The Palestinian Presidency issued strong warnings about the repercussions of continued Israeli settlement policies deep in the occupied West Bank. In an official statement, the Presidency called on the American administration for urgent intervention to stop what it described as 'Israeli madness' that undermines opportunities for peace and stability in the region.

This stance came after the occupation authorities officially approved the construction of 2162 new settlement units, distributed among major settlement blocs and scattered areas. The Palestinian leadership considered this step a grave violation of international law and a challenge to the will of the international community that rejects settlement expansion.

The Presidency stressed that all forms of settlement lack legal and political legitimacy, affirming that these plans will not grant the occupation any right to Palestinian land. It pointed out that UN Resolution 2334 remains the legal reference that proves the invalidity of these measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The statement held the Israeli authorities fully responsible for sliding into new cycles of violence and field escalation as a result of these provocations. The Presidency affirmed that the absence of international accountability encourages the occupation government to proceed with its policy of imposing facts on the ground and confiscating Palestinian property.

The newly approved units are distributed to include the construction of 1006 units in the 'Givat' settlement south of Bethlehem, in addition to 922 units in the 'Har Bracha' settlement around Nablus. The plans also included the construction of 234 additional units in the 'Kiryat Arba' settlement built on the lands of Hebron city.

In a related context, the Presidency affirmed that the Palestinian people will continue their steadfastness on their land and will not relinquish their legitimate national rights despite all pressures. It stressed that the ultimate goal remains the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as the only way to achieve security.

These developments come amid a sharp escalation of violations in the West Bank since October 2023, where official statistics indicate the martyrdom of 1168 people and thousands injured. Repressive policies have also led to the arrest of about 23,000 citizens and the displacement of thousands from their homes amid unprecedented settlement expansion.

Settlement in all its forms is illegal and does not grant legitimacy to any party, and it is a blatant challenge to international resolutions.

Dr. Shaker Khalil: The decrease in fuel or import costs should be reflected in prices with stricter oversight, considering it a corrective policy. Ayham Abu Ghosh: The decision reflects a responsible and balanced approach, and the public transport pricing file requires a clear and permanent mechanism based on scientific and professional foundations. Dr. Moayad Afaneh: The importance of the decision is not limited to its direct financial impact but extends to breaking the "societal axiom" that prices do not decrease again. Hasnaa Al-Rantisi: The decision does not mean returning to the fare before the last increase and reflects a partial sharing of the burdens of rising fuel prices between passengers and drivers. Dr. Thabet Abu Al-Roos: Reducing transportation costs is important, but the decline of the dollar against the shekel necessitates a review of the pricing mechanisms for basic goods. Firas Al-Taweel: The current reduction did not fully meet citizens' expectations, especially since the previous increase in fuel prices was significant and sudden. Ramallah - Exclusive to "Al-Quds" - The decision by the Ministry of Transport and Communications to reduce public transport fares by 50% of the increase approved following the rise in fuel prices last April, constitutes a remarkable step in light of the difficult economic conditions experienced by citizens. The decision brought the issue of the relationship between fuel prices and the costs of essential services back to the forefront of economic discussion. Economic experts, in separate interviews with "Al-Quds", believe that the decision has an important livelihood dimension, given the daily reliance of a wide segment of workers, students, and employees on public transport. This makes any adjustment in fares directly impact household expenses, despite citizens' hopes for a larger percentage. They emphasize that the decision is not limited to being a reduction in transport fares, but rather represents a test of the ability of the competent authorities to link prices to their actual costs, both up and down, thereby enhancing confidence in economic measures and establishing the principle of fairness in pricing. They believe that the decision opens the door for increasing demands to review the prices of other goods and services that were previously affected by rising fuel prices, especially in light of continued living pressures and the decline in citizens' purchasing power. Significant decline in global oil prices Economic expert Dr. Shaker Khalil confirms that the decision to reduce fuel prices and the subsequent reduction in public transport fares came as a result of a significant decline in global oil prices after a wave of sharp increases witnessed by markets during the past months. He considers the step a partial corrective policy for previous decisions that directly affected citizens and various economic sectors, but this requires effective oversight. Khalil explains that the recent developments came within a volatile trajectory that first saw significant increases in fuel prices, with diesel recording an unprecedented increase of about 40 to 41%, while gasoline rose by about 15%, which directly reflected on transport, production, and service costs. Khalil points out that these increases were linked to regional and international tensions, especially the repercussions related to the confrontation between the United States and Iran and its impact on global energy markets. Three factors behind the recent decline Khalil explains that there are three main factors behind the recent decline: the fall in global oil prices, the decrease in prices from the Israeli supplier, and then the transfer of this decrease to the Palestinian market through local pricing. He affirms that the government seemed more aware of the impact of previous increases, especially regarding diesel, which is a key input for production in various economic sectors. Khalil believes that the Palestinian government's decision to reduce the price of diesel by a higher percentage than others represents a positive review of previous policies, especially since the significant increase in diesel months ago affected the public transport sector, factories, and various economic activities, and contributed to a wide wave of price increases. An important step to build upon Khalil emphasizes that the current decline in public transport fares does not fully restore prices to their previous levels, but it constitutes an important step in the right direction that should be built upon. Khalil explains that issuing a new public transport fare reflects an official response to changes in fuel prices, but he warns that the success of the decision requires effective oversight to ensure that all transport lines adhere to the new fare, noting that varying levels of compliance may lead some drivers to continue charging previous fares. Khalil believes that recent developments should open the door for a broader review of the prices of some goods and services, especially in light of the significant decline in the dollar exchange rate against the shekel, which has reduced the cost of importing many goods and raw materials. The importance of accurate study of import and production costs Khalil points out that this decline does not necessarily mean significant price reductions, but it necessitates a precise study of import and production costs and their implications for the consumer. He stresses that any decrease in import or fuel costs must be reflected in final prices in one way or another, but this will not happen automatically without effective government oversight that monitors markets and holds violators accountable. Khalil explains that the transport sector was the most affected by the rise in diesel prices, and therefore it was natural for it to be the first sector to see a price adjustment after the fuel price drop. Khalil believes that the current stage requires well-considered economic decisions based on a comprehensive assessment of their repercussions before implementation, thereby limiting the confusion that may arise from repeated price adjustments, and ensuring a balance between public revenue requirements and protecting citizens and the national economy from the effects of sharp fluctuations in energy markets. Quick and direct response to citizens' needs Economic journalist Ayham Abu Ghosh considers the Ministry of Transport and Communications' decision to reduce public transport fares following the drop in fuel prices a quick and direct response to citizens' needs, reflecting a responsible and balanced approach in dealing with the economic changes witnessed in the Palestinian market. Abu Ghosh explains that the decision was consistent with the percentage of the decrease in fuel prices, especially diesel used in the public transport sector, noting that the ministry did not fully return to the previous prices that prevailed before the last increase, but rather reduced the fare in proportion to the decline in fuel costs, which achieves a balance between the interests of citizens on the one hand and the interests of drivers and public transport vehicle owners on the other. Abu Ghosh points out that the speed of the decision reflects the seriousness of the competent authorities in monitoring economic changes, noting that the reduction was announced immediately after the issuance of the new fuel price list by the General Petroleum Authority, which enhances confidence in a practical response to changes that directly affect citizens' daily lives. Public transport pricing file and a clear and permanent mechanism Abu Ghosh emphasizes that the public transport pricing file requires a clear and permanent mechanism based on scientific and professional foundations, taking into account various cost elements, distances traveled, and operating conditions, in addition to ensuring a fair profit margin for drivers and vehicle owners, thereby ensuring the stability of the sector and the continuity of its services without burdening citizens with additional costs. He points out that the decision gains greater importance in light of the difficult economic conditions experienced by Palestinian society, where wide segments suffer from declining income levels and exacerbating living pressures as a result of the escalating economic crisis and Israeli measures that have directly affected economic activity and employment opportunities. Abu Ghosh believes that this step reflects consideration for the existing living reality and constitutes a model for economic decisions that should be based on clear criteria and balance between the requirements of social justice and the sustainability of various service sectors. A positive and logical step consistent with changes Economic expert Dr. Moayad Afaneh confirms that the Ministry of Transport and Communications' decision to reduce public transport fares by 50% of the increase approved in April constitutes a positive and logical step consistent with the changes in fuel prices, specifically the price of diesel used in the public transport sector. Afaneh explains that the price of a liter of diesel decreased from 8.40 shekels at the beginning of last April to 7.43 shekels at the beginning of this June, a decrease of about 11.5%, which makes the ministry's decision consistent with the foundations on which the previous decision to raise transport fares was based, which stipulated that the increase was temporary and directly linked to the rise in fuel prices, subject to periodic review according to monthly market changes. Commitment to good governance principles Afaneh points out that the decision reflects a commitment to good governance principles, foremost among them justice and transparency, and represents a quick response to the decline in operating costs, thereby ensuring the alleviation of burdens on citizens, especially those most affected by rising transport costs, including school and university students and employees who rely on daily commuting, in addition to poor and low-income families who do not own private transport. Breaking the prevailing "societal axiom" Afaneh notes that the importance of the decision is not limited to its direct financial impact, but extends to breaking the prevailing "societal axiom" that prices that rise do not fall again. He explains that the Palestinian market has become accustomed to a quick response to price increases when production costs rise, in contrast to a slow or absent response when those costs fall, which exacerbated living pressures on citizens. A starting point for broader reviews Afaneh calls for this decision to be a starting point for broader reviews of the prices of various goods and services in Palestine, especially imported goods that are supposed to be affected by the decline in the dollar exchange rate against the Israeli shekel, which has fallen by about 23% over the past year, meaning it has lost nearly a quarter of its value, taking into account other influential factors such as existing inventory, pre-contracts, and insurance and shipping costs. Afaneh demands a review of the prices of goods and services that immediately rose with the increase in fuel prices last April, especially in light of the current decline in diesel prices and the 16% drop in gas prices, considering that the continued rise in prices of many basic goods now lacks economic justification. The necessity of government intervention to protect the consumer Afaneh stresses the necessity of government intervention to protect the consumer in light of the exacerbating economic crisis resulting from Israeli economic strangulation policies, which have contributed to rising unemployment rates and the expansion of poverty. He calls on the private sector to assume its social responsibilities, in addition to activating the role of civil society organizations and the media in enhancing societal oversight of markets and defending the rights of poor and marginalized groups in the face of the high cost of living. Enhancing the credibility of the official body Economic journalist Hasnaa Al-Rantisi explains that the Ministry of Transport and Communications' decision to reduce public transport fares by 50% of the last increase carries a set of important economic and livelihood implications, foremost among them enhancing the credibility of the official body and proving its commitment to linking public transport pricing to actual changes in fuel prices. Al-Rantisi confirms that the decision does not mean a complete return to the fare that prevailed before the last increase, but rather reflects a partial sharing of the burdens resulting from rising fuel prices between passengers and drivers, noting that the Ministry of Transport had confirmed when raising the fare that the decision was temporary and directly linked to the level of fuel prices, which makes the current reduction decision a practical translation of that commitment and a clear message that the increase was not a permanent measure. Living costs remain high Al-Rantisi points out that the reduction, despite its importance, does not negate the widespread effects of the wave of high prices suffered by citizens, as living costs are still high, and prices have not returned to pre-crisis levels. Moreover, the government has not resumed fuel subsidy policies at a time when markets are experiencing increasing pressures, especially regarding diesel, which is an essential component in the operation of transport, production, and service sectors. Al-Rantisi confirms that the decision has a direct livelihood impact on thousands of families, especially in the West Bank, where a large number of citizens rely daily on public transport to reach workplaces, universities, markets, and health centers, making any reduction in transport fares a contributing factor in reducing daily household expenses. Market fragility in the face of energy price fluctuations Al-Rantisi believes that the decision also reveals the extent of market fragility in the face of energy price fluctuations, in the absence of local ability to control fuel prices and reliance on global markets and the Israeli market as a main source of fuel, which makes transport fares and the prices of many services subject to constant change. Al-Rantisi stresses that the current step should be an entry point for a broader review of the prices of energy-related goods and services, based on the principle that prices should fall when fuel costs decrease, just as they rise when they increase. Al-Rantisi confirms that achieving this requires more effective oversight policies, enhanced market competition, and the development of transparent mechanisms that link final prices to production and transport costs, in addition to developing tools to protect consumers and prevent the full burden of fuel price fluctuations from being passed on to citizens. Resolving the debate about the possibility of reducing transport fares Economic expert and analyst Dr. Thabet Abu Al-Roos confirms that the Ministry of Transport and Communications' decision to reduce public transport fares by 50% of the last increase is important and carries many significant economic and social implications, reflecting the ministry's role as the responsible authority with the power to regulate the transport sector and determine fares in line with economic changes. Abu Al-Roos explains that the first implication of the decision is to resolve the debate that took place during the past period regarding the possibility of reducing transport fares after the decline in fuel prices. The decision came clear and direct to confirm that official bodies monitor developments and deal with them according to specific criteria. Abu Al-Roos points out that the importance of the decision is doubled due to the link between transport services and citizens' daily needs, especially those who constantly travel between Palestinian governorates, in light of the noticeable increase in transport fares during the past months. Abu Al-Roos also notes that the decision reflects an official conviction of the continued decline in global oil prices, based on political and economic expectations related to the possibility of reaching international understandings that ease tensions related to the Strait of Hormuz, which may reflect on the stability of energy markets in the coming period. Alleviating living pressures Abu Al-Roos believes that the decision also comes in the context of dealing with the wave of high prices that burdens citizens, as it contributes to alleviating living pressures and absorbing the popular discontent resulting from successive price increases. Abu Al-Roos considers the step a responsible response to citizens' demands, especially in light of increasing complaints about some sectors continuing to impose high prices despite declining operating costs. Abu Al-Roos confirms that the decision contributed to reducing the state of anxiety and frustration experienced by Palestinian citizens as a result of the continuous rise in prices of basic goods and services, stressing that fuel is a pivotal element in citizens' lives and in the costs of various economic sectors. Review after the dollar's decline against the shekel Regarding the possibility that the decision could be an entry point for a broader review of basic commodity prices, Abu Al-Roos explains that the matter is more complex compared to fuel, due to the clarity of the fuel source and its pricing mechanism, while basic commodities differ in terms of import sources, types, specifications, and associated operating costs. Abu Al-Roos points out that a single commodity may be available in several varieties and prices, and transport and distribution costs vary between governorates. Nevertheless, Abu Al-Roos stresses that the significant decline in the dollar exchange rate against the shekel, which reached about 23%, necessitates a review of the pricing mechanisms for basic commodities, calling for setting upper and lower price ceilings that achieve greater fairness and clarity in the markets. Abu Al-Roos calls on the competent authorities, foremost among them the Ministry of National Economy, consumer protection associations, and regulatory bodies, to play a more effective role in monitoring prices and regulating markets, similar to the role played by the Ministry of Transport and Communications in the transport fare issue, thereby ensuring consumer protection and promoting economic and social stability. The reduction did not fully meet citizens' expectations Firas Al-Taweel, editor-in-chief of "Al-Iqtisadi" website, confirms that the decision to reduce public transport fares reflects a government attempt to align transport costs with changes in fuel prices, ensuring that fares do not remain at high levels while operating costs, primarily fuel, which is one of the most important components of transport cost, are declining. Al-Taweel explains that the decision represents an implicit acknowledgment that the majority of the previous increase in transport fares was linked to the sharp rise in fuel prices during the past months, which makes it natural for any decrease in fuel prices to be reflected in fares, even partially. Al-Taweel points out that the current reduction did not fully meet the expectations of citizens who hoped for a larger decrease, especially since the previous increase in fuel prices was significant and sudden, with the price of a liter of diesel rising to about 8.40 shekels after a single increase of nearly 2.5 shekels. Al-Taweel notes that popular discontent stems from the fact that fuel prices rise rapidly and significantly, while reductions are gradual and limited, despite the noticeable decline in global oil prices compared to the period that witnessed the last increases, based on the popular saying, "Raising is by the gram, and lowering is by the gram." Fuel is not the only component of transport cost Al-Taweel points out that many citizens do not realize that petroleum derivatives are purchased through futures contracts, which means that a decrease in oil prices or a decline in the dollar exchange rate against the shekel is not immediately reflected in local prices, but rather takes time, which may extend for months. Al-Taweel confirms that fuel is not the only component of transport cost, as the cost also includes drivers' wages, maintenance, spare parts, insurance, and licensing, which are high and influential items, explaining why the reduction is limited to half the value of the previous increase. Regarding the possibility that the decision could be an entry point for a broader review of fuel and basic commodity prices, Al-Taweel stresses the need to reconsider government fuel subsidy policies, especially in light of the decline in these subsidies during the past months, noting that taxes account for more than 60% of the price of a liter of fuel, making them a key factor in determining final prices. A necessary entry point for prices of other goods and services Al-Taweel confirms that any decrease in fuel prices is supposed to be reflected in the future in the prices of some goods and services, but this requires a sustained decrease for a long period, as happened during the Corona pandemic, where the effects of declining oil prices appeared after several months, not immediately. Al-Taweel explains that the continuation of regional tensions, whether in the Iranian issue or on other fronts in the region, keeps the possibilities of price fluctuations alive and limits the possibility of sustained decreases. The importance of effective oversight Al-Taweel points out that the Palestinian economy faces deeper challenges than just rising fuel prices, including heavy reliance on imports, high operating costs, and weak market oversight tools, which makes price reductions slow and difficult to achieve, and reinforces the popular belief that prices rise quickly but rarely return to their previous levels. Complaints about limited supply Al-Taweel notes the continued complaints from citizens about limited supply at some stations, believing that this may be linked to the financial crisis suffered by the competent authorities, according to what gas station owners report, who speak of not being supplied with the required quantities in full despite their financial commitment, which leads to managing available quantities according to daily market needs without a comfortable inventory sufficient for longer periods.

