US Mideast peace plan will not pass: Palestine president
Ramallah, July 9 : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said in a meeting of his Fatah Party's Central committee that US President Donald Trump's Mideast peace deal, also known as the deal of the century, "will not pass".
Abbas, who chaired the meeting on Sunday, held at his office in Ramallah, said "we won't let the deal of the century pass", Xinhua news agency reported.
He said "the Arab states also oppose the deal," which aims at resolving decades long of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
"We informed the world that we are against the deal of the century, we won't accept it and we won't let it pass," Abbas told the committee's members, adding "we would like to reiterate that our Arab brothers asserted to us that they are against it."
He added that "countries in the world, in Europe, Asia and Africa started to realise that the deal of the century will not pass," in reference to the peace plan Trump administration is intending to declare soon.
Ties between the US and the Palestinian Authority deteriorated when Trump declared that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Ties worsened after the US embassy to Israel was moved from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
Last direct US-sponsored peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stopped in 2014 after nine months without any breakthrough due to deep difference on issues of settlement, security and borders.
Meanwhile, Abbas reiterated the Palestinian rejection to the Israeli decision of cutting the PA fund, or allowances the PA pays to the families of the prisoners and those killed by Israel in the Palestinian territories.
"We are still waiting and we will take the proper measures that fit with our interests," Abbas said. "Those are our prisoners and martyrs, and we have been paying them their allowances since 1965."
Talking about moving up the stalled file of reconciliation with rival Islamic Hamas movement, which has been controlling the Gaza Strip since 2007, Abbas said that there are talks that Egypt is holding with Hamas movement "in this respect".
"We told Egypt that if Hamas really wants to make reconciliation, it should transfer all power in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian consensus government, and if not, they should bear the full responsibility of Gaza," said Abbas.
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Sambhal violence: Prohibitory orders issued, outsiders barred from entry till Nov 30
Sambhal (UP) (PTI): The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders and barred the entry of outsiders till November 30 after three men were killed and scores of others, including security and administration personnel, injured in a violence by protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque.
The order has been issued under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), said District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya late on Sunday.
"No outsiders, other social organisations or public representatives will enter the district border without the permission of the competent officer," said the order, which came into force with immediate effect.
Violation of the order will be punishable under Section 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the BNS.
Violence broke out in the district on Sunday as protesters opposing the survey of the Jama Masjid clashed with security personnel. The protesters torched vehicles and pelted the police with stones while the security personnel used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob.
Divisional Commissioner (Moradabad) Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said on Sunday, "Shots were fired by miscreants... the PRO of the superintendent of police suffered a gunshot to the leg, the circle officer was hit by pellets and 15 to 20 security personnel were injured in the violence."
A constable also suffered a serious head injury while the deputy collector fractured his leg.
"Three people, identified as Naeem, Bilal and Nauman, have been killed," Singh said.
Twenty-one people, including two women, have been detained and a probe has been launched, the official had said, adding that those accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya said, "The casualty count stands at three. The reason for the deaths of two is clear -- bullet wounds from countrymade pistols. The reason for the death of the third person is not clear but it will be after post-mortem."
Internet services were soon suspended in Sambhal tehsil for 24 hours and the district administration declared a holiday in all schools for Monday.
Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19 when the Jama Masjid was first surveyed on the court's orders following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple had stood at the site.
Trouble started early on Sunday when a large group of people gathered near the mosque and started shouting slogans as the survey team began its work.
District officials said the survey could not be completed on Tuesday and was planned for Sunday to avoid interference with afternoon prayers.
Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, had earlier said the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) ordered the constitution of an "advocate commission" to survey the mosque.
The court has said a report should be filed after conducting a videography and photography survey through the commission, he had said.
On Sunday, Jain urged the Archaeological Survey of India to take control of the "temple".
Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer for the Hindu side, had earlier claimed the temple that once stood at the site was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529.
