A number of citizens were killed and others injured on Saturday evening when Israeli warplanes bombed a residential building in Gaza City.

According to local sources, at least three civilians were killed and several others were injured after an Israeli warplane bombed the Al-Gharabli building on Salah al-Din Street, east of Gaza City.

In the same context, a number of civilians were injured after an Israeli drone dropped bombs near the Baptist Hospital in Gaza.

Palestinian dignitaries and clans in Gaza issued an urgent appeal on Saturday to the world and US President Donald Trump to halt the ongoing Israeli genocide in the besieged Strip.

In a statement, they stressed that the Gaza Strip is experiencing a "state of complete famine" due to the ongoing Israeli blockade and the closure of crossings to the entry of aid and goods since March 2.

Earlier on Saturday, the government media office in Gaza announced that the death toll from Israel's starvation policy had risen to 57 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, warning of a further increase due to Tel Aviv's closure of the crossings and its prevention of the entry of relief aid for two months.

The dignitaries and clans said, "We are urgently appealing to the world that the Gaza Strip is experiencing a real famine, as the Israeli occupation uses starvation as a weapon against civilians."

The statement added: "The people of Gaza have no access to clean drinking water, food, or aid. Thousands of families are living in catastrophic and unprecedented humanitarian conditions."

He continued, "We are dying of hunger. Children and the sick are threatened with death every day, as the occupation uses the blockade as a destructive weapon against the people of the Gaza Strip, amid shameful international silence."

The dignitaries and clans in Gaza called for "the immediate opening of the crossings and the permission for the entry of humanitarian aid."

They called on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to intervene "urgently" to open the Rafah crossing and save lives, stressing that the continued closure of the crossings "deepens the humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza.

They also called on the US president to "correct Washington's sin and restore its humanity" by pressuring Israel to halt the genocide in Gaza. They also called on the free people of the world to "take urgent action and pressure to open the crossings."

In early March 2025, the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel, which had been in effect since January 19, 2025, concluded. However, Israel reneged on the agreement and resumed its genocide on the 18th of the same month.

Since March 2, Israel has closed the Gaza Strip's crossings to the entry of food, relief, medical aid, and goods, causing a significant deterioration in the humanitarian situation for Palestinians, according to government, human rights, and international reports.

Palestinians in Gaza are entirely dependent on such aid after Israel's ongoing genocide over the past 19 months rendered them impoverished, according to World Bank data.

Since October 7, 2023, with full American support, Israel has been committing systematic genocide in the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 170,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied a Washington Post report alleging he held "intensive talks" on Iran with Mike Waltz, the former US National Security Advisor who was fired by President Donald Trump.

"Contrary to the Washington Post report, Prime Minister Netanyahu did not hold extensive talks with Mike Waltz on the Iranian issue," Netanyahu's office said in a statement released Saturday.

The statement explained that Netanyahu's meeting with Waltz and Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, took place at the guest house in February, prior to his upcoming meeting with President Trump at the White House.

The families of Israeli prisoners in Gaza said on Saturday that the escalation of fighting in the Strip will not only lead to the deaths of their loved ones, but also "the obliteration of the bodies of those killed."

This came during a joint press conference organized by the families of the Israeli prisoners in front of the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv, broadcast by the private Israeli Channel 12.

A relative of one of the prisoners said during the conference: "The escalation of the fighting will not only kill the detainees, but will also wipe out the bodies of the dead."

He added, "The war that (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu claims is a war of peace, is a war of killing detainees, and we must stand against it."

Another relative of one of the prisoners stated that "calling up reserve soldiers to expand the military operation in Gaza will only result in the deaths of the kidnapped soldiers."

Israeli occupation aircraft launched two raids on Saturday evening, targeting several towns in southern Lebanon.

A drone bombed a civilian vehicle in the town of Khartoum, Sidon District, while a drone launched an airstrike targeting the area between the towns of Markaba and Tallousa in southern Lebanon.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty affirmed on Saturday his country's commitment to respecting Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and its rejection of any Israeli interference in its affairs under any pretext.

This came during a phone call with US Presidential Advisor for Arab and Middle East Affairs, Massad Boulos, in which Abdel Ati also stressed the need to implement the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Regarding developments in Syria, Abdel Aati affirmed "Egypt's commitment to supporting the brotherly Syrian people, respecting the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria, and ensuring that Syria remains a source of stability in the region," according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

During the call, Abdel-Ati also expressed his "condemnation of the Israeli raid on the area adjacent to the presidential palace in Damascus," considering it "a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement."

The Egyptian Foreign Minister affirmed his country's rejection of "any Israeli interference in Syrian affairs under any pretext."

He also stressed "the necessity of launching a comprehensive political process that includes all components and segments of Syrian society to overcome this critical phase."

Regarding Lebanon, the Egyptian minister indicated that his country will continue to "provide all forms of support to Lebanon, its government, and its national institutions to achieve security and stability."

He expressed "Egypt's rejection of any infringement on Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the necessity of implementing the cessation of hostilities agreement, the immediate and undiminished withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the implementation of Resolution 1701 by all parties without selectivity."

Clashes erupted on Saturday after Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Sebastia, northwest of Nablus.

Sebastia Mayor Mohammed Azem said that Israeli forces stormed the town amid heavy gunfire and tear gas, sparking clashes.

Lebanon's official warning to Hamas against using its territory to carry out actions that threaten its national security and constitute a violation of its sovereignty effectively means that Lebanese-Palestinian relations are on the verge of entering a new phase that requires the annulment of the Cairo Agreement, which was abrogated by the government of Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss in 1987. The implementation of this abrogation remained ink on paper under pressure from the former Syrian regime, which embraced the forces of the Palestinian coalition in its war against Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

The Cairo Agreement was signed in 1969 between the Lebanese government and the PLO under Egyptian auspices. It constituted a violation of Lebanese sovereignty, as it allowed Palestinian factions to possess all types of weapons. This later deepened the rift among the Lebanese, with Palestinian factions joining the "National Movement" against the Christian parties in the civil war that broke out in the spring of 1975.

But political circumstances changed with the conclusion of the Taif Agreement, sponsored by Saudi Arabia, which stipulated the confinement of arms to the legitimate authority as a culmination of the war's end. This was followed by a consensus among the political parties at the first National Dialogue Conference, held in the spring of 2006, at the invitation of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, to collect Palestinian weapons inside and outside the camps. The Syrian regime prevented this from being implemented.

The same position, regarding the collection of illegal weapons and their exclusive control over the state, applies to Resolution 1701 in all its provisions, and the necessity of its implementation in response to the agreement sponsored by the United States and France, to implement the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. This came in the wake of Hezbollah’s monopolization of support for Gaza, and the resulting unprecedented destruction resulting from its miscalculation of the Israeli response. In addition, the party demanded a withdrawal from south of the Litani River to make way for the deployment of the Lebanese Army with the support of the Interim International Emergency Force (UNIFIL) up to the international border, even though Israel obstructed its deployment by retaining a number of points.

Therefore, the opening of the Hamas file did not come out of nowhere, but rather came against the backdrop of its support for Gaza by violating Lebanese sovereignty, most recently by launching rockets from north of the Litani River towards the settlements of Metulla and Kiryat Shmona, and its involvement in the warehouse raided by Lebanese army units, which found quantities of rockets and platforms prepared for their launch.

The warning issued by the Lebanese government to Hamas, based on the recommendation issued by the Supreme Defense Council meeting chaired by President Joseph Aoun, and attended by his deputy, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, is more like an ultimatum that applies to all Palestinian factions and groups without exception. It paves the way for the upcoming visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) to Beirut on May 21. On the agenda is the collection of heavy and medium Palestinian weapons from inside the camps, because Hamas is no longer permitted to use southern territory to launch rockets, according to its own agenda that conflicts with the Lebanese insistence on ending the war to restore stability to the south.

