Israeli Forces Arrest Palestinian Security Unit

Palestinian security forces man a Bethlehem checkpoint (File photo: AFP)
Palestinian security forces man a Bethlehem checkpoint (File photo: AFP)
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Israeli Forces Arrest Palestinian Security Unit

Palestinian security forces man a Bethlehem checkpoint (File photo: AFP)
Palestinian security forces man a Bethlehem checkpoint (File photo: AFP)

Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian security unit near Nilin, west of Ramallah, in a clear message to the Palestinian Authority (PA), as it also continues to prevent Palestinian forces from operating outside ‘Area A’ of the West Bank.

The Israeli unit detained at least ten security men while they were trying to arrest a number of wanted persons who hid in a car wash.

Nilin mayor Imad al-Khawaja said that the Israeli force that raided the area, detained the Palestinian security vehicle and took its members to a military checkpoint.

This is the first time, since ending the security coordination between Tel Aviv and the PA in May, that Israel has arrested Palestinian security men while on an official duty.

The arrest seems an Israeli message to the Authority that it is forbidden to operate in Areas B and C in the West Bank, under Israeli control.

The Oslo Accords divided the West Bank into three regions: Area A under Palestinian security and civil control, Area B under Israeli security and Palestinian civil control, and Area C under Israeli security and civil control. Area C alone is about two-thirds of the area of the West Bank.

A source in the Palestinian security services told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel wants to destroy and weaken the PA.

He indicated that Israeli forces raid cities and arrest security men while on duty to weaken the authority, a policy followed by the occupation forces even before the security coordination stopped between the two.

The source stressed that the Palestinian security forces will continue their work in the areas under their control, and will not hesitate to pursue fugitives in 'Area C'.

The Authority launched a massive campaign in September to control the security situation in the West Bank, as officials accuse external and internal forces of spreading chaos for political purposes.

The Authority began this campaign after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree amending the Firearms and Ammunition Law, which increased penalties on possession, use, trafficking, manufacture and smuggling of firearms.

The decision was issued amid deteriorating security, economic and financial situation, and major regional changes that may create security threats.

The amendment also came after an increase in the use of firearms in different occasions in the West Bank, such as weddings or funerals and celebrations for the release of a prisoner, some of which caused the death of bystanders.

Bethlehem governor Major General Kamel Hamid said that the use of weapons in conflicts and family disputes is a dangerous and unacceptable phenomenon, calling for eradicating it before it leads to more bloodshed.

Hamid stressed that everyone is required to join efforts to provide security, safety and the rule of law.

The Palestinian police have recorded 43 murders since the beginning of the year, compared to 25 last year.



Egypt Strengthens Cooperation with Africa to Tackle Water Challenges

Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)
Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)
TT
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Egypt Strengthens Cooperation with Africa to Tackle Water Challenges

Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)
Egypt affirms that water issues are a shared challenge growing more severe due to climate change (Photo by Abdel Fattah Farag)

Egypt is continuing to strengthen its cooperation with African nations to confront the pressing challenges of water and food security.

“Water issues are a shared challenge that grows more severe due to climate change and resource scarcity, especially given Egypt’s near-total dependence on Nile water,” Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Hani Sewilam said, according to an official statement by the Egyptian Cabinet on Friday.

Speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister during a celebration at the Djibouti Embassy in Cairo marking Djibouti’s 48th independence anniversary, Sewilam emphasized that cross-border cooperation, rooted in principles of international law, is the optimal path to ensure sustainable water resources.

Egypt frequently raises the issue of water security, particularly amid the ongoing crisis over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Ethiopia has built on the main tributary of the Nile since 2011 to generate electricity. Egypt and Sudan fear it will impact their water shares.

Ambassador Salah Halima, former Assistant Foreign Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Egyptian Council for African Affairs, stressed that water security is closely linked to river management and dam operations. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt consistently underscores the importance of respecting international laws and agreements on managing water resources and criticized Ethiopia’s unilateral actions to impose a de facto situation regarding the dam.

Halima added that achieving water security requires cooperation among states in managing water resources and constructing dams, noting that Egypt has valuable experience African nations can benefit from.

Egypt faces a water deficit estimated at 30 billion cubic meters annually. Its share of Nile water amounts to 55.5 billion cubic meters per year, while consumption exceeds 85 billion cubic meters. The shortfall is covered by groundwater extraction, seawater desalination projects, and recycling agricultural drainage water, according to the Ministry of Irrigation.

On Friday, Sewilam highlighted the longstanding ties between Egypt and Djibouti as an example of cooperation amid complex regional and global challenges requiring greater unity and shared vision. He noted that the regional and international context demands an understanding of the magnitude of challenges, ranging from security and peace to sustainable development and socio-economic stability, especially in the Arab and African regions.

Egypt is finalizing a memorandum of understanding with Djibouti’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources to cooperate in fields such as integrated water resources management, desalination technologies, groundwater recharge, capacity building, knowledge exchange, and joint research.

In parallel, Egyptian Minister of Agriculture Alaa Farouk reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to working with African countries to develop more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural value chains. Speaking during FAO meetings in Rome, he said that strengthening these chains is central to food security, economic growth, and job creation, particularly in rural areas. Farouk also discussed promoting Egyptian investment in Africa to boost agricultural development and food security across the continent.