Israel announces completion of high-tech underground wall around Gaza
Israel has announced the completion of a high-tech underground wall around the Gaza Strip aimed at preventing militants from entering the country…reports Asian Lite News
The barrier which was completed on Tuesday, includes hundreds of cameras, radars and other sensors, command centers and control rooms, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Israel announces completion of high-tech underground wall around Gaza
It also includes a maritime barrier equipped with means to detect infiltrations at sea and a remote-controlled weapon system. The barrier spans over 65 km and more than 140,000 tonnes of iron and steel were used in its construction.
Its construction lasted about three and a half years, Xinhua news agency reported.
“The barrier, which is an innovative and technologically advanced project, deprives Hamas of one of the capabilities it tried to develop,” Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in the statement.
According to Gantz, the barrier will provide Israeli citizens “a sense of security.”
Israel announces completion of high-tech underground wall around Gaza
Israel announces completion of high-tech underground wall around Gaza
UNRWA started rebuilding Palestinian refugees’ homes, which had been destroyed by Israel in the Gaza Strip…reports Asian Lite News
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) started rebuilding Palestinian refugees’ homes, which had been destroyed by Israel in the Gaza Strip in May, a UN official said.
Phillippe Lazzarini
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told a news conference before the agency started to reconstruct a destroyed home in a refugee camp in western Gaza city as the beginning of reconstruction process of refugees’ homes, Xinhua news agency reported.
PHILIPPE LAZZARINI, COMMISSIONER-GENERAL, UNRWA: “The process includes 1,200 Palestinian refugee families who left their homes with severe damage and were unable to return to them due to the massive destruction. There are 7,000 other families that will be provided with assistance once the financial support is available, reminding that UNRWA needs 20 million US dollars “in order to deal with these cases.”
On May 21, Egypt brokered a cease-fire agreement which ended 11 days of fighting between Israel and militant groups led by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which has been ruling Gaza since 2007.
The fighting in the Gaza Strip in May left more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis killed besides large destructions of buildings and infrastructure in the besieged coastal enclave.
The report also said that the new project will lead to the expansion of the truck lane, the renewal of the infrastructure, and the installation of advanced electronic scanning systems…reports Asian Lite News.
A European Union (EU) official announced that the development of Kerem Shalom, the key commercial crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel, will take place before the end of 2021.
Shadi Othman, the EU spokesman in the Palestinian territories, told Xinhua news agency that the upgrading of the commercial crossings within a package of development projects that will be approved for Palestine.
“The plans for the development project of the commercial crossing of Kerem Shalom in southern Gaza Strip are in place, but the budget and the nature of the work are not yet clear,” Othman noted.
He made the remarks in response to an earlier Israeli media report, which said that the EU devoted 6 million euros to develop Kerem Shalom crossing to meet the needs of export and import in the Gaza Strip.
The report also said that the new project will lead to the expansion of the truck lane, the renewal of the infrastructure, and the installation of advanced electronic scanning systems.
It added that the purpose of developing the only commercial crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip is to keep the unloading of the trucks in accordance with the conditions of the Israeli side.
Othman said that the EU-funded projects allocated to the Palestinian territories aim to support the economy and several sectors, including water, infrastructure, and the Gaza Strip’s community.
On Sunday, EU officials visited the Gaza Strip and met Palestinian businessmen, according to an official statement.
The statement said that they called on Israel to lift the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007 and facilitate free commercial movement for the population of the impoverished coastal enclave.
the Middle Eastern star met his wax figure for the very first time inside the world’s largest observation wheel, Ain Dubai
A wax figure of the celebrated performer, recording artist, and humanitarian Mohammed Assaf will join the star-studded ensemble at Madame Tussauds Dubai…reports Asian Lite News
The excitement surrounding the opening of the globally renowned attraction Madame Tussauds Dubai has increased further with the news that a wax figure of the celebrated performer, recording artist, and humanitarian Mohammed Assaf will join the star-studded ensemble.
He was introduced to his wax figure during a truly memorable ‘side by side’ unveiling held in partnership between Madame Tussauds and Ain Dubai. The singing sensation was also given the honour of being the first celebrity to step foot inside one of Ain Dubai’s 48 uber-luxurious cabins. Ain Dubai is the world’s largest and tallest observation wheel standing at over 250 metres located right next door to Madame Tussauds Dubai.
Mohammed has captured hearts and enthralled fans ever since the Palestinian singer famously won the second series of Arab Idol in 2013 – an event watched by millions around the world and celebrated in unprecedented fashion across Gaza. His incredible rags-to-riches story was later turned into the 2015 biopic The Idol, directed by the renowned filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad.
