Israel deploys remote-controlled robotic guns in West Bank

Israel deploys remote-controlled robotic guns in West Bank
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Palestinians walk past an Israeli military guard tower with two robotic guns and surveillance cameras at the Aroub refugee camp in the West Bank, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Israel deploys remote-controlled robotic guns in West Bank
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An Israeli military guard tower with two robotic guns and surveillance cameras at the Aroub refugee camp in the West Bank, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
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Updated 16 November 2022

Israel deploys remote-controlled robotic guns in West Bank

Israel deploys remote-controlled robotic guns in West Bank

AL-AROUB REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank: In two volatile spots in the occupied West Bank, Israel has installed robotic weapons that can fire tear gas, stun grenades and sponge-tipped bullets at Palestinian protesters.
The weapons, perched over a crowded Palestinian refugee camp and in a flashpoint West Bank city, use artificial intelligence to track targets. Israel says the technology saves lives — both Israeli and Palestinian. But critics see another step toward a dystopian reality in which Israel fine-tunes its open-ended occupation of the Palestinians while keeping its soldiers out of harm’s way.
The new weapon comes at a time of heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank, where unrest has risen sharply during what has been the deadliest year since 2006. The victory by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line alliance, which includes an extreme right-wing party with close ties to the settler movement, has raised concerns of more violence.
Twin turrets, each equipped with a watchful lens and a gun barrel, were recently installed atop a guard tower bristling with surveillance cameras overlooking the Al-Aroub refugee camp in the southern West Bank. When young Palestinian protesters pour into the streets hurling stones and firebombs at Israeli soldiers, the robotic weapons unleash tear gas or sponge-tipped bullets on them, witnesses say.
About a month ago, the military also placed the robots in the nearby city of Hebron, where soldiers often clash with stone-throwing Palestinian residents. The army declined to comment on its plans to deploy the system elsewhere in the West Bank.
Palestinian activist Issa Amro said Hebron residents fear the new weapon might be misused or hacked with no accountability in potentially lethal situations. People also resent what they say is a weapons test on civilians, he added.
“We are not a training and simulation for Israeli companies,” he said. “This is something new that must be stopped.”
There are no soldiers next to the machines. Instead, the weapons are operated by remote control. At a touch of a button, soldiers nestled inside a guard tower can fire at selected targets.
The army says the system is being tested at this stage and fires only “non-lethal” weapons used for crowd control, such as sponge-tipped bullets and tear gas. Residents of Al-Aroub say the turrets have repeatedly drenched the hillside camp in gas.
“We don’t open the window, we don’t open the door. We know not to open anything,” said shopkeeper Hussein Al-Muzyeen.
Robotic weapons are increasingly in operation around the world, with militaries expanding their use of drones to carry out lethal strikes from Ukraine to Ethiopia. Remote-controlled guns like the Israeli system in the West Bank have been used by the United States in Iraq, by South Korea along the border with North Korea, and by various Syrian rebel groups.
Israel, known for its advanced military technologies, is among the world’s top producers of drones capable of launching precision-guided missiles. It has built a fence along its boundary with the Gaza Strip equipped with radar and underground and underwater sensors. Above ground, it uses a robotic vehicle, equipped with cameras and machine guns, to patrol volatile borders. The military also tests and utilizes state-of-the-art surveillance technology such as face recognition and biometric data collection on Palestinians navigating the routines of the occupation, such as applying for Israeli travel permits.
“Israel is using technology as a means to control the civil population,” said Dror Sadot, spokeswoman for Israeli rights group B’Tselem. She said that even supposedly non-lethal weapons like sponge bullets can cause extreme pain and even be deadly.
The turrets in Al-Aroub were built by Smart Shooter, a company that makes “fire control systems” that it says “significantly increase the accuracy, lethality, and situational awareness of small arms.” The company boasts contracts with dozens of militaries around the world, including the US Army.
Speaking at the company’s headquarters in Kibbutz Yagur in northern Israel, Chief Executive Michal Mor said the gun requires human selection of targets and munitions.
“They always have a man in the loop making the decision regarding the legitimate target,” she said.
She said the system minimizes casualties by distancing soldiers from violence and limits collateral damage by making shots more accurate.
In a densely populated area like Al-Aroub, she said soldiers can monitor specific people in a crowd and lock the turret onto specific body parts. The system fires only after algorithms assess complex factors like wind speed, distance, and velocity.
The military said such safeguards minimize the risk to soldiers and improve supervision over their activities. It also said the technology allows soldiers to target “less sensitive” areas of the body to minimize harm and avoid shooting bystanders.
“In this way, the system reduces the likelihood of inaccurate fire,” it said.
But Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, said Israel is on a “slide toward the digital dehumanization of weapons systems.” By using such technologies, Shakir said Israel is creating “a powder keg for human rights abuse.”
Violence in the West Bank has surged over the past several months as Israel has ramped up arrest raids after a spate of Palestinian attacks within Israel killed 19 people last spring. The violence has killed more than 130 Palestinians this year and at least another 10 Israelis have been killed in recent attacks.
Israel says the raids aim to dismantle militant infrastructure and and that it has been forced to act because of the inaction of Palestinian security forces. For Palestinians, the nightly incursions into their towns have weakened their own security forces and tightened Israel’s grip over lands they want for their hoped-for state. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war.
In Al-Aroub, residents say the machines fire without warning.
“It is very fast, even faster than the soldiers,” said Kamel Abu Hishesh, a 19-year-old student. He described almost nightly clashes where soldiers storm the camp as the automated gun fires tear gas up and down the hill.
Paul Scharre, vice president of the Washington think tank Center for a New American Security and a former US Army sniper, said that without emotion and with better aim, automated systems can potentially reduce violence.
But he said the absence of international norms for “killer robots” is problematic.
Otherwise, he said, it’s just a matter of time before these automated systems are equipped to use deadly force.


