The war of extermination did not stop during the Eid holidays. Aircraft targeted the tents of the displaced, ambulance crews, and crowds of worshippers performing the Eid prayer, as part of the Eid al-Fitr rituals that brought people to their senses, including the missing, the displaced, and the dead.

The holiday that was supposed to bring people a temporary halt to the barbaric war machine and the madness of genocide, brought more killing and massacres. The bombing continued as usual, and the sounds of explosions replaced the Eid takbeers. The squares of joy that were supposed to be filled with children’s laughter turned into scenes of terror, destruction, body parts, and blood. A woman, whose grief, loss, and sobbing were captured on camera, said, “Those who visited me on Eid have died.”

Eid is no longer an occasion for joy, but rather a new memory added to the list of sorrows, as family tables have disappeared and been replaced by queues searching for a piece of bread or a sip of water amidst the rubble of homes and houses that have been razed to the ground.

On the streets, the scene was nothing but silence, broken by the wailing of the bereaved and the cries of children searching for their parents amid the rubble. Survivors bore pale faces weighed down by fatigue and fear. Even those who tried to cling to the simple manifestations of Eid had only broken hope for the return of those who had passed away or for an end to this ongoing hell. Their voices were sad, their innermost plea: Save us, O Lord, from this hell.

Eid in Gaza was nothing but a meaningless name, another day of killing and bloodshed, where the war spared no one, leaving no room for life to breathe as people fled from one displacement to another in search of a way out of death. Death is in the south, center, and north, and planes fill the skies of the Strip, dropping their inferno of fire, while people are left homeless and out in the open.

Another Eid has come to Gaza, while people are under bombardment, genocide, and ethnic cleansing attempts. The bombing, killing, and horrific massacres have deliberately and premeditatedly increased, targeting mosques, gatherings of worshippers and displaced persons, ambulances and their crews, tents, and shelters. The crossings have not been opened for aid to enter, and people in Gaza have broken their fast with even half a date. So, the Eid in Gaza was one of blood, pain, and suffering, and people have no power except patience, prayer, and hope.

.........

Eid is no longer an occasion for joy, but rather a new memory added to the list of sorrows, as family tables have disappeared and been replaced by queues searching for a piece of bread or a sip of water amidst the rubble of homes and houses that have been razed to the ground.

It is only natural for those suffering from the crime of genocide, displacement, and total destruction to demonstrate, especially since most of the Gaza Strip has become uninhabitable due to the unprecedented and stifling siege.

It is only natural that Hamas, not as a resistance movement, but as the ruling authority in the Gaza Strip, will receive its share of popular anger. It embodies a repressive, factional rule devoid of oversight, accountability, or popular participation. Hamas must understand the motives behind the demonstrations against it and respond to whatever demands the angry demonstrators can meet.

The range of demands presented to Hamas is broad, and they come from a large segment of the population, not all or most of the population. This reflects Palestinian pluralism, a source of strength, resilience, and the continuity of the Palestinian cause. There is also a large segment of the population that supports Hamas, beginning with the demand of some Hamas demonstrators who started in Beit Lahia and later spread to several areas. They demanded that Hamas demonstrate a serious willingness to relinquish control of the Gaza Strip. This is to remove the pretexts and justifications from the occupation, which claims through its government that ending Hamas rule will lead to the cessation of genocide if accompanied by the release of Israeli prisoners, and will ensure that the Gaza Strip no longer remains a source of threat. However, the real goals are much greater, as Netanyahu made clear last Sunday when he set impossible conditions for a ceasefire agreement, including continuing the displacement of the people of the Strip. In other words, the Israeli conditions extend to displacement and annexation. Furthermore, Hamas's relinquishment of power has become necessary in order to remove the pretexts from regional and international parties that have declared their unwillingness to fund reconstruction if Hamas continues to be the de facto authority in the Gaza Strip, because this could lead to a new Israeli aggression that would destroy what is being rebuilt and reconstructed.

The question that arises is whether the demand to end Hamas rule without comprehensive national consensus or without holding elections in which the Palestinian people choose their representatives is just. Of course not. Rather, it is a continuation and reflection of the abdication of Arab, regional, and international parties, as well as the international community, of their responsibilities, which require the occupying state to halt the genocide and enable the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination in accordance with international law and UN resolutions. Despite its injustice, however, it must be fulfilled because wisdom dictates so that the resistance does not bear any responsibility for the continuation of the crime of genocide.

Based on the above, and although Hamas has the right to participate in government since it won the last elections with a majority, it was not able to rule alone when it formed its government, and it was not able to rule after its participation in the national unity government, which prompted it to carry out a coup in which it seized control of the government in the Gaza Strip. This is an unforgivable crime despite its mitigating conditions stemming from the fact that it had won the elections but was not able to rule by the occupation and internal and external parties.

In all fairness, Hamas has shown a willingness to share power with others through a national unity government, having been unable to govern alone and facing significant difficulties in doing so under the blockade and boycott. It also agreed to resort to popular elections, particularly in 2021, when elections were on the horizon before they were canceled by a unilateral decision by President Mahmoud Abbas.

Had elections been held then, we very well wouldn't have reached the point we're in now. Hamas's continuing mistake is that it prioritized its continued unilateral control over the Gaza Strip, and failed to pay the necessary attention to the unity of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and the establishment of an independent state therein. Although it agreed to this, there is a fundamental and decisive difference between agreeing to the establishment of a state and considering this the central goal of this stage. One of its mistakes was that it believed it alone could liberate the Strip, or—and this is a contradiction—that it could at least gain Arab and international recognition of its authority, leading to recognition of the state over the Gaza Strip as a stage on the path to liberation.

In this context, one of Hamas’s mistakes was that, since the outbreak of the war, it did not realize its actual results and repercussions. Rather, it was a prisoner of wishes and false assessments. Therefore, it did not show a willingness to take a step back, which is completely different from surrender. It did not seriously and practically agree to leave power, although it showed its formal readiness to do so through its agreement in the Beijing Declaration, in July 2024, to form a national unity government in which the factions would not participate, and its subsequent agreement to form a community support committee composed of independent figures. The evidence of this lack of seriousness is that it said during the exchanges that it would be the next day. After reaching a ceasefire, it reorganized its government and the committees emanating from it. It could have done so in partnership with others. This is different from its call for surrender, as it is different from its call to hand over power to the Palestinian Authority or the Arab League, because the occupying state occupied the Gaza Strip and does not hide its intentions to remain there. It rejects the return of power to Gaza, just as it refuses to take over the Arab League. Statements and signals were issued indicating that Hamas is not serious about relinquishing power, and that the most it could agree to is to leave the government and remain in power, embodying a formula that is closest to the formula of Hezbollah in Lebanon before the last war.

Before we conclude this paragraph, we must complete it by saying that if President Abbas had the will to form a national unity government in which Hamas and the other factions did not participate, we would not have reached this point.

I do not downplay the president's concerns about the risks of a partnership with Hamas, with its head under the guillotine. However, the risks of not forming a unity government—for Hamas, Fatah, Abbas, the PA, the PLO, the entire political system, the Palestinian cause, and the people—are far greater and more significant. The evidence is that what is being proposed now is the liquidation of the Palestinian cause in all its dimensions through displacement, annexation, and the liquidation of the refugee issue. It also calls for the formation of new frameworks in the Gaza Strip that are truly independent of the two authorities for a "transitional" period during which the PA will be stripped of its remaining political and national role under the guise of "reform." This includes "renewing" the PA to enable it to meet the demands of the new phase, which entails stripping the president of his powers for the remainder of his life. This will be accomplished by appointing a vice president illegally, illegitimately, and without national consensus, to whom the president's powers will be transferred during his lifetime. All of this is proceeding in parallel with the return of a kind of regional and international guardianship over the Palestinians, one that enjoys at least the approval of Israel, if not its supervision.

The Palestinian leadership could have, and still can, agree to the formation of a unity government, linking this to the adoption of a Palestinian program and strategy, and the formation of a unified Palestinian leadership responsible for decisions on resistance and negotiations, subject to which all the military wings of the resistance factions would be subject. It could also be integrated into a unified national army. However, insisting on including Hamas in the leadership if it wants to join the PLO is based on imposing the eight conditions repeatedly stated by the president, including continued commitment to the Oslo Accords, which Israel killed long ago and did not formally bury and abolish in order to preserve Palestinian commitments thereto.

It is unnatural for Hamas and all Palestinian factions to be asked to disarm or leave their leadership, cadres, and fighters, because this cannot happen until the end of the occupation and the independence of the State of Palestine, and because disarming will encourage the occupation forces to commit more massacres and begin the displacement of Palestinians. We have a lesson from our experiences since the handover of Palestinian weapons to the Arab armies before the Nakba, and what happened with the Sabra and Shatila massacre after the withdrawal of the leadership and fighters of the PLO from Lebanon, and the killing of the Israeli governments of the Oslo Accords and ending with the failure to commit to continuing to implement the last armistice agreement. The formation of a special administration by the Israeli government to encourage displacement is nothing but damning evidence that the handover of weapons and the departure of Hamas from the Gaza Strip does not end the implementation of the plan to liquidate the cause and displace its people. And because disarming and expelling the resistance fighters is tantamount to surrender, which is the most dangerous thing that can happen, as it confiscates the possibility of resuming resistance in the future. This is different from the defeat that could befall the resistance, but refusing to accept defeat is necessary and very important because it establishes a new Palestinian launch that absorbs the lessons and mistakes of the revolutions. And previous uprisings are on the road to victory.

However, if surrender actually leads to stopping the genocide, displacement, annexation, Israeli withdrawal, lifting the siege, and starting reconstruction, then it is welcome. There is nothing more precious than the human being. However, no one can guarantee this due to the existence of a government in Israel that believes in its ability to establish “Greater Israel” and resolve the conflict with the Palestinians by liquidating the Palestinian issue and creating a new Middle East under Israeli hegemony. This government is encouraged by the existence of an American administration that is no less extremist, and the margin of disagreement between them is limited to differences in priorities while maintaining the unity of the greater goals.

Palestine is at a historic turning point in which the Palestinian cause and its various components, including the PLO, will be completely erased, transcending its sole representation of the Palestinians and the authority that embodies the identity and unity of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The situation will be restored to what it was after the Nakba, when it was a refugee issue, a humanitarian issue whose people are fragmented and lack a national identity, unity, a comprehensive framework, a shared program, or a single leadership.

Or the beginning of adopting a new approach that focuses on the priority of consensus and unity in the face of common dangers, and on gathering cards of strength, and relying on oneself first, and doing what is required of Palestine, and then working for the broadest Arab, regional and international support and solidarity that can provide the factors of steadfastness and survival for the cause and for the people on their homeland, as steadfastness is the highest form of resistance at this stage, in addition to thwarting the plan of liquidation, genocide, annexation and displacement on the path to achieving the rights of the Palestinian people and their national goals.

.....

In all fairness, Hamas has shown a willingness to share power with others through a national unity government, having been unable to govern alone and facing significant difficulties in governing under the blockade and boycott. It has also agreed to resort to popular elections, particularly in 2021.

The years pass by, changing in their circumstances and events, their hopes and pains. This is a natural part of life and everywhere on earth. But this land is not like any other place on earth. In the final days of Lent and Great Lent, coinciding with Eid al-Fitr and the end of Ramadan, this land reaffirms that it is the land of heaven, the home of the pure, and the cradle of the messages. It reaffirms that the Resurrection is coming, and that it is the divine end of fasting, worship, sacrifice, and redemption. On the eve of Easter this year, we remember the following: Each feast has its city: Bethlehem for the Nativity, Nazareth for the Annunciation, Jericho for the trial, and the surrounding areas of Tiberias for teaching, miracles, and the call of the apostles. As for the suffering, death, and resurrection, they are for Jerusalem and for Jerusalem alone. Without it, everything is in vain. It is the focus and focus of the world's attention on Easter, and the center of all prayers, rituals, and activities. This year, we must distinguish between two things: the first is spirituality and message, and the second is religious celebrations and rituals.

This year's Eid comes while blood is still flowing everywhere, and the siege and oppression intensify on people in every inch of this holy land. No one can imagine the extent of the people's suffering. We live among them and for them. We see the despair and hopelessness in their hearts and eyes. We see the pain and the fading of all reasons for survival. We see the death of the body once and the death of the soul and hope a thousand times over. This is no less dangerous than killing the body. What is happening lays the foundation for a dark future filled with blind and ideological hatred. The ceremonies on Fridays and Saturdays during the forty days and the walk through the alleys of the streets of Old Jerusalem among and with the people. The Stations of the Cross, following the path of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, the parish then becomes a microcosm of society. It gathers all the data and sees and studies what they live and suffer. You can only know the results of this reality. Unfortunately, the spirit of the people is extinguished, souls are sad, hope is lost, and the suffering continues at an escalating pace. This reality is also reflected in the restrictions imposed on Muslims during the month of Ramadan, where every Friday brings special rituals, ceremonies, and prayers, with Jerusalem at its heart. We have all experienced unprecedented restrictions on age groups entering, along with limited permits and many other abhorrent measures. Yet, despite all this, we raise our voices, asking: What is our suffering compared to the suffering of Jesus Christ on such days and on this land? What is the suffering of mothers compared to the suffering of our Mother, the Virgin Mary, as she watched and followed the arrest, torture, and killing of her innocent only son? What is the suffering of the disciples and the people compared to the suffering of Christ's disciples and the simple, tormented people he loved, as they saw their only hope led to the slaughter like an innocent lamb that would not open its mouth? We will preserve the spirit and message of this holiday despite all the pain and suffering, for this holiday teaches us that there is no resurrection except after death, no new covenant except after suffering and pain, and no killing of evil except through goodness, redemption, sacrifice, and patience. This is not just empty talk, but a proven testimony in history books, and Easter is the best proof: Everyone who rejoiced in torture, murder, and crucifixion, as well as everyone who conspired and called for them, was shocked by the resurrection and subsequently faltered before the emergence of new life, new hope, and a new covenant that declared the end of their era forever and irrevocably. This is the spirituality, message, and reality of Easter this year.

As for religious celebrations and rituals, I will first focus on Eid al-Fitr, where children's joy at the holiday and the holiday gifts, new clothes and toys used to fill us with spirit, hope and happiness. However, this year's Eid, on its first day, fifty-one children from Gaza wore shrouds instead of new clothes. Fifty-one child martyrs were martyred on the first day of Eid alone. Innocent children who had no guilt. We used to look forward to Eid to host the children of Gaza, Muslims and Christians, but this year's Eid has opened graves for them instead of chests. Returning to the celebrations and rituals of Easter this year, the entire world knows and stands silently in the face of the reality of its complete submission to the measures of oppression and siege: In past years, Jerusalem was crowded every Friday with the Stations of the Cross, in addition to the huge crowds of pilgrims and tourists who are absent this year and the next year in a row. On Easter, in terms of celebrations and ceremonies, there are three major popular events: Palm Sunday, the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday and every Friday during the forty days, and Holy Saturday. It is worth noting and contemplating that this year, our people, Christians and Muslims, observed Lent together, and Christians will celebrate the glorious Easter together. All churches will celebrate together. If circumstances were better, we would find Jerusalem in a different state. As for these main events, they consist of three human constituencies in addition to the clergy: the people of Jerusalem and the interior, the people of the West Bank, and the pilgrims. The people of Jerusalem and the interior are exhausted, subject to and suffering from strict regulations that limit entry and participation, in addition to the violent clashes we witness every year. The people of the West Bank are absent due to the lack of permits, exhausted and crushed under the yoke of daily suffering and economic oppression, while the pilgrims are missing due to the circumstances of war. It's as if it's a well-thought-out plan to strangle Jerusalem, kill it, and kill everything it represents to us. It's as if it's the foundation of a new phase that isn't meant to bring goodness. It's as if it's one of a series of attempts to consolidate a new reality that carries within it the message: no immunity, no status, and nothing sacred. A complete abolition of existence, so that the celebrations will fade away of their own accord and their absence will become a foregone conclusion that its owners and the world must get used to and accept.

