The Israeli newspaper Haaretz said on Wednesday evening that there is a state of anxiety prevailing in the political leadership in Israel regarding the possibility of the United States setting a time limit for the war.

The newspaper reported that the source of this concern is the upcoming visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to Israel tomorrow, Thursday. According to the newspaper, Sullivan may impose on the Israelis a specific date for ending the war on Gaza that has been ongoing for 68 days.

The visit comes amid clear tensions between US President Joe Biden and Netanyahu over the war that followed an attack launched by Hamas on Israel on October 7.

There were reports that Biden gave Israel a deadline to end the war by next January, according to media reports, but a White House official denied setting a specific date for Israel.

However, it appears that Biden no longer supports Israel as much as he did at the beginning of the war.

He said in statements on Tuesday that Tel Aviv no longer enjoys international support in its war on Gaza “as a result of the indiscriminate bombing that claimed the lives of thousands.”

He added that Benjamin Netanyahu must make a change in his government.

Washington stressed, this evening, Wednesday, that the Palestinian Authority must be “reformed and revitalized,” and the West Bank and Gaza Strip must be “unified and governed.”

The US State Department said, "Ending the conflict is a goal we share with the world, and we do not want this war to continue for one day longer than is necessary."

He stated that "an idea cannot be defeated on the battlefield, and an answer must be provided to the aspirations of the Palestinian people with the end of the conflict."

While Washington said that it "understands Israel's intention to reduce civilian casualties," it noted that "what matters are the results, as thousands of civilians have been killed."

She stated that "the Palestinian Authority is not in a position to administer Gaza, but we believe that it is a representative of the Palestinian people," adding that "the Palestinian Authority must be reformed and revitalized to move toward reunifying and governing the West Bank and Gaza Strip."

Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Hamas movement, said in a speech on Wednesday that any arrangements in the Gaza Strip without Hamas are “an illusion and a mirage.”

Haniyeh announced that the Hamas movement is open to any ideas or initiatives to stop the war, stressing that any arrangements about the future of Gaza without Hamas will not succeed.

The leader of the Hamas movement welcomed the decision of the United Nations General Assembly regarding the ceasefire.

Haniyeh believed that putting the Palestinian house in order would be followed by a political path that guarantees the right of the Palestinians to their independent state.

The Israeli "war cabinet" opposed a proposal presented by Mossad chief David Barnea that he travel again to the Qatari capital, Doha, with the aim of holding talks in an attempt to reach a new deal to exchange prisoners and hostages with Hamas, according to what was reported by the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation ("Kan 11"). ") according to three "informed" sources, this evening, Wednesday.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the members of the “War Cabinet,” which includes the Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant, and the Minister, Benny Gantz, in addition to two advisory members, the Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, and a member of the Knesset from the “National Camp,” Gadi Eisenkot, opposed the proposal presented by the head of the Mossad.

At a time when Israel's international isolation is increasing due to its ongoing aggression against Gaza, the dispute between Washington and Tel Aviv has begun to become public. What are the most prominent reasons for this dispute?

On Tuesday, December 12, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a new resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, and the vote in favor of the non-binding resolution came with an overwhelming majority that reflects the extent of the increasing diplomatic isolation that Israel is suffering from.

On the same day, US President Joe Biden launched sharp public criticism of Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that international support for the war on Gaza was “eroding” rapidly, a remarkable shift in the position of the resident of the White House, the most prominent supporter of the occupation since October 7. .

A shift in Biden's position

More than two months after the Israeli army’s aggression, supported by the United States and the West, on the Gaza Strip with the aim of eliminating Hamas, it is still unable to liberate the prisoners or achieve any form of military victory to cover up its ongoing defeat since Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” on October 7th. / October.

“Al-Aqsa Flood” is the name given by the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” to its comprehensive military operation against the occupation army, which has imposed a stifling siege on the Gaza Strip for 17 years. At exactly six o'clock in the morning local time in Palestine that day, Hamas launched a Palestinian invasion of the cover settlements adjacent to the besieged Gaza Strip, where fighters from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades stormed the towns adjacent to the Strip, after they penetrated the iron wall and crushed the Gaza Division of the occupation army, in There was air cover from thousands of rockets fired from Gaza towards Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the cities of the south.

Amid the state of panic and shock that gripped the Israelis, the spread of video clips and pictures of tanks and armored vehicles belonging to the occupation army, either burned or under the control of Palestinian resistance fighters, the capture of dozens of occupation army soldiers and settlers, and complete Palestinian control over settlements, the occupying state declared that it was “in a state of war.” For the first time since the October War of 1973, it is an acknowledgment that the Palestinian resistance attack is a military attack.

From the first moment of the start of the aggression, Joe Biden announced his absolute support for Israel and promoted its misleading narrative regarding the war in Gaza. The American President’s adoption of the Israeli narrative in its entirety reached the point of questioning the number of martyrs from the barbaric bombing of the Gaza Strip.

But with the passage of time, the tone of the American discourse towards the Israeli aggression began to change noticeably without changing the level of military and logistical support, which indicates that the disagreement between the two allies is not related to the stated goals of the aggression, but rather to the method of implementing it, most likely.

But in any case, and through the development of events, it is possible to monitor the escalation of differences between Tel Aviv and Washington and the emergence of these differences from closed rooms to the public, especially at this time, in order to determine the most prominent reasons for the dispute between the two sides.

The erosion of America's "credibility" on the world stage

The American position in absolute support of Israel and its brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip has damaged the credibility of the United States as a superpower that raises the slogans of respect for international law in relations between countries. Initially, the Joe Biden administration raised the slogan that Israel has the “right to self-defense,” but this slogan, according to international law, does not apply to an occupying country that practices all kinds of oppression against the occupied Palestinian people.

The American position in support of Israel was also in stark contrast to its position on the Russian attack on Ukraine, which Moscow describes as a “special military operation aimed at protecting Russian national security,” while the West describes it as an “unjustified aggressive invasion.” At a time when the Biden administration mobilized overwhelming Western support for Ukraine in the face of what it describes as a Russian “occupation” of Ukraine, the same administration and its allies provided all means of material, military, logistical, political and media support to the Israeli occupation in its aggression against Gaza.

This contradiction in the American position on the Israeli aggression caused the American position to lose support from the Global South in an unprecedented way, and this was evident in the vote to stop the war in the United Nations General Assembly, which came the first time with a majority of 121 votes, but it came the second time, Tuesday 12 December, with a majority of 151 votes, in a striking indication of Israel’s diplomatic isolation globally, which is necessarily reflected in the American diplomatic position as well.

This increasing isolation likely explains Biden's criticism of Netanyahu from closed rooms to the public. Biden warned that Israel was losing global support because of its aggression against Gaza. Biden's statements on Tuesday, December 12, came during a fundraising event for his election campaign in a hotel in Washington, DC, where he told the audience: "Bibi has a difficult decision to make," referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a report by the American Foxnews network.

It is important here to mention that Israel is subjected to severe and escalating international condemnation because of the thousands of civilian casualties caused by its aggression in Gaza, most of them children and women, in addition to the complete destruction of civilian infrastructure and the destruction of more than residential buildings. However, the American position in support of Israel and rejecting a ceasefire The fire is still the same.

On Friday, December 8, Washington used its veto power to prevent the UN Security Council from approving a draft to this effect, for the second time since the beginning of the aggression.

The relationship of the American elections to Biden’s position

The other reason for the timing of the emergence of differences between America and Israel is directly related to the US elections scheduled for November 2024, in which Biden faces a major challenge to win a second presidential term.

American support for the Israeli aggression caused a sharp division within American society, and this division was reflected in the Democratic Biden administration itself, as a senior official in the State Department submitted his resignation in protest against Biden’s position, and thousands of workers in the government and federal agencies expressed their opposition to American support for Israel.

At the electoral level, opinion polls showed a sharp decline in Biden's popularity compared to the most prominent Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump. But even polls among Democrats showed a decline in Biden's popularity among young voters due to his stance in support of Israel.

But Biden remains keen to show his absolute support for Israel, and at the same time he seeks to take steps back in his support for its government, which is described as the most extremist ever.

During the election event, Biden spoke directly about that point, as he told the audience: “This is the most conservative government in the history of Israel,” noting that the current Israeli government “does not want a two-state solution.” Biden explained that in order to avoid a shift in global opinion against Israel, Netanyahu "has to change. There is a lot that needs to be done and we must be strongly supportive of Israel."

These statements may be the most public criticism that Biden has directed at Netanyahu and his government since the beginning of the aggression, which has entered its third month, even though the indiscriminate bombing and targeting of civilians in Gaza began from day one and sparked widespread global anger.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is now scheduled to arrive in Israel this week, and Biden said Sullivan will emphasize the US commitment to Israel as well as the need to protect civilian lives in Gaza.

In the same context, the presence of prisoners of American citizenship held by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip is another reason for the American-Israeli dispute, as Washington was seeking to continue the prisoner exchange truce that lasted for a week, but Israel broke it and resumed its aggression against the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday evening, Biden met for the first time with the families of the prisoners and promised to work to return them safely. If the Israeli aggression continues as it is happening now, Biden may not be able to fulfill this promise.

