The Israeli occupation authorities have approved a new structural plan aimed at expanding the 'Mitzpe Jericho' settlement, which is located on Palestinian citizens' lands in the Al-Fara'a area of Jericho Governorate. The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported that this project comes within an accelerated strategy to enhance colonial control over the Jordan Valley region in the eastern West Bank.

The approved plan includes the construction of 517 new settlement units, extending over a geographical area of 1692 dunams of Palestinian land. This expansion aims to transform the settlement from a small focal point into a massive urban bloc that devours vast areas of agricultural and pastoral lands in the region.

The settlement project is not limited to residential units but also extends to include the establishment of an integrated network of infrastructure, public institutions, and operational facilities. Through this step, the occupation authorities seek to create a new geographical reality that ensures the continuity of the settlement presence and its potential for future expansion without obstacles.

Official sources warned that these plans fall under the policy of 'creeping annexation' which aims to demographically and geographically isolate the Jordan Valley region from its Palestinian surroundings. These measures also aim to prevent any possibility of natural urban expansion for Palestinians in these vital areas, which constitute the food basket of the West Bank.

In a related context, statistical data indicate an unprecedented escalation in settlement activity, with the number of settlements and outposts in the West Bank exceeding 542 locations. More than 780,000 settlers reside in these settlement entities, distributed among official settlements, pastoral outposts, and military outposts.

Reports revealed that the year 2025 alone witnessed the establishment of 59 new settlement outposts, while approximately 390 structural plans have been studied since late 2023. These figures reflect an Israeli government trend to impose final facts on the ground that prevent the establishment of a geographically contiguous Palestinian state.

On the ground, a Palestinian young man was injured by Israeli occupation army bullets on Thursday evening during a large-scale incursion into the city of Al-Bireh in the central West Bank. Local sources reported that violent confrontations erupted in the city's neighborhoods after the entry of Israeli forces, leading to the young man's injury and his transfer for treatment.

In occupied Jerusalem, groups of settlers carried out attacks targeting citizens' property at the entrance to the town of Mikhmas, northeast of the city. The settlers threw stones at passing Palestinian vehicles, causing material damage to several of them and creating a state of panic among the passengers.

These attacks come under the direct protection of the occupation army, which provides cover for settlers to carry out their attacks in rural and desert areas. The Jerusalem Governorate confirmed that these attacks have significantly increased recently, targeting bypass roads and main entrances to Palestinian towns.

The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission called on the international community to urgently intervene to stop this settlement escalation that violates international laws. The commission stressed that international silence encourages the occupation to proceed with seizing more land and displacing indigenous residents from their areas.

The West Bank has been experiencing a state of severe tension for several months, with military incursions coinciding with an escalation of organized settler attacks. Settlement outposts often turn into launching points for attacks on neighboring Palestinian villages and towns under the watchful eyes of the occupation forces.

Observers confirm that the intensification of settlement projects in the Jordan Valley primarily aims to control water resources and fertile lands. This area is one of the most targeted areas for demolition and forced displacement, in an attempt to empty it of Palestinian presence in favor of the urban expansion of settlements.

The new settlement plan aims to transform the colony into an integrated colonial bloc capable of future expansion in the Jordan Valley region.

The Israeli occupation army committed a new massacre late on Thursday-Friday night, when a drone targeted a security checkpoint in the Mawasi Khan Yunis area, south of the Gaza Strip. Medical sources at Nasser Hospital confirmed the arrival of the bodies of three martyrs and a number of wounded as a result of this direct targeting, which comes amid continuous escalation affecting areas crowded with displaced persons.

In a related context, civil defense crews reported that they dealt with a large fire that broke out in the tents of displaced persons in the Mawasi Al-Qarara area, affiliated with Khan Yunis, following an Israeli airstrike that targeted the area. The fires caused a state of panic among displaced families who lack the most basic safety requirements, at a time when the war machine continues to target shelters and areas previously classified as safe.

The field in the central sector was not spared from the aggression, as field sources reported that an Israeli raid targeted the immediate vicinity of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. This shelling came shortly after the area was evacuated of residents, indicating the occupation's insistence on destroying infrastructure and vital facilities surrounding the remaining medical institutions in service.

These bloody developments come on the second day of the blessed Eid al-Adha, to deepen the wounds of Palestinians after a first day witnessed intense raids on Gaza City that resulted in the death of 10 martyrs, including women and children. These attacks reveal serious violations of the ceasefire agreement in effect since October 2025, which places the international community before its responsibilities regarding the continuation of the war of extermination in various forms.

On the political front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked a new wave of anger by announcing that he had issued instructions to the army to expand the area of field control to include 70% of the Gaza Strip. This announcement represents a clear challenge to existing agreements, and confirms the occupation's intention to impose a new geographical and military reality that devours most of the besieged Strip's lands.

Orders were issued to the army to expand the areas it controls in the Gaza Strip to reach 70% of the total area.

A recent report by the British magazine "The Economist" highlighted the severe deterioration in the conditions of Israeli prisons since the National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, took office. The report indicated that the extremist minister openly boasts about the system of repression and starvation he imposes on detainees, using the suffering of prisoners as a platform for his Jewish Power party's election propaganda.

The magazine cited a video clip published by Ben Gvir himself, in which he is seen mocking activists from the Freedom Flotilla who were arrested in international waters. The activists appeared in the video handcuffed and forced to kneel in Ashdod port, while the minister addressed them with condescending remarks, saying: "We are the masters of the land," amidst encouraging officers to continue abusing the detainees.

Although these scenes sparked a wave of international condemnation from Western governments, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reaction did not go beyond verbal reprimand. Netanyahu considered his minister's actions inconsistent with what he described as "Israel's values," but he refrained from taking any punitive action or threatening to dismiss him from his post.

The report affirmed that Ben Gvir is fully aware of Netanyahu's political need for him, which gives him a green light to overlook his extremist actions. Since Netanyahu's return to power in 2022, Ben Gvir has become a key pillar in the government coalition, having received the National Security portfolio as a reward for his political support.

Since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, Ben Gvir has initiated widespread retaliatory measures, including stripping prisoners of their most basic belongings and reducing food rations. The Israeli Supreme Court described these food portions as insufficient for the minimum requirements of human life, leading to severe emaciation among those released.

The magazine quoted the organization "Physicians for Human Rights" with shocking data indicating the death of at least 98 Palestinian prisoners during the first two years of the war. The organization attributes these deaths to severe beatings, systematic deprivation of medical treatment, and prevention of Red Cross and lawyer visits.

In a move to consolidate his control, Ben Gvir prevented legal inspections of prisons mandated by Israeli law, replacing them with tours for journalists loyal to him. The aim of these tours is to portray prisoners in humiliating situations, handcuffed for long hours under the influence of loud music intended to break their morale.

On the judicial front, the report revealed an almost complete absence of legal accountability for deaths inside prisons, as authorities opened only very limited investigations. These investigations resulted in only one indictment, reinforcing the policy of impunity enjoyed by prison service and army personnel.

The report touched upon the incident at the "Sde Teiman" camp, where five soldiers were accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee in July 2024. However, the case ended with the dismissal of the military prosecutor who initiated the file, and the charges against the implicated soldiers were later dropped.

Instead of investigating these crimes, Netanyahu chose to attack the parties that exposed them, describing the video leaks as a "blood libel" against the army. He also threatened to sue the "New York Times" after it published detailed reports of sexual assaults, even though the newspaper stood by the accuracy of its documented information.

Political data indicates that Ben Gvir will continue in his position without any real obstacles, given that Netanyahu's political future depends on the support of the far-right. This was clearly demonstrated when Netanyahu rejected an offer from the opposition to join an emergency government in exchange for Ben Gvir's dismissal, preferring to maintain his current coalition.

Even when Ben Gvir temporarily resigned in January 2025 in protest of a short truce, Netanyahu kept the National Security portfolio vacant awaiting his return. This behavior reflects the extent of Ben Gvir's influence within the Israeli government and his ability to impose his extremist agenda unchecked.

Observers believe that Netanyahu's need to win the upcoming elections outweighs any considerations related to international norms or human rights. Staying in power requires satisfying the far-right's electoral base, which views Ben Gvir's practices as necessary "firmness" towards Palestinians.

"The Economist" concluded in its report that responsibility for the serious violations in prisons lies with both Ben Gvir and Netanyahu. While the former directly practices repression, the latter provides the necessary political and legal cover for these crimes to continue away from international accountability.

Welcome to Israel, we are the masters of the land.

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, submitted his annual report on conflict-related sexual violence to the members of the Security Council, documenting a series of grave and horrific Israeli violations against Palestinians. Guterres affirmed in his report that the international organization observed recurring and systematic patterns of sexual assaults targeting Palestinian detainees within the occupation's detention and interrogation centers during 2025.

Based on the report's findings, the United Nations decided to officially include Israeli forces in the blacklist of states and entities involved in practicing sexual violence in conflict zones. This step is a significant legal and international escalation against Israeli security practices, reflecting the extent of evidence collected by UN teams regarding the nature of these crimes that targeted civilians and detainees alike.

The report included shocking details about Israeli forces and security agencies committing sexual assaults against men, women, and even children from the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. Sources clarified that these violations included cases of rape and gang rape, in addition to violent practices targeting the genitals of detainees, reflecting a deliberate policy of intimidation practiced behind bars.

The Secretary-General strongly criticized the Israeli authorities' failure to open serious and transparent investigations into these reports, indicating that the absence of accountability gives a green light for these crimes to continue. Guterres considered that the Israeli judiciary's decision to drop charges against soldiers involved in brutal assaults within the notorious 'Sde Teiman' camp directly contributes to entrenching a climate of impunity and protecting perpetrators.

In an angry reaction to this report, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the severance of its official relations with the Office of the UN Secretary-General, describing the UN move as biased against it. The ministry claimed in a statement that Guterres is using his last term in office to fabricate baseless accusations, considering the blacklisting of its entities as a purely political decision aimed at distorting its international image.

For his part, Guterres did not back down from his positions, reiterating his strict demand for Israel to immediately cease all forms of sexual and physical violence against Palestinians. He stressed the importance of allowing UN teams and bodies unrestricted access to detention centers and occupied territories to conduct independent field investigations that ensure the uncovering of facts and the prosecution of those involved in these international crimes.

Violations were not limited to regular forces but also extended to settler attacks in the West Bank, where previous human rights reports cited by the United Nations indicated that settlers resorted to methods of harassment and sexual intimidation. UN sources reported that field reports, including one prepared by the Norwegian Refugee Council, proved that Palestinian families were subjected to attacks inside their homes, exacerbating the suffering of civilians under occupation.

Israel dropping charges against soldiers involved in serious assaults in the Sde Teiman camp perpetuates a climate of impunity for sexual violence.

Federal Judge Thomas Hardiman, of the US Court of Appeals, issued a decision allowing Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to remain outside detention centers on a temporary basis. This judicial move comes as Khalil continues his legal efforts to challenge the Trump administration's actions before the Supreme Court, granting him an additional opportunity to pursue his legal case without the constraints of immediate detention.

Judge Hardiman's decision, who was appointed during the tenure of former President George W. Bush, included a stay of execution of a previous ruling by the Court of Appeals that aimed to transfer Khalil's case to the jurisdiction of immigration courts. This judicial intervention followed a legal opinion issued last Friday questioning the authority of federal court judges in New Jersey to make decisions regarding release or prevention of deportation in such cases.

The roots of the case date back to last year, when US immigration authorities arrested Mahmoud Khalil while he was pursuing his postgraduate studies at the prestigious Columbia University. The arrest came against the backdrop of his involvement in student activism and protests that swept American universities condemning the ongoing Israeli war of extermination in the Gaza Strip since 2024, which sparked widespread debate about freedom of expression.

For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio entered the crisis, considering Khalil a direct threat to US national security, despite his status as a permanent resident in the country. These statements reflect the intensity of the political stance towards Palestinian activists and human rights defenders who face strict administrative and legal measures under the current administration.

It is worth noting that Federal Judge Michael Farbiarz had ordered Khalil's release last June after he spent more than a hundred days behind bars in harsh detention conditions. Farbiarz at the time described the steps taken by federal authorities as lacking constitutional cover, emphasizing the activist's right to freedom pending the completion of the legal procedures in his case.

The actions taken by the US administration against activist Mahmoud Khalil are unconstitutional.

The Israeli occupation army escalated its aggression on southern Lebanon this Friday morning, with its aircraft carrying out a series of intense raids targeting the city of Nabatieh and the towns of Shoukin and Kfarroman. This shelling coincided with the occupation's announcement of intercepting a suspicious aerial target over areas where its forces are deployed in the south, amidst ongoing fierce field confrontations.

The Israeli occupation army command issued new warnings to the residents of Ain Qana, demanding their immediate evacuation and movement northward, a measure described by field sources as paving the way for a new wave of destruction. These orders come within the context of a systematic displacement policy that has affected more than half of the villages in southern Lebanon, which are now either completely destroyed or devoid of their inhabitants.

Sources reported that the relative calm that prevailed for several hours from midnight yesterday until morning does not inspire confidence, but rather raises serious concerns about Israeli preparations for a broader ground operation. Observers believe that the repetition of evacuation orders in previously targeted areas, such as the city of Tyre and Palestinian refugee camps, aims to secure routes for military advancement.

The early hours of this morning witnessed intense artillery and aerial bombardment targeting the town of Debbine, in an attempt to clear the way for the encroaching ground forces. The most prominent field development is the occupation army's attempt to move from south of the Blue Line to its north, in an effort to expand the scope of geographical control within Lebanese territory.

Satellite images circulated by local entities in Nabatieh showed Israeli military vehicles stationed at the outskirts of the town of Yahmar and around its main entrances. This positioning indicates the occupation's success in moving its forces from the eastern Zawtar axis towards Yahmar, reinforcing the hypothesis of ground expansion in the central sector.

Field reports indicated that the occupation army made direct contact with residents of villages in the Marjayoun district, accompanied by maps defining red lines that must not be crossed at the borders of the town of Debbine. These movements aim to isolate villages from each other and facilitate the advance towards the strategic town of Blat, which overlooks vast areas.

The town of Ain Qana acquires paramount military importance due to its geographical location overlooking the towns of Arabsalim, Jbaa, Sajed, and the heights of Rihan. Military experts believe that controlling these heights gives the occupation a significant fire advantage and field surveillance of the surrounding areas, which explains the insistence on evacuating its residents.

On the other hand, Hezbollah announced in successive statements the targeting of gatherings of occupation soldiers and their vehicles in the axes of advance, confirming direct hits. The resistance uses drones and guided missiles in its operations to obstruct the Israeli incursion, which has reached in some points up to 10 kilometers inside the borders.

These field developments come at a time when official data indicate that the number of martyrs has exceeded 3269 people, and about 9840 others have been injured since the beginning of the aggression. The continuous shelling and ground operations have also led to the displacement of more than one million Lebanese, most of whom live in extremely difficult humanitarian conditions in shelters.

Politically, Israel continues its strategy of dividing southern Lebanon into military operation zones extending to the Litani and Awali rivers, with the aim of imposing a new field reality before any settlement. Negotiations are currently underway under American patronage, amidst Israeli insistence on achieving security conditions that guarantee the withdrawal of resistance weapons from the border area.

The repetition and expansion of evacuation orders reflect the Israeli army's continued attempts to expand its operations north of the Blue Line, pushing more residents towards forced displacement.

Israeli occupation forces continued to escalate their military operations in the Gaza Strip, launching a series of intense aerial raids and artillery shelling targeting various areas. Field sources reported that a Palestinian citizen was injured by occupation bullets in the town of Al-Zawiya, located in the central part of the Strip, this Friday morning, as part of the direct targeting of civilians.

In another incident, Israeli military vehicles fired their machine guns at citizens on the vital Salah al-Din Street, specifically near the Gaza Valley bridge. This targeting resulted in a second injury among Palestinians, reflecting the severe security tension imposed by the occupation on major movement axes.

On the ground in the southern part of the Strip, sources stated that occupation artillery shelled the eastern areas of Khan Yunis city with several projectiles, causing panic among residents. This shelling coincided with intense and prolonged flights of Israeli drones that did not leave the Strip's skies, signaling more imminent attacks.

Gaza City experienced a harsh night, as occupation aircraft carried out violent raids targeting Al-Shati camp west of the city, leading to the complete destruction of a residential block, leveling it to the ground. The aerial raids also targeted residential homes in Deir al-Balah city, causing massive destruction to infrastructure and private property of citizens.

The tents of displaced persons in the southern areas were not spared from the Israeli war machine, as aircraft launched a raid targeting tent gatherings crowded with thousands of displaced families. This raid resulted in the destruction of large parts of temporary shelters, exacerbating the suffering of displaced persons who are now homeless, without shelter to protect them from fluctuating weather conditions.

These continuous violations and night attacks have led to new and forced waves of displacement for Palestinians trying to escape imminent death. Displaced families face extreme difficulties in finding safe places, in light of the lack of alternative tents or shelters that can accommodate the increasing numbers of displaced persons.

The occupation imposes strict geographical restrictions by expanding what is called the 'Yellow Line,' which has practically led to the confiscation of more than 60% of the total area of the Gaza Strip. This spatial constriction crowds more than two million people into very narrow areas that lack the minimum necessities for a dignified life and are filled with waste and rubble.

These developments come amidst a catastrophic humanitarian reality experienced by the residents of the Strip, as the occupation continues to destroy basic living conditions through the systematic targeting of homes and tents. Options for civilians remain very limited with the continued siege and closure of all crossings that could provide them with protection or urgent relief.

The Israeli occupation has confiscated more than 60% of the Gaza Strip, where more than two million Palestinians live, amidst a pile-up of rubble and waste.

The Israeli occupation army announced today, Friday, the assassination of Imad Hassan Hussein Aslim, who holds the position of deputy commander of the Gaza City Brigade and commander of the Al-Zaytoun Battalion affiliated with the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The military statement clarified that the operation was carried out last Wednesday in cooperation with the General Security Service (Shin Bet), targeting one of the most prominent field commanders in the military wing of the Hamas movement.

The occupation's statement claimed that the martyr Aslim was responsible for leading the infiltration operations carried out by the battalion's fighters inside the settlements during the October 7, 2023 attack. The army also claimed that the targeted leader supervised dozens of military plans that targeted Israeli forces infiltrating the Gaza Strip in recent months, describing him as an 'immediate threat'.

The occupation army indicated that the air attack that targeted Aslim also hit another field commander in the Hamas movement, but the results related to the second individual are still under examination and scrutiny. In contrast, no official comment has been issued by the Hamas movement or its military wing regarding the details of this operation until the moment of preparing the news.

In Gaza City, hundreds of Palestinians mourned the body of the martyr Imad Aslim amidst a state of anger and condemnation of the ongoing occupation crimes. The mourners raised slogans emphasizing the continuation of resistance, considering that assassinations will not weaken the Palestinian people or end the presence of military formations in the Strip.

On the ground, nine Palestinians were injured since dawn today, Friday, as a result of a series of scattered Israeli attacks that targeted several areas in the Gaza Strip. Medical sources reported that the injured arrived at hospitals, where their injuries ranged from moderate to serious due to shelling and direct gunfire by occupation forces.

In detail of the attacks, a Palestinian woman was shot by occupation forces near the entrance to the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Strip. Local sources also confirmed the injury of another citizen by sniper fire from occupation snipers stationed near the Wadi Gaza bridge, amidst suspicious military movements of Israeli vehicles in that area.

Salah al-Din Street in the central Gaza Strip witnessed a limited incursion by occupation army vehicles that fired their heavy machine guns at citizens and their homes. This incursion coincided with artillery shelling that targeted the courtyard of a house in 'Block 9' in Al-Bureij camp, causing panic without any human casualties at that location.

At dawn today, an Israeli helicopter targeted commercial warehouses located below the 'Harz' residential building near Al-Yarmouk Stadium in the heart of Gaza City. The raid resulted in the injury of seven citizens with varying injuries, who were subsequently transferred to Al-Shifa Medical Complex to receive necessary treatment due to shrapnel and flying debris.

For its part, the Civil Defense Directorate in Gaza announced that its crews rushed to the site of the raid in the vicinity of Al-Yarmouk Stadium to control a massive fire that broke out in the targeted warehouses. The teams managed to extinguish the fire and prevent its spread to adjacent residential apartments in the building, which was partially damaged by the aerial bombardment.

At sea, Israeli warships continued their violations by firing shells and bullets at fishing boats off the coast of Gaza City. Local sources stated that the shooting aimed to force fishermen to retreat towards the shore and prevent them from carrying out their work, exacerbating the living suffering of the Strip's residents.

On the ground, Israeli artillery heavily shelled the eastern areas of Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City. The artillery shelling was accompanied by intense gunfire from military vehicles stationed behind the security fence, causing material damage to citizens' property without recording new injuries in that area.

These field developments come in the context of repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10, 2025. According to Ministry of Health data, these violations since the signing of the agreement until yesterday have led to the martyrdom of 922 Palestinians and the injury of more than 2,700 others.

It is worth noting that the ceasefire agreement came after a long period of comprehensive aggression and the war of extermination launched by Israel with American support since October 2023. That war left massive destruction affecting about 90% of the infrastructure in the Strip, turning it into an uninhabitable area due to a severe shortage of basic resources.

Official statistics indicate that the total number of victims of the Israeli aggression since its beginning has exceeded 72,000 martyrs and more than 172,000 injured. Despite reaching truce agreements, the field reality indicates the continuation of systematic targeting of Palestinian military and civilian personnel in various governorates of the Gaza Strip.

