29 nov 2017
Israeli forces positioned on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip opened fire on Tuesday, at dawn and in the morning hours, towards Palestinian lands, sheep herders and a resistance site.
Soldiers fired at citizens’ lands in al-Qarara area, east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Al Ray reports.
The army also opened fire towards farmers and sheepherders, east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood and east of al-Bureij area, in the central Gaza Strip.
They also opened fire at a resistance checkpoint east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip at dawn , but no injuries were reported in all previous incidents.
In related news, two Palestinians were shot and injured by Egyptian forces on Monday night, while attempting to cross from Gaza into Egyptian territory, in the northern Sinai Peninsula.
Palestinian security and medical sources told Ma’an News Agency that that four Palestinians were attempting to cross into the Sinai when Egyptian security forces opened fire at them, injuring two of them in the legs.
Gaza security forces arrested the four, transferred the two injured to a medical center, and transferred the other two for questioning.
Soldiers fired at citizens’ lands in al-Qarara area, east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Al Ray reports.
The army also opened fire towards farmers and sheepherders, east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood and east of al-Bureij area, in the central Gaza Strip.
They also opened fire at a resistance checkpoint east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip at dawn , but no injuries were reported in all previous incidents.
In related news, two Palestinians were shot and injured by Egyptian forces on Monday night, while attempting to cross from Gaza into Egyptian territory, in the northern Sinai Peninsula.
Palestinian security and medical sources told Ma’an News Agency that that four Palestinians were attempting to cross into the Sinai when Egyptian security forces opened fire at them, injuring two of them in the legs.
Gaza security forces arrested the four, transferred the two injured to a medical center, and transferred the other two for questioning.
17 nov 2017
Egypt will open the Rafah border-crossing with Gaza for three days, from Saturday to Monday, the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo announced on Thursday evening.
Rafah is to be unlocked in both ways as of Saturday so as to allow stranded passengers access out of and into the Gaza enclave.
Following the announcement, the Palestinian medical department overseas said patients will be received on Friday starting 06:00 p.m. until 09:00 p.m.
Earlier this month, Hamas handed over the file of Gaza’s crossing points to the Palestinian Authority (PA), chaired by Mahmoud Abbas.
The PA vowed that Rafah crossing will be opened permanently as of mid-November. However, the PA did not live up to its promise.
Since the start of 2017, the Egyptian authorities kept the Rafah crossing closed for 304 days and opened it only for 14 days, leaving nearly 70,000 Gazans, including hundreds of humanitarian cases, stuck in both sides of the crossing.
Rafah is to be unlocked in both ways as of Saturday so as to allow stranded passengers access out of and into the Gaza enclave.
Following the announcement, the Palestinian medical department overseas said patients will be received on Friday starting 06:00 p.m. until 09:00 p.m.
Earlier this month, Hamas handed over the file of Gaza’s crossing points to the Palestinian Authority (PA), chaired by Mahmoud Abbas.
The PA vowed that Rafah crossing will be opened permanently as of mid-November. However, the PA did not live up to its promise.
Since the start of 2017, the Egyptian authorities kept the Rafah crossing closed for 304 days and opened it only for 14 days, leaving nearly 70,000 Gazans, including hundreds of humanitarian cases, stuck in both sides of the crossing.
30 oct 2017
The Israeli occupation army said that one of its border patrols near the perimeter fence with Egypt came under fire on Saturday, but none of its soldiers got injured in the attack.
A spokesperson for the army claimed that gunmen opened fire from the Egyptian side of the border in Sinai at a military vehicle boarded by soldiers routinely patrolling the area.
He added that the vehicle only sustained minor damage in the shooting attack.
A spokesperson for the army claimed that gunmen opened fire from the Egyptian side of the border in Sinai at a military vehicle boarded by soldiers routinely patrolling the area.
He added that the vehicle only sustained minor damage in the shooting attack.
16 oct 2017
Egypt announced on Sunday that it has decided to postpone the opening of Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip until further notice following a deadly assault in the Sinai Peninsula.
Head of the Commission of Crossings and Borders, Hesham Udwan, said the Egyptian authorities notified Gaza authorities of their decision to keep Rafah passageway closed due to the unexpected mayhem in the area.