Gaza Strip’s Palestinians polarized by unorthodox watermelon delicacy

Gaza Strip’s Palestinians polarized by unorthodox watermelon delicacy
Updated 11 sec ago

Gaza Strip’s Palestinians polarized by unorthodox watermelon delicacy

Gaza Strip’s Palestinians polarized by unorthodox watermelon delicacy
  • The dish originated more than 100 years ago with Bedouin Arab tribes in the neighboring Sinai desert in Egypt
  • Lasima is available just two months a year, it is made with melons that are picked when they are small and not yet ripe
KHUZAA: Locals call it “watermelon salad.” But this delicacy popular in the southern Gaza Strip at this time of year is far from the sweet, refreshing taste the name evokes.
“Lasima,” “Ajar,” or “Qursa” are different names for the hot, savory meal that takes hours to prepare. There’s watermelon inside, but one can hardly taste it.
In a territory that prides itself on its culinary traditions, Lasima is surprisingly divisive. Residents in southern Gaza love the dish. Just a few kilometers (miles) to the north, people shun it as unclean, due to its hands-on preparation.
Lasima is available just two months a year. It is made with melons that are picked when they are small and not yet ripe. They are roasted on a fire and peeled, and the soft flesh is mixed with roasted eggplants and thinly sliced tomatoes, lemon, garlic, onion and olive oil. Then it is eaten with a special dough baked in the ashes of the fire.
The name “Ajar,” or “unripe” in Arabic, refers to the baby melons. “Qursa” is the word for the thick dough. “Lasima,” which means “messy,” refers to the sloppy meal served in a large clay bowl.
Many say the dish originated more than 100 years ago with Bedouin Arab tribes in the neighboring Sinai desert in Egypt.
Others claim it’s a traditional Palestinian food. There is little evidence to support this claim, however. The food is popular only in southern Gaza, near the Sinai border. Farther north, the meal is barely known.
Amona Abu Rjila, 70, of Khuzaa, says it’s a little of each. She says she remembers her parents and grandfathers making it outdoors in the watermelon season. “It’s a traditional Palestinian dish with Bedouin roots,” she said.
Farther north, few would agree with her. Those familiar with the dish object to its preparation, with the ingredients typically mushed together with bare hands, as unclean.
On a recent day, a group of friends gathered in a yard adjacent to Israel’s frontier with Gaza. They diced the vegetables and roasted the ingredients in a fire. When the flames faded and the vegetables were charred, the thick dough was buried in the ash.
Abdelkarim Al-Satari, 33, a jobless accountant, started mixing the Lasima. He shredded the dough and put all the ingredients in the large bowl, squeezing everything with his fist. Wary of the onlookers, he put on black cooking gloves.
“In every season, people call me to make Lasima for them about 20 times,” he said.
To challenge the dish’s negative image, social media content creator Mohammed Aborjela brought the meal in smaller clay pots and offered samples to random passers-by in Gaza City.
Most of the respondents in a nearly two-minute video said they’d never heard of it, but all who tried it liked it.
The video attracted over 1,000 comments — many of them baffled northerners who were intrigued about the taste but turned off by the preparation methods.
“The way it’s made, especially by some men, is not appealing for the eyes,” said Nada Azzam, a Gaza City woman.
She said she has never tried Lasima. But after watching a video of women making it with “clean cooking means,” she vowed to give it a taste.

