Informed sources in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, revealed the anticipated arrival of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi this Friday evening, as part of a regional tour aimed at discussing pressing issues in the region. The Iranian minister is accompanied by a limited diplomatic delegation, a move that comes amidst intensive international efforts to de-escalate military and political tensions.

Coinciding with this visit, sources reported the presence of an American delegation with a logistical and security nature in Islamabad, which sparked widespread speculation about the possibility of indirect meetings or preparations for a second round of negotiations between Tehran and Washington. These movements reinforce hopes of reaching initial understandings that could contribute to calming the tense regional situation.

The visit was preceded by a series of telephone discussions held by Araghchi with his Pakistani counterpart, Muhammad Ishaq Dar, as well as with the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, General Asim Munir. These contacts addressed the role played by Pakistan as a mediator to bridge the views between the Iranian and American sides under the current circumstances.

The official Iranian news agency confirmed that Araghchi's tour will not be limited to Pakistan, but will also include visits to Muscat and Moscow later. This tour aims to conduct in-depth bilateral consultations and review the Iranian position on what Tehran describes as the war waged by the United States and Israel in the region.

The Pakistani capital has been witnessing logistical and security preparations for several days, in anticipation of the start of a second round of talks that Islamabad seeks to facilitate. However, it remains unclear whether Araghchi will meet directly with the American officials present there or will be content with Pakistani mediation.

For their part, field reporters indicated that the visit may focus on finalizing the agenda for the upcoming negotiations if the concerned parties agree. Through these diplomatic efforts, Pakistan seeks to prevent the region from sliding into a comprehensive confrontation, relying on broad regional and international support.

Despite the diplomatic momentum, the official Iranian position remains characterized by a degree of caution and ambiguity regarding the confirmation of a second round of negotiations. Questions are being raised in political circles as to whether Araghchi's visit is merely a briefing to the Pakistani side or if it is an actual beginning of a new negotiation path.

Reports indicate that there is a possibility of a larger Iranian delegation arriving in the coming days if Araghchi's visit achieves a breakthrough in the wall of crisis. There is also talk about the possibility of high-ranking Iranian figures, such as Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, participating in advanced stages of the dialogue.

Pakistani efforts face significant challenges, especially in light of the political and economic pressures imposed by Washington, which observers believe may hinder the diplomatic process. Nevertheless, Islamabad continues to rally support from major countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to ensure the continuity of communication channels.

These developments come at a very sensitive time, as regional powers seek to consolidate ceasefires on several active fronts. Tehran considers coordination with Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow to be a fundamental pillar in its strategy to confront the security and political challenges imposed on it.

Field sources in Tehran confirmed that there is great anticipation for the results of this tour, especially since it comes after a period of diplomatic stagnation. The lingering question is the extent of Pakistan's mediation capacity to persuade both parties to sit down again at the negotiating table amidst mutual distrust.

In conclusion, Araghchi's visit to Islamabad represents a real test of diplomacy's ability to overcome complex field obstacles. The results of these discussions will have a direct impact on the shape of alliances and the required de-escalation in the Middle East region in the coming period.

The Pakistani capital has been preparing for days for a second round of talks between the United States and Iran, amidst intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed war.

The family of Palestinian prisoner Abdul Basit Maatan, 51, has expressed serious and genuine fears for his life inside Israeli occupation prisons. Maatan, from the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah, faces harsh detention conditions that exacerbate his suffering from cancer, amid a complete absence of necessary medical care.

The occupation authorities re-arrested Maatan about two months ago and immediately transferred him to administrative detention without a specific charge or a timeframe for release. The prisoner is currently held in Ofer Prison, west of Ramallah, a prison that has witnessed an escalation in repressive measures and systematic abuse against Palestinian prisoners since the start of the recent aggression.

Zubaida Maatan, the prisoner's wife, said that the family's concern is not limited to cancer alone, but extends to include policies of torture and daily violence. She confirmed that information received from released prisoners indicates the spread of skin diseases and systematic starvation, putting the lives of sick prisoners at imminent risk.

Maatan's wife described Israeli prisons as having turned into mass graves, where the most horrific forms of brutal treatment and repression are practiced. She pointed out that this detention is the most difficult in her husband's struggle, during which he spent 11 years in captivity, given its coincidence with unprecedented retaliatory measures.

The family recalled what happened in the previous detention, where Abdul Basit lost about 40 kilograms of his weight due to deliberate medical negligence and deprivation of his specific medications. He was released then with a frail body and severe weakness in memory and vision, and he had barely recovered a small part of his health before the occupation threw him back into the cells again.

In light of the state of emergency imposed by the occupation authorities, lawyers are prevented from visiting Maatan, leaving the family in complete darkness about his precise health condition. Sources from inside the prison reported that the section he is in houses 150 detainees, 130 of whom suffer from scabies due to the lack of hygiene and health supplies.

For his part, Ibrahim, the prisoner's son, called on human rights and international organizations to intervene immediately to release his father, who is detained without a clear legal charge. He warned that the approval of arbitrary laws such as the law to execute prisoners increases the state of terror over the fate of his father and the rest of the prisoners who face slow death behind bars.

Prisons have become mass graves, and open gates of hell for the policies of repression and brutal treatment practiced by the occupation.

Media sources confirmed the success of the oil tanker 'Kuba', flying the flag of Curaçao, in crossing the Strait of Hormuz and reaching Iranian territorial waters. Reports indicated that the vessel, listed under US sanctions for transporting crude oil to China, managed to dock near the strategic Kharg Island. This move comes at a time when the region is experiencing strict naval surveillance imposed by US forces on shipping traffic associated with Tehran.

In a related context, informed sources revealed that another Iranian cargo ship arrived at the country's ports via the Sea of Oman in recent hours. The sources indicated that the ship successfully completed its journey despite attempts by the US Navy to intercept its course or seize it. These incidents reflect a state of escalating field tension in vital waterways, as Tehran seeks to break the economic isolation imposed on it.

For its part, the US Central Command had previously announced a tightening of surveillance measures for ships heading to and from Iranian ports. According to military data, at least 27 ships have been instructed to return or change their course since mid-April. These moves are part of Washington's strategy to restrict Iran's export capabilities and pressure its political system by controlling shipping traffic in the strait.

These field developments come amidst a tense political climate, as US President Donald Trump approved additional restrictions related to traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. These decisions followed the failure of the first round of diplomatic negotiations between the two sides, bringing the specter of direct confrontation back to the forefront. Despite talks of extending a Pakistani-mediated truce, field violations and naval movements indicate the fragility of existing understandings.

It is worth noting that the region witnessed a bloody military escalation on February 28, which resulted in thousands of casualties due to joint military operations. Pakistani mediation led to the announcement of a temporary truce in early April to try to contain the situation and prevent a slide into an all-out war. However, the passage of Iranian tankers through the strait remains a real test of the new rules of engagement and the US ability to enforce a naval blockade.

The oil tanker 'Kuba', listed on the US sanctions list, crossed the strait and docked near Kharg Island despite the naval blockade.

Fatih Warol, a lawyer and member of the administrative board of the 'Global Freedom Flotilla' to break the siege on the Gaza Strip, announced a widespread Turkish movement to support the humanitarian initiative. Warol explained that more than 500 civil society associations and organizations in Turkey have declared their full involvement in supporting the flotilla, which seeks to reach the shores of Gaza.

These press statements were made from the Italian port of Syracuse, where the flotilla's boats are currently docked in preparation for the next phase of the voyage. This journey aims to challenge the Israeli blockade imposed on the Strip and deliver urgent relief aid to the besieged population suffering from harsh living conditions.

Warol emphasized that Turkish solidarity with the Palestinian cause stems from a deep sense of responsibility towards the humanitarian suffering in Gaza. He noted that the supporting organizations represent a broad popular base estimated at 30 to 40 million supporters and advocates within Turkish society.

According to sources, Turkish support was not limited to political stances but also included massive financial contributions amounting to several million dollars. These funds were allocated to equip the ships and secure the necessary logistical needs to ensure the continuity of the maritime journey towards the occupied Palestinian territories.

The 'Freedom Flotilla' ships had docked in the Italian island of Sicily last Thursday, coming from the Spanish city of Barcelona. This stop is an important focal point in the journey that began on April 12th amidst widespread international anticipation.

This attempt represents the second initiative organized by the Global Freedom Flotilla, following the previous experience in September 2025. This time, the organizers seek to overcome the obstacles they faced in previous attempts and ensure the delivery of aid to those in need in the devastated Strip.

This journey brings back memories of the previous Israeli attack in October 2025, when the boats were attacked in international waters. That attack resulted in the arrest and forced deportation of hundreds of international activists, sparking a wave of global condemnation against Israeli practices.

The flotilla's movement comes at a time when the Gaza Strip is under a suffocating blockade that has been ongoing since 2007, and which has intensified in recent months. Israeli policies have turned the Strip into an area suffering from a severe shortage of all basic necessities of life and essential services.

Statistics indicate that about 1.5 million Palestinians have become homeless as a result of the widespread destruction caused by ongoing military operations. The genocide war has destroyed entire neighborhoods, exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe facing more than two million citizens in Gaza.

The health sector in Gaza faces a near-complete collapse due to the direct targeting of hospitals and medical care facilities since October 2023. Field reports confirm that the severe shortage of medicines and medical equipment now threatens the lives of thousands of wounded and sick who cannot find adequate treatment.

The occupation authorities impose strict restrictions on the entry of fuel and vital supplies, leading to the shutdown of power generation stations and wells. These restrictions are part of a policy of collective punishment pursued by Israel against civilians, making initiatives like the Freedom Flotilla an urgent necessity.

In conclusion of his statements, Warol called on the international community to protect the flotilla and ensure its safe arrival in Gaza in accordance with international laws. He stressed that the continued blockade constitutes a crime against humanity that requires global popular and official action to break the isolation imposed on the Palestinian people.

The Turkish people deeply feel the pain of Gaza and stand in solidarity with Palestinians there through extensive material and moral support for the initiative to break the blockade.

By Said Arikat

April 24, 2026

News analysis

Washington, D.C- Six months after the October 10, 2025 Gaza ceasefire was announced with predictable diplomatic fanfare, it stands exposed as yet another arrangement designed less to end war than to manage it. What was marketed as a path to calm has instead become a mechanism for extending siege, occupation, and Palestinian suffering under the language of peace. Israel has steadily ignored major obligations under the agreement, while the United States, the Board of Peace, and envoy Nickolay Mladenov have acted less as guarantors than as enablers.

The Cairo negotiations remain deadlocked. Mediators insist the principal obstacle is Hamas’s refusal to disarm. That claim is politically convenient and fundamentally dishonest. It directs scrutiny toward Palestinian weapons while obscuring the more immediate issue: Israel has not implemented key commitments under Phase I, yet continues to demand fresh Palestinian concessions before honoring the terms it already accepted.

That is not diplomacy. It is coercion.

The Board of Peace, chaired by President Donald Trump, has promoted a phased plan requiring Hamas to surrender heavy weapons as a precondition for reconstruction. Mladenov has echoed the same formula, presenting demilitarization as the gateway to Gaza’s future. In practice, this means a shattered civilian population is told that food, shelter, medicine, and rebuilding will remain hostage until Palestinian factions comply with Israeli security demands.

Such logic turns humanitarian relief into blackmail.

Why should Palestinians disarm while Israel continues to bomb, occupy, blockade, and control Gaza’s borders? Why should the occupied surrender leverage while the occupier retains overwhelming military superiority, territorial control, and unconditional foreign backing?

The October ceasefire was supposed to be reciprocal. Israel was expected to withdraw from designated areas, dramatically expand humanitarian access, facilitate medical evacuations, and cease offensive operations. Yet reports indicate Israel still occupies roughly 53 percent of Gaza, entrenched behind the so-called Yellow Line while preserving effective control over much of the territory.

That is not a ceasefire. It is a repackaged occupation.

The death toll since the truce began exposes the fraud even more starkly. Hundreds of Palestinians—some estimates place the number between 700 and 800—have reportedly been killed by Israeli strikes, shelling, sniper fire, or near-daily attacks. Thousands of violations have been alleged, including raids beyond agreed lines and repeated bombardments.

When civilians continue to die under sustained military assault, the word ceasefire loses all meaning.

Yet Washington and its diplomatic partners have shown no comparable urgency in confronting these breaches. Instead, they recycle a familiar hierarchy: Palestinian obligations are immediate, binding, and endlessly monitored; Israeli obligations are flexible, negotiable, or excused under the broad label of security concerns.

This double standard is not a flaw in the process. It is the process.

Humanitarian aid offers another indictment. The agreement reportedly envisioned 600 aid trucks entering Gaza daily. That target has not remotely been met. Supplies remain trapped by inspections, delays, and sweeping restrictions on so-called dual-use goods, including materials essential for rebuilding homes, hospitals, and water systems.