Today is so similar to yesterday. Herod killed the children, and Caiaphas, the high priest, conspired to kill Christ. They also wanted the future to be tailored to their own needs and whims. But God's will and fatherly love brought peace and hope to all those suffering, and a new era for them and the whole world. We ask God Almighty to hasten the relief of the resurrection from the dead, and to inspire the leaders of the world to stop this madness, and to know that justice and justice alone achieves peace, and to take a lesson from history and the holy books: Jerusalem has never been, and never will be, the monopoly of one person over another. And that the thorn of evil can only be broken by good, and that pain and sacrifice are but the rebirth of a new life.

................

The children's joy of Eid and Eid gifts, new clothes and toys, used to fill us with spirit, hope and happiness, but this year's Eid, on its first day, fifty-one children from Gaza wore shrouds instead of new clothes.

US-Iranian relations are approaching a moment of truth. The two countries are on a collision course, and the war of accusations and threats is reaching an unprecedented peak. Estimates regarding the outcome of these relations range from a new agreement that would deduct Iran's credit from the 2015 Vienna Agreement, to the "hellish scenario" promised by Donald Trump to the Iranian leadership, along with a range of options that may combine the two possibilities.

War with Iran is not inevitable, but it would be "foolish" to rule out its likely possibility, according to many observers. This assessment is not based on the Pentagon's preparations and "building the necessary force," but rather on a context that has worsened over the past two years of the "flood," with the advantage favoring a pro-war camp that enjoys positions of influence in both Washington and Tel Aviv. Naftali Bennett's theory is being forcefully invoked these days, stating that it is a priority to hit the octopus's head, rather than simply chopping off its many, extended arms.

The pile of American statements, some of which may contradict each other, suggests that there is a "difference" within this administration, and I would not say a division, between those who want to give diplomacy an additional chance, accompanied by "maximum pressure," and those who want to move directly to the ultimate solution, "burning with fire": talks of additional sanctions, drying up resources, and economic strangulation, accompanied by an intensification of "indirect" negotiation channels, and perhaps direct ones, God knows, in exchange for the mobilization and buildup of hard power elements, including carriers, bombers, and giant bombs, which are being mobilized for the promised day, when Trump decides to open the gates of hell on Iran and its leadership.

While observers and regional and international political circles are betting that the "waving of hell" is nothing more than a negotiating tactic and a form of negotiation under fire, given that the Trump administration does not want wars, and that the man came to the White House promising to make a "peace of power," others believe that the flood of brutality and economic warfare that the administration has unleashed and has swept into on all fronts, and with friends before enemies, makes it difficult to rule out an explosion scenario. The minimum that Washington wants may not meet the maximum concessions that the Iranian leadership is willing to offer, or rather, is able to offer.

The height of weakness and brutality

Iran is entering this heated confrontation with Washington at a peak of weakness, a level it has not reached for a quarter of a century, if not since the victory of its Islamic Revolution. The “flood” and its aftermath have destroyed many of the strengths it had patiently and costly built up over more than twenty years, culminating in the transformation of the region extending from the Caspian Sea to the eastern Mediterranean into a “vital sphere” for its influence and regional role. This has provided it with a rare opportunity for defense and attack, to defend its national interests, or to amplify them, outside its borders and on land that is not its own.

Proxy and authentic wars, fought using non-Iranian tools, until recently occupied a prominent position in power calculations, rules of engagement, and the theory of "mutual deterrence."

All of this has ended, or is nearing its end point after the deluge. Hezbollah is no longer a nightmare haunting Israel, nor has Syria maintained its position as the "crown jewel" of the Shiite axis and crescent. Hamas and the Palestinian resistance are in a "saving what can be saved" position, the Houthis are finding it difficult to protect their capabilities and the heads of their leaders, while Iraq is gradually creeping away from the role that Tehran and its local allies have drawn for it.

There is an “early reading” that suggests that Iran would not have reached this level of contraction and decline had it acted differently in the first year of the flood, proving that the harvest of “strategic patience” may not always benefit the “patient and steadfast,” but may even come back to haunt them with a “strategic defeat” of the heaviest caliber. The saying that “the right decision” loses much of its validity if it comes late and after much hesitation (if it comes at all) is true.

Here are some of what observers—some of them from within the axis—believe are missed opportunities for Iran to build a balance of deterrence with Israel, opportunities that could have been avoided and can no longer be revived.

Among them, its reluctance - or inability - to direct deterrent responses to Israel when it struck its consulate in Damascus, affecting its depths within, and killed Ismail Haniyeh in the heart of the fortified square of its capital. After that, chapters of "self-restraint" and "strategic patience" followed, which were not read in Tel Aviv and Washington as anything other than an expression of "deterrence," weakness, and the continued failed bets on the ability of Iranian "reformists" and "moderates" to spare the country the scourge of greed and brutality that deeply pierce the Netanyahu government and the Trump administration.

Here, we open parentheses to emphasize the urgent need to revisit the investigation into the helicopter incident that claimed the lives of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Abdollahian, particularly in light of the pager and radio incident, which dealt a devastating blow to Hezbollah and nearly caused it to lose its balance.

We say this because we believe that history is not a conspiracy, even if it is replete with conspiracies, especially since we live in an era of "artificial intelligence," sixth-generation warfare, and multi-purpose "cybernets."

We add to the above that Iran experienced the flood, amid internal divisions and disagreements, and preoccupations with the conflicts between reformists and hardliners, while on the opposing front, the position was unified and firm, regarding everything that affected Iran and its allies. This is true during the Biden administration, and it has become even more true with the winds of "Trumpism" blowing over the decision-making institutions in Washington. Iran's enemies quarreled over everything except targeting it, and they were united.

Iranian discourse has remained divided between voices calling for calm, "self-preservation," and "not being dragged into the abyss," on the one hand, and others threatening woe, destruction, and dire consequences, on the other. Neither the former has been effective in curbing the aggressive appetite of Israel and its ally, nor the latter has succeeded in establishing the foundations of mutual deterrence.

Iranian hesitation enabled Israel and the United States to isolate the Gaza front and the support fronts, one after the other. The concept of "unity of arenas" fell and was replaced by the concept of their succession and succession, which evolved according to the requirements of the war and the fronts on the other side. Its proponents got what they wanted, starting with Gaza and not ending with Lebanon, passing through the "reversal of the scene" in Syria, and the exchange of roles in targeting Ansar Allah between the two strategic allies, ending with Tehran being placed in the tightest corners.

Even when Iran was certain that opening support fronts did not stop the barbaric advance on Gaza and its resistance, which was the goal for which the fronts were opened, Tehran adopted the "tactic of saving what could be saved" instead of resorting to what some of its allies were betting on: opening the fronts in their entirety, simultaneously and in parallel, not to eliminate Israel as the overly optimistic ones thought, but at the very least, to reach a "comprehensive deal" that is more just to Palestine and Lebanon, based on an interpretation of the Al-Aqsa flood, not as an end to the road, but rather as a round followed by rounds.

Another indication of this "hesitation" is Iran's behavior regarding its nuclear program, which currently holds a central place in American (say Israeli) strategic thinking. In the context of the "flood," and after voices were issued in the Knesset and Congress calling for the use of "nuclear" against Gaza, it appeared that Tehran was in the process of reviewing its "nuclear doctrine" and had decided to cross the "threshold" and enter the nuclear deterrence club.

