Netanyahu: "Israel" faces bloody acts despite intensive efforts to thwart what he described as "terrorism".

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, made statements following the double operation in "Beisan" and "Afula", confirming that "Israel" faces bloody acts despite intensive efforts to thwart what he described as "terrorism" over the past year.

Netanyahu emphasized that his government will continue to work to protect its citizens and strike anyone who seeks to harm them.

On the ground, the Israeli army announced the sending of additional military reinforcements to the "contact line" area, while occupation forces began raiding the town of Qabatiya (hometown of the perpetrator) south of Jenin.

The army explained that these movements come as part of "operational activity" in response to the attack, amid reports indicating that the perpetrator had been residing and working inside "Israel" in what was described as an "illegal" manner for years.

For his part, Itamar Ben-Gvir made hardline statements, considering that the perpetrator committed an "anti-Semitic" operation.

Ben-Gvir said: "Whoever carries out such acts with the aim of killing must know that we will not allow him to live", in reference to his orientations towards toughening penalties and executing the perpetrators.

A Ukrainian official said that President Donald Trump will meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, while Ukrainian authorities declared a state of alert in the capital Kyiv.

The Ukrainian President said that many issues can be resolved before the end of the year, amid Washington's intensification of diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia, and clarified -in a post on the "X" platform- that sensitive issues, including any possible concessions on Ukrainian lands, must be discussed at the level of heads of state.

Zelensky had conducted, yesterday Thursday, talks with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of the American President, and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law.

The Ukrainian President indicated that some documents related to a broader framework for ending the conflict and ensuring the reconstruction of Ukraine "almost ready", while some are "completely ready".

Zelensky earlier this week revealed a draft peace plan of 20 points, describing it as the main framework for ending the war.

Although the plan includes security guarantees for Kyiv to prevent any future Russian aggression, disagreement remains with Washington regarding the lands that Moscow demands Ukraine to concede, in addition to the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant under Russian forces' control.

In the context, a Russian newspaper reported that President Vladimir Putin informed some senior Russian businessmen that he might be open to exchanging some lands controlled by Russian forces in Ukraine, but he wants the entire Donbas region.

Andrei Kolesnikov, the newspaper's Kremlin correspondent, said that Putin briefed businessmen on the details of the plan in a meeting held in the Kremlin late Wednesday evening.

Kolesnikov wrote in the newspaper that Putin wants the entire Donbas, but -away from that region- "does not rule out a partial exchange of lands from the Russian side".

On the ground, Ukrainian authorities declared a state of alert in the capital Kyiv following Russian attacks that targeted several areas and resulted in the death of 4 people and injury of others, according to local authorities, which clarified that the attacks particularly affected the Kherson, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

The Ukrainian army said that its forces engaged in 121 combat clashes with Russian forces along the front line during the past hours, adding that Ukrainian units targeted areas of Russian forces' gathering, command points, and air defense means, with significant losses recorded among the attacking forces, and that the fighting focused particularly on the eastern and southern fronts.

These developments come amid the continuation of the war since February 24, 2022, where Moscow conditions the end of it on Kyiv's renunciation of joining Western military alliances, which Ukraine considers an infringement on its sovereignty and interference in its internal affairs.

The Mossad issued a public and sharp response to the statements of Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman, in a step considered exceptional on both political and security levels, and opened the door to an unprecedented attack from the intelligence agency on the state of Qatar.

Lieberman had directed accusations at the Mossad during a conference in Tel Aviv, speaking about what he called a "media group" dedicated to improving Qatar's image, and indicated that these understandings were not presented to the cabinet or the subcommittee on intelligence.

According to the Mossad's statement, Qatar does not merely support a channel that the agency described as "encouraging hatred, anti-Semitism, and terrorism," but also works to spread systematic incitement against the occupation worldwide, through multiple platforms.

This escalation came after Lieberman's statements, which aroused anger within the occupation's security establishment, as "the Mossad felt that the prevailing impression suggests that it had been protecting Qatar throughout the past years or defending its integrity" according to Hebrew newspapers.

The Mossad's statement said "it is fully aware of the negative role played by Qatar, and deals with it as a hostile state that hosts terrorist elements and funds anti-Semitic incitement activities in universities, through networks linked to the Muslim Brotherhood" according to its claim.

It indicated that "it maintained public silence, acted responsibly, and placed the hostage issue at the forefront of its priorities, which is a decisive factor in continuing communication with Doha."

It added: "Qatar was the most effective mediator in hostage exchange deal negotiations, which led to avoiding any public steps that could fail these efforts."

The Mossad said in its statement that "it opposed closing the offices of a channel in Israel, fearing that it would negatively affect Qatari mediation in the hostage file, and saw the necessity of postponing it until after their return, given Qatar's influence on Hamas."

The Israeli army announced on Friday its intention to carry out a military operation in the town of Qabatiya north of the occupied West Bank, claiming that the perpetrator of the stabbing and ramming incident in the city of Beit She'an in northern Israel originated from there.

The army stated in a statement: "Through the initial investigation into the ramming and stabbing attack carried out in the Beit She'an area, and later in Afula, it was revealed that the perpetrator is an illegal resident who infiltrated into the territory of the State of Israel several days ago."

It added: "Additional forces are reinforcing the contact zone (between the West Bank and Israel), and the forces are preparing to enter into field activity inside the town of Qabatiya" near Jenin in northern West Bank.

Earlier on Friday, two Israelis were killed and two injured in a ramming and stabbing operation in the city of Beit She'an in northern Israel, before a passerby fired at the perpetrator, resulting in him sustaining moderate injuries.

Israeli authorities confirmed that the perpetrator of the operation is from the town of Qabatiya, while the newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" stated that his identity is Ahmed Abu al-Rab, 37 years old.

For his part, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued instructions to the Israeli army "to act forcefully and immediately against the village of Qabatiya, from which the perpetrator originated," according to a statement from his office.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also stated in a statement: "Anyone who commits a terrorist attack motivated by anti-Semitism with the intent to kill should know that the State of Israel will not allow him to remain alive," in his words.

This comes as the Israeli army continues, since January 21, 2025, a military operation in northern West Bank that it began in Jenin camp, then expanded to Nour Shams and Tulkarm camps.

