NABI SALEH, West Bank: Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi, who became an international symbol of resistance to Israeli occupation after slapping two soldiers, walked out of an Israeli prison Sunday and told throngs of journalists and well-wishers that she now wants to study law to defend her people.
The curly haired 17-year-old said that “resistance continues until the occupation is removed,” but refrained from saying she would slap soldiers again. The teen, who is on probation, said her eight months in prison were tough and helped her appreciate life.
At an outdoor news conference near her family home, she spoke against the backdrop of a large model of a slingshot that was “loaded” with a pencil rather than a stone, apparently to highlight education as one of the possible Palestinian tactics.
Underlying her case are clashing narratives about Israel’s half-century rule over the Palestinians, the extent of permissible Palestinian resistance to it and the battle for global public opinion.
Tamimi’s supporters see a brave girl who struck two armed soldiers in frustration after having just learned that Israeli troops seriously wounded a 15-year-old cousin, shooting him in the head from close range with a rubber bullet during nearby stone-throwing clashes.
In Israel, she is seen by many either as a provocateur, an irritation or a threat to the military’s deterrence policy — even as a “terrorist.” Israel has treated her actions as a criminal offense, indicting her on charges of assault and incitement. In liberal circles, the hard-charging prosecution of Tamimi was criticized as a public relations disaster because it turned her into an international icon.
Her release comes at a time when Palestinian hopes for an independent state appear dimmer than ever.
Israeli-Palestinian talks on setting up a state in lands captured by Israel in 1967 — the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem — have been deadlocked since hard-line Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to power in 2009. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suspended contacts with the US after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December in what Palestinians denounced as a display of blatant pro-Israel bias. Abbas, meanwhile, has stepped up financial pressure on Gaza, controlled since 2007 by his bitter domestic rival, the Islamic militant Hamas.
Many Palestinians are disillusioned by their leaders in both political camps and feel exhausted after years of conflict with Israel. Alternatives have arisen, including calling for a single state for both peoples between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, but haven’t gained a mass following.
In this context, the idea of so-called popular resistance — regular demonstrations, including stone-throwing by unarmed protesters — has only caught on in a few West Bank villages, including Nabi Saleh, home to the extended Tamimi clan.
Since 2009, residents of Nabi Salah have staged regular anti-occupation protests that often ended with stone-throwing clashes. Ahed has participated in such marches from a young age and has had several highly publicized run-ins with soldiers. One photo shows the then 12-year-old raising a clenched fist toward a soldier towering over her.
In a sign of her popularity, a pair of Italian artists painted a large mural of her on Israel’s West Bank separation barrier ahead of her release.
Israeli police said they were caught in the act along with another Palestinian and arrested for vandalism. On Sunday, Israel canceled the visas of the two Italians and ordered them to leave the country within three days, police said.
Ahed and her mother Nariman — also arrested in December in connection with the same incident — were released Sunday morning from a prison in northern Israel. They were driven by bus to the West Bank and were given a hero’s welcome in Nabi Saleh.
“The resistance continues until the occupation is removed,” Ahed said upon her return. “All the female prisoners are steadfast. I salute everyone who supported me and my case.”
From her home, Ahed headed to a visit to the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. She laid a wreath, kissed the headstone — twice at the request of photographers — and recited a prayer from the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book.
She was then taken with her family to a meeting with Abbas at his headquarters in Ramallah.
The 83-year-old Abbas praised her as a symbol of resistance to occupation — even as he faces growing domestic criticism for not walking away from continued security coordination between his forces and Israeli troops against Hamas, a shared foe.
In an afternoon news conference, Ahed said that she completed her high school exams in prison, with the help of other prisoners. Palestinian inmates typically organize study courses to complete high school and even university degrees.
“I will study law to defend my people and defend my Palestinian cause in international forums,” she said.
She said her prison experience was tough, and that she missed her old life in the village and her friends. She said she underwent three lengthy interrogations without a female officer present, in violation of Israel’s own rules.
At one point Sunday, Ahed received a call from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who congratulated her on her release, said her father.
Tamimi’s scuffle with the two soldiers took place Dec. 15 in Nabi Saleh.
At the time, protests had erupted in several parts of the West Bank over Trump’s recognition 10 days earlier of the contested city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. She was arrested at her home four days later, in the middle of the night.
Ahed was 16 when she was arrested and turned 17 while in custody. Her case has trained a spotlight on the detention of Palestinian minors by Israel, a practice that has been criticized by international rights groups. Some 300 minors are currently being held, according to Palestinian figures.
Israeli Cabinet minister Uri Ariel said the Tamimi case highlighted what could happen if Israel lets its guard down.
“I think Israel acts too mercifully with these types of terrorists. Israel should treat harshly those who hit its soldiers,” he told The Associated Press. “We can’t have a situation where there is no deterrence. Lack of deterrence leads to the reality we see now ... we must change that.”