In this context, Asharq Al-Awsat learned that the Director General of General Security, Major General Hassan Shuqair, summoned, in the presence of the Director of Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Tony Kahwaji, the Hamas official in Lebanon, Ahmed Abdel Hadi, who arrived with Ayman Shana'a to his office at the directorate. The official asked him to inform the Hamas leadership of the decisions issued by the Lebanese government, based on the recommendations of the Supreme Defense Council during its session on Friday.

Major General Shuqair's notification came as a warning to Hamas, represented by Abdel Hadi, based on an order from the Defense Council against engaging in any security or military activities from Lebanese territory that would undermine sovereignty and national security. The warning also required Hamas to adhere to the residency requirements for refugees, respect Lebanese laws, and hand over the four suspects who remain at large.

Abdul Hadi responded to the warning and expressed his willingness to hand over the four wanted individuals. He was quoted as saying that Hamas adheres to the Defense Council's recommendations, government decisions, and all agreements it concludes, referring to the ceasefire agreement, and refrains from engaging in actions that would undermine Lebanese national security.

He was also quoted as saying that the rocket fire was the result of individual action and not a central decision by Hamas. He added that their project was to live with dignity in Lebanon, have the right to return, abide by Lebanese laws, and refrain from any action that would undermine the country's security and stability. He emphasized that Hamas was informed of the rocket fire after the launchers were arrested.

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that the four wanted individuals being pursued are Palestinians, some of whom are reportedly hiding in the Ain al-Hilweh and Mieh Mieh refugee camps near Sidon. Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing into three detainees: two Palestinians and a third Lebanese man with a Palestinian mother.

The sources confirmed that the decision to collect weapons had been made and was irreversible. Security forces will confront any Palestinian attempt to break out of the camps, and will raid any location suspected of being used as a missile storage facility.

She revealed that camp security would be entrusted to Lebanese security forces, and that weapons no longer served any purpose other than to fuel internal fighting and undermine the security and stability of the neighborhood, especially after they lost their role in the region with the decline of the Iranian-led axis of resistance and its retreat into the interior.

The sources believed that the exclusivity of arms to the state, with regard to Hezbollah, was not raised in the Defense Council meeting, but those who believe that not discussing it means it is no longer a priority are mistaken. They pointed out that its inclusion in the Palestinian portfolio refutes Hezbollah's pretext for retaining its weapons. They said: "There is no link between the two weapons, and what is required of the party is to engage positively with President Aoun's insistence on arms exclusivity, as long as he agreed to evacuate south of the Litani River, supported the ceasefire and the implementation of Resolution 1701, and refrained from responding. This indicates his willingness to place his weapons on the negotiating table in support of the diplomatic option adopted by the state to compel Israel to withdraw. Therefore, the party's stubbornness in clinging to its weapons is misplaced now that it has lost the balance of terror card and the rules of engagement."

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced on Saturday that the death toll from the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against Palestinians has risen to 52,495 dead and 118,366 wounded since October 7, 2023.

The ministry said in its daily statistical report on the number of martyrs and wounded as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip: "77 dead (including 7 people who were pulled from under the rubble) and 275 injuries arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals during the past 48 hours."

She added that the death toll since Israel resumed its genocide on March 18 has reached "2,396 dead and 6,325 wounded."

Thus, the ministry announced that the death toll from the Israeli aggression has risen to 52,495 dead and 118,366 wounded since October 7, 2023.

The ministry noted that "a number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews are unable to reach them."

In early March, the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel concluded. The agreement, which went into effect on January 19, was brokered by Egypt and Qatar and supervised by the United States.

While Hamas has adhered to the terms of the first phase, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, has reneged on the start of the second phase in deference to extremists in his ruling coalition, according to Hebrew media.

Since March 18, Israel has resumed its genocidal crimes by launching violent, large-scale airstrikes, most of which targeted civilians, including homes and tents housing displaced persons.

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation, with full American support, has been committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, coupled with a stifling blockade that has plunged the Strip into unprecedented humanitarian conditions.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) expressed its shock and sadness that, 18 months into its war on Hamas, Israel continues to impose an unprecedented ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza.

A statement issued by the board of directors of the association, which includes 380 journalists working for the foreign press in Israel and the Palestinian territories, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, which falls on May 3, stated that "unprecedented in the history of Israel, the government has imposed such sweeping restrictions on the media for such an extended period," considering it "a stain on a country that claims to be a beacon of democracy."

The statement added, "We salute our Palestinian journalist colleagues who continue to cover events despite great personal risks. However, Israeli restrictions have severely hampered independent reporting and deprived the world of a full picture of the situation in Gaza."

The statement continued, "Our repeated requests for dialogue and a solution that would allow journalists to enter the Gaza Strip have been rejected, while the Israeli government has repeatedly sought to delay referring our case to the Supreme Court."

The Foreign Press Association Board of Directors statement concluded, "We call on Israel to end the ongoing delays, uphold the basic principles of press freedom, and allow journalists unrestricted access to Gaza."

A report prepared by the National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated that the Israeli occupation forces are implementing a dangerous project that will change the features of the West Bank and push forward the imposition of actual Israeli "sovereignty" over Area C, at a minimum. This is taking advantage of the preoccupation with the brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip and the raids, raids, demolitions and destruction in the cities, towns and camps in the northern West Bank.

The report, released Saturday, added that over the past year, the occupation government allocated 3.1 billion shekels (equivalent to $838 million) to pave hundreds of kilometers of new internal roads between Palestinian areas, with the aim of linking Israeli settlements established in the West Bank with cities within the 1948 territories, which contributes to the implementation of the Israeli annexation project and creates a reality on the ground that is difficult to change.

It pointed out that, according to the occupation government's statements, the goal is to establish a million settlers in the West Bank and impose Israeli sovereignty over their settlements, despite the fact that these projects directly impact the lives of Palestinians by fragmenting their cities, towns, and villages and further isolating them from their surroundings.

In this context, an investigation by the Israeli website "Shmomrim," published last week, confirmed that the occupation authorities are continuing to expand the colonial road network by paving hundreds of kilometers of new roads to connect settlements and colonial outposts with government support, making it difficult for Palestinians to exercise their rights to their lands.

The investigation publishes a number of evidences of this, such as the road built east of the village of Mikhmas, northeast of Jerusalem, to connect the "Nahalat Zvi" colonial outpost, established in 2022, with a new extension of the colonial outposts that were recently established in the area. As a result of this road, landowners in the area are no longer able to access their land, and if they try to do so, they are subjected to attacks by settlers, after the settlers paved it in October of last year. This was despite contacts made by the residents of the area with the Coordination and Liaison Office and the occupation police, who did nothing to stop them, as they had previously destroyed the road paved by the people of Mikhmas.

The investigation reveals a significant increase in the construction and paving of unlicensed roads under the settler government led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, in addition to some roads approved by official authorities. These roads not only prevent Palestinians from accessing their agricultural lands but are also changing the face of the West Bank.

In addition to this road, which connects the colonial outposts to the pastoral farms in the area, the investigation also examines another road in the vicinity of the village of Maghayer al-Deir, near the town. The investigation reveals that residents were surprised to discover engineering tools used by the settlers on the northern side of their town, just meters from their homes. The tools were discovered with permission from the Binyamin Colonial Council, which allows them to carry out work to "protect state lands," they claim.

These roads facilitate the access of settlers from colonial pastoral farms to Palestinian villages, by tractor, car, and even on foot, as is the case in Khirbet Umm al-Marajim near the village of Duma, south of Nablus. They enable them to storm it, as happened with the "Gal Yosef" colonial farm, which was established last year, and burn its homes and vehicles, by quickly reaching the area via the road that heads from the colonial farm towards the south, directly next to the khirbet.

