Day: February 23, 2024

HEBRON: Israeli occupation forces issued demolition orders last night for two Palestinian-owned homes, a water well, and an electricity network in the hamlet of Khallet al-Fara, located south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

Local sources told WAFA that the occupation forces stormed the hamlet, situated west of the town of Yatta and adjacent to the colonial Israeli settlement of Otniel. The forces notified the demolition of two homes belonging to Ahmed Ibrahim Alian, a local Palestinian citizen, and a water well belonging to another resident.

The occupation forces also issued orders to dismantle the electricity network serving the community. This one-kilometer-long network supplies electricity to around 35 houses in the hamlet, home to between 150 and 200 Palestinian citizens.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

The Hague: The Sultanate of Oman delivered its oral statement before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague today on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian Territories including East Jerusalem.

The Sultanate of Oman reaffirmed during the oral proceedings delivered on behalf of the government of the Sultanate of Oman by Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Salim Al Harthy, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman, that for more than (75) years, the Palestinians having been living under occupation, oppression, injustice and daily humiliation committed against them by the Israelis. Meanwhile, the international community and the international organizations have failed ot assist the people of Palestine ot realize their aspirations by having their own independent state.

Oman pointed out that today in Gaza, the world for (4) months is witnessing one of the worst atrocities and acts of genocide in modern times, where more than (29) thousands killed and (68) tho
usands wounded, in addition to (2.2) million live under very unbearable conditions; being driven from one place to another in a clear violation of international norms.

Al Harthy stressed that the Sultanate of Oman supports UNGA resolution (77/247) of 30 December 2022 in which the Assembly requested the Court to render an advisory opinion in relation to two specific issues namely:

a. The legal consequences arising from Israel’s ongoing violation of the

right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, its prolonged

occupation of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, including the Holy City ofJerusalem and its measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and status of, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislations and measures.

b. Israel’s policies and practices referred to in paragraph (a) affect the legal status of the occupation and the legal consequences that arise for

all States and the United Nations from this status.

Al Harthy said, ‘The Sultanate
of Oman requests that the following issues are taken into account:

.1 Violation of the Right to Self-Determination That the occupation, settlement, and annexation of Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967 by Israel obstructs the realisation of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights, including their right ot self- determination and right to return.

He added that there is an overwhelming international agreement on the existence of the right to self-determination and its continued denial in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Al Harthy continued, ‘The right to self-determination is enshrined, inter alia, in article 1(2) of the Charter of the United Nations. The UN General Assembly has consistently reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. The UN Security Council has called for an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of two states based on the 1967 lines’.

The Human Rights Council consistently recognises the ‘inalienable, permanent and unqualified right t
o self-determination of the Palestinian people’.

Al Harthy pointed out that arising from these clear and consistent breaches of international law in maintaining a (75) year occupation, the Court should determine that the government of Israel should bring to an immediate and unconditional end to all activities, policies and laws that prevent and impede Palestinian self-

determination principally by ending the occupation of the Palestinian

Territory. The Court should recognise the clear responsibility on al States to support the establishment ofPalestinian self-determination in line with

UN resolutions and the UN Charter.

Oman’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands added that the Prolonged Occupation, Settlement and Annexation of Palestinian Territory, the consistent and systematic unlawful transfer of Israeli citizens to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories over decades is designed to perpetuate the occupation and make it permanent.

Related to this policy, he said, is the displacem
ent of Palestinians and the establishment of a coercive system of discriminations, zoning, planning, unlawful land appropriation, arbitrary arrest, and arbitrary violence since 1967.

Additionally, Al Harthy reiterated that this forcible displacement of the occupied people and the transfer of

citizens of the occupying power to the occupied territory is prohibited under article (49) of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Article (1) of that Convention stipulates that every High Contracting Party to the Convention is under an obligation to ensure compliance in all circumstances. The United Nation General Assembly, United Nations Security Council and United Nations Human Rights Council have consistently and repeatedly condemned Israel’s efforts to alter the demographic character and status of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

He pointed out that the International Community has an obligation to prevent unlawful annexation of Palestinian land. A fundamental prin
ciple of international law as reflected in the Charter of the United Nations is that the use of force in any form is prohibited. Consequently, acquisition of territory by use of force is illegal. The (75) year occupation and settlement policy of the State of Israel is preventing the establishment of a contiguous, viable Palestinian State and is an affront to international law.

