UN condemns Israel’s ‘unlawful air strike’ on West Bank camp which killed 18

UN condemns Israel’s ‘unlawful air strike’ on West Bank camp which killed 18
Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike on the Tulkarem refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank on Oct. 4, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 04 October 2024
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UN condemns Israel’s ‘unlawful air strike’ on West Bank camp which killed 18

UN condemns Israel’s ‘unlawful air strike’ on West Bank camp which killed 18
  • The Israeli army said the raid in Tulkarem had succeeded in killing “at least seven terrorists,” including a Hamas leader and an Islamic Jihad member
  • “The strike is part of a highly concerning pattern of unlawful use of force by ISF during military-like operations in the West Bank,” the UN rights office said

TULKAREM, Palestinian Territories: The United Nations on Friday condemned what it called an “unlawful air strike” by Israel on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank that the Palestinian health ministry said killed 18 people the previous day.
Described as the deadliest air strike in over two decades in the West Bank, the Israeli army said the raid in Tulkarem had succeeded in killing “at least seven terrorists,” including a Hamas leader and an Islamic Jihad member, who were discussing an “imminent terror plan.”
The United Nations Human Rights Office slammed the strike, calling it “unlawful.”
“The strike is part of a highly concerning pattern of unlawful use of force by ISF (Israeli security forces) during military-like operations in the West Bank that have caused widespread harm to Palestinians,” the UN rights office said in a statement.
“The levelling of an entire building filled with people via aerial bombing shows flagrant disregard for Israel’s obligations.”
On Friday, hundreds gathered for a public funeral in Tulkarem, where the bodies of the dead were carried through the streets as people waved flags and fired guns into the air.
Several armed fighters, masked and dressed in black, attended the funeral, an AFP journalist reported.
“We hope that all Palestinian people will join hands, as we have one cause,” Nasser Kharyoush, a father of one of the victims of the raid, told AFP.
Tulkarem was one of the towns and Palestinian refugee camps targeted during a large-scale Israeli military operation in late August against militants based in the West Bank.
Violence in the West Bank has surged alongside the war in Gaza which began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
Since the Hamas attack, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 701 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
At least 24 Israelis, including members of the security forces, have been killed in Palestinian militant attacks during the same period, Israeli officials say.
The United Nations rights office said Thursday’s strike came when there were “no clashes or confrontations” at the site.
“The air strike completely destroyed the targeted building and also damaged nearby houses,” it said.
“More fatalities may be trapped under the rubble, but recovery and identification are proving difficult in light of the massive impact of the blast.”
Major Israeli operations in the West Bank are sometimes occurring “at a scale not witnessed in the last two decades,” United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk said last month.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and its forces regularly make incursions into Palestinian communities.
But the current raids as well as comments by Israeli officials mark an escalation.


US ‘troubled’ by Gaza humanitarian crisis: Rubio

US ‘troubled’ by Gaza humanitarian crisis: Rubio
Updated 10 sec ago
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US ‘troubled’ by Gaza humanitarian crisis: Rubio

US ‘troubled’ by Gaza humanitarian crisis: Rubio
  • Secretary of state reiterates need for Hamas to release hostages, says it cannot continue to exist
  • ‘We’re not immune or in any way insensitive to the suffering of the people of Gaza’

LONDON: The US is “troubled” by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told the BBC.

The Palestinian enclave has been blocked from receiving food and other supplies by Israeli forces for the past 10 weeks. 

The blockade was imposed after Israel ended a ceasefire agreement that led to an exchange of hostages held by Hamas and prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Since then, Israel has conducted numerous strikes in Gaza, with an expanded second ground offensive expected in the coming weeks.

Rubio, who was in Turkiye at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, told the BBC: “We’re not immune or in any way insensitive to the suffering of the people of Gaza, and I know that there’s opportunities here to provide aid for them.”

He said Hamas needs to release all remaining hostages, and there is no prospect of peace while the group continues to exist.

Rubio’s words come amid talk of a dispute between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and after at least 114 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, according to Gaza’s health authorities. 


Italy and UAE to announce AI hub deal on Friday

Italy and UAE to announce AI hub deal on Friday
Updated 16 May 2025
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Italy and UAE to announce AI hub deal on Friday

Italy and UAE to announce AI hub deal on Friday

MILAN: Italy and the United Arab Emirates will announce on Friday an agreement to develop an artificial intelligence hub in Italy, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said at an event in Milan.


Trump caps Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi with dizzying investment pledges

Trump caps Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi with dizzying investment pledges
Updated 16 May 2025
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Trump caps Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi with dizzying investment pledges

Trump caps Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi with dizzying investment pledges
  • Trump says he secured over $1.4 trillion in investment pledges from Qatar, Saudi Arabia
  • The UAE is seeking to become a leader in technology and especially artificial intelligence to help diversify its oil-reliant economy

DUBAI: US President Donald Trump on Friday capped his Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi after signing another raft of multi-billion-dollar deals, while also securing a $1.4 trillion investment pledge from the UAE.
The eye-watering amounts of money in investments were accompanied also by the lifting of decades-long sanctions on Syria and renewed optimism over an Iran nuclear deal during the multi-day trip across the Gulf.
On his first foreign tour of his second term, Trump oversaw a $200 billion order from Qatar Airways for Boeing jets and a $600 billion investment from Saudi Arabia — including nearly $142 billion in weapons, which the White House described as the largest-ever arms deal.
“I’m just thinking we have a president of the United States doing the selling,” Trump quipped, during a business roundtable alongside Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed.
“I think I have to be a cheerleader for our country,” he added.
On Thursday, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed lauded the strong partnership between the two countries that grew under Trump’s leadership and vowed to invest $1.4 trillion in the US economy over 10 years.
The White House said the two countries had also signed business deals worth more than $200 billion, including a $60 billion partnership with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and a $14.5 billion Etihad Airways order of Boeing planes.
“You’re an amazing country. You’re a rich country. You can have your choice, but I know you’ll never leave my side,” Trump said after the $1.4 trillion announcement Thursday, addressing the UAE president.
“That’s your biggest investment that you’ve ever made, and we really appreciate it,” he added saying he will treat the UAE “magnificently” and that Sheikh Mohamed was “a magnificent man, and it’s an honor to be with you.”The White House also said both countries inked an AI agreement that will see the UAE invest in US data centers and commit to “further align their national security regulations with the United States, including strong protections to prevent the diversion of US-origin technology.”
The UAE is seeking to become a leader in technology and especially artificial intelligence to help diversify its oil-reliant economy.
But these ambitions hinge on access to advanced US technologies, including AI chips under stringent export restrictions, which the UAE president’s brother and spy chief Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed reportedly lobbied for during a Washington visit in March.
Earlier this week, Trump rescinded further controls on AI chips, which were imposed by his predecessor to make it harder for China to access advanced technology.
Later Friday, Trump will tour the Abrahamic Family House, a complex opened in 2023 that houses a mosque, church and the country’s first official synagogue with the aim of promoting interfaith co-existence in the Muslim nation.In Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Trump was greeted with lavish welcomes and hailed the three Arab leaders in return.
He said that he and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “like each other a lot” — in sharp contrast with the frosty Saudi-US relations that marked the start of his predecessor Joe Biden’s term.
He said the trip had resulted in securing “trillions of dollars” but the Gulf leaders’ largesse also stirred controversy, with Qatar offering Trump a luxury aircraft ahead of his visit for presidential and then personal use, in what Trump’s Democratic opponents charged was blatant corruption.
The deal-heavy tour also saw a major diplomatic shift. Trump became the first US president in 25 years to meet a Syrian leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, after announcing the removal of sanctions on the war-torn country following appeals from Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed and Turkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
During his Qatar visit, Trump said a deal was close on Iran’s nuclear program that would avert military action, sending oil prices tumbling.
There was no announcement of a breakthrough on the Gaza war, which Qatar has been a key mediator, with Trump repeating claims that Washington should “take” Gaza and turn it into a “freedom zone.”
But in Abu Dhabi he conceded that “a lot of people are starving” in Gaza, under Israeli aid blockade for more than two months, vowing to “get that taken care of.”
In remarks on Friday, Trump added that he would like to meet his Russian counterpart “as soon as we can set it up,” after President Vladimir Putin skipped the direct Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul — which Trump said he had been willing to attend.


Syria and DP World ink $800 million deal for port development

Syria and DP World ink $800 million deal for port development
Updated 16 May 2025
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Syria and DP World ink $800 million deal for port development

Syria and DP World ink $800 million deal for port development
  • Syria is seeking to attract foreign investments to boost its struggling economy

CAIRO: The Syrian government and DP World signed a memorandum of understanding  worth $800 million to develop Syria’s port of Tartous, Syrian state news agency SANA said on Friday, after the lifting of USsanctions cleared the way for the deal.
The deal to develop, manage and operate a multi-purpose terminal at Tartous includes cooperation in establishing industrial and free trade zones. DP World is a subsidiary of United Arab Emirates investment company Dubai World.
Syria is seeking to attract foreign investments to boost its struggling economy, and the deal was signed in the same week that US President Donald Trump announced plans to lift of sanctions on Syria during a visit to Riyadh.
Trump said he made the decision to lift sanctions after discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whose governments have both strongly urged the lifting of sanctions.
Trump had also met with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa ahead of the GCC summit in Riyadh on Wednesday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Trump intends to issue waivers under the “Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act,” through which Washington imposed stiff sanctions on former President Bashar Assad’s government and secondary sanctions on outside companies or governments that worked with it.
Removing US sanctions that cut Syria off from the global financial system will also clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organizations working in Syria, easing foreign investment and trade as the country rebuilds.


Lebanon’s parliament doubles penalty for celebratory gunfire

Lebanon’s parliament doubles penalty for celebratory gunfire
Updated 16 May 2025
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Lebanon’s parliament doubles penalty for celebratory gunfire

Lebanon’s parliament doubles penalty for celebratory gunfire
  • Law change follows injuries during municipal election events

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s parliament on Thursday approved an amendment to the law that aims to curb celebratory gunfire by doubling the penalties for those who fire shots into the air.

The new law imposes stricter penalties for individuals involved in actions that have led to numerous injuries and fatalities in recent years.

The action comes after Lebanese Army Command announced the arrest of eight people as part of efforts to identify those who fired gunshots during last Sunday’s municipal elections in the North Lebanon and Akkar governorates.

Army units, with support from a Directorate of Intelligence patrol, raided the homes of several suspects and seized weapons and ammunition they possessed.

The skies over the North and Akkar governorates were illuminated last Sunday night by gunfire, celebrating candidates’ victories in the municipal elections, where local families traditionally compete for seats on the city councils that govern their affairs.

The celebratory gunfire caused injury to a young man, Mohammed Jihad Khaled, from the town of Ain Al-Dahab in Akkar.

He is still fighting for his life after a bullet struck his head.

He remains in a coma after being moved to the intensive care unit of a hospital.

Journalist Nada Andraos was also injured by celebratory gunfire, as a bullet struck her leg after piercing the car she was in while covering the elections with her team from the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International.

Andraos, who seemed stunned by the incident — especially since the bullet could have struck her head instead of her leg — commented on social media: “In Lebanon, a stray bullet represents the value of life.”

Victims’ families often file lawsuits in court and with security agencies against unidentified people.

Many offenders escape punishment, leading to repeated tragedies where celebratory gunfire accompanies even minor school achievements.

The law prohibiting the firing of firearms into the air specifies that if such actions lead to a person’s illness or incapacity that causes them to miss work for fewer than 10 days, the offender will face a prison sentence of nine months to three years, in addition to a fine ranging from 10 to 15 times the official minimum wage.

MP Wadah Al-Sadiq said that the amendment had increased the penalty duration.

Previously, the penalty ranged from six months to three years; now it begins at one year in prison and can go up to six years.

The final decision will be made by the judge who issues the ruling.

Information Minister Paul Morcos, an international human rights defender, welcomed the amendment.

It serves as an additional deterrent, moving toward prohibiting such practices and ensuring accountability for perpetrators, he said.

Lawyer Imad Al-Masri, who specializes in criminal cases, said: “Any individual who discharges firearms or fireworks in populated areas or in the presence of a crowd, regardless of whether their firearm is licensed, will face a prison sentence of six months to three years.

“Additionally, they will incur a fine ranging from eight to 15 times the official minimum wage.

“The weapon shall be confiscated in all cases, and the perpetrator shall be referred to the military court for trial.”

Al-Masri said that the military court imposes penalties on individuals who fire bullets into the air, ranging from fines to prison sentences of six months to two years.

A judicial source said that the military court has numerous cases related to firing into the air. These offenses are punishable by law and escalate from a misdemeanor to a felony if the shooting results in casualties.

Al-Masri said: “Increasing the penalty is a deterrent if it is accompanied by strict prior measures and the enforcement of immediate prosecution and, most importantly, changing social behavior regarding this dangerous practice.”

Riots continued for a second day in Roumieh Prison, Lebanon’s largest prison, coinciding with the parliamentary session.

Inmates are demanding the approval of a general amnesty law and a reduction in their imprisonment period.

Tensions ran high among both convicts and detainees, some of whom hung symbolic gallows inside their cells as a form of protest.

Lawyer Rabih Qais, the program manager at the Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace and a longtime observer of prison affairs, said: “The law proposal submitted by several MPs addresses the issue of delayed trials for detainees.

“Many of these people have spent years in prison, even though the sentences they might receive if tried could be significantly shorter than the time they have already served.”

Qais said Lebanon “evaluates every decision through the lens of sectarian power-sharing.

“As a result, many of those advocating for amnesty are Islamists and individuals from the Baalbek-Hermel region, many of whom are facing in absentia arrest warrants related to clashes with security forces or drug-related offenses.

“This may explain why the draft amnesty law was sent to parliamentary committees. However, what is truly needed is justice for the oppressed.”