At dawn on Saturday, the Israeli occupation forces demolished a house and arrested 7 citizens, including a child, in the Jalazoun camp, north of Ramallah.

Local sources reported that the occupation bulldozers demolished a two-storey house belonging to Bagis Nakhleh.

The sources added that the family evacuated all the contents of the house two days ago, as they had been notified about a week ago of the demolition under the pretext of building without a permit.

The occupation forces arrested seven citizens: the two brothers Khalil and Ayham Zaki Masarwa, Muhammad Raed Masarwa, the two brothers Shadi and Muhammad Ramzi Nakhla, Nizar Abu Asba, and the child Khalil Muhammad, after raiding and searching their homes.

Human Rights Watch, an organization concerned with defending human rights, warned today, Saturday, on its official website, that the disruption of communications and the Internet in the Gaza Strip, which is subject to intense Israeli bombing, may constitute a “cover for mass atrocities.”

Deborah Brown, an official at this international organization, said in a statement issued today, Saturday, that the loss of information may serve as a "cover for mass atrocities and contribute to impunity for human rights violations."

For its part, Amnesty International said that it had lost contact with its employees in Gaza.

The non-governmental organization expressed its regret that "this communication breakdown means that it will become more difficult to obtain necessary information and evidence related to human rights violations and war crimes committed against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and to hear directly from those who are subjected to these violations."

In turn, the "NetBlox" service, which monitors Internet connectivity, spoke of "the collapse of communication in the Gaza Strip."

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), several UN agencies have lost contact with their teams in Gaza.

OCHA Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator Lynn Hastings explained that humanitarian operations and hospital activities “cannot continue without communications.”

The Palestinian Red Crescent also announced on its website

The Red Crescent added that this "affects the central emergency number 101 and impedes the arrival of ambulances to the injured" in light of the continuing raids, expressing its "deep concern" about the ability of doctors to continue providing care under these circumstances, as well as about the safety of its employees.

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The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate warned that the Israeli army would commit “massacres” against journalists in the Gaza Strip, in light of the interruption of communications and the Internet, and the expansion of aerial and artillery bombardments.

The union said in a statement at dawn on Saturday, “Israel has so far killed more than 24 journalists in Gaza, dozens of journalists’ families, destroyed dozens of media institutions, and bombed dozens of journalists’ homes.”

The union considered that all of the above “was done within a systematic policy and an official decision in order to intimidate journalists to prevent his crimes from being transmitted to the world.”

The union appealed to all international organizations affiliated with the United Nations "to take the seriousness of the occupation army's prior justification for the massacres against journalists with the utmost seriousness."

The union added: "Do not wait to send condolences for the loss of witnesses to the truth, but rather act immediately and without any ambiguity, and tell them: Enough of the timid positions that apply double standards and equate the victim with the executioner."

The union  continued: “The Journalists Syndicate warned several times against committing new massacres against journalists in Gaza, and renewed its warning again after the official threat made by the occupation army spokesman tonight to a number of international news agencies. The Syndicate considers this press statement not a warning but rather a threat.” “Official and in preparation for justifying the massacres that the occupation plans to commit against journalists.”

By Hani Al Masri

While the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip intensified, on the other side of the world, the Palestinian-American child Wadih Al-Fayoumi (6 years old) was sitting with his mother in their home in Illinois, United States.

During the Israeli bombing, which has claimed hundreds of Palestinian children in Gaza since October 7, 2023, the child Wadih was exposed to a horrific incident that shook the corners of the world.

History of the oath

On October 15, 2023, Wadih’s mother was surprised by their American neighbor, Joseph Chuba (71 years old), storming the house and stabbing her, before she succeeded in escaping from him, but Chuba did not stop and went to Wadih’s room and stabbed him 26 fatally.

Chuba, as he stabbed the child, said, “You must die, Muslims.” The child’s last words before his soul ascended were, “Don’t worry, mother, I am fine,” according to his uncle, Youssef Hanoun.

The incident, which sparked controversy in American public opinion, prompted the question of what prompted an elderly man to kill a 6-year-old child with such brutality.

This is what Assistant State Attorney Michael Fitzgerald indicated, in his initial statement about the incident, that Chuba was listening to right-wing extremist programs, which led to him feeling increasingly disturbed and suspicious about the presence of a Palestinian family next to him.

According to Chuba's wife, he was completely influenced by his following right-wing channels, following the events of October 7 (Operation Al-Aqsa Flood), and he became afraid that they would be attacked by people of Middle Eastern origin.

It was reported that he was worried about a disaster occurring on the American electricity grid, and he withdrew a thousand dollars from a bank.

It should not be overlooked that this movement includes movements similar to militias and advocates of violence and those who carry weapons, including the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups.

So are the National Rifle Association, the Militia Movement, the Sovereign Citizens Movement, the Oath Knights Movement, and the Three Percenters Movement.

In recent years, they have been joined by movements such as QAnon and the Proud Boys.

Rising right

These right-wing trends share a fixed ideology based on racism and white supremacy, and purging the United States of other races, especially Muslims and Asians, while giving the full right to the American citizen to bear arms.

They form a powerful pressure group that prevents any idea or bill in Congress that calls for limiting the spread of weapons.

It is noteworthy that many of these movements include current and former members of the police and army.

There are movements that consist entirely of this category, such as the Knights of the Oath movement, which emphasizes the need for members of the military to protect the Constitution in the face of the federal government’s attempts to expand its powers.

It is noteworthy that Chuba, the killer of the Palestinian child, who was influenced by right-wing ideas and propaganda, is a former officer in the US Army Air Force, and used a military knife while attacking the child and his mother.

On March 20, 2023, researcher Mohamed Diab wrote his research paper on the rise of the American populist right, which was published by the Arab Center for Studies, Research and Policy.

His relationship with Israel

He stated: “Reagan was the first to strongly support and rely on this trend, and based on that, an American extreme right emerged, embodied in his alliance with the religious right, Christian Zionists, and the secular right (neoconservatives).”

He continued: “At that time, there was a growing influence of the Jewish lobby on the positions and policies of the new American right-wing coalition, such that it became impossible to separate American policy from Israeli policy.”

The two parties’ views on the conflict in the Middle East and their perception of a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian issue.

On September 19, 2022, the “Madar Center for Palestinian Studies” published a report on the alliance between the Zionist lobby and the far right in the United States.

He stated that despite the strong structure of relations between Washington and Tel Aviv, the year 1980 took a different turn when Reagan, who relied on the extreme right, adopted a more decisive and clear policy close to Israel.

Jewish Christianity

Although the United States represents the cradle of neoliberalism and progressive trends, it is also steeped in radical ideas driven and fueled by the right.

On December 18, 2022, the BBC website published its report on American right-wing thought.

He stated that this movement is currently on the rise because conservative Christians feel that they are on the losing side of demographic and cultural changes.

The report cited the ideas of Ken Peters, a pastor who belongs to what is known as the National Church and preaches that the place of God is judgment. Among his sayings is: “We desire to live in a Jewish Christian nation with Jewish Christian values.”

The report discussed that support for Israel is an essential part of the doctrine of American right-wingers, because they believe that the “Old Testament” is infallible and that the “New Testament” came to complete the Talmud and not to destroy it.

Their influence and symbols

The influence of the American right reached its peak during the era of former President Donald Trump, and they were one of the main reasons for the pressure for Jerusalem to be the capital of the Israeli occupation state.

On May 17, 2017, on the eve of Trump’s visit to Israel, senior figures on the American right called on Trump to implement his pledge to move the American embassy to Jerusalem.

At that time, the evangelical pastor, John Hagee, a symbol of the right, published a message in which he compared the current situation to the historic decision taken by President Harry Truman in 1948 to recognize Israel, despite the strong opposition expressed by (then) Secretary of State George Marshall.

Source: Aqlam Hora

Large numbers of Palestinians in Gaza began to live in tragic humanitarian conditions. This coincided with an increase in the number of Palestinian deaths and injuries, and the destruction of vital infrastructure and facilities. The siege and repeated bombings have caused a lack of security and stability in the region, and a loss of confidence between the Palestinian and Israeli parties. It is important to emphasize that human rights must be respected and protected, and that a peaceful and just solution is the key to ending this ongoing conflict

International humanitarian organizations such as the International Red Cross are usually responsible for transporting humanitarian aid and evacuating the injured and sick. The Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 commits states to ensuring the free flow of humanitarian aid, including medicines, medical equipment, food, and clothing to civilians.

Here the question arises about the extent of the humanitarian repercussions of this siege imposed by the extreme right-wing government of Israel, with the blessing and support of the United States.

In light of these important events, we face another question: Is imposing the siege on such a large number of civilians, especially children, legal? This is complicated by the difficulty of their exit as displaced persons or refugees, which is the situation facing citizens of countries involved in armed conflicts. These difficulties are due to the distinct nature of the Palestinian issue, which Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the occupied Palestinian cities represent and defend. In the end, what are the possible scenarios for lifting this blockade, even partially?

Today, Gaza is facing a massive humanitarian catastrophe, but it is not the result of natural or environmental disasters. Rather, it is a humanitarian catastrophe resulting from the continued Israeli military aggression.

According to information from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory on 16 October 2023, the number of Palestinian deaths from humanitarian consequences in the first ten days was more than 2,670 due to Israeli attacks. Among the victims were 600 children and about 9,600 people were injured.

Israeli air strikes, which began since the outbreak, damaged several water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in northern Gaza. These facilities provided water and sanitation services to more than 1,100,000 people, and thus about half of the population suffers without potable water or sanitation services. At the same time, mayors within the Strip enjoy all amenities, including water and electricity. In Beit Lahia and other northern areas, sewage and waste are piling up on the streets due to damage to sewage networks and infrastructure. There are reports by the World Health Organization about 48 attacks on health facilities within the Gaza Strip, and they were documented in the organization’s system for monitoring attacks on health care facilities. These attacks resulted in the deaths of 12 healthcare workers, the injury of 20 others, and damaged at least 18 healthcare facilities and 20 ambulances.

Sieges and starvation practices are legitimate acts in situations of armed conflict that target military personnel only. However, international humanitarian law prohibits starvation practices against civilians. Despite the importance of including this principle in the Geneva Convention, its wording was ambiguous, which allowed the parties imposing the blockade to exploit this gap, as the legal text prohibits starvation but does not prohibit the blockade itself, and it also does not include future starvation - which is not intended - Especially when it coincides with the bombing of besieged areas, commercial markets, and infrastructure necessary for the continuation of life, and the interruption of water.

This legal opening opened the door to interpretations indicating that the goal was to allow humanitarian missions to enter without facing legal prosecution for the act of the blockade itself, in order to facilitate taking any international military action to break the blockade. Especially since any country under siege always claims that it faces military threats, and its goal is not to starve civilians.

Accordingly, this imposes an additional responsibility under international humanitarian laws, as permission must be obtained from any interested party to allow the entry of humanitarian missions to assist. In addition, the “Oxford Handbook” of Humanitarian Assistance in Situations of Armed Conflict describes the refusal to enter humanitarian aid as an authoritarian act, in the event that the state violates its obligations towards civilians under international law.

In the case of the current Gaza siege, we are faced with extreme clarity due to Israeli officials' explicit yet contradictory statements targeting civilians without any confusion or confusion. Therefore, Israel directly condemns the crime of using the weapon of hunger against civilians indiscriminately. A legitimate militarily and legally siege, according to international humanitarian law, must target militants in a specific location to force them to surrender. This is completely different from the concept of starvation of civilians, which does not distinguish between them and militants and aims to completely eliminate people. This is clearly evident from the threats and warnings of officials and the implementation of these threats. Therefore, what Israel is doing at the present time, according to international law, undoubtedly constitutes genocide against Gaza.

After throwing the Palestinian people into five wars in the Gaza Strip against an extremist fascist enemy, the Hamas movement insists on full control in making peace and war decisions according to regional agendas that do not care about the interests of the Palestinian people at all. To clarify my political position, I say that this battle is a proxy battle between Israel and Iran, as both of them are fighting with the blood of the Palestinian people, without any thought that the blood of the Palestinians is the most precious in the region and even in the entire world, and that it flows in vain in the face of Iranian, Israeli and American political interests.

By enlarging its size and limited capabilities, and through external Brotherhood media promotion, the Hamas movement seeks to portray the war between two equal entities, in exaggerated political and military analyses, and this does not express the true Palestinian narrative - which is that we are an oppressed people suffering under the weight of the tyrannical and violent settler occupation. Due to Israeli propaganda, the image has transformed from an oppressed people to a terrorist people who do not deserve humanity, as the countries of the world condemn them and support the real culprit with the most powerful weapons and the latest military technologies.