Moroccan youth address risks of climate change and water scarcity 

Moroccan youth address risks of climate change and water scarcity 
Updated 01 June 2023

Moroccan youth address risks of climate change and water scarcity 

Moroccan youth address risks of climate change and water scarcity 

WASHINGTON: Moroccan youth are working to address their country’s dire environmental future amid drastic climate change, water scarcity and food production issues.

Morocco is one of many countries that have been wrestling with the consequences of climate change and water scarcity, which has the potential to impact population stability and the country’s resources. 

In a session organized by the Middle East Institute in Washington DC on Wednesday, several Moroccan youths addressed the serious environmental challenges their communities are facing. They discussed ways to decrease the impact of climate change in Morocco.

They said climate change had a direct impact on water scarcity, energy, agricultural production and education, and argued that these issues were connected.

Fatna Ikrame El Fanne, an environmental engineer and climate activist, said that the Moroccan government had recently started paying attention to the issue. She said that several water-related strategies were in place to deal with water scarcity and management.

“In recent years, the Moroccan government has enacted a number of policies that are aimed at improving water management and availability within the country,” she said.

She said that the government had put together several long-term strategies — among them an integrated water resources management and efficiency road map, in addition to enacting a national water law that provided a legal framework for water governance, rights and protections.

Ikrame said that the idea behind these governmental measures was to encourage conservation and the sustainable use of water.

Wissal Ben Moussa, an engineer in agro-food industries and agroecology specialist, said that because of its geographical location, Morocco had an ecosystem that was prone to desertification and aridification.

She said that the country’s ecosystem has been severely impacted by climate change, which had increased water scarcity through less rainfall, an increase in water evaporation and rising temperatures. 

These factors, she said, had a direct impact on agriculture and food productivity. 

“In the coastal areas, we see sea level rises, sea water temperatures rise, which has a direct effect on biodiversity and marine life and the whole eco system,” she said.

“Climate change is impacting our unique and very fragile ecosystem in the forests, wetlands, the mountainous regions and more specifically in the southern regions or Morocco, which are already semi-arid and becoming more and more arid.” 

Hasnae Bakhouch, a UN Women Young Peacebuilder and environmental activist, said that water scarcity was impacting women in rural areas because they carried out many household and farming responsibilities. She said that lack of adequate infrastructure in rural areas created added risks for women trying to find water for their families.

Bakhouch said that children also lacked adequate health care due to the impact of climate change in the regions.

“The whole system needs to be fixed,” she said.


Dubai ruler approves futuristic masterplan for Palm Jebel Ali

Dubai ruler approves futuristic masterplan for Palm Jebel Ali
Updated 01 June 2023

Dubai ruler approves futuristic masterplan for Palm Jebel Ali

Dubai ruler approves futuristic masterplan for Palm Jebel Ali
  • Part of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, Palm Jebel Ali is one of a series of projects being undertaken by Dubai-based real estate developer Nakheel

DUBAI: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE vice president and prime minister and ruler of Dubai, has approved a new futuristic development masterplan for Palm Jebel Ali, state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday.

