Beyond Borders

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned the Guatemala`s decision to move its  embassy to Jerusalem and it described this move as” shameful “. “It’s a shameful and illegal act that goes totally against the wishes of church leaders in Jerusalem”  and violates a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution condemning the US move, the ministry said in a statement. “The state of Palestine considers this as a flagrant act of hostility against the inalienable rights of the  Palestinian people and international law,” it added. “The state of Palestine will act with regional and international partners to oppose this illegal decision,” the ministry stressed. Guatemala’s President Jimmy Morales announced that the Central American country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the first country to follow the lead of US President Donald Trump in ordering the change. Guatemala was one of nine countries that voted with the Unite...

The Local Committee for Planning and Construction in the Jerusalem municipality is expected to approve on Wednesday a plan to expand the Israeli settlements of Nof Zion in east Jerusalem, Israeli media reported. If the plan of constructing new buildings is approved, Nof Zion will be the biggest Israeli settlement in Arab areas of east Jerusalem. For now, there are 91 housing units in the neighborhood, which is surrounded by the southeastern Arab neighborhood of Jebel Mukaber. In 1994, the construction of 395 housing units was approved, and in the early 2000s the first phase of the project saw the construction of the current 91 housing units in Nof Zion. Left-wing NGO Peace Now condemned the future move, saying that the expansion of settlements in east Jerusalem will harm Israel’s international status and will be a big obstacle to achieve the two-state solution.”

Palestinians gather to celebrate the Israeli removal of metal detectors that were  installed after a deadly shooting inside the shrine. In addition to newly installed railings and scaffolding where cameras were previously mounted have  now also been removed from at least one main entrance to the Haram al-Sharif compound. A tense standoff has been underway between Israel and Muslim worshippers at the holy site despite the removal of metal detectors on Tuesday, with concerns of major unrest later this week if no resolution is found. It was unclear whether Muslim authorities would now grant approval for worshippers to re-enter the site, which houses the revered Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. However, Palestinians are very happy after days of tension. They refused to enter the site and pray outside in streets protesting Israeli measures that are seen as a move in asserting further control over the site. This situation leads to more tensi...

Israeli forces attacked, on Sunday evening, dozens of Palestinians who gathered for evening prayers near the Bab al-Asbat (The Gate of the Tribes), in occupied East Jerusalem, wounding 21 of them, after preventing them from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said the soldiers shot and injured fifteen Palestinians with rubber-coated steel bullets and that six of them suffered moderate wounds that required moving him to a hospital for further treatment. The PRCS added that the soldiers also assaulted many Palestinians, causing various cuts and bruises to at least six. Also on Sunday, the soldiers abducted two Palestinians from East Jerusalem, after stopping and searching their car, and locating what the army described as “dangerous fireworks.” Furthermore, the soldiers invaded Beit Ummar town, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron clashed with local youths and caused many Palestinians to suffer the severe effects of tearg...

Israel’s decision to ban Palestinian Muslims from praying in al-Aqsa Mosque in  the old city of Jerusalem on Friday, in the wake of an earlier shooting attack had outraged the Palestinians, who called for large protests, demonstrations, and rallies. Various Palestinian factions, mainly President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah Party, Islamic Jihad and Islamic Hamas movement warned Israel of closing al-Aqsa Mosque in the face of thousands of Palestinian prayers who arrived in east Jerusalem for Friday prayers. Osama al-Qaqasmeh, Fatah spokesman in the West Bank said in an emailed press statement that closing al-Aqsa Mosque and preventing prayers from reaching it for Friday prayers “is a dangerous condemned and rejected escalation.” He called on the Palestinians to head to al-Aqsa Mosque and prevent closing it. Israel closed al-Aqsa Mosque in the old city in east Jerusalem on Friday after three Palestinian gunmen opened fire at an Israeli police force in the ol...

A diary from Gaza   Gaza Night: A series of Horror   Sleeping in Gaza become a prosperity due to the continuous Israeli raids day and night from air, sea and ground. Sleeping becomes our last priority we would care about because death is everywhere.   At home we counting our last minutes and expecting any moment a strike would hit our house or our neighbor house .  Actually Israeli war machine does not just attack a heap of rocks but it attacks your live, warm memories, sad and happy moments. In every corner of the house speaks about your adventures, quarrels with your siblings. Every night in Gaza is not like the previous. Night in Gaza is very horrible, frightening . We pray not to see the night coz when it falls down, the series of horror begins. Gaza night wears black mourning the lives of hundreds that have been lost and sad for witnessing the destruction and damage on the ground. At night, We gather all sto...

Innocence Flying With Wings A fourth year girl said to her mom, " Mumi I want to die.." . Her mother shocked asking her kid " Why you want to die..?" The child said," I want to have wings to fly.. when people die, they get wings." The mother smiled then she said as an attempt to frighten her child," suppose when flying you have been caught and put in a cage. What will you do?" The child said," Oh! no, I don`t want to die anymore." Her mother laughed ! However, that answer raises a question of why would a child in her age say something like that? Actually children have their way in thinking and asking questions. It`s amazing how their imagination can go far away we can expect?! Children are very sensitive of what is happening around them. The ongoing aggression affects on children physically and psychologically. Many children become orphans. They are homeless like their families. A refuge child said, " I ...