Author: Steven Sahiounie

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, pressed the United States line that only Hamas is left to accept US President Joe Biden’s ceasefire deal. “For months the United States has worked around the clock alongside Egypt and Qatar to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas,” US ambassador said at UN headquarters in New York. “Such a deal has proven elusive. Why? Because Hamas has refused to accept any agreement. But right now, there is another opportunity,” Thomas-Greenfield added, saying the deal “is nearly identical to Hamas’s own proposals”. “This deal would bring hostages home, ensure Israel’s…

Amar Bendjama says his country voted in favour of the draft resolution because “it can represent a step towards an immediate and lasting ceasefire”. “I would like to extend our gratitude to the US delegation, especially Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, for their diligent efforts and for addressing some of our concerns in the final text,” he said in his remarks shortly after the vote. “Algeria engaged during the negotiation process in good faith, working closely with Palestinian mediators to achieve a resolution that ensures an immediate ceasefire and hopefully will have a tangible impact on the ground. This text is not…

The Egyptian foreign minister engages in discussions with his Russian counterpart, concentrating on the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and ways to establish a permanent ceasefire Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Monday several issues with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, primarily focusing on the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and ways to achieve a permanent ceasefire during a meeting ahead of the BRICS Ministerial Meeting in Nizhny, Novgorod. During the meeting, Shoukry emphasized efforts being made regarding Egyptian-Qatari mediation to reach a deal that would lead to a prisoner exchange, the delivery of aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and ultimately achieving…

In a meeting in Cairo on Monday, the Egyptian president called for removing all obstacles impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency. He also urged making concrete progress towards implementing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. During the meeting, attended by the Head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service ,Abbas Kamel, both sides agreed to intensify joint efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of captives and detainees. They also highlighted Egyptian efforts to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people…

An Israeli military court extended on Monday the detention of Rasha Hirzallah, a journalist working for the Palestinian News and Information Agency WAFA, for two weeks The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said that the Israeli court in Salem extended the detention of Hirzallah, from the city of Nablus, under the pretext of what the occupation calls “incitement.” Last Sunday, Israeli intelligence summoned Hirzallah for investigation at a detention center in the illegal Ariel colony. She went there with a lawyer, and upon their arrival, she was informed that she would be detained for 72 hours. PPS added that Harzallah is among about 80 journalists who…

The United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted a US-drafted resolution backing a proposal outlined by President Joe Biden for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip.Russia abstained from the vote, while the remaining 14 council members voted in favor. The US had finalized its text on Sunday after six days of negotiations among the council.Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire plan on May 31 that he described as an Israeli initiative. Some Security Council members questioned whether Israel had accepted the plan to end the fighting in Gaza.The resolution welcomes the new ceasefire proposal,…

Derided as “Club Med” nations during the European debt crisis 15 years ago, the economies of Spain, Greece and Portugal are now outperforming their northern peers thanks to a rebound in tourism.

Iraq’s oil minister said there had been progress in talks held on Sunday with Kurdish regional government officials to reach a deal to resume northern oil exports.

Egyptian inflation decelerated to the slowest pace in a year and a half, even after a steep currency devaluation and a historic move to raise the cost of subsidized bread.

An Austrian Airlines flight landed safely in Vienna after a severe hailstorm tore away much of the plane’s nose cone and left the front windows riddled with cracks.