The Ministry of Interior in the Gaza Strip called on Friday on individuals involved in criminal groups linked to the Israeli occupation to take the initiative to surrender themselves to the security services as soon as possible, in order to settle their cases and facilitate the legal procedures related to their trials.

A statement issued by the ministry in response to the killing of Yasser Abu Shabab, who was considered the leader of the militias cooperating with the occupation in the Gaza Strip, who was killed on Thursday, stated that this end "is an inevitable fate that awaits everyone who finds himself involved in relations with the occupation".

The ministry affirmed in its statement: "We call on all those involved in these criminal groups that support the occupation to immediately surrender themselves to the security services, so that their cases can be dealt with in accordance with the law, and this procedure will contribute to alleviating the judicial measures taken against them".

The ministry also praised the positions taken by the families, tribes, and clans that declared their innocence of Yasser Abu Shabab, considering that the occupation formed these groups with the aim of implementing "its criminal plans that target our Palestinian people".

On Thursday, the "Tarabin" tribe in the Gaza Strip confirmed the news of Abu Shabab's death, considering that "his blood has turned a page of shame".

The tribe, to which Abu Shabab belongs, explained in a statement that his death represents "the end of a dark chapter that does not reflect the tribe's history or values", noting that he "betrayed the trust and was involved in cooperation with the occupation".

The Interior Ministry affirmed that "the occupation has not succeeded in undermining the unity of our people or the cohesion of its national fabric, or in creating any division in its social structure". It added that "the terrorist gangs created by the occupation with the aim of creating chaos internally remained completely isolated, without any popular or community support, until they ended up disappearing".

In July, the Palestinian factions in Gaza announced, in a statement issued by their joint chamber, that Abu Shabab "was recruited by the enemy army, and that its political leadership admitted to arming and activating him to serve its interests and protect its soldiers". The factions stressed that this group is "renegade and traitorous", and that it is "a tool in the hands of the usurping occupier, exploiting the presence of the occupation forces and relying on its weapons and under its protection".

A Russian official reported that a potential summit bringing together Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump may be held soon, coinciding with the conclusion of talks between Ukrainian and American officials in Florida aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, amid escalating field tensions and mutual shelling between Russia and Ukraine.

Yuri Ushakov, aide to the Russian President, confirmed that Moscow and Washington are making progress in negotiations related to the Ukrainian settlement with the participation of President Putin.

Ushakov pointed out that European countries are not providing the necessary assistance to reach a settlement on Ukraine, explaining that they continue to put forward unacceptable demands from Moscow.

The Kremlin had mentioned that Russia is awaiting a response from the United States regarding the talks that took place between Putin and representatives of Washington last week, without specifying a date for another meeting between Russia and the American envoy Steve Witkoff.

In a related context, the talks that took place in Miami, Florida, between Ukrainian and American envoys with the aim of ending the war in Ukraine concluded early Friday.

Ukraine was represented in these talks by the Secretary of the National Security Council, Rustem Umerov, and the Chief of the Joint Staff, Andriy Hnatov.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky explained in his speech yesterday evening, Thursday, that the Ukrainian delegation seeks to clarify what was discussed in Moscow last Tuesday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

On another level, the "Wall Street Journal" newspaper reported that European leaders had issued a stern warning to the Ukrainian President in recent days, during a phone call that took place last Monday between Zelensky and European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

The European leaders asked the Ukrainian President not to give in to Russia's demands without obtaining American security commitments, and the newspaper quoted European officials as saying that officials in the American War Department had prepared plans regarding possible security pledges from Washington, but no political decision had been taken regarding commitment to them.

Meanwhile, Macron stated today, Friday, that consensus between Europe and the United States is necessary to support Ukraine, adding that "there is no lack of confidence", and denied a report indicating that he had warned of the possibility of Washington abandoning Ukraine.

Macron added to reporters during a visit to China that "unity between Americans and Europeans on the Ukrainian issue is necessary, and we must work together to achieve this."

He also pointed out that they welcome and support the peace efforts made by the United States, stressing that the United States needs the Europeans to lead these efforts aimed at achieving peace.

Macron called for increased pressure on Russia.

In field developments, Russian media reported that the "Grozny City" complex in the Chechen capital was attacked using Ukrainian drones, and images showed a fire breaking out on several floors of one of the complex's towers.

In the same context, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency briefly suspended air traffic at Grozny Airport, before the airport returned to normal operation.

Also in Russia, the Emergency Center in the port of Temryuk announced today, Friday, that a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire in the port overlooking the Sea of Azov.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 41 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one over the Krasnodar region where the port is located.

The Ukrainian army announced today, Friday, that it had carried out long-range strikes overnight in Russia targeting an oil refinery in the city of Syzran and the port of Temryuk in the Krasnodar region.

In return, Ukrainian authorities stated that a child was killed and others were injured in a Russian attack targeting residential areas in the Dnipro province, after a drone attack destroyed a house and damaged other buildings in the province.

