The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the violations of the Israeli occupation and the prison administration and their crimes against Palestinian detainees, by escalating the operations of abuse and targeting of them, violent isolation of them after their arrest, and attempts to harm their dignity and humiliate them in ways that have nothing to do with humanity, law and morals.

The Ministry warned in a statement today, Wednesday, that extremist Minister Itamar Ben Gvir found in his government's vengeful mentality that prevails these days a climate to satisfy his desires to practice the worst forms of abuse, repression, and crimes against detainees.

For its part, the Foreign Ministry asked its embassies and missions in countries around the world to immediately go to the foreign ministries and decision-making and public opinion centers in the host countries, to expose the oppression and killing of detainees subjected to an official Israeli decision.

The Foreign Ministry also provided its embassies with discussion topics detailing all daily forms of torture practiced against detainees, so that the international community, all states, and the relevant international and international organizations, including the International Red Cross and the countries that signed the Geneva Conventions, bear their responsibilities and intervene urgently to provide protection for the detainees.

Today, Wednesday, the American newspaper "The New York Times" quoted statements from leaders of the Hamas movement, who pointed to the reasons and motives for the "Al-Aqsa Flood" attack launched by the movement on the "Gaza envelope" on the 7th of last October, which was followed by the endless war, Israel continues to launch and deepen it, and it has resulted in the death of more than ten thousand Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the vast majority of whom are civilians.

A member of the supreme leadership body of the Hamas movement, Khalil Al-Hayya, said that it was necessary to "change the entire equation and not just the clash. We succeeded in returning the Palestinian issue to the table, and now no one in the region feels calm."

For his part, Hamas's media advisor, Taher Al-Nono, said, "I hope that the state of war with Israel will become permanent on all borders, and that the Arab world will stand with us."

Al-Nono's statements come at a time when Israel and Hezbollah are exchanging limited missile and artillery strikes on the Lebanese border, while the United States has mobilized an important part of its fleet in the region in an attempt to prevent the war from expanding and Iran and Hezbollah joining it on a large scale.

Al-Hayya added, "What can change the equation is a great work," referring to the "Al-Aqsa Flood" attack, and continued, "Without the slightest doubt, it was known that the reaction to this great work would be great."

Al-Hayya considered that "we had to tell people that the Palestinian cause will not die."

Al-Hayya pointed out that "Hamas's goal is not to administer Gaza and provide it with water, electricity, etc." He added, "Hamas, Al-Qassam, and the resistance woke the world from its deep slumber and showed that this issue must remain on the table."

He stressed, "This battle was not because we wanted fuel or workers. It did not seek to improve the situation in Gaza. This battle aims to completely turn the situation around."

The newspaper referred to the tightening Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, since 2007, by quoting statements made by the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, including his statement, in 2011, “They wanted the prison to be a grave for us. A mill to grind our will, our resolve, and our bodies.” ".

Sinwar had said in an interview with an Italian journalist for an Israeli newspaper, in 2018, “I am not saying that I will not fight anymore. I am saying that I do not want war anymore. I want the end of the siege. You walk to the beach at sunset and see all these people.” "Teenagers on the beach talking and wondering what the world across the sea is like. What life is like. I want them free."

Today, Wednesday, Israeli occupation forces prevented farmers in the town of Kafr al-Dik, west of Salfit, from picking olives, forced them to leave their lands, and threatened to seize their agricultural equipment.

Local sources reported that Israeli soldiers stormed the “Al-Khala” area, west of the town, adjacent to the “Beduel” colony, which was built on citizens’ lands. They prevented the farmers from continuing to pick olives, threatened them with seizing their equipment, and forced them to leave the area at gunpoint.

It is noteworthy that the town of Kafr al-Dik, especially the western side of it, is exposed on a daily basis to harassment by occupation soldiers and attacks by settlers, which prevents them from harvesting the olive trees that extend over a number of threatened dunams in the town, as is the case with most of the villages and towns of Salfit Governorate, which suffer from terrorism. Settlers and soldiers and their attacks on olive pickers since the beginning of the season.

In light of the ongoing war between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made a visit to Baghdad - which was not announced in advance - and lasted for one hour, during which he met with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani.

One day after Blinken's quick visit to Baghdad on November 5, 2023, the Iraqi Prime Minister arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and was received by Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, then he met with the Supreme Leader of the Revolution in Iran, Ali Khamenei.

The coincidence of Sudanese going to Iran on November 6, following his meeting with Blinken in Baghdad, raised several questions about whether there was a connection between the two issues, and what the former was carrying in his visit and meeting with the Iranian leadership, and his return to Iraq on the same day after talk about a Gulf tour that he would begin. From Tehran.

On November 5, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) said, “The Prime Minister will begin on Monday (November 6) a regional tour on the developments of events in Gaza,” noting that “he will begin his tour from Tehran and follow it with Gulf capitals.”

Carrying messages

Several speculations were made by Iraqi observers regarding the coincidence of Al-Sudani’s visit the day after he received Blinken, but a private political source confirmed that “the Iraqi Prime Minister is carrying a message to the Iranian leadership, even though his visit to Iran was scheduled before the American Secretary of State arrived in Baghdad.”

The source, declining to reveal his identity, said, “Al-Sudani carried a clear message from the United States to Iran about the need for the latter to control the militias loyal to it and prevent the attacks launched since October 17 on American forces in Iraq and Syria.”

The source suggested that “when Washington learned of Al-Sudani’s visit to Tehran, it sent its foreign minister to send him a message to the Iranian leadership about the necessity of not expanding the circle of war in the region, due to the relations Iraq enjoys with Iran on the one hand, and with America on the other hand.”

But Hussein Allawi, the security advisor to the Prime Minister, denied during a television interview on November 6 that Al-Sudani had carried an American message to Iran.

Allawi said, “Iraq has a path to resolve the crisis in Gaza and stop the Zionist attacks on the Palestinians, so we do not transmit messages, because Iraq is independent.”

Ask for reassurances

For his part, Iraqi political analyst, Ghaleb Al-Daami, said, “The Sudanese visit to Tehran carries several demands, including coordination of positions, especially since the regional and international situation is very confusing, while Iraq is not clear in its policy.”

Al-Daami explained during his statement to the Iraqi newspaper “Al-Alam Al-Jadeed” on November 6, “This comes in light of the tendency of the Iraqi factions (militias) to escalate, with the presence of international positions calling on the Sudanese government to restrain those factions, before Iraq enters with economic and political problems.”

The Iraqi expert believed that “Al-Sudani’s goal in Tehran is to gain its support to put pressure on its friends in Iraq, especially since the factions are influenced and listen to Iran more than they listen to others, as it is linked to the Guardianship of the Jurist. He also wants Iranian reassurances to calm the factions and prevent any escalation from them against the Americans.”

Al-Daami pointed out that Iraq is now counted among the countries of what is known as the “Axis of Resistance,” and that the Prime Minister also wants to visit some Gulf countries in order to clarify the country’s position in its foreign policy.

In the same context, the Iraqi newspaper “Al-Zaman” said on November 6 that Al-Sudani carried a specific message to Iran regarding the need to stop targeting American forces and interests in Iraq, Syria, and the entire region through armed factions loyal to Tehran.”

According to Al-Zaman, several identical sources (whose identity was not revealed) informed it that “there is a special message about the launching of missiles and marches from the Houthis in Yemen towards American naval vessels or targets in southern Israel.”

Aqlam Horra

By Marwan Bishara

The Biden administration is preaching peace to cover up Israeli war crimes in Gaza. 

America’s Middle East diplomacy and Israel’s war on Gaza are two sides of the same coin. Washington’s efforts to shield Israel as it carries out war crimes in Palestine have implicated it in yet another war that threatens to engulf the whole region. 

Since the Israeli army embarked on its bloody assault on Gaza a month ago, the Biden administration has dispatched its foremost naval strike force, including two aircraft carriers, to the Middle East in order to put its detractors on notice and its allies at ease. It has also sent its top diplomat to do Israel’s bidding in Arab capitals and to buy time for its military to “finish the job” in Gaza.

In meetings with Arab officials, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has deflected all criticism of Israel’s war conduct, which has been killing hundreds of Palestinians and injuring thousands each day. He has parroted false official Israeli statements and rejected any discussion of a ceasefire, lending unconditional US support to Israel’s all-out war on Palestine. But as Israel has intensified its bombings of hospitals, schools, mosques and residential buildings, and pushed forward with its land invasion of the densely populated strip, the Biden administration has switched emphasis from talking about the war to talking about future peace.

