Israeli retaliation amounts to collective punishment illegal under international law, rights groups say

Special Israeli retaliation amounts to collective punishment illegal under international law, rights groups say
A Palestinian man inspects a burnt car, after it was set on fire by Jewish settlers, in the village of Turmusaya, near the West Bank town of Ramallah, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. (AP Photo)
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Updated 29 January 2023

Israeli retaliation amounts to collective punishment illegal under international law, rights groups say

Israeli retaliation amounts to collective punishment illegal under international law, rights groups say
  • Settlers continue assaults in West Bank under watch of occupation forces, burning houses and cars 
  • 24-year-old Palestinian injured in Jenin on Thursday dies 

RAMALLAH: Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations have criticized punitive measures taken by the Israeli government against Palestinians as fears grow of escalation after the deadliest unrest for years in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Multiple Palestinians have been arrested after seven people were killed and five others wounded in two separate shootings in Jerusalem on Friday and Saturday.

Various groups said the Israeli action amounted to collective punishment and is illegal under international law.

The Palestinian Authority also condemned Israel’s actions, calling it collective punishment.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the arrests a gross violation of international law and the Geneva Convention, adding that the collective punishment as an extension of the occupation policy aimed at removing the Palestinian presence from Jerusalem.

Shawan Jabarin, director of Al-Haq Palestinian Human Rights organization, told Arab News: “These collective punishments are war crimes that the Israeli government takes against the Palestinians, as it punishes people who have nothing to do with those who carry out attacks against the Israeli occupiers.

“The one who carried out the attack was killed, so why should his family be punished? And why, if a Palestinian act against the Israelis, (will) the entire society will be punished,” he added.

Taysir Khaled, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, held the Israeli government fully responsible for the deterioration of conditions and massacres perpetrated by Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territories.

He added that the decision of the Israeli Cabinet to distribute more weapons to settlers in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, and to call on the occupation police to take up arms, constituted a green light for Jewish terrorist organizations — which take settlements and outposts as safe havens under the protection of the occupation army — to commit more crimes.

Jessica Montel, director of the Israeli HaMoked human rights organization, said that members of Israel’s Cabinet were threatening a range of measures, all of which constituted collective punishment against innocent people solely because they are related to the man who perpetrated the deadly attack on Friday night.

Israel’s new government is actively working to undermine jurists’ authority and the judiciary's independence, Montel told Arab News, further eroding the possibility of defending Palestinians’ human rights. 

In what is believed to be an act of revenge for the recent attacks in Jerusalem, Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinians and their properties on Saturday evening across the occupied territories, official Palestinian sources confirmed on Sunday.

The settlers launched attacks against dozens of Palestinian targets from the north to the south of the West Bank, which resulted in burning a house in the village of Turmusaya, northeast of Ramallah, in addition to nine vehicles, as well cutting down trees, smashing cars, wounding civilians with stones, and spraying them with pepper gas.

Villagers in Turmusaya reported that several settlers closed a street in the town and set fire to a car, which then spread to the nearby house.

Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settler activity for the Palestinian authorities, said 144 reports of attacks by settlers were recorded from 6 p.m. on Jan. 28 to 2:30 a.m on Jan. 29 across the West Bank.

Daghlas said Israeli settlers destroyed 120 vehicles, burned six cars in Majdal Bani Fadel, and attacked 22 shops in Hawara, as well as several roads and junctions in the West Bank.

He said that what distinguished these attacks from previous attacks was the large number of settlers engaged in them, with some attacking groups consisting of up to 60 people.

Daghlas said the violence on Saturday was characterized by its ferocity, and in one incident, a Palestinian car was set on fire with the owner inside it.

He claimed that the Israel Defense Forces were present near some of the attacks but did not prevent them.

Younes Arar, head of the International Relations Unit of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission of the PA, told Arab News that the pace of settler attacks increased this week after the right-wing Israeli government came to power at the end of December.

According to Moataz Bisharat, the official in charge of settlement affairs in Tubas, a group of settlers closed the Ain Al-Hilweh junction and attacked vehicles with stones.

Settlers also destroyed vegetable stands near the entrance to the villages of Ein Al-Bayda and Bardala in the northern Jordan Valley.