After prison release, Palestinian teen considers law study
After prison release, Palestinian teen considers law study
- Ahed Tamimi said her eight months in prison were tough and helped her appreciate life
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suspended contacts with the U.S. after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December
Unlocking Saudi hospitality: AVANA and Ezdaher pave new investment pathways to support Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 sets an ambitious target: welcoming 150 million visitors annually and positioning the Kingdom as a global hospitality hub. Delivering this vision demands more than hotel construction; it requires a complete ecosystem of entrepreneurs, capital providers, government programs, and efficient financial markets to mobilize and sustain investment at scale.
AVANA Companies, a US-based private credit and real estate investment firm with over two decades of experience financing hospitality projects globally, has developed a dual initiative to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s hospitality investment landscape. Through its affiliate, Ezdaher Financing Company, AVANA is introducing structured financing programs and pioneering crowdfunding solutions designed to unlock domestic capital and create sustainable, inclusive growth.
Leveraging partnerships with global leaders such as IHG Hotels and Resorts and Oaktree Capital Management, AVANA has developed an innovative co-funding program that pools institutional capital into a streamlined funding framework. This model overcomes traditional barriers such as lengthy approval processes and extensive guarantees by enabling faster capital flows for hotel construction projects. While initially focused on established US markets, the asset-backed structure is highly relevant for Middle Eastern investors seeking secure exposure to global hospitality sectors. With Ezdaher’s regional initiative, AVANA is well-positioned to align international investment practices with the strategic ambitions of Saudi investors.
“By combining our global hospitality financing expertise with local presence through Ezdaher, we are committed to creating pathways that empower investors and advance Vision 2030,” said Sundip Patel, CEO of AVANA Companies.
Alongside its global initiatives, AVANA is addressing the critical need to activate Saudi Arabia’s domestic capital base. Traditional loan capital often remains immobilized until maturity, slowing economic circulation. The EqualSeat platform, developed under the Ezdaher banner, introduces an innovative crowdfunding model that transforms passive savings into active investment. Through EqualSeat, Saudi investors can directly participate in private credit, SME Funding, and real estate opportunities. This approach increases liquidity for financial institutions, supports broader entrepreneurship, and stimulates economic expansion through the Keynesian multiplier effect.
Saudi Arabia’s financial modernization efforts have made significant strides, but a thriving crowdfunding sector requires ongoing regulatory development, standardized risk grading, and greater investment transparency. Building investor trust will be critical to unlocking the full potential of domestic capital markets and ensuring that private sector initiatives complement public-sector programs without overlap or conflict.
AVANA Companies and Ezdaher Financing Company are actively seeking partnerships with family offices and institutional investors to drive sustainable hospitality growth, create high-quality employment opportunities, and support Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification goals.
Share Indus water fairly or Islamabad will secure it ‘from all six rivers,’ Pakistan ex-FM tells India
- The statement comes days after Indian minister said ‘Pakistan will be starved of water’
- Islamabad previously said any blocking of its water would be considered ‘an act of war’
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday asked India to share the Indus water fairly or Islamabad will secure it “from all six rivers.”
The statement came days after Indian interior minister Amit Shah said New Delhi will “never” reinstate the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) it suspended with Pakistan over an attack in India-administered Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of backing the assault, a charge denied by Islamabad and one which was followed by four-day military standoff between the two countries last month.
The IWT grants Pakistan rights to the Indus basin’s western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, while India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow. India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes, according to the agreement.
A day after the Kashmir attack that killed 26 tourists, New Delhi announced it was putting the 1960 World Bank-mediated treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, in abeyance. Pakistan has previously said the treaty has no provision for one side to unilaterally pull back and that any blocking of river water flowing to Pakistan will be considered “an act of war.”
“India has two options: share water fairly or we will deliver water to us from all six rivers [of the Indus basin],” Bhutto-Zardari said, while addressing the lower house of Pakistan parliament.
“The attack on Sindhu [Indus river] and India’s claim that the IWT has ended and it’s in abeyance, firstly, this is illegal, as the IWT is not in abeyance, it is binding on Pakistan and India but the threat itself of stopping water is illegal according to the UN charter.”
The former foreign minister, who recently led a diplomatic mission to key world capitals to present Pakistan’s stance on the latest crisis with India, said Islamabad had defeated New Delhi on the “battlefield, in diplomacy, and in the war of narratives.”
On Saturday, Indian interior minister Shah said they would take the water that was flowing to Pakistan to the Indian state of Rajasthan by constructing a canal
“Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably,” he told Times of India newspaper.
The latest comments from Shah, the most powerful cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, have dimmed Islamabad’s hopes for negotiations on the treaty in the near term.
Halting the water agreement was one of a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures taken by both countries in the immediate aftermath of the April 22 attack in Kashmir. Islamabad is also exploring a legal challenge to India’s decision to hold the treaty in abeyance under international law.
New Delhi has not made public any evidence of Islamabad’s alleged involvement in the Kashmir assault. During the four days of fighting which followed in May, more than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire. It was the worst standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbors since 1999.
