Israeli settlements in the occupied territories violate Palestinians' human rights in ways designed to drive them off the land, a UN report states. The report says settlements displace Palestinians, destroy their crops and property, and subject them to violence. It is likely further to damage relations between the UN Human Rights Council and Israel, analysts say. Israel refused to co-operate with the inquiry by three UN researchers, and says the UN body is biased. The French, Pakistani and Botswanan fact-finders said Israel was "committing serious breaches" of humanitarian law and demanded the government of Israel cease all settlement activities. more
Until now, the besieged Gaza Strip has stayed free of the novel coronavirus spreading across the world. As the Gaza Strip has been under a stringent Israeli-led blockade for nearly 13 years, the spread of the coronavirus - officially known as COVID-19 - has become the topic of discussion for many Palestinians, with some joking that the blockade was preventing them from being exposed.But as authorities in the coastal Palestinian enclave gear up to contain any potential outbreak, serious questions have arisen about the risks and implications of such a scenario. But given its already difficult humanitarian situation and high population density, an outbreak in the Gaza Strip could prove to be catastrophic, health officials have warned. "If the virus enters Gaza and spreads, it will get out of hand," Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson Majdi Thuhair told Middle East Eye, as he explained that a severe shortage of resources and personnel would make it near impossible