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Health also announced the death of 24-year-old Omar Al-Saadi on Sunday after he was shot by the IDF last Thursday in Jenin.

Nine citizens, including an elderly woman, were killed last Thursday by IDF fire in Jenin. More than 20 civilians were injured, three of whom were left in serious condition.


Deliveroo joins UAE Ramadan campaign to provide sustainable food aid

Updated 9 sec ago

Deliveroo joins UAE Ramadan campaign to provide sustainable food aid

Deliveroo joins UAE Ramadan campaign to provide sustainable food aid
  • App users can donate the value of meals ranging from AED 10-500 toward the campaign
  • Emirati businessman Gheyath Mohammed Gheyath announces a AED 5m donation to the campaign

DUBAI: Food delivery company Deliveroo has announced its participation in the UAE’s “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign, Emirates News Agency reported on Thursday. 

The Ramadan campaign, launched by Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, aims to create a sustainable and resilient food aid system to combat hunger and provide a safety net for vulnerable groups

Deliveroo users can donate the value of meals through the app in denominations ranging from AED 10-500 ($2.70-$136).

Anis Harb, general manager at Deliveroo Middle East, said that the company is proud to take part in the initiative, which expands on the company’s corporate social responsibility program addressing food insecurity in 10 countries. 

Meanwhile, Gheyath Mohammad Gheyath, owner of GINCO Group of Companies, recently announced a AED 5 million pledge to the Ramadan campaign.

“The ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’ campaign is testament to the values of giving and generosity deep rooted in the UAE since its foundation, as it will surely encourage members of its community to compete in virtue to support this humanitarian endeavor,” Gheyath said. 

 


Abu Dhabi University advances in World University Rankings by Subject

Abu Dhabi University advances in World University Rankings by Subject
Updated 30 March 2023

Abu Dhabi University advances in World University Rankings by Subject

Abu Dhabi University advances in World University Rankings by Subject
  • The university’s business and management studies department climbed at least 250 places, ranking between 251 and 300 globally and second in the UAE
  • Chancellor Ghassan Aouad said the university takes pride in its distinguished position as a leading academic institution that helps generations develop through academic excellence

ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi University has advanced in the Quacquarelli Symonds World Rankings by Subject 2023 across a number of disciplines.
The improvement in its ranking for business and management studies was particularly impressive, as it climbed at least 250 places to be placed between 251 and 300 globally and second in the UAE, reflecting its academic excellence, the Emirates News Agency reported on Thursday.
The university earned a place on the social sciences and management list for the first time, ranking between 451 and 500 globally and third nationally. It also ranked between 451 and 500 globally and fifth in the UAE on the engineering — mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing list, which was described as a significant achievement.
The rankings are compiled annually to help prospective students identify the leading universities in particular subjects. They are based on research citations and the results of global surveys of employers and academics.
The university’s chancellor, Prof. Ghassan Aouad, said that staff take pride in the university’s distinguished position as a leading academic institution that continuously upskills and grows generations through academic excellence.
“We are thrilled to witness the rapid advancement in the QS World Rankings by Subject year after year, reflecting the tireless efforts by every member of our workforce, including faculty and staff, to grow and develop our curricula,” said Aouad.
“We remain dedicated to providing our students and faculty with competitive opportunities that foster innovation and spur distinguished research to upskill their talent across various disciplines.”
The improved rankings were described as a testament to the university’s commitment to providing students with a world-class educational experience and diverse skills that align with job market requirements.
In 2022, the university achieved a five-star rating in the prestigious Quacquarelli Symonds Stars Rating, receiving the highest possible rating across the categories of teaching, employability, internationalization, research, online learning, facilities and inclusiveness.
The QS World University Rankings is one of the two international ratings that have received International Ranking Expert Group approval and is considered one of the most widely referenced indices of its kind.


