Day: June 5, 2023

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WAFA: TWO MINORS, TWO MEN, 75 AND 60 YEARS OLD, AMONG 24 PALESTINIANS DETAINED BY THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES

NNA – The Israeli occupation forces today detained 24 Palestinians in the occupied territories, most of them from the village of al-Mughayyer, near Ramallah, which has been under military siege for 24 days, among them two 16-year-old minors and two men, 75 and 60 years old, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS). The detainees from al-Mughayyer also included two 48 years old men. The PPS said the Israeli forces detained a total of 45 people in al-Mughayyer since the start of the siege, even though most of them have been released. The occupation forces also continued to target the Jericho governorate, specifically Aqbat Jabr refugee camp, which has been facing systematic arrest campaigns since the beginning of this year leading to the detention of 180 people, said the PPS. Today, four people, including two siblings, were detained. Detentions were also recorded in the Bethlehem area town of Tuqu for a 19-year-old youth, and the Hebron governorate, where three men were detained, one from the city of Hebron, one from Beit Ummar, and the third from al-Dhahriyeh. In addition, a 40-year-old former prisoner was detained during an army raid of Deir al-Ghosoon town, north of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarm. The PPS said that since the beginning of this year, more than 3,370 people have been detained by the Israeli army.-WAFA

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

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Berlin Group 21: OPCW investigations on alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria are unprofessional

Berlin 21 Group said that the investigations by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, specifically in Douma city in April 2018, are biased.

In a letter addressed to the Syrian Permanent Mission and representatives of international missions to OPCW, the group said that a group of experts reviewed the organization’s investigations into the alleged Douma incident, including all related to chemistry, toxicology and ballistics, witness testimonies procedural irregularities that caused serious controversy over the investigations that took place in connection with that incident.

The letter indicated that the scientific evidence was manipulated by the OPCW, specifically the investigation and identification team, which led to biased conclusions.

The letter pointed out that it is important to remember that the alleged Douma attack which took place on the 7th of April 2018, and was followed by US, Britain, and France air strike on the 18th of April 2018, the pretext of revenge for what happened in Douma, before the OPCW organization began reviewing the investigations it conducted.

The letter indicated that there are attempts by Western countries to distort the organization’s conclusions.

For his part, professor emeritus of Science, Technology, and International Security at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Theodore Postol, , who participated in the review, said that the reports issued by the Organization about the alleged Douma incident were unprofessional and were carried out by amateurs, stressing that the organization did not respect international law.

Catherine Jean, a member of the review team who previously worked in British intelligence, confirmed that the organization’s reports lack of transparency, open dialogue and accountability.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

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Jordanian exports show resilience, growth amidst challenges

Jordanian exports have demonstrated resilience and overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing a continuous upward trajectory since the beginning of this year. During the first quarter of 2023, national exports experienced significant growth, surpassing 8.8% in comparison to the same period last year. This expansion was primarily driven by increased exports of industrial products. National exports encompass both goods and services produced within the country and subsequently shipped to external destinations. They serve as a robust indicator of the strength of the industrial sector and the local economy. Numerous goods and products spearheaded the growth of national exports in the first quarter of this year. Notably, fertilizers accounted for a value of JD358 million, garments and related items contributed JD298 million, raw potash reached approximately JD197 million, raw phosphates stood at JD142 million, chemicals amounted to JD132 million, and pharmaceutical stimulants accounted for JD104 million. The industrial sector witnessed a remarkable growth rate of 9.3% during the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in the previous year, reaching a total of JD1.9 billion. These industrial exports constituted over 97% of the overall national exports. This growth affirms the consistent positive performance of national exports, particularly within the industrial sector, even in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. It relies on available opportunities arising from global demand for fertilizers, food products, and other essential goods. Jordan’s objectives include achieving desired economic growth, reducing the trade deficit, generating employment opportunities, supporting foreign currency reserves, and encouraging business owners to expand their operations and attract further investments through export expansion. Fathi Jaghbir, President of the Jordan Chamber of Industry and the Amman Chamber of Industry, highlighted the existing export potential in the country that is capable of achieving further growth, emphasizing the target of the industrial sector in doubling export value in the next decade with an annual growth rate exceeding 7%. He stressed that maintaining the achieved growth in national exports during the first quarter of this year necessitates the removal of obstacles confronting the industry, including the lack of diversity in both the goods and geographical destinations of national exports. “Despite Jordanian products reaching more than 142 countries, only 7 countries account for 70% of the total national exports. Furthermore, approximately 61% of the total national exports are represented by only 13 commodities,” he added, stating that in spite of this evident weakness, there is around $4.4 billion worth of untapped export opportunities for Jordanian products across numerous goods and various countries worldwide. He further added, “Industrial products possess the necessary quality and efficiency, but they lack adequate networking and support, particularly in technical aspects, to enhance their marketing and promotional capabilities and direct them effectively towards foreign markets. This should be accompanied by bolstering connections with global supply chains and implementing mechanisms and technologies for e-commerce.” Jaghbir underscored the importance of leveraging the kingdom’s competitive advantages as a gateway to global markets by attracting high-quality investments focused on exports. These investments should be accompanied by an incentive system that bolsters value-added contributions to the national economy and generates more employment opportunities for the local workforce.

