MWL Condemns Israeli Plan to Control Gaza, Palestinian Territories
The Muslim World League (MWL) Secretariat General strongly condemned Israel's continued violations of all international laws and norms, including its announced incursion into and control over the Gaza Strip and Palestinian territories, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
In a statement, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, denounced the brutal approach by the Israeli occupation government, while categorically rejecting all its expansionist attempts that violate international legitimacy resolutions and undermine efforts for a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
23 minutes ago
- Arab News
Pilgrims arrive in Mina as Saudi Arabia mobilizes services for Hajj peak
MINA: With the number of worshippers approaching two million, pilgrims on Wednesday arrived in Mina for the Day of Tarwiyah, preparing for the most important day of Hajj — the Day of Arafat — on June 5. These pilgrims are following the steps of Prophet Mohammed by spending Tarwiyah Day in Mina on Wednesday this year, making their final preparations for the Standing at Arafat, the pinnacle of the annual pilgrimage, tomorrow. In compliance with directives from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, various service sectors mobilized their capabilities to help the pilgrims perform Hajj rituals in tranquility and peace. With more than 1.4 million pilgrims confirmed to have arrived from outside the Kingdom, the pilgrims' movements into Mina proceeded smoothly in accordance with a comprehensive traffic plan. The plan covered all main routes and was supported by aerial security surveillance to ensure the orderly progression of this critical phase of the pilgrimage. In weather conditions of about 41°C, the ministry urged all pilgrims to familiarize themselves with its hospitals and medical centers should they require health assistance, wherever they are in the holy sites, emphasizing that everything is available to ensure their health and safety. On the first day in Mina, known as the Day of Tarwiyah, pilgrims typically spend the night there in preparation for their journey to Arafat the next day. With their prayers shortened, they devote their time to supplicating Allah and chanting the Talbiyah — a proclamation of their intention to perform the pilgrimage solely for the sake of the Almighty. This is traditionally recited aloud and in groups upon entering the state of ihram. The relevant security and health authorities, alongside other government and private organisations, had earlier intensified their plans and preparations to ensure the smooth performance of Hajj rituals, all under the direct supervision and close monitoring of the Saudi leadership. Khalid Al-Tala, the spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Health, provided key updates during a press conference on June 3, highlighting several pioneering health initiatives launched for the current Hajj season. Among the most notable is the use of drone technology to accelerate the delivery of medical aid to remote areas — an innovative approach the ministry says is the first of its kind globally. Al-Tala said that the current health status of pilgrims was reassuring, with no recorded cases of epidemics or major health concerns reported to date. As of the seventh day of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the ministry has delivered more than 98,000 health services, including emergency care, surgical procedures, and intensive treatments. He further announced the establishment of three additional field hospitals, providing a combined capacity of 1,200 beds. The ministry has also set up 71 emergency response points, deployed 900 ambulances, and added 11 medical evacuation aircraft to support healthcare operations during the pilgrimage. Advanced medical services have also been activated, including the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation technology and virtual health consultations. The ministry's 937 call center operates round the clock in numerous languages to assist pilgrims. Since the beginning of the Hajj season, Al-Tala said, more than 1.4 million pilgrims have benefited from preventive health services at entry points, provided in coordination with various medical mission clinics. The spokesman said that their medical teams have successfully performed 16 open-heart surgeries, 148 cardiac catheterizations, and handled 62 cases of heat exhaustion. He added that, with the participation of more than 50,000 medical and technical personnel, bed capacity has been increased by 60 percent compared with last year. Speaking to Arab News, Fatima Al-Sayed, an Egyptian pilgrim, said that the organization and services provided by the Saudi authorities in Mina are truly commendable. 'From the moment we arrived, we have felt a strong sense of care and preparedness. The tents are well equipped, clean and air-conditioned, ensuring our comfort in the heat,' she said. Al-Sayed added that medical services are readily available, security personnel are visible and helpful, and food and water are distributed efficiently. 'The crowd management and transportation arrangements are smooth, especially given the large number of pilgrims. We are deeply grateful for the efforts made to ensure our safety and to help us perform our rituals with ease and peace of mind.' she said. Situated between Makkah and Muzdalifah, Mina lies about seven kilometers northeast of the Grand Mosque. It is part of the Haram, or sacred boundary, and is encircled by mountains to the north and south. It is uninhabited throughout the year, except during the Hajj season, when it becomes a focal point of the pilgrimage. On the Makkah side, Mina is bordered by the Jamarat area, while on the opposite side it adjoins the Valley of Muhassir. Muhassir gets its name from a significant historical incident — it is believed to be where the elephant of Abraha the Abyssinian halted during his failed attempt to destroy the Kaaba around the year 570 — an event known in Islamic tradition as the Year of the Elephant, which coincides with the birth year of the Prophet Muhammad.
