Middle East

Palestinian Youth under Israeli Occupation were already Isolated — Now Social Media is their only Connection to the World

By Eman Abusidu | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – Social media plays a vital role in transforming people’s lives. Being on social networks and blogs allows everyone to connect with others easily. This is especially so for the people of occupied Palestine, particularly those in the Gaza Strip. For Palestinians, social media is […]

Authoritarianism

How Saudis and other Authoritarian Middle East Governments are using Covid-19 to Crack down More on Civil Liberties

Global Voices

By Khalid Ibrahim, Gulf Center for Human Rights | – ( Globalvoices.org) – Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain Alhathloul is one of many human rights defenders who remain in jail in the Middle East, despite multiple calls to release them amid COVID-19 fears. Photo credit: Loujain Al-Hathloul via OTRS system / CC BY-SA. COVID-19 cases […]

Israel/ Palestine

Mideast Coronavirus War? Israel Blocks Pandemic Aid to Palestinians of Gaza, Risking Violence

Middle East Monitor

By Adnan Abu Amer | – ( Middle East Monitor) -In recent days, Hamas and Israel witnessed a clear row over providing medical assistance to the Gaza Strip to counter the coronavirus, as Israel stipulated the return of its soldiers captured in the 2014 war as a condition of providing medical assistance. The Israel media […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israel’s Obligation vis-a-vis West Bank and Gaza in Face of Coronavirus Pandemic: Global Human Rights Organizations

Human Rights Watch

( Human Rights Watch) – With over 250 identified COVID-19 Palestinian patients in the West Bank and potentially dozens in the Gaza Strip we, the undersigned organizations, express grave concern in the face of a potential human catastrophe. The Palestinian healthcare system, with a dire lack of equipment, medicines, and expertise, will be unable to […]

Epidemics

Palestinians are Helpless before Coronavirus, Hung out to Dry again by World Community

Ramona Wadi

( Middle East Monitor ) – As Gaza tries to impede the spread of coronavirus, humanitarian aid, albeit necessary, is yet another reminder of how the international community continues to deny Palestinians their political rights and, as a result, the opportunity for autonomous decision-making. In March, Qatar announced it will provide $150 million to help […]

Donald Trump

After Trump picked Feud with Shiite Nat’l Guard, Iraqi PM-designate says 1/2 US Troops will Leave Iraq this year, the Rest in ’21

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The current nominee to be the next prime minister of Iraq, Adnan al-Zurfi, says that He has asked the US ambassador in Iraq for a timeline for a withdrawal of the some 5,000 US troops from his country. His statement came just a couple days before the US Halliburton oil […]

Donald Trump

With 53,000 Covid-19 Cases, Iran Can’t get Needed Medical Supplies: Trump Admin must Ease Sanctions

Human Rights Watch

(Washington DC) – Broad US-imposed economic sanctions are negatively affecting the Iranian government’s ability to adequately respond to the mounting health consequences of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The US should take immediate action to ease US sanctions and expand licensing of sanctions-exempt items to ensure Iran’s access to essential humanitarian resources during the pandemic. According […]

Israel/ Palestine

Top 7 Lessons from Israeli-Occupied Palestine on Surviving Lockdown

Ramzy Baroud

By Ramzy Baroud | @RamzyBaroud | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – Call it a ‘quarantine’, a ‘shelter-in-place’, a ‘lockdown’ or a ‘curfew’, we Palestinians have experienced them all, though not at all voluntarily. Personally, the first 23 years of my life were lived in virtual ‘lockdown’. My father’s ‘quarantine’ was experienced much earlier, […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israel Blocks Coronavirus Respirators, Aid, to Gaza until Remains of 2 Israeli Invaders are Returned

Middle East Monitor

By Motasem A Dalloul | @abujomaaGaza | ( Middle East Monitor ) – In response to a humanitarian appeal launched by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza to obtain $23 million in urgent aid, in addition to medicine and medical equipment including 250 respirators in order to deal with the coronavirus in the besieged […]