The Shmumrim investigation reveals multiple ways to finance unlicensed roads, directly through the budget of the Ministry of Colonization, which, in turn, supports the land patrol departments run by the colonial councils in the West Bank. These departments aim to monitor and prevent planning and construction in Area C, and may receive government support for "road construction and paving of dirt roads."

Documents from the Ministry of Colonial Affairs show that the Hebron Hills Settlement Council received 1.1 million shekels last year to support a road construction project in the Susya area. As part of this project, the Gush Etzion Settlement Council received 958,000 shekels "to improve existing roads to protect state lands in the hills," while the Binyamin Settlement Council received approximately 1.9 million shekels for six different road construction projects.

The National Bureau reported that the occupation authorities are covering up this by preventing the publication of information about the new roads. However, Israeli organizations are documenting the situation based on aerial photographs. Meanwhile, the Peace Now movement explains that between mid-2023 and mid-2024, 139 unlicensed roads were built in the West Bank, totaling 116 kilometers in length.

In its latest report on the issue, the movement explains that 25 roads have been paved to establish new colonial outposts, 31 roads to expand existing colonial outposts, eight roads between an existing outpost and the nearest colony, and 46 roads to allow access to areas where there is currently no permanent colonist presence. No construction plan has been prepared for any of these roads, and no legal permit has been issued for their operation.

In this regard, the author of the Peace Now report, Yoni Mizrahi, confirms that the construction of roads has become a major tool for seizing Palestinian land without the need for a colonial population density. He adds that in some colonial outposts, only one or two families may live, but with the help of roads, they seize vast areas. He adds that the last two years have witnessed an escalation in settler violence and an increase in the construction of outposts and farms, in addition to the expansion of the road network that strangles Palestinians and restricts their access to their lands.

The colonial leaders openly declare that the goal of building such roads is to contribute to the seizure of the largest possible area with the least number of colonists.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made this clear during a recent official ceremony in southern Hebron, where he and Colonization Minister Orit Struck handed over dozens of four-wheel drive vehicles to support these farms. Smotrich emphasized that the proliferation of sheep and goats on the land prevents Palestinians from accessing them.

The roads being built to the farms and settlement outposts play a vital role in this, as they not only facilitate the movement of settlers, but also contribute to consolidating their control over the land. Yotam Cohen, a volunteer with the Israeli human rights organization Torat Tzedek, confirms that these roads intensify attacks on Palestinians by enabling settlers to quickly access the lands via these roads in four-wheel drive vehicles.

The National Bureau stated in its report that the activities of these colonial outposts and unlicensed pastoral farms receive clear government support, in addition to multiple funding channels, such as the Colonization Department of the World Zionist Organization. Its Director-General, Hosea Harari, acknowledged at one of its conferences, held in June of last year, that in 2023, the department invested approximately 75 million shekels to support unlicensed colonial farms and outposts, including 7.7 million shekels allocated for road construction. This department also received an additional budget of 75 million shekels from the occupation government to "support security components" in the settlements, including guard posts and surveillance cameras.

He added that these pastoral farms receive generous financial support not only from the occupation government, but also from local authorities in the colonies, the Colonization Department of the World Zionist Organization, and from colonial organizations and associations, such as the Friends of Samaria, the Amana Association, and the Permanent Fund for Israel, known as the Keren Kayemet, which is considered a major supporter through its participation in various projects, and through devious and dangerous means to whitewash and expand the farms, and to provide them with roads to ensure communication between them.

The report noted that the terrorist Amana movement, which was sanctioned by the former US president's administration, plays a prominent role in providing support to the settlements and pastoral farms, including helping them pave roads to connect these outposts and farms to the nearby settlements. This effort is being spearheaded, according to Israeli sources, by Ze'ev Hever (Zambish), the man whose door is open to Netanyahu, many say.

He explains that some observers see Hafer as the “mastermind behind the project to control” Palestinian lands, and as the head of the “Amana” group, the main executive arm for establishing the colonial outposts. Haaretz newspaper quotes him in an interview with the magazine “Ndalani Yehosh” (Regional Real Estate) as saying: “Building connections between these outposts and the farms and preserving open land is Amana’s central mission,” and that the primary means we use are the farms. He added that “the area occupied by these farms amounts to 2.5 times the total area occupied by the hundreds of settlements combined.”

The report confirms that this "Amana" organization, led by Ze'ev Hever, a far-right terrorist in the Jewish underground movement in the early 1980s, was convicted in 1984 for his involvement in the attempted assassinations of mayors in the West Bank in 1980. In subsequent years, he became increasingly influential, and the occupying state awarded him its highest official award (the Israel Prize). He is now the secretary-general of the organization responsible for building most of the most violent colonial outposts in the West Bank.

Sources also report that it is considered a "powerful organization," with assets estimated at 600 million shekels (about $158 million currently).

In this context, Yossi Dagan, a prominent member of the Likud Party and head of the Northern West Bank Settlements Council, is constantly appearing. Some describe him as an "octopus in the service of colonialism." He has done much to achieve this goal, particularly securing the necessary approvals for the construction of the Hawara bypass road, the bus station at the eastern entrance to Ariel, connecting the settlements to high-speed internet, lighting intersections and streets, installing traffic signals at the entrances to the settlements, and licensing cemeteries.

Yossi Dagano has strong ties with prominent rabbis such as Rabbi Levanon, Daniela Weiss, head of the Nahala colonial movement, and the Amana Association.

He manages a broad network of external relations with regional and international entities he calls "Friends of Samaria," enabling him to raise funds not only to support colonialism, spread colonial outposts and terrorist pastoral farms, and connect them with internal roads, but also to arm the colonists.

The National Bureau reports that Israeli reports indicate that the Zionist Organization's Colonization Department and the Jewish Agency are involved in serious crimes, including the transfer of ownership and disposal of private Palestinian lands, their allocation to Jewish colonization, and their contribution to the displacement of Palestinians from their pastures and farms, with the support of the military and political echelons.

In recent years, according to the Peace Now movement, it has become clear that this department is deeply involved in illegal activities by allocating privately owned Palestinian lands to settlers, without the consent of their owners. This is despite the fact that the Government Comptroller's Office issued an advisory opinion in 2015 confirming that the powers and duties performed by the Settlement Department, a non-governmental body, fall within the core powers of government, and therefore the government may not delegate them to a non-governmental entity.

The opinion also prohibited the allocation of direct budgets to the department within the budget law or through direct financial transfers.

Instead of acting on this advisory opinion, in 2015 the Knesset enacted an amendment to the Law on the Status of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for the Land of Israel, which aimed to enable the government to continue its activities in the West Bank through the Colonization Department.

With the passage of this law, the status quo was formally established, allowing this department to freely dispose of the lands transferred to it by the state, without any obligation to report or be transparent.

The National Bureau for Defending Land documented the following weekly violations in the West Bank governorates during the reporting period:

Jerusalem

Israeli occupation forces forced Jerusalemite Sufyan al-Lawzi to demolish his home in the town of Kafr Aqab. He was given only half an hour to demolish his two-room home, claiming it was built without a permit. He was also fined a hefty sum if he did not comply with the self-demolition order immediately. He was also forced to remove the rubble from his home to preserve nature.

In Beit Anan, settlers attacked guards and employees at the solid waste landfill, seizing a digger and a motorcycle. They assaulted the guards and employees while they were on duty, seriously injuring several of them and causing fractures. They also forcibly seized a "bagger" used for dumping waste, in addition to a motorcycle belonging to one of the guards.

Hebron

Settlers uprooted a number of olive saplings and vandalized a fence surrounding land owned by the Al-Hathalin family in Khirbet Umm al-Khair in Masafer Yatta.

