UEFA said. Police officers entered the stand where the Israeli fans were sitting in an attempt to bring the situation under control, Israeli media reported, adding that footage showed scuffles breaking out between the supporters of the two sides. The Times of Israel reported that Maccabi fans said they were provoked by the home crowd with racist comments and chants of ""Palestine, Palestine,"" as well as having objects thrown at them. Five Maccabi fans were arrested, the Times of Israel reported. The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) will decide on the matter in due course, UEFA said. Maltese media reported that the Spartans have requested for the return leg, scheduled for July 18, to be played outside of Israel. Maccabi Haifa beat Hamrun Spartans 4-0 in the first leg.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-summer-camps-let-kids-just-be-kids-gaza-2023-07-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN summer camps let kids 'just be kids' in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA,
+ July 12 (Reuters) - More than 130,000 Palestinian boys and girls in 
+Gaza have joined summer camps run by the United Nations to give them a 
+break from the stresses of living in a strip of land that is under an 
+economic blockade and often embroiled in conflict with Israel.The
+ Palestine children, including those with disabilities, will over four 
+weeks participate in a series of activities including greening, 
+recycling, sports, drawing, handicrafts, and language learning, the 
+agency said.The
+ United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the 
+Near East (UNRWA) said a recent agency study found that 38% of children 
+in Gaza showed symptoms of functional impairment affecting their daily 
+lives.UNRWA runs 284 schools in Gaza, serving at least 290,000 students.""The
+ most important thing is 130,000 children get the opportunity just to be
+ kids despite of the economic situation, despite the ongoing conflict, 
+they can come to summer weeks of UNRWA and just be children,"" said 
+Thomas White, the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza.Palestinians
+ have lived through several wars with Israel since 2008, including five 
+days of fighting in May, which have made healing almost impossible as 
+the causes remain unchanged, say local and international experts.They
+ put the number of children needing mental health help at nearly a 
+quarter of the enclave's 2.3 million population that lives under a 
+crippling blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt, which both control and 
+restrict the Gaza Strip's borders.""I
+ came here to entertain myself away from the things I had been subject 
+to such as wars and conflicts that I witnessed. I may not be like other 
+children (of the world) but I am trying to stay positive no matter what 
+happens,"" 13-year-old Joanna El-Halabi told Reuters at one school in 
+Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.The activity creates around 3,000 short-term jobs for Gaza youth, UNRWA said.Established
+ in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, the agency provides 
+public services including schools, primary healthcare, and humanitarian 
+aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN summer camps let kids 'just be kids' in Gaza[/TITLE] [CONTENT]GAZA,
+ July 12 (Reuters) - More than 130,000 Palestinian boys and girls in 
+Gaza have joined summer camps run by the United Nations to give them a 
+break from the stresses of living in a strip of land that is under an 
+economic blockade and often embroiled in conflict with Israel. The
+ Palestine children, including those with disabilities, will over four 
+weeks participate in a series of activities including greening, 
+recycling, sports, drawing, handicrafts, and language learning, the 
+agency said. The
+ United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the 
+Near East (UNRWA) said a recent agency study found that 38% of children 
+in Gaza showed symptoms of functional impairment affecting their daily 
+lives. UNRWA runs 284 schools in Gaza, serving at least 290,000 students. ""The
+ most important thing is 130,000 children get the opportunity just to be
+ kids despite of the economic situation, despite the ongoing conflict, 
+they can come to summer weeks of UNRWA and just be children,"" said 
+Thomas White, the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza. Palestinians
+ have lived through several wars with Israel since 2008, including five 
+days of fighting in May, which have made healing almost impossible as 
+the causes remain unchanged, say local and international experts. They
+ put the number of children needing mental health help at nearly a 
+quarter of the enclave's 2.3 million population that lives under a 
+crippling blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt, which both control and 
+restrict the Gaza Strip's borders. ""I
+ came here to entertain myself away from the things I had been subject 
+to such as wars and conflicts that I witnessed. I may not be like other 
+children (of the world) but I am trying to stay positive no matter what 
+happens,"" 13-year-old Joanna El-Halabi told Reuters at one school in 
+Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. The activity creates around 3,000 short-term jobs for Gaza youth, UNRWA said. Established
+ in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, the agency provides 
+public services including schools, primary healthcare, and humanitarian 
+aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/two-palestinians-killed-west-bank-clash-with-israeli-forces-medics-2023-07-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians who carried out attack, army says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NABLUS, West Bank, July 7 (Reuters) - Israeli security forces on Friday killed two Palestinians who carried out a shooting attack against police this week, Israel's military said.
+Israeli forces raided the occupied West Bank town of Nablus, the military said, and ""both terrorists were killed following an exchange of fire.""
+The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Israeli troops had cordoned off a house where the two had holed up and that they had been ""executed.""
+The armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a major faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization, claimed the two men as members and said they had carried out the attack on Israeli police.
+In a separate incident near the city of Ramallah, a member of the Hamas Islamist group was killed by Israeli fire when violence erupted at an anti-settlement protest, Hamas said. Palestinian residents said Jewish settlers arrived and a stone-throwing clash ensued.
+The Israeli army said Palestinian rioters had hurled rocks at troops and at a main road. The troops ""responded with riot dispersal means and live fire, a hit was identified.""
+Most countries view Israel’s settlements on occupied land as illegal. Israel disputes this.
+Friday's violence followed a two-day Israeli operation earlier this week in the densely populated Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, which has been a flashpoint in a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence that has convulsed the West Bank for more than a year.
+The Israeli military said it had targeted infrastructure and weapons depots of Palestinian militant factions in Jenin in the operation.
+Twelve Palestinians, most confirmed as militant fighters, were killed and around 100 wounded in the incursion that began with late-night drone strikes, followed by a sweep involving more than 1,000 troops.
+The raid damaged homes, left a trail of wrecked streets and burned-out cars and prompted the evacuation of thousands of people from the refugee camp. Israel says all the Palestinians killed were combatants. One Israeli soldier was killed.
+The Jenin operation was the most intense in two decades, said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that provides public services in Gaza and the West Bank.
+UNRWA said it had set up a temporary healthcare facility because a part its health centre was destroyed, and appealed for foreign aid to help rebuild damaged buildings.
+The Israeli army during its operation had said it struck a militant command center in Jenin that was situated next to an UNRWA school and medical centre.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians who carried out attack , army says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NABLUS, West Bank, July 7 (Reuters) - Israeli security forces on Friday killed two Palestinians who carried out a shooting attack against police this week, Israel's military said. Israeli forces raided the occupied West Bank town of Nablus, the military said, and ""both terrorists were killed following an exchange of fire."" The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Israeli troops had cordoned off a house where the two had holed up and that they had been ""executed.""
+The armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a major faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization, claimed the two men as members and said they had carried out the attack on Israeli police.  In a separate incident near the city of Ramallah, a member of the Hamas Islamist group was killed by Israeli fire when violence erupted at an anti-settlement protest, Hamas said. Palestinian residents said Jewish settlers arrived and a stone-throwing clash ensued.  The Israeli army said Palestinian rioters had hurled rocks at troops and at a main road. The troops ""responded with riot dispersal means and live fire, a hit was identified.""  Most countries view Israel’s settlements on occupied land as illegal. Israel disputes this. Friday's violence followed a two-day Israeli operation earlier this week in the densely populated Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, which has been a flashpoint in a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence that has convulsed the West Bank for more than a year. The Israeli military said it had targeted infrastructure and weapons depots of Palestinian militant factions in Jenin in the operation. Twelve Palestinians, most confirmed as militant fighters, were killed and around 100 wounded in the incursion that began with late-night drone strikes, followed by a sweep involving more than 1,000 troops.  The raid damaged homes, left a trail of wrecked streets and burned-out cars and prompted the evacuation of thousands of people from the refugee camp. Israel says all the Palestinians killed were combatants. One Israeli soldier was killed. The Jenin operation was the most intense in two decades, said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that provides public services in Gaza and the West Bank. UNRWA said it had set up a temporary healthcare facility because a part its health centre was destroyed, and appealed for foreign aid to help rebuild damaged buildings. The Israeli army during its operation had said it struck a militant command center in Jenin that was situated next to an UNRWA school and medical centre.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/unesco-member-states-give-green-light-us-return-blinken-says-2023-06-30/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNESCO member states give green light to US return, Blinken says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - UNESCO's member states backed the United States' return to the United Nations' cultural organization almost five years after then-President Donald Trump ordered an American withdrawal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.
+""I am encouraged and grateful that today the (UNESCO) membership accepted our proposal, which will allow the United States to take the next, formal steps toward fully rejoining the organization,"" Blinken said in a statement.
+UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - is best known for designating and protecting archaeological and heritage sites, from the Galapagos Islands to the tombs of Timbuktu.
+Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris-based organization in 2018 over accusations of anti-Israel bias and mismanagement. Most of UNESCO's activities are not controversial - but issues such as resolutions about how religious sites should be run in Jerusalem have been highly charged.
+UNESCO's director-general, Audrey Azoulay, has said those issues were now a thing of the past after finding consensus between Israeli and Palestinians.
+The U.S. State Department indicated in a letter dated June 8 that it wanted to rejoin UNESCO in July as a full member and that it intended to repay $619 million in arrears in installments over several years.
+The member states approved the U.S. return at an extraordinary session this week, Blinken said on Friday.
+The 2018 pullout by the United States - which had provided a fifth of UNESCO's funding - threw the organization into turmoil.
+Israel also pulled out of UNESCO following Washington's departure. At this stage, there are no negotiations for its return, Azoulay has said.
+U.S. law forbids Washington from funding U.N. bodies that have admitted Palestine as a full member. The American return to UNESCO was enabled after a waiver from Congress earlier this year, which will be in effect until the end of 2025.
+UNESCO was founded in the ashes of World War Two to protect humanity's common cultural inheritance.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNESCO member states give green light to US return , Blinken says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - UNESCO's member states backed the United States' return to the United Nations' cultural organization almost five years after then-President Donald Trump ordered an American withdrawal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday. ""I am encouraged and grateful that today the (UNESCO) membership accepted our proposal, which will allow the United States to take the next, formal steps toward fully rejoining the organization,"" Blinken said in a statement.
+UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - is best known for designating and protecting archaeological and heritage sites, from the Galapagos Islands to the tombs of Timbuktu.  Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris-based organization in 2018 over accusations of anti-Israel bias and mismanagement. Most of UNESCO's activities are not controversial - but issues such as resolutions about how religious sites should be run in Jerusalem have been highly charged. UNESCO's director-general, Audrey Azoulay, has said those issues were now a thing of the past after finding consensus between Israeli and Palestinians. The U.S. State Department indicated in a letter dated June 8 that it wanted to rejoin UNESCO in July as a full member and that it intended to repay $619 million in arrears in installments over several years.
+The member states approved the U.S. return at an extraordinary session this week, Blinken said on Friday.  The 2018 pullout by the United States - which had provided a fifth of UNESCO's funding - threw the organization into turmoil.
+Israel also pulled out of UNESCO following Washington's departure. At this stage, there are no negotiations for its return, Azoulay has said.  U.S. law forbids Washington from funding U.N. bodies that have admitted Palestine as a full member. The American return to UNESCO was enabled after a waiver from Congress earlier this year, which will be in effect until the end of 2025. UNESCO was founded in the ashes of World War Two to protect humanity's common cultural inheritance.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/west-bank-violence-stirs-cauldron-mideast-conflict-2023-06-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Palestine conflict: why are tensions rising in the West Bank?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]June 29 (Reuters) - Violence has been surging in the West Bank, including deadly clashes in Jenin, a fatal shooting by Palestinians near a Jewish settlement, attacks on Palestinian villages by rampaging settlers, and rare use of Israeli air power against militants.
+Here is a primer on conflict in the West Bank:
+HISTORIC STRUGGLE
+The West Bank including the Old City of Jerusalem was part of British Mandatory Palestine until 1948 when it was occupied by Transjordan during a war between the newly declared state of Israel and Arab countries.
+Israel captured the territory during another Arab-Israeli war in 1967. Israel annexed Jerusalem and a surrounding belt of the West Bank - a step that has never won international recognition.
+In 1994, the Palestinian Authority was established under interim peace deals, granting Palestinians limited self-rule while Israel continued to occupy the West Bank.
+The PA runs civilian and security affairs in the main Palestinian towns and cities. The PA-run patches of the West Bank are surrounded by areas of full Israeli control amounting to over 60% of the territory and known as Area C.
+TWO POPULATIONS
+Not including Israeli areas of East Jerusalem, the West Bank is home to some 3 million Palestinians. About one third of them are refugees because they or their ancestors were forced to flee their homes in the 1948 war.
+The number of Jewish settlers has grown to about 465,400, living in 132 government-sanctioned settlements and 146 outposts that don't have official approval, the Peace Now watchdog group says. Israel's nationalist-religious government has approved thousands of additional housing units for settlers this year.
+Palestinians face numerous restrictions on movement and construction. In 2022, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says 781 Palestinian structures were demolished in Area C, typically due to a lack of Israeli permits which it says are nearly impossible to obtain.
+CONFLICTING VISIONS
+The West Bank is central to Palestinian aspirations for a state that would include the Gaza Strip and have East Jerusalem as its capital. But the peace process has long been moribund.
+To Israel, the West Bank is of strategic and religious importance. It is known in Israel as Judea and Samaria and home to many biblical sites - a factor that has drawn settlers.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2019 announced plans to annex parts of the West Bank. But Israel suspended such steps under a 2020 deal normalising ties with the United Arab Emirates.
+Palestinians say Jewish settlements undermine the two-state solution.
+VIOLENCE
+The West Bank was an arena of the first Palestinian uprising, or Intifada, which erupted in 1987 and was defined by confrontations between stone-throwing Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. It was also a battleground in a second Intifada, which began in 2000 and spiralled into armed conflict.
+Israel began building high concrete walls cutting off parts of the West Bank in 2002, saying it aimed to stop suicide bombings. To Palestinians, the barrier - most of which is in the West Bank - amounts to a land grab.
+Violence pitting Jewish settlers against Palestinians has featured prominently in the latest phase of the conflict. Settler attacks on Palestinians have been on the rise.
+A settler rampage in a Palestinian village in February prompted international condemnation. It followed a Palestinian gun attack that killed two Israeli brothers.
+There have been several similar incidents since then, most recently this month when settler mobs attacked towns and villages following the killing of four Israelis by gunmen of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
+INTERNATIONAL VIEW
+Most countries regard the West Bank including East Jerusalem as occupied territory.
+A 2016 Security Council resolution reaffirmed that the establishment of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 constitutes ""a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution"".
+Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a June 5 speech any move toward annexing the West Bank, de facto or de jure, would damage prospects for the two-state solution.
+This week he said turmoil in the West Bank would make it more difficult to achieve Netanyahu’s aim of normalizing relations with Arab countries including Saudi Arabia.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Palestine conflict: why are tensions rising in the West Bank?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]June 29 (Reuters) - Violence has been surging in the West Bank, including deadly clashes in Jenin, a fatal shooting by Palestinians near a Jewish settlement, attacks on Palestinian villages by rampaging settlers, and rare use of Israeli air power against militants. Here is a primer on conflict in the West Bank: HISTORIC STRUGGLE The West Bank including the Old City of Jerusalem was part of British Mandatory Palestine until 1948 when it was occupied by Transjordan during a war between the newly declared state of Israel and Arab countries.  Israel captured the territory during another Arab-Israeli war in 1967. Israel annexed Jerusalem and a surrounding belt of the West Bank - a step that has never won international recognition. In 1994, the Palestinian Authority was established under interim peace deals, granting Palestinians limited self-rule while Israel continued to occupy the West Bank.  The PA runs civilian and security affairs in the main Palestinian towns and cities. The PA-run patches of the West Bank are surrounded by areas of full Israeli control amounting to over 60% of the territory and known as Area C.
+TWO POPULATIONS
+Not including Israeli areas of East Jerusalem, the West Bank is home to some 3 million Palestinians. About one third of them are refugees because they or their ancestors were forced to flee their homes in the 1948 war.  The number of Jewish settlers has grown to about 465,400, living in 132 government-sanctioned settlements and 146 outposts that don't have official approval, the Peace Now watchdog group says. Israel's nationalist-religious government has approved thousands of additional housing units for settlers this year.  Palestinians face numerous restrictions on movement and construction. In 2022, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says 781 Palestinian structures were demolished in Area C, typically due to a lack of Israeli permits which it says are nearly impossible to obtain. CONFLICTING VISIONS  The West Bank is central to Palestinian aspirations for a state that would include the Gaza Strip and have East Jerusalem as its capital. But the peace process has long been moribund.  To Israel, the West Bank is of strategic and religious importance. It is known in Israel as Judea and Samaria and home to many biblical sites - a factor that has drawn settlers.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2019 announced plans to annex parts of the West Bank. But Israel suspended such steps under a 2020 deal normalising ties with the United Arab Emirates. Palestinians say Jewish settlements undermine the two-state solution. VIOLENCE "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/west-bank-violence-stirs-cauldron-mideast-conflict-2023-06-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Palestine conflict: why are tensions rising in the West Bank?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]June 29 (Reuters) - Violence has been surging in the West Bank, including deadly clashes in Jenin, a fatal shooting by Palestinians near a Jewish settlement, attacks on Palestinian villages by rampaging settlers, and rare use of Israeli air power against militants.
+Here is a primer on conflict in the West Bank:
+HISTORIC STRUGGLE
+The West Bank including the Old City of Jerusalem was part of British Mandatory Palestine until 1948 when it was occupied by Transjordan during a war between the newly declared state of Israel and Arab countries.
+Israel captured the territory during another Arab-Israeli war in 1967. Israel annexed Jerusalem and a surrounding belt of the West Bank - a step that has never won international recognition.
+In 1994, the Palestinian Authority was established under interim peace deals, granting Palestinians limited self-rule while Israel continued to occupy the West Bank.
+The PA runs civilian and security affairs in the main Palestinian towns and cities. The PA-run patches of the West Bank are surrounded by areas of full Israeli control amounting to over 60% of the territory and known as Area C.
+TWO POPULATIONS
+Not including Israeli areas of East Jerusalem, the West Bank is home to some 3 million Palestinians. About one third of them are refugees because they or their ancestors were forced to flee their homes in the 1948 war.
+The number of Jewish settlers has grown to about 465,400, living in 132 government-sanctioned settlements and 146 outposts that don't have official approval, the Peace Now watchdog group says. Israel's nationalist-religious government has approved thousands of additional housing units for settlers this year.
+Palestinians face numerous restrictions on movement and construction. In 2022, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says 781 Palestinian structures were demolished in Area C, typically due to a lack of Israeli permits which it says are nearly impossible to obtain.
+CONFLICTING VISIONS
+The West Bank is central to Palestinian aspirations for a state that would include the Gaza Strip and have East Jerusalem as its capital. But the peace process has long been moribund.
+To Israel, the West Bank is of strategic and religious importance. It is known in Israel as Judea and Samaria and home to many biblical sites - a factor that has drawn settlers.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2019 announced plans to annex parts of the West Bank. But Israel suspended such steps under a 2020 deal normalising ties with the United Arab Emirates.
+Palestinians say Jewish settlements undermine the two-state solution.
+VIOLENCE
+The West Bank was an arena of the first Palestinian uprising, or Intifada, which erupted in 1987 and was defined by confrontations between stone-throwing Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. It was also a battleground in a second Intifada, which began in 2000 and spiralled into armed conflict.
+Israel began building high concrete walls cutting off parts of the West Bank in 2002, saying it aimed to stop suicide bombings. To Palestinians, the barrier - most of which is in the West Bank - amounts to a land grab.
+Violence pitting Jewish settlers against Palestinians has featured prominently in the latest phase of the conflict. Settler attacks on Palestinians have been on the rise.
+A settler rampage in a Palestinian village in February prompted international condemnation. It followed a Palestinian gun attack that killed two Israeli brothers.
+There have been several similar incidents since then, most recently this month when settler mobs attacked towns and villages following the killing of four Israelis by gunmen of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
+INTERNATIONAL VIEW
+Most countries regard the West Bank including East Jerusalem as occupied territory.
+A 2016 Security Council resolution reaffirmed that the establishment of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 constitutes ""a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution"".
+Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a June 5 speech any move toward annexing the West Bank, de facto or de jure, would damage prospects for the two-state solution.
+This week he said turmoil in the West Bank would make it more difficult to achieve Netanyahu’s aim of normalizing relations with Arab countries including Saudi Arabia.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The West Bank was an arena of the first Palestinian uprising, or Intifada, which erupted in 1987 and was defined by confrontations between stone-throwing Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. It was also a battleground in a second Intifada, which began in 2000 and spiralled into armed conflict.  Israel began building high concrete walls cutting off parts of the West Bank in 2002, saying it aimed to stop suicide bombings. To Palestinians, the barrier - most of which is in the West Bank - amounts to a land grab.  Violence pitting Jewish settlers against Palestinians has featured prominently in the latest phase of the conflict. Settler attacks on Palestinians have been on the rise.  A settler rampage in a Palestinian village in February prompted international condemnation. It followed a Palestinian gun attack that killed two Israeli brothers. There have been several similar incidents since then, most recently this month when settler mobs attacked towns and villages following the killing of four Israelis by gunmen of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. INTERNATIONAL VIEW Most countries regard the West Bank including East Jerusalem as occupied territory. A 2016 Security Council resolution reaffirmed that the establishment of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 constitutes ""a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution"". Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a June 5 speech any move toward annexing the West Bank, de facto or de jure, would damage prospects for the two-state solution. This week he said turmoil in the West Bank would make it more difficult to achieve Netanyahu’s aim of normalizing relations with Arab countries including Saudi Arabia.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/unesco-member-states-set-give-green-light-us-return-2023-06-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNESCO member countries ready to welcome US back to organisation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, June 29 (Reuters) - The 193 member states of the United Nations’ cultural agency are expected to back the United States' return to the organisation almost five years after then-President Donald Trump withdrew over accusations of anti-Israel bias and mismanagement.
+The Paris-based agency, founded in the ashes of World War Two to protect humanity's common cultural inheritance, was thrown into turmoil after the United States - which provided a fifth of its funding - pulled out.
+The U.S. State Department indicated in a letter dated on June 8 that it wanted to rejoin the organisation in July as a full member and that it intended to repay $619 million in arrears in instalments over several years. The member states will make their decision at an extraordinary session on Thursday and Friday.
+""Since our withdrawal from UNESCO on Dec. 31, 2018, we have noted UNESCO's efforts to implement key management and administrative reforms, as well as its focus on decreasing politicised debate, especially on Middle East issues,"" said the U.S. letter, seen by Reuters.
+UNESCO's director-general, Audrey Azoulay, has sought to ease some of the political tensions and polarization, as well as better manage the organisation financially, while finding ways to fill the financial gap left by Washington's departure.
+""This comes after a lot of work to persuade, educate and explain on the current realities of UNESCO,"" Azoulay, who is French, told reporters, adding that she had personally lobbied U.S. lawmakers for several months.
+UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - is best known for designating and protecting archaeological and heritage sites, from the Galapagos Islands to the tombs of Timbuktu.
+Most of its activities are not controversial - but issues such as resolutions about how religious sites should be run in Jerusalem have been highly charged. Azoulay said those issues were now a thing of the past after finding consensus between Israeli and Palestinians.
+Israel also pulled out of UNESCO following Washington's departure. At this stage there are no negotiations for its return, Azoulay said.
+U.S. law forbids Washington from funding U.N. bodies that have admitted Palestine as a full member. Its return to UNESCO was enabled after a waiver from the U.S. Congress earlier this year. The waiver will be in effect until the end of 2025.
+Under its plan for a proposed return, the U.S. said it would pay $150 million for 2024, which would include its annual contribution and arrears. It would also provide additional, voluntary funding of $10 million, which would in part be used for Holocaust education, journalist safety, and preserving Ukraine's cultural heritage.
+Part of the rationale for Congress to offer the waiver was curtailing China's growing sway at the agency where it is one of the largest donors.
+Azoulay said China had responded at UNESCO to the potential U.S. return by saying it should be constructive and not oppose one state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNESCO member countries ready to welcome US back to organisation[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, June 29 (Reuters) - The 193 member states of the United Nations’ cultural agency are expected to back the United States' return to the organisation almost five years after then-President Donald Trump withdrew over accusations of anti-Israel bias and mismanagement. The Paris-based agency, founded in the ashes of World War Two to protect humanity's common cultural inheritance, was thrown into turmoil after the United States - which provided a fifth of its funding - pulled out. The U.S. State Department indicated in a letter dated on June 8 that it wanted to rejoin the organisation in July as a full member and that it intended to repay $619 million in arrears in instalments over several years. The member states will make their decision at an extraordinary session on Thursday and Friday. ""Since our withdrawal from UNESCO on Dec. 31, 2018, we have noted UNESCO's efforts to implement key management and administrative reforms, as well as its focus on decreasing politicised debate, especially on Middle East issues,"" said the U.S. letter, seen by Reuters. UNESCO's director-general, Audrey Azoulay, has sought to ease some of the political tensions and polarization, as well as better manage the organisation financially, while finding ways to fill the financial gap left by Washington's departure. ""This comes after a lot of work to persuade, educate and explain on the current realities of UNESCO,"" Azoulay, who is French, told reporters, adding that she had personally lobbied U.S. lawmakers for several months.
+UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - is best known for designating and protecting archaeological and heritage sites, from the Galapagos Islands to the tombs of Timbuktu.  Most of its activities are not controversial - but issues such as resolutions about how religious sites should be run in Jerusalem have been highly charged. Azoulay said those issues were now a thing of the past after finding consensus between Israeli and Palestinians.  Israel also pulled out of UNESCO following Washington's departure. At this stage there are no negotiations for its return, Azoulay said. U.S. law forbids Washington from funding U.N. bodies that have admitted Palestine as a full member. Its return to UNESCO was enabled after a waiver from the U.S. Congress earlier this year. The waiver will be in effect until the end of 2025.  Under its plan for a proposed return, the U.S. said it would pay $150 million for 2024, which would include its annual contribution and arrears."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/unesco-member-states-set-give-green-light-us-return-2023-06-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNESCO member countries ready to welcome US back to organisation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, June 29 (Reuters) - The 193 member states of the United Nations’ cultural agency are expected to back the United States' return to the organisation almost five years after then-President Donald Trump withdrew over accusations of anti-Israel bias and mismanagement.
+The Paris-based agency, founded in the ashes of World War Two to protect humanity's common cultural inheritance, was thrown into turmoil after the United States - which provided a fifth of its funding - pulled out.
+The U.S. State Department indicated in a letter dated on June 8 that it wanted to rejoin the organisation in July as a full member and that it intended to repay $619 million in arrears in instalments over several years. The member states will make their decision at an extraordinary session on Thursday and Friday.
+""Since our withdrawal from UNESCO on Dec. 31, 2018, we have noted UNESCO's efforts to implement key management and administrative reforms, as well as its focus on decreasing politicised debate, especially on Middle East issues,"" said the U.S. letter, seen by Reuters.
+UNESCO's director-general, Audrey Azoulay, has sought to ease some of the political tensions and polarization, as well as better manage the organisation financially, while finding ways to fill the financial gap left by Washington's departure.
+""This comes after a lot of work to persuade, educate and explain on the current realities of UNESCO,"" Azoulay, who is French, told reporters, adding that she had personally lobbied U.S. lawmakers for several months.
+UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - is best known for designating and protecting archaeological and heritage sites, from the Galapagos Islands to the tombs of Timbuktu.
+Most of its activities are not controversial - but issues such as resolutions about how religious sites should be run in Jerusalem have been highly charged. Azoulay said those issues were now a thing of the past after finding consensus between Israeli and Palestinians.
+Israel also pulled out of UNESCO following Washington's departure. At this stage there are no negotiations for its return, Azoulay said.
+U.S. law forbids Washington from funding U.N. bodies that have admitted Palestine as a full member. Its return to UNESCO was enabled after a waiver from the U.S. Congress earlier this year. The waiver will be in effect until the end of 2025.
+Under its plan for a proposed return, the U.S. said it would pay $150 million for 2024, which would include its annual contribution and arrears. It would also provide additional, voluntary funding of $10 million, which would in part be used for Holocaust education, journalist safety, and preserving Ukraine's cultural heritage.
+Part of the rationale for Congress to offer the waiver was curtailing China's growing sway at the agency where it is one of the largest donors.
+Azoulay said China had responded at UNESCO to the potential U.S. return by saying it should be constructive and not oppose one state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","It would also provide additional, voluntary funding of $10 million, which would in part be used for Holocaust education, journalist safety, and preserving Ukraine's cultural heritage. Part of the rationale for Congress to offer the waiver was curtailing China's growing sway at the agency where it is one of the largest donors. Azoulay said China had responded at UNESCO to the potential U.S. return by saying it should be constructive and not oppose one state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-palestinian-ministers-discuss-west-bank-violence-2023-06-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli, Palestinian ministers discuss West Bank violence in rare contact[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, June 27 (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and a senior Palestinian official discussed violence in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, with Gallant's office saying he offered reassurance about Israel's intention to crack down on Jewish settler riots.
+Both the phone call and the announcement that it took place were unusual for Israel's religious-nationalist government and followed mounting expressions of U.S. concern about the situation in the West Bank, among areas where Palestinians, with foreign backing, seek to establish an independent state.
+The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday ""called on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that further inflame tensions"" and urged restraint to reduce tension and prevent further escalation.
+During the Security Council meeting, Deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood said Washington would work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to lower tensions and restore trust to help create conditions for a return to talks.
+""We call on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions, including settlement activity, evictions, and the demolition of Palestinian homes, terrorism and incitement to violence, all of which serve to only further inflame the situation,"" Wood said.
+A Hamas shooting attack that killed four Israeli civilians outside a settlement in the Israeli-occupied territory sparked days of violent incursions into Palestinian villages and towns by groups of Jewish settlers. Twelve suspects have been arrested in the latter incidents, Israeli police said.
+""Israel views with gravity the violence inflicted upon Palestinian civilians in recent days by extremist elements"", Gallant's office quoted him as telling Hussein Al-Sheikh, an official in the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation.
+""Israel will exact full penalty of the law from the rioters,"" Gallant added, according to the statement.
+There was no immediate comment from Al-Sheikh's office.
+Israeli forces, which have intensified raids against suspected Palestinian militants over the last 15 months, will continue to operate ""anywhere required"", Gallant said, while describing a calming of the West Bank as his common interest with Al-Sheikh.
+Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, in a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, said Israel would crack down on settler violence.
+""Minister Cohen strongly condemned events in which citizens take the law into their own hands and said that the government will take all necessary measures,"" an Israeli foreign ministry statement said.
+Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, also spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday for the occasion of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, a statement from Herzog's office said.
+Herzog ""underlined his unequivocal denouncement of the recent assault on innocent Palestinians by extremists""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli, Palestinian ministers discuss West Bank violence in rare contact[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, June 27 (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and a senior Palestinian official discussed violence in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, with Gallant's office saying he offered reassurance about Israel's intention to crack down on Jewish settler riots. Both the phone call and the announcement that it took place were unusual for Israel's religious-nationalist government and followed mounting expressions of U.S. concern about the situation in the West Bank, among areas where Palestinians, with foreign backing, seek to establish an independent state. The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday ""called on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that further inflame tensions"" and urged restraint to reduce tension and prevent further escalation. During the Security Council meeting, Deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood said Washington would work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to lower tensions and restore trust to help create conditions for a return to talks. ""We call on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions, including settlement activity, evictions, and the demolition of Palestinian homes, terrorism and incitement to violence, all of which serve to only further inflame the situation,"" Wood said.  A Hamas shooting attack that killed four Israeli civilians outside a settlement in the Israeli-occupied territory sparked days of violent incursions into Palestinian villages and towns by groups of Jewish settlers. Twelve suspects have been arrested in the latter incidents, Israeli police said. ""Israel views with gravity the violence inflicted upon Palestinian civilians in recent days by extremist elements"", Gallant's office quoted him as telling Hussein Al-Sheikh, an official in the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation. ""Israel will exact full penalty of the law from the rioters,"" Gallant added, according to the statement. There was no immediate comment from Al-Sheikh's office. Israeli forces, which have intensified raids against suspected Palestinian militants over the last 15 months, will continue to operate ""anywhere required"", Gallant said, while describing a calming of the West Bank as his common interest with Al-Sheikh. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, in a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, said Israel would crack down on settler violence. ""Minister Cohen strongly condemned events in which citizens take the law into their own hands and said that the government will take all necessary measures,"" an Israeli foreign ministry statement said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-palestinian-ministers-discuss-west-bank-violence-2023-06-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli, Palestinian ministers discuss West Bank violence in rare contact[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, June 27 (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and a senior Palestinian official discussed violence in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, with Gallant's office saying he offered reassurance about Israel's intention to crack down on Jewish settler riots.
+Both the phone call and the announcement that it took place were unusual for Israel's religious-nationalist government and followed mounting expressions of U.S. concern about the situation in the West Bank, among areas where Palestinians, with foreign backing, seek to establish an independent state.
+The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday ""called on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that further inflame tensions"" and urged restraint to reduce tension and prevent further escalation.
+During the Security Council meeting, Deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood said Washington would work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to lower tensions and restore trust to help create conditions for a return to talks.
+""We call on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions, including settlement activity, evictions, and the demolition of Palestinian homes, terrorism and incitement to violence, all of which serve to only further inflame the situation,"" Wood said.
+A Hamas shooting attack that killed four Israeli civilians outside a settlement in the Israeli-occupied territory sparked days of violent incursions into Palestinian villages and towns by groups of Jewish settlers. Twelve suspects have been arrested in the latter incidents, Israeli police said.
+""Israel views with gravity the violence inflicted upon Palestinian civilians in recent days by extremist elements"", Gallant's office quoted him as telling Hussein Al-Sheikh, an official in the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation.
+""Israel will exact full penalty of the law from the rioters,"" Gallant added, according to the statement.
+There was no immediate comment from Al-Sheikh's office.
+Israeli forces, which have intensified raids against suspected Palestinian militants over the last 15 months, will continue to operate ""anywhere required"", Gallant said, while describing a calming of the West Bank as his common interest with Al-Sheikh.
+Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, in a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, said Israel would crack down on settler violence.
+""Minister Cohen strongly condemned events in which citizens take the law into their own hands and said that the government will take all necessary measures,"" an Israeli foreign ministry statement said.
+Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, also spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday for the occasion of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, a statement from Herzog's office said.
+Herzog ""underlined his unequivocal denouncement of the recent assault on innocent Palestinians by extremists""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, also spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday for the occasion of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, a statement from Herzog's office said. Herzog ""underlined his unequivocal denouncement of the recent assault on innocent Palestinians by extremists""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-settlers-build-new-outposts-overnight-amid-rising-west-bank-violence-2023-06-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli settlers build new outposts amid rising West Bank violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TURMUS AYYA, West Bank, June 23 (Reuters) - Israel's national security minister on Friday urged tougher military action against Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank and urged Israeli settlers to expand their presence there despite surging violence and international calls for a halt to new construction.
+Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, was speaking at a settler outpost - one of several the Israeli military said had been discovered across the West Bank since Thursday but were not authorised.
+They would be dismantled ""according to enforcement priorities"", a military statement said without elaborating.
+The developments followed some of the worst violence in years involving Palestinians, Israeli forces and Jewish settlers in the West Bank in the past week.
+""We have your backs, run to the hilltops, settle the land,"" Ben-Gvir said during his visit.
+The United Nations human rights chief said in Geneva he situation ""risks spiralling out of control"" and he urged Israel to comply with international law.
+But Ben-Gvir called for tougher action.
+""We must launch a military operation, bring down buildings, eliminate terrorists, not one or two but dozens and hundreds and if necessary thousands,"" he said.
+""Because, ultimately, it is the only way we will seize this place, strengthen our hold and restore security to the residents.""
+Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war as illegal. Their expansion has for decades been among the most contentious issues between Israel, the international community and Palestinians, who say they undermine a viable future Palestinian state.
+The Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported at least seven new outposts were built in the West Bank since Thursday.
+The new construction follows Netanyahu's announcement on Wednesday of plans for 1,000 new homes in the Eli settlement in response to a Palestinian gun attack in the area the previous day that killed four Israelis.
+According to the Israeli watchdog Peace Now, Eli was built in 1984 and some 4,600 settlers reside there. Palestinians in the area say they were dispossessed of their land to allow for the settlement's expansion over the years.
+Tuesday's shooting came a day after an Israeli raid on Jenin that led to an hours-long exchange of fire between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces backed by helicopter gunships. Seven Palestinians were killed and more than 90 wounded and seven Israeli personnel were also wounded.
+In retaliation for that attack, hundreds of Israeli settlers rampaged through Palestinian towns in the West Bank such as Turmus Ayya, killing a young Palestinian father and setting dozens of houses and cars ablaze.
+Amal Abdulhalim, a Palestinian who is a dual U.S. national, said she was doing schoolwork at home in Turmus Ayya on Wednesday when she heard glass shattering and gunshots. She and her siblings locked the doors and tried to find a safe room in the house, she said.
+They only realised that the cars outside had been torched and their house was about to catch fire when a neighbour called and alerted them to leave.
+""I texted my family, 'I don't know if we're going to be alive but I love you,'"" she said.
+She and her family managed to climb out a window, some without shoes on, and walk down the street for safety.
+A delegation of more than 20 foreign missions visited the town on Friday to witness the damage.
+""These were terrorist attacks committed by settlers to scare these people, to drive people away from their land,"" said Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff of the European Union in Palestine.
+Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said police arrested three people on suspicion of involvement in the rampages. The army had not been adequately prepared for the outburst of settler violence, he said.
+""What happened in Turmus Ayya, the nationalist crime, is a severe event that we should prevent. We failed to prevent it,"" he told a news briefing.
+He said they would investigate themselves to prevent such an incident happening again.
+The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned Israel's new settlement projects, which it said were part of its plan to de facto annex the West Bank.
+Israel is ""permanently closing the door to any opportunity for a political solution to the conflict,"" it said.
+Israel cites biblical, historical and political ties to the West Bank as its justification for claiming the land.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli settlers build new outposts amid rising West Bank violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TURMUS AYYA, West Bank, June 23 (Reuters) - Israel's national security minister on Friday urged tougher military action against Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank and urged Israeli settlers to expand their presence there despite surging violence and international calls for a halt to new construction. Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, was speaking at a settler outpost - one of several the Israeli military said had been discovered across the West Bank since Thursday but were not authorised. They would be dismantled ""according to enforcement priorities"", a military statement said without elaborating. The developments followed some of the worst violence in years involving Palestinians, Israeli forces and Jewish settlers in the West Bank in the past week. ""We have your backs, run to the hilltops, settle the land,"" Ben-Gvir said during his visit.
+The United Nations human rights chief said in Geneva he situation ""risks spiralling out of control"" and he urged Israel to comply with international law.  But Ben-Gvir called for tougher action.  ""We must launch a military operation, bring down buildings, eliminate terrorists, not one or two but dozens and hundreds and if necessary thousands,"" he said.
+""Because, ultimately, it is the only way we will seize this place, strengthen our hold and restore security to the residents.""
+Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war as illegal. Their expansion has for decades been among the most contentious issues between Israel, the international community and Palestinians, who say they undermine a viable future Palestinian state.  The Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported at least seven new outposts were built in the West Bank since Thursday.  The new construction follows Netanyahu's announcement on Wednesday of plans for 1,000 new homes in the Eli settlement in response to a Palestinian gun attack in the area the previous day that killed four Israelis.
+According to the Israeli watchdog Peace Now, Eli was built in 1984 and some 4,600 settlers reside there. Palestinians in the area say they were dispossessed of their land to allow for the settlement's expansion over the years.  Tuesday's shooting came a day after an Israeli raid on Jenin that led to an hours-long exchange of fire between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces backed by helicopter gunships. Seven Palestinians were killed and more than 90 wounded and seven Israeli personnel were also wounded."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-settlers-build-new-outposts-overnight-amid-rising-west-bank-violence-2023-06-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israeli settlers build new outposts amid rising West Bank violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TURMUS AYYA, West Bank, June 23 (Reuters) - Israel's national security minister on Friday urged tougher military action against Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank and urged Israeli settlers to expand their presence there despite surging violence and international calls for a halt to new construction.
+Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, was speaking at a settler outpost - one of several the Israeli military said had been discovered across the West Bank since Thursday but were not authorised.
+They would be dismantled ""according to enforcement priorities"", a military statement said without elaborating.
+The developments followed some of the worst violence in years involving Palestinians, Israeli forces and Jewish settlers in the West Bank in the past week.
+""We have your backs, run to the hilltops, settle the land,"" Ben-Gvir said during his visit.
+The United Nations human rights chief said in Geneva he situation ""risks spiralling out of control"" and he urged Israel to comply with international law.
+But Ben-Gvir called for tougher action.
+""We must launch a military operation, bring down buildings, eliminate terrorists, not one or two but dozens and hundreds and if necessary thousands,"" he said.
+""Because, ultimately, it is the only way we will seize this place, strengthen our hold and restore security to the residents.""
+Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war as illegal. Their expansion has for decades been among the most contentious issues between Israel, the international community and Palestinians, who say they undermine a viable future Palestinian state.
+The Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported at least seven new outposts were built in the West Bank since Thursday.
+The new construction follows Netanyahu's announcement on Wednesday of plans for 1,000 new homes in the Eli settlement in response to a Palestinian gun attack in the area the previous day that killed four Israelis.
+According to the Israeli watchdog Peace Now, Eli was built in 1984 and some 4,600 settlers reside there. Palestinians in the area say they were dispossessed of their land to allow for the settlement's expansion over the years.
+Tuesday's shooting came a day after an Israeli raid on Jenin that led to an hours-long exchange of fire between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces backed by helicopter gunships. Seven Palestinians were killed and more than 90 wounded and seven Israeli personnel were also wounded.
+In retaliation for that attack, hundreds of Israeli settlers rampaged through Palestinian towns in the West Bank such as Turmus Ayya, killing a young Palestinian father and setting dozens of houses and cars ablaze.
+Amal Abdulhalim, a Palestinian who is a dual U.S. national, said she was doing schoolwork at home in Turmus Ayya on Wednesday when she heard glass shattering and gunshots. She and her siblings locked the doors and tried to find a safe room in the house, she said.
+They only realised that the cars outside had been torched and their house was about to catch fire when a neighbour called and alerted them to leave.
+""I texted my family, 'I don't know if we're going to be alive but I love you,'"" she said.
+She and her family managed to climb out a window, some without shoes on, and walk down the street for safety.
+A delegation of more than 20 foreign missions visited the town on Friday to witness the damage.
+""These were terrorist attacks committed by settlers to scare these people, to drive people away from their land,"" said Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff of the European Union in Palestine.
+Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said police arrested three people on suspicion of involvement in the rampages. The army had not been adequately prepared for the outburst of settler violence, he said.
+""What happened in Turmus Ayya, the nationalist crime, is a severe event that we should prevent. We failed to prevent it,"" he told a news briefing.
+He said they would investigate themselves to prevent such an incident happening again.
+The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned Israel's new settlement projects, which it said were part of its plan to de facto annex the West Bank.
+Israel is ""permanently closing the door to any opportunity for a political solution to the conflict,"" it said.
+Israel cites biblical, historical and political ties to the West Bank as its justification for claiming the land.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In retaliation for that attack, hundreds of Israeli settlers rampaged through Palestinian towns in the West Bank such as Turmus Ayya, killing a young Palestinian father and setting dozens of houses and cars ablaze.  Amal Abdulhalim, a Palestinian who is a dual U.S. national, said she was doing schoolwork at home in Turmus Ayya on Wednesday when she heard glass shattering and gunshots. She and her siblings locked the doors and tried to find a safe room in the house, she said. They only realised that the cars outside had been torched and their house was about to catch fire when a neighbour called and alerted them to leave.
+"" I texted my family, 'I don't know if we're going to be alive but I love you,'"" she said. She and her family managed to climb out a window, some without shoes on, and walk down the street for safety. A delegation of more than 20 foreign missions visited the town on Friday to witness the damage. ""These were terrorist attacks committed by settlers to scare these people, to drive people away from their land,"" said Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff of the European Union in Palestine.  Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said police arrested three people on suspicion of involvement in the rampages. The army had not been adequately prepared for the outburst of settler violence, he said.  ""What happened in Turmus Ayya, the nationalist crime, is a severe event that we should prevent. We failed to prevent it,"" he told a news briefing. He said they would investigate themselves to prevent such an incident happening again. The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned Israel's new settlement projects, which it said were part of its plan to de facto annex the West Bank. Israel is ""permanently closing the door to any opportunity for a political solution to the conflict,"" it said.  Israel cites biblical, historical and political ties to the West Bank as its justification for claiming the land.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/with-west-bank-turmoil-uncertainty-over-palestinian-leadership-intensifies-2023-06-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]With West Bank in turmoil, uncertainty over Palestinian leadership intensifies[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, June 22 (Reuters) - With the Israeli-occupied West Bank once again in turmoil after the latest bloodshed this week, uncertainty has deepened over the position of 87-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with a negotiated peace looking as unlikely as ever.
+A gunbattle on Monday in which seven Palestinians were killed and over 90 wounded, followed a day later by the killing of four Israelis and a rampage by Israeli settlers through Palestinian towns, again underscored the West Bank's volatility.
+It also laid bare the weakness of the Palestinian Authority (PA)in the face of the hundreds of Palestinian militants in flashpoint cities like Jenin and Nablus, and the expansion of Israeli settlements that further dims Palestinian dreams of a state on land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+Set up 30 years ago as part of interim peace accords with Israel that Abbas helped craft, the PA has seen its popularity shrivel amid allegations of graft, incompetence and widely hated security cooperation arrangements with Israel.
+A rambling speech at the United Nations last month spawned a wave of mocking TikTok memes after Abbas repeatedly appealed to the world to ""Protect us!""
+The theme was picked up on social media again this week as the PA, which exercises limited self-rule, stood by powerless while Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian towns.
+Widely known as Abu Mazen, Abbas has defied repeated prophecies of an end to his two decades in power and refused mounting demands to go, even as prospects of a lasting peace look more distant than ever.
+A chain smoker who has survived numerous health scares, he took over as Palestinian president almost two decades ago after the death of Yasser Arafat, the iconic founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and his departure could spark a shake-up of the entire Palestinian political system.
+Abbas, who combines the positions of chairman of the PLO and head of its dominant political faction Fatah, has named no favoured heir and has remained in power even though his term officially expired in 2009.
+PRESSURE TO RESIGN
+But almost 80% of Palestinians want him to resign, according to polling from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, and with international powers including the United States calling for a resumption of peace negotiations with Israel frozen since 2014, the pressure has risen steadily.
+In recent months, discussion over what will follow Abbas has been ""greater than ever"", said one senior Fatah official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue inside the party.
+An array of senior Fatah leaders have been jostling for position for months, in behind-the-scenes manoeuvring made more complicated by the fact that no elections have been held since 2006 and there is no clear mechanism to decide the succession.
+Potential successors include Hussein Al-Sheikh, one of Abbas' closest allies or Marwan Barghouti, a leader of the 2000-06 intifada (uprising) and hero to many Palestinians who has been imprisoned in Israel for the past two decades.
+Much will depend on what Israel is willing to accept but publicly at least, it has avoided taking sides.
+""Israel cannot choose the leadership of the Palestinians,"" a senior Israeli government official said.
+CHAOTIC SCENARIO
+In public at least, Fatah leaders generally seek to play down speculation but they acknowledge that a leadership debate is going on within the party.
+""There is a lot of exaggeration,"" said Mahmoud Al-Aloul, the deputy chairman of Fatah and one of the potential successors.
+""There are lots of issues being debated, including over leadership,"" he said. ""This is being debated but there are no concerns, unlike what some people are trying to imply,"" he said, in comments made before the latest events in the West Bank.
+However many observers fear Abbas' departure could trigger an anarchic period, possibly leading to some form of civil war or at least ""cantonisation"" between leaders with different power centres in the West Bank.
+An expansion of Israel's arch-foe Hamas, which opposes any negotiated peace, outside its base in Gaza is also possible.
+""There are two bad alternatives - one is chaos and one is Hamas taking power in the West Bank and both must be prevented,"" Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
+For the Islamist Hamas itself, the departure of Abbas will present opportunities, which Israel and its international allies are determined to block, said Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official in Gaza.
+""I think he is the last one in Fatah who can still control (that) organization,"" he said. ""All the rest don't have the power, the history, the charisma, the connections to control the organization and the West Bank.""
+Hamas has run the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip since winning the 2006 Palestinian elections and defeating Fatah in a brief civil war in 2007.
+Hamas is now extending its sway into the West Bank, increasingly challenging Abbas' party on its home ground. It has long argued for elections to choose a new Palestinian leader, confident it would win, as in 2006.
+""We believe the only way to unite the Palestinians politically is to go for elections,"" Naim said. ""Otherwise no one would have full legitimacy to represent the Palestinians.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]With West Bank in turmoil, uncertainty over Palestinian leadership intensifies[/TITLE] [CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, June 22 (Reuters) - With the Israeli-occupied West Bank once again in turmoil after the latest bloodshed this week, uncertainty has deepened over the position of 87-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with a negotiated peace looking as unlikely as ever. A gunbattle on Monday in which seven Palestinians were killed and over 90 wounded, followed a day later by the killing of four Israelis and a rampage by Israeli settlers through Palestinian towns, again underscored the West Bank's volatility.
+It also laid bare the weakness of the Palestinian Authority (PA)in the face of the hundreds of Palestinian militants in flashpoint cities like Jenin and Nablus, and the expansion of Israeli settlements that further dims Palestinian dreams of a state on land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Set up 30 years ago as part of interim peace accords with Israel that Abbas helped craft, the PA has seen its popularity shrivel amid allegations of graft, incompetence and widely hated security cooperation arrangements with Israel. A rambling speech at the United Nations last month spawned a wave of mocking TikTok memes after Abbas repeatedly appealed to the world to ""Protect us!"" The theme was picked up on social media again this week as the PA, which exercises limited self-rule, stood by powerless while Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian towns. Widely known as Abu Mazen, Abbas has defied repeated prophecies of an end to his two decades in power and refused mounting demands to go, even as prospects of a lasting peace look more distant than ever.
+A chain smoker who has survived numerous health scares, he took over as Palestinian president almost two decades ago after the death of Yasser Arafat, the iconic founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and his departure could spark a shake-up of the entire Palestinian political system. Abbas, who combines the positions of chairman of the PLO and head of its dominant political faction Fatah, has named no favoured heir and has remained in power even though his term officially expired in 2009.  PRESSURE TO RESIGN
+But almost 80% of Palestinians want him to resign, according to polling from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, and with international powers including the United States calling for a resumption of peace negotiations with Israel frozen since 2014, the pressure has risen steadily. In recent months, discussion over what will follow Abbas has been ""greater than ever"", said one senior Fatah official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue inside the party."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/with-west-bank-turmoil-uncertainty-over-palestinian-leadership-intensifies-2023-06-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]With West Bank in turmoil, uncertainty over Palestinian leadership intensifies[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, June 22 (Reuters) - With the Israeli-occupied West Bank once again in turmoil after the latest bloodshed this week, uncertainty has deepened over the position of 87-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with a negotiated peace looking as unlikely as ever.
+A gunbattle on Monday in which seven Palestinians were killed and over 90 wounded, followed a day later by the killing of four Israelis and a rampage by Israeli settlers through Palestinian towns, again underscored the West Bank's volatility.
+It also laid bare the weakness of the Palestinian Authority (PA)in the face of the hundreds of Palestinian militants in flashpoint cities like Jenin and Nablus, and the expansion of Israeli settlements that further dims Palestinian dreams of a state on land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+Set up 30 years ago as part of interim peace accords with Israel that Abbas helped craft, the PA has seen its popularity shrivel amid allegations of graft, incompetence and widely hated security cooperation arrangements with Israel.
+A rambling speech at the United Nations last month spawned a wave of mocking TikTok memes after Abbas repeatedly appealed to the world to ""Protect us!""
+The theme was picked up on social media again this week as the PA, which exercises limited self-rule, stood by powerless while Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian towns.
+Widely known as Abu Mazen, Abbas has defied repeated prophecies of an end to his two decades in power and refused mounting demands to go, even as prospects of a lasting peace look more distant than ever.
+A chain smoker who has survived numerous health scares, he took over as Palestinian president almost two decades ago after the death of Yasser Arafat, the iconic founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and his departure could spark a shake-up of the entire Palestinian political system.
+Abbas, who combines the positions of chairman of the PLO and head of its dominant political faction Fatah, has named no favoured heir and has remained in power even though his term officially expired in 2009.
+PRESSURE TO RESIGN
+But almost 80% of Palestinians want him to resign, according to polling from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, and with international powers including the United States calling for a resumption of peace negotiations with Israel frozen since 2014, the pressure has risen steadily.
+In recent months, discussion over what will follow Abbas has been ""greater than ever"", said one senior Fatah official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue inside the party.
+An array of senior Fatah leaders have been jostling for position for months, in behind-the-scenes manoeuvring made more complicated by the fact that no elections have been held since 2006 and there is no clear mechanism to decide the succession.
+Potential successors include Hussein Al-Sheikh, one of Abbas' closest allies or Marwan Barghouti, a leader of the 2000-06 intifada (uprising) and hero to many Palestinians who has been imprisoned in Israel for the past two decades.
+Much will depend on what Israel is willing to accept but publicly at least, it has avoided taking sides.
+""Israel cannot choose the leadership of the Palestinians,"" a senior Israeli government official said.
+CHAOTIC SCENARIO
+In public at least, Fatah leaders generally seek to play down speculation but they acknowledge that a leadership debate is going on within the party.
+""There is a lot of exaggeration,"" said Mahmoud Al-Aloul, the deputy chairman of Fatah and one of the potential successors.
+""There are lots of issues being debated, including over leadership,"" he said. ""This is being debated but there are no concerns, unlike what some people are trying to imply,"" he said, in comments made before the latest events in the West Bank.
+However many observers fear Abbas' departure could trigger an anarchic period, possibly leading to some form of civil war or at least ""cantonisation"" between leaders with different power centres in the West Bank.
+An expansion of Israel's arch-foe Hamas, which opposes any negotiated peace, outside its base in Gaza is also possible.
+""There are two bad alternatives - one is chaos and one is Hamas taking power in the West Bank and both must be prevented,"" Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
+For the Islamist Hamas itself, the departure of Abbas will present opportunities, which Israel and its international allies are determined to block, said Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official in Gaza.
+""I think he is the last one in Fatah who can still control (that) organization,"" he said. ""All the rest don't have the power, the history, the charisma, the connections to control the organization and the West Bank.""
+Hamas has run the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip since winning the 2006 Palestinian elections and defeating Fatah in a brief civil war in 2007.
+Hamas is now extending its sway into the West Bank, increasingly challenging Abbas' party on its home ground. It has long argued for elections to choose a new Palestinian leader, confident it would win, as in 2006.
+""We believe the only way to unite the Palestinians politically is to go for elections,"" Naim said. ""Otherwise no one would have full legitimacy to represent the Palestinians.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","An array of senior Fatah leaders have been jostling for position for months, in behind-the-scenes manoeuvring made more complicated by the fact that no elections have been held since 2006 and there is no clear mechanism to decide the succession. Potential successors include Hussein Al-Sheikh, one of Abbas' closest allies or Marwan Barghouti, a leader of the 2000-06 intifada (uprising) and hero to many Palestinians who has been imprisoned in Israel for the past two decades.
+Much will depend on what Israel is willing to accept but publicly at least, it has avoided taking sides.  ""Israel cannot choose the leadership of the Palestinians,"" a senior Israeli government official said. CHAOTIC SCENARIO  In public at least, Fatah leaders generally seek to play down speculation but they acknowledge that a leadership debate is going on within the party. ""There is a lot of exaggeration,"" said Mahmoud Al-Aloul, the deputy chairman of Fatah and one of the potential successors. ""There are lots of issues being debated, including over leadership,"" he said. ""This is being debated but there are no concerns, unlike what some people are trying to imply,"" he said, in comments made before the latest events in the West Bank. However many observers fear Abbas' departure could trigger an anarchic period, possibly leading to some form of civil war or at least ""cantonisation"" between leaders with different power centres in the West Bank. An expansion of Israel's arch-foe Hamas, which opposes any negotiated peace, outside its base in Gaza is also possible.
+""There are two bad alternatives - one is chaos and one is Hamas taking power in the West Bank and both must be prevented,"" Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said. For the Islamist Hamas itself, the departure of Abbas will present opportunities, which Israel and its international allies are determined to block, said Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official in Gaza.  ""I think he is the last one in Fatah who can still control (that) organization,"" he said. ""All the rest don't have the power, the history, the charisma, the connections to control the organization and the West Bank.""  Hamas has run the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip since winning the 2006 Palestinian elections and defeating Fatah in a brief civil war in 2007.
+Hamas is now extending its sway into the West Bank, increasingly challenging Abbas' party on its home ground. It has long argued for elections to choose a new Palestinian leader, confident it would win, as in 2006. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/with-west-bank-turmoil-uncertainty-over-palestinian-leadership-intensifies-2023-06-22/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]With West Bank in turmoil, uncertainty over Palestinian leadership intensifies[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank, June 22 (Reuters) - With the Israeli-occupied West Bank once again in turmoil after the latest bloodshed this week, uncertainty has deepened over the position of 87-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with a negotiated peace looking as unlikely as ever.
+A gunbattle on Monday in which seven Palestinians were killed and over 90 wounded, followed a day later by the killing of four Israelis and a rampage by Israeli settlers through Palestinian towns, again underscored the West Bank's volatility.
+It also laid bare the weakness of the Palestinian Authority (PA)in the face of the hundreds of Palestinian militants in flashpoint cities like Jenin and Nablus, and the expansion of Israeli settlements that further dims Palestinian dreams of a state on land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+Set up 30 years ago as part of interim peace accords with Israel that Abbas helped craft, the PA has seen its popularity shrivel amid allegations of graft, incompetence and widely hated security cooperation arrangements with Israel.
+A rambling speech at the United Nations last month spawned a wave of mocking TikTok memes after Abbas repeatedly appealed to the world to ""Protect us!""
+The theme was picked up on social media again this week as the PA, which exercises limited self-rule, stood by powerless while Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian towns.
+Widely known as Abu Mazen, Abbas has defied repeated prophecies of an end to his two decades in power and refused mounting demands to go, even as prospects of a lasting peace look more distant than ever.
+A chain smoker who has survived numerous health scares, he took over as Palestinian president almost two decades ago after the death of Yasser Arafat, the iconic founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and his departure could spark a shake-up of the entire Palestinian political system.
+Abbas, who combines the positions of chairman of the PLO and head of its dominant political faction Fatah, has named no favoured heir and has remained in power even though his term officially expired in 2009.
+PRESSURE TO RESIGN
+But almost 80% of Palestinians want him to resign, according to polling from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, and with international powers including the United States calling for a resumption of peace negotiations with Israel frozen since 2014, the pressure has risen steadily.
+In recent months, discussion over what will follow Abbas has been ""greater than ever"", said one senior Fatah official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue inside the party.
+An array of senior Fatah leaders have been jostling for position for months, in behind-the-scenes manoeuvring made more complicated by the fact that no elections have been held since 2006 and there is no clear mechanism to decide the succession.
+Potential successors include Hussein Al-Sheikh, one of Abbas' closest allies or Marwan Barghouti, a leader of the 2000-06 intifada (uprising) and hero to many Palestinians who has been imprisoned in Israel for the past two decades.
+Much will depend on what Israel is willing to accept but publicly at least, it has avoided taking sides.
+""Israel cannot choose the leadership of the Palestinians,"" a senior Israeli government official said.
+CHAOTIC SCENARIO
+In public at least, Fatah leaders generally seek to play down speculation but they acknowledge that a leadership debate is going on within the party.
+""There is a lot of exaggeration,"" said Mahmoud Al-Aloul, the deputy chairman of Fatah and one of the potential successors.
+""There are lots of issues being debated, including over leadership,"" he said. ""This is being debated but there are no concerns, unlike what some people are trying to imply,"" he said, in comments made before the latest events in the West Bank.
+However many observers fear Abbas' departure could trigger an anarchic period, possibly leading to some form of civil war or at least ""cantonisation"" between leaders with different power centres in the West Bank.
+An expansion of Israel's arch-foe Hamas, which opposes any negotiated peace, outside its base in Gaza is also possible.
+""There are two bad alternatives - one is chaos and one is Hamas taking power in the West Bank and both must be prevented,"" Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
+For the Islamist Hamas itself, the departure of Abbas will present opportunities, which Israel and its international allies are determined to block, said Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official in Gaza.
+""I think he is the last one in Fatah who can still control (that) organization,"" he said. ""All the rest don't have the power, the history, the charisma, the connections to control the organization and the West Bank.""
+Hamas has run the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip since winning the 2006 Palestinian elections and defeating Fatah in a brief civil war in 2007.
+Hamas is now extending its sway into the West Bank, increasingly challenging Abbas' party on its home ground. It has long argued for elections to choose a new Palestinian leader, confident it would win, as in 2006.
+""We believe the only way to unite the Palestinians politically is to go for elections,"" Naim said. ""Otherwise no one would have full legitimacy to represent the Palestinians.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""We believe the only way to unite the Palestinians politically is to go for elections,"" Naim said. ""Otherwise no one would have full legitimacy to represent the Palestinians.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/unesco-united-states-planning-rejoin-unesco-organisation-2023-06-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNESCO: United States planning to rejoin UNESCO organisation[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, June 12 (Reuters) - The United States plans to rejoin the UNESCO organisation from this July onwards, UNESCO announced on Monday.
+The United States withdrew from the U.N. cultural agency in December 2018 under President Donald Trump over accusations of anti-Israel bias and mismanagement.
+“It is a strong act of confidence in UNESCO and in multilateralism"", UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement announcing the rejoining of the U.S.
+UNESCO is best known for designating World Heritage Sites such as the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria and the Grand Canyon National Park.
+The proposed plan must now be submitted to the General Conference of UNESCO Member States for approval and some member states have called for an extraordinary session to be held soon to decide.
+The United States provided one-fifth of the Paris-based agency's funding, but Trump's predecessor Barack Obama stopped paying in 2011 when Palestine became a full member because such funding is barred by U.S. law. Washington owed $542 million when it quit.
+U.S. laws prohibit funding to any U.N. agency that implies recognition of the Palestinians’ demands for their own state.
+An agreement reached at the U.S. Congress in December 2022 makes it possible for Washington to re-start financial contributions to UNESCO.
+Meanwhile, Azoulay - who was elected in 2017 and then vouched to restore the agency's efficiency and trust - has introduced reforms in recent years to address the reasons Washington left.
+Israel also withdrew from UNESCO at the same time as the United States.
+The United States initially joined UNESCO at its founding in 1945 but withdrew for the first time in 1984 in protest against alleged financial mismanagement and perceived anti-U.S. bias, returning almost 20 years later in 2003 under President George W. Bush, who then said the agency had undertaken needed reforms.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UNESCO: United States planning to rejoin UNESCO organisation[/TITLE] [CONTENT]PARIS, June 12 (Reuters) - The United States plans to rejoin the UNESCO organisation from this July onwards, UNESCO announced on Monday. The United States withdrew from the U.N. cultural agency in December 2018 under President Donald Trump over accusations of anti-Israel bias and mismanagement. “It is a strong act of confidence in UNESCO and in multilateralism"", UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement announcing the rejoining of the U.S.
+UNESCO is best known for designating World Heritage Sites such as the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria and the Grand Canyon National Park. The proposed plan must now be submitted to the General Conference of UNESCO Member States for approval and some member states have called for an extraordinary session to be held soon to decide.  The United States provided one-fifth of the Paris-based agency's funding, but Trump's predecessor Barack Obama stopped paying in 2011 when Palestine became a full member because such funding is barred by U.S. law. Washington owed $542 million when it quit. U.S. laws prohibit funding to any U.N. agency that implies recognition of the Palestinians’ demands for their own state. An agreement reached at the U.S. Congress in December 2022 makes it possible for Washington to re-start financial contributions to UNESCO. Meanwhile, Azoulay - who was elected in 2017 and then vouched to restore the agency's efficiency and trust - has introduced reforms in recent years to address the reasons Washington left. Israel also withdrew from UNESCO at the same time as the United States. The United States initially joined UNESCO at its founding in 1945 but withdrew for the first time in 1984 in protest against alleged financial mismanagement and perceived anti-U.S. bias, returning almost 20 years later in 2003 under President George W. Bush, who then said the agency had undertaken needed reforms.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/five-members-palestinian-militant-group-killed-blast-lebanese-syrian-border-2023-05-31/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Five members of Palestinian militant group killed in blast on Lebanese-Syrian border[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, May 31 (Reuters) - Five members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command militant group were killed in a blast overnight near Lebanon's border with Syria, sources told Reuters on Wednesday, with the group blaming Israel but security sources disputing the account.
+An Israeli source told Reuters the Israeli military was not involved in the Syria-Lebanon border blast and Lebanon's army declined to comment.
+A PFLP-GC statement on Wednesday said five of its members were killed in an Israeli air strike on a site controlled by the group near the border. The group's spokesman in Damascus Anwar Raja told Reuters an Israeli strike on the Lebanese town of Qusaya had killed five members, including fighters, and wounded 10.
+A representative for the PFLP-GC in Lebanon Abu Kifah Ghazi said airplanes had been heard over the group's position all night.
+But one Palestinian security source and a Lebanese security source told Reuters the deaths were the result of explosives and ammunition detonating as the PFLP-GC members were moving them.
+A second Lebanese security source said he could not confirm the blast was the result of an Israeli strike.
+The Israeli military told Reuters it does not comment on reports in foreign media.
+The group was founded in 1968 after splitting from the similarly named Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
+It has close ties to Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group and maintains a small presence in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Its founder, Ahmed Jibril, was based in Damascus until he died in 2021.
+In its early years, the PFLP-GC carried out dozens of attacks in the Middle East and Europe, including airplane bombings, kidnappings and letter bombs, and was one of the first groups to use suicide squads.
+(This story has been corrected to change the name of the group to PFLP-General Command, which operates separately from PFLP, in paragraph 1)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Five members of Palestinian militant group killed in blast on Lebanese-Syrian border[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIRUT, May 31 (Reuters) - Five members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command militant group were killed in a blast overnight near Lebanon's border with Syria, sources told Reuters on Wednesday, with the group blaming Israel but security sources disputing the account. An Israeli source told Reuters the Israeli military was not involved in the Syria-Lebanon border blast and Lebanon's army declined to comment.  A PFLP-GC statement on Wednesday said five of its members were killed in an Israeli air strike on a site controlled by the group near the border. The group's spokesman in Damascus Anwar Raja told Reuters an Israeli strike on the Lebanese town of Qusaya had killed five members, including fighters, and wounded 10. A representative for the PFLP-GC in Lebanon Abu Kifah Ghazi said airplanes had been heard over the group's position all night. But one Palestinian security source and a Lebanese security source told Reuters the deaths were the result of explosives and ammunition detonating as the PFLP-GC members were moving them. A second Lebanese security source said he could not confirm the blast was the result of an Israeli strike.
+The Israeli military told Reuters it does not comment on reports in foreign media.  The group was founded in 1968 after splitting from the similarly named Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.  It has close ties to Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group and maintains a small presence in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Its founder, Ahmed Jibril, was based in Damascus until he died in 2021.  In its early years, the PFLP-GC carried out dozens of attacks in the Middle East and Europe, including airplane bombings, kidnappings and letter bombs, and was one of the first groups to use suicide squads.
+(This story has been corrected to change the name of the group to PFLP-General Command, which operates separately from PFLP, in paragraph 1)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/culinary-homecoming-influencer-chefs-look-perpetuate-palestinian-dishes-2023-05-29/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]On a culinary homecoming, influencer chefs look to perpetuate Palestinian dishes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 29 (Reuters) - For Canadian celebrity chef Suzanne Husseini, a first culinary tour of the Palestinian territories was a chance to preserve and promote the dishes and folk-remedies of her ancestry.
+During a farm-to-table tour of the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, Husseini and four other high-profile chefs encountered a Palestinian cuisine often unfamiliar to foreigners more accustomed to news of conflict with Israel.
+""I'm back home, in Palestine, to follow, to see, to explore and document and research and reconnect with my people, with the land, with the farms, with the food - because food is my language,"" said Husseini, whose family comes from a town near the West Bank city of Nablus.
+The tour was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with a view to expanding the international appeal of Palestinian cuisine despite the relative scarcity and expense of some of its ingredients.
+The chefs, with Palestinian roots, focused on traditional techniques such as how to turn the poisonous dark purple Palestine lily, which blooms in the spring, into an ingredient for soups and a traditional medicine. They also learned about the nutritional benefits of ""freekeh"", wheat picked while still green, smoked to retain its natural proteins and served like rice.
+Mirna Bamieh, a chef and founder of the Palestine Hosting Society, which curates and seeks to revive traditional Palestinian recipes, discovered a local variant of the ""kubeh"" meat dumpling frequently associated with Kurdish kitchens.
+""It was super fascinating because you know, we always think that we don't have a kubeh culture in Palestine,” Bamieh said.
+Ismail Abu Arafeh, head of Solutions Mapping at the UNDP, said the tour gave the chefs a window into the wider culture of Palestinians amid their decades-old struggle for statehood.
+""They want to see the history, the cultural significance, but also, most importantly, the nutritional value of what these old dishes bring,"" he added, suggesting the process could ""position Palestine as a niche market that serves really the old traditional ways of production"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]On a culinary homecoming, influencer chefs look to perpetuate Palestinian dishes[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, May 29 (Reuters) - For Canadian celebrity chef Suzanne Husseini, a first culinary tour of the Palestinian territories was a chance to preserve and promote the dishes and folk-remedies of her ancestry. During a farm-to-table tour of the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, Husseini and four other high-profile chefs encountered a Palestinian cuisine often unfamiliar to foreigners more accustomed to news of conflict with Israel.
+""I'm back home, in Palestine, to follow, to see, to explore and document and research and reconnect with my people, with the land, with the farms, with the food - because food is my language,"" said Husseini, whose family comes from a town near the West Bank city of Nablus. The tour was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with a view to expanding the international appeal of Palestinian cuisine despite the relative scarcity and expense of some of its ingredients.  The chefs, with Palestinian roots, focused on traditional techniques such as how to turn the poisonous dark purple Palestine lily, which blooms in the spring, into an ingredient for soups and a traditional medicine. They also learned about the nutritional benefits of ""freekeh"", wheat picked while still green, smoked to retain its natural proteins and served like rice.
+Mirna Bamieh, a chef and founder of the Palestine Hosting Society, which curates and seeks to revive traditional Palestinian recipes, discovered a local variant of the ""kubeh"" meat dumpling frequently associated with Kurdish kitchens.
+""It was super fascinating because you know, we always think that we don't have a kubeh culture in Palestine,” Bamieh said. Ismail Abu Arafeh, head of Solutions Mapping at the UNDP, said the tour gave the chefs a window into the wider culture of Palestinians amid their decades-old struggle for statehood.
+"" They want to see the history, the cultural significance, but also, most importantly, the nutritional value of what these old dishes bring,"" he added, suggesting the process could ""position Palestine as a niche market that serves really the old traditional ways of production"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-un-mission-says-tehran-not-involved-hamas-attacks-2023-10-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's UN mission says Tehran not involved in Hamas attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Iran's mission to the United Nations said on Sunday that Tehran was not involved in one of the bloodiest attacks in Israel's history when Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more.
+""The resolute measures taken by Palestine constitute a wholly legitimate defense against seven decades of oppressive occupation and heinous crimes committed by the illegitimate Zionist regime,"" Iran's U.N. mission said in statement.
+Iran has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic Jihad.
+The Hamas assault on Saturday, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincided with U.S.-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalising ties with Israel in return for a defence deal between Washington and Riyadh, a move that would slam the brakes on the kingdom's rapprochement with Tehran.
+""We emphatically stand in unflinching support of Palestine; however, we are not involved in Palestine's response, as it is taken solely by Palestine itself,"" Iran's U.N. mission said.
+Hamas fighters' rampage through Israeli towns on Saturday was the deadliest such incursion since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago and has threatened to ignite another conflagration in the long-running conflict.
+Iran's U.N. mission said the ""success"" of the Hamas operation was because it was a surprise, which makes it the ""biggest failure"" of Israel's security organizations.
+""They are attempting to justify their failure and attribute it to Iran's intelligence power and operational planning,"" Iran's U.N. mission said.
+In response to the Hamas attacks, Israeli air strikes have hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza, killing more than 400 people, including 20 children.
+""They (Israel) find it very difficult to accept that in the intelligence community, it is being narrated that they were defeated by a Palestinian group,"" said Iran's U.N. mission.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran's UN mission says Tehran not involved in Hamas attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Iran's mission to the United Nations said on Sunday that Tehran was not involved in one of the bloodiest attacks in Israel's history when Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more. ""The resolute measures taken by Palestine constitute a wholly legitimate defense against seven decades of oppressive occupation and heinous crimes committed by the illegitimate Zionist regime,"" Iran's U.N. mission said in statement. Iran has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic Jihad. The Hamas assault on Saturday, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincided with U.S.-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalising ties with Israel in return for a defence deal between Washington and Riyadh, a move that would slam the brakes on the kingdom's rapprochement with Tehran. ""We emphatically stand in unflinching support of Palestine; however, we are not involved in Palestine's response, as it is taken solely by Palestine itself,"" Iran's U.N. mission said. Hamas fighters' rampage through Israeli towns on Saturday was the deadliest such incursion since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago and has threatened to ignite another conflagration in the long-running conflict.
+Iran's U.N. mission said the ""success"" of the Hamas operation was because it was a surprise, which makes it the ""biggest failure"" of Israel's security organizations. ""They are attempting to justify their failure and attribute it to Iran's intelligence power and operational planning,"" Iran's U.N. mission said. In response to the Hamas attacks, Israeli air strikes have hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza, killing more than 400 people, including 20 children.  ""They (Israel) find it very difficult to accept that in the intelligence community, it is being narrated that they were defeated by a Palestinian group,"" said Iran's U.N. mission.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-clash-with-hamas-gunmen-after-hundreds-killed-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel retaliates after Hamas attacks, deaths pass 1,100[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GAZA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Israel pounded the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on Sunday, killing hundreds of people in retaliation for one of the bloodiest attacks in its history when Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more.
+Hamas fighters' rampage through Israeli towns on Saturday was the deadliest such incursion since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago and has threatened to ignite another conflagration in the long-running conflict.
+In response, Israeli air strikes hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza, killing more than 400 people, including 20 children, in keeping with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow of ""mighty vengeance"".
+""The price the Gaza Strip will pay will be a very heavy one that will change reality for generations,"" said Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in the town of Ofakim, which suffered casualties and had hostages taken.
+Beyond blockaded Gaza, Israeli forces and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia exchanged artillery and rocket fire, while in Egypt, two Israeli tourists were shot dead along with a guide.
+Appeals for restraint came from around the world, though Western nations largely stood by Israel while Iran, Hezbollah and protesters in various Middle Eastern nations lauded Hamas.
+In southern Israel on Sunday, Hamas gunmen were still fighting Israeli security forces more than 24 hours after their surprise, multi-pronged assault of rocket barrages and bands of gunmen who overran army bases and invaded border towns.
+""My two little girls, they're only babies. They're not even five years old and three years old,"" said Yoni Asher who recounted seeing video of Palestinian gunmen seizing his wife and two small daughters after she took them to visit her mother.
+Uri David told a news conference he spent 30 minutes on the phone with his two daughters, Tair and Odaya, during an attack until they no longer responded to him and that he did not know their fate.
+""I heard shooting, shouting in Arabic, I told them to lie on the ground and hold hands,"" he said, breaking down in tears.
+CAPTIVES
+Israel's military, which faces awkward questions for not thwarting the attack, said it had regained control of most infiltration points along security barriers, killed hundreds of attackers and taken dozens more prisoner.
+The military said it had deployed tens of thousands of soldiers around Gaza, a narrow strip of land that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, and was starting to evacuate Israelis around the frontier.
+""This is my fifth war. The war should stop. I don't want to keep feeling this,"" said Qassab al-Attar, a Palestinian wheelchair user in Gaza whose brothers carried him to shelter.
+Israel has not released an official toll but its media said at least 700 people were killed, children among them. Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari called it ""the worst massacre of innocent civilians in Israel's history.""
+Several Americans were killed by Hamas attackers, a White House National Security Council spokesperson confirmed, saying the U.S. would continue to monitor the situation closely.
+The shocking flare-up may undermine U.S.-backed moves towards normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - a security realignment that could threaten Palestinian hopes of self determination and hem in Hamas' main backer, Iran.
+Tehran's other main regional ally, Lebanon's Hezbollah, fought a war with Israel in 2006 and said its ""guns and rockets"" stand with Hamas.
+With debris from the attacks still strewn around southern towns and border communities on Sunday, Israelis were reeling from the sight of bloodied bodies in streets, cars and even their homes.
+About 30 missing Israelis attending a dance party that was attacked by gunmen emerged from hiding on Sunday, Israeli media reported, putting the death toll at the outdoor gathering at 260.
+Palestinian fighters took dozens of hostages to Gaza, including soldiers and civilians, children and the elderly. A second Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, said it was holding more than 30 of the captives.
+The capture of so many Israelis, some pulled through security checkpoints or driven bleeding into Gaza, is another conundrum for Netanyahu after past episodes when hostages were exchanged for many Palestinian prisoners. Among the hostages were believed to be a Mexican man and woman.
+""The cruel reality is Hamas took hostages as an insurance policy against Israeli retaliatory action, particularly a massive ground attack and to trade for Palestinian prisoners,"" said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
+UNABATED VIOLENCE
+U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu for the second straight day, saying in a post on the social media platform X that he expressed ""my full support for the people of Israel in the face of an unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas terrorists.""
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean as a show of support to Israel and would also begin providing fresh munitions to Washington's closest Middle Easy ally.
+In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned the U.S. announcement as “an actual participation in the aggression against our people"" and said the group would not be intimidated.
+Several international air carriers - United Airlines (UAL.O)
+, opens new tab, Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), opens new tab, American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab and Air France (AIRF.PA)
+, opens new tab - said they had suspended flights serving Tel Aviv and were waiting for conditions to improve before resuming service.
+Hamas fired more rocket salvoes into Israel on Sunday.
+Israeli air strikes on Gaza destroyed Hamas' offices and training camps, but also houses and other buildings. The Palestinian health ministry said 413 Palestinians, including 78 children, were killed and 2,300 people wounded since Saturday.
+""As an occupying power, Israel has no right or justification to target the defenceless civilian population in Gaza or elsewhere in Palestine,"" the Palestinian foreign ministry said, denouncing a ""barbarous campaign of death and destruction"".
+The U.N. said at least 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza are seeking shelter in schools it runs. It appealed for the creation of humanitarian corridors to bring food into Gaza.
+In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, people searched through the remains of a mosque early on Sunday.
+""We ended the night prayers and suddenly the mosque was bombed. They terrorised the children, the elderly and women,"" said resident Ramez Hneideq.
+The escalation follows surging violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where a Palestinian authority exercises limited self-rule, opposed by Hamas that wants Israel destroyed.
+Conditions in the West Bank have worsened under Netanyahu's hard-right government, with more Israeli raids and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages, and the Palestinian Authority called for an emergency Arab League meeting.
+Peacemaking has been stalled for years, with Israeli politics distracted this year by internal wrangling over Netanyahu's plans to overhaul the judiciary.
+Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the assault would spread to the West Bank and Jerusalem. Gazans have lived under an Israeli-led blockade for 16 years, since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.
+""How many times have we warned you that the Palestinian people have been living in refugee camps for 75 years, and you refuse to recognise the rights of our people?"" said Haniyeh.
+The United States led Western denunciations of Hamas' attack, with Biden issuing a blunt warning to Iran and others on : ""This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks.""
+Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi telephoned the Hamas chief to congratulate him for the ""victory"".
+For a nation with a vaunted secret service that boasts of infiltration and monitoring of militants, the attacks appeared to be a shocking intelligence failure for Israel.
+The main Tel Aviv Stock Exchange indexes fell 6% on Sunday (.TA35)
+, opens new tab, (.TA125), opens new tab and investors expected the violence to prompt a move into gold and other safe-haven assets[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel retaliates after Hamas attacks, deaths pass 1,100[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GAZA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Israel pounded the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on Sunday, killing hundreds of people in retaliation for one of the bloodiest attacks in its history when Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more. Hamas fighters' rampage through Israeli towns on Saturday was the deadliest such incursion since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago and has threatened to ignite another conflagration in the long-running conflict.
+In response, Israeli air strikes hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza, killing more than 400 people, including 20 children, in keeping with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow of ""mighty vengeance"".
+""The price the Gaza Strip will pay will be a very heavy one that will change reality for generations,"" said Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in the town of Ofakim, which suffered casualties and had hostages taken. Beyond blockaded Gaza, Israeli forces and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia exchanged artillery and rocket fire, while in Egypt, two Israeli tourists were shot dead along with a guide. Appeals for restraint came from around the world, though Western nations largely stood by Israel while Iran, Hezbollah and protesters in various Middle Eastern nations lauded Hamas.
+In southern Israel on Sunday, Hamas gunmen were still fighting Israeli security forces more than 24 hours after their surprise, multi-pronged assault of rocket barrages and bands of gunmen who overran army bases and invaded border towns.  ""My two little girls, they're only babies. They're not even five years old and three years old,"" said Yoni Asher who recounted seeing video of Palestinian gunmen seizing his wife and two small daughters after she took them to visit her mother. Uri David told a news conference he spent 30 minutes on the phone with his two daughters, Tair and Odaya, during an attack until they no longer responded to him and that he did not know their fate.
+""I heard shooting, shouting in Arabic, I told them to lie on the ground and hold hands,"" he said, breaking down in tears.  CAPTIVES Israel's military, which faces awkward questions for not thwarting the attack, said it had regained control of most infiltration points along security barriers, killed hundreds of attackers and taken dozens more prisoner.
+The military said it had deployed tens of thousands of soldiers around Gaza, a narrow strip of land that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, and was starting to evacuate Israelis around the frontier. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-clash-with-hamas-gunmen-after-hundreds-killed-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel retaliates after Hamas attacks, deaths pass 1,100[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GAZA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Israel pounded the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on Sunday, killing hundreds of people in retaliation for one of the bloodiest attacks in its history when Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more.
+Hamas fighters' rampage through Israeli towns on Saturday was the deadliest such incursion since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago and has threatened to ignite another conflagration in the long-running conflict.
+In response, Israeli air strikes hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza, killing more than 400 people, including 20 children, in keeping with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow of ""mighty vengeance"".
+""The price the Gaza Strip will pay will be a very heavy one that will change reality for generations,"" said Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in the town of Ofakim, which suffered casualties and had hostages taken.
+Beyond blockaded Gaza, Israeli forces and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia exchanged artillery and rocket fire, while in Egypt, two Israeli tourists were shot dead along with a guide.
+Appeals for restraint came from around the world, though Western nations largely stood by Israel while Iran, Hezbollah and protesters in various Middle Eastern nations lauded Hamas.
+In southern Israel on Sunday, Hamas gunmen were still fighting Israeli security forces more than 24 hours after their surprise, multi-pronged assault of rocket barrages and bands of gunmen who overran army bases and invaded border towns.
+""My two little girls, they're only babies. They're not even five years old and three years old,"" said Yoni Asher who recounted seeing video of Palestinian gunmen seizing his wife and two small daughters after she took them to visit her mother.
+Uri David told a news conference he spent 30 minutes on the phone with his two daughters, Tair and Odaya, during an attack until they no longer responded to him and that he did not know their fate.
+""I heard shooting, shouting in Arabic, I told them to lie on the ground and hold hands,"" he said, breaking down in tears.
+CAPTIVES
+Israel's military, which faces awkward questions for not thwarting the attack, said it had regained control of most infiltration points along security barriers, killed hundreds of attackers and taken dozens more prisoner.
+The military said it had deployed tens of thousands of soldiers around Gaza, a narrow strip of land that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, and was starting to evacuate Israelis around the frontier.
+""This is my fifth war. The war should stop. I don't want to keep feeling this,"" said Qassab al-Attar, a Palestinian wheelchair user in Gaza whose brothers carried him to shelter.
+Israel has not released an official toll but its media said at least 700 people were killed, children among them. Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari called it ""the worst massacre of innocent civilians in Israel's history.""
+Several Americans were killed by Hamas attackers, a White House National Security Council spokesperson confirmed, saying the U.S. would continue to monitor the situation closely.
+The shocking flare-up may undermine U.S.-backed moves towards normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - a security realignment that could threaten Palestinian hopes of self determination and hem in Hamas' main backer, Iran.
+Tehran's other main regional ally, Lebanon's Hezbollah, fought a war with Israel in 2006 and said its ""guns and rockets"" stand with Hamas.
+With debris from the attacks still strewn around southern towns and border communities on Sunday, Israelis were reeling from the sight of bloodied bodies in streets, cars and even their homes.
+About 30 missing Israelis attending a dance party that was attacked by gunmen emerged from hiding on Sunday, Israeli media reported, putting the death toll at the outdoor gathering at 260.
+Palestinian fighters took dozens of hostages to Gaza, including soldiers and civilians, children and the elderly. A second Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, said it was holding more than 30 of the captives.
+The capture of so many Israelis, some pulled through security checkpoints or driven bleeding into Gaza, is another conundrum for Netanyahu after past episodes when hostages were exchanged for many Palestinian prisoners. Among the hostages were believed to be a Mexican man and woman.
+""The cruel reality is Hamas took hostages as an insurance policy against Israeli retaliatory action, particularly a massive ground attack and to trade for Palestinian prisoners,"" said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
+UNABATED VIOLENCE
+U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu for the second straight day, saying in a post on the social media platform X that he expressed ""my full support for the people of Israel in the face of an unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas terrorists.""
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean as a show of support to Israel and would also begin providing fresh munitions to Washington's closest Middle Easy ally.
+In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned the U.S. announcement as “an actual participation in the aggression against our people"" and said the group would not be intimidated.
+Several international air carriers - United Airlines (UAL.O)
+, opens new tab, Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), opens new tab, American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab and Air France (AIRF.PA)
+, opens new tab - said they had suspended flights serving Tel Aviv and were waiting for conditions to improve before resuming service.
+Hamas fired more rocket salvoes into Israel on Sunday.
+Israeli air strikes on Gaza destroyed Hamas' offices and training camps, but also houses and other buildings. The Palestinian health ministry said 413 Palestinians, including 78 children, were killed and 2,300 people wounded since Saturday.
+""As an occupying power, Israel has no right or justification to target the defenceless civilian population in Gaza or elsewhere in Palestine,"" the Palestinian foreign ministry said, denouncing a ""barbarous campaign of death and destruction"".
+The U.N. said at least 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza are seeking shelter in schools it runs. It appealed for the creation of humanitarian corridors to bring food into Gaza.
+In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, people searched through the remains of a mosque early on Sunday.
+""We ended the night prayers and suddenly the mosque was bombed. They terrorised the children, the elderly and women,"" said resident Ramez Hneideq.
+The escalation follows surging violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where a Palestinian authority exercises limited self-rule, opposed by Hamas that wants Israel destroyed.
+Conditions in the West Bank have worsened under Netanyahu's hard-right government, with more Israeli raids and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages, and the Palestinian Authority called for an emergency Arab League meeting.
+Peacemaking has been stalled for years, with Israeli politics distracted this year by internal wrangling over Netanyahu's plans to overhaul the judiciary.
+Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the assault would spread to the West Bank and Jerusalem. Gazans have lived under an Israeli-led blockade for 16 years, since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.
+""How many times have we warned you that the Palestinian people have been living in refugee camps for 75 years, and you refuse to recognise the rights of our people?"" said Haniyeh.
+The United States led Western denunciations of Hamas' attack, with Biden issuing a blunt warning to Iran and others on : ""This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks.""
+Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi telephoned the Hamas chief to congratulate him for the ""victory"".
+For a nation with a vaunted secret service that boasts of infiltration and monitoring of militants, the attacks appeared to be a shocking intelligence failure for Israel.
+The main Tel Aviv Stock Exchange indexes fell 6% on Sunday (.TA35)
+, opens new tab, (.TA125), opens new tab and investors expected the violence to prompt a move into gold and other safe-haven assets[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""This is my fifth war. The war should stop. I don't want to keep feeling this,"" said Qassab al-Attar, a Palestinian wheelchair user in Gaza whose brothers carried him to shelter.  Israel has not released an official toll but its media said at least 700 people were killed, children among them. Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari called it ""the worst massacre of innocent civilians in Israel's history.""
+Several Americans were killed by Hamas attackers, a White House National Security Council spokesperson confirmed, saying the U.S. would continue to monitor the situation closely. The shocking flare-up may undermine U.S.-backed moves towards normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - a security realignment that could threaten Palestinian hopes of self determination and hem in Hamas' main backer, Iran.
+Tehran's other main regional ally, Lebanon's Hezbollah, fought a war with Israel in 2006 and said its ""guns and rockets"" stand with Hamas.
+With debris from the attacks still strewn around southern towns and border communities on Sunday, Israelis were reeling from the sight of bloodied bodies in streets, cars and even their homes.
+About 30 missing Israelis attending a dance party that was attacked by gunmen emerged from hiding on Sunday, Israeli media reported, putting the death toll at the outdoor gathering at 260.  Palestinian fighters took dozens of hostages to Gaza, including soldiers and civilians, children and the elderly. A second Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, said it was holding more than 30 of the captives.  The capture of so many Israelis, some pulled through security checkpoints or driven bleeding into Gaza, is another conundrum for Netanyahu after past episodes when hostages were exchanged for many Palestinian prisoners. Among the hostages were believed to be a Mexican man and woman. ""The cruel reality is Hamas took hostages as an insurance policy against Israeli retaliatory action, particularly a massive ground attack and to trade for Palestinian prisoners,"" said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-clash-with-hamas-gunmen-after-hundreds-killed-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel retaliates after Hamas attacks, deaths pass 1,100[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GAZA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Israel pounded the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on Sunday, killing hundreds of people in retaliation for one of the bloodiest attacks in its history when Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more.
+Hamas fighters' rampage through Israeli towns on Saturday was the deadliest such incursion since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago and has threatened to ignite another conflagration in the long-running conflict.
+In response, Israeli air strikes hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza, killing more than 400 people, including 20 children, in keeping with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow of ""mighty vengeance"".
+""The price the Gaza Strip will pay will be a very heavy one that will change reality for generations,"" said Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in the town of Ofakim, which suffered casualties and had hostages taken.
+Beyond blockaded Gaza, Israeli forces and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia exchanged artillery and rocket fire, while in Egypt, two Israeli tourists were shot dead along with a guide.
+Appeals for restraint came from around the world, though Western nations largely stood by Israel while Iran, Hezbollah and protesters in various Middle Eastern nations lauded Hamas.
+In southern Israel on Sunday, Hamas gunmen were still fighting Israeli security forces more than 24 hours after their surprise, multi-pronged assault of rocket barrages and bands of gunmen who overran army bases and invaded border towns.
+""My two little girls, they're only babies. They're not even five years old and three years old,"" said Yoni Asher who recounted seeing video of Palestinian gunmen seizing his wife and two small daughters after she took them to visit her mother.
+Uri David told a news conference he spent 30 minutes on the phone with his two daughters, Tair and Odaya, during an attack until they no longer responded to him and that he did not know their fate.
+""I heard shooting, shouting in Arabic, I told them to lie on the ground and hold hands,"" he said, breaking down in tears.
+CAPTIVES
+Israel's military, which faces awkward questions for not thwarting the attack, said it had regained control of most infiltration points along security barriers, killed hundreds of attackers and taken dozens more prisoner.
+The military said it had deployed tens of thousands of soldiers around Gaza, a narrow strip of land that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, and was starting to evacuate Israelis around the frontier.
+""This is my fifth war. The war should stop. I don't want to keep feeling this,"" said Qassab al-Attar, a Palestinian wheelchair user in Gaza whose brothers carried him to shelter.
+Israel has not released an official toll but its media said at least 700 people were killed, children among them. Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari called it ""the worst massacre of innocent civilians in Israel's history.""
+Several Americans were killed by Hamas attackers, a White House National Security Council spokesperson confirmed, saying the U.S. would continue to monitor the situation closely.
+The shocking flare-up may undermine U.S.-backed moves towards normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - a security realignment that could threaten Palestinian hopes of self determination and hem in Hamas' main backer, Iran.
+Tehran's other main regional ally, Lebanon's Hezbollah, fought a war with Israel in 2006 and said its ""guns and rockets"" stand with Hamas.
+With debris from the attacks still strewn around southern towns and border communities on Sunday, Israelis were reeling from the sight of bloodied bodies in streets, cars and even their homes.
+About 30 missing Israelis attending a dance party that was attacked by gunmen emerged from hiding on Sunday, Israeli media reported, putting the death toll at the outdoor gathering at 260.
+Palestinian fighters took dozens of hostages to Gaza, including soldiers and civilians, children and the elderly. A second Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, said it was holding more than 30 of the captives.
+The capture of so many Israelis, some pulled through security checkpoints or driven bleeding into Gaza, is another conundrum for Netanyahu after past episodes when hostages were exchanged for many Palestinian prisoners. Among the hostages were believed to be a Mexican man and woman.
+""The cruel reality is Hamas took hostages as an insurance policy against Israeli retaliatory action, particularly a massive ground attack and to trade for Palestinian prisoners,"" said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
+UNABATED VIOLENCE
+U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu for the second straight day, saying in a post on the social media platform X that he expressed ""my full support for the people of Israel in the face of an unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas terrorists.""
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean as a show of support to Israel and would also begin providing fresh munitions to Washington's closest Middle Easy ally.
+In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned the U.S. announcement as “an actual participation in the aggression against our people"" and said the group would not be intimidated.
+Several international air carriers - United Airlines (UAL.O)
+, opens new tab, Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), opens new tab, American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab and Air France (AIRF.PA)
+, opens new tab - said they had suspended flights serving Tel Aviv and were waiting for conditions to improve before resuming service.
+Hamas fired more rocket salvoes into Israel on Sunday.
+Israeli air strikes on Gaza destroyed Hamas' offices and training camps, but also houses and other buildings. The Palestinian health ministry said 413 Palestinians, including 78 children, were killed and 2,300 people wounded since Saturday.
+""As an occupying power, Israel has no right or justification to target the defenceless civilian population in Gaza or elsewhere in Palestine,"" the Palestinian foreign ministry said, denouncing a ""barbarous campaign of death and destruction"".
+The U.N. said at least 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza are seeking shelter in schools it runs. It appealed for the creation of humanitarian corridors to bring food into Gaza.
+In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, people searched through the remains of a mosque early on Sunday.
+""We ended the night prayers and suddenly the mosque was bombed. They terrorised the children, the elderly and women,"" said resident Ramez Hneideq.
+The escalation follows surging violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where a Palestinian authority exercises limited self-rule, opposed by Hamas that wants Israel destroyed.
+Conditions in the West Bank have worsened under Netanyahu's hard-right government, with more Israeli raids and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages, and the Palestinian Authority called for an emergency Arab League meeting.
+Peacemaking has been stalled for years, with Israeli politics distracted this year by internal wrangling over Netanyahu's plans to overhaul the judiciary.
+Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the assault would spread to the West Bank and Jerusalem. Gazans have lived under an Israeli-led blockade for 16 years, since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.
+""How many times have we warned you that the Palestinian people have been living in refugee camps for 75 years, and you refuse to recognise the rights of our people?"" said Haniyeh.
+The United States led Western denunciations of Hamas' attack, with Biden issuing a blunt warning to Iran and others on : ""This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks.""
+Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi telephoned the Hamas chief to congratulate him for the ""victory"".
+For a nation with a vaunted secret service that boasts of infiltration and monitoring of militants, the attacks appeared to be a shocking intelligence failure for Israel.
+The main Tel Aviv Stock Exchange indexes fell 6% on Sunday (.TA35)
+, opens new tab, (.TA125), opens new tab and investors expected the violence to prompt a move into gold and other safe-haven assets[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","UNABATED VIOLENCE
+U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu for the second straight day, saying in a post on the social media platform X that he expressed ""my full support for the people of Israel in the face of an unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas terrorists.""
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean as a show of support to Israel and would also begin providing fresh munitions to Washington's closest Middle Easy ally.
+In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned the U.S. announcement as “an actual participation in the aggression against our people"" and said the group would not be intimidated.  Several international air carriers - United Airlines (UAL.O)
+, opens new tab, Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), opens new tab, American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab and Air France (AIRF.PA)
+, opens new tab - said they had suspended flights serving Tel Aviv and were waiting for conditions to improve before resuming service.
+Hamas fired more rocket salvoes into Israel on Sunday.
+Israeli air strikes on Gaza destroyed Hamas' offices and training camps, but also houses and other buildings. The Palestinian health ministry said 413 Palestinians, including 78 children, were killed and 2,300 people wounded since Saturday. ""As an occupying power, Israel has no right or justification to target the defenceless civilian population in Gaza or elsewhere in Palestine,"" the Palestinian foreign ministry said, denouncing a ""barbarous campaign of death and destruction"".  The U.N. said at least 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza are seeking shelter in schools it runs. It appealed for the creation of humanitarian corridors to bring food into Gaza.  In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, people searched through the remains of a mosque early on Sunday.  ""We ended the night prayers and suddenly the mosque was bombed. They terrorised the children, the elderly and women,"" said resident Ramez Hneideq. The escalation follows surging violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where a Palestinian authority exercises limited self-rule, opposed by Hamas that wants Israel destroyed. Conditions in the West Bank have worsened under Netanyahu's hard-right government, with more Israeli raids and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages, and the Palestinian Authority called for an emergency Arab League meeting. Peacemaking has been stalled for years, with Israeli politics distracted this year by internal wrangling over Netanyahu's plans to overhaul the judiciary. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the assault would spread to the West Bank and Jerusalem."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-clash-with-hamas-gunmen-after-hundreds-killed-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel retaliates after Hamas attacks, deaths pass 1,100[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/GAZA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Israel pounded the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on Sunday, killing hundreds of people in retaliation for one of the bloodiest attacks in its history when Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more.
+Hamas fighters' rampage through Israeli towns on Saturday was the deadliest such incursion since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago and has threatened to ignite another conflagration in the long-running conflict.
+In response, Israeli air strikes hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza, killing more than 400 people, including 20 children, in keeping with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow of ""mighty vengeance"".
+""The price the Gaza Strip will pay will be a very heavy one that will change reality for generations,"" said Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in the town of Ofakim, which suffered casualties and had hostages taken.
+Beyond blockaded Gaza, Israeli forces and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militia exchanged artillery and rocket fire, while in Egypt, two Israeli tourists were shot dead along with a guide.
+Appeals for restraint came from around the world, though Western nations largely stood by Israel while Iran, Hezbollah and protesters in various Middle Eastern nations lauded Hamas.
+In southern Israel on Sunday, Hamas gunmen were still fighting Israeli security forces more than 24 hours after their surprise, multi-pronged assault of rocket barrages and bands of gunmen who overran army bases and invaded border towns.
+""My two little girls, they're only babies. They're not even five years old and three years old,"" said Yoni Asher who recounted seeing video of Palestinian gunmen seizing his wife and two small daughters after she took them to visit her mother.
+Uri David told a news conference he spent 30 minutes on the phone with his two daughters, Tair and Odaya, during an attack until they no longer responded to him and that he did not know their fate.
+""I heard shooting, shouting in Arabic, I told them to lie on the ground and hold hands,"" he said, breaking down in tears.
+CAPTIVES
+Israel's military, which faces awkward questions for not thwarting the attack, said it had regained control of most infiltration points along security barriers, killed hundreds of attackers and taken dozens more prisoner.
+The military said it had deployed tens of thousands of soldiers around Gaza, a narrow strip of land that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, and was starting to evacuate Israelis around the frontier.
+""This is my fifth war. The war should stop. I don't want to keep feeling this,"" said Qassab al-Attar, a Palestinian wheelchair user in Gaza whose brothers carried him to shelter.
+Israel has not released an official toll but its media said at least 700 people were killed, children among them. Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari called it ""the worst massacre of innocent civilians in Israel's history.""
+Several Americans were killed by Hamas attackers, a White House National Security Council spokesperson confirmed, saying the U.S. would continue to monitor the situation closely.
+The shocking flare-up may undermine U.S.-backed moves towards normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - a security realignment that could threaten Palestinian hopes of self determination and hem in Hamas' main backer, Iran.
+Tehran's other main regional ally, Lebanon's Hezbollah, fought a war with Israel in 2006 and said its ""guns and rockets"" stand with Hamas.
+With debris from the attacks still strewn around southern towns and border communities on Sunday, Israelis were reeling from the sight of bloodied bodies in streets, cars and even their homes.
+About 30 missing Israelis attending a dance party that was attacked by gunmen emerged from hiding on Sunday, Israeli media reported, putting the death toll at the outdoor gathering at 260.
+Palestinian fighters took dozens of hostages to Gaza, including soldiers and civilians, children and the elderly. A second Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, said it was holding more than 30 of the captives.
+The capture of so many Israelis, some pulled through security checkpoints or driven bleeding into Gaza, is another conundrum for Netanyahu after past episodes when hostages were exchanged for many Palestinian prisoners. Among the hostages were believed to be a Mexican man and woman.
+""The cruel reality is Hamas took hostages as an insurance policy against Israeli retaliatory action, particularly a massive ground attack and to trade for Palestinian prisoners,"" said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
+UNABATED VIOLENCE
+U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu for the second straight day, saying in a post on the social media platform X that he expressed ""my full support for the people of Israel in the face of an unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas terrorists.""
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean as a show of support to Israel and would also begin providing fresh munitions to Washington's closest Middle Easy ally.
+In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned the U.S. announcement as “an actual participation in the aggression against our people"" and said the group would not be intimidated.
+Several international air carriers - United Airlines (UAL.O)
+, opens new tab, Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), opens new tab, American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab and Air France (AIRF.PA)
+, opens new tab - said they had suspended flights serving Tel Aviv and were waiting for conditions to improve before resuming service.
+Hamas fired more rocket salvoes into Israel on Sunday.
+Israeli air strikes on Gaza destroyed Hamas' offices and training camps, but also houses and other buildings. The Palestinian health ministry said 413 Palestinians, including 78 children, were killed and 2,300 people wounded since Saturday.
+""As an occupying power, Israel has no right or justification to target the defenceless civilian population in Gaza or elsewhere in Palestine,"" the Palestinian foreign ministry said, denouncing a ""barbarous campaign of death and destruction"".
+The U.N. said at least 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza are seeking shelter in schools it runs. It appealed for the creation of humanitarian corridors to bring food into Gaza.
+In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, people searched through the remains of a mosque early on Sunday.
+""We ended the night prayers and suddenly the mosque was bombed. They terrorised the children, the elderly and women,"" said resident Ramez Hneideq.
+The escalation follows surging violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where a Palestinian authority exercises limited self-rule, opposed by Hamas that wants Israel destroyed.
+Conditions in the West Bank have worsened under Netanyahu's hard-right government, with more Israeli raids and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages, and the Palestinian Authority called for an emergency Arab League meeting.
+Peacemaking has been stalled for years, with Israeli politics distracted this year by internal wrangling over Netanyahu's plans to overhaul the judiciary.
+Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the assault would spread to the West Bank and Jerusalem. Gazans have lived under an Israeli-led blockade for 16 years, since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.
+""How many times have we warned you that the Palestinian people have been living in refugee camps for 75 years, and you refuse to recognise the rights of our people?"" said Haniyeh.
+The United States led Western denunciations of Hamas' attack, with Biden issuing a blunt warning to Iran and others on : ""This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks.""
+Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi telephoned the Hamas chief to congratulate him for the ""victory"".
+For a nation with a vaunted secret service that boasts of infiltration and monitoring of militants, the attacks appeared to be a shocking intelligence failure for Israel.
+The main Tel Aviv Stock Exchange indexes fell 6% on Sunday (.TA35)
+, opens new tab, (.TA125), opens new tab and investors expected the violence to prompt a move into gold and other safe-haven assets[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Gazans have lived under an Israeli-led blockade for 16 years, since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. ""How many times have we warned you that the Palestinian people have been living in refugee camps for 75 years, and you refuse to recognise the rights of our people?"" said Haniyeh. The United States led Western denunciations of Hamas' attack, with Biden issuing a blunt warning to Iran and others on : ""This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks."" Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi telephoned the Hamas chief to congratulate him for the ""victory"".  For a nation with a vaunted secret service that boasts of infiltration and monitoring of militants, the attacks appeared to be a shocking intelligence failure for Israel.
+The main Tel Aviv Stock Exchange indexes fell 6% on Sunday (.TA35)
+, opens new tab, (.TA125), opens new tab and investors expected the violence to prompt a move into gold and other safe-haven assets[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/un-agency-says-humanitarian-access-needed-get-food-gaza-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. agency says humanitarian access needed to get food to Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ROME, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) called on Sunday for the creation of humanitarian corridors to bring food into Gaza as Israeli air strikes pounded the Palestinian enclave following deadly Hamas attacks.
+""As the conflict intensifies, civilians, including vulnerable children and families, face mounting challenges in accessing essential food supplies,"" the Rome-based WFP said.
+""WFP urges safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to affected areas, calling on all parties to uphold the principles of humanitarian law ... including ensuring access to food.""
+The U.N. agency provides direct food assistance to some 350,000 Palestinians monthly, while also offering aid to nearly 1 million Palestinians in cooperation with other humanitarian partners via cash transfers.
+WFP said it was ready to set up pre-positioned food stocks for people who had been displaced or were in shelters.
+""While most shops in the affected areas in Palestine currently maintain one month of food stocks, these risk being depleted swiftly as people buy up food in fear of a prolonged conflict,"" it said.
+Israeli aircraft battered Gaza on Sunday after Israel suffered its bloodiest attack in decades, when Hamas fighters rampaged through Israeli towns killing 600 and abducting dozens more.
+The Israeli military said it had deployed tens of thousands of soldiers around Gaza, a narrow strip that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, amid widespread speculation of an imminent, large-scale Israeli incursion into the territory.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. agency says humanitarian access needed to get food to Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ROME, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) called on Sunday for the creation of humanitarian corridors to bring food into Gaza as Israeli air strikes pounded the Palestinian enclave following deadly Hamas attacks. ""As the conflict intensifies, civilians, including vulnerable children and families, face mounting challenges in accessing essential food supplies,"" the Rome-based WFP said.
+""WFP urges safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to affected areas, calling on all parties to uphold the principles of humanitarian law ... including ensuring access to food.""
+The U.N. agency provides direct food assistance to some 350,000 Palestinians monthly, while also offering aid to nearly 1 million Palestinians in cooperation with other humanitarian partners via cash transfers. WFP said it was ready to set up pre-positioned food stocks for people who had been displaced or were in shelters. ""While most shops in the affected areas in Palestine currently maintain one month of food stocks, these risk being depleted swiftly as people buy up food in fear of a prolonged conflict,"" it said. Israeli aircraft battered Gaza on Sunday after Israel suffered its bloodiest attack in decades, when Hamas fighters rampaged through Israeli towns killing 600 and abducting dozens more. The Israeli military said it had deployed tens of thousands of soldiers around Gaza, a narrow strip that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, amid widespread speculation of an imminent, large-scale Israeli incursion into the territory.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-francis-urges-end-violence-israel-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope Francis urges end to violence in Israel and Gaza, prays for victims[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Pope Francis called for an end to attacks and violence in Israel and Gaza on Sunday, saying terrorism and war would not solve any problems, but only bring further suffering and death to innocent people.
+""I follow with apprehension and sorrow what is happening in Israel,"" the pope said in his weekly address to faithful in St. Peter's Square. ""I express my solidarity with the relatives of the victims, and I pray for all those who are experiencing hours of terror and anguish,"" he said.
+On Saturday, a multi-pronged attack by Palestinian gunmen on Israeli towns left at least 250 Israelis dead, with more than 300 Palestinians killed in Israel's retaliatory bombardment.
+""Let the attacks and weapons cease, please, because it must be understood that terrorism and war bring no solutions, but only to the death and suffering of many innocent lives. War is a defeat, every war is a defeat. Let us pray for peace in Israel and Palestine,"" the pope said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope Francis urges end to violence in Israel and Gaza, prays for victims[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Pope Francis called for an end to attacks and violence in Israel and Gaza on Sunday, saying terrorism and war would not solve any problems, but only bring further suffering and death to innocent people. ""I follow with apprehension and sorrow what is happening in Israel,"" the pope said in his weekly address to faithful in St. Peter's Square. ""I express my solidarity with the relatives of the victims, and I pray for all those who are experiencing hours of terror and anguish,"" he said.  On Saturday, a multi-pronged attack by Palestinian gunmen on Israeli towns left at least 250 Israelis dead, with more than 300 Palestinians killed in Israel's retaliatory bombardment.
+""Let the attacks and weapons cease, please, because it must be understood that terrorism and war bring no solutions, but only to the death and suffering of many innocent lives. War is a defeat, every war is a defeat. Let us pray for peace in Israel and Palestine,"" the pope said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/israel-expected-stronger-condemnation-hamas-china-beijing-embassy-official-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel expected 'stronger condemnation' of Hamas from China, Beijing embassy official says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Israel expected to see a ""stronger condemnation"" of Hamas from China, a country it views as its friend, Yuval Waks, a senior official at the Israeli embassy in Beijing, said on Sunday.
+""When people are being murdered, slaughtered in the streets, this is not the time to call for a two-state solution,"" Waks told reporters.
+China's foreign ministry earlier on Sunday urged the relevant parties to remain calm and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians, adding that ""the fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel expected 'stronger condemnation' of Hamas from China, Beijing embassy official says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Israel expected to see a ""stronger condemnation"" of Hamas from China, a country it views as its friend, Yuval Waks, a senior official at the Israeli embassy in Beijing, said on Sunday. ""When people are being murdered, slaughtered in the streets, this is not the time to call for a two-state solution,"" Waks told reporters. China's foreign ministry earlier on Sunday urged the relevant parties to remain calm and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians, adding that ""the fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/world-reacts-surprise-attack-by-hamas-israel-2023-10-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]World reacts to Hamas attack on Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 8 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday.
+The following is reaction from around the world.
+UNITED STATES
+""There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel, and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks,"" U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement released by the State Department.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: ""Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.""
+UNITED NATIONS
+U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland said: ""This is a dangerous precipice, and I appeal to all to pull back from the brink.""
+U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Tuerk said: ""This attack is having a horrific impact on Israeli civilians ... Civilians must never be the target of attack.""
+PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS
+The Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against the ""terror of settlers and occupation troops,"" the official news agency WAFA quoted Abbas as saying.
+IRAN
+An adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday congratulated Palestinian fighters, the semi-official ISNA news site reported. ""We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem,"" it quoted Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying.
+Iran's state television showed parliament members rising from their seats to chant ""Death to Israel"".
+Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani spokesperson was quoted by ISNA as saying: ""In this operation, the element of surprise and other combined methods were used, which show the Palestinian people's confidence in the face of the occupiers.""
+CHINA
+The Chinese foreign ministry urged relevant parties ""to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation"".
+""The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine,"" the foreign ministry said.
+GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ
+""Terrifying news reaches us today from #Israel. We are deeply shocked by the rocket fire from Gaza and the escalating violence. Germany condemns these attacks by Hamas and stands by Israel,"" Scholz said on social media.
+FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON
+Macron strongly condemned the attacks.
+""I express my full solidarity with the victims, and their families and those close to them,"" he said.
+SAUDI ARABIA
+The foreign ministry called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"".
+EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
+Egypt warned of ""grave consequences"" and called for ""exercising maximum restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further danger"".
+MOROCCO
+Morocco, which is moving towards full diplomatic ties with Israel under the so-called ""Abraham Accords"", voiced ""deep concern"" and condemned attacks on civilians ""where ever they are"".
+However, Morocco's Islamist PJD party, which had been the largest in parliament until elections in 2021, praised the Hamas attack as ""a heroic act"" and ""a natural and legitimate reaction to daily violations"".
+EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL
+""Using civilians as hostages is a blatant violation of all laws. I will do my utmost to contribute to their freedom,"" Borrell said.
