Anyone who thinks that the occupying state, through the genocidal war it is waging primarily against the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank, will lead, as it says, to eliminating the Hamas movement and the resistance and wiping it out of existence, is mistaken, and that the goal of this aggressive and criminal war is against the resistance, and not against the Palestinian people, as the state claims. The occupation and its media used to serve it.

The resistance is a broad, popular extension. The resistors are the people of the Gaza Strip, and this means that it is a resistance with popular roots. This means that it is not possible to defeat a people demanding their legitimate national rights to freedom, independence, and getting rid of the occupation.

We say this based on the history of the peoples and the world revolutions that triumphed over Western colonialism and America, because it is the armies that are defeated, not the peoples, and the best evidence of that is what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the occupation forces dragged their tails and fled from Afghanistan despite the strength and military equipment they possessed. However, it could not continue its occupation in the face of the will of the fighters who have popular extensions, and the same is true in Iraq and in the future in Syria, Libya, and all the Arab regions where there are American and Western forces and bases.

In the past, the defeat of America and France in Vietnam, as well as Japan in China, were all indications that peoples are not defeated, but rather defeat the aggressor, colonizer and settler, as happened in Algeria with its one and a half million martyrs.

Our Palestinian people, who have been struggling for their national rights for more than a century, cannot be defeated or their resistance defeated, no matter how intense the aggression is and no matter how much America and the colonial West support it, because this resistance has long and deep roots among our people.

It is true that the aggressive war being waged with American and Western participation against Gaza and the West Bank can be weakened in the foreseeable future, but it cannot be defeated or eradicated as the occupation authorities and their Western allies claim.

Even if we assume for the sake of argument that the resistance has been defeated, which is unlikely, the resistance will rise again and repeat the process once, twice, three times, and perhaps more until its goals of complete freedom and independence are achieved.

Hence, the occupying state and its Western allies, led by America, have no choice but to actually and practically acknowledge the national rights of our people and work seriously and on the ground to establish an independent Palestinian state with Holy Jerusalem as its capital, and not to repeat the farce of the two-state solution and that this solution will be later and not sooner, and its goal is Throw ash in the eyes.

Accordingly, the West’s colonial tone regarding the Palestinian people’s right to freedom, independence, and a decent life are nothing but attempts, for some Arab and Islamic regimes to continue pinning their hopes on America and the West and betting on them, is a loser by all standards.

As for the diplomatic movement, the American administration failed to use the Security Council, and it also failed to issue balanced decisions, even regarding a humanitarian truce. It used the American veto once against the Brazilian draft resolution, the American-British-French veto again against the Russian draft resolution, and the upcoming Russian veto against the American draft resolution, which includes condemning the Hamas movement and the so-called “Israel’s right to defend itself,” and demanding the release of prisoners without conditions.

The peace summit held by Egypt also failed as a result of disagreements between two groups: in the first group there are mainly the West, which participates in or covers up the war of extermination, and in the second group there are mainly Arabs who oppose displacement and are helpless in the face of the continuation of the aggression and without opening the Rafah crossing; Because the entry of 20 trucks and then 15 trucks since the beginning of the war until now is not called the opening of the crossing, but rather a dusting of ash in the eyes. The Gaza Strip was entered daily by 500 trucks, including food, drink, fuel, and various humanitarian, living, and medical needs. In order to survive, it needs the entry of 200 trucks at a minimum. At least daily.

The goal of all actions at all levels must be to stop the war immediately, before facing the risk of displacement and providing humanitarian aid. Because stopping the war is what leads to stopping displacement and the flow of humanitarian aid. As for the continuation of the war in light of the continuing horrific killing rates (more than 300 martyrs per day), it is what opens the door to displacement and humanitarian disasters.

War objectives

Israel is still confused about the political goal of the war, and is living in a state of chaos, to the point that there are increasing demands for Netanyahu’s resignation and for him to bear responsibility for the war, fueled by the fear that his personal interests are what push him to prolong the war and make reckless decisions, and this is happening for the first time during the war. Usually, accountability and reckoning took place after the war ended, as happened with Golda Meir, who resigned several months after the October 1973 War.

In the beginning, they acted on the basis that the goal was to erase the Gaza Strip from existence, by displacing its population to the Sinai desert in implementation of a new, old plan that was proposed for the first time in 1953, and renewed in 1968, 1970, 2000, 2010, 2012, and 2018. It failed previously and could be failed again.

The displacement plan was crystallized based on the Giora Eiland project, the former Israeli National Security Advisor, who proposed the idea of his project in the year 2000, crystallized in the year 2004, and was fully presented in the year 2009, which is based on expanding the Gaza Strip at the expense of Sinai in exchange for land from the Negev that is included in Egypt. . A few days ago, he called for the temporary displacement of the entire Gaza Strip to Sinai, and for the return of the displaced after the elimination of the resistance.

There is a variable in the plans proposed now, which is to reduce the area of the Gaza Strip, and to establish buffer zones that become larger or smaller according to those adopting them, between those who want the entire Gaza Strip as a buffer zone, and those who are satisfied with expanding the buffer zone by tens of kilometers or more.

If the plan to displace Gaza was frozen or even temporarily failed due to the Arab and international opposition, especially Egyptian and Jordanian, it was replaced by the plan to displace our people from the north of the Gaza Strip to its south, and if the barbaric war continues for weeks, a month, two months, or three, as Yoav Galant, Minister of Defense, said Israel, and in some estimates for years, as Benny Gantz, the Minister Member of the Military Council and head of the Zionist Camp (the rising party in the current war, which has a third of the seats in the Israeli Knesset in the polls), said to the American President during his participation in the Israeli Military Staff meeting, with the continued entry into Humanitarian aid is on the way, the approaching winter, and the continuation of the war of extermination, and in light of the bombing targeting those displaced from the north to the south, displacement may become a reality. Because it will be a way for Gazans to survive.

As for the goal of liquidating the Hamas movement, it is not clear how Israel will seek to achieve it. There are those who interpret it as overthrowing its rule and ending its ability to resist, and there are those who intend to literally eliminate it, and there are those who are “deigned” and ready to distribute the fighters, leadership, cadres and members of “Hamas” to the Arab countries, as happened after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, when the organization’s leadership, cadres, and fighters were distributed among a number of Arab countries, forgetting that the resistance fighters were in their homeland and among their people, and that they had begun the war for the first time with a historic victory.

These people deceive themselves when they imagine that a decisive Israeli victory will inevitably come, and they ignore that no one can defeat the resistance of a people determined to survive, steadfast, and resist until achieving its goals and national rights. It can be weakened, but it cannot be defeated, and the weak party wins if the strong party does not achieve its goals.

Temporary administration, or the return of Authority to the Gaza Strip, or what?

American and Israeli research centers (such as the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the National Security Research Center, and many others) were active and detailed what was being circulated in the corridors of politics and the Israeli elite, including current and former ministers, such as Avigdor Lieberman, who, along with Danny Ayalon and many others, called for the displacement of our people to Sinai. Opinions differ among them about the strategy for the day after the war. As there is almost consensus that Israel (and there is a declared American position expressed by US President Joe Biden by rejecting the occupation of the Gaza Strip and agreeing to eliminate “Hamas!”) 

Will Palestinian Authority return to Gaza?

There is an Israeli-American, American-American and Israeli-Israeli dispute between those who want to rehabilitate the authority so that it is able to rule Gaza after the defeat of the resistance, and what is meant here is to transform it into a completely puppet authority, and those who refuse its return, either because it (i.e. the authority) is corrupt and incapable and does not have the will and ability to implement What is required of it, and it failed in the West Bank and will fail in Gaza, so it must be rehabilitated or rebuilt first before thinking about returning it to Gaza, or because the return of authority is completely rejected. Because it reconnects the West Bank with the Gaza Strip, and revives hope again for the establishment of a Palestinian state after the Israeli governments succeeded in separating them, and buried the option of establishing a Palestinian state or the so-called “two-state solution.”

In the projects currently proposed, within America and Israel, almost no one talks about the two-state solution now. Rather, its supporters demand that the political horizon be kept open, under the pretext that they will achieve it in the long term, and they are deceitful. Because their verbal adherence to the two-state solution aims to arm their Arab allies with a position that they will use in front of their people, while its proposal practically helps them achieve Israeli goals, and never opens the way to the two-state solution, but rather throws dirt on its grave.

Only the defeat of aggression opens the way to the political horizon and the achievement of freedom and independence, as well as to negotiations that start from a position of strength and not from weakness, failure, and surrender.

At the end of this part, we pose the following question: Will the Authority accept returning to the Gaza Strip on the back of an Israeli tank? Although, if it does so, it will no longer be a national authority and will not represent the Palestinians, but rather it will turn into a completely non-national authority.

The Palestinian Authority faces the moment of truth

Help Israel achieve its goals: the continuation of the Palestinian division, and the continuation of the official leadership’s pursuit of false illusions and lost bets that led it to coexist with the fait accompli created by the occupation, in which there is no political horizon, no negotiations, and no final solution, but rather its ceiling is economic security, and among the conditions of Handing over Gaza to the Palestinian Authority - for those who agree to this - to leave the position of neutrality that it has taken since the outbreak of the war and not to explicitly condemn Hamas, and to activate security cooperation and its policy against the resistance.

Immediately taking these steps blocks the path to achieving the goals of aggression, and doubles the possibilities and capabilities of victory. Continuing the neutral position as it is under the pretext of sparing our people from disasters will not achieve this. Rather, it will lead to increased pressure to respond to the American and Israeli demands that urge the Authority not to be satisfied with neutrality and to control the West Bank (refer to Ghaith Al-Omari’s article entitled “How did the Palestinian Authority fail its people?” ", published on the website of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, dated October 19, 2023). Rather, it must side and explicitly condemn Hamas, completely lift the cover on it and the resistance, and transform into a completely puppet authority.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the plans drawn up for displacement, annexation, and Judaization also include the West Bank, and the 48 areas, and what is happening in the West Bank in terms of closures, arrests, and barbaric attacks by settlers and occupation forces, and the massacres in which 95 martyrs have been killed so far since October 7, is evidence of that.

The authority’s neutral position makes it lose its remaining legitimacy

The continuation of the neutral stance will cause the leadership to lose its remaining legitimacy, popularity, and credibility, and will push more civilian and security elements in the Authority and the Fatah movement, especially if the war of extermination continues and the humanitarian catastrophe deepens and expands, to break away from it and join the people, and this could lead to the weakening of the Authority and its subjugation even more of the occupation, and perhaps its collapse, or its division and fighting between two client and national parts. What is required is for the leadership and authority to escalate their position by exercising the right to self-defense, and not be satisfied with repeatedly adhering to the right and verbally condemning the war of genocide and displacement.

Temporary or permanent administration for Gaza?

There are ideas on the table, such as creating a special security system or a temporary administration for Gaza (see the article by Dennis Ross, David Makovsky, and Robert Satloff, entitled “Israeli War Goals and Principles of Administration in Gaza in the Post-Hamas Period,” published on the Washington Institute’s website , dated October 17, 2023. We know how temporary turns into permanent. The transitional phase in Oslo is supposed to have ended in May 1999, but it is still in place, and the transitional solution is intended to be eternal.

