Two Palestinian young men were injured by Israeli occupation bullets, this Wednesday evening, during confrontations that broke out in the towns of Al-Eizariya and Abu Dis, east of occupied Jerusalem.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces fired bullets, stun grenades and toxic tear gas towards citizens in Al-Eizariya, which led to a young man being shot in the thigh in Al-Eizariya and he was taken to the hospital. A young man was also injured by live occupation bullets in his hand during clashes that broke out near Al-Quds University in Abu Dis.

In the town of Al-Tur, violent confrontations broke out near Al-Maqasid Hospital, during which the Israeli occupation forces arrested two young men after severely beating them. The occupation forces also targeted citizens and their homes in the town with stun grenades and toxic tear gas, but no injuries were reported.

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, discussed with the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, during their meeting in Doha, the push for diplomatic efforts for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The Amiri Diwan said, in a statement, that during the meeting held at Lusail Palace on Wednesday evening, “consultation and exchange of views took place on advancing regional and international diplomatic efforts to demand an immediate ceasefire and the protection of civilians in Gaza, and to work hard to achieve a just and comprehensive peace for the Palestinian issue in a radical and final manner.” .

Sheikh Tamim affirmed the firm position of the State of Qatar on the Palestinian issue and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, especially their right to establish an independent Palestinian state.

He also expressed Qatar's condemnation of "all violations of the Palestinian people, their lands, and their sanctities, which undermine reaching a just solution to the issue."

For his part, the King of Jordan called during the meeting for the international community to take action to pressure for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, according to what the Jordanian Royal Court said.

The Jordanian King warned of the expansion of the cycle of violence to other areas in the region. He stressed that "a military or security solution to the Palestinian issue will not succeed," and that what is required is a political solution to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.

Qatar is currently leading mediation efforts to end the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid bin Mohammed Al-Ansari expressed his optimism about the success of the mediation in "reducing the escalation and protecting civilians in Gaza."

He said yesterday that Qatar realizes, however, "that the complexities on the ground are very large and make our work difficult, but the channels of communication are open and communications are ongoing with all parties concerned."

Source: Al Jazeera

A Palestinian teenager sustained bruises, this Wednesday evening, as a result of an attack by Israeli occupation forces and settlers on a house and a commercial store east of the city of Hebron.

Local sources said that the occupation forces, accompanied by a group of settlers, raided a house and a commercial store for the Al-Jaabari family in the Wadi Al-Hussein area, east of the city of Hebron, and assaulted those present, beating them and throwing sound bombs and poisonous gas at them, which resulted in a 14-year-old child sustaining bruises and wounds.

It is noteworthy that since the outbreak of the aggression against Gaza on the 7th of last October, the occupation forces have imposed a curfew in most neighborhoods of the Old City of Hebron, closing all checkpoints and roads leading to those areas, preventing the movement of citizens, and forcing them to remain in their homes and not leave them.

The occupation forces also impose impossible restrictions on the movement of citizens in the Old City of Hebron, limiting only half an hour for the residents of each neighborhood to leave and exit through specific military checkpoints, and for them to return within a certain hour in the evening, and after that they do not allow entry or exit.

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Three of former US President Donald Trump's children will appear before a New York court starting Wednesday in a financial fraud case that threatens the family's real estate empire, with Trump - who is fighting several other legal battles - to appear at a later date.

According to the upcoming program, this judicial series is expected to begin on Wednesday by hearing from Donald Trump Jr. (45 years old), and will continue on Thursday with his brother Eric (39 years old).

The two brothers together hold the position of acting CEO of the "Trump Organization", which includes several companies that operate skyscrapers, residences, offices, luxury hotels and golf courses around the world. They are accused, like their father, by New York State Attorney General Letitia James of inflating the value of this group's assets by billions of dollars in order to... Obtaining bank loans at the best rates and advantageous insurance terms.

The proceedings of this trial are scheduled to continue, unless an emergency occurs to the program, with the interrogation of Donald Trump (77 years old) on Monday, that is, exactly one year before the date of the presidential elections on November 5, 2024, which Trump hopes to run to return to the White House.

Two days later, his daughter Ivanka will also be heard, although she is not concerned with the fraud charges as she left the group in 2017 to work as an advisor to her father, the president.

Defense plan

The brothers Donald (Jr.) and Eric took over the reins of the Trump Organization after their father assumed the presidency, and they have been involved in family projects and businesses for a long time.

On the political level, the two sons are strong and loyal allies of their father, and they express their support for him daily in the media and social networks.

It is expected that they will not deviate from the plan that the defense has been pursuing since the start of this trial a month ago, and this plan is based on the fact that estimating the value of the assets that make up the family empire, such as the famous Trump Tower in New York, was based on self-printed accounts, but they were honest, and that the banks did not lose anything. In the loans it granted to the Trump Organization.

The former president condemns the trial, which he says is "unfair" and is led by a prosecutor whom he describes as "extremely corrupt," while he accuses Judge Arthur Engoron, who is in charge of broadcasting the file, of being a "rogue" and working on behalf of his Democratic opponents to prevent him from returning to the White House.

Fines

Trump, who regularly attends the sessions of this trial, holds what resembles mini press conferences in the corridors of the court and presents himself as a victim of a judicial scheme targeting him, just as he does in 4 other criminal trials that he is involved in, the most prominent of which relates to his accusation of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential elections, which his Democratic rival Joe won. Biden.

Despite these trials, opinion polls currently give Trump the advantage in the Republican primaries.

In light of his method, the judges decided in several cases to prevent him from personally attacking members of the judiciary or witnesses and to avoid exposing them to pressure. Judge Engoron in the New York trial sentenced him to pay two fines worth 5,000 and 10,000 dollars, which he paid in one lump sum, after he attacked the court clerk.

Trump's attendance at the hearings indicates the importance he attaches to this trial, even though he does not face prison penalties, but it could cause him to lose control of part of his real estate wealth, in addition to a $250 million fine and a ban from operating his companies in New York.

Even before the opening of this trial on October 2, Judge Engoron considered that the public prosecution presented “conclusive evidence that the defendants increased the value of assets between 2014 and 2021 from 812 million to 2.2 billion dollars.”

As a result of these repeated frauds, the liquidation of these companies was ordered, in a decision that amounted to a judicial bomb, but its implementation was suspended before appeal.

The court is also looking into other violations of financial laws, and the amount of the fine requested by the prosecution.

Source: French press

Today, Wednesday, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hussein Ibrahim Taha, discussed in a telephone call with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, the ongoing Israeli military aggression against the Gaza Strip.

Taha called on the European Union to engage, as an active party on the international scene and a defender of international law and universal humanitarian values, in efforts aimed at stopping the Israeli military aggression against Palestinian civilians, opening humanitarian corridors that allow safe and continuous access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and providing protection for the people. The defenseless Palestinian, and urged Israel to respect its obligations under international law and international humanitarian law.

He also expressed his hope that the European Union would contribute to efforts to revive the peace path towards a two-state solution, allowing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.

For his part, Borrell stressed the urgent need for a truce to stop the war and allow humanitarian aid to reach continuous, rapid, safe and unhindered access to all those who need it through all means, including humanitarian corridors.

He added that the European Union will work closely with partners in the region to protect civilians, provide assistance, and facilitate the access of food, water, medical care, and fuel to the residents of Gaza. He also stressed the importance of working to find a just and comprehensive political solution to the Palestinian issue, ensuring security and stability in the region and the world.

By Hani Al-Masry 

The Russian-Iranian strategic partnership, between two of the three major powers (the third is China) in the “heart of the world” (the Eurasian continent is located in the center of the world, according to John Mackinder, one of the founders of geopolitics), sets in West Asia an elaborate trap for hegemony, tinged with the flavor of Sun Tzu. (Chinese military leader, author of the book “The Art of War,” and proponent of the theory that victory in war comes before engaging in combat).