A hungry civilian population is being used as leverage while diplomats speak of progress.

Medical evacuations reveal the same cruelty. Patients requiring urgent surgery, cancer treatment, or trauma care remain trapped by bureaucracy and closures. Transfers are sporadic, inadequate, and easily suspended. For many in Gaza, diplomacy is experienced not as hope, but as delay preceding death.

And where has the Board of Peace directed its pressure? Not at the party maintaining occupation positions or restricting aid. Reports indicate ultimatums were instead delivered to Hamas: accept the disarmament formula quickly or risk collapse of negotiations.

So Israel may retain troops, continue attacks, block assistance, and dictate movement, while Palestinians are told to surrender first and trust later.

No serious observer could mistake this for neutrality.

Hamas deserves criticism for authoritarian governance, repression, and strategies that have repeatedly deepened Gaza’s misery. But none of that erases Israel’s obligations under international law or under the ceasefire itself. Nor does it justify a mediation structure that treats Palestinian rights as conditional privileges while presenting Israeli demands as unquestionable facts.

Nickolay Mladenov’s role deserves particular scrutiny. Far from behaving as an honest broker, he has increasingly appeared aligned with Israeli priorities and dismissive of Palestinian grievances. Pressure is directed at Palestinians; patience is reserved for Israel. He speaks the language of balance while operationalizing imbalance.

That is not impartial diplomacy. It is complicity.

If Mladenov sought genuine peace, he would demand Israeli withdrawal from agreed zones, condemn civilian killings, insist on unrestricted humanitarian corridors, and oppose using starvation and reconstruction as bargaining tools. Instead, his emphasis remains centered on Palestinian disarmament, as though Gaza’s central problem were not occupation but insufficient submission.

The National Transitional Committee announced in January 2026 further illustrates the farce. A body of Palestinian technocrats was created to help govern and rebuild Gaza, yet reports suggest its members have not even been allowed into the territory. The mediators created a government barred from governing and called it progress.

The United States remains the indispensable enabler. No country has greater leverage over Israel, and none has shown less willingness to use it. Military support continues. Diplomatic shielding continues. Demands for Palestinian compliance continue. Palestinian rights to movement, sovereignty, reconstruction, and security remain indefinitely deferred.

Trump’s Board of Peace is not new architecture. It is old bias in a new suit.

If a genuine second phase is ever to emerge, accountability must come first. Israel must withdraw from agreed areas, halt attacks, allow full humanitarian access, and permit functioning Palestinian governance inside Gaza. Security discussions, including disarmament, can only occur within a credible political framework tied to ending occupation and recognizing Palestinian self-determination.

Anything else is another trap.

The past six months have made one truth unmistakable: ceasefires fail when one side may violate them with impunity while the other is ordered to capitulate. Gaza does not suffer from a shortage of proposals. It suffers from a surplus of bad-faith mediators.

Until that changes, this ceasefire will remain what it was from the outset: a cynical arrangement Israel never intended to honor, Washington never intended to enforce, and Mladenov’s conduct only helped undermine and discredit.

The US administration has sharply criticized China, accusing it of launching a widespread diplomatic intimidation campaign targeting Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. This stance came after Taipei found itself forced to cancel an official presidential visit to the African continent due to airspace closures for the president's aircraft.

Official sources clarified that several countries, including Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar, suddenly and without prior notice withdrew transit permits for the Taiwanese presidential plane. This unexpected measure prevented the Taiwanese president from reaching his destination in the Kingdom of Eswatini, sparking a wave of political tension in the region.

For its part, the Taiwanese government affirmed that the direct reason behind this sudden reversal by African countries was the intense pressure exerted by Beijing. Authorities in Taipei indicated that China used economic coercion to force these countries to make decisions that serve China's political agenda aimed at isolating the island internationally.

In Washington, a spokesperson for the US State Department expressed the country's deep concern over these reports, which reflect escalating tension. The State Department stated in an official statement that the actions of these countries were a direct response to Chinese requests, emphasizing that Washington is closely monitoring attempts to undermine the movements of the Taiwanese leadership.

On the other hand, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the positions of the countries that canceled the permits, considering that they adhered to the 'One China principle'. Beijing praised what it described as respect for international law, affirming that these steps enhance global recognition of China's sovereignty over all its territories, including Taiwan.

Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, rejected the American accusations outright, describing them as lacking factual basis. Jiakun said that Washington is irresponsibly interfering in legitimate measures taken by his country to protect its national sovereignty, considering the American statements a distortion of facts and a mixing of issues.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is one of the few countries that currently maintain full diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China is intensifying its diplomatic and economic efforts to persuade the remaining 12 countries to sever ties with Taipei and instead recognize the Beijing government as the sole representation of China.

This incident comes in the context of a long-standing conflict, where China considers Taiwan a breakaway province that must be reunified, and does not rule out the use of military force to achieve this. The United States continues to support Taiwan politically and militarily, making the island a constant point of friction in relations between the two great powers.

These countries are acting at China's request, which is a new example of Beijing's intimidation campaign against Taiwan and its allies.

The city of Nablus, north of the occupied West Bank, witnessed a new field escalation, as a Palestinian young man was seriously injured by Israeli occupation forces' bullets during a wide incursion into the city and its surroundings. Medical sources confirmed that live bullets hit the young man in the shoulder area while he was in the town of Beit Wazan to the west, and he was subsequently transferred to the hospital for urgent treatment, with his condition classified as serious.

The military force had penetrated Nablus neighborhoods this morning, and its operations focused on the Rafidia neighborhood, where soldiers raided a residential building and began conducting field investigations with its residents. After withdrawing from the neighborhood, occupation soldiers fired a barrage of live bullets indiscriminately in the vicinity of the Beit Wazan area, leading to the serious injury among citizens.

In a related context, occupation forces imposed a tight military cordon on Madama village, located south of Nablus, and began extensive combing operations in farms and residential neighborhoods. This military measure came under the pretext of searching for the perpetrator of a stone-throwing operation that targeted settlers' vehicles, resulting in minor injuries to a settler, according to a statement by the occupation army.

These field developments come at a time when the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission revealed a sharp escalation in violations, with March alone recording more than 1800 attacks carried out by the army and settlers. Data showed that the occupation army was responsible for 1322 attacks, while settlers launched about 497 attacks targeting Palestinian property and lives in various governorates.

It is worth noting that the West Bank has been in a state of continuous turmoil since October 2023, with the death toll exceeding 1150 martyrs and thousands injured due to ongoing military operations. Human rights reports also indicate that the beginning of 2026 alone witnessed the martyrdom of 16 citizens by settlers' bullets, reflecting the green light given to settler groups to carry out bloody attacks under army protection.

Medical sources reported that a young man was hit by live bullets in the shoulder in the Beit Wazan area, and his condition was described as serious before he was transferred to the hospital.

The Palestinian Prisoner's Club announced a worrying increase in the number of Palestinian female prisoners inside Israeli occupation prisons, with their number reaching 90 this month. Human rights sources clarified that these female prisoners face extremely harsh detention conditions, ranging from physical and psychological abuse to systematic starvation policies practiced by the prison administration.

The majority of female prisoners are concentrated in 'Damon' Prison, located in the north of the country, where the rooms lack the most basic human and living necessities. Among the detainees are difficult humanitarian cases, including two underage girls, a pregnant prisoner in her third month suffering from a lack of necessary health care, in addition to two female prisoners battling cancer amidst deliberate medical neglect.

Data indicates that the occupation has escalated its use of administrative detention against women, with 25 female prisoners held without charge or trial. The list also includes three female journalists who were arrested due to their professional work, and two female prisoners who have been in detention since before the outbreak of the comprehensive confrontation last October, reflecting a targeting of all segments of Palestinian society.

The Prisoner's Club affirmed that female prisoners are subjected to grave violations that affect their dignity, most notably the policy of strip searches and physical and sexual assaults, which have recently increased in frequency. These measures are part of the occupation's attempts to break the will of female prisoners and impose a new reality characterized by complete isolation and deprivation of communication with the outside world or lawyers in many cases.

In a related context, the report noted that the number of arrests of women since the start of the genocide war has exceeded 700 cases, including areas of the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the occupied interior. Sources pointed out that these numbers do not accurately include detainees from the Gaza Strip, due to the policy of enforced disappearance practiced by the occupation against detainees in the Strip and preventing international organizations from visiting them.

The occupation authorities use the method of detaining women as hostages to pressure their family members to surrender themselves, a policy that falls under internationally prohibited collective punishment. Most of these arrests occur under the pretext of 'incitement' via social media platforms, a vague charge used by the occupation to justify the persecution of Palestinian female activists and human rights defenders in various regions.

It is worth noting that these developments come amid a comprehensive escalation within Israeli prisons, where the total number of Palestinian prisoners has risen to more than 9,600 prisoners. These violations coincide with the ongoing military aggression that has left tens of thousands dead and wounded, amidst human rights reports warning of the death of prisoners due to systematic torture and catastrophic living conditions.

Female prisoners face harsh detention conditions including starvation, deprivation, medical neglect, abuse, and the policy of strip searches.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog made statements that sparked widespread controversy and angry reactions after he expressed his personal desire to visit the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Herzog claimed in a post on the 'X' platform that his dream is to drive his vehicle directly to Lebanon to communicate with its people, describing this desire as carrying meanings of hope and peace.

These stances came during a meeting held by the Israeli President with a group of diplomats and military attachés, in addition to religious leaders, on the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of the occupation entity. Herzog tried to portray his statements as a diplomatic gesture, even though they come at the peak of the military and field escalation launched by his forces on the northern front.

In contrast, these words were met with sharp criticism from observers and activists on social media platforms, who considered his talk 'a complete detachment from bitter reality.' Critics pointed to the stark contradiction between the Israeli President's talk of peace and the airstrikes and ground operations carried out by his army, which target Lebanese villages and towns daily.

Field sources reported that the ongoing Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon have resulted in severe human losses and extensive damage to infrastructure and residential areas. Commentators affirmed that any talk of 'dreams of visiting' or popular communication remains worthless in light of the continued blatant violations of Lebanese sovereignty and the fall of civilian casualties.

Lebanese and Arab reactions emphasized that the path to any stability in the region passes through a comprehensive cessation of aggression and an end to the occupation, not through launching diplomatic slogans that ignore the blood of the victims. Analysts also considered Herzog's statements to be part of political propaganda that attempts to beautify the image of the occupation before the international community in light of current crises.

My dream is to drive my car directly to Beirut, visit the city, and communicate with the Lebanese people.

Official data issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics revealed a 17% jump in the trade deficit during last February compared to the same period of the previous year. This increase comes as a result of the widening gap between the values of exports and imports, in light of complex economic conditions imposed by the reality of the occupation on the movement of goods.

The sources explained that the value of the deficit in the trade balance reached about 551.1 million dollars, which confirms the continued pressure on the local economy. This structural imbalance is due to the almost complete reliance on the Israeli market, which controls most Palestinian trade exchanges, up and down.

Regarding export movement, Palestinian exports recorded a growth of 31% to settle at 181.1 million dollars, but this growth was mainly confined to the relationship with the Israeli side. Exports directed to the occupation increased by 37%, accounting for 93% of the total Palestinian export basket alone.

On the other hand, the figures showed a worrying decline in the ability to access global markets, as exports to other countries of the world decreased by 19%. This decline reflects the limited diversity of Palestinian trading partners, and the difficulty of overcoming logistical and political obstacles that prevent access to international markets.

As for imports, they also recorded an annual increase of 20%, reaching a total value of 732.2 million dollars during February. Purchases from the Israeli market contributed to deepening this increase, as imports from the occupation grew by 34% to constitute two-thirds of the total imported by Palestinians.

In contrast, imports from the rest of the world witnessed only a slight increase not exceeding 1%, which reinforces the hypothesis of forced dependence on the occupation economy. These percentages show that the local market remains hostage to Israeli suppliers, with the absence of strong commercial alternatives capable of competing with goods coming through crossings controlled by the occupation.

These statistical indicators confirm the continued Israeli occupation's dominance over the joints of Palestinian foreign trade, both in terms of exports and imports. Experts warn that the continuation of the trade structure in this way weakens Palestinian economic independence and makes local markets vulnerable to direct Israeli fluctuations and policies.

The trade deficit reached 551.1 million dollars during February, reflecting the continued Israeli dominance over the structure of Palestinian foreign trade.

Prominent Israeli writer Gideon Levy raised shocking questions about the nature and utility of Israeli independence under current circumstances. In an analytical article, Levy considered that the Hebrew state is still far from being able to exercise true independence, emphasizing that this inability serves its own interest and the interest of the region to avoid catastrophic scenarios.

Levy believes that 'independent Israel' necessarily means a state that acts without any legal, moral, or international brakes. He warned that the absence of these restrictions would turn Israel into a direct source of danger threatening its survival and the stability of its neighbors, given the prevalence of an unbridled power mentality among its current leadership.

