On Saturday, the Israeli occupation army committed 5 violations of the ceasefire with Hezbollah, bringing the total number of violations since the agreement went into effect 25 days ago to 280.

According to various news published by the official Lebanese News Agency, today's violations were concentrated in the Tyre district in the South Governorate (south), and the Marjeyoun and Bint Jbeil districts in the Nabatieh Governorate (south).

The violations included bulldozing olive groves, demolishing homes and buildings, flying drones and warplanes, and setting up a military checkpoint.

In Tyre district, Israeli army forces carried out new bulldozing operations that affected a number of olive groves near the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the town of Naqoura.

In Naqoura as well, the Israeli army carried out new demolitions of buildings and homes, and set up a permanent military checkpoint in place of a Lebanese army post near the fishermen’s port.

In Bint Jbeil district, Israeli warplanes were recorded flying at low altitude.

In Marjeyoun district, an Israeli enemy drone flew at low altitude over the towns of Khiyam, Burj al-Muluk, Qalaa, Jdeidet Marjeyoun, Debbin, and Balat, in addition to the Marjeyoun plain.

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 175 violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon until the end of Friday, which led to a total of 30 martyrs and 37 wounded, according to a statistic by Anadolu Agency based on data from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

These violations prompted Hezbollah to respond, on December 2, for the first time since the agreement came into effect, with a missile attack targeting the Ruwaysat al-Alam military site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfar Shuba.

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 4,061 martyrs and 16,662 wounded, 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.

Settlers closed the entrance to Wadi Fukin village, west of Bethlehem, on Saturday evening.

According to local sources, a group of settlers from the "Beitar Illit" settlement, which is located on citizens' lands, closed the entrance to the village with stones and prevented the passage of vehicles and citizens, before it was reopened.

The French newspaper "Le Monde" confirmed that more than 12 thousand patients and wounded in the Gaza Strip, according to figures from the World Health Organization, are facing the risk of death due to the inability to obtain medical evacuation, as the number of evacuations has decreased significantly since May, when the Israeli army took control of the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip.

Le Monde pointed out the collapse of health institutions in Gaza, which has been under Israeli attack for more than 14 months, with the besieged sector lacking food, medicine and medical equipment.

In the Guardian, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), wrote an article saying that the agency may be forced to stop its work in the occupied Palestinian territories next month, which would paralyze the humanitarian response in Gaza and deprive millions of Palestinian refugees of basic services in the West Bank.

Lazzarini argues that the Israeli government's efforts to dismantle a UN agency were met with public condemnation and outrage, which largely turned into political deadlock.

In addition to the humanitarian file in Gaza, international newspapers and websites highlighted developments in the situations in Yemen and Syria.

“The United States hopes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will find it difficult to back down after the first round of negotiations on the Gaza deal,” Amos Harel said in an analysis in Haaretz. He added that both the outgoing and incoming American administrations are exerting all their influence to force an agreement between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), before the presidential rotation in a month.

The writer comments that "despite the optimism about the possibility of concluding a deal this time, Netanyahu and his far-right partners in the government certainly do not want the war to end."

On the subject of Yemen, writer Avi Ashkenazi acknowledged in his article in the Maariv newspaper that Israel “failed to confront the Houthis, was not prepared intelligence-wise and politically, and did not develop a real plan to repel them, as happened in the north with Lebanon.”

The writer believes that Tel Aviv "must make a real decision to act decisively not only in Yemen, but also against those responsible for the Houthi activities and intelligence, because they are not based in Sanaa but in Tehran," according to the Israeli writer.

On Syria, the New York Times said that the way forward for the Syrian economy begins with easing sanctions, after years of conflict devastated the energy sector, battered the currency, and stifled growth. The newspaper commented that although “the collapse of Bashar al-Assad in Syria was shockingly rapid, rebuilding the shattered economy he left behind will be painfully slow.”

ActionAid International said that people in the Gaza Strip are facing great difficulty in surviving, as many of them are living on less than one loaf of bread per day, due to the severe food shortage that has forced bakeries and community kitchens (takayas) to close.

Many families rely on community kitchens as their only hope for one meal a day, but some of these kitchens have now been forced to close, leaving people without any source to turn to in light of the limited aid to Gaza as a result of the restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities and the exorbitant rise in food prices, she added in a statement issued on Saturday.

The organization pointed out that there are only four bakeries operating in Gaza run by the World Food Program, and that demand is so high that people have to start lining up at 3 a.m. in front of bakeries and flour trucks in an attempt to secure their share.

It pointed out that the price of a 25 kg bag of flour reaches about 1,000 shekels in Deir al-Balah, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in northern Gaza.

It continued: Food supplies to approximately 75,000 citizens have been completely cut off for more than 70 days in the northern Gaza Strip, and doctors and patients at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza are living on only one meal a day.

The Foundation stressed that hunger and malnutrition in northern Gaza are increasing rapidly, and that the famine threshold has already been crossed. Despite this, only very limited aid has reached the area.

It stressed that with the occupation continuing to bomb the entire Gaza Strip, simply going out to look for food for family members means risking the lives of individuals. On the first of this month, 13 citizens were martyred and 30 others were injured in an air strike launched by the occupation while citizens were waiting to receive food parcels.

“As starvation continues to be used as a weapon of war in Gaza, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to get enough food to survive,” said Reham Jafari, the organization’s communications and advocacy officer. “Our partners and humanitarian workers are doing their best to provide food parcels and hot meals wherever possible, but with very limited supplies allowed in, even community kitchens have been forced to close.”

“With no safe place in Gaza, people face a tragic choice: starve to death, or risk being killed or injured while waiting in food queues,” she added. “The world cannot continue to watch in silence as Gaza’s people wither away. A lasting ceasefire is the only way to ensure aid can safely reach more than two million people in need and prevent widespread famine.”

The leader of the opposition in the occupation, Yair Lapid, called on the settlers to demonstrate in Tel Aviv this evening to put the state back on the right track, as he put it.

For its part, the Detainees' Families Committee called on settlers to demonstrate in Tel Aviv and several cities this evening to demand a deal to return the detainees.

