Sullivan: “We do not support the killing of innocent people, whether they are Palestinians or Israelis”

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the US administration and the Israeli government are holding a “frank dialogue” regarding the war on Gaza, and added, “We do not support the killing of innocent people, whether they are Palestinians or Israelis,” according to what Reuters reported on Sunday. .

Sullivan noted that the United States and Israel are discussing "difficult questions" and about humanitarian aid. He said that the United States believes that Israel should take all possible means to distinguish between Palestinian civilians and Hamas militants in its military operation in Gaza.

In an interview with CNN, Sullivan called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "rein in" the violence of extremist settlers against innocent Palestinians in the West Bank.

This evening, a meeting of the Israeli mini-ministerial council for political and security affairs (cabinet) will be held. Israeli media reported that ministers are expected to criticize Israel's decision to "expand humanitarian aid" to the Gaza Strip and open a water pipeline to the south of the Strip.

US President Joe Biden is expected to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later today, against the backdrop of the American demand to expand humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip, and in light of American concern about expanding the Israeli ground military operation in the Strip, according to media reports. Israeli.

Meanwhile, international demands have increased for the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and the British government stated that the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, expressed in a phone call between them, today, their concerns regarding the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.

A spokesman for Sunak said in a statement, “The two leaders stressed the importance of delivering urgent humanitarian support to Gaza. They agreed to work together in efforts to deliver essential food, fuel, water and medicine to those who need them and to remove foreign nationals.”

The spokesman added that Richy and Macron "expressed their common concern about the risk of escalation in the broader region, especially in the West Bank."

Source: Arab 48 

Al-Sisi stressed the need to reach an immediate humanitarian truce, to strengthen Egyptian efforts with the United Nations and the active parties, led by the United States, to deliver humanitarian, medical and relief aid to the people of the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi confirmed that Cairo did not and will not allow the displacement of Palestinians from their lands to its lands, during a call he received from his American counterpart, Joe Biden, on Sunday evening, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.

The Egyptian presidency statement said that the two presidents discussed the overall security situation in the Middle East, the latest developments in the military escalation in the Gaza Strip, and the importance of preventing the expansion of the circle of conflict into the regional environment.

Al-Sisi stressed the need to reach an immediate humanitarian truce, to strengthen Egyptian efforts with the United Nations and the active parties, led by the United States, to deliver humanitarian, medical and relief aid to the people of the Gaza Strip.

Since the beginning of the events in Gaza, the Egyptian authorities have repeatedly rejected the plan to displace the residents of Gaza to Egyptian territory, specifically Sinai adjacent to the Strip, in conjunction with official Israeli calls for them to displace.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that nearly 600,000 Palestinians were displaced inside Gaza and reside in 150 of its facilities.

For the 24th day in a row, the Israeli army is waging a war on Gaza in which 8,005 Palestinians were martyred, including 3,324 children, 2,062 women, and 460 elderly people, according to the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip. On the other hand, Hamas killed more than 1,400 Israelis and wounded 5,132, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health.

In this atmosphere of mistrust and tension between Netanyahu and the leaders of the military and security establishment, Netanyahu no longer automatically accepts, as was previously the case, the military plans presented by the Chief of Staff and the military establishment...

introduction

Following the surprise attack they carried out against Israeli military sites and settlements in the vicinity of Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Palestinian resistance factions were able to capture a large number of soldiers and settlement residents, in addition to a number of foreign nationals. The fate of these prisoners represents one of the major challenges that enter into the calculations of the Israeli government in its ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip. Because of the pressures on it from the families of the prisoners, or the countries whose nationalities some of the prisoners hold, especially the United States of America; Which fuels the already existing disagreements between military and political decision-makers about the timing and objectives of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip.

First: Calculations of ground aggression

A number of factors influenced the postponement of the comprehensive Israeli army attack on the Gaza Strip, which the political and military leadership announced its intention to launch with the aim of eliminating the Hamas movement and its rule. The most important of these factors were: 

First, the great pressure exerted by the families of the Israeli prisoners on decision-makers in Israel and on Israeli public opinion, in order to release their prisoners, in an exchange with Hamas before the start of the ground war. 

Secondly, completing the necessary military preparations to launch the ground attack. Third, the American administration asked Israel to postpone the ground attack in order to enable the United States to complete its military preparations to protect its forces in the Middle East region from any possible attacks due to the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and to attempt to release prisoners, especially those who hold American citizenship. 

Fourth, some Israeli leaders in the military and security establishment put pressure to postpone the ground attack as long as possible, and to bomb the Gaza Strip from the air, land and sea to inflict the greatest losses on the Palestinian people and the resistance and exhaust them before starting the ground attack.

Second: The issue of prisoners and ground attacks

In recent days, the families of Israeli prisoners have intensified their activities to pressure decision-makers to give the prisoners the highest priority, and to work to release them immediately before the start of the ground attack, which may eliminate the opportunity to negotiate with Hamas to conclude a prisoner exchange deal on the one hand, and expose the prisoners to the risk of death on the other hand. . It has become clear in recent days that the issue of prisoners has begun to occupy a more important position than before at the level of public opinion. There have been increased statements by a number of former military commanders and analysts calling for a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. On October 26, Shaul Mofaz, the former Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff, called for a deal between Hamas and Israel in which all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons would be released in exchange for the release of all Israeli prisoners. Opposition leader and head of the Yesh Atid Party, Yair Lapid, also announced his support for the prisoner exchange. Both of them, and other supporters, stress the continuation of the plan to "eliminate Hamas" militarily after the deal is completed.

It is noted that the escalation of the activities of the prisoners' families, on the eve of the start of the ground attack on the Gaza Strip, affected the position of Israeli public opinion regarding launching a comprehensive ground attack. An Israeli public opinion poll published by Maariv newspaper, on October 27, showed that 49 percent of Israelis support postponing the ground attack, while only 29 percent supported carrying it out immediately, while a week ago, 65 percent of Israelis supported Immediately launch a ground attack.

In light of the increasing public pressure demanding that priority be given to working to release the Israeli prisoners before the start of the ground attack, the war cabinet decided in the past few days to give an opportunity to try to release them. However, it seems that this opportunity will not last long; Multiple sources in the military establishment confirmed that the period of negotiations to release prisoners should be limited in time, during which efforts are exhausted to achieve this.

Third: The exacerbation of the dispute between Israeli decision-makers

Since the start of the war on Gaza, disagreement and intense conflict have prevailed among Israeli decision-makers regarding this war. These disputes are almost unprecedented in the history of Israeli wars. These conflicts are not limited to the crisis of personal confidence between the political and military levels, nor to public opinion’s opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the conflict between him and Defense Minister Yoav Galant, but rather extend to fundamental issues. The most prominent of which is the disagreement over the goals and course of the war, especially with regard to the ground war, and who bears responsibility for the failure (Hamhadal) that occurred on October 7. 

What increases the impact of these disputes and conflicts on Israeli society is that they come in the context of the Israelis’ loss of confidence in the political and military leadership, as a result of this negligence and failure, as well as the Israeli army’s loss of self-confidence, in addition to the fact that this negligence and failure came during a period in which Israeli society was suffering. 

