A violent explosion rocked the Choueifat area, located south of the Lebanese capital Beirut, this Thursday afternoon, due to an airstrike carried out by Israeli occupation aircraft. The raid directly targeted a residential apartment in 'Al-Rayyan Project' behind Al-Amana station, leading to thick columns of smoke covering the sky of the area and the neighboring southern suburbs.

Field sources reported that ambulances and civil defense teams immediately rushed to the target site, while security forces imposed a tight cordon around the area. The attack coincided with intense and low-altitude Israeli warplane overflights above Beirut and its surroundings, causing panic among residents in densely populated areas.

For its part, the Israeli army issued a brief statement confirming the execution of what it described as a 'precise attack' in the Beirut area, without officially revealing the identity of the target. However, Hebrew media, including Channel 12 and Yedioth Ahronoth, quoted military sources as saying that the raid was an assassination attempt targeting a high-ranking cadre in Hezbollah's missile unit.

This raid comes in the context of a broad escalation, as the occupation army announced attacking more than 135 targets in Lebanese territory during the past twenty-four hours. These attacks included sites in the coastal city of Tyre and the Beqaa region in the east of the country, in addition to a training camp in the Brital area, allegedly used by Hezbollah to carry out military operations.

In the Gaza Strip, the bloodshed did not stop, as medical sources reported 5 martyrs and 18 injured in an Israeli raid that targeted a house on Omar Al-Mukhtar Street in the heart of the city. The occupation authorities claim that these operations target central elements of Palestinian resistance factions, amid the ongoing comprehensive aggression on all fronts.

In recent days, the prominent leader of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Muhammad Ali Khalil Odeh (Abu Amro), was assassinated, martyred along with his wife and two of his children in a raid on the Al-Rimal neighborhood. Israel considers Odeh to have held the position of chief of staff of the brigades, succeeding Izz al-Din al-Haddad, indicating an intensive Israeli strategy to eliminate field leaders.

Official statistics indicate that the total number of victims of the Israeli aggression since October 2023 has exceeded 72,797 martyrs, in addition to more than 172,000 injured. These figures reflect the scale of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, at a time when Israeli violations of previously reached internationally sponsored ceasefire agreements are increasing.

Observers believe that the latest raid on Choueifat represents a new تجاوز (transgression) of the rules of engagement, and puts the fragile truce agreement at stake, especially with the occupation's insistence on pursuing military cadres deep within residential areas. Anticipation remains the order of the day, awaiting an official statement from Hezbollah clarifying the nature of the losses resulting from this aerial targeting.

The occupation army announced a 'precise attack' in Beirut, while Hebrew reports indicated that the operation targeted a high-ranking official in Hezbollah's missile unit.

Official Palestinian circles expressed their categorical rejection of the escalating steps taken by the Israeli occupation authorities by initiating new procedures for registering lands in the occupied West Bank. The competent authorities called on all citizens, whether residing within the homeland or in the diaspora, to refrain from dealing with any Israeli platforms or committees related to real estate, emphasizing the necessity of referring to official Palestinian institutions before taking any action.

The occupation authorities launched an electronic platform dedicated to updating ownership data in the West Bank, a step described by the Jerusalem Governorate and the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission as an attempt to legitimize control over the land. The Palestinian Land Authority affirmed that this platform constitutes a direct assault on the historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people, describing it as a dangerous colonial step aimed at liquidating the Palestinian presence in areas classified as (C).

The Palestinian authorities demanded that citizens refrain from submitting any documents or disclosing information related to their real estate properties to the Israeli side. They stressed that any inventory of properties or data update must be carried out exclusively through official Palestinian channels, to ensure the protection of rights from falsification or systematic confiscation that the occupation seeks to implement through its new technical tools.

In a related context, the Palestinian leadership issued urgent appeals to the international community, the United Nations, and the International Criminal Court to intervene immediately to stop these violations. Official statements affirmed the necessity for international human rights institutions to assume their responsibilities in holding the occupying state accountable for its illegal actions that disregard all international conventions and resolutions related to the occupied territories.

For his part, the head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Moayad Shaaban, explained that the new electronic system, which the occupation described as a 'hand grenade,' is not just a technical update of records. Shaaban indicated that this system represents a central tool for reshaping the real estate map in the West Bank to serve the colonial vision, and transfers the conflict from the field to the corridors of digital and legal administration to impose Israeli sovereignty.

These moves come in implementation of the Israeli Ministerial Security Council decision issued in May 2025, which stipulated the start of a comprehensive settlement of land ownership throughout the West Bank. This decision, according to Palestinian reports, aims to complete the legal and administrative annexation of the occupied territories by fully subjecting them to direct Israeli authority and bypassing any role of the Palestinian Authority in this sovereign file.

Informed sources revealed that the occupation allocated a huge budget of about 244 million shekels, equivalent to 84 million US dollars, to transfer land registration powers to the Ministry of Justice and the Israeli Survey Department. This budget aims to accelerate the permanent acquisition of approximately 58% of the areas classified as (C), which collectively constitute about 35% of the total area of the West Bank, excluding occupied Jerusalem.

The new Israeli procedure allows for the initiation of registration of Palestinian lands within what is known as the Israeli 'Tabu,' which is the first time such a measure has been taken since the 1967 occupation. The danger of this step lies in that it grants ownership a final status that makes it very difficult to challenge in courts, thus closing the door for Palestinians to reclaim their lands that may be leaked or confiscated.

Under the announced plan, the 'Land Registration' unit of the Israeli Government Coordination of Activities Department will assume all regulatory tasks in Area (C), including issuing sales permits and collecting fees and taxes. This explicitly prevents the Palestinian Authority from exercising any administrative or legal role in these areas, which reinforces complete administrative separation and paves the way for their de facto annexation to Israeli sovereignty.

The plan's timelines indicate that the commander of the Central Command in the occupation army is tasked with completing the settlement of 15% of West Bank lands by the end of 2030. This strategy focuses on areas under full Israeli security and administrative control, as part of the occupation's endeavor to amend the legal status of Palestinian lands and impose a new reality that will be impossible to change in any future negotiations.

The launch of the platform represents a transition from traditional field control policies to digital colonial engineering aimed at imposing permanent legal realities.

Medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported the martyrdom of 16 Palestinians and the injury of approximately 39 others during the past forty-eight hours, as a result of attacks carried out by Israeli occupation forces in various areas of the Strip. The Ministry of Health stated in its daily statistical report that hospitals received these victims under difficult field conditions, noting that Israeli targeting has not stopped despite the declared understandings.

With this new toll, the total number of martyrs in the genocide war waged by the occupation since October 2023 has risen to 72,819 martyrs, while the number of wounded and injured has reached 172,894 people. These figures reflect the scale of the ongoing humanitarian tragedy experienced by the residents of the besieged Strip, amidst a severe shortage of necessary medical capabilities to treat thousands of critical cases.

In a related context, the Ministry confirmed that the Israeli occupation continues to violate the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10, 2025. Sources stated that the number of victims of these violations alone has risen alarmingly to 922 martyrs and 2,786 injured, as a result of artillery shelling and direct gunfire targeting residential areas and displaced persons.

Regarding material destruction, human rights and international reports indicate that the Israeli war machine has caused the destruction of approximately 90% of the civilian infrastructure in all governorates of Gaza. This systematic destruction included residential neighborhoods, educational facilities, hospitals, as well as water and electricity networks, making vast areas of the Strip uninhabitable at present.

For its part, the United Nations has made initial estimates for the cost of reconstructing what the occupation destroyed, suggesting that the required budget could reach about 70 billion dollars. This huge figure comes amid a complete disruption of the economic cycle and the spread of poverty and unemployment, placing the international community before grave responsibilities to end the human suffering and begin reconstruction and recovery operations.

The death toll from Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement has risen to 922 martyrs and 2,786 injured due to continuous shelling.