Official Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli occupation police detained Rand Helwani, a player for the Palestinian Women's National Football Team, after she was summoned for questioning at one of their centers in occupied Jerusalem. The Palestinian Football Association clarified that the 20-year-old player was arrested immediately upon her arrival at the 'Talpiot' police station, located west of Jerusalem, a move that reflects the continued targeting of Palestinian sports personnel.\n\nFor its part, the media office of the Jerusalem Governorate confirmed that the occupation authorities decided to refer player Helwani to court after questioning her on Tuesday, where a decision was issued to extend her detention until next Friday. These measures come amid silence from the Israeli security apparatus, which has not provided any official clarifications regarding the background of this sudden detention of the Palestinian athlete.\n\nIn a related context, Israeli army forces launched a raid campaign targeting student housing north of Ramallah, resulting in the arrest of Natalie Abu Diyeh, a former national team player and a student in the media department at Birzeit University. Sources from the university and the association stated that the arrest took place after storming and searching her residence, which sparked a wave of condemnation in academic and sports circles.\n\nThe arrest campaign was not limited to female players but also included other female students from Birzeit University, as the university administration reported the arrest of students Golan Abu Awwad and Sama Safi, in addition to graduate Laila Nael Khalil. A statement issued by the occupation army claimed that the four young women are suspected of engaging in activities it describes as hostile, charges often used to justify political arrests.\n\nThe Palestinian Football Association condemned these practices, describing them as a blatant violation of international conventions and universal sports values that guarantee freedom of movement and safety for athletes. The association issued an urgent appeal to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), demanding it take concrete and immediate measures to hold the occupation authorities accountable for these transgressions that violate the regulations of the international football system.\n\nOn the religious front, the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Imad Haddad, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of detainee Natalie Abu Diyeh, noting that she is an active member of the Reform Church in Beit Jala. The Bishop expressed his deep concern over the fate of Natalie, who is now among thousands of Palestinians held in prisons without clear charges or fair trials.\n\nIn a detailed report by the Palestinian Prisoner's Club, a significant increase in the number of female prisoners in occupation prisons was revealed, reaching 89 detainees, including three children and three pregnant women. The report indicated that the majority of these female prisoners are held in 'Damon' prison in Haifa, where they face extremely difficult living and health conditions that lack the most basic human necessities.\n\n"The Prisoner's Club clarified that female prisoners are subjected to systematic policies of abuse, including deliberate starvation and medical neglect, in addition to solitary confinement and physical and verbal assaults during searches. The cells also suffer from severe overcrowding, forcing many detainees to sleep on the floor due to the lack of adequate blankets and beds, which exacerbates their daily suffering.\n\nRecent statistics issued by human rights organizations indicate that the total number of Palestinian prisoners in occupation prisons has exceeded 9,400 detainees, distributed among various detention centers. These figures reflect the scale of the continuous Israeli escalation since late last month, which has affected all segments of Palestinian society, including women, children, and athletes.\n\nIn conclusion, human rights activists and national institutions demand urgent international intervention to stop these violations and ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians and athletes under occupation. The case of players Helwani and Abu Diyeh remains a symbol of the significant challenges facing Palestinian sports in light of strict security restrictions and continuous persecutions aimed at undermining Palestinian presence in international forums.\n\nThe arrest of players Helwani and Abu Diyeh represents a blatant violation of all values upon which sports are based, and international laws and conventions.

Palestinian circles are facing a new Israeli bill aimed at legalizing the ban on the call to prayer (Adhan) in occupied Jerusalem and areas within the Green Line with a massive wave of condemnations. These moves come after the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved the proposal submitted by the far-right 'Jewish Power' party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in a step observers considered a dangerous escalation against the Islamic identity of the region.

The Palestinian Chief Justice, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, described this legislation as a 'declaration of religious war' directly targeting Islamic rituals and holy sites. Al-Habbash affirmed in press statements that Israeli attempts to restrict the sound of the Adhan reflect a state of extremism and hatred that has come to control decision-making in the occupation government, stressing that this measure represents a blatant violation of all international laws guaranteeing freedom of worship.

For his part, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, the preacher of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, warned of the dangerous turn taken by repeated Israeli attempts to silence the minarets. Sabri clarified in a statement that the Adhan represents an integral part of Islamic faith and Sharia, and the occupation authorities have no legitimate or legal right to interfere with it or try to lower its sound under any pretext, considering this step to be in conflict with the most basic human rights.

The proposed bill includes strict restrictions that prevent the installation or operation of any sound systems in mosques without obtaining prior permits subject to occupation standards. These permits are based on assessments of what is called 'noise level' and proximity to residential areas, which gives the occupation police broad powers to intervene immediately, confiscate sound equipment, and impose exorbitant fines on violating mosques.

Although the bill is still awaiting presentation to the Israeli Knesset for final approval, Al-Habbash affirmed that the Adhan will continue to echo in the skies of Palestine and these laws will not succeed in obliterating national and religious identity. He pointed out that the Palestinian people will continue to defend their Islamic and Christian holy sites alike, stressing that Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque will remain the core of Arab and Islamic rights in the face of policies of displacement and Judaization.

Observers believe that the approval of this law will lead to a new wave of popular and international anger, given the sensitivity of religious symbols in the ongoing conflict. Concerns are growing that the implementation of these restrictions will lead to direct clashes between worshippers and occupation forces, especially in historical cities and occupied Jerusalem, which are subjected to continuous Judaization pressures targeting their religious and cultural landmarks.

The bill is considered a declaration of religious war on Islamic holy sites and rituals, and a direct assault on freedom of worship.

Prominent American writer Thomas Friedman launched a fierce attack on President Donald Trump, stating in an article published by the 'New York Times' that his political behavior completely deviates from the responsibilities of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Friedman explained that Trump has begun to act like the leader of a group seeking to achieve sectarian gains, instead of working to unite the United States' domestic front in the face of increasing external challenges.

The article pointed to the stark contradiction in the performance of the American administration; while tens of thousands of American soldiers are deployed in areas of tension near Iran, the President is preoccupied with stirring up internal divisions. Friedman believes that the highest priority in such strategic circumstances should be to close ranks, but Trump has failed to deliver a unifying speech that reduces the intensity of polarization with political opponents.

Friedman accused the American President of attempting to harness state institutions to serve his personal agenda, pointing to an attempt to create a massive secret political fund worth $1.776 billion in coordination with the Department of Justice. This fund was intended, according to the article, to compensate Trump loyalists who faced legal prosecution, especially those involved in the January 2021 Capitol riot.

These moves sparked angry reactions even within the Republican Party, with Friedman quoting former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell describing the plan as 'pure folly and a moral error.' This internal debate prompted the federal judiciary to intervene and temporarily halt the plan, ultimately forcing the administration and the Attorney General to withdraw the proposal under the weight of political and legal pressure.

In the context of foreign policy, Friedman strongly criticized the decline in American support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, considering that integrity would have dictated directing funds to support European democracy instead of rewarding political supporters. He affirmed that Ukrainian forces are fighting a decisive battle to defend the old continent, at a time when American military aid is shrinking in a way that raises concern among allies.

The article touched upon the issue of financial conflicts of interest within the White House, where media reports revealed thousands of financial transactions related to shares of companies affected by political decisions. Press sources reported that Trump conducted extensive buying and selling operations in stock markets during the first quarter of the year, including major companies in the defense sector, raising questions about the exploitation of office for financial gain.

The criticism was not limited to the financial aspect but also included Trump's military orientations, as he decided to reduce the presence of American forces in NATO countries. Friedman considered this approach a free gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sees the decline of the American role as an opportunity to achieve field and political progress in his conflict with the West.

These policies have led to a radical shift in how European capitals view Washington, as trust in the traditional American role as a guarantor of global security has gradually eroded. Friedman quoted geopolitical experts as saying that some countries have begun to view 'Trump's America' as a factor of instability, prompting them to seek alternative strategies to protect their interests away from the American umbrella.

In this regard, expert Nader Mousavizadeh pointed out that deterring the volatility of American policy has become a priority for some countries, on par with deterring Russian threats. This sense of danger has pushed countries like Germany, Sweden, France, and Britain to take practical steps to strengthen their independent defense capabilities, including deploying military units in strategic areas such as Greenland.

Friedman believes that European reliance on American technology and defense has begun to undergo a comprehensive re-evaluation as a result of the uncertainty imposed by the Trump administration. European countries no longer trust the stability of American positions and are now moving to secure themselves against any sudden withdrawal or change in international alliances that have been stable for decades.

The writer concluded his article by warning that the continuation of this approach will cost the United States a heavy price in the short and long term, as the international order established after World War II is being undermined. Weakening the American role as a guarantor of stability not only harms allies but also weakens Washington's standing and its ability to influence major global issues.

The picture Friedman painted of Trump reflects deep concern among the American political and media elite about the presidency becoming a tool for narrow interests. According to the article, history will judge this period based on the extent of the damage it inflicted on internal democratic institutions and on the international reputation of the United States as a leader of the free world.

With each passing month of his presidency, Trump acts more like a leader of America's gang than the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The Kuwaiti army announced today, Wednesday, that the country was subjected to a widespread military attack launched by the Iranian side using ballistic missiles and drones. The military statement clarified that air defenses dealt with about 30 hostile targets launched towards Kuwaiti territory, which caused a state of security and military alert in the region.

