Israeli special forces, "Musta'ribeen," stormed the Deheishe refugee camp, south of Bethlehem, on Wednesday evening.

According to local sources, Israeli special forces, accompanied by large forces from the Israeli occupation army, stormed the camp, took up positions in front of its main entrance on the Jerusalem-Hebron road, and deployed around it.

US President Donald Trump said they will not deal firmly with China on the issue of tariffs.

Trump added during an Oval Office event on Tuesday that China will eventually have to reach a customs agreement with the United States and that they are prepared for it.

He added, "We have a good relationship with China. I think we have a good relationship with almost every country. Everyone wants to establish relations and make trade deals with the United States."

He pointed out that talks with China are ongoing.

Asked about his approach to tariffs on China, Trump said, "I wouldn't say I'm going to be tough on China. We're going to be very nice. They're going to be very nice. We'll see what happens. But ultimately, they have to make a deal, or they can't deal with the United States."

Trump noted that the tariff rate applied to China will not remain at 145 percent, but it will not be zero either.

In early April, Trump announced the imposition of what he called "reciprocal" tariffs on all countries worldwide, with a minimum of 10 percent.

On April 9, Trump suspended the application of additional tariffs on trading partners—except China—for 90 days, while raising the "reciprocal" tariff rate on China, which responded with similar measures, to 125 percent.

On April 2, Trump imposed a 34 percent tariff on Chinese imports, in addition to the 20 percent tariff he had imposed two months earlier. Beijing responded by imposing the same 34 percent tariff on US exports.

It's worth noting that China was the first country to respond to the "reciprocal tariffs" announced by US President Donald Trump on April 2. As a result of the tariff confrontation between the two countries, the United States raised its tariffs on China to 145 percent, and Beijing raised them to 125 percent.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Wednesday criticized Benjamin Netanyahu's government's failure to recover prisoners from the Gaza Strip, saying it "will not win the war."

"A government that cannot define its strategy for the day after Gaza will not achieve victory," Lapid said in a post on the X platform.

He added, "We must defeat Hamas in the next government. Now bring the hostages instead of blaming others all day for your failures."

Tel Aviv estimates that there are 59 Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip, while more than 9,900 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.

Lapid was referring to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's attack on IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir during a meeting of the Israeli Security Cabinet on Tuesday evening.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Wednesday that Smotrich attacked Zamir during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, following the latter's statement opposing Israeli soldiers distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Smotrich was quoted as telling Zamir: "We define the army's tasks, and if you are unable to carry them out, we will bring in someone who can."

The newspaper added: "According to sources familiar with the details of the meeting, the confrontation with the Chief of Staff, led by Smotrich and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, began after Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that there was no need to provide aid to Gaza."

Katz stated during the meeting that "Gaza has sufficient supplies, and that he would oppose any future aid that Hamas might use to control the population and build a terrorist infrastructure," according to his own words.

The newspaper added: "Zamir said that soldiers would not provide aid and that the army would not starve the Gaza Strip, which raised questions among ministers about whether his policies differed from those of his predecessor, Herzi Halevi."

Smotrich later said in a statement that he did not mean Zamir, but rather the Israeli Prime Minister.

On Tuesday, Jens Laerke, spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that the Gaza Strip is experiencing the "worst humanitarian situation" since the beginning of the war due to Israel's prevention of the entry of humanitarian aid.

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.

"Now the government ministers are also attacking the new 'offensive chief of staff' they chose, creating conflicts within the security cabinet," Lapid said.

"It's time to acknowledge the facts: this government is incapable of winning the war," he added.

"They had a year and a half, they had full support from the Americans, full support from the opposition, and then they ran out of excuses," Lapid continued.

He added, "It's not (former US President Joe) Biden, nor (former Israeli Chief of Staff Halevy), nor (former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav) Galant, it's them," referring to the reason for their failure in the war on Gaza.

The Israeli government has been criticizing Biden, Halevi, and Galant for its failures in the war of extermination in Gaza.

With full American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 168,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing.

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, 2025, was brokered by Egypt and Qatar and supported 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.

A young man was shot with live ammunition and is in critical condition during an Israeli raid on the Masaken al-Sha'abi area east of Nablus.

Local sources reported that a young man was shot in the chest with live ammunition, and his condition was described as critical, after Israeli occupation forces stormed the Masaken al-Sha'biya area, firing live ammunition, tear gas, and sound bombs, sparking clashes and injuring a young man.

A child was martyred after being shot by the Israeli occupation forces in the town of Yamoun, west of Jenin.

The Ministry of Health reported that the child Mahmoud Mithqal Ali Abu Al-Haija (12 years old) was killed by the occupation forces' bullets in the town of Al-Yamoun.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its crews transferred a child martyred after being shot with live ammunition in the cheek and abdomen, from the Al-Hadaf Medical Center in Al-Yamoun, to Jenin Governmental Hospital.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said it is no longer a secret to anyone in the world that Israel is waging a war of extermination against the people of Gaza. The choice is either death by murder or starvation, or the land will be left to be plundered by settlements and occupation. He stressed that the world's silence on this inhumane situation is shameful and disgraceful.

In his speech at the 163rd regular session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the level of Arab Foreign Ministers, chaired by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Aboul Gheit added that this brutal war on civilians continues daily with bombing, killing, home demolitions, siege, starvation, and the prevention of aid entry. This comes after a truce that lasted nearly two months, which witnessed a prisoner exchange, the return of hostages, and the alleviation of the impossible humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel resumed its war of extermination on March 18. The number of Palestinian martyrs killed by the occupation since that date is approaching two thousand, in addition to the complete closure of the Strip to aid, food, and health supplies, which has placed the Strip and its residents in the worst and most difficult situation since October 2023.

The Secretary-General explained that there is no longer any doubt that ethnic cleansing is the goal of this war. Unfortunately, the displacement scenario has helped give unprecedented impetus to the most extreme and brutal plans of the Israeli right, to reoccupy parts of the Gaza Strip and impose a total blockade on it, and impose a reality of daily killing on the Palestinians, and pushed the entire world to accept this situation as a normal matter. He referred to the positions of the late Pope Francis, who passed away three days ago. He was a unique voice of humanity and conscience at a time when many chose to turn their backs on these values, and until the last moment and hours before his death, he remained biased towards justice and humanity, calling for a ceasefire and providing assistance to the people of Gaza who are “starving and yearning for a future of peace,” as he said in his final sermon.

