US welcomes trilateral summit between Egypt, Israel and UAE

Egypt's Sisi hosted UAE, Israeli leaders at Red Sea resort on Tuesday. (Courtesy: Egyptian presidency)
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Updated 24 March 2022
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US welcomes trilateral summit between Egypt, Israel and UAE

WASHINGTON/CAIRO: The US State Department said it welcomed the trilateral summit on Tuesday between the leaders of Egypt, Israel and the UAE, who met in Sharm El-Sheikh for talks on the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the growing influence of Iran in the region.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters that US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley has been in close consultations with Gulf partners.

The summit came nearly a month after Russia invaded Ukraine in a move that sparked concerns about security and sent prices of oil, wheat and other key commodities soaring.

“Against the backdrop of the recent developments in the world and the region, the leaders discussed the ties between the three countries and ways to strengthen them on all levels,” said a statement from the office of Israeli Premier Naftali Bennett.


1,965 Israeli violations recorded against Palestinians in February

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1,965 Israeli violations recorded against Palestinians in February

  • Head of Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission condemns attacks as a continuation of ‘terror’ against Palestinians
  • Violations included assaults, uprooting trees, burning fields and preventing olive pickers from accessing their lands

LONDON: Israeli forces and settlers carried out 1,965 attacks across Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank in February, according to a report by the Palestinian Authority.

Muayyad Shaaban, head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, condemned the attacks as a continuation of the “terror” against the Palestinian people, their land and property.

The commission documented 1,454 attacks by Israeli forces and 511 by settlers, most of which were concentrated in the governorates of Hebron with 421 attacks, followed by Nablus with 340, Ramallah and Al-Bireh with 320, and East Jerusalem with 210 attacks.

Violations have included direct beatings of Palestinians, uprooting trees, burning fields, and preventing olive pickers from accessing their lands.

Israeli forces have seized land and demolished homes and agricultural facilities under the pretext of “security,” which has enabled settlers to expand their settlements, according to Wafa news agency.

Shaaban said: “What is taking place represents an organized methodology aimed at emptying the land of its owners and imposing an integrated racist colonial system.”

Israeli settlers have poisoned and uprooted a total of 1,314 trees, including 1,054 olive trees, in the areas of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus and Tulkarm. The olive groves have been a lifeline for Palestinians in the West Bank, with an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 families relying on the olive harvest for their livelihoods, according to the UN Human Rights Council.

In February, Israeli forces demolished 122 structures belonging to Palestinians, including 56 inhabited homes, nine uninhabited homes, 34 agricultural facilities and 18 sources of livelihood. More than one-third of these demolitions took place in Jerusalem, totaling 46 structures.