Author: Steven Sahiounie

The Rafah border crossing critical to aid deliveries into Gaza from Egypt cannot operate again unless Israel relinquishes control and hands it back to Palestinians on the Gaza side, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Monday. Last month, Israel seized Gaza’s entire border with Egypt including the crossing during its offensive against Hamas in the city of Rafah. The crossing also represents the only lifeline to the outside world for the 2.3 million population in the Israeli-besieged territory. “It is difficult for the Rafah crossing to continue operating without a Palestinian administration,” Shoukry told a press conference with his…

Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, congratulated Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah on his appointment as Crown Prince of Kuwait. “On the occasion of your appointment as Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait, I am pleased to extend my sincere congratulations and best fraternal wishes for your success,” the Saudi crown prince said. “I look forward to further cooperation, building on the strong historical relations between our two brotherly countries and peoples. Wishing Your Highness good health and happiness, and the brotherly people of Kuwait continued progress and prosperity,” he added.  Source: arab News

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has embarked on a visit to Spain to hold discussions with top officials regarding the Palestinian cause, particularly the ongoing war in Gaza and the recognition of the Palestinian state. Shoukry will explore how Spain can support efforts to halt the war in Gaza, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday. Additionally, he will discuss potential avenues for Spain to contribute to the resumption of the political settlement process based on the two-state solution for the Palestinian cause. The ministry emphasized Spain’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause, including its recent…

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby says if Hamas agrees to President Joe Biden’s ceasefire proposal to end the war, the US expects Israel to also accept the plan. “This was an Israeli proposal. We have every expectation that if Hamas agrees to the proposal – as was transmitted to them, an Israeli proposal – then Israel would say yes,” Kirby said in an interview on the ABC News programme This Week. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a day earlier that its military goal had remained unchanged and that the end of the war would not occur until…

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan welcomed the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. The two rulers reviewed a number of regional and international issues, particularly the current humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip during their meeting, stressing the importance of intensifying efforts for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the besieged enclave and providing protection. They agreed that civilians in Gaza must be protected in accordance with rules of international humanitarian law, in addition to strengthening the response to their deteriorating humanitarian conditions. The two sides also touched on…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “who is dragging the region and the entire world into disaster,” must be stopped from his long-standing campaign against Palestine and sowing regional unrest, declared the Turkish president on Sunday. “This barbarian, thug, and bloodthirsty greedy named Netanyahu, who is dragging our region and the entire world into disaster, must be stopped,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a ruling Justice and Development Party evaluation and planning meeting in the capital Ankara. Decrying the “uninterrupted” decades-long massacre in Palestine and how Palestinian children are being killed by “a spoiled state,” Erdogan said that Ankara ensured that the…

Israeli occupation forces on Sunday detained Rasha Hirzallah, a journalist working for the Palestinian News and Information Agency WAFA, from the city of Nablus. Harzallah’s family told WAFA that the Israeli intelligence summoned her for investigation at a detention center in the illegal Ariel colony, adding that she went there with a lawyer, and upon their arrival, she was informed that she would be detained for 72 hours. No reasons for the detention or charges were given. Source: WAFA

Saudi-listed company plans first phase with capacity of 200,000 tons per year powered by 4GW of renewable energy

CAIRO: Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem has affirmed its leading position in the funding space, capturing over 53 percent of the region’s venture debt financing in 2023, according to MAGNiTT’s latest report.

RIYADH: China is at the forefront of providing affordable electric vehicles, supported by government backing and a wide range of low-cost options, according to a new study.