The statement issued by the General Staff revealed that the armed forces had detected 13 ballistic missiles penetrating Kuwaiti airspace since dawn today, which were successfully intercepted over various residential areas. The army indicated that falling missile fragments caused material damage, while aerial pursuit continued for 17 other drones that attempted to reach their targets.

According to official sources, the Iranian aggression resulted in targeting sensitive civilian and vital facilities, topped by Kuwait International Airport, which suffered significant damage. The Ministry of Health confirmed the death of an Indian resident due to his injuries, in addition to dozens of people suffering varying injuries as a result of explosions and shrapnel.

For its part, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong condemnation of these brutal aggressions, describing them as a blatant violation of national sovereignty and international laws. The ministry affirmed that the bombing was not limited to vital facilities but also affected diplomatic missions, representing a dangerous escalation that threatens the security and stability of the entire region.

In Tehran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard explicitly claimed responsibility for the attacks carried out overnight, stating that they targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The Iranian statement claimed that the base houses American helicopters and that the attack also included the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet stationed in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Revolutionary Guard justified this military escalation as a response to what it described as American aggression that targeted an Iranian oil tanker and a military point on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Foreign Ministry held both Kuwait and Manama responsible for the facilities granted to American forces that carried out the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Regionally, Gulf condemnations of the attack followed, with Qatar considering the targeting of Kuwait and Bahrain a serious violation of the sovereignty of the two countries. Doha stressed its complete rejection of targeting civilian objects, calling for the necessity of de-escalation and sparing the region the consequences of unjustified military confrontations.

In the context of diplomatic moves, the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed with his Saudi counterpart efforts to support Pakistani mediation between Washington and Tehran. Both sides emphasized the need for all parties to respond to international efforts aimed at restoring regional security and stability and preventing the region from sliding into a comprehensive conflict.

For its part, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia described the attack as a 'brutal aggression,' affirming its full solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait in confronting Iranian threats. Riyadh indicated that this blatant violation requires a firm international stance to stop the hostile policies pursued by Tehran against its neighbors.

In the UAE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that these attacks constitute a direct threat to Gulf national security and the stability of international navigation. Abu Dhabi stressed its support for its brothers in Kuwait and Manama, considering that any harm to the security of any Gulf state is a harm to the collective security system of the GCC states.

In turn, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Al-Budaiwi, condemned the Iranian aggression in the strongest terms, considering it to reveal continuous hostile intentions. Al-Budaiwi believed that the repetition of these aggressions proves the Iranian regime's insistence on destabilizing the region and striking vital civilian and economic facilities.

Field sources reported that Gulf security proved its interconnectedness through high coordination in monitoring aerial threats and unifying the political discourse towards the crisis. The sources indicated that the unified Gulf message aims to inform the international community that any targeting of a member state is a direct targeting of all Council states.

In Washington, the US Central Command confirmed that it successfully thwarted Iranian drone attack attempts targeting its forces in the region. US air defenses clarified that they shot down several drones without any casualties among their soldiers, affirming continued monitoring of Iranian military movements in the Gulf.

Since dawn today, the armed forces detected and dealt with 13 hostile ballistic missiles within Kuwaiti airspace, and they were intercepted over a number of residential areas.

International press reports have revealed a new direction for the American administration that directly links the path of de-escalation with Iran to the expansion of normalization in the region. Sources reported that President Donald Trump surprised his allies by demanding that Arab and Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, and Turkey, immediately join the Abraham Accords as a complementary condition for any future nuclear agreement with Tehran.

Observers believe that this American proposal was met with great coolness and skepticism in the capitals of the Gulf states, where it is seen as a step that could increase regional tension. These countries fear that engaging in overt normalization with Israel at this time could alienate Iran, which has proven its ability to direct precise missile and drone strikes that have targeted vital facilities in the region.

In a phone call on May 23rd, Trump stressed to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, and Turkey that signing peace agreements with Israel is a duty to ensure regional stability. Trump considered that countries that refuse this step might be accused of bad faith, emphasizing that this path is one of the most prominent achievements of his foreign policy that he seeks to complete.

Despite Trump's announcement of a ceasefire last April, negotiations with Tehran still face complex technical and political obstacles. Washington stipulates preventing Iran from possessing nuclear weapons and surrendering its enriched uranium stockpile, demands that have not received final Iranian approval to date, making their linkage to the normalization file an issue that further complicates the scene.

For its part, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains committed to its traditional position that links any step towards Israel to a clear political path leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Analysts believe that Riyadh is not prepared to make free concessions on this file, especially in light of the escalating Arab popular anger due to ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.

As for the State of Qatar, which plays the main mediator role between Israel and Hamas, it has clearly affirmed its intention not to join the Abraham Accords at the current stage. Qatari sources stated that any communication with the Israeli side aims exclusively to serve the Palestinian cause and end the war, stressing that the priority is to achieve stability and protect the rights of the Palestinian people.

In Kuwait, the official and popular position remains firm on rejecting any form of normalization with the Israeli occupation, with full commitment to boycott laws. Kuwaiti official bodies did not respond to requests for comment on Trump's recent statements, reflecting the continuation of traditional Kuwaiti policy that considers normalization a red line that cannot be crossed.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are leading intensive diplomatic efforts in the region to persuade Arab leaders of the utility of joining the agreements. Trump emphasizes in his closed meetings that these countries 'owe' the United States to take this step, considering that integrating Israel into the regional fabric will bring economic and security benefits to all.

Sources indicate that the current regional climate is completely different from what it was after the 1991 Gulf War, when Washington succeeded in launching the Madrid Peace Conference. Today, the region suffers from sharp polarization, and Arab peoples view Israel as a destabilizing force, making any political rapprochement an uncalculated risk for ruling regimes.

Experts in Middle East affairs warn that US pressure could lead to counterproductive results, as Gulf states feel disappointed by the level of security protection provided by Washington. There is a growing feeling that the United States shows more enthusiasm for protecting Israel's security than it does for protecting its Arab allies from direct regional threats.

On the ground, reciprocal attacks between Iran and US bases have caused severe damage to civilian infrastructure in several Gulf countries. These developments have made it difficult for Arab leaders to justify any security or political alliance with Israel to their peoples, who daily witness the extent of destruction in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a recent media interview, Trump described Iranian negotiators as 'brilliant,' indicating that he is not in a hurry to reach an agreement that does not guarantee all American and Israeli interests. This statement reflects Trump's desire to use the time factor to pressure all parties, whether in Tehran or in hesitant Arab capitals.

Former diplomats believe that the countries of the region have become accustomed to Trump's style of managing foreign policy through surprising statements and direct pressure. However, they expect these countries to adopt a policy of 'wait and see' until the current political storms subside, avoiding making any strategic decisions that could destabilize their internal stability.

In conclusion, the normalization file remains suspended between the American desire to achieve a major diplomatic breakthrough and the complex regional reality imposed by war and geopolitical shifts. While Trump insists on linking the files, fundamental issues, foremost among them the rights of the Palestinian people, remain the biggest obstacle to Washington's ambitions to formulate a 'new Middle East' according to its vision.

Trump informed regional leaders that their joining the Abraham Accords must be mandatory as part of the ongoing Iranian nuclear deal negotiations.

Informed sources reported that military circles within the Israeli security establishment are expressing increasing dissatisfaction with the nature of American intervention in operational decisions related to the Lebanese front. These circles believe that the pressures exerted by Washington are negatively impacting the Israeli army's ability to plan in advance and build a stable 'target bank' for ongoing military operations.

This divergence in views became clear last week when the Israeli army pushed for a large-scale attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut, where technical plans were prepared and targets were circulated to pilots. However, the operation was halted at the last minute by a political decision resulting from direct American intervention, which disrupted field military planning mechanisms.

Concurrently, Israeli forces continue their ground operations in southern Lebanon, amidst statements by Security Minister Yisrael Katz setting a new ceiling for the operation. This new approach aims to impose full military control over the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River, representing an expansion of previously declared objectives.

The Israeli leadership's use of terms such as 'cleansing the area' has raised international questions about the occupation's intention to expand its military presence within Lebanese territory. Concerns are growing that this rhetoric could prolong the ground confrontation and lead to deeper incursions into Lebanese villages and towns under the pretext of removing military infrastructure.

In a related context, the evacuation order issued by the Israeli army for the Nabatieh region has caused international concern about the possibility of opening new combat axes. Observers believe that this ambiguity in objectives and their frequent changes are now irritating even Western parties that initially supported Israeli operations.

Press reports quoted a senior European official sharply criticizing the Israeli strategy in Lebanon, describing it as suffering from accumulated strategic failures. The European official likened what is happening in Lebanon to the Russian experience in Ukraine, especially regarding the difficulty of decisively ending the battle and the changing objectives over time.

The official explained that Israel began its operations under specific and limited headings, but quickly expanded the scope of its objectives gradually to include areas further from the borders. The official recalled the experience of the Israeli invasion in 1982, warning against a repeat of the scenario of gradual expansion that ends in entanglement in long wars of attrition without a political horizon.

The European assessment also touched upon the field situation of Israeli reserve forces, indicating that the prolonged war has led to a clear state of exhaustion among the fighters. This fatigue, according to the report, is reflected in the combat readiness and field performance of units engaged in direct confrontations in the difficult Lebanese terrain.

Estimates indicate that Hezbollah seeks to exploit the state of attrition suffered by Israeli forces, especially with the decline in field performance quality compared to the early days of the war. These positions reflect a general European dissatisfaction with the joint American-Israeli approach in managing regional issues.

At the internal Israeli level, the retreats from carrying out military strikes in Beirut have caused widespread political and media debate against Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Right-wing parties accuse the government of succumbing to American dictates, which weakens Israeli deterrence in the face of threats from the north.

In a move that angered residents of northern settlements, the Israeli government held a meeting to discuss the situation on the Lebanese front in Jerusalem instead of areas near the border. Residents considered this behavior to reflect the political leadership's detachment from the difficult reality experienced by those displaced from the north under the weight of rockets.

The public's dissatisfaction was further exacerbated by the participation of only three ministers in that meeting dedicated to discussing one of the most dangerous military fronts currently. Critics believe that this governmental neglect reinforces the feeling of a lack of clear vision on how to end the war or secure the return of settlers to their homes in border areas.

Israeli performance in Lebanon suffers from accumulated strategic failures, resembling the Russian experience in Ukraine in terms of the difficulty of achieving declared objectives and their constant change.

Dozens of young men, including wounded individuals, released prisoners, and families of martyrs, continue their open sit-in on the sidewalks of the Masyoun neighborhood in Ramallah, in front of the Palestinian Cabinet headquarters, in what has become known as the 'Dignity Sit-in'. This movement comes in protest against the قطع of their financial allowances for eight months, and in rejection of the decision to transfer their cases to the 'National Economic Empowerment Foundation - Tamkeen', demanding a return to the official umbrella of the Prisoners' Affairs Authority and the Martyrs' Families Welfare Foundation.

Field sources reported that the protesters, who came from various governorates of the West Bank, spent the Eid al-Adha holidays in the open after a series of promises made by leaders in the Fatah Central Committee and Revolutionary Council failed. The spokesperson for the protesters, Maher Abu Hadida, indicated that the pledges made by leading offices, including the office of the Vice President of the Authority and the Director of Intelligence, to disburse urgent sums and schedule dialogue, have not materialized, which prompted them to resume escalation.

The protesters' objections focus on the sharp reduction in financial amounts; some allowances decreased from 2400 shekels to 1400 shekels, while other amounts reached low levels not exceeding 250 shekels, which the protesters considered a clear violation of the minimum wage law and an insult to their national sacrifices. This crisis comes amid suffocating financial pressures faced by the Palestinian Authority due to continuous Israeli deductions from clearance funds under the pretext of paying these allowances.

The secret to the survival of all countries in the world is their respect and appreciation for their fighters, but what we are exposed to today is the exact opposite.

The Palestinian Prisoner's Club announced that the number of female prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons has risen to 89, following a campaign of arrests that targeted four girls on Tuesday. The club affirmed that these arrests are part of a systematic policy targeting Palestinian women, which has been continuously and increasingly implemented for many months.

Human rights data indicates that among the female prisoners held in prisons are three children and three pregnant women, who face difficult detention conditions. The prison also holds 19 female detainees under administrative detention without charge, in addition to two female prisoners suffering from cancer who require special medical care.

The female prisoners are distributed among several centers, with the vast majority held in 'Damon' prison, which lacks the most basic humanitarian necessities. Others remain held in initial interrogation and detention centers, where they are subjected to severe psychological and physical pressure before being transferred to permanent cells.

On the ground, the city of Nablus witnessed widespread incursions concentrated in the Fatayer neighborhood, where occupation forces deployed military vehicles, leading to violent confrontations with young men. Israeli forces heavily used rubber bullets and tear gas canisters, while citizens tried to confront the incursion with stones and available means.

In the southern Nablus countryside, settlers carried out a brutal attack on the village of Madama, directly targeting citizens' homes and properties. The settlers set fire to dozens of dunams of agricultural land planted with olive trees, causing severe material losses to Palestinian farmers in the area.

The settlers did not stop at burning; they also fired live ammunition indiscriminately at residents who tried to reach their lands to extinguish the raging fires. These attacks coincided with the arrest of young man Muhammad Nafiz Nassar from the village by occupation forces, and the incursion into the neighboring village of Iraq Burin to search its homes.

In the context of settlement expansion, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission revealed the issuance of a new military order to seize 300 dunams of land in Jabal Al-Fureidis. These lands are located within the borders of Arab Al-Ta'amra, east of Bethlehem Governorate, a strategic area that the occupation seeks to fully control.

