Middle East & North Africa

MAARAB, Lebanon, Nov 30 (Reuters) - One of Lebanon's main Christian politicians accused foe Hezbollah and its allies of working to postpone a parliamentary election set for March over fears of electoral losses, warning such a move would condemn Lebanon to a "slow death".

Western donors that Lebanon is relying on to stem its financial implosion have said the vote must go ahead. Politicians from all sides, including Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, have repeatedly said it should happen otherwise the country's standing would be dealt a further blow.

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Tuesday it was unable to pay its 28,000 employees on time this month because of a major funding crisis, warning of potential cuts in vital services to millions of people amid a global pandemic.

UNRWA runs schools, clinics and food distribution programs for millions of registered Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, mainly the descendants of Palestinians who fled or were driven out of what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding its creation.

30 Nov 2021; MEMO: Jordan and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron to celebrate a Jewish holiday. Herzog forced his way into the mosque on Sunday to participate in a candle-lighting ceremony. He was accompanied by a large number of Israeli police officers and illegal Jewish settlers.

29 Nov 2021; MEMO: Saudi Arabia, on Monday, called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Saudi Arabia is looking to convene an "OIC Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting to Discuss Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan," said SPA, the Kingdom's official news agency.

30 Nov 2021; MEMO: Deputy Secretary-General of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), Hisham Abu Mahfouz, yesterday called for the UN to back down on its decision to partition Palestine, Quds Press reported.

He also called for the UN to put pressure on the Israeli occupation to "implement all the international resolutions related to Palestinians and stop all Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people."

30 Nov 2021; MEMO: Israeli occupation authorities yesterday renewed the administrative detention of Hamas leader Sheikh Jamal Al Taweel for another six months, the Prisoners Information Office reported.

On 2 June, a group of undercover Israeli occupation forces kidnapped 59-year-old Al Taweel, 59, from in front of his house in the occupied West Bank city of Al Bireh.

29 Nov 2021; MEMO: Israel urged world leaders to keep up pressure on Iran and not lift sanctions as part of nuclear negotiations that were set to resume in Vienna on Monday, saying that tighter supervision of Tehran was needed, Reuters reports.

29 Nov 2021; MEMO: The Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, announced Sunday that it will take legal action against the UK, which recently listed it as a terrorist organization, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Speaking at an online conference held by the Centre for Palestinian Refugee Studies, Hamas Political Bureau chief, Mousa Abu Marzouk said the group is actively working with various institutions and organisations against the move.

30 Nov 2021; MEMO: Israeli occupation authorities yesterday ordered Palestinians halt the construction of 32 houses in the village of Qusra, southeast of Nablus, local sources reported.

Deputy head of the village council, Imad Jamil, said: "Israeli forces delivered stop-construction orders against 32 houses in addition to a demolition order of an agricultural shed in the village."

These houses are owned by Palestinians and they are being built on private Palestinian land.

30 Nov 2021; MEMO: Miss France Clémence Botino tested positive for coronavirus shortly after arriving in Israel to participate in the Miss Universe 2021 pageant, Israel Hayom reported.

The paper quoted informed sources as saying that Botino was taken in an ambulance to a government isolation hotel yesterday morning and she will most likely miss the competition on 12 December in Eilat.