Israel is preparing to face internal pressure to stop the escalation against the Gaza Strip, represented by demonstrations demanding an end to the war.

According to what was published by the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, Kan, on Saturday, in its account on the “X” platform, the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality “succeeded in reaching a settlement in the Supreme Court, and obtaining police approval to organize the first anti-war demonstration.”

A day before that, the same body announced on “X” that, “For economic reasons, the security authorities are studying the possibility of reducing the number of reserve forces and demobilizing some of them to their homes, so that they can return to their places of work.”

Israel summoned more than 300,000 soldiers from the reserve force to participate in the war, which began after the Hamas attack on Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip on October 7.

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, Israel pays more than $1.3 billion in salaries to these soldiers, in addition to half a billion bonuses, which places a burden on the country’s economy, which began borrowing as a result of the war.

Israeli reserve system

In 1984, the reserve service system was established in Israel, according to which every Israeli, after being released from compulsory service, is obligated to join the reserve forces unless he obtains an exemption.

The reserve system aims to strengthen the army in times of emergency at sea, land and air, and consists of 456 thousand soldiers, that is, double the Israeli soldiers who are in compulsory service.

These units participate in carrying out various security and military operations, and have combat capabilities acquired during service or during annual mandatory training.

Fears that Israel will launch a ground attack on the southern Gaza Strip

Economist Youssef Al-Tabei attributes the rapid impact of the Israeli economy on the call-up of the reserve forces, because this economy is “a machine driven by gears, and if one person goes out of work, it stops completely,” and that “the workforce in Israel is 80 percent of the reserve forces.”

Regarding the impact of the Israeli economy since the start of the battles, Al-Tabei explains to Sky News Arabia:

There are basic sectors that were so severely damaged that Israel tried to bring in workers from abroad, but found that it would pay large salaries.

The agricultural, industrial, oil and tourism sectors, even civil airports and administrative institutions, are now operating at half their strength.

The economy's weekly losses amount to $600 million, and the war in Gaza is apparently continuing and prolonged due to the failure of the Israeli army to achieve its goal so far of eliminating Hamas and returning the hostages.

Otherwise, Israel pays 5 billion shekels (about 1.25 billion dollars) per month in salaries to the reserve forces, and this is another burden on it.

Thinking about reducing the number of reserve soldiers is very logical for Israel, but it will lead to another security and military failure, especially if other fronts flare up, especially with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Likewise, military expert Jamal Al-Rifai expects the Israeli war to continue for months.

Regarding its impact on Israel’s economy regarding armament costs, Al-Rifai adds to Sky News Arabia:

Every week in this war, the Israeli army consumes equipment, weapons and ammunition worth more than a billion dollars.

The price of the least armored vehicle operating in the Israeli army exceeds half a million dollars, and there are tanks whose price exceeds 5 million.

The cost of the missiles that are bombing Gaza exceeds $250,000 each, and the cost of flying each time is about $50,000.

Even the Iron Dome missiles, the price of each missile exceeds 50 thousand dollars (they are intended to repel the missiles that the Palestinian factions continuously fire at Israel).

The economic cost to Israel is high, and Israel will be exposed to an economic disaster if the war extends for months or expands in scope.

Source: Sky news Arabi

The newspaper's sources reported that the Biden administration is concerned about the potential domestic repercussions of full support for Israel, adding that Washington has expressed its frustration to the Israeli government regarding the number of civilian deaths in Gaza.

The relationship between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is witnessing a state of tension, due to their disagreement over the course of the war on Gaza, which has so far resulted in the death of more than 13,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Biden and Netanyahu’s talks have become more tense as Netanyahu continues to reject longer truce periods in Gaza.”

The newspaper quoted American officials as saying that they were concerned about the number of Palestinian casualties and Israel's final plans for Gaza.

According to US officials, the Biden administration is struggling to persuade Netanyahu to prevent escalation as the images coming from Gaza grow in momentum.

The newspaper's sources reported that the Biden administration is concerned about the potential domestic repercussions of full support for Israel, adding that Washington expressed its frustration to the Israeli government regarding the number of civilian deaths in Gaza.

In the context of the aggression against the Palestinian people, the US President directed his senior aides to prepare sanctions against settlers who use Palestinian violence in the occupied West Bank.

Biden directed the preparation of a ban on issuing visas and imposing sanctions on extremist settlers who attack and displace Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an internal document whose contents were reported to the American newspaper Politico.

The government memo calls on senior aides such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to "develop policy options to take swift action against those responsible for violent behavior in the West Bank."

Through this memorandum, the Biden administration aims to show that it supports Palestinian civilians, while strongly defending the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip that has continued since last October 7.

(Arab48)

"China is a good friend and brother of Arab and Islamic countries," Wang said. He added, "We have always firmly defended the legitimate rights and interests of Arab and Islamic countries, and we have always strongly supported the efforts of the Palestinian people to restore their rights and legitimate national interests."

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced before a delegation including foreign ministers of the Palestinian Authority and four Arab and Muslim countries that the international community must take urgent measures to stop the “humanitarian catastrophe” unfolding in Gaza.

"Let us work together to quickly calm the situation in Gaza and restore peace in the Middle East as soon as possible," Wang said in his opening speech in Beijing.

Wang added to the diplomats that "there is a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza," noting that "the situation in Gaza affects all countries around the world and reconsiders the principle of good and evil and the basic principles of humanity."

He stressed that "the international community must act urgently and take effective measures to prevent the spread of this tragedy."

"China is a good friend and brother of the Arab and Islamic countries," Wang said. He added, "We have always firmly defended the legitimate rights and interests of Arab and Islamic countries, and we have always strongly supported the efforts of the Palestinian people to restore their rights and legitimate national interests."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that ministers from Arab and Islamic countries will visit China on Monday and Tuesday. The ministry added that China will discuss with the foreign ministers of those countries ways to promote the need to calm the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, protect civilians, and reach a just settlement of the Palestinian issue.

The delegation includes the Palestinian Foreign Minister and his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Indonesia, in addition to the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning explained in a statement, “During the visit, China will conduct in-depth communication and discussion with the joint delegation of foreign ministers of Arab and Muslim countries regarding pushing for reducing the escalation in the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, protecting civilians, and resolving the Palestinian issue justly.”

The number of dead in Gaza rose to more than 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,500 children, while the Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevy, following an assessment of the situation he conducted yesterday, Saturday, approved plans to continue the ground incursion into Gaza.

The war and the continuous Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip and populated areas and displaced persons resulted in the death of more than 13,000 people, including more than 5,500 children and 3,500 women, while the death toll exceeded more than 30,000 injured, most of whom were children and women, in addition to more than 6,000 missing persons. According to official data issued by the Government Information Office in Gaza and the Ministry of Health.

On Sunday evening, the Israeli army announced the killing of an officer and a soldier - both from the Givati Brigade - in clashes in the northern Gaza Strip, bringing the number of Israeli soldiers and officers killed to 65 since the start of the ground incursion on October 27, after it was announced during the day. 5 others were killed, while 383 soldiers and officers were killed since the start of the war on Gaza and the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle.

Following an assessment of the situation he conducted on Saturday, Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy approved plans to continue the ground incursion into Gaza. The Walla website, citing unnamed military officials, reported that Halevy had approved operational plans to advance by land in the southern Gaza Strip. The report indicated that this is awaited approval by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli aircraft continue their raids on the Gaza Strip for the 44th day, at a time when the occupation army artillery intensified its bombardment of various areas in the Strip, while the Ministry of Health announced the death and injury of dozens in the raids and bombing that targeted populated areas and residential areas on Sunday.