The conclusion here is that the overwhelming popular anger in the region, around the world, and within America itself has begun to sound the alarm for the old American president, who is awaiting very fierce elections in less than a year in which he wants to win a second presidential term.

Voices rose within the corridors of the American administration itself, calling for a “more balanced” American position. A senior official in the State Department resigned, and employees in the ministry presented public objections to blind bias towards Israel and condoning its crimes of “collective punishment” and the deliberate and repeated targeting of civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Thus, the White House, whose media reports and public statements by senior officials indicate that America is criticizing Israel behind closed doors, began to speak publicly about what a report by the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph described as “American frustration with Netanyahu.”

But Netanyahu's insistence on continuing the war on Gaza, whatever the cost, seems as if his ally Joe Biden, who is besieged by pressures internally and externally, is beginning to lose his patience.

Source: Arabic Post

By Zvi Barel

We can talk about a picture of victory from now on. Because we will not witness a greater victory in Gaza. Even if we kill several thousand Gazans, destroy hundreds of tunnels, and present Sinwar's head on a silver platter, the emerging reality in Gaza is a "trophy of victory" that we will still face. 

We can continue to agonize over how to define Hamas as "crushed," "exhausted," or "defeated," but the major threat to replace Hamas now exists. There are two million people in Gaza who are more prepared to explode, because they have nothing to lose, and because it is more difficult to defeat the population in Gaza than we did. No security zone, no international force, no messiah can prevent them from becoming fertile ground for the threat that will develop towards us, if it is not addressed immediately.

But Israel, which is deeply immersed in Hamas's tunnels, has no plan or blueprint for dealing with Gaza above ground. Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israeli army would remain in the Strip for as long as it needed, and strongly rejected the possibility of the Palestinian Authority managing the Strip. According to him, “the authority also wants to destroy us, like Hamas.” Israel cannot rely on an international force to do its job. He is right, as Lebanon has proven the ineffectiveness of such force.

For Netanyahu, the solution is to establish a security zone deep in Gaza, and the real meaning of this is to turn the entire strip into a security zone, and for the Israeli army to remain there for years. This is what should happen in Lebanon. In order to push Hezbollah away from the border beyond the Litani River and keep it there, Israel must reoccupy the historic “security belt” and hold it for a long time. According to the “security belts” strategy, Israel will directly control more than 6 million people, living in three burning areas: the West Bank, southern Lebanon, and Gaza, within which it will absorb the majority of the Israeli army forces, and drain the state’s budgets. There is not, and cannot be, any actual translation of the government's false promises of "integrated security."

But we cannot continue to sell illusions to the residents of the “Gaza envelope” and the northern border. They realize that they must make the decision to return to their homes, fields, and schools, and begin rebuilding the destruction, and continue to live under constant threat, as they lived for many years, or leave their places of residence and move to live deep inside Israel, or abroad. Their rational assumption is that this government, which has lost its legitimacy and is made up of parts that cannot be put together, will not fulfill its promises.

The only way out is to replace the war cabinet with a real political-economic cabinet, which lays out a road map that forms a basis for the return of normal life, while realizing that some of the threats will remain present.

This realization requires us to acknowledge that the Palestinian Authority, in its current state, is the necessary foundation for managing the lives of citizens, not only in the West Bank, but also in Gaza, while the army continues to work to thwart the renewal of Hamas’ military operations, just as it does in the West Bank.

The calming of the situation in these two areas could be reflected in the northern scene, which was ignited by the events in Gaza. This front will not disappear, because even if Hezbollah is pushed back beyond the Litani, its long-range missiles will still pose a threat. But at least, in the immediate term, it is likely that a lull in the Gaza Strip, with large-scale humanitarian assistance, will also return Lebanon to the equation of mutual deterrence, and to the relative calm that has prevailed in this region since the Second Lebanon War [the July 2006 war].

The problem is that any rational solution is conditional on the immediate expulsion of the dream seller who runs the country through a crystal ball.

US President Joe Biden has a strange quality: he means what he says. When he said that “Vladimir Putin is a war criminal,” he meant it. When he said that “the United States will defend Taiwan,” he meant it, and when he said that he was “committed to defending Israel’s security,” he meant it. Therefore, when he said, “I disagree with a word Netanyahu says,” he meant it. When he says, “The international situation has turned upside down,” he not only means that, but he makes it clear that this is causing political harm to the United States, and to him personally.

When Israelis try to understand the meaning of Biden's words, there is one equation that must be clear: Biden loves Israel, but he does not love Netanyahu. Biden believes in Israel, but he does not believe in Netanyahu. He considers Israel an ally of the United States, but he does not consider Netanyahu an ally. The one who realizes this well is Netanyahu himself, who will turn Biden's statements into evidence that the American president is trying to overthrow him, while he, with his extreme heroism, is leading Israel into the war.

Biden not only believes that “Netanyahu must change his government,” but he is certain that it is better for Netanyahu not to be prime minister. Although Biden said that he “likes” him, the Israeli reader must understand that in American language it is a word of endearment without obligation.

But what Biden meant in his statements regarding Netanyahu does not boil down to what exactly he said, which in itself is dangerous, but what is more dangerous lies in what he did not say. He has addressed two issues that have been permeating the circles around him for weeks: Netanyahu is seeking, by force, a confrontation with the American administration regarding two issues: first, the image and plan of managing the war and the political-security-authoritarian reality in Gaza, or the so-called “the day after”; Second, the United States assesses that Netanyahu strongly hopes and encourages an escalation - through the Houthis, or through Hezbollah - that drags the United States into the war.

In both cases, the motive is political and for survival. First, Netanyahu hopes to hold the United States accountable for having prevented him from achieving a historic victory that changes reality. Secondly, he hopes to crystallize awareness and a new narrative: the massive failure on October 7 could have been transformed into a strategic achievement, had the United States attacked Iran. It does not matter whether this happened, or did not happen. What is important at this moment, in Netanyahu’s eyes, is to distance himself from October 7. The army and the Shin Bet misled him and let him down. But the miracle is that he came back to his senses, and as a historic leader, he was about to bring about tactical geopolitical change, until Biden restrained him.

Biden's statements are important, in and of themselves, because they are public. Biden has said similar things regarding internal or political events in recent weeks. Biden not only does not “agree with a word Netanyahu says,” he also does not believe a word he says. He is convinced that Netanyahu is seeking confrontation, and it is important for him to appear like Rambo who is standing in the face of American pressure. Biden is convinced that Netanyahu is waging a political campaign and trying to rewrite history.

For example, yesterday, Netanyahu entered into a historical analysis of Israeli-American relations. He said that David Ben-Gurion was a great leader, but at the moment of truth he “succumbed to American pressure” (meaning Ben-Gurion’s response to President Dwight Eisenhower’s request to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula in the period 1956-1957, after Operation Kadesh). Netanyahu added, "A prime minister cannot stand in the face of American pressure. He must not approach the prime minister's office."

Netanyahu, the legendary hero who considers himself like a phoenix in the sky of Jewish history, distorts history, as usual, and puts it at the service of his needs. There is no comparison between the year 1957 and the year 2023, from the standpoint of geopolitical conditions, especially the conditions of subordination relations between Israel and the United States. In 1957, relations were cold and distant. The only similarity is that the heads of Israeli governments, at the time, were not received at the White House, and this is what happened with Netanyahu since he formed his government in the year 2022.

Biden is well versed in history. When he says that he “has known Netanyahu for 51 years,” these words are not evidence of the love that has endured over the years. Rather, he remembers that Netanyahu lied to Bill Clinton, to Barack Obama, and lied to Donald Trump, and he lies to Biden. Since he was Vice President, he visited Israel in 2010.

Politically, Biden's statements are of great importance: they indicate the emergence of a real gap in positions and policies between Israel and the United States, and the impatience of Washington.

Palestinian journalist Abdel Karim Odeh was killed as a result of an Israeli bombing on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to what was reported by the government media office in the Strip.

In a brief statement on the Telegram platform, the office said that Odeh’s death brings the total number of journalist dead in the Gaza Strip to 87 since the seventh of last October.

On Monday, the office published the names of 86 journalists who were killed during the war, the last of whom was journalist Muhammad Abu Samra, who died on Sunday after being targeted by the occupation army.

Agence France-Presse and other international media sent a joint letter to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the end of October, asking him to help protect journalists, a number of whom were killed and others injured since the beginning of the war.

In his response to the letter, Blinken said that he supports “unequivocal” protection for journalists in conflict areas, noting that the United States “will continue to emphasize to Israel and all countries the necessity of protecting journalists.”

In the same context, hundreds of French representatives sent a letter to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Monday, demanding that she “exert every effort” to allow the “evacuation of journalists” from the Strip.

Since last October 7, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a war of extermination on Gaza that, as of Tuesday evening, has left 18,412 dead and 50,100 injured, most of them children and women, massive destruction of infrastructure and an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe,” according to sources. Official Palestinian and international.

