Adam Boulokos, director of UNRWA affairs in the occupied West Bank, said on Saturday that “there is no place in the West Bank that Israel has not touched and controlled.”

Polukos added, "With settler violence and Israeli military incursions increasing significantly during last October, there was an 'almost complete closure' in the West Bank."

He stressed that "there is no place in the West Bank that Israel has not touched and controlled."

He explained, "The occupation means that every person's daily movement is restricted."

The Israeli army continued its raids and arrest operations in the West Bank, as the humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip entered into force on Friday morning.

Today, Saturday, the Israeli occupation forces bulldozed more than 100 dunams, and uprooted about 150 olive trees, in the villages of Imatin, Farata and Jit, east of Qalqilya.

The head of the Imatin Village Council, Fathi Ghanem, said that the occupation forces bulldozed these dunams located in the eastern region of the villages, in order to expand the “Havat Gilad” colony, which is located on the village’s lands, and uprooted more than 150 olive trees, more than 50 years old.

Ghanem added that these dunams and olive trees belong to the Sawan family.

US President Joe Biden said on Friday that calls to place specific conditions on aid to Israel are an “interesting idea” amid the war in Gaza, but he also hinted, in a press conference marking a four-day truce in the Gaza war, that these conditions could... Obstruct diplomacy.

“I think this is a worthwhile idea,” Biden said, “but I don’t think that if I had started with this, we would have gotten to where we are today.”

Biden is under enormous pressure from a growing group of Democrats who have criticized the Biden administration for its strong support for Israel in the conflict, despite the growing number of civilian casualties in Gaza.

Biden certainly did not support imposing stricter conditions on US aid to Israel. By contrast, he is urging Congress to pass a bill, currently tied up in partisan budget disagreements, that would provide Israel with $14 billion in emergency military aid.

But Biden's refusal to mock the idea of making aid conditional seemed like a marked break from his previous rhetoric. As a presidential candidate in 2019, Biden told the Wall Street Journal that taking advantage of US aid to Israel to limit settlement growth would be “outrageous.”

“The blank check approach must end,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vermont) wrote in a New York Times op-ed published on Wednesday. He added: “The United States must make clear that although we are friends of Israel, there are conditions to this friendship, and that we cannot be complicit in actions that violate international law.”

The Israeli war on Gaza has led to the death of more than 14,000 Palestinians so far, including more than 4,600 children, since it began early last month, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Biden said he repeatedly pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to better look into the lives of civilians in Gaza.

“I encouraged the prime minister to focus on trying to reduce casualties while trying to eliminate Hamas, which is an objectively legitimate use,” Biden said. “This is a difficult task.”

He continued: “I don’t know how long it will take.” He added: “My expectation and hope is that as we move forward, the rest of the Arab world and the region will also put pressure on all parties to slow this down and put an end to it as quickly as possible.”

Progressive Democrats pushed the Biden administration to call for a long-term ceasefire in the conflict because the Israeli military strategy puts many Palestinian civilians at risk. They were joined by hundreds of former Biden campaign staffers and sparked a split in the State Department.

In his op-ed this week, Sanders described the Israeli strategy as relying on “indiscriminate bombing.”

“The Netanyahu government, or hopefully a new Israeli government, must understand that not a single cent will come to Israel from the United States unless there is a fundamental change in their military and political positions,” Sanders said in the statement.

The United States already requires that all countries receiving military aid abide by international law. Progressives say this measure has been completely ignored in the case of Israel.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said the United States was applying conditions to “almost all other allies” but not Israel.

“The United States has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that public resources do not facilitate gross violations of human rights and international law,” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

More than 10,000 people gathered in the “Children Above All” event, organized by the Education Above All Foundation, one of the major global institutions in the field of development and education, in the Oxygen Park in Qatar Foundation’s Education City, with the aim of shedding light on the conditions of children affected by the war on the Gaza Strip, providing them with the necessary support, and commemorating the innocent lives that were tragically lost in this war.

Ms. Taj Suleiman, Director of Partnerships at the Education Above All Foundation, said in a statement to Al-Raya: The event represents a movement that brings the community together to participate in sports, social activities, and moments of reflection, as the event provides an opportunity for individuals and families to actively participate in various activities.

She pointed out that two marches were organized during the event, the first at four in the afternoon, and the second at seven in the evening yesterday, in addition to a minute of silence to pay tribute to the victims of the war in Gaza, praising the families’ keenness in particular to attend, which enriched the event and played a major role in its success.

She pointed out that more than 25 schools participated in the event through the football league that was organized yesterday between these schools, in addition to organizing other sports competitions and allocating an art corner and games for children, in addition to the participation of 22 food stalls, restaurants and major stores, where proceeds are allocated. Sales are for donation to Gaza.

She also indicated that an auction of jewelry and valuables would be organized to be displayed to the public and bid on, and the proceeds would be allocated to the Gaza Strip as well, explaining that the event also included allocating a large wall for self-expression that would allow all participants to write one or more sentences to express solidarity with the Gaza Strip, in addition to embodying an empty classroom. of students Children represent students who died in Gaza.

She explained that the event also witnessed the allocation of toys for children at nominal prices, all of which proceeds will go to support Gaza, noting that participation in the event represents a strong message of solidarity with the children of the Gaza Strip, as it is an opportunity to collect donations and show firm support for this noble cause, explaining that solidarity is not limited to Not only do you have to participate in the event, but it represents an opportunity to transform feelings of sympathy into concrete actions.

Hamad Al-Jabbara, one of the volunteers affiliated with the Education Above All Foundation, said: There were more than 100 volunteers who participated in organizing the event in terms of organizing the entry and exit of the public and guiding them to the various event areas and available services, explaining that the role of the volunteers also focused on spreading awareness among the public on participating in donating and helping our brothers in Gaza and the feeling of happiness that results from the value of giving.

He praised the atmosphere of great participation by families and their keenness to support children in Gaza during this great ordeal they are exposed to. He also praised the participating stores and sales kiosks that also reduced their prices, in addition to donating sales proceeds.

Dhabiya Al-Maliki from the Education Above All Foundation said: This initiative is a small part of supporting the children of Gaza and rebuilding projects in the Strip through the donations that will be collected at the event, which included direct donations by the public or through indirect donations by purchasing exhibits in sales outlets. Participation as well as donations of jewelry and valuables.

She noted that the event included displaying a large document for signature to express solidarity with the ceasefire in Gaza, praising the presence of many sponsors of the event from many parts of the country to also express solidarity with the Gaza Strip.

Haya Al-Ansari - an advocate for youth issues at the Education Above All Foundation - pointed out that she and her colleagues at the Foundation helped the public, guided them to the event sites, and urged them to participate in donating for Gaza, noting that the large public’s eagerness to attend reflects the extent of awareness of the issue of Gaza and its children, and what they are exposed to. Violations.

Palestinians found dozens of bodies on Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City, while returning to their homes with the start of the temporary humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas.

Eyewitnesses reported that while they were returning to inspect their homes in the western areas of Gaza City, they found the bodies of dozens of Palestinians who had been killed by the occupation army on “Al-Rashid” Street, west of the city.

Witnesses explained that the bodies were decomposed, indicating that they were killed several weeks ago during the exodus from Gaza City to the south of the Strip.

During the past weeks, the occupation army killed dozens of Palestinians as they fled to the south via “Al-Rashid” and “Salah al-Din” Streets, and left them in their places before their bodies were gradually transported via animal-drawn vehicles to the southern regions.

The Israeli army targeted displaced Palestinians and committed many massacres in the south, while promoting that the south was a “safe zone” in order to force the largest number of people from the north to leave.

Israeli media confirmed today that those who previously mourned Hamas “simply had to see this day after 49 days of fighting,” adding that “Hamas has proven that it is still strong and controls Gaza.”

Channel 12 noted that the Al-Qassam Brigades succeeded in “imposing a ceasefire in the south and north of the Gaza Strip,” noting that Al-Qassam knew how to bring its detainees at the specified time and to the appropriate place for them in Khan Yunis Hospital.

It denied that Hamas had “knocked on its knees,” adding: “This sentence is still very far away, unfortunately.”

Likewise, the Israeli Channel 12 reported that all the Israeli detainees in Gaza “were neglected by the Israeli government and were betrayed, and if they did not do everything possible to return them, it would be a second neglect and a second betrayal.”

For his part, Major General Reserve, Israel Ziv, stated that if Hamas currently succeeds in stopping the continuation of the fighting, “it has emerged victorious.”

Israel also expressed its fear that the Palestinians would return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media.

Israeli media reported that since this morning, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been returning from the south of the Gaza Strip to the north, indicating that the Israeli “army” will take measures to prevent them from moving between the south and the north.

This afternoon, a member of the Israeli occupation Knesset from the Likud Party, Tali Gotliff, said that “Israel” provided everything to Hamas in the truce agreement “without receiving even a sign of life” from the prisoners in Gaza.

Gottliff added, “Agreeing to a ceasefire hours and introducing fuel are actions that strengthened Hamas, which interprets this as weakness on our part.”

This evening, the Al-Qassam Brigades and the Palestinian resistance in Gaza liberated 39 female prisoners and minors from the occupation prisons, as part of the first batch of the truce agreement and exchange deal with settler prisoners, which began today and will continue for four days.

The Palestinian female and child prisoners who were released from Ofer Prison arrived in the town of Beitunia, west of Ramallah in the West Bank, amid a massive public reception for the female and male prisoners, who chanted slogans for the resistance and Gaza, while the female prisoners raised signs of victory.

The Gaza Strip witnessed massive celebrations over the prisoner deal after the first batch of prisoners were liberated.

Source: Sama News

A US defense official said on Saturday that a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire was attacked by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean yesterday (Friday), according to the Associated Press.

The attack on CMA CGM Symi comes at a time when global shipping finds itself increasingly targeted in the weeks-long war that threatens to turn into a broader regional conflict, even with a truce to stop fighting and Hamas's exchange of hostages with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The defense official, who spoke to the Associated Press, said that the Maltese-flagged ship was suspected of being targeted by a Shahed-136 drone carrying a triangle-shaped bomb while it was in international waters. The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship without injuring any of its crew members.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely,” the official said, but refused to explain why the US military believed Iran was behind the attack.

CMA CGM, a major shipping company based in Marseille, France, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the ship's crew members were acting as if they believed the ship was facing a threat, according to the agency.

Source: Alsharq Alawsat

Iran news, America's drone

“Among the dead are 6 female journalists, namely: Salma Mkhaimer, Salam Mima, Iman Al-Aqili, Alaa Al-Hasanat, Ayat Khadura, and Doaa Sharaf.”

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate announced that 66 journalists have been killed in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip since October 7.

It reported in a statement that "two journalists are missing, Nidal Al-Wahidi and Haitham Abdel-Wahed, while there are 31 captured journalists who were arrested by the occupation authorities in the Palestinian territories."

In addition, in its statement, the union called on “all international, Arab and Palestinian institutions working in the feminist and human rights sector to follow up and prosecute the Israeli occupation system for its crimes against fellow journalists who are being targeted for murder, arrest, persecution, beatings and assault on the basis of their journalistic work.”

More than a month has passed since this round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the smoke of war still looms over the Palestinian territories, and China is still making unremitting efforts to explore the path to peace.

On the evening of November 21, President Xi Jinping attended the BRICS virtual extraordinary summit on the Palestinian issue, where he delivered an important speech entitled “Advancing a Ceasefire and Achieving Lasting Peace and Security.” Between November 20 and 21, the joint delegation of foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries chose China as the first stop for international mediation, where it met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The voice of justice and peace is rising from the East, passing through the clouds of war, and sending new hopes to Palestine.

China always stands for peace, justice and fairness.

President Xi Jinping said that the root cause of the developments in the situation in Palestine lies in the long-standing disregard for the rights of the Palestinian people to establish a state, stay, and return, and the main way out of the spiral of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in implementing the “two-state solution,” restoring the legitimate national rights of the Palestinians, and establishing an independent State of Palestine. Lasting peace and stability in the Middle East cannot be achieved without a just solution to the Palestinian issue. Vice President Han Zheng said that China is ready to continue working with Arab and Islamic countries to advance the comprehensive implementation of relevant resolutions issued by the General Assembly and the UN Security Council, and make unremitting efforts to achieve a ceasefire, alleviate the humanitarian situation, and return to the "two-state solution." 

Comrade Wang Yi stressed that the top priority is the comprehensive implementation of the relevant resolutions issued by the General Assembly and the UN Security Council, and an immediate ceasefire. It is necessary to seriously adhere to international law, especially international humanitarian law. The UN Security Council must listen to the calls of Arab and Islamic countries and take responsible steps to calm the situation.

China has been taking a fair position on the Palestinian issue, being fair in words and deeds, and its relevant movements and efforts have become witnessed by everyone. Since the outbreak of this round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China has been steadfastly safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of Arab and Islamic countries, resolutely supporting the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, making unremitting efforts to establish peace and ceasefire, providing urgent humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and calling for, to quickly hold an international peace conference on a larger scale, and with greater effectiveness, and to set a timetable and roadmap for it. 

China,  as president of the Security Council in November, also pushed  to adopt the relevant resolution. Regarding the Palestinian issue, China has no special interest and does not take sides. It can be said that, as long as the matter contributes to promoting dialogue, achieving a ceasefire, and restoring peace, China firmly supports it, and as long as the matter contributes to implementing the "two-state solution" and advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, China will make every effort.

China's mediation efforts, policy and vision have been highly appreciated by the international community.

-- "Chinese wisdom" determines the direction for resolving the Palestinian issue.

Many members of the Saudi Shura Council said that China is a major country in the world and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and China's efforts to mediate between Palestine and Israel will contribute to peace and stability in the region. The official media of the countries of the region, such as the Iranian Islamic Republic News Agency, also reported the important speech of President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit, and paid great attention to his emphasis on the necessity of implementing the “two-state solution,” stressing the importance of the fair and balanced position of the senior Chinese leadership, the concept of The Community of Shared Future for Mankind, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping can provide useful inspiration for resolving the current crisis. Since China has succeeded in mediating between Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore their relationship, it can certainly provide ideas for finding a political solution to the Palestinian issue.

-- The "Chinese Vision" is an implementable plan to resolve the Palestinian issue. The advisor to the director of the Algerian News Agency said that President Xi Jinping presented his vision for resolving the Palestinian issue several times in international forums. It is a clear, rational and insightful vision, and it is completely consistent with the relevant resolutions issued by the United Nations, and is considered the “golden key” to resolving the Palestinian issue. The media outlets of Egypt, Kuwait and Oman also expressed high appreciation for the position of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who considers the Arab and Islamic countries a close friend and dear brothers, and recorded high appreciation for China’s permanent standing alongside the Arab and Islamic countries on the Palestinian issue. The former Tunisian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs also praised the spirit of humanity to which China is committed in its peaceful efforts, and its genuine concern for the suffering of the people of Gaza, and expressed his admiration for China's efforts.

--"The Chinese Voice" is receiving increasing support from countries in the region. An Iraqi Foreign Ministry official, representative of the Independent Strategic Review Team of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, said that the joint Arab and Islamic foreign ministers’ delegation’s choice of China as its first stop for international mediation reflects the extent of their confidence in China, and indicates that China has become an important force for mediation between Palestine and Israel. A Qatari international relations expert said during his interview with Al Jazeera that China's constructive participation in mediating between Palestine and Israel is evidence of China's growing voice and great influence in regional and international affairs. Professor Oraib Al-Rantawi, Director General of the Al-Quds Center for Political Studies, said that the presence of the Chinese leadership at the relevant BRICS summit indicates that the Palestinian issue is no longer in the hands of the United States alone. A multipolar global system has been formed.

The day after President Xi Jinping attended the virtual extraordinary summit of the BRICS countries on the Palestinian issue, the two sides of the conflict announced a 4-day truce, which is undoubtedly good and long-awaited news. We are confident that peace is not far-fetched, although the road leading to it is long and arduous, and the Palestinian issue should not become an unhealing wound to the world. As usual, China will adhere to a fair and just stance, maintain communication and coordination with all relevant parties, and make its positive contributions to protecting civilians, calming the situation, resuming peace negotiations, and achieving lasting peace and security.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club said that the Israeli occupation forces arrested 17 Palestinians in the West Bank from yesterday evening until Saturday morning, bringing the number of detainees to 3,160 since the start of the war on October 7.

The arrests were concentrated in Askar Camp/Nablus, while the rest of the arrests were distributed among the governorates of Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, Jericho, and Jerusalem.

The club explained that these arrests were accompanied by widespread harassment, severe beatings, and field investigation, in addition to cases of sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, Ayman Al-Safadi, said that there is an urgent need to continue working with the international community to stop the aggression against Gaza.

Al-Safadi confirmed, on Saturday, in a joint press conference at the ministry’s headquarters with Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Vaillon and Portuguese Foreign Minister João Cravinho that this year is considered the bloodiest for the Palestinians in more than 10 years.

He stressed that Tel Aviv cannot remain above international law, pointing out that its boycott of the Union for the Mediterranean meeting in Barcelona is due to it.

