Syria has announced its readiness to cooperate with the United States to return to the 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel, according to a Foreign Ministry statement, after Israel expressed interest in "normalizing" relations with Damascus.

Since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, Syrian authorities have acknowledged indirect negotiations with Israel, which they say aim to contain the escalation after Tel Aviv launched hundreds of raids on Syria's military arsenal and its forces advanced into the south of the country.

Since coming to power, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has emphasized that Damascus does not seek escalation or conflict with its neighbors. He later called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its attacks.

The statement, published Friday on the Foreign Ministry's Twitter account, stated that Minister Asaad al-Shaibani expressed, during a call with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, "Syria's aspiration to cooperate with the United States to return to the 1974 disengagement agreement," noting that the two sides discussed "repeated Israeli attacks on southern Syria."

Damascus links the goal of indirect negotiations with Israel to a return to implementation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, including a cessation of hostilities and the supervision of a UN force in the demilitarized zone separating the two sides.

The New York Times quoted US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, as saying on Thursday that "Syria and Israel are holding serious talks, mediated by the United States, aimed at restoring calm on their border."

However, Israel has expressed interest in "normalization" with Damascus, according to statements by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.

Sa'ar said Monday that his country has "an interest in including new countries, such as Syria and Lebanon," into the "circle of peace and normalization," stressing that the Golan Heights, parts of which Israel occupied in 1967 before annexing in 1981, will remain an "integral part" of Israel in any potential normalization agreement.

Commenting on this, an official Syrian source said on Wednesday that statements about signing a normalization agreement with Israel were "premature," as reported by Syrian state television.

The source added, "It is not possible to discuss the possibility of negotiating new agreements until the occupation fully adheres to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and withdraws from the areas into which it has penetrated."

The Syrian Foreign Ministry statement also stated that Washington had extended an invitation to "the Syrian Foreign Minister to visit Washington as soon as possible." According to the statement, Washington expressed its "desire" to reopen its embassy in Damascus.

The statement continued, "Discussions were held regarding the Syrian president's participation in the UN General Assembly meetings." The UN has yet to confirm Sharaa's participation in the General Assembly meetings.

He noted that the two sides discussed the "Iranian threat in Syria," with Damascus expressing its growing concern over Iran's attempts to interfere in Syrian affairs, particularly in the wake of the recent strikes against Tehran.

Since the Nakba of 1948, which resulted in the displacement of millions of Palestinians, Palestinians have embarked on an arduous journey filled with tears and blood, striving to prove their existence as a people with the right to self-determination, not merely refugees begging for international aid. With the birth of the contemporary Palestinian resistance movement in 1965, led by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian people carried their hopes and weapons in an armed and political national struggle that brought their cause back to the forefront of global attention after desperate attempts to obliterate it. Thanks to unforgettable struggles and sacrifices wrought in blood, the PLO gained widespread Arab and international recognition of its legitimate representation of the Palestinians, becoming the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people." Since 1974, the PLO has entered a complex diplomatic maze, opening secret and public channels of communication with the West in search of a glimmer of hope that would restore some of the Palestinians' rights in a world that seemed largely biased toward Israel.

That same year, the Palestinian National Council met in Cairo and approved what became known as the "Ten-Point Program," which marked the beginning of the concession to the dream of a Palestinian state across all of historic Palestine. The program emphasized the establishment of a "national authority" on any liberated area. It was at this point that American diplomats, such as William Quandt, a member of the National Security Council, began to pressure for the opening of official channels with the PLO. However, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger remained adamant, and Washington concluded a memorandum of understanding with Israel affirming that it would not recognize the PLO or negotiate with it unless the organization recognized Israel's right to exist and accepted Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

Then came the First Intifada in 1987, shaking the global conscience, proving that the Palestinian cause was still alive and kicking, and that the Palestinian people had not and would not die or be forgotten. The Intifada created a climate that seemed poised to advance the peace process, culminating in the Oslo Accords of 1993. However, thirty years after this agreement, the Palestinians found themselves prisoners of the illusion of a state that had never been born, an authority that had lost the foundations of its survival, and a reality of an occupation that had grown increasingly brutal and oppressive, while Israel adhered only to what served its ambitions, continuing to confiscate land and oppress people.

In Syria, the picture remained different, but equally tragic. The Syrian regime, which oppressed its own people and attempted to control Palestinian decision-making by marginalizing the PLO, maintained its declared hostility to Israel since 1970. It fought the 1973 war alongside Egypt to regain the land, but lost the Golan Heights, leaving the issue unresolved. For decades, the regime used the slogan of "resistance" to consolidate its rule, even if this resistance was mixed with hollow slogans and outbidding. Today, after a devastating civil war that changed the face of Syria, the new regime, which assumed power in late 2024, finds itself in a tragic situation. This regime is only a year old, but it faces a new catastrophe after Israel expanded its control over large areas of southern Syria, including areas that constitute the backbone of Syrian national security.

In search of a lifeline, the new Syrian regime rushed to gain international and Arab legitimacy at any cost. Gulf and Western capitals began to bless these steps after the so-called "rehabilitation" of the new president, who was suddenly presented to the world as a statesman seeking peace, after having been described until recently as a terrorist. Today, in a startling scene, data confirms that the new Damascus is moving rapidly toward signing a normalization agreement with Israel. Not along the lines of the Oslo Accords, which attempted to present at least a facade of peace, but rather toward full normalization of political, economic, and perhaps even security relations. Washington appears to be leading the efforts to include Syria in the so-called "Abraham Pact," a point confirmed by US Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff when he told CNBC: "The US administration hopes to achieve normalization with countries that no one would have imagined joining," adding, in words not devoid of allusion, "Big announcements are coming."

Of course, the new Syrian regime has its own conditions, according to reports. It wants official Israeli recognition of its government, a full withdrawal from the territories occupied by Israel after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, a comprehensive cessation of Israeli airstrikes, security arrangements in the south of the country, and explicit American guarantees and support. In return, media reports, including the newspaper Israel Hayom, do not rule out the possibility of Damascus agreeing to recognize Israel's permanent sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.

