Middle East & North Africa

19 Jan 2021; MEMO: Israel does not intend to resume normal relations with Turkey and send its ambassador back to Ankara unless the Turkish government closes a Hamas office in Istanbul. The office is alleged to be run by the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement.

"[President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan would be happy to return our ambassador to Ankara, but what we are interested in is Hamas activity in Turkey," an Israeli official is quoted as saying by Ynet.

19 Jan 2021; MEMO: The Iranian parliament announced yesterday that it is preparing a draft resolution on a "defence and security treaty for the Axis of Resistance" which it will sign with its allies, states and non-state actors alike.

Although an informal alliance already exists, the aim of the "NATO-style" treaty is to oblige members to respond collectively to any attack on any members by Israel or other hostile states.

CAIRO, January 20. /TASS/: Egyptian authorities expect Russia’s expert team to inspect the Hurghada International Airport’s security on January 27, the country’s daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm announced.

19 Jan 2021; MEMO: Hours after Israel's announcement that travellers and returnees from Brazil and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would be quarantined, the UAE has suspended the visa waiver agreement for Israelis, Israeli media reported on Monday.

BAGHDAD, Jan 20 (NNN-NINA) – Iraq approved the emergency use of China’s Sinopharm and British AstraZeneca vaccines, to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Iraqi Ministry of Health said, the Iraqi National Board for Selection of Drugs (NBSD) approved the emergency use of the two vaccines.

Health Minister, Hassan al-Tamimi, who held a meeting with the NBSD, said, the ministry made all logistical preparations to receive the vaccines and identified the groups that would take the vaccines, the ministry said.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged the incoming U.S. administration on Wednesday to return to a 2015 nuclear agreement and lift sanctions on Tehran, while welcoming the end of “tyrant” President Donald Trump’s era.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office on Wednesday, has said the United States will rejoin the pact, which includes restrictions on Iran’s nuclear work, if Tehran resumes strict compliance.

TRIPOLI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Al-Mabrouk Abdulhafith, head of the Libyan Anti-Illegal Immigration Department, on Tuesday called for joint international efforts to resolve the issue of illegal immigration.

Abdulhafith made his remarks during a meeting with German Ambassador to Libya Oliver Owcza, according to a statement issued by the Libyan Interior Department.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has spent much of his long career casting Israel’s Arab minority as a potential fifth column led by terrorist sympathizers, is now openly courting their support as he seeks reelection in the country’s fourth vote in less than two years.

19 Jan 2021; MEMO: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with the heads of Egyptian and Jordanian intelligence in Ramallah yesterday afternoon. The head of the PA Intelligence Services, Majed Faraj, also attended the meeting two days after Abbas announced that elections are to be held for the Palestinian presidency, parliament and National Council.

19 Jan 2021; MEMO: Arab parliament Speaker Adel Abdul-Rahman Al-Asoumi welcomed on Monday a presidential decree on holding parliamentary, presidential and Palestinian National Council elections, a statement sent to the media announced.