A severe political and social conflict and polarization that had never been seen before, and it came against the backdrop of the Netanyahu government’s intention to carry out a judicial coup, despite the opposition of the majority of Israeli society and its elites, especially the leadership of the military and security establishment. The attempted judicial coup led to a significant decline in the popularity of Netanyahu and his government, and increased tension between Netanyahu and the leadership of the military and security establishment.

The expansion of the government after the first day of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, the National Bloc’s accession to it, the establishment of the emergency government, and the joining of Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot (former chiefs of staff of the Israeli army) to the government and to the war “cabinet” did not reduce the crisis of confidence, nor did it lead to... Reducing conflicts between decision makers regarding war.

In light of the decline in the popularity of Netanyahu and his Likud party to the bottom, and his fear of holding him responsible for failure and negligence, and in light of the increase in calls demanding that he take responsibility and resign before the end of the war, Netanyahu and his close supporters launched a systematic and organized campaign against the leaders of the military and security establishment, and held them responsible for what happened. . Netanyahu appointed a new spokesman in his office responsible for contacting journalists and military correspondents to defend him and direct responsibility for the failure to the leaders of the military and security establishment.

While the leaders of the military and security establishment, including the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, the Chief of Military Intelligence (Aman), the Chief of General Intelligence (Shin Bet), the Chief of Mossad, and the Commander of the Air Force, claimed responsibility for the failure, Netanyahu refused to bear responsibility, and contented himself with making the statement 18 days after The beginning of the war, saying: “Everyone must answer questions, and so do I, but this happens after the war”.

In this atmosphere of mistrust and tension between Netanyahu and the leaders of the military and security establishment, Netanyahu no longer automatically accepts, as was previously the case, the military plans presented by the Chief of Staff and the military establishment. His meetings with senior military leaders and retirees increased to consult with them on military plans, including General Yitzhak Brik and former Army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. 

In the context of preparations for the ground attack on Gaza, Netanyahu met twice in the last two weeks with General Brick, indicating his lack of confidence in the Israeli Army Chief of Staff and the military establishment. Brick warned Netanyahu of the dangers of the Israeli army launching a ground attack and advised him to be patient, due to his belief that the infantry and ground forces in general were not ready for war. He called on him to bomb the Gaza Strip from the air, land and sea for as long as possible. He added that the ground attack on Gaza may lead to Hezbollah launching a comprehensive war against Israel. Which will incur huge losses; Because, according to Brik, Hezbollah can bomb Israel with about 5,000 missiles a day; This causes severe damage to it, approaching the size of the damage inflicted by the Israeli army on Lebanon.

In addition to the dispute between Netanyahu and the military establishment led by Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy, the dispute between Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant has escalated since October 7 regarding responsibility for the failure and war priorities, and Netanyahu rejected Gallant’s request to attack Hezbollah. The background to the conflict between them dates back to March 2023, when Netanyahu dismissed Gallant from his position due to the latter’s request to freeze the judicial coup due to its negative influence on the army. Netanyahu was forced to rescind his dismissal under pressure from the protest movement and Israeli public opinion.

In light of the escalation of the dispute between the two parties, Netanyahu’s office refused to allow Gallant to enter the office to meet with Netanyahu to discuss military issues; Which indicates his lack of confidence in him, while the latter met with Gabi Ashkenazi, who has hostile relations with Gallant, and consulted with him about the war and military operations against Gaza, and tried to attract him to participate in managing the war.

The lack of trust between decision-makers at the political and military levels affects deliberations and discussions in the war “cabinet,” and in the political and security “cabinet,” at a time when they fear the investigation committee that will be established after the end of the war[9]. This increases the complexity of the discussion, deliberations, and decision-making process, which should take place freely and transparently, and without fear of investigation committees. This also affects the determination of the military strategy to achieve the agreed upon goals. In light of the mistrust and conflicts existing between decision-makers, there was no agreement on how to achieve the goals set by the Israeli leadership, which are eliminating Hamas’ rule in the Gaza Strip, eliminating Hamas’ military power, and restoring Israeli prisoners. Questions such as: Does achieving this require the need to occupy the Gaza Strip? How long will this take? Does achieving the war’s goals require remaining in the Gaza Strip for a period of time? What is the cost to the Israeli army and society for the level of resistance they will face? What scale of massacres against Palestinian civilians can the region and the world tolerate? How much would the loss of life and property be if an all-out war broke out between Hezbollah and Israel with or after the start of the ground attack? When will the Israeli army know that it has achieved its goals? Is there no contradiction between launching a comprehensive ground attack on the Gaza Strip and the goal of recovering Israeli prisoners safely?

Despite open questions and disagreements, there remains consensus on the goal of “eliminating Hamas”; Meaning its military power and its rule of the Gaza Strip, and also a consensus to carry out a ground operation or operations in the Strip to achieve this. This may be done without answering all these questions.

Conclusion

With the start of limited incursions by Israeli army ground forces in the past two days, the Netanyahu government faces a number of challenges that may affect the conduct of any ground operation. The most important of which is calculating the degree of resistance that the resistance factions will offer, the price they will pay, and the issue of the prisoners, who number at least 229. The families of the prisoners are now publicly demanding that the deal include all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons in exchange for the release of all Israeli prisoners. Public opinion leaders in the Israeli media and the majority of Israeli society now accept this deal. But this is a matter of timing, and does not necessarily affect the ground attack decision based on not accepting a return to what was before October 7, and the necessity of exploiting the green light and American approval of Israeli targets in Gaza.

According to Israeli officials: “The story of the kidnapped people still helps, but internal considerations and the desire to pay compensation to Muslims and Arabs intervene. The longer the war continues and we move to a ground military operation, the decline in support for Israel will increase, especially in Europe.”

Israeli political officials: The level of international legitimacy of the war on Gaza is declining

Hundreds of thousands in London in solidarity with Gaza and denouncing Israel's war, yesterday (Getty Images)

Israeli political officials said today, Sunday, that Western countries’ support for Israel in the war on Gaza, which they describe as “international legitimacy” for Israeli military strikes, has begun to decline in recent days, and demonstrations of solidarity with the Gaza Strip and against Israel in Western capitals are expanding.

These officials said, "The level of international legitimacy for Israel is declining. If the support rate at the beginning of the war was 70-80 percent, then the political hourglass is declining and we currently enjoy support at 60-70 percent," according to what the Ynet website quoted them as saying.

They considered that, "Unfortunately, the world is forgetting the atrocities and considerations are increasing among countries, especially internal considerations regarding Muslim demonstrations. In general, there is widespread support for Israel in the world, but it has begun to decline."

They pointed out that "the story of the kidnapped people still helps, but internal considerations and the desire to pay compensation to Muslims and Arabs intervene. The longer the war continues and we move to a ground military operation, the decline in support for Israel will increase, especially in Europe."

A massive demonstration in solidarity with Gaza and denouncing Israel in New York, yesterday (Getty Images)

According to the same Israeli officials, “Support for Israel is still broad, but this is work that must be maintained at all times. This is not easy. The most important political hour is the United States and it is with us. However, this is a different war and not similar to previous rounds of combat. It should be taken into account that the pressure The policy on Israel will increase.”

The United Nations General Assembly adopts a draft Arab resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza

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The United Nations General Assembly adopts a draft Arab resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza

The day before yesterday, the United Nations General Assembly called, by a large majority, for an “immediate humanitarian truce,” shortly after the Israeli army announced the “expansion” of its ground operations in the Gaza Strip. The non-binding resolution, which was criticized by Israel and the United States for not referring to the Hamas movement, was supported by 120 members, 14 opposed it, while 45 abstained from voting, out of 193 members of the General Assembly.