If the Oslo Accords were the bitter fruit of a long journey of struggle and hope, what is being concocted for Syria today appears to be born from the womb of defeat, without negotiating power, without popular or Arab support, and without any real cards. What makes matters even more tragic is that Israel, which emptied Oslo of its meaning for the benefit of its settlement and security projects, appears ready to repeat the game with Syria. Because normalization, in the Israeli mind, is not the end of the conflict, but rather the beginning of a new phase of consolidating hegemony and imposing facts on the ground.

Today, after the Palestinians have tasted the bitterness of an agreement without a state, an authority without sovereignty, and the gradual erosion of legitimacy, we must ask: What awaits Syria if it follows the same path? Will we see a regime transform from an adversary of Israel into a guardian of its interests on its southern border?

The Palestinian experience, with all its pain, clearly indicates that Syria's normalization with Israel would be a repetition of the catastrophe, not a way out of it. Israel has spared no means to thwart the Palestinians' aspirations for an independent state, and it will do nothing else with the Syrians. If the Palestinians have stood firm in the face of this path and paid a heavy price, the Syrian people are likely to pay a price no less bitter, or perhaps even greater, if they believe that normalization is a way out of their crisis, rather than the beginning of a new one.

The question every Syrian must ask in their heart before they speak is: What will Syria be like thirty years, or perhaps less, after a normalization agreement with Israel? Will the promised "peace" be just another illusion added to the long list of illusions in this stricken region?

The escalation in the crimes of genocide, starvation and destruction committed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip, including the horrific massacres that led to the martyrdom and injury of hundreds of citizens, is an extension of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The danger of the escalation in Israeli attacks and the organized terrorism practiced by extremist settlers in the West Bank, through storming cities, setting up military checkpoints, targeting refugee camps, displacing tens of thousands of citizens, and destroying homes and infrastructure there, in addition to the daily incursions into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and preventing Palestinians from accessing it, in a flagrant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

The painful images we see of the humanitarian reality in Palestine, where thousands of families have been left to face famine alone, amidst ongoing aggression, a stifling siege, and a near-total collapse of basic necessities of life. Dozens of children have lost their lives to hunger and cold in recent months, in a scene that cannot be believed or ignored. What is happening in Gaza is the deliberate use of hunger as a weapon to break people's will and push them towards emigration.

Children in Gaza are forced to sleep under bombardment, deprived of food, water, and medicine, while aid trucks are prevented from entering the Strip despite being parked just meters from the border. Urgent Arab action is needed to stop the use of hunger as a weapon against the Palestinian people, and to take immediate action to protect families from collapse. This must be a pressing national priority in light of the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territories, especially in the Gaza Strip.

While two infants died in Gaza this week due to starvation and a lack of baby formula, medical teams warn of an imminent disaster threatening the lives of at least 580 infants, most of them newborns, who suffer from severe malnutrition in light of the collapse of the health system, the ongoing blockade, and the ban on the entry of baby formula. It is inconceivable that we witness one of the most horrific human paradoxes, where simple and ordinary milk stands at the border barrier awaiting military permission from Israeli war criminals who refuse to allow the entry of milk designated for children, risking their lives to death without any qualms of conscience. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of the occupation, the butcher of Gaza, the killer of children, talks about what he calls the most moral army in the world, and the scene speaks for itself, as they use starvation as a weapon to fight the Palestinian people, in a world first that has never been witnessed in modern times.

For months, the few hospitals still operating in Gaza have been warning that essential supplies, including infant formula, are running out. Doctors at Gaza City's Al-Shifa Medical Complex say some babies are drinking rice water or diluted tea in a desperate attempt to stay alive. Mothers are suffering from severe malnutrition, with no milk to feed their babies, and doctors are rationing the last remaining cans of formula. Infants are sharing the same can for days, international medical organizations report.

In light of this, the international community must take action to achieve an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, lift the Israeli blockade, ensure adequate and unhindered humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, and provide international protection for the Palestinian people.

Voices supporting and opposing the withdrawal of Palestinian weapons from Lebanon have grown significantly since the election of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the formation of the Lebanese government.

Voices also rose to demand the withdrawal of Palestinian weapons following the Israeli aggression on Lebanon last fall, coinciding with calls to disarm illegally, restrict weapons to the Lebanese state, and implement Resolution 1701.

The official Palestinian leadership demonstrated a clear response to the official Lebanese call to withdraw weapons from within the Palestinian camps. Official Palestinian delegations even arrived in Beirut, issued supportive Palestinian statements, and set deadlines for implementing the decisions to withdraw weapons.

Suddenly, the impetus to implement the resolutions subsided, and the disarmament of Palestinian weapons was no longer a priority, without any justification from the Lebanese and Palestinian leaderships. However, what is clear is that the decision to disarmament of Palestinian weapons was linked to two fundamental issues:

- On the issue of withdrawing weapons from all parties in Lebanon, especially the weapons of the resistance in Lebanon.

- It is linked to the issue of Palestinian-Palestinian disputes and conflicts, and the caution that disarming the Palestine Liberation Organization factions will first lead to weakening the organization's influence within the camps to the benefit of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, or that disarming the factions will lead to expanding the influence of extremist Islamic forces, especially in the Ain al-Hilweh camp near the city of Sidon.

However, the official (Lebanese-Palestinian) rush to withdraw Palestinian weapons as part of the general project to extend Lebanese state sovereignty over its territory and restrict the possession of weapons has raised a wave of questions about the necessity or futility of these weapons.

No one has been able to officially and explicitly announce now what the objectives and reasons are for the presence of Palestinian weapons inside the camps in Lebanon, after the official Palestinian leadership confirmed it more than once, and the factions, especially the Palestine Liberation Organization factions, announced that these weapons are at the behest of the Lebanese state and that it is prepared to hand them over. But why have these weapons not been handed over yet, and why does the Lebanese state refuse to respond to the call of the official Palestinian leadership that it is ready to hand over the weapons?

The reconciliation that took place between the Palestinian factions and all Lebanese sects, parties and political forces confirms that there is no expected possibility of any Lebanese militia attack against the Palestinian camps, as happened in the attacks that targeted the camps since 1968, and the attacks and bombing of the camps (1973), and during the civil war (1975-1990), and the Sabra and Shatila massacres (1982), and the camps war (1985-1988).