The leader of the opposition in the occupation, Yair Lapid, called on the settlers to demonstrate in Tel Aviv this evening to put the state back on the right track, as he put it.

For its part, the Detainees' Families Committee called on settlers to demonstrate in Tel Aviv and several cities this evening to demand a deal to return the detainees.

The UN Security Council has decided to extend the peacekeeping mission between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights for six months, expressing concern that military operations in the area could lead to an escalation of tensions.

Since a surprise attack by Syrian rebels that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, Israeli forces have entered the demilitarized zone established after the 1973 war, which is patrolled by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

The UN Security Council stressed in the resolution it adopted on Friday "the need for both parties to abide by the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic and to observe the ceasefire with utmost precision."

The Council expressed its concern that "ongoing military operations by any party in the 'area of separation' continue to have the potential to escalate tensions between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic, jeopardize the ceasefire between the two countries, and pose a risk to the local civilian population and United Nations personnel on the ground."

The ceasefire agreement stipulates that neither the Israeli nor the Syrian armies will be allowed to be present in the demilitarized zone, the 400-square-kilometer "separation zone."

Medical sources announced today, Saturday, that the death toll from the Israeli occupation's aggression on the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,227 dead and 107,573 wounded, since October 7, 2023.

Medical sources added that the occupation forces committed three massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of 21 citizens and the injury of 61 others, during the past 24 hours, noting that thousands of victims are still under the rubble and in the streets, and ambulance and rescue crews cannot reach them.

Today, Saturday, Bethlehem Municipality launched the Christmas message on the occasion of the glorious Christmas holidays, during the traditional annual Christmas press conference held at the municipality headquarters.

Bethlehem Mayor Anton Salman said, “From Bethlehem, the capital of Christmas, and in this glorious Christmas season, we light the candle of hope once again, calling on the peoples of the world to adopt the values of Christmas, peace, justice and love.”

He added, "Despite the pain and injustice, we remain a living people who love peace, adore life, and cling to our roots in this holy land. We remain witnesses to the birth and salvation, and bearers of a message of hope and peace, believing in the justice of heaven that will inevitably come."

The letter stated, “The city of Bethlehem is not far from what is happening around it in the Palestinian cities. Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the city has suffered from isolation as a result of the restrictions imposed on it by the Israeli occupation. Tourism has stopped, doors have been closed to its pilgrims, resources have dried up, barriers have spread at its entrances, the occupation has tightened restrictions on movement to and from it, and stagnation has spread in its markets, which has had a severe impact on the lives of its citizens. The economic crisis has worsened, the suffering of its citizens has increased, and the sense of isolation has deepened.”

Salman strongly condemned the continued brutal Israeli aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip, expressing his dissatisfaction with the silence of the international community in the face of the massacres being committed against our people in Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian territories.

He called for serious and immediate intervention to put an end to Israeli violations of the rights of our people and human rights in the Palestinian territories.

He said that the Bethlehem Municipality decided to limit the Christmas activities this year to prayers and religious rituals, in confirmation of the rejection of the injustice inflicted on our people in Gaza and all of Palestine and the genocide to which they are being subjected, stressing that the true essence of Christmas does not lie in appearances and festivals, but in worship and prayers.

He called on the peace-loving peoples of the world to "draw inspiration from the values of Christmas, and instill them in the consciences of humanity and decision-makers in this world, hoping that our message will reach their hearts and that they will be a voice to stop the atrocities that have been committed against the Palestinian people for many years, which have reached their peak these days."

For his part, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Hani Al-Hayek, said, "We meet today to launch the Christmas message in light of the continued barbaric aggression targeting everything Palestinian, and seeking to liquidate our cause and end our historical presence on this land, but our people have proven, as every time, their steadfastness and their roots in their land."

He stressed that our people will remain committed to their legitimate right to freedom and independence, standing firm behind their leadership, which has stood as an impregnable barrier against all attempts to undermine their steadfastness.

Al-Hayek added that in light of the ongoing aggression and Israeli measures represented by the intensification of barriers, the separation of Palestinian cities and villages from each other, their siege, the repeated invasions, the prevention of work within the 1948 territories, and the seizure of clearance funds, the Palestinian economic sectors, including tourism, face fateful challenges, as foreign incoming tourism, which did not exceed 3% of incoming tourism before the aggression, has stopped, and the tourism sector has incurred huge losses estimated at more than a billion dollars since the beginning of the aggression, of which about 600 million dollars were lost by Bethlehem alone, in addition to indirect losses.

He pointed out that the unemployment rate has risen to more than 36%, and the poverty rate has increased, as about 30% of Bethlehem's population has no source of income.

Al-Haik pointed out that despite all the challenges and scarcity of financial resources, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities did not stop working diligently. It worked in cooperation with local and international community institutions, and in partnership with the private sector, to preserve the Palestinian tangible cultural heritage in the northern governorates, monitor and document the destruction in Gaza, and address international institutions specialized in global tangible cultural heritage. It also worked to preserve Palestine’s global tourism status to ensure the return of tourism when appropriate conditions are available.

Al-Hayek called on the world to work to lift the siege imposed on Palestine by visiting it and its religious and cultural sites, attending through Palestinian offices, staying in Palestinian hotels and shelters, communicating with the Palestinian people and enjoying their hospitality and getting to know their lives and legitimate struggle to establish peace and achieve freedom, stressing that supporting the Palestinian economy and participating with our people in their struggle for freedom represent a message of solidarity with deep meaning.

In turn, Bethlehem Governor Mohammed Taha said, “On this day, I address the silent world that does not move a finger and I say to it, is it not time to move and stand up to this latest occupation in the world and the genocide it is committing?”

Taha added, "Limiting the occasion of the birth of Christ to performing religious rituals is a clear indication that we are one people in the homeland and the diaspora, and that the occupation has failed in all its plans to undermine our unity, as we live in common pain and suffering."

For his part, the Director General of Bethlehem Police, Brigadier General Murad Qandah, announced the completion of all police preparations in all its departments, in order to secure the glorious Christmas holidays and provide an appropriate atmosphere for the national religious occasion.

Pope Francis condemned, on Saturday, an Israeli airstrike that killed seven children from the same family in the Jabalia camp in the Gaza Strip, describing the crime as barbaric.

"Yesterday, children were bombed. This is barbarity. This is not war. I wanted to say that because it touches the heart," he said during his annual Christmas address.

In excerpts from a book published in November, Pope Francis called for a “careful study” into whether the situation in Gaza “meets the technical definition” of genocide.

The Israeli occupation forces imposed a curfew today, Saturday, in the village of Umm al-Khair, southeast of Yatta, south of Hebron.

Activist Osama Al-Makhamra reported that the occupation forces imposed a curfew in the village and declared it a "closed military zone."

A child was killed today, Saturday, when a landmine left behind by the Israeli occupation army exploded in the Al-Rashaydah area, east of Bethlehem.

The Ministry of Health reported, in a brief statement, the death of the child Muhammad Yasser Ali Rashaida (7 years old) as a result of the explosion of a landmine left behind by the occupation in the Rashaida area.

The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday that the University of California has resolved nine federal civil rights complaints of anti-Semitism and bias against Muslim, Arab and pro-Palestinian students stemming from protests over Israel's war on Gaza at five UC campuses.

The complaints alleged that UC administration, the University of California at Santa Barbara, the University of California at San Diego, the University of California at Davis, and the University of California at Santa Cruz failed to respond promptly or effectively to harassment of their students based on their actual or perceived national origin and that some UC campuses subjected these students to differential treatment in access to university programs.

UCLA has been a hot spot, receiving more than 150 bias complaints about protests and rallies in October and November 2023, as well as reports of a large pro-Palestinian camp on campus during the spring. Reported incidents included chants of “Death to Israel” and “Intifada Now” and complaints that checkpoints at the camp denied entry to Jewish students who refused to denounce Zionism. Muslim, Palestinian-American, and pro-Palestinian students also reported unwanted photographing, searches, and being followed on and near campus by other students and members of the public. Many members of the pro-Palestinian camp were Jewish students who identified as anti-Zionist.

The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights said the violence at the UCLA camp against Jewish, Israeli-American and pro-Palestinian protesters was "particularly troubling."

Officials have pointed to allegations that UC, through campus police, failed to protect Palestinian, Arab and/or pro-Palestinian protesters as they were violently attacked, injured and intimidated by counterprotesters, including third parties. Last month, UC released an independent report from the Office of the Provost, which found a “chaotic” response by both administrators and campus police that led to a failure to protect students.

UC has agreed to take stronger steps to review reports of bias incidents, share campus responses with the federal Office for Civil Rights and obtain the Office’s approval for any changes to university policies related to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.

As part of the agreement, each campus must review all harassment complaints from the past two academic years and assess whether more needs to be done.

The Department of Education broadly defines the types of harassment it investigates on its website, including “insults, ridicule, stereotypes, or name-calling, as well as racially motivated physical threats, attacks, or other hateful behavior.”

The laws enforced by the Office of Civil Rights do not specifically address religious discrimination, but the administration said it investigates “complaints that students have been subjected to racial or ethnic slurs; harassed because of their appearance, dress, or speech in ways associated with their race or ethnicity (such as skin color, religious dress, or spoken language); or profiled based on perceived shared ethnic or ethnic characteristics.”

The administration cites Hindus, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs as among the groups that could be subjected to such harassment.

The University of California has also agreed to train staff, public safety personnel, and campus police officers responsible for handling such complaints.

“The University of California unequivocally rejects anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of harassment and discrimination,” the University of California said in a statement seen by Al-Quds.

“The University is pleased to announce that it has entered into a voluntary resolution agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, reinforcing UC’s commitment to fostering a respectful and welcoming environment free from discrimination and harassment based on national origin. This agreement is part of the University’s ongoing efforts to combat discrimination and harassment based on national origin, including Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim origins, and/or association with these actual or perceived identities,” the statement said.

The agreement with the university follows similar agreements signed this year by Brown University and the University of Illinois, which also faced federal civil rights complaints related to protests sparked by Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, 2023. Dozens of other complaints stemming from protests and encampments on campuses across the United States remain open.

Although the University of California has reached an agreement with the federal government over civil rights complaints, it still faces additional legal challenges related to student and staff protests.

In October of this year, a group of pro-Palestinian students and faculty at UCLA filed a lawsuit in state court, alleging that the university violated their free speech rights when it cleared the spring camp and wrongfully disciplined them for protesting. The protesters, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, asked the court to bar UCLA police from declaring an “unlawful assembly” only when the demonstrations violate university policy — which limits the order to acts of violence or if protesters appear to be violating criminal laws.

Hebrew media revealed that an Israeli soldier was smuggled out of Sri Lanka before being summoned for investigation on charges of committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

The channel said: "Dramatic moments in Israel yesterday, after it became clear that an Israeli soldier in regular service was located on Sri Lankan soil, by the pro-Palestinian Hind Rajab organization (based in Belgium)."

The organization was able to "compare the photo he uploaded on social media with the photo he uploaded from his operational service in Gaza," according to the channel.

She added: "We are talking about a soldier in regular service, and the organization monitored his presence in Sri Lanka, and immediately uploaded a photo showing him posting a video of himself on social media networks, in which he said he boasted about killing a Palestinian citizen, and appealed to the Sri Lankan authorities and demanded that they arrest him."

"This organization spread the word and told the Sri Lankan authorities that the hand of the regular soldier, whose name will not be revealed here, was stained with blood," she continued.

She added, "The soldier received a phone call from the Israeli authorities asking him to leave Sri Lanka immediately for fear of being arrested."

The organization did not clarify how the soldier left Sri Lanka and to what destination, while no Sri Lankan party commented on the incident until 12:00 GMT.

It is noteworthy that the International Criminal Court issued two arrest warrants last November against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant for committing crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel fears that more arrest warrants have been secretly issued against Israeli leaders and soldiers.