According to Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi, there is an attack from Tel Aviv on everyone who disagrees with them and demands a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, indicating that Tel Aviv does not want to listen but must face responsibility for the war crimes committed in Gaza, as it is within the legal term “genocide.” ".

Al-Safadi stated that expelling the people of Gaza from the Gaza Strip would not be a solution, but rather would make the situation worse.

Media reported that the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, was subjected to a major Russian attack using drones on Saturday morning.

Sky News quoted the local and military administration of Kiev as saying, "The capital is under a major attack using Russian drones."

Sky News reported that violent explosions were heard in Kiev.

The Ukrainian army was quoted as saying, "Air defenses are dealing with hostile targets in the skies of the capital, Kiev."

For its part, Reuters quoted a journalist affiliated with it as saying that the Ukrainian capital was subjected to a major attack by drones.

The Ukrainian authorities said that a large-scale attack by Russian suicide drones began at dawn on Saturday in Kiev and led to two wounded, as reported by Agence France-Presse.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on the Telegram platform, "So far two wounded have fallen in the Solomyansky district. They have received medical care at the scene," according to Agence France-Presse.

He explained that a residential building in this area was damaged by falling debris, while rescue teams were working to extract two women from the rubble.

Several fires broke out in the same area, one of them in a kindergarten, the mayor of the capital added.

Debris of drones shot down by Ukrainian air defenses also occurred in the Pechersky region.

A doctor was killed today, Saturday, and two others were injured, By Israeli occupation forces, in the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin.

The director of Al-Razi Hospital in Jenin, Fawaz Hammad, reported that doctor Shamekh Kamal Abu Al-Rub (25 years old) was killed, and his brother Muhammad and another young man were injured by Israeli army following its storming of the town.

Abu Al-Rub was injured by live bullets in the abdomen while he and his brother were leaving their home, which led to his immediate death, while his brother was wounded by live bullets in the foot, and another young man in the thigh area.

It is noteworthy that Abu Al-Rub is the son of the Acting Governor of Jenin.

Local sources said that confrontations broke out between the occupation forces and young men, after a special Israeli undercover unit infiltrated the town and besieged a house near a Qabatiya girls’ school.

The same sources added that the occupation forces arrested the young man, Tariq Muhammad Ziyad Abu Al-Rub, after besieging his house in Qabatiya.

The head of the Hamas movement abroad, Khaled Meshal, rejected the participation of any international or Arab forces in the administration of Gaza, stressing that these plans “will be trampled upon by our heroes in the resistance, led by the Qassam Brigades.”

Meshaal pointed out, during a conference held by the International Islamic Forum yesterday evening, “the inability of the Arab leadership in the face of the Israeli incursion, starting from the Arab initiative until the last summits.”

He added that if the Algerians, Afghans and Vietnamese listened to "the advocates of defeatism who demand that we surrender, Algeria, Afghanistan and Vietnam would not have been liberated from colonialism and occupation."

He stated that "the impressive performance of the Qassam fighters and their confrontation with the ground forces invading Gaza demonstrates the quality of the training, pointing out their sincere faith and adherence to the Qur’an."

Mishal stressed, “(The Al-Aqsa flood) inflicted a psychological, military, and intelligence defeat on the occupation, and this defeat will be completed soon, God willing.”

He explained, "This war showed the occupation for its barbaric nature, turning it into a raging bull that brutalizes innocent people and targets schools, hospitals, churches, and all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip."

He stressed that "our tunnels, ammunition, and weapons are still intact, and we are still able to maneuver, launch missiles, and target invading tanks."

Meshaal noted "the occupation's failure to achieve its declared goals of eliminating Hamas and displacing all the residents of the Gaza Strip," pointing to the thousands of residents of the north who remained steadfast despite everything they were exposed to.

He mentioned the discussion by some Western politicians of the post-Hamas Gaza, calling on them to "save their time and effort in discussing the state of the region post-Israel."

Meshaal pointed out, "The Al-Qassam Brigades had expressed their willingness to release civilian prisoners since the beginning of the war, as they were not among the targets of the battle, but when we saw the brutality of the terrorist aggression, we said we must manage this card, serve the civilians in Gaza, and relieve them."

Regarding the truce, Meshaal said, “The truce achieves the release of children and women from occupation prisons, a temporary cessation of the aggression, and humanitarian relief for Gaza.”

Meshaal stressed “the necessity of supporting Gaza militarily, financially, and humanitarianly, and escalating the political, popular, and mass movement pressing to stop the aggression, denying that the nation should stand by and not contribute to the outcome of the battle.”

On the second day of the temporary truce in the Gaza Strip, calm prevails on the ground, while the Palestinian street awaits the release of the second batch of prisoners in the occupation prisons and the release of a new batch of detainees held by the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, a day after the occupation authorities released 39 Palestinian prisoners in exchange to 13 Israeli detainee.

Israel receives a list of the names of the hostages who will be released today

Officials said that Israel received a list of the names of prisoners scheduled to be released by Hamas in Gaza today, Saturday, after the release of 24 prisoners yesterday, Friday.

A statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that Israeli security officials are reviewing the list.

20 Thais still detained by Hamas

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that 20 Thai citizens are still being held by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) after the movement released ten of them.

The ministry added that those who were released from Gaza yesterday, Friday, will return to their homes after spending 48 hours in the hospital.

The World Health Organization said - yesterday, Friday - that it has no information about the fate of the director of the Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, who was arrested by Israel this week, and called for “full respect for his rights.”

The organization stated in a statement that the director of the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip was arrested on November 22, along with five other health workers, while they were participating in a United Nations-led mission to evacuate patients.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network expressed its concern about reports of the World Health Organization's possible involvement in the Israeli army's kidnapping of medical personnel in Gaza, including the director of the Shifa Medical Complex, Muhammad Abu Salamiya.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory announced that, according to data from its field team in the Gaza Strip, the death toll in the Strip as a result of the Israeli aggression since last October 7 reached 20,031 dead, including 8,176 children.