While the security protection of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon is the responsibility of the Lebanese state, it must be emphasized that the one who bears responsibility for the suffering, oppression and displacement that the Palestinian refugees have been subjected to is, first and foremost, the Israeli occupation, which has displaced the Palestinian people from their homeland and practiced against them all acts of killing, massacres, destruction and abuse. Ensuring social, political and humanitarian protection, and removing cases of despair, frustration, poverty and destitution, is the responsibility of the international community, the Palestine Liberation Organization and Lebanese government departments.

Israeli occupation forces arrested two citizens from Nablus at dawn on Saturday.

Local sources reported that occupation forces stormed the city of Nablus and raided several homes and residential buildings in the Balata and Al-Ain refugee camps, Askar al-Balad, the Popular Housing Camp, and the Rafidia neighborhood.

She stated that the occupation forces arrested the child Ahmed Raeq Al-Qadaa (17 years old) from Al-May Street in Askar Al-Balad, and the young man Muhammad Al-Hafi from the Al-Masakin Al-Sha'biya area.

US President Donald Trump commented on Hamas' response to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip this morning, Saturday.

"It's good that Hamas responded positively, and there could be an agreement within days," he said.

Trump indicated that he was not informed of the current status of the negotiations.

"We have to do something about Gaza, and we are sending a lot of money and aid," he added.

Medical sources reported that 29 citizens were killed early Saturday morning as a result of the occupation's bombing of various areas in the Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses said that Israeli artillery shelled the Zarqa area east of Gaza City, killing at least one civilian and wounding others.

They added that five civilians were killed and others injured in a bombing that targeted Al-Shafi'i School in the Asqoula area of the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, coinciding with the occupation's demolition of residential buildings east of the city.

Local sources reported that Israeli drones targeted a house in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, killing two civilians and wounding others.

It added that two martyrs arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after Israeli aircraft bombed a house in Al-Maghazi camp.

It also reported that seven civilians were killed and more than 10 injured in a new massacre committed by the occupation forces at dawn, targeting the tents of displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

A citizen and his only son were also killed as a result of the occupation's bombing west of Khan Yunis.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, the occupying power, has been committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.

This war has left more than 192,000 dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and a famine that has claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.

Egyptian reports indicated Saturday morning that Cairo began intensive negotiations to reach a final formula acceptable to all parties regarding the ceasefire in Gaza, after receiving a "positive" response from Hamas, which opened the door to indirect negotiations for a period of 60 days.

This was reported by Al-Qahira News Channel, citing unnamed sources.

The same sources reported that "Hamas submitted its response to the mediators' latest proposal to the mediators." They confirmed that "Hamas' response included opening the door to indirect negotiations to reach a sixty-day truce once it is approved."

The sources added that "Egypt will begin intensive contacts with various parties in the coming hours to reach a final formula that is acceptable to all parties."

She pointed out that "Egypt is intensifying its contacts and efforts with all parties to resume indirect negotiations between the two sides."

Earlier on Friday, Hamas announced in a statement that it had submitted a "positive" response to mediators regarding the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange.

She added that she had submitted her response to the proposal to the mediators, describing it as "positive," without revealing its content.

Hamas affirmed that it is "seriously prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing" the proposal.

Official sources concerned did not discuss the details of the proposal, but Hebrew and American media outlets said that its most prominent provisions include Hamas releasing half of the living Israeli prisoners (10 prisoners), in addition to the bodies of 18 prisoners, in five stages during a ceasefire that will last for 60 days.

In return, Israel will release a large number of Palestinian prisoners it is holding, and its forces will gradually withdraw from agreed-upon areas within Gaza. This clause could be a point of contention for Tel Aviv, which is demanding the disarmament of Hamas and the exile of its leaders abroad.

Israel estimates there are 50 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 20 of whom are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 10,400 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.

For its part, Israel's Channel 12 quoted an unnamed informed Israeli source as saying, "If Hamas agrees to the proposal, an Israeli delegation is expected to leave for Doha to put the final touches on the proposed deal." The source added, "This will not take more than a day and a half."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump, according to the Israel Broadcasting Authority.

Al Jazeera broadcast exclusive footage documenting a sophisticated and sophisticated ambush carried out by fighters from the Al-Quds Brigades—the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement—against Israeli occupation forces last Wednesday in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City.

The ambush included detonating a minefield containing a convoy of Israeli vehicles, then targeting a tank's cockpit with an anti-tank missile, as well as targeting homes where occupation soldiers were holed up with anti-fortification missiles.

The complex ambush also included point-blank engagements with Israeli special forces, and included helicopters evacuating the dead and wounded.

The footage showed the preparation and deployment of a minefield consisting of six anti-tank devices, followed by monitoring the advance of the invading vehicles and documenting the moment of their explosion. The Israeli army then intervened with "a fire umbrella and smoke cover after the explosion."

The scenes included the construction of an underground tunnel connection over a period of three days, before the Saraya fighters emerged from it to target a tank cockpit with an RPG.

The footage also documented the moments when the occupation soldiers fled into a nearby battle with the Saraya fighters. One of the houses, which contained 10 soldiers, was targeted with a 107 guided missile, causing it to catch fire.

Saraya fighters also targeted another house, where approximately 20 Israeli soldiers and officers were holed up, with a TPG rocket. This was followed by clashes with machine guns, and fire was also documented in the house.

advance planning

Al Jazeera obtained additional details about the operation. The commander of the Shuja'iyya operation in the Al-Quds Brigades confirmed to Al Jazeera that approximately 40 officers and soldiers were targeted, killed or wounded.

The operation commander added that the complex ambush by the Al-Quds Brigades was carried out with prior planning that matched the theater of operations, stressing that the Brigades' fighters controlled the invading occupation forces and their vehicles during the ambush in the Al-Huda Square east of Shuja'iyya.

The operation commander noted that the Israeli soldiers had lost the ability to initiate or react and were content to flee and scream.

He confirmed that Al-Quds Brigades fighters had inspected the charred bodies of Israeli soldiers and officers, accusing Israel of lying, as usual, to cover up its losses.

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced Friday evening that it had submitted its response to the ceasefire proposal in Gaza to mediators after completing internal consultations with Palestinian factions and forces. Hamas confirmed that the response was "positive" and that it was "seriously prepared to immediately enter into negotiations on the implementation mechanism."

