Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen stressed that any understandings or agreements that the American administration might conclude with Iran would have no actual value from an Israeli perspective. Cohen affirmed in press statements that the option of direct military action against Tehran remains strongly on the table, indicating that Tel Aviv would not hesitate to act unilaterally if it perceived a direct threat to its security.

The Israeli minister considered the current regime in Tehran an obstacle to regional stability, claiming that the demise or change of this regime would benefit all neighboring Islamic countries. These sharp statements come at a sensitive time when the Omani capital, Muscat, is witnessing rounds of diplomatic talks between representatives from Washington and Tehran, which began last Friday without concrete results being disclosed so far.

In a related context, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to travel to Washington next Wednesday, where the Iranian file is at the top of his agenda for his meeting with US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu aims through this visit to exert direct pressure to ensure that no American concessions are made in the ongoing negotiations, and to impose an Israeli vision that guarantees the complete containment of Iranian capabilities.

Media reports indicate that Netanyahu will demand that the US administration shorten the duration of negotiations with the Iranian side as much as possible, to prevent Tehran from using the time to enhance its nuclear capabilities. He will also emphasize that the goal should be the final dismantling of the nuclear program, not just its temporary freezing for a period that might end with changes in political administrations in the White House.

The list of Israeli demands that Netanyahu will carry includes a complete halt to uranium enrichment operations, with the condition that no quantities enriched to more than 4 percent be kept within Iranian territory. Israel also demands the imposition of a strict and comprehensive monitoring system by the International Atomic Energy Agency that ensures access to all suspected facilities without restrictions.

In addition to the nuclear file, Netanyahu seeks to include Iran's ballistic missile program in any potential agreement, by setting clauses that restrict the range of these missiles and prevent them from reaching the occupied territories. The Israeli side believes that ignoring missile capabilities in previous agreements was a strategic mistake that allowed Iran to threaten regional security through its proxies.

Regarding the economic aspect, the Israeli Prime Minister will propose that the lifting of sanctions on Tehran be a gradual and very slow process, linked to its commitment to security provisions. This proposal aims to dry up the sources of funding that might reach Iran's proxies in the region, specifically Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi group in Yemen, who largely depend on Iranian financial support.

Sources concluded that Netanyahu might propose an alternative option in case of diplomatic failure or Iran's rejection of these strict conditions, which is to carry out a joint military operation. This proposal involves directing widespread and coordinated strikes between the United States and Israel targeting a large number of strategic and vital sites deep inside Iran simultaneously.

Any agreement with the current Iranian regime is worthless, and regime change in Tehran is in the interest of all surrounding countries.

The region is witnessing a sharp escalation in political and military rhetoric between Washington and Tehran, where the current confrontation extends beyond armed clashes to become a deep conflict of wills revolving around ideas and civilizational values. Observers believe that military material superiority does not necessarily mean a decisive victory, as long as the defeated party does not surrender or abandon the will to resist.

Peoples with deep civilizational roots adopt a different view of battles, where results are not measured by momentary balances of power, but by the ability to establish values of dignity and sovereignty for future generations. In this context, Iran emerges as a model that tries to transform external pressures into a state of renewed steadfastness that rejects humiliation despite the disparity in military power balances.

While military experts are busy analyzing maps of American deployment on land and sea, and determining the zero hour for potential attacks, another parallel battle is being fought in the arena of terminology and symbols. This battle, described as 'pushing towards the abyss,' reflects a fundamental divergence in rhetoric between the American speaker who focuses on power, and the Iranian speaker who focuses on rights.

US President Donald Trump has long boasted about his military's destructive capabilities, threatening to use battleships and missiles to change the regime of an independent state. Trump has appeared on many occasions as an arrogant figure who grants one deadline after another, trying to break the opponent's will by brandishing 'hellfire' and mass destruction.

In contrast, the Iranian leadership has shown remarkable calm in dealing with American threats, with officials in Tehran repeatedly affirming their rejection of any dialogue conducted under duress or preconditions. Iranian leaders emphasize that they are ready for an equal dialogue, and at the same time, they are fully prepared to fight if necessary.

The statements of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stand out as one of the most assertive positions, when he affirmed that his country does not seek war, but will not hesitate to wage it if it is imposed upon them. His words carried an implicit warning that the losses would not be limited to the Iranian side alone, reflecting the strategy of mutual deterrence adopted by Tehran.

On the ground, Iran did not content itself with political statements; its military leaders hinted at the ability of missiles and drones to strike strategic and vital targets. These threats included the Israeli entity and any countries hosting American military bases that could be used as a launching pad for hostile attacks against Iranian territory.

Analysts believe that the American mindset manages the conflict with a balance of matter and numbers, where power is calculated by the number of soldiers and the quality of available equipment. In contrast, the Iranian mindset views the confrontation from the perspective of justice and human dignity, which creates a gap in mutual understanding between the warring parties.

It seems that President Trump has moved from the stage of direct threats and military arrogance to a state of questioning the source of confidence and reassurance among Iranian leaders. This shift recently led him to speak in religious language, expressing his confidence in achieving 'heaven' by claiming to bring peace and stop wars in different parts of the world.

Doubts continue to hover over the intentions of the American administration, as critics see a vast difference between those who defend sovereign principles and those who view the world as a commercial arena for profit. The commercial mindset with which Trump manages foreign policy files often lacks commitment to ethical standards and the rights of peoples to self-determination.

Iran has succeeded, through the current 'heating up' phase, in preserving its political identity and ideological reference despite extreme pressures. Tehran has been able to maneuver to prevent direct aggression against it, while adhering to its rights to develop its nuclear and missile programs, which it considers a guarantee of its national security.

Tehran has not abandoned its partners in what it calls the 'axis of resistance,' which was one of the conditions set by Trump and the Israeli side for lifting sanctions or stopping threats. This adherence to regional ties strengthens Iran's negotiating position and makes it difficult to isolate it politically or militarily in the region.

This current conflict reveals the failure of the 'maximum pressure' policy to achieve its fundamental goals of subjugating the Iranian regime. Instead of collapsing, Iranian institutions have shown an ability to adapt to crises, drawing this from a historical philosophy that views steadfastness as a higher value than fleeting material superiority.

Ultimately, the scene remains open to all possibilities, between a fragile calm and an escalation that could erupt at any moment. However, the constant in this confrontation is that the 'battle of wills' has been decided in favor of the party that managed to maintain its principles without being drawn into the opponent's terms, which puts the American administration before difficult choices.

We do not want war, but if it is imposed on us, we will fight it and we will not die alone.

A joint investigative report by media sources in cooperation with the Palestinian Youth Movement has revealed the involvement of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), ranked as the world's largest shipping company, in facilitating the transport of goods and products from illegal Israeli settlements. Documents showed that these shipments originated from settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank and the Syrian Golan Heights, heading towards international markets, primarily the United States of America.

The investigation relied on commercial documents and US import databases, which showed that the Swiss company, owned by Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela, shipped at least 957 consignments from the settlements. These operations took place between early January and the end of November 2025, reflecting the continuity of commercial activity despite international warnings.

Data indicated that European ports served as major transit points for this trade, with 529 shipments passing through the old continent. Spanish ports topped the list with 390 shipments, followed by ports in Portugal, the Netherlands, and Belgium, which raises legal and ethical questions for these countries regarding their obligations under international law.

This revelation coincides with an official Israeli escalation, as the Ministerial Committee for National Security Affairs (the 'Cabinet') approved decisions aimed at accelerating the pace of settlement expansion in the West Bank. These decisions included lifting restrictions on the sale of Palestinian properties to Israelis, expanding demolition powers in areas under Palestinian control, and transferring planning powers in vital areas such as Hebron and Bethlehem to Israeli authorities.

From a legal perspective, experts believe that this commercial activity represents a clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which affirms the illegality of settlements in occupied territories. Nicola Perugini, a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, stressed that the continued marketing of these products by international companies grants the occupation an illegal economic legitimacy, emphasizing the need to stop these practices that profit from an illegal situation.

The role of MSC also contradicts the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in 2024, which obliges states and organizations to prevent any commercial relations that contribute to the perpetuation of the occupation. The court considers any economic activity that supports the infrastructure of settlements as a contribution to the continuation of the illegal situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Shipping bills showed that the global company delivered shipments to companies operating in major settlement blocs such as 'Ma'ale Adumim' and the 'Barkan Industrial Zone'. Among these entities are 'Extal', associated with Israeli military industries, and 'Ahava Laboratories', accused of plundering Palestinian natural resources, both of which are listed on the UN blacklist.

In response to these accusations, MSC stated that it respects the global legal frameworks applicable in the shipping sector. The company affirmed in a statement its continued cooperation and commercial agreements with the Israeli shipping company 'Zim', considering its operations to fall within normal commercial activity, despite increasing human rights criticisms.

On the political front, a clear contradiction emerges in international positions; while Washington, under President Donald Trump, adopted a lenient policy towards settlements, the European Union faces a legal dilemma. Despite countries like Spain and Slovenia announcing a ban on importing settlement goods, their ports are still used as logistical platforms for these goods to transit to other destinations.

Economic estimates indicate that the settlement economy contributes approximately $30 billion annually to the Israeli economy, enhancing the occupation's ability to expand. In contrast, the West Bank economy suffers from cumulative losses estimated at $170 billion, making global shipping companies the vital artery that feeds settlement and opens the doors to international trade for it.

The profits of illegal occupation cannot be legitimized, and marketing these products is an actual support for the continued control over the occupied territories.

Hebrew press reports issued today, Monday, revealed that intelligence agencies have detected an increasing and organized pattern of espionage attempts led by Iran within the occupied territories. This new strategy relies on widespread phishing operations via social media platforms, aiming to reach the largest possible number of users without initial discrimination between their targets.

Sources explained that the Iranian method does not initially target specific individuals but rather relies on flooding the digital space with massive amounts of attractive messages and posts. Those responsible for these operations seek to entice anyone who interacts with these prompts, after which a gradual and systematic recruitment process begins.

Tasks requested from targets begin with simple procedures that appear innocuous on the surface, such as writing specific comments or posting particular entries on their personal accounts. This stage is considered an initial test to gauge the individual's responsiveness and seriousness in execution before moving on to more complex and dangerous stages.

Over time, these activities evolve to include field sabotage operations aimed at destabilizing internal security, including assigning recruits to burn vehicles or carry out acts of sabotage in public facilities. These developments reflect a desire to transform digital spies into executive tools on the ground.

Regarding the judicial aspect, data revealed that approximately 35 official indictments have been filed recently on charges related to espionage for hostile parties. These cases involved nearly 60 defendants, and it was found that some cases were not individual but included organized cells consisting of dozens of people working in coordination.

'Contact with a foreign agent' is the most common charge in investigation files that have affected various segments of Israeli society. Of concern to security circles is the involvement of military personnel in these networks, including reserve soldiers and officers still serving in various units of the occupation army.

Among the most prominent cases uncovered was an attempt to recruit an employee of the Iron Dome defense system, who was asked to photograph parts of the system and provide technical information to operators. This incident highlights the extent of the danger posed by these breaches to sensitive military systems.

Investigations indicated the difficulty of creating a unified profile for these spies, as their social and geographical backgrounds varied greatly. The list included Jews from the city of Beit Shemesh, residents of Jerusalem, as well as new immigrants who recently arrived from countries such as Azerbaijan.

Regarding motives, reports confirmed that all defendants received varying sums of money in exchange for their cooperation with Iranian intelligence. Money transfers were carried out through complex methods to avoid detection, often via intermediary exchange offices or through the use of untraceable cryptocurrencies.

In an exceptional case, investigations recorded an individual from the Golan Heights initiating contact with Iranian parties to offer their services. Security circles express deep concern about the presence of individuals within Israeli society who are predisposed to cooperate with Tehran despite continuous warnings about the dangers of the Iranian threat.

Iranians do not use a fishing rod but a complete net with which they flood the digital space to lure anyone who responds to their messages.

