WASHINGTON: The United States imposed sanctions on Monday on an Israeli settler group it accused of helping perpetrate violence in the occupied West Bank, which has seen a rise in settler attacks on Palestinians.
The Amana settler group “a key part of the Israeli extremist settlement movement and maintains ties to various persons previously sanctioned by the US government and its partners for perpetrating violence in the West Bank,” the Treasury Department said in a statement announcing the sanctions.
The sanctions also target a subsidiary of Amana called Binyanei Bar Amana, described by Treasury as a company that builds and sell homes in Israeli settlements and settler outposts.
The sanctions block Americans from any transactions with Amana and freeze its US-held assets. The United Kingdom and Canada have also imposed sanctions on Amana.
Israel has settled the West Bank since capturing it during the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians say the settlements have undermined the prospects for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Israel views the West Bank as the biblical Judea and Samaria, and the settlers cite biblical ties to the land.
Settler violence had been on the rise prior to the eruption of the Gaza war, and has worsened since the conflict began over a year ago.
Most countries deem the settlements illegal under international law, a position disputed by Israel which sees the territory as a security bulwark. In 2019, the then-Trump administration abandoned the long-held US position that the settlements are illegal before it was restored by President Joe Biden.
Last week, nearly 90 US lawmakers urged Biden to impose sanctions on members of members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over anti-Palestinian violence in the West Bank.
US hits Israeli settler group with sanctions over West Bank violence
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US hits Israeli settler group with sanctions over West Bank violence
- Sanctions block Americans from any transactions with Amana and freeze its US-held assets
- Settler violence had been on the rise prior to the eruption of the Gaza war, and has worsened since the conflict began
Five dead in Kuwait apartment block fire: official
KUWAIT: A fire in a residential building southwest of Kuwait City killed five people, the Gulf state’s fire brigade said on Sunday.
The blaze broke out in two apartments in the Rigga area, about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the capital, said spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Al-Gharib.
Three bodies were found at the scene and two more people died from their injuries in hospital, he told AFP.
Several others were injured, and Gharib warned the death toll could rise due to the severity of some of the burns.
An investigation has been launched into the cause.
Lebanon says one killed in Israeli strike on south
- The ministry said an ‘Israeli enemy’ strike targeted a motorcycle in the village of Arnoun, in the Nabatieh region
- Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite the ceasefire that took effect on November 27
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli strike on the south of the country Sunday killed one person, the third deadly raid in four days despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
The ministry said an “Israeli enemy” strike targeted a motorcycle in the village of Arnoun, in the Nabatieh region about five kilometers (three miles) from the Israeli border.
Farther south, another strike hit a car in Beit Lif, in the Bint Jbeil area, wounding one person, the ministry said.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite the ceasefire that took effect on November 27, ending more than a year of conflict — including two months of open war — with militant group Hezbollah, which emerged severely weakened.
On Thursday, two people were killed in Israeli strikes on the south, and another died in a raid on Saturday.
Under the truce terms, Hezbollah fighters were to withdraw north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle their military posts to the south.
Israel, for its part, was to pull all its troops out of Lebanon but has maintained five positions it deems “strategic” along the frontier.
The Lebanese army has since deployed in those areas, where it is the only force allowed to operate alongside UN peacekeepers.
Syrian president meets Kuwait emir on official visit
- Al-Sharaa's visit to Kuwait aims to boost bilateral ties between the two countries
- Kuwait has underscored its unwavering support for Syria’s unity and sovereignty
CAIRO: Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa held official talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Sunday during a state-visit, according to KUNA News Agency.
The Syrian president arrived earlier in the day accompanied by his Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani and several high-profile Syrian officials.
Both leaders discussed bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries and ways to enhance them in all fields, the KUNA statement said.
The talks also affirmed Kuwait’s steadfast support for the unity of Syria and its sovereignty, it added. The talks also covered the latest regional and international developments.
Al-Sharaa's visit to Kuwait aims to boost bilateral ties between the two countries.
Ties between Syria and Kuwait resumed last year, witnessing a notable revival when Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya visited Damascus on Dec. 30.
