Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has said Donald Trump needs to inform himself about historical facts after the US president alleged that Islamabad did not adequately support the Washington-led “war on terror”.

In a series of statements on Twitter on Monday, Khan listed ways in which Pakistan assisted the US and was impacted by the war, saying the “record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump’s tirade against Pakistan”.

The comments came a day after Trump defended his decision to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of taking money while allowing former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to hide in the South Asian country.

Khan reacted sharply, recalling the Pakistani lives lost during the “war on terror”, before appearing to suggest the US should look closer to home for responsibility for the continued strength of the Taliban in Afghanistan. 

Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump’s tirade against Pakistan: 1. No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pak decided to participate in US War on Terror. 2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US “aid” was a miniscule $20 bn.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018

“1. No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pak[istan] decided to participate in US War on Terror. 2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war and over $123bn was lost to the economy. US “aid” was a minuscule $20bn,” Khan posted on Twitter.

Khan said the US has made Pakistan a “scapegoat” for its failures in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are stronger than at any point since the 2001 US-led invasion.

“Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140,000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops and reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than ever before.”

Khan also highlighted how the war devastated Pakistan’s tribal areas and uprooted millions of Pakistanis from their homes. He said the country continues to provide free lines of ground and air communications to the US.

“Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?” he said.

Trump’s false assertions add insult to the injury Pak has suffered in US WoT in terms of lives lost & destabilised & economic costs. He needs to be informed abt historical facts. Pak has suffered enough fighting US’s war. Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018

Uncomfortable allies

In an interview with Fox News that aired on Sunday, Trump said Pakistan “don’t do a damn thing” for the US, and once again blamed Pakistan for allegedly sheltering bin Laden.

“He was living in Pakistan, we’re supporting Pakistan, we’re giving them $1.3bn a year, which we don’t give them any more. By the way, I ended it because they don’t do anything for us, they don’t do a damn thing for us,” he said.

Shortly after Khan’s comments on Monday, Trump took to Twitter again to slam Pakistan.

“We paid Pakistan billions of dollars and they never told us he was living there. Fools! We no longer pay Pakistan the billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. 

“They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. That’s ENDING!” Trump posted.

Bin Laden was found to be hiding in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, where he was killed in a raid by US Navy Seals in 2011.

….We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. That’s ENDING!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018

Relations between the two allies have nosedived since Trump took office last year, mainly because of a clash of interests in war-torn Afghanistan. 

Washington accuses Islamabad of providing safe havens to the powerful Haqqani network, which is blamed for numerous attacks on foreign forces in Afghanistan in recent years.

Pakistan denies the allegations.

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies

The English Football League has agreed a controversial new television rights deal with Sky Sports, worth £595m.

The deal, which runs from the start of next season until May 2024, is a 35% increase on the previous contract.

But a number of the Championship’s larger clubs feel it undervalues how much the rights are worth and will meet on Tuesday to discuss their next move.

The broadcaster will show 138 league matches a season as well as every play-off game and the Carabao Cup final.

They will also show 14 ties from the earlier rounds of the Carabao Cup and the semi-finals and final of the Checkatrade Trophy.

The list of Championship fixtures to be broadcast will include 16 on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, with an additional eight to be broadcast simultaneously.

It is understood that Derby County, Leeds United and Aston Villa are among the clubs opposed to the new contract.

Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani, who also owns broadcaster ElevenSports, has previously criticised the current deal, saying clubs are not getting enough money for games which are shown on live television.

‘Unanimous decision’

BBC Sport understands that the nine-member EFL Board unanimously agreed to the deal, including representatives of three Championship clubs, Reading, Brentford and Bristol City.

The deal covers the Championship, League One and League Two, with the money split between all 72 clubs depending on which division they are in.

EFL interim chair Debbie Jevans said in a statement that she will review how the league discusses future deals with clubs as a result of the concerns:

“Concluding these negotiations has indeed been challenging, as is the case when managing a diverse group of stakeholders, and the board took on board the comments and frustrations voiced by a number of clubs and has committed to reviewing the way the League engages with its clubs to ensure that we move forward in a collaborative way in the future,” she said.

By comparison, the Premier League’s three-year television deal with Sky and BT Sport is worth £4.55bn, but the amount Amazon paid for one package of games has not been disclosed.

“The deal we have entered into with Sky, after fully testing the current market through our external advisors, allows our clubs the benefit of financial security which was an absolute priority for us throughout this process,” said EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey.

