Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia frees two jailed Palestinians linked to Hamas
Two Palestinians released from Saudi prison
Saudi Arabian authorities released two Palestinian residents and deported them to Turkey on Wednesday, the Maan News Agency reported.
Suleiman Haddad and his son Yahya Haddad were among nearly 68 Palestinians and Jordanians arrested in 2019 and accused of having links to an unidentified "terrorist organisation".
The group was tried in mass trials in 2020 and a year later handed prison sentences ranging from six months to 22 years.
Izzat al-Rashq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, confirmed Suleiman and Yahya’s release and thanked the Saudi government, considering it "a significant step in the right direction".
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“We hope these positive steps will continue and the rest of the Palestinians [detained in Saudi Arabia] will soon be released,” al-Rashq said in a tweet.
One in five Syrian children out of school
Nearly 18 percent of children in Syria do not attend school, according to a new report, the London-based Arabi21 reported Wednesday.
The report by the Arab Council foundation said the education system in Syria has been severely damaged due to the ongoing 12-year war.
The right to education has been violated by all parties involved in the conflict, it said. That includes authorities in government-controlled and opposition-held areas.
According to the report, the conflict in Syria has led to the closure of more than 1,600 schools.
Economic difficulties have also contributed to students dropping out of school.
As a result, almost 18 percent of school-aged students are out of the classroom, half of whom never went to school in the first place.
Egypt working with Gaza to avoid escalation
Egypt is working with Gaza authorities on steps to reduce tensions and ensure the ceasefire between Israelis and Palestinians continues, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported on Friday.
An Egyptian source said Cairo has not given up on avoiding a breakout of violence across the occupied territories amid increasing Israeli violence in the West Bank.
The government in Egypt has pushed for the acceleration of reconstruction projects in the besieged strip that was most recently bombed by Israel in August 2022 and May 2021, the source said.
The new set of measures, which were not detailed, came after Cairo held talks with senior leaders of the Hamas movement last week.
Officials in Cairo are seeking to reduce pressure on Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, through aid packages and measures that could ease the economic burdens on Palestinians in Gaza.
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