Ukrainian authorities indicated that Russian forces launched hundreds of attacks during the past twenty-four hours in the Zaporozhye province, including air raids and artillery shelling.

The Ukrainian army announced that it had shot down 80 Russian drones in various locations in the country.

For its part, the civil administration in the Kherson province reported that Russian shelling targeted infrastructure and residential areas, resulting in the injury of 17 people and damage to a number of buildings and service facilities.

Bedouin communities in the occupied West Bank are suffering from a marked increase in the rate of violence practiced by Israeli settlers, which has led to the forced displacement of residents and the emptying of these communities of their people. These attacks come in the context of a systematic policy aimed at tightening the noose on Palestinians and displacing them from their lands.

Residents of Bedouin communities complain that settler attacks have become almost daily, and include terrorizing residents, vandalizing property, stealing livestock, burning homes, and physically assaulting children and women. Residents say they live in a state of constant fear and do not feel safe for themselves or their property.

Eyewitnesses confirm that the Israeli occupation forces often do not intervene to stop settler attacks, but rather sometimes provide them with protection and help them implement their plans. Residents accuse the occupation forces of colluding with settlers in displacing Palestinians from their lands.

The escalation of settler violence has led to the displacement of many Bedouin families from their communities, in search of a safer place. Some families have been forced to leave everything they own and live in the open, while other families have resorted to their relatives in other areas of the West Bank.

Observers warn that the continuation of settler violence and the collusion of the occupation forces will lead to the emptying of more Bedouin communities of their residents, which threatens the existence of Palestinians in the West Bank and undermines the chances of establishing an independent Palestinian state.

Official data issued by the Israeli occupation army revealed a significant increase in suicide rates among its soldiers since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, as a result of the increasing psychological pressures they suffer due to the fighting.

According to the data, seven soldiers on active duty committed suicide between October 7 and the end of 2023, while 21 cases of suicide among soldiers were recorded during 2024. Since the beginning of 2025 until now, at least 20 soldiers have been recorded as committing suicide.

Before the war, the average number of suicides among Israeli soldiers was only about 12 cases, which shows that the rates have almost doubled during the past two years. The occupation army attributes this increase to the large expansion in the deployment of forces, including reserve forces, in addition to the exposure of many soldiers to violent combat confrontations inside Gaza.

Military sources indicate that internal analysis shows a decrease in suicides related to purely personal circumstances, compared to an increase in cases likely resulting from stressful combat experiences or field traumas. The Haaretz newspaper reported the suicide of a reserve officer from the "Givati" brigade after a psychological struggle that afflicted him following his participation in the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The newspaper stated that soldier Thomas Edzgusks (28 years old) was discharged from service in 2024 due to his psychological injury, and was undergoing procedures to be recognized as suffering from post-combat trauma. His body was found in a park in the city of Ashdod, after he left a message saying: "I am no longer able, I have committed unforgivable things, there is a demon haunting me since October 7. Please forget me."

The newspaper indicates that he had been suffering from psychological distress for about two years, and was receiving psychological and drug treatment. Experts believe that the case of soldier Thomas Edzgusks is not an isolated case, but rather an example of the widening circle of psychological disorders among soldiers who participated in the Gaza war, in light of the continuation of operations and the increasing field and moral pressures.

Families of former soldiers and specialized therapists continue to warn that the official figures do not fully reflect reality, as organizations concerned with treating those with post-traumatic stress disorder estimate that the actual number of suicides is much higher, especially among discharged soldiers whose cases are not counted in direct military statistics.

According to a follow-up by the Haaretz newspaper, at least 15 discharged soldiers have committed suicide since the start of the war due to psychological problems related to service, and 5 policemen have committed suicide during the same period. The newspaper adds that many of these cases remain "in the shadows" and are not officially recognized as victims of service.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been waging a genocidal war on Gaza, which has left more than 70,000 martyrs and more than 171,000 wounded Palestinians, most of them children and women. The war was supposed to end with a ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10, but Israel violates it daily, leading to the martyrdom and injury of hundreds. Israel also prevents sufficient food and medicine from entering Gaza.

Medical sources reported that a number of Palestinians were injured as a result of Israeli artillery shelling targeting the town of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip. This coincided with intense air strikes and shooting at the area controlled by the Israeli army inside the Strip.

The sources explained that a number of wounded were transferred, without specifying the exact number, to Al-Shifa Hospital in the west of Gaza City, following the artillery shelling that targeted the outskirts of the town of Beit Lahia, north of the Strip.

Several areas east of Gaza City, including the Al-Tuffah and Al-Shujaiya neighborhoods, in addition to areas east of Deir al-Balah city in the center of the Strip, and the vicinity of the areas where the Israeli army is still stationed east of the cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south, witnessed air strikes and heavy shooting from Israeli vehicles and aircraft. No further details were available about the nature of the targets.

The Israeli army continues to control the southern and eastern strips, in addition to large parts of the northern Gaza Strip, which includes more than 50% of the area of the Strip.

This comes in light of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and sponsored by the United States, which began implementation on October 10.