There is an effort to involve the Arab countries in shaping the future of the Strip that have established or are about to establish normalization with Israel, as well as the United Nations. In this context, ideas are being raised about irregular Arab forces alone or with the participation of international forces led by a Western person. 

This is all a pipe dream; Because the United Nations is not exclusive to Western countries. Rather, there is a majority in its institutions, including the Security Council, that will not agree with the hostile goals and plans aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause. Rather, it will support and defend the Palestinian right, even though it is unable to stop the war and deliver humanitarian aid.

The ground war and the opening of the northern front

Despite the Israeli decision to wage a ground war because without it, a decisive victory over Hamas cannot be achieved, and without this victory, Israel will lose its strategic position and become a “slave” to all its enemies, the war has not yet begun.

The delay in the ground war is due to the following reasons:

First: The occupation forces fear that heavy losses will occur among their ranks due to surprises prepared by the resistance, such as the surprise that shook them in the Al-Aqsa flood. Therefore, they need time to obtain intelligence information and for American forces to arrive in the region, with the increasing possibility of opening other fronts.

Second: Continuing the scorched earth policy that has reached the point of continuing and escalating mass massacres, and making areas unlivable for a long period, until the occupation forces ensure that their losses are reduced, while the destruction and demolished buildings, as military experts say, may deprive the resistance of a heavy human presence, but it provides barricades that will help the resistance fighters and enable them to inflict heavy losses on the Israeli forces. Every resistance fighter in urban warfare is a defender hiding in a fortified bunker underground or above it. He knows the battlefield well and is fully prepared for it. According to experts, he needs 26 attacking soldiers for equality to occur between the two teams.

Third: Fear of the possibility of expanding the limited war on the northern front after it became clear that Hezbollah will not allow the resistance to be defeated, so it resorts to gradual escalation in its war, in proportion to the progress of the war, and the moment it feels that the resistance will be broken, it will not hesitate to expand the war. Even if this leads to a regional war with the entry of other fronts, Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni, and finally Iranian, while I estimate that expanding the limited war in the north will contribute to stopping the war on the Palestinians, it will more than open the way to a regional war, which no one wants; because it is destructive and its results are not guaranteed.

Fourth: The Israeli government’s trade-off between initiating a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah (being the second target of the Israeli war); Israeli and American sources indicated that the Israeli Minister of Defense called for a preemptive strike, but the American administration opposed that, and between starting the ground war in the Gaza Strip, and preparing at the same time to expand the war on the northern front.

Fifth: The pressure of the United States and the countries that have prisoners in the hands of the Palestinian resistance to delay the ground war, in the hope that it will be able to release them, especially since the resistance was good at using this card, and appeared humane and responsible and not ISIS, as stated by Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for the  Al-Qassam Brigades, when he announced that the civilian prisoners of other nationalities are guests, and will be released when appropriate conditions exist, and here negotiations are underway to stop the war for several hours, and perhaps for days, so that the resistance can release them.

The best way to conclude the article is what was stated in the article by Thomas Friedman, the American Zionist journalist close to the Biden administration. He said: “Seizing Gaza without linking it to a completely new approach regarding the settlements, the West Bank, and the two-state solution would be a disaster for Israel and a disaster for America,” and added: “It may lead to igniting a global fire and blowing up the entire structure of the pro-Washington coalition that the United States has built in the region” that was engineered by Henry Kissinger since the end of the October War in 1973, it “could otherwise irreparably damage Israel... threaten Jews everywhere and destabilize the entire world.”

It is clear that they did not and will not heed Friedman's advice, and therefore if they do not deter and stop the war, what he warned about will happen, and more than that, Israel will face defeat. Because the Palestinian people only have the option of steadfastness and victory, knowing that the war has Arab, regional and international extensions, and falls, with or without planning on its part, into the global struggle to draw the map of the region and the world, and to lead the next world order, and that tomorrow is near.

Today, Tuesday, the Israeli occupation forces launched an arrest campaign in various areas of the West Bank.

In Qalqilya, the occupation forces arrested the freed prisoner, Ali Rafiq Shawahna, in his forties, after they raided and searched his home.

In Salfit, editor Saber Mahmoud Youssef Bouzia was arrested in the town of Kafl Haris, north of the city, after the occupation forces stormed his house and destroyed some of his possessions.

While the Israeli occupation forces arrested 11 citizens from different areas of Bethlehem Governorate, they are: Qusay Ahmed Issa (28 years old), Moatasem Omar Abu Ghalioun (21 years old), the president of the Bethlehem University Student Council Union, his brother Muhammad, and Odeh Tayeh Issa ( 51 years old), Khalil Medhat Issa and his brother Ahmed, from the town of Al-Khader, in addition to Yousef Hamza Thawabta (18 years old) from the town of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, after their families’ homes were raided and searched.

Also arrested in the east were Ahmed, Ismail Abdullah Al-Arouj, Salah Musa Sabah, and Khaled Attia Salahat.

In Ramallah, the following were arrested: the young man Alaa Rustom from Kafr Malik in the east, Amin Arman and his son Moatasem from Ain Yabrud in the north, and Omar Assaf from the Al-Tira neighborhood in the city, after their homes were raided and searched.

Citizen Adnan Abu Suhaib Al-Barghouthi, Tamer Khatib Al-Barghouthi, Ibrahim Mahmoud Al-Barghouthi, Saber Shalatwa, Etemad Al-Barghouthi, and Abdullah Mahmoud Al-Barghouthi, all of them from the village of Aboud, north of Ramallah, were also arrested.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces arrested the young man, Ayham Hassan Dahadha, from the village of Atara, north of the city.

Hamas has released two Israeli hostages among what's believed to be more than 200 held in the wake of an unprecedented attack on Israel that's escalated into full-scale war. The deal was made possible via mediation by Qatar and Egypt.

In a statement then shared by Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades, spokesperson Abu Obaida also credited Egypt and Qatar, alleging that "the enemy has refused since last Friday to accept their receipt and is still neglecting the issue of prisoners."

"We have decided to release them for compelling humanitarian and health reasons," Abu Obaida said, "despite the occupation committing more than 8 violations of the procedures that were agreed upon with the mediator brothers that the occupation would adhere to during this day to complete the handover process."

Hamas has released two Israeli hostages among what's believed to be more than 200 held in the wake of an unprecedented attack on Israel that's escalated into full-scale war.

A source who was briefed on the matter and who spoke with Newsweek on the condition of anonymity, said the deal was made possible via mediation by Qatar and Egypt.

In a statement then shared by Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades, spokesperson Abu Obaida also credited Egypt and Qatar, alleging that "the enemy has refused since last Friday to accept their receipt and is still neglecting the issue of prisoners."

"We have decided to release them for compelling humanitarian and health reasons," Abu Obaida said, "despite the occupation committing more than 8 violations of the procedures that were agreed upon with the mediator brothers that the occupation would adhere to during this day to complete the handover process."

Reached for comment, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) referred Newsweek to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. A statement shared with Newsweek by the prime minister's office confirmed the release of the two individuals, naming them and identifying their ages as 79 years old and 85 years old, respectively, and expressed gratitude to Egypt and the Red Cross.

"The IDF and the security forces have worked hard in the last few days in all channels to bring about their release and to overcome the many difficulties that Hamas has piled up," the statement said.

The prime minister's office said that the spouses of the two detainees "are still being held by the cruel terrorist organization along with other abductees, and we will continue to work in every way for their return."

Demonstrators carry posters during a rally calling for the release of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian Hamas movement since the October 7 attack, outside the Israeli president's residence in Jerusalem on October 22, amid the ongoing war.

The development comes days after two U.S. hostages were released Friday via mediation by Qatar. Then too Hamas had also credited Egypt and other unspecified nations for their efforts in achieving an agreement.

Earlier, on October 11, the Al-Qassam Brigades published footage of what was purported to show the release of "an Israeli settler and her two children." It was unclear when the video was shot and the IDF dismissed the move at the time as "theatrics."

In its latest figure, the IDF has said Hamas took 222 people hostage during its October 7 surprise attack on Israel. The Al-Qassam Brigades has estimated it held between 200 and 250 prisoners, most of them in Hamas custody, and the rest in the hands of other Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.

As Israel presses on with a historic bombing campaign against the densely populated Palestinian territory, the Al-Qassam Brigades has stated that 22 detainees had been killed in Israeli airstrikes, a claim also met with skepticism by the IDF. The group has also said it was willing to release non-Israeli captives once it was safe to do so.

Source: News Week

The Qamat Foundation for Documenting the Palestinian Struggle confirmed on Monday that the Facebook and Tiktok platforms had deleted visual productions documenting several stages of the Palestinian struggle.

"Qamat" said in a statement, "What the Facebook and TikTok platforms did in terms of deleting several productions or preventing their publication, and the matter reached the point of deleting Qamat's Facebook page, comes within the framework of fighting the documentation of the experiences of the Palestinian struggle."

"Qamat" confirmed that this "also comes within the framework of the digital fight and annihilation of Palestinian struggle content and the attempt to silence the Palestinian voice, in contravention of the importance of Palestinian rights and self-determination digitally through the virtual or digital world."

It is noteworthy that the Qamat Foundation was launched about six years ago to produce content that documents important stages in the history of the Palestinian struggle, whether by shedding light on specific issues or struggling figures.

At a time when the secrets of the dispute between the government and the army over the decision to invade the Gaza Strip came to light, a group of political figures and experts in strategy and media, known for their closeness to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, launched a broad campaign against the implementation of the army’s plan, and warned that a ground invasion will put Israeli army soldiers at risk from Hamas operations, threaten a dispute with the American administration, cause a wide regional war, and threaten the lives of Hamas prisoners.

The officials behind this campaign raise a central slogan that says: “We destroy Gaza and level it to the ground before the ground invasion.” They write in their text posts on social networks, as well as in video clips, that the bombing from afar aims to liquidate as many buildings as possible. They even express their support for the bombing of hospitals, schools and other places where civilians seek refuge from Israeli bombing. They say: “These are not hospitals, but rather the headquarters of Hamas’ leadership.” This is not a humanitarian shelter, but a missile warehouse. This is not a school, but an anti-tank missile ambush. “Our children’s lives are more important.”

Campaign management

This campaign is managed by Ariel Segal and Erez Tadmor, who are media and strategic consultants, along with Amit Halevy, a member of the Knesset from the Likud Party. The source of its funding is not known. Therefore, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that it is Netanyahu’s campaign, which he is running in the face of the army’s decision that it is ready for the invasion while taking the necessary precautions.

The army responded to this campaign by saying that it was awaiting permission from the political leadership to carry out the ground operation. News leaked from his side that Netanyahu met again with retired General Yitzhak Brik, who is considered an outcast in the army, and is one of the most ardent opponents of carrying out an invasion, because it will cost a large number of lives and open a wide regional war on five and perhaps six fronts, namely: Gaza. The West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and perhaps Iran. Brick accuses the Israeli military leadership during the last twenty years of not truly preparing the army to fight a war of this magnitude and challenges. According to those who follow Israeli politics, this is how the army leadership works when it intends to place the burden of strategic political decisions on the government, or primarily on the prime minister.

A crisis of confidence between Netanyahu and the army

The two most prominent writers in Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Nahum Barnea and Ronen Bergman, had published an article on the front page under the title “A crisis of confidence between Netanyahu and the army,” in which they stressed that the issue is not a matter of a professional and strategic dispute over the management of the war, but rather it stems from a belief the army claims that Netanyahu is conducting the war according to his own interests and not out of general interest, and that he is seeking to prolong the war so that he can remain in power for the longest period.