+He added he was travelling to Muscat, Oman to meet Arab counterparts. ""Even at this tragic moment, we recall the importance of working towards a lasting and sustainable peace through reinvigorated efforts in the Middle East Peace Process,"" he said.
+CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU
+""Canada strongly condemns the current terrorist attacks against Israel. These acts of violence are completely unacceptable. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to defend itself. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this. Civilian life must be protected,"" he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
+BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER JAMES CLEVERLY
+""The UK unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians. The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself,"" Cleverly said.
+EUROPEAN UNION
+EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said: ""I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel. It is terrorism in its most despicable form.""
+TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN
+""We call for restraint from all parties,"" Erdogan said.
+QATAR
+The foreign ministry said Israel alone was responsible for the ongoing escalation of violence with the Palestinian people, and called for both sides to show restraint.
+RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MIKHAIL BOGDANOV
+Russia is in contact with Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries in connection with the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Bogdanov said, urging restraint.
+UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY
+Zelenskiy condemned what he called a ""terror attack"" on Israel and said Israel's right to defend itself ""cannot be doubted"".
+HEZBOLLAH
+The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, an arch foe of Israel, said it was in ""direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance"" and described events as a ""decisive response to Israel's continued occupation and a message to those seeking normalisation with Israel"".
+POLISH PRESIDENT ANDRZEJ DUDA
+""I'm shocked by today's brutal attacks on Israel by Hamas. Rockets attacks and detention of civilians as hostages arouse our deepest opposition. Poland strongly condemns all acts of violence,"" Duda said on Saturday.
+CZECH PRESIDENT PETR PAVEL
+""The attack conducted from the Gaza Strip is a deplorable act of terrorism against the State of Israel and the civilian population,"" Pavel said in a statement.
+""The rocket attacks and the infiltration of Hamas commandos into Israel will block any efforts for a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for a long time.""
+ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE
+""A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was held today on the dramatic situation unfolding in Israel, which has been the target of a military and terrorist attack,"" a statement said on Saturday.
+""The government is following the evolution of the situation with concern... Particular attention is being paid to the security of the Jewish community in the country.""
+JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER FUMIO KISHIDA
+""Hamas and other Palestinian militants attacked Israel from Gaza yesterday. Japan strongly condemns the attacks which severely harmed innocent civilians. I express my condolences to the bereaved families and heartfelt sympathies to the injured,"" Kishida said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
+""A number of people were reportedly abducted by the militants. Japan strongly condemns such acts and urges their immediate release. Japan is deeply concerned about a number of casualties in Gaza as well. All the parties concerned should exercise maximum restraint.""
+AFRICAN UNION
+Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, said: ""Denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, particularly that of an independent and sovereign State, is the main cause of the permanent Israeli-Palestinian tension.""
+""The Chairperson urgently appeals to both parties to put an end to military hostilities and to return, without conditions, to the negotiating table.""
+KUWAIT
+Kuwait expressed its ""grave concern"" over developments between Israel and the Palestinians, blaming Israel for what it called its ""blatant attacks"".
+UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
+""The UAE calls for the exercise of maximum restraint and an immediate ceasefire to avoid serious repercussions,"" the official news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying.
+INDONESIA
+""Indonesia is very concerned about the increasing escalation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel,"" the foreign ministry the world’s largest Muslim-majority country said on X.
+""Indonesia requests that acts of violence stop immediately to avoid increasing human casualties. The root of the conflict, namely the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, must be resolved according to the parameters agreed upon by the U.N.""
+KENYA
+""We repudiate the planners, funders and implementers of this heinous attack. While Israel has a right to retaliate, a peaceful path to resolving this unfortunate development is urged,"" Korir Sing'oei, principal secretary at Kenya's foreign ministry, said on X.
+UGANDA
+President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda said: ""The break out of renewed violence in Israel- Palestine is regrettable. Why don’t the two sides implement the two States’ Solution? To be condemned, in particular, is the practice of targeting civilians and non- combatants by the belligerents.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]World reacts to Hamas attack on Israel[/TITLE] [CONTENT]Oct 8 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday. The following is reaction from around the world. UNITED STATES  ""There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel, and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks,"" U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement released by the State Department. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: ""Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism."" UNITED NATIONS
+U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland said: ""This is a dangerous precipice, and I appeal to all to pull back from the brink.""  U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Tuerk said: ""This attack is having a horrific impact on Israeli civilians ... Civilians must never be the target of attack."" PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS
+The Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against the ""terror of settlers and occupation troops,"" the official news agency WAFA quoted Abbas as saying.  IRAN An adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday congratulated Palestinian fighters, the semi-official ISNA news site reported. ""We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem,"" it quoted Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying. Iran's state television showed parliament members rising from their seats to chant ""Death to Israel"".
+Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani spokesperson was quoted by ISNA as saying: ""In this operation, the element of surprise and other combined methods were used, which show the Palestinian people's confidence in the face of the occupiers.""
+CHINA
+The Chinese foreign ministry urged relevant parties ""to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation"". ""The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine,"" the foreign ministry said. GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ  ""Terrifying news reaches us today from #Israel. We are deeply shocked by the rocket fire from Gaza and the escalating violence. Germany condemns these attacks by Hamas and stands by Israel,"" Scholz said on social media. FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON
+Macron strongly condemned the attacks.
+"" I express my full solidarity with the victims, and their families and those close to them,"" he said. SAUDI ARABIA"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/world-reacts-surprise-attack-by-hamas-israel-2023-10-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]World reacts to Hamas attack on Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 8 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday.
+The following is reaction from around the world.
+UNITED STATES
+""There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel, and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks,"" U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement released by the State Department.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: ""Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.""
+UNITED NATIONS
+U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland said: ""This is a dangerous precipice, and I appeal to all to pull back from the brink.""
+U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Tuerk said: ""This attack is having a horrific impact on Israeli civilians ... Civilians must never be the target of attack.""
+PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS
+The Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against the ""terror of settlers and occupation troops,"" the official news agency WAFA quoted Abbas as saying.
+IRAN
+An adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday congratulated Palestinian fighters, the semi-official ISNA news site reported. ""We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem,"" it quoted Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying.
+Iran's state television showed parliament members rising from their seats to chant ""Death to Israel"".
+Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani spokesperson was quoted by ISNA as saying: ""In this operation, the element of surprise and other combined methods were used, which show the Palestinian people's confidence in the face of the occupiers.""
+CHINA
+The Chinese foreign ministry urged relevant parties ""to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation"".
+""The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine,"" the foreign ministry said.
+GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ
+""Terrifying news reaches us today from #Israel. We are deeply shocked by the rocket fire from Gaza and the escalating violence. Germany condemns these attacks by Hamas and stands by Israel,"" Scholz said on social media.
+FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON
+Macron strongly condemned the attacks.
+""I express my full solidarity with the victims, and their families and those close to them,"" he said.
+SAUDI ARABIA
+The foreign ministry called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"".
+EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
+Egypt warned of ""grave consequences"" and called for ""exercising maximum restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further danger"".
+MOROCCO
+Morocco, which is moving towards full diplomatic ties with Israel under the so-called ""Abraham Accords"", voiced ""deep concern"" and condemned attacks on civilians ""where ever they are"".
+However, Morocco's Islamist PJD party, which had been the largest in parliament until elections in 2021, praised the Hamas attack as ""a heroic act"" and ""a natural and legitimate reaction to daily violations"".
+EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL
+""Using civilians as hostages is a blatant violation of all laws. I will do my utmost to contribute to their freedom,"" Borrell said.
+He added he was travelling to Muscat, Oman to meet Arab counterparts. ""Even at this tragic moment, we recall the importance of working towards a lasting and sustainable peace through reinvigorated efforts in the Middle East Peace Process,"" he said.
+CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU
+""Canada strongly condemns the current terrorist attacks against Israel. These acts of violence are completely unacceptable. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to defend itself. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this. Civilian life must be protected,"" he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
+BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER JAMES CLEVERLY
+""The UK unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians. The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself,"" Cleverly said.
+EUROPEAN UNION
+EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said: ""I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel. It is terrorism in its most despicable form.""
+TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN
+""We call for restraint from all parties,"" Erdogan said.
+QATAR
+The foreign ministry said Israel alone was responsible for the ongoing escalation of violence with the Palestinian people, and called for both sides to show restraint.
+RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MIKHAIL BOGDANOV
+Russia is in contact with Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries in connection with the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Bogdanov said, urging restraint.
+UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY
+Zelenskiy condemned what he called a ""terror attack"" on Israel and said Israel's right to defend itself ""cannot be doubted"".
+HEZBOLLAH
+The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, an arch foe of Israel, said it was in ""direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance"" and described events as a ""decisive response to Israel's continued occupation and a message to those seeking normalisation with Israel"".
+POLISH PRESIDENT ANDRZEJ DUDA
+""I'm shocked by today's brutal attacks on Israel by Hamas. Rockets attacks and detention of civilians as hostages arouse our deepest opposition. Poland strongly condemns all acts of violence,"" Duda said on Saturday.
+CZECH PRESIDENT PETR PAVEL
+""The attack conducted from the Gaza Strip is a deplorable act of terrorism against the State of Israel and the civilian population,"" Pavel said in a statement.
+""The rocket attacks and the infiltration of Hamas commandos into Israel will block any efforts for a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for a long time.""
+ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE
+""A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was held today on the dramatic situation unfolding in Israel, which has been the target of a military and terrorist attack,"" a statement said on Saturday.
+""The government is following the evolution of the situation with concern... Particular attention is being paid to the security of the Jewish community in the country.""
+JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER FUMIO KISHIDA
+""Hamas and other Palestinian militants attacked Israel from Gaza yesterday. Japan strongly condemns the attacks which severely harmed innocent civilians. I express my condolences to the bereaved families and heartfelt sympathies to the injured,"" Kishida said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
+""A number of people were reportedly abducted by the militants. Japan strongly condemns such acts and urges their immediate release. Japan is deeply concerned about a number of casualties in Gaza as well. All the parties concerned should exercise maximum restraint.""
+AFRICAN UNION
+Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, said: ""Denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, particularly that of an independent and sovereign State, is the main cause of the permanent Israeli-Palestinian tension.""
+""The Chairperson urgently appeals to both parties to put an end to military hostilities and to return, without conditions, to the negotiating table.""
+KUWAIT
+Kuwait expressed its ""grave concern"" over developments between Israel and the Palestinians, blaming Israel for what it called its ""blatant attacks"".
+UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
+""The UAE calls for the exercise of maximum restraint and an immediate ceasefire to avoid serious repercussions,"" the official news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying.
+INDONESIA
+""Indonesia is very concerned about the increasing escalation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel,"" the foreign ministry the world’s largest Muslim-majority country said on X.
+""Indonesia requests that acts of violence stop immediately to avoid increasing human casualties. The root of the conflict, namely the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, must be resolved according to the parameters agreed upon by the U.N.""
+KENYA
+""We repudiate the planners, funders and implementers of this heinous attack. While Israel has a right to retaliate, a peaceful path to resolving this unfortunate development is urged,"" Korir Sing'oei, principal secretary at Kenya's foreign ministry, said on X.
+UGANDA
+President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda said: ""The break out of renewed violence in Israel- Palestine is regrettable. Why don’t the two sides implement the two States’ Solution? To be condemned, in particular, is the practice of targeting civilians and non- combatants by the belligerents.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The foreign ministry called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"".
+EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
+Egypt warned of ""grave consequences"" and called for ""exercising maximum restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further danger"".
+MOROCCO
+Morocco, which is moving towards full diplomatic ties with Israel under the so-called ""Abraham Accords"", voiced ""deep concern"" and condemned attacks on civilians ""where ever they are"".
+However, Morocco's Islamist PJD party, which had been the largest in parliament until elections in 2021, praised the Hamas attack as ""a heroic act"" and ""a natural and legitimate reaction to daily violations"". EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL ""Using civilians as hostages is a blatant violation of all laws. I will do my utmost to contribute to their freedom,"" Borrell said. He added he was travelling to Muscat, Oman to meet Arab counterparts. ""Even at this tragic moment, we recall the importance of working towards a lasting and sustainable peace through reinvigorated efforts in the Middle East Peace Process,"" he said.  CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU
+""Canada strongly condemns the current terrorist attacks against Israel. These acts of violence are completely unacceptable. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to defend itself. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this. Civilian life must be protected,"" he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER JAMES CLEVERLY  ""The UK unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians. The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself,"" Cleverly said. EUROPEAN UNION EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said: ""I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel. It is terrorism in its most despicable form. "" TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN
+""We call for restraint from all parties,"" Erdogan said.
+QATAR"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/world-reacts-surprise-attack-by-hamas-israel-2023-10-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]World reacts to Hamas attack on Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 8 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday.
+The following is reaction from around the world.
+UNITED STATES
+""There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel, and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks,"" U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement released by the State Department.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: ""Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.""
+UNITED NATIONS
+U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland said: ""This is a dangerous precipice, and I appeal to all to pull back from the brink.""
+U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Tuerk said: ""This attack is having a horrific impact on Israeli civilians ... Civilians must never be the target of attack.""
+PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS
+The Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against the ""terror of settlers and occupation troops,"" the official news agency WAFA quoted Abbas as saying.
+IRAN
+An adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday congratulated Palestinian fighters, the semi-official ISNA news site reported. ""We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem,"" it quoted Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying.
+Iran's state television showed parliament members rising from their seats to chant ""Death to Israel"".
+Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani spokesperson was quoted by ISNA as saying: ""In this operation, the element of surprise and other combined methods were used, which show the Palestinian people's confidence in the face of the occupiers.""
+CHINA
+The Chinese foreign ministry urged relevant parties ""to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation"".
+""The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine,"" the foreign ministry said.
+GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ
+""Terrifying news reaches us today from #Israel. We are deeply shocked by the rocket fire from Gaza and the escalating violence. Germany condemns these attacks by Hamas and stands by Israel,"" Scholz said on social media.
+FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON
+Macron strongly condemned the attacks.
+""I express my full solidarity with the victims, and their families and those close to them,"" he said.
+SAUDI ARABIA
+The foreign ministry called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"".
+EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
+Egypt warned of ""grave consequences"" and called for ""exercising maximum restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further danger"".
+MOROCCO
+Morocco, which is moving towards full diplomatic ties with Israel under the so-called ""Abraham Accords"", voiced ""deep concern"" and condemned attacks on civilians ""where ever they are"".
+However, Morocco's Islamist PJD party, which had been the largest in parliament until elections in 2021, praised the Hamas attack as ""a heroic act"" and ""a natural and legitimate reaction to daily violations"".
+EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL
+""Using civilians as hostages is a blatant violation of all laws. I will do my utmost to contribute to their freedom,"" Borrell said.
+He added he was travelling to Muscat, Oman to meet Arab counterparts. ""Even at this tragic moment, we recall the importance of working towards a lasting and sustainable peace through reinvigorated efforts in the Middle East Peace Process,"" he said.
+CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU
+""Canada strongly condemns the current terrorist attacks against Israel. These acts of violence are completely unacceptable. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to defend itself. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this. Civilian life must be protected,"" he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
+BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER JAMES CLEVERLY
+""The UK unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians. The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself,"" Cleverly said.
+EUROPEAN UNION
+EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said: ""I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel. It is terrorism in its most despicable form.""
+TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN
+""We call for restraint from all parties,"" Erdogan said.
+QATAR
+The foreign ministry said Israel alone was responsible for the ongoing escalation of violence with the Palestinian people, and called for both sides to show restraint.
+RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MIKHAIL BOGDANOV
+Russia is in contact with Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries in connection with the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Bogdanov said, urging restraint.
+UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY
+Zelenskiy condemned what he called a ""terror attack"" on Israel and said Israel's right to defend itself ""cannot be doubted"".
+HEZBOLLAH
+The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, an arch foe of Israel, said it was in ""direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance"" and described events as a ""decisive response to Israel's continued occupation and a message to those seeking normalisation with Israel"".
+POLISH PRESIDENT ANDRZEJ DUDA
+""I'm shocked by today's brutal attacks on Israel by Hamas. Rockets attacks and detention of civilians as hostages arouse our deepest opposition. Poland strongly condemns all acts of violence,"" Duda said on Saturday.
+CZECH PRESIDENT PETR PAVEL
+""The attack conducted from the Gaza Strip is a deplorable act of terrorism against the State of Israel and the civilian population,"" Pavel said in a statement.
+""The rocket attacks and the infiltration of Hamas commandos into Israel will block any efforts for a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for a long time.""
+ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE
+""A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was held today on the dramatic situation unfolding in Israel, which has been the target of a military and terrorist attack,"" a statement said on Saturday.
+""The government is following the evolution of the situation with concern... Particular attention is being paid to the security of the Jewish community in the country.""
+JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER FUMIO KISHIDA
+""Hamas and other Palestinian militants attacked Israel from Gaza yesterday. Japan strongly condemns the attacks which severely harmed innocent civilians. I express my condolences to the bereaved families and heartfelt sympathies to the injured,"" Kishida said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
+""A number of people were reportedly abducted by the militants. Japan strongly condemns such acts and urges their immediate release. Japan is deeply concerned about a number of casualties in Gaza as well. All the parties concerned should exercise maximum restraint.""
+AFRICAN UNION
+Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, said: ""Denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, particularly that of an independent and sovereign State, is the main cause of the permanent Israeli-Palestinian tension.""
+""The Chairperson urgently appeals to both parties to put an end to military hostilities and to return, without conditions, to the negotiating table.""
+KUWAIT
+Kuwait expressed its ""grave concern"" over developments between Israel and the Palestinians, blaming Israel for what it called its ""blatant attacks"".
+UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
+""The UAE calls for the exercise of maximum restraint and an immediate ceasefire to avoid serious repercussions,"" the official news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying.
+INDONESIA
+""Indonesia is very concerned about the increasing escalation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel,"" the foreign ministry the world’s largest Muslim-majority country said on X.
+""Indonesia requests that acts of violence stop immediately to avoid increasing human casualties. The root of the conflict, namely the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, must be resolved according to the parameters agreed upon by the U.N.""
+KENYA
+""We repudiate the planners, funders and implementers of this heinous attack. While Israel has a right to retaliate, a peaceful path to resolving this unfortunate development is urged,"" Korir Sing'oei, principal secretary at Kenya's foreign ministry, said on X.
+UGANDA
+President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda said: ""The break out of renewed violence in Israel- Palestine is regrettable. Why don’t the two sides implement the two States’ Solution? To be condemned, in particular, is the practice of targeting civilians and non- combatants by the belligerents.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The foreign ministry said Israel alone was responsible for the ongoing escalation of violence with the Palestinian people, and called for both sides to show restraint.
+RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MIKHAIL BOGDANOV
+Russia is in contact with Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries in connection with the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Bogdanov said, urging restraint.
+UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY
+Zelenskiy condemned what he called a ""terror attack"" on Israel and said Israel's right to defend itself ""cannot be doubted"".
+HEZBOLLAH
+The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, an arch foe of Israel, said it was in ""direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance"" and described events as a ""decisive response to Israel's continued occupation and a message to those seeking normalisation with Israel"".
+POLISH PRESIDENT ANDRZEJ DUDA
+""I'm shocked by today's brutal attacks on Israel by Hamas. Rockets attacks and detention of civilians as hostages arouse our deepest opposition. Poland strongly condemns all acts of violence,"" Duda said on Saturday. CZECH PRESIDENT PETR PAVEL ""The attack conducted from the Gaza Strip is a deplorable act of terrorism against the State of Israel and the civilian population,"" Pavel said in a statement.
+"" The rocket attacks and the infiltration of Hamas commandos into Israel will block any efforts for a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for a long time. ""
+ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE
+"" A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was held today on the dramatic situation unfolding in Israel, which has been the target of a military and terrorist attack,"" a statement said on Saturday.  ""The government is following the evolution of the situation with concern... Particular attention is being paid to the security of the Jewish community in the country. "" JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER FUMIO KISHIDA  ""Hamas and other Palestinian militants attacked Israel from Gaza yesterday. Japan strongly condemns the attacks which severely harmed innocent civilians. I express my condolences to the bereaved families and heartfelt sympathies to the injured,"" Kishida said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
+""A number of people were reportedly abducted by the militants. Japan strongly condemns such acts and urges their immediate release. Japan is deeply concerned about a number of casualties in Gaza as well. All the parties concerned should exercise maximum restraint."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/world-reacts-surprise-attack-by-hamas-israel-2023-10-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]World reacts to Hamas attack on Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 8 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday.
+The following is reaction from around the world.
+UNITED STATES
+""There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel, and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks,"" U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement released by the State Department.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: ""Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.""
+UNITED NATIONS
+U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland said: ""This is a dangerous precipice, and I appeal to all to pull back from the brink.""
+U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Tuerk said: ""This attack is having a horrific impact on Israeli civilians ... Civilians must never be the target of attack.""
+PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS
+The Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against the ""terror of settlers and occupation troops,"" the official news agency WAFA quoted Abbas as saying.
+IRAN
+An adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday congratulated Palestinian fighters, the semi-official ISNA news site reported. ""We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem,"" it quoted Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying.
+Iran's state television showed parliament members rising from their seats to chant ""Death to Israel"".
+Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani spokesperson was quoted by ISNA as saying: ""In this operation, the element of surprise and other combined methods were used, which show the Palestinian people's confidence in the face of the occupiers.""
+CHINA
+The Chinese foreign ministry urged relevant parties ""to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation"".
+""The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine,"" the foreign ministry said.
+GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ
+""Terrifying news reaches us today from #Israel. We are deeply shocked by the rocket fire from Gaza and the escalating violence. Germany condemns these attacks by Hamas and stands by Israel,"" Scholz said on social media.
+FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON
+Macron strongly condemned the attacks.
+""I express my full solidarity with the victims, and their families and those close to them,"" he said.
+SAUDI ARABIA
+The foreign ministry called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"".
+EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
+Egypt warned of ""grave consequences"" and called for ""exercising maximum restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further danger"".
+MOROCCO
+Morocco, which is moving towards full diplomatic ties with Israel under the so-called ""Abraham Accords"", voiced ""deep concern"" and condemned attacks on civilians ""where ever they are"".
+However, Morocco's Islamist PJD party, which had been the largest in parliament until elections in 2021, praised the Hamas attack as ""a heroic act"" and ""a natural and legitimate reaction to daily violations"".
+EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL
+""Using civilians as hostages is a blatant violation of all laws. I will do my utmost to contribute to their freedom,"" Borrell said.
+He added he was travelling to Muscat, Oman to meet Arab counterparts. ""Even at this tragic moment, we recall the importance of working towards a lasting and sustainable peace through reinvigorated efforts in the Middle East Peace Process,"" he said.
+CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU
+""Canada strongly condemns the current terrorist attacks against Israel. These acts of violence are completely unacceptable. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to defend itself. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this. Civilian life must be protected,"" he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
+BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER JAMES CLEVERLY
+""The UK unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians. The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself,"" Cleverly said.
+EUROPEAN UNION
+EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said: ""I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel. It is terrorism in its most despicable form.""
+TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN
+""We call for restraint from all parties,"" Erdogan said.
+QATAR
+The foreign ministry said Israel alone was responsible for the ongoing escalation of violence with the Palestinian people, and called for both sides to show restraint.
+RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MIKHAIL BOGDANOV
+Russia is in contact with Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries in connection with the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Bogdanov said, urging restraint.
+UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY
+Zelenskiy condemned what he called a ""terror attack"" on Israel and said Israel's right to defend itself ""cannot be doubted"".
+HEZBOLLAH
+The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, an arch foe of Israel, said it was in ""direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance"" and described events as a ""decisive response to Israel's continued occupation and a message to those seeking normalisation with Israel"".
+POLISH PRESIDENT ANDRZEJ DUDA
+""I'm shocked by today's brutal attacks on Israel by Hamas. Rockets attacks and detention of civilians as hostages arouse our deepest opposition. Poland strongly condemns all acts of violence,"" Duda said on Saturday.
+CZECH PRESIDENT PETR PAVEL
+""The attack conducted from the Gaza Strip is a deplorable act of terrorism against the State of Israel and the civilian population,"" Pavel said in a statement.
+""The rocket attacks and the infiltration of Hamas commandos into Israel will block any efforts for a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for a long time.""
+ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE
+""A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was held today on the dramatic situation unfolding in Israel, which has been the target of a military and terrorist attack,"" a statement said on Saturday.
+""The government is following the evolution of the situation with concern... Particular attention is being paid to the security of the Jewish community in the country.""
+JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER FUMIO KISHIDA
+""Hamas and other Palestinian militants attacked Israel from Gaza yesterday. Japan strongly condemns the attacks which severely harmed innocent civilians. I express my condolences to the bereaved families and heartfelt sympathies to the injured,"" Kishida said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
+""A number of people were reportedly abducted by the militants. Japan strongly condemns such acts and urges their immediate release. Japan is deeply concerned about a number of casualties in Gaza as well. All the parties concerned should exercise maximum restraint.""
+AFRICAN UNION
+Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, said: ""Denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, particularly that of an independent and sovereign State, is the main cause of the permanent Israeli-Palestinian tension.""
+""The Chairperson urgently appeals to both parties to put an end to military hostilities and to return, without conditions, to the negotiating table.""
+KUWAIT
+Kuwait expressed its ""grave concern"" over developments between Israel and the Palestinians, blaming Israel for what it called its ""blatant attacks"".
+UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
+""The UAE calls for the exercise of maximum restraint and an immediate ceasefire to avoid serious repercussions,"" the official news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying.
+INDONESIA
+""Indonesia is very concerned about the increasing escalation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel,"" the foreign ministry the world’s largest Muslim-majority country said on X.
+""Indonesia requests that acts of violence stop immediately to avoid increasing human casualties. The root of the conflict, namely the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, must be resolved according to the parameters agreed upon by the U.N.""
+KENYA
+""We repudiate the planners, funders and implementers of this heinous attack. While Israel has a right to retaliate, a peaceful path to resolving this unfortunate development is urged,"" Korir Sing'oei, principal secretary at Kenya's foreign ministry, said on X.
+UGANDA
+President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda said: ""The break out of renewed violence in Israel- Palestine is regrettable. Why don’t the two sides implement the two States’ Solution? To be condemned, in particular, is the practice of targeting civilians and non- combatants by the belligerents.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","AFRICAN UNION
+Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, said: ""Denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, particularly that of an independent and sovereign State, is the main cause of the permanent Israeli-Palestinian tension.""
+""The Chairperson urgently appeals to both parties to put an end to military hostilities and to return, without conditions, to the negotiating table.""  KUWAIT  Kuwait expressed its ""grave concern"" over developments between Israel and the Palestinians, blaming Israel for what it called its ""blatant attacks"".
+UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
+""The UAE calls for the exercise of maximum restraint and an immediate ceasefire to avoid serious repercussions,"" the official news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying.
+INDONESIA
+""Indonesia is very concerned about the increasing escalation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel,"" the foreign ministry the world’s largest Muslim-majority country said on X.
+""Indonesia requests that acts of violence stop immediately to avoid increasing human casualties. The root of the conflict, namely the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, must be resolved according to the parameters agreed upon by the U.N."" KENYA
+""We repudiate the planners, funders and implementers of this heinous attack. While Israel has a right to retaliate, a peaceful path to resolving this unfortunate development is urged,"" Korir Sing'oei, principal secretary at Kenya's foreign ministry, said on X.
+UGANDA  President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda said: ""The break out of renewed violence in Israel- Palestine is regrettable. Why don’t the two sides implement the two States’ Solution? To be condemned, in particular, is the practice of targeting civilians and non- combatants by the belligerents.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/striking-israel-hamas-also-took-aim-middle-east-security-realignment-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In striking Israel, Hamas also took aim at Middle East security realignment[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/GAZA/WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - When Islamist group Hamas launched a spectacular attack against Israel, it also took aim at efforts to forge new regional security alignments that could threaten Palestinian aspirations for statehood and the ambitions of the group's main backer Iran.
+Saturday's assault, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincides with U.S.-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalising ties with Israel in return for a defence deal between Washington and Riyadh, a move that would slam the brakes on the kingdom's recent rapprochement with Tehran.
+Palestinian officials and a regional source said the gunmen who stormed Israeli towns, killing 250 Israelis and taking hostages, were also delivering a message that the Palestinians could not be ignored if Israel wanted security and that any Saudi deal would scupper the detente with Iran.
+More than 250 Gazans have been killed in Israel's response.
+""All the agreements of normalisation that you (Arab states) signed with (Israel) will not end this conflict,"" Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas which runs Gaza, said on Al Jazeera television.
+A regional source familiar with the thinking of Iran and that of the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah added: ""This is a message to Saudi Arabia, which is crawling towards Israel, and to the Americans who are supporting normalisation and supporting Israel. There is no security in the whole region as long as Palestinians are left outside of the equation.""
+""What happened is beyond any expectation,"" the source said. ""Today is a turning point in the conflict.""
+The Hamas attack launched from Gaza follows months of rising violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with stepped-up Israeli raids, Palestinian street attacks and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages. Conditions for Palestinians have worsened under the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Peacemaking has been stalled for years.
+Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Israel have both indicated they are moving closer to a normalisation deal. But sources previously told Reuters the kingdom's determination to secure a U.S. defence pact meant it would not hold up a normalisation agreement to win substantive concessions for the Palestinians.
+Laura Blumenfeld, a Middle East analyst at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies in Washington, said Hamas may have lashed out due to a sense that it was facing irrelevance as efforts advanced toward broader Israeli-Arab relations.
+""As Hamas watched the Israelis and Saudis move close to an agreement, they decided: no seat at the table? Poison the meal,” she said.
+TIMING THE ASSAULT
+Osama Hamdan, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, told Reuters that Saturday's operation should make Arab states realise that accepting Israeli security demands would not bring peace.
+""For those who want stability and peace in the region, the starting point must be to end the Israeli occupation,"" he said. ""Some (Arab states) unfortunately started imagining that Israel could be the gateway for America to defend their security.""
+Netanyahu promised ""mighty vengeance for this black day"" after the launch of Saturday's attack, which came almost exactly 50 years since the start of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Israel was attacked by Egyptian and Syrian forces and fought for its survival.
+Mirroring the timing of the 1973 war, Hamas official Ali Baraka said of Saturday's assault: ""It was necessary that the leadership of the resistance take a decision at the appropriate time, when the enemy is distracted with its feasts.""
+He said the assault by air, land and sea was ""a shock to the enemy and proved the Israeli military intelligence failed to find out about this operation,"" after Israel, which prides itself on its infiltration and monitoring of militants, was taken by surprise.
+In the years since 1973, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and several other Arab states have also since normalised ties, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia. But the Palestinians have moved no closer to their aspiration of securing a state, which looks as distant a prospect as ever.
+""While not likely the main driver of the attacks, Hamas’s actions send a clear reminder to the Saudis that the Palestinian issue should not be treated as just another subtopic in normalisation negotiations,"" Richard LeBaron, a former U.S. Middle East diplomat now at the Atlantic Council thinktank, wrote.
+IRAN'S REACH
+A senior official in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration told reporters it was ""really premature to speculate"" about the effect the Israeli-Hamas conflict could have on efforts towards Saudi-Israeli normalisation.
+""I would say for certain Hamas, terrorist groups like Hamas, will not derail any such outcome. But that process has a ways to go,"" added the official, speaking on conditional of anonymity.
+Netanyahu has previously said the Palestinians should not be allowed to veto any new Israeli peace deals with Arab states.
+A regional source familiar with the Saudi-Israeli-U.S. negotiations over normalisation and a defence pact for the kingdom said Israel was committing a mistake by refusing to make concessions to the Palestinians.
+In its response to Saturday's attacks, Saudi Arabia called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"" between both sides.
+Iran, meanwhile, has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic Jihad. Tehran called Saturday's attack an act of self-defence by Palestinians.
+Yahya Rahim Safavi, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tehran would stand by the Palestinian fighters ""until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.""
+A Palestinian official, close to Islamist militant groups, said after the Hamas attack began with a huge barrage of rockets fired from Gaza: ""Iran has hands, not one hand, in every rocket that is fired into Israel.""
+""It doesn't mean that they ordered (Saturday's) attack but it is not a secret that it is thanks to Iran, (that) Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have been able to upgrade their arsenal,"" said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
+Iran's backing for Palestinian groups is part of a broader network of militias and armed groups it supports across the Middle East, giving Tehran a powerful presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Gaza.
+Analysts said Iran already appeared to have sent a signal last week that a Saudi deal would hit Riyadh's detente with Tehran, when Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group killed four Bahraini soldiers in a cross-border strike near the Saudi-Yemeni border. That attack jeopardised peace talks to end Yemen's eight-year conflict.
+Dennis Ross, a former Middle East negotiator who is now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, added: ""This is all about preventing the U.S.-Saudi-Israel breakthrough.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]In striking Israel, Hamas also took aim at Middle East security realignment[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/GAZA/WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - When Islamist group Hamas launched a spectacular attack against Israel, it also took aim at efforts to forge new regional security alignments that could threaten Palestinian aspirations for statehood and the ambitions of the group's main backer Iran. Saturday's assault, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincides with U.S.-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalising ties with Israel in return for a defence deal between Washington and Riyadh, a move that would slam the brakes on the kingdom's recent rapprochement with Tehran. Palestinian officials and a regional source said the gunmen who stormed Israeli towns, killing 250 Israelis and taking hostages, were also delivering a message that the Palestinians could not be ignored if Israel wanted security and that any Saudi deal would scupper the detente with Iran.
+More than 250 Gazans have been killed in Israel's response.
+""All the agreements of normalisation that you (Arab states) signed with (Israel) will not end this conflict,"" Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas which runs Gaza, said on Al Jazeera television.  A regional source familiar with the thinking of Iran and that of the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah added: ""This is a message to Saudi Arabia, which is crawling towards Israel, and to the Americans who are supporting normalisation and supporting Israel. There is no security in the whole region as long as Palestinians are left outside of the equation. ""
+""What happened is beyond any expectation,"" the source said. ""Today is a turning point in the conflict."" The Hamas attack launched from Gaza follows months of rising violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with stepped-up Israeli raids, Palestinian street attacks and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages. Conditions for Palestinians have worsened under the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Peacemaking has been stalled for years. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Israel have both indicated they are moving closer to a normalisation deal. But sources previously told Reuters the kingdom's determination to secure a U.S. defence pact meant it would not hold up a normalisation agreement to win substantive concessions for the Palestinians. Laura Blumenfeld, a Middle East analyst at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies in Washington, said Hamas may have lashed out due to a sense that it was facing irrelevance as efforts advanced toward broader Israeli-Arab relations.
+""As Hamas watched the Israelis and Saudis move close to an agreement, they decided: no seat at the table?"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/striking-israel-hamas-also-took-aim-middle-east-security-realignment-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In striking Israel, Hamas also took aim at Middle East security realignment[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/GAZA/WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - When Islamist group Hamas launched a spectacular attack against Israel, it also took aim at efforts to forge new regional security alignments that could threaten Palestinian aspirations for statehood and the ambitions of the group's main backer Iran.
+Saturday's assault, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincides with U.S.-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalising ties with Israel in return for a defence deal between Washington and Riyadh, a move that would slam the brakes on the kingdom's recent rapprochement with Tehran.
+Palestinian officials and a regional source said the gunmen who stormed Israeli towns, killing 250 Israelis and taking hostages, were also delivering a message that the Palestinians could not be ignored if Israel wanted security and that any Saudi deal would scupper the detente with Iran.
+More than 250 Gazans have been killed in Israel's response.
+""All the agreements of normalisation that you (Arab states) signed with (Israel) will not end this conflict,"" Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas which runs Gaza, said on Al Jazeera television.
+A regional source familiar with the thinking of Iran and that of the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah added: ""This is a message to Saudi Arabia, which is crawling towards Israel, and to the Americans who are supporting normalisation and supporting Israel. There is no security in the whole region as long as Palestinians are left outside of the equation.""
+""What happened is beyond any expectation,"" the source said. ""Today is a turning point in the conflict.""
+The Hamas attack launched from Gaza follows months of rising violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with stepped-up Israeli raids, Palestinian street attacks and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages. Conditions for Palestinians have worsened under the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Peacemaking has been stalled for years.
+Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Israel have both indicated they are moving closer to a normalisation deal. But sources previously told Reuters the kingdom's determination to secure a U.S. defence pact meant it would not hold up a normalisation agreement to win substantive concessions for the Palestinians.
+Laura Blumenfeld, a Middle East analyst at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies in Washington, said Hamas may have lashed out due to a sense that it was facing irrelevance as efforts advanced toward broader Israeli-Arab relations.
+""As Hamas watched the Israelis and Saudis move close to an agreement, they decided: no seat at the table? Poison the meal,” she said.
+TIMING THE ASSAULT
+Osama Hamdan, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, told Reuters that Saturday's operation should make Arab states realise that accepting Israeli security demands would not bring peace.
+""For those who want stability and peace in the region, the starting point must be to end the Israeli occupation,"" he said. ""Some (Arab states) unfortunately started imagining that Israel could be the gateway for America to defend their security.""
+Netanyahu promised ""mighty vengeance for this black day"" after the launch of Saturday's attack, which came almost exactly 50 years since the start of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Israel was attacked by Egyptian and Syrian forces and fought for its survival.
+Mirroring the timing of the 1973 war, Hamas official Ali Baraka said of Saturday's assault: ""It was necessary that the leadership of the resistance take a decision at the appropriate time, when the enemy is distracted with its feasts.""
+He said the assault by air, land and sea was ""a shock to the enemy and proved the Israeli military intelligence failed to find out about this operation,"" after Israel, which prides itself on its infiltration and monitoring of militants, was taken by surprise.
+In the years since 1973, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and several other Arab states have also since normalised ties, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia. But the Palestinians have moved no closer to their aspiration of securing a state, which looks as distant a prospect as ever.
+""While not likely the main driver of the attacks, Hamas’s actions send a clear reminder to the Saudis that the Palestinian issue should not be treated as just another subtopic in normalisation negotiations,"" Richard LeBaron, a former U.S. Middle East diplomat now at the Atlantic Council thinktank, wrote.
+IRAN'S REACH
+A senior official in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration told reporters it was ""really premature to speculate"" about the effect the Israeli-Hamas conflict could have on efforts towards Saudi-Israeli normalisation.
+""I would say for certain Hamas, terrorist groups like Hamas, will not derail any such outcome. But that process has a ways to go,"" added the official, speaking on conditional of anonymity.
+Netanyahu has previously said the Palestinians should not be allowed to veto any new Israeli peace deals with Arab states.
+A regional source familiar with the Saudi-Israeli-U.S. negotiations over normalisation and a defence pact for the kingdom said Israel was committing a mistake by refusing to make concessions to the Palestinians.
+In its response to Saturday's attacks, Saudi Arabia called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"" between both sides.
+Iran, meanwhile, has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic Jihad. Tehran called Saturday's attack an act of self-defence by Palestinians.
+Yahya Rahim Safavi, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tehran would stand by the Palestinian fighters ""until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.""
+A Palestinian official, close to Islamist militant groups, said after the Hamas attack began with a huge barrage of rockets fired from Gaza: ""Iran has hands, not one hand, in every rocket that is fired into Israel.""
+""It doesn't mean that they ordered (Saturday's) attack but it is not a secret that it is thanks to Iran, (that) Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have been able to upgrade their arsenal,"" said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
+Iran's backing for Palestinian groups is part of a broader network of militias and armed groups it supports across the Middle East, giving Tehran a powerful presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Gaza.
+Analysts said Iran already appeared to have sent a signal last week that a Saudi deal would hit Riyadh's detente with Tehran, when Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group killed four Bahraini soldiers in a cross-border strike near the Saudi-Yemeni border. That attack jeopardised peace talks to end Yemen's eight-year conflict.
+Dennis Ross, a former Middle East negotiator who is now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, added: ""This is all about preventing the U.S.-Saudi-Israel breakthrough.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Poison the meal,” she said. TIMING THE ASSAULT
+Osama Hamdan, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, told Reuters that Saturday's operation should make Arab states realise that accepting Israeli security demands would not bring peace.  ""For those who want stability and peace in the region, the starting point must be to end the Israeli occupation,"" he said. ""Some (Arab states) unfortunately started imagining that Israel could be the gateway for America to defend their security. "" Netanyahu promised ""mighty vengeance for this black day"" after the launch of Saturday's attack, which came almost exactly 50 years since the start of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Israel was attacked by Egyptian and Syrian forces and fought for its survival. Mirroring the timing of the 1973 war, Hamas official Ali Baraka said of Saturday's assault: ""It was necessary that the leadership of the resistance take a decision at the appropriate time, when the enemy is distracted with its feasts.""
+He said the assault by air, land and sea was ""a shock to the enemy and proved the Israeli military intelligence failed to find out about this operation,"" after Israel, which prides itself on its infiltration and monitoring of militants, was taken by surprise.  In the years since 1973, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and several other Arab states have also since normalised ties, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia. But the Palestinians have moved no closer to their aspiration of securing a state, which looks as distant a prospect as ever. ""While not likely the main driver of the attacks, Hamas’s actions send a clear reminder to the Saudis that the Palestinian issue should not be treated as just another subtopic in normalisation negotiations,"" Richard LeBaron, a former U.S. Middle East diplomat now at the Atlantic Council thinktank, wrote. IRAN'S REACH A senior official in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration told reporters it was ""really premature to speculate"" about the effect the Israeli-Hamas conflict could have on efforts towards Saudi-Israeli normalisation.
+""I would say for certain Hamas, terrorist groups like Hamas, will not derail any such outcome. But that process has a ways to go,"" added the official, speaking on conditional of anonymity. Netanyahu has previously said the Palestinians should not be allowed to veto any new Israeli peace deals with Arab states."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/striking-israel-hamas-also-took-aim-middle-east-security-realignment-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In striking Israel, Hamas also took aim at Middle East security realignment[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/GAZA/WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - When Islamist group Hamas launched a spectacular attack against Israel, it also took aim at efforts to forge new regional security alignments that could threaten Palestinian aspirations for statehood and the ambitions of the group's main backer Iran.
+Saturday's assault, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincides with U.S.-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalising ties with Israel in return for a defence deal between Washington and Riyadh, a move that would slam the brakes on the kingdom's recent rapprochement with Tehran.
+Palestinian officials and a regional source said the gunmen who stormed Israeli towns, killing 250 Israelis and taking hostages, were also delivering a message that the Palestinians could not be ignored if Israel wanted security and that any Saudi deal would scupper the detente with Iran.
+More than 250 Gazans have been killed in Israel's response.
+""All the agreements of normalisation that you (Arab states) signed with (Israel) will not end this conflict,"" Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas which runs Gaza, said on Al Jazeera television.
+A regional source familiar with the thinking of Iran and that of the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah added: ""This is a message to Saudi Arabia, which is crawling towards Israel, and to the Americans who are supporting normalisation and supporting Israel. There is no security in the whole region as long as Palestinians are left outside of the equation.""
+""What happened is beyond any expectation,"" the source said. ""Today is a turning point in the conflict.""
+The Hamas attack launched from Gaza follows months of rising violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with stepped-up Israeli raids, Palestinian street attacks and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages. Conditions for Palestinians have worsened under the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Peacemaking has been stalled for years.
+Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Israel have both indicated they are moving closer to a normalisation deal. But sources previously told Reuters the kingdom's determination to secure a U.S. defence pact meant it would not hold up a normalisation agreement to win substantive concessions for the Palestinians.
+Laura Blumenfeld, a Middle East analyst at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies in Washington, said Hamas may have lashed out due to a sense that it was facing irrelevance as efforts advanced toward broader Israeli-Arab relations.
+""As Hamas watched the Israelis and Saudis move close to an agreement, they decided: no seat at the table? Poison the meal,” she said.
+TIMING THE ASSAULT
+Osama Hamdan, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, told Reuters that Saturday's operation should make Arab states realise that accepting Israeli security demands would not bring peace.
+""For those who want stability and peace in the region, the starting point must be to end the Israeli occupation,"" he said. ""Some (Arab states) unfortunately started imagining that Israel could be the gateway for America to defend their security.""
+Netanyahu promised ""mighty vengeance for this black day"" after the launch of Saturday's attack, which came almost exactly 50 years since the start of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Israel was attacked by Egyptian and Syrian forces and fought for its survival.
+Mirroring the timing of the 1973 war, Hamas official Ali Baraka said of Saturday's assault: ""It was necessary that the leadership of the resistance take a decision at the appropriate time, when the enemy is distracted with its feasts.""
+He said the assault by air, land and sea was ""a shock to the enemy and proved the Israeli military intelligence failed to find out about this operation,"" after Israel, which prides itself on its infiltration and monitoring of militants, was taken by surprise.
+In the years since 1973, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and several other Arab states have also since normalised ties, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia. But the Palestinians have moved no closer to their aspiration of securing a state, which looks as distant a prospect as ever.
+""While not likely the main driver of the attacks, Hamas’s actions send a clear reminder to the Saudis that the Palestinian issue should not be treated as just another subtopic in normalisation negotiations,"" Richard LeBaron, a former U.S. Middle East diplomat now at the Atlantic Council thinktank, wrote.
+IRAN'S REACH
+A senior official in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration told reporters it was ""really premature to speculate"" about the effect the Israeli-Hamas conflict could have on efforts towards Saudi-Israeli normalisation.
+""I would say for certain Hamas, terrorist groups like Hamas, will not derail any such outcome. But that process has a ways to go,"" added the official, speaking on conditional of anonymity.
+Netanyahu has previously said the Palestinians should not be allowed to veto any new Israeli peace deals with Arab states.
+A regional source familiar with the Saudi-Israeli-U.S. negotiations over normalisation and a defence pact for the kingdom said Israel was committing a mistake by refusing to make concessions to the Palestinians.
+In its response to Saturday's attacks, Saudi Arabia called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"" between both sides.
+Iran, meanwhile, has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic Jihad. Tehran called Saturday's attack an act of self-defence by Palestinians.
+Yahya Rahim Safavi, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tehran would stand by the Palestinian fighters ""until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.""
+A Palestinian official, close to Islamist militant groups, said after the Hamas attack began with a huge barrage of rockets fired from Gaza: ""Iran has hands, not one hand, in every rocket that is fired into Israel.""
+""It doesn't mean that they ordered (Saturday's) attack but it is not a secret that it is thanks to Iran, (that) Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have been able to upgrade their arsenal,"" said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
+Iran's backing for Palestinian groups is part of a broader network of militias and armed groups it supports across the Middle East, giving Tehran a powerful presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Gaza.
+Analysts said Iran already appeared to have sent a signal last week that a Saudi deal would hit Riyadh's detente with Tehran, when Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group killed four Bahraini soldiers in a cross-border strike near the Saudi-Yemeni border. That attack jeopardised peace talks to end Yemen's eight-year conflict.
+Dennis Ross, a former Middle East negotiator who is now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, added: ""This is all about preventing the U.S.-Saudi-Israel breakthrough.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","A regional source familiar with the Saudi-Israeli-U.S. negotiations over normalisation and a defence pact for the kingdom said Israel was committing a mistake by refusing to make concessions to the Palestinians.
+In its response to Saturday's attacks, Saudi Arabia called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"" between both sides.  Iran, meanwhile, has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic Jihad. Tehran called Saturday's attack an act of self-defence by Palestinians. Yahya Rahim Safavi, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tehran would stand by the Palestinian fighters ""until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem."" A Palestinian official, close to Islamist militant groups, said after the Hamas attack began with a huge barrage of rockets fired from Gaza: ""Iran has hands, not one hand, in every rocket that is fired into Israel.""
+""It doesn't mean that they ordered (Saturday's) attack but it is not a secret that it is thanks to Iran, (that) Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have been able to upgrade their arsenal,"" said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Iran's backing for Palestinian groups is part of a broader network of militias and armed groups it supports across the Middle East, giving Tehran a powerful presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Gaza.  Analysts said Iran already appeared to have sent a signal last week that a Saudi deal would hit Riyadh's detente with Tehran, when Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group killed four Bahraini soldiers in a cross-border strike near the Saudi-Yemeni border. That attack jeopardised peace talks to end Yemen's eight-year conflict.  Dennis Ross, a former Middle East negotiator who is now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, added: ""This is all about preventing the U.S.-Saudi-Israel breakthrough.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/surprise-attack-hamas-strikes-israel-regional-security-realignment-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hamas strikes at Israel's regional security realignments[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/GAZA/WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - When Islamist group Hamas launched a spectacular attack
+ against Israel, it also took aim at efforts to forge new regional 
+security alignments that could threaten Palestinian aspirations for 
+statehood and the ambitions of the group's main backer Iran.Saturday's
+ assault, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincides with 
+U.S.-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalising ties with 
+Israel in return for a defence deal between Washington and Riyadh, a 
+move that would slam the brakes on the kingdom's recent rapprochement with Tehran.Palestinian officials and a regional source said the gunmen who stormed Israeli towns,
+ killing 250 Israelis and taking hostages, were also delivering a 
+message that the Palestinians could not be ignored if Israel wanted 
+security and that any Saudi deal would scupper the detente with Iran.More than 230 Gazans have been killed in Israel's response.""All
+ the agreements of normalisation that you (Arab states) signed with 
+(Israel) will not end this conflict,"" Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of 
+Hamas which runs Gaza, said on Al Jazeera television.A
+ regional source familiar with the thinking of Iran and that of the 
+Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah added: ""This is a message to 
+Saudi Arabia, which is crawling towards Israel, and to the Americans who
+ are supporting normalisation and supporting Israel. There is no 
+security in the whole region as long as Palestinians are left outside of
+ the equation.""""What happened is beyond any expectation,"" the source said. ""Today is a turning point in the conflict.""The
+ Hamas attack launched from Gaza follows months of rising violence in 
+the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with stepped-up Israeli raids, 
+Palestinian street attacks and assaults by Jewish settlers on 
+Palestinian villages. Conditions for Palestinians have worsened under 
+the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 
+Peacemaking has been stalled for years.Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Israel have both indicated they are moving closer to a normalisation deal. But sources previously told Reuters the kingdom's determination
+ to secure a U.S. defence pact meant it would not hold up a 
+normalisation agreement to win substantive concessions for the 
+Palestinians.TIMING THE ASSAULTOsama
+ Hamdan, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, told Reuters that Saturday's 
+operation should make Arab states realise that accepting Israeli 
+security demands would not bring peace.""For
+ those who want stability and peace in the region, the starting point 
+must be to end the Israeli occupation,"" he said. ""Some (Arab states) 
+unfortunately started imagining that Israel could be the gateway for 
+America to defend their security.""Netanyahu
+ promised ""mighty vengeance for this black day"" after the launch of 
+Saturday's attack, which came almost exactly 50 years since the start of
+ the Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Israel was attacked by Egyptian and 
+Syrian forces and fought for its survival.Mirroring
+ the timing of the 1973 war, Hamas official Ali Baraka said of 
+Saturday's assault: ""It was necessary that the leadership of the 
+resistance take a decision at the appropriate time, when the enemy is 
+distracted with its feasts.""He
+ said the assault by air, land and sea was ""a shock to the enemy and 
+proved the Israeli military intelligence failed to find out about this 
+operation,"" after Israel, which prides itself on its infiltration and 
+monitoring of militants, was taken by surprise.In
+ the years since 1973, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and 
+several other Arab states have also since normalised ties, including 
+some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia. But the Palestinians have 
+moved no closer to their aspiration of securing a state, which looks as 
+distant a prospect as ever.""While
+ not likely the main driver of the attacks, Hamas’s actions send a clear
+ reminder to the Saudis that the Palestinian issue should not be treated
+ as just another subtopic in normalisation negotiations,"" Richard 
+LeBaron, a former U.S. Middle East diplomat now at the Atlantic Council 
+thinktank, wrote.IRAN'S REACHA
+ senior official in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration told 
+reporters it was ""really premature to speculate"" about the effect the 
+Israeli-Hamas conflict could have on efforts towards Saudi-Israeli 
+normalisation.""I
+ would say for certain Hamas, terrorist groups like Hamas, will not 
+derail any such outcome. But that process has a ways to go,"" added the 
+official, speaking on conditional of anonymity.Netanyahu has previously said the Palestinians should not be allowed to veto any new Israeli peace deals with Arab states.A
+ regional source familiar with the Saudi-Israeli-U.S. negotiations over 
+normalisation and a defence pact for the kingdom said Israel was 
+committing a mistake by refusing to make concessions to the 
+Palestinians.In its response to Saturday's attacks, Saudi Arabia called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"" between both sides.Iran,
+ meanwhile, has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and 
+arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic 
+Jihad. Tehran called Saturday's attack an act of self-defence by 
+Palestinians.Yahya
+ Rahim Safavi, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 
+said Tehran would stand by the Palestinian fighters ""until the 
+liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.""A
+ Palestinian official, close to Islamist militant groups, said after the
+ Hamas attack began with a huge barrage of rockets fired from Gaza: 
+""Iran has hands, not one hand, in every rocket that is fired into 
+Israel.""""It
+ doesn't mean that they ordered (Saturday's) attack but it is not a 
+secret that it is thanks to Iran, (that) Hamas and the Islamic Jihad 
+have been able to upgrade their arsenal,"" said the official, speaking on
+ condition of anonymity.Iran's
+ backing for Palestinian groups is part of a broader network of militias
+ and armed groups it supports across the Middle East, giving Tehran a 
+powerful presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Gaza.Analysts
+ said Iran already appeared to have sent a signal last week that a Saudi
+ deal would hit Riyadh's detente with Tehran, when Yemen's Iran-backed 
+Houthi group killed four Bahraini soldiers in a cross-border strike near
+ the Saudi-Yemeni border. That attack jeopardised peace talks to end 
+Yemen's eight-year conflict.Dennis
+ Ross, a former Middle East negotiator who is now at the Washington 
+Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, said of Saturday's attack:
+ ""This is all about preventing the U.S.-Saudi-Israel breakthrough.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hamas strikes at Israel's regional security realignments[/TITLE] [CONTENT]DUBAI/GAZA/WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - When Islamist group Hamas launched a spectacular attack
+ against Israel, it also took aim at efforts to forge new regional 
+security alignments that could threaten Palestinian aspirations for 
+statehood and the ambitions of the group's main backer Iran. Saturday's
+ assault, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincides with 
+U.S.-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalising ties with 
+Israel in return for a defence deal between Washington and Riyadh, a 
+move that would slam the brakes on the kingdom's recent rapprochement with Tehran. Palestinian officials and a regional source said the gunmen who stormed Israeli towns,
+ killing 250 Israelis and taking hostages, were also delivering a 
+message that the Palestinians could not be ignored if Israel wanted 
+security and that any Saudi deal would scupper the detente with Iran. More than 230 Gazans have been killed in Israel's response. ""All
+ the agreements of normalisation that you (Arab states) signed with 
+(Israel) will not end this conflict,"" Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of 
+Hamas which runs Gaza, said on Al Jazeera television. A
+ regional source familiar with the thinking of Iran and that of the 
+Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah added: ""This is a message to 
+Saudi Arabia, which is crawling towards Israel, and to the Americans who
+ are supporting normalisation and supporting Israel. There is no 
+security in the whole region as long as Palestinians are left outside of
+ the equation. """"What happened is beyond any expectation,"" the source said. ""Today is a turning point in the conflict. ""The
+ Hamas attack launched from Gaza follows months of rising violence in 
+the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with stepped-up Israeli raids, 
+Palestinian street attacks and assaults by Jewish settlers on 
+Palestinian villages. Conditions for Palestinians have worsened under 
+the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Peacemaking has been stalled for years. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Israel have both indicated they are moving closer to a normalisation deal. But sources previously told Reuters the kingdom's determination
+ to secure a U.S. defence pact meant it would not hold up a 
+normalisation agreement to win substantive concessions for the 
+Palestinians. TIMING THE ASSAULTOsama Hamdan, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, told Reuters that Saturday's 
+operation should make Arab states realise that accepting Israeli 
+security demands would not bring peace. ""For
+ those who want stability and peace in the region, the starting point 
+must be to end the Israeli occupation,"" he said."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/surprise-attack-hamas-strikes-israel-regional-security-realignment-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hamas strikes at Israel's regional security realignments[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/GAZA/WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - When Islamist group Hamas launched a spectacular attack
+ against Israel, it also took aim at efforts to forge new regional 
+security alignments that could threaten Palestinian aspirations for 
+statehood and the ambitions of the group's main backer Iran.Saturday's
+ assault, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincides with 
+U.S.-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalising ties with 
+Israel in return for a defence deal between Washington and Riyadh, a 
+move that would slam the brakes on the kingdom's recent rapprochement with Tehran.Palestinian officials and a regional source said the gunmen who stormed Israeli towns,
+ killing 250 Israelis and taking hostages, were also delivering a 
+message that the Palestinians could not be ignored if Israel wanted 
+security and that any Saudi deal would scupper the detente with Iran.More than 230 Gazans have been killed in Israel's response.""All
+ the agreements of normalisation that you (Arab states) signed with 
+(Israel) will not end this conflict,"" Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of 
+Hamas which runs Gaza, said on Al Jazeera television.A
+ regional source familiar with the thinking of Iran and that of the 
+Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah added: ""This is a message to 
+Saudi Arabia, which is crawling towards Israel, and to the Americans who
+ are supporting normalisation and supporting Israel. There is no 
+security in the whole region as long as Palestinians are left outside of
+ the equation.""""What happened is beyond any expectation,"" the source said. ""Today is a turning point in the conflict.""The
+ Hamas attack launched from Gaza follows months of rising violence in 
+the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with stepped-up Israeli raids, 
+Palestinian street attacks and assaults by Jewish settlers on 
+Palestinian villages. Conditions for Palestinians have worsened under 
+the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 
+Peacemaking has been stalled for years.Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Israel have both indicated they are moving closer to a normalisation deal. But sources previously told Reuters the kingdom's determination
+ to secure a U.S. defence pact meant it would not hold up a 
+normalisation agreement to win substantive concessions for the 
+Palestinians.TIMING THE ASSAULTOsama
+ Hamdan, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, told Reuters that Saturday's 
+operation should make Arab states realise that accepting Israeli 
+security demands would not bring peace.""For
+ those who want stability and peace in the region, the starting point 
+must be to end the Israeli occupation,"" he said. ""Some (Arab states) 
+unfortunately started imagining that Israel could be the gateway for 
+America to defend their security.""Netanyahu
+ promised ""mighty vengeance for this black day"" after the launch of 
+Saturday's attack, which came almost exactly 50 years since the start of
+ the Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Israel was attacked by Egyptian and 
+Syrian forces and fought for its survival.Mirroring
+ the timing of the 1973 war, Hamas official Ali Baraka said of 
+Saturday's assault: ""It was necessary that the leadership of the 
+resistance take a decision at the appropriate time, when the enemy is 
+distracted with its feasts.""He
+ said the assault by air, land and sea was ""a shock to the enemy and 
+proved the Israeli military intelligence failed to find out about this 
+operation,"" after Israel, which prides itself on its infiltration and 
+monitoring of militants, was taken by surprise.In
+ the years since 1973, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and 
+several other Arab states have also since normalised ties, including 
+some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia. But the Palestinians have 
+moved no closer to their aspiration of securing a state, which looks as 
+distant a prospect as ever.""While
+ not likely the main driver of the attacks, Hamas’s actions send a clear
+ reminder to the Saudis that the Palestinian issue should not be treated
+ as just another subtopic in normalisation negotiations,"" Richard 
+LeBaron, a former U.S. Middle East diplomat now at the Atlantic Council 
+thinktank, wrote.IRAN'S REACHA
+ senior official in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration told 
+reporters it was ""really premature to speculate"" about the effect the 
+Israeli-Hamas conflict could have on efforts towards Saudi-Israeli 
+normalisation.""I
+ would say for certain Hamas, terrorist groups like Hamas, will not 
+derail any such outcome. But that process has a ways to go,"" added the 
+official, speaking on conditional of anonymity.Netanyahu has previously said the Palestinians should not be allowed to veto any new Israeli peace deals with Arab states.A
+ regional source familiar with the Saudi-Israeli-U.S. negotiations over 
+normalisation and a defence pact for the kingdom said Israel was 
+committing a mistake by refusing to make concessions to the 
+Palestinians.In its response to Saturday's attacks, Saudi Arabia called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"" between both sides.Iran,
+ meanwhile, has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and 
+arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic 
+Jihad. Tehran called Saturday's attack an act of self-defence by 
+Palestinians.Yahya
+ Rahim Safavi, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 
+said Tehran would stand by the Palestinian fighters ""until the 
+liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.""A
+ Palestinian official, close to Islamist militant groups, said after the
+ Hamas attack began with a huge barrage of rockets fired from Gaza: 
+""Iran has hands, not one hand, in every rocket that is fired into 
+Israel.""""It
+ doesn't mean that they ordered (Saturday's) attack but it is not a 
+secret that it is thanks to Iran, (that) Hamas and the Islamic Jihad 
+have been able to upgrade their arsenal,"" said the official, speaking on
+ condition of anonymity.Iran's
+ backing for Palestinian groups is part of a broader network of militias
+ and armed groups it supports across the Middle East, giving Tehran a 
+powerful presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Gaza.Analysts
+ said Iran already appeared to have sent a signal last week that a Saudi
+ deal would hit Riyadh's detente with Tehran, when Yemen's Iran-backed 
+Houthi group killed four Bahraini soldiers in a cross-border strike near
+ the Saudi-Yemeni border. That attack jeopardised peace talks to end 
+Yemen's eight-year conflict.Dennis
+ Ross, a former Middle East negotiator who is now at the Washington 
+Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, said of Saturday's attack:
+ ""This is all about preventing the U.S.-Saudi-Israel breakthrough.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""Some (Arab states) 
+unfortunately started imagining that Israel could be the gateway for 
+America to defend their security. ""Netanyahu
+ promised ""mighty vengeance for this black day"" after the launch of 
+Saturday's attack, which came almost exactly 50 years since the start of
+ the Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Israel was attacked by Egyptian and 
+Syrian forces and fought for its survival. Mirroring
+ the timing of the 1973 war, Hamas official Ali Baraka said of 
+Saturday's assault: ""It was necessary that the leadership of the 
+resistance take a decision at the appropriate time, when the enemy is 
+distracted with its feasts. ""He
+ said the assault by air, land and sea was ""a shock to the enemy and 
+proved the Israeli military intelligence failed to find out about this 
+operation,"" after Israel, which prides itself on its infiltration and 
+monitoring of militants, was taken by surprise. In
+ the years since 1973, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and 
+several other Arab states have also since normalised ties, including 
+some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia. But the Palestinians have 
+moved no closer to their aspiration of securing a state, which looks as 
+distant a prospect as ever . ""While
+ not likely the main driver of the attacks, Hamas’s actions send a clear
+ reminder to the Saudis that the Palestinian issue should not be treated
+ as just another subtopic in normalisation negotiations,"" Richard 
+LeBaron, a former U.S. Middle East diplomat now at the Atlantic Council 
+thinktank, wrote. IRAN'S REACHA
+ senior official in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration told 
+reporters it was ""really premature to speculate"" about the effect the 
+Israeli-Hamas conflict could have on efforts towards Saudi-Israeli 
+normalisation. ""I
+ would say for certain Hamas, terrorist groups like Hamas, will not 
+derail any such outcome. But that process has a ways to go,"" added the 
+official, speaking on conditional of anonymity. Netanyahu has previously said the Palestinians should not be allowed to veto any new Israeli peace deals with Arab states. A
+ regional source familiar with the Saudi-Israeli-U.S. negotiations over 
+normalisation and a defence pact for the kingdom said Israel was 
+committing a mistake by refusing to make concessions to the 
+Palestinians. In its response to Saturday's attacks, Saudi Arabia called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"" between both sides. Iran,
+ meanwhile, has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and 
+arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic 
+Jihad."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/surprise-attack-hamas-strikes-israel-regional-security-realignment-2023-10-08/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hamas strikes at Israel's regional security realignments[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI/GAZA/WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - When Islamist group Hamas launched a spectacular attack
+ against Israel, it also took aim at efforts to forge new regional 
+security alignments that could threaten Palestinian aspirations for 
+statehood and the ambitions of the group's main backer Iran.Saturday's
+ assault, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincides with 
+U.S.-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalising ties with 
+Israel in return for a defence deal between Washington and Riyadh, a 
+move that would slam the brakes on the kingdom's recent rapprochement with Tehran.Palestinian officials and a regional source said the gunmen who stormed Israeli towns,
+ killing 250 Israelis and taking hostages, were also delivering a 
+message that the Palestinians could not be ignored if Israel wanted 
+security and that any Saudi deal would scupper the detente with Iran.More than 230 Gazans have been killed in Israel's response.""All
+ the agreements of normalisation that you (Arab states) signed with 
+(Israel) will not end this conflict,"" Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of 
+Hamas which runs Gaza, said on Al Jazeera television.A
+ regional source familiar with the thinking of Iran and that of the 
+Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah added: ""This is a message to 
+Saudi Arabia, which is crawling towards Israel, and to the Americans who
+ are supporting normalisation and supporting Israel. There is no 
+security in the whole region as long as Palestinians are left outside of
+ the equation.""""What happened is beyond any expectation,"" the source said. ""Today is a turning point in the conflict.""The
+ Hamas attack launched from Gaza follows months of rising violence in 
+the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with stepped-up Israeli raids, 
+Palestinian street attacks and assaults by Jewish settlers on 
+Palestinian villages. Conditions for Palestinians have worsened under 
+the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 
+Peacemaking has been stalled for years.Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Israel have both indicated they are moving closer to a normalisation deal. But sources previously told Reuters the kingdom's determination
+ to secure a U.S. defence pact meant it would not hold up a 
+normalisation agreement to win substantive concessions for the 
+Palestinians.TIMING THE ASSAULTOsama
+ Hamdan, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, told Reuters that Saturday's 
+operation should make Arab states realise that accepting Israeli 
+security demands would not bring peace.""For
+ those who want stability and peace in the region, the starting point 
+must be to end the Israeli occupation,"" he said. ""Some (Arab states) 
+unfortunately started imagining that Israel could be the gateway for 
+America to defend their security.""Netanyahu
+ promised ""mighty vengeance for this black day"" after the launch of 
+Saturday's attack, which came almost exactly 50 years since the start of
+ the Yom Kippur War in 1973 when Israel was attacked by Egyptian and 
+Syrian forces and fought for its survival.Mirroring
+ the timing of the 1973 war, Hamas official Ali Baraka said of 
+Saturday's assault: ""It was necessary that the leadership of the 
+resistance take a decision at the appropriate time, when the enemy is 
+distracted with its feasts.""He
+ said the assault by air, land and sea was ""a shock to the enemy and 
+proved the Israeli military intelligence failed to find out about this 
+operation,"" after Israel, which prides itself on its infiltration and 
+monitoring of militants, was taken by surprise.In
+ the years since 1973, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and 
+several other Arab states have also since normalised ties, including 
+some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia. But the Palestinians have 
+moved no closer to their aspiration of securing a state, which looks as 
+distant a prospect as ever.""While
+ not likely the main driver of the attacks, Hamas’s actions send a clear
+ reminder to the Saudis that the Palestinian issue should not be treated
+ as just another subtopic in normalisation negotiations,"" Richard 
+LeBaron, a former U.S. Middle East diplomat now at the Atlantic Council 
+thinktank, wrote.IRAN'S REACHA
+ senior official in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration told 
+reporters it was ""really premature to speculate"" about the effect the 
+Israeli-Hamas conflict could have on efforts towards Saudi-Israeli 
+normalisation.""I
+ would say for certain Hamas, terrorist groups like Hamas, will not 
+derail any such outcome. But that process has a ways to go,"" added the 
+official, speaking on conditional of anonymity.Netanyahu has previously said the Palestinians should not be allowed to veto any new Israeli peace deals with Arab states.A
+ regional source familiar with the Saudi-Israeli-U.S. negotiations over 
+normalisation and a defence pact for the kingdom said Israel was 
+committing a mistake by refusing to make concessions to the 
+Palestinians.In its response to Saturday's attacks, Saudi Arabia called for an ""immediate cessation of violence"" between both sides.Iran,
+ meanwhile, has made no secret of its backing for Hamas, funding and 
+arming the group and another Palestinian militant organisation Islamic 
+Jihad. Tehran called Saturday's attack an act of self-defence by 
+Palestinians.Yahya
+ Rahim Safavi, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 
+said Tehran would stand by the Palestinian fighters ""until the 
+liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.""A
+ Palestinian official, close to Islamist militant groups, said after the
+ Hamas attack began with a huge barrage of rockets fired from Gaza: 
+""Iran has hands, not one hand, in every rocket that is fired into 
+Israel.""""It
+ doesn't mean that they ordered (Saturday's) attack but it is not a 
+secret that it is thanks to Iran, (that) Hamas and the Islamic Jihad 
+have been able to upgrade their arsenal,"" said the official, speaking on
+ condition of anonymity.Iran's
+ backing for Palestinian groups is part of a broader network of militias
+ and armed groups it supports across the Middle East, giving Tehran a 
+powerful presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Gaza.Analysts
+ said Iran already appeared to have sent a signal last week that a Saudi
+ deal would hit Riyadh's detente with Tehran, when Yemen's Iran-backed 
+Houthi group killed four Bahraini soldiers in a cross-border strike near
+ the Saudi-Yemeni border. That attack jeopardised peace talks to end 
+Yemen's eight-year conflict.Dennis
+ Ross, a former Middle East negotiator who is now at the Washington 
+Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, said of Saturday's attack:
+ ""This is all about preventing the U.S.-Saudi-Israel breakthrough.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Tehran called Saturday's attack an act of self-defence by 
+Palestinians. Yahya
+ Rahim Safavi, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 
+said Tehran would stand by the Palestinian fighters ""until the 
+liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.""A
+ Palestinian official, close to Islamist militant groups, said after the
+ Hamas attack began with a huge barrage of rockets fired from Gaza: 
+""Iran has hands, not one hand, in every rocket that is fired into 
+Israel.""""It
+ doesn't mean that they ordered (Saturday's) attack but it is not a 
+secret that it is thanks to Iran, (that) Hamas and the Islamic Jihad 
+have been able to upgrade their arsenal,"" said the official, speaking on
+ condition of anonymity. Iran's
+ backing for Palestinian groups is part of a broader network of militias
+ and armed groups it supports across the Middle East, giving Tehran a 
+powerful presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Gaza. Analysts
+ said Iran already appeared to have sent a signal last week that a Saudi
+ deal would hit Riyadh's detente with Tehran, when Yemen's Iran-backed 
+Houthi group killed four Bahraini soldiers in a cross-border strike near
+ the Saudi-Yemeni border. That attack jeopardised peace talks to end 
+Yemen's eight-year conflict. Dennis
+ Ross, a former Middle East negotiator who is now at the Washington 
+Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, said of Saturday's attack:
+ ""This is all about preventing the U.S.-Saudi-Israel breakthrough.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraines-zelenskiy-condemns-terrorist-attack-israel-2023-10-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ukraine's Zelenskiy calls for world solidarity with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KYIV, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on world leaders on Saturday to show solidarity and unity in supporting Israel and condemning the ""terrorist attack"" by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
+Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed ""mighty vengeance"" after a surprise assault by Hamas killed more than 200 people in the deadliest day of violence in Israel in half a century.
+Zelenskiy, whose army has been fighting a war Russia launched against it 19 months ago, said that Israel - just like Ukraine - has ""every right"" to protect itself.
+""Let the value of human life and the intolerance of terror be the principles that will finally unite the whole world,"" Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
+""Wherever they aim their missiles and whomever they attack, terrorists must lose. And this is important for the whole world.""
+Ukraine's relations with Israel have been tense since Russia's invasion began in February 2022. While having sent tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Netanyahu has consistently refused to supply weapons to Kyiv.
+Israel, a major U.S. partner, has some of the closest ties with Russia among countries politically aligned with the West.
+In a much more restrained message than Ukraine, Russia called on both Palestine and Israel to ""implement an immediate ceasefire"" and said it was in contact with Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries over the violence.
+The Ukrainian army put out a video on Saturday with Ukrainian soldiers condemning the Hamas attack and speaking in support of Israel.
+""Every life matters, both in Israel and in Ukraine,"" one solder said while another added, ""This is a crime against the civilized world.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Ukraine's Zelenskiy calls for world solidarity with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KYIV, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on world leaders on Saturday to show solidarity and unity in supporting Israel and condemning the ""terrorist attack"" by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed ""mighty vengeance"" after a surprise assault by Hamas killed more than 200 people in the deadliest day of violence in Israel in half a century. Zelenskiy, whose army has been fighting a war Russia launched against it 19 months ago, said that Israel - just like Ukraine - has ""every right"" to protect itself.  ""Let the value of human life and the intolerance of terror be the principles that will finally unite the whole world,"" Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
+""Wherever they aim their missiles and whomever they attack, terrorists must lose. And this is important for the whole world."" Ukraine's relations with Israel have been tense since Russia's invasion began in February 2022. While having sent tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Netanyahu has consistently refused to supply weapons to Kyiv. Israel, a major U.S. partner, has some of the closest ties with Russia among countries politically aligned with the West.  In a much more restrained message than Ukraine, Russia called on both Palestine and Israel to ""implement an immediate ceasefire"" and said it was in contact with Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries over the violence.
+The Ukrainian army put out a video on Saturday with Ukrainian soldiers condemning the Hamas attack and speaking in support of Israel.
+""Every life matters, both in Israel and in Ukraine,"" one solder said while another added, ""This is a crime against the civilized world.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-foreign-ministry-says-hamas-attacks-sign-confidence-2023-10-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran says attack on Israel is Palestinian 'self-defence'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign ministry said attacks by its ally Hamas on Israel on Saturday were an act of self-defence by Palestinians, and called on Muslim countries to support their rights.
+Palestinian Islamist group Hamas took Israel by surprise with the biggest attack in decades by gunmen who killed scores of people and brought hostages back into the Gaza Strip.
+""This operation ... is the spontaneous movement of resistance groups and Palestine's oppressed people in defence of their inalienable rights and their natural reaction to the Zionists' warmongering and provocative policies,"" Iranian state media quoted ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani as saying.
+""Iran considers that the Zionist occupier regime and its well-known supporters are responsible ... for the violence and killing against Palestinians and calls on Islamic countries to support ...the rights of the Palestinian people,"" Kanaani said.
+Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, said in a statement: ""This victorious operation will certainly expedite the collapse of the Zionist regime and promises its imminent annihilation,"" the semi-official news agency Fars reported.
+Iran's Nournews, affiliated with a top security body, said the attacks ""showed that, contrary to its claims of intelligence-security dominance over the resistance, Israel could not predict their operations, and that its Iron Dome was nothing but a dome of straw above a sand castle"".
+Government spokesperson Ali Bahadori-Jahromi told state media that the attacks ""proved that the Zionist regime is more vulnerable than ever and that the initiative is in the hands of Palestinian youth"".
+Videos carried by state television showed people gathered at Tehran's Palestine Square to welcome the news of the attack, chanting ""Death to Israel"" and setting off fireworks. TV footage also showed scenes of jubilation in a number of cities across Iran.
+Yahya Rahim Safavi, a former Revolutionary Guards commander who is now an adviser to Khamenei, earlier said: ""We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.""
+State television showed parliament members rising from their seats on Saturday to chant ""Death to Israel"" and ""Palestine is victorious, Israel will be destroyed"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran says attack on Israel is Palestinian 'self-defence'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign ministry said attacks by its ally Hamas on Israel on Saturday were an act of self-defence by Palestinians, and called on Muslim countries to support their rights.
+Palestinian Islamist group Hamas took Israel by surprise with the biggest attack in decades by gunmen who killed scores of people and brought hostages back into the Gaza Strip.
+""This operation ... is the spontaneous movement of resistance groups and Palestine's oppressed people in defence of their inalienable rights and their natural reaction to the Zionists' warmongering and provocative policies,"" Iranian state media quoted ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani as saying.
+""Iran considers that the Zionist occupier regime and its well-known supporters are responsible ... for the violence and killing against Palestinians and calls on Islamic countries to support ...the rights of the Palestinian people,"" Kanaani said. Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, said in a statement: ""This victorious operation will certainly expedite the collapse of the Zionist regime and promises its imminent annihilation,"" the semi-official news agency Fars reported. Iran's Nournews, affiliated with a top security body, said the attacks ""showed that, contrary to its claims of intelligence-security dominance over the resistance, Israel could not predict their operations, and that its Iron Dome was nothing but a dome of straw above a sand castle"". Government spokesperson Ali Bahadori-Jahromi told state media that the attacks ""proved that the Zionist regime is more vulnerable than ever and that the initiative is in the hands of Palestinian youth"". Videos carried by state television showed people gathered at Tehran's Palestine Square to welcome the news of the attack, chanting ""Death to Israel"" and setting off fireworks. TV footage also showed scenes of jubilation in a number of cities across Iran.  Yahya Rahim Safavi, a former Revolutionary Guards commander who is now an adviser to Khamenei, earlier said: ""We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem."" State television showed parliament members rising from their seats on Saturday to chant ""Death to Israel"" and ""Palestine is victorious, Israel will be destroyed"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/adviser-irans-supreme-leader-expresses-support-palestinian-attacks-iranian-media-2023-10-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader expresses support for Palestinian attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Oct 7 (Reuters) - An adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday congratulated Palestinian fighters for launching the biggest attack on Israel in years, the semi-official ISNA news site reported.
+""We congratulate the Palestinian fighters,"" it quoted Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying. ""We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.""
+In a surprise assault, Palestinian group Hamas crossed into several Israeli towns on Saturday with a heavy barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.
+Iran's state television showed parliament members rising from their seats on Saturday to chant ""Death to Israel"" and ""Palestine is victorious, Israel will be destroyed"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader expresses support for Palestinian attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Oct 7 (Reuters) - An adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday congratulated Palestinian fighters for launching the biggest attack on Israel in years, the semi-official ISNA news site reported.  ""We congratulate the Palestinian fighters,"" it quoted Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying. ""We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.""
+In a surprise assault, Palestinian group Hamas crossed into several Israeli towns on Saturday with a heavy barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.  Iran's state television showed parliament members rising from their seats on Saturday to chant ""Death to Israel"" and ""Palestine is victorious, Israel will be destroyed"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-tourism-minister-attends-un-conference-saudi-arabia-2023-09-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN conference sees 'first public trip to Saudi Arabia by Israeli minister'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israel's tourism minister on Tuesday made what his 
+office called the first public trip to Saudi Arabia by an Israeli 
+cabinet member, to attend a U.N. tourism conference.Haim
+ Katz's two-day visit to Riyadh comes as Saudi Arabia pursues a possible
+ U.S.-brokered deal that would forge formal relations with Israel, whose
+ sovereignty it has never officially recognised.""I will work to create collaborations to promote tourism and Israel's foreign relations,"" Katz said in a statement.The Saudi government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Saudi Arabia's non-resident ambassador to the Palestinians - a role announced last month - made a first visit
+ to their seat of government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on 
+Tuesday, presenting credentials also designating him ""consul-general in 
+Jerusalem"".Saudi
+ Arabia, the home of Islam's two holiest shrines, has long insisted on 
+the Palestinians' right to statehood as a condition of recognising 
+Israel - something that many members of Prime Minister Benjamin 
+Netanyahu's nationalist religious coalition have long resisted.The
+ ambassador, Nayef Al-Sudairi, told reporters in Ramallah that his visit
+ ""reaffirms that the Palestinian cause and Palestine and the people of 
+Palestine are of high and important status, and that in the coming days 
+there will be a chance for a bigger cooperation between Saudi Arabia and
+ the state of Palestine"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN conference sees 'first public trip to Saudi Arabia by Israeli minister'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM,
+ Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israel's tourism minister on Tuesday made what his 
+office called the first public trip to Saudi Arabia by an Israeli 
+cabinet member, to attend a U.N. tourism conference. Haim
+ Katz's two-day visit to Riyadh comes as Saudi Arabia pursues a possible
+ U.S.-brokered deal that would forge formal relations with Israel, whose
+ sovereignty it has never officially recognised. ""I will work to create collaborations to promote tourism and Israel's foreign relations,"" Katz said in a statement. The Saudi government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Saudi Arabia's non-resident ambassador to the Palestinians - a role announced last month - made a first visit
+ to their seat of government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on 
+Tuesday, presenting credentials also designating him ""consul-general in 
+Jerusalem"". Saudi
+ Arabia, the home of Islam's two holiest shrines, has long insisted on 
+the Palestinians' right to statehood as a condition of recognising 
+Israel - something that many members of Prime Minister Benjamin 
+Netanyahu's nationalist religious coalition have long resisted. The
+ ambassador, Nayef Al-Sudairi, told reporters in Ramallah that his visit
+ ""reaffirms that the Palestinian cause and Palestine and the people of 
+Palestine are of high and important status, and that in the coming days 
+there will be a chance for a bigger cooperation between Saudi Arabia and
+ the state of Palestine"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/islamic-jihad-chief-denounces-normalisation-talks-with-israel-2023-10-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Islamic Jihad chief denounces normalisation talks with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The head of Islamic Jihad denounced Arab attempts to normalise relations with Israel on Friday, as the militant group staged demonstrations in the Palestinian territories and neighbouring states amid Israeli efforts to make peace with Saudi Arabia.
+""Those who rush towards normalisation with the Zionist project must know, and they do know, that this is their acknowledgment that Palestine is not ours, and that Jerusalem with its mosque is not ours,"" Ziad al-Nakhala, who is wanted by Israel and designated a terrorist by the United States and others, said in the video address.
+The remarks were broadcast to demonstrators in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, who marked the 36th anniversary of the founding of the movement.
+Armed and masked militants attended the Gaza rally dressed in military style uniforms. Organizers placed two giant flags of Israel and the United States for participants to step on as they arrived at the gathering at an open-air field.
+The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which seeks the destruction of Israel, has fought repeated battles with the Israeli military in recent years and has always rejected any political compromise. It is based in Gaza, a strip of territory controlled by rival militant group Hamas, and also has foreign headquarters in Beirut and Damascus.
+U.S. President Joe Biden has encouraged Saudi Arabia and Israel to seek an agreement that would build on earlier accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Morocco and Sudan. Any deal is seen as some way off, with the status of the Palestinians among the key issues to be decided.
+Al-Nakhala also condemned the Palestinian Authority, the body born out of the Oslo Accords 30 years ago which exercises limited governance in the occupied West Bank, as its security forces clashed briefly with Islamic Jihad militants at a rally in the town of Tulkarm.
+""Israel kills us with American weapons, and the so-called security services chase us and arrest us upon American decision too,"" he said, demanding the PA release all Palestinian militants it held in detention.
+Hours after his comments, unidentified gunmen in the northern West Bank city of Jenin opened fire on the local headquarters of the Palestinian administration.
+Al-Nakhala said Islamic Jihad remained opposed not only to normalising relations with Israel, but also to the entire peace process that started with the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978.
+""We affirm that our resistance continues, and the Islamic Jihad Movement, born from the spirit of Islam, still perseveres in its path. It has not compromised and will not surrender to delusions,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Islamic Jihad chief denounces normalisation talks with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The head of Islamic Jihad denounced Arab attempts to normalise relations with Israel on Friday, as the militant group staged demonstrations in the Palestinian territories and neighbouring states amid Israeli efforts to make peace with Saudi Arabia. ""Those who rush towards normalisation with the Zionist project must know, and they do know, that this is their acknowledgment that Palestine is not ours, and that Jerusalem with its mosque is not ours,"" Ziad al-Nakhala, who is wanted by Israel and designated a terrorist by the United States and others, said in the video address.  The remarks were broadcast to demonstrators in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, who marked the 36th anniversary of the founding of the movement.
+Armed and masked militants attended the Gaza rally dressed in military style uniforms. Organizers placed two giant flags of Israel and the United States for participants to step on as they arrived at the gathering at an open-air field.  The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which seeks the destruction of Israel, has fought repeated battles with the Israeli military in recent years and has always rejected any political compromise. It is based in Gaza, a strip of territory controlled by rival militant group Hamas, and also has foreign headquarters in Beirut and Damascus. U.S. President Joe Biden has encouraged Saudi Arabia and Israel to seek an agreement that would build on earlier accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Morocco and Sudan. Any deal is seen as some way off, with the status of the Palestinians among the key issues to be decided. Al-Nakhala also condemned the Palestinian Authority, the body born out of the Oslo Accords 30 years ago which exercises limited governance in the occupied West Bank, as its security forces clashed briefly with Islamic Jihad militants at a rally in the town of Tulkarm. ""Israel kills us with American weapons, and the so-called security services chase us and arrest us upon American decision too,"" he said, demanding the PA release all Palestinian militants it held in detention. Hours after his comments, unidentified gunmen in the northern West Bank city of Jenin opened fire on the local headquarters of the Palestinian administration. Al-Nakhala said Islamic Jihad remained opposed not only to normalising relations with Israel, but also to the entire peace process that started with the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978.  ""We affirm that our resistance continues, and the Islamic Jihad Movement, born from the spirit of Islam, still perseveres in its path."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/islamic-jihad-chief-denounces-normalisation-talks-with-israel-2023-10-06/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Islamic Jihad chief denounces normalisation talks with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The head of Islamic Jihad denounced Arab attempts to normalise relations with Israel on Friday, as the militant group staged demonstrations in the Palestinian territories and neighbouring states amid Israeli efforts to make peace with Saudi Arabia.
+""Those who rush towards normalisation with the Zionist project must know, and they do know, that this is their acknowledgment that Palestine is not ours, and that Jerusalem with its mosque is not ours,"" Ziad al-Nakhala, who is wanted by Israel and designated a terrorist by the United States and others, said in the video address.
+The remarks were broadcast to demonstrators in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, who marked the 36th anniversary of the founding of the movement.
+Armed and masked militants attended the Gaza rally dressed in military style uniforms. Organizers placed two giant flags of Israel and the United States for participants to step on as they arrived at the gathering at an open-air field.
+The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which seeks the destruction of Israel, has fought repeated battles with the Israeli military in recent years and has always rejected any political compromise. It is based in Gaza, a strip of territory controlled by rival militant group Hamas, and also has foreign headquarters in Beirut and Damascus.
+U.S. President Joe Biden has encouraged Saudi Arabia and Israel to seek an agreement that would build on earlier accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Morocco and Sudan. Any deal is seen as some way off, with the status of the Palestinians among the key issues to be decided.
+Al-Nakhala also condemned the Palestinian Authority, the body born out of the Oslo Accords 30 years ago which exercises limited governance in the occupied West Bank, as its security forces clashed briefly with Islamic Jihad militants at a rally in the town of Tulkarm.
+""Israel kills us with American weapons, and the so-called security services chase us and arrest us upon American decision too,"" he said, demanding the PA release all Palestinian militants it held in detention.
+Hours after his comments, unidentified gunmen in the northern West Bank city of Jenin opened fire on the local headquarters of the Palestinian administration.
+Al-Nakhala said Islamic Jihad remained opposed not only to normalising relations with Israel, but also to the entire peace process that started with the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978.
+""We affirm that our resistance continues, and the Islamic Jihad Movement, born from the spirit of Islam, still perseveres in its path. It has not compromised and will not surrender to delusions,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","It has not compromised and will not surrender to delusions,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-tourism-minister-attends-un-conference-saudi-arabia-2023-09-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN conference sees 'first public trip to Saudi Arabia by Israeli minister'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israel's tourism minister on Tuesday made what his office called the first public trip to Saudi Arabia by an Israeli cabinet member, to attend a U.N. tourism conference.
+Haim Katz's two-day visit to Riyadh comes as Saudi Arabia pursues a possible U.S.-brokered deal that would forge formal relations with Israel, whose sovereignty it has never officially recognised.
+""I will work to create collaborations to promote tourism and Israel's foreign relations,"" Katz said in a statement.
+The Saudi government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Saudi Arabia's non-resident ambassador to the Palestinians - a role announced last month - made a first visit to their seat of government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Tuesday, presenting credentials also designating him ""consul-general in Jerusalem"".
+Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's two holiest shrines, has long insisted on the Palestinians' right to statehood as a condition of recognising Israel - something that many members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist religious coalition have long resisted.
+The ambassador, Nayef Al-Sudairi, told reporters in Ramallah that his visit ""reaffirms that the Palestinian cause and Palestine and the people of Palestine are of high and important status, and that in the coming days there will be a chance for a bigger cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the state of Palestine"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN conference sees 'first public trip to Saudi Arabia by Israeli minister'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israel's tourism minister on Tuesday made what his office called the first public trip to Saudi Arabia by an Israeli cabinet member, to attend a U.N. tourism conference. Haim Katz's two-day visit to Riyadh comes as Saudi Arabia pursues a possible U.S.-brokered deal that would forge formal relations with Israel, whose sovereignty it has never officially recognised. ""I will work to create collaborations to promote tourism and Israel's foreign relations,"" Katz said in a statement. The Saudi government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  Saudi Arabia's non-resident ambassador to the Palestinians - a role announced last month - made a first visit to their seat of government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Tuesday, presenting credentials also designating him ""consul-general in Jerusalem"".
+Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's two holiest shrines, has long insisted on the Palestinians' right to statehood as a condition of recognising Israel - something that many members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist religious coalition have long resisted.
+The ambassador, Nayef Al-Sudairi, told reporters in Ramallah that his visit ""reaffirms that the Palestinian cause and Palestine and the people of Palestine are of high and important status, and that in the coming days there will be a chance for a bigger cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the state of Palestine"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-envoy-links-israel-normalisation-talks-land-for-peace-offer-2023-09-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Saudi envoy links Israel normalisation talks to land-for-peace offer[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank Sept 26 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's first ambassador to the Palestinians described a decades-old Arab land-for-peace offer on Tuesday as a pillar of any normalisation of ties with Israel, an apparent attempt to signal that Riyadh has not abandoned the Palestinian cause.
+Expectations of a landmark U.S.-brokered Saudi-Israeli deal have grown over the last week, though the timing and terms remain murky.
+Among complicating factors are calls by Riyadh and Washington for the Palestinians to make diplomatic inroads as part of any deal - a prospect unpalatable to Israel's hardline coalition government.
+Saudi Arabia's non-resident ambassador to the Palestinians - a role it unveiled last month - made a first visit to their seat of government in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, presenting credentials also designating him ""consul-general in Jerusalem"".
+That title is touchy as Israel considers all of Jerusalem its own capital and rejects the Palestinians' claim on East Jerusalem as capital of their hoped-for future state.
+The ambassador, Nayef Al-Sudairi, told reporters in Ramallah his visit ""reaffirms that the Palestinian cause and Palestine and the people of Palestine are of high and important status and that in the coming days there will be a chance for a bigger cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the state of Palestine"".
+Referring to the prospect of normalisation with Israel, Al-Sudairi said: ""It is the normal thing among nations to have peace and stability.""
+""The Arab initiative, which Saudi Arabia presented in 2002, is a fundamental pillar of any upcoming agreement,"" he added.
+That referred to a proposal aired by Riyadh and later adopted by Arab states widely, under which Israel would get pan-Arab recognition only if it quit territories captured in a 1967 war, including lands where the Palestinians want their state.
+Israel has been keen to pursue more peace deals with Arab states without giving up land, having won normalisation from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and upgraded ties with Morocco and Sudan, in 2020 despite talks with the Palestinians having been frozen for years.
+Dismayed at being sidelined in the 2020 diplomacy, the Palestinians have taken a more active role in the Saudi talks.
+In a statement published by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, President Mahmoud Abbas said Al-Sudairi's visit ""will contribute to reinforcing the strong ties between the two countries and the two fraternal peoples"".
+Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Kan radio on Tuesday that any Saudi normalisation deal ""will be one supported by the right wing"" - a reference to religious-nationalist parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition that refuse to cede occupied West Bank land to the Palestinians.
+In a speech, Netanyahu restated his position that Israeli military and economic prowess, rather than territorial concessions, are the keys to regional statecraft - given, among other factors, shared Arab concerns about the rise of Iran.
+""Thanks to this strength, we are deterring our enemies. Thanks to this strength, we are achieving peace with our neighbours,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Saudi envoy links Israel normalisation talks to land-for-peace offer[/TITLE] [CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank Sept 26 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's first ambassador to the Palestinians described a decades-old Arab land-for-peace offer on Tuesday as a pillar of any normalisation of ties with Israel, an apparent attempt to signal that Riyadh has not abandoned the Palestinian cause. Expectations of a landmark U.S.-brokered Saudi-Israeli deal have grown over the last week, though the timing and terms remain murky. Among complicating factors are calls by Riyadh and Washington for the Palestinians to make diplomatic inroads as part of any deal - a prospect unpalatable to Israel's hardline coalition government. Saudi Arabia's non-resident ambassador to the Palestinians - a role it unveiled last month - made a first visit to their seat of government in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, presenting credentials also designating him ""consul-general in Jerusalem"".
+That title is touchy as Israel considers all of Jerusalem its own capital and rejects the Palestinians' claim on East Jerusalem as capital of their hoped-for future state. The ambassador, Nayef Al-Sudairi, told reporters in Ramallah his visit ""reaffirms that the Palestinian cause and Palestine and the people of Palestine are of high and important status and that in the coming days there will be a chance for a bigger cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the state of Palestine"". Referring to the prospect of normalisation with Israel, Al-Sudairi said: ""It is the normal thing among nations to have peace and stability."" ""The Arab initiative, which Saudi Arabia presented in 2002, is a fundamental pillar of any upcoming agreement,"" he added. That referred to a proposal aired by Riyadh and later adopted by Arab states widely, under which Israel would get pan-Arab recognition only if it quit territories captured in a 1967 war, including lands where the Palestinians want their state. Israel has been keen to pursue more peace deals with Arab states without giving up land, having won normalisation from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and upgraded ties with Morocco and Sudan, in 2020 despite talks with the Palestinians having been frozen for years. Dismayed at being sidelined in the 2020 diplomacy, the Palestinians have taken a more active role in the Saudi talks."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-envoy-links-israel-normalisation-talks-land-for-peace-offer-2023-09-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Saudi envoy links Israel normalisation talks to land-for-peace offer[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAMALLAH, West Bank Sept 26 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's first ambassador to the Palestinians described a decades-old Arab land-for-peace offer on Tuesday as a pillar of any normalisation of ties with Israel, an apparent attempt to signal that Riyadh has not abandoned the Palestinian cause.
+Expectations of a landmark U.S.-brokered Saudi-Israeli deal have grown over the last week, though the timing and terms remain murky.
+Among complicating factors are calls by Riyadh and Washington for the Palestinians to make diplomatic inroads as part of any deal - a prospect unpalatable to Israel's hardline coalition government.
+Saudi Arabia's non-resident ambassador to the Palestinians - a role it unveiled last month - made a first visit to their seat of government in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, presenting credentials also designating him ""consul-general in Jerusalem"".
+That title is touchy as Israel considers all of Jerusalem its own capital and rejects the Palestinians' claim on East Jerusalem as capital of their hoped-for future state.
+The ambassador, Nayef Al-Sudairi, told reporters in Ramallah his visit ""reaffirms that the Palestinian cause and Palestine and the people of Palestine are of high and important status and that in the coming days there will be a chance for a bigger cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the state of Palestine"".
+Referring to the prospect of normalisation with Israel, Al-Sudairi said: ""It is the normal thing among nations to have peace and stability.""
+""The Arab initiative, which Saudi Arabia presented in 2002, is a fundamental pillar of any upcoming agreement,"" he added.
+That referred to a proposal aired by Riyadh and later adopted by Arab states widely, under which Israel would get pan-Arab recognition only if it quit territories captured in a 1967 war, including lands where the Palestinians want their state.
+Israel has been keen to pursue more peace deals with Arab states without giving up land, having won normalisation from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and upgraded ties with Morocco and Sudan, in 2020 despite talks with the Palestinians having been frozen for years.
+Dismayed at being sidelined in the 2020 diplomacy, the Palestinians have taken a more active role in the Saudi talks.
+In a statement published by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, President Mahmoud Abbas said Al-Sudairi's visit ""will contribute to reinforcing the strong ties between the two countries and the two fraternal peoples"".
+Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Kan radio on Tuesday that any Saudi normalisation deal ""will be one supported by the right wing"" - a reference to religious-nationalist parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition that refuse to cede occupied West Bank land to the Palestinians.
+In a speech, Netanyahu restated his position that Israeli military and economic prowess, rather than territorial concessions, are the keys to regional statecraft - given, among other factors, shared Arab concerns about the rise of Iran.
+""Thanks to this strength, we are deterring our enemies. Thanks to this strength, we are achieving peace with our neighbours,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In a statement published by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, President Mahmoud Abbas said Al-Sudairi's visit ""will contribute to reinforcing the strong ties between the two countries and the two fraternal peoples"".
+Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Kan radio on Tuesday that any Saudi normalisation deal ""will be one supported by the right wing"" - a reference to religious-nationalist parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition that refuse to cede occupied West Bank land to the Palestinians.
+In a speech, Netanyahu restated his position that Israeli military and economic prowess, rather than territorial concessions, are the keys to regional statecraft - given, among other factors, shared Arab concerns about the rise of Iran.  ""Thanks to this strength, we are deterring our enemies. Thanks to this strength, we are achieving peace with our neighbours,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/un-general-assembly-end-wars-focus-climate-change-instead-colombias-petro-2023-09-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN General Assembly: End wars, focus on climate change instead -Colombia's Petro[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Sept 19 (Reuters) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro used his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to call for peace summits to resolve conflicts in Ukraine and between Israel and the Palestinians, so humankind can focus instead on addressing climate change.
+Petro, Colombia's first leftist leader, is seeking peace and surrender deals in his own country with rebel groups and crime gangs to end a six-decade conflict which has killed at least 450,000 people.
+""I propose ending war so we have the time to save ourselves. I propose the United Nations sponsor as soon as possible two peace conferences. One on Ukraine, the other on Palestine, not because there are not other wars in the world, like in my country, but because it would show how to make peace in all the regions of the world,"" Petro, 63, said.
+Petro called climate change ""the mother of all crises"" and said the world should work toward a de-carbonized economy[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN General Assembly: End wars, focus on climate change instead -Colombia's Petro[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Sept 19 (Reuters) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro used his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to call for peace summits to resolve conflicts in Ukraine and between Israel and the Palestinians, so humankind can focus instead on addressing climate change. Petro, Colombia's first leftist leader, is seeking peace and surrender deals in his own country with rebel groups and crime gangs to end a six-decade conflict which has killed at least 450,000 people.  ""I propose ending war so we have the time to save ourselves. I propose the United Nations sponsor as soon as possible two peace conferences. One on Ukraine, the other on Palestine, not because there are not other wars in the world, like in my country, but because it would show how to make peace in all the regions of the world,"" Petro, 63, said. Petro called climate change ""the mother of all crises"" and said the world should work toward a de-carbonized economy[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/un-secretary-general-calls-equality-global-south-cuba-g77-summit-2023-09-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN secretary-general calls for equality for Global South at Cuba G77 summit[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HAVANA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday praised efforts to support the Global South in the international arena as he opened a summit of the G77 group of developing nations and China with host Cuba.
+The focus is the scientific and technological divide between rich and poor countries and its impact on development.
+Guterres said greater international equality was essential to building the consensus needed to tackle climate change and inequality.
+""The world is failing developing nations,"" he said, expressing the hope that the meeting would strengthen participants' clout on a wide range of issues. He echoed climate advocates who have long urged developed nations, including top greenhouse gas polluters such as the United States, to pay to mitigate climate change and lessen the weight of foreign debt.
+Battered by extreme weather, the pandemic, international tensions and economic difficulties, developing countries are pressing for fair treatment from developed nations regarding international finance to sharing technology.
+This year Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel heads up the G77, the UN’s largest organization. He cited statistics showing 84 million children are at risk of being out of school by 2023
+, opens new tab and over 660 million people are without electricity
+, opens new tab, adding these disparities now include the internet and advances in digital technology.
+""Science, technology and innovation have reached the unimaginable,"" he said, ""that in conditions of greater equality and justice could insure more dignified and comfortable lives for the population of almost the entire planet,"" Diaz-Canel said.
+He added that science and technology ""play a transcendental role in promoting productivity, efficiency, creating added value, humanizing working conditions, promoting well-being and guaranteeing development,"" he said.
+In a marathon day of speeches, Colombia´s president Gustavo Petro told the forum ""we are killing each other"" in reference to the war in Ukraine.
+""I would ask the G77 that we also address this issue of war, to overcome it, not because we have to take sides between Russia or Ukraine,"" said Petro, among the few representatives present who mentioned the Ukraine war.
+""What is the difference between the war between Russia and Ukraine, and that between Israel and Palestine?"" Colombia´s president said.
+The G77, which was initially launched in 1964 with 77 nations, now has 134 members.
+China maintains that it is not a G77 member, despite being listed as one by the bloc, but Beijing says it has supported the group's legitimate claims and maintained cooperative relations.
+While more than 90 delegations are participating in the summit, which ends on Saturday, only a few dozen are led by heads of state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN secretary-general calls for equality for Global South at Cuba G77 summit[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HAVANA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday praised efforts to support the Global South in the international arena as he opened a summit of the G77 group of developing nations and China with host Cuba. The focus is the scientific and technological divide between rich and poor countries and its impact on development. Guterres said greater international equality was essential to building the consensus needed to tackle climate change and inequality.  ""The world is failing developing nations,"" he said, expressing the hope that the meeting would strengthen participants' clout on a wide range of issues. He echoed climate advocates who have long urged developed nations, including top greenhouse gas polluters such as the United States, to pay to mitigate climate change and lessen the weight of foreign debt. Battered by extreme weather, the pandemic, international tensions and economic difficulties, developing countries are pressing for fair treatment from developed nations regarding international finance to sharing technology.  This year Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel heads up the G77, the UN’s largest organization. He cited statistics showing 84 million children are at risk of being out of school by 2023
+, opens new tab and over 660 million people are without electricity
+, opens new tab, adding these disparities now include the internet and advances in digital technology. ""Science, technology and innovation have reached the unimaginable,"" he said, ""that in conditions of greater equality and justice could insure more dignified and comfortable lives for the population of almost the entire planet,"" Diaz-Canel said. He added that science and technology ""play a transcendental role in promoting productivity, efficiency, creating added value, humanizing working conditions, promoting well-being and guaranteeing development,"" he said. In a marathon day of speeches, Colombia´s president Gustavo Petro told the forum ""we are killing each other"" in reference to the war in Ukraine. ""I would ask the G77 that we also address this issue of war, to overcome it, not because we have to take sides between Russia or Ukraine,"" said Petro, among the few representatives present who mentioned the Ukraine war.  ""What is the difference between the war between Russia and Ukraine, and that between Israel and Palestine?"" Colombia´s president said.
+The G77, which was initially launched in 1964 with 77 nations, now has 134 members."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/un-secretary-general-calls-equality-global-south-cuba-g77-summit-2023-09-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN secretary-general calls for equality for Global South at Cuba G77 summit[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HAVANA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday praised efforts to support the Global South in the international arena as he opened a summit of the G77 group of developing nations and China with host Cuba.
+The focus is the scientific and technological divide between rich and poor countries and its impact on development.
+Guterres said greater international equality was essential to building the consensus needed to tackle climate change and inequality.
+""The world is failing developing nations,"" he said, expressing the hope that the meeting would strengthen participants' clout on a wide range of issues. He echoed climate advocates who have long urged developed nations, including top greenhouse gas polluters such as the United States, to pay to mitigate climate change and lessen the weight of foreign debt.
+Battered by extreme weather, the pandemic, international tensions and economic difficulties, developing countries are pressing for fair treatment from developed nations regarding international finance to sharing technology.
+This year Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel heads up the G77, the UN’s largest organization. He cited statistics showing 84 million children are at risk of being out of school by 2023
+, opens new tab and over 660 million people are without electricity
+, opens new tab, adding these disparities now include the internet and advances in digital technology.
+""Science, technology and innovation have reached the unimaginable,"" he said, ""that in conditions of greater equality and justice could insure more dignified and comfortable lives for the population of almost the entire planet,"" Diaz-Canel said.
+He added that science and technology ""play a transcendental role in promoting productivity, efficiency, creating added value, humanizing working conditions, promoting well-being and guaranteeing development,"" he said.
+In a marathon day of speeches, Colombia´s president Gustavo Petro told the forum ""we are killing each other"" in reference to the war in Ukraine.
+""I would ask the G77 that we also address this issue of war, to overcome it, not because we have to take sides between Russia or Ukraine,"" said Petro, among the few representatives present who mentioned the Ukraine war.
+""What is the difference between the war between Russia and Ukraine, and that between Israel and Palestine?"" Colombia´s president said.
+The G77, which was initially launched in 1964 with 77 nations, now has 134 members.
+China maintains that it is not a G77 member, despite being listed as one by the bloc, but Beijing says it has supported the group's legitimate claims and maintained cooperative relations.
+While more than 90 delegations are participating in the summit, which ends on Saturday, only a few dozen are led by heads of state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","China maintains that it is not a G77 member, despite being listed as one by the bloc, but Beijing says it has supported the group's legitimate claims and maintained cooperative relations. While more than 90 delegations are participating in the summit, which ends on Saturday, only a few dozen are led by heads of state.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/thirty-years-after-oslo-bleak-outlook-israel-palestinian-peace-2023-09-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Thirty years after Oslo, bleak outlook for Israel Palestinian peace[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Across the occupied West Bank, concrete checkpoints, separation walls and soldiers are reminders of the failure to build peace between Israelis and Palestinians since the historic Oslo Accords were signed 30 years ago this week.
+The accord, intended as a temporary measure to build confidence and create space for a permanent peace agreement, has long since frozen into a system for managing a conflict with no apparent end in sight.
+With the West Bank in turmoil, a nationalist government in Israel that dismisses any prospect of Palestinian statehood, and the Islamist movement Hamas flexing its muscles outside its home in Gaza, prospects for peace appear as distant as they ever have been.
+Once the 87-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas departs, a void will be left that may bring the crisis to a head.
+""We are at the end of an era both in Palestine and Israel and probably in the region as a whole,"" said Hanan Ashrawi, a civil activist and former spokesperson for the Palestinian delegation to the peace process in the 1990s.
+""That whole generation - that era of talking about mutual recognition, two states, negotiated settlement, peaceful resolution - that's coming to an end in Palestine,"" she said.
+Few on either side believe there is any realistic prospect of a two-state solution, with an independent Palestine existing side by side with Israel. The idea is now just a ""convenient fiction"" Ashrawi said.
+With barriers keeping the two sides apart in the West Bank, largely under Israeli military control, young Israelis and Palestinians have grown up knowing little of each other since the first agreement was signed on Sept. 13, 1993.
+""Oslo and I were born the same year,"" said Mohannad Qafesha, a legal activist in the southern city of Hebron. ""To me, I was born and there were checkpoints around me, around our house, if I leave home and go to the city to visit my friends, I would have to cross a checkpoint.""
+According to United Nations figures some 700,000 Jewish settlers are now established across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the core of any future Palestinian state, and settlement building is moving ahead rapidly. An estimated 3.2 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and 2.2 million in Gaza.
+Violence over the past 18 months has seen dozens of Israelis, including civilians and soldiers, killed in attacks by Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel, and brazen attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian towns and villages.
+Near daily raids by Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinian fighters and numerous civilians, while an array of new militant groups has emerged in towns like Jenin and Nablus with little connection to the older generation of Palestinian leaders.
+""I have never seen the West Bank as it is at the moment ever, I have been in and out of here for almost 30 years and I haven't seen it worse,"" U.N. Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland said at a conference this week.
+The structures created by the Oslo Accords nonetheless remain in place as the main framework for relations between Israelis and Palestinians in the absence of anything better.
+The Palestinian Authority remains Israel's favoured, if often mistrusted, partner, though it lost control of Gaza when Hamas broke away in 2007. But dependent on foreign funds, with no electoral mandate and unpopular among its own people, it is caught between its roles as representative of the Palestinians and interlocutor with Israel.
+""It's very weak, it's very poor but this agreement still exists,"" said Michael Milshtein, a former official for COGAT, the Israeli military body set up after Oslo to coordinate between Israel and the newly created PA.
+TEMPORARY
+The accords' signing brought in a brief period of optimism, symbolised by the image of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, watched over by U.S. President Bill Clinton, shaking hands on the White House lawn. Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli in 1995, while Arafat died in 2004.
+For Yossi Beilin, a former justice minister and Israeli negotiator, the accords' failure to bring peace came about because successive Israeli governments preferred to turn what was originally a temporary truce into a permanent status quo.
+With Israeli society riven by the dispute over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bid to curb the power of the Supreme Court, prospects of any concerted peace effort appear remote.
+""The current government in Israel doesn't show any signs of willingness to go for a permanent agreement. So, those who speak about a permanent agreement will have to speak about future governments,"" said Beilin, a former Labour Party politician.
+Israeli officials fear that once Abbas goes, the door will be open either to a push by Hamas into the West Bank, where it is increasingly active, or to anarchy as rivals for the leadership fight it out.
+But while several on the Israeli government side have spoken openly about annexing the West Bank entirely, the practical difficulties of such a move have proved prohibitive.
+Already Palestinians, and a number of international human rights organizations, accuse Israel of operating an apartheid system in the West Bank.
+Israel and its allies including the United States reject that charge but annexation would force it to find a way between giving Palestinians a status equivalent to Israelis that would alter Israel's character as a Jewish state or assigning them a separate status incompatible with a democracy.
+""We're both here and we are both here to stay,"" said 29 year-old Rotem Oreg, of the liberal think tank the Israeli Democratic Alliance.
+""So we need to figure out a way, one, to stay in the same land, two, without killing each other, and three, while maintaining a Jewish democratic state.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Thirty years after Oslo, bleak outlook for Israel Palestinian peace[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Across the occupied West Bank, concrete checkpoints, separation walls and soldiers are reminders of the failure to build peace between Israelis and Palestinians since the historic Oslo Accords were signed 30 years ago this week. The accord, intended as a temporary measure to build confidence and create space for a permanent peace agreement, has long since frozen into a system for managing a conflict with no apparent end in sight. With the West Bank in turmoil, a nationalist government in Israel that dismisses any prospect of Palestinian statehood, and the Islamist movement Hamas flexing its muscles outside its home in Gaza, prospects for peace appear as distant as they ever have been. Once the 87-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas departs, a void will be left that may bring the crisis to a head. ""We are at the end of an era both in Palestine and Israel and probably in the region as a whole,"" said Hanan Ashrawi, a civil activist and former spokesperson for the Palestinian delegation to the peace process in the 1990s.
+""That whole generation - that era of talking about mutual recognition, two states, negotiated settlement, peaceful resolution - that's coming to an end in Palestine,"" she said.  Few on either side believe there is any realistic prospect of a two-state solution, with an independent Palestine existing side by side with Israel. The idea is now just a ""convenient fiction"" Ashrawi said. With barriers keeping the two sides apart in the West Bank, largely under Israeli military control, young Israelis and Palestinians have grown up knowing little of each other since the first agreement was signed on Sept. 13, 1993.
+""Oslo and I were born the same year,"" said Mohannad Qafesha, a legal activist in the southern city of Hebron. ""To me, I was born and there were checkpoints around me, around our house, if I leave home and go to the city to visit my friends, I would have to cross a checkpoint.""  According to United Nations figures some 700,000 Jewish settlers are now established across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the core of any future Palestinian state, and settlement building is moving ahead rapidly. An estimated 3.2 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and 2.2 million in Gaza. Violence over the past 18 months has seen dozens of Israelis, including civilians and soldiers, killed in attacks by Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel, and brazen attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian towns and villages."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/thirty-years-after-oslo-bleak-outlook-israel-palestinian-peace-2023-09-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Thirty years after Oslo, bleak outlook for Israel Palestinian peace[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Across the occupied West Bank, concrete checkpoints, separation walls and soldiers are reminders of the failure to build peace between Israelis and Palestinians since the historic Oslo Accords were signed 30 years ago this week.
+The accord, intended as a temporary measure to build confidence and create space for a permanent peace agreement, has long since frozen into a system for managing a conflict with no apparent end in sight.
+With the West Bank in turmoil, a nationalist government in Israel that dismisses any prospect of Palestinian statehood, and the Islamist movement Hamas flexing its muscles outside its home in Gaza, prospects for peace appear as distant as they ever have been.
+Once the 87-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas departs, a void will be left that may bring the crisis to a head.