He said, “The Arab side has expressed its clear position calling for an immediate end to the ethnic cleansing war, rejecting the unrealistic and illegal displacement scenario, and presenting an alternative proposal at the Cairo Summit last March. This proposal is realistic, practical, and applicable for early recovery, reconstruction, and managing the Gaza Strip in a way that avoids the outbreak of confrontations in the future and paves the way for the implementation of the two-state solution, to which we see no alternative as a path to stability and peace in the region. We all look forward to the support of our friends and friends of peace across the world in order to save this vision and this solution from the plans of the extreme right with expansionist tendencies in Israel. We look forward to the conference that will be held next June at the United Nations under joint Saudi-French presidency, to represent a qualitative shift in dealing with the two-state solution in a way that pushes it from the realm of rhetorical support to practical application and actual implementation.”

Aboul Gheit added that the ambitions of the extremists in the Israeli government do not stop at the borders of Palestine. It has become clear what they seek to impose on the region: a reality of perpetual tension, daily violence, ongoing raids, and buffer zones that encroach on the sovereignty of Arab countries and seize land from their territories under false pretenses.

The Secretary-General concluded his speech by saying that Arab wounds are still open, the most dangerous of which is the bleeding wound of Palestine. However, the member states of this organization are still striving to confront challenges with the logic of collective action and the spirit of Arabism. I believe that the winds of accelerating global changes, which are almost uprooting the established rules and familiar standards, these violent winds push us to cling to this ceiling and take refuge behind that wall. In times like these, when vision is clouded and uncertainty is intense, collective action remains a refuge and a path, and Arabism remains a haven and support, and a source of confidence in the future, God willing.

For his part, Safadi stressed that this peace will not be achieved unless the brotherly Palestinian people obtain their full rights. An independent, sovereign Palestinian state with occupied Jerusalem as its capital must emerge, along the June 4, 1967 lines, living in security alongside Israel, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions. This is the only way to achieve the just and comprehensive peace we all desire.

He also stressed that Jordan will continue to work with its brothers and the international community to achieve an immediate ceasefire and allow sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza. He added that Jordan supports the efforts of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the sisterly State of Qatar, and the United States of America to achieve this goal.

Safadi stressed the necessity of implementing the exchange agreement, which was achieved through their efforts, in all its stages. He added that the Kingdom will continue to do everything in its power to halt the illegal Israeli escalation in the occupied West Bank, which is pushing the situation towards an explosion and undermining the two-state solution. He added that they will continue to devote all their capabilities to protecting the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, their identity, and the historical and legal status quo there, within the framework of the historic Hashemite custodianship over them.

He said that extremists in the Israeli government are promoting the idea that they are pursuing their wars to protect Israel's security from a threat that surrounds it from all sides, pointing out that the entire world knows the falsity of these claims. A just peace is the only guarantee for the security of the region and all its peoples, and we all want a just and comprehensive peace that fulfills rights and is accepted by the peoples, as the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 affirmed in a clear and explicit Arab position that refutes all these claims.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Wednesday for military rule to be imposed on the Gaza Strip, again threatening to topple the government if this is not done.

Although the Israeli political-security cabinet made no decision during its meeting yesterday regarding the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, which has been halted for more than a month, Smotrich stated that "the continued lack of military progress and the entry of humanitarian aid to Hamas while our kidnapped soldiers are there is not an option."

He added, "The prime minister is the highest authority. A war must be waged to defeat Hamas, occupy Gaza, impose a temporary military rule until another solution is found, return the kidnapped soldiers, and implement the Trump plan (to displace Gazans), or this government has no right to exist."

During the cabinet meeting, Smotrich attacked IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir for refusing to allow the army to distribute humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip. Smotrich said today, "I have no complaints against the IDF Chief of Staff."

My criticism is directed at the prime minister, who is not enforcing the political echelon's policy on the Israeli military. The delivery of logistical aid to Hamas is a step I will not be complicit in.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz told the cabinet that within 10 to 15 days, Israel would be forced to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, while Zamir stressed that "the Israeli army will not be the entity distributing it," according to the Ynet website.

Smotrich responded to Zamir, saying, "The army does not choose its missions. We decided and said that you must prepare for this matter. We decide what you do and you decide how you will carry it out. If you are unable to carry it out, we will bring someone else who is. If you do not know, we will find someone else who knows how to carry it out. We decide that aid that reaches Hamas will not enter, and I do not care how you do it. If you do not know how to carry it out, tell the political echelon 'I do not know.' The army does not choose its missions in a democratic system."

Ynet quoted cabinet ministers as saying that Smotrich's tone toward Zamir was "very firm." One minister said that Smotrich "actually exploded at Zamir," telling him, "You're not going to stand here and tell us you won't carry out the mission. That won't happen. Only the political echelon decides what the missions are."

Israel's public broadcaster, Kan 11, revealed today that last May, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi not to impose Israeli military rule in the Gaza Strip, and that Netanyahu did not inform his far-right ministers of this.

Channel 12 reported today that establishing military rule would entail "enormous costs," including employing thousands of soldiers in military-related duties for at least a year. "No army chief of staff, including Zamir, has approved this," it added.

The channel added that "Smotrich does not understand the depth of the problem he is in," and that by attacking Zamir, he was "looking for a figure to climb on in order to attract voters to his side, especially since Smotrich himself approved Zamir's appointment to his position."

The White House on Tuesday released a letter President Trump sent to Congress on March 25, stating that he is ordering a bolster of US military forces in the Middle East to protect Israel and US assets in the region.

In the letter addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, Trump said he was writing to update them on the situation in Yemen and the broader Middle East. The president wrote, "First, I have directed the Department of Defense to deploy additional combat-ready forces to the Middle East to enhance the defensive capabilities available to U.S. forces and facilitate necessary military operations."

He added that the military reinforcements include "Israel's air and missile defense capabilities and sites hosting US forces, as well as fighter, support, and reconnaissance aircraft to enable strikes on Houthi targets." It is noteworthy that earlier this month, the Pentagon reported that the United States had sent a second battery of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system to Israel, along with Patriot air defense batteries. The United States has also sent an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East, B-52 bombers to Diego Garcia, and other air assets to the region.

Trump also stated in the letter that, at his direction, US Central Command "has begun large-scale strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen to eliminate the capabilities they use to launch attacks on US forces and commercial shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waters."

The United States launched its bombing campaign in Yemen on March 15, and more than a month later, the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, remain steadfast and continue to launch attacks.

US officials claim that the airstrikes on Yemen are in retaliation for attacks on US ships, but the Houthis halted all operations in the region as soon as a ceasefire went into effect in Gaza on January 19. The US resumed its bombing campaign in Yemen in response to the Houthis' announcement that they would reimpose a blockade on Israeli shipping due to Israel's complete blockade of Gaza, a violation of the ceasefire agreement, but before they had launched any actual attacks. A senior member of the Ansar Allah politburo stated that the Houthis would halt their attacks on US warships if the US stopped bombing Yemen. US officials, including President Trump himself, have claimed that they would halt airstrikes if the Houthis announced they would stop targeting US ships, but there is no indication that the US is considering this offer, as it is effectively bombing Yemen on behalf of Israel.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, claimed on Wednesday that US Republicans support his call to bomb food and aid warehouses in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

The extremist minister had attended a dinner at US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday evening, attended by Republicans and businessmen.