Since October 8, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been waging a war in Gaza, which has left more than 70,000 dead and more than 171,000 injured Palestinians, most of them children and women.

Israel violates the agreement on a daily basis, which has led to the death and injury of hundreds of Palestinians, and prevents the entry of sufficient quantities of food and medicine into Gaza, where about 2.4 million people live in catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

The Hamas movement announced on Thursday that the killing of Yasser Abu Shabab, whom it described as the leader of the militias collaborating with the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, is "the inevitable fate of everyone who betrays his people and homeland and agrees to be a tool in the hands of the occupation."

In a statement, the movement explained that the fate of Abu Shabab, who cooperated with the Israeli occupation, is the fate of everyone who accepts to be a traitor to his people and homeland, and an obedient tool in the hands of the occupation.

Hamas pointed out that Abu Shabab cooperated with Israel during its commission of crimes it described as genocide in Gaza over two years, which included killing, starvation and systematic destruction.

The movement affirmed that the actions committed by Abu Shabab and his gang represent a clear departure from the Palestinian national and social ranks.

Hamas also praised the position of the families, tribes and clans that disavowed Abu Shabab and everyone involved in attacking the people or cooperating with the occupation, stressing that this isolated group represents only itself.

The movement explained that the occupation's resort to employing socially and morally degenerate gangs outside the law, and using them as a tool to implement suspicious projects in the Gaza Strip, reflects the state of helplessness it has reached in the face of the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their resistance.

Hamas stressed that the occupation, which was unable to protect its agents, will not be able to protect any of its followers, and that the fate of everyone who tampers with the security of his people and serves his enemy is to fall into the dustbin of history and lose any respect or status in his society.

The movement affirmed that the unity of the Palestinian people with their families, tribes, clans and national institutions will remain the safety valve in the face of all attempts to sabotage the internal fabric, and will not be an incubator for criminal gangs or suspicious projects, regardless of who is behind them.

Earlier, Hebrew media reported that Yasser Abu Shabab was killed in battles between clans in Gaza.

The Tarabin tribe in the Gaza Strip also confirmed the killing of Abu Shabab, considering that his blood closed a page of shame.

In a statement published by the tribe, it stated that the killing of Abu Shabab represents the end of a black page that does not reflect the history of the tribe or its positions, noting that he betrayed the covenant of his family and was involved in associating with the occupation.

The "Yasser Abu Shabab - Popular Forces" group confirmed the killing of its leader, claiming that he was killed after being shot while in the field trying to resolve the dispute between the sons of the Abu Sunaimeh family.

The European Council on Foreign Relations had described Abu Shabab as the leader of a criminal gang operating in the Rafah area, and widely accused of looting aid trucks.

Last June, the Hebrew newspaper Maariv revealed that the Abu Shabab militia, which receives Israeli support with weapons, are criminals involved in smuggling and selling drugs and property crimes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted on June 5 that he armed militias in Gaza, claiming that they used force against Hamas.

Last July, the Palestinian factions in Gaza announced that Abu Shabab was formed by the occupation army and that its political leadership admitted to arming and operating him in its service and trying to protect its soldiers, stressing that this group is rogue and treacherous and a tool in the hands of the occupier.

Since October 8, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been waging a war of genocide in Gaza, which has left more than 70,000 dead and more than 171,000 wounded Palestinians, most of them children and women.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that an Israeli delegation held talks in Cairo, with the aim of discussing efforts to recover the remains of an Israeli soldier missing in the Gaza Strip.

A statement issued by Netanyahu's office explained that the Israeli delegation, headed by the coordinator of the Israeli General Security Apparatus, Brigadier General (Res.) Gal Hirsch, held meetings with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators concerned with the ceasefire file in Gaza, in order to secure the immediate release of the remains of First Sergeant Ran Guili.

The Israeli delegation included officials from the army, the General Security Apparatus (Shin Bet), and the Mossad, according to the statement.

The statement indicated that it was agreed at the conclusion of the talks to intensify efforts and accelerate the pace of work to complete the Shin Bet mission.

Earlier, Hamas announced that it had handed over the body of one of the Israeli prisoners, stressing its commitment to completely ending the exchange file within the framework of the ceasefire agreement.

In return, Israel stated that the remains that were handed over belonged to the Thai worker, Suthisak Rintalak, noting that the body of only one prisoner remains in Gaza, who is First Sergeant Ran Guili.

Hazem Qassem, the spokesperson for Hamas, affirmed that the movement continues to adhere to the ceasefire agreement, and that it handed over the body of one of the Israeli prisoners as part of the implementation of what was agreed upon, stressing that the movement will continue to work to completely end the exchange file.

Israel links the start of negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza to its receiving all of its prisoners in Gaza, after the Palestinian factions handed over the twenty living Israeli prisoners and the bodies of 26 prisoners, within the first phase of the agreement.