The occupation authorities justified the confiscation decision under the pretext of 'expropriation for public purposes' and the claim of 'developing the archaeological site' in the area. The commission considered this step a legal cover for the process of plundering Palestinian land and expanding settlements surrounding Bethlehem, as part of a plan to displace the indigenous population.

In the city of Al-Bireh, occupation forces raided several neighborhoods and confiscated surveillance camera recordings from shops and homes, and also stormed the village of Surda, north of Ramallah. In occupied Jerusalem, forces set up a military checkpoint on the bridge of Silwan town, where they launched a campaign of inspection and arrests targeting a number of Palestinian workers.

Areas north of Jerusalem also witnessed an attempt by groups of settlers to advance towards the Bedouin gathering of 'Ma'azi Jaba', but the residents confronted them and forced them to retreat. These movements come within the framework of continuous attempts by settlers to impose a new reality in the Bedouin communities surrounding the holy city.

Official statistics indicate a dangerous escalation in violations since October 2023, with 1168 martyrs in the West Bank and more than 12,000 injured. Arrests reached about 23,000 cases, amid a policy of forced displacement that affected more than 33,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands.

Occupation authorities continue to target Palestinian women through systematic and continuous arrest campaigns, raising the number of female prisoners in prisons to 89.

A recent report issued by the Office of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in Marib Governorate revealed shocking figures reflecting the scale of the humanitarian tragedy in Yemen's largest gathering of displaced people. Official sources stated that about 47% of children inside the camps lack birth certificates, threatening the emergence of a generation without legal identity. This situation deprives thousands of children from enrolling in schools or accessing organized healthcare, and makes them vulnerable to falling outside the scope of international and local relief aid calculations.

On the educational front, the report recorded the presence of more than 6,000 children outside the education system, which observers attributed to the harsh economic conditions that push families to send their children to the labor market early. The available schools in displacement areas face immense pressure exceeding their capacity, leading to alarming dropout rates that threaten the future of society. Experts warned that this environment is fertile ground for child labor and child marriage, as well as making them easy targets for armed groups due to ignorance and financial need.

Regarding food and livelihood security, the report indicated that Marib Governorate has reached a point of full saturation after accommodating millions of displaced people who constitute 62% of the total displaced people in the country. The rate of acute food insecurity increased by 13% compared to last year, affecting about 234,000 families. Also, 69% of displaced people living in rented homes face the risk of forced eviction due to their complete inability to pay accumulated rents because of the interruption of income sources and the deterioration of living conditions.

As for infrastructure and basic services, 63% of health facilities in the governorate are operating partially or require urgent maintenance and medical equipment. Pregnant and lactating women, estimated at about 100,000 women, face severe difficulties in accessing basic care services. In addition, 63% of the population still lacks safe drinking water sources, which doubles health and environmental risks in overcrowded camps where most of the residents live in dilapidated tents that do not protect against weather fluctuations.

These successive crises come amid a sharp decline in international funding, with only 29% of the 2025 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan being funded. Sources explained that donors' attention shifting to other international conflict hotspots led to a funding gap of 71%, putting millions of displaced people in direct confrontation with hunger and disease. The political reading of the figures emphasizes the need to move from an emergency relief approach to sustainable recovery plans and the establishment of permanent educational and service institutions to face the long duration of the war.

The absence of birth certificates is not just a paperwork problem; it means depriving children of education and medical care and their falling outside the umbrella of legal protection.

The General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) expressed its strong condemnation of the escalating incursions by extremist settlers into the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Council affirmed that these actions are taking place under the direct protection of the Israeli occupation forces, which constitutes a blatant challenge to the international community.

The Secretary-General of the Council, Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, described these practices as provocative and utterly unacceptable, noting that they aim to inflame the feelings of Muslims around the world. AlBudaiwi clarified that the continuation of these violations represents a clear breach of international laws and relevant legitimate resolutions concerning the status of the holy city.

The Gulf statement emphasized the categorical rejection of any Israeli attempts aimed at changing the existing legal and historical status in the city of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites. The Council warned that these systematic policies will inevitably lead to an increase in tension and instability throughout the entire region.

In a related context, local sources reported that groups of settlers raised the Israeli flag inside the courtyards of the Noble Sanctuary during the past days. These actions were accompanied by the performance of provocative Talmudic rituals, which sparked a wave of anger and warnings about the repercussions of these actions on the security of the region.

For his part, the Director of the Media Department in Jerusalem Governorate, Omar Al-Rajoub, indicated that what is happening in Al-Aqsa is not just fleeting incidents, but rather part of an official plan. He explained that the occupation authorities, through these incursions, seek to impose a new reality that paves the way for the temporal and spatial division of the mosque.

Condemnation was not limited to the Gulf side, as the foreign ministers of eight Arab and Islamic countries issued a joint statement condemning these repeated violations. The statement included Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia, in a wide-ranging diplomatic move.

In their joint statement, the ministers affirmed the necessity of respecting the historical Hashemite custodianship over the holy sites in Jerusalem, and stopping all measures that affect the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque. They stressed that the only way to achieve stability lies in returning to the path of a just and comprehensive peace.

Observers believe that the intensification of incursions recently reflects the desire of the far-right in the Israeli government to impose full control over the holy sites. Palestinians warn that these crimes aim to erase the Arab and Islamic identity of the city of Jerusalem and permanently Judaize its historical features.

The Gulf Cooperation Council concluded its statement by affirming that undermining peace opportunities in the region is the direct result of these continuous provocations. It called on the international community and UN organizations to assume their legal and moral responsibilities to stop these aggressions and provide the necessary protection for the Palestinian people and their holy sites.

These provocative practices represent a blatant violation of international law and international legitimate resolutions and fuel tension in the region.

With primitive tools and simple materials made of wood and nylon, dentist Rizk Abu Halima is trying to revive his profession, which was destroyed by the Israeli occupation army. He opened an alternative clinic on the rubble of his medical center, which was once a sophisticated edifice equipped with the latest medical devices in Gaza City.

What was once a clinic bustling with life and modern technologies has been transformed into a mere small 'kiosk' lacking the most basic necessities. The doctor faces immense challenges due to the occupation's prevention of essential medical supplies, making it almost impossible to provide services to patients under the current circumstances.

Abu Halima's story reflects a tragic reality experienced by the health sector in Gaza, where data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health indicates that the occupation has destroyed about 80% of private medical clinics. This systematic destruction has forced hundreds of doctors to start from scratch in medically unprepared environments.

Abu Halima sadly recalls how he used to manage an integrated center with specialized teams and departments for radiology and sterilization before airstrikes turned it into rubble. Only one medical device survived from that center, which the doctor extracted with great difficulty from under the debris to continue his humanitarian work.

The dental sector, in particular, is suffering from a suffocating crisis, as the prices of basic materials and fillings have increased by 5 to 10 times their previous value. This insane price hike has burdened citizens who are already suffering from a collapsed economic situation.

The challenges are exacerbated by a severe shortage of root canal fillings, cosmetic materials, and dental implant supplies, whose prices have become exorbitant. Doctors are forced to work within the narrowest possible limits, trying to alleviate the pain of patients who lack even the simplest pain relievers.

Dr. Abu Halima issued urgent appeals to international organizations and relief agencies for immediate intervention to break the medical blockade. He stressed that providing medical supplies regularly is the only way to lower prices and ensure safe healthcare for citizens burdened with injuries.

Official statistics reveal the extent of the catastrophe, as the occupation targeted 38 hospitals, putting them completely or partially out of service. Bombing also affected 96 primary care centers and destroyed nearly 200 ambulances that were working to rescue the wounded in various governorates.

On another sidewalk, pharmacist Shireen Al-Atbash set up a wooden kiosk as an alternative pharmacy amidst the displaced persons' tents. This step came after occupation aircraft destroyed the pharmacy she worked at in northwest Gaza City, turning its medical stock into ashes.

Al-Atbash complains of a severe shortage of medicines for chronic diseases, especially those related to diabetes and thyroid disorders. She confirms that preventing the entry of sufficient medicines has forced pharmacists to dispense less effective alternative treatments, threatening the health stability of thousands of patients.

The primitive pharmacies in Gaza face an additional dilemma: the absence of necessary cooling facilities to store sensitive medicines. With continuous power outages and rising temperatures, maintaining the quality of medicines and medical supplies becomes a major daily challenge.

The Ministry of Health warned of a serious deterioration threatening the lives of vulnerable patient groups, including 250 kidney failure patients. These patients are at risk of stopping dialysis due to a severe shortage of medical solutions and filters necessary for their continued life.

The crisis extends to include 11,000 diabetic patients facing health complications due to the irregular availability of insulin injections. Additionally, 110 hemophilia patients suffer from the absence of specialized treatments, putting them in direct confrontation with the risk of bleeding and serious complications.

These medical 'kiosks' remain a testament to the will to survive among Palestinian medical staff despite the Israeli destruction machine. Healthcare workers hope that this war will end so they can rebuild their facilities and provide their services under conditions that uphold human dignity and the right to treatment.

The occupation completely destroyed the center, leaving only one medical device and some simple tools that we miraculously extracted from under the rubble.

The first day of the fourth round of negotiations between the Lebanese and Israeli sides concluded in the American capital, Washington, on Tuesday evening. This round comes amidst complex field conditions and a wide-ranging Israeli military escalation targeting Lebanese territories. The delegations are scheduled to continue their meetings on Wednesday to complete the discussed issues.

This round is a continuation of a negotiation process sponsored by the United States of America, preceded by three intensive rounds held during April and May. These direct meetings aim to find a permanent formula for halting the combat operations that have ravaged the border region and led to the displacement of thousands of civilians from their villages.

For his part, the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, expressed remarkable optimism after the conclusion of the first day's deliberations, confirming in press statements from outside the US State Department headquarters that the talks are moving in a positive direction. Issa pointed to strong indicators that give hope for the possibility of reaching a final agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv very soon.

In a related context, media sources revealed that the opening session of this round lasted for more than seven continuous hours of technical and political discussions. The discussions primarily focused on the issue of solidifying the fragile ceasefire that came into effect in mid-April, which faces major challenges threatening its collapse before its extension expires next July.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed in an official statement that the top priority for the Lebanese state is to solidify the ceasefire in all areas without exception. Salam stressed that the negotiation path represents the rational and least costly option for the Lebanese people in confronting the war machine, considering it the fastest way to restore national sovereignty.

Salam added in his statement that unifying national efforts under the umbrella of the state is the only guarantee to end the Israeli occupation and ensure the return of the people of the south to their cities and villages from which they were forcibly displaced. He called on all internal parties to support the official Lebanese position at this sensitive stage in the country's history to ensure the extraction of national rights.

On the internal Lebanese front, Hezbollah continues to express its strong opposition to these direct negotiations, describing them as a kind of political concession that does not serve the interests of the resistance. In contrast, the official authorities in Beirut insist on the necessity of exhausting all diplomatic means to stop the aggression and protect civilians from indiscriminate shelling.

On the ground, Israeli military operations did not stop despite the ongoing dialogue in Washington, as field sources reported a series of airstrikes and artillery shelling on border villages. These repeated violations resulted in civilian casualties and widespread destruction of infrastructure and residential homes, further complicating the negotiation scene.

In response to these attacks, military operations continued from the Lebanese side, with rocket volleys and drones targeting positions and gatherings of the occupation army in the Galilee region and northern occupied Palestine. These field developments confirm the fragility of the current calm and the urgent need for the parties to reach a binding agreement that ends the ongoing attrition.

Political circles are awaiting the results of the second day of negotiations, amidst significant international pressure to end the conflict and prevent its escalation into a comprehensive regional war. The bet remains on the ability of American mediation to bridge views on the contentious points related to final security and border arrangements.

Negotiations are the least costly option for Lebanon and the Lebanese, and our path through them is shorter to end the occupation and return the displaced.

The Planning and Building Committee of the Israeli Regional Council 'Hof HaCarmel' rejected a legal request aimed at protecting the mass and historical graves in the evacuated village of Tantura. This rejection came in response to a joint appeal from the 'Adalah' Legal Center and the 'Bimkom' Association, who demanded refraining from issuing building permits for tourist facilities that could lead to the desecration of the remains of martyrs and victims in the village.

The legal bodies based their request on new data and evidence revealed by an extensive professional investigation conducted by the British institution 'Forensic Architecture', in addition to documents from the Israeli army archives. This evidence confirms the existence of four mass graves and four historical graves belonging to the Palestinian village that was subjected to a massacre and displacement during the 1948 Nakba, which was not previously known to planning authorities.

Maps and technical documents indicate that three of these mass graves are located directly within the scope of the proposed tourism project on the beach of the 'Dor' settlement. The Israeli plan includes converting these sensitive sites into parking lots and areas for recreational activities and tourist facilities, which constitutes a blatant violation of the sanctity of the dead and the privacy of the victims' families.

For its part, the Israeli Planning Committee justified its rejection with procedural claims, considering that the plan was finally approved in 2013. The committee claimed that the legal period allocated for submitting objections had expired years ago, ignoring the emergence of new scientific and historical facts that necessitate reconsidering the project and amending it to protect archaeological and religious sites.

The human rights organizations criticized the committee's disregard for the request to form a specialized professional team to identify the grave sites, fence them, and protect them from bulldozing and construction. They considered that the authorities' evasion of their responsibility reflects a systematic policy aimed at undermining the dignity of the dead and the rights of their families to preserve their historical and human heritage in their evacuated land.

The occupation authorities also refused to provide information related to ongoing building permit applications, referring human rights centers to complex bureaucratic procedures under the Freedom of Information Law. Observers believe that this behavior lacks the transparency required in dealing with an issue that affects the feelings of thousands of displaced persons and relates to historically documented war crimes.