Israeli fighters and artillery targeted several sites in the Gaza Strip, while continuing to target places where civilians gather, including health centers and schools affiliated with UNRWA, while Israeli threats to target the south of the Strip escalate, in conjunction with the interruption of communications, and the lack of extensive information about the targeting locations and numbers. Martyrs and injuries.

This comes as the Washington Post reported that there is information about the existence of a US-brokered agreement between Israel and Hamas that would allow for the release of dozens of women and children held hostage in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a five-day cessation of fighting. The newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying that all parties will stop combat operations for at least five days while some hostages will be released in batches, provided that there will be aerial monitoring to stop the fighting.

The Director General of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, Dr. Azmi Bishara, ruled out the realization of any scenario of displacing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or the West Bank as long as there is a serious rejectionist position from Egypt and Jordan. 

While Bishara considered, during his fourth interview with Al-Arabi TV from the city of Lusail in the State of Qatar, that the resistance had only involved ten percent of its capabilities so far in the fighting, he saw, on the other hand, that the national security of every Arab country requires regimes to take action as it is the correct position today towards Israel and alongside the Palestinians. He expressed his belief that Egypt is not exploiting its influence to break the siege of Gaza, and on another level, he revealed new details related to prisoner exchange negotiations between the resistance and the occupation.

Azmi Bishara: If this lack of Arab position continues, after the end of the war, Israel will feel that it is not obligated to provide anything to the Arabs

Resistance performance

Arab thinker Azmi Bishara said that a small part, perhaps not more than ten percent, of the capabilities of the Palestinian resistance has been involved in the fighting so far, expecting that the ferocity of this resistance will increase when the occupation dares to go down to where it is, that is, “underground” in the tunnels. He believed that Israel's emptying of areas and facilities of their population would backfire, because that would increase the ferocity of the resistance's actions, because "after Israel finishes the easy task, i.e. killing civilians, they begin to face fierce resistance," as happened recently in Al-Rantisi Hospital and major places in northern Gaza that were emptied of its population and resistance activities are currently concentrated there. 

Bishara reiterated his conviction that the Israeli ability to bear losses is not unlimited, but they are able to bear more yet as long as the internal consensus on war still exists and as long as American support is still available. He compared their ability to bear losses between the Gaza Strip and the 2006 Lebanon War. In this country, the ability to bear losses is “limited because there is no Israeli consensus on occupying Lebanon, unlike the case of Gaza.” The resistance’s media performance received a large portion of Bishara’s remarks, who stressed that “people today are more inclined to believe the resistance’s narrative, so they must narrate it in more detail.”

Among what must be dissected, according to the director of the Arab Center, is what happened in detail on the seventh of last October, in reference to the military operation in the settlements. Bishara added, “Given the magnitude of what happened from that day until now, returning to the events of October 7 may seem detailed and perhaps inappropriate, but Israel itself publishing some of what happened on that day provides an appropriate timing for the resistance to present its account” of those events, referring to Until the Hebrew media revealed the number of Israelis who were mistakenly killed by occupation soldiers and were counted among those killed by Palestinians on that “Black Saturday,” according to the Israeli narrative. 

In a context related to the same idea, Bishara explained that some international media organizations are currently trying to save face, such as the BBC and CNN, to correct their promotion of Israeli lies, stressing that “this is a media battle that must be fought relentlessly for the truth.” and expose the lies.

Azmi Bishara: The Palestinian resistance has involved 10% of its capabilities in fighting so far

In response to a question about the Hebrew state not learning from the lessons of history to realize the futility of pressuring the popular environment to abandon resistance, Bishara pointed out that settler colonialism produces concepts similar to the logic of the rulers of Israel that the Palestinians are “human animals,” and this logic “prevents them from thinking rationally.” To realize that the political solution is the only solution with the Palestinians, the true owners of the land.” He pointed out that if they conclude peace with Israel, they will be the ones who made the concession, not Israel. In this context, he concluded, "This Palestinian resistance, which they want to eliminate and do not dare to go underground, would be crazy if they later refused to engage in political dialogue with it."

Azmi Bishara: The Israeli leadership has abandoned those with dual nationalities, and Hamas releases them on its own initiative

Prisoner deal

Bishara stopped at some of the details of the prisoner exchange negotiations between the resistance and the occupation, with Qatari mediation. He first ruled out the existence of the many disagreements that are sometimes reported between Israeli officials in everything related to the war, because the generals draw up the war plan and they go through it and agree on it, which applies to the negotiations. "Prisoners' Deal" They also all agree that the best way to liberate Israeli prisoners and hostages is additional military pressure on Hamas, which he described as "primitive tribal retaliatory destruction" of Palestinian society in order for this to put pressure on Hamas, and this is one of the definitions of terrorism. On this issue, he revealed that the generals still reject the number of days of ceasefire demanded by Hamas, and they still do not believe that Hamas knows where only fifty Israeli civilians are being held in the Gaza Strip. He expressed his hope and expectation that this deal would end “today or tomorrow.” Bishara also revealed that the Israelis abandoned those with dual nationalities and explained that “Hamas” releases these people “on its own initiative.” 

Much evidence led the Arab thinker to reaffirm that the Israeli prisoners “are not a priority for the Netanyahu government,” including that “Hamas” has repeatedly warned them that some of these prisoners will die. Bishara reminded that the failure of Israeli prisoners to give priority to Tel Aviv governments “is not a new matter, and history provides us with many examples of this.” He concluded his response to a question related to the exchange deal negotiations by saying that what is currently being proposed is that “Hamas” is aware of the whereabouts of fifty prisoners and hostages in Gaza, and is offering a ceasefire for a sufficient number of days to gather them in one place and secure their transfer to hand them over to the Israeli authorities in exchange for the release of captive Palestinian children and women. In exchange for the entry of sufficient aid, which exceeds 150 fuel and gas trucks, sufficient to operate vital sectors, “the decision is in the Israeli court to reject or approve it.”

Azmi Bishara: Egypt does not exploit its influence to break the siege of Gaza

Displacement is unlikely

Regarding what is said about the displacement plans, starting from the people of Gaza and ending with the West Bank, Bishara described this possibility as “difficult” because it “will not happen without the region allowing it, mainly Egypt and later Jordan,” even if he does not diminish the danger of what he is thinking about. Some Israelis are obsessed with reducing the population of Gaza. But it is likely that the real goal behind the extreme Israeli crime is to restore the prestige of deterrence that they lost on October 7 and to eliminate Hamas, not displacement. Israeli society, in Bishara’s words, “acts during crises like a tribe that unites in a primitive form of revenge in order to teach the other party a lesson.” . Regarding what is happening in the West Bank with the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes, Bishara explained that the settlers there are trying to exploit what is happening in Gaza to blackmail residents who covet their agricultural lands and to displace them, “and this has drawn the world’s attention.” But he asserted that "the displacement of the people of the West Bank to Jordan is a difficult issue, and the Arabs, Egypt and Jordan, can thwart the displacement plans."

Azmi Bishara: The displacement of the people of Gaza and the West Bank will not happen without Egypt and Jordan allowing it

Egypt and breaking the siege

Moving on to his assessment of the Egyptian behavior towards the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, Bishara summarized the situation by saying: “As long as a large country like Egypt waits for permission from the other party to bring in or take out wounded and aid, it is not exploiting all of its influence as the largest Arab country is expected to "Do more than today." In this context, he recalled that “no one in Gaza wants any problem with Egypt, their only Arab neighbor.” Among Egypt’s strengths, in Bishara’s opinion, is that “both Israel and America need it and will not open a war against it” if it decides to bring in the trucks by its own sovereign decision, without forgetting that Egypt is supported by a pledge from 58 countries (Arab and Muslim), in reference to the decisions of the 11 summit of  joint Arab-Islamic conference in Riyadh. This is on the humanitarian side, but politically, Bishara repeated what he had previously said in his previous interviews with Al-Arabi TV, that “what is happening in the Gaza Strip requires an Arab position that includes steps that Israel takes seriously, such as severing relations and other strategic matters.”

