The image of the baby Jesus, peace be upon him, wrapped in a keffiyeh in the manger, which was placed in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, reminds us of the tragedy that the children of Palestine have been suffering in the Gaza Strip for fourteen months, who are being pursued by the “king,” who tracks their breathing, cuts off the oxygen to their nurseries, kills their fathers and mothers, and besieges, destroys and burns their hospitals, just as King Herod did more than two thousand years ago, when he ordered the killing of every child under the age of two born in the city of the Nativity and its surroundings, after he heard of the birth of Christ, peace be upon him, in the manger.

Herod's descendants are reproducing the incident, with the deadly tools of the age, and in doing so they are drawing from the first well, from which Herod and his followers drew their thoughts, and which shaped their behavior and feelings towards the indigenous inhabitants of the land, who have become targeted in their lives, capabilities, possessions, and even their existence, in the face of the ambitions of the colonists who have invaded their land.

The Pope’s initiative to swaddle Jesus Christ with the Palestinian keffiyeh is a resounding cry and an expression of the enormity of the crime against the children of Palestine, as they suffer their pain, suffering, bleeding wounds, hunger, thirst, and illness in the furnace of the incense burner that consumes their bodies while they are alive.

This year, Christmas comes with sadness for the tragedy that has befallen our hearts with the loss of loved ones in the hell of the raging genocide. The children of Gaza have not been spared from the death that pursues them in their homes, their displacement tents, and in the mosques and churches that they have taken refuge in to escape the “king” who is pursuing them in order to annihilate them.

Stop the genocide now...!

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

In Nablus, the Red Crescent said that its crews dealt with two injuries following the storming of Balata camp, and provided first aid to a young man who was injured by shrapnel from live bullets, and to a woman (49 years old) who was injured as a result of being beaten, before they were transferred to the hospital, while a third injury was reported from live bullets, and she was arrested by the occupation forces, and the ambulance crews were prevented from reaching her.

An occupation army force stormed the city of Nablus and Balata camp to the east, through the Awarta checkpoint, amid gunfire and explosions.

The occupation forces surrounded a house in the Al-Tirawi neighborhood inside the camp, arrested the young man Kamal Abu Muslim, and spread out in several neighborhoods inside the camp.

The Director of Education at UNRWA announced that based on the situation in Balata and Tulkarm camps, and in order to preserve the lives of students and teaching staff, school will be postponed until 8:30 a.m. and the situation will be monitored on the ground.

In Bethlehem, Muhammad Sami al-Jaafari from the Deheishe refugee camp in the south, and Issam Mahmoud Maali (22 years old) from the city of Doha in the west, were arrested after their parents’ homes were raided and searched.

In Qalqilya, the occupation forces arrested citizen Walid Hakam Al-Sheikh Ali, in his forties, after raiding and searching his home in the village of Baqa Al-Hatab.

In Ramallah, the young man, Nabil Rabhi Ghafri, was arrested after his home was raided in the town of Sinjil, and the young man, Ahmed Abu Qara, was arrested after his family’s home was raided and searched in the town of Al-Mazra’a Al-Gharbiya, northwest of Ramallah.

In Salfit, the occupation forces stormed the town of Kafr Haris and arrested: Muhammad Jaber Abu Yaqoub (18 years old), Hisham Hassan Abu Yaqoub (54 years old), and Bassam Hassan Abu Yaqoub (42 years old).

A young man was killed at dawn today, Tuesday, by the occupation forces’ bullets, during the occupation forces’ storming of Tulkarm camp.

Local sources reported, quoting eyewitnesses from inside the camp, that the young man, Fathi Saeed Awda Salem, died of his critical injury after the occupation snipers fired live bullets at him in the Al-Hadaideh neighborhood in the camp.

She added that the occupation forces prevented the ambulance crews from reaching the martyr, and opened fire at them.

A large force of the occupation army and vehicles, accompanied by two heavy bulldozers, stormed the city of Tulkarm from its western axis, and headed towards the camp, after discovering the presence of special forces from the occupation army in the Al-Hadaida neighborhood, amidst intensive flights of reconnaissance aircraft at a low altitude.

The occupation forces imposed a tight siege on the camp, sent military reinforcements towards it, and deployed snipers on the tall buildings surrounding it, amidst heavy and random gunfire at everything moving.

The occupation bulldozers began to demolish the infrastructure in various neighborhoods of the camp, including: "schools, the district, the airport, al-Akasha, and al-Murabba'a", the water network in the district was affected, and citizens' public and private property was demolished, including the walls and signboards of a number of shops, homes, facilities, and vehicles, and part of the walls of the Al-Salam Mosque, and they placed earthen barriers at its entrance.

The occupation's aggression on the camp caused a power outage and disruption of the internet networks in a wide area of its neighborhoods.

Israeli Channel 12 said that Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz admitted for the first time that Israel was responsible for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh.

This came after Katz threatened that Israel would target the Houthi infrastructure in Yemen and behead their leaders, as it did with Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that 38 soldiers were killed in the northern Gaza Strip since the beginning of the last military operation in Jabalia on October 5, while the Palestinian resistance confirms that the occupation forces' losses are much greater.

The Israeli occupation army announced the killing of 3 soldiers in battles north of the Gaza Strip. Channel 13 Israel explained that the three soldiers were killed by the detonation of an explosive device in Beit Hanoun, north of the Strip.

The Israeli Army Radio said that in addition to the three soldiers who were killed in Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip, another soldier was moderately injured as a result of the detonation of an explosive device.

The occupation army explained that the evacuation of the dead soldiers was complicated by the detonation of a second explosive device in a military force that arrived to rescue the soldiers.

There is no safe place in the Gaza Strip, a UNICEF spokeswoman in Gaza told Al Jazeera.

The spokeswoman added that the children of Gaza are suffering from psychological trauma due to the conditions in the Strip, noting that the organization's assessment before the outbreak of the current war found that half of the children of Gaza needed psychological support.

With American support, Israel has been waging a war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has left nearly 153,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that has killed...

Dozens of children and elderly people, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), said on Monday that Israel is hiding its real losses in the Gaza Strip in order to preserve the image of its army.

Abu Obeida added - in posts on the Telegram application - that Israel is also hiding the dire condition of its soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip, as the occupation forces penetrating the area are facing qualitative operations by the Palestinian resistance.