The channel said: "There is no doubt at all that since the arrest warrants were issued, more and more countries feel that they have the will to open criminal proceedings against regular or former soldiers, and pro-Palestinian organizations are trying to lead to this."

"This time Israel managed to prevent it at the last minute, but the long-term consequences are clear," she added.

Human rights organizations in several countries have announced that they are collecting information about Israeli soldiers who posted videos of themselves committing crimes in Gaza, in order to demand that local authorities arrest them.

Medical sources announced the death of the infant girl, Aisha Adnan Sufyan Al-Qassas, as a result of the severe cold inside her family’s displacement tent in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis.

It has been previously reported that there have been previous deaths among children due to the severe cold, as displaced families suffer during depressions from low temperatures, due to the lack of sufficient blankets or winter clothes, and the inability of plastic tents to provide warmth from the harsh winter cold.

A large number of displaced people in the Gaza Strip, who live in tents, have begun taking some simple measures, hoping to protect their tents from being uprooted or flooded, in preparation for the coming low pressure system.

With simple tools, citizens in the low-lying areas of displacement areas where tents are set up began to place earthen barriers to divert the path of rainwater so that it does not enter the heart of their tents.

Is there anything that hurts your heart and gnaws at your soul more than hearing the hissing sound of your son’s voice under the rubble of your house, but you stand helpless to save him, or summon someone who can help you lift the blocks of cement and iron that are sitting on his soul?!

Oh God... Such pain strikes the hearts of thousands of fathers, sons and mothers, as they hear the gasps of their loved ones under the rubble, while they stand helpless to extend a helping hand to them, leaving them to have their homes turned into graves for them!

Yesterday, 12 children under the age of 10 died under the rubble of a house belonging to the Khalleh family in Jabalia, while the same number of them remained under the rubble, and no one can reach them; the crows armed with tools of killing and destruction are chasing anyone who tries to approach the destroyed houses to offer assistance.

About 80 martyrs and dozens of wounded in one day, in an escalation that returns the genocide to its early days, at a time when news has been circulating about progress in the deal negotiations and the extinguishing of the flames of the incinerator.

“All roads lead to death in Gaza,” concluded a report by the UNRWA emergency officer yesterday, saying: “Gaza is one of the saddest places for humanitarian workers. 14,500 children have been killed and thousands injured in the 14-month-old genocide.”

Stop the genocide now..!

German police have arrested a driver who drove a car into a Christmas market in the central German city of Magdeburg, killing at least one person and injuring dozens.

The widely circulated Bild newspaper reported that at least 11 people were killed and about 80 injured after the car rammed into the crowd "at least 400 metres away".

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement on the X platform that the Christmas market accident "raises the worst fears."

"My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand with you and with the people of Magdeburg. I thank the dedicated rescue workers in these difficult hours," Scholz added.

German media reported, citing police, that there was a suspicion of an explosive device in the car. A spokesman for the Magdeburg government said that the car accident "may have been an attack."

Other local media in Germany reported, citing a local government official, that a car hit a group of people at a Christmas market in Magdeburg.

She added that several people were injured, and there may have been deaths in the incident.

The police said on the X platform that they were "currently" conducting "large-scale" operations in the market, and that "the market is closed." They also said that the conditions of some of the injured were "critical," according to local media.

UNRWA Emergency Officer Louise Waterridge said on Friday that more than two million people remain trapped in appalling conditions in Gaza and are deprived of their basic needs.

"People can't escape, and it feels like every path you take leads to death," Waterridge said.

For its part, UNICEF said that "the war on children in Gaza" is a stark reminder of the world's collective responsibility to do everything possible to end their suffering, stressing that "a generation of children is bearing the brunt of the brutal violation of their rights and the destruction of their future."

“Gaza is one of the saddest places for us as humanitarians, because every small effort to save a child’s life is lost to the violent destruction,” said UNICEF’s Chief Communications Officer in Gaza, Rosalia Poulin. “For more than 14 months, children have been on the brink of this nightmare, with more than 14,500 children reported killed and thousands more injured.”

UNICEF warned of the difficult situation with the arrival of winter in Gaza, where children "feel cold and wet and are barefoot", while many of them are still wearing summer clothes, adding that children are searching among the rubble for pieces of plastic to burn, and that diseases are spreading in the sector in light of the lack of health services and the continuous exposure of hospitals to attacks.

UNRWA said that the weather conditions had worsened in recent days and that this pattern would continue as expected, but the agency had been forced to prioritize food over shelter assistance.

UNRWA added, "We have supplies outside the Gaza Strip waiting to enter the Strip for six months. This is the reality that humanitarian workers live here. We have to choose between people getting food or people getting shelter."

10 citizens were killed as a result of the Israeli occupation air force bombing a house in Jabalia Al-Nazla, north of the Gaza Strip, on Friday evening.

The official news agency "Wafa" said that the occupation aircraft bombed the house of the Khala family in Jabalia Al-Nazla, which led to the death of 10 citizens, including 7 children, and the injury of others.

The Israeli occupation forces have continued their aggression on the Gaza Strip, by land, sea and air, since October 7, 2023, resulting in the death of 45,206 citizens, the majority of whom are women and children, and the injury of 107,512 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 official spokesman for the Palestinian security forces, Brigadier General Anwar Rajab, said that while the efforts of the security services to maintain security and safety and establish the rule of law continue, the security operation "Protect the Homeland" is still progressing and achieving remarkable successes and accomplishments in protecting our people and children in the Jenin camp, and ridding them of the group of outlaws who have disturbed their daily lives, and sparing them more tragedies and victims.

Rajab added in a press statement on Friday evening that the brave and heroic security forces working in the field were able, thanks to God and His care, since dawn today, to defuse more than twenty explosive devices planted in the streets and alleys of the camp and in front of inhabited houses. They were also able to defuse two car bombs that were prepared to be detonated outside the camp, and that they are currently dealing with many other explosive devices and car bombs.

Brigadier General Rajab called on the residents of Jenin camp to take the utmost caution and avoid standing on roofs and windows, and to move with extreme caution. He called on them to cooperate with the security services and provide them with aid and assistance in uncovering more explosive devices and car bombs, in order to preserve their lives and the lives of their children.

He saluted and honored the heroes and brave men of the security services in the field, who sacrifice their blood and lives cheaply for the sake of Palestine and its people, and in order to impose order, achieve security and safety, and enforce the rule of law.

A child was injured by Israeli occupation forces' bullets, Friday evening, during clashes in the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces stormed the town, which led to the outbreak of clashes during which a 15-year-old child was injured by live bullets in the knee, and was subsequently transferred to the hospital.

“The US Congress is complicit in the genocide in Gaza” through the unconditional support the United States provides to Israel, said former US intelligence and military officer Josephine Guillebeau.

This came in a speech during a session held by the Veterans Affairs Committee in the US House of Representatives on Thursday, where Guillebeau expressed her dissatisfaction with the US administration and Congress’ policy towards Israel.

During the session, Guillebeau stood up and addressed the members of Congress in her military uniform, saying: “The United States Congress is complicit in this genocide taking place in Gaza. You continue to send billions of dollars to Israel. As an officer who served 17 years in intelligence, I see how you destroy American values and our national security.”

She said: "Israel is burning children alive in Gaza. For a year now, I have been watching Israel burn children alive. You do not value veterans or American values. You are destroying this country."

"I feel ashamed for all of you. May God give you the courage to do what is right," she continued.

At the request of the chairman, the security men removed Guilbo from the courtroom.

Speaking to reporters outside the session, Guillebeau explained that the US Congress allocates billions of dollars to countries like Israel, while not providing veterans with the assistance they need.

Today, Friday, the Israeli occupation forces arrested four citizens from the town of Jaba and the village of Deir Ghazala, in the Jenin Governorate.

The director of the Prisoners Club in Jenin, Montaser Samour, said that the occupation forces stormed Jaba and arrested three citizens: the freed prisoner Muhammad Salim Alawneh, Abdullah Maher Nimr Hamamra, and Abdul Muhammad Hilmi Hamamra, after raiding and searching their homes.

Samour added that the occupation forces arrested the young man Anas Sidqi Jalmana from Deir Ghazaleh, after raiding and searching his house, and destroying his vehicle.

The Israeli army estimates that it will not be able to complete the investigations into the October 7 failures until the end of next January, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Friday.

This comes after Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced yesterday that he had instructed the Chief of Staff of the Army, Herzi Halevi, to complete these investigations by the end of next month and that until then he would not approve any promotions for officers.

The newspaper added that the Israeli army divided the investigations into four topics: the concept of defense in the years preceding October 7, 2023; the concept of intelligence in those years; the fighting on October 7; and the fighting in the "Gaza Envelope" area later.

Each of these topics involves a great many details and many military and intelligence units, each of which must present its conclusions to the General Staff. In addition, there are about 30 investigation centers for towns in the "Gaza envelope" and military sites. Therefore, the army will not be able to carry out these investigations until the end of next month, so that "the public's confidence in the results of the investigations is gained," according to the newspaper.

The newspaper pointed out that the Shin Bet also did not submit its investigations, "even though its responsibility for gathering intelligence information in Gaza is greater than that of the army."

But the newspaper pointed out that "the Shin Bet is directly subordinate to the Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu), who, unlike Katz, has not yet demanded an end to the Shin Bet investigations."

The newspaper added that the army and Shin Bet investigations "also raise the question of when an external fact-finding committee will be formed to investigate the performance of the political echelon. It is difficult to escape the feeling that the campaign against an official commission of inquiry is not only related to problems of trust in the acting president of the Supreme Court (who is required to form the committee and appoint its chairman from among the retired judges of the court), but is simply an attempt to evade criticism."

In this context, Amos Harel, a military analyst for Haaretz, noted that Katz's demand that the army end its investigations could have been considered objective and a necessary step, "had it not been for Netanyahu's categorical refusal, along with all the Likud ministers, to bear any responsibility for the failures" that led to the Hamas attack on October 7.

Harel pointed out that "Netanyahu himself added difficulties for months to conducting internal investigations in the Israeli army, when he refused to appoint former Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz as head of the investigation team, a year ago."

“Katz’s new demand from Halevi explains precisely why Netanyahu appointed him as Galant’s successor. He did so so that Katz would respond to all his steps aimed at creating difficulties and obstacles for Halevi. Netanyahu fired Galant in order to remove an obstacle that would have prevented the implementation of his plan to pass the Haredi exemption from conscription. But Halevi presented a plan to recruit about 4,800 Haredim by the summer of next year, and that the army would be ready within two years to recruit entire regiments of Haredim in the following years. This was not what Katz and Netanyahu expected to hear. Now, they are trying to show Halevi the way out of the army.”

The Israeli Army Radio also indicated that Katz's announcement yesterday "officially opened the door to the race for the position of Chief of the General Staff."

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported today, Friday, that the Israeli occupation committed 3 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, resulting in 77 dead and 174 injuries arriving at hospitals during the past 24 hours.

The ministry confirmed in a brief statement that the death toll from the Israeli aggression has risen to 45,206 dead and 107,512 injuries since October 7, 2023.

It pointed out that there are still a number of victims under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them.

A citizen, his wife and their two daughters were killed this Friday morning in an airstrike launched by Israeli occupation aircraft on Beit Hanoun estate in the northern Gaza Strip.

Local sources reported that the occupation aircraft launched a raid on Beit Hanoun, which resulted in the death of a citizen, his wife and their two daughters, and the injury of others.

She stated that the occupation forces carried out bombing operations on residential buildings in the project and town of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli occupation forces have continued their aggression on the Gaza Strip, by land, sea and air, since October 7, 2023, resulting in the death of 45,129 citizens, the majority of whom are women and children, and the injury of 107,338 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.

Today, Friday, settlers set up a new colonial outpost near the Arab Al-Malihat Bedouin community on Al-Ma'rajat Road, northwest of the city of Jericho.

According to local sources, a number of settlers continued to set up a tent on the community's lands at dawn and Friday morning, while performing provocative dances.

It pointed out that there are 5 colonial outposts around Al-Ma'rajat Road, northwest of Jericho, four of which were installed after October 7, 2023, in order to expand the influence of the settlers in the border areas between the Ramallah and Jericho governorates.

Reliable sources in Washington say Hamas and Israel appear closer than they have been in months to a ceasefire agreement that could end the 14-month war in Gaza and return dozens of people held hostage there.

But the two sides have come close before, only to have talks collapse over various disagreements. This round of negotiations also faces obstacles.

According to Egyptian, Palestinian, Israeli and American sources, the agreement will be implemented in stages, and includes a cessation of hostilities, an exchange of Israeli prisoners for Palestinian prisoners, and increased aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. The final stage includes the release of any remaining hostages, an end to the war and talks on reconstruction.

Although Israel and Hamas have expressed optimism that a deal is near, major sticking points remain over a prisoner-hostage exchange and an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, people involved in the talks say.

“They are working on the names of the hostages that will come out in the first phase — the names of the prisoners that will be released as part of the exchange, and then some specific details about the behavior of the Israeli forces during the ceasefire,” Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, said Wednesday.

During its October 7, 2023, attack on the Gaza envelope area by its fighters, Hamas and other groups took some 250 people hostage and brought them into Gaza. A previous truce in November 2023 released more than 100 hostages, while others were rescued or their remains recovered over the past year.

Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Gaza - at least a third of whom it believes were killed during the October 7 attack or died in captivity.

The warring sides are negotiating over which hostages will be included in the initial release, according to Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing ongoing negotiations. There have also been disagreements over how many hostages will be included, Israeli media reported.

The first batch is expected to consist mostly of women, the elderly and people with medical conditions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also facing mounting pressure from the hostages’ families to secure a deal that would free them all at once. They fear the deal could fall apart or that loved ones who are not freed immediately could die in captivity.

As part of the deal, Israel is expected to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including dozens convicted of deadly attacks.

Israel has a history of uneven prisoner releases, and hundreds were freed in the November 2023 deal. But officials who spoke to The Associated Press say the two sides still disagree on the exact number and names of prisoners to be freed. Hamas wants high-profile prisoners to be included.

Netanyahu’s ruling coalition includes hardliners who oppose such releases, some of whom have vowed to quit the government if too many concessions are made. They point to the release of prisoners in 2011, including former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 attacks who was killed by Israel in October, according to Israeli media.

Israeli media also reported that there were disagreements over whether the most dangerous prisoners to be released would be deported to third countries.

Palestinians return to their homes

The war has displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million population, according to UN estimates, with the hard-hit northern enclave largely emptied of its pre-war population.

During the first phase of the deal, Israel is expected to withdraw its forces from Palestinian population centers and allow some displaced people to return to their homes. But officials say the extent of the withdrawal and the number of people allowed to return remain to be determined.

According to Egyptian and Hamas officials, Israel is prepared to allow people to return north to Gaza City, the largest city in the Strip. But it does not want people to return north to areas close to the Israeli border.

Israeli forces remain active in these areas, fighting what Israel says are pockets of rebellion. Israel appears concerned that militants could renew attacks from there if the displaced are allowed to return.

But critics say Israel has other intentions. Netanyahu has considered a controversial proposal by former generals to evacuate the north and cut off humanitarian aid as part of a plan to starve out any remaining militants. Moshe Ya’alon, Israel’s former defense minister, has said Israel is carrying out ethnic cleansing in those areas of northern Gaza.

Netanyahu also said Israel must maintain long-term control of a strategic strip of land along Gaza's border with Egypt, as well as freedom for Israeli forces to operate against militants in the future. Hamas demands a full withdrawal as part of any ceasefire.

In an interview on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States still hopes the deal can be completed before President Joe Biden leaves office on January 20, 2025.

“Everyone is pushing for this,” Blinken told MSNBC. “We want to get to the finish line. We want to get the hostages home. We want to get a ceasefire so that people in Gaza can finally get some relief.”

There are many disasters and unnatural phenomena in the world, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides (tsunamis), avalanches, floods, heat waves, cold waves, forest fires, droughts, hurricanes, epidemics, pandemics, technological and biological hazards. These are disasters imposed by the environment and the forces of nature. However, the disaster that results from human actions and results in loss of life and destruction of property, has a severe impact on the national economy and social life, and the capabilities to confront it exceed the capacity of national resources and require international assistance. People suffer from its woes and become in need of protection, clothing, shelter, medical and social care, and other essential and basic life needs, most notably water, food, and fuel. It is a technical disaster that is deliberately caused by actions carried out by destructive hands. We have been standing at this type of disaster since October 7 of last year, and we have been following and monitoring the enormous extent of the effects and severe damage to lives, property, and destruction caused by this huge catastrophic type, which is unprecedented in human history, as the Gaza disaster is the largest. In size, space, numbers, the number of its dead and victims, and the multiplicity of its noisy human scenes.

The Gaza catastrophe is unprecedented in the world, where Israel kills people, mutilates their bodies, detains them, buries them, cuts them up, and leaves them for stray dogs to devour, or for bulldozers and military armored vehicles to mix with the soil and sand of the homeland that the feet of the occupation soldiers desecrate.

The Gaza disaster has a number of wounded that exceeds the numbers of world wars and victims of atomic and nuclear bombs, and there is no treatment or medication, and no hospitals or health centers capable of providing care because they were destroyed by the Israeli army.

The Gaza disaster has resulted in massive destruction of all aspects of life, from homes, houses, tents, mosques, shelters and refugee centers. Even the graves where the martyrs are buried are threatened with bombing or exhumation, and the streets of the Strip have become open cemeteries to accommodate the huge number of martyrs.

The Gaza disaster includes the deliberate killing of children, women and civilians, diseases and an ongoing epidemic, health hazards spreading everywhere, no water, missing irrigation sources, no food and no medicine.

The Gaza disaster involves displacement and migration time after time, and with each migration and asylum, families are forced to repeat it a second, third and fourth time, to be targeted by the occupation’s bombing, so they seek refuge and then are killed.

