由於巴格達表示無法償還債務，鄰國伊朗決定減少電力供應，這加劇了停電，部分原因是美國的製裁

由薩拉姆·法拉傑今天，早上 7 點 47

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2021 年 7 月 3 日，在停電和氣溫飆升的情況下，一名伊拉克男子在北部城市摩蘇爾的一家工廠購買冰塊。（扎伊德·奧貝迪/法新社）

伊拉克巴格達（法新社）——本周伊拉克的氣溫飆升至 52 攝氏度（125 華氏度）時，阿里·卡拉爾將他的孩子放在冰箱裡幾分鐘。

但是，當週四晚上石油資源豐富的伊拉克停電時，人們不知如何躲避酷暑。

那些有能力的人將冰箱、空調機組和風扇連接到私人發電機上——但不是住在 Al-Hillah 鎮的 Karrar，以及南部貧困和農村地區的其他人。

自周二以來，南部四個省一直斷電，其中包括伊拉克主要港口的所在地巴士拉。

高濕度加劇了炙熱的溫度。

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“孩子們直接睡在地板上試圖保持涼爽，但我們這些成年人過去幾個晚上都沒合眼，”巴士拉碼頭工人和三個孩子的父親 Meshaal Hashem 告訴法新社。

2021 年 7 月 2 日，在停電和氣溫飆升的情況下，伊拉克青年在首都巴格達以東的薩德爾市的一家工廠等待購買冰塊時對酷熱做出反應。（艾哈邁德·魯巴耶/法新社）

在 Diwaniyah 市，Rahi Abdelhussein 買了一袋袋冰給他的孩子降溫，說這有助於他們補充水分。

商店在戶外放置了軟管和臨時淋浴，以吸引顧客停下來。

伊拉克 4000 萬人口的憤怒情緒高漲，腐敗的政客們成為其糟糕的服務和破舊的基礎設施的指責遊戲的中心。

“電力部在指責石油部，而石油部又在指責財政部，財政部說罪魁禍首是伊朗，但伊朗說這是伊拉克政府的錯，政府將責任歸咎於指責政客有缺點的人， ”伊拉克政治分析家薩賈德·吉亞德在推特上寫道。

“政客們只是聳聳肩說，'我們必須忍受它。'”

在伊拉克的夏季，高溫和停電經常同時發生，但最近的危機背後還有其他因素。

2021 年 7 月 2 日，在停電和氣溫飆升的情況下，一名伊拉克男子在首都巴格達以東的薩德爾市的一個發電機訂閱配電室工作。（艾哈邁德·魯巴耶/法新社）

伊拉克——歐佩克石油卡特爾的第二大產油國——從鄰國伊朗購買天然氣和電力，為其電力部門提供約三分之一的電力，該部門因數十年的衝突和維護不善而破敗不堪。

但伊朗週二決定削減對其鄰國的供應，稱伊拉克電力部欠它超過 60 億美元的欠款。

伊拉克表示，由於美國對向伊朗匯款的製裁、因油價下跌而加劇的嚴重金融危機以及 COVID-19 大流行，它無法支付。

巴格達政府還表示，很少有消費者支付水電費，許多消費者通過將線路非法連接到電源來竊電。

地方性腐敗是 2019 年 10 月至 2020 年 6 月震動伊拉克的抗議活動的主要驅動因素。

伊拉克在透明國際的腐敗認知指數中倒數倒數第 21 位，國庫中有數百億美元的損失。

最近的停電在南部的米桑和瓦西特省引發了抗議和與警察的衝突，造成 12 人受傷，其中 7 名是警察。

電力部表示，從南部開始然後蔓延到該國其他地區的停電是由不明原因的電力線襲擊造成的。

“有人試圖破壞國家穩定並製造混亂，”該部發言人艾哈邁德穆薩在電視上說，但沒有提供更多細節。

2021 年 7 月 2 日，在南部城市巴士拉的熱浪中，伊拉克人在 al-Maaqil 港口的 Shatt Al-Arab 河中游泳。 (Hussein Faleh/AFP)

