Daily News Brief - 10/10/2022
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Please find below today’s daily news brief.
Algeria | France: French prime minister arrives in Algeria in a bid to “deepen” the ties between the two countries
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne was welcomed by her Algerian counterpart Aimene Benabderrahmane on Sunday as the French official began a visit with economic cooperation on the top of its agenda. The two signed around a dozen documents including “declarations of intent” on employment, industrial cooperation, and tourism. Bourne’s trip comes six weeks after President Emmanuel Macron’s visit.
Algeria | Palestine: Palestinian factions meet in Algeria in a reconciliation attempt
Delegations of several Palestinian factions arrived in Algeria on Saturday to attend The National Conference for the Comprehensive Palestinian Dialogue on Monday. Representatives of thirteen groups will be present, including the two main ones, Fatah (delegation led by Azzam al-Ahmad, in charge of the reconciliation file) and Hamas (delegation led by the group’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh).
Egypt | Greece | Libya: Greek foreign minister in Cairo for talks over Libyan-Turkish deal
Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias visited Egypt on Sunday to discuss with his counterpart Sameh Shoukry the maritime and gas deals concluded between Turkish and Libyan governments. In a joint press conference, the two officials condemned the agreements as a threat to regional stability and illegal. The Egyptian foreign minister emphasized that the head of the internationally-recognized Libyan Government of National Unity Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has no authority to conclude such deals.
Iran: Death toll rises as anti-government protests enter their fourth consecutive week
Reports by the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group reveal that at least 185 people have been killed during demonstrations in the last weeks, including at least 19 children. On Saturday, the Iranian authorities stated that Mahsa Amini’s death, which sparked protests across the country, was caused by illness, not by police brutality. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on the EU to freeze the assets of those behind the crackdown on protests after last Thursday the bloc approved a resolution that called for sanctions to be imposed on Iranian officials. This move will be discussed on October 17.
Iraq | Iran: Tehran announces the halt of attacks on Iraq’s Kurdistan region
Security sources in Tehran announced that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stopped their attacks on Iraq’s Kurdistan region after several objectives have been destroyed. Iran launched multiple artillery and drone attacks against what it calls “armed opposition” in Kurdistan.
Iraq | Turkey: Turkish military base targeted in a rocket attack
Three rockets were reportedly fired at the Turkish Zilkan military base on Saturday, all of them missing their targets. Nobody claimed responsibility for the action and the reports did not mention whether anyone was hurt or killed. The Zilkan base is a key site for Ankara’s ongoing military operations in northern Iraq against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Israel | Lebanon: Israel starts tests at Karish offshore gas field despite tensions with Lebanon
The British company Energean has begun testing pipes between Israel and the Karish offshore gas field despite the ongoing negotiations with Lebanon over the maritime border demarcation. Karish, which Israel insists that it falls entirely within its territory, is one of the subjects in the US-mediated talks. The Lebanese group Hezbollah had previously warned Israel against such a move, but Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned that any attack would meet a “resolute” response. On Monday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun received a phone call from the US envoy Amos Hochstein during which the latter said that he will send the “final format” of a proposal within hours. Aoun added that Lebanon would “thoroughly study the final format in order to take the appropriate decision.”
Israel | Palestine: One Israeli soldier was killed and two others were injured in a shooting attack
A female soldier was killed on Saturday night in a shooting attack at the checkpoint near the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem. Two other border police officers were lightly injured by shrapnel in the shooting. A manhunt is still underway on Monday morning as the perpetrator managed so far to avoid being captured by Israeli forces.
Israel | Palestine: Two Palestinians were killed and several others were injured during an Israeli military raid
Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces during a military raid on Saturday in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp. According to the Palestinian health ministry, eleven others were injured, three of them critically. The Israeli army said it arrested a wanted man and reported gunfire exchanges in Jenin. The incident comes a day after two Palestinian minors, ages 14 and 17, were killed by Israeli fire in separate incidents.
Libya: 15 migrants were killed by smugglers in western Libya
Libyan human rights activists said on Saturday that 15 migrants whose charred bodies were found a day earlier were killed by smugglers in the country’s western city of Sabratha, a major starting point for mainly African migrants trying to reach Europe. The UN mission in Libya condemned the act and called on authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Palestine | Egypt: Palestine is reportedly close to reaching a deal with Egypt for gas exploration off the shore of the Gaza Strip
A Palestinian source claimed on Sunday that Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) is close to reaching a technical deal with the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) to extract gas from the Marine gas field off the shore of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority denied the existence of any form of negotiations with Israel regarding gas extractions from the shores of Gaza.
Qatar | Ukraine: Qatar’s emir holds a phone call with Ukraine’s president
The Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a phone call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, hours after the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was targeted by a Russian rocket attack. During their conversation, Sheikh Tamim called on all parties to exercise restraint and resolve disputes through diplomacy, while Zelensky thanked Sheikh Tamim for his “resolute support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
Syria: Number of cholera fatalities raises as the spread is accelerating
According to the Syrian health ministry, there are currently 692 confirmed cases of cholera, most of them in Aleppo and Deir Ezzor, while the total number of fatalities reached 40, among which 34 in Aleppo. The disease is generally caused by ingesting contaminated food or water.
Syria | US: The US says a rocket attack targeted American troops in Syria
The US military stated on Saturday that unidentified forces fired a rocket at a compound hosting American troops in Syria. It added that the 107 mm rocket failed to impact anything inside the Rumalyn Landing Zone. The incident comes two days after the US conducted a rare military raid in a government-held village on Thursday killing an ISIS militant. The helicopter ride was followed by an air strike that killed two other members of the group.
UAE | Russia: The Emirati president is set to travel to Russia on Tuesday
The United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan will travel to Russia on Tuesday to meet with his counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two leaders will discuss bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues and developments.