The Gaza catastrophe involves bombing from land, sea and air. There is no safe place, no calm, no truce, no stopping of the wheel of war, no Eid, Ramadan or occasions. Even the day is missing, as darkness dominates the scene and the sun of relief and joy seems far away.

The Gaza disaster is a war on anyone who intends to provide medical or humanitarian aid to the people of the Strip, and his fate is either expulsion, killing, or expulsion, unless he assumes the role of the occupation and acknowledges that the people of Gaza are terrorists and must be starved and tortured to death.

The Gaza catastrophe, lines and convoys of hungry and thirsty people whom Israel is fighting with an immoral war by starving them in order to bring them to their knees, but their strength, power and steadfastness stem from their belonging to a cause, and the cause is a homeland.

The Gaza catastrophe is mass arrests, torture, abuse, ghosting, and dozens of martyrs from the prisoners of the word of truth who rebelled against the prison guard’s procedures, and their fate was to ascend to the gardens of eternity.

The Gaza catastrophe is the biggest because Israel is killing the people of Palestine in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and inside Palestine, and it is killing Arabs, Muslims, and Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran.

The Gaza catastrophe is because Gaza is the first front of the struggle and the window of Palestine that fights alone, and does not know when this barbaric war against it will stop, and if it stops, the catastrophe will remain stronger than any future history, because the destructive hands are still occupying the will of the people of Gaza and cutting off the strip’s connections and isolating it from the world.

Since the era of the British Mandate, Palestinian parties have been the basis of the national liberation movement, as they formed platforms for organizing the Palestinian people against colonialism and then against the Israeli occupation. Although these parties did not appear publicly in their beginnings, they played a fundamental role in the Palestinian struggle, as the Palestinian people adhered to their national unity and national rallying around their parties, due to the prominent role they played in gathering efforts towards liberating the land and restoring rights. Over time, these parties, which include national and Islamic forces, became an important struggle base in confronting the occupation, and they constituted a role model for all and contributed to building a deep Palestinian national awareness.

The reality changed dramatically after the Oslo Accords, as the parties were divided between those who supported the agreement and had their own vision, and those who opposed it and had a different point of view. Things became more complicated after Hamas won the legislative elections in 2006. This victory was not accepted by other Palestinian forces, nor on the regional and international levels. This led to a state of political confusion and the isolation of the Hamas government globally, especially after the movement refused to recognize Israel, despite the fact that it came to power in elections resulting from a Palestinian Authority emerging from the PLO that signed the Oslo Accords. This was followed by Hamas’s violent control of the Gaza Strip and the Authority’s institutions in 2007.

These events caused a stifling siege to be imposed on the Palestinian people, which increased political and social tensions between the Palestinian factions, and contributed to the exacerbation of the state of division, deepening partisanship and exchanging accusations, forming an obstacle to unifying the Palestinian internal front, as partisanship flared up openly and eliminated the legacy of the parties’ struggle in confronting the occupation.

With the increasing disparity between the Palestinian factions, the weakness of coordination between them, and the disintegration of the internal front, the Israeli occupation exploited this situation to strengthen its grip on the Palestinian territories. This internal division had a significant impact on the Palestinian people, both socially and politically, and made it more difficult to reach solutions to the conflict with the occupation.

The outbreak of events on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent fierce aggression on Gaza and major escalation in the West Bank, led to an escalation of partisan divisions. Positions varied between those who support resistance as a strategic option and those who believe that the events revealed the need to re-evaluate the course of the Palestinian cause, stressing that the political and diplomatic option may be better in light of the great losses in terms of destruction, martyrs, wounded, and the imbalance of power.

All these reasons and others clearly showed that Palestinian partisanship contributed to the deterioration of the political situation. At the international level, the Palestinian division has become a major obstacle to solutions, and has become a tool in the hands of some regional parties to implement their agendas through the divided parties. This division has affected trust between the factions, and has been clearly evident in the Palestinian people’s loss of confidence in the calls of the parties, especially in Gaza after years of deprivation and siege, leading to a war of extermination, and in the West Bank with the absence of elections and the control of a single party for nearly two decades.

In the context of public relations plans, we always work on the fact that the public is the basis of any successful process. Also, parties that decide in the name of the people must realize that the Palestinian people are not united in their support for them. Thousands of Palestinians do not follow any party and their voice remains absent in light of the division. Even within the parties themselves, there is great criticism of the method of management and the management of differences. This indicates the need to reconsider the party reality and move away from the belief that all Palestinians belong to the same current and address the people in clear, sound and realistic language and even be frank with them about the reality and the declared and hidden goals.

Today, partisanship and mutual betrayal through social media and screens have become painful for Palestinians. We need a law that criminalizes fanaticism and betrayal, even if it is a popular law that sane people reject any manifestation of partisan fanaticism, while emphasizing the necessity of Palestinian national unity and the national goal as the criterion that unites us.

If we look into the basis of the partisan differences and criticisms, we will find that their basis goes back to the Oslo Accords and its consequences, the form of resistance, whether armed or political and diplomatic, the style and method of governance in the West Bank and Gaza, corruption and its forms, security and its implementation, and whether the Palestinian decision is internal or subject to external parties. These are the basic issues that result in partisan differences and racist defense, and all of them need to be discussed and studied and then treated with caution. The most important thing is to overcome these differences and bring viewpoints closer together for the benefit of the Palestinian people.

The biggest catastrophe that this stage has produced is the extension of the partisan division into the depths of Palestinian society. The division is no longer confined to the political or media elites, but has begun to affect individuals within the same society and even within the same family. This division poses a real danger to the Palestinian social fabric, which has always been one of the pillars of steadfastness in the face of the occupation.

The partisan catastrophe is deepened by the absence of warnings in the media discourse of the spokesmen for the Palestinian parties and their fanaticism, which deepens internal divisions and conveys a negative image of the differences to the people and the outside world, which harms the Palestinian cause. The solution lies in unifying the media discourse in a way that places the national interest above partisan interests, and training official spokesmen to adopt a professional and responsible discourse that reflects the suffering of the Palestinian people and the justice of their cause instead of focusing on divisions and accusations. What we sometimes see of "media debate and slander" that dominates some satellite channels and social media platforms that exploit division and fanaticism to achieve their agendas does not provide real solutions and does not contribute to enriching the public debate, but is limited to the exchange of accusations and their escalation.

To get out of the partisan crisis, it is necessary to strengthen the values of dialogue and mutual respect within Palestinian society, whether between individuals or parties, and parties and their members, by training them to accept others and the language of dialogue and rejecting the culture of “if you are not with me, you are against me,” which has become a major obstacle to national understanding; it must be eliminated in favor of building a cohesive society capable of facing common challenges.

Overcoming the effects of partisanship requires broad awareness and a will focused on unifying ranks around major national issues. Promoting the values of citizenship that place Palestine above any party affiliation and establishing trust among the components of Palestinian society through constructive dialogue is the solution.

The abhorrent partisanship has brought nothing but disasters to the Palestinian people. Today, there must be a collective awareness of the need to overcome this painful reality and work to strengthen national unity as the only way to save the Palestinian cause. Achieving Palestinian unity requires political and societal will, and continuous efforts to overcome differences. This unity is not just a political demand, but rather the only guarantee for steadfastness in the face of Israeli aggression and the realization of the Palestinian people’s aspirations for freedom and independence.

Today, we are in dire need of new parties capable of overcoming the divisions and challenges we face as Palestinians. These parties can be represented by independent national figures, civil society institutions, or popular initiatives that carry a comprehensive, unifying vision that places the national interest above narrow partisan interests. The starting point is dialogue within the same party first, to overcome these divisions and achieve a real change in the way individuals and society think. We must work to accept and listen to others, and think collectively instead of repeating the mistakes that have made us immersed in disagreements and partisan fanaticism. If parties contribute to fueling partisan fanaticism and widening the gap between us, then popular initiatives, especially from individuals, should serve as an incentive to overcome these obstacles, to be the beginning of a new phase characterized by cooperation, dialogue, and acceptance of diversity of opinion.

Building national unity requires us to stand together and not allow these differences to become a barrier that prevents us from building the future we want. Only through open dialogue, mutual respect, and moving away from the ideologies that divide us will we be able to reach the path of salvation and achieve our national goals.

Democrats are still reeling from their shock defeat to Donald Trump yet again. As the blame game and the deep thinking continues, journalists and activists have written “post-mortems” to understand the causes of the defeat and the lessons to be learned from it. I would not be so skeptical about the usefulness of these analyses if they were not so narrowly focused on this election, as if these problems had suddenly emerged and were unlikely to be quickly ignored and forgotten. Any serious analysis that seeks to understand what happened on November 5th must begin by recognizing that the seeds of this “Democratic” defeat were planted decades ago. A few weeks ago, I wrote an article in which I assigned blame to specific actors, but now I want to look more deeply at the forces shaping our political landscape:

1- The profound political, social, cultural, and economic changes in American life have left millions of voters in a state of turmoil, insecurity, and anger. They are searching for certainty. Historically, peoples who have experienced such upheaval have tended toward forms of fundamentalism—finding certainty in a mythical and glorious past—or toward “strong leaders” who understand their suffering.

2- In addition to societal changes, dramatic transformational events have left deep scars on the American psyche. The terrorist attacks of September 11 and the failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left Americans feeling vulnerable as our standing in the world has diminished. Add to that the economic collapse of 2008 and 2009 that shattered faith in the American dream, repeated mass shootings, and the traumatic effects of COVID-19, and you have a society on the brink of collapse.

3- In this context, the response of political leadership to anxious voters becomes crucial. From the Nixon presidency to the present, a consistent thread in the Republican strategy has been to exploit the fears and insecurities of voters, initially targeting “black welfare recipients” or “criminals.” Trump has expanded the list of targets to include immigrants, especially Mexicans and Muslims, the “deep state,” and virtually any opposition to him—using “fear of the other” as a powerful weapon. Democrats have seemed disconnected from the challenges of most voters, and have failed to speak to their plight.

Instead, they talk about their programs, their progress on creating jobs, protecting the environment, defending women’s health care options, and advocating for a balanced approach to immigration. While these policies are right, their rhetoric makes them sound out of touch, condescending, or even reckless. Voters want candidates who understand their insecurities and anger.

Some “Democrats” have been effective at doing this: Barack Obama turned voters from fear to hope. Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden have shown voters their anger at income inequality and job losses, and promised to fight for them.

4- For decades, the Democrats were the party that supported economic justice for workers and believed in the role of government. While the Republicans were the party that protected the wealthy, declaring “lower taxes, less government.”

Today, as one Republican senator recently boasted, “We’ve become the party of the working class, and the Democrats have become the party of the elites.” That’s not true, but they’ve managed to create that perception. How? If you ask a Democrat today what the party stands for, you’ll get a lecture on a bunch of social issues with no thread connecting them or making them relevant to working-class voters. If you ask Republicans what they stand for, they won’t say tax cuts. Instead, they’ll recite Trump’s list of “enemies” and cultural issues that Democrats hate.

Or they will simply say, “Make America Great Again”—a catch-all phrase that conjures a return to past “glory,” resistance to cultural change, or defense of Trump. As a successful Republican TV ad put it, “She fights for them, he fights for us.”

5- In the past, political parties led real organizational politics from the local level, to the state level, to the national level. People belonged to parties.

Today, parties have become fundraising vehicles, amassing fortunes to pay the consultants who run campaigns and the parties themselves. While many voters contribute small sums, big donors contribute seven- and eight-figure sums. Democratic consultants are the same group that has run and corrupted politics for decades—playing the same rules with no awareness of a changing electorate. Unimaginative and risk-averse, they constrain candidates in what they can and cannot say.

Trump, on the other hand, has freed himself from the grip of Republican consultants, following his convictions and what voters saw as authentic. What happened in this election has been building for decades. Unless Democrats take a serious look at how they have lost touch with working-class voters and how they have allowed consultants to control their messaging and outreach, the November 5 debacle could be repeated.