+""We are at the end of an era both in Palestine and Israel and probably in the region as a whole,"" said Hanan Ashrawi, a civil activist and former spokesperson for the Palestinian delegation to the peace process in the 1990s.
+""That whole generation - that era of talking about mutual recognition, two states, negotiated settlement, peaceful resolution - that's coming to an end in Palestine,"" she said.
+Few on either side believe there is any realistic prospect of a two-state solution, with an independent Palestine existing side by side with Israel. The idea is now just a ""convenient fiction"" Ashrawi said.
+With barriers keeping the two sides apart in the West Bank, largely under Israeli military control, young Israelis and Palestinians have grown up knowing little of each other since the first agreement was signed on Sept. 13, 1993.
+""Oslo and I were born the same year,"" said Mohannad Qafesha, a legal activist in the southern city of Hebron. ""To me, I was born and there were checkpoints around me, around our house, if I leave home and go to the city to visit my friends, I would have to cross a checkpoint.""
+According to United Nations figures some 700,000 Jewish settlers are now established across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the core of any future Palestinian state, and settlement building is moving ahead rapidly. An estimated 3.2 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and 2.2 million in Gaza.
+Violence over the past 18 months has seen dozens of Israelis, including civilians and soldiers, killed in attacks by Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel, and brazen attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian towns and villages.
+Near daily raids by Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinian fighters and numerous civilians, while an array of new militant groups has emerged in towns like Jenin and Nablus with little connection to the older generation of Palestinian leaders.
+""I have never seen the West Bank as it is at the moment ever, I have been in and out of here for almost 30 years and I haven't seen it worse,"" U.N. Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland said at a conference this week.
+The structures created by the Oslo Accords nonetheless remain in place as the main framework for relations between Israelis and Palestinians in the absence of anything better.
+The Palestinian Authority remains Israel's favoured, if often mistrusted, partner, though it lost control of Gaza when Hamas broke away in 2007. But dependent on foreign funds, with no electoral mandate and unpopular among its own people, it is caught between its roles as representative of the Palestinians and interlocutor with Israel.
+""It's very weak, it's very poor but this agreement still exists,"" said Michael Milshtein, a former official for COGAT, the Israeli military body set up after Oslo to coordinate between Israel and the newly created PA.
+TEMPORARY
+The accords' signing brought in a brief period of optimism, symbolised by the image of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, watched over by U.S. President Bill Clinton, shaking hands on the White House lawn. Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli in 1995, while Arafat died in 2004.
+For Yossi Beilin, a former justice minister and Israeli negotiator, the accords' failure to bring peace came about because successive Israeli governments preferred to turn what was originally a temporary truce into a permanent status quo.
+With Israeli society riven by the dispute over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bid to curb the power of the Supreme Court, prospects of any concerted peace effort appear remote.
+""The current government in Israel doesn't show any signs of willingness to go for a permanent agreement. So, those who speak about a permanent agreement will have to speak about future governments,"" said Beilin, a former Labour Party politician.
+Israeli officials fear that once Abbas goes, the door will be open either to a push by Hamas into the West Bank, where it is increasingly active, or to anarchy as rivals for the leadership fight it out.
+But while several on the Israeli government side have spoken openly about annexing the West Bank entirely, the practical difficulties of such a move have proved prohibitive.
+Already Palestinians, and a number of international human rights organizations, accuse Israel of operating an apartheid system in the West Bank.
+Israel and its allies including the United States reject that charge but annexation would force it to find a way between giving Palestinians a status equivalent to Israelis that would alter Israel's character as a Jewish state or assigning them a separate status incompatible with a democracy.
+""We're both here and we are both here to stay,"" said 29 year-old Rotem Oreg, of the liberal think tank the Israeli Democratic Alliance.
+""So we need to figure out a way, one, to stay in the same land, two, without killing each other, and three, while maintaining a Jewish democratic state.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Near daily raids by Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinian fighters and numerous civilians, while an array of new militant groups has emerged in towns like Jenin and Nablus with little connection to the older generation of Palestinian leaders.  ""I have never seen the West Bank as it is at the moment ever, I have been in and out of here for almost 30 years and I haven't seen it worse,"" U.N. Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland said at a conference this week. The structures created by the Oslo Accords nonetheless remain in place as the main framework for relations between Israelis and Palestinians in the absence of anything better.
+The Palestinian Authority remains Israel's favoured, if often mistrusted, partner, though it lost control of Gaza when Hamas broke away in 2007. But dependent on foreign funds, with no electoral mandate and unpopular among its own people, it is caught between its roles as representative of the Palestinians and interlocutor with Israel. ""It's very weak, it's very poor but this agreement still exists,"" said Michael Milshtein, a former official for COGAT, the Israeli military body set up after Oslo to coordinate between Israel and the newly created PA. TEMPORARY  The accords' signing brought in a brief period of optimism, symbolised by the image of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, watched over by U.S. President Bill Clinton, shaking hands on the White House lawn. Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli in 1995, while Arafat died in 2004. For Yossi Beilin, a former justice minister and Israeli negotiator, the accords' failure to bring peace came about because successive Israeli governments preferred to turn what was originally a temporary truce into a permanent status quo.
+With Israeli society riven by the dispute over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bid to curb the power of the Supreme Court, prospects of any concerted peace effort appear remote.  ""The current government in Israel doesn't show any signs of willingness to go for a permanent agreement. So, those who speak about a permanent agreement will have to speak about future governments,"" said Beilin, a former Labour Party politician. Israeli officials fear that once Abbas goes, the door will be open either to a push by Hamas into the West Bank, where it is increasingly active, or to anarchy as rivals for the leadership fight it out.
+But while several on the Israeli government side have spoken openly about annexing the West Bank entirely, the practical difficulties of such a move have proved prohibitive. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/thirty-years-after-oslo-bleak-outlook-israel-palestinian-peace-2023-09-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Thirty years after Oslo, bleak outlook for Israel Palestinian peace[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Across the occupied West Bank, concrete checkpoints, separation walls and soldiers are reminders of the failure to build peace between Israelis and Palestinians since the historic Oslo Accords were signed 30 years ago this week.
+The accord, intended as a temporary measure to build confidence and create space for a permanent peace agreement, has long since frozen into a system for managing a conflict with no apparent end in sight.
+With the West Bank in turmoil, a nationalist government in Israel that dismisses any prospect of Palestinian statehood, and the Islamist movement Hamas flexing its muscles outside its home in Gaza, prospects for peace appear as distant as they ever have been.
+Once the 87-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas departs, a void will be left that may bring the crisis to a head.
+""We are at the end of an era both in Palestine and Israel and probably in the region as a whole,"" said Hanan Ashrawi, a civil activist and former spokesperson for the Palestinian delegation to the peace process in the 1990s.
+""That whole generation - that era of talking about mutual recognition, two states, negotiated settlement, peaceful resolution - that's coming to an end in Palestine,"" she said.
+Few on either side believe there is any realistic prospect of a two-state solution, with an independent Palestine existing side by side with Israel. The idea is now just a ""convenient fiction"" Ashrawi said.
+With barriers keeping the two sides apart in the West Bank, largely under Israeli military control, young Israelis and Palestinians have grown up knowing little of each other since the first agreement was signed on Sept. 13, 1993.
+""Oslo and I were born the same year,"" said Mohannad Qafesha, a legal activist in the southern city of Hebron. ""To me, I was born and there were checkpoints around me, around our house, if I leave home and go to the city to visit my friends, I would have to cross a checkpoint.""
+According to United Nations figures some 700,000 Jewish settlers are now established across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the core of any future Palestinian state, and settlement building is moving ahead rapidly. An estimated 3.2 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and 2.2 million in Gaza.
+Violence over the past 18 months has seen dozens of Israelis, including civilians and soldiers, killed in attacks by Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel, and brazen attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian towns and villages.
+Near daily raids by Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinian fighters and numerous civilians, while an array of new militant groups has emerged in towns like Jenin and Nablus with little connection to the older generation of Palestinian leaders.
+""I have never seen the West Bank as it is at the moment ever, I have been in and out of here for almost 30 years and I haven't seen it worse,"" U.N. Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland said at a conference this week.
+The structures created by the Oslo Accords nonetheless remain in place as the main framework for relations between Israelis and Palestinians in the absence of anything better.
+The Palestinian Authority remains Israel's favoured, if often mistrusted, partner, though it lost control of Gaza when Hamas broke away in 2007. But dependent on foreign funds, with no electoral mandate and unpopular among its own people, it is caught between its roles as representative of the Palestinians and interlocutor with Israel.
+""It's very weak, it's very poor but this agreement still exists,"" said Michael Milshtein, a former official for COGAT, the Israeli military body set up after Oslo to coordinate between Israel and the newly created PA.
+TEMPORARY
+The accords' signing brought in a brief period of optimism, symbolised by the image of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, watched over by U.S. President Bill Clinton, shaking hands on the White House lawn. Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli in 1995, while Arafat died in 2004.
+For Yossi Beilin, a former justice minister and Israeli negotiator, the accords' failure to bring peace came about because successive Israeli governments preferred to turn what was originally a temporary truce into a permanent status quo.
+With Israeli society riven by the dispute over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bid to curb the power of the Supreme Court, prospects of any concerted peace effort appear remote.
+""The current government in Israel doesn't show any signs of willingness to go for a permanent agreement. So, those who speak about a permanent agreement will have to speak about future governments,"" said Beilin, a former Labour Party politician.
+Israeli officials fear that once Abbas goes, the door will be open either to a push by Hamas into the West Bank, where it is increasingly active, or to anarchy as rivals for the leadership fight it out.
+But while several on the Israeli government side have spoken openly about annexing the West Bank entirely, the practical difficulties of such a move have proved prohibitive.
+Already Palestinians, and a number of international human rights organizations, accuse Israel of operating an apartheid system in the West Bank.
+Israel and its allies including the United States reject that charge but annexation would force it to find a way between giving Palestinians a status equivalent to Israelis that would alter Israel's character as a Jewish state or assigning them a separate status incompatible with a democracy.
+""We're both here and we are both here to stay,"" said 29 year-old Rotem Oreg, of the liberal think tank the Israeli Democratic Alliance.
+""So we need to figure out a way, one, to stay in the same land, two, without killing each other, and three, while maintaining a Jewish democratic state.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Already Palestinians, and a number of international human rights organizations, accuse Israel of operating an apartheid system in the West Bank.  Israel and its allies including the United States reject that charge but annexation would force it to find a way between giving Palestinians a status equivalent to Israelis that would alter Israel's character as a Jewish state or assigning them a separate status incompatible with a democracy.  ""We're both here and we are both here to stay,"" said 29 year-old Rotem Oreg, of the liberal think tank the Israeli Democratic Alliance.
+"" So we need to figure out a way, one, to stay in the same land, two, without killing each other, and three, while maintaining a Jewish democratic state.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-little-gold-coins-help-poor-save-2023-09-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza Gold: Little coins help the poor in  Palestinian enclave to save[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A Gaza dentist has developed ultra-lightweight gold coins to allow people without much money to access to one of the most widely used savings methods across the Middle East.
+""The idea stemmed from the community's need to own gold amid the difficult living conditions the people live in,"" said Ahmed Hamdan, who developed the coins, which range in weight from half a gram to 10 grams.
+""We have made gold available to people of all categories, gold that even the poor and those with low income can get some,"" Hamdan said.
+The 21-carat-gold coin, which bears the image of the Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem on one face with the word Palestine underneath, is licensed and stamped by the Ministry of Economy in Gaza, run by the Islamist Hamas group since 2007.
+However Osama Nofal, the head of policy at Gaza Economy Ministry, stressed the coins were not legal tender.
+""It mustn't be interpreted as if it were a future currency. It is no more than a way of saving,"" he said.
+Palestinians have no currency of their own and use the euro, U.S. dollar, Israeli shekel, and Jordanian dinar in their daily lives. As in many parts of the Middle East, mistrust of banks means many people prefer to keep their savings in gold.
+Gaza is home to 2.3 million Palestinians and nearly half of them are unemployed. Citing security concerns, both Israel and Egypt maintain restrictions along their frontiers with the territory.
+Adel Al-Rafati, a public servant, bought 3.5 grams throughout the past three months and is happy with his new growing insurance.
+""I can't buy heavy grams, but these tiny grams are easier to get. I can save because gold is a safer haven than other currencies,"" he said outside the gold store.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza Gold: Little coins help the poor in  Palestinian enclave to save[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A Gaza dentist has developed ultra-lightweight gold coins to allow people without much money to access to one of the most widely used savings methods across the Middle East. ""The idea stemmed from the community's need to own gold amid the difficult living conditions the people live in,"" said Ahmed Hamdan, who developed the coins, which range in weight from half a gram to 10 grams. ""We have made gold available to people of all categories, gold that even the poor and those with low income can get some,"" Hamdan said. The 21-carat-gold coin, which bears the image of the Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem on one face with the word Palestine underneath, is licensed and stamped by the Ministry of Economy in Gaza, run by the Islamist Hamas group since 2007. However Osama Nofal, the head of policy at Gaza Economy Ministry, stressed the coins were not legal tender.  ""It mustn't be interpreted as if it were a future currency. It is no more than a way of saving,"" he said.  Palestinians have no currency of their own and use the euro, U.S. dollar, Israeli shekel, and Jordanian dinar in their daily lives. As in many parts of the Middle East, mistrust of banks means many people prefer to keep their savings in gold.  Gaza is home to 2.3 million Palestinians and nearly half of them are unemployed. Citing security concerns, both Israel and Egypt maintain restrictions along their frontiers with the territory. Adel Al-Rafati, a public servant, bought 3.5 grams throughout the past three months and is happy with his new growing insurance.  ""I can't buy heavy grams, but these tiny grams are easier to get. I can save because gold is a safer haven than other currencies,"" he said outside the gold store.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/papua-new-guinea-opens-embassy-jerusalem-2023-09-05/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Papua New Guinea opens embassy in Jerusalem[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem on Tuesday, becoming only the fifth country with a full diplomatic mission in a city whose status is one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East.
+The Pacific nation's mission joins embassies from the United States, Kosovo, Guatemala and Honduras in Jerusalem, while most countries maintain their diplomatic representation in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, Israel's main economic hub.
+While Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there, most of the world does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, believing its status should be resolved in negotiations.
+Palestinians want the capital of an independent state of theirs to be in the city's eastern sector, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move never recognized internationally.
+Israel will pay for the embassy, located in a high-rise opposite Jerusalem's biggest mall, for the first two years, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape was quoted in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier newspaper.
+Marape also pledged support at the United Nations for Israel, whose leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attended the embassy ceremony in a reprieve from stalled regional peacemaking and clouded ties with Washington.
+""Many nations choose not to open their embassies in Jerusalem, but we have made a conscious choice,"" Marape said at the embassy's inauguration ceremony.
+""For us to call ourselves Christian, paying respect to God will not be complete without recognizing that Jerusalem is the universal capital of the people and the nation of Israel,"" Marape said.
+Wassel Abu Youssef, an official with the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation, said Israel was ""looking for any country - even if that country can only be seen under a microscope - so it can claim there are countries opening embassies in Jerusalem"".
+Papua New Guinea, which occupies the eastern half of the West Pacific Island of New Guinea, has an economy based on agriculture and mining. Its bilateral trade with Israel is worth just $1 million a year, according to Israeli authorities.
+Netanyahu said the new embassy would make it easier to develop agriculture, health, water and technology projects. ""This will not only enable us to cherish the past but also seize the future,"" he said at the ceremony.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Papua New Guinea opens embassy in Jerusalem[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem on Tuesday, becoming only the fifth country with a full diplomatic mission in a city whose status is one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East . The Pacific nation's mission joins embassies from the United States, Kosovo, Guatemala and Honduras in Jerusalem, while most countries maintain their diplomatic representation in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, Israel's main economic hub.
+While Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there, most of the world does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, believing its status should be resolved in negotiations.
+Palestinians want the capital of an independent state of theirs to be in the city's eastern sector, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move never recognized internationally.
+Israel will pay for the embassy, located in a high-rise opposite Jerusalem's biggest mall, for the first two years, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape was quoted in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier newspaper. Marape also pledged support at the United Nations for Israel, whose leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attended the embassy ceremony in a reprieve from stalled regional peacemaking and clouded ties with Washington. ""Many nations choose not to open their embassies in Jerusalem, but we have made a conscious choice,"" Marape said at the embassy's inauguration ceremony. ""For us to call ourselves Christian, paying respect to God will not be complete without recognizing that Jerusalem is the universal capital of the people and the nation of Israel,"" Marape said. Wassel Abu Youssef, an official with the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation, said Israel was ""looking for any country - even if that country can only be seen under a microscope - so it can claim there are countries opening embassies in Jerusalem"".  Papua New Guinea, which occupies the eastern half of the West Pacific Island of New Guinea, has an economy based on agriculture and mining. Its bilateral trade with Israel is worth just $1 million a year, according to Israeli authorities.  Netanyahu said the new embassy would make it easier to develop agriculture, health, water and technology projects. ""This will not only enable us to cherish the past but also seize the future,"" he said at the ceremony.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-schools-gaza-begin-school-year-uncertain-if-they-will-stay-open-2023-08-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. schools in Gaza begin school year uncertain if they will stay open[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Gaza's students began their new school term on Sunday, but it is unclear if they will be able to complete the year uninterrupted due to a funding crisis at the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency.
+The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) runs 288 schools in the Palestinian territory, among 700 across parts of the Middle East region that it funds alongside 140 medical clinics.
+But it is short of nearly $200 million needed to pay for staff salaries and keep the services running until the end of 2023.
+“We haven’t secured all the funding we need to ensure that our schools can remain operational until the end of this year, so we are working on securing the funds needed to keep schools in Gaza open,” said Thomas White, Gaza director of UNRWA's affairs.
+White said some donor countries would hold discussion about funding for UNRWA in September.
+""In the event we don’t get the funding, it is 298,000 students who might not be going to school. In Gaza, it is 1.2 million people who may not have access to health care,"" White told Reuters during a visit to one U.N.-run school in Gaza City.
+In addition to the $200 million to support its operational budget in the wider region, UNRWA also needs $75 million for food aid in Gaza.
+Around two thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million population are refugees, mainly the descendants of those who fled or had been forced to flee their hometowns and villages around the 1948 war which saw the birth of the state of Israel.
+The UNRWA schools educate a little under half of Gaza's young people, with around 300,000 students at government-run schools and others at privately owned schools.
+In Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Palestinian refugee Sami Abu Mallouh, 47, said his family of 12 depended on UNRWA for education, medical treatment and food aid.
+""Without UNRWA we are worth nothing,"" Mallouh said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]U.N. schools in Gaza begin school year uncertain if they will stay open[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Gaza's students began their new school term on Sunday, but it is unclear if they will be able to complete the year uninterrupted due to a funding crisis at the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency. The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) runs 288 schools in the Palestinian territory, among 700 across parts of the Middle East region that it funds alongside 140 medical clinics. But it is short of nearly $200 million needed to pay for staff salaries and keep the services running until the end of 2023. “We haven’t secured all the funding we need to ensure that our schools can remain operational until the end of this year, so we are working on securing the funds needed to keep schools in Gaza open,” said Thomas White, Gaza director of UNRWA's affairs.  White said some donor countries would hold discussion about funding for UNRWA in September.
+""In the event we don’t get the funding, it is 298,000 students who might not be going to school. In Gaza, it is 1.2 million people who may not have access to health care,"" White told Reuters during a visit to one U.N.-run school in Gaza City.  In addition to the $200 million to support its operational budget in the wider region, UNRWA also needs $75 million for food aid in Gaza. Around two thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million population are refugees, mainly the descendants of those who fled or had been forced to flee their hometowns and villages around the 1948 war which saw the birth of the state of Israel. The UNRWA schools educate a little under half of Gaza's young people, with around 300,000 students at government-run schools and others at privately owned schools.  In Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Palestinian refugee Sami Abu Mallouh, 47, said his family of 12 depended on UNRWA for education, medical treatment and food aid.
+""Without UNRWA we are worth nothing,"" Mallouh said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/from-river-sea-prompts-vienna-ban-pro-palestinian-protest-2023-10-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]From the river to the sea' prompts Vienna to ban pro-Palestinian protest[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VIENNA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Vienna police on Wednesday banned a pro-Palestinian protest due to coincide with a pro-Israel event after Saturday's attack by Hamas, citing the fact the phrase ""from the river to the sea"" was mentioned in invitations and characterising it as a call to violence.
+ The head of the city's police force, Gerhard Puerstl, held a news conference at short notice less than three hours before the protest was due to be held at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) on the square next to the cathedral in the centre of the city.
+ The demonstration, which organisers told the police would involve roughly 200 to 250 people, was due to begin 30 minutes after a nearby memorial event for the victims and those missing after Saturday's attack in which Israel says more than 1,200 people were killed.
+ ""Fundamentally it is this 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free', a PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) slogan that has been adopted by Hamas,"" Puerstl said when asked to explain what he meant by ""codes"" that had been included in online invitations to the protest.
+ The river is the Jordan and the sea is the Mediterranean, between which lie Israel and the Palestinian territories. The phrase is often chanted at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
+ Puerstl said the police interpreted that in the current context as a ""clear call to violence"", adding that it meant wiping Israel off the map
+ ""The demonstration obviously aims to create a climate in which the violent conflict in this region (the Middle East) is brought onto the streets of Vienna,"" Puerstl said, adding that when police contacted the woman who registered the demonstration she did not distance herself from the phrase.
+ He did not identify her.
+ The memorial event for the victims of the attack, arranged by the organisation that officially represents Vienna's Jewish community, was due to be held in front of conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer's office.
+ Austria's ruling conservatives have in recent years adopted one of the most pro-Israel stances in the European Union.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]From the river to the sea' prompts Vienna to ban pro-Palestinian protest[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VIENNA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Vienna police on Wednesday banned a pro-Palestinian protest due to coincide with a pro-Israel event after Saturday's attack by Hamas, citing the fact the phrase ""from the river to the sea"" was mentioned in invitations and characterising it as a call to violence. The head of the city's police force, Gerhard Puerstl, held a news conference at short notice less than three hours before the protest was due to be held at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) on the square next to the cathedral in the centre of the city. The demonstration, which organisers told the police would involve roughly 200 to 250 people, was due to begin 30 minutes after a nearby memorial event for the victims and those missing after Saturday's attack in which Israel says more than 1,200 people were killed.
+ ""Fundamentally it is this 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free', a PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) slogan that has been adopted by Hamas,"" Puerstl said when asked to explain what he meant by ""codes"" that had been included in online invitations to the protest.  The river is the Jordan and the sea is the Mediterranean, between which lie Israel and the Palestinian territories. The phrase is often chanted at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.  Puerstl said the police interpreted that in the current context as a ""clear call to violence"", adding that it meant wiping Israel off the map
+ "" The demonstration obviously aims to create a climate in which the violent conflict in this region (the Middle East) is brought onto the streets of Vienna,"" Puerstl said, adding that when police contacted the woman who registered the demonstration she did not distance herself from the phrase. He did not identify her. The memorial event for the victims of the attack, arranged by the organisation that officially represents Vienna's Jewish community, was due to be held in front of conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer's office. Austria's ruling conservatives have in recent years adopted one of the most pro-Israel stances in the European Union.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-palestinian-refugee-agency-seeks-104-mln-urgent-aid-gaza-2023-10-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN Palestinian refugee agency seeks $104 million for urgent aid to Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency said on Wednesday it was seeking $104 million for life-saving aid to Gaza, which has been pounded by Israeli reprisal strikes following attacks by Hamas against Israel.
+ ""UNRWA is urgently seeking US$ 104 million to enable its multi-sectoral humanitarian response over the coming 90 days,"" the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said in a statement.
+ ""The requested funds will cover the urgent immediate food, non-food, health, shelter and protection needs of up to 250,000 persons seeking safety in UNRWA shelters across the ravaged Gaza Strip and another 250,000 Palestine refugees within the community.""
+ UNRWA, which was already facing financial difficulties, said it had enough funding to continue its regular services, including education, healthcare and social protection, across the region until the end of October.
+ ""To keep our life-saving work in Gaza and throughout the region ongoing and to remain a lifeline for millions of Palestine Refugees across the region, I appeal to UNRWA's donors and partners to scale up their financial support,"" said Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA.
+ In January, the U.N. agency had appealed for $1.6 billion in funding, warning it was struggling to fulfil its mandate due to spiralling costs and shrinking resources.
+ Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA provides public services including schooling, primary healthcare and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN Palestinian refugee agency seeks $104 million for urgent aid to Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency said on Wednesday it was seeking $104 million for life-saving aid to Gaza, which has been pounded by Israeli reprisal strikes following attacks by Hamas against Israel.  ""UNRWA is urgently seeking US$ 104 million to enable its multi-sectoral humanitarian response over the coming 90 days,"" the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said in a statement.
+ "" The requested funds will cover the urgent immediate food, non-food, health, shelter and protection needs of up to 250,000 persons seeking safety in UNRWA shelters across the ravaged Gaza Strip and another 250,000 Palestine refugees within the community."" UNRWA, which was already facing financial difficulties, said it had enough funding to continue its regular services, including education, healthcare and social protection, across the region until the end of October. ""To keep our life-saving work in Gaza and throughout the region ongoing and to remain a lifeline for millions of Palestine Refugees across the region, I appeal to UNRWA's donors and partners to scale up their financial support,"" said Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA. In January, the U.N. agency had appealed for $1.6 billion in funding, warning it was struggling to fulfil its mandate due to spiralling costs and shrinking resources.
+ Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA provides public services including schooling, primary healthcare and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/brief-history-gazas-75-years-woe-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A brief history of Gaza's 75 years of woe[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lay on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore. Held by the Ottoman Empire until 1917, it passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule over the last century and is now a fenced-in enclave, opens new tab inhabited by over 2 million Palestinians.
+ Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history.
+ 1948 - End of British rule
+ As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbors in May 1948.Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes. The invading Egyptian army had seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long, which ran from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon. The influx of refugees saw Gaza's population triple to around 200,000.1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+ Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, allowing Palestinians to work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals.
+ The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
+ 1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+ Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could gain easy access at that time. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and to guard the settlements that Israel built in the following decades. These became a source of growing Palestinian resentment.
+ 1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed
+ Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.Seizing the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and restoration of Islamic rule in what it saw as occupied Palestine, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party that led the Palestine Liberation Organization.
+ 1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+ Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile.The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.
+ Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle.
+ 2000 - Second Palestinian intifada
+ In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli air strikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.One casualty was Gaza International Airport, a symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence and the Palestinians' only direct link to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel or Egypt. Opened in 1998, Israel deemed it a security threat and destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, a restriction it said was necessary to stop boats smuggling weapons.2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+ In August 2005 Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, which was by then completely fenced off from the outside world by Israel.
+ Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt.But the pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+ 2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+ In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and then seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.
+ Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas because they regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization.Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt also imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings.Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy east, away from Israel, foundered before they even started.
+ Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt's military-backed leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took power in 2014, closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse.
+ Conflict cycle
+ Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.Before 2023, some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel. Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighborhoods in Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.
+ 2023 - Surprise attack
+ While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack on Israel, rampaging through towns, killing hundreds, and taking dozens of hostages back to Gaza. Israel took revenge, hammering Gaza with air strikes and razing entire districts in some of the worst blood-letting in the 75 years of conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]A brief history of Gaza's 75 years of woe[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lay on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore. Held by the Ottoman Empire until 1917, it passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule over the last century and is now a fenced-in enclave, opens new tab inhabited by over 2 million Palestinians. Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history. 1948 - End of British rule
+ As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbors in May 1948.Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes. The invading Egyptian army had seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long, which ran from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon. The influx of refugees saw Gaza's population triple to around 200,000.1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule  Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, allowing Palestinians to work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals. The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank. 1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+ Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees. With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could gain easy access at that time. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and to guard the settlements that Israel built in the following decades. These became a source of growing Palestinian resentment. 1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed. Seizing the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/brief-history-gazas-75-years-woe-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A brief history of Gaza's 75 years of woe[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lay on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore. Held by the Ottoman Empire until 1917, it passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule over the last century and is now a fenced-in enclave, opens new tab inhabited by over 2 million Palestinians.
+ Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history.
+ 1948 - End of British rule
+ As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbors in May 1948.Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes. The invading Egyptian army had seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long, which ran from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon. The influx of refugees saw Gaza's population triple to around 200,000.1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+ Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, allowing Palestinians to work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals.
+ The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
+ 1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+ Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could gain easy access at that time. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and to guard the settlements that Israel built in the following decades. These became a source of growing Palestinian resentment.
+ 1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed
+ Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.Seizing the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and restoration of Islamic rule in what it saw as occupied Palestine, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party that led the Palestine Liberation Organization.
+ 1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+ Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile.The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.
+ Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle.
+ 2000 - Second Palestinian intifada
+ In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli air strikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.One casualty was Gaza International Airport, a symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence and the Palestinians' only direct link to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel or Egypt. Opened in 1998, Israel deemed it a security threat and destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, a restriction it said was necessary to stop boats smuggling weapons.2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+ In August 2005 Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, which was by then completely fenced off from the outside world by Israel.
+ Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt.But the pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+ 2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+ In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and then seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.
+ Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas because they regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization.Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt also imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings.Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy east, away from Israel, foundered before they even started.
+ Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt's military-backed leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took power in 2014, closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse.
+ Conflict cycle
+ Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.Before 2023, some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel. Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighborhoods in Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.
+ 2023 - Surprise attack
+ While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack on Israel, rampaging through towns, killing hundreds, and taking dozens of hostages back to Gaza. Israel took revenge, hammering Gaza with air strikes and razing entire districts in some of the worst blood-letting in the 75 years of conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and restoration of Islamic rule in what it saw as occupied Palestine, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party that led the Palestine Liberation Organization.  1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+ Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile. The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.  Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle. 2000 - Second Palestinian intifada In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli air strikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews. One casualty was Gaza International Airport, a symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence and the Palestinians' only direct link to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel or Egypt. Opened in 1998, Israel deemed it a security threat and destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, a restriction it said was necessary to stop boats smuggling weapons.2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements In August 2005 Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, which was by then completely fenced off from the outside world by Israel.  Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt. But the pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans. 2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+ In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and then seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/brief-history-gazas-75-years-woe-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]A brief history of Gaza's 75 years of woe[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lay on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore. Held by the Ottoman Empire until 1917, it passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule over the last century and is now a fenced-in enclave, opens new tab inhabited by over 2 million Palestinians.
+ Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history.
+ 1948 - End of British rule
+ As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbors in May 1948.Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes. The invading Egyptian army had seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long, which ran from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon. The influx of refugees saw Gaza's population triple to around 200,000.1950s & 1960s - Egyptian military rule
+ Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, allowing Palestinians to work and study in Egypt. Armed Palestinian ""fedayeen,"" many of them refugees, mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals.
+ The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.6 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
+ 1967 - War and Israeli military occupation
+ Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.With the Egyptians gone, many Gazan workers took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could gain easy access at that time. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory and to guard the settlements that Israel built in the following decades. These became a source of growing Palestinian resentment.
+ 1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed
+ Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed.Seizing the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch, Hamas, with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and restoration of Islamic rule in what it saw as occupied Palestine, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party that led the Palestine Liberation Organization.
+ 1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy
+ Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile.The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement building.
+ Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafat's inner circle.
+ 2000 - Second Palestinian intifada
+ In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a new low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli air strikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews.One casualty was Gaza International Airport, a symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence and the Palestinians' only direct link to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel or Egypt. Opened in 1998, Israel deemed it a security threat and destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone was reduced by Israel, a restriction it said was necessary to stop boats smuggling weapons.2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements
+ In August 2005 Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, which was by then completely fenced off from the outside world by Israel.
+ Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and a ""tunnel economy"" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt.But the pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans.
+ 2006 - Isolation under Hamas
+ In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections and then seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.
+ Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas because they regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization.Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt also imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings.Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy east, away from Israel, foundered before they even started.
+ Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt's military-backed leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took power in 2014, closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse.
+ Conflict cycle
+ Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.Before 2023, some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel. Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighborhoods in Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians.
+ 2023 - Surprise attack
+ While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret.On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack on Israel, rampaging through towns, killing hundreds, and taking dozens of hostages back to Gaza. Israel took revenge, hammering Gaza with air strikes and razing entire districts in some of the worst blood-letting in the 75 years of conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas because they regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization. Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt also imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings. Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy east, away from Israel, foundered before they even started.  Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypt's military-backed leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took power in 2014, closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gaza's economy went into reverse. Conflict cycle  Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups. Before 2023, some of the worst fighting was in 2014, when Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel. Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighborhoods in Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians. 2023 - Surprise attack While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled in secret. On Oct.7, Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack on Israel, rampaging through towns, killing hundreds, and taking dozens of hostages back to Gaza. Israel took revenge, hammering Gaza with air strikes and razing entire districts in some of the worst blood-letting in the 75 years of conflict.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-palestinian-group-hamas-2023-10-07/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Palestinian group Hamas?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 7 (Reuters) - The Palestinian group Hamas has launched a surprise attack from Gaza into Israel, in one of the most serious escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in years.
+ What is Hamas?
+ - Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian Intifada, or uprising. It is backed by Shi'ite Iran and shares the Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was established in Egypt in the 1920s.
+ - It has run the Gaza Strip since 2007, after a brief civil war with forces loyal to the Fatah movement led by President Mahmoud Abbas, who is based in the West Bank and also heads the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
+ The Hamas takeover of Gaza followed its win in Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 – the last time they were held. Hamas accused Abbas of conspiring against it. Abbas described what happened as a coup.
+ Since then, there have been numerous rounds of conflict with Israel, often involving Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and Israeli airstrikes and bombardment of Gaza.- Hamas refuses to recognise the state of Israel and violently opposed the Oslo peace accords negotiated by Israel and the PLO in the mid-1990s.
+ - Hamas has an armed wing called the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, which has sent gunmen and suicide bombers into Israel. Hamas characterizes its armed activities as resistance against Israeli occupation.
+ Its 1988 founding charter called for the destruction of Israel, although Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce, or Hudna in Arabic, with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel regards this as a ruse.
+ - It is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan.
+ - Hamas is part of a regional alliance comprising Iran, Syria and the Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which all broadly oppose U.S. policy in the Middle East and Israel.
+ - While its power base is in Gaza, Hamas also has supporters across the Palestinian territories, and it has leaders spread across the Middle East in countries including Qatar.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is the Palestinian group Hamas?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 7 (Reuters) - The Palestinian group Hamas has launched a surprise attack from Gaza into Israel, in one of the most serious escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in years. What is Hamas?  - Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian Intifada, or uprising. It is backed by Shi'ite Iran and shares the Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was established in Egypt in the 1920s. - It has run the Gaza Strip since 2007, after a brief civil war with forces loyal to the Fatah movement led by President Mahmoud Abbas, who is based in the West Bank and also heads the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).  The Hamas takeover of Gaza followed its win in Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 – the last time they were held. Hamas accused Abbas of conspiring against it. Abbas described what happened as a coup.  Since then, there have been numerous rounds of conflict with Israel, often involving Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and Israeli airstrikes and bombardment of Gaza.- Hamas refuses to recognise the state of Israel and violently opposed the Oslo peace accords negotiated by Israel and the PLO in the mid-1990s.
+ - Hamas has an armed wing called the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, which has sent gunmen and suicide bombers into Israel. Hamas characterizes its armed activities as resistance against Israeli occupation.  Its 1988 founding charter called for the destruction of Israel, although Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce, or Hudna in Arabic, with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel regards this as a ruse. - It is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan.  - Hamas is part of a regional alliance comprising Iran, Syria and the Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which all broadly oppose U.S. policy in the Middle East and Israel.
+ - While its power base is in Gaza, Hamas also has supporters across the Palestinian territories, and it has leaders spread across the Middle East in countries including Qatar.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/photo-israeli-flag-azerbaijan-skyscrapers-2015-2023-10-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Photo of Israeli flag on Azerbaijan skyscrapers from 2015[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A photo from 2015 of the Israeli flag projected on three skyscrapers in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku is falsely claimed online to have been captured after this weekend’s attack on Israel by the Islamist militant group Hamas.
+ Israel’s death toll from Hamas militants' rampage on Oct. 7 reached 1,200, Israel’s military said, Reuters reported on Oct. 11, opens new tab.
+ A Facebook user sharing the image, which shows three skyscrapers known as the Flame Towers, wrote on Oct. 8, opens new tab: “Yesterday in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan (a Shiite Muslim country in Caucasus area) where I was born and grew up, the three skyscrapers which are the symbol of the city were lit up in the colors of the Israeli flag.”
+ Other iterations can be found on Facebook, opens new tab.
+ However, the image was first shared on social media, opens new tab in June 2015 by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles. The consulate said at the time that the display honoured the Israeli sports team at the European Games, held in Azerbaijan.
+ On Oct. 7, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry shared a message after the Hamas attack. Writing on messaging platform X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, the ministry said: “We condemn violence against civilians in the Israel-Palestine conflict zone. We express condolences for tragic loss of lives among many civilians both in Israel and Gaza Strip. We call for an urgent de-escalation of the situation.”
+ VERDICT
+ Miscaptioned. The image of the Israeli flag on the Flame Towers in Baku dates to 2015.
+ This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more, opens new tab about our fact-checking work.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Photo of Israeli flag on Azerbaijan skyscrapers from 2015[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A photo from 2015 of the Israeli flag projected on three skyscrapers in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku is falsely claimed online to have been captured after this weekend’s attack on Israel by the Islamist militant group Hamas. Israel’s death toll from Hamas militants' rampage on Oct. 7 reached 1,200, Israel’s military said, Reuters reported on Oct. 11, opens new tab.  A Facebook user sharing the image, which shows three skyscrapers known as the Flame Towers, wrote on Oct. 8, opens new tab: “Yesterday in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan (a Shiite Muslim country in Caucasus area) where I was born and grew up, the three skyscrapers which are the symbol of the city were lit up in the colors of the Israeli flag.”
+ Other iterations can be found on Facebook, opens new tab.
+ However, the image was first shared on social media, opens new tab in June 2015 by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles. The consulate said at the time that the display honoured the Israeli sports team at the European Games, held in Azerbaijan.  On Oct. 7, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry shared a message after the Hamas attack. Writing on messaging platform X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, the ministry said: “We condemn violence against civilians in the Israel-Palestine conflict zone. We express condolences for tragic loss of lives among many civilians both in Israel and Gaza Strip. We call for an urgent de-escalation of the situation.”  VERDICT
+ Miscaptioned. The image of the Israeli flag on the Flame Towers in Baku dates to 2015.  This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more, opens new tab about our fact-checking work.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/nine-staffers-working-with-un-palestinian-refugee-agency-killed-air-strikes-gaza-2023-10-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Eleven workers with UN refugee agency, five IFRC members killed in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Eleven workers with the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency have been killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip since Saturday, and five members of the international Red Cross and Red Crescent have also been killed in the conflict, the organisations said on Wednesday.
+ ""We are very saddened to confirm that 11 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since 7 October in the Gaza Strip,"" UNWRA said in a statement.
+ It did not specify if they were Palestinian or foreign personnel but said they included five teachers at UNRWA schools, one gynecologist, one engineer, one psychological counselor and three support staff.
+ ""Some were killed in their homes with their families. UNRWA mourns this loss and is grieving with our colleagues and the families,"" it said.
+ The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said in a separate statement that five of its members - four in Gaza and one in Israel - had been killed.
+ IFRC said that four Palestine Red Crescent paramedics were killed when their ambulances were hit in two different incidents on Wednesday.
+ On Saturday, an ambulance driver for Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency service, lost his life while driving an ambulance to treat the injured, IFRC said.
+ UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) also said nearly 175,500 internally displaced people were sheltering in 88 of its schools across Gaza.
+ ""The numbers continue to increase as airstrikes continue from the Israeli Air Forces,"" it said.
+ ""UNRWA staff are working around the clock to respond to the needs of the displaced in the shelters. However, some are overcrowded and have limited availability of food, other basic items and potable water.""
+ Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA provides public services including schooling, primary healthcare and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
+ UNRWA said two of its schools had been affected by airstrikes, bringing the number of its facilities impacted by the conflict to 20. All of the schools it runs across the Gaza Strip remain closed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Eleven workers with UN refugee agency, five IFRC members killed in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Eleven workers with the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency have been killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip since Saturday, and five members of the international Red Cross and Red Crescent have also been killed in the conflict, the organisations said on Wednesday. ""We are very saddened to confirm that 11 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since 7 October in the Gaza Strip,"" UNWRA said in a statement. It did not specify if they were Palestinian or foreign personnel but said they included five teachers at UNRWA schools, one gynecologist, one engineer, one psychological counselor and three support staff.  ""Some were killed in their homes with their families. UNRWA mourns this loss and is grieving with our colleagues and the families,"" it said. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said in a separate statement that five of its members - four in Gaza and one in Israel - had been killed. IFRC said that four Palestine Red Crescent paramedics were killed when their ambulances were hit in two different incidents on Wednesday. On Saturday, an ambulance driver for Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency service, lost his life while driving an ambulance to treat the injured, IFRC said. UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) also said nearly 175,500 internally displaced people were sheltering in 88 of its schools across Gaza. ""The numbers continue to increase as airstrikes continue from the Israeli Air Forces,"" it said.
+ "" UNRWA staff are working around the clock to respond to the needs of the displaced in the shelters. However, some are overcrowded and have limited availability of food, other basic items and potable water.""
+ Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA provides public services including schooling, primary healthcare and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.  UNRWA said two of its schools had been affected by airstrikes, bringing the number of its facilities impacted by the conflict to 20. All of the schools it runs across the Gaza Strip remain closed.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-gaza-say-israeli-bombardment-feels-like-new-nakba-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians in Gaza say Israeli bombardment feels like new 'Nakba'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - Palestinians in Gaza say Israeli bombardment has been so heavy they feel they are living their own ""Nakba,"" the Arabic word for catastrophe that refers to the 1948 war of Israel's creation that led to their mass dispossession.
+ Israel on Tuesday pounded the Gaza Strip with the fiercest air strikes in its 75-year conflict with the Palestinians, leaving Gazans like Plestia Alaqad, 22, running for their lives.
+ ""The situation is crazy - literally no place is safe. I've personally evacuated three times since yesterday,"" said Alaqad, who has been filming personal accounts of life under bombardment and posting them on her Instagram page.
+ After her apartment block was hit, she took refuge in a friend's home but then got a call it would be targeted too. After a brief stay in a hospital, where she charged her phone, she headed to another home to take shelter with journalists.
+ ""Only yesterday I understood what my grandpa, may he rest in peace, told me about 1948 and the Nakba. When I used to hear the stories about it, I didn't understand,"" she said via videocall from a home in Gaza where she and others were seeking refuge from bombardment after the surprise Hamas attack on Israel.
+ ""I'm 22 years old - and yesterday I understood the Nakba completely.""More than seven decades after the Nakba, Palestinians still lament the calamity that resulted in their displacement and blocked their dreams of statehood.
+ In the war surrounding Israel's founding, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, and have been denied return. Many ended up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+ Israel has already tightened its blockade of Gaza, fully banning food and fuel imports and cutting the electricity supply. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned that the price Gaza would pay ""will change reality for generations"".
+ Radwan Abu al-Kass, a boxing instructor and father of three boys, said his five-storey house in the al-Rimal district had been destroyed in bombardment on Monday night.
+ ""We'd never imagine our house could become a mountain of rubble. That's all it is now,"" he told Reuters by phone.
+ Al-Kass and his children were now seeking refuge at a friend's home a few kilometres away, but feared that heavier bombardment was to come.
+ ""This is our 1948. It's the same thing. It's another Nakba.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians in Gaza say Israeli bombardment feels like new 'Nakba'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - Palestinians in Gaza say Israeli bombardment has been so heavy they feel they are living their own ""Nakba,"" the Arabic word for catastrophe that refers to the 1948 war of Israel's creation that led to their mass dispossession. Israel on Tuesday pounded the Gaza Strip with the fiercest air strikes in its 75-year conflict with the Palestinians, leaving Gazans like Plestia Alaqad, 22, running for their lives. ""The situation is crazy - literally no place is safe. I've personally evacuated three times since yesterday,"" said Alaqad, who has been filming personal accounts of life under bombardment and posting them on her Instagram page.  After her apartment block was hit, she took refuge in a friend's home but then got a call it would be targeted too. After a brief stay in a hospital, where she charged her phone, she headed to another home to take shelter with journalists. ""Only yesterday I understood what my grandpa, may he rest in peace, told me about 1948 and the Nakba. When I used to hear the stories about it, I didn't understand,"" she said via videocall from a home in Gaza where she and others were seeking refuge from bombardment after the surprise Hamas attack on Israel.  ""I'm 22 years old - and yesterday I understood the Nakba completely.""More than seven decades after the Nakba, Palestinians still lament the calamity that resulted in their displacement and blocked their dreams of statehood.  In the war surrounding Israel's founding, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, and have been denied return. Many ended up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.  Israel has already tightened its blockade of Gaza, fully banning food and fuel imports and cutting the electricity supply. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned that the price Gaza would pay ""will change reality for generations"". Radwan Abu al-Kass, a boxing instructor and father of three boys, said his five-storey house in the al-Rimal district had been destroyed in bombardment on Monday night.  ""We'd never imagine our house could become a mountain of rubble. That's all it is now,"" he told Reuters by phone. Al-Kass and his children were now seeking refuge at a friend's home a few kilometres away, but feared that heavier bombardment was to come.  ""This is our 1948."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-gaza-say-israeli-bombardment-feels-like-new-nakba-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians in Gaza say Israeli bombardment feels like new 'Nakba'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - Palestinians in Gaza say Israeli bombardment has been so heavy they feel they are living their own ""Nakba,"" the Arabic word for catastrophe that refers to the 1948 war of Israel's creation that led to their mass dispossession.
+ Israel on Tuesday pounded the Gaza Strip with the fiercest air strikes in its 75-year conflict with the Palestinians, leaving Gazans like Plestia Alaqad, 22, running for their lives.
+ ""The situation is crazy - literally no place is safe. I've personally evacuated three times since yesterday,"" said Alaqad, who has been filming personal accounts of life under bombardment and posting them on her Instagram page.
+ After her apartment block was hit, she took refuge in a friend's home but then got a call it would be targeted too. After a brief stay in a hospital, where she charged her phone, she headed to another home to take shelter with journalists.
+ ""Only yesterday I understood what my grandpa, may he rest in peace, told me about 1948 and the Nakba. When I used to hear the stories about it, I didn't understand,"" she said via videocall from a home in Gaza where she and others were seeking refuge from bombardment after the surprise Hamas attack on Israel.
+ ""I'm 22 years old - and yesterday I understood the Nakba completely.""More than seven decades after the Nakba, Palestinians still lament the calamity that resulted in their displacement and blocked their dreams of statehood.
+ In the war surrounding Israel's founding, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, and have been denied return. Many ended up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+ Israel has already tightened its blockade of Gaza, fully banning food and fuel imports and cutting the electricity supply. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned that the price Gaza would pay ""will change reality for generations"".
+ Radwan Abu al-Kass, a boxing instructor and father of three boys, said his five-storey house in the al-Rimal district had been destroyed in bombardment on Monday night.
+ ""We'd never imagine our house could become a mountain of rubble. That's all it is now,"" he told Reuters by phone.
+ Al-Kass and his children were now seeking refuge at a friend's home a few kilometres away, but feared that heavier bombardment was to come.
+ ""This is our 1948. It's the same thing. It's another Nakba.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","It's the same thing. It's another Nakba.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-urges-release-all-hamas-hostages-concerned-by-gaza-siege-2023-10-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope urges Hamas to free hostages, says Israel has right to self-defence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, in his strongest comments since the start of the conflict in Gaza, on Wednesday called for the release of all hostages taken by Hamas militants and said Israel has a right to defend itself.
+ Speaking in a sombre voice at the end of his weekly general audience to thousands of people in St. Peter's Square, he also expressed grave concern over Israel's siege imposed on Gaza.
+ ""I continue to follow, with pain and apprehension, what is happening in Israel and Palestine. So many people killed, and others wounded. I pray for those families who saw a feast day turn into a day of mourning, and I ask that the hostages be immediately released,"" he said.
+ ""It is the right of those who are attacked to defend themselves, but I am very worried by the total siege in which Palestinians live in Gaza, where there have also been many innocent victims,"" he said.
+ On Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern Israel, in the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's history.
+ Israel's military said the death toll in Israel had reached 1,200 by Wednesday and more than 2,700 people had been wounded.
+ The pope's mention of Israel's right to self defence followed diplomatic pressure from Israel for him to make such a statement, following earlier statements from the pope and Vatican officials which Israel saw as too timid.
+ Israel's ambassador to the Vatican, Raphael Schutz, told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Rome on Monday: ""I understand the Vatican wants peace. We all want peace. But I would like to hear stronger words about Israel's right to defend itself.""
+ In his comments on Wednesday, the pope said ""Terrorism and extremism do not help reach a solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians but fuel hatred, violence, revenge and cause suffering for both sides"".
+ Gaza's health ministry said at least 950 people have been killed and 5,000 injured in the crowded coastal enclave.
+ ""The Middle East does not need war but peace, a peace built on justice, on dialogue and the on the courage to be fraternal,"" Francis said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope urges Hamas to free hostages, says Israel has right to self-defence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, in his strongest comments since the start of the conflict in Gaza, on Wednesday called for the release of all hostages taken by Hamas militants and said Israel has a right to defend itself. Speaking in a sombre voice at the end of his weekly general audience to thousands of people in St. Peter's Square, he also expressed grave concern over Israel's siege imposed on Gaza.  ""I continue to follow, with pain and apprehension, what is happening in Israel and Palestine. So many people killed, and others wounded. I pray for those families who saw a feast day turn into a day of mourning, and I ask that the hostages be immediately released,"" he said. ""It is the right of those who are attacked to defend themselves, but I am very worried by the total siege in which Palestinians live in Gaza, where there have also been many innocent victims,"" he said.  On Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern Israel, in the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's history. Israel's military said the death toll in Israel had reached 1,200 by Wednesday and more than 2,700 people had been wounded.
+ The pope's mention of Israel's right to self defence followed diplomatic pressure from Israel for him to make such a statement, following earlier statements from the pope and Vatican officials which Israel saw as too timid.  Israel's ambassador to the Vatican, Raphael Schutz, told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Rome on Monday: ""I understand the Vatican wants peace. We all want peace. But I would like to hear stronger words about Israel's right to defend itself.""  In his comments on Wednesday, the pope said ""Terrorism and extremism do not help reach a solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians but fuel hatred, violence, revenge and cause suffering for both sides"".
+ Gaza's health ministry said at least 950 people have been killed and 5,000 injured in the crowded coastal enclave.
+ ""The Middle East does not need war but peace, a peace built on justice, on dialogue and the on the courage to be fraternal,"" Francis said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/icc-prosecutor-says-mandate-applies-current-israel-palestinian-conflict-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]ICC prosecutor says mandate applies to current Israel-Palestinian conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The mandate for the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) applies to the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, the office of the prosecutor of the ICC said on Tuesday.
+ In its first reaction since the escalation of the conflict over the weekend the prosecutor's office recalled the ICC has had an ongoing investigation into ""the situation in the State of Palestine"" for alleged war crimes committed since 13 June 2014.
+ ""This mandate is ongoing and applies to crimes committed in the current context,"" the prosecutors said, adding they are continuously gathering information in support of the probe.
+ The Palestinian authorities joined the ICC in 2015. The ICC's founding statute gives it jurisdiction over crimes committed on the territory of its 123 member states or by their nationals on other territories.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]ICC prosecutor says mandate applies to current Israel-Palestinian conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The mandate for the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) applies to the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, the office of the prosecutor of the ICC said on Tuesday. In its first reaction since the escalation of the conflict over the weekend the prosecutor's office recalled the ICC has had an ongoing investigation into ""the situation in the State of Palestine"" for alleged war crimes committed since 13 June 2014. ""This mandate is ongoing and applies to crimes committed in the current context,"" the prosecutors said, adding they are continuously gathering information in support of the probe.  The Palestinian authorities joined the ICC in 2015. The ICC's founding statute gives it jurisdiction over crimes committed on the territory of its 123 member states or by their nationals on other territories.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/oil-prices-dip-markets-debate-hit-middle-east-turmoil-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Crude futures settle down on fewer worries of supply disruptions[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HOUSTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled lower on Tuesday, but bounced off session lows as concerns eased about potential supply disruptions from the battle between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, though traders remained watchful.
+ Brent crude settled down 50 cents, or 0.57%, at $87.65 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slid 41 cents to finish at $85.97 a barrel. At the session low, both benchmarks were down by more than $1.
+ ""Today it's more like a ping pong game of fear-on, fear-off rather than trading on fundamentals,"" said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group.
+ Brent and WTI had surged more than $3.50 on Monday as the military clashes raised fears that the conflict could spread beyond Gaza.
+ ""There was a little bit of profit-taking from the stark advance yesterday,"" said John Kilduff, partner in Again Capital LLC.
+ While Israel produces very little crude oil, markets worried that if the conflict escalates it could hurt Middle East supply and worsen an expected deficit for the rest of the year.""No direct oil supplies are impacted by the conflict at the moment so it's a wait-and-see situation,"" Kilduff said.
+ U.S. officials have pointed fingers at Iran as being involved in the Hamas attack on Israel, but credible evidence of the Islamic Republic's role has yet to appear.
+ ""Furthermore, there has been no evidence so far that Iran is complicit in the attacks, giving oil traders little reason to push prices higher for now,"" Cincotta said.
+ Vivek Dhar, an energy analyst at CBA, said revelation of evidence of the Iranian involvement would push prices higher.
+ ""We continue to believe that Brent oil will ultimately stabilise between $90-$100/bbl in Q4 2023,"" said Dhar, adding that the Palestine-Israel conflict raises the risk of Brent futures tracking at $100/bbl and above.
+ In a more positive sign for supply, Venezuela and the U.S. have progressed in talks that could provide sanctions relief to Caracas by allowing at least one additional foreign oil firm to take Venezuelan crude oil under some conditions.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Crude futures settle down on fewer worries of supply disruptions[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HOUSTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled lower on Tuesday, but bounced off session lows as concerns eased about potential supply disruptions from the battle between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, though traders remained watchful.  Brent crude settled down 50 cents, or 0.57%, at $87.65 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slid 41 cents to finish at $85.97 a barrel. At the session low, both benchmarks were down by more than $1. ""Today it's more like a ping pong game of fear-on, fear-off rather than trading on fundamentals,"" said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. Brent and WTI had surged more than $3.50 on Monday as the military clashes raised fears that the conflict could spread beyond Gaza. ""There was a little bit of profit-taking from the stark advance yesterday,"" said John Kilduff, partner in Again Capital LLC. While Israel produces very little crude oil, markets worried that if the conflict escalates it could hurt Middle East supply and worsen an expected deficit for the rest of the year. ""No direct oil supplies are impacted by the conflict at the moment so it's a wait-and-see situation,"" Kilduff said. U.S. officials have pointed fingers at Iran as being involved in the Hamas attack on Israel, but credible evidence of the Islamic Republic's role has yet to appear. ""Furthermore, there has been no evidence so far that Iran is complicit in the attacks, giving oil traders little reason to push prices higher for now,"" Cincotta said. Vivek Dhar, an energy analyst at CBA, said revelation of evidence of the Iranian involvement would push prices higher. ""We continue to believe that Brent oil will ultimately stabilise between $90-$100/bbl in Q4 2023,"" said Dhar, adding that the Palestine-Israel conflict raises the risk of Brent futures tracking at $100/bbl and above.  In a more positive sign for supply, Venezuela and the U.S. have progressed in talks that could provide sanctions relief to Caracas by allowing at least one additional foreign oil firm to take Venezuelan crude oil under some conditions.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-refuses-request-bring-food-medical-supplies-into-gaza-palestinian-plo-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel refuses request to bring food, medical supplies into Gaza -Palestinian PLO official[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - Israel refused a request to bring food and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip, Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization PLO said on Tuesday.
+ ""We call on the international humanitarian institutions and the international community to intervene urgently to stop the aggression, allow the entry of relief materials, and restore electricity and water, because the Gaza Strip is facing a major humanitarian catastrophe,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel refuses request to bring food, medical supplies into Gaza -Palestinian PLO official[/TITLE] [CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - Israel refused a request to bring food and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip, Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization PLO said on Tuesday.  ""We call on the international humanitarian institutions and the international community to intervene urgently to stop the aggression, allow the entry of relief materials, and restore electricity and water, because the Gaza Strip is facing a major humanitarian catastrophe,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/sweden-halts-development-aid-palestinians-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Sweden halts development aid to Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]COPENHAGEN, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Sweden has temporarily halted development aid to Palestinian territories following a surprise attack by Hamas militants on Israel over the weekend, Development Minister Johan Forssell told a news conference on Tuesday.
+ European Union foreign ministers are meeting on Tuesday to work out divisions among its 27 members over whether to continue aid payments to Palestinians a day after the European Commission backtracked on an announcement suspending all such aid.
+ ""We have a new situation after the 7th of October,"" Forssell told reporters. ""Our decision today is that Sweden will ... pause development aid to Palestine until further notice.""
+ Neighouring Denmark announced earlier on Tuesday that it would pause its aid.
+ The government said it had also given the development agency SIDA the task of reviewing aid to Palestinians and to report by the start of December.
+ ""We don't want Swedish tax-payers' money goes to actors who don't have a very clear view on these totally fundamental questions; where they reject terrorism,"" Forsell said.
+ ""But humanitarian aid will continue and will not be paused as a result of this decision.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Sweden halts development aid to Palestinians[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]COPENHAGEN, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Sweden has temporarily halted development aid to Palestinian territories following a surprise attack by Hamas militants on Israel over the weekend, Development Minister Johan Forssell told a news conference on Tuesday. European Union foreign ministers are meeting on Tuesday to work out divisions among its 27 members over whether to continue aid payments to Palestinians a day after the European Commission backtracked on an announcement suspending all such aid.  ""We have a new situation after the 7th of October,"" Forssell told reporters. ""Our decision today is that Sweden will ... pause development aid to Palestine until further notice."" Neighouring Denmark announced earlier on Tuesday that it would pause its aid.
+ The government said it had also given the development agency SIDA the task of reviewing aid to Palestinians and to report by the start of December. ""We don't want Swedish tax-payers' money goes to actors who don't have a very clear view on these totally fundamental questions; where they reject terrorism,"" Forsell said. ""But humanitarian aid will continue and will not be paused as a result of this decision.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/miscaptioned-clip-2021-pro-palestinian-rally-chicago-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Miscaptioned clip of 2021 pro-Palestinian rally in Chicago[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Footage captioned online as showing a rally in Chicago supporting “Hamas’ terror attack” predates the clashes between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in October 2023.
+ The Hamas group launched its biggest attack on Israel, opens new tab in years on Oct. 7, and Israel responded with its heaviest-ever blockade, opens new tab of Palestinian enclave the Gaza Strip. The fighting has resulted in a death toll over 1,100, opens new tab as of Oct. 9.
+ An Oct. 8 post on social media, opens new tab said: “Hamas supporters march in Chicago in support of Hamas' terror attack against Israel” alongside video that shows hundreds of people marching down a street, viewed from above, with some carrying a Palestinian flag visible in the lower right corner of the frame.
+ However, matching footage has circulated across multiple social media platforms since at least 2021.
+ The same scene is visible in posts on Facebook, opens new tab and on X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, as well as on the Russia-based platform VK, opens new tab, shared on May 17, 2021, with Chicago tagged as the location.
+ On May 16, 2021, thousands of demonstrators in downtown Chicago rallied in support of Palestinians, according to reports at the time by the Chicago Tribune, opens new tab and NBC 5 Chicago, opens new tab.
+ Multiple pro-Palestinian rallies took place in downtown Chicago throughout May 2021, ABC7, opens new tab and the Chicago Sun Times also reported, opens new tab. Demonstrators protested escalations, opens new tab in the conflict between Israel and Hamas that month, opens new tab, including air strikes in Gaza, opens new tab that killed 42 Palestinians.
+ Following the attacks by Hamas and Israel in early October 2023, the Associated Press reported, opens new tab that rallies in support of Israel and Palestinians took place throughout the U.S., including in Chicago. On Oct. 9, Palestinian supporters rallied in downtown Chicago against the violent conflict, as seen in news reports from ABC 7, opens new tab, CBS News Chicago, opens new tab and MSNBC, opens new tab.
+ VERDICT
+ Miscaptioned. Footage that matches the clip of marchers in Chicago on social media has circulated since at least May 2021 and does not show a rally in response to the October 2023 conflict between Israel and Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Miscaptioned clip of 2021 pro-Palestinian rally in Chicago[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Footage captioned online as showing a rally in Chicago supporting “Hamas’ terror attack” predates the clashes between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in October 2023.  The Hamas group launched its biggest attack on Israel, opens new tab in years on Oct. 7, and Israel responded with its heaviest-ever blockade, opens new tab of Palestinian enclave the Gaza Strip. The fighting has resulted in a death toll over 1,100, opens new tab as of Oct. 9. An Oct. 8 post on social media, opens new tab said: “Hamas supporters march in Chicago in support of Hamas' terror attack against Israel” alongside video that shows hundreds of people marching down a street, viewed from above, with some carrying a Palestinian flag visible in the lower right corner of the frame. However, matching footage has circulated across multiple social media platforms since at least 2021. The same scene is visible in posts on Facebook, opens new tab and on X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, as well as on the Russia-based platform VK, opens new tab, shared on May 17, 2021, with Chicago tagged as the location. On May 16, 2021, thousands of demonstrators in downtown Chicago rallied in support of Palestinians, according to reports at the time by the Chicago Tribune, opens new tab and NBC 5 Chicago, opens new tab. Multiple pro-Palestinian rallies took place in downtown Chicago throughout May 2021, ABC7, opens new tab and the Chicago Sun Times also reported, opens new tab. Demonstrators protested escalations, opens new tab in the conflict between Israel and Hamas that month, opens new tab, including air strikes in Gaza, opens new tab that killed 42 Palestinians.  Following the attacks by Hamas and Israel in early October 2023, the Associated Press reported, opens new tab that rallies in support of Israel and Palestinians took place throughout the U.S., including in Chicago. On Oct. 9, Palestinian supporters rallied in downtown Chicago against the violent conflict, as seen in news reports from ABC 7, opens new tab, CBS News Chicago, opens new tab and MSNBC, opens new tab.  VERDICT
+ Miscaptioned. Footage that matches the clip of marchers in Chicago on social media has circulated since at least May 2021 and does not show a rally in response to the October 2023 conflict between Israel and Hamas.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/palestine-team-withdraws-tournament-malaysia-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestine team withdraws from Malaysia tournament[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - The Palestine soccer team has withdrawn from a tournament in Malaysia after a fresh crisis broke out between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas over the weekend, disrupting the team's travel arrangements, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said on Tuesday.
+ ""The withdrawal came due to players being unable to travel because of the events and circumstances that the Palestinian territories are going through,"" Firas Abu Hilal, secretary-general of the Palestinian Football Association, told Reuters.
+ The Palestine national football team had been scheduled to compete in the Merdeka Cup - an international friendly tournament in Malaysia - from Oct. 13-17 along with India, Tajikistan and host country, Malaysia.
+ Hilal said the players' plans had been disrupted by the repeated closure of a crossing connecting Jordan to the Palestinian territories, through which they would have travelled to Malaysia.
+ The Palestine team are due to play 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Lebanon and Australia in November. They have also qualified for next year's edition of the Asian Cup in Qatar, which will run from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestine team withdraws from Malaysia tournament[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]Oct 10 (Reuters) - The Palestine soccer team has withdrawn from a tournament in Malaysia after a fresh crisis broke out between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas over the weekend, disrupting the team's travel arrangements, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said on Tuesday. ""The withdrawal came due to players being unable to travel because of the events and circumstances that the Palestinian territories are going through,"" Firas Abu Hilal, secretary-general of the Palestinian Football Association, told Reuters. The Palestine national football team had been scheduled to compete in the Merdeka Cup - an international friendly tournament in Malaysia - from Oct. 13-17 along with India, Tajikistan and host country, Malaysia. Hilal said the players' plans had been disrupted by the repeated closure of a crossing connecting Jordan to the Palestinian territories, through which they would have travelled to Malaysia.  The Palestine team are due to play 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Lebanon and Australia in November. They have also qualified for next year's edition of the Asian Cup in Qatar, which will run from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/deutsche-bank-strategists-recommend-equity-overweight-into-2024-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Deutsche Bank strategists recommend equity overweight into 2024[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Strategists at Deutsche Bank have recommended an overweight in equities into 2024, as risks are now well reflected in the market and those are about to turn into opportunities.
+ ""We anticipated weaker growth, disappointing beats in earnings and disappointing central bank communication into Q3,"" Deutsche Bank strategists, led by Maximilian Uleer, head of European Equity- and Cross Asset Strategy, said in a note.
+ ""By now, these risks seem adequately reflected in markets.""
+ The bank has set its 2024 forecast for the STOXX 600 (.STOXX), opens new tab at 510, for the Euro STOXX 50 (.STOXX50E), opens new tab at 4,850 and DAX 40 (.GDAXI), opens new tab at 18,000.
+ Europe's STOXX 600 was last trading at 450.8 points, implying around 13% upside from current levels.
+ ""Markets are still priced cautiously with respect to the macro environment, leaving upside potential from positive surprises,"" said Uleer, adding that the base case is for the euro zone to avoid a recession.
+ Deutsche Bank added it remained neutral U.S. equities versus Europe, while within Europe is underweight the Switzerland's SMI (.SSMI), opens new tab due to its ""defensive character into a bullish market.""
+ The German bank added it prefers to buy long-duration government bonds with high ratings over credit.
+ In commodities, Uleer said lower oil exports due to an escalation of the Israel and Palestine conflict pose a threat to the forecast for Brent crude to trade at $92 a barrel by year-end, from closer to $88, where it is currently.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Deutsche Bank strategists recommend equity overweight into 2024[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Strategists at Deutsche Bank have recommended an overweight in equities into 2024, as risks are now well reflected in the market and those are about to turn into opportunities. ""We anticipated weaker growth, disappointing beats in earnings and disappointing central bank communication into Q3,"" Deutsche Bank strategists, led by Maximilian Uleer, head of European Equity- and Cross Asset Strategy, said in a note.
+ ""By now, these risks seem adequately reflected in markets.""
+ The bank has set its 2024 forecast for the STOXX 600 (.STOXX), opens new tab at 510, for the Euro STOXX 50 (.STOXX50E), opens new tab at 4,850 and DAX 40 (.GDAXI), opens new tab at 18,000. Europe's STOXX 600 was last trading at 450.8 points, implying around 13% upside from current levels. ""Markets are still priced cautiously with respect to the macro environment, leaving upside potential from positive surprises,"" said Uleer, adding that the base case is for the euro zone to avoid a recession.  Deutsche Bank added it remained neutral U.S. equities versus Europe, while within Europe is underweight the Switzerland's SMI (.SSMI), opens new tab due to its ""defensive character into a bullish market.""
+ The German bank added it prefers to buy long-duration government bonds with high ratings over credit.
+ In commodities, Uleer said lower oil exports due to an escalation of the Israel and Palestine conflict pose a threat to the forecast for Brent crude to trade at $92 a barrel by year-end, from closer to $88, where it is currently.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/police-investigate-pro-palestinian-protest-sydney-opera-house-over-alleged-anti-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police investigate pro-Palestinian protest at Sydney Opera House over alleged anti-Semitism[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Australian police said on Tuesday they were investigating a pro-Palestinian protest outside Sydney Opera House, after footage emerged of a small group appearing to chant anti-Semitic slogans at the demonstration.
+ Around 1,000 pro-Palestinian supporters marched through downtown Sydney on Monday evening to the city's iconic Opera House, which the government had illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag following Saturday's attacks by Hamas which Israel says killed over 900.
+ Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 687 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli retaliation air strikes on the blockaded enclave since then.
+ Unverified footage shared by the Australian Jewish Association and featured on Sky News appeared to show a small group outside the Opera House lighting flares and chanting ""gas the Jews"".
+ Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday called the reports of anti-Semitic slogans ""horrific"".
+ ""We are a tolerant multicultural nation,"" he said. ""I understand that people have deep views about issues relating to the Middle East conflict but here in Australia we have to deal with political discourse in a respectful way.""
+ New South Wales state police told a news conference on Tuesday it was reviewing footage from the protest to determine if offences were committed.
+ Protest organiser Palestine Action Group Sydney defended its right to protest ""apartheid"" in Israel but said a small number of ""vile antisemitic attendees"" had no place in their movement.
+ ""We are an anti-racist and anti-colonial movement and we refuse to fight racism with racism,"" the group said in a post on social media.
+ ""If you are an antisemite, you are not welcome at our rallies and are not a part of our movement. As we did today, we will ask you to leave and we will continue to do this.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Police investigate pro-Palestinian protest at Sydney Opera House over alleged anti-Semitism[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Australian police said on Tuesday they were investigating a pro-Palestinian protest outside Sydney Opera House, after footage emerged of a small group appearing to chant anti-Semitic slogans at the demonstration. Around 1,000 pro-Palestinian supporters marched through downtown Sydney on Monday evening to the city's iconic Opera House, which the government had illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag following Saturday's attacks by Hamas which Israel says killed over 900. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 687 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli retaliation air strikes on the blockaded enclave since then. Unverified footage shared by the Australian Jewish Association and featured on Sky News appeared to show a small group outside the Opera House lighting flares and chanting ""gas the Jews"".
+ Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday called the reports of anti-Semitic slogans ""horrific"".
+ ""We are a tolerant multicultural nation,"" he said. "" I understand that people have deep views about issues relating to the Middle East conflict but here in Australia we have to deal with political discourse in a respectful way."" New South Wales state police told a news conference on Tuesday it was reviewing footage from the protest to determine if offences were committed. Protest organiser Palestine Action Group Sydney defended its right to protest ""apartheid"" in Israel but said a small number of ""vile antisemitic attendees"" had no place in their movement.  ""We are an anti-racist and anti-colonial movement and we refuse to fight racism with racism,"" the group said in a post on social media.
+ "" If you are an antisemite, you are not welcome at our rallies and are not a part of our movement. As we did today, we will ask you to leave and we will continue to do this.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/erdogan-discusses-israeli-palestinian-conflict-with-regional-leaders-presidency-2023-10-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Erdogan discusses Israeli-Palestinian conflict with regional leaders -presidency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ISTANBUL, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the latest developments in fighting between Israel and Palestinians in phone conversations on Monday with the leaders of Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Qatar and Egypt, Erdogan's office said.
+ Erdogan earlier said in a televised address after chairing a cabinet meeting that Turkey is ready to act as a mediator to end the conflict if the two parties make such a proposition, including hostage swaps.
+ The Turkish presidency said separately in a post on social media network X that Erdogan told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that any steps that collectively harmed the people of Gaza would increase suffering in the region.
+ In a phone call with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Erdogan said that Turkey was making every effort to end the fighting and ensure calm in the region, his office said.
+ In separate conversations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar, Erdogan discussed regional tensions.
+ ""We believe that there will be no peace in the region without an independent, sovereign Palestine,"" Erdogan said in the televised address.
+ Erdogan urged Israel to stop bombing Palestinian lands and Palestine to stop harassing Israeli civilian settlements.
+ Turkey is making necessary preparations to send humanitarian aid to Gaza, Erdogan added.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Erdogan discusses Israeli-Palestinian conflict with regional leaders -presidency[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ISTANBUL, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the latest developments in fighting between Israel and Palestinians in phone conversations on Monday with the leaders of Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Qatar and Egypt, Erdogan's office said. Erdogan earlier said in a televised address after chairing a cabinet meeting that Turkey is ready to act as a mediator to end the conflict if the two parties make such a proposition, including hostage swaps.
+ The Turkish presidency said separately in a post on social media network X that Erdogan told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that any steps that collectively harmed the people of Gaza would increase suffering in the region. In a phone call with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Erdogan said that Turkey was making every effort to end the fighting and ensure calm in the region, his office said. In separate conversations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar, Erdogan discussed regional tensions.
+ ""We believe that there will be no peace in the region without an independent, sovereign Palestine,"" Erdogan said in the televised address. Erdogan urged Israel to stop bombing Palestinian lands and Palestine to stop harassing Israeli civilian settlements. Turkey is making necessary preparations to send humanitarian aid to Gaza, Erdogan added.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-retaliates-after-hamas-attacks-deaths-pass-1100-2023-10-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel on war footing, Hamas threatens to kill captives[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The Israeli military said on Monday it had called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists and was imposing a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, in a sign it may be planning a ground assault in response to the devastating weekend attack by Hamas gunmen.
+ After hours of intense bombardment by Israeli jets, Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza, said it would execute an Israeli captive for every Israeli bombing of a civilian house without warning.
+ Inside Israel, Palestinian fighters were still holed up in several locations, two days after they killed hundreds of Israelis and seized dozens of hostages in a raid that shattered Israel's reputation of invincibility.
+ Israeli TV channels said the death toll from the Hamas attack had climbed to 900, with at least 2,600 injured. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 687 Palestinians had been killed and 3,726 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the blockaded enclave since Saturday.
+ The dead included citizens of Italy, Ukraine and the United States, where President Joe Biden announced on Monday that at least 11 Americans had been killed.
+ Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida said the group had been acting in accordance with Islam by keeping the Israeli captives safe but issued the threat to kill civilians and broadcast it.
+ Echoing Hamas, the Islamic Jihad armed wing, which said it was holding more than 30 Israelis, asked Israel to refrain from hitting civilians if it cared about the fate of Israelis in its custody.
+ In Gaza, as Israel conducted intense retaliatory strikes, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant drew international condemnation by announcing a tightened blockade to prevent food and fuel from reaching the strip, home to 2.3 million people.
+ ""Depriving the population in an occupied territory of food and electricity is collective punishment, which is a war crime,"" Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
+ The Israeli air strikes became more aggressive as night fell, and witnesses said several Hamas security headquarters and ministries were hit. The strikes destroyed some roads and houses.
+ Israel also bombed the headquarters of the private Palestinian Telecommunication Co., which could affect landline telephone, internet and mobile phone services.
+ As it rained, explosions and lightning lit the skies, and the sound of bombings mixed with thunder.
+ In a further signal of Israel's rapid shift to a war footing, a cabinet member from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party said it could set up a national unity government joined by opposition leaders within hours.
+ Netanyahu told mayors of southern towns hit by Saturday's surprise assault that Israel's response would ""change the Middle East.""
+ At the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, men clambered onto a pancaked building to pull an infant's tiny body from the rubble, carrying it down through the crowd below amid still-smoldering remains of bombed buildings.
+ That air strike killed and wounded dozens, according to the territory's health ministry.
+ U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said some 137,000 people were taking shelter with UNRWA, the U.N. agency that provides essential services to Palestinians.
+ FIGHTING SPREADThe prospect that fighting could spread to other areas alarmed the region. Israeli troops ""killed a number of armed suspects that infiltrated into Israeli territory from Lebanese territory,"" the military said, adding helicopters ""are currently striking in the area.""
+ Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired a salvo of rockets onto northern Israel on Monday in response to at least three of its members being killed in Israeli shelling on Lebanon.
+ In Israel's south, scene of the Hamas attack, Israel's chief military spokesman said troops had re-established control of communities inside Israel that had been overrun, but isolated clashes continued as some gunmen remained active.
+ The shocking images of the bodies of hundreds of Israelis sprawled across the streets of towns, gunned down at an outdoor dance party and abducted from their homes were like nothing seen before in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+ The announcement that 300,000 reservists had been activated in just two days added to speculation that Israel could be contemplating a ground assault of Gaza, a territory it abandoned nearly two decades ago.
+ ""We have never drafted so many reservists on such a scale,"" chief military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari said. ""We are going on the offensive.""
+ Palestinians reported receiving calls and mobile phone audio messages from Israeli security officers telling them to leave areas mainly in the northern and eastern territories of Gaza, and warning that the army would operate there.
+ Hamas, which calls for Israel's destruction, says its attack was justified by the plight of Gaza under a 16-year-old blockade and the deadliest Israeli crackdown for years in the occupied West Bank.
+ 'A TOTAL MASSACRE'
+ Mainstream Palestinian groups who deplored the attacks said the violence was nonetheless predictable, with a peace process frozen for nearly a decade and far-right Israeli leaders talking of annexing Palestinian land once and for all.
+ Israel and Western countries said nothing justified the intentional mass killing of civilians.
+ The attackers gunned down scores of young Israelis at the desert dance party - media reported 260 killed there. A day later dozens of survivors were still emerging from hiding. The site was littered with wrecked and abandoned cars.
+ ""It was just a massacre, a total massacre,"" said Arik Nani, who had been celebrating his 26th birthday and escaped by hiding for hours in a field.
+ In Gaza, footage obtained by Reuters showed dozens of people climbing over collapsed buildings in search of survivors, the air still dusty from impact. Sirens rang out as emergency teams put out cars that had caught fire.
+ Egypt, which has mediated between Israel and Hamas in the past, was in close contact with the two sides, according to Egyptian security sources. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also said his country was ready for a mediator role.
+ Qatari mediators have held urgent calls with Hamas officials to try to negotiate freedom for Israeli women and children seized by the militant group and held in Gaza, in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israel's prisons, a source told Reuters.
+ An Israeli official said no negotiations were under way.
+ The violence jeopardises U.S.-backed moves towards normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - a security realignment that could have threatened Palestinian hopes of self-determination and hemmed in Hamas backer Iran.
+ Israel's military faces harsh questions about the country's worst intelligence failure in 50 years. Netanyahu's options may also be curtailed by concern over the fate of Israeli hostages.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel on war footing, Hamas threatens to kill captives[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The Israeli military said on Monday it had called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists and was imposing a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, in a sign it may be planning a ground assault in response to the devastating weekend attack by Hamas gunmen. After hours of intense bombardment by Israeli jets, Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza, said it would execute an Israeli captive for every Israeli bombing of a civilian house without warning. Inside Israel, Palestinian fighters were still holed up in several locations, two days after they killed hundreds of Israelis and seized dozens of hostages in a raid that shattered Israel's reputation of invincibility. Israeli TV channels said the death toll from the Hamas attack had climbed to 900, with at least 2,600 injured. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 687 Palestinians had been killed and 3,726 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the blockaded enclave since Saturday. The dead included citizens of Italy, Ukraine and the United States, where President Joe Biden announced on Monday that at least 11 Americans had been killed.
+ Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida said the group had been acting in accordance with Islam by keeping the Israeli captives safe but issued the threat to kill civilians and broadcast it.
+ Echoing Hamas, the Islamic Jihad armed wing, which said it was holding more than 30 Israelis, asked Israel to refrain from hitting civilians if it cared about the fate of Israelis in its custody.  In Gaza, as Israel conducted intense retaliatory strikes, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant drew international condemnation by announcing a tightened blockade to prevent food and fuel from reaching the strip, home to 2.3 million people. ""Depriving the population in an occupied territory of food and electricity is collective punishment, which is a war crime,"" Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.  The Israeli air strikes became more aggressive as night fell, and witnesses said several Hamas security headquarters and ministries were hit. The strikes destroyed some roads and houses. Israel also bombed the headquarters of the private Palestinian Telecommunication Co., which could affect landline telephone, internet and mobile phone services. As it rained, explosions and lightning lit the skies, and the sound of bombings mixed with thunder. In a further signal of Israel's rapid shift to a war footing, a cabinet member from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party said it could set up a national unity government joined by opposition leaders within hours."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-retaliates-after-hamas-attacks-deaths-pass-1100-2023-10-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel on war footing, Hamas threatens to kill captives[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The Israeli military said on Monday it had called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists and was imposing a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, in a sign it may be planning a ground assault in response to the devastating weekend attack by Hamas gunmen.
+ After hours of intense bombardment by Israeli jets, Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza, said it would execute an Israeli captive for every Israeli bombing of a civilian house without warning.
+ Inside Israel, Palestinian fighters were still holed up in several locations, two days after they killed hundreds of Israelis and seized dozens of hostages in a raid that shattered Israel's reputation of invincibility.
+ Israeli TV channels said the death toll from the Hamas attack had climbed to 900, with at least 2,600 injured. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 687 Palestinians had been killed and 3,726 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the blockaded enclave since Saturday.
+ The dead included citizens of Italy, Ukraine and the United States, where President Joe Biden announced on Monday that at least 11 Americans had been killed.
+ Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida said the group had been acting in accordance with Islam by keeping the Israeli captives safe but issued the threat to kill civilians and broadcast it.
+ Echoing Hamas, the Islamic Jihad armed wing, which said it was holding more than 30 Israelis, asked Israel to refrain from hitting civilians if it cared about the fate of Israelis in its custody.
+ In Gaza, as Israel conducted intense retaliatory strikes, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant drew international condemnation by announcing a tightened blockade to prevent food and fuel from reaching the strip, home to 2.3 million people.
+ ""Depriving the population in an occupied territory of food and electricity is collective punishment, which is a war crime,"" Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
+ The Israeli air strikes became more aggressive as night fell, and witnesses said several Hamas security headquarters and ministries were hit. The strikes destroyed some roads and houses.
+ Israel also bombed the headquarters of the private Palestinian Telecommunication Co., which could affect landline telephone, internet and mobile phone services.
+ As it rained, explosions and lightning lit the skies, and the sound of bombings mixed with thunder.
+ In a further signal of Israel's rapid shift to a war footing, a cabinet member from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party said it could set up a national unity government joined by opposition leaders within hours.
+ Netanyahu told mayors of southern towns hit by Saturday's surprise assault that Israel's response would ""change the Middle East.""
+ At the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, men clambered onto a pancaked building to pull an infant's tiny body from the rubble, carrying it down through the crowd below amid still-smoldering remains of bombed buildings.
+ That air strike killed and wounded dozens, according to the territory's health ministry.
+ U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said some 137,000 people were taking shelter with UNRWA, the U.N. agency that provides essential services to Palestinians.
+ FIGHTING SPREADThe prospect that fighting could spread to other areas alarmed the region. Israeli troops ""killed a number of armed suspects that infiltrated into Israeli territory from Lebanese territory,"" the military said, adding helicopters ""are currently striking in the area.""
+ Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired a salvo of rockets onto northern Israel on Monday in response to at least three of its members being killed in Israeli shelling on Lebanon.
+ In Israel's south, scene of the Hamas attack, Israel's chief military spokesman said troops had re-established control of communities inside Israel that had been overrun, but isolated clashes continued as some gunmen remained active.
+ The shocking images of the bodies of hundreds of Israelis sprawled across the streets of towns, gunned down at an outdoor dance party and abducted from their homes were like nothing seen before in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+ The announcement that 300,000 reservists had been activated in just two days added to speculation that Israel could be contemplating a ground assault of Gaza, a territory it abandoned nearly two decades ago.
+ ""We have never drafted so many reservists on such a scale,"" chief military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari said. ""We are going on the offensive.""
+ Palestinians reported receiving calls and mobile phone audio messages from Israeli security officers telling them to leave areas mainly in the northern and eastern territories of Gaza, and warning that the army would operate there.
+ Hamas, which calls for Israel's destruction, says its attack was justified by the plight of Gaza under a 16-year-old blockade and the deadliest Israeli crackdown for years in the occupied West Bank.
+ 'A TOTAL MASSACRE'
+ Mainstream Palestinian groups who deplored the attacks said the violence was nonetheless predictable, with a peace process frozen for nearly a decade and far-right Israeli leaders talking of annexing Palestinian land once and for all.
+ Israel and Western countries said nothing justified the intentional mass killing of civilians.
+ The attackers gunned down scores of young Israelis at the desert dance party - media reported 260 killed there. A day later dozens of survivors were still emerging from hiding. The site was littered with wrecked and abandoned cars.
+ ""It was just a massacre, a total massacre,"" said Arik Nani, who had been celebrating his 26th birthday and escaped by hiding for hours in a field.
+ In Gaza, footage obtained by Reuters showed dozens of people climbing over collapsed buildings in search of survivors, the air still dusty from impact. Sirens rang out as emergency teams put out cars that had caught fire.
+ Egypt, which has mediated between Israel and Hamas in the past, was in close contact with the two sides, according to Egyptian security sources. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also said his country was ready for a mediator role.
+ Qatari mediators have held urgent calls with Hamas officials to try to negotiate freedom for Israeli women and children seized by the militant group and held in Gaza, in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israel's prisons, a source told Reuters.
+ An Israeli official said no negotiations were under way.
+ The violence jeopardises U.S.-backed moves towards normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - a security realignment that could have threatened Palestinian hopes of self-determination and hemmed in Hamas backer Iran.
+ Israel's military faces harsh questions about the country's worst intelligence failure in 50 years. Netanyahu's options may also be curtailed by concern over the fate of Israeli hostages.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Netanyahu told mayors of southern towns hit by Saturday's surprise assault that Israel's response would ""change the Middle East.""
+ At the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, men clambered onto a pancaked building to pull an infant's tiny body from the rubble, carrying it down through the crowd below amid still-smoldering remains of bombed buildings. That air strike killed and wounded dozens, according to the territory's health ministry.
+ U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said some 137,000 people were taking shelter with UNRWA, the U.N. agency that provides essential services to Palestinians.  FIGHTING SPREADThe prospect that fighting could spread to other areas alarmed the region. Israeli troops ""killed a number of armed suspects that infiltrated into Israeli territory from Lebanese territory,"" the military said, adding helicopters ""are currently striking in the area."" Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired a salvo of rockets onto northern Israel on Monday in response to at least three of its members being killed in Israeli shelling on Lebanon. In Israel's south, scene of the Hamas attack, Israel's chief military spokesman said troops had re-established control of communities inside Israel that had been overrun, but isolated clashes continued as some gunmen remained active.  The shocking images of the bodies of hundreds of Israelis sprawled across the streets of towns, gunned down at an outdoor dance party and abducted from their homes were like nothing seen before in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+ The announcement that 300,000 reservists had been activated in just two days added to speculation that Israel could be contemplating a ground assault of Gaza, a territory it abandoned nearly two decades ago.
+ "" We have never drafted so many reservists on such a scale,"" chief military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari said. ""We are going on the offensive."" Palestinians reported receiving calls and mobile phone audio messages from Israeli security officers telling them to leave areas mainly in the northern and eastern territories of Gaza, and warning that the army would operate there.  Hamas, which calls for Israel's destruction, says its attack was justified by the plight of Gaza under a 16-year-old blockade and the deadliest Israeli crackdown for years in the occupied West Bank.
+ ' A TOTAL MASSACRE' Mainstream Palestinian groups who deplored the attacks said the violence was nonetheless predictable, with a peace process frozen for nearly a decade and far-right Israeli leaders talking of annexing Palestinian land once and for all.
+ Israel and Western countries said nothing justified the intentional mass killing of civilians.  The attackers gunned down scores of young Israelis at the desert dance party - media reported 260 killed there."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-retaliates-after-hamas-attacks-deaths-pass-1100-2023-10-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel on war footing, Hamas threatens to kill captives[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The Israeli military said on Monday it had called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists and was imposing a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, in a sign it may be planning a ground assault in response to the devastating weekend attack by Hamas gunmen.
+ After hours of intense bombardment by Israeli jets, Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza, said it would execute an Israeli captive for every Israeli bombing of a civilian house without warning.
+ Inside Israel, Palestinian fighters were still holed up in several locations, two days after they killed hundreds of Israelis and seized dozens of hostages in a raid that shattered Israel's reputation of invincibility.
+ Israeli TV channels said the death toll from the Hamas attack had climbed to 900, with at least 2,600 injured. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 687 Palestinians had been killed and 3,726 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the blockaded enclave since Saturday.
+ The dead included citizens of Italy, Ukraine and the United States, where President Joe Biden announced on Monday that at least 11 Americans had been killed.
+ Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida said the group had been acting in accordance with Islam by keeping the Israeli captives safe but issued the threat to kill civilians and broadcast it.
+ Echoing Hamas, the Islamic Jihad armed wing, which said it was holding more than 30 Israelis, asked Israel to refrain from hitting civilians if it cared about the fate of Israelis in its custody.
+ In Gaza, as Israel conducted intense retaliatory strikes, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant drew international condemnation by announcing a tightened blockade to prevent food and fuel from reaching the strip, home to 2.3 million people.
+ ""Depriving the population in an occupied territory of food and electricity is collective punishment, which is a war crime,"" Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
+ The Israeli air strikes became more aggressive as night fell, and witnesses said several Hamas security headquarters and ministries were hit. The strikes destroyed some roads and houses.
+ Israel also bombed the headquarters of the private Palestinian Telecommunication Co., which could affect landline telephone, internet and mobile phone services.
+ As it rained, explosions and lightning lit the skies, and the sound of bombings mixed with thunder.
+ In a further signal of Israel's rapid shift to a war footing, a cabinet member from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party said it could set up a national unity government joined by opposition leaders within hours.
+ Netanyahu told mayors of southern towns hit by Saturday's surprise assault that Israel's response would ""change the Middle East.""
+ At the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, men clambered onto a pancaked building to pull an infant's tiny body from the rubble, carrying it down through the crowd below amid still-smoldering remains of bombed buildings.
+ That air strike killed and wounded dozens, according to the territory's health ministry.
+ U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said some 137,000 people were taking shelter with UNRWA, the U.N. agency that provides essential services to Palestinians.
+ FIGHTING SPREADThe prospect that fighting could spread to other areas alarmed the region. Israeli troops ""killed a number of armed suspects that infiltrated into Israeli territory from Lebanese territory,"" the military said, adding helicopters ""are currently striking in the area.""
+ Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired a salvo of rockets onto northern Israel on Monday in response to at least three of its members being killed in Israeli shelling on Lebanon.
+ In Israel's south, scene of the Hamas attack, Israel's chief military spokesman said troops had re-established control of communities inside Israel that had been overrun, but isolated clashes continued as some gunmen remained active.
+ The shocking images of the bodies of hundreds of Israelis sprawled across the streets of towns, gunned down at an outdoor dance party and abducted from their homes were like nothing seen before in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+ The announcement that 300,000 reservists had been activated in just two days added to speculation that Israel could be contemplating a ground assault of Gaza, a territory it abandoned nearly two decades ago.
+ ""We have never drafted so many reservists on such a scale,"" chief military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari said. ""We are going on the offensive.""
+ Palestinians reported receiving calls and mobile phone audio messages from Israeli security officers telling them to leave areas mainly in the northern and eastern territories of Gaza, and warning that the army would operate there.
+ Hamas, which calls for Israel's destruction, says its attack was justified by the plight of Gaza under a 16-year-old blockade and the deadliest Israeli crackdown for years in the occupied West Bank.
+ 'A TOTAL MASSACRE'
+ Mainstream Palestinian groups who deplored the attacks said the violence was nonetheless predictable, with a peace process frozen for nearly a decade and far-right Israeli leaders talking of annexing Palestinian land once and for all.
+ Israel and Western countries said nothing justified the intentional mass killing of civilians.
+ The attackers gunned down scores of young Israelis at the desert dance party - media reported 260 killed there. A day later dozens of survivors were still emerging from hiding. The site was littered with wrecked and abandoned cars.
+ ""It was just a massacre, a total massacre,"" said Arik Nani, who had been celebrating his 26th birthday and escaped by hiding for hours in a field.
+ In Gaza, footage obtained by Reuters showed dozens of people climbing over collapsed buildings in search of survivors, the air still dusty from impact. Sirens rang out as emergency teams put out cars that had caught fire.
+ Egypt, which has mediated between Israel and Hamas in the past, was in close contact with the two sides, according to Egyptian security sources. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also said his country was ready for a mediator role.
+ Qatari mediators have held urgent calls with Hamas officials to try to negotiate freedom for Israeli women and children seized by the militant group and held in Gaza, in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israel's prisons, a source told Reuters.
+ An Israeli official said no negotiations were under way.
+ The violence jeopardises U.S.-backed moves towards normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - a security realignment that could have threatened Palestinian hopes of self-determination and hemmed in Hamas backer Iran.
+ Israel's military faces harsh questions about the country's worst intelligence failure in 50 years. Netanyahu's options may also be curtailed by concern over the fate of Israeli hostages.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","A day later dozens of survivors were still emerging from hiding. The site was littered with wrecked and abandoned cars. ""It was just a massacre, a total massacre,"" said Arik Nani, who had been celebrating his 26th birthday and escaped by hiding for hours in a field.  In Gaza, footage obtained by Reuters showed dozens of people climbing over collapsed buildings in search of survivors, the air still dusty from impact. Sirens rang out as emergency teams put out cars that had caught fire.  Egypt, which has mediated between Israel and Hamas in the past, was in close contact with the two sides, according to Egyptian security sources. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also said his country was ready for a mediator role. Qatari mediators have held urgent calls with Hamas officials to try to negotiate freedom for Israeli women and children seized by the militant group and held in Gaza, in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israel's prisons, a source told Reuters. An Israeli official said no negotiations were under way.
+ The violence jeopardises U.S.-backed moves towards normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - a security realignment that could have threatened Palestinian hopes of self-determination and hemmed in Hamas backer Iran.  Israel's military faces harsh questions about the country's worst intelligence failure in 50 years. Netanyahu's options may also be curtailed by concern over the fate of Israeli hostages.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-senate-leader-schumer-says-disappointed-by-chinas-statement-hamas-attacks-2023-10-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Beijing, Schumer calls on Xi to support Israel after Hamas attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Oct 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to support Israel after deadly attacks by Hamas, adding he was ""disappointed"" that Beijing showed ""no sympathy"" for the country over the weekend.
+ State media accounts of the meeting skirted Israel, instead focusing on the need for collaboration and mutual respect, and offering dovish remarks by Xi that could help lay the groundwork for a potential summit with U.S. President Joe Biden next month.
+ Fighters from Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more as they attacked Israeli towns on Saturday, the deadliest incursion into Israeli territory since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago. Israel responded by pounding Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians.
+ In response, China's foreign ministry urged in a weekend statement the ""relevant parties"" to remain calm and to end hostilities to protect civilians, adding that ""the fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine"".
+ Schumer is leading a rare bipartisan congressional delegation on a trip to Asia, which also includes stops in South Korea and Japan. It aims to advance U.S. economic and national security interests.
+ ""The ongoing events in Israel over the last few days are nothing short of horrific. I urge you and the Chinese people to stand with the Israeli people and condemn the cowardly and vicious attacks,"" Schumer told Xi during their meeting in Beijing.
+ ""I say this with respect, but I was disappointed by the foreign minister's statement that showed no sympathy or support for the Israeli people during these troubled times,"" he added.
+ Asked about Schumer's remarks, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular briefing on Monday that China was ""highly concerned"" about the escalation. ""We are very saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict, and also oppose and condemn such acts against civilians,"" she said.Mao said China was calling for a ceasefire to avoid more deaths.
+ COMMON INTERESTS
+ After passing a sweeping bill last year to boost competition with China in semiconductors and other technology, Schumer and Democratic committee leaders said in May they would write legislation to limit the flow of technology to China, deter it from initiating a conflict with Taiwan and tighten rules to block U.S. capital from going to Chinese companies.
+ On Monday, Schumer reiterated that the main objective of the trip was to seek economic reciprocity and the creation of a level playing field for U.S. businesses in China, and assured that Washington was not seeking conflict with Beijing.
+ Xi told Schumer that ""competition and confrontation are not in line with the trend of the times, let alone solving their own problems and the challenges facing the world,"" according to state broadcaster CCTV's account of the meeting.
+ He added that, ""China has always believed that the common interests of China and the U.S. far outweigh their differences,"" and that the success of both countries is an opportunity rather than a challenge for each other.
+ Communication between U.S. and Chinese officials has increased in recent months, bringing some improvement in ties strained for years over issues such as Taiwan, the origins of COVID-19 and accusations of Chinese spying.
+ San Francisco will host an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November and public attention has been on whether Xi would attend after recently skipping the G20 summit in New Delhi that Biden attended.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Beijing , Schumer calls on Xi to support Israel after Hamas attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Oct 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to support Israel after deadly attacks by Hamas, adding he was ""disappointed"" that Beijing showed ""no sympathy"" for the country over the weekend. State media accounts of the meeting skirted Israel, instead focusing on the need for collaboration and mutual respect, and offering dovish remarks by Xi that could help lay the groundwork for a potential summit with U.S. President Joe Biden next month.  Fighters from Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more as they attacked Israeli towns on Saturday, the deadliest incursion into Israeli territory since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago. Israel responded by pounding Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians.  In response, China's foreign ministry urged in a weekend statement the ""relevant parties"" to remain calm and to end hostilities to protect civilians, adding that ""the fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine"".
+ Schumer is leading a rare bipartisan congressional delegation on a trip to Asia, which also includes stops in South Korea and Japan. It aims to advance U.S. economic and national security interests.  ""The ongoing events in Israel over the last few days are nothing short of horrific. I urge you and the Chinese people to stand with the Israeli people and condemn the cowardly and vicious attacks,"" Schumer told Xi during their meeting in Beijing. ""I say this with respect, but I was disappointed by the foreign minister's statement that showed no sympathy or support for the Israeli people during these troubled times,"" he added.  Asked about Schumer's remarks, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular briefing on Monday that China was ""highly concerned"" about the escalation. ""We are very saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict, and also oppose and condemn such acts against civilians,"" she said. Mao said China was calling for a ceasefire to avoid more deaths. COMMON INTERESTS After passing a sweeping bill last year to boost competition with China in semiconductors and other technology, Schumer and Democratic committee leaders said in May they would write legislation to limit the flow of technology to China, deter it from initiating a conflict with Taiwan and tighten rules to block U.S. capital from going to Chinese companies. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-senate-leader-schumer-says-disappointed-by-chinas-statement-hamas-attacks-2023-10-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In Beijing, Schumer calls on Xi to support Israel after Hamas attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Oct 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to support Israel after deadly attacks by Hamas, adding he was ""disappointed"" that Beijing showed ""no sympathy"" for the country over the weekend.
+ State media accounts of the meeting skirted Israel, instead focusing on the need for collaboration and mutual respect, and offering dovish remarks by Xi that could help lay the groundwork for a potential summit with U.S. President Joe Biden next month.
+ Fighters from Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more as they attacked Israeli towns on Saturday, the deadliest incursion into Israeli territory since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago. Israel responded by pounding Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians.
+ In response, China's foreign ministry urged in a weekend statement the ""relevant parties"" to remain calm and to end hostilities to protect civilians, adding that ""the fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine"".
+ Schumer is leading a rare bipartisan congressional delegation on a trip to Asia, which also includes stops in South Korea and Japan. It aims to advance U.S. economic and national security interests.
+ ""The ongoing events in Israel over the last few days are nothing short of horrific. I urge you and the Chinese people to stand with the Israeli people and condemn the cowardly and vicious attacks,"" Schumer told Xi during their meeting in Beijing.
+ ""I say this with respect, but I was disappointed by the foreign minister's statement that showed no sympathy or support for the Israeli people during these troubled times,"" he added.
+ Asked about Schumer's remarks, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular briefing on Monday that China was ""highly concerned"" about the escalation. ""We are very saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict, and also oppose and condemn such acts against civilians,"" she said.Mao said China was calling for a ceasefire to avoid more deaths.
+ COMMON INTERESTS
+ After passing a sweeping bill last year to boost competition with China in semiconductors and other technology, Schumer and Democratic committee leaders said in May they would write legislation to limit the flow of technology to China, deter it from initiating a conflict with Taiwan and tighten rules to block U.S. capital from going to Chinese companies.
+ On Monday, Schumer reiterated that the main objective of the trip was to seek economic reciprocity and the creation of a level playing field for U.S. businesses in China, and assured that Washington was not seeking conflict with Beijing.
+ Xi told Schumer that ""competition and confrontation are not in line with the trend of the times, let alone solving their own problems and the challenges facing the world,"" according to state broadcaster CCTV's account of the meeting.
+ He added that, ""China has always believed that the common interests of China and the U.S. far outweigh their differences,"" and that the success of both countries is an opportunity rather than a challenge for each other.
+ Communication between U.S. and Chinese officials has increased in recent months, bringing some improvement in ties strained for years over issues such as Taiwan, the origins of COVID-19 and accusations of Chinese spying.
+ San Francisco will host an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November and public attention has been on whether Xi would attend after recently skipping the G20 summit in New Delhi that Biden attended.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","On Monday, Schumer reiterated that the main objective of the trip was to seek economic reciprocity and the creation of a level playing field for U.S. businesses in China, and assured that Washington was not seeking conflict with Beijing. Xi told Schumer that ""competition and confrontation are not in line with the trend of the times, let alone solving their own problems and the challenges facing the world,"" according to state broadcaster CCTV's account of the meeting. He added that, ""China has always believed that the common interests of China and the U.S. far outweigh their differences,"" and that the success of both countries is an opportunity rather than a challenge for each other. Communication between U.S. and Chinese officials has increased in recent months, bringing some improvement in ties strained for years over issues such as Taiwan, the origins of COVID-19 and accusations of Chinese spying. San Francisco will host an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November and public attention has been on whether Xi would attend after recently skipping the G20 summit in New Delhi that Biden attended.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/paratroopers-filmed-skydiving-egypt-falsely-linked-hamas-attack-2023-10-09/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Paratroopers filmed skydiving in Egypt falsely linked to Hamas attack[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video of paratroopers skydiving at sunset over the Egyptian Military Academy in Cairo has been falsely claimed online to show fighters with the Islamist militant group Hamas launching its surprise attack on Israel.
+ The Iran-backed group began its assault, opens new tab on Oct. 7 with fighters paragliding into Israel from the Gaza strip, covered by a barrage of rocket fire.
+ This prompted retaliatory strikes by Israel on Gaza. More than 1,100, opens new tab people have been killed in the conflict.
+ “Palestinian freedom fighters seen parachuting down into Israel territory. #Israel #Hamas #IronDome #Gaza #TelAviv #Palestine,” wrote a Facebook user, opens new tab who miscaptioned the paratrooper video.
+ The clip was also shared, opens new tab with the same claim on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
+ The video was filmed in front of the Military Academy, opens new tab in Cairo, Egypt. The front of the building can be seen at timestamp 0:09 and on Google Maps, opens new tab.
+ VERDICT
+ False. The video was filmed in Cairo, Egypt, not Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Paratroopers filmed skydiving in Egypt falsely linked to Hamas attack[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video of paratroopers skydiving at sunset over the Egyptian Military Academy in Cairo has been falsely claimed online to show fighters with the Islamist militant group Hamas launching its surprise attack on Israel. The Iran-backed group began its assault, opens new tab on Oct. 7 with fighters paragliding into Israel from the Gaza strip, covered by a barrage of rocket fire.  This prompted retaliatory strikes by Israel on Gaza. More than 1,100, opens new tab people have been killed in the conflict. “Palestinian freedom fighters seen parachuting down into Israel territory. #Israel #Hamas #IronDome #Gaza #TelAviv #Palestine ,” wrote a Facebook user, opens new tab who miscaptioned the paratrooper video. The clip was also shared, opens new tab with the same claim on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The video was filmed in front of the Military Academy, opens new tab in Cairo, Egypt. The front of the building can be seen at timestamp 0:09 and on Google Maps, opens new tab.
+ VERDICT
+ False. The video was filmed in Cairo, Egypt, not Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-call-move-gaza-civilians-horrendous-un-palestinian-refugee-agency-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel's call to move Gaza civilians 'horrendous', UN Palestinian refugee agency says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency on Friday described Israel's call to move more than 1 million civilians in northern Gaza in 24 hours as ""horrendous"" and said the enclave was rapidly becoming a ""hell hole"".
+ Israel's military made the call as it amassed tanks for an expected ground invasion in response to a devastating attack by the militant group Hamas.
+ ""The call from the Israelis Forces to move more than 1 million civilians living in northern Gaza within 24 hours is horrendous,"" Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said in a statement.
+ ""This will only lead to unprecedented levels of misery and further push people in Gaza into abyss.""
+ Lazzarini said more than 423,000 people have already been displaced, and more than 270,000 had taken refuge in UNRWA shelters.
+ ""The scale and speed of the unfolding humanitarian crisis is bone-chilling,"" he said. ""Gaza is fast becoming a hell hole and is on the brink of collapse.""
+ UNRWA said earlier on Friday that it had relocated its central operations centre and international staff to Gaza's south to continue its humanitarian operations.
+ Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, the agency provides public services including schooling, primary healthcare and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
+ Israeli authorities have accused UNRWA, opens new tab of perpetuating the Palestinian refugee problem and said that anti-Israeli sentiment is rife in its institutions - charges the agency dismisses.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel's call to move Gaza civilians 'horrendous', UN Palestinian refugee agency says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency on Friday described Israel's call to move more than 1 million civilians in northern Gaza in 24 hours as ""horrendous"" and said the enclave was rapidly becoming a ""hell hole"". Israel's military made the call as it amassed tanks for an expected ground invasion in response to a devastating attack by the militant group Hamas.
+ ""The call from the Israelis Forces to move more than 1 million civilians living in northern Gaza within 24 hours is horrendous,"" Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said in a statement.
+ "" This will only lead to unprecedented levels of misery and further push people in Gaza into abyss.""
+ Lazzarini said more than 423,000 people have already been displaced, and more than 270,000 had taken refuge in UNRWA shelters.  ""The scale and speed of the unfolding humanitarian crisis is bone-chilling,"" he said. ""Gaza is fast becoming a hell hole and is on the brink of collapse."" UNRWA said earlier on Friday that it had relocated its central operations centre and international staff to Gaza's south to continue its humanitarian operations.
+ Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, the agency provides public services including schooling, primary healthcare and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.  Israeli authorities have accused UNRWA, opens new tab of perpetuating the Palestinian refugee problem and said that anti-Israeli sentiment is rife in its institutions - charges the agency dismisses.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-condemns-hamas-terror-attacks-supports-israels-right-defend-itself-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian envoy pleas for Japan to maintain aid and neutrality[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TOKYO, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Palestine's mission to Japan called on Tokyo to maintain humanitarian aid to Palestinians on Friday and play a neutral role in the conflict between the Hamas militant group and Israel.
+ The plea came as Israel amassed tanks near the Palestinian enclave of Gaza ahead of an expected ground invasion after Saturday's devastating attack on Israel by Hamas.
+ Tel Aviv on Thursday said Japan should be vigilant in providing aid and look more closely at what Hamas was doing with the aid Japan provided to Palestinians.
+ ""I plead for the Japanese to continue humanitarian aid to the Palestinians,"" Waleed Siam, representative of the Permanent General Mission of Palestine to Japan, told a news conference in Tokyo.
+ ""Japan is a neutral and can continue playing a neutral role between the Palestinians and Israelis. I don't think America, the United States, can play that role anymore,"" he said.
+ Siam said he condemned violence on both sides of the conflict but alleged Israel was using the attacks as part of a plan to ""destroy"" the enclave and displace its people.
+ Japan, which calls for a political solution to allow Israel and a future independent Palestinian state to coexist, has provided $2.3 billion of assistance to Palestinians over the last decade, according to a foreign ministry document.
+ Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told her Israeli counterpart on Thursday the Hamas attacks cannot be justified for any reason and that Israel had the right to defend itself and its people under international law.
+ Kamikawa also talked with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki on Friday and told him Japan resolutely condemns unjustifiable attacks on and the abduction of innocent ordinary citizens by Hamas.
+ But Japan's response to the crisis has been more restrained than other major developed countries.
+ Japanese officials initially referred to Hamas as Palestinian militants and avoided the term terrorism, before joining Group of Seven nations in condemning the attacks in Israel as ""terrorist acts"".
+ Japan has arranged a charter flight from Tel Aviv on Saturday for its citizens wishing to leave Israel, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Friday. Tokyo also plans to dispatch military aircraft to Djibouti to help Japanese nationals evacuate from Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinian envoy pleas for Japan to maintain aid and neutrality[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TOKYO, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Palestine's mission to Japan called on Tokyo to maintain humanitarian aid to Palestinians on Friday and play a neutral role in the conflict between the Hamas militant group and Israel. The plea came as Israel amassed tanks near the Palestinian enclave of Gaza ahead of an expected ground invasion after Saturday's devastating attack on Israel by Hamas.
+ Tel Aviv on Thursday said Japan should be vigilant in providing aid and look more closely at what Hamas was doing with the aid Japan provided to Palestinians.
+ ""I plead for the Japanese to continue humanitarian aid to the Palestinians,"" Waleed Siam, representative of the Permanent General Mission of Palestine to Japan, told a news conference in Tokyo.  ""Japan is a neutral and can continue playing a neutral role between the Palestinians and Israelis. I don't think America, the United States, can play that role anymore,"" he said. Siam said he condemned violence on both sides of the conflict but alleged Israel was using the attacks as part of a plan to ""destroy"" the enclave and displace its people.
+ Japan, which calls for a political solution to allow Israel and a future independent Palestinian state to coexist, has provided $2.3 billion of assistance to Palestinians over the last decade, according to a foreign ministry document. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told her Israeli counterpart on Thursday the Hamas attacks cannot be justified for any reason and that Israel had the right to defend itself and its people under international law.
+ Kamikawa also talked with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki on Friday and told him Japan resolutely condemns unjustifiable attacks on and the abduction of innocent ordinary citizens by Hamas.
+ But Japan's response to the crisis has been more restrained than other major developed countries.  Japanese officials initially referred to Hamas as Palestinian militants and avoided the term terrorism, before joining Group of Seven nations in condemning the attacks in Israel as ""terrorist acts"".
+ Japan has arranged a charter flight from Tel Aviv on Saturday for its citizens wishing to leave Israel, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Friday. Tokyo also plans to dispatch military aircraft to Djibouti to help Japanese nationals evacuate from Israel.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-attack-would-fall-under-jurisdiction-war-crimes-court-prosecutor-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Exclusive: Hamas attack, Israeli response fall under ICC jurisdiction, prosecutor says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over potential war crimes carried out by Hamas militants in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip, even though Israel is not a member state, the ICC's top prosecutor told Reuters on Thursday.
+ The occupied Palestinian territories including the Gaza Strip fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC, meaning the court has the authority to prosecute Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza.
+ ""If there is evidence that Palestinians, whether they're Hamas or Al Quds Brigades or the armed wing of Hamas or any other person or any other national of any other state party, has committed crimes. Yes, we have jurisdiction wherever they're committed, including on the territory of Israel,"" ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in an interview.
+ In his first comments since Hamas launched brutal attacks on Israel on Saturday and Israel responded with devastating bombings of the Gaza Strip, he said the images are ""heartbreaking"".
+ ""It's horrendous what's going on, what we're seeing on our television screens. There has to be a legal process to determine criminal responsibility,"" he said.
+ ""One doesn't need to be the prosecutor of the ICC. Any human being's heart must be chilled and frozen and heartbroken at seeing the pictures that are coming out of Israel and Palestine these last few days,"" he said.
+ A court of last resort, the ICC prosecutes individuals for alleged criminal conduct when its 123 member states are unwilling or unable to prosecute themselves.
+ Many of the world's major powers are not members, including China, the United States, Russia, India and Egypt. Even if the ICC were to issue warrants in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the court has no police force and would rely on member states to make arrests.
+ The court has had an ongoing investigation in the occupied Palestinian territories into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity there since 2021. But Israel doesn't recognise the court.
+ When the 2021 probe was announced, Khan's predecessor said the ICC was examining allegations of war crimes committed during 2014 hostilities in Gaza by Israeli forces, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. The current violence also falls under its mandate, Khan said.
+ Citing his own Muslim faith, Khan appealed to all sides to follow religious teachings, calling for the protection of the innocent, as well as abiding by accepted international norms for the conduct of war.
+ ""One cannot deliberately target civilians or civilian objects. One can't rape or kill, or mutilate or dismember,"" he said. ""Wilful killing, hostage taking are grave breaches of the Geneva Convention and one has to comply with the law.""
+ Asked if he had a message for the warring parties in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Khan called for reflection and calm.
+ ""This is what the moment needs, cool leadership, humanity and the realisation that the law will judge all of us,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Exclusive: Hamas attack, Israeli response fall under ICC jurisdiction, prosecutor says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over potential war crimes carried out by Hamas militants in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip, even though Israel is not a member state, the ICC's top prosecutor told Reuters on Thursday. The occupied Palestinian territories including the Gaza Strip fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC, meaning the court has the authority to prosecute Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza.