“It is a partnership that, as well as having the necessary financial benefits, provides the EFL with the platform to maximise reach and exposure for its competitions, alongside providing further opportunities for clubs to monetise some of those games not broadcast on television through a DTC offering.”

‘They have just started a war’ – Analysis

Simon Stone, BBC Sport

The EFL have stuck their necks out in signing this deal.

This morning, I was told 21 out of the 24 Championship clubs wanted the EFL to ask Sky for more time, or even negotiate a shorter contract, to allow some of the issues – amount of money being paid, the number of times clubs are on TV, the mass streaming of midweek games – to be sorted out.

Should this deal go through against their wishes, I was told by one senior club executive that the “EFL should not be patting themselves on the back thinking they have won and they should not see this as being done, because in fact, they have just started a war.”

Now the Championship clubs must decide whether there is any substance behind their rhetoric, whether they are willing to do anything to back up their claims of incompetence.

A meeting is due to take place on Tuesday. The outcome will be very interesting indeed.

Image: amazon

Smart home devices were the hot, gift-worthy items during last year’s holiday season and 2018 is shaping up to be no different. A big part of the reason for this is because these smart home devices tend to see great discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, making now the ideal time to shop for loved ones — or snag a gift for yourself. Trust us, we won’t tell anyone. We promise.  

SEE ALSO: All the best Black Friday 2018 sales, right in one place

Although some of the deals are not official yet, a large number of them are active right now, so you can take advantage of these fantastic sales from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target before the Black Friday shopping holiday even begins. 

However, keep coming back to this round-up for new deals on smart home devices popping up throughout the week as soon as they are available. We’ll continue to take all the hard work out of shopping for the holidays for you, so you can spend more time with the ones you love.

Here are the best deals on smart home devices for Black Friday:

Early Black Friday deals

Amazon smart home

Philips Hue

iRobot Roomba

Everything else

Smart home deals starting on Black Friday

Google

Facebook

Apple

Philips Hue

Eve

Sonos

Everything else

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Black Friday 2018 deals by store

Black Friday 2018 deals by category

• Gaming deals: Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, Nintendo, Alienware laptops, and more

• Laptop deals: Lenovo Yoga, Alienware, Dell, HP, Asus, and more

• TV deals: OLEDs from Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, and more
   

On November 14, the United Nations Security Council unanimously agreed to lift the sanctions it had imposed on Eritrea with Resolution 1907.

The measure, which included an international arms embargo, travel bans and the freezing of assets of high-profile Eritrean officials, had been in effect since 2009, when the UN accused Eritrea of supporting armed groups in Somalia – something the regime in Asmara always denied.

East African nations and the international community welcomed the UNSC’s decision, which came on the back of a landmark peace deal between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

While the withdrawal of sanctions is a major diplomatic win for Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, it is unlikely to change much for ordinary Eritreans. In fact, the regime continues to maintain its own form of crippling “sanctions” on the general population, limiting its rights and freedoms. And there are no serious signs that these sanctions are going anywhere.

Domestic sanctions

People living in Eritrea have long known that the lifting of the UN sanctions would not improve their lot much, despite the fact that the Eritrean regime regularly used them as a justification for some of its failures. 

Likewise, the much celebrated Ethiopian-Eritrean deal also failed to bring major change to the lives of ordinary Eritreans. Months after it was concluded, the mandatory military service is still in place and civilians are still required to work as guards of official institutions as a form of national service. In fact, military drills and re-armament of civilians have intensified in recent days.

The crippling economic policies of the regime are also likely to remain in place. Import and export businesses were banned in 2003 and construction was outlawed in 2006. The movement of goods and labour was severely restricted and Eritrean nationals were banned from withdrawing more than $300 a month from their saving accounts.

These extreme measures crippled the country’s business sector and scared away investors. This, in addition to a massive brain drain caused by the regime’s repressive policies, stripped the nation of its most talented and entrepreneurial people.  

As a result of these policies and regardless of the UN sanctions, Eritrean nationals who had the potential to invest and develop businesses relocated to other African countries and non-Eritreans simply did not see the country as a safe investment environment. 

The peace deal and rapprochement with Ethiopia also has not done much for the handful of remaining Eritrean businesses so far. In fact, the normalisation led to an informal Ethiopian business “invasion”.

Ethiopians are now able to enter the country and freely sell their goods in the streets of Eritrea, participating in the open market without paying any taxes or being required to acquire expensive licenses. Even for their daily bread, Eritreans are now dependent on Ethiopian producers.