The article revealed that recent military events in Gaza and Lebanon and confrontations with Iran proved that the Israeli decision is not fully sovereign. Levy explained that the cessation of major military operations was not a purely internal decision, but was imposed through external pressures and crucial phone calls from international powers.

The writer stressed that Israel's recognition of the limits of its power is what saved it from sliding into the abyss, considering American restrictions as a lifeline. Without these interventions, wars could have continued indefinitely with uncontainable destructive results.

In his foresight of the dangers of a lack of oversight, Levy painted a bleak picture of what would have happened in the Gaza Strip in terms of ethnic cleansing and mass displacement. He affirmed that plans to empty the Strip of its inhabitants and turn it into settlements would have actually been implemented were it not for the pressures that curbed the government and the army.

Levy's vision was not limited to Gaza but extended to include the Lebanese front, where he expected Israeli forces to reach the outskirts of the capital Beirut. He indicated that the desire for total destruction in southern Lebanon would have translated into a reality on the ground were it not for an international ceiling preventing the crossing of red lines.

Levy described the political and military mentality in Israel as ranging between 'paranoia' and 'megalomania'. He considered that this psychological mixture makes the state unqualified for complete independence, as it would use this independence to satisfy its instinct for expansion and greed for land.

The writer also strongly criticized what he described as 'arrogance and condescension' towards neighbors, traits he sees as rooted in contemporary Israeli discourse. He explained that getting rid of dependence on the United States at this time would inevitably lead to a catastrophe exceeding all crises the state has experienced since its establishment.

In a forced analogy, Levy compared Israel's situation to that of people who need special care and cannot live completely independently. He affirmed that the far-right is the sole beneficiary of calls for independence from international will, because that gives it the green light to implement its radical agendas.

Levy concluded his analysis by emphasizing that Israel's current situation, despite the bitterness of dependence for some, is the best for it and for the world. A state that cannot restrain itself from destruction and displacement always needs an external 'guardian' to prevent it from destroying itself and its regional surroundings.

Independent Israel is an unrestrained Israel, and it poses a real danger to itself and its surroundings simultaneously.

The Lebanese Press Editors Syndicate announced today, Thursday, the martyrdom of journalist Amal Khalil due to an Israeli raid that targeted a house in the town of Al-Tiri in southern Lebanon. The syndicate clarified that this targeting also resulted in serious injuries to her colleague, journalist Zainab Faraj, raising the death toll among journalists since early March to 27 martyrs.

Syndicate sources revealed that the martyr Amal Khalil had previously received direct death threats from the Israeli army due to her professional activities. The sources indicated that the occupation continues to systematically target media personnel to intimidate them and prevent them from reporting the truth of the crimes committed in Lebanese border villages and towns.

Regarding the details of the crime, field sources reported that occupation forces surrounded the two journalists after the raid and prevented Red Cross teams and the Lebanese army from reaching them to provide first aid. Israeli aircraft also deliberately bombed the main road connecting the towns of Al-Tiri and Hadatha to block the path for ambulances and rescue teams that tried to approach the site.

Martyrs' Square in the capital Beirut witnessed a massive protest organized by the Union of Journalists in condemnation of Khalil's assassination. Participants raised slogans demanding an end to the aggression and international protection for journalists, emphasizing the need to prosecute the occupation leaders before the competent international courts to ensure they do not escape punishment for these ongoing crimes.

For its part, the Editors Syndicate called on the Lebanese government to take urgent action with international authorities to file a lawsuit against Israel. The syndicate called on the General Union of Arab Journalists and international organizations to show solidarity with Lebanese media professionals who face daily risks of death while performing their professional duty in covering the ongoing aggression.

The syndicate issued an urgent appeal to field journalists to exercise the utmost caution and vigilance during their movements in hot zones. It stressed the importance of continuous coordination with the Lebanese army, international 'UNIFIL' forces, and the Red Cross to avoid treacherous targeting carried out by the occupation without distinguishing between civilians, military personnel, or journalists.

These bloody developments come at a time when Israel continues to violate the truce announced by US President Donald Trump on April 17th. Although the truce was supposed to last for ten days, renewable, daily Israeli attacks have not stopped, leaving more victims and destruction of infrastructure.

Official statistics indicate that the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, before the announcement of the last truce, had resulted in approximately 2,475 martyrs and more than 7,696 injured. Military operations also caused the displacement of over one million Lebanese citizens from their villages and cities, amid the continued occupation of some border areas and incursions up to 10 kilometers.

The field situation in southern Lebanon remains prone to further escalation given Israel's insistence on crossing all red lines and international laws protecting journalists. Lebanese media organizations affirm that the targeting of Amal Khalil will not deter journalistic teams from continuing their mission to expose the occupation's violations, no matter the sacrifices.

Israel's criminality against Lebanese civilians, especially journalists, media professionals, and photographers, is beyond description and warrants immediate international action.

The Israeli occupation's Ministry of Defense has concluded a wide-ranging armament agreement with 'Elbit Systems,' a company specializing in defense systems, with a total value exceeding $200 million, equivalent to approximately 600 million shekels. This agreement includes multi-year purchase orders to supply the air force with advanced munitions, as part of a strategic plan to confront what security circles described as a challenging security decade filled with imminent combat scenarios.

This step primarily aims to enhance military readiness to face potential confrontations on various fronts in the near future, with production operations to be concentrated within the company's factories in the occupied territories. Through this approach, the security establishment seeks to strengthen the local defense industrial base and ensure a continuous flow of military supplies, independent of global supply chain fluctuations or international political decisions.

For his part, the occupation's Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, stated that the strategic goal of these deals is to achieve 'military independence' in the production of vital munitions. Katz emphasized the necessity for the army to possess all means enabling it to carry out rapid and powerful offensive operations, without needing to be beholden to approvals or supplies from external parties, which reflects a clear desire to fortify military decision-making against international pressures.

These moves come as a direct response to lessons learned from the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, where the occupation faced difficulties due to restrictions imposed by some countries on the export of weapons and munitions. The Director-General of the Ministry of Defense, Amir Baram, affirmed that this deal represents a practical application of those lessons, to ensure the sovereignty of Israeli decision-making in arms procurement and avoid any shortage in strategic stockpiles during emergencies.

This shift aligns with the directives announced by the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, which focus on the necessity of self-reliance in heavy and precision military industries. The occupation places utmost importance on securing large stockpiles of aerial munitions, given its heavy reliance on air raids and the use of drones and fighter jets in implementing its offensive and defensive strategy in the region.

Observers believe that the occupation's recourse to boosting local production through companies like 'Elbit Systems' reflects a genuine fear of the expansion of international military boycotts. Such massive investments could transform the local military industry into the primary pillar in any future confrontations, thereby reducing the impact of diplomatic tensions with traditional allies on the course of military operations in the field.

The army must possess the necessary means to act powerfully and swiftly, without relying on external factors at any time.

In the current stage, a dangerous problem emerges concerning the nature of political authority in the Gaza Strip, as what is called the “Peace Council” and its various formations are gradually being consecrated as a self-standing authority, in clear contradiction with the foundations of the Palestinian political system, which is based on unity of representation and unity of national decision.The referral of authority abroad, or linking it to international roles, whatever their nature, constitutes a worrying slide that affects the essence of independent national decision and the essence of the Palestinian cause as a national liberation issue, and opens the door to reshaping the Palestinian reality according to considerations that do not stem from the comprehensive national will, but from external balances and pressures. The international role, despite its importance, cannot be a substitute for national authority, nor a cover for evading direct responsibilities towards our people, especially in light of the catastrophic conditions in the Gaza Strip.In this context, it must be emphasized that dealing with these bodies, under any pretext, involves a clear political risk, as it grants them, even indirectly, legitimacy not based on genuine national consensus, and contributes to consecrating a parallel institutional reality that weakens the Palestinian political structure instead of strengthening it. This may lead to transforming the transitional phase from a temporary situation into a permanent reality, which contradicts the central goal of ending the division and restoring the unity of the Palestinian political system, and may even entrench a long-term separation under external umbrellas and support, with all its repercussions on the unity of land, people, and cause.Moreover, the most dangerous aspect of this path is not limited to the political dimension, but extends to the societal and economic dimensions, where urgent livelihood issues turn into tools of pressure and blackmail, and crises are managed instead of being resolved, thus exacerbating people's suffering and deepening the state of confusion and loss of trust in institutions.The suffering of our people in the Gaza Strip cannot tolerate further fragmentation of authorities or exchange of roles between this party and that, nor the transformation of livelihood issues into tools in the context of crisis management instead of resolving them. What is required today is to restore consideration for the comprehensive national authority within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, as the legitimate representative, and to activate its role in a way that reunifies political decision and ensures that efforts are directed towards ending the division instead of entrenching it.In conclusion, what we are witnessing is not a fleeting detail, but a path that must be stopped by a clear national decision. Therefore, responsibility dictates rejecting any consecration of parallel authorities, firmly adhering to the unity of Palestinian representation, and working immediately to end the division without stubbornness, as this is the only way to protect the national cause and preserve the rights of our people. *Member of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian People's Party

The open-ended extension of the truce by Trump clearly indicates that America, despite all of Trump's "bluster" about destroying everything in Iran, from bridges and power stations to electricity and infrastructure, did not make the Iranian leadership tremble, rush, or respond to Trump's threats to go to negotiations with his administration in Islamabad on his terms, i.e., accepting negotiations under threat and the blockade of its ports. This slap that Trump received, with Iran's refusal to negotiate on American terms, put him in a great predicament, as he is not accustomed to any country in the world not responding to his threats and rejecting his terms and demands. However, the militarily, politically, and socially cohesive Iranian leadership rejected his terms and dictates, and insisted on its own terms for negotiation. This Iranian rejection put Trump in a great predicament and major challenges as well. This administration, which Netanyahu entangled in a long war of attrition, convinced him and the White House hawks that it would be a quick and swift war, and that by assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Iranian state would collapse from within, the military and security command, control, and communication system would collapse, and the Iranian masses would take to the streets to welcome the "liberator" of the Iranian people. When the homeland was targeted and is being targeted, the Iranian people, with all their components, came out to public squares to rally around the regime and defend the homeland, not to betray it and rejoice in its occupation and regime change. Consequently, Iran did not only fortify itself militarily, but also socially. The best evidence of this is that when the "blusterer" Trump threatened to return Iran to the Stone Age and destroy a five-thousand-year-old civilization, the Iranian masses came out, with their human chains, to protect bridges, railway stations, power plants, and water desalination plants with their bodies, in a move that carried messages to Trump and all advocates of arrogance and aggression, that the people of Iran will not defend their homeland and the legitimacy of their rights only with their military might, but with the bodies and flesh of their children, and will make Iran a graveyard for invaders in a long war of attrition, the results and repercussions of which America will not be able to bear, not only militarily, but also the major repercussions on energy markets, oil and gas prices, supply chains, global energy markets, and stock markets, and the major repercussions on the entire global economy. Neither the Iranian people nor the countries of the world now believe Trump's "bluster," nor do they take his frequent and contradictory tweets on his "Truth Social" channel seriously. Therefore, Iran, armed with a strong and cohesive will and leadership, and backed by military capabilities and options, is capable of inflicting heavy losses on American forces, as well as on the non-removable American base, "Israel." It refused to go to negotiations with America under threat and blockade, and without abandoning its ten conditions that the American administration accepted as a basis for negotiation, believing that its president's new threats, and pushing things towards a brinkmanship policy, would force Iran to back down, and would not risk going to war, and would accept the American conditions and dictates, which they failed to achieve during a war that lasted forty days and in which they used their maximum military and armament capabilities, and the latest technologies of their air and missile weapons and what American technology produced, which they used not only in carrying out a series of assassinations that affected dozens of Iranian military and security leaders, and even political leaders, and destroyed much of the infrastructure and civilian facilities in Iran, in great pressure on the social and popular base, to push it to rebel against the Iranian leadership, but the results were the opposite. The more their destructive military pressure increased, the more the Iranian masses rallied around their leadership and adhered to it, turning this war into a long war of attrition that America cannot bear its results, neither humanly, militarily, economically, politically, nor on the American domestic level. After forty days, America was forced to accept a halt to this crazy war, and to go to the option of negotiation again in continuous extensions of the ceasefire, two days, then five days, and then ten days, and so on, in order to exert maximum pressure on Iran to respond to its conditions and dictates to stop the war, and thus give Trump and Netanyahu a picture of victory that they had been searching for throughout the forty days. But the reality and the field did not match either Trump's and Netanyahu's statements or propaganda about achieving victory over Iran and achieving the goals of the war. It appeared that there was a large gap between Trump's and Netanyahu's statements and talk about their victories, and what the field said. This field said that their ability to achieve the major goals of the war was not achieved, neither in Iran nor in Lebanon, Lebanon where Hezbollah's impressive military performance overturned all balances and expectations, and changed the equations. In a way that surprised the world, Iran made lifting the blockade a condition for joining the Islamabad negotiations, and the American response came by canceling Vice President JD Vance's trip to Islamabad, which suggested accepting the challenge and raising its level to the point of threatening to return to war as the ceasefire deadline approached in a few hours. Iran maintained its composure and did not back down despite the pressure, contacts, advice, and warnings of the danger that awaited it, but it chose to stand firm. Three hours before the deadline, the American president backed down from his announcement of refusing to extend the ceasefire for five days according to the Pakistani proposal, and announced an indefinite ceasefire extension pending an Iranian proposal for negotiation, claiming that the division among Iranians prevents a unified proposal, but everyone already knew that Iran had won the round, and that Trump had felt the financial markets' reaction to the impasse and the risk of renewed war, as the price of a barrel of oil increased by five dollars within an hour, rising from $95 to $100, with expectations that markets would open today at $120 per barrel and the beginning of catastrophic repercussions on stock markets. While some close to Trump spoke of the hypothesis of a prolonged American coexistence with the ceasefire and the continued blockade of Iranian ports, energy market experts said that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas exports does not allow the fragile truce to hold with the beginning of market disturbances, and puts things between the options of returning to negotiation or going to war, especially with Iranian warnings of imposing a forceful lifting of the blockade, which means threatening a war of attrition against American forces, putting President Trump between the options of war and negotiation in search of a settlement, but the most important thing is that what happened, in the opinion of many observers, said that America is not ready for war, otherwise it would have acted in this suffocating moment instead of giving the impression of helplessness and retreat. In Tehran, some are preparing for an American surprise with war and are preparing for all possibilities, according to Iranian sources following the negotiation scene and the American crowds, who say that they did not come only to pressure but are part of a war plan that Trump wants to fight amid reassuring talk to surprise Iran with war.