至於電力部長馬吉德·漢圖什 (Majed Hantoosh)，他於週一辭職，就在德黑蘭宣布削減供應的前一天。

這是伊拉克電力部長連續第18年未能度過夏季。

今年 6 月，一位高級官員表示，伊拉克希望到 2030 年建造八座核反應堆。

據專家稱，伊拉克應該改建其基礎設施，因為過時的電路會導致 30% 到 50% 的電力容量損失。

Power outages compounded by neighboring Iran’s decision to reduce electricity supplies over debts that Baghdad says it can’t pay, partly due to US sanctions

By SALAM FARAJToday, 7:47 am

An Iraqi man buys ice blocks at a factory in the northern city of Mosul, on July 3, 2021, amid power outages and soaring temperatures. (Zaid Al-Obeidi/AFP)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — When the mercury soared to 52 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) this week in Iraq, Ali Karrar placed his baby for a couple of minutes in the fridge.

But when the power went off on Thursday night across oil-rich Iraq, people were left at a loss as to how to escape the torrid heat.

Those with the means hooked up fridges, air conditioning units and fans to private generators — but not Karrar, who lives in the town of Al-Hillah, as well as others across the impoverished and rural south.

Four southern provinces have been without electricity since Tuesday, including Basra — home to Iraq’s main port.

Sizzling temperatures have been compounded by high levels of humidity.

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“The children sleep right on the floor to try and stay cool, but us, the adults, haven’t slept a wink these past nights,” Meshaal Hashem, a Basra docker and father of three, told AFP.

Iraqi youths react to the heat as they wait to buy ice blocks at a factory in Sadr City, east of the capital Baghdad, on July 2, 2021, amid power outages and soaring temperatures. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP)

In the city of Diwaniyah, Rahi Abdelhussein buys bags of ice to cool down his children, saying it helps hydrate them.

Shops have placed hoses and makeshift showers outdoors to attract customers to stop.

Anger has mounted among Iraq’s 40-million population, with corrupt politicians at the center of a blame game for its poor services and dilapidated infrastructure.

“The electricity ministry is blaming the oil ministry which is blaming the finance ministry, and the finance ministry says the culprit is Iran, but Iran says it’s the Iraqi government’s fault, and the government lays the blame on the people who accuse politicians of shortcomings,” Iraqi political analyst Sajad Jiyad tweeted.

“The politicians just shrug and say, ‘We’ve got to live with it.'”

Boiling temperatures and power outages often go hand in hand during the summer months in Iraq, but there are other factors behind the latest crisis.

An Iraqi man works at a generator subscription distribution room in Sadr City, east of the capital Baghdad, on July 2, 2021, amid power outages and soaring temperatures. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP)

Iraq — the second-largest producer in the OPEC oil cartel — buys gas and power from neighboring Iran to supply about a third of its power sector, dilapidated by decades of conflict and poor maintenance.

But Iran decided Tuesday to cut supplies to its neighbor, saying the Iraqi electricity ministry owes it more than $6 billion in arrears.

Iraq says it is unable to pay because of US sanctions on money transfers to Iran, a deep financial crisis compounded by lower oil prices, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government in Baghdad also says few consumers are paying their utility bills, with many stealing electricity by hooking up lines illegally to power mains.

Endemic corruption was a key driver of protests that shook Iraq from October 2019 to June 2020.

Iraq is ranked 21st from last on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, with tens of billions of dollars missing from state coffers.

The latest power outages have sparked protests and clashes with police in the southern provinces of Missan and Wasit, leaving 12 people wounded, seven of them policemen.

The electricity ministry says the blackouts, which started in the south before spreading to the rest of the country, were caused by unexplained attacks on power lines.

“Someone is trying to destabilize the country and sow chaos,” ministry spokesman Ahmad Moussa said on television, without giving further details.

Iraqis swim in the Shatt Al-Arab river by the port of al-Maaqil amid a heatwave in the southern city of Basra, on July 2, 2021. (Hussein Faleh/AFP)

As for electricity minister Majed Hantoosh, he resigned on Monday, a day before Tehran announced its cutback in supplies.

It was the 18th year in succession that Iraq’s minister of electricity has failed to survive the summer season.

In June, a senior official said Iraq wants to build eight nuclear power reactors by 2030.

According to experts, Iraq should instead renovate its infrastructure, because between 30 and 50 percent of power capacity is lost due to outdated circuits.

隨著Delta變種的傳播，伊朗重新實施病毒限制

由AP

伊朗週日宣布將對主要城市重新實施冠狀病毒限制，因為高度傳染性的三角洲變種的傳播引發了對該國再次出現毀滅性激增的擔憂。

伊朗下令關閉包括首都德黑蘭在內的 275 個城市的非必要企業。政府表示，它還在感染率高的城市之間實施旅行禁令。

里夫林在其任期內批准了五分之一的赦免請求——報告

魯文·里夫林總統於 2021 年 6 月 24 日在耶路撒冷赫茨爾山國家紀念館舉行的紀念在第二次黎巴嫩戰爭中陣亡的以色列士兵的儀式上發表講話。

據第 12 頻道新聞報導，總統魯文·里夫林 (Reuven Rivlin) 的七年任期將於本週結束，他在 2021 年 4 月之前收到的 8,682 份赦免請求中批准了 1,797 份。

電視網絡報導稱，根據完整數據，里夫林批准了他在任職期間收到的赦免或減刑請求的五分之一多一點。

檢方要求內塔尼亞胡腐敗審判再次延期

Walla 新聞網站前首席執行官 Ilan Yeshua 於 2021 年 6 月 16 日抵達耶路撒冷地方法院，在前總理本傑明內塔尼亞胡的腐敗審判中作證。 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

前總理本傑明·內塔尼亞胡（Benjamin Netanyahu）正在進行的腐敗審判中的檢方要求延期交出對前 Walla 首席執行官伊蘭·耶舒亞（Ilan Yeshua）的電子郵件和電話信息的搜索結果，該案件的關鍵證人。

檢察官要求將截止日期從明天推遲到下週日。審判的聽證會定於下週一再次開始，但如果檢方的要求被接受，預計將被推遲。

倫敦男子昨晚在倫敦兩次遭受反猶太主義虐待 - 報告

據《每日郵報》報導，一名猶太男子昨晚在倫敦兩次在公共交通工具上受到威脅和襲擊。

據報導，一名男子威脅要“為巴勒斯坦割開你的喉嚨”，並在公共汽車上稱這名猶太人是“該死的卑鄙小人”。據報導，當晚晚些時候，另一名男子在地鐵站內大喊“我他媽的討厭猶太人”。

倫敦警方和公共交通安全部門表示，在該男子的兄弟在社交媒體上公佈事件後，他們將調查這些事件。

Delta 變異導致以色列 90% 的新 COVID 病例

2021 年 6 月 24 日，一名以色列青少年在耶路撒冷接受了冠狀病毒疫苗接種。 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

根據衛生部的數據，以色列國土報報導稱，在過去兩週內，以色列超過 90% 的新 COVID 病例是由具有超傳染性的 Delta 變體引起的。

根據該報告，就在兩週前，Delta 變體僅落後於該國 60% 的新病例。據信，Delta 變體的傳染性是最初的 COVID 毒株的 2 倍，比在英國首次發現的 Alpha 變體的傳染性高 1.5 倍。

福奇：美國最近 99.2% 的新冠肺炎死亡病例是未接種疫苗的人

由AP

2021 年 2 月 25 日，白宮 COVID-19 首席醫療顧問 Anthony Fauci 博士在華盛頓特區的艾森豪威爾行政辦公大樓聆聽。（SAUL LOEB/AFP）

美國頂級傳染病專家安東尼·福奇博士說，美國最近大約 99.2% 的 COVID-19 死亡病例與未接種疫苗的人有關。

他在 NBC 的“與媒體見面”節目中說：“所有這些都是可以避免和預防的，這真的很可悲和悲慘。” 在冠狀病毒中“你有一個強大的敵人”令人沮喪，“但我們確實有一個非常有效的對策。這就是為什麼它沒有在這個國家完全實施的原因更加令人悲傷和更加悲慘。”

下午 5:19

衛生部為免疫系統較弱的人推出第三劑COVID疫苗

據第 13 頻道新聞報導，以色列將建議免疫系統較弱的人接受第三次輝瑞 COVID 疫苗的加強注射。

根據該報告，以色列的衛生系統認為，兩劑疫苗無法為免疫系統受損的人提供足夠的抗體。此舉還將允許以色列使用一些定於 7 月底到期的輝瑞 COVID 疫苗。

冠狀病毒內閣定於週二晚上開會，討論如何最好地解決不斷增加的病例數。

下午 5:44

Bennett 與輝瑞首席執行官 Albert Bourla 就 COVID 疫苗進行了交談

輝瑞首席執行官 Albert Bourla 於 2021 年 4 月 23 日在比利時普爾斯的美國製藥公司輝瑞工廠參觀監督輝瑞-BioNtech 疫苗的生產後在新聞發布會上發表講話。（JOHN THYS / POOL / AFP）

總理納夫塔利·貝內特（Naftali Bennett）與輝瑞公司首席執行官阿爾伯特·布爾拉（Albert Bourla）就以色列對其即將到期的 COVID 疫苗及其對新疫苗劑量的需求的擔憂進行了交談。

總理辦公室表示，貝內特和布爾拉在過去幾天裡多次通話。他們討論了將以色列定於 7 月底到期的疫苗庫存與其他國家訂購的疫苗交換的潛在交易。

據 PMO 稱，兩人正在“保持持續的電話聯繫”，並就以色列的疫苗問題共同努力。

美土關係因童兵指控而受到公開打擊

分析人士表示，此舉是對華盛頓可能對安卡拉採取進一步行動的警告

作者：克里斯蒂娜·喬万諾夫斯基/媒體行

2021 年 7 月 4 日 14:22

分析人士告訴媒體專線， 美國已將土耳其列入涉及使用兒童兵的國家名單，這是其與安卡拉關係惡化的又一步。

此舉是華盛頓在多年關係惡化的情況下對其北約盟友的最新譴責，以安卡拉購買俄羅斯武器為突出，美國總統喬拜登上任加速，然後等待三個月與土耳其總統雷傑普通電話塔伊普·埃爾多安。

作為美國國務院週四發布的 2021 年人口販運報告的一部分，土耳其是美國將其列入招募或使用兒童兵的國家名單的第一個北約成員國。

Stratfor 的中東和北非分析師瑞恩·博爾 (Ryan Bohl) 告訴媒體，美國正在發出信號，表明它正在監視土耳其的人權記錄和外交政策，未來可能會採取更嚴肅的行動。

博爾表示，美國不太可能立即實施與法律相關的處罰，但華盛頓現在有一個法律機制，可以在以後懲罰土耳其。

他補充說，這也表明華盛頓與土耳其的關係正面臨著越來越多的審查，並增強了美國應該減少對北約盟國依賴的信念。

“這將增加這些論點的可信度……這只會繼續加劇，這種緊張局勢使該國變得有點過於專制，”他說。

他補充說，對敘利亞和利比亞的強調表明華盛頓特別關注土耳其在這些國家與誰結盟，並擔心一些代理人團體包括聖戰分子。

美國國務院發言人內德·普萊斯週四表示，由於美國即將完成撤軍，將土耳其列入名單不會影響關於安卡拉領導阿富汗喀布爾機場安全的談判。

“這只是一廂情願的想法，”來自安卡拉 Medipol 大學政治學和國際關係系的 Muzaffer Senel 說。“這肯定會對美土關係產生影響，”他補充說。

塞內爾表示，他預計土耳其將在中長期內做出回應，更多地轉向俄羅斯和中國。

與美國和北約的關係是土耳其的首要任務，它依靠軍事聯盟的威懾來確保其在與敘利亞、伊拉克和伊朗接壤的地區的領土安全。

然而，華盛頓未能利用其影響力改變安卡拉在敘利亞問題上的立場，最明顯的是土耳其於 2019 年 10 月在東北部對與美國結盟的庫爾德民兵 YPG 發動進攻。

安卡拉聲稱，YPG 與土耳其的庫爾德工人黨 (PKK) 合作，安卡拉、華盛頓和歐盟將其歸類為恐怖組織。

在 2019 年攻勢之前，土耳其和美國之間就其與 YPG 的聯盟及其在敘利亞東北部靠近土耳其邊境的存在進行的談判失敗，安卡拉認為這是一個主要的安全威脅。

時任總統唐納德特朗普警告埃爾多安不要“做傻瓜”的信也未能阻止土耳其總統入侵敘利亞。

美國的強硬態度可以幫助埃爾多安，埃爾多安過去曾在土耳其面臨財務壓力時利用反美情緒來提升自己的地位。

例如，當美國因土耳其拘留一名美國牧師而對土耳其實施制裁時，埃爾多安呼籲抵制美國電子產品，導致人們砸碎 iPhone 並削減美元。

土耳其回應被列入兒童兵名單，稱美國虛偽，指責YPG使用兒童兵。

據路透社報導，土耳其外交部的一份聲明稱，這是“美國公開援助、向 PKK/YPG 提供武器、強行招募兒童的虛偽和雙重標準的突出例子”。

2018 年，人權觀察指責 YPG 招募兒童進行軍事訓練，並且沒有告訴他們的家人他們在哪裡。

“這至少不是一個公平的名單……我不相信他們有良好的意願，”塞內爾在談到美國兒童兵名單時說。

“如果你想禁止各種兒童兵，那麼每個國家都應該尊重 [that]，沒有任何歧視，但現在有歧視，”他補充道。

博爾認為，雖然美國在道德上的地位並不高，但如果土耳其進一步與美國脫節，它仍然是最大的損失。

然後，博爾說：“美國開始威脅要改變對土耳其的政策和國防政策，這對土耳其的影響遠遠超過土耳其試圖對美國進行那種反威脅。”

US-Turkey relations take public blow with child soldiers accusation

Analysts say move is a warning of possible further action from Washington against Ankara

By KRISTINA JOVANOVSKI/THE MEDIA LINE

JULY 4, 2021 14:22

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference following a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Turkey, December 14, 2020

(photo credit: PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

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The US has put Turkey on a list of countries implicated in the use of child soldiers, another step in its worsening relations with Ankara, analysts told The Media Line.

The move was the latest rebuke by Washington against its NATO ally amid years of deteriorating ties, highlighted by Ankara’s purchase of Russian weapons, and accelerated by US President Joe Biden taking office, and then waiting three months to hold a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey is the first member of NATO that the US has put on the list of countries that have recruited or used child soldiers, as part of the US State Department’s 2021 Trafficking in Persons report that was released on Thursday.

Ryan Bohl, a Middle East and North Africa analyst with Stratfor, told The Media Line that the US is sending a signal that it is monitoring Turkey’s human rights record and foreign policy, with the possibility of taking more serious action in the future.

Bohl said it is unlikely the US would immediately apply penalties connected to the law, but that Washington now has a legal mechanism with which to punish Turkey later.

He added that it also shows how much Washington’s relationship with Turkey is facing increased scrutiny and bolstering the belief that the US should decrease its reliance on its NATO ally.

“It’s going to add credence to those arguments … that’s just going to keep building, that tension that the country is drifting a little bit too authoritarian,” he said.

He added that the emphasis on Syria and Libya shows that Washington is especially concerned about who Turkey is allied with in those countries, with concerns that some of the proxy groups include jihadist elements.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday the addition of Turkey to the list would not affect talks over Ankara heading security of Kabul airport in Afghanistan as the US nears completion of withdrawing its troops.

“This is just wishful thinking,” said Muzaffer Senel, from Ankara Medipol University’s Political Science and International Relations Department. “It will definitely have ramifications on US-Turkish relations,” he added.

Senel said he expects Turkey to respond in the medium-to-long term by shifting more toward Russia and China.

Ties with the US and NATO are top priorities for Turkey, which relies on the military alliance’s deterrence to ensure its territorial security in a region where it borders Syria, Iraq and Iran.

However, Washington has failed to use its leverage to change Ankara’s position on Syria, most notably when Turkey launched an offensive in the northeast in October 2019 against the US-allied Kurdish militia, the YPG.

Ankara asserts that the YPG cooperates with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Turkey, which Ankara, Washington and the European Union classify as a terrorist organization.

Before the 2019 offensive, talks failed between Turkey and the US over its alliance with the YPG and its presence in northeast Syria near the Turkish border, which Ankara views as a major security threat.

A letter from then-President Donald Trump warning Erdogan to not “be a fool” also failed to stop the Turkish president’s incursion into Syria.

A hard-line approach from the US could help Erdogan, who used anti-American sentiments in the past to boost his position when he faced pressure over Turkey experiencing financial strain.

When the US put sanctions on Turkey over its detention of an American pastor, for example, Erdogan called for a boycott of US electronics, leading people to smash their iPhones and cut up US dollars.

Turkey has responded to being put on the child soldiers list by calling the US hypocritical, charging that the YPG uses child soldiers.

A statement from the Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said that it is a “striking example of hypocrisy and double standards as the US openly aids, provides weapons to PKK/YPG that forcibly recruits children,” reported the Reuters news agency.

In 2018, Human Rights Watch accused the YPG of recruiting children for military training and not telling their families where they were.

“It’s not a fair list at least … I don’t believe they have a good will,” Senel said, of the US child soldiers list.

“If you want to ban all kinds of child soldiers, then each country should respect [that] without any kind of discrimination, but now there’s discrimination,” he added.

Bohl contends that while the US is not in a morally high position, Turkey still has the most to lose if it moves further out of step with the US.

Then, Bohl said: “The United States begins to threaten to change policies, defense policies towards Turkey, that impacts Turkey far more than Turkey trying to make those kind of counterthreats to the United States.”

和解協議同意釋放阻塞蘇伊士運河的船隻

儘管發生了 Ever Given 事故，但運河在 2021 年前六個月的收入仍為 30 億美元，比去年同期增長 8.8%。

通過路透

2021 年 7 月 5 日 00:41

2021 年 3 月 29 日，埃及蘇伊士運河，世界上最大的集裝箱船之一 Ever Give 號在部分重新漂浮後的視圖

（圖片來源：MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY/REUTERS）

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3 月份封鎖蘇伊士運河 的 Ever Given 集裝箱船的船東和保險公司週日表示，已就賠償糾紛達成正式和解協議，運河管理局表示，該船將於 7 月 7 日起航。

蘇伊士運河管理局（SCA）自 3 月 29 日被驅逐以來，一直將這艘巨輪及其船員關押在兩條水道之間的湖中，原因是 SCA 要求賠償的爭議。

日本人擁有的 Ever Given 被強風困住，並被困在運河上六天，擾亂了全球貿易。

代表船東 Shoei Kisen 及其保險公司的 Stann Marine 的 Faz Peermohamed 在一份聲明中說：“將準備釋放船隻，並在適當的時候在伊斯梅利亞的管理局總部舉行一場標誌著該協議的活動。” .

SCA 表示，和解合同將於週三在一個儀式上簽署，參與者將能夠看到這艘船離開。

Stann Marine 沒有提供和解的細節。

SCA 主席奧薩馬·拉比 (Osama Rabie) 表示，作為和解的一部分，運河將接收一艘牽引能力約為 75 噸的拖船，但未提及任何其他細節。

“我們完全保留了當局的權利，保留了我們與公司的關係以及與日本的政治關係，”他在周日晚上告訴一家私人電視頻道。

拉比說，儘管發生了 Ever Given 事故，但運河在 2021 年前六個月的收入為 30 億美元，比去年同期增長了 8.8%。

Shoei Kisen 及其保險公司上個月表示，他們已與 SCA 原則上達成協議。

在公開將要求降低至 5.5 億美元之前，SCA 要求賠償 9.16 億美元，以彌補打撈工作、聲譽損失和收入損失。

Shoei Kisen 和船舶的保險公司根據埃及法院命令對索賠和船舶扣留提出異議。

週日早些時候，埃及法院將賠償糾紛的聽證會延期至 7 月 11 日，以允許運河和船東敲定和解，法院消息人士和一名律師表示。

Settlement agreed to release ship that blocked Suez Canal

The canal earned revenue of $3 billion in the first six months of 2021, up 8.8% compared with the same period last year, despite the Ever Given accident.

By REUTERS

JULY 5, 2021 00:41

A view shows the ship Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, after it was partially refloated, in Suez Canal, Egypt March 29, 2021

(photo credit: MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY/REUTERS)

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The owners and insurers of the Ever Given container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March said on Sunday a formal settlement had been agreed in a compensation dispute, and the canal authority said the vessel would be allowed to sail on July 7.

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has held the giant ship and its crew in a lake between two stretches of the waterway since it was dislodged on March 29, amid a dispute over a demand for compensation by the SCA.

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The Japanese-owned Ever Given had become stuck in high winds and remained wedged across the canal for six days, disrupting global trade.

"Preparations for the release of the vessel will be made and an event marking the agreement will be held at the Authority's headquarters in Ismailia in due course," Faz Peermohamed of Stann Marine, which represents owner Shoei Kisen and its insurers, said in a statement.

The SCA said the settlement contract would be signed on Wednesday at a ceremony, and that participants would be able to watch the ship leaving.

Stann Marine gave no details of the settlement.

Osama Rabie, the SCA chairman, said the canal will receive a tug boat with a pulling capacity of about 75 tonnes as part of a settlement, without mentioning any other details.

"We preserved the rights of the authority in full, preserved our relationship with the company and also political relations with Japan," he told a private TV channel on Sunday evening.

The canal earned revenue of $3 billion in the first six months of 2021, up 8.8% compared with the same period last year, despite the Ever Given accident, Rabie said.

Shoei Kisen and its insurers said last month they had reached an agreement in principle with the SCA.

The SCA had demanded $916 million in compensation to cover salvage efforts, reputational damage and lost revenue before publicly lowering the request to $550 million.

Shoei Kisen and the ship's insurers had disputed the claim and the ship's detention under an Egyptian court order.

Earlier on Sunday, an Egyptian court adjourned hearings in the compensation dispute to July 11 to allow the canal and the ship's owner to finalize the settlement, court sources and a lawyer said.

貝內特：加沙的哈馬斯不再有手提箱現金

在為期 11 天的加沙戰爭之前，卡塔爾已向哈馬斯在加沙控制的機構提供了 3000 萬美元的現金，作為 100 美元的現金贈款分發給有需要的家庭。

作者：托瓦·拉扎羅夫，安娜·阿羅海姆

2021 年 7 月 4 日 21:07

錢

（圖片來源：INGIMAGE / ASAP）

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週日，在定於週二舉行的巴勒斯坦人道主義援助特別捐助者會議之前，哈馬斯總理納夫塔利·貝內特 (Naftali Bennett) 告訴內閣，哈馬斯不得再收到裝滿現金的手提箱。

“我們還在研究一種解決方案，允許向加沙居民提供人道主義援助，但沒有裝滿美元的手提箱，”他說。“裝滿美元的手提箱是我們繼承的東西，需要銷毀。”

在 5 月為期 11 天的加沙戰爭之前，卡塔爾向加沙地帶的哈馬斯控制機構提供了 3000 萬美元的現金 ，作為 100 美元的現金贈款分發給有需要的家庭。

哈馬斯在加沙地帶的領導人 Yahye Sinwar 呼籲恢復支付這些款項，並警告說，如果沒有這些款項，暴力就會恢復。

以色列不願讓資金回到加沙，因為擔心資金會被轉移到哈馬斯用於軍事目的。

有關聯合國將監督現金支付以確保它們不被用於哈馬斯恐怖襲擊的協議的報導尚未得到證實。

上週四，聯合國中東和平進程特別協調員托爾溫內斯蘭會見了卡塔爾副總理兼外交部長謝赫穆罕默德本阿卜杜拉赫曼阿勒薩尼。據卡塔爾外交部稱，他們討論了向巴勒斯坦人民提供援助的問題。

另一個問題是加沙在 Kerem Shalom 的主要商業過境點全面重新開放，該過境點由以色列控制。

在被稱為“城牆守護者”的加沙戰爭之後，以色列停止了平民重建所需的兩用物品的進入，等待建立一個機制以防止哈馬斯奪取其攻擊隧道的材料。

以色列還將過境點的全面重新開放與哈馬斯歸還在保護邊緣行動、2014 年加沙戰爭中被推定喪生的兩名士兵的遺體以及兩名被俘虜在那裡的以色列平民聯繫起來。

埃及斡旋的以色列和哈馬斯之間關於永久停火的間接談判將包括人道主義援助和人質問題，但尚未產生結果。負責監督對加沙的大部分人道主義援助的 聯合國也參與了會談，尤其是溫斯蘭。