+ "" If there is evidence that Palestinians, whether they're Hamas or Al Quds Brigades or the armed wing of Hamas or any other person or any other national of any other state party, has committed crimes. Yes, we have jurisdiction wherever they're committed, including on the territory of Israel,"" ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in an interview. In his first comments since Hamas launched brutal attacks on Israel on Saturday and Israel responded with devastating bombings of the Gaza Strip, he said the images are ""heartbreaking"".  ""It's horrendous what's going on, what we're seeing on our television screens. There has to be a legal process to determine criminal responsibility,"" he said.  ""One doesn't need to be the prosecutor of the ICC. Any human being's heart must be chilled and frozen and heartbroken at seeing the pictures that are coming out of Israel and Palestine these last few days,"" he said. A court of last resort, the ICC prosecutes individuals for alleged criminal conduct when its 123 member states are unwilling or unable to prosecute themselves.  Many of the world's major powers are not members, including China, the United States, Russia, India and Egypt. Even if the ICC were to issue warrants in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the court has no police force and would rely on member states to make arrests. The court has had an ongoing investigation in the occupied Palestinian territories into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity there since 2021. But Israel doesn't recognise the court.  When the 2021 probe was announced, Khan's predecessor said the ICC was examining allegations of war crimes committed during 2014 hostilities in Gaza by Israeli forces, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. The current violence also falls under its mandate, Khan said. Citing his own Muslim faith, Khan appealed to all sides to follow religious teachings, calling for the protection of the innocent, as well as abiding by accepted international norms for the conduct of war. ""One cannot deliberately target civilians or civilian objects."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-attack-would-fall-under-jurisdiction-war-crimes-court-prosecutor-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Exclusive: Hamas attack, Israeli response fall under ICC jurisdiction, prosecutor says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over potential war crimes carried out by Hamas militants in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip, even though Israel is not a member state, the ICC's top prosecutor told Reuters on Thursday.
+ The occupied Palestinian territories including the Gaza Strip fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC, meaning the court has the authority to prosecute Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza.
+ ""If there is evidence that Palestinians, whether they're Hamas or Al Quds Brigades or the armed wing of Hamas or any other person or any other national of any other state party, has committed crimes. Yes, we have jurisdiction wherever they're committed, including on the territory of Israel,"" ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in an interview.
+ In his first comments since Hamas launched brutal attacks on Israel on Saturday and Israel responded with devastating bombings of the Gaza Strip, he said the images are ""heartbreaking"".
+ ""It's horrendous what's going on, what we're seeing on our television screens. There has to be a legal process to determine criminal responsibility,"" he said.
+ ""One doesn't need to be the prosecutor of the ICC. Any human being's heart must be chilled and frozen and heartbroken at seeing the pictures that are coming out of Israel and Palestine these last few days,"" he said.
+ A court of last resort, the ICC prosecutes individuals for alleged criminal conduct when its 123 member states are unwilling or unable to prosecute themselves.
+ Many of the world's major powers are not members, including China, the United States, Russia, India and Egypt. Even if the ICC were to issue warrants in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the court has no police force and would rely on member states to make arrests.
+ The court has had an ongoing investigation in the occupied Palestinian territories into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity there since 2021. But Israel doesn't recognise the court.
+ When the 2021 probe was announced, Khan's predecessor said the ICC was examining allegations of war crimes committed during 2014 hostilities in Gaza by Israeli forces, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. The current violence also falls under its mandate, Khan said.
+ Citing his own Muslim faith, Khan appealed to all sides to follow religious teachings, calling for the protection of the innocent, as well as abiding by accepted international norms for the conduct of war.
+ ""One cannot deliberately target civilians or civilian objects. One can't rape or kill, or mutilate or dismember,"" he said. ""Wilful killing, hostage taking are grave breaches of the Geneva Convention and one has to comply with the law.""
+ Asked if he had a message for the warring parties in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Khan called for reflection and calm.
+ ""This is what the moment needs, cool leadership, humanity and the realisation that the law will judge all of us,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","One can't rape or kill, or mutilate or dismember,"" he said. ""Wilful killing, hostage taking are grave breaches of the Geneva Convention and one has to comply with the law. "" Asked if he had a message for the warring parties in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Khan called for reflection and calm.  ""This is what the moment needs, cool leadership, humanity and the realisation that the law will judge all of us,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/hungary-ban-rallies-supporting-terrorist-organisations-pm-orban-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hungary to ban rallies supporting 'terrorist organisations', Orban says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BUDAPEST, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Hungary will not allow any rallies supporting ""terrorist organisations,"" Prime Minister Viktor Orban told public radio on Friday, adding that all Hungarian citizens should feel safe, regardless of their faith or origin.
+ Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas movement that rules the Gaza Strip in retribution for the deadliest attack on Jewish civilians since the Holocaust, when hundreds of Hamas gunmen poured across the barrier fence and rampaged through Israeli towns on Saturday.
+ Hamas is designated a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan.
+ ""It is shocking that there are sympathy rallies supporting the terrorists across Europe,"" Orban said, referencing the European fallout from the Hamas attack on Israel.
+ Nationalist Orban, an ally of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel had a right to defend itself, but added it was important the conflict does not spread to other countries, destabilising the entire region.
+ Former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal called for protests across the Muslim world on Friday in support of the Palestinians and for the peoples of neighbouring countries to join the fight against Israel.
+ A rally supporting Palestine was called for 1400 GMT outside the Hungarian Foreign Ministry in Budapest on Facebook.
+ ""There have been attempts even in Hungary,"" Orban said, without directly referring to the planned event. ""But we will not allow sympathy rallies supporting terrorist organisations as that would entail a terror threat to Hungarian citizens.""
+ ""We cannot allow any Hungarians, regardless of their faith or origin to feel unsafe,"" Orban said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hungary to ban rallies supporting 'terrorist organisations' , Orban says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BUDAPEST, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Hungary will not allow any rallies supporting ""terrorist organisations,"" Prime Minister Viktor Orban told public radio on Friday, adding that all Hungarian citizens should feel safe, regardless of their faith or origin. Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas movement that rules the Gaza Strip in retribution for the deadliest attack on Jewish civilians since the Holocaust, when hundreds of Hamas gunmen poured across the barrier fence and rampaged through Israeli towns on Saturday. Hamas is designated a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan. ""It is shocking that there are sympathy rallies supporting the terrorists across Europe,"" Orban said, referencing the European fallout from the Hamas attack on Israel. Nationalist Orban, an ally of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel had a right to defend itself, but added it was important the conflict does not spread to other countries, destabilising the entire region.
+ Former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal called for protests across the Muslim world on Friday in support of the Palestinians and for the peoples of neighbouring countries to join the fight against Israel.
+ A rally supporting Palestine was called for 1400 GMT outside the Hungarian Foreign Ministry in Budapest on Facebook.  ""There have been attempts even in Hungary,"" Orban said, without directly referring to the planned event. ""But we will not allow sympathy rallies supporting terrorist organisations as that would entail a terror threat to Hungarian citizens. ""
+ ""We cannot allow any Hungarians, regardless of their faith or origin to feel unsafe,"" Orban said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australian-police-consider-special-search-powers-ahead-pro-palestinian-protest-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia police weigh special powers ahead of pro-Palestinian protest[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Australian police are considering applying special stop-and-search powers for the first time in almost two decades for people attending a pro-Palestinian rally on Sunday, as tensions rise after the bloody Hamas incursion into Israel.
+ New South Wales (NSW) state police said they had sought legal advice about special powers not used since race riots in 2005 that allow police to search and demand identities without cause of those attending the rally in Sydney.
+ ""If they fail to do so it is an offence, these are extraordinary powers,"" Acting Commissioner Dave Hudson told a press conference on Friday.
+ Police expect more than 400 people to attend the rally in Sydney's Hyde Park.
+ The plan for the demonstration has touched off debate after footage from a Monday rally by the same group showed people chanting ""gas the Jews"". Organisers said members of a fringe group of ""vile"" antisemites attended and were told to leave.The protest organiser, the Palestine Action Group Sydney, have said the rally will go ahead without police authorisation, and it defended the right to demonstrate after calls from various politicians for the event to be cancelled.
+ Countries across the developed world are curbing pro-Palestinian protests out of concern the Israel-Hamas conflict could trigger violence at home. France banned pro-Palestinian protests on Thursday saying they were likely to ""generate disturbances to public order"".
+ Police arrested three men on Friday outside the Jewish Museum of Australia in Sydney for making Nazi salutes, media reported.
+ ""I expect, and so do NSW Police, the full extent of the law will be applied to those people,"" state premier Chris Minns told a press conference.
+ Australia's intelligence chief has warned about the possibility of violence and called for people to tone down rhetoric that could inflame tensions.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia police weigh special powers ahead of pro-Palestinian protest[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Australian police are considering applying special stop-and-search powers for the first time in almost two decades for people attending a pro-Palestinian rally on Sunday, as tensions rise after the bloody Hamas incursion into Israel. New South Wales (NSW) state police said they had sought legal advice about special powers not used since race riots in 2005 that allow police to search and demand identities without cause of those attending the rally in Sydney. ""If they fail to do so it is an offence, these are extraordinary powers,"" Acting Commissioner Dave Hudson told a press conference on Friday. Police expect more than 400 people to attend the rally in Sydney's Hyde Park.  The plan for the demonstration has touched off debate after footage from a Monday rally by the same group showed people chanting ""gas the Jews"". Organisers said members of a fringe group of ""vile"" antisemites attended and were told to leave. The protest organiser, the Palestine Action Group Sydney, have said the rally will go ahead without police authorisation, and it defended the right to demonstrate after calls from various politicians for the event to be cancelled. Countries across the developed world are curbing pro-Palestinian protests out of concern the Israel-Hamas conflict could trigger violence at home. France banned pro-Palestinian protests on Thursday saying they were likely to ""generate disturbances to public order"". Police arrested three men on Friday outside the Jewish Museum of Australia in Sydney for making Nazi salutes, media reported.
+ "" I expect, and so do NSW Police, the full extent of the law will be applied to those people,"" state premier Chris Minns told a press conference. Australia's intelligence chief has warned about the possibility of violence and called for people to tone down rhetoric that could inflame tensions.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/india-condemns-hamas-terrorist-attack-reiterates-backing-independent-palestine-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]India condemns Hamas 'terrorist attack', reiterates backing for independent Palestine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW DELHI, Oct 12 (Reuters) - India considers the weekend attack by Hamas militants in Israel a ""terrorist attack"", a spokesperson for the country's foreign ministry said Thursday, while reiterating its longstanding position for an independent Palestine.
+ ""We see this as a terrorist attack,"" the spokesperson said.
+ Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas movement that governs the Gaza Strip in retribution for one of the deadliest attacks on its soil. It has put Gaza under total siege and launched its biggest bombing campaign in the 75-year history of the conflict.
+ Over 2,500 people have died between the two sides up to now.
+ The spokesperson's remarks were the first reiteration of India's stance on an independent Palestinian state since the latest hostilities broke out between Israel and Hamas over the weekend.
+ ""India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side-by-side at peace with Israel,"" spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a weekly briefing.
+ Immediately after the attacks Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed shock over the ""terrorist attacks in Israel"".
+ ""We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,"" he said on social media platform X, and also during a phone conversation with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.
+ India only established diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992, but the two countries have inched closer to becoming strategic partners since then and New Delhi has become much less vocal in expressing its support for an independent Palestinian state.
+ But as the hostilities continue and Israel launches a barrage of bombing across the Gaza Strip, New Delhi said that ""there is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law"".
+ ""There is also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,"" the spokesperson said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]India condemns Hamas 'terrorist attack', reiterates backing for independent Palestine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW DELHI, Oct 12 (Reuters) - India considers the weekend attack by Hamas militants in Israel a ""terrorist attack"", a spokesperson for the country's foreign ministry said Thursday, while reiterating its longstanding position for an independent Palestine. ""We see this as a terrorist attack,"" the spokesperson said. Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas movement that governs the Gaza Strip in retribution for one of the deadliest attacks on its soil. It has put Gaza under total siege and launched its biggest bombing campaign in the 75-year history of the conflict. Over 2,500 people have died between the two sides up to now. The spokesperson's remarks were the first reiteration of India's stance on an independent Palestinian state since the latest hostilities broke out between Israel and Hamas over the weekend. ""India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side-by-side at peace with Israel,"" spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a weekly briefing. Immediately after the attacks Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed shock over the ""terrorist attacks in Israel"". ""We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,"" he said on social media platform X, and also during a phone conversation with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. India only established diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992, but the two countries have inched closer to becoming strategic partners since then and New Delhi has become much less vocal in expressing its support for an independent Palestinian state. But as the hostilities continue and Israel launches a barrage of bombing across the Gaza Strip, New Delhi said that ""there is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law"". ""There is also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,"" the spokesperson said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-says-crimes-against-palestinians-receive-response-axis-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran says crimes against Palestinians to receive response from axis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 12 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Thursday that the continuation of crimes against Palestinians will receive a response from ""the rest of the axis"" and Israel will be responsible for the consequences.
+ Israel has been pounding Gaza in retaliation for a Hamas rampage in Israel this week that has killed at least 1,300 people, the deadliest attack on civilians in Israeli history. More than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed.
+ The Iranian minister said the displacement of Palestinians and cutting water and electricity to the Gaza Strip are considered war crimes.
+ ""Some Western officials have questioned if there is an intention to open a new front against the Zionist entity. Of course, in light of the continuation of these circumstances that are war crimes,"" he said, speaking through a translator, on television upon his arrival in Beirut.
+ ""The continuation of war crimes against Palestine and Gaza will receive a response from the rest of the axis. And naturally, the Zionist entity and its supporters will be responsible for the consequences of that,"" Amirabdollahian said.
+ He did not specify, but the Axis of Resistance refers to an alliance among Iran, Palestinian militant groups, Syria, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and other factions.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran says crimes against Palestinians to receive response from axis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 12 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Thursday that the continuation of crimes against Palestinians will receive a response from ""the rest of the axis"" and Israel will be responsible for the consequences. Israel has been pounding Gaza in retaliation for a Hamas rampage in Israel this week that has killed at least 1,300 people, the deadliest attack on civilians in Israeli history. More than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed.  The Iranian minister said the displacement of Palestinians and cutting water and electricity to the Gaza Strip are considered war crimes.
+ "" Some Western officials have questioned if there is an intention to open a new front against the Zionist entity. Of course, in light of the continuation of these circumstances that are war crimes,"" he said, speaking through a translator, on television upon his arrival in Beirut. ""The continuation of war crimes against Palestine and Gaza will receive a response from the rest of the axis. And naturally, the Zionist entity and its supporters will be responsible for the consequences of that,"" Amirabdollahian said. He did not specify, but the Axis of Resistance refers to an alliance among Iran, Palestinian militant groups, Syria, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and other factions.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/no-israeli-palestinian-flags-allowed-wembley-england-games-fa-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK govt rebukes FA for not lighting up Wembley arch in Israel colours[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The British government issued a rare rebuke on Thursday to the Football Association (FA) for its decision not to light up Wembley Stadium's arch in blue and white in solidarity with Israel following last week's attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+ Wembley, the home of England's national football team, has previously lit up its iconic arch with the colours of Ukraine, Turkey and other countries in solidarity. However, it will not do the same for Israel, media reports said.
+ ""I am extremely disappointed ... and have made my views clear to the FA,"" Britain's Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport Lucy Frazer said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
+ ""It is especially disappointing in light of the FA's bold stance on other terrorist attacks in the recent past. Words and actions matter. The Government is clear: we stand with Israel,"" she added.
+ The government this week projected the Israeli flag onto Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Downing Street residence, while parliament lit itself up in blue and white, echoing similar displays of solidarity in other parts of the Western world.
+ The FA released a statement earlier on Thursday, saying flags and shirts showing support for victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not be allowed for England's upcoming games against Australia and Italy at Wembley.
+ England and Australia players will wear black armbands for their friendly on Friday, the FA said, and there will be a period of silence before kick off.
+ ""On Friday evening, we will remember the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine,"" the FA said in thestatement, opens new tab, without mentioning Wembley's arch.
+ ""We will only permit flags, replica kits and other representations of nationality for the competing nations inside Wembley Stadium.""
+ England then host Italy in a European Championship qualifier on Tuesday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK govt rebukes FA for not lighting up Wembley arch in Israel colours[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The British government issued a rare rebuke on Thursday to the Football Association (FA) for its decision not to light up Wembley Stadium's arch in blue and white in solidarity with Israel following last week's attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas. Wembley, the home of England's national football team, has previously lit up its iconic arch with the colours of Ukraine, Turkey and other countries in solidarity. However, it will not do the same for Israel, media reports said. ""I am extremely disappointed ... and have made my views clear to the FA,"" Britain's Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport Lucy Frazer said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.  ""It is especially disappointing in light of the FA's bold stance on other terrorist attacks in the recent past. Words and actions matter. The Government is clear: we stand with Israel,"" she added. The government this week projected the Israeli flag onto Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Downing Street residence, while parliament lit itself up in blue and white, echoing similar displays of solidarity in other parts of the Western world. The FA released a statement earlier on Thursday, saying flags and shirts showing support for victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not be allowed for England's upcoming games against Australia and Italy at Wembley. England and Australia players will wear black armbands for their friendly on Friday, the FA said, and there will be a period of silence before kick off. ""On Friday evening, we will remember the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine,"" the FA said in thestatement, opens new tab, without mentioning Wembley's arch. ""We will only permit flags, replica kits and other representations of nationality for the competing nations inside Wembley Stadium."" England then host Italy in a European Championship qualifier on Tuesday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/russian-foreign-ministry-calls-gaza-ceasefire-allow-food-medicine-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russian foreign ministry calls for Gaza ceasefire to allow in food and medicine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry urged Israel on Thursday to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza to allow in food and medicine and said it was unacceptable that what it called the ""indiscriminate"" bombing of the Gaza Strip was causing so many civilian casualties.
+ Moscow issued the statement after Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov spoke to Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), by phone.
+ Israel said earlier on Thursday there would be no humanitarian exceptions to its siege of the Gaza Strip until all its hostages were freed, after the Red Cross pleaded for fuel to be allowed in to prevent overwhelmed hospitals from ""turning into morgues"".
+ The Russian foreign ministry said Bogdanov and Al-Sheikh had agreed on the need for a ceasefire and for the opening of human corridors to deliver food and medicine to Gaza's population.
+ Both also agreed that water and electricity supplies to Gaza should be restored, it said.
+ ""The unacceptability of the indiscriminate bombardment leading to numerous civilian casualties was emphasised,"" the Russian statement said.
+ ""The goal of preventing an exodus from the Gaza Strip, which should become part of an independent Palestinian State on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, was (also) emphasised.""
+ In a second statement later on Thursday, the Russian foreign ministry said that four Russian citizens had been killed in southern Israel which Hamas attacked on Saturday, slaughtering hundreds of civilians. A further six Russian citizens were still missing, the ministry said.
+ ""We strongly condemn any manifestations of extremism, terrorism, hostage-taking, blockading people, deliberately creating unbearable living conditions and other violent acts against civilians, along with the indiscriminate use of force in the conduct of military operations,"" the same statement said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Russian foreign ministry calls for Gaza ceasefire to allow in food and medicine[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MOSCOW, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry urged Israel on Thursday to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza to allow in food and medicine and said it was unacceptable that what it called the ""indiscriminate"" bombing of the Gaza Strip was causing so many civilian casualties. Moscow issued the statement after Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov spoke to Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), by phone. Israel said earlier on Thursday there would be no humanitarian exceptions to its siege of the Gaza Strip until all its hostages were freed, after the Red Cross pleaded for fuel to be allowed in to prevent overwhelmed hospitals from ""turning into morgues"". The Russian foreign ministry said Bogdanov and Al-Sheikh had agreed on the need for a ceasefire and for the opening of human corridors to deliver food and medicine to Gaza's population. Both also agreed that water and electricity supplies to Gaza should be restored, it said.
+ "" The unacceptability of the indiscriminate bombardment leading to numerous civilian casualties was emphasised,"" the Russian statement said. ""The goal of preventing an exodus from the Gaza Strip, which should become part of an independent Palestinian State on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, was (also) emphasised.""  In a second statement later on Thursday, the Russian foreign ministry said that four Russian citizens had been killed in southern Israel which Hamas attacked on Saturday, slaughtering hundreds of civilians. A further six Russian citizens were still missing, the ministry said.  ""We strongly condemn any manifestations of extremism, terrorism, hostage-taking, blockading people, deliberately creating unbearable living conditions and other violent acts against civilians, along with the indiscriminate use of force in the conduct of military operations,"" the same statement said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/mistranslated-clip-putin-us-involvement-israel-hamas-conflict-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Mistranslated clip of Putin on US involvement in Israel-Hamas conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking about Ukraine in December 2022 has been shared online in October with mistranslated English subtitles that claim he warned the United States not to interfere in the conflict between Israel and Hamas., opens new tab
+ A post on social media, opens new tab sharing the clip of Putin cites him as saying: “Putin: I am warning that #America should not interfere in #IsraelPalestineWar, if America does that we will openly help #Palestine.”
+ The subtitles in the video read: “I am warning America. Russia will help palestine And america can do nothing.”
+ The English subtitles are mistranslated, however, and do not represent Putin’s remarks in Russian. The original video clip is of Putin’s comments at a televised meeting, opens new tab of his Human Rights Council on Dec. 7, 2022, where he spoke of the growing threat of nuclear war around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, opens new tab that began in February 2022.
+ The clip on social media includes a “USA TODAY” watermark. A longer version of the video is on the news outlet’s YouTube page shared on Dec. 8, 2022, opens new tab with different subtitles. Putin’s remarks and hand gestures from timestamps 0:14 to 0:21 of USA TODAY’s video on YouTube match that of the clip shared on social media in October.
+ The subtitles on the YouTube video read (timestamps 0:13-0:26): “Regarding the fact that under no circumstances will Russia strike first, if it does not strike first under any circumstances, then it will not strike second either, because the possibilities of a nuclear strike on our territory are very limited.”
+ On Oct. 10, Putin blamed the escalating conflict, opens new tab between Israel and Palestinians on the failure of U.S. policy in the Middle East, and accused the U.S., opens new tab on Oct. 11 of inflaming the region by sending an aircraft carrier group closer to Israel.
+ VERDICT
+ False. Putin’s remarks were made in December 2022 about the threat of nuclear war in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but the clip shared on social media includes mistranslated English subtitles.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Mistranslated clip of Putin on US involvement in Israel-Hamas conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking about Ukraine in December 2022 has been shared online in October with mistranslated English subtitles that claim he warned the United States not to interfere in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. , opens new tab
+ A post on social media, opens new tab sharing the clip of Putin cites him as saying: “Putin: I am warning that #America should not interfere in #IsraelPalestineWar, if America does that we will openly help #Palestine.”  The subtitles in the video read: “I am warning America. Russia will help palestine And america can do nothing. ”  The English subtitles are mistranslated, however, and do not represent Putin’s remarks in Russian. The original video clip is of Putin’s comments at a televised meeting, opens new tab of his Human Rights Council on Dec. 7, 2022, where he spoke of the growing threat of nuclear war around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, opens new tab that began in February 2022.  The clip on social media includes a “USA TODAY” watermark. A longer version of the video is on the news outlet’s YouTube page shared on Dec. 8, 2022, opens new tab with different subtitles. Putin’s remarks and hand gestures from timestamps 0:14 to 0:21 of USA TODAY’s video on YouTube match that of the clip shared on social media in October. The subtitles on the YouTube video read (timestamps 0:13-0:26): “Regarding the fact that under no circumstances will Russia strike first, if it does not strike first under any circumstances, then it will not strike second either, because the possibilities of a nuclear strike on our territory are very limited.”  On Oct. 10, Putin blamed the escalating conflict, opens new tab between Israel and Palestinians on the failure of U.S. policy in the Middle East, and accused the U.S., opens new tab on Oct. 11 of inflaming the region by sending an aircraft carrier group closer to Israel.  VERDICT
+ False. Putin’s remarks were made in December 2022 about the threat of nuclear war in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but the clip shared on social media includes mistranslated English subtitles.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-erdogan-warning-us-over-israel-hamas-war-is-altered-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video of Erdogan warning US over Israel-Hamas war is altered[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]False subtitles have been added to a video of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan expressing his support for the occupied Palestinian territories in July 2023 to claim that he is warning the U.S. against intervening in the October Israel-Hamas war.
+ The video with the incorrect translation was circulated online after a surprise attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7 triggered one of the deadliest clashes, opens new tab in 75 years of conflict, killing at least 1,200 in Israel and 900 Palestinians.
+ “BREAKING: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warns Americans to stay away from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ""We will defend Palestine at any price” read posts on messaging platform X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook, opens new tab.
+ The subtitles say: “I am warning America don’t In israel palestine war... We are with our innocent Palestenien brother’s... We are ready to defend Palestine at any price.”
+ The social media video carries a watermark for news outlet Middle East Eye. It uploaded the original video, opens new tab showing Erdogan voicing support for a two-state solution during a televised conference before talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in July 2023. The clip on social media starts 8 seconds into, opens new tab the Middle East Eye video.
+ Erdogan actually says, “...and we are deeply concerned with settler violence. On this occasion, I once again wish God's mercy for our Palestinian brothers who lost their lives, and condolences to the Palestine state and people.”
+ Following the Oct. 7 clash, Erdogan reiterated his support for the two-state solution and said that Turkey was prepared to ramp up diplomatic efforts to achieve calm, Reuters reported, opens new tab.
+ VERDICT
+ False. Incorrectly translated subtitles warning the U.S. against intervention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been added to a video of Erdogan from July 2023.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video of Erdogan warning US over Israel-Hamas war is altered[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]False subtitles have been added to a video of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan expressing his support for the occupied Palestinian territories in July 2023 to claim that he is warning the U.S. against intervening in the October Israel-Hamas war. The video with the incorrect translation was circulated online after a surprise attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7 triggered one of the deadliest clashes, opens new tab in 75 years of conflict, killing at least 1,200 in Israel and 900 Palestinians.
+ “BREAKING: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warns Americans to stay away from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ""We will defend Palestine at any price” read posts on messaging platform X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook, opens new tab.  The subtitles say: “I am warning America don’t In israel palestine war... We are with our innocent Palestenien brother’s... We are ready to defend Palestine at any price.”  The social media video carries a watermark for news outlet Middle East Eye. It uploaded the original video, opens new tab showing Erdogan voicing support for a two-state solution during a televised conference before talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in July 2023. The clip on social media starts 8 seconds into, opens new tab the Middle East Eye video.  Erdogan actually says, “...and we are deeply concerned with settler violence. On this occasion, I once again wish God's mercy for our Palestinian brothers who lost their lives, and condolences to the Palestine state and people.” Following the Oct. 7 clash, Erdogan reiterated his support for the two-state solution and said that Turkey was prepared to ramp up diplomatic efforts to achieve calm, Reuters reported, opens new tab.  VERDICT
+ False. Incorrectly translated subtitles warning the U.S. against intervention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been added to a video of Erdogan from July 2023.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/ecbs-stournaras-interview-with-reuters-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]ECB's Stournaras interview with Reuters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ATHENS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The following are the key questions and answers from a Reuters interview with European Central Bank policymaker Yannis Stournaras, in which the Greek central bank governor warned against wrapping up bond purchases early.
+ Q: What kind of impact do you expect on the European economy from the war in Palestine?
+ A: First of all, it's a reminder that we should take the geopolitical uncertainty in our calculations. Of course it's very early to say what is going to be the impact, it will depend on the duration, it will depend on whether it's going to be extended or it's going to be local. So it's still very early to say what's going to be the impact, but usually, the impact of such conflicts is mostly stagflationairy.
+ Q: One immediate effect was a rebound in oil and gas prices. Should we brace for second round effects?
+ A: Yes, the first impact was rising oil prices and then the prices fell. But as I said, it's very early to say that this is going to be a medium term effect. We see no second round effects from the energy crisis which emerged after the unjustified invasion of Russia into Ukraine. So, up to now, second round effects are limited. So I hope that second round effects will remain limited even in this new geopolitical turmoil. And in any case, the European economy is much different now, as far as energy is concerned, compared to the situation in the '70s. So it's less dependent on energy. I mean, the energy intensity of our GDP is much less now compared to the '70s. But of course, there is an impact, yes.
+ Q: More broadly, how should central bankers think about this new geopolitical set-up, in which the West is more forcefully challenged by rival powers (Russia, Iran, China…) on a number of fronts (military, financial, technological…)? How can Europe, and the euro currency, navigate this new balance of power?
+ A: I think for Europe this is again a reminder that it should act in unison as much as possible and as it did during the pandemic, for instance. So this is another instance which shows that it is very important for Europe to coordinate and to act together. This is a lesson at least that we have learned from the past.
+ Q: Long-term bond yields have risen considerably since the last ECB Governing Council meeting in mid-September. How does this further tightening of financing conditions affect your outlook for the economy?
+ A: As you said correctly, this is tightening. The rise in bond yields means that financial conditions are even tighter Than before given monetary policy decisions. There are many reasons why this happened. One reason is that the markets now are convinced that interest rates will remain in the tightening territory for a number of months. The second is about the fiscal situation in many jurisdictions worldwide. The third is a reaction to the supply and demand of bonds and in particular government bonds as a consequence of increasing deficits on the supply side, and as a consequence of quantitative tightening by central banks, which reduces demand for government bonds. So, it's a combination of factors but at the end of the day, it's correct what you said it means we have even tighter financial conditions.
+ Q: When do you expect the ECB to start cutting interest rates?
+ A: It's very early to say, it's very early as you see there is a lot of uncertainty, there's a new shock, this conflict in Israel and Palestine so we have to be very careful, very much data dependent. We should not overreact. So far, I think we performed rather well despite the criticism. I think we managed to have more or less soft landing in our economies despite the various shocks and I hope that this will continue in the future. Of course my hope and my wish is that will avoid the bloodshed in the Middle East.
+ Q: The market has pencilled in a cut for June or July. Is that reasonable in your view?
+ A: Well, I don’t want to judge market assumptions. Market reacts to signals we provide. It will depend on the evolution of inflation, of financial tightening and of course on the performance of the real economy.
+ Q: The rise in bond yields was particularly strong in Italy, where the government raised its budget deficit targets. How concerned are you about fragmentation?
+ A: I don't think we have a red alert in Europe regarding fragmentation, but that is a reminder that member states in the Eurozone should abide by the agreements they have with the European Commission. I'm saying the agreements because the new Stability and Growth Pact is not yet in place, so what is going to be important are the bilateral agreements between member states and the European Commission. But definitely the situation in Italy does not raise any particular worries at the moment, but provided that the Italian government will consult with the European Commission and reassure investors that it will continue to abide by the agreement that the government has with the European Commission on the budget deficit.
+ A: At what point do you think the ECB should intervene using PEPP?
+ Q: Well, as you know, PEPP flexibility is here to stay. The implementation has to be discussed in the Governing Council of the ECB who have not discussed it yet. There is no change. So the rules we have decided they still apply. It is a first line of defence. But as I said, there is no urgency, we have no concerns at the moment regarding Italy or any other member state.
+ A: Do you agree with some of your colleagues who think the ECB should not intervene because Italy has been the cause of its own woes?
+ Q: As I said, we have not discussed in the Governing Council so I'm not going to comment on informal discussions, or bilateral discussions. Officially we have not discussed the situation in Italy in the Governing Council of the ECB. But as I said, I see no reason for concern. I'm sure that the Italian government will abide by the rules and the agreement they have with the European Commission.
+ Q: Do you see value in bringing forward the end of PEPP reinvestments, currently scheduled to run until the end of 2024?
+ A: No, I see no value in bringing it forward especially now under the new uncertainty we have because of the events in Israel and Palestine. So we need to keep our flexibility and act if necessary by using the PEPP flexibility and it's very early to talk about using the TPI
+ Q: Would you be in favour of raising banks’ reserve requirements in light of the vast amount of excess liquidity that has been created?
+ A: I think we should act only based on monetary policy reasons and justifications. And for the moment I see no reason why we should tighten monetary policy now because increasing the minimum requirements will imply monetary policy tightening. I see no reason for that. Still, there are decisions which will impact the economy with a lag as you know, monetary policy decisions act with an 18 months or a two year lag on the real economy, on the financial conditions. So, we have a pipeline of monetary policy tightening which has been decided in the past. So I see really no reason why we should take a new decision which will tighten monetary policy even more in the face of a weak European economy in particular.
+ Q: What do you see as the main pros and cons?
+ A: Well I see more negative than positive points here. I mean, first of all, increasing the minimum reserve requirement is contrary to what other central banks are doing. So it's rather outdated measure. We have to take this into account but in any case, we have not discussed it yet in the in the Governing Council. So, we should not preempt to announce any kind of decisions which have not been taken or any kind of ideas which have not been discussed or have not been discussed extensively at least.
+ Q: What would be in your view an appropriate level of mandatory reserves?
+ A: That's a very theoretical question and I wouldn't answer it.
+ Q: Have you given any thought to the new policy framework?
+ A: No, I think it's quite early. We still work under the existing policy framework, which serves well our purposes so I think it's too early to talk about changing the monetary policy framework.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]ECB's Stournaras interview with Reuters[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]ATHENS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The following are the key questions and answers from a Reuters interview with European Central Bank policymaker Yannis Stournaras, in which the Greek central bank governor warned against wrapping up bond purchases early. Q: What kind of impact do you expect on the European economy from the war in Palestine? A: First of all, it's a reminder that we should take the geopolitical uncertainty in our calculations. Of course it's very early to say what is going to be the impact, it will depend on the duration, it will depend on whether it's going to be extended or it's going to be local. So it's still very early to say what's going to be the impact, but usually, the impact of such conflicts is mostly stagflationairy.  Q: One immediate effect was a rebound in oil and gas prices. Should we brace for second round effects?  A: Yes, the first impact was rising oil prices and then the prices fell. But as I said, it's very early to say that this is going to be a medium term effect. We see no second round effects from the energy crisis which emerged after the unjustified invasion of Russia into Ukraine. So, up to now, second round effects are limited. So I hope that second round effects will remain limited even in this new geopolitical turmoil. And in any case, the European economy is much different now, as far as energy is concerned, compared to the situation in the '70s. So it's less dependent on energy. I mean, the energy intensity of our GDP is much less now compared to the '70s. But of course, there is an impact, yes.  Q: More broadly, how should central bankers think about this new geopolitical set-up, in which the West is more forcefully challenged by rival powers (Russia, Iran, China…) on a number of fronts (military, financial, technological…)? How can Europe, and the euro currency, navigate this new balance of power?  A: I think for Europe this is again a reminder that it should act in unison as much as possible and as it did during the pandemic, for instance. So this is another instance which shows that it is very important for Europe to coordinate and to act together. This is a lesson at least that we have learned from the past.  Q: Long-term bond yields have risen considerably since the last ECB Governing Council meeting in mid-September."
+https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/ecbs-stournaras-interview-with-reuters-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]ECB's Stournaras interview with Reuters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ATHENS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The following are the key questions and answers from a Reuters interview with European Central Bank policymaker Yannis Stournaras, in which the Greek central bank governor warned against wrapping up bond purchases early.
+ Q: What kind of impact do you expect on the European economy from the war in Palestine?
+ A: First of all, it's a reminder that we should take the geopolitical uncertainty in our calculations. Of course it's very early to say what is going to be the impact, it will depend on the duration, it will depend on whether it's going to be extended or it's going to be local. So it's still very early to say what's going to be the impact, but usually, the impact of such conflicts is mostly stagflationairy.
+ Q: One immediate effect was a rebound in oil and gas prices. Should we brace for second round effects?
+ A: Yes, the first impact was rising oil prices and then the prices fell. But as I said, it's very early to say that this is going to be a medium term effect. We see no second round effects from the energy crisis which emerged after the unjustified invasion of Russia into Ukraine. So, up to now, second round effects are limited. So I hope that second round effects will remain limited even in this new geopolitical turmoil. And in any case, the European economy is much different now, as far as energy is concerned, compared to the situation in the '70s. So it's less dependent on energy. I mean, the energy intensity of our GDP is much less now compared to the '70s. But of course, there is an impact, yes.
+ Q: More broadly, how should central bankers think about this new geopolitical set-up, in which the West is more forcefully challenged by rival powers (Russia, Iran, China…) on a number of fronts (military, financial, technological…)? How can Europe, and the euro currency, navigate this new balance of power?
+ A: I think for Europe this is again a reminder that it should act in unison as much as possible and as it did during the pandemic, for instance. So this is another instance which shows that it is very important for Europe to coordinate and to act together. This is a lesson at least that we have learned from the past.
+ Q: Long-term bond yields have risen considerably since the last ECB Governing Council meeting in mid-September. How does this further tightening of financing conditions affect your outlook for the economy?
+ A: As you said correctly, this is tightening. The rise in bond yields means that financial conditions are even tighter Than before given monetary policy decisions. There are many reasons why this happened. One reason is that the markets now are convinced that interest rates will remain in the tightening territory for a number of months. The second is about the fiscal situation in many jurisdictions worldwide. The third is a reaction to the supply and demand of bonds and in particular government bonds as a consequence of increasing deficits on the supply side, and as a consequence of quantitative tightening by central banks, which reduces demand for government bonds. So, it's a combination of factors but at the end of the day, it's correct what you said it means we have even tighter financial conditions.
+ Q: When do you expect the ECB to start cutting interest rates?
+ A: It's very early to say, it's very early as you see there is a lot of uncertainty, there's a new shock, this conflict in Israel and Palestine so we have to be very careful, very much data dependent. We should not overreact. So far, I think we performed rather well despite the criticism. I think we managed to have more or less soft landing in our economies despite the various shocks and I hope that this will continue in the future. Of course my hope and my wish is that will avoid the bloodshed in the Middle East.
+ Q: The market has pencilled in a cut for June or July. Is that reasonable in your view?
+ A: Well, I don’t want to judge market assumptions. Market reacts to signals we provide. It will depend on the evolution of inflation, of financial tightening and of course on the performance of the real economy.
+ Q: The rise in bond yields was particularly strong in Italy, where the government raised its budget deficit targets. How concerned are you about fragmentation?
+ A: I don't think we have a red alert in Europe regarding fragmentation, but that is a reminder that member states in the Eurozone should abide by the agreements they have with the European Commission. I'm saying the agreements because the new Stability and Growth Pact is not yet in place, so what is going to be important are the bilateral agreements between member states and the European Commission. But definitely the situation in Italy does not raise any particular worries at the moment, but provided that the Italian government will consult with the European Commission and reassure investors that it will continue to abide by the agreement that the government has with the European Commission on the budget deficit.
+ A: At what point do you think the ECB should intervene using PEPP?
+ Q: Well, as you know, PEPP flexibility is here to stay. The implementation has to be discussed in the Governing Council of the ECB who have not discussed it yet. There is no change. So the rules we have decided they still apply. It is a first line of defence. But as I said, there is no urgency, we have no concerns at the moment regarding Italy or any other member state.
+ A: Do you agree with some of your colleagues who think the ECB should not intervene because Italy has been the cause of its own woes?
+ Q: As I said, we have not discussed in the Governing Council so I'm not going to comment on informal discussions, or bilateral discussions. Officially we have not discussed the situation in Italy in the Governing Council of the ECB. But as I said, I see no reason for concern. I'm sure that the Italian government will abide by the rules and the agreement they have with the European Commission.
+ Q: Do you see value in bringing forward the end of PEPP reinvestments, currently scheduled to run until the end of 2024?
+ A: No, I see no value in bringing it forward especially now under the new uncertainty we have because of the events in Israel and Palestine. So we need to keep our flexibility and act if necessary by using the PEPP flexibility and it's very early to talk about using the TPI
+ Q: Would you be in favour of raising banks’ reserve requirements in light of the vast amount of excess liquidity that has been created?
+ A: I think we should act only based on monetary policy reasons and justifications. And for the moment I see no reason why we should tighten monetary policy now because increasing the minimum requirements will imply monetary policy tightening. I see no reason for that. Still, there are decisions which will impact the economy with a lag as you know, monetary policy decisions act with an 18 months or a two year lag on the real economy, on the financial conditions. So, we have a pipeline of monetary policy tightening which has been decided in the past. So I see really no reason why we should take a new decision which will tighten monetary policy even more in the face of a weak European economy in particular.
+ Q: What do you see as the main pros and cons?
+ A: Well I see more negative than positive points here. I mean, first of all, increasing the minimum reserve requirement is contrary to what other central banks are doing. So it's rather outdated measure. We have to take this into account but in any case, we have not discussed it yet in the in the Governing Council. So, we should not preempt to announce any kind of decisions which have not been taken or any kind of ideas which have not been discussed or have not been discussed extensively at least.
+ Q: What would be in your view an appropriate level of mandatory reserves?
+ A: That's a very theoretical question and I wouldn't answer it.
+ Q: Have you given any thought to the new policy framework?
+ A: No, I think it's quite early. We still work under the existing policy framework, which serves well our purposes so I think it's too early to talk about changing the monetary policy framework.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","How does this further tightening of financing conditions affect your outlook for the economy?  A: As you said correctly, this is tightening. The rise in bond yields means that financial conditions are even tighter Than before given monetary policy decisions. There are many reasons why this happened. One reason is that the markets now are convinced that interest rates will remain in the tightening territory for a number of months. The second is about the fiscal situation in many jurisdictions worldwide. The third is a reaction to the supply and demand of bonds and in particular government bonds as a consequence of increasing deficits on the supply side, and as a consequence of quantitative tightening by central banks, which reduces demand for government bonds. So, it's a combination of factors but at the end of the day, it's correct what you said it means we have even tighter financial conditions. Q : When do you expect the ECB to start cutting interest rates?  A: It's very early to say, it's very early as you see there is a lot of uncertainty, there's a new shock, this conflict in Israel and Palestine so we have to be very careful, very much data dependent. We should not overreact. So far, I think we performed rather well despite the criticism. I think we managed to have more or less soft landing in our economies despite the various shocks and I hope that this will continue in the future. Of course my hope and my wish is that will avoid the bloodshed in the Middle East.  Q: The market has pencilled in a cut for June or July. Is that reasonable in your view?  A: Well, I don’t want to judge market assumptions. Market reacts to signals we provide. It will depend on the evolution of inflation, of financial tightening and of course on the performance of the real economy. Q: The rise in bond yields was particularly strong in Italy, where the government raised its budget deficit targets. How concerned are you about fragmentation?  A: I don't think we have a red alert in Europe regarding fragmentation, but that is a reminder that member states in the Eurozone should abide by the agreements they have with the European Commission. I'm saying the agreements because the new Stability and Growth Pact is not yet in place, so what is going to be important are the bilateral agreements between member states and the European Commission."
+https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/ecbs-stournaras-interview-with-reuters-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]ECB's Stournaras interview with Reuters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ATHENS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The following are the key questions and answers from a Reuters interview with European Central Bank policymaker Yannis Stournaras, in which the Greek central bank governor warned against wrapping up bond purchases early.
+ Q: What kind of impact do you expect on the European economy from the war in Palestine?
+ A: First of all, it's a reminder that we should take the geopolitical uncertainty in our calculations. Of course it's very early to say what is going to be the impact, it will depend on the duration, it will depend on whether it's going to be extended or it's going to be local. So it's still very early to say what's going to be the impact, but usually, the impact of such conflicts is mostly stagflationairy.
+ Q: One immediate effect was a rebound in oil and gas prices. Should we brace for second round effects?
+ A: Yes, the first impact was rising oil prices and then the prices fell. But as I said, it's very early to say that this is going to be a medium term effect. We see no second round effects from the energy crisis which emerged after the unjustified invasion of Russia into Ukraine. So, up to now, second round effects are limited. So I hope that second round effects will remain limited even in this new geopolitical turmoil. And in any case, the European economy is much different now, as far as energy is concerned, compared to the situation in the '70s. So it's less dependent on energy. I mean, the energy intensity of our GDP is much less now compared to the '70s. But of course, there is an impact, yes.
+ Q: More broadly, how should central bankers think about this new geopolitical set-up, in which the West is more forcefully challenged by rival powers (Russia, Iran, China…) on a number of fronts (military, financial, technological…)? How can Europe, and the euro currency, navigate this new balance of power?
+ A: I think for Europe this is again a reminder that it should act in unison as much as possible and as it did during the pandemic, for instance. So this is another instance which shows that it is very important for Europe to coordinate and to act together. This is a lesson at least that we have learned from the past.
+ Q: Long-term bond yields have risen considerably since the last ECB Governing Council meeting in mid-September. How does this further tightening of financing conditions affect your outlook for the economy?
+ A: As you said correctly, this is tightening. The rise in bond yields means that financial conditions are even tighter Than before given monetary policy decisions. There are many reasons why this happened. One reason is that the markets now are convinced that interest rates will remain in the tightening territory for a number of months. The second is about the fiscal situation in many jurisdictions worldwide. The third is a reaction to the supply and demand of bonds and in particular government bonds as a consequence of increasing deficits on the supply side, and as a consequence of quantitative tightening by central banks, which reduces demand for government bonds. So, it's a combination of factors but at the end of the day, it's correct what you said it means we have even tighter financial conditions.
+ Q: When do you expect the ECB to start cutting interest rates?
+ A: It's very early to say, it's very early as you see there is a lot of uncertainty, there's a new shock, this conflict in Israel and Palestine so we have to be very careful, very much data dependent. We should not overreact. So far, I think we performed rather well despite the criticism. I think we managed to have more or less soft landing in our economies despite the various shocks and I hope that this will continue in the future. Of course my hope and my wish is that will avoid the bloodshed in the Middle East.
+ Q: The market has pencilled in a cut for June or July. Is that reasonable in your view?
+ A: Well, I don’t want to judge market assumptions. Market reacts to signals we provide. It will depend on the evolution of inflation, of financial tightening and of course on the performance of the real economy.
+ Q: The rise in bond yields was particularly strong in Italy, where the government raised its budget deficit targets. How concerned are you about fragmentation?
+ A: I don't think we have a red alert in Europe regarding fragmentation, but that is a reminder that member states in the Eurozone should abide by the agreements they have with the European Commission. I'm saying the agreements because the new Stability and Growth Pact is not yet in place, so what is going to be important are the bilateral agreements between member states and the European Commission. But definitely the situation in Italy does not raise any particular worries at the moment, but provided that the Italian government will consult with the European Commission and reassure investors that it will continue to abide by the agreement that the government has with the European Commission on the budget deficit.
+ A: At what point do you think the ECB should intervene using PEPP?
+ Q: Well, as you know, PEPP flexibility is here to stay. The implementation has to be discussed in the Governing Council of the ECB who have not discussed it yet. There is no change. So the rules we have decided they still apply. It is a first line of defence. But as I said, there is no urgency, we have no concerns at the moment regarding Italy or any other member state.
+ A: Do you agree with some of your colleagues who think the ECB should not intervene because Italy has been the cause of its own woes?
+ Q: As I said, we have not discussed in the Governing Council so I'm not going to comment on informal discussions, or bilateral discussions. Officially we have not discussed the situation in Italy in the Governing Council of the ECB. But as I said, I see no reason for concern. I'm sure that the Italian government will abide by the rules and the agreement they have with the European Commission.
+ Q: Do you see value in bringing forward the end of PEPP reinvestments, currently scheduled to run until the end of 2024?
+ A: No, I see no value in bringing it forward especially now under the new uncertainty we have because of the events in Israel and Palestine. So we need to keep our flexibility and act if necessary by using the PEPP flexibility and it's very early to talk about using the TPI
+ Q: Would you be in favour of raising banks’ reserve requirements in light of the vast amount of excess liquidity that has been created?
+ A: I think we should act only based on monetary policy reasons and justifications. And for the moment I see no reason why we should tighten monetary policy now because increasing the minimum requirements will imply monetary policy tightening. I see no reason for that. Still, there are decisions which will impact the economy with a lag as you know, monetary policy decisions act with an 18 months or a two year lag on the real economy, on the financial conditions. So, we have a pipeline of monetary policy tightening which has been decided in the past. So I see really no reason why we should take a new decision which will tighten monetary policy even more in the face of a weak European economy in particular.
+ Q: What do you see as the main pros and cons?
+ A: Well I see more negative than positive points here. I mean, first of all, increasing the minimum reserve requirement is contrary to what other central banks are doing. So it's rather outdated measure. We have to take this into account but in any case, we have not discussed it yet in the in the Governing Council. So, we should not preempt to announce any kind of decisions which have not been taken or any kind of ideas which have not been discussed or have not been discussed extensively at least.
+ Q: What would be in your view an appropriate level of mandatory reserves?
+ A: That's a very theoretical question and I wouldn't answer it.
+ Q: Have you given any thought to the new policy framework?
+ A: No, I think it's quite early. We still work under the existing policy framework, which serves well our purposes so I think it's too early to talk about changing the monetary policy framework.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","But definitely the situation in Italy does not raise any particular worries at the moment, but provided that the Italian government will consult with the European Commission and reassure investors that it will continue to abide by the agreement that the government has with the European Commission on the budget deficit. A: At what point do you think the ECB should intervene using PEPP?  Q: Well, as you know, PEPP flexibility is here to stay. The implementation has to be discussed in the Governing Council of the ECB who have not discussed it yet. There is no change. So the rules we have decided they still apply. It is a first line of defence. But as I said, there is no urgency, we have no concerns at the moment regarding Italy or any other member state.  A: Do you agree with some of your colleagues who think the ECB should not intervene because Italy has been the cause of its own woes?  Q: As I said, we have not discussed in the Governing Council so I'm not going to comment on informal discussions, or bilateral discussions. Officially we have not discussed the situation in Italy in the Governing Council of the ECB. But as I said, I see no reason for concern. I'm sure that the Italian government will abide by the rules and the agreement they have with the European Commission.  Q: Do you see value in bringing forward the end of PEPP reinvestments, currently scheduled to run until the end of 2024?  A: No, I see no value in bringing it forward especially now under the new uncertainty we have because of the events in Israel and Palestine. So we need to keep our flexibility and act if necessary by using the PEPP flexibility and it's very early to talk about using the TPI
+ Q : Would you be in favour of raising banks’ reserve requirements in light of the vast amount of excess liquidity that has been created?  A: I think we should act only based on monetary policy reasons and justifications. And for the moment I see no reason why we should tighten monetary policy now because increasing the minimum requirements will imply monetary policy tightening. I see no reason for that. Still, there are decisions which will impact the economy with a lag as you know, monetary policy decisions act with an 18 months or a two year lag on the real economy, on the financial conditions. So, we have a pipeline of monetary policy tightening which has been decided in the past."
+https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/ecbs-stournaras-interview-with-reuters-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]ECB's Stournaras interview with Reuters[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ATHENS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The following are the key questions and answers from a Reuters interview with European Central Bank policymaker Yannis Stournaras, in which the Greek central bank governor warned against wrapping up bond purchases early.
+ Q: What kind of impact do you expect on the European economy from the war in Palestine?
+ A: First of all, it's a reminder that we should take the geopolitical uncertainty in our calculations. Of course it's very early to say what is going to be the impact, it will depend on the duration, it will depend on whether it's going to be extended or it's going to be local. So it's still very early to say what's going to be the impact, but usually, the impact of such conflicts is mostly stagflationairy.
+ Q: One immediate effect was a rebound in oil and gas prices. Should we brace for second round effects?
+ A: Yes, the first impact was rising oil prices and then the prices fell. But as I said, it's very early to say that this is going to be a medium term effect. We see no second round effects from the energy crisis which emerged after the unjustified invasion of Russia into Ukraine. So, up to now, second round effects are limited. So I hope that second round effects will remain limited even in this new geopolitical turmoil. And in any case, the European economy is much different now, as far as energy is concerned, compared to the situation in the '70s. So it's less dependent on energy. I mean, the energy intensity of our GDP is much less now compared to the '70s. But of course, there is an impact, yes.
+ Q: More broadly, how should central bankers think about this new geopolitical set-up, in which the West is more forcefully challenged by rival powers (Russia, Iran, China…) on a number of fronts (military, financial, technological…)? How can Europe, and the euro currency, navigate this new balance of power?
+ A: I think for Europe this is again a reminder that it should act in unison as much as possible and as it did during the pandemic, for instance. So this is another instance which shows that it is very important for Europe to coordinate and to act together. This is a lesson at least that we have learned from the past.
+ Q: Long-term bond yields have risen considerably since the last ECB Governing Council meeting in mid-September. How does this further tightening of financing conditions affect your outlook for the economy?
+ A: As you said correctly, this is tightening. The rise in bond yields means that financial conditions are even tighter Than before given monetary policy decisions. There are many reasons why this happened. One reason is that the markets now are convinced that interest rates will remain in the tightening territory for a number of months. The second is about the fiscal situation in many jurisdictions worldwide. The third is a reaction to the supply and demand of bonds and in particular government bonds as a consequence of increasing deficits on the supply side, and as a consequence of quantitative tightening by central banks, which reduces demand for government bonds. So, it's a combination of factors but at the end of the day, it's correct what you said it means we have even tighter financial conditions.
+ Q: When do you expect the ECB to start cutting interest rates?
+ A: It's very early to say, it's very early as you see there is a lot of uncertainty, there's a new shock, this conflict in Israel and Palestine so we have to be very careful, very much data dependent. We should not overreact. So far, I think we performed rather well despite the criticism. I think we managed to have more or less soft landing in our economies despite the various shocks and I hope that this will continue in the future. Of course my hope and my wish is that will avoid the bloodshed in the Middle East.
+ Q: The market has pencilled in a cut for June or July. Is that reasonable in your view?
+ A: Well, I don’t want to judge market assumptions. Market reacts to signals we provide. It will depend on the evolution of inflation, of financial tightening and of course on the performance of the real economy.
+ Q: The rise in bond yields was particularly strong in Italy, where the government raised its budget deficit targets. How concerned are you about fragmentation?
+ A: I don't think we have a red alert in Europe regarding fragmentation, but that is a reminder that member states in the Eurozone should abide by the agreements they have with the European Commission. I'm saying the agreements because the new Stability and Growth Pact is not yet in place, so what is going to be important are the bilateral agreements between member states and the European Commission. But definitely the situation in Italy does not raise any particular worries at the moment, but provided that the Italian government will consult with the European Commission and reassure investors that it will continue to abide by the agreement that the government has with the European Commission on the budget deficit.
+ A: At what point do you think the ECB should intervene using PEPP?
+ Q: Well, as you know, PEPP flexibility is here to stay. The implementation has to be discussed in the Governing Council of the ECB who have not discussed it yet. There is no change. So the rules we have decided they still apply. It is a first line of defence. But as I said, there is no urgency, we have no concerns at the moment regarding Italy or any other member state.
+ A: Do you agree with some of your colleagues who think the ECB should not intervene because Italy has been the cause of its own woes?
+ Q: As I said, we have not discussed in the Governing Council so I'm not going to comment on informal discussions, or bilateral discussions. Officially we have not discussed the situation in Italy in the Governing Council of the ECB. But as I said, I see no reason for concern. I'm sure that the Italian government will abide by the rules and the agreement they have with the European Commission.
+ Q: Do you see value in bringing forward the end of PEPP reinvestments, currently scheduled to run until the end of 2024?
+ A: No, I see no value in bringing it forward especially now under the new uncertainty we have because of the events in Israel and Palestine. So we need to keep our flexibility and act if necessary by using the PEPP flexibility and it's very early to talk about using the TPI
+ Q: Would you be in favour of raising banks’ reserve requirements in light of the vast amount of excess liquidity that has been created?
+ A: I think we should act only based on monetary policy reasons and justifications. And for the moment I see no reason why we should tighten monetary policy now because increasing the minimum requirements will imply monetary policy tightening. I see no reason for that. Still, there are decisions which will impact the economy with a lag as you know, monetary policy decisions act with an 18 months or a two year lag on the real economy, on the financial conditions. So, we have a pipeline of monetary policy tightening which has been decided in the past. So I see really no reason why we should take a new decision which will tighten monetary policy even more in the face of a weak European economy in particular.
+ Q: What do you see as the main pros and cons?
+ A: Well I see more negative than positive points here. I mean, first of all, increasing the minimum reserve requirement is contrary to what other central banks are doing. So it's rather outdated measure. We have to take this into account but in any case, we have not discussed it yet in the in the Governing Council. So, we should not preempt to announce any kind of decisions which have not been taken or any kind of ideas which have not been discussed or have not been discussed extensively at least.
+ Q: What would be in your view an appropriate level of mandatory reserves?
+ A: That's a very theoretical question and I wouldn't answer it.
+ Q: Have you given any thought to the new policy framework?
+ A: No, I think it's quite early. We still work under the existing policy framework, which serves well our purposes so I think it's too early to talk about changing the monetary policy framework.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","So I see really no reason why we should take a new decision which will tighten monetary policy even more in the face of a weak European economy in particular.  Q: What do you see as the main pros and cons?  A: Well I see more negative than positive points here. I mean, first of all, increasing the minimum reserve requirement is contrary to what other central banks are doing. So it's rather outdated measure. We have to take this into account but in any case, we have not discussed it yet in the in the Governing Council. So, we should not preempt to announce any kind of decisions which have not been taken or any kind of ideas which have not been discussed or have not been discussed extensively at least.  Q: What would be in your view an appropriate level of mandatory reserves?  A: That's a very theoretical question and I wouldn't answer it. Q: Have you given any thought to the new policy framework?  A: No, I think it's quite early. We still work under the existing policy framework, which serves well our purposes so I think it's too early to talk about changing the monetary policy framework.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east-crisis-test-limits-chinas-diplomatic-push-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Hamas conflict tests limits of China's approach to the Middle East[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG/BEIJING/SINGAPORE, Oct 10 (Reuters) - When China announced a surprise deal restoring ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran this year, it signalled Beijing's desire to be a diplomatic heavyweight in the Middle East.
+ The crisis in Israel and Gaza threatens to expose the limits of that ambition.
+ After the March Saudi-Iran agreement, which China brokered, Chinese media hailed Beijing's rising profile in a region long dominated by Washington. Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, said the country would continue to play a constructive role in handling global ""hotspot issues"".
+ But after the killings of more than 900 Israelis in coordinated assaults by the Islamic group Hamas, China's response was muted.
+ A foreign ministry spokeswoman repeatedly stopped short of condemning Hamas, opens new tab, instead calling for de-escalation and for Israel and Palestine to pursue a ""two-state solution"" for an independent Palestine. China's leader Xi Jinping has been silent on the issue.
+ ""Certainly it does poke a hole in the type of propaganda ... of China being this kind of massive player in the Middle East,"" said Bill Figueroa, an assistant professor at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and an expert on China-Middle East relations.
+ China's neutrality has drawn criticism from U.S. and Israeli officials, with some saying it undermines Beijing's claims to be an unbiased peace broker in the region.
+ That should not come as a surprise, say analysts. Chinese diplomacy has long been risk-averse, and the spiralling conflict between Israel and Hamas puts its diplomats in a difficult spot, given China's historic support for the Palestinians and its rivalry with the United States.
+ ”We have made it clear that China is highly concerned about the continued escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and urges all parties concerned to immediately cease fire and stop fighting. China is willing to maintain communication with all parties and make unremitting efforts for peace and stability in the Middle East,"" Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Tuesday.
+ PALESTINE SENSITIVITY
+ Since the end of China's nearly three years of COVID lockdowns, Xi has launched a diplomatic push aimed at countering the United States and its allies, who he says seek to contain and suppress his country.
+ Beijing has deepened alliances with non-Western led multilateral groups such as the BRICS bloc of nations, while hewing more closely to Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine and strengthening ties with countries in the Middle East and the Global South.
+ Although there is a chance to build on its Iran-Saudi success, China is unlikely to engage deeply in the current crisis.
+ One factor is a longstanding policy of non-interference that can sometimes clash with China's aim of acting as a great power on the global stage.
+ ""China under Xi (Jinping) wants to be respected and admired everywhere, including in the Middle East, but it is ultimately unwilling to do what it will take to resolve the really hard regional security issues,"" said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London. ""It goes for the low-hanging fruits and basically stops there.""
+ China has previously worked on Israel-Palestine issues.
+ China's special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, has engaged officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority - which governs in the occupied West Bank - as well as the Arab League and EU in the last year to discuss a two-state solution and recognition for Palestine at the United Nations.
+ But China's longstanding regional relationships, including with the Palestinians, limit its options.
+ Some Chinese scholars recently criticised the marginalisation of the Palestinians and a U.S.-led deal to normalise ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, as root causes fuelling the crisis.
+ ""The most important external factor behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the United States' attempt to enforce the Abraham Accords,"" wrote Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Institute for Middle East Studies of Shanghai International Studies University, in an interview published by a Chinese media outlet. ""The achievement of peace in the Middle East region and the just settlement of the question of Palestine are inseparable.""
+ A LIMIT TO RISK TAKING
+ Condemning Hamas could also put China at odds with Russia and Iran.
+ ""It is unclear who is behind Hamas, and it very possibly is China’s partner(s),"" said Yun Sun, Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in Washington. ""Russia benefits in the sense that the U.S. will be distracted, and Iran is a likely candidate. For China to denounce the attack also means China will be obligated to take actions if and when the culprit is named.”
+ Although China is one of the few countries with leverage over Iran - it has nearly $400 billion of planned investments in the country in the coming decades - there is scepticism in Israel that Beijing will step up.
+ ""China doesn't use its voice, its heft on the international stage to change things for the better,"" said Tuvia Gering, a China researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel.
+ The Asian giant's oil imports and investments in the Middle East, including telecoms and infrastructure as part of Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, means Beijing desires peace, but there are clear limits to Xi's willingness to take risks.
+ ""China is very successful in a stable environment in the Middle East when it's possible to broker reconciliation agreements between Saudi Arabia and Iran,"" said Jean-Loup Samaan, Senior Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore.
+ ""But when it comes to conflict management, that's a very different situation,"" Samaan added. ""And I don't think China ever wanted to play that role.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Hamas conflict tests limits of China's approach to the Middle East[/TITLE] [CONTENT]HONG KONG/BEIJING/SINGAPORE, Oct 10 (Reuters) - When China announced a surprise deal restoring ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran this year, it signalled Beijing's desire to be a diplomatic heavyweight in the Middle East. The crisis in Israel and Gaza threatens to expose the limits of that ambition.  After the March Saudi-Iran agreement, which China brokered, Chinese media hailed Beijing's rising profile in a region long dominated by Washington. Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, said the country would continue to play a constructive role in handling global ""hotspot issues"". But after the killings of more than 900 Israelis in coordinated assaults by the Islamic group Hamas, China's response was muted.  A foreign ministry spokeswoman repeatedly stopped short of condemning Hamas, opens new tab, instead calling for de-escalation and for Israel and Palestine to pursue a ""two-state solution"" for an independent Palestine. China's leader Xi Jinping has been silent on the issue. ""Certainly it does poke a hole in the type of propaganda ... of China being this kind of massive player in the Middle East,"" said Bill Figueroa, an assistant professor at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and an expert on China-Middle East relations. China's neutrality has drawn criticism from U.S. and Israeli officials, with some saying it undermines Beijing's claims to be an unbiased peace broker in the region. That should not come as a surprise, say analysts. Chinese diplomacy has long been risk-averse, and the spiralling conflict between Israel and Hamas puts its diplomats in a difficult spot, given China's historic support for the Palestinians and its rivalry with the United States.  ”We have made it clear that China is highly concerned about the continued escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and urges all parties concerned to immediately cease fire and stop fighting. China is willing to maintain communication with all parties and make unremitting efforts for peace and stability in the Middle East,"" Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Tuesday. PALESTINE SENSITIVITY Since the end of China's nearly three years of COVID lockdowns, Xi has launched a diplomatic push aimed at countering the United States and its allies, who he says seek to contain and suppress his country. Beijing has deepened alliances with non-Western led multilateral groups such as the BRICS bloc of nations, while hewing more closely to Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine and strengthening ties with countries in the Middle East and the Global South."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east-crisis-test-limits-chinas-diplomatic-push-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Hamas conflict tests limits of China's approach to the Middle East[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG/BEIJING/SINGAPORE, Oct 10 (Reuters) - When China announced a surprise deal restoring ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran this year, it signalled Beijing's desire to be a diplomatic heavyweight in the Middle East.
+ The crisis in Israel and Gaza threatens to expose the limits of that ambition.
+ After the March Saudi-Iran agreement, which China brokered, Chinese media hailed Beijing's rising profile in a region long dominated by Washington. Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, said the country would continue to play a constructive role in handling global ""hotspot issues"".
+ But after the killings of more than 900 Israelis in coordinated assaults by the Islamic group Hamas, China's response was muted.
+ A foreign ministry spokeswoman repeatedly stopped short of condemning Hamas, opens new tab, instead calling for de-escalation and for Israel and Palestine to pursue a ""two-state solution"" for an independent Palestine. China's leader Xi Jinping has been silent on the issue.
+ ""Certainly it does poke a hole in the type of propaganda ... of China being this kind of massive player in the Middle East,"" said Bill Figueroa, an assistant professor at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and an expert on China-Middle East relations.
+ China's neutrality has drawn criticism from U.S. and Israeli officials, with some saying it undermines Beijing's claims to be an unbiased peace broker in the region.
+ That should not come as a surprise, say analysts. Chinese diplomacy has long been risk-averse, and the spiralling conflict between Israel and Hamas puts its diplomats in a difficult spot, given China's historic support for the Palestinians and its rivalry with the United States.
+ ”We have made it clear that China is highly concerned about the continued escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and urges all parties concerned to immediately cease fire and stop fighting. China is willing to maintain communication with all parties and make unremitting efforts for peace and stability in the Middle East,"" Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Tuesday.
+ PALESTINE SENSITIVITY
+ Since the end of China's nearly three years of COVID lockdowns, Xi has launched a diplomatic push aimed at countering the United States and its allies, who he says seek to contain and suppress his country.
+ Beijing has deepened alliances with non-Western led multilateral groups such as the BRICS bloc of nations, while hewing more closely to Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine and strengthening ties with countries in the Middle East and the Global South.
+ Although there is a chance to build on its Iran-Saudi success, China is unlikely to engage deeply in the current crisis.
+ One factor is a longstanding policy of non-interference that can sometimes clash with China's aim of acting as a great power on the global stage.
+ ""China under Xi (Jinping) wants to be respected and admired everywhere, including in the Middle East, but it is ultimately unwilling to do what it will take to resolve the really hard regional security issues,"" said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London. ""It goes for the low-hanging fruits and basically stops there.""
+ China has previously worked on Israel-Palestine issues.
+ China's special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, has engaged officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority - which governs in the occupied West Bank - as well as the Arab League and EU in the last year to discuss a two-state solution and recognition for Palestine at the United Nations.
+ But China's longstanding regional relationships, including with the Palestinians, limit its options.
+ Some Chinese scholars recently criticised the marginalisation of the Palestinians and a U.S.-led deal to normalise ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, as root causes fuelling the crisis.
+ ""The most important external factor behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the United States' attempt to enforce the Abraham Accords,"" wrote Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Institute for Middle East Studies of Shanghai International Studies University, in an interview published by a Chinese media outlet. ""The achievement of peace in the Middle East region and the just settlement of the question of Palestine are inseparable.""
+ A LIMIT TO RISK TAKING
+ Condemning Hamas could also put China at odds with Russia and Iran.
+ ""It is unclear who is behind Hamas, and it very possibly is China’s partner(s),"" said Yun Sun, Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in Washington. ""Russia benefits in the sense that the U.S. will be distracted, and Iran is a likely candidate. For China to denounce the attack also means China will be obligated to take actions if and when the culprit is named.”
+ Although China is one of the few countries with leverage over Iran - it has nearly $400 billion of planned investments in the country in the coming decades - there is scepticism in Israel that Beijing will step up.
+ ""China doesn't use its voice, its heft on the international stage to change things for the better,"" said Tuvia Gering, a China researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel.
+ The Asian giant's oil imports and investments in the Middle East, including telecoms and infrastructure as part of Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, means Beijing desires peace, but there are clear limits to Xi's willingness to take risks.
+ ""China is very successful in a stable environment in the Middle East when it's possible to broker reconciliation agreements between Saudi Arabia and Iran,"" said Jean-Loup Samaan, Senior Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore.
+ ""But when it comes to conflict management, that's a very different situation,"" Samaan added. ""And I don't think China ever wanted to play that role.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Although there is a chance to build on its Iran-Saudi success, China is unlikely to engage deeply in the current crisis. One factor is a longstanding policy of non-interference that can sometimes clash with China's aim of acting as a great power on the global stage.  ""China under Xi (Jinping) wants to be respected and admired everywhere, including in the Middle East, but it is ultimately unwilling to do what it will take to resolve the really hard regional security issues,"" said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London. ""It goes for the low-hanging fruits and basically stops there. "" China has previously worked on Israel-Palestine issues. China's special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, has engaged officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority - which governs in the occupied West Bank - as well as the Arab League and EU in the last year to discuss a two-state solution and recognition for Palestine at the United Nations. But China's longstanding regional relationships, including with the Palestinians, limit its options. Some Chinese scholars recently criticised the marginalisation of the Palestinians and a U.S.-led deal to normalise ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, as root causes fuelling the crisis.  ""The most important external factor behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the United States' attempt to enforce the Abraham Accords,"" wrote Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Institute for Middle East Studies of Shanghai International Studies University, in an interview published by a Chinese media outlet. ""The achievement of peace in the Middle East region and the just settlement of the question of Palestine are inseparable. "" A LIMIT TO RISK TAKING
+ Condemning Hamas could also put China at odds with Russia and Iran.  ""It is unclear who is behind Hamas, and it very possibly is China’s partner(s),"" said Yun Sun, Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in Washington. ""Russia benefits in the sense that the U.S. will be distracted, and Iran is a likely candidate. For China to denounce the attack also means China will be obligated to take actions if and when the culprit is named. ” Although China is one of the few countries with leverage over Iran - it has nearly $400 billion of planned investments in the country in the coming decades - there is scepticism in Israel that Beijing will step up. ""China doesn't use its voice, its heft on the international stage to change things for the better,"" said Tuvia Gering, a China researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east-crisis-test-limits-chinas-diplomatic-push-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel-Hamas conflict tests limits of China's approach to the Middle East[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]HONG KONG/BEIJING/SINGAPORE, Oct 10 (Reuters) - When China announced a surprise deal restoring ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran this year, it signalled Beijing's desire to be a diplomatic heavyweight in the Middle East.
+ The crisis in Israel and Gaza threatens to expose the limits of that ambition.
+ After the March Saudi-Iran agreement, which China brokered, Chinese media hailed Beijing's rising profile in a region long dominated by Washington. Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, said the country would continue to play a constructive role in handling global ""hotspot issues"".
+ But after the killings of more than 900 Israelis in coordinated assaults by the Islamic group Hamas, China's response was muted.
+ A foreign ministry spokeswoman repeatedly stopped short of condemning Hamas, opens new tab, instead calling for de-escalation and for Israel and Palestine to pursue a ""two-state solution"" for an independent Palestine. China's leader Xi Jinping has been silent on the issue.
+ ""Certainly it does poke a hole in the type of propaganda ... of China being this kind of massive player in the Middle East,"" said Bill Figueroa, an assistant professor at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and an expert on China-Middle East relations.
+ China's neutrality has drawn criticism from U.S. and Israeli officials, with some saying it undermines Beijing's claims to be an unbiased peace broker in the region.
+ That should not come as a surprise, say analysts. Chinese diplomacy has long been risk-averse, and the spiralling conflict between Israel and Hamas puts its diplomats in a difficult spot, given China's historic support for the Palestinians and its rivalry with the United States.
+ ”We have made it clear that China is highly concerned about the continued escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and urges all parties concerned to immediately cease fire and stop fighting. China is willing to maintain communication with all parties and make unremitting efforts for peace and stability in the Middle East,"" Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Tuesday.
+ PALESTINE SENSITIVITY
+ Since the end of China's nearly three years of COVID lockdowns, Xi has launched a diplomatic push aimed at countering the United States and its allies, who he says seek to contain and suppress his country.
+ Beijing has deepened alliances with non-Western led multilateral groups such as the BRICS bloc of nations, while hewing more closely to Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine and strengthening ties with countries in the Middle East and the Global South.
+ Although there is a chance to build on its Iran-Saudi success, China is unlikely to engage deeply in the current crisis.
+ One factor is a longstanding policy of non-interference that can sometimes clash with China's aim of acting as a great power on the global stage.
+ ""China under Xi (Jinping) wants to be respected and admired everywhere, including in the Middle East, but it is ultimately unwilling to do what it will take to resolve the really hard regional security issues,"" said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London. ""It goes for the low-hanging fruits and basically stops there.""
+ China has previously worked on Israel-Palestine issues.
+ China's special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, has engaged officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority - which governs in the occupied West Bank - as well as the Arab League and EU in the last year to discuss a two-state solution and recognition for Palestine at the United Nations.
+ But China's longstanding regional relationships, including with the Palestinians, limit its options.
+ Some Chinese scholars recently criticised the marginalisation of the Palestinians and a U.S.-led deal to normalise ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, as root causes fuelling the crisis.
+ ""The most important external factor behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the United States' attempt to enforce the Abraham Accords,"" wrote Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Institute for Middle East Studies of Shanghai International Studies University, in an interview published by a Chinese media outlet. ""The achievement of peace in the Middle East region and the just settlement of the question of Palestine are inseparable.""
+ A LIMIT TO RISK TAKING
+ Condemning Hamas could also put China at odds with Russia and Iran.
+ ""It is unclear who is behind Hamas, and it very possibly is China’s partner(s),"" said Yun Sun, Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in Washington. ""Russia benefits in the sense that the U.S. will be distracted, and Iran is a likely candidate. For China to denounce the attack also means China will be obligated to take actions if and when the culprit is named.”
+ Although China is one of the few countries with leverage over Iran - it has nearly $400 billion of planned investments in the country in the coming decades - there is scepticism in Israel that Beijing will step up.
+ ""China doesn't use its voice, its heft on the international stage to change things for the better,"" said Tuvia Gering, a China researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel.
+ The Asian giant's oil imports and investments in the Middle East, including telecoms and infrastructure as part of Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, means Beijing desires peace, but there are clear limits to Xi's willingness to take risks.
+ ""China is very successful in a stable environment in the Middle East when it's possible to broker reconciliation agreements between Saudi Arabia and Iran,"" said Jean-Loup Samaan, Senior Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore.
+ ""But when it comes to conflict management, that's a very different situation,"" Samaan added. ""And I don't think China ever wanted to play that role.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The Asian giant's oil imports and investments in the Middle East, including telecoms and infrastructure as part of Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, means Beijing desires peace, but there are clear limits to Xi's willingness to take risks. ""China is very successful in a stable environment in the Middle East when it's possible to broker reconciliation agreements between Saudi Arabia and Iran,"" said Jean-Loup Samaan, Senior Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore.  ""But when it comes to conflict management, that's a very different situation,"" Samaan added. ""And I don't think China ever wanted to play that role.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/australia-intelligence-chief-warns-potential-violence-home-middle-east-tensions-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia intelligence chief warns of potential for violence at home as Middle East tensions rise[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The head of Australia's domestic intelligence agency on Thursday warned about the potential for opportunistic violence and called for calm as tensions rise ahead of a planned pro-Palestinian protest in response to the Israel-Hamas war.
+ In rare public statement, Mike Burgess, head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) said protests and rallies following the attacks by Hamas are likely to continue and he remained concerned about the potential for opportunistic violence.
+ ""In this context, it is important that all parties consider the implications for social cohesion when making public statements,"" Burgess said.
+ ""Words matter. ASIO has seen direct connections between inflamed language and inflamed community tensions.""
+ A pro-Palestinian rally outside the city's iconic Opera House on Monday ignited a heated debate after a small group were filmed chanting ""gas the Jews"". Organisers said those filmed were a fringe group of ""vile"" antisemites who had been told to leave.
+ Leaders across the political spectrum have denounced the comments and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the protest should never have gone ahead. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on Thursday called for protesters on visas to be deported.
+ Police separately charged a 23-year-old man on Wednesday after he allegedly verbally abused and threatened, opens new tab four teenagers who had unfurled an Israeli flag across their car, according to The Guardian.
+ Plans for a second pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney on Sunday have ignited a debate about the right to protest after New South Wales state premier Chris Minns said demonstrators would not be allowed to ""commandeer our streets"" and police refused to authorise the rally.
+ The Palestine Action Group has defended its right to demonstrate and said the protest would go ahead.
+ Burgess said ASIO is only interested in the ""small subset"" of protesters who wish to use violence, whether for religious, ideological or other reasons.
+ ""ASIO is carefully monitoring the situation for any indications of planned violence and were we to see any, we would respond accordingly""
+ There is no change Australia's terror threat level, which remained at ""possible"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia intelligence chief warns of potential for violence at home as Middle East tensions rise[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The head of Australia's domestic intelligence agency on Thursday warned about the potential for opportunistic violence and called for calm as tensions rise ahead of a planned pro-Palestinian protest in response to the Israel-Hamas war. In rare public statement, Mike Burgess, head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) said protests and rallies following the attacks by Hamas are likely to continue and he remained concerned about the potential for opportunistic violence. ""In this context, it is important that all parties consider the implications for social cohesion when making public statements,"" Burgess said.
+ "" Words matter. ASIO has seen direct connections between inflamed language and inflamed community tensions.""
+ A pro-Palestinian rally outside the city's iconic Opera House on Monday ignited a heated debate after a small group were filmed chanting ""gas the Jews"". Organisers said those filmed were a fringe group of ""vile"" antisemites who had been told to leave.  Leaders across the political spectrum have denounced the comments and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the protest should never have gone ahead. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on Thursday called for protesters on visas to be deported. Police separately charged a 23-year-old man on Wednesday after he allegedly verbally abused and threatened, opens new tab four teenagers who had unfurled an Israeli flag across their car, according to The Guardian. Plans for a second pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney on Sunday have ignited a debate about the right to protest after New South Wales state premier Chris Minns said demonstrators would not be allowed to ""commandeer our streets"" and police refused to authorise the rally. The Palestine Action Group has defended its right to demonstrate and said the protest would go ahead.
+ Burgess said ASIO is only interested in the ""small subset"" of protesters who wish to use violence, whether for religious, ideological or other reasons.  ""ASIO is carefully monitoring the situation for any indications of planned violence and were we to see any, we would respond accordingly""  There is no change Australia's terror threat level, which remained at ""possible"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/ecb-should-not-stop-bond-buys-early-stournaras-says-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]ECB should not stop bond buys early, Stournaras says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ATHENS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank should not stop its bond purchases early because they may still need to calm jittery markets but it is down to governments, including Italy's, to keep bondholders on side, ECB policymaker Yannis Stournaras told Reuters.
+ In the interview, Greece's central bank governor also warned about the risk of stagflation from a prolonged war in the Middle East and spoke against increasing the amount of reserves that banks must hold.
+ He countered calls by some of his colleagues for an early end to the ECB's last surviving bond-buying scheme, saying the central bank may need that firepower in a geopolitical environment fraught with risks.
+ ""I see no value in bringing it (the end) forward especially now under the new uncertainty we have because of the events in Israel and Palestine,"" he said. ""So we need to keep our flexibility and act if necessary.""
+ The ECB all but stopped buying bonds last year after a sudden surge in inflation forced it to unwind a decade of stimulus policies.
+ But it has retained the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme as a ""first line of defence"" against sudden spikes in borrowing costs for debt-laden countries, such as Italy, saying it would replace bonds that mature until the end of next year.
+ Investors have been demanding a higher premium to hold Italian government bonds since the government raised its budget deficit targets last month, setting it up for a possible clash with the European Commission and fuelling speculation about ECB intervention.
+ Stournaras - whose country has just regained the coveted investment-grade credit rating after near misses with default, three bailouts and much belt-tightening in the space of a decade - played down market concerns about Italy's public finances as long as Rome keeps on the straight and narrow.
+ ""The situation in Italy does not raise any particular worries at the moment, but provided that the Italian government will consult with the European Commission and reassure investors that it will continue to abide by the agreement that (it) has with the European Commission on the budget deficit,"" he said.
+ On the broader impact of the conflict, he said wars tend to be ""stagflationary"" - a toxic mix of high inflation and a stagnant economy that sometimes results from more expensive imports of raw materials - but cautioned it was too early to tell.
+ Finally, he noted borrowing costs had already risen since the ECB's last policy meeting as a result of higher bond yields and questioned if even more tightening was needed via an increase in banks' minimum reserve requirements.
+ This move would withdraw cash from the financial system and, given that minimum reserves are not remunerated, it would also reduce the amount of interest that the 20 central banks of the euro zone pay to commercial banks in their country.
+ ""For the moment I see no reason why we should tighten monetary policy now because increasing the minimum requirements will imply monetary policy tightening,"" Stournaras said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]ECB should not stop bond buys early, Stournaras says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ATHENS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank should not stop its bond purchases early because they may still need to calm jittery markets but it is down to governments, including Italy's, to keep bondholders on side, ECB policymaker Yannis Stournaras told Reuters. In the interview, Greece's central bank governor also warned about the risk of stagflation from a prolonged war in the Middle East and spoke against increasing the amount of reserves that banks must hold. He countered calls by some of his colleagues for an early end to the ECB's last surviving bond-buying scheme, saying the central bank may need that firepower in a geopolitical environment fraught with risks.  ""I see no value in bringing it (the end) forward especially now under the new uncertainty we have because of the events in Israel and Palestine,"" he said. ""So we need to keep our flexibility and act if necessary."" The ECB all but stopped buying bonds last year after a sudden surge in inflation forced it to unwind a decade of stimulus policies.
+ But it has retained the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme as a ""first line of defence"" against sudden spikes in borrowing costs for debt-laden countries, such as Italy, saying it would replace bonds that mature until the end of next year. Investors have been demanding a higher premium to hold Italian government bonds since the government raised its budget deficit targets last month, setting it up for a possible clash with the European Commission and fuelling speculation about ECB intervention. Stournaras - whose country has just regained the coveted investment-grade credit rating after near misses with default, three bailouts and much belt-tightening in the space of a decade - played down market concerns about Italy's public finances as long as Rome keeps on the straight and narrow.
+ ""The situation in Italy does not raise any particular worries at the moment, but provided that the Italian government will consult with the European Commission and reassure investors that it will continue to abide by the agreement that (it) has with the European Commission on the budget deficit,"" he said. "
+https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/ecb-should-not-stop-bond-buys-early-stournaras-says-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]ECB should not stop bond buys early, Stournaras says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ATHENS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank should not stop its bond purchases early because they may still need to calm jittery markets but it is down to governments, including Italy's, to keep bondholders on side, ECB policymaker Yannis Stournaras told Reuters.
+ In the interview, Greece's central bank governor also warned about the risk of stagflation from a prolonged war in the Middle East and spoke against increasing the amount of reserves that banks must hold.
+ He countered calls by some of his colleagues for an early end to the ECB's last surviving bond-buying scheme, saying the central bank may need that firepower in a geopolitical environment fraught with risks.
+ ""I see no value in bringing it (the end) forward especially now under the new uncertainty we have because of the events in Israel and Palestine,"" he said. ""So we need to keep our flexibility and act if necessary.""
+ The ECB all but stopped buying bonds last year after a sudden surge in inflation forced it to unwind a decade of stimulus policies.
+ But it has retained the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme as a ""first line of defence"" against sudden spikes in borrowing costs for debt-laden countries, such as Italy, saying it would replace bonds that mature until the end of next year.
+ Investors have been demanding a higher premium to hold Italian government bonds since the government raised its budget deficit targets last month, setting it up for a possible clash with the European Commission and fuelling speculation about ECB intervention.
+ Stournaras - whose country has just regained the coveted investment-grade credit rating after near misses with default, three bailouts and much belt-tightening in the space of a decade - played down market concerns about Italy's public finances as long as Rome keeps on the straight and narrow.
+ ""The situation in Italy does not raise any particular worries at the moment, but provided that the Italian government will consult with the European Commission and reassure investors that it will continue to abide by the agreement that (it) has with the European Commission on the budget deficit,"" he said.
+ On the broader impact of the conflict, he said wars tend to be ""stagflationary"" - a toxic mix of high inflation and a stagnant economy that sometimes results from more expensive imports of raw materials - but cautioned it was too early to tell.
+ Finally, he noted borrowing costs had already risen since the ECB's last policy meeting as a result of higher bond yields and questioned if even more tightening was needed via an increase in banks' minimum reserve requirements.
+ This move would withdraw cash from the financial system and, given that minimum reserves are not remunerated, it would also reduce the amount of interest that the 20 central banks of the euro zone pay to commercial banks in their country.
+ ""For the moment I see no reason why we should tighten monetary policy now because increasing the minimum requirements will imply monetary policy tightening,"" Stournaras said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","On the broader impact of the conflict, he said wars tend to be ""stagflationary"" - a toxic mix of high inflation and a stagnant economy that sometimes results from more expensive imports of raw materials - but cautioned it was too early to tell.
+ Finally, he noted borrowing costs had already risen since the ECB's last policy meeting as a result of higher bond yields and questioned if even more tightening was needed via an increase in banks' minimum reserve requirements.
+ This move would withdraw cash from the financial system and, given that minimum reserves are not remunerated, it would also reduce the amount of interest that the 20 central banks of the euro zone pay to commercial banks in their country.  ""For the moment I see no reason why we should tighten monetary policy now because increasing the minimum requirements will imply monetary policy tightening,"" Stournaras said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/chinas-middle-east-envoy-expected-speak-israel-thursday-bloomberg-news-2023-10-12/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]China's Middle East envoy expected to speak to Israel on Thursday, Bloomberg reports[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 12 (Reuters) - China's special envoy on Middle East issues is expected to have a telephone conversation with Israeli officials on Thursday, Israel's Ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba, told Bloomberg News.
+ The planned talks come after Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years from the Gaza Strip.
+ Israel's military has said it was on a war footing, adding it had carried out strikes targeting Hamas in Gaza and had called up reservists.
+ China will likely talk about the meeting later in the afternoon, during a regular briefing held by the foreign ministry, Bloomberg reported.
+ China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
+ China's special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, earlier this week said the country condemns acts that harm civilians and called for an immediate ceasefire.
+ China has previously worked on Israel-Palestine issues and has engaged officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority - which governs in the occupied West Bank - as well as the Arab League and EU in the last year to discuss a two-state solution and recognition for Palestine at the United Nations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]China's Middle East envoy expected to speak to Israel on Thursday, Bloomberg reports[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 12 (Reuters) - China's special envoy on Middle East issues is expected to have a telephone conversation with Israeli officials on Thursday, Israel's Ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba, told Bloomberg News. The planned talks come after Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years from the Gaza Strip. Israel's military has said it was on a war footing, adding it had carried out strikes targeting Hamas in Gaza and had called up reservists.
+ China will likely talk about the meeting later in the afternoon, during a regular briefing held by the foreign ministry, Bloomberg reported. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. China's special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, earlier this week said the country condemns acts that harm civilians and called for an immediate ceasefire.
+ China has previously worked on Israel-Palestine issues and has engaged officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority - which governs in the occupied West Bank - as well as the Arab League and EU in the last year to discuss a two-state solution and recognition for Palestine at the United Nations.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-president-saudi-crown-prince-speak-first-time-since-diplomatic-ties-2023-10-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran president, Saudi crown prince speak for first time since ties restored[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 11 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Wednesday, in the first telephone call between the two leaders since a China-brokered deal between Tehran and Riyadh to resume ties.
+ The two leaders' call came as Israel carried out air strikes in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a deadly attack by Palestinian Hamas militants in Israel.
+ Raisi and the Saudi crown prince discussed the ""need to end war crimes against Palestine,"" Iranian state media said.
+ The Saudi crown prince, for his part, ""affirmed that the Kingdom is making all possible efforts in communicating with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation,"" Saudi state news agency SPA said.
+ He also reiterated Saudi Arabia's rejection of targeting civilians in any way, SPA added.
+ Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume ties in March under a deal negotiated by China after seven years of hostility, which had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East, from Yemen to Syria.
+ Asked about Raisi's call with the crown prince, a senior U.S. State Department official said Washington, which staunchly backs Israel in its fight against Hamas, was in ""constant contact with Saudi leaders"".
+ The official added that the U.S. was asking its partners with channels or relations with Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah or Iran ""to get Hamas to stand down from its attacks, to release hostages, keep Hezbollah out (and) keep Iran out of the fray.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iran president, Saudi crown prince speak for first time since ties restored[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 11 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Wednesday, in the first telephone call between the two leaders since a China-brokered deal between Tehran and Riyadh to resume ties. The two leaders' call came as Israel carried out air strikes in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a deadly attack by Palestinian Hamas militants in Israel. Raisi and the Saudi crown prince discussed the ""need to end war crimes against Palestine,"" Iranian state media said. The Saudi crown prince, for his part, ""affirmed that the Kingdom is making all possible efforts in communicating with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation,"" Saudi state news agency SPA said. He also reiterated Saudi Arabia's rejection of targeting civilians in any way, SPA added. Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume ties in March under a deal negotiated by China after seven years of hostility, which had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East, from Yemen to Syria. Asked about Raisi's call with the crown prince, a senior U.S. State Department official said Washington, which staunchly backs Israel in its fight against Hamas, was in ""constant contact with Saudi leaders"".  The official added that the U.S. was asking its partners with channels or relations with Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah or Iran ""to get Hamas to stand down from its attacks, to release hostages, keep Hezbollah out (and) keep Iran out of the fray.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-palestinian-dispute-hinges-statehood-land-jerusalem-refugees-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 11 (Reuters) - The fighting between Israel and Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on Saturday, is the latest in seven decades of war and conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that has drawn in outside powers and destabilised the wider Middle East.
+ WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT?
+ The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile region against Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own.
+ Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the modern State of Israel on May 14, 1948, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties over generations.
+ Palestinians lament Israel's creation as the Nakba, or catastrophe, that resulted in their dispossession and blocked their dreams of statehood.
+ In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+ Israel, a close U.S. ally, contests the assertion it drove Palestinians from their homes and points out it was attacked by five Arab states the day after its creation. Armistice pacts halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace.
+ Palestinians who stayed put in the war today form the Arab Israeli community, making up about 20% of Israel's population.
+ WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+ In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel has occupied the West Bank, Arab East Jerusalem, which it captured from Jordan, and Syria's Golan Heights ever since.
+ In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, beginning the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.
+ Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestinian fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. In 2006, war erupted in Lebanon again when Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers and Israel retaliated.
+ In 2005 Israel quit Gaza, which it had captured from Egypt in 1967. But Gaza saw major flare-ups in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021 that involved Israeli air raids and Palestinian rocket fire, and sometimes also cross border incursions by either side.
+ As well as wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas or uprisings between 1987-1993 and again in 2000-05. The second saw waves of Hamas suicide bombings against Israelis.
+ WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?In 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty, ending 30 years of hostility. In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords on limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.
+ The Camp David summit of 2000 saw President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat fail to reach a final peace deal.
+ In 2002, an Arab plan offered Israel normal ties with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees.
+ Peace efforts have been stalled since 2014, when talks failed between Israelis and Palestinians in Washington.
+ Palestinians later boycotted dealings with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump since it reversed decades of U.S. policy by refusing to endorse the two-state solution - the peace formula that envisages a Palestinian state established in territory that Israel captured in 1967.
+ WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?
+ The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that includes normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam's two holiest shrines.
+ The latest war is diplomatically awkward for Riyadh as well as for other Arab states, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia, that have signed peace deals with Israel.
+ WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?
+ A two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and refugees are at the core of the dispute.
+ Two-state solution - an agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Hamas rejects the two-state solution and is sworn to Israel's destruction. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten Israel.
+ Settlements - Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 as illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and Biblical ties to the land. Their continued expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.
+ Jerusalem - Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital. Israel's claim to the eastern part of Jerusalem is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital – without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city - and moved the U.S. embassy there in 2018.
+ Refugees - Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.
+ Palestinians have long demanded that refugees should be allowed to return, along with millions of their descendants. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside of its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 11 (Reuters) - The fighting between Israel and Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on Saturday, is the latest in seven decades of war and conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that has drawn in outside powers and destabilised the wider Middle East. WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT? The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile region against Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own. Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the modern State of Israel on May 14, 1948, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties over generations.  Palestinians lament Israel's creation as the Nakba, or catastrophe, that resulted in their dispossession and blocked their dreams of statehood. In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.  Israel, a close U.S. ally, contests the assertion it drove Palestinians from their homes and points out it was attacked by five Arab states the day after its creation. Armistice pacts halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace. Palestinians who stayed put in the war today form the Arab Israeli community, making up about 20% of Israel's population. WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+ In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel has occupied the West Bank, Arab East Jerusalem, which it captured from Jordan, and Syria's Golan Heights ever since.  In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, beginning the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.  Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestinian fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. In 2006, war erupted in Lebanon again when Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers and Israel retaliated.  In 2005 Israel quit Gaza, which it had captured from Egypt in 1967. But Gaza saw major flare-ups in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021 that involved Israeli air raids and Palestinian rocket fire, and sometimes also cross border incursions by either side. As well as wars , there have been two Palestinian intifadas or uprisings between 1987-1993 and again in 2000-05."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-palestinian-dispute-hinges-statehood-land-jerusalem-refugees-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 11 (Reuters) - The fighting between Israel and Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on Saturday, is the latest in seven decades of war and conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that has drawn in outside powers and destabilised the wider Middle East.
+ WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT?
+ The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile region against Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own.
+ Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the modern State of Israel on May 14, 1948, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties over generations.
+ Palestinians lament Israel's creation as the Nakba, or catastrophe, that resulted in their dispossession and blocked their dreams of statehood.
+ In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+ Israel, a close U.S. ally, contests the assertion it drove Palestinians from their homes and points out it was attacked by five Arab states the day after its creation. Armistice pacts halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace.
+ Palestinians who stayed put in the war today form the Arab Israeli community, making up about 20% of Israel's population.
+ WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+ In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel has occupied the West Bank, Arab East Jerusalem, which it captured from Jordan, and Syria's Golan Heights ever since.
+ In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, beginning the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.
+ Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestinian fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. In 2006, war erupted in Lebanon again when Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers and Israel retaliated.
+ In 2005 Israel quit Gaza, which it had captured from Egypt in 1967. But Gaza saw major flare-ups in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021 that involved Israeli air raids and Palestinian rocket fire, and sometimes also cross border incursions by either side.
+ As well as wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas or uprisings between 1987-1993 and again in 2000-05. The second saw waves of Hamas suicide bombings against Israelis.
+ WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?In 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty, ending 30 years of hostility. In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords on limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.
+ The Camp David summit of 2000 saw President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat fail to reach a final peace deal.
+ In 2002, an Arab plan offered Israel normal ties with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees.
+ Peace efforts have been stalled since 2014, when talks failed between Israelis and Palestinians in Washington.
+ Palestinians later boycotted dealings with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump since it reversed decades of U.S. policy by refusing to endorse the two-state solution - the peace formula that envisages a Palestinian state established in territory that Israel captured in 1967.
+ WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?
+ The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that includes normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam's two holiest shrines.
+ The latest war is diplomatically awkward for Riyadh as well as for other Arab states, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia, that have signed peace deals with Israel.
+ WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?
+ A two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and refugees are at the core of the dispute.
+ Two-state solution - an agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Hamas rejects the two-state solution and is sworn to Israel's destruction. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten Israel.
+ Settlements - Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 as illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and Biblical ties to the land. Their continued expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.
+ Jerusalem - Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital. Israel's claim to the eastern part of Jerusalem is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital – without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city - and moved the U.S. embassy there in 2018.
+ Refugees - Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.
+ Palestinians have long demanded that refugees should be allowed to return, along with millions of their descendants. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside of its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The second saw waves of Hamas suicide bombings against Israelis. WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?In 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty, ending 30 years of hostility. In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords on limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan. The Camp David summit of 2000 saw President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat fail to reach a final peace deal. In 2002, an Arab plan offered Israel normal ties with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees. Peace efforts have been stalled since 2014, when talks failed between Israelis and Palestinians in Washington. Palestinians later boycotted dealings with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump since it reversed decades of U.S. policy by refusing to endorse the two-state solution - the peace formula that envisages a Palestinian state established in territory that Israel captured in 1967. WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?
+ The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that includes normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam's two holiest shrines.
+ The latest war is diplomatically awkward for Riyadh as well as for other Arab states, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia, that have signed peace deals with Israel.
+ WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES? A two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and refugees are at the core of the dispute. Two-state solution - an agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Hamas rejects the two-state solution and is sworn to Israel's destruction. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten Israel.  Settlements - Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 as illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and Biblical ties to the land. Their continued expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.  Jerusalem - Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital. Israel's claim to the eastern part of Jerusalem is not recognised internationally."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-palestinian-dispute-hinges-statehood-land-jerusalem-refugees-2023-10-10/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 11 (Reuters) - The fighting between Israel and Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on Saturday, is the latest in seven decades of war and conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that has drawn in outside powers and destabilised the wider Middle East.
+ WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT?
+ The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile region against Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own.
+ Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the modern State of Israel on May 14, 1948, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties over generations.
+ Palestinians lament Israel's creation as the Nakba, or catastrophe, that resulted in their dispossession and blocked their dreams of statehood.
+ In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+ Israel, a close U.S. ally, contests the assertion it drove Palestinians from their homes and points out it was attacked by five Arab states the day after its creation. Armistice pacts halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace.
+ Palestinians who stayed put in the war today form the Arab Israeli community, making up about 20% of Israel's population.
+ WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?
+ In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel has occupied the West Bank, Arab East Jerusalem, which it captured from Jordan, and Syria's Golan Heights ever since.
+ In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, beginning the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.
+ Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestinian fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. In 2006, war erupted in Lebanon again when Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers and Israel retaliated.
+ In 2005 Israel quit Gaza, which it had captured from Egypt in 1967. But Gaza saw major flare-ups in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021 that involved Israeli air raids and Palestinian rocket fire, and sometimes also cross border incursions by either side.
+ As well as wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas or uprisings between 1987-1993 and again in 2000-05. The second saw waves of Hamas suicide bombings against Israelis.
+ WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?In 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty, ending 30 years of hostility. In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords on limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.
+ The Camp David summit of 2000 saw President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat fail to reach a final peace deal.
+ In 2002, an Arab plan offered Israel normal ties with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, creation of a Palestinian state and a ""just solution"" for Palestinian refugees.
+ Peace efforts have been stalled since 2014, when talks failed between Israelis and Palestinians in Washington.
+ Palestinians later boycotted dealings with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump since it reversed decades of U.S. policy by refusing to endorse the two-state solution - the peace formula that envisages a Palestinian state established in territory that Israel captured in 1967.
+ WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?
+ The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has focused on trying to secure a ""grand bargain"" in the Middle East that includes normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam's two holiest shrines.
+ The latest war is diplomatically awkward for Riyadh as well as for other Arab states, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia, that have signed peace deals with Israel.
+ WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?
+ A two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and refugees are at the core of the dispute.
+ Two-state solution - an agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Hamas rejects the two-state solution and is sworn to Israel's destruction. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarised so as not to threaten Israel.
+ Settlements - Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 as illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and Biblical ties to the land. Their continued expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.
+ Jerusalem - Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its ""indivisible and eternal"" capital. Israel's claim to the eastern part of Jerusalem is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital – without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city - and moved the U.S. embassy there in 2018.
+ Refugees - Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.
+ Palestinians have long demanded that refugees should be allowed to return, along with millions of their descendants. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside of its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital – without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city - and moved the U.S. embassy there in 2018.  Refugees - Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.  Palestinians have long demanded that refugees should be allowed to return, along with millions of their descendants. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside of its borders.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/with-bulletproof-vests-socks-soap-us-jews-rush-aid-israel-2023-10-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]With bulletproof vests, socks and soap, US Jews rush to aid Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 11 (Reuters) - An hour after Rabbi Jonathan Leener put out a call for donations among his small Brooklyn synagogue community, he had raised $5,000. Soon he had taken in enough supplies to fill an SUV.
+ The contributions included everything from sleeping bags to toiletries for the 300,000 reservists - some of whom live in the United States - called up by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
+ ""I think people here feel somewhat helpless being so far away, so the response from people has been really dramatic in the best way possible,"" Leener said, noting that many community members have immediate family in Israel.
+ In the days since Hamas attacked Israel, that response has translated into contributions of millions of dollars, loads of military gear and mountains of clothing, food and household supplies from Jewish communities across the United States. Items have ranged from granola bars to boots and bulletproof vests.
+ The donations underscore the concern and connection Jews in the United States feel toward Israel.
+ Despite reports in the Israeli press that soldiers lack important pieces of equipment, including body armor, the IDF has denied that there are systemic equipment shortages.
+ The outpouring of U.S. support has come from the smallest neighborhood synagogues to the wealthiest corners of the Jewish business community - and everything in between. Some 5.8 million Jews, opens new tab live in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center.
+ Billionaire investor Yuri Milner said on Tuesday that his philanthropic foundation would donate $5 million to the Jewish Agency for Israel, a non-profit organization, to provide emergency aid and long-term rehabilitation.
+ Businessman Mike Bloomberg promised to match all donations to Magen David Adom, an Israeli disaster relief and emergency medical service organization. Bloomberg had matched $7.5 million of donations as of Wednesday, a spokesperson said.
+ While airlines have suspended flights to Israel amid the violence, communities are relying on word-of-mouth networks and social media to connect with organizers who are loading the few flights out of major cities with supplies and chartering private planes to transport reservists and donations.
+ Elan Kornblum, the Brooklyn-based head of Great Kosher Restaurants Foodies, has turned his company's Facebook page of 91,000 members - who usually discuss favorite kosher restaurants - into a forum for coordinating Israel aid efforts.
+ Someone in the Facebook group offered to drive supplies to Newark Liberty International Airport. Another asked where to donate blood in New York City. One person sought advice on how to buy and send bulletproof vests to a family member's IDF platoon, and was answered by someone who said they had a friend with 15 such vests. One group member posted the phone number of a contact who was chartering a plane to Israel so others could reach out directly.
+ ""This was just a natural turn for us to help out here,"" Kornblum said of the foodies Facebook group.
+ Legacy aid organizations have also leapt to raise money for lifesaving support in Israel and the Palestinian territories in the wake of the attack. Palestine Children's Relief Fund called for donations on its website to help provide medical aid and humanitarian relief to children in Gaza as Israeli air strikes hit civilian areas.
+ Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross, both of which are active in Israel and the Palestinian territories, were accepting donations on their websites, although Israel's blockade of food and supplies to Gaza could thwart aid efforts.
+ Chayal el Chayal, a nonprofit organization that supports IDF soldiers who do not have family in Israel, has raised about a half million dollars in a day and a half, according to founder Mordy Botnick.
+ Botnick said the organization's fundraiser had garnered a huge amount of support through online page shares and through word of mouth. Chayal el Chayal was sending over gear on charter planes this week, he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]With bulletproof vests, socks and soap , US Jews rush to aid Israel[/TITLE ] [CONTENT]Oct 11 (Reuters) - An hour after Rabbi Jonathan Leener put out a call for donations among his small Brooklyn synagogue community, he had raised $5,000. Soon he had taken in enough supplies to fill an SUV. The contributions included everything from sleeping bags to toiletries for the 300,000 reservists - some of whom live in the United States - called up by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
+ "" I think people here feel somewhat helpless being so far away, so the response from people has been really dramatic in the best way possible,"" Leener said, noting that many community members have immediate family in Israel. In the days since Hamas attacked Israel, that response has translated into contributions of millions of dollars, loads of military gear and mountains of clothing, food and household supplies from Jewish communities across the United States. Items have ranged from granola bars to boots and bulletproof vests. The donations underscore the concern and connection Jews in the United States feel toward Israel.  Despite reports in the Israeli press that soldiers lack important pieces of equipment, including body armor, the IDF has denied that there are systemic equipment shortages.
+ The outpouring of U.S. support has come from the smallest neighborhood synagogues to the wealthiest corners of the Jewish business community - and everything in between. Some 5.8 million Jews, opens new tab live in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. Billionaire investor Yuri Milner said on Tuesday that his philanthropic foundation would donate $5 million to the Jewish Agency for Israel, a non-profit organization, to provide emergency aid and long-term rehabilitation.  Businessman Mike Bloomberg promised to match all donations to Magen David Adom, an Israeli disaster relief and emergency medical service organization. Bloomberg had matched $7.5 million of donations as of Wednesday, a spokesperson said. While airlines have suspended flights to Israel amid the violence, communities are relying on word-of-mouth networks and social media to connect with organizers who are loading the few flights out of major cities with supplies and chartering private planes to transport reservists and donations. Elan Kornblum, the Brooklyn-based head of Great Kosher Restaurants Foodies, has turned his company's Facebook page of 91,000 members - who usually discuss favorite kosher restaurants - into a forum for coordinating Israel aid efforts. Someone in the Facebook group offered to drive supplies to Newark Liberty International Airport. Another asked where to donate blood in New York City."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/with-bulletproof-vests-socks-soap-us-jews-rush-aid-israel-2023-10-11/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]With bulletproof vests, socks and soap, US Jews rush to aid Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 11 (Reuters) - An hour after Rabbi Jonathan Leener put out a call for donations among his small Brooklyn synagogue community, he had raised $5,000. Soon he had taken in enough supplies to fill an SUV.
+ The contributions included everything from sleeping bags to toiletries for the 300,000 reservists - some of whom live in the United States - called up by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
+ ""I think people here feel somewhat helpless being so far away, so the response from people has been really dramatic in the best way possible,"" Leener said, noting that many community members have immediate family in Israel.
+ In the days since Hamas attacked Israel, that response has translated into contributions of millions of dollars, loads of military gear and mountains of clothing, food and household supplies from Jewish communities across the United States. Items have ranged from granola bars to boots and bulletproof vests.
+ The donations underscore the concern and connection Jews in the United States feel toward Israel.
+ Despite reports in the Israeli press that soldiers lack important pieces of equipment, including body armor, the IDF has denied that there are systemic equipment shortages.
+ The outpouring of U.S. support has come from the smallest neighborhood synagogues to the wealthiest corners of the Jewish business community - and everything in between. Some 5.8 million Jews, opens new tab live in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center.
+ Billionaire investor Yuri Milner said on Tuesday that his philanthropic foundation would donate $5 million to the Jewish Agency for Israel, a non-profit organization, to provide emergency aid and long-term rehabilitation.
+ Businessman Mike Bloomberg promised to match all donations to Magen David Adom, an Israeli disaster relief and emergency medical service organization. Bloomberg had matched $7.5 million of donations as of Wednesday, a spokesperson said.
+ While airlines have suspended flights to Israel amid the violence, communities are relying on word-of-mouth networks and social media to connect with organizers who are loading the few flights out of major cities with supplies and chartering private planes to transport reservists and donations.
+ Elan Kornblum, the Brooklyn-based head of Great Kosher Restaurants Foodies, has turned his company's Facebook page of 91,000 members - who usually discuss favorite kosher restaurants - into a forum for coordinating Israel aid efforts.
+ Someone in the Facebook group offered to drive supplies to Newark Liberty International Airport. Another asked where to donate blood in New York City. One person sought advice on how to buy and send bulletproof vests to a family member's IDF platoon, and was answered by someone who said they had a friend with 15 such vests. One group member posted the phone number of a contact who was chartering a plane to Israel so others could reach out directly.
+ ""This was just a natural turn for us to help out here,"" Kornblum said of the foodies Facebook group.
+ Legacy aid organizations have also leapt to raise money for lifesaving support in Israel and the Palestinian territories in the wake of the attack. Palestine Children's Relief Fund called for donations on its website to help provide medical aid and humanitarian relief to children in Gaza as Israeli air strikes hit civilian areas.
+ Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross, both of which are active in Israel and the Palestinian territories, were accepting donations on their websites, although Israel's blockade of food and supplies to Gaza could thwart aid efforts.
+ Chayal el Chayal, a nonprofit organization that supports IDF soldiers who do not have family in Israel, has raised about a half million dollars in a day and a half, according to founder Mordy Botnick.
+ Botnick said the organization's fundraiser had garnered a huge amount of support through online page shares and through word of mouth. Chayal el Chayal was sending over gear on charter planes this week, he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","One person sought advice on how to buy and send bulletproof vests to a family member's IDF platoon, and was answered by someone who said they had a friend with 15 such vests. One group member posted the phone number of a contact who was chartering a plane to Israel so others could reach out directly. ""This was just a natural turn for us to help out here,"" Kornblum said of the foodies Facebook group. Legacy aid organizations have also leapt to raise money for lifesaving support in Israel and the Palestinian territories in the wake of the attack. Palestine Children's Relief Fund called for donations on its website to help provide medical aid and humanitarian relief to children in Gaza as Israeli air strikes hit civilian areas. Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross, both of which are active in Israel and the Palestinian territories, were accepting donations on their websites, although Israel's blockade of food and supplies to Gaza could thwart aid efforts.
+ Chayal el Chayal, a nonprofit organization that supports IDF soldiers who do not have family in Israel, has raised about a half million dollars in a day and a half, according to founder Mordy Botnick.
+ Botnick said the organization's fundraiser had garnered a huge amount of support through online page shares and through word of mouth. Chayal el Chayal was sending over gear on charter planes this week, he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/meta-limit-some-facebook-comments-israeli-palestinian-posts-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Meta to limit some Facebook comments on Israeli, Palestinian posts[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Facebook-owner Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab on Wednesday introduced temporary measures to limit ""potentially unwelcome or unwanted comments"" on posts about the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
+ Meta said it will change the default setting for people who can comment on new and public Facebook posts created by users ""in the region"" to only their friends and followers, Meta said in an updated blog post., opens new tab
+ A Meta spokesperson declined to specify how the company defined the region. Users can opt-out and change the setting at any time, Meta said.
+ The social media company added it will disable the ability to see the first one or two comments on posts while scrolling the Facebook feed.
+ ""Our policies are designed to keep people safe on our apps while giving everyone a voice."" Meta said. ""We apply these policies equally around the world and there is no truth to the suggestion that we are deliberately suppressing voice.""
+ Earlier this week, some users who posted in support for Palestine or Gaza citizens accused Meta of suppressing their content. Meta designates Hamas as a ""dangerous organization"" and bans content praising the group.
+ Mondoweiss, a news website that covers Palestinian human rights, said on social media platform X on Oct. 10 that Instagram had twice suspended the profile of its video correspondent. Other Instagram users reported their posts and stories about Palestine were not receiving views.
+ Meta said it fixed a bug on Instagram that caused re-posted content to not appear correctly in a user's story, which disappears after 24 hours.
+ ""This bug affected accounts equally around the globe – not only people trying to post about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza – and it had nothing to do with the subject matter of the content,"" Meta said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Meta to limit some Facebook comments on Israeli, Palestinian posts[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Facebook-owner Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab on Wednesday introduced temporary measures to limit ""potentially unwelcome or unwanted comments"" on posts about the conflict between Israel and Hamas .  Meta said it will change the default setting for people who can comment on new and public Facebook posts created by users ""in the region"" to only their friends and followers, Meta said in an updated blog post. , opens new tab A Meta spokesperson declined to specify how the company defined the region. Users can opt-out and change the setting at any time, Meta said. The social media company added it will disable the ability to see the first one or two comments on posts while scrolling the Facebook feed.  ""Our policies are designed to keep people safe on our apps while giving everyone a voice."" Meta said. ""We apply these policies equally around the world and there is no truth to the suggestion that we are deliberately suppressing voice."" Earlier this week, some users who posted in support for Palestine or Gaza citizens accused Meta of suppressing their content. Meta designates Hamas as a ""dangerous organization"" and bans content praising the group.  Mondoweiss, a news website that covers Palestinian human rights, said on social media platform X on Oct. 10 that Instagram had twice suspended the profile of its video correspondent. Other Instagram users reported their posts and stories about Palestine were not receiving views.  Meta said it fixed a bug on Instagram that caused re-posted content to not appear correctly in a user's story, which disappears after 24 hours.
+ "" This bug affected accounts equally around the globe – not only people trying to post about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza – and it had nothing to do with the subject matter of the content ,"" Meta said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/davis-polk-revokes-jobs-harvard-columbia-law-students-over-statements-israel-2023-10-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Law firm Davis Polk revokes job offers to Harvard, Columbia students over Israel statements[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 17 (Reuters) - U.S. law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell on Tuesday rescinded job offers to law students who signed on to public statements supporting Palestine in the wake of Hamas’ deadly attacks in Israel, following a similar move by fellow law firm Winston & Strawn last week.
