Image: A Palestinian woman stands by the gate of her home in Karm al-Jaouni and looks towards the house that Israeli settlers forcibly took from the Palestinian Ghawi family. (MEE/Aseel Jundi)

Israel-Palestine: Life in Sheikh Jarrah has become a 'big prison' under Israeli siege

Middle East Eye

“In the closed-off Karm al-Jaouni area in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, Palestinian residents describe life under a perpetual threat of forced expulsion as akin to being imprisoned in their own homes under constant Israeli scrutiny and restriction of movement. Cement blocks meet visitors as they approach the neighbourhood, with Israeli police forces denying entry to non-residents. The only option left for those who wish to enter the area is to navigate their way around rooftops and reach the heart of Karm al-Jaouni, where families are threatened with removal from their homes to make way for Israeli settlers. The settlers who have occupied the house of the Ghawi family since 2009 stand, on alert, in front of the outpost at all times. Meanwhile, Palestinian residents try to get some much-needed rest during the day in anticipation of new rounds of attacks by settlers around sunset."

Image: Workmen breaking rubble from a building destroyed during the May 2021 conflict. (Ahmed Zakot / SOPA Images / Sipa USA / Reuters)

Gaza could need $485M to recover from May conflict, World Bank says
Devex

“Gaza suffered damage worth up to $380 million during the most recent conflict with Israel, with the housing sector representing more than 40% of that amount, according to an assessment conducted by the World Bank in partnership with the United Nations and European Union. The Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, released Tuesday (July 6), estimates that between $345 million and $485 million will be needed for recovery efforts over the next two years, much of which will likely have to come from donors. That’s provided a new conflict does not break out. Gaza’s economy will likely contract by 0.3% this year, compared with the 2.5% growth that was projected prior to the conflict, according to the report. The unemployment rate could rise to 50% — the highest on record since the 1990s."

Image: Qatar's donation was announced on Tuesday (July 7) during a visit to Beirut by Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. (AFP)

Qatar to provide aid for Lebanese troops as crisis deepens
Al-Jazeera

“Qatar has said it will provide the Lebanese armed forces with 70 tonnes of food a month as Lebanon seeks assistance in the face of its worst economic and political crisis in decades. Lebanon’s army chief Joseph Aoun had appealed to world powers last month, during a meeting organised by France, for assistance for soldiers, whose wages have plunged in value as the Lebanese pound has crashed and inflation has soared. Qatar’s donation was announced on Tuesday (July 6) during a visit to Beirut by Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.”