The occupation claims that the martyr Imad Aslim led infiltration operations on October 7 and posed an immediate threat to its forces through intensive military plans.

Thousands of Palestinian worshippers performed the blessed Eid al-Adha prayer this morning over the ruins of homes and mosques destroyed by the war machine in the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. Worshippers lined up in streets completely leveled to the ground, trying to revive their religious rituals and spread a spirit of joy despite the immense destruction surrounding them, in a scene that embodies the determination of Gazans to cling to life and show steadfastness in the face of continuous aggression.

These spiritual atmospheres came laden with pain and field dangers, as the eve of Eid witnessed a violent military escalation by the occupation's aircraft. Medical sources reported an increase in the number of martyrs from the raid that targeted the Al-Rimal neighborhood west of Gaza City to 6 martyrs, including a woman, after rescue teams were able to retrieve additional bodies from under the rubble of the targeted residential buildings.

On the ground, ambulance and emergency teams rushed to the sites affected by the intense aerial bombardment, where more than twenty injured people were transferred to Al-Shifa Medical Complex for treatment. Field sources confirmed that medical staff are working under immense pressure to provide urgent first aid to critical cases that arrived at the emergency departments, amid a severe shortage of essential medical supplies.

Warplanes carried out a series of intense fire belts that focused on densely populated areas and the vicinity of civilian landmarks in the Al-Rimal neighborhood, leading to widespread destruction of infrastructure and adjacent buildings. Civil defense teams face enormous challenges in reaching those trapped under the rubble due to continuous intense overflights and difficulty moving in streets blocked by piles of rubble.

In a related political and military context, a joint statement was issued by the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his security minister, Israel Katz, in which they claimed to have carried out a direct attack targeting Muhammad Awda. The statement claimed that Awda is the new general commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, which places the field situation in the Strip before open possibilities for escalation during the Eid days.

Performing prayers over the rubble is a profound message that reflects the determination of the people of the Strip to live and rejoice with what remains of their resolve and field steadfastness.

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) mourned the prominent leader of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Muhammad Odeh, who was martyred along with his wife and two children. This came after an airstrike carried out by Israeli occupation aircraft on Tuesday evening, targeting a residential building in Gaza City, which led to the destruction of large parts of the site and the martyrdom of those within it.

The movement described in an official statement leader Odeh, nicknamed 'Abu Amro', as one of the pillars of the first generation that founded jihadi and military action in Palestine. It affirmed that his struggle extended for more than three decades, witnessing pivotal stations in the history of the resistance leading up to the 'Al-Aqsa Flood' battle, in which he played a prominent role.

Hamas stressed that the assassination operation represents a blatant violation of all international norms and laws, describing it as a desperate attempt to break the will of steadfastness of the Palestinian people. It indicated that Odeh lived for many years as a fugitive and wanted by the occupation, and remained steadfast in his positions until he achieved the martyrdom he sought.

In a related context, Gaza City witnessed solemn funeral processions for the martyr Odeh and his family members, with the procession setting off from Al-Ma'madani Hospital towards the Eastern Cemetery. Large crowds of citizens participated in the funeral, chanting angry slogans emphasizing adherence to the option of resistance and loyalty to the blood of the martyrs who fell in the fields of defending the land.

During the burial ceremonies, speakers delivered eulogies emphasizing that the path to Jerusalem and liberation is paved with immense sacrifices and pure blood. Gunshots were heard in the air in tribute to the spirit of the Qassam leader, while participants raised Palestinian flags and resistance banners, affirming that the battle for liberation continues despite the policy of assassinations.

For its part, the Israeli occupation army admitted to carrying out the operation, claiming that Odeh was one of the main planners of the October 7, 2023 attack. Israeli military sources claimed that the targeting came after precise intelligence tracking that lasted for several months, describing him as one of the last senior leaders who oversaw strategic military operations.

This assassination comes less than two weeks after the martyrdom of the commander-in-chief of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, in a similar raid that targeted Gaza City. These operations raise major questions about the fate of the ceasefire agreement in effect since last October, amid the escalating pace of direct Israeli targeting of field and political leaders.

Official sources in Gaza reported that the occupation has committed more than 3,000 violations of the ceasefire agreement since its entry into force, leading to the fall of hundreds of martyrs and injured. Reports clarified that these violations are not limited to aerial bombardment, but also include tightening the siege and preventing the access of essential medical and food supplies to the besieged population.

In a recent statistic, the Gaza government revealed that the number of martyrs since the agreement came into effect has reached 910 Palestinians, while thousands have been injured to varying degrees. It indicated that Israel deliberately obstructs the entry of aid trucks, having allowed only one-third of the internationally agreed quantities to pass, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the sector to an unprecedented extent.

The blood of leader Muhammad Odeh and his family, and all the martyrs from the leaders and the steadfast people, will not be in vain and will remain fuel that ignites the strength in the Palestinian people to continue the struggle.

For the third consecutive year, and amidst a devastating war and humanitarian repercussions described as the harshest in modern history, thousands of Palestinians spread out on the ground in 'Saraya' Square in the center of Gaza City to perform the Eid al-Adha prayer. Signs of exhaustion were evident on the faces of the worshippers, who lacked the usual expressions of joy, and new clothes were absent, replaced by garments worn out by prolonged displacement.

Field sources reported that performing the prayer in public squares was an attempt by the people of Gaza to preserve what remained of life's details and adhere to religious rituals despite the continuous shelling. A woman who participated in the prayer affirmed that Eid remains an important occasion despite the great pain that grips hearts, noting that Gazans are trying to snatch joy for their children amidst the rubble of destroyed homes.

No sooner had the prayer ceremonies and brief exchanges of greetings among the worshippers ended, than the scene quickly turned into farewell and funeral squares. Crowds began the burial ceremonies for martyrs who fell in a bloody Israeli raid targeting the Al-Rimal neighborhood west of the city, transforming the Eid atmosphere into a solemn national mourning that overshadowed the alleys of the exhausted Strip.

Local sources stated that the Israeli shelling that targeted a residential building in the Al-Rimal neighborhood on Tuesday evening resulted in the martyrdom of Al-Qassam Brigades leader Mohammed Ouda. The targeting was not limited to him alone but also led to the death of his wife and two of his children, in a new crime added to the record of direct targeting of civilians and their families.

In the harsh moments of farewell, cries of sorrow and painful questions rose among the mourners who questioned the usefulness of Eid amidst this flowing blood. Instead of families visiting relatives and exchanging greetings, delegations headed in funeral processions towards cemeteries to bury their loved ones, in a paradox that embodies the reality of Gaza where death and life walk side by side.

Official statistics indicate that the ongoing Israeli war on the Strip has resulted in more than 72,000 martyrs and about 172,000 injured so far. These alarming figures reflect the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe experienced by Palestinians, amidst international silence and an inability to stop the killing machine that does not differentiate between a child and a fighter.

Regarding infrastructure, the destruction rate in the Gaza Strip has reached nearly 90%, with entire neighborhoods turned into hills of rubble and debris. Despite repeated talks about ceasefire understandings since last October, Israeli attacks continue at a high pace, targeting shelters and densely populated residential areas.

The scene of the Eid prayer in Saraya Square remains a testament to the will to survive of the Palestinian people, who refuse to be broken despite all circumstances. While planes flew in the sky, the voices of the worshippers chanted 'Allahu Akbar' for Eid, sending a clear message that the hope for liberation and a dignified life is still alive in the hearts of young and old alike.

Whose Eid is this? We move directly from the Eid sermon and the prayer of joy to the funeral prayer and bidding farewell to loved ones.

The United Nations Human Rights Office has issued strong warnings regarding the practices of the Israeli occupation army in the Gaza Strip, describing systematic killings near the armistice line as amounting to war crimes. Reports clarified that the direct targeting of Palestinian civilians is concentrated near what is known as the 'Yellow Line,' a demarcation line established after the US-sponsored ceasefire in October 2025.

Exclusive data shared by the international organization with journalistic sources revealed that nearly a third of the Palestinian victims who have fallen since the truce began were killed in areas adjacent to the demarcation line. These figures reflect the extent of ongoing violations of the agreement, with the UN documenting 453 confirmed targeting incidents from the signing of the agreement until February 5th.

According to detailed statistics, 152 Palestinians were martyred in the vicinity of the 'Yellow Line' alone, including 102 men, 15 women, and 35 children of both sexes. This data confirms that the occupation's fire does not distinguish between age groups but targets anyone approaching areas classified by the army as a security zone, despite them being inhabited Palestinian lands.

For his part, Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office in the occupied territories, stated that field information raises serious concerns about the Israeli occupation army's rules of engagement. Sunghay pointed out that soldiers fire live ammunition at civilians merely for being near the Yellow Line, emphasizing that the victims were carrying out their normal daily activities and posed no significant military threat.

On the ground, reports observed the occupation army's gradual 'nibbling' of Palestinian lands by placing massive concrete blocks to demarcate new borders. These borders are constantly moving deeper into areas managed by the local administration in Gaza, which has led to a reduction in available space for residents and confined them to a narrow coastal strip that does not meet the minimum requirements for life.

Updated field maps indicate that the occupation's military influence has expanded to include nearly two-thirds of the Gaza Strip under the pretext of establishing 'buffer zones.' The occupation aims with this policy to isolate population centers and turn them into besieged enclaves, which Israeli officials describe as security measures to deter attacks, while international law views it as forced displacement and disguised occupation.

In a related context, the US-brokered ceasefire failed to put an end to political and military assassinations, as the occupation continued to repeatedly violate the truce. Occupation forces carried out assassination operations targeting two resistance leaders in the past two weeks, putting the fragile agreement on the verge of total collapse in the absence of international guarantees.

Data from health authorities in Gaza indicates that the total number of martyrs since the signing of the October agreement has reached approximately 900 as a result of scattered raids and sniping operations. In contrast, the occupation army admitted to the killing of only four of its soldiers during the same period, which shows the vast difference in the scale of human losses and the extent of the occupation's military might against unarmed civilians.

Residents of the Gaza Strip, especially those displaced in camps and destroyed homes, live in a state of constant terror for fear of being considered legitimate targets by the occupation as a result of the continuous geographical expansion of buffer zones. Human rights advocates call for urgent international intervention to stop the policy of spatial expansion practiced by the occupation, which aims to change the demographic and geographical reality of the Strip under the guise of the truce.

The information raises serious concerns that the occupation army is shooting and killing civilians merely for being near the Yellow Line, without posing any real danger.

The Israeli occupation army issued urgent and comprehensive warnings to all residents of areas located in South Lebanon, demanding them to evacuate their homes and immediately head north of the Zahrani River towards the city of Sidon. An official statement from the occupation declared that all lands and areas located south of this river are now legally and militarily classified as an active 'combat zone,' signaling a new phase of field escalation.

These orders coincided with leaks from within the political establishment in Tel Aviv, confirming intensive consultations between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Yoav Gallant. These deliberations concluded on the necessity of discussing the expansion of ground and air military operations deep inside Lebanese territory, beyond the lines drawn in recent weeks.

