Israeli media said on Thursday that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) insists that the upcoming prisoner and detainee exchange deal include the release of 3 prominent Palestinian leaders from Israeli prisons.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper explained that these three are: Member of the Central Committee of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), Marwan Barghouti, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ahmed Saadat, and Hamas leader Abdullah Barghouti, according to what was reported by Anatolia Agency.

Anatolia reported that Palestinian public opinion polls indicate that Marwan Barghouti (64 years old) - who has been detained since 2002 and sentenced to 5 life sentences and 40 years in prison - is the most popular among Fatah leaders to head the Palestinian Authority after President Mahmoud Abbas.

Yedioth Ahronoth also considered that the release of Marwan Barghouti "is capable of changing the face of the Palestinian Authority."

Despite Barghouti's arrest and sentencing, he had a prominent presence on the Palestinian scene from behind the prison walls, as he was the one who prepared the formula for the Palestinian factions' agreement in 2003 to stop military operations for three months, in exchange for the occupation stopping the assassinations and raids it carried out, and this step was the beginning of For his continuous presence from inside his prison.

As for Ahmed Saadat, the occupation forces arrested him in December 2008 and sentenced him to 30 years in prison on charges of involvement in the killing of former Israeli minister Rehabab Ze’evi in 2001.

Hamas leader Abdullah Barghouti is currently serving a 67-life prison sentence, which is an unprecedented sentence in the history of Israeli courts, and the occupation accuses him of manufacturing explosive devices that “led to the death of 66 Israelis and the injury of 500 others.”

Israel had refused to include the three leaders in the “Loyalty of the Free” exchange deal in 2011, which included the exchange of soldier Gilad Shalit for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Anatolia indicated that the Israeli government did not comment on this Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper report, regarding Hamas’ insistence on releasing the three names.

Yesterday, Wednesday, the Hamas movement said that the head of its political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, at the head of a delegation from the movement’s leadership, in light of the continuing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

The French news agency quoted a source in the movement as saying that the discussions in Cairo will address “stopping the aggression and war in preparation for a prisoner exchange deal, ending the siege on Gaza, bringing in aid, and withdrawing the Israeli army from the Strip.”

Source: Al Jazeera + Anatolia

No one disagrees that the systematic war that Israel is waging against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip for the seventy-sixth day in a row has a large number of goals related to erasing the history of the people, trying to displace them, changing the rules and regulations of life in the Gaza Strip, and causing human suffering for many years in light of the catastrophic effects of destruction and killing, displacement, arrest, and torture.
The reasons that Israel raises, through its political or military leaders, for the aggression against the Gaza Strip are no longer convincing to world public opinion, due to its army’s targeting of civilians and defenseless civilians by bombing and destroying most of the Strip’s vital facilities, including hospitals, refugee shelters, schools, mosques, and churches, and causing the death of thousands of children, women, and the elderly, which is heading towards convincing the entire world that this war, which aims to uproot the citizens of Gaza from their homes and try to separate them from their history and civilization, is being led by Israel in the field and supported by the United States in the corridors of global diplomacy, where it succeeded twice in stopping resolutions condemning this aggression against our people, and Last night, as usual, it negatively affected a resolution that could have been voted on by the UN Security Council and submitted by the United Arab Emirates, the text of which is aimed mainly at easing Israel's control over all humanitarian aid delivered to 2.3 million people in Gaza
The resolution was postponed again at the request of the United States, as a UN diplomat familiar with the negotiations said, “The negotiations are continuing and need more time because the hasty vote does not seem to end well,” referring to the possibility of the United States using its veto power over the draft resolution. 

Washington traditionally protects its ally Israel from any action taken by the United Nations and thus provides the necessary cover for Israel to continue its aggression.
In light of the urgent need of the citizens of the Gaza Strip for humanitarian aid, the United States insists on delaying a decision of a purely humanitarian nature, even though it constantly calls through international platforms and forums to avoid killing civilians. In fact, delaying such a decision is considered a sentence of slow death by the United States and Israel against the people of Gaza, whose steadfastness and pride cannot be described .

By Hisham Aliwan

The peak of victory is to be able to break the will of your enemy without a fight, and at the very least to defeat him with minimal effort, time and cost, according to the book "The Art of war" by the Chinese strategist Sun Tzu (died 496 BC.Ad), that is, about 2,500 years ago. 

It is equally important to avoid a long war and the material and moral drain it entails. Therefore, the armies resort to the elements of misinformation, surprise, shock and intimidation to accelerate the collapse at the other end.

In its current offensive on Gaza, Israel has lost most of the elements of a quick and decisive victory in the near future. Its lies are short-lived, and the initiative is with Hamas, which attacked first and imposed the rhythm of the war on it, its place, time, circumstances and elements. It has only the unprecedented mass bombing since the Second World War to cause the necessary psychological trauma and impose a complete defeat on the entire Palestinian people, not only on Hamas.

The unexpected surprise that the destruction of tens of thousands of housing units, including towers and complexes, the demolition of universities, hospitals and mosques, the bombing of the Legislative Council building, up to the bulldozing of cemeteries, in a few weeks, the extermination of entire families, the numbers of martyrs and wounded reached record numbers (more than 20 thousand martyrs and more than 50 thousand wounded), and the displacement of all residents of the Strip to small areas lacking all the elements of life in the south of the Strip near the border with Egypt, did not break the resolve of the fighting, but absorbed the severe shock that its military and media performance gradually escalated instead of declining, which constituted an adverse shock to Israeli society, It has no analogues in the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for a whole century.

Psychological defeat on October 7

Israel's military and security prestige was severely shaken following the Hamas attack on the Gaza Strip on October 7. But its media image was more horribly tarnished after the launch of its counterattack on the Gaza Strip, which destroyed almost everything that Israel had built over many decades in the Western consciousness, from a contradictory image of itself (the victim is morally and militarily superior to its weak, evil enemy) to the appearance of the monster in all its ugliness in public, in the time of social media, and where nothing can be hidden.

Despite the Israeli military and technological superiority accompanying another no less important superiority, which is the field of psychological warfare, the comprehensive Palestinian resistance (Hamas, factions, and all categories of the Palestinian people), managed not only to keep up with the enemy in psychological warfare tactics and information warfare, but even surpassed it. This achievement is equivalent to, and may exceed, what was achieved militarily in the October 7 operation.

In the same context, it is necessary first of all to diagnose the important psychological breakthroughs accomplished by Hamas in its surprise attack on the Gaza Division and its settlements, before paying attention to the elements of psychological warfare that currently lie at the heart of Gaza's resistance strategies to the fierce military attack:

1-The Myth of attacking in order to defend existence: the myth of Israel, since it was armed gangs in the shadow of the British mandate imposed on Palestine after the first World War, has been based on the initiative of attacking Palestinians in particular, and Arabs in general. Settlement is already an offensive step accompanied by continuous processes of assault and displacement:

- Immediately after the declaration of the partition of Palestine in 1947, the Israeli forces launched an offensive to impose new borders.

- In 1956, Israel, along with Britain and France, participated in the tripartite aggression against Egypt following the nationalization of the Suez Canal.

- In 1967, it destroyed the Egyptian and Syrian armies in a few hours, occupied the West Bank, the Golan and the Sinai.

- Only the 1973 war was an exception, when the Egyptian and Syrian armies launched the offensive, and the Israeli confusion was at its peak.

- The danger of Hamas' attack on the Gaza Strip is that it undermines the myth fifty years after the October 1973 war.

2-The Myth of military, security, technological and media superiority, which is the second myth that collapsed. And there are four sights that can not be overlooked:

A-The sweep of the positions of the Gaza Division and the killing of hundreds of soldiers and officers, and the capture of more than a hundred, an unprecedented number, by an attack carried out by only 1,200 fighters, with shocking images broadcast a little later: (dragging soldiers from over the Merkava tank, burning tanks in the camps, liquidating soldiers in their positions, arresting officers, transporting Israeli settlers on motorcycles to the heart of the Strip).

B-The clear superiority over all Israeli security measures, especially the separation wall, which cost more than a billion dollars, and falls within this context of the systematic misinformation practiced by Hamas in the months before the attack, when Israel was deluded of the desire for peace, while maintaining the highest degree of secrecy of the operation, although it carried out maneuvers and training on the operation itself in front of the eyes of Israeli censorship.

C- Keeping up with technological superiority with counter-tactics that have not yet been disclosed in detail. How did Hamas manage to cross the technological gap between it and Israel. How did you get sensitive and detailed information about Israeli sites and bases, which is the secret of operational success

D- Finally, Hamas achieved media supremacy through the broadcasting of successive recordings of the military media documenting the offensive operations in the Gaza Strip and in the settlements, quickly and almost immediately, with the greatest impact on the Israeli recipient, at an intense time, which is shocking and intimidating, and also aroused strong sympathy among the recipient who is already pro-Palestine, and in the wider public, especially among the youth groups in Western societies. The image of the hero inspires young people in any case, before the image is later strengthened by the political and ideological basis that confirms the Justice of the cause.

Israel invested the Hamas attack to strengthen its image as a victim more and more, and to justify the subsequent violations of international laws, while inventing accounts of the atrocities committed by Hamas men in the settlements, in particular the tale of the slaughter of children, the burning of settlers, the rape of women.

The Israeli media and psychological attack

In return, Israel used the Hamas attack to further strengthen its image as a victim and to justify subsequent violations of international laws, while inventing accounts of the atrocities committed by Hamas men in the settlements, in particular the story of the slaughter of children, the burning of settlers, and the rape of women.

Thanks to the huge media machine dominated by its friends in the West, Israel has managed to direct a massive coordinated campaign to demonize Hamas, comparing it to ISIS. It was adopted without question or discussion by the leaders of Western countries, starting with US President Joe Biden. This made the west stand in solidarity as a deaf bloc behind the Israeli attack. The general "Western" consensus was that there would be no ceasefire before victory over Hamas was achieved. It is a deadly kind of psychological warfare to spread despair among Palestinians from any glimmer of hope to stop the massacre, only to turn against the resistance.

All Gazans, not just Hamas, were described by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as "human animals" two days after the October 7 attack, which was the prelude to the most heinous campaign of extermination without borders and no restrictions. But the shocking surprise of Israel was that its lies were exposed with record speed:

The victim's narrative has collapsed in an alarming way.

- Israeli counter-narratives have appeared refuting the claims of the Netanyahu government (many settlers in the Gaza Strip were killed either deliberately because they were held hostage by Hamas, or accidentally because of panic).

- Scenes of the horrific killing of children and women in the Gaza Strip, the siege and sabotage of hospitals, and the assassination of journalists, doctors and paramedics have spread.

- At that crucial moment, the image of the victim moved from one party to another, and world solidarity with Palestine and Gaza expanded to an uncharacteristic extent.

- The tools of Israeli media influence were damaged, and they were overcome by scenes of steadfastness and courage in the fighting, and rare human cases of composure in the face of horrors. Gaza has become an unbreakable symbol.

Psychological Counter warfare

With the start of the Israeli ground offensive on the Gaza Strip on last October 27, tanks penetrated into the rear. Without strong resistance, it encircled the north of the Strip and theoretically separated it from the south, and made Hospitals its main targets, before moving to the main stronghold in the city of Khan Yunis in the South, following a humanitarian truce for a few days.

Here a new stage of fighting began, and with it psychological warfare. In the early days of the ground invasion, mystery and frustration prevailed for a little while, before the guerrilla war broke out among the ruins of houses, with frequent broadcasts of scenes of Palestinian guerrilla operations, the daily destruction of troop carriers, bulldozers and tanks, with a homemade Yassin shell, sometimes by placing a "guerrilla action" canister on the body of the tank itself, killing soldiers from a distance of zero, sometimes with vehicle ambushes as happened in Shujaiya, and the continued shelling of rockets into the Israeli Interior up to Tel Aviv and beyond, and to the Jerusalem area.

Abu Obeida's voice has become a danger that should be silenced, as are the cameras of photographers documenting Israeli massacres in hospitals and boarding schools. Perhaps the most psychologically painful scenes are that of the Palestinian fighter with his feet in" slippers", in sports clothes, firing a projectile at Merkava among the rubble, or those barefoot fighters climbing a dirt hill, preparing to pounce on enemy positions. Not to mention the prisoners being filmed appealing to their government for a ceasefire.

The psychological counterwar culminated with the broadcast of scenes of destroyed tanks and wounded soldiers, after the capture of an Israeli soldier's camera.

All that Netanyahu wanted was a picture of victory in Gaza, even if it was fake (the arrest of Palestinians from a shelter school and humiliating them as Hamas members, the capture of an abandoned tunnel near the Erez crossing).

But Hamas stubbornly refuses to give its enemy this opportunity.

Source: Assas Media

Dozens of citizens, including children and women, were killed, and others were injured, since dawn on Thursday, and dozens of homes, buildings, residential apartments, and public and private property were destroyed in the ongoing Israeli occupation bombing of the Gaza Strip, by land, sea and air.

Local sources reported that dozens of citizens were killed, and others were injured, in the ongoing occupation raids on Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, and on several areas in the central Strip.

During the past 24 hours, 55 citizens were killed in Israeli raids on citizens’ homes in the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

The occupation boats intensively bombed the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, causing dozens of dead and injuries.

The Civil Defense in the northern Gaza Strip reported that its crews were unable to reach the killed and wounded, due to the intense Israeli bombing.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that the occupation forces are still besieging the Jabalia Ambulance Center, threatening the safety of 127 citizens, including medical personnel, and 22 wounded.

The occupation forces continue to cut off communications and Internet services in the Gaza Strip for the second day in a row.

The number of dead in the Gaza Strip has increased since the beginning of the aggression on the seventh of October to at least 20 thousand dead, including 8,000 children and 6,200 women, while the number of wounded reached 52,600, in an inconclusive toll.

Western diplomats have revealed that Israel is creating conditions for the occupation army to reoccupy Gaza after the war, three senior Western diplomats told the Times of Israel magazine. The diplomats, two of whom are ambassadors, acknowledged Israel's stated desire to avoid such a scenario.

However, they explained that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to return the Palestinian Authority to rule Gaza, his failure to offer realistic alternatives, and Israel's assertion that Israel will maintain comprehensive security control over the Strip, discourage regional and global actors from cooperating with American efforts to rebuild the Strip after the war.

“Under these circumstances, I don’t see a more likely scenario,” said one diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

He continued: “We will work to prevent the reoccupation of Gaza, but there are no candidates to rule there other than the Palestinian Authority, which the current Israeli government insists on weakening, so where does that lead us?” a second diplomat asked, highlighting the government's decision last month to withhold hundreds of millions in tax revenue from Ramallah, depriving the already cash-strapped Palestinian Authority of much-needed funds.

The third diplomat agreed with these predictions, but speculated that Israel could eventually change course, as it did after occupying southern Lebanon for 18 years, and the government withdrew its forces in 2000 amid declining public support for the operation that claimed the lives of hundreds of Israeli soldiers there.

The Israeli magazine said: “The comments of Western diplomats revealed the prevailing view in many countries that continue to support the Israeli military operation against Hamas, but are increasingly opposed to Netanyahu’s plans for Gaza after the war. 

These statements also revealed the limited influence that some of the world’s most dominant governments believe they currently have over Israel after October 7.”

In the months following the Hamas attack, Netanyahu insisted that Israel would maintain “comprehensive security control” over the Strip after the war in order to ensure a similar attack would not occur again.

This view prevails among the Israeli leadership, as Defense Minister Galant said: “We will impose full security control over the armed forces, including seizing territory to allow operational efforts to continue.”

Israeli leaders also announced that in addition to establishing a military buffer zone inside Gaza, the army will also enter the Strip as needed in order to neutralize threats.

Israeli officials have privately likened the future status they envision for Gaza to that of Area B in the West Bank, where Israel maintains security control without assuming responsibility for Palestinian civil services.

“No Arab power will agree to enter Gaza in such circumstances,” one diplomat said, adding that this collapse in responsibility is what led to the loss of the popularity of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and therefore Abbas cannot be expected to return to Gaza in a similar format.

Indeed, a senior aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told The Times of Israel earlier this month that the Palestinian Authority would not agree to return to Gaza unless Israeli forces fully withdraw and the move was part of a broader initiative aimed at achieving a two states solution in the end.

But Netanyahu rejected both conditions, repeatedly saying that he would not allow Gaza to become “Fathistan,” in reference to the Fatah movement led by Abbas, and declaring that he was proud to have prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Minister Gantz was more specific, saying that Israel must “identify local sources to take care of sanitation, medicine and civil issues” with the support of moderate Arab countries.

However, the UAE conditioned its provision of financial and political support for the reconstruction of Gaza after the war on progress in the initiative supported by Washington towards achieving a two-state solution.

For its part, Washington said that opposition to the reoccupation of Gaza and reducing the area of the Strip’s territory by establishing a buffer zone are among its “five principles” in dealing with Gaza in the post-war period. However, Biden aides acknowledged that the IDF would have to maintain a security presence in Gaza for an initial period after the war.

The United States wants this transitional period to begin within weeks, and Biden administration officials are pressuring Israel to move from high-intensity military operations to lighter fighting in Gaza, but Israel believes that this transitional period could last for years.

“Washington has been in Germany for many years, and has been in Japan for many years, and today Germany and Japan are among your strongest allies. “This is the change we must bring about with the Palestinians,” Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said. Asked about Dermer’s comments, a senior Western diplomat said, “This looks to me like an occupation of Gaza.”

By Mahjoob Zweiri

In the field of the social sciences, it is very common to say “history repeats itself”. However, there is nothing inevitable about how political events pan out and the choices that political actors make. In this sense, and in the current context of Israel’s war on Gaza, it is important to consider what foreign intervention in a country’s internal affairs and government can lead to. 

When foreign powers decide to eject a certain political player from power and impose an unelected provisional government, they create two problems.

First, the population of the country is denied their voting rights and their right to voice their political opinions. A governing body that does not represent the people ignores their demands and complaints, which leads to precarious outcomes, including internal conflict. Second, the forced marginalization of a political party could weaken and silence it, but it could also backfire. The denial of its right to political participation could push its members to reorganize, remobilize and return to the political scene with more hardline approaches or even violence. The example of Afghanistan is quite telling. In 2001, a US-led coalition invaded the country and dislodged the Taliban government from power. In the subsequent proceedings to form a government, the Taliban was excluded after being presented as an illegitimate actor. What followed was 20 years of political instability and war, which ended with the Taliban coming back to power. 