This result showed a division among Western countries, especially European countries, as France supported the resolution, while Germany, Italy, and Britain abstained from voting, and Austria and the United States voted against the resolution.

Source: arab 48

Israeli officer: “There are tanks here whose engines have been changed twice. The level of maintenance of the tanks is very far from the level of morale of the reserve soldiers who seek to improve the situation. We have obtained tanks that pose a danger to our lives.”

A report stated that reserve soldiers in the Israeli Armored Forces were surprised by the low level of maintenance of Merkava 3 tanks over the past years, even though the Israeli army had been informed that these tanks would be used in a future war.

Today, Sunday, the Walla website quoted an army officer as saying that the reserve soldiers who participated in the battles that took place in the “Gaza envelope” were astonished by the level of maintenance, and that they were ashamed of the level of maintenance. He added, "I do not want to talk about the level of maintenance of the iron chains, springs, brackets, and the iron chains that break apart, but it is enough to realize the level of maintenance of the engines to realize that something bad happened here all the time."

Another officer said: “There are tanks here whose engines have been changed twice. This does not seem serious. I will not talk about numbers. But the level of maintenance of tanks is very far from the level of morale of reservists who are trying to improve the situation. Someone here should be ashamed and the time will come to give Explanations: We have obtained tanks that pose a threat to our lives.”

Source: Arab 48

“There is doubt whether the Israeli government will succeed in achieving the goals of the war... and the battle for victory over Hamas will not be decided on the ground alone... and there is dissonance between the two declared goals of the war - destroying Hamas’ rule and liberating the kidnapped.”

Today, Sunday, Israeli analysts questioned the statements of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and “War Cabinet” member Benny Gantz, during a press conference yesterday evening, about the nature of the war on Gaza and the pledge to liberate prisoners and hostages in Gaza, as well as what... Related to the incursion of Israeli forces into the Gaza Strip, since the day before yesterday.

Nahum Barnea, a political analyst in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, said, “The ground incursion is larger than what was described on Saturday night and smaller than the impression that Netanyahu, Gallant, and Gantz created during the press conference yesterday. It is broader, without comparison, than the incursions into the Gaza Strip in recent days.” previous".

He added that the war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip “is very far from being a second war of independence, as Netanyahu and his colleagues in the cabinet claimed. In the war of independence, Israel fought for its existence. It is not fighting for its existence now. It is fighting to recover the kidnapped people, to remove the threat from Defending a terrorist organization and restoring its deterrence against enemies in the region. These are three heavy tasks, and there is doubt whether the government will succeed in accomplishing them.”

According to Barnea, the ground incursion “does not aim to advance the deal (liberating) the kidnapped... From an operational standpoint, the ground military operation is a separate step, and has nothing to do, at least at this stage, with the liberation of the kidnapped. When the Cabinet decided to approve this operation The military approved a list of priorities: targeting Hamas first, and the kidnapped ones later. The families were told that the order of priorities was the opposite: the kidnapped ones first and the ground entry later.

He added that the decision to enter the Gaza Strip with large force may be justified. The negotiations, mediated by Qatar and sponsored by the Americans, did not bear fruit. What is unfair is sowing illusions in the eyes of the families of the kidnapped and the public. The kidnapped, whose number is currently estimated at 240 and perhaps more, arrived in Gaza due to a crime committed by the state. Their families met with Netanyahu to demand that he bear responsibility. I do not understand why Netanyahu’s wife and Minister Miri Regev attended the meeting, while Netanyahu’s military secretary was absent. "I fear that Netanyahu is still unaware of the event."

For his part, the military analyst in the Maariv newspaper, Tal Lev Ram, pointed out that “although the Israeli army entered the fighting in the Gaza Strip yesterday with large forces, their size is not greater than in previous ground military operations in the Gaza Strip. And belief in Israel "Is that exerting military pressure would also serve the negotiations to liberate the kidnapped people."

Lev Ram predicted that the greater the density of construction in the area into which Israeli forces penetrate, the more Hamas will seek to fight more intense battles, and by exploiting the nature of the area in order to set up ambushes and plant explosive devices.

Lev Ram pointed out that "the battle for victory over Hamas will not be decided on the ground alone. This is while Israel has very complex goals, each goal separately and especially when combined together, which is to overcome Hamas militarily, overthrow its rule, and return the kidnapped."

He stated that estimates in the Israeli army are that "the more it deepens its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, the more Hezbollah will gradually raise its response force through operations from Lebanese territory."

Military analyst in the newspaper "Haaretz", Amos Harel, pointed out that "there is a dissonance between the two declared goals of the war - the destruction of Hamas' rule and resources, and the liberation of kidnapped Israelis. Since Israel launched ground forces in the Strip, military friction in Gaza has been increasing. In conditions like these, "If there is not a quick breakthrough in the negotiations, it will be more difficult to reach a deal."

Source: Israeli press

The Israeli Foreign Ministry told Moscow: “Hosting the leaders of Hamas, who are directly responsible for the deadly terrorist attack that occurred on October 7, the kidnapping of hostages, and the shedding of the blood of more than 1,400 Israelis at their hands, conveys a message of legitimacy for terrorism against Israelis.”

Israel summoned its Russian ambassador, in protest against the visit of a Hamas delegation to the Russian capital, Moscow, according to what the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement issued on Sunday evening.

The Foreign Ministry stated in its statement that “Russian Ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, was summoned this morning to protest at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in (occupied) Jerusalem following the Hamas delegation’s visit to Moscow.”

The statement added, "Deputy Director of the Department (Europe and Asia) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Simona Halperin, made it clear to the Russian ambassador that Israel considers it dangerous the lack of a clear and unequivocal condemnation by Moscow of the Hamas terrorist organization and Russia's behavior in international organizations."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry added, "Hosting the leaders of Hamas, who are directly responsible for the deadly terrorist attack that occurred on October 7, the kidnapping of hostages, and the shedding of the blood of more than 1,400 Israelis at their hands, conveys a message of legitimacy for terrorism against Israelis."

Last Thursday, the Hamas delegation that visited Moscow held meetings with Russian officials. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that representatives of Iran and Hamas are in Moscow to hold discussions, for the first time since the outbreak of the war on Gaza.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that “there are representatives of this Palestinian movement in Moscow,” and that Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri is also in the Russian capital, without providing details about the agenda or content of the talks.

On the other hand, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The hands of senior Hamas officials are stained with the blood of more than 1,400 Israelis who were slaughtered, killed, executed, and burned, and they are responsible for the kidnapping of more than 220 Israelis, including children, women, and the elderly,” as it claimed.

For its part, Hamas stated at the time that its delegation, “led by the head of the movement’s International Relations Office, Dr. Musa Abu Marzouk, met with the Russian President’s Special Envoy to the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Mikhail Bogdanov, at the headquarters of the Russian Foreign Ministry in the capital, Moscow, on noon. today is Thursday".

According to the statement, “the movement’s delegation included a member of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Bassem Naim, and the movement’s representative to Moscow.”

The statement indicated that "the movement's delegation reviewed the Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip, and ways to stop the Zionist crimes supported by the United States and the West."