With the exception of Israel, there is no entity on the planet capable of shifting focus, in the blink of an eye, away from the stunning catastrophe of hegemony in Ukraine. The psychotic Straussian neoconservatives in charge of US foreign policy, not exactly Bismarckian, believe that if the Ukraine project is unattainable, the final solution in Palestine will amount to easy ethnic cleansing.

But the most plausible scenario is that the new “axis of evil” consisting of Russia, China and Iran has everything necessary to drag the dominant power into a second quagmire from which it may not find a way out except by adopting the option of “Dr. Strangelove” (a film by Stanley Kubrick about a nuclear war that spirals out of control). . It's all about using the enemy's fluctuations and confusion to throw him off balance and confuse him into oblivion.

Revenge for the Arab “century of humiliation.”

Hezbollah has shown an extraordinary amount of restraint so far by not swallowing any bait. The party supports the Palestinian resistance as a whole, and until recently had serious problems with Hamas, which it fought in Syria. Hezbollah, which is ideologically Shiite, is not allied with the Muslim Brotherhood's Hamas movement. Hamas, by the way, is not run by Iran. As much as Tehran supports the Palestinian cause, its main local ally is the Islamic Jihad movement.

The important news is that all of these issues have now been resolved. The leaders of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad went to Lebanon to visit Sayyed Nasrallah personally. This demonstrates unity of purpose - at least in the short term.

This means that Hamas, Iran and Russia are negotiating at the same table.

Hamas called on the Palestinian diaspora - the majority of whom are in Jordan and Lebanon - as well as the lands of Islam and all Islamic lands to unite. The “Arab world” in this case would consist mostly of Hezbollah and Syria, which reconnected with Hamas only a few months ago. “Lands of Islam” basically means Iran, Turkey and Pakistan.

It's all about the Strait of Hormuz

The core of the matter in any Russian-Iranian strategy is the Strait of Hormuz, through which at least 20% of the world's oil (about 17 million barrels per day) passes, in addition to 18% of liquefied natural gas (at least 3.5 billion cubic feet per day).

Iran has the ability to close the strait in a heartbeat. First of all, it would be a form of retribution for Israel's illegal quest to swallow all of the multibillion-dollar natural gas discovered off the coast of Gaza:

This, coincidentally, is one of the main causes of ethnic cleansing in Palestine.

The real deal, however, is to bring down Wall Street's $618 trillion derivatives structure, as analysts at Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, as well as independent energy traders in the Persian Gulf, have maintained for years.

Resetting the eternal war on Syria

In light of the current volcano, the strategic partnership between Russia and China is very cautious. To the outside world, their official position is to refuse to side with Palestine or Israel; Call for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds; Calling for a two-state solution; And respect for international law. While the hegemonic powers thwarted all their initiatives at the United Nations.

As it stands, Washington has refused to give the green light to an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza. The main reason is the immediate American priority: buying some time to expand the war to Syria, which is “accused” of being the main transit point for Iranian weapons to Hezbollah. This also reopens the same old war front against Russia.

It should never be forgotten that China and Iran have a comprehensive strategic partnership. Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin strengthened the strategic partnership between Russia and Iran in a meeting with Iranian First Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Mokhber.

Remember the Korean rice eaters

The pro-Iranian militias, in the axis of resistance, maintain a delicate degree of confrontation with Israel, resembling a guerrilla war. They will not participate in large-scale attacks. However, all bets are off if Israel invades Gaza. It is clear that the Arab world, for all its enormous internal contradictions, will simply not tolerate the massacre of civilians.

Frankly, at the current fiery juncture, the hegemon saw an opportunity to escape the humiliation of Ukraine's global project. They mistakenly believe that the old war that has been reignited in West Asia can be “modified” at will. If two wars turn into a massive political stalemate, what's new about that? They will simply start a new war in the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: Aqlam Horra

On Wednesday evening, the Israeli occupation forces arrested two girls from the Old City of occupied Jerusalem.

Local sources reported the arrest of the Jerusalemite girl, Nagham Arnaout, and Sadine Asila, after they were assaulted.

The sources added that the two girls were transferred to Al-Qashla Detention Center in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem.

The Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Al-Safadi, decided to summon the Jordanian ambassador to Israel immediately, as an expression of Jordan’s rejection and condemnation of “the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza,” and directed that the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs be informed not to return its ambassador who had previously left Amman, according to a statement issued by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday. .

The statement said: “Today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, Ayman Al-Safadi, decided to summon the Jordanian ambassador to Israel to Jordan immediately, as an expression of Jordan’s position rejecting and condemning the raging Israeli war on Gaza, which is killing innocent people, causing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, and carrying "Dangerous possibilities for its expansion, which will threaten the security of the entire region and international security and peace."

The statement added that Al-Safadi directed “the relevant department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs to inform the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to return its ambassador who had previously left the Kingdom.”

The Foreign Ministry added that Al-Safadi stated that "the return of the ambassadors will be linked to Israel stopping its war on Gaza and stopping the humanitarian catastrophe it is causing and all its measures that deprive the Palestinians of their right to food, water, medicine, and their right to live in a safe and stable manner on their national soil."

The Jordanian Foreign Minister stressed that “Jordan will continue to work to stop the war on Gaza, bring in humanitarian aid, protect civilians, and protect the region from its consequences and its disastrous impact on the future of the region and its right to a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution that embodies the independent and sovereign Palestinian national state with its capital.” Occupied Jerusalem is on the lines of June 4, 1967, which represents the only way to guarantee the security of all the peoples and countries of the region.”

Officials in the Palestinian health sector announced today, Wednesday, that the only cancer treatment hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip has stopped working due to running out of fuel, putting the lives of two thousand patients at stake. In a press conference, Subhi Skaik, director of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, said that the hospital - which... Mainly treats cancer patients - stops working after running out of fuel.

Skaik added, "We tell the world not to leave cancer patients to certain death because the hospital is out of service."

For her part, Minister of Health Mai Al-Kaila confirmed the reason for the cessation of this hospital “as a result of its bombing by the occupation forces yesterday and the day before yesterday, and its complete depletion of fuel.” She added that thus the total number of hospitals that have stopped working in the sector has risen to 16 out of 35.

Al-Kaila said in a statement, “The lives of 70 cancer patients inside the hospital are seriously threatened.” She added that the number of cancer patients in the Gaza Strip is about two thousand patients, “living in catastrophic health conditions as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression and the displacement of a large number.”

For his part, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said - in a press conference in the capital, Ankara - that targeting health care workers and cancer patients, leaving them to die, and targeting them with bombs "constitutes a war crime."

Koca explained that this hospital - which was established by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and donated to Palestine - currently includes 80 patients receiving cancer treatment, "however, the lack of drug supplies has seriously disrupted the treatment of cancer patients."

The day before yesterday, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the third and last floor of the hospital had been bombed by Israeli warplanes, causing severe damage.

The World Health Organization calls for an end to the war

In the same context, the World Health Organization sounded the alarm, warning of a further deterioration in the conditions of the besieged sector, and stated in a statement today that thousands still need to obtain urgent and basic health services in light of the shortage of medicines, health supplies, and other assistance, such as fuel, water, and food.

The organization indicated that there are more than a thousand patients in need of dialysis to survive, more than two thousand patients being treated for cancer, 45 thousand patients with cardiovascular disease, and more than 60 thousand patients with diabetes.

Before October 7, about 100 patients daily needed to leave the Gaza Strip to obtain specialized health services due to the lack of specialized health services.

The UN organization also called for "accelerating" the arrival of humanitarian aid within the Strip, including fuel, water, food and medical supplies, and for the possibility of referring patients to health care services outside Gaza.

It also called for "a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons to prevent further losses and suffering."