In his third visit to the region, last week, Blinken failed to contain the fallout from the war on Gaza or defuse the anger and disappointment in Arab capitals. Arab ministers he met with condemned Israel’s war crimes, expressing outrage at the skyrocketing death toll, which has surpassed 10,000 people.

Blinken tried to take the focus away from the war. He tried to convince Arab leaders to stop talking about a ceasefire and start talking about the desired “lasting peace” that follows. But his fanciful promise of peace fell on deaf ears in the Arab capitals, as they refuse to discuss the “day after”, at least in public, before the US agrees to call for an immediate ceasefire.

Blinken enjoyed a better reception at the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) headquarters in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. PA President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed US overtures, agreeing to take over Gaza in the context of a comprehensive post-war peace settlement. This is truly mind-boggling, both in terms of its cynicism and gullibility.

The cynicism is derived from the PA’s collusion with the US-backed genocidal war on Gaza, where some 2.3 million Palestinians are struggling to survive a crippling blockade and heavy bombardment by Israel. Although the PA has condemned Israeli war crimes in Gaza and spearheaded Arab diplomatic efforts at the United Nations, it has also cracked down on all forms of Palestinian protest against the war.

Worse still, as Israel has intensified its military incursions into the occupied West Bank, including the city of Ramallah, arresting thousands, the PA leadership has remained quiet. And as violent Jewish settlers have escalated their attacks on Palestinian villagers, Abbas has been eerily indifferent.

Abbas’s gullibility lies in his blind belief that the Biden administration, which is complicit in the genocide in Gaza, is able and willing to deliver just peace for the Palestinians. If only he could keep the West Bank calm a bit longer, as Israel decimates Gaza – he reckons – he soon could rule over Hamas-free Gaza.

What a farce! The mere idea of the PA getting back into Gaza on the back of Israeli fighter jets and tanks razing it to the ground is so obviously foolish. Abbas & co must be delusional to think that Israel is spending blood and treasure in order to hand over both the West Bank and Gaza to their incompetent regime. In fact, the Israeli government is making no secret of its plans to maintain overall control of the strip, indefinitely. 

If they truly believe that a post-war, victorious Israel will help them establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, I’ve got a bridge in China to sell them. Why on earth would President Joe Biden spend any political capital, no less in an election year, on establishing an independent Palestinian state? If his administration cannot lean on Israel to accept a two-day or even a two-hour humanitarian pause, whether to save lives or save face, how in hell would it convince the Israeli government and society to accept a two-state solution? 

In reality, America will be hard-pressed to find a single Israeli party, let alone a major one, ready to end the illegal settlements and withdraw from the occupied territories in return for peace with the Palestinians. The fascists and fanatics that make up the unity Israeli government and hold the absolute majority of parliament today are thinking of new ways to expel the Palestinians, not to reward them with a state of their own.

The best case scenario, under the current circumstances, would see America pressure Israel to accept a half-state on half of the West Bank administered by the PA, in return for full Arab normalization and a zillion more dollars in US aid. 

On the eve of the US invasion of Iraq some 20 years ago, President George W Bush also proposed a “vision of a two-state solution” and devised, along with the Europeans, an international roadmap to achieve that objective the “day after” the war. And the result? More of the same bloody occupation, illegal settlement and siege, in addition to the forever wars that have wreaked havoc in the region. In truth, thanks to America’s unconditional support, there is no Israeli peace partner to engage with, today or the “day after”. None. Nada. No Israeli de Gaulle to end the occupation, and no Israeli de Klerk to end its racist system of apartheid. 

Only with popular resistance and the direct involvement of the international community as a whole can Israel be forced – as France and South Africa were – to give up its racist colonial project.

The Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" reported that the picture of the battles in the Gaza Strip is more complex than the one that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to portray as achieving a "tremendous success," noting that the size of the tunnels and their complexities are greater than what the Israeli intelligence services knew.

The newspaper added, through an analytical article published by military analyst Amos Harel on Wednesday, based in part on information obtained from army leaders, that part of the successes that Israel is talking about may be the result of Hamas’ attempts to maintain its strength for the next stages of the war.

The writer explained that the intelligence information collected by Israel about Hamas’ tunnels in Gaza does not reflect their true size, extent of development, or complexity, and does not come close to the size of this project on the ground.

Harel believes that an essential part of achieving success depends on the issue of tunnels. “It has gradually become clear to the Israeli army that everything that Israeli intelligence knew about the defense tunnel system dug by Hamas does not come close to the size and complexity of this project, which is perhaps the largest of its kind in the world.” According to intelligence officials in the West and in Israel, the organization’s leadership and military wing have built capabilities that allow them to stay in the tunnels for several months.”

On the other hand, the writer referred to statements by Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant that “Israel has developed new technological capabilities in order to destroy tunnels.”

The picture of war is more complex

Harel quoted officers in the Israeli army, who are leading the battle in Gaza, and from other officials who are managing it in the General Staff, that the picture of the war is more complex than what is portrayed.

However, the writer points out that the leaders in the Israeli army are “satisfied, and even surprised, for the better by the professional level of the ground forces in the second week of the ground incursion into Gaza. They praise the determination and fighting spirit (among the occupation soldiers) and the cooperation between the air force and the intelligence agencies, but still There are questions about the extent of Hamas’ willingness to continue the war now.”

The newspaper recalled that the day before yesterday, Monday, witnessed “a few incidents, given that Israeli army forces are encircling Gaza City and are active on its southern and western outskirts, and yesterday the fighting was more intense.”

Haaretz added: “But there is still the impression that Hamas prefers in some places to keep its members in underground tunnels, and in the face of the large forces of the Israeli army, to send only small groups that focus on firing anti-tank missiles from close range and trying to place explosive devices on tanks.” "And armored personnel carriers. Hamas may want to preserve most of its power this way."

The writer believes that the fact that Hamas refuses at this stage any actual negotiations regarding the release of a large number of Israeli prisoners may also indicate that its leadership does not currently see the situation as critical.

Harel indicated that the past two days witnessed a certain decrease in the volume of rocket firing towards the Tel Aviv area, and this may be due to two reasons, in his opinion: “The difficulty of Hamas launching rockets from the northern Gaza Strip in light of the Israeli army attacks, and the desire to leave enough medium-sized rockets.” "The scope for the next stages of the fighting."

“An idea or ideology cannot be eliminated.”

The writer pointed out that the length of the war with this size of forces may not last long, and that the United States, which supports the Israeli operation to defeat Hamas, is in return pressing for longer humanitarian truces, sending signals that in the near future there will be a need to study changing the form of fighting.

Meanwhile, the Southern Command of the Israeli army wants several more months to complete the operation to strike Hamas, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, and to carefully comb these areas with the aim of striking the resistance and collecting weapons.

Regarding the reality that the Israeli army wants to depict for the day after the war, Harel said that the answers are “unclear” at this stage.

He stated that the prevailing thinking in the army is that it is possible to dismantle the military and organizational power of Hamas, but not eliminate it completely, because an idea or ideology cannot be eliminated.

However, the prevailing idea, according to the author, is that the continuation of intense attacks on Hamas will eventually lead to change, and that the increasing pressure on its formations in the northern Gaza Strip and the loss of its military capabilities, “will enhance a future settlement in which Arab and international powers participate, while removing Hamas from the game.” politics in the Palestinian arena.

The Israeli military analyst believes that the plan is somewhat ambiguous and full of gaps, especially regarding the later stages, “but it at least addresses these questions (about the aftermath of the war). While Netanyahu displeases the Americans, he refuses to talk to them about the desired final conditions.” .

Washington - One month after the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation and the subsequent ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, which has so far resulted in the death of more than 10,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 30,000 others, it is not easy for those who follow American affairs to understand the logic behind the full support from President Joe Biden for this aggression.

With the continued bombing, Israel’s closure and siege of the Gaza Strip, and the complete destruction of the infrastructure and services, including schools, hospitals, and power stations, American public anger increases over President Biden’s position of supporting, without any restrictions or conditions, the Israeli aggression.

In this context, Al Jazeera Net interviewed Ms. Lara Friedman, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP), about Biden’s position and justifications for providing this “blank check” bond to Israel to do whatever it wants with the Gaza Strip and its residents, without regard to any legal, moral or ethical dimensions. Humanity.

Friedman heads the Middle East Peace Foundation, which was founded in 1979 and “works to ensure a just, safe, and peaceful future for Palestinians and Israelis.” Ms. Friedman previously worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and served in diplomatic positions in Jerusalem, Washington, Tunisia, and Beirut. She also previously served as Director of Policy and Government Relations at Americans for Peace Now.