He added that the genocide and ethnic cleansing carried out by the Israeli occupation army in the northern Gaza Strip target innocent civilians to cover up its scandals.

Abu Obeida praised the heroism of the resistance fighters and their field performance in the northern Gaza Strip, considering it an inspiring model for all free people of the world.

On another topic, the spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades said that the fate of some Israeli prisoners depends on the occupation army advancing hundreds of meters in some areas exposed to aggression.

The new media appearance of the Palestinian military spokesman comes after the Qassam Brigades launched unprecedented qualitative and complex operations since Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa.

These operations included storming residential buildings where Israeli soldiers were holed up, stabbing them to death, and detonating an explosive belt against an Israeli force in Jabalia and Beit Lahia.

Israeli sources reported today that 3 Israeli soldiers were killed and 4 others were injured in a resistance operation in Jabalia. Since October 5, the Israeli army has been launching a large-scale military operation in the northern Gaza Strip, during which it has suffered about 40 deaths, according to official data, while the Palestinian resistance confirms that the occupation forces’ losses are much greater.

Source: Al Jazeera

Revolutionary Council member Talal Duweikat said that Jenin, with its camp, villages and city, has made great sacrifices over the years in confronting the occupation, and that Palestinian security and the Fatah movement, the backbone of all Palestinian organizations, must not surrender to such people who want to hijack the Palestinian national scene.

In an interview with Voice of Palestine Radio on Monday, Duweikat stressed that a large part of those outside the law are misled and that there are parties behind these attempts and that the only beneficiary of them is the occupation, as we have begun to sense from the public statements of Netanyahu, Ben Gvir and Smotrich the targeting of the West Bank through annexation and displacement operations.

Duweikat stressed the need for all Palestinian factions and families to stand alongside the security establishment, which has been present for more than a week in the hundreds around the camp to combat such ideas that express the point of view of regional parties that want to implement plans through which they seek to destroy the national project.

Duweikat reiterated that there is a clear paradox between the security forces who are keen on Palestinian blood, and the outlaws who do not hesitate to take any opportunity to kill.

Duweikat added that the occupation and those with foreign agendas are exploiting young people inside the camp to implement their projects that serve the occupation, which seeks to eliminate the camps, the living witness to the catastrophe of the Palestinian people, stressing the need for awareness at this stage to thwart the opportunity for the occupation, which is lying in wait for our people and planning a new migration for them.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday about progress in negotiations on a prisoner exchange deal, amid reports that it could be implemented in the coming weeks.

"I don't know how long it will take," he said during the "40 Signatures" session in the Knesset.

He explained that "despite the great achievements made by the State of Israel, the joy will not be complete until we return all our prisoners to their homes. I cannot tell you all the details that we are doing, but I can say that there is progress."

Netanyahu pointed out that the progress in the negotiations is due to three main reasons: First, “Yahya Sinwar is no longer among us,” second, “Hamas was hoping that Iran and Hezbollah would intervene to help it, but they are busy treating the wounds they sustained from our strikes,” and third, “Hamas itself is receiving blows, and is under constant military pressure in the Gaza Strip.”

"So there is progress, but I can't say how long it will take," he continued.

At the beginning of his speech, Netanyahu commented on the criticism directed at him by opposition Knesset members, and attacked opposition leader Yair Lapid after his speech on Saturday evening.

He said: "I heard your speech and I understand what pressure means. I do not want to say that the leader of the opposition is not under pressure, but we should not be under pressure. It is better to remain calm and take our time. I want to hear from you: Have you declared war? On whom are you declaring war? On your brothers? We are in a war on seven fronts, and we are succeeding in it."

Regarding the criticism directed at him regarding his position on the attack on Hamas, Netanyahu stressed that "the eighth front is the Hague court, to defend every one of our soldiers. This is the eighth front, if you did not understand."

The session held in the Knesset was called upon by the Prime Minister to respond to the opposition’s accusations in the framework of the “40 Signatures” discussion, where members demanded clarification of the government’s positions on various issues such as progress in negotiations on the prisoner swap deal, the investigation into the October 7 massacre, the plan to dismiss the government’s attorney general, and the law exempting the Haredim from military service.

Netanyahu attended the session after testifying in his trial, where his testimony was cut short due to security restrictions at the court in Tel Aviv, causing him to arrive late to the session.

In the background to the session, the opposition had accused Netanyahu and other ministers of trying to obstruct negotiations over a prisoner deal, pointing to the prime minister's interview with the Wall Street Journal last weekend, in which he said he would not agree to end the war before Hamas was destroyed.

On the other hand, the head of the "State Camp" party, Benny Gantz, commented on the repeated attacks by the Houthis, stressing that if Israel wants to stop the attacks, it must target Iran directly. He also touched on the controversy over the law exempting the Haredim from conscription, stressing that "the proposals being presented are useless."

With Netanyahu and his allies refusing to form an independent commission of inquiry into the failure that preceded the October 7 operation, opposition leader Yair Lapid confirmed today that he will not cooperate with any political commission of inquiry, stressing that the opposition will not be part of the "fraud" promoted by some in the ruling coalition.

This evening, Monday, a child was injured by the occupation forces’ bullets, after storming the town of Beita, south of Nablus.

Beita Mayor Mahmoud Barham said that the occupation forces stormed the town amid heavy gunfire and tear gas bombs, which led to clashes in the area, resulting in a child being injured by live occupation bullets in the foot, and he was transferred to Rafidia Hospital for treatment.

This evening, Monday, settlers attacked citizens' vehicles near the northern entrance to the city of Al-Bireh.

Local sources reported that settlers gathered near the "Beit El" settlement, built on citizens' lands north of the city of Al-Bireh, and attacked citizens' vehicles, without any injuries or material damage being reported.

A US judge on Friday ruled in favour of WhatsApp in a lawsuit accusing Israeli group NSO Group of exploiting a flaw in the messaging app to install spyware that allowed for unauthorised surveillance.

U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in Oakland, California, granted a motion from WhatsApp and found NSO liable for the hack and breach of contract.

Hamilton said the case would now go to trial only on the damages issue, while Will Cathcart, WhatsApp's chief executive, said the ruling was a win for privacy.