As a result of this highly unbalanced and unfair trade arrangement, no Eritrean business managed to thrive following the rapprochement with Ethiopia.

In this context, probably the only economic sphere that could benefit from the lifting of the UN sections would be mining. But the proceeds from that industry are also unlikely to trickle down to ordinary Eritreans as the regime keeps tight control on mining contracts and profits.

An emboldened Afwerki

Some experts have expressed hopes that the peace deal with Ethiopia and now the lifting of the UN sanctions could usher in changes in the domestic affairs of the country. The absence of a conflict with Ethiopia and some form of international rehabilitation seemingly leave the Eritrean regime no excuse to continue its repressive militarisation of society.

But these major diplomatic developments could also have the opposite effect. They could encourage President Afwerki to continue ruling the country with an iron fist and even embolden to tighten his grip on power even more. After all, none of these diplomatic breakthroughs came in exchange for concessions on human rights or internal political reforms.

For the last two decades, being a pariah in the eyes of the international community, Afwerki was relying on his loyal military commanders to help him hold on to power. However, he has now secured a powerful and widely popular ally in the face of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

With Ahmed on his side and increasing international backing, he no longer feels the need to consult even his most trusted commanders when making decisions. He is now signing treaties and deciding the faith of a nation of over 5 million single-handedly.

Since the peace deal, Afwerki visited Ethiopia three times and Ahmed came to Eritrea twice. The two leaders met twice more – once in the UAE and once in Saudi Arabia – to receive awards. However, the results of these meetings, just like the details of the peace deal between the two countries, have never been shared with the Eritrean people.

Afwerki had always prioritised regional politics over domestic affairs and so far nothing appears to have changed. It looks like he is still more concerned over his own international standing and regional ambitions than improving the lot of his people at home.

He still has old scores to settle in Ethiopia, especially with the old guard of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). It is not unlikely that Afwerki played an indirect role in the recent arrests of former top TPLF officials.

Thus, the rapprochement with Ethiopia has provided the Eritrean leader with the opportunity to pursue his regional grand ambitions at the expense of the Eritrean people. The last week’s decision by the UN will likely allow him to make himself more acceptable in the eyes of the international community and come one step closer to becoming an influential and internationally accepted regional actor.

In light of all this, Eritreans have little reason to celebrate the lifting of the sanctions that will likely benefit no one other than Afwerki himself. What the Eritrean people really need the UN to do is pressure the Eritrean regime to lift the devastating sanctions it has imposed on its own people.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Uefa Nations League live: Denmark v Republic of Ireland & Germany v Netherlands – Live – BBC Sport

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Image: Marvel 2018

Black Friday is an ideal time to pick up a new gaming console thanks to the sheer variety of bundles that are on sale. One of our favorites this year is the Spider-Man bundle for PlayStation 4, which is discounted to $199 at a bunch of different stores. Just where will this gaming bundle be on sale, you ask? Keep reading.

SEE ALSO: Gaming deals: Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, Nintendo, Alienware

We’ve seen the deal cycle in and out of stock all day, but it’s obvious that stores are holding inventory and will keep releasing more in the lead up to Black Friday. So whether you’re a wannabe web-head or just want a good system, the PlayStation 4 1TB Spider-Man bundle for $199.99 is a deal you’ll want to get your hands on.

Here’s where you can get it:

PlayStation dominates the field when it comes to exclusive gaming releases, and Spider-Man is one of the biggest of 2018. (Seriously, Xbox can’t even compare.)

 

Black Friday 2018 deals by store

Black Friday 2018 deals by category

• Gaming deals: Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, Nintendo, Alienware laptops, and more

• Laptop deals: Lenovo Yoga, Alienware, Dell, HP, Asus, and more

• TV deals: OLEDs from Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, and more

The families of three US soldiers killed by a guard at a military base in Jordan two years ago say their recently-filed lawsuit against the kingdom “is the only way” to expose the truth behind their relatives’ deaths.

In the complaint, which was submitted on Friday to a federal court in Washington, DC, the families accuse Jordan of being “complicit in a terrorist act” and seek unspecified damages over the wrongful death of their loved ones.

The three special forces soldiers – Staff Sergeant Matthew Lewellen, 27; Staff Sergeant Kevin McEnroe, 30; and Staff Sergeant James Moriarty, 27 – were part of a CIA programme training members of Syrian opposition groups in Jordan.

On November 4, 2016, they were shot at close range by Maarik al-Tawaiha, a sergeant in the Jordanian Air Force, when their convoy was stopped at the gate of the King Faisal base in southern Jordan after a training mission nearby.

Al-Tawaiha, who was named as a co-defendant in the lawsuit, was later convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison by a Jordanian military court.

The Jordanian sergeant had pleaded not guilty, maintaining that he opened fire because he believed the US troops were posing a threat after failing to stop their vehicle as they approached the gate.

According to publicly available documents in regards to the case, neither the FBI, which investigated the incident, nor the Jordanian government was able to establish a motive for the killing. 

“The families have decided to file a lawsuit because it is the only way to get the truth,” James R Moriarty, father of the slain 27-year-old soldier, told Al Jazeera on Monday.

He added that “there is no reason why the FBI still withholds information about the case and refuses to share with the families.”

Alleged Jordan cover-up

The lawsuit alleges that Jordan was engaged in “a cover-up” in the killing of the soldiers because of its multiple conflicting statements in the hours, days and months that followed the shooting.

These statements, the complaint says, showed that Amman was “complicit” in a “terrorist act” against legally protected US citizens on Jordanian soil.

An initial statement carried by Jordan’s state media after the shooting claimed that the US soldiers had violated protocol and “refused to obey orders” upon entering the base, triggering the shooting from al-Tawaiha who shot them in accordance with “internationally recognised rules of engagement”.

There were also claims that the soldiers had consumed alcohol and that the killing was precipitated by some kind of “loud noise” or a shot that was heard in the vicinity.

Amid growing pressure, these statements were later retracted and the Jordanian government released a six-minute video of the incident that contradicted the previous version of events and officially apologised to the families.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”https://ift.tt/2KiHWxG Cv 02649 (PDF)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”https://ift.tt/2BiiN3i Cv 02649 (Text)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Jordanian sources who were present at the hospital where the US soldiers were taken after the shooting told Al Jazeera that laboratory tests showed no presence of alcohol in their blood.

‘False narrative’

Moriarty, the father, insisted that there was Jordanian complicity in the incident, asking: “Why about 10 Jordanian soldiers who were present at the gate at the time of the shooting did not try to help my son who laid wounded on the ground?”

Brian McEnroe, the father of Kevin McEnroe, also told Al Jazeera on Monday: “The bottom line is that Jordan … started a false narrative from the day the shooting happened and continued to lie for four months after the incident trying not to blame the shooter and saying he was acting properly – and it was clear he did not.”

Jumana Ghunaimat, a spokesperson for the Jordanian government, did not respond to calls and messages requesting comments for this report.

Khalil Atieh, the longest-serving member of the Jordanian parliament, rejected the claims against Jordan in the lawsuit.

“Jordan has never aided and abetted terrorism, on the contrary, Jordan stands at the forefront in the war against terrorism in this region,” Atieh told Al Jazeera, adding that his country “has paid a heavy price because of our stance against terrorism and for its alliance with the US against terrorism”.

Referring to al-Tawaiha’s case, Atieh said, “The shooter was tried, convicted and sentenced in Jordanian court and everyone should respect the integrity of the Jordanian justice system.”

Jordan, a close ally of the United States, receives $1.7bn in economic and military aid a year from Washington.

‘Scapegoat’

Speaking to Al Jazeera, a relative of al-Tawaiha who wished to remain anonymous said the convicted Jordanian soldier was made a “scapegoat” to cover up the responsibility of certain government officials. The relative did not name the officials he was referring to.

“We pressed government officials in a meeting with them last year to publicly release the entire video of the incident but they refused,” the relative claimed.

He added that the officials, in refusing to release more information, said that there were things they should not see or know about.

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Sayel Abu Tayeh, a former member of Jordan’s armed forces and a close relative of al-Tawaiha said he still believes the convicted sergeant is innocent, claiming that there is more information to this case than what has been publicly released.

“We don’t accept or agree to the killing of any American citizen,” he told Al Jazeera. “On the contrary, we are sorry that Americans were killed. The responsibility of their killing, however, lies elsewhere.”

A former senior Jordanian military officer familiar with the case, who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, argued that Jordan has only itself to blame in this case because “its officials did not tell the truth” in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and “did not respect the people who died on its soil”.

Follow Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports

Formula 3 driver Sophia Florsch’s surgery went “extremely well” and there is “no fear of paralysis”, her team principal has told BBC World Service.

German Florsch, 17, fractured her spine in a high-speed crash at Sunday’s Macau Grand Prix.

Doctors used bone from her hip to repair one of her vertebrae in the surgery, which lasted nearly 10 hours.

“Everything is working and everything is in order,” said Van Amersfoort Racing owner Frits van Amersfoort.

“[Paralysis] was the main fear. That’s why the operation had to be done quite quickly because there was a danger it [her spinal cord] could be damaged.

“We are extremely happy that she is now recovering and that everything went extremely well. There’s no fear of paralysis whatsoever.”

Florsch hit the back of Jehan Daruvala’s car on lap four and then launched over the inside kerb into the car of Sho Tsuboi. That impact catapulted her car over the barrier and into an area occupied by marshals and photographers.

Van Amersfoort estimated she was travelling at 276kmh (171.6mph).

Asked if Florsch will return to racing, he added: “I’m quite sure that Sophia will – after some time of course.

“Luckily enough winter is now beginning so she will have time to recover and I am quite sure that she will be back.

“That’s what the racing blood always does – coming back because this is the sport we all love.”

Image: LightRocket via Getty Images

Instagram is finally doing something to crack down on fake likes and followers. 

The app will begin to remove follows, likes, and comments that are the result of shady third-party apps. Instagram will also prompt password resets in an effort to prevent continued use of the apps. And, if Instagrammers keep using these services, the app will punish users by limiting their use of certain features.

The apps in question are third-party services that use your Instagram credentials to help boost your account by rewarding you with likes, comments, and followers. If you’re active on Instagram, you’ve probably encountered activity from some of these services, even if you don’t directly use them yourself. (Telltale signs include when random accounts like several of your old photos all at once, often with generic comments like “nice.”)

The problem with these apps, according to Instagram, is not just that they game the system to create fake engagement, but that they’re often shady and exploit the log-in information provided by users. 

“Every day people come to Instagram to have real experiences, including genuine interactions,” Instagram writes in a blog post. “This type of behavior is bad for the community, and third-party apps that generate inauthentic likes, follows, and comments violate our Community Guidelines and Terms of Use.”

In order to root these apps out of Instagram, the company will begin to prompt password resets for people who have used these services in the past. And it will start to remove followers, likes, and comments that were generated as the result of these services. (Importantly, Instagram says the change will kick in beginning Monday, so previous likes and follows will not be impacted, even if they were the result of one of the apps in question.) 

What’s more, if people continue to use these services, they may see more serious account repercussions. According to a spokesperson, Instagram “may limit access to certain features,” if they identify repeat offenders. The spokesperson didn’t elaborate on what specific features could be  impacted.

But given how serious a problem Instagram hackings have been in the past, the ramp-up in enforcement should be welcome news to those concerned about account security.

Global online rental marketplace Airbnb says it will remove its listings in the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The decision on Monday will lead to about 200 listings being removed from the popular accommodations website, which allows home-owners to rent out rooms, apartments and houses to people.

“We concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians,” a statement on the Airbnb website said.

The removal of the listings will take place in the coming days, a spokesperson for Airbnb told the Reuters news agency. 

The company said it came to the conclusion based on an internal framework used to judge how it handles listings in occupied territories around the world.

“US law permits companies like Airbnb to engage in business in these territories. At the same time, many in the global community have stated that companies should not do business here because they believe companies should not profit on lands where people have been displaced,” the statement said.

“Others believe that companies should not withdraw business operations from these areas,” it added.

“We know that people will disagree with this decision and appreciate their perspective. This is a controversial issue.”

All Israeli statements are illegal under international law. 

The Airbnb listings in the occupied West Bank have long been criticised by the Palestinian community and human rights activists.

In 2016, it came under fire for listing dozens of rooms and apartments in occupied West Bank settlements as being in “Israel” rather than Palestinian Territories

At the time, Husam Zomlot, the ambassador-at-large for Palestine, told Al Jazeera Airbnb was “promoting stolen property and land”.

In a scathing 2016 report, Human Rights Watch said companies that operate within or in coordination with Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories benefit from and contribute to an unlawful system that violates the rights of Palestinians.

Settlement expansion, which has surged under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has long been viewed as a major roadblock to a viable Palestinian state.

Israeli settlements are considered a violation of international law and major stumbling blocks to peace efforts as they are built on land the Palestinians want for their future state including occupied East Jerusalem.

Some 600,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem – territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war.