In a statement, Ben-Gvir claimed that senior Republicans at Mar-a-Lago supported his "clear position on how to act in Gaza, that food and aid warehouses should be bombed."

He claimed that this was the means to "put military and political pressure (on Hamas) to return our hostages safely."

There was no immediate comment from the Republican Party or the White House on Ben-Gvir's claim.

Ben-Gvir arrived in the United States on Monday for his first official visit to Washington since joining Benjamin Netanyahu's government in 2022.

Israel currently believes that 24 of the 59 detainees in Gaza are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 9,500 Palestinians are languishing in Israeli prisons, with numerous reports of torture, starvation, and medical neglect leading to the deaths of detainees.

Since March 22, Israel has completely closed Gaza's crossings, preventing essential supplies from entering the territory despite multiple reports of famine in the war-ravaged enclave.

The Israeli occupation army resumed its attack on Gaza on March 18, ending the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement reached on January 19.

Since the start of its war on Gaza in October 2023, Israel has killed more than 51,300 Palestinians in the Strip, the majority of whom were women and children, in what has been described as a war of genocide.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the Gaza Strip.

Israeli occupation forces demolished a house in the town of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, on Wednesday.

Local sources reported that Israeli bulldozers stormed the town's Al-Bustan neighborhood and demolished a 50-square-meter home belonging to Kazem Abu Shafe', which housed four people.

The sources added that the occupation forces demolished a wall and smashed the gate of the Bashir family's home in the neighborhood.

It pointed out that occupation soldiers climbed onto the roofs of houses while the demolition process was underway.

A powerful earthquake shook buildings in Istanbul on Wednesday, and people were seen leaving the buildings as the quake struck.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye.

It added that the epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 10 kilometers.

The death toll from the Israeli occupation's aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has risen to 51,305 dead and 117,096 wounded.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that the death toll includes 1,928 dead and 5,055 wounded since March 18.

It said that 39 martyrs and 105 wounded people arrived at hospitals in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours.

It explained that a number of martyrs remain under the rubble of destroyed homes and facilities, and on the roads, and that ambulances and specialist teams are unable to reach them due to limited resources.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission and the Prisoners' Club confirmed that the occupation prison system continues its crimes and practices more brutality and cruelty against Gaza detainees.

The Commission and the Club said in a statement on Wednesday that, based on recent visits to a group of detainees, they revealed ongoing sexual assaults, severe beatings, heightened surveillance through cameras, and humiliation and subjugation by all means.

The statement added: "According to detainees' testimonies, the prison system has left no stone unturned in its attempts to strip them of their humanity and psychologically break them. Nineteen months after the genocide, the conditions and circumstances of detention remain unchanged and at the same level. In fact, they are worsening, as time is a determining factor in the fate of detainees, while this brutality continues at the same level."

Among the testimonies, according to the statement, are the continuation of rape and sexual assaults, as the Ofer camp administration deliberately immobilizes the detainee’s limbs, as the guard repeatedly inserts a stick into the detainee’s anus to the point of suffocation, according to one detainee’s description. The more the detainee’s pain and screaming increase, the more the guard moves the stick. They deliberately rape the detainee in front of other detainees, with the aim of breaking him in front of his comrades and spreading more terror against them. They also deliberately use cameras installed in the sections and rooms to turn the camera, which is the most prominent tool of surveillance and control inside the camps, into a tool for abuse. Any detainee who appears on camera to have pretended to smile or behave in any other way that the guard considers a challenge, then the repression units either assault him with severe beatings until he faints, or impose collective punishments on the detainees through brutal searches and extreme humiliation. This is in addition to the severe beatings that take place in the courtyards, and during the so-called security check (count), where they are forced to sleep on their stomachs. They are assaulted.

In the Negev prison, specifically in the tent section, conditions are no less tragic and difficult. The prison administration deliberately blackmails and humiliates detainees by making them use the bathroom. They are forced to use a bucket to relieve themselves. Furthermore, the utensils provided to detainees remain with them for long periods and are not replaced, resulting in an extremely unpleasant smell, yet detainees still use them. Furthermore, scabies is widespread among detainees due to the lack of hygiene and weak immune systems. Furthermore, blankets and mattresses have become essential means of transmitting the disease, as some detainees do not have mattresses to sleep on and have been forced to cut parts of other detainees' mattresses to sleep on. Since November 2024, the prison administration has not allowed detainees to change their clothes. All of this has contributed to the continued spread of scabies. Meanwhile, the prison administration refuses to provide them with any kind of treatment.

The prison administration also continues to use beatings and torture. Many detainees have sustained injuries as a result of this. Even when they were taken out for visits, they confirmed that they were subjected to beatings and torture, including the use of handcuffs. According to testimony from lawyers who have visited the detainees, all of them suffer from severe and obvious weight loss as a result of the ongoing starvation.

In this context, the Prisoners' Authority and the Prisoners' Club affirmed that the occupation continues its genocide and crimes in full view of the world, without any real change that contributes to stopping the genocide and comprehensive aggression against our people, one of the forms of which are the ongoing crimes against detainees. Indeed, the passage of more time in the continuation of the genocide means that the state of impotence suffered by human rights organizations has gone beyond this expression, and it has become our duty to question the feasibility of the existence of a human rights system, with the expansion of the concept of the state of exception that the Israeli occupation enjoys at the international level.

It is noteworthy that the number of Gaza detainees recognized by the prison system until the beginning of April 2025 was (1,747) detainees, and this number does not include detainees held in camps affiliated with the occupation army.

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said, "Hamas is obligated to us and to our people to end its seizure of power and authority in the Gaza Strip."

President Abbas added: "He who considers himself one thing and his people another is not trustworthy with the future of our people."

“We are facing grave dangers, which are closer to a new Nakba that threatens our existence and portends the liquidation of our entire national cause, in implementation of the plans of those who created our people’s first Nakba, leading up to the Nakba of 1967, and then the Nakba of the sinful ‘coup’ in 2007, which our enemy used to tear apart our national fabric and prevent the establishment of our independent state,” he said in his speech at the opening of the 32nd session of the Palestinian Central Council, held in the Ahmad Shuqairy Hall at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, on Wednesday afternoon.

