Israel launches manhunt, storms the West Bank

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“Peace to Prosperity” Conference in Bahrain

The “Peace to Prosperity” conference has kicked off in Bahraini capital Manama. Called by Senior Advisor to US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, the conference is intended to unveil the economic elements of his long-awaited “deal of the century”. Kushner opened the conference last night with a speech lauding the deal as “a framework for a brighter future […] a vision of what is possible with peace.” With a packed schedule of speakers today, MEMO will be live blogging all the latest updates.

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Egypt after Morsi

Egypt’s first democratically elected civilian president Mohamed Morsi died in court yesterday after spending six years in jail. Morsi was ousted in a military coup by current leader Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi who has since returned Egypt to a military dictatorship. Held under numerous alleged charges including spying for foreign governments and attacking prison guards, the 67-year-old long complained of torture and abuse at the hands of his jailers and, as his health deteriorated in detention, his family repeatedly called for authorities to provide him health care or release him. Finally, he collapsed in court on 17 June 2019. Egypt is now bracing for a new wave of protests against the rule of Al-Sisi.

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Gaza Under Attack

As communities across the world prepare to begin the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the people of Gaza are preparing for funeral prayers. At least 10 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza this weekend, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to continue air strikes. Follow the latest developments on the ground…

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Present Absentees: Palestinian Citizens of Israel & the Nation-State Law

MEMO to host conference on Arab-Israelis and the Nation-State Law Middle East Monitor (MEMO) is hosting a conference focused on Palestinian citizens of Israel, their history and the challenges they face in the wake of Israel’s controversial Nation-State Law. We will be live blogging the conference from 10.00am (09.00GMT) on 27 April 2019. Follow the day's events here.

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Israel goes to the polls: Will Netanyahu retain his throne?

Election day is here. After months of campaigning, today Israel’s political parties can only watch anxiously as the country heads to the polls. The past four months have been nothing if not dramatic, with accusations of corruption, armies of social media bots and phone hacking. Yet despite the theatrics, mud-slinging and cries of foul play, the polls suggest this could be one of the closest-fought elections Israel has seen. Will King Netanyahu retain his throne? Stay tuned to the MEMO live blog for all the latest updates and the initial exit poll at 22:00 local time [19:00 GMT, 20:00 BST].

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Palestinians protest Israel's closure of Al-Aqsa gate

Earlier this week, Israel closed Jerusalem’s Bab Al-Rahma, sometimes known as Golden Gate, which leads to Al-Aqsa compound. Although Al-Rahma has long been out of use, Israel on Sunday installed new locks and metal chains on the gate. Under the status quo agreement - which declares Al-Aqsa compound to be under the jurisdiction of the Jordanian Waqf (Islamic endowment) - Israel is forbidden from making any changes to the holy site and its surroundings. Throughout the week, Israel has cracked down on Palestinians protesting against the move, attacking students and worshippers and raiding the Al-Aqsa compound. Jordan has issued a statement condemning the Israeli violations “in the strongest possible terms,” stressing that Israel should “act in accordance with international law and immediately reopen the gates”. Yesterday, leader of Hamas’ political bureau Ismail Haniyeh called Israel’s actions “extraordinarily alarming” and accused it of planning a “full takeover of the holy site”. Haniyeh called on Palestinians from across the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and Israel “to gather on Friday [today] at Al-Aqsa Mosque and defend it in order to foil the newly imposed Israeli measures aimed at Judaising the compound”.

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Palestinian anger as Israel tightens grip on occupied territories

This week has seen increased tensions and violence across the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), with the Israeli army undertaking nightly raids, arresting scores of Palestinians and shooting several to death, citing a series of attacks against Israeli soldiers and illegal settlers as justification. In response, Hamas – which governs the besieged Gaza Strip – has called for a “day of rage”, while protests are also expected across the occupied West Bank. Stay tuned to our live blog for the latest updates.

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Palestinians protest as Israel bans guards, scholars from Al-Aqsa

Last weekend, Israel banned the head of the Waqf, Sheikh Abdul-Azim Salhab, from Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque. Salhab was banned from entering the compound for 40 days, while Sheikh Najeh Bkerat, the deputy director of Muslim Endowments and Al-Aqsa Affairs, was also banned from the holy site for four months. Under the status quo agreement, the Waqf holds custodianship of the city’s Islamic and Christian holy sites. Israel is forbidden from making changes to the compound or its surroundings under the agreement. This week’s ban, however, was the latest in a string of Israeli violations of the status quo in recent weeks. Last month, Israel closed Jerusalem’s Bab Al-Rahma, sometimes known as Golden Gate, which leads to Al-Aqsa compound. Although Al-Rahma has long been out of use, Israel installed new locks and metal chains on the gate, before cracking down on Palestinians who protested against the move. The Waqf has called for Palestinians from Jerusalem, the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) and Israel to today hold a mass prayer and protest outside Al-Aqsa compound against the banning of its employees and leaders.

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Palestine Book Awards 2018 Pre-launch Evening

Join us for an evening with authors of the shortlisted books for the Palestine Book Awards 2018! The evening is a chance for the authors to discuss their works, ideas and inspirations.

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