Hamas presented an opportunity for Israel to unite once again behind a national cause; After a political division in Israeli society due to Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremist policies, Netanyahu took advantage of the attacks by Hamas members that resulted in killing and kidnapping inside Israeli settlements and camps, to lead an international campaign to eliminate Hamas in Gaza, and thus obtained political and military support that he will use to save himself politically by continuing his perpetration. For his crimes and violent wars against the innocent residents of the Gaza Strip, which Hamas left without the slightest means of defense, this brings me to the next point.

Hamas proudly and boldly declares that the “Al-Aqsa flood” did not happen suddenly, but rather was the result of years of work and planning, and they did not make any efforts to help the people and secure their basic needs. So where are the components of resilience for a people isolated from medicines, food and drink? Why haven't enough been built and stored for the people for a month or two? There is no excuse for breaking the siege openly. Whoever is able to bring in materials to build his military and missile machines can also bring in medicines and foodstuffs and store them in multiple places to strengthen the steadfastness of the people who have been left alone by the Hamas leadership to suffer from the scourges of war currently, as they have suffered in the past.

Where is Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza? Why didn't he appear and announce the operation himself? Why are there no statements issued by him about what Hamas did? We have heard about the differences between Hamas factions and their orientations towards Iranian agendas in the region. Was Yahya Sinwar assassinated before the operation to ensure its implementation, only for his assassination to be announced after the end of the war? Will leaders close to him be assassinated by leaking their locations and whereabouts to ensure the elimination of his movement in Gaza during the conflict?

The World Food Program confirmed the need for 40 trucks to enter the Gaza Strip daily, so that it can expand the scope of its operations and provide food aid to 1.1 million people in the next two months.

The program warned in a statement that the catastrophic conditions facing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip “may be exacerbated by the severe fuel shortage, which threatens to halt food aid and other relief operations inside the Strip.”

The program stressed that without additional fuel supplies, “bakeries that work with the World Food Program will not be able to produce bread,” noting that if they stop working, this will be “a painful blow to thousands of families.”

He stressed that the residents of the Gaza Strip need assistance to be provided continuously and at a level consistent with the enormous needs to alleviate suffering and enable the delivery of the necessary aid for life.

Israel accused 120 countries that adopted a resolution at the United Nations to establish a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip of “despicableness,” declaring its categorical rejection of any call for a ceasefire.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said - via the X platform - that Israel categorically rejects any call for a ceasefire in Gaza, adding that they intend to eliminate the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) completely, just as the world dealt with the Nazis and the Islamic State, as he put it. .

Cohen denounced the United Nations resolution calling for an immediate, stable and sustainable humanitarian truce, describing it as "shameful."

120 countries voted in favor of the resolution and 14 countries voted against it, with 45 countries abstaining from voting, including Germany.

The decision document called for by Jordan was put to a vote in an emergency session to discuss the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing for 3 weeks, after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Palestinian resistance.

The vote on the resolution coincided with Israel cutting off all communications from the Gaza Strip and launching unprecedented raids, described as the most violent since the beginning of the war.

The Israeli aggression on Gaza resulted in the death and injury of thousands, most of them women and children, amid a power outage and the prevention of the entry of fuel, which limits the work of the health sector, which has been declared completely collapsed.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies

Gaza experienced the heaviest night of bombing since the start of the aggression on October 7, amid Tel Aviv's cutting off of communications and the Internet in the Strip since Friday evening.

A Palestinian medical source said that more than 25 martyrs and 35 wounded arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza Strip.

The occupation army: We destroyed 150 underground targets in northern Gaza

The Israeli occupation army spokesman said that they destroyed 150 underground targets in the northern Gaza Strip last night.

Statement from Hamas about its response to the Israeli ground attack

Hamas said early Saturday:

Al-Qassam Brigades and all Palestinian resistance forces are fully prepared to confront the aggression with full force and thwart the incursions.

Netanyahu and his defeated army will not be able to achieve any military achievement.

Resistance men clashed with the occupation forces in the town of Beit Hanoun, northeast of Gaza, and in Bureij, central Gaza.

The occupation army claimed that it "struck 150 underground targets" in the northern Strip at night.

For its part, the Al-Qassam Brigades used Kornet missiles to confront an Israeli incursion into Beit Hanoun and east of Bureij.

This is a very long piece – but every word is important and contains most of what I have been thinking about Hamas over the last years, about our conflict, about peace and about our way forward. It may take a long time to read, but I believe that is has a lot of wisdom that has been generated over a very long period.

I have negotiated with Hamas, on and off, since 2006. Some of the times I was actually negotiating officially, acting as a private citizen but in full coordination with Israeli authorities. Most of the time I did this without official backing, but always informing officials in Israel what I was doing and seeking to achieve. There was never any Israeli objection to my talks with Hamas leaders. Most of the time I was encouraged to continue to talk with them. Most of the past eight years were focused on attaining the release of the bodies of Israeli soldiers killed in 2014 in Gaza OronShaul and Hadar Goldin, as well as the living Israeli civilians Avera Mengisto and Hisham A-Sayed.  I have spent hundreds of hours in talks trying to bring them home. Over eight years,  progress was made and compromises were accepted by both sides. The bottom line is that the deal never happened because Hamas demanded that among the prisoners that Israel was prepared to release, several hundred, there had to be those serving the longest periods of time in prison. That means Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis. This was a red-line for Israel that would not be crossed. For several years those negotiations have not made any progress.

When I understood that the negotiations were at a point of unbreakable deadlock, I tried other tactics.   The Israeli officials proposed that I suggest to Hamas economic incentives – water, electricity, even cash payments. Hamas responded that those issues are not connected to prisoners and that they should be granted regardless of the prisoner issue because they are basic human rights and should be provided under Israel’s responsibility as it controls, together with Egypt, all of Gaza’s external borders. I then thought that we should try what is done in classic negotiations theory – expanding the pie. I proposed that we go back to what I tried to do in 2012 which abruptly ended with the assassination by Israel of Ahmad Jabaari, the head of the Hamas military wing. At that time, Ghazi Hamad from Hamas and I were drafting texts for a proposed long-term ceasefire and opening the civilian blockade of Gaza.  We had gone through several drafts, one of which I shared with then Minister of Defense Ehud Barak and with the special envoy of the UN Secretary General. On the morning that Jaabri received the last draft we were working on; he was assassinated by Israel. Jaabri was the key person behind the abduction and the captivity of Gilad Schalit.  I retrieved that draft from my computer and shared it once again with Hamad in Gaza about two years ago and since then I have tried to convince him to spend a few days with me either in Norway, Switzerland or Egypt where we would brainstorm on how to change the relations between Israel and Gaza.  Hamad initially agreed to meet and I was making arrangements for him to be able to travel to Norway. The Norwegian authorities sent someone to Gaza to speak with him and he grew scared that too many people knew that he would be traveling to meet me. It turns out that the Norwegian Foreign Minister decided that she had to inform the Israelis about the planned meeting in Norway, and then I canceled the plans and told the Norwegian officials that we would not be meeting.

I then made plans for us to meet in Switzerland. I received an invitation from a Swiss NGO for Ghazi Hamad, as the Swiss authorities requested so that they could prepare a national visa for him only for Switzerland. I told Hamad that we would tell the Swiss that we would be meeting in Geneva, when the actual plan was for us to meet in a private flat in another Swiss city. But Hamad grew scared and suspicious and said that he did not receive permission to meet me in Europe from YehyaSinwar – the head of Hamas in Gaza. Over the past months I kept pushing him to meet with me in Cairo and that no one had to know about it.  He said that he could not. I think that by that time he must have been privy to the secret of an impending military attack on Israel – that is my assessment. This does not mean that he knew all of the details of what was planned and implemented, but I believe that the Al Qassam forces could not have done what they did without the knowledge and agreement of the top political leadership in Gaza.

For years I believed that it could have been possible to negotiate a long-term hudna/ceasefire agreement with Hamas that would/could have opened the siege on Gaza and reintegrated Gaza into the economy of the West Bank, Israel and the world. Students from Gaza could have attended universities in the West Bank or around the world. Doctors could have come to Gaza and treat cancer patients in Gaza’s hospitals. New businesses could have been opened.  The more than 2 million people in Gaza could have had some kind of horizon of a better life. Young people could have had some hope of seeing the world, not solely on the screens of their phones. There were seven working universities and colleges in Gaza before this war but no work for the graduates. There was more than 60% unemployment of young people in Gaza and even those who were employed did not make enough money to escape poverty.

Keeping Gaza poor and under Hamas’ control was part of the strategy developed by Netanyahu and implemented with the attitude that a weakened Hamas served Israel’s interests in having a government controlling half of the Palestinian people that was dedicated to destroying Israel. So, Netanyahu even facilitated and allowed for the funding of Hamas’ rule with cash coming from a state that supports Hamas and the Muslim brotherhood openly – Qatar.  In conjunction with the policy of delegitimizing the rule of Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, but allowing and encouraging the preservation of enough capital and other interests in the West Bank to promise that the Palestinian Authority would continue to coordinate security with Israel, Netanyahu’s strategy of preventing pressure on Israel to deal with the Palestinian issue was completely implemented.  The Palestinian Authority in the eyes of most Palestinians worked for Israel and protected settlers while providing no security for Palestinians. The PA lost most of its legitimacy in the eyes of most Palestinians years ago. This political split with Hamas on one side and the Palestinian Authority on the other, enabled Israel to continue to claim that there is no partner for peace, while Netanyahu and other Israelis, including Bennett, Gantz, Lapid and basically the entire Israeli leadership, stated that they would not engage in any peace process with the Palestinians. The Abraham Accords then completely removed the Palestinian issue from the Israeli agenda which did not appear at all in any of the repeated rounds of Israeli elections. Since Olmert’s attempts to negotiate with the Palestinians in 2008, there have been no serious Israeli efforts to find solutions on how to live together in relative peace on the Land between the River and the Sea.

This comfortable situation for Israeli society for two decades has enabled settlements to expand with Israeli taking control over more and more land in the West Bank. Netanyahu promised the US that he would not build new settlements – so they built “new neighborhoods” of existing settlements, some many kilometers away from the existing settlements. Wild, violent, religious fanatic settlers took possession of Palestinian owned land and continued to push Palestinians off their land. Violence against Palestinians and vandalism against Palestinian property increased all protected by the Israeli army and border police. Palestinian violence, in Jenin, Nablus and elsewhere, organized and also by individuals was a natural response against Israeli tactics to expel Palestinians from Palestine – all right out of the text book of Smootritz and Ben Gvir, with Netanyahu at their side.  The straw that broke the camel’s back  - the one that always unites Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims against Israel is what they perceive to be the attacks against Al Aqsa. The constant changing of the “status quo”  which is that Al Aqsa  - the whole of the Haram a-Sharif/Temple Mount compound is for Muslim prayer only and the Kotel is for Jewish prayer is perceived by Palestinians and Muslims to be part of a grand scheme of Israel to remove the  Mosques and to rebuild the Temple. Israeli assurances that this is not going to happen are not believed and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is the example that they give to show how the Jews took possession of the place and with force divided the holy place with plans to eventually prohibit Muslims from praying there. Al Aqsa is the raw “nuclear” nerve of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and when it is touched, explosions happen. 

There is no legitimacy whatsoever for what Hamas and others did inside of Israel on October 7. These were inhuman, inexcusable crimes that will never be forgotten or forgiven. Hamas has earned the place of losing its right to exist as a government of any territory and especially the territory next to Israel. It is very doubtful that if Palestinian elections were held prior to October 7 that Hamas would have gained more than 30% of the vote – even less in Gaza than in the West Bank because in Gaza they have experience of 17 years of Hamas rule.  Hamas behaved like ISIS in their attack against Israel, and even though Hamas is not ISIS (there are many differences between them) Hamas has fully earned the determination of Israel to eliminate them as the political and military body that controls Gaza. 

We Israelis must begin to finally confront the delusion that we have been living for decades with almost total acceptance. It should become clear to us all that you cannot occupy another people for 56 years and expect to have peace.  You cannot lock more than 2 million people into what is a human cage and expect to have quiet. 17,000 Palestinian workers in Israel was a good start by the Bennett-Lapid government, but it is much too few and much too late to begin to change the reality in Gaza and to create real interests in keeping relative calm.  The failed conceptualization that Hamas has been deterred is finally being understood but for the wrong reasons.  I have spoken against the idea of the possibility of deterring Hamas during and after every round of fighting with Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.   I have repeatedly said in the Israeli Television studios that Israel cannot create deterrence against Hamas.   Not only are Hamas fighters and leaders not afraid to die, they recruit Hamas fighters from early ages from bereaved families immediately after each round of conflict. They are then educated in the (distorted) Islamic values of dying for Palestine, for Allah, for Islam, for Al Aqsa and to get revenge for the death of their father, brother, mother, sister, etc. They truly believe that life on earth is short and only has true meaning if you become a martyr, a shaheed for Allah, Palestine, Al Aqsa, Islam and to get revenge. Becoming a shaheed is the guarantee to eternal paradise which is so much more important that the short life in this world. How can you build deterrence against this?  But the retired generals in the TV studios never agreed and never listened, as well as the generals and politicians who make the real decisions about what Israel does.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The writer is the Middle East Director of ICO - International Communities Organization - a UK based NGO working in Conflict zones with failed peace processes. Baskin is a political and social entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to peace between Israel and her neighbors. He is also a founding member of “Kol Ezraheiha - Kol Muwanteneiha” (All of the Citizens) political party in Israel.