Several statements by Foreign Minister Abdollahian, his successor Araghchi, and others have contributed to the belief that Tehran has decided to protect itself by possessing the bomb. As Araghchi stated in the latest edition of the Arab-Iranian dialogue, the doctrine in effect for a quarter century has not deterred enemies, lifted sanctions, or pushed the West to rid the Middle East of weapons of mass destruction. Nor has it convinced influential circles there of Iran's right to possess a peaceful nuclear program, with a full enrichment cycle, under Iranian sovereignty.

These positions created an impression, not dispelled by the hesitant positions of another Iranian faction, that Tehran would conduct its first nuclear detonation before the Biden administration departs, and perhaps during the "soft" period between two administrations. But that did not happen. Iran lost its nuclear umbrella, and its program lost its defensive umbrella after the painful strikes it suffered at the hands of the Israeli Air Force, facilitated by US bases and aircraft carriers deployed in the region.

Today, Iran faces a highly sensitive and complex situation, and is in a weaker position than it was at the time of the Vienna agreement negotiations. The United States is not enthusiastic about negotiations under the P5+1 umbrella, and will not be satisfied with guarantees that its nuclear program will not be weaponized or militarized. Rather, there are voices calling for the dismantling of the peaceful program, stripping Iran of its right to possess an enrichment cycle, and for strict American guarantees and oversight.

It is true that Washington does not treat Iran as a second Ukraine, nor its leadership as "Zelensky 2." However, the truth is that the new administration's approach is pushing it, and Tel Aviv behind it, to go the furthest in stripping Iran of its most potent elements, not only military, but also scientific and technological.

While the Iranian negotiator has succeeded over the past twenty years in separating the nuclear issue from other contentious issues with the West, including the "missile program" and "Iran's destabilizing role," Washington today, under the leadership of President Trump, who "isn't kidding" about his ambition for a third term, wants to place all of these issues on the table for compromise, under the threat of economic strangulation and military hell.

As we have said, this does not mean for a single moment, and should not mean that Washington's dictates to Tehran have become an unavoidable fate, that American pressure will succeed in extracting the gains it and its ally seek, or that it will facilitate the outbreak of a new war in the region, the sparks of which could expand and reach valuable American and "ally" interests. However, the truth is that Tehran is entering its confrontation with Washington today from the lowest point it has reached in the last quarter century, while its rival, in a moment of "deception by power," and Tel Aviv's appetite for rampant violence and the closing of all files until it achieves "absolute victory," not only over Hamas, but also over Tehran itself.

This situation, partly "objective," relates to the balance of power and the critical moment in the system of international relations. However, it is, at least in part, "subjective," and relates to the Iranian regime's performance in the post-October 7 period, where some bets failed, many arrows went astray, and with them, numerous opportunities were lost.

About Al Jazeera

................

There is an urgent need to revisit the investigation into the helicopter incident that claimed the lives of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Abdollahian, particularly in light of the pager and radio incident, which dealt a devastating blow to Hezbollah and nearly caused it to lose its balance.

Oxfam: Famine risks increasing amid obstacles facing humanitarian operations

Tom Fletcher: Gaza has become the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarian workers.

UN organizations have warned of the growing threat of famine in the Gaza Strip, with all bakeries in the southern part of the Strip closing due to a shortage of fuel and essential supplies. This comes amid warnings that the Strip could enter a new phase of famine.

In a related context, UN reports indicate that 140,000 people have been displaced since the resumption of the war on Gaza, while tens of thousands more fled their homes last week.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, also condemned Israel's starvation campaign against civilians in the Gaza Strip and urged states to exert pressure and impose sanctions on Israel to compel it to cease its practices that contravene international humanitarian law.

For its part, the International Federation of Charitable Organizations (Oxfam) stated that humanitarian operations in Gaza are severely hampered and the risk of famine is increasing.

In turn, Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said in a statement that Gaza is the most dangerous place ever for humanitarian workers, stressing the need to end attacks on aid workers in the Strip and hold perpetrators accountable.

Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, on Thursday, in preparation for the demolition of three residential apartments, a commercial store, and a car wash.

Al-Khader Mayor Ahmed Salah reported that an Israeli occupation army force stormed Al-Khader and took up positions in the Umm Rakba area to the south, in preparation for the demolition of a house owned by Ibrahim Al-Sarfandi and his two sons. The house has an area of 400 square meters (three apartments), in addition to a car wash and a building materials store.

Salah added that the occupation authorities notified the home's owners of the demolition a year ago, noting that the residents were removing some of the furniture and belongings from the house prior to the demolition.

Forty-one Palestinians have been killed in ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Khan Yunis and Gaza City since dawn on Thursday, while the Israeli occupation army warned of evacuations from new areas in Jabalia and Beit Hanoun in the North Gaza Governorate.

In Gaza City, Al-Aqsa TV reported that 15 dead arrived at the Baptist Hospital as a result of the targeting of an entire residential block on Mansoura Street in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, east of the city.

Local sources reported that three people were killed and others injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the Yarmouk area in central Gaza City.

In Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, four Palestinians were killed and others injured in an airstrike on a police patrol in the city center.

The victims included three police officers and a child passerby. The bodies of the victims and the wounded were transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

In Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, 10 people were killed and others injured in an attack on a house and tents housing displaced people in the Al-Katiba area north of the city.

On Wednesday, Israeli shelling claimed the lives of 22 people, including nine children, who had been displaced from a UNRWA health center in the Jabalia camp. Exclusive footage obtained by Al Jazeera shows the first moments after the bombing.

In a related development, the Israeli occupation army issued evacuation orders for new areas in the North Gaza Governorate, including Jabalia camp and nine neighborhoods in the towns of Jabalia and Beit Hanoun.

In a statement via the X platform, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said, "Residents of the neighborhoods of Tel al-Zaatar, al-Nour, al-Rawda, al-Salam, al-Nahda, al-Tuffah, al-Zuhur, Sheikh Zayed, al-Manshiya, and Jabalia camp must evacuate immediately."

"This is a final advance warning" before the attack on these neighborhoods and areas belonging to the towns of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia, he added.

Adraee claimed that "for your safety, you must move immediately to the shelters in Gaza City," while there are no shelters in Gaza.

Israeli evacuation warnings continued to be issued from various areas in the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of several neighborhoods in the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, including the Beit Lahia Project and the neighborhoods of Sheikh Zayed, Al-Manshiya, and Tel al-Zaatar.

This was followed by another warning to evacuate the entire Rafah Governorate and three towns in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

Informed sources have revealed details of a proposal submitted by mediators regarding a prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas. The proposal calls for Hamas to release five Israeli soldiers held captive within 50 days, including American soldier Idan Alexander.

According to the sources, before the agreement began to be implemented, the occupation demanded that Hamas release the soldier Alexander as a goodwill gesture without compensation. It also stipulated the release of 10 soldiers on the first day of the agreement in exchange for the release of 120 prisoners serving life sentences and 1,111 prisoners from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli conditions also included Hamas releasing 16 Israeli bodies on the tenth day in exchange for the occupation handing over 160 Palestinian bodies.

The proposal sets a ceiling for the agreement at 40 days, with negotiations to begin on the second day on new principles. The occupation has introduced conditions related to disarming the resistance and rejecting a complete withdrawal of its forces from the Gaza Strip, with their redeployment as part of the parameters proposed for negotiation.

In return, the mediators pledged to restore the situation to what it was before March 2, open the crossings, and implement the humanitarian protocol. The proposal also stipulated that both Israel and Hamas would provide details on the status of prisoners held by both sides, both living and dead, on the tenth day of the agreement.

The proposal also included a commitment by the mediators to begin immediate negotiations within 50 days regarding a permanent ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal, and post-agreement arrangements, making the agreement a first step toward a broader settlement.

Sources explained that Hamas decided not to respond to the occupation's latest proposal, which it presented to the mediators.

She added that Hamas informed the mediators that the occupation had undermined their proposal, which the movement had approved a few days ago.