Despite the fact that one body of its prisoners remains in Gaza, Israel insists on its intransigent position on the file of the bodies of Palestinian prisoners, as there are 9,500 missing Palestinians who were killed by its forces, and their bodies are still under the rubble of the houses that it destroyed during the war, according to the Government Media Office in Gaza.

It is worth noting that more than 9,300 Palestinian prisoners are languishing in Israeli prisons, including children and women, and they suffer from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, which has led to the death of dozens of them, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights reports.

Since October 8, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been waging a war on Gaza, which has resulted in the martyrdom of more than 70,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 171,000 others, most of whom are children and women.

The war was supposed to be ended by a ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10, but Israel violates it daily, which has led to the martyrdom and injury of hundreds of Palestinians.

Israel prevents the entry of sufficient quantities of food and medicine into Gaza, where about 2.4 million Palestinians live in catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun announced on Thursday that the opening session of negotiations with Israel in the Naqoura region of southern Lebanon had laid the groundwork for future rounds of talks, which are scheduled to begin on December 19.

The Lebanese President also stressed the importance of prioritizing the language of dialogue and negotiation over the language of conflict and war.

These statements came in a statement issued by the Lebanese Presidency following President Aoun's chairing of a cabinet meeting at Baabda Palace, a day after a meeting that brought together civilian representatives from the Israeli and Lebanese sides in the presence of the United States in Naqoura, in an attempt to calm the border escalation.

The Lebanese Presidency indicated that President Aoun had informed the Council of Ministers of the assignment of Ambassador Simon Karam to head Lebanon's delegation to the Mechanism Committee, which is the committee concerned with monitoring the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel.

The President explained that this appointment came after consultation with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, due to the importance of negotiations in Naqoura and strengthening the committee with a civilian figure.

The Presidency affirmed that the first session was a prelude to later sessions that will begin on the 19th of this month, stressing the need to prioritize negotiation instead of war.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his deep appreciation to China, praising its provision of $100 million in humanitarian aid to the State of Palestine, considering it a reflection of human and moral solidarity with the Palestinian people in light of the challenges and Israeli attacks they face.

This came in a letter of thanks and appreciation sent by President Abbas to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, following China's announcement of this valuable assistance aimed at alleviating the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, in addition to supporting early recovery and reconstruction programs in the affected sector.

President Abbas affirmed in his letter that this generous Chinese initiative embodies China's authentic and steadfast positions in supporting right and justice, and reflects the depth of human and moral solidarity shown by the Chinese leadership towards the Palestinian people, who are suffering from unprecedented aggression and humanitarian suffering.

The Palestinian President stressed the importance of the role that China plays in supporting the rights of the Palestinian people and strengthening their steadfastness on their land, in addition to alleviating the effects of the continuous Israeli attacks and aggressive occupation policies, as well as the practices of settlers in the occupied West Bank.

President Abbas considered that Chinese support in this delicate circumstance reflects the strength of the historical friendship relations between the two countries and peoples, and affirms the Chinese leadership's keenness to strengthen these relations and expand the horizons of cooperation and partnership in a way that serves the common interests of both parties, and contributes to promoting peace and stability in the region.

It is noteworthy that Israel, with the support of the United States, has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. This war has so far resulted in the death of more than 37,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 85,000 others, the majority of whom are children and women, in addition to massive destruction of infrastructure and property.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on October 10, 2025, was supposed to end the war, but Israel violates it daily, leading to the death and injury of hundreds of Palestinians.

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced the martyrdom of 366 Palestinians and the injury of 938 others as a result of violations committed by the Israeli army since the ceasefire agreement came into effect.

Since October 8, 2023, and for two years, Israel has been waging a war of genocide in Gaza, and continues to violate the agreement that began on October 10 last year.

The ministry explained in a statement that hospitals in the Gaza Strip received 8 martyrs (6 new cases and the retrieval of two bodies) and 16 injuries during the past twenty-four hours.

The statement stated that since the start of the ceasefire, the total number of martyrs has reached 366 martyrs, 938 injuries, in addition to the retrieval of 619 bodies.

According to ministry statistics, the death toll from the Israeli aggression has risen to 70,125 martyrs and 171,015 injuries since the beginning of the genocide.

The ministry confirmed that a number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, with the difficulty of ambulance and civil defense crews reaching them due to the massive destruction and lack of necessary equipment.

In addition to the human losses, most of whom are children and women, Israel has caused widespread destruction in Gaza, with the United Nations estimating the cost of reconstruction at about $70 billion.

In addition to the continuous bombing, Israel violates the agreement by preventing sufficient quantities of food and medicine from entering the besieged Gaza Strip, where about 2.4 million Palestinians live in catastrophic conditions.

Palestine expressed on Thursday its welcome for the final statement issued by the Manama Summit, stressing that the positions of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries represent a fundamental pillar for protecting the Palestinian cause and enhancing the ability of the Palestinian people to persevere.

The official spokesman for the Palestinian Presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, stated in a statement published by the official news agency, that the Palestinian leadership highly values the firm positions taken by the sisterly countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Abu Rudeineh pointed out that this support reflects the firm historical commitment to supporting the Palestinian people, and embodies the depth of Arab affiliation with Palestine in various regional and international forums.