Source: Israeli press

From pushing towards a comprehensive and broad ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, to limited ground operations coinciding with the cutting off of communications and the Internet from the northern Strip; What does the occupation aim by not following the expected pattern of invasion and replacing it with limited incursions in its war on the Gaza Strip?

On the twenty-third day of the war it is waging against the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation army expanded its military operations, announcing an increase in the number of its forces fighting inside the Strip and the intensification of ground operations there. While the calls and expectations indicated a ground invasion through a wide and intensive operation, the ground operations of the occupation come Under a canopy of fog and through sporadic attacks north of the besieged sector.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (“Kan 11”) stated that the Israeli army aims, through these night ground operations, which coincide with cutting off the Internet and communications network in large areas in the northern Gaza Strip, to kill the largest number of resistance faction fighters, and to benefit from these operations in efforts to restore Prisoners and hostages of the Hamas movement, and “confusing” and misleading the resistance factions.

According to the official Israeli channel, the Israeli army aims, through these operations, which represent a limited invasion of the areas of the northern Gaza Strip, which include advancing, then withdrawing, advancing again, then retreating, in conjunction and coordination with air force operations and intense air strikes, to lure Hamas fighters and reveal their locations.

Since the start of ground operations last Friday, the occupation army has confirmed that an officer was seriously injured and a soldier was moderately injured in two separate clashes with resistance members in northern Gaza, with Hamas confirming that its fighters are engaged in “violent clashes” with the Israeli army in Gaza in light of the expansion of ground operations inside the besieged Strip. .

The military and political leaders in Israel are seeking to put pressure on Hamas through these operations, with the aim of pushing for a deal to release prisoners and hostages.

The channel pointed out that “Israeli estimates that the expansion of operations and the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip will increase pressure on the Hamas movement and push it to complete a prisoner exchange deal, have been transformed into practical steps,” which was confirmed by the Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant, during a meeting held earlier, on Sunday. With the families of Israeli prisoners held by the resistance factions in the Gaza Strip.

"Kan 11" said that the ground operations and limited invasion of the northern Gaza Strip also aimed to "create confusion" among the Hamas movement and mislead Hezbollah about the continuation of the war and the development of military operations, and added, "It is not clear whether this step may be followed by a comprehensive invasion of Gaza City." Or whether the army will continue its limited ground operations.”

The channel stated, “The army is keeping this card to itself (a complete invasion or intensive and limited ground operations), and the pictures will not become clear except with the continuation of combat operations.” Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official told the Ynet website that “the ground invasion in the Gaza Strip is proceeding according to what we deem appropriate.”

While Israeli reports questioned Hamas’ intention to reach a deal through which to release Israeli prisoners and hostages held by the resistance factions in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli official said, regarding the prisoners’ file, “We are continuing to hold talks and try to achieve a breakthrough in conjunction with the ground entry.”

He continued, "We decided that we could advance the ground incursion at the same time as dealing with the issue of the kidnappers and hostages, and that the same incursion could also serve the kidnappings and missing persons and could put pressure on Hamas. In other words: negotiations regarding the kidnapped and missing persons are under fire."

On the other hand, the Israeli army spokesman said that his calls for the Palestinians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip and head to the south have now become an urgent matter. Daniel Hagari said, "For the past two weeks, we have been calling on residents of the northern Gaza Strip and Gaza City to move south temporarily." He added, "We confirm today that this is an urgent appeal." He reported that the number of people confirmed to have been held hostage in Gaza since the Hamas attack on October 7 had risen to 239.

On the other hand, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, confirmed that its fighters continue to “confront the Zionist forces penetrating into the Al-Amriyya area northwest of Beit Lahia.” It added that its fighters "engaged with them (the forces) in armed clashes and targeted enemy vehicles with Al-Yassin 510 tandem shells and mortar shells, and carried out several sniper operations."

Al-Qassam added, "The enemy admitted that a number of its soldiers were injured in the clashes with our fighters, who are still targeting the enemy forces." In a second statement, Al-Qassam said: “We targeted, with Al-Zawari’s suicide plane, a gathering of enemy vehicles in the Al-Amiriya area, northwest of Beit Lahia.”

Meanwhile, local sources in the Gaza Strip reported that occupation aircraft and warships fired heavy fire towards the area where Al-Qassam fighters confronted the invading Israeli forces. Meanwhile, Israeli reports indicated ground operations on more than one axis in the northern Gaza Strip, and clashes with resistance elements.

According to the institutions concerned with Al-Aqsa affairs, the occupation army has arrested more than 1,590 Palestinians from the West Bank and Jerusalem since October 7.

At dawn and Monday morning, the Israeli occupation forces launched a massive arrest campaign in various areas of the occupied West Bank, arresting dozens of freed prisoners, leading figures, academics, and journalists, while confrontations broke out in various areas and armed clashes took place in other areas.

Institutions concerned with prisoners' affairs reported that the occupation forces arrested dozens of Palestinians from the West Bank, where they were transferred for investigation by the occupation security services under the pretext of involvement in armed resistance.

The occupation forces arrested former Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Nasser Al-Din Al-Shaer from his home in the Al-Maajin neighborhood in Nablus. They also arrested Nablus Municipal Council member Omar Al-Hanbali, the freed prisoner Iyad Abu Zahra, and the freed prisoner Khaled Al-Sousa.

From the town of Kafr Qalil, south of Nablus, the occupation forces arrested journalist Nawaf Al-Amer from his home, Dr. Zaher Musa from the town of Zawata, and the freed prisoner Qutaiba Hamadna from the northern town of Asira.

The occupation forces carried out widespread arrest operations in Ramallah, concentrated in the Jalazoun camp and the town of Silwad.

The arrests in the Jalazoun camp included Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Alyan, Muhammad Ghawanmeh, the freed prisoner Fadi Nayef Alyan, and the freed prisoner Fadi Jamal Darwish.

In Silwad, the arrests included Awni Fares, Saif Khalil Ezzat, Musa Ahmed Mashhour, Aseed Hassanein Khazna, Baraa Ahmed Khaled, Baraa Muhammad Al-Saifi, Suhaib Imad Al-Shawareb, Jumah Hassan Hammad, and the two brothers Muhammad and Abdul Rahman Raed Hamed.

From the village of Al-Mazraa Al-Sharqiya, east of Ramallah, the occupation forces arrested young men Abd al-Hafiz Awni Zabin, editor Ashraf Wadih Saad, Youssef Abd Wadi, and editor Bakr Atallah Saad.

The occupation forces arrested Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah Thawabta from his home in the town of Beit Fajjar, Bethlehem district.

In Hebron Governorate, the occupation forces stormed the town of Shuyoukh, and arrested the young men Ahmed Majed and Rasneh, Mahmoud Ayman and Rasneh, Majed Ayman and Rasneh, and Majd Zaki Halayqa.

An arrest campaign was carried out in the city of Yatta, during which Sheikh Yahya Abu Sobha, journalist Zakaria Abu Fanar, Muhammad al-Nawaja’a, editor Qutaiba al-Nawaja’a, Raed Hassan Abu Aram, Musa Gabriel Amar, Muhannad Tayseer Rabi’i, and Muhammad Ismail al-Nawaja’a were arrested.