“We have spent five years making our case because we firmly believe that spyware companies cannot hide behind immunity or avoid accountability for their illegal actions,” Cathcart said in a social media post.

“Surveillance companies should be aware that illegal spying will not be tolerated.”

A WhatsApp spokesperson said they were grateful for the decision, and “we are proud to stand against NSO and thank the many organizations that supported this case. WhatsApp will never stop working to protect people’s private communications.”

Cybersecurity experts welcomed the ruling, with John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Canadian internet watchdog Citizen Lab — which first exposed NSO's Pegasus spyware in 2016 — calling it a landmark ruling with "huge implications for the spyware industry."

“The entire industry has hidden behind the claim that whatever their customers do with their hacking tools is not their responsibility,” he said in an immediate message. “Today’s ruling makes clear that NSO Group is in fact responsible for violating multiple laws.”

In 2019, WhatsApp sued NSO, seeking injunctive relief and damages, accusing it of accessing WhatsApp servers without permission six months ago to install Pegasus software on victims’ mobile devices. The lawsuit alleged that the breach allowed for surveillance of 1,400 people, including journalists, human rights activists and dissidents.

NSO has claimed that Pegasus helps law enforcement and intelligence agencies fight crime and protect national security and that its technology is intended to help catch terrorists, child molesters and hardcore criminals.

NSO appealed a trial judge’s 2020 refusal to grant it “conduct-based immunity,” a common law doctrine that protects foreign officials acting in their official capacity.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling in 2021, calling it a “simple case” because NSO’s mere licensing of the Pegasus software and provision of technical support did not protect it from liability under a federal law called the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which took precedence over common law.

Last year, the US Supreme Court rejected NSO's appeal of the lower court's decision, allowing the lawsuit to continue.

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation army issued evacuation orders to citizens from several areas in Shuja'iyya, east of Gaza Governorate.

Local sources reported that the occupation issued evacuation orders in the Shuja'iyya area and a number of surrounding areas east of Gaza.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said in a report that forced evacuation orders issued by the occupation army have become a daily occurrence for the citizens of the Gaza Strip, who are forced to leave in order to save their lives.

UNRWA indicated that 83% of the Gaza Strip was placed under evacuation orders or classified by the occupation army as "prohibited areas."

According to the latest statistics, the number of displaced people in the Gaza Strip has reached about two million, including 1.7 million living in the Al-Mawasi area west of the southern Gaza Strip in appalling living conditions, according to a previous statement by the international humanitarian aid organization "Oxfam".

A fire broke out a short while ago in the central medicine warehouse of Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip, after the occupation warplanes bombed the area around it.

The hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip (Indonesian, Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan) have been under a continuous and tight siege for nearly two months, during which the entry of medicine, food, medical staff, ambulances, or any other services has been prohibited.

Kamal Adwan Hospital has been under heavy and continuous bombardment for three days, with 91 patients inside.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced today, Monday, that the death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,317, 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 107,713 since the beginning of the aggression, while thousands of victims are still under the rubble.

It pointed out that the occupation forces committed 5 massacres, which resulted in the death of 58 citizens and the injury of 86 others.

1. The official spokesman for the Palestinian security forces, Brigadier General Anwar Rajab, announced the martyrdom of First Sergeant Mahran Qadous, a member of the Palestinian police, from the village of Iraq Burin, today, Monday, after he was targeted by gunfire by outlaws, while performing his national duty in the Jenin camp.

Brigadier General Rajab said that this heinous crime that targeted a member of the security establishment, who is the second martyr since the launch of the "Protect the Nation" campaign, will only increase the security forces' determination and resolve to confront anyone who tries to threaten the security of the nation or rebel against the rule of law.

He stressed that the hand of justice will reach anyone who dares to tamper with the security of our people, and there will be no leniency with this deviant group that is outside the law.

He stressed that the security services will continue, with all their might, to work to impose order, eliminate chaos and protect the security of our people, no matter the sacrifices.

He called on all citizens to stand united with the security services, and provide full support and cooperation in pursuing these criminals, to ensure security and stability in our beloved country.

It is noteworthy that the martyr, First Assistant/Saher Farouk Jumaa Arhail, a member of the Presidential Guard, was martyred yesterday, Sunday, while performing his national duty, after he and his colleagues were exposed to treacherous gunfire by outlaws in Jenin camp.

A citizen was injured today, Monday, by a settler's bullets, claiming that he attempted to carry out a stabbing operation near the Hizma checkpoint, northeast of occupied Jerusalem.

According to local sources, the nature of the citizen's injury is unknown.

Israeli reports claimed that the Palestinian attacked a soldier, after which an armed settler opened fire on him, "neutralizing" him.

The Israeli occupation army continues its tight siege of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip, for the third consecutive day, with 91 patients inside, amidst appeals for the necessity of intervention to save the patients and medical staff, and provide them with medical supplies and food.

According to medical sources, the occupation's drones dropped bombs on the hospital's grounds and roof this morning, Monday, which once again threatens fuel and oxygen supplies.

The same sources explained that 91 patients are still in the hospital, including the elderly, children and women, and the services provided to them are minimal, due to the ongoing and severe siege that has been imposed on them for nearly two months, during which the entry of medicine, food, medical teams, ambulances and any other services has been prevented.

It pointed out that yesterday, the occupation tanks and bulldozers suddenly approached the western gate of the hospital, amidst a heavy hail of bullets, which penetrated the intensive care unit, the maternity ward, and the specialized surgery ward, and some bullets exploded inside the wards, which created a state of fear and panic among the patients.

It noted that the occupation targeted one of the generators, which led to it being completely out of service due to the fire, and there were also attempts to target the fuel tank, amid continuous shelling of surrounding homes and buildings.

It is noteworthy that the occupation army launched violent raids on the Martyr Kamal Adwan Hospital, since yesterday evening, Saturday, after demanding its evacuation without providing the means to evacuate the patients.

On a daily basis, the occupation targets the Martyr Kamal Adwan Hospital, which resulted in the martyrdom and injury of a number of medical personnel and citizens in its vicinity, and caused damage to electricity generators and hospital departments.

On October 5, the occupation forces invaded the northern Gaza Strip again, amid bloody shelling, a tight siege, and the prevention of the entry of food, water, and medicine.

