The newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" reported today, Thursday, that there are 3 obstacles preventing the start of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel.

On October 10, the first phase of the agreement came into effect, following a genocide waged by Israel with American support against Gaza for two years since October 2023.

According to the newspaper, these obstacles include Israel's failure to recover the remains of two detainees held in Gaza, the fate of Hamas fighters in Rafah (south), and the formation of an international stabilization force.

1- Recovery of the bodies Yedioth Ahronoth stated that "Washington is pressuring Israel to move towards the second phase of the agreement, but Israel insists on recovering the bodies of the remaining two hostages first."

Hamas claims it has handed over all 48 Israeli detainees, while Israel asserts that the movement still holds the bodies of two detainees.

According to the newspaper, "Israel continues to pressure Hamas to identify the location of the remains and return them, refusing to reopen the Rafah crossing or expand humanitarian aid, or discuss further withdrawals."

It quoted Israeli officials saying that "once the two bodies are recovered, Israel will begin discussions on various aspects of the reconstruction of Gaza."

2- Rafah fighters According to the newspaper, the second obstacle to starting the second phase is the fate of Hamas fighters holed up in tunnels beneath Rafah.

It stated that "Israel has expressed a willingness to allow them safe passage to a third country, but no country has agreed to receive them."

3- The international force The third obstacle, according to the newspaper, is "the difficulties in forming the international stabilization force" scheduled to be deployed in Gaza.

It said, "So far, only a few Arab and Islamic countries have agreed to contribute thousands of soldiers."

It added, "Azerbaijan initially expressed its readiness to send troops, but it seems to have backtracked."

Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an informed Israeli official saying that "there is no progress in assembling the stabilization force."

He added, "In any case, they (the soldiers) will need training and preparation before deployment. This is the main issue that the Americans need to resolve."

On Thursday, Channel 14 reported that the United States has set mid-January for the start of the deployment of the international stabilization force in Gaza.

The United Nations Security Council adopted a U.S. draft resolution on November 18, allowing for the establishment of a temporary international force to be deployed in Gaza until the end of 2027.

The Israeli genocide against Gaza has resulted in more than 69,000 martyrs and 170,000 Palestinian injuries, most of whom are children and women, along with massive destruction, with the cost of reconstruction estimated by the United Nations at around $70 billion.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced on Thursday that 32,000 people are still displaced from camps in northern occupied West Bank due to ongoing Israeli military operations since the beginning of this year.

This was stated in a press release on Thursday by UNRWA's Director of Operations in the occupied West Bank, Roland Frederick. Frederick said that 32,000 residents of the camps in northern West Bank are still forcibly displaced, adding that the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps have been completely emptied due to Israeli military operations since January 21.

He indicated that the residents of the three camps remain forcibly displaced after these camps have turned into "ghost towns," despite having been "vibrant with life previously." He explained that the Israeli army has continued in recent days to issue new demolition orders under the pretext of "military purposes," noting that the latest of these orders includes the total demolition of 12 buildings in the Jenin camp and partial demolition of 11 other buildings, set to begin on Friday.

Frederick pointed out that March and June of last year witnessed collective demolition orders affecting more than 190 buildings in the Jenin camp, in addition to the destruction of 20 other buildings through controlled explosions in February.

He affirmed that this "systematic destruction contradicts the fundamental principles of international law" and only serves to "enhance the long-term control of the occupying army over the camps."

The UN official emphasized that these areas "need rebuilding, not further destruction," and that "their residents must be allowed to return to their homes and restore their lives."

He clarified that the Israeli army began a wide-scale military operation on January 21, which started from the Jenin camp and then expanded to include the Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps.

These developments come amid a continuous Israeli escalation in the West Bank for more than two years, characterized by incursions, arrests, and assassinations, coinciding with the genocide that began in the Gaza Strip on October 8, 2023, and has continued for two years.

According to official Palestinian data, Israeli assaults in the West Bank by the army and settlers have resulted in the deaths of more than 1,083 Palestinians, injuries to about 11,000, and the arrest of more than 20,500 individuals since the escalation began.

The United States has set mid-January 2026 as the date to begin deploying the international stabilization force in the Gaza Strip, specifically in the Rafah area, where Israeli occupation soldiers are removing mines and remnants of bombs in the relevant areas.

Israeli Channel 14 reported on Thursday: "According to the timeline set by the U.S. administration, the first batch of soldiers from the International Stabilization Force (ISF) is scheduled to arrive in the Gaza Strip in mid-January 2026."

It added: "The force is set to be deployed in the Rafah area (south), and Israeli army soldiers in the region are removing mines and remnants of bombs in the relevant areas."

On November 18, the UN Security Council adopted by majority a U.S. draft resolution regarding the end of the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, which authorizes the establishment of a temporary international force until the end of 2027.

In a general session, 13 members of the council voted in favor of the draft, while Russia and China abstained from voting, allowing the council to adopt the resolution that authorizes the establishment of a "temporary international force to stabilize the Gaza Strip."

According to the Israeli channel, "a senior official at the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat (southern Israel) set the end of April as the deadline for completing the disarmament process in the Gaza Strip."

He stated: "Both objectives, especially the second, are extremely ambitious, in addition to being separate from the field situation."

No immediate comment was issued by the United States, Hamas, or the mediators regarding what the Hebrew channel reported.

The Security Council welcomed President Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end the conflict in Gaza, issued on September 29, 2025.

It also welcomed the establishment of the Peace Council as a "transitional administrative body with international legal personality responsible for setting the framework and coordinating funding for the reconstruction of Gaza according to the comprehensive plan."