The Gaza-based Interior Ministry confirmed the piece of news, which it attributed to the deadly assault in Sinai.
Egypt had earlier announced it will open the border crossing exceptionally for four days starting Monday to allow movement in and out for humanitarian cases in the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian-run Rafah border crossing, the only gate for Gaza to the outside world, is shut down most of the year and opens for few days every two or three months. Egypt cites problems with armed groups in Sinai as the reason for keeping the border with Gaza closed.
Six Egyptian soldiers were killed on Sunday evening in a deadly attack on security outposts north of Sinai Peninsula. Car bombs and mortar shells were used in the assault.
A counter attack carried out by the Egyptian army claimed the lives of 35 gunmen.
Head of the Commission of Crossings and Borders, Hesham Udwan, said the Egyptian authorities notified Gaza authorities of their decision to keep Rafah passageway closed due to the unexpected mayhem in the area.
The Gaza-based Interior Ministry confirmed the piece of news, which it attributed to the deadly assault in Sinai.
Egypt had earlier announced it will open the border crossing exceptionally for four days starting Monday to allow movement in and out for humanitarian cases in the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian-run Rafah border crossing, the only gate for Gaza to the outside world, is shut down most of the year and opens for few days every two or three months. Egypt cites problems with armed groups in Sinai as the reason for keeping the border with Gaza closed.
Six Egyptian soldiers were killed on Sunday evening in a deadly attack on security outposts north of Sinai Peninsula. Car bombs and mortar shells were used in the assault.
A counter attack carried out by the Egyptian army claimed the lives of 35 gunmen.
Two rockets fired from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula landed in an open area near Eshkol Regional Council, in southern Israel, the Israeli army reported on Sunday evening.
The Israeli army’s spokesman Avichai Adraee said on Facebook that two rockets fell in an open area near Eshkol Regional Council, near Gaza borders. No details were reported on the casualties or damage wrought by the strike.
Hebrew sources quoted eyewitnesses as reporting hearing explosions and sirens sounded in western Negev, Eshkol, and Gaza borders.
A few hours earlier, the Egyptian military stated that 24 militants and six soldiers had been killed on Sunday when over a hundred militants attacked security outposts on the outskirts of Sheikh Zuweid in northern Sinai.
The Israeli army’s spokesman Avichai Adraee said on Facebook that two rockets fell in an open area near Eshkol Regional Council, near Gaza borders. No details were reported on the casualties or damage wrought by the strike.
Hebrew sources quoted eyewitnesses as reporting hearing explosions and sirens sounded in western Negev, Eshkol, and Gaza borders.
A few hours earlier, the Egyptian military stated that 24 militants and six soldiers had been killed on Sunday when over a hundred militants attacked security outposts on the outskirts of Sheikh Zuweid in northern Sinai.
6 oct 2017
The Egyptian authorities declared Friday evening intention to extend the buffer zone along the Gaza border to be covering 1500 meters.
North Sinai Governor Abdel Fattah Harhour affirmed the army’s decision to expand the buffer zone for additional 500 meters to reach 1500 meters along the Egypt-Gaza borders.
Buildings and facilities located in the area of the buffer zone have been completely surveyed in preparation for evacuation and demolition, he added.
The first and second phases of the plan have been completed, with each phase covering 500 meters, according to him.
The buffer zone is amongst the security measures taken by the Egyptian armed forces in 2014 in order to destroy smuggling tunnels connecting North Sinai with the Gaza Strip. The tunnels were used to smuggle “terrorists and weapons” into the restive Sinai Peninsula, according to Egyptian authorities.
North Sinai Governor Abdel Fattah Harhour affirmed the army’s decision to expand the buffer zone for additional 500 meters to reach 1500 meters along the Egypt-Gaza borders.
Buildings and facilities located in the area of the buffer zone have been completely surveyed in preparation for evacuation and demolition, he added.
The first and second phases of the plan have been completed, with each phase covering 500 meters, according to him.
