Berlin Urges Israel to Guarantee 'Realistic' Protection to Gaza Civilians

Palestinians walk through destruction in Gaza City on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, as the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect. (AP)
Palestinians walk through destruction in Gaza City on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, as the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect. (AP)
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Berlin Urges Israel to Guarantee 'Realistic' Protection to Gaza Civilians

Palestinians walk through destruction in Gaza City on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, as the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect. (AP)
Palestinians walk through destruction in Gaza City on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, as the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect. (AP)

Germany urged Israel on Monday to guarantee "realistic" protection to civilians in the Gaza Strip, as Israel moved ground forces into the south of the territory in its war on Hamas.

"Something we expect from Israel is that they not only urge civilians to leave the danger zone, but that they are in a realistic position to find safe shelter elsewhere," foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a regular press briefing, AFP reported.

"Too many civilians have already been killed in this war," he said.



Egypt Arrests Travel Agents for Illegally Facilitating Hajj Trips

Regular pilgrims performed the Hajj without significant difficulties. (Egyptian Ministry of Solidarity)
Regular pilgrims performed the Hajj without significant difficulties. (Egyptian Ministry of Solidarity)
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Egypt Arrests Travel Agents for Illegally Facilitating Hajj Trips

Regular pilgrims performed the Hajj without significant difficulties. (Egyptian Ministry of Solidarity)
Regular pilgrims performed the Hajj without significant difficulties. (Egyptian Ministry of Solidarity)

Egypt is prosecuting tourism companies for illegally facilitating pilgrims’ travel to Makkah, following reports about the death of hundreds of Egyptian pilgrims during this year’s Hajj season.
On Thursday, the Public Prosecution said it kicked off urgent investigations into tourism companies that arranged the travel of “irregular” pilgrims. It also detained, for four days, two of the defendants accused of “wrongfully causing the death in Alexandria of a woman because of the lack of the appropriate transportation and accommodation” during her travel”.
The Public Prosecution also detained an official of another tourism company. The man is facing a lawsuit submitted by the two sons of a woman who had died during the pilgrimage.
Last week, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly ordered 16 tourism companies to be stripped of their licenses and referred their managers to the public prosecutor’s office for illegally facilitating pilgrims’ travel to Makkah.
The Parliament’s Tourism and Aviation Committee called for developing a new mechanism to grant visas of various types to Egyptians through coordination with the Saudi side and the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The committee convened on Wednesday and saw demands from a number of representatives to open investigations into the tourism companies that illegally facilitated the travel of pilgrims to Makkah, which led to a number of deaths due to the lack of appropriate services.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, MP Amani Al-Shaouli, Secretary of the Tourism and Aviation Committee, stressed that Parliament will follow up with the ministries of Tourism and Foreign Affairs to implement the committee’s recommendations and address any loopholes that are being exploited to violate the laws regulating the performance of Hajj, in coordination with the Saudi authorities.