The Middle Eastern star met his wax figure for the very first time inside the world’s largest observation wheel, Ain Dubai
Born Mohammad Jaber Abdul Rahman Assaf on the 1st September 1989 in Misrata, Libya, from the age of four Mohammad grew up in the overcrowded Khan Yunis refugee camp on the Gaza Strip. A true champion of the region and its people, the star has never forgotten his roots and has continually used his success as a force for good and a means for raising awareness about the Palestinian cause. His ongoing hard work and commitment to his home country have been well recognised; in 2013 Mohammad was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Peace by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the Palestinian government also named him an Ambassador of Arts and Culture.
Reflecting on his career and the role that his heritage has played Mohammed has said: “I do feel that I have a responsibility towards my people to carry their voices, their dreams, their hopes to the world so they can be heard”. His most recent album ‘Stories about Palestine’ is described as a message of love to his home country and loyal fans and now that his figure will appear at Madame Tussauds Dubai, visitors will be able to share his journey like never before.
Mohammed Assaf singer comments, “Today marks a very special occasion as I got to uncover my wax figure. I am very happy to be featured among some of the biggest names in the world at Madame Tussauds when it opens later this year in the beautiful city of Dubai. I am very impressed with the resemblance the figure holds to me and I cannot wait for everyone to visit the attraction and see it.”
The striking likeness between Mohammed and his figure is the result of a huge amount of time and hard work and began when an expert team of Madame Tussauds’ sculptors travelled to Dubai to observe him, documenting over 500 of his precisely detailed movements. Armed with this information and insights, they then set to work in London, spending three months intricately crafting the figure by hand, even inserting real hair, strand by strand.
Decked out in one of his very own exquisite suits, which he donated to Madame Tussauds, Mohammed’s figure will have a permanent spot in what will be one of the most extravagant – and exclusive – A-list party rooms in the world. Styled as a glamorous desert oasis, visitors will have the chance to first rub shoulders (and take selfies) with wax figures of an array of internationally adored movie stars and musicians – including of course Mohammed – before strutting their stuff on the dance floor, as the DJ plays all the latest hits.
Sanaz Kollsrud, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Dubai comments, “It’s an honour to reveal our second side-by-side figure and offer a glimpse into the magic that is Madame Tussauds. Mohammed is a true star of the Arab world, and we can’t wait to welcome his fans to the attraction when it opens. Thank you to our location partner and neighbour on Bluewaters, Ain Dubai, for giving us the opportunity to host this special event at your exceptional attraction.”
the Middle Eastern star met his wax figure for the very first time inside the world’s largest observation wheel, Ain Dubai
Quite literally an all-star destination, the world-famous wax attraction located within sophisticated, must-visit island destination Bluewaters, will be the first of its kind in the GCC. Excitement levels surrounding the opening have been growing for some time now and the wait is nearly over; the attraction will welcome its first visitors later this year and promises to provide a star-studded experience like no other in the UAE, with wax figures of over 60 global celebrities, including 16 brand-new figures from the Middle East, notably Balqees Fathi, Maya Diab, and Nancy Ajram.
Thanks to the seven themed rooms, a visit to Madame Tussauds Dubai will be an immersive, interactive one that will thrill all ages and offer something for every taste and interest – from football fans to fashion fiends, aspiring actors, and artists looking to meet their heroes and those keen to encounter an esteemed political or historical figure.
Madame Tussauds Dubai will be located next to Ain Dubai, the world’s largest and tallest observation wheel, and will further enhance the area’s reputation as one of Dubai’s most attractive and vibrant spots.
According to the Palestinian security sources, the posts and facilities belong to al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas armed wing in southern, central and northern Gaza Strip….reports Asian Lite News
Israeli fighter jets attacked the posts and facilities belonging to the armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, an Israeli army spokesman has said that the attack on Monday was made in response to the launch of incendiary balloons towards southern Israel, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.
According to the Palestinian security sources, the posts and facilities belong to al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas armed wing in southern, central and northern Gaza Strip.
Medical sources said no injuries were reported, while the security sources said that Hamas militants evacuated all the posts and facilities in the Gaza Strip for fear of being targeted by Israeli airstrikes.
The Hamas-run al-Aqsa radio in Gaza reported that Hamas militants fired from heavy machine guns at the fighter jets.
Also on Monday, Israeli media reported that more than nine fires broke out in southern Israel after dozens of incendiary balloons were launched from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, and severe damage was caused to several farms in the area.
On Saturday, Israeli fighter jets attacked several posts and facilities of Hamas after an Israeli soldier was seriously wounded at the borderline area between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel.
The airstrike on the Gaza Strip on Monday night is the fourth one since the end of the last round of fighting that lasted for 11 days and ended on May 21, leaving more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead.
Earlier, leaders of Palestinian factions, including the Islamic Hamas Movement, had announced that the popular protests on the borders between the Gaza Strip and Israel will continue.
The factions’ leaders, who gathered near the borderline area, said in a joint statement on Sunday that “the popular protests against Israel near the borders will continue until Israel stops its aggression against the Palestinians and end its siege imposed on Gaza”, reports Xinhua news agency.
“The protests will continue upon a joint vision and plan,” the statement said.
“Israel is legally and morally responsible for blocking the process of reconstruction and depriving Gaza populations of living in dignity.”
As hundreds approached the fence wall between Gaza and Israel on August 21, major clashes broke out throughout the day.
Witnesses said a Palestinian gunman shot and critically wounded an Israeli sniper who opened fire at dozens of protesters.
Rockets fired by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas from Gaza City towards Israel. (Photo Mohammed Talatene_dpa_IANS)
The Israeli fighter jets struck a military compound and rocket launching site of the Palestinian Islamic Hamas Movement, which controls the Gaza Strip
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday that the air force carried out strikes in the Gaza Strip which came in response to continued launches of arson balloons from the coastal enclave into the Jewish state.
The Israeli fighter jets struck a military compound and rocket launching site of the Palestinian Islamic Hamas Movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, Xinhua news agency quoted the IDF as saying.
“The rocket launching site was in a civilian area, once again emphasizing how Hamas endangers Palestinian civilians,” the IDF said, vowing to continue to respond as necessary to Hamas activities emanating from Gaza.
Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news reported that the incendiary balloons caused four forest fires in the country’s area close to the Gaza Strip.
Israeli soldiers operate an artillery battery from a position at the Israeli-Gaza border near Sderot, amid the escalating flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence. (Photo Ilia Yefi
Earlier on Friday, the IDF said it had fired artillery shells at targets in southern Lebanon in response to Beirut’s firing of more than 10 rockets into Israeli territory.
Most of the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s anti-rocket Iron Dome defence system, and the rest landed in open areas.
The rockets, fired at the Israel-occupied Golan Heights and the Galilee Panhandle area in northern Israel, did not cause casualties.
The shipment of the aid was organised by the country’s humanitarian arm, the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC)..reports Asian Lite News
The UAE on Monday sent 20 ambulances equipped with essential emergency, security and safety equipment to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Border Crossing.
The shipment of the aid, which was organised by the country’s humanitarian arm, the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), aims to support Gaza’s health sector and improve local humanitarian conditions.
The UAE always seeks to support the humanitarian efforts to assist the Palestinian people under the current circumstances, which require everyone’s solidarity to enable them to overcome their harsh social conditions, through providing for their needs, especially for women and children.
The UAE is closely monitoring the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and sent 960 tonnes of urgent medical and food supplies to some 20,000 local families in June, as part of its humanitarian and relief programmes aimed at assisting the people of Palestine.
The country also sent 808 tonnes of urgent relief aid in January, through 29 trucks that passed through the Rafah Border Crossing, to support 20,000 families, provide for the basic needs of Palestinians and improve their living conditions.
It is the first major flare-up since 11 days of fighting between the two sides ended in a ceasefire on 21 May….reports Asian Lite News
Israel has launched air strikes against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, after incendiary balloons were launched from the territory.
Explosions were heard in Gaza City in the early hours of Wednesday.
Several balloons were sent from Gaza into Israel earlier on Tuesday, which caused multiple fires, according to the Israeli fire service, the BBC reported.
It is the first major flare-up since 11 days of fighting between the two sides ended in a ceasefire on 21 May.
It followed a march by Jewish nationalists in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, which had drawn threats from Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its fighter jets had hit military compounds operated by Hamas in Khan Yunis and Gaza City.
Rockets fired by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas from Gaza City towards Israel. (Photo Mohammed Talatene_dpa_IANS)
It said “terrorist activity” took place in the compound, and that the IDF was “prepared for all scenarios, including the resumption of hostilities, in the face of continued terror acts from the Gaza Strip”.
It is not immediately clear if the air strikes have caused any injuries.
A Hamas spokesperson said in a statement on Twitter that Palestinians would continue their “valiant resistance” and defend their rights “until the occupier is expelled from our entire land”.
Israel’s fire service said the incendiary balloons launched earlier from Gaza had caused at least 20 fires in fields by communities in southern Israel.
This is the first violent exchange since Israeli’s new coalition government came to power last weekend, headed by Naftali Bennett and drawing an end to Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year run as prime minister.
Antony Blinken says the US fully supported Israel against Hamas attacks and said it would prevent the militia from benefiting from Gaza’s reconstruction funds, reports Asian Lite News
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged on a Middle East mission that Washington would rally support to rebuild Gaza as part of efforts to bolster a cease-fire between its Hamas Islamist rulers and Israel.
But Blinken made clear that the United States intended to ensure that Hamas, which it regards as a terrorist organization, did not benefit from the humanitarian aid — a potentially difficult task in an enclave over which it has a strong grip.
Blinken began his regional visit in Jerusalem, where he held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli leader, speaking to reporters with the top US diplomat at his side, threatened a “very powerful response” if Hamas renewed cross-border rocket strikes.
Meanwhile, Blinken said the US fully supported Israel against Hamas attacks and said it would prevent the militia from benefiting from Gaza’s reconstruction funds.
The US secretary of state also said his job in the region was to reduce tension.
In tandem with Blinken’s mission, Israeli authorities said they were allowing fuel, medicine and food earmarked for Gaza’s private sector to enter the territory for the first time since 11 days of cross-border hostilities started on May 10.
A street directly hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza strip is seen in the central Israeli city of Holon on May 12, 2021. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua/IANS)
Blinken arrives in Egypt
Blinken arrived in Egypt on Wednesday on the next leg of a diplomatic mission aimed at shoring up a cease-fire that ended an 11-day war between Israel and the Hamas.
Blinken was scheduled to hold talks with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry and the country’s chief spy Abbas Kamel.
Blinken wrapped up extensive talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and is scheduled to travel to Amman, Jordan late Wednesday to meet with the Jordanian king and other officials.
He has vowed to “rally international support” to rebuild the destruction in hard-hit Gaza, while also promising to make sure that none of the aid destined for the territory reaches Hamas.
Ahead of his departure, Blinken extended US President Joe Biden’s invitation to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to visit the United States in the coming weeks. Rivlin accepted, according to a statement from his office.
Blinken described Egypt and Jordan as central players in trying to bring calm to the region. Both countries are key US allies that have peace agreements with Israel and frequently serve as mediators between Israel and the Palestinians.
“Egypt played a critical role in helping to broker the cease-fire and Jordan has long been a voice for peace and stability in the region,” he told reporters late Tuesday.
In Egypt, which borders both Israel and Gaza, he was scheduled to meet with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and other top officials. Biden spoke with El-Sisi during the war to help broker the cease-fire.
Blinken has set modest goals for the trip, his first official visit to the Middle East as secretary of state. During talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Tuesday, he made clear that the US has no immediate plans to pursue peace talks between the sides, perhaps because previous efforts by past administrations have all failed. Instead, he expressed hope for creating a “better environment” that might lead to peace talks.
US to reopen Jerusalem consulate
Blinken on Tuesday announced plans to reopen a key diplomatic outreach office to the Palestinians and pledged nearly $40 million in new aid — reversing key policies of the Trump administration as he moved to bolster the embattled Palestinian government in the West Bank.
In an act with great symbolic meaning, Blinken said the US would reopen its Jerusalem consulate — an office that for years served as the de facto embassy to the Palestinians.
Trump had downgraded its operations and placed them under his ambassador to Israel when he moved the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city in 2018. The embassy move infuriated the Palestinians, who claim Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital, and led them to sever most ties with the Trump administration.
Blinken did not provide a firm date for the reopening but said that Michael Ratney, a senior US diplomat who has previously served as consul general in Jerusalem, would soon be returning to the region.
Gaza Strip's top Hamas leader Yehya al-Sinwar attends a gathering to watch the speech of Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal in Gaza City, on May 1, 2017. Islamic Hamas movement presented a new political document in which it said it accepts the establishment of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders in the West bank and Gaza Strip. Khaled Meshaal, Hamas chief, announced the new program in a news conference held in the Qatari city of Doha. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar/IANS)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged his country’s help in rebuilding Gaza on Tuesday, but stressed that the aid must not benefit Hamas…reports Asian Lite News
Yehya al-Sinwar, the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, rejected reconstruction plans that aim to edge out the Islamist group that rules the coastal enclave in favour of the Palestinian Authority (PA) headed by President Mahmoud Abbas.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged his country’s help in rebuilding Gaza on Tuesday, but stressed that the aid must not benefit Hamas,DPA reported.
Israel is said to be concerned that any aid deliveries to the blockaded coastal territory could be misused to arm Islamist Hamas, as happened after the last Gaza war in 2014.
The idea is instead to work with the PA, reducing the risk of abuse and strengthening the authority vis-a-vis Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the US as well as the European Union.
Al-Sinwar told reporters in Gaza on Wednesday that Blinken’s remarks were aimed at widening the divide between Hamas and the PA. “We will never fall for this trick and lash out at each other,” he said.
Abbas’ moderate Fatah party has clashed with Hamas for years; Hamas drove Fatah out of Gaza in 2007, and the latter has since ruled only in parts of the West Bank that are not administered by Israel.
Blinken is in the region to help cement the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has held since coming into effect early Friday.
It ended more than a week of Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli air strikes that left more than 250 people dead in Gaza and 13 in Israel.
Blinken held talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi later on Wednesday, and hailed the Egyptian efforts to reach and stabilize the ceasefire.
At the meeting, al-Sissi also emphasized the importance of working to restart long-stalled direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians “with effective US engagement,” an Egyptian official said.