About a thousand years ago, the Crusaders were surprised to find Christians in our lands as well, but illusions and ambitions were greater than sympathy or religious ties. Therefore, these invaders put the sword to the necks of the Christians of the land, just like their Muslim brethren. The invaders did not believe that there were Christians who had their churches, fields, schools, businesses, and contributions to public life. That reality did not fit at all with the colonial Crusader project, and therefore history does not record that the Christians of our lands dealt with or cooperated with the invaders except to a minimal and narrow extent, and that was due to helplessness, destitution, or the desire for salvation, exactly as happens to every people under occupation. And in our days, too, the American right-wing journalist Tucker Carlson carries the task of clarifying the ordinary truth for us, which is astonishing for the extremist Christian right in his country: that there are Christians in Palestine and Jordan who have lived for thousands of years as the salt of the earth, in deed not just in word, and that they and their Muslim brethren present a living example of harmony, cooperation, and cultural integration, as well as in patriotism and citizenship, and that all they are subjected to—displacement, hardship, persecution, and humiliation—their Muslim brethren had no role in it. Both Hosam Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem, and As'ad Al-Ma'asher from Jordan, presented a very clear picture of fruitful pluralism and the dazzling mosaic of shared life in both Palestine and Jordan. Astonishment leaped from the eyes of the courageous American journalist as he heard and saw how all the lies and delusions spread by most American media fall on the hills and mountains of these lands. This man heard and saw with his own eyes that there is an Arab Muslim king who cares for Islamic and Christian endowments, and that Christians enjoy all rights and entitlements, and that Islam is part of Christian culture, and that coexistence, tolerance, and understanding are not imaginary concepts, but rather facts lived daily and ordinarily. What Tucker Carlson presented on his platform was a slap and a shock to the extremist right that claims Christianity—I mean Scofield's Christianity and his reference Bible, that American lawyer who presented messianic interpretations of the Bible that turned into another gospel. What Carlson did with living and tangible evidence is that the support provided by these extremist groups actually works to displace, impoverish, and humiliate Christians, and that their beliefs in interpretations and explanations of the Gospel harm Christians and their existence and lives in their land, which they have not left for thousands of years. What Carlson did was expose, strip bare, and dismantle all claims and lies as well, and presented a completely different picture from the malicious propaganda and flowing political money that serves the occupation, and that the set of facts and evidence Carlson presented in his program is a humanitarian plea against that broad current controlling American decision-making and public mood, which will intensify the ongoing discussions in the United States of America.

The least that can be said is that the visit of Witkoff and Kushner to take pictures aboard the destroyer Lincoln, and the response of Araghchi less than twenty-four hours later, with similar pictures aboard an Iranian warship in the Arabian Sea, carry unmistakable connotations. Both parties resorted to exchanging insults through pictures and flexing muscles after the negotiations stalled. Tehran believes that the cost of these negotiations is much less than the cost of what is being offered to it: trimming its nails, amputating its arms, and zeroing its nuclear counter. It knows that if it does, it will become an easy meal for Trump, who will consume it without suffering from indigestion. The exchange of pictures is like the exchange of words before engaging in punches. If the first picture carries the meaning of the desire for acquisition, dominance, and subjugation by the force of arrogance, then the second carries the meaning of resistance, in whose body there is no inch left without a sword blow, a spear thrust, or an arrow shot. War, as an ancient poet said, begins with words, or pictures, if that were available to those who fought wars with horses, night, desert, spear, paper, and pen. The jostling of ships, battleships, and aircraft carriers in narrow waterways resembles the jostling of football players in the penalty area in the last breaths of a decisive match. Any miscalculated move could result in a friction that generates a penalty kick that could cause a bloody military "remontada," turning the result upside down and destroying the stadium and the audience at the same time. In visible evidence and public statements, the probability of war breaking out outweighs the chance of avoiding it. Both parties may engage in it unwillingly, due to misjudgment, or by the act of an instigator who lights a match in a region where everything is flammable. When war breaks out, no one can predict its outcomes, for the ghost of Nagasaki and Hiroshima hovers around Tehran and Qom... This time, the enemy will not accept less than complete subjugation amidst an international environment governed by Epstein's rules. The movement of "Trump's Armada" is no longer just a maneuver, or pressure on the exposed Iranian nerves, but rather a "dance on the edge of the abyss".. And what do you know about it?!

Zionism and its colonial project in Palestine target its entire Arab population in varying degrees. The situation in the 1948 areas differs from that in 1967, and the Gaza Strip surpasses the West Bank in terms of killing and extermination. In the West Bank, it is more violent than in Jerusalem. In the 1948 areas, the actions are not limited to the strongly targeted Bedouins of the Negev, but also include the people of the North and Center, the people of Carmel, Galilee, and the Triangle, who are targeted by criminal gangs. The people of the historical mixed Palestinian coastal cities are targeted by restrictions, lack of expansion, and imposition of taxes, whether they are Muslims, Christians, or Druze, even if the formulas, tools, and priorities differ. In the Palestinian West Bank, oppression, suppression, and destruction of the lives of all Palestinians are carried out with the aim of "driving them out" and pushing them to leave their homeland according to Smotrich's "Decisive Plan," which has become the title, tool, and program of the government and all coalition forces. The army and security agencies implement this program, but the strongest title and the most ferocious tool have become the "hill thugs" of the colonial settlers who work to "cleanse" the Palestinian West Bank of its people, reduce their numbers, close off opportunities for work and normal life, and kill their lives by burning and destroying homes, properties, farms, and cars. This is done under the protection of the army, which provides cover for them, does not pursue them, and freezes the systems through which they could be prosecuted and subjected to accountability and legal procedures. Recently, it has been observed that Christians are being targeted more than others, and are being exposed to deliberate danger. This is what happened in the villages of Taybeh, Aboud, Birzeit, and Ain Arik, and it was not a coincidence. Rather, it is clear that this is a deliberate policy targeting Christian families and communities, given that these Christian families most likely have extensions outside Palestine, which helps push them to find an alternative to their lives in Palestine, by encouraging them to leave and emigrate to both Americas and other parts of the world, especially since there is a program with some complicit Christian entities that can provide refuge and travel tools for Christians and facilitate them. For the same goal, other parties and organizations that believe in "Christian Zionism" are working in this direction, and are responding to the colonial program to reduce the Palestinian Christian presence, in addition to changing their culture, awareness, and faith by linking Christianity and Zionism. This malicious colonial criminal act is led by the US Ambassador to the colony, Mike Huckabee, who supports the colony and the policies of its far right, including the annexation of the West Bank, and refuses to call it "the West Bank" but rather calls it "Judea and Samaria," meaning it is part of the colony's map. He belongs to the Christian Zionist movement and openly said: "It is difficult for me to understand why everyone who bears the title Christian should not also bear the title Zionist." In response to his actions, tools, and delusions, and others, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a courageous statement in which they expressed their rejection of so-called Christian Zionism, and of the fabrications and interference of the American ambassador who seeks to market this demagogic nonsense. It stated: "The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in the Holy Land affirm to the faithful and to the world that the flock of Christ in this land (Palestine) has been entrusted to the Apostolic Churches, which have carried this sacred trust through the centuries with steadfastness and faithfulness. The recent activities of some local individuals promoting harmful ideologies, such as so-called Christian Zionism, mislead public opinion, sow confusion, and harm the unity of our flock. These 'initiatives' have been welcomed and supported by some political entities in Israel (the colony) and outside (the American ambassador), which seek to advance a political agenda that may harm the Christian presence in the Holy Land (Palestine) and in the wider Middle East (Arab countries)." The colonial policy requires a declared and clear ecclesiastical stance worldwide, because it targets the Christian heritage in our country, Palestine and Jordan, the origin of Christianity, and in our country it was born, and its content has been stolen, distorted, and alienated from us.

Targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque guards with expulsion from the mosque, arrests, and administrative rulings against them, carries multiple political messages and implications. These are not just messages of intimidation and fear, but also a message to Jordan, which is the custodian of Al-Aqsa Mosque and employs these guards. The Israeli message states that "we are the sovereign over Al-Aqsa, 'Temple Mount', and we decide on its matters. We decide who has the right to enter Al-Aqsa and who does not," within the framework of subjugating the Palestinian and Arab mind to Israeli decisions and procedures. This is not only through imposing new Judaization facts in Al-Aqsa, but also by paving the way for stripping the administrative authority over Al-Aqsa from the Islamic Endowments, and the arrest of the guards is a prelude to ending Jordanian custodianship over Al-Aqsa.There is another message to Jerusalemites and Arabs of the Palestinian interior - 48, that the era of removing electronic gates at Al-Aqsa gates in July 2017 has passed irrevocably, as work is underway to dismantle any large popular bloc capable of confronting any Judaization steps against Al-Aqsa. The ongoing expulsions and arrests against Jerusalemites and residents of the Palestinian interior - 48, fall within this framework and context.The occupation government, as part of its systematic Judaization policy towards Al-Aqsa Mosque, believes that this season must be the season of decisive sovereignty over Al-Aqsa, and to take it out of the purely Islamic era and cross it into the Jewish era. The Arab and Islamic situation is very favorable, as we are experiencing an unprecedented state of collapse, deterioration, helplessness, and cowardice, from taking any practical steps to confront the Israeli Judaization plans and projects in Al-Aqsa. The broken record in Arab and Islamic circles has become: we condemn, denounce, and demand the international community to bear its responsibilities and pressure Israel to stop its aggressions and impose new Judaization facts in Al-Aqsa that are not alarming to Israel and it pays no attention to them.Israel has always preceded the holy month with a wide incitement campaign, "demonizing" it, and describing it as a month of escalation and "terrorism" to justify its repressive, abusive, and humiliating measures and practices, by restricting freedom of movement and worship, preventing worshipers from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque, and depriving them of performing their religious rituals, blatantly and shamelessly violating international law by preventing freedom of movement and worship. However, this season is different from all previous seasons, in terms of the Judaization attack we are witnessing on Al-Aqsa, an unprecedented campaign of expulsions against Palestinian citizens, religious and national leaders, male and female Murabitin, activists, and released prisoners.So far, more than 152 citizens have been expelled from Al-Aqsa, including a number of Al-Aqsa guards. The occupation did not stop at expelling Al-Aqsa guards, but also carried out administrative arrests against them, in a clear targeting of the Islamic Endowments Department and the Jordanian government, which is responsible for these guards, as it employs them and pays their salaries.It is expected that the number of those expelled from Al-Aqsa will reach hundreds by the holy month, and there will also be security and military restrictions, turning Jerusalem into a military barracks, restrictions on the numbers and ages of worshipers, especially since the numbers allowed to enter from the West Bank will be limited and will not exceed hundreds, as citizens coming to pray on Fridays are required to obtain special permits and magnetic cards, and their stay in Al-Aqsa is limited, while a large number of young people from Jerusalem and the Palestinian interior - 48 will be prevented from praying in Al-Aqsa under the pretexts of maintaining security.The Judaization steps for Al-Aqsa have gone beyond spatial and temporal division, and completed all Talmudic and Torah rituals to revive the spiritual Temple, where they practice epic prostration, with settlers prostrating on their faces, as the highest form of Talmudic and Torah rituals. They brought in black scrolls, prayer tools, and performed public and collective Talmudic and Torah prayers and rituals in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, and entered in white priestly robes, wore tallit and tefillin, blew the shofar, and brought vegetarian Passover offerings to the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, palm fronds, willow leaves, and dried citrus fruits, and tried to bring animal Passover offerings to Al-Aqsa, and also danced and sang in Al-Aqsa and held weddings and adult baptisms.Now they are moving to a new stage, the stage of actually building the Temple, preceded by the construction of a Jewish synagogue in the eastern area of Al-Aqsa instead of the Bab Al-Rahma prayer hall, and then they will work to demolish the Dome of the Rock Mosque and build their alleged Third Temple in its place.The implementation of the Judaization plan and project against Al-Aqsa, similar to the seizure of the Ibrahimi Mosque, which has become almost completely under Israeli control through its Ministry of Religions and settlement associations, we see its actual steps on the ground. When many rabbis say to hasten the building of the Temple, without waiting for the purification from the impurity of the dead, and when the first reading in the Israeli Knesset approves lifting the sanctity of Al-Aqsa courtyards and converting them into municipal courtyards, within what they call "achieving Jewish identity in the public space," and "legalizing" that, this means that the Islamic Endowments Department and Al-Aqsa guards will be prohibited from preventing non-Muslims from practicing their Talmudic and Torah rituals and prayers in Al-Aqsa courtyards, and whoever objects will be subject to arrest, expulsion from Al-Aqsa, house arrest, and other penalties, because they are public courtyards.So, the plan is to confine Al-Aqsa Mosque, defined by its courtyards, platforms, domes, above and below ground, to 144 dunams, only what is roofed of Al-Aqsa.In another striking development, incursions into Al-Aqsa are no longer carried out through a single path, entering through the Mughrabi Gate and exiting through the Chain Gate, but have become under the protection of the occupation army and police, using more than one path, by allowing settlement groups, especially military training groups, to reach the Dome Mosque from the northern and western sides, knowing that their Torah texts prohibit them from reaching the Dome of the "Holy of Holies."The minister known as the Minister of Jewish Heritage, Amichai Eliyahu, was present with his daughter at the Red Heifer farm near Beit She'an, where he addressed her saying, "We will work to build our Temple." Those cows were genetically bred and brought from the state of Texas, USA, and placed in a special farm, to reach the legal age of two years, and then one of them will be slaughtered in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, to bypass the decision of the Chief Rabbinate not to ascend to "Temple Mount," Al-Aqsa, without fulfilling the condition of purification from the impurity of the dead, as after slaughtering that cow, its ashes will be scattered after burning it with olive wood, on the largest number of rabbis, and thus we will be facing a "flood" of extremists storming Al-Aqsa, to become partners in the place, in preparation for controlling it.The ongoing expulsions and arrests against Palestinian citizens, and against the guards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, fall within the framework of a gradual emptying of Al-Aqsa of worshipers, and limiting the numbers allowed to pray, on the path to complete Judaization through accelerated Judaization steps.