Today, as the international community mulls the fate of Gaza after Israel’s war on it ends, it is on its way to repeating its mistakes of the past. Of course, the history and current situation in Gaza are different from Afghanistan’s, but there is a similar desire to marginalize a legitimate political actor.

Since Israel announced its war on Israel, it has repeatedly made clear that it wants to dismantle and eliminate Hamas, for which it has received backing from its ally, the US, and European countries. The Israeli military has claimed it is after Hamas’s fighters and military infrastructure, but over the past 75 days, it has become evident that it is also targeting its political structures, including ministries, institutions that provide civilian services, facilities responsible for basic utilities and so on. Worse than that, Israel has demonstrated its intentions to devastate the civilian infrastructure of the Gaza Strip and expel as many of its residents as possible.

In a November 17 interview with NPR, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to say who should take over governing Gaza; he did insist that whoever it is, it “can’t be people committed to funding terrorism and inculcating terrorism”. He then went on to compare the Israeli invasion of Gaza to the Allies’ occupation of Germany and Japan after World War II. But the comparison Netanyahu drew between Germany, Japan and Gaza is inaccurate. Gaza, as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem, has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. The Palestinians, unlike the Germans and the Japanese, do not have a state and have the status of an occupied population. As such, under international law, their acts of armed resistance are not equal or comparable to acts of aggression by an independent state with a national army. 

Resistance in Palestine under occupation has historically taken numerous forms and has been channeled by various political parties, both on the left and on the right. Yet, Israel has labelled all of them as “terrorist”, whether it was the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or any other.

If Hamas is dismantled, as Israel seeks to do, another resistance group would take its place. This is due to the fact that the culture of resistance is embedded in the Palestinian society on the religious, political, economic and social levels and it will require much more than the eradication of one party to change that. That is why, the plans of foreign powers to impose an unelected government on Gaza are likely to backfire. The US specifically has proposed the unification of the West Bank and Gaza under the rule of the Palestinian Authority as a step towards Palestinian statehood. 

Such a move would deny the right of the Palestinian people to choose who they want to be governed by. It is important to note that Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections in the occupied Palestinian territories and its government was democratically elected. Since then, it has become so embedded in the Palestinian society in general, and in Gaza specifically, that its marginalization in any future Palestinian would create massive societal tensions. It would also create a political, social and security vacuum that would not spell any good for whoever takes over governance. 

How and when the war in Gaza will end and what follows next is still uncertain. But one thing is clear: If Western and regional powers repeat past mistakes of marginalizing a major political actor and seek to impose their will on the Palestinian people, they would not get a different outcome than they have had in the past.

By Iman Shams

American political analyst and writer David Ignatius expected an “inflection point” in the Gaza war that would include the resumption of negotiations on the release of hostages with Hamas and a ceasefire for several weeks, followed by a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, especially from the northern Gaza Strip.

Although Israeli planning remains unclear, Ignatius believed that Israeli officials have come to realize the need to move to a new phase of the conflict, including allowing reserve soldiers to leave the front lines and return to their jobs. They agree with the Biden administration on the following basics:

- Preventing Hamas from imposing its political will in Gaza after the war.

- That other Palestinians, perhaps from the Palestinian Authority, assume responsibility for governance.

- That a peacekeeping force be formed, supported by the main moderate Arab countries.

- And that the transitional authority should in fact be the “Gaza Reconstruction Authority.”

Transition process at the beginning of January

Ignatius indicated that the Biden administration is pressing for a transition to this stage before the end of the year, to avoid more civilian casualties, while some Israeli officials are talking about a transitional process in January or after, noting that the US State Department has already prepared an approximately 20-page document outlining Key steps and options for the post-conflict phase, including for Palestinians to assume new roles in governance and security, with the support of moderate Arab governments.

American political analyst and writer David Ignatius predicted an “inflection point” in the Gaza war that would include the resumption of negotiations on the release of hostages with Hamas and a ceasefire for several weeks, followed by a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, especially from the northern Gaza Strip.

Although the situation on the battlefield in Gaza is far from resolved, Ignatius quotes Israeli leaders as believing that Hamas' command and control structure in northern Gaza has been divided, and that this leadership is unable to communicate effectively with key Hamas political and military leaders such as Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif, holed up in the south, perhaps near Khan Yunis. Since killing them, one of Israel's primary war aims, is a task complicated by the possibility that they may have surrounded themselves with some of the remaining Israeli hostages, this presents the same dilemma as before in Israel's stated goals: crushing Hamas and saving the lives of the hostages. This is a dilemma that has complicated Israeli military planning since the beginning of the war with the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7.

In Ignatius' opinion, the transition to the next stage can be observed from the following developments:

- Israeli and American officials seek to resume dialogue with Hamas, through Qatar, to release the largest possible number of Israeli hostages.

- Israeli officials are considering extending the ceasefire, perhaps for two weeks, to allow Hamas to collect these hostages and hand them over to safety.

- The possibility of Israel pledging to withdraw its forces and carry out confrontation operations, especially in the north, after the end of the ceasefire, as it wants the freedom to calm down in stages, as circumstances allow.

- American and Israeli officials agreed on the necessity of taking urgent measures to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and to limit the international community’s severe criticism of the two countries due to the number of Palestinian civilian deaths, which is approaching 20,000 people.

- The Israeli authorities fear the possibility of diseases spreading in Gaza, despite their belief that the cholera outbreak has been controlled.

Ignatius quoted a senior official in the administration of US President Joe Biden as believing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will accept American pressures to move to a phase of calm.

“Humanitarian islands” south of Gaza?

Ignatius pointed out that Israel's plan to host a huge camp in Al-Mawasi, just north of the Egyptian border, had failed to host hundreds of thousands of refugees from the north, due to the intense fighting in southern Gaza. He said that Israeli officials are now considering creating so-called "humanitarian islands" in the northern Gaza Strip to attract Palestinians fleeing violence.

One problem remains unresolved, and has not even been discussed in detail, according to Ignatius: the formation of the security force that will maintain order in Gaza once Israeli forces begin to withdraw. Israeli commandos may launch raids into central Gaza when they receive intelligence information about high-value targets. But this will not protect Palestinian civilians from the gangs and thieves who already fill the security vacuum. The security force may initially consist mainly of Palestinians not associated with Hamas and willing to cooperate with Israeli forces still cordoning off the border. This security force may be reinforced by foreign forces operating under a United Nations mandate. In light of the chaos that will prevail in Gaza after the war, there will be a need for forces that are disciplined and experienced, and whose rules of engagement allow them to use military force if necessary.

Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Dahlan

In the long term, Ignatius added, when “the next day” finally comes, American and Israeli officials hope that the Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will be able to play a key role in providing the money, leadership, and legitimacy for Gaza’s reconstruction. He said that both countries have reasons to contribute to the renaissance of Gaza:

- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought to demonstrate visionary leadership in the Arab world.

- Normalizing relations with Israel, while at the same time supporting the establishment of a well-governed Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank, would indeed be wise.

The UAE will bring special skills, as it is the first Arab country to join the Abraham Accords. It enjoys the confidence of the Israelis. Emirati companies, such as Emaar, have experience in managing the huge construction projects that Gaza will need. For more than 10 years it housed Mohammed Dahlan, who was the dominant political force in Gaza until Hamas overthrew the Palestinian Authority in 2006.

Ignatius quoted a senior official in the administration of US President Joe Biden as believing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will accept American pressures to move to a phase of calm. As the shock of October 7th subsides slightly, it is time for Israel to move to a phase of this war where Palestinian civilians are less vulnerable to attacks, more Israeli hostages can be released, and begin planning for what will be a massive rebuilding of Gaza’s devastated landscape and the broader political system in the Middle East.

Source: Assas Media

By Nate Cohn

As recently as this summer, a poll with Donald J. Trump leading among young voters would have been eye-popping. Now, it’s increasingly familiar — and our New York Times/Siena College national survey released Tuesday morning is no exception. For the first time, Trump leads President Biden among young voters in a Times/Siena national survey, 49 percent to 43 percent. It’s enough to give him a narrow 46-44 lead among registered voters overall. Usually, it’s not worth dwelling too much on a subsample from a single poll, but this basic story about young voters is present in nearly every major survey at this point. Our own battleground state surveys in the fall showed something similar, with Biden ahead by a single point among those 18 to 29. Either figure is a big shift from Biden’s 21-point lead in our final poll before the midterms or his 10-point lead in our last national poll in July. And there’s a plausible explanation for the shift in recent months: Israel.

As my colleagues Jonathan Weisman, Ruth Igielnik and Alyce McFadden report, young voters in the survey took an extraordinarily negative view of Israel’s recent conduct: They overwhelming say Israel isn’t doing enough to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza, believe Israel isn’t interested in peace, and think Israel should stop its military campaign, even if it means Hamas isn’t eliminated. You might think that the young voters with these progressive or even left-wing views would be among the most likely to stick with Biden. At least for now, that’s not the case. The young Biden ’20 voters with anti-Israel views are the likeliest to report switching to Trump. 

