World

MENA roundup: Jenin, the refugee camp on Israel’s radar

Published

2 years ago

June 23, 2023

MENA roundup: Jenin, the refugee camp on Israel’s radar

This week, Israeli forces once again raided the refugee camp in Jenin, the city that has come to symbolise Palestinian resistance.

Iran and the United States might be involved in talks.

The situation in Sudan gets more dire, with rights groups raising the alarm about a possible genocide.

Here’s what’s happening in the Middle East and North Africa this week:

Why Jenin?

It was a familiar headline: Israeli forces storm the Jenin refugee camp, ostensibly to arrest two suspects. What followed was a 20-year first: the use of helicopter gunships in the occupied West Bank. They pummelled the camp, killing seven Palestinians, including two minors, and injuring 91 others.

A large-scale military incursion on the Jenin camp has happened before. In 2002, 52 Palestinians were killed in a raid there. That was a turning point for the camp, marking it as a symbol of resistance for Palestinians.

Nowadays, what concerns Israel is that, in Jenin and elsewhere, young Palestinians are increasingly taking up arms, seeing no other way to alleviate the pressure of occupation.

A day after the deadly raid, Palestinian gunmen killed four Israeli settlers at a petrol station between the Palestinian cities of Ramallah and Nablus. Hours after the shooting, Israeli settlers stormed through Palestinian towns, torching property and smashing cars. A Palestinian man was killed.

But that wasn’t all. Israeli forces then deployed a rare drone to raid a target they called a “terrorist cell” responsible for recent shootings, killing three people.

Are Iran and the US holding secret talks?

Longtime rivals Iran and the US are holding closed-door talks, with the US vying for the release of prisoners and curbing Iran’s nuclear programme, according to sources. Neither side has gone public about the talks, but a short-term agreement is reportedly expected, rather than a revival of the 2015 deal.

But what’s in it for Iran? Well, any potential deal could ease Western sanctions imposed for violations of the 2015 accord, ease punitive measures by Washington and its allies and applied through the International Atomic Energy Agency or it could spur the US to release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.

In Sudan, things are not looking better

Intensified fighting in Sudan’s West Darfur city of el-Geneina is raising alarm about the possibility of genocide. Thousands have fled in the last week alone, with the violence targeting civilians and driven by militias from Arab nomadic tribes, along with members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

But there’s no respite for those trying to escape. Sudanese citizens are being targeted by the militias even as they enter neighbouring Chad. A 72-hour ceasefire meant nothing for the people of Darfur, while its expiration was marked by fighting elsewhere in the country.

Hajj journeys offer hope and joy

Millions of Muslims from around the world have embarked on the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. This year, Hajj will start on Monday, June 26, and Eid al-Adha celebrations will occur on June 28.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on what happens during Hajj and Eid al-Adha.

Life is not easy in Syria, Yemen and the Gaza Strip with war and military occupations. But the journey for Hajj often inspires hope for those from these regions, many of whom save the little money they can for years to be able to afford it.

Four groups of pilgrims left Gaza this week. Pilgrims from northwestern Syria streamed through border crossings with Turkey. And Yemenis boarded the first direct flight to Saudi Arabia since 2016 for the pilgrimage.

A little something different: People being amazing

In Jordan’s water-scarce Mafraq region, a farming collective is transforming the lives of Syrian and Jordanian women. They’re learning to grow the azolla plant, a cheaper and less labour-intensive feed for livestock that allows the women to become farmers and provide for their families.

In Qatar’s capital, the city’s glistening skyscrapers get wiped down by Doha’s “Spidermen”. Cleaning the windows of a 40-plus storey building is not for the faint-hearted, but the rigorously trained workers love the adventure of the job.

For the second year in a row, Prince Abdulaziz, son of the late Saudi King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has sponsored about 500 Syrian pilgrims injured in the war there to participate in the Hajj pilgrimage. He’s known in northern Syria as Abu Turki – an alias he used to keep his philanthropy hidden until last year – and pays for the injured pilgrims’ travel and accommodation, their travel documents and Hajj acceptance permits.

Briefly

Quote of the week

“When Ahmad was killed, I felt as though I lost one of my organs. He was the light of my eye. He was barely in the eighth grade. He used to help me with everything around the house and outside.” | Yousif Saqr, talking about his son, 15-year-old Ahmad Yousif Saqr, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during the raid on the Jenin refugee camp.

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World

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,174

Published

1 hour ago

May 13, 2025

Press Room

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,174

These are the key events on day 1,174 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here is where things stand on Tuesday, May 13:

Ceasefire

Moscow has yet to say whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin will attend direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slated for Thursday in Istanbul and proposed by Kyiv over the weekend. The leaders have not met since December 2019.
United States President Donald Trump said he is “thinking about flying over” to Istanbul to join the potential Putin-Zelenskyy talks.
“I don’t know where I’m going to be on Thursday – I’ve got so many meetings – but I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen,” Trump said. “Don’t underestimate Thursday in Turkey.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he held a joint call with Ukrainian and European officials to discuss a “way forward for a ceasefire” on Monday.
Europe will reportedly push the White House for new sanctions on Moscow if Putin either fails to attend the Istanbul meeting, or fails to agree to an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire”, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Germany said it is also preparing sanctions against Moscow if the talks stall.