The organization funds programs, projects and initiatives that serve several priorities: The most important of which are: enhancing respect for international law, democratic standards, human rights and dignity in the Israeli-Palestinian context.

As well as "supporting and sustaining the anti-occupation sector, and enabling Palestinians to remain in their homeland," in addition to "working to expand the space for criticism of Israeli policies and procedures, and supporting Palestinian voices, including within universities, in the media, and in public debate." The organization issues a weekly report on Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank.

How do you evaluate Biden's position and policy towards the current crisis?

I believe that the Biden administration's response to the Hamas attacks last October 7 is "understandable, and his position in support of Israel at that time is understandable, correct, and expected after it was subjected to these massive terrorist attacks."

But since then, Biden's position has become very problematic. Supporting Israel does not mean giving it a blank check to do what it wants and however it wants with 2.3 million Palestinians, who are the entire population of the Gaza Strip, and this is exactly what Biden and his administration are doing regarding this crisis.

How do you explain Biden taking this position?

I do not know what is going on inside President Biden's head, but from an analytical standpoint, it appears that he has adopted the Israeli framing that says, we have the right to self-defense, and for them this means that we have an absolute right to do anything, and we do what we see fit to pursue Hamas. In Gaza in this context.

And again, this appears to be what the Biden administration has advocated in this context. Therefore, any civilians killed in Gaza are not Israel's fault, but rather blame Hamas.

Israel says, and Biden agrees, that Hamas started this battle, and that Hamas is using civilians as human shields, or that it is the fault of the civilians themselves for not moving away from the bombing areas in which they are warned not to stay, or that it is the fault of the civilians for not uprooting the Hamas movement before all of this. Therefore, it seems that the Biden administration has adopted the Israeli narrative 100%.

On the other hand, as you know, I think there is a psychological dimension to understanding Biden's position. I mean, the president is fiercely loyal to Israel, and that's proven in word and deed, and that's something he repeats with great pride.

And even there are some Israelis who say that deep devotion to Israel is not synonymous with putting no limits on what Israel can do. Arguably, that is not good for Israel.

There are, of course, Biden's political calculations, and there is enormous pressure, and this comes from Congress, and from various organizations that deal with the Biden administration, and impose enormous pressure to support Israel.

There is enormous pressure to frame any counter-narrative, any narrative that says, Israel is doing something wrong, or Israel should not do something, that makes it synonymous with anti-Israel or “anti-Semitism,” or is accused of supporting Hamas, and these are the political calculations. All of the above is part of Biden’s calculations regarding the events taking place in Gaza.

What does Biden’s adoption of the Israeli framing of the war mean?

The Biden administration's adoption of the Israeli framing results in essentially relieving Israel of any responsibility for what it does on the ground against civilians, and placing all responsibility on Hamas, even if Israel is dropping huge bombs on areas and neighborhoods densely populated with innocent civilians.

What is the most important thing your organization is doing as the aggression on the Gaza Strip continues?

Our organization is a non-profit, not a lobby group, and we are not an advocacy group. We are working and coordinating with a number of non-governmental organizations to continue to support Palestinian organizations and some Israeli organizations, especially in the context of supporting Gaza and the people of Gaza.

Currently, we are working to provide grants to many Palestinian institutions and initiatives so that they can carry out useful service and knowledge activities and projects.

Do you classify what is happening now in Gaza as “ethnic cleansing” or a “war crime”?

I am not an expert in international law, and this is a question that legal experts answer. I know that international lawyers are discussing this, and that there is a whole discussion taking place now about this classification.

But in my opinion, as a political analyst here and an observer of the American position, does what is happening meet the legal definition of genocide? Does what is happening meet the legal definition of war crimes? As a non-lawyer, I think it is.

But, I would say, at this point, arguing about words and terms seems to be a luxury that people outside Gaza have, where we can argue about which words to use.

I'd rather people focus on what's actually happening, whether you want to call it "genocide" or not. The clear intention of many in the Israeli government and in the Israeli army, as they express their intentions, is to erase Palestinian life in all or most parts of the Gaza Strip.

There is a clear intention expressed by many to try to push the Palestinians as much as possible from Gaza to Sinai or beyond. Aside from this intention, look at the actions on the ground. They are killing thousands of civilians, including thousands of children, and they do not seem to stop. Rather, they seem to be accelerating it.

If you don't want to call it ethnic cleansing, that's fine. But let's talk about the fact that there are over a million people who have already been forced to flee their homes, due to the ongoing bombing in the south. These are measures and actions to displace them further and further, and the Israelis do not hide this. They want them to move beyond the borders.

So I feel that the debate about "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide" is important, but for people who want to argue about this, I would say, what's more important is to talk about what's happening on the ground, let's talk about Israeli officials declaring what they're trying to achieve. .

Do you think that the Biden administration has set red lines for the Israelis, whether with regard to the number of casualties or a time limit for military attacks, or has given them a green light?

This is a very important question, and I mean starting from what we've seen so far, the Biden administration hasn't set any red lines. If they have red lines, we will know about it immediately.

The Biden administration may discover at a more serious stage later, and talk about the problem of the absence of any red lines, but so far, Israel has already crossed many of the red lines related to international law, related to international humanitarian law, and the laws of war, and it can be said that the red lines have been crossed. It has surpassed it in the eyes of world public opinion.

I do not know when the Biden administration will say to Israel, “Enough is enough. You have killed sufficient numbers of Palestinians, or wounded huge numbers.” Let us not forget that the effects of all this on the Palestinians are still horrific. I mean the numbers of dead and wounded, and then there are buildings and areas destroyed that will certainly never be rebuilt.

What effect do you think this killing and destruction has on the Israeli army?

It is important to note the impact of what the Israeli army does on combat doctrines around the world. This is the first time that an army can do whatever it wants without any deterrents or limits preventing it from behaving in such a horrific manner.

Yes, this is not the first time that armies and countries have behaved horribly in war, including the United States, look at Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Gaza war brought about a new military combat doctrine, which states that there are no red lines at all. This allows the Israeli government to do all this, at a time when the Biden administration promises that Israel is still a good victim, and that it respects international law.

What do you tell Arab readers about the interactions of the Gaza war within Washington?

Honestly, I don't think I have anything more to say than what I've already said. I mean, Washington's actions, policies, and values speak for themselves in this conflict, and it's very difficult to imagine what the future looks like. The United States has taken equally indefensible actions in the past, such as the invasion of Iraq.

Today, even if the motive is to rally and support solidarity with the incredibly traumatized Israeli people following the attacks of last October 7, and Israel's right to self-defense. But what we are witnessing is much further than that. Even if you believe that Israel's only mission here is to remove Hamas, and if you actually believe that, it is difficult to imagine Israel having a free hand to do anything, literally, for every man, woman and child in the Gaza Strip.

I cannot imagine that this is consistent with the values of America or the values of the Americans who elected Joe Biden. The aggression taking place today against the innocent citizens of the Gaza Strip cannot be explained or justified.

Source: Al Jazeera

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Egyptian counterpart, Lieutenant General Mohamed Zaki, on Tuesday, to discuss efforts to enhance security in the Middle East, following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

Austin expressed his appreciation for Egypt's work to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and the safe evacuation of American citizens from Gaza, according to the US Department of Defense (Pentagon).

The two ministers also discussed the importance of protecting civilians. Austin stressed his support for “Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorism, consistent with international humanitarian law, its focus on deterring state and non-state actors from escalating the conflict, and the readiness of the United States to defend itself from Iranian-sponsored attacks on American personnel.” According to the Pentagon.

In a separate post on the “X” platform, (formerly “Twitter”), Austin said that he confirmed during his call with the Egyptian Minister of Defense: “Our mutual support for the safety of civilians, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.”

US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, stressed on Wednesday the need for Israel not to reoccupy the Gaza Strip, after the end of the war it is currently waging against Hamas.

Blinken stressed to reporters, following a meeting in Tokyo of the foreign ministers of the “G7” countries, that “Gaza must not be reoccupied after the conflict.”

Blinken rejected the idea of forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza at any stage, and said: “There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, neither now nor after the war.” The US Secretary also stressed the need not to “reoccupy Gaza after the end of the conflict or reduce its territory.” He said: “It is clear that Hamas cannot continue to run Gaza, and it is also clear that Israel cannot reoccupy Gaza.”

