Daily News Brief - 24/05/2022
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Please find below today’s daily news brief.
Egypt: Hunger strikes by Egyptian prisoners continue
Several political activists and dissidents jailed by the Egyptian authorities continue a hunger strike in protest against their ongoing detention and the denial of their basic rights in prisons. Their protest comes after Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called in late April for a national dialogue with all opposition political forces and civil society organizations.
Egypt | Saudi Arabia | Israel | US: Washington is negotiating a deal to transfer islands to Saudi control
US and Israeli sources stated that Washington is mediating efforts to transfer two strategic islands, Tiran and Sanafir, from Egyptian to Saudi sovereignty. The White House wants to reach an agreement before President Biden’s upcoming visit to the Middle East at the end of June. Saudi Arabia gave Egypt control over the islands in 1950 and, under the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, they were demilitarized in 1979.
Iran: Two dead in fighting jet crash
The pilot and co-pilot of an F-7 fighting jet died after it crashed in the southern Isfahan province on Tuesday. According to officials, the jet was on a training mission and crashed due to a technical defect.
Iraq: At least 12 dead in two separate ISIS attacks
At least 12 people have been killed in two separate attacks which Iraqi officials blamed on ISIS militants. The first attack occurred late on Monday in the province of Kirkuk where a group of farmers was attacked, leaving six of them dead and farmlands set on fire. Shortly after, militants attacked Al Islah village in Diyala province, killing six people.
Iraq: Drone attack targets military base next to Baghdad International Airpot
An explosive-laden drone struck the Victory Base Complex located in the vicinity of Baghdad International Airport. The base hosts international forces, including Americans, as well as Iraqi personnel. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Israel | Palestine: Israeli security agency dismantles Hamas cell in Jerusalem
Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency dismantled a Hamas cell operating in East Jerusalem. According to the investigation, the members planned to carry out attacks on various Israeli targets including the ultra-nationalist Member of the Knesset Itamar Ben Gvir. Five men were arrested in April and were indicted by a Jerusalem court on Tuesday.
Israel | Palestine: Several Palestinians were wounded and others arrested in continuing Israeli raids in Jenin
At least three Palestinians were injured and five arrested during overnight and early morning Israeli raids in the Jenin area and across the occupied West Bank as Israel steps up its military operations, particularly in the Jenin refugee camp, which became again the hotspot for Palestinian fighters.
Lebanon: The ‘Wall of Shame’ surrounding the Lebanese parliament will be removed
The Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri had ordered on Monday the removal of the security barricades, in response to the Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi’s request as newly elected reformist MPs suggested the removal of the blocs before the next parliamentary session. The cement wall stood in place for more than three years after the beginning of the 2019 protests.
Libya | UN: UN Secretary-General calls on officials to resume the electoral process
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Libyan officials to resume the electoral process that “has become a political necessity more than ever.” He also called on “all parties to refrain from unilateral practices” that may endanger the 2020 truce. The Libyan electoral process collapsed after the failed elections in December last year.
Palestine: Foreign ministry stated that he submitted the case of the killing of an Al Jazeera journalist to the ICC
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announced that it had submitted a letter to the International Criminal Court, calling for an investigation into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqla.
Palestine | US: The Palestinian Authority calls on the US to remove the terrorist designation of PLO
According to Hussein al-Sheikh, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, the Palestinian Authority called on the Biden administration to remove the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from its list of terrorist organizations. The move comes after Washington decided to remove the Israeli Kach group from its list after including it for actions such as an attempt to car bomb a Palestinian girls’ school in East Jerusalem, as well as threatening and conspiring to carry out assassinations.
Tunisia: Powerful union refuses to participate in the national dialogue
The Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) announced on Monday that it will not take part in President Kais Saied’s national dialogue meant to create the so-called National Committee for a New Republic. The union called for a national strike over the country’s current economic conditions. With over one million members, UGTT is Tunisia’s most powerful political actor.
Turkey | Israel: Turkish foreign minister landed in Israel for a two-day visit as part of the efforts to improve ties
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu arrived in Israel for an official visit that will also include meetings with Palestinian officials. Cavusoglu is expected to meet with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid and with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. The visit comes as Ankara puts efforts to improve its ties with Israel and follows a landmark visit by Israel’s president to Turkey in March this year.
Turkey | NATO: Turkey to discuss NATO bids with Sweden and Finland on Wednesday
Turkish officials will meet with delegations from Sweden and Finland in Ankara to discuss the two countries’ bids to become NATO members. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan objected to their membership in the alliance earlier this month, claiming the two nordic countries’ support for individuals linked with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group and followers of Fethullah Gullen, accused by Ankara of staging a failed coup d’etat in 2016.
Turkey | Syria: Turkish president threatens to launch a new operation in Syria
On Monday, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to launch a new military operation in Syria to secure Turkey’s southern border and to resume Turkish efforts to create a 30-kilometer safe zone along its border with Syria. He did not provide any more details but stated that the operation would begin after the military, intelligence, and security forces completed their preparations.
UAE | Afghanistan: The United Arab Emirates will operate airports in Afghanistan as part of an agreement with the Taliban
After talks with the UAE, Qatar, and Turkey, the Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar stated that the group will sign an agreement with the UAE. The Emirati foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the issue. The move by the UAE shows how the country seeks to assert influence in Afghanistan and counter the Qatari presence, despite the fact that the radical group remains largely a pariah at the international level.
Yemen: Houthi rebels announced that three people were killed in Sana’a after a drone was downed
Three people were killed when a drone crashed in a neighborhood of the capital of Sana’a after being shot down. According to the Houthi statement, the group’s air defense system downed the surveillance drone that belonged to the Saudi-led coalition. The spokesperson of the coalition did not respond to a request for comment.