In a legal comment, Dr. Suhad Bishara from the 'Adalah' Center affirmed that the committee's response reflects a blatant disregard for new evidence that was not available at the time of the original plan's approval. She explained that the authorities chose to hide behind flimsy excuses despite the fact that actual building permits have not yet been granted, which legally allows for a change of course if there was a will to protect the sites.

Lawyer Sari Cornish from the 'Bimkom' Association stressed that dealing with these graves as if they do not exist threatens their continued desecration and obliteration under the guise of administrative procedures. She considered that this approach aims to impose a new reality on the ground that erases any material trace of the Palestinian village that existed before 1948.

For its part, the Tantura Displaced Persons Committee described the tourism plan as a direct continuation of the 'memory erasure' policy pursued by the Israeli establishment. The committee affirmed that the attempt to build recreational facilities over the bodies of the victims is a desperate attempt to silence the silent witnesses to the massacres and forced displacements that the village witnessed.

Sami Al-Ali, spokesman for the people of Tantura, explained that this decision constitutes a blatant assault on the human, religious, and historical rights of the displaced. He added that these practices contradict the simplest ethical values and international conventions that oblige states to respect mass burial sites and commemorate the victims instead of turning them into picnic areas.

Al-Ali accused the Regional Council and its planning arms of continuing the historical denial approach despite the living oral testimonies and documented research that prove the crime. He pointed out that hiding behind technical pretexts will not succeed in undermining the natural rights of the village's residents to preserve the sanctity of their dead and protect their historical narrative from extinction.

The people of Tantura concluded their statement by affirming their continued legal, popular, and moral struggle to protect the mass graves and reclaim their right to commemorate them. They stressed that the historical truth of Tantura is deeply rooted in the conscience of the Palestinian people, and bulldozers or tourism projects will not succeed in obliterating the features of the Palestinian identity rooted in the land.

Attempts to silence memory or remove evidence will not change historical truth, nor will they erase Tantura from the conscience of its people and nation.

Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar launched an unprecedented attack on President Donald Trump, accusing him of employing fraud and corruption to achieve narrow political ends. Omar stated that the United States has never witnessed a president as corrupt and brazen as Trump, noting that his repeated attacks against her and the Somali community in Minnesota fall within this context.

In an opinion piece published by the British newspaper 'The Guardian', Omar explained that the American president systematically relies on hate speech and racism to divert attention from the political and legal crises plaguing his administration. She affirmed that targeting social components, especially Somali Americans, represents a means of escaping the criticisms and scandals that regularly pursue the White House.

These statements come in response to an attack launched by Trump during a cabinet meeting last week, where he described members of the Somali community in Minnesota as 'corrupt'. Trump also renewed his direct accusations against Representative Ilhan Omar of involvement in corruption cases, based on financial fraud files witnessed by the state in recent years, which the representative vehemently denied.

Omar categorically rejected linking individual crimes to the Somali community as a whole, asserting that Trump uses fraud files 'as a political weapon' directed against his opponents. In contrast, she accused him of protecting major donors and wealthy supporters, and working to enrich himself and his family by exploiting his presidential position and broad powers.

The Democratic representative criticized the presidential pardons and sentence commutations issued by Trump in favor of those convicted in massive financial fraud cases. She pointed out that the president granted protection to those involved in embezzlement operations estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars, despite judicial rulings against them by the US Department of Justice, which reflects a double standard in his accountability.

Omar revealed attempts by the Republican administration to allocate massive sums amounting to $1.8 billion to compensate those involved in the Capitol storming events that occurred in January 2021. She explained that this plan was only withdrawn after intense political and legal pressure, indicating the administration's desire to reward lawbreakers among its supporters.

Regarding local corruption issues in Minnesota, Omar stressed that state authorities dealt strictly with the 'Feeding Our Future' scandal. She pointed to the conviction of dozens of individuals who embezzled funds intended for feeding children during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing that holding them accountable is a national necessity to restore confidence in social programs.

The representative accused Trump and his allies of turning the fight against corruption into a 'partisan spectacle' charged with racial incitement instead of genuinely seeking justice. She said that the irony lies in the fact that state officials were prosecuting fraudsters, while Trump was releasing some of them or granting them presidential pardons.

Omar warned of the serious repercussions of the administration's decisions to freeze more than $350 million from the state's Medicaid program allocations. She affirmed that the threat of withholding billions of additional dollars annually threatens the lives of more than 1.2 million people who depend on these services, considering it collective punishment for poor groups to achieve political gains.

There has been no president more corrupt and brazen in US history, and he resorts to hate speech whenever he faces a scandal affecting his administration.

Political circles in Washington are turning their attention to Iran's ninth president, Masoud Pezeshkian, who has emerged as an interesting figure after assuming office under exceptional circumstances. Pezeshkian, a 72-year-old heart surgeon, carries a reformist legacy dating back to his time as Minister of Health during Mohammad Khatami's presidency, which makes him, in the eyes of some American officials, a party with whom channels of communication can be opened.

Despite his calm demeanor and spontaneous appearance, Pezeshkian's personal and political life has been marked by challenges, as he lost his wife and son in a tragic car accident, which led him to dedicate his life to raising his three children and to political work. This personal past today intersects with a complex political reality, as the president tries to balance his reformist identity with the demands of governance in a system where centers of power are numerous.

In an unconventional move, Pezeshkian sent an open letter to the American people, calling on them to re-evaluate the true motives behind the tensions in the region, emphasizing that Iran should not be portrayed as a threatening monster. He affirmed in his writings that external pressures would only make his country stronger, holding Israel responsible for inciting conflicts that drain American forces in the Middle East.

Despite these attempts at openness, Pezeshkian's messages were met with official disregard in Washington, while domestically he faced sharp criticism and accusations of flattering the West. Informed sources confirm that the new president's prominence in international circles does not necessarily mean he possesses absolute authority, especially given the presence of strong rivals and a silent struggle for influence within the Iranian governing structure.

The strained relationship between Pezeshkian and the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Ahmad Vahidi, stands out as one of the most significant obstacles to any fundamental change in Iranian foreign policy. While the president has an office and specific responsibilities, the Revolutionary Guard continues to enjoy huge budgets and extensive security powers that give it the ability to monitor the presidency's movements and restrict its reformist ambitions.

Experts on Iranian affairs in the American administration recommend caution when dealing with Pezeshkian, emphasizing the importance of not easing political and economic pressures. They believe that the Revolutionary Guard's weakening of the president's position, or his classification as an opponent of hardline currents, does not necessarily mean a change in the state's strategic approach, which requires continued international vigilance.

In contrast, Israeli circles are closely monitoring the development of Pezeshkian's political character, trying to predict how far he can go in confronting his internal opponents. The question remains about the heart surgeon's ability to survive political intrigues and navigate the minefield of power, in a system that prioritizes maintaining traditional power balances.

Pezeshkian, who was raised in Khatami's reformist school, has never expressed reservations about dialogue with international adversaries, but he faces strict restrictions from traditional centers of power.

Hebrew media sources reported that a state of skepticism prevails in Israeli military circles regarding the long-term strategic utility of controlling areas deep in South Lebanon, specifically the historic Shaqif Castle. Despite the occupation's claims that the field expansion aims to remove threats to northern settlements, assessments indicate that these steps will not lead to the disarmament of Hezbollah without achieving tangible political gains in ongoing negotiations.

Press reports stated that the army command hopes to use the ground movement as a political leverage, at a time when fortified centers of gravity in the capital Beirut remain far from being radically affected by field operations. Senior military sources admitted that the ability to effectively influence the disengagement between the Iranian and Lebanese fronts remains limited, which weakens the chances of achieving the major strategic goals of the military campaign.

The Israeli security establishment views the control of the South Lebanon highlands and Shaqif Castle as a 'tactical victory' that gives forces an advantage in surveillance and directing fire towards the Nabatieh region. However, the strategic question remains about the extent of this presence's impact on Hezbollah's future and military capabilities, especially since the current field control has not radically changed the face of the campaign so far.

Operations deep in Lebanese territory, according to the occupation's view, aim to neutralize direct threats represented by anti-tank fire and drones targeting border settlements. Although the army believes it has succeeded in deterring some of these threats, dealing with the danger of drones and rocket barrages remains limited, keeping the security of the north in a state of continuous danger.

In a related context, War Minister Yisrael Katz pledged that forces would remain in the areas they controlled to form part of a permanent 'security zone,' which raises questions about the human and material cost of this presence. Military sources confirm that the army currently does not plan to enter the city of Nabatieh, although it represents a strategic center of gravity for the party, fearing involvement in a long-term attrition that does not serve political goals.

Field data indicate that forces are currently working to clear the resistance's infrastructure up to what is known as the 'Yellow Line,' a task that may take many additional weeks. Military officials warn that defending settlements will be more difficult in the event of withdrawal, as threats will return directly to the borders, putting the occupation in a difficult equation between costly presence or fragile withdrawal.

Through ground pressure, the occupation seeks to achieve two crucial accomplishments at the negotiating table: severing the dependency between Tehran and Beirut, and launching a process to disarm Hezbollah in the south under international and local pressure. However, the military establishment admits that these goals are not easily attainable given the current data, making field movements merely local tactical shifts that do not rise to the level of decisive action.

Serious concerns arise about how the army will act if an international political agreement is reached, and whether it will be forced to withdraw from the territories it recently occupied. The Northern Command has prepared contingency plans to establish fixed positions adopting the 'Gaza model' in South Lebanon, but the chances of implementing these plans remain vague given the American restrictions imposed on air operations and broad strategic movements.

The realistic ability to influence the separation between the Iranian and Lebanese arenas is limited, and withdrawal simply means the return of the threat to the borders.

Hebron - Jihad Al-Qawasmi - The village of Sikka, west of Dura city in Hebron governorate, faces a triple Israeli siege that has tightened the lives of its residents: the apartheid wall, bypass roads, and new settlement outposts. The village has become besieged from three sides, and the Israeli goal is to displace farmers from the village to pave the way for the overwhelming settlement expansion that is devouring Palestinian lands. Theft of thousands of dunams. The head of the Sikka village council, Walid Hsheesh, says that the apartheid wall, to the west, cuts through citizens' lands near the school and is a few tens of meters from the homes of the village's citizens, estimated at about 1200 people, where the apartheid wall has encroached on vast areas of the village's land. About 3 km to the east of the village, settlers established a pastoral settlement outpost in 2016, affiliated with the nearby "Neghohot" settlement, where the settler residing in the pastoral outpost owns a herd of livestock and a number of workers, and controls thousands of dunams in the vicinity of the settlement outpost, launching many attacks from it on the lands of the village and surrounding villages, which have escalated significantly recently. A new settlement outpost. Hsheesh added that about two weeks ago, settlers seized an old house belonging to the Ajouri family, as well as the surrounding lands, where the settlers prevented the homeowners from accessing it, despite obtaining a paper from the Israeli police confirming their right to reclaim their home, but the occupation forces detained them and assaulted them when they returned to the house. The occupation forces also abused the citizens who were near the house, expelled farmers and their livestock from the area, then began to build a new settlement road leading to the house, before bringing caravans and placing them on the land. Hsheesh pointed out that since October 7, 2023, settler attacks have escalated, while the unarmed Palestinian has no choice but to defend himself in the face of settlers armed with weapons and supported by the occupation army, and thus the village has become besieged by settlement projects from its three sides. From the west is the annexation and expansion wall, from the north is the military tower and the settlement road connecting the "Neghohot" settlement and other outposts to the occupied interior, and from the east is the "Neghohot" settlement and the pastoral outpost. Destruction of plant and animal production patterns. Hsheesh summarizes the environmental and agricultural damage inflicted on the agricultural village due to settlement, saying: Access to agricultural lands for plowing and cultivation has been prevented, and sheep herders from the village and neighboring villages have been prevented from accessing these lands and grazing in them, thus allowing the settler to monopolize them and continue his attacks on citizens' property from them, which contributed to the imposition of settlement control over them. He adds, "After preventing citizens from accessing their lands, the settlers grazed vast areas of land, inflicting heavy losses on the landowners, as the number of livestock in the village decreased after the settlers took control of the pastures, and farmers in the village now raise their sheep on expensive feed. He continued, the occupation prohibited the use of the northern and western lands of the village, especially in the Al-Baqa'a area, which is estimated at about 300 dunams, under the pretext of security due to its proximity to the settlement road, which was clearly reflected on the citizens of the village. These lands were cultivated with vegetables and grains, and have not been cultivated since the occupation prevented work in them. Huge losses for farmers. Hsheesh pointed out that about (100) dunams of the village's olive-cultivated lands, belonging to the families (Hsheesh, Al-Zir, Abu Samra, Qteit, Rashed, Al-Ajouri, Abu Eid), were cut off by the wall, and many trees were uprooted, noting that the occupation began building the wall on the village's lands in 2006, starting with a barbed wire fence, and soon converting it into a concrete wall in 2016, and access to the lands held behind the wall became through a gate in the wall near the town of Beit Awwa. He pointed out that after October 7, 2023, the occupation prohibited entry to these lands during the olive harvest season, thus inflicting great losses on farmers, and also causing other damage to the lands due to not allowing farmers to care for them, and also prohibited work in the lands east of the wall, and near citizens' homes and village neighborhoods, under security pretexts, estimating the area of prohibited access lands at about 200 dunams, noting that the village's olive-cultivated lands, located in the northern part of the village, on which the occupation army built a military tower for its soldiers, are estimated at about 40 dunams, some of which are owned by citizens of Sikka village, and the other part is owned by citizens from the neighboring town of Beit Awwa, but the prohibition applies to everyone. Dead animals, rodents, and insects. Farmer Dawood Hreibat said that settler and occupation attacks on Sikka village and its residents have become daily, and that the new settlement outpost established is dangerous for citizens and their lands, pointing out that after October 7, the settler grazed the cultivated crops in about 1500 dunams, with his livestock of more than 400 sheep in Wadi Kharsa and Al-Baqa'a up to the wall, and settlers also seized the adjacent lands of Sikka and Beit Awwa. He added that he saw the settler throwing his dead animals in the crops and among the trees, and around the water wells, pointing out that he and another farmer submitted a written complaint to the occupation police near the "Kiryat Arba" settlement, but it did not deter the settler from these actions, explaining that foul odors emanate in the areas where he throws dead animals, and rodents, flies, and insects spread in those areas, and staying or residing in or around them becomes difficult, and this makes farmers stay away from them, and this method is considered one of the methods used by settlers to attack Palestinian farmers, in addition to these armed settlers chasing shepherds and preventing them from accessing pastures, and he is one of them, as most days he cannot take his sheep out of their pen, as the pastures have come under the control of the settlers. Daily attacks. Citizen Mubasher Jawadeh, from Sikka village, confirmed that settler attacks have become daily, and as a result, he and his neighbors cannot sleep at night, as their homes are opposite the outpost, and they fear that settlers will burn their homes, as happened in many areas, pointing out that it used to take him five minutes to reach the town of Beit Awwa, and now it takes an hour and a half through the Marah Al-Baqar road to Dura and then to Beit Awwa, and this is an additional suffering for the residents. Citizen Saif Hsheesh explained that what is happening in his village of Sikka is a pastoral settlement, by the occupation forces and settlers, and their government that gives them all support, to control citizens' lands, explaining that the area of land threatened with confiscation exceeds 300 dunams, which is controlled by settlers and occupation forces.