The Israeli government officially announced the freezing of all its diplomatic relations with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, in an escalating move that reflects the depth of the crisis between Tel Aviv and the international organization. This decision came after Israel was included in the 'blacklist' of countries and organizations involved in practicing sexual violence during armed conflicts, which Israeli circles considered a crossing of red lines.

The Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, Danny Danon, stated that his country will no longer cooperate with Guterres, describing the UN decision as 'purely political' and devoid of factual realities. Danon added in a post that equating Israel with organizations such as 'Hamas' and 'ISIS' on this list represents a moral failure for the international organization, stressing that Tel Aviv will wait for the election of a new Secretary-General in the coming months to change this approach.

For its part, Hebrew media revealed that this UN decision was not entirely surprising, as the Israeli Foreign Ministry had made strenuous efforts behind the scenes in recent weeks to obstruct this step. The 'Israel Hayom' newspaper indicated that diplomatic pressures failed to prevent the decision from being issued, which prompted the Israeli leadership to take punitive measures against the head of the United Nations.

The UN move is based on a series of field reports issued by international investigation committees and human rights organizations, which documented grave violations within Israeli detention centers. These documents included live testimonies of cases of rape and systematic sexual harassment suffered by Palestinian detainees, especially in the 'Sde Teiman' camp, which has become a symbol of legal and humanitarian violations since the beginning of the last aggression.

The reports were not limited to detention centers but also extended to documenting sexual assaults and intimidation practiced by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank. Sources reported that these assaults often occurred under security protection and included raiding homes and terrorizing women and children, which strengthened the position of international organizations demanding accountability for those responsible for these crimes.

In a related context, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, referred to a report prepared by the Norwegian Refugee Council, which highlights the increasing pace of sexual violence and intimidation in the Palestinian territories. The report confirmed that these practices have become a tool for pressure and forced displacement, which prompted international human rights bodies to raise their recommendations on the necessity of including Israel in international shame lists.

Observers believe that freezing relations with Guterres represents an Israeli attempt to escape international legal obligations and pressure the UN organization to change its standards. However, the shocking testimonies of torture and rape victims in Israeli prisons continue to exert significant moral and legal pressure on the international community, which puts relations between Tel Aviv and the United Nations at stake.

There will be no relations with the UN Secretary-General, and we will work to correct this mistake with the election of his successor.

The European Union announced on Thursday that it has expanded its sanctions list to include four organizations and three Israeli settler individuals, due to their involvement in serious human rights violations against Palestinian citizens in the occupied West Bank. The Council of the European Union clarified in an official statement that this step comes to confront extremist practices that target the Palestinian presence and hinder decent livelihoods in the region.

The new list included the settlement movement 'Nachala', known for its intensive activity in encouraging illegal settlement, in addition to its head, Daniela Weiss. European reports indicated that this movement plays a pivotal role in the forced displacement of Palestinians, through the establishment of settlement outposts that isolate farmers from their historical lands and pastures.

The sanctions also included the Israeli non-governmental organization 'Regavim' and its director Meir Deutsch, as the organization is accused of systematically working to demolish Palestinian properties and expand the scope of Israeli control in the West Bank. It is noteworthy that the organization directly sought to demolish a Palestinian primary school near Bethlehem, despite being funded by the European Union itself.

In a related context, the Union included the organization 'Hashomer Yosh' and its head Avichai Swissa on the blacklist, due to the logistical support it provides to settlers involved in acts of violence. This organization works to organize armed volunteers and provide protection for security elements involved in direct attacks against Palestinian villages and towns.

The 'Gush Emunim' cooperative, commercially known as 'Amana', was not absent from the new sanctions list, as the statement described it as one of the main financial drivers of settlement. This cooperative has directly contributed to the establishment and financing of at least 30 illegal settlement outposts, which has contributed to tearing apart the Palestinian geography in the West Bank.

The punitive measures taken stipulate the freezing of all financial assets and economic resources belonging to these individuals and entities within the European Union countries. Any European entity is also prohibited from providing financial resources to them directly or indirectly, to ensure the drying up of funding sources for extremist settlement activities.

In addition to financial sanctions, the European Union imposed a comprehensive travel ban on individuals included in the list to all member states of the Union. This step aims to internationally isolate figures who lead incitement and field operations against Palestinians and restrict their diplomatic and personal movement.

With this new decision, the total number of individuals and entities listed under the European Union's 'Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime' rises to 177 names. This increase reflects growing international concern about the escalating pace of settlement violence and policies aimed at changing the demographic reality in the occupied territories.

It is worth noting that the European Union began imposing sanctions on settlers in April 2024, in a remarkable shift in its foreign policy towards the Palestinian issue. This was followed by an expansion of the lists in July of the same year, which confirms the continuation of the European approach in pressuring extremist groups that hinder the two-state solution.

Individuals and entities covered by the sanctions are responsible for serious and systematic human rights violations against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed his government's intentions to expand the military occupation within the Gaza Strip, confirming that the army currently controls about 60% of the total area of the Strip. Netanyahu clarified during a conference held in a settlement in the Jordan Valley that instructions were issued to the forces to work on raising this percentage to 70% in the next phase.

These statements come at a sensitive time witnessing repeated breaches of the ongoing ceasefire agreement, as Hebrew media broadcast video clips of Netanyahu confirming the tightening of the siege on Hamas from all sides. The Israeli Prime Minister did not provide specific details about the new geographical areas the army intends to seize or the mechanism by which this field expansion will be implemented.

On the ground, local sources reported that the occupation forces issued new forced evacuation warnings targeting a residential block in the Al-Shati camp west of Gaza City, raising fears of a new wave of displacement. These threats coincide with the continuation of limited military operations that result in casualties among civilians attempting to return to their areas or remain in shelters.

In the context of the field escalation, a Palestinian citizen was martyred and several others were injured to varying degrees as a result of Israeli shelling that targeted a gathering of civilians in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood southeast of Gaza City. These attacks reflect the fragility of the security situation amid the Israeli leadership's insistence on continuing military pressure despite existing international understandings to end the war.

The Israeli army had announced earlier in October last year its retreat to what is known as the 'Yellow Line', then controlling 53% of the Strip's area. This move came as part of the first phase of the peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, which assumed additional gradual withdrawals in subsequent phases.

The 'Yellow Line' is considered a temporary virtual border separating areas of Israeli military presence and areas where Palestinians are allowed to move under the truce agreement. However, recent statements by Security Minister Yisrael Katz confirmed Israel's refusal to budge from this line 'by a millimeter' before achieving the condition of complete disarmament of Palestinian factions.

On the international political front, the White House announced last January the adoption of administrative structures for the transitional phase in Gaza, including the formation of a peace council and a national committee for administration. These plans include the deployment of an international stabilization force to undertake security tasks and secure humanitarian aid, which seems to contradict Netanyahu's current directions to expand the occupation.

These complex arrangements fall within a comprehensive 20-point vision for ending the conflict, a vision that was supported by UN Security Council Resolution 2803 issued in November 2025. However, recent Israeli actions on the ground put these international agreements at stake and threaten the collapse of the fragile de-escalation path that began months ago.

It is worth noting that the ceasefire agreement came into effect in October 2025, putting an end to a two-year continuous genocide war. That war left an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 72,000 martyrs and over 172,000 Palestinians injured, the heaviest toll in the history of the modern conflict.

In addition to human losses, the war caused the destruction of about 90% of the infrastructure and civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip, making most areas uninhabitable. UN reports estimate that the cost of rebuilding what was destroyed by the Israeli military machine exceeds $70 billion, a huge challenge facing the international community amid continued threats of expanding the occupation.

My directives are to move from controlling 60% of the Strip's territory to 70%. We are besieging them from all sides and we will take care of the rest.

With the sunrise of the blessed Eid al-Adha, the elderly Palestinian woman Nadia Abu Jalhoum did not go to her family's home to celebrate, but rather left her tent in Jabalia camp with a heavy heart towards the Faluja cemetery north of the Gaza Strip. There, among the silent tombstones, the lady searches for her children and grandchildren who were taken by the war, to recite Al-Fatiha for their souls and pray to her Lord in a scene that summarizes the pain of Palestinian families.

Nadia sadly recalls how Eid rituals turned from warm gatherings in her destroyed home to sad stops in cemeteries, where visiting has become an integral part of her new routine after the war. She confirms that the absence of children and grandchildren not only left a void in the place, but also changed the features of the family's daily life, which was full of life before death separated them.

The list of losses in the Abu Jalhoum family is long and painful, including her sons Anwar, 42 years old, Ahmed, 30 years old, and Khamis, who was not more than 26 years old, in addition to her young daughter Sahera, 19 years old. The tragedy did not stop there, but extended to snatch her grandson, the child Moaz, who was martyred at the age of five, leaving behind indelible memories.

The bereaved mother recounts harsh details about the martyrdom of her children, explaining that they were not killed at the same time, but rather fell successively in very close time intervals during military operations. She bitterly wonders about the ability of any mother to bear the loss of her beloved children with only ten days between one martyr and another, which made grief a permanent resident in her heart.

This loss was directly reflected in the surviving children of the family, who constantly ask about their fathers, especially on occasions and holidays when they miss the touch of tenderness. Nadia describes the state of the children as they watch their peers with their fathers, which deepens their wounds and makes Eid an occasion to recall painful memories instead of joy.

In addition to the psychological pain, Nadia's family suffers from harsh living conditions inside a displacement tent that lacks the most basic necessities of life after the occupation completely destroyed their home. The family faces daily challenges represented by the sharp rise in temperatures and the lack of potable water, which makes staying inside the tent a continuous journey of torment.

Security risks increase the family's suffering, as their tent is located in an area close to the 'Yellow Line' north of the Strip, an area that witnesses an intense presence of Israeli occupation forces. Sources reported that residents in that area live in a state of constant terror due to repeated gunfire and non-stop military movements, which threaten their lives at every moment.

Despite all these difficult circumstances and security threats, Nadia insists on continuing to visit the cemetery every Eid, considering it a duty towards her children who sacrificed their lives. She ends her visit calmly to return to her tent, where she tries to gather what remains of her surviving family, in a reality that is becoming more complex with the continuation of the aggression on the besieged Strip.

In a related context, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced a horrific increase in the number of victims, as the number of martyrs reached 72,819, while the number of injured exceeded 172,000 since the beginning of the aggression. Recent statistics indicated that the period since last March witnessed a significant escalation that led to the martyrdom of an additional 922 people, reflecting the scale of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.

Which mother can bear this? Ten days between one martyr and another, and the last one I lost was my grandson, the child Moaz.

Sadness and pain overshadowed the Eid atmosphere in the Gaza Strip, where the usual celebrations were absent, replaced by rituals of loss and deprivation. Instead of heading to public squares, crowds of citizens flocked to cemeteries in Nuseirat and Khan Yunis to visit their loved ones who perished during the ongoing war. The signs of heartbreak were evident on the faces of mothers and widows who found nothing but tombstones to address their sons and husbands on a day that was supposed to be for joy.

In the Nuseirat cemetery, Umm Muhammad Attia recounted her tragedy, embracing her orphaned grandchildren over the grave of her eldest son, recalling how he was the first to congratulate her every Eid. This story is repeated in every corner of the Strip, where holidays have turned into occasions to reopen wounds and evoke memories of families scattered between martyrs and displaced persons. Local sources confirmed that the absence of providers and homes dispelled any sense of joy, especially in the dilapidated displacement tents that lack the most basic necessities of life.

Regarding living hardships, thousands of families live in cramped tents in the Al-Mawasi areas, such as the Al-Masri family, who were displaced 14 times before settling in a tent no larger than 16 square meters. These families face extreme difficulties in providing basic needs for children, as exorbitant prices and a lack of cash prevented them from buying Eid clothes. Some resorted to bank transfers to give Eidiyah due to the deterioration of circulating paper currencies and the prevention of new quantities from entering.

Official statistical data indicate the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe, as the number of widows in the Strip has risen to more than 22,000 women, while women now head about 18% of Gazan households. For its part, UNICEF warned of the psychological and physical consequences of the war on children, confirming that more than 56,000 children have lost one or both parents, leaving an entire generation facing an unknown future filled with orphanhood and malnutrition.

Regarding religious rituals, the occupation authorities deliberately deprived the residents of the Strip from performing the ritual of sacrifice by closing crossings and preventing the entry of livestock. The government media office reported that the occupation prevented the entry of about 41,000 heads of calves and sheep that were designated for the Eid season. This measure was considered by human rights sources a blatant violation of religious and human rights, and a step aimed at tightening the siege and starving the population amidst the genocide war.

As for the children of Gaza, amusement parks and gardens were absent, leaving them to play on the rubble of destroyed homes or busy helping their families transport water and manage tent affairs. Despite the sounds of Takbir echoing from the ruins of mosques, the sounds of Israeli shelling continued to pursue the displaced, confirming that Gaza is experiencing an exceptional Eid where steadfastness mixes with pain, and sacrifices are absent, replaced by the blood of victims and the patience of the bereaved.

While the world draws closer to God with sacrifices, the people of Gaza draw closer with the blood of their children and women, and with their patience under bombing, hunger, and abandonment.

Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip continued on Thursday evening, resulting in the martyrdom of a number of people and the injury of dozens in various geographical areas. These field developments come at a time when occupation forces continue to violate ceasefire understandings through concentrated aerial and artillery shelling, in addition to systematic demolition operations of residential buildings in what is known as the 'Yellow Line'.

Medical sources reported the martyrdom of three citizens as a result of occupation aircraft targeting a police point in the Mawasi Khan Yunis area, south of the Strip. The shelling also hit the Namaa camp for displaced persons in Hamad City, leading to injuries among civilians and widespread destruction of tents and properties of displaced persons who are already suffering from harsh humanitarian conditions.

In Gaza City, 24-year-old Abdullah Ashraf Abdel Wahab was martyred following an airstrike that targeted the vicinity of Imam Al-Shafi'i Mosque in the Zeitoun neighborhood. This coincided with the targeting of a house in Al-Shati refugee camp northwest of the city, as part of a policy of destroying residential blocks that also affected parts of Deir al-Balah city in the central Strip.

The northern areas were not spared from the aggressions, as a Palestinian citizen was injured by occupation forces' bullets in the Al-Salateen area west of Beit Lahia. Israeli forces impose strict restrictions on the movement of individuals and goods, exacerbating the living crisis amid ongoing limited military operations and incursions into border areas.

These massacres complete a bloody day witnessed around Al-Isra Tower on Omar Al-Mukhtar Street, where 10 Palestinians, including two young girls and two women, were martyred on Wednesday. That raid, which targeted an inhabited house, left more than 18 injured, at a time when citizens were celebrating the first days of Eid amidst the rubble of their destroyed homes.

According to government media office data, the toll of Israeli violations since the ceasefire agreement came into effect seven months ago has reached 910 martyrs. Medical teams also recorded injuries to approximately 2,747 others, indicating the occupation's non-compliance with the truce and its continued targeting of civilians directly and regularly.

Regarding the total toll since October 2023, the number of martyrs has exceeded 72,000, while the number of injured has surpassed 172,000, most of whom are women and children. Field reports indicate that the Israeli war machine has destroyed nearly 90% of the infrastructure and vital facilities in the Strip over two years of aggression.

The humanitarian suffering in Gaza continues with the occupation's insistence on closing crossings and obstructing the delivery of essential medical and food aid. Residents face immense challenges amid food insecurity and a dilapidated health sector, making every violation of the ceasefire agreement an existential threat to thousands of displaced families.

Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect more than 7 months ago, the Israeli army has killed approximately 910 Palestinians as part of its violations.

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.