For his part, an Israeli official told Channel 12 that "after Hamas's response, indirect talks will begin between the two sides," anticipating that an Israeli delegation would travel to Doha to negotiate the terms of the agreement.

The official added that these negotiations "may not take more than a day and a half."

Israeli media also reported that the security cabinet is scheduled to discuss the prisoners' file and the situation in Gaza tomorrow, Saturday. They noted that yesterday's meeting witnessed tensions that reached the level of shouting matches between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who is wanted by the International Criminal Court—and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.

Israel's Channel 13 quoted unnamed sources as saying that the tension at the cabinet meeting was over the next steps in Gaza if a ceasefire agreement is not reached.

She added that the Chief of Staff informed Netanyahu and the meeting participants that the Israeli army cannot control two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The source reported that Netanyahu shouted at Zamir, saying, "The blockade of Gaza is effective because occupying it completely puts soldiers and hostages at risk."

The meeting also witnessed another dispute between Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the Director General of the Ministry of Defense over the security services' request for additional budgets.

Separately, Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an Israeli source on Friday as saying that the direction regarding a potential agreement in Gaza is for Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump to jointly announce the deal during their meeting in Washington next Monday.

The newspaper indicated that the Chief of Staff and the head of the Internal Security Service (Shin Bet), David Zinni, support a "partial agreement."

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Israeli media that Trump "made clear that there is no future for Hamas," stressing that this is "the right approach."

He also said that the release of all prisoners is a "top priority" for the US president, expressing his hope that "we will be very close to reaching an agreement."

The Prisoners' Families Committee in Gaza called on President Trump to continue to pressure and use his influence to conclude an agreement that would return all detainees in Gaza.

"We are counting on you to free all 50 kidnapped people and work to stop the war quickly," the commission said in a statement.

She also sent a similar message to Netanyahu, saying, "Now is the time to act, and if you have the will, you have the ability."

Hamas had previously confirmed that it was consulting with Palestinian factions regarding an offer presented by mediators, and that it would announce its final decision after the conclusion of those consultations.

The movement said in a statement, "As part of its commitment to ending the aggression against our people and ensuring the free flow of aid, it is holding consultations with leaders of Palestinian forces and factions regarding the offer it received from mediators."

She confirmed that she would submit the final decision to the mediators after the consultations were completed, and would announce it officially.

It's worth noting that the movement has repeatedly affirmed its willingness to release Israeli prisoners "in one batch" in exchange for an end to the genocide and the Israeli military's withdrawal from Gaza. But Netanyahu, who is also on trial for corruption in Israel, is evading the deal by proposing new, impossible conditions, and is only interested in partial deals that would guarantee him a resumption of the war of annihilation.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a genocidal war in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement. It has ignored all international appeals and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the war. This has left more than 192,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands displaced.

Source: Al Jazeera

Fourteen civilians were killed and dozens were injured and burned on Friday when the Israeli occupation forces bombed two homes in Jabalia and the Tuffah neighborhood in the Gaza Strip.

The official news agency (Wafa) reported that 10 citizens were killed and others were injured, most of them seriously, after the Israeli occupation bombed the Al-Dada family home in Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip.

Four citizens were killed, and others were injured and burned, when the occupation forces bombed a house in the Zarqa area in the Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Washington - Saeed Erekat

Amnesty International, one of the world's leading human rights organizations, has concluded that Israel is using starvation as a means of committing genocide, in partnership with a US agency.

“Evidence gathered by Amnesty International shows how, more than a month after implementing its military-style aid distribution system, Israel has continued to use starvation of civilians as a weapon of war against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, deliberately imposing living conditions aimed at their physical destruction as part of an ongoing genocide,” the organization’s scathing summary of the report states.

The report adds: "In the month following Israel's imposition of a military 'aid' program run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), hundreds of Palestinians were killed and thousands injured either near military distribution sites or on their way to humanitarian aid convoys."

It's worth noting that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is an American agency run by Christian Zionist pastor Johnnie Moore. Since the end of May, the Global Humanitarian Relief Fund (GHF) has not distributed sufficient aid to millions of starving Palestinians in Gaza. The distribution of aid is dehumanizing, leading to fights among desperate people scrambling for food. The US government supports the GHF's Israeli scheme and provides some funding to the organization.

Furthermore, Israeli soldiers have killed hundreds of Palestinians who attempted to reach aid sites, often with tanks, artillery, and drones. Israeli soldiers and officers have stated that they were ordered to shoot at unarmed civilians. Despite the risk of death near aid sites, many Palestinians are forced to make the journey because the alternative is starvation. At least 66 Palestinian children have starved to death under the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The Amnesty International report concludes that "all the evidence gathered, including testimonies received by Amnesty International from victims and witnesses, indicates that the Global Humanitarian Fund was designed to allay international concerns, while serving as yet another instrument of Israeli genocide."

Majalla has obtained the new text of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which US President Donald Trump is pushing to conclude before his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Monday. The proposal, now known as the "Trump deal," includes a two-month ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners, and the handover of bodies by both Israel and Hamas.

The new text takes into account Hamas's comments on a previous text submitted to both parties, which was published by Al-Majalla on June 2.

Hamas announced yesterday that it is discussing with other Palestinian factions the amended proposal conveyed to the movement by Qatar and Egypt from US envoy Steve Witkoff. It added that it will "submit the final decision to the mediators after the consultations conclude and will announce this officially."

Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed to the terms necessary to finalize a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas, during which both sides would work to end the war. A source close to Hamas said the movement was seeking assurances that the new US-backed ceasefire proposal would lead to an end to the Israeli war on Gaza, while two Israeli officials said the details were still being worked out.

Al-Majalla published the literal text of the American proposal between Israel and Hamas:

1- Duration: A 60-day ceasefire. President Trump guarantees Israel's commitment to the ceasefire for the agreed-upon period.

2- Release of hostages: 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 dead ones, from the “List of 58,” will be released on days 1, 7, 30, 50, and 60, according to the following:

8 hostages released alive on the first day.

The bodies of 5 dead hostages were handed over on day 7.

5 live hostages released on day 30.

Two live hostages released on day 50.

