Human Rights

20 Dec 2022; MEMO: Israeli warplanes bombed targets in the vicinity of the Syrian capital, Damascus, last night, killing two soldiers, the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) has reported.

At least four missiles were fired from the Israeli aircraft, targeting the area around Damascus International Airport. According to Sana, one of the targets of the attack was an air defence battery that was deployed recently near the airport.

20 Dec 2022; MEMO: Palestinians expressed concerns after groups of Israeli settlers stormed the Ibrahimi Mosque yesterday and lit menorahs inside its corridors to celebrate Hanukkah under the protection of occupation forces.

The Director of the Hebron Endowment, Nidal Al-Jabari, said that Israeli authorities have been working on Judaising the Ibrahimi Mosque, which is located in the centre of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, through continued excavations.

21 Dec 2022; MEMO: Eight Republican Senators in the US have penned a letter to the FBI and Department of Justice (DoJ) to cease their investigation into the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

The eight lawmakers suggest that the probe could negatively affect US-Israel ties.

19 Dec 2022; MEMO: The former President of Tunisia, Moncef Marzouki, has described what is happening in occupied Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque as "terrorism" as part of an "ongoing war" by Israel against the people of Palestine and the holy sites. Marzouki made his comment as he shared his thoughts on the rise of the far right in Israel backed by extremists around the world, Alresalah.net has reported.

20 Dec 2022; MEMO: Israeli Jewish settlers yesterday stole 120 sheep from a Palestinian shepherd in the town of Yaabad, south of Jenin, Wafa news agency reported.

Imad Lutfi Zuhair said that the settlers forced him away from his flock and stole the sheep.

According to the shepherd, the Jewish settlers came from the illegal Mevo Dotan settlement, built on stolen Palestinian land near Yaabad.

19 Dec 2022; MEMO: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has called on the UN to deploy its staff on patrols across the occupied West Bank given the increasing number of settler attacks and excessive use of violence by Israeli security forces against the Palestinians, Wafa has reported.

19 Dec 2022; MEMO: The Turkish Coast Guard said it rescued a total of 181 irregular migrants on Monday, including many who were illegally pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek authorities, reports Anadolu Agency.

19 Dec 2022; MEMO: The UN Human Rights Office on Monday condemned Israel's recent deportation of Palestinian-French human rights defender Salah Hammouri to France, reports Anadolu Agency.

"We are deeply concerned by the chilling message this sends to those working on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory," UN Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said in a statement after the decision issued on Sunday.

19 Dec 2022; MEMO: The French foreign ministry condemned on Sunday Israel's expulsion of Palestinian lawyer and human rights activist Salah Hamouri from his home city of Jerusalem, Euro News has reported. Hamouri has French citizenship.

18 Dec 2022; MEMO: The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Saturday rejected Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu's offer for self-rule, reports Anadolu Agency.