GAZA BORDER: Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas at Palestinians thronging the Gaza-Israel border on Friday as part of a long-running protest, injuring about 350 people.
Medics said around 50 people were shot and wounded with live fire, three of them critically, and 300 more treated for gas inhalation and other injuries along the Gaza side of the 25-mile (40-km) border fence, where Palestinians set up tent encampments on March 30 for what they call “The Great March of Return.”
Youths rolled burning tires to within 300 meters (yards) of the fence, trying to use the smoke as cover for throwing stones across it while eluding Israeli snipers. Army gunfire has killed at least 43 Palestinians on the frontier over the last month.
Protesters said they used slingshots to down two small Israeli observation drones. The army confirmed the drone losses.
Israel has been facing international censure over its use of live fire in the protests.
On Friday, troops faced “approximately 7,000 Palestinians participating in riots in five locations along the Gaza Strip border,” a military spokesman said, adding that one group had tried to breach the fence and enter Israeli territory.
As Israel celebrates its 70th birthday, Palestinians mourn what they call the “Nakba” (Catastrophe) of their people’s mass dispossession during the conflict that broke out in 1948.
Two-thirds of the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are war refugees or their descendants. The protests have seen thousands gather — in greater numbers on Fridays — to demand access to their families’ lost homes or lands, now in Israel.
“GIVE US A STATE“
Israel rules that out, concerned it would lose its Jewish majority. Alternatives, such as accommodating refugees and their descendants in a future Palestinian state, have been discussed in peace talks that date back to 1993 but which are now stalled.
“If it wasn’t for the occupation we would have lived as free as people like in other countries,” Ahmed, 24, said at a protest site east of Gaza City. “If they don’t allow us back, at least they should give us a state.”
Israel says the protests have been organized by Hamas, which controls Gaza and is sworn to Israel’s destruction — to provide cover for attacks, and that most of the dead were militants. Palestinians deny those allegations.
The protests take place at a time of growing frustration as prospects for an independent Palestinian state look poor. While the peace talks are stuck, Israel, which withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005 after a 38-year occupation, has expanded its settlements in the occupied West Bank.
An added focus this year is President Donald Trump’s decision to begin moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, the 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding.
Trump’s moves angered Palestinian leaders, who have refused to talk to his administration, accusing it of pro-Israel bias. Israel’s government celebrated the US decision, saying it recognized the “reality” that Jerusalem was the historic capital of the Jewish people.
Visiting the Middle East earlier this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lent his support to Israel’s handling of the border protests. “We do believe the Israelis have a right to defend themselves,” he said. (Reporting by Nidal Al-Mughrabi; Editing by Stephen Farrell and Mark Heinrich)
Israeli troops fire shots, tear gas at Gaza protesters, 350 Palestinians hurt
Israeli troops fire shots, tear gas at Gaza protesters, 350 Palestinians hurt
World bank approves $1.1 billion in new financing to support Jordan
The bank said the financing that bolsters the country's IMF-led reforms focused on four areas that aim to accelerate growth, create jobs and invest in sustainable energy projects.
Five Arabian sand gazelles born in Buraidah Oasis
- Environmental achievement reflects national efforts to resettle wildlife, restore ecological balance in the Kingdom, and enhance the sustainability of its natural resources
- Center continues to implement its strategic plans to preserve wildlife and enrich biodiversity in the Kingdom, in line with the SGI, the National Environment Strategy, and Vision 2030
RIYADH: The National Center for Wildlife has announced the birth of five endangered Arabian sand gazelles in the Buraidah Oasis, as part of the center’s breeding and resettlement programs.
This environmental achievement reflects national efforts to resettle wildlife, restore ecological balance in the Kingdom, and enhance the sustainability of its natural resources, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The center continues to implement its strategic plans to preserve wildlife and enrich biodiversity in the Kingdom, in line with the Saudi Green Initiative, the National Environment Strategy, and Vision 2030.
Italian police say they disrupted migrant smuggling ring, 15 Egyptians arrested
- Smugglers used sailboats for dangerous illegal crossings from Turkiye to Greece and Italy
MILAN: Italian police said on Tuesday they had dismantled a migrant smuggling network, leading to the arrests in several countries of 15 Egyptians involved in using sailboats for dangerous illegal sea crossings from Turkiye to Greece and Italy.
