Patriarch Michel Sabbah: Israel is determined to cause more death, and Christmas came to carry a message of peace and salvation to the oppressed and tormented

Ambassador Vera Baboun: Peace is a right for many that they live automatically, but for the Palestinians it is a deep aspiration

Hatim Abdel Qader: The world is required to recall the meanings of the birth of Christ and his message in order to achieve justice and peace for the Palestinian people

Dr. Bernard Sabella: The face of the Child Jesus is seen in the faces of children suffering the ravages of war and occupation in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon

Wadih Abu Nassar: Palestinians are living in a sad atmosphere due to the ongoing war in Gaza, but the light will shine no matter how long the darkness lasts

Tony Khashram: Christmas comes amidst a sad reality imposed by war, and scenes of celebrations and tourists are absent again this year

Richard Zananiri: The land of Christmas is sad and the children live in fear and panic from the unjust scenes.. Isn’t it time for them to live in justice and peace?!

Today, the Palestinian people and Christian sects that follow the Western calendar celebrate Christmas, whose activities this year are limited to religious rituals due to the continuation of the war of extermination on the Gaza Strip for more than a year, and the escalation of aggression on the West Bank in light of the racist Israeli plans aimed at annexation and displacing Palestinians from their lands.

On this occasion, which is also a national occasion in the Palestinian territories, and an occasion to affirm unity and brotherhood among the sons of one people from all walks of life, a number of religious men and leaders sent messages of love and peace from the cradle of Jesus Christ to the world, calling for support for the Palestinian people to lift injustice from them, and to recall the meanings of the birth of Christ and his message in order to achieve justice and peace for the Palestinian people.

Christmas is peace and love despite war and destruction

Former Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah, in a touching message on the occasion of Christmas, stressed that the holiday comes this year as well amidst the ongoing war, death and destruction, especially in Gaza, where “people are dying, young and old.”

He added: "Israel is determined to kill more, and yet Christmas has come, and Christmas says: Peace."

Patriarch Sabbah pointed out that Christmas carries a message to all the oppressed and tormented of peace, salvation and love. It is a call directed to Israel and all the powerful people of the world that man was created in the image of God to love, not to kill, and to make peace, not wars.

He added: "Christmas is not only for Christians, but it is a holiday for all humanity: for the Jew, the Muslim, and the Druze. It is a holiday of peace and love."

He stressed that this holiday is a call for people to reform themselves, and that it is a call for Palestinians to work to be worthy of their freedom, independence and happiness.

The Patriarch also called on Israel to return to its humanity, saying: "Israel is still on the path to war, and war will come back to bite it. It will not find life for itself in the death it causes, but in death it finds death."

Patriarch Sabbah concluded his words by praying to God, saying: “O Lord, I was in this land two thousand years ago. Return to it now, return to it peace, justice and love, and return peace to the hearts of all people.”

He concluded his message by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, saying: “Happy New Year.”

December is a time for deep reflection, celebration and renewal.

Ambassador Vera Baboun, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Chile, sent a message on the occasion of the glorious Christmas holidays, saying in her message: “December is a time for deep reflection, celebration and renewal, as the holy season of the birth of Jesus Christ represents the call to honor and renew the values of peace, hope and justice, especially as we Palestinians face our second Nakba in 76 years.”

“For many, peace is a right that comes naturally to them. For Palestinians, peace is a deep aspiration – a cherished blessing that has yet to be fulfilled,” she added.

Ambassador Baboun noted that as we celebrate the holy season of Christmas, our thoughts turn to Bethlehem – the city that witnessed the birth of the Prince of Peace and which remains an enduring symbol of compassion, goodwill and our common humanity.

She stressed that Bethlehem's permanent message calls us to defend justice and preserve the dignity of every human being, while envisioning a future in which peace is not a privilege for just a few, but a shared reality for all, including the Palestinian people.

Ambassador Baboun concluded her message by wishing a new year full of peace.

The world must commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ by lifting the injustice against the Palestinian people.

Celebrating Christmas while the Gaza Strip is still being genocided

Hatem Abdel Qader, Secretary General of the Islamic Christian Authority for the Support of Jerusalem and the Holy Sites, said: “While the world is celebrating Christmas, a great occasion that embodies the highest human meanings, our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip are being subjected to a brutal war of extermination and ethnic cleansing unprecedented in modern history.”

Abdul Qader added: The world is called upon on this occasion to recall the meanings of the birth of Jesus Christ and embody his humanitarian message and moral teachings in order to lift injustice, suffering and oppression and achieve justice and peace for the Palestinian people.

Abdul Qader stressed the depth of the Islamic-Christian cohesion embodied by the Covenant of Omar and its foundation in the blood of the Palestinian people, Muslims and Christians, in defending the Arab identity of the city of Jerusalem and its Islamic-Christian sanctities, and the Palestinian people standing as one in confronting the occupation’s plans.

Abdul Qader expressed his hope that this occasion would be a source of inspiration and inspiration for all the Palestinian people to affirm and consolidate the bonds of unity and cohesion, calling on God to bring back this occasion when our people have achieved their national aspirations for freedom, independence, and the establishment of their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

A humanitarian message to the children of Palestine, Syria and Lebanon

In a humane message full of emotions, Dr. Bernard Sabella, a university professor at Al-Quds University, believes that the face of the child Jesus is seen in the faces of children suffering from the scourge of war and occupation in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and even around the world.

Dr. Sabella said: “I saw the face of the Child Jesus in the faces of the children of Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and the suffering and dreaming children of the world.”

He added: The face of the child Jesus is revealed in the tents of refugees, in the darkness of prisons, and in the patience and hope of man, despite the cruelty of the jailer and the injustice.

He pointed out that the face of the child Jesus represents a message of peace and love, far from favoritism of rulers and those with influence and power, stressing that this face rejects wars, violence and destruction, and cries out, saying: “Enough with hatred and destruction, enough with killing and revenge.”

Dr. Sabella explained that the face of the baby Jesus reflects hope for a world free of discrimination, where there is no difference between one human being and another.

He added: "The face of the child Jesus is a message of hope and love for this suffering East, which dreams of peace and an end to the chains of injustice, wars and occupation."

Dr. Sabella pointed out that the face of the Child Jesus is associated with the city of Bethlehem, the city whose light never goes out, but always shines with hope, love and peace.

Palestinian Christians' feelings this year seem mixed.

For his part, the specialist in church affairs, Wadih Abu Nassar, believes that the feelings of Palestinian Christians this year seem mixed. On the one hand, they celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, which represents hope and optimism.

He said that the light will shine no matter how long the darkness lasts. On the other hand, the Palestinians are living in a sad atmosphere due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

Abu Nassar pointed out that Palestinians are not only losing lives, but are living in a state of panic, fear and insecurity, whether it is physical or food security. This is what gives the atmosphere a sad character.

He explained that Palestinian Christians decided, for the most part, to celebrate the holiday inside churches and their courtyards, to maintain hope and optimism through prayer, hymns and spiritual celebration. However, manifestations of joy were absent from the streets and public places, such as traditional marches and joyful celebrations.

Abu Nassar added that this reality reflects the Palestinian Christ’s connection to his people, and his desire for everyone to enjoy peace, security and dignity in their homeland.

He expressed his hope that this would be the last holiday celebrated under these circumstances, wishing that the war would end soon and that normal life would return to Palestine.

He pointed out that many Palestinian Christians hope for stability, because instability does not only affect those who suffer directly, but also has a negative impact on everyone in the region.

Abu Nassar also expressed his concern about the increasing emigration among Palestinian Christians, which also includes Christians inside Israel.

He explained that this concern is evident in the decline in marriage and birth rates, and the significant increase in the number of people leaving the country in search of a better life.

Abu Nassar expressed his hope that things would change for the better, and that every person would feel that he lives with dignity and freedom in his homeland.

Christmas symbolizes love, justice, peace and life.

Richard Zananiri, Director General of the Bishop's School in Jerusalem, said: Christmas symbolizes love, justice, peace, life, hope and joy, because the Child of the Manger, Jesus Christ, is the King of Peace, Love and Justice.

He added: He is the Palestinian who was born, raised, grew up, lived, suffered and died in Palestine. Today, he is pained by the suffering of his people who groan under the yoke of the arrogance of the usurping occupation that is committing the most heinous crimes and genocide against our people in the beloved Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem. In this context, we recall the words of the immortal leader "Abu Ammar" when he said in Manger Square: "Jesus Christ is the first martyr of this wounded homeland."

Zananiri continued saying: Although I personally consider myself, like the rest of my people, an optimist, and we do not despair and always live in hope that the future is better, and that we plant hope, despite the pain, and we do not depend on anyone but ourselves, and he wondered how we can celebrate Christmas while the land, homeland and people of Christmas are sad, Christmas is joy, the joy of children is the most beautiful gift of the holiday, but even children live in a state of fear and panic from the unjust scenes, do not our children have the right to be happy and live like the rest of the children of the world? Do not our children have the right to enjoy and live the message of Christmas, which is love, justice, peace and security?

He stressed that sadness is common these days because of the painful scenes we are witnessing against our people in the destroyed Gaza Strip, asking how can I be happy while my people are being subjected to the most heinous types of genocide in this modern era? How can I be happy with the birth of the Child of the Cave while there are children without shelter, food, drink, or families?

He pointed out that these are the facts that the occupation is trying to hide from the world, but it will not succeed in doing so, despite the clear negligence and shameful silence of the countries of the world in the face of these daily and tragic scenes and the double standards in favor of the brutal occupation and the failure to punish it for its actions and crimes.

Zananiri touched on the insolence of the occupation in calling His Holiness the Pope of the Vatican, the highest Catholic religious authority in the world who represents more than a billion and a half Catholic Christians, anti-Semitic because of his positions against the genocide in the Gaza Strip, in addition to His Holiness the Pope’s use of the Palestinian keffiyeh and swaddling the child in the manger in the Vatican Square as a firm and supportive position for the justice of our cause, and the Palestinian keffiyeh represents a symbol of our just cause, in addition to the occupation’s position on the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, as well as the head of the Relief Agency and other leaders.

He hoped that the Christmas star would bring the good news of achieving justice and just peace in Palestine, the land and cradle of the holy heavenly religions, and the establishment of our independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and the release of all our valiant prisoners.

Zananiri appealed to the world that these holy lands need everyone’s prayers to lift the injustice from our people and nation, and he said: We will remain Muslims and Christians, breathing from one lung and chanting from the minarets of mosques and the bells of churches so that our voices will resound throughout the world to pay attention to the injustice and oppression that our proud Palestinian people are suffering from, because we have the right to live in freedom and dignity because we are the last people in the world living under brutal occupation.

Zananiri hoped to achieve unity, which is the safety valve before us, and to put the homeland above every position, faction, location, or personal interests.

Christmas is also a Palestinian national holiday.