By Majid Kayali

Recently, before the Gaza War, opinions of influential Jewish figures in Israel and outside it have increased, regarding Israel as an “apartheid” state, and even a fascist state, in addition to being a colonial state, occupying the lands of the Palestinian people, as appeared in the reports of the Israeli human rights organization “B’Tselem.” This was confirmed by reports issued by international organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty, and the United Nations.

This is Abraham Burg (Speaker of the Knesset and one of the former leaders of the Labor Party), who believes that “disaster, power, and the rule of another people and the land... have become the essence of Judaism,” likening this to the rise of Nazism in Germany, where “a political movement took place... at the hands of Adolf Hitler.” ..Its foundations were Nazism, German nationalism, racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-liberalism, anti-democracy, and anti-communism.”

He continues: “Find the difference between it and an extreme right-wing movement in Israel in the first quarter of the 21st century, led all these years by Benjamin Netanyahu... and whose foundations are extremist and racist Jewish nationalism... anti-Arab... and anti-liberalism... and anti-democracy.” ...and economic and social equality... in the government, in the Knesset, in the media, on hilltops and in the streets of cities... We are already acting in the areas we occupied in the West Bank and Gaza... as the Nazis acted in the areas they occupied in the West... We have not By establishing extermination camps as they did... But how terrible it is that we are forced to present this fact as distinguishing us from the Nazis.” (“Haaretz”, 9/5/2023).

It is clear that the point here is to pay attention to the fact that racial discrimination against the Palestinians, from the river to the sea, is no longer related to partial policies, but rather has become a state policy in its legal, political, economic, social and cultural complex, as it was demarcated by the Knesset (2018) enacting a basic (constitutional) law. ) Israel is considered a national state for the Jewish people, which makes the Palestinians of 1948, citizens of Israel, at a lower level, as only the Jews of Israel have the right to self-determination in it as it is their state! Yossi Klein exposes the emptiness, or contradiction, of the claim that Israel is Jewish and democratic. In his opinion: “Jewishness and democracy” is an imaginary goal... a Jewish state... a Sharia state, not a democracy... a gap between secular and liberal Jews and a handful of religious fascists... Control and occupation are not a means but an end... Jewish fascism places the state above the individual.” (“Haaretz,” 9/28/2023).

Perhaps the current government of Benjamin Netanyahu, which includes the extreme right-wing nationalist and religious parties, is the greatest expression of this, especially with many racist statements by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, saying that his movement with his wife and children is “more important than the freedom of movement of Arabs in the West Bank,” and by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. , who called for the erasure of the Palestinian village of Huwwara (near Nablus), and when he presented the “Map of Israel” including Jordanian lands, and to Israeli Defense Minister Olaf Galant, who compared the Palestinians to animals, for example.

It is clear that this shift, or that clarity, in Israel’s racism, combined and coincided with the attempts of the Netanyahu government to bring about changes in the Israeli political system, by weakening the judicial authority (the title of which is the Supreme Court), giving priority to its character as a Jewish state over its character as a democratic state, and giving priority to religious laws over Secularism, meaning that the increased dose of racism against the Palestinians, has spread its infection to the relationship of the Jewish parties and movements with each other in Israel.

The above explains the rise of voices of Jewish figures who associate their opposition to any change in the political system in Israel with exposing its racist policies against the Palestinians. For example, Ehud Barak (former Prime Minister) says: “This is an alliance of corrupt people... with racists... It is the duty of every citizen... to fight for the homeland... and equality, and for the sake of human brotherhood, dignity, rights, and freedom.” (“Yedioth Ahronoth,” 1/13/2023).

The division among Israelis has reached the point that significant sectors of Israeli society have begun to oppose the Netanyahu government and its policies against the Palestinians, which has reflected itself even in the White House administration’s refusal to receive Netanyahu in Washington.

Tamir Pardo (former head of the Mossad) believes that “Israel is implementing an apartheid regime in the West Bank.” Pardo says: “Every passing day brings us closer to the end of the Zionist dream. Messianic and fascist groups linked an anti-Zionist Haredi bloc to a prime minister who changed his skin and transformed his party from a right-wing democrat into a racist Orthodox dictatorship... The fascist racists are looking forward to reaching the end of the Gog and Magog war, with God’s help.” Defeat the remaining Jews.

The former deputy head of the Mossad, Amiram Levin, said, “What the West Bank is witnessing, after 57 years of occupation, is apartheid, and that the Israeli army has begun to get involved in war crimes... Remember the operations that took place in Nazi Germany... when touring the city Hebron, you will encounter streets that Arabs cannot walk on... The Israelis must deal with this reality, despite its difficulty, and not ignore it as if it does not concern them.” (“Yedioth Ahronoth”, 9/7/2023).

As for Iris Lial, he directed his criticism at some of the responsible figures who only recently became aware of the reality of apartheid, after it began to affect them, by saying: “What is happening recently to senior officials in the security apparatus, who immediately after their retirement join the leftists? Because this is the occupation of Smotrich and Ben Gvir.” And not, for example, the occupation of Benny Gantz?!” According to him, Israel practices “the apartheid system and crimes against humanity... now... and before... the truth will remain the same, which is that there is no democracy with apartheid.” (“Haaretz”, 9/11/2023).

Israeli criticism of colonial and racist Israel is rich and deep, with persistent figures such as: Ilan Pappe, Ella Shohat, Avraham Burg, Shlomo Sand, Norman Finkelstein, Amira Hess, Gideon Levy, Avi Shlaim, Baruch Kimmerling, Uri Ram, and Gershon Shafir, and it is important to invest in it, but its problem is that it lacks Arab and international pressure factors on Israel. The Palestinian political discourse lacks similar approaches that intersect with it, and there is no doubt that the Palestinians’ lack of a responsible critical vision of their rich, long and expensive national experience contributes to weakening Israeli criticism as well.

Source: Annahar Al Arabi

Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 not only shocked public opinion, but also prompted political leaders in countries close to Israel to assess their ignorance about what is going on in the Gaza Strip. The impact of the surprise attack was destabilizing for the Western camp, which in turn faced threats to its lands, to the extent that the United States realized the necessity of providing explanations to its main European allies regarding this failure from a security standpoint.

The French newspaper Le Monde obtained, from sources who requested anonymity, part of the story that Washington presented to its British, French and German partners. It highlights the limits of Israeli and American intelligence regarding Hamas and the excessive role given to technological surveillance. The story confirms that Hamas itself did not imagine that its operation would reach this stage, denying the existence of a joint organization for the attack with Iran and Hezbollah.

The summary of American information confirms that the political wing of the Hamas movement, whose leaders are present in Gaza and abroad, especially in Qatar, was far from preparing for the attack, and perhaps the military wing was alone in this process. If the Shin Bet and Mossad have human resources within the movement, they are linked to the political, not the military, wing.

Blind Israeli security

Consequently, the Israeli security services did not monitor the activities of the movement's military wing. However, deciphering the operation does not prevent some members of the political wing, particularly in Gaza, from obtaining advance information on an individual basis. This indicates that the Israeli intelligence services did not have informants in the military wing, and that the movement’s members were able to evade the Shin Bet networks. The newspaper pointed out that the strict division between the political and military wings constitutes one of the keys to understanding the operation that evaded all radars.

Gaps appeared in the power of Israeli technological intelligence, supported by the United States. According to the information sent to the Europeans, it turned out that even powerful American surveillance tools directed at the Gaza Strip were unable to pick up warning signals about the preparation for the attack. Hamas's military wing has long used primitive but effective means of communication, allowing the effectiveness of the latest interception techniques to be undermined.

It may also be that the interest of Israeli intelligence declined due to the tactical choices and priorities of the political authority. Thus, the Gaza front was laid bare, and a large part of the armed forces was transferred to the West Bank, which had been the scene for a year and a half of armed rebellion. The Shin Bet was asked to focus its efforts on the security of the Jewish settlements and not on the coastal enclave where the danger arises.

Lack of external assistance

Hamas did not believe that it was capable of remaining on Israeli territory for a long time and holding this number of hostages, but it was able to spread terror in the kibbutzim located several kilometers from its base.

In response to a question about the existence of coordinated preparations with the executives of Hezbollah and the Iranian regime during the meetings held in Lebanon, the Americans, like French intelligence, denied that Hamas had benefited from foreign assistance. But the issue of support remains sensitive because it carries the risk of a regional conflict erupting. Intelligence agencies, like governments, seem keen to do everything they can to thwart such a scenario.

Concern still dominates European intelligence services, because the failure of Israel, known for its expertise in the world of espionage, raises questions about what might happen to Europe if it in turn faced a similar threat.

This exchange of information is not only an accurate picture of the reality of the attack, but it provides an overview of the way Western intelligence interprets this event. If the West has established close and sincere cooperation with the United States, it also realizes that the interests of each country differ when issues become more political.

Saudi officials warned the United States in recent days that a ground invasion of Gaza could have catastrophic consequences for the Middle East, according to the American newspaper The New York Times.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal was one of the ten members who met last weekend with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.

Blumenthal told the newspaper yesterday, Thursday, that the Saudi leadership was hoping to avoid the ground operation for reasons of stability, as well as human losses, adding that Saudi officials warned that this would be “extremely harmful.”

Senior Saudi officials issued stronger warnings to their American counterparts in several talks, and expressed fears that the ground invasion could turn into a disaster in the region, according to a Saudi official and an informed source.

These exchanges came at a time when tension extends outside the Gaza Strip. Basics such as water and fuel have become scarce due to the Israeli bombing and siege on the Gaza Strip.

An official in the administration of US President Joe Biden said that the Saudis reject the invasion of Gaza.

Despite American support for Israel, Biden requested that the ground operation be postponed, to allow more time for negotiations regarding the hostages and the entry of more humanitarian aid into the Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be hesitant about the invasion.

The White House declined the newspaper's request to comment on the issue.

Until this moment, neither Israeli society nor the official state institutions have awakened from the horror of the shock that occurred on October 7, amid the collapse of the logical and analytical framework that has dominated official and popular discourse in the last two decades, according to which Israel can continue to manage the conflict with the lowest possible cost. And even concluding economic agreements and normalizing relations with Arab countries in complete disregard for the increasing suffering of the Palestinian people, under the burden of occupation.

Since the first days of the aggression, with the extent of the destruction and loss of life incurred by Israeli society revealed, in addition to the large number of prisoners and abductees, Israel has received unprecedented and unlimited support from the coalition countries, led by the United States, which included giving the green light to launch an aggression against Gaza in order to Subjugating the Hamas movement.

Throughout the first week of the war, Israel relied on external material and moral support to gain international legitimacy for a broad military operation without providing any specific goals or a clear picture of the future of Gaza. Therefore, Israel ignored world public opinion in the first weeks, supported by the biased and poor performance of the international press that adopted the narrative. Entirely Israeli.

With the continued great popular pressure exerted by the Arab and foreign streets on global public opinion and political leaders, the legitimacy of the Israeli discourse began to crack, and it became impossible to ignore the street, which forced Israel to mobilize the “Hasbara” or Israeli propaganda system in an attempt to preserve the legitimacy of the aggression or “Israel’s right to defend itself,” as declared by the heads of major countries, and this system is managed centrally by the state’s official institutions, and attracts Israeli civil society in addition to the arms of the Zionist movement in Europe and America for this purpose.

The Israeli propaganda strategy in the battle for world public opinion relies on two basic pillars. The first is to portray the Palestinian struggle as “anti-Semitic” and “Nazi” terrorism aimed at eliminating the Jews, and the other is to strengthen Islamophobia in European countries to paint the Palestinian struggle in an unjust bloody tone. It differs from ISIS, and in this way Israel blocks any sympathy or support for the Palestinian cause.