The Arabian Gulf region witnessed a dangerous military escalation following the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's announcement that its facilities on Qeshm Island had been subjected to an American attack. Official sources confirmed that the explosions that rocked the island overlooking the strategic Strait of Hormuz targeted a communications tower, prompting Tehran to activate immediate military response options against American interests in the region.

In a rapidly developing field, the Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guard announced the execution of precise missile strikes targeting American military bases stationed in Kuwait. An official statement indicated that this move comes as legitimate defense and a direct response to the aggression against Iranian territory, emphasizing that the missiles hit their targets with high accuracy within the initial deterrence circle.

The Iranian statement warned that the era of operations without retaliation has completely ended, describing the missile attacks as merely an initial warning to international powers. The Revolutionary Guard clarified that any future action affecting Iranian sovereignty will lead to the transformation of the aggressors' headquarters and interests throughout the region into ashes, affirming that the armed forces will not hesitate to protect the borders by all available means.

For its part, news sources had detected violent explosions around Qeshm Island before the official statements were issued, amidst a state of security anticipation in international shipping lanes. These developments place the region before open scenarios of confrontation, especially with Tehran's confirmation that its next response will be seismic and decisive, exceeding all traditional rules and boundaries known in previous conflicts.

Any new folly or aggression that touches an inch of our borders and sovereignty will be met with a seismic and decisive response that transcends established rules and boundaries.

  Confiscation of 2478 dunams as archaeological sites and huge budgets for their seizure"Peace Now" movement: Netanyahu exploits every moment before the elections to create facts that facilitate the complete annexation of the West Bank to turn this country into a land designated for Jews only, materially and morallyJerusalem - Muhammad Abu KhdeirThe Israeli Civil Administration (military rule) issued an order to confiscate the archaeological site of "Herodium" and its surroundings, with a total area ofing 300 dunams, under "Confiscation Order H/03/26". This strategic site is located east of Bethlehem Governorate, in an escalating step within a systematic policy to impose control over holy sites and archaeological sites in the West Bank. The confiscation order includes the famous archaeological hill, excavation areas at the foot of the mountain, in addition to vast agricultural lands owned by Palestinian families from the Ta'amra area, threatening to displace farmers and cut down olive trees, which represent the backbone of the local economy there.In this context, the "Peace Now" movement said in a report yesterday: "The government led by Netanyahu is trying to exploit every moment before the elections to create additional facts on the ground that facilitate the complete annexation of the West Bank. Tourist and archaeological sites constitute another form of settlement. Their goal is not limited to seizing vast areas of Palestinian land, but extends to shaping public awareness, marginalizing the Palestinians' connection to the land, and turning this country into a land designated for Jews only, materially and morally."Roots and expansion of the measureThe roots of this measure date back to March 2024, when the Civil Administration, surprisingly, announced that 170 dunams within the Herodium site were "state land," a concept and system of unjust decisions and legislation used by the British Mandate in Palestine, then modified by the Israeli occupation authorities in favor of settlement. According to Palestinian legal sources, this classification aims to strip Palestinians of their properties based on flimsy arguments of not proving ownership within specific timeframes, which were often short under occupation. The new confiscation order includes this entire area, adding an additional 130 dunams located in the lower part of Herodium (Lower Herodium), which contains a huge pool dating back to the Herodian era, and archaeological arcades and gardens that were used as an ancient royal resting station.Race against time to change realityThe confiscation of Herodium does not come in isolation from a wide campaign launched by the occupation government against antiquities in the West Bank. On February 11, 2026, a record area of 2068 dunams was confiscated for the development of the Sebastia archaeological site in Nablus Governorate, which the Israeli "Peace Now" movement described as "unprecedented and unusual," because it is located within the fabric of a populated Palestinian village, and threatens the livelihood of residents who work in tourism and services related to the historical site. In May 2026, the scenario was repeated at the Nabi Samuel (Prophet Samuel) site north of Jerusalem, where an additional 110 dunams were confiscated, including a mosque and a religious shrine belonging to the Islamic Endowments. "Peace Now" considered this the first time that a religious site owned by the Islamic Endowments was forcibly confiscated.The Israeli narrative: Rehabilitation in preparation for controlFor its part, the Israeli occupation army justified this step through a statement by the Israeli Civil Administration, stating that the decision comes "to develop and preserve the archaeological site," and was taken based on "comprehensive professional assessments conducted by the antiquities official and the nature reserves official in the Civil Administration, which indicated an urgent need to organize the area and enhance preservation efforts; to prevent damage to archaeological remains of unique cultural and historical importance." The extremist Israeli Heritage Minister, Amichai Eliyahu, also announced a plan to rehabilitate the "Lower Pool" in Herodium, with the aim of making it capable of storing water again, and attracting tourists to what he considers "Jewish heritage." Local sources revealed that intensive development work has been carried out at full speed in recent months, focusing on the areas recently confiscated by the occupation, which confirms that the expropriation did not come by chance, but is an administrative facilitation for a plan aimed at transforming Herodium into a global tourist attraction within Israeli promotional programs, with complete disregard for the Palestinian character of the site and the surrounding Palestinian area.Archaeological and historical importanceHerodium (Jabal al-Fureidis) is considered a rare architectural masterpiece. It is the palace and fortress built by King Herod the Great between 23 and 15 BC. The Roman historian Josephus Flavius described it as a site built "to commemorate Herod's victory over the Hasmoneans and the Parthians," a name he immortalized throughout the ages. The site consists of three main parts: the fortified palace on the top of the mountain (Upper Herodium) which overlooks the Dead Sea and Jerusalem, the luxurious "Lower Herodium" complex which included a huge swimming pool (70 x 46 meters) and gardens and arcades, which is the section included in the recent confiscation, in addition to the northern slope where Herod's tomb was discovered. Archaeologist Roi Porat, who has been managing excavations at the site for years, said that "Herodium was considered the largest royal complex in the Roman world in its era, and extended over an area of 250 dunams, and included luxurious Roman baths and huge water channels that brought water from Solomon's Pools in Bethlehem."In 2007, archaeologist Professor Ehud Netzer of the Hebrew University announced the discovery of Herod's tomb, after three decades of research. The tomb was found amidst fragments of a red stone sarcophagus, believed to have been deliberately destroyed by Jews during the revolt against the Romans (66-70 AD), or perhaps during the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-135 AD).Netzer explained in his previous research that "Herod chose this isolated and remote site, which overlooks the horizon of Jerusalem, to be his final resting place despite all the glory he built throughout the kingdom around the world, and he planned to transform the entire mountain into a massive funerary monument on an epic scale," as published excavation documents indicate.Ironically, the Israeli narrative promotes the site as a Jewish site, yet it contains archaeological evidence confirming that it was used as a large Christian monastery between the fifth and seventh centuries AD, in addition to the existence of an entire Byzantine village at the bottom of the hill, reflecting the multiplicity of civilizations on this Palestinian land.Political and legal dimensions:Observers believe that this policy comes within a broader context to dismantle Palestinian Authority institutions and impose de facto Israeli sovereignty over areas classified as "C," which constitute about 60% of the West Bank's area. In February 2026, the Israeli government approved a series of decisions described by "Peace Now" as aiming to "open the West Bank as a real estate market for settlers," including transferring land registration powers from the occupation army to civilian bodies affiliated with the government, which makes it difficult for Palestinians to prove their ownership dating back to the Ottoman Empire and the British Mandate.For his part, Yonatan Mizrahi of "Peace Now" warned that "the current government has a clear messianic agenda, and wants to tell the world that this country is for Jews only, which condemns us to many more years of painful and bloody conflict that cannot be resolved."

RAMALLAH – Exclusive to "Al-Quds" – Settlers, yesterday morning, set fire to two vehicles in the village of Umm Safa, northwest of Ramallah, and spray-painted racist slogans and revenge threats on the walls of homes and facilities in the village, according to local sources confirmed to "Al-Quds".

Marwan Sabah, head of the Umm Safa Village Council, stated in an exclusive statement to "Al-Quds": that groups of settlers infiltrated the center of the village in the early morning hours, and set fire to his vehicle and his brother Muhammad Sabah's vehicle, before spray-painting revenge threats on a number of the village's house walls.

The head of the council described the attack as "the most dangerous against the village and its residents" since the establishment of the neighboring outpost in the Jabal al-Ras area, noting that the attack reflects a dangerous escalation in settler attacks on the village and targeting its properties and residents.

Sources in Umm Safa stated that a force from the Israeli army and border guards arrived at the village after the attack and requested surveillance camera recordings in the area. The sources accused the army of attempting to seize the recordings before the arrival of the Israeli police, considering that this could lead to the obliteration of evidence related to the attack.

The residents of Umm Safa, numbering about 700 people, live under continuous pressure due to settler attacks on their lands, crops, and homes, in addition to repeated attacks on citizens. The occupation authorities also continue to close the village entrances with iron gates and earth mounds for more than three years, forcing residents to take a long bypass road through Ajoul and Rawabi to reach their workplaces, schools, and daily errands.

Umm Safa witnessed violent clashes after occupation army forces stormed the village, conducted field investigations, detained a number of young men, and engaged in provocative actions against the residents that lasted for several hours.

In striking and dangerous statements, Tony Blair, a member of the executive committee of the so-called "Peace Council," recently announced that the Palestinian National Authority would have no role in administering the Gaza Strip, indicating that discussions would be held with Hamas regarding arrangements for the transfer of governance in the Strip. These statements coincided with Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement of his intention to expand Israeli military control to include approximately 70% of the Gaza Strip, at a time when the aggression continues and maps revealing expected areas of control and division are constantly emerging.These developments cannot be read as isolated positions or statements, but rather as interconnected links in a comprehensive political and security project whose fundamental goals remain unchanged. The ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip is no longer merely a military war; it has become part of a process of reshaping Palestinian reality on foundations that completely contradict Palestinian national rights.The essence of this project is to continue the war of extermination and destruction in the Gaza Strip and create a repellent environment with the aim of pushing Palestinians towards forced migration, preventing the restoration of the unity of political, legal, and geographical jurisdiction of the occupied Palestinian land, and blocking any possibility of establishing an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.The implementation of this project is not limited to what is happening in the Gaza Strip alone, but is integrated with parallel and accelerating policies in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem; while the war of extermination and destruction continues in Gaza, settlement operations and land confiscation are accelerating, and organized settler attacks under the protection of the occupation army are expanding, while calls and measures aimed at annexing large parts of the West Bank and imposing colonial realities on them are increasing.In this context, the occupation government continues its financial piracy policy by withholding clearance funds and seizing parts of them, exacerbating the financial crisis and undermining the ability of national institutions to carry out their duties. These policies collectively form part of a systematic attempt to weaken the Palestinian National Authority and undermine its political and administrative role, paving the way for imposing alternative arrangements that bypass Palestinian national rights and their legitimate institutions, and opening the way for reshaping the Palestinian reality to serve the occupation's long-term goals and plans.In this context, Blair's statements appear to be a clear revelation of the role assigned to the so-called "Peace Council." The council does not appear as an entity seeking to end the conflict or achieve a just peace, but rather as a political and administrative framework that works to manage the outcomes of the aggression and forcibly arrange the Palestinian scene in accordance with the Israeli and American vision. This is something we have repeatedly warned against since the announcement of the formation of this council and the presentation of its initiatives under humanitarian or developmental titles, while its true goals related to re-engineering the Palestinian political reality and bypassing the unified legitimate national representation of the Palestinian people.The most dangerous aspect of these proposals is that they seek to entrench the separation between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and transform Gaza into a separate and undefined political and administrative entity subject to special arrangements, which practically leads to the liquidation of the Palestinian national project based on the unity of land, people, and cause.In the face of these dangers, what is required from the Palestinians is no longer limited to reactions or condemnation statements, but rather seizing the national initiative by accelerating the departure from the squares of illusion; whether those who believe they can secure a seat through negotiation with the so-called Peace Council and its various formations, or those who overly bet that things will automatically fall into their hands after a while based on false and malicious promises that our people have experienced over many years.Leaving the squares of illusion and betting requires formulating a unified Palestinian position, whose basic pillar is ending the division and restoring national unity, activating the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and placing this entire file under its authority as the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people, and given its international recognition and ability to invoke international legitimacy resolutions and the effects of international law. It also requires broad political and diplomatic action to expose these schemes to the international community, and to emphasize that the future of Gaza is a purely Palestinian matter, and that the Strip is an integral part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967.What is happening today confirms that the battle is no longer just a battle to stop the aggression, but a battle to defend the unity of the Palestinian cause and prevent the imposition of realities aimed at liquidating the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people. Therefore, restoring the national initiative has become an urgent necessity that cannot be postponed, because the alternative is to allow others to draw the future of Palestine away from the will of its people and its established rights.