+ Davis Polk's managing partner, Neil Barr, told members of the New York-based firm on Tuesday that it had revoked job offers to three law students in leadership positions at Harvard and Columbia university groups that issued statements regarding to the latest wave of violence in the Middle East, according to an internal email obtained by Reuters.
+ “These statements are simply contrary to our firm’s values and we thus concluded that rescinding these offers was appropriate in upholding our responsibility to provide a safe and inclusive work environment for all Davis Polk employees,” Barr wrote.
+ A Davis Polk spokesperson on Tuesday declined to identify the students whose offers had been rescinded or what campus groups they were with.
+ Barr’s email said the firm is remaining “in dialogue” with two of the students to consider any additional information they may offer, suggesting that they could be brought back on board.
+ Spokespeople from both Harvard law and Columbia law declined to comment on the matter Tuesday.
+ Davis Polk’s decision comes one week after Winston & Strawn said it had rescinded a job offer to former New York University Student Bar Association president Ryna Workman, after Workman wrote that ""Israel bears full responsibility"" for Hamas’ deadly attack in Israel in an online SBA newsletter.
+ Students at other universities, including Harvard, have also drawn condemnation from alumni and others over similar statements they issued in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Law firm Davis Polk revokes job offers to Harvard, Columbia students over Israel statements[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 17 (Reuters) - U.S. law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell on Tuesday rescinded job offers to law students who signed on to public statements supporting Palestine in the wake of Hamas’ deadly attacks in Israel, following a similar move by fellow law firm Winston & Strawn last week. Davis Polk's managing partner, Neil Barr, told members of the New York-based firm on Tuesday that it had revoked job offers to three law students in leadership positions at Harvard and Columbia university groups that issued statements regarding to the latest wave of violence in the Middle East, according to an internal email obtained by Reuters. “These statements are simply contrary to our firm’s values and we thus concluded that rescinding these offers was appropriate in upholding our responsibility to provide a safe and inclusive work environment for all Davis Polk employees,” Barr wrote. A Davis Polk spokesperson on Tuesday declined to identify the students whose offers had been rescinded or what campus groups they were with. Barr’s email said the firm is remaining “in dialogue” with two of the students to consider any additional information they may offer, suggesting that they could be brought back on board.  Spokespeople from both Harvard law and Columbia law declined to comment on the matter Tuesday.
+ Davis Polk’s decision comes one week after Winston & Strawn said it had rescinded a job offer to former New York University Student Bar Association president Ryna Workman, after Workman wrote that ""Israel bears full responsibility"" for Hamas’ deadly attack in Israel in an online SBA newsletter.
+ Students at other universities, including Harvard, have also drawn condemnation from alumni and others over similar statements they issued in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-court-upholds-government-instruction-ban-all-pro-palestine-protests-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]French court states that pro-Palestinian protests should be banned case by case[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - France's highest administrative court stated on Wednesday that pro-Palestinian protests must be banned on a case-by-case basis, while upholding the validity of an instruction from the French interior minister banning all pro-Palestinian protests.
+ In a note sent to regional police authorities, dated Oct. 12, the interior minister had ordered that ""pro-Palestinian protests, because they are likely to generate disturbances to public order, must be banned"".
+ The appeal on the blanket ban instruction was brought by the organisation Comite Action Palestine, arguing that a total and absolute ban is not justified and encroaches on freedom of expression and assembly.
+ The Conseil d'Etat upheld the validity of the note but said that local authorities could not ban a protest based solely on the note or the fact that a protest is in support of Palestinians.
+ The Conseil d'Etat said in its decision that while the judges regret the approximative wording of the minister's note, it's intention was to instruct authorities to ""ban all protests that support the Palestinian cause, that publicly justify or valorise, directly or indirectly, terrorist acts like those committed in Israel on October 7 by Hamas members.""
+ It added that given the tensions and rise in antisemitism in France, protests that ""support Hamas (...) are of a nature to provoke disturbances to public order.""
+ Vincent Brengarth, lawyer for Comite Action Palestine, said ""it is a victory because it has swept away the systematic ban, now we will need to challenge bans on a case-by-case basis when they come.""
+ On Wednesday a few hours before the ruling, the police authorities of Marseille said two pro-Palestinian protests were to be banned for ""risks to public order in the current context.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]French court states that pro-Palestinian protests should be banned case by case[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]PARIS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - France's highest administrative court stated on Wednesday that pro-Palestinian protests must be banned on a case-by-case basis, while upholding the validity of an instruction from the French interior minister banning all pro-Palestinian protests. In a note sent to regional police authorities, dated Oct. 12, the interior minister had ordered that ""pro-Palestinian protests, because they are likely to generate disturbances to public order, must be banned"". The appeal on the blanket ban instruction was brought by the organisation Comite Action Palestine, arguing that a total and absolute ban is not justified and encroaches on freedom of expression and assembly.
+ The Conseil d'Etat upheld the validity of the note but said that local authorities could not ban a protest based solely on the note or the fact that a protest is in support of Palestinians. The Conseil d'Etat said in its decision that while the judges regret the approximative wording of the minister's note, it's intention was to instruct authorities to ""ban all protests that support the Palestinian cause, that publicly justify or valorise, directly or indirectly, terrorist acts like those committed in Israel on October 7 by Hamas members.""  It added that given the tensions and rise in antisemitism in France, protests that ""support Hamas (...) are of a nature to provoke disturbances to public order.""
+ Vincent Brengarth, lawyer for Comite Action Palestine, said ""it is a victory because it has swept away the systematic ban, now we will need to challenge bans on a case-by-case basis when they come.""
+ On Wednesday a few hours before the ruling, the police authorities of Marseille said two pro-Palestinian protests were to be banned for ""risks to public order in the current context.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/funeral-be-held-chicago-area-muslim-boy-killed-attack-2023-10-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Slain Palestinian boy mourned in Illinois; stabbing suspect appears in court[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BRIDGEVIEW, Illinois, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Tearful mourners on Monday gathered in prayer at a mosque and placed white and yellow roses at the gravesite of a 6-year-old Muslim boy stabbed to death by a man who police say targeted him and his mother because they were Palestinian Americans.
+ Services for the boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, took place at the Mosque Foundation in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois, a community known as ""Little Palestine"" for its heavy concentration of Palestinian Americans.
+ Palestinian flags hung from the windows of cars in a procession toward the mosque, where a digital billboard read: ""Stop inciting violence and hatred against Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities.""
+ In the basement of the mosque, women and children huddled and cried, while outside, dozens of people flanked the speakers, including two men who waved Palestinian flags. Mourners chanted ""Free Palestine"" at the burial site.
+ ""It's heartbreaking. This child did not deserve to die from what happened overseas,"" Juhie Faheem, one of the mourners and neighbor of the family in Plainfield Township.
+ ""What happened in Plainfield is going to make people understand that this hits closer to home and this child was murdered for being Muslim, but he easily could have been any race, any ethnicity.""
+ The killing on Saturday came a week after a deadly attack by Hamas Islamist militants on Israeli civilians which triggered retaliation by Israel in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
+ The conflict has put Jewish and Palestinian Muslim communities in the United States on edge and fearful of a potential backlash against them.
+ Just since the war between Hamas and Israel broke out, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights group, has reported cases of harassment, intimidation, vandalism or bigoted internet posting from people with responsible positions in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis and Cleveland, plus Austin, Texas, and Dearborn, Michigan.
+ Police said the 6-year-old and his mother Hanaan Shahin, 32, were attacked by their landlord on Saturday in Plainfield Township, about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Chicago. The boy was stabbed 26 times while his mother suffered multiple wounds. She was expected to survive.
+ The assailant attempted to choke the mother and said ""You Muslims must die,"" CAIR said, citing text messages that Shahin sent to the boy's father from the hospital. The man then stabbed the woman and child repeatedly with what police described as long, military-style knife with a serrated edge.
+ ""This is a heavy day. It is a worst nightmare come true,"" Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago CAIR office, said on Monday. ""He was a lovely boy. Loved his family, friends. He loved soccer, basketball. He paid the price for the atmosphere of hate.""
+ Iman Negrete, a Palestinian American who lives in Plainfield, is from the same town in the occupied Palestinian territories as the mother. She wept as she stood next to a makeshift memorial made up of stuffed animals, saying she does not feel safe in the community because of her background.
+ ""It's heartbreaking. He was Muslim, that's what happened, he was Muslim and this is what they did, this is what this monster did,"" Negrete said.
+ The boy's mother came from the West Bank to the United States 12 years ago and his father, a Palestinian who was living in Jordan, immigrated nine years ago, Rehab said.
+ The boy's father, Oday El-Fayoume, told a press conference before the funeral that he was neither religious nor political but that he hoped his son's death would promote understanding of what was happening in the Middle East.
+ SUSPECT CHARGED
+ The suspect, Joseph Czuba, 71, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, the Will County Sheriff's Office said.
+ The U.S. Justice Department is also opening a federal hate-crime investigation.
+ Czuba did not enter a plea during his initial appearance on Monday and has been held in custody.
+ Prosecutors alleged at the hearing that Czuba grew angry about the war and concerned about his Muslim tenants after listening to conservative talk radio, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Slain Palestinian boy mourned in Illinois; stabbing suspect appears in court[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BRIDGEVIEW, Illinois, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Tearful mourners on Monday gathered in prayer at a mosque and placed white and yellow roses at the gravesite of a 6-year-old Muslim boy stabbed to death by a man who police say targeted him and his mother because they were Palestinian Americans. Services for the boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, took place at the Mosque Foundation in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois, a community known as ""Little Palestine"" for its heavy concentration of Palestinian Americans. Palestinian flags hung from the windows of cars in a procession toward the mosque, where a digital billboard read: ""Stop inciting violence and hatred against Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities.""  In the basement of the mosque, women and children huddled and cried, while outside, dozens of people flanked the speakers, including two men who waved Palestinian flags. Mourners chanted ""Free Palestine"" at the burial site.  ""It's heartbreaking. This child did not deserve to die from what happened overseas,"" Juhie Faheem, one of the mourners and neighbor of the family in Plainfield Township. ""What happened in Plainfield is going to make people understand that this hits closer to home and this child was murdered for being Muslim, but he easily could have been any race, any ethnicity.""
+ The killing on Saturday came a week after a deadly attack by Hamas Islamist militants on Israeli civilians which triggered retaliation by Israel in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The conflict has put Jewish and Palestinian Muslim communities in the United States on edge and fearful of a potential backlash against them. Just since the war between Hamas and Israel broke out, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights group, has reported cases of harassment, intimidation, vandalism or bigoted internet posting from people with responsible positions in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis and Cleveland, plus Austin, Texas, and Dearborn, Michigan.  Police said the 6-year-old and his mother Hanaan Shahin, 32, were attacked by their landlord on Saturday in Plainfield Township, about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Chicago. The boy was stabbed 26 times while his mother suffered multiple wounds. She was expected to survive.  The assailant attempted to choke the mother and said ""You Muslims must die,"" CAIR said, citing text messages that Shahin sent to the boy's father from the hospital."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/funeral-be-held-chicago-area-muslim-boy-killed-attack-2023-10-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Slain Palestinian boy mourned in Illinois; stabbing suspect appears in court[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BRIDGEVIEW, Illinois, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Tearful mourners on Monday gathered in prayer at a mosque and placed white and yellow roses at the gravesite of a 6-year-old Muslim boy stabbed to death by a man who police say targeted him and his mother because they were Palestinian Americans.
+ Services for the boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, took place at the Mosque Foundation in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois, a community known as ""Little Palestine"" for its heavy concentration of Palestinian Americans.
+ Palestinian flags hung from the windows of cars in a procession toward the mosque, where a digital billboard read: ""Stop inciting violence and hatred against Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities.""
+ In the basement of the mosque, women and children huddled and cried, while outside, dozens of people flanked the speakers, including two men who waved Palestinian flags. Mourners chanted ""Free Palestine"" at the burial site.
+ ""It's heartbreaking. This child did not deserve to die from what happened overseas,"" Juhie Faheem, one of the mourners and neighbor of the family in Plainfield Township.
+ ""What happened in Plainfield is going to make people understand that this hits closer to home and this child was murdered for being Muslim, but he easily could have been any race, any ethnicity.""
+ The killing on Saturday came a week after a deadly attack by Hamas Islamist militants on Israeli civilians which triggered retaliation by Israel in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
+ The conflict has put Jewish and Palestinian Muslim communities in the United States on edge and fearful of a potential backlash against them.
+ Just since the war between Hamas and Israel broke out, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights group, has reported cases of harassment, intimidation, vandalism or bigoted internet posting from people with responsible positions in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis and Cleveland, plus Austin, Texas, and Dearborn, Michigan.
+ Police said the 6-year-old and his mother Hanaan Shahin, 32, were attacked by their landlord on Saturday in Plainfield Township, about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Chicago. The boy was stabbed 26 times while his mother suffered multiple wounds. She was expected to survive.
+ The assailant attempted to choke the mother and said ""You Muslims must die,"" CAIR said, citing text messages that Shahin sent to the boy's father from the hospital. The man then stabbed the woman and child repeatedly with what police described as long, military-style knife with a serrated edge.
+ ""This is a heavy day. It is a worst nightmare come true,"" Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago CAIR office, said on Monday. ""He was a lovely boy. Loved his family, friends. He loved soccer, basketball. He paid the price for the atmosphere of hate.""
+ Iman Negrete, a Palestinian American who lives in Plainfield, is from the same town in the occupied Palestinian territories as the mother. She wept as she stood next to a makeshift memorial made up of stuffed animals, saying she does not feel safe in the community because of her background.
+ ""It's heartbreaking. He was Muslim, that's what happened, he was Muslim and this is what they did, this is what this monster did,"" Negrete said.
+ The boy's mother came from the West Bank to the United States 12 years ago and his father, a Palestinian who was living in Jordan, immigrated nine years ago, Rehab said.
+ The boy's father, Oday El-Fayoume, told a press conference before the funeral that he was neither religious nor political but that he hoped his son's death would promote understanding of what was happening in the Middle East.
+ SUSPECT CHARGED
+ The suspect, Joseph Czuba, 71, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, the Will County Sheriff's Office said.
+ The U.S. Justice Department is also opening a federal hate-crime investigation.
+ Czuba did not enter a plea during his initial appearance on Monday and has been held in custody.
+ Prosecutors alleged at the hearing that Czuba grew angry about the war and concerned about his Muslim tenants after listening to conservative talk radio, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The man then stabbed the woman and child repeatedly with what police described as long, military-style knife with a serrated edge.  ""This is a heavy day. It is a worst nightmare come true,"" Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago CAIR office, said on Monday. ""He was a lovely boy. Loved his family, friends. He loved soccer, basketball. He paid the price for the atmosphere of hate. "" Iman Negrete, a Palestinian American who lives in Plainfield, is from the same town in the occupied Palestinian territories as the mother. She wept as she stood next to a makeshift memorial made up of stuffed animals, saying she does not feel safe in the community because of her background.  ""It's heartbreaking. He was Muslim, that's what happened, he was Muslim and this is what they did, this is what this monster did,"" Negrete said. The boy's mother came from the West Bank to the United States 12 years ago and his father, a Palestinian who was living in Jordan, immigrated nine years ago, Rehab said. The boy's father, Oday El-Fayoume, told a press conference before the funeral that he was neither religious nor political but that he hoped his son's death would promote understanding of what was happening in the Middle East. SUSPECT CHARGED
+ The suspect, Joseph Czuba, 71, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, the Will County Sheriff's Office said. The U.S. Justice Department is also opening a federal hate-crime investigation. Czuba did not enter a plea during his initial appearance on Monday and has been held in custody.  Prosecutors alleged at the hearing that Czuba grew angry about the war and concerned about his Muslim tenants after listening to conservative talk radio, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/disinformation-surge-threatens-fuel-israel-hamas-conflict-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Disinformation surge threatens to fuel Israel-Hamas conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMSTERDAM/LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - As the Israel-Hamas war rages, regulators and analysts say a wave of online disinformation risks further inflaming passions and escalating the conflict in an electronic fog of war.
+ An explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians on Tuesday is the latest focus of the surge of activity as supporters of both sides in the battle between Israel and Hamas try to bolster their own side's narrative and cast doubts on the other's.
+ U.S. President Joe Biden referred to the challenge of verifying information during the conflict in remarks about the hospital blast on a visit to Israel on Wednesday, saying responsibility for the incident appeared to lie with Israel's adversaries.
+ ""But there's a lot of people out there not sure, so we’ve got a lot — we’ve got to overcome a lot of things,"" Biden said.
+ Reuters fact-checking unit, opens new tab has identified numerous cases of social media posts using fake images and information about the Israel-Hamas conflict, and others in which confusion rather than deliberate disinformation appears to have heightened tensions.
+ These include:
+ * An X account under the name Farida Khan claiming to be an Al Jazeera journalist in Gaza posted a message saying they had a video of a ""Hamas missile landing in the hospital"" in Tuesday's incident. Al Jazeera subsequently alerted social media users that the account had no ties to the news service. Al Jazeera told Reuters it does not employ a person with the name Farida Khan. The account was later removed.* A video of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking about Ukraine last year was shared this month with fabricated subtitles warning the U.S. not to interfere in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+ * Amid genuine images showing dead bodies of those killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, a 2015 video of the lynching of a 16-year-old girl in Guatemala has been misrepresented online as showing a young Israeli woman being burnt by a ""Palestinian mob"".
+ * After receiving online criticism about blue and white flags used in her act, the pop singer Pink posted a tweet saying: ""I am getting many threats because people mistakenly believe I am flying Israeli flags in my show. I am not.
+ ""I have been using Poi flags since the beginning of this tour. These were used many, many years ago by the Māori people in New Zealand.""
+ REAL-WORLD CONSEQUENCES
+ Heightened tensions can have real-world consequences beyond the Israeli towns and kibbutzes where 1,400 Israelis were killed by Hamas gunmen on Oct. 7, and in Gaza, where more than 3,000 Palestinians have been killed so far by Israel's retaliatory bombardment.
+ France has been put on its highest security alert after a teacher was killed in an Islamist attack and bomb alerts forced the evacuation of the Louvre museum. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the attack bore a link to events in the Middle East.
+ In Illinois a landlord was charged with hate crimes, accused of stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy to death and wounding his mother, who were his tenants. The sheriff’s office said they were ""targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis"".
+ Jewish schools in London closed over the weekend after a Jewish charity that provides security recorded an increase of 400% in antisemitic incidents since the attacks when compared to the same period last year.
+ In modern conflicts, across the globe as well as in the Middle East, warring sides have long used television - and more recently the internet - to win the war for hearts and minds as well as the war on the ground, often mixing truth with fiction.
+ Regulators are watching. The EU's industry chief Thierry Breton called out X, Facebook parent company Meta, TikTok and YouTube for not doing enough to curb disinformation following the attacks. Each company has said they have taken steps to address harmful content.
+ Since Oct. 7 the Cyber Unit at Israel’s Office of the State Attorney has begun to work to remove content on social networks that distribute content which, they say, incites violence associated with Hamas.
+ The Israeli prosecutor's office said it has submitted about 4,450 requests to remove content, according to the following division, most of them to Facebook, TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter.
+ Rafi Mendelsohn, a vice-president of the Israeli bot-monitoring firm Cyabra, said more than 40,000 fake accounts have pushed pro-Hamas narratives online, and thousands of them were created more than a year before the attack.
+ ""The scale suggests there was pre-prepared content and manpower into getting it out. We haven't seen such sophistication with a militant group,"" he told Reuters.
+ TWO NARRATIVES
+ Some accounts also seem to be involved in pushing out falsehoods, targeting Palestinians and Middle East countries perceived to be pro-Palestinian.
+ In 2014 the spokesman for Hamas's military wing, Abu Obaidah, posted a video acknowledging Iranian support for Hamas. In recent days that was reposted online and misrepresented as being recent, to directly implicate Tehran in the latest attack.
+ And while Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has been critical of Israel's blockade of Gaza, incorrect subtitles were added to a viral video that circulated on X and Facebook in recent days warning the U.S. not to intervene and that Turkey was ""ready to defend Palestine at any price"".
+ Marc Owen Jones, a disinformation expert and professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar, said there was often a rise in disinformation during conflicts.
+ ""I think Hamas are sending mixed messages. On the one hand, videos of attacks that are obviously brutal, on the other, some attempts to try and deflect that with stories about being humane. Clearly they seem directed at different audiences, but the combined effect is to muddy the waters about the truth in the conflict,"" he said.
+ Similarly, he said, anti-Palestinian narratives included claims that Palestinians were staging injuries and deaths with ""crisis actors"" .
+ ""It is also designed to muddy the waters and paint Palestinians as dishonest - while making people doubt whether the images they see of Palestinian suffering are genuine.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Disinformation surge threatens to fuel Israel-Hamas conflict[/TITLE] [CONTENT]AMSTERDAM/LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - As the Israel-Hamas war rages, regulators and analysts say a wave of online disinformation risks further inflaming passions and escalating the conflict in an electronic fog of war. An explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians on Tuesday is the latest focus of the surge of activity as supporters of both sides in the battle between Israel and Hamas try to bolster their own side's narrative and cast doubts on the other's.
+ U.S. President Joe Biden referred to the challenge of verifying information during the conflict in remarks about the hospital blast on a visit to Israel on Wednesday, saying responsibility for the incident appeared to lie with Israel's adversaries.  ""But there's a lot of people out there not sure, so we’ve got a lot — we’ve got to overcome a lot of things,"" Biden said. Reuters fact-checking unit, opens new tab has identified numerous cases of social media posts using fake images and information about the Israel-Hamas conflict, and others in which confusion rather than deliberate disinformation appears to have heightened tensions.  These include:
+ * An X account under the name Farida Khan claiming to be an Al Jazeera journalist in Gaza posted a message saying they had a video of a ""Hamas missile landing in the hospital"" in Tuesday's incident. Al Jazeera subsequently alerted social media users that the account had no ties to the news service. Al Jazeera told Reuters it does not employ a person with the name Farida Khan. The account was later removed. * A video of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking about Ukraine last year was shared this month with fabricated subtitles warning the U.S. not to interfere in the Israel-Hamas conflict.  * Amid genuine images showing dead bodies of those killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, a 2015 video of the lynching of a 16-year-old girl in Guatemala has been misrepresented online as showing a young Israeli woman being burnt by a ""Palestinian mob"".
+ * After receiving online criticism about blue and white flags used in her act, the pop singer Pink posted a tweet saying: ""I am getting many threats because people mistakenly believe I am flying Israeli flags in my show. I am not.  "" I have been using Poi flags since the beginning of this tour. These were used many, many years ago by the Māori people in New Zealand."""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/disinformation-surge-threatens-fuel-israel-hamas-conflict-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Disinformation surge threatens to fuel Israel-Hamas conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMSTERDAM/LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - As the Israel-Hamas war rages, regulators and analysts say a wave of online disinformation risks further inflaming passions and escalating the conflict in an electronic fog of war.
+ An explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians on Tuesday is the latest focus of the surge of activity as supporters of both sides in the battle between Israel and Hamas try to bolster their own side's narrative and cast doubts on the other's.
+ U.S. President Joe Biden referred to the challenge of verifying information during the conflict in remarks about the hospital blast on a visit to Israel on Wednesday, saying responsibility for the incident appeared to lie with Israel's adversaries.
+ ""But there's a lot of people out there not sure, so we’ve got a lot — we’ve got to overcome a lot of things,"" Biden said.
+ Reuters fact-checking unit, opens new tab has identified numerous cases of social media posts using fake images and information about the Israel-Hamas conflict, and others in which confusion rather than deliberate disinformation appears to have heightened tensions.
+ These include:
+ * An X account under the name Farida Khan claiming to be an Al Jazeera journalist in Gaza posted a message saying they had a video of a ""Hamas missile landing in the hospital"" in Tuesday's incident. Al Jazeera subsequently alerted social media users that the account had no ties to the news service. Al Jazeera told Reuters it does not employ a person with the name Farida Khan. The account was later removed.* A video of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking about Ukraine last year was shared this month with fabricated subtitles warning the U.S. not to interfere in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+ * Amid genuine images showing dead bodies of those killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, a 2015 video of the lynching of a 16-year-old girl in Guatemala has been misrepresented online as showing a young Israeli woman being burnt by a ""Palestinian mob"".
+ * After receiving online criticism about blue and white flags used in her act, the pop singer Pink posted a tweet saying: ""I am getting many threats because people mistakenly believe I am flying Israeli flags in my show. I am not.
+ ""I have been using Poi flags since the beginning of this tour. These were used many, many years ago by the Māori people in New Zealand.""
+ REAL-WORLD CONSEQUENCES
+ Heightened tensions can have real-world consequences beyond the Israeli towns and kibbutzes where 1,400 Israelis were killed by Hamas gunmen on Oct. 7, and in Gaza, where more than 3,000 Palestinians have been killed so far by Israel's retaliatory bombardment.
+ France has been put on its highest security alert after a teacher was killed in an Islamist attack and bomb alerts forced the evacuation of the Louvre museum. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the attack bore a link to events in the Middle East.
+ In Illinois a landlord was charged with hate crimes, accused of stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy to death and wounding his mother, who were his tenants. The sheriff’s office said they were ""targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis"".
+ Jewish schools in London closed over the weekend after a Jewish charity that provides security recorded an increase of 400% in antisemitic incidents since the attacks when compared to the same period last year.
+ In modern conflicts, across the globe as well as in the Middle East, warring sides have long used television - and more recently the internet - to win the war for hearts and minds as well as the war on the ground, often mixing truth with fiction.
+ Regulators are watching. The EU's industry chief Thierry Breton called out X, Facebook parent company Meta, TikTok and YouTube for not doing enough to curb disinformation following the attacks. Each company has said they have taken steps to address harmful content.
+ Since Oct. 7 the Cyber Unit at Israel’s Office of the State Attorney has begun to work to remove content on social networks that distribute content which, they say, incites violence associated with Hamas.
+ The Israeli prosecutor's office said it has submitted about 4,450 requests to remove content, according to the following division, most of them to Facebook, TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter.
+ Rafi Mendelsohn, a vice-president of the Israeli bot-monitoring firm Cyabra, said more than 40,000 fake accounts have pushed pro-Hamas narratives online, and thousands of them were created more than a year before the attack.
+ ""The scale suggests there was pre-prepared content and manpower into getting it out. We haven't seen such sophistication with a militant group,"" he told Reuters.
+ TWO NARRATIVES
+ Some accounts also seem to be involved in pushing out falsehoods, targeting Palestinians and Middle East countries perceived to be pro-Palestinian.
+ In 2014 the spokesman for Hamas's military wing, Abu Obaidah, posted a video acknowledging Iranian support for Hamas. In recent days that was reposted online and misrepresented as being recent, to directly implicate Tehran in the latest attack.
+ And while Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has been critical of Israel's blockade of Gaza, incorrect subtitles were added to a viral video that circulated on X and Facebook in recent days warning the U.S. not to intervene and that Turkey was ""ready to defend Palestine at any price"".
+ Marc Owen Jones, a disinformation expert and professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar, said there was often a rise in disinformation during conflicts.
+ ""I think Hamas are sending mixed messages. On the one hand, videos of attacks that are obviously brutal, on the other, some attempts to try and deflect that with stories about being humane. Clearly they seem directed at different audiences, but the combined effect is to muddy the waters about the truth in the conflict,"" he said.
+ Similarly, he said, anti-Palestinian narratives included claims that Palestinians were staging injuries and deaths with ""crisis actors"" .
+ ""It is also designed to muddy the waters and paint Palestinians as dishonest - while making people doubt whether the images they see of Palestinian suffering are genuine.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","REAL-WORLD CONSEQUENCES
+ Heightened tensions can have real-world consequences beyond the Israeli towns and kibbutzes where 1,400 Israelis were killed by Hamas gunmen on Oct. 7, and in Gaza, where more than 3,000 Palestinians have been killed so far by Israel's retaliatory bombardment.  France has been put on its highest security alert after a teacher was killed in an Islamist attack and bomb alerts forced the evacuation of the Louvre museum. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the attack bore a link to events in the Middle East.  In Illinois a landlord was charged with hate crimes, accused of stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy to death and wounding his mother, who were his tenants. The sheriff’s office said they were ""targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis"". Jewish schools in London closed over the weekend after a Jewish charity that provides security recorded an increase of 400% in antisemitic incidents since the attacks when compared to the same period last year.
+ In modern conflicts, across the globe as well as in the Middle East, warring sides have long used television - and more recently the internet - to win the war for hearts and minds as well as the war on the ground, often mixing truth with fiction.
+ Regulators are watching. The EU's industry chief Thierry Breton called out X, Facebook parent company Meta, TikTok and YouTube for not doing enough to curb disinformation following the attacks. Each company has said they have taken steps to address harmful content. Since Oct. 7 the Cyber Unit at Israel’s Office of the State Attorney has begun to work to remove content on social networks that distribute content which, they say, incites violence associated with Hamas. The Israeli prosecutor's office said it has submitted about 4,450 requests to remove content, according to the following division, most of them to Facebook, TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter.  Rafi Mendelsohn, a vice-president of the Israeli bot-monitoring firm Cyabra, said more than 40,000 fake accounts have pushed pro-Hamas narratives online, and thousands of them were created more than a year before the attack.
+ "" The scale suggests there was pre-prepared content and manpower into getting it out. We haven't seen such sophistication with a militant group,"" he told Reuters. TWO NARRATIVES
+ Some accounts also seem to be involved in pushing out falsehoods, targeting Palestinians and Middle East countries perceived to be pro-Palestinian.  In 2014 the spokesman for Hamas's military wing, Abu Obaidah, posted a video acknowledging Iranian support for Hamas."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/disinformation-surge-threatens-fuel-israel-hamas-conflict-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Disinformation surge threatens to fuel Israel-Hamas conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMSTERDAM/LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - As the Israel-Hamas war rages, regulators and analysts say a wave of online disinformation risks further inflaming passions and escalating the conflict in an electronic fog of war.
+ An explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians on Tuesday is the latest focus of the surge of activity as supporters of both sides in the battle between Israel and Hamas try to bolster their own side's narrative and cast doubts on the other's.
+ U.S. President Joe Biden referred to the challenge of verifying information during the conflict in remarks about the hospital blast on a visit to Israel on Wednesday, saying responsibility for the incident appeared to lie with Israel's adversaries.
+ ""But there's a lot of people out there not sure, so we’ve got a lot — we’ve got to overcome a lot of things,"" Biden said.
+ Reuters fact-checking unit, opens new tab has identified numerous cases of social media posts using fake images and information about the Israel-Hamas conflict, and others in which confusion rather than deliberate disinformation appears to have heightened tensions.
+ These include:
+ * An X account under the name Farida Khan claiming to be an Al Jazeera journalist in Gaza posted a message saying they had a video of a ""Hamas missile landing in the hospital"" in Tuesday's incident. Al Jazeera subsequently alerted social media users that the account had no ties to the news service. Al Jazeera told Reuters it does not employ a person with the name Farida Khan. The account was later removed.* A video of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking about Ukraine last year was shared this month with fabricated subtitles warning the U.S. not to interfere in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+ * Amid genuine images showing dead bodies of those killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, a 2015 video of the lynching of a 16-year-old girl in Guatemala has been misrepresented online as showing a young Israeli woman being burnt by a ""Palestinian mob"".
+ * After receiving online criticism about blue and white flags used in her act, the pop singer Pink posted a tweet saying: ""I am getting many threats because people mistakenly believe I am flying Israeli flags in my show. I am not.
+ ""I have been using Poi flags since the beginning of this tour. These were used many, many years ago by the Māori people in New Zealand.""
+ REAL-WORLD CONSEQUENCES
+ Heightened tensions can have real-world consequences beyond the Israeli towns and kibbutzes where 1,400 Israelis were killed by Hamas gunmen on Oct. 7, and in Gaza, where more than 3,000 Palestinians have been killed so far by Israel's retaliatory bombardment.
+ France has been put on its highest security alert after a teacher was killed in an Islamist attack and bomb alerts forced the evacuation of the Louvre museum. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the attack bore a link to events in the Middle East.
+ In Illinois a landlord was charged with hate crimes, accused of stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy to death and wounding his mother, who were his tenants. The sheriff’s office said they were ""targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis"".
+ Jewish schools in London closed over the weekend after a Jewish charity that provides security recorded an increase of 400% in antisemitic incidents since the attacks when compared to the same period last year.
+ In modern conflicts, across the globe as well as in the Middle East, warring sides have long used television - and more recently the internet - to win the war for hearts and minds as well as the war on the ground, often mixing truth with fiction.
+ Regulators are watching. The EU's industry chief Thierry Breton called out X, Facebook parent company Meta, TikTok and YouTube for not doing enough to curb disinformation following the attacks. Each company has said they have taken steps to address harmful content.
+ Since Oct. 7 the Cyber Unit at Israel’s Office of the State Attorney has begun to work to remove content on social networks that distribute content which, they say, incites violence associated with Hamas.
+ The Israeli prosecutor's office said it has submitted about 4,450 requests to remove content, according to the following division, most of them to Facebook, TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter.
+ Rafi Mendelsohn, a vice-president of the Israeli bot-monitoring firm Cyabra, said more than 40,000 fake accounts have pushed pro-Hamas narratives online, and thousands of them were created more than a year before the attack.
+ ""The scale suggests there was pre-prepared content and manpower into getting it out. We haven't seen such sophistication with a militant group,"" he told Reuters.
+ TWO NARRATIVES
+ Some accounts also seem to be involved in pushing out falsehoods, targeting Palestinians and Middle East countries perceived to be pro-Palestinian.
+ In 2014 the spokesman for Hamas's military wing, Abu Obaidah, posted a video acknowledging Iranian support for Hamas. In recent days that was reposted online and misrepresented as being recent, to directly implicate Tehran in the latest attack.
+ And while Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has been critical of Israel's blockade of Gaza, incorrect subtitles were added to a viral video that circulated on X and Facebook in recent days warning the U.S. not to intervene and that Turkey was ""ready to defend Palestine at any price"".
+ Marc Owen Jones, a disinformation expert and professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar, said there was often a rise in disinformation during conflicts.
+ ""I think Hamas are sending mixed messages. On the one hand, videos of attacks that are obviously brutal, on the other, some attempts to try and deflect that with stories about being humane. Clearly they seem directed at different audiences, but the combined effect is to muddy the waters about the truth in the conflict,"" he said.
+ Similarly, he said, anti-Palestinian narratives included claims that Palestinians were staging injuries and deaths with ""crisis actors"" .
+ ""It is also designed to muddy the waters and paint Palestinians as dishonest - while making people doubt whether the images they see of Palestinian suffering are genuine.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In recent days that was reposted online and misrepresented as being recent, to directly implicate Tehran in the latest attack. And while Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has been critical of Israel's blockade of Gaza, incorrect subtitles were added to a viral video that circulated on X and Facebook in recent days warning the U.S. not to intervene and that Turkey was ""ready to defend Palestine at any price"".  Marc Owen Jones, a disinformation expert and professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar, said there was often a rise in disinformation during conflicts.
+ "" I think Hamas are sending mixed messages. On the one hand, videos of attacks that are obviously brutal, on the other, some attempts to try and deflect that with stories about being humane. Clearly they seem directed at different audiences, but the combined effect is to muddy the waters about the truth in the conflict,"" he said.  Similarly, he said, anti-Palestinian narratives included claims that Palestinians were staging injuries and deaths with ""crisis actors"" .
+ "" It is also designed to muddy the waters and paint Palestinians as dishonest - while making people doubt whether the images they see of Palestinian suffering are genuine.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/fearful-grieving-gen-z-americans-clash-over-israel-conflict-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fearful and grieving, Gen Z Americans clash over Israel conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 18 (Reuters) - Kevin Khadavi, a Jewish student at Stanford University, got a call from his grandmother last week urging him not to wear his Star of David necklace around campus, for fear his display of Jewish identity could make him a target.
+ ""Don't make yourself obvious,"" she texted him afterwards.
+ At Washington University in St. Louis, a Muslim student named Haniah decided to wear earrings in the shape of historic Palestine to express support for Palestinians. A fellow student spotted them and railed at her for nearly three minutes, calling her a terrorist while she fought back tears.
+ ""If I cried, that would be a win for them,"" she said.
+ In the days since Hamas launched deadly attacks in Israel, young people in the U.S. have been gripped by fear, anger and grief as they process the violence unfolding halfway around the world and feel the divisive effects in their own social circles.
+ In interviews with more than a dozen Jewish, Palestinian and other members of Generation Z – those born after 1996 – many expressed frustration that nuanced opinions have been drowned out. Social media, which many say has helped advance their understanding of events, has also exhausted them and alienated them from friends.
+ Polling shows this generation is more skeptical of Israeli policy toward Palestinians than older Americans are. But even within their cohort, the range of opinions varies immensely – from those who justified Hamas' actions as a response to decades of Israeli oppression, to those who cast any pro-Palestinian protesters as supporters of terrorism, and even more who lament that innocent civilians on both sides are caught in a crossfire of failed leadership.
+ They've struggled, in person and online, with when and how to express their views about a conflict that has defied peaceful reconciliation for decades, interviews showed.
+ CONFLICTS ON CAMPUS
+ For Haniah, who asked to conceal her last name out of safety concerns, wearing her earrings felt like ""the bare minimum"" she could do to show support for Palestinians, who are currently under siege in Gaza as the Israeli government seeks to destroy Hamas leadership. But the campus confrontation made her doubt whether it was safe to engage with pro-Israel peers at the moment.
+ ""It's a horrible situation on campus, honestly,"" she said.
+ Meanwhile, many Jewish students have voiced fears in the last week, as they perceive some classmates to be supporting Hamas' attack on Israelis by rallying around the Palestinian cause.
+ Yonatan Manor, president of Boston University Students for Israel, said failure to denounce Hamas was akin to supporting Nazis.
+ ""This is the biggest wave of antisemitism we've seen since the Holocaust,"" the 20-year-old said.
+ Younger Americans are much less likely than older generations to support Israel. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Thursday and Friday showed 34% of Americans aged 18-39 believe Hamas is responsible for the conflict, while 58% of Americans 40 and up believe so.
+ Support for Israel has grown among all Americans since 2014, when clashes between Israel and Hamas led to thousands of deaths, the vast majority Palestinians. But it has grown less among younger people, with only about 20% now expressing support for Israel compared to 14% in 2014; the share of older Americans backing Israel has nearly doubled to 56% from 28% in 2014, the polling showed.
+ For many Jewish students, the outpouring of support for Palestinians in the last week feels like an attack on their right to exist, they say. Others say they sympathize with Palestinians but argue that the horror of Hamas' attacks should trump any discussion of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+ ""Those conversations should happen – just not right now,"" Manor said. ""Now is a time for solidarity with Jewish people.""
+ But other young people said such thinking compounds a longstanding pattern of ignoring the plight of Palestinians. Several students expressed frustration at western institutions, from the U.S. government to their own schools, for supporting Israel unequivocally.
+ Christopher Iacovetti, a PhD student at the University of Chicago, described what he called a double standard, saying that pro-Palestinian activists are urged to denounce Hamas while Israel supporters are rarely asked to answer for Israel's attacks on Palestinians.
+ He likened Hamas' attack to liberation movements like Nat Turner's 1831 rebellion - in which enslaved Black people killed dozens of white Virginians - and argued that oppressed people are justified in resisting, even if individual acts are atrocious.
+ ""There's a difference between war aims and war conduct,"" he said.
+ 'WE BOTH FEEL PAIN'
+ As the Middle East discourse has launched campus protests, it has also engulfed students' online world. Most students interviewed had taken to social media to express their views - and to evaluate their peers' opinions.
+ Many described feeling pressure to post something publicly. But they also worried they would inevitably offend someone and possibly get blocked, publicly shamed or consumed in an antagonistic political debate. Several described social media as draining in the last week.
+ On rare occasions, online discussions have been productive, students said. Hadia Khatri, a Muslim student at Washington University in St. Louis, said she got into an Instagram conversation with a student in her dorm who supported Israel, and they managed to agree that both sides needed better leadership.
+ Some said social media forced the oversimplification of what should be a more nuanced conversation, leading to the belief that people are completely polarized.
+ The loudest voices have been the most extreme, many said, making productive conversation virtually impossible.
+ The pressure to align fully with one side has been particularly wrenching for some Jews who are critical of Israel's historic stance toward Palestinians.
+ As images of civilians dying under Israeli siege in Gaza have emerged, some have openly joined calls for Israel to end its blockade, sometimes risking blowback from family and friends.
+ Jewish Voice for Peace, which advocates for Palestinian independence, has joined pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations. One member, a Middle Eastern Jewish student at Barnard College who requested anonymity for safety concerns, said the organization's ethos underscores the conflict's complexity.
+ ""It's convenient to lean into the comfort of 'sides' and perfect labels at times like these, yet the reality is nuanced and uncertain,"" she said in an email.
+ Raffi Ivker, a Jewish student at George Washington University, said he believed neither side ""has clean hands."" Israel's turn to the right in recent years, he said, has made achieving peace less likely, and he expressed concern that a ground invasion of Gaza would result in more civilian deaths.
+ But he also was disturbed seeing pro-Palestinian protests in the wake of the attacks and said the participants appeared to be ""glorifying or excusing"" the murder of Israelis, which he called sickening.
+ Josh Joffe, a 23-year-old working at a healthcare lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., said he had experienced ""cognitive dissonance"" as a Jew who was taught to revere Israel, but who had come to view Israel as bearing much of the fault in the conflict.
+ He has only discussed that view with close friends, believing it could alienate people who are ""really emotionally caught up in this right now.""
+ Still, some students said those raw feelings could help dispel tension and establish common ground.
+ Khadavi, the Stanford student, was leaving class last week when he ran into a Palestinian classmate. The two hugged and told each other they were thinking of each other's families.
+ ""Emotion absolutely plays a role in this - not as a blinding force but as an illuminating force, to try to bridge divides, to say that we both feel pain when people are killed,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fearful and grieving, Gen Z Americans clash over Israel conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 18 (Reuters) - Kevin Khadavi, a Jewish student at Stanford University, got a call from his grandmother last week urging him not to wear his Star of David necklace around campus, for fear his display of Jewish identity could make him a target. ""Don't make yourself obvious,"" she texted him afterwards.  At Washington University in St. Louis, a Muslim student named Haniah decided to wear earrings in the shape of historic Palestine to express support for Palestinians. A fellow student spotted them and railed at her for nearly three minutes, calling her a terrorist while she fought back tears. ""If I cried, that would be a win for them,"" she said. In the days since Hamas launched deadly attacks in Israel, young people in the U.S. have been gripped by fear, anger and grief as they process the violence unfolding halfway around the world and feel the divisive effects in their own social circles.  In interviews with more than a dozen Jewish, Palestinian and other members of Generation Z – those born after 1996 – many expressed frustration that nuanced opinions have been drowned out. Social media, which many say has helped advance their understanding of events, has also exhausted them and alienated them from friends. Polling shows this generation is more skeptical of Israeli policy toward Palestinians than older Americans are. But even within their cohort, the range of opinions varies immensely – from those who justified Hamas' actions as a response to decades of Israeli oppression, to those who cast any pro-Palestinian protesters as supporters of terrorism, and even more who lament that innocent civilians on both sides are caught in a crossfire of failed leadership. They've struggled, in person and online, with when and how to express their views about a conflict that has defied peaceful reconciliation for decades, interviews showed.  CONFLICTS ON CAMPUS
+ For Haniah, who asked to conceal her last name out of safety concerns, wearing her earrings felt like ""the bare minimum"" she could do to show support for Palestinians, who are currently under siege in Gaza as the Israeli government seeks to destroy Hamas leadership. But the campus confrontation made her doubt whether it was safe to engage with pro-Israel peers at the moment. ""It's a horrible situation on campus, honestly,"" she said. Meanwhile, many Jewish students have voiced fears in the last week, as they perceive some classmates to be supporting Hamas' attack on Israelis by rallying around the Palestinian cause."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/fearful-grieving-gen-z-americans-clash-over-israel-conflict-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fearful and grieving, Gen Z Americans clash over Israel conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 18 (Reuters) - Kevin Khadavi, a Jewish student at Stanford University, got a call from his grandmother last week urging him not to wear his Star of David necklace around campus, for fear his display of Jewish identity could make him a target.
+ ""Don't make yourself obvious,"" she texted him afterwards.
+ At Washington University in St. Louis, a Muslim student named Haniah decided to wear earrings in the shape of historic Palestine to express support for Palestinians. A fellow student spotted them and railed at her for nearly three minutes, calling her a terrorist while she fought back tears.
+ ""If I cried, that would be a win for them,"" she said.
+ In the days since Hamas launched deadly attacks in Israel, young people in the U.S. have been gripped by fear, anger and grief as they process the violence unfolding halfway around the world and feel the divisive effects in their own social circles.
+ In interviews with more than a dozen Jewish, Palestinian and other members of Generation Z – those born after 1996 – many expressed frustration that nuanced opinions have been drowned out. Social media, which many say has helped advance their understanding of events, has also exhausted them and alienated them from friends.
+ Polling shows this generation is more skeptical of Israeli policy toward Palestinians than older Americans are. But even within their cohort, the range of opinions varies immensely – from those who justified Hamas' actions as a response to decades of Israeli oppression, to those who cast any pro-Palestinian protesters as supporters of terrorism, and even more who lament that innocent civilians on both sides are caught in a crossfire of failed leadership.
+ They've struggled, in person and online, with when and how to express their views about a conflict that has defied peaceful reconciliation for decades, interviews showed.
+ CONFLICTS ON CAMPUS
+ For Haniah, who asked to conceal her last name out of safety concerns, wearing her earrings felt like ""the bare minimum"" she could do to show support for Palestinians, who are currently under siege in Gaza as the Israeli government seeks to destroy Hamas leadership. But the campus confrontation made her doubt whether it was safe to engage with pro-Israel peers at the moment.
+ ""It's a horrible situation on campus, honestly,"" she said.
+ Meanwhile, many Jewish students have voiced fears in the last week, as they perceive some classmates to be supporting Hamas' attack on Israelis by rallying around the Palestinian cause.
+ Yonatan Manor, president of Boston University Students for Israel, said failure to denounce Hamas was akin to supporting Nazis.
+ ""This is the biggest wave of antisemitism we've seen since the Holocaust,"" the 20-year-old said.
+ Younger Americans are much less likely than older generations to support Israel. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Thursday and Friday showed 34% of Americans aged 18-39 believe Hamas is responsible for the conflict, while 58% of Americans 40 and up believe so.
+ Support for Israel has grown among all Americans since 2014, when clashes between Israel and Hamas led to thousands of deaths, the vast majority Palestinians. But it has grown less among younger people, with only about 20% now expressing support for Israel compared to 14% in 2014; the share of older Americans backing Israel has nearly doubled to 56% from 28% in 2014, the polling showed.
+ For many Jewish students, the outpouring of support for Palestinians in the last week feels like an attack on their right to exist, they say. Others say they sympathize with Palestinians but argue that the horror of Hamas' attacks should trump any discussion of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+ ""Those conversations should happen – just not right now,"" Manor said. ""Now is a time for solidarity with Jewish people.""
+ But other young people said such thinking compounds a longstanding pattern of ignoring the plight of Palestinians. Several students expressed frustration at western institutions, from the U.S. government to their own schools, for supporting Israel unequivocally.
+ Christopher Iacovetti, a PhD student at the University of Chicago, described what he called a double standard, saying that pro-Palestinian activists are urged to denounce Hamas while Israel supporters are rarely asked to answer for Israel's attacks on Palestinians.
+ He likened Hamas' attack to liberation movements like Nat Turner's 1831 rebellion - in which enslaved Black people killed dozens of white Virginians - and argued that oppressed people are justified in resisting, even if individual acts are atrocious.
+ ""There's a difference between war aims and war conduct,"" he said.
+ 'WE BOTH FEEL PAIN'
+ As the Middle East discourse has launched campus protests, it has also engulfed students' online world. Most students interviewed had taken to social media to express their views - and to evaluate their peers' opinions.
+ Many described feeling pressure to post something publicly. But they also worried they would inevitably offend someone and possibly get blocked, publicly shamed or consumed in an antagonistic political debate. Several described social media as draining in the last week.
+ On rare occasions, online discussions have been productive, students said. Hadia Khatri, a Muslim student at Washington University in St. Louis, said she got into an Instagram conversation with a student in her dorm who supported Israel, and they managed to agree that both sides needed better leadership.
+ Some said social media forced the oversimplification of what should be a more nuanced conversation, leading to the belief that people are completely polarized.
+ The loudest voices have been the most extreme, many said, making productive conversation virtually impossible.
+ The pressure to align fully with one side has been particularly wrenching for some Jews who are critical of Israel's historic stance toward Palestinians.
+ As images of civilians dying under Israeli siege in Gaza have emerged, some have openly joined calls for Israel to end its blockade, sometimes risking blowback from family and friends.
+ Jewish Voice for Peace, which advocates for Palestinian independence, has joined pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations. One member, a Middle Eastern Jewish student at Barnard College who requested anonymity for safety concerns, said the organization's ethos underscores the conflict's complexity.
+ ""It's convenient to lean into the comfort of 'sides' and perfect labels at times like these, yet the reality is nuanced and uncertain,"" she said in an email.
+ Raffi Ivker, a Jewish student at George Washington University, said he believed neither side ""has clean hands."" Israel's turn to the right in recent years, he said, has made achieving peace less likely, and he expressed concern that a ground invasion of Gaza would result in more civilian deaths.
+ But he also was disturbed seeing pro-Palestinian protests in the wake of the attacks and said the participants appeared to be ""glorifying or excusing"" the murder of Israelis, which he called sickening.
+ Josh Joffe, a 23-year-old working at a healthcare lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., said he had experienced ""cognitive dissonance"" as a Jew who was taught to revere Israel, but who had come to view Israel as bearing much of the fault in the conflict.
+ He has only discussed that view with close friends, believing it could alienate people who are ""really emotionally caught up in this right now.""
+ Still, some students said those raw feelings could help dispel tension and establish common ground.
+ Khadavi, the Stanford student, was leaving class last week when he ran into a Palestinian classmate. The two hugged and told each other they were thinking of each other's families.
+ ""Emotion absolutely plays a role in this - not as a blinding force but as an illuminating force, to try to bridge divides, to say that we both feel pain when people are killed,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Yonatan Manor, president of Boston University Students for Israel, said failure to denounce Hamas was akin to supporting Nazis.
+ ""This is the biggest wave of antisemitism we've seen since the Holocaust,"" the 20-year-old said.  Younger Americans are much less likely than older generations to support Israel. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Thursday and Friday showed 34% of Americans aged 18-39 believe Hamas is responsible for the conflict, while 58% of Americans 40 and up believe so.  Support for Israel has grown among all Americans since 2014, when clashes between Israel and Hamas led to thousands of deaths, the vast majority Palestinians. But it has grown less among younger people, with only about 20% now expressing support for Israel compared to 14% in 2014; the share of older Americans backing Israel has nearly doubled to 56% from 28% in 2014, the polling showed. For many Jewish students, the outpouring of support for Palestinians in the last week feels like an attack on their right to exist, they say. Others say they sympathize with Palestinians but argue that the horror of Hamas' attacks should trump any discussion of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+ ""Those conversations should happen – just not right now,"" Manor said. ""Now is a time for solidarity with Jewish people. "" But other young people said such thinking compounds a longstanding pattern of ignoring the plight of Palestinians. Several students expressed frustration at western institutions, from the U.S. government to their own schools, for supporting Israel unequivocally. Christopher Iacovetti, a PhD student at the University of Chicago, described what he called a double standard, saying that pro-Palestinian activists are urged to denounce Hamas while Israel supporters are rarely asked to answer for Israel's attacks on Palestinians.
+ He likened Hamas' attack to liberation movements like Nat Turner's 1831 rebellion - in which enslaved Black people killed dozens of white Virginians - and argued that oppressed people are justified in resisting, even if individual acts are atrocious.
+ ""There's a difference between war aims and war conduct,"" he said. 'WE BOTH FEEL PAIN' As the Middle East discourse has launched campus protests, it has also engulfed students' online world. Most students interviewed had taken to social media to express their views - and to evaluate their peers' opinions.  Many described feeling pressure to post something publicly. But they also worried they would inevitably offend someone and possibly get blocked, publicly shamed or consumed in an antagonistic political debate. Several described social media as draining in the last week."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/fearful-grieving-gen-z-americans-clash-over-israel-conflict-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fearful and grieving, Gen Z Americans clash over Israel conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 18 (Reuters) - Kevin Khadavi, a Jewish student at Stanford University, got a call from his grandmother last week urging him not to wear his Star of David necklace around campus, for fear his display of Jewish identity could make him a target.
+ ""Don't make yourself obvious,"" she texted him afterwards.
+ At Washington University in St. Louis, a Muslim student named Haniah decided to wear earrings in the shape of historic Palestine to express support for Palestinians. A fellow student spotted them and railed at her for nearly three minutes, calling her a terrorist while she fought back tears.
+ ""If I cried, that would be a win for them,"" she said.
+ In the days since Hamas launched deadly attacks in Israel, young people in the U.S. have been gripped by fear, anger and grief as they process the violence unfolding halfway around the world and feel the divisive effects in their own social circles.
+ In interviews with more than a dozen Jewish, Palestinian and other members of Generation Z – those born after 1996 – many expressed frustration that nuanced opinions have been drowned out. Social media, which many say has helped advance their understanding of events, has also exhausted them and alienated them from friends.
+ Polling shows this generation is more skeptical of Israeli policy toward Palestinians than older Americans are. But even within their cohort, the range of opinions varies immensely – from those who justified Hamas' actions as a response to decades of Israeli oppression, to those who cast any pro-Palestinian protesters as supporters of terrorism, and even more who lament that innocent civilians on both sides are caught in a crossfire of failed leadership.
+ They've struggled, in person and online, with when and how to express their views about a conflict that has defied peaceful reconciliation for decades, interviews showed.
+ CONFLICTS ON CAMPUS
+ For Haniah, who asked to conceal her last name out of safety concerns, wearing her earrings felt like ""the bare minimum"" she could do to show support for Palestinians, who are currently under siege in Gaza as the Israeli government seeks to destroy Hamas leadership. But the campus confrontation made her doubt whether it was safe to engage with pro-Israel peers at the moment.
+ ""It's a horrible situation on campus, honestly,"" she said.
+ Meanwhile, many Jewish students have voiced fears in the last week, as they perceive some classmates to be supporting Hamas' attack on Israelis by rallying around the Palestinian cause.
+ Yonatan Manor, president of Boston University Students for Israel, said failure to denounce Hamas was akin to supporting Nazis.
+ ""This is the biggest wave of antisemitism we've seen since the Holocaust,"" the 20-year-old said.
+ Younger Americans are much less likely than older generations to support Israel. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Thursday and Friday showed 34% of Americans aged 18-39 believe Hamas is responsible for the conflict, while 58% of Americans 40 and up believe so.
+ Support for Israel has grown among all Americans since 2014, when clashes between Israel and Hamas led to thousands of deaths, the vast majority Palestinians. But it has grown less among younger people, with only about 20% now expressing support for Israel compared to 14% in 2014; the share of older Americans backing Israel has nearly doubled to 56% from 28% in 2014, the polling showed.
+ For many Jewish students, the outpouring of support for Palestinians in the last week feels like an attack on their right to exist, they say. Others say they sympathize with Palestinians but argue that the horror of Hamas' attacks should trump any discussion of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+ ""Those conversations should happen – just not right now,"" Manor said. ""Now is a time for solidarity with Jewish people.""
+ But other young people said such thinking compounds a longstanding pattern of ignoring the plight of Palestinians. Several students expressed frustration at western institutions, from the U.S. government to their own schools, for supporting Israel unequivocally.
+ Christopher Iacovetti, a PhD student at the University of Chicago, described what he called a double standard, saying that pro-Palestinian activists are urged to denounce Hamas while Israel supporters are rarely asked to answer for Israel's attacks on Palestinians.
+ He likened Hamas' attack to liberation movements like Nat Turner's 1831 rebellion - in which enslaved Black people killed dozens of white Virginians - and argued that oppressed people are justified in resisting, even if individual acts are atrocious.
+ ""There's a difference between war aims and war conduct,"" he said.
+ 'WE BOTH FEEL PAIN'
+ As the Middle East discourse has launched campus protests, it has also engulfed students' online world. Most students interviewed had taken to social media to express their views - and to evaluate their peers' opinions.
+ Many described feeling pressure to post something publicly. But they also worried they would inevitably offend someone and possibly get blocked, publicly shamed or consumed in an antagonistic political debate. Several described social media as draining in the last week.
+ On rare occasions, online discussions have been productive, students said. Hadia Khatri, a Muslim student at Washington University in St. Louis, said she got into an Instagram conversation with a student in her dorm who supported Israel, and they managed to agree that both sides needed better leadership.
+ Some said social media forced the oversimplification of what should be a more nuanced conversation, leading to the belief that people are completely polarized.
+ The loudest voices have been the most extreme, many said, making productive conversation virtually impossible.
+ The pressure to align fully with one side has been particularly wrenching for some Jews who are critical of Israel's historic stance toward Palestinians.
+ As images of civilians dying under Israeli siege in Gaza have emerged, some have openly joined calls for Israel to end its blockade, sometimes risking blowback from family and friends.
+ Jewish Voice for Peace, which advocates for Palestinian independence, has joined pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations. One member, a Middle Eastern Jewish student at Barnard College who requested anonymity for safety concerns, said the organization's ethos underscores the conflict's complexity.
+ ""It's convenient to lean into the comfort of 'sides' and perfect labels at times like these, yet the reality is nuanced and uncertain,"" she said in an email.
+ Raffi Ivker, a Jewish student at George Washington University, said he believed neither side ""has clean hands."" Israel's turn to the right in recent years, he said, has made achieving peace less likely, and he expressed concern that a ground invasion of Gaza would result in more civilian deaths.
+ But he also was disturbed seeing pro-Palestinian protests in the wake of the attacks and said the participants appeared to be ""glorifying or excusing"" the murder of Israelis, which he called sickening.
+ Josh Joffe, a 23-year-old working at a healthcare lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., said he had experienced ""cognitive dissonance"" as a Jew who was taught to revere Israel, but who had come to view Israel as bearing much of the fault in the conflict.
+ He has only discussed that view with close friends, believing it could alienate people who are ""really emotionally caught up in this right now.""
+ Still, some students said those raw feelings could help dispel tension and establish common ground.
+ Khadavi, the Stanford student, was leaving class last week when he ran into a Palestinian classmate. The two hugged and told each other they were thinking of each other's families.
+ ""Emotion absolutely plays a role in this - not as a blinding force but as an illuminating force, to try to bridge divides, to say that we both feel pain when people are killed,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","On rare occasions, online discussions have been productive, students said. Hadia Khatri, a Muslim student at Washington University in St. Louis, said she got into an Instagram conversation with a student in her dorm who supported Israel, and they managed to agree that both sides needed better leadership. Some said social media forced the oversimplification of what should be a more nuanced conversation, leading to the belief that people are completely polarized.
+ The loudest voices have been the most extreme, many said, making productive conversation virtually impossible.
+ The pressure to align fully with one side has been particularly wrenching for some Jews who are critical of Israel's historic stance toward Palestinians. As images of civilians dying under Israeli siege in Gaza have emerged, some have openly joined calls for Israel to end its blockade, sometimes risking blowback from family and friends.
+ Jewish Voice for Peace, which advocates for Palestinian independence, has joined pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations. One member, a Middle Eastern Jewish student at Barnard College who requested anonymity for safety concerns, said the organization's ethos underscores the conflict's complexity.
+ ""It's convenient to lean into the comfort of 'sides' and perfect labels at times like these, yet the reality is nuanced and uncertain,"" she said in an email.  Raffi Ivker, a Jewish student at George Washington University, said he believed neither side ""has clean hands."" Israel's turn to the right in recent years, he said, has made achieving peace less likely, and he expressed concern that a ground invasion of Gaza would result in more civilian deaths.
+ But he also was disturbed seeing pro-Palestinian protests in the wake of the attacks and said the participants appeared to be ""glorifying or excusing"" the murder of Israelis, which he called sickening.
+ Josh Joffe, a 23-year-old working at a healthcare lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., said he had experienced ""cognitive dissonance"" as a Jew who was taught to revere Israel, but who had come to view Israel as bearing much of the fault in the conflict. He has only discussed that view with close friends, believing it could alienate people who are ""really emotionally caught up in this right now."" Still, some students said those raw feelings could help dispel tension and establish common ground.  Khadavi, the Stanford student, was leaving class last week when he ran into a Palestinian classmate. The two hugged and told each other they were thinking of each other's families. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/fearful-grieving-gen-z-americans-clash-over-israel-conflict-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fearful and grieving, Gen Z Americans clash over Israel conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 18 (Reuters) - Kevin Khadavi, a Jewish student at Stanford University, got a call from his grandmother last week urging him not to wear his Star of David necklace around campus, for fear his display of Jewish identity could make him a target.
+ ""Don't make yourself obvious,"" she texted him afterwards.
+ At Washington University in St. Louis, a Muslim student named Haniah decided to wear earrings in the shape of historic Palestine to express support for Palestinians. A fellow student spotted them and railed at her for nearly three minutes, calling her a terrorist while she fought back tears.
+ ""If I cried, that would be a win for them,"" she said.
+ In the days since Hamas launched deadly attacks in Israel, young people in the U.S. have been gripped by fear, anger and grief as they process the violence unfolding halfway around the world and feel the divisive effects in their own social circles.
+ In interviews with more than a dozen Jewish, Palestinian and other members of Generation Z – those born after 1996 – many expressed frustration that nuanced opinions have been drowned out. Social media, which many say has helped advance their understanding of events, has also exhausted them and alienated them from friends.
+ Polling shows this generation is more skeptical of Israeli policy toward Palestinians than older Americans are. But even within their cohort, the range of opinions varies immensely – from those who justified Hamas' actions as a response to decades of Israeli oppression, to those who cast any pro-Palestinian protesters as supporters of terrorism, and even more who lament that innocent civilians on both sides are caught in a crossfire of failed leadership.
+ They've struggled, in person and online, with when and how to express their views about a conflict that has defied peaceful reconciliation for decades, interviews showed.
+ CONFLICTS ON CAMPUS
+ For Haniah, who asked to conceal her last name out of safety concerns, wearing her earrings felt like ""the bare minimum"" she could do to show support for Palestinians, who are currently under siege in Gaza as the Israeli government seeks to destroy Hamas leadership. But the campus confrontation made her doubt whether it was safe to engage with pro-Israel peers at the moment.
+ ""It's a horrible situation on campus, honestly,"" she said.
+ Meanwhile, many Jewish students have voiced fears in the last week, as they perceive some classmates to be supporting Hamas' attack on Israelis by rallying around the Palestinian cause.
+ Yonatan Manor, president of Boston University Students for Israel, said failure to denounce Hamas was akin to supporting Nazis.
+ ""This is the biggest wave of antisemitism we've seen since the Holocaust,"" the 20-year-old said.
+ Younger Americans are much less likely than older generations to support Israel. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Thursday and Friday showed 34% of Americans aged 18-39 believe Hamas is responsible for the conflict, while 58% of Americans 40 and up believe so.
+ Support for Israel has grown among all Americans since 2014, when clashes between Israel and Hamas led to thousands of deaths, the vast majority Palestinians. But it has grown less among younger people, with only about 20% now expressing support for Israel compared to 14% in 2014; the share of older Americans backing Israel has nearly doubled to 56% from 28% in 2014, the polling showed.
+ For many Jewish students, the outpouring of support for Palestinians in the last week feels like an attack on their right to exist, they say. Others say they sympathize with Palestinians but argue that the horror of Hamas' attacks should trump any discussion of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
+ ""Those conversations should happen – just not right now,"" Manor said. ""Now is a time for solidarity with Jewish people.""
+ But other young people said such thinking compounds a longstanding pattern of ignoring the plight of Palestinians. Several students expressed frustration at western institutions, from the U.S. government to their own schools, for supporting Israel unequivocally.
+ Christopher Iacovetti, a PhD student at the University of Chicago, described what he called a double standard, saying that pro-Palestinian activists are urged to denounce Hamas while Israel supporters are rarely asked to answer for Israel's attacks on Palestinians.
+ He likened Hamas' attack to liberation movements like Nat Turner's 1831 rebellion - in which enslaved Black people killed dozens of white Virginians - and argued that oppressed people are justified in resisting, even if individual acts are atrocious.
+ ""There's a difference between war aims and war conduct,"" he said.
+ 'WE BOTH FEEL PAIN'
+ As the Middle East discourse has launched campus protests, it has also engulfed students' online world. Most students interviewed had taken to social media to express their views - and to evaluate their peers' opinions.
+ Many described feeling pressure to post something publicly. But they also worried they would inevitably offend someone and possibly get blocked, publicly shamed or consumed in an antagonistic political debate. Several described social media as draining in the last week.
+ On rare occasions, online discussions have been productive, students said. Hadia Khatri, a Muslim student at Washington University in St. Louis, said she got into an Instagram conversation with a student in her dorm who supported Israel, and they managed to agree that both sides needed better leadership.
+ Some said social media forced the oversimplification of what should be a more nuanced conversation, leading to the belief that people are completely polarized.
+ The loudest voices have been the most extreme, many said, making productive conversation virtually impossible.
+ The pressure to align fully with one side has been particularly wrenching for some Jews who are critical of Israel's historic stance toward Palestinians.
+ As images of civilians dying under Israeli siege in Gaza have emerged, some have openly joined calls for Israel to end its blockade, sometimes risking blowback from family and friends.
+ Jewish Voice for Peace, which advocates for Palestinian independence, has joined pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations. One member, a Middle Eastern Jewish student at Barnard College who requested anonymity for safety concerns, said the organization's ethos underscores the conflict's complexity.
+ ""It's convenient to lean into the comfort of 'sides' and perfect labels at times like these, yet the reality is nuanced and uncertain,"" she said in an email.
+ Raffi Ivker, a Jewish student at George Washington University, said he believed neither side ""has clean hands."" Israel's turn to the right in recent years, he said, has made achieving peace less likely, and he expressed concern that a ground invasion of Gaza would result in more civilian deaths.
+ But he also was disturbed seeing pro-Palestinian protests in the wake of the attacks and said the participants appeared to be ""glorifying or excusing"" the murder of Israelis, which he called sickening.
+ Josh Joffe, a 23-year-old working at a healthcare lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., said he had experienced ""cognitive dissonance"" as a Jew who was taught to revere Israel, but who had come to view Israel as bearing much of the fault in the conflict.
+ He has only discussed that view with close friends, believing it could alienate people who are ""really emotionally caught up in this right now.""
+ Still, some students said those raw feelings could help dispel tension and establish common ground.
+ Khadavi, the Stanford student, was leaving class last week when he ran into a Palestinian classmate. The two hugged and told each other they were thinking of each other's families.
+ ""Emotion absolutely plays a role in this - not as a blinding force but as an illuminating force, to try to bridge divides, to say that we both feel pain when people are killed,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""Emotion absolutely plays a role in this - not as a blinding force but as an illuminating force, to try to bridge divides, to say that we both feel pain when people are killed,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/saudi-is-wild-card-middle-easts-new-turmoil-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Saudi is wild card in Middle East’s new turmoil[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Mohammed bin Salman is the wild card in the Middle East’s new conflict. Saudi Arabia’s 38-year-old crown prince is one of a generation of Gulf state leaders who have not had to manage a full-scale conflagration involving Israel. Following the outbreak of war he must consider the kingdom’s rivalry with Iran, its role in the global oil market, overseas investment, and the views of its 32 million citizens. How he responds will have big implications for his drive to modernise the Gulf’s largest economy – and for the world.
+ A softening of Saudi relations with Israel may have helped spur the deadly attack by the Palestinian group Hamas earlier this month, which killed over 1,400 people in Israel. U.S. President Joe Biden had brokered talks between MbS and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to normalise relations between the two countries. The likely quid pro quo of a beefed-up security pact with the United States – and potentially a blessing for the kingdom to develop its nuclear capabilities – would have strengthened Saudi Arabia’s position relative to Iran, its main rival in the region. The attack by Iran-backed Hamas and Israel’s subsequent retaliation against Gaza, which has so far killed over 3,000 Palestinians, make that deal less likely.
+ Saudi’s oil power gives it an important role in what happens next. Biden, who is due to meet Netanyahu in Israel on Wednesday following a devastating Gaza hospital strike that Israeli and Palestinian forces blamed on each other, could tighten sanctions on Iran. That could limit the transit of over a million barrels of oil a day from the country, which the International Energy Agency reckons, opens new tab has seen monthly oil export revenues jump by 50% to $5 billion since January. Given that Saudi Arabia controls most of the world’s daily spare crude capacity – around 3 million barrels per day – MbS could open the taps to prevent oil prices spiking way above $100 a barrel.Yet the crown prince has reasons to hold back. Pumping more crude could rile the rest of the OPEC+ club of oil producers, which includes Russia. Saudi Arabia also needs prices above $85 a barrel in order to balance, opens new tab its budget. And relations with Biden were strained after the U.S. president held MbS personally responsible for the 2018 killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the kingdom’s agents. Indeed, the crown prince spent the last year cutting oil output even as the U.S. lobbied him to ease prices.
+ Saudi Arabia also needs to consider the views of international investors, though. MbS’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify the $1.1 trillion economy away from oil requires it to lure foreign direct investment of $100 billion a year by 2030. In 2022 it attracted less than a tenth, opens new tab of that sum. Heightened geopolitical tensions might nix, opens new tab plans to sell a further $50 billion of shares in Saudi Aramco (2222.SE), opens new tab, the country’s oil giant. If foreign investors stayed away, as they did with the $2.2 trillion group’s initial public offering in 2019, diversification efforts would take a hit.
+ Meanwhile, foreign governments need little excuse to question Saudi’s overseas investments. The spending spree by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, whose assets exceed $700 billion, was already facing scrutiny. A landmark deal to merge its LIV golf tour with the U.S. PGA has already been hauled before Congress and could be challenged by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Spanish politicians are looking into the acquisition of a stake in Telefonica (TEF.MC), opens new tab by STC (7010.SE), opens new tab, the PIF-owned Saudi telco.
+ For now, Saudi Arabia can count on the support of global bankers and fund managers. Executives including BlackRock’s (BLK.N), opens new tab Larry Fink and JPMorgan’s (JPM.N), opens new tab Jamie Dimon are scheduled to attend the Future Investment Initiative summit in Riyadh next week. However, MbS must also take account of Saudi Arabia’s population of mostly younger Arabs. Many will expect him to continue the long-held position of Saudi monarchs to support Palestine, in keeping with the state’s role as the guardian of Islam’s holiest sites. In its official statement following the Hamas attacks, Saudi Arabia called for restraint but also implied Israel was responsible for sparking them.It’s hard to predict how MbS will choose to resolve these potentially conflicting forces. He could turn his back on Israel, or decide to get even closer to the United States. Diplomats, executives and investors don’t have much to go on. That alone makes the Middle East more uncertain.
+ Follow @gfhay, opens new tab on X
+ (The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
+ CONTEXT NEWS
+ Israel’s military said on Oct. 18 that it had seen no evidence of a direct hit by aerial munitions on a hospital in the Gaza Strip the day before, where hundreds of Palestinians were killed in an explosion.
+ Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, has blamed the blast on Israel. Israel says it was a result of a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group in the enclave.
+ U.S. President Joe Biden is to visit Israel on Oct. 18, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Oct. 17 after hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following the hospital strike, Jordan cancelled a summit it was due to host in Amman with Biden and the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders to discuss Gaza.
+ “The president will hear from Israel what it needs to defend its people as we continue to work with Congress to meet those needs,” Blinken said. Biden would also “hear from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas.”
+ Blinken said on Oct. 15 after visiting Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt that he had encountered a “determination” to stop a spillover of the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+ Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry on Oct. 7 called for “an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides”. It also said that it “recalls its repeated warnings of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, and the repetition of systematic provocations against its sanctities”.
+ Top U.S. officials warned on Oct. 15 that the war between Israel and militant group Hamas could escalate, as the United States deployed a second carrier group to the eastern Mediterranean amid growing clashes on the country’s northern border with Lebanon.
+ Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned on Oct. 15 that his country could act, telling Al Jazeera that it had conveyed a message to Israeli officials that “if they do not cease their atrocities in Gaza, Iran cannot simply remain an observer.”
+ “If the scope of the war expands, significant damages will also be inflicted upon America,” he warned.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Saudi is wild card in Middle East’s new turmoil[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Mohammed bin Salman is the wild card in the Middle East’s new conflict. Saudi Arabia’s 38-year-old crown prince is one of a generation of Gulf state leaders who have not had to manage a full-scale conflagration involving Israel. Following the outbreak of war he must consider the kingdom’s rivalry with Iran, its role in the global oil market, overseas investment, and the views of its 32 million citizens. How he responds will have big implications for his drive to modernise the Gulf’s largest economy – and for the world.  A softening of Saudi relations with Israel may have helped spur the deadly attack by the Palestinian group Hamas earlier this month, which killed over 1,400 people in Israel. U.S. President Joe Biden had brokered talks between MbS and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to normalise relations between the two countries. The likely quid pro quo of a beefed-up security pact with the United States – and potentially a blessing for the kingdom to develop its nuclear capabilities – would have strengthened Saudi Arabia’s position relative to Iran, its main rival in the region. The attack by Iran-backed Hamas and Israel’s subsequent retaliation against Gaza, which has so far killed over 3,000 Palestinians, make that deal less likely.  Saudi’s oil power gives it an important role in what happens next. Biden, who is due to meet Netanyahu in Israel on Wednesday following a devastating Gaza hospital strike that Israeli and Palestinian forces blamed on each other, could tighten sanctions on Iran. That could limit the transit of over a million barrels of oil a day from the country, which the International Energy Agency reckons, opens new tab has seen monthly oil export revenues jump by 50% to $5 billion since January . Given that Saudi Arabia controls most of the world’s daily spare crude capacity – around 3 million barrels per day – MbS could open the taps to prevent oil prices spiking way above $100 a barrel. Yet the crown prince has reasons to hold back. Pumping more crude could rile the rest of the OPEC+ club of oil producers, which includes Russia. Saudi Arabia also needs prices above $85 a barrel in order to balance, opens new tab its budget. And relations with Biden were strained after the U.S. president held MbS personally responsible for the 2018 killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the kingdom’s agents. Indeed, the crown prince spent the last year cutting oil output even as the U.S. lobbied him to ease prices.  Saudi Arabia also needs to consider the views of international investors, though."
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/saudi-is-wild-card-middle-easts-new-turmoil-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Saudi is wild card in Middle East’s new turmoil[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Mohammed bin Salman is the wild card in the Middle East’s new conflict. Saudi Arabia’s 38-year-old crown prince is one of a generation of Gulf state leaders who have not had to manage a full-scale conflagration involving Israel. Following the outbreak of war he must consider the kingdom’s rivalry with Iran, its role in the global oil market, overseas investment, and the views of its 32 million citizens. How he responds will have big implications for his drive to modernise the Gulf’s largest economy – and for the world.
+ A softening of Saudi relations with Israel may have helped spur the deadly attack by the Palestinian group Hamas earlier this month, which killed over 1,400 people in Israel. U.S. President Joe Biden had brokered talks between MbS and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to normalise relations between the two countries. The likely quid pro quo of a beefed-up security pact with the United States – and potentially a blessing for the kingdom to develop its nuclear capabilities – would have strengthened Saudi Arabia’s position relative to Iran, its main rival in the region. The attack by Iran-backed Hamas and Israel’s subsequent retaliation against Gaza, which has so far killed over 3,000 Palestinians, make that deal less likely.
+ Saudi’s oil power gives it an important role in what happens next. Biden, who is due to meet Netanyahu in Israel on Wednesday following a devastating Gaza hospital strike that Israeli and Palestinian forces blamed on each other, could tighten sanctions on Iran. That could limit the transit of over a million barrels of oil a day from the country, which the International Energy Agency reckons, opens new tab has seen monthly oil export revenues jump by 50% to $5 billion since January. Given that Saudi Arabia controls most of the world’s daily spare crude capacity – around 3 million barrels per day – MbS could open the taps to prevent oil prices spiking way above $100 a barrel.Yet the crown prince has reasons to hold back. Pumping more crude could rile the rest of the OPEC+ club of oil producers, which includes Russia. Saudi Arabia also needs prices above $85 a barrel in order to balance, opens new tab its budget. And relations with Biden were strained after the U.S. president held MbS personally responsible for the 2018 killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the kingdom’s agents. Indeed, the crown prince spent the last year cutting oil output even as the U.S. lobbied him to ease prices.
+ Saudi Arabia also needs to consider the views of international investors, though. MbS’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify the $1.1 trillion economy away from oil requires it to lure foreign direct investment of $100 billion a year by 2030. In 2022 it attracted less than a tenth, opens new tab of that sum. Heightened geopolitical tensions might nix, opens new tab plans to sell a further $50 billion of shares in Saudi Aramco (2222.SE), opens new tab, the country’s oil giant. If foreign investors stayed away, as they did with the $2.2 trillion group’s initial public offering in 2019, diversification efforts would take a hit.
+ Meanwhile, foreign governments need little excuse to question Saudi’s overseas investments. The spending spree by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, whose assets exceed $700 billion, was already facing scrutiny. A landmark deal to merge its LIV golf tour with the U.S. PGA has already been hauled before Congress and could be challenged by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Spanish politicians are looking into the acquisition of a stake in Telefonica (TEF.MC), opens new tab by STC (7010.SE), opens new tab, the PIF-owned Saudi telco.
+ For now, Saudi Arabia can count on the support of global bankers and fund managers. Executives including BlackRock’s (BLK.N), opens new tab Larry Fink and JPMorgan’s (JPM.N), opens new tab Jamie Dimon are scheduled to attend the Future Investment Initiative summit in Riyadh next week. However, MbS must also take account of Saudi Arabia’s population of mostly younger Arabs. Many will expect him to continue the long-held position of Saudi monarchs to support Palestine, in keeping with the state’s role as the guardian of Islam’s holiest sites. In its official statement following the Hamas attacks, Saudi Arabia called for restraint but also implied Israel was responsible for sparking them.It’s hard to predict how MbS will choose to resolve these potentially conflicting forces. He could turn his back on Israel, or decide to get even closer to the United States. Diplomats, executives and investors don’t have much to go on. That alone makes the Middle East more uncertain.
+ Follow @gfhay, opens new tab on X
+ (The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
+ CONTEXT NEWS
+ Israel’s military said on Oct. 18 that it had seen no evidence of a direct hit by aerial munitions on a hospital in the Gaza Strip the day before, where hundreds of Palestinians were killed in an explosion.
+ Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, has blamed the blast on Israel. Israel says it was a result of a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group in the enclave.
+ U.S. President Joe Biden is to visit Israel on Oct. 18, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Oct. 17 after hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following the hospital strike, Jordan cancelled a summit it was due to host in Amman with Biden and the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders to discuss Gaza.
+ “The president will hear from Israel what it needs to defend its people as we continue to work with Congress to meet those needs,” Blinken said. Biden would also “hear from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas.”
+ Blinken said on Oct. 15 after visiting Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt that he had encountered a “determination” to stop a spillover of the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+ Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry on Oct. 7 called for “an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides”. It also said that it “recalls its repeated warnings of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, and the repetition of systematic provocations against its sanctities”.
+ Top U.S. officials warned on Oct. 15 that the war between Israel and militant group Hamas could escalate, as the United States deployed a second carrier group to the eastern Mediterranean amid growing clashes on the country’s northern border with Lebanon.
+ Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned on Oct. 15 that his country could act, telling Al Jazeera that it had conveyed a message to Israeli officials that “if they do not cease their atrocities in Gaza, Iran cannot simply remain an observer.”
+ “If the scope of the war expands, significant damages will also be inflicted upon America,” he warned.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","MbS’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify the $1.1 trillion economy away from oil requires it to lure foreign direct investment of $100 billion a year by 2030. In 2022 it attracted less than a tenth, opens new tab of that sum. Heightened geopolitical tensions might nix, opens new tab plans to sell a further $50 billion of shares in Saudi Aramco (2222.SE), opens new tab, the country’s oil giant. If foreign investors stayed away, as they did with the $2.2 trillion group’s initial public offering in 2019, diversification efforts would take a hit.  Meanwhile, foreign governments need little excuse to question Saudi’s overseas investments. The spending spree by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, whose assets exceed $700 billion, was already facing scrutiny. A landmark deal to merge its LIV golf tour with the U.S. PGA has already been hauled before Congress and could be challenged by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Spanish politicians are looking into the acquisition of a stake in Telefonica (TEF.MC), opens new tab by STC (7010.SE), opens new tab, the PIF-owned Saudi telco. For now, Saudi Arabia can count on the support of global bankers and fund managers. Executives including BlackRock’s (BLK.N), opens new tab Larry Fink and JPMorgan’s (JPM.N), opens new tab Jamie Dimon are scheduled to attend the Future Investment Initiative summit in Riyadh next week. However, MbS must also take account of Saudi Arabia’s population of mostly younger Arabs. Many will expect him to continue the long-held position of Saudi monarchs to support Palestine, in keeping with the state’s role as the guardian of Islam’s holiest sites. In its official statement following the Hamas attacks, Saudi Arabia called for restraint but also implied Israel was responsible for sparking them. It’s hard to predict how MbS will choose to resolve these potentially conflicting forces. He could turn his back on Israel, or decide to get even closer to the United States. Diplomats, executives and investors don’t have much to go on. That alone makes the Middle East more uncertain.  Follow @gfhay, opens new tab on X
+ (The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.) CONTEXT NEWS  Israel’s military said on Oct. 18 that it had seen no evidence of a direct hit by aerial munitions on a hospital in the Gaza Strip the day before, where hundreds of Palestinians were killed in an explosion.
+ Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, has blamed the blast on Israel."
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/saudi-is-wild-card-middle-easts-new-turmoil-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Saudi is wild card in Middle East’s new turmoil[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Mohammed bin Salman is the wild card in the Middle East’s new conflict. Saudi Arabia’s 38-year-old crown prince is one of a generation of Gulf state leaders who have not had to manage a full-scale conflagration involving Israel. Following the outbreak of war he must consider the kingdom’s rivalry with Iran, its role in the global oil market, overseas investment, and the views of its 32 million citizens. How he responds will have big implications for his drive to modernise the Gulf’s largest economy – and for the world.
+ A softening of Saudi relations with Israel may have helped spur the deadly attack by the Palestinian group Hamas earlier this month, which killed over 1,400 people in Israel. U.S. President Joe Biden had brokered talks between MbS and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to normalise relations between the two countries. The likely quid pro quo of a beefed-up security pact with the United States – and potentially a blessing for the kingdom to develop its nuclear capabilities – would have strengthened Saudi Arabia’s position relative to Iran, its main rival in the region. The attack by Iran-backed Hamas and Israel’s subsequent retaliation against Gaza, which has so far killed over 3,000 Palestinians, make that deal less likely.
+ Saudi’s oil power gives it an important role in what happens next. Biden, who is due to meet Netanyahu in Israel on Wednesday following a devastating Gaza hospital strike that Israeli and Palestinian forces blamed on each other, could tighten sanctions on Iran. That could limit the transit of over a million barrels of oil a day from the country, which the International Energy Agency reckons, opens new tab has seen monthly oil export revenues jump by 50% to $5 billion since January. Given that Saudi Arabia controls most of the world’s daily spare crude capacity – around 3 million barrels per day – MbS could open the taps to prevent oil prices spiking way above $100 a barrel.Yet the crown prince has reasons to hold back. Pumping more crude could rile the rest of the OPEC+ club of oil producers, which includes Russia. Saudi Arabia also needs prices above $85 a barrel in order to balance, opens new tab its budget. And relations with Biden were strained after the U.S. president held MbS personally responsible for the 2018 killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the kingdom’s agents. Indeed, the crown prince spent the last year cutting oil output even as the U.S. lobbied him to ease prices.
+ Saudi Arabia also needs to consider the views of international investors, though. MbS’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify the $1.1 trillion economy away from oil requires it to lure foreign direct investment of $100 billion a year by 2030. In 2022 it attracted less than a tenth, opens new tab of that sum. Heightened geopolitical tensions might nix, opens new tab plans to sell a further $50 billion of shares in Saudi Aramco (2222.SE), opens new tab, the country’s oil giant. If foreign investors stayed away, as they did with the $2.2 trillion group’s initial public offering in 2019, diversification efforts would take a hit.
+ Meanwhile, foreign governments need little excuse to question Saudi’s overseas investments. The spending spree by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, whose assets exceed $700 billion, was already facing scrutiny. A landmark deal to merge its LIV golf tour with the U.S. PGA has already been hauled before Congress and could be challenged by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Spanish politicians are looking into the acquisition of a stake in Telefonica (TEF.MC), opens new tab by STC (7010.SE), opens new tab, the PIF-owned Saudi telco.
+ For now, Saudi Arabia can count on the support of global bankers and fund managers. Executives including BlackRock’s (BLK.N), opens new tab Larry Fink and JPMorgan’s (JPM.N), opens new tab Jamie Dimon are scheduled to attend the Future Investment Initiative summit in Riyadh next week. However, MbS must also take account of Saudi Arabia’s population of mostly younger Arabs. Many will expect him to continue the long-held position of Saudi monarchs to support Palestine, in keeping with the state’s role as the guardian of Islam’s holiest sites. In its official statement following the Hamas attacks, Saudi Arabia called for restraint but also implied Israel was responsible for sparking them.It’s hard to predict how MbS will choose to resolve these potentially conflicting forces. He could turn his back on Israel, or decide to get even closer to the United States. Diplomats, executives and investors don’t have much to go on. That alone makes the Middle East more uncertain.
+ Follow @gfhay, opens new tab on X
+ (The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
+ CONTEXT NEWS
+ Israel’s military said on Oct. 18 that it had seen no evidence of a direct hit by aerial munitions on a hospital in the Gaza Strip the day before, where hundreds of Palestinians were killed in an explosion.
+ Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, has blamed the blast on Israel. Israel says it was a result of a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group in the enclave.
+ U.S. President Joe Biden is to visit Israel on Oct. 18, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Oct. 17 after hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following the hospital strike, Jordan cancelled a summit it was due to host in Amman with Biden and the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders to discuss Gaza.
+ “The president will hear from Israel what it needs to defend its people as we continue to work with Congress to meet those needs,” Blinken said. Biden would also “hear from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas.”
+ Blinken said on Oct. 15 after visiting Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt that he had encountered a “determination” to stop a spillover of the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+ Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry on Oct. 7 called for “an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides”. It also said that it “recalls its repeated warnings of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, and the repetition of systematic provocations against its sanctities”.
+ Top U.S. officials warned on Oct. 15 that the war between Israel and militant group Hamas could escalate, as the United States deployed a second carrier group to the eastern Mediterranean amid growing clashes on the country’s northern border with Lebanon.
+ Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned on Oct. 15 that his country could act, telling Al Jazeera that it had conveyed a message to Israeli officials that “if they do not cease their atrocities in Gaza, Iran cannot simply remain an observer.”
+ “If the scope of the war expands, significant damages will also be inflicted upon America,” he warned.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel says it was a result of a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group in the enclave.  U.S. President Joe Biden is to visit Israel on Oct. 18, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Oct. 17 after hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following the hospital strike, Jordan cancelled a summit it was due to host in Amman with Biden and the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders to discuss Gaza.  “The president will hear from Israel what it needs to defend its people as we continue to work with Congress to meet those needs,” Blinken said. Biden would also “hear from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas.”  Blinken said on Oct. 15 after visiting Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt that he had encountered a “determination” to stop a spillover of the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
+ Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry on Oct. 7 called for “an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides”. It also said that it “recalls its repeated warnings of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, and the repetition of systematic provocations against its sanctities”. Top U.S. officials warned on Oct. 15 that the war between Israel and militant group Hamas could escalate, as the United States deployed a second carrier group to the eastern Mediterranean amid growing clashes on the country’s northern border with Lebanon.  Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned on Oct. 15 that his country could act, telling Al Jazeera that it had conveyed a message to Israeli officials that “if they do not cease their atrocities in Gaza, Iran cannot simply remain an observer.”
+ “If the scope of the war expands, significant damages will also be inflicted upon America,” he warned.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/australia-coach-seeks-help-neutral-venue-against-palestine-team-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia coach seeks help on neutral venue against Palestine team[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Australia coach Graham Arnold has called on the government to help ensure the Socceroos play their World Cup qualifier against the Palestine team at a safe, neutral venue due to security concerns in the region.
+ Hamas militants killed more than 1,300 Israelis in their attack on communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Health authorities in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip have said at least 3,000 people have died in Israel's 11-day bombardment since the attack.
+ Australia are due to play the Palestine team in Asia qualifying on Nov. 21 at a venue to be decided.
+ ""No doubt we're going to need the government's support in those type of decisions on where we're playing Palestine and even Lebanon,"" Arnold told reporters in London.
+ ""Because of what is going on at the moment it's quite scary.
+ ""We're obviously not on top of everything that is going on in the security side of things in the Middle East, no doubt the government is more into that than we are - so give us some help so the decision is safe.
+ ""We need to be safe.""
+ Australia beat New Zealand 2-0 in a friendly in London on Tuesday, their last match before their opening 2026 World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Melbourne on Nov. 16.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Australia coach seeks help on neutral venue against Palestine team[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]MELBOURNE, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Australia coach Graham Arnold has called on the government to help ensure the Socceroos play their World Cup qualifier against the Palestine team at a safe, neutral venue due to security concerns in the region. Hamas militants killed more than 1,300 Israelis in their attack on communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Health authorities in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip have said at least 3,000 people have died in Israel's 11-day bombardment since the attack. Australia are due to play the Palestine team in Asia qualifying on Nov. 21 at a venue to be decided. ""No doubt we're going to need the government's support in those type of decisions on where we're playing Palestine and even Lebanon,"" Arnold told reporters in London. ""Because of what is going on at the moment it's quite scary. ""We're obviously not on top of everything that is going on in the security side of things in the Middle East, no doubt the government is more into that than we are - so give us some help so the decision is safe. ""We need to be safe."" Australia beat New Zealand 2-0 in a friendly in London on Tuesday, their last match before their opening 2026 World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Melbourne on Nov. 16.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/altered-video-crowd-al-aqsa-mosque-is-april-2023-2023-10-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Altered video of crowd at Al-Aqsa Mosque is from April 2023[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An edited video from April of Muslims gathering for prayer at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque has been falsely claimed to show Palestinians chanting “Here I am Aqsa” in protest after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
+ Located at the heart of Jerusalem's walled Old City, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is regarded by Muslims as the third holiest shrine in Islam, following Mecca and Medina. It lies on a plateau known to Jews as Temple Mount, for whom it is a sacred place of prayer.
+ The altered video shows a huge crowd gathered at the compound accompanied by chants in Arabic of “Here I am Aqsa”.
+ A Facebook user sharing the clip on Oct. 9, opens new tab wrote: “Unbelievable scene from Masjid Al Aqsa where thousands of Palestinians have gathered. Pray for Palestine.”
+ But the audio track is edited and was taken from a May 2021 video, opens new tab.
+ Reuters traced the original video to a Facebook account, opens new tab of an East Jerusalem photographer, Fwaz Tobasy, who shared it on April 17, 2023, opens new tab.
+ The audio in the photographer’s footage from April differs: the Al-Aqsa Mosque muezzin can be heard performing Azan, the call to prayer, while an additional audio track of a religious song is added on top.
+ Tobasy posted more footage from the same location on his Instagram, opens new tab, where he said Muslims had gathered to celebrate Laylat al-Qadr, a holy night in Islam during the month of Ramadan.
+ Tobasy did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
+ VERDICT
+ Altered. The video’s audio has been edited. The video is also from April.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Altered video of crowd at Al-Aqsa Mosque is from April 2023[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]An edited video from April of Muslims gathering for prayer at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque has been falsely claimed to show Palestinians chanting “Here I am Aqsa” in protest after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.  Located at the heart of Jerusalem's walled Old City, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is regarded by Muslims as the third holiest shrine in Islam, following Mecca and Medina. It lies on a plateau known to Jews as Temple Mount, for whom it is a sacred place of prayer. The altered video shows a huge crowd gathered at the compound accompanied by chants in Arabic of “Here I am Aqsa”. A Facebook user sharing the clip on Oct. 9, opens new tab wrote: “Unbelievable scene from Masjid Al Aqsa where thousands of Palestinians have gathered. Pray for Palestine. ” But the audio track is edited and was taken from a May 2021 video, opens new tab. Reuters traced the original video to a Facebook account, opens new tab of an East Jerusalem photographer, Fwaz Tobasy, who shared it on April 17, 2023, opens new tab. The audio in the photographer’s footage from April differs: the Al-Aqsa Mosque muezzin can be heard performing Azan, the call to prayer, while an additional audio track of a religious song is added on top. Tobasy posted more footage from the same location on his Instagram, opens new tab, where he said Muslims had gathered to celebrate Laylat al-Qadr, a holy night in Islam during the month of Ramadan. Tobasy did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.  VERDICT
+ Altered. The video’s audio has been edited. The video is also from April.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/qatari-emirs-2017-speech-misrepresented-gas-threat-2023-10-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Qatari emir’s 2017 speech misrepresented as gas threat[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A snippet of a 2017 speech by Qatar’s emir has been falsely claimed online to show him threatening to stop supplying gas to the world should Israel not halt its current bombardment of Gaza.
+ “BREAKING: Qatar is threatening to create a global gas shortage in support of Palestine. ‘If the bombing of Gaza doesn't stop, we will stop gas supply of the world.’,” reads an Oct. 13 post, opens new tab on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, which shared a seven-second clip of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani speaking.
+ The claim was also shared on Facebook, opens new tab along with a screenshot from the clip.
+ But the speech has been misrepresented and is unrelated to Israel’s October 2023 bombardment of Gaza. It shows al-Thani delivering the opening speech, opens new tab at the Doha Forum in May 2017, where he spoke about the global refugee crisis and referred to Palestinians.
+ The full quote of the seven-second clip shared by the X user reads: “The Palestinian cause has started as an issue of people who have been uprooted from their land.”
+ There is no mention at all of gas in al-Thani's full 12-minute speech.
+ A Qatari official told Reuters in an email that “such a statement has never been made and never would be. Qatar does not politicise its LNG supplies or any economic investment.”
+ VERDICT
+ False. Al-Thani's 2017 speech has been misrepresented. A Qatari official said al-Thani had made no such threat.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Qatari emir’s 2017 speech misrepresented as gas threat[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A snippet of a 2017 speech by Qatar’s emir has been falsely claimed online to show him threatening to stop supplying gas to the world should Israel not halt its current bombardment of Gaza.  “BREAKING: Qatar is threatening to create a global gas shortage in support of Palestine. ‘If the bombing of Gaza doesn't stop, we will stop gas supply of the world. ’,” reads an Oct. 13 post, opens new tab on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, which shared a seven-second clip of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani speaking. The claim was also shared on Facebook, opens new tab along with a screenshot from the clip. But the speech has been misrepresented and is unrelated to Israel’s October 2023 bombardment of Gaza. It shows al-Thani delivering the opening speech, opens new tab at the Doha Forum in May 2017, where he spoke about the global refugee crisis and referred to Palestinians. The full quote of the seven-second clip shared by the X user reads: “The Palestinian cause has started as an issue of people who have been uprooted from their land.” There is no mention at all of gas in al-Thani's full 12-minute speech. A Qatari official told Reuters in an email that “such a statement has never been made and never would be. Qatar does not politicise its LNG supplies or any economic investment.”  VERDICT
+ False. Al-Thani's 2017 speech has been misrepresented. A Qatari official said al-Thani had made no such threat.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/cnns-gaza-report-palestine-tower-bombing-is-2023-2023-10-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: CNN’s Gaza report on Palestine Tower bombing is from 2023[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A CNN report about an Israeli air strike destroying a tower block in Gaza is falsely claimed online to have reused footage from 2021.
+ In a TikTok video, opens new tab shared more than 3,000 times, and posted separately to other platforms, opens new tab, a narrator points to an Oct. 7 CNN video report, opens new tab about the bombardment of the Palestine Tower in Gaza and claims it reuses footage from “an old demolition” from 2021.
+ The narrator cites an Al Jazeera report, opens new tab from May 2021 and says it shows the same building collapse, before asking: “Why are we reusing footage from an old demolition and saying that it’s from this war?”
+ The video also shows a caption superimposed throughout: “Your media is lying to you.”
+ But the CNN footage is not reused, rather it shows a different building collapse to the one covered in the May 2021 Al Jazeera report.
+ The Oct. 7 CNN report shows the collapse of the Palestine Tower, opens new tab, a large building in downtown Gaza City hosting media offices and residential apartments, after it was bombed by Israel the same day. Other news outlets, opens new tab covered the same incident, including Al Jazeera, which captured the moment live on-air.
+ Reuters, opens new tab also covered the bombardment and collapse.
+ The 2021 Al Jazeera report referenced in the TikTok video refers to the collapse of the al-Jalaa building, which occurred on May 15 that year after another Israeli airstrike.
+ The 12-storey building was home to offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera and is a visibly different building to that of Palestine Tower.
+ Authorities in Gaza say Israeli air strikes have killed more than 2,800 people since they began on Oct. 7, a response to Hamas fighters killing 1,300 people in a shock cross-border rampage into southern Israel.
+ VERDICT
+ False. The Palestine Tower and al-Jalaa building are two different buildings. CNN did not reuse footage of the al-Jalaa attack in the TikTok report about the Palestine Tower.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: CNN’s Gaza report on Palestine Tower bombing is from 2023[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A CNN report about an Israeli air strike destroying a tower block in Gaza is falsely claimed online to have reused footage from 2021. In a TikTok video, opens new tab shared more than 3,000 times, and posted separately to other platforms, opens new tab, a narrator points to an Oct. 7 CNN video report, opens new tab about the bombardment of the Palestine Tower in Gaza and claims it reuses footage from “an old demolition” from 2021 .  The narrator cites an Al Jazeera report, opens new tab from May 2021 and says it shows the same building collapse, before asking: “Why are we reusing footage from an old demolition and saying that it’s from this war?” The video also shows a caption superimposed throughout: “Your media is lying to you.” But the CNN footage is not reused, rather it shows a different building collapse to the one covered in the May 2021 Al Jazeera report.  The Oct. 7 CNN report shows the collapse of the Palestine Tower, opens new tab, a large building in downtown Gaza City hosting media offices and residential apartments, after it was bombed by Israel the same day. Other news outlets, opens new tab covered the same incident, including Al Jazeera, which captured the moment live on-air. Reuters, opens new tab also covered the bombardment and collapse. The 2021 Al Jazeera report referenced in the TikTok video refers to the collapse of the al-Jalaa building, which occurred on May 15 that year after another Israeli airstrike.  The 12-storey building was home to offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera and is a visibly different building to that of Palestine Tower.
+ Authorities in Gaza say Israeli air strikes have killed more than 2,800 people since they began on Oct. 7, a response to Hamas fighters killing 1,300 people in a shock cross-border rampage into southern Israel.
+ VERDICT
+ False. The Palestine Tower and al-Jalaa building are two different buildings. CNN did not reuse footage of the al-Jalaa attack in the TikTok report about the Palestine Tower.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/britains-sunak-discusses-need-avoid-destabilisation-middle-east-with-saudi-2023-10-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Britain's Sunak discusses need to avoid destabilisation in Middle East with Saudi, Qatari leaders[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the Middle East must avoid further destabilisation in the wake of the Israel-Palestine crisis in calls with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.
+ Sunak spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, about the conflict in Gaza.
+ ""The leaders agreed on the importance of avoiding further destabilisation across the Middle East,"" his spokesperson said in a readout of the call with the Saudi crown prince.
+ A readout of the Qatari call said: ""The Prime Minister thanked the Emir for his constructive role in regional diplomacy... and they agreed that the conflict must not be allowed to destabilise the wider region.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Britain's Sunak discusses need to avoid destabilisation in Middle East with Saudi, Qatari leaders[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the Middle East must avoid further destabilisation in the wake of the Israel-Palestine crisis in calls with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, his spokesperson said on Tuesday. Sunak spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, about the conflict in Gaza.
+ ""The leaders agreed on the importance of avoiding further destabilisation across the Middle East,"" his spokesperson said in a readout of the call with the Saudi crown prince.  A readout of the Qatari call said: ""The Prime Minister thanked the Emir for his constructive role in regional diplomacy... and they agreed that the conflict must not be allowed to destabilise the wider region.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/malaysia-pulls-out-frankfurt-book-fair-citing-organisers-pro-israel-stance-2023-10-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Frankfurt Book Fair draws anger after Palestinian writer's award postponed[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KUALA LUMPUR/BERLIN, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Hundreds of international writers have condemned a literary association and the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest forum for books and literature, after a Palestinian writer's award was postponed and a public discussion with her cancelled.
+ The Malaysian government said on Tuesday it would boycott the fair entirely, because of the postponement and after the fair said it would highlight Israeli voices following the Hamas attack on Israel.
+ Adania Shibli, a Palestinian novelist who divides her time between Berlin and Jerusalem, had been due to receive a prize for ""literature from the developing world"" for her novel Minor Detail at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
+ The novel, an account of the 1949 war in which clashes between Arabs and Jews saw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes, one of the formative moments of the long-lasting Arab-Israeli conflict, has drawn comparisons with the works of Albert Camus.
+ Litprom, which is funded by the German government and the Frankfurt Book Fair and manages the prize, said last Friday it would postpone Shibli's award due to the war against Israel. On Tuesday, it said it had decided to hold the award ceremony at a different time in a ""less politically charged atmosphere"".
+ The fair itself said separately it wanted to foreground Israeli and Jewish voices in the aftermath of Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel in which over 1,300 were killed.
+ ""Frankfurt Book Fair stands with complete solidarity on the side of Israel,"" the book fair posted on Instagram on Saturday, citing the fair's director, Juergen Boos, who is also the president of Litprom.
+ Boos also said ""the war against Israel, the resulting suffering and the travel restrictions have had an impact on our programme... Terror, however, can never be allowed to win, which is why we want to make Jewish and Israeli voices especially visible at the book fair.""
+ Asked about the postponement of the award, Boos said the Fair could not comment but added, ""Freedom of words is the backbone of our publishing industry. This is part of the DNA of the Frankfurt Book Fair, and that is what we stand for.""
+ A public discussion with Shibli and her book translator scheduled at the Fair was also cancelled, a spokesperson for the Fair said.
+ In an open letter, the postponement was condemned by over 600 writers, including Nobel prizewinners such as Abdulrazak Gurnah, Annie Ernaux, and Olga Tokarczuk, and Booker Prize winners Anne Enright, Richard Flanagan and Ian McEwan.
+ ""The Frankfurt Book Fair has a responsibility, as a major international book fair, to be creating spaces for Palestinian writers to share their thoughts, feelings, reflections on literature through these terrible, cruel times, not shutting them down,"" the open letter said.
+ Acclaimed Syrian playwright Mohammed Al Attar and Syrian writer Rasha Abbas said they would boycott the fair.
+ The education ministry of Muslim-majority Malaysia accused the organisers of taking a pro-Israel stance, amid growing global divisions over the conflict in the Middle East.
+ ""The ministry will not compromise with Israel's violence in Palestine, which clearly violates international laws and human rights,"" Malaysia's education ministry said in a statement late on Monday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Frankfurt Book Fair draws anger after Palestinian writer's award postponed[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KUALA LUMPUR/BERLIN, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Hundreds of international writers have condemned a literary association and the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest forum for books and literature, after a Palestinian writer's award was postponed and a public discussion with her cancelled. The Malaysian government said on Tuesday it would boycott the fair entirely, because of the postponement and after the fair said it would highlight Israeli voices following the Hamas attack on Israel.
+ Adania Shibli, a Palestinian novelist who divides her time between Berlin and Jerusalem, had been due to receive a prize for ""literature from the developing world"" for her novel Minor Detail at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
+ The novel, an account of the 1949 war in which clashes between Arabs and Jews saw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes, one of the formative moments of the long-lasting Arab-Israeli conflict, has drawn comparisons with the works of Albert Camus.
+ Litprom, which is funded by the German government and the Frankfurt Book Fair and manages the prize, said last Friday it would postpone Shibli's award due to the war against Israel. On Tuesday, it said it had decided to hold the award ceremony at a different time in a ""less politically charged atmosphere"". The fair itself said separately it wanted to foreground Israeli and Jewish voices in the aftermath of Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel in which over 1,300 were killed.
+ ""Frankfurt Book Fair stands with complete solidarity on the side of Israel,"" the book fair posted on Instagram on Saturday, citing the fair's director, Juergen Boos, who is also the president of Litprom.  Boos also said ""the war against Israel, the resulting suffering and the travel restrictions have had an impact on our programme... Terror, however, can never be allowed to win, which is why we want to make Jewish and Israeli voices especially visible at the book fair.""  Asked about the postponement of the award, Boos said the Fair could not comment but added, ""Freedom of words is the backbone of our publishing industry. This is part of the DNA of the Frankfurt Book Fair, and that is what we stand for."" A public discussion with Shibli and her book translator scheduled at the Fair was also cancelled, a spokesperson for the Fair said. In an open letter, the postponement was condemned by over 600 writers, including Nobel prizewinners such as Abdulrazak Gurnah, Annie Ernaux, and Olga Tokarczuk, and Booker Prize winners Anne Enright, Richard Flanagan and Ian McEwan."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/malaysia-pulls-out-frankfurt-book-fair-citing-organisers-pro-israel-stance-2023-10-17/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Frankfurt Book Fair draws anger after Palestinian writer's award postponed[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KUALA LUMPUR/BERLIN, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Hundreds of international writers have condemned a literary association and the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest forum for books and literature, after a Palestinian writer's award was postponed and a public discussion with her cancelled.
+ The Malaysian government said on Tuesday it would boycott the fair entirely, because of the postponement and after the fair said it would highlight Israeli voices following the Hamas attack on Israel.
+ Adania Shibli, a Palestinian novelist who divides her time between Berlin and Jerusalem, had been due to receive a prize for ""literature from the developing world"" for her novel Minor Detail at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
+ The novel, an account of the 1949 war in which clashes between Arabs and Jews saw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes, one of the formative moments of the long-lasting Arab-Israeli conflict, has drawn comparisons with the works of Albert Camus.
+ Litprom, which is funded by the German government and the Frankfurt Book Fair and manages the prize, said last Friday it would postpone Shibli's award due to the war against Israel. On Tuesday, it said it had decided to hold the award ceremony at a different time in a ""less politically charged atmosphere"".
+ The fair itself said separately it wanted to foreground Israeli and Jewish voices in the aftermath of Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel in which over 1,300 were killed.
+ ""Frankfurt Book Fair stands with complete solidarity on the side of Israel,"" the book fair posted on Instagram on Saturday, citing the fair's director, Juergen Boos, who is also the president of Litprom.
+ Boos also said ""the war against Israel, the resulting suffering and the travel restrictions have had an impact on our programme... Terror, however, can never be allowed to win, which is why we want to make Jewish and Israeli voices especially visible at the book fair.""
+ Asked about the postponement of the award, Boos said the Fair could not comment but added, ""Freedom of words is the backbone of our publishing industry. This is part of the DNA of the Frankfurt Book Fair, and that is what we stand for.""
+ A public discussion with Shibli and her book translator scheduled at the Fair was also cancelled, a spokesperson for the Fair said.
+ In an open letter, the postponement was condemned by over 600 writers, including Nobel prizewinners such as Abdulrazak Gurnah, Annie Ernaux, and Olga Tokarczuk, and Booker Prize winners Anne Enright, Richard Flanagan and Ian McEwan.
+ ""The Frankfurt Book Fair has a responsibility, as a major international book fair, to be creating spaces for Palestinian writers to share their thoughts, feelings, reflections on literature through these terrible, cruel times, not shutting them down,"" the open letter said.
+ Acclaimed Syrian playwright Mohammed Al Attar and Syrian writer Rasha Abbas said they would boycott the fair.
+ The education ministry of Muslim-majority Malaysia accused the organisers of taking a pro-Israel stance, amid growing global divisions over the conflict in the Middle East.
+ ""The ministry will not compromise with Israel's violence in Palestine, which clearly violates international laws and human rights,"" Malaysia's education ministry said in a statement late on Monday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""The Frankfurt Book Fair has a responsibility, as a major international book fair, to be creating spaces for Palestinian writers to share their thoughts, feelings, reflections on literature through these terrible, cruel times, not shutting them down,"" the open letter said. Acclaimed Syrian playwright Mohammed Al Attar and Syrian writer Rasha Abbas said they would boycott the fair.  The education ministry of Muslim-majority Malaysia accused the organisers of taking a pro-Israel stance, amid growing global divisions over the conflict in the Middle East.
+ "" The ministry will not compromise with Israel's violence in Palestine, which clearly violates international laws and human rights,"" Malaysia's education ministry said in a statement late on Monday.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-discusses-with-hamas-release-civilian-hostages-source-2023-10-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey discusses with Hamas the release of civilian hostages -foreign ministry source[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday held a call with Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a ministry source said, adding the two discussed the release of civilian prisoners held by the group.
+ Last week, a senior Turkish official had said Ankara was in talks with Hamas on the release of the prisoners. Monday's call marks the first official announcement of contact between Ankara and Hamas, whose members Turkey has hosted for years.
+ The source said Fidan and Haniyeh had discussed the latest developments in the conflict, as well as ""the possibilities of releasing civilians"" taken from Israel, but did not provide further information.
+ Turkey has backed Palestinians in the past, while supporting a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict with Israel. It has offered to mediate the conflict and sent humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is stuck in Egypt as borders remained closed.
+ Turkey has also been working to mend long-strained ties with Israel. Unlike the United States and European Union, Ankara does not view Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
+ Earlier on Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke to his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, as well as the Greek and British prime ministers to discuss ways to end the conflict and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, his office said.
+ Erdogan's office said he told Raisi ""mutual positive steps"" would bring a lasting solution to the conflict. It also said Erdogan had told British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that Western powers need to refrain from ""provocative steps"" and rights violations in Gaza, and realise the ""unkept"" promises to Palestinians.
+ He also warned Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that the latest conflict could ""lead to utterly negative consequences regionally and globally,"" his office said.
+ Fidan, who also spoke to his Russian and Omani counterparts on Monday, will visit Lebanon on Tuesday, before going to Jeddah on Wednesday for an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting, the foreign ministry said.
+ It said the OIC would discuss steps ""against the escalating indiscriminate military aggression of Israel against the entire people of Palestine.""
+ Ankara, which initially condemned civilian deaths and called for restraint, has toughened its rhetoric against Israel, saying Israel's response to Hamas in Gaza amounted to a ""massacre', and a violation of human rights and international law. It has called Israel's exile of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip ""inhumane"".
+ Officials have said 1,300 Israelis, many civilians, were killed in Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, and nearly 200 hostages taken back to Gaza. Authorities in Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, say more than 2,800 people have been killed there, around a quarter of them children.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey discusses with Hamas the release of civilian hostages -foreign ministry source[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday held a call with Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a ministry source said, adding the two discussed the release of civilian prisoners held by the group. Last week, a senior Turkish official had said Ankara was in talks with Hamas on the release of the prisoners. Monday's call marks the first official announcement of contact between Ankara and Hamas, whose members Turkey has hosted for years. The source said Fidan and Haniyeh had discussed the latest developments in the conflict, as well as ""the possibilities of releasing civilians"" taken from Israel, but did not provide further information.  Turkey has backed Palestinians in the past, while supporting a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict with Israel. It has offered to mediate the conflict and sent humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is stuck in Egypt as borders remained closed.  Turkey has also been working to mend long-strained ties with Israel. Unlike the United States and European Union, Ankara does not view Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Earlier on Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke to his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, as well as the Greek and British prime ministers to discuss ways to end the conflict and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, his office said.
