Thousands of Palestinians protest against Israeli annexation in Jordan Valley
Haaretz

“Thousands of Palestinians rallied Monday (June 22) against Israel's planned annexation of areas of the West Bank in a mass protest organized by the Fatah political party. In the protest were Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations’s Middle East envoy, Arab and other foreign diplomats, including the ambassadors of the European Union, China, Russia and Jordan. ‘The annexation plan violates international law and destroys the dream of a Palestinian state,’ said Mladenov at the rally, urging the international community to save the peace process and begin negotiations for a Palestinian state.” 

Image: Demonstrators take part in a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, in Jericho, June 22, 2020. (Mohamad Torokman/ Reuters)

Trump faces critical decision on Israel's bid for annexation
AP News

“Trump could side entirely with Netanyahu, who has cited July 1 as a hope-for date for a decision, or endorse a less comprehensive takeover or oppose it outright, which is the most unlikely scenario. Even if that date isn’t set in stone, Netanyahu is expected to act before the fall, given uncertainty over Trump’s prospects for a second term and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s opposition to annexation. At stake for the United States is its credibility with Arab partners cultivated by Trump and with European nations that he has antagonized on numerous fronts, from climate change to trade to the Iran nuclear deal. Potentially more persuasive politically for Trump and his team is that his decision will affect his standing with evangelical Christians whose support he needs to win reelection. Virtually the entire international community opposes annexation, but Trump’s domestic supporters enthusiastically back it.”

Image: File - In this Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020 file photo, a Palestinian demonstrator covers his face from tear gas fired by Israeli forces as he holds a poster of -U.S. President Donald Trump during a protest. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File)

More than 100 progressive groups push Biden to support Palestinian rights
Responsible Statecraft

“A diverse array of over 100 groups that support Palestinian rights announced today that they had sent a letter to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, urging him to adopt policies toward Israel and the Palestinians ‘based on the principles of equality and justice for all.’ The letter, which was initiated by the activist group CODEPINK, advocates a policy approach based on ‘respecting human rights and international law, promoting the peaceful resolution of conflicts, supporting diplomacy over military intervention, and utilizing multilateralism and multilateral institutions for dispute resolution,’ and calls on Biden not only to adopt these principles in Israel and Palestine, but as the basis of U.S. foreign policy in general.” 

Image: Hebron, West Bank, June 10, 2016. People walking towards the Israeli checkpoint between Hebron H1 and H2 sectors. (Andrew V Marcus / Shutterstock.com)

Majority of House Republicans sign letter endorsing Israeli annexation
Haaretz

“A majority of Republican members of the House of Representatives have signed a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsing Israeli annexation of settlements in the West Bank. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California was one of 116 of the 198 Republican House members signed the letter. It praises the Middle East plan presented by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, and blames the Palestinian leadership for choosing to reject it. It also says that its signatories support Israel’s ‘right to sovereignty and defensible borders.’”

Image: US House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, holds his weekly press briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 11, 2020. (AFP)

Over 1,000 MPs from across Europe call for ‘decisive action’ against annexation
Times of Israel

“More than a thousand lawmakers from across Europe on Tuesday (June 23) signed a statement against Israel’s planned annexation of parts of the West Bank, urging decisive action to prevent the move and punitive measures if it goes ahead. ‘We, parliamentarians from across Europe committed to a rules-based global order, share serious concerns about [US] President [Donald] Trump’s plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the imminent prospect of Israeli annexation of West Bank territory. We are deeply worried about the precedent this would set for international relations at large,’ the statement read."

Image: The Austrian parliament session in Vienna, Austria, January 10, 2020. (Ronald Zak/AP)

NGO: 73% of Gaza families suffer food insecurity
Middle East Monitor

“At least 73 percent of Gaza families suffer food insecurity due to the 13-year Israeli siege imposed on the Strip, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights revealed yesterday (June 23). In a statement, the rights group said that this number has recently increased from 70 per cent due to the coronavirus measures put in place, in addition to the delay in paying the salaries of civil servants and the weak flow of cash and humanitarian aid entering the coastal enclave. The rights group said that commercial activities witnessed a sharp decrease in light of the ongoing dire situation, noting that thousands of families are currently living in abject poverty.”

Image: UNRWA distributes food aid to families in Gaza, 2 April 2020. (Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor)