Shaath, 54, said in a video statement released on May 14 that French officials had initiated deportation proceedings against him on the basis that he posed a threat to public security. He said the measures formed part of what he described as a broader effort to silence Palestinian voices and supporters of the Palestinian cause in France.

France’s Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations or the legal basis for the proposed deportation.
Shaath said the move followed administrative difficulties related to renewing his French residency permit despite longstanding family ties in France.

He also alleged that French authorities or associated institutions had closed his bank account and suspended his health insurance coverage, affecting his ability to travel, work and access medical care.
He said he and his family planned to challenge the proceedings in French and European courts.

Shaath helped establish the pro-Palestinian organization Urgence Palestine after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. He has been a prominent advocate of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel and has linked Palestinian activism with broader opposition to authoritarian governance in the Arab world.

Born to Egyptian and Palestinian parents, Shaath founded the Egyptian branch of the BDS movement in 2014. Egyptian authorities arrested him in 2019, and he remained in detention for more than two years before being released in January 2022.

Following his release, Shaath told The Associated Press that Egyptian authorities had never formally charged him. He said he was initially held in overcrowded conditions before later being isolated in a windowless detention cell.

French President Emmanuel Macron publicly welcomed Shaath’s release from Egyptian custody in 2022.

Shaath is married to a French citizen and has a French-Palestinian daughter. His case emerges as European governments face mounting tensions over balancing domestic security concerns with protections for political activism tied to the conflict in Gaza.

The procession, which moved through the Muslim Quarter toward the Western Wall, is one of Israel’s most politically charged nationalist demonstrations and has long inflamed tensions between Israelis and Palestinians over the contested city.

Israeli police erected barricades around Damascus Gate and restricted access to parts of the Old City, while Palestinian shopkeepers said authorities ordered businesses shut ahead of the march.Israel captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed the territory in a move not recognized by most of the international community.

Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state, making the annual march a focal point of competing national claims.“Jerusalem is our holy city. It is our holy city forever,” Shira Gefen, a participant who traveled from near Haifa to attend the event, told Reuters.

Thousands of security personnel, including riot police, were deployed across Jerusalem as crowds carrying Israeli flags streamed through narrow streets of the Old City.

The parade route traditionally passes through Palestinian neighborhoods, drawing criticism from Palestinians and rights groups who accuse Israeli authorities of enabling nationalist displays intended to reinforce Israeli control over East Jerusalem.

The event comes at a time of heightened political and military strain across the Middle East, with the ongoing Iran conflict and renewed regional security concerns fueling nationalist rhetoric on multiple fronts.

Jerusalem Day commemorates Israel’s seizure of East Jerusalem and access to Jewish holy sites during the 1967 conflict. The march concludes at the Western Wall, revered by Jews as the last remnant of the ancient Temple complex.

Muslims refer to the same elevated compound above the wall as Al Haram Al Sharif, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third-holiest site.Previous Jerusalem Day marches have seen clashes between Israeli nationalists and Palestinians, with some demonstrators chanting anti-Arab slogans.

Israeli authorities said security measures this year were aimed at preventing violence and maintaining order during the celebrations.

The procession, which moved through the Muslim Quarter toward the Western Wall, is one of Israel’s most politically charged nationalist demonstrations and has long inflamed tensions between Israelis and Palestinians over the contested city.

Israeli police erected barricades around Damascus Gate and restricted access to parts of the Old City, while Palestinian shopkeepers said authorities ordered businesses shut ahead of the march.Israel captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed the territory in a move not recognized by most of the international community.

Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state, making the annual march a focal point of competing national claims.“Jerusalem is our holy city. It is our holy city forever,” Shira Gefen, a participant who traveled from near Haifa to attend the event, told Reuters.

Thousands of security personnel, including riot police, were deployed across Jerusalem as crowds carrying Israeli flags streamed through narrow streets of the Old City.

The parade route traditionally passes through Palestinian neighborhoods, drawing criticism from Palestinians and rights groups who accuse Israeli authorities of enabling nationalist displays intended to reinforce Israeli control over East Jerusalem.

The event comes at a time of heightened political and military strain across the Middle East, with the ongoing Iran conflict and renewed regional security concerns fueling nationalist rhetoric on multiple fronts.

Jerusalem Day commemorates Israel’s seizure of East Jerusalem and access to Jewish holy sites during the 1967 conflict. The march concludes at the Western Wall, revered by Jews as the last remnant of the ancient Temple complex.

Muslims refer to the same elevated compound above the wall as Al Haram Al Sharif, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third-holiest site.Previous Jerusalem Day marches have seen clashes between Israeli nationalists and Palestinians, with some demonstrators chanting anti-Arab slogans.

Israeli authorities said security measures this year were aimed at preventing violence and maintaining order during the celebrations.

Abu Akleh, a veteran correspondent for Al Jazeera, was killed on May 11, 2022 while reporting on an Israeli operation in the Jenin refugee camp. She was wearing a blue protective vest clearly marked “PRESS” at the time of the shooting, according to eyewitness accounts and media footage from the scene.

Then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett initially said Palestinian gunfire was likely responsible for the killing and denied involvement by Israeli forces. The Israel Defense Forces later stated it was “not possible to unequivocally determine the source of the gunfire,” while acknowledging there was a “high possibility” Abu Akleh was accidentally struck by Israeli fire.

Independent investigations conducted by the United Nations and several international media organizations, including CNN, The New York Times and Al Jazeera, concluded that Abu Akleh was likely killed by Israeli troops during the raid.

Her funeral in occupied East Jerusalem later drew international attention after Israeli security forces clashed with mourners carrying her coffin. The Jerusalem Red Crescent said 33 people were injured and six hospitalized during the confrontation.

In statements issued on Monday, members of Abu Akleh’s family said the absence of legal accountability reflected a broader failure to protect journalists operating in conflict zones.

“We want the US to provide a public update about the investigation and ensure that there is transparency in the FBI investigation,” her niece, Lina Abu Akleh, told Arab News.

She also called for sanctions against the Israeli military unit allegedly involved in the shooting and criticized what she described as insufficient action by Washington despite Abu Akleh’s US citizenship.
“The ongoing impunity sends a dangerous message that journalists can be targeted without consequence,” Lina Abu Akleh said, linking the case to wider concerns over the safety of reporters covering conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

The Committee to Protect Journalists last week urged US authorities to relaunch and publicly update the FBI investigation opened in 2022. In a letter to the US Department of Justice, the organization said it was unaware of formal witness interviews despite multiple individuals expressing willingness to cooperate.

The group described the lack of visible progress in the case as a “profound failure” by the US government to respond promptly and impartially to the killing of one of its citizens abroad.

Mohamad Al-Assi, 27, completed the race through Bethlehem and nearby Palestinian refugee camps after rebuilding his strength following more than two and a half years in Israeli detention, where he said poor prison conditions severely weakened his physical condition.

The annual Palestine Marathon, held for the first time in three years, drew thousands of participants and international solidarity runners at a time when many cultural festivals and public gatherings across the West Bank have been canceled or reduced because of the war in Gaza and tighter Israeli movement restrictions.

The marathon route wound through Bethlehem, passing stretches of the concrete barrier separating Israel from the West Bank before looping twice through narrow streets and nearby agricultural areas because runners cannot complete a standard marathon course without encountering Israeli checkpoints or military gates.

Organizers said the event was designed to draw attention to movement restrictions faced by Palestinians in the West Bank, where checkpoints, military closures and expanding Israeli settlements have increasingly constrained daily travel and access to open land.

Al-Assi, who lives in the Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem, said his training routine was repeatedly interrupted by Israeli military operations in the area. He resumed running in December after his release and gradually increased his training distances, according to his account on the fitness tracking application Strava.

“The main difficulties we face are the cars on the roads and the presence of Israeli security forces along the route where I train,” Al-Assi said.He was arrested in April 2023 and initially held under Israel’s administrative detention system, which permits authorities to detain individuals for renewable periods without formal charges.

Palestinian rights organizations and Israeli human rights groups say between 3,000 and 4,000 Palestinians are currently being held under the system.In October 2023, Al-Assi was convicted on charges related to transferring money to suspicious entities, allegations he denies.

Israeli authorities closely scrutinize financial transfers linked to Gaza and Palestinian organizations over concerns funds could reach militant groups. Israel’s military, Shin Bet internal security agency and Prison Service did not comment on his case.Al-Assi said inadequate prison diets and prolonged detention significantly reduced his endurance and muscle mass after years of competitive training.

“I was emotionally shattered after spending such a long period in prison,” he said.The atmosphere in Bethlehem contrasted sharply with the broader regional tensions surrounding the war in Gaza and the fragile ceasefire efforts underway there. Crowds gathered near the Church of the Nativity before sunrise as drummers and bagpipers accompanied runners through the city’s streets.

Parallel events were also held in Gaza, including shorter races involving amputees and disabled runners in Nuseirat in central Gaza. Participants said the events reflected an effort to restore a sense of normalcy after more than two years of conflict and destruction.After crossing the finish line, Al-Assi collapsed to his knees and dedicated his performance to Palestinians still being held in Israeli prisons.

The lawsuit was filed last year by around 200 American plaintiffs, including families of victims killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. The plaintiffs allege Masri knowingly facilitated Hamas operations through properties and infrastructure linked to companies under his control.

According to court filings, the plaintiffs claim tunnels used by Hamas militants were concealed beneath two Gaza beachfront hotels developed by Masri’s companies, the Ayan Hotel and the Blue Beach Resort. The complaint further alleges that electricity generated by solar panels in an industrial zone operated by Masri’s firms supplied underground Hamas fortifications.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act, which allows American victims of terrorism to pursue civil claims in U.S. courts against individuals or entities accused of materially supporting designated militant organizations.

In a motion seeking dismissal of the case, Masri’s lawyers rejected the allegations and condemned the Oct. 7 assault, which triggered Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.“The defendants unequivocally condemn Hamas’ violence and the suffering it inflicted upon innocent civilians,” Masri’s attorneys wrote in the filing, arguing the plaintiffs failed to establish that Masri knowingly engaged in conduct intended to support Hamas operations.

The filing described the complaint as speculative and said the allegations were based on the premise that participating in Gaza’s economy under Hamas rule amounted to aiding the group.Masri declined additional comment. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Before the war, Hamas oversaw governance in Gaza and maintained an extensive tunnel network beneath the territory.

Foreign and Palestinian businesses operating in Gaza frequently navigated commercial and regulatory conditions shaped by Hamas’ control, even as the group remained designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.

Masri is among the most prominent Palestinian business figures in the Middle East and is best known for developing Rawabi, the first master-planned Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank. The $1.4 billion project received international backing and U.S. development assistance grants.His companies also developed major commercial ventures in Gaza, including luxury coastal resorts and the Gaza Industrial Estate near the Israeli border.

Much of the enclave’s infrastructure, including those projects, sustained heavy destruction during Israel’s military offensive following the Oct. 7 attacks.Among the plaintiffs is Israeli technology entrepreneur Eyal Waldman, whose daughter was killed during the attack on the Nova music festival in southern Israel.

Waldman had previously partnered with Masri on technology initiatives employing Palestinian engineers in Rawabi and Gaza, ventures both men had publicly described as examples of economic cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians.Waldman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Abukeshek was detained alongside Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila after the Israeli navy stopped the humanitarian vessel, while dozens of other activists were intercepted by the Greek coast guard and taken to the island of Crete, according to officials and legal representatives.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares described the detention as unlawful and said he had raised the matter directly with his Israeli counterpart.“This is a case of illegal detention in international waters, outside the jurisdiction of Israeli authorities,” Albares said in an interview with Spain’s public radio.

“I have made this clear to my Israeli counterpart.”The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, known as Adalah, said it visited both men at a detention facility in the Israeli port city of Ashkelon and reported that they had begun a hunger strike.

The group said the two activists alleged they had been repeatedly beaten while in custody and were subjected to isolation, prolonged blindfolding and physical assault.“Adalah maintains that the treatment of the two activists, including the use of isolation, prolonged blindfolding and physical beatings, constitutes a grave violation of international law,” the organization said in a statement.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in an online post that Abukeshek and Ávila were being questioned over possible links to the Palestinian militant group Hamas and confirmed that both had been granted consular access.

The detention has added fresh strain to already tense relations between Israel and Spain, one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.Spain formally recognized Palestinian statehood in 2024, a move that triggered strong objections from Israel and widened diplomatic friction between the two governments.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez intensified criticism on Friday during a campaign event ahead of regional elections in southern Spain, directly addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the detention.“Now that Netanyahu has taken foreign citizens, including a Spanish national, and brought them to Israel, I have a few things to say to Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Sánchez told supporters of his Socialist Party.

“First, Spain will always protect its citizens. Second, we will always uphold international law — and this is yet another violation of it,” he said. “And third, we demand the release of the Spanish citizen who has been illegally detained by the Netanyahu government.”

The case has drawn wider attention across Europe as international activists continue attempts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza amid the prolonged conflict and worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave.

Officials said Dabbour was arrested late Tuesday shortly after landing in Beirut and is being questioned by a judge at the prosecutor’s office in the Lebanese capital. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.According to the officials, the detention was carried out based on a Red Notice issued by Interpol late last year following accusations linked to financial misconduct.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas removed Dabbour from his post as ambassador to Lebanon in 2025 after the Palestinian Authority accused him of corruption.Officials said the case involves allegations that Dabbour was involved in the sale of property in Lebanon owned by the Palestine Liberation Organization, which maintained a major presence in the country before Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon forced its leadership to relocate.

The properties were reportedly linked to assets held by the PLO during its years of political and military operations from Lebanon.No public statement has been issued by Dabbour or his legal representatives regarding the allegations.

The case comes amid broader anti-corruption efforts within Palestinian institutions and renewed scrutiny over financial management tied to overseas diplomatic and political assets.

Speaking during a visit on Monday to Palestinian villages in the West Bank alongside former senior Israeli officials including Matan Vilnai and Amram Mitzna, Pardo said the conditions he witnessed reminded him of historic persecution faced by Jews in Europe and left him feeling “ashamed to be Jewish,” according to remarks carried by Israel’s Channel 13.

Pardo said Israeli authorities were fully aware of settler attacks on Palestinian residents but had chosen not to intervene, describing the trend as a moral and strategic danger for the country.

He warned that confronting radical settlers, some of whom he said were armed and enjoyed political backing, could trigger internal instability and deepen divisions inside Israel.Pardo specifically pointed to the influence of far-right cabinet ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom have supported stronger Israeli control over the West Bank and expansion of settlements.

Violence across the occupied territory has intensified in recent months, with Palestinian communities reporting repeated attacks, destruction of homes and farmland, and forced displacement.The United Nations considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and has repeatedly called for a halt to settlement expansion, a position Israel disputes.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said annexation of parts of the West Bank was not currently being pursued, citing opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump.However, Saar said Israel remained opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and would continue to strengthen its presence in the territory, a position that has further strained relations with the European Union and drawn criticism from rights groups and international partners.

The West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, remains one of the central flashpoints in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with rising tensions fueling fears of broader regional instability.

Nearly 1.5 million voters were registered across the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while around 70,000 were eligible to vote in Gaza’s Deir El-Balah area, according to the Ramallah-based Central Elections Commission.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m., with voting taking place under the shadow of continued conflict, institutional paralysis, and long-standing frustration over the absence of national elections.

Footage from Al-Bireh in the West Bank and Deir El-Balah in Gaza showed election workers preparing polling centers as residents arrived to cast ballots in what many described as a symbolic rather than transformative process.

Most electoral lists were aligned with President Mahmoud Abbas’s secular-nationalist Fatah movement or were running as independents.There were no lists affiliated with Hamas, which governs much of Gaza and remains Fatah’s principal political rival.In many municipalities, including Ramallah and Nablus, only one list was submitted, resulting in automatic victory without a contested vote.

Where competition existed, Fatah-backed candidates faced independent lists, some led by figures associated with leftist factions such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.Mahmud Bader, a businessman from Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, said he would vote despite believing the outcome would have little practical effect.

“Whether candidates are independent or partisan, it has no effect and will have no effect or benefit for the city,” he said.“The occupation is the one that rules Tulkarem. It would only be an image shown to the international media — as if we have elections, a state or independence.

”Tulkarem has been under heightened Israeli military pressure, with two adjacent refugee camps remaining under military control for more than a year.In Gaza, the vote in Deir El-Balah marked the first local electoral exercise since Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections and later took control of the enclave in 2007.

Political analysts said the Palestinian Authority’s decision to hold voting only in Deir El-Balah reflected both logistical limits and a cautious test of public sentiment in post-war Gaza.Jamal Al-Fadi, a political scientist at Cairo’s Al-Azhar University, said the limited vote served as an “experiment” because there had been no reliable post-war opinion polling.

Deir El-Balah was selected partly because it was one of the few areas in Gaza where much of the population had remained in place and not been displaced during more than two years of war.Farah Shaath, 25, said voting for the first time was emotionally significant despite the extraordinary conditions.

“Although it is unlike any election in the world, it is a confirmation of our continued existence in the Gaza Strip despite everything,” she said.The elections commission said polling staff in Gaza were recruited from civil society groups and that a private security company had been contracted to secure voting centers.

However, a commission source in Gaza said Hamas police insisted on overseeing security around polling stations through unarmed personnel in civilian clothing.

UN coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov praised the organization of the vote, calling it a “credible process” and saying the elections represented an important opportunity for Palestinians to exercise democratic rights during an exceptionally difficult period.

Abbas, now 90, has remained in office for more than two decades without re-election, despite repeated promises of legislative and presidential polls that have yet to materialize.

Saturday’s municipal vote, while limited in scope, reflects both the persistence of Palestinian civic institutions and the deep uncertainty surrounding the future of governance in both Gaza and the West Bank.