The settlers also released their livestock into large areas of agricultural crops in Wadi Al-Jawaya, owned by the Al-Shawahin family.

In the Fateh Sidra area, settlers released their livestock around Farid Al-Hamamdeh's home, provoked the family, and erected occupation flags on citizens' lands in the area.

On the Wadi Sa'ir road, a citizen, his wife and his son were injured in an attack by settlers, which resulted in him suffering bruises and wounds in various parts of his body. His wife (50 years old) was also attacked, resulting in her suffering a broken hand, and his son suffering head injuries. They were taken to the hospital.

In the village of Al-Zuwaydin, occupation forces suppressed a protest in the village denouncing the settlers' attempt to seize their lands.

In the village of Umm al-Khair, the occupation authorities notified Musa al-Hadhlin of the demolition of three homes, each covering an area of 150 square meters, and a home in the Hamida area, each covering an area of 120 square meters, belonging to Nayef Suleiman al-Najada. Five homes were also demolished in the town of Idhna, west of Hebron, on the pretext of lacking a permit.

The occupation army and settlers in military uniform raided the home of Akif Salem Harizat in the village of Manizil in the Masafer Yatta area, destroying the contents of the house and its furniture, and stealing an amount of money worth six thousand shekels.

Bethlehem

The occupation forces notified the demolition of a car wash in the village of Husan, located in the "Al-Shurafa" area at the eastern entrance to the village, on the pretext of lacking a license. It is worth noting that the facility has been demolished previously.

The occupation forces also demolished a 100-square-meter house, built of iron and galvanized sheet metal, in the Al-Khamar area, southeast of Bethlehem, on the pretext of lacking a permit.

In the lands of the village of Artas, the occupation forces began paving a colonial road through the village lands adjacent to the tourist pools of Solomon, reaching the eastern part of Al-Abyat. This will lead to the possibility of separating the areas of Abu Zeid and Khallet al-Nahla from Artas, and the possibility of bypassing the Khalayel al-Loz area and separating it from its lands, with the aim of expanding the "Efrat" settlement.

Ramallah

Citizens Adnan Hassan Rashid and Musa Shalalda were injured and bruised in an attack by armed settlers on the town of Kobar. They also kidnapped two young men, Adnan Abdul Rashid and Muhammad Bassam, after tying them up, assaulting them, and torturing them.

In the town of Sinjil, dozens of settlers renewed their incursion into the hill area, raising Israeli flags there. Meanwhile, the occupation forces began building a separation wall around the town, extending 1,500 meters in length. This prevents residents from moving, contributes to the settlers' seizure of the town's lands, and transforms it into a prison, suffocating and isolating it from the homes located behind Route 60.

In the village of Qibya, occupation bulldozers demolished two inhabited homes belonging to Rajih al-Tahir and Faraj Abu Zahra. The demolitions were carried out under the pretext of building in Area C.

Nablus

Citizens confronted an attack by settlers in the town of Beita, south of Nablus, where they attacked a number of participants in an anti-colonial march near Jabal Sabih. The residents confronted the settlers.

It's worth noting that the residents of Beita have been organizing a weekly march to protest the Israeli occupation forces' seizure of their lands in Jabal Sabih for the "Avitar" settlement outpost.

In the village of Qusra, the occupation forces continued bulldozing the village's lands as part of a policy aimed at seizing more agricultural land for colonial expansion.

The occupation forces delivered a notice to stop work on the Burqa Park, which is being built in the archaeological area of Al-Masoudiya, on the pretext that it is located in Area C. The park is funded by the Palestinian Union of Local Authorities at a cost of 130,000 shekels, and work on preparing it began ten days ago, with the aim of providing entertainment for the residents of the area and making it a breathing space for families, in light of the siege and colonial attacks.

Salfit

Thousands of settlers stormed religious sites in the town of Kafr Haris, amid a heavy deployment of occupation forces that provided protection.

The occupation authorities closed the town's entrances and imposed strict military measures, including prohibiting Palestinian movement and forcing shops to close, a common occurrence during Jewish holidays.

The raid came in response to calls by colonialist groups to organize noisy Talmudic prayers and celebrations, including scenes of dancing and singing near Islamic shrines, in an ongoing attempt to impose a new reality and Judaize these sites.

The occupation forces halted work on the road paving project between the towns of Bidya and Mas'ha. Soldiers stormed the site, halted work on the project, and issued orders to the workers to halt the work.

In Wadi Qana, the occupation authorities served notices to remove a fence and uproot olive trees over an area of 100 square meters, and to uproot 12 olive trees under the pretext that they are a nature reserve.

The Israeli occupation forces also uprooted more than 1,200 olive trees from citizens' lands in the village of Haris, covering an area exceeding 63 dunams, in preparation for seizing them for colonial expansion in the area.

Jordan Valley

Settlers stormed Khirbet Samra in the northern Jordan Valley, roamed among residents' homes, and placed occupation flags nearby.

Others began fencing and cultivating land in the Wadi al-Faw area in the northern Jordan Valley, despite the fact that it is owned by citizens by land title.

In the Al-Farisiya area, settlers attacked a shepherd and attempted to steal his livestock. Others cut water lines in the Al-Auja Waterfall community and carried out provocative car tours among residents' homes. They then cut off water pipes extending from the Al-Auja Spring, which supply residents with drinking water.

In the Ein el-Hilweh settlement, settlers stormed the settlement and placed occupation flags on citizens' property in repeated provocative acts. They also placed cement blocks around some springs in Khirbet el-Deir, an additional step to impose their seizure and prevent Palestinian citizens from exploiting them.

A Palestinian newlywed was killed hours after their wedding in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Information Center reported that "Alaa Abu Al-Ainain and Hala Za'rab were killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted their home at dawn on Saturday."

He pointed out that they "got married yesterday and ascended to heaven this morning."

On March 18, Israel resumed its military operations in the Gaza Strip, following the end of the first phase of a ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States on January 19, amid stalled understandings regarding the start of the second phase or the extension of the truce. Israel launched a large-scale war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, following an unprecedented attack launched by Hamas on Israel, which, according to Israeli authorities, resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people and the capture of a number of hostages. The war led to the martyrdom of more than 52,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to data from the local Ministry of Health. (DPA)

Medical sources announced on Saturday the death of a child due to starvation and dehydration in Gaza City, bringing the number of malnutrition victims in the Gaza Strip to approximately 53.

The same sources said that the child, Janan Saleh Al-Skafi, died in Al-Rantisi Hospital, west of Gaza City, due to malnutrition resulting from the famine in the Strip.

She added that approximately 60,000 children are suffering from malnutrition due to the occupation's tight blockade of the Gaza Strip, its closure of all crossings, and its prevention of the entry of essential supplies and humanitarian aid, including food, water, medicine, and even fuel, for approximately 64 days.

UNICEF warned that more than 96% of women and children in Gaza are unable to meet their basic food needs. A United Nations report indicated that 1.95 million Palestinians out of a population of 2.2 million are suffering from critical levels of food insecurity.

Since the first hours of the devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, starvation, particularly in northern Gaza, has been a weapon of mass destruction, genocide, murder, siege, and destruction.

The death toll from the genocidal war and aggression waged by the Israeli occupation forces on the Gaza Strip has risen to 52,495 dead and 118,366 wounded since October 7, 2023.

Medical sources reported that the death toll includes 2,396 dead and 6,325 injuries since March 18, when the occupation resumed its aggression on the Gaza Strip following the ceasefire agreement.

Over the past 24 hours, 77 dead arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals, including seven who were recovered. Another 275 were injured, and a number of victims remain trapped under the rubble and debris, as well as on the streets, unable to be reached by ambulances and civil defense teams.