+ Erdogan's office said he told Raisi ""mutual positive steps"" would bring a lasting solution to the conflict . It also said Erdogan had told British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that Western powers need to refrain from ""provocative steps"" and rights violations in Gaza, and realise the ""unkept"" promises to Palestinians. He also warned Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that the latest conflict could ""lead to utterly negative consequences regionally and globally,"" his office said. Fidan, who also spoke to his Russian and Omani counterparts on Monday, will visit Lebanon on Tuesday, before going to Jeddah on Wednesday for an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting, the foreign ministry said. It said the OIC would discuss steps ""against the escalating indiscriminate military aggression of Israel against the entire people of Palestine."" Ankara, which initially condemned civilian deaths and called for restraint, has toughened its rhetoric against Israel, saying Israel's response to Hamas in Gaza amounted to a ""massacre', and a violation of human rights and international law. It has called Israel's exile of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip ""inhumane""."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-discusses-with-hamas-release-civilian-hostages-source-2023-10-16/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Turkey discusses with Hamas the release of civilian hostages -foreign ministry source[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday held a call with Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a ministry source said, adding the two discussed the release of civilian prisoners held by the group.
+ Last week, a senior Turkish official had said Ankara was in talks with Hamas on the release of the prisoners. Monday's call marks the first official announcement of contact between Ankara and Hamas, whose members Turkey has hosted for years.
+ The source said Fidan and Haniyeh had discussed the latest developments in the conflict, as well as ""the possibilities of releasing civilians"" taken from Israel, but did not provide further information.
+ Turkey has backed Palestinians in the past, while supporting a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict with Israel. It has offered to mediate the conflict and sent humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is stuck in Egypt as borders remained closed.
+ Turkey has also been working to mend long-strained ties with Israel. Unlike the United States and European Union, Ankara does not view Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
+ Earlier on Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke to his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, as well as the Greek and British prime ministers to discuss ways to end the conflict and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, his office said.
+ Erdogan's office said he told Raisi ""mutual positive steps"" would bring a lasting solution to the conflict. It also said Erdogan had told British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that Western powers need to refrain from ""provocative steps"" and rights violations in Gaza, and realise the ""unkept"" promises to Palestinians.
+ He also warned Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that the latest conflict could ""lead to utterly negative consequences regionally and globally,"" his office said.
+ Fidan, who also spoke to his Russian and Omani counterparts on Monday, will visit Lebanon on Tuesday, before going to Jeddah on Wednesday for an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting, the foreign ministry said.
+ It said the OIC would discuss steps ""against the escalating indiscriminate military aggression of Israel against the entire people of Palestine.""
+ Ankara, which initially condemned civilian deaths and called for restraint, has toughened its rhetoric against Israel, saying Israel's response to Hamas in Gaza amounted to a ""massacre', and a violation of human rights and international law. It has called Israel's exile of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip ""inhumane"".
+ Officials have said 1,300 Israelis, many civilians, were killed in Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, and nearly 200 hostages taken back to Gaza. Authorities in Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, say more than 2,800 people have been killed there, around a quarter of them children.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Officials have said 1,300 Israelis, many civilians, were killed in Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, and nearly 200 hostages taken back to Gaza. Authorities in Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, say more than 2,800 people have been killed there, around a quarter of them children.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-hamas-secretly-built-mini-army-fight-israel-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]How Hamas secretly built a 'mini-army' to fight Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Israeli forces poised to invade Gaza on a mission to wipe out Hamas will confront an ever-more capable opponent trained for years by a clandestine support network that stretches far beyond the tiny enclave to Iran and allied Arab groups.
+Hamas' deadly attack on southern Israel six days ago - unprecedented for the group in its planning and scale - was a devastating demonstration of the military expertise it has gained since seizing control of Gaza in 2007.
+""Necessity is the mother of invention,"" said Ali Baraka, a senior Hamas official, adding that the group had long drawn on money and training from Iran and Iranian regional proxies like Lebanon's Hezbollah, while bolstering its own forces in Gaza.
+Difficulties in importing weapons meant that over the past nine years ""we developed our capabilities and are able to manufacture locally"", said Baraka, who is based in Lebanon.
+In the 2008 Gaza war, Hamas rockets had a maximum range of 40 km (25 miles), but that had risen to 230 km by the 2021 conflict, he added.
+Today the secretive and sprawling organisation is unrecognizable from the small Palestinian group that issued its first leaflet 36 years ago protesting at Israeli occupation, according to Reuters interviews with 11 people familiar with the group's capabilities, including Hamas figures, regional security officials and military experts.
+""They are a mini-army,"" said a source close to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. He said the group had a military academy training a range of specialisations including cyber security, and boasts a naval commando unit among its 40,000-strong military wing.
+By contrast, in the 1990s Hamas had less than 10,000 fighters, according to the globalsecurity.org website.
+Since the early 2000s the group has built a tunnel network under Gaza to help fighters melt away, house weapons factories and bring in weapons from abroad, according to a regional security source, who also declined to be named. The group has acquired a range of bombs, mortars, rockets, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, Hamas officials have said.
+The expanding capabilities have produced increasingly lethal results over the years. Israel lost nine soldiers during its incursion in 2008. In 2014, the number jumped to 66.
+H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at Britain's Royal United Services Institute, said Israel was capable of destroying Hamas in its expected attack on the densely populated enclave.
+""The question isn't whether it's possible or not. The question is what sort of price will be exacted on the rest of the population, because Hamas does not live on an island in the ocean or in a cave in the desert.""
+After the most recent Gaza war in 2021, Hamas and an affiliated group called Palestinian Islamic Jihad managed to retain 40% of their missile inventories, a key target of the Israelis, according to the U.S. based non-profit Jewish Institute for National Security of America, keeping roughly 11,750 missiles compared with 23,000 before the conflict.
+OVERWHELMS DEFENCES
+Hamas, whose 1988 founding charter called for Israel's destruction, is classified a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan.
+For Iran, Hamas has helped it realise a years-long ambition to encircle Israel with legions of paramilitaries, including other Palestinian factions and Lebanon's Hezbollah, according to Western officials. Armed with sophisticated weaponry, all share a longtime enmity to Israel's occupation of Palestinian land.
+The group's leaders are spread across the Middle East in countries including Lebanon and Qatar, but its power base remains Gaza. It has urged Gazans not to heed Israel's call to leave ahead of the expected ground invasion, which follows days of Israeli bombardment that has killed about 1,800 people.
+In the attack on Oct. 7, the worst breach in Israel's defences in 50 years, Hamas fired more than 2,500 rockets as fighters using paragliders, motorbikes and four-wheel drive vehicles overwhelmed Israeli defences and tore through towns and communities, killing 1,300 people and taking dozens hostage.
+The sources Reuters spoke to said that while Iran trained, armed and funded the group, there was no indication that Tehran directed or authorized the Oct. 7 attack
+""The decision, zero-hour, all of that was in Hamas' hands – but of course the general cooperation, training and preparation all came from Iran,"" said the regional security source.
+Iran acknowledges it helps finance and train Hamas but has denied a role in the attack, although it praised it.
+Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, said in an interview with Al Jazeera television last year that his group had received $70 million in military help from Iran. ""We have rockets that are locally manufactured but the long-range rockets came from abroad, from Iran, Syria and others through Egypt,"" he added.
+According to a U.S. State Department report from 2020, Iran provides about $100 million annually to Palestinian groups, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.
+An Israeli security source said that Iran had significantly increased funding for Hamas' military wing in the past year from $100 million to about $350 million a year.
+HAMAS FOUNDER SHEIKH YASSIN
+The idea of Hamas - meaning zeal in Arabic - began to take form on Dec. 10, 1987, when some members of the Muslim Brotherhood convened the day after an Israeli army truck crashed into a car carrying four Palestinian day-workers, killing all of them. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns in Gaza followed.
+Meeting at the house of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Muslim cleric, they decided to issue a leaflet on Dec. 14 calling for resistance as the First Intifada, or uprising, against Israel erupted. It was the group's first public act.
+After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas began importing rockets, explosives and other equipment from Iran, Western intelligence sources have said. They were shipped via Sudan, trucked across Egypt and smuggled into Gaza through a labyrinth of narrow tunnels beneath the Sinai Peninsula, they added.
+Flows of weapons, training and funds also went from Iran to other regional paramilitary allies, eventually giving Tehran a commanding presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Gaza.
+Some of these allies form part of a ""Shi'ite axis"" that extends from Shi'ite paramilitaries in Iraq, to Hezbollah in Lebanon to Syria's ruling minority Alawite, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
+The jewel in the crown of Iran's militia network is Hezbollah - conceived at the Iranian embassy in Damascus in 1982 after Israel invaded Lebanon during the 1975-90 civil war.
+Hezbollah bombed U.S. targets and ran a hostage-taking and hijack agenda, drove Israel out of Lebanon in 2000 and then gradually seized hold of the levers of the Lebanese state.
+Iran seized the opportunity to co-opt Hamas in 1992 when Israel deported about 400 Hamas leaders to Lebanon, the source close to Hamas said. Iran and Hezbollah hosted Hamas members, shared military technology and trained them in building home-made bombs for suicide attacks, the person added.
+Baraka, the Hamas official, said the ultimate aim of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel was to win the release of all 5,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, halt Israeli raids on Al Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and lift a 16-year-old blockade of Gaza.
+He warned that if Israel's ground offensive went ahead, blessed by the U.S. and Britain, the war wouldn't be confined to Gaza but could spill over into a regional conflict.
+""It's not just an Israeli war on Gaza, there is an Atlantic war on Gaza with all the powers,"" he said. ""There will be new frontlines.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]How Hamas secretly built a 'mini-army' to fight Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Israeli forces poised to invade Gaza on a mission to wipe out Hamas will confront an ever-more capable opponent trained for years by a clandestine support network that stretches far beyond the tiny enclave to Iran and allied Arab groups. Hamas' deadly attack on southern Israel six days ago - unprecedented for the group in its planning and scale - was a devastating demonstration of the military expertise it has gained since seizing control of Gaza in 2007.
+""Necessity is the mother of invention,"" said Ali Baraka, a senior Hamas official, adding that the group had long drawn on money and training from Iran and Iranian regional proxies like Lebanon's Hezbollah, while bolstering its own forces in Gaza. Difficulties in importing weapons meant that over the past nine years ""we developed our capabilities and are able to manufacture locally"", said Baraka, who is based in Lebanon. In the 2008 Gaza war, Hamas rockets had a maximum range of 40 km (25 miles), but that had risen to 230 km by the 2021 conflict, he added. Today the secretive and sprawling organisation is unrecognizable from the small Palestinian group that issued its first leaflet 36 years ago protesting at Israeli occupation, according to Reuters interviews with 11 people familiar with the group's capabilities, including Hamas figures, regional security officials and military experts.  ""They are a mini-army,"" said a source close to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. He said the group had a military academy training a range of specialisations including cyber security, and boasts a naval commando unit among its 40,000-strong military wing. By contrast, in the 1990s Hamas had less than 10,000 fighters, according to the globalsecurity.org website.  Since the early 2000s the group has built a tunnel network under Gaza to help fighters melt away, house weapons factories and bring in weapons from abroad, according to a regional security source, who also declined to be named. The group has acquired a range of bombs, mortars, rockets, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, Hamas officials have said. The expanding capabilities have produced increasingly lethal results over the years. Israel lost nine soldiers during its incursion in 2008. In 2014, the number jumped to 66 .
+H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at Britain's Royal United Services Institute, said Israel was capable of destroying Hamas in its expected attack on the densely populated enclave.
+"""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-hamas-secretly-built-mini-army-fight-israel-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]How Hamas secretly built a 'mini-army' to fight Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Israeli forces poised to invade Gaza on a mission to wipe out Hamas will confront an ever-more capable opponent trained for years by a clandestine support network that stretches far beyond the tiny enclave to Iran and allied Arab groups.
+Hamas' deadly attack on southern Israel six days ago - unprecedented for the group in its planning and scale - was a devastating demonstration of the military expertise it has gained since seizing control of Gaza in 2007.
+""Necessity is the mother of invention,"" said Ali Baraka, a senior Hamas official, adding that the group had long drawn on money and training from Iran and Iranian regional proxies like Lebanon's Hezbollah, while bolstering its own forces in Gaza.
+Difficulties in importing weapons meant that over the past nine years ""we developed our capabilities and are able to manufacture locally"", said Baraka, who is based in Lebanon.
+In the 2008 Gaza war, Hamas rockets had a maximum range of 40 km (25 miles), but that had risen to 230 km by the 2021 conflict, he added.
+Today the secretive and sprawling organisation is unrecognizable from the small Palestinian group that issued its first leaflet 36 years ago protesting at Israeli occupation, according to Reuters interviews with 11 people familiar with the group's capabilities, including Hamas figures, regional security officials and military experts.
+""They are a mini-army,"" said a source close to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. He said the group had a military academy training a range of specialisations including cyber security, and boasts a naval commando unit among its 40,000-strong military wing.
+By contrast, in the 1990s Hamas had less than 10,000 fighters, according to the globalsecurity.org website.
+Since the early 2000s the group has built a tunnel network under Gaza to help fighters melt away, house weapons factories and bring in weapons from abroad, according to a regional security source, who also declined to be named. The group has acquired a range of bombs, mortars, rockets, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, Hamas officials have said.
+The expanding capabilities have produced increasingly lethal results over the years. Israel lost nine soldiers during its incursion in 2008. In 2014, the number jumped to 66.
+H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at Britain's Royal United Services Institute, said Israel was capable of destroying Hamas in its expected attack on the densely populated enclave.
+""The question isn't whether it's possible or not. The question is what sort of price will be exacted on the rest of the population, because Hamas does not live on an island in the ocean or in a cave in the desert.""
+After the most recent Gaza war in 2021, Hamas and an affiliated group called Palestinian Islamic Jihad managed to retain 40% of their missile inventories, a key target of the Israelis, according to the U.S. based non-profit Jewish Institute for National Security of America, keeping roughly 11,750 missiles compared with 23,000 before the conflict.
+OVERWHELMS DEFENCES
+Hamas, whose 1988 founding charter called for Israel's destruction, is classified a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan.
+For Iran, Hamas has helped it realise a years-long ambition to encircle Israel with legions of paramilitaries, including other Palestinian factions and Lebanon's Hezbollah, according to Western officials. Armed with sophisticated weaponry, all share a longtime enmity to Israel's occupation of Palestinian land.
+The group's leaders are spread across the Middle East in countries including Lebanon and Qatar, but its power base remains Gaza. It has urged Gazans not to heed Israel's call to leave ahead of the expected ground invasion, which follows days of Israeli bombardment that has killed about 1,800 people.
+In the attack on Oct. 7, the worst breach in Israel's defences in 50 years, Hamas fired more than 2,500 rockets as fighters using paragliders, motorbikes and four-wheel drive vehicles overwhelmed Israeli defences and tore through towns and communities, killing 1,300 people and taking dozens hostage.
+The sources Reuters spoke to said that while Iran trained, armed and funded the group, there was no indication that Tehran directed or authorized the Oct. 7 attack
+""The decision, zero-hour, all of that was in Hamas' hands – but of course the general cooperation, training and preparation all came from Iran,"" said the regional security source.
+Iran acknowledges it helps finance and train Hamas but has denied a role in the attack, although it praised it.
+Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, said in an interview with Al Jazeera television last year that his group had received $70 million in military help from Iran. ""We have rockets that are locally manufactured but the long-range rockets came from abroad, from Iran, Syria and others through Egypt,"" he added.
+According to a U.S. State Department report from 2020, Iran provides about $100 million annually to Palestinian groups, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.
+An Israeli security source said that Iran had significantly increased funding for Hamas' military wing in the past year from $100 million to about $350 million a year.
+HAMAS FOUNDER SHEIKH YASSIN
+The idea of Hamas - meaning zeal in Arabic - began to take form on Dec. 10, 1987, when some members of the Muslim Brotherhood convened the day after an Israeli army truck crashed into a car carrying four Palestinian day-workers, killing all of them. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns in Gaza followed.
+Meeting at the house of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Muslim cleric, they decided to issue a leaflet on Dec. 14 calling for resistance as the First Intifada, or uprising, against Israel erupted. It was the group's first public act.
+After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas began importing rockets, explosives and other equipment from Iran, Western intelligence sources have said. They were shipped via Sudan, trucked across Egypt and smuggled into Gaza through a labyrinth of narrow tunnels beneath the Sinai Peninsula, they added.
+Flows of weapons, training and funds also went from Iran to other regional paramilitary allies, eventually giving Tehran a commanding presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Gaza.
+Some of these allies form part of a ""Shi'ite axis"" that extends from Shi'ite paramilitaries in Iraq, to Hezbollah in Lebanon to Syria's ruling minority Alawite, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
+The jewel in the crown of Iran's militia network is Hezbollah - conceived at the Iranian embassy in Damascus in 1982 after Israel invaded Lebanon during the 1975-90 civil war.
+Hezbollah bombed U.S. targets and ran a hostage-taking and hijack agenda, drove Israel out of Lebanon in 2000 and then gradually seized hold of the levers of the Lebanese state.
+Iran seized the opportunity to co-opt Hamas in 1992 when Israel deported about 400 Hamas leaders to Lebanon, the source close to Hamas said. Iran and Hezbollah hosted Hamas members, shared military technology and trained them in building home-made bombs for suicide attacks, the person added.
+Baraka, the Hamas official, said the ultimate aim of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel was to win the release of all 5,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, halt Israeli raids on Al Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and lift a 16-year-old blockade of Gaza.
+He warned that if Israel's ground offensive went ahead, blessed by the U.S. and Britain, the war wouldn't be confined to Gaza but could spill over into a regional conflict.
+""It's not just an Israeli war on Gaza, there is an Atlantic war on Gaza with all the powers,"" he said. ""There will be new frontlines.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The question isn't whether it's possible or not. The question is what sort of price will be exacted on the rest of the population, because Hamas does not live on an island in the ocean or in a cave in the desert."" After the most recent Gaza war in 2021, Hamas and an affiliated group called Palestinian Islamic Jihad managed to retain 40% of their missile inventories, a key target of the Israelis, according to the U.S. based non-profit Jewish Institute for National Security of America, keeping roughly 11,750 missiles compared with 23,000 before the conflict. OVERWHELMS DEFENCES
+Hamas, whose 1988 founding charter called for Israel's destruction, is classified a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan.  For Iran, Hamas has helped it realise a years-long ambition to encircle Israel with legions of paramilitaries, including other Palestinian factions and Lebanon's Hezbollah, according to Western officials. Armed with sophisticated weaponry, all share a longtime enmity to Israel's occupation of Palestinian land.  The group's leaders are spread across the Middle East in countries including Lebanon and Qatar, but its power base remains Gaza. It has urged Gazans not to heed Israel's call to leave ahead of the expected ground invasion, which follows days of Israeli bombardment that has killed about 1,800 people. In the attack on Oct. 7, the worst breach in Israel's defences in 50 years, Hamas fired more than 2,500 rockets as fighters using paragliders, motorbikes and four-wheel drive vehicles overwhelmed Israeli defences and tore through towns and communities, killing 1,300 people and taking dozens hostage. The sources Reuters spoke to said that while Iran trained, armed and funded the group, there was no indication that Tehran directed or authorized the Oct. 7 attack
+""The decision, zero-hour, all of that was in Hamas' hands – but of course the general cooperation, training and preparation all came from Iran,"" said the regional security source. Iran acknowledges it helps finance and train Hamas but has denied a role in the attack, although it praised it. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, said in an interview with Al Jazeera television last year that his group had received $70 million in military help from Iran. ""We have rockets that are locally manufactured but the long-range rockets came from abroad, from Iran, Syria and others through Egypt,"" he added. According to a U.S. State Department report from 2020, Iran provides about $100 million annually to Palestinian groups, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-hamas-secretly-built-mini-army-fight-israel-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]How Hamas secretly built a 'mini-army' to fight Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Israeli forces poised to invade Gaza on a mission to wipe out Hamas will confront an ever-more capable opponent trained for years by a clandestine support network that stretches far beyond the tiny enclave to Iran and allied Arab groups.
+Hamas' deadly attack on southern Israel six days ago - unprecedented for the group in its planning and scale - was a devastating demonstration of the military expertise it has gained since seizing control of Gaza in 2007.
+""Necessity is the mother of invention,"" said Ali Baraka, a senior Hamas official, adding that the group had long drawn on money and training from Iran and Iranian regional proxies like Lebanon's Hezbollah, while bolstering its own forces in Gaza.
+Difficulties in importing weapons meant that over the past nine years ""we developed our capabilities and are able to manufacture locally"", said Baraka, who is based in Lebanon.
+In the 2008 Gaza war, Hamas rockets had a maximum range of 40 km (25 miles), but that had risen to 230 km by the 2021 conflict, he added.
+Today the secretive and sprawling organisation is unrecognizable from the small Palestinian group that issued its first leaflet 36 years ago protesting at Israeli occupation, according to Reuters interviews with 11 people familiar with the group's capabilities, including Hamas figures, regional security officials and military experts.
+""They are a mini-army,"" said a source close to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. He said the group had a military academy training a range of specialisations including cyber security, and boasts a naval commando unit among its 40,000-strong military wing.
+By contrast, in the 1990s Hamas had less than 10,000 fighters, according to the globalsecurity.org website.
+Since the early 2000s the group has built a tunnel network under Gaza to help fighters melt away, house weapons factories and bring in weapons from abroad, according to a regional security source, who also declined to be named. The group has acquired a range of bombs, mortars, rockets, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, Hamas officials have said.
+The expanding capabilities have produced increasingly lethal results over the years. Israel lost nine soldiers during its incursion in 2008. In 2014, the number jumped to 66.
+H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at Britain's Royal United Services Institute, said Israel was capable of destroying Hamas in its expected attack on the densely populated enclave.
+""The question isn't whether it's possible or not. The question is what sort of price will be exacted on the rest of the population, because Hamas does not live on an island in the ocean or in a cave in the desert.""
+After the most recent Gaza war in 2021, Hamas and an affiliated group called Palestinian Islamic Jihad managed to retain 40% of their missile inventories, a key target of the Israelis, according to the U.S. based non-profit Jewish Institute for National Security of America, keeping roughly 11,750 missiles compared with 23,000 before the conflict.
+OVERWHELMS DEFENCES
+Hamas, whose 1988 founding charter called for Israel's destruction, is classified a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan.
+For Iran, Hamas has helped it realise a years-long ambition to encircle Israel with legions of paramilitaries, including other Palestinian factions and Lebanon's Hezbollah, according to Western officials. Armed with sophisticated weaponry, all share a longtime enmity to Israel's occupation of Palestinian land.
+The group's leaders are spread across the Middle East in countries including Lebanon and Qatar, but its power base remains Gaza. It has urged Gazans not to heed Israel's call to leave ahead of the expected ground invasion, which follows days of Israeli bombardment that has killed about 1,800 people.
+In the attack on Oct. 7, the worst breach in Israel's defences in 50 years, Hamas fired more than 2,500 rockets as fighters using paragliders, motorbikes and four-wheel drive vehicles overwhelmed Israeli defences and tore through towns and communities, killing 1,300 people and taking dozens hostage.
+The sources Reuters spoke to said that while Iran trained, armed and funded the group, there was no indication that Tehran directed or authorized the Oct. 7 attack
+""The decision, zero-hour, all of that was in Hamas' hands – but of course the general cooperation, training and preparation all came from Iran,"" said the regional security source.
+Iran acknowledges it helps finance and train Hamas but has denied a role in the attack, although it praised it.
+Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, said in an interview with Al Jazeera television last year that his group had received $70 million in military help from Iran. ""We have rockets that are locally manufactured but the long-range rockets came from abroad, from Iran, Syria and others through Egypt,"" he added.
+According to a U.S. State Department report from 2020, Iran provides about $100 million annually to Palestinian groups, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.
+An Israeli security source said that Iran had significantly increased funding for Hamas' military wing in the past year from $100 million to about $350 million a year.
+HAMAS FOUNDER SHEIKH YASSIN
+The idea of Hamas - meaning zeal in Arabic - began to take form on Dec. 10, 1987, when some members of the Muslim Brotherhood convened the day after an Israeli army truck crashed into a car carrying four Palestinian day-workers, killing all of them. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns in Gaza followed.
+Meeting at the house of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Muslim cleric, they decided to issue a leaflet on Dec. 14 calling for resistance as the First Intifada, or uprising, against Israel erupted. It was the group's first public act.
+After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas began importing rockets, explosives and other equipment from Iran, Western intelligence sources have said. They were shipped via Sudan, trucked across Egypt and smuggled into Gaza through a labyrinth of narrow tunnels beneath the Sinai Peninsula, they added.
+Flows of weapons, training and funds also went from Iran to other regional paramilitary allies, eventually giving Tehran a commanding presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Gaza.
+Some of these allies form part of a ""Shi'ite axis"" that extends from Shi'ite paramilitaries in Iraq, to Hezbollah in Lebanon to Syria's ruling minority Alawite, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
+The jewel in the crown of Iran's militia network is Hezbollah - conceived at the Iranian embassy in Damascus in 1982 after Israel invaded Lebanon during the 1975-90 civil war.
+Hezbollah bombed U.S. targets and ran a hostage-taking and hijack agenda, drove Israel out of Lebanon in 2000 and then gradually seized hold of the levers of the Lebanese state.
+Iran seized the opportunity to co-opt Hamas in 1992 when Israel deported about 400 Hamas leaders to Lebanon, the source close to Hamas said. Iran and Hezbollah hosted Hamas members, shared military technology and trained them in building home-made bombs for suicide attacks, the person added.
+Baraka, the Hamas official, said the ultimate aim of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel was to win the release of all 5,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, halt Israeli raids on Al Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and lift a 16-year-old blockade of Gaza.
+He warned that if Israel's ground offensive went ahead, blessed by the U.S. and Britain, the war wouldn't be confined to Gaza but could spill over into a regional conflict.
+""It's not just an Israeli war on Gaza, there is an Atlantic war on Gaza with all the powers,"" he said. ""There will be new frontlines.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","An Israeli security source said that Iran had significantly increased funding for Hamas' military wing in the past year from $100 million to about $350 million a year. HAMAS FOUNDER SHEIKH YASSIN  The idea of Hamas - meaning zeal in Arabic - began to take form on Dec. 10, 1987, when some members of the Muslim Brotherhood convened the day after an Israeli army truck crashed into a car carrying four Palestinian day-workers, killing all of them. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns in Gaza followed.  Meeting at the house of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Muslim cleric, they decided to issue a leaflet on Dec. 14 calling for resistance as the First Intifada, or uprising, against Israel erupted. It was the group's first public act. After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas began importing rockets, explosives and other equipment from Iran, Western intelligence sources have said. They were shipped via Sudan, trucked across Egypt and smuggled into Gaza through a labyrinth of narrow tunnels beneath the Sinai Peninsula, they added. Flows of weapons, training and funds also went from Iran to other regional paramilitary allies, eventually giving Tehran a commanding presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Gaza.
+Some of these allies form part of a ""Shi'ite axis"" that extends from Shi'ite paramilitaries in Iraq, to Hezbollah in Lebanon to Syria's ruling minority Alawite, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
+The jewel in the crown of Iran's militia network is Hezbollah - conceived at the Iranian embassy in Damascus in 1982 after Israel invaded Lebanon during the 1975-90 civil war. Hezbollah bombed U.S. targets and ran a hostage-taking and hijack agenda, drove Israel out of Lebanon in 2000 and then gradually seized hold of the levers of the Lebanese state.  Iran seized the opportunity to co-opt Hamas in 1992 when Israel deported about 400 Hamas leaders to Lebanon, the source close to Hamas said. Iran and Hezbollah hosted Hamas members, shared military technology and trained them in building home-made bombs for suicide attacks, the person added. Baraka, the Hamas official, said the ultimate aim of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel was to win the release of all 5,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, halt Israeli raids on Al Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and lift a 16-year-old blockade of Gaza. He warned that if Israel's ground offensive went ahead, blessed by the U.S. and Britain, the war wouldn't be confined to Gaza but could spill over into a regional conflict. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-hamas-secretly-built-mini-army-fight-israel-2023-10-13/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]How Hamas secretly built a 'mini-army' to fight Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]DUBAI, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Israeli forces poised to invade Gaza on a mission to wipe out Hamas will confront an ever-more capable opponent trained for years by a clandestine support network that stretches far beyond the tiny enclave to Iran and allied Arab groups.
+Hamas' deadly attack on southern Israel six days ago - unprecedented for the group in its planning and scale - was a devastating demonstration of the military expertise it has gained since seizing control of Gaza in 2007.
+""Necessity is the mother of invention,"" said Ali Baraka, a senior Hamas official, adding that the group had long drawn on money and training from Iran and Iranian regional proxies like Lebanon's Hezbollah, while bolstering its own forces in Gaza.
+Difficulties in importing weapons meant that over the past nine years ""we developed our capabilities and are able to manufacture locally"", said Baraka, who is based in Lebanon.
+In the 2008 Gaza war, Hamas rockets had a maximum range of 40 km (25 miles), but that had risen to 230 km by the 2021 conflict, he added.
+Today the secretive and sprawling organisation is unrecognizable from the small Palestinian group that issued its first leaflet 36 years ago protesting at Israeli occupation, according to Reuters interviews with 11 people familiar with the group's capabilities, including Hamas figures, regional security officials and military experts.
+""They are a mini-army,"" said a source close to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. He said the group had a military academy training a range of specialisations including cyber security, and boasts a naval commando unit among its 40,000-strong military wing.
+By contrast, in the 1990s Hamas had less than 10,000 fighters, according to the globalsecurity.org website.
+Since the early 2000s the group has built a tunnel network under Gaza to help fighters melt away, house weapons factories and bring in weapons from abroad, according to a regional security source, who also declined to be named. The group has acquired a range of bombs, mortars, rockets, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, Hamas officials have said.
+The expanding capabilities have produced increasingly lethal results over the years. Israel lost nine soldiers during its incursion in 2008. In 2014, the number jumped to 66.
+H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at Britain's Royal United Services Institute, said Israel was capable of destroying Hamas in its expected attack on the densely populated enclave.
+""The question isn't whether it's possible or not. The question is what sort of price will be exacted on the rest of the population, because Hamas does not live on an island in the ocean or in a cave in the desert.""
+After the most recent Gaza war in 2021, Hamas and an affiliated group called Palestinian Islamic Jihad managed to retain 40% of their missile inventories, a key target of the Israelis, according to the U.S. based non-profit Jewish Institute for National Security of America, keeping roughly 11,750 missiles compared with 23,000 before the conflict.
+OVERWHELMS DEFENCES
+Hamas, whose 1988 founding charter called for Israel's destruction, is classified a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan.
+For Iran, Hamas has helped it realise a years-long ambition to encircle Israel with legions of paramilitaries, including other Palestinian factions and Lebanon's Hezbollah, according to Western officials. Armed with sophisticated weaponry, all share a longtime enmity to Israel's occupation of Palestinian land.
+The group's leaders are spread across the Middle East in countries including Lebanon and Qatar, but its power base remains Gaza. It has urged Gazans not to heed Israel's call to leave ahead of the expected ground invasion, which follows days of Israeli bombardment that has killed about 1,800 people.
+In the attack on Oct. 7, the worst breach in Israel's defences in 50 years, Hamas fired more than 2,500 rockets as fighters using paragliders, motorbikes and four-wheel drive vehicles overwhelmed Israeli defences and tore through towns and communities, killing 1,300 people and taking dozens hostage.
+The sources Reuters spoke to said that while Iran trained, armed and funded the group, there was no indication that Tehran directed or authorized the Oct. 7 attack
+""The decision, zero-hour, all of that was in Hamas' hands – but of course the general cooperation, training and preparation all came from Iran,"" said the regional security source.
+Iran acknowledges it helps finance and train Hamas but has denied a role in the attack, although it praised it.
+Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, said in an interview with Al Jazeera television last year that his group had received $70 million in military help from Iran. ""We have rockets that are locally manufactured but the long-range rockets came from abroad, from Iran, Syria and others through Egypt,"" he added.
+According to a U.S. State Department report from 2020, Iran provides about $100 million annually to Palestinian groups, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.
+An Israeli security source said that Iran had significantly increased funding for Hamas' military wing in the past year from $100 million to about $350 million a year.
+HAMAS FOUNDER SHEIKH YASSIN
+The idea of Hamas - meaning zeal in Arabic - began to take form on Dec. 10, 1987, when some members of the Muslim Brotherhood convened the day after an Israeli army truck crashed into a car carrying four Palestinian day-workers, killing all of them. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns in Gaza followed.
+Meeting at the house of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Muslim cleric, they decided to issue a leaflet on Dec. 14 calling for resistance as the First Intifada, or uprising, against Israel erupted. It was the group's first public act.
+After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas began importing rockets, explosives and other equipment from Iran, Western intelligence sources have said. They were shipped via Sudan, trucked across Egypt and smuggled into Gaza through a labyrinth of narrow tunnels beneath the Sinai Peninsula, they added.
+Flows of weapons, training and funds also went from Iran to other regional paramilitary allies, eventually giving Tehran a commanding presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Gaza.
+Some of these allies form part of a ""Shi'ite axis"" that extends from Shi'ite paramilitaries in Iraq, to Hezbollah in Lebanon to Syria's ruling minority Alawite, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
+The jewel in the crown of Iran's militia network is Hezbollah - conceived at the Iranian embassy in Damascus in 1982 after Israel invaded Lebanon during the 1975-90 civil war.
+Hezbollah bombed U.S. targets and ran a hostage-taking and hijack agenda, drove Israel out of Lebanon in 2000 and then gradually seized hold of the levers of the Lebanese state.
+Iran seized the opportunity to co-opt Hamas in 1992 when Israel deported about 400 Hamas leaders to Lebanon, the source close to Hamas said. Iran and Hezbollah hosted Hamas members, shared military technology and trained them in building home-made bombs for suicide attacks, the person added.
+Baraka, the Hamas official, said the ultimate aim of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel was to win the release of all 5,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, halt Israeli raids on Al Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and lift a 16-year-old blockade of Gaza.
+He warned that if Israel's ground offensive went ahead, blessed by the U.S. and Britain, the war wouldn't be confined to Gaza but could spill over into a regional conflict.
+""It's not just an Israeli war on Gaza, there is an Atlantic war on Gaza with all the powers,"" he said. ""There will be new frontlines.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""It's not just an Israeli war on Gaza, there is an Atlantic war on Gaza with all the powers,"" he said. ""There will be new frontlines.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/president-abbas-says-hamas-actions-do-not-represent-palestinians-2023-10-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hamas critique removed from Palestinians' Abbas comments on Israel attack[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 15 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority's official news agency published comments on Sunday by President Mahmoud Abbas that criticized Hamas over its actions but later removed reference to the militant group without providing an explanation.
+The comments, published by WAFA on its website, came during a phone call between Abbas and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The two discussed Israel's bombardment of Gaza following Hamas' deadly rampage through Israeli cities.
+The original WAFA report on Abbas' call included the line: ""The president also stressed that Hamas' policies and actions do not represent the Palestinian people, and the policies, programs and decisions of the (Palestine Liberation Organization) represent the Palestinian people as their sole legitimate representative.""
+Several hours later, the phrase was adjusted to read: ""The president also stressed that the policies, programs, and decisions of the PLO represent the Palestinian people as their sole legitimate representative, and not the policies of any other organization.""
+It was not immediately clear why the reference to Hamas was removed. There was no immediate comment by Abbas' office or by WAFA. Hamas had no immediate comment.
+Abbas' Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He has long been opposed to Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007 and ousted Fatah party forces loyal to Abbas. Years of reconciliation talks between the rivals have failed to reach a breakthrough.
+Abbas also heads the PLO, the umbrella group that represented the Palestinians in past U.S.-sponsored peace talks with Israel.
+During his call with Maduro, Abbas ""affirmed his rejection of the killing of civilians on both sides and called for the release of civilians, prisoners and detainees,"" the WAFA report said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Hamas critique removed from Palestinians' Abbas comments on Israel attack[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 15 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority's official news agency published comments on Sunday by President Mahmoud Abbas that criticized Hamas over its actions but later removed reference to the militant group without providing an explanation.  The comments, published by WAFA on its website, came during a phone call between Abbas and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The two discussed Israel's bombardment of Gaza following Hamas' deadly rampage through Israeli cities. The original WAFA report on Abbas' call included the line: ""The president also stressed that Hamas' policies and actions do not represent the Palestinian people, and the policies, programs and decisions of the (Palestine Liberation Organization) represent the Palestinian people as their sole legitimate representative."" Several hours later, the phrase was adjusted to read: ""The president also stressed that the policies, programs, and decisions of the PLO represent the Palestinian people as their sole legitimate representative, and not the policies of any other organization."" It was not immediately clear why the reference to Hamas was removed. There was no immediate comment by Abbas' office or by WAFA. Hamas had no immediate comment.  Abbas' Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He has long been opposed to Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007 and ousted Fatah party forces loyal to Abbas. Years of reconciliation talks between the rivals have failed to reach a breakthrough. Abbas also heads the PLO, the umbrella group that represented the Palestinians in past U.S.-sponsored peace talks with Israel.  During his call with Maduro, Abbas ""affirmed his rejection of the killing of civilians on both sides and called for the release of civilians, prisoners and detainees,"" the WAFA report said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-says-he-is-confident-israel-will-act-under-rules-war-2023-10-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden says he is 'confident' Israel will act under rules of war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said he is ""confident"" Israel will act under the rules of war in its conflict with Palestine, and added deploying U.S. troops is not necessary.
+In an interview with ""60 Minutes,"" Biden said that while he believes Hamas must be eliminated entirely, there must be a path for a Palestinian state. And he cautioned that the threat of terrorism in the United States had increased due to unrest in the Middle East.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Biden says he is 'confident' Israel will act under rules of war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said he is ""confident"" Israel will act under the rules of war in its conflict with Palestine, and added deploying U.S. troops is not necessary.  In an interview with ""60 Minutes,"" Biden said that while he believes Hamas must be eliminated entirely, there must be a path for a Palestinian state. And he cautioned that the threat of terrorism in the United States had increased due to unrest in the Middle East.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-fleeing-fighting-south-find-no-escape-danger-2023-10-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians fleeing to the south find no escape from danger[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Oct 15 (Reuters) - As Israel intensified air strikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and told residents to move south towards the border with Egypt, some like father of six Fadi Daloul thought that would be a safe option and gathered up his belongings.
+Palestinians are desperate to find a safe hiding place as the Israeli military prepares for what is expected to be a ground offensive in Gaza accompanied by relentless air strikes.
+The journey to the south is also fraught with risks as Israel hits back at Hamas after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise attack on Israel, the bloodiest since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
+Israel has already unleashed the fiercest bombing ever on the impoverished narrow Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. And far worse is expected, prompting residents to seek safe shelter.
+Many Gazans have refused to leave their homes for the south, fearing a repeat of the ""Nakba"" or ""catastrophe"", when many Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation.
+Some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, were dispossessed and displaced, many spilling into neighbouring Arab states where they or many of their descendants remain. Many still live in refugee camps.
+Israel contests the assertion that it drove Palestinians out, saying it was attacked by five Arab states after its creation.
+For Daloul, the priority is the survival of his family as Israeli air strikes flatten buildings in Gaza - blockaded by both Israel and Egypt as a humanitarian crisis unfolds and hospitals run low on stocks of medicines.
+He is one of thousands of Palestinians who fled from the north of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, fearing what promises to be a ferocious ground invasion with relentless air strikes.
+""We live under stress, we didn't monitor this thing before. It's huge. It's a huge threat. Children, as you see ... where should we take them?,"" he said. ""Especially when we left (our house), we saw on the way people burnt and hit by air strikes. Thank God we are safe and reached the south.""
+The Israeli military was not immediately available for comment.
+Hamas has told people not to leave and says roads out are unsafe. It says dozens of people were killed in strikes on cars and trucks carrying refugees on Friday, which Reuters could not independently verify.
+Israel says Hamas is preventing people from leaving in order to use them as human shields, which Hamas denies.
+Gaza, a tiny coastal strip of land wedged between Israel in the north and east and Egypt to the southwest, is home to some 2.3 million people who have been living under a blockade since Hamas took control there in 2007.
+Israel said it kept two roads open to let people escape, but displaced Palestinians fleeing on that road said Israeli bombings of the eastern areas around that road never stopped.
+Two days ago 70 Palestinians were killed and 200 were wounded when Israeli planes bombed several vehicles carrying displaced Gazans, according to Hamas-run health ministry and Hamas official media. Reuters could not independently verify this claim.
+Daloul said it wasn't easy to leave his home when Israel
+started dropping pamphlets over Gaza telling people to leave. His family felt extreme anxiety, especially at night.
+There was a traffic jam. Some cars got bombed by air strikes. During the night, the children hugged me and started to cry and screamed: 'Save us, Save us'.
+""How can we save them? When we left the house, we kissed the walls on our way out. This is migration and we don't know how long it will last. We hope that the world can see us, and see how we live. Look, we had a home, walls, and water, but now we live in a tent,"" he said.
+Israel says its evacuation order is a humanitarian gesture to protect residents while it roots out Hamas fighters. The United Nations says so many people cannot be safely moved within Gaza without causing a humanitarian disaster.
+Daloul's daughter Sahar said there is no place to hide from air strikes.
+""All of our life is lived in misery. We don't know how to live. There is no one to save us or come after us. How will we live? How?,"" he said.
+An Israeli bombardment of Gaza faces both the Palestinians that stayed home and others who made the treacherous trip to the south knowing that Egypt is highly unlikely to open its borders.
+Speaking to Reuters by phone from Gaza, 20-year-old Gina, described the horror of moving on the main Salahudeen eastern road, one of two routes that lead to the southern areas.
+""I was terrified, I thought I was about to die,"" said Gina, crying over the phone as she described the trip to the south.
+""They told us to escape and then they bomb people on the road. My father drove back to Gaza City. He said if we are dying anyway, let's be at home in Gaza,"" she said.
+Even if its residents wanted to flee the enclave altogether, they have nowhere to go as the most obvious exit would be through Egypt, something Cairo rejects.
+Cairo, a frequent mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, always insists the two sides resolve conflicts within their borders, saying this is the only way Palestinians can secure their right to statehood.
+A witness said he saw mangled cars and a completely torched truck on the road to the south. Some people who had hoped the south would provide some relief have changed their minds and are heading north.
+""I am taking my family back into Gaza. I can't continue to live in a school or outside my home, when no place is safe anyway, my home is better,"" said Abu Dawoud, a Gaza accountant.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians fleeing to the south find no escape from danger[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Oct 15 (Reuters) - As Israel intensified air strikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and told residents to move south towards the border with Egypt, some like father of six Fadi Daloul thought that would be a safe option and gathered up his belongings. Palestinians are desperate to find a safe hiding place as the Israeli military prepares for what is expected to be a ground offensive in Gaza accompanied by relentless air strikes. The journey to the south is also fraught with risks as Israel hits back at Hamas after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise attack on Israel, the bloodiest since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Israel has already unleashed the fiercest bombing ever on the impoverished narrow Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. And far worse is expected, prompting residents to seek safe shelter. Many Gazans have refused to leave their homes for the south, fearing a repeat of the ""Nakba"" or ""catastrophe"", when many Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation.  Some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, were dispossessed and displaced, many spilling into neighbouring Arab states where they or many of their descendants remain. Many still live in refugee camps. Israel contests the assertion that it drove Palestinians out, saying it was attacked by five Arab states after its creation. For Daloul, the priority is the survival of his family as Israeli air strikes flatten buildings in Gaza - blockaded by both Israel and Egypt as a humanitarian crisis unfolds and hospitals run low on stocks of medicines. He is one of thousands of Palestinians who fled from the north of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, fearing what promises to be a ferocious ground invasion with relentless air strikes.  ""We live under stress, we didn't monitor this thing before. It's huge. It's a huge threat. Children, as you see ... where should we take them?,"" he said. ""Especially when we left (our house), we saw on the way people burnt and hit by air strikes. Thank God we are safe and reached the south."" The Israeli military was not immediately available for comment.  Hamas has told people not to leave and says roads out are unsafe. It says dozens of people were killed in strikes on cars and trucks carrying refugees on Friday, which Reuters could not independently verify."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-fleeing-fighting-south-find-no-escape-danger-2023-10-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians fleeing to the south find no escape from danger[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Oct 15 (Reuters) - As Israel intensified air strikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and told residents to move south towards the border with Egypt, some like father of six Fadi Daloul thought that would be a safe option and gathered up his belongings.
+Palestinians are desperate to find a safe hiding place as the Israeli military prepares for what is expected to be a ground offensive in Gaza accompanied by relentless air strikes.
+The journey to the south is also fraught with risks as Israel hits back at Hamas after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise attack on Israel, the bloodiest since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
+Israel has already unleashed the fiercest bombing ever on the impoverished narrow Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. And far worse is expected, prompting residents to seek safe shelter.
+Many Gazans have refused to leave their homes for the south, fearing a repeat of the ""Nakba"" or ""catastrophe"", when many Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation.
+Some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, were dispossessed and displaced, many spilling into neighbouring Arab states where they or many of their descendants remain. Many still live in refugee camps.
+Israel contests the assertion that it drove Palestinians out, saying it was attacked by five Arab states after its creation.
+For Daloul, the priority is the survival of his family as Israeli air strikes flatten buildings in Gaza - blockaded by both Israel and Egypt as a humanitarian crisis unfolds and hospitals run low on stocks of medicines.
+He is one of thousands of Palestinians who fled from the north of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, fearing what promises to be a ferocious ground invasion with relentless air strikes.
+""We live under stress, we didn't monitor this thing before. It's huge. It's a huge threat. Children, as you see ... where should we take them?,"" he said. ""Especially when we left (our house), we saw on the way people burnt and hit by air strikes. Thank God we are safe and reached the south.""
+The Israeli military was not immediately available for comment.
+Hamas has told people not to leave and says roads out are unsafe. It says dozens of people were killed in strikes on cars and trucks carrying refugees on Friday, which Reuters could not independently verify.
+Israel says Hamas is preventing people from leaving in order to use them as human shields, which Hamas denies.
+Gaza, a tiny coastal strip of land wedged between Israel in the north and east and Egypt to the southwest, is home to some 2.3 million people who have been living under a blockade since Hamas took control there in 2007.
+Israel said it kept two roads open to let people escape, but displaced Palestinians fleeing on that road said Israeli bombings of the eastern areas around that road never stopped.
+Two days ago 70 Palestinians were killed and 200 were wounded when Israeli planes bombed several vehicles carrying displaced Gazans, according to Hamas-run health ministry and Hamas official media. Reuters could not independently verify this claim.
+Daloul said it wasn't easy to leave his home when Israel
+started dropping pamphlets over Gaza telling people to leave. His family felt extreme anxiety, especially at night.
+There was a traffic jam. Some cars got bombed by air strikes. During the night, the children hugged me and started to cry and screamed: 'Save us, Save us'.
+""How can we save them? When we left the house, we kissed the walls on our way out. This is migration and we don't know how long it will last. We hope that the world can see us, and see how we live. Look, we had a home, walls, and water, but now we live in a tent,"" he said.
+Israel says its evacuation order is a humanitarian gesture to protect residents while it roots out Hamas fighters. The United Nations says so many people cannot be safely moved within Gaza without causing a humanitarian disaster.
+Daloul's daughter Sahar said there is no place to hide from air strikes.
+""All of our life is lived in misery. We don't know how to live. There is no one to save us or come after us. How will we live? How?,"" he said.
+An Israeli bombardment of Gaza faces both the Palestinians that stayed home and others who made the treacherous trip to the south knowing that Egypt is highly unlikely to open its borders.
+Speaking to Reuters by phone from Gaza, 20-year-old Gina, described the horror of moving on the main Salahudeen eastern road, one of two routes that lead to the southern areas.
+""I was terrified, I thought I was about to die,"" said Gina, crying over the phone as she described the trip to the south.
+""They told us to escape and then they bomb people on the road. My father drove back to Gaza City. He said if we are dying anyway, let's be at home in Gaza,"" she said.
+Even if its residents wanted to flee the enclave altogether, they have nowhere to go as the most obvious exit would be through Egypt, something Cairo rejects.
+Cairo, a frequent mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, always insists the two sides resolve conflicts within their borders, saying this is the only way Palestinians can secure their right to statehood.
+A witness said he saw mangled cars and a completely torched truck on the road to the south. Some people who had hoped the south would provide some relief have changed their minds and are heading north.
+""I am taking my family back into Gaza. I can't continue to live in a school or outside my home, when no place is safe anyway, my home is better,"" said Abu Dawoud, a Gaza accountant.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Israel says Hamas is preventing people from leaving in order to use them as human shields, which Hamas denies. Gaza, a tiny coastal strip of land wedged between Israel in the north and east and Egypt to the southwest, is home to some 2.3 million people who have been living under a blockade since Hamas took control there in 2007. Israel said it kept two roads open to let people escape, but displaced Palestinians fleeing on that road said Israeli bombings of the eastern areas around that road never stopped.  Two days ago 70 Palestinians were killed and 200 were wounded when Israeli planes bombed several vehicles carrying displaced Gazans, according to Hamas-run health ministry and Hamas official media. Reuters could not independently verify this claim.  Daloul said it wasn't easy to leave his home when Israel
+started dropping pamphlets over Gaza telling people to leave. His family felt extreme anxiety, especially at night.  There was a traffic jam. Some cars got bombed by air strikes. During the night, the children hugged me and started to cry and screamed: 'Save us, Save us'. ""How can we save them? When we left the house, we kissed the walls on our way out. This is migration and we don't know how long it will last. We hope that the world can see us, and see how we live. Look, we had a home, walls, and water, but now we live in a tent,"" he said. Israel says its evacuation order is a humanitarian gesture to protect residents while it roots out Hamas fighters. The United Nations says so many people cannot be safely moved within Gaza without causing a humanitarian disaster.  Daloul's daughter Sahar said there is no place to hide from air strikes.
+""All of our life is lived in misery. We don't know how to live. There is no one to save us or come after us. How will we live? How?,"" he said. An Israeli bombardment of Gaza faces both the Palestinians that stayed home and others who made the treacherous trip to the south knowing that Egypt is highly unlikely to open its borders. Speaking to Reuters by phone from Gaza, 20-year-old Gina, described the horror of moving on the main Salahudeen eastern road, one of two routes that lead to the southern areas. ""I was terrified, I thought I was about to die,"" said Gina, crying over the phone as she described the trip to the south.  ""They told us to escape and then they bomb people on the road."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-fleeing-fighting-south-find-no-escape-danger-2023-10-15/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Palestinians fleeing to the south find no escape from danger[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Oct 15 (Reuters) - As Israel intensified air strikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and told residents to move south towards the border with Egypt, some like father of six Fadi Daloul thought that would be a safe option and gathered up his belongings.
+Palestinians are desperate to find a safe hiding place as the Israeli military prepares for what is expected to be a ground offensive in Gaza accompanied by relentless air strikes.
+The journey to the south is also fraught with risks as Israel hits back at Hamas after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise attack on Israel, the bloodiest since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
+Israel has already unleashed the fiercest bombing ever on the impoverished narrow Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. And far worse is expected, prompting residents to seek safe shelter.
+Many Gazans have refused to leave their homes for the south, fearing a repeat of the ""Nakba"" or ""catastrophe"", when many Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation.
+Some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, were dispossessed and displaced, many spilling into neighbouring Arab states where they or many of their descendants remain. Many still live in refugee camps.
+Israel contests the assertion that it drove Palestinians out, saying it was attacked by five Arab states after its creation.
+For Daloul, the priority is the survival of his family as Israeli air strikes flatten buildings in Gaza - blockaded by both Israel and Egypt as a humanitarian crisis unfolds and hospitals run low on stocks of medicines.
+He is one of thousands of Palestinians who fled from the north of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, fearing what promises to be a ferocious ground invasion with relentless air strikes.
+""We live under stress, we didn't monitor this thing before. It's huge. It's a huge threat. Children, as you see ... where should we take them?,"" he said. ""Especially when we left (our house), we saw on the way people burnt and hit by air strikes. Thank God we are safe and reached the south.""
+The Israeli military was not immediately available for comment.
+Hamas has told people not to leave and says roads out are unsafe. It says dozens of people were killed in strikes on cars and trucks carrying refugees on Friday, which Reuters could not independently verify.
+Israel says Hamas is preventing people from leaving in order to use them as human shields, which Hamas denies.
+Gaza, a tiny coastal strip of land wedged between Israel in the north and east and Egypt to the southwest, is home to some 2.3 million people who have been living under a blockade since Hamas took control there in 2007.
+Israel said it kept two roads open to let people escape, but displaced Palestinians fleeing on that road said Israeli bombings of the eastern areas around that road never stopped.
+Two days ago 70 Palestinians were killed and 200 were wounded when Israeli planes bombed several vehicles carrying displaced Gazans, according to Hamas-run health ministry and Hamas official media. Reuters could not independently verify this claim.
+Daloul said it wasn't easy to leave his home when Israel
+started dropping pamphlets over Gaza telling people to leave. His family felt extreme anxiety, especially at night.
+There was a traffic jam. Some cars got bombed by air strikes. During the night, the children hugged me and started to cry and screamed: 'Save us, Save us'.
+""How can we save them? When we left the house, we kissed the walls on our way out. This is migration and we don't know how long it will last. We hope that the world can see us, and see how we live. Look, we had a home, walls, and water, but now we live in a tent,"" he said.
+Israel says its evacuation order is a humanitarian gesture to protect residents while it roots out Hamas fighters. The United Nations says so many people cannot be safely moved within Gaza without causing a humanitarian disaster.
+Daloul's daughter Sahar said there is no place to hide from air strikes.
+""All of our life is lived in misery. We don't know how to live. There is no one to save us or come after us. How will we live? How?,"" he said.
+An Israeli bombardment of Gaza faces both the Palestinians that stayed home and others who made the treacherous trip to the south knowing that Egypt is highly unlikely to open its borders.
+Speaking to Reuters by phone from Gaza, 20-year-old Gina, described the horror of moving on the main Salahudeen eastern road, one of two routes that lead to the southern areas.
+""I was terrified, I thought I was about to die,"" said Gina, crying over the phone as she described the trip to the south.
+""They told us to escape and then they bomb people on the road. My father drove back to Gaza City. He said if we are dying anyway, let's be at home in Gaza,"" she said.
+Even if its residents wanted to flee the enclave altogether, they have nowhere to go as the most obvious exit would be through Egypt, something Cairo rejects.
+Cairo, a frequent mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, always insists the two sides resolve conflicts within their borders, saying this is the only way Palestinians can secure their right to statehood.
+A witness said he saw mangled cars and a completely torched truck on the road to the south. Some people who had hoped the south would provide some relief have changed their minds and are heading north.
+""I am taking my family back into Gaza. I can't continue to live in a school or outside my home, when no place is safe anyway, my home is better,"" said Abu Dawoud, a Gaza accountant.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","My father drove back to Gaza City. He said if we are dying anyway, let's be at home in Gaza,"" she said. Even if its residents wanted to flee the enclave altogether, they have nowhere to go as the most obvious exit would be through Egypt, something Cairo rejects. Cairo, a frequent mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, always insists the two sides resolve conflicts within their borders, saying this is the only way Palestinians can secure their right to statehood.
+A witness said he saw mangled cars and a completely torched truck on the road to the south. Some people who had hoped the south would provide some relief have changed their minds and are heading north.
+"" I am taking my family back into Gaza. I can't continue to live in a school or outside my home, when no place is safe anyway, my home is better,"" said Abu Dawoud, a Gaza accountant.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-palestinian-refugee-agency-calls-unimpeded-flow-aid-gaza-2023-10-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN organisations plead for unimpeded Gaza aid 'on our knees'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - United Nations agencies called ""on our knees"" on Tuesday for aid to be allowed unimpeded into Gaza, saying more than 20 times current deliveries were needed to support its Palestinian population after two weeks of Israeli air strikes.
+U.N. organisations have been making increasingly desperate appeals since Israel imposed a full blockade on the coastal strip and began bombardments to root out Hamas militants who had killed civilians in a bloody raid into southern Israel.
+Trucks of aid began moving into Gaza from Egypt on Saturday after intense diplomatic efforts, but the agencies say they are far from enough. Half of the enclave's 2.3 million people are homeless, many people have been wounded and food and clean water is in short supply.
+""The aid which resumed from Egypt over the weekend is a mere drop in the ocean of what is needed,"" said Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
+Fuel, which has not been sent to the Gaza Strip along with the humanitarian aid, was crucial, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said.
+""Fuel is extremely urgent because without fuel, the trucks themselves cannot move,"" UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai said. ""Without fuel, the generators cannot produce electricity for hospitals, for bakeries and for the water desalination plant.
+Brian Lander, deputy head of emergencies at the World Food Programme, said that some 465 trucks of humanitarian aid were needed per day to support the population in Gaza prior to the conflict.
+""We're seeing at best 20 trucks a day at the moment,"" he said, stressing that the people of Gaza were dire need of water, food and other essential products.
+WHO said medicines and health supplies had been delivered to three key referral hospitals in southern Gaza but that it still needed to reach the north of the Palestinian enclave, one of the most densely-populated places in the world.
+""We still have not been able to reach the hospitals in the north with the medical supplies or the desperately needed fuel,"" said Dr Rick Brennan, WHO Regional Emergencies Director for Eastern Mediterranean Region.
+Brennan said one-third of hospitals in the Gaza Strip were now non-functional at a time when the medical burden is enormous, and that some two-thirds of clinics are not functioning.
+""We are on our knees asking for that sustained, scaled up, protected humanitarian operation,"" he said.
+""We appeal to all of those in a situation to make a decision or to influence decision-makers to give us the humanitarian space to address this human catastrophe.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN organisations plead for unimpeded Gaza aid 'on our knees'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - United Nations agencies called ""on our knees"" on Tuesday for aid to be allowed unimpeded into Gaza, saying more than 20 times current deliveries were needed to support its Palestinian population after two weeks of Israeli air strikes. U.N. organisations have been making increasingly desperate appeals since Israel imposed a full blockade on the coastal strip and began bombardments to root out Hamas militants who had killed civilians in a bloody raid into southern Israel.  Trucks of aid began moving into Gaza from Egypt on Saturday after intense diplomatic efforts, but the agencies say they are far from enough. Half of the enclave's 2.3 million people are homeless, many people have been wounded and food and clean water is in short supply. ""The aid which resumed from Egypt over the weekend is a mere drop in the ocean of what is needed,"" said Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Fuel, which has not been sent to the Gaza Strip along with the humanitarian aid, was crucial, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said.  ""Fuel is extremely urgent because without fuel, the trucks themselves cannot move,"" UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai said. ""Without fuel, the generators cannot produce electricity for hospitals, for bakeries and for the water desalination plant. Brian Lander, deputy head of emergencies at the World Food Programme, said that some 465 trucks of humanitarian aid were needed per day to support the population in Gaza prior to the conflict. ""We're seeing at best 20 trucks a day at the moment,"" he said, stressing that the people of Gaza were dire need of water, food and other essential products. WHO said medicines and health supplies had been delivered to three key referral hospitals in southern Gaza but that it still needed to reach the north of the Palestinian enclave, one of the most densely-populated places in the world.
+""We still have not been able to reach the hospitals in the north with the medical supplies or the desperately needed fuel,"" said Dr Rick Brennan, WHO Regional Emergencies Director for Eastern Mediterranean Region. Brennan said one-third of hospitals in the Gaza Strip were now non-functional at a time when the medical burden is enormous, and that some two-thirds of clinics are not functioning.
+""We are on our knees asking for that sustained, scaled up, protected humanitarian operation,"" he said. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-palestinian-refugee-agency-calls-unimpeded-flow-aid-gaza-2023-10-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UN organisations plead for unimpeded Gaza aid 'on our knees'[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - United Nations agencies called ""on our knees"" on Tuesday for aid to be allowed unimpeded into Gaza, saying more than 20 times current deliveries were needed to support its Palestinian population after two weeks of Israeli air strikes.
+U.N. organisations have been making increasingly desperate appeals since Israel imposed a full blockade on the coastal strip and began bombardments to root out Hamas militants who had killed civilians in a bloody raid into southern Israel.
+Trucks of aid began moving into Gaza from Egypt on Saturday after intense diplomatic efforts, but the agencies say they are far from enough. Half of the enclave's 2.3 million people are homeless, many people have been wounded and food and clean water is in short supply.
+""The aid which resumed from Egypt over the weekend is a mere drop in the ocean of what is needed,"" said Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
+Fuel, which has not been sent to the Gaza Strip along with the humanitarian aid, was crucial, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said.
+""Fuel is extremely urgent because without fuel, the trucks themselves cannot move,"" UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai said. ""Without fuel, the generators cannot produce electricity for hospitals, for bakeries and for the water desalination plant.
+Brian Lander, deputy head of emergencies at the World Food Programme, said that some 465 trucks of humanitarian aid were needed per day to support the population in Gaza prior to the conflict.
+""We're seeing at best 20 trucks a day at the moment,"" he said, stressing that the people of Gaza were dire need of water, food and other essential products.
+WHO said medicines and health supplies had been delivered to three key referral hospitals in southern Gaza but that it still needed to reach the north of the Palestinian enclave, one of the most densely-populated places in the world.
+""We still have not been able to reach the hospitals in the north with the medical supplies or the desperately needed fuel,"" said Dr Rick Brennan, WHO Regional Emergencies Director for Eastern Mediterranean Region.
+Brennan said one-third of hospitals in the Gaza Strip were now non-functional at a time when the medical burden is enormous, and that some two-thirds of clinics are not functioning.
+""We are on our knees asking for that sustained, scaled up, protected humanitarian operation,"" he said.
+""We appeal to all of those in a situation to make a decision or to influence decision-makers to give us the humanitarian space to address this human catastrophe.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""We appeal to all of those in a situation to make a decision or to influence decision-makers to give us the humanitarian space to address this human catastrophe.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/image-atletico-madrid-fans-holding-giant-palestinian-flag-is-fake-2023-10-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Image of Atletico Madrid fans holding giant Palestinian flag is fake[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A fake image showing Atletico Madrid supporters displaying a giant Palestinian flag in their home stadium is being shared with the claim that it was a gesture of solidarity made by the Spanish football club amid the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
+The fabricated image, likely generated using AI, does not show a real event and the account that shared it is not associated with the football club, according to an Atletico Madrid official.
+Israel vowed to wipe out the Hamas Islamist group following the latter’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and has pounded Gaza with air strikes, putting 2.3 million people under a total siege.
+“Atletico Madrid fans support Palestine,” reads one post, opens new tab with over 1.7 million views on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing the image showing a giant Palestinian flag in the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium filled with fans wearing Atlético de Madrid jerseys.
+The image was also shared on Facebook, opens new tab.
+A post on X from the handle @AtletiHouse, opens new tab shared the image on Oct. 18 with an Arabic caption that translates to “An imaginative design for Atletico Madrid fans raising the Palestinian flag in the Civitas Metropolitano.”
+@AtletiHouse did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
+Juan Jose Anaut, Atletico Madrid’s deputy director of communications and marketing, said in an email to Reuters that the image did not show an authentic photograph and @AtletiHouse is not an official account associated with the club.
+Siwei Lyu, a professor in the Computer Science and Engineering department at the University at Buffalo, said in an email that the image has “strong signs of being AI-generated, possibly from models such as stable diffusion.”
+Another indication that the image of a nighttime event is fabricated is the fact that, since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, Atletico’s only home match was played on Oct. 8 against Real Sociedad in Madrid’s Civitas Metropolitan Stadium, opens new tab, which was held during the day, opens new tab as seen in video posted by Atletico’s official X account.
+The picture circulating online shows a game played under the lights.
+The fake image is being shared amid, opens new tab reports, opens new tab of a call from Scottish club Celtic’s fan group, Green Brigade, to fly the Palestinian flag on Oct. 25 during their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.
+VERDICT
+False. The image of Atletico de Madrid fans holding a giant Palestinian flag at a match is fabricated.
+This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Image of Atletico Madrid fans holding giant Palestinian flag is fake[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A fake image showing Atletico Madrid supporters displaying a giant Palestinian flag in their home stadium is being shared with the claim that it was a gesture of solidarity made by the Spanish football club amid the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. The fabricated image, likely generated using AI, does not show a real event and the account that shared it is not associated with the football club, according to an Atletico Madrid official. Israel vowed to wipe out the Hamas Islamist group following the latter’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and has pounded Gaza with air strikes, putting 2.3 million people under a total siege. “Atletico Madrid fans support Palestine,” reads one post, opens new tab with over 1.7 million views on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing the image showing a giant Palestinian flag in the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium filled with fans wearing Atlético de Madrid jerseys.
+The image was also shared on Facebook, opens new tab. A post on X from the handle @AtletiHouse, opens new tab shared the image on Oct. 18 with an Arabic caption that translates to “An imaginative design for Atletico Madrid fans raising the Palestinian flag in the Civitas Metropolitano.” @AtletiHouse did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.  Juan Jose Anaut, Atletico Madrid’s deputy director of communications and marketing, said in an email to Reuters that the image did not show an authentic photograph and @AtletiHouse is not an official account associated with the club.
+Siwei Lyu, a professor in the Computer Science and Engineering department at the University at Buffalo, said in an email that the image has “strong signs of being AI-generated, possibly from models such as stable diffusion. ” Another indication that the image of a nighttime event is fabricated is the fact that, since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, Atletico’s only home match was played on Oct. 8 against Real Sociedad in Madrid’s Civitas Metropolitan Stadium, opens new tab, which was held during the day, opens new tab as seen in video posted by Atletico’s official X account. The picture circulating online shows a game played under the lights. The fake image is being shared amid, opens new tab reports, opens new tab of a call from Scottish club Celtic’s fan group, Green Brigade, to fly the Palestinian flag on Oct. 25 during their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.  VERDICT
+False. The image of Atletico de Madrid fans holding a giant Palestinian flag at a match is fabricated."
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/image-atletico-madrid-fans-holding-giant-palestinian-flag-is-fake-2023-10-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Image of Atletico Madrid fans holding giant Palestinian flag is fake[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A fake image showing Atletico Madrid supporters displaying a giant Palestinian flag in their home stadium is being shared with the claim that it was a gesture of solidarity made by the Spanish football club amid the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
+The fabricated image, likely generated using AI, does not show a real event and the account that shared it is not associated with the football club, according to an Atletico Madrid official.
+Israel vowed to wipe out the Hamas Islamist group following the latter’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and has pounded Gaza with air strikes, putting 2.3 million people under a total siege.
+“Atletico Madrid fans support Palestine,” reads one post, opens new tab with over 1.7 million views on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing the image showing a giant Palestinian flag in the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium filled with fans wearing Atlético de Madrid jerseys.
+The image was also shared on Facebook, opens new tab.
+A post on X from the handle @AtletiHouse, opens new tab shared the image on Oct. 18 with an Arabic caption that translates to “An imaginative design for Atletico Madrid fans raising the Palestinian flag in the Civitas Metropolitano.”
+@AtletiHouse did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
+Juan Jose Anaut, Atletico Madrid’s deputy director of communications and marketing, said in an email to Reuters that the image did not show an authentic photograph and @AtletiHouse is not an official account associated with the club.
+Siwei Lyu, a professor in the Computer Science and Engineering department at the University at Buffalo, said in an email that the image has “strong signs of being AI-generated, possibly from models such as stable diffusion.”
+Another indication that the image of a nighttime event is fabricated is the fact that, since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, Atletico’s only home match was played on Oct. 8 against Real Sociedad in Madrid’s Civitas Metropolitan Stadium, opens new tab, which was held during the day, opens new tab as seen in video posted by Atletico’s official X account.
+The picture circulating online shows a game played under the lights.
+The fake image is being shared amid, opens new tab reports, opens new tab of a call from Scottish club Celtic’s fan group, Green Brigade, to fly the Palestinian flag on Oct. 25 during their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.
+VERDICT
+False. The image of Atletico de Madrid fans holding a giant Palestinian flag at a match is fabricated.
+This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]",This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.  Read more about our fact-checking work.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk-provide-20-million-pounds-further-aid-gaza-2023-10-23/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK to provide 20 million pounds of further aid for Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set out further aid for the Palestinian people on Monday, saying the government would provide an additional 20 million pounds ($24.4 million) of humanitarian support for Gaza.
+""We need a constant stream of aid pouring in, bringing the water, food, medicine and fuel that is so desperately needed,"" Sunak told lawmakers in an update on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
+""We are providing an additional 20 million pounds of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, more than doubling our previous support to the Palestinian people.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]UK to provide 20 million pounds of further aid for Gaza[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set out further aid for the Palestinian people on Monday, saying the government would provide an additional 20 million pounds ($24.4 million) of humanitarian support for Gaza.  ""We need a constant stream of aid pouring in, bringing the water, food, medicine and fuel that is so desperately needed,"" Sunak told lawmakers in an update on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
+"" We are providing an additional 20 million pounds of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, more than doubling our previous support to the Palestinian people.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/about-100000-protesters-join-pro-palestinian-march-through-london-2023-10-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]About 100,000 protesters join pro-Palestinian march through London[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - About 100,000 people joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London on Saturday, marching through the British capital to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel two weeks ago.
+Chanting ""Free Palestine"", holding banners and waving Palestinian flags, the protesters moved through London before massing at Downing Street, the official residence and office of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
+Police estimated 100,000 people had taken part in the ""National March for Palestine"" demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
+""As a Palestinian who'd like to return home one day, as a Palestinian who has brothers and sisters in Gaza, and family, I wish we can do more but protest is what we can do at the minute,"" one woman, who declined to give her name, told Reuters.
+
+Many of the chants and banners contained strong anti-Israeli slogans, and one protester held a banner with pictures of Sunak, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the message ""Wanted For War crimes"".
+Police had cautioned before the march that anyone showing support for Hamas, banned as a terrorist organisation in Britain, would face arrest, and any incident of hate crime would not be tolerated.
+The protest was mostly peaceful, and police said they had made 10 arrests.
+Figures on Friday showed there had been a 1,353% increase in antisemitic offences this month compared to the same period last year, while Islamophobic offences were up 140%.
+""This has been an issue which has long stimulated passions and we are now all seeing on social media and in our communities, how divisive and polarising the current situation has become,"" British foreign minister James Cleverly said at a peace summit in Cairo.
+
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]About 100,000 protesters join pro-Palestinian march through London[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - About 100,000 people joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London on Saturday, marching through the British capital to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel two weeks ago. Chanting ""Free Palestine"", holding banners and waving Palestinian flags, the protesters moved through London before massing at Downing Street, the official residence and office of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Police estimated 100,000 people had taken part in the ""National March for Palestine"" demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. ""As a Palestinian who'd like to return home one day, as a Palestinian who has brothers and sisters in Gaza, and family, I wish we can do more but protest is what we can do at the minute,"" one woman, who declined to give her name, told Reuters.  Many of the chants and banners contained strong anti-Israeli slogans, and one protester held a banner with pictures of Sunak, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the message ""Wanted For War crimes"". Police had cautioned before the march that anyone showing support for Hamas, banned as a terrorist organisation in Britain, would face arrest, and any incident of hate crime would not be tolerated. The protest was mostly peaceful, and police said they had made 10 arrests. Figures on Friday showed there had been a 1,353% increase in antisemitic offences this month compared to the same period last year, while Islamophobic offences were up 140%.
+""This has been an issue which has long stimulated passions and we are now all seeing on social media and in our communities, how divisive and polarising the current situation has become,"" British foreign minister James Cleverly said at a peace summit in Cairo. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/thousands-australia-join-pro-palestinian-march-over-gaza-2023-10-21/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Thousands in Australia join pro-Palestinian march over Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Thousands took part in a pro-Palestinian march in Australia's biggest city, Sydney, on Saturday, getting last-minute approval amid concerns after some protesters at an earlier rally had chanted anti-Jewish slogans.
+Protesters worldwide on Friday demanded an end to Israel's bombardment of Gaza after nearly two weeks of intense air and artillery strikes that authorities in the narrow strip say have killed 4,100 people.
+Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Friday to ""fight until victory"" in Gaza, signalling no pause in his military's bombardment and expected invasion of the enclave over Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which 1,400 in Israel and seized hostages.
+In Sydney, Australia's biggest city, around 15,000 people attended Saturday's march, organiser Palestine Action Group said, with demonstrators chanting ""Palestine will never die"" and waving Palestine flags. Police, including officers on horseback, patrolled the event that closed city streets, and a police helicopter circled overhead.
+Police said no arrests had been made, and Palestine Action Group spokesperson Amal Naser said the march was peaceful.
+
+Protester Barbara O'Neill described Palestinians as ""my brothers and sisters"", saying, ""They have been suffering genocide publicly and in a very high-profile way.""
+Rally-goer James McGlone said people had a ""right to know what’s going on with the Palestinians... If they knew what the state of Israel has done and is continuing to do, they would support Palestine.""
+A protester who gave her name only as Doaa, said: ""I’m here because this is a humanitarian cause first and foremost. And I’m supporting, you know, humanity in every way.""
+But Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the top group for Australia's Jewish community, said Saturday's Sydney rally ""incited more hatred in Australia"" and fractured ""fragile social cohesion"".
+A rally outside the Sydney Opera House two days after the Hamas attack had ignited heated debate after a small group were filmed chanting ""Gas the Jews"".
+Pro-Palestine rallies were also scheduled on Saturday in state capitals Brisbane, Perth and Hobart, Palestine Action Group said, after thousands attended largely well behaved rallies around Australia last weekend.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Thousands in Australia join pro-Palestinian march over Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]SYDNEY, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Thousands took part in a pro-Palestinian march in Australia's biggest city, Sydney, on Saturday, getting last-minute approval amid concerns after some protesters at an earlier rally had chanted anti-Jewish slogans. Protesters worldwide on Friday demanded an end to Israel's bombardment of Gaza after nearly two weeks of intense air and artillery strikes that authorities in the narrow strip say have killed 4,100 people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Friday to ""fight until victory"" in Gaza, signalling no pause in his military's bombardment and expected invasion of the enclave over Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which 1,400 in Israel and seized hostages.  In Sydney, Australia's biggest city, around 15,000 people attended Saturday's march, organiser Palestine Action Group said, with demonstrators chanting ""Palestine will never die"" and waving Palestine flags. Police, including officers on horseback, patrolled the event that closed city streets, and a police helicopter circled overhead. Police said no arrests had been made, and Palestine Action Group spokesperson Amal Naser said the march was peaceful.  Protester Barbara O'Neill described Palestinians as ""my brothers and sisters"", saying, ""They have been suffering genocide publicly and in a very high-profile way.""
+Rally-goer James McGlone said people had a ""right to know what’s going on with the Palestinians... If they knew what the state of Israel has done and is continuing to do, they would support Palestine.""  A protester who gave her name only as Doaa, said: ""I’m here because this is a humanitarian cause first and foremost. And I’m supporting, you know, humanity in every way."" But Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the top group for Australia's Jewish community, said Saturday's Sydney rally ""incited more hatred in Australia"" and fractured ""fragile social cohesion"". A rally outside the Sydney Opera House two days after the Hamas attack had ignited heated debate after a small group were filmed chanting ""Gas the Jews"". Pro-Palestine rallies were also scheduled on Saturday in state capitals Brisbane, Perth and Hobart, Palestine Action Group said, after thousands attended largely well behaved rallies around Australia last weekend.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/muslims-protest-around-world-demand-end-israels-gaza-campaign-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Muslims protest around world to demand end to Israel's Gaza campaign[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN/CAIRO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Protesters from Jakarta to Tunis on Friday demanded an end to Israel's bombardment of Gaza after nearly two weeks of intense air and artillery strikes that authorities there say have killed 4,100 people.
+Israel is gearing up for a ground war in the tiny, crowded Palestinian enclave aimed at eradicating Hamas, the militant Islamist group that rampaged into Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people and seizing hostages.
+While some Western governments have voiced support for Israel's military campaign, many Muslim states have called for an immediate ceasefire, with many of their people angry at conditions in Gaza and expressing solidarity with Palestinians.
+Protests suddenly erupted across much of the region late on Tuesday after Gaza authorities said hundreds of people had been killed in a blast at a hospital. Hamas said an Israeli airstrike was responsible. Israel blamed a failed rocket launch by a Palestinian group.
+In Jordan, which made peace with Israel in 1994, but where much of the population has Palestinian heritage, more than 6,000 protesters marched in the centre of the capital while thousands more rallied near the Israeli embassy.
+Protesters voiced support for Hamas, urging it to attack Israel with rocket strikes and suicide bombings, and addressing the Palestinian group with the chant: ""We are your army.""
+Thousands of demonstrators also gathered in each of Turkey and Egypt, two other countries that have long had full diplomatic relations with Israel, demanding an end to the bombing.
+About 2,000 people gathered in front of Istanbul's Beyazit Mosque, burning an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and waved Palestinian flags. Some held placards reading: ""Stop the genocide"" and ""Terrorist Israel"".
+In Egypt, thousands of protesters stood at the al-Azhar mosque, one of the oldest in the world, chanting ""Where is the Arab army?"", while others gathered at the central Tahrir Square.
+Some demanded military action against Israel, others said Arab states should consider using other methods to stop the bombardment of Gaza. Egypt borders Gaza but has not been able to negotiate an opening of its crossing to allow in aid.
+
+""Palestine is the only country that unites our voices. If the Gulf countries do not send aid, at least they should stop sending oil and gas. That's the least they should do,"" said protester Mohammed Gomaa in Cairo.
+BURNING FLAGS AND EFFIGIES
+In Morocco, where the government agreed in 2020 to normalise ties with Israel in return for U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, Islamists and leftists said they would hold a sit-in later on Friday.
+Hundreds of people marched in central Tunis, a smaller protest than ones that have rallied there against Israel's Gaza campaign in recent days. Others demonstrated in front of the U.S. embassy.
+""The real terrorism is Israel and America, which supports it,"" said Souhail Ben Nasser, a protester in the Tunis crowd.
+In southeast Asia hundreds of people gathered to protest near the U.S. embassies in each of the Indonesian and Malaysian capitals, burning Israeli flags and stamping on pictures of Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden.
+""Today we gather here with the same intention to condemn the criminal act by Israel,"" said Qilla Marisa, a protester in Kuala Lumpur.
+Muslims in India staged smaller protests in Jaipur and Mumbai, holding up placards reading ""Free Palestine"".
+Israel's biggest regional foe Iran, and allied groups around the region, also held state-sanctioned protests. In Iraq, Shi'ite militias backed by Tehran mobilised hundreds of supporters in Baghdad near the bridge leading to the fortified Green Zone where the U.S. embassy is located.
+On Iraq's border with Jordan, hundreds of supporters of Iran-backed paramilitary groups staged a sit-in to voice support for Gaza, brought in by bus. ""We are going to support our people in Palestine,"" said one of them, 26-year-old Hussein Samir.
+(This story has been corrected to show that much of Jordanian population is of Palestinian heritage, not that it holds Palestinian citizenship, in paragraph 5)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Muslims protest around world to demand end to Israel's Gaza campaign[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN/CAIRO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Protesters from Jakarta to Tunis on Friday demanded an end to Israel's bombardment of Gaza after nearly two weeks of intense air and artillery strikes that authorities there say have killed 4,100 people. Israel is gearing up for a ground war in the tiny, crowded Palestinian enclave aimed at eradicating Hamas, the militant Islamist group that rampaged into Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people and seizing hostages. While some Western governments have voiced support for Israel's military campaign, many Muslim states have called for an immediate ceasefire, with many of their people angry at conditions in Gaza and expressing solidarity with Palestinians. Protests suddenly erupted across much of the region late on Tuesday after Gaza authorities said hundreds of people had been killed in a blast at a hospital. Hamas said an Israeli airstrike was responsible. Israel blamed a failed rocket launch by a Palestinian group.  In Jordan, which made peace with Israel in 1994, but where much of the population has Palestinian heritage, more than 6,000 protesters marched in the centre of the capital while thousands more rallied near the Israeli embassy.
+Protesters voiced support for Hamas, urging it to attack Israel with rocket strikes and suicide bombings, and addressing the Palestinian group with the chant: ""We are your army.""
+Thousands of demonstrators also gathered in each of Turkey and Egypt, two other countries that have long had full diplomatic relations with Israel, demanding an end to the bombing.  About 2,000 people gathered in front of Istanbul's Beyazit Mosque, burning an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and waved Palestinian flags. Some held placards reading: ""Stop the genocide"" and ""Terrorist Israel"". In Egypt, thousands of protesters stood at the al-Azhar mosque, one of the oldest in the world, chanting ""Where is the Arab army?"", while others gathered at the central Tahrir Square.
+Some demanded military action against Israel, others said Arab states should consider using other methods to stop the bombardment of Gaza. Egypt borders Gaza but has not been able to negotiate an opening of its crossing to allow in aid. ""Palestine is the only country that unites our voices. If the Gulf countries do not send aid, at least they should stop sending oil and gas. That's the least they should do,"" said protester Mohammed Gomaa in Cairo. BURNING FLAGS AND EFFIGIES "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/muslims-protest-around-world-demand-end-israels-gaza-campaign-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Muslims protest around world to demand end to Israel's Gaza campaign[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]AMMAN/CAIRO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Protesters from Jakarta to Tunis on Friday demanded an end to Israel's bombardment of Gaza after nearly two weeks of intense air and artillery strikes that authorities there say have killed 4,100 people.
+Israel is gearing up for a ground war in the tiny, crowded Palestinian enclave aimed at eradicating Hamas, the militant Islamist group that rampaged into Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people and seizing hostages.
+While some Western governments have voiced support for Israel's military campaign, many Muslim states have called for an immediate ceasefire, with many of their people angry at conditions in Gaza and expressing solidarity with Palestinians.
+Protests suddenly erupted across much of the region late on Tuesday after Gaza authorities said hundreds of people had been killed in a blast at a hospital. Hamas said an Israeli airstrike was responsible. Israel blamed a failed rocket launch by a Palestinian group.
+In Jordan, which made peace with Israel in 1994, but where much of the population has Palestinian heritage, more than 6,000 protesters marched in the centre of the capital while thousands more rallied near the Israeli embassy.
+Protesters voiced support for Hamas, urging it to attack Israel with rocket strikes and suicide bombings, and addressing the Palestinian group with the chant: ""We are your army.""
+Thousands of demonstrators also gathered in each of Turkey and Egypt, two other countries that have long had full diplomatic relations with Israel, demanding an end to the bombing.
+About 2,000 people gathered in front of Istanbul's Beyazit Mosque, burning an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and waved Palestinian flags. Some held placards reading: ""Stop the genocide"" and ""Terrorist Israel"".
+In Egypt, thousands of protesters stood at the al-Azhar mosque, one of the oldest in the world, chanting ""Where is the Arab army?"", while others gathered at the central Tahrir Square.
+Some demanded military action against Israel, others said Arab states should consider using other methods to stop the bombardment of Gaza. Egypt borders Gaza but has not been able to negotiate an opening of its crossing to allow in aid.
+
+""Palestine is the only country that unites our voices. If the Gulf countries do not send aid, at least they should stop sending oil and gas. That's the least they should do,"" said protester Mohammed Gomaa in Cairo.
+BURNING FLAGS AND EFFIGIES
+In Morocco, where the government agreed in 2020 to normalise ties with Israel in return for U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, Islamists and leftists said they would hold a sit-in later on Friday.
+Hundreds of people marched in central Tunis, a smaller protest than ones that have rallied there against Israel's Gaza campaign in recent days. Others demonstrated in front of the U.S. embassy.
+""The real terrorism is Israel and America, which supports it,"" said Souhail Ben Nasser, a protester in the Tunis crowd.
+In southeast Asia hundreds of people gathered to protest near the U.S. embassies in each of the Indonesian and Malaysian capitals, burning Israeli flags and stamping on pictures of Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden.
+""Today we gather here with the same intention to condemn the criminal act by Israel,"" said Qilla Marisa, a protester in Kuala Lumpur.
+Muslims in India staged smaller protests in Jaipur and Mumbai, holding up placards reading ""Free Palestine"".
+Israel's biggest regional foe Iran, and allied groups around the region, also held state-sanctioned protests. In Iraq, Shi'ite militias backed by Tehran mobilised hundreds of supporters in Baghdad near the bridge leading to the fortified Green Zone where the U.S. embassy is located.
+On Iraq's border with Jordan, hundreds of supporters of Iran-backed paramilitary groups staged a sit-in to voice support for Gaza, brought in by bus. ""We are going to support our people in Palestine,"" said one of them, 26-year-old Hussein Samir.
+(This story has been corrected to show that much of Jordanian population is of Palestinian heritage, not that it holds Palestinian citizenship, in paragraph 5)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","In Morocco, where the government agreed in 2020 to normalise ties with Israel in return for U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, Islamists and leftists said they would hold a sit-in later on Friday.  Hundreds of people marched in central Tunis, a smaller protest than ones that have rallied there against Israel's Gaza campaign in recent days. Others demonstrated in front of the U.S. embassy. ""The real terrorism is Israel and America, which supports it,"" said Souhail Ben Nasser, a protester in the Tunis crowd. In southeast Asia hundreds of people gathered to protest near the U.S. embassies in each of the Indonesian and Malaysian capitals, burning Israeli flags and stamping on pictures of Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden. ""Today we gather here with the same intention to condemn the criminal act by Israel,"" said Qilla Marisa, a protester in Kuala Lumpur. Muslims in India staged smaller protests in Jaipur and Mumbai, holding up placards reading ""Free Palestine"".  Israel's biggest regional foe Iran, and allied groups around the region, also held state-sanctioned protests. In Iraq, Shi'ite militias backed by Tehran mobilised hundreds of supporters in Baghdad near the bridge leading to the fortified Green Zone where the U.S. embassy is located.  On Iraq's border with Jordan, hundreds of supporters of Iran-backed paramilitary groups staged a sit-in to voice support for Gaza, brought in by bus. ""We are going to support our people in Palestine,"" said one of them, 26-year-old Hussein Samir. (This story has been corrected to show that much of Jordanian population is of Palestinian heritage, not that it holds Palestinian citizenship, in paragraph 5)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/wall-street-cues-lesson-ivory-tower-finance-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Wall Street cues a lesson in Ivory Tower finance[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Oct 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Wall Streeters are trying to teach universities a lesson, but may provide them with a broader understanding of economics instead. Billionaire investors Marc Rowan and Bill Ackman are enraged, opens new tab over controversial positions on the Middle East at their respective alma maters, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. In doing so, they have drawn attention to the unsavory money-go-round in U.S. higher education and provided an opportunity for the system to become a freer market.
+Leading American colleges are powered by affluence. The median family income for Harvard students is nearly $169,000, or about 2.5 times the U.S. average. Fewer than 2% of graduates came from poor upbringings and went on to become wealthy, according to Opportunity Insights, opens new tab, a research group at Harvard. Basically, the university is fully aware the rich help the rich stay rich.
+Efforts have been made to change, including by rejecting the standardized testing that favors applicants who can, among other things, afford pricey preparation courses. Stockpiles of cash donated by Rowan, Ackman and other alumni also should theoretically make such institutions more accessible, but haven’t. The fair value of Harvard’s roughly $50 billion endowment is nearly twice as much as it was in 2009. Yet tuition and fees, at almost $75,000 annually, have increased by 58% over the same span, faster than the wider rate of inflation.
+
+One reason is the willingness of attendees to borrow heavily for a diploma. Top-notch colleges have the luxury of abiding such debt partly because of the supply and demand curve taught in Economics 101. The eight Ivy League schools, for example, accept fewer than 6% of applicants. Many don’t pay full fare out of pocket to matriculate, but their family wealth suggests there’s more work to do.
+
+Investment firms, like Rowan’s Apollo Global Management (APO.N), opens new tab and Ackman’s Pershing Square, exacerbate the problem. Elite universities funnel, opens new tab many graduates to lucrative careers in finance and consulting, and studies have shown that social class often predetermines, opens new tab success. Roughly 30% of students from the Harvard class of 2022 earn more than $110,000; many will inevitably send checks back to Cambridge, Massachusetts.
+These donations sustain the vicious loop, in part by providing access to the best students and teachers. Rowan and Ackman being irked by the universities supporting an event with antisemitic speakers and student groups blaming Israel for the Hamas attacks suggests academic prestige has its limits, however. And yet Rowan urging fellow grads to stop sending money might helpfully force colleges to rethink their business models.
+Ideally, Ivory Towers would price education closer to its actual value rather than what people are willing to pay. Merit might carry more weight than wealth. Students could seek jobs based on skills and interests rather than future earnings potential. In the end, it would help curb some of the undue power wielded by the upper class.
+Follow @thereallsl, opens new tab on X
+(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.)
+CONTEXT NEWS
+Apollo Global Management Chief Executive Marc Rowan has called on University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Chair of the Board of Trustees Scott Bok to resign over a decision to allow antisemitic speakers at a university-supported Palestine Writers Literary Festival.
+Rowan, who also urged fellow alumni to stop making donations, on Oct. 11 made public an op-ed he wrote for the student newspaper that went unpublished. He is chairman of the board of advisors at Penn’s business school, Wharton.
+Since then, other large donors including Renaissance Technologies’ David Magerman, Estee Lauder heir Ronald Lauder and politician Jon Huntsman have said they will withdraw their funding.
+Separately, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and Pershing Square founder Bill Ackman have criticized Harvard University after it failed to distance itself from a group of students who blamed Israel for the Hamas attacks against the country.
+Ackman is demanding that Harvard release the names of students behind organizations that signed a letter saying they hold the “Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.”
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Wall Street cues a lesson in Ivory Tower finance[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Oct 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Wall Streeters are trying to teach universities a lesson, but may provide them with a broader understanding of economics instead. Billionaire investors Marc Rowan and Bill Ackman are enraged, opens new tab over controversial positions on the Middle East at their respective alma maters, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. In doing so, they have drawn attention to the unsavory money-go-round in U.S. higher education and provided an opportunity for the system to become a freer market.  Leading American colleges are powered by affluence. The median family income for Harvard students is nearly $169,000, or about 2.5 times the U.S. average. Fewer than 2% of graduates came from poor upbringings and went on to become wealthy, according to Opportunity Insights, opens new tab, a research group at Harvard. Basically, the university is fully aware the rich help the rich stay rich.  Efforts have been made to change, including by rejecting the standardized testing that favors applicants who can, among other things, afford pricey preparation courses. Stockpiles of cash donated by Rowan, Ackman and other alumni also should theoretically make such institutions more accessible, but haven’t. The fair value of Harvard’s roughly $50 billion endowment is nearly twice as much as it was in 2009. Yet tuition and fees, at almost $75,000 annually, have increased by 58% over the same span, faster than the wider rate of inflation.  One reason is the willingness of attendees to borrow heavily for a diploma. Top-notch colleges have the luxury of abiding such debt partly because of the supply and demand curve taught in Economics 101. The eight Ivy League schools, for example, accept fewer than 6% of applicants. Many don’t pay full fare out of pocket to matriculate, but their family wealth suggests there’s more work to do. Investment firms, like Rowan’s Apollo Global Management (APO.N), opens new tab and Ackman’s Pershing Square, exacerbate the problem. Elite universities funnel, opens new tab many graduates to lucrative careers in finance and consulting, and studies have shown that social class often predetermines, opens new tab success. Roughly 30% of students from the Harvard class of 2022 earn more than $110,000; many will inevitably send checks back to Cambridge, Massachusetts.  These donations sustain the vicious loop, in part by providing access to the best students and teachers. Rowan and Ackman being irked by the universities supporting an event with antisemitic speakers and student groups blaming Israel for the Hamas attacks suggests academic prestige has its limits, however."
+https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/wall-street-cues-lesson-ivory-tower-finance-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Wall Street cues a lesson in Ivory Tower finance[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]NEW YORK, Oct 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Wall Streeters are trying to teach universities a lesson, but may provide them with a broader understanding of economics instead. Billionaire investors Marc Rowan and Bill Ackman are enraged, opens new tab over controversial positions on the Middle East at their respective alma maters, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. In doing so, they have drawn attention to the unsavory money-go-round in U.S. higher education and provided an opportunity for the system to become a freer market.
+Leading American colleges are powered by affluence. The median family income for Harvard students is nearly $169,000, or about 2.5 times the U.S. average. Fewer than 2% of graduates came from poor upbringings and went on to become wealthy, according to Opportunity Insights, opens new tab, a research group at Harvard. Basically, the university is fully aware the rich help the rich stay rich.
+Efforts have been made to change, including by rejecting the standardized testing that favors applicants who can, among other things, afford pricey preparation courses. Stockpiles of cash donated by Rowan, Ackman and other alumni also should theoretically make such institutions more accessible, but haven’t. The fair value of Harvard’s roughly $50 billion endowment is nearly twice as much as it was in 2009. Yet tuition and fees, at almost $75,000 annually, have increased by 58% over the same span, faster than the wider rate of inflation.
+
+One reason is the willingness of attendees to borrow heavily for a diploma. Top-notch colleges have the luxury of abiding such debt partly because of the supply and demand curve taught in Economics 101. The eight Ivy League schools, for example, accept fewer than 6% of applicants. Many don’t pay full fare out of pocket to matriculate, but their family wealth suggests there’s more work to do.
+
+Investment firms, like Rowan’s Apollo Global Management (APO.N), opens new tab and Ackman’s Pershing Square, exacerbate the problem. Elite universities funnel, opens new tab many graduates to lucrative careers in finance and consulting, and studies have shown that social class often predetermines, opens new tab success. Roughly 30% of students from the Harvard class of 2022 earn more than $110,000; many will inevitably send checks back to Cambridge, Massachusetts.
+These donations sustain the vicious loop, in part by providing access to the best students and teachers. Rowan and Ackman being irked by the universities supporting an event with antisemitic speakers and student groups blaming Israel for the Hamas attacks suggests academic prestige has its limits, however. And yet Rowan urging fellow grads to stop sending money might helpfully force colleges to rethink their business models.
+Ideally, Ivory Towers would price education closer to its actual value rather than what people are willing to pay. Merit might carry more weight than wealth. Students could seek jobs based on skills and interests rather than future earnings potential. In the end, it would help curb some of the undue power wielded by the upper class.
+Follow @thereallsl, opens new tab on X
+(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.)
+CONTEXT NEWS
+Apollo Global Management Chief Executive Marc Rowan has called on University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Chair of the Board of Trustees Scott Bok to resign over a decision to allow antisemitic speakers at a university-supported Palestine Writers Literary Festival.
+Rowan, who also urged fellow alumni to stop making donations, on Oct. 11 made public an op-ed he wrote for the student newspaper that went unpublished. He is chairman of the board of advisors at Penn’s business school, Wharton.
+Since then, other large donors including Renaissance Technologies’ David Magerman, Estee Lauder heir Ronald Lauder and politician Jon Huntsman have said they will withdraw their funding.
+Separately, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and Pershing Square founder Bill Ackman have criticized Harvard University after it failed to distance itself from a group of students who blamed Israel for the Hamas attacks against the country.
+Ackman is demanding that Harvard release the names of students behind organizations that signed a letter saying they hold the “Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.”
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","And yet Rowan urging fellow grads to stop sending money might helpfully force colleges to rethink their business models. Ideally, Ivory Towers would price education closer to its actual value rather than what people are willing to pay. Merit might carry more weight than wealth. Students could seek jobs based on skills and interests rather than future earnings potential. In the end, it would help curb some of the undue power wielded by the upper class.  Follow @thereallsl, opens new tab on X
+(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.) CONTEXT NEWS Apollo Global Management Chief Executive Marc Rowan has called on University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Chair of the Board of Trustees Scott Bok to resign over a decision to allow antisemitic speakers at a university-supported Palestine Writers Literary Festival.  Rowan, who also urged fellow alumni to stop making donations, on Oct. 11 made public an op-ed he wrote for the student newspaper that went unpublished. He is chairman of the board of advisors at Penn’s business school, Wharton. Since then, other large donors including Renaissance Technologies’ David Magerman, Estee Lauder heir Ronald Lauder and politician Jon Huntsman have said they will withdraw their funding. Separately, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and Pershing Square founder Bill Ackman have criticized Harvard University after it failed to distance itself from a group of students who blamed Israel for the Hamas attacks against the country. Ackman is demanding that Harvard release the names of students behind organizations that signed a letter saying they hold the “Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.” [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-veto-un-shield-israel-could-weaken-its-ukraine-rallying-cry-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US veto at UN to shield Israel could weaken its Ukraine rallying cry[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - U.S. credibility rallying support for issues like Ukraine may have been compromised, some diplomats said, after Washington this week blocked United Nations action to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza from the war between Israel and Hamas.
+The U.S. veto in the U.N. Security Council bolstered long-held criticisms of the West by Russia, China and some developing countries and could once again hinder Washington's immediate ability to win backing for issues tied to human rights and humanitarian law.
+In 2017 and 2018, the United States - under then-President Donald Trump - cast two vetoes to shield its ally Israel, complicating a U.S. campaign to reform the U.N. Human Rights Council. Washington ultimately gave up due to a lack of support.
+U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield justified Wednesday's veto by telling the council more time was needed for diplomacy on the ground as President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region, focused on brokering aid access to Gaza and trying to free hostages held by Hamas.
+The United States is ""firmly committed to urgently addressing the dire humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza, as both President Biden and Secretary Blinken emphasized during their trips to the region,"" Nate Evans, spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations in New York, said on Friday.
+But after successfully and repeatedly isolating Russia in the 193-member U.N. General Assembly over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Washington may have to work harder if lobbying to build support for any future action.
+""The wider world will see an equivalence between this veto by the U.S. and Russia's behavior over Ukraine. Moscow and Beijing will emphasize this point whenever they can,"" said Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group.
+""Everyone knows Israel is a special case for the U.S., but the Americans ultimately slapped down a text that was very mild and humanitarian in focus,"" he said. The vetoed text included calls for pauses in the conflict to allow aid access to Gaza and for all parties to comply with international law.
+THE NEED 'TO GET THIS RIGHT'
+Israel has vowed to wipe out the Hamas Islamist group that rules Gaza, after its gunmen burst through the barrier fence surrounding the enclave on Oct. 7 and rampaged through Israeli towns and kibbutzes, killing 1,400 people, mainly civilians.
+Israel has since pounded Gaza from the air and imposed a complete siege on the enclave. The Palestinian health ministry says more than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed. The U.N. says more than a million have been made homeless.
+Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. was disappointed the draft resolution made no mention of Israel's rights of self-defense. She left the door open to future U.N. action, but said the council ""needs to get this right.""
+Louis Charbonneau, U.N. director for Human Rights Watch, said: ""If the U.S. and other Western governments want to convince the rest of the world they are serious about human rights and the laws of war, principles they rightly apply to Russian atrocities in Ukraine and to Hamas atrocities in Israel, they also have to apply to Israel's brutal disregard for civilian life in Gaza.""
+Former senior U.S. and U.N. official Jeffrey Feltman, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, said that while the origins of the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas were ""starkly different,"" it would not stop comparisons by some.
+""What better way to reinforce perceptions in the so-called Global South of American double standards than comparing Washington's condemnation of Russian destruction of Ukrainian civilian architecture with Washington's relative silence about Israel's destruction of Gazan civilian infrastructure?"" he said.
+DIPLOMATS CITE LOSS OF CREDIBILITY
+Senior diplomats from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East voiced concerns about double standards when contacted by Reuters after the U.S. veto, all of them speaking on condition of anonymity so as to preserve diplomatic relationships.
+""They lost credibility with the veto. What is good enough for Ukraine is not good enough for Palestine. The veto told us that Ukrainian lives are more valuable than Palestinian ones,"" said an African diplomat.
+A senior Arab diplomat said international law appeared to be ""invoked selectively"" by global superpowers.
+""We cannot choose to call on the U.N. Charter's principles to protect Ukraine and ignore it for Palestine,"" the diplomat said. ""This double standard is not only unjust but makes the world a much more dangerous place.""
+As global concern grew over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza - besieged by Israel after Hamas carried out the worst attack on civilians in Israeli history - diplomats say Russia saw an opportunity to retaliate over Ukraine by trying to diplomatically isolate the U.S. for supporting its ally.
+When launching Russia's bid for U.N. action last week, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called out western states for opposing a public council meeting ""while they use every fake pretext to call for the discussions of the situation in Ukraine.""
+A Russian-drafted resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire failed to pass on Monday. It was a similar attempt by Brazil that the United States vetoed on Wednesday.
+Libya's U.N. Ambassador Taher El-Sonni bluntly addressed the Security Council after the vote on Wednesday.
+""You have been preaching and lecturing us for decades, especially Western countries, about human rights and international law,"" he said. ""What message are you sending today to the world? The people of the world are not ignorant. So stop this double standard and stop this hypocrisy.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]US veto at UN to shield Israel could weaken its Ukraine rallying cry[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - U.S. credibility rallying support for issues like Ukraine may have been compromised, some diplomats said, after Washington this week blocked United Nations action to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza from the war between Israel and Hamas. The U.S. veto in the U.N. Security Council bolstered long-held criticisms of the West by Russia, China and some developing countries and could once again hinder Washington's immediate ability to win backing for issues tied to human rights and humanitarian law.  In 2017 and 2018, the United States - under then-President Donald Trump - cast two vetoes to shield its ally Israel, complicating a U.S. campaign to reform the U.N. Human Rights Council. Washington ultimately gave up due to a lack of support.  U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield justified Wednesday's veto by telling the council more time was needed for diplomacy on the ground as President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region, focused on brokering aid access to Gaza and trying to free hostages held by Hamas.
+The United States is ""firmly committed to urgently addressing the dire humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza, as both President Biden and Secretary Blinken emphasized during their trips to the region,"" Nate Evans, spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations in New York, said on Friday.
+But after successfully and repeatedly isolating Russia in the 193-member U.N. General Assembly over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Washington may have to work harder if lobbying to build support for any future action.
+"" The wider world will see an equivalence between this veto by the U.S. and Russia's behavior over Ukraine. Moscow and Beijing will emphasize this point whenever they can,"" said Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group.  ""Everyone knows Israel is a special case for the U.S., but the Americans ultimately slapped down a text that was very mild and humanitarian in focus,"" he said. The vetoed text included calls for pauses in the conflict to allow aid access to Gaza and for all parties to comply with international law.  THE NEED 'TO GET THIS RIGHT'
+Israel has vowed to wipe out the Hamas Islamist group that rules Gaza, after its gunmen burst through the barrier fence surrounding the enclave on Oct. 7 and rampaged through Israeli towns and kibbutzes, killing 1,400 people, mainly civilians.  Israel has since pounded Gaza from the air and imposed a complete siege on the enclave. The Palestinian health ministry says more than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-veto-un-shield-israel-could-weaken-its-ukraine-rallying-cry-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US veto at UN to shield Israel could weaken its Ukraine rallying cry[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - U.S. credibility rallying support for issues like Ukraine may have been compromised, some diplomats said, after Washington this week blocked United Nations action to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza from the war between Israel and Hamas.
+The U.S. veto in the U.N. Security Council bolstered long-held criticisms of the West by Russia, China and some developing countries and could once again hinder Washington's immediate ability to win backing for issues tied to human rights and humanitarian law.
+In 2017 and 2018, the United States - under then-President Donald Trump - cast two vetoes to shield its ally Israel, complicating a U.S. campaign to reform the U.N. Human Rights Council. Washington ultimately gave up due to a lack of support.
+U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield justified Wednesday's veto by telling the council more time was needed for diplomacy on the ground as President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region, focused on brokering aid access to Gaza and trying to free hostages held by Hamas.
+The United States is ""firmly committed to urgently addressing the dire humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza, as both President Biden and Secretary Blinken emphasized during their trips to the region,"" Nate Evans, spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations in New York, said on Friday.
+But after successfully and repeatedly isolating Russia in the 193-member U.N. General Assembly over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Washington may have to work harder if lobbying to build support for any future action.
+""The wider world will see an equivalence between this veto by the U.S. and Russia's behavior over Ukraine. Moscow and Beijing will emphasize this point whenever they can,"" said Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group.
+""Everyone knows Israel is a special case for the U.S., but the Americans ultimately slapped down a text that was very mild and humanitarian in focus,"" he said. The vetoed text included calls for pauses in the conflict to allow aid access to Gaza and for all parties to comply with international law.
+THE NEED 'TO GET THIS RIGHT'
+Israel has vowed to wipe out the Hamas Islamist group that rules Gaza, after its gunmen burst through the barrier fence surrounding the enclave on Oct. 7 and rampaged through Israeli towns and kibbutzes, killing 1,400 people, mainly civilians.
+Israel has since pounded Gaza from the air and imposed a complete siege on the enclave. The Palestinian health ministry says more than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed. The U.N. says more than a million have been made homeless.
+Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. was disappointed the draft resolution made no mention of Israel's rights of self-defense. She left the door open to future U.N. action, but said the council ""needs to get this right.""
+Louis Charbonneau, U.N. director for Human Rights Watch, said: ""If the U.S. and other Western governments want to convince the rest of the world they are serious about human rights and the laws of war, principles they rightly apply to Russian atrocities in Ukraine and to Hamas atrocities in Israel, they also have to apply to Israel's brutal disregard for civilian life in Gaza.""
+Former senior U.S. and U.N. official Jeffrey Feltman, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, said that while the origins of the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas were ""starkly different,"" it would not stop comparisons by some.
+""What better way to reinforce perceptions in the so-called Global South of American double standards than comparing Washington's condemnation of Russian destruction of Ukrainian civilian architecture with Washington's relative silence about Israel's destruction of Gazan civilian infrastructure?"" he said.
+DIPLOMATS CITE LOSS OF CREDIBILITY
+Senior diplomats from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East voiced concerns about double standards when contacted by Reuters after the U.S. veto, all of them speaking on condition of anonymity so as to preserve diplomatic relationships.
+""They lost credibility with the veto. What is good enough for Ukraine is not good enough for Palestine. The veto told us that Ukrainian lives are more valuable than Palestinian ones,"" said an African diplomat.
+A senior Arab diplomat said international law appeared to be ""invoked selectively"" by global superpowers.
+""We cannot choose to call on the U.N. Charter's principles to protect Ukraine and ignore it for Palestine,"" the diplomat said. ""This double standard is not only unjust but makes the world a much more dangerous place.""
+As global concern grew over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza - besieged by Israel after Hamas carried out the worst attack on civilians in Israeli history - diplomats say Russia saw an opportunity to retaliate over Ukraine by trying to diplomatically isolate the U.S. for supporting its ally.
+When launching Russia's bid for U.N. action last week, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called out western states for opposing a public council meeting ""while they use every fake pretext to call for the discussions of the situation in Ukraine.""
+A Russian-drafted resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire failed to pass on Monday. It was a similar attempt by Brazil that the United States vetoed on Wednesday.
+Libya's U.N. Ambassador Taher El-Sonni bluntly addressed the Security Council after the vote on Wednesday.
+""You have been preaching and lecturing us for decades, especially Western countries, about human rights and international law,"" he said. ""What message are you sending today to the world? The people of the world are not ignorant. So stop this double standard and stop this hypocrisy.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The U.N. says more than a million have been made homeless.  Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. was disappointed the draft resolution made no mention of Israel's rights of self-defense. She left the door open to future U.N. action, but said the council ""needs to get this right."" Louis Charbonneau, U.N. director for Human Rights Watch, said: ""If the U.S. and other Western governments want to convince the rest of the world they are serious about human rights and the laws of war, principles they rightly apply to Russian atrocities in Ukraine and to Hamas atrocities in Israel, they also have to apply to Israel's brutal disregard for civilian life in Gaza.""
+Former senior U.S. and U.N. official Jeffrey Feltman, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, said that while the origins of the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas were ""starkly different,"" it would not stop comparisons by some.
+""What better way to reinforce perceptions in the so-called Global South of American double standards than comparing Washington's condemnation of Russian destruction of Ukrainian civilian architecture with Washington's relative silence about Israel's destruction of Gazan civilian infrastructure?"" he said.  DIPLOMATS CITE LOSS OF CREDIBILITY Senior diplomats from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East voiced concerns about double standards when contacted by Reuters after the U.S. veto, all of them speaking on condition of anonymity so as to preserve diplomatic relationships.
+""They lost credibility with the veto. What is good enough for Ukraine is not good enough for Palestine. The veto told us that Ukrainian lives are more valuable than Palestinian ones,"" said an African diplomat. A senior Arab diplomat said international law appeared to be ""invoked selectively"" by global superpowers.  ""We cannot choose to call on the U.N. Charter's principles to protect Ukraine and ignore it for Palestine,"" the diplomat said. ""This double standard is not only unjust but makes the world a much more dangerous place.""  As global concern grew over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza - besieged by Israel after Hamas carried out the worst attack on civilians in Israeli history - diplomats say Russia saw an opportunity to retaliate over Ukraine by trying to diplomatically isolate the U.S. for supporting its ally.
+When launching Russia's bid for U.N. action last week, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called out western states for opposing a public council meeting ""while they use every fake pretext to call for the discussions of the situation in Ukraine.""
+A Russian-drafted resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire failed to pass on Monday."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us-veto-un-shield-israel-could-weaken-its-ukraine-rallying-cry-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]US veto at UN to shield Israel could weaken its Ukraine rallying cry[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]UNITED NATIONS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - U.S. credibility rallying support for issues like Ukraine may have been compromised, some diplomats said, after Washington this week blocked United Nations action to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza from the war between Israel and Hamas.
+The U.S. veto in the U.N. Security Council bolstered long-held criticisms of the West by Russia, China and some developing countries and could once again hinder Washington's immediate ability to win backing for issues tied to human rights and humanitarian law.
+In 2017 and 2018, the United States - under then-President Donald Trump - cast two vetoes to shield its ally Israel, complicating a U.S. campaign to reform the U.N. Human Rights Council. Washington ultimately gave up due to a lack of support.
+U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield justified Wednesday's veto by telling the council more time was needed for diplomacy on the ground as President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region, focused on brokering aid access to Gaza and trying to free hostages held by Hamas.
+The United States is ""firmly committed to urgently addressing the dire humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza, as both President Biden and Secretary Blinken emphasized during their trips to the region,"" Nate Evans, spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations in New York, said on Friday.
+But after successfully and repeatedly isolating Russia in the 193-member U.N. General Assembly over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Washington may have to work harder if lobbying to build support for any future action.
+""The wider world will see an equivalence between this veto by the U.S. and Russia's behavior over Ukraine. Moscow and Beijing will emphasize this point whenever they can,"" said Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group.
+""Everyone knows Israel is a special case for the U.S., but the Americans ultimately slapped down a text that was very mild and humanitarian in focus,"" he said. The vetoed text included calls for pauses in the conflict to allow aid access to Gaza and for all parties to comply with international law.
+THE NEED 'TO GET THIS RIGHT'
+Israel has vowed to wipe out the Hamas Islamist group that rules Gaza, after its gunmen burst through the barrier fence surrounding the enclave on Oct. 7 and rampaged through Israeli towns and kibbutzes, killing 1,400 people, mainly civilians.
+Israel has since pounded Gaza from the air and imposed a complete siege on the enclave. The Palestinian health ministry says more than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed. The U.N. says more than a million have been made homeless.
+Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. was disappointed the draft resolution made no mention of Israel's rights of self-defense. She left the door open to future U.N. action, but said the council ""needs to get this right.""
+Louis Charbonneau, U.N. director for Human Rights Watch, said: ""If the U.S. and other Western governments want to convince the rest of the world they are serious about human rights and the laws of war, principles they rightly apply to Russian atrocities in Ukraine and to Hamas atrocities in Israel, they also have to apply to Israel's brutal disregard for civilian life in Gaza.""
+Former senior U.S. and U.N. official Jeffrey Feltman, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, said that while the origins of the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas were ""starkly different,"" it would not stop comparisons by some.
+""What better way to reinforce perceptions in the so-called Global South of American double standards than comparing Washington's condemnation of Russian destruction of Ukrainian civilian architecture with Washington's relative silence about Israel's destruction of Gazan civilian infrastructure?"" he said.
+DIPLOMATS CITE LOSS OF CREDIBILITY
+Senior diplomats from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East voiced concerns about double standards when contacted by Reuters after the U.S. veto, all of them speaking on condition of anonymity so as to preserve diplomatic relationships.
+""They lost credibility with the veto. What is good enough for Ukraine is not good enough for Palestine. The veto told us that Ukrainian lives are more valuable than Palestinian ones,"" said an African diplomat.
+A senior Arab diplomat said international law appeared to be ""invoked selectively"" by global superpowers.
+""We cannot choose to call on the U.N. Charter's principles to protect Ukraine and ignore it for Palestine,"" the diplomat said. ""This double standard is not only unjust but makes the world a much more dangerous place.""