Since that time, the army has besieged the three camps and continues to destroy and demolish the entire infrastructure and citizens' property, hundreds of homes and shops, while the displacement of their residents, numbering about 50,000, continues, according to official data.

Since the genocide war in Gaza began on October 8, 2023, the Israeli army and settlers in the West Bank have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians and injured about 11,000, in addition to arresting more than 21,000.

Israel is also intensifying its crimes to annex the West Bank to it, especially through demolishing Palestinians' homes, displacing them, and expanding settlements, according to Palestinian authorities.

Annexing the West Bank by Israel would end the possibility of implementing the two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli), as stipulated in UN resolutions.

Israel was established in 1948 on Palestinian lands occupied by armed Zionist gangs that committed massacres and displaced hundreds of thousands of citizens, then Tel Aviv occupied the rest of the lands, and refuses to withdraw and establish a Palestinian state.

China seeks to expand its economic and political influence by increasing its gold reserves, considering it a strategic pillar that enhances the presence of countries in the global financial system and forms a lifeline that protects them from market fluctuations and dollar blackmail.

China is the second largest importer of gold globally, and in recent years, it has turned to acquiring the precious metal from Arab countries rich in natural resources, whose markets are among the most prominent centers for gold trade in the world.

This step comes as part of Beijing's efforts to reduce its dependence on Western markets, especially amid the escalating trade war.

In parallel with imports, Beijing has intensified its efforts in gold mining through its national and semi-governmental companies, as China Nanfang Gold and Zijin Mining have signed partnership and investment agreements with several Arab countries to develop mining projects and exploit natural resources.

China has also focused on enhancing Sudanese gold production through companies like Wanbao Mining and Morinko, which have expanded their activities in Sudan to develop mines and establish a Chinese presence in the sector, despite the volatile political and security situations, through agreements with local authorities.

Beijing's gaze has not been limited to the Arab region, as it has expanded the scope of its investments to include African countries and others in Latin America and Asia, as part of a long-term strategy aimed at ensuring a strong foothold in the global gold sector.

China's open appetite for 'world gold' is no longer hidden, as it appears determined to build an economic empire based on growing financial influence, in a world where the balances of economic power are changing at a dazzling speed resembling the shine of gold itself.

10 Palestinians were injured by suffocation on Friday after inhaling toxic gas fired by the Israeli army during a raid on the town in the city of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank.

Local sources reported that "occupation forces raided the town of Beita and fired sound bombs and toxic gas at the citizens, leading to the injury of a number of them with suffocation cases".

In turn, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that its crews in Nablus provided the necessary first aid to 10 suffocation victims.

Since the genocide war in Gaza began on October 8, 2023, the Israeli army and settlers in the West Bank have killed at least 1103 Palestinians, injured about 11,000, in addition to arresting more than 21,000.

The Israeli Supreme Court approved the demolition of 25 residential buildings in the Nour Shams refugee camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern occupied West Bank, despite acknowledging that they are civilian buildings.

The Arab-Israeli human rights center "Adalah" stated in a statement on Friday that "the Israeli Supreme Court issued a decision late Wednesday evening rejecting the petition submitted by Palestinians from the Nour Shams refugee camp and adjacent areas, along with the center, against orders to demolish 25 civilian residential buildings in the camp".

The center explained that the court relied in its decision on secret materials and information provided by the prosecution in partnership with military intelligence, without disclosing them to the petitioners or the defense team, and considered them sufficient to justify the demolition decision.

It noted that the court adopted the position of the Israeli army, which claimed that the demolition orders are based on a "justified military need".

It added that this decision came "despite the prosecution's acknowledgment during the session that the targeted buildings are civilian residential homes not used for military purposes, and belong to families with no connection to any military activity".

It continued: "The state justified the demolition based on considerations related to facilitating future military movements within the camp, not based on an existing or urgent military necessity at the present time".

The center explained that it "acknowledged the lack of immediate urgency for implementing the demolition, and that the area has been free of any combat activity for more than a year, yet the court accepted the army's justifications, considering that the military command has broad authority in this matter, and that its intervention is limited to exceptional cases, which it saw as not present in this case".

It pointed out that the court decided that the implementation of the demolition orders will not begin before December 27, 2025.

During the court sessions, the Adalah Center emphasized that the decision leads to creating a permanent reality of forced displacement prohibited under international humanitarian law, "especially since all residents are considered protected civilians and their property is protected under these standards".

It added that "this decision comes within a broader context of repeated judicial approval of a widespread demolition policy in refugee camps in the northern West Bank, based on general security considerations and secret materials that cannot be challenged, which consecrates the imposition of a permanent reality of displacement and prevention of return, in clear violation of the principles of international humanitarian law and the protection of civilian populations".

The center mentioned that this petition is the fourth it has submitted in recent months against collective demolition orders in the camps of Jenin, Nour Shams, and Tulkarm, where the Supreme Court rejected intervention in the previous cases, considering that these decisions fall within the military command's powers.

The Israeli army began at the beginning of this year with extensive military operations in the Palestinian camps in the northern occupied West Bank.

Since the start of the genocide war in Gaza on October 8, 2023, Israel has intensified its crimes in preparation for officially annexing the occupied West Bank to it, including demolishing homes, displacing Palestinians, and expanding settlement construction.

Annexing the West Bank to Israel would end the possibility of applying the principle of a two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli), as stipulated in numerous resolutions issued by the United Nations.

Since the start of the genocide war in Gaza, the Israeli army and settlers in the West Bank have killed more than 1,103 Palestinians, injured about 11,000, in addition to arresting more than 21,000.

Meanwhile, Israel's genocide war in Gaza has left about 71,000 Palestinian dead and 171,000 injured, mostly children and women, along with massive destruction, with the United Nations estimating the cost of reconstruction at about 70 billion dollars.

Death of an Israeli settler, after being subjected to a "stabbing operation".

Palestinian and Hebrew media reported the death of an Israeli settler, after being subjected to a "stabbing operation" carried out by a young man in the city of Afula, northern occupied Palestine.

According to initial reports, large forces of the Israeli police rushed to the scene and began extensive searches, while she was transferred to the hospital in critical condition before her death was announced later.

The Israeli police in the Northern District announced their ability to arrest and "neutralize" a suspect who carried out a stabbing near the "Ain Harod" area, following a security pursuit that began immediately after the incident, which resulted in a woman being seriously injured (her death was announced later).