The Court should find that the legal consequences for the Government of Israel in this regard should include the immediate cessation of all illegal acts including settlements and associated legal and administrative frameworks. Clearly, reparations for, and dismantling of, illegal structures and legal frameworks is also an imperative.

He added that the Third States are under a clear obligation not to recognize or assist the

illegal situation present ni the Occupied Palestinian Territory. State parties to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War are under obligation to ensure Israeli complianc
e with international humanitarian law as embodied in the convention, including the unlawful transfer of citizens in occupied territories.

The UN General Assembly Resolution (77/25) called upon all states consistent with their obligations under the Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions to a policy of non-recognition, non-cooperation, non-assistance to the Israeli occupation and to ensure respect for international law in this regard.

Al Harthy added that the primary legal consequences arising from Israel’s behaviour is that there is now a de facto annexation by Israel of the Palestinian territories.

He pointed out that there is no legal justification for continuing the Israeli occupation and denying the Palestinian people right to self-determination.

The Sultanate of Oman concluded its oral proceedings by affirming that

the conduct and practices of an occupying power are well-

documented and strictly regulated in international law. The 4th Geneva Convention is clear that an Occupying Power may
not transfer its civilian population to occupied territories. In addition, international law does not provide for permanent occupation or occupation legitimised through establishment of demographic

change through settlement.

The Sultanate of Oman reaffirmed that the (75) year duration of Israeli presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the persistent policy of settlement renders the Israeli occupation illegal and in breach of the UN Charter. The Court should determine that Israel should bring to an immediate and unconditional end to this unlawful situation. Third States should support these efforts.

Source: Oman News Agency

Gaza: During the last 24 hours, the Israeli occupation forces killed 104 people and injured 160 more in ten massacres targeting families in the Gaza Strip.

For the 140th day of the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported in its daily statistical report on the number of martyrs and wounded that many victims remain under the rubble and on the roads, and that the occupation is making it difficult for ambulance and civil defense crews to reach them.

Source: Jordan News Agency

HEBRON: Armed Israeli colonists tonight beat up two young Palestinian men before stealing their vehicle in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron, according to local sources.

Sources told WAFA that a group of armed colonists intercepted a Palestinian-registered vehicle near the village of Susya and attacked two young men who were in the car, beating them up and spraying them with pepper spray.

Colonists further stole the car and carried it onto a vehicle transporter truck to a nearby colony.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

HEBRON: Israeli occupation forces issued demolition orders last night for two Palestinian-owned homes, a water well, and an electricity network in the hamlet of Khallet al-Fara, located south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

Local sources told WAFA that the occupation forces stormed the hamlet, situated west of the town of Yatta and adjacent to the colonial Israeli settlement of Otniel. The forces notified the demolition of two homes belonging to Ahmed Ibrahim Alian, a local Palestinian citizen, and a water well belonging to another resident.

The occupation forces also issued orders to dismantle the electricity network serving the community. This one-kilometer-long network supplies electricity to around 35 houses in the hamlet, home to between 150 and 200 Palestinian citizens.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

The Hague: The Sultanate of Oman delivered its oral statement before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague today on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian Territories including East Jerusalem.

The Sultanate of Oman reaffirmed during the oral proceedings delivered on behalf of the government of the Sultanate of Oman by Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Salim Al Harthy, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman, that for more than (75) years, the Palestinians having been living under occupation, oppression, injustice and daily humiliation committed against them by the Israelis. Meanwhile, the international community and the international organizations have failed ot assist the people of Palestine ot realize their aspirations by having their own independent state.

Oman pointed out that today in Gaza, the world for (4) months is witnessing one of the worst atrocities and acts of genocide in modern times, where more than (29) thousands killed and (68) tho
usands wounded, in addition to (2.2) million live under very unbearable conditions; being driven from one place to another in a clear violation of international norms.

Al Harthy stressed that the Sultanate of Oman supports UNGA resolution (77/247) of 30 December 2022 in which the Assembly requested the Court to render an advisory opinion in relation to two specific issues namely:

a. The legal consequences arising from Israel’s ongoing violation of the

right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, its prolonged

occupation of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, including the Holy City ofJerusalem and its measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and status of, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislations and measures.

b. Israel’s policies and practices referred to in paragraph (a) affect the legal status of the occupation and the legal consequences that arise for

all States and the United Nations from this status.