In exchange for what is required in the Arab world, Bishara stopped at the fact that some Arab countries prevent the raising of the Palestinian flag, which does not even happen in Israel, and prevent any demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinians. While he reviewed the justification of some Arab countries regarding taking a negative position towards the Palestinian issue, that it is related to relations with America and the unwillingness to quarrel with the Western position, Bishara warned that “what the Arab rulers must understand is that their interest and the interest of the national security of their countries require them to take position against Israel.” 

Azmi Bishara: People today are more inclined to believe the narrative of the resistance, so they must tell it in more detail

America and the renewed Palestinian Authority

In his fourth interview with Al-Arabi TV since the start of the aggression on Gaza, Bishara insisted that there is no serious dispute between America and Israel so far. He acknowledged the existence of what he called “detailed differences,” such as the extent to which Israel could reach in its war, but he described all of this as “requests and wishes without condemnation or position,” as evidenced by what was stated in an article by US President Joe Biden in the Washington Post newspaper a few days ago. He described the American talk about “renewing the Palestinian leadership” to rule Gaza one day as falling within the framework of “promising something new,” as if the problem in Palestine lay in changing the leadership in the West Bank and not the occupation, aggression, and settlement. Bishara mocked the fact that Biden and Israel see that President Mahmoud Abbas is extremist on some positions (the borders of June 4 and Jerusalem) and want him to make more concessions. He warned that Biden is talking about the two-state solution “in the context of personal opinion” and not as a binding American policy, so “all the chatter today about the two-state solution is selling cheap talk because the topic today is nothing other than stopping the war on Gaza,” in the words of Arab thinker Azmi Bishara. 

He noted that “even this non-binding statement is not approved by Israel because it would prefer to have a militia ruling the Gaza Strip instead of having a single authority ruling the West Bank and Gaza.” Bishara pointed out, "If this Arab lack of position regarding what is happening continues, after the end of the war, Israel will feel that it is not obligated to provide anything at all to the Arabs." 

In Bishara’s opinion, the behavior of the Palestinian Authority makes it appear as if it is its own enemy, even though it knows the extent of the Israeli conspiracy against it and that its turn is coming. In this context, Bishara asked: “Is it reasonable that the first contact the authority makes with the Hamas movement takes place 40 days after the start of the aggression?” Bishara listed examples of what he called the poor positions of the authority, including the fact that its representatives and institutions have not yet gone to the Rafah crossing as part of pressure to open it.

Azmi Bishara: Biden talks about the two-state solution within the framework of personal opinion and not as a serious policy

Hospital syndrome

On the 44th day of the aggression, Bishara concluded that the occupation had what could be called the “hospital syndrome” in bombing them and killing patients until they were evacuated, and this is unprecedented in the brutality of targeting hospitals. He repeated his reminder of the severity of the Israeli lies that were exposed regarding tunnels and military equipment in hospitals, but added that “even if there were fighters in the hospitals, which has not been proven true, it is forbidden to bomb hospitals.” He concluded by saying that the scandal of targeting health facilities is “a scandal committed by the international community, not just Israel.” 

In conclusion, Bishara remained adamant that “as long as there is an American green light and an Israeli consensus on war and the absence of any serious Arab steps, we must expect the worst.”

Source: Al Araby Aljadeed

On Sunday evening, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Qaffin, north of Tulkarm.

According to local sources, Israeli forces stormed the town and roamed its streets and neighborhoods, and confrontations broke out in the area during which heavy bullets and poison gas bombs were fired, but no injuries were reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “the number of civilian casualties is very large” in the Gaza Strip, reminding him of “the absolute necessity of distinguishing between militants and the population,” the Elysee Palace announced on Sunday.

Macron also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, assuring him that he “condemns acts of violence against Palestinian civilians” in the occupied West Bank, according to the French presidency.

It is noteworthy that the office of French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that France will send more medical supplies and a second medical ship to the Gaza Strip.

The office added, in a statement, that France will send a plane carrying more than 10 tons of medical supplies this week, and will also contribute to sending medical aid from the European Union on November 23 and 30.

France is currently preparing a second ship to work as a hospital, which is the Dixmude helicopter carrier, which will arrive in Egypt within the coming days.

France has already sent its first French helicopter carriers to the region, with about 60 beds and two operating areas.

The League of Arab States affirmed the right of the Palestinian child to a free and dignified life on his land, and to live a safe and reassured life away from all causes of fear, asylum and displacement, and away from all forms of violence.

It called on the international community to assume its full responsibilities towards protecting Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip, and to sound the alarm to protect them by obligating the Israeli occupation forces to adopt decisions and laws that guarantee the protection of children.

An American public opinion poll showed that the popularity of US President Joe Biden declined in light of his administration's handling of the Israeli war on Gaza, in a remarkable change in the pattern of American voters' voting, as it was not common for the American political scene to be affected by foreign policy.

An American public opinion poll showed, on Sunday, that the popularity of Democratic President Joe Biden has fallen to its lowest level since he assumed the presidency, in light of the objection of large segments of voters to his foreign policy, especially with regard to his handling of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

The poll conducted by the American network NBC News showed that the former US president and the Republican candidate with the greatest chance of competing for the position of president in the upcoming elections, Donald Trump, was ahead of Biden, with the former receiving 46% support compared to 44% for Biden.

What is striking about the poll is that it shows an “unprecedented” impact of American foreign affairs and policy on the American political scene, due to the way Americans view the Biden administration’s path to the conflict in the Middle East and the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, especially among young Democrats.

The erosion of Biden's popularity is highlighted among Democrats, most of whom believe that Israel "went too far" in its military operations in Gaza, especially among voters between the ages of 18 and 34, as 70% of them rejected the Biden administration's handling of the war in Gaza.

According to the poll, 40% of registered voters are satisfied with Biden's job performance, while 57% disapprove, marking the lowest level of satisfaction with Biden's performance ever (and highest level of disapproval ever) in the poll since he became president; 62% of Americans said they disapprove Biden's handling of foreign policy (30% of Democrats).

However, what stands out in the new poll is the shift among voters between the ages of 18 and 34. In September, 46% of this segment said they supported Biden's job performance, and Biden's support among this segment dropped to 31% in the current poll.

Only 34% of the total voters support Biden’s handling of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, compared to 56% who say they do not support the Biden administration’s handling of the war. In a partisan breakdown, the poll showed that only 51% of Democrats approve Biden’s handling of the war, compared to the majority of independents (59%) and Republicans (69%) who say they do not agree with that.

The poll found that a majority of American voters (47%) believe that Israel is defending its interests in the war, and that its military operations in Gaza are justified. In contrast, 30% believe that Israeli military operations have gone beyond the limit and are unjustified. Another 21% say they do not know enough to express their opinion on this issue.

Among Democratic voters, 51% believe that Israel has gone too far in its war on Gaza, compared to 27% who say that Israeli military actions are justified. While a majority of voters (55%) support US military aid to Israel, nearly half of Democrats (49%) say they oppose such aid.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said on Sunday that “the killing of such a large number of people in schools in the Gaza Strip contravenes measures to protect civilians under international law.”