According to an Italian police statement, the network facilitated the illegal entry into Italy of at least 3,000 migrants since 2021, earning more than $30 million by charging them $10,000 each.
The Italian police said the arrests were made simultaneously in multiple countries with the cooperation of Albanian, German, Turkish and Omani police, coordinated by Italian anti-mafia prosecutors in Sicily and relying on Interpol and Europol.
The smuggling network had been led by an Egyptian who ran operations from Istanbul, the Italian police said.
“The organization had set up a system that involved recruiting professional skippers, almost all Egyptian, providing logistical support in Turkiye while the migrants waited to leave, and transporting them in sailboats to the Greek and Italian coasts,” Italian police said in a statement.
Crossings departing from the Turkish ports of Bodrum, Izmir and Marmari took up to a week, with dozens of migrants crammed on board 12-15 meter sailboats with no life-saving equipment, the statement said.
Tens of thousands of migrants are believed to have died trying to cross the Mediterranean in recent years. The sea route from Turkiye to Italy has been particularly notorious since February 2023, when at least 94 people died off Cutro in southern Italy in one of the worst disasters of the crisis.
King Abdullah of Jordan receives Greek Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
- King Abdullah emphasized the need to maintain a Christian presence in the Middle East
- Patriarch Youssef Absi acknowledged Jordan’s role in overseeing Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem
LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan received the Greek Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Youssef Absi, on Tuesday in Amman.
King Abdullah emphasized the need to maintain a Christian presence in the Middle East, along with Jordan’s support for Syria’s security and stability to ensure the rights of all faith groups.
Patriarch Absi acknowledged Jordan’s role in overseeing Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, commending Jordan’s support for Palestinians and King Abdullah’s efforts in protecting the presence of Eastern Christians in the Middle East.
He said Jordan is a role model for coexistence and respect for Christian communities, the Petra news agency reported.
Crown Prince Hussein and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, who advises King Abdullah on religious and cultural affairs, attended the meeting. Also present were the director of the king’s office, Alaa Batayneh, and the heads of the Melkite Greek Catholic churches in Jordan, Jerusalem, and Lebanon.
Top US official eyes critical mineral deals during Pakistan visit
- Eric Meyer, a senior official of the US Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, said he was thrilled to attend the minerals investment forum in Islamabad
- Pakistan is showcasing its mineral resources, worth an estimated $6 trillion, at the two-day show in Islamabad on Apr. 8-9, seeking to attract foreign investment
ISLAMABAD: A top United States (US) official on Tuesday said they were eyeing “critical” minerals deals with Pakistan as he visited Islamabad to attend the two-day Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum.
Pakistan is showcasing its mineral resources, worth an estimated $6 trillion, at the two-day show in Islamabad on Apr. 8-9, seeking to attract investment from the US, China, Saudi Arabia and the European Union (EU).
Eric Meyer, a senior official of the US Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs who is currently leading a US interagency delegation to Pakistan, said he was thrilled to be in Islamabad to attend the minerals investment forum and to strengthen Pakistan-US partnership.
“I commend Pakistan for convening the Minerals Investment Forum here in Islamabad and for taking steps to ensure a level playing field for investors,” he said at the forum.
“Critical minerals are the raw materials for our most important technologies, and President [Donald] Trump has underscored the importance of securing America’s minerals future.”
Although Meyer has been visiting Islamabad to focus on minerals, he highlighted recent successes in economic partnership between the two countries.
“We recently celebrated the return of US soybean exports to Pakistan. Four vessels carrying more than 260,000 tons of soybeans have arrived over the last few weeks,” he said.
“It’s a win-win for US exporters and for Pakistanis alike, and we look forward to more such wins in the future.”
The US’s goods trade with Pakistan was at an estimated $7.3 billion in 2024, according to the US Trade Representative, a federal agency responsible for developing and promoting foreign trade policies.
US goods exports to Pakistan in 2024 were $2.1 billion, up 4.4 percent ($90.9 million) from 2023, while US goods imports from Pakistan totaled $5.1 billion in 2024, up 4.9 percent ($238.7 million) from 2023.
“What makes me most optimistic about the US-Pakistan partnership is that our cooperation is based on the close and enduring ties between our peoples,” Meyer said.
“Many of you have studied in the United States, participated in our exchange programs, have family, friends and business partners in the US. I’m looking forward to working with each of you as we work together to lead the charge in deepening the partnership between the US and Pakistan.”
