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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)
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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.

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MSF Suspends Operations at Key Hospital in Sudan's Capital

FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
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MSF Suspends Operations at Key Hospital in Sudan's Capital

FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)

Medical aid agency MSF said on Friday it has been forced to suspend its activities at one of the few remaining hospitals in southern Khartoum due to repeated attacks, cutting off yet another lifeline for those who remain in the Sudanese capital.
War has been raging in Sudan since April 2023, sparked by a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis.
The hospital, which lies in territory controlled by the RSF, helped treat the victims of frequent airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces, as well as hundreds of malnourished women and children in an area where two neighborhoods have been judged at risk of famine, reported Reuters.
"In the 20 months MSF teams have worked alongside hospital staff and volunteers, Bashair Hospital has experienced repeated incidents of armed fighters entering the hospital with weapons and threatening medical staff, often demanding fighters be treated before other patients," MSF said in a statement.
"Despite extensive engagements with all stakeholders, these attacks have continued in recent months. MSF has now taken the very difficult decision to suspend all medical activities in the hospital."
The fighting in Sudan has cut off up to 80% of hospitals in conflict areas, where millions who cannot afford to escape the violence remain. Civilians face frequent air and artillery fire and hunger as supplies are blocked by both warring parties and prices skyrocket.
Medical facilities, including MSF-supported ones that have suspended operations, have frequently come under attack by RSF soldiers demanding treatment or looting supplies. Bashair Hospital has served more than 25,000 people, MSF said, including 9,000 hurt by blasts, gunshot wounds, and other violence.
"Sometimes dozens of people arrived at the hospital at the same time after shelling or airstrikes on residential areas and markets," MSF said in the statement, citing an incident on Sunday where an airstrike one kilometer away drove 50 people to the emergency room, 12 of them already dead.