Prisoners' organizations stated that the Israeli occupation regime continues to target Palestinian journalists through a systematic policy of arrest and killing since the beginning of the ongoing genocide and comprehensive aggression, and continues to terrorize them using all means.

The prisoners’ institutions (the Commission of Prisoners’ and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, and the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association) stated in a statement today, Saturday, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, which falls on the third of May of each year, that this stage is the bloodiest in the history of the Palestinian press. According to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, more than 200 journalists have been killed since the beginning of the genocide, while the prisoners’ institutions recorded about (180) cases of arrest and detention among their ranks since the genocide. The occupation continues to detain (49) of them to this day, and they are only those who were arrested after the genocide, in addition to (6) others whom the occupation continues to detain before the genocide.

She added, "Targeting Palestinian journalists has been, and remains, one of the most prominent policies pursued by the occupation throughout its history. This is in addition to the assassinations it has pursued, which have escalated to an unprecedented level. Since the genocide, it has systematically targeted their families, with many journalists and their families killed during the genocide as part of the revenge operations."

The institutions indicated that the occupation continues to impose the crime of enforced disappearance against journalists (Nidal Al-Wahidi and Haitham Abdul Wahid). Since October 7, 2023, the occupation has refused to disclose their fate, despite the efforts made by many human rights organizations and the ongoing demands to this day. It is noteworthy that the occupation has adopted the crime of enforced disappearance against all detainees from Gaza, and this continued until some legal amendments were made that allowed the disclosure of the fate of detainees in prisons and camps. However, this crime has not stopped to this day, and many detainees from Gaza are still subject to enforced disappearance.

The institutions added that among the detained journalists (19) are under administrative detention, which constitutes the most prominent crime that the occupation has escalated after the genocide, and has affected thousands of our people, in a continuous attempt to impose more control and censorship, deprive them of their right to freedom of opinion and expression, and prevent them from revealing the crimes of the occupation that control all aspects of Palestinian life. The crime of administrative detention has affected many journalists, some of whom were released, and some of whom remain under detention to this day, pointing to the administrative detainee, journalist Nidal Abu Aker from Bethlehem, who spent about 20 years in the occupation prisons, most of which were under administrative detention.

The organizations pointed out how the occupation has transformed social media platforms and journalistic work from a tool for freedom of opinion and expression into a tool for oppression and a pretext for arrest, under the so-called "incitement." The occupation deliberately formulated the terms of what it claims to be "incitement and sympathy" in a vague manner, without clear definitions, in order to be able to use them as a weapon against journalists in particular, and other Palestinians in general, and throw them into prison.

Journalists detained in the occupation's prisons and camps face all the same crimes as prisoners, including systematic torture, severe beatings, starvation, and medical crimes, in addition to the humiliation and abuse they are subjected to on a momentary basis, in addition to the ongoing policies of deprivation and deprivation against them, and their detention in harsh and humiliating detention conditions.

The prisoners' institutions renewed their demands for the urgent release of journalists detained in Israeli occupation prisons, and to reveal the fate of detained Gaza journalists who are facing the crime of enforced disappearance. They called on the United Nations and all international institutions to assume their responsibilities regarding the crimes committed by the occupation against prisoners and detainees, and not to be satisfied with publishing reports and testimonies, announcing them and warning about them, and to stop the systematic state of helplessness in the face of the ongoing genocide and comprehensive aggression.

The United States has given preliminary approval for a $3.5 billion sale of air-to-air missiles for Saudi fighter jets, the latest proposed arms deal to the region ahead of President Donald Trump's scheduled visit to the region later this month.

The sale, announced early Saturday, is likely to be one of several Trump will announce during his visit to the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has already said it wants to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years, likely as a way to woo Trump into choosing the kingdom again for his first official visit as president. Trump traveled briefly to Italy to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.

Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia in 2017 marked a break from the tradition of recent US presidents, who typically head to Canada, Mexico, or the United Kingdom on their first foreign trip. The visit also underscored his administration's close ties with the rulers of the oil-rich Gulf states, as his eponymous real estate company has made deals across the region.

The arms sale includes 1,000 AEM-120C-8 medium-range air-to-air missiles, guidance components, and other technical support. The missiles will be manufactured by RTX Corporation of Tucson, Arizona.

It is noteworthy that the Royal Saudi Air Force possesses the second largest fleet of F-16 fighter jets in the world, after the United States.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement, "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner nation that contributes to political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region."

(dad)

Baha Rahal

The class that was crushed during the months of war was the working class. It had fallen below the threshold of poverty and destitution, was ravaged by long days and months, was deprived of the most basic elements of a decent life, and lived in oppressive and difficult conditions without the most basic rights.

The working class, who used to earn their living day by day, found themselves overnight without work or income, and no one cared about their well-being. They are the workers of my country who fell victim to the raging war, as well as weak government plans aimed at rescuing them from their state of distress. Their conditions deteriorated, they lost their jobs, and were left to face their fates alone, without aid or support, job opportunities, social security, or health insurance. Emergency plans did not do them justice, and those who bear the responsibility of saving them did not come to their rescue.

May 1st of this year came, and the situation of my country's workers was dire, and their economic conditions were impossible, while the workers of Gaza, between martyrs, wounded, and displaced, were living through a catastrophe under the genocide from which no factory or facility, no company or institution was spared. Nothing was spared: not people, trees, or stones.

This is the difficult reality of my country's workers, a difficult and extremely dangerous reality due to the deterioration of these important sectors. They are the backbone of society and one of the pillars upon which the cycle of production and the market in the Palestinian economy depends. Some statistics issued by the Palestinian Workers' Union indicate that, before this war, the number of workers was close to half a million. After the war, they became unemployed, and a large percentage of them entered a phase of destitution and poverty.

Similarly, just as the occupation has bombed and destroyed economic facilities in Gaza with warplanes, military checkpoints, gates, and earth mounds have forced many economic facilities in the West Bank to close or reduce their workforce. This is due to declining purchasing power and a declining economy that is experiencing unprecedented daily decline, threatening more economic sectors.

These are frightening and shocking figures, foretelling dire economic consequences and a clear failure to address the situation, given the imposed blockade, Israel's piracy of Palestinian Authority funds, the cessation of international aid, the ongoing war of extermination in Gaza, and the policies of annexation, Judaization, and confiscation in the West Bank and Jerusalem. This calls for serious, responsible, and practical action, within the framework of urgent solutions.

Saving Palestinian workers is an urgent national and moral responsibility, requiring real action that goes beyond slogans and embraces realistic policies that restore this group's resilience and role in building the nation.

Palestinian workers are not well, workers of the world. They live without work, without health insurance, without rights, without available work. Their sustenance and the sustenance of their children are scarce. In Gaza, they are dying and being killed in displacement camps and shelters. This is the reality of Palestinian workers this year, workers of the world.

When Thinking Becomes Resistance... "On the Meaning of Thinking Politically in Palestine Today"

Social science researcher Khaled Odeh Allah urges thinking from scratch.

We are busy with life and the spinning of events and the acceleration of their pace has deprived people of the opportunity to think

What happened on October 7 and what followed is a temporal break in Palestinian history and a turning point that should not be easily overlooked.

"Political realism" is a concept that has been used to suppress radical alternatives, and everyone with power tries to define what is real according to their own standards.

Our crisis lies in the disconnect between politics and society. Politics does not begin with slogans, but with the people.

Thinking about the time of disappointment

In a time teeming with events, where the world presses on your nerves like one breath after another, one call seems difficult, heavy, but necessary: to think. To really think. Not to respond, not to comment, not to curse or cheer, but to think about what is happening and what is not happening. Here, in this narrow corner of the world, where death is collective and betrayal is also collective, thinking becomes resistance.