A group of left-wing Israeli organizations sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, asking him to urge Israel to stop military operations in the Gaza Strip and allow aid to be delivered to the residents of the Strip.

The letter, which began by condemning the Hamas attack on the settlements surrounding Gaza on October 7 as part of Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood,” accused Israel of “not obeying American instructions to act in self-defense in accordance with international law and the rules of war.”

According to the Israeli newspaper "Jerusalem Post", "Despite the suggestion that Israel is committing violations of international law, the message continues to say that they do not want to focus on this matter, but rather on their concern about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza."

The group believed that “Israeli policy has pushed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to the point of catastrophe - and not just as an inevitable consequence of the war,” stressing that “it is important for Hamas to release the hostages and return them to Israel, and that allowing humanitarian aid to enter Gaza is not a gesture of good faith from On the side of Israel, it is one of its obligations.”

It pointed out that "under international humanitarian law, civilian populations in armed conflict who do not have the resources necessary to survive on available means must be provided with resources by the warring parties."

The letter was signed by Academia for Equality, the Akivot Institute, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B'Tselem), Bimkom, Breaking the Silence, Combatants for Peace, Maslak Association, HaMoked Activists in the Jordan Valley, Consider Occupation Eyes, Mahsum Watch, Parents Against Child Detention, PWG Psychoactive. Rabbis for Human Rights, Reasha Kamokha, Social Workers for Peace and Welfare, Yesh Din, Zazim-Community Action.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that Russia will not agree to any settlement agreements in the Middle East that affect the security of Israel, and do not include the establishment of the State of Palestine.

Lavrov added in his speech before the Russian Federation Council: “The unresolved problem of the failure to establish a Palestinian state is the only and main factor that fuels extremism throughout the Middle East.”

He pointed out that "there are decisions that are 75 years old and stipulate the establishment of the State of Palestine, the Arab state that no one declared alongside the State of Israel."

He continued: "Judging by the position that the West is adopting now, it is clear that it has no intention of establishing a Palestinian state. The West and the current Israeli leadership do not want to unify the Gaza Strip with the West Bank, as stipulated in the decision to establish the State of Palestine."

He stressed that "Israeli methods against Hamas, which cause civilian suffering, cannot be accepted."

He pointed out that Israel, despite appeals from Russia and a number of countries, continues “the activities of establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.”

Lavrov pointed out that the United States has long refused to work within the framework of the "Quartet" for the settlement in the Middle East - Russia, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union.

Lavrov stressed that the United States wants to "find a solution to its liking" for the Palestinian issue, and to invent something that could be called "later" a Palestinian state.

Shortly after the end of his speech, Lavrov said in press statements:

“Russia is making every effort and its most important priority now is to release our citizens hostage to Hamas and evacuate all Russians who want to leave the Gaza Strip. In parallel, we are making every effort to solve the humanitarian problems represented by delivering medicines and aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip. The third and most urgent priority is a ceasefire, not just a solution.” "Some humanitarian problems, but a ceasefire on a permanent basis can solve the problem that has been pending for 75 years, which is the establishment of a Palestinian state."

Lavrov pointed out that the solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine "is still very, very far away."

He pointed out that, according to UN Security Council resolutions, the Palestinian state must be unified and independent, and must be guided by the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and live side by side with Israel in peace, security and good neighborliness".

He pointed out that resolving the issue by Washington alone or with some of its close allies in a secret, ambiguous and unclear way for everyone, and without the establishment of a Palestinian state, is not possible at all, as many inappropriate solutions are being proposed.

Lavrov stressed that any American proposal will not last long and will not bring stability and peace neither to the Israelis nor to the Palestinians, because without achieving a just and comprehensive settlement, this will fuel extremism in the Middle East.

Lavrov stressed that the only way to resolve the issue fairly and forever is international negotiations with the participation of permanent members of the Security Council, leaders of Arab and Islamic countries, and the United Nations.

Source: Sama News

The Financial Times newspaper published a report on the destruction of the Israeli bombing of Gaza on the social fabric of Palestinian society in the Strip, prepared by a group of its correspondents in Khan Yunis, Cairo, and London. 

They said that Iman Awad was a mother keen to protect her children, and before the war, the 31-year-old mother was A year old, she does not allow her children to play in the streets without supervision. Sondos, her sister-in-law, said, “She was always afraid for her children.” Today, the family faces devastation worse than they expected. Iman, her husband, her eldest daughter, and her youngest child were killed in an Israeli raid last month. Her nine-year-old daughter, Ayam al-Agha, survived, but is sleeping under hospital blankets and suffering from a brain injury caused by the airstrike.

The loss of the extended Agha family is broader, as 80 members of the family have died since October 7 due to the bombing. As Israel continues to invade the Gaza Strip, she is among several families facing a loss of this magnitude. Hafsa, one of Ayyam’s aunts, wiped her head, which had been shaved in preparation for the operation, and was always covered with long, black hair. Hafsa said when she showed pictures of herself on her phone, “She was like a butterfly, and Ayyam loved life very much.”

Like other families in Gaza, Ayyam lived with her extended family in one house, a three-story building consisting of five apartments. Five uncles and aunts on her father’s side and their children lived under one roof. Living under one roof in multi-storey buildings in search of safety was accompanied by the outbreak of war, and this meant that a number of generations suffered the same fate as the Agha family, but they were erased from the civil registry due to one or several Israeli raids.

There are about 1,550 families that have lost several members, according to officials in the Ministry of Health, and there are about 312 families that have lost more than ten members, as of November 23. Relief agencies have become familiar with the term “WCNSF,” or “wounded child without family.” Before the war, the Ayyam family believed that their life chances were improving. Her father, Mahmoud, 31, had a degree in business administration, and after struggling to find work in this field, he began working as an electrician and opened an electrical appliance repair shop. “He was happy and pleased with this,” said Fouad, 60, Ayam’s grandfather.

Ayyam and her sister Mira were diligent in school, and their aunt Sondos described them as “two beautiful birds.” Before her death, their mother, who had a degree in education, was looking to buy a sofa and winter clothes, but the war arrived first, she says. It was a family visit to Ayam's aunt and uncle in the area known as Khan Younis in the Emirates neighborhood, which cost the family the loss of most of its members on November 3. Ayyam and her brother Fouad survived the Israeli raid, but her sister Mira, 12 years old, her little brother Adam, 18 months, and her father and mother were killed.

Fouad, grandfather of Ayyam, went to the scene of the accident. “The house was destroyed,” he said, and “blocks and stones were scattered everywhere.” In hours of terror, he searched for survivors or parts of bodies among the rubble. When he learned that Ayyam and her brother Fouad were alive, he felt relieved, “When I saw him, I felt like a part of my soul had returned to me.”

Muhammad Abu Sultan, 24, a keen footballer who played as a goalkeeper and was looking to get married, was among several members of his family killed. Using data from Airwars, a British non-profit organization that tracks victims of air strikes, the Financial Times attempted to identify survivors of Sultan’s friends and family members who died. He died with 8 members of his family in Jabalia refugee camp in an air strike on October 31, along with 126 civilians, including 69 children. A childhood friend named Mohamed said, “He loved Real Madrid.” Muhammad died with his father, Omar, a carpenter, his mother, Sahar, who worked in the sweets industry, his three brothers, Ahmed, 30 years old, Mahmoud, 27 years old, and Abdullah, 13 years old, his sister Shahd, whose age has not been confirmed, and Ahmed’s wife and daughter. A friend who was residing in Gaza, named Suhail Yahya, posted on a Facebook page: “There are no relatives or dear ones left, they are all gone.”

The newspaper says that the loss of families like the Agha and Abu Sultan dug holes in Gaza's social fabric. “A loss like this erases the shared memories and identities of the survivors,” says Dina Matar, a lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. “It will leave a clear shock.” Israel says it wants to destroy Hamas over the October 7 attack, but survivors of the victims' families say they have no connection to Hamas and have not provided it with refuge.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza says that the death toll reached 18,205 people, most of whom were children and women, although the data does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says a third of those killed were fighters and accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

  85% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million, who now live in the south of the Strip, have been displaced. Amnesty documented five cases of aerial bombardment in which entire families were wiped out, and demanded that they be investigated as war crimes. The Israeli Foreign Minister responded to Amnesty International as “an anti-Semitic and anti-Israel organization.”

The Agha family's website, which once documented weddings and academic achievements, became a place to document the loss of life. The Agha family was affected by the raids. One day after his visit, grandfather Fouad learned that a raid had hit a mosque near his house and wounded his children. “We face one disaster after another,” said Hafsa, Ayam’s aunt. Medical experts warn of the psychological effects of such a widespread loss. Teenagers in Gaza have survived five wars: 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and now 2023.

Aisha Qader, a pediatrician and senior advisor to Save the Children, says that Gaza's youth suffer from several psychological traumas. Children face death, while adults, whom children seek for protection, are in a state of despair, and “adults cannot create the sense of safety and security that they fundamentally need and are necessary for the development of ordinary children.” None of Gaza's children are in school, as 50% of schools have been bombed.