Embracing antisemitism:

This strategy is not a product of the moment, of course, as it has continued over time in shaping the Western perception of the conflict, as Israel has been working over the past decade to expand the definition of the term anti-Semitism, by including any criticism directed at the State of Israel, its ethnocratic character, or its expansionist occupation policies as necessarily anti-Jewish; Because it aims to “undermine” their state and target them to complete the Nazi project of the Third Reich. Israel is working to achieve this goal by pushing decision-makers in international and academic institutions to adopt the new Israeli definition of Semitism, in addition to activating financial pressure from international Zionist organizations on media and civil institutions to adopt this definition and exclude critical voices towards Israel’s policies.

In exchange for these efforts, the ruling political parties in Israel, led by the Likud Party headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, worked to consolidate relations with right-wing populist movements and parties, especially in Eastern and Central Europe, as most of these movements carry an ideology hostile to liberal democracy and human rights, in addition to hatred of immigrants. And calling for the basis of white Iraqi supremacy, which forms the basis and intellectual hotbed for anti-Semitic movements around the world.

The political leadership in Israel found in these movements a strategic partner to spread its anti-Palestinian propaganda and obtain moral support for the establishment of the Israeli apartheid regime, which is based on similar ideological foundations, ignoring the explicit anti-Semitic ideas spread by these same movements. In addition, we witnessed during the term of US President Donald Trump is making persistent attempts by Israel to address and win over the extreme American right that supports Trump, which holds ideas similar to its counterpart in Europe, which is based on white supremacy that is anti-Semitic, and anti-Semitic in general, and this rapprochement has led to the emergence of a rift in relations between the Israeli state and the Jewish communities in America that The majority of them are considered progressive and support the Democratic Party.

In addition, the Israeli government turned a blind eye to the emergence of movements carrying anti-Semitic ideology, in addition to manifestations of clear targeting of Jews, and racist statements by politicians in countries such as Germany, France and Italy, in exchange for these countries’ support for Israel’s policies in the region and the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Israeli discourse aims to delegitimize the Palestinian struggle, by addressing the guilt complex of Europeans for committing the Nazi Holocaust, in order to drop the moral and historical responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe committed against the Jews on the Arabs in general and the Palestinians in particular, and thus give full right to Israel to commit the most horrific Types of war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel is doing this today by bringing up scenes of the Nazi Holocaust and equating it with the Hamas attack in all official and unofficial speeches through a propaganda system, labeling the Hamas movement as a Nazi after every sentence. Not only that, but the demonization of the Palestinian resistance also extends to the demonization of the Palestinians for... All political factions in order to dehumanize them. Thus, the Palestinians and those who support the dismantling of Israeli colonialism become anti-Semites or the only anti-Semites, and in return the racist anti-Semitic movements are contained.

Promoting Islamophobia:

Over the past two decades, Europe and America have witnessed intermittent waves of immigration from Arab and Islamic countries, which contributed to an increase in the number of Muslim minorities in capitals and major cities, and they began to demand their cultural and religious rights. These immigrations coincided with the rise of dark forces in the Middle East region claiming to implement Islam and Sharia with the aim of implementing Islam and Sharia law. Destabilizing the region, perhaps the most famous of which is the Islamic State (ISIS), which has claimed responsibility for a large number of operations directed against civilians in European cities.

These changes contributed to the rise in Islamophobia in Europe, and Islam is considered a closed and fossilized religion that does not share any of the principles and customs of other cultures. Rather, it is lower in status than the West, in addition to being barbaric and irrational and encouraging terrorism. The increase in manifestations of hostility towards Islam and Muslims was not limited to the political elite. It also reached civil society and the Western media, which began repeating these phrases as a logical and acceptable matter. On the other hand, the United States witnessed a continuous rise in anti-Islamic forces and rhetoric after the events of September 11, and it gained popularity with The beginning of the populist tide in the world.

Since the emergence of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Israel has worked to portray the conflict as a religious conflict between Muslims and Jews, and not a liberation political struggle against colonial forces. With the rise of the forces of the religious right in Israel and the shift of the political map towards the extreme right over the last two decades, this has become the official discourse of the state. Especially since this new Israeli right carries a messianic religious project that aims to establish a Jewish kingdom and build the Third Temple on the ruins of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The escalation of hostility towards Islam and Muslim immigrants in European cities in recent years has formed a fertile environment for international Zionist institutions to spread a discourse stating that Israel, which represents the principles of the West and shares a culture with it, deals with the same dark Islamic forces and that victory for Israel is a victory for the West and its principles, by portraying resistance. Palestinian popularity has a religious, terrorist character, and lies and falsification of facts in order to create similarities between it and terrorist groups such as ISIS, and thus every Palestinian, and every Muslim who supports the Palestinian cause, becomes an ISIS member, until proven otherwise.

Today, the World Zionist Agency is working to spread a media campaign in European cities under the title “You Are Next” in an attempt to symbolize Western public opinion that extremist Islam will reach you in the end. Therefore, you must give full and unconditional support to Israel in its war on Islam. The terrorist, and Israel launches a media war against every foreigner who expresses his support for the Palestinian cause because he supports terrorism, and their latest target was the Swedish environmental activist Jorita Tunbridge.

The Palestinian issue and the demand to lift the siege and aggression on Gaza are witnessing a great global popular rally, especially after the massacres committed by Israel, which brought millions around the world to the streets, but in order to influence the global discourse, it is necessary to analyze the intellectual foundations of the Israeli propaganda discourse, and investigate the hidden relationships between it. And among non-Israelis who repeat it in the world, in order to understand the nature of relations between the West and Israel, and to develop a equal discourse based on historical facts and the justice of the Palestinian cause, and works to demolish racist ideas against Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs.

Source: Arab 48

Yesterday (Friday), US President Joe Biden called on China to work with the United States to “jointly confront global challenges.”

During a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Biden stressed the need for the two countries to commit to managing their relationship “responsibly, and to keep channels of communication open,” according to a White House statement.

The Chinese chief diplomat began rare meetings with the highest-ranking American officials, on a three-day visit to Washington that received exceptional attention. Because it contributes to facilitating an upcoming summit between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.

Wang said that the differences between the United States and his country need "in-depth" and "comprehensive" dialogue to reduce the scope of misunderstanding and achieve stability in relations.

Speaking alongside his American counterpart, Anthony Blinken, he added that the two countries share important interests and challenges that they need to solve together. He continued: “Therefore, China and the United States need dialogue. We must not only resume dialogue, but it must be an in-depth and comprehensive dialogue. He pointed out that dialogue will contribute to reducing areas of misunderstanding, help push relations to stability, and “return them to the path of sound, stable and sustainable development.”

Blinken responded by saying: “I agree with what the Secretary of State said,” and he also expressed his condolences to his counterpart on the death of former Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang.

As the Gaza war approaches its fourth week, the American street has begun to divide between supporters of US President Joe Biden's policy towards Israel and opponents of it.

Recent days have witnessed a wave of protests and objections, represented by demonstrations calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, and written protests against America’s policy that reached the point of resignation of a senior official in the US State Department due to what he described as a “policy of blind support” for Israel. In return for these movements, there were warnings from the Ministry of Homeland Security of the growing threats facing Arabs, Muslims, and Jews in the United States as a result of what is happening in the region.

At the same time, the House of Representatives was finally able to resolve its crisis and elect a president after more than twenty days of legislative vacuum that prevented the approval of the emergency aid requested by the Biden administration to Israel.

The Washington report, which is the result of cooperation between Asharq Al-Awsat and Al-Sharq, reviews the extent to which the positions of Arab Americans who rejected Biden in the elections affected his chances of winning a second term, and the options before these voters, in addition to American political positions on this issue.

Unwavering support for Israel

Israel ranks first on the list of US aid, reaching $3.3 billion in 2022. The Biden administration has asked Congress for $14.3 billion in emergency aid to Israel, which the Legislative Council has not yet been able to pass due to the absence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. But that changed with the election of Mike Johnson as Council President. Ghaith Al-Omari, senior researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says that Johnson “is known for his strong support for Israel,” noting that “the first decision he made was to issue a resolution to support Israel that was approved by the majority of the House of Representatives.” Al-Omari adds, “There is almost absolute support for Israel in the House of Representatives, whether in the Republican or Democratic Party.”

But Muhammad Gula, executive director of Image USA, which coordinates electoral efforts for American Muslim voters, points to a change in the political landscape since 2015 that led to the election of members of Congress who “continued the traditional support for Israel’s policy, but began to talk about the rights of the Palestinians, in addition to “There is a need for a ceasefire, which is the most important thing here.” Gula says: “Although there are a limited number of members of Congress who are calling for a ceasefire, we will continue our efforts to ensure that everyone who supports Israel recognizes at the same time the importance of Palestinian lives.”

While the House of Representatives is witnessing an increase in the representation of Arabs and Muslim Americans, Sally Howell, director of the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan, considers that “the Senate is far from this representation.” There are no Muslim Americans or Arab Americans on the 100-member council. However, Howell says, “Some senators are adjusting their support for Israel. On the one hand, they offer the traditional firm support for Israel’s claims that it has the right to defend itself, but at the same time they acknowledge the suffering of the Palestinians and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” We have not heard of similar positions for 15 years, so there is a kind of simple openness in the Senate.”

Howell talks about the slight difference in the positions of the Senate and the House of Representatives due to the difference in representation. She explains: “In the House of Representatives, there are about 16 members demanding a ceasefire, and this is a completely new matter. There's this coalition of progressive, left-wing Democrats in the House who support each other on a wide range of issues, and Palestine is one of those key issues for them. “This is very important, even though these members do not have broad authority.”

American media and Islamophobia

Opinion polls show broad American support for Israel, reaching 51 percent of those who sympathize with Israel, compared to 28 percent of those who sympathize with the Palestinians, according to figures from CBS, in cooperation with YouGov. Al-Omari spoke about the role played by American media coverage, noting that it has always been “more biased towards Israel.”

As for Gula, he considers this reality to increase the importance of the work of organizations such as “Emage USA” in spreading awareness and highlighting issues of concern to Muslim and Arab American voters, adding: “When we look at Wisconsin, there are more than 50,000 Muslim and Arab American voters.” The Arabs will decide who will be the country's next president, as for Michigan, it includes one of the largest Muslim communities in the country, with more than 200,000 registered voters. “The same is true in Pennsylvania and other states... This is important regardless of what the media reflects.”

Howell talks about the recent growing feelings of Islamophobia in the United States, referring to the murder of the Palestinian child Wadih Al-Fayoumi at the hands of an American in the state of Illinois. Howell, who lives in Dearborn, Michigan, talks about a feeling of fear “taking over the Muslim community,” adding, “I hear people in Dearborn talking about how they don’t want to leave right now because they feel afraid.”

The Gaza war and the American elections

With the increasing opposition of Arab and Muslim Americans to Biden’s policy of supporting Israel, some of them vowed not to vote for him or other officials because of these positions. Howell gives an example of this, pointing to the statements of the mayor of Dearborn, who said that “the positions” of federal officials who do not demand a ceasefire and justice for the Palestinians will not be forgotten, adding that “Arab Americans and Muslim Americans in Michigan insist that their officials speak on their behalf in a way that has not been done.” We see it in the past.”

Al-Omari points out a “very encouraging” point, saying, “When I go, for example, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, I see Arab names. 20 years ago when I used to go to these ministries I did not see these names. “The mere involvement of Arab Americans in the political process, whether at the local level or in government at the federal level, gives a voice to the Arab side.” But at the same time, Al-Omari points out that “most of the support for the Palestinians comes from the progressive side, that is, the left of the Democratic Party. This creates a very important voice within the Democratic Party, but on the other hand, it may be very dangerous for us, as a community, to be considered only affiliated with one trend on the political map... This is a double-edged sword.”

Gula considers the Arab and Muslim community a socially conservative community: “But because of the political process and the current political environment, it happens that we fall into the category of the Democratic Party more because this is today’s reality.” However, Gula warned against reversing the current situation, noting that there is a feeling of “betrayal within the ranks of this community today” due to the Democratic administration’s position in support of Israel. Gula talks about an opinion poll conducted by his organization, the results of which showed that if the 2024 presidential elections were held today, 5.2 percent of registered Muslim Americans would vote for Biden, 15 percent for Donald Trump, while 53 percent would vote for a third party, and the rest would abstain from voting. . Gula adds, “The Biden administration has a responsibility to act and demand a ceasefire and an end to the bloodshed of the Palestinian people.”

Double standards?

With increasing accusations against the United States of “double standards” in its dealings with the Gaza war, compared to its dealings with the Ukraine war, Al-Omari states that “talking about human rights on the one hand and then applying different practices on the other hand is not only a problem for Democrats.” He added, “The administration of George W. Bush was the administration I dealt with the most that talked about human rights... but when interests conflict with values, interests always prevail.” Al-Omari adds: “Constructive talk or hopes are not a factor when making a military decision or a political decision related to foreign policies.”