Since the “Al-Aqsa Flood” on October 7th, the occupation forces have been carrying out daily and widespread arrest campaigns in the West Bank, coinciding with the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip.

According to the institutions concerned with Al-Aqsa affairs, the occupation army has arrested more than 1,590 Palestinians from the West Bank and Jerusalem since October 7.

What will he say when age betrays him? When he is summoned to a distant hotel. To trial in a strict hall. He knows who is waiting there. David Ben-Gurion, Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Menachem Begin, Ariel Sharon and others. Does he remind them that he holds the record for residency in the Prime Minister's Office? What if they rushed him by saying that he was the man under whom the fragility of deterrence was exposed? He wouldn't dare answer. How does he justify the negligence of the intelligence services? How does he justify the generals' negligence and the negligence of the medals on their chests?

He wasn't expecting an ending like this. This time the charge is not accepting gifts or taking advantage of a position. It's much more dangerous. It is an accusation of compromising the prestige of the castle, which is armed to the teeth. Since October 7, he wakes up and finds the cup of poison waiting for him. All choices are difficult. And painful and suicidal. He feels ashamed in front of the hostages' families. He feels a kind of shame in front of the ridicule of the soldiers he summoned to avert the disaster. He can hardly believe what happened. The attackers shook the settlements and uprooted the settlers. They took them hostage into the tunnels. They rained missiles on cities and towns. They will not accept anything less than the release of all Palestinian prisoners. They are demanding a huge reward for their fatal stabbing.

His story with poison is old. Remember the first cup. It was June 1976. The body of his brother, Officer Jonathan Netanyahu, returned home. The men of Palestinian leader Dr. Wadih Haddad hijacked an Air France plane with 77 Israelis on board to Entebbe, Uganda. At that time, the Prime Minister's name was General Yitzhak Rabin. He refused to give in to the demands of Haddad and the Popular Front. He sent special units to a point 4,000 kilometers away, killed the kidnappers and freed the hostages, but they returned with only one body, the body of his brother. From that day on, he decided to take revenge big and long.

After going through diplomacy in Washington and New York, he returned to Israel as a boxer in the ranks of the Likud bloc. He will defeat Peres and compete with Sharon. A cunning player and an articulate orator. In 1996, the presidency of the government will fall into his hands. The first prime minister elected by direct vote. And the first prime minister born on the territory of the entity after its birth.

In 1997, Netanyahu was dreaming of a major prize. The Mossad put on its desk an exciting proposal. The assassination of the head of the Hamas political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, who holds Jordanian citizenship. The Mossad chose to avoid explosives and bullets because of diplomatic relations between Jordan and Israel. Assassination by poison and a substance from which there is no escape. On September 25, Netanyahu waited in his office for the results of the exciting operation. Mishal was poisoned, but the two perpetrators, who came with Canadian passports, were arrested. The operation turned into a disaster. King Hussein was angry and called President Bill Clinton and threatened to close the Israeli embassy. Netanyahu had no choice but to swallow the poison. Delivering to the Jordanian side the antidote that saves Meshaal from fatal poisoning, and releasing the founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and a number of prisoners. After 26 years, Meshaal appears after the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, demanding that Netanyahu release all Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of hostages held in Gaza. Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz Al-Rantisi, Yahya Ayyash, Salah Shehadeh, and others were killed, but Hamas was not killed.

Before the assassination attempt on Mashal, specifically in October 1995, the Mossad discovered that the man passing through Malta carrying a Libyan passport in the name of Ibrahim Al-Shawish was none other than Fathi Al-Shaqaqi, the founder of the “Islamic Jihad in Palestine” movement.  Assassinate him. 28 years after the assassination, “Jihad” from Gaza launches its missiles at Tel Aviv without denying its organic relationship with Iran.

What will Netanyahu say to those gathered in the hall in the distant hotel? Does Yitzhak blame Rabin for shaking hands with Yasser Arafat on the White House lawn and sliding into the Oslo peace? Does he know that Arafat returned the Palestinian flag and returned with it, and that this land is narrow and cannot accommodate two flags, two peoples, and two states?

Netanyahu remembers his first meeting with Yasser Arafat. The meeting was from a cloth that swallowed poison. He tried to dictate to Arafat the agenda of the meeting, only to later suggest to the media that he had besieged him. The Palestinian leader began shuffling the cards, changing the subject, and suggesting that he had cards of power. Will he tell Rabin and Peres that they brought Arafat back to earth, whom the army went to Beirut in 1982 to expel him from and to perish with his cause in exile? Is he saying that Arafat's flexibility was part of his plan to reconnect the Palestinian and Israeli destinies, so that Israel would not enjoy security unless the Palestinians lived in their independent state?

Netanyahu opens his hands in the form of a question. The current days are days of poison. The coming days will be similar and worse. Hamas cannot be erased without eliminating Gaza. The embers of Gaza are terrible and threaten to fly to other maps. The region cannot bear a long war, nor will the world accept it. It was as if the attack emerging from the tunnels had put Israel into a tunnel from which it was difficult to exit. It is as if the story, from the beginning, is a story of spending due to betting on eliminating others and denying facts and rights. He knows that tomorrow they will raise their voices and say that what he did with the Oslo Accords and the widespread launch of settlements put Israel into a dark tunnel from which it will not emerge except by drinking the poison of an independent Palestinian state.

How difficult it is for an addicted player to feel that the journey is over. Its conclusion is difficult, painful and terrifying. When the guns and planes fall silent, committees will be formed. Investigations, inquiries, and exchange of accusations. More killing will not solve the problem. We kill them and they do not die. You erase a generation and a more ferocious generation succeeds it. You write off a man and later drink poison at the hands of those who are crueler than him. How difficult it is for your enemies to push you into the tunnel.

Source: Al- Sharq Al-awsat

The Public Prosecutor (Prosecutor General) at the Court of Appeal in Laayoune announced: The largest city in the Moroccan Sahara, in a statement, assigned the competent judicial police to conduct a judicial investigation, following the recording of the death of one person and the injury of 3 others as a result of the firing of explosive projectiles that targeted residential neighborhoods in the city of Smara. He stressed keenness to “arrange the necessary legal effects in light of the research results.”

The local authorities in the Smara Province in the Moroccan Sahara had previously announced that 4 explosions occurred on the night of Saturday - Sunday in the city of Smara, killing one person and wounding 3 others. Two of them are in serious condition, according to the Moroccan News Agency.

Local media reported attacks by the separatist Polisario Front. The Moroccan "Youm 24" website said that the explosions that occurred in Smara were due to attacks launched by the "Polisario" Front from the Tafariti region, in a dangerous precedent that targeted residential neighborhoods. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the Polisario Front is playing with fire, and directing its fire towards civilians is a cowardly terrorist act.”

For its part, the "Sahrawi News Agency" affiliated with the "Polisario Front" said that units of its forces targeted the positions of the Moroccan forces, "causing heavy losses in lives and equipment," according to what was stated in "Military Communication No. 900" issued by its forces.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said yesterday, Wednesday, that Cyclone Tej, which struck a number of governorates in southern and eastern Yemen recently, caused two deaths and injured 40 people, forcing more than 13,000 to flee, most of them children, and damaging hundreds of homes.