He also explained that the Gulf positions are a solid foundation for protecting the Palestinian cause and strengthening the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in the face of the occupation's policies and its continuous measures.

Abu Rudeineh affirmed that the Palestinian people will continue their legitimate struggle to achieve their inalienable national rights, with the support and assistance of the Arab countries, foremost among which are the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

He added that the Gulf positions are consistent with the vision of the State of Palestine, which calls for consolidating the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and moving to the reconstruction phase.

According to the official spokesman, these positions are also consistent with the necessity of starting a political path based on international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, with the aim of ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

It is worth mentioning that the forty-sixth Gulf Summit was held on Wednesday in the Bahraini capital, Manama, with the participation of leaders and representatives of the six member states of the Council, namely the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Kuwait, the State of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The final statement of the summit affirmed the centrality of the Palestinian issue, and stressed the necessity of establishing an independent Palestinian state on the borders of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The summit also affirmed its support for international efforts aimed at consolidating the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, facilitating the arrival of humanitarian aid, and moving to the reconstruction phase.

An official report issued in Israel revealed the deteriorating living conditions of Palestinian prisoners inside prisons, where they suffer from a severe shortage of food, severe overcrowding, and deteriorating health conditions.

The report, prepared by the Public Defender's Office of the Israeli Ministry of Justice and published on Thursday, was based on visits made by representatives of the office to a number of prisons.

The Public Defender's Office concluded that "the detention conditions of security prisoners (Palestinians) have deteriorated significantly since October 2023."

The office pointed out that "after the outbreak of the war, the police put in place a meager food menu for security prisoners," according to the "Haaretz" newspaper.

The report explained that this situation "caused them severe hunger, which is manifested in severe weight loss and phenomena including severe physical weakness and fainting."

In addition, the Public Defender's Office stated that "the increase in the number of prisoners and detainees has exacerbated the problem of overcrowding in prisons."

The report indicated that "as a result, 90 percent of prisoners are held in living areas of less than three square meters, and thousands of them do not have beds to sleep on."

The Israeli occupation forces launched a series of airstrikes and artillery shelling targeting various areas in the southern and northern Gaza Strip early this Thursday morning, coinciding with demolition operations and the destruction of buildings, and heavy firing in the areas they are invading inside the Strip, following an attack carried out by drones that led to the death of five Palestinians in Khan Yunis.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warplanes carried out several raids targeting areas east of the cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis in the southern Strip, while at least one other raid targeted the town of Beit Lahia, located in the northern Strip.

The aerial bombardment coincided with heavy artillery shelling and firing from military helicopters on areas north and east of Khan Yunis, while the occupation forces carried out widespread demolition operations of homes and facilities in the eastern areas of Gaza City.

Eyewitnesses confirmed the fall of artillery shells on the Shuja'iyya and Tuffah neighborhoods, located east of Gaza City, and heavy gunfire was heard from Israeli military vehicles stationed in the eastern area of Gaza.

On Wednesday evening, five Palestinians, including two children, were killed and others were injured as a result of shelling carried out by Israeli drones targeting displaced persons' tents in the western area of Khan Yunis, in a new violation of the ceasefire agreement.

This military escalation comes shortly after threats made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following his army's announcement that five of its soldiers were injured in clashes with Palestinian resistance fighters who they claimed "came out of a tunnel in the city of Rafah" in the southern Gaza Strip.

The Government Media Office in Gaza confirmed that the Israeli occupation forces have violated the ceasefire agreement, which began implementation on October 10, hundreds of times, resulting in the death and injury of hundreds of Palestinians.

The Israeli military operations that began on October 8, 2023, and lasted for two years resulted in the death of more than 70,000 Palestinians and the injury of about 171,000, most of them children and women, in addition to massive destruction of infrastructure, with the United Nations estimating the cost of reconstruction at about $70 billion.

Cairo denied Israeli claims of coordination with it to open the Rafah crossing for Palestinians to exit Gaza, and warned against displacement.

Israel has occupied the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing since May 2024, leading to a major humanitarian crisis.

Egypt affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement, including operating the crossing in both directions to receive the wounded and the return of Palestinians.

On Wednesday evening, two Palestinians were injured in raids by the Israeli army in various areas of the West Bank, according to government media.

The Voice of Palestine radio said that a young man was wounded in the face as a result of an Israeli army attack on him in the northern West Bank.

It explained that the occupation soldiers assaulted the young man, Rabih Fshafsheh, after his arrest from the town of Misliya, south of the city of Jenin.

In the southern West Bank, activist Osama Makhamra said that soldiers in the Israeli army detained Jihad al-Nawajaa, head of the Susya village council, and assaulted him, causing him to suffer a broken chest.

In the central West Bank, the official radio reported that the Israeli army opened fire on a young man near the town of Anata, northeast of occupied Jerusalem.

The radio indicated the storming of various areas in the West Bank, including the city of Al-Bireh, the village of Rammun, the town of Hizma, the Al-Far'a camp, the towns of Anza and Mithalun, and the village of Sira.

The army also sent military reinforcements towards the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, according to eyewitnesses.

Several governorates in the West Bank have witnessed an escalation in Israeli military operations in recent days, as the army closes the entrances to towns and searches others.

The Israeli army and settlers continue their attacks and escalation in the West Bank since the start of the war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the killing of at least 1,087 Palestinians.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties, an activist group, has filed a complaint accusing Microsoft of violating the European Union's data protection law.

Bloomberg News reported that the group based its complaint on assertions from company employees that Microsoft helped remove evidence of the extensive surveillance practiced by the occupation against Palestinians from data centers located within the continent.

The complaint, submitted by the group according to Bloomberg, also called on the Data Protection Commission in Ireland to investigate Microsoft's handling of Israeli military and government data and to stop these practices if they are illegal.

The group filed the complaint in Ireland, where Microsoft's European headquarters are located.

Local regulators are responsible for enforcing the EU's data protection law.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties filed the complaint, which cites information obtained from whistleblowers within Microsoft, with the support of the "Eko" organization, a lobbying group that works to hold major technology companies accountable on social issues.

The complaint stated that the transfer of data weakened Ireland's ability to oversee data classified as sensitive under the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe, one of the most stringent privacy laws in the world.

In August, Microsoft announced an urgent external investigation after reports revealed that the Israeli army was using its technologies to mass monitor Palestinians.

The company clarified that the use of the Azure platform to store the daily calls of millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank is a violation of its terms of service.

The new investigation comes after a report published by The Guardian in cooperation with +972 Magazine and Local Call, which revealed that the Israeli intelligence unit 8200 relied on a dedicated and separate area within Azure to store recordings of telephone calls of Palestinian citizens.

Microsoft confirmed, according to a report by The Guardian, that any use of Azure to store call data obtained through "mass or large-scale surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank" is prohibited under its terms.

The investigation will be conducted by a team of lawyers at the American Covington & Burling office.

The technology giant is facing increasing pressure from employee groups, such as the "No Azure for Apartheid" campaign, which accuses the company of "complicity in genocide and apartheid," and demands that it cut all ties with the Israeli army and disclose this publicly.

The recent report raised concerns among Microsoft's executive management that some of its employees in Israel may have concealed information about how Unit 8200 used Azure during the initial investigation, the results of which were announced in May and confirmed at the time that there was no evidence that the army violated the terms of service or targeted Palestinians via Azure.

The Israeli army claimed, on Wednesday evening, to have targeted a member of Hamas in the Gaza Strip during its attack on Khan Yunis, while its radio claimed that the attack 'was targeting a senior official in the Rafah Brigade of Hamas'.

This comes after the Israeli army killed, earlier on Wednesday evening, 5 Palestinians, including two children, and wounded others, as a result of shelling by Israeli drones targeting displaced persons' tents west of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, in a new violation of the ceasefire.

This new violation came after Israel claimed, on Wednesday evening, that 5 of its soldiers were wounded, one of them seriously, in clashes with Palestinian fighters who it said 'came out of a tunnel in Rafah' south of the Gaza Strip.

Commenting on this news, Netanyahu threatened in a statement from his office to escalate attacks on Gaza in response to the incident in Rafah, claiming that 'Hamas continues to violate the ceasefire agreement and commit terrorist acts against our forces'.

He went on to threaten: 'Our policy is clear: Israel will not tolerate any harm to its soldiers, and will respond to it accordingly'.

The Israeli army claimed in a statement that it attacked, under the direction of military intelligence (Aman) and the General Security Apparatus (Shin Bet), and through the Air Force, a Hamas fighter in the southern Gaza Strip.

The army radio also claimed that the attack 'was targeting a senior official in the Rafah Brigade of Hamas' without further details.

Earlier on Wednesday, the official Hebrew Broadcasting Corporation said: 'The Air Force is bombing Khan Yunis after the Rafah incident and Netanyahu's threat'.

For its part, the Israeli army radio said: 'It seems that the Israeli response has begun', to what it called 'Hamas' violation of the ceasefire agreement'.

It pointed to Israeli raids in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis.

Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, the mediators of the ceasefire agreement that entered into force on October 10, in addition to the United States, tried to reach a settlement for the exit of dozens of 'Hamas' fighters from the Rafah tunnels to areas not occupied by the Israeli army.

But Israel, the occupying power in the Palestinian territories, continues its intransigence and insists on the need for their surrender, which they refused.

In a related context, Channel 12 Hebrew (private) said that Netanyahu held, following the Rafah incident, 'a meeting with the security leadership, in which they discussed the Israeli response'.

It explained that the meeting included Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and other officials in the Israeli army and the security establishment.

According to the channel, Zamir explained during the meeting that 'the incident cannot be ignored', adding: 'It is unreasonable for saboteurs to come out of tunnels they were trapped inside, and while fleeing to hideouts, they carry out operations against Israeli army soldiers in the area'.