But Hawley says that this explanation will not prevent the Arab and Muslim community from feeling “betrayed” because of the administration’s positions, adding: “They feel that the political establishment has abandoned them, especially the officials they elected to represent them... I do not know what it will take to repair this rift.” Which has increased in Michigan, at least among Muslims and the Democratic Party.”

Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat

First, I wanted to recall what I said: “The Charter of the United Nations is a commitment to our common humanity. Civilians - wherever they are - should be protected equally.” For more than two weeks, images of the unbearable human tragedy have been coming from Gaza. Women, children and the elderly are being killed, while hospitals and schools are being bombed, and no one is spared. 

As I write this, UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees, has already, tragically, lost 35 of its staff, many of whom were killed while at home with their families. Entire neighborhoods are flattened above the heads of civilians in one of the most densely populated areas on Earth. Israeli forces issued a warning to the Palestinians in Gaza to move to the southern part of the Strip while bombing the north, but the strikes also continued in the south. 

There is no safe place in Gaza. Nearly 600,000 people are taking refuge in 150 UNRWA schools and other buildings, living in unsanitary conditions with limited access to clean water and little food and medicine. Mothers don't know how to clean their babies. Pregnant women pray that they do not experience complications during childbirth because hospitals do not have the capacity to receive them. 

Entire families now live in our buildings because they have nowhere else to go. However, our facilities are not safe. 40 UNRWA buildings, including schools and warehouses, were damaged in raids, and many of the civilians who were sheltering inside were tragically killed. Gaza has been described for the past 15 years as a vast open-air prison, where a blockade from air, sea and land was suffocating 2.2 million people in an area of 365 square kilometers. 

Most of the young men have never left Gaza. Today, this prison has become a cemetery for residents trapped between war, siege and deprivation. In the past few days, intense negotiations at the highest levels finally allowed very limited humanitarian supplies to enter the Strip. While this is a welcome achievement, these trucks represent tiny trickles rather than the torrent of aid that a humanitarian situation of this magnitude requires. Twenty trucks of food and medical supplies are a drop in the ocean for the needs of more than two million civilians. 

However, Gaza has been strictly deprived of fuel. Without it, there will be no humanitarian response, no aid will reach those in need, no electricity for hospitals, no water, and no bread. Before October 7, Gaza received about 500 trucks of food and other supplies each day, including 45 fuel trucks to power the Strip's cars, desalination plants, and bakeries. Today, Gaza is being suffocated, and the few convoys now entering will do little to ease the civilian population's feeling that the world has abandoned and sacrificed them. On October 7, the Hamas movement committed unspeakable massacres against Israeli civilians, many of which amount to war crimes. 

The United Nations condemned this horrific act in the strongest terms. But there should be no doubt that this does not justify the ongoing crimes against Gaza's civilian population, including its one million children. The Charter of the United Nations and our commitments constitute a commitment to our common humanity. Civilians - wherever they are - must be protected equally. Civilians in Gaza did not choose this war. Atrocities should not be followed by more atrocities. 

The answer to war crimes is not more war crimes. The international law framework on this matter is very clear and well-established. It will take real and courageous efforts to return to the roots of this deadly impasse and present viable political options that can provide an environment of peace, stability and security. Until then, we must ensure that the rules of international humanitarian law are respected, and that civilians are preserved and protected. 

An immediate humanitarian ceasefire must be activated to allow safe, continuous and unrestricted access to fuel, medicine, water and food in the Gaza Strip. Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, once said: “The United Nations was not created to bring us to heaven, but to save us from hell.” 

The reality today in Gaza is that there is not much humanity left, and that hell is settling in. Future generations will know that we watched this human tragedy unfold across social media and news channels. We won't be able to say we didn't know. History will wonder why the world did not have the courage to act decisively and stop this hell on earth. * Commissioner-General of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Over the past decade, it has been clear that the “peace process” between Israelis and Palestinians has long been an exercise in endless postponement. However, in recent years, the absence of sustained, widespread violence has produced the illusion of stability. But even those who did not succumb to the sense that the status quo was sustainable have been shocked by the devastating outbreak of war since Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7.

The past three weeks have witnessed loss of life on a horrific scale, and for Israel, this is the most devastating loss of civilians in its 75 years of existence. More Palestinians were killed in the first fifteen days of this war than during the Second Intifada, which lasted more than five years, and all rounds of violence since then combined. Worse still, it seems likely that thousands more Palestinian civilians will die if Israel pursues its stated (albeit elusive) goal of eliminating Hamas, and the same result will follow for even Israel's less ambitious goal of eliminating Hamas. Hamas infrastructure.

Under these circumstances, the first priority must be to stop the rush towards the abyss. To achieve this end, Hamas must unconditionally release the Israeli civilians it holds. The recent release of some detainees was a step forward, and it is realistic to expect that more will be released.

But Israel does not appear to be in the mood to contemplate any talk about a ceasefire at this time yet, and at the very least, the Biden administration has not been prepared to pressure the Israelis to consider this option. Instead, the United States appears to have been content to urge Israel to postpone a ground invasion of Gaza until more detainees are released. The beginning of such a process would lead to an unparalleled massacre, increase the risk of a broader regional conflict, and perhaps also threaten stability in a number of Arab countries. The Israeli invasion of Gaza would also increase the weakness of the Palestinian Authority in the face of popular anger in the West Bank. Against the background of these considerations, it was difficult to view the contempt directed at the UN Secretary-General by Israeli officials over his recent call for an immediate ceasefire to end what he called “epic suffering” in Gaza, except as an expression of dangerous recklessness and the dissemination of a destructive spirit of aggression.

There is still some hope that the release of detained Israeli civilians will create enough space for Arab and international diplomacy to quickly find an answer to the question of what will happen the “day after,” that is, who will rule in the aftermath of the ongoing Israeli operation. The first ideas that must be completely excluded from consideration are those related to imposing any specific arrangement on the Palestinians and forcing them to submit to it. It must also be ruled out without much debate that the Palestinian Authority, in its current configuration, could provide an answer to this question by returning to exercising its authority over the Gaza Strip.

On the one hand, it is doubtful that the Palestinian Authority as currently constituted is willing to assume the responsibilities of governing Gaza after the deadly and devastating Israeli attack. Even if the Palestinian Authority expressed its willingness to play this role, it would not be able to do it, especially since its diminishing legitimacy is rapidly fading under the pressure of the ongoing war.

But on the other hand, the Palestinian Authority, if properly reconstituted, may provide the best option “for the next day” and beyond, providing a link to launch a regionally adopted, internationally supported effort to end the Israeli occupation within a framework that credibly addresses the structural weaknesses that have spoiled the peace process. Over the past three decades.

The way forward

The Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 as a transitional governing entity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the Oslo Accords, concluded by the Palestine Liberation Organization on behalf of the Palestinian people. But the Palestinian Authority and the PLO soon began to suffer from the erosion of legitimacy resulting from the failure of the Oslo framework to fulfill the prevailing belief, the promise of establishing a Palestinian state on the territories occupied by Israel in 1967. The gradual disillusionment with the possibility of achieving this goal, and the accompanying The rise in support for armed resistance adopted by Hamas and other political movements that opposed the Oslo framework from the beginning has contributed to this erosion. This has led to questioning the continued credibility of the claim that the PLO represents all Palestinians, and that it is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Along with chronic misrule by the PA, the exclusion of many Palestinian political factions and orientations has weakened the standing of the PLO and the PA among Palestinians.

The PLO and the Palestinian Authority should have been reformed and reshaped long ago, and the urgency of this task has never been greater. The first step must be the immediate and unconditional expansion of the Palestine Liberation Organization to include all major political factions and forces, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Hamas won an absolute majority in the last parliamentary elections held in the occupied Palestinian territories in 2006. Although no such elections have been held since then, opinion polls show that Hamas has continued to enjoy significant popular support. Moreover, it is impossible to see how the PLO can credibly commit to nonviolence as part of any attempt to resume the peace process if Hamas and like-minded factions are not represented in it.

The PLO can be expanded without having to abandon the requirements of the peace process. But this process must change radically in a way that addresses the root causes behind its failure to achieve its stated goals over the past three decades.

First and foremost, Israel must formally recognize the right of the Palestinians to a sovereign state in the territories it has occupied since 1967. In doing so, Israel will merely reciprocate the substance of the PLO’s recognition of Israel’s right to exist. In peace and security, which formed the cornerstone under the name of mutual recognition in the Oslo Accords in 1993. Until such recognition is secured, the enlarged PLO can adopt a program that reflects the full spectrum of Palestinian views on what would constitute an acceptable settlement, but what could To preserve the possibility of launching a serious peace process within a negotiated framework that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the framework of the “two-state solution.”

Finally, in accordance with the Basic Law, the Palestinian Authority, through a government approved by the expanded Palestine Liberation Organization, assumes full responsibility for managing the affairs of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip during a multi-year transitional period. During that period, all understandings between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and all Israeli and Palestinian Authority operations will be underpinned by a strict mutual commitment to nonviolence. At the end of that phase, the Palestinian Authority will hold national elections at a date agreed upon at the beginning of the transitional period.

I had previously proposed similar reforms in an article I published in Foreign Affairs magazine in 2014. Since then, there has been no doubt about the feasibility of adopting such reforms, but this has not been done officially due to internal disagreement and factional divisions. Given the seriousness of the current situation, perhaps her time has finally come, albeit too late, of course, for the thousands who have died. But with the encouragement and support of Arab countries, this plan can offer a trustworthy way forward. Whatever the flaws of this vision, it would certainly be better than the options Israel is now considering, all of which would lead to more violence and bloodshed while diminishing the chances of reaching a lasting peace.

* Former Palestinian Prime Minister

Today, Friday, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly for an “immediate humanitarian truce” in the Gaza Strip. 120 members supported the resolution, while 14 opposed it, while 45 abstained from voting, out of 193 members of the General Assembly.

The vote came in an emergency and extraordinary session to discuss the war in Gaza, where the United Nations General Assembly voted on a draft resolution prepared by the Arab group and adopted by dozens of countries after introducing amendments to it, to call for an “immediate, permanent and sustainable humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities” between Israel and Hamas. », as well as the «immediate and unconditional release» of all civilian hostages.

The resolution, prepared by Jordan on behalf of the Arab Group, which includes 22 countries, requested "an immediate, permanent and continuous humanitarian truce that leads to a cessation of military operations." The previous version of the resolution called for an "immediate ceasefire."

The result of the vote 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.

Israel and the United States criticized the non-binding resolution for not referring to Hamas.

Arab welcome and Israeli discontent

The decision was welcomed by Arabs and dissatisfaction from the Israeli side. The Palestinian representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, thanked the General Assembly for its “brave” position in approving the draft resolution.

Mansour said in a press conference after voting on the draft Arab resolution that this resolution confirms that the General Assembly is “the house that defends truth and justice.” He added that the decision "has become more effective and important in light of the start of the ground aggression against Gaza today."

Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, also welcomed the decision, expressing his hope that “not much time will be wasted and many lives will be lost until what is included in the decision is implemented.” Meanwhile, Hamas demanded the immediate implementation of the General Assembly’s decision to bring fuel and relief materials to civilians.

For his part, the Israeli representative to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, described the General Assembly’s vote on a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip, without referring to the Hamas movement, as “disgraceful,” addressing those who supported the resolution, “Shame on you.”

Erdan said, "It is a dark day for the United Nations and humanity," stressing that Israel will continue to use "all means" at its disposal with the aim of "saving the world from the evil represented by Hamas" and "returning the hostages" held by the Palestinian movement in the Gaza Strip.

Guterres' cry

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a cry in which he said that the humanitarian system in Gaza “faces complete collapse with unimaginable consequences for more than two million Palestinian civilians.” He stressed that “given the miserable and tragic situation, the United Nations will not be able to continue providing aid inside Gaza without an immediate and fundamental shift in how and how much aid is provided,” adding that “life-saving humanitarian aid - food, water, medicine and fuel - must be allowed to reach all civilians quickly, safely and on a large scale.” Welcoming “the growing global consensus on a humanitarian truce in the conflict,” he called for “a humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of life-saving supplies in the required volume” so that “the people of Gaza do not face an unprecedented torrent of human suffering.”

Discussions before voting

During the heated discussions on the General Assembly platform in New York, negotiations continued on the draft Arab resolution, which was adopted as of Friday morning by 39 countries: the Kingdom of Jordan, Palestine, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Mauritania, Somalia, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, and the islands. Comoros, Djibouti, Russia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Brunei Darussalam, Belize, Bangladesh, Botswana, Bolivia, Turkey, North Korea, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, El Salvador, Senegal, Venezuela, Cuba, Malaysia, Maldives, Namibia and Nicaragua.