Life in Gaza is becoming increasingly difficult with the depletion of food, fuel, drinking water, and medicines, and the enormous difficulties faced by hospitals in treating the injured. The Ministry of Health reported that the number of martyrs today reached 8,796 Palestinians, including 3,648 children.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies

Today (Wednesday), the “parallel” Libyan stability government launched its conference to rebuild the areas affected by Hurricane “Daniel” that swept through the eastern region. It was noteworthy that the European Union mission reduced its level of attendance, in an indication that the efforts of the stability government, headed by Osama Hammad To exploit the conference as a platform to gain international recognition of its legitimacy “has failed,” according to observers.

Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, Commander-in-Chief of the National Army, attended the opening session of the conference, accompanied by Hammad and in the presence of delegations of countries participating in the conference from major regional and international companies. Hammad said that his government intends to launch huge projects to achieve these goals. He called on national companies to move towards forming real coalitions with international and regional companies to exchange experiences and capabilities, in order to reach the highest levels of quality in design and implementation.

It is expected that the activities of the conference for the reconstruction of the city of Derna and the affected areas will end tomorrow (Thursday), held in the cities of Derna and Benghazi, under the slogan “Together you will flourish again,” while the Hammad government said that it “represents its confidence in the necessity of reconstruction and the rapid humanitarian response to the needs of citizens, including It achieves stability,” noting that the conference looks forward to mobilizing national, regional and international efforts, and exchanging experiences for reconstruction by international companies. She highlighted that the conference includes three axes and targets several parties, including national and international specialized companies, international and regional organizations concerned with development, think tanks, research centers, chambers of commerce, ambassadors and commercial attachés.

But the European Union mission distanced itself from recognizing the legitimacy of Hammad's parallel government through this conference. She said in a statement that her attendance “will not constitute support for any unilateral reconstruction initiatives, or the status of any Libyan participant.” Today (Wednesday), the mission also renewed its call to what it described as Libyan stakeholders to establish a coordinated national platform, with the support of the UN mission, to release the funds necessary for long-term reconstruction efforts, and to manage and distribute reconstruction transparently, with effective supervision and accountability to the Libyan people.

In addition, the US Ambassador and Special Envoy Richard Norland considered that the United Nations Security Council’s decision, which was taken unanimously to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Libya, “demonstrates the international community’s strong support for the efforts of the head of the mission, Abdullah Batili, to promote a comprehensive political process that leads to To hold elections and form a unified government in Libya.

Norland confirmed yesterday evening (Tuesday) that his country, based on the progress achieved through the joint (6 + 6) process between the House of Representatives and the State, remains committed to cooperating with the United Nations, international partners and Libyan leaders to achieve this goal.

France also welcomed, in a brief statement from its embassy, the extension of the UN mission’s mandate, and what the Security Council unit considered to be support for Libya, and considered that the mission’s work was crucial to supporting the political transition process there. For its part, the British Embassy called on all Libyan actors to engage with Batelli in a Libyan-led political process, under the auspices of the United Nations. The Libyan News Agency quoted her as saying, “The need for a unified, democratically elected government to achieve Libya’s stability, security, and long-term prosperity is quite clear,” noting that Britain has allocated more than 5 million pounds sterling to support Libya’s recovery, including 2 million pounds sterling for the United Nations urgent appeal. A delegation of British medical emergency teams, as part of operations to support areas affected by floods in the eastern region.

On the other hand, security tension returned again to the city of Gharyan Al-Jubaila, located south of the capital, Tripoli, after forces affiliated with the Interim Unity Government announced that they had regained control of it. Video footage broadcast by local media showed the people of the Al-Qawasim area in Gharyan (Tuesday evening) blocking the city’s roads, burning tires in protest against the burning and looting, which they said were perpetrated by members of the West South-West Security Force, affiliated with Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba and under the command of Abdul Salam Zubi. It also showed that gunmen, affiliated with the joint room affiliated with Al-Dabaiba, set fire to the house of one of the leaders of the city of Gharyan, from which a statement of reconciliation was announced between the people of the city. Other media outlets broadcast video reports about the participation of elements of what was known as the extremist “Benghazi Shura Organization” with Zobi’s forces.

Reuters quoted Mona Al-Muqaddam, a member of the Gharyan Municipal Council, as saying that the fighting in the city led to “the killing of eight people since Sunday, despite the forces affiliated with Al-Dabaiba regaining control of the city.” “The city is now under the control of unity government forces, and the situation is under control,” the lieutenant colonel said, while some residents said that clashes began in Gharyan over the weekend between a local commander, who was previously allied with eastern forces in the civil war, and other fighters allied with the government Unit.

Turkey and Iran called for a regional conference aimed at avoiding the expansion of the war between Israel and Hamas.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir Abdollahian: “We do not want the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza to turn into a war that affects the countries of the region.” While Abdullahian called for the conference to be held “as soon as possible,” according to Agence France-Presse.

During the press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullahian warned of “serious consequences” if the attacks on the Gaza Strip continued.

It is worth noting that the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced, today, Wednesday, through its spokesman in Gaza, Ashraf Al-Qudra, that the death toll in the Gaza Strip had risen to 8,796, since the seventh of last October. Al-Qudra added, in a press conference, that among the dead were 3,648 children and 2,290 women, and the number of injured rose to 22,219.

On October 7, the Hamas movement launched an unprecedented attack, during which it infiltrated Israeli areas through the separation fence and attacked border towns and residential communities, causing the death of more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and 240 hostages were also taken, according to the Israeli authorities.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Riyad Al-Maliki, called on the United Kingdom to stop the brutal Israeli aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the killing of innocent civilians, most of whom are children and women, thousands of injured and wounded, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.

This came during Al-Maliki’s meeting, today, Wednesday, with Lord Ahmed, Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia and the United Nations at the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Ramallah.

Al-Maliki stressed the importance of working immediately to achieve a ceasefire and ensuring the entry of basic humanitarian needs into the Gaza Strip.

He pointed out that the Israeli machine of killing and destruction considers Palestinian civilians as collateral victims in its war against the Gaza Strip, adding that we must carefully consider the statements made by Israeli officials, especially the recent ones by the spokesman for the Islah Army, which confirm that this machine deliberately targets defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip. A small area crowded with Palestinian civilians in the Jabalia camp was bombed with 6 huge bombs, each of which weighed a ton of explosives, which left massive destruction to homes and hundreds of martyrs and wounded.

Al-Maliki added: Not only that, Israeli President Herzog stated a few days ago, “There are no innocent civilians in Gaza,” at a time when Israeli Channel 14 is publishing the names of Palestinian martyrs and writing about them as terrorists.

He expressed his deep dissatisfaction with some countries continuing to justify what Israel is doing as self-defense. Deliberately targeting innocent civilians is not self-defense, and this crime, which is accompanied by Israeli disregard for international laws, must not be tolerated.

He called for urgent international intervention to save what remained of the health system in the Gaza Strip due to the interruption of the fuel needed for hospitals to operate in light of the presence of a large number of wounded, in addition to the occupation directly targeting a number of hospitals, bombing the surroundings of some of them, and threatening to bomb a number of others as well, as there is no justification. Therefore, nothing but more killing and destruction, stressing the need to subject Israel to international laws, accountability and accountability, and to stop double standards in treating Israel exceptionally.

In the same context, Al-Maliki warned of the explosive situation in the occupied West Bank, the escalation of violations and crimes committed by the occupation forces and settler militias against Palestinian citizens, and the arming of settlers and their opening fire on citizens with the aim of killing, as happened recently in the town of Al-Sawiya when a settler opened fire on olive pickers, which led to... To the martyrdom of a Palestinian citizen, all of this is done with the protection of the occupation army and with direct incitement from the political level, in addition to the continued incursions of the occupation forces into Palestinian cities and towns, which leave martyrs and wounded, as happened today in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Hebron. He also called on Britain to intervene to curb these violations and crimes, provide international protection for the Palestinian people, and pressure Israel to release Palestinian funds held by Israel.