The occupation continues to commit crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing in the town of Beit Lahia, and Kamal Adwan Hospital is a last resort for the sick and injured in the north, who have not found an alternative that provides them with the minimum medical and humanitarian services.

Despite this, the medical staff inside the hospital, consisting of two doctors at most and a small number of nurses, continues to perform their humanitarian duty, and they have refused to obey the army’s multiple orders to evacuate its buildings and leave the governorate, despite the ongoing crimes against them.

It is noteworthy that "Kamal Adwan" was the largest hospital in the northern governorate, providing its services to more than 400 thousand people, while it operates today amidst non-existent conditions and capabilities due to the occupation's direct targeting of it since October 2023, as it continues to launch intensive raids on its surroundings, in addition to blowing up buildings and residential blocks next to it, which resulted in damage to its buildings, and the deaths of martyrs and wounded inside or outside the hospital.

The hospital bears the name of one of the leaders of the Palestinian revolution and the most prominent symbol of the Fatah movement, the martyr Kamal Adwan, who was assassinated by the Israeli Mossad along with the leaders Muhammad Yusuf al-Najjar (Abu Yusuf al-Najjar) and Kamal Nasser, on April 10, 1973, in the Lebanese capital Beirut, for their prominent activity in the Palestinian resistance.

Israeli police arrested two female protesters on Monday while they were taking part in a protest in West Jerusalem, calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a prisoner exchange deal.

Haaretz newspaper said that the police arrested "two demonstrators demanding a hostage deal while they were protesting in front of Minister Ron Dermer's house.

The newspaper explained that a number of Israeli women participated in the demonstration organized by the "Women's Protest Association," where they raised banners, some of which read, "Hostage Agreement and Ceasefire Now."

The Israeli opposition accuses Netanyahu of obstructing reaching an agreement to preserve his position and government, as extremist ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, threaten to withdraw from the government and bring it down if he accepts an end to the war.

The Israeli occupation continues its aggression on the Gaza Strip, by land, sea and air, since October 7, 2023, which resulted in the martyrdom of more than 45,259 citizens, most of whom are women and children, and the injury of more than 107,627 others. Thousands of victims are still under the rubble and in the streets, amid massive destruction and famine that killed dozens of children and elderly people.

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

The Jerusalem Governorate reported that dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in successive groups from the Al-Maghariba Gate, carried out provocative tours, and performed Talmudic rituals in its courtyards.

Since the beginning of the comprehensive Israeli aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, in October 2023, the occupation forces have tightened their measures at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the entrances to the Old City.

In the same context, the occupation police summoned a number of Al-Aqsa Mosque guards for investigation at their centers.

Yesterday, the so-called extremist "Temple" groups called for extensive raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Jewish "Hanukkah" holiday on the 25th of this month.

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation authorities forced a Jerusalemite to demolish his house in the Al-Bustan neighborhood in the town of Silwan, south of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The owner of the house, Hisham Aqil, stated that the occupation municipality notified him of the demolition of the house under the pretext of “building without a permit,” which prompted him to demolish his house himself, in order to avoid the high costs imposed by the occupation municipality if its machinery carried out the demolition.

Aqil said that the building had been standing for 11 years, and that one of his relatives had been living in it with his family of four before it was demolished.

The bloodshed has not stopped, while the war of extermination stands on the threshold of its fifteenth month, with no signs on the horizon indicating its cessation, while the global conscience is in a deep sleep, and closes its eyes to the crimes that exceeded what happened in World War II, which is what the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, indicated yesterday when he said: “All wars in the world have rules except the war on Gaza, in which the rules were broken and laws were suspended.” He warned against “the world getting used to the war that the Gaza Strip is being subjected to, which has affected all elements of life, and from which schools and hospitals were not spared.”

All this is happening in front of the eyes and ears of the free world, which never ceases to call for respect for freedoms, human rights, and children’s rights to education and life, without all these calls constituting a motive for a serious global movement that stops the killing of children and women, and provides food and relief aid, while all UN reports confirm that the situation in Gaza is catastrophic, that all roads in Gaza lead to death, and there are no safe areas, and that those who do not die from the bombing die of hunger or cold in the shadow of low temperatures that have caused the death of many infants.

We were encouraged by the decisions of the International Court of Justice, as well as the decisions issued by the International Criminal Court to bring the perpetrators to justice, although the first steps that should be taken after filing charges against the perpetrators are to work to prevent them from continuing their crimes. However, for the massacre to continue without the slightest attention to the decisions issued by the highest international judicial platforms, this expresses a grave and profound imbalance, not only in global policies, but in the international justice system, and it is not justified by the saying “the court does not have an army to implement its instructions.” What is the benefit of directing charges at the perpetrators, if they remain immune from accountability, and continue their crimes without accountability that deters them from their crimes, the horror of which the international judiciary has acknowledged, and demanded that they be stopped quickly?!

In the last quarter of an hour of the administration about to leave, there is a lot that can be done, starting with getting Netanyahu to remove the obstacles to the deal that his opponents, Lapid, Gantz and Lieberman, agree he is obstructing its completion in order to prolong the life of his government and prevent the disintegration of his coalition.. and ending with putting an end to the horrific tragedy of the residents of Gaza who carry their wounds and walk to hospitals that are out of service, while they continue to say goodbye to their children who are being killed while they sleep in the houses that are being destroyed over their heads and in the displacement tents where the cold stings their souls.

Will the Biden administration take a decisive step in the coming days, like the one it took in Lebanon, to stop the massacre, by reaching a deal that opens the door to the release of prisoners and detainees, and stops the killing of more children in Gaza, whose pictures shook the Pope with his statements that angered the perpetrators, simply for expressing his noble feelings towards the victims by saying: “What is happening in Gaza is not a war, but an injustice that breaks hearts.”