Substantial modifications

Based on requests from a number of the 193 member states of the General Assembly, the Arab Group introduced a set of amendments to the text of the resolution, including rephrasing the first working paragraph, which was “demanding an immediate ceasefire,” and which in the amended text became “calling for a truce.” Immediate, lasting and sustainable humanitarian action leading to a cessation of hostilities.”

A slight change was added to the second paragraph: “All parties call for immediate and full compliance with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, in particular with regard to the protection of civilians and civilian objects, and the protection of humanitarian personnel.” , persons hors de combat, facilities and assets for humanitarian purposes, and enabling and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including basic supplies and services, to all civilians in need in the Gaza Strip.”

Civilian hostages

The seventh working paragraph was also amended to read: “Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians who are illegally detained, and demands that their safety and well-being be guaranteed and that they be treated humanely in accordance with international law.”

Except Israel

In the emergency session, speaker after speaker supported the Arab resolution’s call for a truce, with the exception of Israeli delegate Gilad Erdan, who said, “A ceasefire means giving (Hamas) time to rearm itself, so they can slaughter us again.” Citing several statements by Hamas leaders and their pledge to destroy Israel and the Jews, he added, “Any call for a ceasefire is not an attempt at peace. “It is an attempt to tie Israel’s hands and prevent us from eliminating a major threat to our citizens.”

He stressed that the war has nothing to do with the Arab-Israeli conflict, but rather, “This is not a war with the Palestinians.” “Israel is at war with the jihadist terrorist organization Hamas, which practices genocide.”

“Stop the killing”

But calls for a ceasefire, the protection of Palestinian civilians facing the ongoing Israeli bombing in Gaza, and the delivery of food, water, medicine and fuel that they desperately need, were often emotionally charged due to the killing of about 1,400 Israelis, according to official information, compared to more than seven thousand Palestinians. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Palestinian delegate Riyad Mansour reported that 70 percent of those killed in Gaza were children and women. He asked: “Is this the war that some of you are defending? Is this war defensible? These are crimes. “This is barbaric.” "If you don't stop it for the sake of all those who were killed, stop it for the sake of all those whose lives we can still save," he said.

Mansour's voice shook when he spoke about a Palestinian girl who was killed before the Christmas that her father had planned, and about a man embracing the body of his deceased mother and saying to her: “Come back, I will take you wherever you want!”

Applause for Jordan

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, on behalf of the 22-nation Arab group, spoke with emotion about children dying under the rubble of homes destroyed by Israeli precision bombs, some of whom are still alive and trapped without equipment to extract them. “The parents can still hear them,” he said. They talk to them helplessly, knowing that they are running out of air and are slowly dying.”

In a rebuke to the Israeli ambassador, Al-Safadi said: “I do not have video clips to show you. We respect the dead very much. “We respect their families’ pain so much that we do not show the videos.” He addressed the members of the United Nations: “Do not let them tell you that this is a war between Muslims and Jews,” adding: “We value life, Islamic life, Christian life, Jewish life.”

He was interrupted by loud applause in the hall when he said: “We care about everyone’s lives (...) Don’t let them tell you otherwise.” He stressed that Israel “cannot remain above international law, which requires the protection of civilians, hospitals, schools, homes and other infrastructure,” stressing that “the right to self-defense is not a license to kill with impunity.”

Al-Safadi also criticized the United States and its allies without mentioning them by name. “Many of us believe we are helping Israel by supporting its war,” he said. He added, “Instead of sending weapons to Israel, they sent delegations to open an immediate and viable path to peace. “This is how they can help Israel.”

Saudi Arabia and Egypt

The Saudi Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al-Wasel, speaks during the plenary session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City (AFP)

The Saudi delegate, Abdulaziz Al-Wasel, called for an “immediate ceasefire,” stressing the Kingdom’s condemnation of attempts at “forced displacement” of Palestinians, and that the Kingdom also condemns “the policy of collective punishment against the residents of Gaza and preventing the arrival of humanitarian aid” to the Strip, pointing to the fall of thousands of victims in Gaza. . He added that the General Assembly session comes “in light of the tragic circumstances faced by the Palestinian people as a result of a bloody and disproportionate military campaign by the Israeli occupation forces.”

His Egyptian counterpart, Osama Abdel Khaleq, stressed the necessity of a ceasefire, saying that “silence is no longer an option” regarding what is happening to the Palestinians. He warned that not stopping the war immediately would drag the region into a “regional war,” and would also lead to “stoking the fires of terrorism and extremism.” He stressed the need to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza under the supervision of the United Nations, reiterating Cairo’s rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians and its demand to provide them with protection.

The American position

However, US Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield demanded that the draft resolution be amended to include “denunciation of the actions of (Hamas) and the release of hostages,” saying that “it is reprehensible that the draft resolution submitted does not mention (Hamas), which committed the October 7 attack,” calling on all countries to vote in favor of this amendment. . She stressed the need for a vision based on a two-state solution, which requires “resolute efforts from everyone, from Palestinians, Israelis, regional partners, and world leaders.”

Greenfield considered that the proposed draft resolution “undermines this vision and includes many shortcomings and does not live up to the level of this moment,” noting that “unilateral decisions, whether in the Security Council or the General Assembly, will not help us advance the peace process.” She also stressed that “it is not possible to return to the situation before October 7,” accusing “Hamas” of “terrorizing Israel and using civilians as human shields.” She added, "We must not return to the situation of settlers who terrorize the Palestinians in the West Bank."

The nature of war never changes. It is fought for political goals. This is how the Prussian thinker Carl von Clausewitz theorized. But what is certain is that the characteristics of war change according to changes in the economic, political, and social dimensions, but without forgetting the technological ones.

In ancient times, wars were fought around the city with the aim of seizing it, not inside it. Even the famous Battle of Stalingrad took place entirely around the city, and was not fought from house to house, or from street to street.

In war everything is easy, but the easiest thing in it is very, very complicated. Whoever goes to war is inevitably knocking on the door of the unknown. This is urban warfare. The city receives its visitors, and if they turn against it, it turns against them in turn. It is peaceful if the visitor is peaceful. It is hostile if the visitor's intentions are malicious. The city favors its son and those born in it. He is aware of the place and time in it. He has memories in every corner.

The German thinker Friedrich Ratzel, the father of political geography, considers the city to be an important laboratory for the cross-fertilization of ideas. Have you ever seen a genius emerge from the village? It is born in the village, but its development inevitably takes place through the city.

In the American Civil War (1860-1865), which claimed more than 650,000 lives, Washington residents went to the countryside to watch the Battle of Bull Run, taking with them their supplies and the glasses they used when watching the opera. This battle was called the Picnic Battle. Now, in the twenty-first century, there is no need to go for a walk to watch a live battle. If the city is not interested in war, then war is definitely interested in the city. It has become a theater of conflict and a hotbed for those who do not have enough strength to fight the powerful. The city is an equalizer of forces. The city is struck by the attacker's numerical as well as qualitative superiority. The city has its own privacy. Its spirituality lies in its space, its civil architecture, its streets, and its landmarks. Every house there is a rampart. Every high-rise building is a surveillance and monitoring center. In the city, distances get longer and time slows down. Whoever enters the city is changed, and at the same time he changes the city. The relationship between the city and those attacking it is a dialectical one.

In the city, the soldier learns what he did not learn during his training, even if this training took place within artificial cities similar to the actual theater of war.

This is how Israel trains its special forces for urban warfare. It has built a training center for urban warfare in the Negev desert, which is an exact copy of the Palestinian city. In this artificial city, there is a mosque, shops, and “graffiti” on the walls, very similar to cities in the Gaza Strip. The streets of this city resemble the streets of Palestinian cities. But the actual war in the city is not a war of exercises. In the city, the soldier learns after every step he takes (On the Job Training). With every step he takes, he begins to become aware of the place. When he skips this step, the next step could be fatal. His awareness of the place is gradual and cumulative, unlike the original son of the city.

Netanyahu wants to destroy the Hamas movement. But the means and possible time for this do not help him. He wants something, and his military leaders want something different. The difference in plans is clearly visible.

After Biden's visit to Israel, direct American sponsorship of the war on Gaza emerged. The White House, as has become clear so far, wants the following things: for Israel to launch a military operation, but without occupying the entire Strip. The situation of the hostages must be taken into account, as well as the situation of civilians in Gaza. Continuing the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Some information says that the Americans believe that not much can be achieved from a large ground operation. Therefore, it may be said that what is required so far is as follows:

Continued aerial bombardment, taking into account the situation of Gazan civilians; Provided that this bombing is in preparation for military operations inside the Gaza Strip; Provided that these operations are specific and dispersed in several places, and may target the military leadership of the Hamas movement, including infrastructure.

America asks Israel to define the theory of victory. That is, when will the war stop? Israel considers itself to have achieved what it wanted. Last but not least, do not drag Hezbollah into opening the northern front.

These conditions constitute major restrictions on Israeli military behavior in response to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. This is with the knowledge that the time factor has always played against Israeli interests in its wars with the Arabs. Hence, the window of time open for Israel to carry out any military action seems very small.

In comparing means

“Hamas”: “Hamas” prepared the Gaza Strip for the worst scenario since it took control of it in 2007. It prepared it for fighting in several dimensions: the horizontal dimension - length and breadth; The vertical dimension, i.e. tall buildings; And last but not least, the dimension represented by the underground tunnels (the length of the tunnels is estimated, according to the BBC, at 500 kilometers).

Hamas has special forces. She is fully aware of the place, even if the bombing changed the city's features. It has explosive devices, mines, and suicide drones. In addition to snipers. This is in addition to the presence of civilians and hostages within the area of operations. Last but not least, the number of Hamas fighters is estimated at 30,000, and the saying applies to them: “Where is the escape? The sea is behind you and the enemy is in front of you.”

Today, at this stage, Hamas is adopting a push-pull strategy. It had used the push strategy during the implementation of the operation inside Israel. In the Gaza envelope area, it has reached its maximum extension (Push). So it gained what it gained through the most dangerous surprise in the history of Israel. When she withdrew, she forced the Israeli army to follow her (Pull) to her safe area, to her main theater, to her home, to the theater she knew where she had the advantage (Home Court).

Israeli Merkava tanks maneuver near the Lebanese border on Thursday (EPA)

Israel: Israel outperforms Hamas by all standards. But strength is relative in absolute terms. Power is considered power to the extent that it can be used. Israel is a nuclear power, but can nuclear weapons be used in Gaza? Therefore, nuclear weapons are considered non-existent, and do not enter into the current war equation. Israel has air, sea, land, intelligence and artillery superiority. It owns space, especially with American intervention. It also has electronic warfare (EW) capabilities. But the war is not all about numbers and quantity, as it is taking place in political and geopolitical circumstances that impose many restrictions, especially in the case of the current global order.

In conclusion, the theater of war appears to be preparing for a new bloody encounter. After a while, Israel may be allowed to carry out military action, but only after preparing the conditions for the American deterrence system in the region, especially against Iran, and ensuring its effectiveness and credibility. In such a way that the result would be as follows: attacking Hamas, but without eliminating it, and in such a way that Israel would feel that it had taken revenge. But this result, without a permanent political solution, will lay the groundwork for a future war in the future. Didn't we say that war is fought for political goals? Therefore, where are the political goals of this war?

In a 60 Minutes interview less than a week after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, which killed over 1,400 Israelis and saw over 200 more abducted to the Gaza Strip, U.S. President Joe Biden said that the Palestinian Islamist movement had “engaged in barbarism that is as consequential as the Holocaust.” The assessment joined a catalog of statements by Israeli, American, and other politicians and commentators who have explicitly linked the Oct. 7 massacres to the Nazi genocide, whether by citing the attacks as the biggest loss of Jewish life since World War II, or by portraying Hamas as Nazi-like or Nazi successors.

Biden’s antisemitism envoy, Deborah Lipstadt, for example, tweeted the day after the attack that it was “the most lethal assault against Jews since the Holocaust”; not long after, the U.S. Holocaust Museum put out a similar tweet. Israeli politicians have also helped drive this discourse. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last week that “Hamas are the new Nazis … And just as the world united to defeat the Nazis … the world has to stand united behind Israel to defeat Hamas.” Netanyahu expressed similar sentiments to French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.

The rhetorical value of casting your enemies as Nazis — which the Israeli right and its supporters frequently do when discussing Palestinians writ large — is the way it suggests, implicitly or explicitly, that there is only one logical, even moral, course of action: the complete elimination of the Nazi-designates and anyone deemed to be affiliated with them.

Thus is the current discourse awash with unabashed calls for genocide and ethnic cleansing, issued from a distressingly broad array of sources, and egged on by the idea that, in the words of a columnist in Israel’s most widely-read newspaper, “Hamas and the Gazans are one and the same.”

Indeed, the constant invocation of the Holocaust seems to have done little to sensitize those calling for Gaza’s destruction to its lessons. In addition to the demands for vengeful mass killings and the abundant references to Palestinians as “animals,” Nazi-like imagery has also been making the rounds among hasbarists on social media; in one drawing that could have come straight out of Der Stürmer, an IDF boot is pictured about to step on a cockroach with the head of a Hamas fighter.

The irony is transparent and grotesque: the very kind of obscene propaganda that helped fuel unimaginable atrocities is being adopted to, ostensibly, ward off a repetition of that same history — and to justify ongoing ethnic mass killing and collective punishment.

It is cruel, at a time when there is a worrying depletion of knowledge about the Holocaust, to witness Holocaust memory being applied as a double-edged sword. What should be a universalist set of lessons applied to atrocities everywhere is being warped to validate violent, ethnonationalist objectives. As the hundreds of Jewish demonstrators and allies who filled the U.S. Capitol last week to protest the Gaza war stressed, “never again means never again for anyone.”

Indeed, if the legacy of the Holocaust is interpreted to present Israel with carte blanche to cage, bomb, starve, dehydrate, and otherwise exert necropolitical power over the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza — almost half of them children — then “never again” does not merely ring hollow. It becomes a call for unchecked violence, a war cry in an eliminationist campaign of retaliation.

This “Holocaustization” of what is happening in Israel-Palestine deposits all of us — Jews, Palestinians, those in the region and in the diaspora — on a dangerous precipice. To operate within that framework, according to its internal logic, is to condemn us to a zero-sum war whose terms are clear and devastating: a conflict that can only ever be resolved by the annihilation of one side or the other. It is a recipe for perpetual bloodshed — an exhortation, in the words of Netanyahu, to “live forever by the sword.”

One does not need to look far to find evidence of this mentality creeping into wider acceptance. The U.S. State Department has instructed its diplomats to avoid using words such as “ceasefire” or “de-escalation.” A venerated, 122-year-old Jewish group in Boston has just been effectively forced out of the city’s umbrella Jewish organization after participating in a protest calling for a ceasefire. In a war that has been retrofitted onto a Holocaust template, a plea to stop further killing is now read as moral failure.

What, then, is the endgame here? How much ruination in Gaza, which is spreading to the West Bank, is deemed necessary? And even once the mass slaughter ends, what then? As long as there is no political solution — an option that the Holocaust framing renders impossible — catastrophic violence will persist. And it will, as recent history has shown, get much worse.

It is true, as Adam Shatz noted in the London Review of Books, that there is more than mere cynicism at play in the Holocaust comparisons proliferating around us, not least by Israelis and diaspora Jews themselves; as he rightly points out, the Hamas attacks lit up “the rawest part of [Jews’] psyche: the fear of annihilation.” The activation of this fear is now being exacerbated by ominous reports of antisemitic attacks across multiple countries, from interpersonal violence to synagogues being attacked and even partly destroyed.

This acknowledgement, however, does not lessen the dangers of portraying the Israeli military as being locked in a fight to the death with an ultimate evil. Moreover, given the overwhelming asymmetry between Israeli and Palestinian military capabilities, and the fact that Israel is backed by a global superpower, there is only one side in this equation that is being threatened with potential genocide, and that is the Palestinians.

This in no way contradicts the fact that, as Hamas ruthlessly demonstrated on Oct. 7, Israeli Jews are increasingly paying a price for Israel’s ongoing abuses. As my colleagues Meron Rapoport and Amjad Iraqi wrote on +972 Magazine, the attacks definitively dispelled the illusion that Israel can forever subjugate, segregate, displace, and summarily execute Palestinians with minimal blowback. But as frightening and shocking as the Oct. 7 attacks were, they are not an indicator that Jews — in Israel or anywhere else — face mass, state-sanctioned violence in the way that Palestinians do and have done for decades.

Palestinians, above all those in Gaza, are under very real threat of a second Nakba, to the extent that the Nakba ever ended. The echoes of 1948 are all around: over 7,000 Palestinians dead in three weeks of Israeli airstrikes and 1.4 million displaced; flattened neighborhoods and “tent cities”; talk of mass expulsions to the Sinai and the political jockeying over the fate of potential refugees. Here, history is indeed repeating itself. What’s more, just like Jewish communities around the world, Muslim communities, too, are facing an uptick in violent hate crimes.

There are thus two immediate issues at play: to end the bombardment of Gaza, and to secure the release of Israeli and other hostages held captive there. Invoking the Holocaust in the present dire circumstances does not bring those goals closer — it only pushes them further away. It may give the illusion of lending moral authority and clarity to the proceedings, but in a war that has killed more than 8,000 people and counting, such claims are misleading at best, and cynical at worst. Surely, with all the current discussion of the Holocaust, we might honor its legacy better than that.

Source: 972 Magazine

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates called on the whole world to assume its responsibilities and intervene immediately to stop the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, in light of the recent accelerating developments, especially the cutting off of communications and the Internet and the unprecedented and continuous bombing.

The Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement, Friday evening, that these recent developments are an indication of the beginning of ground incursions that will lead to deepening genocide and expanding the circle of massacres committed every minute against our people in the Gaza Strip.

A UN committee called for the development and implementation of an “immediate and complete ceasefire,” in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since the seventh of this month.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said, in a statement issued today, Friday, that it is “concerned about the scale of the escalation and the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Gaza Strip, calling for an immediate and complete ceasefire, and providing all necessary financial and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” In addition to opening humanitarian corridors.

It called on Israel, the occupying power, to fully respect its international obligations, especially those stipulated in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which Israel ratified in 1979.

It also called on Israel to ensure that all Palestinians under its occupation, especially those living in the Gaza Strip, enjoy their full rights under the Convention without discrimination, especially their right to life and personal security, as well as their right to medical care and the right to freedom of movement.

It indicated its deep concern about the decision taken by the Israeli occupation authorities to tighten the long-standing siege on the Gaza Strip and cut off basic supplies such as food, water, electricity, medicine and fuel, which amounts to a form of collective punishment against 2.2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The committee stressed the need to lift the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and urgently allow humanitarian aid to arrive, work to rebuild civilian infrastructure and homes, and ensure freedom of movement, housing, education, health care, water and sanitation, in accordance with the agreement.

Deeply concerned by the Israeli decision of 12 October ordering 1.1 million Palestinians in northern Gaza to move to southern Gaza within 24 hours, including those who have taken refuge in UN facilities;

It called on Israel to condemn any form of hate speech, to distance itself from hate speech and racism expressed by politicians and public figures, including members of the government and parliament, and to ensure that such acts are investigated and their perpetrators are punished appropriately and strictly, in addition to combating the spread of hate speech. Hate and racism in the Israeli media, the Internet and social media.

In this context, she pointed to the sharp increase in hate speech, racism, and dehumanization directed against the Palestinians since the seventh of this month, especially on the Internet and in social media, including by senior officials, politicians, members of Parliament, and public figures, especially statements that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made a statement on October 9 in which he referred to Palestinians as “human animals,” indicating that it was “language that could incite acts of genocide.”

It expressed its deep shock at the ongoing brutal and indiscriminate Israeli military attack on the Gaza Strip, especially the air strikes that resulted in the death of more than 7,000 Palestinians, including at least 2,900 children, and the injury of more than 18,400 since the 7th of this month, in addition to... More than 1,600 people, including 900 children, are trapped under rubble in Gaza, and tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed.

The Committee also expressed its deep concern about the continuing long-term Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israeli actions and practices, including illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, which amount to violations of the Convention and other international human rights obligations. .

It pointed to the deterioration of the human rights situation in the occupied West Bank since the 7th of this month, including the restrictions imposed by Israel, the occupying power, on freedom of movement, and the increase in arbitrary arrests of Palestinians in the West Bank and Palestinians inside the 1948 territories, as well as the increase in illegal use of... Legal use of lethal force against Palestinians, and the increase in colonialist violence, which led to the martyrdom of 110 Palestinians in the West Bank, including at least 32 children.

The Committee noted that the early warning measures and urgent measures it took under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination come within the framework of appropriate preventive measures to avoid widespread violations of human rights.

The Government Information Office in Gaza announced today, Friday, the interruption of communications and the Internet in the Gaza Strip, while Israel confirmed the expansion of its ground operations tonight amid intense and unprecedented bombardment, the most violent since the start of the aggression on the seventh of this month.

The office said, "The occupation army cut off communications and most of the entire Internet to commit massacres," adding that it was carrying out "bloody retaliatory air, ground, and sea bombardment, the most violent since the start of the war on Gaza City, the Beach Camp, and all areas of the northern Gaza Strip."

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that Israeli army fighter jets were launching intense and unprecedented attacks throughout the Gaza Strip. He also said that the occupation authorities completely cut off communications from the Gaza Strip.

The media office confirmed this, accusing Israel of cutting off communications in preparation for “committing more massacres” away from the eyes of the world.

The Palestinian Al-Aqsa Channel reported that the occupation army is intensifying its air, sea and ground bombardment on all areas of Gaza in an unprecedented manner, and explained that this comes in conjunction with the complete severing of communications in the Strip.

The NetBlox Observatory, which monitors Internet access, said on Friday that Internet connectivity in the Gaza Strip had collapsed.

It added, "Direct data shows the collapse of network connectivity in the Gaza Strip amid reports of heavy bombing." On the other hand, occupation army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced that the army "will expand its ground operations" this Friday evening in the Gaza Strip, and said that this comes as a result of "a series of Strikes (launched by the army) in recent days,” referring to the ongoing aggression that has left 7,326 martyrs since the seventh of this month.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that the martyrs included 3,038 children, in addition to 1,726 women. It also announced that 18,976 were injured with various injuries and that it had received 1,650 reports of missing persons, including 940 children still under the rubble. The Ministry indicated that Israeli violations against the health system led to the martyrdom of 104. Of medical personnel, in addition to 25 ambulances being destroyed and out of service.

This comes as the Israeli raids have continued for 3 weeks, and today, Friday, more than 30 Palestinians were martyred and dozens injured in various areas in the northern Gaza Strip. The occupation fighters continued to bomb homes and destroy them over the heads of their residents, which led to a large number of martyrs and widespread destruction in the targeted areas.

Reuters quoted the World Health Organization as saying that its estimates indicate that a thousand people are still under the rubble in the Gaza Strip. The organization added, in a press conference with United Nations organizations in Geneva, that it had obtained a list from the Palestinian Ministry of Health with the names of 6,740 martyrs in Gaza, before... The toll, which rose to 7,326 martyrs, is being revised.

For his part, the United Nations Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs said that the needs in Gaza far exceed the aid that has arrived, adding that the sector needs 40 trucks of food per day.

He said that civilians in Gaza were being subjected to continuous bombardment and that the violence must end, calling for the unconditional release of all detained civilians.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation said that it is following the tragic events taking place in Palestine as a result of the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, which left thousands of martyrs and tens of thousands of wounded, wounded and missing under the rubble.

It added in a statement issued on Friday evening that she is also monitoring the collapse of hundreds of buildings and infrastructure, the outage of water and electricity, the depletion of fuel and medicine, as well as the internal displacement of the Palestinian people to avoid indiscriminate bombing.

The General Secretariat praised the important role played by member states in providing food, medical and in-kind supplies, and responding to the necessary needs necessary to support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in this great humanitarian ordeal.

It expressed her hope that the countries of the organization will continue to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people to provide the maximum assistance possible to mitigate the effects of the current humanitarian disaster, calling on member states, the organization’s organs and institutions working in humanitarian affairs, and humanitarian organizations in the Islamic world to accelerate the provision of urgent aid to the Palestinian people to help them confront the situation. The humanitarian catastrophe caused by the barbaric Israeli aggression against defenseless civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories.

On Friday evening, a group of armed settlers attacked citizens, fired live bullets at one of them’s vehicle, and destroyed it in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.

The head of the Susiya village council, Jihad Al-Nawajaa, said that a large group of colonists attacked the people in the village of Susiya, where the citizens confronted them and expelled them, and a fist fight broke out between them, as a result of which he and a number of citizens suffered bruises.

The settlers threatened the citizens to return at night, accompanied by the Israeli occupation forces.

Another local confiscation added that a group of settlers blocked the road for the citizen Ahmed Muhammad Irshidat near the Umm Al-Khair community in Masafer Yatta, forced him to get out of his vehicle, fired heavy bullets at it, and destroyed it.

The Israeli government is pushing an immediate law allowing the withdrawal of citizenship and residency from Arabs

“Given the state of war, it was agreed to immediately push for legislation stipulating that the implementation of such measures in time of war is an offense in aggravated and serious circumstances and allows the (targeted person) to be deprived of citizenship or residence,” the statement said.

The Israeli government seeks to immediately push through a law allowing the withdrawal of citizenship and residency from Arab citizens, as part of the persecution targeting activists in Arab towns in the 1948 regions and in occupied Jerusalem.

A joint statement issued by the Interior Ministers of Justice, Yariv Levin and Moshe Arbel, stated that the decision was taken following a meeting they held with competent authorities in government ministries.

According to the statement, the issue of withdrawing citizenship and residency from people who “practice terrorism, support terrorism, incite terrorism, or sympathize with a terrorist act” was discussed.

The statement stated, “Given the state of war, it was agreed to immediately push for legislation stipulating that carrying out such measures in time of war is considered an offense in aggravated and serious circumstances, and allows the deprivation of (the targeted person) of citizenship or residency.”

In the shadow of war: An interview with lawyer Uday Mansour from Adalah about prosecutions and arrests

This comes as Arab citizens have been subjected to a campaign of arrests and persecution since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7.

In this context, the Israeli police said on Thursday morning that they had arrested 120 people since the start of the war on Gaza, while submitting 18 indictments against what they considered “inciters of violence and terrorism.”

It stated, "Since the start of the war, 295 publications encouraging violence, incitement, support and identification with terrorist organizations have been examined. 134 investigation files were opened in the aftermath."

Depending on the resolution to be voted on; “The area commander may order permission to fire live ammunition on rioters, when the operational need is paramount.” Adalah had warned that “policemen will join the list of those who can execute a Palestinian with a license.”

After the approval of the judicial advisor; Voting on Sunday to change shooting instructions to allow field executions

Next Sunday, the Israeli government will vote on radically changing the open-fire regulations, allowing field executions to be carried out, after approval by the government’s judicial advisor, Gali Baharav Meara. To put it to a vote.

The Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, will present to the government a decision “to change the government’s decision that was taken after the conclusions of the Or Commission.”

“Radical changes will be made in the firing instructions issued by the Israeli police,” according to a statement issued late Thursday evening.

This comes about 20 years after the report of the “Or Committee” (the official investigation committee), which was established after the uprising of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa (October 2000, within the events of the Second Intifada), regarding the use of live bullets, sniper fire, and shooting, contrary to internal instructions and illegally, against Protesters.

The anticipated vote also comes in light of the war on Gaza, and Israeli fear of a repeat of the “Keeper of the Walls” events, in reference to the Donation of Dignity events in May 2021.

According to the resolution that Ben Gvir will put to a vote, “the open-fire regulations (open-fire regulations) will be changed to an emergency order (that will be in effect for the duration of) the duration of the fighting, in the event of a multi-front event, where (it could) riots occur on a main traffic road.” It is immediately necessary for the movement of Israeli army forces for combat operations, and for operations that support the fighting, and interfere with the movement of Israeli army forces on these axes.”

Likewise, “in the event of a riot that prevents access to (a town, village, or city), this exposes its residents to real danger, due to the riot itself, or due to an emergency, including preventing the delivery of essential emergency equipment to it, or preventing the evacuation of residents to receive The medical treatment".

According to the statement, “In these cases, and with the approval of the Inspector General of Police, the District Commander may... order the granting of permission to open live ammunition on rioters, when the operational need is of the highest value, taking into account all relevant considerations before the District Commander.”

According to the report issued by the Or Commission, which investigated the martyrdom of 13 young men on October 1, 2000, police are permitted to use live ammunition against demonstrators, in situations that pose a threat to the lives of police officers, as part of general instructions on opening fire and not as a tool within their tools. Dealing with disturbances and road closures.

The police and the Ministry of National Security were pushing to treat the closure of streets and roads in front of Israeli army vehicles during military confrontations on the Gaza front in the south or on the Lebanon and Syrian front in the north, as “aiding the enemy in times of war,” and allowing in such a case live fire. On the demonstrators, even without posing a threat to the lives of security personnel.

According to reports published this month, police and Homeland Security officials discussed a scenario that would include “the outbreak of a battle in the north, in the south, or on both fronts, during which Arab citizens block roads to the passage of Israeli army convoys.”

The Adalah Center for Human Rights, which represented the families of the martyrs of the October Uprising, confirmed by saying: “We warned that subjecting the police force to a racist minister like Ben Gvir would pose a great danger to the lives of Palestinian citizens. This coincides with the unprecedented spread of the phenomenon of violence and organized crime in The Arab community was inside the Green Line before.”

He continued, "Now the policemen are joining the list of those who can execute a Palestinian with permission, or without supervision. The October uprising did not only result in the death of thirteen martyrs, but also injured hundreds, and this type of dangerous deterioration calls for international intervention, as it has been proven conclusively that The police not only disdain the lives of Palestinian citizens, but also encourage their direct killing.”

Accordingly, the Adalah Center and the Supreme Follow-up Committee for the Arab masses in the country believe that “there is a necessary and urgent need for immediate international intervention, and they will submit a request to the United Nations to protect the Palestinian masses inside.”

Source: Arab 48

“The wars of the past taught us that what begins with the explosion of national enthusiasm, retreats when it becomes necessary to pay a price. Netanyahu knows this better than anyone. It is not cowardice that drives him to postpone decisions time after time, but rather an in-depth understanding of public opinion polls.”

Israeli propaganda in the current war on Gaza paints a picture different from the reality at the center of decision-making, that is, in the Israeli “war cabinet,” in light of a crisis of confidence between the public and the leadership in Israel.

The official government spokesmen, and their mouthpieces on television channels, promote that decisions in the cabinet are taken unanimously, but the political analyst in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Nahum Barnea, reported that this is not true, and that “the truth is that in any cabinet that is formed during periods of emergency, there is no "There is a vote on decisions. The cabinet has not yet taken any decision related to a tangible political price. A test like this is coming, as it cannot be postponed forever."

He pointed out that "the wars of the past taught us that what begins with the explosion of national enthusiasm, in which everyone supports one person and one person supports everyone, and this enthusiasm declines when it is necessary to pay prices. Netanyahu knows this better than anyone. It is not cowardice that drives him to postpone decisions time after time." "But it is an in-depth understanding of public opinion polls. The weaknesses of the Israelis are his area of expertise."

Barnea pointed out that it would be easy for the cabinet to approve the US-Qatari deal to release Israeli detainees, some of whom also hold foreign nationalities, in exchange for a ceasefire for several hours or supplying the northern Gaza Strip with fuel and medicine.

He considered that "the truly difficult stage will be the liberation of Hamas prisoners, and it will collide with the memory of the Shalit deal. The prisoners who were liberated in it, led by Yahya Sinwar, brought upon us the current catastrophe."

Another difficult decision before the “war cabinet” concerns a large ground invasion in Gaza. Barnea pointed out that such a decision enjoys great popular support in Israel, “and this support will decline when the fighting continues, and the list of martyrs and dead soldiers grows longer and victory does not appear on the horizon. There are limits to the ability to absorb. 1,400 of our dead should not have fallen on October 7. And mothers.” Soldiers, and soldiers too, will wonder, “until when, and even what number” of deaths.

He added that some Israeli ministers see the liberation of detainees in Gaza as a top priority, while other ministers prefer a ground invasion. “They are convinced that the invasion will not thwart the deal (to free the detainees), but rather will reduce its price. Netanyahu is denying the need for a resolution. Any deliberations he holds end with other deliberations.”

According to Barnea, the US administration has an interest in preferring a deal regarding the detainees in Gaza, because a ground invasion would lead to an expansion of the war and the joining of Hezbollah, and would threaten regimes in the “moderate Arab countries” and implicate them and Israel in American public opinion. The release of detainees, including American citizens, will also benefit Biden's election campaign.

Israeli and American media reported that Netanyahu blocked a decision to launch a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah, but Barnea stated today that “war cabinet” members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, from the “National Camp” bloc that joined Netanyahu’s government at the beginning of the war, opposed a military operation against Hezbollah "they are the ones who prevented a disastrous decision."

He added, "In the same way as Netanyahu is in the cabinet, everyone is right. Everyone has his influence. No one has a decisive influence. Thus, it is easier to prevent a decision from being taken. This applies to the decision that was taken this week, to prefer liberating the kidnapped people to entering by land. This is what was decided, But only future book authors will be able to tell us what really happened, and whether the kidnappers were the reason or just a cover in order to postpone a military operation whose price is high and whose effectiveness is doubtful.”

Source: Arab 48

Sources told Al Jazeera on Friday that negotiations are progressing rapidly to conclude a ceasefire agreement and a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) with Qatari mediation.

At the same time, the American CNN network reported from what it described as diplomatic sources familiar with the negotiations that “significant progress” had been made in the negotiations to release the Israeli detainees, but “there are still outstanding issues.”

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also told ABC that Washington is still working with its partners to release all detainees.

This comes after Israeli sources said that Tel Aviv informed the mediators of its willingness to “offer a price” in exchange for the release of a large number of Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian resistance factions captured approximately 250 Israelis during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood launched by the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, on October 7, and the Israeli army said that it informed the families of at least 229 people - both military and civilian - that their children were being held in Gaza.

On the other hand, the Russian newspaper Kommersant quoted a Hamas leader as saying that the movement cannot release detainees before agreeing on a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas said Thursday that about 50 Israeli prisoners were killed in Israeli air strikes.

Al Jazeera's correspondent had quoted Israeli media as saying that Tel Aviv would consider the possibility of bringing fuel into the Gaza Strip, if a serious deal was offered to release a large number of detainees held by Hamas and other resistance factions.

Although Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant, are vowing to carry out a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, several media reports indicated the approaching conclusion of a deal between the Palestinian factions in Gaza and Israel, including a ceasefire.

Europe calls for a truce

On the other hand, French President Emmanuel Macron called today, following a European summit in Brussels, for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza to ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians and the release of Israeli detainees.

Macron said, in a press conference, that several European countries are looking forward to building a “humanitarian alliance,” referring to talks taking place with Cyprus and Greece in this regard. He added that Cyprus could be a base for humanitarian operations.

In his statements, the French President affirmed what he called Israel's right to defend itself, but said that it must "target terrorists precisely without exposing civilians to danger."

He pointed out that France lost 35 of its citizens as a result of Hamas attacks. Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that the European Union Council accepted Spain's proposal to hold a peace conference in Madrid within 6 months.

Sanchez pointed out during a press conference in Brussels that his country pushed during the European summit to demand an immediate ceasefire, but some countries opposed the proposed wording.

He added that instead, the European Union countries agreed to call for a “humanitarian truce” and open humanitarian corridors, and the Union also accepted the proposal to hold a peace conference, which includes a new effort to revive the two-state solution.

The Israeli war on Gaza has been continuing for 3 weeks, and the unprecedented bombing has left more than 7,300 martyrs, most of them women and children, in addition to about 19,000 wounded, and nearly 1.4 million of the Strip’s population of 2.2 million people have been displaced.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies

The US Treasury Department imposed a second package of financial sanctions on the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and entities and figures associated with it, following the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the movement against the Israeli occupation on October 7.

The US Treasury said that the new sanctions target Hamas officials in Iran and members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

She added that the measures targeted additional assets in Hamas' investment portfolio, and people who facilitate Hamas-linked companies to evade sanctions.

The ministry said that the sanctions also included a Gaza-based entity that served as a channel for Iranian financing of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements.

For his part, US Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in the statement, “Today’s action confirms the United States’ commitment to dismantling Hamas’ financing networks by deploying our counter-terrorism sanctions authorities and working with our global partners to deprive Hamas of the ability to exploit the international financial system.”

He added, "We will not hesitate to take measures that would further weaken Hamas's ability to commit horrific attacks by relentlessly targeting its financial activities and sources of funding."

Other Sanctions The Treasury Department said it had imposed sanctions on a Jordanian citizen living in Tehran, who it said “serves as a representative of Hamas in Iran, in addition to officials in the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who train and assist members of Hamas and other armed groups.”

The sanctions also targeted the commander of the Al-Sabreen Brigade for the Special Forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Ground Forces and residing in Iran. The Treasury Department said that the Al-Sabreen Brigade deployed in Syria and provided training to Hamas and members of the Lebanese Hezbollah.

The sanctions included companies in Sudan and Spain and shareholders residing in Turkey in a company that had previously been classified as part of Hamas’ investment portfolio. The United States said earlier that Hamas’ investment portfolio, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, includes companies operating in Turkey as well as in Sudan, Algeria, the Emirates and other places.

The measure taken today, Friday, freezes any assets in the United States of those targeted, and generally prohibits Americans from dealing with them, and those who participate in certain transactions with them may also be subject to sanctions.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies