Israel identifies rifle that may have killed journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

 Palestinians have been asked to turn over the bullet for analysis

The rifle that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh may have been identified by the Israeli military, an official says.

A military official said the source of the shot is still unclear but “we have narrowed down the IDF weapon that might be involved in the fire exchange near Shireen”.

Israel has asked Palestinians to turn over the bullet for analysis, AP reported.

Abu Akleh was fatally shot on May 11 while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian officials, along with fellow journalists who were with Abu Akleh, said Israeli troops stationed nearby killed her.

The Israeli army said she was shot during a battle between troops and Palestinian gunmen but said it could not be determined who fired the fatal bullet without a proper analysis.

Israel has called for a joint investigation with the Palestinians.

The Palestinians have refused to hand over the bullet, saying they do not trust Israel. They said they are conducting their own investigation and are ready to co-operate with any country except Israel.

The military last week released the results of a preliminary investigation that offered two possible causes of death. It said that in one scenario she may have been hit by Palestinian gunfire during a fierce shoot-out with Israeli troops.

Debut MENA Content Creator Awards to honor home-grown digital talent

 The Content Creator Awards kicked off in Dubai on Wednesday with the spotlight focused on the Arab world’s emerging digital talent, influencers and creatives.

“This is a $350-million industry and the region has so much talent. There was just no system to recognize it so we decided to be on the full front of that, award and be rewarded in return,” Tanaz Dizadji, the founder and CEO of Brand Ripplr, told Arab News.

The winners will be announced at a gala event in the emirate next week. Winning categories include male and female content creator, social queen and king content creator, lifestyle trendsetter, and tech guru.

“The GCC market has a high demand for influencers and brands which is why we’ve decided to launch the MENA awards,” one of the panelists said.

The first-of-its-kind event was sponsored by YouTube and backed by Brand Ripplr and Mediaquest.

While the creators did not attend the session on Wednesday, their content was presented to a panel of judges spread across several different rooms, with over 20 categories showcased.

The winners will be chosen according to performance metrics where public votes are factored in. The voting is open for a worldwide audience and has so far racked up millions of responses.

Judges will also base their decisions on what they call the NICE technique: How natural, innovating, creative and entertaining the content is.

Judges include Jad Bitar, brand manager at Arab News, Noor Starz, a YouTube trailblazer, and Hadia Ghaleb, a fashion icon.

Israel attack: manhunt launched after three killed in Elad

 

Attack comes at a time when Israeli-Palestinian tension has increased in recent weeks

Israeli forces have launched a manhunt for the perpetrators of an attack that killed three people in the central city of Elad.

The latest incident of violence took place as the country marked its independence day.

Security personnel, backed by helicopters and drones, set up roadblocks as they searched for what police described as “one or two terrorists” who remain at large hours after the attack.

Defence Minister Benny Gantz announced measures to stop the attackers from “escaping and travelling” to the West Bank. No details on the alleged assailants have been released.

The Magen David Adom emergency response service, which confirmed the deaths, said four others were wounded in the incident, which came after a series of fatal attacks committed by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs in recent weeks.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said “we will get our hands on the terrorists … and ensure they pay the price”.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said “the joy of independence day had been interrupted in an instant”, as he condemned the “murderous attack in Elad”.

Mr Gantz announced that a closure of the West Bank, a measure in place to allow Israeli independence day celebrations to go ahead, would remain in force until Sunday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted that the US “vehemently condemn(s) the terrorist attack in Israel today”.

“Our hearts are with the victims and the loved ones of those killed. May the memories of those who passed be a blessing,” he said.

Before Thursday’s incident, a string of attacks had killed 15 people since March 22, including an Arab-Israeli police officer and two Ukrainians, in separate attacks inside Israel.

Read more:https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2022/05/05/four-people-seriously-injured-in-attack-in-central-israel-israeli-tv/

Israel PM Naftali Bennett receives bullet and death threat in mail

 

Israel steps up security around the leader and his family

Israel has increased security around Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s family after a bullet was sent to them in the post.

The measures were put in place after “a letter with a death threat and a live bullet” was addressed to Mr Bennett and his family, his office said on Tuesday.

The right-winger has governed since June 2021 at the head of Israel’s most diverse coalition.

In response to the threat, Mr Bennett said no “political dispute” should lead to violence.

He also referred to his duty to protect his wife and four children, who have stayed in the family home rather than move to an official residence in Jerusalem.

Since Mr Bennett took office, security has been increased at the family property in Raanana, a usually quiet city to the north of Tel Aviv.

Israel has imposed a restriction order on reporting any details of the investigation, such as who is suspected of having posted the bullet.

Defence Minister Benny Gantz said the death threat against the prime minister crossed a “red line”, referring to a past assassination.

Prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was shot dead in 1995 at a political rally by an Israeli gunman who opposed a landmark peace deal signed with the Palestinians.

To Know More:https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2022/04/27/israel-pm-naftali-bennett-receives-bullet-and-death-threats-in-mail/

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Lebanon visits Tripoli to meet with religious leaders

 Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Lebanon visited Tripoli, the country’s second-largest city, on Thursday to meet with a raft of key religious figures.

The visit of Walid Bukhari to northern Lebanon comes only weeks after Riyadh reinstated its envoy to Beirut, another sign tensions are easing between the two capitals.

At a meeting with Tripoli’s acting mufti, Sheikh Mohammad Imam, Mr Bukhari highlighted “the depth of the relationship with Lebanon and its citizens”.

He also met with Joseph Soueif, the Maronite archbishop of Tripoli, and Ephraim Kyriakos, the archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Tripoli.

Lebanon’s state news agency reported Mr Bukhari’s visit was to exchange greetings during Ramadan and Easter.

The ambassador had met on Thursday with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is reportedly due to visit Saudi Arabia soon.

Earlier this month Mr Bukhari hosted an iftar with key Lebanese political figures and western ambassadors

Saudi Arabia was one of four Arab states that withdrew their ambassadors from Lebanon in October 2021 after remarks by George Kordahi, then Lebanon’s information minister, about the Saudi-led Arab coalition’s intervention in Yemen. Mr Kordahi later resigned.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states were once major donors to Lebanon, but relations gradually worsened amid the growing influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah.

After withdrawing its ambassador last year, Saudi Arabia accused Hezbollah of turning Lebanon into “a launching pad for implementing projects of countries that do not wish well for Lebanon and its brotherly people”.

To know more:https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/lebanon/2022/04/22/saudi-arabias-ambassador-to-lebanon-visits-tripoli-to-meet-with-religious-leaders/