December 21, 1995 was a special and great day for Bethlehem. On this day, a new phase in the life of Bethlehem in particular and Palestine in general began, as it witnessed the entry of the Palestinian National Authority into the city of birth and its capital. It was a great challenge for us in terms of religious ceremonies and Christmas celebration arrangements. We only had about two days to prepare for Christmas from a religious, spiritual and organizational perspective, and to welcome the immortal President Yasser Arafat with all the challenges, meanings and messages it entailed. That day marked the beginning of the embodiment of a long-awaited Palestinian dream, after years of sacrifices and challenges. And here we are today, preparing for Christmas after thirty consecutive years, characterized by increasing challenges year after year, from the peak of spiritual, social and national joy and happiness, to the peak of sadness and pain. Will we allow hope to fade in the face of this torrent of children’s blood, destruction and displacement? Christmas arrangements carry two dimensions, a spiritual dimension and a rights dimension, just like the entry of the Palestinian Authority, which also carried two dimensions: national and rights.

Over the course of those thirty years, preparing for Christmas arrangements, we have faced many problems and challenges, which increased every year, bringing with them joy mixed with hope, along with sadness mixed with hope. This is the land of hope and will not be the land of despair. Anyone who follows the content of these arrangements will find that they document historical rights that must be cooperated to preserve. From the departure of the procession of His Beatitude the Patriarch from Jerusalem to Mar Elias, where the Mayor of Beit Jala, the parish priest, and the dignitaries of the city and the parish are waiting to welcome and greet him, considering it the historical borders of the city of Beit Jala, to accompanying him to the area of Rachel’s Tomb, where he is received by the priest of the Bethlehem parish, the deputy mayor, and the parish institutions, in addition to the president, members, and priest of the Beit Sahour parish, to confirm the warm welcome and that Bethlehem begins from there, everyone sets off, accompanied by the Palestinian police, to Manger Square, passing by the scouts and the huge local and international crowds. It has been customary for years now for the Patriarch to get off his vehicle and walk on foot to Manger Square, where he is received there by the Mayor of Bethlehem, the governor, the police chief, and the commander of the region, in a symbolic and essential image that bears the confirmation of very important rights. His Beatitude will then walk with them, followed by dignitaries, notables, believers and attendees to the church courtyard where the monks will receive him with prayers that begin their rituals from there, passing through the Church of the Nativity and arriving at the Church of Saint Catherine. Based on the great importance that His Holiness Pope Francis attaches to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Holy Land, he bestowed upon its Patriarch the rank of Cardinal, which is one of the highest ecclesiastical and administrative ranks in the Catholic Church, to tell the whole world that Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Palestine and the Holy Land are the mother of churches.

Over the course of those thirty years, during which Bethlehem began a new life under the Palestinian National Authority, which constitutes the nucleus of the Palestinian state that the people, all believers, and free people of the world aspire to on the path to achieving just and comprehensive peace, President Yasser Arafat came to Bethlehem among a human flow that the governorate had never witnessed before, and began the annual tradition of his attendance at the Christmas Mass. His words still ring in my ears when he used to say to me: You pray Christmas once, but I pray Christmas three times, referring to his participation in the holiday with the three sister churches: the Latin, the Orthodox, and the Armenian. President Mahmoud Abbas continues on this path in word and deed, and participates in Christmas prayers three times.

Words and gestures that some may find simple, but on the contrary, they are profound and very important on the Christian, national and international levels. Unfortunately, in the thirtieth year of that launch, we find Bethlehem under siege, groaning under the economic burden and the absence of tourism. Groaning in sadness over the killing and displacement taking place in Gaza, groaning over the killing, siege and suffering taking place in the West Bank and Jerusalem in all areas of life. This year’s birth is the saddest of those thirty years. The streets are empty, hearts are extinguished, minds are wandering, hopes are fading, rights are lost, and the life of the Palestinian people is absent from the agenda of decision-makers and influencers in this world. A year that witnesses the most dangerous challenge in the history of this land, as many forces have begun to spread corruption, trying to undermine rights, sow plots and sedition, and sow the seeds of division, as if the Palestinian people lack that.

The year 1995 witnessed the beginning of the embodiment of the Palestinian dream and right, this embodiment that was supposed to grant peace to the region and all its inhabitants, but that step did not please the enemies of peace, who worked hard and with great malice to destroy it, so that today, in the thirtieth year, we have reached a stage where the dream and right are almost fading away. However, with one hand and with the blessings of the birth of the Prince of Peace, let us transform the sacrifices and challenges into a new starting point towards a better future. Let us be careful, let us be gentle like doves but wise like serpents, for the danger is great, and a right that is lost is difficult to restore. What has been achieved must be preserved and not lost.

The year 2025 is the Jubilee Year, when Pope Francis will open the Jubilee Year door in the Vatican on the occasion of Christmas, announcing the start of the Jubilee Year, sending hope, peace and love to a world filled with wars, killing and destruction. Let the war stop, let the killing stop, let people return to their homes and children to their parents who remain, for these are the most basic human rights. Let the pilgrims and pilgrims return to Bethlehem and Jerusalem, praying, supporting and backing them, so that hope remains in life, brought by the birth of the Prince of Peace to this land two thousand and twenty-five years ago.

Yes, in the land of Christmas, for the second year, Christmas celebrations are forcibly absent. There is no Christmas tree decorated, no celebrations held, and no manifestations of the holiday. Not in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, peace be upon him, nor in Jerusalem, the Via Dolorosa. This absence and the limitation of celebrations to rituals, rites, and religious prayers is due to the massacres and genocide committed against our people, not only in the steadfast Gaza Strip, but extending to the entire geography of the homeland. Our people, like all peoples, want to participate in the Christmas celebrations. In fact, they are the main arena and center in the world for these celebrations, as delegations, visitors, and pilgrims come to Bethlehem from abroad to participate in these celebrations and light the Christmas tree. But there are those who confiscate the joy of our people, and do not want children to have joy and smiles on their faces on this holiday. How will the children of Palestine rejoice and be happy, when more than 16,000 Palestinian children have been killed by the continuous Israeli raids and bombardment, some of whom have been killed by hunger, malnutrition, and lack of milk?

Yes, while the eyes of the world are directed during Christmas to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, the city, its streets and alleys appear almost empty of tourists for the second year in a row, and the Christmas tree, decorations and lights are absent from Manger Square in Bethlehem, while the genocidal war perpetrated by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip continues.