Source: Jordan News Agency

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FM, Hungarian officials hold talks in Budapest, 3rd add

Safadi indicated that his talks with the Hungarian minister dealt with combating terrorism, and said, “We suffered from terrorism, as did everyone,” stressing the commitment of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in combating terrorism. He referred to the Aqaba Operation launched by His Majesty the King as a platform that unites all efforts in dealing with all aspects of terrorism and combating it in terms of security, military and ideology. For his part, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto welcomed Safadi’s visit, lauding the strength of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which date back sixty years. “The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Hungary are two different countries, and they are geographically far from each other in two different regions, but despite all of that, the security risks are similar for the two countries,” Szijjarto said, referring to the wars and security crises that the two countries are witnessing. Szijjarto stressed that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is “a very important player, not only at the regional level, but also at the global level in confronting terrorism, extremism and conflict,” expressing appreciation for Jordan’s role in this regard, and its role in hosting the refugees it sponsors. He pointed out that had it not been for Jordan’s role in that, “all these millions would have set off towards Europe,” adding, “We encourage the European Union and international organizations to increase financial support to Jordan in order to support the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to sponsor the hundreds of thousands and millions who reside on its lands.” Szijjarto added, “Large numbers of students come from Jordan, and Hungary offers 400 scholarships annually to Jordan, and this year more than 1,400 Jordanian students applied for Hungarian scholarships. He added, “Hungary is a popular destination for Jordanian students and they love to come to us, and in this way we encourage the revitalization of human relations between the two peoples, and this will eventually and certainly affect economic and political relations in the future well.”

Source: Jordan News Agency

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Extremist settlers break into Al-Aqsa under Israeli police escort

Dozens of Jewish extremist settlers early Monday stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque/ al-Haram al-Sharif compound in occupied East Jerusalem, according to an official Palestinian source. The General Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said in a statement that the settlers carried out today’s raids through al-Magharebah Gate under the heavy protection of Israeli police, who restricted Muslim worshippers’ access to the mosque. “The settlers toured the mosque’s yards, and provocatively performed their Talmudic rituals in the Bab al-Rahma area and in front of the Dome of the Rock before they left from Al-Silsila Gate,” it added.

Source: Jordan News Agency

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FM, Hungarian officials hold talks in Budapest, 4th add

Responding to a question, Safadi said, “The Kingdom has strategic partnership with the European Union and with the EU countries of the Union, and we highly appreciate the support they provide to help us do what we can to provide a decent life for the refugees.” He added, “We are the largest refugee-hosting country in relation to the number of the world’s population, so while we appreciate this support, we must also point to the fact that this support is declining, not only to refugees and host communities, but also to international organizations concerned with providing support to refugees.” Safadi added that the World Food Program, for example, will reduce the its services to about ten thousand Syrian refugees in Jordan, and the High Commissioner for Refugees has begun to reduce its services as well due to the lack of full financial support. Safadi warned that stopping these two organizations from providing their services will exacerbate the suffering of the refugees, and the host countries. “We have reached the limit of our ability to tolerate asylum,” he added, calling on the international community to take practical steps to provide the necessary support to help host countries provide a decent life for refugees. “We in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have done everything we can for the refugees to obtain the requirements of a decent life, because these are victims of conflicts and should not be victims of neglect or failure to provide what they deserve of a decent life,” Safadi said. He added, “Investing in refugees is an investment in our common security, because if we give refugees hope, give them education, and make them feel that we stand with them in their suffering, they will be able to contribute to the communities in which they live, an they will be able to rebuild their country when they return to it, but if we abandon them and make them victims of despair, ignorance and deprivation, we will be facing a great challenge in the future.”

Source: Jordan News Agency