Al Harthy said, ‘The Sultanate
of Oman requests that the following issues are taken into account:

.1 Violation of the Right to Self-Determination That the occupation, settlement, and annexation of Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967 by Israel obstructs the realisation of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights, including their right ot self- determination and right to return.

He added that there is an overwhelming international agreement on the existence of the right to self-determination and its continued denial in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Al Harthy continued, ‘The right to self-determination is enshrined, inter alia, in article 1(2) of the Charter of the United Nations. The UN General Assembly has consistently reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. The UN Security Council has called for an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of two states based on the 1967 lines’.

The Human Rights Council consistently recognises the ‘inalienable, permanent and unqualified right t
o self-determination of the Palestinian people’.

Al Harthy pointed out that arising from these clear and consistent breaches of international law in maintaining a (75) year occupation, the Court should determine that the government of Israel should bring to an immediate and unconditional end to all activities, policies and laws that prevent and impede Palestinian self-

determination principally by ending the occupation of the Palestinian

Territory. The Court should recognise the clear responsibility on al States to support the establishment ofPalestinian self-determination in line with

UN resolutions and the UN Charter.

Oman’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands added that the Prolonged Occupation, Settlement and Annexation of Palestinian Territory, the consistent and systematic unlawful transfer of Israeli citizens to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories over decades is designed to perpetuate the occupation and make it permanent.

Related to this policy, he said, is the displacem
ent of Palestinians and the establishment of a coercive system of discriminations, zoning, planning, unlawful land appropriation, arbitrary arrest, and arbitrary violence since 1967.

Additionally, Al Harthy reiterated that this forcible displacement of the occupied people and the transfer of

citizens of the occupying power to the occupied territory is prohibited under article (49) of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Article (1) of that Convention stipulates that every High Contracting Party to the Convention is under an obligation to ensure compliance in all circumstances. The United Nation General Assembly, United Nations Security Council and United Nations Human Rights Council have consistently and repeatedly condemned Israel’s efforts to alter the demographic character and status of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

He pointed out that the International Community has an obligation to prevent unlawful annexation of Palestinian land. A fundamental prin
ciple of international law as reflected in the Charter of the United Nations is that the use of force in any form is prohibited. Consequently, acquisition of territory by use of force is illegal. The (75) year occupation and settlement policy of the State of Israel is preventing the establishment of a contiguous, viable Palestinian State and is an affront to international law.

The Court should find that the legal consequences for the Government of Israel in this regard should include the immediate cessation of all illegal acts including settlements and associated legal and administrative frameworks. Clearly, reparations for, and dismantling of, illegal structures and legal frameworks is also an imperative.

He added that the Third States are under a clear obligation not to recognize or assist the

illegal situation present ni the Occupied Palestinian Territory. State parties to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War are under obligation to ensure Israeli complianc
e with international humanitarian law as embodied in the convention, including the unlawful transfer of citizens in occupied territories.

The UN General Assembly Resolution (77/25) called upon all states consistent with their obligations under the Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions to a policy of non-recognition, non-cooperation, non-assistance to the Israeli occupation and to ensure respect for international law in this regard.

Al Harthy added that the primary legal consequences arising from Israel’s behaviour is that there is now a de facto annexation by Israel of the Palestinian territories.

He pointed out that there is no legal justification for continuing the Israeli occupation and denying the Palestinian people right to self-determination.

The Sultanate of Oman concluded its oral proceedings by affirming that

the conduct and practices of an occupying power are well-

documented and strictly regulated in international law. The 4th Geneva Convention is clear that an Occupying Power may
not transfer its civilian population to occupied territories. In addition, international law does not provide for permanent occupation or occupation legitimised through establishment of demographic

change through settlement.

The Sultanate of Oman reaffirmed that the (75) year duration of Israeli presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the persistent policy of settlement renders the Israeli occupation illegal and in breach of the UN Charter. The Court should determine that Israel should bring to an immediate and unconditional end to this unlawful situation. Third States should support these efforts.