Matar says that the loss of families carries historical and social repercussions. “The death of an entire family means the disappearance of people’s records and social lives.” This leaves “gaps” in the records of ordinary people and their existence. “Memory is important and they are necessary elements when you want to collect stories and histories of ordinary lives.”

While Ayyam is likely waiting to obtain a permit for treatment in Turkey, her family is preserving the family memory and publishing photos and documents. It tries to help the surviving individuals and show solidarity with them.

Maha Nassar, an expert on the history of the modern Middle East at the University of Arizona, says that condolences and messages on social media platforms are an expression of the determination and life of society. Gazans cling to their Palestinian identity, “and Palestinians around the world read and share their sense of loss, which, I believe, builds deep bonds in Gaza and beyond.”

Source: Sama News

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan plans to travel to Israel Thursday and Friday to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli war cabinet, and President Isaac Herzog, to discuss the latest developments in Israel and Gaza, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said.

Sullivan is expected to carry "sensitive messages" to the Israeli camp regarding the war in Gaza, especially after reports indicated a new disagreement between the US President and Netanyahu regarding the continuation of the war. The escalation of the dispute between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the conflict in Israel has become public, There are many questions about the expected impact on the course of the war in the Gaza Strip.

This comes at a time when Biden said that the Israeli Prime Minister must “change his extremist government,” after Tel Aviv “loses the support of the international community, as a result of the indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza, which is suffering under the weight of a massive humanitarian crisis.

We will continue the war without international support

In this regard, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Wednesday that agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza at this stage would be a mistake, and that Israel will continue its war on Hamas, with or without the support of the international community.

Cohen said: "Israel will continue the war against Hamas, whether with or without international support," adding that "the ceasefire at the current stage will be a gift to the Hamas terrorist organization and will allow it to threaten the population of Israel again."

Cohen also called on the international community to act "effectively and resolutely" to protect global shipping routes.

Israeli Army Radio said that the war council would be held on Wednesday night, in Tel Aviv, on the eve of the visit of US National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan.

December 2023| The results of a survey conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research: 

• Wide public support for Hamas’ offensive on October the 7th, but the vast majority denies that Hamas has committed atrocities against Israeli civilians. 
• The war increases Hamas’ popularity and greatly weakens the standing of the PA and its leadership; nonetheless, the majority of the Palestinians remains unsupportive of Hamas. 
• Support for armed struggle rises, particularly in the West Bank and in response to settlers’ violence, but support for the two-state solution rises somewhat. 
• The overwhelming majority condemns the positions taken by the US and the main European powers during the war and express the belief that they have lost their moral compass 22 November-2023.

These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 22 November and 2 December 2023.

The period leading up to the poll witnessed the launch of Hamas’ October the 7th offensive against Israeli towns and military bases bordering the Gaza Strip and the Israeli launch of the current ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. Video images circulating in the international and Israeli media show that some Hamas fighters have committed attacks against Israeli civilians, including women and children, and took many of them hostages. 

International and Palestinian reports reported that thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed by Israeli arial and tank bombardment. Israeli attacks targeted Palestinian hospitals, public buildings, and most other civilian infrastructure including tens of thousands of homes, with many neighborhoods leveled completely to the ground. In the meanwhile, in the West Bank, the Israeli army blocked or restricted Palestinian access to main roads while settler attacks increased against vulnerable towns and villages in various parts of the B and C areas.

To ensure the safety of our field researchers in the Gaza Strip, interviews with the residents were conducted during the ceasefire, which saw Palestinian women and children released from Israeli prisons in exchange for women and children held by Hamas. The sample size of this poll is 1231 adults, of whom 750 were interviewed face to face in the West Bank and 481 in the Gaza Strip in 121 randomly selected locations. The sample is representative of the residents of the two areas. 

Due to the war in the Gaza Strip, we conducted interviews in the central and southern regions inside the selected sample homes, with the exception of one displaced area, where residents were interviewed in the shelter area where they had taken refuge. As for the northern Gaza Strip, residents were interviewed in 24 shelter locations, of which 20 belonged to UNRWA and 4 to governmental institutions. 

It also covered the debate about the future of the Gaza Strip after the war and the Palestinian perception of the positions of the various relevant countries and actors. 

Findings indicate that a majority of the respondents believe that Hamas' decision to carry out the offensive is correct, and believe that the attack came in response to “settler attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and West Bank residents, and for the release of Palestinian prisoners.” It is worth noting that there are significant differences between the attitudes of the residents of the West Bank compared to those of the Gaza Strip, in terms of the “correctness” of the Hamas' decision (and other matters), as the attitudes of Gazans tend to show a greater degree of skepticism about that decision. 

It is clear from the findings that believing in the “correctness” of Hamas' decision does not mean support for all acts that might have been committed by Hamas fighters on October 7. 

The overwhelming majority of respondents say that they have not seen videos from international or social media showing atrocities committed by Hamas members against Israeli civilians that day, such as the killing of women and children in their homes. 

Indeed, more than 90% believe that Hamas fighters did not commit the atrocities contained in these videos. When asked what is or is not allowed in war, under international humanitarian law, the findings indicate that the vast majority believes that attacking or killing civilians in their homes is not permissible. 

The majority (except in the Gaza Strip) also believe that taking civilians as hostages or prisoners of war is also not permissible.

The findings also indicate that the majority believes that Israel will not succeed in eradicating Hamas, or in causing a second Palestinian Nakba, or in expelling the residents of the Gaza Strip. Indeed, a large majority believes that Hamas will emerge victorious from this war. 

A majority also says Hamas will resume control over the Gaza Strip after the war. 

The findings also indicate significant opposition to the deployment of an Arab security force in the Gaza Strip, even if its purpose is to provide support to the Palestinian Authority.  

The majority also opposes a role for Arab states in delivering services to the Gaza Strip, but this majority is far less than the majority that opposes an Arab security presence.

The findings indicate that the Palestinians are questioning the moral commitment of the US, and other West European countries, to the ethical values embodied in the international humanitarian law. 

They show widespread conviction that the positions of the United States and the major Western powers show total disregard to international humanitarian law and that their talk of a two-state solution is not serious. All or most Palestinians say they are dissatisfied with the positions of the United States, Germany, Britain, France, the United Nations, and even Russia in this war. 

Also, the overwhelming majority is dissatisfied with the performance of Arab or regional countries or parties such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Jordan, while the percentage of satisfaction with the performance of Turkey and Iran is somewhat high, and a majority says that it is satisfied with the performance of Yemen, Qatar and Hezbollah. 

Dissatisfaction with Palestinian actors increases significantly when asked about the PA prime minister, the PA president, the PA, and Fatah. 

A majority of the public is satisfied only with the performance of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyyah. Findings indicate that the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip has had a significant impact on a range of internal Palestinian issues and on Palestinian-Israeli relations. 

The most important of these effects can be summarized in the following changes:

• Support for Hamas has more than tripled in the West Bank compared to three months ago. In the Gaza Strip, support for Hamas increased but not significantly. Despite the increase in its popularity, the majority in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip does not support Hamas. It is worth noting that support for Hamas usually rises temporarily during or immediately after a war and then returns to the previous level several months after the end of the war.
• Support for President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fateh party drops significantly. The same is true for the trust in the PA as a whole, as demand for its dissolution rises to nearly 60%, the highest percentage ever recorded in PSR polls. 
• Demand for Abbas's resignation is rising to around 90 percent, and even higher in the West Bank. 
• Despite the decline in support for Fatah and Abbas, the most popular Palestinian figure remains Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah leader. Barghouti is still able to beat Hamas’ candidate Ismail Haniyeh or any other.
• Support for armed struggle rises ten percentage points compared to three months ago, with more than 60% saying it is the best means of ending the Israeli occupation; in the West Bank, the percentage rises further to close to 70%. 
• Moreover, a majority in the West Bank believes that the formation of armed groups in communities subject to settler attacks is the most effective means of combating settler terrorism against towns and villages in the West Bank.
• Despite the above-mentioned reference to the lack of confidence in the seriousness of US and European talk about reviving the two-state solution and despite the increase in support for armed struggle, support for the two-state solution has not dropped in this poll. 
• To the contrary, support for this solution has increased slightly in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This increase seems to come especially from those who believe that the US and European talk about the two-state solution is indeed serious.

The Israeli courts do not reject any request by the security establishment to issue orders prohibiting the publication of information or facts that involve harming “state security,” including, for example, the publication of information or facts such as these that appeared in foreign media...

Even Israeli bodies specialized in studying the media, such as the Seventh Eye website, acknowledge that Israel is the only country among the countries that consider themselves democratic, in which military censorship still plays a strict role in codifying (and sterilizing) all reports and news that are related to security and are published in the written, audio and visual media. It has tightened its grip in an unprecedented way during the current war against the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing since October 7.

It is known that the Israeli military censorship was established with the establishment of Israel in 1948, as a continuation of the newspaper censorship authority established by the British Mandate in Palestine, based on the defense regulations for emergency hours from 1945. It is a unit affiliated with the Military Intelligence Division (Aman) in the Israeli army, headed by an officer He is a high-ranking person appointed by the Minister of Defense, but he is subject to the instructions of the security establishment.