The channel quoted an unnamed Israeli official as claiming that 'this is a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement. We are coordinating with the Americans on this issue, and we have made clear to them the seriousness of the matter'.

Earlier on Wednesday, Channel 14 Hebrew, a private channel, reported that clashes broke out between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces in Rafah.

It added that the clashes broke out when 3 fighters came out of a tunnel in Rafah and fired anti-armor missiles at the Israeli forces.

It continued: 'Our forces responded by firing from attack helicopters'.

According to the channel, 'a face-to-face clash then broke out, resulting in the killing of two militants, while the third stuck an explosive device on a Namer armored vehicle and then fled back to the tunnel from which he came', without further details.

In a related context, the official Hebrew Broadcasting Corporation said that 3 fighters 'came out of a tunnel in Rafah, opened fire on Israeli army forces, and stuck an explosive device on a Namer armored vehicle'.

It added: 'The Israeli soldiers killed two of them, and an Israeli helicopter attacked the areas to which the other fled'.

For days, Hebrew media have been saying that about 200 'Hamas' fighters are trapped in a tunnel in Rafah, and Tel Aviv has not yet responded to the movement's and mediators' demands to allow them safe passage to areas under the movement's control in the Strip.

A ceasefire agreement reached under US auspices was supposed to end the war of extermination waged by Israel on Gaza, which left more than 70,000 Palestinians dead and 170,000 wounded, most of them children and women, but Israel violates it daily, killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump said that the second phase of the Gaza agreement "will begin soon." Axios correspondent Barak Ravid quoted Trump in a tweet on his X platform account as saying that "the second phase of the Gaza agreement is moving forward... and will be implemented soon."

For his part, Netanyahu renewed his threat to Hamas, saying that the second phase aims to disarm the movement and make Gaza without weapons, explaining, "I think there is a third goal, which is to de-radicalize the residents of Gaza."

In return, Hamas renewed its demand to the mediators and guarantor countries of the Gaza agreement to "restrain the occupation and not allow Netanyahu to evade the agreement and stop bombing civilians," considering that "the occupation's bombing of displaced persons' tents in Khan Yunis is a war crime and a disregard for the ceasefire agreement."

Netanyahu's office announced last Monday that Trump had extended an invitation to the Israeli Prime Minister during a phone call to hold a meeting soon at the White House, which may be on December 26.

The Kuwait Specialized Hospital in Gaza reported the death of five people, including two children, in a bombing by Israeli drones on displaced persons' tents in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis.

Earlier, Israeli drones launched four raids west of Khan Yunis city in the southern Gaza Strip, resulting in injuries.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation stated that the raids on Khan Yunis come in the wake of the Rafah incident, in which four soldiers from the Golani Brigade and the Gaza Division were injured, one of them seriously, in clashes with resistance fighters in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army said that the injuries in the Golani Brigade and the Gaza Division occurred in confrontations with gunmen who emerged from a tunnel in eastern Rafah.

Since taking office for his second term, Trump has provided strong support for Israel, which has been waging a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 8, 2023, resulting in more than 70,000 martyrs and about 171,000 injured Palestinians, most of them children and women.

Syrian authorities said that forces of the Israeli occupation army carried out 3 incursions yesterday evening, Wednesday, in a number of villages in the southern Quneitra countryside, southwest of the country, in a new disregard for US President Donald Trump's calls for de-escalation.

The Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported that an occupation patrol infiltrated from the Al-Adnaniyah point towards the villages of the southern Quneitra countryside, where it was stationed in the village of Umm Azam at the crossroads leading to the villages of Al-Mushairfa and Al-Saeeda and to the village of Ruwayhina, and set up a temporary checkpoint.

Earlier on Wednesday, Al Jazeera's correspondent quoted local sources as saying that an occupation drone targeted the Tal Bat al-Ward area in the vicinity of the town of Beit Jann in the Damascus countryside with three missiles, hitting vacant land without causing any casualties.

Last Friday, an Israeli patrol infiltrated the town of Beit Jann in the Damascus countryside, south of Syria, which led to an armed clash with the residents, resulting in the injury of 6 Israeli soldiers, including 3 officers.

Following that, Israel committed a massacre in retaliation against the people of the town who tried to defend their land, through an air aggression that resulted in the death of 13 people, including women and children, and the injury of about 25 others.

In an effort to de-escalate tensions between the two sides, Trump, in a tweet via his platform "Truth Social" last Monday, called on Israel to maintain a "strong and genuine dialogue" with Damascus, and to ensure that "nothing happens that would conflict with Syria's development into a prosperous state."

In recent months, Israeli-Syrian meetings have been held in an effort to reach security arrangements that guarantee Tel Aviv's withdrawal from the Syrian buffer zone, which it occupied in December 2024.

Although the Syrian government has not posed any threat to Tel Aviv, Israel continues to carry out ground incursions and air strikes that have killed civilians and destroyed military sites, vehicles, weapons and ammunition of the Syrian army.