The article stated: “The crisis of confidence is an addition to the terrible damage that Israel suffered on October 7th. It makes it very difficult to focus on the war and to make decisions, even painful ones. “Israel now needs effective leadership, focused on the mission.”

They said: “Houses can be rebuilt. The most difficult thing is to build trust. In 1973, Israel was bitterly surprised and was severely hit at the beginning, but its leadership, at least most of it, continued to perform its duties, and reinforcement players joined and contributed to the experience and calm to restore the process of making orderly decisions and confidence that in the end we will be victorious. Today, Israel is acting, but it does not have an administration that can perform its duties. This is the trap of 2023.”

The article continued by saying: “This time, despite good intentions, the two consolidation players, Ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, are leaving a weak impact on the final result, at least at this moment. By virtue of the agreement they signed with Netanyahu, the two men cannot meet with officers outside cabinet deliberations except with the Prime Minister’s permission. 17 days have passed since the criminal attack by Hamas on the Gaza Strip. For families whose loved ones are detained somewhere in Gaza, this is a very long time. This is also a long time for those who bury their dead every day, those who wait for the order in the military units in the north and in the south, and for all of Israeli society. “The Israelis succeed in the challenge.”

Tension between Netanyahu and his Defense Minister

Political sources revealed that the system of relations between Netanyahu and his Defense Minister also makes joint work very difficult. The sediments arose before March, when Netanyahu fired Gallant and he was forced to retract. It flared up after news was leaked according to which Netanyahu used a veto on a military operation wanted by the army and Gallant in the north, the details of which are not known to this day. He revealed that during US President Joe Biden's visit to the country, Netanyahu prevented Gallant from detailing his estimates within earshot of the US President. He contented himself with telling Secretary of State Blinken that he initially wanted to attack Hezbollah, but he stopped due to a decision from other parties.

Barnea and Bregman say that the confrontation is not only between different plans, but also over a personal background. Netanyahu is preparing himself for the mass struggle that will begin with all intensity when the situation on the ground stabilizes. Those close to him in the social network place responsibility for the disaster on the security apparatus, from Gallant and the chief of staff on down. The fear of the storm that will come the next day also guides the steps of the ministers and infiltrates the leadership of the Israeli army. In the deliberations, they talk about the protocol, starting from thinking about the day when an investigation committee will be established. This makes honest and insightful conversation, as it should be, between decision-makers very difficult.

The goal of war

The government has announced a war goal that the Israeli army doubts is achievable. In various statements, Netanyahu and Gallant promised to erase “Hamas” from the face of Gaza, and they did not explain the practical meaning of the pledge. Chief of Staff Halevy said: “We will dismantle all the organizational infrastructure that exists under Yahya Sinwar,” but how will this goal be achieved? Should this be the last gambit?

Is it only in Gaza City, or is it in complete control of the entire Strip? When will the Israeli army and the government know that Israel has actually won? In the army, they say that the fault lies with the political leadership, which did not set clear goals for the army. This may be true, but an army that goes to war without clarifying how it will know if it has won, let alone how it will exit the battlefield, must at least be warned that this is the situation. The army knew how to warn in the last year of the crisis that broke out due to the judicial coup. This time, at least as far as we know, its voice faded. Also, as far as we know, the question of what the reality will be in Gaza after Hamas is expelled, if it is expelled, is not being discussed, neither in the army nor in the government. Israel seeks to enter Gaza without clearly defining when and how it will leave there, and what it will leave behind.

Chinese state media reported that Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in a phone call on Monday that Beijing would do its best to contribute to Palestinian-Israeli reconciliation.

The media also quoted him as saying that China would strongly support any decision that leads to peace, and he described the conflict as “a major choice between war and peace,” according to what was reported by Reuters news agency.

Wang also called on Israel to take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions there, adding that "all countries have the right to self-defense, but they must abide by international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians."

China condemned acts of violence and attacks on civilians in the conflict, and while Wang declared that Israel's actions "go beyond the scope of self-defense," he did not mention the Hamas movement by name in his statements.

Security and efforts to stop war and promote peace, not weapons or geopolitical calculations.

Wang said China calls for a “more decisive, more effective and broader international peace conference” to be held as soon as possible to promote the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

He added, "The UN Security Council must carry out its responsibility effectively, the international community must move quickly, and countries outside the region, especially the major powers, must be objective and impartial."

The crisis has placed China and Russia in separate camps from the United States on the conflict.

China and Russia share the same position that the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people have not been met. While the United States condemned the Hamas attack, it fully supports Israel's right to defend itself.

Source: Al- Sharq Al Awsat

Axios revealed on Monday that the administration of US President Joe Biden recently sent a US Marine general and several other American military officers to Israel to help provide military advice to the Israeli army leadership in its war on Gaza, according to US and Israeli officials familiar with this matter. the operation.

This step reflects the extent of the Biden administration's deep involvement in the war on Gaza and the extent of its appearance in Israeli military planning.

Among the Marine officers sent was Lt. Gen. (Lieutenant General) James Glenn, Axios revealed.

Glenn previously headed Marine Corps Special Operations and participated in operations against ISIS in Iraq.

While the site says that General Glenn and other American military officers do not direct operations, but they provide military advice to the Israeli army about its plans in the war on Gaza, as this focused primarily on the expected Israeli ground invasion. The American officers exchanged the lessons that the United States learned from fighting ISIS in Mosul.

The website notes: “Glenn is not expected to remain in Israel to follow the IDF ground invasion, according to sources with direct knowledge of the issue.”

“We asked several officials with relevant experience, simply to help Israeli officials think through the tough questions ahead and explore their options,” a Pentagon spokesperson told Axios. “The IDF will, as always, make its own decisions.”

It is noteworthy that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told CBS on Sunday that the Biden administration is talking with Israeli officials about their military plans for Gaza and the best ways to achieve the results they seek.

“We are giving them the best advice,” Blinken said. “And as we said, it is important not only what they do, but also how they do it, especially when it comes to making sure that civilians have as much protection as possible in the crossfire with Hamas.”

Since the beginning of the war, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and General Eric Kurella, head of US Central Command, have visited Israel and met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the leadership of the Israeli army.

Israel has been preparing to launch a ground attack on Gaza since the surprise attack launched by Hamas fighters on October 7, saying its goal is to "destroy" the movement, which Israel, the United States and other countries consider a terrorist organization.

It is unclear when Israel will launch the operation, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged earlier that the war would likely be "long and difficult."

The United Arab Emirates, Russia, China, Switzerland, and Malta broke the silent procedure that the United States had put in place, until Monday morning, on its draft amended Security Council resolution regarding the war in Gaza, which means that these countries do not accept the American proposals in their current form that deal with what is happening. As an exclusive result of the “terrorist” attack carried out by Hamas against Israel on October 7, instead of placing it in the context of the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

This disagreement indicates that the Security Council is still far from the possibility of reaching a reasonable consensus to negotiate a draft resolution, which the United States could put in blue ink for a vote on in the near future, especially since Russian and Chinese diplomats requested more time, in order to “consult” With capitals” before requesting any additional amendments. While their Emirati, Swiss and Maltese counterparts repeated the demand for a “balanced text” that focuses first on a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid to more than two million Palestinian civilians trapped in the Gaza Strip, according to what diplomats revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Modifications required

A diplomat, who requested that his name not be published due to the accuracy of the ongoing deliberations on the draft resolution, revealed that “France requested the introduction of several amendments that focus on the necessity of demanding a ceasefire and creating spaces for humanitarian truces,” working to “avoid the expansion of the war regionally,” and working toward a two-state solution. Between Palestinians and Israelis. As for Switzerland and Malta, they “focus primarily on humanitarian aspects and compliance with international laws regarding the repercussions of war,” in addition to a clear focus on “demanding humanitarian truces.”

The United States prepared its amended draft resolution, based on international norms and conventions that became widespread in the context of the war on terrorism, as the introduction to its preamble stems from the fact that “the Security Council, recalling its resolutions regarding the fight against terrorism, and against the kidnapping of civilians and holding them hostage by terrorist organizations (... Expressing its deep concern about cases of discrimination, intolerance and violent extremism (...), and reaffirming that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. Note that the amended American text added phrases to express “deep concern about the deteriorating situation in the region,” while emphasizing “the necessity of protecting all civilian populations, including Israelis and Palestinians.”

Source: Al-Sharq al Awsat

Israeli I24 TV said on Monday that the Red Cross is on its way to receive 50 dual nationals detained in the Gaza Strip.

He explained that the handover process would take place in the south of the Gaza Strip, noting that the Israeli army had not carried out any strikes during the past hours in the area “as part of the understandings in order to allow the Red Cross to reach the area in safety.”

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz had previously quoted a source “participating in the negotiations” that Hamas was considering releasing civilian detainees in exchange for fuel. The newspaper said that a source familiar with the negotiations to release the detainees said that it was possible for Hamas to release the detainees on Monday, but explained that this “has not been decided.”

Source: Al Sharq Al Awsat

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Monday that the United Kingdom will increase by twenty million pounds (about 23 million euros) its humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip while “maintaining diplomatic pressure” to allow the passage of more aid convoys.

Sunak, returning from a tour in the Middle East, told the House of Commons: “We have previously committed to providing an additional ten million pounds (11.5 million euros) in additional support to help civilians in Gaza... And today I can announce that we are going further than that: we will provide twenty million An additional pound of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” according to Agence France-Presse.

A new aid convoy from Egypt

A new aid convoy crossed from Egypt to Gaza on Monday, according to what journalists at Agence France-Presse reported. It is the third heading to the besieged Strip since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7. The new convoy is in addition to two that entered the Strip on Saturday and Sunday.

An Egyptian Red Crescent official confirmed to Agence France-Presse that, “over the past two days, 34 humanitarian aid trucks were brought in in two batches through the crossing.”

 Paris calls for a “humanitarian truce”

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Bourne announced before the National Assembly on Monday that Paris is calling for a “humanitarian truce” to allow the distribution of aid in the Gaza Strip, which “may lead to a ceasefire.”

“The opening of the Rafah crossing is still very limited,” Bourne told the deputies. We call for opening the gate of Rafah to allow new (aid) passage. Distributing aid requires a humanitarian truce that may lead to a ceasefire.”

- The European Union wants additional aid for Gaza and intends to consider requesting a “humanitarian truce.”

European Union leaders will call this week for a “humanitarian truce” in the war waged by the Israeli occupation on the Gaza Strip, so that humanitarian aid can be safely delivered to Gaza, draft outcomes of an EU summit showed.

The leaders of the bloc, which includes 27 countries, will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, in the so-called European Council, where the situation in the Middle East will be at the top of the agenda, according to Reuters.

 A humanitarian truce to allow aid to arrive

The draft outcomes of the summit showed that “the European Council supports the call of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (Antonio) Guterres for a humanitarian truce in order to allow safe delivery of humanitarian aid and aid to reach those in need.”

The draft, seen by Reuters, also stated: “The European Union will work closely with partners in the region to protect civilians, support those trying to reach safety or provide assistance and facilitate access to food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter.” The European Union reiterates the need for the immediate release of all hostages without any precondition.

