Gaza, April 25 (IANS) Thousands of Palestinians voted Saturday in the first municipal elections held in Gaza in 20 years, though the process was limited to the city of Deir al-Balah in the central part of the enclave, alongside local elections across the West Bank.Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), with voting continuing until 5:00 p.m. in Deir al-Balah and until 7:00 p.m. in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Central Elections Commission.The commission said som…
Latest West Bank News & Updates
Tel Aviv, March 12 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in Israel, Yair Lapid, said on Thursday that Israel is fighting a “just war” to ensure that all the people in the country are safe and not being harmed by terrorist organisations. Speaking to reporters, Lapid stated that Israel is fighting the war in the north as Hezbollah and Iran are targetting the area with drones and rockets.He said, “If you want to know why is it that we’re fighting this war here up in the Israeli north, it’s because if the…
Brussels, Feb 28 (IANS) Some European countries have urged their citizens to leave or avoid travel to Iran and several other Middle East regions due to escalating US-Iran tensions. The British government on Friday (local time) said it has temporarily withdrawn staff from Iran, with its embassy continuing to operate remotely, and advised against all travel to the country.The French Foreign Ministry issued a security advisory for French nationals against travel to Israel, Jerusalem and the West Ba…
Washington, Feb 27 (IANS) Amidst escalating tension in the Middle East, the U.S. State Department on Friday authorised the departure of non-emergency government personnel and their families from Israel, even as it retained its Level 3 advisory urging Americans to “Reconsider Travel” to Israel and the West Bank. In an updated Travel Advisory, the Department said it had “authorised the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel from M…
Cairo, Feb 22 (IANS) The Arab League, Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned remarks by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee that Israel has the right to claim control over the entire Middle East.Huckabee’s remarks, being illogical and irrational, are “inconsistent with the fundamental principles and established norms of diplomacy,” Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said in a statement.Those remarks “serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions” when …
New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday stated that India attended the Board of Peace’s first meeting in Washington on Thursday as an observer country and continues to back all efforts underway to find peace in Gaza as part of the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution. “We did attend the Board of Peace meeting in Washington DC as an observer. We have also welcomed the Gaza Peace Plan initiative of President Trump, as well as all such efforts underway as part of …
Davos, Jan 24 (IANS) The 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) here this week served as an essential and leading platform for convening decision-makers for consequential dialogue that enabled progress on the most challenging issues facing the world today.According to the WEF, close to 3,000 leaders from across regions, sectors and generations from 130 countries came together, including a record 400 top political leaders, nearly 65 heads of state and government, a majority of G7 l…
Jerusalem, Jan 1 (IANS) Israel said Thursday that new regulations banning access of dozens of aid organizations to Gaza and the West Bank had come into force, despite calls by UN agencies and international humanitarian groups to halt the move. Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli said organisations had been given 10 months to submit detailed information about their staff, with the deadline expiring at midnight on Wednesday. Groups that failed to meet the new requirements “had their licen…
United Nations, Jan 1 (IANS) Multiple United Nations (UN) humanitarian agencies and international organisations jointly issued a statement, calling on Israel to revoke its ban on the operations of international aid organisations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.The statement, issued on Wednesday (local time), said that international aid organisations play a central role in humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, providing nearly one billion US dollars in assistance annual…