Israeli Army Kills 12 Palestinians Amid Biggest Raid on the West Bank in Over 20 Years
Plus: Iran has executed 354 people since the start of 2023, Egypt and India have strengthened relations, and the UAE plans to invest $54 billion in renewable energy.
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Israeli Army Kills 12 Palestinians Amid Biggest Raid on the West Bank in Over 20 Years
As you can imagine, this Inshallah newsletter will pretty much focus on the Israeli raid on the West Bank, which has dominated the news from the Middle East this week.
The refugee camp in the Palestinian city of Jenin has once again come under attack this week.
The refugee camp has been the center of attention for over a year, and it was targeted by a deadly two-day Israeli military incursion.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from his far-right government, indicated that this raid marks the beginning of a more aggressive military response to Palestinian militant attacks.
The incursion, which took place on July 3 and 4, resulted in the deaths of 12 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier, with hundreds of residents injured and thousands displaced.
The urban slum's infrastructure, including roads, was destroyed throughout the operation.
This was Israel's largest military operation in the West Bank since the end of the second Palestinian uprising in 2005. During the 11-day Battle of Jenin in 2002, the Israeli army and militants engaged in fierce combat, resulting in significant destruction of the refugee camp. The casualties included 53 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli military claimed to have dismantled numerous explosives, cleared weapons, destroyed underground hideouts, and seized large amounts of "terror funds."
Many of the Palestinians who have carried out attacks against Israelis this year have originated from the Jenin camp and its surroundings.
United Nations experts criticized the Jenin operation, describing it as "collective punishment" against the Palestinian people and a clear violation of international law.
A significant number of the Palestinians killed by Israelis this year have come from Jenin. 2023 is on track to become the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank, surpassing the grim record set in 2022.
On July 5, Israel withdrew its forces from Jenin, as confirmed by the Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari. Local media reported the completion of the operation.
As the troops left, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired five rockets toward Israel early. These rockets were intercepted, and no casualties were reported. Israel conducted airstrikes on an underground weapons manufacturing facility in Gaza in response.
In the aftermath, the residents of Jenin's refugee camp, still shaken by the events, began the challenging task of cleaning and repairing their homes amidst the rubble.
Efforts were made to clear burnt-out cars, restore the electricity grid, and extinguish any remaining fires.
The previous day, on July 4, a suspected car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv left at least seven people wounded, according to Israeli police.
Hamas, the group governing the Gaza Strip, praised the attack as a "heroic operation" and an initial response to what they perceived as the occupation's crimes in the Jenin refugee camp. Hamas claimed that the attack was carried out by one of its members named Hussein Khalaylah.
In the hours of writing this, on July 6, Israeli forces targeted an area in Lebanon from where two rockets were launched toward Israel, according to the Israeli military.
Responsibility for the rocket fire remains unclaimed, and the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, is investigating the incident while urging restraint and avoidance of actions that may escalate the situation.
Source: News agencies, news media outlets, social media sites
Iran executed at least 354 people in first six months of 2023, says human rights group
Norway-based human rights organization Iran Human Rights has reported that Iran executed at least 354 people in the first half of 2023, prompting renewed calls for action against Tehran. Most of these executions, specifically 206, were carried out for drug-related offenses. Additionally, among those put to death were six women and five protesters.
The organization revealed that at least 122 others were executed on murder charges.
Iran is widely known for its frequent use of the death penalty and was the second-highest user of capital punishment in 2020, trailing behind China.
Read more on The National News.
Indian PM Modi and Egyptian President el-Sisi Strengthen Strategic Partnership
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met in Cairo to strengthen their strategic partnership. They signed a joint declaration to elevate their relations following an announcement made in January when el-Sisi visited New Delhi. The leaders discussed increasing Indian investment in Egypt, focusing on areas such as trade, investment, renewable energy, information technology, and pharmaceuticals. They also addressed cooperation in the G-20, emphasizing food and energy security, climate change, and the representation of the Global South. Defense and security ties were also discussed. Modi's visit marked the first state visit by an Indian prime minister to Egypt in over 20 years. He invited el-Sisi to attend the upcoming G-20 summit hosted by India in September.
UAE Triples Renewable Energy Supply with $54 Billion Investment to Meet Growing Energy Demands
The United Arab Emirates aims to triple its renewable energy supply and invest up to $54 billion over the next seven years to meet rising energy demands. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE's vice-president and ruler of Dubai, announced these plans after a Cabinet meeting on Monday, July 3. They involve investing in low-emission hydrogen fuel, electric vehicle infrastructure, and expanding renewable energy's contribution. The UAE, a major oil producer, aspires to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and will host the COP28 climate summit this year.
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My name is Dario Sabaghi, and I am a freelance journalist interested in international news focusing on the MENA region.
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Cover photo: Raneen Sawafta - Reuters | The Guardian