Palestinians commemorate Land Day, remember sacrifices

Palestinians commemorate Land Day, remember sacrifices
Updated 30 March 2023

Palestinians commemorate Land Day, remember sacrifices

Palestinians commemorate Land Day, remember sacrifices
  • Young men, carrying Palestinian flags, approached the fence separating the Gaza Strip and Israel
  • Land Day is a day of commemoration for Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians of the events of March 30, 1976 in Israel

GAZA CITY: Thousands of Palestinians commemorated Land Day on the eastern borders of the Gaza Strip and beyond, as political leaders urged unity and unswerving support for the right of return of refugees.
A main sit-in and festival was held on the border on Thursday, while other activities took place within the enclave, in the Palestinian territories and in Arab towns in Israel.
Young men, carrying Palestinian flags, approached the fence separating the Gaza Strip and Israel, while representatives of the factions delivered speeches. The Israeli army fired tear gas canisters at the demonstrators.
Land Day is a day of commemoration for Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians of the events of March 30, 1976 in Israel. A general strike and marches were organized in Arab towns in response to the Israeli government’s announcement of a plan to expropriate thousands of dunams of land.
Six unarmed Arab citizens were killed, 100 were wounded and hundreds of others were arrested during clashes with Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, the 2018–2019 Gaza border protests, dubbed the Great March of Return, were a series of demonstrations held each Friday near the Gaza-Israel border from 30 March 2018 to Dec. 27, 2019, during which at least 217 people including 48 children were killed.
The demonstrators demanded that Palestinian refugees be allowed to return to ancestral land in what is now Israel. They also protested against Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Khaled Al-Batsh of Islamic Jihad’s political bureau said: “We have no choice but to have unity in the face of confrontation, for a path to liberation that passes through the barrels of rifles.”
Hamas leader Ismail Radwan said: “We affirm our adherence to the right of return, and we call for the pilgrimage to Al-Aqsa Mosque and the escalation at all points of contact with the occupation.”
Mustafa Ibrahim, a political analyst, said that this year’s Land Day protests were not expected to take a violent turn.
“It is not expected that we will return to daily or weekly protests on the border, but the factions always like to put pressure on the occupation and remind it of what could happen on the Gaza border again.
“The protests were within a certain period and they achieved their goals, according to the factions. I do not think that we will return to that model again in the current period, and we cannot deny that the Palestinian losses were great.”
Delivering a speech at the Gaza border, Mohsen Abu Ramadan, head of the National Committee, said: “Land Day carries a lot of meaning. The anniversary of Land Day comes this year under a fascist right-wing government, which constitutes an opportunity to raise the Palestinian issue in the international arena.
“The most important lesson of the immortal Land Day is national unity around a national strategy to advance our cause.”
 


Turkiye and Iraq to thrash out oil deal after arbitration ruling ends Kurdish exports

Turkiye and Iraq to thrash out oil deal after arbitration ruling ends Kurdish exports
Updated 30 March 2023

Turkiye and Iraq to thrash out oil deal after arbitration ruling ends Kurdish exports

Turkiye and Iraq to thrash out oil deal after arbitration ruling ends Kurdish exports
  • Arbitration ruling ordered Ankara to pay $1.4 billion to Baghdad for violating contracts by buying directly from the Kurdistan Regional Government
  • Officials from Iraq’s Oil Ministry are expected to travel to Turkiye to negotiate a new method for exporting northern Iraq’s oil

ANKARA: Turkiye is being urged to thrash out a new oil deal with Iraq after a landmark arbitration ruling ordered Ankara to pay $1.4 billion to Baghdad for violating contracts by buying directly from the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Officials from Iraq’s Oil Ministry are expected to travel to Turkiye to negotiate a new method for exporting northern Iraq’s oil after the International Court of Arbitration’s ruling last week in a case stretching back almost a decade. 

The ruling has stopped Iraqi Kurdistan’s 450,000 bpd exports, and raised fears of instability and economic crisis in the semi-autonomous region. Exports must now have the consent of Baghdad and both sides in Iraq must strike a larger agreement before oil production can fully resume. 

Iraq sued Turkiye in 2014 over direct sales from the KRG and asked for $33 billion in compensation. It has maintained that the KRG cannot use national pipelines to sell oil and that Turkey’s deal with the region violated a 1973 pipeline-transit agreement between the two countries. 

Bilgay Duman, coordinator of Iraq studies at the Ankara-based think-tank ORSAM, said that the case reflected the longstanding disagreement between Baghdad and the Kurdish regional administration. 

“Turkiye, which will respect the international arbitration ruling, showed its readiness to fulfill its obligations deriving from the international law and to contribute to the de-escalation of the disagreement between its two regional partners,” he told Arab News. 

He said that Turkiye’s deal with the KRG from 2013 had an indemnity clause that required any compensation to be paid by Irbil. However, he added: “To what extent the compensation that Ankara will pay to Iraq will be indemnified by the Kurdistan Regional Government is still unknown.”

According to Duman, the disagreement also arose from legal loopholes in Iraq about the control of newly discovered oil fields that were being exploited by the KRG.

Experts say that the ruling will hurt the KRG economy, which made $5.7 billion from oil last year.

“Baghdad appears to be ready to accept financial losses to gain sovereignty over oil,” said Yerevan Saeed, a research associate at the Arab Gulf Institute in Washington. “This has real-life consequences for Kurds in the Kurdistan region. The Kurdistan economy is heavily dependent on oil.” 

He said the suspension of oil sales raised both financial and security issues for the KRG. 

“The best way forward is for Ankara to play a constructive role by mediating between Irbil and Baghdad,” he said.

“If Turkiye and Baghdad are going to try to bypass the KRG to reach a state-to-state agreement, this could lead to a resurgence of Kurdish nationalism that will stir instability in the region,” he added.

Turkiye meanwhile would need to look to oil from Russia and Iran to fill the hole left by the loss of KRG oil.  

Rich Outzen, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the effects of the arbitration ruling would be felt most keenly in the KRG but also Iraq. “It will hurt Iraq too as long as oil is not flowing. Turkiye and Iraq will work a deal that will involve less than the full penalty in my view,” he told Arab News. 

Outzen said that the US, which provides budget support to Baghdad, should press for a quick deal with Ankara and resumption of trade. “Oil costs are affected as world oil prices increase. The latest ruling affects the Iraqi Turkish Pipeline, not trucks, so some may still move by truck,” he said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani recently paid an official visit to Turkiye, where he discussed a project to build a land and rail corridor from Basra to the Turkish border.


Lebanon scraps controversial airport expansion: minister

Lebanon scraps controversial airport expansion: minister
Updated 30 March 2023

Lebanon scraps controversial airport expansion: minister

Lebanon scraps controversial airport expansion: minister
  • Some had questioned how a caretaker government with limited powers could announce major infrastructure project
  • Civil society organizations and lawmakers noted the absence of tender process

BEIRUT: Cash-strapped Lebanon has scrapped a deal for a second terminal at Beirut’s international airport, the transport minister said Thursday, after critics raised transparency concerns in the $122 million project.
Lebanon “will not proceed with the contract,” Public Works and Transportation Minister Ali Hamieh said on Twitter, adding that the decision came “following legal controversy.”
Some had questioned how a caretaker government with limited powers could announce such a major infrastructure project, in a country where entrenched political barons are accused of systemic corruption.
Civil society organizations and lawmakers noted the absence of a tender process and a lack of involvement of the Public Procurement Authority.
Jean Ellieh, head of the authority, said “the contract did not pass through” the regulatory body as required under a 2021 law.
Last week 10 civil society groups, including Transparency International Lebanon, warned of “serious abuses” in the procurement law’s application which “open the door to corruption and nepotism.”
The government, which has been operating in a caretaker capacity since legislative elections last May, announced the second terminal project last week, to be carried out by private company Lebanese Air Transport and Irish firm daa International.
Hamieh had said the private sector would fund project, which would have created “around 2,500 jobs,” with the firms to operate the terminal for 25 years.
Lebanon plunged into an economic crisis in 2019, that the World Bank has dubbed one of the planet’s worst in modern times.
The meltdown has pushed most of the population into poverty while the political elite, widely blamed for the country’s financial collapse, has failed to take action.
The International Monetary Fund last week warned the country was “at a very dangerous moment,” criticizing slow progress on reforms needed to unlock billions in emergency loans.
Along with a caretaker government, the country has also been without a president for almost five months amid political deadlock.