For his part, Lord Ahmed thanked Al-Maliki for receiving him in these difficult circumstances, expressing his regret for the civilian casualties, stressing that his country is working with all international parties to secure the arrival of aid to the Rafah crossing.

Lord Ahmed indicated that Britain supports the two-state solution and is working at all levels to achieve progress on the political horizon between the two parties, and to develop mechanisms that contribute to achieving change on the ground, expressing his hope to end the conflict as soon as possible.

In conclusion, Al-Maliki stressed the need for Britain to provide the necessary protection for our mission and its crew in Britain in light of the threats they are exposed to, referring to the previous request from the British Prime Minister about the importance of providing this protection, at the same time holding Britain fully responsible for what may happen to the ambassador and the mission’s crew. .

The meeting was attended by Director of the Western Europe Department, Senior Advisor Ihab Al-Tari, Acting Director of the Media Unit, Ihab Omar, Third Secretary Sofia Daibes from the Minister’s Office, and Responsible for the British File, Third Secretary Yara Daiq.

Yesterday, Tuesday, Belgian transport workers' unions called on their members to refuse to load or unload shipments of weapons sent to Israel to kill Palestinian civilians.

The trade unions indicated in a joint statement yesterday, Tuesday, that “while genocide operations are taking place in Palestine, workers at various airports in Belgium are noticing the arrival of arms shipments to the conflict zone.”

She added that the participation of workers in loading or unloading these weapons "means supporting regimes that kill innocent people."

Since October 7, Israel has launched intense air strikes every day on the Gaza Strip in response to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which was launched on October 7 by the Palestinian resistance led by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). ) against Israeli violations in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Operation "Al-Aqsa Flood" resulted in the killing of more than 1,400 Israelis and the capture of about 250, including army officers and soldiers, while the Israeli raids resulted in the martyrdom of more than 8,500 Palestinians, most of them children and women, and the wounding of more than 20,000 others.

A Belgian government spokesman declined to comment on whether there were arms shipments passing through Belgium to Israel.

The unions said in their statement, “We, many unions working in the field of ground logistics, call on our members not to handle any flights carrying military equipment to Palestine/Israel, as there were clear agreements and rules at the beginning of the conflict with Russia and Ukraine.”

The unions also called for an immediate ceasefire, and demanded that the government not allow arms shipments to be sent through Belgian airports. She expressed her solidarity with people struggling to achieve peace.

Source: Al Jazeera + Reuters

By Victor Chalhoub

The scene that prevailed yesterday, Tuesday, in the session of the US Senate Appropriations Committee when it heard the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, largely summarizes the atmosphere of growing resentment in the American arena over Washington’s support for the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

A large portion of the audience in the hall boycotted the two ministers five times with chants of condemnation and demands for a ceasefire, while raising red-dyed hands as a symbol of the administration’s hand being tainted by the blood of thousands of civilians who were claimed by the blind Israeli bombing of residential neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip.

This symbolic image reflected a state of rejection that grew rapidly during recent days after the return of communications with Gaza and the influx of pictures and videos of devastation, death and displacement, especially the Jabalia camp massacre, and the destruction and fall of innocent women, children and the elderly that preceded it, amid warnings from the concerned international institutions of an imminent collapse in the general situation. , especially health and livelihood.

It seems that Israel realized this and cut off communications again on Tuesday night, as was reported, to cover up the military operation. This scene led to tensions that erupted in the form of demonstrations, threats, and tensions, some of which targeted Jews, especially in universities and some of their religious institutions, and some of which targeted Muslims and Arabs with the return of Islamophobia and its violent and inflammatory expressions in more than one state.

The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned on Tuesday, in a session with a congressional committee, of the dangers and consequences of such climates generated by the war.

The American administration miscalculated in its local calculations, thinking that what happened on October 7 allowed Israel to be given a blank check, even with its corners rounded, to invade Gaza. It refused to consider any ceasefire, claiming that this “prevents Israel from exercising its right to defend and respond,” and was content with reminding it of the duty to protect civilians. When the number of victims increased, I doubted its authenticity, claiming that there was no reliable authority to confirm it! But when the camera revealed the scale of the massacre, it had no choice but to use the excuse that in any war of this kind it is difficult to guarantee the safety of civilians.

But the mitigating reasons came too late. Now 60% of Americans support the ceasefire, and even the media talk has moved relatively from approaching the conflict as if it began on October 7 to linking it, albeit vaguely, to its background and to Netanyahu’s mistakes. Of course, the voices of the establishment and its authorities, not to mention Congress, still stress the necessity of Israel completing its declared mission, from which the phrase “completely eliminating” Hamas was absent and was replaced by the phrase “achieving victory and its defeat.”

This change in the American mood regarding the war raised concerns in the White House, which decided yesterday that Secretary Blinken would return to the region next Friday, to search for a way to “cool down” the situation, albeit temporarily, such as arranging some deal regarding the hostages, or a truce to catch some breath from the situation. On the one hand, and to relieve tension on the other parties.

It also aroused concern for Netanyahu, who was quick to publish an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled “The Battle of Civilization,” in which he addressed the Americans, warning that what is happening now “is not Israel’s war alone” and that “if Hamas wins with Iran, you will be its second target.” He knows that the decline in support for the war among American public opinion will reflect on the position of the American administration, especially in an election year. He may also be addressing Congress, which is divided over the foreign support package requested by the president, linking the aid allocated to Israel ($14.7 billion) to aid to Ukraine, protection purposes to Taiwan, and the border crisis with Mexico.

The White House, with a bipartisan majority in the Senate, has passed the entire package. The Republican majority in the House of Representatives opposes the linkage, and insists on separate approval of aid to Israel. Until now, the project has been frozen due to this dispute.

The White House practically wanted to leave the rope to Israel in Gaza, and at the same time, it expressed its blame for the tragedy of the civilians who were graciously given the aid they received in the last days, after the world was abuzz with their plight.

The American administration has ignored the ongoing violation of international law and the law of war, which it has stressed more than once that Israel must abide by, but it says that it has not yet been able to confirm this violation! So far, it has also not issued any comment on the document leaked yesterday, which was prepared by Israeli intelligence last month regarding the plan to deport Palestinians from Gaza to Sinai.

Source: Araby Al-Jadeed

Today, Wednesday, settlers set up several caravans in the Al-Qaada area in the lands northwest of Salfit.

Local sources reported that the occupation army tightened its military measures in the north and west of the governorate, by installing cement cubes at the entrances to the town of Qarawat Bani Hassan, west of Salfit, and the village of Marda to the north.

The chief scientist at Microsoft Israel's Research and Development Center, Tomer Simon, expressed his concern about the future of the high-tech sector in the occupying state due to the war it is waging against the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

The official warned, according to Reuters, that multinational companies may stop research and development activities in Israel. Simon said he expressed his concerns in a letter to Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi but did not receive a response.

Accordingly, Simon published his letter in the Calcalist economic newspaper on Wednesday, saying that this is his personal opinion and does not represent Microsoft, which is one of hundreds of multinational companies operating in Israel.

“The country must create a positive horizon for multinational companies to continue to grow,” Simon said, noting that for every technology job, five more jobs are created, which supports the Israeli economy. He added: "There is a great danger here. Israel cannot return to producing only oranges. Without high technology, we will return to a third world economy."

Microsoft provides millions of dollars in financial and technical assistance to Israel annually. In 2022, the value of the aid provided by the company to Israel reached $50 million.

Intel also announced yesterday, Tuesday, that it will pay all of its 12,000 employees in Israel a grant of 5,000 shekels, in support of the Israeli war effort against the Gaza Strip, and the grant will be paid at the end of November.