The buffer zone is amongst the security measures taken by the Egyptian armed forces in 2014 in order to destroy smuggling tunnels connecting North Sinai with the Gaza Strip. The tunnels were used to smuggle “terrorists and weapons” into the restive Sinai Peninsula, according to Egyptian authorities.
5 oct 2017
North Sinai Governor Abdel Fattah Harhour announced Thursday that the third phase of the buffer zone plan along the border areas with Gaza Strip has started.
Buildings and facilities located in the area of the buffer zone have been completely surveyed in preparation for evacuation and demolition, he added.
The first and second phases have been completed, with each phase covering 500 meters. It is believed that the third phase will cover an additional 500 meters.
The first phase involved the displacement of more than 1,000 families, whilst the second phase involved the evacuation of 2,044 families from the area. The third phase will involve approximately 1,215 houses and 40 governmental facilities, according to Harhour’s statements.
The buffer zone is amongst the security measures taken by the Egyptian armed forces in 2014 in order to destroy smuggling tunnels connecting North Sinai with the Gaza Strip. The tunnels were used to smuggle “terrorists and weapons” into the restive Sinai Peninsula, according to Egyptian authorities.
Buildings and facilities located in the area of the buffer zone have been completely surveyed in preparation for evacuation and demolition, he added.
The first and second phases have been completed, with each phase covering 500 meters. It is believed that the third phase will cover an additional 500 meters.
The first phase involved the displacement of more than 1,000 families, whilst the second phase involved the evacuation of 2,044 families from the area. The third phase will involve approximately 1,215 houses and 40 governmental facilities, according to Harhour’s statements.
The buffer zone is amongst the security measures taken by the Egyptian armed forces in 2014 in order to destroy smuggling tunnels connecting North Sinai with the Gaza Strip. The tunnels were used to smuggle “terrorists and weapons” into the restive Sinai Peninsula, according to Egyptian authorities.
20 sept 2017
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Addressing the UN General Assembly one hour after Netanyahu delivers remarks lauding him as a 'courageous' leader, Egyptian president tells Israelis 1979 peace treaty can be repeated, calls on Palestinians to accept coexistence.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi called on Israeli citizens to support their current leadership as it works to advance peace during his address to the UN General Assembly Tuesday, telling them that the opportunity for peace in the region may not again arise. “I turn to the people of Israel to say that we have in Egypt great and extensive experience on peace with you for 40 years,” al-Sisi said in reference to the 1979 peace treaty signed between Israel and Egypt. |
“We can repeat this wonderful process once again,” he stated optimistically, before warning that the rare opportunity to forge peace must not be missed.
“I call on you to stand behind your political leadership and support it. Do not hesitate," al-Sisi continued. "We are all with you to successfully bring about this process. This opportunity may not return again."
Beginning his speech on the podium an hour after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his remarks in which he lauded the Egyptian president as "courageous", al-Sisi called upon the Palestinians to unite as one people and rally behind the cause of peace and coexistence.
“My first call is to the Palestinian people. I say to them that it is extremely important to unite behind the goal, not to be divided and not to miss the opportunity,” al-Sisi declared.
Palestinians, he added, need “to be ready to agree to coexistence with others, with Israelis, in peace and security, in order to achieve peace and stability for everyone.”
Al-Sisi remarks came on the heel of discussions with Netanyahu in New York just two days prior in what was their first public meeting since al-Sisi took office in 2014. The two have already had secret meetings and maintain close ties.
The Egyptian leader has been closely involved in brokering a reconciliation deal between Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority and the terror group Hamas in Gaza to relinquish control of the strip.
On Tuesday, Hamas invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to send officials to Gaza to resume control of the coastal enclave the Islamic militant group seized a decade ago.
The invitation was announced upon the return of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh from a visit to Cairo.
"We extend a clear and frank invitation without obstacles for the consensus government to work in Gaza," Haniyeh said after his trip, where he and other Hamas leaders held rare talks with Egyptian officials.
“I call on you to stand behind your political leadership and support it. Do not hesitate," al-Sisi continued. "We are all with you to successfully bring about this process. This opportunity may not return again."
Beginning his speech on the podium an hour after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his remarks in which he lauded the Egyptian president as "courageous", al-Sisi called upon the Palestinians to unite as one people and rally behind the cause of peace and coexistence.
