Arab Joint List Prepares Complaint Against Israeli Practices in Ibrahimi Mosque

The Ibrahimi Mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank (File photo: Reuters)
The Ibrahimi Mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank (File photo: Reuters)
TT

Arab Joint List Prepares Complaint Against Israeli Practices in Ibrahimi Mosque

The Ibrahimi Mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank (File photo: Reuters)
The Ibrahimi Mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank (File photo: Reuters)

The Arab Joint List announced it would lodge a violation complaint against Israeli practices in the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.

Members of the list affirmed that they witnessed first-hand the Israeli attacks on Palestinian rights after visiting the Mosque.

The head of the Joint List, Ayman Odeh, said that there is no doubt that the Israeli occupation authorities want to change the Arab, Islamic and Palestinian character of al-Haram al-Ibrahimi.

Odeh stressed that these violations are dangerously linked to the decisions to increase settlements in occupied Jerusalem and the rest of the Palestinian territories.

Odeh and other heads of the parties had arrived in Hebron to inspect the situation.

The delegation toured the old city of Hebron, the Ibrahimi Mosque, and the municipality of Hebron, where they were received by the mayor, Tayseer Abu Sneineh, members of the municipality, the endowments committee, and the Chamber of Commerce.

They were briefed on the Israeli military decision to seize lands in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque and shut down businesses in the Old City and its surrounding areas.

Abu Sneineh said that the visit confirms the unity of the Palestinian people in all territories, recalling the positions of members of the Joint List in the face of the occupation in the case of Sheikh Jarrah and the settlers’ storming of al-Aqsa Mosque.

He pointed out that Hebron needs this support as the Israeli occupation has started implementing plans for Judaization of the land.

MK Ahmad Tibi asserted that this land belongs to the Palestinian people, explaining that this stage requires popular support.

He noted that the purpose of the visit is to monitor the occupation violations closely and gather information from their source ahead of reporting to international institutions.

The head of the international relations department on Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance commission, Younes Arar, warned of the danger of the stage in light of the occupation’s attempts to impose its control over the Mosque through the establishment of electronic checkpoints and repeated attempts to prevent the call to prayer.

Arar reported that about 600 businesses had closed their doors in the area near ​​the Old City, and since the second intifada, more than 1,500 shops owners have been banned from opening their stores.



Egypt Rescues 28 People in Tourist Yacht Sinking in Red Sea

Sea Story had no technical problems, obtained all required permits prior to the trip, and was last checked for naval safety in March. (Red Sea Governorate on Facebook)
Sea Story had no technical problems, obtained all required permits prior to the trip, and was last checked for naval safety in March. (Red Sea Governorate on Facebook)
TT

Egypt Rescues 28 People in Tourist Yacht Sinking in Red Sea

Sea Story had no technical problems, obtained all required permits prior to the trip, and was last checked for naval safety in March. (Red Sea Governorate on Facebook)
Sea Story had no technical problems, obtained all required permits prior to the trip, and was last checked for naval safety in March. (Red Sea Governorate on Facebook)

A tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea on Monday after warnings of rough waters and 16 people were missing, Egyptian officials said.

The governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafy, said rescuers saved 28 people from the vessel south of the coastal town of Marsa Alam, and some were airlifted to receive medical treatment.

Hanafy visited the site where the vessel sank, according to a Red Sea Governorate update on Facebook. A total of 44 people were on board the yacht, including 13 Egyptians, who include crew members, and 31 foreign nationals from the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain, and Ireland.

The governor confirmed that rescuers were still searching for the missing, including four Egyptians and 12 foreigners. Meanwhile, those who survived suffered only bruises and abrasions and were taken to a hotel in Marsa Alam in good condition.

The Egyptian military was coordinating rescue operations with the governorate.

The boat, named Sea Story, had no technical problems, obtained all required permits prior to the trip, and was last checked for naval safety in March, according to officials.

Preliminary reports, based on statements from the yacht crew and tourists, said a large wave crashed into the boat, causing it to capsize, according to the governorate’s update. Some of the passengers were inside the cabins when the incident unfolded within minutes, according to the statements.

The UK Foreign Office said it was providing consular support to “a number of British nationals and their families” after the sinking.

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs also told The Associated Press in an email that it is “aware of this incident and is providing consular assistance” without revealing further details.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of any Spanish nationals among the missing. The ministry said that five Spanish nationals were rescued and are out of danger.

The governorate received a report shortly before dawn Monday of a distress call made from the yacht, which had left Marsa Alam for a five-day journey.

It was not immediately clear what caused the four-deck, wooden-hulled motorized yacht to sink. But the Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned about turbulence and high waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday.

Meanwhile, founder of the Society for Marine Rescue and Environmental Conservation in the Red Sea Hassan al-Tayeb told Asharq Al-Awsat that the yacht likely sank because of the poor weather conditions, citing meteorological reports a day before the incident.

The vessel had set sail before the weather warnings were made.

Tayeb stressed that such accidents are uncommon and that vessels are inspected by the concerned authorities before taking any sea journey.

He did not hold anyone in Egypt responsible for tourist vessel sinkings, explaining that ultimately, the weather is out of anyone’s control.