This came in press statements published on the United Nations website.

Turk added, "The horrific events of the past 48 hours in Gaza are unbelievable."

He explained that "the killing of this large number of people in schools, which were turned into shelters in Gaza, contradicts measures to protect civilians, in accordance with international law."

The UN Human Rights Commissioner noted that the pain, terror and fear etched on the faces of children, women and men in Gaza are “too great to bear.”

Turk urged the international community to "defuse the powder keg in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories."

He stressed that "Israeli military operations are still continuing inside and around Al-Shifa Hospital, and United Nations colleagues visited the site on Saturday, and saw with their own eyes what they described as a death zone."

At dawn on Wednesday, the Israeli army stormed the Al-Shifa complex after besieging it for days, which included civilians displaced from their homes as a result of the continuous Israeli bombing in the area.

He concluded his speech by saying, "Humanity must come first, and there is an urgent need for a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, and for reasons related to human rights. Now."

The head of the burns department at Al-Shifa Complex in Gaza, Dr. Ahmed Mufid Al-Makhalati, said that the situation is tragic and getting worse in the complex, pointing out that the Israeli army is using patients as human shields.

Al-Makhalati added: We are 15 members of the medical team and we have 260 patients still in the hospital.

He pointed out that two patients were lost in intensive care, and the complex is no longer fit to provide care.

Al-Makhalati continued: We cannot reach the laboratories, and for 8 days neither food nor water has entered, and the radiology department has been destroyed.

He explained that the occupation is delaying emptying the hospital and deliberately buying time.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory said that Israel has turned its horrific war on the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for 44 days, into killing Palestinian journalists by systematically targeting them and their workplaces, in an effort to impose a real and comprehensive media blackout on the entire Strip.

The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory documented the killing of 59 journalists as of today, Sunday, November 19, in addition to the injury of dozens, representing the largest bloody toll of journalist casualties during wars and conflicts in modern history.

The Observatory drew attention to the fact that the journalist victims are from almost all media groups working in the Gaza Strip, as they include a correspondent for the official Palestine TV, employees of the official Palestinian News Agency, and others working for local media outlets, international or civil institutions, or those who are active independently.

The escalation in targeting journalists was accompanied by public incitement against them by Israeli ministers and officials through the publication of reports that attempted to cast doubt on the integrity of some of them, by claiming that they had advance knowledge of the attack launched by Palestinian fighters on southern Israel on October 7, in unproven accusations that lack any logical evidence. .

The former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and representative of the ruling Likud Party, Danny Danon, had publicly called for the killing of all participants in the October 7 attack, adding photojournalists to the list.

Euro-Med highlighted that Israel deliberately did not leave any safe place for journalists in the Gaza Strip, and targeted them while they were working while wearing their own jackets in the field, and in press tents set up near hospitals to facilitate media coverage, or even if they were with their families in their homes that were destroyed above their heads.

In parallel, Israeli air and artillery attacks targeted at least 117 press headquarters, which were completely or partially destroyed, while the broadcasting system of the vast majority of the 24 radio stations in the Gaza Strip was disrupted as a result of Israel’s raids or because it prevented the entry of fuel into the Strip.

In addition, Israel intended to restrict satellite channels operating in the Palestinian territories due to their press coverage, such as stopping the work of the Al-Mayadeen Media Network in Palestine, and threatening the Al-Jazeera Network with the same fate.

Euro-Med said that it received identical testimonies from journalists expressing their fear that the media equipment they received from international bodies through Israel may include spying and location identification devices, which may have contributed to their targeting operations during the war.

Euro-Med confirmed that targeting journalists falls within war crimes and violates international law, as well as UN Security Council Resolutions 2222/2015 and 1738/2006, which condemn international attacks on journalists and media workers in situations of armed conflict.

Also, Article 79 of Additional Appendix (Protocol) I to the 1977 Geneva Conventions stressed the necessity of giving special protection to journalists who carry out their work in areas of armed conflict.

Euro-Med called for the opening of an independent international investigation into Israel’s crimes against journalists, especially given its track record of targeting them, whether in the West Bank or during repeated military operations on the Gaza Strip, and to end the reality of impunity that has led over the years to an increase in the frequency of targeting journalists.

Euro-Med reiterated its strong condemnation of the Israeli targeting and indiscriminate killing of journalists in conflict areas to prevent them from only doing their work and reporting news from their locations, calling for quick international measures to lead to holding those involved accountable, and putting an end to the systematic Israeli targeting of journalistic work in the Palestinian territories.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Sunday that he was “deeply shocked” by the death and injury of dozens, including women and children, as a result of the bombing of two UN schools in less than 24 hours in the Gaza Strip.

He added that the victims “were searching for safety in the United Nations buildings.”

He added in a statement, “Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians are seeking shelter in United Nations facilities throughout Gaza due to the intensification of fighting. “I reiterate that the sanctity of United Nations buildings must not be violated.”

He added that the war between Israel and the militants of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which runs in the Gaza Strip, had caused a “shocking and unacceptable number of civilian casualties,” calling again for an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons.

The World Food Program revealed on Sunday that “a small number of trucks are delivering food supplies to families in the Gaza Strip, whose members have been without food for several days.”

The United Nations program wrote, in a blog post on its account on the “X” platform: “Due to the scarcity of available fuel, a small number of trucks can deliver vital food supplies to families in Gaza, whose members have been without food for several days.”

He added: "Our teams are on the ground and supervising the movement of food trucks, but the matter becomes more difficult with today's bad weather and the intensification of the winter cold."

Today, the 44th, the Israeli army is waging a devastating war on Gaza, leaving 12,300 Palestinians dead, including 5,000 children and 3,300 women, in addition to more than 30,000 injured, 75 percent of whom are children and women, amid calls to open an international investigation into the Israeli attacks, and stop Immediate firing for humanitarian reasons.

The spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees (UNRWA), Adnan Abu Hasna, said on Sunday that targeting the agency’s headquarters “was not a mistake as we thought.”

He stressed that what is happening on the ground indicates the opposite of what "Israel" states, that targeting the agency's headquarters was a mistake, expressing that this is not acceptable.

The number of displaced people in UNRWA facilities has reached 914,000, and the agency is barely able to meet 30% of the needs.

He added that UNRWA is keen to provide services, documents everything, and transfers all information to the level that deals with international law, and the priority now is to preserve the lives of civilians.

He pointed out that the number of displaced people in UNRWA facilities reached 914 thousand, and that there are 21 schools in Jabalia camp, and moving in the sector and communicating with the crews is very difficult.

He called for the necessity of a ceasefire, and the opening of a humanitarian corridor and a truce to see the true extent of the damage, and demanded that the occupation adhere to international humanitarian law, "and spare civilians the scourge of war."

He pointed out that UNRWA barely meets 30% of needs, and "the quantities of fuel that entered the Strip are a drop in the ocean."

The war council of the occupation government unanimously approved a joint recommendation to the occupation army and the Shin Bet, to comply with the United States’ request and allow the entry of two diesel tankers daily, to meet the needs of the United Nations to support the water and sanitation infrastructure.

UNRWA is sheltering approximately 780,000 people in more than 150 overcrowded facilities even as basic services have collapsed. The agency said that 102 UNRWA relief workers were killed and 27 were injured in the occupation's aggression against Gaza.

A depression accompanied by a cold air mass hit the Gaza Strip, which in turn caused rain to fall and exacerbated the suffering of hundreds of thousands of residents of the Strip, who were forced to leave their homes and move to tents and schools run by UNRWA, in light of the ongoing Israeli blockade that prevents the entry of basic materials into the Strip.