The Observatory published on its account on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter), an infographic image showing detailed statistics of human and material losses in the Gaza Strip.

The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory said: “Our team in the Gaza Strip recently completed an updated statistic of the number of victims, including those we were able to count who were under the rubble, given the lack of chances of being alive. The number of dead reached 20,031, including 8,176 children, and the number is likely to rise as more victims and 36,350 wounded are recovered.” This number, together with the wounded, represents an average of 2.6% of the population in the Gaza Strip, which is equivalent to 11 million Arab citizens.

After 50 days of brutal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, a 4-day temporary humanitarian truce entered into force on Friday morning, according to which a ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners took place between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian resistance.

Since the first hours of this truce taking effect, pictures have been revealed that show the extent of the widespread destruction that occurred in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and dozens of bodies that have reached the stage of decomposition scattered in the roads and under the rubble of the bombed homes.

Within the framework of the first phase of implementing the truce understandings, a group of 13 Israeli prisoners, including women and children, were handed over to the Israeli authorities, and the Hamas movement released 11 foreign citizens of Thai and Filipino nationalities on the sidelines of the prisoner exchange deal.

On the other hand, on the first day, the occupation authorities released 39 women and children detained in Israeli prisons, and 150 Palestinian prisoners are scheduled to be released over the four days of the armistice agreement.

(Sama news)

The municipality of the Spanish city of Barcelona agreed on Friday to "announce the suspension of relations with Israel until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and respect for the basic rights of the Palestinian people."

This is not the first time that Barcelona has severed its relations with Israel. In February 2023, then-mayor Ada Colao suspended the city's relationship with Israel.

According to the approved Barcelona Statement, the main obstacles to lasting peace are the “occupation and colonization of Palestinian territories” and the “denial of the rights” of the Palestinian people.

Earlier Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that if the European Union does not recognize the Palestinian state, Madrid will do so.

This came during a statement to journalists in Egypt, which he is visiting with the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, after their visit on Thursday to Israel and Palestine, to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a devastating Israeli war since last October 7.

The Belgian Prime Minister said on Friday during his visit to the Egyptian Rafah crossing, "The Israeli response in the Gaza Strip after the deadly attack launched by Hamas on Israel on October 7 must respect international humanitarian law."

He stressed that "the killing of civilians must stop."

For his part, the Spanish Prime Minister who accompanied him said that "the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians (in the Gaza Strip) is absolutely unacceptable."

He considered that "finding a solution to the Gaza crisis is not enough," and insisted that Israel must be the first to take a "comprehensive approach" to resolve the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including "the West Bank and East Jerusalem."

Sanchez called for "the international community and Israel to recognize the State of Palestine."

Following the statements of the prime ministers of Belgium and Spain, Israel summoned the two countries' ambassadors to Tel Aviv to "reprimand" them, while Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albarez described in a statement the "Israeli government's accusations" against the Spanish and Belgian officials as "false, inappropriate and unacceptable."

The Israeli Foreign Minister's office said, "We condemn the false allegations of the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium, who provide support for terrorism."

He added, "Israel is acting in accordance with international law and is fighting a terrorist organization that commits war crimes and crimes against humanity... We will resume fighting after the ceasefire until the Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip is eliminated and all the kidnapped are released."

For his part, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said, "Netanyahu strongly condemns the statements of the prime ministers of Belgium and Spain, who did not hold Hamas fully responsible for committing crimes against humanity and using Palestinians as human shields."

Medical sources in the Gaza Strip announced, this Friday evening, that the charred and decomposed bodies of seven dead bodies had arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the center of the Strip, after they were recovered from the area near the southern Gaza Valley.

A video published by activists and media outlets on social media, on the evening of Friday, November 24, 2023, sparked widespread controversy after it showed an Israeli prisoner waving her hand as she left the Gaza Strip, where she was released with a first patch as part of an exchange deal between Hamas and Israel.

The shot sparked controversy on social media, while Israeli newspapers also spoke about it, criticizing her waving her hand smilingly at the people of Gaza while she was being transported in a Red Cross vehicle.

Previous footage showed another prisoner shaking hands with a Qassam fighter while she was being handed over to the Red Cross for her release from the Gaza Strip.

 (Arabic Post)

US President Joe Biden considered, on Friday, that there are “real opportunities” to extend the truce between Israel and Hamas, which entered into force on Friday and will continue for 4 days.

“We must end the cycle of violence in the Middle East,” Biden told reporters while spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Massachusetts. The US President added that the Hamas movement’s release of the first group of hostages it held during its attack on Israel “is only the beginning.”

He explained that the time has come to work on “renewing” the two-state solution, to establish peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Today, Friday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested three journalists from the Hebron Governorate.

Local sources said that the occupation forces arrested journalists Musab Shawer Al-Tamimi, Taha Abu Hussein and Mahmoud Tamiza at a military checkpoint they set up south of Hebron.

Ghazi Hamad, member of Hamas’s political bureau, says the group is open to negotiating to release even more civilian captives currently held in Gaza, including men. 

However, in regards to Israeli soldiers held captive, Hamad told Al Jazeera, “This is another story”. At this phase, we are talking about the civilian hostages. Regarding others, we are looking for a comprehensive swap and exchange to release all [7,200] prisoners in Israeli detention centers. This is our goal and aim,” Hamad said. “But we will wait and see. We have full patience, power and energy to do that … Israel must release all the prisoners, and we are ready to release the Israeli soldiers.”

The Arab World News Agency quoted the Hebrew newspaper Jerusalem Post today (Friday) as saying that Israel summoned the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium in response to statements regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The summons comes at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the statements of the Prime Ministers of the two countries, the Spanish Pedro Sanchez and the Belgian Alexander De Croo.