Source: Agencies

Faisal Al-Miqdad, Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, discussed with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, during a phone call today (Monday), developments in the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to what Syrian official media reported.

The Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported that Al-Miqdad stressed in the phone call the necessity of immediately stopping Israel’s sinful attacks on the Palestinian people, and urgently delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people suffering under occupation and siege, stressing Syria’s categorical rejection of the deportation and displacement practices carried out by the occupation authorities. .

In turn, Bin Farhan stressed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands alongside the Palestinian people to restore their rights, the entry of urgent humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the necessity of imposing Israel’s commitment to international law and international humanitarian law, and the Kingdom’s categorical rejection of calls to displace the Palestinian people from Gaza.
At the conclusion of the conversation, the two ministers agreed to follow up on communications and consultations regarding developments in Palestine and the region.

On October 7, the Hamas movement launched an unprecedented attack on Israel under the name “Al-Aqsa Flood” by launching thousands of rocket shells towards Israel, and in parallel, Palestinian fighters entered Israeli territory.

In response, Israel announced the launch of Operation Iron Swords against Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.

For the 17th day in a row, Israel continues to commit massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip, bombing residential neighborhoods and hospitals, which led to the death of about 400 Palestinians during the past 24 hours.

5,087 dead are the result of the occupation’s continuing aggression against our people in Gaza.

Medical sources announced that the number of martyrs among the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip had risen to 5,087 martyrs, since the start of the occupation aggression on the seventh of this month of October.

The same sources explained that the number of dead of the aggression on the Gaza Strip rose to 5,087 martyrs, including 2,055 children, 1,119 women, 217 elderly people, and 15,273 wounded.

The occupation forces committed 23 massacres in the past 24 hours, claiming the lives of 436 persons, including 182 children, the majority of whom were from the south of the Gaza Strip. Renewed artillery and air bombardment on the Gaza Strip

At the dawn of the seventeenth day of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, the occupation warplanes and artillery continued, at dawn on Monday, raids and bombing on several sites in the Gaza Strip.

Local sources explained that a series of raids carried out by the occupation aircraft targeted several homes in the city of Rafah, including the home of the Abu Iyada family in Tal al-Sultan, and led to a number of martyrs and injuries.

In the Al-Qaizan neighborhood, south of Khan Yunis, occupation aircraft bombed a house over the heads of its residents, killing about 7 martyrs, including children and an infant.

In the Central Governorate, the occupation warplanes targeted with several missiles the homes of the Abu Jalda family, the Al-Bayaa family, the Al-Sharafi family, and the Al-Saafin family, resulting in a number of martyrs and injuries.

In Gaza Governorate, occupation aircraft bombed the homes of the Al-Ghoul family, the Abdel Latif family on Aidiya Street in Al-Nasr, the Abu Nasser family, the Muhanna family in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, the Ensio family, and a house in the vicinity of the beach supply, which resulted in a number of martyrs and injuries.

In northern Gaza, the occupation forces bombed, with their warplanes, the house of the Al-Lidawi family, which led to its complete destruction and a number of neighboring houses, resulting in dozens of martyrs and wounded.

The occupation artillery also bombed the eastern areas of the Gaza Strip with dozens of shells.

Occupation aircraft bombed the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City

The occupation warplanes bombed the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in the center of Gaza City, as well as the vicinity of Al-Quds Hospital, west of Gaza.

Local sources reported that the Israeli occupation aircraft bombed with several missiles the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, which contains the largest number of wounded and medical staff, as well as the vicinity of Al-Quds Hospital in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood for the second time.

She added that the occupation aims to cause confusion in the health system by directly threatening hospitals with evacuation and bombing, or by bombing nearby areas.

Israeli occupation aircraft also bombed a residential apartment in “Al-Salhi Tower 4” in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip.

Medical sources reported that two martyrs and about 15 wounded arrived at Al-Shifa Hospital this evening, as a result of a series of raids on homes in different areas of Gaza City.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes launched a series of raids near Al-Quds Hospital, affiliated with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, in the Gaza Strip.

On Monday, a settler attacked an ambulance and others demolished an agricultural room in the cities of Nablus and Bethlehem in the West Bank.

In Nablus, an armed settler intercepted an ambulance returning from the city of Nablus with his vehicle, and prevented it from passing towards the town of Huwwara.

In Bethlehem, a group of settlers from the “Sidi Boaz” settlement outpost, which is located on citizens’ lands, demolished an agricultural room, which is an old building, in the “target land” in the Dahr al-Riyah area, west of the town of Al-Khader, belonging to the citizen Amjad Asaad Ahmed Salah.

It is noteworthy that the settlers had demolished two agricultural rooms two days ago, in the same area, in addition to demolishing similar rooms in other areas, and preventing farmers from reaching their lands to pick grapes.

The spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, Jonathan Conricus, offered a stark ultimatum for Hamas: release all prisoners and surrender unconditionally, or face the continuation of a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. This bold declaration comes amidst a sea of calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas from activists, advocates, and human rights organizations worldwide, all seeking to protect the children of Gaza, prevent the outbreak of a regional war, and promote peace.

A single condition for peace

According to Conricus, a ceasefire is not a realistic or productive solution. Hamas, he argues, has a history of exploiting ceasefires to build weaponry and resume attacks. The only true path to peace and the protection of innocent lives, he suggests, is the unconditional surrender of Hamas. This assertion challenges not only the strategies of Hamas but also the prevailing narratives in progressive political discourse.

Political and moral implications

Calling for the unconditional surrender of Hamas is not only a military strategy but also a political and moral stance. Hamas depends heavily on international aid and diplomatic support. Deprived of these resources, Hamas would struggle to sustain their attacks. Advocating for their surrender allows the Left to show their concern for all children without subscribing to a hierarchy of human life. The demand for surrender rejects the moral relativism that equates the right to life of a perpetrator intending harm with that of their victims. It also challenges progressive leaders who overlook the war crimes of Hamas.

Innocent lives at risk

The proposed surrender of Hamas would also work towards eliminating the threat to innocent lives on both sides. Without Hamas in power, the likelihood of future bloodshed diminishes, making a ceasefire a genuine possibility. Conricus argues that it is unrealistic and unfair to expect Israel to accept a certain number of innocent deaths at the hands of Hamas to save lives today. The focus, he suggests, should instead be on eradicating the root cause of the violence.

Critics and developments

Not everyone agrees with Conricus. Critics argue that demanding the unconditional surrender of Hamas is unrealistic. They believe Hamas would never agree to such terms and suggest that efforts should focus on pressuring Israel to halt its military operations.

Conricus, however, contends that this approach is a betrayal of moral standards and a form of cynical pragmatism that sacrifices innocent Israeli lives. He believes the Left’s progressive voice can be most effective by calling for the unconditional surrender of Hamas.

Meanwhile, the conflict continues to evolve. A second aid convoy of 14 trucks has entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, bringing much-needed humanitarian assistance. At the same time, concerns linger for the 130 premature babies in incubators in Gaza’s hospitals as the blockade on fuel has left hospitals running out of power. Amidst these developments, the international community calls for the release of all hostages held by Hamas, while reports emerge of Israeli air strikes near hospitals in Gaza.

International response and regional implications

Leaders of the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada have reiterated their support for Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism but have called for adherence to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians. They have also called for the release of all remaining hostages and the continued flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Furthermore, the conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated along the Israeli-Lebanese and Israeli-Syrian borders. Israeli warplanes struck two Hezbollah cells in Lebanon that were planning to launch anti-tank missiles and rockets towards Israel. The situation in Gaza is also causing concern regionally and internationally, with fears of a more extensive ground conflict and a potential humanitarian disaster.

The Chinese Middle East special envoy has called on the international community to take immediate action to control the situation and prevent a severe humanitarian disaster. China has expressed its readiness to contribute to promoting dialogue, achieving a ceasefire, restoring peace, and finding a just and lasting resolution to the conflict.

As the situation in Gaza remains complex and volatile, the call for the unconditional surrender of Hamas is viewed as a way to protect innocent lives and foster lasting peace. However, the path to achieving this goal is strewn with challenges and differing opinions.

The international community continues to play a crucial role in providing aid and support, but more must be done to address the root causes of the conflict and ensure the protection of civilians on both sides.

Source: bnn.network

A march took place in the center of the city of Ramallah, Monday evening, denouncing the continuing aggression of the Israeli occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Participants in the march raised Palestinian flags and roamed the streets of the city, chanting slogans calling for national unity to confront the crimes of the occupation, and others calling for an end to the occupation’s aggression against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and for the occupation to be held accountable for the crimes it commits against the Palestinian people.

Draft results of a European Union summit showed that EU leaders will call this week for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza so that humanitarian aid can be delivered to the Strip “safely,” in light of the Israeli aggression that has continued for 17 days.

Union officials said that the text may change before the summit, which will be held on October 26 and 27.

Some countries expressed reservations about calling for a ceasefire or cessation of fighting, saying that it could be seen as limiting Israel's right to self-defense, as they put it.

Since October 7, Israel has launched an aggression against the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of more than 5,000 Palestinians and the displacement of more than a million people.

The leaders of the 27-nation bloc will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, in the so-called European Council, where the "crisis in the Middle East" will be at the top of the agenda.

"Working to protect civilians"

A draft of the summit’s outcomes, seen by Reuters, revealed that “the European Council supports the call of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for a humanitarian truce in order to allow safe delivery of humanitarian aid and aid to reach those in need.”

The draft also stated that the European Union "will work closely with partners in the region to protect civilians, support those trying to reach safety or provide assistance and facilitate access to food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter."

It also noted that "the European Union reiterates the need for the immediate release of all hostages without any precondition."

In addition, European Union leaders will stress - based on the draft - the need to prevent the war from expanding into a broader conflict in the Middle East and “engage with partners in this regard, including the Palestinian Authority.”

It also stated that the leaders will express their willingness to contribute to reviving talks on consolidating the “two-state solution,” and will express their welcome to the peace summit initiative proposed by Egypt.

“The important thing is more and faster aid.”

European Union foreign policy official Josep Borrell called for providing additional and faster aid to Gaza, indicating that the continental bloc would consider calling for a “humanitarian truce” in the Strip, which is being subjected to intense Israeli bombing.

Borrell said ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers of member states: “What is important? What is important is more and faster aid, especially the introduction of basic materials that can restore the provision of water and electricity.”

by Justin Conrad

Last weekend’s unprecedented events in Israel may constitute the largest-scale suicide terrorist attack in history. That’s why it will almost certainly lead to the death of Hamas, the organization that perpetrated it. Terrorist attacks are designed to project an image of strength and credibility, and Hamas’ attack certainly demonstrated some level of strength.

It was a logistically and tactically complex operation, and the group clearly devoted significant resources to its planning and implementation. The as-of-yet unproven claim that Iran played a role in the attack only adds to the perception that Hamas is a formidable political power, a force to be reckoned with. But the reality is very different: Hamas is a declining organization that gambled everything on a single, audacious attack. The intention was to put to rest doubts about its legitimacy and ensure it maintains power in the Gaza Strip. 

The attack was not intended to topple the Israeli government or defeat the Israeli military. Even Hamas understands this is not possible. It was meant to strengthen support for an organization that has atrophied in many ways. And Hamas’ support will rise temporarily because it thrives on violence. 

