Israel Ignores Visa Requests From EU Delegation to Observe Palestine Elections

 A graffiti mural of the late George Floyd in Bethlehem, West Bank. (AFP)
A graffiti mural of the late George Floyd in Bethlehem, West Bank. (AFP)
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Israel Ignores Visa Requests From EU Delegation to Observe Palestine Elections

 A graffiti mural of the late George Floyd in Bethlehem, West Bank. (AFP)
A graffiti mural of the late George Floyd in Bethlehem, West Bank. (AFP)

The EU on Tuesday said Israel has not responded to requests to grant visas to its delegation who intend to observe the upcoming Palestinian elections, scheduled for May 22.

On Feb. 8, the EU sent a formal request to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard, said the spokesperson for the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.

Europeans said that the absence of the mission will affect the assessment process, however they are considering alternative solutions.

Farid Taamallah, spokesman of the Palestinian Central Election Commission, affirmed the importance of having international and European observers during elections, however, he said that their absence won't affect the electoral process.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki called Thursday upon the international community to exert pressure on Israel to allow Palestinians in Jerusalem to participate in the upcoming elections.

In a speech at the second ministerial meeting of the Arab-Japanese political dialogue, Maliki said the occupying power should abide by the bilateral agreements and avoid hindering Palestinians’ democratic right to participate in the upcoming legislative and presidential elections.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh had earlier highlighted the strong political will of the leadership, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, and all factions to hold the elections. He called for international and European pressure to oblige Israel to respect the agreements signed.

“Signed agreements stipulate that all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, are allowed to participate in the elections, and we want the international community to pressure for this,” he said.

In mid-January, Abbas decreed the first Palestinian elections in more than 15 years and said parliamentary elections will be held on May 22, followed by a presidential vote on July 31.



Israeli Strike Kills One in Lebanon's South

Smoke billowing above the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil during Israeli bombardment. (AFP file)
Smoke billowing above the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil during Israeli bombardment. (AFP file)
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Israeli Strike Kills One in Lebanon's South

Smoke billowing above the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil during Israeli bombardment. (AFP file)
Smoke billowing above the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil during Israeli bombardment. (AFP file)

One person was killed on Wednesday in an Israeli strike on a village in southern Lebanon, the health ministry reported, the latest deadly attack despite a November ceasefire.

"The raid carried out by an enemy Israeli drone on the town of Beit Lif, in the Bint Jbeil district, resulted in one martyr and three people injured," read a statement from the ministry.

The official National News Agency said the strike targeted a house's courtyard in the town, adding that a missile hit the homeowner's car.

Israel has regularly bombed its northern neighbor since the November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with armed group Hezbollah including two months of full-blown war.

The agreement required Hezbollah fighters to withdraw north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle all military infrastructure to its south.

It also required Israel to withdraw all of its troops from Lebanon, but it has kept them in five positions it deems "strategic".