Ofir Gendelman, Netanyahu's spokesman, said that the Israeli Prime Minister "strongly condemns the statements of the Prime Ministers of Belgium and Spain, who did not hold (Hamas) fully responsible for committing crimes against humanity, slaughtering our citizens, and using Palestinians as human shields."

The Israeli journalist said that Foreign Minister Eli Cohen summoned the Spanish and Belgian ambassadors, based on Netanyahu’s directives, “to rebuke in light of the statements of the leaders of the two countries at the Rafah crossing today,” referring to the prime ministers of the two countries.

The newspaper reported that the Spanish Prime Minister said during a visit to the Rafah crossing in Egypt that the current ceasefire in Gaza “is insufficient and there is a need for a permanent ceasefire.”

Source: Asharq Al Awsat

The United Nations announced that the Gaza Strip received “the largest aid convoy since last October 7,” on Friday, in accordance with the truce agreement with Israel.

A statement by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said, "137 trucks loaded with goods were unloaded through the UNRWA reception point in Gaza."

The statement added: "It is the largest humanitarian convoy received since October 7," when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, which carried out an unprecedented military campaign on the Gaza Strip.

He pointed out that "129 thousand liters of fuel crossed from Egypt into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah port." The statement also confirmed the evacuation of 21 patients in critical condition from the northern Gaza Strip, where Israeli military operations are concentrated.

Opinion polls continue to predict his collapse in the upcoming elections

As polls continue to be published confirming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be politically destroyed if he runs in elections, and that he and all of his far-right camp will lose power, sources close to him have revealed that he is considering the possibility of retiring. But he devises a plan to allow him to continue ruling for many months. In order to achieve a comprehensive regional peace project together with US President Joe Biden.

Political sources in circles close to Netanyahu said: The plan includes a settlement for his trial on corruption charges. 

Two years ago, the Public Prosecution began negotiating with Netanyahu on a judicial package in his trial, according to which he would be convicted and sentenced to suspended imprisonment on the condition that he confess to the charges and retire from politics for 7 years. But he refused to retire. However, today he is thinking about changing his mind, and is offering to agree to retire, on the condition that this does not happen immediately after the war. He wants to continue the war now, achieve victory, and engage in comprehensive regional negotiations in accordance with President Biden’s vision.

The sources said: Estimates in Netanyahu's circle are that the Hamas movement will now begin bringing representatives of the international press to the Gaza Strip during the truce as part of an intense propaganda campaign to convey images of the destruction caused by Israel there. Thus; It restores international pressure on Israel to end the fighting intensively, with a high possibility that the United States will join the demand for a long-term ceasefire and begin international contacts to achieve a political settlement that determines the status of the Gaza Strip, and may open the door to a new kind of political process for a regional settlement that includes the Palestinian issue.

According to Netanyahu's estimates, in such a scenario, the “Official Camp” party, headed by Benny Gantz, will withdraw from the government, and massive protest demonstrations will return, which will focus on calling on Netanyahu to resign. In order to save the people this trouble, he will announce his intention to retire when he completes the task of ending the war and achieving a political settlement.

A source in Netanyahu’s circle said: At this stage, the talk is about preliminary thinking about this possibility and not about a decision by the Prime Minister, adding that “the future of the deal with (Hamas) and the future of the fighting in Gaza will affect the decision-making process.” Netanyahu will decide according to developments and the emerging public-political situation.” Netanyahu’s office was quick to completely deny this news, saying: “It is baseless.” Prime Minister Netanyahu returns and makes clear that the war will not stop, and he is focused on completing all of the war’s goals until its end: liquidating Hamas, returning our kidnappers, and creating a reality in which Gaza no longer threatens the State of Israel.

But Netanyahu's opponents confirm that this plan is very appropriate for his thinking. Uri Misgav, a journalist, university lecturer and leader of the protest demonstrations, said: “The man still belittles the minds of Israelis and acts as if he is still the savior of the people of Israel. He is divorced from reality. He does not understand that the Israelis are abandoning him because they see in him the problem and not the solution. A person like him should be tried not only for financial corruption, but also for the political and security corruption that brought us the calamity of last October 7,” referring to the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation carried out by the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. He stressed that Netanyahu must resign immediately and not wait until the war ends.

The weekly opinion poll, published by the Maariv newspaper every Friday, indicated an additional decline in the number of Likud seats, if elections were held today, from 32 seats in the last elections a year ago to 16 seats today, and the extremist Finance Minister’s party was destroyed. With Smotrich’s loss from 8 seats today to zero, and the right-wing camp’s seats falling from 64 to only 41 seats, this is the lowest percentage the right has obtained all year. This is due to the government's failure in all areas before the war and during the war as well.

The results of the poll indicated a new increase in the popularity of the head of the “National Camp” bloc and member of the War Command Council, Benny Gantz, doubling his strength more than three times, from the 12 seats he has today to 42 seats. Accordingly; If elections were held for the Knesset now, the opposition parties combined, including the Arab parties, would obtain 79 seats, out of a total of 120. They could form a sufficient coalition to form a government led by Gantz.

Gantz outperformed Netanyahu in terms of suitability to assume the position of prime minister, and 52 percent said: Gantz is more suitable, compared to 21 percent who saw Netanyahu as more suitable. The poll also indicated a decline in Netanyahu’s popularity among his voters, in light of the war on Gaza. 52 percent of them said: He is most suitable to head the government, while 26 percent of Likud voters said: Gantz is most suitable to assume the position.

It is noteworthy that the Arab parties are united in two blocs, each of which currently has five seats, and will also obtain five seats if the elections are held today, according to the aforementioned poll. The two blocs are the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality and the Arab Movement for Change, led by Representatives Ayman Odeh and Ahmed Tibi, on the one hand, which is a bloc that does not believe in entering into a government coalition, and on the other hand, the United Arab List bloc of the Islamic Movement led by Representative Mansour Abbas, which is a bloc concerned with participating in the government coalition.

Source: Asharq Al Awsat

The Israeli army announced on Friday night that its forces were taking advantage of the four-day truce with Hamas to “prepare for the next phase of its operation in the Gaza Strip.”

Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a regular press briefing: “During the days of the truce, the Israeli army will complete its preparation and preparedness for the next stages of the war.”

Israeli officials repeatedly stressed that the truce does not mean a ceasefire, stressing that the war will resume after the end of the four days.

Earlier Friday, Minister Yoav Galant said that the current truce is only a “short and temporary pause,” after which Israel will resume operations with its full military might.

Gallant made the statements to his Italian counterpart, who is visiting Tel Aviv.

Gallant added: "There will be a short pause and then we will continue operations with full military force. We will not stop until we achieve our goals: destroying Hamas and returning the hostages from Gaza to Israel. There are 240 hostages, and this is something we cannot accept or tolerate."

Netanyahu is looking for an ambiguous victory... and the army supports him to restore its image

Despite the announcement by the cabinet leading the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that it had drawn up a plan for the deployment of forces during the truce and a plan to resume the war after its end, and statements by Netanyahu, Minister Yoav Galant, and State Minister Benny Gantz, insisting on resuming the war “until If the truce lasts ten days.” Many voices have begun to rise, warning against a long war and that the goal is to serve personal, not national, interests. These voices demand that a way to stop the war be found.

Strategic affairs analyst at Haaretz newspaper, Amir Oren, said that after about 50 days of war, only 10 percent of Hamas’ fighting force had been destroyed, no collapse of the movement had been diagnosed, and no group of hostages had been liberated in an operation and also no prominent figure in the first echelon of the Hamas leadership was killed. The analyst stressed that the Gaza war is considered one of the longest wars and was in vain. “The 1956 Sinai War lasted less than a week, while the 1967 war lasted only six days, and the October 1973 war did not complete three weeks. In total, these three major wars took Five weeks, while the 2023 war in Gaza can today be called a six-week war, and if Netanyahu does not achieve his demands for it, it may become a six-month war, or perhaps 12 months.

Prolonging the war

Channel 13 television political commentator Rafif Drucker wrote that a senior minister in the Security Ministerial Council told him that Netanyahu is trying to prolong the war as much as possible. Because this is in line with his interest, indicating that Netanyahu in the Gaza war is a different Netanyahu than the one we know, who is afraid of military risks. He is forced to defeat Hamas militarily, regardless of how much time it takes, and the more time it takes, the more he can express his astonishment at the preoccupation of some with internal politics at a time when “our soldiers in Gaza are fighting.”

Drucker believes that Netanyahu's interest may coincide with the interest of the Israeli army, which cannot be satisfied with anything less than a complete defeat of Hamas after the great failure it suffered on October 7. He says that this coincidence of interests may lead to the continuation of the war for many months, during which the residents of the “Gaza envelope” will not be able to return to their homes, while the state will be left with a large economic deficit. Because Israel is not built for a long war of attrition, extending over its entire area.

Netanyahu's survival campaign

Uri Misgav, a journalist, university lecturer and leader of the protest demonstrations, wrote in Haaretz that Netanyahu is now in a campaign, but it is not an election campaign. Because he has no real possibility of winning the elections. On the contrary, this is a survival campaign aimed at preventing the holding of elections and prolonging his hold on power. Misgav said: “The public relations film that was filmed at the military base (Aleichem), like in every of his appearances, Netanyahu repeated his only message, which is... We will not stop the fighting. For him, the war must continue forever; therefore, to the surprise of the Americans and other parties that support Israel, clear and realistic goals were not set for it, no strategy for withdrawal was formulated, and the next day was not discussed.”

Misgav said, “The statements of Minister Gallant and the army’s senior leadership that the fighting will continue for a year serve Netanyahu’s benefit, and in all cases they require strategic and public discussion.” It must be clarified if Israel is built for a year-long war, and what this means for hundreds of thousands in reserve, and for those who go on leave without pay, and what impact this will have on the unemployed, the market and the economy, and those evacuated from the south and north.

He asked: “Again, what is the goal?” What is the practical explanation for destroying Hamas' authority and removing the threat from the Gaza Strip? What are the plans for the next day? This is how sound and rational countries behave, and not like the one that was kidnapped by a hysterical family” (meaning the Netanyahu family). There is also the issue of the dead.

The number of Israeli deaths must be revealed

Misgav said that he conducted an examination that showed that since October 9, 101 soldiers had fallen on the southern and northern fronts. Since the beginning of the ground operation on October 31, 77 soldiers have been killed in the south and north. He added: “This number, which will increase, must also be before the eyes of all Israelis, regardless of their position on the importance of the ground operation and the need to resume it after the completion of the kidnapped deal. The continuation of the war prevents the resumption of Netanyahu’s trial, the formation of an official investigation committee, and the exit of Gantz and his friends from the broad and stable coalition they formed for the war. 

The war prevents the expected resignation of the senior security apparatus, which will leave it exposed, the return of reserve soldiers home and the joining of many of them in a huge protest the likes of which Israel has never seen. Keep this in your minds: As long as it concerns Netanyahu, this war will never end.

In the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Tzipi Chmilovitz, a correspondent in Washington, wrote that the deal to free the hostages came after long pressure from the Biden administration, and that the pressure became more and more intense as the political price the president paid for his support for Israel became clearer. Images from Gaza dominate the American media, and polls show that Biden is rapidly losing the support of his Democratic base as he enters a critical election year. Although Biden does not back down from his full support for Israel, gaps have arisen between him and Netanyahu. Biden has held 13 conversations with Netanyahu since October 7, visited him in Israel and embraced him warmly, but today he is shifting to constantly urging him to rein in his bombing in Gaza. 

