Jerusalem is the first qibla of Muslims.
The holy city of Jerusalem, which Salahuddin al-Ayyubi salvaged from the invasion of the Crusaders 831 years ago, is falling completely into Israel's hands as a result of persistent judaization policies.
Jerusalem, one of the oldest cities in history, has great importance for all three Abrahamic religions.
It was first conquered in 638 by the second Muslim caliph, Umar bin al-Khattab. It was invaded by the Crusaders in 1099.
Jerusalem encompassing the first qibla of Muslims, Masjid al-Aqsa, was reconquered by Ayyubi in 1187.
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 strike over downscaling plansUS enforces $38bln military aid package to help Israel fight ‘Iran-sponsored terrorists’Israel arrests 21 Palestinians in West Bank raids
Israel denies mediation on Hamas prisoner swap deal
Except for an 11-year occupation, the city remained under the control of Muslims until 1917 after Ayyubi's conquest.
After the British invaded Jerusalem on Dec. 9, 1917, which till then had been under the control of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years, they turned a blind eye to Jewish settlements in the region.
The Jewish population in the historic Palestinian territory in 1917 is said to be around 60,000.
It ballooned to 800,000 in 1948, when Israel declared its independence.
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’
According to the Palestinian sources, the Jewish population in Jerusalem in 1922 was approximately 34,000 while the Arab population was about 28,000.
In 1946, the Jewish population in the city rose to 99,000 while the number of Palestinian Arabs remained 65,000.
Israel declared it independence on May 14, 1948 whereas Arab countries including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria waged a war against Israel on May 15, 1948.
Israel, which won the war, began to implement its plan for judaizing the city by invading West Jerusalem.
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
After the 1948 war, Israel invaded East Jerusalem and the West Bank during the six-day war in 1967.
Israel declared the entire Jerusalem as its capital in July 3, 1980.
In Dec. 6, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as "Israel's capital."
The U.S. relocated its embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, 2018.
Israel, which has built 19 illegal settlements in East Jerusalem since 1968, placed more than 200,000 Jews in these places.
As of today, there are 316,000 Palestinians living in the city, which has a population of 850,000. The remaining people are Jews.
The Israeli authorities are expanding Jewish settlements and also prevent Arab population in the city from building new houses.