This is what Khaled Odeh Allah, a researcher in social sciences and their philosophy, sought to capture in a symposium titled "On the Meaning of Thinking Politically in Palestine Today." The symposium, organized by the Suleiman al-Halabi Department for Colonial Studies in collaboration with the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center, was held the evening before yesterday at the center's headquarters in Ramallah.

But don't expect to find a polished roadmap or a ready-made recipe for God's return. Rather, what you will find is "a dose of awareness carefully arranged, charged with the pain of history and its heavy questions," as he himself described it. A discourse that doesn't reassure, but rather disturbs; it doesn't entertain, but rather encourages a rethinking of the situation from scratch.

The painful scarcity of thinking

God's return begins with a shocking fact: that thinking, especially political thinking, is a rare and difficult act, and one that is not always possible. He says, "Thinking is a very difficult task, and if a person reflects on himself over a long period of time, he will discover that he does not think all the time. Indeed, thinking, in its deepest sense—that is, examining one's premises and measuring their logic—is not an everyday occurrence, but a rare occurrence."

We live in a consumerist age, not just in food and clothing, but also in attitudes and emotions. The return of God describes this reality by saying, "We are preoccupied with life and the fast pace of this age. Something is happening all the time, but not every event is important. In fact, the recycled nature of events and their accelerating pace have deprived people of the opportunity to reflect."

Genocide as a research file

But the moment of October 7th broke this rhythm. It was not a passing event, but a moment of rupture. He said, "What happened on October 7th and what followed is a temporal rupture in Palestinian history, a turning point that should not be easily overlooked." It was a moment that exploded everything we considered constant, and brought us face to face with the weakness of our tools and the limited understanding of our enemy and ourselves.

What's more difficult, according to Awdatallah, is that the genocide in Gaza, despite its horror, has not been sufficiently invested in reconstructing a genuine political action. On the contrary, "genocide has become a subject of research, emptied of its moral and existential dimensions, and treated as an academic field, rather than as a crime requiring accountability and radical political action."

Realism as a tool of oppression

Awdat Allah warns against the repetitive talk of massacres becoming a means of perpetuating helplessness: “The constant focus on genocide can be used to reinforce a collective sense of helplessness, as if it were a major crime that no human effort could counter, thus justifying inaction and inaction.”

Awdatallah did not neglect to question the concept of "political realism," which has long been used to suppress radical alternatives. He said, "There is no such thing as realism in its absolute sense. Realism is not what exists, but rather what is established through struggle. Everyone who possesses power tries to define what is real according to their own standards."

He then turns to the question of will, saying, "One of the biggest questions we must face is: Why did we fail? Why couldn't we stop the massacre? This is a question that concerns not only elites, but all of society." He added, "Political failure at an institutional moment like this must be dismantled, not hushed up, and must be confronted, not postponed."

Politics starts with the people

Politics, in his view, is not merely an institutional or organizational project, but rather "a collective practice linked to society, beginning with its foundations, its daily relationships, and the rebuilding of broken ties." Hence his sharp criticism of the idea of reducing the crisis of the Palestinian national project to a crisis of political representation. He says, "Our crisis is not only in who represents whom, but in the severing of the relationship between politics and society, and in the disruption of the foundation upon which the elites are based."

Therefore, he calls for a return to "politics as a life practice, beginning at the university, the neighborhood, the small gathering, the cultural encounter, and building new solidarity relationships." Politics, he asserts, "does not begin with slogans, but with the people."

He then arrives at a crucial point when he says, "If consciousness is not translated into a change in human existence, then consciousness turns into schizophrenia." By this, he means that a person may possess a revolutionary consciousness, but live a life unrelated to it, resulting in a distortion of self and a formal sense of belonging.

Thinking on the brink of extinction

Awda Allah concluded with a subtle reference to our current situation: “We have reached a moment where preserving what remains of Palestinian society itself, not the state project, is the essence of political action,” emphasizing that “rebuilding politics does not begin with grand solutions, but rather with a new foundation, with encounter, with recognition of a threatening reality, and with a long-term commitment that does not demand immediate results, but rather requires seriousness, honesty, and clarity.”

So, what does it mean to think politically about Palestine today?

Perhaps, as God's return said, it is to "rethink from scratch." To re-deconstruct what we take for granted and refuse to accept what we are told is "realistic." To practice politics not as a profession, but as a moral responsibility before death, before history, and before those who remain.

To think, not because thinking is a luxury, but because it is the last thing left before extinction.

(1) No to the Palestinian state

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement the day before yesterday that there is no Palestinian state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea brings the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis back to its roots: the refusal to recognize the Palestinian people's right to exist and the denial of their right to self-determination. This rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state is not due to security threats to the Israeli state, as Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed (and most Israeli parties, especially after the Israeli Knesset voted on July 18, 2024, by a majority of 68 votes, to consider the existence of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River "an existential threat to the State of Israel and its citizens"), but rather to deny the rights of the Palestinian people in principle.

The issue today imposes a different way of thinking for the Palestinians in light of the Israeli massacre in the Gaza Strip and the assault on the West Bank, in order to rearrange the Palestinian cards; in a way that strengthens positive steadfastness and the actions it entails and restores the ability to act, i.e. developing the tools of Palestinian action within the framework of confronting the manifestations of Israeli colonization of the lands of the State of Palestine, on the one hand, and preventing the penetration of what is known as negative steadfastness among the Palestinians, on the other hand. The mere presence of Palestinians on this land is not sufficient to say that the Palestinian people are steadfast and resisting the Zionist project, on the other hand.

Indigenous peoples threatened with extinction through genocide or ethnic cleansing carried out by colonialism with the aim of ending and uprooting their existence need a collective understanding of this danger and its magnitude, an awareness of the tools for collective self-preservation, and the means and methods of confrontation that are consistent with their intrinsic strength or subjective circumstance and its preparation, and a deep understanding of the objective circumstance; with the aim of bringing about change in the objective circumstance by overthrowing the manifestations of power enjoyed by the colonizers in harmony with the collective goals of the indigenous group and its right to self-determination.

Today, Palestinians are in dire need of reconsidering their collective consciousness and the strengths and weaknesses of their own capabilities, and of deeply understanding the objective situation by identifying the goals, means, methods, and tools capable of influencing and changing it.

(2) Engineers Syndicate elections

Fatah's candidates won thirteen seats in the Engineers Syndicate elections last Wednesday, including the position of head of the syndicate. Rather, the position was restored to Fatah, as it has been in successive electoral cycles, with the exception of the previous one in 2021. At that time, I wrote to understand the implications of Dr. Nadia Habash's exceptional victory, competing with a Fatah candidate for the position of head of the syndicate.

Holding elections is a significant milestone, especially if it is accompanied by healthy preparations and implementation conditions that ensure peer competition, regardless of the winner's academic, professional, or scientific standing, or their professional history, even if it is significant. However, it is more important to understand the significance of each sectoral or professional election milestone and not overburden them or generalize them to broader political issues. Voting factors and motivations in sectoral or professional elections do not depend solely on partisanship or political support, despite its importance in the Palestinian context. They are also linked to aspects related to professional needs, the social aspirations of some professionals, the ability to achieve financial gains for union members against other parties, and the ability to help improve the conditions of professionals.

Israeli warplanes launched more than 20 raids targeting military sites across Syria overnight Friday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. This comes after Israel had previously announced a strike near the presidential palace in Damascus.

The official Syrian news agency, SANA, reported that a civilian was killed in the raids, while the Israeli military confirmed that it targeted military infrastructure around Damascus and other areas of Syria, with which Israel remains at war.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which maintains an extensive network of sources on Syrian soil, reported "more than 20 Israeli raids on Daraa, the Damascus countryside, and Hama, targeting warehouses and military centers," in addition to raids on the Hama and Latakia countrysides.

The Observatory described the raids as "the most violent since the beginning of the year."

AFP correspondents in the Syrian capital reported hearing the roar of aircraft and several explosions.

SANA reported that "a civilian was martyred as a result of Israeli airstrikes on the outskirts of Harasta city in the Damascus countryside."

Since the fall of ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel, which views the new authorities in Damascus with suspicion, has carried out hundreds of attacks on military sites in Syria, justifying this by saying it seeks to prevent weapons from reaching the new authorities, which it describes as "jihadist."

Israel also sent forces to the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights.

"A clear message"

An Israeli airstrike targeted Damascus early Friday morning, reverberating throughout the capital, according to AFP correspondents and residents.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on the X platform that “warplanes raided… the area adjacent to the Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa Palace in Damascus.”

In a statement, the Syrian presidency condemned the bombing, which it said targeted the presidential palace, considering it "a dangerous escalation against state institutions and sovereignty."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned "Israel's violations of Syria's sovereignty," adding, through his spokesperson, that "it is imperative that these attacks cease and that Israel respect Syria's sovereignty."

These raids follow clashes between Druze militants, security forces, and fighters affiliated with the Syrian government near Damascus and in the south of the country, along the border with Israel. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, clashes left more than 100 people dead in two days.

Following the raid, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a joint statement with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, said: "This is a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not allow the deployment of (Syrian) forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community in any way."

"stage"

The Qatari Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli airstrike near Damascus, describing it as a "blatant aggression against Syria's sovereignty."

Hours after Israel announced it had launched airstrikes on Damascus, the German Foreign Ministry declared in a statement that "Syria must not become a theater for tensions in the region."

On Thursday, Israel renewed its threats, with Katz warning that "if attacks on the Druze resume and the Syrian regime fails to prevent them, Israel will respond with great force."

Following the overthrow of Assad, who had presented himself as a protector of minorities in Syria, armed Druze factions, which are not united under a single umbrella, failed to reach a full agreement with the new authorities. However, hundreds of fighters from two major factions joined the ranks of the General Security and the Ministry of Defense.

The Druze are distributed between Lebanon, Syria, Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.

On Friday, Sharaa met in Damascus with Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who had called on his sect in Syria on Wednesday to "reject Israeli intervention."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that four Druze were killed in a drone strike that hit a farm in Kanaker in southern Syria.

"fear"

Clashes began Monday night in Jaramana and spread the next day to Sahnaya, two predominantly Druze and Christian towns near Damascus. Tensions also spread to the southern province of Sweida.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Druze residents said that government fighters and security personnel attacked the two cities following the spread of an audio recording deemed offensive to the Prophet Muhammad. They clashed with Druze militants in the area.

Over the course of two days, clashes left more than 100 people dead, including Druze militants on one side and security personnel and fighters affiliated with the government on the other, in addition to 11 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

On Thursday evening, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, the most prominent spiritual leader of Syria's Druze community, denounced an "unjustified genocidal attack" against his community, demanding "the immediate intervention of international forces to maintain peace, prevent the continuation of these crimes, and halt them immediately."

The authorities accused "outlaw groups" of provoking the clashes by launching attacks on their forces.

The new authorities pledged to protect all sects amid concerns among minorities, while the international community urged the inclusion of all components in the transitional phase.

The escalation against the Druze comes more than a month after bloody violence in the Syrian coastal region, during which approximately 1,700 people were killed, the vast majority of them Alawites. This highlighted the challenges facing the administration of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Following two truce agreements between Druze representatives and government officials, security forces deployed to Sahnaya and reinforced their security measures around Jaramana on Thursday night. According to authorities, the agreement stipulated "the immediate surrender of heavy weapons and an increased deployment of General Security forces in the city."

But Arej, a 35-year-old resident of Sahnaya, said, “But we are afraid,” adding, “A large number of Christians and Druze have fled to Damascus.”

(AFP)

As the Israeli occupation forces continued their airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, a baby girl, Malak Ahmed Al-Qanou, was born "without a brain" at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza.

Medical sources said that the two-day-old baby, Al-Qanou, is one of the "shocking cases of fetal deformities in the womb," suggesting that the cause is likely radiation from the bombardment with weapons that Israel, the occupying power, is testing in the Gaza Strip against civilians and children.

Videos and photos documenting the condition of the little girl, Al-Qanou, who appeared to have a head without a brain, with her skull extending only above her eyes.

This case comes amid a significant increase in the phenomenon of "fetal deformities" in the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.

Throughout the months of genocide, doctors and human rights reports warned of the dangers posed to pregnant women in Gaza by exposure to toxic gases emitted by Israeli shells and missiles, fearing fetal deformities.

The sources indicated that "what is happening in Gaza brings to mind what was documented in Iraq after the invasion, where rates of birth defects increased due to pollution and radiation resulting from the bombing," calling for an international investigation "into the causes of these recurring cases of fetal deformities and the nature of the weapons used."

Residents of the Gaza Strip recently reported noticing a change in the sounds of explosions caused by the relentless Israeli bombardment, indicating the use of new weapons. This confirms the occupation's use of internationally prohibited weapons during the war of extermination it has been waging since October 7, 2023.

On January 28, 2025, a Human Rights Watch report stated that pregnant women in Gaza are at risk due to Israel's ongoing genocide.

She added, "Israel imposes conditions that threaten pregnancy, childbirth, and the lives of newborns in Gaza."

In its report, the human rights organization highlighted Israel's deliberate targeting of the health sector, undermining pregnant women and newborns' access to necessary healthcare, without addressing the issue of fetal deformities.

In this context, the organization stated that maternal health experts reported last July that the rate of spontaneous abortions had reached 300 percent since October 7, 2023.

On February 12, 2024, Jordanian pediatric surgeon Bilal al-Azzam, who was part of an American-European medical delegation that visited the Gaza Strip between January 19 and February 5, told the Turkish Anadolu Agency that they were treating cases of congenital malformations arriving at hospitals during the war.

Earlier on Friday, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that children in the Gaza Strip face an increasing risk of hunger, disease, and death.

This came in a statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, highlighting the situation of children in the Gaza Strip after two months of Israeli blockade and the denial of humanitarian aid.

Russell reiterated her call for the protection of children, the lifting of the siege on Gaza, and the allowing of commercial goods to enter.

Nineteen citizens were killed and others injured early Saturday morning when the occupation forces bombed civilian homes and displaced persons' tents in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

The official WAFA news agency reported that the occupation warplanes bombed the home of the Al-Bayram family in Khan Yunis camp, which led to the death of 11 citizens, including: Ayman Ahmed Al-Bayram (57 years old), Abeer Ayman Al-Bayram (23 years old), the child Muhammad Ayman Al-Bayram (11 years old), the infant Alma Yasser Khaled Awad (one year old), An’am Muhammad Al-Bayram (44 years old), Hiba Zidan Asaf (19 years old), the infant Saif Abdul Rahman Al-Sinwar (one year old), and the infant Yahya Abdul Rahman Al-Sinwar (one month old).

IT added that a martyr, Bassem Al-Qudra, arrived at Nasser Medical Complex after his tent was targeted on the complex's street, and his wife and two sons were injured.

A citizen was also killed and others were injured in the bombing of a tent sheltering displaced people in the Al-Mahta area in Khan Yunis, in addition to the martyrdom of the child Hassan Abdul Tuman (4 months) as a result of the bombing that targeted a tent for displaced people in the Asdaa area to the north.

An Israeli drone targeted the Abu Hijris family home in Khan Yunis, killing pregnant Nadine Abu Lahia (Hijris), and injuring another.

The death toll from the attack on the Za'rab family home in the Batn al-Sameen area has risen to four, while rescue crews continue their searches under the rubble.

In Rafah, ambulance and rescue crews recovered the decomposing body of a martyr from the Rafah beach.

Since October 7, 2023, the occupation has been committing genocidal crimes in the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 170,000 citizens dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing, amid massive destruction.

Dubai, UAE: 30 April 2025// A new media agency is making waves in the UAE with a mission to reshape the influencer landscape through education, innovation, and sustainability. OGA (Olive Green Academy) has officially launched at the prestigious SEE Institute in The Sustainable City, Dubai, becoming the region’s first AI and sustainability-focused influencer academy dedicated to environmental advocacy and impactful digital storytelling.

OGA merges cutting-edge AI technologies with real-world sustainability expertise, helping creators build authentic, purpose-driven brands. As AI continues to evolve, many people remain uncertain about its potential. However, OGA is guiding the conversation on how to harness AI for the greater good, ensuring that it works in harmony with humanity’s best interests. With responsible stewardship, AI can become a powerful tool to amplify efforts to address pressing global challenges, including climate change.

Identifying a critical gap in the influencer industry, OGA is pioneering a unique model that combines networking opportunities, specialized training courses, and practical initiatives to empower influencers with the tools and knowledge they need to use their platforms responsibly and drive real change in the fight against climate change.

“At OGA, we believe influencers and content creators hold the power to inspire true environmental action,” said Nadeen Ayoub, co-founder of OGA. “Our academy is not just focusing on growing audiences, but growing impact, and now with the rise of AI we can utilize it to make a positive change in the world.”

OGA offers a range of professional courses, certified by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), designed for both established professionals and aspiring influencers. Courses include the Certified Sustainability Content Creator program and the Professional Certificate in Sustainability Communication. The academy teaches participants how to turn sustainability topics into powerful content, utilize AI tools to enhance production and reach, and create sustainability reports aligned with GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards.

By harnessing AI insights, OGA provides personalized strategies for content creation, audience engagement optimization, and measurable impact assessment, ensuring that every graduate contributes meaningfully to global sustainability goals. With its launch, OGA sets a new benchmark for how media, technology, and advocacy can converge, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global hub for innovation and climate leadership.

-ends-

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday that children in the Gaza Strip face an increasing risk of hunger, disease, and death, and nothing can justify this after two months of a stifling Israeli blockade.

This came in a statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, highlighting the plight of children in the Gaza Strip after two months of Israeli blockade and the denial of humanitarian aid. Russell reiterated her call for the lifting of the blockade on Gaza, the allowing of commercial goods, and the protection of children.

“For two months, children in the Gaza Strip have faced relentless bombardment, deprived of essential goods, services, and life-saving healthcare,” the UN official said. “With every day that passes under the Israeli blockade on aid, they face an increasing risk of hunger, disease, and death. Nothing justifies this.”

Israeli occupation forces closed the entrances to the city of Jericho, east of the West Bank, on Friday.

Eyewitnesses reported that the occupation forces closed the entrances to Jericho with military gates in both directions, forcing passing vehicles to wait in queues amid a large presence of occupation soldiers, and turning back a number of vehicles at their checkpoints.

A group of settlers also blocked the road leading to the city of Jericho from the northern entrance at the end of Al-Ma'rajat Road, parking their vehicles crosswise in the middle of the road and forcing citizens' vehicles to turn back.

A child and a young man were killed Friday evening when the Israeli occupation forces bombed the Al-Zeitoun and Al-Shuja'iya neighborhoods in Gaza City.

Local sources reported that the child, Aoun Nizar al-Deeb, was killed and his grandfather, Aoun al-Deeb, was injured as a result of the occupation's bombing of al-Sikka Street in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza.

A citizen was killed and others were injured when Israeli warplanes bombed "Baraksa" in the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

Reports indicated that the Latrun fire in the Jerusalem Hills flared up again on Friday, just hours after the Israeli Fire and Rescue Authority announced it had been brought under control after more than 30 hours of blazes. The fire authority confirmed that "the situation is under control."

The Israeli Fire and Rescue Authority said in a statement issued after the reports that "there are no dramatic events in the fire areas at this time."

She added, "Several smoke points are being monitored, and firefighting forces and firefighting aircraft are continuing their work," noting that "everything is under complete control."

"We continue to monitor and update, as necessary," she said.

This comes as the commander of Israel's fire and rescue teams announced Thursday evening that "the large fire that broke out yesterday in the Jerusalem area has been brought under control. Accordingly, the Fire and Rescue Authority has begun gradually withdrawing forces, while maintaining a strong presence on the ground to prevent a resurgence of the flames."

According to a statement issued by the official Arabic media spokesperson for the Fire and Rescue Authority, "a special investigation team has begun examining the causes of the fire, and will continue to work at a reduced pace over the coming hours."

Seventeen firefighters were injured while fighting the fire, two of whom were taken to hospital for treatment.

The fire is estimated to have consumed approximately 24,000 acres, making it one of the largest in the country's history.

Several European countries, including Romania, France, Spain, Croatia, Italy, and Ukraine, have announced they will send firefighting aircraft to support the firefighting efforts. However, a firefighting source indicated that international assistance may not be effective on a large scale, given that the fire was declared under control before the aid arrived.

The Israeli occupation forces continue their aggression against the city of Jenin and its camp for the 102nd consecutive day, expanding their bulldozing and destruction operations inside the camp with the aim of changing its features and structure, while continuing to prevent entry or access to it.

Official estimates indicate that all homes and facilities in the camp have been damaged, either completely or partially, as a result of the ongoing aggression and destruction. The city of Jenin has also suffered significant damage to facilities, homes, and infrastructure, particularly in the eastern neighborhood and the al-Hadaf neighborhood.

Families from the camp, along with hundreds of families from the city and its surrounding areas, remain forcibly displaced to this day. The Jenin Municipality reports that the number of displaced persons from the camp and the city has exceeded 22,000.

The economic situation in Jenin continues to deteriorate, with heavy commercial losses resulting from the aggression. This has led to the closure of numerous shops and a decline in the city's incoming trade. Furthermore, bulldozing and destruction of infrastructure and streets have also occurred, with a large number of businesses damaged, particularly in the western neighborhoods, which are experiencing near-total economic paralysis.

The occupation forces continue to send additional military reinforcements toward the camp and its surroundings, while infantry divisions are deployed in several neighborhoods in the city. Daily military activity is being recorded in most of the governorate's villages, along with the constant presence of occupation patrols and vehicles.

Since the start of the assault on the city and camp on January 21, 40 people have been killed, along with dozens more injured and arrested.

Israel's so-called National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, issued a decision to close the Jerusalem Endowment Fund's office in Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Governorate said the decision to close the Jerusalem Waqf office is "an aggressive step that falls within the occupation's systematic policy to undermine the Palestinian presence in the occupied capital."

The Jerusalem Governorate emphasized that the allegations made by the occupation to justify this unjust decision, claiming that the Waqf and Fund are working for the benefit of the Palestinian National Authority, are completely false and baseless. The work of the Jerusalem Waqf and Fund is limited to social, humanitarian, and charitable work, and has no connection to any political activity. Their goal is to support the steadfastness of our people in Jerusalem and enable them to live with dignity in the face of the occupation's daily practices of oppression and ongoing violations.

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the Israeli occupation authorities' closure of the Jerusalem Fund and Endowment, an independent Palestinian institution in Jerusalem. The closure, the Ministry said, is a "clear extension of Israel's systematic policy of imposing new facts on the ground aimed at undermining the Palestinian presence and obliterating the Arab identity of occupied Jerusalem."

Today, Friday, settlers attacked citizens' vehicles south of Nablus.

Local sources reported that settlers attacked citizens' vehicles and threw stones at them on the road near the Yitzhar settlement, built on citizens' land south of Nablus.