In the press conference held in the Bethlehem Municipality, Saturday 12-21-2024, for the glorious Christmas holidays, the Mayor of Bethlehem, Anton Salman, said, “Bethlehem is the capital of Christmas, and in this glorious Christmas season, the candle of hope is lit again, calling on the peoples of the world to adopt the values of Christmas; peace, justice and love. Our message is clear and evident: despite the pain and injustice, we remain a living people who love peace, adore life and cling to their roots in this holy land, so that we may remain witnesses to Christmas and salvation, carrying a message of hope and peace, believing in the justice of heaven that will inevitably come, despite the hatred, injustice and persecution that beset our time.”

The two cities that were most clearly and significantly affected after the aggressive war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip, since October 7, 2023, especially in the tourism sector and its associated commercial and economic movement, hotels, restaurants, and oriental antiques shops, are Jerusalem and Bethlehem, as the two cities suffered from isolation, and tourism stopped completely, and no pilgrims, visitors, or tourists came to them. In addition, these two cities were besieged, and Jerusalem turned into a military barracks. Fixed and mobile military checkpoints, and an unprecedented security and police presence. Bethlehem had checkpoints placed at its entrances, and its villages were separated from each other, and it was separated from the city of Bethlehem by more checkpoints and gates. Anyone who wants to reach Bethlehem thinks a hundred times before coming to it, as the occupation checkpoints and gates are subject to the moods of its soldiers, so the Palestinian citizen does not know when those checkpoints will open and when they will close, as well as those gates that are controlled by the moods of the soldiers.

The tourism sector in these two cities received a severe blow from which it has not recovered, as the "Corona" pandemic, from March 2020 until mid-2022, paralyzed the tourism movement in particular, and the commercial and economic movement in a very large way, and now came the battle of October 7, which has been ongoing for 443 days, and the two cities are in a state of almost complete commercial and economic paralysis.

In this regard, the Palestinian Minister of Tourism, Mr. Hani Al-Hayek, said, “Since the aggression of October 7, 2023, the tourism sector has suffered huge losses estimated at more than one billion dollars, of which about 600 million dollars were lost by Bethlehem alone, in addition to indirect losses. The unemployment rate has also risen to more than 36%, and the poverty rate has increased, as about 30% of Bethlehem’s population has no source of income.

What applies to Bethlehem applies to the city of Jerusalem. Commercial and economic activity there is almost paralyzed, and many merchants are closing their shops, as they have come to feel that closing their shops saves them the expenses incurred by opening them, such as electricity, water, services, taxes, maintenance, and various expenses.

We do not know whether the upcoming holidays for our Palestinian people, Islamic and Christian, will be able to enjoy security, peace, freedom and independence, in light of an unjust international community that is complicit in our people, as it has not moved a finger in the face of the crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing committed against this people. Even the leaders and officers of the occupying state, headed by Moshe Ya’alon, the former Minister of War and Chief of Staff, said that there are acts of ethnic cleansing being practiced in the northern Gaza Strip, and that the Israeli army is not the most moral of the world’s armies. Meanwhile, the commander of the 252nd Division said that on the Netzarim axis, there is what is known as the corpse line, where the bodies of Palestinians are thrown and left to be devoured by dogs. A reserve officer said that the soldiers and commanders are acting like armed militias, and are killing civilians on their own, without referring to any laws or instructions.

We ask all countries of the world, especially those that always talk about freedom, democracy, justice, human rights, children's rights, women's rights, and the right of peoples to self-determination: Where is Palestine and its people in all these statements and values that you promote, and we discover that they are nothing but a set of lies, deception, and misleading? The war of extermination that is being waged against our people in the Gaza Strip, targeting children, women, buildings, centers, and civil institutions, and the bodies of Palestinians that are being devoured by dogs, have not convinced you to take action to stop these crimes, destruction, and starvation. Is this because you consider our Arab and Islamic peoples, according to your racist and supremacist theories of what is known as the "end of history" or the "clash of civilizations", to be barbaric, uncivilized peoples, and therefore we do not deserve to live, but rather we must be eliminated, so that what you call peace and stability may prevail in the world?

Finally, I say: How many Christmas, Easter, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha will our Palestinian people experience while they are under the last occupation in the world that is robbing them of their land and their right to live in security and stability in a free homeland where their children enjoy the freedom to play, move and celebrate holidays with joy and without fear?!

No Christmas tree is decorated, no Ramadan decorations are hung in the place of the Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey, peace be upon him, and no Christmas tree is decorated and lit in the cradle of the Arab Christ, peace be upon him. The children of Gaza are in a state of constant terror and fear, as the bullets and bombing of the occupation’s aircraft sow terror, fear and death among them.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry did not wait long to respond harshly to the Pope's statements in which he described the killing of children in an Israeli raid on the Gaza Strip, saying that "this bombing is not war but brutality," adding in a low tone with a lot of emotion: "I want to say this because it touches my heart."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry was not pleased that the Pope expressed what was in his heart or conscience, so it issued a shocking and terrifying statement, describing the Pope’s statements as “particularly disappointing, because they are disconnected from the real and realistic context of Israel’s war against jihadist terrorism, a multi-front war imposed on it since October 7.” Then the Foreign Ministry concluded its shocking and terrifying statement with a strict and decisive warning: “Enough with the double standards and targeting of the Jewish state and its people.”

In confirmation of this position or any Israeli positions that fall under it, the occupation forces prevented the Patriarch of Jerusalem from entering the Gaza Strip on Christmas Eve, as part of an Israeli policy that has been in place since October 7 to prevent the press, international bodies and figures from visiting the Strip and seeing the atrocities taking place there.

This swift, aggressive and shocking Israeli position was preceded by the position of the Israeli Minister of Diaspora, Amichai Chikli, which he presented in an article he published in Italian newspapers, attacking the Pope because of a book the latter had published in which he stated that international experts indicated the possibility that the atrocities taking place in Gaza might bear the features of genocide. The aforementioned minister confirmed that what was mentioned in the book was a disregard for the concept of genocide, as if this minister wanted to say that there is no genocide except that which befell the Jewish groups, and that there is no pain that can be understood and felt except by the Jewish groups alone.

It goes without saying that the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the statements of the Minister are nothing but an assault on reality, and a re-presentation of it with religious and cultural concepts that find receptive ears in certain Western circles. Saying that the conflict is religious and that the Jewish groups are the most deserving of life and that they monopolize history, its making and its narration, and take on the roles of victim and hero in it at the same time, and that what is happening in Palestine is a conflict between the stray light and the prevailing terrorism, is nothing but a confusion of the cards and a frightening of the media platforms, people of opinion and the elite. The important thing in all of this is that Israel has reached the point of attacking the Pope, belittling his opinion, correcting his words, and responding to him without the slightest deterrent or restraint. Why not, when it had desecrated the Church of the Nativity in 2002, and directed many insults and humiliations at various Christian places and symbols? Although I personally am cautious about giving the conflict a religious character, Israeli madness and extremism are pushing things to that. The bankruptcy of secular, socialist, and leftist Zionism in general has pushed new generations of Israelis to throw themselves into the arms of religious narratives that provide extremely seditious answers to people who have created extremely bad conditions for them and for other peoples of the region. They are fueled in this by another Western madness that sees in returning to literal interpretations of the Old and New Testaments better final answers than in the versions of secularism and its multiple layers from the fifteenth century to the present day.

On the other hand, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan gave us a surprise statement about two weeks ago during his recent visit to Tel Aviv, in which he said that Americans and Jews sanctify human life, and therefore he believes that Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians is justified because Hamas is using them as human shields, and therefore Hamas is responsible for their killing.

Thus, Jake Sullivan was able to simply satisfy his conscience and the Western and American conscience in particular by saying that killing civilians is justified as long as they are dependent on terrorism, and that they lose their right to protection as long as they have accepted to be transformed into human shields, meaning that they bear responsibility for their killing or torture, but Americans and Jews sanctify human life, a statement that reflects a great deal of confusion, ignorance, and a desire for cheap courtesy, selling positions, and providing free services. It is clear that Sullivan desires or is paving the way for him to assume a new and important position after leaving this administration. The man's ignorance stems from the fact that Americans are a mixture of different races and cultures, and do not have a single identity. The idea of "Americanization" has not been able to dissolve these nationalities or cultures, which explains the large number of lobbies and pressure groups. Americans have a common interest, not a common nationality, on the one hand. On the other hand, Jews are also multiple groups and conflicting cultures, but Sullivan, for legitimate reasons of interest, brings all of this together to decide that all of these sanctify human life. It is clear that if we put this statement on the historical and moral standard, we would find that it is a blatant lie. The Pope's statements and Sullivan's statements reflect this harsh and difficult test that Western civilization faces with all its claims and statements, and explain to us many of the manifestations and Western reactions that fall into a deep abyss not only of moral deterioration, but also of potential security risks.

There is a huge difference between the Pope’s statements and Sullivan’s statements, and despite that, we Palestinians who are suffering from all this madness, extremism, double standards, and weak and absent positions continue to live. We have no choice but to continue to live, certain that there is a God who manages the universe, and that neither Israel nor anyone else manages this vast universe.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday evening that the Biden administration is concerned about a weakened Iran seeking to acquire a nuclear weapon, adding that he is briefing President-elect Donald Trump's team on the danger.

Washington says Iran's influence in the Middle East has suffered setbacks after Israeli attacks on Lebanon's Hezbollah and the subsequent fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.

Sullivan told CNN that Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities, including missile production plants and air defenses, had reduced Tehran's conventional military capabilities.

"It's not surprising that there are voices in Iran saying, 'Maybe we should now pursue a nuclear weapon, maybe we should rethink our nuclear doctrine,'" Sullivan added.

uranium enrichment

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but it has expanded uranium enrichment since Trump, during his first term, withdrew from an agreement between Iran and Western countries that aimed to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions in exchange for easing sanctions on Tehran.

Sullivan said there was a risk that Iran would abandon its pledge not to possess nuclear weapons.

"This is a risk that we are now vigilant about. I am personally working to brief the new president's team on this risk," he added, stressing that he is also consulting with Israel on the issue.

Trump, who takes office on January 20, may resume a hardline policy toward Tehran by tightening sanctions on Iran's oil sector.

Sullivan said Trump would have the opportunity to continue diplomatic efforts with Tehran, given Iran's "weakened state."

"He may change his position this time, given the situation Iran finds itself in, and actually reach a nuclear agreement that limits Iran's nuclear ambitions in the long term," he added.

President-elect Donald Trump has expressed his willingness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as possible, stressing his ability to end the Russian war against Ukraine and his ability to quickly end wars in the Middle East. However, Trump has sparked widespread controversy over his threat to regain American control of the Panama Canal, his ideas that carry a new perspective on foreign policy, and his trade threats that raise concerns and send messages that his next term will not be peaceful, and that he will implement his “America First” agenda without many of the barriers that restricted his first term.

In his first major rally since winning the presidential election, Trump spoke for more than an hour on Sunday at an event for young conservatives in Phoenix, Arizona. Thousands of conservative activists applauded as the president-elect took the stage amid a display of fireworks, smoke and patriotic songs. They chanted the name of the incoming president, who told them, “I stand before you today and I can proudly say that the golden age of America has arrived.” He pledged that his “dream team” of cabinet and government appointees would work to bring prosperity to the U.S. economy, close U.S. borders and fight drug trafficking.

Meeting with Putin

Trump noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed interest in meeting with him about the war with Ukraine, saying, “President Putin wants to meet with me as soon as possible, so we have to wait and we have to end this terrible war.” The president-elect hinted that U.S. military aid to Ukraine may continue after he takes office. NATO and the European Union are working to find ways to maintain support for Ukraine while Trump seeks a quick solution to end the war and bring the parties to the negotiating table.

Trump had previously promised in his election campaign to end the war within 24 hours, but he did not explain how he would do so, especially since Putin had set strict conditions for any agreement, including rejecting Ukraine’s accession to NATO, reducing its military strength, and holding on to Russian-controlled territory inside Ukraine. Analysts believe that these demands make reaching a peace agreement difficult.

Panama Canal Restore

Trump raised a different foreign policy issue, accusing Panama of imposing excessive fees for passage through the canal, the passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Trump said he would insist on regaining control of the canal, which the United States relinquished under a treaty signed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama in December 1999.

"We are being cheated in the Panama Canal just like we are being cheated everywhere else," Trump said, noting that his new administration would try to take control of the Panama Canal, describing giving up the canal as "foolishness."

“They must treat us fairly, and if the moral and legal principles of this gesture are not followed, we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question. We will not stand idly by,” he added.