The resolution authorizes member states cooperating with the Peace Council and the council "to establish a temporary international force to stabilize Gaza, deployed under a unified command" accepted by the council, according to the United Nations website.

Washington proposed the draft resolution to complete the stages of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that has been in effect since October 10.

The agreement halted a genocide initiated by Israel on October 8, 2023, in Gaza with U.S. support, which lasted for two years, resulting in approximately 70,000 Palestinian martyrs, around 171,000 injured, and massive destruction affecting 90 percent of civilian infrastructure.

The United States is still in contact with several countries to ensure their participation in the international stabilization force.

A Palestinian youth was martyred by the occupation forces in the town of Qabatiya in northern West Bank, coinciding with the ongoing military operation of the occupation army in the Tubas governorate.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health stated that the young man, Osama Yasser Kmeil, was martyred last night by the occupation's bullets in the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin.

At the same time, the occupation army continues its military operation in Tubas for the second consecutive day, targeting 5 areas in the governorate by deploying large forces, conducting raids, searches, and detaining Palestinians.

A reporter reported that 15 Palestinians were injured as a result of assaults by the occupation, including an elderly man over 80 years old, and the occupation detained 70 others yesterday, Wednesday.

The director of the Palestinian Red Crescent in Tubas, Nidal Odeh, stated that the occupation obstructed ambulances from reaching the town of Tamoun, where a military checkpoint was established at the town's entrance, and crews and patients were searched.

The occupation forces announced the killing of 3 Palestinians and the injury of 10 others following hours of launching their military operation in Tubas yesterday morning, Wednesday.

The occupation forces imposed a curfew and siege on the city of Tubas, the Al-Far'a camp, and the villages of Aqaba, Tamoun, and Tayaseer, in addition to several gatherings and areas in the northern Jordan Valley.

Many homes were raided, and some were turned into military barracks.

The Israeli occupation army had announced the start of a wide military operation in the area in cooperation with the internal security service (Shabak) and border guards, involving fighters, helicopters, and drones.

Based on what it claimed was intelligence information about activities suspected of being linked to armed Palestinian organizations and monitoring the establishment of infrastructure to target the army.

The Maariv newspaper quoted sources in the army stating that the operation came after monitoring an increase in attempts to carry out Palestinian operations in recent weeks.

There was a movement aimed at re-establishing armed brigades.

The occupation army stated that special forces are combing dozens of buildings and interrogating suspected Palestinians in the area, confirming that the operation will continue "to prevent the entrenchment of terrorism and eliminate any security threat."

In contrast, the governor of Tubas, Ahmad Al-As'ad, stated that what is happening is the implementation of the "Alon" settlement project, imposing new realities and controlling Palestinian lands.

In other developments, the occupation forces carried out raids and arrests at dawn today in the cities of Qalqilya and Tulkarem in northern West Bank.

Palestinian media reported that occupation soldiers raided a house in the Kafr Saba neighborhood in Qalqilya, as well as stormed the Dhannaba suburb east of Tulkarem.

Earlier, a reporter stated that Israeli forces, accompanied by military reinforcements and bulldozers, stormed the city of Tulkarem and headed towards the Nur Shams camp, where they carried out expansion and leveling operations in the camp.

In the Shuafat camp north of occupied Jerusalem, a Palestinian youth was injured by the bullets of the occupation forces during their incursion into the camp.

The Palestinian news agency reported from the Jerusalem governorate that a young man was injured by rubber-coated metal bullets fired by the occupation forces during their incursion into the entrance of Shuafat camp.

On another note, armed settlers assaulted homes and properties of Palestinians in various areas of the West Bank.

The assaults included the town of Silwad east of Ramallah, the Arab Al-Rashayda gathering southeast of Bethlehem, the town of Beita south of Nablus, and the villages of Jorish and Khillat Al-Hums.

The settlers carried out their assaults under the protection of the occupation forces, which prevented citizens from defending themselves and used tear gas to disperse them.

The Israeli occupation army launched airstrikes early Thursday in the areas it occupies east of Gaza City and in Khan Younis and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, coinciding with demolition operations of residential buildings.

Israeli warplanes carried out several strikes on the Al-Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City, while the army executed demolition operations on buildings in that area, the echoes of which were heard across wide parts of the city.

In Khan Younis, the occupation carried out airstrikes and demolition operations on residential buildings in the town of Bani Suheila east of the city, and in other areas east of Rafah, according to eyewitnesses.

The Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" condemned the Israeli occupation's pursuit of its fighters trapped in the tunnels of Rafah for their elimination, asserting that this constitutes a blatant violation of the ceasefire.

The movement stated in a statement that it has made significant efforts to resolve their issue, but the Israeli occupation undermined them, calling on mediators to act quickly to bring them back.

Hamas added that "the brutal crime committed by the occupation through the pursuit, elimination, and arrest of the mujahideen trapped in the tunnels of Rafah city is a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and a damning evidence of the ongoing attempts to undermine and destroy this agreement."

It pointed out that Hamas "has made significant efforts throughout the past month with various political leaders and mediators to resolve the fighters' issue and return them to their homes, and has presented specific ideas and mechanisms to address this problem."

The statement also clarified that Hamas presented this "in full communication with the mediators and the American administration as one of the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement, but the occupation undermined all these efforts, prioritizing the language of killing, crime, pursuit, and arrest, thwarting the efforts of the mediators who worked hard with various international parties to put an end to the suffering of these heroic fighters."

Hamas held the Israeli occupation "fully responsible for the lives of our mujahideen," calling on "the brother mediators to take urgent action to pressure the occupation to allow our sons to return to their homes, as they are a unique model of sacrifice, heroism, and patience, and a symbol of the dignity and freedom of the Palestinian people."