Field sources reported that these directives caused a state of shock and extreme concern among local residents, with observers considering it an attempt at widespread forced displacement. These orders aim to empty approximately 307 southern towns and villages of their inhabitants, transforming the border area and the southern interior into an open confrontation zone devoid of civilians.

On-the-ground data indicates that the occupation has already begun moving its military machinery in multiple axes north of the 'Blue Line,' a step reflecting a desire to impose a new geographical reality. These movements raise urgent questions about the ability of thousands of displaced people to find safe shelter amidst increasing military pressure and continuous shelling targeting supply routes and displacement paths.

Amidst this accelerating deterioration, the Lebanese public awaits a decisive official stance from the Lebanese government, which has not issued a statement commensurate with the magnitude of the recent threats. However, sources revealed that a delegation of Lebanese army officers is heading to Washington to participate in a security meeting at the Pentagon, aimed at discussing serious security developments and ways to deal with the Israeli escalation.

Analysts believe that the recent Israeli orders represent an explicit declaration of the return of comprehensive war on Lebanon, supported by what appears to be a green light from the US administration to bypass previous understandings. It seems that the occupation seeks to expand the so-called 'security zone' to include wider areas in the South and Beqaa, exploiting current regional and international circumstances to impose its conditions.

Reports indicate that the occupation authorities do not pay much attention to the ongoing negotiation tracks, but rather focus their efforts on achieving tangible military gains on the ground. This strategy aims to pressure the Lebanese government through the weapon of mass displacement and the destruction of infrastructure in southern cities and villages to turn them into uninhabitable ruins.

Residents of South Lebanon face immense humanitarian challenges, as they are forced to leave their possessions and history behind under the direct threat of death. Villages that were once vibrant are turning into deserted areas, while fears are growing that these military operations may be prolonged and turn into a permanent occupation of some border areas.

On the ground, Israeli aircraft and artillery continue to target various locations in the South, complicating evacuation operations and making civilian movement a deadly risk. Local sources confirm that the shelling is no longer limited to presumed military targets, but now includes the vicinity of shelters and main roads used by displaced people heading north.

This new escalation places the international community before its responsibilities to stop the bloodshed and prevent South Lebanon from becoming a second Gaza in terms of the scale of destruction and displacement. With the occupation continuing to ignore international warnings, the scene remains open to all possibilities, including the outbreak of a wider regional confrontation that transcends Lebanese borders.

Israeli evacuation orders reveal intentions that go beyond stated goals to include the displacement of residents of over 300 southern towns.

Informed sources revealed that the "Peace Council" established by US President Donald Trump to oversee the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is facing a severe funding crisis, as its special fund remains completely empty. Despite massive financial promises estimated at billions of dollars, the fund managed by the World Bank has not received any actual amounts to date.

This council was established last January as part of the American initiative that led to the ceasefire agreement between the Israeli occupation authorities and Hamas. The primary goal of its establishment was to take over the tasks of overseeing the cessation of fighting and initiating reconstruction operations in the devastated sector due to the war.

The council's ambitions later evolved to include intervention in various international conflicts, which raised a series of concerns among global diplomatic circles. Observers believe that this expansion could transform the council into a parallel entity to the United Nations, thereby weakening the role of traditional international institutions in conflict resolution.

Sources explained that the absence of funding in the World Bank fund is due to not reaching the reconstruction and development phase stipulated in the ceasefire agreement. The international community and donors are conditioning the payment of funds on achieving real field stability and initiating actual steps towards construction, which has not yet happened.

On the ground, military operations are still ongoing in the Gaza Strip despite the announcement of a ceasefire, with Ministry of Health data indicating hundreds of martyrs since the agreement. Reports confirm that the pace of violence has not completely stopped, which hinders any international efforts to begin restoring the dilapidated infrastructure.

The Israeli occupation forces impose their control over more than 60 percent of the sector's area, including all land crossings and entry and exit points. This tight siege confines residents to narrow coastal areas, making the process of bringing in building materials and equipment necessary for reconstruction almost impossible at present.

In a related context, international press reports indicated that the council, personally headed by Trump, relies on alternative funding channels away from usual international oversight. Some funds have been directed to special accounts at "J.P. Morgan" bank, which raises questions about the transparency standards followed in managing these resources.

For its part, the Peace Council defended its position via social media platforms, considering that the World Bank fund is merely one of multiple funding mechanisms. The council affirmed that it receives support through other channels whose nature it did not specify, noting that donors have not yet used the official fund pending political developments.

On the diplomatic front, major European powers, led by France and Britain, distanced themselves from joining this controversial council. The council's composition is currently limited to Washington's traditional allies in the region and some countries seeking to strengthen their relations with the Trump administration through financial commitment.

Trump had pledged a US contribution of ten billion dollars, while Arab countries made promises of additional billions to support stabilization efforts. Under the council's internal charter, obtaining a permanent seat requires paying a hefty financial fee, which reflects the commercial and political nature that dominates this initiative.

Not a single dollar has been deposited into the fund designated for the reconstruction and development phase, which has not yet been reached.

Israeli occupation forces committed a new massacre in the heart of Gaza City, with medical and field sources reporting at least five martyrs and approximately 18 others wounded with varying injuries. The airstrike targeted a residential building on the crowded Omar Al-Mukhtar Street, causing widespread destruction in the surrounding area and transferring the victims to nearby hospitals under difficult conditions.

For its part, the Israeli occupation army claimed that its air operations targeted 'two prominent elements' in the Hamas movement in the northern Gaza Strip, without officially disclosing their identities in its initial statement. However, Hebrew media outlets, including the 'Walla' website and 'Yedioth Ahronoth' newspaper, confirmed that the goal of the raid was to eliminate the commander of the 'Northern Brigade' and the deputy commander of the 'Gaza Brigade' in the Al-Qassam Brigades.

In a related context, the Hamas movement and its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, mourned the senior leader Muhammad Ali Khalil Odeh, known by the nickname 'Abu Amr', who was martyred on Tuesday evening. The movement clarified that Odeh was martyred along with his wife and two of his children as a result of a raid that targeted a residential building in the Rimal neighborhood west of Gaza City, describing him as one of the pillars of resistant military action.

In an official statement, the Al-Qassam Brigades revealed the leadership status of the martyr Odeh, describing him as the 'commander of the Brigades' General Staff', noting that he was one of the first generation who laid the basic foundations for jihadist work. The statement confirmed that Odeh was a companion of great leaders and preferred to work away from the spotlight for decades, contributing to the planning and preparation of qualitative operations.

Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza City participated in the funeral procession of the martyr Odeh and his family members, with the procession starting from Al-Nour Mosque in the Rimal neighborhood to the Baptist Cemetery. The mourners raised Palestinian flags and resistance banners, amidst chants condemning the occupation's crimes and demanding a response to the continuous assassinations targeting national and military symbols.

Israeli intelligence reports indicate that the martyr Muhammad Odeh had assumed sensitive leadership roles succeeding the martyr Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was assassinated in mid-May. Hebrew sources claim that Odeh previously held the position of head of military intelligence in Al-Qassam, which made him a primary target for the occupation's security agencies during the past period.

These field developments come in light of a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025, which portends a return to comprehensive escalation in the Strip. Observers believe that the continuation of the assassination policy and the targeting of inhabited homes reflects the occupation's desire to undermine any state of relative stability and increase pressure on the popular base of the resistance.

On the humanitarian front, the death toll continues to rise since the start of the aggression in October 2023, with medical sources documenting the martyrdom of more than 72,000 Palestinians and the injury of over 172,000 others. The health system in Gaza faces enormous challenges in dealing with new injuries amid a lack of resources and the continuous siege imposed by the occupation on all aspects of life.

The martyred leader Muhammad Odeh was one of the founding first generation, and he had clear imprints in all stages of military action leading up to Al-Aqsa Flood.

The Lebanese Hezbollah announced the execution of 30 diverse military operations on Wednesday, targeting gatherings, vehicles, and soldiers of the Israeli occupation army. The operations were heavily concentrated in the town of Zawtar Al Sharqiyah in the Nabatieh Governorate, where fighters carried out 17 attacks in that area alone to counter Israeli infiltration attempts.

Field sources reported that Hezbollah used advanced missiles and 'Ababil' suicide drones in its attacks, in addition to artillery shells. The targets included the destruction and disabling of 6 Merkava tanks in the vicinity of Zawtar Al Sharqiyah, with fires seen erupting in some of them during evacuation attempts.

In a significant development, Hezbollah targeted an Iron Dome platform at the 'Jal Al-Alam' site in northern occupied Palestine twice consecutively using suicide drones, confirming direct hits. These attacks come as part of Hezbollah's efforts to disrupt Israeli air defense systems attempting to intercept its missiles and drones.

Zawtar Al Sharqiyah witnessed fierce clashes at 'zero range' between Hezbollah fighters and occupation forces at the cultural complex, forcing the Israeli force to retreat. Following the withdrawal, occupation aircraft carried out intense fire belts in the area to cover the retreat of its soldiers and secure alternative routes.

For its part, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation revealed that a number of security guards in one of the Galilee settlements were injured as a result of an attack by an explosive drone. Sources explained that the attack used a dual tactic by first targeting soldiers, then attacking the evacuation and security teams that rushed to the scene.

Hebrew reports indicated that the situation in the northern towns has become more complex with the continuation of Hezbollah's qualitative attacks. They confirmed that Hezbollah is now using sophisticated tactics aimed at inflicting the greatest possible losses on forces attempting to entrench themselves in border areas.

In a related context, the occupation army issued urgent warnings to residents of southern Lebanon, considering the areas south of the Zahrani River a dangerous 'combat zone'. This river is about 40 kilometers from the border, indicating the occupation's intention to expand the scope of ground and air military operations deep into Lebanese territory.

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stated that military strikes against Hezbollah strongholds are increasing in strength and intensity day by day. Zamir claimed that the army is working to destroy Hezbollah's military infrastructure and prevent any future threats to northern settlements, despite the continued missile barrages.

Hezbollah justified this escalation as a natural response to repeated Israeli violations of ceasefire agreements and attacks on civilians. The group affirmed in its statements that its fighters are in full readiness to confront any attempt at a ground advance towards southern villages and towns.

Missile attacks also targeted newly established occupation army positions at Al-Oweida Hill, located between Kafr Kila, Al-Adaysah, and Taybeh. Suicide drones also targeted engineering vehicles and D9 bulldozers that were carrying out construction and fortification works in border areas and the Galilee.

Political observers believe that Israel is trying to achieve quick field gains through this escalation before entering into any potential political negotiations. The occupation aims to reach strategic areas such as the banks of the Litani River to impose a new military reality that serves its conditions in any future agreement.

Israeli operations also seek to pressure the popular base in the cities of Nabatieh and Tyre by intensifying air raids and fire belts. This comes amid reports of Israeli attempts to reach military facilities it describes as difficult and impervious to traditional aerial targeting.