During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the control of Israeli military censorship over security discourse was absolute. Many cases have emerged in which this oversight attempted to impose its powers on the elected members of the Knesset. It also exercised censorship on telephone calls, including those made by various media outlets, and on mail messages to and from abroad.

As technological means advanced, and more and more as the role of social media expanded, its authority eroded. Over the years, the list of topics that media outlets are required to pre-censor before making them public has also narrowed.

This unit is not considered the only arm for exercising state control over information related to security affairs. About two decades ago, the “Responsible for Security in the Security Institution” (D.S.D.E.) was authorized (the head of a directorate in the Ministry of Defense responsible for the security of the Ministry, and for the Israeli military industries and institutions in all matters related to dealing with the development and production of weapons of mass destruction, and defense centers, such as the Nuclear Research Center and the Israeli Institute for Biological Research, and military units active in these fields) exercising its oversight over the publication of “sensitive security issues related to national security.”

Likewise, Israeli courts do not reject any request by the security establishment to issue orders prohibiting the publication of information or facts that harm “state security,” including, for example, the publication of information or facts such as these that appeared in foreign media. In light of this, the courts also turned into another arm of military censorship.

But parallel to all of these arms, and perhaps above them, stands the arm of "self-censorship" to which the Israeli media itself is committed, as is evident from its performance in the current war, and all of them line up in times of war behind the slogan "No voice is louder than the voice of security." Security itself is another religion besides Judaism for most Israelis, as stated a short time ago by Israeli security affairs analyst, Yossi Melman, who has fought and continues to fight several battles against censorship.

This is not entirely new. Several years ago, the head of the Israeli military censorship, Sima Vaknin-Gil, praised her upon completing the duties of her position in 2015 after holding it for ten years, during which the second Israeli war on Lebanon (2006) and several wars against the Gaza Strip took place (starting in 2007), with Israeli journalists, especially the military, and with the Israeli media in general, and she said that she had a completely different opinion before taking up her position, but this opinion shifted 180 degrees, and she discovered that those who show greater responsibility are the journalists in particular, not those in charge of the information that must be kept confidential. Confidentiality. 

It has happened more than once that those responsible for confidential information were the ones who leaked it without paying attention to the harm this entailed in terms of state security, and the possibility of this information reaching “hostile parties”! In this context, Haaretz newspaper specifically singled out the praise.

Israel informed American officials that the return of the displaced from the northern Gaza Strip will be gradual and over a long period, and Israel will decide who will return and who will not. And repeated warnings of the "collapse of the Palestinian Authority" and a new intifada in the West Bank.

Yesterday, US President Joe Biden sent messages to Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, through his statement that Israel “has begun to lose international support due to indiscriminate bombing,” and that Netanyahu must “strengthen and change” his government. Press reports today, Wednesday, were considered messages that carry within them the possibility of a “severe clash” between them.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that Biden's statements came in the wake of statements made by Israeli officials to their American counterparts, including Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, and National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, during their visits to Tel Aviv. These American officials stated that the Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip should spare civilians and increase humanitarian aid to the Strip.

The newspaper indicated that Biden raises two other topics that the Israelis talked about during their meeting with American officials. The first issue is the “vulnerable” situation of the Palestinian Authority, and the second is the fear that Israel will occupy an area in the Gaza Strip and not withdraw from it.

The Israelis informed the Americans that the Israeli army does not intend to withdraw from the northern Gaza Strip at the end of the military operation there, and that it will not allow all those displaced from the northern Gaza Strip to return to their area, and that this will be “a gradual process, and we will decide who will return to the north and who will not,” claiming “Ensuring that there are no saboteurs there,” and that in the next stage, Israeli forces will remain in the northern Gaza Strip as well as in the Gaza Valley, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper added that there is a relatively broad consensus at the Israeli political level about not implementing a rapid and complete withdrawal from the northern Gaza Strip, claiming that “we will not be able to provide security if we are not there, otherwise how will the residents of Nahal Oz (in the ‘Gaza envelope’) feel that they are safe to return to their homes?

Regarding the situation of the Palestinian Authority, the newspaper said that the Israeli Military Intelligence Division (“Aman”) provided and continues to repeat “a strategic warning about the collapse of the Authority.” Internal documents in the Israeli security apparatus “warned decision-makers that the deteriorating economic situation in the West Bank brings the fall of the Authority closer, or a new intifada against Israel, or both.” Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, approximately 280 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank.

The newspaper pointed out that Netanyahu did not exert his weight to pass a decision to return Palestinian workers from the West Bank to work in Israel, after the political-security cabinet refused to take a decision in this regard, despite Netanyahu’s knowledge of the warnings of the army and Shin Bet about the possibility of the situation in the West Bank erupting against the backdrop of the distress. Economic.

The Biden administration calls on Israel to combat settler terrorism and their continuing attacks on Palestinians and their property. According to the newspaper, “The Israeli police do not enforce the law in Judea and Samaria, which increases the tension there.”

The newspaper continued that Netanyahu’s categorical rejection of the Palestinian Authority’s return to power in Gaza, in contrast to Biden’s position, Netanyahu’s refusal to deal with the “day after” the war, and the statements of the extreme right in the government about settlement in the Gaza Strip, “all lead the Biden administration to a severe collision course with the Netanyahu government.” 

source: Arab48

Senior American officials held deliberations about whether to continue supplying weapons to Israel, and Biden hints at not using his veto in a future vote in the Security Council, and his statements indicate the existence of a political gap between his administration and Netanyahu’s government.

The statements of US President Joe Biden yesterday, in which he addressed the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the war on Gaza, the indiscriminate bombing, and the possibilities of a shift in international public opinion, raised concern in Israel about the possibilities of a shift in the American position in particular, according to what was expressed by Israeli analysts today, Wednesday.

The political analyst in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Nahum Barnea, reported that senior officials in the Biden administration deliberated in-depth, over the end of last week, on whether to continue supplying Israel with the ammunition and military equipment it requires for the war on Gaza. He added that opinions in these deliberations were divided, but “disgust towards Netanyahu and his government” emerged.

According to Barnea, Biden expressed in his statements yesterday the “frustration in the White House,” and that he echoed what his advisors said in internal conversations about Israel’s loss of international support. He considered that this means that "it is not certain that in the next vote in the Security Council, America will use its veto."

He added that Biden's demand that Netanyahu change his government comes in the wake of his government's refusal to begin bringing Palestinian workers from the West Bank into Israel, which comes in line with the refusal of the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, to transfer the clearance funds to the Palestinian Authority, and in parallel granting Smotrich and the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, “a free hand” for settlers to attack Palestinians and their property.

Barnea pointed out that because these matters come during the American election year, and the presence of opposition within groups in the Democratic Party to the war on Gaza, and Biden’s support for Israel and the attacks in the West Bank, internal Israeli affairs have become “an internal American matter.”

Barnea and other Israeli analysts believed that Netanyahu's rejection of Biden's request to discuss the situation in Gaza after the war, a day before the start of visits by high-level American officials to Israel, is a "declaration of war" against the Biden administration. They considered that the reason for this was Netanyahu's attempt to once again gain the support of the right-wing public, many of whom abandoned Netanyahu due to the October 7 attack and the government's failures after this attack.

For his part, the Israeli diplomat and former consul in New York, Alon Pinkas, pointed out in the newspaper "Haaretz" that Biden's statement that "the international community may turn against Israel" means that this causes external political harm to the United States and internal political harm to Biden himself.

In order to justify Biden's unlimited support for Israel, Pinkas considered that "Biden loves Israel, but he does not love Netanyahu," and that "he sees Israel as an ally, but he does not see Netanyahu as an ally." He added, "Netanyahu realizes this and will turn Biden's statements into evidence that the American president is trying to overthrow him, while he (Netanyahu) is leading Israel during the war."

Pinkas pointed out that what is more important than what Biden said is what he did not say. “There are two important things that Biden and his advisors have become aware of for several weeks. The first is that Netanyahu is actively looking for a confrontation with the administration over the form and plan for managing the war and the political - authoritarian - security reality in Gaza, which is called ‘the next day’; and the second is that the United States “You estimate that Netanyahu hopes and may actively encourage an escalation by the Houthis or Hezbollah in order to lure the United States into war.”

Pinkas added that in both cases there is an internal political motive and a struggle for survival for Netanyahu. 

“In the first case, Netanyahu hopes to blame the United States for preventing him from achieving a historic victory that changes reality. 

In the second case, he hopes to design a new awareness and narrative: a miserable failure on October 7 turned into a strategic achievement if the United States attacks Iran. 

It does not matter if this happens.” Or it does not happen. What is important now, in Netanyahu’s view, is to distance himself from October 7. (The new narrative is that) the Israeli army and the Shin Bet misled him and failed him, but he remedied the situation, and as a historical and epic leader of a second war of independence, he was about to bring about massive geopolitical change, and Biden curbed it.” .

Pinkas considered that, “From a political standpoint, there is great importance to Biden’s statements. It is an indication that a real gap has opened between the United States and Israel with regard to trends and policy, and Washington has run out of patience.”