Overall, Trump is winning 21 percent of young Biden ’20 voters who sympathize more with Palestinians than Israel, while winning 12 percent of other young Biden ’20 voters. In an even more striking sign of defections among his own supporters, Biden holds just a 64-24 lead among the young Biden ’20 voters who say Israel is intentionally killing civilians, compared with an 84-8 lead among the Biden ’20 voters who don’t think Israel is intentionally killing civilians. 

It’s possible that the kinds of young voters opposed to Israel already opposed Biden back before the war. That can’t be ruled out. But it’s still evidence that opposition to the war itself is probably contributing to Biden’s unusual weakness among young voters. Here are a few other findings from the poll: Biden ahead among likely voters? Even though he trails among registered voters, Biden actually leads Trump in our first measure of the 2024 likely electorate, 47 percent to 45 percent. If you’re a close reader of this newsletter, this might not come completely out of nowhere. Our polls have consistently shown Biden doing better among highly regular and engaged voters — especially those who voted in the last midterm election. In those polls, the most heavily Republican voters have been those who voted in 2020, but not 2022. It helps explain why Democrats keep doing so well in low-turnout special elections even though they struggle in polls of registered voters or adults. But in this particular poll, the split isn’t just between midterm and non-midterm voters. It’s between people who voted in the 2020 general election and those who didn’t. Biden leads by six points among voters who participated in the 2020 election, while Trump holds an overwhelming 22-point lead among those who did not vote in 2020. In our estimation, needless to say, 2020 nonvoters are less likely to vote in 2024, and that’s why we show Biden ahead among likely voters. It’s an intriguing pattern, but there’s good reason for caution here.

For one: Our previous polling hasn’t shown anything this extreme, including our battleground polling conducted eight weeks ago. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong, but our sample of 2020 nonvoters includes only 296 respondents — a sample that’s too small for any serious conclusions. 

For another: The people who voted in 2020 reported backing Biden over Trump by 10 points in the 2020 election, 51 percent to 41 percent. In reality, Biden won by 4.5 points. 

Now, there’s a good reason respondents might have been less likely to report backing Trump in our poll: We concluded the substantive portion of the survey with a series of questions about Trump’s coming legal battles, including whether he committed crimes, whether he’ll be convicted, whether he should go to jail and so on. Then, at the very end of the survey, we asked them how they voted in 2020.It’s possible these questions about Trump’s legal problems made his supporters less likely to admit supporting him in the 2020 election. Indeed, registered Republicans with a record of voting in 2020 were three times as likely as Democrats to refuse to tell us whom they supported in the last presidential election. But it’s also possible that our sample really does just contain too many Biden ’20 voters with respect to nonvoters, yielding a lopsided shift in his direction among likely voters.

Every time I see what looks like a crazy result — such as Trump leading among young voters or a nearly 30-point gap between 2020 voters and nonvoters — I think that I’m going to peer deeper into the data and see the signs that something is off.

I haven’t seen it yet.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said today (Thursday) that Israel acknowledged the participation of 14 guards in the Negev prison in the killing of a Palestinian detainee, whom they beat to death.

The authority explained that an investigation was opened against 14 defendants, who are believed to be involved in beating the prisoner and causing his death, noting that the incident occurred about a month ago, and that the dead man, whose name was not revealed, belonged to the Fatah movement and was 38 years old and was facing a life sentence.

It said that the guards beat the prisoner with sticks in a cell, which led to him sustaining serious injuries from which he died.

The broadcasting authority reported that the Israeli authorities interrogated the fourteen suspects, issued them a warning, then released them and gave them leave until further notice.

Commenting on the incident, the Israeli Prison Service was quoted as saying that the level of “challenges and threats” that the guards face while carrying out their duties has increased significantly since the start of the war on Gaza last October, as a result of the detention centers receiving thousands of prisoners.

Lahav Unit 433 investigates 19 Israeli jailers involved in beating a Palestinian prisoner to death; Press reports clarify that the talk is about dead Thaer Abu Assab, who died in the “Ketsiot” prison in the Negev.

Military censorship allowed, after midnight on Wednesday - Thursday, the disclosure of an investigation conducted by the Lahav 433 unit with 19 Israeli jailers belonging to the occupation prisons service, who were involved in assaulting a prisoner in “Katziot” prison, about a month ago, which led to his death.

The newspaper "Israel Hayom" reported that it was talking about the prisoner Thaer Samih Abu Assab (38 years old) from Qalqilya, whose death was announced by the Occupation Prison Service on Friday, November 18th. It reported that the dead's body underwent an autopsy that confirmed that he was subjected to beatings that caused his death. 

The investigation conducted by the unit relates to the circumstances of the prisoner’s death, and a statement issued by the police stated that all 19 jailers involved in the assault that led to the prisoner’s death had been released, and “restrictive conditions” were imposed on them, and the police confirmed that the investigation would continue with the jailers.

Israeli media reported that the 19 jailers were suspected of beating the prisoner to death, and while Israeli reports indicated that the talk was about a prisoner belonging to the Fatah movement, without specifying his identity, data from the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority indicate 6 prisoners have died since October 7th.

The Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners' Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoners' Club said in a joint statement, last Friday, that "the occupation assassinated the prisoner Abu Assab from Qalqilya Governorate in the Negev Desert Prison. He has been detained since May 27, 2005 and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He is the sixth martyr prisoner." After the seventh of last October.”

In a joint statement with the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs Authority confirmed that the occupation is carrying out systematic and premeditated assassinations against our prisoners. According to the Israeli Prisons Service, the dead prisoner (38 years old) from the West Bank has been detained since 2005, and belongs to the Fatah movement. 

It said, "He was arrested in May 2005, when he was serving a prison sentence on charges of attempted murder and shooting at people, belonging to an unknown organization, his involvement in intentionally causing death, and military training." Noting that it is investigating the circumstances of his death.

The Israeli Minister of National Security, under whose authority the prison service falls, Ben Gvir, was quick to express support for the murderous jailers, and said: “I will not hold a field trial for them. They are innocent until proven otherwise.”

He continued, "There is no way to determine their fate before an in-depth investigation is conducted. We must remember that prison guards deal with human scum, murderers, who pose a security risk, and I suggest not defaming prison guards."

The American newspaper, The Washington Post, published an article by journalist Ishaan Tharoor, in which he said: “The Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, stuck to his position in the midst of increasing pressure on Israel from its Western allies, urging it to curb its campaign against Hamas.”

He said during an interview conducted on Tuesday by the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based research center: “We intend to control the entire Gaza Strip and change the course of history.”

Herzog continued, "The current conflict is a conflict between a set of civilizational values," and described the Hamas movement, which carried out the operation of last October 7, as a "force of evil."

Before the outbreak of war, Herzog was widely viewed as more reasonable in the eyes of the foreign policy establishment in Washington than right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, he and many other Israeli officials have taken a hard-line stance, ridiculing global criticism of the Israeli bombing of Gaza, while refusing to talk about a ceasefire to save Palestinian lives and alleviate the horrific humanitarian crisis.

Another vote on the issue is expected in the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, where diplomats remained wrangling until the late hours of Tuesday over a resolution that would not lead to a US veto.

However, the Biden administration, as a strong supporter of Israel, seemed ready to indicate its dissatisfaction with the high death toll of Palestinian dead, which is approaching 20,000 people. Although, according to Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post, It was pressing Israel for language that called for a “cessation of hostilities” rather than a ceasefire.

Separately, there may be a possible pause, for one week, in the near future if Hamas agrees to release about thirty prisoners, who are still being held in Gaza. But Israeli officials were clear that they were prepared for a long war.

"Israel will no longer tolerate Gaza being a platform for Iran," Herzog, who is adept at speaking to officials and lobbyists in Washington, said, referring to Hamas's main foreign backers.

'Hamas is well established'

Even after launching one of the most violent and intense military campaigns in modern history, Israel was able to neutralize only a small portion of Hamas' armed force. In the process, Israel destroyed besieged Hamas-controlled territories, displaced nearly 90 percent of the population, flattened entire neighborhoods, sparked a major humanitarian catastrophe, and found itself teetering in a losing battle for global public opinion.

The American newspaper stressed that "Gaza's hospitals are in a state of collapse, and only a few of them are able to function; disease and hunger haunt the region, as sewage systems have failed. There is little electricity, and almost no gas for cooking."

The newspaper's correspondents spoke with Palestinians who spend hours every day desperately searching for food and water. “This war has humiliated us,” said Khalil Tafesh, a father. “At the end of the day, we just want to live. Children just want to eat and drink. As a parent, you will do everything you can to provide food for your children.”

Concerns over the current volatile situation are heightened, as much of northern Gaza, which was once densely populated, has been flattened, and the bulk of the Strip's population is crammed into temporary accommodation near the southern Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

The prospect of a refugee exodus has become more real, a displacement that many in the region may view as another tragic moment of Palestinian dispossession, a shock that will further disturb Middle East politics and is likely to undermine Israel's rapprochement with some of its Arab neighbors. 

“Whether this [refugee influx] happened as a result of a deliberate Israeli military strategy or because of circumstances... this may be a distinction that makes no difference,” a former senior Egyptian diplomat told Claire Parker.

Meanwhile, Hamas, although bruised, has not been defeated. While Israel seeks to decapitate its military leadership and eliminate a large part of its military capabilities. The ongoing campaign has proven difficult, regardless of Israel's superior capabilities and resources.