He continued: “The realistic matter is that we may need a transitional period after the end of the conflict, but it is inevitable that the Palestinian people will be the center of government in Gaza.”

In recent hours, the Israeli army launched several raids on areas in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah continued to bomb Israeli military sites adjacent to the border.

The Israeli military spokesman said that the army bombed "targets" belonging to Hezbollah, including weapons depots and missile launch pads.

Yesterday evening, Tuesday, the Israeli army launched a series of air strikes on several towns and regions in southern Lebanon.

The official Lebanese Information Agency said, "The enemy warplanes launched two raids on the outskirts of the towns of Yater and Kafra in the Bint Jbeil district."

Anadolu Agency reported that one of the raids in the town of Yater hit a 3-storey house, causing major material damage, but no information was received about any casualties.

Israeli aircraft also launched raids targeting the vicinity of the border towns of Naqoura, Alma al-Shaab, and Jabal al-Labouneh in the South Governorate, according to the Lebanese agency.

The same source reported that bombing targeted the Marjayoun Plain and the forests of the town of Shebaa in Nabatieh Governorate (south), without information being received about any casualties.

On Tuesday afternoon, Israeli warplanes flew over the airspace of the capital, Beirut, and its suburbs, according to what the official Lebanese National News Agency announced.

Hezbollah fire

For its part, Hezbollah announced that its fighters targeted Israeli artillery positions in occupied Palestine, in response to the bombing by Israeli forces of one of the resistance points in the Al-Tuffah region in southern Lebanon.

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that "Hezbollah fighters targeted the Israeli site of Barkat Risha, off the southern border of Lebanon." The Israeli military spokesman said that "20 rocket shells fired from Lebanon towards the Israeli side of the border were repelled."

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that "six rockets were intercepted in the occupied Syrian Golan area."

Since the eighth of last October, Israel, on the one hand, and Hezbollah and Palestinian factions in Lebanon, on the other hand, have exchanged intermittent bombardments, leaving dead and wounded on both sides of the border. These confrontations come in the wake of the continued Israeli aggression on Gaza, which led to the death of more than 10 people. Thousands of martyrs and 26 thousand wounded.

6 citizens were injured by live bullets, 3 by shrapnel, in addition to dozens from suffocation, during the Israeli occupation forces’ storming of the city of Bethlehem and besieging a citizen’s home in the slaughterhouse area.

Medical sources in the Red Crescent, Bethlehem branch, reported that 6 citizens were injured by live bullets in the lower extremities, and 3 others by shrapnel. They were taken to a hospital in Bethlehem, where their injuries were described as stable.

According to local sources, a large force of Israeli occupation army, accompanied by a special undercover unit, “Musta’ariboun,” stormed the areas of Hindaza, Al-Saf Street, and the Halal Market, and surrounded the house of former prisoner Hamdi Imad Al-Kamel in the slaughterhouse area, amidst shooting bullets and poison gas bombs.

The arrests were concentrated in the Bethlehem and Hebron governorates, while the rest of the arrests were distributed in the governorates of Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Jerusalem, and Tubas.

Last night, and at dawn on Wednesday, the Israeli occupation forces launched a new arrest campaign in the West Bank, targeting 65 Palestinians, including the wife of a prisoner and the mother of a prisoner from the town of Tal, Nablus district, a girl from the town of Dura, Hebron district, and two journalists from Hebron.

The arrests were concentrated in the governorates of Bethlehem and Hebron, while the rest of the arrests were distributed in the governorates of: Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Jerusalem, and Tubas.

The arrest campaign was accompanied by acts of abuse, severe beatings, and threats against detainees and their families, in addition to widespread sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes. Today at dawn, the occupation bombed the home of the child prisoner, Muhammad Al-Zalbani, from the Shuafat camp, who has been detained since February 2023.

Thus, the total number of arrests after the seventh of last October rose to more than 2,280 cases, and this total includes those who were arrested from homes, through military checkpoints, those who were forced to surrender themselves under pressure, and those who were held hostage.

The ongoing arrest campaigns come within the framework of the comprehensive aggression against the Palestinian people and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, after the seventh of last October.

It is noteworthy that the data related to arrest cases includes those who were kept in detention by the occupation, or those who were later released.

Today, Wednesday, settlers fenced lands in “Wadi Al-Faw” in the northern Jordan Valley.

The official responsible for the Jordan Valley file in Tubas Governorate, Moataz Bisharat, said that the settlers have fenced off additional areas of Wadi al-Faw lands, near Ain al-Hilweh, in the northern Jordan Valley, stressing that this fencing is a continuation of the operations to seize large areas of land months ago.

These days, settlers have seized large areas of pastoral land in the northern Jordan Valley, after fencing it off for years, which has caused a large percentage of Palestinians to lose areas of pastures that provide free food for their livestock.

The truce in the war on Gaza may take place due to American pressure on Israel, and in parallel with attempts to reach a prisoner exchange deal. In the Israeli army, they wonder about “the extent of Hamas’ desire to fight now.”

Israeli analysts indicated today, Wednesday, that the war on Gaza, in its current form, may end in the coming days, due to pressure exerted by the American administration regarding a truce and attempts to reach a prisoner exchange deal, but they considered that the war may resume in a different form, and through local Israeli incursions of the Gaza Strip and assassinations of leaders in the Hamas movement and other factions.

According to Nahum Barnea, a political analyst in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, “The coming days may be the final, decisive stage in the two efforts: the war against Hamas and the American-Qatari attempt to reach a kidnapping deal. After this period, there is doubt as to whether Israel will be able to withstand.” In the face of American pressure regarding a ceasefire, especially if a kidnapped deal is on the table, the clock is ticking.”

Barnea pointed out that “past experiences in Gaza, as well as in Lebanon, indicate that there is no high probability of resuming the ground invasion after a ceasefire agreement. Students (in Israel) will return to schools, residents will return to work, the reconstruction of towns will begin, and the world expects another agenda.” "And the reserve soldiers want to return to their homes, families and jobs. The Israeli army will remain in Gaza and continue to work, but not with the current size of the forces."

He added, "It is important to maintain realistic expectations. It is not certain that the Israeli army will be able to reach (Hamas leader in Gaza) Yahya Sinwar and his colleagues in the current round. Even if they are liquidated, Hamas will not disappear. It is important to remember that we are not alone in this drama, and we need the American administration and are obligated to listen to it.”

According to Barnea, “The votes that Biden is losing in America exacerbate his need for an imminent ceasefire in Gaza. We must realize that Gaza is only one section in the devastation that befell Israel on October 7. The Israeli government is now looking forward to a settlement in a diplomatic way to remove the power of Al-Radwan (in Hezbollah) on the border in the north. Without that, there is doubt whether the residents will return to their towns in the north. We have not yet reached the question of what Hamas will demand in exchange for the return of some of the kidnapped people.

He pointed out, "When Netanyahu and others talk about an ongoing war, they seem to mean not the war that took place in the last month, but rather a war of a different kind: assassinations, local raids, and continuous security operations."

Barnea pointed out, “As long as they talk about continuing the war, Netanyahu can put pressure on him to bear responsibility (for the security and intelligence failure on October 7) along with the government. At the end of the first month of the war, no one in Israel will be able to celebrate a victory. And sometimes the victory is by realizing that there is no victory.”

Military analyst in the newspaper "Haaretz", Amos Harel, also pointed out that "the duration of the war, with the current size of the forces, is not unlimited. The United States, which supports the Israeli operation to defeat Hamas, is in parallel exerting pressure to implement longer humanitarian truces and hints at “In the not-too-distant term, there will be a need to research changing the nature of war.”

He added, "The leadership of the southern region (of the Israeli army) wants many months to complete the military operation, targeting Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip in particular, and carrying out a radical survey in these areas with the aim of targeting terrorists and all weapons."

Harel continued, "The American administration is talking with Israel about the suitability of the form of war later: withdrawing most of the forces from the Gaza Strip and moving to the method of local incursions against Hamas systems, in the northern Gaza Strip and perhaps in other areas as well."

Harel pointed out, "It is not yet clear what reality the Israeli army intends to establish after the war. The belief is that it is possible to dismantle Hamas' military and organizational strength, and not completely eliminate it, because an idea or ideology cannot be destroyed."

He added, "A more complex picture emerges from conversations with Israeli officers who are leading the war in the Gaza Strip and the levels above them. They are satisfied, and even positively surprised, by the level of professionalism of the ground forces, in the second week of the ground invasion in Gaza. But there is still the question about the extent of Hamas' desire to fight now."

