PA Reinstates Virus Restrictions in Hebron, Nablus

Palestinian protesters pray at their lands during a demonstration against Israel's plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank in the village of Hares near the northern West Bank city of Salfit, 19 June 2020. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH
Palestinian protesters pray at their lands during a demonstration against Israel's plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank in the village of Hares near the northern West Bank city of Salfit, 19 June 2020. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH
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PA Reinstates Virus Restrictions in Hebron, Nablus

Palestinian protesters pray at their lands during a demonstration against Israel's plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank in the village of Hares near the northern West Bank city of Salfit, 19 June 2020. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH
Palestinian protesters pray at their lands during a demonstration against Israel's plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank in the village of Hares near the northern West Bank city of Salfit, 19 June 2020. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH

The Palestinian Authority has reinstated coronavirus restrictions in the West Bank following a spike in infections.

Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said Saturday that a closure and five-day curfew have been imposed on Hebron and that the city of Nablus would be cutoff for two days to contain the spread of the virus.

The actions came after 86 Palestinians tested positive for the COVID-19 disease in the West Bank Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases there to 687, including two deaths.

The government, which controls parts of the West Bank, reopened quarantine centers, stepped up restrictions on movement and limits on gatherings, and called on Arab residents of Israel to stop visiting the territory for 14 days.

In the Gaza Strip, 72 confirmed virus cases and one death have been reported. They all came from inside mandatory quarantine facilities for returnees through Israel and Egypt.



EU Condemns Israel's West Bank Control Measures

The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, seen from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, seen from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP)
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EU Condemns Israel's West Bank Control Measures

The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, seen from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, seen from the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP)

The European Union on Monday condemned new Israeli measures to tighten control of the West Bank and pave the way for more settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, AFP reported.

"The European Union condemns recent decisions by Israel's security cabinet to expand Israeli control in the West Bank. This move is another step in the wrong direction," EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni told journalists.


Atrocities in Sudan's El-Fasher Were 'Preventable Human Rights Catastrophe'

Sudanese displaced people who left El Fasher after its fall, sit in the shade in Tawila at the Rwanda camp reception point on December 17, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Sudanese displaced people who left El Fasher after its fall, sit in the shade in Tawila at the Rwanda camp reception point on December 17, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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Atrocities in Sudan's El-Fasher Were 'Preventable Human Rights Catastrophe'

Sudanese displaced people who left El Fasher after its fall, sit in the shade in Tawila at the Rwanda camp reception point on December 17, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Sudanese displaced people who left El Fasher after its fall, sit in the shade in Tawila at the Rwanda camp reception point on December 17, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

The atrocities unleashed on El-Fasher in Sudan's Darfur region last October were a "preventable human rights catastrophe", the United Nations said Monday, warning they now risked being repeated in the neighbouring Kordofan region.

 

"My office sounded the alarm about the risk of mass atrocities in the besieged city of El-Fasher for more than a year ... but our warnings were ignored," UN rights chief Volker Turk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

 

He added that he was now "extremely concerned that these violations and abuses may be repeated in the Kordofan region".

 

 

 

 


Arab League Condemns Israel's Decisions to Alter Legal, Administrative Status of West Bank

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
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Arab League Condemns Israel's Decisions to Alter Legal, Administrative Status of West Bank

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)

The General Secretariat of the Arab League strongly condemned decisions by Israeli occupation authorities to impose fundamental changes on the legal and administrative status of the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in the West Bank, describing them as a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international law, international legitimacy resolutions, and signed agreements, SPA reported.

In a statement, the Arab League said the measures include facilitating the confiscation of private Palestinian property and transferring planning and licensing authorities in the city of Hebron and the area surrounding the Ibrahimi Mosque to occupation authorities.

It warned of the serious repercussions of these actions on the rights of the Palestinian people and on Islamic and Christian holy sites.

The statement reaffirmed the Arab League’s firm support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the establishment of their independent state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.