8 dead hostages released on day 60.

3- Humanitarian aid: Aid will be sent to Gaza immediately upon Hamas's acceptance of the ceasefire agreement. This will be in accordance with an agreement to be reached regarding aid to the civilian population, which will be adhered to during the agreement's duration. The agreement will include the arrival of aid in large and appropriate quantities, in accordance with the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid. Aid will be distributed through agreed-upon channels, including the United Nations and the Red Crescent.

4- Israeli military activities: All Israeli offensive military activities in Gaza will cease upon the entry into force of this agreement. During the ceasefire period, air traffic (military and surveillance) will cease in the Gaza Strip for 10 hours per day, or 12 hours per day on days involving hostage and prisoner exchanges.

5- Redeployment of the Israeli army:

A - On the first day, after the release of the Israeli hostages (8 living ones), redeployment in the northern part of the Gaza Strip and in the Netzarim corridor, in accordance with Article 3 regarding humanitarian aid and based on maps to be agreed upon.

b- On day 7, after the delivery of the bodies of the Israeli hostages (5 dead), redeployment in the southern part of the Gaza Strip in accordance with Article 3 regarding humanitarian aid and based on maps to be agreed upon.

C- Technical teams will work on the final redeployment borders through rapid negotiations.

6- Negotiations: On the first day, negotiations will begin under the auspices of the mediators-guarantors regarding the necessary arrangements for a permanent ceasefire, including:

A - Keys and terms for exchanging all remaining Israeli hostages for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

B- Issues related to

Redeployment and withdrawal of Israeli forces and long-term security arrangements in the Gaza Strip.

C- Arrangements related to the “day after” in the Gaza Strip that will be proposed by either party.

D- Declaration of a permanent ceasefire.

7- Presidential support: President Trump is serious about the parties' commitment to the ceasefire agreement and insists that negotiations during the temporary ceasefire period, if successfully concluded by agreement between the parties, will lead to a permanent solution to the conflict.

8-Release of Palestinian prisoners: In exchange for the release of living and dead Israeli hostages, and in accordance with Article (2) above, Israel will release an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners. The release process will take place in parallel with the release of the hostages in accordance with Article (2) above, according to an agreed-upon mechanism and without public parade or ceremony.

9- Status of Hostages and Prisoners: On Day 10, Hamas will provide full information (proof of life and medical report/proof of death) regarding each of the remaining hostages. In return, Israel will provide full information regarding Palestinian prisoners arrested from the Gaza Strip since October 7 and the number of deceased Gazans in Israel. Hamas is committed to ensuring the health, welfare, and security of the hostages during the ceasefire.

10- Release of the remaining hostages upon agreement: Negotiations on the necessary arrangements for a permanent ceasefire must be completed within 60 days. Upon agreement, the remaining Israeli hostages (living and dead) from the "List of 58" submitted by Israel will be released. If negotiations on the necessary arrangements for a permanent ceasefire are not completed within the aforementioned period, the temporary ceasefire may be extended in accordance with Article (11) below.

11- Guarantors: The mediators-guarantors (the United States, Egypt, and Qatar) will guarantee that the ceasefire will last for 60 days and will ensure that serious discussions will be held on the arrangements necessary for a permanent ceasefire. The mediators will ensure that serious negotiations continue for an additional period—if necessary—in accordance with the procedures agreed upon in this framework.

12- Heading the Envoy: Special Envoy Ambassador Steve Witkoff will come to the region to complete the agreement, and Steve Witkoff will chair the negotiations.

13- President Trump: President Trump will personally announce the ceasefire agreement. The United States and President Trump are committed to working to ensure continued good-faith negotiations until a final agreement is reached.

A number of citizens were killed and injured today, Friday, as a result of the ongoing war of extermination in the Gaza Strip.

Latest developments: 8 martyrs in Israeli shelling of Jabalia al-Nazla, north of the Gaza Strip.

Four martyrs were killed when the occupation forces bombed a house in the Zarqa area of the Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army issued new evacuation orders for residents of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, in preparation for bombing it.

In a statement, he stated that the evacuation warning includes "all those present in the Khan Yunis area in Blocks 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, and the eastern part in Block 88."

Lebanon's response to the terms of the proposal put forward by US envoy Tom Barrack during his visit to Beirut on June 19 is now in its final stages. Beirut is committed to restricting the possession of weapons to the state, provided Israel withdraws from the positions it occupies in Lebanon.

This came according to what Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper reported on Friday, citing unnamed official Lebanese sources.

The sources said, "The Lebanese response to the American proposal is now finalized."

She added, "Lebanon is committed to restricting the possession of weapons to the state, in exchange for pressuring Israel to withdraw from all occupied areas and cease its attacks."

"Internal affair: What is required are firm guarantees to stop the attacks."

The report also quoted a parliamentary source in Hezbollah as saying, "Weapons are an internal matter, being discussed within Lebanon as part of a national strategy, and threats and escalation do not frighten us."

The same source added, "There are rights that we will not give up, and the Lebanese state must also defend them and not give them up."

He stressed that "what is required are firm guarantees to halt Israeli attacks and withdraw from all occupied areas."

Late Thursday evening, Al-Arabiya TV quoted Lebanese sources as saying that "the assigned committee has not reached an agreement with Hezbollah to respond to the American demands."

He added, "Hezbollah informed the representatives of the three presidents that the weapons withdrawal issue is an internal matter."

On the 29th of last month, US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, stated that the war between Iran and Israel paves the way for a "new path" in the Middle East.

The Israeli army launched an airstrike on Thursday evening, targeting a vehicle in the Khaldeh area, south of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and approximately 75 kilometers from the country's border. The attack resulted in the death of a member of the Quds Force, affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, near Beirut. The Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed the death of one person and the injury of five others.

On June 13, Israel, with US support, launched a 12-day attack on Iran, targeting military and nuclear sites, civilian facilities, and the assassination of military leaders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded by targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters with ballistic missiles and drones.

In defiance of the ceasefire agreement signed with Lebanon on November 27, 2024, the Israeli army carried out a partial withdrawal from southern Lebanon, while continuing to occupy five Lebanese hills it had seized during the last war. Since the ceasefire took effect, Israel has committed approximately 3,000 violations, leaving at least 224 dead and 513 wounded, according to a tally based on official data.

Three people were injured on Friday after being beaten by settlers, and eight others were injured after inhaling toxic gas fired by Israeli soldiers during an attack on the village of Beita, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces arrested dozens of residents from various parts of the West Bank.

For the fifth consecutive month, the Israeli military campaign continues in cities and camps in the northern West Bank, particularly in Tulkarm and Jenin, with a focus on demolitions, bulldozing, and forced displacement. This has displaced more than 40,000 people from their homes, particularly in the Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and Jenin camps.

Local sources reported that a number of settlers attacked Samer Abu Zeitoun's home in the Qamas area near Jabal Sabih, attempted to set it on fire, and assaulted three people who confronted them.

The sources added that the occupation forces stormed the town and fired heavy live ammunition, tear gas and sound bombs, resulting in eight people suffering from suffocation from toxic gas.

Two Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics were injured after being targeted by the Israeli occupation forces in Jabalia al-Balad, north of Gaza City.

Local sources reported that the occupation army targeted the paramedics while they were providing first aid to the wounded in Jabalia al-Balad, wounding them. They were subsequently transferred to the association's al-Saraya field hospital.

Palestinian prisoners, a large proportion of whom are minors, in Israeli prisons, particularly at Megiddo Prison, suffer from a deliberate policy pursued by the Prison Service that results in famine and the spread of epidemics, leading to weight loss, emaciated bodies, and, in some cases, the deaths of prisoners. Prisoners also suffer from ongoing torture and violent practices by jailers.

One such case occurred last March, when 17-year-old prisoner Walid Ahmed collapsed in the Megiddo prison yard and died. A report written by a doctor commissioned by the family of the deceased prisoner, who attended the autopsy, revealed that Walid's body was almost devoid of fatty tissue—a fatty tissue the human body cannot survive without, as it stores energy, insulates heat, cushions organs, and is involved in the production and regulation of hormones. He also suffered from two epidemics prevalent in the prison: scabies and enteritis.

However, Israeli authorities did not investigate Walid's death. According to a comment from the Israeli Ministry of Health, "According to the law, unusual findings (of an autopsy) are transferred to the relevant authorities." The police's prisoner investigations unit also did not investigate Walid's death, according to Haaretz newspaper on Friday.

The human rights organization Physicians for Human Rights reported last month that scabies was also widespread in the Ketziot (Negev desert prison), Ganot (southern Negev), and Ayalon (Ramle prison), where Palestinian prisoners are held. In a statement submitted by the organization as part of a petition to reduce food supplies to prisoners, the prisoners reported significant weight loss. The newspaper quoted lawyers as saying that the worst conditions were experienced by prisoners at Megiddo Prison.

Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, five prisoners have been martyred in Megiddo Prison and seven in the Negev Desert Prison. The Palestinian Prisoners' Club reported that 73 prisoners have been martyred in Israeli prisons. The bodies of two prisoners bore signs of torture and severe violence. Prisoners reported that prison guard violence is common in prisons.

The newspaper quoted a freed minor prisoner from Nablus as saying, "No one gets enough in prison. The jailers would bring a plate of rice for ten people in the cell. That's enough for one person, but we all shared it."

He added that this was a lunch, but the other meals were also very small, noting that a piece of cheese "was not enough to cover a piece of bread." The jailers never responded to a family's requests for more food. The minor prisoner confirmed that he "went to bed hungry every day" he spent in prison.

Other prisoners reported that the quality of food in Megiddo Prison was extremely poor, with "the salad sometimes being rotten and the rice not being cooked," and they told their lawyers that the amount served to prisoners in the cell was "two or three spoonfuls per meal."

The newspaper added that these practices against prisoners are the result of the policies of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who ordered a dramatic change in the living conditions of Palestinian prisoners after the start of the war on Gaza. These changes included preventing prisoners from going to the canteen (prison store), removing cooking utensils and appliances from their cells, and reducing food intake to the minimum required by law.

In response to a petition submitted by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the Prison Service claimed to have increased the amount of food provided. It attached a list of the food items provided to Palestinian prisoners compared to the food provided to criminal prisoners. The list showed that prisoners receive half the amount of meat provided to criminal prisoners, and that prisoners receive no fruit or sweets at all, unlike criminal prisoners.

However, the testimony of two minor Palestinian prisoners revealed that, until the beginning of this year, they had not received the meager food menu the Prison Service had promised the court. The testimony of all the Palestinian prisoners also confirmed that they were constantly hungry.

A large number of prisoners were afflicted with scabies and gastroenteritis, leaving them unable to get out of bed, even to go to the bathroom. Several reported that "medics would come to the cell, look out the window, give us Acamol, and tell us to eat rice and bread, nothing else."

At the end of last year, the Israeli Prison Service announced, in response to a petition, that approximately 2,800 Palestinian prisoners had contracted the contagious scabies epidemic. Human rights organizations reported that many prisoners suffered from both scabies and gastroenteritis simultaneously.

Clinical microbiologist Professor Amos Adler wrote in a memorandum submitted by Physicians for Human Rights to the Prison Service regarding the outbreak of gastroenteritis, that "the possible causes of the outbreak are overcrowding, malnutrition, and poor hygiene."

Two Israeli soldiers were killed on Friday in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip.

According to Israeli websites, the two soldiers were killed in two separate incidents, without releasing further details.

While the Israeli army announced the death of one of its soldiers in battles north of the Gaza Strip, Israeli reports indicated that he was killed as a result of an "operational accident."

At least 18 civilians were killed and others wounded early Friday morning when Israeli warplanes bombed the tents of displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, and the Al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City.

The official WAFA news agency reported that at least 15 citizens, most of them from the Abu Khadija family, were killed and others were injured when the occupation forces bombed a tent housing displaced people from the family near the Taiba Towers, west of Khan Yunis.

Three citizens were killed and others were injured when Israeli warplanes bombed a house in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

It added that the occupation's artillery targeted the tents of displaced people in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

The occupation forces also blew up residential homes north of Khan Yunis.

The ongoing Israeli massacres in several areas of the Gaza Strip on Thursday left more than 100 dead including 51 who died while waiting for aid.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, the occupying power, has been waging a war of genocide in the Gaza Strip, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.

The genocide left more than 192,000 dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and a famine claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.

Washington - Saeed Erekat

As the United States, Israel, and mediators await Hamas's response on Friday to the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli prisoners, US President Donald Trump reportedly gave the Palestinian movement a direct assurance that he remains committed to ending the war in the Strip, which has been ongoing since October 2023.

Israel is reportedly under intense US pressure to reach a ceasefire agreement before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington next Monday for talks with Trump next week. Sources have indicated in recent days that both sides have shown flexibility on all issues, but remain stuck on the issue of ending the war, with Israel insisting it can resume operations in Gaza, while Hamas insists that any agreement must permanently end the war.

According to Israel's Channel 12 News, Trump will commit "that negotiations on the terms of ending the war will continue even after a temporary ceasefire, and that I will do my utmost to help the two sides reach an agreement on the terms of a permanent ceasefire."

According to leaked information, Trump's message to Hamas is that if it agrees to the so-called Witkoff Framework—which includes the release of 10 live hostages in two phases and 18 bodies in three phases over the course of a 60-day ceasefire—the United States will ensure continued efforts to achieve a permanent end to the conflict. Hamas announced Friday morning that it is discussing the US-backed ceasefire proposal with other Palestinian factions and will submit its response to mediators immediately after the talks conclude.

This statement came after unconfirmed reports from Hamas-affiliated media outlets claiming that the movement had provided a "positive response" to the proposal.

Hamas is expected to respond to the offer by Friday evening.

Israel's Channel 13 quoted a senior Israeli official as saying, "If Hamas responds positively, a deal could be concluded by next week."

Both Kan public radio and Channel 12 reported that if Hamas responds positively, an Israeli negotiating team will soon travel to Doha, Qatar, for mediated talks aimed at resolving the final points of contention. These include the Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza during the ceasefire.

Netanyahu held a meeting with a small group of ministers on Thursday evening to discuss the terms of a potential deal. The 60-day agreement is expected to see the release of five dead and living prisoners. Channel 13 reported that on the first day, eight living prisoners will be released; on the seventh day, five bodies; on the 30th, five more bodies; on the 50th, two living hostages; and on the final day, eight more bodies.

Various media outlets reported similar terms for the deal, with Hamas reportedly agreeing to forgo a public hostage release ceremony, and Israel reportedly agreeing to postpone the resumption of military operations as long as talks on ending the war continue.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Thursday that he hopes the ceasefire and hostage release agreement being negotiated is a "done deal," but whether it reaches the finish line is ultimately up to Hamas.

"Let's hope they understand that it's time to end this... and the reason it didn't happen sooner is because Hamas wasn't willing to give up its hold on these hostages," Huckabee said in an interview with Channel 12.

He also insisted that "Hamas has no future in Gaza."

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said it is holding internal consultations with leaders of Palestinian forces and factions to discuss the offer it received from Qatari and Egyptian mediators. This coincides with Israeli media reports that US President Donald Trump may announce a ceasefire in Gaza next Monday.

Hamas said in a brief press statement, "As part of the movement's commitment to ending the Zionist aggression against our people and ensuring the free entry of aid, the movement is holding consultations with leaders of Palestinian forces and factions regarding the offer it received from the mediating brothers. The movement will submit the final decision to the mediators after the consultations conclude and will announce this officially."

This comes amid escalating talk of an imminent ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted unnamed Israeli officials as saying that "Trump intends to announce a ceasefire agreement next Monday during his meeting with (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu."

Officials said that "Israeli political circles have expressed cautious optimism regarding progress in prisoner exchange negotiations with Hamas," noting that Hamas may agree to the new version of the proposed deal within the next few hours, according to the officials, which could pave the way for the start of what are known as "proximity talks" between the two sides, according to the newspaper.

Officials claimed that Trump's intention to announce the deal next Monday has prompted Tel Aviv to accelerate its preparations for the possibility of launching indirect negotiations with Hamas, which are usually held in the Qatari capital, Doha.

At a later time, the US President stated that he wanted to see the residents of the Gaza Strip safe, adding that the people there had been through hell.

Israeli officials said Thursday that US President Donald Trump may announce a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip during his meeting in Washington with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next Monday.

The privately owned Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted unnamed officials as saying that "Trump intends to announce a ceasefire agreement next Monday during his meeting with Netanyahu."

Officials said that "Israeli political circles have expressed cautious optimism regarding progress in prisoner exchange negotiations with Hamas," noting that Hamas may express its approval of the new version of the proposed deal within the coming hours, which could pave the way for the start of what are known as "proximity talks" between the two sides.

Officials claimed that Trump's intention to announce the deal next Monday has prompted Tel Aviv to accelerate its preparations for the possibility of launching indirect negotiations with Hamas, which are usually held in the Qatari capital, Doha.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his shock at the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, warning that "the last lifelines are about to be cut off" due to the Israeli occupation's closure of the Strip's crossings.

This was stated by UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric on Thursday regarding the Secretary-General's position on developments in Gaza.

Guterres expressed his alarm at the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, noting that "dozens of Palestinians have been killed or injured in recent days as a result of numerous Israeli attacks on areas sheltering displaced persons and civilians trying to obtain food."

He strongly condemned the loss of civilian lives, noting that some 30,000 Palestinians were displaced again this week due to Israeli "evacuation orders" issued in a single day.

He pointed out that the lack of safe shelter and the severe shortage of basic needs such as housing, food, medicine, and water have led to a major humanitarian disaster.

The UN Secretary-General stressed that "the rules of international humanitarian law are clear. Civilians must be protected and their needs met."

He stressed that fuel has not entered Gaza for more than 17 weeks, and warned that "the last lifeline in Gaza is about to be cut off."

He also warned that unless fuel is urgently secured, incubators will stop working, ambulances will be unable to reach the wounded and sick, and water will not be purified.

He added in particular: "The very limited vital assistance that the United Nations and its partners are able to provide in Gaza will come to a complete halt."

Guterres reiterated his call for "full, safe, and sustained humanitarian access" to deliver humanitarian aid to people in Gaza who have long been deprived of their basic needs.

He pointed out that the United Nations has a plan to provide the assistance needed by civilians safely and on a large scale, based on humanitarian principles.