In contrast, the resistance adopts a daily attrition strategy aimed at inflicting human and material losses on the occupation, preventing it from stabilizing in the positions it controls. Video recordings broadcast by military media show the accuracy of hits inflicted on Israeli vehicles and soldiers in the combat axes.

In conclusion, the field remains the judge in light of the failure of diplomatic efforts so far to curb the ongoing military escalation on the Lebanese front. With the occupation's insistence on continuing its operations, Hezbollah affirms its continuation of qualitative operations that target both the Israeli interior and front lines.

Our operations come in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the Israeli enemy's violation of the ceasefire and attacks on southern villages.

The catastrophe in the Gaza Strip extends beyond daily numbers and statistics, manifesting in the details of women's lives as they face unprecedented challenges to survive. In an article published by the British newspaper The Guardian, field researcher Alfat Al-Kurd recounts how simple daily tasks transform into arduous battles for survival. The writer, who lost her family and home in the Shujaiya neighborhood and was displaced six times, asserts that her story is merely a mirror of a broader reality experienced by thousands of women under the weight of the ongoing war.

Al-Kurd believes that understanding the reality of what is happening in Gaza requires listening to the voices of women who bear the burden of sustaining society amidst the destruction. The war is not limited to direct bombardment but extends to the daily ability to feed children and provide care and protection for the family. The destruction of these capabilities represents the core of attempts to undermine Palestinian society from within, making women's testimonies essential documentation for understanding the atrocities experienced.

The testimonies collected by Al-Kurd include painful stories, such as that of Safaa Al-Farmawi, who lost her fifteen-year-old daughter, Ghazal, to occupation bullets at an aid center. The girl was searching for a livelihood for her family during the famine striking Rafah and all areas of the Strip. These incidents reveal how the search for food turns into a deadly risk affecting both youth and women alike.

Regarding personal dignity, women suffer from a complete collapse of basic privacy and hygiene conditions in overcrowded displacement camps. Many are forced to use pieces of old clothing as substitutes for missing sanitary supplies, which constitutes a daily assault on the body and soul. This tragic situation reflects the depth of the humanitarian crisis, which goes beyond a mere lack of food to reach the most intimate details of female life.

The health system in Gaza faces a comprehensive collapse, making pregnancy and childbirth a perilous and deadly experience. Pregnant women lack essential medical care and nutritional supplements, leading to serious complications that threaten the lives of both mother and fetus. Breastfeeding mothers also find themselves unable to provide milk for their children due to severe malnutrition, amid the scarcity of formula milk in the markets.

These testimonies are no longer mere fleeting stories but have transformed into an organized documentation effort led by Palestinian and international academic and human rights institutions. The 'Testimonies of Women from Gaza' project, launched by the Institute of Women's Studies at Birzeit University, seeks to collect and preserve these voices as a historical archive. The project aims to highlight the language and life produced by women amidst the rubble, far from the stereotypical image of the passive victim.

Prominent human rights organizations such as Al-Haq and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights participate in this documentation process by shedding light on complex losses. These reports focus on privacy violations and the suffering of mothers who have lost their children or live under the weight of psychological collapse. Linking these individual experiences to the general human rights context contributes to building legal cases condemning the occupation's practices before the international community.

This documentation movement has extended into the digital and audio space through international initiatives such as the 'Voices from Gaza' podcast. These platforms seek to connect the testimonies of girls and women with international law and the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide. Thus, personal testimony transforms into a legal and political tool aimed at changing the global understanding of what is happening in the besieged Strip.

Sources confirm that the role of women in Gaza has shifted from traditional care to leading the daily battle for survival in tents and shelters. After the destruction of homes, women have become responsible for managing cooking, washing, and searching for water and firewood under harsh conditions. This heavy burden places women in direct confrontation with the consequences of the war, making them the last bastion for protecting the social fabric from disintegration.

Alfat Al-Kurd's article and accompanying efforts reaffirm that the voice of Palestinian women is not merely an appeal for sympathy but a means to broaden the lens of perception. War is not understood only through the number of martyrs but through the question of life that is snatched from those who remain alive. Listening to these details is the only way to grasp the magnitude of the crime being committed against humanity and dignity in the Gaza Strip.

Understanding what is happening in the Strip is not complete by viewing women as an additional category of victims, but by seeing them at the heart of the meaning of genocide.

The waters of the Arabian Gulf, specifically the Strait of Hormuz region, have witnessed a dangerous military escalation in recent hours, as sources reported American officials stating that Iranian forces launched four suicide drones targeting a US Navy warship and a commercial vessel. The sources confirmed that American defense systems successfully intercepted and destroyed all drones before they reached their targets, noting that this move came in the context of a direct threat to international navigation and forces stationed in the region.

In a swift response to the attack, US Air Force launched raids targeting a drone launch unit stationed on Iranian territory, in addition to shelling a military site that Washington described as posing a continuous threat to navigation security in the Strait of Hormuz. American officials explained that these strikes aim to neutralize the offensive capabilities used by Tehran to destabilize vital waterways, affirming their commitment to protecting global trade freedom.

On the other hand, Tehran presented a different narrative of events, as Iranian military sources reported that the naval forces of the Revolutionary Guard managed to intercept an American tanker that attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz illegally and forced it to retreat. The Iranian military source described the American shelling as a failed attempt to show force, noting that American missiles fell in desert and barren areas around the city of Bandar Abbas and did not result in any significant material or human losses.

On the ground, local residents and media in southern Iran reported hearing three powerful explosions shaking the eastern suburbs of the strategic city of Bandar Abbas, leading to a state of alert among local forces. This coincided with the activation of Iranian air defense systems for several minutes in the region's sky, amidst reports of attempts to confront hostile targets that penetrated the airspace, without an official detailed statement from the Iranian General Staff regarding the nature of those targets.

This field tension comes at a sensitive time for the region, as military friction between Washington and Tehran in the waterways is increasing, raising international concerns about the situation escalating into a full-scale confrontation. Major capitals are monitoring developments in the Strait of Hormuz, which is considered the lifeline for global energy supplies, amidst calls for restraint and avoiding escalation that could lead to the closure of the strait or disruption of oil tanker traffic.

We forced an American tanker that attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz to stop and turn back, and the US Army fired at barren lands.

Informed media sources revealed intensive diplomatic movements led by the international 'Peace Council' to enter the Gaza Strip in the coming days. This step is the first of its kind since the council's establishment at the beginning of this year under direct directives from US President Donald Trump, with the visit aiming to assess the field situation and begin implementing a new political vision for the Strip.

Reports indicated that Nikolay Mladenov, whom Trump tasked with heading the council, has submitted an official request to the Israeli army command to secure and coordinate the delegation's entry. This move comes as part of Washington's efforts to impose a new political and security reality coinciding with ongoing regional transformations, amidst anticipation of what this first field visit will yield.

In a related context, sources quoted officials in the council as emphasizing the necessity of disarming Palestinian factions in Gaza as a fundamental condition for stability. The officials pointed out that the operations targeting leaders of Hamas's military wing are classified within the council's strategic vision aimed at definitively ending armed manifestations in the Strip.

Mladenov had previously reviewed a detailed 15-point action plan aimed at implementing Trump's strategy in the region. This plan includes provisions related to restoring civil administration and forming a new security structure to ensure no return to military confrontations, with a focus on the role of international powers in the transitional phase.

Among the most prominent features of this plan is the arrangement for deploying a multinational 'international stabilization force' in various areas of the Gaza Strip to ensure the implementation of agreements. It is expected that the current visit of the Peace Council will be followed by another visit by representatives of this international force next month to finalize deployment plans and assigned tasks.

These movements indicate the United States' desire to increase its direct involvement in the Gaza Strip issue, especially with the de-escalation of confrontation on other regional fronts. The entry of the Peace Council delegation represents an initial indicator of a new phase of American political intervention that seeks to draw a different roadmap for the future of the Strip, away from previous traditional frameworks.

The council's administration considers the elimination of Hamas's military wing leaders a fundamental pillar in the future disarmament process of the movement.

Washington Message

Washington – Said Arikat – 28/5/2026

News Analysis

As part of an escalating economic pressure campaign, the administration of US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday new sanctions on Iran, this time targeting an agency recently established by Tehran to manage navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The move, which coincides with American military operations, reveals Washington's strategy of combining military force and economic strangulation to compel the Iranian leadership to end the war and open the vital waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas trade passes. While Trump hints at an imminent agreement, on-the-ground realities confirm that the path to a settlement remains fraught with escalation and ambiguity.

In parallel with the sanctions, the US military launched new strikes targeting an Iranian military facility, during which it shot down four offensive drones and bombed a ground control station in the coastal city of Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch a fifth aircraft, according to the Pentagon's claim. A US official described these operations as "measured and purely defensive, aimed at maintaining the ceasefire" in effect since early April 8. However, the Iranian narrative presented a completely opposite picture; Tasnim news agency reported that the Revolutionary Guard fired at an American oil tanker attempting to cross the strait, forcing it to retreat, and asserting that the American strikes hit open areas without losses, in an attempt to absorb the attack media-wise and avoid showing incapacity.

Amidst this volatile scene, a report by Iranian state television about a preliminary peace agreement sparked a wave of speculation that was quickly extinguished by the White House, which described it as "pure fabrication." President Trump, during a cabinet meeting, expressed openness to long-term negotiations, saying of Iranian officials: "They thought they would outlast me, or my eagerness to end the war before the midterm elections... I don't care about the midterm elections." The statement reflects a double bet: while Trump pushes militarily to weaken Iran's negotiating cards, he leaves the door ajar for a settlement that may not mature for months, ignoring internal American pressures that may intensify as election deadlines approach.

However, the most dangerous aspect of this equation is not what is happening behind the scenes of negotiations, but what is unfolding in the American street itself, where the war has become a suffocating burden on citizens' pockets before it becomes a burden on the military treasury. While the administration continues its escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, gasoline prices are soaring at American gas stations, and with them, the bills for consumer goods that exhaust the middle and poor classes. This bitter reality explains why 66% of Americans oppose the continuation of this war and want to end it immediately, in a massive popular referendum ignored by an administration that seems more preoccupied with aligning itself with the desires of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu than with reading the mood of its exhausted people. It is a cruel paradox: the military adventure exported as a national necessity turns into a daily living nightmare, while the decision-maker is freed from any electoral pressure, openly admitting that he "doesn't care" about the democratic deadlines that are supposed to hold him accountable.

Upon examining the provisions of the alleged agreement, whose existence Washington denied, fundamental gaps emerge that reflect the complexity of the crisis. The draft spoke of reopening the strait for commercial navigation, a partial American naval withdrawal, and a joint Iranian-Omani administration of the waterway, but it completely overlooked two thorny issues: Iran's uranium stockpile and frozen assets. This disregard confirms that any future agreement will be incomplete and vulnerable to collapse unless it includes a comprehensive mechanism to address the legacy of nuclear and financial confrontation. In a striking contradiction, Trump warned the Sultanate of Oman against entering into joint arrangements with Tehran regarding the strait, threatening to launch an American bombing campaign, a signal that encapsulates his administration's doctrine: the strait will remain under direct American guardianship, and any sharing of control over it is a red line.

Meanwhile, another theater of war is flaring up on the Lebanese front, where the Israeli army has escalated its threats, issuing evacuation orders for two southern cities and hinting at a new wave of raids. These developments confirm a constant in this complex conflict: diplomacy may move behind the scenes, but violence on the ground does not await its results. Few in Lebanon are betting that efforts to end the major war will extend their protective umbrella to Beirut; experience shows that major settlements are often concluded over the rubble of small capitals, and that peace coming from American-Iranian negotiations may be nothing more than a fragile truce, leaving the region on the brink of a volcano ready to erupt again.

New sanctions on the Iranian navigation agency reflect Washington's "smart strangulation" strategy, moving from targeting traditional entities like the Revolutionary Guard to paralyzing Tehran's institutional capacity to manage its waterways. The idea of Iran establishing a special agency for Hormuz was an attempt to impose a sovereign fait accompli, but Washington treated it as an illegitimate extension of dominance over the global energy artery. This deliberate drying up of any Iranian ability to control the strait sends a dual message: no negotiation on freedom of navigation under threat, and no recognition of any bureaucratic arm that legitimizes its closure.

In the stark contradiction between the American and Iranian narratives regarding the Bandar Abbas strikes, more than just a media debate is read; it is a war of strategic consciousness. Washington seeks to confirm that it retains the right of deterrence even under the umbrella of a truce, while Tehran rushes to deny losses, to maintain the cohesion of its internal front and its regional prestige. But these skirmishes under the fragile ceasefire raise an existential question: how can a lasting agreement hold between two adversaries who do not even agree on the narrative of a single engagement? The continuation of this narrative schism warns that the truce is merely a period of tactical repositioning, not a basis for real peace.

Oman emerges in this scene as a mediator paying a price for the independence of its role, as embodied by Trump's public threat to bomb it if it cooperated with Tehran in the strait. This brandishing of force against a traditional ally reveals the absence of any margin for pure diplomatic maneuvering in the mind of the current US administration; everything is subject to the equation of brute force. This harsh message disrupts Muscat's efforts, which had bet on constructive neutrality to manage the crisis, and confirms that Washington views the strait not as an international passage, but as a strategic backyard where partnership is not accepted. Thus, quiet diplomacy becomes a hostage to public threats.

As for the Lebanese front, the synchronization of Israeli evacuation orders with indicators of Iranian-American negotiating progress encapsulates the great tragedy of this war: Iran may negotiate the fate of the Strait of Hormuz and its frozen assets, but its regional proxies are left to face the storms alone. Hezbollah realizes that any major deal will not necessarily be a protective umbrella for it, but may be a constraint that prevents Tehran from absolute support. This separation between the nuclear and strait tracks on the one hand, and the proxy conflict fronts on the other, indicates that the path to a comprehensive de-escalation remains disconnected, and that the coming peace will be selectively excellent, concluded for the benefit of regional powers while small arenas are left to struggle for their fate in the shadows.

The Strait of Hormuz region witnessed an unprecedented military escalation on the ground, as responsible sources announced that Iranian forces launched four suicide drones directly targeting a US Navy vessel and a commercial ship. The sources confirmed that the US military's air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed all aerial targets before they could hit the targeted ships in the strategic waterway.

In a swift response to the attack, US Air Force launched concentrated raids inside Iranian territory, targeting a unit specialized in launching drones. A US official explained that this defensive operation aims to undermine Iran's ability to carry out future attacks that threaten the safety of international navigation and forces stationed in the region.

The scope of the US targeting expanded to include an Iranian military site that Washington considered a direct threat to ship movement in the Strait of Hormuz. Sources quoted military officials saying that the raids were carried out with high precision to neutralize the risks surrounding US naval vessels traversing international waters in the Gulf.

On the Iranian side, local media reports indicated that loud explosions were heard near the coastal city of Bandar Abbas, coinciding with the brief activation of Iranian air defense systems. Despite the explosions being detected east of the city, official authorities in Tehran did not issue a detailed statement clarifying the extent of the damage or the exact nature of the affected sites.

Politically, US President Donald Trump entered the crisis with sharp statements, denying the accuracy of reports that spoke of understandings between Iran and the Sultanate of Oman to manage navigation in the Strait. Trump stressed that the United States would not allow any arrangements that place the waterway under the control of regional powers, affirming that the passage would remain open under international supervision.

Trump's statements were not without direct threats, as he hinted at military action against any party attempting to impose restrictions on ship movement, including the Sultanate of Oman, a traditional ally of Washington. This threat came in response to questions about the possibility of Washington accepting a short-term agreement that grants Muscat and Tehran control over maritime navigation.

In a related context, the US administration described leaked documents about a 'preliminary framework for understanding' mediated by Pakistan as 'completely fabricated.' These leaks had suggested the possibility of lifting restrictions on Iranian ports in exchange for US military withdrawals, which Washington denied outright, considering them attempts to mislead public opinion.

For its part, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard downplayed the possibility of a full-scale war, with Mohammad Akbarzadeh, Deputy Head of Political Affairs in the Naval Forces, stating that 'the enemy's weakness' makes the option of open confrontation unlikely. Akbarzadeh affirmed that the Iranian armed forces are in a state of maximum readiness to respond to any aggression affecting the country's sovereignty or military installations.

Despite the escalation on the ground, Trump indicated during a meeting with his administrative team that he was not in a hurry to reach an agreement with Tehran. The US president explained that the current proposals presented by international parties are unsatisfactory to US interests, expressing his confidence that military and economic pressure will force Iran to make greater concessions in the future.

These developments come amidst mutual accusations of violating fragile ceasefire agreements, with Washington accusing Tehran of continuing to plant naval mines and threaten oil tankers. In contrast, Tehran views the intensified US military presence in its vicinity as a constant provocation and a violation of international norms related to state sovereignty over their territorial waters.

The White House, for its part, did not provide additional clarifications about the identity of the parties Trump referred to in his recent threats to 'settle the matter.' This ambiguity increased the concern among international observers about the possibility of the region sliding into a comprehensive confrontation that goes beyond localized strikes, especially with the faltering diplomatic paths led by Pakistan and other parties.

In conclusion, the Strait of Hormuz remains an open arena for all possibilities, given Washington's insistence on imposing a new security reality that ensures global energy flow. With continued US airstrikes deep inside Iranian territory, world capitals await Iran's next reaction, and whether it will move towards de-escalation or towards more retaliatory operations in the waterways.

Either an agreement will be reached, or we will have to settle the matter militarily.

Benjamin Lyon, the United States Ambassador to Spain, issued a strong warning to the Madrid government regarding the need for caution in its growing relations with China. The Ambassador explained in a public address that Beijing seeks to infiltrate vital and sensitive sectors, including data, defense, and telecommunications, emphasizing that Washington is monitoring these moves with great concern to ensure these areas remain free from Chinese dominance.

Lyon, who assumed his diplomatic duties last February, expressed his country's concerns about granting government contracts to companies collaborating with the Chinese technology giant 'Huawei'. He indicated that this company represents an unacceptable security risk from Washington's perspective, considering that its presence in Spanish infrastructure could negatively affect the level of sensitive security information exchange between Madrid and the United States.

The US Ambassador stressed that China uses vital technologies as a tool for unfair trade practices and to impose economic coercion aimed at expanding its strategic influence globally. He added that these policies pose real and direct risks to global supply chains, in addition to threatening scientific research and the national security of allied countries, calling on Europe in general to protect its intellectual property and democratic values.

In contrast, Beijing continues to deny these accusations outright, having affirmed on several occasions that Washington's claims regarding espionage and unfair practices are baseless. These developments come at a time when relations between President Donald Trump's administration and the leftist Spanish government led by Pedro Sánchez are experiencing a state of coolness and escalating tension due to thorny economic and military issues.

The roots of the dispute between the two parties date back to Madrid's refusal to adhere to the commitments of NATO members to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP. The crisis was further exacerbated by the Spanish government's refusal to allow US forces to use Spanish military bases and airspace in operations related to tensions with Iran, which angered the White House.

The US President had previously hinted at the possibility of imposing economic sanctions on Spain due to its failure to respond to demands related to increasing the defense budget. Ambassador Lyon's recent statements reflect continued US pressure on European allies to adopt a tougher stance towards Chinese investments, especially amid the intense technological competition between the two superpowers.

China seeks to dominate vital technologies, and it uses them in unfair trade practices and economic coercion to expand its strategic influence.

Medical sources at Al-Shifa Medical Complex reported an increase in the number of martyrs due to the aerial raid carried out by the occupation aircraft on the residential Al-Rimal neighborhood west of Gaza City, reaching 4 martyrs, including women and children. The sources clarified that relief teams were able to retrieve the bodies from under the rubble of a residential building on Al-Wahda Street, while medical staff are still dealing with a number of critical injuries that arrived at the emergency departments.

In a significant field development, the Al-Qassam Brigades mourned Commander Mohammed Ali Khalil Odeh, known as 'Abu Amro,' who was martyred in the same raid. Local sources confirmed that the bombing directly targeted the residential apartment where Odeh was present, leading to his martyrdom along with his wife and two of his children, in an operation described as a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement in effect since October of last year.

Odeh is considered one of the founding generation of the military wing of the Hamas movement, having served as the Chief of Staff, succeeding the martyr Izz al-Din al-Haddad. This operation comes amidst a wide wave of escalation witnessed in the Gaza Strip since Tuesday morning, resulting in the martyrdom of 18 individuals in various areas, raising the total number of victims of the ongoing aggression since October 2023 to more than 72,000 martyrs.

On the ground, warplanes carried out what are known as 'fire belts' around civilian targets in Al-Rimal neighborhood, causing massive destruction to infrastructure and adjacent buildings. Civil defense teams face extreme difficulties in reaching all targeted sites due to the density of rubble and the shortage of essential equipment and medical supplies that hospitals are running out of.

Israeli reports claim that leader Mohammed Odeh succeeded Izz al-Din al-Haddad in leading Al-Qassam's staff after the latter's assassination in mid-May.

A controversial incident occurred at a graduation ceremony at the University of California, Berkeley, where the university administration withheld the diploma of a Palestinian student as an immediate disciplinary measure. This decision came after the student raised the Palestinian flag while ascending the stage, in a symbolic gesture to express his identity and solidarity with his national cause.

Field sources reported that a state of extreme tension prevailed in the ceremony hall immediately after supervisors intervened to prevent the student from completing his walk on the stage. Boos and shouts of rejection erupted from graduates and attendees who condemned the harsh treatment of the student, as officials clearly informed him that displaying or raising flags was not permitted within the confines of the ceremony hall.

The student, later identified as 'Hisham' and an activist in the Palestinian Youth Movement, was forced to hand the flag to another person next to the stage to comply with administrative orders. After this tense confrontation, he was allowed to return to receive his diploma, amidst a charged atmosphere that reflected the extent of division within American academic institutions regarding freedom of expression related to Palestine.

In subsequent statements, Hisham clarified that his motive for raising the flag was not merely a display, but a direct protest against the university's financial policies. He affirmed that the educational institution has close investment and financial ties with Israeli companies that directly contribute to funding ongoing military operations, which a wide sector of students rejects.

The Palestinian student considered that the intimidation and administrative repression he faced on stage represented a reflection of a broader policy pursued by the University of California administration. He described the incident as a microcosm of what he called the academic system's complicity with the genocide in the Gaza Strip, demanding disengagement from all companies that fuel humanitarian violations.

For its part, media outlets attempted to contact the Berkeley University administration for an official comment on the incident and the restrictions imposed on political symbols. This incident comes at a time when American universities are witnessing an unprecedented wave of student protests demanding divestment from the Israeli occupation and an end to support for the war on Gaza.

This small act of raising the Palestinian flag, and the repression that followed, is a microcosm of the university system's complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Political circles in Washington are in a state of turmoil following what were described as shocking statements made by US President Donald Trump, in which he hinted at using military force against the Sultanate of Oman. These threats came against the backdrop of Iranian reports discussing a 'memorandum of understanding' related to the management of waterways, which angered the White House and prompted the President to take a tough stance on the security of international navigation.

Informed sources confirmed that Trump's statements reflect the depth of existing disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz issue, as the US President insists on the necessity of opening the shipping lane immediately and without any restrictions. Trump expressed his displeasure with any arrangements that might grant Iran or the Sultanate of Oman joint control over the strait, emphasizing that the waters there are international and must be under direct supervision to ensure freedom of movement.

In details of his meeting with journalists at the White House, Trump said that the Sultanate of Oman is required to demonstrate what he described as 'good behavior' to ensure regional stability. He added in an escalating tone that Washington would not hesitate to resort to the 'blowing up' option if any obstruction to navigation occurred, noting that Omanis are well aware of this position and will cooperate to avoid any military confrontation.

Despite questions raised by international media about whether these statements were merely a 'slip of the tongue' intended for Iran, the US administration did not issue any official clarification. Instead, the US State Department went further by publishing the full clip of the President's statements and their verbatim text on its official platforms, without making any corrections to the threats directed at Muscat.

These developments come at a sensitive time, as the Sultanate of Oman is considered a long-standing strategic ally of the United States in the region, and has always played the role of an honest mediator in regional conflicts. This shift in American rhetoric raises questions about the future of bilateral relations, especially since the Sultanate has previously been subjected to pressure and attacks from regional parties due to its balanced positions.

Regarding the Iranian issue, the US President linked any financial breakthrough with Tehran to a radical change in its political and military behavior. Trump clarified that Washington would not release any frozen funds unless enriched uranium was fully handed over, and the Strait of Hormuz was opened under American supervision to prevent any Iranian control over the movement of commercial ships and oil tankers.

In a related context, confusion was evident in some of the President's statements, in which he mixed different international issues, referring to the destruction of the air and naval capabilities of countries in South America using descriptions he usually applied to Iran. These formulations were repeated following attacks launched by the United States and Israel on Iranian targets in late February.

For his part, Trump referred a number of technical questions related to regional agreements to his advisor, Steve Witkoff, who in turn affirmed the continuation of diplomatic pressure to expand the scope of the 'Abraham Accords'. Witkoff indicated that the administration is working hard to push influential Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to join the normalization path as part of Washington's vision for regional security.

Observers believe that Trump's insistence on rejecting joint administration of the Strait of Hormuz represents a significant escalation against international laws governing waterways. While the countries of the region seek bilateral understandings to ensure the security of their maritime borders, Washington insists on being the sole authority overseeing transit, which puts Omani and Iranian sovereignty at stake.

Finally, Gulf and international capitals are awaiting an official response from Muscat to these unprecedented threats, amid a complete silence from the White House regarding the repercussions of the President's words. The region remains open to scenarios ranging from diplomatic de-escalation to sliding into an all-out confrontation if Washington continues its direct military pressure approach.

The strait will be open to everyone, and Oman will behave well like everyone else, otherwise we will have to blow them up.

Medical and field sources reported an increase in the death toll from the aerial raid launched by the occupation aircraft, which targeted a populated residential home in the center of Gaza City. The Red Crescent Society confirmed that its teams were able to recover the bodies of 7 martyrs, including two children, after the initial toll indicated only five fatalities before the search operations under the rubble were completed.

The sources stated that the intense missile bombardment completely leveled the targeted home, causing more than 20 civilian injuries, who were subsequently transferred to field hospitals and nearby medical centers. Reports indicated that most of the injured were displaced women and children who had sought refuge in the home, and the condition of several of them was described as extremely critical due to the severity of the explosion.

In a related context, civil defense and rescue teams continue their efforts to comb the area around the destroyed home, as the bombing caused severe damage to the infrastructure and neighboring buildings in the residential area. The teams face extreme difficulties in recovery operations due to the limited available resources and the extensive destruction left by the raid, amid warnings of other missing persons under the rubble.

Regarding the overall field escalation, responsible medical sources revealed the martyrdom of 18 citizens since Tuesday morning due to a series of intense aerial raids and artillery shelling that targeted various areas of the Gaza Strip. The sources indicated that among the victims were martyrs who fell in a bombing that targeted the Rimal neighborhood west of the city, which alone resulted in the deaths of 3 martyrs and injuries to dozens with varying degrees of severity.

These tragic developments come at a time when the health system in the Strip is suffering from catastrophic deterioration and a severe shortage of essential medicines and medical consumables needed to save the lives of the injured. Hospitals warned of their inability to cope with the increasing number of complex injuries amid the continued siege and closure of crossings, which threatens to increase the number of deaths among the injured who require urgent surgical interventions.

Medical sources confirmed the martyrdom of 18 people due to a series of aerial raids and artillery shelling that targeted various areas in the Gaza Strip since Tuesday morning.

The Gaza Peace Council issued an official statement refuting claims published by the British newspaper Financial Times regarding the mechanisms for funding the sector's reconstruction plans. The Council affirmed that the information contained in the report lacks accuracy and does not reflect the true financial landscape through which current operations are managed, emphasizing that the published narrative was biased away from the facts on the ground.

The Council clarified through its official platforms that cash and funding operations are not limited to a single channel, as the newspaper attempted to promote, but rather rely on multiple mechanisms and diverse pathways to ensure the flow of funds. The Council accused the newspaper of deliberately highlighting only one subsidiary mechanism with the aim of supporting a specific viewpoint that ignores the comprehensive efforts made in this regard.

This response comes in the wake of international reports that indicated a deep gap between the volume of financial pledges announced by the international community and the amounts that actually reached the Council's accounts. According to informed sources, the fund associated with the World Bank has not yet received direct funding commensurate with the volume of international commitments, which exceeded 17 billion dollars.

The sources indicated that the financial contributions currently available are limited to operational and logistical aspects and do not cover major construction costs. These expenses include the costs of the office of the international envoy, Nikolay Mladenov, in addition to covering the salaries of the Palestinian technocratic committee and specialized training programs for new police forces in Gaza.

Reports indicate that funds for actual construction and massive infrastructure projects have not yet been injected into the field, due to ongoing setbacks in political and security tracks. The funding process faces challenges related to the desire of some donor countries to use traditional UN channels instead of direct transfers to the Council, for considerations related to oversight and transparency.

The Gaza Peace Council is the cornerstone for implementing the 'Twenty-Point Plan' proposed by US President Donald Trump at the end of 2025 to end the conflict. The plan aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire and deploy international stabilization forces, with an estimated total reconstruction budget of approximately 70 billion dollars in the long term.

The Council had previously acknowledged the existence of logistical and financial challenges represented by the gap between international promises and actual disbursement operations on the ground. The Council called on international parties to accelerate the pace of fund transfers to ensure that reconstruction plans do not remain mere ink on paper in light of the deteriorating humanitarian conditions experienced by the sector's residents.

On the ground, the Council's technical reports revealed that the extent of destruction in the Gaza Strip has reached catastrophic levels, affecting about 85% of buildings and infrastructure. The first phase of work requires the removal of approximately 70 million tons of rubble and debris, a complex process that precedes any attempt to begin the actual construction of housing and vital facilities.

Agreement on funding mechanisms and the unification of financial channels remains the biggest challenge facing regional stability and ensuring the success of the peace plan. Observers believe that resolving the funding issue is a critical matter of time, as the Council's success in its tasks is linked to its ability to transform international pledges into tangible projects that end the suffering of displaced persons and restore life to civilian facilities.

Our cash operations do not rely on a single channel as the newspaper promoted, but are managed through multiple axes to ensure continuity of work.

By: Said Arikat

May 28, 2026

News analysis

Washington, D.C-Last week, President Donald Trump declared that 95 percent of all issues with Iran had been resolved and overcome. The statement suggested that the diplomatic endgame was finally within reach—that after months of a disastrous, unwinnable war, the United States might actually secure an exit. Then, predictably, the phone rang. Benjamin Netanyahu was on the line. Within hours, the deal began its familiar death spiral, and once again the American president proved incapable of saying no to a foreign leader who has systematically hijacked U.S. foreign policy for his own political survival.

Netanyahu did not even do the dirty work himself. He simply unleashed his obedient quislings in Washington to complete the sabotage. Senator Lindsey Graham dutifully stepped forward to insist that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan must join the Abraham Accords as a condition for any peace with Iran, warning that refusal would carry "severe repercussions." Senator Tom Cotton followed with the predictable hardline denunciations, framing any diplomacy as capitulation to terrorism. The broader Israeli lobby machinery whirred into motion—op-eds appeared, television bookings were secured, donor calls were made—all coordinated to ensure that Trump understood the political price of defying Netanyahu's wishes.

The pattern is by now so established that it barely qualifies as news. Trump signals a breakthrough. Netanyahu activates his American network. Congressional allies issue threats and ultimatums. The deal collapses. Trump dutifully announces that negotiations have hit an unexpected snag, and the bombing continues. This is not alliance management between sovereign equals. This is a foreign government operating an influence machine on American soil to veto the foreign policy of the United States, and an American president who either cannot or will not resist.

The demand itself reveals the bad faith at work. After months of war that has hemorrhaged American credibility, convulsed global energy markets, and failed to achieve any of its stated military objectives, the exit ramp is blocked not by Iranian intransigence but by an Israeli prime minister who wants to use what remains of American leverage to extract diplomatic concessions that Arab states have no intention of granting. When Trump reportedly conveyed this demand to Gulf leaders, the silence that greeted him was deafening. They did not negotiate. They simply refused to respond, recognizing that Trump's demand was never truly his own. It was Netanyahu's demand, delivered by an American president reduced to the role of messenger.

Why does the President of the United States consistently defer to the Prime Minister of Israel? The cynical answer points to domestic politics: the pro-war ultraconservatives who scream appeasement at any hint of diplomacy, the donors who demand unflinching support for Israeli objectives, the evangelical base that views Middle Eastern conflict through theological lenses. Graham, Cotton, and their allies have demonstrated repeatedly that they will destroy any Republican who deviates from Netanyahu's preferred course. The political price of defiance is simply too high for a president constantly calculating his next primary challenge.

But the deeper explanation may be even simpler. Trump is being managed by a foreign leader who understands his psychological vulnerabilities with precision: his terror of appearing weak, his craving for the strongman image, his susceptibility to the argument that only continued military pressure demonstrates resolve. Netanyahu has spent decades mastering the manipulation of American politics. Trump is merely his latest and most susceptible subject. Every time the president considers ending the war, Netanyahu and his congressional enablers reframe the choice. Ending the war is surrender. Negotiation is appeasement. Diplomacy is weakness. And Trump, who has constructed his entire political identity around being the opposite of weak, folds. He announces new conditions. He authorizes more strikes. He adopts whatever position has been assigned to him.

The tragedy is compounded by the fact that Netanyahu is the biggest loser in this war, and he knows it. He launched this conflict promising to eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all. Instead, he has exposed Israel's military limitations, alienated Democratic support that took generations to build, and watched as Washington negotiates with Tehran while Israel is relegated to the sidelines. Israeli analysts are already calling whatever deal eventually emerges "Bibi's bomb"—the agreement that will allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons on his watch. The man who built his career on stopping Iran will be remembered as the leader who failed catastrophically and dragged America down with him.

So he sabotages. He cannot permit a deal because a deal would expose the bankruptcy of his strategic vision. He cannot allow the war to end in anything short of total victory because anything less is his personal political death. He cannot afford to be sidelined while Trump and the Iranians negotiate the terms of his irrelevance. And he has, at his disposal, a network of American politicians willing to do precisely what he tells them, precisely when he tells them, to ensure that no diplomatic off-ramp ever materializes.

This is abdication dressed up as alliance. The President of the United States has effectively outsourced one of the gravest decisions any leader can make—whether to continue a war or pursue peace—to a foreign leader whose interests diverge fundamentally from American interests. Netanyahu needs the war to continue because peace on any realistic terms would be his political obituary. America needs the war to end because it is achieving nothing beyond the steady erosion of American power and the enrichment of adversaries who are cataloging every American military limitation.

These interests cannot be reconciled. Yet Netanyahu's need consistently prevails over America's need. He deploys his Grahams and his Cottons, activates his lobbyists and his donors, and watches as the American president salutes and complies. The phone will ring again. The obedient voices in Congress will amplify the message. The deal will die another death. And the war will grind on, compounding American defeat with every passing day, all in service of a foreign leader who has decided—correctly, it seems—that his political survival matters more to Washington than American lives, American interests, or American honor.

Israeli occupation forces committed a new massacre today, Tuesday, targeting a gathering of civilians east of Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the martyrdom of 5 people and the injury of others. This crime comes within a series of continuous violations of the declared ceasefire agreement since October 10, 2025, raising the level of field tension in the central and southern areas.

Medical sources at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah reported the arrival of the bodies of 5 martyrs and 9 wounded as a result of the raid carried out by an Israeli drone. The emergency department explained that among the martyrs, at least one body arrived completely torn and charred due to the direct targeting, while the injuries of some of the wounded were described as serious.

Security sources reported that the airstrike coincided with an attempt by Palestinian citizens to confront armed groups described as supported by the occupation army, who tried to storm residential homes in the eastern area of the camp. These groups, believed to include hundreds of armed individuals, are stationed in areas under direct Israeli military control in the southern Strip.

In another field development in the southern Strip, medical sources announced the martyrdom of child Fatima Abdel Hadi Al-Khatib (14 years old), who succumbed to her severe injuries sustained yesterday. The child was targeted in an Israeli shelling that hit tents for displaced people in 'Ghaith' camp in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Yunis city, which is usually classified as a humanitarian area.

The same shelling on the Al-Mawasi area had earlier led to the martyrdom of child Menna Allah Nabil Abu Labda (6 years old) and citizen Hanan Abdel Nasser Mahmoud (31 years old). The attack, which used 'Apache' helicopters and concentrated missiles, also caused injuries to about 30 other people, the vast majority of whom were displaced children and women.

In Khan Yunis city as well, a Palestinian woman was injured by Israeli occupation army fire at dawn today in the Turkish slaughterhouse area, following a direct targeting of displaced people's tents there. The injured woman was transferred to Nasser Medical Hospital for treatment, amid continued sniping and indiscriminate firing towards residential gatherings and crowded tents.

On the maritime front, eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warships opened fire with their machine guns towards the coast of Rafah and Khan Yunis cities. Although no injuries were reported in this maritime targeting, the shelling caused a state of panic among fishermen and displaced people residing near the beach.

Data from the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip indicates that the toll of Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement reached 904 martyrs and 2,713 wounded as of the beginning of this week. These figures reflect the occupation's insistence on continuing limited military operations and concentrated shelling despite international understandings that led to a halt in major operations.

The total toll of the Israeli aggression since October 8, 2023, until today, has reached about 72,797 martyrs and more than 172,821 wounded. The genocide war has caused the destruction of approximately 90% of the civilian infrastructure in the Strip, amid an unprecedented humanitarian and health crisis affecting two million Palestinians.

The United Nations estimates the cost of rebuilding what the occupation destroyed in the Gaza Strip at about 70 billion dollars, in light of the massive destruction that affected residential blocks, hospitals, and schools. With the aggression entering its twentieth month, hospitals continue to receive dozens of victims daily, with the past 24 hours alone recording the arrival of 6 martyrs and 8 wounded to medical facilities.

The raid occurred while a number of citizens were trying to confront gangs of occupation agents who attempted to storm a number of homes in the east of Al-Maghazi camp.

The most vulnerable groups in the West Bank face a bitter reality as Eid al-Adha approaches, due to the escalating systematic campaign by the Israeli occupation to close Zakat committees and relief organizations. In the city of Jenin, hundreds of citizens found themselves facing doors welded shut with oxygen, after occupation forces raided the headquarters of the Central Zakat Committee, wreaked havoc, and confiscated its financial and administrative documents.\n\nThis closure was not merely an administrative measure, but a devastating blow to thousands of families who depend on the committee for securing medicine and food. Yasser Aref and the elderly 'Sa'da' were among dozens who were shocked by the decision, as they had hoped to receive prescriptions for chronic diseases that health directorates are unable to provide due to the severe shortage of medical supplies plaguing the West Bank.\n\nField testimonies indicate that the Jenin Zakat Committee was a lifeline for needy families, having provided nearly $150,000 in Eid gifts and cash assistance during the last Eid season alone. Today, these families find themselves deprived of 'Eid clothing' and meat parcels that were regularly distributed, which exacerbates the suffocating economic crisis.\n\nSamir Al-Souqi, the head of the committee, affirmed that the occupation dashed the hopes of thousands of families without prior warning or legal justification, noting that the committee has been working for more than 40 years to serve orphans and the poor. He explained that the targeting affected financial files and beneficiary data, which disrupted relief work and deprived orphans of their financial allocations that were scheduled to be disbursed before Eid.\n\nThis targeting is not limited to Jenin alone, but extends to all cities in the West Bank; weeks ago, occupation forces closed the Zakat Committee in the town of Idhna in Hebron, and the Madeed Charitable Society in Nablus. This policy aims, according to observers, to dry up sources of charitable work and intimidate donors from within Palestine and abroad, threatening the continuity of international relief programs.\n\nAmidst these restrictions, unemployment rates in the West Bank reached record levels of 27.5% during the current year, while poverty rates jumped to about 58%. This deterioration in living conditions coincides with an insane rise in the prices of sacrificial animals, where the price of a kilogram of live meat reached 50 shekels, making the revival of Eid rituals a distant dream for the vast majority.\n\nPolitical analysts believe that targeting relief institutions falls within a plan to dismantle the Palestinian social fabric and strike institutional existence. The occupation seeks through these measures to preoccupy Palestinians with their livelihoods and divert their attention from the accelerating Judaization projects in Jerusalem and the West Bank, by pushing them towards the line of extreme poverty.\n\nIn parallel with the strangulation of the West Bank, the occupation continues its brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip, where field sources reported the martyrdom of 5 Palestinians in an Israeli drone strike that targeted citizens east of the Maghazi refugee camp. The victims were trying to confront armed groups supported by Israel that attempted to storm citizens' homes in the area, resulting in severe injuries that reached Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.\n\nIn Khan Yunis, the Israeli killing machine continues to claim the lives of children, as the child Fatima Abdel Hadi Al-Khatib (14 years old) was martyred due to her wounds from the shelling of displaced persons' tents. The child Menna Allah Nabil Abu Labda and the citizen Hanan Abdel Nasser also joined the list of martyrs, amidst the continued artillery and aerial bombardment that does not differentiate between civilians and vital infrastructure.\n\nOfficial statistics indicate that the toll of violations of the ceasefire agreement since last October reached 904 martyrs, while the total toll of the aggression since October 2023 exceeded 72,000 martyrs. These numbers reflect the magnitude of the humanitarian catastrophe experienced by the Palestinian people amidst international silence and declining global media attention to the issue.\n\nOn the humanitarian front in Gaza, the closure of crossings, especially the Rafah crossing, exacerbates the suffering of residents who were deprived of performing the Hajj pilgrimage this year. Strict Israeli control over the movement of individuals and goods has turned the Strip into a large prison, where medical and food aid is prevented from entering sufficiently, threatening the spread of famine and epidemics.\n\nDespite international talk about de-escalation efforts, the facts on the ground indicate the continuation of systematic assassinations and targeting of infrastructure. The United Nations estimates the cost of rebuilding what the occupation destroyed in Gaza at about $70 billion, a figure that reflects the enormous scale of destruction that has affected all aspects of life in the besieged Strip.\n\nIn the context of political attempts, the American administration continues to promote projects under the name of 'peace' and the 'Abrahamic Dome', projects that Palestinians see as an attempt to liquidate their cause. Despite all these economic and military pressures, the popular incubator for resistance shows remarkable steadfastness, thwarting the occupation's attempts to sow internal discord or break the will of the people.\n\nThe closure of Zakat committees in the West Bank is not merely a security measure, but part of a comprehensive war targeting the Palestinian presence. Between the hammer of shelling in Gaza and the anvil of economic siege in the West Bank, the Palestinian citizen remains steadfast on his land, despite thousands of orphans being deprived of 'Eid gifts' and patients being deprived of a dose of medicine that a charitable organization used to provide.\n\n"The closure of the committee's headquarters shocked us and put us in a difficult position, as we no longer have hope of providing medicine for our illness.