Harel continued: “The fact that Hamas refuses at this stage any real negotiations about the broad liberation of the kidnapped people would also indicate that its leadership does not currently see its situation as very dangerous. In the last two days, a decline in the amount of rocket shells launched into the center of the country has become apparent.”

There appears to be a combination of two reasons here: the difficulty Hamas faces by launching from the northern Gaza Strip following the Israeli army attack, and a desire to preserve a sufficient number of medium-range rockets for the next stages of the war.

The Ministry of Labor announced that the cash financial aid payment had begun to be disbursed to approximately 5,200 Gaza Strip workers who were forcibly expelled by the Israeli occupation from their workplaces within the territories of 1948, in light of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip since last October 7, and they were stranded and were received in... Shelter centers in the West Bank.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) provided financial assistance to about 2,500 Gaza workers, worth 700 shekels per worker.

Through PALPAY, the World Bank, through the Government of Norway, provided financial aid to Gaza workers worth 700 shekels for 2,700 workers, which will be disbursed through the Bank of Palestine.

The Ministry thanked the World Bank and UNRWA for their efforts to support Gaza workers affected by the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Japan, the host of the summit, said in a statement that the issue was raised during a working dinner late on Tuesday evening, and that the group continues, today, Wednesday, talks on the crisis between Israel and Gaza, the Ukrainian war in Russia, and issues related to China.

On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries affirmed their support for “truces and humanitarian corridors” in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, without calling for a ceasefire.

The ministers said in a joint statement following a meeting in Tokyo, “We stress the need for emergency action to confront the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza... We support humanitarian truces and corridors in order to facilitate urgently needed assistance, the movement of civilians, and the release of hostages” held by Hamas since its attack on the 7th. Since last October.

G7 foreign ministers discussed how to revitalize peace efforts in the Middle East and the next in the Gaza Strip once the war there subsides, as they met for a two-day summit in Tokyo.

Japan, host of the summit, said in a statement that the issue was raised during a working dinner late on Tuesday evening, and that the group continues, today, Wednesday, talks on the crisis between Israel and Gaza, the Ukrainian war in Russia, and issues related to China.

According to identical diplomatic sources, the foreign ministers of the seven countries - the United States, Japan, France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Canada - are seeking to bridge the gap that divides their countries' positions regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas by launching a joint appeal to establish a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip.

A diplomatic source said that “constructive discussions” took place between the ministers on this issue on the first day of their meeting.

He added that there appears to be "great unity" among the ministers' positions regarding the need to "urgently" increase humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Japan announced today, Wednesday, following talks held in Tokyo by foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries, that the group is “united” in continuing its “strong support” for Ukraine in confronting the Russian invasion of its lands, “even in light of the current international situation,” in a clear reference to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. .

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “As a result of the discussions, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries agreed that the G7 will remain united in its position of imposing tough sanctions on Russia and providing strong support to Ukraine even in light of the current international situation.”

The statement added that the ministers also confirmed that they would continue to impose “tough sanctions” on Moscow, accelerate Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts in the “medium and long term,” and continue “working toward a peace process.”

Ukraine's fears are mounting that its allies' support for it will diminish at a time when its counter-attack, which it has been waging since June, has failed to achieve tangible results and the chances of the current conflict turning into a long war of attrition are increasing.

The statement quoted Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa as saying that despite the war that has been raging for a month between Israel and Hamas, the G7 is keen to inform the international community that its commitment to support Ukraine “will never run out.”

The head of the Energy Authority, Dhafer Melhem, announced that 70% of the electricity transmission and distribution networks had been destroyed due to the continuing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, for the 33rd day in a row, with losses estimated at about 80 million US dollars.

In an interview with Voice of Palestine Radio, Melhem pointed out that the occupation targeted solar cells, which are the only remaining source of energy in Gaza, and whose production does not exceed 5 megawatts.

He stated that about 70% of these cells have been destroyed to date, stressing that Israel has so far refused to bring fuel into the Gaza Strip despite continuous appeals from the international community and donor countries to put pressure on Israel to bring fuel at least for use in reserve generators in hospitals and for pumping, desalination, and water treatment stations. 

He stressed that Israel's prevention of basic services and its attempt to make the Gaza Strip an uninhabitable place is a war crime for which the occupying state must be held accountable.

The Minister of Health, Mai Al-Kaila, issued the final warning of the collapse of the entire health system in the Gaza Strip, after the occupation aircraft targeted the solar cells that were supplying the Strip’s hospitals with little electricity, in addition to the insufficient medical and health supplies that meet the enormous needs of health care centers and hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Gaza.

Al-Kaila said in an interview with Voice of Palestine Radio that medical personnel are paying a heavy price for being on the job, which has been completely exhausted due to the number of successive infections, which amounted to more than 25,000 wounded, while the number of martyrs and wounded among medical and ambulance personnel exceeded hundreds.

Al-Kaila confirmed that there are a number of doctors who work for the International Red Cross, and others in various sectors, and Israel still refuses to allow them to enter the Strip to support doctors in Gaza hospitals, calling on the international community, Arab and Islamic countries, as well as United Nations organizations, to intervene urgently to bring in relief and medical aid and open the door for Humanitarian corridors.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said that friction with the Americans will appear within a few weeks, and that Israel has lost public opinion in Europe, considering this a cause for concern.

In an interview with Politico, Barak said: “The rhetoric of American officials has shifted in recent days with increasing calls to stop the fighting for humanitarian reasons. The sympathy that arose toward Israel has now begun to diminish.”

He believed that "it is clear that we are heading towards friction with the Americans over the attack," stressing that "America cannot dictate to Israel what it should do. But we cannot ignore them," referring to Washington's role as the main guarantor of Israel's security.

He pointed out that "we will have to accept American demands during the next two or three weeks, and perhaps less," adding: "It will take months or even a year to eliminate the Hamas movement, but Western support is weakening due to the number of civilian deaths in Gaza, and fears that it will lead to "The Israeli campaign led to a broader and more disastrous war in the region."

Barak pointed out that “Western countries are also concerned about their citizens among the 242 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza,” and continued, “Listen to the public tone and behind doors it is a little clearer. We are losing public opinion in Europe, and within a week or "In two weeks we will start losing governments in Europe. After another week, friction with the Americans will come to the surface."

He stressed that “Israel is right to raise the ceiling of its goal in the Gaza war. The shock of the attack (Operation Al-Aqsa Flood) was enormous. This was an unprecedented event in our history, and it was immediately clear that a strict response was necessary. Not for the sake of revenge.” "But to make sure it doesn't happen again forever."

He believed that “to change the political landscape, a multinational Arab force could take control of Gaza after the Israeli military campaign,” considering that “it is not at all unlikely that, with the support of the League of Arab States and the Security Council, a multinational Arab force could be mobilized, including some units.” "Tokenism from non-Arab countries. They can stay there for three to six months to help the Palestinian Authority take power properly."

source: Sama News

The grandson of former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill said during a program on LBC Radio: “The pro-Palestinian march planned for the Armistice Day weekend must go ahead.”

Winston Churchill's grandson, Lord Nicholas Soames, said: "Whether you may not agree with their views would be very controversial and difficult, but banning this march would put enormous pressure on the police, so I think it should be allowed to go ahead."

Lord Nicholas Soames' comments come as the Metropolitan Police continues to confirm that, at this moment, the march will be allowed to go ahead on Saturday, as the police have not yet met the "evidence threshold" to ban it.

Lord Nicholas Soames explained that pro-Palestine demonstrators would be in the street to express a profound point of view, and said: “I think it would be a great mistake to introduce politics to prevent the march scheduled to take place next Saturday.”

He added: "The pro-Palestine marches are not hate marches, as the British Home Secretary described them."

It is noteworthy that the London Metropolitan Police are under pressure to ban the march scheduled to be carried out next Saturday, November 11, 2023, because it coincides with Armistice Day, which is a celebratory day on November 11 of each year to commemorate the armistice signed between the Allies in World War I and Kaiser Germany in French Compiègne. 

By Middle East Policy

Netanyahu claims “indefinite” right of Israeli military to secure the territory, imperiling the American vow to revive the moribund peace process; the journal has long provided analysis of this dynamic. If anyone maintained hopes that an Israeli “victory” in Gaza would create a path toward the security of the Jewish state and the sovereignty of the Palestinian people, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought them crashing down with a declaration that his defense forces will maintain security responsibility in the territory for an “indefinite period.” This appears to be another way for Netanyahu to frustrate the two-state solution. The prime minister has long supported Hamas in order to weaken the Palestinian Authority and claim that Israel does not have a partner for peace. 

As Tal Schneider documents in the Times of Israel, at a Likud faction meeting in early 2019, [Netanyahu] was quoted as saying that those who oppose a Palestinian state should support the transfer of funds to Gaza, because maintaining the separation between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza would prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Middle East Policy has covered Netanyahu’s career from before he was first elected prime minister, documenting his attacks on the peace process. Please see below for links to our coverage; you can also search our entire library. Our analyses through the present day provide an understanding of the possibilities for an enduring political solution. 

Netanyahu’s statement that Israel sees the war as indefinite flies in the face of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s claim that “Israel has made it clear it has no intention or desire to...resume control of Gaza.” Like other US officials and analysts, Blinken has promised to focus on the “day after” the war—that is, the moment when a UN, Arab, or even US authority can swoop in, run the territory, and prepare the ground for a two-state solution or at least for an interim Palestinian administration. 

These American dreams appear to rely on an expectation that, on the “day after” the war, Netanyahu will be removed from office and that the Israeli government will owe its US benefactor. This belief that Netanyahu will leave the scene may seem reasonable: As the Biden administration has suggested, “the buck stops on the prime minister’s desk.” In addition, critics in Israel lay some of the blame on Netanyahu for Hamas’s atrocities on October 7. 

The prime minister had allowed the transfer of security forces to protect settlers who are expanding their claims in the West Bank, allegedly leaving Gaza vulnerable. Netanyahu’s diversion of resources away from protecting the Gaza border and his support for Hamas have been backed by far-right figures like Bezalel Smotrich, one of the key hardline members of the governing coalition. Smotrich recently blocked the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and demanded more military protection for Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. One of the many results of such a security zone would be the blocking of Palestinian farmers from the olive harvest. 

These issues—as well as his attempt to overhaul the judicial system—have drastically undercut Netanyahu’s support. Polls show that the prime minister is backed by less than 30 percent of the people and that 80 percent hold him responsible for security failures. And his attempts to shift the blame for the October 7 massacres have led even his staunchest supporters to demand his resignation. 

But many questions remain for US officials and Western analysts who see an opportunity to restart the moribund peace process when the war is “over”: If Israel maintains indefinite security responsibility, will there actually be a “day after”? Should American officials really expect Netanyahu’s days to be numbered if the war never really ends?  Or, if Netanyahu is able to declare victory over Hamas, can they be sure the prime minister will really face a day of reckoning? Will a Prime Minister Benny Gantz be any more open to a lasting political solution? He once boasted of blasting Gaza back “to the stone age.” And what leverage is the United States willing to use to prevent the de facto or actual annexation of the Jordan Valley? The administration claims that despite its rhetorical and monetary support for the Gaza bombardment that it cannot dictate to Israel the terms under which it fights (and Zvi Bar’el believes the Americans are losing patience). 

But should we expect the United States to make political demands on the Israelis “after” the war? Of course, it could take years for Israel to even come close to “winning”—at the expense of unfathomable deaths of civilians, of whom 10,000 are estimated to have been killed in just one month of war. In which case there could literally be no day after.  Understanding Netanyahu’s Obstruction of Palestinian Sovereignty Middle East Policy has been covering the politics of occupation since 1982. 

The first mention of Netanyahu came in the June 1992 issue, in an article by Israel Shahak titled, “Israeli Land Seizure in the Occupied Territories.” Shahak, a Holocaust survivor, argued that Israeli seizures of land had been carried out with the express purpose of preventing an effective Palestinian sovereignty. He quotes Netanyahu’s thinking at that time, one year before the Oslo accords, about West Bank policy: These areas will not be connected one with the other, there will be no central authority linking them, and each area will be surrounded by Israeli military installations, roadblocks and Jewish settlements. 

Four years later, after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was murdered by an Israeli nationalist who sought to undo the peace process (settlers had long opposed his policies, another Middle East Policy analysis from 1992 shows), Netanyahu was elected for the first time. 

In an article on that 1996 contest, “Electoral Upset in Israel,” Guilain Denoeux and Jonathan Fox analyze the electoral processes that put Netanyahu over the top. But they also raise a red flag about the new prime minister’s use of the politics of fear, which has become a hallmark of his appeal: This strategy was most evident during the televised debate between the two candidates [the other was interim Prime Minister Shimon Peres], when Netanyahu used the word “fear” eleven times in fourteen minutes, accused Peres of having put the security of Israeli children in [PLO leader Yasser] Arafat's hands, and stated that every time they board a bus Israelis wonder whether they might become the victims of the next terrorist attack. 

Never, he implied, had the country felt more vulnerable. During his first stint as prime minister, writes Israeli sociologist Lev Grinberg in a 2002 Middle East Policy article, Netanyahu offered Israelis an “openly arrogant discourse” that denied Palestinian control over the resources required for true sovereignty and a path toward statehood: “borders, water, electricity, telephones, ports and airports, movement between the cities, and the Palestinian economy.” Indeed, Grinberg’s analysis applies today if we substitute the Palestinian Authority or its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, for “Arafat”: Arafat was expected to do what the Israeli army had failed to do: restrain Palestinian extremists and provide security to the Israelis. 

However, he wasn’t entitled to protect the security of the Palestinians, still ruled by the Israeli IDF [Israel Defense Forces], or to struggle for independence for his people. Hence, Arafat’s authority was not derived from the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights but rather from Israel’s consent to his presence. 

After losing the position to Ehud Barak in a decisive 1999 vote, Netanyahu retook power in 2009 and has served as prime minister ever since (with a very short interlude before his ascension in late 2022 in coalition with far-right nationalists). A decade ago, Ian Lustick told an audience convened by the Middle East Policy Council that despite the churn in Israeli politics since Netanyahu’s first election and upheavals in the region, including the Arab Spring, there was a surprising continuity. “Virtually nothing has changed to deflect the trajectory of the West Bank and its relationship to Israel as a tightly subordinated, politically impotent, and developmentally stagnant region,” Lustick, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, lamented.  

That brings us to the present. In the Summer 2023 issue of Middle East Policy, Fadi Nahhas explains that the Israeli mainstream rejects the overt annexation of the West Bank preferred by the far right. (Indeed, we are seeing this nationalist project play out during Israel’s onslaught of Gaza, with state-sanctioned land grabs by settlers in the West Bank and more than 100 Palestinians reported killed.) 

But the preferences of the military and the bulk of the Israeli political elite should not be seen as leading toward a two-state settlement.  Even if Netanyahu does not survive, and the far-right government is replaced by more moderate politicians, we should expect a de facto annexation, Nahhas argues. 

Late last night, the occupation forces arrested three workers from the towns of Nazlet Issa and Sidon, north of Tulkarm, after severely beating them.

The Prisoners' Club in Tulkarm said that Israeli forces surprised the workers while they were passing in a vehicle near the apartheid wall separating Baqa al-Gharbiyya, inside the 1948 territories, and the town of Nazlet Issa, and forced them to get out of the vehicle at gunpoint, and severely beat them before arresting them.

He added that the detainees are: Muhammad Mustafa Mahmoud Babiya (35 years old), from Nazlet Issa, Muhammad Hani Ajaj (20 years old), and Mahdi Muwaffaq Ajaj (30 years old), from the town of Sidon.

Social media sites showed a video of Israeli forces shouting at the workers to get out of the vehicle, throwing them to the ground, and beating them.

The US Geological Survey reported that the epicenter of the two earthquakes was located about 340 kilometers south of the Indonesian province of Maluku, and its depth was 10 kilometers.

Two successive earthquakes of magnitude 6.7 and 7.1 struck the Banda Sea area off the coast of Indonesia on Wednesday morning.

According to the Anadolu Agency, the US Geological Survey reported that the epicenter of the two earthquakes was located about 340 kilometers south of the Indonesian province of Maluku, and its depth was 10 kilometers.

According to preliminary information, there were no human or material losses, and no warning was issued about the possibility of tsunami waves following the two earthquakes.

AFP reported that a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Banda Sea off eastern Indonesia, more than 300 km from the coast, according to what the American Institute of Geophysics reported on Wednesday.

The institute explained that the earthquake, which initially declared a magnitude of 6.9, occurred at 11:53 (04.53 GMT) at a depth of 10 km and at a distance of more than 340 km from the nearest point on land, and no warning was issued as a result. From tsunami waves.

Residents of the town of Samulaki in the Tanimbar Islands of Indonesia felt an earthquake from the earthquake, according to the local agency for meteorological, climatic and geophysical monitoring.