He added, "Our efforts in various fields and at various levels, Arab, Islamic, and international, are focused on achieving four national priorities that represent the necessities of the current moment, in the face of the challenges facing our people and our cause."

He stressed that halting the Israeli war of extermination against the Gaza Strip, the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces from the territory of the Strip, stopping the repeated Israeli attacks on our cities, villages and camps in the West Bank, and preventing the violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, Hebron and all Palestinian areas are among the priorities we are working to achieve.

He emphasized that the goal of the "organized terrorism" practiced by the occupation in the West Bank governorates is the same as its goal in the aggression against the Gaza Strip: to liquidate the Palestinian national cause as a political issue for a people struggling for their freedom and national independence, and to impose its colonial dictates and policies on our people through brutal force of aggression.

He pointed out that the situation in Jerusalem, our eternal and sacred capital, is no different from the rest of the Palestinian homeland. The occupying state is attempting to impose a fait accompli on our people through a tight siege of the city, the destruction of Palestinian homes and facilities, the prevention of worshippers from reaching holy sites, and the fight against the Palestinian presence and identity with all means of aggression and terrorism.

The President stressed that the occupying state, with this barbaric aggression, is violating international law and legitimacy, acting as if it is above the law, reneging on the agreements it signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization, and unleashing extremism and terrorism, which have become the dominant feature of its policies toward our people. It is also besieging our people financially by stealing Palestinian clearance funds, which have so far exceeded two billion dollars that the occupying state is withholding, and by seizing citizens' lands and properties.

He said: Our vision for achieving a just and comprehensive peace and ensuring security and stability in Palestine and the region requires a political horizon based on ending the Israeli occupation and implementing international legitimacy resolutions, including the establishment of an independent, sovereign, contiguous, viable, and recognized Palestinian state, which would be a full member of the United Nations and live in security and peace alongside Israel.

President Abbas called for an international peace conference to end the conflict and halt the hostility.

Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday filled in a number of wells and springs and demolished water tanks in the town of Tarqumiya, west of Hebron.

According to local sources, the occupation forces, with military reinforcements, stormed the Jamroura area and began filling in springs and wells, and demolishing water collection tanks.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said on Wednesday that Israeli occupation forces committed a horrific war crime against its crews by targeting and killing paramedics in cold blood, in a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

The association explained that the occupation's narrative of the incident completely contradicts the facts documented by its crews on the ground. It noted that it repeatedly attempted to coordinate with the International Red Cross to remove the wounded from the targeted site, but the occupation rejected all such efforts and continued to fire on the paramedics, leading to their deaths on the ground.

According to the Red Crescent, the occupation forces did not stop there, but deliberately buried the bodies of the paramedics in a mass grave in Rafah after their martyrdom, in a scene that reflects the magnitude of the crime and disregard for international conventions.

The association confirmed that its relief centers were deliberately destroyed, noting that its crews are operating under extremely dangerous conditions, requiring urgent international intervention to protect paramedics and medical personnel working in the field.

The Red Crescent stressed the need to hold the occupation accountable for these violations, and for the international community to work diligently to ensure the safety of humanitarian personnel in conflict zones.

This comes as Haaretz newspaper revealed shocking information on Wednesday about the Rafah crime committed by the Israeli occupation army against paramedics and members of the Palestinian Civil Defense, based on material collected by the army itself from the crime scene.

According to the newspaper, the occupation soldiers opened random fire directly at ambulances and civil defense vehicles, despite the relief crews' attempts to identify themselves. Investigations revealed that the shooting continued for three and a half minutes, at point-blank range, resulting in the deaths of 12 relief workers.

The newspaper also reported that the soldiers replaced several ammunition magazines during the exchange of fire, indicating the intensity of the fire, despite the clear identities of the victims and their vehicles.

Investigations indicate that the Israeli force that carried out the attack had received prior notification of heavy ambulance traffic in the area. However, it ignored this notification and targeted vehicles traveling within an authorized route that did not require prior coordination.

These bloody details place further pressure on the occupation authorities amid growing international condemnation, and once again reveal the deliberate disregard for the lives of humanitarian personnel in the Gaza Strip.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that Moscow may have "stolen" drone technology from China. He said that Chinese nationals are working at a drone production site in Russia.

The Ukrainian president made the remarks during a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday, days after accusing China of supplying Russia with weapons and gunpowder.

Zelensky said he instructed officials to send information about the investigation's findings to the Chinese government through official channels.

He announced that "separately," he asked the Ukrainian Security Service to transfer broader information to the Chinese side regarding the Chinese citizens he said were working at the drone factory.

"We believe that Russia may have entered into an agreement with these citizens outside of the agreements with the Chinese leadership and stolen this technology," he added.

Zelensky appeared to soften his tone toward China by suggesting that Russia may have acquired drone technology from China without Beijing's knowledge, even though Beijing maintains its neutrality regarding the war in Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Ukrainian president accused Chinese officials of being aware that Russia was recruiting Chinese citizens via social media to fight as soldiers. He added that Kyiv was trying to assess whether the recruits were receiving instructions from Beijing.

Kyiv's accusations set a precedent, as it was the first time the world's second-largest economy had been accused of providing direct military assistance to Moscow, a charge Beijing vehemently denies.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced that it had summoned Chinese Ambassador Ma Shengkun and expressed "Ukraine's grave concerns about his country's involvement in the war." It also expressed deep concern about "Chinese companies' involvement in the manufacture of military products in Russia."

For its part, China previously affirmed its support for peace efforts in Ukraine and said that relevant parties should avoid "irresponsible statements," in an apparent rebuke after Zelensky made comments about Chinese fighting for Russia.

There has been no comment from Russia or China on the Ukrainian president's new statements yet.

France 24/Reuters

The headline of the article bears no relation, whatsoever, to road accidents and the "flying coffin chauffeurs" who are not deterred by violations from repeatedly committing fatal errors on the roads.

However, there is a fine line between this reckless group of drivers and political leaders. While the mistakes committed by the former are harmful to themselves and to those unfortunate enough to be under their leadership, the mistakes of the latter affect their people and their homelands in ways that they cannot bear.

In addition to the important topics that top the agenda of the 32nd session of the Central Council, which convenes in Ramallah this morning, it would be useful for the session organizers, at this critical moment in the history of the Palestinian cause, to add a phrase to be plastered on the backs of attendees and absentees, loyalists and opponents alike. It's similar to the one that drivers of large corporate vehicles place on the backs of their cars: "How do you like my driving?" accompanied by the company's phone number, allowing everyone to call and assess the driver's driving competence.

I leave it to readers to imagine the answers that will flow to the number allocated to evaluate the performance of all political leaders, with traffic approaches!

Israeli occupation bulldozers began, on Wednesday morning, leveling citizens' lands between the towns of Kafr Haris and Haris, northwest of Salfit.

Omar Samara, head of the Haris village council, reported that the occupation forces have begun bulldozing large areas of agricultural land owned by residents of the town, as part of colonial expansion and the annexation of more land for the benefit of the area's settlements.

It is noteworthy that the town of Haris has witnessed several seizures and bulldozing operations in recent years, which have significantly impacted the agricultural and living conditions of the residents.

Israeli occupation forces launched an arrest campaign in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday.

In Ramallah, occupation forces arrested a number of residents of the town of Kobar during a raid that lasted several hours. Dozens of young men were detained and interrogated, after the home of freed Palestinian activist Nael Barghouti was turned into a field interrogation center.

In Silwad, occupation forces arrested citizens Raslan Ahmed Raslan Al-Tawil and Baraa Jamil Marai Hamed after raiding their homes and ransacking their contents.

The occupation forces also arrested Hamza Limon after raiding and searching his family's home in the village of Al-Mazra'a Al-Sharqiya, east of Ramallah.

In Bethlehem, occupation forces stormed the town of Al-Khader and took up positions in several areas, most notably: the Old City, Al-Balou', the Great Mosque, Al-Bawaba, Abu Sura neighborhood, and Jabal Abu Ramdan. They raided and searched citizens' homes and arrested a number of children and young men after interrogating them on the spot.

The occupation forces also arrested the freed prisoner Saleh Mahmoud Shakarneh, after raiding and searching his father's home in the town of Nahalin, west of Bethlehem.

In Nablus, occupation forces stormed the town of Beit Furik at dawn, raided the home of freed prisoner Bashar Fares Nasasra, and arrested his son Laith (24 years old).

These forces also arrested the young man, Fouad Ziad Nasasra (18 years old), after raiding and searching his family’s home and ransacking its contents.

The occupation forces tightened their military measures at checkpoints around Nablus and conducted vehicle searches.

In occupied Jerusalem, occupation forces arrested young man Reda Obeid after raiding his home in the town of Issawiya.

Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Al-Jib, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, on Wednesday.

Eyewitnesses reported that occupation forces stormed the town, accompanied by a bulldozer, in preparation for a demolition operation.

A number of civilians were killed and wounded on Wednesday, and others were injured, as a result of the ongoing Israeli airstrikes on various areas in the Gaza Strip.

In the latest developments: Civil defense crews in Gaza recovered 19 bodies from the bodies of dead following the occupation's bombing of the Yaffa School, which was sheltering displaced persons northeast of Gaza City.

Threedead and a number of injuries were recovered after the occupation forces bombed the Shaaban family's home on Old Gaza Street in Jabalia al-Balad, north of the Gaza Strip.

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have launched an aggression against the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of 51,266 citizens, the majority of whom were children and women, and the injury of 116,991 others. This is a preliminary toll, with a number of victims still under the rubble and on the streets, unable to be reached by ambulances and rescue teams.

Dr. Ali Jarbawi: It is clear that Netanyahu and his government used October 7, 2023, as a pretext to achieve goals that had, in reality, become dreams for the Zionist movement...

Political science researcher Dr. Ali Jarbawi warned of the dangers of the post-war period on Gaza, which portends the demise of the Palestinian national project. This is due to the convergence of a number of negative external factors, the Palestinians' loss of any effective source of external support, and their exposure to the challenge of imposing a "minimal" settlement on them, which would lead to the liquidation of their cause.

In an article titled "Palestinians at a Crossroads," published in the Journal of Palestine Studies, Dr. Al-Jarbawi pointed to the extremely complex and difficult reality facing Palestinians today, which imposes an exceptional challenge on them that is far more important than any they have previously experienced during their long history of struggle against the British Mandate and the colonial Israeli occupation. He pointed out that Palestinians today face an Israel that is completely different from what they experienced in the past, after the far right, followers of religious Zionism, whose biblical doctrine is centered around the necessity of fulfilling the prophecy of "Greater Israel," gained power. The political weight in Israel is no longer solely right-wing, but rather is rooted in a fanatical, extremist, and ferocious tendency toward the Palestinians. On the regional level, the author notes, we are witnessing a decline in the traditional supportive status the Palestinian cause previously enjoyed within official Arab circles. The successive conflicts plaguing the Arab world have not only led to the withdrawal of the Qatari state in pursuit of self-preservation and the pursuit of private interests, but also to the fragmentation of collective Arab solidarity and the loss of the Arab system's standing and influence in the region, to the benefit of non-Arab powers: Iran, Turkey, and Israel. Furthermore, he points out, Israel's interventions in the region following Operation Protective Edge, in addition to undermining the authoritarian Hamas movement and exhausting its military capabilities, have also led to the dismantling of the axis of resistance, upon which the movement relied to support its existence and confrontation with Israel. With the resulting shift in the regional balance of power, it has become easier to forge a new order in the region and to close the file on the Palestinian issue, in order to remove a "chronic obstacle" to this restructuring. Trump's return to the US presidency, in the author's opinion, is the most significant change on the international scene at present, and will have far-reaching implications for reshaping the region and permanently closing the Palestinian issue. 

In this regard, Arab48 interviewed Dr. Ali Al-Jarbawi to shed further light on this topic.

Arabs 48: You warned of what you called the fading of the Palestinian national project in light of the convergence of international, regional, and Israeli factors that have conspired against the Palestinians, and in light of the lack of national immunity resulting from calcification and division. How far do these dangers extend?

Dr. Al-Jarbawi: There are very serious dangers threatening the existence and future of the Palestinian national project in light of the challenges facing the Palestinian reality and the Palestinian cause. This is in light of the convergence of three main factors: the international factor represented by Trump's rise to power in America and its accompanying repercussions; the regional factor, primarily represented by the Arab world and its declining support for the Palestinians to its lowest level; and Israel and the internal changes occurring within it, which intensified after October 7, 2023.

These three external factors are accompanied by an internal factor, namely the Palestinian internal factor, which lacks the innate immunity that would enable it to confront these external factors affecting it. If we combine the external factors with the Palestinian internal factor, we find a very dangerous situation for the Palestinian future.

Arabs 48: The danger you speak of to the survival of the national project affects the Palestinian entity, which was formed through struggle. The Palestinian national liberation movement, which has endured for decades, and which, even if it was unable to liberate the land and build a state, its only major achievement has been the establishment of a Palestinian entity?