According to a brief statement by UNICEF on the X platform, Al-Mahra Governorate in the east of the country, located on the border with the Sultanate of Oman, was the most affected by the hurricane, with two dead and 40 others injured, in addition to the displacement of more than 11,900, including 6,188 children. She pointed out that the hurricane caused the displacement of 1,400 people, including 728 children, in Hadramaut Governorate, while damaging up to 500 homes in the Socotra Archipelago on the Indian Ocean.

Meanwhile, local authorities and residents said that Al-Raydah and Qusayr District in Hadramaut Governorate suffered major damage yesterday, Wednesday, from Cyclone Tej. The people were stranded as a result of the heavy rains and torrential floods, and homes were destroyed. The governor of Hadhramaut, Mabkhout bin Madi, said that there were no deaths as a result of the hurricane so far.

The death toll from Hurricane Otis rose to 48 on Sunday, days after it struck Mexico's Pacific coast, according to the Mexican government.

Most of the victims are believed to have died by drowning. Authorities said on Sunday that six people were still missing.

Hurricane Otis struck the coast last Tuesday evening, as a very dangerous Category 5 hurricane, with sustained wind speeds reaching about 270 kilometers per hour, and the speed of the cyclone accompanying it reached 330 kilometers per hour. Then it lost its power on Earth and eventually faded away.

Within just 12 hours, it developed from a tropical storm into a dangerous hurricane, then lost strength and dissipated after reaching land. More than 270,000 apartments and homes were damaged due to the hurricane. In addition, 80% of all hotels in the region that depend on tourism were damaged.

Meanwhile, the armed forces distributed relief supplies in the coastal resort of Acapulco. The Ministry of Defense stated that soldiers brought quantities of food and drinking water to the most affected neighborhoods. The army transported 40 tons of aid by air to the stricken area, and the Red Cross delivered another 75 tons.

Acapulco is famous for its luxury hotels and diving trips, and is also very popular with tourists on a limited budget. Initial estimates showed that the storm may have caused damage

Its value is estimated at $15 billion

The Israeli occupation forces bombed a house at the entrance to the Jenin refugee camp, wounding two Palestinians, while the occupation forces destroyed the infrastructure in the vicinity of the camp.

At dawn and Monday morning, 4 young men were martyred and a number of other Palestinians were injured during a massive and violent incursion carried out by the Israeli occupation forces into the city of Jenin and its camp in the occupied West Bank.

Medical sources in Jenin reported that the martyrs were Wiam Al-Hanoun, one of the founders of the “Jenin Battalion,” and the leader of the battalion, Nawras Al-Bajawi, Amir Al-Sharbaji, and Musa Jabareen.

The occupation forces stormed the city of Jenin, before the occupation army sent reinforcements estimated at about 30 military vehicles, including two bulldozers, and surrounded the Jenin camp, and deployed snipers in a number of buildings surrounding the camp, coinciding with the flight of reconnaissance planes.

The Israeli occupation forces bombed a house at the entrance to the Jenin camp, wounding two Palestinians, while the occupation forces destroyed the infrastructure in the vicinity of the camp.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces stormed the city of Jenin with more than 100 military vehicles from several directions, accompanied by two military bulldozers.

The occupation forces surrounded the vicinity of Ibn Sina Hospital, coinciding with the flight of a reconnaissance drone over the city.

These forces occupied a number of buildings overlooking the camp, deployed sniper teams, and bulldozed the street leading to the entrance to the main Jenin camp amid clashes with the resistance fighters.

The occupation bulldozers began bulldozing the streets and infrastructure in the streets of the city of Jenin. They also bulldozed the streets leading to the camp and placed dirt barriers, in an attempt to isolate the camp from the city.

The occupation military bulldozers also deliberately destroyed a number of Palestinian vehicles, and the occupation forces seized two civilian vehicles.

The Palestinian News Agency reported that dozens of people were killed, most of them children, with renewed Israeli air strikes in various areas of the Gaza Strip, especially the northern and central parts, on Monday. The agency reported that 23 people were killed in an Israeli raid that targeted two homes in the northern Gaza Strip. In the center of the Gaza Strip, it was reported that Israeli aircraft bombed a house in the Al-Zawaida area, killing and wounding dozens. It reported the bombing of the Engineers Tower in Tal al-Hawa, southwest of Gaza City. For its part, Palestinian television said that Internet and communications services were cut off in areas north of the Gaza Strip.

Telephone and Internet services gradually returned to various areas of the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Sunday morning, after stopping almost completely since Friday.

An American official told the Washington Post that Israel restored internet and communications services in the Gaza Strip under American pressure. The American official said, "After communications were cut off on Friday, the United States put pressure on the Israeli government to restart them."

The number of Israelis who consider Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “unfit to rule and conduct a war” is increasing. Even his comrades in the right-wing camp have begun to feel that he is no longer that experienced leader. They look at his actions since the Hamas attack three weeks ago and are surprised by his erratic decisions and statements. Paradoxical. They believe that Netanyahu is trying to create signs of strength that turn into weakness, and that his performance strengthens his opponents at home and his enemies abroad, and that the public that gave him the majority of seats in power quickly disavows him and demands that he resign, and all of this is in the midst of the war that has been going on since October 7. Even when he apologized in writing and wrote: “I apologize, I made a mistake,” they did not believe him.

Confronting journalists

That was when he held a joint press conference with the two members of the War Command; Defense Minister Yoav Galant and State Minister Benny Gantz, late at night. For the first time since the beginning of the war, journalists were informed that they would be allowed to ask questions. The questions were directed to him alone. One of them was raised by an Israeli Army Radio correspondent about “reports indicating that, before the war, he had received documents from the head of the Military Intelligence Division (Aman), Aharon Haliwa, and the head of the General Intelligence Agency (Shin Bet), Ronen Bar, warning of the increasing possibility of war breaking out.” Confusion appeared on his face and tone of voice, and he said: “All matters raised will be examined.” Everyone is being interrogated, and so am I. Now we are all recruited to thwart the missions of the enemy who wants to wipe us all off the map.”

This answer did not please those close to him, and they considered him weak and evasive, and he had close associates who used orgy and bragging rhetoric. They said that he had to respond immediately and say what he believed because no one had warned him. And he couldn't sleep. At one o'clock and ten minutes after midnight, a post appeared on his page on social networks in which he said: “Prime Minister Netanyahu was not warned, under any circumstances and at any stage, of Hamas’ intentions to wage war. On the contrary, all security officials appreciated “Including the head of Aman and the head of the Shin Bet, Hamas is deterred and will resort to a settlement.” He added, "These are the estimates that all security and intelligence agencies presented to the prime minister and the cabinet, time after time, until the moment the war broke out."

A thundering storm

When Netanyahu woke up, he found the echoes of this tweet a thundering storm. The opposition and some people close to the coalition attacked him. The press unanimously agreed that he behaved irresponsibly and unbecoming of a prime minister, and they wondered which prime minister was the one attacking the army and intelligence leaders while leading with them a war that he considered fateful.

It became clear that this attack on him exceeded imagination, and was characterized by much exaggeration and exaggeration, and that it was “a mistake that is being openly exploited against him.” He was prominent in his attack on the opposition leader, Yair Lapid, and the leaders of the protest movement against his plan to “reform the judiciary.” Lapid said, “Netanyahu crossed a red line.” While Israeli soldiers and army commanders are fighting against Hamas and Hezbollah, he is busy trying to blame them, instead of giving them support. Attempts to evade responsibility and blame the security apparatus weaken the Israeli army at a time when it is fighting Israel's enemies. Netanyahu should apologize for his statements.”

