ARABINFOCUS

Israel, a new step in the escalation against the Palestinian people. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “confident” he would be able to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank this summer, with support from the US. Speaking on Sunday to an online gathering of evangelical Christian supporters of Israel, Mr Netanyahu said US president Donald Trump’s Middle East plan envisioned turning over Israel’s dozens of settlements, as well as the strategic Jordan Valley, to Israeli control. “A couple of months from now, I’m confident that that pledge will be honoured, that we will be able to celebrate another historic moment in the history of Zionism,” Mr Netanyahu said. Israeli annexation of West Bank territory would be highly controversial, drawing widespread international condemnations and extinguishing any lingering hopes of establishing a viable independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. The Palestinians, with wide international backing, seek t...

Saudi Arabia locks more cities  Saudi Arabia announced late Monday that nine more cities would be added to the list of those on 24-hour lockdown, including the the capital, Riyadh, and the Red Sea port city of   Jeddah. Previously just the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, international pilgrimage destinations that had seen large numbers of cases, were subjected to these 24-hour curfews, along with some Jeddah neighborhoods. The rest of the country just had to stay inside at night. With 781 cases, Riyadh is home to the largest number of Saudi Arabia’s 2,605 infections — the most in the Middle East after Iran. The last few days have seen increases of around 10 percent a day in the number of afflicted. Four new deaths were also reported Monday, bringing the total to 38. During the curfews, all residents will be confined to their homes except for trips within their neighborhoods to gather medicine or groceries between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. Children are n...