Dr. Al-Jarbawi: True. We were unable to bring this entity through the Oslo process to its desired end, which was the establishment of a state. In my opinion, continuing to talk about a two-state solution 30 years after Oslo is merely throwing sand in the eyes, because it is clear that the two-state solution, which in the traditional Palestinian concept meant dividing Palestine into two states and obtaining a small state comprising 20% of its area, today, as a result of the ongoing facts on the ground, means dividing the West Bank, not dividing Palestine. Hence, continuing to talk about a two-state solution is a self-defeating fallacy. In a sense, we are laughing at ourselves, because the most the two-state solution can offer today—if it ever does, especially after October 7, 2023—is a "remnant state." This remnant state will not be fully sovereign, but rather partially sovereign, and its center, in my opinion, will be in the Gaza Strip, joined by the remnants of the West Bank at best. Therefore, we must examine ourselves and stop clinging to slogans that are losing their meaning and validity on the ground day by day.

"Arabs 48": Perhaps you also mean the remnants of the Gaza Strip, from which they are seeking to extract whatever they can?

Dr. Al-Jarbawi: It is clear that Netanyahu and his government used October 7, 2023, as a pretext to achieve goals that had, in reality, become dreams for the Zionist movement. As is well known, attempts were made to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population, especially the refugees of 1952, 1956, and 1967, and resettle them in Sinai, the West Bank, or other Arab countries, but they failed.

They wanted to dismantle the refugee issue, but they did not succeed. The issue was over, becoming seemingly unachievable. Then came this war, which restored hope to the Zionist movement, led by the right-wing Netanyahu government, about the possibility of achieving this, especially after Trump legitimized and covered this approach and revived ideas of displacement and expulsion.

"Arabs 48": The issue is not limited to the Gaza Strip. Operations to dismantle the refugee issue are also underway, through the displacement of the camps in the northern West Bank and emptying them of their residents.

Dr. Al-Jarbawi: True. The ongoing dismantling and persecution of UNRWA is also taking place, because the continued existence of the refugee issue is a disturbing obsession for the Zionist movement, which it has always sought to eliminate. It believes that its opportunity has arisen to accomplish what it failed to achieve previously on this issue and other issues related to the Palestinian cause. Its ultimate goal is to destroy the Palestinian national project.

"Arabs 48": In the question "What should be done?", you suggested ways to confront it.

Dr. Al-Jarbawi: From a historical perspective, we note that the Palestinian political system has been calcified for a long time, and as a result of this calcification, the division occurred, not the other way around. In other words, the calcification led to the division, not the division itself.

"Arabs 48": Do you mean that the division is a result, not a cause?

Dr. Al-Jarbawi: True. This system, which was supposed to be effective, has lost its effectiveness, calcified, and become incapable of confronting various challenges. Its primary concern, after the division, on both sides of the West Bank and Gaza, has become preserving its survival and continuity, not fulfilling its duties and carrying out its functions. This means that each party, whether Hamas in Gaza or Fatah in the West Bank, has become concerned with preserving its political authority and preserving those in power. We know that there have been numerous warnings from many over the past years that the situation is deteriorating to the point that we will be unable to confront the challenges that lie in wait for us or carry out the functions that a political system is supposed to perform.

"Arabs 48": Given the different methods of struggle that are disputed between the two groups, is it difficult to achieve our goals without national unity?

Dr. Jarbawi: If you notice, the two groups no longer differ on the goal, because both sides advocate establishing a Palestinian state, which implicitly includes the borders of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The difference is now about the method, not the goal.

"Arabs 48": You mean that this is not the difference that prevailed in the 1970s, 1980s, and even the early 1990s between those who wanted Palestine from the sea to the river, led by the Popular Front and the leftist factions, and later Hamas and Islamic Jihad?

Dr. Al-Jarbawi: The disagreement is no longer over the goal, but rather over the means, while both sides have forgotten that even the goal sought to be achieved by both means can no longer be achieved by either.

"Arabs 48": Do you mean that as long as the division persists, the goal cannot be achieved, or has the disagreement over the means undermined the goal?

Dr. Al-Jarbawi: The goal will not be achieved even if we combine both means. We must pay attention to the Palestinian reality, our goals, and the nature of this conflict. Is there an equivalence in the balance of power? Is there a possibility of that balance of power shifting in our favor in the near term? As long as external support no longer exists or has weakened dramatically with the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in 1989-1991 and with the decline of support from the Arab world due to internal and external shifts, all of this indicates that the balance of power will not change anytime soon. There is also a state of targeting by an enemy that is leaning toward the extreme right and seeking to uproot us. Meanwhile, the goal we claim to be achievable—the "two-state solution"—has not been achieved 30 years after Oslo. The entire year doesn't seek to resolve the conflict, but rather to manage it. Managing the conflict has always required raising the slogan of the two-state solution to maintain hope that we will achieve a state.

"Arabs 48": In other words, has the two-state solution become a misleading slogan and a facade under which the conflict is managed?

Dr. Jarbawi: Exactly. It is a means of managing the conflict. Therefore, we must stop continuing to disagree over the means—"negotiations" or "armed resistance"—and focus on the goal and define what we want at this stage. From my perspective, I believe we are facing a conflict that will continue for a long time, and that if it ends now, it will end with a "remnant state" stripped of its sovereignty and diminished. This is because the best that can be achieved, given the existing balance, is the reduced solution proposed by Trump during his first term in the framework of the "Deal of the Century," if he has not already been overthrown. Therefore, and in light of our awareness that the conflict is long-term, we must focus on the central Palestinian goal of remaining in our homeland and strengthening our steadfastness there.

"Arabs 48": In the article, you discussed the two options: accepting a deficient state or a one-state solution?

Dr. Al-Jarbawi: What I believe is that the political forces in the West Bank and Gaza—because both sides accept and speak of a Palestinian state—if they are satisfied with the two-state solution, they must be frank with the Palestinian people that the two-state solution will lead to a state diminished in geographic area and sovereignty.

They must be frank with the people so that they do not continue to hope that we will establish a state along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem or East Jerusalem as its capital. They must be frank with them that we want to achieve what we can, and that if they support the two-state solution, this is what they will achieve in the two-state solution.

"Arabs 48": Otherwise, we will return to the starting point, which is the one-state solution?

Dr. Al-Jarbawi: Otherwise, we must realize that we are facing a protracted conflict. In this context, I have no ideas or scenarios for a solution. Rather, I believe that we must establish our presence on this land. This means that the Palestinian entity based on it, instead of being preoccupied with negotiations or armed resistance, should be preoccupied with how to stabilize the people on their land and provide them with services to strengthen their presence and survival on this land. This is because the conflict will not be resolved now, nor will it happen in the next decade or two.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Tuesday that the organization will be forced to reduce its operations and lay off staff as a result of US funding cuts that have left a huge gap in its budget.