According to initial data, the security agencies received a report about a woman being stabbed, and the suspect's vehicle fled the site towards the city of Afula.

Shortly after search and investigation operations, police patrols managed to spot the vehicle, stop it, and neutralize those inside.

The police forces in the Northern District continue their intensive presence at the scene of the incident and along the path taken by the vehicle, where technical and criminal teams began examining the circumstances of the incident and collecting evidence to determine the perpetrator's motives and the background of the operation.

The head of Shin Bet, David Zini, warned of the worsening phenomenon of smuggling combat means into the occupied Palestinian territories via drones across the borders with Jordan and Egypt, describing it as a "continuing catastrophe" and considering it a "strategic threat".

These statements came during recent security deliberations, including an exceptional meeting held last week at the office of the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, with the participation of officials from Shin Bet, the police, and the army, alongside legal entities.

According to the data presented in those deliberations, tens of thousands of drone breaches were recorded in the occupation's airspace over the past year, transporting thousands of weapons, including firearms and explosives, alongside drugs and other criminal smuggling operations, according to the occupation's claims.

The data indicates that some of these drones are capable of carrying tens of kilograms, or even more than a hundred kilograms in some cases, and a security official said during one of the discussions: "We are four to five years late" in dealing with the phenomenon.

In recent times, the occupation police placed the primary responsibility for the file on the army, but in recent weeks, it was decided to transfer part of the responsibility for monitoring drones to the police, after the army reported that the intensity of tasks resulting from developments in Gaza and the north does not allow it to control this threat.

The Operations Department in the police began extensive work recently in preparation for taking on part of the responsibility for monitoring drones, and a police official said: "The army realized that its borders are penetrable, and the one who is supposed to monitor the drones is the army", adding: "Today, it is no longer possible to evade this issue, as it is worsening, but throughout the past period there was a vacuum, and no one took responsibility, and practically combat means entered Israel freely".

In the meeting held last week chaired by the Attorney General, the legal aspects of addressing the phenomenon were discussed, where representatives of the security agencies agreed that it constitutes one of the central threats, whether on the level of state security or on the criminal level, and according to data provided in several police and security deliberations in recent months, there are days when "dozens of drones cross the border without hindrance", as expressed by one of the sources participating in the discussions.

Two days ago, army forces detected an attempt to smuggle a drone carrying 40 pistols from the Jordanian border, and the weapons were seized, but the drone operators were not arrested, and a security official said: "There is great difficulty in arresting the operators, and there is hardly any possibility of knowing from where it is operated (the drone), and the main challenge now is to monitor all drones".

In an exceptional step, the Minister of Security in the occupation government, Yisrael Katz, signed an administrative detention order a week ago against a resident of the town of Be'er Hadaj in the Negev, suspected of being a central smuggler of combat means via drones across the southern borders.

The order was issued after information provided by Shin Bet regarding his involvement in smuggling combat means, "including unusual combat means or those with great capacity to endanger state security". Administrative detention was imposed on him "due to the inherent danger of his activity to state security", and nevertheless, the report quoted sources that the army and police seizures are "a drop in the ocean" compared to the size of the phenomenon, as described in one of the recent discussions.

A poll in Israel on Friday showed that the opposition will inevitably need Arab MPs in the Knesset if it wants to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from forming a new government.

The poll was conducted by the private Lazar Institute, with a representative sample of 500 people and a margin of error of 4.4 percent, according to the Hebrew newspaper Maariv.

According to the poll results, if elections were held today, Netanyahu's supporting camp would get 50 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, while the opposition would get 60 seats and Arab MPs 10 seats.

According to Israel's basic system, forming a government requires at least 61 MPs' confidence in the Knesset (parliament).

However, most Israeli opposition parties say they will not ally with Arab MPs to form a government.

If the opposition does not get the required 61 seats, this means re-elections, similar to what happened several years ago when the Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid government was formed in 2021 with the support of the United Arab List led by Mansour Abbas.

Officially, general elections will be held at the end of October 2026 unless early elections are held.

According to the results, the far-right Religious Zionism party led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the opposition Blue and White party led by former Defense Minister Benny Gantz will not succeed in the elections if held today.

Based on the above, the poll results indicate the Israeli opposition's need for Arab MPs to topple Netanyahu's government.

On the other hand, the poll results indicate a division in the public regarding an inquiry committee into the failure of the security and military institutions to repel Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, formed by the government, and support for a committee formed by the Chief Justice.

The Netanyahu government opposes forming this committee, fearing it will hold it responsible for the security and military failures previously acknowledged by Israeli officials.

According to the results, 62 percent of Israelis say they trust the results of an inquiry committee formed by Chief Justice Isaac Amit.

In contrast, 28 percent do not trust the results of such a committee, while 10 percent said they have no specific opinion.

The poll also showed a division regarding an inquiry committee that the Israeli government said it would form into the events of October 7.

21 percent said they would fully trust the results of this committee, 21 percent partial trust, while 46 percent said they would not trust its results, and the remaining percentage has no specific opinion.

On Wednesday, the Knesset (parliament) approved in a preliminary reading a bill submitted by Likud party MP Ariel Kallner, granting the government the authority to form a 'political committee' to investigate the events of October 7, with 53 supporters (out of 120) versus 48 opponents.

The Knesset still needs to vote on the bill in three readings for it to become effective law.

On October 7, fighters from the Hamas movement attacked military bases and settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip, killing and capturing hundreds of Israelis, in response to 'the daily crimes of occupation for decades against the Palestinian people and their sanctities, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque,' according to the movement.

Israeli officials consider what happened on October 7 to represent the 'biggest intelligence and military failure' that caused significant damage to Israel's image and its army in front of the world.

Regarding Netanyahu's interrogation in the case known as 'Qatar Gate,' which accuses officials in his office of 'promoting Qatari interests,' 44 percent of Israelis surveyed today (Friday) supported this step, while 27 percent considered the interrogation unjustified, and 29 percent had no specific opinion.

For its part, Qatar denied the allegations against it in the case, considering them 'baseless,' while Netanyahu said what is happening is nothing but political persecution to topple the right-wing government.

The Israeli police, today Friday, released a reserve soldier who ran over a Palestinian while performing prayer near the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, and decided to place him under house arrest after interrogating him, according to what Hebrew media reported.

The Israeli police announced yesterday Thursday the arrest of a reserve soldier and his interrogation after a video clip spread showing him running over a Palestinian man who was praying on the side of the road near Ramallah.

The soldier was later released, with forced residence imposed on him for five days with strict conditions, and he was prohibited from approaching the village of Deir Jarir where the incident occurred, or communicating with any of the parties to the case.

The Israeli police announced their cooperation with the Israeli occupation army in the investigation, noting that the incident also included the soldier firing from his weapon inside the village.

The army confiscated the soldier's weapon and ended his military service, given the seriousness of the incident.

This incident comes amid ongoing Israeli escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the start of the genocide war on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the martyrdom of at least 1103 Palestinians, the injury of about 11,000 others, and the arrest of more than 21,000, according to Palestinian data.

The Israeli occupation army launched raids on several areas in the central and southern Gaza Strip, coinciding with artillery shelling and firing from its helicopters, as the occupation announced that its forces killed 3 Palestinians near the yellow line.

The Israeli army launched raids on areas east of Gaza City in the central sector, noting that the bombing focused on the Tuffah neighborhood.

In the Shujaiya and Tuffah neighborhoods east of the city, the Israeli army launched raids, and sounds of explosions were heard and columns of smoke were seen. The nature of the targets hit by the Israeli bombing was not clear.

The Israeli bombing that targeted areas east of Khan Yunis city in the southern sector focused within the yellow line areas controlled by the Israeli army, especially the Bani Suhaila area, which also witnessed operations to demolish Palestinian citizens' homes.

In the southern sector as well, the occupation army's artillery shelled areas east of Rafah city, and the artillery shelling coincided with firing from the occupation's helicopters and tanks.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced the elimination of a person who crossed the yellow line in the northern Gaza Strip, and it had announced yesterday evening, Thursday, the assassination of two resistors, described as "armed men" who approached the yellow line in the southern sector.

The occupation army claimed that the two armed men posed a threat to it, and clarified that the air forces, under the guidance of the infantry brigade, eliminated them.

The Israeli army still controls the southern and eastern strips of the sector, in addition to large parts of northern Gaza, thus continuing to occupy nearly 60% of the sector's area.

Israel continues its violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, which came into effect on October 10 last, where it killed 411 Palestinians, according to what was announced by the government media office in Gaza last Tuesday.

The West Bank witnessed a field escalation this morning, Friday, manifested in military closures and simultaneous raids on several cities and towns.

The Red Crescent reported that its crews received, yesterday evening, from the Bir Nabala emergency center, an injury to a 17-year-old child, who was hit by three bullets in the hand, chest, and leg, after Israeli occupation forces fired at him, and he was transferred to the hospital for treatment.

In the early morning hours today, Israeli occupation forces closed the Atara military checkpoint north of Ramallah, which caused disruption to the movement of Palestinians coming and going from villages and towns northwest and west of the city, in addition to those coming from the northern governorates, according to eyewitnesses.

In Hebron, Israeli occupation forces notified the demolition of the house of the martyr Imran Al-Atrash (18 years old), after raiding his family's house in the Wad Al-Hariya area and handing them the demolition notice. They also raided the towns of Dura, Idhna, and Sa'ir, and spread out on the roads and around citizens' homes.

In the town of Halhul north of Hebron, Israeli occupation forces raided a number of citizens' homes, searched them, tampered with their contents, and posted threatening posters on the walls and doors of shops and homes, without reporting any arrests.

In the north of the West Bank, Israeli occupation forces raided Balata camp and the Balata Al-Balad area east of Nablus, where security sources reported that the forces raided the eastern area from the Awarta military checkpoint, raided the old mosque and a number of homes, searched them and tampered with their contents, without reporting any arrests.

As for Jerusalem, the governorate said that Israeli occupation forces raided the towns of Al-Jib and Bir Nabala, where clashes erupted resulting in the injury of two citizens by bullets, and the arrest of one of them, and the forces raided a health center in Bir Nabala.

In the same context, Israeli occupation forces abused a young man at the entrance of the Aweis neighborhood in Ras Al-Amud in the town of Silwan, and closed the road leading to the neighborhood.

Israeli settlers continued their attacks and violations of Palestinians' properties.

Local sources reported that settlers attacked the town of Deir Dibwan east of Ramallah, raided the farm, assaulted two workers by beating them, before stealing a herd of 150 heads and fleeing.

The sources indicated that the town had previously been subjected to repeated attacks by extremist settlers, including stealing sheep, burning vehicles and shops, and assaulting citizens.

About 750,000 settlers live in hundreds of settlements built on West Bank lands, including 250,000 in East Jerusalem, and they commit daily assaults against Palestinian citizens with the aim of forcibly displacing them.

In November 2025, settlers committed 621 assaults against Palestinians and their properties and livelihoods in the West Bank, according to data from the Palestinian Anti-Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.

Since the genocide war in Gaza began on October 8, 2023, the Israeli army and settlers in the West Bank have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians, injured about 11,000, in addition to arresting more than 21,000.

Developments in the Palestinian and Israeli affairs topped the headlines of major global newspapers, in addition to files casting shadows over the Old Continent, which faces a new reality after the Russian war on Ukraine.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz painted a bleak picture of what is happening in the occupied West Bank, considering that settler violence is no longer isolated incidents, but a tool exploited to impose new facts on the ground amid international indifference.

The newspaper pointed out in its analysis that the immunity enjoyed by armed settlers sends a clear message to Palestinians, meaning that "no one will protect them," in the context of a continuous policy aimed at changing the daily reality.

It added that the official talk about "temporary waves" of violence has lost its meaning, confirming that any existing deterrent is applied only to Palestinians.

The Guardian newspaper shed light on the arrest by Israeli police of a Palestinian dressed as "Santa Claus" and others during a raid on a Christmas party in Haifa and the closure of the event.

The newspaper linked this incident to a broader reality, as Christians in Palestine celebrate Christmas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip amid ongoing Israeli restrictions on their daily lives.

It said that the celebrations were held for the first time in Bethlehem since the start of the war on Gaza, while a small Christian community in the sector, devastated by the war, celebrated its first Christmas since the start of the ceasefire.

For its part, The Times of Israel newspaper addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement of investing more than $100 billion in local arms production, aiming to build an independent ammunition industry over the next decade and reduce dependence on the outside.

The newspaper noted that this direction coincides with escalating European criticism and pressures, including calls for an arms embargo due to Israel's conduct in Gaza.

In another file, the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta addressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement of an updated version of the American peace plan, considering it an unexpected turning point in the course of the conflict with Russia, but characterized by a great deal of ambiguity, and does not provide a clear vision for a comprehensive settlement.

For its part, the French newspaper Le Monde called, through an opinion piece by several political and intellectual figures, for building a more united and independent Europe, affirming that reliance on a fickle American will is no longer a guarantee for the continent's security and prosperity.

As for The Washington Post, it pointed to a sharp decline in the charitable donation campaign for US federal government employees by more than 40%, amid government agencies' downsizing, prolonged closures, and delays in organizing the annual campaign.

Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian sheep farm at dawn on Friday, assaulted two workers in it in the city of Ramallah in the center of the occupied West Bank, before stealing 150 sheep.

Local sources reported that the settlers attacked the town of Deir Dibwan east of Ramallah, stormed the farm, and assaulted two workers by beating them, before stealing a flock of 150 sheep and fleeing.

The sources indicated that the town had previously been subjected to repeated assaults by extremist settlers, including stealing sheep, burning vehicles and shops, and assaulting citizens.

About 750,000 settlers live in hundreds of settlements built on West Bank lands, including 250,000 in East Jerusalem, and they commit daily assaults against Palestinian citizens with the aim of forcibly displacing them.

In November 2025, settlers committed 621 assaults against Palestinians and their property and livelihoods in the West Bank, according to data from the Palestinian Anti-Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission (governmental).

Since the genocide war in Gaza began on October 8, 2023, the Israeli army and settlers in the West Bank have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians, injured about 11,000, in addition to arresting more than 21,000.

Israel is also intensifying its crimes to annex the West Bank to it, especially through demolishing Palestinian homes, displacing them, and expanding settlements, according to Palestinian authorities.

Annexing the West Bank to Israel would end the possibility of implementing the two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli), as stipulated in UN resolutions.

Israel was established in 1948 on Palestinian lands occupied by armed Zionist gangs that committed massacres and displaced hundreds of thousands of citizens, then Tel Aviv occupied the rest of the lands, and refuses to withdraw and establish a Palestinian state.

The Hebrew newspaper "Haaretz" shed light on Hamas's covert restoration of control over the Gaza Strip, describing the movement's control as "without functioning but also without collapsing."

The newspaper stated that "U.S. President Donald Trump's statements regarding the imminent formation of a peace council and the start of multinational force operations did not impress Gaza residents, who have been living without an effective government or clear prospects since the ceasefire announcement. The reality on the ground has shown them that even if Trump's plans are implemented, it will be slow and accompanied by delays that could extend for several months."

It quoted Gaza residents saying that "Hamas, in areas not under Israel's full control, succeeds in maintaining a degree of order," adding that "among the rubble of homes and destroyed roads, there is no chaos, but life is still far from normal, and Hamas is far from imposing its full control."

The newspaper reported that "the movement acts in a demonstrative manner; it does not wave flags or fill public spaces with slogans, but it is present at intersections and checkpoints," noting that "Hamas shows a clear security presence, but it lacks the ability to govern, and tries to maintain order amid deep and ongoing civilian destruction."

According to the newspaper, Hamas still rules, but not in the familiar sense of sovereign governance; it still manages tax mechanisms and controls internal trade, but it is not an effective government, does not provide broad public services, does not have organized budgets, and does not pay salaries.

It continued: "Local authorities in northern and central Gaza, as well as in Gaza City, operate with almost non-existent resources. Using the few available bulldozers and heavy equipment, they repair some roads here and there, open a temporary water crossing, and restore some infrastructure, but they are incapable of repairing the destruction."

It confirmed that "most engineering work focuses on searching for the bodies of the missing under the rubble. Meanwhile, since the ceasefire, Hamas has been combating those who exploited the war for profit, and some merchants and criminals involved in crime are trying to leave the Gaza Strip."

It added, however: "But the phenomenon of looting and petty theft that was common at the beginning of the war has almost disappeared," according to talks it conducted with Gaza residents.

Israel rejected the condemnation issued by 14 countries for its decision to establish new settlements in the occupied West Bank, and described these criticisms as involving discrimination against Jews.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar confirmed that the government will not restrict the right of Jews to live in the land of Israel. He said that the decision to create 11 new settlements aims to address the security threats facing Israel.

Similarly, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli decision and described it as a step aimed at tightening colonial control over Palestinian land.

The Israeli occupation army announced yesterday evening, Thursday, that its forces killed "two militants" who it claimed crossed the yellow line south of the Gaza Strip, while carrying out demolition operations east of Gaza City.

The occupation army claimed that the two Palestinians posed a threat to its forces, so the air forces, under the direction of the infantry brigade, eliminated them.

It reported that the Israeli occupation army carried out demolition operations on houses east of Gaza City.

The occupation army issued new "evacuation orders" to citizens in the east of Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, on Thursday evening.

The Palestinian News Agency "WAFA" reported that the occupation army issued an evacuation order for an entire residential block in the area it describes as safe, east of Al-Tuffah neighborhood, in preparation for demolishing it and expanding the yellow line area by an additional distance of more than 100 meters, and a width of more than 300 meters.

The agency added that a massive displacement movement began for hundreds of families from east of Al-Tuffah neighborhood.

After two years of remaining under the rubble, Gaza Civil Defense crews managed to retrieve a number of the bodies of martyrs trapped under the rubble of the Al-Ashtal family home in the western Satar area of Khan Yunis, including the bodies of journalist Hiba Al-Abadla and her mother.

Civil Defense reported that all the martyrs were killed during a bombardment on their home in January 2024.

Rescue teams in Gaza work using simple and primitive machinery, along with some dilapidated heavy equipment, due to the occupation's prevention of importing modern machinery to remove rubble, in violation of the humanitarian protocol of the ceasefire agreement, including preventing the entry of "hundreds of heavy machinery" needed to retrieve bodies from under the rubble, according to the Government Media Office in Gaza.

While it allowed the entry of limited heavy equipment and machinery in the past two months to search for the bodies of its prisoners in the sector, the occupation continues to prevent the entry of similar machinery to search for the bodies of Palestinians.

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture documented yesterday, Thursday, the Israeli occupation forces uprooting and bulldozing more than 8 thousand trees, most of them olive trees, in one week, estimating the material losses at about 7 million dollars.

The Ministry stated in its weekly report that the Palestinian territories witnessed a "dangerous and accelerating" escalation in the attacks by the occupation army and settlers, directly targeting the agricultural sector and food security sources.

It viewed that these attacks, which occurred in the third week of December/January of this year, come within a systematic policy "aiming to control the land and empty it of its original inhabitants".

According to the report, the Israeli attacks focused on the north and center of the West Bank, where the occupation army uprooted 5 thousand olive trees in the village of Silat al-Harithiya west of Jenin (north), and 3 thousand other trees in Turmus Ayya east of Ramallah (center).

The bulldozing operations also included: 156 olive trees in Mukhmas east of Jerusalem, and 100 fig trees in the towns of Ramin and al-Nazla al-Sharqiya in Tulkarm (north), and 13 olive trees in the village of al-Funduq east of Qalqilya (north), in addition to 19 olive trees (including 10 ancient ones) in Deir Istiya in Salfit (north), and al-Minya in Bethlehem (south).

In addition to the trees, the report documented the destruction of agricultural infrastructure, where 13 water wells and a farming room were demolished, irrigation networks were sabotaged and pumps stolen, in addition to destroying 82 beehives and poisoning sheep heads in various areas.

The attacks by the occupation army and settlers in the West Bank are escalating, and often coincide with harvest and farming seasons, with the aim of pressuring Palestinian farmers and pushing them to leave their lands for the sake of settlement expansion.

During November/December last year, settlers carried out 621 attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, according to data from the Palestinian Anti-Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.

Coinciding with the start of the genocide war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation army and settlers killed more than 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank, wounded about 11 thousand, in addition to arresting more than 21 thousand.

The Israeli Army announced on Thursday evening that its forces in northern Gaza killed two militants who crossed the yellow line, posing a direct threat to them, while its warplanes raided various areas of the sector.

The occupation army claimed that the two militants posed a threat to it, so the air forces, under the direction of the infantry brigade, eliminated them.

The Israeli Army bombed Gaza City in the north of the sector, the Bureij camp and Deir al-Balah in the center, and areas in Rafah and Khan Yunis in the south, with aircraft and artillery.

The occupation army issued new "evacuation orders" to citizens in the east of al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City on Thursday evening.

It stated that the occupation army issued an evacuation order for an entire residential block in the area it describes as safe east of al-Tuffah neighborhood, in preparation for demolishing it, and to expand what it calls the "yellow cubes" for an additional distance exceeding 100 meters, and a width exceeding 300 meters.

It added that a massive displacement movement began from east of al-Tuffah neighborhood, involving hundreds of families.

Israel disavows its commitments stipulated in the ceasefire agreement that entered into force on October 10 last year, and its humanitarian protocol, which has exacerbated the suffering of Palestinians, whose living reality has not witnessed any improvement since that time.

Israel continues its violations of the ceasefire agreement, and has committed 875 violations that resulted in the martyrdom of 411 Palestinians and the injury of 1,112 others, according to the Gaza Government Media Office on Monday evening.

It is noted that Israel, with American support, began on October 8, 2023, committing genocide in the Gaza Strip that lasted two years, resulting in nearly 71,000 Palestinian martyrs and more than 171,000 injured, and massive destruction that affected 90% of the civilian infrastructure.

Israel ranked last in the 2025 Global Index for Measuring Countries' Reputation, which measures international perceptions of countries based on global public opinion.

The results of the index, named "National Reputation Index", showed a decline in Israel's global image to its lowest levels, as it placed last among 50 countries for the second year in a row.

The international index report indicated that Israel recorded a 6.1% decrease in its total points, the largest decline since the index was launched about twenty years ago, without further details on the current total points.

The newspaper noted that the survey conducted by the multinational company "Ipsos" was carried out between August and September 2025, with participation from about 40,000 people from 20 countries representing nearly 70% of the world's population.

The report relies on measuring perceptions rather than actual performance, and includes areas such as tourism, culture, governance, economy, immigration, and the image of the population, where Tel Aviv ranked last in most of these categories, according to the newspaper.

The report indicated that the "most prominent deterioration in Israel's image" was recorded among youth in Western countries, where it is described by a wide segment of them as "colonialist or illegitimate".

This decline in Israel's international image coincided with the escalation of boycott and protest manifestations abroad, including slogans raised during demonstrations supporting Palestinians, such as: "Free Palestine", and "Boycott Israel", according to the index report.

The newspaper warned that "the continued damage to reputation may negatively impact the economy, tourism, and investment in the long term".

Over two years of the genocide war launched by Israel on Gaza on October 7, 2023, demonstrations erupted in various countries around the world condemning the Israeli genocide, and some countries took measures against Tel Aviv, including stopping arms exports to it, until Tel Aviv became internationally isolated.

The Israeli economy was also severely damaged as a result of global popular boycott campaigns linked to the war in Gaza, where these boycotts extended from the streets to food markets and consumer products, prompting many consumers and importers to avoid dealing with Israeli companies.

According to the "Wasla" website for the Israeli economy (private), 60,000 Israeli companies closed their operations in 2024.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the international order, Georges Katrogalos, said that Israel's recent statements regarding the establishment of settlements in the Gaza Strip represent a clear violation of international law.

He confirmed that "the Israeli Defense Minister's statement about establishing settlements in Gaza violates international law." He emphasized the need to move from political condemnations to practical actions, calling for Israel to be held accountable for its violations.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz renewed his threats on Thursday that Tel Aviv "will never leave" the Gaza Strip and will establish a security buffer zone and settlements in its north.

He said at a conference "Israel will never leave the Gaza Strip," according to the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz," adding "there will be a wide security zone surrounding the Gaza Strip."

Katrogalos said that "verbal condemnations are insufficient to stop Israel's violations of international law," adding that "sanctions must be imposed on Israel and an arms export ban to it."

The UN rapporteur pointed to what he described as the preferential treatment Israel enjoys on the international stage, considering that it perpetuates a policy of impunity.

Katrogalos also criticized what he considered a clear double standard in the application of international justice, noting the absence of legal accountability for Israeli leaders. He explained that "the double standards of international standards are evident in the non-appearance of Israeli leaders before the International Criminal Court."

For decades, the Palestinian authorities have demanded that the international community pressure Israel to end settlement in the occupied territories, which the United Nations considers "illegal."

Israeli media revealed today, Thursday, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conditioned the return of the last hostage's body from the Gaza Strip to proceed to the second phase of the agreement to end the war.

The Israeli Channel 13 reported that a small ministerial council is convening now, and on its agenda is preparing for Netanyahu's meeting with US President Donald Trump scheduled in Miami, Florida.

This will be Netanyahu's fifth visit since last January, and it may last a week. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu will visit the United States between December 28 and January 4.

In the context of the upcoming visit, Israeli Channel 15 reported that Netanyahu will discuss 4 main files during his meeting with Trump: Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran.

Israeli media quoted sources yesterday that Stephen Witkoff, Trump's envoy, informed Israeli officials before the planned meeting between Trump and Netanyahu of the necessity to move to the second phase at the beginning of next month.

Israel conditions the start of negotiations to begin the second phase of the agreement on receiving the body of Ran Guili, the last hostage held by the resistance, while Hamas confirms that it may take time to extract it due to the massive destruction in Gaza.

The Palestinian factions have handed over 20 live Israeli hostages and the bodies of 27 others since the start of the first phase of the ceasefire on October 10 last year, while Hamas continues to search for the body of Guili.

Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) reached a two-phase agreement to ceasefire in Gaza on October 9 last year, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and under American sponsorship, based on a 20-point plan presented by Trump to end the war.

The next day, the first phase of the agreement came into effect, but Israel violated it hundreds of times and did not fully comply with its terms, especially those related to the humanitarian aspect and the entry of aid, despite Hamas's full commitment, which led to the martyrdom of more than 400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Israel is also delaying the transition to the second phase, claiming the remaining body of one of its soldiers in captivity in Gaza, despite the Palestinian factions continuing their search operations amid the massive destruction caused by the Israeli genocide.

The second phase of Trump's plan for ceasefire in Gaza includes "forming a temporary technocrat committee to administer the sector, the reconstruction file, forming a peace council, creating an international force, additional withdrawal of the Israeli army from the sector, in addition to disarming Hamas".

The Israeli army injured a Palestinian boy with gunfire, Thursday evening, during its raid on the town of Beit Furik east of the city of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank.

Meanwhile, a settler ran over another Palestinian citizen and injured him with bruises in the town of Deir Jarir east of Ramallah in the central West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent stated in a statement that its crews treated a gunshot wound to the thigh of a 17-year-old boy, fired by the Israeli army during its raid on Beit Furik.

It also reported that Israeli forces raided Beit Furik amid widespread deployment in its neighborhoods, and heavy firing of live ammunition and tear gas canisters that cause suffocation, leading to the injury of a number of citizens with suffocation.

In the village of Deir Jarir, a Palestinian was injured with bruises after an Israeli settler deliberately ran him over with a four-wheeled motorcycle while he was praying at the village entrance, according to local sources.

The sources indicated that the settler deliberately ran over the young man during the raid by a group of settlers on the village entrance, and their assault on Palestinian vehicles, while Palestinian local platforms circulated the moment of the young man being run over.

Since the start of the genocide war on Gaza that lasted two years, the Israeli escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has led to the killing of at least 1103 Palestinians, the injury of nearly 11,000, and the arrest of more than 21,000, according to Palestinian data.

Meanwhile, the genocide initiated by Israel with American support in Gaza on October 8, 2023, has left nearly 71,000 Palestinian dead and more than 171,000 injured, mostly children and women, in addition to massive destruction, with the United Nations estimating the reconstruction cost at about 70 billion dollars.

The Gaza Civil Defense announced on Thursday the rescue of the bodies of 25 Palestinians, including the journalist Hiba Al-Abadla and her mother, from under the rubble of a house in the city of Khan Yunis in the south of the sector, stating that they were killed during the Israeli genocide war.

In a brief statement, it said that the Civil Defense crews in Khan Yunis "managed, in cooperation with forensic evidence crews, to rescue the bodies of 25 martyrs from under the rubble of the Al-Ushtal family house in the western Satar area, including the remains of journalist Hiba Al-Abadla and her mother (all killed in January 2024)".

On Thursday morning, the Civil Defense announced the start of excavation work to rescue the bodies of the missing from under the rubble of the destroyed house since about two years ago, in Khan Yunis.

The Civil Defense is conducting organized operations to search for the bodies of Palestinians missing under the rubble of homes and small buildings destroyed by Israel during the two years of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The search operations are carried out with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross, with the participation of the Arab Reconstruction Commission for Gaza, the Emergency Committee and Rapid Response Administration, forensic evidence and forensic medicine in Gaza City, the Ministries of Health and Endowments, the families of the missing killed, in addition to the Tribal and Clan Gathering, according to the Civil Defense.

According to the Civil Defense, its crews work using simple and rudimentary machinery, in addition to some dilapidated heavy equipment "due to the occupation's prevention of importing modern machinery to remove rubble".

Since the ceasefire agreement entered into force in the Gaza Strip on October 10 last year, the search for bodies has been conducted in an unorganized manner, often by civilians, due to the lack of necessary equipment for the Civil Defense to remove rubble.

Israel refuses to allow the entry of heavy machinery and equipment to lift tons of rubble, which hinders the operations of rescuing the bodies of Palestinians buried underneath.

According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, Israel has committed violations related to the humanitarian protocol of the ceasefire agreement, including preventing the entry of "hundreds of heavy machinery" needed to rescue bodies from under the rubble.

Over the past two months, Israel has allowed the entry of limited heavy equipment and machinery to search for the bodies of its prisoners in the sector, while continuing to prevent the entry of similar machinery to search for the bodies of Palestinians.

The identification of bodies is carried out by Palestinian families who lost their loved ones since the start of the genocide war, through remaining distinctive marks on the bodies or the clothes they were wearing before their disappearance, amid the absence of specialized medical devices.

The genocide launched by Israel on October 8, 2023, and lasted two years, left more than 71,000 Palestinian dead, and more than 171,000 injured, in addition to massive destruction affecting nearly 90% of the civilian infrastructure, resulting in the accumulation of nearly 70 million tons of rubble in the Gaza Strip.

