Middle East Monitor - The Latest from the Middle East
Tuesday, March 03 2015
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March Guest Writer
News from the Middle East
Netanyahu: US nuclear deal with Iran 'threatens Israel's existence'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the United States against signing a nuclear deal with Iran, claiming such a "deal" would threaten the survival of his country.
Expert: Israel invested $80bn in West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements
Israel has invested nearly $80 billion in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967, a Palestinian expert revealed.
PLO to file first ICC complaint against Israel in April
A senior PLO official said yesterday that it is to lodge the first war crimes complaint against Israel at the International Criminal Court on April 1, AFP reported.
Haniyeh: Hamas in touch with Egypt over 'terror' label
Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday that his group was in touch with Egyptian officials in hopes of "rectifying" a recent Egyptian court verdict designating Hamas a "terrorist organisation."
Israel probes 'dog threat' incident against Palestinian teen
VIDEO
Israel's chief military prosecutor has ordered an investigation into an incident caught on video purportedly showing Israeli soldiers attacking a Palestinian teen with their dogs, Israeli media reported.
Iraq owes more than $20 billion to oil companies
Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said on Sunday that his country owes more than $20 billion to the oil companies operating in the south, news agencies report. He told journalists at a press conference that in 2014 Iraq paid what was owed for 2013 and delayed other payments. "O...
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News from Africa
Egyptian public debt up $26bn in a year
Egypt's public debt is reported to have increased by 200 billion Egyptian pounds ($26.2 billion) to reach 1.9 trillion Egyptian pounds ($0.25 trillion) by the end of September 2014 compared to 1.7 trillion Egyptian pounds ($0.22 trillion) at the end of the same period in 2013.
New Sisi leaks exposes UAE support for military coup
VIDEO
Egypt's Mekameleen TV channel released a new leaked audio recording exposing how the UAE supported and funded the military regime in Egypt and helped them and other civilian movements to stop the Arab Spring there.
Libya's Tobruk-backed army slams UK diplomat
The command of the Tobruk-backed army on Saturday denounced remarks made earlier by a British diplomat before the United Nations Security Council on Libya.
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News from Europe and Russia
Austrian FM vows to support Saudi blogger
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Curtis said he will make extra efforts to support blogger Raif Badawi who has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes in Saudi Arabia, the Anadolu Agency reported.
Two guilty of assaulting pro-Palestinian activist
VIDEO
Two members of an extremist Jewish organisation have been found guilty of assaulting pro-Palestinian activists in London.
Italy begins naval drills off Libyan coasts
Italy is to begin annual naval drills near the coast of Libya on Monday amidst fears of terrorist attacks by extremist militants in the region, various new agencies reported.
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News from Asia, the Americas, & International Organisations
UNRWA: 800,000 needy Palestinian refugees in Gaza
The Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said on Monday that the number of needy Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip has increased by 80,000 to 800,000 during the period of the ongoing Israeli siege.
United States halts Intel cooperation with Israel on Iran
The United States has stopped intelligence cooperation with Israel on Iran's nuclear programme, Israel's Channel 10 has reported.
Serry calls for Israel to end siege on Gaza
The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry yesterday called on Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian factions to adopt a "Gaza first" policy to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire.
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Latest In-Depth Articles
Central Council should adopt a new approach
The PLO Central Council is due to hold its 27th session tomorrow and the following day, although this session should have been the 70th or 80th if the Council had been allowed to play its role as intermediary between the Executive Committee and the National Council.
Bringing an end to Tikrit
Yesterday, the Iraqi Green Zone government announced that it had begun operations to retake Tikrit and surrounding towns and villages from the Islamic State (ISIS).
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MEMO Commentary & Analysis
A perfect gift for Egypt's failing regime
The callous murder of 21 Copts in Libya over the weekend was a welcome gift to the military-led regime in Egypt. Like the senseless killings in Paris, it offered an opportunity for the government in Cairo to present itself as a deserving and credible partner in the great "war on ...
DEBATE by Ben White
NGOs slam 'disarmament for development' as Gaza lies in ruins
Leading NGOs have heavily criticised attempts to link the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip with its demilitarisation, ahead of a debate about the issue in Westminster today.
INQUIRY by Asa Winstanley
Spy Cables show America's hypocrisy on Hamas
The publication by Al Jazeera and The Guardian this week of a cache of cables leaked from the files of the South African intelligence services has been enlightening.