Partly cloudy weather, cool tending to very cold, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds prevails in the north of the country and the rest of the Palestinian territories, according to the Director General of the Palestinian Meteorological Department, Yousef Abu Asaad.

The suffering of the residents of the Gaza Strip displaced towards the south has become more difficult as a result of their direct exposure to frosty weather without the availability of heavy clothing to protect them from the cold.

Hisham Muhanna, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, appealed to international organizations and countries to provide heavy winter clothes for children and adults alike, especially since the displaced people left their homes more than 40 days ago before the harsh winter season began.

Muhanna stressed that winter clothing is not the only thing that residents of the southern Gaza Strip lack, noting that they also suffer from:

A shortage of winter blankets, and the difficulty of providing them in light of the current conditions that the Gaza Strip is suffering from, especially since there is no place to buy these clothes, no new goods entering Gaza, and no shops opening their doors.

The potentially catastrophic effects of rain on refugee camps and shelter centers are catastrophic, and there are fears that they will be flooded with water, which will make them an unfit place to stay in, which in turn worsens the conditions of the displaced.

Muhanna warned of the possibility of torrential rains and floods in low-lying areas and valleys, as well as high wind speeds, which will worsen the conditions of the displaced.

Politico reported Sunday that Democrats in the House and Senate are discussing setting  conditions for how future military aid would be provided to Israel, according to two party members, one in each chamber.

According to the newspaper, the discussion between major Democrats is in its early stages, and it is not clear whether the talks will develop into legislative action codifying this in Congress. But Senate Democrats said White House officials are aware of the discussions and have been warned that the administration's allies may publicly push for conditions (on weapons exported to Israel) in the near future.

The senator who spoke to the newspaper added that Capitol Hill discussions about restricting humanitarian aid entering Gaza prompted Democrats to hold similar discussions about imposing conditions on military aid to Israel. “This is a conversation I've remarkably never heard before — until now,” the lawmaker said, while the House member, who like others requested anonymity for details of sensitive discussions, said Democrats were "moving toward" pushing for those conditions on future support. .

Senator Bernie Sanders (independent from Vermont) hosted a lunch on Wednesday for Senate Democrats on the war between Israel and Hamas, four people familiar with the gathering said. Shibli Telhami (of Palestinian origins), a professor of political science at the University of Maryland, spoke to lawmakers about these issues and confirmed that the meeting would be held. Three other people said Telhami was a guest alongside Tom Friedman of The New York Times and former Middle East peace negotiator Dennis Ross, neither of whom immediately responded to requests for comment.

“The conditions for military aid have been raised” by some senators, one person said.

After Politico's initial report, Sanders issued a statement calling for restricting US aid to Israel, including by ending what he called "indiscriminate bombing" to allow "a significant pause in military operations" so humanitarian aid can enter Gaza; allowing displaced Gazans to return to their homes; no long-term Israeli occupation or blockade of Gaza; and putting an end to settler violence and expansion in the West Bank; “Commitment to broad peace talks for a two-state solution.”

The lawmakers' talks come as fighting intensifies in Gaza and the civilian death toll rises — an estimated 12,000 dead, according to Gaza health authorities — raising questions among Israel's traditional allies about red lines for aid.

Opinion polls indicate an unchecked erosion of Democratic support for the ongoing Israeli occupation army violations in recent weeks, overriding the doubts and protests that progressives in the Democratic Party have already shown about the US administration's excessive support for Israel. If more moderate Democrats join calls for conditions on aid to Israel, it could complicate President Joe Biden's policy of standing firmly by Israel as it retaliates against Hamas.

Last week, humanitarian organizations said their offices were bombed and their employees were killed as a result of the clashes. Medical facilities are also under siege and suffering from a shortage of life-saving medical supplies.

Earlier this month, in a call to send more humanitarian aid to Gaza, 13 Democratic senators said in a joint statement: “We have been closely monitoring the war in Gaza and believe more must be done to protect civilian lives... The failure to “Provide adequate protection” to non-combat civilians risks a significant escalation of the conflict in the region and seriously harms the prospects for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.

If the talks turn into legislative action, which would increase enormous pressure on the White House, it could force Biden to moderate his excessive support for Israel in its continued bombing of civilians in the Gaza Strip, which would satisfy progressives in Congress who want the U.S. to demand a ceasefire.

According to the newspaper, the Pentagon refused to comment, and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Democrats have not decided how or even whether they will push to impose conditions on military aid to Israel. But both lawmakers said that the current talks revolve around using existing powers such as activating the Leahy Act, which imposes a condition on the surrender of American weapons according to the behavior of the countries that receive these weapons and their commitment not to use them against civilians, and also prohibits sending money to countries where there is reliable information about human rights violations. 

Israel receives about $3.8 billion annually from the United States in exchange for its military and missile defense systems. The Republican-led House of Representatives earlier this month passed a $14.3 billion aid bill that Biden threatened to veto because it did not include funding for Ukraine, among other priorities.

Axios quoted an Israeli source as saying that the Houthis attacked a ship partly owned by an Israeli company and took control of it.

Israeli Channel 12 reported that Tel Aviv was investigating the Houthis’ seizure of an Israeli cargo ship in the Red Sea.

The Walla website quoted an Israeli official as saying that the Houthis attacked a cargo ship partly owned by an Israeli company and without any Israelis on board.

News spread about the hijacking of an Israeli ship called Galaxy Leader by the Houthi group, and Al Arabiya indicated that there were 22 people on board the ship.

This comes a few hours after Yahya Saree, the military spokesman for the Yemeni Houthi group, announced that it would target ships owned or operated by Israeli companies.

He explained in a statement today: Based on religious, national, and moral responsibility, and in view of the brutal Israeli-American aggression that the Gaza Strip is being subjected to, with daily massacres and genocide, and seeking help for our oppressed people in Gaza, Al-Houthi announces that it will target all of the following types of ships:

1- Ships carrying the flag of the Zionist entity

2- Ships operated by Israeli companies

3- Ships owned by Israeli companies

Source: Cairo24+Axios

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned today (Sunday) of an increase in cases of drought and malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a war by Israel since the seventh of last October.

The OCHA office said in a statement, a copy of which was received by Xinhua News Agency, that only 10 percent of the necessary food supplies have entered Gaza since the beginning of the Israeli war, which was accompanied by the imposition of a comprehensive closure on the Strip.

According to the statement, the World Food Program reported an increase in cases of drought and malnutrition, and warned of the risk of famine due to the collapse of the food supply chain and insufficient aid delivery.

He pointed out that in Gaza City and its north, no bakeries have been operated since the seventh of this month, due to the lack of fuel, water, and wheat flour, in addition to the structural damage resulting from Israel’s raids.

The statement explained that wheat flour was no longer available in the markets, and members of the food security sector were unable to provide assistance after access to Gaza City and its north was largely cut off.

The statement monitored evidence of negative coping mechanisms, including skipping or reducing meals and using unsafe and unhealthy methods of starting fires.

With the exception of the three fuel trucks, no humanitarian supplies entered Gaza via Egypt yesterday, Saturday. Since last October 21, 1,139 trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza via Egypt (excluding fuel).

A Palestinian source revealed today (Sunday) two proposals submitted by the State of Qatar to Israel regarding the release of hostages in Gaza through the agreement of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

The source, who requested to remain anonymous, told Xinhua News Agency that the first proposal stipulates the release of 53 children and women, the majority of whom are dual nationals, who are civilian hostages in Gaza in exchange for a three-day ceasefire and the introduction of quantities of fuel into the Strip.