The Pope of the Vatican, Leo XIV, condemned the catastrophic humanitarian conditions faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, during his Christmas Mass sermon on Thursday, in a direct and unusual appeal within religious rituals that are typically characterized by solemnity and spirituality.

In his speech delivered before thousands of worshippers in St. Peter's Cathedral, the Pope, who is the first Supreme Pontiff from the United States and is celebrating his first Christmas after his election in May last year as successor to the late Pope Francis, said that the story of Christ's birth in a humble manger reminds us that the Lord 'pitched his tent' among the peoples of the world.

With an emotional tone, Leo wondered: 'How can we... not think of the tents in Gaza, which have been exposed for weeks to rain, wind, and cold?' in reference to the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have become homeless in the besieged sector.

Although Pope Leo usually avoids delving into political issues during his sermons, he has recently expressed his deep regret more than once for what Palestinians are experiencing in Gaza. He also stated to journalists last month that the only solution to the decades-long conflict between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian people must include the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The Pope's statements come at a time when the ceasefire agreement between the occupation and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) entered into force in October last year, after two years of intense bombing and military operations. However, humanitarian organizations confirm that aid reaching Gaza remains extremely limited, amid the near-total displacement of the sector's population.

In his sermon, the Pope did not limit himself to Gaza, but also expressed regret for the conditions of the displaced in various parts of the world, and for the immense destruction caused by wars. He said: 'Fragile are the bodies of peoples unable to defend themselves, suffering from the woes of wars that continue or have ended leaving behind ruins and deep wounds.'

He added: 'Fragile are the minds and souls of the youth who were forced to bear arms, and who feel on the front lines the futility of what is demanded of them and the lies that fill the resounding speeches of those who send them to their deaths.'

The Pope is scheduled to deliver later today the 'Urbi et Orbi' message (To the City and the World), which he delivers twice a year, and usually addresses the most prominent global conflicts and crises.

In a related context, the Pope of the Vatican, as head of the Vatican State, called for a 24-hour ceasefire worldwide, especially in the Russian-Ukrainian war, on the occasion of Christmas.

This came in a press statement last Tuesday, while leaving his residence in Castel Gandolfo near the Italian capital Rome heading to the Vatican, where he said: 'One of the things that truly saddens me is Russia's refusal to cease fire during Christmas.'

He added: 'I appeal once again to all those with good intentions, let there be respect for a 24-hour ceasefire in Ukraine and throughout the world, at least on this day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.'

In reference to the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the Pope said: 'They are still trying to celebrate a holiday amid an extremely fragile situation, and we hope that the peace agreement will make progress.'

The ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the prisoner exchange between Hamas and the Israeli occupation entered into force on October 10 last year, according to a 20-point plan announced by US President Donald Trump.

The genocide war launched by the occupation with American support on the Gaza Strip since October 8, 2023, has left about 71,000 martyrs and more than 171,000 injured Palestinians, mostly children and women, in addition to widespread destruction that the United Nations estimated the cost of rebuilding at about 70 billion dollars.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz renewed his threats on Thursday that Tel Aviv "will never leave" the Gaza Strip and will establish a security buffer zone and settlements in its north.

He said in an educational conference: "Israel will never leave the Gaza Strip," according to the Hebrew newspaper "Haaretz," and added: "There will be a wide security zone surrounding the Gaza Strip."

Katz had previously made a similar statement about settlement on Tuesday, which Israeli media said angered US President Donald Trump's administration, forcing him to retract it.

With American support, Israel began a genocide war in Gaza on October 8, 2023, which lasted two years and left about 71,000 Palestinian dead and more than 171,000 injured, most of them children and women.

Based on a plan proposed by Trump, a ceasefire between the "Hamas" movement and Israel began on October 10 last year, which the latter violates daily, leading to the killing of 406 Palestinians until Tuesday.

Katz continued: "In the northern part (of the Gaza Strip), it will be possible, in my opinion, to establish Nahal nucleus centers in an organized manner when the time comes."

And "Nahal nucleus" is a program supervised by the "Nahal Brigade" affiliated with the Israeli army, which establishes youth settlement gatherings that combine community service and military service, according to Hebrew media.

Katz rejected rumors of his retraction from Tuesday's statements, and said that "there will be (in Gaza) sovereignty by fait accompli, as is the case in the West Bank."

Since the genocide in Gaza began, Israel has intensified its crimes to annex the West Bank to it, especially through demolishing Palestinian homes, displacing them, and expanding settlement, according to Palestinian authorities.

Annexing the West Bank to Israel would end the possibility of implementing the principle of two states (Palestinian and Israeli), as stipulated in resolutions issued by the United Nations.

About 750,000 Israeli settlers live in hundreds of settlements in the occupied West Bank, including 250,000 in East Jerusalem, and they commit daily assaults against Palestinian citizens with the aim of forcibly displacing them.

Katz added: "My vision since the beginning of the war is that in northern Gaza (there will be) a model for Nahal military sites (..) and there could be a Jewish religious school and other things."

Regarding the fate of the occupied West Bank, the Israeli Defense Minister said: "We are implementing a policy of practical sovereignty (annexation) there."

He continued: "It is impossible now, given the current circumstances, to declare sovereignty. Practical sovereignty means (displacing) Palestinians (..) and deploying Israeli army forces, and establishing settlements."

For decades, Palestinian authorities have demanded that the international community pressure Israel to end settlement in the occupied territories, which the United Nations considers "illegal."

On Tuesday, Katz told settlement leaders that "Nahal nucleus" gatherings would be established in northern Gaza in place of the settlements evacuated in 2005.

These statements contradict Trump's plan, which stipulates the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.

Israeli media reported that the United States informed Benjamin Netanyahu's government of its surprise and anger at Katz's Tuesday statement.

At Netanyahu's request, Katz stated that the government does not seek to establish settlements in Gaza, which was considered a retraction before he insisted on his position on Thursday.

There is fear in Israel, according to Hebrew media reports, that Katz's statements may negatively affect Netanyahu's upcoming visit to Florida, where he meets Trump on December 29.

Expected to be on the agenda of the meeting are important files, foremost among them the Gaza Strip, Iran, Lebanon, and Syria.

For decades, Israel has occupied Palestine and lands in Syria and Lebanon, and refuses to withdraw from them and establish an independent Palestinian state, with its capital in East Jerusalem, on the borders before the 1967 war.