A statement issued by the “Brothers in Arms” protest movement said, “At a time when the people are mobilizing behind the army and working around the clock to defeat Hamas, Netanyahu is choosing to be preoccupied with partisan politics and with the investigation committee (which is expected to be formed after the war on Gaza.”) ), and he is not able to say I am responsible. If he were a real leader, he would support the security forces and bear responsibility.”

Advice to back off and apologize

Those loyal to him rushed to him, advising him to withdraw and apologise. He deleted the tweet that caused the uproar. Faced with the horror of the attack on him, he published a partial apology in which he said: “I made a mistake, I apologize. These words should not have been said,” but he added here that he had not received warnings. Rather, they assured him that Hamas was deterred and afraid of going to war. Therefore, the uproar against him was not reduced, and they began opening other files related to the war for him. They reminded him that the army and intelligence leaders had also published warnings in the newspapers, a week before the war, saying that the policy of the government and settlers against the Palestinians, such as the incursions into Al-Aqsa, the settlers’ attacks on Palestinian towns and property, and the plan to abuse the living conditions of prisoners in prisons, will spark a dangerous security escalation. However, Netanyahu did not change this policy and did not even discuss it in the government.

It is noteworthy that Netanyahu is running a policy of contradictions that attracts the attention of many. There are those who accuse him of continuing to strengthen Hamas until today, when he talks about that he is fighting an existential war more dangerous than the War of Independence (1948). They ask: “Doesn’t he understand that with these words he is raising the status of Hamas and portraying it as something strong, huge, and great, an organization whose number of fighters does not exceed 30,000?!”

Nahum Barnea wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Sunday, saying: “This is very far from being the second war of independence, as Netanyahu and his colleagues in the cabinet claimed. In the War of Independence, Israel fought for its existence, but now it is not fighting for its existence. It is fighting to return the kidnapped people, to remove the threat from a criminal terrorist organization and to restore its deterrent power against enemies in the region. These are three heavy tasks that it is doubtful that the government will succeed in achieving.” In this spirit, a number of experts spoke out against Netanyahu, saying that he is no longer fit to rule or manage a war.

On Sunday evening, fires broke out in the vicinity of citizens’ homes in the Abu Tayeh neighborhood in the town of Silwan, south of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, due to the occupation forces’ heavy firing of poison gas bombs.

Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli occupation forces stormed the Abu Tayeh neighborhood and fired heavy toxic gas bombs at citizens’ homes, which led to fires igniting around a number of homes.

This Sunday evening, settlers attacked the village of Umm al-Khair in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, and threatened its people with death or departure.

Eyewitnesses said that a group of armed settlers, dressed in occupation forces uniforms, detained 20 young men in the village, threatening to kill them or leave the village “if they did not show their loyalty to Israel.”

They added that the settlers forced a citizen to speak Hebrew and condemn the "killing of innocents" and photographed him, at gunpoint.

Jordan denied on Sunday - for the second time - that it was using its military bases to transfer supplies from the US army to Israel, which is waging an aggression against Gaza that has led to the death of more than 8,000 Palestinians.

This came in a statement provided by the Jordanian army through a military source who described him as responsible.

The source said, "There is no truth to what is being published on some social media sites about the use of Royal Jordanian Air Force bases by American aircraft that supply the Israeli army with equipment and ammunition for use in bombing operations on the Gaza Strip."

He added that spreading and circulating such rumors aims to influence the firm Jordanian position towards the Palestinian issue and the reputation of the armed forces.

Destabilizing security

The Jordanian statement demanded that these rumors not be circulated "given their goals aimed at destabilizing national security and stability, and affecting the efforts made by the state to achieve a ceasefire and deliver humanitarian aid."

He pointed out that the Armed Forces Hospital is still receiving the wounded and injured in the Gaza Strip, despite all the challenges and difficulties, in addition to the operation of Royal Air Force planes to deliver humanitarian and relief aid to the Strip.

It is noteworthy that Jordan previously denied the same rumors in a military statement on October 10.

Source: Anadolu Agency

An Al Jazeera correspondent said that demonstrators stormed an airport in Dagestan, which is affiliated with the Russian Federation, after a plane coming from Israel landed.

In turn, Agence France-Presse reported that the authorities in Makhachkala, the capital of the republic - with a Muslim majority - closed the airport to air traffic, after dozens stormed the airport following reports of a plane coming from Israel landing. The demonstrators - denouncing the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian Gaza Strip - entered. The passenger building, they arrived at the airport runway and crossed the barriers with the aim of searching departing cars in search of Israeli passengers, according to video clips broadcast by the Russian Izvestia agency and the RT channel and circulated on social media.

The Russian Aviation Agency announced that “following the storming of unidentified individuals into the navigation area at Makhachkala Airport, the decision was taken to temporarily close it to arrival and take-off flights,” confirming that security forces had arrived at the location. Reuters news agency quoted the aviation agency as saying that all planes heading to Makhachkala had been grounded. Transferred to other airports.

In response to Tel Aviv, the Prime Minister's Office said that it is following up with the Foreign Ministry and the Presidency of National Security the developments of events in Dagestan, adding that Israel expects Russian law enforcement authorities to preserve the safety of all Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they are. The Israeli statement added that "it must act decisively." Against the rioters and against the rampant incitement directed against Jews and Israelis.”

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi discussed with US President Joe Biden the overall security situation in the Middle East, developments in the military escalation in the Gaza Strip, and the importance of preventing the expansion of the circle of conflict into the regional environment.

The official spokesman for the Egyptian presidency, Counselor Ahmed Fahmy, said that President Sisi stressed, during the phone call today, Egypt’s position on the necessity of reaching an immediate humanitarian truce, to enhance the intensive efforts that Egypt is making in cooperation with the United Nations and all international actors, led by the United States, to deliver aid. Humanitarian, medical and relief services to the people of the Gaza Strip.

He said that the two presidents agreed on the importance of intensifying efforts to increase aid in a tangible, effective and sustainable manner, and in quantities that meet the humanitarian needs of the people of the Gaza Strip, who are subjected to enormous suffering.

The call also touched on various dimensions of the current situation in the Gaza Strip, where President Sisi affirmed Egypt’s firm position of rejecting policies of collective punishment and displacement, stressing that Egypt has not and will not allow the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egyptian territory.

For his part, the US President affirmed the United States’ rejection of the displacement of Palestinians outside their lands, expressing great appreciation for the positive role played by Egypt and the Egyptian leadership in this crisis.

The two presidents also reviewed the latest developments regarding the file of detainees in the Gaza Strip, in addition to discussing prospects for joint cooperation to mobilize international efforts to advance the path of reviving the peace process, with the aim of implementing the two-state solution and establishing the Palestinian state in accordance with the decisions of international legitimacy.

On Sunday, France condemned the "unacceptable acts of violence" committed by settlers against citizens in the occupied West Bank.

The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “France strongly condemns the settler attacks that led to the killing of many Palestinian civilians in recent days in Qusra and Al-Sawiya, in addition to the forced displacement of a number of population centers.”