The Palestinian issue is not a traditional border dispute between two equal states, but rather the result of a complex historical process that involved the emergence of a settler-colonial, racist, and replacement entity at the expense of an existing people and land. To understand it objectively, one must go back to the moment of its founding and analyze it from historical, political, and legal perspectives. First: Palestine before 1948. Until May 15, 1948, Palestine was an entity with a clear historical and demographic identity, under British Mandate since 1920, with the aim of paving the way for independence. There was no political entity called Israel, but rather an indigenous Palestinian society, religiously diverse and historically rooted, with a limited Jewish presence within the social fabric. Second: The British Mandate and the Balfour Declaration. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 constituted a turning point, as Britain pledged to support the establishment of a national home for Jews in a land they did not own, ignoring the rights of the Palestinian majority. During the Mandate: Organized Jewish immigration was facilitated. Political and military protection was provided to Zionist gangs. Palestinian resistance was suppressed, and social and economic structures were destroyed. Thus, the principle of self-determination, a cornerstone of international law, was undermined. Third: The Nakba. The establishment of Israel in 1948 was the result of an ethnic cleansing process: the displacement of more than 750,000 Palestinians. The destruction of hundreds of villages and towns, exceeding 550 towns and villages. Massacres were committed to prevent return.... This event formed the basis of the new state and made the question of legitimacy ongoing. Fourth: The Political Dimension. Israel did not transform into a normal state, but its project became a permanent racist system of control over another people, through the 1967 occupation, settlement, and the imposition of facts by force. The goal was to manage the conflict while maintaining superiority, not to resolve it and achieve peace. Fifth: The Legal Dimension: Israel's legal problems include: Violation of the principle of self-determination. Prevention of refugee return (UN Resolution 194). Settlement in occupied territories as a war crime according to the Geneva Conventions. International recognition did not grant legal immunity, but it reflects the balance of power. Sixth: Legitimate Criticism versus the Discourse of Annihilation: Criticizing the genesis of Israel and its policies does not mean advocating for exclusion or extermination, but rather for dismantling a discriminatory settler-colonial system and restoring historical justice. Distinguishing between individuals and the political system is essential for the credibility of the discourse. In conclusion: The Palestinian issue is the deprivation of a people of their right to land, sovereignty, and return. Israel did not arise as a result of natural development, but in an exceptional colonial context. Without addressing the foundational roots, any settlement will remain temporary and fragile. True peace is based on justice, recognition of rights, and correction of the results of historical injustice. This is represented in the right of the Palestinian people to return, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Dr. Mahmoud Abu Swei: The occupation's decision to begin registering occupied Jerusalem lands in the "Tabu" is an extremely dangerous step to re-engineer ownership and sovereignty in the city. Khalil Tafakji: Registering Jerusalem lands in the land registry is the final episode in turning the city into a Jewish one, thus transforming citizens into something akin to tenants. Mazen Al-Ja'bari: The danger of the decision is compounded because the main challenge facing many Jerusalemites is the difficulty of providing complete and acceptable documentary evidence to Israeli authorities. Dr. Ismail Muslemani: The occupation uses registration as a means to consolidate legal and political control over the land within broader policies related to ownership and presence in Jerusalem. Nasser Al-Hidmi: The decision allows the Israeli Land Authority to seize the share of any owner or heir if they are not in the country, paving the way for the seizure of the entire property. Exclusive to "Al-Quds" dot com - The recent decision by the Israeli occupation authorities to begin registering occupied Jerusalem lands in the Israeli land registry (Tabu) raises fears among many observers, politicians, and legal experts, who warned in interviews with "Al-Quds" that the decision goes beyond its declared administrative nature, constituting an extremely dangerous step aimed at the Palestinian presence in the holy city, consolidating Israeli sovereignty over it, and annexing it. This decision constitutes a clear violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, which prohibits the occupying power from making permanent changes to the legal and administrative status of occupied territories. They also warned that there are fears that the registration will work in conjunction with laws such as the Absentee Property Law, and other legislation already used to obscure the rights of Palestinians who were unable to provide modern proof of ownership. They pointed out that linking registration procedures to Israeli laws such as the Absentee Property Law and "State Lands" laws transforms non-registration or failure to complete proof requirements into a legal entry point for confiscating land and transferring it to the ownership of the occupation authorities or settlement associations. A step that goes beyond its declared administrative nature. Academic and lawyer Dr. Mahmoud Abu Swei says: The decision by the Israeli occupation authorities to begin registering occupied Jerusalem lands in the Israeli land registry (Tabu) is an extremely dangerous legal-political step that goes beyond its declared administrative nature to constitute a systematic tool for imposing Israeli sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem, and consolidating its annexation using legal tools. Abu Swei points out that the step is being applied to occupied land, which constitutes a clear violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, which prohibits the occupying power from making permanent changes to the legal and administrative status of occupied territories. He adds: It redefines real estate ownership in Jerusalem according to an "exclusionary" Israeli legal system that does not take into account the historical specificity of the prevailing ownership system. The danger of the decision lies in its direct legal repercussions. Abu Swei notes that the danger of the decision lies in its direct legal repercussions on the ownership of Palestinian properties, pointing out that thousands of Palestinian properties are based on Ottoman or Mandate records, or on the system of undivided common ownership and inheritance, or on long-term possession, which are types of ownership that do not enjoy effective protection within Israeli registration mechanisms, making the owner's inability to provide "acceptable" Israeli documents a legal risk in itself. He explains that there are fears that the registration will work in conjunction with laws such as the Absentee Property Law and other legislation already used to obscure the rights of Palestinians who were unable to provide modern proof of ownership. He points out that linking registration procedures to Israeli laws such as the Absentee Property Law and "State Lands" laws transforms non-registration or failure to complete proof requirements into a legal entry point for confiscating land and transferring it to the ownership of the state or settlement associations, instead of assuming that the right remains with its owner. He adds: This path produces a new legal reality in which the burden of protecting the right to property is transferred from the state, as an inherent and protected right, to the Jerusalemite individual who is required to prove ownership through complex, costly, and lengthy procedures, and in a "non-neutral" legal environment, which puts a wide segment of the population at risk of losing their lands de facto. Opening the door to the loss of vast areas of land. Regarding the implications of this decision, Abu Swei confirms that they include opening the door to a gradual and "legally formal" loss of vast areas of Palestinian land in Jerusalem, deepening the fragility of the legal status of residents, and expanding the basis of settlement under the guise of registration and organization, which directly affects the right to housing, stability, and a dignified life, and contributes to changing the demographic character of the city. Abu Swei says: "Registering Jerusalem lands in the Israeli land registry is not a technical or organizational procedure, but a dangerous tool to re-engineer ownership and sovereignty in an occupied city, and a grave violation of the right to property and the principle of the inadmissibility of acquiring land by force, which calls for urgent legal and human rights action at local and international levels, to expose this path, address its repercussions, and protect the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem." The occupation seeks to Judaize the city. Settlement affairs expert Khalil Tafakji confirms that registering Jerusalem lands in the Israeli land registry is the final episode in the process of transforming the city of Jerusalem into a distinctly Jewish city. He points out that Palestinian residents, under this path, become something akin to tenants of the Israeli government. He cites as evidence that the Israeli side treats this project as a legal reality, despite the existence of entire Palestinian villages that have not been registered and possess old documents dating back to ancestors, such as tax payment receipts and historical documents. However, Palestinian citizens are required to prove their ownership of the land by providing complex documents, including birth certificates of ancestors. Tafakji explains that many landowners have been residing outside Jerusalem for decades, either in the West Bank or abroad, which opens the door for the application of the so-called "Custodian of Absentee Property" law, where this custodian becomes the controller of the property, either by leasing it to residents, or by transferring full ownership to the Israeli government, under the pretext of not proving ownership or refusing to register the property due to the absence of required documents. Tafakji describes this step as the "final shot" in targeting Jerusalem, noting that about 87% of Jerusalem's area, within its municipal boundaries, is now under full Israeli control, direct and indirect, and only about 13% remains, which is the area currently at the center of the conflict. The danger escalates within the Old City. Tafakji adds that the danger escalates within the Old City, where estimates indicate that about 40% of its properties are threatened as absentee properties. Regarding the fate of Jerusalemites residing in areas such as Kafr Aqab, Tafakji says that Kafr Aqab residents are divided between those holding Jerusalem IDs and those holding West Bank IDs. Properties belonging to West Bank ID holders or Palestinian passport holders are classified as absentee properties, while they are not classified as such if the owner holds a Jerusalem ID. Tafakji confirms that the greatest danger in Kafr Aqab lies in the fact that a large percentage of landowners reside outside the country, either in the United States or in Arab countries, which gives the Israeli side an additional pretext to control these properties. Tafakji points out that if a citizen wishes to build a house in Jerusalem, they are required to prove full ownership, in addition to a comprehensive inheritance inventory. If it turns out that one or two shares of the property belong to a person residing outside Jerusalem or holding a non-Jerusalem ID, the property is included in absentee properties, which prevents its sale or purchase, and its management is transferred to the Israeli government, which begins to lease it to residents, becoming an actual partner in the house, with the possibility of expelling residents or transferring full ownership of the land or property to the Israeli government. The decision carries broader colonial implications. Writer specializing in Israeli affairs Mazen Al-Ja'bari believes: Israeli government decision No. (3792) regarding the completion of the settlement and registration of occupied Jerusalem lands in the Israeli land registry by the end of 2029, is officially presented as an organizational and administrative measure, pointing out that it carries broader colonial political and legal meanings; as it aims to register 100% of the city's lands within four years, with increased budgets (about 10 million dollars) and human resources and powers granted to the settlement committees. Al-Ja'bari emphasizes that to understand the current decision, it must be linked to the first phase that began in mid-2018 within a previous path included in a five-year plan that ended in 2023, and set interim goals of registering 50% of the city's lands by the end of 2021, then completing the remainder by the end of 2025, explaining that decision (3792) does not initiate a new project, but deepens and accelerates what began in 2018, meaning the expansion of the first phase and its transformation into a more comprehensive path to consolidate facts and impose Israeli sovereignty rules over East Jerusalem. Al-Ja'bari explains that the fundamental shift here is the transition from limited-scope settlements to a declaration of intent to finalize the ownership file at the city level, and this makes final registration a crucial moment, because it is not limited to documenting the existing reality, but may redefine who is the legal owner, the boundaries of the land, and the rights of heirs according to Israeli procedures and standards. He points out that the danger of the decision is compounded in the city of Jerusalem because the main challenge facing many Jerusalemites is not the absence of the right to property, but the difficulty of providing complete and acceptable documentary evidence to Israeli authorities, in light of the cessation of registration operations that began during the Jordanian era after 1967, and the remaining percentage of settled and registered lands being less than 10%. Regarding the practical risks for Jerusalemites, Al-Ja'bari says: They appear in two interrelated points: The first is that the settlement may include inhabited Palestinian neighborhoods that were not aware of the procedures in the first place. Examples from the first phase include the registration of lands on the western side of Sheikh Jarrah, known as Kubaniyat Umm Haroun, in the name of settlement associations. The second is that the new decision strengthens the partnership with the Custodian of Absentee Property and transforms him into an official partner in implementation, which opens the door for broader application of the Absentee Property Law to several properties, especially when there are heirs outside the city or outside Palestine, or when it is difficult to complete inheritance property files. Al-Ja'bari clarifies that the picture becomes clearer when looking at the results of the settlement process since 2018: about 50 basins covering an area of nearly two thousand dunams have been completed, with about 85% of the lands registered in favor of settlement neighborhoods or transferred to state ownership and its bodies, compared to only about 1% registered in the name of Jerusalemite owners, adding: This outcome indicates that the settlement as applied did not function as a mechanism to protect Palestinian properties or facilitate construction, but as a tool to redistribute land in favor of the state and settlement associations, by exploiting proof loopholes and the complexities of inheritance and historical ownership. Al-Ja'bari concludes that decision (3792) is a continuation and acceleration of what began in 2018, and transforms the land file into a documented decisive arena whose political and existential cost may be significant for Jerusalemites, stressing that in light of the difficulties of legal proof, the weakness of effective protection tools, and the declining effectiveness of relying on international channels in a turbulent international context, it is feared that the settlement project, along with collection and tax policies and linking licensing to ownership, will turn into a complex pressure tool: consolidating control over the remaining Palestinian land, raising the cost of staying, and pushing more residents into soft forced displacement, thus serving the goal of resolving the city's identity and imposing Israeli sovereignty over it. Deep political and legal implications. Writer specializing in Israeli affairs Dr. Ismail Muslemani confirms that the Israeli government has decided to complete the project of "settlement and registration of occupied Jerusalem lands" in the Israeli land registry (Tabu), a project that has actually been underway since 2018, and aims to document land ownership according to Israeli law, with a budget estimated at about 30 million shekels allocated for its implementation. Muslemani explains that this decision is not a purely technical or administrative measure, but carries deep political and legal implications, most notably the transformation of lands from an unregulated status to a registered status according to Israeli rules, in light of the fact that land registration operations in East Jerusalem stopped before 1967, which led to a very small percentage of lands remaining officially registered. He points out that Israel views this registration as a tool to strengthen its full legal sovereignty over Jerusalem, and to link it to a comprehensive Israeli real estate system, considering that the process is used as a means to consolidate legal and political control over the land, within broader policies related to ownership and presence in the city. Muslemani warns of real dangers threatening Palestinian residents, foremost among them the difficulty of proving ownership due to the absence of Israeli-recognized documents, and the reliance of the majority on old or unregistered documents, which may lead to the rejection of registration applications. In addition, registration procedures require complex legal files, approved maps, and costly legal support, which exceeds the capacity of a wide segment of the population. He adds: The Israeli legal system does not recognize full ownership rights until they are registered in the Tabu, which means that those who are unable to register their rights remain vulnerable to challenge and legal disputes, and may face the risk of the land being registered in the name of other parties, or being converted into so-called state lands, or transferred to Israeli or settlement entities. Serious economic and social consequences. Muslemani explains that this step may have serious economic and social consequences, including difficulty in obtaining building permits, a decline in the value of unregistered properties, and the possibilities of displacement or transfer of residents as a result of ownership disputes or subsequent administrative decisions, stressing that what is happening is similar to previous experiences in the West Bank, where property settlements practically resulted in the transfer of vast areas of land to Israeli control. Muslemani concludes his remarks by emphasizing that the decision goes beyond the issue of real estate registration, to constitute a step with wide political and legal repercussions, exposing thousands of Jerusalemites to the risk of losing their lands and rights under a legal system that does not automatically recognize unregistered ownership. The decision is not new, and what is happening now is a completion of its implementation. Political analyst Nasser Al-Hidmi says: This decision is not new, but what is happening now is a completion of its implementation. A few years ago, the occupation authorities took a decision obliging Jerusalemites, especially in East Jerusalem, to prove their ownership of the properties they occupy, and a new condition was added for obtaining building permits, which is that the plot of land to be built on must be registered in the Israeli land registry, with full ownership confirmed for the landowner. Al-Hidmi points out that the occupation authorities justified this decision at the time by the existence of encroachments and construction on lands belonging to other people, under the pretext of applying the law and protecting the rights of citizens, especially since there are major problems in registering many properties in the Israeli registry. Al-Hidmi explains that this law allows the Land Authority to seize the share of any owner or heir if they are not present within occupied Palestine, which practically paves the way for the seizure of the entire property. He confirms that this reality is the result of the occupation's policy since 1967, where the occupation authorities stopped registering properties in East Jerusalem, and also disrupted building and planning regulations in areas where registration was stopped, which deprived Jerusalemites of obtaining building permits, or made them extremely rare. He adds: This policy, spanning about 55 years, has led to the loss of many documents due to the passage of time, the death of a large number of landowners, and the transfer of ownership to heirs, some of whom reside outside occupied Palestine, which opened the door wide for the occupation authorities and the Custodian of Absentee Property to seize properties. Al-Hidmi confirms that the occupation authorities are now seeking to activate and fully implement this law, as obtaining building permits has become impossible without registering the property in the Israeli Tabu, which constitutes the core of the crisis currently facing Jerusalemites, especially in light of a decision that has a time limit ending at the end of 2029. He explains that a large number of Jerusalemites may lose the ability to prove their ownership, as a result of the death of the original owners, and the transfer of ownership by inheritance to people some of whom are outside occupied Palestine, or due to the loss of documents proving ownership, such as notary public powers of attorney, which are not recognized by the occupation authorities, and require official registration in the Tabu, which is a financially costly and time-consuming process, and may open additional loopholes for the Custodian of Absentee Property. Regarding human rights warnings, including those in reports by the left-wing "Ir Amim" organization, about the possibility of entire Palestinian areas falling under occupation control, analyst Al-Hidmi confirms that this path may actually lead to many Jerusalemites losing ownership of their properties, whether inherited or purchased with notary public documents, which enables settlement associations to control them.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that a US official said the new "Peace Council" established by President Donald Trump, reportedly aimed at resolving global conflicts, is preparing to hold a meeting in Washington in the coming weeks. According to a US official and an official within the council, the meeting is scheduled for February 19, according to an invitation letter seen by the newspaper, with officials confirming these details on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of diplomatic discussions. Although the council was presented as a "practical" platform to accelerate peace and reconstruction efforts (in Gaza), it has, since its announcement, caused a clear division among US allies, especially in Europe. France and several European countries have refused to join at this stage, reflecting concerns that the council might be an attempt to re-engineer the post-World War II international order, or to create a rival entity to the United Nations that grants Washington broader influence outside traditional balance mechanisms. The intriguing aspect of the "Peace Council" is not just its timing, but its political philosophy. The council emerges at a moment when confidence in the UN's ability to produce viable solutions is declining, and amidst a clear American desire to bypass institutional complexities. However, transforming "peace" into a platform led by a single state, with its president having veto power over some decisions, raises the question of legitimacy: Is the goal truly to build peace or to redistribute international power? Here, "flexibility" becomes a title for potential hegemony rather than bureaucratic reform. The original idea for establishing the council was linked to the reconstruction of war-torn Gaza, as part of a 20-point plan announced by Trump last September to end the war between Israel and Hamas. Information indicates that this plan helped pave the way for the ceasefire agreement negotiated in the fall with the participation of Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States. However, the council's scope later expanded, no longer limited to Gaza, but now speaking of "securing lasting peace in conflict-affected or threatened areas," as stated in the founding charter signed last month. This expansion does not seem like a minor detail, but rather an indication that the council may transform into a multi-functional political and diplomatic tool, dealing with conflicts according to different standards than the UN system. The charter includes a call for "a more flexible and effective international body for peacebuilding," a phrasing widely read as an implicit criticism of the United Nations, and a hint that the Trump administration seeks to create an alternative channel that can be more easily controlled. According to officials who spoke to the newspaper, in addition to another official within the Peace Council, one of the main goals of the Washington meeting is to raise funds for reconstruction. This reflects a clear trend to transform the council into a funding platform as well, not just a political framework. But this financial dimension, in turn, raises additional problems, as the charter stipulates that countries wishing to become permanent members are required to contribute one billion dollars. The condition of contributing one billion dollars reveals that the council was designed to be a selective club, not a comprehensive international framework. It limits participation and links influence to financial capacity, a model closer to major funding funds than to peacekeeping organizations. In the Gaza file specifically, this could create a political problem: whoever pays will demand to set priorities and perhaps shape the reality on the ground. Then, reconstruction becomes not just a humanitarian operation, but a tool to redraw the region's balances, and determine who holds the decision-making power in its future. The council held its first meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last month, where member states signed its founding charter. Reports indicate that more than 20 countries have joined so far, including Argentina, Hungary, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. This composition reflects a network of intersecting political and economic alliances, bringing together countries seeking regional influence, others looking for a larger position in the international system, and Gulf states that see reconstruction as an entry point for stability and expanding partnerships. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a member of the council, is the first head of government to publicly confirm his attendance. He said at an election event on Saturday: "In two weeks, we will meet again in Washington... because the Peace Council will hold its inaugural meeting." This indication gives the meeting a political character that goes beyond the technical aspect, especially with talk of other issues that may overlap with the meeting. France and European countries' refusal to join is not so much a moral stance as it is an institutional one. Europeans believe that any new international entity led by Trump could weaken the multilateral system from which they have benefited for decades. They also fear that the council could become a platform for normalizing world conflicts according to a narrow American vision, linking solutions to funding and political loyalties. Nevertheless, Europe may later find itself forced to deal with it if it becomes a main channel for managing hot files, such as Gaza or other crises. In the same context, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would meet Trump in Washington next Wednesday "to discuss negotiations with Iran." Although Netanyahu accepted Trump's invitation to join the council, he did not participate in signing its charter in Davos, leaving question marks about the nature of his actual role. Ultimately, it seems that the "Peace Council" is not just a technical initiative for reconstruction, but a political project that reflects the Trump administration's desire to forge new tools for international influence, amidst a turbulent global environment seeking solutions, but disagreeing on who has the right to define "peace."

The Israeli government, through its mini-cabinet, approved a set of decisions aimed at accelerating the pace of settlement and changing the legal and administrative structure in the West Bank. This step aims to strengthen the occupation's control over the civil life joints in areas that were administratively under Palestinian control, opening the door to a new phase of field and political confrontation.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in a joint statement, described these measures as 'dramatic,' emphasizing that they aim to remove what they called old obstacles to settlement expansion. These decisions include allowing Israeli authorities to directly intervene in civil affairs within areas (A) and (B), which represents a clear violation of the Oslo Accords provisions that regulated the administrative and security relationship for many years.

In the city of Hebron, the decisions included withdrawing licensing and construction powers from the Palestinian municipality and transferring them completely to the Civil Administration of the occupation army. This measure aims to facilitate construction operations for settlers and tighten the noose on Palestinian urban growth in the heart of the city, while establishing an independent municipal entity that directly serves the settlement blocs there.

As for the city of Bethlehem, the Cabinet decided to separate Rachel's Tomb complex from the administration of the Palestinian municipality and attach it to a separate Israeli administration that will handle all service and maintenance tasks. Observers believe that this step aims to isolate holy sites and historical landmarks from their Palestinian surroundings and link them administratively and securely to the Israeli system, which threatens the religious identity of the region.

The new legal package included the annulment of the Jordanian law that prevented the sale of land to non-Arabs, which paves the way for legitimizing the seizure of vast areas of land through suspicious deals or public auctions. Legal experts warned that this change would lead to Palestinians losing their private properties to settlement associations under a new legal cover.

Journalistic sources reported that the new administration, which will be formed under these decisions, will undertake extensive municipal tasks, including sanitation and infrastructure services for settlers, without any coordination with Palestinian authorities. This approach reflects an Israeli desire to create a parallel reality that nullifies the role of Palestinian institutions and transforms them into bodies without real powers on the ground.

These moves sparked a wave of widespread anger in the Palestinian street, with activists and bloggers considering them a 'silent annexation' and a transformation of the West Bank into a fully integrated Israeli colony. Observers pointed out that these measures are the culmination of years of economic tightening, land confiscation, and the fragmentation of cities through checkpoints and settlements.

Activists warned that allowing the occupation army to carry out demolition and construction operations within areas classified (A) and (B) practically means violating major Palestinian cities and undermining what remains of the Palestinian Authority's sovereignty. They considered these decisions a formal declaration of the end of the transitional phase and the beginning of the implementation of forced displacement plans for residents by destroying livelihoods.

In the context of field warnings, specialists pointed out that the majority of lands in Area (C) are not registered in the 'Tabu' (land registry), making them vulnerable to immediate confiscation under the new laws. Palestinians fear that this policy will lead to confining residents to narrow and besieged enclaves, pushing youth and families towards forced migration in search of stability.

National forces and popular movements called on the Palestinian Authority to take positions that go beyond traditional condemnation statements and move towards urgent international political and legal measures. Interacting parties stressed that silence on these decisions will be understood by the occupation as a green light to proceed with liquidating the Palestinian cause and transforming the West Bank into an integral part of Israel.

These decisions are dramatic and will change the legal and civil reality in the West Bank and remove old obstacles.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's former associate, is appearing today, Monday, before the US House of Representatives investigative committee to testify about the scandal that has shaken global political circles. This session comes as Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Texas, after being convicted in 2022 on charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors.

The hearing is scheduled to be held behind closed doors via video conference from Maxwell's prison, based on a subpoena from Committee Chairman James Comer. Republican lawmakers aim to clarify new details about the extensive network of relationships Epstein managed before his mysterious death in a New York prison in 2019.

Despite the importance of the session, Maxwell's defense team sent a preemptive message to the parliamentary committee, confirming that their client would resort to her constitutional right to remain silent. The lawyers explained that Maxwell would invoke the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution to avoid making any statements that could incriminate her in future cases.

These developments follow the US Department of Justice's release of massive amounts of documents on January 30, exceeding three million pages. These documents caused confusion and embarrassment for many public figures and political and economic elites whose names were linked to Epstein in one way or another.

For his part, Todd Blanche, a senior official at the Department of Justice, downplayed the legal expectations associated with these documents, indicating that they may not lead to new prosecutions. However, observers believe that parliamentary pressure aims to uncover facts that official documents may have overlooked or not clearly revealed to the public.

Maxwell's lawyers had previously tried to negotiate with Congress to obtain comprehensive criminal immunity in exchange for providing detailed testimony about Epstein's activities. After the committee rejected these demands, the defense considered the current session to be nothing more than a 'political play' aimed at exploiting the issue in the media without achieving tangible results.

In a related context, previous reports revealed that Maxwell had undergone a lengthy interview with Department of Justice officials in her Florida prison before being transferred to a less secure prison in Texas. This transfer angered victims and their families, who considered the move a kind of unjustified facilitation for Epstein's associate.

During her previous testimonies, Maxwell questioned the official narrative about Jeffrey Epstein's suicide, asserting that she did not believe he ended his life himself inside his cell. However, Maxwell refused to directly accuse any specific party or person of being behind his death, leaving the door open for speculation about the late billionaire's fate.

Maxwell also denied in her leaked statements the existence of the well-known 'client list,' claiming that Epstein did not document the names of his visitors for the purpose of blackmail. These statements contradict previous intelligence reports that indicated the scandal was used to blackmail high-ranking international officials in global and Arab capitals.

In a new escalation of the investigations, the parliamentary committee summoned former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton to testify separately at the end of this month. Investigators seek to understand the nature of the relationship between the Clintons and Epstein, and the trips the former president made on Epstein's private plane.

Bill and Hillary Clinton responded to the subpoena by requesting that the hearings be made public to the audience and media, instead of the proposed closed sessions. The couple justified this request by their desire to prevent Republicans from cherry-picking their statements or using them in misleading political contexts during the current election year.

Reports indicate that the Epstein scandal, believed to be linked to complex intelligence operations, reflects an erosion of the moral system of some Western elites. As documents continue to be revealed, experts expect more shocking details to emerge before the summer of 2026, which could change the political landscape in Washington.

The committee will not get new testimonies, answers, or facts, and the session is nothing but a political play and a waste of taxpayers' money.

Retired Major General in the occupation army, Yitzhak Brick, issued strong warnings about the future of the Israeli entity, indicating that escalating internal conflicts might prevent the state from reaching its hundredth year. In an analytical article published by the Hebrew newspaper 'Maariv', Brick affirmed that Israel is currently drifting towards a dangerous downward trajectory that unprecedentedly threatens the foundations of its strategic and social existence.

Brick, known as one of the most prominent critics of the military establishment, considered 'the enemy from within the walls' to be the biggest challenge facing the entity at the current stage. He explained that the rampant hatred and sharp polarization between right and left currents, and between Jewish and Arab components, have begun to tear apart the social fabric and permeate all joints of the state, making the internal front fragile in the face of any future storms.

The retired general stressed that this internal threat has surpassed in its danger external military threats and the missile arsenals possessed by hostile parties. Brick believes that the erosion of the social foundations upon which the entity was built necessarily leads to a weakening of national immunity, making talk of resilience in the face of the 'hundred-year barrier' highly questionable given the current data.

In the context of his criticism of the political reality, Brick attacked the current leadership, describing it as 'short-sighted leadership' lacking a comprehensive strategic vision. He accused officials of prioritizing their personal ambitions and calculations for staying in power over higher public interests, which has led to accumulated failures affecting vital sectors including security, economy, and the health system.

The report indicated that the impact of this leadership vacuum was not limited to the internal sphere but extended to Israel's international standing, which has begun to face a state of 'disgust and aversion' in international forums. This deterioration in the mental and political image has contributed to the phenomenon of 'brain drain', where scientific and technical competencies seek a stable future outside the entity's borders, fleeing the state of instability.

Brick concluded in his vision that the continuation of political and social tensions without radical treatment will inevitably lead to imminent collapse. He called for a re-evaluation of the approach to state management and prioritizing existential interests over narrow partisan conflicts, warning that time is running out for rescue attempts before reaching the point of no return.

Israel is rapidly heading towards an abyss, and the internal threat resulting from division has become far more dangerous than any external military arsenal.

Israeli occupation forces raided dozens of residential homes in the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, this Monday morning, carrying out extensive search operations that included severe beatings of several young Palestinian men. Field sources reported that occupation vehicles roamed the village streets amidst heavy firing of tear gas canisters towards citizens' homes.

Strict military measures in Al-Mughayyir village disrupted the educational process, as school administrations announced the suspension of classes to ensure the safety of students amid the ongoing incursions and deteriorating security conditions. This attack comes in the context of the continuous tightening of restrictions on villages and towns surrounding Ramallah.

In the vicinity of occupied Jerusalem, occupation forces arrested a number of Palestinian workers while they were attempting to cross the Za'im military checkpoint, taking them to interrogation centers. Simultaneously, Hebron governorate witnessed a raid on Al-Fawwar refugee camp to the south, where a young man was arrested after his home was searched and its contents tampered with, amidst an intensive military presence in the area.

Nablus governorate was not immune to this escalation, as occupation forces stormed the village of Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya and the neighborhoods of Al-Nour and Rafidia, in addition to the town of Asira Al-Qibliya. These raids resulted in the arrest of five citizens, at a time when the area is witnessing scattered clashes between young men and occupation forces, which continue their daily military operations.

Regarding settler attacks, groups of settlers attacked citizens' homes in the Masafer Bani Na'im area east of Hebron, in a provocative move that coincided with a visit by an international diplomatic delegation including ambassadors and representatives of foreign missions to the governorate. This attack aims to intimidate local residents and impose a new reality on the ground under the protection of the occupation army.

These field developments follow the approval by the Israeli Ministerial Committee for National Security (the Cabinet) of a series of settlement decisions described as dangerous. These decisions include lifting legal restrictions on the sale of Palestinian properties to Israelis, and giving the green light for extensive demolition operations in areas classified as 'A' and 'B' which are administratively under the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich affirmed that these measures represent a 'dramatic' shift in Israeli policy towards the West Bank. The decisions include transferring planning and construction powers in vital areas such as Hebron, the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque, and Bethlehem directly to Israeli authorities, thereby ending any Palestinian role in those areas.

For its part, official and popular Palestinian circles warned of the repercussions of these decisions, considering them the first actual step towards annexing the West Bank and undermining the two-state solution. National activities described these measures as a blatant violation of international legitimacy and signed agreements, and a direct threat to what remains of the Palestinian presence in the targeted areas.

The recent settlement decisions are the most dangerous since 1967, and aim to bring about a radical change in the legal and civil reality in the West Bank.

International press reports have revealed exciting details about the final hours leading up to the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 7, 2024. Sources indicated that Assad secretly left the capital Damascus for Russia, leaving behind security agencies and aides in complete shock, after having led them to believe victory was imminent until the last moment.

A comprehensive investigation published by "The Atlantic" magazine reported that Assad used deception with his closest associates, leaving a recorded official statement announcing his exercise of constitutional duties from the Presidential Palace, while in reality he was packing his bags to flee. This move sparked immense anger among his supporters who discovered they had been betrayed after years of defending the regime.

The investigation, prepared by journalist Robert F. Worth, painted a picture of a ruler completely detached from the field and political realities of his country. Sources from within the palace's inner circle stated that Assad spent long hours playing video games on his mobile phone, specifically "Candy Crush," ignoring military reports that indicated the collapse of defense lines.

The investigation touched upon controversial personal aspects, noting that Assad lived in social and political isolation, reinforced by a network of relationships within the palace. Media advisor Luna Al-Shibl played a pivotal role in this circle, described as managing aspects of his private life and arranging his contacts with women from within the corridors of power.

On the political front, documents revealed that regional countries and traditional adversaries did not wish for the regime's sudden collapse and offered Assad deals that would ensure his survival in exchange for limited concessions. However, Assad's stubbornness and absolute rejection of the principle of power-sharing led to the closure of all political escape routes offered to him.

Regarding relations with the United States, the investigation indicated that the Donald Trump administration in 2020 offered to ease economic sanctions in exchange for information about the missing journalist Austin Tice. But Assad personally rejected the offer, influenced by Trump's previous description of him as an "animal," a stance that was repeated with the Biden administration in 2023.

Internally, the Presidential Palace was in a state of absurdity, with leaked recordings showing Assad mocking his allies and his soldiers fighting on the front lines. At the same time, senior regime leaders were busy accumulating vast wealth through managing Captagon drug trafficking networks that flooded the region.

The investigation clarified that 2017 represented a false victory for the regime after regaining control of large areas with Russian and Iranian support. However, that moment was the beginning of the real collapse, as the state turned into an "empty shell" suffering from comprehensive economic destruction and suffocating international sanctions, with increasing pressure from allies to collect the costs of their support.

Intelligence sources revealed that Israel in 2019 considered supporting an internal coup to overthrow Assad, but backed down from the idea due to fears of the chaos that might follow the regime's fall. The regime continued to falter until the turning point in November 2024 with the change in regional attitudes and the beginning of the opposition's military advance.

With the fall of Aleppo and the withdrawal of supporting militias, regular forces began to collapse rapidly and flee from military positions. Assad, instead of confronting the situation, chose complete silence and turned off his phones, beginning an escape journey that included no farewell speech to the Syrian people or to his supporters whom he left to their fate.

The investigation recounts a dramatic scene at the moment Assad boarded the Russian plane, where his driver asked him in astonishment if he was really going to leave them, to which Assad coldly replied, asking why they didn't fight. This situation summarized the end of a quarter-century rule, characterized by arrogance and detachment from the suffering of the Syrian street, which was plunged into poverty and hunger.

The resounding fall of the regime was not only a result of international power balances but also a product of a distorted decision-making mechanism within the Presidential Palace. Assad relied on young, inexperienced advisors, which contributed to deepening his isolation and making him unable to grasp the magnitude of the risks surrounding the seat of power.

Today, observers and even former close associates of the regime agree that Assad has completely lost his legitimacy, even in the eyes of his family. The shift from loyalty to intense hatred was swift and shocking, reflecting the size of the gap between official propaganda and the lived reality within the corridors of power in Damascus.

In conclusion, "The Atlantic" investigation shows that the end of Assad's regime was inevitable due to structural incapacitation in state management and reliance on security solutions and drugs as a source of income. The silent escape on the night of December 7 was the final chapter in the story of a ruler who preferred video games and palace affairs over saving his country from collapse.

It is striking that almost no one today, neither inside nor outside Syria, still believes in Bashar al-Assad, even within his own family.

The pace of diplomatic and military movements in the region is accelerating following the conclusion of the first round of Iranian-American negotiations in Muscat. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his travel to Washington next Wednesday to meet with President Donald Trump. This visit comes at a sensitive time, reflecting Israeli concerns about the potential understandings between Washington and Tehran, especially after Trump praised the talks, describing them as 'very good'.

Through this early meeting, Israel seeks to impose its conditions on any future agreement. Netanyahu insists that the agreement must include strict restrictions on Iran's ballistic missile program and a halt to financial and military support for Tehran's allies in the region. Netanyahu is accompanied on this visit by the commander of the Israeli Air Force, indicating that military and operational coordination will be strongly present on the discussion table with the US administration.

On the ground, informed sources have observed extensive US military movements. Steve Whitkoff, head of the US negotiating delegation, visited the aircraft carrier 'USS Abraham Lincoln' stationed in the Arabian Sea. This carrier includes a strike force comprising over 80 fighter jets and destroyers equipped with Tomahawk missiles, reinforcing the US military presence, which has reached ten major naval vessels in the region since late January.

Media reports revealed air transfers of US forces to strategic areas including the Turkmen-Iranian border and Armenia during the past twenty-four hours. These movements coincide with the deployment of advanced 'THAAD' and 'Patriot' missile defense systems at about twenty US bases and positions in the Middle East, a step interpreted as preparation for confronting any potential military escalation.

In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi expressed cautious optimism about the results of the Muscat round, describing the atmosphere as very positive and representing a good start for a new diplomatic path. However, Araqchi stressed that his country would not relinquish its right to uranium enrichment under any circumstances, affirming that the US military buildup in the region does not intimidate the Iranian leadership, which is preparing for all scenarios.

Israeli intelligence estimates suggest that Iran may try to buy time through negotiations to obstruct any joint offensive plans that Washington and Tel Aviv might launch. Israel's Channel 12 believes that the United States has completed the first phase of reinforcing its forces and is about to enter a second phase that will enable it to launch a large-scale military operation if the diplomatic path fails.

Israeli demands that Netanyahu will carry to the White House include the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and the removal of enriched uranium from Iranian territory. Tel Aviv also demands the return of IAEA inspectors for surprise and strict inspections, in addition to limiting the range of Iranian missiles to no more than 300 kilometers, which Tehran completely rejects.

For his part, US President Donald Trump faces the challenge of balancing his stated preference for negotiated solutions with Israeli pressures and the on-the-ground reality that necessitates constant military readiness. Observers believe that Netanyahu's early visit may be part of a 'deception' strategy preceding sudden military operations, similar to what happened in previous confrontations between the two sides.

In the context of deterrence, the Iranian Foreign Minister threatened to directly target US bases in the Middle East if Iranian territory is subjected to any attack. Araqchi clarified that Tehran has the capability to accurately strike these bases, distinguishing between targeting the US presence and attacking neighboring countries, in an attempt to neutralize Arab capitals from direct conflict.

Iran possesses the largest missile arsenal in the region, with US national intelligence reports indicating the presence of ballistic missiles with a range of up to two thousand kilometers. This arsenal is distributed in underground 'missile fortresses' in different provinces, making it difficult to completely destroy them through limited air strikes, and making any comprehensive confrontation fraught with risks.

'Sejjil', 'Khorramshahr', and 'Shahab-3' missiles stand out as the most important weapons that can reach deep into Israel, in addition to the recent revelation of hypersonic missiles capable of bypassing air defense systems. These military capabilities make the option of an all-out war a major gamble that could lead to paralysis in global trade routes and energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the atmosphere of optimism that prevailed after the Muscat meeting, 'the fingers of both sides remain on the trigger,' as Iran continues to enhance its missile capabilities in parallel with the negotiations. The Center for Strategic and International Studies believes that Tehran has successfully recovered from the damage of the 'Twelve-Day War' that occurred in June 2025, and now possesses more advanced launch platforms.

The question remains about the extent of diplomacy's ability to defuse the explosion in light of the wide gap between Washington and Tel Aviv's demands and Iran's red lines. While the West demands the dismantling of the nuclear program and the reduction of regional influence, Tehran considers these issues sovereign and non-negotiable, putting the region at a dangerous crossroads.

The upcoming meeting between Netanyahu and Trump on Wednesday will largely determine the features of the next phase, either reaching a common framework that integrates military pressure and negotiations, or moving towards a field escalation that may begin with limited air strikes targeting vital Iranian facilities, a scenario for which all parties in the region are preparing with extreme caution.

Any negotiations must include limiting ballistic missiles and freezing support for the Iranian axis.

The Jeffrey Epstein scandal has transcended the boundaries of personal crimes to become a mirror reflecting what is described as the ugly face of modern elites who present themselves as protectors of democracy and human rights. The millions of documents and images that have come to light not only expose the direct perpetrators but also reveal an entire system of political and economic leaders who engaged in practices contrary to the moral and human values they preach.

Analytical readings of this scandal indicate that what has been published so far is merely the tip of the iceberg, as it is believed that much truth remains hidden. The coming period, specifically before this summer, is expected to witness new leaks that could lead to political earthquakes in several Western capitals, putting the current world order to a real test of its credibility and survival.

One of the most dangerous aspects of this file is the intelligence role played by Epstein, with reports suggesting he was an agent for the Israeli Mossad, recruited to collect sensitive files against influential figures. This systematic exploitation aimed to subjugate decision-makers in the United States and global and Arab capitals to political blackmail operations, which explains many controversial international stances on thorny issues.

The current state of global chaos and involvement in expansionist conflicts reinforces the hypothesis of the erosion of the system formed after World War II. The successive financial and moral scandals, including those affecting religious institutions, businessmen, and celebrities, reveal the falsity of claims of respect for international laws and confirm that the materialistic system based on profit without restrictions has begun to collapse from within under the weight of its crimes.

Ultimately, it seems the world is heading towards a major transitional phase that will not be in favor of the status quo, where the people will have the final say in rejecting this systematic corruption. The curse that began in Washington will not stop at the borders of the American continent but will pursue all related circles in Europe and the rest of the world, paving the way for the birth of a new world different in its values and balances.

Epstein was not just a businessman; he was a tool for collecting incriminating evidence against global elites to subjugate and blackmail them to serve specific agendas.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has transcended the boundaries of traditional military operations to reach what experts describe as 'academic genocide.' The occupation has made educational infrastructure a strategic target, resulting in the comprehensive destruction of all eight universities in the Strip, leveling them to the ground along with laboratories and scientific libraries that constitute the memory of Palestinian knowledge.

This policy was not limited to the destruction of buildings but extended to target the human cadres managing the educational process in Gaza. Statistics indicate the assassination of hundreds of university professors and lecturers, in addition to over a thousand male and female teachers, and hundreds of intellectuals and writers, in a clear attempt to empty society of its consciousness-makers and bearers of critical thought.

This systematic targeting has brought renewed attention to the term 'academic genocide,' coined by Palestinian academic Karma Nabulsi. This concept aims to describe policies of completely erasing the Palestinian educational system, not only in the present but by depriving future generations of any opportunity to rebuild educational institutions or resume the pursuit of knowledge.

Observers believe that the assassination of intellectuals is not a recent phenomenon or solely linked to the 'Al-Aqsa Flood' events, but rather a consistent historical approach by the occupation. For decades, the occupation has targeted cultural figures such as Ghassan Kanafani, Naji al-Ali, and Kamal Nasser, recognizing that the Palestinian word and narrative pose an existential threat whose impact surpasses traditional military tools.

Evidence indicates that the political stances of intellectuals, whether opposing or supporting Palestinian factions, did not provide them protection from Israeli targeting. The occupation treats the intellectual as a permanent enemy because they produce free and objective thought, which the settlement project seeks to eradicate to sever the chains of consciousness transmission between successive Palestinian generations.

The destruction of UNRWA schools, private, and public schools reflects a desire to keep Palestinian society ignorant and push it towards forced illiteracy. This brutality in dealing with educational institutions reveals a settler mentality that seeks to uproot national identity by striking its scientific and cultural pillars that distinguish Palestinian society in the diaspora and within the homeland.

Amidst this grim scene, the role of the intellectual and collective consciousness emerges as a final bulwark against attempts at cognitive erasure. The battle today is no longer confined to the military field but has shifted to become a struggle for cultural and educational survival, where silence in the face of the destruction of minds becomes complicity in the crime of genocide targeting the future of Palestine.

From the Zionist perspective, the intellectual is an enemy in all circumstances; because the essence of their role lies in producing free critical thinking that threatens the settler narrative.

Recently, questions have been escalating regarding what is described as the fall of the West's "moral leadership," in light of the stark contradiction between stated slogans and the reality on the ground. The ongoing war on the Gaza Strip stands out as one of the most significant indicators of this structural imbalance, where Western powers are accused of adopting double standards that crush the weak and justify violence under the guise of higher interests.

Observers believe that the current global system, dominated by political and financial elites, now lacks the necessary credibility to lecture on human rights. While severe sanctions are imposed on countries like Russia and Venezuela, other parties escape any international accountability despite documented widespread violations, including the use of starvation as a weapon in conflicts.

In a related context, the Jeffrey Epstein scandals have once again highlighted the moral fabric of the ruling elite in the West, after prominent names of presidents, princes, and officials were implicated in exploitation networks. This internal involvement, in parallel with supporting military operations against civilians abroad, deepens the gap between Western value discourse and actual practice on the ground.

Regarding American politics, recent statements by President Donald Trump to the New York Times sparked widespread controversy when he affirmed that he did not need international law and relied only on his personal convictions. This view reflects a new direction in the American administration that places power and interest above the established international norms that the West itself formulated after World War II.

In public testimony before Congress, Special Counsel Jack Smith made serious accusations against Trump related to an attempt to overturn the government in 2021. Smith indicated that investigations proved the incitement of supporters to storm the Capitol building, which endangered the lives of lawmakers and threatened the foundations of American democracy, which has long been presented as a model to the world.

For her part, writer Maureen Dowd launched a scathing attack in the New York Times, describing Trump as having destroyed the ideals that made the United States a beacon of democracy. Dowd considered that the global perception of Americans has shifted towards negativity, as they are now seen as aggressive and chaotic parties that disregard the Constitution and fundamental human values.

As for the Iranian file, the Muscat negotiations witnessed a remarkable development with the joining of Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of operations at Central Command, to the diplomatic team. This first-of-its-kind military presence indicates the exertion of pressure that goes beyond the nuclear file to include Iran's missile program, which Tehran has strongly rejected so far.

The double standards are clearly evident when comparing the Western stance on the Ukrainian crisis with its counterpart in Gaza, where Russia was isolated athletically, economically, and politically. In contrast, the war in Gaza continues for its third year without any international sanctions or boycotts of sports forums, which reinforces the feeling of a lack of justice in the current international system.

This new reality establishes radical transformations reinforced by the "Trump doctrine," which seems to be delivering the coup de grâce to the old world order. Instead of the rule of law, a system characterized by chaos and non-recognition of international treaties emerges, where relations between states are managed by the logic of power and ethnic and identity influence.

Analysts warn that the West's loss of its moral authority contributes to escalating regional tensions and threatens the security of allies in the long run. Overlooking human rights violations in certain areas while being strict about them in others encourages leaders to disregard international court decisions and diplomatic norms.

In conclusion, it seems that the world is heading towards a phase of political and value instability, where the moral scandals of elites intertwine with major geopolitical conflicts. The greatest challenge facing the international community remains to restore a lost balance in a system that now justifies killing the victim and defends the killer under the guise of self-defense.

I don't need international law; only my moral values constrain me.

The city of Sydney, Australia, is preparing today, Monday, for a wave of massive demonstrations organized by pro-Palestinian groups, expressing their categorical rejection of Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit. These popular movements come at a time when the city is witnessing an intense security deployment, as local authorities seek to secure the visit, which has sparked wide controversy in political and academic circles.

Australian authorities have deployed approximately 3,000 police officers across the country's major cities, describing the visit as an important event requiring exceptional measures. Security forces have been granted broad and rare powers, allowing them to search vehicles, disperse gatherings, and restrict access to vital areas, to ensure that protests do not get out of control.

For his part, the Israeli President began his visit by heading to Bondi Beach, a site that witnessed a deadly shooting incident last December. Herzog stated during his visit to the site that 'Jews will overcome this evil,' considering that his goal of the visit is to show solidarity with the Jewish community and strengthen its power in the face of what he described as violence and hatred.

In the context of the anti-movements, the 'Palestinian Action Group' called for a national day of protest, demanding that Australian authorities investigate and arrest Herzog. The group based its demands on reports issued by a United Nations investigation committee, which indicated the Israeli President's involvement in inciting genocide during the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

The opposition was not limited to Palestinian activists but extended to voices from within the Jewish community in Australia. More than a thousand academics and prominent figures signed an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, urging him to cancel the official invitation extended to Herzog, considering the visit unwelcome under the current circumstances.

On the ground, a dispute arose between organizers and the police over the main gathering place for protesters; while authorities urged protesters to gather in a public park in the city center, organizers insisted on demonstrating in front of the historic Town Hall building. Assistant Commissioner of New South Wales Police, Peter McKenna, affirmed that the primary goal is to ensure community safety, expressing his hope that coercive powers would not have to be used.

Herzog's visit comes in response to an official invitation from the Australian Prime Minister, following the Bondi attack that occurred during the 'Festival of Lights' celebrations and resulted in the deaths of 15 people. Herzog seeks through this tour to emphasize the strength of ties between peoples in the face of terrorism, according to his expression, despite increasing international criticism of Israeli policies.

In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his rhetoric towards the Australian government, accusing it of leniency in dealing with what he described as growing antisemitism. Netanyahu considered that this leniency was a direct cause behind the attacks targeting Jews in Sydney, criticizing Canberra's foreign policies.

Netanyahu revealed previous correspondence he sent to his Australian counterpart, warning that recognizing a Palestinian state contributes to fueling hatred against Jews. Netanyahu claimed that such diplomatic decisions reward Hamas and encourage entities that threaten the security of the Jewish community in Australian streets, accusing the government there of not taking deterrent measures.

The relations between Australia and Israel have been in a state of noticeable tension since August 2025, following Canberra's official decision to recognize the State of Palestine. Tel Aviv responded at the time by canceling the visas of Australian diplomats working in the occupied Palestinian territories, which Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong considered an unjustified response and a diplomatic escalation.

These developments reflect a sharp division within the Australian arena regarding the stance on the conflict in the Middle East, as popular pressure on the government escalates to take tougher stances towards Israeli violations. At the same time, the Australian government is trying to balance its security commitments to the Jewish community with its new political positions supporting a two-state solution.

Protests are expected to continue throughout the Israeli President's stay, amidst anticipation of the outcome of lawsuits filed by human rights groups against the imposed security restrictions. All eyes remain on how the Albanese government will deal with this dual pressure, both from internal popular opposition and from sharp criticism coming from Tel Aviv.

The bonds between good people of all faiths and all nations will remain strong in the face of terror, violence, and hatred.

The President of the occupation state, Isaac Herzog, arrived on Monday at the famous 'Bondi Beach' in the Australian city of Sydney, as part of an official visit aimed at affirming support for Jewish communities. Herzog laid a wreath at the site of a bloody attack last mid-December, expressing his solidarity with the families of those killed during religious celebrations.

Details of the incident date back to December 14, when a gunman opened fire on a gathering celebrating the Jewish 'Festival of Lights', killing 15 people. This symbolic stop by Herzog comes at the beginning of a four-day visit, through which he seeks to strengthen ties with the Jewish community in Australia and provide what he described as moral support in the face of security challenges.

On the legal front, Australian authorities are still pursuing the case of the young man 'Navid Akram', who faces direct charges of terrorism and premeditated murder in connection with the attack. Reports indicate that his father, 'Sajid Akram', was shot dead by police officers at the scene while they were attempting to control the situation and prevent further casualties in the crowded tourist area.

Coinciding with this visit, Sydney's streets witnessed unprecedented security mobilization, as Australian authorities deployed large forces to secure the movements of the occupation president. These measures came amidst escalating voices condemning the visit, as activists supportive of the Palestinian cause organized protests expressing their rejection of Herzog's reception, considering him a representative of policies of oppression and occupation.

Field sources confirmed that protesters raised slogans demanding accountability for the leaders of the occupation for crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, criticizing the official welcome he received. In contrast, Herzog stressed in his statements that what he described as 'evil' would not diminish the community's resolve, noting that his visit primarily focuses on confronting hate speech targeting Jews around the world.

"We will overcome this evil, and my visit aims to empower the Jewish community in the face of terrorism and hatred."

British press reports have revealed new and controversial details derived from millions of files related to convicted human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The leaked correspondence reopens questions about the nature of his relationship with the Israeli intelligence agency (Mossad), and the extent of its penetration into political and security circles within Israel.

Among the files were messages dating back to 2017, where author Deepak Chopra invited Epstein to join him on a trip to Tel Aviv, suggesting he use a fake name to enjoy his time there. Despite this friendly invitation, the responses showed a contradictory side, with Epstein firmly refusing the visit, expressing his dislike for Israel at that time.

In a related context, a report issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Los Angeles in 2020 indicated that a confidential source was fully convinced that Epstein had been recruited as a Mossad agent. The report claimed that the American financier underwent espionage training, benefiting from a wide network of connections including high-ranking academic and political figures.

Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law professor and Epstein's personal lawyer, emerged as a potential link in these operations. According to allegations, Dershowitz's circle included students from wealthy and influential families, among them Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, and his brother Josh Kushner.

Dershowitz, for his part, scoffed at these allegations, asserting that Epstein's personal nature made it difficult for any intelligence agency to fully trust him. The famous lawyer explained that Epstein would not have hidden such a matter from his legal advisor, considering these narratives to lack concrete evidence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu entered the debate, considering that Epstein's close relationship with Ehud Barak did not support the hypothesis of him spying for Israel. Netanyahu wrote on platform X that this unusual friendship actually indicated the opposite, in an attempt to distance the official establishment from these suspicions.

The documents show that Epstein himself was concerned about these rumors, as he asked Ehud Barak in an email in 2018 to publicly clarify that he had no connection to Mossad. However, the messages also revealed inquiries Epstein made to Barak about the possibility of using former Mossad agents for special tasks.

Financially, Epstein contributed to a $1.5 million investment in 'Carbine,' an Israeli startup specializing in national security. The correspondence included discussions about tax avoidance methods via Cyprus, which Barak described in one message as a 'dangerous and outdated' approach, suggesting other alternatives such as Luxembourg.

Epstein's interests in Israel were not limited to security and political aspects but also extended to the technology and real estate sectors. He sent himself several messages containing recent Israeli inventions and regularly followed auctions of the most luxurious and exclusive homes in major Israeli cities.

These leaks brought renewed attention to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate, and her father, media mogul Robert Maxwell, whose name had long been associated with Mossad. Robert Maxwell is buried in the Mount of Olives cemetery in Jerusalem, a status reserved for those who rendered great services to the Hebrew state, which reinforces theories of intelligence ties.

In a cryptic message in 2018, Epstein speculated that Robert Maxwell might have been assassinated by Mossad after threatening to expose the agency's secrets. This hypothesis aligns with what some authors have put forth in previous books, claiming that Maxwell was an unofficial agent involved in complex operations before his mysterious death.

Lynette Nusbacher, a former British Army intelligence officer, believes there is a great mystery surrounding the source of Epstein's enormous wealth. Nusbacher questioned whether some of this money came from government sources in exchange for intelligence services, although she admitted the difficulty of proving this definitively so far.

Despite Epstein's public attempts to downplay his relationship with Israel in his later years, his travel records and previous correspondence show a close connection. The messages documented arrangements for multiple trips between Paris, Tel Aviv, and New York, as well as requests for second passports to facilitate international travel without arousing suspicion.

Epstein's case and his box of secrets continue to raise concerns in global power circles, especially with the ongoing emergence of documents linking organized crime, politics, and intelligence. With each new leak, the conviction grows that Epstein's network extended beyond mere moral crimes to the depths of international covert operations.

These files paint a contradictory and often confusing picture of Epstein's relationship with Israel, particularly with its former Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Groups of settlers, on Sunday, carried out a new attack targeting religious sites in the West Bank, where they stormed a mosque located in the area between the villages of Kisan and Al-Minya, southwest of Bethlehem. Local sources reported that the attackers set fire to copies of the Holy Quran inside the mosque, in addition to tampering with its contents, stealing carpets, and cutting electrical wiring, causing severe material damage to the prayer hall.

The settlers' violations were not limited to desecrating the mosque from the inside but extended to the agricultural lands surrounding the building, where the attackers released their flocks of sheep to graze in the citizens' fields. This step led to the destruction of vast areas of trees and crops, as part of what residents describe as a policy of economic constriction pursued by settler gangs against Palestinian farmers in those areas.

For his part, the head of Al-Minya village council, Zaid Kawazbeh, affirmed that this attack falls within an escalating wave of systematic assaults targeting villages southeast of Bethlehem to terrorize the residents. Kawazbeh explained in press statements that violating the sanctity of mosques represents a serious provocation to the feelings of Muslims, stressing that the ultimate goal of these practices is to push citizens to leave their lands and expand the settlement area at the expense of Palestinian villages.

In an attempt to justify the incident, the occupation police claimed in a statement that the targeted mosque was 'abandoned' at the time of the incident, a narrative that the residents of the area refuted entirely. Residents confirmed that the mosque is fully equipped and connected to the public electricity grid, and the five daily prayers are regularly performed there, considering that the occupation's claims aim to downplay the crime and cover up the settlers' attacks.

Despite the occupation's security agencies announcing the start of search and investigation operations for those involved in setting fire to the holy books, the Palestinian street views these measures with much skepticism. Observers believe that the absence of deterrent penalties against settlers encourages them to continue carrying out their attacks, which have recently targeted water sources, private property, and holy sites in various governorates of the West Bank.

This attack is a systematic provocative act aimed at violating the sanctity of religious sites and restricting Palestinian citizens on their land.

A military base belonging to the occupation army in the Jordan Valley witnessed an unprecedented security incident on Saturday. A young Palestinian detainee managed to free himself from the iron handcuffs that bound his hands under circumstances that are still unclear, and began attacking the guards present at the military site.

According to Hebrew media sources, quoting the army spokesperson, the young man, who was arrested on suspicion of involvement in resistance activities, rushed towards a female soldier who was assigned to monitor and guard him immediately after he succeeded in breaking free from his restraints. The sudden attack caused a state of security confusion inside the military base, which is usually subject to strict control measures.

The confrontation resulted in the female soldier sustaining minor injuries, according to medical sources. She was immediately transferred to the hospital for necessary examinations and treatment. Meanwhile, another female soldier who was close to the scene intervened and fired directly at the Palestinian youth, injuring and neutralizing him immediately.

Following the incident, a state of widespread security alert prevailed within the military base, as security agencies and military police began extensive investigations. The investigation aims to uncover the security loopholes that allowed the detainee to break free from his iron restraints and move freely inside a fortified military facility, which raises questions about the efficiency of the guarding procedures in place.

This incident comes amid ongoing security tensions in the West Bank and Jordan Valley, where the occupation army is intensifying its arrest and raid campaigns. The Jordan Valley is considered a strategic area with a heavy military presence, making such security breaches within military bases an event with sensitive security implications.

The army has launched a comprehensive investigation to examine how the detainee managed to break free from his restraints despite being under strict surveillance inside a fortified military facility.

Hebrew media sources revealed that the Israeli Prison Service has begun taking practical and field steps in recent days, aimed at preparing to carry out the death penalty against Palestinian prisoners. These moves come after the Israeli Knesset approved in its first reading a bill that allows for the imposition of this penalty on those Israel accuses of carrying out or planning armed attacks against Israeli targets.

The logistical plan that the Prison Service is developing includes the establishment of a special and separate complex within prisons exclusively for carrying out death sentences, which the security system has named the 'Israeli Green Corridor'. Preparations include setting precise protocols for the procedures to be followed and training the human resources that will oversee the process, with efforts to benefit from the experiences of foreign countries that still apply similar penalties in their judicial systems.

According to leaked details, the proposed execution mechanism will rely on hanging, where three prison guards will simultaneously press the activation button to ensure the distribution of direct responsibility. It has been decided that the executing teams will be selected on a voluntary basis from among the guards, provided that they undergo specialized psychological and technical training to deal with these new tasks in the Israeli punitive system.

The sources indicated that the proposed timeline stipulates the execution of the death sentence within only 90 days from the date of the final judicial ruling against the prisoner. Israeli authorities are expected to first apply this law to members of Hamas's 'elite unit' who were arrested following the October 7, 2023 attack, before the scope of application expands to include prisoners convicted of operations in the West Bank.

In the context of international preparations, a high-level delegation from the Israeli Prison Service intends to travel soon to an East Asian country on an official visit aimed at studying the legal, organizational, and technical aspects followed there in carrying out death sentences. This visit aims to transfer knowledge and avoid procedural loopholes that might hinder the implementation of the penalty once the law is finally approved in the remaining readings in the Knesset.

On the international level, these Israeli moves were met with sharp criticism from United Nations experts, with 12 international experts warning of the repercussions of proceeding with this legislation. In a joint statement, the experts affirmed that the Israeli military law applied in the occupied Palestinian territories contradicts the principles of international law, considering the imposition of the death penalty an irreparable violation of the fundamental right to life.

UN experts clarified that the proposed bill is clearly discriminatory, as it imposes the death penalty for acts that may lead to death even if there was no prior intent to kill. They pointed out that the current wording exclusively targets Palestinians, which reinforces the system of legal discrimination practiced by the occupation authorities against the population under their military control in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The controversial bill stipulates the imposition of the death penalty on anyone who intentionally or unintentionally causes the death of an Israeli citizen for motives described as 'racist' or aimed at harming the state. This wording reveals double standards, as it allows for the application of the maximum penalty to Palestinians in the event of killing Israelis, while providing no similar legal mechanism for its application to settlers or Israelis who commit murders against Palestinians.

The bill represents a blatant violation of the right to life and constitutes systematic discrimination against Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Medical sources at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported, early Sunday, the martyrdom of a Palestinian and the injury of another citizen with varying wounds as a result of being directly shot by Israeli occupation forces. The sources stated that ambulance crews transported the victims from the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, located east of the city, where the martyr's body was placed in the morgue, while the injured person underwent urgent surgical interventions in the emergency department due to live bullet wounds.

Field data indicated that the targeting of civilians focused on side streets within the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, areas located outside the usual military concentration of occupation vehicles. This development points to an expansion of the field targeting circle to include the movements of citizens in alleys and residential areas that were previously classified as areas far from direct friction, which raises the level of danger to the lives of the remaining residents in those neighborhoods.

Local sources quoted eyewitnesses in the area as saying that the occupation forces stationed in nearby axes opened their machine gun fire intensively and suddenly towards everything moving in the vicinity of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood. Witnesses confirmed that the area had not witnessed any armed clashes or exceptional tensions before the incident, which reinforces the hypotheses indicating that the occupation is adopting a policy of field sniping to terrorize civilians and prevent them from moving between their neighborhoods.

This escalation comes at a time when the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza are experiencing a state of anticipation and extreme caution, especially with the recurrence of indiscriminate shooting operations targeting residential areas. This assault coincided with the occupation army issuing evacuation warnings for some buildings in the same area, which portends a new wave of systematic bombing and destruction of infrastructure and what remains of citizens' homes in Gaza City.

Occupation forces deliberately opened heavy and sudden fire towards any moving object in the area despite the relative calm.

The Palestinian arena witnessed a massive wave of condemnation and denunciation following the approval by the Israeli Ministerial Committee for Political and Security Affairs (the Cabinet) of a series of decisions targeting the occupied West Bank. Palestinian officials and factions described these steps as the most dangerous since the 1967 occupation, warning that they aim to impose a new legal and political reality that paves the way for widespread annexation operations.

The head of the Palestinian National Council, Ruhi Fattouh, affirmed that these decisions approved by the Cabinet clearly reflect the intentions of Benjamin Netanyahu's government to proceed with colonial annexation plans. Fattouh pointed out that these steps represent a blatant violation of international law and aim to create new facts on the ground preceding any potential political entitlements in the region.

Fattouh considered that the Israeli measures deliberately undermine the signed agreements, foremost among them the 1997 Hebron Agreement, which regulates the presence in the city. He warned that transferring planning and construction powers in Hebron and the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque to the Civil Administration affiliated with the occupation army is an advanced step towards emptying the agreement of its legal and political content.

For his part, the head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Moayad Shaaban, stated that the recent occupation decisions represent an escalation that strikes at the foundations of the international system and international legitimacy. Shaaban explained that these decisions add new layers of systematic crimes against Palestinian geography, threatening stability in the entire region and undermining peace prospects.

In occupied Jerusalem, the Governorate warned of the repercussions of these decisions, which it described as criminal, affirming that they are a desperate attempt to impose a colonial fait accompli through settlement expansion. The Governorate stressed that all these measures are null and void under UN Security Council resolutions, especially Resolution No. 2334, which affirms the illegality of settlements.

In turn, the Palestinian National Initiative movement considered that the Cabinet's decisions represent the final nail in the coffin of the Oslo Accords, as they practically abolish the Jordanian and Palestinian laws regulating the lands. The movement explained that these changes open the door wide for land plunder for the benefit of settlers by lifting the secrecy on ownership records and facilitating confiscation operations.

The National Initiative indicated that allowing the demolition of Palestinian buildings in areas classified (A) and (B) constitutes a radical shift in administrative and security powers. It affirmed that these measures effectively eliminate any realistic possibility of establishing an independent and geographically contiguous Palestinian state, and end any talk of a future political settlement.

In a related context, Hussein Al-Sheikh, Vice President of Palestine, warned that the Israeli government's decisions constitute a complete undermining of all signed international commitments and agreements. Al-Sheikh described these steps as a dangerous escalation aimed at dragging the region towards more tension and instability by closing all political horizons for the Palestinian people.

For its part, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) considered that what the Cabinet approved falls within a fascist settlement approach and a comprehensive war of extermination and ethnic cleansing. The movement called on the Palestinian masses to escalate confrontation at all points of contact in the West Bank and Jerusalem to thwart the Judaization and displacement projects led by the occupation government.

Hamas called on Arab and Islamic countries to bear their historical responsibilities and take practical deterrent steps to stop the annexation plans, including cutting ties with the occupation. It also called on the international community to exert real pressure to hold Israel accountable for its continuous violations of international laws and norms.

Reports had revealed that the package of Israeli decisions included the annulment of the Jordanian law that prevented the sale of land to Jews in the West Bank, in addition to transforming settlement outposts into local authorities. These decisions grant the occupation army broad powers to intervene in areas that were administratively subject to the Palestinian Authority under the pretext of building violations or protecting antiquities.

Observers believe that these legal transformations approved by the Cabinet on Sunday aim to bring about a structural change in the administration of the West Bank that will be difficult to reverse in the future. These steps come amid complex regional and international circumstances, which increases Palestinian fears about the liquidation of their national cause through a policy of imposing a fait accompli.

These decisions drive the final nail in the coffin of the Oslo Accords and represent the most dangerous colonial settlement transformation witnessed in the Palestinian territories since 1967.

The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Political and Security Affairs (the Cabinet) approved a package of dramatic decisions aimed at entrenching Israeli sovereignty and deepening annexation operations in the occupied West Bank. These measures included the annulment of existing Jordanian laws that prevented the sale of land to Jews, a step described by settlement circles as the most significant in decades.

Informed sources reported that the decisions included declassifying land records and publishing them for public access, which facilitates acquisition and direct purchase operations by settlers and Jewish companies. The Cabinet also abolished the requirement for a transaction permit from the Civil Administration, allowing real estate transactions in the West Bank through mechanisms similar to those applied within the Green Line.

In a notable field step, the Israeli government decided to expand supervision and enforcement powers to include Areas (A) and (B), which are administratively and security-wise under the Palestinian Authority according to the Oslo Accords. These operations will focus on prosecuting what Israel describes as water violations, damage to archaeological sites, and environmental risks, thereby giving its agencies a new legal foothold in the heart of Palestinian communities.

The decisions also included transferring building permit powers in the settlement bloc in Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian Hebron Municipality to the planning institutions of the Israeli Civil Administration. This measure aims to overcome legal obstacles previously posed by the municipality to settlement expansion and facilitate settlers' access to holy sites in the city.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced that this policy aims to ensure Israel's future in the region and strengthen settlement by removing all bureaucratic and legal obstacles. Katz affirmed the government's commitment to creating 'legal certainty' that enables settlers to live and build on an equal footing with the rest of the citizens of the Hebrew state.

For his part, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the era of treating settlers as second-class citizens under Jordanian laws has completely ended. Smotrich added that the government is working to normalize life in the West Bank and fighting for the land to strengthen its grip on what he described as 'the Land of Israel'.

In a related context, it was decided to revive the 'Land Purchase Committee,' which had ceased operations about twenty years ago, to undertake state-initiated purchase operations to provide land reserves for settlement expansion. The Cabinet also approved the establishment of a dedicated municipal administration for the Rachel's Tomb complex in Bethlehem to assume maintenance and service responsibilities away from Palestinian local authorities.

The Palestinian Presidency condemned these decisions, describing them as a continuation of a comprehensive war and an unprecedented escalation targeting the historical Palestinian presence. The Presidency warned in an official statement that these steps represent a practical implementation of displacement plans and violate all signed agreements and international legitimacy resolutions.

The Palestinian Authority affirmed that any harm to the Ibrahimi Mosque and the transfer of powers within it is completely rejected and could lead to an explosion of the situation on the ground. It called on the international community and the US administration to intervene immediately to stop these measures that undermine the two-state solution and threaten the security and stability of the entire region.

In a special statement, Lieutenant General Jibril Rajoub, Secretary-General of the Fatah Central Committee, described Israel as a 'state of neo-Nazis' seeking to erase Palestine, land and people. Rajoub affirmed that the Palestinian people would confront these plans with steadfastness and resilience, emphasizing that the time has come to isolate this 'rogue' state internationally and regionally.

Rajoub stressed that all Palestinian political factions are united in confronting this official terrorism and will not surrender to attempts at uprooting. He clarified that these Israeli policies constitute a blatant provocation to international law and a challenge to all countries of the Middle East and the international community as a whole.

Hamas, for its part, considered the Cabinet's decisions aimed at swallowing the entire Palestinian land and posing a real existential threat to the Palestinian people. The movement called for building a unified national response program to confront the war of extermination and the liquidation of the Palestinian presence led by the far-right government.

On the internal Israeli front, MK Ayman Odeh believed that the government is racing against time to impose strategic realities on the ground before the upcoming parliamentary elections. Odeh indicated that the primary goal is to definitively rule out the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state and prevent it permanently through intensified settlement and silent displacement.

The Council of Settlements welcomed the decisions, considering them the most important since 1967 because they enshrine de facto Israeli sovereignty. The Council stated in its announcement that the government has practically declared that this land belongs to the Jewish people, ending decades of legal ambiguity in the region.

These decisions express a clear policy based on strengthening Israeli control in Judea and Samaria, promoting settlement, and ensuring Israel's future in this land for generations.

Hebrew media sources revealed intensive diplomatic and military movements by Tel Aviv ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's anticipated visit to Washington. Reports indicated that an extensive meeting was held between American and Israeli officials, with its agenda focused on the war in the Gaza Strip and escalating Iranian threats in the region. These preliminary discussions aim to coordinate positions before the direct meeting scheduled for Wednesday between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.

During his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu seeks to extract strict American commitments regarding any future agreement with Tehran, where he will demand that the agreement include provisions imposing clear restrictions on the range of Iranian intercontinental missiles. Israeli demands also include a fundamental condition that all quantities of enriched uranium be removed from Iranian territory, to ensure that the regime cannot possess a nuclear weapon under any circumstances, which Tel Aviv considers a red line that cannot be compromised.

In a move reflecting the operational nature of the visit, Netanyahu is accompanied by a high-level military delegation comprising elite generals from the occupation army and prominent air force commanders. The presence of this military delegation at the White House aims to provide detailed intelligence and technical reports to the new American administration, emphasizing the necessity of continued unlimited arms support and air cover for Tel Aviv in light of the current security challenges in the Gaza Strip and other fronts.

Ongoing deliberations also focused on mechanisms to maintain what is called Israel's 'qualitative military edge' in the Middle East, ensuring that its military capabilities remain the most advanced in confronting emerging threats. Observers believe that this visit represents an initial test of the nature of the relationship between Netanyahu and the Trump administration in its new term, especially regarding how to deal with Iranian regional ambitions and the future of military operations in the Palestinian territories.

Netanyahu will ask Trump to include provisions in any future agreement that restrict the range of Iranian missiles and ensure the removal of enriched uranium from the country.