The accredited tourism consultant, Tony Khashram, believes that this year’s Christmas celebrations come amidst a sad reality imposed by war and aggression, as Palestine’s hotels were usually full, and the streets of Jerusalem and Bethlehem were crowded with tourists and pilgrims. However, these scenes were absent again this year.

Khashram explained that the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem announced the cancellation of all festive activities planned for Christmas this year, with celebrations limited to prayers and church and religious rituals.

He added that the repercussions of the war have greatly affected the tourism sector, with losses exceeding one billion dollars this year. This has particularly affected the city of Bethlehem, which relies entirely on foreign tourism.

He stressed that this stoppage has paralyzed the work of tourism service providers, including inbound tourism offices, hotels, tour guides, tourist restaurants, bus drivers, and souvenir shops, in addition to pottery, traditional jewelry, leather, and silver workshops, which has led to the layoff of many workers in these sectors.

Khashram pointed out that the economy of the Palestinian community in the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem depends largely on visitors and incoming tourism, explaining that the absence of a national visit program directed at visitors from within or foreigners residing in Palestine poses a major challenge to the tourism sector in light of the current situation.

However, Khashram stressed the importance of adhering to the spirit of Christmas, saying: “Christmas is a Palestinian national holiday that will not stop no matter how bad the circumstances get, how difficult the situation becomes, and how difficult life becomes. It celebrates the story of the birth and life of Jesus Christ, the Messenger of Peace, and is an essential part of the Palestinian identity.”

Khashram also stressed the importance of preserving the Christian identity of the cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, their global status, and the amazing human and cultural heritage they contain that dazzles the world.

Christian churches that follow the Western calendar celebrate Christmas, and the celebrations reached their peak last night when Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over midnight mass at the Latin Church of St. Catherine, in the presence of President Mahmoud Abbas’ representative, Executive Committee member and Chairman of the Presidential Committee for Church Affairs Dr. Ramzi Khoury, and in the presence of Jordanian King Abdullah II’s representative Ambassador Issam Al-Bdour, Bethlehem Mayor Attorney Anton Salman, a number of ministers, security chiefs, ambassadors and consuls of foreign countries, a group of clergymen, nuns, and crowds of worshippers.

His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa delivered the Christmas 2024 sermon, sending a message of love and peace from Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, to the world. He said: After shaking hands with them, His Beatitude delivered a moving speech in which he said: Christmas in Bethlehem this year is also sad. As I entered the city, I noticed the shops closed. God willing, this will be the last sad Christmas. I call on all pilgrims to come to Bethlehem and not to be afraid.

At two o'clock after midnight, Cardinal Pizzipalla led the festive procession from the parish church of St. Catherine to the Grotto of the Nativity, carrying a model of the baby Jesus, and the prayers continued until the early hours of the morning.

The traditional celebrations at the popular and official levels began yesterday morning, when the procession of His Beatitude the Patriarch set off from the Patriarchate Diwan located in Bab al-Khalil, accompanied by Bishop William Shomali, Bishop Paul Margutso, Bishop Iyad Twal, the priests, the priest of the Latin parish, and representatives and dignitaries of the Latin institutions and associations in Jerusalem, in a convoy of cars via the Jerusalem Road towards the city of Bethlehem.

Upon the arrival of the procession in front of the Monastery of Mar Elias, it was received by Issa Qassis, Father Hanna Salem, priest of the Latin parish, Father Ibrahim Faltas, Deputy Custos of the Holy Land, Religious Affairs Officer and Custody Representative to the Palestinian Authority, and the heads and dignitaries of the Latin parishes in Bethlehem and Beit Jala.

After shaking hands with them, the procession continued its journey to Rachel's Tomb, where he and the accompanying delegation were received by the priest of the Latin parish, Father Rami Asakrieh, Father Issa Hijazin, the deputy mayor of Bethlehem, Hanna Hanania, the mayor of Beit Sahour, Dr. Elias Aseid, and the heads and representatives of the Latin parish. After shaking hands with those who welcomed him, the procession continued its journey.

Upon the arrival of the Patriarchal procession at Paradise Hotel, the procession was led by Palestinian motorcycles and Palestinian traffic police. At the Catholic Action Roundabout, His Beatitude dismounted and was received by priests, nuns, parish dignitaries, and representatives of the scout groups. After shaking hands with them, the procession headed out, led by the participating scout groups, carrying Palestinian flags and the groups’ flags. Meanwhile, members of the Terra Santa Eagles of the Nativity Scout Group in Bethlehem raised banners calling for an end to the war on Gaza and for work to establish peace in Arabic and English, without the participation of musical instruments, along the old Patriarchal Road, “Ras Aftees,” passing through Star Square, arriving at Manger Square.

In Manger Square, the procession was received by the Mayor of Bethlehem, Attorney Anton Salman, Governor Muhammad Taha Abu Alia, Director General of the Governorate Police, Brigadier General Murad Qandah, District Commander, Brigadier General Ibrahim Abu Kishk, Minister Hani Al-Hayek, leaders of the security services, and heads and representatives of churches and institutions.

Father Rami Asakrieh gave a speech in which he said: Today we are called to celebrate that God is with us, as He has not and will not abandon us in the midst of all this, thanking Him for this great love for every human being regardless of his religion or race.

With the explosion of revolutions and volcanoes, the generation of crises, the gathering of hurricanes, and the free flow of news, secrets, and rumors that is created in their depths, markets of analysis and predictions flourish on the edges of risks, fears, apprehensions, and apprehensions, to read what is coming in the remains of coffee in cups, and the lines of longitude and latitude in the palms of the supplicants, especially at the moment of receipt and surrender between the year about to depart, and the coming one that inherits its burdens and weights carried on the shoulders of the years.

In the crowd of analyses and the proliferation of analysts, like mushrooms after the rain, you see the amazing superficiality, naivety, sorcery, and superficiality in exploring the depths of reality and its outcomes, and the future with its explosions and breakthroughs.

You see them chattering and talking nonsense, turning defeats into victories, mistakes and sins into trials, natural disasters into divine punishments, and the horrific crimes of enemies into “what is written and cannot be escaped.” Retreating from positions and constants are tactics required by recalculations, positions, and necessities that permit prohibitions.

All these fantasies call for what an ancient poet drew of sophistries that say:

Earth is earth and sky is sky

Water is water and air is air

Summer is summer and winter is winter

And the fire they said was red

All men are men in general.

As for women, they are all women.

There is laughter like crying, and laughter to awaken and recover from the ignorance of the ignorant, as it was said: “O nation, the nations laughed at its ignorance.” There is laughter like crying, and laughter to awaken and recover from the ignorance of the ignorant, as it was said: “O nation, the nations laughed at its ignorance.”

Stop the genocide now...!

13 citizens were killed and others were injured today, Wednesday, as a result of the Israeli occupation air force bombing of various areas in the Gaza Strip.

Local sources reported that 10 citizens were killed and several others were injured when the occupation forces bombed a house in the Ma'an area, east of Khan Yunis Governorate.

A citizen and his wife were also killed in a bombing that targeted a residential apartment near the Ain Jalut Towers, south of the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, and the young man Ahmed Al-Munirawi was killed in the bombing of his family’s home in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli occupation continues its aggression on the Gaza Strip, by land, sea and air, since October 7, 2023, which resulted in the death of 45,338 citizens, the majority of whom are women and children, and the injury of 107,764 others, in an incomplete toll, as thousands of victims are still under the rubble and in the streets, and ambulance and rescue crews cannot reach them.

The Israeli occupation forces injured 4 citizens and arrested others in the West Bank at dawn on Wednesday.

In Tubas, Red Crescent sources reported that two citizens were injured as a result of the occupation's bombing from a drone on the town of Tamoun, and they were transferred to the hospital.

In Tulkarm, the occupation forces arrested the young man, Muhammad Fateh Badran (22 years old), from his home in the town of Deir al-Ghusun, noting that he is a former detainee.

In Nablus, the occupation forces stormed the city and raided a residential building in the Rafidia neighborhood, and a number of homes in the northern mountain, and searched them and ransacked their contents, and arrested three young men: Mahmoud Mar’i, Fadi Mar’i, and Saed Mar’i.

Clashes also erupted after the occupation forces stormed the vicinity of the academy area, during which the occupation soldiers fired live bullets, which led to two citizens being injured by bullets in the thigh area. They were transferred to...

They are going to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the occupation forces, accompanied by a military bulldozer, stormed Balata camp, and the bulldozer began to vandalize the streets and infrastructure on the market street, inside the camp.

The occupation soldiers raided a house, searched it, and wreaked havoc, then arrested the young man Mahmoud Abu Muslim (19 years old).

This evening, Tuesday, settlers attacked the Arab al-Malihat community, northwest of the city of Jericho.

According to local sources, a number of settlers in three vehicles stormed the community and threw stones at a citizen's home, without any injuries being reported.

The Prisoners Club said that extending the administrative detention of the detainee Khalida Jarrar (61 years old) for the third time, in addition to extending her isolation order that has continued for 134 days, constitutes a direct attack on her life, and a complex crime that begins with the systematic crime of her administrative detention through which she has been targeted over the past years, in addition to her continued isolation in harsh and difficult conditions in the isolation prison (Neve Tartoussia), which is one of the worst prisons of the Israeli occupation.

The Prisoners Club added in a statement issued on Tuesday evening that the occupation had administratively arrested Jarar a year ago, and on 8/12/2024, it isolated her, as part of a systematic targeting process, where she lives in tragic and difficult conditions, the aim of which is to try to deprive her of her humanity.

It is noteworthy that the occupation forces had re-arrested Jarar on 12/26/2023, from her home in the city of Ramallah, and she was transferred to administrative detention. Throughout the past period, she was detained in Al-Damon prison alongside female detainees, until she was recently transferred to solitary confinement. Since her arrest, she has been facing, like all male and female detainees, harsh and difficult detention conditions, systematic abuse and crimes.

It is noteworthy that Jarar is a former detainee who was detained for about five years. She is a human rights and feminist activist. Throughout her repeated detentions, she faced retaliatory measures against her, the harshest and most difficult of which was preventing her from taking a last look at her daughter who died in her previous detention.

She is one of 89 female detainees in the occupation prisons, most of whom are in the "Damon" prison, and among 23 female prisoners held under administrative detention, including mothers, in addition to sisters of martyrs, mothers of martyrs and detainees, former detainees, students, journalists, activists, and lawyers.

It is noteworthy that the occupation has escalated its campaigns of arrests among women since the beginning of the war of extermination, and the number of arrests among them has reached about 445. This data does not include the women who were arrested from Gaza, whose number is estimated in the dozens.