Even achieving an almost complete victory on the battlefield will not eliminate the group, which has roots in Palestinian society and positions itself as the standard bearer of resistance to decades of Israeli occupation and land seizure.

Michael Milshtein, of the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, told The Guardian: “I would call it a very flexible entity that combines a distinct ruling party, a secret organization and a charitable fund; it is not something that if you can kill the commander-in-chief the whole structure will be undermined.”

But Israel, in the process, crushed much more than that. “Instead of destroying Hamas, this war will destroy Gaza and make it largely uninhabitable, as we can already see in northern Gaza,” said UCLA professor of Israeli studies Dov Waxman. “This will fuel more militancy among Palestinians and more of support for the armed resistance".

This sentiment is underscored by the “scary” language coming from many prominent voices in the Israeli political establishment, including Netanyahu, who has discussed “reducing” Gaza’s population. Middle East historian Jean-Pierre Filho explains that his speech makes it clear that behind “Israel’s declared desire for revenge lies the desire to eliminate not only Hamas, but also the Gaza Strip.”

Some Israeli politicians say it frankly: “The entire Gaza Strip must be empty and destroyed, just as it happened in Auschwitz. Let it be a museum for the whole world to see what Israel is capable of,” said David Azoulay, the mayor of Metulla, the city located on the far reaches of Northern Israel: “No one should reside in the Gaza Strip for the whole world to see, because October 7 was, in a way, a second Holocaust.”

The official museum responded on social media, saying that the Israeli mayor's "statements may appear to be a call for killing on a scale similar to Auschwitz."

On Wednesday, the newspaper "Israel Hayom" revealed the details of a medical protocol drawn up by the Israeli Ministry of Health to deal with detainees from the Gaza Strip, under the title "Procedures for Treating Hamas Terrorists", which is based on violating the rights of sick and injured Gaza detainees.

The Israeli Ministry of Health protocol stipulates that wounded or sick detainees in the Gaza Strip must receive treatment in field hospitals at their detention sites, and that they are not transferred to hospitals except in the event of a real danger to their lives, and that they receive treatment only while they are shackled and with their eyes blindfolded, and this also include minor children.

This comes after the newspaper "Haaretz" revealed that prisoners from the Gaza Strip died in the army camps where they are held in the Negev near Beersheba, where they are subject to very poor detention conditions.

"Israel Hayom" explained that the Ministry of Health's protocol allows detainees to be treated without their consent, and that the medical staff who will deal with the detainees must refrain from introducing themselves and limit themselves to clarifying their profession and specialty.

The Israeli Ministry of Health claims that the field hospital in which Gaza detainees receive treatment includes a senior doctor and a team of medical professionals in reserve, and that moderate surgeries can be performed there. However, “Israel Hayom” referred to a report it published two weeks ago that categorically denies the existence of a hospital in one of the  arrest camps.

The Israeli Ministry of Health protocol stipulates that the decision to transfer the detainee to the hospital is within the powers of the chief treating physician in the field hospital, and it only occurs when the doctor is certain that there is a real danger to the detainee’s life if he is not transferred to the hospital, provided that the transfer to the hospital takes place in coordination with the Ministry of Health and directors. The hospital to which the detainee will be transferred, with appropriate security escort.

"Israel Hayom" indicated that the Ministry of Health's approval of the protocol came while Israeli hospital directors continue to oppose the transfer of detainees from the Gaza Strip to hospitals, including children and the elderly.

Today, Wednesday, the UN Security Council postponed again the vote on a draft resolution aimed at improving the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip as a result of the Israeli aggression, so that complex negotiations on the text continue.

"The Security Council agreed to continue negotiations today to allow additional time for diplomacy. The presidency will reschedule the adoption process for tomorrow (Thursday) morning," Security Council President Jose Javier del La Gasca Lopez-Domíneguez said.

Council members accepted this new postponement, which came at the request of the United States, according to diplomatic sources.

Facing severe criticism for its inability to act since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, the 15 members have been negotiating for several days on this four-page text proposed by the United Arab Emirates, hoping that through it the UN Council can United by “Speaking with One Voice”.

UAE Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh commented, "Everyone wants to see a decision that has an impact and is applicable on the ground. There are discussions about how to achieve this."

She expressed her hope that a “positive” result would be reached from these negotiations to break the deadlock, stressing that even if that did not happen, “there will be a vote,” which in this case may witness Washington using its veto power again.

Since the start of the aggression, the Council has broken its silence only once, when on November 15 it adopted a resolution calling for “humanitarian truces.” However, it failed to adopt five other draft resolutions within two months, the last of which called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” which Washington vetoed on December 8.

But despite the American veto, the UAE, armed with the support of the overwhelming majority in the General Assembly for a ceasefire, launched a new battle in the Council to “go a little further” than the November resolution, according to what its ambassador to the United Nations explained.

The latest version of the draft resolution, which can still be amended, calls for “an urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and for urgent measures to be taken for a permanent cessation of hostilities.”

It is a lighter wording than the previous version, which called for an “urgent and permanent cessation of hostilities,” and was amended at the request of an American, according to diplomatic sources.

While Israel and the United States of America oppose the idea of a “ceasefire,” the wording of the call for a “cessation of hostilities” has been the focus of divisions in the Council for more than two months, between a “cessation,” a “truce,” or a “ceasefire for humanitarian reasons.” It remains one of the main points in the ongoing negotiations.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in Washington, "We worked intensively on this file. I was on the phone about this topic for two days," adding, "I hope we can reach satisfactory results."

"Everyone is waiting to see what the United States decides to do. It seems that even American diplomats do not know how this will all end," International Crisis Group analyst Richard Gowan told AFP, noting that the Israelis are putting pressure "on the White House to use its veto."

He added, "Ultimately, (US President Joe) Biden and those close to him will have a difficult choice: either suffer more diplomatic damage by using the veto power again, or risk bringing the dispute to light with Israel by allowing the resolution to pass."

Biden recently said that Israel risks losing the support of the international community due to its “indiscriminate” bombing of the Gaza Strip, which makes some observers hope that the Americans will allow the draft resolution to pass despite the opposition of their Israeli ally.

The number of martyrs in the Gaza Strip rose to no less than 20,000 martyrs, including 8,000 children and 6,200 women, while the number of wounded reached 52,600, an infinite toll.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Wednesday that Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip do not receive 90 percent of their normal water consumption.

“Gaza’s water and sanitation services are on the verge of collapse, while a large-scale disease outbreak looms,” UNICEF said in a statement.

According to UNICEF estimates, newly displaced children in the southern Gaza Strip receive only 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day, far below the recommended requirements for survival.

She stressed that according to humanitarian relief standards, the minimum amount of water needed in emergency situations is 15 liters, including drinking, washing and cooking water, and the estimated minimum for survival is only 3 liters per day.

It stated that hundreds of thousands of displaced people, half of whom are estimated to be children, have arrived in the city of Rafah (south) since early December, and are in “urgent need of food, water, shelter, medicine, and protection.”

It explained that as demand continues to rise, the city's water and sanitation systems are in a very critical state, and that the resumption of hostilities coupled with the lack of electricity supply, fuel shortages, restricted access and infrastructure damage means that at least 50 percent of water and sanitation facilities have been damaged or destroyed.

It stressed that the impact on children is particularly tragic because children are also more vulnerable to dehydration, diarrhea, diseases and malnutrition, all of which can escalate to pose a threat to their survival.

It added: “Concerns about waterborne diseases such as cholera and chronic diarrhea are particularly heightened due to the shortage of potable water, especially after the rains and floods this week.”

“Officials have already recorded about 20 times the monthly average of reported cases of diarrhea among children under the age of five, in addition to increases in cases of scabies, lice, chickenpox, skin rashes, and more than 160,000 cases of acute respiratory infections,” the statement said.

“Access to adequate amounts of clean water is a matter of life and death, and children in Gaza barely have a drop to drink,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

It continued: "Children and their families are forced to use water from unsafe sources that are highly salty or polluted. Without safe drinking water, a greater number of children will die due to deprivation and disease in the coming days."

In shelters across the Strip, long lines of exhausted women and children wait to use one toilet for every 700 people on average, prompting people to resort to other coping strategies, such as using buckets or defecating in the open, according to the UN organization.

The statement added: “Bathing places have also become less available, which has led to hygiene options being reduced to almost non-existent, which particularly affects women and girls. This could lead to an increase in the spread of the disease.”

US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that there is no red flag in Israel's war against Hamas, complaining that no one blames the Palestinian resistance movement and demands that it lay down its arms.

In response to a question regarding whether the United States has set red lines in its effort to destroy the Hamas movement, Minister Blinken said that Israel bears the responsibility of getting rid of Hamas while at the same time working to reduce civilian casualties, and it must not choose between the two.

Blinken added in a press conference, “It (Israel) has an obligation to do both things and has a strategic interest in doing both things together.”

The world must put pressure on Hamas, and not just Israel, after widespread criticism of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.

The American minister said: “There seems to be silence about what Hamas can do, what it should do, and what it must do if we want to end the suffering of innocent men, women and children,” adding, “It would be good for the world to unite around this proposal as well.”

Blinken said, wondering: “Why is no one (those demanding a ceasefire) demanding that Hamas stop fighting and surrender? If that happened, the war would end tomorrow; it could have ended a month ago... Hamas is the aggressor, hiding behind Palestinian civilians.” ".

Blinken continued, "The two-state solution will require all parties to make difficult choices, including the United States."

Blinken stressed that Washington "will continue to focus on helping Israel ensure that the events of October 7 will not be repeated."

Israel has waged a sustained military war on the densely populated Gaza Strip ever since, which, according to health officials there, has killed nearly 20,000 people, most of them women and children, and created a humanitarian catastrophe.

Yesterday evening, Tuesday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,” by an overwhelming majority, as the resolution received the support of 172 countries, and 4 countries opposed it: (the United States, Israel, Micronesia, and Nauru), and 10 countries abstained from voting.

This resolution reaffirms the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to have their independent state of Palestine, and urges all countries, specialized agencies and organizations of the United Nations system to continue supporting and assisting the Palestinian people to achieve their right to self-determination as soon as possible.

The resolution also stresses the urgent necessity to end, without delay, the Israeli occupation that began in 1967, and achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, based on the relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the road map plan to find a permanent solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the two-state solution. It also stresses the necessity of respecting and preserving the unity, contiguity and integrity of the entire occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.

The United Nations General Assembly also adopted a draft resolution affirming the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to their natural resources, and the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

158 countries voted in favor of this resolution, while 6 countries opposed it: the United States, Israel, Canada, Neru, Micronesia, and Palau, while 13 countries abstained from voting.

Following the vote, Minister Riyad Mansour, Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, thanked the countries that voted in favor of the resolution, praising the overwhelming support for it, which indicates that the international community strongly supports the rights of the Palestinian people in all their aspects, especially in the midst of the barbaric Israeli aggression against our people. In the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, stressing the need to oblige Israel to implement these decisions.

The government media office in Gaza said that the number of victims of the Israeli aggression on Gaza reached 20,000 dead, including 8,000 children and 6,200 women, while the number of wounded rose to 52,600.

The office stated that more than 60% (approximately 280 thousand housing units) were destroyed in the Gaza Strip, completely or partially, noting that the final number of destroyed units and buildings is not available due to the continuing Israeli bombing.

17 Swedish lawyers wrote an opinion article in the newspaper “Dagens Euridik,” which specializes in legal issues, in which they described the complaint against Israel before the International Criminal Court as a result of the Gaza events as “historic.”

The Swedish lawyers are part of a collective effort in the complaint filed by 160 non-governmental organizations and 600 lawyers from different countries.

The complaint stated that Israel's actions in the Gaza war constitute "genocide," according to the legal definition that includes actions taken with the aim of the complete or partial annihilation of a particular ethnic group.

The lawyers said, “Israel claimed that it had the right to defend itself after the attack launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023 (…) but this right is conditional,” speaking of “Israel’s killing since October 7 of at least 20,000 Palestinian civilians, 70 percent of whom are Palestinians.” Women and children, in addition to the displacement of more than 1.9 million Palestinians, and the human suffering in the Gaza Strip.”

The grounds for complaint highlight, among other things, the complete Israeli blockade of Gaza, including water and electricity cuts, restrictions on access to medical care, forced displacement, inhumane statements made by Israeli political and military officials, and indiscriminate bombing of densely populated areas such as Hospitals, schools and religious buildings.

The lawyers pointed out that the support for the lawsuit against Israel is historic and includes a request from the International Criminal Court to investigate whether genocide and other crimes against humanity were committed against the Palestinian population. It also calls for an international arrest warrant to be issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The lawyers stressed the importance of subjecting Israel's actions against the Palestinian population to judicial review by the International Criminal Court.

They stressed that lawyers have a special obligation, in accordance with the rules of legal ethics, to work to preserve human rights and freedoms, and that participating in the complaint before the International Criminal Court forms part of this obligation.

“We lawyers have a special place in the legal community and must dare to stand up and resist, even when it is uncomfortable. Human rights always apply unconditionally and to all people,” they concluded.

Source: Alkompis website

By Myron Isaacson

Politicians and commentators these days talk a lot about our need for an image of victory in this fateful war in Gaza, and about the differences regarding the characteristics of that image, and I want here to propose, as an independent addition to this dialogue, the issue of the image of moral victory for Israeli society, which will herald the presence of buds. The internal revolution, which we hope will end successfully, and without loss of life.

We can call this picture “the end of the era of mutually assured annihilation,” a term whose origins go back to the terrifying arms race that took place between the United States and the Soviet Union. Four years after dropping the atomic bomb on Japan in the summer of 1945, the Soviet Union conducted a nuclear test, and since then the two superpowers have been subject to a constant balance of terror: the assumption and hope were that one would not launch a nuclear attack on the other, because that would mean a response. A counterattack will destroy everyone.

In contrast, Israeli society, which witnessed polarized processes over the past years, deteriorated in the last months before the Gaza war, into a psychological state similar to what happened between the Russians and the Americans. The conscious and unconscious assumption of both Israeli camps was that the other side intended to erase them. Neither changing it, nor reforming it, but erasing its basic values. I do not know whether this destructive process will stop, even if we are still at a stage that allows us to “return the missiles to their resting places.” Therefore, the picture of victory for the post-war phase in Gaza must be the absolute opposite of the potential explosion that I spoke about.

What would that image be? It is understood that our ambition for unity is not enough, as there are those who are terrified that their existential interests will be harmed simply by calling for unity. It seems to me that the matter must be related to some people abandoning their obsessive attachment to power. Many people felt that they fit into any official position available. Some of them, even those who are overflowing with self-confidence, have learned from their personal experiences how difficult it is to be able to reach a rational and balanced position in complex national situations.

The unlimited pursuit of power and control can receive a certain balance from the central political figure of recent decades in Israel, namely Prime Minister Netanyahu. The method that Netanyahu will choose to end his role in public life will have the greatest impact on the new social image that will replace the vision of mutual annihilation. He is the one who must stop the process of destruction, even if he believes he is right.

This man will have to overcome his desires and draw his own boundaries between legitimate political ambitions and treating office as the highest value. In order to take such a step, he must be assisted by all judicial and political bodies who will be required to act with composure and responsibility. Netanyahu must announce that he will regularly pass the leadership of the government to a Likud member who is chosen for this position, so that he can assume the position of prime minister until an agreed upon date for early elections in the Knesset. Then all judicial files directed against the outgoing Prime Minister must be closed, and Netanyahu announces, in a written message, that out of concern for his people and his country, he will resign from political life without returning, and in doing so he seeks to mark the beginning of a new era of leadership priorities and responsibility.

I realize that many people will deal with such an announcement with a lot of sarcasm and criticism, and unfortunately, they have something to base their sarcasm and criticism on. But we are all now required to exercise extraordinary restraint, which must express, even if only a little, our appreciation for the IDF soldiers who sacrifice their lives in the war. In this war, in this founding event in our history, we can achieve an image of our victory over processes of internal destruction, and perhaps in its aftermath, we can see a second image of victory represented by broad national consensus on the fundamental issues over which Israeli society is divided, such as issues of religion. The state, the Palestinian issue, recruitment to the army, and the judicial system.

A report published by the Israeli newspaper "Jerusalem Post" says that the "disaster" of the attack by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7 caused a radical shift in the political landscape of Israel.

Report author Herb Kennon explained that common sense dictates this conclusion, historical precedent confirms it, and opinion polls show its inevitability.

He added that Israel on December 20 is not Israel on October 6, and everyone realizes that. Israel's confidence in itself and in its political and military leaders has been damaged, and its sense of security has declined.

He stressed that Israel is currently gripped by anxiety and anger, and there is burning hatred towards Hamas, and there is intense anger towards the government, and he wondered: How can Israel fail so miserably?

Indications of anger

He pointed out that one of the indicators of anger is the reluctance of government ministers and members of the Knesset (Parliament) to appear in public, and the small number of prominent politicians who visit the wounded in hospitals or even attend funerals these days, which were common courtesy in the past, due to concern about the reactions they will receive.

The writer recalled a precedent that he said would help make it likely that an earthquake would occur in the political scene after the war, saying that in October 1973, Israel faced a similar disaster, the Yom Kippur War, which turned society and the political scene upside down which caused intense anger, frustration, and thousands of victims, and caused the left to lose its dominance over politics since the founding of Israel, and brought the right (starting with Menachem Begin) to dominate for most of the next 50 years.

He added that it is certain that the October 7 attack will not push Israel to the left, in any way similar to the October War of 1973, but it will lead to something different. The political constellation in the country will change, even if the balance between the right and the left is unlikely to change significantly. There will be dramatic shifts within the blocs (right, left, and center), although there will be few significant changes between them.

The expected political map

He explained that what is likely is that the National Unity Bloc, led by Benny Gantz, will advance by a large margin over any of the current parties in the Knesset, and that Likud and Yesh Atid will fall sharply, as will the Religious Zionist Party, while Yisrael Beytenu will add seats, and the “Jewish Greatness” party and the Arab parties will remain. The Haredi parties are fairly stable.

He also said that there will be other parties. Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen may lead a party, and Yair Golan may lead the Meretz party, whose stock rose significantly after his “brave” actions during the Hamas attack, a unified left-wing party. There is also talk of forming a party from the leaders of the anti-judicial reform protest movement.