Earlier, the Hebrew newspaper "Haaretz" highlighted the latest developments regarding the Hamas fighters trapped in Rafah city in southern Gaza Strip, quoting statements from officers in the occupation army confirming that the fighters do not surrender.

The newspaper quoted one Israeli officer with the rank of colonel, stating that Hamas fighters do not surrender, despite the army's use of aerial and ground means to strike them, noting that some have been killed and others arrested, but locating them is extremely complicated.

The officer indicated that the militants were likely part of a force belonging to Hamas in Rafah, but the army did not confront them initially.

He pointed to a pile of rubble that appears to have been a former building, confirming that the fighters are not in a single tunnel, but in a vast network of tunnels, and their routes and openings must be identified.

He mentioned that "the goal the Israeli army seeks to achieve is to force the militants to gather in one underground point and attack them if they refuse to surrender," emphasizing at the same time that they do not surrender after two years of war, and the army continues to search in the tunnels, a task that cannot end.

He confirmed that "our primary mission here is to kill or capture the militants inside the tunnels in this area," claiming that "most of the fighters are underground. Some come up to breathe or to bring equipment and food, but we use many combat methods to find and strike them."

Despite the official Israeli rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the efforts made by the government to prevent its establishment, there are other Israeli voices that consider that continuing to reject this just demand means that the matter will become a "ticking time bomb," as the absence of a Palestinian state may create a reality of extremism and international pressure.

Danit Barbibay, an expert in education, society, and public awareness, mentioned that "Israeli discussions about the Palestinian state have been ongoing for years, but in recent weeks it has taken center stage; some Israelis want to see it as a historic opportunity, while others view it as a security threat. However, the reality is much more complex, where hope meets reality. When talking about a Palestinian state, the first voice that is heard is the security voice; any sovereign land that fails to build strong governance may quickly become a space for hostile organizations' activities."

She added in an article published by Maariv, translated by "Arabi21," that "we saw what happened in the Gaza Strip when Hamas filled the governmental void, because once a sovereign entity is established, the army's freedom to operate on its territory changes, and preemptive actions become controversial on the international stage. In this case, Israel cannot operate for long in a reality where any legitimate response is met with a wave of accusations."

She pointed out that "besides that, there is the international dynamic; from the moment of declaring the state, even if it is a limited declaration, a new wave of demands, timelines, and commitments begins, long before the reality on the ground is ready for it. This is even before we address the internal Palestinian complexity, as the Palestinian society is deeply divided: weak leadership, rivalries, corruption, lack of trust, and absence of stable security apparatuses."

She clarified that "the establishment of a Palestinian state is not a magic wand that solves problems; on the contrary, it may exacerbate them and turn them into a direct threat to the occupation. We must remember that decades of political stagnation have created deep despair on the Palestinian side, and despair is not a static condition but fuel that feeds extremism. Without a horizon, hostile organizations receive favorable winds."

Barbibay added that "the international arena is also changing, and a young generation is emerging in the United States and Europe with a simplistic view. To them, the ongoing stagnation appears as a reluctance to change. If Israel does not manage the situation properly, the price will continue to rise year after year, in every election campaign and in every discussion at the United Nations. Thus, establishing a Palestinian state without strict and clear security conditions is like a ticking bomb, but even the absence of a Palestinian state may create a reality of extremism and increasing international pressures."

The writer concluded by stating that "Israel bears a grave security responsibility, and no system can be established without security, but it will not last long if there remains a void on the other side that generates frustration, which may produce hostile generations that recycle hatred and violence against Israelis. Therefore, the collapse of a Palestinian state, or the absence of any horizon, pushes the entire region towards explosion, posing a real danger to Israel, which needs to create a stable and secure reality for itself in the coming decade, while at the same time providing Palestinians with a real opportunity to begin to emerge from the cycle of terror and despair that has always returned to Israelis."

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders issued an urgent call yesterday, Wednesday, demanding that President Donald Trump's administration pressure Israel to immediately allow full humanitarian aid to Gaza as winter weather conditions worsen.

In a statement published on the platform X, Sanders noted that more than one million displaced Palestinians lack shelter and basic supplies, with 92% of housing destroyed, while Benjamin Netanyahu's government continues to restrict the entry of tents and other aid into Gaza—including food—in violation of the ceasefire.

According to the government media office in Gaza, about 1.5 million displaced Palestinians across the sector are still living in catastrophic conditions with extremely limited access to basic needs and vital services due to the ongoing Israeli blockade.

Palestinian authorities estimate that Gaza needs approximately 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to cover the most urgent shelter needs following the extensive destruction of infrastructure during two years of continuous bombardment.

The humanitarian crisis persists despite the ceasefire agreement signed on October 10, which clearly stipulated the reopening of crossings and allowing the entry of shelter materials, including tents and mobile homes.

Palestinian officials say that Israel has not fulfilled these commitments despite repeated appeals, and these developments exacerbate the devastating toll of the conflict that began in October 2023, which has resulted in nearly 70,000 martyrs and 171,000 injured, according to local health authorities, with most victims being women and children.

An article published by National Interest magazine stated that U.S. policies allow Israel to violate the ceasefire and exacerbate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, emphasizing that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump supports misguided reconstruction plans that reinforce occupation and support its expansion.

Writer and foreign policy analyst Alexander Langlois pointed out that Washington has not seriously addressed the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, but preferred to focus on projects that rebuild areas designated only for Israelis, leaving Palestinians trapped in devastated areas suffering from a lack of aid and basic services.