The Prisoners Club renewed its demand for the international human rights system to restore its necessary role in the face of the ongoing war of extermination, and to put an end to the ongoing state of helplessness in the face of the brutality of the occupation and the horrific crimes it continues to commit, and not to be satisfied with monitoring and declaring positions, including those related to the crimes to which detainees, male and female, are subjected in the occupation’s prisons and camps as one aspect of the war of extermination.

Amid leaks to the Israeli media about difficulties hindering the conclusion of an agreement in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the existence of “partial progress,” without specifying a date for the expected deal, amid warnings from Hamas about the fate of the hostages.

The negotiating scene, according to experts who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat, will remain “fluctuating between progress and the emergence of gaps,” attributing this to “obstinacy and maneuvers” that began with Netanyahu with the aim of achieving the greatest possible gains, even if it came to obstructing the agreement a little and expanding the front of response to the Houthis in Yemen. They added: “But in any case, the prime minister will not exceed Trump’s deadline to conclude the deal before his inauguration on January 20.”

The Qatari Foreign Ministry revealed on Tuesday that the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza are “ongoing,” calling on everyone to “cooperate” with the mediation, according to what was reported by Qatari media, the day after the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Monday, citing an unnamed source, that “there is no real progress in the negotiations.”

The newspaper's estimates are in line with what Israeli Channel 13 reported on Sunday, quoting Israeli officials, that "the optimism that prevailed last week regarding the possibility of formulating a preliminary agreement has dissipated due to the escalation of differences and the lack of signs of an imminent breakthrough in the talks, especially with the continued disagreement over the lists of prisoners and the Philadelphi axis on the border with Egypt."

These differences come amid the announcement by the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine movements, in a joint statement on Saturday, that they have made progress towards reaching a ceasefire agreement, and the factions confirmed that “the possibility of reaching an agreement is closer than ever before, if the enemy stops setting new conditions,” following talks held a day earlier in Cairo.

Netanyahu, however, confirmed that some progress had been made in the ongoing negotiations, but he spoke about not knowing when the results would emerge. This was during a speech he gave in the Knesset on Monday, about the “great achievements” he had made militarily, while the leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, accused him of being “responsible for obstructing the completion of the hostage deal.”

In light of this conflict, Palestinian political analyst Abdul Mahdi Mutawa expects that the negotiations will continue to fluctuate between declarations of progress and the existence of gaps, as Netanyahu continues to maneuver until the last moment to obtain gains, and Israel insists on obtaining a list of the names of the living and dead hostages, even though it is “a demand that delays reaching an agreement.”

A Palestinian woman is rescued from an ambulance after being injured in an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip (AFP)

The Egyptian expert in strategic and military affairs, Major General Samir Farag, believes that Netanyahu is continuing his previous habit, whenever any agreement is close to success, of adding new conditions and obstacles, suggesting that his talk about “the existence of some progress is likely to appease the families of the hostages amid the escalating criticism against him.”

Amid these expectations of a delay in announcing a new truce agreement, US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for national security adviser, Mike Waltz, warned that the new administration will never tolerate the holding of American hostages, stressing that this is completely unacceptable, and “there will be a very heavy price,” according to what was reported by “The Times of Israel” on Monday.

The Qassam Brigades, affiliated with Hamas, stated that the fate of some prisoners depends on the behavior of the Israeli forces. The spokesman for the Brigades, Abu Obeida, said in a statement that “the fate of some of the enemy’s prisoners depends on the occupation army advancing hundreds of meters in some areas that are exposed to aggression.”

Motawa does not see any interest in Hamas’ threats regarding the fate of the hostages, stressing that “the repetition of this propaganda has made it lose its importance in light of the official Israeli habituation to it without the concern of the hostages’ families making a difference… Netanyahu will also not pay any attention to the hostages or their fate, and perhaps Trump’s deadline has encouraged him even more, that the matter will end in a not-too-distant time, and thus he will work before that to enhance his personal and political gains and pressure on the negotiations.”

Faraj believes that “Hamas’ threats regarding the hostages are natural in light of the possibility of them being targeted by Israel as the war on the Gaza Strip continues,” stressing that Netanyahu will not care about that, explaining that Washington’s warnings will have no effect in protecting the hostages except with a close agreement and pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister to stop his potential escalation in the region.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz publicly acknowledged for the first time that Israel was responsible for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran last July, and threatened to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen.

Netanyahu may exploit the issue of striking the Houthis to turn the Gaza negotiating table, shuffle the cards, and exert additional pressure to achieve greater gains, as Mutawa expects.

Therefore, the negotiations may continue to fluctuate up and down with Netanyahu’s obstacles, according to Mutawa, adding: “But a truce will be concluded a little or a lot before Trump’s inauguration, unlike what was expected for the truce to be concluded in the coming days and before the end of the year.”

Faraj expects Netanyahu to continue maneuvering, with the possibility that he will conclude the deal close to Trump's inauguration or the first week of his taking office, in order not to give gains to the Joe Biden administration, and to make it exclusive to his ally, the new American president.

1. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said, on Tuesday evening, that a dead citizen arrived tonight at Tulkarm Hospital from Nour Shams Camp.

The ministry added that this brings the number of killed as a result of the Israeli aggression on Tulkarm and Nour Shams camps to 8.

Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized Joe Biden's decision to commute the death sentences of 37 inmates issued by the US federal judiciary, weeks before the transfer of power from the Democratic president to his Republican successor who supports the death penalty, according to Agence France-Presse.

“Joe Biden just commuted the death sentences of 37 of our country’s worst killers,” the Republican billionaire wrote on his Truth Social platform. “When you realize what each of them did, you won’t believe he did it.”

"This step is meaningless. The relatives and friends of the victims are even more shocked. They can't believe what is happening!" he added.

Donald Trump's comments came after the outgoing president announced yesterday that he had commuted the death sentences issued by the federal judiciary against 37 of the 40 convicts.

Human rights organizations that moved weeks ago to convince Biden confirmed that “this is the largest number of death sentences that an American president has decided to commute in modern times.”

Those organizations feared that the executions would be carried out with the return of Donald Trump to the White House on January 20, as he is considered a strong supporter of this punishment.

During his election campaign, Trump called for expanding the scope of the application to include immigrants convicted of killing American citizens and people involved in drug and human trafficking.

The Israeli occupation forces forced the wounded and sick to evacuate the Indonesian Hospital, and targeted Kamal Adwan and Al-Awda Hospitals, as part of a military campaign that has been ongoing for weeks to displace the residents of the northern Gaza Strip.

Munir al-Barash, director general of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, said that the occupation forces ordered officials of the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia to evacuate it yesterday, Monday, before storming it in the early hours of Tuesday morning and forcing those inside to leave.

Reuters reported that many of those forced to leave by the occupation reached another hospital miles away in Gaza City, some on foot.

Al Jazeera's correspondent explained that the evacuation of the Indonesian hospital coincided with an Israeli bombardment targeting Al Awda Hospital in Jabalia camp.

Commenting on this development, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said that the occupation's forcing of medical staff, patients and displaced persons in the Indonesian hospital to leave is a continuation of war crimes, adding that the international community is required to end its state of silence and unjustified helplessness in the face of what it described as the crimes of the fascist occupation.

For his part, Mohammed Salha, acting director of Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, said that the occupation forces targeted the third floor of the hospital this morning, Tuesday, where dozens of patients are lying.

Saleh added in a statement to Al Jazeera that the occupation practices these violations on a daily basis by targeting everything that moves inside Al Awda Hospital or in its surroundings.

The evacuation of the Indonesian hospital and the targeting of other nearby hospitals comes as the Israeli army announced the expansion of its operations in the northern Gaza Strip.

Since October 5, the occupation army has been launching a military operation that has resulted in the death of about 4,000 Palestinians, the injury of thousands more, and the displacement of tens of thousands, while 40 Israeli soldiers have been killed by the Palestinian resistance during this period, according to official Israeli data.

Bombing and booby-trapped robots

Meanwhile, the director of the hospital, Kama Adwan, Hussam Abu Safia, said that the Israeli occupation forces began sending booby-trapped robots to the hospital's surroundings for the first time yesterday, Monday, to later detonate them, which posed a great danger to everyone in the hospital.

Abu Safiya added that 20 people were injured as a result of the Israeli attacks in various departments of the hospital, including 5 members of the medical staff, explaining that they still have more than 65 patients after the evacuation they were forced to undergo yesterday, Monday.

The director of Al-Awda Hospital confirmed that the situation in the medical facility is becoming more dangerous in light of the occupation forces targeting electricity generators once again and destroying all the barriers and internal doors, calling for the establishment of a safe passage to bring in all necessary supplies and aid and to protect health sector workers from direct Israeli targeting and attacks.

For his part, Marwan Al-Hamas, director of field hospitals in the Gaza Strip, told Al Jazeera that the occupation forces are intensifying their attacks on hospitals in the north without a clear reason, and are killing patients and medical staff through bombing, siege and starvation.

In this context, Munir Al-Barash, Director General of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, said that the Israeli occupation is escalating its targeting of hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip, and wants to repeat the scenario of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where it deliberately detonated booby-trapped robots around Kamal Adwan Hospital, and is besieging the Indonesian Hospital with more than 50 tanks.

Al-Barash warned that forcing the injured and sick to leave hospitals would lead to the death of children, the elderly and serious cases.

Activists on social media circulated pictures of the occupation forces planting an explosive barrel in front of the gate of Kamal Adwan Hospital. The occupation forces also placed similar explosive barrels in the streets surrounding the hospital, and their explosions caused damage to the facility building.

Exclusive images from Al Jazeera also showed columns of smoke rising after violent Israeli raids around Al Awda Hospital.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on Tuesday on the committee monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement to pressure Israel to stop its violations of the agreement and withdraw from the areas it has penetrated into in his country.

This came during his chairing of a committee meeting, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese Prime Minister's Office.

According to the statement, Mikati stressed, during the meeting, the "necessity of stopping Israeli violations and immediately withdrawing from the border areas where the Israeli army has penetrated in southern Lebanon."

He stressed that Lebanon is "committed" to the terms of the agreement, while "Israel continues its violations" of it, describing this as "unacceptable."

Mikati called on the committee monitoring the implementation of the agreement to "pressure Israel to implement the terms of the agreement, most notably withdrawing from the occupied territories and stopping the violations."

The meeting was attended by the Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, and the Chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, US General Jasper Jeffers. The committee members included: French General Guillaume Ponchamp, Commander of the South Litani Sector in the Lebanese Army, Brigadier General Edgar Lowndes, and Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), General Araldo Lazaro.

Since November 27, a fragile ceasefire has prevailed, ending the mutual shelling between Israel and Hezbollah that began on October 8, 2023, and then turned into a full-scale war on September 23.