The West Bank is witnessing a disturbing escalation in settler attacks on Palestinian villages and communities, from al-Mughayyir to Jenin and Hebron. These attacks include direct shooting at civilians, deliberate ramming incidents, night raids, and burning of property, in a recurring pattern that creates an environment of constant fear and undermines the foundations of daily life. This pattern cannot be isolated from a broader context, as the violence serves three clear functions: intimidating the population and forcing them into retreat, paving the way for settlement expansion by imposing new realities, and testing the limits of international response in the face of declining accountability. With the repetition of incidents without effective accountability, violence transforms from individual behavior into a political tool used to manage land and people. Legally, this reality raises fundamental questions. According to the Geneva Conventions, the occupying power is responsible for protecting civilian populations and ensuring their security, not leaving them vulnerable to attacks by armed groups. The United Nations Charter also prohibits the use of force (Article 2/4) and upholds the right of peoples to self-determination (Article 1/2), principles that contradict the imposition of facts by force or complacency with systematic violence. In the background, the debate continues regarding the legal basis of the existing reality, especially given the reliance on recommendatory resolutions issued by the UN General Assembly that are not legally binding. As for accountability, international mechanisms—such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice—remain viable paths, although they encounter political complexities that hinder their full activation. Nevertheless, accurate documentation of violations, diplomatic pressure, and leveraging international platforms remain essential tools to raise the cost of these actions and prevent their normalization. The continuation of settler terrorism is no longer merely a security flaw; it is a direct result of the absence of will to apply international law. Therefore, confronting this phenomenon requires parallel action on three interconnected levels: On the ground, effective protection for civilian populations must be provided through international monitoring mechanisms and a field presence that deters attacks and breaks the cycle of fear. Politically, real international pressure is needed to put an end to the policy of impunity and restore the rights of populations under occupation. Legally, it becomes necessary to activate international accountability tools and hold accountable all those proven to be involved or negligent, including holding the occupying power accountable for its failure to fulfill its duty of protection stipulated in the Geneva Conventions. Any power that fails to protect civilians or tolerates attacks against them bears undeniable legal responsibility. With the continuation of this approach, international silence is no longer neutrality, but an indirect partnership in perpetuating violence. At a moment when violations are intensifying, calling things by their names becomes a necessity, not an option: what is happening is terrorism targeting civilians, and confronting it is not only a moral duty but an international legal obligation. Only by activating this commitment and transforming it into deterrent measures can the scene shift from the cycle of repeated bloodshed to the horizon of desired justice.

Hebrew press sources have revealed extensive involvement of Israeli occupation soldiers, both in regular service and reserves, in systematic looting of civilian property within the villages and towns they infiltrated in southern Lebanon. Testimonies confirmed that these practices are no longer isolated incidents but have turned into a recurring phenomenon, including the seizure of contents from homes and shops without deterrence.

The stolen items varied, including motorcycles, modern televisions, as well as luxurious carpets, artworks, and household furniture. Reports clarified that these items are openly collected and transported in military vehicles and jeeps leaving Lebanese territory towards the border, a scene reflecting the absence of military oversight.

Testimonies cited by media sources indicated that field commanders at the battalion and brigade levels are fully aware of what is happening on the ground. Despite their knowledge of the theft incidents, they refrain from taking any disciplinary action or opening official investigations against the implicated soldiers, thus giving a green light for these violations to continue.

One soldier participating in field operations described what is happening as a 'crazy phenomenon' that has exceeded all logical boundaries. The soldier added that thefts occur openly, with personnel storing stolen goods in their private or military vehicles as soon as they find them, emphasizing that everyone in the combat units is aware of the extent of these thefts.

These scenes recall reports that documented similar widespread looting operations carried out by the occupation army in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war of annihilation in October 2023. It appears that the scenario of seizing civilian property is now moving from the southern front in Gaza to the northern front with Lebanon, with the same method and approach.

In one testimony, a soldier mentioned that a field commander caught a group of personnel attempting to leave the border in a car loaded with stolen items. Although the commander reprimanded them and ordered them to dispose of the property, the incident ended there without any military punishment or referral to the military police.

Observers and field soldiers believe that leniency in enforcing military law sends a clear message to recruits that looting Lebanese property is permissible. A soldier told media outlets that the absence of deterrent penalties, such as imprisonment or dismissal from service, is the main reason behind the escalation of this phenomenon and its transformation into a general behavior.

Reports also noted that some commanders merely verbally condemn the phenomenon in front of their soldiers to clear their conscience, but in reality, they overlook the thieves and do not prevent them from bringing stolen goods into Israel. This institutional complicity reflects a state of moral and legal breakdown within the units operating deep in Lebanese territory.

Sources stated that the absence of military police at border checkpoints directly contributed to facilitating the exit of looted property. If there were real oversight at border crossings, huge quantities of furniture and electrical appliances stolen from the homes of Lebanese civilians who fled their villages would have been seized.

Testimonies indicate that soldiers do not even try to hide the stolen goods when crossing the border; instead, they place them in visible locations inside trucks. This behavior indicates the soldiers' complete confidence that they will not be held legally accountable by their superiors or by the military judicial system, which ignores these crimes.

In conclusion, these facts confirm that looting of property has become part of the field doctrine of some units in the occupation army, where civilian property is treated as spoils of war. These violations continue amid international silence and complicity from the senior military command, which focuses on combat operations and ignores the criminal behavior of its soldiers.

It's a crazy phenomenon; anyone who takes TVs, cigarettes, or tools immediately puts them in their car. It's not a secret, and everyone sees and understands.

Archbishop Atallah Hanna: This behavior is part of an extremist colonial culture, a phenomenon reflecting a worrying escalation in hate speech against everything Christian.Father Ibrahim Faltas: What happened cannot be treated as an individual act, but rather reflects an extremist way of thinking based on desacralizing the other and justifying aggression against them.Father Abdullah July: The occupation's announcement of an investigation into the incident cannot be separated from attempts to whitewash its image before the world in an effort to contain global anger.Sheikh Ibrahim Awadallah: Believers in the truths of religions and their noble values refrain from accepting insults to other religions and their symbols, no matter the disagreement.Dr. Majed Saqr: What happened in Lebanon constitutes a clear violation of the values of mutual respect among followers of religions and reflects behavior that should be firmly opposed.Dr. Wasel Abu Yousef: What happened reveals that the destruction goes beyond material damage to reach the level of contempt for all religions... and Palestinians have experienced similar situations.Issam Baker: The attack on a Christian religious symbol reveals systematic ideological nourishment based on hatred and animosity, reproducing a discourse of racial and religious superiority.Ramallah - Exclusive to "Al-Quds" - The wave of anger is still raging after an Israeli occupation army soldier recently destroyed a statue of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, and the Holy Cross in the town of Debel, Bint Jbeil district, southern Lebanon. The incident is considered a direct affront to a religious symbol that holds deep spiritual significance for Christians, a dangerous transgression of the sanctity of religious sites in the region, and a witness to the organized absurdity of the occupation soldiers.

Christian and Muslim clerics and national figures, in separate interviews with "Al-Quds", believe that this aggression cannot be treated as an isolated individual incident, but rather falls within a continuous context of Israeli occupation violations targeting religious symbols, reflecting a rise in hate speech and extremism, and raising fears of attempts to push the political conflict towards more dangerous religious dimensions for the peoples of the region, noting that what happened comes in the context of repeated incidents against Christian and Islamic holy sites, as happened in several areas of the Palestinian territories.

They emphasize that targeting the statue carries implications that go beyond material destruction, constituting an attack on the values of respect for religious symbols, calling for the necessity of serious international action to put an end to attacks on holy sites, hold those responsible accountable, and prevent their recurrence in light of the escalating tensions in the region.

Unprecedented barbaric and racist act Archbishop Atallah Hanna, Archbishop of Sebastia of the Greek Orthodox, confirms that the act of an Israeli soldier destroying the Holy Cross and the statue of Jesus Christ in the town of Debel, Bint Jbeil district, southern Lebanon, is an "unprecedented barbaric and racist act," stressing that what happened represents an unacceptable attack on a religious symbol that holds deep spiritual significance for Christians around the world.

Hanna points out that the desecration of the Holy Cross cannot be viewed as mere vandalism of a religious landmark, but rather a direct targeting of Christian faith and doctrine, stressing that respect for religious symbols in all religions must remain a constant human and moral principle that is not subject to any political or ideological considerations, affirming that any attack on holy sites, whatever its source, requires a clear stance from every person of conscience and responsibility.

While Archbishop Atallah Hanna affirms the rejection of attacks on religious symbols, he stresses that this should not obscure a more painful truth, which is the continuous attack on the human being himself, pointing out that the killing of Lebanese and Palestinians and targeting them in the Gaza Strip over the past two years is no less serious or brutal than the attack on religious symbols, but rather goes beyond that because the human being is the essence of divine messages and the goal of religious values.

Hanna explains that religious symbols are primarily linked to human beings, and that whoever attacks a human being commits an act no less barbaric than attacking the Cross or any other sacred symbol, pointing out that the occupation, in its essence, represents a daily attack on human dignity, and on the right of peoples to life, freedom, and security.

Behavior that is not strange Hanna considers that this behavior is not strange or new, but rather comes within the context of an entrenched extremist culture within some colonial circles, noting that Christian clerics in Jerusalem are repeatedly subjected to insults and spitting while passing near churches or in public roads, in a phenomenon that reflects a worrying escalation in hate speech against everything Christian, in addition to attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites in the Holy City.

Archbishop Atallah Hanna calls for strengthening universal human values, and rejecting hatred, racism, and extremism in all its forms, emphasizing the necessity of respecting every person's right to practice their religious rituals freely and safely.

Hanna stresses that Palestinian churches, in addition to rejecting harm to the Cross, continue to raise their voices for an end to the aggressions against the Palestinian and Lebanese people and the peoples of the region, calling on the international community not to be content with condemning attacks on religious symbols, but also to act to stop the ongoing suffering in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

Archbishop Atallah Hanna says: "The occupation is more dangerous than any attack on a religious symbol, because symbols remain, but it is the human being who pays the price every day due to the practices of the occupation."

Targeting spiritual and human meanings Father Ibrahim Faltas of the "Custody of the Holy Land" confirms that the incident of destroying the statue of Jesus Christ in the town of Debel, Bint Jbeil district, represents an absolutely unacceptable attack, not only because it targeted a sacred religious symbol for Christians, but also because it directly affects the spiritual and human meanings embodied by this symbol in the conscience of believers, foremost among them love, peace, and hope.

Faltas explains that the seriousness of the incident does not lie in the material act itself, but in the deeper implications it carries, as an indicator of the decline of mutual respect among people, and the transformation of religious symbols, which are supposed to be a unifying space for spiritual peace, into direct targets of violence and hatred.

Faltas stresses that condemnation in such incidents should not be understood as merely an emotional reaction, but as a principled stance to defend freedom of belief and preserve human dignity, regardless of religious or cultural affiliation.

A pattern of extremist thinking Faltas points out that what happened cannot be treated as an isolated individual act, but rather reflects, even partially, a pattern of extremist thinking based on desacralizing the other, justifying aggression against them, and viewing those who are religiously or intellectually different as worthless or without sanctity.

Faltas warns that this type of thinking, if left unchallenged, does not threaten a specific group, but rather deeply undermines the foundations of human coexistence and the values on which diverse societies are built.

Faltas stresses that dealing with the incident must go beyond verbal condemnation to clear practical steps, starting with transparent accountability for all who attack religious symbols, considering that justice is the dividing line between a state of law and chaos, through promoting a culture of respect for religions through educational institutions and media, to supporting a responsible religious discourse that re-emphasizes shared human values, foremost among them human dignity and the sanctity of life.

The danger of this thinking with power Faltas points out that the most dangerous aspect of the incident is that the perpetrator was a military soldier wearing his official military uniform, considering that this issue cannot be ignored, because it reveals the possibility of this extremist ideology infiltrating the army, and therein lies the danger if force is used to express rejection of the other.

Faltas stresses that this carries two dangerous implications: either a state of indifference towards these behaviors, or a feeling by the perpetrators that there is protection or a guarantee that prevents them from being held accountable in a deterrent manner.

Direct assault on human conscience Father Abdullah July considers that the recent act of an Israeli soldier destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in the town of Debel, Bint Jbeil district, southern Lebanon, represents a direct assault on the Arab and Palestinian human conscience, both Muslim and Christian, due to its deep affront to religious feelings and sacred symbols that hold a special place among believers.

July affirms that the destruction of the statue of Jesus Christ, in addition to the desecration of the symbol of the Cross and statues of the Virgin Mary, constitutes a clear offense to the feelings of believers, because these symbols do not represent mere inanimate objects, but rather store deep spiritual and human meanings for Christians in the East and the world.

July stresses that the impact of the incident is doubled because it occurred in southern Lebanon, a region emotionally linked to a long history of coexistence between Muslims and Christians, and in a land dear to the hearts of all the people of the region.

July points out that what happened reveals a lack of respect for human and religious values, affirming that targeting holy symbols reflects a dangerous level of arrogance and contempt, and expresses an aggressive mentality that goes beyond attacking stone to attacking the human being himself and his spiritual and cultural identity.

July believes that these practices fall within a broader context of a war that targets both land and people, and reflects the injustice suffered by Palestinians and Arabs in more than one place.

The danger of the conflict turning religious July warns that the seriousness of the incident opens the door to transforming the political conflict into a religious conflict, which is the most dangerous thing the region can face at this stage.

July affirms that Christians and Muslims in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria are people of one nation, united by a shared past, present, and destiny, hence the greater anger at what this soldier did.

Attempts to whitewash the occupation's image before the world July believes that the occupation's announcement of an investigation into the incident cannot be separated from attempts to whitewash its image before the world, at a time when facts reveal an escalation of hate speech, and as an attempt to contain global anger over the incident.

Father July calls on the international community to assume its moral and humanitarian responsibilities, and to work seriously to achieve justice for the Arab peoples and the Palestinian people, stressing that the continuation of injustice in the Holy Land and the region will keep it hostage to war and hatred, noting that ending this reality is the only way to open the path to a just peace that puts an end to the suffering of the peoples of the region.

Extremism in rejecting the other, their ideas, and their existence His Eminence Sheikh Ibrahim Awadallah, Deputy Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories and Mufti of Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, stresses that the differences among people in beliefs and ideas are an undeniable reality, but the problem lies in how this reality is dealt with.

Awadallah points out that some people become extreme in rejecting the other, their ideas, and their existence, and act based on this extremism, disregarding people's freedoms, beliefs, and cultures. Our true Islamic faith is distinguished by leaving people to choose their religions, as evidenced by the divine address to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to convey to those who differ with him in belief and religion, as Allah Almighty said: "To you be your religion, and to me my religion," and He also said: "There shall be no compulsion in religion."

Awadallah confirms that the Commander of the Faithful, Omar ibn al-Khattab, relied on this logic when he conquered Jerusalem, and this was evident in the Pact of Omar, in which he granted security to the people of Jerusalem for themselves, their churches, and their crosses, knowing that harming a protected non-Muslim (dhimmi) is equal in sin to harming a Muslim.

As for the extremists, according to Awadallah, they despise others, extort and oppress them, and strip themselves of the values of tolerance towards them. When opportunities arise, they do not hesitate to shed innocent blood and violate sanctities that Allah has forbidden to harm. Rather, they boast about what they commit.

Awadallah emphasizes that it is strangely astonishing that some of them commit their crimes in the name of religion, and as an act of worship to God, as they claim. Neither the blessed tree whose oil shines as if it were light, nor the bowing elders, nor the grazing animals, nor the temples and mosques where people worship their Lord, have been safe from their evil. They have spread corruption on earth, believing themselves to be reformers. Otherwise, what about the symbols of human and other religions, that they should harm them and eliminate their existence, while they take pictures and publish them publicly as a way of boasting, arrogance, and disregard for religions and their followers.

Awadallah explains that believers in the truths of religions and their noble values refrain from accepting insults to other religions and their symbols, no matter the disagreement that sometimes exists between them and the beliefs of their opponents. If Allah had willed, He would have made people one nation, but divine will necessitated the existence of disagreement and difference among human beings.

Awadallah stresses the prohibition of attacking people's holy sites, because the final judgment between them will be on the Day of Resurrection, and there they will be judged with divine justice and divine right. There is no justification for presuming to be God, and assuming some of His prerogatives, to eliminate the existence of opponents and their holy sites, which means the necessity of condemning attacks on religions and their symbols, and the obligation to demand a strict end to these crimes, which included tearing and burning the Quran, insulting and demeaning prophets, and violating the sanctity of mosques and churches, which Allah commanded to protect from desecration, and even commanded to defend their sanctity, as stated in His Almighty saying: "And if Allah had not repelled [some] people by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned would have been demolished."

The necessity of respecting the beliefs of others Dr. Majed Saqr, Director of the Department for the Preparation of Preachers at the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, affirms his rejection and condemnation of any attack targeting religious landmarks and symbols, stressing that respecting the beliefs of others represents an authentic principle in the Islamic religion, which calls for preserving holy sites and not harming them, regardless of differing religious or doctrinal references.

Saqr stresses that any attack on a religious symbol, whether Islamic, Christian, or belonging to any other religion, is an unacceptable and condemned behavior, explaining that an attack on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is no different in its seriousness from an attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque, because both represent a religious and human symbol whose sanctity and status must be preserved.

Saqr points out that what happened recently in Lebanon against a Christian religious symbol by an occupation army soldier constitutes a clear violation of the values of mutual respect among followers of religions, and reflects behavior that should be firmly opposed.

Saqr affirms that rejecting attacks on holy sites and religious symbols is not just a fleeting stance, but an ethical and humanitarian commitment aimed at protecting the historical and cultural identity of peoples, ensuring freedom of worship, and preventing the ignition of strife and conflicts that may result from targeting religious symbols.

Preserving religious symbols is a collective responsibility Saqr points out that preserving these landmarks must be a collective responsibility shared by religious institutions, governments, and international organizations.

Saqr calls for global action to protect religious landmarks by enacting clear and deterrent laws, and providing bodies capable of defending holy sites and preventing attacks on them, stressing that insulting prophets or religious symbols, whether through drawings, writings, or any other means, cannot be considered personal freedom or a legitimate expression of opinion, but rather constitutes a crime that requires legal accountability, because respect for religions must be a duty that everyone adheres to without exception.

Organized absurdity Dr. Wasel Abu Yousef, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and coordinator of the National and Islamic Forces, considers that the act of an Israeli soldier destroying the statue of Jesus Christ in the town of Debel cannot be viewed as an isolated incident, but rather falls within the state of "organized absurdity" practiced by the occupation soldiers, which is based on disrespect for the other, whether in their religious beliefs, their lives, or their property.

According to Abu Yousef, this behavior reflects an extremist mentality that has repeatedly appeared in the practices of occupation soldiers, who do not hesitate to shoot civilians, destroy property, or treat people's lives as worthless. Abu Yousef points out that the same scene was repeated in the Gaza Strip, where occupation soldiers destroyed and tampered with homes, while snipers targeted children, women, and civilians in the context of a systematic killing policy targeting Palestinians.

Abu Yousef explains that the destruction of a Christian religious symbol in Lebanon reveals that the issue goes beyond material destruction, reaching the level of contempt for all religions, noting that Palestinians have experienced similar forms of this approach in Jerusalem, whether through repeated attacks on worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque, or preventing Christians from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in addition to provocative practices against Christian clerics, including harassing them while they are on their way to places of worship.

Abu Yousef stresses that these actions reflect an extremist culture that does not recognize the sanctity of other religions, nor respects fundamental human values, warning that the continuation of this approach threatens stability in the entire region, especially in light of the occupation government and its army's disregard for state sovereignty and international humanitarian and legal norms.

Reflection of the same attacks in Palestine Abu Yousef points out that what settlers are doing in the West Bank and Jerusalem falls within the same context, through carrying out attacks, burning property, and directly targeting Palestinians under the protection of the occupation army, noting that the arming of settlers by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir with tens of thousands of weapons has given them cover to continue the policy of killing and aggression against Palestinians.

Abu Yousef affirms that what is happening reflects the occupation government's insistence on imposing a colonial reality by force, through policies of demolition, expulsion, siege, and complete denial of the rights of the Palestinian people and the peoples of the region, considering that the failure to implement international legitimacy resolutions has encouraged the occupation to persist in its violations.

The importance of serious action to protect holy sites Abu Yousef calls for serious Arab, regional, and international action to protect Islamic and Christian holy sites, and to provide effective protection for the Palestinian people and the peoples of the region, in addition to pressuring for the implementation of international legitimacy resolutions, imposing sanctions on the extremist right-wing occupation government, isolating it, and holding it accountable before international courts for the crimes it commits against Palestinians and the peoples of the region, stressing that stopping this approach has become a necessity to prevent the expansion of extremism and violence in the region.

Serious moral collapse Issam Baker, member of the Central Committee of the Palestinian People's Party, confirms that the incident of destroying the statue of Jesus Christ in a town in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon represents a "serious moral collapse," reflecting an extremist ideology that does not value religions or respect freedoms or religious beliefs, considering that what happened goes beyond being an isolated incident to being an expression of a rising racist tendency based on a supremacist mentality that treats others with inferiority and discrimination.

Producing a discourse based on racial and religious superiority Baker explains that the attack on a Christian religious symbol of this magnitude reveals systematic ideological nourishment based on hatred and animosity, and reproduces a discourse based on racial and religious superiority.

Baker points out that what happened in the Lebanese town cannot be separated from the practices witnessed by Palestinians in the occupied territories, from restricting religious freedoms, imposing temporal and spatial division in Al-Aqsa Mosque, to closing it and preventing access to it, which reflects a single approach that is repeated in more than one place and targets religious symbols and the spiritual identity of peoples.

According to Baker, during the incursions into the West Bank during the Second Intifada, the occupation deliberately targeted and shelled a statue of the Virgin Mary in the city of Bethlehem, which led to its destruction and damage to parts of it, and then the siege of the Church of the Nativity.

Baker points out that the statue of Jesus Christ in the Lebanese town has become a witness to a "highly dangerous" tendency, because it affects the simplest human rights related to freedom of belief and respect for holy sites, warning that the continuation of this approach could lead to the spread of a state of religious and cultural tension on a wider scale, resembling "the spread of fire in dry grass," due to the deep impact it leaves on the feelings of peoples and their behavior towards the different other.

The importance of confronting extremist ideology Baker stresses that what is required today is not limited to condemning the incident, but calls for confronting the ideology behind it, as it is a destructive ideology that shatters religious and human meanings, undermines the foundations of coexistence and the right to difference, and works to ignite religious and ethnic conflicts in the region.

Baker affirms that the essence of the conflict in the region is not religious, as the occupation state tries to portray it, but rather a conflict of liberation and rights, related to the right of the Palestinian people and the peoples of the region to self-determination and to live freely within systems that express their national will.

Baker calls for strengthening the values of tolerance in the face of hate speech, and working to thwart attempts to drag the region into sectarian and ethnic wars, demanding that the international community take practical steps including imposing a comprehensive isolation and boycott on the occupation, and preventing it from continuing to violate religious and human values and the rights of individuals and groups to practice their beliefs freely and safely.

The 'madman theory' has returned to the global political scene with the escalation of tensions between Washington and Tehran, as US President Donald Trump appears to be adopting it as a cornerstone in his management of the conflict. This pattern is evident in raising the level of threats to their maximum, leaving both adversaries and allies in a constant state of anticipation for what the next steps might entail.

Recent times have witnessed clear manifestations of this approach, especially after the direct threat to strike Iranian energy facilities and impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz following the failure of talks in Pakistan. Despite the escalation reaching its peak, the round ended with a fragile truce on April 8, 2026, after Trump practiced 'brinkmanship' by extending deadlines at the last minute.

The historical roots of this approach date back to the era of former President Richard Nixon, specifically what his chief of staff H.R. Haldeman recounted in his memoirs. The idea was to convince adversaries that the president might do anything and that his reactions were unpredictable, forcing them to make concessions for fear of an uncalculated catastrophe.

Nixon used this tactic during the Vietnam War, culminating in the intense bombing of Hanoi in 1972, with the aim of extracting a settlement that would save Washington's face. However, observers believe that the results of this approach were ambiguous, as the terms of the subsequent peace agreement did not differ much from what was offered before the bloody military escalation.

Reports indicate that Trump's influence by Nixon is not just a political coincidence, but rather the result of a personal relationship and correspondence that spanned about a decade. This relationship began when Trump was an ambitious real estate developer in New York, while Nixon was trying to restore his political standing, which deepened Trump's understanding of power strategies and public image.

Trump's practice of this theory differs from his predecessor Nixon's in that it has transformed from a tactic to confront a specific dilemma into a comprehensive and permanent style of governance. While Nixon used it in limited issues such as Vietnam, Trump employs it across a wide range of domestic and international issues, turning confusion into a political 'operating system'.

Psychologically, studies analyze Trump's behavior as a mixture of ambition, opportunism, and authoritarian tendencies associated with impulsiveness. These traits make confusion and pressure natural tools in conflict management, as the president finds an ideal environment in uncertainty to impose his will and achieve negotiating gains.

Leadership experts at Yale University describe Trump's style as 'deliberate chaos', asserting that he follows consistent practical rules despite appearing unpredictable. These rules rely on a sharp survival instinct and adaptability, using bullying and flattery as complementary tools to navigate complex political impasses.

'Embarrassment diplomacy' emerged as one of the manifestations of this approach during Trump's second term, as he did not hesitate to publicly criticize his guests at the White House. These situations included mocking international leaders and engaging in sharp debates with religious figures and media personalities, which reinforces his image as a leader who does not adhere to traditional protocols.

In the face of media pressure, Trump follows a strategy of 'flooding the field' by continuously pumping out contradictory statements on his private platform. This policy aims to dominate the news agenda and prevent opponents from catching their breath or dissecting his claims, always keeping him at the center of events and global attention.

'Truth Social' is the main tool in this media battle, where Trump launches positions that vary in intensity and direction within a few hours. This intense activity distracts attention from issues that might harm his political standing, and imposes his own narrative on the public scene away from the scrutiny of traditional media.

Trump's clashes extended to include international institutions and major influential figures, such as his debate with Pope Leo XIV on immigration issues and military interventions. These confrontations reflect a desire to break existing rules and redefine the balance of power based on the logic of direct force and public confrontation.

Between the offices of Manhattan in the 1980s and the corridors of power in 2026, Trump managed to revive 'Nixon's ambiguity' and develop it to suit the era of digital chaos. The question today is no longer about the rationality of these actions, but about the international system's ability to adapt to this new pattern of power exercise.

Ultimately, the 'madman theory' in its contemporary Trumpian version appears as a response to the imbalance of traditional deterrence in the world. It is an attempt to impose American prestige through intimidation, placing international politics in a continuous test of dealing with a president who sees unpredictability as the pinnacle of strategic intelligence.

The madness here is not a loss of sanity, but a calculated political performance that employs fear and uncertainty as a tool of pressure on adversaries.

Washington - Said Arikat - 23/4/2026\n\nNews Analysis\n\nWhile the United States continues to demonstrate its military superiority in the confrontation with Iran, through extensive naval deployment and tightening restrictions on shipping traffic linked to Tehran, there are increasing indications that the economic and political cost of this approach has begun to rebound on Washington and its allies more than it pressures Iran itself.\n\nAt a time when President Donald Trump's administration speaks of the success of deterrence operations and securing navigation, recent developments have shown continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important global energy arteries, after incidents of targeting and seizing commercial vessels, which pushed oil prices up again amid fears of an expanding circle of tension. The Strait is a vital passage through which about a fifth of global oil and gas trade passes, making any disruption in it a direct factor in raising prices and disrupting international supply chains.\n\nInternational shipping companies have also warned that the announcement of the passage remaining open does not practically mean the return of safe navigation, given continued fears of naval mines, the potential for military friction, and rising insurance premiums for passing vessels. These facts confirm that merely the persistence of the threat is enough to disrupt markets, even without a complete closure of the Strait.\n\nDespite clear US military superiority, Iran seems capable of leveraging geopolitics to its advantage. Tehran does not need to defeat the US fleet; it only needs to keep the sea lane in a state of constant anxiety, thereby raising transportation and shipping costs, delaying supplies, and sowing tension in global markets. In this sense, geography transforms into a more effective pressure tool than direct military confrontation.\n\nIn contrast, Trump faces increasing criticism due to his fluctuating positions between threatening military decisive action, then talking about negotiation, then returning to the language of escalation. Observers believe that this approach confuses allies before adversaries, and makes markets more sensitive to any statement issued by the White House, especially at a moment when energy prices and investor confidence are linked to any political signal.\n\nEconomic estimates indicate that navigation disruption in Hormuz has become a major factor in oil price volatility in recent weeks, with growing fears of disruption to exports from key Gulf states. Shipping reports also indicate that some Iranian tankers continue to find various bypass routes, highlighting the limited effectiveness of a complete blockade, and meaning that the pressures do not only affect Tehran, but extend to the entire global economy.\n\nHere, a deeper dilemma for Washington unfolds: modern wars are no longer decided by military force alone, but by the ability of parties to distribute the cost to their adversaries. The United States can deploy destroyers and mobilize forces, but it cannot easily prevent the impact of rising fuel prices on American or European consumers. The higher the prices, the greater the internal political pressures, and the less room for maneuver for decision-makers. From this perspective, Iran has succeeded in transforming its military weakness into indirect economic strength.\n\nThe problem becomes more complex for Trump, who seeks to appear as a decisive president capable of subjugating Iran, without sliding into a long and costly war. Therefore, his positions oscillate between escalation and de-escalation, a style that may achieve internal political gains, but lacks effectiveness in managing international crises. Markets seek stability, allies want clarity, while adversaries read hesitation as an opportunity for maneuver and gaining time.\n\nAt the level of political narrative, Iran appears more capable of leveraging the image of the "besieged state" to address a wide audience outside the West. It presents itself as a victim of sanctions and pressures, while Washington is portrayed as a power using its military and financial influence to impose its will. This narrative may not succeed everywhere, but it resonates in Global South countries affected by rising energy and food prices. With each new wave of inflation, marketing the American position as a defense of stability becomes more difficult.\n\nExperts believe that the core of the problem lies not in American military power, but in the absence of a clear political objective: Is the administration seeking to change Iran's behavior? Or a new agreement? Or to economically exhaust the regime? The absence of a precise answer makes any military success limited in impact, and turns field operations into an open crisis management with no clear end.\n\nPast experiences, from Iraq to Afghanistan, indicate that tactical victory does not guarantee strategic success. Force can destroy targets, but it alone is not enough to build a stable regional order, or lower energy prices, or maintain the cohesion of international alliances.\n\nUltimately, the United States may be superior in "kinetic" warfare, but it faces an adversary that excels at using time, the market, and political narrative. If oil disruption continues, allied discontent grows, and doubts about Trump's volatile approach escalate, Washington may discover that military control does not necessarily mean winning the larger battle.

US President Donald Trump has backed down from his previous threats not to extend the ceasefire, announcing this week an indefinite extension of the truce. This sudden shift came after Washington received a message from the Iranian leadership stating its refusal to send a negotiating delegation to Pakistan, leading to the suspension of Vice President JD Vance's scheduled trip to Islamabad.

The White House attempted to justify this retreat by responding to Pakistani mediation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir, who requested a delay in any military action against Tehran. Trump pointed to divisions within the Iranian leadership, considering it expected to await a unified stance from Tehran under the current circumstances.

In contrast, Tehran maintains a firm stance of refusing to 'negotiate under threat,' setting preconditions that include lifting the naval blockade and releasing the ship seized by the US military. The Iranian leadership views the continued blockade as military aggression that contradicts the concept of a true truce, which led to the collapse of the second round of negotiations before they even began.

Domestically in the US, Trump is experiencing a tug-of-war between conflicting currents; while 'hawks' push for escalation and subjugation of Iran, 'isolationists' tend to avoid involvement in long wars of attrition. At the same time, those close to Israel are trying to steer American decisions to serve the interests of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It appears that the US administration has begun to realize that the 'Israeli scale' it has long relied on only leads to endless war. Therefore, Washington has started to prioritize its own calculations, taking into account the global energy crisis, rising fuel prices, and the exorbitant cost of military deployment in West Asia.

The Republican administration also fears the repercussions of resuming military operations on the upcoming midterm elections in the fall. Losing the majority in both the House and Senate represents a political nightmare for Trump, especially given the severe shortage of ammunition that could weaken the US position in potential confrontations with major powers like China.

For its part, Iran shows a willingness to take risks by not offering free concessions, relying on a precise analysis of the current American predicament. Tehran asserts that it has not lost the war to the extent of accepting Washington's dictates, and it insists on linking any de-escalation on regional fronts, including Lebanon, to a negotiating path that achieves its strategic interests.

Tehran offers trade-offs that include opening the Strait of Hormuz for transit fees and accepting a new nuclear agreement that places its program under strict international supervision. However, these concessions are conditional on a comprehensive lifting of sanctions and the unfreezing of billions, while maintaining its organic relationship with Hezbollah and refusing to separate from the Lebanese front.

In Tel Aviv, there is deep concern about the American diplomatic approach, as Israel seeks to maintain its superiority as the sole regional power by resuming the war. Netanyahu and his envoy Ron Dermer are moving very cautiously in Washington's corridors to ensure that Israel does not become a 'burden' on vital American interests.

Israel sets impossible conditions for any agreement, including an absolute halt to enrichment, dismantling Iran's missile program, and ending media incitement. Israeli elites believe that the failure of negotiations is better than reaching a 'bad' agreement that does not meet their aspirations to completely undermine Iranian influence.

These developments coincide with the ongoing complex intelligence confrontation between the two sides, with previous reports revealing mutual successes in security breaches. While the Mossad succeeded in accessing sensitive facilities, Iran managed to recruit high-ranking former Israeli officials such as former Energy Minister Gonen Segev.

Ultimately, regional powers realize that the Iranian regime is not just fighting for survival, but seeks to solidify its position as a major regional power. Any bet on Tehran's unconditional surrender seems far from political realism, as the Iranian leadership considers submission to American demands a 'push towards the abyss' rather than a lifeline.

Trump replaces war with the threat of it, hoping to achieve gains through intimidation that he failed to extract through bombing and destruction.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made controversial statements, calling for the necessity of expanding Israel's geographical borders to include wider areas in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria. Smotrich claimed that this step is essential to provide defensible borders from a security and topographical perspective, considering that the current lines do not meet the strategic needs of the Hebrew state.

In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, the far-right minister described Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as an integral part of what he called the 'Iranian axis of evil'. He stressed that the 1967 borders lack the necessary geographical depth, making them unsuitable for protecting Israel's security in light of current regional challenges.

Smotrich strongly defended settlers in the West Bank, describing them as among the 'least violent people', and considering international reports of their attacks as mere disinformation campaigns. He affirmed that all settlement movements in the occupied territories are carried out in full coordination with the American administration, indicating ongoing understandings in this regard.

The Finance Minister clarified that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fully supports plans to expand settlements in the West Bank, noting that the government continues its settlement activity at an accelerating pace. He expressed hope that Israel will succeed in the future in convincing the administration of President Donald Trump of the necessity of applying full Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank territories.

Smotrich had renewed his public calls for the full re-occupation of the Gaza Strip and the establishment of settlement blocs within it, during an official event attended by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. These calls come in the context of a government policy aimed at changing the demographic and geographical reality in areas that the United Nations classifies as occupied territories.

Field data indicates that the number of settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has reached about 750,000 people, distributed among hundreds of settlements and pastoral outposts. Human rights reports confirm that these expansions aim to forcibly displace Palestinians and undermine any opportunity for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the future.

Since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, the pace of military operations and settler attacks in the West Bank has escalated unprecedentedly. Medical and human rights sources reported the martyrdom of at least 1150 Palestinians and the injury of thousands of others, amid widespread arrest campaigns that affected about 22,000 Palestinian citizens.

Smotrich's statements reflect the far-right tendencies within the current Israeli government, which took office at the end of 2022. These policies face widespread international condemnation, as most countries and international organizations consider them a blatant violation of international law and a fundamental obstacle to achieving peace in the region.

The 1967 borders are indefensible, and Israel needs broader borders in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria to confront threats.

Israeli occupation forces committed a new massacre on Wednesday evening in the Beit Lahia project area, north of the Gaza Strip, where a drone targeted a group of unarmed civilians near a mosque. The raid resulted in the martyrdom of 5 people, including 3 children, in addition to serious injuries among passersby, reflecting the continued targeting of civilians in densely populated residential areas.

The aerial attack coincided with intense artillery shelling that targeted the eastern neighborhoods of Beit Lahia, where shrapnel heavily fell on citizens' homes in the main street, causing panic and destruction. In a related context, field sources reported that 4 citizens were injured by Israeli army bullets in the area east of Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Strip, while medical teams recorded a critical injury due to a drone raid that targeted Bani Suheila roundabout east of Khan Yunis city.

In Jabalia town, a Palestinian citizen was martyred and others sustained various injuries during the morning hours, following an airstrike that targeted a group of residents in Old Gaza Street. The attack occurred while citizens were trying to remove rubble from the ruins of their destroyed home in an attempt to recover some of their belongings, confirming the occupation's deliberate targeting of any civilian movement in the northern areas of the Strip.

Regarding official statistics, health authorities in Gaza announced that the total number of victims of the ongoing aggression since October 7, 2023, has risen to 72,562 martyrs and 172,320 injured. Sources indicated that the period after the ceasefire announcement on October 11 alone witnessed the martyrdom of 786 people and the injury of more than two thousand people, a clear indication of the occupation's non-compliance with the announced truce terms.

Rescue and ambulance teams face enormous challenges in recovering victims, as they have managed to pull out the bodies of 761 martyrs from under the rubble in recent weeks, while hundreds are still missing. Medical sources confirmed that the occupation forces deliberately obstruct evacuation operations and target civil defense teams, leaving many wounded bleeding to death in the streets and under the rubble of destroyed homes.

The total number of martyrs since the ceasefire on October 11 reached 786 martyrs, while the number of injuries during this period reached 2,217 injuries.

Economic and political circles in Tel Aviv are increasingly concerned about the success of popular petitions in Europe, which call for the suspension of the partnership agreement that forms the backbone of trade, cultural, and foreign relations with the occupation. These movements have gathered over 1.1 million signatures from EU citizens, protesting the unprecedented number of civilian casualties and the widespread destruction caused by the ongoing aggression on several fronts.

Media sources reported that this European threat has strongly reasserted itself in the corridors of Brussels, as the comprehensive petition has exceeded the legal quorum that obliges the European Commission to officially respond to and discuss this request. This step is rare, as only 16 petitions have succeeded in reaching this number of signatures over the past fourteen years, reflecting the growing public anger.

This initiative, known as the 'European Citizens' Initiative,' was launched last January with the support of left-wing parties in the European Parliament, in response to Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. Organizers are currently seeking to reach 1.5 million signatures to ensure passing the scrutiny and verification stage conducted by the relevant EU mechanisms before it is put up for official discussion.

The petition's demands are based on the unprecedented scale of killing and injuries among Palestinian civilians, in addition to the policy of forced displacement and systematic destruction that has affected hospitals and vital medical facilities. The popular document accuses the occupation authorities of flagrantly violating international law, which necessitates activating the human rights clauses in the partnership agreement to suspend it immediately.

Relations between the European Union and Tel Aviv have witnessed severe tensions since last autumn, with the European Commission hinting at a partial suspension of relations in previous stages. However, opposition from countries such as Hungary, Italy, Germany, and Austria prevented a decision for a full suspension, as these countries formed a 'blocking minority' within the EU, preventing the two-thirds majority required for punitive measures.

Despite the issue temporarily receding from the agenda in previous periods, the recent escalation in Lebanon and Iran has brought renewed momentum to European demands for economic sanctions. Countries such as Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland are leading this trend, having announced their intention to re-raise the issue of suspending the agreement during the meeting of EU foreign ministers scheduled to be held in Luxembourg.

The Spanish position has been sharply highlighted, with the Spanish Prime Minister repeatedly accusing the occupation of violating international law and openly calling for a قطع of trade relations. Leaders in Madrid are trying to push the EU to take a moral and legal stance commensurate with the scale of violations observed in the occupied Palestinian territories, amid questions about the resilience of pro-Israel positions in other countries.

Reports indicate potential shifts in the positions of countries that were classified as close allies of the occupation, such as Italy, whose President Giorgia Meloni announced not renewing the security cooperation agreement. This change in political tone reflects increasing internal and external pressures, especially with the escalation of settler crimes in the West Bank and the implementation of extremist settlement policies that provoke the ire of European capitals.

Issues such as settler violence in the territories beyond the Green Line, and the Israeli government's policies regarding the death penalty for prisoners, have entered the agenda of discussions in Germany and other countries. These issues have become a burden on European governments, which find it increasingly difficult to justify the continuation of economic partnership with a government that disregards all international warnings.

Observers believe that Israel's repeated disregard for official European positions has pushed Brussels to focus on imposing direct sanctions on settlers and entities associated with them. It is expected that the scope of these sanctions will be expanded to include the collective level of the European Union, instead of individual initiatives by states, which may pave the way for a comprehensive boycott of settlement products in European markets.

At the popular level, the image of the occupation in the old continent has reached its historical lowest, which has been translated by millions of signatures and continuous protests in major squares. This popular movement is no longer just an expression of opinion, but has turned into a legal and political pressure tool aimed at stripping the occupation of the economic cover provided by partnership agreements.

Israeli business circles fear that the suspension of the partnership agreement could lead to losses of billions of dollars, given that the European Union is the occupation's primary trading partner. The loss of preferential advantages provided by this agreement would mean imposing high customs duties on Israeli exports, which would make them unable to compete in international markets.

The European Commission is now awaiting the completion of the signature verification process to begin a legal path that may end in public hearings in the European Parliament. This path will place member states before their legal responsibilities towards international treaties that stipulate respect for human rights as a fundamental condition for the continuation of any economic partnership with external parties.

In conclusion, it appears that the gap between Tel Aviv and Brussels is widening unprecedentedly, driven by pressure from the European street that refuses to fund the war machine through trade. The success of the million-signature petition represents a turning point that could lead to international economic isolation for the occupation, amid its government's insistence on continuing military and settlement escalation.

The European threat to suspend the partnership agreement returns to the forefront in Brussels, after the petition successfully gathered one million signatures, obliging the Commission to respond.

The Indonesian government expressed its strong condemnation and categorical rejection of the Israeli occupation forces' act of raising a military propaganda banner over the ruins of the Indonesian Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. Official sources confirmed that this action represents a blatant violation of the sanctity of medical facilities destroyed by Israeli shelling during the ongoing aggression on the Strip, noting that this step reflects a disregard for humanitarian and international values.

The banner, which angered Jakarta, bears the slogan 'Rising Lion,' a symbol referring to an Israeli military operation carried out against Iran last year and lasting for 12 days. The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in an official statement that placing military symbols associated with war operations over the rubble of a health facility is a provocative act for which no legal or moral justification can be found under the current circumstances.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry stressed that this act represents a direct insult to the feelings of the Indonesian people and their solidarity with the Palestinians, as the hospital was built with full funding from donations from Indonesian citizens. The statement clarified that the medical facility was the fruit of humanitarian efforts led by the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee, which raised huge sums amounting to approximately 7.3 million dollars to serve the people of northern Gaza.

The history of the Indonesian Hospital dates back to late 2015, where it was designed to be a medical edifice providing healthcare to thousands of Palestinians in the northern areas of the Strip before it was systematically destroyed. Sources indicated that the occupation repeatedly tried to justify targeting the hospital through claims of tunnels belonging to the resistance beneath it, allegations that Jakarta categorically denied with technical evidence in 2023.

In a related context, Indonesia called on the international community to intervene to protect civilian infrastructure and medical facilities, which must remain neutral and protected under the rules of international humanitarian law. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called in its statement on the occupation authorities to immediately cease practices that endanger the lives of civilians and relief facilities, emphasizing that respect for hospitals is a duty that cannot be waived under any military pretext.

It is worth noting that the Indonesian Hospital had been subjected to a complete siege and direct shelling, leading to its complete incapacitation, as part of the policy of targeting the healthcare system in Gaza. This incident further escalates diplomatic tension between Jakarta and Tel Aviv, at a time when Indonesia continues its international efforts to support the rights of the Palestinian people and demand an immediate ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid.

Using military symbols and propaganda over the ruins of a destroyed hospital is a highly provocative and unjustifiable act, and it is an insult to a facility built with the solidarity of the Indonesian people.

In the Wadi Muhaisen area, near the town of Halhul, north of Hebron, Palestinian citizen Younes Aql, known as 'Abu Muhammad,' writes a daily epic of steadfastness against a military arsenal and settlers surrounding his home from all sides. Abu Muhammad finds himself besieged by an entire army and impenetrable iron gates, making leaving or reaching his home an adventure fraught with dangers that threaten his life and the lives of his family.

The suffering of Abu Muhammad's family and three other families living in the community intensified after the occupation tightened its grip on the area by establishing four settlement outposts and six military gates that completely encircled the place. This suffocating siege left no outlet for the Palestinians there to meet their basic needs, forcing Younes to take his wife and children with him in all his movements for fear of settler attacks.

Field sources reported that attacks in Wadi Muhaisen are continuous, with the occupation army and settlers participating in ongoing incursions into the area, including releasing livestock to harass residents and destroy their property. Abu Muhammad recounts how settlers smashed his vehicle's windows and hurled obscene insults, claiming the land belonged to them and that its original owners were 'colonizers,' a stark paradox to reality.

Due to these continuous pressures, Younes Aql was forced to leave his job selling vegetables to dedicate himself to protecting his home, spending most of his time stationed on his land, which does not exceed one and a half dunams. Despite the small size of his private property, his steadfastness represents the first line of defense for more than four thousand dunams belonging to the people of Halhul, which settlers covet.

The military closure catastrophically affected the daily life details of the family. The distance that used to take minutes to reach Halhul turned into an arduous journey extending over ten kilometers. Abu Muhammad is sometimes forced to cover this distance on foot through rugged mountains, due to the prohibition of Palestinian vehicles from crossing the iron gates installed by the army.

The suffering becomes more complex when there is any malfunction in water or electricity networks, as the occupation authorities prevent maintenance crews from reaching the besieged area. Despite these harsh conditions, Abu Muhammad affirms that the option of leaving is not in his dictionary, emphasizing that his connection to the land is an existential one that cannot be compromised or negotiated.

Speaking about the challenges, Abu Muhammad explains that his home is older than the occupation state itself, which reinforces his determination to stay despite the policy of forced displacement. He adds with a challenging tone: 'I was born here and lived here, and if I leave for some time, my heart remains attached to this place I love, and I cannot bear to live away from it.'

Abu Muhammad expressed his strong reproach towards official institutions, demanding a minimum level of support in the form of providing 'barbed wire' to protect his home from settler treachery. He indicated that he approached the Halhul municipality and the Hebron governorate with requests for assistance in strengthening his steadfastness, but the responses were disappointing under the pretext of a lack of available resources.

Younes Aql's story comes in the context of rampant settlement in the West Bank, where official data indicate that about 800,000 settlers now control more than 42% of the West Bank's area. According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the number of settlement outposts and settlements witnessed a significant jump, reaching 544 settlement sites by the end of 2025.

The occupation's measures were not limited to settlement expansion but also included fragmenting Palestinian geography with 916 checkpoints and military gates, hundreds of which were established after the events of October 2023. This security system directly aims to suffocate isolated Palestinian communities and facilitate settlers' seizure of remaining lands.

Statistics from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics indicate that 2025 was a harsh year for Palestinian land, with more than 5,500 dunams seized under various pretexts. Military orders varied between seizure for security purposes or declaring lands as 'state lands,' which closes the door for their legitimate owners to use them.

In a related context of Israeli violations in the region, journalistic work continues to face grave dangers, as previous reports recorded direct targeting of journalists in southern Lebanon and Palestine. Since 2023, a number of journalists have been martyred, including Issam Abdallah from Reuters, whose investigations confirmed he was directly targeted by an Israeli tank shell.

Younes Aql's steadfastness in Wadi Muhaisen summarizes the story of thousands of Palestinians who face the war machine and settlement with bare chests and solid will. Despite the tight siege and the six gates that close off the horizon of life before him, Abu Muhammad remains committed to his dream of living in peace on his ancestors' land, refusing to break before the policies of fait accompli that the occupation tries to impose.

Either we die here or they remove us by force, for this is my home, which is older than the Israeli occupation.

The conflict with the Israeli occupation is witnessing a profound transformation that transcends direct military confrontations towards a broader and more complex space, represented by the conflict of minds, souls, and collective perceptions. What is known as 'psychological engineering' is no longer merely an academic luxury, but has become an advanced strategic tool aimed at fundamentally changing the adversary's perceptions, based on the principles of political psychology.

Israeli society relies for its apparent survival and cohesion on a historical narrative founded on existential fear that has been nurtured over many decades. However, this source of strength turns into a fatal weakness when exploited to create a state of 'cognitive dissonance,' where the edifice of collective trust crumbles when confronted with the contradictions of bitter reality and the failure of official narratives.

Controlling and directing the media narrative is a fundamental pillar in contemporary psychological warfare, as the access of the Palestinian narrative to international platforms has become a strategic necessity. Palestinian steadfastness on the ground generates accumulated psychological exhaustion among the occupation forces and their public, which necessarily leads to a state of collective despair and questioning the utility of the occupation and its exorbitant costs.

Analytical sources indicate that asymmetric warfare is not limited to the disparity in material military power, but also includes psychological dimensions and the ability to bear moral costs. Israeli internal cohesion suffers from sharp political, social, and sectarian divisions, which can be amplified through well-studied informational campaigns that turn existing cracks into a chasm that is difficult to bridge.

The shift in global public opinion in favor of Palestinian rights did not happen by chance, but was the result of directed awareness that managed to penetrate the walls of Zionist propaganda. The foreign policy of several countries has begun to be affected by this pressure, as we have witnessed sharp symbolic and practical stances from countries such as Spain, Canada, Turkey, and Poland, indicating the erosion of the occupation's diplomatic immunity.

Although the Israeli entity was founded on the doctrine of 'rapid decisive victory,' it finds itself today mired in a state of 'chronic uncertainty' that extends for long periods. Turning time into a weapon through a long-breath strategy creates a slow erosion of collective morale, and generates a state of civilizational exhaustion that gnaws at the desire for survival and continuity.

The image of the 'invincible army' is one of the basic pillars of Israeli psychological security, but it has received successive shocks since 1973 up to the current confrontations. The success of the resistance in inflicting pain and confusion on the stronger party breaks the foundations of psychological superiority, and plants the seeds of doubt in the utility of excessive force as the sole guarantee of security and stability.

The phenomenon of 'reverse migration' and the brain drain among young elites stands out as one of the most dangerous strategic psychological defeats facing the occupation. When the alleged 'safe haven' turns into a permanent danger zone, Israelis begin to search for alternatives and foreign passports, undermining the idea of an eternal homeland from within.

Fundamental transformations have occurred in the structure of the Israeli personality across generations, as the ideological fervor of the founding generation has declined in favor of individualism and consumerism among the new generations. 'Generation Z' shows increasing reluctance for long military service, which represents an opportunity to target and deepen these generational cracks within the framework of the psychological battle.

Israel today is experiencing a state of 'collective psychological suffocation' as a result of growing international isolation and accusations of practicing apartheid. This feeling of isolation, when accompanied by existential insecurity, creates a contradictory psychological state between defensive rigidity and deep anxiety about the future, both of which weaken the psychological immunity of society in general.

The Palestinian diaspora plays a pivotal role in the battle for global awareness and conscience, through their ability to influence Western academic and media elites. These represent a key lever for changing the international narrative, transforming the Palestinian from merely a 'victim' or 'terrorist' in Zionist propaganda to a holder of historical rights with an indomitable will.

Advanced psychological warfare strategies rely on investing in symbols and collective memory, such as images of children confronting tanks and the steadfastness of prisoners. These images are etched in global consciousness and create enormous psychological accumulation, and in contrast, documenting the occupation's crimes places a heavy moral and psychological burden on Israeli society itself.

Deconstructing the founding myths of the Zionist narrative, such as 'a land without a people' and 'the moral army,' is being done today with a scientific methodology supported by documents and testimonies of historians. This deconstruction aims to strip the settlement project of its moral and historical legitimacy, a process that precedes and supports any future field or political resolution.

In conclusion, the front of consciousness remains the most decisive in the long conflict, as psychological victory is the necessary prelude to a just solution. The resistance that understands its adversary's weaknesses and intelligently employs them is the one that ultimately triumphs, not only by the power of weapons, but by the power of will and strategic patience in the battle of minds.

Psychological victory always precedes field victory; it is the ground that is prepared and the climate in which decisive action becomes possible and acceptable.

The Palestinian government team specialized in following up on the file of missing and forcibly disappeared persons in the Gaza Strip held its first meeting on Tuesday, chaired by the Minister of Justice, Counselor Sharhabil Al-Za'eem. This official step comes within the government's efforts to confront one of the most complex and urgent humanitarian and national files since the start of the comprehensive Israeli aggression on the Strip.

The Ministry of Justice affirmed in a statement that the formation of this team represents a comprehensive national commitment to uncover the fate of thousands of Palestinians whose traces have been lost. Official estimates indicate that there are more than 11,200 citizens among the missing or forcibly disappeared since October 7, 2023, a number that reflects the scale of the ongoing humanitarian tragedy.

The documented statistics with the competent authorities include more than 4,700 women and children among the lists of missing persons, which doubles the seriousness of this file. Sources explained that this number includes thousands of martyrs whose bodies are still trapped under the rubble of destroyed homes, in addition to detainees in occupation prisons whom the Israeli side refuses to disclose their places of detention or legal status.

In a related context, previous data from the Ministry of Social Development stated that about 8,100 Palestinians are still missing under the rubble or in rugged roads that were inaccessible due to the continued bombing. Civil defense crews face extreme difficulties in recovering victims due to the severe shortage of equipment and heavy machinery and the restrictions imposed on their entry into the Strip.

Minister Sharhabil Al-Za'eem stressed that this team represents the basic nucleus for establishing a permanent and specialized national body for missing persons affairs. He pointed out that knowing the fate of these citizens is an inherent right of their families that cannot be waived, emphasizing that the methodology adopted will be based on comprehensive and accurate documentation of each case individually according to international standards.

The Ministry of Justice announced the launch of a dedicated electronic platform for registering missing persons' data, aiming to unify scattered efforts and enhance the accuracy of information available to different institutions. The team will work to build a unified national database that contributes to facilitating search and investigation operations and legal claims in international forums.

The team includes representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Health, in addition to the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. Human rights and specialized trade union bodies also participate in the team's work to ensure the provision of integrated legal, psychological, and social support to the families of the missing who live in a state of constant anxiety.

Sub-committees specialized in forensic medicine, field documentation, international cooperation, and media are expected to emerge from the team. These intensive efforts come amid extremely complex field conditions and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing war, which has led to the martyrdom of tens of thousands and massive destruction of the Strip's infrastructure.

Knowing the fate of the missing is an inherent human right that does not lapse by prescription, and is guaranteed by all international conventions.

The White House clarified in official statements that US President Donald Trump has not set a specific timeframe for ending the recently announced extension of the ceasefire. The US administration indicated that the decision to extend came in response to Pakistani mediation, to give Tehran an opportunity to present a comprehensive proposal regarding ending the ongoing conflict.

Washington and Tehran had entered into a temporary truce that began on April 8 for two weeks, followed by a round of talks in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Despite diplomatic efforts made on the eleventh of the same month, the two parties did not reach a final agreement to end the state of tension.

White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt told reporters that reports of a final deadline were inaccurate, stressing that Trump is the primary decision-maker in setting timelines. Leavitt emphasized that the administration looks forward to seeing a unified and serious Iranian stance towards American proposals aimed at permanently stopping the fighting.

In a related context, Leavitt revealed in a television interview one of the basic conditions in the negotiations, which is the necessity of Iran agreeing to hand over its enriched uranium stockpile to the United States. Washington considers this step a fundamental pillar for any future agreement that guarantees the denuclearization of the region and the end of the war.

Regarding recent maritime incidents, the spokeswoman downplayed Iran's detention of two container ships, considering that this does not constitute a violation of the current ceasefire agreement. She justified this by stating that the detained ships are international and do not belong to the United States or Israel, describing Iranian movements in the Strait of Hormuz as acts of piracy and not legitimate control.

On the other hand, media sources quoted the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation as saying that the American side informed Tel Aviv that there is a deadline ending next Sunday. According to these sources, Trump seeks to achieve tangible and rapid understandings instead of engaging in long-term negotiation rounds that do not lead to immediate results.

Israeli sources expressed their doubts about the possibility of reaching an agreement by the presumed deadline, pointing to a state of ambiguity in American diplomatic behavior. These sources said that they are following the developments of American moves through social media and President Trump's personal accounts, which reflects a gap in coordination.

Amid this contradiction, a White House official told American media that the ceasefire may be extended for only three to five additional days. However, these estimates remain unconfirmed and are subject to President Trump's direct assessment and developments in the field and political situation.

For its part, Tehran responded to these developments through its president, Masoud Pezeshkian, who affirmed his country's openness to dialogue and agreements based on mutual respect. Pezeshkian criticized American policy, considering that imposing sanctions and continuous threats represent the biggest obstacle to the success of any real negotiations between the two countries.

The Iranian president accused the American administration of media deception and a clear contradiction between diplomatic statements and actions on the ground. He indicated in a tweet that the world is watching Washington's failure to abide by its previous commitments, which weakens trust in any new initiatives proposed by the United States.

The region is experiencing a state of cautious anticipation for what the next few days will bring, especially with the approaching end of the original truce period. International parties and mediators, led by Pakistan, are intensifying their efforts to bridge views and prevent a return to comprehensive military escalation.

The Iranian nuclear file and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz remain among the most complex issues on the table between Washington and Tehran. While Washington insists on strict conditions related to uranium, Tehran demands the lifting of sanctions and security guarantees that end the state of continuous threat to its vital interests.

The President has not set a deadline for receiving an Iranian proposal, and ultimately the Commander-in-Chief will determine the timeline.

The American administration is facing a new security crisis after the revelation of a high-ranking official's involvement in leaking highly sensitive data related to national security. Andrew Hogg, who heads the Nuclear and Chemical Safety branch, found himself under internal investigation after recordings surfaced documenting his disclosure of military secrets during a romantic encounter.

The story began when an undercover journalist lured the American official, recording their conversations without his knowledge during two separate meetings. According to investigative sources, Hogg appeared eager to talk, attempting to impress his companion by showcasing the extent of information he possessed due to his sensitive position.

Among the most prominent revelations was Hogg's discussion of the United States continuing to maintain stockpiles of deadly sarin gas in Maryland. These statements starkly contradict Washington's official narrative, which announced in 2023 the complete destruction of its declared chemical arsenal.

The matter did not stop there; Hogg also recounted details about the death of a female US Army chemist due to exposure to a mysterious nerve agent similar to sarin. He indicated that the chemist was not wearing adequate protective equipment at the time of the incident, raising questions about safety standards in US military facilities.

In the context of international conflicts, Hogg touched upon military operations in the region, describing the killing of children at Minab school as mere 'collateral damage.' The American official considered such incidents to be normal in the context of wars, which sparked a widespread wave of anger on social media platforms.

The recordings, which lasted for about 14 minutes, also included veiled threats against the Iranian leadership, with Hogg claiming that Washington might resort to assassinating Mojtaba Khamenei. He clarified that this option remains open if the new Supreme Leader does not change his political behavior, while simultaneously ruling out the nuclear option.

The American official then shifted his discussion to the Ukrainian file, revealing major financial corruption issues involving officials in Kyiv. Hogg claimed that some American aid designated to support the war effort was diverted to purchase luxury villas and expensive cars by Ukrainian officials.

During the meeting, Hogg offered the journalist a detailed explanation of the mechanisms for tracking and launching American nuclear missiles, in a clear breach of secrecy protocols. These dangerous technical details were mixed with flirtatious remarks and continuous attempts on his part to win over the journalist who was documenting every word.

Following the video's spread, the US Army took immediate action by placing Andrew Hogg on administrative leave and barring him from entering the Pentagon. Authorities are currently conducting a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the accuracy of the leaked information and the extent of damage that may be inflicted on national security as a result of this irresponsible chatter.

Hogg, for his part, maintained complete silence and deleted all his social media accounts, including LinkedIn. The US Department of Defense has not issued a final official statement on the incident, awaiting the results of the ongoing investigations with the suspended official.

The incident provoked angry reactions from journalists and international activists, who considered it evidence of the fragility of the American security system. Observers noted that the ease with which an official of this level could be lured reflects a significant gap in the standards for selecting and training personnel who deal with weapons of mass destruction.

Journalist Mario Novell commented on the incident, stating that Hogg spoke about state secrets on camera as if he were in a casual session, endangering the country's security. Others considered the leaks to confirm previous suspicions about the continuation of secret chemical weapons programs in the United States despite international treaties.

Activists questioned the accuracy of information regarding the corruption of Ukrainian officials, considering that the testimony of a high-ranking official like Hogg puts the American administration in an embarrassing position before taxpayers. This scandal adds to the pressure on the White House to tighten oversight of foreign aid and its disbursement mechanisms.

Andrew Hogg's case remains open to all possibilities, including charges of espionage or disclosing state secrets that could lead to years in prison. Political circles in Washington are awaiting the results of the investigation to determine if there are other leaks that did not appear in the published clips.

This man, responsible for the security of nuclear and chemical weapons, discusses all secrets on camera to impress a girl.