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Israel has denied reports about Norwegian mediation to reach a prisoner swap deal with Palestinian group Hamas, according to Israeli daily Yediot Aharonoth on Tuesday.
"The report that Norway is mediating the deal regarding the POWs and MIAs [missing in action] is incorrect," an Israeli source said.
Lebanese daily al-Akhbar on Monday reported that Norway was mediating between Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement on the return of Israeli soldiers held captive in the Gaza Strip.
The newspaper claimed that a Norwegian envoy had visited Gaza last month and received a “positive response” from Hamas.
There was no comment from Hamas on the report.
In April, the Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, said it was holding four Israeli soldiers, without elaborating on their condition.
UNRWA employees staged a general strike in protest of downsizing plans on Tuesday, paralyzing operations of the cash-strapped UN refugee agency in the Gaza Strip."We announce a general strike in all educational, health, and relief institutions and all UNRWA facilities in protest of the agency's downsizing measures and their failure to meet our demands," Amir al-Misshal, head of the UNRWA employees union in Gaza, told Anadolu Agency.He said the two-day strike will continue until Wednesday.Al-Misshal said the UNRWA administration “was pushing the union to go into an open-ended strike”.Palestinians protest UNRWA aid cuts, downsizing plans"We are pursuing our peaceful and legitimate steps until we regain our rights,” he said.In late July, an UNRWA spokesman announced that the agency -- which continues to suffer from chronic funding shortfalls -- would not renew the contracts of more than 100 staff members in Gaza.According to the employees’ union, funding cuts have forced the agency to close its mental health program, which had provided direct services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza and had employed about 430 people.UNRWA has also terminated the contracts of dozens of its engineers in recent months, union officials have said.UNRWA employees in Gaza vow to protest funding cutsLate in August, the U.S. announced that Washington would “no longer commit funding” to the refugee agency.The U.S. had been UNRWA's largest contributor by far, providing it with $350 million annually -- roughly a quarter of its overall budget.Established in 1949, UNRWA provides critical aid to Palestinian refugees in the blockaded Gaza Strip, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.Video: UNRWA employees strike over downscaling plans
UNRWA employees strike over downscaling plans
A $38 billion military aid package to Israel, signed between former U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September 2016, went into effect, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement on Monday.This agreement means that the United States will give Israel $38 billion in military assistance over the next decade.“The United States unconditionally affirms Israel's right to self-defense, and this MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) is a concrete demonstration of our commitment to Israel's capacity to defend itself with a qualitative military edge over all potential regional adversaries,” read the statement.It is the largest aid package given to a foreign state in U.S history.Ten-year period of “Memorandum of Understanding”Praising the ten-year period of “Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),” Nauert underlined in a Twitter post that the Trump administration is also determined to maintain and enhance ties with Israel.“Today, the ten-year period of the $38 billion MOU signed by the United States and Israel in 2016 begins. Our implementation of this historic MOU reflects the enduring and unshakable commitment of the President, this Administration, and the American people to Israel's security,” she said.Today, the ten-year period of the $38 billion MOU signed by the United States and Israel in 2016 begins. Our implementation of this historic MOU reflects the enduring and unshakable commitment of the President, this Administration, and the American people to Israel's security. pic.twitter.com/U7DyFR5eUo— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) 2 Ekim 2018 “Iran-backed terrorists threat Israel”Stressing the strong relations between the U.S. and Israel, “Israel is a valuable and capable ally to the United States that today faces dangerously escalating regional threats, first and foremost from the Iranian regime's sponsorship of terrorist groups seeking to attack not only Israel but also American interests. Israel is also threatened by the reckless proliferation of destabilizing weapons systems into the region that increase the possibility of an escalated conflict in an already dangerous and volatile theater,” the statement added.Palestinians, Israeli-Arabs protest ‘nation-state’ lawPalestinian youth injured in Israeli raid in West Bank
US enforces $38bln military aid package to help Israel fight ‘Iran-sponsored terrorists’
Israeli forces rounded up 21 Palestinians in overnight raids across the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military.The individuals were arrested for “suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities,” the army claimed in a Tuesday statement.The statement, however, did not elaborate as to the meaning of “popular terrorist activities”.Lebanon slams Israeli claims on missile sitesAccording to the statement, the detained individuals have since been remanded into custody for further investigation.Israel frequently conducts sweeping arrest campaigns across the occupied territories on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.According to Palestinian figures, some 6,500 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli prisons, including scores of women, some 350 minors and at least six lawmakers.
Israel arrests 21 Palestinians in West Bank raids