Under the pretext of confronting "threats from Hezbollah," Israel committed 295 violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon until Tuesday evening, resulting in a total of 32 deaths and 38 injuries, according to a statistic by Anadolu Agency based on data from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

The most prominent provisions of the ceasefire agreement include Israel's gradual withdrawal to the south of the Blue Line separating it from Lebanon within 60 days, and the deployment of Lebanese army and security forces along the border, crossing points, and the southern region.

Under the agreement, the Lebanese army will be the only entity allowed to carry weapons in the south of the country, with the dismantling of military infrastructure and sites, the confiscation of unauthorized weapons, and the establishment of a committee to oversee and help ensure the implementation of these obligations.

The Israeli aggression on Lebanon resulted in 4,063 deaths and 16,663 injuries, including a large number of children and women, in addition to the displacement of about 1,400,000 people. Most of the victims and displaced persons were recorded after the escalation of the aggression on September 23.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz threatened, on Tuesday, the leaders of the Houthi group in Yemen with a fate similar to that of the leaders of the Palestinian Hamas movement and the Lebanese Hezbollah, who were assassinated by Tel Aviv months ago, amid the interception of a third missile within a week.

"Israel will deal with the Houthi leaders in Sanaa and other Yemeni areas, similar to how it dealt with (former Hamas political bureau chief Yahya) Sinwar in Gaza, (former Hamas political bureau chief Ismail) Haniyeh in Tehran, and (former Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan) Nasrallah in Beirut," the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted Katz as saying.

The authority said that Katz made these statements while inspecting the Arrow system battery, which intercepted a missile launched from Yemen last night, without specifying the location.

Israel assassinated Sinwar, Haniyeh and Nasrallah in three attacks in different locations in Gaza, Tehran and Beirut.

Katz added: "We will not accept the continued firing of Houthi militias at the State of Israel. We will act against their infrastructure and against them to remove the threat."

The Israeli minister threatened the Houthi supporters, saying: "Anyone who sponsors the Houthis in Hodeidah or Sana'a will pay a heavy price," while the group did not immediately respond to these statements.

On Tuesday morning, the Israeli army announced that it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, the third in a week, before it penetrated Israeli airspace, while 20 people were injured while heading to shelters.

In recent weeks, Houthi missile and drone attacks on Tel Aviv have escalated, amid sharp criticism from the Israeli opposition and former military leaders of the army's failure to confront the Houthi attacks and the government's inability to stop this threat.

On Saturday, the Houthis bombed a military target in the city of Jaffa with a hypersonic missile that the Israeli army failed to intercept, wounding 20 Israelis, according to the Israeli Ambulance Service.

On Sunday, the Israeli Air Force said, in the results of an investigation, that the missile launched by the Houthis from Yemen fell in Tel Aviv "due to a malfunction in the interceptor missile, and not in the air defense system itself," according to the private Israeli Channel (12).

Al-Houthi also announced in a statement on Monday evening that it had attacked two military targets in Jaffa and Ashkelon in central and southern Israel with two drones.

It stressed that it "continues its military operations against the Israeli enemy in response to the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip, and these operations will not stop until the (Israeli) aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted."

This evening, Tuesday, two young men and a child were injured by the occupation forces’ bullets after storming Beit Furik, east of Nablus.

The Red Crescent in Nablus reported that ambulance crews dealt with the injury of two young men (20 years old) and (22 years old) by occupation bullets in the thigh and knee, and a child (15 years old) in the foot area after storming Beit Furik, and they were transferred to the hospital.

In the same context, the occupation forces stormed the town of Beit Furik amid heavy gunfire and tear gas, which led to the outbreak of clashes in the area, and the raiding of the Balsam Medical Center in the town.

The leaders of the Iran-backed Houthi group ignored Benjamin Netanyahu's threats to strike them and destroy infrastructure in areas under their control, and continued the escalation by launching ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel, as Tel Aviv confirmed intercepting a ballistic missile and a drone on Monday and Tuesday.

While the group claimed responsibility for the attacks on Israel and threatened more, it escalated in another direction on the internal field level in Taiz Governorate (southwest), which led to the outbreak of violent nighttime clashes with the Yemeni army forces, the latter announcing that it had inflicted 8 deaths and 15 injuries on the coup plotters.

The Israeli army reported early Tuesday that sirens sounded in several areas of central Israel after a missile was fired from Yemen, confirming that it was intercepted before it crossed into Israeli territory.

Before announcing the interception of the missile, the Israeli army reported, on Monday evening, that the air force had intercepted a drone launched from Yemen before it penetrated Israeli airspace, according to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

While no direct injuries were recorded during the two interceptions, the Israeli ambulance service reported that more than 20 people were injured while heading to shelters, some of whom were in a state of panic, after the sirens sounded.

While the Houthis ignored Netanyahu’s repeated threats, the latter informed the Knesset members on Monday that he had ordered the army to destroy the Houthis’ infrastructure. According to Agence France-Presse, Netanyahu said: “I have ordered our armed forces to destroy the Houthis’ infrastructure because we will strike with all our might against anyone who tries to harm us. We will continue to crush the forces of evil with force and skill, even if it takes time.”

The Houthi group's military spokesman, Yahya Saree, announced in a televised statement on Monday evening that his group's forces had carried out two operations against two Israeli targets in the Ashkelon and Jaffa areas using two drones, claiming that they had successfully achieved their goal.

The Iran-backed Houthi group has been launching attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November 19, 2023, in addition to missile and drone attacks towards Israel, under the pretext of supporting the Palestinians in Gaza, a narrative that the Yemeni government describes as misleading.

Last Saturday, the group claimed responsibility for launching a ballistic missile into central Israel. Air defenses were unable to intercept it, and it fell in a square in the middle of residential buildings, causing minor injuries to about 23 Israelis, according to Hebrew media.

The Houthi attack was followed hours later by the US military carrying out strikes targeting a Houthi missile facility and a command and control facility in Sanaa, in parallel with confronting Houthi drone and missile attacks, which led to the crash of a fighter jet after being hit by friendly fire, the first fighter jet Washington has lost since the start of its campaign against the Houthis on January 12, 2023.

Anticipating Israeli revenge

In light of the Houthi escalation, Yemenis are fearfully awaiting Israeli retaliatory operations, especially since Tel Aviv's strikes do not differentiate between a military target and other targets related to the lives of the population subject to the group by force.

According to local Yemeni sources, previous Israeli strikes had caused the targeted ports in Hodeidah to lose 70 percent of their operational capacity, amid fears of further strikes that could lead to the complete disruption of these ports.

Over the course of more than a year, the Houthis have claimed responsibility for launching about 370 missiles and drones towards Israel, but they have had no tangible offensive effect, except for a drone that killed a person after exploding in an apartment in Tel Aviv on July 19, and a school was severely damaged by the explosion of a missile warhead on December 19, and about 23 people were injured by another missile that exploded last Saturday, December 21.

These Houthi attacks prompted a response from Israel on July 20, targeting fuel depots in the port of Hodeidah, killing 6 people and wounding about 80 others.

On September 29, Israel bombed fuel depots in Hodeidah and Ras Issa port, and targeted two power plants in Hodeidah, in addition to the city’s airport, which has been out of service for years. These raids resulted in the deaths of 4 people and the injury of about 30 people.

The strikes were repeated on December 19, when Israeli aircraft launched about 14 raids on the three ports of Hodeidah, controlled by the Houthis in western Yemen, and on two power plants in Sanaa, killing 9 people and wounding 3 others.

Escalation in Taiz

In parallel with the regional and naval escalation carried out by the Houthi group, it also escalated on the ground in Taiz Governorate, amidst mobilization, mobilization, and military operations of its followers in all areas under its control.

Residents of Taiz reported the outbreak of violent nighttime clashes in which medium and heavy weapons were used. The official website of the Yemeni army said that its forces thwarted, on Monday evening, "an attack by the terrorist Houthi militias" on the northwestern front of the city.

September Net quoted field sources as saying that “Houthi militias attempted to advance towards army positions on the air defense front northwest of Taiz city, and that army forces thwarted the attempt and forced the militia elements to flee after inflicting heavy losses in lives and equipment.”

For his part, the media center of the Taiz military axis reported that 8 Houthis were killed and 15 wounded during the operation to repel the attack on army positions on the air defense front northwest of the city, at midnight Monday - Tuesday.

The clashes came hours after a child was killed and three others were injured, from one family, after their house was hit by a Houthi shell in the village of Al-Bumiyah in the Maqbanah district, west of Taiz governorate.

The official media quoted local sources as saying that the Houthis directly targeted a house in the village with a mortar shell, which resulted in the death of the child, Deeb Bakr Qaed Mahyoub (4 years old), and the injury of three other children: Shaima Bakr Qaed Mahyoub (6 years old), Marial Bakr Qaed Mahyoub (8 years old), and Abdul Haq Ali Qaed Mahyoub (3 years old) with scattered shrapnel.

The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism in the Yemeni government, Muammar Al-Eryani, condemned the attack, which he described as a “heinous crime,” and said that it comes “in continuation of the brutal and deliberate crimes that the Houthi militias have been committing on a daily basis against civilians in Taiz Governorate since their brutal coup.”

Al-Eryani said that the group’s approach of targeting civilians by bombing residential neighborhoods, popular markets, and civil institutions “embodies its brutality and terrorism, reflects the extent of its disregard for international laws, humanitarian and moral values, increases suffering, and deepens the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.”

In an official statement, the Yemeni minister called on the international community, the United Nations, its special envoy, and human rights organizations and bodies to condemn the incident, immediately classify the Houthis as a “global terrorist organization,” freeze their assets, and prosecute their leaders involved in committing crimes.

Two people were killed on Monday in an Israeli airstrike on the Marjayoun area in southern Lebanon, in a new violation of the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect for about a month.

The Lebanese National News Agency said that the two people were killed in an enemy raid that targeted a group of people near the public school in the town of Taybeh in Marjeyoun, Nabatieh District.

Since the ceasefire agreement that ended the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah took effect on November 27, the Israeli army has committed widespread violations, including carrying out raids, shooting at Lebanese citizens, and blowing up homes in border towns and villages that it still occupies.

According to a tally reported by the Anadolu Agency, citing official data, Israeli violations of the agreement resulted in the deaths of 32 people and the injury of 38 others.

In the same context, Lebanese sources reported that the Israeli occupation forces blew up more houses in the town of Kfar Kila.

The Lebanese National News Agency also reported that the occupation forces blew up several houses in the Al-Bustan and Al-Zaloutieh areas in Tyre District.

In simultaneous developments, Lebanese media reported that Israeli forces blew up houses in the town of Naqoura, carried out bulldozing operations on the northern outskirts of the town of Maroun al-Ras, and raised the Israeli flag on a hill in the Iskenderun area between the towns of al-Bayada and Naqoura overlooking the coast at the main entrance to the town of Naqoura.

For its part, the Israeli occupation army said that the forces of the 679th Brigade continue their activity in southern Lebanon in accordance with the understandings concluded between Israel and Lebanon, and spoke of the confiscation of missile launch platforms and explosive devices.

Withdrawal of occupation

Meanwhile, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that the monitoring committee tasked with implementing UN Resolution 1701 must play its full role and pressure Israel to stop its violations and withdraw from Lebanese territory.

During his inspection of the city of Khiam, Mikati held Israel responsible for the delay in implementing Resolution 1701, and called on the United States and France to intervene to stop Israel’s violations of this resolution and withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon before the expiry of the 60-day period stipulated in the ceasefire understanding.

The Lebanese Prime Minister stressed the need to "resolve all disputes regarding the Blue Line so that there is no justification for any Israeli occupation of our land."

He also confirmed the continued deployment of the army in the south, and expressed his hope for achieving long-term stability.

Mikati's tour in southern Lebanon included the town of Naqoura, where he visited a UNIFIL headquarters.

In contrast, the Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli officials as saying that the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon may be slower due to what they described as the slow deployment of the Lebanese army.

It is noteworthy that the United States and France are members of the five-member committee, which also includes Lebanon, Israel and the international emergency forces (UNIFIL), which is supposed to maintain dialogue between the parties while recording and addressing ceasefire violations.

The official Jordanian news agency, Petra, said, "Under royal directives, an initiative was launched to support our brothers in Gaza. It is a mobile bakery with a high production capacity of up to 3,500 loaves of bread per hour."

The agency explained that the bakery will begin production upon its arrival in Gaza to alleviate the human suffering caused by the war there, as it will work in cooperation with the World Central Kitchen, an international non-governmental organization that provides meals and food aid to those affected by conflicts and disasters.

The dispatch of the mobile bakery comes as part of the ongoing Jordanian efforts to provide humanitarian, relief and medical aid by all available means, by land and air, to Gaza.

Today, Tuesday, the Israeli occupation bulldozers continued to level areas of land in the village of Haris, west of Salfit, and uproot dozens of olive trees owned by the sons of citizen Abdul Latif Daoud.

According to local sources, the occupation bulldozers have been continuing their excavation work since the morning hours, for more than two dunams in the Dhahr area on the western side of the village, for the benefit of the Israeli company "Mekorot", which extends water lines to the settlement of Barkan, which is built on citizens' lands.

She added that the occupation bulldozers caused damage to the land and uprooted dozens of olive trees, estimated to be between 10-12 years old, noting that the occupation army expelled him while he was heading to the land and prevented him from being there, pointing out that the lands in that area are surrounded by the industrial settlements of "Netafim" and "Barakata".

An elderly woman was killed and another young man was seriously injured when an Israeli drone bombed a site in Tulkarm camp.

Local sources reported that an occupation drone bombed a gathering of citizens in the Al-Hamam neighborhood in Tulkarm camp, which led to the death of an elderly woman and the injury of 3 others, including a child (10 years old) and a young man (29 years old) who was seriously injured. They were transferred to the Martyr Thabet Thabet Hospital.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced today, Tuesday, that the death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,338, the majority of whom are children and women, since the start of the Israeli occupation aggression on October 7, 2023.

It added that the number of injuries has risen to 107,764 since the beginning of the aggression, while thousands of victims are still under the rubble.

It pointed out that the occupation forces committed 3 massacres, which resulted in the death of 21 citizens and the injury of 51 others.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared before the Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday to answer corruption charges against him, for the sixth time this December.

According to Channel 14, Netanyahu continues to refute the articles in the lawsuit filed against him in the 4000 case, after he expressed his anger in the previous session that these accusations are false, and it is expected that the defense will move to the following articles, out of 315 articles in the indictment.

Netanyahu's trial resumed in December, with his third appearance on December 16, his fourth on December 18, and his fifth on December 23.

Netanyahu is expected to remain in court until his testimony on the charges against him is completed.

Netanyahu faces charges of corruption, bribery and breach of trust in three corruption cases known as Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000, the most serious of which were filed by former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in late November 2019.

"Case 1000" relates to Netanyahu and members of his family receiving valuable gifts from wealthy businessmen, in exchange for providing facilities and assistance to these figures in various fields.

In "Case 2000," he is accused of negotiating with Arnon Moses, publisher of the private Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, to obtain positive media coverage.

Netanyahu's trial in these cases began in 2020 and is still ongoing. He denies it, claiming that it is a "political campaign aimed at overthrowing him."

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that the Israeli occupation authorities kill a child every hour in the Gaza Strip.

The agency added in a statement issued on Tuesday: "There is no place for children. Since the beginning of the war, 14,500 children have been reported killed in Gaza, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)."

She continued: "A child is killed every hour. These are not just numbers, they are lives cut short."

UNRWA confirmed that there was no justification for killing children in the Gaza Strip, and that all the children who survived "were left with physical and psychological scars."

It pointed out that children are deprived of education, as "boys and girls in Gaza spend their time searching through the rubble."

“Time is running out for these children,” she warned. “They are losing their lives, their futures and most of their hopes.”

Last July, UNRWA said, “Children in the Gaza Strip face tragedy and trauma every day.”

Since October 7, 2023, the occupation forces have continued their aggression on Gaza from land, sea and air, which has so far resulted in the death of 45,317 citizens and the injury of 107,713 others, including a large number of children and women. The numbers are expected to rise in light of the presence of thousands of missing people under the rubble, while rescue teams face enormous difficulties in reaching all affected areas.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education said that 12,820 students were killed and 21,351 were injured since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on October 7, 2023.

The Ministry of Education stated in a statement on Tuesday that the number of students who were martyred in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the aggression has reached more than 12,701, and those who were injured reached 20,702, while in the West Bank 119 students were killed and 649 others were injured, in addition to 542 being arrested.

It pointed out that 619 teachers and administrators were martyred and 3,831 were injured in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and more than 158 were arrested in the West Bank.

The Ministry of Education pointed out that in the Gaza Strip, 171 government schools were severely damaged, 77 schools were completely destroyed, in addition to 191 schools being bombed and vandalized, including 65 schools affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Twenty higher education institutions were severely damaged, while 51 university buildings were completely destroyed, and 57 buildings were partially destroyed.

In the West Bank, 109 schools were vandalized, and 7 universities and colleges were subjected to repeated raids by the occupation, vandalism, and tampering with their contents.

The Ministry of Education confirmed that 788,000 students in the Gaza Strip are still deprived of attending their schools and universities since the beginning of the aggression, while most students suffer from psychological trauma and face difficult health conditions.

Today, Tuesday, the Israeli occupation forces carried out demolition and bulldozing operations in the town of Hizma, north of occupied Jerusalem.

Local sources reported that the occupation bulldozers demolished this morning the house of the Jerusalemite Fares Salah al-Din, whose area is estimated at about 200 square meters, and another house under construction belonging to the Jerusalemite citizen Habis Ali.

According to the sources, the occupation forces bulldozed olive trees and stone chains during their raid on the town of Hizma.

The glorious Christmas holiday, celebrated by the Western Christian sects at midnight tonight, with the celebration of the papal feast mass presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem for the Latins, comes at a time filled with hatred, injustice and persecution of our Palestinian people in historic Palestine, as a result of the ongoing sinful aggression against defenceless civilians, whose lives the occupation seeks to destroy and transform their occasions and joys into sorrows, tragedies and disasters, in light of the massacres of genocide committed against the innocent.

Israel, with its extremist entity, did not spare the Palestinians, and did not stop its aggression for a moment since it expanded its scope on October 7, 2023. Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and all Islamic religious occasions came shyly amidst a sea of tears, hope, and supplication to the Almighty to change the situation. Tonight, tomorrow, and until the end of the glorious Christmas holidays and for all Christian sects, it seems that the occupation will maintain its pace of bombing and targeting our people in the various areas of its presence, because this occupation does not realize the truth of the glorious birth that changed humanity, and transformed it from an era of hatred and malice, to an era of bright light and a time that illuminates the future, full of meanings of new life, based on love, justice, and peace, as stated in the Bethlehem statement on the occasion of Christmas.

Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, peace be upon him, lit candles of hope in its new Christmas season, calling on the peoples of the world to adopt the values of Christmas with its clear and obvious message, despite the injustice and pain, that the people of Palestine will remain a living people who love peace, clinging to their roots in their holy land, loving life, witnessing the Christmas, and carrying a message of hope, optimism and peace, believing in the justice of heaven.

Bethlehem, like Jerusalem and all the cities of the West Bank, is not far from what is happening in the Gaza Strip. It too suffers from the woes of the siege and restrictions, which have caused its isolation, which has halted tourism and closed doors and windows to pilgrims from around the world who used to flock to the birthplace of Christ to celebrate and revive the holidays. However, this time, for the second year in a row, the holiday will be limited to prayers and religious recitations, based on the national unity that strengthens our unity and social fabric, and a sense of responsibility and duty placed on the shoulders of the Bethlehem Municipality and the city’s institutions, which will commit to a silent holiday with all the Christians of this holy land, in loyalty to the blood of the martyrs, and at the same time in rejection of the unjust occupation measures against our people in the Gaza Strip and all of Palestine.

Christians in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Gaza, Nazareth, Jaffa and all parts of the Palestinian geography, call on the world today to pray with our Palestinian people, who insist on carrying the message of hope and faith in a better tomorrow, hoping that the silence of the world on the night of hymns and ringing of bells will turn into a voice of truth and humanity, and that they will participate with our Palestinian people in creating a future in which noble values will grow and flourish, foremost among which are our freedom, dignity and pride.

We invite the world to sing with us loudly and loudly: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

We pray to Almighty God that our people enjoy security and peace and that joy and happiness spread throughout the world.

The Container checkpoint was closed on 12/24/2024 during the Christmas celebrations, a state of high alert for Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military spokesman announced that the Bethlehem area is a military zone that entry and exit are prohibited. The Hebrew newspapers revealed that a dangerous and suspicious person is on his way to the city of the Nativity, and that he poses an existential threat to the State of Israel. There, at this military checkpoint, which is built on the slope of a high hill overlooking the deep Valley of Fire, Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, was stopped and an order was issued for his arrest.

Where to, O Christ? He said: To the Church of the Nativity and beyond, to Gaza, the prisons and the camps. I have returned carrying the message of salvation for my people. The time has come to put an end to this Zionist tyranny. The Holy Land is filled with corpses, altars, gallows and crosses. I will gather the sufferings and remains of my people, and by the will of God I will revive the bones from the dust.

After more than a year of bloody genocide in the Gaza Strip, no one has intervened to save the Palestinian people from ethnic cleansing and daily killing except Christ. It seems that the unprecedented Zionist brutality has mobilized prophecy and the goddess, and this Christ is armed with faith and certainty, and with the spiritual, political and human ability to build a Palestinian state on the rock of birth, a state of love, peace, creativity and beauty for Christians, Muslims and all servants, the children of God who have endured on this blessed land, alive and dead, and will not kneel to anyone except God in prayer.

Jesus Christ chose the Valley of Fire, which was called the Valley of Hell or the Valley of Spirits, to reach Bethlehem. This valley consists of 14 sharp turns accompanied by a deep descent of more than 1000 meters below the surface of the earth. This is equal to the stages of the Via Dolorosa in the life of Jesus Christ since the Supreme Council of the Jews in the Roman courts sentenced him to crucifixion, execution and death. Each turn represents a chapter of his suffering, from life to death and then to life until he met his mother, the Virgin Mary, after the crucifixion.

Christ was arrested because he wanted to give suffering and sacrifices a liberating, spiritual and humane meaning. That is why he chose the Valley of Fire for his return. According to religious beliefs, the straight path on the Day of Judgment will extend from the Gate of Mercy to the Mount of Olives, which is separated by the valley. Whoever is unable to cross the path will fall into it. This valley is the link between heaven and earth, and between life and death. In this valley lie all the symbols of the historical, civilizational, cultural and religious narrative of the Palestinian people. This valley witnessed the torture and killing of Christians at the hands of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Christ says: Do not fear the depths, for through the collision between fire and blood the transcendent meaning appears renewed and refreshed. The path is within us, not in the instructions and instructions. From your inner strength, you will see how your soul becomes green.

The State of Israel was terrified by the return of Christ at this time, and was surprised by his ability to bypass more than 800 military checkpoints, iron gates, and earthen mounds spread throughout the occupied Palestinian territories. What worried them most was Christ’s passage through the Christian Quarter in Jerusalem, where there is a stone on which is written (Jesus the Victorious is Victorious) and his meeting with the women of Jerusalem, where he said to them: If they did this to the green branch, which symbolizes himself, how can they do this to the dry branch? He contacted Saint Hilarion of Gaza and told him: Light the candles, I am on my way to Bethlehem and then to Gaza.

Christ returned to his country because the principles and values of love, peace and joy were destroyed by the hands of the barbarians and devils who violated humanity, justice and human dignity in his country, Palestine. For the first time, Christ carried a gun, an axe and a Bible, and around him was a heavenly army to save humanity from this devastation and this fire that is growing more intense. It is Gaza, it is Jerusalem, far from being news or a story or a struggle over a land whose remains they scattered in tents scattered here and there, or in speeches or media photography, poems, conferences and statements. It is the land of the prophets, culture, messages, history and civilizations since Adam and Eve.

Jesus Christ was arrested on the outskirts of Bethlehem, His voice calling to the besieged city was arrested: O my soul, where are you? Do you hear me? Are you here? I have returned, I am here again, I have removed the dust of all the earth from my feet and come to you, I am with you after many years of absence, I have returned to you again, the last star has led me to you, give me your hand, my soul, I will break your chains and we will live beyond backwardness, live freely forward, we will wash our bodies and be baptized in the midnight prayer so that the truth may shine in prayer.

O Western world that will pray in churches this year, beneath you are rubble and above you are rubble, the Lord will extinguish your candles and plant them in your eyes, your eyes are blind and blind, the terrible genocide in Gaza has closed the gates of heaven with the corpses of children and women, the bells will not ring this year, the air is trembling and is armed with the sounds of bombs and planes, everything is an echo, iron and hunger and graves and remains.

Christ was arrested at the military container checkpoint during his spiritual return to his homeland, and it was necessary for him to return as quickly as possible. As he says, I came out of the depths after I found in my country a terrifying cold descending from space. There must be a moment of transformation to move from the closed world of blood to our open world. There are crimes, but we will only speak with life. The darkness that attacked us increases our light, and I carry a message that says: The goddess in my country does not cry. The heavens are merciful and restore my flesh and bones, my absence and my words. This year, I declare that the church is the temple and the trench, and in a little while we will open our graves, establish our world and launch songs.

Jesus Christ was arrested at the Container checkpoint. The Zionist rabbis, leaders and military generals gathered and said: One of the signs of the return of the Messiah is the appearance of the beast and the spread of great distress, and in that is the end of the State of Israel. Here is the Zionist beast appearing. Jesus Christ had predicted it when he said (Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea when the beast appears in human form). The Israeli leaders believed that the Messiah had returned to hold the State of Israel responsible for the crime of his arrest, crucifixion and execution and its continued execution and killing of the inhabitants of the Holy Land and their erasure from existence. They said that the Messiah is our first sacrifice, so he must be arrested and thrown into prison with thousands of detainees. We will send him to the Sde Teiman camp where there is forced disappearance, torture and hell. There we will crucify him again and throw him into the Valley of Fire alongside hundreds of saints whose souls we have shed in this valley. But the dilemma facing the State of Israel is that every time the Messiah returns, they see him once in Rafah and Jabalia, and sometimes in Jerusalem and Jenin. They are his grandchildren and sons who emerge from their graves and pave the way.

Netanyahu is still putting obstacles in the way of reaching a deal based on: 1- a ceasefire, 2- a prisoner exchange, 3- withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Since the beginning of 2024, after reaching a ceasefire deal in the last week of November 2023, until now, he has been putting up obstacles, whenever the mediators manage to remove the basic obstacles to the deal and get closer to its success, until Netanyahu puts up obstacles and hides behind various arguments to obstruct the deal and hinder its implementation, and this is due to two reasons:

First, his allies in the extremist religious political coalition government, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, are threatening to dissolve the coalition and withdraw from the government if a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal is reached. They do not want to see Palestinian leaders released from Israeli captivity to lead the struggle, as the martyr Sinwar did.

The second reason is that he will pay the price for his failure in the Gaza operation. He invaded Gaza and occupied it completely, but he failed to find out the locations of the Israeli prisoners and release them by force without an exchange.

It also occupied the Gaza Strip with the aim of ending and eradicating the Palestinian resistance, but it failed to do so, as the resistance initiatives are still present and are dealing painful blows to the occupation forces.

Netanyahu has managed to kill tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, and has dealt painful blows to the resistance leaders, focusing on them and assassinating them. He has also destroyed and damaged two-thirds of the buildings in the Gaza Strip, and wiped out the cities and neighborhoods of Jabalia, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun from the northern part of the Strip. He still insists on continuing his barbaric, destructive and murderous war against the Palestinian people.

A ceasefire, prisoner exchange, and withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, even if gradual, will move his status from failure to failure and defeat, and for this reason he is placing obstacles to frustrate the efforts of the mediators, despite all the facilities that both Hamas and Jihad have agreed to.

Hamas has an interest in a ceasefire, to protect what remains of its leadership and bases, and to protect its people who are suffering from harm, destruction and death. Therefore, it is providing all procedural facilities for the mediators to succeed in reaching a deal, while Hamas’s facilities are met with obstacles, the latest of which is the insistence on not releasing the resistance leaders: Marwan Barghouti, Ahmed Saadat and the Hamas leaders, or deporting them outside Palestine, which is a procedure rejected by the factions and by the leaders themselves, in their rejection of their deportation from their people and their homeland.

Netanyahu's claims that he is heading towards a "new Middle East" do not find the tools and factors to impose this result. The steadfast Palestinian people remaining in their homeland are still the first fundamental obstacle, and Jordan's initiatives to formulate national and nationalist positions that protect Jordan's security and provide supportive incubators for the brothers, at the forefront of which is the position of Saudi Arabia rejecting the normalization process with the colony without reaching a settlement that guarantees the Palestinian people their independence and state, and this has become public, and the Americans have been officially informed of the Saudi position.

Jordan's initiatives and the Foreign Minister's moves towards Tehran, Baghdad and Damascus are being coordinated with the capitals of our Arab brothers, and are the declared Jordanian-Arab political weapon against Netanyahu's actions and his illusory dreams towards his Middle East, which will not come true.

The Israeli occupation forces forced patients and wounded people to evacuate the Indonesian Hospital in the town of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip, at dawn on Tuesday.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces are besieging the hospital and forcing patients and the wounded to evacuate it, in conjunction with artillery shelling targeting the hospital's surroundings and various areas of Beit Lahia and the Beit Lahia project.

The sources indicated that the patients and wounded were forced to leave on foot towards Gaza City.

The occupation artillery also targeted the third floor of Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, causing extensive damage inside it, while the occupation aircraft launched a raid on the Tal al-Zaatar area in Jabalia camp.

The occupation forces continued to carry out new bombing operations in the southern area of Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City.

The Israeli occupation continues its aggression on the Gaza Strip, by land, sea and air, since October 7, 2023, which resulted in the death of 45,317 citizens, the majority of whom are women and children, and the injury of 107,713 others, in an incomplete toll, as thousands of victims are still under the rubble and in the streets, and ambulance and rescue crews cannot reach them.

The Washington Post has revealed in a lengthy investigation how Israel is carrying out large-scale demolitions and building military fortifications in residential areas in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes, according to satellite images, videos and verified interviews.

The Israeli occupation army said that it launched an air and ground attack on October 5 in the northernmost parts of Gaza - Jabalia, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun - to expel Hamas militants who had regrouped there and that the operation "will continue as long as necessary."

More than 100,000 Palestinians have been displaced from the affected areas over the past 11 weeks, according to the United Nations, leaving an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 people — less than an eighth of the pre-war population. Aid groups say barely any aid has reached the area since early October due to Israeli restrictions, and experts warn that famine may already be setting in in some places.

According to a Washington Post analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery, Israeli forces have demolished entire neighborhoods, erected military fortifications and built new roads, while clearing areas of Palestinians. Visual evidence shows that nearly half of the Jabaliya refugee camp was demolished or evacuated between October 14 and December 15, linking an existing road in the west to an expanded vehicle lane in the east — creating a military corridor stretching from the sea to the border fence with Israel. Analysts say the creation of this corridor, the clearing of land on either side of it and the construction of protected settlement outposts in a square shape, is similar to the Israeli military’s transformation of the Netzarim Corridor, a strategic Israeli military zone in central Gaza. While Israeli forces carved the Netzarim Corridor through a largely sparsely populated agricultural area, Israel’s operations in the north have been concentrated in dense urban neighborhoods — effectively destroying northern Palestinian cities. While the military has not offered any public explanation for its clearing and fortification activities in the north, analysts said the newly created axis could separate the far north from Gaza City, allowing Israel to create a buffer zone to isolate its southern communities that came under attack on October 7, 2023.

The Israeli military issued evacuation orders as the offensive developed, telling civilians to flee for their own safety, with no sense of when — or if — they would be allowed to return. Hamas’s demand that families be allowed to return north, beyond the Netzarim corridor, during any pause in the fighting remains a major sticking point in negotiations with Israel over a possible ceasefire and hostage release agreement.

The Israeli occupation army claims that it targets "military targets only" and that it "takes all possible measures to mitigate harm to civilians," including telling them to evacuate "areas of heavy fighting," according to the newspaper.

“As long as the counterterrorism operations continue, we will not allow the residents to return, because we know that the purpose of their return is simply to use them as human shields by the terrorists,” David Mancer, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister’s office, told the newspaper this month. He denied that the operations were aimed at cutting off the north or expelling Palestinians.

As of December 1, a third of all buildings in the northern Gaza Strip have been destroyed since the start of the war – including more than 5,000 in Jabalia, more than 3,000 in Beit Lahia and more than 2,000 in Beit Hanoun, according to the latest data from the UN Satellite Centre. Sixty percent of the destruction in Jabalia refugee camp occurred between September 6 and December 1, the data showed, with demolitions and displacement continuing in the weeks that followed.

A satellite image taken on December 15 shows widespread destruction in Beit Lahia and Jabalia, with a market, mosque, shops and homes reduced to piles of concrete and dust. On December 4, the Israeli military forced 5,500 people sheltering in schools in Beit Lahia to flee south to Gaza City, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Earlier this month, former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon told local media in a series of interviews that the Israeli military was carrying out "ethnic cleansing" in northern Gaza. "Beit Lahia no longer exists, Beit Hanoun no longer exists, and now they are working on Jabaliya," he said.

In interviews conducted by phone and text message over several weeks, 10 residents of northern Gaza described to The Washington Post the widespread targeting of civilian neighborhoods by Israeli forces, dangerous mass evictions in which men and teenage boys were separated from women and children, and the mistreatment and arbitrary detention of some of those trying to flee. Their accounts were consistent with images and videos verified by The Washington Post of mass screenings and arrests, as well as attacks on civilians.

“In northern Gaza, there is nothing left to support life. Everything has been destroyed to force people out,” said Saeed Kilani, 41, a resident of Beit Lahia.

Residents of northern Gaza described the days following October 5 as “Judgment Day.”

The airstrikes and sniper attacks were relentless, said Mohammed Khadour, 30, a resident of Jabalia. “Those were the hardest days of the war,” he told the newspaper by phone.

Some 1.9 million people - about 90 percent of Gaza's population - had already been displaced over more than a year of fighting, most of them forced south during the chaotic early days of the war and prevented from returning home.

Now, those who survived the violence and deprivation in communities closest to the northern border with Israel are being systematically forced out, neighborhood by neighborhood, in one of the largest mass displacements since the start of the conflict. Residents unanimously told the newspaper that they had no intention of leaving and only fled when they felt certain they would die or be killed in their homes.

Khaddour said he feared he would be shot if he ventured outside. But the damaged apartment he was living in with his brother Muwaffaq and his two-year-old nephew offered little protection.

It is noteworthy that this was the third major operation by the Israeli army in Jabalia during the war that began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas militants invaded southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, including at least 311 soldiers, and taking 250 hostages.

The Israeli war has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 107,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, most of them women and children.

In the first three weeks of the IDF’s new offensive in the north, more than 1,000 people were killed, the Health Ministry estimated, adding that this was probably an undercount with many bodies lying in the streets or buried under rubble. Gaza’s civil defense service said on October 23, 2024, that it could no longer operate safely there, leaving the area without ambulances or rescue workers.

Meanwhile, residents said, civilian homes and apartment buildings were repeatedly targeted by Israeli forces. Visual evidence verified by The Washington Post showed the aftermath of the strikes on people lining up for water and on schools where displaced families were sheltering.

The destruction, displacement and refusal to allow aid into the area resembles the “General’s Plan,” a siege proposal presented to the Israeli government by a former IDF commander, which calls for the army to take control of the north by starving out the civilian population and treating anyone who remains as a combatant.

While the Israeli military has not made any public statements about its plans to evacuate parts of northern Gaza, satellite imagery shows that it is significantly reshaping the geography of the border area through demolitions and fortifications — consistent with tactics it has used to create military buffer zones in other parts of the Strip, including the central Netzarim Corridor and the Philadelphi Corridor along the border with Egypt.

Data from the UN Satellite Centre for 1 December showed that 5,340 buildings had been destroyed across Jabalia since the start of the war, with 40 percent of the destruction concentrated in the city’s refugee camp. More than 3,600 buildings were also destroyed in Beit Lahia. The data suggest that the pace of destruction has reached its highest level during the new Israeli offensive. Satellite imagery from 11 October onwards shows that large swathes of these same areas have now been built up with military fortifications, including a network of raised protective berms made of turned earth. By the end of October, these were providing cover for some 150 military vehicles encircling Jabalia, according to satellite images.

The Washington Post quotes William Goodhind, an analyst at the Contested Ground Project, an independent research project that tracks military movements through satellite imagery in conflict zones around the world, as saying that these berms allow Israeli forces “to move along major supply routes with improved security and therefore greater freedom.”

New clearance and demolition operations over the past two months have been concentrated in southern Jabalia, destroying nearly half of the camp, including the main market area, which was visibly destroyed between October 24 and November 12. In the latest satellite imagery from December 15, a new vehicle route can be seen winding through the camp’s ruins, connecting Sea Street, which runs west to the sea, to a road recently expanded and fortified by the Israeli military – running east to the Israeli border.

This new military axis, which cuts through the heart of once-dense Palestinian cities, “effectively divides Gaza so that more systematic cleansing operations can begin while the de facto border closes off movement to the south,” Goodhind said. “This is likely part of a broader military goal of creating a defensive line across Gaza and bringing the northern territory under Israeli military control.” Amir Avivi, the former deputy commander of the IDF’s Gaza Division, confirmed that the army had opened a new east-west route south of Jabaliya to provide “logistical channels,” but said it did not represent a “long-term policy.”

Katz said last Tuesday that even after Hamas is defeated, the Israeli military "will assume security control in Gaza" with "full freedom of action," just as it does in the occupied West Bank.

Dr. Manawil Hassassian: Israel considers Pope Francis anti-Semitic and sees his promotion of the message of Christ as contradicting its policy

Bishop Atallah Hanna: The Pope and Vatican's position on the war of extermination in Gaza expresses clear solidarity with the Palestinian people

Dr. Munther Ishaq: Israel has begun to realize that its true image has been exposed to the world as a tyrannical and racist regime that commits war crimes

Issa Qassisieh: The Christmas message is a message of hope, love and peace in solidarity with the oppressed and wronged Palestinian people in the Holy Land

Hind Khoury: The Nativity scene in the Vatican this year embodied a special symbolism with the appearance of the baby Jesus wrapped in the Palestinian keffiyeh

Youssef Daher: Israeli reactions to the keffiyeh in the Vatican reveal double standards and the exploitation of religion for political purposes

Tamer Maleha: The Pope represents the highest Christian religious authority in the world and his positions are of great importance, especially in political and religious issues.

George Sahhar: The occupation's angry reaction to the Pope's position reflects arrogance and disregard for international law and heavenly laws

The sight of a keffiyeh draped over a statue of the baby Jesus in the Vatican has driven Israel crazy, and it has not hesitated to direct its ready-made accusation against His Holiness Pope Francis of being anti-Semitic, as it did with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, the International Relief Agency (UNRWA), and others, forgetting that His Holiness the Pope represents one and a half billion Catholic Christians in the world.

The scene of the keffiyeh came as an unmistakable Palestinian symbol, and it was worn over the statue of the Palestinian Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem and lived in Nazareth, in the Vatican on the eve of the start of Christmas celebrations tomorrow, Wednesday, at a time when the war of extermination waged by the occupying state on the Gaza Strip continues, causing more innocent victims every hour, most of whom are children and women.

The Christmas message issued by the Vatican and other Christian churches, whether Catholic, Orthodox, or others, reflected the expansion of international solidarity with the Palestinians, and the increasing number of those calling for an end to the tragedy and humanitarian disasters caused by the war in Gaza, for which innocent civilians are paying the price.

Christian clerics, academics, activists and influencers, who spoke to Al-Quds and Al-Quds.com, saw that Israel’s crazy and unprecedented reactions to the appearance of the Palestinian keffiyeh in the Vatican and the positions of His Holiness the Pope regarding the crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing that it has been committing for fourteen months, show that the occupying state has begun to realize that its true image has been exposed to the world as a tyrannical and racist regime that commits war crimes, ignoring international law and divine laws.

The Vatican's manger is adorned with a Palestinian keffiyeh

Prof. Dr. Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian ambassador to Denmark, said that it is not strange that Israel has taken a hostile stance towards the Vatican recently, especially since the outbreak of what he described as a war of genocide against the defenseless Palestinian people in Gaza.

He pointed out that the Vatican has repeatedly expressed its rejection of the brutal aggression, which relentlessly destroys and kills a defenceless people who only aspire to a dignified and stable life.

He stressed that the killing of children, women and the elderly constitutes genocide and a stain on the international community, which stands helpless to pressure the occupying state to stop these horrific massacres against humanity.

He added: "Israel, with this war, has disregarded all human and moral concepts, and with its actions as a state above the law, with the support of the United States, it is showing a shameful disgrace to the international community."

Commenting on the Pope's celebration of covering the manger with the Palestinian keffiyeh, Hassassian stressed that the keffiyeh symbolically expresses the Palestinian cultural heritage, and cannot be considered a symbol of violence as Israel claims.

He explained that accusing Pope Francis of anti-Semitism reflects a strong reaction from the occupying state, which sees this position as a clear challenge to its hostile practices against the Palestinian people everywhere.

He pointed out that Israel's positions towards the Vatican and Christianity in general have become clear, as it is disturbed by the historical and symbolic contexts that link Palestine to Christianity and Christ.

He added: "The use of symbolism related to Jesus Christ represents in one way or another advocacy for Palestinians, whether they are Christians or Muslims, in the face of genocide."

Historical facts and symbols do not please the occupying state

Hassassian stressed that Pope Francis, as the spiritual leader of more than 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, has great influence on international issues, especially with regard to the suffering of the Palestinian people.

He explained that Israel's objection to the keffiyeh stems from its clear association with opposition to occupation policies, which complicates the Vatican's messages that employ religious symbols to direct political positions that support truth and justice.

He added: "Israel considers Pope Francis anti-Semitic, and sees his promotion of the message of Christ, which calls for love and peace, as contradicting its positions and policies."

Hassassian pointed out that Israel shows its displeasure with historical contexts that describe Christ as a Palestinian, and his suffering on the cross as a symbolism similar to the suffering of the Palestinians today.

He said: "These historical and symbolic facts do not please the occupying state, but they remain a witness to injustice and an expression of a message of hope."

The Vatican's message should move the consciences of the free people of the world.

For his part, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastia, Bishop Atallah Hanna, said that the position of His Holiness the Pope and the Vatican on the war of extermination and ethnic cleansing in Gaza expresses great clarity in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Bishop Hanna pointed out that the Christmas message issued by the Vatican and other Christian churches, whether Catholic, Orthodox, or others, reflects the expansion of international solidarity with the Palestinians, and the increasing number of those demanding an end to the tragedy and humanitarian disasters caused by the war in Gaza, for which innocent civilians are paying the price.

He added, "The presence of the Palestinian keffiyeh in the scene near the Christmas tree in the Vatican carries important connotations, especially since His Holiness the Pope received a Palestinian delegation a few days ago."

Hanna stressed that the Vatican's message must reach every place in the world to move the consciences of free people.

Call to pray to stop the war on Gaza

Speaking about Christmas, Bishop Hanna explained that celebrating the occasion, whether according to the Western calendar on December 25 or the Eastern calendar on January 7, reflects the unity of the message and content despite the difference in dates.

He said: “We, as Palestinian Christians, from the heart of Palestine, specifically from Jerusalem and Bethlehem, call on the Christian churches in the world to raise prayers and supplications during Christmas to stop the war on Gaza, achieve the lost justice in Palestine, and end the suffering of our people.”

At the end of his statement, Bishop Hanna stressed his appreciation for the position of the Pope and all other Christian spiritual authorities, whether Orthodox, Catholic or Evangelical, which issued clear positions and statements expressing their support for the Palestinian people and their suffering.

Israel loses its monopoly on the novel

In turn, Rev. Dr. Munther Ishaq, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, said that Israel has begun to realize that its true image has been exposed to the international community as a tyrannical and racist regime that commits war crimes.

Isaac explained that what Israel fears most is the impact of this negative image on the Western public, noting that churches play a major role in shaping this image in the eyes of public opinion.

“Part of the current conflict is a conflict of narrative,” Isaac added. “Israel’s loss of its monopoly on the narrative prevalent in the West about what is happening in Palestine could have a significant impact on international political attitudes toward it.”

Regarding the Vatican's position on the war on Gaza, Father Isaac stressed that the Catholic Church is fully aware of what is happening in Gaza, especially after a Catholic church was targeted there, which led to the martyrdom of three women, one of whom was outside the church.

Pope Francis: War on Gaza is a defeat for humanity

He praised the positions of His Holiness Pope Francis, who described the war as a defeat for humanity, calling for an investigation into war crimes.

Isaac stressed the need for all places of worship and religious leaders, regardless of their affiliations, to demand accountability for perpetrators of war crimes.

Isaac pointed out that the Vatican's positions are a positive step, calling on churches and other church leaders to take bolder positions, describing what is happening in Gaza as a "war of extermination."

Father Isaac addressed the recent attack on the Palestinian keffiyeh, considering it to reveal a hateful racism directed against the Palestinians.

He said: “All the peoples of the world view Christ as close to them and embody his personality as part of their culture, but the Palestinians are deprived of this right, even though Christ was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth, both of which are Palestinian cities.

He added: "This racism from the West also affects the Palestinian Church," stressing that Christ, for the Palestinians, is the son of Bethlehem who lived under occupation, called for justice, and was subjected to injustice and murder at the hands of the Roman occupation.

Isaac concluded by saying: “We see in Christ an image of the suffering of the Palestinian people today.

In war everyone comes out defeated

For his part, Ambassador Issa Qassisieh stressed that the Holy See's position on the Palestinian issue is based on international legitimacy and relevant United Nations resolutions.

He explained that the Vatican recognized the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, through the comprehensive agreement signed by the State of Palestine with the Vatican in 2015.

"Israel opposes and refuses to recognize the Palestinian entity based on the right to self-determination and international humanitarian law," Qassisieh added.

The ambassador pointed out that His Holiness Pope Francis, since the events of October 7, 2023, has called on every occasion for a ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip without any obstacles, in addition to the release of prisoners. The Pope stressed that war represents a defeat for humanity, saying: "In war, everyone emerges defeated, and there are no victors."

The ambassador reviewed Pope Francis' new book, "Hope Does Not Disappoint... Pilgrims to a Better World," which he published on the occasion of the Jubilee Year of the Catholic Church.

He explained that the Pope stressed in his book the need to investigate the possibility of genocide, emphasizing the importance of respecting human dignity.

Positions of the highest spiritual and religious Catholic stature

Ambassador Qassisieh stressed that the Pope's positions stem from the highest Catholic religious and spiritual stature, and from a moral and religious standpoint, recalling the Christmas message that carries meanings of hope, love, and peace, especially for the oppressed.

In this context, he explained that the message of Christmas this year is a message of hope, love and peace, representing solidarity with the oppressed and wronged Palestinian people in the Holy Land, and is a shed light on what remains of the global conscience.

The ambassador stressed that the Nativity scene, which arrived in the Vatican with its national dress, heritage and religious symbolism, came from the heart of Bethlehem to remind the world that the birth of Christianity was in Palestine, the land of holiness.

He also explained that the message of the Child Jesus, which is a message of love and peace, originates from wounded and sad Bethlehem, pointing out that the remaining authentic Christian presence in Palestine is calling out to the conscience of the world to lift injustice and achieve justice and peace.

At the end of his statement, Ambassador Qassisieh thanked the Vatican for its warm reception of the Nativity scene, from families and institutions, and for the blessing of His Holiness the Pope for this cave that carries meanings of patriotism and faith.

Papal statement calls for ending Palestinian suffering

For her part, former Jerusalem Minister Hind Khoury said: “In these dark and painful times that Palestine and its people are going through, as the genocide in Gaza continues in its most horrific forms, Palestine has become a global symbol of the loss of the human and moral compass, and the legitimization of killing and destruction.

She added: "In this context, we were pleased, and with us the living consciences of the world, with the papal statement on the occasion of Christmas, which called for an end to the Palestinian suffering."

She continued: “This year, the Vatican’s Nativity scene embodied a special symbolism, as the baby Jesus appeared wrapped in the Palestinian keffiyeh, indicating hope for a better life and affirming the Christmas message that calls for peace and security for all peoples of the earth, including the Palestinian people.”

She said: It is unfortunate that Israeli and Zionist policies continue to seek to destroy and displace the Palestinian people, exploiting the policy of force and all possible tools of influence globally, whether military, diplomatic, media, political, legal, or economic.

Israel is trying to silence any solidarity with the Palestinian people

Khoury stressed that these tools aim to combat freedom of expression, especially in Western countries, and to silence any solidarity with the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom and equality on their land, and to stop the ongoing genocide in Gaza for more than a year without pause or mercy. It is not surprising that this war also includes the Vatican.

She explained that the battle to build hope is an arduous effort, but holding the tyranny of power accountable begins with bold, wise and honest voices from the world’s decision-makers, rather than blind interest policies.

Khoury said, “Perhaps Pope Francis wanted, through his picture next to the child Jesus wrapped in the Palestinian keffiyeh, to send a message to the world about the importance of returning to the voice of justice and to the values called for by the heavenly messages. As the Prophet Micah says in the Bible: ‘Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.’”

Palestinian keffiyeh in Vatican drives Israel crazy

In turn, Youssef Daher, coordinator of the World Council of Churches office in Jerusalem, confirmed that the Israeli reactions to the appearance of the Palestinian keffiyeh in the Vatican reveal double standards and the exploitation of religion to achieve political gains.

“Once they saw the keffiyeh in the Vatican, they went crazy,” Daher said. “Instead of criticizing it diplomatically, they went on to make statements confirming that Christ was of Jewish descent and born to a Jewish family. Now they admit that Christ was born in Bethlehem and crucified in Jerusalem.”

He explained that the Palestinian keffiyeh symbolizes fishing nets, which have roots in the Bible, parables, and the life of Christ, just like the symbolism of olive leaves.

Daher pointed out that the Israeli diplomatic pressures on the Vatican and Western churches are not new, but have escalated recently, adding, "If they were able to criminalize UNRWA, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court, what more can we expect?!"

At the end of his speech, Daher stressed that the cave, the scene of the Holy Family on Christmas Eve, carved from Palestinian olive wood, which decorates one of the most important halls of the Vatican, remains a witness and a reminder to the Christian world of the cities of Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth, and all the Palestinian cities.

One and a half billion Catholic Christians in the world

Lawyer Tamer Maliha, a political and social activist, said, “The position of the Pope and the Vatican is of great importance, especially in political and religious issues, as the Pope represents the highest Christian religious authority in the world, as the number of Catholics worldwide is about one and a half billion.”

He stressed that the Vatican's positions have international influence and international and Christian sympathy, and its position is often considered an expression of the positions of all Catholic churches. These positions also have an impact on other churches, whether Orthodox or Protestant.

Maliha pointed out that the Vatican's sympathy, represented by the Pope, with the Palestinian cause has humanitarian dimensions, as it stems first from the legal and legitimate justice of the Palestinian people and the rejection of the occupation, in addition to the religious importance of the Holy Land.

He continued: As for the Israeli anger and angry reactions towards the Vatican after the Palestinian keffiyeh was placed on the manger of the baby Jesus, it reflects the Israelis’ concern about the symbolic connection between the baby Jesus and the Palestinian cause.

He said: Israel believes that this link shows the child Jesus Christ as having Palestinian origins, and indicates his suffering and pain at the hands of parties similar to those that cause pain to Palestinian children today.

Activist Maliha believed that the problem lies in the Israeli presence on Palestinian land, which represents a continuation of the suffering that has been going on for more than 2,000 years at the hands of the same party.

He stressed that this explains the Israeli concern about the Vatican's positions and the possibility of their impact on the Christian world and the free world, especially in light of the bad image that Israel presented after the war of extermination on Gaza, and the resulting increase in its political isolation in the Western arena.

Pope's position challenges Israeli arrogance

As for the activist specializing in church affairs, George Sahhar, he confirmed that the angry reaction of the Israeli occupation towards the position of His Holiness the Pope reflects an arrogant mentality and a complete disregard for international law, human rights principles, and heavenly laws.

"The occupation acts as if it has the absolute right to demolish the homes of Palestinians, kill them, and displace them, while no one has the right to criticize them or hold them accountable. They act as if they are above international law and divine laws," Sahar said.

Sahar praised the humanitarian stance expressed by His Holiness the Pope, adding: He challenges Israeli arrogance, as he expressed his solidarity with the Palestinians in the Christmas message that carries meanings of love and peace.

He added: "The Christmas message that the angels chanted in the sky of Palestine, specifically in Bethlehem, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace', is a divine message directed to all of humanity, and a message that our forefathers carried to the whole world."

Activist Sahar pointed out that the Palestinians today are an oppressed people who suffer from continuous violations, stressing that His Holiness the Pope’s message of solidarity came to include them in the meanings of Christmas and its profound message of love and peace.

Sahar concluded by saying: “The Christmas message is not exclusive to anyone, but rather it is a message for all of humanity, and the message of His Holiness the Pope confirmed that the Palestinians, despite their suffering, are an essential part of this peace that the world needs.”