The source added that the second proposal stipulates that Hamas will release 87 hostages, in exchange for the release of Palestinian women and children in Israeli prisons, a five-day ceasefire, and the entry of a larger amount of fuel.

The source added that Hamas is demanding that the deal be implemented in three installments, not all at once, due to the difficult situation on the ground, while Israel insists on releasing all mothers and children detained by Hamas at once.

The source reported that Israel conveyed to Qatar a message stating that it is possible to discuss additional days of calm in exchange for the release of more hostages, but Hamas has not yet decided on this matter.

The source pointed out that one of the obstacles hindering reaching an agreement is related to Hamas’ requirement that military aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft stop flying over the Gaza Strip during the days of the ceasefire so that it can arrange the field details within the framework of the hostage release, which Israel rejects.

This comes as the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, announced last night that it had lost contact with a number of groups charged with protecting Israeli prisoners as a result of its raids on the Gaza Strip, and that the fate of the prisoners is still unknown.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday during a press conference that no agreement has yet been reached with Hamas to release the hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Hamas officials said that Netanyahu is trying to manipulate and delay efforts to reach an agreement.

Israel says that Hamas and other factions have been detaining about 240 people in Gaza, including foreigners, since the attack last October, while the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, say that the number of detainees in Gaza ranges between 200 and 250 people.

The American magazine "Newsweek" published an article stating that at a time when the United States is throwing its weight behind Israel, and at a time when Iran is helping to arm the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Lebanese Hezbollah, some critics say that we are on the verge of a third world war.

But the author of the article, Joseph Epstein - an analyst and researcher specializing in Middle East affairs - disagrees with this opinion, and believes that World War III has already begun.

Washington may be in denial, but Russia, China, and Iran are openly at war with the United States, according to the author of the article.

This is not an all-out war - as Epstein says - but rather a decentralized war with battle fronts that seem unconnected and extending across the continents of the world. It is a war fought by “hybrid” methods, that is, with tanks, planes, disinformation campaigns, political interference and cyberwarfare.

Epstein claims that the strategy of this war blurs the lines between war and peace, combatants and civilians, and “adds to its fog.”

Although there are differences between China, Russia, and Iran on many issues, they are all countries with the same goal, which is “riding their regions of American influence and creating a multipolar global governance system.”

The writer continues, saying that Tehran, Beijing, and Moscow realize that American political and military power is the only force preventing them from imposing their will on their neighbors.

He explains what he means by that, saying that each of the three countries plays a role in this war. China launched an “unprecedented” spying campaign against the United States, and Russia spent billions of dollars broadcasting pro-Russian and anti-Western propaganda campaigns inside and outside its borders.

As for Iran, according to the article, it has a network of armed agents who “spread havoc and destruction” in the Middle East and have been openly attacking American forces.

Gang wars

Iran, Russia, and China have all “conducted or nearly carried out” cyberattacks on critical U.S. infrastructure. These three countries resort - according to the article - to waging different types of guerrilla wars “because they cannot win a direct conflict” with the United States. This is because waging war in this “deceptive” way helps it avoid accountability.

In information warfare, the strategy does not lie in creating divisions, but rather in exploiting and playing on existing ones, according to analyst Epstein, who adds that both China and Russia have continued to establish relations with “extremists” on the left and right based in the West, “hoping to widen the social gap and exacerbate the situation.” Instability".

Officials involved in this type of war use language that appeals to "extremists." The writer gives an example of this with Russian President Vladimir Putin, “who, despite his colonial invasion of Ukraine,” declared himself “the leader of the anti-colonial liberation movement.”

As the war of words continues, so do the armed confrontations. Russia invaded Ukraine. Iran's agents continue to attack the United States and its allies in the region.

Epstein claims that the administration of US President Joe Biden seems happy so far to allow them to “escape this impasse,” noting that after Hamas’ attack on Israel last month, American officials were quick to claim that there is no evidence of Iran’s involvement in the attacks, even though Its agents do not act independently on matters affecting Iran's "geopolitical" strategy.

When it comes to this war, the United States seems indifferent. The American strategy has always revolved around preparing for a major conventional war, adopting a policy of containment, and weak deterrence, as the article put it.

The writer warns that avoiding conflict will only lead to more aggression from the Iran-Russia-China axis. Therefore, if the Biden administration continues on its “ineffective” path, these three countries will become emboldened. If it fails to support Israel or Ukraine, China will likely invade Taiwan.

He concludes by saying that deterrence is a great strategy, but it will only work when the other party realizes that you are serious about implementing your threats.

Source: Newsweek

By Moshe Gorli

In addition to his heavy responsibility for the disaster that occurred on October 7, all the omissions and failures of Benjamin Netanyahu and his government since the outbreak of the war lead to a sharp conclusion: Israel needs a different leadership. now

Because of the conduct towards the evacuees and the families of the abductees without an iota of empathy, he ceased to be the leader of the country. Some are embodied in his personality, some are derived from his politics. Netanyahu is not built to apologize. There is not one ounce of compassion and empathy for the plight of others in his personality. The ability to empathize with pain and suffering does not exist in his range of gestures. His emotional intelligence aspires to zero. When he needed to show human identification, he looked gray, clumsy, unreliable, out of place. The hugs are forced, the words fake.

Since the elections and the coup d'état, Netanyahu has chosen to appear as prime minister of only one party, the party that worships him. Some because of primal sentiments of "father" and "king", and some because of occupational and other interests that involve power. And of course those who owe their livelihood to him in the media. On the other hand, in the eyes of the other part of Israeli society, Netanyahu is the Hashemdai who destroys society and the state and tears them apart in order to promote his personal interests. The criminal defendant who condemned the country to a coup d'état. These schisms and factions serve him well and therefore he cultivates them. Silence is slime for him.

After the Black Sabbath massacre, it becomes clear that a large part of the families of the martyrs and abductees belong to the critical part of Israeli society. That is why he is interested in minimal contact with them. It doesn't suit him to hijack their complaints, and even more so it doesn't suit him to be photographed while they are shouting next to him. He is not their prime minister anyway. The degree of paranoia is so great that he verifies a sterile area from criticism at every meeting. In preparation for a meeting with the families of the abductees, his men made sure to summon Zvika Mor, whose son was kidnapped. Moore is one of the few who is willing to sacrifice his son for the greater good. He will not burden Netanyahu with the demand to "do everything" for the release of the abductees.

And this is the policy of Netanyahu's meetings - to reach only a sympathetic audience. This is why, in meetings with soldiers, the reservists are left out, because the reservists have difficult questions and sadness in their eyes, and the young regulars mostly have a gleam in their eyes and are forbidden to criticize. This is the reason why he will only be interviewed by foreign media or Channel 14. Indirectly, this is also the reason that purged his professional environment of excellent auxiliary power and his government of worthy ministers. Both - his environment and his government - are populated mainly by lack of personalities.

This combination of personality and political elements leads to the conclusion that Netanyahu is not made of the real ingredients of a leader. Maybe a party or sect leader, but not a state leader. Therefore, he does not run the country, but mainly his defense and survival for the day after. He lashes out at the army, the protest, the "refusals" that he identifies with the injured families. He does not want to see them because they are the mirror from which his great failure emerged. Therefore, he will run away from this mirror, and if necessary - he will also break it.

Source: Calcalist

US President Joe Biden sent a memorandum to the State and Finance Ministries to implement sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers who attack and displace Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the American newspaper Politico.

The memorandum, which was issued the day before yesterday, Friday, asks Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, to prepare to take “swift action against those responsible for the violence in the West Bank.”