The Secretary-General called on all parties to comply with their obligations under international law, reiterating his call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.

Settlers stormed Khirbet Yarza, east of Tubas, on Thursday evening and attempted to steal livestock.

According to local sources, settlers stormed the village, roamed among residents' homes, and attempted to steal livestock.

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted senior officials in the Israeli security cabinet on Thursday as saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "is very keen and determined to reach a deal, at any price," and that he sees the political window of opportunity as scarce.

According to the officials, Netanyahu believes that what is possible today may not be possible in a few months. They added, "Against the backdrop of recent achievements in the war, the upcoming elections, and the push from the Trump administration, there appears to be a shift in Netanyahu's position."

According to officials who have spoken with Netanyahu in recent days, he is in the midst of an election campaign and appears confident that he will achieve a "major accomplishment" for Likud.

The newspaper explained: "However, there are also those who do not rule out the possibility that Netanyahu may decide to retire after reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabia, returning the prisoners, and ending the war in Gaza."

In a related development, the Turkish Anadolu Agency quoted informed Palestinian sources on Thursday as saying that Hamas is moving toward agreeing to the proposed prisoner exchange and ceasefire in Gaza, but has not yet made a final decision. It is currently consulting with various Palestinian factions and forces before submitting its official response to the mediators.

The sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained that the United States, Egypt, and Qatar had provided "broad guarantees" to implement the agreement (which they did not specify), noting that Türkiye may be included on the list of guarantor countries of the agreement.

The sources noted that "discussions are still ongoing regarding a number of technical details," including "mechanisms for delivering humanitarian aid, withdrawal maps, and arrangements for the post-60-day truce period" in case this period is not sufficient to reach a comprehensive and final agreement, in addition to other details.

According to the sources, Hamas will submit its official response within the next two days at most.

On Wednesday, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced that it was holding national consultations on new proposals for a ceasefire in Gaza presented to it by mediators.

The movement explained in a press statement: "Our mediator brothers are making intensive efforts to bridge the gap between the parties, reach a framework agreement, and begin a serious round of negotiations."

She continued, "We are acting with a high sense of responsibility and are conducting national consultations to discuss the proposals we have received from our mediating brothers, with the aim of reaching an agreement that guarantees an end to the aggression, the realization of withdrawal, and the urgent provision of relief to our people in the Gaza Strip."

US President Donald Trump said last Tuesday in a post on his Truth Social platform that Israel had agreed to the terms necessary for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, indicating that Qatari and Egyptian mediators would present a final proposal. He added, "I hope Hamas accepts this agreement because it will not improve, it will get worse."

Yuri Ushakov, aide to the Russian president, announced that the Ukrainian issue was discussed in the conversation between Putin and his American counterpart.

Ushakov told reporters that Putin told Trump that Russia "will not abandon" its goals in Ukraine and emphasized that Middle Eastern conflicts must be resolved diplomatically.

The Russian official noted that the conversation "lasted about an hour."

"The Ukrainian issue was discussed," he said.

Trump again raised the issue of a rapid cessation of military operations.

Putin noted that Russia continues to seek a negotiated solution to the conflict.

An Israeli drone targeted a civilian car on Thursday evening on the highway in the Khaldeh area, south of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, causing it to catch fire.

An Anadolu Agency correspondent reported that the targeted vehicle was seen burning on the highway, the main entrance to the capital from the south, located approximately one kilometer from Rafik Hariri International Airport.

Later, the Lebanese National News Agency reported that an Israeli drone targeted a car on the Khaldeh highway.

For its part, the Israeli army announced, in a statement on the X platform, that it had bombed a car in Lebanon.

The army claimed it targeted an individual involved in arms smuggling and "advancing plans" against Israeli interests "on behalf of the Iranian Quds Force," it said.

On October 8, 2023, Israel launched an aggression against Lebanon, which escalated into a full-scale war on September 23, 2024, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and approximately 17,000 injuries.

Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on November 27, 2024, Israel has committed approximately 3,000 violations, leaving at least 224 dead and 513 wounded.

Nine civilians were killed and others injured when the Israeli occupation forces bombed the cities of Gaza and Deir al-Balah.

Our correspondent reported that four civilians were killed and several others were injured when an Israeli drone bombed a civilian vehicle near the 17th Roundabout, west of Deir al-Balah.

Four citizens were also killed and others were injured as a result of reconnaissance aircraft bombing that targeted the Al-Ghafri neighborhood on Yaffa Street east of Gaza City. Among those killed were: Muhammad Saeed Ghazal, Amjad Khalil Al-Bahtini, Muhammad Khalil Al-Bahtini, and a fourth martyr whose identity remains unknown.

A citizen was also killed and others were injured as a result of Israeli artillery shelling targeting the eastern part of the city.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael Kurilla made his first public visit to Israel since its aggression against Iran, during which he assessed the results of the war with Israeli military officials.

The Israeli army said in a statement received by Anadolu Agency on Thursday: "Yesterday (Wednesday), Commander of the US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, visited the Israeli army as a guest of the Chief of Staff, General Eyal Zamir."

The statement added: "During the visit, General Kurilla participated in a joint working forum with the Chief of Staff and senior army commanders, during which the achievements of Operation Rising Lion (the aggression against Iran) were presented, as well as the situation on the near and distant fronts."

He continued: "After that, (Korella) visited the Air Force headquarters, accompanied by the Commander of the (Israeli) Air Force and other commanders."

The statement indicated that the Israeli army thanked the US army for its "strategic coordination" during the war on Iran.

Israeli and American officials have pointed to the close cooperation between the two countries during the 12-day aggression against Iran.

On June 13, Israel, with US support, launched a 12-day aggression against Iran, targeting military and nuclear sites, civilian facilities, and the assassination of military leaders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded by targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters with ballistic missiles and drones.

On June 22, the United States attacked Iran's nuclear facilities and claimed to have "eliminated" them. Tehran responded by bombing the U.S. Al-Udeid base in Qatar. Washington then declared a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Tehran on June 24.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Keane said at a press conference at the time that the operation against Iran's nuclear facilities, codenamed "Midnight Hammer," was carried out under the command of General Kurilla.