Source: Oman News Agency

Cabinet announced Thursday 22/2/2024 the approval of the largest direct investment deal through a partnership with major entities.

This comes in the context of the current state efforts to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and increase the country’s foreign exchange resources, according to the cabinet’s statement.

Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, stated that this major investment deal, conducted in partnership with major entities, achieves the state’s development objectives outlined in the National Strategic Urban Development Plan.

He noted that this deal marks the beginning of several investment agreements the government is currently working on to increase the country’s foreign currency resources.

The Prime Minister explained that the complete details of this deal will be announced, along with the signing of the relevant agreements.

He emphasized that the government’s success in attracting massive foreign investments confirms the confidence of major investment entities in the Egyptian economy an
d its ability to overcome challenges.

The projects resulting from this deal will provide hundreds of thousands of job opportunities, contributing to economic recovery, according to Madbouly.

Additionally, various Egyptian companies and factories will participate in the implemented projects, leading to multiple benefits for the Egyptian state.

‘This significant deal, along with others, and the substantial foreign currency liquidity it will provide, will contribute to stabilizing the foreign exchange market and improving the economic situation, ” the PM emphasized.

He also noted that the government is currently working on finalizing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Furthermore, the government continues its measures outlined in the State Ownership Policy document, aiming to empower the private sector and increase its participation opportunities in developmental sectors.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

GAZA: In a new massacre committed by the Israeli occupation, at least 24 civilians were killed and others were injured this evening in Israeli strikes on Deir al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip.

According to local sources, Israeli warplanes shelled the house of the Abu Zeitar family in the Bishara neighborhood in Deir al-Balah, killing 24 civilians and wounding several others, mostly children and women. Rescue work to help those trapped under the rubble Is still ongoing.

Israeli aerial raids also bombed a house north of the Maghazi refugee camp, in the central Strip, injuring several civilians.

Several civilians were also targeted by an Israeli strike along the shore in Nuseirat refugee camp, in the central Strip, resulting in the injury of several people, some critically.

The occupation fighter jets and artillery also bombarded areas in the Khirbat al-Adas and Beit Hanoun areas in the north of the Strip.

Israeli jets also opened heavy fire on the town of al-Mughraqa town, in the central Strip.

The
Palestine Red Crescent Society (PPS) said the occupation forces targeted the vicinity of the Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, in the southern Strip, causing extensive damage to the hospital facilities.

According to PRCS, the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance teams carried out – for the fourth time – an evacuation mission from Nasser Hospital after it went out of service, in coordination with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

PRCS said its ambulances evacuated 18 wounded civilians, including two newborns whose mothers were killed in the Israeli shelling.

The number of civilians killed since the start of Israel’s aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7 has surged to 29,514. In addition, at least 69,616 people were wounded.

Casualty data in Gaza are incomplete due to the intensive Israeli aggression, the repeated and complete interruption of communication and internet services, lack of fuel and devastated infrastructure, which render it difficult to document figur
es.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Minister of Transportation Kamel Al-Wazir inspected the Kigali Dry Port in Rwanda, one of Egypt’s projects in African countries.

The inspection was carried out by Minister of Transportation Kamel Al-Wazir and accompanied by Ambassador Nermin Al-Zawahiri, Egypt’s Ambassador to Rwanda.

Covering an area of 50,000 square meters with an annual capacity of 50,000 equivalent container units, the port is considered the main dry port in Rwanda, a landlocked African country.

This visit aligns with the Ministry of Transportation’s efforts, under the directives of political leadership, to position Egypt as a hub for global trade and logistics. This involves implementing a comprehensive plan to enhance connections between Egyptian ports and those worldwide.

The Ministry of Transportation will establish a logistics corridor starting from the Dar Es Salaam Port in Tanzania, passing through a logistics area and dry port in Tanzania, and extending to a dry port and logistics area in Rwanda. This initiative aims to facili
tate Egyptian exports’ access to African countries and strengthen Egyptian-African relations.

The Ministry has established a network of 27 dry ports and logistics zones within Egypt to serve trade movements and alleviate congestion of goods and containers at seaports.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

QALQILIA: A Palestinian child was wounded by live ammunition today after being shot by Israeli occupation forces in the town of Jayyus, in the occupied West Bank province of Qalqilya, according to medical sources.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the child sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh during confrontations with Israeli occupation forces near the Israeli segregation barrier adjacent to the town. The child was taken to hospital for medical attention.