Politico adds that the memorandum specifies against whom sanctions will be applied, namely people or entities who “participated directly or indirectly in actions or policies that threaten the security or stability of the West Bank,” carry out acts of “intimidation of civilians in the West Bank,” or carry out actions that “constitute human rights violations” and measures that impede, disrupt, or significantly prevent efforts to achieve a two-state solution.”

The memo notes that Biden sees the issue of settler violence as posing a “serious threat” to peace between Israelis and Palestinians and destabilizing the entire Middle East. Yesterday, Saturday, Biden published an opinion article in the Washington Post in which he said, “The United States is prepared to take special steps, including issuing a visa ban against extremists who attack civilians in the West Bank.”

Politico says that it did not see the memo directly, but a senior American official, according to the newspaper's description, read large parts of the memo to it. This official added that the decision to issue the directive came after extensive discussion on this issue.

Politico quotes Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization, that 197 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by settlers or Israeli forces since October 7. United Nations reports indicate that in this same period at least 121 Palestinian families (about 1,150 people, including 452 children) were displaced due to settler violence.

Today, Sunday, the Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian citizen, stole money, and seized agricultural equipment in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.

Local sources said that the occupation forces stormed the center’s community in Musafer Yatta, raided citizens’ homes, took children and women out into the open, searched them, tampered with their contents, and caused severe damage to their contents.

The same sources added that Israeli soldiers stole sums of money and seized agricultural equipment belonging to the Al-Najjar and Abed Rabbo families, before arresting the young man, Muhammad Mahmoud Al-Najjar.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country did not enter the Gaza Strip to hand it over to the Palestinian Authority, recalling that the Israeli forces handed the Strip over to that authority when they withdrew from it in 2005, but the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) expelled them from it through a bloody coup in 2007, according to what was reported by The Jerusalem Post.

Netanyahu's statements came after US President Joe Biden published an article in the Washington Post in which he called for the Gaza Strip to be handed over to the Palestinian Authority after carrying out reforms.

Biden said in his article, "As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank must be reunited under one governance structure, and ultimately under a renewed Palestinian authority, and we all work toward a two-state solution."

Netanyahu said, "The Palestinian Authority in its current form is unable to bear responsibility in Gaza," adding, "After we fought and did all this, how can we hand it over to it?"

He pointed out that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas "has not yet condemned the October 7 massacre that sparked the Gaza war, in which Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took more than 239 hostage."

Netanyahu said, "Abu Mazen, 43 days after the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, refuses to condemn it," adding that there were Palestinian ministers who expressed their happiness at what Hamas did on that day.

In addition, Netanyahu says, “the Palestinian Authority has a policy of paying monthly salaries to terrorists and their families, and it also teaches its children to hate Jews.”

Netanyahu also reiterated that the Israeli army will maintain military control over Gaza after the war, noting that Israel has made clear that it "will not agree to a ceasefire until it expels Hamas, and that it will only agree to a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the return of all hostages."

He repeated his statement that "all Hamas members are dead men, whether they are inside or outside Gaza."

Israel has been continuing its devastating war on Gaza for about a month and a half, and the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced - yesterday, Saturday - that more than 200 Palestinians were killed in a bombing that targeted Al-Fakhoura and Tal Al-Zaatar schools.

The ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip has led to the death of more than 12,000 Palestinians - most of them children and women - and the injury of more than 29,000.

Source: Al Jazeera + Israeli press

Disagreements over a prisoner deal under the terms set by Hamas between Gantz and Eisenkot and between Galant and the army leadership, and Netanyahu is delaying a decision, not only because of pressure from Ben Gvir and Smotrich, but also in anticipation of increasing American pressure following the disintegration of the war cabinet.

A prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, which will be accompanied by a ceasefire, is still being delayed without an agreement on it, and due to disagreements regarding it within the Israeli war cabinet. The debate also continues in Israel over the introduction of diesel fuel into the Gaza Strip to prevent the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Strip, although this situation is currently very disastrous.

Tal Lev Ram, a military analyst in the Maariv newspaper, pointed out today, Sunday, that the Israeli army seeks to have its forces advance towards other parties in Gaza City, at a time when “the army leadership is required to manage the tension between the desire to continue advancing, to the south of Gaza City.” "And progress in negotiations on the release of the kidnapped persons."

He added, "The time that passes is not in Israel's favor and is not compatible with the military achievements (that Israel wants to achieve) against Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, especially in Gaza City." The Israeli army believes, according to Lev Ram and other analysts, that it will be able to resume the war after a ceasefire lasting several days in favor of implementing a prisoner exchange deal if it is agreed upon.

For his part, the military analyst in the newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth", Yossi Yehoshua, adopted the position of the Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant, and the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Herzi Halevy, who claims that in order to improve the terms of the prisoner exchange deal and increase the number of Israeli prisoners to about 80, instead Of the 50 proposed by Hamas, Israel's offensive in the Strip should be intensified and greater pressure should be placed on the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar. However, Yehoshua admitted that “Sinwar is the one who decides in these negotiations.

Yehoshua added that "Israel would have preferred Egypt to mediate" in the exchange deal, and not Qatar, "but the situation is not like that and the stalemate continues." Israeli officials involved in the negotiations were quoted as saying that “Israel will agree to a ceasefire for several days,” and that they were able to convince the Israeli army to agree to this, but through a larger deal in which 100 Israeli prisoners would be released.

Yehoshua added, "It is not clear what interest Sinwar has in agreeing to a big deal. He plays the cards in his possession excellently." He pointed out that "compared to previous battles, it seems clear that the Israeli soldiers are facing saboteurs who do not retreat quickly," and stated that the leadership of the Israeli army's southern region "has not yet received an order to prepare to fight in the Khan Yunis area."

Regarding the debate in Israel over the introduction of two tanks of diesel fuel daily into the Gaza Strip, Yehoshua pointed out that Israeli officials, “from the Prime Minister, through the Minister of Defense, to the Israeli Army Spokesman, including other ministers, climbed to a tall tree and then retreated, as expected.” They stated that Israel will not allow fuel to enter the Gaza Strip. Failure to bring in fuel means that water pumps and sewage disinfection facilities stop working, and hospitals completely stop working.

Disagreements inside the war cabinet

The military analyst in the newspaper "Haaretz", Amos Harel, considered that "Israel's achievements in the war are still related to three other areas, which are the liberation of the kidnapped, targeting the tunnels and assassinating the Hamas leadership. Here, the picture is still mixed despite the Israeli progress. It is currently difficult to Talking about a military solution to the confrontation, even though Hamas’ military capabilities in the northern Gaza Strip have been greatly damaged.”

He added that disagreements prevail in the Israeli war cabinet over a prisoner exchange deal, represented by two members of the “National Camp” bloc, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, saying that “Israel is obligated to take advantage of the opportunity to rescue those who can be rescued among the prisoners, and immediately, because otherwise there will  " a clear danger to their lives."

On the other hand, Galant, Halevy, and leaders in the Israeli army and Shin Bet claim that “it is forbidden to stop now for a truce and the military pressure on Hamas must be intensified, because only in this way will it be possible to make Sinwar make other concessions.” 

Harel continued, "It is clear to both sides in this dispute that Hamas will do everything in its power to buy time, even if the deal is agreed upon. Sinwar appears to be relying on a comprehensive ceasefire in the fighting, and believes that he can buy time by making promises and pretexts about subsequent deals." ".

Harel pointed out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "has not crystallized a final position in this dispute. He is preoccupied with internal political considerations and fears being surrounded by Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich."