預計加沙援助問題也將在周二的虛擬特設聯絡委員會會議上提出，該委員會負責監督對巴勒斯坦人的捐助資金。

AHLC 通常每年召開兩次會議，分別在春季和聯合國大會間隙舉行。今年，這個由 15 個成員組成的機構，包括來自以色列、巴勒斯坦權力機構、美國和聯合國的代表，正在舉行一次關於​​加沙問題的特別虛擬會議。

預計聯合國將在會議上提交一份加沙需求評估報告。

上週四在紐約聯合國，主管政治和建設和平事務的副秘書長羅斯瑪麗·迪卡洛說：“我和以色列一道呼籲，為人道主義援助和重建材料進入加沙提供便利。”

“我還敦促哈馬斯和加沙的其他激進組織不要進行會再次破壞局勢穩定的襲擊和挑釁，”她說。

“我們必須避免短期修復，並專注於我們如何努力解決加沙的僵局和巴勒斯坦的分歧。維持停火和改善實地安排是聯合國預防性外交的重要組成部分，旨在為政治行動創造空間，”迪卡洛說。

Bennett: No more suitcases of cash for Hamas in Gaza

Prior to the 11-day Gaza war, Qatar had provided $30 million in cash payments to Hamas controlled bodies in Gaza for distribution as $100 cash grants to needy families.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF, ANNA AHRONHEIM

JULY 4, 2021 21:07

Money

(photo credit: INGIMAGE / ASAP)

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Hamas must no longer receive cash-filled suitcases, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told the cabinet Sunday, ahead of a special donor meeting on Palestinian humanitarian assistance, including the Gaza Strip, scheduled for Tuesday.

“We are also working on a solution that will allow humanitarian assistance to the residents of Gaza, but without suitcases full of dollars,” he said. “Suitcases full of dollars are something we inherited, and they need to be done away with.”

Prior to the 11-day Gaza war in May, Qatar provided $30 million in cash payments to Hamas-controlled bodies in the Gaza Strip for distribution as $100 cash grants to needy families.

Yahye Sinwar, Hamas’s leader in Gaza, has called for the resumption of those payments and warned of a resumption of violence without them.

Israel is loath to allow money back into Gaza out of concern that it will be diverted to Hamas for military purposes.

Reports of a deal by which the United Nations would oversee the cash payments to insure that they were not used for Hamas terrorist attacks has not been verified.

Last Thursday, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland met with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. They discussed the delivery of aid for the Palestinian people, according to the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

Also at issue is the full reopening of Gaza’s main commercial crossing at Kerem Shalom, which is controlled by Israel.

In the aftermath of the Gaza war, known as Guardian of the Walls, Israel has halted the entry of dual-use items necessary for civilian reconstruction pending the creation of a mechanism to prevent Hamas from seizing the material for its attack tunnels.

Israel has also linked the full reopening of the crossings with Hamas returning the remains of the two soldiers presumed killed during Operation Protective Edge, the 2014 Gaza war, and two Israeli civilians held captive there.

Egyptian-brokered indirect talks between Israel and Hamas for a permanent ceasefire that would include issues of humanitarian aid and the hostages have not yet yielded results. The UN, which oversees the bulk of the humanitarian aid to Gaza, is also involved in the talks, particularly Wennesland.

The issue of Gaza aid is also expected to be raised at Tuesday’s virtual Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting, which oversees donor funding to the Palestinians.

The AHLC typically meets twice a year, in the spring and on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. This year, the 15-member body, which includes representatives from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the US and the UN, is holding a special virtual meeting on Gaza.

The UN is expected to present a needs assessment report for Gaza at the meeting.

At the UN in New York last Thursday, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said, “I join the appeals to Israel to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials into Gaza.”

“I also urge Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza to refrain from attacks and provocations that would again destabilize the situation,” she said.

“We must avoid short-term fixes and focus on how we can work toward resolving the deadlock in Gaza and the Palestinian divide. Sustaining ceasefires and improving arrangements on the ground are important elements of UN preventive diplomacy, which aims to create space for political action,” DiCarlo said.

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