Asharq Al-Awsat
29 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Irish University to Cut Links with Israel Over Gaza War
Ireland's prestigious Trinity College Dublin said on Wednesday that it would cut all links with Israel in protest at "ongoing violations of international and humanitarian law". The university's board informed students by email on Wednesday that it had accepted the recommendations of a taskforce to sever "institutional links with the State of Israel, Israeli universities and companies headquartered in Israel". The recommendations would be "enacted for the duration of the ongoing violations of international and humanitarian law", said the email sent by the board's chairman Paul Farrell, and seen by AFP. The taskforce was set up after part of the university's campus in central Dublin was blockaded by students for five days last year in protest at Israel's actions in Gaza. Among the taskforce's recommendations approved by the board were pledges to divest "from all companies headquartered in Israel" and to "enter into no future supply contracts with Israeli firms" and "no new commercial relationships with Israeli entities". The university also said that it would "enter into no further mobility agreements with Israeli universities". Trinity has two current Erasmus+ exchange agreements with Israeli universities: Bar Ilan University, an agreement that ends in July 2026, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which ends in July 2025, the university told AFP in an email. The board also said that the university "should not submit for approval or agree to participate in any new institutional research agreements involving Israeli participation". It "should seek to align itself with like-minded universities and bodies in an effort to influence EU policy concerning Israel's participation in such collaborations," it added. Ireland has been among the most outspoken critics of Israel's response to the October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel by Hamas that sparked the war in Gaza. Polls since the start of the war have shown overwhelming pro-Palestinian sympathy in Ireland. In May 2024, Dublin joined several other European countries in recognizing Palestine as a "sovereign and independent state". It then joined South Africa in bringing a case before the International Court of Justice in the Hague accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza -- charges angrily denied by Israeli leaders. In December, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar ordered the closure of the country's embassy in Dublin, blaming Ireland's "extreme anti-Israel policies".
Asharq Al-Awsat
29 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Pressure Mounts on Netanyahu as Opposition Moves to Dissolve Parliament
A member of Israel's right-wing coalition threatened to quit the cabinet on Wednesday and support an opposition motion to dissolve parliament tabled for next week, piling pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Latest opinion polls suggest that Netanyahu's coalition would lose power if an election was held today, with many voters unhappy over the continued war in Gaza prompted by the attack by Hamas on southern Israel in October 2023. United Torah Judaism, one of two ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition, said it would withdraw from the government unless it secured last-minute concessions formalizing an exemption for ultra-Orthodox men from military service. The opposition party Yesh Atid, led by former prime minister Yair Lapid, put forward a parliamentary vote for next week to topple the government, even as the Israeli army continues battling Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It would require the support of 61 out of the 120 members of the parliament to succeed. "This Knesset (parliament) is finished. It has nowhere to go," Lapid said. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, has remained silent on the looming crisis. A spokesperson for United Torah Judaism leader Yitzhak Goldknopf told Reuters the party would vote in favor of dissolving parliament unless exemption legislation was passed. With a week until the vote, Netanyahu and his allies still have time to negotiate over an issue that has dogged the coalition for months. A source close to the government said, on condition of anonymity, that negotiations within the coalition were continuing. Netanyahu's coalition of secular right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties holds an 8-seat majority in parliament. United Torah Judaism has 7 seats while its ally, Shas, the other ultra-Orthodox party, has 11. BETTING ON A BLUFF The coalition is sharply divided over whether young ultra-Orthodox men who are studying in religious seminaries should be exempt from mandatory military service. Failing to pass an exemption risks a walkout by ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, while approving it could trigger a protest exit by secular parties. Coalition member Ohad Tal of Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party criticized Goldknopf for threatening to trigger elections and called on the ultra-Orthodox lawmaker to resign. He urged others to negotiate a new arrangement but that a blanket exemption from military service could no longer stand. Former Knesset member Ofer Shelah said Netanyahu was likely betting the ultra-Orthodox lawmakers were bluffing, given the polls suggested they faced defeat in any early election. In March, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers threatened to bring down the government over the same issue, but time passed without any action. Resentment over the informal exemption given to religious seminary students is growing and lawmakers from the ruling coalition and opposition ranks say it is no longer tenable. Netanyahu won election in 2022 and does not have to return to the polls until 2026. Historically, few Israeli governments serve a full term. He has faced widespread criticism for failing to prevent the surprise October 2023 Hamas attack that killed roughly 1,200 people, and is facing growing calls from protesters and families of hostages still held in Gaza to end the war to secure their release. But some in his coalition say the war must continue until Hamas is eradicated. Political analysts say that the ultra-Orthodox lawmakers could simply quit the government to protest their failure to secure concessions, without toppling the ruling coalition.