In a separate incident west of Nablus, a 27-year-old man was shot with live ammunition during confrontations with Israeli forces in the village of Telt.

Medical sources reported that the young man suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said, Friday 2/23/2024, that modernizing the digital infrastructure of the Egyptian Customs Authority and automating all procedures through the ‘Nafza’ platform will contribute to transforming the digital economy.

The minister added that Egypt is making efforts to reduce customs clearance time, by simplifying procedures and relying more on advanced management to measure the degree of risks and then expand the green path, which contributes to reducing investment burdens on the business community.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

BETHLEHEM: Israeli occupation forces arrested three siblings today from the town of Nahalin, in the southern West Bank province of Bethlehem, according to local sources.

The mayor of Nahalin, Jamal Najajreh, reported that Israeli occupation forces detained three siblings while they were working on their land near the town. The arrested individuals were identified as Mohammed, Walid, and Mahmoud Ali Najajreh.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli witnessed Friday 23/2/2023 the inking of a direct investment deal, the biggest in Egypt’s history, with the United Arab Emirates.

The agreement was signed by Egypt’s Minister of Housing Assem El-Gazzar and UAE’s Minister of Investment Mohamed Al Suwaidi at the New Administrative Capital.

Egypt and the United Arab Emirates plan to build a multi-billion new state-of-the-art city of Ras Al-Hekma as a new massive urban, business and tourism center in the country’s North Coast.

The project, west of Alexandria on the North Coast, will be implemented by the New Urban Communities Authority and the Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company.

At the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said that the new project will pump $35 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) into the economy within two months – the largest such sum in FDI in the history of the country.

The immediate FDI will help the country overcome its current hard currency crunch, said Madbouly.

The project wil
l transform the North Coast and face of the country in the long term, he said.

Emirati investments throughout the implementation of the project, the largest of its kind in Egypt’s history, are expected to reach a minimum of $150 billion, Madbouly stated.

The project will be built on an unprecedented area of over 40,600 feddans, the prime minister said.

It will encompass residential districts, prestigious international hotels, tourist resorts, expansive entertainment venues, and service facilities such as hospitals, schools and universities, he said.

It will also feature administrative and service buildings, a free economic zone for information technology industries and logistics hubs, and a central business district that would attract global companies.

The project would also comprise a large marina for tourist yachts and ships, Madbouly said,

“We expect the new city to attract 8 million tourists to Egypt upon completion,” he noted.

Both parties have agreed to establish and develop an international airp
ort south of the city, Madbouly announced.

The Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company will develop the airport and Egypt will receive a share of its revenues, according to Madbouly.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

NABLUS: Armed Israeli colonists opened gunfire today on a Palestinian vehicle near the village of Yanoun, located south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources.

The head of the Yanoun village council, Rashed Murrar, reported that colonists fired shots on a Palestinian vehicle near the village, causing it to overturn. Fortunately, he added, no injuries were reported.

In a separate incident, colonists attacked Palestinian vehicles near the village of Nasariya, east of Nablus, pelting them with stones. This resulted in damage and the shattering of windows of several vehicles but no injuries.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Minister of Planning and Economic Development Minister Hala el Saeed said on Friday 23/2/2024 during her visit to the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris that Cooperation between Egypt and OECD represents a strategic alliance that encompasses a broad range of initiatives.

El Saeed headed to the French capital Paris Thursday 22/2/2024 to participate in launching the Economic Report for Egypt.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

GAZA: Israeli occupation forces committed a total of 10 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, resulting in the tragic killing of 104 Palestinians and leaving 160 others injured, according to medical reports.

Local health authorities confirmed that the death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 7 has risen to 29,514 reported Palestinian fatalities, with an additional 69,616 individuals sustaining injuries.

The number of victims is expected to increase further as rescue and emergency teams face challenges in accessing the affected areas, with hundreds more feared buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Earlier today, Israeli warships opened fire off the coast of Rafah, while fighter jets carried out an airstrike targeting the western areas of the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Additionally, the Israeli occupation army detonated and destroyed residential neighborhoods in the same region.

Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAF
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