Although Biden and his aides have said time and again that they are not telling Israel how to respond to the massacre, a number of senior American officials have indicated that they “will not be disappointed” if the truce turns into a more permanent ceasefire. More than that, officials in the White House told the New York Times that Biden hopes that the release of the hostages will be the beginning of progress towards a two-state solution.

Announcing victory

Journalist Yossi Klein also wrote, sarcastically, “This government is ready for the next day.” Netanyahu wants to announce victory. He does not care about the polls and disgust, as he has developed the skin of a crocodile on his body. And he will go until the end, until victory, until we become like Ukraine. We have been kidnapped by those who believe that victory will forgive their negligence and shortcomings. What is victory? His answers are ambiguous. Let him guess, he doesn't know himself. In any case, his victory is not our victory, as the goal of the war from his perspective is to liberate the kidnapped people. The goal of his war is that he has no idea except to provide tranquility for the settlements. Temporary calm. Hamas will die and another organization will rise, with another name and another leader, but with similar goals. In the meantime, we bury our heads in the sand, close our eyes, postpone the required conclusions until the next day, and ignore what is happening in the regions. “We are quick to forget the massacre and the kidnapped people as well.”

Klein also accuses the army of being a partner in interest with Netanyahu this time; “He does not forgive himself for failure and searches for a victory that will restore his standing, at any cost and no matter how long it takes. He relies on the model of the Yom Kippur War (October 1973): defeat, recovery, and then victory that forgets defeat. What will we do with the two million people who are not from Hamas? Are we going to drown them in the sea, declare that there is no solution and no one to talk to, and wait patiently for next October 7? Another government would have sought as short a war as possible and returned to the routine of life. Not the current government. The duration of a war depends on its goals, and when the goal is political survival or victory, the war can last forever.

Source: Arab48

Those close to Netanyahu estimate that Hamas will seek to turn the truce into a permanent ceasefire, in parallel with international pressure on Israel to stop the war, and they call on Netanyahu to step down from political life before the demonstrations against him begin.

“Pessimistic” estimates prevail in circles close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the possibility of returning to a large ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, after the implementation of the prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, which will include a truce in the war on Gaza, according to what the Maariv newspaper reported. " 

The truce entered into force this morning, and the first round of prisoner exchange will be carried out at four o'clock this evening. The Israeli prison authorities removed the 24 female Palestinian prisoners from Damon Prison, and the minor prisoners from Megiddo Prison, and transferred them to Ofer Prison, where they will be released to the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

Despite the offensive statements made by Netanyahu and other officials at the political level, such as Minister Yoav Galant, as well as at the military level, estimates in closed deliberations are that in parallel with the implementation of the prisoner exchange and truce agreement, the Hamas movement will make a great effort to prolong the duration of the truce, scheduled for four days, and transformed it into a “permanent ceasefire,” according to the newspaper.

Israeli estimates, according to the newspaper, indicate that Hamas will launch an intensive media campaign, through international media, especially American, that will be invited to the Gaza Strip during the truce. Following the shocking scenes of what happened to the Gaza Strip, which will be reported by the media, Israel will be subject to mounting international pressure demanding that it end the war on Gaza.

The newspaper added that it is possible for the United States to join the demands for a long ceasefire and to begin international contacts in order to reach a political settlement regarding the status of the Gaza Strip.

The newspaper continued that, according to estimates by those close to Netanyahu, in such a scenario, the “National Camp” party led by Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, members of the war cabinet, will withdraw from the government, and in parallel, activists will begin protests against the plan to weaken the judiciary, organizing demonstrations calling on Netanyahu to resign. 

Those close to Netanyahu believe, according to the newspaper, that the possibility available to Netanyahu in such a scenario is to announce, before the demonstrations begin, his intention to resign and retire from political life at the end of a “political process for a regional settlement.”

Those close to them added that in this case, internal elections will be held in the Likud Party, and the winning candidate in these elections will form a government without announcing the date of the next general elections.

The newspaper indicated that in this context, the possibility of reaching a prosecution deal between Netanyahu and the Public Prosecution regarding his trial for serious corruption violations was also discussed once again.

The newspaper pointed out that such a plea deal was proposed two years ago, but it did not come into effect because of the stigma that would be attached to Netanyahu, or because of his removal from political life for a period ranging between five and seven years. If Netanyahu announces the end of his political career, the stigma will not be taken into account.

The newspaper quoted those close to Netanyahu as saying that the talk was about studying the possibility of Netanyahu stepping down and not about a decision on Netanyahu’s part. They added, "The future of the deal with Hamas and the war in Gaza will affect decision-making. Netanyahu will decide according to the developments and the public-political situation that will arise."

In a comment from Netanyahu, Netanyahu said that the newspaper’s report “has no basis.” Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated his clarification that the war will not stop. Prime Minister Netanyahu is focused on completing all the goals of the war until its end: eliminating Hamas, returning our abductees, and establishing a reality that does not threaten the State of Israel.

Source: Arab48

39 Palestinian prisoners, women and children, enjoyed freedom after their release from Israeli prisons, as part of the first batch of the exchange deal concluded between Israel and Hamas, which included the release of 13 Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip earlier.

Buses arrived at the municipality of Beitunia in preparation for receiving the prisoners, after crews from the Red Cross arrived at the prison in order to complete the transfer of the prisoners.

On Friday evening, the Israeli occupation released 39 detainees, including 24 women and 15 children, at the “Ofer” military prison, which is located on citizens’ lands in the town of Beitunia, west of Ramallah, and from the “Al-Maskobiyya” detention center in occupied Jerusalem.

The Israeli forces suppressed the families of Palestinian prisoners while they were waiting for their release in front of the Ofer prison, west of Ramallah, as part of the first batch of the prisoner exchange deal between Israel and the Hamas movement.

The Israeli forces also stormed the homes of a number of families of female prisoners who will be released in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, and summoned a number of their family members for investigation.