The group replaced its competitor, Fatah, as the leading Palestinian political organization because its wave of violence against Israel appealed to Palestinians who believed Fatah had gone soft. Hamas’ abhorrent violence against noncombatants during the Second Intifada helped convince Israel to unilaterally relinquish control over the Gaza Strip in 2005. 

Then, in 2007, the organization waged a violent campaign against Palestinians to take complete control of Gaza. After more than fifteen years as the de facto government, Hamas is frequently viewed as corrupt and obtuse, much like the party it replaced. In fact, the only time Hamas sees a resurgence in popularity is when it clashes violently with Israel. 

In 2021, a poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that Hamas’ declining popularity among Palestinians was reversed after it launched rocket attacks against Israel. This is a recurring pattern: in three major conflicts prior to 2021, fighting with Israel successfully resurrected its popularity. These waves of support always last a maximum of six months before Hamas’ ambitious promises ring hollow.

The same is true of Hamas’ international reputation. Before the 2008 Gaza War, perceptions of Hamas had plummeted in Muslim countries around the world. Only one Muslim country surveyed by the Pew Global Attitudes Project that year had a net favorable view of Hamas. But that changed when Israel invaded the Gaza Strip later that year. Violence created Hamas, and violence sustains it. That’s why the attack in Israel is a calculated gamble. A single, barbaric attack can dramatically reverse the fortunes of a declining organization. Facing a loss of legitimacy at home and abroad, Hamas planned an “all-eggs-in-one-basket” terrorist attack. Hamas’s leadership knew this decision could lead to their destruction, but they wagered it was also the last, best chance to solidify their power. 

That its leaders chose to accept such an insane level of risk tells us that the organization is weak. Weakness increases risky behavior as individuals and organizations desperately try to salvage their losses. Political scientists refer to this as “gambling for resurrection.”

And let’s be honest: targeting women, children, and the elderly is a display of weakness, not strength. Hamas undoubtedly expended so many resources and personnel in the execution of this attack that they have little capacity to do much more. Their only hope is to spur Palestinians and others around the world into action. That’s the gamble. That’s the entire plan. 

So when we hear Hamas leaders like Ismail Haniyeh promising similar attacks, they are simply not credible. Al-Qaeda, after all, spent years promising attacks that would surpass 9/11, but in reality, it continued to coast on its reputation from that single attack. 

Hamas is now seeing the consequences of its risk-taking. Yes, there is already plenty of criticism of Israel, and that criticism will increase as Israel wages war in Gaza and perhaps elsewhere. Baiting Israel into committing heavy-handed acts of violence is part of Hamas’ strategy. 

But one of the few things holding Israel back from total war against Palestine in the past has been concerns about public perception. Namely, domestic and international backlash that could undermine such efforts. Israel no longer faces this constraint. Israel now has tremendous temporary support, and they know they only have a brief window to accomplish their goals. Israel will not be able to extinguish all the fires that have been lit.

Palestinian dissent will not go away due to a single, or even a series of, military operations. In fact, it’s likely to be enflamed further. The members of Hamas that survive will channel their efforts into new terrorist organizations and political parties. But Hamas, as we know it today, will no longer exist. Hamas bet on violence to ensure its survival, but it has only hastened its destruction. 

Source: The National Interest

By Amos Harel

While Israel is still preparing and floundering regarding the expected entry of the army into the Gaza Strip, the regional arena is full of events. The United States has deployed reinforced military forces in the Middle East, the largest since the establishment of the coalition to fight ISIS in 2014. At the same time, Iran is activating militias, with the aim of harming Israeli and American targets, while Hezbollah continues to escalate on the border. North.

The most dramatic event far from Israel was on October 19, when the Houthis from Yemen launched 19 drones and missiles directed northward, in the direction of Israel. Iran has been supplying the Houthis with a lot of weapons for more than 10 years, which have been used to carry out attacks against Saudi Arabia and the UAE, under its direction. The target of the current strike could be the Eilat region, whose population has doubled over the past week, after it received evacuees from the “Gaza envelope” and the northern border towns.

The Houthi bombing successfully intercepted an American destroyer equipped with Aegis combat management systems, including radars and interceptor missiles. This destroyer belongs to the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group, which the Americans sent to the Cyprus area to deter Iran and Hezbollah from attacking Israel. One day before the attack, the destroyer headed south into the Red Sea, so the Americans could have guessed, or known in advance, that something was going on.

For several years, Israel and the United States have been conducting exercises under the title "Jennifer Cobra", where they practice cooperation to intercept missiles. This time, it appears that a larger joint system has been built than the one deployed near Israel in the 1991 and 2003 Iraq wars. In recent years, the Biden administration has prepared to build a so-called regional air defense architecture, sharing radars and interceptor missiles from different countries. Now, faster than planned, we are witnessing her first practical exam.

In return, the influx of US forces into the region continues. The second aircraft carrier, the Eisenhower, and its strike group will arrive in the area, it appears, next weekend (its target appears to be the Gulf). The Americans also deployed squadrons of fighter aircraft in Jordan, while transport aircraft, weapons and other tools continue to be sent to the region. The Pentagon justifies these steps due to the escalating threat to regional stability. All of this is in addition to the air bridge that supplies Israel with weapons and spare parts, and within its framework, 62 American and Israeli transport planes arrived here as of yesterday. In the security establishment, they say that this campaign is the second in the state’s history, in terms of size, after the famous one during the Yom Kippur War.

At the same time, the Iranians do not appear to have taken steps to back down. During the past few days, American military bases in Iraq and Syria have received strikes from militia drones operated by Iran. European intelligence services estimate that despite the direct threat made by President Joe Biden, Tehran wants to examine the American seriousness in its support for Israel. The United States Embassy in Iraq decided the day before yesterday to evacuate the place of non-essential employees. Yesterday, the Houthi government in Yemen threatened to attack Israeli ships passing in the Red Sea.

These regional transformations are taking place in the background, while Hezbollah launches anti-armor missiles and shells every day towards the army forces deployed on the border (the towns themselves are empty, for the most part, by decision of the army). It seems that the army has improved over the past few days its ability to diagnose and deal with cells. During the past weeks, dozens of "saboteurs" from Hezbollah and Hamas were killed, most of them during the past days.

However, every operational success of one party prompts the other party to search for an appropriate response. The feeling in Israel is that the misunderstanding scenario could turn into a dangerous matter, especially with the preparations for the army's ground entry into the Gaza Strip. United States President Joe Biden and his Secretary of State said yesterday that they do not oppose Israel's entry into the Gaza Strip, but they added that Biden passed on to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a message that Israel must act according to the laws of war and reduce harm to civilians. The Americans want to make an additional attempt in the coming days to free more kidnapped persons held by Hamas in a deal, mediated by Qatar.

At the same time, those close to Netanyahu began repeating the message that one should not rush into Gaza, and that the risk of conflagration in the north and the entire region should be taken into account. The most serious man there is former National Security Advisor, Yaakov Amidror, who yesterday told Kan News that “there is no harm in waiting for ground entry. Every day that passes is in our favor and against Hamas, and with time there will be less need for the air force in Gaza, and it can be passed to the north.” Hours later, Netanyahu's fans began tweeting on the "X" website that they must wait and bomb from the air, in order to free the fighters from the restrictions imposed on them by the judicial system, before they enter.

These interpretations do not, at this moment, directly contradict the army's messages. The army is finalizing preparations for the ground move, but it can use a few extra days to improve it, if they give it to it. But there are other external pressures on the political and military system: the Israeli public’s expectations of a major strike against Hamas, despite the fear of losses; The fact that 350,000 reserve fighters were conscripted two weeks ago and the damage being caused to the economy, including stopping the education system; The fear is that the international legitimacy that Israel obtains due to the massacre in the “Gaza envelope” will decline with the arrival of more difficult scenes as a result of the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.

Source: Haaretz

The Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs Authority said on Monday that the Israeli occupation forces are exploiting the war on the Gaza Strip to unilaterally torture and abuse female prisoners, in light of the blackout over the prison situation and the prevention of lawyers and families of female prisoners from visiting them.

The Commission revealed the details of the storming of Damoun Prison last Tuesday with a large force of prison guards carrying batons, gas bombs, and weapons in their hands, and emptying the contents of the rooms. When the female prisoners objected to this, “they were beaten and some of them were isolated, in addition to flooding the rooms with gas bombs, without taking into account the minors, the elderly, and the sick.”

The Prisoners' Authority pointed out that this comes in light of the severe retaliatory measures to which female prisoners have been subjected for more than two weeks, noting the recent escalation of the arrest campaign under the pretext of incitement and activity on social media sites, bringing the number of female prisoners to about 50 currently in Damoun Prison.

Mounting arrests

For its part, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club revealed that the occupation forces launched an arrest campaign in the West Bank last night and at dawn on Monday, including at least 85 Palestinians. This campaign has escalated in an unprecedented way since October 7, the date the resistance factions in Gaza launched Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” in response to the multiple violations of the Israeli occupation, which launches intense raids on Gaza that left thousands of martyrs and wounded.

The Commission and the Prisoners' Club stated that the occupation is pursuing a policy of arrest, threats, and beatings against detainees and their families, and vandalizing citizens' homes, noting that arrests have exceeded 6,500 since the beginning of this year.

Today, Monday, the Council of Ministers approved the Ministry of Social Development’s plan to secure the humanitarian needs of our people in the Gaza Strip.

The Council of Ministers decided, in its session held in the city of Ramallah, headed by Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh, to provide urgent relief and humanitarian needs and assistance to citizens in the Gaza Strip, and to provide logistical and coordination support among all parties, to facilitate their access to them.

He also decided to distribute ambulance crews and vehicles according to the national emergency plan in coordination between the Ministry of Health, the Red Crescent and the Medical Services, and to assign the ministers in the sector to coordinate this.

The Council of Ministers approved the final referral of a number of projects in the fields of electricity, water, and local government.

It was decided to operate winter time in Palestine, starting at two o’clock in the morning on Saturday, 10/28, by delaying the clock hands by 60 minutes.

The Minister of Social Development, Ahmed Majdalani, presented a report on the volume of relief aid and interventions that the Ministry has provided to our people in the Gaza Strip since the start of the aggression two weeks ago, in accordance with the response plan prepared by the Ministry to provide the needs of the families affected by the rolling aggression, in partnership with many partners and specialized authorities in terms of continuing to provide Basic services for citizens in the sector, taking into account all the bad expectations, as the most important areas that need immediate and proactive interventions have been identified despite the risks of movement by the Ministry’s crews and its emergency committees.

The report indicated that all aid received through the Egyptian Red Crescent reaches the Ministry through the Palestinian Red Crescent, which is coordinated with in completing the distribution process.

It was also agreed between the Ministry and the "PalPay" Foundation to facilitate the disbursement of aid by accrediting its distribution outlets. International institutions were also urged to approve purchasing vouchers and cash aid through the "PalPay" system.

In his speech at the beginning of the session, Shtayyeh said, “Our quest for freedom, independence, and the establishment of our state will not stop, and our steadfastness on our land will not be disturbed by the crimes of the colonialists.”

He added, "The specter of death threatens thousands of children and patients in hospitals where fuel is about to run out, as electricity, water, medicine, and food continue to be cut off from our people there, for the seventeenth day, in light of the massacres to which our people are being exposed in the Gaza Strip at the hands of the Israeli killing and criminal machine." .

He stressed, "What is happening in Gaza requires that conscientious people and human rights advocates take action in order to stop the killing and forced displacement, and restore lifelines to our people besieged by the lava of death, which, to say the least, is crimes against humanity, mass murder, and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions." .

The Prime Minister pointed out that "occupation crimes are being committed throughout Palestine in Gaza, Tulkarm, Jalazoun, Nour Shams, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Jerusalem, Hebron, Jericho, Bethlehem, Tubas, Qalqilya and everywhere, at the hands of the army and colonialists. These crimes must stop immediately."

Shtayyeh said: “The voice of the global conscience and the peoples of the world have expressed their rejection of these crimes loudly, but it must be heard by the protectors of Israel,” and he saluted all the voices calling for freedom for the people of Palestine, and called on the peoples of the world to continue to support the rights of our people and stop the aggression against them.

He pointed out that what the leaders of the occupying state are saying about preparations for a ground invasion means continuing to commit new crimes, atrocities, forced displacement, and killing for the sake of killing and revenge.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Palestinian people are the owner of a civilization and an ancient people with a history, present and future. They are the owner of the land and have existed on it for thousands of years, and Israel is a colonial entity that occupied our land and displaced our people.

The Prime Minister asked: Where is the civilization that allows the occupation to kill 1,800 children, including infants? Where is the civilization that allows the killing of innocent women, the elderly and the infirm? Where is the civilization that besieges and deprives 2.3 million Palestinians of water and electricity? Where is the civilization that allows the cold-blooded killing of babies in premature incubators who are threatened by a lack of oxygen? Where is the civilization that prevents the entry of medical materials so that surgical operations are performed without anesthesia? Where is the civilization that prevents medicine from cancer patients in Gaza? Where is the civilization that bombs a hospital and demands the evacuation of other hospitals, which means removing life support devices from patients in recovery and emergency rooms?

He said: "What is happening in Gaza is a genocidal war carried out by a criminal machine with a barbaric, colonialist mentality, which craves killing, takes pleasure in the torture of innocents and children, and bombs mosques and churches."

He added: "Our people will defeat the tendencies of arrogance and criminality, and the dreams of expansion that shape the ideology and thought of Israel's leaders who practice policies of ethnic cleansing and genocide."

The Prime Minister stressed that the priority now is to stop the war and aggression, bring relief materials into Gaza, protect civilians and stop forced displacement, which is an international responsibility.

He pointed out that the government is following up with our Egyptian brothers on the entry of relief materials through the Rafah crossing, and that President Mahmoud Abbas is making all contacts with countries and world leaders in order to stop the aggression against our people.

The Prime Minister called for allowing the international press to reach Gaza, to document and expose the occupation crimes committed there.

Shtayyeh said that the Council of Ministers is in permanent session, and it is following hour by hour the rolling Israeli crime against our people in the Gaza Strip and the rest of the Palestinian territories, renewing the pledge and loyalty to our people until the end of the occupation and the establishment of the state with Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return for refugees.

Popular movements continue in many capitals and cities around the world to denounce the Israeli aggression against Gaza, which has entered its seventeenth day, as the occupation forces continue their raids on the besieged Palestinian Strip since October 7.

As the pace of Israeli crimes against defenseless Palestinians increases, the scope of protests expands, with participants calling for an immediate cessation of the aggression.

Hundreds of demonstrators came out in Boston, United States, in a massive march in Copley Square in the city center.

The demonstrators raised Palestinian flags and chanted for the freedom of the Palestinian people. They also called on the American administration to play a more effective role in stopping the Israeli massacres.

In Denmark, thousands roamed the largest streets of the capital, Copenhagen, in a huge march that ended at Christiansborg Palace, where the Parliament building is.

The protesters called on their country's government to pressure the occupation government to stop the massacres targeting children and women.

“Srebrenica yesterday, Gaza today”

In a related context, the scale of Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip prompted thousands to take to the streets in Sarajevo.

The demonstrators chanted, "Srebrenica yesterday is Gaza today," in reference to the Srebrenica massacre, in which Serb forces exterminated hundreds of Muslims in the region.

The same popular anger was witnessed in Pakistan, as hundreds marched towards the US Consulate in Karachi, where they gathered in a protest demanding an end to the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

More than 19,000 people were displaced in Lebanon as a result of the military escalation between Hezbollah and Israel in the border area coinciding with the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, according to what the United Nations International Organization for Migration reported Monday.

The organization stated in a report that “a rise in incidents across the border between Israel and Lebanon” led to the displacement of 19,646 people “within the south and other areas of the country.”

The organization indicated an increase in the number of displaced people daily since the start of the escalation in Lebanon, the day after Hamas launched an unprecedented bloody attack on Israel on October 7, and Israel responded to it since then with violent bombing of the besieged Gaza Strip.

A regional spokesman for the organization, Muhammad Ali Abu al-Naga, told Agence France-Presse, “We expect an increase in numbers” if the situation continues or escalates further in the border region.

The majority of the displaced, according to Abu al-Naga, joined members of their families, while others took refuge in three schools that were turned into shelter centers in the southern city of Tyre.

An Agence France-Presse correspondent reported on three schools crowded with displaced people in Tyre, where the local authorities, which received more than four thousand displaced people, are working to open a new shelter center.

The Israeli army says it bombed two Hezbollah cells in Lebanon

For two weeks, the border area has witnessed an exchange of bombing, especially between Hezbollah and Israel, and Palestinian fighters have carried out several infiltration operations towards Israel.

The escalation resulted in the killing of 40 people on the Lebanese side, the majority of whom were Hezbollah fighters, in addition to 7 fighters from Palestinian factions and 4 civilians, including a photographer for the Reuters news agency.

At least 4 people were killed on the Israeli side, according to Agence France-Presse.

Abu Al-Naga warned, “In light of the economic deterioration and the significant increase in poverty rates...in Lebanon, displacement may increase pressure on the resources of host communities.”

He said, "The health sector is facing a severe shortage of resources, including medicines... in addition to doctors and nurses who left the country as a result of the economic crisis," adding, "In this context, the response to widespread displacement... may overwhelm an already fragile health system," according to Agence France-Presse.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced on Sunday that his government is working to develop an “emergency plan... out of caution” in case the situation worsens, although he referred to international, Arab and local contacts to work to “prevent the spread of the war” in Gaza to Lebanon.

The American Fox News website said that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) announced a change in its editorial policy after violent reactions, and will henceforth describe the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) as a "terrorist organization."

The website said - in a report - that the BBC initially refused to use the term “banned terrorist organization” to describe Hamas in its coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza, as after the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation it used the phrases “freedom fighters” or “ "Armed men" or "militants", not "terrorists".

The report added that as the situation developed into a war, viewers became increasingly frustrated with the BBC's refusal to use the term "terrorists," especially after reports of "brutal" practices against civilians for which they said Hamas was responsible.

Fox News stated that although the BBC originally defended its decision, the Board of Deputies of British Jews wrote - in a press release last Friday - that the director-general of the corporation, Tim Davie, has since agreed to the change.

The Commission confirmed - in a press statement - that it is committed to continuing the dialogue, and that it will no longer use the term Hamas fighters and, instead, will describe the movement as a “terrorist organization banned by the British government” and others, or simply in the name of Hamas.

Davy is also scheduled to meet with members of the British Parliament on Wednesday regarding the authority’s coverage of the war between Israel and Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced on Monday that the number of Israeli prisoners in Gaza is 222, and that the number of soldiers killed since the start of the aggression against Gaza on October 7 has reached 308.

Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a press conference: “The families of 222 kidnapped people in the Gaza Strip have been informed. This number is not final,” he said.

He also announced that the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the war had risen to 308.

He added: "We will continue to work in all possible ways to return the prisoners to their homes safely, whether military, intelligence or political."

Hagari continued: “This is the goal of this war, in addition to the goal of ending Hamas’ authority and Hamas’ capabilities, and the goals will be achieved,” he said.

He stated, "During the night (Sunday-Monday), armored and infantry forces carried out an incursion with the aim of eliminating armed cells that are being prepared for the next stage, and also to determine information about missing persons and kidnapped persons."

On the other hand, he indicated that 14 humanitarian aid trucks were allowed to enter Gaza, but he stated that “it was confirmed that fuel would not enter the Strip.”

He added: "The military readiness of the Israeli army is present and strengthening. Even as we speak now, there is a plane attacking dozens of targets where there are militants, in preparation for the next phase of the war."

Earlier Monday, Israeli Army Radio said that Tel Aviv decided to “delay the ground war” in the Gaza Strip pending the arrival of additional American forces to the region.

The Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" warned on Monday that the Israeli occupation's ground entry into the Gaza Strip would be an opportunity to inflict losses, including deaths and captivity.

Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou said in press statements: “If the occupation makes a ground entry, this is a good opportunity to inflict losses in killing and captivity.”

He continued, "The Kissufim operation yesterday (Sunday) is one of the messages he received."

On Sunday, the Israeli army announced, “A soldier was killed and 3 others were injured, as a result of an anti-tank missile fired from the Gaza Strip at a military force in the Kissufim area in the south of the country.”

Al-Qanou stressed that the resistance is cohesive, strong, capable of managing the battle, and is highly prepared to confront any ground aggression against Gaza.

The Hamas spokesman said: “The madness of the criminal, fascist Zionist occupation in bombing civilians demonstrates the state of confusion in which it is still experiencing and the confusion of its army leadership in managing the battle.”

He pointed out that the occupation's operations to destroy the Gaza Strip and commit massacres against civilians will not achieve its goals or give it the image of victory.

Al-Qanou stressed that "our people are triumphing over the state of agony, pain, killing and destruction in order to thwart the displacement plan and liquidate their just cause."

One of the goals of the war decided by the Israeli government is to destroy the military and authoritarian capabilities of Hamas and other “terrorist” organizations in the Gaza Strip. This is the first phase of the war, and the Israeli army is working to implement these political directives. As for the people of Israel and the peoples of the region and the world, they are waiting to see whether Israel will act with the required strictness. It is clear that the results of the war in Gaza will affect the region, which will, in turn, affect the international arena. What we see before us now is a historic opportunity to reshape the Middle East in a way that improves Israel's strategic position.

It seems that there are no responsible parties in Israel prepared to return to the situation that Israel was in, on the eve of the deadly attack on October 7. The State of Israel faces a regional and international challenge, as it is not fighting this war alone. Israel is fighting the free world's war against "murderous barbarism." Israel has become the last stronghold, the last dam, in the face of the “barbarians” invading the heart of Western civilization. This is how we should look at this war, and this is how we should present it.

These days, everyone must draw clear dividing lines between deadly darkness and humanity, between good and evil, and between right and wrong. Hamas is only one component of the radical axis led by Iran, which is supported by both Russia and China. Therefore, the results of this war will necessarily affect the system of global powers, and any achievement short of its complete destruction and turning Gaza into a wasteland before the eyes of the world, forever, will represent an achievement for the axis of resistance, and lead to its strengthening and the continuation of its deadly conflict aimed at undermining the two regional and international systems. 

The State of Israel should not only destroy Hamas, but rather assume full security responsibility for the Gaza Strip for the coming years. Only in this way can the security of citizens and the army be restored, and only in this way can the return to prosperity of the towns in the Western Negev be guaranteed. But this alone is not enough.

The Gaza war should turn into a demolition machine that digs into the foundations of the existing order and undermines it, leading to the establishment of a new regional order. This will be reflected in a new regional architecture, based on normalization processes between Israel and the Arab world, led by Saudi Arabia. This new regional camp, supported by America, must become a strong and protective wall against the spread of the Iranian resistance axis, or even its weakening.

The new order requires strictness against countries that oppose the new order and deceive the free world. One example of such countries is Qatar. It is a small emirate that maneuvers, thanks to its huge oil and gas reserves, and by operating the island’s network, as if it were a regional superpower. It provides assistance to Hamas, but it enjoys its connection to all parties, and positions itself as an important and influential player in the game of nations. We must not allow Qatar to continue to “evade.” The United States should also give Qatar the option of separating from Hamas, expelling all of the movement’s activists from its territory, and completely curbing the Al Jazeera network. Otherwise, the United States will lift its protection from Qatar. Attempts to use Qatar as a mediator vis-à-vis Hamas and Iran, and any agreement to continue working on current policies, will be a disruption to the new system that is supposed to be implemented, and will also be a driving wind in the sails of the Iranian ship.

The process of releasing the two kidnapped women who hold American citizenship once again raises scenes of selectivity in our history...Hamas took this step in order to gain legitimacy to continue pushing Western countries, in order to pressure Israel to postpone the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. Instead of her detention of the kidnapped people turning into a burden on her, this liberation process shows that the kidnapped people have turned into an asset. And here is Qatar, once again, reaping the fruits of glory, and consolidating its position as an important mediator and a major, legitimate regional player.

Voices will rise demanding the liberation of the kidnapped, by replacing them with security prisoners. We must remember that the one who planned and carried out this “terrorist” attack was none other than Yahya Sinwar, who was liberated as part of the Gilad Shalit deal, and other prisoners liberated in this deal led the deadly attack. By the time the deadly attack was carried out, which cost Israel a heavy price in blood, about 90 Israelis had been killed by liberators in that deal. Any additional prisoner release deal means the release of thousands of “killers” who will kill Israelis later. Any prisoner exchange deal will raise morale in the resistance axis.

The new regional order requires breaking away from outdated models, such as the need to support the Palestinian Authority, without this authority undergoing changes in its essence. The war in Gaza highlights, more and more, the laxity of the Palestinian Authority and its lack of connection with reality. Talking about the return of the Palestinian Authority to rule in Gaza is separate from reality. This authority is unable to control the sector, due to its “weakness, corruption, and lack of legitimacy.”

Controlling the Gaza Strip the day after the war requires a settlement that rehabilitates the conditions for the future return of the Palestinian Authority to the Strip, after proving its ability to govern in the West Bank, and a complete cessation of incitement, glorification of “saboteurs,” “terrorist activities,” and “support.” "Material income for terrorists and their families." In any case, and under any circumstances, Israel must reserve for itself complete freedom of security action in the Gaza Strip, similar to the freedom of action available to it in the areas of the West Bank. Israel must also maintain its operational freedom of movement. This means the ability to carry out military action of all sizes, with the aim of immediately eliminating any attempt at a rise by Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

The Gaza war is also considered a historic opportunity to dismantle UNRWA, an organization that represents an active partner in perpetuating the conflict, by instilling the spirit of armed resistance, the myth of the return of refugees, and for playing an active role in the deadly incitement against Israel. This organization has worked alongside the Palestinian Authority, as a leading body in rehabilitating souls and crystallizing awareness of the struggle against Israel among the younger generation, since the beginning of the Oslo process.

Underestimating the importance of combating incitement, the importance of changing the Palestinian school curricula, and the issue of paying salaries to “terrorists” and their families [salaries to prisoners and families of martyrs], is what created this “rotten fruit” represented in the broader Palestinian narrative, especially among the younger generation of Palestinians, who This generated widespread popular support for Hamas and its “murderous and barbaric” operations. We must not allow the revival of the Palestinian Authority, without it making a fundamental change that affects everything related to the contents that are taught in the educational system and in the Palestinian media.

The Gaza war must end with a clear and clear achievement that not only weakens and deters the Iranian axis, but also constitutes a gateway to the next stage, which is the disarmament of Hezbollah, as it is the most important forward front for Iran. Israel cannot long tolerate Hezbollah's threats, which represent a blazing danger from the northern border, affecting all parts of the State of Israel. Hezbollah's fate must be one and no other: dismantling the party to its foundations. Dismantling Hamas in the Gaza Strip would consolidate the belief, not only in Israel, but also in the United States and the free world, of the necessity of undermining Hezbollah later in this battle.

However, even after this happens, the great war against the Axis of Evil will not end. Israel and the free world are required to continue relentlessly pursuing the leaders and activists of organizations around the world. The world has known how to unite against ISIS and define the organization as a global threat. The goal at this stage must be to unite the free world behind the slogan of war aimed at ending Hamas, Hezbollah, and all the other organizations within Iran’s orbit, until Eliminate them completely, and all these organizations must be defined as a global threat. In parallel, all efforts must be seriously unified against Iran, with a focus on the realistic military option against it.

The war in Gaza turns Israel, and behind it important American support, into the spearhead of the necessary global struggle against the “killer” axis of resistance. This war will be long and painful, but there is no alternative. The end of this war must be an unequivocal victory that also serves to consolidate the international and regional position of the United States, as it resolutely leads the free world and represents the greatest threat against the other camp. According to many concepts, Israel is now living the continuation of the 1948 war, and there is no war more just than this one.

Source: Maariv newspaper

Informed sources revealed to "Arabi Post" that Algeria is on its way to announcing its withdrawal from the Arab Peace Initiative, which was presented by the Arab League in 2002 with a Saudi proposal based on land for peace.

According to the same source, Algeria has come to the conclusion that Israel does not believe in the two-state solution, especially after its attempt to displace the people of Gaza to Egypt to liquidate the Palestinian cause.

According to the information obtained by “Arabi Post”, Algeria no longer sees the benefit of the Arab initiative, which stipulates the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The same source added that Tunisia may take the same decision in coordination with its neighbor Algeria, and other Arab countries may join in what looks like a collective withdrawal from the initiative, in response to the genocide being committed against the Palestinians in Gaza in front of the world.

Algeria's withdrawal from the peace initiative

An informed source told “Arabi Post” that Algeria refused to participate in the summit hosted by Egypt, on Saturday, October 21, in the New Administrative Capital, in the presence of 30 countries and regional international organizations.

Algeria, according to the same sources, refused to attend this summit, which aimed to prevent the displacement of Palestinians, stop the war, and revive the two-state solution project, in line with the decision it is preparing to announce soon, which is to withdraw from the Arab Peace Initiative.

Previously, Algeria had opposed and had reservations about issuing the recent Arab League resolution, and issued a statement in which it said it had reservations about what was stated in it as it equated the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas with the state of the Zionist entity.

Normalization increased her conviction

The wave of Arab normalization has increased Algeria's conviction that the Arab Peace Initiative is outdated, and most Arab countries are no longer committed to it except in their speeches, since, according to the initiative, normalization will be automatic once the State of Palestine is established on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and is recognized by Israel.

But Algeria believes, according to informed sources, that what is happening today is normalization without the Palestinians obtaining their rights. Which means gradually liquidating the Palestinian issue.

Algeria has repeatedly expressed its rejection of Arab normalization with Israel apart from the Arab initiative, describing what is happening as rushing towards Israel. This caused tension in its relations with the normalized Arab countries, especially the United Arab Emirates.

What is the Arab Peace Initiative?

The Arab Peace Initiative was presented by the late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz when he was Crown Prince, at the “Beirut Summit” in 2002, and aims to establish a Palestinian state, the return of refugees, and withdrawal from the Golan Heights, in exchange for peace with Israel.

Based on the Arab countries’ conviction that the military solution to the conflict did not achieve peace or security for any of the parties, the League Council asked Israel to reconsider its policies and lean towards peace, declaring that a just peace is its strategic choice, according to the “text of the initiative.”

The initiative called on Israel to "completely withdraw from the occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan up to the line of June 4, 1967, and the territories still occupied in southern Lebanon."

The Arab Peace Initiative, which was signed in Saudi Arabia, called for reaching a “just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem” agreed upon in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution No. 194.

It also called for accepting the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the Palestinian territories occupied since June 4, 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

If Israel responds to these demands, the Arab countries will consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, and will enter into a peace agreement between them and Israel, while achieving security for all countries in the region, according to what was stated in the text of the initiative.

The Arab countries "establish normal relations with Israel" within the framework of this comprehensive peace, as well as ensure the rejection of all forms of Palestinian settlement in the host Arab countries.

The League said at the conclusion of the Arab Peace Initiative that this “enables the Arab countries and Israel to live in peace side by side, and provides future generations with a secure, prosperous and stable future.”

Source: Arabic Post

For the first time in decades, the threat of war between Israel and the Palestinians has become a candidate for spreading to neighboring countries, and the outbreak of a large-scale war in the Middle East has become an issue that is not excluded, in light of the national security of many Arab countries being exposed to danger as a result of the current crisis. In fact, there are battles that have already occurred, albeit in a small way. Limited in some neighboring countries.

This comes in light of Israeli talk, sometimes explicit and sometimes implicit, about Tel Aviv’s intention to occupy Gaza and force its people to forcibly leave to Egypt, while it seems that it has received a Western green light in the war. It also seemed that for a period of time there was Western acceptance of the idea of deporting civilians to Sinai under the pretext of protecting them.

The war has already spread to some neighboring countries

The war between Israel and Hamas has already spread to neighboring countries in the form of street protests and even cross-border strikes, according to a report by the American website Axios.

Israel's neighboring countries fear the possibility of internal unrest and the influx of large numbers of refugees as the conflict worsens. At the same time, Israel fears the possibility of opening a second front on the border with Lebanon.

Each of the neighboring countries has already been drawn into this conflict in one way or another.

Lebanon.. Hezbollah has its hand on the trigger, and says it will not allow the Palestinian resistance to be eliminated

If a second front opens in the war between Israel and Hamas, it will most likely be on the border between Israel and Lebanon.

Daily skirmishes occur along the border, with Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon launching dozens of rockets, and the Israeli army launching strikes. At least three Lebanese citizens and an Israeli citizen were killed, along with a number of Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah militants.

Hezbollah has pledged to support Hamas, which has much greater military capabilities than Hamas, and the White House is discussing the use of military force if Hezbollah joins the fighting in Gaza.

Hezbollah views the war between Israel and Hamas from a broader perspective, and considers that the defeat of the resistance in Gaza may mean that Israel seeks to eliminate it and the rest of Iran’s allies in the region.

Accordingly, Lebanon has become, in one way or another, at the heart of the escalation that the region is witnessing as a result of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, even if it is not a direct and open military war, and the opening and igniting of fronts from Lebanon and Syria, but in the political and strategic sense it is a battle in the context of integrating the path of unity of the fronts that he spoke about in a way Hezbollah officials and Iranian leaders elaborated.

In the broader picture, Hezbollah may find in what is happening a golden opportunity, which cannot be allowed to be wasted within a clear framework, which is to prove the seriousness and strength of the “unity of the squares” project, and even if the internal price in Lebanon is large and unexpected, considering what is happening as a historical moment, not interacting with it. It will lead to multiple losses. Also, active participation in this war will lead to the imposition of conditions and concessions from Israel that no one has been able to obtain before, especially since from Hezbollah’s point of view, Israel is at the worst stage in its history since 1948, meaning that Israel is forced to make concessions in the end. According to a report by Al Jazeera.

In addition to the clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, large pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held in Beirut, including a demonstration on the evening of Wednesday, October 18, in front of the US Embassy, which Lebanese security forces used tear gas and water cannons to disperse.

Egypt.. Sisi warns of the danger of war with Israel

Egypt has long played the role of mediator between Israelis and Palestinians, shares a border with Gaza and was the first Arab country to recognize the State of Israel.

Israeli forces struck the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza – the only crossing point for civilians into Gaza – in the days following the Hamas attack on October 7.

This week, President Biden succeeded in pressuring Egypt and Israel to agree to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza through the crossing. First aid trucks began crossing into Gaza on Saturday, October 21.

A massive demonstration at Al-Zahr Mosque in solidarity with Palestine / Anatolia

Egypt refuses to open the fortified borders to allow refugees to leave. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also said that he fears the entry of armed men among civilians, and Egypt and the Palestinians alike fear that Israel will exploit the crisis to force the residents of Gaza to leave in preparation for the liquidation of the Palestinian cause.

The Egyptian President stressed that the idea of displacing Palestinians to Sinai means dragging Egypt into a war against Israel, during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Schulz.

Al-Sisi explained that “transferring Palestinian citizens from the Gaza Strip to Sinai means transferring the idea of resistance and fighting from Gaza to Sinai,” noting that the Egyptian peninsula “will therefore become a base for launching terrorist operations against Israel, which has the right to defend itself,” as he put it.

Jordan considers the expulsion of refugees a declaration of war

Jordan - which already has a large Palestinian population - says it will not allow more refugees.

Like Egypt, Jordan fears that a large influx of Palestinians will undermine the demand for a Palestinian state, an issue to which Jordan and most of its population are committed.

Jordan also fears that if Israel's alleged plans to displace the Palestinians of Gaza to Egypt succeed, they will soon be implemented in the West Bank, which Israel aspires to annex to its fertile lands.

Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, Ayman Safadi, said last Tuesday that any attempt to displace Palestinians means war for Jordan.

Al-Safadi added, in media statements, that a new catastrophe and setback will not be allowed, and the crisis will not be allowed to spread to neighboring countries.

Jordanian King Abdullah II also warned against any steps that seek to push the residents of the Gaza Strip toward forced displacement within the Palestinian territories or to neighboring countries, considering that this matter is unacceptable and is considered a red line for Jordan.

Pro-Palestinian protests have erupted in front of the Israeli embassy in Amman since the start of the war, especially after the explosion in the Baptist Hospital in Gaza.

Jordan's monarch, King Abdullah, quickly condemned Israel for striking the hospital, and canceled a scheduled four-way summit with Biden, Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The United States claims that Israel is not responsible for this explosion.

Syria...a potential arena for fighting between Israel, America, and Iran's allies

Syria fired artillery into Israeli territory, and Israel responded with fire a few days after the Hamas attack.

According to Syria, Israel bombed the Syrian airports in Damascus and Aleppo shortly after the outbreak of the conflict, and they were put out of service. Reuters reported that the aim of these strikes was to disrupt the flow of Iranian supplies and weapons to Syria.

Meanwhile, a US military base in Syria was attacked by a drone on Thursday, October 19, US officials told the Associated Press, without naming the attacker. American forces were targeted in similar attacks in Iraq, indicating the possibility of escalation in the region.

Iraq...a base for possible confrontation with the Americans

A military base in western Iraq, which includes American forces, was attacked by at least one drone, according to an Iraqi security source and another military source, without recording casualties or damage, as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.

The attack came as Iraqi factions loyal to Iran threatened US interests in Iraq against the backdrop of Washington's support for Israel in the war with Hamas, in a confrontation that has so far resulted in thousands of deaths.

The "Islamic Resistance in Iraq", via Telegram channels affiliated with Shiite factions loyal to Iran, claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the Ain al-Assad base on Saturday afternoon. But the Pentagon reported that it was not aware of any such attack.

Iraqi factions loyal to Iran had accused Israel and the United States of committing a “massacre” in Gaza, including the Hezbollah Brigades - one of the most prominent factions of the Popular Mobilization Forces - which stressed in a statement the necessity of “these evil people leaving the country,” in reference to the Americans, and threatened them if They did not do this because “they will taste the fire of hell in this world before the afterlife.”

The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces are considered Tehran’s largest agents in the region in terms of numbers, with some estimates of the number of its forces reaching one hundred thousand fighters. It can attack American targets in Iraq, and it can also operate from an already destroyed Syria against Israel, especially since Bashar al-Assad’s authority in the country is limited. Russia, which shares control over Syria with Iran, is also concerned with the escalation. To retaliate for US support for Ukraine.

Two sources close to the Iraqi groups loyal to Iran told the Persian-language Radio Farda, “A meeting was held in Baghdad on October 8, after Hamas’ attack on Israel, and this meeting was attended by Iranian officials and the heads of some Iraqi groups supported by Tehran.”

According to the information, at the meeting, Iranian officials called for the establishment of a center to register volunteers for the war against Israel, and asked the Iraqi armed groups to prepare, but they stressed the need to be careful not to take any action “until the order is given.”

The entry of Iran's allies into the battle may lead to American intervention against them or even Iran, which may spark a wide regional war that may also include the Houthis. Russia may even support Iran to spite America.

Yemen.. The Houthis are able to cause a problem for the Americans and Israelis in the Red Sea

Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen appear to have joined the conflict between Israel and Hamas with the Pentagon announcing that the US Navy destroyer USS Carney in the Red Sea was able to intercept and shoot down a number of cruise missiles and drones that may have been heading towards Israel on Thursday.

Although the Houthis are very far away to be influential in the conflict, at the same time, Yemen's strategic location at the entrance to the Red Sea enables them to target American and Israeli ships or even disrupt global navigation, especially since they are holed up in the rugged mountains of Yemen, and targeting them is a difficult issue, as was evident from the campaign. The long military campaign carried out by Saudi and Emirati military aviation for years in the country.

By Sam Meredith

KEY POINTS

• _The prospect of an imminent mass incursion has raised questions about what a post-war future could look like, particularly since Israel’s military strategy does not appear to have a clear endgame.
• 
  
• _Samuel Ramani, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said Monday that a ground assault by Israel into Gaza now seemed inevitable — albeit not likely over the next 48 to 72 hours or even the rest of the week.
• 
  
• The bigger question, Ramani said, may be what comes next.

Israel is widely expected to embark on a major ground incursion into Gaza, seeking to wipe the Palestinian militant group Hamas “off the face of the Earth” in response to a devastating and coordinated terror attack earlier this month.

The prospect of an imminent mass incursion has raised questions about what a post-war future could look like, particularly since Israel’s military strategy does not appear to have a clear endgame.

It comes just over two weeks since Hamas launched its Oct. 7 assault on Israel, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostage. More than 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza and over 15,000 injured since the Israel-Hamas war began, according to Palestinian authorities.

Samuel Ramani, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said Monday that a ground assault by Israel into Gaza now appeared inevitable — albeit not likely over the next 48 to 72 hours or even the rest of the week.

The bigger question, Ramani said, may be what comes next.

Asked whether there is a danger that Israel may end up in a position that it can’t then get out of, Ramani replied, “That’s actually what some of the Israeli officials have even been saying, you know, off the record and privately to various media outlets: We don’t really know what will happen next.”

“One thing that the Israeli political establishment seems to be firmly united against is the notion of occupying the Gaza Strip or reoccupying it,” Ramani told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.”

“But the big question is when you remove the Hamas leadership, what exactly do you replace it with? Do you replace it with the Palestinian Authority, which has extremely low levels of popularity in the Gaza Strip?”

Ramani highlighted a Hamas senior political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, is more popular among Palestinians than Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “by a significant margin,” since many view Abbas as a corrupt pillar of the status quo.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority is likely to be reluctant to look like they are collaborating with Israel, Ramani said.

“So, it is very, very hard to understand what will happen once Hamas goes, and the risk is that many civilians die in this war, Hamas could be going underground, or new extremist movements could develop and Israel’s security could be threatened once again,” he added.

A spokesperson for Israel’s government did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

The Israel Defense Forces, meanwhile, has said a full surrender of Hamas and the return of Israeli hostages could end the war in the Gaza Strip.

“The aim here is to totally dismantle Hamas from its military capabilities. If that can be done from the air, and with standoff measures, with very limited exposure to our troops and less damage on the ground, that would be great,” IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus told ABC Radio Melbourne.

‘Violence will just breed more violence’

The United Nations has previously called for an “immediate humanitarian cease-fire” amid the Israel- Hamas war, pushing for Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release those it is holding captive and urging Israel to allow unrestricted access of essential basic supplies to Gaza.

The Gaza Strip is a narrow portion of land sandwiched between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the most densely populated places in the world, with more than 2 million people living in conditions that human rights organizations have equated to an “open-air prison.”

Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellow at Chatham House, said Monday that there was “no magic wand” to bring an end to this kind of war, a conflict which he said had been left “to fester for way too long.”

“I think right now, gradually everyone understands that wiping out Hamas is not a matter of just bombing Gaza and not a matter of even a ground offensive. You have to deal with Hamas as a military force, Hamas as a political force and also Hamas as an idea,” Mekelberg told CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe.”

“At the same time, we see the magnitude of destruction and death among Palestinians right now. It is not a crisis anymore, it is a disaster … which is unacceptable,” he continued.

“How you reconcile between all of this, reducing the casualties, the suffering of Palestinians but at the same time ensuring that Hamas is not capable of hurting Israel the way it did is a challenge,” Mekelberg said. “It probably won’t be resolved in a matter of days or weeks in just one operation.”

To find a political solution to the Israel-Hamas war, Mekelberg said, policymakers would need to take a fresh approach to the root cause of the conflict. “You need new leadership in both political entities. You need people to think along peaceful co-existence,” he said.

“You need innovative and creative ideas, and you need a new generation that understands that violence will just breed more violence and bloodshed and won’t improve the life of either side one iota.”

Source: CBC

The number of humanitarian aid trucks that entered Gaza within two days reached 34, and United Nations sources report that this amount does not exceed 4% of the volume of daily aid that entered the Strip before the outbreak of the war.

Fourteen trucks loaded with food supplies and drinking water bottles entered Gaza on Sunday evening from the Rafah crossing after being delayed for several hours, according to what Palestinian sources say was due to armed clashes between fighters from the Al-Qassam Brigades and the Israeli army, as a soldier was killed and three others were injured when armored vehicles entered in a limited manner. Within the territory of the Strip, Al-Qassam says.

The total amount of aid that arrived in Gaza over two days was 34 trucks, which the government media says is far less than the Strip’s urgent need for medical, food and logistical supplies, at a time when seven hospitals were out of service and lacked the most basic components of the medical system, according to the Ministry of Health.

The situation becomes more disastrous and tragic as the number of displaced people increases, which, according to the United Nations, has reached about one and a half million displaced people, many of whom have no place to stay, no food, no drink, no medical service, no electricity, and no horizon for a solution.