Egypt records 77% rise in remittances over 10 months
RIYADH: Remittances from Egyptians working abroad rose by more than 77 percent in the first 10 months of the 2024-25 fiscal year, reaching a record $29.4 billion.
Between January and April alone, remittance inflows rose 72.3 percent year on year to $12.4 billion, official data from Egypt’s central bank showed.
The sharp increase underscores growing confidence among expatriates in the country’s financial system and reflects a broader improvement in Egypt’s external financial position.
The Central Bank of Egypt attributed the surge to recent measures aimed at stabilizing the exchange rate and encouraging the use of formal remittance channels.
The impact of these policies is also evident in the rise of Egypt’s net international reserves, which climbed to $48.5 billion at the end of May, up from $47.8 billion in March.
In a statement, the central bank noted: “On a monthly basis, remittances in April 2025 increased by 39 percent year on year, reaching approximately $3 billion, compared to $2.2 billion in the same month last year.”
The rebound in remittance flows comes amid broader economic reforms pursued under an International Monetary Fund-backed stabilization program. These reforms have bolstered Egypt’s foreign currency position and helped attract more international capital.
In May, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that Egypt recorded real gross domestic product growth of 3.9 percent during the first half of the fiscal year. Private sector investment surged by 80 percent, while foreign direct investment rose by around 17 percent.
Inflation, however, remains a key challenge. The annual urban headline inflation rate accelerated to 16.8 percent in May, up from 13.9 percent in April, driven largely by continued pressure on non-food prices.
These inflation trends come as Egypt’s broader economic landscape continues to be shaped by both domestic and global pressures. The government is navigating a delicate recovery amid external shocks, ongoing structural reforms, and efforts to manage public debt.
In February, Moody’s affirmed Egypt’s “Caa1” long-term foreign and local currency ratings with a positive outlook, citing improved debt servicing capacity, higher reserves, and falling borrowing costs.
The ratings agency noted that recent currency devaluation and flotation helped boost foreign exchange reserves and reduce debt vulnerabilities. While a “Caa1” rating denotes high credit risk, the positive outlook reflects the government’s efforts to control inflation and stabilize interest rates.
Saudi royal reserve tightens entry, picnic rules
- Updates aim to protect the environment, vegetation, and wildlife while encouraging ecotourism through public excursions and outdoor activities
- Visitors can access the reserve daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with prior authorization via the authority’s website
RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has updated entry and picnic regulations for the Al-Suman and Al-Dahna areas within the location.
The updates aim to protect the environment, vegetation, and wildlife while encouraging ecotourism through public excursions and outdoor activities.
Visitors can access the reserve daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with prior authorization via the authority’s website, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Permit requests must be submitted at least two days in advance and include visitor details, companion information, vehicle type, and a commitment to follow environmental rules.
Registered residents of administrative centers within the reserve are exempt from this requirement, the SPA added.
The authority stressed the importance of complying with regulations, including bans on hunting, wood gathering, open fires, driving over vegetation, littering, noise, visual pollution, and any other harmful activities.
These measures aim to limit environmental damage, especially in ecologically rich areas showing notable recovery in recent years.
The update aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals for royal reserves and the Saudi Green Initiative, which seeks to protect recent environmental gains and promote wildlife and plant growth in thriving basins and meadows.
Bangladesh probe into Hasina-era abuses warns ‘impunity’ remains
- The Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappearances is probing abuses during the rule of Hasina, whose government was accused of widespread human rights abuses
DHAKA: A Bangladesh government-appointed commission investigating hundreds of disappearances by the security forces under ousted premier Sheikh Hasina on Monday warned that the same “culture of impunity” continues.
The Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappearances is probing abuses during the rule of Hasina, whose government was accused of widespread human rights abuses.
That includes the extrajudicial killing of hundreds of political opponents and the unlawful abduction and disappearance of hundreds more.
The commission was established by interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, 84, who is facing intense political pressure as parties jostle for power ahead of elections expected early next year.
Bangladesh has a long history of military coups and the army retains a powerful role.
“Enforced disappearances in Bangladesh were not isolated acts of wrongdoing, but the result of a politicized institutional machinery that condoned, normalized, and often rewarded such crimes,” the commission said, in a section of a report released by the interim government on Monday.
“Alarmingly, this culture of impunity continues even after the regime change on August 5, 2024.”
The commission has verified more than 250 cases of enforced disappearances spanning the 15 years that Hasina’s Awami League was in power.
Commission chief Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury said earlier this month that responsibility lay with individual officers, who were “involved in conducting enforced disappearances,” but not the armed forces as an institution.
Earlier this month, a joint statement by rights groups — including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch — called on the security forces to “fully cooperate with the commission by guaranteeing unfettered and ongoing access to all detention centers... and providing free access to records regarding those seized or detained.”
Hasina,77, remains in self-imposed exile in India, where she fled after she was ousted last year.
She has defied orders to return to Dhaka to face charges amounting to crimes against humanity. Her trial in absentia continues.