In turn, the journalist on the Walla website, Nir Kipnis, pointed out one thing that links the wars that Israel has fought for forty years, which is that it “receives blows, responds with a war in order to restore its deterrent power, and is involved in statements that it cannot achieve.”

After Hezbollah killed two Israeli soldiers and captured their bodies, in 2006, Israel launched a war on Lebanon, and declared then, as it declares now, that “we will not return without the kidnapped ones.” However, the war lasted weeks, and years later, the two sides reached a prisoner exchange deal.

Kipnis added, "Israel tells itself what we all want to hear. The leadership justifies the bleeding slowness (with the war and the killing of soldiers) by saying that we must act according to Western standards, in order to obtain an extension to carry out the mission, and then it becomes clear that we need additional time. It is also denounced as 'criminals.' "War" will not be delayed until it finally becomes clear that we received the first blow, that we threatened but did not implement it, and that we received condemnation from all international parties, and in the end we are forced to announce a questionable "victory", which in football language is nothing more than a draw that is all a loss.

Source: Arab48

On the 68th day of the war on Gaza, Israeli aircraft renewed their bombing and raids on various areas in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. The bombing included a number of residential neighborhoods, killing dozens and wounding hundreds with varying injuries.

Dozens were murdered and hundreds injured in Gaza as a result of the continuous Israeli raids and bombardment, specifically in the south of the Gaza Strip since this morning, at a time when clashes continue between the resistance and the occupation forces penetrating into several areas, including Khan Yunis and the Shujaiya neighborhood, while the death toll of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the war and battles rose to 444 after I announce today the killing of 10 more soldiers and officers in battles and an ambush yesterday.

The toll of the Israeli war rose to 18,608 dead, in addition to 50,594 injuries according to the latest toll announced by the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

On the 68th day of the war on Gaza, Israeli aircraft renewed their bombing and raids on various areas of the Gaza Strip, while rainwater flooded the tents of the displaced who fled the flames of war, exacerbating their suffering.

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday morning that 10 soldiers, including an officer and division commanders, including from the Golani Brigade, were killed in an ambush by Hamas fighters in the Shujaiya neighborhood, in addition to 4 soldiers being seriously injured during the battles in the northern Gaza Strip.

Since the beginning of the ground battles in the Gaza Strip on October 27, 115 Israeli soldiers have been killed, according to an admission by the military spokesman for the Israeli army.

The young man, Qassam Bassem Zidan (29 years old), from the city of Jenin, was killed today, Wednesday, after being shot in the head by an Israeli sniper, during the ongoing occupation forces storming the city of Jenin and its camp for the second day in a row.

The director of Al-Razi Hospital, Fawaz Hammad, confirmed that the young man, Qassam, was dead after being shot in the head.

Local sources reported that the occupation drones bombed a house in the camp, and the occupation soldiers stormed a number of the camp’s mosques, and used the mosques’ loudspeakers to sing, in a provocative step, indicating the outbreak of violent confrontations with the occupation forces, and the residents also amplified the loudspeakers in a number of Mosques, in response to these provocative actions and orgies by the occupation soldiers.

Today, Wednesday, settlers plowed private Palestinian lands in the village of Artas, south of Bethlehem.

According to local sources, settlers began plowing lands with an agricultural tractor in the “Jabal Abu Zeid” area, south of the village, belonging to a number of citizens.

According to other local sources, the settlers opened fire on citizens who tried to reach the land.

It is noteworthy that three days ago, in the Jabal Abu Zeid area, the occupation forces bulldozed an agricultural road, demolished a cave, and filled in a water well.

The Harvard University Board of Directors announced that Claudine Gay will continue in her position as president of the prestigious American university, which is considered the most important university in the United States, after ignoring calls for her resignation, following a controversial hearing in Congress last week, which revolved around anti-Semitism on campus.

The decision by the Harvard Foundation, the university's highest governing body, ended a week of donor calls for Gay's resignation, which in turn received support from faculty members concerned about the university's independence from political pressure.

The newspaper quoted U. “Our extensive deliberations have affirmed our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and address the serious societal issues we face,” SA Today said of the board in a letter to the Harvard community Tuesday morning.

Last week witnessed persistent attempts by the Israeli lobby, and a wealthy group associated with the lobby, which donates large sums of money to the universities of Harvard, Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Technical Institute (MIT), to blackmail the universities and demand the resignation of the presidents of the three universities due to allowing student institutions and associations. Supporting the right of the Palestinians and criticizing Israel on university campuses.

Hundreds of faculty members at Harvard University signed a letter supporting the university's president, hours after her counterpart at another university affiliated with the prestigious Ivy League university resigned on Saturday, in the face of severe criticism and political pressure following her appearance at the hearing before Congress.

The letter, and the hearing, came at a time when a rise in hate attacks and offensive rhetoric targeting Jews and Muslims since the outbreak of the current conflict in Gaza has inflamed debate about the limits of freedom of expression in the United States.

The letter warned that political attempts to remove Gay "contrary to Harvard's commitment to academic freedom," the Boston Globe reported, and called on officials to "defend the university's independence."

Gay, University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth gave long legal answers when asked in Congress whether students calling for "genocide of Jews" at their universities were violating the student code of conduct.

Reactions to their testimony were rapid and intense, with donors threatening to cancel millions of dollars provided to foundations, and heated discussions spreading on social media.

McGill resigned on Saturday. MIT's board of directors said it would support Kornbluth.

The occupation has arrested 4,000 Palestinians, most of them from the West Bank, including women from the 48 regions, since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip on October 7. This was announced by the Commission for Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, the Addameer Foundation, and the Wadi Hilweh Center in a joint statement today, Wednesday.

The joint statement stated, “Since October 7, the Israeli authorities have arrested about 4,000 Palestinians, including 1,000 detainees from Hebron Governorate.”

The statement explained that "among the detainees are 150 women, including from the 48 regions, and more than 255 children. Israel has issued 2,100 administrative detention orders since October 7, between a new and renewed decision."

The institutions stated that the data “does not include cases of arrest in the Gaza Strip.”

It pointed out that "to date, Israel detains more than 7,800 Palestinians in its prisons, including more than 2,870 administrative detainees."

The arrest campaign was also accompanied by "massive harassment, severe beatings, and threats against detainees and their families, in addition to field investigations, widespread sabotage and destruction of citizens' homes, and direct shooting with the aim of killing," according to the statement.

Arrests in the West Bank escalated due to the war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip since October 7, which left thousands dead and wounded.

Ten countries, including the United States and Israel, opposed the resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, which the UN General Assembly passed by an overwhelming majority on Tuesday.

The United Nations General Assembly issued the resolution with a majority of 153 votes, 10 against, and 23 abstentions. The resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel is launching attacks against the armed Hamas movement. It also calls on all parties to comply with international humanitarian law and demands that Hamas release the hostages it kidnapped during the surprise attack on October 7, which left more than 1,200 Israelis dead.

Hamas released about 100 of the estimated 240 hostages during the temporary ceasefire that ended on December 1.

Many humanitarian organizations, policymakers and countries have raised concerns that the Israeli attack on Gaza has created a humanitarian crisis and put millions of civilians at risk. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said more than 18,000 people had died in the Strip since the war began.

In addition, international organizations have sounded the alarm about the lack of necessary supplies, food and water available to Palestinians in Gaza.

The non-binding resolution passed Tuesday comes days after the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that also called for a ceasefire in the Israeli war on Gaza. This decision would have required Israel to stop its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Below are the eight countries that joined the United States and Israel in opposing the resolution: Austria; Czechia; Guatemala; Liberia; Micronesia; Nauru; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay.

In just over two months, the Israeli bombing and siege imposed on Gaza led to the deaths of more than 18,000 Palestinians, including more than 7,000 children, and the displacement of about 90% of the Strip’s population. Israeli officials rejected international pressure for a ceasefire and pledged that the war would continue, perhaps for months or even years.

The vote in the General Assembly on Tuesday showed the extent of the isolation of the United States and Israel, and after weeks of absolute American support for Israel in its war on besieged Gaza, statements began to emerge publicly indicating a rare disagreement between the two sides, centered on the future of the conflict and the “next day” after the war, and a solution. The two countries.

US President Joe Biden, who insists that the two-state solution is the way to end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, revealed disagreements on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, for his part, confirmed that he would not allow his country to “repeat the mistakes of Oslo,” a position that disturbs. Washington, which sponsors the peace project in the region.

These public positions come in light of the escalation of international pressure on Israel, with the United Nations General Assembly issuing, by an overwhelming majority, a non-binding resolution calling for a “humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, which, according to a UN official, has become “hell on earth” as a result of Israeli bombing. It does not stop, and the humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate.

The World Bank expects the Palestinian economy to contract by 3.7% at the end of the current year, 2023, and by 6% in 2024, as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, noting that it had expected last September to record a growth of 3.2%. This comes after the bank conducted a preliminary assessment of the damage to the Palestinian economy since the start of the aggression.

This estimate can be adjusted - according to the World Bank - according to the duration of the war and its consequences, in terms of the extent of the destruction in the Gaza Strip and the restrictions imposed on the movement of Palestinians within the West Bank, the loss of their jobs by Palestinians working in Israel, and even the contraction of the Israeli economy itself, on which the Palestinians depend greatly.

The World Bank stated in its report that it expects the intensity of the conflict to decline in 2024, but the Israeli government will impose strict restrictions on movement and entry into the Gaza Strip, which will limit economic activity and trade.

The scale of destruction in the Gaza Strip will have an impact, even though the Gaza economy represents only 15% of the Palestinian gross domestic product.

The World Bank indicated, according to the data, that the extent of the damage in the Gaza Strip was very large at the end of November during the truce, as 60% of information and communications technology equipment was damaged or completely destroyed, more than 60% of the health and educational infrastructure, and 70% % of commercial infrastructure and up to half of the road network.

Dramatic deterioration

As of the end of last month, half a million people out of 2.2 million in the Gaza Strip had lost their homes, and the poverty rate, which had already reached 60% before the recent aggression, is expected to increase.

To avoid a more “dramatic” economic deterioration, the bank called for “a cessation of hostilities,” to allow for “major changes on the ground,” as well as the resumption of “trade and private sector activity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” along with “increased financial support from the international community.”

He also announced the establishment of an emergency program worth $10 million, provided by Japan and Germany, to transport medical equipment to the Gaza Strip to meet the most urgent needs. The bank said that the equipment will enter the Gaza Strip through convoys from the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

According to the bank's estimates, 350,000 people in the Gaza Strip suffer from diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart problems, while the number of pregnant women is 50,000, 183 children are born every day, and the number of those in incubators currently stands at 130 children.

The number of displaced people has now reached 1.6 million people, and they are gathering in the southern Gaza Strip after fleeing the battles. Humanitarian conditions are described as extremely difficult, with shortages of medicines, food, water and fuel, especially to operate generators.

Minister of Social Development, Ahmed Majdalani, said that the detention of 142 women and their infants by the occupation forces from Gaza is a new crime added to the series of occupation crimes, calling on the international community and international institutions to take immediate action to pressure the release of them and their infants.

Majdalani pointed out that the occupation forces detained women hostage in unknown places, after they were randomly collected from the roads and shelter centers, pointing out that they were subjected to humiliation, threats of rape and strip search, and beating of pregnant women. Pointing out that the level of fears about the fate of detained women is increasing day after day.

Majdalani added, in a press statement today, that the Israeli occupation is carrying out horrific and terrible crimes against Gazan detainees, in addition to its refusal to reveal their fate, in terms of their numbers, places of detention, and their health condition.

Majdalani renewed his appeal for the necessity of urgent international intervention to force the occupying state to stop its devastating war on the Gaza Strip and the crimes of ethnic cleansing against our people, which exceeded all international norms and conventions and the most basic rights.

He stressed that the crimes of genocide committed by the occupation are a crime that exceeds all international standards and laws, by killing children, women, the elderly, and people with disabilities, and represents a desecration of the sanctity of life and the concept of humanity, and a violation of the most basic laws of humanitarian conflicts and respect for the weak, and more than that, it represents a brutal and obscene transgression of red lines.

One arm rose in opposition to the ceasefire proposal, while another arm appeared paralyzed, either for fear of criticism or perhaps as an expression of solidarity with common goals. 

This is how the situation appeared at the emergency Security Council meeting on December 8, 2023, in which the United Arab Emirates submitted a request for a ceasefire in Gaza, where the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, called for the activation of Article 99 of the United Nations Charter, which is a rare article. What is used, grants the Secretary-General political powers instead of administrative ones, in a strict step by the United Nations to intervene after the continuous Israeli bombing that led to one of the greatest tragedies in contemporary history, during which the number of civilian casualties reached 18,000 dead as of the date of writing these lines, in addition to the displacement 80% of the population and complete destruction of the entire Gaza region.

The opposing arm that was raised aloft in defiance of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire was American, while the paralyzed arm that abstained from voting in favor of the comfort and peace of millions of helpless civilians was British. The rest of the members shook their heads in apparent disappointment, but there was no expression of surprise as they listened to US Special Political Affairs Representative Robert A. Wood describes the request as “detached from reality.” However, the truth emerges from the horrific numbers received from humanitarian organizations in Gaza, the same statistics that US President Joe Biden questioned, following in the footsteps of former President George W. Bush, who denied the extent of civilian casualties in his war on “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq. Which led to the death of a million Iraqis, pledging a better future for the region despite the atrocities.

Robert Wood continued to dehumanize the Palestinian people, sending a clear message to the rest of the membership by being busy with his phone during a speech by Palestinian diplomat Riyad Mansour at the United Nations. More than two months after the Israeli bombing, the world has not yet received a clear purpose for Israel's mission regarding this terrible disaster.

It became quite clear that Israel did not have a clear goal from the beginning. Eliminating “terrorism” is a vague mission that we have heard repeatedly in this region, but history has shown that America and its Western allies succeeded in waging wars using this pretext, but without ever accomplishing this alleged mission. Terrorism was not eliminated using this logic, but rather they only contributed to Empowering it by creating a more chaotic and suitable environment for its growth.

The United States' position made its allies realize that not all alliances are equal, and that its support and political relations are conditional. This was not surprising, as the United States had abandoned its ethics regarding human rights and international laws, thus presenting itself as a hypocrite in the eyes of the world it was preaching to. In every political endeavor, the most reliable path for governments to continue is to provide strong leadership and unwavering adherence to principles, regardless of alliances. However, this ideal approach often proves elusive in a complex global reality.

Now, after the events in Gaza, even the dreamers and optimists seem to have woken up to the harsh reality. There are moments in political history that are considered pivotal, and this genocide under the slogan “defending the state” became one of them, and history will record this war on Palestinian civilians and their displacement as a pivotal moment in which the world woke up to plans for occupation and expansion, and from now on, the old discourse will no longer be itself is sufficient to explain or justify the atrocities committed in pursuit of these goals. Robert Wood's raised arm also showed the stubbornness of the United States, which stood alone in its blind support for Israel. The world now realizes that if any other country had carried out the acts of terrorism that are broadcast globally, America would have mobilized all its forces to end these war crimes, and Benjamin Netanyahu would have faced justice in The Hague. However, this is not any other country, this is Israel, and the United States is prepared to risk its entire foreign political standing in defense of it.

Other governments appear to lack options, and the hope remains that they will take a defiant stance, indifferent to American logic, and take more decisive steps. To force the hand that controls terrorism to surrender, regardless of the costs involved.

Governments, whatever countries they represent, must respect international laws not only for the sake of Palestine, but also in order to restore the confidence of the peoples of the world and reassure them that justice and freedom are a legitimate right for all. In agreement with the Gulf

An Israeli official said, “The conditions under which new agreements can begin to be drafted are ripe, both from Hamas’ point of view and from Israel’s point of view.”

Estimates in Israel indicate that military pressure by the Israeli army on the Gaza Strip will lead to “progress” in the issue of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza during “next week,” according to what the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (Kan 11) reported.

“Kan 11” stated, “The dilemma for the political level is to link progress in the negotiations to the release of the rest of the hostages, as in the previous agreement (according to the same previous conditions), or to reach a new agreement.”

It stated that opinions in Israel on this matter are “divided,” noting that “the decision on this issue will be taken next week.”

"Conditions are ripe"

"Kan 11" quoted an Israeli official who said he was familiar with "the negotiations with the mediators", saying that "communications with the Qataris are continuing as they were."

Israeli Channel 12 reported that Tel Aviv is “interested in renewing contacts” in order to release the hostages in Gaza. She stated, "For Israel, (possible agreements that may be reached) include women who are still in captivity, the sick, the wounded, and the elderly."

It stated that Israel is trying to increase pressure on the Red Cross. She also noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet the head of the organization who will arrive in the country in the coming days.

The channel quoted a high-ranking Israeli official as saying, “The conditions under which new agreements can be drafted have become mature, both from Hamas’ point of view and from Israel’s point of view.”

It stated that Mossad chief David Barnea and Major General Nitzan Alon had received “old and new instructions to start listening to what the mediators say, but not to initiate an Israeli plan.” The same source said: “If the Qataris want to talk, we will listen,” referring to Doha’s mediation in reaching the previous prisoner exchange agreement.

According to the Channel 12 report, estimates indicate that “it will not be possible to reach a new agreement next week,” but the Israelis “want to open a new path, to benefit from the pressure on Hamas in the fighting, and to prepare for the moment when (the head of the Hamas movement is in... Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar 'ready' for such an agreement."

“Problems” that may complicate reaching an agreement; No suggestions made

A security source said in this regard, “The intensity of the fighting has begun to open a path that should not be missed.”

The report pointed to "problems identified in Israel, and at its heart; the problem of command and control with Hamas, which could make the deal difficult."

The source was quoted as saying, “Part of the Hamas leadership left Qatar, and some of those who conveyed messages between the two parties were killed, and Israel is actually present in the two regions (in the north and south of the Gaza Strip) and not just in the north of the Strip, which complicates communication channels.”

The Haaretz newspaper reported in a report published on Monday evening that Hamas and Israel have not yet submitted proposals that include broad lines for resuming the release of Israeli hostages and the release of prisoners.

Although "the parties are far from formulating a new agreement," according to the newspaper, an Israeli official confirmed that "the focus of the talks in Qatar is still active," according to what Haaretz quoted from a source it said was familiar with the talks between the two parties.

On the other hand, Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said in statements he made to Al Jazeera that “there is no talk of any prisoner exchange deal before the aggression against Gaza stops.”

Hamdan stressed that “the Israeli side’s leaks regarding an upcoming deal are for internal consumption and aim to confront internal pressures.”

Although the US administration confirmed on several occasions, and through a number of its highest officials, its categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinians of Gaza to Egyptian territory, President Joe Biden confirmed during a speech on the occasion of the Jewish Festival of Lights (Hanukkah) at the White House the day before yesterday, his request from the President Egyptian Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ensured that “the gate for them to enter Egypt” was opened.

Biden's statement came as part of his speech to the guests who attended the celebration of the Jewish occasion in the East Room of the White House, where Biden began his speech with Doug Emhoff, the Jewish husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, next to him, thanking the rabbis participating in the celebration, and appreciating their blessing of the White House.

In the context of presenting his efforts to support Israel's military effort and the release of hostages and prisoners held by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Biden enumerated what he had done to support Israel, amid applause and praise from those present.

Open the gate

He said, "We are working tirelessly for the safe return of the hostages. I have personally spent countless hours - and I mean that, perhaps up to 20 hours - with the Qataris, Egyptians and Israelis to secure the freedom of the hostages, get the trucks in, get humanitarian aid flowing, convince them to open the gate, and make Sisi guaranteeing the opening of the gate to Egypt.”

As the Israeli aggression on Gaza continues and the humanitarian situation there worsens, there are repeated calls in some American circles for the Egyptian government to allow the entry of large numbers of Palestinian refugees into North Sinai.

The eyes of observers in Washington are directed to the Rafah crossing, as it is the only way out by land, but the Egyptian government strongly rejects the idea of accepting the influx of refugees, even temporarily, because it fears that this will lead to their permanent settlement, as happened with some Palestinians living in refugee camps in Other areas for decades.

During his visit to Cairo on October 15, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken tried to reassure Egypt by saying that the United States does not support the mass deportation of Gaza residents to Egypt.

"We also want to make sure they are out of harm's way and that they get the help they need," he stressed.

The Biden administration is asking Congress to appropriate $106 billion to deal with “the global humanitarian impacts of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and the horrific Hamas attacks on Israel, including providing humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza,” as she put it.

The financial appropriation request included a special section entitled “Immigration and Asylum Aid,” in which Biden requested an additional amount of $3.495 billion, to remain available for spending to meet humanitarian needs.

The request indicated that these amounts would be placed in the account of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Administration (MRI) within the Ministry of State, and that these resources would “support displaced civilians and those affected by the conflict, including Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank, and meet the potential needs of the population.” Gaza fleeing to neighboring countries.

This ambiguous language left the door open for some to see it as an American willingness to provide financial resources that reflect plans to displace and resettle Gaza residents outside the Strip.

Forced deportation

For its part, Democracy for the Arab World Now warned the Biden administration regarding its request from Congress to approve $14 billion in funding for Israel, considering that this payment contains language indicating support for the idea of forced transfer of Palestinians from Gaza.

The organization urged Congress to reject the supplemental funding bill, which proposes to fund humanitarian aid for Palestinians displaced from Gaza to neighboring countries.

The White House reaffirmed during the Manama Security Forum last month, through Brett McGurk, coordinator for Middle East and North Africa affairs at the National Security Council, the White House’s vision for the Gaza crisis, which included rejecting any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

However, at the same time, many members of the Senate and Representatives, in addition to a number of newspaper editorials, do not stop pointing out the need for the Egyptian government to assume its responsibilities and open its lands to the Palestinians in order to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, without pointing out that the continuation of the Israeli aggression The sector is the cause of this unprecedented human suffering.

Source: Al Jazeera

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to a two-state solution with the Palestinians, stressing the European Union's insistence on a two-state solution. He also added in his statements that "a balanced solution to the problem must be found."

In an interview with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs during a session on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, in the General Assembly of the European Parliament, the European official said: “The most important thing at the present time is to prevent the death of more people, and to find a political solution to this conflict. Unfortunately, the Israeli Prime Minister He said that he opposes this policy, as it is the guarantee that a Palestinian state will never be established.”

While Borrell explained that the European Union's greatest commitment at the present time and in the future will be the possibility of working or not towards a two-state solution. He added: "This is why we must firmly raise our voice against the expansion of settlements, which contradicts United Nations resolutions. We must try to stop the violence not only in Gaza, but also in the occupied Palestinian territories."

Borrell criticizes Netanyahu

In criticizing the Israeli occupation government for its opposition to the two-state solution, Borrell said: “It is striking to hear over and over again the Israeli Prime Minister’s opposition to this matter. This solution is the only guarantee to stop what is happening now. How can the political solution that the international community wants be opposed?” Doesn't it make sense to support the two-state solution?

Borrell stated that Israel has the right to defend itself, adding that there is a limit to this, just like any other right. He continued: “We have to ask ourselves whether Israel respects international law. This is a question we all need to answer. I will not answer this question because there is no consensus (within the European Union), but I personally believe that this right has limits... killing such a large number of innocent people cannot be justified.”

While Borrell expressed his belief in their right to criticize the actions of the Israeli government without being criticized with anti-Semitism, he continued: “I demand the right to demand the existence of a Palestinian state without claiming to question the existence of the State of Israel.”

Netanyahu's statements

Earlier, Netanyahu confirmed the existence of a disagreement with US President Joe Biden regarding the day following the cessation of the war in Gaza, and the “post-Hamas” phase, stressing his adherence to his position aimed at not allowing the Gaza Strip to be run by either “Hamas” or even by the “Palestinian Authority.” This was in response to Joe Biden’s statements in which he called for the necessity of accepting the two-state solution, a statement that was condemned by the Palestinian Authority, and considered by “Hamas” as confirmation of the occupation’s intentions to target the Palestinian people.

The American President had also indicated, on Monday, December 11, 2023, that there were disagreements with the Netanyahu government, saying: “I have disagreements with some Israeli leaders,” without further details.

In a written statement, Netanyahu said, “I greatly appreciate American support for destroying Hamas and returning our hostages,” and added: “After an extensive dialogue with President Biden and his team, we obtained full support for the ground incursion and repelling international pressure to stop the war.” Netanyahu continued: “Yes, there is disagreement about today.” "What's next for Hamas, and I hope we can reach an agreement on this as well."

The Israeli Prime Minister stressed his previous position, and said in this regard: “I would like to clarify my position: I will not allow Israel to repeat the Oslo mistake.”

He said: “After the great sacrifices made by our civilians and soldiers, I will not allow those who teach terrorism, support terrorism, and finance terrorism into Gaza,” accusations he had previously made against the Palestinian Authority.

Before adding that “Gaza will neither be Hamastan nor Fatahstan,” referring to the Fatah and Hamas movements.

It is noteworthy that since last October 7, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza that, as of Tuesday evening, left 18,412 dead and 50,100 wounded, most of them children and women, massive destruction of infrastructure and an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe,” according to sources. Palestinian official.

The Pentagon said that Israel's protection of civilians in Gaza is not only a moral duty, but also a "strategic necessity."

This came in statements by Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder, in response to a question whether Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin agrees with President Joe Biden's statement that "Israel is losing support because of its indiscriminate bombing in Gaza."

Ryder said that his country's support for Israel's right to self-defense is "steadfast."

He pointed out that US continues to hope that Israel will carry out its operations in accordance with the law of armed conflict.

He stressed that Israel "not only has a moral responsibility to protect civilians in Gaza, but this also constitutes a strategic necessity."

On the other hand, Ryder explained that since October 17, American bases in Syria and Iraq have been subjected to 92 attacks by drones and missile strikes by groups supported by Iran.

A member of the Israeli War Council, Minister Gideon Saar, said that it is important to preserve the current Israeli emergency government during the war, in response to its attack by US President Joe Biden.

Sa'ar said during a meeting with the families of those killed in the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation, commenting on Biden's statements: "There are no good decisions. There are necessities. We will not agree to a Palestinian terrorist state."

He continued that the war government in Israel is the only one “possible” currently, and “we will not agree to a Palestinian terrorist state - neither in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) nor in Gaza. We will not agree to give up security responsibility there,” stressing that the war government will not agree to Harmful settlement in the West Bank.

Biden made a surprising statement on Tuesday evening in which he said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must “replace his government... The current government is the most extreme government in the history of Israel and it does not want a two-state solution.”

Netanyahu confirmed in a previous statement on Tuesday that there are disagreements with the United States regarding the next day for the Gaza Strip, stressing that the Fatah movement “will not be there after the war... I will not allow Israel to repeat the Oslo mistake... Gaza will neither be (Hamastan) nor (Fathistan)” .