Middle East & North Africa

DAMASCUS, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Syrians in a number of foreign countries began casting their ballots for the Syrian presidential elections Thursday ahead of next week's vote inside the country, state news agency SANA reported.

As scheduled, the Syrians abroad started voting for the presidential elections in the embassies and consulates of Syria in some Arab and other countries, while Syrians inside the home country are set to vote on May 26.

20 May 2021; MEMO: A group of Jewish activists using the hashtag #IsraelisAgainstApartheid have condemned the actions of the Israeli government in its ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, as well as its ethnic cleansing of the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem. The group addressed the international community in an open letter which has been signed by 400 people.

20 May 2021; MEMO: Palestinian resistance group Hamas is willing to agree to a conditional ceasefire, ABC News has reported citing a senior official, but the Israelis have no interest in ending their onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip.

The latest figures show that more than 230 people have died including 65 children, 35 women and 16 elderly people, while a further 1,700 have been injured during the Israeli offensive which began on 10 May. Twelve Israelis are also said to have been killed by.

20 May 2021; MEMO: An Israeli air strike damaged the main fibre optic cable in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The cable connects the southern cities of the territory with the central zone, where telephone and internet connections were affected.

According to the Palestinian Telecommunication Company (Paltel), the damage can be repaired "very soon". However, if the infrastructure is damaged even further, there will be a major problem.

20 May 2021; MEMO: Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad said yesterday that his country has refused to borrow money from the IMF in order not to undermine its sovereignty, Anadolu reported.

The PM said that his government decided to maintain financial balances through certain measures in light of the fight against COVID-19, but absolutely refused to turn to the IMF.

20 May 2021; MEMO: The head of media and communications in the Turkish presidency, Fahrettin Altun, yesterday condemned the United States for claiming that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's criticism of Israel ignites "anti-Semitism".

Earlier on Tuesday, the State Department criticised what it called Erdogan's "anti-Semitic" remarks amid his denunciation of Israel's air strikes on Gaza.

20 May 2021; MEMO: Israel's official Twitter account criticised US model Bella Hadid for taking part in a protest in New York to condemn the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Adalah – The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel said on Tuesday that firing Palestinian citizens of Israel from their jobs over their participation in the Dignity Strike organised in solidarity with Gaza, Sheikh Jarrah and Al-Aqsa Mosque is illegal.

Several Arab workers reported being fired from their jobs after they took part in the civic action which was announced by the Follow up Committee for the Arab Citizens in Israel.

20 May 2021; MEMO:Hamas leaders and their families have not left the besieged enclave for refuge in Egypt amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza, Interior Ministry spokesperson, Iyad Al-Bozum, said on Tuesday.

20 May 2021; MEMO: The military analyst for Haaretz newspaper, Amos Harel, said on Wednesday that senior army officers want to end the military offensive against Gaza, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't because he is looking for a "clear victory".

According to Harel, the majority of the political and military leaders in Israel think that the operation in Gaza is coming to an end soon, but neither the politicians nor the army want to carry full responsibility.