Panama's President Jose Raul Molino took to social media to say his country's sovereignty was non-negotiable, and Trump posted on Truth Social a photo of the Panama Canal with the American flag and the words "Welcome to the United States Canal."

Musk will not be president

During his speech, Trump mocked Democrats' accusation that tech billionaire Elon Musk is exerting influence over the president-elect and has become a shadow president who drives the policies of the next administration. Trump said, laughing, "There are hoaxes being woven and the new thing is that President Trump is conceding the presidency to Elon Musk. No, no, that's not going to happen... He's not going to be president. I'm safe. You know why? Because he wasn't born in this country."

According to the US Constitution's requirements for the presidency, no one can run for president if they were not born in the United States. Elon Musk was born in South Africa and became a US citizen in 2002, so he cannot become president unless the constitution is amended.

Trump announced that Elon Musk would lead the Department of Government Efficiency with businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, after Musk played a major role in donating millions of dollars to Trump’s campaign. Over the past week, Democrats have raised concerns that Musk is becoming more than just a billionaire spending his money to support Trump or a mere participant in the Department of Government Efficiency, but rather is working to impose his views on President Trump and control his direction. This came after Musk led a broad campaign to reject the spending bill and criticized the project on his platform “X.” Musk responded last Friday in a tweet accusing Democrats of trying to drive a wedge between him and the president-elect.

First day in the white house

The president-elect reiterated his pledge to close the southern border with Mexico and deport illegal immigrants, saying, “On my first day in the Oval Office, I will sign a historic list of executive orders to close our borders to illegal aliens and stop the invasion of our country. On the same day, we will begin the largest deportation operation in American history, larger than even President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s.”

“I’ve told Mexico and Canada that they’re going to have to step in and stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illegal drugs into our country, and they have to stop. That goes for the European Union and that goes for a lot of other places. The European Union has treated us very badly. We have hundreds of billions of dollars in deficits. They don’t take our cars, they don’t take our agricultural products, but we take their products and they have to be careful and not treat us that way, and they won’t treat us that way for long, that’s what I can tell you. Because we’re not going to let them turn the United States into a dumping ground,” the president-elect added.

“To save our economy, I will sign day one orders to end all Biden restrictions on energy production, end his crazy electric vehicle mandate, and lift the ban on natural gas exports,” he continued.

On the social side, Trump stressed the protection of far-right principles, saying: “With the stroke of a pen on Day One, we will stop the transgender madness. I will sign executive orders to end the sexual mutilation of children, and to remove transgender people from the military and from our elementary, middle, and high schools. We will ban men from women’s sports. And it will happen the next day, too.” He added: “Under a Trump administration, it will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two sexes, male and female.”

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation forces stormed the village of Shuyukh al-Arroub, north of Hebron, demolished a house, and shot a citizen.

According to local sources, these forces demolished a house belonging to citizen Muhammad Haroun Halayqa, which houses seven people. He explained that the occupation had notified the halt of work and construction there four months ago, under the pretext that construction is prohibited in the “Al-Bass” area.

She reported that a citizen was injured by live bullets in the thigh during the clashes that erupted after the house was demolished.

Peace Now said that settlers have established seven colonial outposts in the occupied West Bank.

The organization explained in a press release published on its website that the seven colonial outposts were established in Area B during a period ranging from two to six months in the past.

She explained that 5 of these outposts are located in a large area of land east and southeast of the city of Bethlehem, and that one of the other two colonial outposts was established east of the "Ofra" settlement in the middle of the West Bank, on lands owned by the village of "Ein Yabrud".

The other outpost is located to the north, near the Shilo settlement, south of the Adei Ad settlement outpost, which was built on lands belonging to the village of Turmus Ayya.

The organization indicated in its statement that some citizens were displaced from these areas for fear of attacks by the settlers, who later seized their homes.

The United Nations considers Israeli settlements illegal and calls for their cessation, warning that they undermine the chances of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with the principle of a two-state solution.

Settlement in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has witnessed a significant increase since the current right-wing government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu came to power in December 2022.

According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the occupation army and settlers carried out 16,663 attacks on Palestinian lands and properties from October 7, 2023 to October 7, 2024, taking advantage of the circumstances of war and aggression against our people in order to impose new facts on the ground.

During the same period, settlers, under the protection of the occupation army, established 29 colonial outposts, concentrated in the Hebron Governorate with 8 outposts, Ramallah with 6 outposts, Bethlehem with 4 outposts, and 3 in Nablus, in addition to paving 7 roads to facilitate the movement of settlers and connect outposts to existing settlements.

The occupation authorities legalized 11 colonial outposts and transformed them into colonies or settlement neighborhoods affiliated with existing colonies, and referred a total of 9 other outposts to legalization procedures.

Pope Francis condemned the bombing of children in Gaza as "cruelty", sparking criticism from Israel.

Pope Francis on Saturday condemned the bombing of children in Gaza as "cruelty", sparking a sharp response from Israel which accused him of "double standards".

The pontiff made his remarks a day after the rescue agency in Gaza said an Israeli air strike had killed seven children from one family.

"Yesterday they did not allow the Patriarch (of Jerusalem) into Gaza as promised," the pope told members of the government of the Holy See.

"Yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war," he said. "I want to say it because it touches my heart."

In a statement, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman described the pope's remarks as "particularly disappointing", adding: "Enough with the double standards and the singling out of the Jewish state and its people."

Gaza's civil defence rescue agency reported that an Israeli air strike had killed 10 members of a family on Friday in the northern part of the territory, including seven children.

Israel's offensive on the besieged enclave continues to rock the territory more than 14 months into the war, even as international mediators work to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Francis, 88, has called for peace since Israel's war on Gaza began on 7 October 2023. In recent weeks he has hardened his remarks against the Israeli offensive.

In late November he said "the invader's arrogance... prevails over dialogue" in "Palestine", a rare position that contrasts with the tradition of neutrality of the Holy See.

In a recently published book the pope called for a "careful" study as to whether the situation in Gaza "corresponds to the technical definition" of genocide, an accusation firmly rejected by Israel.

Since 2013 the Holy See has recognised the State of Palestine, with which it maintains diplomatic relations, and it supports the two-state solution.