Lambart Tatang, who lives in the town, told Agence France-Presse, “The tremor was very strong, but people here did not panic.

We are accustomed to the tremors.” The 41-year-old man added that residents dealt calmly with the earthquake, “especially after we made sure that no tsunami warning was issued, so life is normal now.”

Indonesia is exposed to frequent earthquakes due to its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an area where earthquakes and volcanoes are active in the Pacific Ocean. In November 2022, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck the densely populated province of West Java, killing more than 600 people.

A major earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra on December 26, 2004 caused a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed more than 230,000 people in several countries, including Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.

Analysts and former Israeli military personnel continue the seemingly systematic campaign of incitement against the residents of the Gaza Strip through the Hebrew media, not only accusing them of terrorism, but also describing the completely besieged Strip as a "Nazi state."

While Israeli army is committing what the United Nations and all international organizations say are war crimes against the civilian population, the former head of the Israeli National Security Council, General Giora Eiland, said during a participation on Channel 12 that talk about the presence of innocent citizens in Gaza who must be saved is not realistic, adding that Gaza is “very much a Nazi state.”

Eiland said that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) succeeded in recruiting the entire civilian population and made them support the conflict against Israel, and that every house in Gaza has a tunnel opening leading to the military infrastructure.

Not only that, Eiland accused all hospital and school directors and mayors of being “employees of Hamas,” stressing that all Gazans are making a great effort against Israel, and they are all rallying around the leadership and not against it, as he described it. Regarding the goals of the war, Knesset member Mickey Rosenthal told Channel 13 that the Israelis must remember that the goal is not to destroy every missile and demolish every tunnel in Gaza, but rather to kill the main Hamas leaders and weaken the movement militarily in order to reach a new leadership for the Strip and perhaps negotiate with it.

But Rosenthal said that the matter is not only about changing the leadership of Hamas, but also about changing the leadership of Israel so that there is another Middle East and people feel hopeful. As for Culture Minister Miki Zohar, he said that Israel must maintain its security doctrine in Gaza from all sides so that it prevents the entry of more weapons to the Gaza Strip after Hamas is disarmed and the known land and sea crossings are monitored.

Regarding the frameworks of the ground military operation in Gaza, Yossi Yehoshea - security and military affairs correspondent for the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper - said that a very senior officer in the General Staff told him that the goals they set for the army were high in ambition and that they would achieve them, but it would not take a week or two because the destruction of the armed Hamas' military action requires months, international legitimacy, and economic strength for a long period.

Yehoshua also quoted the senior officer as saying that Israel cannot coexist with 300,000 reserve soldiers on duty with a faltering economy, in addition to hundreds who were evacuated from their homes in the Gaza Strip and on the border with Lebanon, adding, “Therefore, people must understand that it is not a lightning strike that will end the matter quickly".

Regarding the prisoners, Eyal Eshel - the father of the captive soldier Roni - said that there are surveillance cameras present at the site where his daughter was working, but he does not know where the tapes for these cameras went and why the cameras that were in Axis 232 have not been examined yet.  He stressed that he has not received any answers to these questions yet.

Source: Al Jazeera

Member of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Ghazi Hamad, said that the United States’ talk about the movement’s lack of place in the future of the Gaza Strip reflects its failure to achieve any achievement on the ground, and its conviction that Hamas has become a political and military force controlling the course of events.

Hamad added in an interview with Al Jazeera that the United States and Israel are trying to rearrange the situation in Gaza while they have not achieved any achievement on the ground other than killing civilians and destroying hospitals and civilian facilities.

He stressed that Washington and Tel Aviv are losing their reputation, soldiers and vehicles every day in Gaza, and that the prestige that Israel enjoyed has been broken forever and will not return.

Hamad also stressed that arranging the situation in Gaza “is a purely Palestinian matter, and Hamas will be a part of it against their will, because it is part of the national fabric that today stands with the resistance, the right to establish a state, and the rejection of occupation.”

A member of Hamas' political bureau said that "there is no Palestinian party that will cooperate with the Americans in this matter," and that "if they tried to search for some fragile and weak parties, the Palestinians would fail this suspicious plan just as they failed the deal of the century," he said.

Hamad explained that he is not talking about the Hamas movement only, but “about all the Palestinians who have become fully aware that the United States is not working for their benefit, but for the benefit of the occupation, and they are trying to empty Gaza of resistance to provide security for Israel.”

He stressed that Gaza will remain resistant to normalization and failure and will remain “a thorn in the side of the Americans and Israelis,” as he put it.

Hamad attributed the talk of Washington and Tel Aviv about arranging the future of Gaza without Hamas, to their awareness of the fact that the movement is currently driving events and that it has become a capable force politically and militarily after it moved the region and the world on the seventh of last October.

He concluded that the whole world realized that the Palestinians remaining under occupation was no longer possible in view of what happened on October 7, and also in view of the prices they paid, stressing that the resistance broke the prestige of the occupation and caused it a great failure.

Hamad challenged the Prime Minister of Israeli occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, or his army spokesman to provide a single piece of evidence of a real military achievement they achieved on the ground. He also stressed that the United States is no longer a superpower in the Middle East, as he put it.

Hamad called on the Palestinian Authority not to deal with the United States and not to come to Gaza on the back of an American tank. He addressed President Mahmoud Abbas, saying, “Rejecting what the Americans are planning will write you in history, because they will fail anyway.”

He said that the Authority's silence regarding the United States' claims regarding its acceptance of playing a role in Gaza after Hamas raises question marks, but he stressed that the Gaza Strip will never turn into an American state.

He stressed that the Palestinian Authority must clearly announce its rejection of America's plans and not accept it coming on the backs of tanks, as it previously rejected the deal of the century, adding, "This is what we expect from the Authority."

Hamad described the Arab regimes participating in the discussion of "the future of Gaza after the defeat of Hamas" as "incapable and failed, as they were unable to help the people of the Gaza Strip in these harsh circumstances and in light of these massacres and holocausts."

Regarding the issue of the cessation of war being contingent on the release of civilian detainees, Hamad said that the resistance tried to provide steps in this file, but the Israeli side did not deal with these steps, and at the same time it was not able to free a single prisoner or detainee, nor did it succeed in attacking Hamas as it had promised.

Hamad said that the resistance “is the one that will break the head of the occupation and Netanyahu’s head,” stressing that the movement is communicating with all parties in order to bring aid to the Palestinians and provide them with humanitarian support in light of the starvation campaign they are being subjected to.

Source: Al Jazeera

By  Ali Hamada

Last Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the post-Hamas phase in the Gaza Strip. He indicated that Israel is the one that may assume security responsibility in the Strip for a period of time. Last night, Agence France-Presse quoted American officials as saying that the American administration opposes Israel’s reoccupation of the Gaza Strip. In other words, Washington opposes the Israelis assuming security responsibility in the post-Hamas period.

Of course, these positions are based on estimates that the Israeli army will be able to resolve the war in its favor in the Gaza Strip, first in the northern part, then in the southern part. These positions or proposals are not limited to the Americans or the Israelis. Rather, the Europeans are working to formulate visions for the post-Hamas era in Gaza. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed in her speech last Monday to ambassadors accredited to the European Union that “we must think about tomorrow to imagine what permanent peace could look like, to restore hope to the Palestinians and Israelis. They need a perspective that is a two-state solution.” She added, "Hamas cannot control or rule Gaza, and there must be only one Palestinian national authority and one state," and "There cannot be a long-term Israeli security presence in Gaza. Gaza is an essential part of any future Palestinian state."

This is a very brief sample of the pattern of thinking in the post-war phase, in which the West acts as if its results are settled in terms of ending Hamas’ rule of the Gaza Strip. But what caught my attention was the Kremlin’s position yesterday, Tuesday, expressed by Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in which he said: “It is very important that there be humanitarian truces during the Israeli operation in Gaza!” In other words, Moscow is also acting on the basis that the Israeli military operation in Gaza will continue, and that the focus now is on humanitarian truces, not on stopping the war, nor on a medium or long-term ceasefire. "Only humanitarian truces, usually limited to a ceasefire for a few hours."

So we are talking about a course of war that the international community deals with on the basis that its results are predetermined. That is, ending Hamas' rule in the Gaza Strip, and removing it as a military and political force from the equation by eliminating it from its main stronghold in Gaza. As for Hamas' military presence in the West Bank, it remains limited and has limited impact. As for its presence in Lebanon and Syria, its effectiveness is also limited, because if it loses its base in the Gaza Strip, it will be greatly weakened. But this is not coupled with the inevitability of the current Palestinian National Authority replacing it in Gaza, given the structural weaknesses that the authority suffers from, starting with its sagging and weak leadership.

In any case, it is too early to say for certain the results of the war currently taking place in northern Gaza.

The question is: Will Israel impose its control over the northern part of the Strip in the short term? Or will the war there prolong to the point that it is no longer possible to build future visions for the Gaza Strip based on the premise of ending Hamas’ control there? Hence, the current phase, which may extend for the next two weeks, of the war in Gaza City in particular, is what will shape the future.

Annahar Al- Araby

The time will come later to present many pieces of evidence regarding the behavior of most of what is known as the “Israeli left” during the fierce war that has been ongoing for more than a month on the Gaza Strip, in terms of people and geographical space. These are pieces of evidence that have been proven again, among countless times, as a previous judgment on this left, leading to its deviation, first of all, from the universal values of the left, which more and more consolidates the fact that this “left” can be called by any name, except to be called a left according to those universal concepts. .

At the level of the relationship with the Palestinians in the recent period, it can be said that the lightness with which the “Israeli Left” accepted the excuses of the former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, when he was head of the (left-wing) Labor Party, regarding his failure in the Syrian-Lebanese negotiation track and the Palestinian track, in 2017. 2000, and the consequences of all of that, were the first testimony to his fragility. What later became clear, according to the bare facts, is that the majority of Israelis who take pride in bearing the title of “leftists” are nothing more than “doves tweeting within the Zionist flock,” not “doves with universal values.” They support the peace process with the Palestinians from the standpoint of pragmatic considerations that refer only to what falls within the framework of the interest of the Jewish people, such as the demographic balance, ensuring Israel’s security, or advancing its economic prosperity. As for the type that supports peace with universal moral motives, it has become a rare type that does not seek refuge in the embrace of blind patriotism, nor in situations of national consensus. It may soon be proven that this rare type is diminishing after this war, but without losing the value of what was issued during it, which this article will stop at, because it contains something that sheds light on a current process even from the perspectives of space and time.

While media reports talk about an unprecedented campaign of intimidation and harassment against Palestinians in the 1948 territories, it is also worth paying attention to a parallel campaign against members of that rare breed of the Israeli left, including researcher and academic Nurit Bild Elhanan, who has completed numerous studies on educational curricula in Israeli schools. For the most part, I used the metaphor of gardening to address the discourse of victims and authority in textbooks circulating in Israel, and how this discourse works, systematically, to legitimize the occupation of Palestine. According to these researches, this discourse instills in people the fear of the goyim (the Gentiles), consolidates the principle of the sovereignty of the Jewish majority, and contributes to the formation of the Israeli identity based on plunder and plunder.

Hours after posting a message in an internal WhatsApp group that included lecturers at the college where she teaches, Bild Elhanan received an email informing her of her dismissal on the pretext of “expressing support for and justifying Hamas’ terrorist acts.” In detail, Bild Elhanan commented in that group on a film that was published, which compared the attack by fighters from the military wing of the Hamas movement on military sites and settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip to Nazi practices, by quoting a saying by the French philosopher Sartre, which appeared in an introduction he wrote to one of Frantz Fanon’s books, by paraphrasing it. In line with the context of the Israeli occupation. It said: “After all those long years in which the occupier’s neck was strangled under the heels of your sandals, and he was suddenly given the opportunity to raise his eyes to the light, what look do you think you would have seen there?” (Originally, the word black was used instead of the word occupier.) “This outlook is exactly what we saw on October 7, 2023,” she added.

But it seems that what aroused the most anger among the tyrants of Israel, as Bild Elhanan describes them, is its assertion that comparing the actions of Hamas to the actions of Nazism is not correct at all, as the latter was the ideology of an authority that decided to exterminate minorities under its rule, and this situation does not exist in our case, because we are not under Hamas authority never.

The US House of Representatives voted, on Tuesday, to censure Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, based on comments she made about the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

According to the text of the resolution, the Democratic representative of Palestinian origin was convicted of promoting “false narratives” regarding the Hamas attack on Israel, in addition to her call for the destruction of Israel, according to Al Hurra’s correspondent in “Washington.”

According to the same source, 224 members voted to pass this decision in approval, while 188 representatives objected to it.

Twenty-two Democrats joined most Republicans in the chamber to censure Tlaib for allegedly “promoting false narratives” about the armed attack launched by Hamas on October 7 in Israel and “calling for the destruction of the State of Israel.”

Four Republicans voted against the proposal, while three Democrats and one Republican abstained from voting, according to Reuters.

US Representative Rashida Tlaib, the first American woman of Palestinian origin in Congress, accused President Joe Biden of supporting “genocide” of Palestinians, warning of the repercussions of this in next year’s elections.

Tlaib repeatedly denounced the Hamas attack, which led to the death of about 1,400 people, the majority of whom were civilians, but she also criticized American support for Israel, at a time when the Israeli army continues a bombing campaign that has claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.

The measure specifically cited a video Tlaib posted on social media containing the pro-Palestinian phrase “from the river to the sea,” which many Jews view as anti-Semitic and calling for the elimination of Israel.

Tlaib, according to Reuters, also angered many of her Democratic colleagues on Friday when she posted a video clip in which she accused President Joe Biden of supporting “the genocide of the Palestinian people.”

Israel strongly rejects accusations of genocide.

The Democratic representative rejected accusations of anti-Semitism during a speech she delivered on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

“I am the only Palestinian American in Congress, and my viewpoint is needed more than ever,” Tlaib said.

She added, "My criticism has always been directed at the Israeli government and the actions of (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu... The idea that criticizing the Israeli government is anti-Semitic sets a very dangerous precedent."

She continued by saying, "The Palestinian people cannot be eliminated," before she stopped speaking for a long time while suppressing her feelings, according to what Reuters reported.

Tlaib's grandmother and many of her relatives live in the village of Beit Ur Al-Fawqa in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate in the West Bank.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that it will host two Arab and Islamic summits next Saturday and Sunday to discuss developments in the Gaza Strip, and postpone another Arab-African summit that was concerned with economic cooperation.

This announcement came in a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the summits of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The ministry said that developments in Gaza "necessitated a call for an extraordinary Arab summit and an Islamic summit to discuss the current crisis and the serious humanitarian repercussions it is witnessing," without details.

On Monday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation announced that “it has been decided to hold an emergency summit next Sunday in Riyadh to discuss the Israeli aggression (against Gaza), based on the invitation of Saudi Arabia, in its capacity as chair of the current summit.”

While the Arab League announced, on October 30, that its General Secretariat had received an official request from Palestine and Saudi Arabia to hold an Arab summit on November 11, to discuss “the continuing Israeli aggression against Gaza.”

While “it was decided to postpone the date of the fifth Arab-African summit (which was scheduled for next Sunday) to a time to be determined later in view of the current developments in Gaza,” according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

It added that this step "came after coordination with the secretariat of the League of Arab States and the African Union Commission, and out of concern that the political events in the region would not affect the Arab-African partnership, which is based on the development and economic dimension."

The government media office in Gaza announced that the Israeli war on the Strip, which has entered its 33rd day, has affected about 40,000 Palestinians, including martyrs, wounded and missing persons.

The head of the government media office, Salama Marouf, said in the press conference, on Tuesday evening, that since the start of the aggression on the seventh of last October, 10,328 martyrs have risen, including 4,237 children, 2,719 women and girls, and 631 elderly people, and reports have also been recorded of more than Of the 3,000 missing and 26,000 citizens injured.

He added that government teams recorded the progress of 1,021 citizens of Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip who were displaced to areas that the occupation claimed were safe in the south of the Gaza Strip, and 49 journalists also advanced since the start of the aggression.

He added that 192 medical and health personnel were injured, 40 ambulances were destroyed, 113 health institutions were severely damaged, and 18 hospitals and 40 health centers were taken out of service.

Salam said that the occupation has so far committed 1,071 massacres against Palestinian families, claiming the lives of thousands of martyrs and wounded, the majority of whom are women and children, while 1.5 million citizens were displaced from their homes to shelter centers, gatherings, or relatives.

For 32 days, the Israeli occupation has been waging a brutal war on the Gaza Strip, razing entire residential squares to the ground. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory, Israel has dropped more than 25,000 tons of explosives on the Gaza Strip since the seventh of last October, which is equivalent to a nuclear bomb in strength. 30 kilotons.

Source: Anadolu Agency