Israeli warplanes launched more than 11 airstrikes on the capital, Damascus, and the city of Hama (central Syria), on Wednesday evening, in the latest violation of Syrian sovereignty.

The official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said: "An Israeli air raid targeted the vicinity of the Scientific Research Building in the Masaken Barzeh neighborhood in Damascus."

She continued: "An Israeli air raid targeted the outskirts of Hama city."

Meanwhile, Hama Governorate's channel said on Telegram: "Israeli occupation aircraft are targeting Hama Military Airport and its surroundings with more than 10 airstrikes."

No information was immediately available regarding any casualties resulting from the raids.

There was no immediate official statement from either the Syrian or Israeli sides on this matter.

Since 1967, Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights. Taking advantage of the new situation in the country following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime, Israel occupied the Syrian buffer zone and declared the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement between the two sides.

Although the new Syrian administration, headed by Ahmad al-Sharaa, has not threatened Israel in any way, Tel Aviv has been launching almost daily airstrikes on Syria for months, killing civilians and destroying Syrian military sites, vehicles, and ammunition.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty discussed with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi on Wednesday the Egyptian-Qatari efforts to calm the situation and consolidate the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

This came during a phone call between Abdel-Ati and Safadi regarding the Palestinian issue and the situation in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, according to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The statement said the call came "in light of the ongoing Israeli escalation and flagrant violations of international law in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem."

He added that the call "witnessed a discussion between the two ministers about Egyptian-Qatari efforts to calm the situation and consolidate the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, particularly in light of the deteriorating humanitarian conditions there."

On March 18, Israel reneged on the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas, which had entered into force on January 19, 2025, through Egyptian and Qatari mediation and US support, and resumed its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023.

Discussions also addressed "the escalating negative developments in the West Bank in light of the dangerous Israeli escalation and policy of repeated incursions into Palestinian cities, land confiscation, and increased settlement activity, as well as the continued Israeli provocations, most recently in East Jerusalem and the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Wednesday morning)."

Earlier on Wednesday, Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem under heavy guard.

An official at the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department, who declined to be named, said that the far-right extremist Ben Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque accompanied by more than 24 Israeli settlers.

Ben-Gvir's intention to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday was not announced in advance, just days before the Jewish Passover holiday, which begins on April 12 and lasts for 10 days.

This is the fifth time Ben-Gvir has stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, and the eighth time since he assumed his position as minister in late 2022.

Abdel-Ati and Al-Safadi also discussed the work of the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee and ways to activate its role in supporting the Palestinian people and implementing the outcomes of the emergency Arab summit in Cairo, held on March 4.

The statement noted that the call "reflected the two countries' identical visions on developments in the Palestinian territories, as both sides stressed that there will be no stability in the region without the Palestinian people obtaining their full legitimate rights, foremost among them their right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state on the June 4, 1967, lines with East Jerusalem as its capital."

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with US support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, leaving more than 165,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 14,000 missing.

Since the start of its war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army and settlers have escalated their attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, resulting in the deaths of more than 942 Palestinians, the injury of nearly 7,000 people, and the arrest of 15,700 others, according to official Palestinian data.

Algeria requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday regarding the situation in Palestine. The meeting is expected to be held tomorrow, Thursday.

This comes as Israel continues its aggression in the Gaza Strip and continues its military aggression in the occupied West Bank.

The official Algerian News Agency reported: "Algeria requested, on Wednesday, an emergency meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Palestine, and the session is expected to be held tomorrow afternoon, Thursday."

She attributed the request to "the dangerous Israeli escalation in the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza, which has been under siege for more than a month, accompanied by indiscriminate killings, including of aid workers."

She continued: "This also comes after the announcement that the bodies of 15 emergency and relief workers from the Palestinian Red Crescent, Palestinian Civil Defense, and the United Nations were found in Gaza."

The Algerian request also comes "after the unprecedented surge in violence by settlers in the West Bank."

Medical sources confirmed that 18 dead including women and children, have arrived at the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, since Wednesday morning.

A female citizen was killed and others were injured in an Israeli bombardment of a tent housing displaced persons in the Al-Mawasi area near Khan Yunis. At least eight citizens were also killed and others were injured in an Israeli army bombardment of the Al-Salam neighborhood in Khan Yunis.

Medical sources announced that the death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has risen to 50,423, and the number of injuries has risen to 114,638, since October 7, 2023.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an escalation of military operations in the Gaza Strip, stating that Israeli forces were seizing territory, targeting militants, and destroying infrastructure.

He stressed that the occupation is working to control the "Morag Axis," which he described as the "Second Philadelphi," in an attempt to impose a new division within the Gaza Strip and increase military pressure.

Netanyahu said, "We will continue to apply pressure gradually until our prisoners are returned, and if that does not happen, we will increase the pressure even more," stressing that the occupation forces are working "with a clear line and with a long breath" to achieve the war's goals.

The Morag Axis: An Attempt to Divide Southern Gaza. According to Israeli Army Radio, the "Morag Axis" separates Khan Yunis from Rafah and passes through the site of the former Morag settlement, which was part of the Gush Katif bloc.

She explained that the occupation army is seeking to control this axis to impose a de facto division between the southern Gaza Strip, which Netanyahu has dubbed "Philadelphi B" to distinguish it from the original "Philadelphi Axis" located to its south.

Arab Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Yamahi strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Israeli Security Minister Ben-Gvir under heavy guard from the occupation forces. He described this act as provocative and incitement against the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world, and a clear disregard for the international community, international law, and international legitimacy resolutions.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Al-Yamahi affirmed that any attempts to undermine the historical and legal status of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem are unacceptable and invalid, representing a flagrant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions, and contributing to increased escalation, tension, and instability in the region.

The Speaker of the Arab Parliament also strongly condemned the Israeli occupation army's bombing of the UNRWA clinic in Jabalia camp in the Gaza Strip, which led to the martyrdom and injury of dozens of displaced persons, most of them children and women, and the expansion of the occupation's military operations throughout the Strip and the policy of systematic starvation against civilians, which constitutes a crime and a catastrophe against humanity and a flagrant violation of all international conventions that guarantee human rights and the right of peoples to live in dignity.

Al-Yamahi called on the international community, the Security Council, international and regional parliaments, and the peoples of the free world to take strict and immediate measures against the occupation to stop these provocative practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites in the city of Jerusalem, and to stop the genocide and ethnic cleansing it is committing against our people in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. He stressed that the inaction of the international community encourages the occupation government to deepen its violent isolation of the Palestinian people, and pushes it to continue its war of genocide, displacement, and annexation.

A child was killed and several others were injured by live bullets from the Israeli occupation forces during their raid on the town of Silat al-Harithiya, west of Jenin, on Wednesday evening.

Local sources said that the occupation forces stormed the town with several armored vehicles, and positioned themselves at the entrance to the town and deployed their forces in its streets, and fired live bullets at the citizens, which led to the martyrdom of the child Omar Amer Zioud (15 years old), after being shot in the chest, and he was transferred to Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin, which announced his martyrdom, and a number of them were injured, amid the outbreak of clashes.

The Red Crescent Society said that its crews transported an 18-year-old man who was injured by live bullets in his hand, and another 17-year-old boy who was injured by live bullet shrapnel in his foot. It confirmed that it was informed of a serious injury and that they were transported in a private vehicle.

With the death of Zayoud, the number of martyrs in Jenin Governorate since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the city and camp of Jenin 72 days ago has risen to 35 dead and dozens of injuries.

The General Secretariat of the Popular National Conference for Jerusalem condemned the brazen storming of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday by the extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's so-called Minister of National Security.

The General Secretariat said: This behavior is likely to ignite a serious crisis in Jerusalem because these incursions offend Muslims' feelings and violate the sanctity of the mosque, which belongs exclusively to Muslims and is undisputed by anyone, by divine decree.