Fighting

Ukraine says that Russia is “completely ignoring” calls for a 30-day ceasefire made over the weekend by the US and Europe. It was due to begin on Monday.
“Russian shelling and assaults continue,” Zelenskyy said in a nightly address. “Moscow has remained silent all day regarding the proposal for a direct meeting. A very strange silence.”
Ukraine’s military said that there had been 133 clashes with Russian forces along the front lines up to Monday night.
The heaviest fighting continues in the Donetsk region on Ukraine’s eastern front and Russia’s western Kursk region. Ukraine’s military said the intensity remains unchanged since the ceasefire was supposed to begin.
Moscow called the 30-day ceasefire an excuse by Europe to “provide a breather for Kyiv to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia”.

World

Lupin Renewed for Part 4 at Netflix

Published

15 hours ago

May 12, 2025

Press Room

Lupin Renewed for Part 4 at Netflix, Cast and Episode Count Confirmed

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World

American hostage Edan Alexander released by Hamas after more than 580 days in captivity

Published

17 hours ago

May 12, 2025

Press Room

American hostage Edan Alexander released by Hamas after more than 580 days in captivity

Hamas released the last living American hostage Monday, after he spent more than 580 days in captivity inside the Gaza Strip.

Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, will be received by a specialized Israel Defense Forces unit and is going to be brought to an initial reception facility in Re’im, where he will undergo preliminary medical and psychological evaluation by IDF Medical Corps personnel, an Israeli official told Fox News.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that President Donald Trump “is fighting to secure the release of every American detained abroad” and “We won’t stop until this conflict is over and all our hostages are home.”

Trump, who is slated to depart Washington, D.C., on Monday for visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, said prior to Alexander’s release that it was “great news.” Israel said its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting Monday with Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Netanyahu then called Trump today and thanked him for his assistance in securing Alexander’s freedom.

HAMAS CLAIMS IT WILL RELEASE AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER

US citizen Edan Alexander was taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7 (Adi Alexander)

Alexander’s family will await him at the Re’im facility, accompanied by their assigned officer from the Missing Persons and Hostages Headquarters. After the initial reunion, Edan and his family will be airlifted to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv for continued care, the official also told Fox News.

As an IDF soldier, Alexander also will be provided with a comprehensive support framework, including medical, psychological, and logistical assistance, facilitated by military professionals.

Hamas first claimed on Sunday that it would release Alexander.

“As part of the efforts made by the brotherly mediators to achieve a ceasefire, Hamas has been in contact with the U.S. administration in recent days,” the terrorist organization said. “The movement has shown a high level of positivity, and the Israeli soldier with dual American citizenship, [Edan] Alexander, will be released as part of the steps being taken toward a ceasefire, the opening of border crossings, and the entry of aid and relief for our people in the Gaza Strip.”

Alexander’s mother Yael said on Thursday that she was feeling “[s]uch sadness and agony not knowing what the fate of your son is.

“I have not been able to sleep. I am stuck in Oct. 7, even though it’s been 580 days. I used to enjoy Mother’s Day so much. We would all go to the city to a special restaurant, and I insisted the kids write me letters on this day. I have not been able to celebrate anything since this nightmare began,” she added.

ISRAELI MINISTER SAYS GAZA WILL BE ‘ENTIRELY DESTROYED,’ PALESTINIANS FORCED INTO OTHER COUNTRIES

Then President-elect Donald Trump is shown photos of Edan Alexander by his mother Yael Alexander at Ohel Chabad Lubavitch on Oct. 07, 2024 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, Alexander moved to Israel at 18 to volunteer for military service in the IDF’s Golani Brigade. He lived with his grandparents in Tel Aviv and at Kibbutz Hazor, where he was part of a group of lone soldiers.

He was kidnapped on the morning of October 7 – a Saturday when he wasn’t required to remain on base. His mother was visiting from abroad, and like many lone soldiers he had the option to go home for the weekend. He chose to stay, not wanting to leave his fellow soldiers short-staffed on guard duty.

Ayelet Samerano, the mother of hostage Yonatan Samerano, said Monday that the previous day was Mother’s Day, and how “[a]round the world, mothers celebrated with their children.”

Israelis gather in Tel Aviv to watch release of Edan Alexander

Israelis gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander to be released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, at a plaza known as the hostages square in Tel Aviv, on Monday, May 12. (AP/Oded Balilty)

“But for me – and the other mothers of the 59 hostages – it was just another day of nightmare. Yes, I am happy for the Alexander family. They will finally have their son Edan back. I thank President Trump and Steve Witkoff for this progress,” she added. “But President Trump – please don’t stop. This is only the first step. Do whatever is necessary to bring every last one home. The other 58 hostages have no time left. They are in hell. The living could be killed any day. The deceased – their bodies could be lost forever. They must all come home.”

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.