Field developments in the Gaza Strip indicate that Israel is reproducing a familiar operational pattern under security pretexts, in an attempt - as analysts see it - to redefine the ceasefire agreement in line with its military and political objectives.

In this context, writer and political analyst Ahmed al-Tanani confirms that Israeli behavior has become understandable, as the "target bank" is focused on displaced families in tents, in light of the occupation's refusal to allow them to return to their homes.

According to al-Tanani, Tel Aviv is trying to turn the ceasefire agreement into a "surrender agreement" that allows it to continue the aggression without a field price or international cost.

On the ground, the Kuwait Specialized Hospital (south of the Gaza Strip) reported the death of 5 people, including two children, in a bombing by Israeli drones on Wednesday evening on tents of displaced people in the Mawasi Khan Yunis.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation stated that the raids on Khan Yunis come in the wake of the Rafah incident, in which 4 soldiers from the Golani Brigade and the Gaza Division were injured, one of them seriously, in clashes with resistance fighters in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

As for the objectives of this escalation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is employing Palestinian blood in his election propaganda - according to al-Tanani - and seeks to move to the second phase only "if he guarantees the disarmament of the resistance and the dismantling of its national structure."

But the Palestinian resistance and the mediators are aware of this strategy, and are pressing the US administration to ensure a halt to daily violations and adherence to the agreed-upon path, so as to turn the agreement into a real ceasefire and not a cover for a new aggression.

For his part, Professor of Political Science at Al-Najah Palestinian University, Raed Nsairat, links the escalation to Netanyahu's personal calculations, noting that the latter's call with US President Donald Trump carried a "clear trade-off": Netanyahu wants American pressure to extract a pardon from the Israeli president, while Trump insists on establishing a ceasefire.

Nsairat believes that Netanyahu's bets on a "surrender image" of Rafah fighters turned against him, as reflected in Israeli articles and analyses that accused him of taking Israel's security hostage to his internal conflicts.

Regarding the American approach, Nsairat says that Washington wants a lasting agreement, but it lacks sufficient will to pressure Netanyahu to curb his threats, despite the apparent coordination regarding what Tel Aviv described as the "Rafah incident."

He warns against mortgaging the future of the agreement and the blood of the Palestinians to the internal Israeli crises, from Netanyahu's trial to the battle to recruit ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim).

As for al-Tanani, he confirms the resistance's "full" commitment to the terms of the agreement, from handing over the living prisoners to completing the complex file of the dead bodies, despite the obstruction of the occupation.

He points out that the resistance is working on two parallel tracks: restraint so as not to give Israel an excuse to return to the war of extermination, and pressure through mediators to implement the second phase, especially opening the Rafah crossing and handing over the administration of the sector to an independent Palestinian committee.

He believes that these steps would remove the card that Tel Aviv is waving and deprive it of turning the next stage into a new aggression under the cover of an "aggressive" international force, stressing that maintaining the agreement represents a supreme Palestinian interest and prevents the imposition of dangerous strategic realities on Gaza.

On the ground, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted security sources as saying that the Israeli army is attacking weapons depots, command centers and manufacturing workshops belonging to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in various parts of Gaza.

In a related context, Israeli Channel 12 quoted an Israeli official as saying that the Rafah incident constitutes a "serious violation," adding that Tel Aviv is coordinating with the US administration on how to deal with the incident, and has conveyed to it a picture of the "seriousness of the situation."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that the Hamas movement "cannot remain in Gaza," indicating that getting rid of it will be "either through an international force or the hard way."

During his statements, Netanyahu outlined a three-stage path to reach the ultimate goal in the Strip: The second stage: its goal is to disarm Hamas and make Gaza weapon-free.

The "proposed" third stage: is to de-radicalize the residents of Gaza, according to his description.

German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Giese said on Wednesday that Berlin is concerned about the high death toll in the Gaza Strip, despite the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10.

Giese added, at a press conference in Berlin, "It is necessary for all parties to abide by the agreement and not jeopardize it. This is what our diplomatic efforts are focused on."

He pointed to his country's welcome of plans to reopen the Rafah border crossing and considered it a "positive sign."

Giese called for border crossings to be opened further to enable more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.

With American support, Israel has waged a war of extermination in Gaza since October 8, 2023, leaving more than 70,000 dead and about 171,000 injured Palestinians, most of them children and women.

The ceasefire agreement was supposed to end the war, but Israel violates it daily, killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians.

Israel also prevents the entry of sufficient food and medicine into Gaza, where about 2.4 million Palestinians live in catastrophic, inhumane conditions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the overwhelming vote by the United Nations General Assembly, in its 80th session, in favor of the draft resolution on the settlement of the question of Palestine by peaceful means.

The resolution calls for Israel's withdrawal from the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, and reaffirms the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them their right to self-determination.

The ministry affirmed that the broad support for the resolution, which was supported by 151 countries, with 11 opposing and 11 abstaining, reflects a renewed international consensus on the justice of the Palestinian cause.