"The United States' failure to pay its assessed contributions for 2024 and 2025, coupled with reductions in official development assistance by some other countries, means we face a payroll gap for 2026-2027 of between $560 million and $650 million," Ghebreyesus told the organization's member states.

The White House confirmed Tuesday afternoon that US President Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, his first trip to the Middle East since taking office this year.

White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said the visit will take place from May 13 to 16. Trump will travel to Rome next Friday (April 25) to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, who passed away Monday morning.

"The president looks forward to strengthening ties between the United States and these countries he will visit," Levitt added. "He will hold numerous bilateral meetings and conversations." Late last month, Trump stated that he was likely to visit the Middle East in the coming months. Tuesday's confirmation comes after the United States announced, and then temporarily suspended, a series of tariffs on all its trading partners, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Trump stated that these tariffs were intended to level the playing field in global trade and encourage investment in the United States.

It's worth noting that when Trump first raised the possibility of a regional trip, he noted that he visited Saudi Arabia during his first term in the White House after Riyadh had invested $450 billion in American companies. He said that this time, Saudi Arabia had promised to more than double that amount, with a pledge reaching nearly $1 trillion.

"I think of it as creating more jobs than anything else, and now we're close to a trillion dollars...so that's more than double what we did when I first took office," Trump said.

The trip is expected to include discussions on tariffs, among other economic issues, and may also touch on Israel's war on Gaza. Trump has pledged to bring peace to the Middle East, and his regional envoy, Steve Witkoff, actively participated in ceasefire talks last January.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about several issues, including trade and Iran, and that the two leaders shared similar views.

Trump wrote in a post on TruthSocial: "The call went well - we are on the same page on all issues."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas chaired a meeting of the Fatah Central Committee this evening, Tuesday, at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah.

At the beginning of the meeting, President Abbas and members of the Central Committee recited Al-Fatiha for the souls of the martyrs of the Palestinian people. His Excellency also offered his condolences on the passing of Pope Francis, praising his virtues and his honorable support for rights, justice, peace and freedom for the Palestinian people. He also praised his recognition of the State of Palestine, raising the Palestinian flag in the Vatican, and the beatification of two Palestinian saints. He also called for an end to the suffering of our people in the Gaza Strip, opening the city of Jerusalem to believers and implementing international legitimacy there.

The Central Committee heard a detailed explanation from President Mahmoud Abbas regarding the political situation, the results of his ongoing Arab and international meetings and contacts to halt the ongoing aggression against our people, the necessity of a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, an end to the attacks on our people in the West Bank, and the need to secure further international recognition of the State of Palestine and obtain full membership in the United Nations.

The final preparations for the Central Council session scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, at the presidential headquarters were then discussed. The session will examine the latest developments in the Palestinian situation and put the Palestinian house in order to confront the challenges facing our cause and our people.

The meeting also discussed the ongoing genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation authorities against the Palestinian people, amid international silence. This silence has only encouraged the occupation to persist in its crimes and aggression, resulting in the martyrdom and injury of more than 200,000 citizens and the widespread and systematic destruction of the Gaza Strip.

The Central Committee warned of the occupation's dangerous plans to reoccupy the Gaza Strip and dismember it, forcing our people to flee. This is unacceptable to Palestinians, Arabs, and the international community, and will not be allowed to happen thanks to our people's steadfastness and adherence to their land and homeland.

The Central Committee said that the world, especially the UN Security Council, must shoulder its responsibilities and compel the occupying state to stop the war of extermination it is waging in the Gaza Strip, and to stop the dangerous attacks launched by the occupation forces and terrorist settlers in the West Bank, especially on cities, villages and camps in the northern West Bank, and to stop the policy of executions, displacement and arrests, and the bombing of residential neighborhoods and the destruction of the infrastructure of cities, villages and camps, in addition to stopping the attacks on the holy religious sites in the occupied city of Jerusalem, especially the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Fatah Central Committee called on Hamas to stop toying with the fate of the Palestinian people according to its foreign agendas, to cooperate with the efforts made by President Mahmoud Abbas to stop the Palestinian bloodshed, to refrain from giving the occupation pretexts to continue its bloody war and aggression, which has cost thousands of our people, including martyrs, wounded, and prisoners, and to adhere to the principles upon which the Palestine Liberation Organization's policy is based.

US President Donald Trump affirmed his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including on the Iran issue, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned against any "aggression" against Iranian facilities. In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman discussed the progress made in the Iranian-US negotiations mediated by Oman.

Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that he spoke to Netanyahu, saying, "The call went well. We see eye to eye on all issues."

Iran and the United States began negotiations earlier this month to place restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program, which Western powers say is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.

The two sides concluded a second round of talks on Saturday and agreed to meet again within a week. The talks, mediated by Oman, aim to reach an agreement on Tehran's nuclear program.

Experts from both sides were scheduled to meet in Oman on Wednesday for technical discussions, but Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei confirmed that the expert-level meeting had been postponed until next Saturday.

"Based on Oman's proposal and the approval of the Iranian and American delegations, the technical consultative meeting between the two countries, which was scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed to Saturday," Baghaei said in a statement.

Omani mediation and Russian role

The Iranian nuclear talks were discussed during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, a Kremlin official said Tuesday.

"This issue was raised... in the context of Oman's mediation efforts," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He reiterated his country's position: "Russia is ready to do everything in its power to contribute to the fruitful and effective conclusion of these talks," according to Agence France-Presse.

Russian President Vladimir Putin receives Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq at the Kremlin on Tuesday (AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin receives Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq at the Kremlin on Tuesday (AFP)

For his part, Yuri Ushakov, Russian presidential aide for foreign affairs, said, "We discussed the progress made in the negotiations between Iranian and American representatives." He added, "We will see what the results will be. We are in close contact with our Iranian colleagues, and we will provide assistance as much as possible."

In Tehran, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said that Russia plays an important role in the negotiations due to its nuclear cooperation with Iran and its membership in the Security Council. She emphasized that the talks are being conducted in accordance with national interests, and that the lifting of sanctions must be effective. She also warned against relying on media rumors that "cross Iran's red lines."

Mohajerani emphasized that Iran does not welcome lengthy negotiations and seeks a quick agreement that preserves its interests, praising the atmosphere of the second round. She emphasized that attracting investment requires reforms and stable legislation, and that the government is continuing its program without linking it to negotiations. She also considered the transfer of enriched uranium a non-negotiable red line.

Visit to Beijing

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is visiting China on Wednesday at the invitation of Beijing, ahead of the third round of talks with Washington. The visit will address bilateral relations and "hot" international and regional issues, aiming to strengthen political trust and cooperation between the two countries, according to a report by Agence France-Presse citing the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

During a visit to Moscow last week, Araghchi said that Tehran always holds consultations on nuclear issues with its allies Russia and China.

