Middle East & North Africa

06 October 2023; MEMO: Israeli forces fatally shot two Palestinian men this yesterday after attacking their vehicle during a raid near the village of Shufa, south of the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm.

According to Wafa news agency, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that Huthayfah Fares, aged 27, and Abd Al-Rahman Atta, aged 23, were shot after the occupation army stormed the refugee camp in Tulkarm and deployed snipers in several places.

07 October 2023; MEMO: The National Election Authority (NEA) yesterday opened the door for candidates who fulfil the candidacy requirements for the upcoming presidential election, however, none of the presidential hopefuls submitted their papers, Egypt’s State Information Service reported.

06 October 2023; MEMO: Israel, late on Thursday, announced a complete closure of the Palestinian Territories during the two-day Jewish Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah) holiday, Anadolu Agency reports.

06 October 2023; MEMO: A Turkish-flagged general cargo ship that was sailing on Thursday in the Black Sea en route to Ukraine’s Izmail port did not sustain damage from an explosion, Turkiye’s maritime authority and the ship’s captain told Reuters on Friday.

“An explosion occurred 15-20 meters behind the Kafkametler ship en route to Izmail port from Batumi port while it was cruising off the coast of Romania/Sulina (port),” the authority said.

06 October 2023; MEMO: A recent investigative report by the European Investigative Collaborations, involving 15 European news outlets, has alleged that Athens was the centre of the Israeli Intellexa spyware company, Anadolu Agency reports.

Greek Reporters United, providing new evidence, revealed that the central figure in the scandal was French businessman, Stefan Salies, the head of Nexa, which collaborated closely with Intellexa to sell surveillance software, including the Predator, to illiberal regimes.

06 October 2023; MEMO: Iran’s Foreign Ministry, on Friday, condemned the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to jailed rights activist, Narges Mohammadi, as a biased move aimed at politicising the prize, Reuters reports.

“The action of the Nobel Peace Committee is political move in line with the interventionist and anti-Iranian policies of some European governments,” Ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, said.

06 October 2023; MEMO: Morocco, on Friday, began disbursing a monthly stipend of 2,500 dirhams, or $250, to families hit by last month’s deadly earthquake, villagers told Anadolu.

The government had promised compensation for quake victims on 6-16 October, and families who do not receive the amount can submit a petition to relevant regional committees, Anadolu Agency reports.

07 October 2023; MEMO: Israeli journalist Emanuel Fabian has reported casualties among settlers and troops inside Israeli settlements; Israel’s Megan David Paramedics said there are many deaths.

The Times of Israel reported sources reiterating infiltration of Palestinian fighters into at least one Israeli settlement.

Sources told the Israeli daily that clashes between the Palestinian fighters and Israeli security inside the settlements are ongoing.

07 October 2023; MEMO: The Israeli army has declared a “state of readiness” for war after Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip fired an intense barrage of rockets early Saturday toward Israel, reports Israel Broadcasting Authority.

The rocket salvoes were fired from different locations in the enclave but Israel’s Iron Dome defence system intercepted many, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

07 October 2023; MEMO: Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh called on Friday for international intervention to stop what he described as “terrorism” committed by settlers in the West Bank, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for prosecuting an Israeli minister due to his “racist” statements.

Shtayyeh’s call came in statements conveyed by government spokesperson Ibrahim Melhem, a copy of which Anadolu Agency received.