Part of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, Palm Jebel Ali is one of a series of projects being undertaken by Dubai-based real estate developer Nakheel.

Sheikh Mohammed said that Dubai would continue to innovate and deliver world-class lifestyle destinations that enhanced its status as the world’s best city to live, work and visit.

“We have vast ambitions for the future and we are confident that we can transform our grand vision for development into reality,” he said. “Palm Jebel Ali will further strengthen our urban infrastructure and consolidate the city’s emergence as one of the world’s leading metropolises. This new groundbreaking project reflects our strategic development plan centered on raising the quality of life and happiness of residents.

“Dubai has entered a new phase of development driven by innovation and creativity. By taking advantage of the opportunities arising from the evolving global environment, Dubai’s competitiveness and reputation as a thriving global business and tourism hub continue are set to grow further. We remain committed to shaping a brighter future both for our people and the world.

“The urban expansion that Palm Jebel Ali represents is a testament to Dubai’s economic dynamism. It also signifies Dubai’s exceptional outlook as a hub for talent and investment. The project will contribute to Dubai’s sustainable development by opening new avenues for growth in several sectors,” he said.

Palm Jebel Ali would raise the global benchmark in waterfront living and offer a range of luxury lifestyle amenities for residents, families and visitors, supporting the objective of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to consolidate Dubai’s status as one of the world’s top cities for business and tourism, WAM said.

The project also marks the beginning of a new growth corridor in the Jebel Ali area, underlining the expansion of the emirate.

Spanning an area of 13.4 sq km and occupying an area twice the size of Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali will feature extensive green spaces and distinctive waterfront experiences. The project will add about 110 km of coastline to Dubai that will provide about 35,000 families with luxury beachside living.

It will feature more than 80 hotels and resorts, and a wide choice of entertainment and leisure facilities that will contribute to Dubai’s tourism sector, while distinguishing the archipelago as an aspirational residential destination in the city.

Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shaibani said: “We are honored to embark on a pathbreaking journey with the new masterplan of Palm Jebel Ali, which is unprecedented in magnitude and scale. The megaproject is inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum and will mark a new milestone in the continued growth of the city.

“Palm Jebel Ali will capture the spirit, energy and life of Dubai as a thriving, prosperous and sustainable waterfront community and a world-class lifestyle destination, and secure Dubai’s reputation globally as an innovator in waterfront developments, besides creating exceptional value for investors.”

In line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, Palm Jebel Ali will support the emirate’s vision to deliver the highest standards of urban infrastructure and facilities, increase beach destinations as well as support sustainable development and facilitate the expansion of the population, estimated to reach about 5.8 million by 2040.

Setting a model in contemporary urban planning practices, the island will feature mixed-use walkable neighborhoods, incorporate smart city technologies and sustainability practices, as well as provide a range of mobility options for residents, visitors and communities, WAM reported.

Palm Jebel Ali has been designed with sustainability in mind. The plans include renewable energy resources being incorporated into its infrastructure design, allowing it to become almost completely self-sufficient in power generation once complete. As much as 30 percent of Palm Jebel Ali’s energy requirements will be obtained from renewable sources.


Jordan, UK ministers discuss boosting bilateral relations

Jordan, UK ministers discuss boosting bilateral relations
Updated 01 June 2023

Jordan, UK ministers discuss boosting bilateral relations

Jordan, UK ministers discuss boosting bilateral relations
  • Ahmad emphasized his country’s enthusiasm for the expansion of bilateral cooperation while expressing “great” appreciation for Jordan’s efforts to assist refugees

AMMAN: Ahmed Safadi, Jordan’s lower house speaker, on Wednesday met Tariq Ahmad, UK’s minister of state for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and the UN, to help boost bilateral relations in parliamentary fields, the Jordan News Agency reported.

Safadi spoke of the “deep-rooted” friendship between Jordan and the UK and emphasized the importance of joint cooperation to serve common interests to achieve regional security and stability and boost support for the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state.