He explained that the idea of "alternative safe communities" - which the administration intends to build - is nothing more than a rebranding of detention camps for Palestinians, where residents are prevented from moving under the control of Israeli forces or potential international forces, in clear violation of international law and principles of human security.

He asserted that the real goal of this plan is not to protect civilians, but to pressure the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to disarm by using aid as a political weapon, while keeping Palestinians in narrow and deprived areas, serving the continuation of Israeli control over the occupied territories.

Langlois noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly stated that his forces would not withdraw before disarming Hamas, despite this contradicting the ceasefire agreement.

Israel has also adopted an indirect displacement plan by controlling food and shelters, and exploiting "safe" areas to encourage displacement towards besieged areas under Israeli control.

The writer believes that entrenching the current "yellow line" that separates areas under Hamas control from those under Israeli control in Gaza is a "recipe for perpetual war," which does not serve U.S. interests.

A war like this would deepen U.S. involvement in the Middle East, which could distract Washington from major concerns at home and in other parts of the world.

Any decision to deepen U.S. involvement in Gaza through blatant unilateral support for Israel - especially when it supports failed and illegal policies that kill civilians - does not reflect the behavior of an administration genuinely interested in achieving peace, according to the article.

The writer - who is the editor-in-chief of "Down" political magazine - reminded that the U.S.- and Israeli-backed "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" has failed in its mission, exacerbating famine within the sector instead of contributing to its resolution, and collected intelligence on Palestinians.

Israel killed more than two thousand Palestinians near alleged aid sites, according to the writer, while the foundation justified the killings as unrelated to its operations, blaming Hamas for the deaths.

The article argues that this is neither integrity nor neutrality, but complicity at the expense of civilian lives.

The article criticized the continued investment and support of the United Nations for initiatives like the foundation, alongside Trump's ceasefire plan, which will not lead to sustainable peace in the region and prioritizes Israeli interests at the expense of Palestinian civilians.

The writer concluded that the unbalanced political relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv drives the United States to make decisions that serve Israeli interests at the expense of international law and Palestinian rights.

The real solution is to pressure Israel to respect the ceasefire, withdraw completely, and work towards the establishment of a Palestinian state without preconditions.

United Nations relief agencies stated on Wednesday that families in the Gaza Strip are facing harsh humanitarian conditions that are rapidly deteriorating with the onset of winter.

The agencies reported that the basic infrastructure in the region 'remains destroyed,' and emphasized that shelters in camps and temporary centers 'are extremely fragile and do not provide protection for Palestinians whose homes have been destroyed or who cannot return to their areas.'

The same bodies recorded that more than two million Palestinians are now crowded into less than half the area of the Gaza Strip, while most of the displaced lack adequate shelter materials to protect them from rain and wind, following a war that left widespread destruction in residential areas.

They noted that unstable weather and heavy rains in recent days have led to thousands of tents being flooded, posing a direct threat to families, especially children.

UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at his press conference in New York that many Palestinian families are living in 'poorly equipped shelters, exposed to flooding, which inevitably makes people vulnerable to stormy weather.'

He confirmed that the UN and its partners are doing everything they can to alleviate the problem, but the humanitarian operation 'still faces systematic obstruction of essential supplies,' as well as a ban on the work of major relief organizations, including some non-governmental organizations that are partners of the UN.

Relief organizations warned that worsening winter conditions could increase health risks for the population amid a severe shortage of basic services and ongoing obstruction of aid delivery, while displaced families struggle to adapt to an increasingly harsh humanitarian reality day by day.

The Hebrew broadcasting authority reported extensive military and administrative preparations by the occupying army in the Gaza Strip. These preparations revolve around the introduction of heavy equipment to Rafah to begin the process of debris removal, alongside plans to establish new administrative areas, all of which comes as a result of American pressure.

The authority quoted informed sources stating that the occupying army is preparing to launch a large-scale operation in the city of Rafah, where heavy equipment will be introduced to clear the rubble and debris. The authority noted that this step represents a result of American pressure on the occupation to prepare for the next phase of Trump's plan.

These developments are part of a scheme to establish new areas that will be managed outside Hamas's rule, amid increasing American pressure to begin implementing the second phase of Trump's plan. The broadcasting authority added that the preparations include the establishment of a new humanitarian area for thousands of Palestinians, which will be called 'New Gaza.'

The United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, stated that a new UN report concluded that the Israeli war on Gaza has erased 69 years of human development, destroying healthcare systems, education, infrastructure, and even banks.

Albanese wrote in a post on X that this represents the worst economic collapse ever recorded, adding that the destruction witnessed in Palestine since October 2023 has unleashed successive crises—economic, humanitarian, environmental, and social—pushing the occupied Palestinian territories from a lack of development to complete devastation.

The United Nations warned of an unprecedented collapse of the Palestinian economy in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, confirming that the two-year war has erased the impact of decades of development, pushing Gaza into a state of total destruction.

The wide-ranging aggression on the province of Tubas and its surroundings continues, as the Israeli occupation army announced the start of a large military operation dubbed "Five Stones" in the northern West Bank.

The occupation clarified that forces from the commando units and the Shomron and Menashe brigades, supported by the air force, began the operation after intelligence monitoring of attempts to establish armed infrastructure.

The province of Tubas has been witnessing extensive aggression since the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, during which the occupation sent large military reinforcements to the city and its villages, leading to a near-total movement ban.

The governor of Tubas, Ahmad Al-As'ad, stated that the occupation "has begun an operation that will last for days," and "paralyzed the movement of the province" by erecting earthen barriers, indicating that about 70,000 Palestinians are "trapped inside their homes."

