عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Egypt Slams Israel Plan to Build 800 Settlements in West Bank

The headquarters of Egypt’s foreign ministry in Cairo | Photo: Reuters
The headquarters of Egypt’s foreign ministry in Cairo | Photo: Reuters
TT
TT

Egypt Slams Israel Plan to Build 800 Settlements in West Bank

The headquarters of Egypt’s foreign ministry in Cairo | Photo: Reuters
The headquarters of Egypt’s foreign ministry in Cairo | Photo: Reuters

Egypt's Foreign Ministry condemned on Tuesday the Israeli government approval for building 800 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank.

"It is a new violation of international legitimacy decisions," Ahmed Hafez, spokesperson of the ministry said.

The statement expressed "grave concern about the repercussions of these repeated steps on undermining the chances of a two-state solution at a time when various international parties are making unremitting efforts to revive the negotiation track between the Palestinians and the Israelis.”

Hafez added that "such practices will result in negative repercussions on the security and stability of the region."

The Israeli announcement comes one week before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. The settlement policy might cause a conflict with the new president, who supports the two-state solution and ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

However, US President Donald Trump showed unprecedented support to Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu and his policies.

Israeli and Palestinian diplomats are closely watching whether Biden will bring back the pre-Trump US policies.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Lebanese Begin Grim Task of Recovering Bodies from Rubble

Rescuers use an excavator as they search for dead bodies through the rubble of a destroyed house, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Ainata village, south Lebanon. (AP)
Rescuers use an excavator as they search for dead bodies through the rubble of a destroyed house, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Ainata village, south Lebanon. (AP)
TT
TT

Lebanese Begin Grim Task of Recovering Bodies from Rubble

Rescuers use an excavator as they search for dead bodies through the rubble of a destroyed house, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Ainata village, south Lebanon. (AP)
Rescuers use an excavator as they search for dead bodies through the rubble of a destroyed house, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Ainata village, south Lebanon. (AP)

In the southern Lebanon border villages of Bint Jbeil and Ainata, where fierce fighting between Israel and Hezbollah fighters took place, rescuers used excavators began searching on Wednesday for bodies under the rubble.

A woman in Ainata wrapped in black cried as she held a portrait her grandson, a Hezbollah fighter, who was killed in the fighting, as she waits for rescuers to recover his body from a destroyed home.

The smell of death filled the air and several dead bodies could be seen inside houses and between trees. In the town of Kfar Hammam, rescuers recovered four bodies, according to Lebanese state media.

Meanwhile, families and politicians visited the graves of Hezbollah fighters buried in eastern Lebanon's Baalbek region.

Families with tears in their eyes paid respects to the dead and celebratory gunshots could be heard in the background Wednesday, the first day of a ceasefire between the group and Israel.

“The resistance (Hezbollah) will stay to defend Lebanon,” Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Mokdad told reporters while visiting the graves. “We tell the enemy that the martyrs thwarted their plans for the Middle East.”

Several other Hezbollah members of parliament were present.