Safadi said Jordan was taking “confident” steps toward enhancing its political, administrative, and economic systems, and that the country had undertaken a “comprehensive” national project to achieve its development goals.

Ahmad said that the UK placed “remarkable” importance on Jordan’s role in the region, highlighting Amman’s “central and important” role in achieving security and stability in the Middle East.

He also stressed his country’s support for Hashemite custodianship over Jerusalem’s holy sites, as well as Jordan’s vision based on the two-state solution to achieve comprehensive peace.

Ahmad emphasized his country’s enthusiasm for the expansion of bilateral cooperation while expressing “great” appreciation for Jordan’s efforts to assist refugees.


French leader urges Lebanese parties to urgently elect new president, save country from ‘drowning’

French leader urges Lebanese parties to urgently elect new president, save country from ‘drowning’
Updated 31 May 2023

French leader urges Lebanese parties to urgently elect new president, save country from ‘drowning’

French leader urges Lebanese parties to urgently elect new president, save country from ‘drowning’
  • Emmanuel Macron made his plea following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi
  • French judiciary has accused the central bank chief, his brother Raja Salameh, and his assistant Marianne Hoayek, of amassing a huge fortune in Europe

BEIRUT: French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Lebanon’s divided politicians to save the country from “drowning in crises” by immediately electing a new president.

The French leader made his plea following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi.

A French presidency statement, issued on Wednesday, said: “Macron and Al-Rahi expressed their deep concerns about the crisis in Lebanon and the paralysis of institutions, which has been exacerbated by the presidential vacuum for the past seven months.

“They agreed on the necessity of electing a president for the republic without delay.”

The statement quoted Macron as highlighting, “the need to keep Lebanon’s Christians at the heart of the sectarian and institutional balance of the Lebanese state.”

The president described Lebanon as a country “drowning in crises” adding that “the political deadlock has been an obstacle to the reforms without which there can be no recovery and lasting stability in Lebanon.”

Lebanon has entered its eighth month without being able to elect a president.

Hezbollah and its allies support the Marada Movement leader, Suleiman Frangieh, who is close to Syrian President Bashar Assad, but the largest parliamentary blocs oppose him in favor of their own candidate, former minister Jihad Azour, currently the director of the International Monetary Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia department.

Agence France-Presse quoted sources in Paris as saying that, “Al-Rahi and Macron discussed bridging the gap between Lebanese parties to agree on a presidential candidate and complete the electoral process.”

No political party has the necessary majority to elect its presidential candidate in parliamentary elections. Other parties refuse to bring a compromise candidate and because of the impasse, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has not set a date for what would be the 12th attempt to elect a president.

The country is struggling with economic, financial, and administrative crises that the caretaker government has been unable to resolve due to its inability to authorize decisions except in exceptional cases.

When the term of Lebanon’s central bank governor, Riad Salameh, is due to terminate at the end of July, another key vacancy will appear in the country.

Salameh is being investigated by several European countries and the Lebanese judiciary over allegations of corruption.

He appeared before the public prosecutor of the Court of Cassation, Judge Imad Qabalan, on Wednesday at the Palace of Justice in Beirut to be questioned about an arrest warrant recently issued against him by the German public prosecutor on charges of money laundering, forgery, and embezzlement.

Salameh’s son, Nadi, and Marwan Issa Al-Khoury, were also named in the German arrest warrant without any demand for their arrest, but rather a request that Salameh be held accountable for them.

The French judiciary has accused the central bank chief, his brother Raja Salameh, and his assistant Marianne Hoayek, of amassing a huge fortune in Europe, including money and real estate, through complex financial arrangements and embezzlement of large sums of Lebanese public funds. Salameh’s lawyers have filed an appeal against the charges.

The Lebanese judiciary is still awaiting a response from their French counterparts over the possibility of merging the European and Lebanese files on Salameh and prosecuting him in Lebanon, to avoid extradition.

Meanwhile, Raja Salameh failed to appear before a Paris court on Wednesday, citing through his legal representative in Lebanon medical reasons for his absence.