Middle East & North Africa

RAMALLAH, Sept 1 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammed Ishtaye, said yesterday that, Palestine welcomes any international initiative, to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Palestinian people look forward to ending the Israeli occupation of their territories, and establishing their independent Palestinian state, on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, Ishtaye told an online international conference on the Middle East.

JERUSALEM, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Israel said on Wednesday that a U.S. plan to reopen its consulate in Jerusalem that has traditionally been a base for diplomatic outreach to Palestinians is a "bad idea" and could destabilise Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's new government.

The prior administration of President Donald Trump signalled support for Israel's claim on Jerusalem as its capital by moving the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv and subsuming the consulate in that mission.

ALGIERS, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Tuesday that Libya should regain its role in the Maghreb region, Africa and the Arab World, the official APS news agency reported.

Tebboune made the remarks at a meeting of foreign ministers of Libya's neighboring nations held in the capital of Algiers, which aimed at helping Libya to hold general elections on Dec. 24.

TEHRAN, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran's spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that two decades of U.S. "occupation" has only brought "death and destruction to Afghanistan."

It is a historic opportunity now for Afghan leaders to end the plight of their people by ending violence and forming an inclusive government, Saeed Khatibzadeh tweeted.

He stressed that "Iran stands by the brotherly nation of Afghanistan."

01 Sep 2021; MEMO: Officials in Tunisia are working to set up fabricated charges against the Ennahda movement claiming it is involved in acts of terrorism, ahead of launching a security campaign against the group, details leaked to Arabi21 appear to show.

31 Aug 2021; MEMO: The Indian Ambassador to Qatar today met with the representative of the Taliban's political office in Doha, according to India's Foreign Ministry.

"Ambassador of India to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of the Taliban's political office in Doha. The meeting took place at the Embassy of India, Doha, on the request of the Taliban side," the ministry said in a statement.

01 Sep 2021; MEMO: The US forces' withdrawal from Afghanistan is a "message proving that the Afghani people's will is stronger than any occupation," Hamas announced yesterday.

"The completion of the US forces' withdrawal from Afghanistan is a historic moment, and a great victory for the Afghan people," Hamas spokesperson, Sami Abu Zuhri, said on Twitter, describing the American move as a "turning point in the region."

01 Sep 2021; MEMO: Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) yesterday referred the former presidential candidate and head of the Strong Egypt Party, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, to the criminal court on charges of "leading a terrorist group".

31 Aug 2021; MEMO: The United Arab Emirates said yesterday its Public Prosecution office would be allowed to investigate ministers and senior officials suspected of wrongdoing in order to enhance accountability, Reuters reports.

The public prosecutor can receive complaints against any senior official and they will be referred for investigation in coordination with the UAE's federal government, a statement published by the Dubai Media office said, citing a presidential decree.

01 Sep 2021; MEMO: Two missiles targeted a US military base in the Koniko gas field in the surroundings of Deir Ez-Zor in eastern Syria yesterday evening, Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported.

The news organisation quoted local sources in Deir Ez-Zor as saying that the Koniko gas field base was targeted by two missiles, but it was not confirmed whether the attack resulted in injuries or casualties.

The agency gave no further details about the party responsible for the attack.