“My first call is to the Palestinian people. I say to them that it is extremely important to unite behind the goal, not to be divided and not to miss the opportunity,” al-Sisi declared.
Palestinians, he added, need “to be ready to agree to coexistence with others, with Israelis, in peace and security, in order to achieve peace and stability for everyone.”
Al-Sisi remarks came on the heel of discussions with Netanyahu in New York just two days prior in what was their first public meeting since al-Sisi took office in 2014. The two have already had secret meetings and maintain close ties.
The Egyptian leader has been closely involved in brokering a reconciliation deal between Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority and the terror group Hamas in Gaza to relinquish control of the strip.
On Tuesday, Hamas invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to send officials to Gaza to resume control of the coastal enclave the Islamic militant group seized a decade ago.
The invitation was announced upon the return of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh from a visit to Cairo.
"We extend a clear and frank invitation without obstacles for the consensus government to work in Gaza," Haniyeh said after his trip, where he and other Hamas leaders held rare talks with Egyptian officials.
10 sept 2017
The family of Qishta, from Rafah area in southern Gaza, has not received information about the fate of its son, Abdul-Qader, since he was kidnapped by an Egyptian security force from a bus two weeks ago in a border area.
Abdul-Qader was with his mother and other Gazan citizens aboard the bus. He was one of those pilgrims who were chosen to perform Hajj rituals as guests of the Saudi monarch in the holy lands.
An Egyptian security force led by a senior officer intercepted, on August 27, one of the buses carrying Palestinian pilgrims as it was traveling on a road in Sheikh Zuweid town after it crossed into Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, and then rounded up 41-year-old Abdul-Qader Qishta.
500 pilgrims, who traveled to Makkah for Hajj rituals as guests of the Saudi Monarch, arrived in Gaza last Friday through the Rafah crossing, except for Qishta and his mother.
The kidnapee’s mother is still in Saudi Arabia after her health has worsened because of her concern over the fate of her son.
Abdul-Qader was with his mother and other Gazan citizens aboard the bus. He was one of those pilgrims who were chosen to perform Hajj rituals as guests of the Saudi monarch in the holy lands.
An Egyptian security force led by a senior officer intercepted, on August 27, one of the buses carrying Palestinian pilgrims as it was traveling on a road in Sheikh Zuweid town after it crossed into Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, and then rounded up 41-year-old Abdul-Qader Qishta.
500 pilgrims, who traveled to Makkah for Hajj rituals as guests of the Saudi Monarch, arrived in Gaza last Friday through the Rafah crossing, except for Qishta and his mother.
The kidnapee’s mother is still in Saudi Arabia after her health has worsened because of her concern over the fate of her son.
13 july 2017
Two million Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave of Gaza are left with only two hours of electricity a day after Israel and Egypt trimmed down their power supplies to the enclave.
Gaza’s Power Distribution Company said that deficit rate has gone up to 85% and that 70 megawatts only are available, out of 600 megawatts needed by the enclave.
The company added that an emergency distribution program has been opted for to monitor power consumption in Gaza which has been reduced to as little as two hours a day.
The company raised concerns of rising tensions and a collapse of vital services in an impoverished and overcrowded territory that has been devastated by three Israeli offensives since 2008. It further warned of the ecological and humanitarian upshots of the crisis.
The company urged the international communities and the UN bodies, among all other concerned institutions, to take urgent action regarding the crisis and to immediately work on providing the enclave with the energy supplies necessary for the survival of two million residents.
Gaza’s Power Distribution Company said that deficit rate has gone up to 85% and that 70 megawatts only are available, out of 600 megawatts needed by the enclave.
The company added that an emergency distribution program has been opted for to monitor power consumption in Gaza which has been reduced to as little as two hours a day.
The company raised concerns of rising tensions and a collapse of vital services in an impoverished and overcrowded territory that has been devastated by three Israeli offensives since 2008. It further warned of the ecological and humanitarian upshots of the crisis.
The company urged the international communities and the UN bodies, among all other concerned institutions, to take urgent action regarding the crisis and to immediately work on providing the enclave with the energy supplies necessary for the survival of two million residents.
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