The aggression included the villages of Aqaba, Tammun, and Tayaseer, and the education directorate announced the suspension of schools and kindergartens.

The forces began aerial bombardment "to isolate and encircle the area," then proceeded to comb through dozens of buildings and conduct field investigations, claiming to have found a "monitoring room" and confiscated money.

Field testimonies reported that the occupation forces stormed dozens of homes and expelled their residents before turning some into "military barracks."

The occupation army claimed that it "eliminated 3 militants" who had previously participated in attacks on its forces, asserting that the operation was an extension of the activities of the "Duvdevan" and "Yamam" units.

The Red Crescent teams in Tubas confirmed that they dealt with an injury to an 85-year-old man who was severely beaten.

In a serious incident, the occupation forces arrested a wounded Palestinian from inside a Red Crescent ambulance at the entrance of the town of Tammun.

The forces also prevent crews from reaching a child injured by burns in the town of Tayaseer.

The occupation emphasized that it "will continue proactive work to prevent the entrenchment of terrorism in the region."

This operation confirms the continuation of the policy of extensive incursions and targeting the infrastructure of resistance while imposing a tight siege on the residents of the province.

The Israeli occupation army announced in a joint statement with the General Security Service "Shabak" and the Border Police that they have begun a large-scale military operation in the northern West Bank area on Wednesday.

The statement confirmed that the army and the General Security Service will not allow militants to establish a foothold in the area, and that they are working proactively to thwart and prevent it.

The occupation army, Shabak, and Border Guard forces began a wide operation last night to thwart resistance activities in the northern West Bank area.

The process of selecting the tenth Secretary-General of the United Nations officially began yesterday, Tuesday, with the new appointee set to replace Antonio Guterres starting January 1, 2027.

In a joint message, the Security Council, composed of 15 countries, and the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, made up of 193 countries, called on all member states to submit the names of candidates for the position.

The message stated, "While we express our regret that a woman has never held the position of Secretary-General, and believing in the necessity of ensuring equal opportunities for women and men in accessing senior decision-making positions, we encourage member states to strongly consider nominating women, and we emphasize the importance of regional diversity in the selection of the Secretary-General."

According to Agence France-Presse, some names have begun to circulate informally, including former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, and Costa Rican Rebecca Greenspan, who currently heads the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The members of the Security Council will begin the selection process by the end of July 2026, and the five permanent members of the council - the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, China, and France - must agree on a candidate.

The Security Council will submit its official recommendation to the General Assembly to elect the Secretary-General for a term of 5 years starting January 1, 2027, which is renewable once.

The Israeli occupation army claimed on Tuesday evening that it killed five Palestinian resistance fighters who 'most likely' emerged from a tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army stated, 'During search operations conducted by soldiers in the Rafah area, five armed terrorists were spotted and eliminated; they were likely terrorists who emerged from an underground tunnel belonging to a terrorist organization in eastern Rafah.'

According to several media outlets, dozens of Hamas fighters are trapped in the tunnels of Rafah.

Last Saturday, the spokesperson for the occupation army claimed the assassination and arrest of all fighters belonging to the Al-Qassam Brigades east of Rafah city, in the south of the strip, following hours after announcing the arrest of six of them.

The spokesperson said that 'the army' had assassinated 11 Palestinians and arrested six others from one of the tunnels in eastern Rafah in the last 24 hours.

He announced the conclusion of this file, which had been the subject of discussion between the occupation and the American administration and mediators for weeks.

A delegation from Hamas, headed by the movement's chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, discussed on Sunday during talks in Cairo with the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence, Hassan Rashad, who is engaged in mediation efforts to resolve the conflict, the fate of the 'Rafah fighters' with whom communication had been cut off.

The Israeli army also announced on Tuesday evening that it killed a man who crossed the 'yellow line' that is supposed to mark the boundaries of the area from which Israeli forces withdrew in the Gaza Strip.

The issue of the trapped 'Hamas' fighters in Rafah erupted due to two security incidents following the reaching of an agreement, the first on October 19 and the second on the 28th of the same month, in which Israel claimed clashes occurred with Palestinian militants and accused 'Hamas' of violating the agreement.

However, the 'Al-Qassam Brigades', the armed wing of the 'Hamas' movement, stated in its first response to the clashes that 'communication has been cut off with the remaining members of its groups in Rafah since the return of the war in March of last year.'

A report published by the 'Cairo News' channel previously stated that Israel is trying to exploit this crisis to undermine the ceasefire agreement.

Since mid this month, sources close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have denied that he made commitments to Washington regarding the trapped 'Hamas' fighters in Rafah.

Israeli officials are calling for the surrender of these fighters and their transfer to Israel for interrogation, or their killing if they refuse to surrender.

Meanwhile, the 'Al-Qassam Brigades' confirmed earlier that 'there is no principle of surrender or handing oneself over to the enemy in our dictionary,' holding Israel responsible for any clashes that occur with its members trapped in Rafah.

For two years since October 8, 2023, the occupation army, with American support, has committed genocide against the Gaza Strip, where about 2.4 million Palestinians live, resulting in more than 69,000 Palestinian martyrs and over 170,000 injured, most of whom are children and women, with reconstruction costs estimated by the United Nations at about 70 billion dollars.

The United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, stated that a new UN report concluded that the Israeli war on Gaza has erased 69 years of human development, destroying healthcare systems, education, infrastructure, and even banks.

Albanese wrote in a post on X that this represents the worst economic collapse ever recorded, adding that the destruction witnessed in Palestine since October 2023 has unleashed successive crises—economic, humanitarian, environmental, and social—pushing the occupied Palestinian territories from a lack of development to complete devastation.

The United Nations warned of an unprecedented collapse of the Palestinian economy in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, confirming that the two-year war has erased the impact of decades of development, pushing Gaza into a state of total destruction.

The report indicated that the widespread destruction caused by the war to infrastructure, productive assets, and vital services has nullified decades of social and economic progress in the Gaza Strip.

The UN report clarified that the per capita GDP of Palestine has declined to the level of 2003, equivalent to a loss of 22 years of development.

The report noted that the resulting economic crisis is among the worst 10 global economic crises since 1960.

It also warned that the extent of the destruction in Gaza means that the region will remain entirely dependent on intensive international support, and that the recovery process may take decades.

It pointed out that the Israeli war has widely destroyed every pillar of survival, including food, shelter, and healthcare, pushing Gaza towards the brink of total collapse.

It confirmed that the reconstruction of Gaza will require more than $70 billion and may extend for decades, amid ongoing destruction and the absence of infrastructure capable of rapid recovery.

The report added that the continuous and systematic destruction casts heavy shadows on Gaza's ability to rebuild itself as a livable area in the future, amidst worsening multidimensional poverty and the humanitarian crisis reaching a stage where the UN has declared famine in some areas.

The report also indicated that Gaza's economy contracted by 87 percent during the years 2023/2024, reducing the per capita GDP to only $161, one of the lowest recorded rates globally.

The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, stated on Tuesday that many displaced Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip are at risk of flooding due to their stay in poorly equipped shelters.

Dujarric explained in a press conference that people in Gaza are 'significantly at risk' in the face of adverse weather conditions, and reported that the UN and its partners are doing everything they can 'to alleviate suffering.'

He added that obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza continue, noting that Israel systematically prevents the entry of some vital supplies and prohibits the activities of important relief groups, including UN partners.

Earlier on Tuesday, the tents of displaced Palestinians were flooded again after heavy rains fell on the Gaza Strip, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing Israeli attacks for two years.

A low-pressure system accompanied by heavy rains on Tuesday caused dozens of tents for the displaced to be submerged in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, amid warnings of a humanitarian disaster.

It is worth noting that the Gaza Strip needs about 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to meet the basic shelter needs of its residents, after Israel destroyed the infrastructure during two years of genocide.

The UN estimates the cost of rebuilding Gaza at around $70 billion, due to the repercussions of two years of Israeli genocidal war supported by the US, which led to the killing of more than 69,000 Palestinians and the injury of over 170,000.

The Israeli occupation authorities issued a military order to remove forested areas covering 59 dunams of land in the town of Zbuba in Jenin Governorate.

The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission stated that the military order numbered N.K/55/25 targets a large forested area for removal and destruction under the pretext of military necessity, in a blatant assault on Palestinian agricultural land.

The Commission pointed out that the occupying state has intensified the issuance of this type of orders in all Palestinian territories in recent months, justifying it with security claims and the protection of roads used by settlers.

It added that the occupying state's persistence in issuing orders to attack Palestinian trees and crops proves its ongoing involvement in apartheid and racial segregation measures by tightening restrictions on Palestinians, under the pretext of protecting settlers, while depriving Palestinian citizens, the rightful landowners, of their most basic rights, as the occupying state allocates all resources in favor of the colonial settlers.

The spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today, Tuesday, that reports about the dismissal of Defense Minister Israel Katz and the appointment of Gideon Sa'ar in his place are "false."

The newspaper "Israel Hayom" reported from sources that Netanyahu is considering dismissing Israel Katz from the Ministry of Defense and appointing Gideon Sa'ar instead, noting that the anticipated cabinet reshuffle comes against the backdrop of the escalating crisis between Katz and Netanyahu following the public confrontations between the Defense Minister and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.

On Monday, Katz froze appointments to senior military positions, a day after senior officers were dismissed without consulting him, following the failure to prevent the attack on October 7, 2023, marking a new dispute between them.

Following the freeze, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir issued a strongly worded statement accusing Katz of jeopardizing security due to his decision regarding military appointments.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Katz and Zamir to ease tensions between them after their disagreements reached a peak following the failures of October 7, 2023, according to Hebrew media.

Netanyahu's request to Katz and Zamir came during separate meetings with them on Tuesday evening, after the former refused to hold a trilateral meeting, according to the same source.

"Israel Hayom" reported that Netanyahu held two meetings at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv with both Zamir and Katz, clarifying that contrary to what Netanyahu had planned yesterday, the personal meetings were held separately and took a long time.

According to the newspaper, Netanyahu asked the Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff to calm things down to keep the issue of public confrontation out of the headlines.

For its part, Channel 12 considered that Katz's refusal to meet Zamir indicates that the dispute between the two men has reached its peak, adding that after a full day of accusations, public statements, and unprecedented tension at the top of the security establishment, Netanyahu abandoned the idea of holding a joint meeting between the two and summoned each of them for a separate clarification conversation.

Katz directed on Monday to conduct a new and extensive review of the results of a military committee led by retired Major General Sami Turjeman, which was tasked with investigating the failure to prevent the October 7 attack, and he also froze senior military appointments for 30 days.

Katz added in a statement, "I appreciate the Chief of Staff, who knows very well that he is subject to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, and the Government of Israel."

Meanwhile, Zamir stated in a strongly worded statement that the decision to question a report written over seven months by 12 generals and colonels, which was approved by the army commander and presented to the minister personally, is surprising.

According to Zamir, the report was initially designated for the Chief of Staff to evaluate the quality of the investigations and draw lessons comprehensively within the army, not for political use.

The Hebrew broadcasting authority reported on Monday evening, citing sources close to Zamir, that he is aware that the public statement he issued against Katz could have far-reaching consequences, including his dismissal.

Zamir announced on Sunday the dismissal of several senior military leaders and reprimanded others over the failures of October 7, including the former head of military intelligence Aman, Aharon Haliva, the former commander of the Southern Command, Yaron Finkelman, and the former head of operations, Oudi Basiuq.

These officers had previously been dismissed from their leadership positions, but the new measures are punitive and include the termination of their reserve service in the army entirely.

The newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" reported on Monday that Katz learned of Zamir's decisions from the media.

The broadcasting authority stated that these developments come about two weeks after Zamir received the comprehensive report prepared by Turjeman.

Turjeman is a former head of the Southern Command in the army responsible for Gaza, and he was tasked with leading a team from the army to conduct investigations into the October 7 attack.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked military bases and settlements along Gaza, killing and capturing Israelis in response to the daily crimes of the occupation against the Palestinian people and their sanctities, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to the movement.

Israeli officials consider that what happened on October 7 represents the largest intelligence and military failure in Israel, causing significant damage to the image of Tel Aviv and its army in the world.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized on Tuesday that the Gaza Strip is part of the State of Palestine, noting that a just peace is a regional and international necessity. This was stated in a speech on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which falls on November 29 each year, delivered on his behalf by the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour.

Abbas said: "We affirm here that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine, and that its unity with the West Bank and East Jerusalem is a fixed and non-negotiable right, and that all arrangements during the transitional period must be consistent with the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and with the unity and integrity of its territories."

Since October 10, an agreement has been reached for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, as part of a 20-point plan by U.S. President Donald Trump, which in its initial stages calls for a ceasefire, the introduction of aid, and a prisoner exchange with Hamas. However, Israel continues to obstruct the transition to its second phase by repeatedly violating the terms.

The second phase of the plan includes provisions for managing Gaza through a temporary transitional government composed of a non-political Palestinian technocratic committee, and an economic plan from President Trump for the reconstruction of Gaza. Trump's plan also stipulates that Palestinians should not be forced to leave the Gaza Strip and that Israel should not occupy or annex the territory.

It also states that the United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary international stabilization force to be deployed immediately in Gaza, and that when the stabilization force is imposed, Israeli forces will withdraw from the territory.

Abbas continued that Palestine will work with the United States and partners in the region and the world "to establish a permanent ceasefire and to launch a political process that ends the occupation and leads to a just and comprehensive peace that ensures security, stability, and prosperity for all countries in the region."

He reiterated "the necessity of a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, moving towards reconstruction, and for the State of Palestine to assume its full administrative and security responsibilities in the Gaza Strip."

He added: "And to ensure the connection of all institutions and bodies in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian Authority and state institutions, including the crossings, and to implement the vision of one state, one government, one law, and one weapon."

Abbas addressed in his speech the effects of the genocide in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing violations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

In this regard, he said: "At a time when we are facing these crimes, we are witnessing a growing international momentum in favor of recognizing the State of Palestine, and increasing support for ending the illegal occupation in accordance with the International Court of Justice's ruling and achieving a just and comprehensive peace."

He expressed the State of Palestine's rejection "of the statements and positions issued by senior officials in the extremist Israeli government, which call for racism, persecution, and hatred, and reject the independence of the State of Palestine."

He stated that settlement practices, settler violence, home demolitions, land confiscation, repeated incursions into Palestinian cities, and undermining the institutions of the State of Palestine "are all illegal unilateral steps that undermine the chances for peace."

He called on the United Nations to assume its responsibilities in stopping these practices, ensuring compliance with international law, and providing protection for the Palestinian people.

He said that "a just peace based on international legitimacy has become a regional and international necessity, and the only way to achieve it is to end the occupation completely and to realize the independence of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital."

In light of the genocide in Gaza, many countries have recognized the State of Palestine, raising the number of countries recognizing it to 160 out of 193 United Nations member states, according to Palestinian foreign ministry data.

The Israeli genocide in Gaza since October 8, 2023, has resulted in more than 69,000 Palestinian deaths and over 170,000 injuries.

Simultaneously, Israeli assaults in the occupied West Bank have escalated, resulting in at least 1,082 Palestinian deaths and around 11,000 injuries, along with the arrest of more than 20,500 individuals, according to official Palestinian sources.

The occupation forces stated today, Tuesday, that they killed 5 militants who emerged from the tunnels in Rafah, and another who they said crossed the yellow line north of the Gaza Strip, while medical sources reported the martyrdom of a Palestinian due to the occupation's fire east of Khan Younis.

A medical source at Nasser Hospital said that a Palestinian was martyred in the town of Bani Suheila east of Khan Younis, while a reporter reported that various areas were subjected to successive attacks, including gunfire from an Israeli drone that resulted in another martyr.

In the central Gaza Strip, the civil defense announced the retrieval of the remains of 14 martyrs from under the rubble of a house in the Al-Maghazi camp, raising the death toll in the past twenty-four hours to 17 martyrs, including those retrieved from under the debris, in addition to 16 injured, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

The ministry raised the death toll since October 7, 2023, to 69,775 and more than 170,000 injured, in a war described as one of the most severe waves of extermination and destruction in the history of the Strip.

Humanitarianly, hundreds of thousands of displaced people are facing extremely harsh conditions with the arrival of a new weather front that flooded the tents housing families in Gaza, Rafah, Deir al-Balah, and Al-Zeitoun.

A reporter observed tents completely submerged along with their contents of mattresses and blankets, where residents appealed to international organizations for urgent intervention to provide shelter supplies, especially with the continued blockade preventing the entry of tents and essential humanitarian materials.

The Gaza municipality stated that its crews are working with limited capabilities to mitigate the effects of the floods, while the government media office confirmed that more than 90% of the existing tents have become torn and unfit for use, warning of an imminent humanitarian disaster.

Meanwhile, international organizations accused Israel of continuing to violate the ceasefire, with the American organization "Jewish Voice" stating that the occupation violated the ceasefire 500 times over 44 days, affirming that "the extermination has not stopped."

Governmental and human rights entities in Gaza documented dozens of violations, including shelling, gunfire, and the demolition of buildings within areas controlled by the Israeli army.

Despite the ceasefire agreement coming into effect on October 10, the airstrikes and military operations continue at an unrelenting pace, amid warnings that the continuation of attacks and the deterioration of humanitarian conditions could push the Strip into a more dangerous phase.

The President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, emphasized in his speech on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine, and that its unity with the West Bank and East Jerusalem is a "fixed and non-negotiable right."

President Abbas affirmed that all arrangements during the transitional period must align with the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

This speech, delivered on his behalf by the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, comes as "our people continue to face the consequences of the genocide in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing violations in the West Bank."

He pointed to the continuation of the occupation and its policies based on settlement, expansion, annexation, and settler terrorism.

In contrast, Abbas confirmed that this day comes at a time when "we are witnessing a growing international momentum in favor of recognizing the State of Palestine."

He noted that the Arab-Islamic efforts led by Saudi Arabia and the European Union have established "an international coalition to implement the two-state solution."

The State of Palestine renewed its welcome of the peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, which was adopted by the Security Council in resolution 2803.

Abbas stressed the necessity of the complete withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip and for the State of Palestine to assume its full administrative and security responsibilities.

In the context of the principle of unity, the president emphasized the need to "apply the vision of one state, one government, one law, and one weapon."

He also stressed the necessity for all institutions and bodies in the Gaza Strip to be linked to the Palestinian Authority and state institutions, including the crossings, reiterating that Gaza is an integral part of the state.

President Abbas highly appreciated the recognition of the State of Palestine by several European and Caribbean countries, bringing the total number of recognizing countries to one hundred and sixty, and called on other countries to take this courageous step.

The State of Palestine confirmed its "full commitment to implementing all reforms" to strengthen the free, independent, and democratic state, emphasizing that the path to freedom is closer than ever.

The head of the Turkish intelligence agency, Ibrahim Kalın, discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad.

Security sources reported that Kalın, Al Thani, and Rashad met in Cairo as their countries are guarantor and mediating parties in the ceasefire agreement that began in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas on October 10.

During the meeting, they consulted on moving to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement amid increasing Israeli violations in Gaza, and ways to intensify joint efforts in cooperation with the United States.

It was agreed to continue enhancing coordination and cooperation with the Civil-Military Coordination Center to remove all obstacles and prevent violations to ensure the continuity of the ceasefire.

Kalın affirmed that Turkey will continue to stand by the Palestinian people with all its capabilities, as it has always done in the past.

The ceasefire agreement halted an Israeli genocide against Gaza that began on October 8, 2023, resulting in more than 69,000 Palestinian deaths and over 170,000 injuries, most of whom are children and women, with reconstruction costs estimated by the United Nations at around $70 billion.

Israel announced on Tuesday evening that it had received the remains of one of its captives from the Red Cross inside the Gaza Strip, and the remains will be transferred to the forensic center to verify the identity of the owner.

A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said: "Israel received, via the Red Cross, a coffin containing the remains of one of the abductees after it was handed over to the Israeli army and the Shin Bet (internal security service) inside Gaza."

It added that the remains will be received in Israel with military honors alongside a rabbi, before being transferred to the National Forensic Medicine Institute of the Ministry of Health to verify the identity of the captive, according to the same source.

The statement continued: "After the verification process of the identity of the remains is completed, his family will be officially notified."

Netanyahu's office concluded by stating: "Efforts to bring back our abductees are ongoing and will not stop until the last abductee returns," as he expressed.

Earlier on Tuesday evening, the Israeli army stated that the Red Cross had received the remains of an Israeli captive.

This came shortly after the announcement by "Al-Qassam Brigades" and "Al-Quds Brigades" of their intention to hand over the remains of an Israeli captive on Tuesday evening, after finding him in the middle of Gaza.

Thus, the Palestinian factions have handed over since the start of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement on October 10, 20 living Israeli captives and the remains of 28 others, which is the total number of bodies they possess, according to their announcements.

However, Israel claimed that one of the bodies it received does not belong to any of its captives, and that another set of remains was not new but rather the remains of a captive whose body had previously been retrieved.

Israel conditions the start of negotiations to launch the second phase of the agreement on receiving the remaining bodies of the captives, while "Hamas" asserts that it takes time to extract them due to the massive destruction in Gaza.

In contrast, there are 9,500 missing Palestinians killed by the Israeli army, and their bodies remain under the rubble of the Israeli genocide, according to the government media office in Gaza.

Additionally, more than 10,000 Palestinian captives are held in Israeli prisons, including children and women, suffering from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, with many of them having died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.

The ceasefire agreement halted the Israeli genocide against Gaza that began on October 8, 2023, resulting in more than 69,000 Palestinian deaths and over 170,000 injuries, most of whom are children and women, with reconstruction costs estimated by the United Nations at around $70 billion.