+As global concern grew over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza - besieged by Israel after Hamas carried out the worst attack on civilians in Israeli history - diplomats say Russia saw an opportunity to retaliate over Ukraine by trying to diplomatically isolate the U.S. for supporting its ally.
+When launching Russia's bid for U.N. action last week, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called out western states for opposing a public council meeting ""while they use every fake pretext to call for the discussions of the situation in Ukraine.""
+A Russian-drafted resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire failed to pass on Monday. It was a similar attempt by Brazil that the United States vetoed on Wednesday.
+Libya's U.N. Ambassador Taher El-Sonni bluntly addressed the Security Council after the vote on Wednesday.
+""You have been preaching and lecturing us for decades, especially Western countries, about human rights and international law,"" he said. ""What message are you sending today to the world? The people of the world are not ignorant. So stop this double standard and stop this hypocrisy.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","It was a similar attempt by Brazil that the United States vetoed on Wednesday. Libya's U.N. Ambassador Taher El-Sonni bluntly addressed the Security Council after the vote on Wednesday. ""You have been preaching and lecturing us for decades, especially Western countries, about human rights and international law,"" he said. ""What message are you sending today to the world? The people of the world are not ignorant. So stop this double standard and stop this hypocrisy.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/canada-is-still-committed-israel-palestine-two-state-solution-pm-trudeau-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Canada is still committed to Israel-Palestine two-state solution, Trudeau says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]OTTAWA, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Canada is still committed to a two-state solution to create peace in the Middle East, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, reiterating the country's long-time position in the wake of deadly Hamas attacks against Israel earlier this month.
+""Canada remains firm and steadfast in our commitment to a two-state solution,"" Trudeau told reporters in Toronto. ""The world and the region needs a peaceful, safe, prosperous, viable Palestinian state alongside a peaceful, prosperous, democratic, safe... Israel.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Canada is still committed to Israel-Palestine two-state solution, Trudeau says[/TITLE] [CONTENT]OTTAWA, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Canada is still committed to a two-state solution to create peace in the Middle East, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, reiterating the country's long-time position in the wake of deadly Hamas attacks against Israel earlier this month.  ""Canada remains firm and steadfast in our commitment to a two-state solution,"" Trudeau told reporters in Toronto. ""The world and the region needs a peaceful, safe, prosperous, viable Palestinian state alongside a peaceful, prosperous, democratic, safe... Israel.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraqis-stage-sit-in-iraq-jordan-border-calling-end-gaza-blockade-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iraqis stage sit-in at Iraq-Jordan border calling for end to Gaza blockade[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BAGHDAD, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Hundreds of supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups gathered on Friday at Iraq's main border crossing with Jordan to express solidarity with Gaza and call for an end to the blockade imposed by Israel. Some 800 supporters of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of mainly Shi'ite militia, departed from Baghdad late on Thursday in buses for the Iraqi-Jordanian border crossing in western Anbar province. It is the closest access point from Iraq to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Amid heavy security, protesters set up tents and staged a sit-in, demanding that Israel allow aid into Gaza. “No to Israel and normalization,” they chanted while waving Palestinian flags.
+Hundreds of PMF supporters also gathered in Baghdad near the bridge that leads to the fortified Green Zone, home to the U.S. embassy and other missions in Baghdad.
+Protesters in black outfits carried portraits of top Shi'ite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while waving the Palestinian and Iraq flags.
+Israel has vowed to wipe out the Hamas Islamist group that rules Gaza, after its gunmen on Oct. 7 rampaged through Israeli towns and kibbutzes, killing 1,400 people.
+Israel has pounded Gaza with air strikes and put the enclave's 2.3 million people under a total siege. At least 4,137 Palestinians have been killed, the Palestinian health ministry said.
+“We are going to support our people in Palestine,” said 26-year-old Hussein Samir, as he sat in a bus just before leaving Baghdad late on Thursday.
+“We condemn them, and we will give them a period of time; if they don’t lift the blockade, the resistance will begin, God willing, and the war against them (Israel) will begin."" On Thursday influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for a peaceful sit-in at the Palestinian borders in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan until Israel lifts the blockade on the enclave and aid is delivered to people in Gaza.
+Sadr said protesters should only carry shrouds and not arms.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Iraqis stage sit-in at Iraq-Jordan border calling for end to Gaza blockade[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BAGHDAD, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Hundreds of supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups gathered on Friday at Iraq's main border crossing with Jordan to express solidarity with Gaza and call for an end to the blockade imposed by Israel. Some 800 supporters of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of mainly Shi'ite militia, departed from Baghdad late on Thursday in buses for the Iraqi-Jordanian border crossing in western Anbar province. It is the closest access point from Iraq to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Amid heavy security, protesters set up tents and staged a sit-in, demanding that Israel allow aid into Gaza. “No to Israel and normalization,” they chanted while waving Palestinian flags. Hundreds of PMF supporters also gathered in Baghdad near the bridge that leads to the fortified Green Zone, home to the U.S. embassy and other missions in Baghdad. Protesters in black outfits carried portraits of top Shi'ite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while waving the Palestinian and Iraq flags. Israel has vowed to wipe out the Hamas Islamist group that rules Gaza, after its gunmen on Oct. 7 rampaged through Israeli towns and kibbutzes, killing 1,400 people.  Israel has pounded Gaza with air strikes and put the enclave's 2.3 million people under a total siege. At least 4,137 Palestinians have been killed, the Palestinian health ministry said. “We are going to support our people in Palestine,” said 26-year-old Hussein Samir, as he sat in a bus just before leaving Baghdad late on Thursday.  “We condemn them, and we will give them a period of time; if they don’t lift the blockade, the resistance will begin, God willing, and the war against them (Israel) will begin."" On Thursday influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for a peaceful sit-in at the Palestinian borders in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan until Israel lifts the blockade on the enclave and aid is delivered to people in Gaza. Sadr said protesters should only carry shrouds and not arms.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/china-russia-find-common-cause-israel-hamas-crisis-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]China and Russia find common cause in Israel-Hamas crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING/WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - With anger building across the Middle East over Israel's strikes in Gaza, China and Russia are finding common cause with countries across the region in support of the Palestinians.
+For Moscow and Beijing, Israel's bombardment of Gaza following the Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 Israelis presents an opportunity to burnish their credentials as the champions of the developing world, in contrast with the United States, which has put its support squarely behind ally Israel.
+China has consistently called for restraint and a ceasefire but has also sharpened its criticism of Israel.
+""Israel’s actions have gone beyond the scope of self-defense,"" Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this week, called on it to stop its ""collective punishment"" of Gaza residents, Chinese state media reported.
+Russia has expressed sympathy for the Palestinians while blaming the U.S. ""I think that many people will agree with me that this is a vivid example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East,"" Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week.
+Both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have sought to deepen ties to the global south, seeing economic opportunities and possibly a way to counterbalance the diplomatic influence of the U.S. and its allies.
+That was on display this week as China hosted a summit for Xi's signature Belt and Road Initiative, which has lent hundreds of billions of dollars for infrastructure projects across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia.
+Putin attended and met Xi for three hours of talks that included ""an in-depth exchange of views on the Palestinian-Israeli situation"", China said.
+""China and Russia still see (the crisis) more in terms of the United States than in terms of either Palestine or Israel,"" said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
+""If the United States can effectively rally the world, it’s bad for them. If the U.S. and its allies grow increasingly isolated, they see that as good for them.""
+SUPPORT FOR PALESTINE
+While the strategies of Russia and China in the Middle East are not fully aligned they have much in common.
+Russia is sharply critical of the U.S. but China has mostly avoided criticising it, a contrast to early in the Ukraine war, when China's support of Russia turned an unwelcome spotlight on its diplomatic position.
+China signalled its growing influence in the Middle East this year when it announced a surprise deal on the restoration of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
+Russia too has been improving ties with Iran, which has included supplies of Iranian drones and common cause in backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
+Both China and Russia share a history of support for the Palestinians - and are critical of what they say is the marginalisation of them by the United States.
+""There’s clearly a shared interest in emphasizing the negative role of the U.S. in the conflict,"" said Jean-Loup Samaan, senior research fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore.
+""And that fits within their broader narrative on the need to build an alternative world order to the U.S.""
+Russia's state media has said it was sending humanitarian aid to Gaza and China has sent its Middle East envoy to the region, where he met Russia's special representative. Russia said on Thursday it was coordinating Middle East policy with China.
+While Chinese media covered the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, since then reports have carried images of Palestinian suffering, with some prominently citing Palestinian sources as saying Israel was responsible.
+""None of the reality that shocked much of the world on Oct. 7 is in Chinese news. Instead, the news features Israeli bombing of Gaza without explaining that the target is only Hamas infrastructure,"" Carice Witte, director of the SIGNAL Group, a Sino-Israel relations think tank based in Tel Aviv.
+SEEKING ALLIES
+Russia's war in Ukraine gives it an added incentive to align itself with the Palestinian cause.
+The United States has been trying, with limited success, to persuade the global south to rally behind Ukraine. Portraying the U.S. as a driver of the conflict helps blunt that effort.
+Alterman sees a similar motivation for China, which regards the U.S. as its chief geopolitical rival.
+""China is trying to play the global south card, irrespective of its close ties to Israel. More than actually supporting Hamas, it is quietly helping build resistance to U.S. efforts to build international support for Israel,"" said Alterman.
+Ma Xiaolin, a Middle East expert and professor at Zhejiang International Studies University, said China was being even-handed between the Palestinians and Israel but if pushed, would side with its Arab partners.
+""If Israel, with the support of the United States, expands the scale and scope of the war and causes more humanitarian casualties, China will definitely tilt the balance in favour of the Palestinians,"" said Ma.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]China and Russia find common cause in Israel-Hamas crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING/WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - With anger building across the Middle East over Israel's strikes in Gaza, China and Russia are finding common cause with countries across the region in support of the Palestinians. For Moscow and Beijing, Israel's bombardment of Gaza following the Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 Israelis presents an opportunity to burnish their credentials as the champions of the developing world, in contrast with the United States, which has put its support squarely behind ally Israel. China has consistently called for restraint and a ceasefire but has also sharpened its criticism of Israel.
+""Israel’s actions have gone beyond the scope of self-defense,"" Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this week, called on it to stop its ""collective punishment"" of Gaza residents, Chinese state media reported. Russia has expressed sympathy for the Palestinians while blaming the U.S. ""I think that many people will agree with me that this is a vivid example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East,"" Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week.
+Both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have sought to deepen ties to the global south, seeing economic opportunities and possibly a way to counterbalance the diplomatic influence of the U.S. and its allies. That was on display this week as China hosted a summit for Xi's signature Belt and Road Initiative, which has lent hundreds of billions of dollars for infrastructure projects across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Putin attended and met Xi for three hours of talks that included ""an in-depth exchange of views on the Palestinian-Israeli situation"", China said. ""China and Russia still see (the crisis) more in terms of the United States than in terms of either Palestine or Israel,"" said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. ""If the United States can effectively rally the world, it’s bad for them. If the U.S. and its allies grow increasingly isolated, they see that as good for them.""
+SUPPORT FOR PALESTINE While the strategies of Russia and China in the Middle East are not fully aligned they have much in common. Russia is sharply critical of the U.S. but China has mostly avoided criticising it, a contrast to early in the Ukraine war, when China's support of Russia turned an unwelcome spotlight on its diplomatic position."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/china-russia-find-common-cause-israel-hamas-crisis-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]China and Russia find common cause in Israel-Hamas crisis[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING/WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - With anger building across the Middle East over Israel's strikes in Gaza, China and Russia are finding common cause with countries across the region in support of the Palestinians.
+For Moscow and Beijing, Israel's bombardment of Gaza following the Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 Israelis presents an opportunity to burnish their credentials as the champions of the developing world, in contrast with the United States, which has put its support squarely behind ally Israel.
+China has consistently called for restraint and a ceasefire but has also sharpened its criticism of Israel.
+""Israel’s actions have gone beyond the scope of self-defense,"" Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this week, called on it to stop its ""collective punishment"" of Gaza residents, Chinese state media reported.
+Russia has expressed sympathy for the Palestinians while blaming the U.S. ""I think that many people will agree with me that this is a vivid example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East,"" Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week.
+Both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have sought to deepen ties to the global south, seeing economic opportunities and possibly a way to counterbalance the diplomatic influence of the U.S. and its allies.
+That was on display this week as China hosted a summit for Xi's signature Belt and Road Initiative, which has lent hundreds of billions of dollars for infrastructure projects across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia.
+Putin attended and met Xi for three hours of talks that included ""an in-depth exchange of views on the Palestinian-Israeli situation"", China said.
+""China and Russia still see (the crisis) more in terms of the United States than in terms of either Palestine or Israel,"" said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
+""If the United States can effectively rally the world, it’s bad for them. If the U.S. and its allies grow increasingly isolated, they see that as good for them.""
+SUPPORT FOR PALESTINE
+While the strategies of Russia and China in the Middle East are not fully aligned they have much in common.
+Russia is sharply critical of the U.S. but China has mostly avoided criticising it, a contrast to early in the Ukraine war, when China's support of Russia turned an unwelcome spotlight on its diplomatic position.
+China signalled its growing influence in the Middle East this year when it announced a surprise deal on the restoration of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
+Russia too has been improving ties with Iran, which has included supplies of Iranian drones and common cause in backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
+Both China and Russia share a history of support for the Palestinians - and are critical of what they say is the marginalisation of them by the United States.
+""There’s clearly a shared interest in emphasizing the negative role of the U.S. in the conflict,"" said Jean-Loup Samaan, senior research fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore.
+""And that fits within their broader narrative on the need to build an alternative world order to the U.S.""
+Russia's state media has said it was sending humanitarian aid to Gaza and China has sent its Middle East envoy to the region, where he met Russia's special representative. Russia said on Thursday it was coordinating Middle East policy with China.
+While Chinese media covered the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, since then reports have carried images of Palestinian suffering, with some prominently citing Palestinian sources as saying Israel was responsible.
+""None of the reality that shocked much of the world on Oct. 7 is in Chinese news. Instead, the news features Israeli bombing of Gaza without explaining that the target is only Hamas infrastructure,"" Carice Witte, director of the SIGNAL Group, a Sino-Israel relations think tank based in Tel Aviv.
+SEEKING ALLIES
+Russia's war in Ukraine gives it an added incentive to align itself with the Palestinian cause.
+The United States has been trying, with limited success, to persuade the global south to rally behind Ukraine. Portraying the U.S. as a driver of the conflict helps blunt that effort.
+Alterman sees a similar motivation for China, which regards the U.S. as its chief geopolitical rival.
+""China is trying to play the global south card, irrespective of its close ties to Israel. More than actually supporting Hamas, it is quietly helping build resistance to U.S. efforts to build international support for Israel,"" said Alterman.
+Ma Xiaolin, a Middle East expert and professor at Zhejiang International Studies University, said China was being even-handed between the Palestinians and Israel but if pushed, would side with its Arab partners.
+""If Israel, with the support of the United States, expands the scale and scope of the war and causes more humanitarian casualties, China will definitely tilt the balance in favour of the Palestinians,"" said Ma.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","China signalled its growing influence in the Middle East this year when it announced a surprise deal on the restoration of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Russia too has been improving ties with Iran, which has included supplies of Iranian drones and common cause in backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Both China and Russia share a history of support for the Palestinians - and are critical of what they say is the marginalisation of them by the United States.  ""There’s clearly a shared interest in emphasizing the negative role of the U.S. in the conflict,"" said Jean-Loup Samaan, senior research fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore.
+"" And that fits within their broader narrative on the need to build an alternative world order to the U.S.""  Russia's state media has said it was sending humanitarian aid to Gaza and China has sent its Middle East envoy to the region, where he met Russia's special representative. Russia said on Thursday it was coordinating Middle East policy with China. While Chinese media covered the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, since then reports have carried images of Palestinian suffering, with some prominently citing Palestinian sources as saying Israel was responsible.
+""None of the reality that shocked much of the world on Oct. 7 is in Chinese news. Instead, the news features Israeli bombing of Gaza without explaining that the target is only Hamas infrastructure,"" Carice Witte, director of the SIGNAL Group, a Sino-Israel relations think tank based in Tel Aviv. SEEKING ALLIES
+Russia's war in Ukraine gives it an added incentive to align itself with the Palestinian cause. The United States has been trying, with limited success, to persuade the global south to rally behind Ukraine. Portraying the U.S. as a driver of the conflict helps blunt that effort. Alterman sees a similar motivation for China, which regards the U.S. as its chief geopolitical rival.  ""China is trying to play the global south card, irrespective of its close ties to Israel. More than actually supporting Hamas, it is quietly helping build resistance to U.S. efforts to build international support for Israel,"" said Alterman. Ma Xiaolin, a Middle East expert and professor at Zhejiang International Studies University, said China was being even-handed between the Palestinians and Israel but if pushed, would side with its Arab partners.  ""If Israel, with the support of the United States, expands the scale and scope of the war and causes more humanitarian casualties, China will definitely tilt the balance in favour of the Palestinians,"" said Ma.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/china-ready-liaise-with-russia-mid-east-crisis-chinese-state-media-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]China's Mideast envoy urges Palestinian guarantees, won't name Hamas[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Oct 20 (Reuters) - China's special Mideast envoy pinned the cause of the Israel-Gaza crisis on the lack of guarantees for Palestinian rights as he met with his Russian counterpart in Qatar, a go-between in the conflict.
+In the first leg of his tour in the region, China's envoy for Middle East issues Zhai Jun landed in Qatar on Thursday where he reaffirmed with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Bogdanov Beijing's alignment with Moscow in their efforts to help de-escalate the Gaza crisis.
+China and Russia share the same position on the Palestinian issue, Zhai was quoted as saying after meeting with Bogdanov in Doha, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with President Xi Jinping in a rare meeting in Beijing.
+""The fundamental reason for the current situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is that the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people have not been guaranteed,"" Zhai said, without referring to the Gaza-based militant group Hamas.
+On Oct. 7, Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,400 people. In response, Israel has retaliated with air strikes, putting the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people under siege.
+A week later, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, opens new tab, while condemning ""all acts that harm civilians"" without naming Hamas, declared that ""Israel's actions have gone beyond the scope of self-defence.""
+Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to China, told Bloomberg Television on Thursday the United States and China had differing views on the Israel-Hamas war.
+""We do not have identical views on this particular position,"" Burns said, when asked whether he saw the Mideast tensions as a chance to improve Sino-U.S. ties.
+'ROOT CAUSES'
+The crisis has put China and Russia in separate camps from the United States. President Joe Biden said he would seek extra funding, estimated to be in the billions, to help Israel fight Hamas.
+Russia, which has ties with Iran, the Hamas militant group, major Arab powers as well as with the Palestinians and Israel, has repeatedly said the United States and the West have ignored the need for an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders.
+A Brazil-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire failed to pass on Wednesday, with the United States vetoing the resolution. A Russian-drafted resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire also failed to pass on Monday.
+""The biased attitude of the U.S. is one of the root causes of the long-standing Palestine issue, and it acts as a catalyst for escalating the conflict when it erupts,"" China's nationalist tabloid, Global Times, wrote in an editorial.
+In Qatar, Zhai said China was ready to maintain communication and coordination with Russia in an effort to calm the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
+The tiny Gulf state of Qatar has been an essential stopover for foreign diplomats including U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken seeking to mediate in the Israel-Gaza conflict in recent days, having direct communication channels with Hamas, which has had a political office in Doha for more than a decade.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]China's Mideast envoy urges Palestinian guarantees, won't name Hamas[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Oct 20 (Reuters) - China's special Mideast envoy pinned the cause of the Israel-Gaza crisis on the lack of guarantees for Palestinian rights as he met with his Russian counterpart in Qatar, a go-between in the conflict. In the first leg of his tour in the region, China's envoy for Middle East issues Zhai Jun landed in Qatar on Thursday where he reaffirmed with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Bogdanov Beijing's alignment with Moscow in their efforts to help de-escalate the Gaza crisis. China and Russia share the same position on the Palestinian issue, Zhai was quoted as saying after meeting with Bogdanov in Doha, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with President Xi Jinping in a rare meeting in Beijing. ""The fundamental reason for the current situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is that the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people have not been guaranteed,"" Zhai said, without referring to the Gaza-based militant group Hamas.  On Oct. 7, Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,400 people. In response, Israel has retaliated with air strikes, putting the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people under siege. A week later, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, opens new tab, while condemning ""all acts that harm civilians"" without naming Hamas, declared that ""Israel's actions have gone beyond the scope of self-defence.""
+Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to China, told Bloomberg Television on Thursday the United States and China had differing views on the Israel-Hamas war. ""We do not have identical views on this particular position,"" Burns said, when asked whether he saw the Mideast tensions as a chance to improve Sino-U.S. ties.
+' ROOT CAUSES' The crisis has put China and Russia in separate camps from the United States. President Joe Biden said he would seek extra funding, estimated to be in the billions, to help Israel fight Hamas. Russia, which has ties with Iran, the Hamas militant group, major Arab powers as well as with the Palestinians and Israel, has repeatedly said the United States and the West have ignored the need for an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders. A Brazil-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire failed to pass on Wednesday, with the United States vetoing the resolution. A Russian-drafted resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire also failed to pass on Monday."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/china-ready-liaise-with-russia-mid-east-crisis-chinese-state-media-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]China's Mideast envoy urges Palestinian guarantees, won't name Hamas[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BEIJING, Oct 20 (Reuters) - China's special Mideast envoy pinned the cause of the Israel-Gaza crisis on the lack of guarantees for Palestinian rights as he met with his Russian counterpart in Qatar, a go-between in the conflict.
+In the first leg of his tour in the region, China's envoy for Middle East issues Zhai Jun landed in Qatar on Thursday where he reaffirmed with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Bogdanov Beijing's alignment with Moscow in their efforts to help de-escalate the Gaza crisis.
+China and Russia share the same position on the Palestinian issue, Zhai was quoted as saying after meeting with Bogdanov in Doha, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with President Xi Jinping in a rare meeting in Beijing.
+""The fundamental reason for the current situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is that the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people have not been guaranteed,"" Zhai said, without referring to the Gaza-based militant group Hamas.
+On Oct. 7, Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,400 people. In response, Israel has retaliated with air strikes, putting the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people under siege.
+A week later, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, opens new tab, while condemning ""all acts that harm civilians"" without naming Hamas, declared that ""Israel's actions have gone beyond the scope of self-defence.""
+Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to China, told Bloomberg Television on Thursday the United States and China had differing views on the Israel-Hamas war.
+""We do not have identical views on this particular position,"" Burns said, when asked whether he saw the Mideast tensions as a chance to improve Sino-U.S. ties.
+'ROOT CAUSES'
+The crisis has put China and Russia in separate camps from the United States. President Joe Biden said he would seek extra funding, estimated to be in the billions, to help Israel fight Hamas.
+Russia, which has ties with Iran, the Hamas militant group, major Arab powers as well as with the Palestinians and Israel, has repeatedly said the United States and the West have ignored the need for an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders.
+A Brazil-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire failed to pass on Wednesday, with the United States vetoing the resolution. A Russian-drafted resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire also failed to pass on Monday.
+""The biased attitude of the U.S. is one of the root causes of the long-standing Palestine issue, and it acts as a catalyst for escalating the conflict when it erupts,"" China's nationalist tabloid, Global Times, wrote in an editorial.
+In Qatar, Zhai said China was ready to maintain communication and coordination with Russia in an effort to calm the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
+The tiny Gulf state of Qatar has been an essential stopover for foreign diplomats including U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken seeking to mediate in the Israel-Gaza conflict in recent days, having direct communication channels with Hamas, which has had a political office in Doha for more than a decade.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""The biased attitude of the U.S. is one of the root causes of the long-standing Palestine issue, and it acts as a catalyst for escalating the conflict when it erupts,"" China's nationalist tabloid, Global Times, wrote in an editorial. In Qatar, Zhai said China was ready to maintain communication and coordination with Russia in an effort to calm the Israel-Palestinian conflict.  The tiny Gulf state of Qatar has been an essential stopover for foreign diplomats including U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken seeking to mediate in the Israel-Gaza conflict in recent days, having direct communication channels with Hamas, which has had a political office in Doha for more than a decade.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/surge-us-yields-sparked-massive-outflow-asian-bonds-sept-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Surge in US yields sparked massive outflow from Asian bonds in September[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 20 (Reuters) - Asian bonds suffered massive foreign outflows in September, hit by a surge in U.S. bond yields and a stronger dollar, which diminished returns for international investors.
+Foreigners sold regional bonds worth $3.7 billion from Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, and Thai markets, their biggest since June 2022, data from regulatory authorities and bond market associations showed.
+Expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will keep the policy rates higher for longer to tame inflationary pressures have lifted bond yields in recent weeks.
+Yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note jumped 48 basis points (bps) last month, the most since September 2022, and has risen a further 37 bps so far this month.
+With the surge in U.S. yields, most Asian government bonds are providing lesser yields than their U.S. counterparts despite higher risks, making foreign investors less motivated to invest in them.
+Indonesian bonds bore the brunt of the outflows, experiencing net sales of $1.5 billion last month, the largest in a year. The rupiah hovered near a 3-1/2 year-low against the dollar on Friday, hurt by the surge in U.S. yields.
+In a move to stabilize the rupiah's decline, Indonesia's central bank surprised markets with a 25 bps rate hike this week, its second such hike this year.
+Overseas investors also offloaded Malaysian, Thai, and South Korean bonds worth $940 million, $786 million and $471 million, respectively.
+""We stay wary of further upside for USD/MYR given the risk of a further climb in the UST yields. Malaysia rates have been lagging well behind the U.S. given that BNM has not hiked as much as the Fed,"" said Saktiandi Supaat, head of Asia forex research at Maybank.
+However, foreigners still poured about $113 million into Indian bonds on optimism over their inclusion in JP Morgan's widely-tracked emerging market debt index next year.
+Analysts said the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East would add risks to the foreign flows into the region.
+""The Palestine-Israel conflict has pushed up oil prices and is likely to weigh on investor sentiment in the near term, leading to further portfolio outflows from the EM Asia,"" said Khoon Goh, head of Asia Research at ANZ.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Surge in US yields sparked massive outflow from Asian bonds in September[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 20 (Reuters) - Asian bonds suffered massive foreign outflows in September, hit by a surge in U.S. bond yields and a stronger dollar, which diminished returns for international investors. Foreigners sold regional bonds worth $3.7 billion from Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, and Thai markets, their biggest since June 2022, data from regulatory authorities and bond market associations showed. Expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will keep the policy rates higher for longer to tame inflationary pressures have lifted bond yields in recent weeks. Yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note jumped 48 basis points (bps) last month, the most since September 2022, and has risen a further 37 bps so far this month. With the surge in U.S. yields, most Asian government bonds are providing lesser yields than their U.S. counterparts despite higher risks, making foreign investors less motivated to invest in them.  Indonesian bonds bore the brunt of the outflows, experiencing net sales of $1.5 billion last month, the largest in a year. The rupiah hovered near a 3-1/2 year-low against the dollar on Friday, hurt by the surge in U.S. yields. In a move to stabilize the rupiah's decline, Indonesia's central bank surprised markets with a 25 bps rate hike this week, its second such hike this year. Overseas investors also offloaded Malaysian, Thai, and South Korean bonds worth $940 million, $786 million and $471 million, respectively.
+""We stay wary of further upside for USD/MYR given the risk of a further climb in the UST yields. Malaysia rates have been lagging well behind the U.S. given that BNM has not hiked as much as the Fed,"" said Saktiandi Supaat, head of Asia forex research at Maybank. However, foreigners still poured about $113 million into Indian bonds on optimism over their inclusion in JP Morgan's widely-tracked emerging market debt index next year. Analysts said the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East would add risks to the foreign flows into the region.  ""The Palestine-Israel conflict has pushed up oil prices and is likely to weigh on investor sentiment in the near term, leading to further portfolio outflows from the EM Asia,"" said Khoon Goh, head of Asia Research at ANZ.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-govt-presents-parliament-plan-formins-visit-egypt-kyodo-2023-10-20/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Japan's foreign minister to attend Cairo meet on Middle East conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TOKYO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said she would visit Egypt to attend an international conference on Saturday that will discuss ways of tackling humanitarian and safety issues stemming from the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+""I plan to visit Egypt to take part in the Cairo Peace Summit, which will be hosted by the Egyptian government to discuss the situation surrounding Israel and Palestine,"" Kamikawa told a regular press conference on Friday.
+""I intend to contribute to debate aimed at improving humanitarian conditions in Gaza, which is an urgent issue, as well as securing the safety of ordinary citizens and calming down the situation swiftly,"" Kamikawa said.
+Japan chairs the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies this year.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Japan's foreign minister to attend Cairo meet on Middle East conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]TOKYO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said she would visit Egypt to attend an international conference on Saturday that will discuss ways of tackling humanitarian and safety issues stemming from the Israel-Hamas conflict.  ""I plan to visit Egypt to take part in the Cairo Peace Summit, which will be hosted by the Egyptian government to discuss the situation surrounding Israel and Palestine,"" Kamikawa told a regular press conference on Friday.
+"" I intend to contribute to debate aimed at improving humanitarian conditions in Gaza, which is an urgent issue, as well as securing the safety of ordinary citizens and calming down the situation swiftly,"" Kamikawa said. Japan chairs the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies this year.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-migration-ministers-address-militant-islamist-attacks-risks-israel-hamas-war-2023-10-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU ministers promise tougher immigration policies after Islamist attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Ministers from across the European Union said on Thursday that member states must screen migrants and asylum seekers better and expel those deemed a security risk more quickly, after Islamist attacks highlighted persistent difficulties.
+Interior and justice ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss what steps to take following deadly attacks in Brussels and France, at a time of heightened security concerns linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+""It is an absolutely a necessity that we make sure that European Union is safe from terrorist threats,"" said EU migration commissioner Ylva Johansson. ""People who pose a security risk to the European Union need to be much, much more quickly returned to the country of origin.""
+""We also need to make sure that we don't have any violent anti-Semitism or violent Islamophobia... that all our citizens could feel safe in the European Union.""
+The 45-year-old Tunisian gunman who killed two Swedish football fans in the Belgian capital on Monday was staying there illegally after his asylum request had been denied.
+He reached the EU via the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2011 and also lived in Sweden. He was shot dead by Belgian police.
+The attack in Brussels - which Johansson said was ""a wake-up call"" - underlined persistent failings of the EU's troubled migration and asylum systems, including security gaps and ineffective returns. Only about a fifth of people whose asylum cases fail in Europe are actually sent away.
+In France, the 20-year-old, Russian-born Islamist Ingush accused of stabbing to death a teacher last Friday was known before the attack to be a possible security risk but could not have been expelled under current legislation, authorities said.
+French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said there should be no ""naivety"" on repatriations and joined many of his peers in calling for the swift implementation of the EU's much-discussed new migration rules.
+Proponents of this looming overhaul of the EU's migration and asylum policies - expected to be finalised this year - say it would improve the situation, including by facilitating quicker repatriations of foreigners with criminal records.
+ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
+Thursday's meeting was the ministers' first chance to discuss the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas, to which Israel has responded by bombarding Gaza. Gaza health officials say bombing has so far killed more than 3,700 people.
+The ministers took no specific decisions but considered what developments could cause Palestinians to flee in large numbers, or trigger violent acts inside the bloc.
+""The EU is following very closely the situation in Palestine and whether anyone is leaving. So far it does not look like anyone would be,"" said Finland's Interior Minister Mari Rantanen.
+""We are trying to get aid close to the crisis centres and in that way prevent large masses from heading here.""
+The EU, a bloc of 450 million people, has recorded some 250,000 irregular arrivals this year, in large part aided by smugglers, something Italy, Spain and Germany have recently voiced concern about.
+There is also a new push for deals with African countries - including Egypt and Morocco - akin to the one the EU has sealed with Tunisia, offering aid in exchange for Tunis bringing down departures for Europe.
+Critics of the EU's new migration and asylum policies doubt they would be effective and point to growing risks to human rights while focus is on deterring unauthorised immigration.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU ministers promise tougher immigration policies after Islamist attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Ministers from across the European Union said on Thursday that member states must screen migrants and asylum seekers better and expel those deemed a security risk more quickly, after Islamist attacks highlighted persistent difficulties. Interior and justice ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss what steps to take following deadly attacks in Brussels and France, at a time of heightened security concerns linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict.  ""It is an absolutely a necessity that we make sure that European Union is safe from terrorist threats,"" said EU migration commissioner Ylva Johansson. ""People who pose a security risk to the European Union need to be much, much more quickly returned to the country of origin. ""  ""We also need to make sure that we don't have any violent anti-Semitism or violent Islamophobia... that all our citizens could feel safe in the European Union.""
+The 45-year-old Tunisian gunman who killed two Swedish football fans in the Belgian capital on Monday was staying there illegally after his asylum request had been denied.  He reached the EU via the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2011 and also lived in Sweden. He was shot dead by Belgian police.  The attack in Brussels - which Johansson said was ""a wake-up call"" - underlined persistent failings of the EU's troubled migration and asylum systems, including security gaps and ineffective returns. Only about a fifth of people whose asylum cases fail in Europe are actually sent away. In France, the 20-year-old, Russian-born Islamist Ingush accused of stabbing to death a teacher last Friday was known before the attack to be a possible security risk but could not have been expelled under current legislation, authorities said. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said there should be no ""naivety"" on repatriations and joined many of his peers in calling for the swift implementation of the EU's much-discussed new migration rules. Proponents of this looming overhaul of the EU's migration and asylum policies - expected to be finalised this year - say it would improve the situation, including by facilitating quicker repatriations of foreigners with criminal records. ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR Thursday's meeting was the ministers' first chance to discuss the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas, to which Israel has responded by bombarding Gaza. Gaza health officials say bombing has so far killed more than 3,700 people.  The ministers took no specific decisions but considered what developments could cause Palestinians to flee in large numbers, or trigger violent acts inside the bloc.
+"""
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-migration-ministers-address-militant-islamist-attacks-risks-israel-hamas-war-2023-10-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]EU ministers promise tougher immigration policies after Islamist attacks[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Ministers from across the European Union said on Thursday that member states must screen migrants and asylum seekers better and expel those deemed a security risk more quickly, after Islamist attacks highlighted persistent difficulties.
+Interior and justice ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss what steps to take following deadly attacks in Brussels and France, at a time of heightened security concerns linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
+""It is an absolutely a necessity that we make sure that European Union is safe from terrorist threats,"" said EU migration commissioner Ylva Johansson. ""People who pose a security risk to the European Union need to be much, much more quickly returned to the country of origin.""
+""We also need to make sure that we don't have any violent anti-Semitism or violent Islamophobia... that all our citizens could feel safe in the European Union.""
+The 45-year-old Tunisian gunman who killed two Swedish football fans in the Belgian capital on Monday was staying there illegally after his asylum request had been denied.
+He reached the EU via the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2011 and also lived in Sweden. He was shot dead by Belgian police.
+The attack in Brussels - which Johansson said was ""a wake-up call"" - underlined persistent failings of the EU's troubled migration and asylum systems, including security gaps and ineffective returns. Only about a fifth of people whose asylum cases fail in Europe are actually sent away.
+In France, the 20-year-old, Russian-born Islamist Ingush accused of stabbing to death a teacher last Friday was known before the attack to be a possible security risk but could not have been expelled under current legislation, authorities said.
+French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said there should be no ""naivety"" on repatriations and joined many of his peers in calling for the swift implementation of the EU's much-discussed new migration rules.
+Proponents of this looming overhaul of the EU's migration and asylum policies - expected to be finalised this year - say it would improve the situation, including by facilitating quicker repatriations of foreigners with criminal records.
+ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
+Thursday's meeting was the ministers' first chance to discuss the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas, to which Israel has responded by bombarding Gaza. Gaza health officials say bombing has so far killed more than 3,700 people.
+The ministers took no specific decisions but considered what developments could cause Palestinians to flee in large numbers, or trigger violent acts inside the bloc.
+""The EU is following very closely the situation in Palestine and whether anyone is leaving. So far it does not look like anyone would be,"" said Finland's Interior Minister Mari Rantanen.
+""We are trying to get aid close to the crisis centres and in that way prevent large masses from heading here.""
+The EU, a bloc of 450 million people, has recorded some 250,000 irregular arrivals this year, in large part aided by smugglers, something Italy, Spain and Germany have recently voiced concern about.
+There is also a new push for deals with African countries - including Egypt and Morocco - akin to the one the EU has sealed with Tunisia, offering aid in exchange for Tunis bringing down departures for Europe.
+Critics of the EU's new migration and asylum policies doubt they would be effective and point to growing risks to human rights while focus is on deterring unauthorised immigration.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The EU is following very closely the situation in Palestine and whether anyone is leaving. So far it does not look like anyone would be,"" said Finland's Interior Minister Mari Rantanen. ""We are trying to get aid close to the crisis centres and in that way prevent large masses from heading here.""
+The EU, a bloc of 450 million people, has recorded some 250,000 irregular arrivals this year, in large part aided by smugglers, something Italy, Spain and Germany have recently voiced concern about.
+There is also a new push for deals with African countries - including Egypt and Morocco - akin to the one the EU has sealed with Tunisia, offering aid in exchange for Tunis bringing down departures for Europe.  Critics of the EU's new migration and asylum policies doubt they would be effective and point to growing risks to human rights while focus is on deterring unauthorised immigration.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-germany-palestinian-supporters-say-they-struggle-be-heard-2023-10-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In France and Germany, Palestinian supporters say they struggle to be heard[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN/PARIS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - As tens of thousands of people took to the streets around the world on Oct. 13 in support of the Palestinians, all such protests in Germany and France were banned.
+The two countries - home to the European Union's largest Jewish and Muslim communities - have cracked down on pro-Palestinian groups since Hamas militants burst over the border from Gaza and killed more than 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7.
+The governments say the curbs are to stop public disorder and prevent antisemitism.
+But supporters of the Palestinians say they feel blocked from publicly expressing support or concern for people in the Hamas-controlled enclave of Gaza without risking arrest, their jobs or immigration status.
+More than 3,500 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a campaign of retaliatory bombing, while a blockade that prevents food, fuel and medicine for getting in has created a humanitarian crisis.
+""We are scared, we are worried about being accused of justifying terrorism, when we just want to support a humanitarian cause,"" said Messika Medjoub a 20-year-old French-Algerian history student.
+She was speaking at a banned protest in Paris last Thursday which police broke up with teargas and water cannon.
+French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin clamped a nationwide ban on pro-Palestinian protests last week, citing the risk of public disorder. Nine have been banned in Paris since Oct.7.
+Over the weekend, Paris police issued a ban on the ""presence and circulation of people that present themselves as pro-Palestinian"". Since Oct. 12 they have issued 827 fines and arrested 43 people.
+In Germany, Berlin police have approved two requests for pro-Palestine protests since the initial Hamas attacks, a police spokesperson said. Both were proposed as silent vigils.
+But at least seven, including one called Jewish Berliners Against Middle Eastern Violence and another entitled Youth Against Racism, were refused permission. At least 190 people have been detained at protests.
+The French and German governments say they need to protect Jewish communities given a rise in antisemitic violence since the attacks by Hamas, which is deemed a terrorist group by the EU and several countries.
+In Germany, the issue is particularly acute because of the killing of six million European Jews in the Holocaust by the Nazis.
+""Our history, our responsibility for the Holocaust makes it our duty in every moment to stand for the existence and security of Israel,"" Chancellor Olaf Scholz told legislators last week.
+Darmanin said on Tuesday that 327 antisemitic acts had taken place in France since Oct. 7, with 183 arrests for antisemitism or apologising for terrorism.
+Human rights groups say Jewish communities must be protected but they are are concerned legitimate protest is being repressed.
+""Human rights law doesn't allow the government to just broadly say there is a concern about violence and use that as a justification to ban protests,"" said Benjamin Ward, a deputy director at Human Rights Watch.
+""The question is whether it's proportionate - and that's where I think there is a concern.""
+Hungary and Austria have also blocked pro-Palestine protests since Oct.7, while in the rest of Europe large rallies supporting Palestinians have been held with few restrictions.
+HISTORIC RESPONSIBILITY
+With an estimated 30,000 Palestinians, Berlin has one of the largest diaspora communities outside the Middle East, and anxiety over what is happening in Gaza is running high.
+At an unauthorised protest in Berlin last week, Palestinians who spoke to Reuters said they felt nervous about speaking out, fearful of being labelled pro-Hamas in a country where supporting Israel is sacrosanct.
+""I feel that in Germany we're not allowed to speak our mind,"" said Saleh Said, standing on the fringes of an unauthorised gathering.
+A 32-year-old German born to Palestinian parents, he said he condemned Hamas's violence.
+Berlin's education authorities last week told schools they could ban students from wearing the Palestinian Kufiya scarf and ""free Palestine"" stickers.
+Post-World War Two German goverments have pursued close ties with Israel because of the Holocaust.
+Felix Klein, Germany's ombudsman in charge of fighting antisemitism, said the country's history meant it had to be especially vigilant.
+Even before the Hamas attack on Israel, Germany was restricting pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with Berlin authorities banning several on public safety grounds.
+Amnesty International said in September that German police's justifications for bans on pro-Palestinian groups appeared to be based on ""stigmatizing and discriminatory stereotypes"", citing references in police orders to people ""from the Arab diaspora, in particular with Palestinian background"".
+FRANCE CRACKS DOWN
+In France pro-Palestinian groups were also facing curbs prior to the attacks.
+An attempt last year to ban two organisations - Collectif Palestine Vaincra and Comite Action Palestine - was overruled by a higher court who said their ""bold, even virulent"" positions did not constitute hate speech or terrorism
+Interior Minister Darmanin announced that he had initiated judicial proceedings for ""antisemitism, apologia for terrorism and support for Hamas"" against 11 organisations, including Collectif Palestine Vaincra and Comite Action Palestine. Both deny the allegations.
+On Wednesday, in response to an appeal against Darmanin's instructions, a court said local authorities should ban protests on a case by case basis. A protest in Paris On Thursday evening was authorised last minute after a court overturned the decision to ban it.
+In a memo about one set of protests last week French intelligence services said it would attract ""radical elements from the ultra-left, close to Islamist movements and young people from sensitive neighbourhoods"".
+People who spoke to Reuters at a banned protest in Paris last Thursday said the government's move to prevent gatherings for Palestinians was unfair but unsurprising.
+""The government is indulgent when it comes to Israel's crimes. They are being biased and they are showing it,"" said Hortense La Chance, a 32-year-old cook.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]In France and Germany , Palestinian supporters say they struggle to be heard[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN/PARIS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - As tens of thousands of people took to the streets around the world on Oct. 13 in support of the Palestinians, all such protests in Germany and France were banned. The two countries - home to the European Union's largest Jewish and Muslim communities - have cracked down on pro-Palestinian groups since Hamas militants burst over the border from Gaza and killed more than 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7. The governments say the curbs are to stop public disorder and prevent antisemitism. But supporters of the Palestinians say they feel blocked from publicly expressing support or concern for people in the Hamas-controlled enclave of Gaza without risking arrest, their jobs or immigration status. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a campaign of retaliatory bombing, while a blockade that prevents food, fuel and medicine for getting in has created a humanitarian crisis.
+""We are scared, we are worried about being accused of justifying terrorism, when we just want to support a humanitarian cause,"" said Messika Medjoub a 20-year-old French-Algerian history student. She was speaking at a banned protest in Paris last Thursday which police broke up with teargas and water cannon. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin clamped a nationwide ban on pro-Palestinian protests last week, citing the risk of public disorder. Nine have been banned in Paris since Oct.7.  Over the weekend, Paris police issued a ban on the ""presence and circulation of people that present themselves as pro-Palestinian"". Since Oct. 12 they have issued 827 fines and arrested 43 people. In Germany, Berlin police have approved two requests for pro-Palestine protests since the initial Hamas attacks, a police spokesperson said. Both were proposed as silent vigils.  But at least seven, including one called Jewish Berliners Against Middle Eastern Violence and another entitled Youth Against Racism, were refused permission. At least 190 people have been detained at protests. The French and German governments say they need to protect Jewish communities given a rise in antisemitic violence since the attacks by Hamas, which is deemed a terrorist group by the EU and several countries. In Germany, the issue is particularly acute because of the killing of six million European Jews in the Holocaust by the Nazis. ""Our history, our responsibility for the Holocaust makes it our duty in every moment to stand for the existence and security of Israel,"" Chancellor Olaf Scholz told legislators last week."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-germany-palestinian-supporters-say-they-struggle-be-heard-2023-10-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In France and Germany, Palestinian supporters say they struggle to be heard[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN/PARIS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - As tens of thousands of people took to the streets around the world on Oct. 13 in support of the Palestinians, all such protests in Germany and France were banned.
+The two countries - home to the European Union's largest Jewish and Muslim communities - have cracked down on pro-Palestinian groups since Hamas militants burst over the border from Gaza and killed more than 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7.
+The governments say the curbs are to stop public disorder and prevent antisemitism.
+But supporters of the Palestinians say they feel blocked from publicly expressing support or concern for people in the Hamas-controlled enclave of Gaza without risking arrest, their jobs or immigration status.
+More than 3,500 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a campaign of retaliatory bombing, while a blockade that prevents food, fuel and medicine for getting in has created a humanitarian crisis.
+""We are scared, we are worried about being accused of justifying terrorism, when we just want to support a humanitarian cause,"" said Messika Medjoub a 20-year-old French-Algerian history student.
+She was speaking at a banned protest in Paris last Thursday which police broke up with teargas and water cannon.
+French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin clamped a nationwide ban on pro-Palestinian protests last week, citing the risk of public disorder. Nine have been banned in Paris since Oct.7.
+Over the weekend, Paris police issued a ban on the ""presence and circulation of people that present themselves as pro-Palestinian"". Since Oct. 12 they have issued 827 fines and arrested 43 people.
+In Germany, Berlin police have approved two requests for pro-Palestine protests since the initial Hamas attacks, a police spokesperson said. Both were proposed as silent vigils.
+But at least seven, including one called Jewish Berliners Against Middle Eastern Violence and another entitled Youth Against Racism, were refused permission. At least 190 people have been detained at protests.
+The French and German governments say they need to protect Jewish communities given a rise in antisemitic violence since the attacks by Hamas, which is deemed a terrorist group by the EU and several countries.
+In Germany, the issue is particularly acute because of the killing of six million European Jews in the Holocaust by the Nazis.
+""Our history, our responsibility for the Holocaust makes it our duty in every moment to stand for the existence and security of Israel,"" Chancellor Olaf Scholz told legislators last week.
+Darmanin said on Tuesday that 327 antisemitic acts had taken place in France since Oct. 7, with 183 arrests for antisemitism or apologising for terrorism.
+Human rights groups say Jewish communities must be protected but they are are concerned legitimate protest is being repressed.
+""Human rights law doesn't allow the government to just broadly say there is a concern about violence and use that as a justification to ban protests,"" said Benjamin Ward, a deputy director at Human Rights Watch.
+""The question is whether it's proportionate - and that's where I think there is a concern.""
+Hungary and Austria have also blocked pro-Palestine protests since Oct.7, while in the rest of Europe large rallies supporting Palestinians have been held with few restrictions.
+HISTORIC RESPONSIBILITY
+With an estimated 30,000 Palestinians, Berlin has one of the largest diaspora communities outside the Middle East, and anxiety over what is happening in Gaza is running high.
+At an unauthorised protest in Berlin last week, Palestinians who spoke to Reuters said they felt nervous about speaking out, fearful of being labelled pro-Hamas in a country where supporting Israel is sacrosanct.
+""I feel that in Germany we're not allowed to speak our mind,"" said Saleh Said, standing on the fringes of an unauthorised gathering.
+A 32-year-old German born to Palestinian parents, he said he condemned Hamas's violence.
+Berlin's education authorities last week told schools they could ban students from wearing the Palestinian Kufiya scarf and ""free Palestine"" stickers.
+Post-World War Two German goverments have pursued close ties with Israel because of the Holocaust.
+Felix Klein, Germany's ombudsman in charge of fighting antisemitism, said the country's history meant it had to be especially vigilant.
+Even before the Hamas attack on Israel, Germany was restricting pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with Berlin authorities banning several on public safety grounds.
+Amnesty International said in September that German police's justifications for bans on pro-Palestinian groups appeared to be based on ""stigmatizing and discriminatory stereotypes"", citing references in police orders to people ""from the Arab diaspora, in particular with Palestinian background"".
+FRANCE CRACKS DOWN
+In France pro-Palestinian groups were also facing curbs prior to the attacks.
+An attempt last year to ban two organisations - Collectif Palestine Vaincra and Comite Action Palestine - was overruled by a higher court who said their ""bold, even virulent"" positions did not constitute hate speech or terrorism
+Interior Minister Darmanin announced that he had initiated judicial proceedings for ""antisemitism, apologia for terrorism and support for Hamas"" against 11 organisations, including Collectif Palestine Vaincra and Comite Action Palestine. Both deny the allegations.
+On Wednesday, in response to an appeal against Darmanin's instructions, a court said local authorities should ban protests on a case by case basis. A protest in Paris On Thursday evening was authorised last minute after a court overturned the decision to ban it.
+In a memo about one set of protests last week French intelligence services said it would attract ""radical elements from the ultra-left, close to Islamist movements and young people from sensitive neighbourhoods"".
+People who spoke to Reuters at a banned protest in Paris last Thursday said the government's move to prevent gatherings for Palestinians was unfair but unsurprising.
+""The government is indulgent when it comes to Israel's crimes. They are being biased and they are showing it,"" said Hortense La Chance, a 32-year-old cook.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Darmanin said on Tuesday that 327 antisemitic acts had taken place in France since Oct. 7, with 183 arrests for antisemitism or apologising for terrorism. Human rights groups say Jewish communities must be protected but they are are concerned legitimate protest is being repressed.  ""Human rights law doesn't allow the government to just broadly say there is a concern about violence and use that as a justification to ban protests,"" said Benjamin Ward, a deputy director at Human Rights Watch.
+"" The question is whether it's proportionate - and that's where I think there is a concern."" Hungary and Austria have also blocked pro-Palestine protests since Oct.7, while in the rest of Europe large rallies supporting Palestinians have been held with few restrictions. HISTORIC RESPONSIBILITY With an estimated 30,000 Palestinians, Berlin has one of the largest diaspora communities outside the Middle East, and anxiety over what is happening in Gaza is running high. At an unauthorised protest in Berlin last week, Palestinians who spoke to Reuters said they felt nervous about speaking out, fearful of being labelled pro-Hamas in a country where supporting Israel is sacrosanct. ""I feel that in Germany we're not allowed to speak our mind,"" said Saleh Said, standing on the fringes of an unauthorised gathering. A 32-year-old German born to Palestinian parents, he said he condemned Hamas's violence. Berlin's education authorities last week told schools they could ban students from wearing the Palestinian Kufiya scarf and ""free Palestine"" stickers. Post-World War Two German goverments have pursued close ties with Israel because of the Holocaust. Felix Klein, Germany's ombudsman in charge of fighting antisemitism, said the country's history meant it had to be especially vigilant.
+Even before the Hamas attack on Israel, Germany was restricting pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with Berlin authorities banning several on public safety grounds.
+Amnesty International said in September that German police's justifications for bans on pro-Palestinian groups appeared to be based on ""stigmatizing and discriminatory stereotypes"", citing references in police orders to people ""from the Arab diaspora, in particular with Palestinian background"". FRANCE CRACKS DOWN
+In France pro-Palestinian groups were also facing curbs prior to the attacks."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-germany-palestinian-supporters-say-they-struggle-be-heard-2023-10-19/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]In France and Germany, Palestinian supporters say they struggle to be heard[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BERLIN/PARIS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - As tens of thousands of people took to the streets around the world on Oct. 13 in support of the Palestinians, all such protests in Germany and France were banned.
+The two countries - home to the European Union's largest Jewish and Muslim communities - have cracked down on pro-Palestinian groups since Hamas militants burst over the border from Gaza and killed more than 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7.
+The governments say the curbs are to stop public disorder and prevent antisemitism.
+But supporters of the Palestinians say they feel blocked from publicly expressing support or concern for people in the Hamas-controlled enclave of Gaza without risking arrest, their jobs or immigration status.
+More than 3,500 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a campaign of retaliatory bombing, while a blockade that prevents food, fuel and medicine for getting in has created a humanitarian crisis.
+""We are scared, we are worried about being accused of justifying terrorism, when we just want to support a humanitarian cause,"" said Messika Medjoub a 20-year-old French-Algerian history student.
+She was speaking at a banned protest in Paris last Thursday which police broke up with teargas and water cannon.
+French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin clamped a nationwide ban on pro-Palestinian protests last week, citing the risk of public disorder. Nine have been banned in Paris since Oct.7.
+Over the weekend, Paris police issued a ban on the ""presence and circulation of people that present themselves as pro-Palestinian"". Since Oct. 12 they have issued 827 fines and arrested 43 people.
+In Germany, Berlin police have approved two requests for pro-Palestine protests since the initial Hamas attacks, a police spokesperson said. Both were proposed as silent vigils.
+But at least seven, including one called Jewish Berliners Against Middle Eastern Violence and another entitled Youth Against Racism, were refused permission. At least 190 people have been detained at protests.
+The French and German governments say they need to protect Jewish communities given a rise in antisemitic violence since the attacks by Hamas, which is deemed a terrorist group by the EU and several countries.
+In Germany, the issue is particularly acute because of the killing of six million European Jews in the Holocaust by the Nazis.
+""Our history, our responsibility for the Holocaust makes it our duty in every moment to stand for the existence and security of Israel,"" Chancellor Olaf Scholz told legislators last week.
+Darmanin said on Tuesday that 327 antisemitic acts had taken place in France since Oct. 7, with 183 arrests for antisemitism or apologising for terrorism.
+Human rights groups say Jewish communities must be protected but they are are concerned legitimate protest is being repressed.
+""Human rights law doesn't allow the government to just broadly say there is a concern about violence and use that as a justification to ban protests,"" said Benjamin Ward, a deputy director at Human Rights Watch.
+""The question is whether it's proportionate - and that's where I think there is a concern.""
+Hungary and Austria have also blocked pro-Palestine protests since Oct.7, while in the rest of Europe large rallies supporting Palestinians have been held with few restrictions.
+HISTORIC RESPONSIBILITY
+With an estimated 30,000 Palestinians, Berlin has one of the largest diaspora communities outside the Middle East, and anxiety over what is happening in Gaza is running high.
+At an unauthorised protest in Berlin last week, Palestinians who spoke to Reuters said they felt nervous about speaking out, fearful of being labelled pro-Hamas in a country where supporting Israel is sacrosanct.
+""I feel that in Germany we're not allowed to speak our mind,"" said Saleh Said, standing on the fringes of an unauthorised gathering.
+A 32-year-old German born to Palestinian parents, he said he condemned Hamas's violence.
+Berlin's education authorities last week told schools they could ban students from wearing the Palestinian Kufiya scarf and ""free Palestine"" stickers.
+Post-World War Two German goverments have pursued close ties with Israel because of the Holocaust.
+Felix Klein, Germany's ombudsman in charge of fighting antisemitism, said the country's history meant it had to be especially vigilant.
+Even before the Hamas attack on Israel, Germany was restricting pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with Berlin authorities banning several on public safety grounds.
+Amnesty International said in September that German police's justifications for bans on pro-Palestinian groups appeared to be based on ""stigmatizing and discriminatory stereotypes"", citing references in police orders to people ""from the Arab diaspora, in particular with Palestinian background"".
+FRANCE CRACKS DOWN
+In France pro-Palestinian groups were also facing curbs prior to the attacks.
+An attempt last year to ban two organisations - Collectif Palestine Vaincra and Comite Action Palestine - was overruled by a higher court who said their ""bold, even virulent"" positions did not constitute hate speech or terrorism
+Interior Minister Darmanin announced that he had initiated judicial proceedings for ""antisemitism, apologia for terrorism and support for Hamas"" against 11 organisations, including Collectif Palestine Vaincra and Comite Action Palestine. Both deny the allegations.
+On Wednesday, in response to an appeal against Darmanin's instructions, a court said local authorities should ban protests on a case by case basis. A protest in Paris On Thursday evening was authorised last minute after a court overturned the decision to ban it.
+In a memo about one set of protests last week French intelligence services said it would attract ""radical elements from the ultra-left, close to Islamist movements and young people from sensitive neighbourhoods"".
+People who spoke to Reuters at a banned protest in Paris last Thursday said the government's move to prevent gatherings for Palestinians was unfair but unsurprising.
+""The government is indulgent when it comes to Israel's crimes. They are being biased and they are showing it,"" said Hortense La Chance, a 32-year-old cook.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","An attempt last year to ban two organisations - Collectif Palestine Vaincra and Comite Action Palestine - was overruled by a higher court who said their ""bold, even virulent"" positions did not constitute hate speech or terrorism
+Interior Minister Darmanin announced that he had initiated judicial proceedings for ""antisemitism, apologia for terrorism and support for Hamas"" against 11 organisations, including Collectif Palestine Vaincra and Comite Action Palestine. Both deny the allegations.  On Wednesday, in response to an appeal against Darmanin's instructions, a court said local authorities should ban protests on a case by case basis. A protest in Paris On Thursday evening was authorised last minute after a court overturned the decision to ban it. In a memo about one set of protests last week French intelligence services said it would attract ""radical elements from the ultra-left, close to Islamist movements and young people from sensitive neighbourhoods"". People who spoke to Reuters at a banned protest in Paris last Thursday said the government's move to prevent gatherings for Palestinians was unfair but unsurprising.  ""The government is indulgent when it comes to Israel's crimes. They are being biased and they are showing it,"" said Hortense La Chance, a 32-year-old cook.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-is-islamic-jihad-hamas-ally-war-with-israel-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is Islamic Jihad? The Hamas ally at war with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 18 (Reuters) - Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group that is an ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel from Gaza, has denied Israel's accusations that it was behind a strike on a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds of people.
+Following are some facts about Islamic Jihad:
+* Israelis and Palestinians have blamed each other for bombing of Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City late on Oct. 17. Israel said Islamic Jihad was responsible, saying a failed rocket launch by the group hit the hospital. Islamic Jihad denied this, saying it did not have any activity in or around Gaza City at that time.
+* Founded in the late 1970s by Fathi Shiqaqi and Abdel-Aziz Odeh, Islamic Jihad gained support among Palestinians disillusioned with Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Shiqaqi was assassinated in 1995 in Malta, apparently by Israeli agents.
+* The group is sworn to destroying Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state spanning what was pre-1948 British Mandate Palestine, including the West Bank and Gaza, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
+
+* A recipient of Iranian funding and know-how estimated by Israel to be in the tens of millions of dollars annually, Islamic Jihad has foreign headquarters in Beirut and Damascus and its deployment in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while more limited than in Gaza, has recently grown.
+* Islamic Jihad has the second-biggest armed network in Gaza after that of the enclave's governing militant group Hamas. Up-to-date figures on Islamic Jihad's strength are difficult to come by, with 2021 estimates ranging from about 1,000 to several thousand gunmen, according to the CIA's World Factbook. The group also has a significant arsenal of rockets, mortars and anti-tank missiles. Islamic Jihad does not disclose such information.
+* Unlike Hamas, Islamic Jihad has not contested Palestinian parliamentary elections and appears to have no ambition to form a government in Gaza or the West Bank.
+* Islamic Jihad is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and European countries.
+(This story has been refiled to remove repeated words in paragraph 7)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]What is Islamic Jihad? The Hamas ally at war with Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 18 (Reuters) - Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group that is an ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel from Gaza, has denied Israel's accusations that it was behind a strike on a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds of people. Following are some facts about Islamic Jihad: * Israelis and Palestinians have blamed each other for bombing of Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City late on Oct. 17. Israel said Islamic Jihad was responsible, saying a failed rocket launch by the group hit the hospital. Islamic Jihad denied this, saying it did not have any activity in or around Gaza City at that time.  * Founded in the late 1970s by Fathi Shiqaqi and Abdel-Aziz Odeh, Islamic Jihad gained support among Palestinians disillusioned with Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Shiqaqi was assassinated in 1995 in Malta, apparently by Israeli agents.
+* The group is sworn to destroying Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state spanning what was pre-1948 British Mandate Palestine, including the West Bank and Gaza, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.  * A recipient of Iranian funding and know-how estimated by Israel to be in the tens of millions of dollars annually, Islamic Jihad has foreign headquarters in Beirut and Damascus and its deployment in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while more limited than in Gaza, has recently grown.
+* Islamic Jihad has the second-biggest armed network in Gaza after that of the enclave's governing militant group Hamas. Up-to-date figures on Islamic Jihad's strength are difficult to come by, with 2021 estimates ranging from about 1,000 to several thousand gunmen, according to the CIA's World Factbook. The group also has a significant arsenal of rockets, mortars and anti-tank missiles. Islamic Jihad does not disclose such information. * Unlike Hamas, Islamic Jihad has not contested Palestinian parliamentary elections and appears to have no ambition to form a government in Gaza or the West Bank. * Islamic Jihad is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and European countries. (This story has been refiled to remove repeated words in paragraph 7)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/pro-palestinian-demonstrators-hague-urge-icc-action-2023-10-18/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in The Hague urge ICC action[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside The Hague headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday to urge it and the international community to take action against what they call genocide against Palestinians.
+Fighting began on Oct. 7 when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel as part of its goal to end Israeli occupation. Israel has since retaliated by bombing Gaza, and an estimated 1,400 Israelis and 3,000 Palestinians have been killed so far.
+The ICC is investigating potential atrocity crimes that Hamas militants in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip have committed since 2014, which also covers the current conflict.
+""We are against killings of any (parties), however when it comes to Gaza the world is always (turning) a blind eye. We came here to say enough is enough,"" Rafat Alkayyali, 50, said, adding that he came to the ICC to protest because he believes in international law.
+Protesters carried signs that said: ""Justice for Palestine - Stop the Genocide"" and ""How many children will die until Israel is prosecuted"".
+Last week ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told Reuters that the court has jurisdiction over potential atrocity crimes carried out by Hamas militants in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip, even though Israel is not a member state.
+(This story has been refiled to fix a typo in the reporter's name in the signoff)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in The Hague urge ICC action[/TITLE] [CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside The Hague headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday to urge it and the international community to take action against what they call genocide against Palestinians. Fighting began on Oct. 7 when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel as part of its goal to end Israeli occupation. Israel has since retaliated by bombing Gaza, and an estimated 1,400 Israelis and 3,000 Palestinians have been killed so far. The ICC is investigating potential atrocity crimes that Hamas militants in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip have committed since 2014, which also covers the current conflict. ""We are against killings of any (parties), however when it comes to Gaza the world is always (turning) a blind eye. We came here to say enough is enough,"" Rafat Alkayyali, 50, said, adding that he came to the ICC to protest because he believes in international law. Protesters carried signs that said: ""Justice for Palestine - Stop the Genocide"" and ""How many children will die until Israel is prosecuted"". Last week ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told Reuters that the court has jurisdiction over potential atrocity crimes carried out by Hamas militants in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip, even though Israel is not a member state.
+(This story has been refiled to fix a typo in the reporter's name in the signoff)[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blackout-disconnects-bombarded-gazans-world-each-other-2023-10-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Blackout disconnects bombarded Gazans from world and each other[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 28 (Reuters) - A telephone and internet blackout isolated people in the Gaza Strip from the world and from each other on Saturday, with calls to loved ones, ambulances or colleagues elsewhere all but impossible as Israel widened its air and ground assault.
+International humanitarian organisations said the blackout, which began on Friday evening, was worsening an already desperate situation by impeding life-saving operations and preventing them from contacting their staff on the ground.
+Three weeks into a war between Israel and Hamas that has saturated global media coverage, the blackout also meant a previously constant flow of information, images and videos from inside the strip had reduced to a trickle, making it difficult to understand the extent and impact of the latest strikes.
+""My brain cannot fathom that things can get any worse. And here we are on Day 21, we have lost service. If you are dying, you can't ring up the ambulance service. If you are struck, whatever happens, you can't communicate with anyone,"" said Plestia Alaqad, a freelance journalist in Gaza.
+She was speaking in a video recorded on Friday night and uploaded on Saturday to Instagram, where she has 1.4 million followers, when she said she was able to access the internet, one of a small number of Gazans who have managed to do so.
+""I'm supposed to tell the world what is going on, well I am in Gaza and I don't know what is going on. There is no internet, no network, no service, no fuel to move around by car, no electricity, nothing,"" she said in a mix of English and Arabic.
+Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Saturday Israeli forces would continue operations begun overnight in the Gaza Strip, targeting tunnels and other infrastructure of Hamas as well as leaders of the Islamist movement.
+""We attacked above the ground and under ground, we attacked terror operatives of all ranks, everywhere,"" he said in a video statement.
+Israel had earlier made only brief incursions into Gaza during three weeks of bombardment to root out Hamas militants, who it said had killed 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, on Oct. 7.
+The Palestinian health ministry said on Saturday 7,650 people had been killed and 19,450 injured in Gaza since Israel's bombardment began. It said 70% of the dead there and in the West Bank, were women, children or the elderly.
+'DISCONNECTED FROM THE WORLD'
+The U.N. World Food Programme, World Health Organization and other agencies, as well as independent aid groups including Medecins Sans Frontieres and the Norwegian Refugee Council were among those saying they had lost contact with staff in Gaza.
+Several humanitarian groups said Israel had deliberately cut off communications to the strip. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters has been unable to independently verify what was causing the blackout.
+""The Israeli authorities have cut off landline, cellular, and internet communications, severely affecting our essential emergency medical services,"" said the Palestine Red Crescent Society on social media plaform X, without citing evidence.
+For media organisations including Reuters, the inability to maintain regular contact with teams in Gaza underlined concerns over the safety of their staff and made it much harder to report comprehensively on what was happening.
+The Israeli military says it does not deliberately target journalists but cannot guarantee their safety in Gaza.
+""The shelling was intense everywhere in the strip,"" one Reuters reporter wrote in a message to colleagues, one of the few able to be sent by the Reuters team inside Gaza on Saturday.
+Gaza-based freelance photographer Mohammed Zaanoun, speaking from inside the strip in a video he posted on social media on Saturday morning, said this might be the last video he uploaded.
+""I have driven a long way to reach the border with Egypt to be able to send you this message and tell you that Gaza has been disconnected from the world,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Blackout disconnects bombarded Gazans from world and each other[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]Oct 28 (Reuters) - A telephone and internet blackout isolated people in the Gaza Strip from the world and from each other on Saturday, with calls to loved ones, ambulances or colleagues elsewhere all but impossible as Israel widened its air and ground assault. International humanitarian organisations said the blackout, which began on Friday evening, was worsening an already desperate situation by impeding life-saving operations and preventing them from contacting their staff on the ground. Three weeks into a war between Israel and Hamas that has saturated global media coverage, the blackout also meant a previously constant flow of information, images and videos from inside the strip had reduced to a trickle, making it difficult to understand the extent and impact of the latest strikes.  ""My brain cannot fathom that things can get any worse. And here we are on Day 21, we have lost service. If you are dying, you can't ring up the ambulance service. If you are struck, whatever happens, you can't communicate with anyone,"" said Plestia Alaqad, a freelance journalist in Gaza. She was speaking in a video recorded on Friday night and uploaded on Saturday to Instagram, where she has 1.4 million followers, when she said she was able to access the internet, one of a small number of Gazans who have managed to do so.  ""I'm supposed to tell the world what is going on, well I am in Gaza and I don't know what is going on. There is no internet, no network, no service, no fuel to move around by car, no electricity, nothing,"" she said in a mix of English and Arabic. Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Saturday Israeli forces would continue operations begun overnight in the Gaza Strip, targeting tunnels and other infrastructure of Hamas as well as leaders of the Islamist movement. ""We attacked above the ground and under ground, we attacked terror operatives of all ranks, everywhere,"" he said in a video statement. Israel had earlier made only brief incursions into Gaza during three weeks of bombardment to root out Hamas militants, who it said had killed 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, on Oct. 7.  The Palestinian health ministry said on Saturday 7,650 people had been killed and 19,450 injured in Gaza since Israel's bombardment began. It said 70% of the dead there and in the West Bank, were women, children or the elderly."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blackout-disconnects-bombarded-gazans-world-each-other-2023-10-28/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Blackout disconnects bombarded Gazans from world and each other[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 28 (Reuters) - A telephone and internet blackout isolated people in the Gaza Strip from the world and from each other on Saturday, with calls to loved ones, ambulances or colleagues elsewhere all but impossible as Israel widened its air and ground assault.
+International humanitarian organisations said the blackout, which began on Friday evening, was worsening an already desperate situation by impeding life-saving operations and preventing them from contacting their staff on the ground.
+Three weeks into a war between Israel and Hamas that has saturated global media coverage, the blackout also meant a previously constant flow of information, images and videos from inside the strip had reduced to a trickle, making it difficult to understand the extent and impact of the latest strikes.
+""My brain cannot fathom that things can get any worse. And here we are on Day 21, we have lost service. If you are dying, you can't ring up the ambulance service. If you are struck, whatever happens, you can't communicate with anyone,"" said Plestia Alaqad, a freelance journalist in Gaza.
+She was speaking in a video recorded on Friday night and uploaded on Saturday to Instagram, where she has 1.4 million followers, when she said she was able to access the internet, one of a small number of Gazans who have managed to do so.
+""I'm supposed to tell the world what is going on, well I am in Gaza and I don't know what is going on. There is no internet, no network, no service, no fuel to move around by car, no electricity, nothing,"" she said in a mix of English and Arabic.
+Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Saturday Israeli forces would continue operations begun overnight in the Gaza Strip, targeting tunnels and other infrastructure of Hamas as well as leaders of the Islamist movement.
+""We attacked above the ground and under ground, we attacked terror operatives of all ranks, everywhere,"" he said in a video statement.
+Israel had earlier made only brief incursions into Gaza during three weeks of bombardment to root out Hamas militants, who it said had killed 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, on Oct. 7.
+The Palestinian health ministry said on Saturday 7,650 people had been killed and 19,450 injured in Gaza since Israel's bombardment began. It said 70% of the dead there and in the West Bank, were women, children or the elderly.
+'DISCONNECTED FROM THE WORLD'
+The U.N. World Food Programme, World Health Organization and other agencies, as well as independent aid groups including Medecins Sans Frontieres and the Norwegian Refugee Council were among those saying they had lost contact with staff in Gaza.
+Several humanitarian groups said Israel had deliberately cut off communications to the strip. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters has been unable to independently verify what was causing the blackout.
+""The Israeli authorities have cut off landline, cellular, and internet communications, severely affecting our essential emergency medical services,"" said the Palestine Red Crescent Society on social media plaform X, without citing evidence.
+For media organisations including Reuters, the inability to maintain regular contact with teams in Gaza underlined concerns over the safety of their staff and made it much harder to report comprehensively on what was happening.
+The Israeli military says it does not deliberately target journalists but cannot guarantee their safety in Gaza.
+""The shelling was intense everywhere in the strip,"" one Reuters reporter wrote in a message to colleagues, one of the few able to be sent by the Reuters team inside Gaza on Saturday.
+Gaza-based freelance photographer Mohammed Zaanoun, speaking from inside the strip in a video he posted on social media on Saturday morning, said this might be the last video he uploaded.
+""I have driven a long way to reach the border with Egypt to be able to send you this message and tell you that Gaza has been disconnected from the world,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","'DISCONNECTED FROM THE WORLD'
+The U.N. World Food Programme, World Health Organization and other agencies, as well as independent aid groups including Medecins Sans Frontieres and the Norwegian Refugee Council were among those saying they had lost contact with staff in Gaza.  Several humanitarian groups said Israel had deliberately cut off communications to the strip. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters has been unable to independently verify what was causing the blackout. ""The Israeli authorities have cut off landline, cellular, and internet communications, severely affecting our essential emergency medical services,"" said the Palestine Red Crescent Society on social media plaform X, without citing evidence.  For media organisations including Reuters, the inability to maintain regular contact with teams in Gaza underlined concerns over the safety of their staff and made it much harder to report comprehensively on what was happening.
+The Israeli military says it does not deliberately target journalists but cannot guarantee their safety in Gaza.
+""The shelling was intense everywhere in the strip,"" one Reuters reporter wrote in a message to colleagues, one of the few able to be sent by the Reuters team inside Gaza on Saturday.
+Gaza-based freelance photographer Mohammed Zaanoun, speaking from inside the strip in a video he posted on social media on Saturday morning, said this might be the last video he uploaded.
+""I have driven a long way to reach the border with Egypt to be able to send you this message and tell you that Gaza has been disconnected from the world,"" he said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/despite-bidens-doubts-humanitarian-agencies-consider-gaza-toll-reliable-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despite Biden's doubts, humanitarian agencies consider Gaza toll reliable[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has cast doubt on casualty figures provided by Palestinian officials in Gaza, but international humanitarian agencies consider them broadly accurate and historically reliable.
+Although there is no dispute that Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed many people since Hamas ran amok in southern Israel on Oct. 7, Biden said on Wednesday he had ""no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using"", without saying why.
+The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza responded by releasing a 212-page document containing the names and identity numbers of around 7,000 Palestinians it said had been killed in the Israeli bombardment of the enclave.
+International groups, even some operating in Gaza, and global media including Reuters are not able to verify the figures but reporters have seen large numbers of bodies.
+U.N. and other international agencies say there can be small discrepancies between the final casualty numbers and those reported by the Gaza health ministry straight after attacks, but that they broadly trust them.
+""We continue to include their data in our reporting and it is clearly sourced,"" the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement to Reuters.
+""It is nearly impossible at the moment to provide any UN verification on a day-to-day basis.""
+Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the Geneva-based World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, said last week figures released by both sides ""may not be perfectly accurate on a minute-to-minute basis, but they grossly reflect the level of death and injury on both sides of that conflict.""
+New York-based Human Rights Watch also says the casualty figures have generally been reliable, and that it has not found big discrepancies in its verification of past strikes on Gaza.
+""It's worth noting that the numbers that are coming out since October 7th are generally consistent or within logic for the scale of killings one would expect, given the intensity of bombardment in such a densely populated area,"" Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said.
+""Those numbers are in line with what one might expect, given what we're seeing on the ground through testimony, through satellite imagery and otherwise,"" he told Reuters.
+FIGURES BROADLY ALIGN
+Underlining the difficulties in calculating death tolls, a World Health Organization official said on Friday the agency had received estimates that some 1,000 unidentified bodies were still buried under the rubble in Gaza and not yet included in death tolls. The official did not specify the source.
+While Hamas controls Gaza and exercises tight control over information coming out of the enclave, formal responsibility for the health ministry still rests with the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank.
+
+The PA is dominated by Fatah, the main Palestinian rival to Hamas, and is responsible for paying salaries and providing equipment to Gaza hospitals.
+It reports casualty totals based on numbers it receives from hospitals, ambulances and emergency services, in coordination with the Red Crescent, a spokesman in Ramallah said.
+He said victims are initially identified by age, sex and injury type, and full identities are confirmed later. The figures are initially reported in Gaza, and updated in Ramallah after they have been checked, but discrepancies are generally minimal, he said.
+Israel has not provided its own estimated death toll.
+There has been no big change in the way Palestinian authorities report casualties since the last big conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2014, when figures provided by various entities were not vastly different.
+In a report published on its website on Nov. 3, 2015, the Palestinian health ministry said the number of people killed in the July-August 2014 conflict in Gaza was 2,322.
+A U.N.-mandated commission of inquiry reported that 2,251 Palestinians had been killed.
+Although Israel blamed Hamas for the majority of the deaths in Gaza, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a report following the conflict that 2,125 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza, according to data gathered by the Israeli military.
+The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an Israeli think tank, said more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, while rights groups B'tselem put that figure at 2,202 Palestinians.
+ISRAELI CONCERN
+Israel has been attacking Gaza since cross-border raids in which it said 1,400 people were killed by Hamas in southern Israel. Biden, who was speaking at a press conference, did not explain on Wednesday why he lacked confidence in the casualty figures provided by the Palestinians.
+An Israeli military spokesman said this week the Gaza health ministry ""continuously inflates the number of civilian casualties"" and ""has been caught lying in the past"".
+He cited the ministry's handling of an attack at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza on Oct. 17 which each side blamed on the other, saying the ministry initially reported 500 dead but later revised the toll down to 471. In a separate media briefing, another spokesman gave no Israeli casualty estimate when asked by reporters what Israel assessed the overall total to be.
+An unclassified U.S. intelligence report seen by Reuters estimated the death toll in the hospital attack was ""probably at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum"". An Israeli official has said the toll appears to be ""several dozen"".
+Palestinian officials said calculating the number of dead in the attack had been difficult because some victims were dismembered, meaning there were many body parts to identify.
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despite Biden's doubts , humanitarian agencies consider Gaza toll reliable[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has cast doubt on casualty figures provided by Palestinian officials in Gaza, but international humanitarian agencies consider them broadly accurate and historically reliable. Although there is no dispute that Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed many people since Hamas ran amok in southern Israel on Oct. 7, Biden said on Wednesday he had ""no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using"", without saying why.
+The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza responded by releasing a 212-page document containing the names and identity numbers of around 7,000 Palestinians it said had been killed in the Israeli bombardment of the enclave. International groups, even some operating in Gaza, and global media including Reuters are not able to verify the figures but reporters have seen large numbers of bodies. U.N. and other international agencies say there can be small discrepancies between the final casualty numbers and those reported by the Gaza health ministry straight after attacks, but that they broadly trust them.
+""We continue to include their data in our reporting and it is clearly sourced,"" the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement to Reuters. ""It is nearly impossible at the moment to provide any UN verification on a day-to-day basis.""
+Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the Geneva-based World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, said last week figures released by both sides ""may not be perfectly accurate on a minute-to-minute basis, but they grossly reflect the level of death and injury on both sides of that conflict.""
+New York-based Human Rights Watch also says the casualty figures have generally been reliable, and that it has not found big discrepancies in its verification of past strikes on Gaza. ""It's worth noting that the numbers that are coming out since October 7th are generally consistent or within logic for the scale of killings one would expect, given the intensity of bombardment in such a densely populated area,"" Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said. ""Those numbers are in line with what one might expect, given what we're seeing on the ground through testimony, through satellite imagery and otherwise,"" he told Reuters. FIGURES BROADLY ALIGN Underlining the difficulties in calculating death tolls, a World Health Organization official said on Friday the agency had received estimates that some 1,000 unidentified bodies were still buried under the rubble in Gaza and not yet included in death tolls."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/despite-bidens-doubts-humanitarian-agencies-consider-gaza-toll-reliable-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despite Biden's doubts, humanitarian agencies consider Gaza toll reliable[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has cast doubt on casualty figures provided by Palestinian officials in Gaza, but international humanitarian agencies consider them broadly accurate and historically reliable.
+Although there is no dispute that Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed many people since Hamas ran amok in southern Israel on Oct. 7, Biden said on Wednesday he had ""no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using"", without saying why.
+The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza responded by releasing a 212-page document containing the names and identity numbers of around 7,000 Palestinians it said had been killed in the Israeli bombardment of the enclave.
+International groups, even some operating in Gaza, and global media including Reuters are not able to verify the figures but reporters have seen large numbers of bodies.
+U.N. and other international agencies say there can be small discrepancies between the final casualty numbers and those reported by the Gaza health ministry straight after attacks, but that they broadly trust them.
+""We continue to include their data in our reporting and it is clearly sourced,"" the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement to Reuters.
+""It is nearly impossible at the moment to provide any UN verification on a day-to-day basis.""
+Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the Geneva-based World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, said last week figures released by both sides ""may not be perfectly accurate on a minute-to-minute basis, but they grossly reflect the level of death and injury on both sides of that conflict.""
+New York-based Human Rights Watch also says the casualty figures have generally been reliable, and that it has not found big discrepancies in its verification of past strikes on Gaza.
+""It's worth noting that the numbers that are coming out since October 7th are generally consistent or within logic for the scale of killings one would expect, given the intensity of bombardment in such a densely populated area,"" Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said.
+""Those numbers are in line with what one might expect, given what we're seeing on the ground through testimony, through satellite imagery and otherwise,"" he told Reuters.
+FIGURES BROADLY ALIGN
+Underlining the difficulties in calculating death tolls, a World Health Organization official said on Friday the agency had received estimates that some 1,000 unidentified bodies were still buried under the rubble in Gaza and not yet included in death tolls. The official did not specify the source.
+While Hamas controls Gaza and exercises tight control over information coming out of the enclave, formal responsibility for the health ministry still rests with the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank.
+
+The PA is dominated by Fatah, the main Palestinian rival to Hamas, and is responsible for paying salaries and providing equipment to Gaza hospitals.
+It reports casualty totals based on numbers it receives from hospitals, ambulances and emergency services, in coordination with the Red Crescent, a spokesman in Ramallah said.
+He said victims are initially identified by age, sex and injury type, and full identities are confirmed later. The figures are initially reported in Gaza, and updated in Ramallah after they have been checked, but discrepancies are generally minimal, he said.
+Israel has not provided its own estimated death toll.
+There has been no big change in the way Palestinian authorities report casualties since the last big conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2014, when figures provided by various entities were not vastly different.
+In a report published on its website on Nov. 3, 2015, the Palestinian health ministry said the number of people killed in the July-August 2014 conflict in Gaza was 2,322.
+A U.N.-mandated commission of inquiry reported that 2,251 Palestinians had been killed.
+Although Israel blamed Hamas for the majority of the deaths in Gaza, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a report following the conflict that 2,125 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza, according to data gathered by the Israeli military.
+The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an Israeli think tank, said more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, while rights groups B'tselem put that figure at 2,202 Palestinians.
+ISRAELI CONCERN
+Israel has been attacking Gaza since cross-border raids in which it said 1,400 people were killed by Hamas in southern Israel. Biden, who was speaking at a press conference, did not explain on Wednesday why he lacked confidence in the casualty figures provided by the Palestinians.
+An Israeli military spokesman said this week the Gaza health ministry ""continuously inflates the number of civilian casualties"" and ""has been caught lying in the past"".
+He cited the ministry's handling of an attack at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza on Oct. 17 which each side blamed on the other, saying the ministry initially reported 500 dead but later revised the toll down to 471. In a separate media briefing, another spokesman gave no Israeli casualty estimate when asked by reporters what Israel assessed the overall total to be.
+An unclassified U.S. intelligence report seen by Reuters estimated the death toll in the hospital attack was ""probably at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum"". An Israeli official has said the toll appears to be ""several dozen"".
+Palestinian officials said calculating the number of dead in the attack had been difficult because some victims were dismembered, meaning there were many body parts to identify.
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","The official did not specify the source. While Hamas controls Gaza and exercises tight control over information coming out of the enclave, formal responsibility for the health ministry still rests with the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank. The PA is dominated by Fatah, the main Palestinian rival to Hamas, and is responsible for paying salaries and providing equipment to Gaza hospitals. It reports casualty totals based on numbers it receives from hospitals, ambulances and emergency services, in coordination with the Red Crescent, a spokesman in Ramallah said.  He said victims are initially identified by age, sex and injury type, and full identities are confirmed later. The figures are initially reported in Gaza, and updated in Ramallah after they have been checked, but discrepancies are generally minimal, he said. Israel has not provided its own estimated death toll. There has been no big change in the way Palestinian authorities report casualties since the last big conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2014, when figures provided by various entities were not vastly different. In a report published on its website on Nov. 3, 2015, the Palestinian health ministry said the number of people killed in the July-August 2014 conflict in Gaza was 2,322. A U.N.-mandated commission of inquiry reported that 2,251 Palestinians had been killed.
+Although Israel blamed Hamas for the majority of the deaths in Gaza, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a report following the conflict that 2,125 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza, according to data gathered by the Israeli military.  The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an Israeli think tank, said more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, while rights groups B'tselem put that figure at 2,202 Palestinians. ISRAELI CONCERN Israel has been attacking Gaza since cross-border raids in which it said 1,400 people were killed by Hamas in southern Israel. Biden, who was speaking at a press conference, did not explain on Wednesday why he lacked confidence in the casualty figures provided by the Palestinians. An Israeli military spokesman said this week the Gaza health ministry ""continuously inflates the number of civilian casualties"" and ""has been caught lying in the past"".  He cited the ministry's handling of an attack at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza on Oct. 17 which each side blamed on the other, saying the ministry initially reported 500 dead but later revised the toll down to 471. In a separate media briefing, another spokesman gave no Israeli casualty estimate when asked by reporters what Israel assessed the overall total to be. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/despite-bidens-doubts-humanitarian-agencies-consider-gaza-toll-reliable-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Despite Biden's doubts, humanitarian agencies consider Gaza toll reliable[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GENEVA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has cast doubt on casualty figures provided by Palestinian officials in Gaza, but international humanitarian agencies consider them broadly accurate and historically reliable.
+Although there is no dispute that Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed many people since Hamas ran amok in southern Israel on Oct. 7, Biden said on Wednesday he had ""no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using"", without saying why.
+The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza responded by releasing a 212-page document containing the names and identity numbers of around 7,000 Palestinians it said had been killed in the Israeli bombardment of the enclave.
+International groups, even some operating in Gaza, and global media including Reuters are not able to verify the figures but reporters have seen large numbers of bodies.
+U.N. and other international agencies say there can be small discrepancies between the final casualty numbers and those reported by the Gaza health ministry straight after attacks, but that they broadly trust them.
+""We continue to include their data in our reporting and it is clearly sourced,"" the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement to Reuters.
+""It is nearly impossible at the moment to provide any UN verification on a day-to-day basis.""
+Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the Geneva-based World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, said last week figures released by both sides ""may not be perfectly accurate on a minute-to-minute basis, but they grossly reflect the level of death and injury on both sides of that conflict.""
+New York-based Human Rights Watch also says the casualty figures have generally been reliable, and that it has not found big discrepancies in its verification of past strikes on Gaza.
+""It's worth noting that the numbers that are coming out since October 7th are generally consistent or within logic for the scale of killings one would expect, given the intensity of bombardment in such a densely populated area,"" Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said.
+""Those numbers are in line with what one might expect, given what we're seeing on the ground through testimony, through satellite imagery and otherwise,"" he told Reuters.
+FIGURES BROADLY ALIGN
+Underlining the difficulties in calculating death tolls, a World Health Organization official said on Friday the agency had received estimates that some 1,000 unidentified bodies were still buried under the rubble in Gaza and not yet included in death tolls. The official did not specify the source.
+While Hamas controls Gaza and exercises tight control over information coming out of the enclave, formal responsibility for the health ministry still rests with the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank.
+
+The PA is dominated by Fatah, the main Palestinian rival to Hamas, and is responsible for paying salaries and providing equipment to Gaza hospitals.
+It reports casualty totals based on numbers it receives from hospitals, ambulances and emergency services, in coordination with the Red Crescent, a spokesman in Ramallah said.
+He said victims are initially identified by age, sex and injury type, and full identities are confirmed later. The figures are initially reported in Gaza, and updated in Ramallah after they have been checked, but discrepancies are generally minimal, he said.
+Israel has not provided its own estimated death toll.
+There has been no big change in the way Palestinian authorities report casualties since the last big conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2014, when figures provided by various entities were not vastly different.
+In a report published on its website on Nov. 3, 2015, the Palestinian health ministry said the number of people killed in the July-August 2014 conflict in Gaza was 2,322.
+A U.N.-mandated commission of inquiry reported that 2,251 Palestinians had been killed.
+Although Israel blamed Hamas for the majority of the deaths in Gaza, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a report following the conflict that 2,125 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza, according to data gathered by the Israeli military.
+The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an Israeli think tank, said more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, while rights groups B'tselem put that figure at 2,202 Palestinians.
+ISRAELI CONCERN
+Israel has been attacking Gaza since cross-border raids in which it said 1,400 people were killed by Hamas in southern Israel. Biden, who was speaking at a press conference, did not explain on Wednesday why he lacked confidence in the casualty figures provided by the Palestinians.
+An Israeli military spokesman said this week the Gaza health ministry ""continuously inflates the number of civilian casualties"" and ""has been caught lying in the past"".
+He cited the ministry's handling of an attack at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza on Oct. 17 which each side blamed on the other, saying the ministry initially reported 500 dead but later revised the toll down to 471. In a separate media briefing, another spokesman gave no Israeli casualty estimate when asked by reporters what Israel assessed the overall total to be.
+An unclassified U.S. intelligence report seen by Reuters estimated the death toll in the hospital attack was ""probably at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum"". An Israeli official has said the toll appears to be ""several dozen"".
+Palestinian officials said calculating the number of dead in the attack had been difficult because some victims were dismembered, meaning there were many body parts to identify.
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","An unclassified U.S. intelligence report seen by Reuters estimated the death toll in the hospital attack was ""probably at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum"". An Israeli official has said the toll appears to be ""several dozen"". Palestinian officials said calculating the number of dead in the attack had been difficult because some victims were dismembered, meaning there were many body parts to identify. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/2017-india-missile-test-falsely-shared-russia-attacking-israel-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: 2017 India missile test falsely shared as Russia attacking Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video of a missile test launch conducted by the Indian Navy in 2017 is circulating with the false claim that it shows Russia attacking Israel in October 2023.
+The video shows a cruise missile shot vertically into the sky before turning horizontally and shooting into the distance, leaving a plume of smoke in its wake.
+The clip has over 3 million views on TikTok, opens new tab with a caption printed across it that reads: “Russia attacks on israel today to help Palestine 25 Oct 2023.”
+Reuters traced the video to X, formerly known as Twitter, uploaded by the spokesperson for the Indian Navy’s official account, opens new tab on April 22, 2017, with a caption that reads: “Here it goes....Successful maiden launch of Brahmos Supersonic LACM from INS Teg @SpokespersonMoD.”
+The Indian Navy posted on their official Facebook, opens new tab account on the same date that they successfully tested a cruise missile from their INS Teg ship. The image used in the post matches the ship in the clip circulating online.
+Various outlets covered the test launch at the time including The Diplomat, opens new taband The Indian Express, opens new tab.
+The logo viewable at the beginning of the video matches the logo for the INS Teg on the Indian Navy website, opens new tab.
+According to a post, opens new tab published in 2017 on the Navy’s Facebook page, the ship’s motto is “Towards Eternal Glory.” “Towards Glory”, opens new tab can be seen above the logo in the clip circulating online.
+VERDICT
+False. The video shows a test missile launch from an Indian Navy vessel in 2017.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: 2017 India missile test falsely shared as Russia attacking Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video of a missile test launch conducted by the Indian Navy in 2017 is circulating with the false claim that it shows Russia attacking Israel in October 2023. The video shows a cruise missile shot vertically into the sky before turning horizontally and shooting into the distance, leaving a plume of smoke in its wake. The clip has over 3 million views on TikTok, opens new tab with a caption printed across it that reads: “Russia attacks on israel today to help Palestine 25 Oct 2023.” Reuters traced the video to X, formerly known as Twitter, uploaded by the spokesperson for the Indian Navy’s official account, opens new tab on April 22, 2017, with a caption that reads: “Here it goes....Successful maiden launch of Brahmos Supersonic LACM from INS Teg @SpokespersonMoD.” The Indian Navy posted on their official Facebook, opens new tab account on the same date that they successfully tested a cruise missile from their INS Teg ship. The image used in the post matches the ship in the clip circulating online. Various outlets covered the test launch at the time including The Diplomat, opens new taband The Indian Express, opens new tab. The logo viewable at the beginning of the video matches the logo for the INS Teg on the Indian Navy website, opens new tab.  According to a post, opens new tab published in 2017 on the Navy’s Facebook page, the ship’s motto is “Towards Eternal Glory.” “Towards Glory”, opens new tab can be seen above the logo in the clip circulating online.  VERDICT
+False. The video shows a test missile launch from an Indian Navy vessel in 2017.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-tunnel-city-beneath-gaza-hidden-frontline-israel-2023-10-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]The Hamas tunnel city beneath Gaza - a hidden frontline for Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - What lies in wait for Israeli ground troops in Gaza, security sources say, is a Hamas tunnel network hundreds of kilometres long and up to 80 metres deep, described by one freed hostage as ""a spider's web"" and by one expert as the ""Viet Cong times 10"".
+The Palestinian Islamist group has different kinds of tunnels running beneath the sandy 360 sq km coastal strip and its borders - including attack, smuggling, storage and operational burrows, Western and Middle East sources familiar with the matter said.
+The Israeli military accused Hamas on Friday of using Gaza's main hospital, opens new tab, Al Shifa, as a shield for tunnels and operational centres.
+""Hamas has turned hospitals into command and control centres and hideouts for Hamas terrorists and commanders,"" Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's chief military spokesman, said.
+He showed photographs, diagrams and audio recordings that, he said, showed how Hamas was using hospitals to hide command posts and entry points into the tunnel network. ""Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa hospital and other hospitals in Gaza,"" he said.
+It was not possible to verify Hagari's statements. Hamas official Ezzat El-Reshiq said there was ""no basis in truth to what was reported by the enemy army spokesman"".
+The United States believes Israel's special forces will face an unprecedented challenge battling militants while trying to avoid killing hostages held below ground, a U.S. official said.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted that Iraq's nine-month-long battle to retake Mosul from Islamic State might prove to have been easier than what awaits the Israelis - likely to be ""a lot of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), a lot of booby traps, and just a really grinding activity"".
+Even though Israel has invested heavily in tunnel detection - including a sensor-equipped underground barrier it called an ""iron wall"" - Hamas is still thought to have working tunnels to the outside world.
+After the last hostilities in 2021, Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yehya Al-Sinwar, said: ""They started saying they destroyed 100 km of Hamas tunnels. I am telling you, the tunnels we have in the Gaza Strip exceed 500 km. Even if their narrative is true, they only destroyed 20% of the tunnels.""
+HOSTAGE WITNESS
+There has been no corroboration of the comment by Sinwar, who is thought to be hiding underground ahead of an expected Israeli offensive.
+But the estimate of hundreds of kilometres is widely accepted by security analysts, even though the blockaded coastal strip is only 40 km (25 miles) long.
+With Israel in control of Gaza's air and sea access and 59 km of its 72 km land borders - with Egypt 13 km to the south - tunnels provide one of the few ways for Hamas to bring in weapons, equipment and people.
+While it and other Palestinian groups are secretive about their networks, recently released Israeli hostage, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, said: ""It looked like a spider's web, many, many tunnels,"" adding: ""We walked kilometres under the ground.""
+Hamas believes that with Israel's overwhelming aerial and armoured military superiority, tunnels are a way to cut some of those advantages by forcing Israel's soldiers to move underground in cramped spaces that Hamas fighters know well.
+An Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday: ""I won't elaborate on the number of kilometres of tunnels but it is a high number, built under schools and residential areas.""
+Urging the United Nations Security Council to intervene, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an immediate cessation of ""aggression"" on Gaza and moves toward ""a political solution instead of military and security solutions"".
+UNDERGROUND CITY
+Israeli security sources say Israel's heavy aerial bombardments have caused little damage to the tunnel infrastructure with Hamas naval commandos able to launch a seaborne attack targeting coastal communities near Gaza this week.
+""Although we have been attacking massively for days and days, the (Hamas) leadership is pretty much intact, as is the ability to command and control, the ability even to try and launch counter attacks,"" said Amir Avivi, a former brigadier general whose positions in the Israeli military included deputy commander of the Gaza division, tasked with tackling tunnels.
+""There is a whole city all over Gaza underneath with depths of 40-50 metres. There are bunkers and headquarters and storage and of course they are connected to more than a thousand rocket launching positions.""
+Other sources estimated depths of up to 80 metres.
+One Western security source said: ""They run for miles. They are made of concrete and very well made. Think of the Viet Cong times 10. They have had years and lots of money with which to work.""
+Another security source, from one of Israel's neighbouring countries, said Hamas' tunnels from Egypt remain active.
+""The supply chain is still intact these days. The network involved in facilitating co-ordination are some Egyptian military officers. It is unclear if there is knowledge of this by the Egyptian army,"" he said.
+A small number of narrower, deep, smuggling tunnels were still operating until recently between Egypt and Gaza, according to two security sources and a trader in the Egyptian city El Arish, but they slowed to a near-halt after the war started.
+Egyptian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said while inspecting military units in Suez that the army's role was to secure Egyptian borders.
+LONG GAME
+Hamas is thought to have begun digging tunnels in the mid-1990s, when Israel granted Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization some degree of self-rule in Gaza.
+The tunnel network is a key reason why Hamas is stronger in Gaza than in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israel's military bases and monitoring devices make it harder to get anything in from Jordan.
+Tunneling became easier in 2005 when Israel pulled its soldiers and settlers out of Gaza, and when Hamas won power in a 2006 election.
+Shortly afterwards Hamas's military wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, captured Gilad Shalit after burrowing 600 metres to raid the Kerem Shalom base on the Gaza border.
+A year later Hamas used tunnels in Gaza to launch a military strike against the forces of Arafat's successor as PLO leader, Mahmoud Abbas.
+Although the military tunnels remained off-limits to outside eyes, during that era Gaza smugglers would show off commercial tunnels under the Rafah border.
+These were around three feet (one metre) wide and used winch motors to haul goods in hollow barrels.
+One Rafah tunnel operator, Abu Qusay, said a half-mile tunnel took three to six months to dig and could yield up to $100,000 a day. The most profitable item was bullets, bought for $1 each in Egypt and fetching more than $6 in Gaza. Kalashnikov rifles, he said, cost $800 in Egypt and sold for twice that.
+TUNNEL HUNTING
+Professor Joel Roskin, a geomorphologist and geologist with Israel's Bar-Ilan University said it was difficult to map the tunnel network accurately from the surface or space, adding highly classified information was essential for 3D mapping and imagery visualisation.
+Among the elite units tasked with going underground is Yahalom, specialist commandos from Israel's Combat Engineering Corps known as the ""weasels"", who specialise in finding and destroying tunnels.
+This week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Yahalom fighters, telling them: ""I rely on you, the people of Israel rely on you.""
+Israeli sources said they face an enemy that has regrouped and learned from previous operations.
+""There are going to be a lot of booby traps. They have thermobaric weapons that they didn't have in 2021, which are more lethal. And I believe they acquired a lot of anti-tank weapon systems that are going to try to hit our APCs (armoured personnel carriers), tanks,"" said Amnon Sofrin, a former brigadier general and former commander of the Combat Intelligence Corps.
+Sofrin, who was also previously head of the intelligence directorate with Israel's Mossad spy agency, said Hamas would also be trying to kidnap soldiers.
+Daphne Richemond-Barak, professor at Israel's Reichman University and author of the book Underground Warfare, said the conflicts in Syria and Iraq had changed the situation.
+""What the IDF (Israeli military) is likely to face inside the tunnels is also all of the experience and all of the knowledge that has been gained by groups like ISIS (Islamic State) and has been ... passed on to Hamas.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]The Hamas tunnel city beneath Gaza - a hidden frontline for Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - What lies in wait for Israeli ground troops in Gaza, security sources say, is a Hamas tunnel network hundreds of kilometres long and up to 80 metres deep, described by one freed hostage as ""a spider's web"" and by one expert as the ""Viet Cong times 10"". The Palestinian Islamist group has different kinds of tunnels running beneath the sandy 360 sq km coastal strip and its borders - including attack, smuggling, storage and operational burrows, Western and Middle East sources familiar with the matter said. The Israeli military accused Hamas on Friday of using Gaza's main hospital, opens new tab, Al Shifa, as a shield for tunnels and operational centres. ""Hamas has turned hospitals into command and control centres and hideouts for Hamas terrorists and commanders,"" Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's chief military spokesman, said.  He showed photographs, diagrams and audio recordings that, he said, showed how Hamas was using hospitals to hide command posts and entry points into the tunnel network. ""Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa hospital and other hospitals in Gaza,"" he said.  It was not possible to verify Hagari's statements. Hamas official Ezzat El-Reshiq said there was ""no basis in truth to what was reported by the enemy army spokesman"". The United States believes Israel's special forces will face an unprecedented challenge battling militants while trying to avoid killing hostages held below ground, a U.S. official said. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted that Iraq's nine-month-long battle to retake Mosul from Islamic State might prove to have been easier than what awaits the Israelis - likely to be ""a lot of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), a lot of booby traps, and just a really grinding activity"".  Even though Israel has invested heavily in tunnel detection - including a sensor-equipped underground barrier it called an ""iron wall"" - Hamas is still thought to have working tunnels to the outside world.
+After the last hostilities in 2021, Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yehya Al-Sinwar, said: ""They started saying they destroyed 100 km of Hamas tunnels. I am telling you, the tunnels we have in the Gaza Strip exceed 500 km. Even if their narrative is true, they only destroyed 20% of the tunnels. ""
+HOSTAGE WITNESS There has been no corroboration of the comment by Sinwar, who is thought to be hiding underground ahead of an expected Israeli offensive."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-tunnel-city-beneath-gaza-hidden-frontline-israel-2023-10-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]The Hamas tunnel city beneath Gaza - a hidden frontline for Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - What lies in wait for Israeli ground troops in Gaza, security sources say, is a Hamas tunnel network hundreds of kilometres long and up to 80 metres deep, described by one freed hostage as ""a spider's web"" and by one expert as the ""Viet Cong times 10"".
+The Palestinian Islamist group has different kinds of tunnels running beneath the sandy 360 sq km coastal strip and its borders - including attack, smuggling, storage and operational burrows, Western and Middle East sources familiar with the matter said.
+The Israeli military accused Hamas on Friday of using Gaza's main hospital, opens new tab, Al Shifa, as a shield for tunnels and operational centres.
+""Hamas has turned hospitals into command and control centres and hideouts for Hamas terrorists and commanders,"" Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's chief military spokesman, said.
+He showed photographs, diagrams and audio recordings that, he said, showed how Hamas was using hospitals to hide command posts and entry points into the tunnel network. ""Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa hospital and other hospitals in Gaza,"" he said.
+It was not possible to verify Hagari's statements. Hamas official Ezzat El-Reshiq said there was ""no basis in truth to what was reported by the enemy army spokesman"".
+The United States believes Israel's special forces will face an unprecedented challenge battling militants while trying to avoid killing hostages held below ground, a U.S. official said.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted that Iraq's nine-month-long battle to retake Mosul from Islamic State might prove to have been easier than what awaits the Israelis - likely to be ""a lot of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), a lot of booby traps, and just a really grinding activity"".
+Even though Israel has invested heavily in tunnel detection - including a sensor-equipped underground barrier it called an ""iron wall"" - Hamas is still thought to have working tunnels to the outside world.
+After the last hostilities in 2021, Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yehya Al-Sinwar, said: ""They started saying they destroyed 100 km of Hamas tunnels. I am telling you, the tunnels we have in the Gaza Strip exceed 500 km. Even if their narrative is true, they only destroyed 20% of the tunnels.""
+HOSTAGE WITNESS
+There has been no corroboration of the comment by Sinwar, who is thought to be hiding underground ahead of an expected Israeli offensive.
+But the estimate of hundreds of kilometres is widely accepted by security analysts, even though the blockaded coastal strip is only 40 km (25 miles) long.
+With Israel in control of Gaza's air and sea access and 59 km of its 72 km land borders - with Egypt 13 km to the south - tunnels provide one of the few ways for Hamas to bring in weapons, equipment and people.
+While it and other Palestinian groups are secretive about their networks, recently released Israeli hostage, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, said: ""It looked like a spider's web, many, many tunnels,"" adding: ""We walked kilometres under the ground.""
+Hamas believes that with Israel's overwhelming aerial and armoured military superiority, tunnels are a way to cut some of those advantages by forcing Israel's soldiers to move underground in cramped spaces that Hamas fighters know well.
+An Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday: ""I won't elaborate on the number of kilometres of tunnels but it is a high number, built under schools and residential areas.""
+Urging the United Nations Security Council to intervene, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an immediate cessation of ""aggression"" on Gaza and moves toward ""a political solution instead of military and security solutions"".
+UNDERGROUND CITY
+Israeli security sources say Israel's heavy aerial bombardments have caused little damage to the tunnel infrastructure with Hamas naval commandos able to launch a seaborne attack targeting coastal communities near Gaza this week.
+""Although we have been attacking massively for days and days, the (Hamas) leadership is pretty much intact, as is the ability to command and control, the ability even to try and launch counter attacks,"" said Amir Avivi, a former brigadier general whose positions in the Israeli military included deputy commander of the Gaza division, tasked with tackling tunnels.
+""There is a whole city all over Gaza underneath with depths of 40-50 metres. There are bunkers and headquarters and storage and of course they are connected to more than a thousand rocket launching positions.""
+Other sources estimated depths of up to 80 metres.
+One Western security source said: ""They run for miles. They are made of concrete and very well made. Think of the Viet Cong times 10. They have had years and lots of money with which to work.""
+Another security source, from one of Israel's neighbouring countries, said Hamas' tunnels from Egypt remain active.
+""The supply chain is still intact these days. The network involved in facilitating co-ordination are some Egyptian military officers. It is unclear if there is knowledge of this by the Egyptian army,"" he said.
+A small number of narrower, deep, smuggling tunnels were still operating until recently between Egypt and Gaza, according to two security sources and a trader in the Egyptian city El Arish, but they slowed to a near-halt after the war started.
+Egyptian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said while inspecting military units in Suez that the army's role was to secure Egyptian borders.
+LONG GAME
+Hamas is thought to have begun digging tunnels in the mid-1990s, when Israel granted Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization some degree of self-rule in Gaza.
+The tunnel network is a key reason why Hamas is stronger in Gaza than in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israel's military bases and monitoring devices make it harder to get anything in from Jordan.
+Tunneling became easier in 2005 when Israel pulled its soldiers and settlers out of Gaza, and when Hamas won power in a 2006 election.
+Shortly afterwards Hamas's military wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, captured Gilad Shalit after burrowing 600 metres to raid the Kerem Shalom base on the Gaza border.
+A year later Hamas used tunnels in Gaza to launch a military strike against the forces of Arafat's successor as PLO leader, Mahmoud Abbas.
+Although the military tunnels remained off-limits to outside eyes, during that era Gaza smugglers would show off commercial tunnels under the Rafah border.
+These were around three feet (one metre) wide and used winch motors to haul goods in hollow barrels.
+One Rafah tunnel operator, Abu Qusay, said a half-mile tunnel took three to six months to dig and could yield up to $100,000 a day. The most profitable item was bullets, bought for $1 each in Egypt and fetching more than $6 in Gaza. Kalashnikov rifles, he said, cost $800 in Egypt and sold for twice that.
+TUNNEL HUNTING
+Professor Joel Roskin, a geomorphologist and geologist with Israel's Bar-Ilan University said it was difficult to map the tunnel network accurately from the surface or space, adding highly classified information was essential for 3D mapping and imagery visualisation.
+Among the elite units tasked with going underground is Yahalom, specialist commandos from Israel's Combat Engineering Corps known as the ""weasels"", who specialise in finding and destroying tunnels.
+This week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Yahalom fighters, telling them: ""I rely on you, the people of Israel rely on you.""
+Israeli sources said they face an enemy that has regrouped and learned from previous operations.
+""There are going to be a lot of booby traps. They have thermobaric weapons that they didn't have in 2021, which are more lethal. And I believe they acquired a lot of anti-tank weapon systems that are going to try to hit our APCs (armoured personnel carriers), tanks,"" said Amnon Sofrin, a former brigadier general and former commander of the Combat Intelligence Corps.
+Sofrin, who was also previously head of the intelligence directorate with Israel's Mossad spy agency, said Hamas would also be trying to kidnap soldiers.
+Daphne Richemond-Barak, professor at Israel's Reichman University and author of the book Underground Warfare, said the conflicts in Syria and Iraq had changed the situation.
+""What the IDF (Israeli military) is likely to face inside the tunnels is also all of the experience and all of the knowledge that has been gained by groups like ISIS (Islamic State) and has been ... passed on to Hamas.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","But the estimate of hundreds of kilometres is widely accepted by security analysts, even though the blockaded coastal strip is only 40 km (25 miles) long. With Israel in control of Gaza's air and sea access and 59 km of its 72 km land borders - with Egypt 13 km to the south - tunnels provide one of the few ways for Hamas to bring in weapons, equipment and people. While it and other Palestinian groups are secretive about their networks, recently released Israeli hostage, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, said: ""It looked like a spider's web, many, many tunnels,"" adding: ""We walked kilometres under the ground.""
+Hamas believes that with Israel's overwhelming aerial and armoured military superiority, tunnels are a way to cut some of those advantages by forcing Israel's soldiers to move underground in cramped spaces that Hamas fighters know well. An Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday: ""I won't elaborate on the number of kilometres of tunnels but it is a high number, built under schools and residential areas.""
+Urging the United Nations Security Council to intervene, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an immediate cessation of ""aggression"" on Gaza and moves toward ""a political solution instead of military and security solutions"". UNDERGROUND CITY Israeli security sources say Israel's heavy aerial bombardments have caused little damage to the tunnel infrastructure with Hamas naval commandos able to launch a seaborne attack targeting coastal communities near Gaza this week.
+""Although we have been attacking massively for days and days, the (Hamas) leadership is pretty much intact, as is the ability to command and control, the ability even to try and launch counter attacks,"" said Amir Avivi, a former brigadier general whose positions in the Israeli military included deputy commander of the Gaza division, tasked with tackling tunnels.  ""There is a whole city all over Gaza underneath with depths of 40-50 metres. There are bunkers and headquarters and storage and of course they are connected to more than a thousand rocket launching positions. "" Other sources estimated depths of up to 80 metres.  One Western security source said: ""They run for miles. They are made of concrete and very well made. Think of the Viet Cong times 10. They have had years and lots of money with which to work.""  Another security source, from one of Israel's neighbouring countries, said Hamas' tunnels from Egypt remain active.
+""The supply chain is still intact these days. The network involved in facilitating co-ordination are some Egyptian military officers."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-tunnel-city-beneath-gaza-hidden-frontline-israel-2023-10-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]The Hamas tunnel city beneath Gaza - a hidden frontline for Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - What lies in wait for Israeli ground troops in Gaza, security sources say, is a Hamas tunnel network hundreds of kilometres long and up to 80 metres deep, described by one freed hostage as ""a spider's web"" and by one expert as the ""Viet Cong times 10"".
+The Palestinian Islamist group has different kinds of tunnels running beneath the sandy 360 sq km coastal strip and its borders - including attack, smuggling, storage and operational burrows, Western and Middle East sources familiar with the matter said.
+The Israeli military accused Hamas on Friday of using Gaza's main hospital, opens new tab, Al Shifa, as a shield for tunnels and operational centres.
+""Hamas has turned hospitals into command and control centres and hideouts for Hamas terrorists and commanders,"" Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's chief military spokesman, said.
+He showed photographs, diagrams and audio recordings that, he said, showed how Hamas was using hospitals to hide command posts and entry points into the tunnel network. ""Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa hospital and other hospitals in Gaza,"" he said.
+It was not possible to verify Hagari's statements. Hamas official Ezzat El-Reshiq said there was ""no basis in truth to what was reported by the enemy army spokesman"".
+The United States believes Israel's special forces will face an unprecedented challenge battling militants while trying to avoid killing hostages held below ground, a U.S. official said.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted that Iraq's nine-month-long battle to retake Mosul from Islamic State might prove to have been easier than what awaits the Israelis - likely to be ""a lot of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), a lot of booby traps, and just a really grinding activity"".
+Even though Israel has invested heavily in tunnel detection - including a sensor-equipped underground barrier it called an ""iron wall"" - Hamas is still thought to have working tunnels to the outside world.
+After the last hostilities in 2021, Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yehya Al-Sinwar, said: ""They started saying they destroyed 100 km of Hamas tunnels. I am telling you, the tunnels we have in the Gaza Strip exceed 500 km. Even if their narrative is true, they only destroyed 20% of the tunnels.""
+HOSTAGE WITNESS
+There has been no corroboration of the comment by Sinwar, who is thought to be hiding underground ahead of an expected Israeli offensive.
+But the estimate of hundreds of kilometres is widely accepted by security analysts, even though the blockaded coastal strip is only 40 km (25 miles) long.
+With Israel in control of Gaza's air and sea access and 59 km of its 72 km land borders - with Egypt 13 km to the south - tunnels provide one of the few ways for Hamas to bring in weapons, equipment and people.
+While it and other Palestinian groups are secretive about their networks, recently released Israeli hostage, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, said: ""It looked like a spider's web, many, many tunnels,"" adding: ""We walked kilometres under the ground.""
+Hamas believes that with Israel's overwhelming aerial and armoured military superiority, tunnels are a way to cut some of those advantages by forcing Israel's soldiers to move underground in cramped spaces that Hamas fighters know well.