Oman is mediating between Tehran and Washington as Trump seeks a new nuclear agreement. Russia has also signed a strategic partnership treaty with Iran and is participating in the nuclear talks, asserting that any US military action against Iran would be illegal. China is Iran's largest trading partner and largest importer of its oil, and signed a 25-year strategic agreement with the country in 2021.

Trump said on Monday that the United States had very good talks with Iran, two days after the conclusion of the second round of negotiations in Rome.

Israeli officials have pledged to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and Netanyahu insists that any negotiations with Iran must lead to the complete dismantling of its nuclear program.

The Israel Hayom website reported on Sunday, citing a source close to the White House, that talks between the United States and Iran are expected to collapse soon. A non-governmental Israeli source said he had a conversation with a senior US official, during which the latter confirmed that "Israel has no reason to be concerned about the progress made in the talks with Iran."

On Saturday, Netanyahu affirmed his commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, stressing that he will not back down from this goal. In a televised statement, Netanyahu said: "I am committed to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. I will not give up, I will not compromise, and I will not retreat from it, not even by a millimeter."

Trump has threatened to attack Iran unless it quickly reaches a new agreement preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon. On Thursday, Trump stated that he is "in no rush" to opt for military action. He told reporters on Friday: "I am for preventing Iran, absolutely, from having a nuclear weapon. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. I want a great, prosperous, and wonderful Iran."

An Israeli official and two informed sources told Reuters on Friday that Israel has not ruled out launching an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in the coming months.

The Revolutionary Guards warn

Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned on Tuesday of the consequences of "any aggression" targeting the country, declaring its readiness to carry out a "swift and decisive" response. This came after reports indicated that the Israeli military had completed preparations to launch an attack on Iran's nuclear program, amid US threats to use force if negotiations falter.

"Any attack on the foundations of national power or national security will be met with a swift, decisive, and devastating response, in coordination with the rest of the armed forces," Revolutionary Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naeini said in an official statement, according to Iranian news agencies.

Naeini indicated the IRGC's readiness to confront any challenge threatening the country's stability and sovereignty. He added that "contemporary threats, including hybrid warfare and multifaceted conspiracies, will not go unanswered."

An anti-Israel billboard reading "Pharaoh will drown again" in Palestine Square in central Tehran (EPA)

An anti-Israel billboard reading "Pharaoh will drown again" in Palestine Square in central Tehran (EPA)

Iran's Revolutionary Guards had previously announced that Iran's military capabilities were not up for discussion in the talks. Iran and the United States began negotiations earlier this month to impose restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program, which Western powers say is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.

Over the past several months, Israel has proposed a series of options to the Trump administration for attacking Iranian facilities, some of which are planned for late spring and summer, according to the sources. The sources say the plans include a combination of airstrikes and special forces operations of varying intensity, and are likely to hinder Tehran's ability to use its nuclear program for military purposes for months, a year, or more.

The New York Times reported on Thursday that Trump asked Netanyahu to refrain from targeting Iranian nuclear facilities in the near term to give diplomacy a chance. However, Israeli officials now believe the military may carry out a limited strike on Iran that would require less American support. This attack would be much smaller than Israel initially proposed.

Speaking to reporters earlier this month, a senior Israeli official acknowledged the urgent need to launch a strike before Iran rebuilds its air defenses. However, the senior official declined to specify a timeline for a potential Israeli move, saying that discussing the matter was "pointless."

Experts assert that Israel needs significant US military support—and weapons—to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities and stockpiles, some of which are located underground.

US sanctions

Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on Tuesday against Iranian natural gas tycoon Seyyed Assadollah Imamjoma and his business network, as talks with Tehran over its nuclear program continue, Reuters reported.

The ministry said in a statement that Imam Juma's commercial network is responsible for shipping hundreds of millions of dollars worth of liquefied petroleum gas and crude oil from Iran to foreign markets.

The ministry added that liquefied petroleum gas and crude oil constitute a major source of income for Iran and contribute to financing its nuclear and advanced conventional weapons programs, in addition to financing groups operating on its behalf in the region, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas.

"Imam Juma and his network sought to export thousands of shipments of liquefied petroleum gas, some from the United States, to evade U.S. sanctions and generate revenue for Iran," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said in the statement.

The United States imposed sanctions on Iran earlier during the talks.

Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Ya'bad, southwest of Jenin, on Tuesday evening.

According to local sources, Israeli occupation forces stormed Ya'bad using Eitan armored vehicles, causing material damage to a citizen's vehicle, destroying vegetable stalls in the Amarneh neighborhood and electricity poles in the town's streets.

In the same context, the occupation forces stormed the village of Kafr Qud, south of Jenin, without reporting any arrests.

It's worth noting that the occupation has escalated its incursions into towns and villages in Jenin Governorate since the start of the aggression on Jenin city and its camp 92 days ago, including raids and arrests.

Israeli occupation forces continued their escalation on Tuesday in various neighborhoods of Tulkarm, witnessing intense movement and a widespread deployment of military vehicles and soldiers, amid arbitrary measures against civilians.

According to local sources, two Israeli military vehicles were stationed at the Mega roundabout in the northern part of the city. Soldiers stopped passing vehicles, searched them, and checked the IDs of their passengers. Meanwhile, infantry forces were stationed in the city center's vegetable market, firing sound bombs to terrorize residents. They detained a number of young men and arrested one of them, but it has not yet been possible to determine his identity.

Israeli occupation forces raided a number of homes in the eastern part of the city, in the area adjacent to the Abu al-Foul neighborhood in Tulkarm refugee camp, and forced their residents to evacuate by 7:00 p.m. today. The families of Asia and Abu al-Ghayyab were identified among those raided.

On Nablus Street, occupation forces arrested Ahmad Abu Ghalia, a resident of Bal'a, while he was working at the "Fawwal Al-Sham" restaurant. They also closed off Nablus Street near Nour Shams camp with tires, completely preventing traffic.

Foot soldiers were also deployed in the Jabal al-Nasr neighborhood of Nour Shams camp, where they fired heavy sound bombs. They pursued, detained, and assaulted young men, and arrested a number of them, taking them to army barracks in the camp.

These developments come as Israel continues its assault on the city of Tulkarm and its two camps, now in its 86th consecutive day, resulting in widespread destruction of infrastructure and property and the displacement of thousands of citizens.

Donald Trump said he spoke by phone on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The call went very well," Trump added in a post on Truth Social. "We're on the same page on every issue."

According to Trump, the call covered many topics, including "trade, Iran, and more..."

This is their first call since Netanyahu's visit to Washington, D.C., two weeks ago.