Since the visit, Kuwait launched the first flights of a humanitarian air bridge to Syria, to help alleviate the suffering of Syrians, according to KUNA News Agency.
Kuwait, joining other GCC member states, has underscored its unwavering support for Syria’s unity and sovereignty.
Al-Sharaa had previously visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on his Gulf tour.
Istanbul’s ‘suitcase trade’ stalls as African merchants face crackdown
- African traders say business has slumped, even as official export figures continue to rise
- African traders help drive demand for Turkish goods through the ‘kargo’ system
ISTANBUL: Porters roam the narrow streets of Laleli in central Istanbul carrying parcels ready for shipment to customers all over the world.
The maze of alleys that lead down to the Sea of Marmara have long been the center of the “suitcase trade” to sub-Saharan Africa, a route through which merchants carry goods back and forth in their baggage.
But Laleli’s informal shipping scene, once a bustling hub of cross-continental trade, is now facing growing pressure from rising costs and tougher residency rules imposed by Turkish authorities.
African traders, who helped drive demand for Turkish goods through the “kargo” system – small-scale shipping services between Turkish wholesalers and buyers across Africa – say business has slumped, even as official export figures continue to rise.
While some still make round trips, most trade now moves through shipping services.
For agents like Fadil Bayero – a Cameroonian who runs a kargo business that ships clothing, cosmetics and home textiles from Turkiye to clients across Africa – business is slow.
Turkish products have a very good reputation in Africa, he said.
“Before this room was filled to the ceiling. Today it is half-empty,” the 39-year-old said.
Like many Africans in the neighborhood, he claimed that shipments have dropped, even as Turkish exports to Africa have generally soared – from $11.5 billion (€10.1 billion) in 2017 to $19.4 billion last year.
Turkish textiles, once known for their affordability, have grown more expensive in recent years.
Merchants say inflation – above 35 percent since late 2021 – has pushed African buyers toward cheaper suppliers in China and Egypt.
But for Bayero, the explanation lies elsewhere.
“It’s not inflation that’s the problem, it’s the arrests. Many people have been deported,” he said.
Since 2022, Turkiye’s migration policy has toughened, with the authorities blocking new residence permit applications in several districts of Istanbul, including Fatih, where Laleli is located.
The goal is to limit the proportion of foreigners to 20 percent per neighborhood.
“The stores, the streets, everything is empty now,” said Franck, one of Bayero’s colleagues.
“Look out the window – the sellers sit all day drinking tea while waiting for customers.”
A few streets away, Shamsu Abdullahi examined his spreadsheets.
In his dimly lit room, dozens of bundles are stacked on the white tiled floor, awaiting shipment.
Since January, he and his two colleagues have shipped over 20 tons of goods by air freight and filled the equivalent of 15 maritime containers.
The Nigerian has also made around 15 round trips to his homeland, bringing 80 kilos (176 pounds) of goods with him on each journey.
“My residence permit expires in two months, and I think the authorities won’t renew it,” he said.
He and his associates generate over a million euros a year in revenue.
“It’s money spent in Turkiye that fuels the local economy,” he said.
Historian Issouf Binate, a lecturer at Alassane Ouattara University in the Ivory Coast, said much of the trade is informal, making it hard to track.
“It’s difficult to provide figures on the volume of Turkiye’s exports to Africa because many businesses are informal,” he said.
“Kargos” are “transitional businesses,” with improvised activity shared between friends or family members.
Many in Laleli now believe that the golden age of the “kargo” and suitcase trading is over.
“In one year we went from about three tons of shipments per week to 1.5,” said a young Congolese who has lived in Istanbul for five years and asked not to be named.
“Even if we still manage to find low-cost products, we cannot compete with China,” he added.
Arslan Arslan, a Turkish merchant who sells African dresses a few meters (yards) away, painted the same picture.
“Before, I had customers from morning to evening... but the authorities sent them back.”
Now Arslan searches for his African customers on social media.
“I’m on Telegram, Instagram, Facebook. But here, everything has become expensive,” he said.
“I’ve lost 70 percent of my revenue in a year.”
