Israel resumes plans of east Jerusalem settlement, cuts access for Palestinians

A picture taken on November 12, 2020 shows a view of ongoing construction work at Ramat Shlomo, a Jewish settlement in the Israeli-annexed eastern sector of Jerusalem. (File/AFP)
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Updated 15 November 2020
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Israel resumes plans of east Jerusalem settlement, cuts access for Palestinians

  • The Housing Ministry on Sunday opened up tenders for more than 1,200 new homes in the Givat Hamatos area of Jerusalem
  • The move may test ties with the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden

JERUSALEM: Israel is moving forward on the construction of hundreds of new homes for Jewish residents in a sensitive east Jerusalem neighborhood, the country’s Housing Ministry and a settlement watchdog group said Sunday.
The Housing Ministry on Sunday opened up tenders for more than 1,200 new homes in the Givat Hamatos area of Jerusalem. The settlement watchdog group Peace Now and other critics say construction there would seal off the Palestinian city of Bethlehem from east Jerusalem, further cutting off access for the Palestinians to the eastern sector of the city, which they claim as capital of their hoped-for state.
The move may test ties with the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden, who is expected to take a firmer tack against Israeli settlement expansion after four years of a more lenient policy under President Donald Trump.


UAE says Algeria move to end air pact has no immediate impact on flights

Updated 08 February 2026
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UAE says Algeria move to end air pact has no immediate impact on flights

  • On Saturday, ‌Algeria said it ‍has ‍begun the ‍process of cancelling its air services agreement with the ​UAE, signed in Abu Dhabi in 2013

ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates said that Algeria's ​notification to terminate an air services agreement between the two countries will not ‌have any "immediate ‌impact ‌on flight ⁠operations", ​the ‌state news agency WAM reported on Sunday, citing the country's General Civil Aviation ⁠Authority (GCAA).
On Saturday, ‌Algeria said it ‍has ‍begun the ‍process of cancelling its air services agreement with the ​UAE, signed in Abu Dhabi in 2013.
GCAA ⁠said the air services agreement with Algeria remained in force "during the legally mandated notice period," without giving further details.