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Israel Detains 3 Palestinian Election Candidates in Jerusalem

16 April 2021, Palestinian Territories, Jerusalem: Palestinian and Israeli activists gather in front of Israeli settlers house during a demonstration against the expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Photo: Jamal Awad/APA Images
16 April 2021, Palestinian Territories, Jerusalem: Palestinian and Israeli activists gather in front of Israeli settlers house during a demonstration against the expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Photo: Jamal Awad/APA Images
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Israel Detains 3 Palestinian Election Candidates in Jerusalem

16 April 2021, Palestinian Territories, Jerusalem: Palestinian and Israeli activists gather in front of Israeli settlers house during a demonstration against the expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Photo: Jamal Awad/APA Images
16 April 2021, Palestinian Territories, Jerusalem: Palestinian and Israeli activists gather in front of Israeli settlers house during a demonstration against the expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Photo: Jamal Awad/APA Images

Israeli police arrested three Palestinian activists, who were planning to hold a news conference ahead of the election for the Palestinian Authority’s legislative assembly, scheduled for May.

Palestinians saw the arrest that took place in East Jerusalem as a measure to undermine Palestinian democracy and an indication that Israel intends to ban the elections in Jerusalem.

The Israeli intelligence informed the management of St. George Hotel Jerusalem that any activity belonging to the Palestinian Authority is banned and handed them a decision from the Israeli Minister of Public Security which bans any PA-related activity there, according to WAFA.

Fatah movement decried the arrest of the three candidates - Ashraf A’war, Nasser Qous, and Ratiba Natsha - and the ban of the press conference.

Fatah movement spokesman Osama al-Qawasmi stated that the practices of Israel in Jerusalem reflect a fascist, racist and oppressive policy.

He stressed the stance of the movement that Jerusalem is the political capital of Palestinians.

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US, Arab Mediators Make Some Progress in Gaza Peace Talks, No Deal Yet

Palestinians inspect damaged residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held before being rescued during an operation by Israeli security forces in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 12, 2024. (AP)
Palestinians inspect damaged residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held before being rescued during an operation by Israeli security forces in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 12, 2024. (AP)
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US, Arab Mediators Make Some Progress in Gaza Peace Talks, No Deal Yet

Palestinians inspect damaged residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held before being rescued during an operation by Israeli security forces in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 12, 2024. (AP)
Palestinians inspect damaged residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held before being rescued during an operation by Israeli security forces in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 12, 2024. (AP)

US and Arab mediators have made some progress in their efforts to reach a ceasefire accord between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but not enough to seal a deal, Palestinian sources close to the talks said on Thursday.
As talks continued in Qatar, the Israeli military carried out strikes across the enclave, killing at least 17 people, Palestinian medics said.
Qatar, the US and Egypt are making a major push to reach a deal to halt fighting in the 15-month conflict and free remaining hostages held by the Hamas group before President Joe Biden leaves office.
President-elect Donald Trump has warned there will be "hell to pay", if the hostages are not released by his inauguration on Jan. 20.
On Thursday, a Palestinian official close to the mediation effort said the absence of a deal so far did not mean the talks were going nowhere and said this was the most serious attempt so far to reach an accord.
"There are extensive negotiations, mediators and negotiators are talking about every word and every detail. There is a breakthrough when it comes to narrowing old existing gaps but there is no deal yet," he told Reuters, without giving further details.
On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar-Tal said Israel was fully committed to reaching an agreement to return its hostages from Gaza but faces obstruction from Hamas.
The two sides have been at an impasse for a year over two key issues. Hamas has said it will only free its remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war and withdraw all its troops from Gaza. Israel says it will not end the war until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are free.
SEVERE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
On Thursday, the death toll from Israel's military strikes included eight Palestinians killed in a house in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps, where Israeli forces have operated for more than three months. Nine others, including a father and his three children, died in two separate airstrikes on two houses in central Gaza Strip, health officials said.
There was no Israeli military comment on the two incidents.
More than 46,000 people have been killed in the Gaza war, according to Palestinian health officials. Much of the enclave has been laid waste and most of the territory's 2.1 million people have been displaced multiple times and face acute shortages of food and medicine, humanitarian agencies say.
Israel denies hindering humanitarian relief to Gaza and says it has facilitated the distribution of hundreds of truckloads of food, water, medical supplies and shelter equipment to warehouses and shelters over the past week.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. On Wednesday, the Israeli military said troops had recovered the body of Israeli Bedouin hostage Youssef Al-Ziyadna, along with evidence that was still being examined suggesting his son Hamza, taken on the same day, may also be dead.
"We will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages, the living and the deceased," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.