Jerusalem Day March to Pass Through Muslim Quarter
The Israeli Supreme Court ruled that an annual march to celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem, scheduled for May 17, can proceed as planned despite fears of anti-Arab violence. At the same time, the justices said the police must arrest and indict anyone who shouts racist slogans. Two dovish Israeli organizations had petitioned the court, asking them to change the route of the march, which celebrates Israel’s “reunification” and annexation of east Jerusalem in 1967. In past years there has been nationalistic violence and most Palestinians are forced to close their shops and stay inside their homes. Last year, clashes broke out when masked Palestinian youths attacked police officers with stones and then barricaded themselves inside the al-Aqsa mosque. Israel says that east Jerusalem is part of its united capital, while Palestinians say that east Jerusalem must be the future capital of a Palestinian state.
Four Leading Members of Al-Qa’ida in Yemen Reported Killed
Islamist websites are reporting that four leading members of Yemen’s al-Qa’ida branch have been killed in a suspected US drone strike in an eastetrn Yemen province. The reports said that US drones hit the southern port of Mukalla, killing the four men who were based in the city’s presidential residence. Meanwhile, Saudi-led airstrikes continued to hit the Yemeni capital today, just hours before a five day truce between the alliance of Gulf states and the Iran-backed Houthi militia was set to begin.
Hamas Sentences Alleged Israeli Spy
A Hamas military court in the Gaza Strip sentenced a man they said was a spy for Israel to 15 years in jail. In March, two other men were given the same sentence for a similar offense. Under Palestinian law, spying for Israel, along with murder and drug trafficking, are subject to the death penalty. However, a death sentence must be approved by Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, and Hamas does not recognize Abbas’s authority. Hamas has imposed death sentences anyway, including killing six alleged collaborators during last summer’s fighting with Israel. Meanwhile, Israel has re-jailed five Palestinians who were freed in a 2011 exchange for kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Among those jailed was Samer Issawi who had held a long hunger strike and almost died before he was released. Israel says he has returned to terrorist activity.
Five Million Syrians At Risk from Explosive Weapons
More than five million Syrians are living in areas at high risk from explosive weapons, according to global charity Handicap International. The group said that some of the explosive weapons failed to detonate, and so will pose a threat for years to come. More than 220,000 people have been killed in the four years of civil war in Syria that shows no sign of ending. Handicap International found that most of the fighting in Syria was in populated areas.