The General Secretariat said in a statement: "Ben Gvir and the extremist settlers who stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque live on air are fully aware that this move is provocative to the feelings of the people of Jerusalem who sacrifice their lives and souls for Al-Aqsa." The Secretariat stressed that this incursion constitutes a disregard for the feelings of the entire Islamic nation.

The General Secretariat called for urgent Arab, Islamic, and international action to prevent a recurrence of these incursions, which portend an outbreak of religious conflict in the region, with dire consequences for all Arab and Islamic peoples, as well as for Israeli society.

She said the Organization of Islamic Cooperation must take a firm stance in this regard, and that Arabs and Muslims must organize protests across all their countries to protest this unprecedented challenge to the feelings of more than two billion Muslims worldwide.

The General Directorate of Police announced the deaths of several people and injuries as a result of Israeli airstrikes targeting a force of police officers and personnel in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday evening.

The directorate explained that the bombing targeted the force while it was performing its duties, resulting in deaths and injuries. Medical crews are still working to transport the victims to hospitals.

This targeting comes as part of the ongoing escalation by the occupation against security and civilian institutions in the Gaza Strip, amid calls for the protection of personnel working in the field.

Israeli occupation forces raided the Auja Spring north of Jericho on Wednesday evening for the second consecutive day, expelling residents and preventing Bedouins from collecting water.

Hassan Malihat, general supervisor of the Al-Baidar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights and Targeted Villages, said that occupation forces raided the Auja Spring, checked the identities of the visitors, expelled them, and prevented the Bedouins from obtaining water.

He added that these escalating measures target Bedouin communities in the area and are part of the occupation's ongoing policy of restricting Palestinians and denying them access to their essential natural resources.

Malehat pointed out that these violations, which are a clear manifestation of the policy of ethnic cleansing, exacerbate the suffering of Palestinian citizens, who already struggle to meet their daily needs, especially in light of the difficult economic conditions. They are also exposed to health and humanitarian risks due to their deprivation of a vital water source.

He noted that these policies pose a serious threat to human rights and specifically target citizens in the Palestinian territories, stressing the need for international intervention to halt these ongoing violations, which contravene international human rights laws and conventions.

While most Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the conflict doesn't affect his public image as much as it did President Joe Biden, according to a new poll.

This is due to the strong support Trump enjoys from his base on this issue. A poll of American adults, conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that about 8 in 10 Republicans approve of Trump's handling of the conflict. In June, only about 4 in 10 Democrats approved of former President Joe Biden's handling of Israel's war on Gaza, shortly before Biden dropped out of the presidential race.

According to the poll, a significant number of Republicans indicate that during the first Trump administration, he "did not actively start any wars." According to these people (according to the poll), there is a significant difference between his history and his first term compared to the Biden presidency. Many Republican respondents also believe that Trump is merely trying to fix things that Biden let get out of hand. The poll indicates that Republicans are increasingly satisfied with the country's foreign policy actions as Trump retreats from US support for Ukraine and imposes new pressure on allies—particularly with his talk of annexing Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal.

US President Trump warned Hamas there would be "hell to pay" if the Israeli hostages were not returned immediately and urged Israel to end its offensive and "get it over with." Trump has supported ceasefire talks in both wars, and before his election he said he would end the war between Ukraine and Russia within "24 hours"—or even before taking office. Since assuming office again, Trump has publicly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but he has also tried to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept a peace agreement.

Overall, Republicans are more satisfied with the United States' ability to resolve global issues now that President Trump has taken office. About half of Republicans say the current U.S. role in global affairs is about right, compared to about 2 in 10 in February 2024 when Biden was president.

There is also greater consensus that the United States should focus on ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and Ukraine than last year. About 6 in 10 American adults say it is "important" for the United States to negotiate a permanent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, compared to about half in a February 2024 Associated Press-NORC poll, with a similar increase regarding Israel's war on Gaza.

Republicans have become more committed to both foreign policy goals since Trump took office, according to the poll. For example, about 6 in 10 Republicans now believe it is very important for the United States to negotiate a permanent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, compared to about 4 in 10 last year.

“I think we really need to step back and find a way to get everyone to the table so they can use their own resources and figure out what they need to do to reach a settlement,” the poll quotes Lisa Major, 61, a registered Republican from Kentucky who voted for Trump last November, as saying. Keith Willey, a Republican-leaning independent from Florida who voted for a third-party presidential candidate, said peace deals in Ukraine and Gaza have become more important to him over time amid mounting death and destruction.

But Wiley said he does not support a deal that allows Hamas to remain in control of Gaza, nor does he support a ceasefire in Ukraine that divides it with Russia or hinges on US control of rare earth minerals in Ukraine.

Many Republicans do not want more investment in Ukraine—only about 2 in 10 believe that providing assistance to the Ukrainian military to fight Russia is “very important.”

Many Republicans want Trump to continue reducing US involvement abroad, with the poll finding that 4 in 10 Republicans now say the United States should play a less active role in world affairs.

A doctoral student at the prestigious Cornell University in New York State, Momodou Tal, announced that he has chosen to voluntarily leave the United States. He faces deportation after US immigration authorities arbitrarily revoked his student visa due to his university activism in support of the Palestinian cause.

Momodou Tall, a British and Gambian citizen, had asked a federal court to halt his detention. But he posted on X late Monday that he did not believe a court ruling in his favor would guarantee his safety or ability to express his opinion.

“I have lost confidence in my ability to walk the streets without being kidnapped,” Momodou Tall wrote from an unknown location. “After considering these options, I have made the decision to leave on my own terms.”

The government says it revoked Tal's student visa last March because he participated in "disruptive protests, disregarded university policies, and created a hostile environment for Jewish students," charges that eyewitnesses say are trumped up.

The Trump administration has attempted to deport noncitizens from the country for participating in university protests deemed anti-Semitic, sympathetic to Hamas, or for expressing Palestinian slogans denouncing Israel's war of genocide. Students say the government is targeting them for their advocacy of Palestinian rights.

Tal, a 31-year-old doctoral student in Africana studies at an Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York, was suspended last fall after a group of pro-Palestinian activists disrupted a job fair on campus. He has been continuing his studies remotely this semester.

Tal filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, citing his right to free speech. The lawsuit was withdrawn on Monday.

In his post, Tal did not mention where he was writing from or where he intended to live next. He wrote, "Everything I have tried to do has been in the service of affirming the humanity of the Palestinian people, a struggle that will leave a lasting mark on me."

Since March 8, Internal Security agents have arrested dozens of students who participated in demonstrations against the Israeli war of extermination, at various universities. Perhaps the most prominent of these students was the Palestinian student at Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil, an immigrant residing in the United States, who was arrested in front of his American wife and sent to a deportation camp in Louisiana. The Turkish student, Rumeysa Oztuk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, in Massachusetts, was arrested last Tuesday, March 25, and was forcibly taken to Louisiana, in preparation for deportation because of her participation in an article in the university newspaper, in which she expressed her support for the Palestinian boycott movement.

Saudi Arabia condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem by extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's condemnation in the strongest terms of the Israeli Minister of National Security's storming of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the occupation police, and the expulsion of worshippers from it."

She continued: "The Kingdom reiterates its condemnation of the continued blatant Israeli attacks on the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque."

The Ministry also expressed the Kingdom's condemnation of the Israeli occupation forces' targeting of a clinic affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip, denouncing the Israeli occupation forces' continued targeting of UN and relief organizations and their workers.

In the statement, Saudi Arabia affirmed its categorical rejection of anything that would undermine the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites, emphasizing the need to protect UN and relief organizations and their staff.

It called on the international community to "put an end to the Israeli war machine, which disregards any humanitarian values, international laws, or norms, and to hold the Israeli occupation authorities accountable for all their violations."

She warned that "the international community's failure to deter such serious and ongoing violations will diminish the chances of achieving the desired peace, contribute to the decline in the credibility and legitimacy of international law, and negatively impact regional and international security and stability."

Earlier on Wednesday, Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem under heavy guard.

In a statement to Anadolu Agency, an official at the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department, who declined to be named, said that the far-right extremist Ben Gvir stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque accompanied by more than 24 Israeli settlers.

Ben-Gvir's intention to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque today, just days before the Jewish Passover holiday, which begins on April 12 and lasts for 10 days, was not announced in advance.

This is the fifth time Ben-Gvir has stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, and the eighth time since he assumed his position as minister at the end of 2022.

Ben-Gvir continues his raids on Al-Aqsa despite Arab, Islamic, and international criticism. The raids are carried out with the approval of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

For his part, Moshe Gafni, a member of the Knesset for the religious-right United Torah Judaism party, a partner in the Israeli government, condemned the raid.

In a post on the X platform, he said: “Ascending the Temple Mount is an attack on the sanctity of the holiest place for the Jewish people, and on the status quo in which all the great leaders of Israel and the great rabbis of their generations opposed the ascent of Jews to this place.”

He added that the raid "does not demonstrate sovereignty; on the contrary, it causes unnecessary incitement in the Islamic world, and not just there."

Moshe Gafni called on Ben Gvir to stop the raids.

The vast majority of Jews refrain from storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in accordance with a fatwa issued by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

According to this 1967 ban, "Jews are prohibited from entering the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque), as it violates the law of purity. As long as the precise location of the Second Temple has not been determined, any Jew entering the area could inadvertently step on the Holy of Holies," which is forbidden according to Jewish law.

Rabbis say it is impermissible to ascend to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in its current state. They claim that Jews must await the return of the "awaited Messiah," and that those who ascend are merely seeking political gains.

However, extremist Jewish groups, calling for the construction of a temple on the ruins of Al-Aqsa Mosque, are encouraging the incursions and calling for Jews to be allowed to pray in its courtyards.

In 2003, Israeli police unilaterally allowed Israeli extremists to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque in the morning and for a short period after the noon prayer every day except Friday and Saturday.

The Israeli authorities have imposed severe restrictions on the access of Palestinians from the West Bank to East Jerusalem since the outbreak of the war of extermination in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

Palestinians view these measures as part of Israel's attempts to Judaize East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erase its Arab and Islamic identity.

Several citizens, including two children, were injured with bruises and shrapnel from bullets on Wednesday during an Israeli army raid on the Deheishe refugee camp, south of Bethlehem.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that its crews in Bethlehem dealt with two injuries to two 15-year-old children after they were assaulted by the occupation forces, and they were transferred to the hospital.

She added that its crews also transported a 50-year-old man who had been injured with bullet shrapnel in his face and assaulted, after the occupation forces prevented access to him for a period of time.

The association explained that its crews also dealt with a 46-year-old citizen from Deheishe camp who was assaulted as a result of the ongoing raid, and he was transferred to the hospital.

The occupation forces stormed the Deheishe refugee camp from its southern entrance (Al-Nashash), arrested citizen Mustafa Atiya Al-Hasanat (26 years old), detained more than 20 citizens, and interrogated them in the field.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned on Wednesday the recent Israeli military attack on a medical and humanitarian convoy in Rafah, southern Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of 15 humanitarian workers.

In a statement on his X account, Turk said, "I condemn the Israeli army's attack on a medical and humanitarian convoy on March 23, which resulted in the deaths of 15 medical and humanitarian workers in Gaza."

He added that finding the bodies of the martyrs in Rafah eight days later, buried next to their clearly marked destroyed vehicles, "is deeply disturbing and raises fundamental questions about the Israeli military's conduct during and after the incident."

The UN Commissioner called for the protection of medical personnel and humanitarian and emergency workers, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

On March 23, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that it had dispatched four ambulances and their crews to rescue people wounded in an Israeli attack in the Rafah area. The statement noted that the victims had been surrounded by the Israeli army, resulting in a number of injuries.

Two US officials said the White House is seriously considering an Iranian proposal for indirect negotiations on a new nuclear agreement. At the same time, the White House is increasingly amassing US forces in the Middle East in preparation for US President Donald Trump's eventual decision to attack Iran, the Walla news website reported on Wednesday.

The debate is still raging in the White House between those who believe a new nuclear agreement is possible and those who believe that talks on it would be a waste of time and would push for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. However, it is currently unclear under what circumstances Trump would decide to abandon diplomacy and order an attack, according to Walla.

A US official said that Trump received an official Iranian response late last week to the letter he sent to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei three weeks ago, in which he proposed direct negotiations. Meanwhile, the Iranians agreed to indirect talks mediated by Oman.

The US official added that the Trump administration believes the chances of success of direct talks are higher, but it has not ruled out the Iranian proposal and does not oppose Omani mediation, as it has practiced in the past.

According to the two US officials, no decision has been made and internal deliberations are ongoing. One of them said, "After exchanging messages, we are now exploring the next steps to initiate talks and build trust with the Iranians."

Last Saturday, during an interview with NBC, Trump threatened that "if they (the Iranians) don't make a deal, there will be bombing," and that he would punish Iran by imposing what he called "secondary tariffs."

For his part, Khamenei vowed on Monday to respond "firmly" if his country were attacked. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani warned that a US attack on nuclear facilities would push the Iranian public to pressure the government to change its policy and develop a nuclear weapon.

It's worth noting that Trump, under the influence of the Israeli prime minister, withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement in 2018. However, a US official now says that Trump does not want to wage war on Iran, and believes that the mobilization of US forces aims to "establish deterrence in negotiations and prepare for an attack should negotiations fail and the situation escalate rapidly."

The World Food Programme warned on Wednesday that supplies for distributing hot meals in the Gaza Strip will suffice for a maximum of two weeks, and that the last food parcels will be distributed within two days.

This came in a post on his X account, regarding the situation in the besieged Gaza Strip, which is under Israeli occupation aggression that prevents the entry of aid.

The program confirmed that all 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) in Gaza have closed due to fuel and flour shortages.

"The distribution of hot meals is ongoing, but supplies are sufficient for a maximum of two weeks, and we will distribute the last food parcels within two days," he said.

For the second day in a row, bakeries in the Gaza Strip supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) have closed their doors after running out of flour and fuel needed to operate them. This comes as a result of the occupation's continued tightening of its blockade of the Strip, which has been in place for a month.

The death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has risen to 50,423, and the number of injuries to 114,638, since October 7, 2023.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 1,066 Palestinians have been killed and 2,597 injured since March 18, when the occupation resumed its aggression against the Gaza Strip after the ceasefire agreement was suspended.

She explained that 24 martyrs and 55 injured people arrived at hospitals in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, and that a number of martyrs remain under the rubble and debris, and on the roads, unable to be reached by ambulances and civil defense crews.

Extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir led settlers storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday, under heavy guard from the Israeli occupation police.

Local sources reported that dozens of settlers, led by extremist Minister Ben-Gvir, stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in groups from the Mughrabi Gate and performed racist Talmudic rituals in its courtyards.

Israeli occupation forces continued their aggression on the city of Tulkarm and its camp for the 66th consecutive day, and on the Nur Shams camp for the 53rd day, amid an escalation in the field that included military reinforcements, house raids, and arrests.

Local sources reported that a young man was shot in the foot early Wednesday morning by the occupation forces after storming the Shuweika suburb, north of the city.

The sources added that the occupation forces launched a wide-scale arrest campaign, concentrated in the Dahra area in the suburb, targeting a number of citizens, including: Mahmoud Abu Zeitoun, a resident of Tulkarm camp, Mahmoud Muhammad Daoud and his son Muhammad Daoud, Ashraf Al-Attar and his son Suhaib, Omar Al-Zaghal and his son Mahmoud Al-Zaghal, Mustafa Alwan, and Amir Abu Hish (they were later released).

