Middle East & North Africa

02 Nov 2021; MEMO: The situation between the Palestinians and Israel is heading towards a military confrontation, member of Hamas' Political Bureau, Zaher Jabareen, said yesterday.

Speaking to Al Aqsa Radio, Jabareen said: "Tensions inside prisons have been escalating since the escape from Gilboa Prison."

02 Nov 2021; MEMO: Qatar's Foreign Minister, Muhammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, will head to Beirut "to discuss ways to support Lebanon" and help resolve its crisis with Gulf states, the Lebanese PM office said in a statement.

According to the statement, Najib Mikati met with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, on the sidelines of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow and discussed bilateral relations as well as the Lebanese-Gulf crisis.

01 Nov 2021; MEMO: Turkey will not attend a Paris conference on Libya that Greece, Israel, and the Greek Cypriot administration will participate in, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, speaking at his meeting with French President, Emmanuel Macron, at the G-20 Summit in Rome, Anadolu News Agency reports.

01 Nov 2021; MEMO: European tourism companies have begun hosting tours throughout Syria, in a move both widely celebrated and condemned as the world restores ties with the Syrian government.

According to a report by the German newspaper Deutsche Welle (DW), a number of tourism agencies based in Europe are enabling trips to and throughout Syria.

ALGIERS, Nov 1 (NNN-APS) – Algeria will re-evaluate the association agreement with the European Union (EU), Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, said yesterday.

The decision was taken during the cabinet meeting chaired by Tebboune, according to a statement of the presidency.

“Regarding consultations between Algeria and the EU, the president ordered the government to scrupulously re-evaluate the terms of the association agreement, which entered into force in Sept, 2005,” said the statement.

BEIRUT, Nov 1 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanon’s state security, yesterday arrested 54 Syrian nationals, during their attempt to leave Lebanon illegally by sea, from northern al-Ballan Island.

The Syrian nationals, including 25 men, nine women and 20 children, were arrested when waiting for three ships to transport them to Cyprus.

The arrested people were transferred to the relevant judicial bodies, for investigation and other legal procedures.

JERUSALEM, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron that the alleged misuse of spyware developed by an Israeli company, including against Macron, would be handled "discreetly", an Israeli official said on Monday.

JERUSALEM, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Israel began on Monday allowing vaccinated tourists to enter the country for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel in March 2020.

So far, the entry of non-Israeli citizens into Israel has been permitted only in exceptional cases, including a limited number of tourist groups.

According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, from now on, entry will be allowed to those who have not stayed in a country defined as "red" with high morbidity during the two weeks prior to arrival in Israel.

SANAA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 Houthi rebels were killed in an overnight airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen's central province of Marib, a Yemeni government military source said on Monday.

"The airstrike hit the rebels while they were gathering under a tree in the center of Al-Jubah district, killing the 18 on the spot," the source in Al-Jubah frontline told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported late on Sunday nine coalition airstrikes on the Houthi positions in Al-Jubah without providing further details.

TEHRAN, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- For any form of talks with the United States, Washington should first take "practical" steps, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday.

Iran hasn't had any direct or indirect talks with the United States since the latter's unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018, Khatibzadeh told reporters during his weekly press conference.