Qatari media group Al Jazeera on Saturday condemned (Israel's) airstrike on a building housing its office in Gaza City and called on the international community to protect journalists.

(Israel’s) "barbaric" act targeted the lives of journalists and aims to prevent them from revealing the truth, the group said.

"Al Jazeera promises its audience to continue its coverage and to uncover the truth on what is happening in Gaza, the Palestinian Territories and in ‘Israel’, regardless of the suppression attempts."

It also vowed "to pursue every available route to hold the ‘Israeli’ government responsible for its actions."

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera Gaza office head Vail ed-Dehduh told reporters that "it is very clear that ‘Israel’ is uncomfortable with the role played by Al Jazeera and other media outlets in Gaza.

"However, in the end, these broadcasters are doing their job impartially and properly."

Earlier in the day, ‘Israeli’ warplanes fired multiple missiles at the al-Jalaa tower that housed offices of various media groups, including Al Jazeera and the American Associated Press.

The 13-story building, one of Gaza's oldest multi-story buildings, had a total of 60 units, including offices of media companies, legal firms, and doctors.

‘Israel’ has pounded the Gaza Strip in airstrikes since May 10, killing at least 139 people, including 39 children and 22 women, and injuring 950 more people.

At least four multi-story buildings have also been destroyed in the air raids on the besieged Palestinian territory.

ISTANBUL

Turkey's exports to Libya rose 58% year-on-year in the first four months of 2021 to $826 million, said a top Turkish trade group on Saturday.

While Turkey's overall exports were up 33.1% this January-April, this increase in Libya reached 58%, almost double the general average, said Murtaza Karanfil, chairman of the Turkey-Libya Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK).

In April alone, Karanfil told Anadolu Agency that exports to Libya skyrocketed 228% to $263.3 million compared to the same period last year, showing that strong bilateral ties are clearly being reflected in trade.

"We know that the Turkish private sector is enthusiastic about completing missing projects and taking part in new projects in Libya," he said, referring to work that had to be abandoned due years of turmoil in the North African country.

Libya has needs that have accumulated especially due to the situation over the last 10 years – since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi and the ensuing chaos – and need to be resolved quickly, he stressed.

With an interim government formed under a February peace deal, Libya has recently emerged from years of conflict to move towards elections this December.

Turkish advantage

"Our Turkish contractors have important duties in terms of both the infrastructure and superstructure for rebuilding of country," said Karanfil.

Areas where Turkish investors could play a larger role in Libya in the coming years include energy, defense industry, food, recycling, and chemicals.

Although the country has a population of 6 million, a lot of products enter its market, and annual exports of $10 billion annually if the infrastructure is established is no dream, Karanfil said.

Saying that Turkish investors have a good command of the culture of doing business in Libya, he said Turkey enjoys an advantage in this regard.

"There is no security problem for Turks who want to do business in the country, and Turkish investors who serve are protected by Libyans."

He also highlighted Libya is a gateway to the African continent through which Turkish business people can boost their exports to the continent in short order.

Noting that they are continuing initiatives to establish an international logistics base in Libya, he said:

"Our exports will be easily able to reach 53 African countries and a population of 1 billion from this logistics center."

This base, which is in the financial evaluation stage, will be built entirely through local resources, he added./aa

The World Islamic Health Union (WIHU) on Saturday called for immediate efforts to help Palestinians facing brutal attacks by ‘Israeli’ forces.

“The Islamic world should mobilize all its means for our Palestinian brothers to heal the wounds of the attacks, and basic necessities, especially medical aid, should be delivered to Palestine immediately,” the group said in a statement.

The WIHU said Jerusalem holds special significance for Muslims and they “must work hard to eliminate the attacks against our first qibla and to bring peace and tranquility to Jerusalem.”

“In the eyes of Islamic countries, an Islamic Peace Force should be established to protect Jerusalem,” read the statement.

The WIHU pointed out that “people of different cultures lived in peace and tranquility under Ottoman rule for 400 years” in Jerusalem.

The process of oppression in Jerusalem began with the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which paved the way for a Jewish state in Palestine, and with the establishment of Zionist Israel in 1948, the statement said.

Palestinians were forced to migrate from the land where they lived for centuries due to Israeli oppression and became refugees, it added.

“One day we will pray together in a free Jerusalem. When the Islamic ummah, 2 billion people, is one and together, there is no problem that they cannot solve and no persecution they cannot eliminate,” the WIHU said.

‘Israel’ has pounded the Gaza Strip in air strikes since Monday, killing at least 139 people, including 39 children and 22 women, and injuring 950 more people.

The air raids on Gaza were preceded by days of tensions and ‘Israeli’ aggression in occupied East Jerusalem, where hundreds of Palestinians were assaulted by ‘Israeli’ forces and settlers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood./aa

GAZA, Palestine 

The Zionist army carried out nearly 30 airstrikes in northern Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reported late Friday from the region. 

Electricity was cut in much of the area in the north because of attacks targeting the Education Directorate, civilian homes and a mosque.

The Health Ministry in Gaza has not released a statement about casualties but witnesses said they counted dead and injured civilians.  

Palestine vs. Zionist entity

Zionist forces in recent days have attacked Palestinians protesting in solidarity with residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem, who were evicted by a Zionist court.

The occupying forces also raided Al-Aqsa Mosque during special night prayers during Ramadan.

The subsequent escalation of tensions resulted in airstrikes by Israel on Gaza, killing more than 120 Palestinians, including children and women, according to health officials. At least 920 others have been injured, in addition to heavy damage to residential buildings./aa

Thousands of people took to the streets in Berlin on Friday to voice their solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza facing relentless lethal bombing campaigns by the Zionist military over the past five days.

Waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free, Free Palestine” and “Stop the killing in Gaza”, protesters expressed outrage over Germany’s unconditional support for Israel as hundreds of police were deployed along the demonstration route.

The protestors lashed out at the center-right government of Chancellor Angela Merkel for backing the Zionist military aggression in Gaza, which has killed so far at least 122 Palestinians, including 31 children, and wounded more than 900 since the fighting flared up on Monday.

“(Israel) is murdering Palestinians while Merkel is financing it. Why?” the protesters chanted repeatedly.

Demonstrators, among them many Arab women dressed in traditional Palestinian dresses, carried placards saying occupied Jerusalem remains the capital of Palestinians and insisted on the right of return of all Palestinian refugees to their homeland.

There have been stepped-up efforts in recent days by the Israel lobby in Germany to ban pro-Palestine demonstrations under the pretext of "being outright anti-Semitic."

The city of Frankfurt has reportedly prohibited an anti-Zionist protest scheduled for Saturday.

Germany has been the scene of anti-Zionist protests in numerous cities amid the mounting Palestinian death toll over the past days.

More demonstrations are planned across the country this weekend, including Berlin which will be the venue for three demonstrations on Saturday./aa

A major Indian opposition party expressed concern about escalating violence in East Jerusalem and urged the government on Friday to proactively work as a member of the UN Security Council to restore peace.

Anand Sharma, deputy leader of the Indian National Congress in the Upper House, or Rajya Sabha, and head of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, said in a statement that spiraling violence in Gaza and Zionists, which coincides with the Muslim holy festival of Eid al-Fitr is distressing and a matter of grave concern for the world.

“Palestinian people's right to pray at Al-Aqsa mosque without any restriction must always be respected and not violated,” he said, before adding that Palestinians have the same right as Israelis to live in dignity in a secure environment.

The incidents in Jerusalem are outrageous, said Sharma.

Zionist's ongoing heavy bombardment of Gaza has caused extensive damage to residential buildings and according to UN estimates, 10,000 Palestinians have been forced to leave their homes in Gaza "due to the ongoing hostilities" during an Israeli offensive.

At least 126 Palestinians, including 31 children and 20 women have been killed, and more than 900 injured during the offensive.

“The escalation of the conflict, air attacks on Gaza and the rocket attacks by Hamas have resulted in the tragic loss of innocent human lives, especially the children and the elderly and also injuries to many civilians,” said, the party, adding that the substantial destruction of public property and infrastructure has resulted in hardship and disruption.

It also urged an immediate end to hostilities between Israel and Hamas, as well as immediate UN Security Council intervention to restore peace.

Tensions have been running high in the Sheikh Jarrah area in occupied East Jerusalem for the past month as Zionist settlers swarmed in following an Zionist court order for the eviction of Palestinian families.

Palestinians are protesting for the residents of Sheikh Jarrah, who have been targeted and threatened with expulsion by Zionist forces./aa