+An Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday: ""I won't elaborate on the number of kilometres of tunnels but it is a high number, built under schools and residential areas.""
+Urging the United Nations Security Council to intervene, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an immediate cessation of ""aggression"" on Gaza and moves toward ""a political solution instead of military and security solutions"".
+UNDERGROUND CITY
+Israeli security sources say Israel's heavy aerial bombardments have caused little damage to the tunnel infrastructure with Hamas naval commandos able to launch a seaborne attack targeting coastal communities near Gaza this week.
+""Although we have been attacking massively for days and days, the (Hamas) leadership is pretty much intact, as is the ability to command and control, the ability even to try and launch counter attacks,"" said Amir Avivi, a former brigadier general whose positions in the Israeli military included deputy commander of the Gaza division, tasked with tackling tunnels.
+""There is a whole city all over Gaza underneath with depths of 40-50 metres. There are bunkers and headquarters and storage and of course they are connected to more than a thousand rocket launching positions.""
+Other sources estimated depths of up to 80 metres.
+One Western security source said: ""They run for miles. They are made of concrete and very well made. Think of the Viet Cong times 10. They have had years and lots of money with which to work.""
+Another security source, from one of Israel's neighbouring countries, said Hamas' tunnels from Egypt remain active.
+""The supply chain is still intact these days. The network involved in facilitating co-ordination are some Egyptian military officers. It is unclear if there is knowledge of this by the Egyptian army,"" he said.
+A small number of narrower, deep, smuggling tunnels were still operating until recently between Egypt and Gaza, according to two security sources and a trader in the Egyptian city El Arish, but they slowed to a near-halt after the war started.
+Egyptian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said while inspecting military units in Suez that the army's role was to secure Egyptian borders.
+LONG GAME
+Hamas is thought to have begun digging tunnels in the mid-1990s, when Israel granted Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization some degree of self-rule in Gaza.
+The tunnel network is a key reason why Hamas is stronger in Gaza than in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israel's military bases and monitoring devices make it harder to get anything in from Jordan.
+Tunneling became easier in 2005 when Israel pulled its soldiers and settlers out of Gaza, and when Hamas won power in a 2006 election.
+Shortly afterwards Hamas's military wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, captured Gilad Shalit after burrowing 600 metres to raid the Kerem Shalom base on the Gaza border.
+A year later Hamas used tunnels in Gaza to launch a military strike against the forces of Arafat's successor as PLO leader, Mahmoud Abbas.
+Although the military tunnels remained off-limits to outside eyes, during that era Gaza smugglers would show off commercial tunnels under the Rafah border.
+These were around three feet (one metre) wide and used winch motors to haul goods in hollow barrels.
+One Rafah tunnel operator, Abu Qusay, said a half-mile tunnel took three to six months to dig and could yield up to $100,000 a day. The most profitable item was bullets, bought for $1 each in Egypt and fetching more than $6 in Gaza. Kalashnikov rifles, he said, cost $800 in Egypt and sold for twice that.
+TUNNEL HUNTING
+Professor Joel Roskin, a geomorphologist and geologist with Israel's Bar-Ilan University said it was difficult to map the tunnel network accurately from the surface or space, adding highly classified information was essential for 3D mapping and imagery visualisation.
+Among the elite units tasked with going underground is Yahalom, specialist commandos from Israel's Combat Engineering Corps known as the ""weasels"", who specialise in finding and destroying tunnels.
+This week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Yahalom fighters, telling them: ""I rely on you, the people of Israel rely on you.""
+Israeli sources said they face an enemy that has regrouped and learned from previous operations.
+""There are going to be a lot of booby traps. They have thermobaric weapons that they didn't have in 2021, which are more lethal. And I believe they acquired a lot of anti-tank weapon systems that are going to try to hit our APCs (armoured personnel carriers), tanks,"" said Amnon Sofrin, a former brigadier general and former commander of the Combat Intelligence Corps.
+Sofrin, who was also previously head of the intelligence directorate with Israel's Mossad spy agency, said Hamas would also be trying to kidnap soldiers.
+Daphne Richemond-Barak, professor at Israel's Reichman University and author of the book Underground Warfare, said the conflicts in Syria and Iraq had changed the situation.
+""What the IDF (Israeli military) is likely to face inside the tunnels is also all of the experience and all of the knowledge that has been gained by groups like ISIS (Islamic State) and has been ... passed on to Hamas.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","It is unclear if there is knowledge of this by the Egyptian army,"" he said. A small number of narrower, deep, smuggling tunnels were still operating until recently between Egypt and Gaza, according to two security sources and a trader in the Egyptian city El Arish, but they slowed to a near-halt after the war started. Egyptian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said while inspecting military units in Suez that the army's role was to secure Egyptian borders. LONG GAME
+Hamas is thought to have begun digging tunnels in the mid-1990s, when Israel granted Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization some degree of self-rule in Gaza. The tunnel network is a key reason why Hamas is stronger in Gaza than in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israel's military bases and monitoring devices make it harder to get anything in from Jordan. Tunneling became easier in 2005 when Israel pulled its soldiers and settlers out of Gaza, and when Hamas won power in a 2006 election. Shortly afterwards Hamas's military wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, captured Gilad Shalit after burrowing 600 metres to raid the Kerem Shalom base on the Gaza border.  A year later Hamas used tunnels in Gaza to launch a military strike against the forces of Arafat's successor as PLO leader, Mahmoud Abbas. Although the military tunnels remained off-limits to outside eyes, during that era Gaza smugglers would show off commercial tunnels under the Rafah border. These were around three feet (one metre) wide and used winch motors to haul goods in hollow barrels.  One Rafah tunnel operator, Abu Qusay, said a half-mile tunnel took three to six months to dig and could yield up to $100,000 a day. The most profitable item was bullets, bought for $1 each in Egypt and fetching more than $6 in Gaza. Kalashnikov rifles, he said, cost $800 in Egypt and sold for twice that. TUNNEL HUNTING Professor Joel Roskin, a geomorphologist and geologist with Israel's Bar-Ilan University said it was difficult to map the tunnel network accurately from the surface or space, adding highly classified information was essential for 3D mapping and imagery visualisation. Among the elite units tasked with going underground is Yahalom, specialist commandos from Israel's Combat Engineering Corps known as the ""weasels"", who specialise in finding and destroying tunnels."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-tunnel-city-beneath-gaza-hidden-frontline-israel-2023-10-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]The Hamas tunnel city beneath Gaza - a hidden frontline for Israel[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM/LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - What lies in wait for Israeli ground troops in Gaza, security sources say, is a Hamas tunnel network hundreds of kilometres long and up to 80 metres deep, described by one freed hostage as ""a spider's web"" and by one expert as the ""Viet Cong times 10"".
+The Palestinian Islamist group has different kinds of tunnels running beneath the sandy 360 sq km coastal strip and its borders - including attack, smuggling, storage and operational burrows, Western and Middle East sources familiar with the matter said.
+The Israeli military accused Hamas on Friday of using Gaza's main hospital, opens new tab, Al Shifa, as a shield for tunnels and operational centres.
+""Hamas has turned hospitals into command and control centres and hideouts for Hamas terrorists and commanders,"" Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's chief military spokesman, said.
+He showed photographs, diagrams and audio recordings that, he said, showed how Hamas was using hospitals to hide command posts and entry points into the tunnel network. ""Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa hospital and other hospitals in Gaza,"" he said.
+It was not possible to verify Hagari's statements. Hamas official Ezzat El-Reshiq said there was ""no basis in truth to what was reported by the enemy army spokesman"".
+The United States believes Israel's special forces will face an unprecedented challenge battling militants while trying to avoid killing hostages held below ground, a U.S. official said.
+U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted that Iraq's nine-month-long battle to retake Mosul from Islamic State might prove to have been easier than what awaits the Israelis - likely to be ""a lot of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), a lot of booby traps, and just a really grinding activity"".
+Even though Israel has invested heavily in tunnel detection - including a sensor-equipped underground barrier it called an ""iron wall"" - Hamas is still thought to have working tunnels to the outside world.
+After the last hostilities in 2021, Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yehya Al-Sinwar, said: ""They started saying they destroyed 100 km of Hamas tunnels. I am telling you, the tunnels we have in the Gaza Strip exceed 500 km. Even if their narrative is true, they only destroyed 20% of the tunnels.""
+HOSTAGE WITNESS
+There has been no corroboration of the comment by Sinwar, who is thought to be hiding underground ahead of an expected Israeli offensive.
+But the estimate of hundreds of kilometres is widely accepted by security analysts, even though the blockaded coastal strip is only 40 km (25 miles) long.
+With Israel in control of Gaza's air and sea access and 59 km of its 72 km land borders - with Egypt 13 km to the south - tunnels provide one of the few ways for Hamas to bring in weapons, equipment and people.
+While it and other Palestinian groups are secretive about their networks, recently released Israeli hostage, 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz, said: ""It looked like a spider's web, many, many tunnels,"" adding: ""We walked kilometres under the ground.""
+Hamas believes that with Israel's overwhelming aerial and armoured military superiority, tunnels are a way to cut some of those advantages by forcing Israel's soldiers to move underground in cramped spaces that Hamas fighters know well.
+An Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday: ""I won't elaborate on the number of kilometres of tunnels but it is a high number, built under schools and residential areas.""
+Urging the United Nations Security Council to intervene, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an immediate cessation of ""aggression"" on Gaza and moves toward ""a political solution instead of military and security solutions"".
+UNDERGROUND CITY
+Israeli security sources say Israel's heavy aerial bombardments have caused little damage to the tunnel infrastructure with Hamas naval commandos able to launch a seaborne attack targeting coastal communities near Gaza this week.
+""Although we have been attacking massively for days and days, the (Hamas) leadership is pretty much intact, as is the ability to command and control, the ability even to try and launch counter attacks,"" said Amir Avivi, a former brigadier general whose positions in the Israeli military included deputy commander of the Gaza division, tasked with tackling tunnels.
+""There is a whole city all over Gaza underneath with depths of 40-50 metres. There are bunkers and headquarters and storage and of course they are connected to more than a thousand rocket launching positions.""
+Other sources estimated depths of up to 80 metres.
+One Western security source said: ""They run for miles. They are made of concrete and very well made. Think of the Viet Cong times 10. They have had years and lots of money with which to work.""
+Another security source, from one of Israel's neighbouring countries, said Hamas' tunnels from Egypt remain active.
+""The supply chain is still intact these days. The network involved in facilitating co-ordination are some Egyptian military officers. It is unclear if there is knowledge of this by the Egyptian army,"" he said.
+A small number of narrower, deep, smuggling tunnels were still operating until recently between Egypt and Gaza, according to two security sources and a trader in the Egyptian city El Arish, but they slowed to a near-halt after the war started.
+Egyptian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said while inspecting military units in Suez that the army's role was to secure Egyptian borders.
+LONG GAME
+Hamas is thought to have begun digging tunnels in the mid-1990s, when Israel granted Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization some degree of self-rule in Gaza.
+The tunnel network is a key reason why Hamas is stronger in Gaza than in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israel's military bases and monitoring devices make it harder to get anything in from Jordan.
+Tunneling became easier in 2005 when Israel pulled its soldiers and settlers out of Gaza, and when Hamas won power in a 2006 election.
+Shortly afterwards Hamas's military wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, captured Gilad Shalit after burrowing 600 metres to raid the Kerem Shalom base on the Gaza border.
+A year later Hamas used tunnels in Gaza to launch a military strike against the forces of Arafat's successor as PLO leader, Mahmoud Abbas.
+Although the military tunnels remained off-limits to outside eyes, during that era Gaza smugglers would show off commercial tunnels under the Rafah border.
+These were around three feet (one metre) wide and used winch motors to haul goods in hollow barrels.
+One Rafah tunnel operator, Abu Qusay, said a half-mile tunnel took three to six months to dig and could yield up to $100,000 a day. The most profitable item was bullets, bought for $1 each in Egypt and fetching more than $6 in Gaza. Kalashnikov rifles, he said, cost $800 in Egypt and sold for twice that.
+TUNNEL HUNTING
+Professor Joel Roskin, a geomorphologist and geologist with Israel's Bar-Ilan University said it was difficult to map the tunnel network accurately from the surface or space, adding highly classified information was essential for 3D mapping and imagery visualisation.
+Among the elite units tasked with going underground is Yahalom, specialist commandos from Israel's Combat Engineering Corps known as the ""weasels"", who specialise in finding and destroying tunnels.
+This week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Yahalom fighters, telling them: ""I rely on you, the people of Israel rely on you.""
+Israeli sources said they face an enemy that has regrouped and learned from previous operations.
+""There are going to be a lot of booby traps. They have thermobaric weapons that they didn't have in 2021, which are more lethal. And I believe they acquired a lot of anti-tank weapon systems that are going to try to hit our APCs (armoured personnel carriers), tanks,"" said Amnon Sofrin, a former brigadier general and former commander of the Combat Intelligence Corps.
+Sofrin, who was also previously head of the intelligence directorate with Israel's Mossad spy agency, said Hamas would also be trying to kidnap soldiers.
+Daphne Richemond-Barak, professor at Israel's Reichman University and author of the book Underground Warfare, said the conflicts in Syria and Iraq had changed the situation.
+""What the IDF (Israeli military) is likely to face inside the tunnels is also all of the experience and all of the knowledge that has been gained by groups like ISIS (Islamic State) and has been ... passed on to Hamas.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","This week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Yahalom fighters, telling them: ""I rely on you, the people of Israel rely on you.""
+Israeli sources said they face an enemy that has regrouped and learned from previous operations.  ""There are going to be a lot of booby traps. They have thermobaric weapons that they didn't have in 2021, which are more lethal. And I believe they acquired a lot of anti-tank weapon systems that are going to try to hit our APCs (armoured personnel carriers), tanks,"" said Amnon Sofrin, a former brigadier general and former commander of the Combat Intelligence Corps. Sofrin, who was also previously head of the intelligence directorate with Israel's Mossad spy agency, said Hamas would also be trying to kidnap soldiers. Daphne Richemond-Barak, professor at Israel's Reichman University and author of the book Underground Warfare, said the conflicts in Syria and Iraq had changed the situation.
+""What the IDF (Israeli military) is likely to face inside the tunnels is also all of the experience and all of the knowledge that has been gained by groups like ISIS (Islamic State) and has been ... passed on to Hamas.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-military-spokesman-says-ground-forces-expanding-operations-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel launches Gaza war's second phase with ground operation, Netanyahu says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israeli forces had unleashed the second phase of the Gaza war as they pressed ground operations against Hamas militants, vowing to ""destroy the enemy above ground and below ground.""
+Gaza's besieged people had barely any communications with the outside world as Israeli jets dropped more bombs on the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave and military chiefs said a long-threatened ground offensive was gearing up.
+Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu warned Israelis to expect a ""long and hard"" military campaign but stopped short of calling the current Israeli ground incursions a full-scale invasion.
+He reiterated Israel's appeal to Palestinian civilians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip where Israel was focusing its attack, and vowed that every effort would be made to rescue the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas.
+""This is the second stage of the war whose goals are clear - to destroy Hamas' governing and military capabilities and to bring the hostages home,"" Netanyahu told reporters.
+""We are only at the start,"" he said. ""We will destroy the enemy above ground and below ground.""
+Israel has tightened its blockade on and bombarded Gaza for three weeks after the Islamist group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault killed 1,400 Israelis in the deadliest day of the nation's 75-year history.
+Western countries have generally backed what they say is Israel's right to self defence but there has been mounting international concern over the toll from the bombing and growing calls for a pause to allow aid to reach Gaza civilians.
+Health authorities in the Gaza Strip of 2.3 million people say 7,650 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's campaign to obliterate the militants.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority governs parts of the occupied West Bank while Hamas rules Gaza, said, “Our people in the Gaza Strip are facing a war of genocide and massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces in full view of the entire world.”
+With many buildings reduced to rubble and shelter hard to find, Gazans are short of food, water, fuel and medicines. Their plight got worse from Friday night when phone and internet services were cut - followed by heavy bombing through the night.
+""God help anyone under the rubble,"" said one Gaza journalist, who spent a terrifying night in a building stairway watching ""belts of fire"" as bombs fell and Israeli forces appeared to exchange fire with Palestinian fighters.
+Without mobile phones, no one could call ambulances, and emergency services were short of fuel anyway, he said.
+Israel's chief military spokesperson declined to say whether Israel was behind the telecommunications blackout in Gaza but said it would do what it needed to protect its forces.
+ISRAELI TROOPS TARGET TUNNELS
+Though there was no indication of an invasion en masse, Israel said troops and armour sent into Gaza on Friday night were still in the field, focusing on infrastructure including the extensive tunnel network built by Hamas.
+In calling on Gazans to move south, Israel said Hamas was hiding under civilian buildings, especially in the north. Palestinians say nowhere is safe, with bombs also smashing homes in the south of the densely populated territory.
+""A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in front of our eyes,"" U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
+Various global aid agencies said they could not contact their staff in Gaza. But a representative from the International Committees of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Gaza, William Schomburg, got an audio message out.
+Schomburg said medics were working around the clock while also facing personal tragedies. ""I spoke to one doctor who had lost his brother and cousin the night before,"" he told the BBC broadcaster in a clip the ICRC posted on X.
+Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk offered his SpaceX's Starlink satellite network to support communications in Gaza for ""internationally recognised aid organisations,"" prompting Israel to say it would fight the move.
+""HAMAS will use it for terrorist activities,"" Israel's communication minister Shlomo Karhi wrote on social media platform X. ""Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, elderly people. All of them! By then, my office will cut any ties with starlink.""
+Video from the Israeli side of the heavily fortified fence showed explosions in Gaza sending up clouds of smoke among a line of ruined buildings.
+Hamas said on Saturday that it had been about to reach an agreement with Israel over the more than 200 hostages it has in Gaza, but Israel ""stalled"" on that.
+Israel's military spokesman dismissed the reports, saying Hamas was ""cynically"" attempting to sway public opinion.
+Netanyahu, who met with hostages' families earlier on Saturday, said contacts to secure their release would continue even during a ground offensive and that military pressure on Hamas could help bring them home. He did not elaborate.
+Qatar-mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at de-escalating the fighting continued on Saturday but at a much slower pace than before Friday's escalation in Gaza, a source briefed on the talks said.
+Qatar's efforts last week led to the release of two American hostages, a mother and daughter, and two elderly Israeli women.
+REGIONAL 'TIME BOMB'
+Jets killed the head of Hamas' aerial wing, Asem Abu Rakaba, a key figure in the Oct. 7 attack, Israel's military said.
+Warplanes struck 150 underground targets in north Gaza including Hamas tunnels, combat spaces and other infrastructure, and killed others from the group, according to the Israeli military.
+The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam brigades, said its fighters were battling Israeli troops in Gaza's northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and in the central area of Al-Bureij.
+""Al-Qassam Brigades and all Palestinian resistance forces are fully prepared to confront the aggression with full force and thwart the incursions,"" it said.
+The United States and other Western countries had urged Israel to hold off on a ground offensive for fear of high Palestinian casualties and a widening conflict.
+Hamas is backed by Iran, which also supports militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. U.S. troops have come under fire from Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. Washington has been moving more military assets to the region.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters Israel had no interest in expanding the war beyond Gaza but is prepared on all fronts.
+The Israeli military reported a new exchange of fire on the border with Lebanon on Saturday, the latest in what have been the most serious clashes on the border since 2006.
+The crisis brought hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators out in cities around Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Saturday.
+""This is not about Hamas. This is about protecting Palestinian lives,"" said marcher Camille Revuelta in London.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel launches Gaza war's second phase with ground operation, Netanyahu says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israeli forces had unleashed the second phase of the Gaza war as they pressed ground operations against Hamas militants, vowing to ""destroy the enemy above ground and below ground."" Gaza's besieged people had barely any communications with the outside world as Israeli jets dropped more bombs on the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave and military chiefs said a long-threatened ground offensive was gearing up.  Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu warned Israelis to expect a ""long and hard"" military campaign but stopped short of calling the current Israeli ground incursions a full-scale invasion. He reiterated Israel's appeal to Palestinian civilians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip where Israel was focusing its attack, and vowed that every effort would be made to rescue the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas. ""This is the second stage of the war whose goals are clear - to destroy Hamas' governing and military capabilities and to bring the hostages home,"" Netanyahu told reporters.  ""We are only at the start,"" he said. ""We will destroy the enemy above ground and below ground."" Israel has tightened its blockade on and bombarded Gaza for three weeks after the Islamist group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault killed 1,400 Israelis in the deadliest day of the nation's 75-year history. Western countries have generally backed what they say is Israel's right to self defence but there has been mounting international concern over the toll from the bombing and growing calls for a pause to allow aid to reach Gaza civilians. Health authorities in the Gaza Strip of 2.3 million people say 7,650 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's campaign to obliterate the militants.  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority governs parts of the occupied West Bank while Hamas rules Gaza, said, “Our people in the Gaza Strip are facing a war of genocide and massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces in full view of the entire world.”
+With many buildings reduced to rubble and shelter hard to find, Gazans are short of food, water, fuel and medicines. Their plight got worse from Friday night when phone and internet services were cut - followed by heavy bombing through the night. ""God help anyone under the rubble,"" said one Gaza journalist, who spent a terrifying night in a building stairway watching ""belts of fire"" as bombs fell and Israeli forces appeared to exchange fire with Palestinian fighters."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-military-spokesman-says-ground-forces-expanding-operations-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel launches Gaza war's second phase with ground operation, Netanyahu says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israeli forces had unleashed the second phase of the Gaza war as they pressed ground operations against Hamas militants, vowing to ""destroy the enemy above ground and below ground.""
+Gaza's besieged people had barely any communications with the outside world as Israeli jets dropped more bombs on the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave and military chiefs said a long-threatened ground offensive was gearing up.
+Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu warned Israelis to expect a ""long and hard"" military campaign but stopped short of calling the current Israeli ground incursions a full-scale invasion.
+He reiterated Israel's appeal to Palestinian civilians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip where Israel was focusing its attack, and vowed that every effort would be made to rescue the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas.
+""This is the second stage of the war whose goals are clear - to destroy Hamas' governing and military capabilities and to bring the hostages home,"" Netanyahu told reporters.
+""We are only at the start,"" he said. ""We will destroy the enemy above ground and below ground.""
+Israel has tightened its blockade on and bombarded Gaza for three weeks after the Islamist group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault killed 1,400 Israelis in the deadliest day of the nation's 75-year history.
+Western countries have generally backed what they say is Israel's right to self defence but there has been mounting international concern over the toll from the bombing and growing calls for a pause to allow aid to reach Gaza civilians.
+Health authorities in the Gaza Strip of 2.3 million people say 7,650 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's campaign to obliterate the militants.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority governs parts of the occupied West Bank while Hamas rules Gaza, said, “Our people in the Gaza Strip are facing a war of genocide and massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces in full view of the entire world.”
+With many buildings reduced to rubble and shelter hard to find, Gazans are short of food, water, fuel and medicines. Their plight got worse from Friday night when phone and internet services were cut - followed by heavy bombing through the night.
+""God help anyone under the rubble,"" said one Gaza journalist, who spent a terrifying night in a building stairway watching ""belts of fire"" as bombs fell and Israeli forces appeared to exchange fire with Palestinian fighters.
+Without mobile phones, no one could call ambulances, and emergency services were short of fuel anyway, he said.
+Israel's chief military spokesperson declined to say whether Israel was behind the telecommunications blackout in Gaza but said it would do what it needed to protect its forces.
+ISRAELI TROOPS TARGET TUNNELS
+Though there was no indication of an invasion en masse, Israel said troops and armour sent into Gaza on Friday night were still in the field, focusing on infrastructure including the extensive tunnel network built by Hamas.
+In calling on Gazans to move south, Israel said Hamas was hiding under civilian buildings, especially in the north. Palestinians say nowhere is safe, with bombs also smashing homes in the south of the densely populated territory.
+""A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in front of our eyes,"" U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
+Various global aid agencies said they could not contact their staff in Gaza. But a representative from the International Committees of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Gaza, William Schomburg, got an audio message out.
+Schomburg said medics were working around the clock while also facing personal tragedies. ""I spoke to one doctor who had lost his brother and cousin the night before,"" he told the BBC broadcaster in a clip the ICRC posted on X.
+Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk offered his SpaceX's Starlink satellite network to support communications in Gaza for ""internationally recognised aid organisations,"" prompting Israel to say it would fight the move.
+""HAMAS will use it for terrorist activities,"" Israel's communication minister Shlomo Karhi wrote on social media platform X. ""Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, elderly people. All of them! By then, my office will cut any ties with starlink.""
+Video from the Israeli side of the heavily fortified fence showed explosions in Gaza sending up clouds of smoke among a line of ruined buildings.
+Hamas said on Saturday that it had been about to reach an agreement with Israel over the more than 200 hostages it has in Gaza, but Israel ""stalled"" on that.
+Israel's military spokesman dismissed the reports, saying Hamas was ""cynically"" attempting to sway public opinion.
+Netanyahu, who met with hostages' families earlier on Saturday, said contacts to secure their release would continue even during a ground offensive and that military pressure on Hamas could help bring them home. He did not elaborate.
+Qatar-mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at de-escalating the fighting continued on Saturday but at a much slower pace than before Friday's escalation in Gaza, a source briefed on the talks said.
+Qatar's efforts last week led to the release of two American hostages, a mother and daughter, and two elderly Israeli women.
+REGIONAL 'TIME BOMB'
+Jets killed the head of Hamas' aerial wing, Asem Abu Rakaba, a key figure in the Oct. 7 attack, Israel's military said.
+Warplanes struck 150 underground targets in north Gaza including Hamas tunnels, combat spaces and other infrastructure, and killed others from the group, according to the Israeli military.
+The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam brigades, said its fighters were battling Israeli troops in Gaza's northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and in the central area of Al-Bureij.
+""Al-Qassam Brigades and all Palestinian resistance forces are fully prepared to confront the aggression with full force and thwart the incursions,"" it said.
+The United States and other Western countries had urged Israel to hold off on a ground offensive for fear of high Palestinian casualties and a widening conflict.
+Hamas is backed by Iran, which also supports militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. U.S. troops have come under fire from Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. Washington has been moving more military assets to the region.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters Israel had no interest in expanding the war beyond Gaza but is prepared on all fronts.
+The Israeli military reported a new exchange of fire on the border with Lebanon on Saturday, the latest in what have been the most serious clashes on the border since 2006.
+The crisis brought hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators out in cities around Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Saturday.
+""This is not about Hamas. This is about protecting Palestinian lives,"" said marcher Camille Revuelta in London.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Without mobile phones, no one could call ambulances, and emergency services were short of fuel anyway, he said. Israel's chief military spokesperson declined to say whether Israel was behind the telecommunications blackout in Gaza but said it would do what it needed to protect its forces.  ISRAELI TROOPS TARGET TUNNELS Though there was no indication of an invasion en masse, Israel said troops and armour sent into Gaza on Friday night were still in the field, focusing on infrastructure including the extensive tunnel network built by Hamas.  In calling on Gazans to move south, Israel said Hamas was hiding under civilian buildings, especially in the north. Palestinians say nowhere is safe, with bombs also smashing homes in the south of the densely populated territory. ""A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in front of our eyes,"" U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.  Various global aid agencies said they could not contact their staff in Gaza. But a representative from the International Committees of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Gaza, William Schomburg, got an audio message out.  Schomburg said medics were working around the clock while also facing personal tragedies. ""I spoke to one doctor who had lost his brother and cousin the night before,"" he told the BBC broadcaster in a clip the ICRC posted on X. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk offered his SpaceX's Starlink satellite network to support communications in Gaza for ""internationally recognised aid organisations,"" prompting Israel to say it would fight the move.  ""HAMAS will use it for terrorist activities,"" Israel's communication minister Shlomo Karhi wrote on social media platform X. ""Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, elderly people. All of them! By then, my office will cut any ties with starlink."" Video from the Israeli side of the heavily fortified fence showed explosions in Gaza sending up clouds of smoke among a line of ruined buildings.
+Hamas said on Saturday that it had been about to reach an agreement with Israel over the more than 200 hostages it has in Gaza, but Israel ""stalled"" on that.  Israel's military spokesman dismissed the reports, saying Hamas was ""cynically"" attempting to sway public opinion.  Netanyahu, who met with hostages' families earlier on Saturday, said contacts to secure their release would continue even during a ground offensive and that military pressure on Hamas could help bring them home. He did not elaborate."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-military-spokesman-says-ground-forces-expanding-operations-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Israel launches Gaza war's second phase with ground operation, Netanyahu says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]JERUSALEM, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israeli forces had unleashed the second phase of the Gaza war as they pressed ground operations against Hamas militants, vowing to ""destroy the enemy above ground and below ground.""
+Gaza's besieged people had barely any communications with the outside world as Israeli jets dropped more bombs on the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave and military chiefs said a long-threatened ground offensive was gearing up.
+Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu warned Israelis to expect a ""long and hard"" military campaign but stopped short of calling the current Israeli ground incursions a full-scale invasion.
+He reiterated Israel's appeal to Palestinian civilians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip where Israel was focusing its attack, and vowed that every effort would be made to rescue the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas.
+""This is the second stage of the war whose goals are clear - to destroy Hamas' governing and military capabilities and to bring the hostages home,"" Netanyahu told reporters.
+""We are only at the start,"" he said. ""We will destroy the enemy above ground and below ground.""
+Israel has tightened its blockade on and bombarded Gaza for three weeks after the Islamist group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault killed 1,400 Israelis in the deadliest day of the nation's 75-year history.
+Western countries have generally backed what they say is Israel's right to self defence but there has been mounting international concern over the toll from the bombing and growing calls for a pause to allow aid to reach Gaza civilians.
+Health authorities in the Gaza Strip of 2.3 million people say 7,650 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's campaign to obliterate the militants.
+Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority governs parts of the occupied West Bank while Hamas rules Gaza, said, “Our people in the Gaza Strip are facing a war of genocide and massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces in full view of the entire world.”
+With many buildings reduced to rubble and shelter hard to find, Gazans are short of food, water, fuel and medicines. Their plight got worse from Friday night when phone and internet services were cut - followed by heavy bombing through the night.
+""God help anyone under the rubble,"" said one Gaza journalist, who spent a terrifying night in a building stairway watching ""belts of fire"" as bombs fell and Israeli forces appeared to exchange fire with Palestinian fighters.
+Without mobile phones, no one could call ambulances, and emergency services were short of fuel anyway, he said.
+Israel's chief military spokesperson declined to say whether Israel was behind the telecommunications blackout in Gaza but said it would do what it needed to protect its forces.
+ISRAELI TROOPS TARGET TUNNELS
+Though there was no indication of an invasion en masse, Israel said troops and armour sent into Gaza on Friday night were still in the field, focusing on infrastructure including the extensive tunnel network built by Hamas.
+In calling on Gazans to move south, Israel said Hamas was hiding under civilian buildings, especially in the north. Palestinians say nowhere is safe, with bombs also smashing homes in the south of the densely populated territory.
+""A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in front of our eyes,"" U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
+Various global aid agencies said they could not contact their staff in Gaza. But a representative from the International Committees of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Gaza, William Schomburg, got an audio message out.
+Schomburg said medics were working around the clock while also facing personal tragedies. ""I spoke to one doctor who had lost his brother and cousin the night before,"" he told the BBC broadcaster in a clip the ICRC posted on X.
+Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk offered his SpaceX's Starlink satellite network to support communications in Gaza for ""internationally recognised aid organisations,"" prompting Israel to say it would fight the move.
+""HAMAS will use it for terrorist activities,"" Israel's communication minister Shlomo Karhi wrote on social media platform X. ""Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, elderly people. All of them! By then, my office will cut any ties with starlink.""
+Video from the Israeli side of the heavily fortified fence showed explosions in Gaza sending up clouds of smoke among a line of ruined buildings.
+Hamas said on Saturday that it had been about to reach an agreement with Israel over the more than 200 hostages it has in Gaza, but Israel ""stalled"" on that.
+Israel's military spokesman dismissed the reports, saying Hamas was ""cynically"" attempting to sway public opinion.
+Netanyahu, who met with hostages' families earlier on Saturday, said contacts to secure their release would continue even during a ground offensive and that military pressure on Hamas could help bring them home. He did not elaborate.
+Qatar-mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at de-escalating the fighting continued on Saturday but at a much slower pace than before Friday's escalation in Gaza, a source briefed on the talks said.
+Qatar's efforts last week led to the release of two American hostages, a mother and daughter, and two elderly Israeli women.
+REGIONAL 'TIME BOMB'
+Jets killed the head of Hamas' aerial wing, Asem Abu Rakaba, a key figure in the Oct. 7 attack, Israel's military said.
+Warplanes struck 150 underground targets in north Gaza including Hamas tunnels, combat spaces and other infrastructure, and killed others from the group, according to the Israeli military.
+The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam brigades, said its fighters were battling Israeli troops in Gaza's northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and in the central area of Al-Bureij.
+""Al-Qassam Brigades and all Palestinian resistance forces are fully prepared to confront the aggression with full force and thwart the incursions,"" it said.
+The United States and other Western countries had urged Israel to hold off on a ground offensive for fear of high Palestinian casualties and a widening conflict.
+Hamas is backed by Iran, which also supports militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. U.S. troops have come under fire from Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. Washington has been moving more military assets to the region.
+Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters Israel had no interest in expanding the war beyond Gaza but is prepared on all fronts.
+The Israeli military reported a new exchange of fire on the border with Lebanon on Saturday, the latest in what have been the most serious clashes on the border since 2006.
+The crisis brought hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators out in cities around Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Saturday.
+""This is not about Hamas. This is about protecting Palestinian lives,"" said marcher Camille Revuelta in London.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Qatar-mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at de-escalating the fighting continued on Saturday but at a much slower pace than before Friday's escalation in Gaza, a source briefed on the talks said. Qatar's efforts last week led to the release of two American hostages, a mother and daughter, and two elderly Israeli women. REGIONAL 'TIME BOMB'
+Jets killed the head of Hamas' aerial wing, Asem Abu Rakaba, a key figure in the Oct. 7 attack, Israel's military said. Warplanes struck 150 underground targets in north Gaza including Hamas tunnels, combat spaces and other infrastructure, and killed others from the group, according to the Israeli military. The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam brigades, said its fighters were battling Israeli troops in Gaza's northeastern town of Beit Hanoun and in the central area of Al-Bureij. ""Al-Qassam Brigades and all Palestinian resistance forces are fully prepared to confront the aggression with full force and thwart the incursions,"" it said. The United States and other Western countries had urged Israel to hold off on a ground offensive for fear of high Palestinian casualties and a widening conflict.
+Hamas is backed by Iran, which also supports militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. U.S. troops have come under fire from Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. Washington has been moving more military assets to the region. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters Israel had no interest in expanding the war beyond Gaza but is prepared on all fronts.
+The Israeli military reported a new exchange of fire on the border with Lebanon on Saturday, the latest in what have been the most serious clashes on the border since 2006.  The crisis brought hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators out in cities around Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Saturday.  ""This is not about Hamas. This is about protecting Palestinian lives,"" said marcher Camille Revuelta in London.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/decade-old-us-navy-videos-shared-turkish-warship-nearing-gaza-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Decade-old US Navy videos shared as Turkish warship nearing Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Footage of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers dating back 10 years has been miscaptioned online as showing Turkish warships moving toward Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in October.
+On Oct. 10, Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan criticized the U.S. for moving a carrier strike group including the USS Gerald R. Ford closer to Israel.
+Posts in English by Erdogan’s office, opens new tab on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, did not mention the sending naval ships near Gaza or Israel as of Oct. 26.
+Posts, opens new tab on social media, opens new tab said, in part, “BREAKING NEWS ALERT: TURKEY MOVES A WARSHIP TOWARD ISRAEL_GAZA CONFLICT ZONE WITH A STRANGE AIRCRAFT ON BOARD ACCORDING TO REPORTS. THEY MADE IT CLEAR THEY WILL DEFEND GAZA AS TENSIONS RISE IN MIDDLE EAST.”
+The video shows two clips of moving aircraft carriers with a CNN logo seen in the lower right corner. “The video posted on X is not authentic and did not air on CNN,” Emily Khun, a spokesperson for the outlet, said in an email.
+“The allegation made by various social media posts through footage showing a ‘Turkish warship en route to Palestine’ is untrue,” The Centre for Combating Disinformation, part of the Turkish presidency’s Directorate of Communications, said in a statement, opens new tab on its website on Oct. 24.
+Instead, the clips of two carriers in the circulating video can be traced to footage from 2012 and 2013 on the U.S. Navy’s YouTube account.
+The first clip, which shows three aircraft aboard a carrier, is visible in a video shared by the U.S. Navy’s, opens new tab account on May 17, 2013 at the 0:11 timestamp.
+The video shows an unmanned X-47B stealth drone launching off the USS George H. W. Bush near Virginia on May 14, 2013. The U.S. Navy shared, opens new tab more footage, opens new tab of the first-ever carrier-based catapult launch at the time.
+The second clip, showing three angles of an aircraft carrier at sea, can be seen in a Dec. 10, 2012 video, opens new tab on the U.S. Navy’s YouTube page, described as an aerial (view) of an unmanned X-47B taxiing on the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman on Dec. 9, 2012.
+All three camera angles of the aircraft carrier are shown in the U.S. Navy’s video. More videos, opens new tab from the testing operation were shared by the U.S. Navy, opens new tab at the time.
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. The clips in the circulating video dates to 2012 and 2013 and show U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, not a Turkish warship.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Decade-old US Navy videos shared as Turkish warship nearing Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Footage of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers dating back 10 years has been miscaptioned online as showing Turkish warships moving toward Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in October. On Oct. 10, Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan criticized the U.S. for moving a carrier strike group including the USS Gerald R. Ford closer to Israel. Posts in English by Erdogan’s office, opens new tab on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, did not mention the sending naval ships near Gaza or Israel as of Oct. 26.  Posts, opens new tab on social media, opens new tab said, in part, “BREAKING NEWS ALERT: TURKEY MOVES A WARSHIP TOWARD ISRAEL_GAZA CONFLICT ZONE WITH A STRANGE AIRCRAFT ON BOARD ACCORDING TO REPORTS. THEY MADE IT CLEAR THEY WILL DEFEND GAZA AS TENSIONS RISE IN MIDDLE EAST.”  The video shows two clips of moving aircraft carriers with a CNN logo seen in the lower right corner. “The video posted on X is not authentic and did not air on CNN,” Emily Khun, a spokesperson for the outlet, said in an email. “The allegation made by various social media posts through footage showing a ‘Turkish warship en route to Palestine’ is untrue,” The Centre for Combating Disinformation, part of the Turkish presidency’s Directorate of Communications, said in a statement, opens new tab on its website on Oct. 24. Instead, the clips of two carriers in the circulating video can be traced to footage from 2012 and 2013 on the U.S. Navy’s YouTube account. The first clip, which shows three aircraft aboard a carrier, is visible in a video shared by the U.S. Navy’s, opens new tab account on May 17, 2013 at the 0:11 timestamp.  The video shows an unmanned X-47B stealth drone launching off the USS George H. W. Bush near Virginia on May 14, 2013. The U.S. Navy shared, opens new tab more footage, opens new tab of the first-ever carrier-based catapult launch at the time. The second clip, showing three angles of an aircraft carrier at sea, can be seen in a Dec. 10, 2012 video, opens new tab on the U.S. Navy’s YouTube page, described as an aerial (view) of an unmanned X-47B taxiing on the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman on Dec. 9, 2012.  All three camera angles of the aircraft carrier are shown in the U.S. Navy’s video. More videos, opens new tab from the testing operation were shared by the U.S. Navy, opens new tab at the time. "
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/decade-old-us-navy-videos-shared-turkish-warship-nearing-gaza-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Decade-old US Navy videos shared as Turkish warship nearing Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Footage of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers dating back 10 years has been miscaptioned online as showing Turkish warships moving toward Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in October.
+On Oct. 10, Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan criticized the U.S. for moving a carrier strike group including the USS Gerald R. Ford closer to Israel.
+Posts in English by Erdogan’s office, opens new tab on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, did not mention the sending naval ships near Gaza or Israel as of Oct. 26.
+Posts, opens new tab on social media, opens new tab said, in part, “BREAKING NEWS ALERT: TURKEY MOVES A WARSHIP TOWARD ISRAEL_GAZA CONFLICT ZONE WITH A STRANGE AIRCRAFT ON BOARD ACCORDING TO REPORTS. THEY MADE IT CLEAR THEY WILL DEFEND GAZA AS TENSIONS RISE IN MIDDLE EAST.”
+The video shows two clips of moving aircraft carriers with a CNN logo seen in the lower right corner. “The video posted on X is not authentic and did not air on CNN,” Emily Khun, a spokesperson for the outlet, said in an email.
+“The allegation made by various social media posts through footage showing a ‘Turkish warship en route to Palestine’ is untrue,” The Centre for Combating Disinformation, part of the Turkish presidency’s Directorate of Communications, said in a statement, opens new tab on its website on Oct. 24.
+Instead, the clips of two carriers in the circulating video can be traced to footage from 2012 and 2013 on the U.S. Navy’s YouTube account.
+The first clip, which shows three aircraft aboard a carrier, is visible in a video shared by the U.S. Navy’s, opens new tab account on May 17, 2013 at the 0:11 timestamp.
+The video shows an unmanned X-47B stealth drone launching off the USS George H. W. Bush near Virginia on May 14, 2013. The U.S. Navy shared, opens new tab more footage, opens new tab of the first-ever carrier-based catapult launch at the time.
+The second clip, showing three angles of an aircraft carrier at sea, can be seen in a Dec. 10, 2012 video, opens new tab on the U.S. Navy’s YouTube page, described as an aerial (view) of an unmanned X-47B taxiing on the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman on Dec. 9, 2012.
+All three camera angles of the aircraft carrier are shown in the U.S. Navy’s video. More videos, opens new tab from the testing operation were shared by the U.S. Navy, opens new tab at the time.
+VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. The clips in the circulating video dates to 2012 and 2013 and show U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, not a Turkish warship.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","VERDICT
+Miscaptioned. The clips in the circulating video dates to 2012 and 2013 and show U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, not a Turkish warship.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/london-hate-crimes-rise-again-wake-middle-east-conflict-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]London hate crimes rise again in wake of Middle East conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Antisemitic and Islamaphobic incidents have almost doubled in just over a week in London, police data showed on Friday, in the wake of the attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel nearly three weeks ago and subsequent bombardment by Israel of Gaza.
+There have been growing tensions in Britain and elsewhere since Hamas gunmen rampaged through Israeli towns and Israel besieged Gaza in response, with pro-Palestinian demonstrations and vigils held by Jewish groups in solidarity with hostages, some of whom are British, who were taken by the militants.
+Commander Kyle Gordon said there had been 408 antisemitic incidents recorded in the British capital so far this month compared to 28 in the same period last year, while there had been 174 Islamophobic offences compared to 65.
+In both cases the numbers were almost twice as high as those given a week ago.
+""My colleagues continue to ruthlessly deal with any acts of hate crime that they encounter,"" Kyle told reporters. ""Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, we have made 75 arrests linked to the conflict.""
+Last week, about 100,000 protesters took part in a march organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and in the aftermath police faced criticism from some lawmakers for not being tougher over slogans shouted by some involved.
+London's police chief Mark Rowley held a meeting with Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Monday after which he said laws would need to be changed if the government wanted firmer action.
+Kyle said there would be some 2,000 officers on duty across the capital on Saturday when another pro-Palestinian march is set to take place.
+""Our most experienced and knowledgeable officers are working on the policing of these events, making sure we're utilising all of the legislation available to us to its fullest extent,"" he said. ""We will not tolerate hate crime in this city. We will take really robust action to all those who commit such crimes.""
+Meanwhile, Commander Dominic Murphy, from the London police's Counter Terrorism Command, said his officers had launched just under 10 investigations into online material referred by the public to police.
+Some officers had also been deployed to Israel to support foreign ministry staff and support any investigations which might result from the Hamas attack.
+There has been an increase in reported threats against Jewish and Muslim communities in many countries, including the United States, since the Gaza war broke out.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]London hate crimes rise again in wake of Middle East conflict[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Antisemitic and Islamaphobic incidents have almost doubled in just over a week in London, police data showed on Friday, in the wake of the attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel nearly three weeks ago and subsequent bombardment by Israel of Gaza. There have been growing tensions in Britain and elsewhere since Hamas gunmen rampaged through Israeli towns and Israel besieged Gaza in response, with pro-Palestinian demonstrations and vigils held by Jewish groups in solidarity with hostages, some of whom are British, who were taken by the militants. Commander Kyle Gordon said there had been 408 antisemitic incidents recorded in the British capital so far this month compared to 28 in the same period last year, while there had been 174 Islamophobic offences compared to 65. In both cases the numbers were almost twice as high as those given a week ago.  ""My colleagues continue to ruthlessly deal with any acts of hate crime that they encounter,"" Kyle told reporters. ""Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, we have made 75 arrests linked to the conflict."" Last week, about 100,000 protesters took part in a march organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and in the aftermath police faced criticism from some lawmakers for not being tougher over slogans shouted by some involved. London's police chief Mark Rowley held a meeting with Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Monday after which he said laws would need to be changed if the government wanted firmer action.
+Kyle said there would be some 2,000 officers on duty across the capital on Saturday when another pro-Palestinian march is set to take place.  ""Our most experienced and knowledgeable officers are working on the policing of these events, making sure we're utilising all of the legislation available to us to its fullest extent,"" he said. ""We will not tolerate hate crime in this city. We will take really robust action to all those who commit such crimes.""
+Meanwhile, Commander Dominic Murphy, from the London police's Counter Terrorism Command, said his officers had launched just under 10 investigations into online material referred by the public to police. Some officers had also been deployed to Israel to support foreign ministry staff and support any investigations which might result from the Hamas attack.  There has been an increase in reported threats against Jewish and Muslim communities in many countries, including the United States, since the Gaza war broke out.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-ground-invasion-looms-gaza-residents-gird-battle-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]As Israeli ground invasion looms, Gaza residents gird for battle[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - As Israel prepares to open a ground offensive in Gaza after weeks of relentless bombardments, some residents of the Palestinian enclave say they are ready to fight the Middle East's most powerful military with their bare hands.
+""Even if all our men die, we will fight,"" said Um Moatasem Al-Alami, whose house was hit by an Israeli air strike.
+""We are not deterred by all they do, despite the wounds. We will get them out of our land even with our nails,"" she said.
+Israel says it is preparing a ground invasion, but it has been urged by the United States and Arab countries to delay an operation that would multiply the number of civilian casualties in the densely populated coastal strip and might ignite a wider conflict.
+There are also fears about what a ground invasion would mean for the more than 200 hostages reported to be held there by Gaza's ruling Islamist Hamas movement and other militant groups.
+Mohammad Abu Daqqa and his family are not taking any chances especially since Israel mounted a series of small incursions. He left his home in the town of Abassan Al-Kabira east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip because of the intensity of the Israeli bombing.
+They are staying in a tent inside a U.N. shelter. Like other Palestinians he does not want a repeat of the Nakba, the Arabic word for catastrophe that refers to the 1948 war of Israel's creation that led to their mass dispossession.
+In the war surrounding Israel's founding, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, and have been denied return. Many ended up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+""This is our land and they are fighting us inside it, for how long we will be in this bloodshed and this hardship?"" said
+Abu Daqqa. ""Anyone who will come up here we will kill him, whoever comes.""
+The Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry said on Thursday that 7,326 Palestinians had been killed in the retaliatory air strikes, including 3,038 children.
+Israel and the United States say they doubt the Gaza health ministry's figures but they have not supplied estimates of their own.
+Israel says Hamas killed some 1,400 people including children in its Oct. 7 rampage.
+Palestinian militants clashed with Israeli troops in at least two areas inside the Gaza Strip, the latest of several small-scale incursions, Hamas-affiliated media reported. The Israeli military did not immediately confirm the sortie.
+Residents of central Gaza said they had heard what sounded like an exchange of fire as well as heavy shelling and air strikes along the border, with Israeli planes dropping flares and bombs.
+Aside from the fear of losing their land, Gaza residents are facing a growing humanitarian crisis with shortages of food, water and medicine.
+Some aid was allowed in from the Egyptian border but Palestinians and aid agencies say it is not nearly enough.
+Israel has already tightened its blockade of Gaza, fully banning food and fuel imports and cutting the electricity supply. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has warned that the price Gaza would pay ""will change reality for generations"".
+At an intensive care unit of Gaza's Nasser hospital, doctors cannot keep up with the casualties.
+""We had to open new intensive-care unit, but these units are not fully equipped, they lack artificial respiratory systems and machines to monitor the patients,"" said Dr. Hamouda Shaath.
+""Because of the war and the current conditions we can't receive abdominal or heart cases. The fate of those cases, patients who suffer chronic illnesses or other diseases is unknown,"" he said.
+The U.N. food agency said on Friday severe fuel shortages may force it to stop supplying emergency food aid to thousands of displaced families in Gaza.
+""Only two of our contracted bakeries have fuel to produce bread at the moment and tomorrow there might be none,"" World Food Programme (WFP) representative Samer Abdeljaber said.
+""This would be a terrible blow to the thousands of families living in shelters who have been relying on the daily bread deliveries,"" he said in a statement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]As Israeli ground invasion looms, Gaza residents gird for battle[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - As Israel prepares to open a ground offensive in Gaza after weeks of relentless bombardments, some residents of the Palestinian enclave say they are ready to fight the Middle East's most powerful military with their bare hands. ""Even if all our men die, we will fight,"" said Um Moatasem Al-Alami, whose house was hit by an Israeli air strike.  ""We are not deterred by all they do, despite the wounds. We will get them out of our land even with our nails,"" she said. Israel says it is preparing a ground invasion, but it has been urged by the United States and Arab countries to delay an operation that would multiply the number of civilian casualties in the densely populated coastal strip and might ignite a wider conflict. There are also fears about what a ground invasion would mean for the more than 200 hostages reported to be held there by Gaza's ruling Islamist Hamas movement and other militant groups.  Mohammad Abu Daqqa and his family are not taking any chances especially since Israel mounted a series of small incursions. He left his home in the town of Abassan Al-Kabira east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip because of the intensity of the Israeli bombing.  They are staying in a tent inside a U.N. shelter. Like other Palestinians he does not want a repeat of the Nakba, the Arabic word for catastrophe that refers to the 1948 war of Israel's creation that led to their mass dispossession.  In the war surrounding Israel's founding, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, and have been denied return. Many ended up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. ""This is our land and they are fighting us inside it, for how long we will be in this bloodshed and this hardship?"" said
+Abu Daqqa. ""Anyone who will come up here we will kill him, whoever comes."" The Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry said on Thursday that 7,326 Palestinians had been killed in the retaliatory air strikes, including 3,038 children. Israel and the United States say they doubt the Gaza health ministry's figures but they have not supplied estimates of their own. Israel says Hamas killed some 1,400 people including children in its Oct. 7 rampage. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-ground-invasion-looms-gaza-residents-gird-battle-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]As Israeli ground invasion looms, Gaza residents gird for battle[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]GAZA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - As Israel prepares to open a ground offensive in Gaza after weeks of relentless bombardments, some residents of the Palestinian enclave say they are ready to fight the Middle East's most powerful military with their bare hands.
+""Even if all our men die, we will fight,"" said Um Moatasem Al-Alami, whose house was hit by an Israeli air strike.
+""We are not deterred by all they do, despite the wounds. We will get them out of our land even with our nails,"" she said.
+Israel says it is preparing a ground invasion, but it has been urged by the United States and Arab countries to delay an operation that would multiply the number of civilian casualties in the densely populated coastal strip and might ignite a wider conflict.
+There are also fears about what a ground invasion would mean for the more than 200 hostages reported to be held there by Gaza's ruling Islamist Hamas movement and other militant groups.
+Mohammad Abu Daqqa and his family are not taking any chances especially since Israel mounted a series of small incursions. He left his home in the town of Abassan Al-Kabira east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip because of the intensity of the Israeli bombing.
+They are staying in a tent inside a U.N. shelter. Like other Palestinians he does not want a repeat of the Nakba, the Arabic word for catastrophe that refers to the 1948 war of Israel's creation that led to their mass dispossession.
+In the war surrounding Israel's founding, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, and have been denied return. Many ended up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
+""This is our land and they are fighting us inside it, for how long we will be in this bloodshed and this hardship?"" said
+Abu Daqqa. ""Anyone who will come up here we will kill him, whoever comes.""
+The Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry said on Thursday that 7,326 Palestinians had been killed in the retaliatory air strikes, including 3,038 children.
+Israel and the United States say they doubt the Gaza health ministry's figures but they have not supplied estimates of their own.
+Israel says Hamas killed some 1,400 people including children in its Oct. 7 rampage.
+Palestinian militants clashed with Israeli troops in at least two areas inside the Gaza Strip, the latest of several small-scale incursions, Hamas-affiliated media reported. The Israeli military did not immediately confirm the sortie.
+Residents of central Gaza said they had heard what sounded like an exchange of fire as well as heavy shelling and air strikes along the border, with Israeli planes dropping flares and bombs.
+Aside from the fear of losing their land, Gaza residents are facing a growing humanitarian crisis with shortages of food, water and medicine.
+Some aid was allowed in from the Egyptian border but Palestinians and aid agencies say it is not nearly enough.
+Israel has already tightened its blockade of Gaza, fully banning food and fuel imports and cutting the electricity supply. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has warned that the price Gaza would pay ""will change reality for generations"".
+At an intensive care unit of Gaza's Nasser hospital, doctors cannot keep up with the casualties.
+""We had to open new intensive-care unit, but these units are not fully equipped, they lack artificial respiratory systems and machines to monitor the patients,"" said Dr. Hamouda Shaath.
+""Because of the war and the current conditions we can't receive abdominal or heart cases. The fate of those cases, patients who suffer chronic illnesses or other diseases is unknown,"" he said.
+The U.N. food agency said on Friday severe fuel shortages may force it to stop supplying emergency food aid to thousands of displaced families in Gaza.
+""Only two of our contracted bakeries have fuel to produce bread at the moment and tomorrow there might be none,"" World Food Programme (WFP) representative Samer Abdeljaber said.
+""This would be a terrible blow to the thousands of families living in shelters who have been relying on the daily bread deliveries,"" he said in a statement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Palestinian militants clashed with Israeli troops in at least two areas inside the Gaza Strip, the latest of several small-scale incursions, Hamas-affiliated media reported. The Israeli military did not immediately confirm the sortie. Residents of central Gaza said they had heard what sounded like an exchange of fire as well as heavy shelling and air strikes along the border, with Israeli planes dropping flares and bombs. Aside from the fear of losing their land, Gaza residents are facing a growing humanitarian crisis with shortages of food, water and medicine. Some aid was allowed in from the Egyptian border but Palestinians and aid agencies say it is not nearly enough.  Israel has already tightened its blockade of Gaza, fully banning food and fuel imports and cutting the electricity supply. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has warned that the price Gaza would pay ""will change reality for generations"". At an intensive care unit of Gaza's Nasser hospital, doctors cannot keep up with the casualties.  ""We had to open new intensive-care unit, but these units are not fully equipped, they lack artificial respiratory systems and machines to monitor the patients,"" said Dr. Hamouda Shaath.
+""Because of the war and the current conditions we can't receive abdominal or heart cases. The fate of those cases, patients who suffer chronic illnesses or other diseases is unknown,"" he said. The U.N. food agency said on Friday severe fuel shortages may force it to stop supplying emergency food aid to thousands of displaced families in Gaza.  ""Only two of our contracted bakeries have fuel to produce bread at the moment and tomorrow there might be none,"" World Food Programme (WFP) representative Samer Abdeljaber said.
+""This would be a terrible blow to the thousands of families living in shelters who have been relying on the daily bread deliveries,"" he said in a statement.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/please-wake-up-families-israeli-victims-urge-world-stand-against-islamist-2023-10-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Please wake up': Families of Israeli victims urge world to stand against Islamist violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ROME, Oct 25 (Reuters) - (This Oct. 26 story has been refiled to fix a name in paragraph 8)
+The world must take a stand against Islamist violence to avoid it spreading and take action to ensure the swift release of hostages taken by Hamas militants after their Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, families of victims said on Wednesday.
+A delegation of relatives visited Rome to hold talks with authorities, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as part of a campaign to bolster world efforts to free the more than 200 people taken captive.
+The group included Avi Eylon, whose 23-year-old daughter, Shira, was killed with a friend while attending a music festival.
+Sitting with Shira's sister, Adar, at a hotel in the Italian capital, he said it was too late for his family but the hostages had to come home.
+""Please wake up. To the people in the world, to the people in Europe, please wake up, because this is not a land conflict, this is a religious conflict,"" he told Reuters, saying the reason why Hamas murdered his daughter was that she was Jewish.
+Some 222 people were taken hostage after the attack on southern Israel in which 1,400 people were killed. Hamas on Monday freed two Israeli civilian women following the release of two hostages with dual U.S.-Israeli nationality on Friday.
+Health officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said more than 6,500 people have been killed since Israel began its bombing campaign in response.
+Three people with dual Italian-Israeli citizenship were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, including Eviatar Moshe Kipnis and his wife, Lilach Lea Havron, who were both in the Beeri kibbutz, one of the main targets.
+Their son, Nadav, who also lost his uncle in the attack, came to Italy to demand action to free all the hostages who include several members of his family.
+""These people are just civilians who did not deserve any of these traumatic events that happened to them, which are comparable only to the Holocaust,"" he said.
+""Israel itself can only deal with Hamas as a terrorist organisation, but (Israel) cannot negotiate with them,"" he told Reuters, saying states such as Qatar and Egypt would be in the position to put pressure on Hamas to release the hostages.
+He said it was sad that some demonstrators who took to the streets in Europe in support of Palestine were in favour of Hamas, when Islamist violence was again hitting France and Belgium.
+""The narrative that Hamas are fighting for freedom is just false,"" he said. ""Hamas are fighting other religions.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Please wake up': Families of Israeli victims urge world to stand against Islamist violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ROME, Oct 25 (Reuters) - (This Oct. 26 story has been refiled to fix a name in paragraph 8)
+The world must take a stand against Islamist violence to avoid it spreading and take action to ensure the swift release of hostages taken by Hamas militants after their Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel , families of victims said on Wednesday. A delegation of relatives visited Rome to hold talks with authorities, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as part of a campaign to bolster world efforts to free the more than 200 people taken captive.  The group included Avi Eylon, whose 23-year-old daughter, Shira, was killed with a friend while attending a music festival.
+Sitting with Shira's sister, Adar, at a hotel in the Italian capital, he said it was too late for his family but the hostages had to come home.
+""Please wake up. To the people in the world, to the people in Europe, please wake up, because this is not a land conflict, this is a religious conflict,"" he told Reuters, saying the reason why Hamas murdered his daughter was that she was Jewish.  Some 222 people were taken hostage after the attack on southern Israel in which 1,400 people were killed. Hamas on Monday freed two Israeli civilian women following the release of two hostages with dual U.S.-Israeli nationality on Friday. Health officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said more than 6,500 people have been killed since Israel began its bombing campaign in response. Three people with dual Italian-Israeli citizenship were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, including Eviatar Moshe Kipnis and his wife, Lilach Lea Havron, who were both in the Beeri kibbutz, one of the main targets. Their son, Nadav, who also lost his uncle in the attack, came to Italy to demand action to free all the hostages who include several members of his family.
+""These people are just civilians who did not deserve any of these traumatic events that happened to them, which are comparable only to the Holocaust,"" he said. ""Israel itself can only deal with Hamas as a terrorist organisation, but (Israel) cannot negotiate with them,"" he told Reuters, saying states such as Qatar and Egypt would be in the position to put pressure on Hamas to release the hostages. He said it was sad that some demonstrators who took to the streets in Europe in support of Palestine were in favour of Hamas, when Islamist violence was again hitting France and Belgium. "
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/please-wake-up-families-israeli-victims-urge-world-stand-against-islamist-2023-10-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Please wake up': Families of Israeli victims urge world to stand against Islamist violence[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ROME, Oct 25 (Reuters) - (This Oct. 26 story has been refiled to fix a name in paragraph 8)
+The world must take a stand against Islamist violence to avoid it spreading and take action to ensure the swift release of hostages taken by Hamas militants after their Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, families of victims said on Wednesday.
+A delegation of relatives visited Rome to hold talks with authorities, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as part of a campaign to bolster world efforts to free the more than 200 people taken captive.
+The group included Avi Eylon, whose 23-year-old daughter, Shira, was killed with a friend while attending a music festival.
+Sitting with Shira's sister, Adar, at a hotel in the Italian capital, he said it was too late for his family but the hostages had to come home.
+""Please wake up. To the people in the world, to the people in Europe, please wake up, because this is not a land conflict, this is a religious conflict,"" he told Reuters, saying the reason why Hamas murdered his daughter was that she was Jewish.
+Some 222 people were taken hostage after the attack on southern Israel in which 1,400 people were killed. Hamas on Monday freed two Israeli civilian women following the release of two hostages with dual U.S.-Israeli nationality on Friday.
+Health officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said more than 6,500 people have been killed since Israel began its bombing campaign in response.
+Three people with dual Italian-Israeli citizenship were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, including Eviatar Moshe Kipnis and his wife, Lilach Lea Havron, who were both in the Beeri kibbutz, one of the main targets.
+Their son, Nadav, who also lost his uncle in the attack, came to Italy to demand action to free all the hostages who include several members of his family.
+""These people are just civilians who did not deserve any of these traumatic events that happened to them, which are comparable only to the Holocaust,"" he said.
+""Israel itself can only deal with Hamas as a terrorist organisation, but (Israel) cannot negotiate with them,"" he told Reuters, saying states such as Qatar and Egypt would be in the position to put pressure on Hamas to release the hostages.
+He said it was sad that some demonstrators who took to the streets in Europe in support of Palestine were in favour of Hamas, when Islamist violence was again hitting France and Belgium.
+""The narrative that Hamas are fighting for freedom is just false,"" he said. ""Hamas are fighting other religions.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","""The narrative that Hamas are fighting for freedom is just false,"" he said. ""Hamas are fighting other religions.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/london-mayors-call-ceasefire-gaza-puts-pressure-labour-leader-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]London mayor's call for ceasefire in Gaza puts pressure on Labour leader[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on Friday for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, going a step beyond his Labour Party's appeals for a humanitarian pause in fighting to allow aid into the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip.
+The apparent difference in stance between Khan and Labour leader Keir Starmer highlights disagreement and growing unrest within Britain's main opposition party over its position on the conflict.
+Khan, a senior voice within Labour and one of the UK's most prominent Muslim politicians, said he backed Israel's right to defend itself but that a military escalation could worsen a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
+""I join the international community in calling for a ceasefire. It would stop the killing and would allow vital aid supplies to reach those who need it in Gaza,"" Khan said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter.
+A Labour spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Khan's statement.
+Labour, which polls indicate has a strong chance of forming Britain's next government in an election expected in 2024, called this week for a pause in fighting, echoing similar appeals by the U.S., European Union and Britain's Conservative government.
+Such pauses are seen as a measure short of a full ceasefire, but critics say it does not go far enough.
+Aid agencies have highlighted an increasingly desperate need for water, food and medical services in the Palestinian enclave.
+Adding pressure on Starmer, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party echoed Khan's call for a ceasefire.
+""There have been too many innocent lives lost in Israel and Palestine. We need a ceasefire now,"" Anas Sarwar, the first Muslim to lead a mainstream political party in the UK, said on X.
+The equalities watchdog found in 2020 that Labour had serious failings how it handled persistent antisemitism complaints under its former leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Starmer has sought to rid the party of an anti-Jewish image since becoming leader that year.
+However, some Labour politicians, especially Muslim lawmakers and local government officials, were angered by comments Starmer made earlier this month that were interpreted to mean he backed Israel's right to cut off power and water to Gaza.
+His spokesperson later clarified that he had meant Israel had a right to defend itself, but people in Gaza needed access to water and power.
+One Labour lawmaker from northern England said he had received hundreds of emails in the last week from voters complaining about the way Starmer had handled the situation.
+""The tone has been completely wrong. We look indifferent to innocent people being bombed in Gaza,"" the lawmaker said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]London mayor's call for ceasefire in Gaza puts pressure on Labour leader[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on Friday for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, going a step beyond his Labour Party's appeals for a humanitarian pause in fighting to allow aid into the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip. The apparent difference in stance between Khan and Labour leader Keir Starmer highlights disagreement and growing unrest within Britain's main opposition party over its position on the conflict. Khan, a senior voice within Labour and one of the UK's most prominent Muslim politicians, said he backed Israel's right to defend itself but that a military escalation could worsen a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.  ""I join the international community in calling for a ceasefire. It would stop the killing and would allow vital aid supplies to reach those who need it in Gaza,"" Khan said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. A Labour spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Khan's statement. Labour, which polls indicate has a strong chance of forming Britain's next government in an election expected in 2024, called this week for a pause in fighting, echoing similar appeals by the U.S., European Union and Britain's Conservative government.
+Such pauses are seen as a measure short of a full ceasefire, but critics say it does not go far enough.  Aid agencies have highlighted an increasingly desperate need for water, food and medical services in the Palestinian enclave. Adding pressure on Starmer, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party echoed Khan's call for a ceasefire.  ""There have been too many innocent lives lost in Israel and Palestine. We need a ceasefire now,"" Anas Sarwar, the first Muslim to lead a mainstream political party in the UK, said on X. The equalities watchdog found in 2020 that Labour had serious failings how it handled persistent antisemitism complaints under its former leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Starmer has sought to rid the party of an anti-Jewish image since becoming leader that year. However, some Labour politicians, especially Muslim lawmakers and local government officials, were angered by comments Starmer made earlier this month that were interpreted to mean he backed Israel's right to cut off power and water to Gaza. His spokesperson later clarified that he had meant Israel had a right to defend itself, but people in Gaza needed access to water and power.
+One Labour lawmaker from northern England said he had received hundreds of emails in the last week from voters complaining about the way Starmer had handled the situation.
+""The tone has been completely wrong."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/london-mayors-call-ceasefire-gaza-puts-pressure-labour-leader-2023-10-27/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]London mayor's call for ceasefire in Gaza puts pressure on Labour leader[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on Friday for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, going a step beyond his Labour Party's appeals for a humanitarian pause in fighting to allow aid into the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip.
+The apparent difference in stance between Khan and Labour leader Keir Starmer highlights disagreement and growing unrest within Britain's main opposition party over its position on the conflict.
+Khan, a senior voice within Labour and one of the UK's most prominent Muslim politicians, said he backed Israel's right to defend itself but that a military escalation could worsen a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
+""I join the international community in calling for a ceasefire. It would stop the killing and would allow vital aid supplies to reach those who need it in Gaza,"" Khan said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter.
+A Labour spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Khan's statement.
+Labour, which polls indicate has a strong chance of forming Britain's next government in an election expected in 2024, called this week for a pause in fighting, echoing similar appeals by the U.S., European Union and Britain's Conservative government.
+Such pauses are seen as a measure short of a full ceasefire, but critics say it does not go far enough.
+Aid agencies have highlighted an increasingly desperate need for water, food and medical services in the Palestinian enclave.
+Adding pressure on Starmer, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party echoed Khan's call for a ceasefire.
+""There have been too many innocent lives lost in Israel and Palestine. We need a ceasefire now,"" Anas Sarwar, the first Muslim to lead a mainstream political party in the UK, said on X.
+The equalities watchdog found in 2020 that Labour had serious failings how it handled persistent antisemitism complaints under its former leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Starmer has sought to rid the party of an anti-Jewish image since becoming leader that year.
+However, some Labour politicians, especially Muslim lawmakers and local government officials, were angered by comments Starmer made earlier this month that were interpreted to mean he backed Israel's right to cut off power and water to Gaza.
+His spokesperson later clarified that he had meant Israel had a right to defend itself, but people in Gaza needed access to water and power.
+One Labour lawmaker from northern England said he had received hundreds of emails in the last week from voters complaining about the way Starmer had handled the situation.
+""The tone has been completely wrong. We look indifferent to innocent people being bombed in Gaza,"" the lawmaker said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","We look indifferent to innocent people being bombed in Gaza,"" the lawmaker said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/middle-east-crisis-not-impacting-gas-supply-italy-eni-ceo-says-2023-10-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Middle East crisis not impacting gas supply to Italy, Eni CEO says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAVENNA, ITALY, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Italy is not facing any worries regarding gas supplies despite the current crisis in the Middle East, Eni's <ENI.MI> chief executive said on Tuesday.
+Speaking at an energy conference in Ravenna, Claudio Descalzi added that the conflict between Israel and Hamas was rather impacting gas prices but did not endanger imports.
+""For the time being, there is nothing to worry about on the gas supply side, also because in those areas - apart from the (Tamar gas) field, which was stopped by Israel for precautionary reasons - there are no major impacts on gas production,"" Descalzi said.
+Descalzi was indirectly responding to the concerns that a potential escalation in the Middle East could create tensions with some gas-producing countries such as Algeria which has expressed support to the Palestine people.
+Algeria became Italy's biggest gas supplier last year, replacing Russia, with other African countries including Libya and Egypt also emerging as important gas providers thanks to Eni's activism in these countries.
+Speaking at the same press conference, Algeria's energy minister confirmed the country's commitment to supply gas to Italy, but also asked for more investments.
+""Gas infrastructures need financial investments which are difficult to attract... we need regulatory frameworks that are more appealing to attract long-term investments,"" Algeria's Mohamed Arkab said.
+Eni currently devotes more than 30% of its total investments to energy transition and plans to increase this percentage to 70% by 2030, the Eni CEO told journalists.
+The Italian group is also working at a potential sale of a small stake of its low-carbon unit Plenitude to an investor.
+""We are in advanced talks with a strategic investor on Plenitude,"" Descalzi said, adding a deal that could set a floor for the value of Eni's low-carbon unit was important in times of high volatility on markets.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Middle East crisis not impacting gas supply to Italy , Eni CEO says[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]RAVENNA, ITALY, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Italy is not facing any worries regarding gas supplies despite the current crisis in the Middle East, Eni's <ENI.MI> chief executive said on Tuesday. Speaking at an energy conference in Ravenna, Claudio Descalzi added that the conflict between Israel and Hamas was rather impacting gas prices but did not endanger imports. ""For the time being, there is nothing to worry about on the gas supply side, also because in those areas - apart from the (Tamar gas) field, which was stopped by Israel for precautionary reasons - there are no major impacts on gas production,"" Descalzi said. Descalzi was indirectly responding to the concerns that a potential escalation in the Middle East could create tensions with some gas-producing countries such as Algeria which has expressed support to the Palestine people. Algeria became Italy's biggest gas supplier last year, replacing Russia, with other African countries including Libya and Egypt also emerging as important gas providers thanks to Eni's activism in these countries. Speaking at the same press conference, Algeria's energy minister confirmed the country's commitment to supply gas to Italy, but also asked for more investments.  ""Gas infrastructures need financial investments which are difficult to attract... we need regulatory frameworks that are more appealing to attract long-term investments,"" Algeria's Mohamed Arkab said. Eni currently devotes more than 30% of its total investments to energy transition and plans to increase this percentage to 70% by 2030, the Eni CEO told journalists. The Italian group is also working at a potential sale of a small stake of its low-carbon unit Plenitude to an investor.  ""We are in advanced talks with a strategic investor on Plenitude,"" Descalzi said, adding a deal that could set a floor for the value of Eni's low-carbon unit was important in times of high volatility on markets.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/erdogan-putin-western-silence-worsening-humanitarian-situation-gaza-2023-10-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Erdogan to Putin: Western 'silence' worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a call that Western countries' ""silence"" was exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Erdogan's office said.
+In a statement, the presidency said Erdogan told Putin the ""savagery"" towards Palestinian lands was deepening and that civilians were constantly being killed.
+He also repeated earlier comments that Turkey, a NATO ally, would continue working to achieve calm in the region, the statement added.
+Western countries have stressed Israel's right to defend itself following an Oct. 7 assault by Hamas militants on Israeli towns and kibbutzim that killed 1,400 people, mainly civilians.
+Since then, thousands of people have been killed during heavy daily Israeli bombardment of Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas.
+The Kremlin later issued its own statement on the call, saying that Putin had told Erdogan that Russia and Turkey largely agree on the Israel-Palestinian issue.
+""The positions of Russia and Turkey... are focused on the implementation of the well-known two-state formula, which envisages the creation of an independent Palestine coexisting with Israel in peace and security,"" it said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Erdogan to Putin: Western 'silence' worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]ANKARA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a call that Western countries' ""silence"" was exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Erdogan's office said. In a statement, the presidency said Erdogan told Putin the ""savagery"" towards Palestinian lands was deepening and that civilians were constantly being killed.
+He also repeated earlier comments that Turkey, a NATO ally, would continue working to achieve calm in the region, the statement added. Western countries have stressed Israel's right to defend itself following an Oct. 7 assault by Hamas militants on Israeli towns and kibbutzim that killed 1,400 people, mainly civilians. Since then, thousands of people have been killed during heavy daily Israeli bombardment of Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas. The Kremlin later issued its own statement on the call, saying that Putin had told Erdogan that Russia and Turkey largely agree on the Israel-Palestinian issue.
+"" The positions of Russia and Turkey... are focused on the implementation of the well-known two-state formula, which envisages the creation of an independent Palestine coexisting with Israel in peace and security,"" it said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/malaysian-pm-joins-thousands-condemn-israel-western-allies-barbarism-gaza-2023-10-24/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Malaysian PM joins thousands to condemn Israel, Western allies for 'barbarism' in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joined 16,000 pro-Palestinian supporters to condemn Israel's ""barbaric"" acts in the Gaza Strip, where thousands are estimated to have been killed in Israeli attacks, and denounce its Western supporters.
+The gathering in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, was the largest in a series of demonstrations held in Muslim-majority Malaysia in recent weeks.
+More than 700 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes, Gaza's health ministry said on Tuesday, the highest 24-hour death toll since Israel began a bombing campaign to crush Hamas militants who stunned the country with a deadly Oct. 7 attack.
+The health ministry has said at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed in strikes since Oct. 7.
+Malaysia has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has called for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
+""It's a level of insanity to allow people to be butchered, babies to be killed, hospitals to be bombed, and schools to be destroyed... it's the height of barbarism in this world,"" Anwar told the crowd gathered at an indoor stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
+""We are with the Palestinian people yesterday, today and tomorrow,"" he said, adding that support from the United States and Europe was bolstering Israel's position.
+Anwar last week said he rejected Western pressure to condemn Hamas. He spoke to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier this month and called for an immediate end to bombardment in Gaza and the establishment of a humanitarian corridor.
+U.N. agencies called ""on our knees"" on Tuesday for aid to be allowed unimpeded into Gaza, saying more than 20 times current deliveries were needed after two weeks of Israeli air strikes.
+Carrying Palestinian flags and banners, the demonstrators in Kuala Lumpur chanted ""long live Palestine"" and ""down with Israel.""
+Nurul Anis Syafiqah Muhammad, a 20-year-old student, said she was at the gathering to protest against Israeli actions.
+""This is not just about religion, it is about humanity... as humans we must be compassionate towards each other,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Malaysian PM joins thousands to condemn Israel, Western allies for 'barbarism' in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joined 16,000 pro-Palestinian supporters to condemn Israel's ""barbaric"" acts in the Gaza Strip, where thousands are estimated to have been killed in Israeli attacks, and denounce its Western supporters. The gathering in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, was the largest in a series of demonstrations held in Muslim-majority Malaysia in recent weeks. More than 700 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes, Gaza's health ministry said on Tuesday, the highest 24-hour death toll since Israel began a bombing campaign to crush Hamas militants who stunned the country with a deadly Oct. 7 attack. The health ministry has said at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed in strikes since Oct. 7.  Malaysia has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has called for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.  ""It's a level of insanity to allow people to be butchered, babies to be killed, hospitals to be bombed, and schools to be destroyed... it's the height of barbarism in this world,"" Anwar told the crowd gathered at an indoor stadium in Kuala Lumpur. ""We are with the Palestinian people yesterday, today and tomorrow,"" he said, adding that support from the United States and Europe was bolstering Israel's position.  Anwar last week said he rejected Western pressure to condemn Hamas. He spoke to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier this month and called for an immediate end to bombardment in Gaza and the establishment of a humanitarian corridor. U.N. agencies called ""on our knees"" on Tuesday for aid to be allowed unimpeded into Gaza, saying more than 20 times current deliveries were needed after two weeks of Israeli air strikes.
+Carrying Palestinian flags and banners, the demonstrators in Kuala Lumpur chanted ""long live Palestine"" and ""down with Israel.""
+Nurul Anis Syafiqah Muhammad, a 20-year-old student, said she was at the gathering to protest against Israeli actions.
+""This is not just about religion, it is about humanity... as humans we must be compassionate towards each other,"" she said.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE ]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/pope-urges-release-hostages-humanitarian-aid-access-gaza-2023-10-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope urges release of hostages and humanitarian aid access in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday renewed his calls for the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants and for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Gaza Strip.
+""I am always thinking about the grave situation in Palestine and Israel. I encourage the release of hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,"" he said during his weekly audience.
+Francis recalled that he will lead on Friday special prayers for peace in St. Peter's Basilica, in what he said last week would be a ""a day of fasting, prayers, penance"".
+[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope urges release of hostages and humanitarian aid access in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday renewed his calls for the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants and for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Gaza Strip.  ""I am always thinking about the grave situation in Palestine and Israel. I encourage the release of hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,"" he said during his weekly audience. Francis recalled that he will lead on Friday special prayers for peace in St. Peter's Basilica, in what he said last week would be a ""a day of fasting, prayers, penance"". [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/miscaptioned-video-kim-jong-un-does-not-mention-biden-or-israel-hamas-war-2023-10-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Miscaptioned video of Kim Jong Un does not mention Biden or Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video snippet from a speech made by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been circulated with false subtitles that suggest he is criticizing U.S. President Joe Biden over international conflicts and expressing support for Republican Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 election.
+The clip shows Kim speaking at a military parade in 2020, but he did not discuss the Israel-Hamas or Russia-Ukraine wars, nor mention Biden or former President Trump, according to a transcript of the speech.
+However, the caption of a post sharing the video, opens new tab with falsified subtitles on social media platform X reads: “Kim Jong Un wishes Trump luck in 2024 and suggests if Biden wins the world will end in WW3.”
+The fabricated in-video English subtitles read: “Under the Biden administration, conflicts erupt yearly. This year a war begins between Israel and Palestine. Last year a war begins between Russia and Ukraine. And two years ago, billions worth of military equipment was left to the Taliban. “I’m afraid that if the Biden admin does not cease to exist in the next election, World War 3 may begin. Who knows what next year’s war will be. I support Donald Trump for President in 2024. Good Luck to Mr. Trump.”
+A translation by Reuters of the North Korean leader’s words in the video clip is: “In particular, our People's Army soldiers demonstrated a patriotic and heroic devotion on the anti-epidemic and the natural disaster-recovery fronts which we had to face unexpectedly this year. And no one would approach (their patriotic and heroic devotion) without tears of gratitude. As we look back upon every page of our Party's 75-year history filled with glory this time, I thought over what I would say first today at this moment, but my heartfelt, sincere word for our people...”
+The footage and a few remarks seen in the viral clip could be traced to a speech Kim made in October 2020, opens new tab at a military parade, opens new tab marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.
+According to a Reuters report at the time, Kim became emotional while paying tribute to troops for their response to national disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic and apologized to citizens for failing to raise living standards.
+An English transcript of the full speech, opens new tab, published by the National Committee on North Korea, opens new tab, a U.S. non-governmental organization, does not include the terms “Biden,” “Trump,” “Israel,” “Palestine,” “Russia” or “Ukraine.”
+VERDICT
+False. A video with fabricated subtitles falsely claims to show Kim Jong Un criticizing Joe Biden and expressing support for Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
+This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Miscaptioned video of Kim Jong Un does not mention Biden or Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video snippet from a speech made by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been circulated with false subtitles that suggest he is criticizing U.S. President Joe Biden over international conflicts and expressing support for Republican Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 election. The clip shows Kim speaking at a military parade in 2020, but he did not discuss the Israel-Hamas or Russia-Ukraine wars, nor mention Biden or former President Trump, according to a transcript of the speech. However, the caption of a post sharing the video, opens new tab with falsified subtitles on social media platform X reads: “Kim Jong Un wishes Trump luck in 2024 and suggests if Biden wins the world will end in WW3.”  The fabricated in-video English subtitles read: “Under the Biden administration, conflicts erupt yearly. This year a war begins between Israel and Palestine. Last year a war begins between Russia and Ukraine. And two years ago, billions worth of military equipment was left to the Taliban. “I’m afraid that if the Biden admin does not cease to exist in the next election, World War 3 may begin. Who knows what next year’s war will be. I support Donald Trump for President in 2024. Good Luck to Mr. Trump.”  A translation by Reuters of the North Korean leader’s words in the video clip is: “In particular, our People's Army soldiers demonstrated a patriotic and heroic devotion on the anti-epidemic and the natural disaster-recovery fronts which we had to face unexpectedly this year. And no one would approach (their patriotic and heroic devotion) without tears of gratitude. As we look back upon every page of our Party's 75-year history filled with glory this time, I thought over what I would say first today at this moment, but my heartfelt, sincere word for our people...” The footage and a few remarks seen in the viral clip could be traced to a speech Kim made in October 2020, opens new tab at a military parade, opens new tab marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea. "
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/miscaptioned-video-kim-jong-un-does-not-mention-biden-or-israel-hamas-war-2023-10-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Miscaptioned video of Kim Jong Un does not mention Biden or Israel-Hamas war[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video snippet from a speech made by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been circulated with false subtitles that suggest he is criticizing U.S. President Joe Biden over international conflicts and expressing support for Republican Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 election.
+The clip shows Kim speaking at a military parade in 2020, but he did not discuss the Israel-Hamas or Russia-Ukraine wars, nor mention Biden or former President Trump, according to a transcript of the speech.
+However, the caption of a post sharing the video, opens new tab with falsified subtitles on social media platform X reads: “Kim Jong Un wishes Trump luck in 2024 and suggests if Biden wins the world will end in WW3.”
+The fabricated in-video English subtitles read: “Under the Biden administration, conflicts erupt yearly. This year a war begins between Israel and Palestine. Last year a war begins between Russia and Ukraine. And two years ago, billions worth of military equipment was left to the Taliban. “I’m afraid that if the Biden admin does not cease to exist in the next election, World War 3 may begin. Who knows what next year’s war will be. I support Donald Trump for President in 2024. Good Luck to Mr. Trump.”
+A translation by Reuters of the North Korean leader’s words in the video clip is: “In particular, our People's Army soldiers demonstrated a patriotic and heroic devotion on the anti-epidemic and the natural disaster-recovery fronts which we had to face unexpectedly this year. And no one would approach (their patriotic and heroic devotion) without tears of gratitude. As we look back upon every page of our Party's 75-year history filled with glory this time, I thought over what I would say first today at this moment, but my heartfelt, sincere word for our people...”
+The footage and a few remarks seen in the viral clip could be traced to a speech Kim made in October 2020, opens new tab at a military parade, opens new tab marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea.
+According to a Reuters report at the time, Kim became emotional while paying tribute to troops for their response to national disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic and apologized to citizens for failing to raise living standards.
+An English transcript of the full speech, opens new tab, published by the National Committee on North Korea, opens new tab, a U.S. non-governmental organization, does not include the terms “Biden,” “Trump,” “Israel,” “Palestine,” “Russia” or “Ukraine.”
+VERDICT
+False. A video with fabricated subtitles falsely claims to show Kim Jong Un criticizing Joe Biden and expressing support for Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
+This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","According to a Reuters report at the time, Kim became emotional while paying tribute to troops for their response to national disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic and apologized to citizens for failing to raise living standards.
+An English transcript of the full speech, opens new tab, published by the National Committee on North Korea, opens new tab, a U.S. non-governmental organization, does not include the terms “Biden,” “Trump,” “Israel,” “Palestine,” “Russia” or “Ukraine.”
+VERDICT
+False. A video with fabricated subtitles falsely claims to show Kim Jong Un criticizing Joe Biden and expressing support for Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-war-revives-past-trauma-lebanons-palestinian-refugees-2023-10-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza war revives past trauma for Lebanon's Palestinian refugees[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BURJ AL-BARAJNEH CAMP, Lebanon, Oct 26 (Reuters) - For aging refugees in Lebanon, seeing Palestinians caught up in a new conflict in Gaza revives painful memories of their own flight during war in 1948 from villages and towns that were once in British-ruled Palestine and are now part of Israel.
+Bidur Al Habet, who fled her home near the coastal town of Acre 75 years ago and ended up in Beirut's packed Burj al-Barajneh camp, wants to return, even as she watches television images of war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.
+""If the battle starts, let them open the border. We will all go, young and old,"" said the 82-year-old, speaking in a shabby block down one of the camp's narrow alleys. ""Let them take these buildings, we don’t want anything from them, we would leave.""
+Palestinians fled to Lebanon and other Arab states in what they call the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe, when they were driven from their homes as Israel was created in 1948, although Israel contests the assertion that they were forced to leave.
+The tents that first sheltered them have given way to camps like Burj al-Barajneh, crammed with badly built concrete buildings erected with scant thought for urban planning.
+But the status of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, whether survivors from the first days or their descendants, has not changed over the decades: they remain stateless, cannot own property and are limited in the jobs they are permitted to do.
+""The situation is literally miserable,"" says Walaa Kayyal from Asylos, a British charity that researches asylum cases, adding that Palestinians who fled to Lebanon are facing ""the worst situation"" compared to those who went to other countries in 1948.
+In some Arab states, Palestinians were able to live more integrated lives, and some became citizens. But Lebanon's authorities have proved far less accommodating, wary of upsetting the country's combustible sectarian mix.
+'BATTLE OF THE WHOLE NATION'
+Many of the Palestinians who arrived in Lebanon and their descendants still live in 12 refugee camps around the country, which now hosts about 174,000 Palestinian refugees.
+The walls in Burj al-Barajneh, like other camps, are covered in graffiti backing Palestinian factions, which are effectively in control. Security and governance is in the hands of Popular Committees and Palestinian factions, the United Nations Palestinian refugees agency UNRWA says. Lebanese security forces generally stay outside the camps.
+Since Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel launched its devastating airstrikes on Gaza in response, more graffiti has appeared.
+""The battle of the whole nation, Al Aqsa Flood,"" reads one stencilled message spray-painted on a wall, referring to the name Hamas gave to its Oct. 7 assault on Israel.
+Zahra Steitiyeh, 51, a Palestinian embroidery seamstress, said she hoped the latest conflict would one day open the way for her and her family to go back to their original home: ""The resistance (Hamas) gave us a lot of hope by what they did in Palestine, that we would return.""
+Meanwhile, many in Gaza, a narrow strip of land just 40 km (25 miles) long where 2.3 million people live, most of them also Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, have been displaced again.
+They have fled their homes in north Gaza after Israel told them to move south for their own safety, even as Israel has continued to bombard sites all over the strip.
+This time, however, they cannot leave the confines of the Gaza Strip. Arab leaders, notably from Jordan which borders the West Bank and Egypt which shares a frontier with Gaza, have said Palestinians must not be pushed out of their land again.
+For Steitiyeh's mother, Khadijeh Astateh, who was nine when her family was dispossessed of their home in Safed in what is now northern Israel in 1948, the news of the latest mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza is a fresh trauma.
+""What do I feel? The whole of my body shakes,"" she said. ""Although I am constrained and I need a walking frame, my feelings are strong.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza war revives past trauma for Lebanon's Palestinian refugees[/TITLE] [CONTENT]BURJ AL-BARAJNEH CAMP, Lebanon, Oct 26 (Reuters) - For aging refugees in Lebanon, seeing Palestinians caught up in a new conflict in Gaza revives painful memories of their own flight during war in 1948 from villages and towns that were once in British-ruled Palestine and are now part of Israel. Bidur Al Habet, who fled her home near the coastal town of Acre 75 years ago and ended up in Beirut's packed Burj al-Barajneh camp, wants to return, even as she watches television images of war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas. ""If the battle starts, let them open the border. We will all go, young and old,"" said the 82-year-old, speaking in a shabby block down one of the camp's narrow alleys. ""Let them take these buildings, we don’t want anything from them, we would leave."" Palestinians fled to Lebanon and other Arab states in what they call the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe, when they were driven from their homes as Israel was created in 1948, although Israel contests the assertion that they were forced to leave. The tents that first sheltered them have given way to camps like Burj al-Barajneh, crammed with badly built concrete buildings erected with scant thought for urban planning. But the status of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, whether survivors from the first days or their descendants, has not changed over the decades: they remain stateless, cannot own property and are limited in the jobs they are permitted to do.
+""The situation is literally miserable,"" says Walaa Kayyal from Asylos, a British charity that researches asylum cases, adding that Palestinians who fled to Lebanon are facing ""the worst situation"" compared to those who went to other countries in 1948. In some Arab states, Palestinians were able to live more integrated lives, and some became citizens. But Lebanon's authorities have proved far less accommodating, wary of upsetting the country's combustible sectarian mix.
+'BATTLE OF THE WHOLE NATION'
+Many of the Palestinians who arrived in Lebanon and their descendants still live in 12 refugee camps around the country, which now hosts about 174,000 Palestinian refugees.  The walls in Burj al-Barajneh, like other camps, are covered in graffiti backing Palestinian factions, which are effectively in control. Security and governance is in the hands of Popular Committees and Palestinian factions, the United Nations Palestinian refugees agency UNRWA says. Lebanese security forces generally stay outside the camps."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-war-revives-past-trauma-lebanons-palestinian-refugees-2023-10-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Gaza war revives past trauma for Lebanon's Palestinian refugees[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]BURJ AL-BARAJNEH CAMP, Lebanon, Oct 26 (Reuters) - For aging refugees in Lebanon, seeing Palestinians caught up in a new conflict in Gaza revives painful memories of their own flight during war in 1948 from villages and towns that were once in British-ruled Palestine and are now part of Israel.
+Bidur Al Habet, who fled her home near the coastal town of Acre 75 years ago and ended up in Beirut's packed Burj al-Barajneh camp, wants to return, even as she watches television images of war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.
+""If the battle starts, let them open the border. We will all go, young and old,"" said the 82-year-old, speaking in a shabby block down one of the camp's narrow alleys. ""Let them take these buildings, we don’t want anything from them, we would leave.""
+Palestinians fled to Lebanon and other Arab states in what they call the ""Nakba"", or catastrophe, when they were driven from their homes as Israel was created in 1948, although Israel contests the assertion that they were forced to leave.
+The tents that first sheltered them have given way to camps like Burj al-Barajneh, crammed with badly built concrete buildings erected with scant thought for urban planning.
+But the status of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, whether survivors from the first days or their descendants, has not changed over the decades: they remain stateless, cannot own property and are limited in the jobs they are permitted to do.
+""The situation is literally miserable,"" says Walaa Kayyal from Asylos, a British charity that researches asylum cases, adding that Palestinians who fled to Lebanon are facing ""the worst situation"" compared to those who went to other countries in 1948.
+In some Arab states, Palestinians were able to live more integrated lives, and some became citizens. But Lebanon's authorities have proved far less accommodating, wary of upsetting the country's combustible sectarian mix.
+'BATTLE OF THE WHOLE NATION'
+Many of the Palestinians who arrived in Lebanon and their descendants still live in 12 refugee camps around the country, which now hosts about 174,000 Palestinian refugees.
+The walls in Burj al-Barajneh, like other camps, are covered in graffiti backing Palestinian factions, which are effectively in control. Security and governance is in the hands of Popular Committees and Palestinian factions, the United Nations Palestinian refugees agency UNRWA says. Lebanese security forces generally stay outside the camps.
+Since Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel launched its devastating airstrikes on Gaza in response, more graffiti has appeared.
+""The battle of the whole nation, Al Aqsa Flood,"" reads one stencilled message spray-painted on a wall, referring to the name Hamas gave to its Oct. 7 assault on Israel.
+Zahra Steitiyeh, 51, a Palestinian embroidery seamstress, said she hoped the latest conflict would one day open the way for her and her family to go back to their original home: ""The resistance (Hamas) gave us a lot of hope by what they did in Palestine, that we would return.""
+Meanwhile, many in Gaza, a narrow strip of land just 40 km (25 miles) long where 2.3 million people live, most of them also Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, have been displaced again.
+They have fled their homes in north Gaza after Israel told them to move south for their own safety, even as Israel has continued to bombard sites all over the strip.
+This time, however, they cannot leave the confines of the Gaza Strip. Arab leaders, notably from Jordan which borders the West Bank and Egypt which shares a frontier with Gaza, have said Palestinians must not be pushed out of their land again.
+For Steitiyeh's mother, Khadijeh Astateh, who was nine when her family was dispossessed of their home in Safed in what is now northern Israel in 1948, the news of the latest mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza is a fresh trauma.
+""What do I feel? The whole of my body shakes,"" she said. ""Although I am constrained and I need a walking frame, my feelings are strong.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Since Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel launched its devastating airstrikes on Gaza in response, more graffiti has appeared. ""The battle of the whole nation, Al Aqsa Flood,"" reads one stencilled message spray-painted on a wall, referring to the name Hamas gave to its Oct. 7 assault on Israel. Zahra Steitiyeh, 51, a Palestinian embroidery seamstress, said she hoped the latest conflict would one day open the way for her and her family to go back to their original home: ""The resistance (Hamas) gave us a lot of hope by what they did in Palestine, that we would return."" Meanwhile, many in Gaza, a narrow strip of land just 40 km (25 miles) long where 2.3 million people live, most of them also Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, have been displaced again. They have fled their homes in north Gaza after Israel told them to move south for their own safety, even as Israel has continued to bombard sites all over the strip. This time, however, they cannot leave the confines of the Gaza Strip. Arab leaders, notably from Jordan which borders the West Bank and Egypt which shares a frontier with Gaza, have said Palestinians must not be pushed out of their land again.  For Steitiyeh's mother, Khadijeh Astateh, who was nine when her family was dispossessed of their home in Safed in what is now northern Israel in 1948, the news of the latest mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza is a fresh trauma.  ""What do I feel? The whole of my body shakes,"" she said. ""Although I am constrained and I need a walking frame, my feelings are strong.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/us/floridas-desantis-bans-pro-palestinian-student-group-2023-10-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Florida's DeSantis bans pro-Palestinian student group[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 24 (Reuters) - (This Oct. 24 story has been refiled to correct the name to the 'University of South Florida', from 'Florida State University', in paragraph 5)
+Florida’s university system, working with Governor Ron DeSantis, ordered colleges on Tuesday to shut down a pro-Palestinian student organization, marking the first U.S. state to outlaw the group whose national leadership backed Hamas' attack on Israel.
+The State University System of Florida said chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) had to be dismantled as part of a ""crack down"" in the Republican-led state on campus demonstrations that provide ""harmful support for terrorist groups.""
+""Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated,"" the system's Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote in a memo to university leaders.
+SJP is active in at least two Florida universities, Rodrigues said.
+The University of Florida and University of South Florida have SJP chapters, based on Instagram sites. The National SJP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
+Tensions between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students have led to harassment and assaults at U.S. universities since Hamas' Oct.7 attack and Israel's siege and bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
+Administrators at some U.S. universities criticized the National SJP after it called Hamas' attack ""a historic win for the Palestinian resistance"" and called for a ""day of resistance"" on Oct. 12 with demonstrations by its chapters at over 200 colleges in America and Canada.
+DeSantis, a White House candidate, has taken a hard line against Palestinians, suggesting Gazan civilians be denied water and utilities until Hamas releases hostages it took during its attack.
+Florida's university system said it based its SJP ban on a ""toolkit"" issued by the national organization to chapters that referred to Hamas' attack as ""the resistance"" and stated ""Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement.""
+In his memo, Rodrigues said National SJP identified itself as part of Hamas' attack and it was a felony under Florida law ""to provide material support... to a designated foreign terrorist organization.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Florida's DeSantis bans pro-Palestinian student group[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]Oct 24 (Reuters) - (This Oct. 24 story has been refiled to correct the name to the 'University of South Florida', from 'Florida State University', in paragraph 5) Florida’s university system, working with Governor Ron DeSantis, ordered colleges on Tuesday to shut down a pro-Palestinian student organization, marking the first U.S. state to outlaw the group whose national leadership backed Hamas' attack on Israel. The State University System of Florida said chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) had to be dismantled as part of a ""crack down"" in the Republican-led state on campus demonstrations that provide ""harmful support for terrorist groups.""
+""Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated,"" the system's Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote in a memo to university leaders. SJP is active in at least two Florida universities, Rodrigues said.  The University of Florida and University of South Florida have SJP chapters, based on Instagram sites. The National SJP did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tensions between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students have led to harassment and assaults at U.S. universities since Hamas' Oct.7 attack and Israel's siege and bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Administrators at some U.S. universities criticized the National SJP after it called Hamas' attack ""a historic win for the Palestinian resistance"" and called for a ""day of resistance"" on Oct. 12 with demonstrations by its chapters at over 200 colleges in America and Canada. DeSantis, a White House candidate, has taken a hard line against Palestinians, suggesting Gazan civilians be denied water and utilities until Hamas releases hostages it took during its attack. Florida's university system said it based its SJP ban on a ""toolkit"" issued by the national organization to chapters that referred to Hamas' attack as ""the resistance"" and stated ""Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement.""  In his memo, Rodrigues said National SJP identified itself as part of Hamas' attack and it was a felony under Florida law ""to provide material support... to a designated foreign terrorist organization.""[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-war-crimes-laws-apply-israel-palestinian-conflict-2023-10-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Explainer: What war crimes laws apply to the Israel-Palestinian conflict?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Conflict between Israel and Palestinian forces since militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault have created a huge and rising death toll - and accusations of war crimes - on both sides.
+The war falls under a complex international system of justice that has emerged since World War Two. Even if states say they are acting in self-defence, the rules of armed conflict apply to all participants in a war.
+WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE CONFLICT?
+Internationally accepted rules of armed conflict emerged from the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which have been ratified by all U.N. member states and supplemented by rulings at international war crimes tribunals.
+A series of treaties governs the treatment of civilians, soldiers and prisoners of war in a system collectively known as the ""Law of Armed Conflict"" or ""International Humanitarian Law"". It applies to government forces and organised armed groups, including Hamas militants.
+WHAT ACTS COULD VIOLATE WAR CRIMES LAW?
+New York-based Human Rights Watch cited as possible war crimes the deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate rocket attacks, and the taking of civilians as hostages by Palestinian armed groups, as well as the Israeli counter-strikes in Gaza that killed hundreds of Palestinians.
+The taking of hostages, murder and torture are explicitly banned under the Geneva Conventions, while Israel's response could also be subject to a war crimes investigation.
+In response to the Hamas violence, Israel put Gaza, home to 2.3 million people, under siege and launched by far the most powerful bombing campaign in the 75-year-old history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, destroying whole neighbourhoods.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded on Tuesday for civilians to be protected, voicing concern about ""clear violations of international humanitarian law"" in Gaza.
+WHAT DO THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS SAY?
+The overarching goal of the Geneva Conventions and thus international humanitarian law is to protect civilians in wartime and minimize suffering in war.
+Under the laws of armed conflict combatants include members of state armed forces, military and volunteer forces and non-state armed groups.
+A siege can be considered a war crime if it targets civilians, rather than a legitimate means to undermine Hamas' military capabilities, or if found to be disproportionate.
+Directly targeting civilians or civilian objects is strictly forbidden under the laws of armed conflict. However there are instances in which otherwise civilian objects can become legitimate military targets.
+Even then, attacks on military objectives have to be proportional, meaning they must not lead to excessive loss of civilian life or damage to civilian objects.
+Proportionality is not a numbers game where toll of civilian casualties on one side is compared to the other, rather the loss of civilian life should be proportionate to the direct and concrete military advantage expected from that specific attack.
+WHICH INSTITUTIONS CAN TRY ALLEGED WAR CRIMES?
+The first in line to try alleged war crimes are local jurisdictions, in this case courts in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
+If alleged Palestinian perpetrators of atrocities in Israel and all alleged perpetrators of crimes on the occupied Palestinian territories are not brought to justice at home, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is the only international legal organ able to bring charges.
+The ICC's founding Rome Statute gives it legal authority to investigate alleged crimes on the territory of its members or by their nationals, when domestic authorities are ""unwilling or unable"" to do so.
+WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE ICC?
+The International Criminal Court (ICC), the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, opened in The Hague in 2002. It has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in its 123 member states or committed by its nationals.
+Many of the world's major powers are not members, including China, the United States, Russia, India and Egypt. The ICC recognises Palestine as a member state, while Israel rejects the court's jurisdiction and does not formally engage with it.
+With a limited budget and staff, ICC prosecutors are already investigating 17 cases ranging from Ukraine and Afghanistan to Sudan and Myanmar.
+The ICC has had an ongoing investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories since 2021.
+It has not issued any arrest warrants.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Explainer: What war crimes laws apply to the Israel-Palestinian conflict?[/TITLE ]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Conflict between Israel and Palestinian forces since militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault have created a huge and rising death toll - and accusations of war crimes - on both sides.  The war falls under a complex international system of justice that has emerged since World War Two. Even if states say they are acting in self-defence, the rules of armed conflict apply to all participants in a war. WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE CONFLICT? Internationally accepted rules of armed conflict emerged from the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which have been ratified by all U.N. member states and supplemented by rulings at international war crimes tribunals.  A series of treaties governs the treatment of civilians, soldiers and prisoners of war in a system collectively known as the ""Law of Armed Conflict"" or ""International Humanitarian Law"". It applies to government forces and organised armed groups, including Hamas militants. WHAT ACTS COULD VIOLATE WAR CRIMES LAW? New York-based Human Rights Watch cited as possible war crimes the deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate rocket attacks, and the taking of civilians as hostages by Palestinian armed groups, as well as the Israeli counter-strikes in Gaza that killed hundreds of Palestinians. The taking of hostages, murder and torture are explicitly banned under the Geneva Conventions, while Israel's response could also be subject to a war crimes investigation.  In response to the Hamas violence, Israel put Gaza, home to 2.3 million people, under siege and launched by far the most powerful bombing campaign in the 75-year-old history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, destroying whole neighbourhoods.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded on Tuesday for civilians to be protected, voicing concern about ""clear violations of international humanitarian law"" in Gaza. WHAT DO THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS SAY? The overarching goal of the Geneva Conventions and thus international humanitarian law is to protect civilians in wartime and minimize suffering in war.
+Under the laws of armed conflict combatants include members of state armed forces, military and volunteer forces and non-state armed groups. A siege can be considered a war crime if it targets civilians, rather than a legitimate means to undermine Hamas' military capabilities, or if found to be disproportionate. Directly targeting civilians or civilian objects is strictly forbidden under the laws of armed conflict. However there are instances in which otherwise civilian objects can become legitimate military targets."
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-war-crimes-laws-apply-israel-palestinian-conflict-2023-10-26/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Explainer: What war crimes laws apply to the Israel-Palestinian conflict?[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]THE HAGUE, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Conflict between Israel and Palestinian forces since militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault have created a huge and rising death toll - and accusations of war crimes - on both sides.
+The war falls under a complex international system of justice that has emerged since World War Two. Even if states say they are acting in self-defence, the rules of armed conflict apply to all participants in a war.
+WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE CONFLICT?
+Internationally accepted rules of armed conflict emerged from the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which have been ratified by all U.N. member states and supplemented by rulings at international war crimes tribunals.
+A series of treaties governs the treatment of civilians, soldiers and prisoners of war in a system collectively known as the ""Law of Armed Conflict"" or ""International Humanitarian Law"". It applies to government forces and organised armed groups, including Hamas militants.
+WHAT ACTS COULD VIOLATE WAR CRIMES LAW?
+New York-based Human Rights Watch cited as possible war crimes the deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate rocket attacks, and the taking of civilians as hostages by Palestinian armed groups, as well as the Israeli counter-strikes in Gaza that killed hundreds of Palestinians.
+The taking of hostages, murder and torture are explicitly banned under the Geneva Conventions, while Israel's response could also be subject to a war crimes investigation.
+In response to the Hamas violence, Israel put Gaza, home to 2.3 million people, under siege and launched by far the most powerful bombing campaign in the 75-year-old history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, destroying whole neighbourhoods.
+U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded on Tuesday for civilians to be protected, voicing concern about ""clear violations of international humanitarian law"" in Gaza.
+WHAT DO THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS SAY?
+The overarching goal of the Geneva Conventions and thus international humanitarian law is to protect civilians in wartime and minimize suffering in war.
+Under the laws of armed conflict combatants include members of state armed forces, military and volunteer forces and non-state armed groups.
+A siege can be considered a war crime if it targets civilians, rather than a legitimate means to undermine Hamas' military capabilities, or if found to be disproportionate.
+Directly targeting civilians or civilian objects is strictly forbidden under the laws of armed conflict. However there are instances in which otherwise civilian objects can become legitimate military targets.
+Even then, attacks on military objectives have to be proportional, meaning they must not lead to excessive loss of civilian life or damage to civilian objects.
+Proportionality is not a numbers game where toll of civilian casualties on one side is compared to the other, rather the loss of civilian life should be proportionate to the direct and concrete military advantage expected from that specific attack.
+WHICH INSTITUTIONS CAN TRY ALLEGED WAR CRIMES?
+The first in line to try alleged war crimes are local jurisdictions, in this case courts in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
+If alleged Palestinian perpetrators of atrocities in Israel and all alleged perpetrators of crimes on the occupied Palestinian territories are not brought to justice at home, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is the only international legal organ able to bring charges.
+The ICC's founding Rome Statute gives it legal authority to investigate alleged crimes on the territory of its members or by their nationals, when domestic authorities are ""unwilling or unable"" to do so.
+WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE ICC?
+The International Criminal Court (ICC), the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, opened in The Hague in 2002. It has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in its 123 member states or committed by its nationals.
+Many of the world's major powers are not members, including China, the United States, Russia, India and Egypt. The ICC recognises Palestine as a member state, while Israel rejects the court's jurisdiction and does not formally engage with it.
+With a limited budget and staff, ICC prosecutors are already investigating 17 cases ranging from Ukraine and Afghanistan to Sudan and Myanmar.
+The ICC has had an ongoing investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories since 2021.
+It has not issued any arrest warrants.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","Even then, attacks on military objectives have to be proportional, meaning they must not lead to excessive loss of civilian life or damage to civilian objects. Proportionality is not a numbers game where toll of civilian casualties on one side is compared to the other, rather the loss of civilian life should be proportionate to the direct and concrete military advantage expected from that specific attack. WHICH INSTITUTIONS CAN TRY ALLEGED WAR CRIMES? The first in line to try alleged war crimes are local jurisdictions, in this case courts in Israel and the Palestinian territories. If alleged Palestinian perpetrators of atrocities in Israel and all alleged perpetrators of crimes on the occupied Palestinian territories are not brought to justice at home, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is the only international legal organ able to bring charges. The ICC's founding Rome Statute gives it legal authority to investigate alleged crimes on the territory of its members or by their nationals, when domestic authorities are ""unwilling or unable"" to do so. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE ICC? The International Criminal Court (ICC), the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, opened in The Hague in 2002. It has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in its 123 member states or committed by its nationals.  Many of the world's major powers are not members, including China, the United States, Russia, India and Egypt. The ICC recognises Palestine as a member state, while Israel rejects the court's jurisdiction and does not formally engage with it.  With a limited budget and staff, ICC prosecutors are already investigating 17 cases ranging from Ukraine and Afghanistan to Sudan and Myanmar. The ICC has had an ongoing investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories since 2021. It has not issued any arrest warrants.[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-does-not-show-2023-pro-palestinian-protests-barcelona-2023-10-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video does not show 2023 pro-Palestinian protests in Barcelona[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video of an altercation between a group of protesters and the Barcelona police dates to at least 2020, but has been falsely shared as showing attacks by pro-Palestinian protesters on the Spanish city’s police amid the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. 
+A Facebook user captioned the video, opens new tab posted on Oct. 19: “Breaking: Pro-Palestinian protesters attack police in Barcelona, Spain. Multiple gun shots heard as protesters attempt to attack police vehicles before reinforcements arrive.” 
+However, the video can be traced back to at least Nov. 2, 2020, when it was posted on X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, by the official page of British news media website Scarcity Studios. The post was captioned: “Barcelona,Spain : Clashes with police over lockdown restrictions results in officers injured . police used motorbikes to chase down rioters tonight with several arrests made as large crowds gathered in other places in the city to protest #worldnews #spain #Barcelona.”
+The clip was also featured among several videos included in a Daily Mail news report, opens new tab on the same date about violent anti-lockdown protests in Barcelona. Reuters also reported on clashes between pandemic-lockdown protesters and the police in Spain at the time.
+A separate video, opens new tab capturing the same incident from a different angle was posted on X on Oct. 30, 2020.
+The large grey building seen in the footage could be geolocated, opens new tab to Via Laietana in Barcelona. 
+The Catalan police and Scarcity Studios did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
+While protests, opens new tab in support of both Palestinians, opens new tab and Israel, opens new tab have been held in Barcelona in October 2023, there have been no credible news reports of violence at these demonstrations.
+Reuters has previously addressed a claim that falsely linked the video to a November 2020 gun attack in Vienna. 
+VERDICT 
+Miscaptioned. The video predates the October 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict by years and does not show pro-Palestinian protestors clashing with police in Barcelona. 
+This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Fact Check: Video does not show 2023 pro-Palestinian protests in Barcelona[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]A video of an altercation between a group of protesters and the Barcelona police dates to at least 2020, but has been falsely shared as showing attacks by pro-Palestinian protesters on the Spanish city’s police amid the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. A Facebook user captioned the video, opens new tab posted on Oct. 19: “Breaking: Pro-Palestinian protesters attack police in Barcelona, Spain. Multiple gun shots heard as protesters attempt to attack police vehicles before reinforcements arrive.”  However, the video can be traced back to at least Nov. 2, 2020, when it was posted on X, opens new tab, formerly known as Twitter, by the official page of British news media website Scarcity Studios. The post was captioned: “Barcelona,Spain : Clashes with police over lockdown restrictions results in officers injured . police used motorbikes to chase down rioters tonight with several arrests made as large crowds gathered in other places in the city to protest #worldnews #spain #Barcelona.”  The clip was also featured among several videos included in a Daily Mail news report, opens new tab on the same date about violent anti-lockdown protests in Barcelona. Reuters also reported on clashes between pandemic-lockdown protesters and the police in Spain at the time. A separate video, opens new tab capturing the same incident from a different angle was posted on X on Oct. 30, 2020. The large grey building seen in the footage could be geolocated, opens new tab to Via Laietana in Barcelona. The Catalan police and Scarcity Studios did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. While protests, opens new tab in support of both Palestinians, opens new tab and Israel, opens new tab have been held in Barcelona in October 2023, there have been no credible news reports of violence at these demonstrations. Reuters has previously addressed a claim that falsely linked the video to a November 2020 gun attack in Vienna.  VERDICT 
+Miscaptioned. The video predates the October 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict by years and does not show pro-Palestinian protestors clashing with police in Barcelona. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.  Read more about our fact-checking work. [/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"
+https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/pope-urges-release-hostages-humanitarian-aid-access-gaza-2023-10-25/,"[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope urges release of hostages and humanitarian aid access in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday renewed his calls for the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants and for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Gaza Strip.
+""I am always thinking about the grave situation in Palestine and Israel. I encourage the release of hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,"" he said during his weekly audience.
+Francis recalled that he will lead on Friday special prayers for peace in St. Peter's Basilica, in what he said last week would be a ""a day of fasting, prayers, penance"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]","[ARTICLE][TITLE]Pope urges release of hostages and humanitarian aid access in Gaza[/TITLE]
+[CONTENT]VATICAN CITY, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday renewed his calls for the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants and for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Gaza Strip.  ""I am always thinking about the grave situation in Palestine and Israel. I encourage the release of hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,"" he said during his weekly audience.  Francis recalled that he will lead on Friday special prayers for peace in St. Peter's Basilica, in what he said last week would be a ""a day of fasting, prayers, penance"".[/CONTENT][/ARTICLE]"