On Sunday evening, the Israeli occupation forces distributed a statement threatening the residents of the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces stormed the village and distributed a statement threatening citizens with disrupting their lives, under the pretext of throwing stones at the settlers’ vehicles, and that they would close all entrances to the village for three days.

On Sunday evening, the Israeli occupation forces arrested three citizens, including a woman, from occupied Jerusalem.

Local sources said that the occupation forces stormed the town of Sur Baher, south of Jerusalem, and arrested the young man, Asim Abed Bakirat, after raiding and searching his house.

They added that the occupation forces arrested the young man Abdul Rahman Rukn from his workplace in Jerusalem, and Samiha Salama as she passed through the Shuafat Camp military checkpoint.

Demonstrations and vigils continued in Arab and international cities denouncing the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which entered its 23rd day, leaving 8,000 martyrs and about 20,000 wounded, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Morocco witnessed popular demonstrations in several cities, including Casablanca, Marrakesh, Nador, Safi and Benslimane, in support of the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip.

A demonstration was also organized near the French Consulate in the city of Agadir, during which participants chanted slogans denouncing Western and American support for Israel and the international silence regarding the massacres committed by the occupation in Gaza.

Demonstrations and vigils continued in Arab and international cities denouncing the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which entered its 23rd day, leaving 8,000 martyrs and about 20,000 wounded, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Morocco witnessed popular demonstrations in several cities, including Casablanca, Marrakesh, Nador, Safi and Benslimane, in support of the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip.

A demonstration was also organized near the French Consulate in the city of Agadir, during which participants chanted slogans denouncing Western and American support for Israel and the international silence regarding the massacres committed by the occupation in Gaza.

In the occupied West Bank, a number of cities and villages in the West Bank witnessed demonstrations and night sit-ins, rejecting the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, calling on the international community to intervene to bring about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and to quickly send humanitarian aid to the residents of the besieged Strip.

Hundreds of citizens went out in massive demonstrations, taking to the streets in Tubas, Jenin and its camp, Tulkarm, the Shuafat camp in Jerusalem, and other separate areas in the West Bank, in support of the resistance and in support of the people of Gaza.

In the United States, Washington, DC, witnessed a protest demonstration against the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, demanding a ceasefire, an end to the occupation, and freedom for Palestine.

The demonstrators also criticized the position of the administration of US President Joe Biden and its support for Israel during the war on the Gaza Strip.

In France, demonstrators organized a march in solidarity with Palestine in the city of Marseille, in the south of the country, to denounce the Israeli army’s intensification of its bombing of the Gaza Strip and demand an end to the war and relief for the victims.

Thousands also gathered in marches in various parts of the country yesterday, Saturday, while a large police force prevented a demonstration in the center of the capital, Paris.

In Canada, a demonstration took place in the cities of Vancouver and Toronto in solidarity with the Palestinians, and the participants in the demonstration raised slogans demanding an end to Israeli crimes against the Palestinians and demanded an end to what they described as massacres and genocide against the residents of the Gaza Strip.

Digital platforms broadcast video clips documenting the participation of hundreds in a demonstration in the Canadian city of Toronto, demanding a ceasefire and the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip in light of the violent Israeli bombing.

The Australian city of Sydney also witnessed a demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinians, in which participants demanded an end to the war on the Gaza Strip and denounced the practices of the Israeli occupation.

In Spain, demonstrations took place in cities, including Madrid, Bilbao and Valencia, to demand an immediate end to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

The demonstrators chanted slogans criticizing the positions of European governments and accused them of supporting Israel and refusing to provide assistance to the people of Gaza. The protesters demanded an end to what they described as genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

In Austria, a demonstration took place in support of Palestine and denouncing the crimes of the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip, calling for an end to the war.

These demonstrations come as part of a pro-Palestinian momentum and condemnation of the intense Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip for the 23rd day, leaving thousands of martyrs and wounded, with the continuation of Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” launched by the Palestinian resistance factions at dawn on October 7th in response to the attacks of the Israeli occupation and settlers against the Palestinian people. And its sanctities.

Source: Al Jazeera + social networking sites

On Sunday evening, Israeli occupation forces blew up a house under construction in the village of Burqa, northwest of Nablus.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces blew up the house of the martyr Khaled Saif at the western entrance to the village, where the occupation army was based as a military point.

On Sunday, Hezbollah announced that it targeted military sites and forces belonging to the Israeli occupation army in the border areas of southern Lebanon, while the occupation announced that it attacked a group of fighters that targeted Israeli sites, and the occupation planes also bombed Hezbollah infrastructure.

Today, rocket shells were fired from southern Lebanon towards Israeli positions in the north of the country. The occupation army said that its air defenses intercepted two missiles, while a third fell in an open area. Israeli reports indicated that the two interception operations were carried out by the Patriot air defense battery.

On the other hand, Lebanese sources reported that the Israeli army bombed with artillery the outskirts of the towns of Al-Bustan, Marwahin, and Zibqin and the vicinity of the Labouneh area, south of Lebanon. The sources pointed out that two Israeli raids targeted the outskirts of the towns of Kafar Shuba and Shebaa in southern Lebanon.

For more than two weeks, the border areas in southern Lebanon have witnessed an almost daily exchange of fire and shelling between Israeli forces, Hezbollah, and Palestinian factions active in Lebanon, with the intensity of the confrontation escalating against the backdrop of the war launched by Israel against the besieged Gaza Strip, the intensification of air strikes and the destruction of entire neighborhoods on top of their residents. Which led to the death of thousands.

Today, Sunday, settlers attacked farmers in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.

Eyewitnesses reported that armed settlers wearing military uniforms attacked the citizen, Jibril Musa Abu Aram, and his two sons, Nael and Ahmed, threatened them with death, and prevented them from continuing to work and harvest olives in the Qweqis area.

They added that the occupation forces, who came to the place to protect the settlers, detained the citizen Jibril, his son Ahmed, and the citizen Naeem Khaled Abu Aram, who was present at the place and tried to prevent the settlers’ attack on the farmers.

Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh said that in response to the directives of King Abdullah II, the Council of Ministers decided to allocate 45 thousand tons of wheat and grains and 7 trucks of medicines, medical and pharmaceutical needs and equipment to the West Bank and arrangements are underway to send them, adding that the path of humanitarian aid continues to the West Bank and Gaza.

Al-Khasawneh indicated, in his speech at the Jordanian Cabinet session on Sunday, that the advanced effort led by King Abdullah II succeeded in issuing a resolution from the United Nations General Assembly calling for a ceasefire and a sustainable humanitarian truce, and many basic contents and elements in support of the Palestinian people.

Today, Sunday, Israeli occupation aircraft launched several raids targeting various places in southern Lebanon, including the villages of Kafr Shuba and Aita al-Shaab.

The occupation artillery also targeted the villages of: Al-Jabain, Tair Harf, Majdal Zoun, Shihin, Al-Dhaira, Alma Al-Shaab, Zibqin, and Marwahin.

The Israeli bombing targeted a house in the town of Maroun al-Ras on the Lebanese-Palestinian border, without causing casualties. Today, the occupation artillery also targeted with incendiary shells the forests surrounding the towns of Naqoura and Alma al-Shaab.

Last night, the occupation bombed the forests adjacent to the Blue Line with incendiary shells in order to set them on fire, and fired flares in the sky of the western and central sectors, amidst reconnaissance aircraft flying overhead.