He added, "Netanyahu is procrastinating, as usual. The pressures from the right are clear. But for him, there are counter-pressures from the left as well. A continued refusal to reach a deal would be the straw that breaks the back of the flimsy coalition he achieved with Gantz and Eisenkot. And their decision to withdraw from the government" " may very quickly accelerate his collision course with the Biden administration. It is possible that against this background, Netanyahu will agree to soften his position in the end and reach a deal."

Regarding the introduction of fuel into the Gaza Strip, the former head of the Israeli National Security Council, Giora Eiland, said in his weekly article in Yedioth Ahronoth, today, that “Israel is not fighting against a terrorist organization, but rather against the state of Gaza. Hamas has succeeded in obtaining all of its state’s resources, and on the support of most of its residents and on the absolute loyalty of the civil administration to Sinwar’s leadership, and through full support for his ideology. In this concept, Gaza is very similar to Nazi Germany,” noting that Nazi Germany was a strong and rich country and occupied the lands of other countries in Europe, while the Gaza Strip was besieged by Israeli occupation and suffers from extreme poverty and perhaps unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.

He continued, "Israel is therefore prohibited from providing the other side with any ability to prolong its breathing." Eiland added, "The 'poor' Gazan women are all mothers, sisters or women of murderers from Hamas. On the one hand, they are part of the network supporting the movement, and on the other hand they will witness a humanitarian catastrophe. It must be assumed that a portion of Hamas fighters and low-level leaders will start by realizing that war is useless and that it is necessary to prevent irreparable damage to the sons and daughters of their families.”

According to Eiland, “The path to a quicker victory in the war and at a lower price for us requires the collapse of systems on the other side and not the killing of more Hamas fighters. We must not be deterred by the international community’s warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and of difficult epidemics. There are difficult epidemics in the south of the Gaza Strip.” "It will bring victory closer and reduce the number of dead and wounded among the Israeli soldiers. Sinwar will not surrender, but there is no reason for the leaders of the Hamas brigades in the southern Gaza Strip not to surrender when they have no fuel or water, when epidemics reach them, and when the danger increases to them and to the daughters of their family."

He considered that "the Israeli cabinet is required to show much greater toughness vis-à-vis the Americans, and to at least have the ability to say the following: As long as all the kidnapped people are not returned to Israel, do not talk to us about humanitarian aspects."

European Union foreign policy official Josep Borrell stressed today, Sunday, that political investments must be considered, including building a Palestinian state and working to live in peace with the Palestinians and Israel.

This came in a press question during a conference held with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdul Rahman Al Thani in the capital, Doha.

Borrell said that a political settlement must be found regarding what is happening in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the only party capable of managing the Gaza Strip and providing services is the Palestinian Authority, indicating its readiness for that.

He stressed that the Palestinian Authority has never left Gaza by providing services, hospitals, schools, and paying salaries to tens of thousands of employees, with support from the European Union.

He added that the Palestinian Authority will need help, "perhaps in a transitional period there will be a need for the Palestinian Authority to support you. Who should take over in Gaza is the Authority."

Borrell is on a tour in the Middle East that includes Palestine, Israel, Bahrain, and Qatar, and will also head to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

He said that the European Union called for immediate humanitarian action, an end to the suffering of civilians in Gaza, and the adoption of the Malta Project resolution, which the Security Council voted on, but unfortunately this resolution has not been implemented yet.

The Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said on Sunday that the completion of a prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and the Hamas movement depends on “simple” and “logistical” issues.

He added in a joint press conference with the European Union's foreign policy official, Josep Borrell, in Doha, that "the remaining challenges in the negotiations are very simple compared to the bigger challenges, as they are more logistical and practical," pointing out that the prisoner exchange deal "is going through difficulties, but we are more confident." "We are close to people returning to their homes. What is important is that we witness the flow of aid to Gaza."

He stressed that the catastrophe in the Gaza Strip is worsening in light of the international community's inability to end it, pointing to the double standards of many countries regarding the war on Gaza.

He touched on the massacres committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, saying, "We saw targeting of all hospitals in the Strip and the occupation's farcical theatrics. What happened in the Al-Shifa Complex is a crime, and unfortunately we did not hear a voice of condemnation from the international community," stressing the continuation of massacres against civilians without regard to international laws and norms.

The Qatari Prime Minister called on Israel to adhere to the Security Council resolution to stop the war and open humanitarian corridors.

For his part, Borrell said that Qatar plays an essential role in the efforts to release the hostages, expressing his thanks to the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, for these efforts.

He added, "We discussed the issue of hostages held by Hamas, and I call for their unconditional release."

Borrell renewed the call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, calling for immediate, urgent and sustainable humanitarian truces and for more efforts to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza. He pointed out that the two-state solution is the best solution to end the conflict, and that the European Union has been calling for its implementation for thirty years.

He continued, "We do not differentiate between atrocities, and we cannot justify what happened in a school run by UNRWA and the fall of dozens of victims."

Regarding the UN Security Council regarding humanitarian truces in Gaza, Borrell said, “The Council’s decisions are binding and the latest decision must be implemented to protect lives.”

Last Wednesday evening, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution submitted by Malta calling for the implementation of urgent humanitarian truces in the Gaza Strip, with the approval of 12 countries and the abstention of Britain, the United States and Russia from voting.

From yesterday evening until Sunday morning, the Israeli occupation forces arrested at least (70) citizens from the West Bank, including three women and two journalists. The arrest operations were concentrated in the Balata/Nablus camp, and in the Jenin camp, while the rest of the arrests were distributed among the governorates of: Tubas, Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, Jerusalem, and Qalqilya.

The arrest campaign was accompanied by widespread torture, severe beatings, field investigations, and threats against the detainees and their families, which amounted to threats of shooting, in addition to widespread sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes, in addition to arresting citizens as hostages to pressure family members to hand over the property. themselves.

Thus, the total number of arrests after the seventh of last October rises to about (2,920), and this total includes those who were arrested from homes, through military checkpoints, those who were forced to surrender themselves under pressure, those who were held hostage, those who were summoned and arrested later, and those who were arrested for the purpose of field investigation and they were later released.

The continuing arrest campaigns come within the framework of the comprehensive aggression against our people and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, after the seventh of last October, and have included all groups, including children, the elderly, women, and hundreds of former prisoners who spent years in Israeli occupation prisons.

The Washington Post quoted Israeli officials as saying that Tel Aviv expects the ground attack on the Gaza Strip to continue for three months. They attributed this to the fact that its continuation for a longer period would lead to the collapse of the Israeli economy, given the large number of reserve soldiers who were called up to participate in the war on the Strip.

The source added that Israel does not yet have a clear vision of “the next day in Gaza,” that is, after the end of the war. They stated that an intense debate in Israeli decision-making centers has reached a dead end regarding the timing of withdrawing some reserve soldiers and restarting the economy.

The newspaper adds - quoting Israeli officials - that most senior commanders expect to reduce the number of forces and withdraw them within a month or two.

According to the Washington Post, Israeli leaders believe that the war on Gaza has entered a new phase that requires reducing Israeli forces in the Strip and reducing bombing operations as well, which will reduce the number of Palestinian casualties.

Israel summoned a record number of reserve soldiers - 300,000 soldiers - as part of the mobilization for its war on the Gaza Strip, in response to the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on multiple fronts.

Israel has been continuing its devastating war on Gaza for about a month and a half, and the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced - yesterday, Saturday - that more than 200 Palestinians were killed in a bombing that targeted Al-Fakhoura and Tal Al-Zaatar schools.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has led to the death of more than 12,300 Palestinians, most of them children and women, and the injury of more than 29,000 others.

Source: Washington Post