The report issued in May 2026 by the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL Centre) at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, titled "Palestinian Authority Textbooks: A Review of Research Evidence," defines itself as an independent and comprehensive systematic review of available research evidence on Palestinian curricula and textbooks. Its primary goal is to provide the international donor community and policymakers with a reliable and non-politicized scientific basis to support the education sector, by answering key questions related to the nature of educational content in textbooks, the scientific accuracy of claims raised about incitement, antisemitism, and non-compliance with UNESCO 2023 standards. The report also seeks to identify methodological gaps in previous reports and research.The report did not rely on a comprehensive and direct analytical review of the learning content in Palestinian textbooks as primary material evidence. Instead, its focus was on examining data from a review of 20 research studies and international and political reports published between 2016 and 2024. Its engagement with textbook texts was limited to inspecting and verifying samples upon which claims were built and cited in those studies.The academic neutrality adopted by the report as an interpretive framework for terminology was reflected in its approach; it defined the Palestinian situation as a polarized and complex political conflict, ignoring the structural and real description of colonialism represented by prolonged occupation. It interpreted the mention of Palestinian struggle and resistance and the invocation of images of martyrs as emotionally charged content that needs rationalization according to peace standards, without differentiating between the violence, terrorism, and violations of the aggressor (the occupation) and the act of steadfastness and legitimate resistance of the Palestinian. It also considered the absence of Israel as a peace partner on maps as an educational problem, assuming a natural context for coexistence and ignoring the real situation which reveals that the occupation has never adhered to peace agreements, even though they were mentioned in the context of Palestinian history in social studies discussions.The main conclusions of the report found that Zionist incitement reports were flimsy and lacked academic and scientific credibility because they relied on selectivity and out-of-context excerpts of concepts described as incitement. At the same time, the findings proved that Palestinian curricula are structurally distinct and have succeeded in differentiating between Judaism as a religion and Zionism as a political movement, emphasizing the Palestinian curricula's commitment to UNESCO standards on gender issues, women's rights, inclusion, and values of citizenship and global citizenship. This led the report to its final recommendation on the necessity of continued international financial support for the Palestinian education sector, focusing on professional development for teachers, and the urgent need for intervention to support education in the Gaza Strip, in order to confront the educational genocide.First: Methodological ReadingA careful methodological reading of the Cambridge University report, and an examination of the selected sample and the analytical tool upon which the conclusions were built, reveals that the report fell into the trap of double filtering of evidence; the researchers did not deal comprehensively and directly with the full content of curriculum documents or Palestinian textbooks, but relied on texts previously filtered through the thought and perspective of researchers in those previous studies and reports. It is clear that this sample selection was not based on an educational vision seeking an objective evaluation of the overall cognitive structure of Palestinian curricula with their documents, vision, and philosophy in the fields of science, mathematics, technology, and arts. It may have been inadvertently biased and directed in one way or another by political pressures and conditions from funding bodies or other affiliations to pursue hot topics in social and humanities studies textbooks.However, the validity of the results remains dependent on the extent to which the excerpted texts represent the structure of the Palestinian curriculum; these fragmented texts have become misleading claims and tools of incitement against Palestinian curricula, which made the report's ability to provide a fair, comprehensive, and equitable educational assessment weak. As for the analytical tool and its indicators, the report derived them from UNESCO recommendations for education for international understanding, cooperation, and peace. These indicators were formulated with normative standards that assume the existence of sovereign, stable, and safe educational environments without addressing the contexts under a prolonged settler occupation, which is one of the most heinous and violent models of the deadliest colonialism.Although this tool enjoys high reliability in the West and in stable countries and societies, it lacks conceptual validity and is alienated from the context; applying these rigid indicators to Palestinian curricula is a methodological flaw, as it judges the victim using politicized tools to besiege Palestinian consciousness, memory, and history to conform to donor conditions, bypassing the needs and priorities of Palestinian society for liberation and development.Second: Conceptual ReadingThe main epistemological dilemma in such international reports lies in the preconceived definitions of concepts upon which measurement tools in educational, philosophical, and intellectual dimensions are based; the report adopts a view of peace as the absence of armed conflicts and a superficial, false coexistence, which necessitates disciplined educational discourse to avoid tension and for the victim to cease expressing the oppression, subjugation, massacres, and seizure of land and resources of the Palestinian people. The report overlooks that true peace in the Palestinian context is an inevitable result of achieving justice and the Palestinian people obtaining their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination and the rights of refugees to return according to international legitimacy resolutions, particularly Resolution 194.This conceptual flaw extends to the definition of human rights, as the report focuses on the civil and daily rights of the child as an individual and turns a blind eye to the fundamental collective rights of peoples living under occupation. The report approached the concept of tolerance from a rigid normative perspective that lacks the necessary epistemological caution to grasp the complexities of the historical and political context, appearing detached from human ethics and the conditions of justice, freedom, and recognition of rights; despite the report's success in monitoring the positive educational dimension of Palestinian curricula, it threatens to dilute the concept, forcibly transforming it into an acceptance of the status quo and settler colonialism. This is clearly evident in its approach to citizenship, where it assumes an unreal and imagined context of a stable, sovereign Palestinian state with recognized, drawn borders, ignoring that citizenship in the Palestinian context is linked to steadfastness and cultural resistance to protect existence from erasure.The greatest epistemological flaw appears in the treatment of the duality of resistance and violence; while the report defines violence as the material use of force or incitement to it, it falls into the trap of educational and moral equivalence between the systematic violence of the aggressor, represented by the occupation and settlements, and the legitimate act of resistance and the reaction of the victim defending themselves as a right guaranteed by international laws and charters. The report is credited with relying on UNESCO documents that legitimize the critical teaching of colonialism to students, but its definition of resistance remained conditional on the limits of acceptability that do not desire the struggle of colonized peoples, making the report's conceptual structure selective, reproducing concepts to suit the requirements of adaptation and conflict management, not the requirements of emancipation, liberation, and independence.Third: Analysis of the Absent Context and its Impact on RecommendationsA precise methodological paradox appears in the report; the report showed balance and strategic maturity in its final recommendations and conclusions, overcoming the attempt to maintain negative neutrality that led it in conceptual analysis to a cold reading that does not reflect the pulse of the real and field reality of the Palestinian child who witnesses with their own eyes the walls that disfigure the Palestinian landscape, and the checkpoints and settlements that devour their daily surroundings; the report acknowledged that the presence of these terms in some places is a realistic documentation, not a luxurious intellectual choice.Nevertheless, this neutrality did not prevent the presentation of practical conclusions and recommendations characterized by balance and fairness for the Palestinian educational system; it formed a barrier against attempts to politically erase the Palestinian national curriculum through its clear refutation of Israeli incitement reports and its explicit and unequivocal recognition of Palestinian curricula's commitment to UNESCO humanitarian standards. The strategic value of the report is evident in its recommendations directed to the international donor community, which emphasize the educational validity and eligibility of Palestinian curricula, and explicitly call for the necessity of continued and flowing financial and political support for the education sector as a fundamental right that cannot be compromised or held hostage to political conditions, and its call for urgent and pressing humanitarian and educational intervention to rebuild and rehabilitate what the occupation destroyed in terms of educational genocide in the Gaza Strip. Thus, the report succeeded in presenting a balanced set of recommendations that safeguard Palestinian educational sovereignty internationally and provide a strong academic safety net for continued support and funding.Fourth: Procedural Recommendations and Practical StepsBased on the integrated reading of the Cambridge University report, a set of recommendations is necessary to contribute to the protection and development of educational sovereignty:1. Adopting the report as an international reference document: Work to disseminate the report and officially translate it, and publish it widely among diplomatic missions, UN organizations, and donor communities, to use it as a tool to dismantle attempts to link educational funding to political conditions.2. Forming a unified national team to protect funding: Invest the report's weighty recommendation regarding the flow of financial support to build a strong alliance with international partners and donors who believe in the right to education, ensuring the stability of financial resources.3. Launching a national and international campaign for the reconstruction of education in Gaza: Immediately rely on the report's call for urgent intervention in the Gaza Strip, to formulate a comprehensive national action plan in partnership with international bodies to address the effects of destruction and rebuild the education system in Gaza.4. Investing in professional development and empowering teachers: Develop specialized and sustainable professional development programs for educational staff focusing on equipping them with skills in delivering national and liberation content through interactive methods that meet quality standards.5. Institutionalizing national educational review of curricula: Continuously review and develop curricula and textbooks through national efforts to further entrench human rights, inclusion, and citizenship, while preserving the historical and national narrative of Palestinians.6. Re-engineering the education system as a key to radical transformation and change: Form a comprehensive national team representing all Palestinians, to lead a comprehensive structural change process in the philosophy of education and its governance; to transition the system from a closed, knowledge-consuming system to a flexible, open, and renewed system, capable of dismantling dependency, and based on the sustainability of educational sovereignty and national funding as a fundamental condition for emancipation, liberation, and building a knowledge society.

Jerusalem is not a city to be read solely on political maps, nor can it be reduced to the context of rapidly unfolding daily events. It is an entity that transcends geography, settling in consciousness as an open question about justice, identity, and meaning: How do cities transform into memory? And how does memory transform into a battleground? In Jerusalem, events do not occur in isolation or fleetingly; rather, they accumulate as intertwined layers of time and politics, until every detail—from closing a door, to changing a street's path, to a recurring incursion—becomes part of a long narrative rewritten on the ground every day. Here, we are not talking about managing a city, but about an attempt to redefine it: Who is it? To whom does it belong? And who has the right to narrate its story? At the heart of this scene stands the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as more than a religious landmark or historical symbol; it is a space where identity intertwines with memory, the sacred with the political, and daily existence with collective meaning. Therefore, any harm to it is not read as a fleeting event, but as part of a deeper conflict over symbols, narrative, and the right to define the place. However, what is happening in Jerusalem is not limited to the visible confrontation. The more dangerous developments occur in the depths: transforming the exception into a rule, the temporary into the permanent, and power into a system that reconfigures the details of daily life. And when policies extend to urban planning, movement, worship, and education, we are not facing isolated measures, but a process of re-engineering existence itself. What is called reality management in Jerusalem is not only about security measures or political decisions, but about an attempt to redefine the human within the place: who is allowed to belong, whose consciousness is reshaped, whose memory is written, and who is pushed to the margins in a slow but extended and effective silence. Nevertheless, deep-rooted cities are not easily reduced. They are not just stone, but living memory embodied in people, language, and the details of daily life. And every attempt to reshape them collides with something invisible yet extremely solid: the continued awareness of the city as it is in collective memory, and as its people have lived it generation after generation. In this context, Jerusalem does not appear to be merely a political battleground, but transforms into an open philosophical question about justice: Can justice remain justice if it is separated from memory? And can a place be redefined by force without losing its soul in human consciousness? And can a city of such depth be reduced to drawn boundaries or a single narrative? The scene becomes more complex amidst recurring international silence, or a clear inability to turn warnings into action. Between the language of statements and the reality on the ground, the gap widens between what is said and what is imposed, until the world seems to be observing the transformation of meaning without the ability to curb it. But despite all this, Jerusalem does not seem to be a city that can be reduced. It resists in a different way: a resistance of existence and meaning, not a resistance of noise; a resistance to remain a city in consciousness, even when it is desired to be reduced to a file, a procedure, or a reality imposed by force. And here lies the profound paradox: the more the pressure intensifies to reshape it, the more it clings to a deeper image of itself, as if it is not only defending its place, but its right to be understood as it is, not as it is desired to be narrated. In the end, Jerusalem remains between two possibilities that weigh on human consciousness: either it is reduced to a reality imposed by force, or it remains a living idea that resists oblivion and distortion and continues as a meaning that transcends control. Between these two possibilities, the question remains suspended: How can a city be taken away, yet not lose its ability to be dreamed?

Israeli occupation forces intensified their military aggression on wide areas in southern Lebanon, where their warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting the town of Deir Qanoun - Ras al-Ain in the Tyre district, in addition to another raid that hit the town of Majdal Zoun in the Marjayoun district. These attacks come amid a widespread field escalation aimed at exerting military pressure simultaneously with ongoing political movements abroad.

In a significant field development, the occupation army carried out extensive combing operations using heavy machine guns, accompanied by systematic demolition of buildings and intense artillery shelling targeting the town of Debbin and its surroundings. Field sources reported that Israeli forces are attempting to advance terrestrially towards the town of Blat, amidst intense reconnaissance and warplane activity in the region's airspace.

Regarding human casualties, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced a grim toll resulting from the raids launched from Monday midnight until Tuesday evening, with 5 martyrs and 48 others sustaining various injuries. The list of victims included medical personnel, among them a doctor and health workers at Tibnin Hospital, whose surrounding area was directly targeted.

In a related context, an Israeli drone targeted the Ain neighborhood in the town of Arabsalim, leading to the martyrdom of a paramedic affiliated with the 'Al-Risala' Health Ambulance Association team while performing his humanitarian duty. Israeli targeting of relief and medical teams continues, in a clear violation of international laws that protect health workers during armed conflicts.

Politically, the fourth round of indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, sponsored by the United States, began in the American capital, Washington, with discussions resuming today, Wednesday. This round focuses on attempting to solidify the fragile ceasefire announced on April 17th, which was recently extended until early July.

US Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, expressed his optimism about the course of these talks in statements he made in front of the US State Department headquarters. Issa affirmed that the atmosphere is positive and that there is a real possibility of reaching a final agreement between the two sides soon, noting that diplomatic efforts are being exerted to their utmost to overcome the remaining obstacles.

Political circles believe that the success of these Lebanese-Israeli negotiations represents a cornerstone for the current US administration, as it paves the way for completing other negotiation tracks in the region, especially with Iran. Informed sources indicated that Washington seeks to calm Israel's northern front to ensure broader regional stability that serves its strategic interests.

For his part, US President Donald Trump hinted at overcoming what he described as the 'small problem' that was hindering progress on the Iranian file, in an implicit reference to the military escalation in Lebanon. It appears that the US administration organically links the region's files, considering that achieving calm in southern Lebanon will facilitate major understandings with other regional parties.

Domestically in Lebanon, division remains the master of the situation regarding these negotiations, as Hezbollah renews its strong opposition to this path, describing it as a kind of 'surrender' to Israeli demands. In contrast, the Lebanese government insists that negotiation is the only available option to stop the bloodshed and protect national sovereignty from the Israeli war machine.

It is worth noting that this negotiation track witnessed three previous rounds in Washington during April and May, where discussions took place under complex field conditions. International parties hope that the current round will lead to the formulation of a permanent framework for ceasing hostile operations, ensuring the return of displaced persons on both sides of the border and ending the continuous state of tension.

The talks are going well and there is great optimism, and an agreement between Lebanon and Israel may be reached soon.

By: Said Arikat

June 2, 2026

News analysis

Washington, D.C-By any reasonable standard, the revelations published by The Guardian regarding congressional travel to Israel should trigger a serious national debate about foreign influence, political accountability, and the growing disconnect between American voters and their elected representatives.

The investigation reveals that since October 7, 2023, dozens of members of Congress and senior congressional staff have participated in lavish, all-expenses-paid trips to Israel funded by the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF), the charitable affiliate of AIPAC. According to congressional ethics filings examined by the newspaper, the organization spent more than $4.2 million on at least fifteen delegations involving Democratic and Republican lawmakers and their aides.

The timing is impossible to ignore.

These trips occurred not during a period of peace, but while Israel was conducting one of the most controversial military campaigns of the modern era. They continued amid widespread allegations of war crimes, mounting civilian casualties in Gaza, accusations of genocide before the International Court of Justice, and a growing international consensus that Israeli policy has entered a new and increasingly radical phase.

Yet rather than exposing lawmakers to a broad range of perspectives, the itineraries described by The Guardian appear designed to reinforce a singular narrative.

Delegations met Israeli officials, military contractors, settlement advocates, and political figures associated with annexationist policies. Participants toured military facilities, received briefings from officials defending Israeli actions, visited archaeological projects linked to settlement expansion in occupied East Jerusalem, and even attended meetings in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

What is most striking is not that such trips exist. Congressional junkets sponsored by foreign policy advocacy organizations have long been a feature of Washington. What is striking is their persistence at a moment when public opinion in the United States is moving sharply in the opposite direction.

Recent polling indicates that a substantial majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now hold unfavorable views of Israel’s policies. Public sympathy for the Israeli government has declined dramatically, particularly among younger voters, minorities, and progressive constituencies. Images of destruction in Gaza, coupled with increasingly explicit statements by senior Israeli ministers advocating annexation and population displacement, have altered political perceptions in ways that would have seemed unimaginable only a decade ago.

Yet Congress remains remarkably insulated from this shift.

The Guardian’s findings help explain why.

The trips are not merely educational excursions. They are part of a sophisticated political ecosystem that combines campaign financing, lobbying, donor networks, policy advocacy, and political signaling. Participation serves as a public declaration of loyalty to a powerful political infrastructure that has become one of the most formidable forces in American politics.

Harvard professor Stephen Walt correctly described these trips as a “litmus test.” In Washington, attendance signals reliability. It demonstrates to donors, lobbyists, and political gatekeepers that a politician can be trusted to remain aligned with AIPAC’s priorities.

This reality becomes even more significant when viewed alongside AIPAC’s recent electoral interventions.

The organization’s super PAC and affiliated groups have spent tens of millions of dollars in congressional races, helping defeat critics of Israeli policy while elevating candidates viewed as more dependable allies. The victories of Wesley Bell over Cori Bush and George Latimer over Jamaal Bowman stand as some of the clearest examples of this strategy. In both cases, enormous financial resources were deployed to remove incumbents who had become outspoken critics of Israeli actions.

More recently, AIPAC and its allies were widely credited with helping undermine Republican Congressman Thomas Massie after he challenged aspects of U.S. support for Israel. The message sent to elected officials is unmistakable: dissent carries consequences.

What emerges is a system that extends far beyond traditional lobbying.

Unlike many interest groups, AIPAC occupies a unique position within the American political landscape. It combines extraordinary fundraising capacity with extensive relationships across both major parties. Its influence is amplified by a network of donors, advocacy organizations, think tanks, media allies, and affiliated educational initiatives such as AIEF.

The result is an ecosystem capable of rewarding compliance and punishing deviation with remarkable effectiveness.

The legal structure of AIEF adds another layer to the story. Because it is formally organized as a charitable educational foundation rather than a lobbying organization, it can finance congressional travel that direct lobbying entities would be prohibited from funding. Legally, the arrangement satisfies ethics requirements. Politically, however, it raises obvious questions about whether the distinction is meaningful.

If lawmakers are receiving luxury travel, premium accommodations, exclusive access to foreign leaders, and highly curated political briefings from an organization that shares personnel, infrastructure, and strategic objectives with one of Washington’s most influential lobbying groups, the line between education and advocacy becomes increasingly difficult to discern.

Perhaps the most revealing aspect of the Guardian investigation is that these efforts appear to be producing diminishing returns.

The influence machine remains powerful, but public attitudes continue to evolve.

For decades, support for Israel functioned as one of the few genuinely bipartisan pillars of American foreign policy. Today, that consensus is eroding. Younger Americans are increasingly skeptical. Progressive Democrats are openly challenging long-standing assumptions. Even some conservatives have begun questioning the scale and costs of U.S. commitments abroad.

This shift explains why organizations such as AIPAC appear to be investing more heavily than ever in maintaining elite political support. As grassroots opinion changes, the importance of preserving institutional backing within Congress grows correspondingly greater.

The paradox is striking. At the precise moment when Israel’s standing among many Americans is declining, Washington’s political establishment appears more insulated from public sentiment than ever.

The luxury trips documented by The Guardian are therefore about far more than expensive hotels or first-class hospitality. They offer a glimpse into how foreign policy consensus is manufactured, maintained, and defended in the American capital.

Ultimately, the issue is not whether lawmakers should visit Israel. They should. Nor is it whether they should hear Israeli perspectives. Of course they should.

The question is whether American democracy is best served when foreign policy education is effectively outsourced to organizations with a direct political stake in the outcome. As public opinion shifts and the gap between voters and policymakers widens, that question becomes increasingly difficult—and increasingly urgent—to ignore.

Groups of Israeli settlers, on Tuesday, set fire to vast areas of Palestinian agricultural land located west of Hebron city in the southern West Bank. The attack focused on fields planted with wheat crops and olive trees, leading to the destruction of hundreds of dunams amidst an atmosphere of severe tension and field confrontations that erupted in the area.

Local sources reported that the settlers deliberately used tools such as 'blowers' to ensure the flames spread more quickly through the dry crops, making it extremely difficult to control the fire. This assault coincided with a heavy presence of Israeli army forces that provided full protection to the settlers while they carried out the burning operation, preventing farmers from approaching to save their lands.

The area witnessed pushing and sharp verbal altercations between residents and occupation forces, with the latter firing tear gas canisters at citizens who tried to confront the settlers. These confrontations resulted in the arrest of three Palestinian landowners, a move residents considered part of a systematic policy of tightening restrictions to push them to leave their lands.

Affected farmers explained that these attacks are not isolated, but rather come within a series of continuous pressures that have included land and sheep confiscation and daily abuse since October 7, 2023. They pointed out that the Israeli army imposes a security cordon preventing the access of firefighting teams or volunteers, leaving crops vulnerable to complete damage under the eyes of the soldiers.

The residents of the area issued urgent appeals to the international community and human rights organizations for serious intervention to stop these violations and provide protection for Palestinian farmers. The residents affirmed their steadfastness in remaining on their lands despite the policies of burning and bulldozing aimed at expanding the settlement outposts surrounding Hebron city at the expense of their private properties.

This incident comes in the context of a significant escalation in settler attacks in various governorates of the West Bank, where Palestinian food security is targeted through crop burning and the felling of ancient trees. Field reports confirm that these attacks often occur in coordination with army forces, reflecting an official trend to escalate pressure on Palestinian population centers in 'Area C' classified areas.

According to official data, the ongoing Israeli escalation in the West Bank has led to the martyrdom and injury of thousands, in addition to widespread arrest campaigns affecting nearly 23,000 citizens. These measures coincide with forced displacement operations affecting thousands of families, amidst the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip and the expansion of targeting across all occupied Palestinian territories.

Settlers used a blower to increase the spread of fire in wheat fields, while occupation forces prevented us from reaching to extinguish it.

The Israeli government has approved a joint financial and military plan between the Ministries of Defense and Finance, aimed at activating what is known as the 'Elite Law' to prosecute Hamas members who participated in the October 7, 2023 attack. This step comes within the framework of the occupation's efforts to legitimize exceptional judicial procedures targeting Palestinian resistance fighters under local legal cover.

According to the approved details, a massive budget exceeding one billion shekels, equivalent to approximately 270 million US dollars, has been allocated to cover the expenses of these trials during the period between 2026 and 2029. These funds will be directed towards building an integrated infrastructure that includes military court complexes, public prosecution offices, and the necessary computing and communication systems to manage the sessions.

The new law stipulates the establishment of a special military court to try 250 prisoners from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Among the most controversial provisions is the inclusion of a substantial reservation that absolutely prevents the inclusion of these prisoners in any future exchange operations, thereby closing the door to their release through negotiated channels.

For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that these measures represent a firm message to those he described as 'enemies,' emphasizing the continuation of the military judicial process. In the same context, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich affirmed that the government is committed to providing all necessary financial resources to ensure the unhindered operation of this exceptional judicial system.

The Israeli Knesset witnessed broad agreement between the coalition and the opposition on this legislation, with 93 members voting in favor, reflecting an internal political consensus on adopting retaliatory policies. Observers believe that this approach transforms the judiciary into a tool for political propaganda and psychological warfare, far from internationally recognized standards of justice.

In contrast, Hamas condemned this law, describing it as a racist and void act lacking any legal legitimacy, and considered it a blatant attempt to evade the requirements of exchange deals. The movement affirmed in a statement that bypassing the rules of evidence and usual legal procedures reveals the vengeful nature of the occupation system that seeks to punish prisoners outside the framework of international law.

On the international legal front, the 'Elite Law' faces sharp criticism for its explicit contradiction with the Third Geneva Convention, which guarantees the rights of prisoners of war and protects them from sham trials. Experts also warn that depriving prisoners of the right to a fair trial before ordinary courts may constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

This law represents a dangerous escalation and an Israeli attempt to evade any future prisoner exchange deals.

Media sources have revealed a new direction for the administration of US President Donald Trump, aiming to radically restructure consular work in the African continent. The plan includes reducing the number of embassies and consulates authorized to process visa applications from about 50 diplomatic missions to only 20 regional centers, a step that reflects Washington's desire to concentrate its consular operations.

A leaked internal memo from the US State Department showed that the new list of approved centers almost completely excluded Arab countries located in the north and east of the African continent. The exclusion included Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, and Mauritania, placing these countries outside the map of expanded US consular services in the region.

In contrast, Djibouti emerged as the sole exception among African Arab countries, where it was decided to grant it a fully empowered center for processing all types of visa applications. This decision comes within the context of the current US administration's efforts to tighten immigration policies and limit the issuance of visas for both immigrants and non-immigrants.

Under these structural changes, citizens of the excluded Arab countries will face significant logistical and financial challenges when wishing to obtain a US entry visa. They will have to travel to other countries to conduct personal interviews and complete the required procedures, which adds travel and accommodation burdens that did not exist previously.

Although the consular sections in the excluded countries will continue their work, their tasks will be limited to a very narrow scope, including caring for the affairs of American citizens residing there and dealing with emergency cases only. However, the processing of most routine visa applications will be entirely transferred to the regional centers identified by the new plan in other African countries.

The list of selected regional centers includes cities in countries such as Ghana, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Angola, and South Africa. These choices reflect Washington's desire to distribute its consular centers based on regional and security considerations that align with the new US administration's vision for managing immigration and border issues.

Although no official announcement has been issued by the US State Department regarding the exact date of implementation, reports indicate that the decision may come into effect within the next few weeks. Diplomatic circles are monitoring potential reactions from the Arab countries affected by this decision, which may impact the pace of cultural and economic exchange with Washington.

The new plan will impose additional financial and logistical burdens on applicants from the excluded African Arab countries, as they will have to travel to other countries to complete their procedures.