The modern technology sector represents great importance in the Israeli economy, as last year it contributed 18% of the gross domestic product, employing 14% of the total working population, with $71 billion in exports.

After the outbreak of war between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip since last October 7, about 15% of workers in the Strip were summoned to military service away from their offices, according to estimates by the SNC Association.

Even before the outbreak of war, Israeli technology companies were suffering from a sharp decline in investments of up to 70%, which was exacerbated by the global economic slowdown and the country's judicial reform crisis.

Recently, The Times of Israel website quoted the CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, Dror Ben, saying, “The slowdown in fundraising cycles and mobilization of reservists for war poses a challenge to a large number of high-tech companies.”

"Businesses are at risk of closing in the coming months," Ben warned.

Source: Agencies

BY MARTIN WOLF

How the conflict unfolds will have implications for a global economy already battered by a series of shocks 

What did Hamas hope to achieve by its attack on Israel of October 7? The answer was surely to set the region aflame. More narrowly, it was to provoke the response we see, with inevitable consequences for Israel’s global reputation and the prospects for peace in the region. The strategy, in other words, is to make martyrs of the people of Gaza in a greater cause. Alas, it is working. The way this unfolds will have implications for human lives, the regional balance of power and perhaps even global peace. But it also has implications for the global economy, which has been battered by a series of shocks over the past four years: Covid-19, the post-Covid inflation, the Russia-Ukraine war and now this. How big a shock, then will this latest horror prove to be? This is more than a matter of dollars and cents. According to a “special focus” chapter of the World Bank’s most recent Commodity Markets Outlook, on the “Potential Near-Term Implications of the Conflict in the Middle East”, the number of people suffering from severe food insecurity jumped by more than 200mn between 2019 and 2021. 

The Russia-Ukraine war must have made this considerably worse, though the facts are not yet available. This is partly because of its direct effect on food prices and partly because of higher energy prices. Another big jump in energy prices would make this worse. So, how big might the implications be? This depends on the answer to two further questions. 

How severely and how far might the war and its political ramifications spread? In addition, what might be the consequences for the global economy, largely (but not exclusively) via energy markets? Fortunately, Gideon Rachman has recently addressed the first question. He reminds us, that the first world war began as a conflict between Austria and Serbia, both allies of greater powers. In this case, Israel might be viewed as a proxy for the US and Hamas and Hizbollah as proxies for Iran (which might turn out to be a proxy for Russia or even China). 

A chain of disastrous events might, he notes, spread to the Gulf itself. It could even lead to conflict among superpowers. Moreover, we can add, the region’s regimes might be destabilized by popular anger over failure to help Gaza. It is worth remembering that the hugely damaging 1973 oil embargo was not a direct outcome of war, but a political response of Arab oil producers. If the war were to spread, would it matter? Yes, definitely. 

The region is far and away the world’s most important energy-producer: according to the 2023 Statistical Review of World Energy, it contains 48 per cent of global proved reserves and produced 33 per cent of the world’s oil in 2022. Moreover, according to the US Energy Information Administration, a fifth of world oil supply passed through the Strait of Hormuz, at the bottom of the Gulf, in 2018. 

This is the chokepoint of global energy supplies. The World Bank also notes that past energy shocks have been significantly costly. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 raised average oil prices three months afterwards by 105 per cent, the Arab oil embargo of 1973-74 raised them by 52 per cent and the Iranian revolution of 1978 raised them by 48 per cent. So far, however, the effects on oil prices of the Hamas attacks on Israel and the war in Gaza have been modest. 

In real terms, oil prices in September were close to their mean since 1970. In all, there is little dramatic to be seen so far. In addition, adds the report, oil has become less important and oil markets less vulnerable since the 1970s: oil intensity of global output has declined by close to 60 per cent since then; sources of supply have also diversified; strategic reserves are bigger; and the creation of the International Energy Agency has improved co-ordination. 

Nevertheless, oil remains a vital transportation fuel. Liquid natural gas from the Gulf is also an important part of global supplies of natural gas. Big disruptions to these supplies would have a powerful impact on energy prices, global output and the overall price level, notably in foodstuffs. 

The bank envisages scenarios with small, medium and big disruptions to supplies: the first would, it assumes, reduce supply by up to 2mn barrels a day (about 2 per cent of world supply), the second would reduce it by 3-5mn barrels a day and the last would reduce it by 6-8mn barrels a day. Corresponding oil prices are estimated at $93-$102, $109-$121 and $141-157, respectively. The last would bring real prices towards their historic peaks. If the Strait were to be closed, the outcomes would be far worse. We are still in the fossil fuel era. A conflict in the world’s biggest oil-supplying region could be very damaging. The best way to think about this is to emphasize the uncertainty. The great probability is that the conflict will be contained. If so, the economic effects will stay insignificant. 

But it is possible that it will spread and so become far more serious. Civil unrest might also force governments in the region to consider embargoes. Hamas might wish the region to be aflame. But that is certainly not going to be in the interests of the billions of people who want to get on with their lives as best they can. It is up to policymakers in the region and outside to avoid the sorts of mistakes that have proved devastating in the past. Right now, the big question is what Israel is going to do. I understand the outrage Israelis feel over the brutal assault and their determination to eliminate Hamas. 

But is that feasible by any military means? What is their political end game? What, if any, is the strategy for reaching an accommodation with the Palestinians? Above all, how wise will it turn out to behave just as Hamas so evidently wanted?

Today, Wednesday, two young men were injured by live bullets, and others suffocated during confrontations that broke out with the Israeli occupation forces in the village of Tal, southwest of Nablus.

Medical and local sources reported that two young men were injured by live bullets and others suffocated as a result of confrontations that broke out with the occupation forces after they stormed the village.

The Financial Times newspaper asked about the secret behind the Israeli occupation’s delay in launching a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, considering that the size of the incursion that took place during the past days indicates that the occupation leaders have retreated from their ambition to completely eliminate the Hamas movement, and replaced it by weakening its structure and liquidating its leaders. To avoid the repercussions of opening a new front north with the Lebanese Hezbollah.

The newspaper reported that current and former officials believe that the apparent retreat of the occupation from carrying out a large-scale ground invasion of Gaza indicates the presence of a complex mixture of overlapping factors. It was reported that the predominant factor is that the Israeli occupation wants to exploit its superiority in firepower over Hamas to the maximum extent, and reduce human losses among its ranks, while trying to avoid bringing other parties into the war.

On a tactical level, the Financial Times, quoting a source familiar with the occupation’s military plans, explained that the presence of small numbers of ground forces in the field allows for close air cover, which is what the occupation is trying to do by penetrating parts of the northern Gaza Strip. After Hamas spent years preparing its defensive lines.

The newspaper added, quoting officials who confirmed that the confrontations will be intense in Gaza, since Hamas has trained to fight inside cities and has created a huge network of tunnels, allowing its fighters to move and transport weapons without being detected, in addition to its arsenal of anti-tank weapons and explosives.

The newspaper considered that the Israeli occupation received the first indication of the battles awaiting it yesterday, Sunday, when Hamas fighters were able to surprise its members west of the Erez site in the northern Gaza Strip, target its vehicles, and finish off a number of soldiers inside.

In this regard, the newspaper quotes Eyal Haluta, who until recently headed the Israeli National Security Council: “The worst thing than the battlefield inside cities is the battlefield in the ruins of cities. There are many places where they can hide and carry out surprise raids.”

He added: "When the Israeli army becomes fixed in place, this makes it more weak, and for this reason you always see them in slow but continuous movement, with great care to secure the areas in which they are located."

While the Financial Times explained that the Israeli occupation army is very secretive about the deployment of its units “in one of its most important operations in decades,” it said, quoting officials, that the gradual increase in the number of forces penetrating Gaza aims primarily to avoid the scenario of Hezbollah entering into the war. Confrontations.

In this regard, she noted that allocating fewer units to Gaza may mean that the Israeli occupation can quickly send its forces to the north if Hezbollah enters the war.

It quoted a Western official as saying: “They fear that Hezbollah and Iran will see the ground invasion as a spark point for some kind of escalation, and that is why they did not call it a ground invasion.”

On the other hand, the Financial Times explained that other observers believe that the level and degree of the initial ground incursion give an indication that Israel aims to achieve an ambition less than eliminating the Hamas movement.

A Western diplomat told the newspaper: “It seems that their ambition is short of ending the presence in Gaza. It seems that they have replaced that with a desire to strike the military structure of Hamas and kill the leaders,” adding, “But the real answer is that they have not yet determined what their ultimate goal is, perhaps because they have not set it.” after".

In reference to this state of confusion, the newspaper quoted former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as saying, “Time is much shorter than we imagine,” referring to the absence of a final goal for the Israeli war cabinet. He added regarding the unconditional support provided by the United States, led by Joe Biden, to the occupation, "Until this moment, they (the United States) have given us gifts. In the future, they may give us orders."

Israeli Army Radio confirmed that the number of dead occupation army soldiers reached 15 during the last 24 hours, in fierce battles being waged by the Palestinian resistance against occupation army vehicles that are trying to penetrate into the Gaza Strip.

Earlier today, Wednesday, the Israeli occupation army announced the names of 11 other soldiers who were killed during the fierce battles with the Palestinian resistance in the northern Gaza Strip last night, while four other soldiers were seriously injured. Yesterday, Tuesday, the occupation army announced the killing of two soldiers during the clashes.

The Israeli occupation army said that 9 soldiers from the "Tsbar" battalion in the Givati Brigade were killed after a gunman who emerged from inside a tunnel fired an anti-tank missile at the Tiger armored vehicle in which they were located, while two other soldiers from the 77th Battalion were killed, After boarding the tank, in which they were, on an explosive device.

Netanyahu: We are fighting a difficult war

In addition, Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, commenting on the killing of soldiers in the Gaza Strip since yesterday, said, “The war is difficult and long.”

Netanyahu added: “We are fighting a difficult war. It will be a long war, in which we have achieved important achievements, but also painful losses. We know that each of our soldiers is a world unto himself.”

While expressing his condolences to the families of the dead soldiers, he said: “We will complete the mission, and we will continue until victory.”

Gallant: A severe and painful blow

In turn, Israeli Security Minister Yoav Galant said on Wednesday that the fall of soldiers in the battles was a “severe and painful blow,” stressing in return that the army had achieved “meaningful achievements” in the Gaza Strip. “We are primed and prepared for a long and complex campaign,” he wrote on the X platform.

This comes as the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, announced on Wednesday morning the destruction of an Israeli vehicle penetrating east of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood with a “Yassin 105” shell, causing it to catch fire, after last night witnessed fierce clashes in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, Palestinian media said that violent clashes broke out between Palestinian resistance fighters and the occupation forces penetrating south of the Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza. According to these means, during the clashes, explosions and heavy gunfire were heard, during which violent raids were launched.

The occupation army is working to expand its ground operation in the Ghara sector, while clashes are taking place on the ground in several areas, amid intense cover from Israeli warplanes.

The Israeli occupation continues its aggression against the Gaza Strip for the twenty-sixth day, leaving more than 8,700 martyrs and 21,000 wounded, according to the latest statistics of the Ministry of Health.

Today, Wednesday, 57 settlers stormed the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, under the protection of the Israeli occupation police.

Local sources said that the settlers stormed the mosque from the direction of the Mughariba Gate, carried out provocative tours in its courtyards, and performed Talmudic rituals in the vicinity of the Mercy Chapel.

In the same context, the occupation police closed the Mughrabi Gate and tightened its military measures in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Today, Wednesday, the Israeli occupation forces demolished several facilities in the “Shushahla” site in the town of Al-Khader, under the pretext of not having a license, in a move that activists from the town described as a massacre, taking advantage of the current situation related to the war being waged in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

In this regard, these forces demolished two ancient houses built about a hundred years ago, the first belonging to the citizen Omar Al-Afandi and the second to the citizen Khaled Abdel Fattah. These forces also demolished agricultural rooms used by their owners for agricultural purposes and belonged to Muhammad Ali Salah, Munther Abdel Sheikh, Mahmoud Ghazi Salah, and Lotfy. Salah, and Ali Salah.

Activist against the wall and settlements in the town, Ahmed Salah, said in an interview with Al-Quds.com that the occupation bulldozers also uprooted at least about 50 fruit trees of olives, vines, and almonds.

He noted that the "Shushahla" area, which is a khirbet belonging to Al-Khader, contains archaeological buildings belonging to citizens of the town. He has targeted them over the past years, and has previously expelled and vandalized anyone who repairs and restores his home in endless attempts to confiscate the lands of this khirbet and annex it to the nearby settlement outposts.

By Nadav Eyal

Three weeks and three days later, Israel got good news for the first time, really good news. A deep, good, free breath, into the heart of the nightmare that accompanies us all. The operation to free soldier Uri Megidosh is not a turning point in the war, or an important geo-strategic development. Its importance is primarily humanitarian: returning the kidnapped woman to her family. However, what is added to this importance is the symbolism of the army’s strength. Trust in him and his abilities.

On October 7, Israeli society received a severe blow. Not only because of the number of casualties and “crimes” committed by Hamas’ “death units” and intelligence failures. Rather, the feeling that prevailed was that the army failed - despite the courageous fighting - to reach the besieged and occupied towns. It did not prevent the fall of its soldiers, or prevent the capture of hundreds, the majority of whom were civilians. The smart operation to free one female soldier from Gaza reminded us that the army we remember and rely on is still here. He got up, still working.

The projections on Hamas are clear. Israel succeeded in keeping the soldier's release a secret. At the same time, it was estimated that Hamas knew about the rescue operation. In any case, the leaders of the “terrorist” organization watched the celebrations in Israel, hours after the video was sent showing three hostages begging for their freedom (while the barrels of Hamas rifles were in the room). Certainly, Hamas has learned the lesson that, from now on, the 238 kidnapped men and women must be better hidden. It was difficult not to think of the hundreds of families who witnessed the joy in the Majidush family’s home, after long nights of waiting and praying for another moment. Like this.

The message from army operations could help push Hamas into a deal. It is aware that Israel is moving in Gaza, and it is possible that it will lose some pressure cards as a result of the ground operation and the loss of operational control over part of the region. The partial deal, which includes women and children, and possibly also foreign nationals, has not been canceled even though negotiations have not matured, according to an Israeli official.

The dramatic media releases the day before yesterday clarified parts of the picture of the fighting in the sector itself. The Army is now in the midst of expanding ground maneuvering. He works according to an organized plan, and tries to get as little of it as possible to the Israeli and foreign media. In the army, they expect mounting resistance from “saboteurs” and fierce battles, and they stress that what we have seen is only the beginning.

In order for this beginning to turn into a serious step, it must be given time. The time required for a military operation is months. This is why the security services really want to expand humanitarian access to the residents of the Gaza Strip. Professional authorities in Israel understand that in order for the army to be able to operate for a long time, there will be a need to establish some kind of routine in the southern Gaza Strip, primarily in Rafah. Within its framework, the army will carry out limited strikes in the area, in addition to that the injured who arrived from the north will be treated in hospitals permitted by Israel and Egypt, and housing solutions will be built for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, which will prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

Legitimacy equals time. This equation was reached by the security establishment. The Americans played their role. According to the security establishment, in order for the army to have the time and legitimacy to operate, medicines, food and water must be brought in; An international mechanism led by Egypt and America. This means transferring responsibility for the southern Gaza Strip to international organizations - at a time when Israel expels Hamas from the northern and central Gaza Strip. At the same time, it is making operational and diplomatic efforts to return as many abductees as possible as quickly as possible.

For these good things to happen, the government must overcome its harmful and extremist nature. The best example of this is a letter written by the Ministry of Intelligence and Minister Gila Gamliel that was “leaked”; The message expresses a crazy group that wants to establish settlements in the northern Gaza Strip again. The document raises the possibility of expelling Palestinians from Gaza to Sinai, which would be considered a war crime - and lead to the end of the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, as well as the collapse of the moderate regional alliance.

No one takes this card seriously in Israel. However, the international community does not understand that when it is said “Ministry of Intelligence,” the talk is about “a job for Likud activists.” Since its publication, the paper has received widespread attention from Israel haters, and has been treated as an “organized plan” and “true intentions” of the government. Experts in international law in the world issued a view on the war crimes planned by Israel.

Why all this? Because of irresponsibility, populism, and the far-right's attempt to score points. This is one model. There is also the model of Bezalel Smotrich, who is determined (and is still transferring coalition budgets to the Haredim) to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, which is already surviving with difficulty, due to the pressures on it. There are also those who are trying to add fuel to the fire of Arab-Jewish relations inside Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu - who is politically and personally weak - was the one who was supposed to curb these populist paths. He is preoccupied, as is known, with his own personal interests.

Preventing stupid mistakes is absolutely necessary now, so that society and the army can succeed in focusing their forces on defeating Hamas. The possibility of being drawn into a war in the north and a regional war has not diminished, according to what became clear last week.

Yesterday, we have a ray of light, but there is a lot of darkness that we must dispel.

On Tuesday, October 31, 2023, the Republic of Venezuela condemned the “crimes of genocide” committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, considering that what the occupying army is doing is a violation of the principles of international humanitarian law.

The Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Ivan Gil, confirmed in a tweet posted on the “X” platform, “His country’s categorical rejection of the genocide against the Palestinian people by Israel, and the new attack on the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, in which hundreds of civilians were martyred and wounded.” .

He added: "Venezuela once again condemns the systematic violation of the principles of international humanitarian law, and the failure to observe and ignore the Geneva Conventions by the occupying state, which constitutes a war crime that requires an independent international investigation to determine those responsible."

Although the Israeli occupation government presented an improved plan for the compensation that companies and workers will receive for war losses in Gaza, criticism quickly came from various concerned parties.

The head of the Manufacturers Union said, according to what was published by the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom: “They have completely abandoned companies. When these companies are forced to lay off their workers because they cannot meet their wages, these workers receive little unemployment compensation, and they are not provided with all social insurance.”

Anger in Israel

The improved plan presented by the Israeli Ministry of Finance sparked a wave of criticism, and was criticized by opposition lawmakers in the Knesset, contractors, industrialists, major companies, retail chains, and other workers in the economy, who said that the plan ignored their needs even after it was improved.

In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, Ron Tomer, head of the Manufacturers Union and head of the Employers and Companies Association, believes that the main problem with the scheme is abandoning large companies and being content with partial payment of the wage expenses of workers in establishments eligible for compensation.

Tomer also warned that these companies would be forced to lay off hundreds of thousands of workers, and that they would resort to unemployment benefits, and he urged the Israeli Ministry of Treasury to adopt a new scheme, which includes comprehensive compensation for salaries, as was the case in previous rounds of fighting, and to announce a flexible model for unemployment benefits, In order to maintain a good relationship between employers and employees.

The Israeli occupation of Gaza

Israelis fled the settlements after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation - Reuters

Tomer also pointed out that the plan does not provide a solution for hundreds of thousands of parents across the country, who were forced by the closure of schools and educational facilities to babysit their children and prevent them from coming to work. Especially since they do not yet know why the government has abandoned them since October 8, leaving them without wages.

Tomer said that he agrees with the government that “companies with a turnover of more than 400 million shekels (about 100 million US dollars) annually are large and well-established companies, but they were also affected by the war.” “For example, a company with a turnover of one billion shekels ($250 million) and its sales decreased by 50% and it employs a thousand workers. This company will not be able to continue employing this number of workers unless it receives compensation sufficient to pay the wages of its workers.

Large numbers of workers are threatened with layoffs!

As for Raoul Sargo, head of the Builders Association in the Haaretz Union of Contracting Companies, he believes that the main problem with the plan is not relying on a flexible model to track the movement of the labor market, and being satisfied with partial compensation to companies for workers’ wages. This will prompt many construction and utility companies to lay off large numbers of workers.

Sargo said: “Even though they raised the compensation rate for workers’ wages to 75%, construction companies are still forced to fire excess workers. If these workers are unemployed and stay at home, this will exacerbate the housing crisis.” Sargo warned of the risk of having to "lay off about 100,000 workers in the construction and infrastructure sector, and tens of thousands of workers in the construction industries sector."

The Association of Commercial Chains in the Federation of Chambers of Commerce claimed that the Ministry of Finance “decided to continue neglecting hundreds of thousands of workers, whose only fault was that they chose to work for major companies in Israel.”

The association said: “Although we have been able to amend the financing plan for small and medium-sized companies to a large extent, the plan presented by the government still ignores the hundreds of thousands of workers employed by large companies in the economy, trade, industry and construction. A large portion of these workers will be left unemployed, and will not Many of them find a place to return to. In addition, thousands of small companies, which depend for their survival on large companies, will suffer damages resulting from the consequences of the crisis, and may go bankrupt, so we warn of a tsunami that includes thousands of laid-off workers, whose compensation will represent an additional burden on budget".

Source: Arabic Post

The head of the government media office in the Gaza Strip, Salama Marouf, said that the Gaza Strip suffered $3 billion in direct and indirect losses as a result of the Israeli aggression, which affected commercial and economic establishments, civilian homes, government and civil headquarters, and infrastructure, in a preliminary estimate of the size of the losses due to the ongoing aggression since the 7th of May. Last October.

Maarouf’s speech came yesterday evening, Tuesday, during a press conference in which he talked about the extent of the damage that the Gaza Strip suffered. During the conference, he accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) of abandoning its responsibilities towards the residents of the northern Gaza Strip.

Marouf said, “What UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini expressed of his shock at the occupation forces’ continued bombing of Gaza, and that the level of destruction was unprecedented, is an international acknowledgment of the crimes of the occupation and the Holocaust committed against the people of Gaza.”

Economic destruction

A few days ago, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) revealed that the Gaza Strip has been exposed to unprecedented destruction and economic repercussions as a result of the aggression it is being subjected to by the occupation, and alerted to astonishing numbers stating that almost all of Gaza’s population, or an estimated 96%, live They are now in poverty and suffering multiple forms of deprivation due to the current war.

ESCWA stated, in a report published last Thursday, that the current aggression against Gaza - in addition to the siege that was imposed on it over the past years - has plunged the population into an unprecedented spiral of deprivation and multidimensional poverty, and then into a humanitarian disaster at all levels.

According to the UN report, the Gaza Strip was not experiencing a normal situation before the war, as the siege imposed on it since 2007 is the most dangerous manifestation of Israel’s long-term policies of restricting the movement of Palestinians, which amounts to collective punishment.

The report explained that after the seventh of last October, Gazans live under continuous violent bombardment that not only causes physical destruction, but also deprives them of access to basic services such as life-saving health care, water, food, electricity, education, and employment.

The report concluded by saying, “Even in the event of a ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, a large percentage of the population will remain trapped for several years in a cycle of poverty and deprivation. This is mainly due to the massive loss of life, the huge number of wounded, and the loss of human capital and human capabilities. And the destruction of social and economic infrastructure.

During the current aggression, the Israeli occupation army intensified its bombing of the industrial sector and facilities in the Gaza Strip, and continued to destroy the remaining infrastructure, which has witnessed 6 military operations in the past 15 years.

Since October 7, all factories have closed their doors, while neither the Palestinian Ministry of Economy nor the Businessmen Association have any statistics on the extent of the destruction, due to the inability of the crews to move.

The destruction also included the communications sector - which is one of the pillars of industry in Gaza - which was also a target of the Israeli bombing. Communications failed and the Internet stopped.

The bombing caused complete destruction in some areas and partial destruction in other areas within the Strip, including poles, cables, and fiber-optic lines that connect Gaza internally.

On the 26th day of the war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli bombing continues on several areas in the Strip, leaving more martyrs. As of yesterday, Tuesday, the total number of martyrs reached 8,525, including 3,542 children and 2,187 women, in addition to 22,000 injured. This was in its war in response to the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation launched by the Palestinian resistance led by the Al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of the Hamas movement),

The American Wall Street Journal reported, on Wednesday, that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered support for the Palestinians, amid the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

The newspaper reported that this estimate came according to the intelligence agency of the neighboring country, South Korea.

South Korean intelligence says Kim Jong Un may also be considering selling weapons to armed groups in the Middle East.

This information was published by South Korean lawmakers after they received a briefing on this matter from representatives of the intelligence agency.

North Korea has sold Hamas anti-tank missile launchers in the past, and there is a possibility that it may try to export more weapons amid the war in Gaza, which has entered its 26th day, according to these officials.

The South Korean army said that, based on the published photos and videos of Hamas’s sudden and unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, the movement used multiple North Korean weapons.

But North Korea denied the allegations and said it was "fake news."

North Korean official position

North Korea said days after the outbreak of the war that Israel bears responsibility for the outbreak of fighting and the casualties.

- It considered the United States to be a partner in the “Israeli genocide of the residents of the Gaza Strip.”

She described what happened at the Baptist Hospital in Gaza as “a heinous war crime and an unimaginable immoral crime.”

She denied using her weapons in the Hamas attack, and said that the reports in this regard were “an attempt by Washington to shift the blame for the conflict from it to a third country.”

She said that the way out to resolve the conflict is to establish an independent Palestinian state.

Today, Wednesday, the Arab Parliament sent a call to the parliaments, unions and peoples of the free world to pay attention to the humanitarian catastrophe left by the genocidal war that the occupying power (Israel) is waging against the Gaza Strip, and is practicing a war crime and collective punishment against a defenseless people in full view of the world. 

In light of the failure of the United Nations institutions, and the double standards adopted by the major powers, which were expected to play a role in the name of humanity to protect the children, women and elderly of Palestine, from the continuous bombing day and night, and in light of the occupying power’s blatant challenge to the resolutions of international legitimacy and international and humanitarian law.

The Arab Parliament indicated in its appeal that the number of martyrs exceeded 8,000 martyrs and more than 21,000 wounded, 70% of whom were children and women. The Gaza Strip has become a disaster-stricken area unfit for living, lacking all the elements of human life. As a representative of the Arab peoples, this appeal was directed to stop the bloodshed. 

The escalating situation in the Gaza Strip and providing protection for civilians, including children, women and the elderly, avoiding double standards, and calling actions by their names, avoiding shameful deception. It is not possible to ignore the description of what is being committed by the Israeli occupation forces against human rights, collective punishment, and the killing of innocent civilians with the legitimate right to defense. 

For oneself, and to emphasize that what the occupying power is doing is a comprehensive war and genocide criminalized by international law, it must stop immediately. Even if the major powers are able to paralyze the United Nations and write a death certificate for the UN Security Council concerned with protecting peoples, they will not be able to falsify the history that It will remain a witness to who committed this crime against humanity, who supported him, who participated in it, and who took the position of a spectator and did not defend humanity.

The Parliament affirmed that this call is in the name of the Arab peoples, to the parliaments and peoples of the free world to save what remains of our humanity, to save a people who are being exterminated day and night, to save the entire world from the destructive double standards of international security, safety and stability, calling on the members of the world’s parliaments and their peoples to “stop the unjust war machine.” “Stop the bloodshed... Save children, women and the elderly from the power of war and unjust force.”

The head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, revealed in a direct speech today, Wednesday, that his movement informed the mediators “of the necessity of putting an end to genocide” in the Gaza Strip, and presented a vision that begins with a ceasefire, opening the crossings, conducting a prisoner exchange, and opening a political path.

Haniyeh called on the supporters of the Israeli occupation, led by the United States, to stop this support and stop obstructing the international will.

In a message to the occupation army, Haniyeh said that “hiding behind massacres will not save the occupation from the resounding defeat in (the flood of Al-Aqsa),” and stressed that the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, “is one of the most important causes of the war,” and that his government is “a right-wing fascist group that is only thinking of saving it.” And his family from prison, even at the cost of destroying the region.”

The head of Hamas's political bureau called for not closing the Rafah crossing in both directions, and for keeping it open as a Palestinian-Arab crossing.

Regarding what is happening on the battlefield, Haniyeh explained that “the Al-Qassam Brigades are valiantly confronting the enemy’s tanks and continuous bombardment,” saying that “the enemy’s losses are much greater than what is announced, and what we will publish will surprise its people,” stressing that “the steadfastness of the Palestinian people has thwarted the enemy’s plans for a catastrophe.” New,” stressing that this battle “is a fateful battle between neo-Nazis and those who believe in civilization and coexistence.”

Haniyeh stated that the brutal war against Gaza and its people is still continuing, but the Palestinian resistance is “fighting this battle ably.” The head of Hamas’s political bureau stated that he had warned of “the occupation’s measures and policies in Al-Aqsa, the continuation of settlement, and the explosion of the situation, without anyone listening to our call.” He directed his greetings to “the free people of the world and the Arab peoples, for standing with steadfast Gaza,” and he also thanked “the resistance fronts for their stance.”

During his confirmation hearing, Liu acknowledged that his potential job description has changed rapidly over the past few weeks, with his and his administration's focus shifting from Israel's regional integration and potential normalization with Saudi Arabia to dealing with the Palestinian conflict.

Yesterday, Tuesday, the US Senate approved the appointment of Jack Lew, President Joe Biden's nominee, to serve as the new ambassador to Israel, despite the reservations and opposition of many Republican members to that appointment.

The Senate voted in favor of Liu, a former Treasury secretary under President Barack Obama, by 53 votes to 43.

Israeli circles considered this appointment to be “an important step in the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen support for Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack on October 7, and the subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza.”

Regarding the reason for the Republicans’ reservations about him, the Israeli media said that this is mainly related to his position in support of the nuclear agreement with Iran in 2015.

During his confirmation hearing, Liu acknowledged that his potential job description has changed rapidly over the past few weeks, with his and his administration's focus shifting from Israel's regional integration and potential normalization with Saudi Arabia to dealing with the Palestinian conflict.

Ambassador Liu faced further challenges over the Obama administration's 2016 decision to abstain from voting on a controversial UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to Israeli settlements, although Liu is believed to have been among the US officials who opposed the move internally.

Liu told the committee that the resolution could have been much worse, adding that he did not support the United Nations targeting Israel.

This lukewarm reception from Republicans brought to mind Liu's reception at the Jerusalem Post conference in 2015 in New York, where attendees booed loudly, making it one of the most horrific receptions ever received by a high-ranking official in the US administration by a Jewish audience.

It is noteworthy that Leo, a 67-year-old Orthodox Jew and resident of New York, is considered in many ways a “pioneer of committed Jews in public service,” and that his nomination received strong support from the American Jewish establishment, and major heritage organizations also recorded their support for Leo in the US Congressional Record. .

Liu largely echoed many of the Biden administration's goals regarding Israel's war on Gaza, including securing the release of hostages held in Gaza and providing the unlimited support Israel needs in the future.

He also called for continued engagement with the Palestinian Authority as a priority, similar to the Biden administration's new focus on supporting the Palestinian Authority in the hope of distinguishing between the Palestinians and Hamas.