UAE: Israel should back off threat to annex West Bank
Dubai's Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash: Continued Israeli talk of annexing Palestinian lands must stop. Any unilateral Israeli move will be a serious setback for the peace process.
Middle East
PA: Arab leaders must reveal stance on Israel's sovereignty move
"We made contact through official and unofficial channels in order to ask for clarifications [from Arab leaders] but we have yet to receive a denial or a confirmation regarding these reports," says Palestinian FM after "Israel Hayom" reports on tacit acceptance of Israel's extension of sovereignty.
Mosques reopen in Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia amid virus woes
Islam's third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina was shuttered for 10 weeks over global pandemic. Council of Islamic Waqf cited the slowed local spread of COVID-19 in lifting entry restrictions and reopening the compound’s iconic shrines.
'Israeli annexation bid will have disastrous consequences,' Jordanian FM warns
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi tells UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov the Israeli plan to apply sovereignty to Judea and Samaria "will kill the two-state solution," warns "world will not be able to remain silent in the face of institutionalized apartheid."
Lebanese PM visits UN peacekeepers amid dispute over mandate
Visit by Prime Minister Hassan Diab comes against the backdrop of a war of words between Israeli and Lebanese officials, including the Hezbollah terrorist group, over the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
Palestinians easing coronavirus restrictions in West Bank
The reopening of houses of worship, shops and factories coincides with the last day of the Eid El-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
'Turkey won't allow Palestinian lands to be offered to anyone'
In an Eid al-Fitr message, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Jerusalem’s Temple Mount – home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third-holiest site – is a “red line” for all Muslims.
Report: Iran spent $30B on propping up Syria's Assad
Tehran's expenses on the war in Syria are said to be about double its own defense budget in 2019. Former Iranian MP says Tehran expects Damascus to "return the investment."
As virus fears rise in Mideast, Arab world braces for new corona surge
COVID-19 has infected more than 10,000 healthcare workers in Iran, the region's hardest-hit country. World Health Organization says half of Yemen’s population of 30 million could be infected. In Egypt, a state official admits that the state’s outbreak is likely much larger than reported.
Alleged Israeli cyberattack on Iranian port causes 'total disarray'
Foreign intelligence officials tell Washington Post Israel was behind a “highly accurate” cyberattack earlier this month on computers at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port that caused massive backups on waterways and roads.