In general, the parties competing in the upcoming elections will be completely different from the formation last time.

The writer concluded his report by saying that opinion polls indicate that much of the public will not allow the Israeli political scene to return to what it was before after the war.

Source: Aljazeera+ Jerusalem Post

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Wednesday that work is underway to reach a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip similar to the previous truce, adding that Israel welcomes the return to a humanitarian truce in Gaza and the release of hostages, and “the problem is in the position of the Hamas movement.”

Blinken stated, in a press conference in Washington, that “many countries are calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza, but no one is demanding the disarmament of Hamas or the dismantling of its capabilities,” explaining that “if Hamas surrenders its weapons, the crisis in Gaza will end immediately.”

The US Secretary of State stressed that "it would be good to have a strong international voice pressuring Hamas to surrender," highlighting that the United States "still believes that Israel is obligated to eliminate Hamas and reduce civilian casualties in Gaza."

He stressed that Washington “will help Israel ensure that what happened on October 7 will not happen again,” explaining that his country expects and desires to see a shift towards more specific operations by Israel, and stated that “with this shift occurring, you will witness a significant reduction in the damage caused.” "With civilians."

Regarding humanitarian aid, he said that the measures taken, including the opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing, would increase the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Blinken also expressed his hope that a positive result would be reached on a UN Security Council resolution regarding the war on Gaza, after the United States had previously used its veto in this regard. He said: "We worked on this intensively. I hope that we will be able to reach satisfactory results."

In turn, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed today, Wednesday, that the ongoing talks regarding a possible new truce in Gaza are “very serious,” and that humanitarian aid can cross into Gaza from Jordan.

Kirby said, in a press conference: “These are very serious discussions and negotiations, and we hope they will bear fruit,” adding: “It is something we have been working on since the end of the previous pause.” He explained that it was now possible for humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip from Jordan.

In this context, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the occupying State announced, today, Wednesday, Israel’s desire to “accelerate the delivery of humanitarian aid” to Gaza via a maritime axis from Cyprus “to enhance balance in the region.”

Eli Cohen said that Israeli and Cypriot technical teams will spend Wednesday and Thursday determining the details of the initiative so that humanitarian aid shipments can begin from the port of Larnaca, 240 kilometers from Gaza, as soon as possible.

He added, after talks with his Cypriot counterpart, Constantinos Kombos: “Cyprus and Israel, along with other partners in the region, are promoting a safe shipping corridor initiative to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza in an organized manner and subject to good inspection.”

Cohen reported details of the initiative during a visit to the Zenon Joint Relief Coordination Center in Larnaca that will serve as an operating center for aid shipments. He personally inspected storage facilities and security arrangements in the port of Larnaca.

Cyprus presented the idea after the Israeli aggression on Gaza following the October 7 attack. The war destroyed most of northern Gaza, and the occupation forces killed about 20,000 Palestinians and expelled about 1.9 million people from their homes, in acts described as widespread and retaliatory war crimes.

Source: Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Reuters, Associated Press

Israeli writer and journalist Yossi Melman said, “75 days have passed since the war, and the end is not in sight, especially if it depends on Bibi and Gallant, and in fact Gantz as well.”

He added in a post on the “X” platform: “Yesterday, Captain Lior Sion was killed in the battle in the southern Gaza Strip, and about 140 soldiers were killed since the ground entry.”

Criticism of Netanyahu has recently escalated significantly among the occupation circles, especially after repeated incidents of killing occupation prisoners by bombing.

Yesterday, Tuesday, the Hebrew Channel 13 revealed that wounded Israeli soldiers refused to attend a meeting with Occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during his visit to the hospital where they are being treated.

The channel said that Netanyahu arrived on a visit to the rehabilitation department at Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital, to meet soldiers wounded in the ground battle in the Gaza Strip, but some patients refused to meet him.

The channel continued, "Army representatives and officials in the Prime Minister's Office gathered the wounded who agreed to meet the Prime Minister in a separate and isolated part of the department."

While Netanyahu's office said in a statement, "The Prime Minister visited the War Victims Rehabilitation Center on Tuesday at Sheba Medical Hospital, where he met civilians who were injured on October 7 and soldiers who were injured during the fighting in Gaza."

On the 10th of this month, the Hebrew newspaper “Maariv” said, “Hope cannot grow in the bed of corruption and extreme nationalism of the current government... Benjamin Netanyahu must resign now.”

This came in an article by Israeli writer Yair Golan, who said that "the prime minister has no idea how to get out of the abyss for which he is responsible."

Golan added, "With the exception of statements that lack actual content regarding the elimination of Hamas, the government has neither a policy nor a military strategy to continue the battle."

He added, "In these difficult days, when the citizens of Israel find it difficult to imagine the future and live in a state of extreme uncertainty, there is a need for leadership in Israel that speaks to the people."

The writer continued: "The world of thousands of citizens has been destroyed, and hundreds of thousands do not live in their homes, isolated from their daily routine, and without any hope for a normal routine."

Source: Sama News

A human rights observatory revealed, on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, that the Israeli occupation army committed field executions against Palestinian civilians in front of their families in Gaza City, in its ongoing 75-day aggression against the Strip.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory said, in a statement, that it had received testimonies about Israeli army forces raiding a house for the Anan family in central Gaza City, on the evening of Tuesday, December 19, 2023, and they opened direct fire at the young men inside the house, without any justification, and without any resistance. They gathered the women in one of the rooms, then threw a number of missiles at them which led to injuries among their ranks.

It confirmed that the initial informationit received indicated that 13 people from the Anan family and the Al-Ashi and Al-Sharafa families, who are in-laws of the family and who were displaced with them, were liquidated by bullets, and there are another number who are still suffering from serious wounds. The soldiers also took an elderly man whose fate is unknown.

The Human Rights Observatory indicated that a number of injured women, including 27 women and children trapped in the house, including cases suffering from serious wounds and amputations, appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to coordinate their transfer from the place to save their lives.

The Observatory quoted one of the victims’ relatives as saying that his sister informed him that “an Israeli force raided the house and executed the young men. There were 13 people who were killed by bullets, and there were others seriously wounded. Then the force’s soldiers threw missiles at the women who were detained in one of the rooms, and currently my mother, sister, and wife my brother and others are injured as well. They could die at any moment if they are not rescued quickly.”

Euro-Med confirmed that it had received repeated testimonies about humanitarian atrocities committed by Israeli forces in the areas they penetrate, including physical liquidations and field executions of civilians for which there is no justification, indicating that the testimonies show that when soldiers raid a house, they blow up the gates and then begin firing heavy gunfire inside the house. Despite the absence of any resistance, and despite screams and calls from the residents of the house.

It pointed out that, in many cases, the occupation soldiers deliberately shoot and physically kill young civilians, while women and children are subjected to humiliating abuse.

It confirmed that he had observed an increase in field executions when there was talk of attacks carried out by Palestinian factions against Israeli vehicles, which indicates that what is happening is part of revenge operations against civilians that violate international humanitarian law.

It pointed out that Israeli forces stationed in vehicles or high buildings are continuing sniper operations against Palestinian civilians, whether inside their homes or while they are trying to move in their residential areas, despite the absence of vehicles close to those homes, indicating that he documented the killing of Sami Jabr Kahil by an Israeli sniper’s bullets in Gaza City, Monday, December 18, 2023.

It said: We received testimonies of killings of dozens of civilians in the streets and homes by Israeli army sniper bullets, or by Israeli artillery shelling, and their bodies were dumped in the streets, and days passed without them being recovered.

It stressed that these field killings and executions are one of the types of horrific violations practiced by Israeli forces in areas of incursion, which include looting, intimidation, arbitrary arrest, torture, and widespread destruction without any necessity or proportionality.

The Red Cross does not respond to residents' appeals under the pretext of occupation

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to shoulder its responsibilities and respond to the appeals it receives to evacuate the wounded and victims from areas witnessing Israeli incursions.

The Observatory highlighted that it has received widespread complaints that the International Committee does not respond to the appeals and reports it receives from the Palestinian population, under the pretext that the Israeli army does not allow this, at a time when it was able, in very limited cases, to coordinate the arrival of wounded, victims and residents to evacuate them after a delay of many hours. This happened in the case of the injury of journalist Samer Abu Daqqa, who recovered a lifeless body along with three civil defense workers 5 hours after they were targeted in Khan Yunis.

It also indicated that It had received complaints that crews from the International Committee of the Red Cross refused to respond to assist displaced people, including women, in dangerous areas and late at night, even by simply allowing them to make a phone call, which requires opening an investigation into this failure and abandoning the performance of their humanitarian duty.

Euro-Med stressed that the International Committee is required to fulfill the international mandate granted to it and its badge after submitting to the Israeli refusal, and insisting on carrying out its humanitarian role to the fullest, and in the event of refusal, to raise its voice in this regard and mobilize the international community to put pressure on Israel to achieve this, something it has not done so far.

The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory called for an urgent international investigation to be opened into the horrific crimes committed by the Israeli army in areas of its land incursions into the Gaza Strip, including field executions, torture, and threats to rape women, according to testimonies it collected from released civilians.

It also called on the international community to oblige Israel to guarantee the freedom of movement of ambulance and civil defense crews to respond to reports of targeting and injuries, stressing that Israeli forces, as the occupying power, bear responsibility for providing medical and relief assistance to people in the areas they control.

It stressed that under international humanitarian law, Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harming civilians, and ensure their ability to provide satisfactory conditions for safety and shelter, while emphasizing that civilians who choose to remain

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that Moscow is receiving many messages indicating that the West, led by Washington, has recently been engaged in “hidden” projects to obstruct the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Lavrov said during a press conference following the meeting of the “Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum”: “Unfortunately, today we hear a lot of rumors, and we receive reports from anonymous sources that our Western colleagues, led by the United States, are once again devising some kind of special project, the goal of which is to calm the situation.” The situation, one way or another, is to prevent unification between Gaza and the West Bank.”

He pointed out that "therefore, in essence, the goal is to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and postpone all of this until a later time."

The Russian Foreign Minister added: “The main conclusion from the current situation on the world stage, which we share with our friends from the Arab League, is that this amounts to an invitation to create another crisis, another conflict.”

Yesterday, the American police arrested 60 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who organized an unauthorized demonstration inside the American Legislative Council to demand a ceasefire and the cessation of military aid to Israel.

For its part, Russia called for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution, which includes the call to declare humanitarian truce periods in the Gaza Strip.

Clashes continue between the Palestinian factions and the Israeli forces penetrating the Gaza Strip on the 75th day of the war, at a time when the Security Council fails again to issue a ceasefire resolution and bring in aid.

Today, Wednesday, the French newspaper Le Monde published details of a Saudi document submitted to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, containing a plan to end the war in Gaza, which stipulates the transfer of Hamas’ military and security leaders to the Algerian capital.

The newspaper reported that the document was prepared by a Saudi research center, and the text was developed after a meeting held on November 19 in Riyadh with Anne Greux, head of the North Africa and Middle East Department at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before it was transferred to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Le Monde pointed out that the evacuation of Hamas leaders to Algeria most likely refers to the leader of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Muhammad Al-Deif, and the movement’s leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Al-Sinwar.

The choice fell on Algeria as a potential exile for the movement’s leaders, because of the former’s good relationship with Qatar and Iran, the main supporters of the Hamas movement, and because of its security capabilities that allow it to control their activities, according to the French newspaper.

Le Monde reported that it had contacted the Algerian ambassador in Paris, but he did not wish to comment on the matter.

The newspaper talked about other points raised in the draft Saudi plan, including the deployment of Arab peacekeeping forces in Gaza, under a United Nations mandate, and the establishment of a “joint transitional council,” which includes the main parties in Gaza (Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah), which will be responsible for managing the sector for a period of four years, and organizing presidential and parliamentary elections.

The newspaper wondered whether this plan had been approved by the Saudi authorities. According to Le Monde, the document stated: “It appears that the search for a Saudi-French consensus could contribute to the crystallization of a common vision acceptable to all parties, and have an impact on the decision to end the war.”

Since last October 7, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a war of extermination on the Gaza Strip, which has led to the death of nearly 20,000 people, the wounding of more than 52,000, the destruction of the Strip’s infrastructure and health facilities, and the putting of a large number of hospitals out of service.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin inspected the US aircraft carrier USS Ford, which was sent to the eastern Mediterranean following the October 7 attacks.

According to the agency, Austin considered during the visit that “Israel’s transition from major military operations in the Gaza Strip to more precise operations may ease the regional tension that required keeping the carrier in the region.”

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, carrying more than four thousand people and eight squadrons of aircraft, has become a strong symbol of the American determination to support Israel by pushing it to become closer to its ally after the bloody October attack.

The United States extended the period of Ford's deployment in the region three times, with the aim of deterring Iran and groups allied with it, especially Lebanese Hezbollah, so that they exercise caution before engaging in fighting against Israel, according to the agency.

The Minister of Defense praised the efforts made by the Ford carrier's crew, especially in monitoring the tension between Israel and Hezbollah.

“This carrier and its crew are making history,” Austin said. “Our greatest accomplishments are sometimes the bad things we prevent from happening.”

He added, "At a moment of intense tension in the region, you were all an essential pillar in preventing a broader regional conflict."

He went on to say, "One of our goals is to ensure that the crisis in Gaza does not spill over into a regional conflict. I think we have done a good job in managing that."

Austin made his inspection visit to the aircraft carrier at the conclusion of a Middle Eastern tour that took him to Bahrain, Israel and Qatar.

On the 75th day of the aggression against Gaza, Israeli occupation aircraft and artillery continued to bomb various areas in the Gaza Strip, focusing at dawn on Wednesday on Jabalia and Khan Yunis in the north and center of the Strip.

Press sources reported that the bodies of about 70 dead were recovered in the Al-Thalatheni area in Gaza City after the withdrawal of the occupation forces.

Local and journalistic sources in the Gaza Strip said that heavy Israeli bombardment targeted Jabaliya, north of the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death and injury of dozens of citizens, most of them children and women.

The bombing on Jabalia comes after 16 citizens were killed and more than 70 others were injured yesterday evening, Tuesday, in a bombing that targeted the town and Jabalia camp.

Protection and health sources in the Gaza Strip confirmed that the occupation forces executed more than 13 people in the Anan family home, in front of the eyes of children and women in northern Gaza.

The occupation warplanes launched a series of raids on the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, in conjunction with violent Israeli artillery shelling.

Press sources reported that a child was killed and a number of others were wounded in a bombing that targeted a house in the Japanese neighborhood, west of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, and that injuries occurred as a result of an Israeli raid on the city’s Al-Amal neighborhood.

The occupation aircraft bombed a house in the middle of the Shaboura camp in the center of the city of Rafah, resulting in the death and injury of many citizens.

Yesterday evening, Tuesday, 13 citizens were killed and others were injured when the Israeli occupation aircraft bombed a house in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

Also, 15 citizens were killed and others were injured when the occupation aircraft bombed a house for the Hamdan family, west of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

The occupation artillery bombed the neighborhoods of Al-Tuffah, Al-Daraj and Al-Shuja'iya, east of Gaza City. The occupation aircraft also bombed a house near Sheikh Radwan Pool in the city.

Medical sources reported that about 100 killed and hundreds of wounded arrived at hospitals during the last hours of yesterday evening, as a result of the massacres committed by the occupation forces throughout the Gaza Strip.

The number of dead since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on the seventh of last October has risen to more than 19,650 Palestinians, in addition to about 52,600 wounded, and thousands of missing people, in an infinite toll.

Al Jazeera learned from sources close to the prisoner exchange negotiations between Israel and Hamas that the latter informed the mediators that it is not prepared to discuss any humanitarian or comprehensive deal without a ceasefire.

The sources also confirmed that the current visit of the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, to Cairo does not fall within the framework of prisoner negotiations, but rather within the framework of seeking to lift the siege on Gaza and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, especially since Ghazi Hamad, who is responsible for the crossings in the Gaza Strip, is among the delegation.

This comes after CIA Director William Burns traveled to the Polish capital, Warsaw, yesterday, Monday, to meet with David Barnea, director of the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad), and the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, according to American and Egyptian officials.

An American official said that the meetings are an attempt to resume discussions about the prisoners.

Yesterday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog confirmed that the Mossad chief had been sent twice to Europe to reactivate the humanitarian truce to free the prisoners. Israeli Channel 12 also reported that important, serious and in-depth talks are taking place regarding the details of the hostage deal, but the agreement is not imminent, while Israeli Channel 13 quoted an informed official, saying that the costs of the new deal are likely to be high for Israel.

On the other hand, Reuters quoted the US White House as saying that the discussions regarding a humanitarian truce and the release of the hostages are very serious, and that it has become possible for humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip from Jordan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that his government will continue the war on the Gaza Strip "until the end."

Netanyahu's statements came in the wake of Israeli reports talking about the possibility of reaching new humanitarian truces in Gaza within the framework of prisoner exchanges with Palestinian factions.

Netanyahu said in a statement: “We will continue the war until the end. The war will continue until the elimination of Hamas, until victory is achieved,” as he put it.

He added: "Those who believe that we will stop are delusional and have no relation to reality. We will not stop the fighting until we achieve all the goals that we have set: eliminating Hamas, releasing our kidnappers, and removing the threat posed by Gaza."

Referring to the leaders of the Hamas movement, Netanyahu considered that “they have only two options: surrender or death.”

As of 15:40 (UTG), Hamas had not issued a comment on Netanyahu’s statements.

Israeli reports indicated contacts to explore opportunities to reach an agreement for a new humanitarian truce, including an exchange for the release of Israeli prisoners in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians from Israeli prisons.

A temporary truce that lasted for a week between Israel and Hamas ended in early December, during which prisoners and detainees were exchanged between the two parties, and a small amount of relief aid and limited quantities of fuel were brought into the Gaza Strip.

A Palestinian teenager died as a result of his critical injuries, this Wednesday evening, after he was hit by live bullets fired by the Israeli occupation army towards him in the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem.

According to security and medical sources, Mahmoud Muhammad Issa Zaoul (16 years old) was dead after being hit by a bullet in the neck, during the occupation army’s storming of the Al-Muteena area at the eastern entrance to the village, where confrontations subsequently broke out, during which soldiers fired live bullets and tear gas canisters. Which led to the martyrdom of the child Zaoul.