The occupation forces also arrested citizen Muhammad Fathi Al-Asaad and his son Karim from their home near the housing area in the Aktaba suburb, east of the city.

Local sources added that occupation forces deployed in the Al-Masqoufa area between the Shuweika and Aktaba suburbs, coinciding with the storming of the Al-Dhahra area in Shuweika.

The occupation forces dispatched military reinforcements to the city and its two refugee camps, Tulkarm and Nur Shams, deploying infantry forces and vehicles in the main streets and alleys, amidst the indiscriminate firing of live ammunition.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli occupation forces continued to forcibly displace residents from the Jabal al-Salihin area of the Nur Shams refugee camp, amidst a heavy military presence, ongoing escalation, and a stifling siege of the camp. Meanwhile, heavy machinery and bulldozers stormed the area, vandalized and burned homes, and destroyed the infrastructure.

The occupation forces continue their siege of Tulkarm camp, deploying throughout its neighborhoods, despite the fact that the majority of its residents have been forcibly displaced. This followed the complete destruction of the camp's infrastructure, and the sabotage, demolition, and burning of dozens of homes and facilities.

In the same context, the occupation forces set up several surprise military checkpoints in and around the city, stopped citizens' vehicles, and subjected them to inspection.

From time to time, the occupation forces set up military checkpoints on Nablus Street as part of a policy of restricting movement of citizens, especially after they closed sections of the street with earth mounds in both directions. This coincided with their seizure of a number of homes on the street, converting them into military barracks and stationing their vehicles in the vicinity.

The ongoing aggression on the city and its two camps has resulted in the martyrdom of 13 citizens, including a child and two women, one of whom was eight months pregnant. Dozens have also been injured and arrested, and more than 4,000 families from the two camps have been forcibly displaced, along with dozens of families from the city's northern neighborhood, after the occupation forces seized their homes and converted a number of them into military barracks.

The aggression caused unprecedented destruction to infrastructure, homes, and businesses, which were completely or partially demolished, burned, vandalized, looted, and robbed.

The occupation forces completely destroyed 396 homes and partially destroyed 2,573 others in the Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, in addition to closing their entrances and alleys with earth mounds.

**fetal**

For the 72nd consecutive day, the Israeli occupation continues its aggression on the city of Jenin and its camp, amidst bulldozing and burning operations.

Houses, and converting others into military barracks.

The occupation continues to send military reinforcements and armored vehicles to the city and camp, deploying infantry forces in the Ghabz area surrounding the camp and in the Wadi Burqin area, paving and expanding roads, altering the camp's geography, and demolishing citizens' homes.

Photos and videos from inside the camp show Israeli tanks positioned deep inside the camp, with soldiers and infantry units deployed throughout its alleys, despite the forced evacuation of its residents.

The Israeli occupation army continues its military training around the Jalameh checkpoint, north of Jenin, and occasionally fires live ammunition into the empty Jenin refugee camp.

Jenin Mayor Mohammed Jarrar said there are challenges on the humanitarian front, with 21,000 displaced people, a new reality and challenge. Tens of thousands of new poor people have been added to the old list of those who have lost their jobs and businesses.

Jarar added that the occupation forces are imposing a comprehensive siege on the governorate, which is home to 360,000 people. Estimates indicate that 600 homes in the camp have been destroyed, along with the entire infrastructure.

Last night, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Jalboun, east of the city, firing live ammunition, tear gas canisters, and sound bombs. They took up positions in the Madaris Street area, but no arrests were reported.

Arrests in Jenin Governorate are on the rise, with occupation forces carrying out near-daily arrests in the city and other towns and villages in the governorate.

Approximately 21,000 residents were displaced from the camp, dispersed between the city of Jenin and several villages in the governorate. The ongoing aggression has left 34 martyrs and dozens more injured and detained.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces executed 15 Palestinian rescue workers in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, shooting them in the chest and head before burying them in a mass grave last week.

The Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday that Dr. Bashar Murad, director of health programs at the Palestinian Red Crescent, confirmed that the autopsies clearly revealed that "their upper bodies had been shot, and they were then buried one on top of the other."

Dr. Murad added that one of the paramedics spoke on the phone with his colleagues at an ambulance station during the Israeli attack, "telling us he was injured and asking for help. He said that another person was also injured. Minutes later, during the conversation, we heard Israeli soldiers saying in Hebrew, 'Gather them by the wall and bring handcuffs to handcuff them.'"

Dr. Murad stressed that this indicates that at least a number of rescue crew members were still alive at the time.

Haaretz quoted a rescue worker on Wednesday as saying that one of the bodies had its feet bound, indicating that some of the rescue crew members had been executed. The Gaza Health Ministry announced on Sunday that some of the rescue crew members had been found dead, their hands tied.

Sources involved in the exhumation of the bodies from the mass grave reported that an Israeli army bulldozer buried the bodies and the vehicles they were transported in under two large mounds of earth, one of which had been covered with an ambulance light.

They reported that an Israeli officer directed rescue crews to the location where the bodies were buried and demanded a bulldozer.

The UN team received approval from the Israeli military to exhume the bodies five days after submitting a request.

Fifteen people were killed in this Israeli massacre, which took place on March 23, including eight members of the Palestinian Red Crescent, six civil defense rescue personnel, and a United Nations employee.

The Israeli military confirmed on Sunday that its forces had committed the massacre, claiming that its forces had spotted the Palestinian rescue vehicles as "suspicious vehicles," and that "an initial examination revealed that they had traveled without coordination and without emergency lights." The military also claimed that its forces had opened fire on a rescue convoy, killing Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists. The Israeli military did not mention that the victims had been buried in a mass grave or that some of the martyrs had been handcuffed.

Since last night, the Israeli occupation has committed horrific massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip.

In the latest developments:

At least 19 civilians, including nine children, were killed and others wounded in a new massacre perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against a clinic affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the northern Gaza Strip.

Local sources reported that Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on a UNRWA clinic housing displaced persons in Jabalia camp, north of the Gaza Strip. The raids resulted in the deaths of 19 civilians, including 9 children, the injury of dozens, and the outbreak of a fire in the building.

Videos from the clinic showed the mutilated and charred bodies of the martyrs, including children. One of the victims was an infant whose head had been severed from her body. Residents struggled to identify the victims. The bombing caused extensive damage to the building, with flames rising from it.

Two citizens were also killed and others wounded when the occupation forces bombed a house belonging to the Daragham family in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, while artillery shelled agricultural lands in the town of Al-Fakhari, east of Khan Yunis, in the south.

Two civilians were killed, one of them after being shot by an Israeli drone in the Musbah area, and the other in Khirbet al-Adas, north of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Medical and civil defense teams in Khan Yunis recovered the bodies of 12 martyrs, including children and women, from under the rubble of the Abdel Bari family home, which was targeted by the occupation forces. The bombing also targeted other homes belonging to the Al-Qaoud and Abu Talib families, near the Rafah garage in the southern Gaza Strip.

Medical sources reported that the death toll has risen to 41 as a result of Israeli airstrikes on various parts of the Gaza Strip since dawn on Wednesday.

In turn, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Wednesday a significant expansion of the military operation in Gaza, stating that large areas of the Strip are planned to be captured and incorporated into Israeli security zones.

This comes as dozens of besieged families have appealed to the international community to evacuate them from Khirbet al-Adas, north of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, as the Israeli military intensifies air and ground attacks targeting various locations across the Strip.

On the 16th day of the resumption of the war of extermination in Gaza, all bakeries in the southern Gaza Strip closed their doors due to a shortage of fuel and essential supplies, amid warnings that the Strip is entering a new phase of famine.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, condemned Israel's starvation campaign against civilians in the Gaza Strip and urged states to exert pressure and impose sanctions on Israel to compel it to cease its practices that contravene international humanitarian law.

Since Israel resumed its genocidal war in Gaza on March 18, 1,042 Palestinians have been killed and 2,542 others injured, most of them children and women, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 164,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing.