The Palestinian Hamas movement published a video clip today, Saturday, of an American-Israeli prisoner with dual citizenship named Idan Alexander, in which he called on US President-elect Donald Trump to use his influence and all possible means to negotiate for the release of detainees in Gaza.

In the video, Alexander said the guards told them "new instructions" if the Israeli army reached them.

Alexander called on the Israelis to go out and demonstrate daily to pressure the government to accept a prisoner exchange deal and a ceasefire in Gaza.

"It is time to put an end to this nightmare," the prisoner said.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri discussed with Iranian Shura Council Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf on Saturday the developments in Lebanon following the entry into force of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah at dawn on Wednesday.

The official Lebanese News Agency reported that "Berri received a phone call from Qalibaf, during which they discussed the current developments in Lebanon and the region," without further details.

On Wednesday morning, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, ending the mutual shelling that began on October 8, 2023, and then turned into a full-scale war in the last two months.

Among the most prominent provisions of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, according to a document obtained by Anadolu Agency from the Lebanese Prime Minister’s Office, is Israel’s gradual withdrawal to the south of the Blue Line (the border between Lebanon and Israel) within 60 days, and the deployment of Lebanese army and security forces along the border, crossing points, and the southern region.

The Lebanese army will be the only entity allowed to carry weapons in southern Lebanon, with the dismantling of military infrastructure and sites, the confiscation of unauthorized weapons, and the establishment of a committee to oversee and assist in ensuring the implementation of these obligations.

There are no official details yet on the mechanisms for implementing the terms of the agreement that Washington and Paris will work to ensure are met.

The Lebanese National News Agency reported today, Saturday, that two people were killed and two others were injured in a raid carried out by an Israeli drone that targeted the town of Rab Thalatheen in Nabatieh Governorate.

The agency added that Israel bombed the town and fired towards the Taybeh project.

Earlier today, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported three injuries in an Israeli strike on a car in Majdal Zun in southern Lebanon, including a seven-year-old child.

In turn, the Israeli army announced on Saturday that it had carried out a series of strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon after detecting “activities that posed a threat,” on the fourth day of the ceasefire between the two parties.

In a statement, the army listed four separate incidents that included “transferring combat equipment,” working at “a site...with Hezbollah missile platforms inside,” and working “within a missile production infrastructure,” noting that some of the strikes were carried out by the air force.

A number of citizens were killed and others were injured, today, Saturday, when the occupation bombed a gathering of citizens in Jabalia.

According to medical sources, at least three citizens were killed and several others were injured after the occupation forces bombed a gathering of citizens in Jabalia al-Balad, north of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli occupation forces continue their aggression on the Gaza Strip, by land, sea and air, since October 7, 2023, which resulted in the death of 44,363 citizens, the majority of whom are women and children, and the injury of 105,070 others, in an incomplete toll, as thousands of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and rescue crews cannot reach them.

Despite some violations committed by the occupation army in southern Lebanon, the ceasefire has become a reality on the ground with the Lebanese army beginning to deploy, which was preceded by the return of tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese to their homes in the south, the Bekaa, and the southern suburbs. This is met by the failure of displaced settlers to return to their homes in the northern settlements.

The calculations of profit and loss began even before the ceasefire agreement came into effect, and they will not end soon, as each party, whether Israel or the Lebanese resistance, will try to consider what happened a victory for them and a defeat for the other party. However, in such a war that lasted for nearly fourteen months, the longest in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, it may not be useful to consider that one party achieved a sweeping victory and the other party suffered a complete defeat, as calculating the profit and loss by calculating the points may be more fair to the two warring parties.

Writers and analysts who spoke to "Y" Dot Com confirmed that the evaluation of this round of confrontation is through evaluating the goals set by each party and what it was able to achieve from them, pointing out at the same time that Israel, which possesses a powerful force and tremendous Western support, was unable to achieve its goals of eradicating Hezbollah or returning the displaced settlers to the north, and that the agreement stipulates the implementation of international resolution 1701, which was issued after the 2006 war and which Hezbollah had previously agreed to.

The war did not lead to a decisive victory for either side.

Major General Mohammed Ali Al-Samadi, a Jordanian military and strategic expert, confirmed that the war that lasted for about eight weeks between Israel and Hezbollah did not lead to a decisive victory for either side.

Al-Samadi pointed out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to achieve an "image of absolute victory," as Israel faced serious political, economic, and social crises during this war, including the displacement of thousands, the disruption of the economy, and the halting of tourism and industry.

He added that the Israeli army had reached a state of "war fatigue", with heavy losses on three main combat axes: the western axis: the Shama and al-Bayada area. the central axis: the Bint Jbeil area. the eastern axis: the Khiyam area.

He said, "Despite the participation of five military divisions, including elite forces and the regular 36th Armored Division, the Israeli forces were only able to advance a limited distance of nine kilometers, with heavy losses including the destruction of about 60 tanks.

The field was the main reason behind the ceasefire.

Brigadier General Samadi stressed that the imposition of the field itself was the main reason behind the ceasefire, as Israel realized that the human and material costs would be high if it continued its incursion. Netanyahu stated that the focus should shift to the “Iranian threat,” with the Israeli army given a break to rebuild its weapons stockpile, while separating the Lebanon front from the Gaza front. He pointed out that the current agreement, supervised by the United States, France, and UNIFIL, requires Hezbollah to withdraw to the north of the Litani River, and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south with international support to secure the border. Its provisions also include the dismantling of Hezbollah’s heavy weapons systems, which may pave the way for the party’s integration into the Lebanese political system in the future.

Al-Samadi explained that Hezbollah's responses were calculated and limited, as it avoided using qualitative missiles on a large scale, in order to avoid provoking Israel into an escalation targeting the Lebanese infrastructure. Despite this, Lebanon and Hezbollah paid a heavy price as a result of the intensive Israeli bombardment, which targeted cities, suburbs and infrastructure to a large extent.

Israel has exhausted its "target system"

Major General Al-Samadi linked the developments in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, where Israel has exhausted its “target system” in Gaza, and is now seeking to create political and psychological pressure on the population and the Palestinian resistance.

He pointed to Israeli statements calling for the reoccupation of Gaza, reducing the population by half, and encouraging voluntary migration, which indicates broad displacement and re-Judaization plans that may target the Strip in the future.

He explained that the developments indicate a new phase of asymmetric conflicts in the region, where the Palestinian resistance in Gaza remains alone in confronting Israeli pressures.

He also warned against Israel's continued exploitation of the situation to achieve its expansionist goals at the expense of the Palestinians and the Lebanese, calling for concerted Arab and international efforts to prevent the continuation of this scenario.

Major General Al-Samadi believes that the reasons for the escalation in the region still exist, despite the agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel.

Al-Samadi described the terms of the agreement as "harsh," noting that the continued presence of the Israeli occupation army in southern Lebanon would allow it to impose its dictates on the ground.

Al-Samadi did not rule out the existence of American-Iranian understandings that contributed to reaching the agreement.

Israel did not achieve its goals and suffered heavy losses on the ground.

For her part, Nevin Abu Rahmon, an expert in Israeli affairs, said that the equation of profit and loss in the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah depends on the goals set at the beginning of the aggression.

She explained that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not succeed in achieving his main goals, which were to restore security, return settlers to their settlements, and eliminate Hezbollah.

Abu Rahmoun confirmed that Israel suffered heavy losses on the ground, and failed to read Hezbollah’s military strategy, which was based on two levels:

1- Field tactics: Hezbollah has proven its efficiency in ground operations and targeting sites inside Israel.

2- Transferring the battle: He was able to transfer the confrontation from the Lebanese interior to the Israeli interior, which confused the occupation’s calculations.

She added: The assassination policy carried out by Israel, including attempts to target Hezbollah leaders, did not achieve its goals. The resistance quickly recovered and returned to the field in a strong way, which surprised Israel and Netanyahu.

Abu Rahmoun pointed out that Netanyahu is facing enormous pressure on the military, security, and economic levels, in addition to clear American criticism.

Biden forced Netanyahu to accept ceasefire agreement

She said that US President Joe Biden forced Netanyahu to accept the ceasefire agreement, after it failed to provide any gains to the United States or the Israeli public.

Abu Rahmon described the agreement as a "gain for the resistance," noting that it restored the situation to what it was in 2006 in accordance with UN Resolution 1701, despite Israel's attempts to impose its dictates through American mediation.

She stressed that the official Lebanese position and the resistance adhere to Lebanon's sovereignty and reject dictates.

In the same context, Abu Rahmoun said that Netanyahu's speech after the agreement was weak and unconvincing, which sparked criticism from the heads of the border settlements who considered the agreement "a defeat for Israel and a victory for Hezbollah." She added that the settlers expressed their anger over their inability to return to their destroyed homes, which increased the internal tension.

Abu Rahmon concluded that Israel today appears "fragile" in front of its domestic audience, and that Netanyahu is paying the price for his failure to manage the war and its internal and external repercussions.

Israel has not achieved any of its goals.

In turn, Dr. Ahmed Shadid, professor of international relations and researcher in Israeli affairs, said that assessing the gains and losses in the current confrontation depends primarily on the goals set by each party.

He pointed to the goals set by Israel and announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and then the new Minister of Defense, Yisrael Katz, came to confirm some of them, which are represented firstly, the return of the displaced from the settlements in northern Israel, then eliminating the strength of Hezbollah and preventing it from returning to the south of the Litani River, which is 4-30 kilometers away from the border, and redrawing the geopolitical map of the Middle East.

Shadid added: "To understand the tactics that Israel followed to achieve these goals, we shed light on the first and second pager bombings, the assassination of the party's General Staff, and then the assassination of Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Nasrallah and his successor Sheikh Hashem Safieddine.

He pointed out that the Israeli side believes that the party has received fatal blows and that a ground invasion has become possible to begin its ground attack focusing on the eastern and western sectors.

He saw that the ground advance stumbled in the eastern and western sectors, and Hezbollah missiles reached the heart of Greater Tel Aviv on 11/24/2024, to witness a sharp turn in the positions of Netanyahu and his government, leading to Netanyahu announcing in a recorded speech about the ceasefire, then two hours later US President Joe Biden followed him to confirm what Netanyahu said, and all of this before the Lebanese government even convened to ratify the agreement in a precedent that is the first in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict and in the mechanisms for ending the rounds of confrontation.

Smotrich and the settlement south of the Litani!

Shadid said: As a result, Hezbollah forces have not been eliminated, and the displaced Israelis have not yet returned to their settlements in the north, and the party's fighters have returned to Kfar Kila and other border towns, noting that the most important thing of all is that the undeclared strategic goal of creating strife within Lebanon and a new civil war in Lebanon has not been achieved.

He pointed out that Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich swallowed his tongue and withdrew his talk about the return of settlement to the south of the Litani River, considering that this area is part of Israel. He even turned into a theorist of the agreement, describing it as preserving the security of northern Israel for years to come, despite his announcement of his rejection of the agreement more than once. Settlement Minister Orit Struck stopped talking about settlement in southern Lebanon, especially after the killing of Israeli archaeologist and historian Zeev Erlich in the town of Shama in the western sector.

On the other hand, Shadid confirmed that Hezbollah's missile force is still strong and that it had previously bombed Tel Aviv just two days before Netanyahu announced the ceasefire, and its human force, according to Israeli army statistics, which said that the army had eliminated two thousand five hundred members of the party, knowing that the number of the party's human forces is close to one hundred thousand members.

Shadid concluded by stressing that Israel, on the strategic level, lost the round.

The agreement may bring stability to Israel on its northern border.

In turn, Dr. Hassan Marhej, an expert in Middle Eastern affairs, said that assessing the balance of profit and loss in the recent agreement between Israel and Hezbollah depends on analyzing several political, military, and economic dimensions.

He explained that this approach requires a deep understanding of the regional and international developments surrounding the scene, away from emotional reading.

He added: The balance of profit and loss, with regard to Israel first, we say that this agreement may achieve stability for Israel on its northern borders, which reduces security threats, with the possibility of improving relations with some Arab countries by presenting a model for negotiating with Hezbollah.

He continued: As for the loss, the agreement may be viewed as a concession of some rights or lands, which may affect the image of the Israeli government internally, and this could lead to strengthening Hezbollah's position as a political and military force in Lebanon.

Regarding Hezbollah, Marhej stressed that this agreement could enhance its political legitimacy in Lebanon, as it will appear as a defender of national sovereignty, with the possibility of obtaining greater popular support by demonstrating the ability to achieve positive results.

In the loss, Marhej said that the party may be exposed to internal pressures from some Lebanese movements or from the international community, and if the agreement is not beneficial to the Lebanese people in general, this may lead to a decline in its popularity.

Reasons for Israel's acceptance of the ceasefire agreement

Marhej believed that there may be multiple reasons for Israel’s approval, including the Israeli desire to avoid a military escalation that could lead to human or material losses, as well as the need to ensure border stability in order to direct its resources towards other issues, noting that Israel may have been exposed to international or regional pressures that could push it towards diplomatic solutions.

Regarding Hezbollah’s image, Marhej said that after the agreement with Israel, Hezbollah’s image in the Lebanese political scene is expected to change, based on the possibility that the party will appear as a political force capable of achieving accomplishments, which will strengthen its position in the Lebanese government. However, Hezbollah may face criticism from some Lebanese parties that oppose any kind of negotiation with Israel, which may create new divisions within the political arena.

He stressed that if the agreement succeeds in improving the economic or security situation, the party may become a more influential force in Lebanese politics.

"In general, there will be a delicate balance between gains and losses for both Israel and Hezbollah, and this will depend on how the agreement is implemented and its impact on the Lebanese people and the region in general," Marhej concluded.

The interest of the Palestinian people is a top priority.

For his part, Dr. Riad Al-Aila, Professor of Political Science at Al-Azhar University, stressed that the interests of the Palestinian people must be a top priority above any other considerations, including the interests of the factions, pointing to the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip due to the war.

Al-Aila explained that the human and material losses suffered by the sector are unprecedented, as the number of martyrs exceeded 45 thousand, while the number of wounded and missing under the rubble exceeded 250 thousand, the majority of whom were children and women. In addition, more than 85% of homes, hospitals, schools, universities and infrastructure were destroyed, leaving more than 10 thousand people homeless, without even tents to protect them from the summer heat or the winter cold.

Al-Aila criticized the continuation of what he described as the "flood approach," which bets on steadfastness at the expense of civilians' lives, pointing out that the continuation of this approach could lead to Gaza being turned into a desert due to the bombing and destruction.

He called for an immediate cessation of the war and an end to the suffering, saying this was necessary to preserve the Palestinian identity and the right of return.

He pointed out that the armistice agreement in Lebanon, despite the multiplicity of factions and religious affiliations, confirmed that the interests of the Lebanese and Lebanon were the priority.

He stressed the need to adopt this approach in the Palestinian case, calling on the leaders of the factions to leave room for the Palestine Liberation Organization to lead the efforts to end the war, rebuild and restore the Palestinian identity.

Al-Aila concluded by saying: “Yes to stopping the war of extermination, yes to rebuilding Gaza, and yes to preserving the right of return and the key to the house that our fathers and grandfathers left behind.”

The Lebanese army began deploying to its positions in the south

Lebanese analyst Dr. Abdullah Nehme said that the war that broke out on October 7, 2023 has officially ended with the ceasefire coming into effect, adding that the Lebanese army has already begun deploying to its positions in the south as part of a comprehensive agreement to stop military operations.

Naama stressed that the results of the war did not achieve strategic gains for any of the warring parties. Israel did not succeed in freeing all its hostages or eliminating Hamas, Hezbollah and their missiles, nor was it able to destroy the Iranian nuclear program.

He said: On the other hand, Iran did not achieve its goal of destroying Israel or liberating Jerusalem, and Hezbollah was not able to impose a halt to the Israeli bombing of Gaza, nor was Hamas able to free Palestinian prisoners or topple Netanyahu's right-wing government.

Nehme pointed out that civilians were the biggest losers in this conflict, with the death toll reaching about 55,000 in Gaza and 5,000 in Lebanon, in addition to 500 Israeli dead. The region also witnessed widespread destruction including Gaza, villages in southern Lebanon, the suburbs, parts of Beirut and the Bekaa, in addition to partial destruction in northern Israel.

Nehme explained that the agreement that was reached, despite its fragility, may hold a horizon for establishing a ceasefire thanks to the guarantees provided by the United States and France, under the management of the senior American general in Lebanon and an international committee.

International and regional understandings to rearrange the region

He pointed out that there are broader regional and international understandings between Israel, America, France, and the Arab countries, led by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, aiming to rearrange the Middle East region, with a focus on Lebanon as the beginning of this path.

Nehme stated that implementing the amended Resolution 1701 has become an indispensable option for Lebanon, noting that this agreement represents a strategic interest for Israel and America, but at the same time provides an opportunity for Lebanon to rebuild its state.

Nehme revealed that Lebanon will begin a new path towards building a real state starting from the beginning of 2025, with the Lebanese army being reinforced across all territories in three phases extending over a period of 60 days.

He pointed out that the martyrdom of Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah contributed to unifying the Lebanese ranks, while Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri played a pivotal role in the negotiations and called for a session to elect a president for the republic on January 9, 2025.

Republican House candidate and Florida Sen. Randy Fine (R) said last week that progressive Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich., of Palestinian descent) and Ilhan Omar (D-Min., of Somali-Yemeni descent), both Muslims, should consider leaving Congress as he comes in, calling himself the Hebrew Hammer.

“The Hebrew gavel is coming. [Rashida Tlaib] and [Ilhan Omar] may consider leaving before I get there,” Fine, a Jewish lawmaker in the Florida state Senate, wrote in a post on social media platform X.

Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, and Omar have been vocal supporters of the Palestinians throughout Israel's war on Gaza, which human rights organizations and many countries consider a war of genocide, and which has been ongoing since November 7, 2023, after the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

Fine is known for his strong pro-Israel views and has faced backlash for a series of inflammatory statements about the war. When Turkish-American activist Ayse Nur Ezgi Eci was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on September 10, Fine wrote in a post on X: “Throw rocks, get a bullet. One less Muslim terrorist. Shoot them.”

In 2019, Fine described a Jewish voter who championed a forum called “Palestine/Israel, Opening the Dialogue” as a “Judenrat,” a term referring to Jews who collaborated with the Nazis during the Holocaust.

Fine launched his campaign for the state’s 6th District on Tuesday. The seat is currently held by Rep. Mike Waltz (R), who is leaving the House to serve as President-elect Trump’s national security adviser.

The largest Muslim civil rights group in the United States called on Thursday for additional protection for U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar after Florida Sen. Randy Fine issued an apparent threat against the Muslim lawmakers.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has previously spoken out against Fine's anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim comments, has described the lawmaker as a "bigoted anti-Muslim."

“His clear threat of violence must be investigated by state and federal law enforcement and condemned by both Democratic and Republican leadership,” said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “President-elect Donald Trump, in particular, must denounce Mr. Fine’s statements and the Florida Republican Party must expel him.”

“We also call on the U.S. Capitol Police to step up protection for Representatives Omar and Tlaib to ensure their safety as they face increasing threats from anti-Muslim bigots and genocide advocates like Randy Fine,” Mitchell said.

Fine was held in contempt of court in Florida earlier this year for making obscene gestures and using profanity during a hearing. He is running in a special election scheduled for April 1, 2025, because Trump has nominated Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) as national security adviser.

This Saturday afternoon, the procession of the Custodian of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Patton, arrived in Bethlehem from Jerusalem, marking the beginning of the religious rites of the glorious Christmas holidays and the feast of Saint Catherine, the patron saint of the Latin parish, which falls tomorrow.

The procession, which set off from the Church of the Monastery of the Savior of the Franciscan Fathers in Jerusalem and reached the Monastery of Mar Elias, was received by the Deputy Custos of the Holy Land, the Protocol Officer, and the Franciscan Representative in Palestine, Father Ibrahim Faltas, the Mayor of Beit Jala, Issa Qassis, and the priest of the Latin Parish in Beit Jala, Hanna Salem.

The procession then set off, accompanied by a number of dignitaries and parishioners, to the Paradise area, passing through the Catholic Action Roundabout, Ras Aftis and Al-Najma Streets, and arriving at Manger Square, where it was officially received on the Manger Square’s pavement, led by Bethlehem Governor Mohammad Taha Abu Alia, Bethlehem Deputy Mayor Hanna Hanania, Bethlehem Police Director General Brigadier General Murad Qandah, Bethlehem District Commander Brigadier General Ibrahim Abu Kishk, dignitaries and parishioners of the Latin Parish, and a large number of students from Terra Santa School and the Mar Yousef Nuns School, who carried slogans including: “Gaza is proud and the dream continues,” and “Give us peace, give us childhood.”

After shaking hands with those who welcomed him, the procession walked on foot and entered the Church of the Nativity, then he presided over a special mass in Saint Catherine’s Church, with the participation of the parishioners.

Governor Abu Alia said, "Our message today to the world is that the land of peace is being subjected to continuous and unprecedented genocide, and all the peoples of the world must stand by our people, achieve their national goals, and obtain their just rights that are recognized by international laws."

For his part, the head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, Ramzi Khoury, denounced the suspicious silence over the massacres taking place in Palestine, and the difficult circumstances that the Bethlehem Governorate, like all the governorates of the homeland, is going through, due to the ongoing aggression of the occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

He asked, "Where are you, Christians of the world, in light of the massacres taking place in Palestine? Where is the justice that the rights holders are talking about? Where are human rights and international legitimacy?"

For his part, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Hani Al-Hayek called on the international community to assume its responsibilities towards our Palestinian people who are struggling to obtain their legitimate rights, the simplest of which is religious freedom.

Al-Hayek called for the necessity of taking a serious and immediate position to stop the war of extermination against our people in the Gaza Strip.

In turn, the Custodian of the Holy Land said, "Bethlehem is a city of sadness today, and the atmosphere of joy and happiness is absent," expressing his hope for a better future, so that everyone can live in freedom and peace.

He added, "We hope that the world will work to achieve just peace in the Holy Land, so that tranquility, joy and love may be achieved," affirming Pope Francis's saying, "With peace we win."

He also expressed his wishes that this Christmas would be the end of the war, and that everyone would live in freedom and dignity.

He said, "Our message to the world is to care and work so that the war ends, life returns again, and the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights, because they deserve to live in freedom, happiness, and dignity like the rest of the peoples of the world."

The official spokesman for the presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, warned against the American silence in the face of the Israeli occupation authorities’ genocide, starvation of citizens, and establishment of buffer zones, with the aim of forcing citizens to forcibly displace them from their homes and lands in northern Gaza.

He said, "The silence of the US administration on Israeli policy, and its provision of financial and military support, are what encouraged the Israeli occupation to continue these crimes that are punishable by international law, and made the occupying state defy international will, and refuse to implement UN Security Council Resolution No. 2735, and the UN General Assembly resolution regarding the implementation of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding ending the occupation and settlement."

He added, "We demand that the US administration take a serious and effective position to force the occupying state to comply with international legitimacy resolutions and international law, and to stop its comprehensive war on our people, our land and our holy sites, because the region can no longer tolerate more of these aggressive Israeli policies, which lead to more tension and instability."

Abu Rudeineh pointed out the necessity of rapid international action to stop the serious repercussions of this ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people, and we demand that the UN Security Council implement its resolutions related to the Palestinian issue, the latest of which is Resolution No. (2735), regarding a ceasefire, the entry of aid into the entire Gaza Strip, the complete Israeli withdrawal from it, and enabling the State of Palestine to assume its full responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.

Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon acknowledged the war of extermination being waged by soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip, the second such admission by Israelis this month.

Quoting the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, Ya'alon said: We are carrying out ethnic cleansing in the northern Gaza Strip. There is no longer Beit Lahia or Beit Hanoun.

This is what Haaretz newspaper confirmed in its editorial dated 11/10: “The Israeli army is carrying out an ethnic cleansing operation in the northern Gaza Strip, during which the few Palestinians who remained in the area are being forcibly displaced, homes and infrastructure are being destroyed, and wide roads are being paved in the area. The operation also includes completing the separation of the population centers in the northern Gaza Strip from the center of Gaza City.”

The newspaper based its editorial on a report by its military correspondent Yaniv Kubovich, who toured with Israeli forces there last week, concluding that "the area looks as if it has been hit by a natural disaster."

Eight citizens were killed and others were injured today, Saturday, when the occupation bombed a gathering of citizens south of Khan Yunis.

The official news agency "Wafa" reported that the occupation targeted a vehicle and a gathering of citizens while they were receiving flour in the Qizan al-Najjar area, south of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

A girl was also killed and others were injured when the occupation bombed a house in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Our correspondents reported that 7 martyrs were killed and others were injured, this morning, when the occupation bombed a house in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in the center of Gaza City, which belongs to the Kaheel family, and there are still missing people under the rubble.

Five citizens were also killed, including three employees of the World Central Kitchen, when the occupation bombed a civilian vehicle on Salah al-Din Road in the al-Satar al-Sharqi area, northeast of Khan Yunis, in the southern 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 martyrdom of 44,363 citizens, the majority of whom are women and children, and the injury of 105,070 others, in an incomplete toll, as thousands of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and rescue crews cannot reach them.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that the Palestinian cause is the most just cause for humanity. This came in a speech during the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People conference, yesterday, Friday, in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Maduro stressed that his country will continue to support the Palestinian cause in the strongest possible ways. He added: "If you look at the reasons for the struggles over the past century to create a just world, the Palestinian cause is the most just cause for humanity." Maduro accused the United States, Europe and Latin America of complicity in the genocide committed by Israel in Palestine. He stressed that they firmly support the right of the Palestinian people to obtain their future state.

Last October, Maduro said that his country would always stand by Palestine and would not leave it alone in its just cause. In an interview on a Venezuelan radio station, he indicated his country's solidarity with the Palestinian people, stressing the need to "liberate Palestine."

He referred to the genocide that Israel has been committing in the Gaza Strip for more than a year. He added: "Defending Palestine's right to life, independence and existence is the same as defending the right of Venezuela, Latin America and the Caribbean to exist." Blaming the United States and Britain for the escalation of violence in the Middle East, Maduro added: "There is a war of extermination being waged against the Palestinian people, and now Zionist attacks are being launched on Lebanon." The Venezuelan president continued: "Palestine is the homeland of humanity. Palestine was at the heart of religious and cultural unity, until the United States, Europe and Britain made their colonial projects dominant in the region."

Every year, on November 29, the world celebrates the “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People,” an event organized by the United Nations since November 29, 1977, to commemorate what was stipulated in Resolution 181 issued by its General Assembly on that day in 1947, which called for the partition of Palestine into two states, “Arab” and “Jewish.”

On Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed that his organization will continue its solidarity with the Palestinian people and their inalienable rights to live in peace, security and dignity. He said in a message of solidarity on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People: “It is time for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an end to the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, as confirmed by the International Court of Justice and the General Assembly.”

Source: (Anatolia, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed)

Yesterday, Oslo Cathedral celebrated the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, in the presence of King Harald V of Norway, the Crown Prince, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, and a large number of ambassadors, representatives of political parties and parliamentarians, members of the Palestinian community, and their friends.

In a speech delivered by Norwegian Prime Minister Storey, he affirmed his country's position in support of achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, stressing the importance of respecting human rights and international law.

He said: "Norway stands with the Palestinian people in their aspirations for freedom and dignity, and we will continue to support solutions that promote sustainable peace between peoples, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital."

For her part, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Kingdom of Norway, Marie Antoinette Sedin, delivered a speech in which she expressed our people’s deep appreciation for this noble solidarity.

She said: "The presence of the King and the leaders of the Norwegian state reflects a strong message that justice, peace and dignity are universal values that must be supported by everyone. This solidarity constitutes a voice to end the occupation, support our people's right to self-determination and establish an independent state."

She noted that this event is the first of its kind to be represented by the highest authorities in Norway, which reflects the depth of solidarity and interest in the Palestinian cause at both the official and popular levels.

The ceremony concluded with inspiring messages of support from the participants, reflecting the Norwegian community’s commitment to standing with the Palestinian people, and calling on the international community to redouble its efforts to achieve justice and freedom.

The World Food Programme said that the prices of basic food items in the Gaza Strip have increased by more than 1,000 percent compared to pre-war levels.

This came in a statement highlighting the hunger crisis and the danger of continued hostilities and the Israeli siege on Palestinians throughout Gaza, especially in the north.

The World Food Programme confirmed that the hunger crisis is worsening across the Gaza Strip with rising food prices.

In the same statement, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said, “The ongoing military operation in the northern Gaza Strip has displaced 130,000 people over the past seven weeks.”

On this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Adalah highlights the immense hardships Palestinians are enduring during one of the most catastrophic periods in their history. Since the outbreak of the war of annihilation in Gaza, Israel has escalated its violations of fundamental human rights principles, targeting Palestinian refugees, residents of the occupied territories, and citizens of the country. Yet, in the face of these appalling injustices, global solidarity with the Palestinian people has grown dramatically. This solidarity embodies a collective call for justice and accountability in the face of Israel’s ongoing human rights violations, which undermine the principles upon which the international legal order and the UN Charter are based.

This growing global support is evident in the widespread protests and high-profile actions taken by activists, international organizations, and states, including the South African case against Israel at the International Court of Justice regarding the genocide committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip. The arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Netanyahu and Galant for crimes against humanity and war crimes may represent a new chapter in international law regarding the Israeli occupation and the protection of civilian victims. Adalah contributes to addressing Israel’s systematic violations by taking legal action to enforce international law. Adalah’s work is fundamentally based on the principles of justice and accountability, whether in confronting Israeli crimes in Gaza and the West Bank or in confronting discriminatory legislation and policies targeting Palestinian refugees and citizens inside Israel.

Racist laws and policies targeting citizens of the Palestinian interior and residents of occupied Jerusalem

Israel continues to enact racist laws targeting Palestinian citizens and residents of occupied Jerusalem. The government coalition is exploiting the atmosphere of war to advance numerous bills and policies aimed at entrenching racial discrimination and strengthening Jewish supremacy. On November 22, 2024, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced his decision to stop the use of administrative detention orders against Israeli settlers in the West Bank. He justified this decision, among other things, by saying that administrative detentions are considered arbitrary detentions, as they are not based on indictments or fair judicial procedures, and therefore cannot be applied to civilians. This decision clearly demonstrates the policy of racial separation between Jews and Palestinians. Shortly after this announcement, the minister issued administrative detention orders against at least three citizens of Palestine, and there are hundreds of such orders against Palestinians from the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

In response, Adalah and Al Mezan Center in Nazareth are preparing to file an appeal with the Supreme Court next week on behalf of a Palestinian resident of the Nazareth district, demanding that the administrative detention order issued against him be annulled. The appeal is based on the fact that the order discriminates against the appellant, as the minister’s decision regarding Jewish citizens should apply equally to him and to all Palestinians, and therefore the issuance of the order constitutes an unconstitutional apartheid policy that must be annulled. On November 25, 2024, Adalah demanded that the Knesset and the Attorney General withdraw the bill amending Section 7(a) of Basic Law: The Knesset.

This amendment targets Arab and Joint List candidates and candidates, and aims to make it easier to disqualify them and prevent them from running in the Knesset elections. The bill allows for the disqualification of any candidate or list on the grounds of supporting a “lone terrorist act,” and significantly lowers the level of evidence required to disqualify a candidate or list, from numerous and conclusive evidence to a minimum (sufficing with a few incidents). These amendments target exclusively the reason for disqualification related to support for the armed struggle by a “terrorist organization,” a pretext that the Central Elections Committee has used exclusively against Arabs and their lists since its enactment in 2002. In contrast, the amendments did not include any changes to the other reason for disqualification, incitement to racism, which has been applied to Jewish candidates and lists in practice since its enactment, reflecting clear discrimination in the application of the law.

The proposal also adds the possibility of disqualifying a list within a new coalition without any connection to the coalition’s political platform, targeting Arab lists that were forced to form coalitions after raising the electoral threshold that directly targeted them. Accordingly, the proposal allows for the dismantling of the coalition, which could result in all Arab lists not passing the electoral threshold. Thus, the proposal creates two separate tracks for exercising the right to participate in the elections: one for Arabs and the other for Jews. On November 25, 2024, Adalah and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel demanded the cancellation of an amendment to the “Prison Order” law that exempts prisoners convicted of security crimes, including freedom of expression crimes, from administrative release. The original purpose of the law was to address prison overcrowding, which is why prisoners were released under it. Although the purpose of the law is universal, meaning that it applies to everyone, the bill seeks to establish two separate tracks in the law for prisoners: one for security prisoners and one for criminal prisoners.

Thus, this discrimination is applied regardless of the purpose of the law or the severity of the punishment related to the crimes. As a result, according to the proposed law, a prisoner convicted of rape or murder on a criminal basis could receive administrative release, while the law would not apply to a Palestinian convicted of a crime related to freedom of expression, for example, due to a post on social media. In this way, the law creates two separate tracks, one intended only for Palestinians and the other shared. The Knesset recently passed four racist laws that mark a serious escalation in Israel’s legislative campaign against Palestinian rights, which is framed under the guise of combating terrorism. The first gives the interior minister broad powers to deport family members of Palestinians accused of terrorism outside of Israel or Jerusalem.

The law allows for the deportation of relatives of Palestinians accused of terrorism if they knew in advance of their son’s planned actions, “should have known” about them, or “supported” their son later, all without a fair process to clarify the facts. This law does not apply to Jewish terrorists, as the law would include, among other things, deportation to Gaza. The second law strips Palestinian children who are citizens of Israel or residents of Jerusalem who are arrested by the Israeli authorities of their protection, and allows for the imposition of prison sentences on minors from the age of 12, including life imprisonment, if they are convicted of murder or attempted murder that is classified as a “terrorist act” or is connected to a “terrorist organization.”

The third law cancels social welfare benefits for mothers and fathers of Palestinian children who are citizens of Israel or residents of Jerusalem and are convicted of security offenses. The definition of security offenses is so broad that it even includes offenses related to freedom of expression. This law attempts to circumvent a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a similar law in 2021 following a petition filed by Adalah. In its 2024 concluding observations, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child urged Israel to repeal this legislation and ensure “children’s access to food, social security, housing, family benefits and child allowances.”

The fourth law gives the director general of the Ministry of Education broad powers to withdraw funding from Palestinian schools inside Israel and in Jerusalem, dismiss teachers accused of “supporting terrorism,” and close schools that “allow” or “facilitate” incitement to terrorism. This law primarily targets schools in occupied Jerusalem, jeopardizing the right to education for thousands of Palestinian children. As part of its racist policy in the Negev, the Israeli government, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has recently intensified its efforts to forcibly displace Bedouin citizens en masse by evacuating and demolishing Bedouin villages such as Wadi al-Khalil and Umm al-Hiran.

This apartheid policy aims to systematically displace the Bedouin population from their lands and concentrate them in overcrowded towns that do not meet their cultural, social and economic needs. Thirteen unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev currently face the imminent threat of forced eviction and displacement of their families. Adalah represents the residents of three of these villages, Ras Jaraba, Al-Baqia and Umm Bidoun, against eviction orders and displacement lawsuits issued by the state.

Gross human rights violations in Gaza and the West Bank

Since early October 2024, Israel has been engaged in a large-scale, devastating military operation in the northern Gaza Strip, characterized by heavy and continuous bombardment, mass forced displacement, and the denial of vital assistance to the trapped civilians. On November 28, 2024, Adalah, in cooperation with other human rights organizations, called on the Israeli authorities to immediately cease issuing eviction orders in the northern Gaza Strip, allow the displaced to return to their areas of residence, and stop the systematic destruction of the homes of the displaced and civilian infrastructure in the area.

In addition, Adalah has sent several letters to the Israeli authorities over the past year, demanding an end to the systematic use of Palestinians as human shields by Israeli soldiers during military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. This practice is a serious violation that puts civilians’ lives at grave risk.

Since taking power, the Israeli government has accelerated the process of annexing the occupied West Bank through expanding settlements, confiscating land, and reinforcing apartheid, all accompanied by a sharp escalation in violence against Palestinians by settlers and the Israeli occupation army.

On October 27, 2024, Adalah demanded the cancellation of a bill that would expand the scope of the “Negev Development Authority” law to include parts of the West Bank, which, if approved, would constitute an illegal annexation of occupied territory. The bill seeks to expand the definition of the Negev to include areas of the West Bank to serve the settlements there.

Cutting off a vital lifeline for Palestinian refugees

On November 28, 2024, Adalah sent a letter to the Attorney General demanding that the implementation of two laws aimed at halting the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) be frozen. The Knesset had approved the two laws on October 28, 2024 against UNRWA, which is a vital lifeline for millions of displaced Palestinians.

Adalah, which also opposed the laws before they were passed, warned that the implementation of the laws, which will come into effect at the end of January 2025, will severely restrict the provision of basic services to two and a half million Palestinians.

UNRWA provides humanitarian assistance, shelter, food, health services and education to Palestine refugees, including in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These laws aim to deprive refugees of basic protection, making them even more vulnerable, especially in the Gaza Strip, where UNRWA’s role is particularly vital as some 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced in dire conditions since the start of the Israeli war of annihilation.

The targeting of UNRWA reflects Israel’s broad disregard for international legal obligations. These laws are inconsistent with international humanitarian law, which obligates the State of Israel to act to protect the civilian population under its control, and violate Israel’s obligations under the UN Charter, which obligates member states to support UN bodies in carrying out their mandates. They also contravene the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures in the ongoing genocide case against Israel.

As Israel continues to disregard its international legal obligations, endangering Palestinian lives and threatening the rules-based international order, the growing global solidarity movement with the Palestinian people is a source of hope.

This movement amplifies Palestinian voices and emphasizes the urgent need for international intervention to stop Israel’s ongoing crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people and to protect the international legal framework that protects human rights. Through legal action, Adalah defends the rights of Palestinians and demands that Israel comply with its international legal obligations. Your support is essential to enable us to continue this vital work and uphold the principles of human rights and international justice.

Saudi Arabia has dropped its push for an ambitious defense treaty with the United States in exchange for normalizing relations with Israel and now wants a limited military cooperation agreement, two Saudi and four Western officials told Reuters. Saudi Arabia softened its stance on Palestinian statehood in a push for a broad bilateral security treaty earlier this year, and has told the United States it may accept Israel’s public commitment to a two-state solution to normalize relations.

But two Saudi and three Western sources said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has made recognition of Israel conditional on it taking concrete steps toward establishing a Palestinian state, as popular anger in the kingdom and the region mounts over Israel’s war of extermination in the Gaza Strip. Western diplomats said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains keen on normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, seeing it as a historic achievement and a sign of growing acceptance in the Arab world. They added that Netanyahu faces overwhelming opposition at home to any concessions to the Palestinians after the October 7, 2023, Al-Aqsa Intifada, and knows that any gesture toward statehood could fragment his ruling coalition.

Riyadh and Washington hope to conclude a more modest defense agreement before President Joe Biden leaves the White House in January, the sources said. A full U.S.-Saudi treaty would need to be ratified by a two-thirds majority in the U.S. Senate, which would not be possible unless Riyadh recognizes Israel, the six sources said.

The agreement, currently under discussion, includes expanding joint military training and maneuvers to counter regional threats, particularly from Iran. The sources said the deal would strengthen partnerships between US and Saudi defense companies with safeguards to prevent cooperation with China. The agreement would boost Saudi investments in advanced technologies, particularly systems to counter drones. The US would increase its presence in Riyadh through training, logistical support, and cybersecurity, and could deploy a Patriot missile battalion to bolster missile defense and integrated deterrence. But it would fall short of a binding mutual defense treaty that would commit US forces to protecting the world’s largest oil exporter in the event of a foreign attack.

“Saudi Arabia will get a security agreement that allows for more military cooperation and U.S. arms sales, but not a defense treaty similar to the one with Japan or South Korea as was initially sought,” said Abdulaziz bin Saqr, head of the Riyadh-based Gulf Research Center.

Trump's Dilemma

But the picture is further complicated by the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House. Trump’s plan for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict excludes any provisions for Palestinian statehood or sovereignty, but the president-elect is a close ally of the Saudi crown prince. Palestinian and some Arab officials fear that Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, the architect of the “deal of the century” and also a close ally of the crown prince, could eventually persuade him to support the plan.

Diplomats said how the crown prince reconciles Saudi priorities with the changing diplomatic landscape will be pivotal, shaping his leadership and the future of the peace process. The current US administration has long hoped to reach an agreement on security guarantees before Biden leaves office in January, but many obstacles remain. A source familiar with the matter in Washington said there was reason to worry about whether there was enough time to reach an agreement.

The source noted that US officials are aware that the kingdom is still interested in formally confirming the guarantees it seeks, especially obtaining more advanced weapons, but they are not sure whether it prefers to implement this under Biden’s leadership or wait for Trump. “We continue to discuss and make efforts at various levels” with the Saudis, the US official said. The US National Security Council declined to comment when asked about efforts to reach an agreement based on providing security guarantees to Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu’s office declined to comment when asked about the Saudi position on Palestinian statehood. A defense treaty that would give Saudi Arabia U.S. military protection in exchange for recognizing Israel could reshape the Middle East, bringing two bitter enemies closer together and tying Riyadh to Washington at a time when China is strengthening its ties in the region.

That allows the kingdom to bolster its security and fend off threats from Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen, avoiding a repeat of the 2019 strikes on Saudi oil facilities that Riyadh and Washington blamed on Tehran. Iran has denied any role. A senior Saudi official said the treaty was 95 percent complete, but Riyadh chose to discuss a replacement because it could not be implemented without normalization with Israel.

Depending on the wording, a mini-cooperation agreement could be approved without going to Congress before Biden leaves office, two of the sources said. There are other hurdles in negotiations for a mutual defense treaty. For example, talks on civilian nuclear cooperation have stalled because Saudi Arabia has refused to sign a so-called 123 agreement with the United States because it would deny Riyadh the right to enrich nuclear fuel, the six sources said. Saudi objections to the human rights provisions have emerged as another area of contention, a Saudi source close to the talks told Reuters.

(Reuters, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed)

Despite continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, the truce between the two parties is still in place, while the Israeli army said today, Saturday, that Lebanese residents are prohibited from moving to several villages in the south, and asked them not to return to about 62 villages in the region.

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on the X platform, addressing the residents of Lebanon, that anyone who violates this warning "puts himself in danger."

In a separate statement, the Israeli military said that during searches it conducted in southern Lebanon on Friday, it found and confiscated "weapons hidden in a mosque by Hezbollah terrorists."

He added that he worked yesterday to remove suspects in southern Lebanon, noting that he continues his work in this area and will confront violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Israel and Hezbollah are exchanging accusations of violating the truce agreement brokered by the United States and France to end the conflict that erupted between them in parallel with the war in Gaza. The truce, which began at dawn last Wednesday, is scheduled to last for 60 days in the hope of reaching a permanent cessation of hostilities.

machine gun fire

On the ground, the official Lebanese National News Agency reported that Israeli forces combed the surroundings of the towns of Bani Hayyan and Markaba in the south last night with machine guns.

She added that the Israeli forces also fired heavy machine guns last night towards the town of Maroun al-Ras and targeted a number of neighborhoods in the city of Bint Jbeil, to prevent the Lebanese who were seeking to inspect their homes and livelihoods in the area.

Before midnight, the outskirts of the town of Qabrikha - Wadi al-Saluqi were exposed to Israeli machine gun fire.

The agency indicated that Israeli reconnaissance aircraft continued to fly yesterday over the villages of the western and central sectors of southern Lebanon.

For its part, the Lebanese army warned of the dangers of cluster bombs, missiles and unexploded shells in the vicinity of the targeted places and buildings.

Amid the truce, the Lebanese continue to return to their villages in southern Lebanon. The National News Agency said that the movement of displaced people returning yesterday increased, noting that it reached approximately 80 percent, while the rate of return to the border villages did not exceed 10 percent due to the presence of Israeli forces in them or around them and their attacks on the one hand, and due to the destruction of homes and buildings, the dangers of war remnants, and the loss of basic services for living on the other hand.

The National News Agency said that life in the villages of Tyre district and some villages in the Bint Jbeil area has begun to take the right path, amid active workshops to remove rubble and stones from the roads to facilitate traffic and secure essential needs, especially water and electricity.

Politically, the Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, yesterday received the head of the five-member committee supervising the ceasefire agreement, US General Jasper Jeffers, and they discussed the general situation and the coordination mechanism between the concerned parties in the south.

For his part, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem pledged in a televised speech yesterday to coordinate with the Lebanese army and work with it to enhance Lebanon's "defensive capabilities."

While Qassem praised the party's steadfastness and Israel's inability to destroy it, he said, "We will work to preserve national unity and sovereignty, maintain civil peace, and enhance Lebanon's defensive capabilities." He added, "The resistance will be ready to prevent the enemy from weakening Lebanon, in cooperation with our partners in the homeland, and at the forefront of which is our national army."

Qassem stressed that the coordination between Hezbollah and the Lebanese army "will be high-level coordination to implement the agreement's obligations."

The ceasefire agreement, which was reached under French-American sponsorship, entered into force at dawn last Wednesday. Its terms, which have not been officially published, stipulate that Hezbollah withdraw to the north of the Litani River and that the Lebanese army be reinforced in the area south of the river, while also taking over the positions currently controlled by the Israeli army and the party.

Within 48 hours, the Syrian armed opposition factions were able to control areas in central Aleppo and others in the Idlib countryside in northwestern Syria, in an attack that is the first of its kind in 5 years, while the Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport and cancelled all flights.

In its latest announcements, the opposition said it had taken control of the Aleppo Citadel and the Umayyad Mosque in the province after entering the city and many of its neighborhoods.

The opposition has imposed a curfew in the city until tomorrow morning to protect the safety of civilians.

The opposition said that within a few hours, the city of Aleppo will be secured militarily and security-wise, after which the city will be completely liberated.

This development comes on the third day of the "Deterrence of Aggression" battle launched by the armed Syrian opposition, in response to what it said were escalating attacks and regime crowds attacking its strongholds.

The armed opposition had previously announced its control over the Aleppo Governorate building, the municipal palace, the police headquarters, the Aleppo Citadel, and the University of Aleppo in the city center.

The armed opposition said that its fighters had taken control of most of Aleppo's western neighborhoods and a large number of its southern, eastern and central neighborhoods.

The opposition forces also took control of the Scientific Research Center, the Military and Artillery Colleges, the Military Security Building, and other military sites.

In other details, the Syrian armed opposition confirmed that the total number of villages it had taken control of in the western and southern countryside of Aleppo amounted to 70 towns, villages and military sites.

The Syrian armed opposition announced that its fighters had taken control of the main square in the center of Aleppo, 14 neighborhoods, and the city's police headquarters.

The opposition announced that it had also taken control of the strategic city of Saraqib in Idlib, where the Aleppo-Damascus international road and the Latakia-Aleppo international road intersect.

Pictures showed the celebrations of the people of Idlib city after the Syrian opposition forces took control of Aleppo city and large parts of its countryside.

Reuters quoted three Syrian army sources as saying that the army closed the main roads leading to and from the city of Aleppo after the forces were instructed to follow orders for a "safe withdrawal" from the neighborhoods that were overrun by the militants.

The sources said the move effectively closed off the city after the army issued instructions at checkpoints outside the city to allow only army forces to pass and enter.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense said earlier that its forces had regained control of points they had lost earlier, adding that they were continuing to confront an attack by what they described as terrorist groups, inflicting heavy losses on them.

Two Syrian military sources confirmed to Reuters that Damascus expects new Russian military equipment to arrive at the Russian Hmeimim air base in Syria within 72 hours.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that its air forces eliminated 200 militants in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib in one day.

She added that the situation in the two provinces is deteriorating and that Russian forces are providing support to the Syrian army in confronting these formations.

Source: Al Jazeera

I wished, as I was grieving and crying, until my tears soaked my bag, that I could hold her hand and pull her out of the screen, while her beautiful innocent face approached to zero distance, and entered the camera frame in all its splendor, terror and trembling, from the columns of fire and smoke and the whizzing of bullets surrounding her.

A little girl, no more than five years old, seemed to be wandering alone, her steps faltering, sometimes stumbling and sometimes getting up, to continue running without knowing her direction, so she entered the eye of the camera that loved her, and followed her, and examined her features and the movements of her hands, as she shook her hair strands that fell in a moment of terror on her face.

The wandering child runs with the runners, carrying a bundle of wool in her right hand, and in her heart she carries her fear, panic and confusion, searching for a safe place after she left the house and the warmth of the bed before it turned into rubble, while the scene opens up to the hordes of frightened people running, taking refuge in nowhere, and above them the crows fly over the wasteland that is being prepared to build settlements on the ruins of the brick houses and tin camps that have turned into graves for their residents.

Oh God, how painful are the scenes of children in Gaza, as we see them dying before our eyes, wrapped in white as they go to their final slumber, leaving behind pain, regret and sorrow in the hearts of their fathers and mothers who are suffering from pains that make the mountains groan under its burdens.

Oh God, to you, O Lord, we complain of our weakness, our helplessness, our lack of resources, and our insignificance among people.

Stop the genocide now..!

Nabiha Ben Saleh, Director of the Television Department at the Arab States Broadcasting Union, confirmed that Palestinian news has become at the forefront of the Arab and international media scene, through global demonstrations supporting the rights of the Palestinian people, in light of the war of extermination they are being subjected to.

She stressed that the Palestinian issue is a fundamental issue in the union's activities and programs, and that it has supported the Palestinian people since its establishment, noting that they will send an Arab media delegation to visit the State of Palestine, if circumstances permit.

In an interview with the program "With the Editor-in-Chief", which is broadcast on Palestine TV, Bin Saleh said that this support is provided through an integrated system of Arab exchanges in which Palestinian news has become strongly present, and the intensification of news related to the Israeli aggression on occupied Palestine, in addition to communication with Palestine TV, which provides the union and all Arab bodies with daily news.

She added: "The Union took an additional step by appointing more correspondents in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, to produce daily correspondence and news reports that are sent to the Union, and are distributed to all Arab bodies and international partners in Europe, Asia, and Africa, which has strengthened the presence of Palestinian news, and has published scenes of Israeli aggression and massacres committed against Palestinians, and conveyed them to Arab public opinion."

She explained that the union is conveying the true Palestinian narrative, because the occupation government is trying to distort the truth and falsify facts.

Ben Saleh pointed out that the Arab States Broadcasting Union covers the demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people in Western capitals, through its partnership with international federations, where they are also broadcast via social media networks, in order to reach the largest number of individuals.

She said, "Through the continuous coverage of Palestine TV, and through our correspondents in Palestine, we have transmitted many distinguished reports and correspondences that talk about the history of Jerusalem, and the Judaization operations it is exposed to by the occupation government, as many European organizations have highlighted their interest in these reports, in addition to transmitting the killings and violations to the Arab organizations that broadcast them, to reveal the reality of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories."

Ben Saleh stressed that targeting and killing journalists is a criminal act, the aim of which is to obscure the facts and assassinate witnesses to the truth, explaining that the International Federation issued a statement condemning the Israeli attacks on journalists and their killing, and demanded that they enjoy freedom of movement and coverage in the occupied Palestinian territories.

She pointed out that the Union is working to keep pace with technological developments, by developing its digital platforms, broadcasting, reception, and coverage, to intensify the dissemination of news related to the Palestinian issue across all digital platforms affiliated with the Arab States Broadcasting Union, noting the use of artificial intelligence to serve the Union’s members in media coverage.

She pointed out that the World Open Day was organized in cooperation with Palestine TV, through an open broadcast wave for the union members, which falls on the twenty-ninth of November every year, where reports and programs are broadcast and Palestine TV hosts political, media and cultural figures to talk about the topic of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

She said: "We coordinated with the members of the Arab States Broadcasting Union to dedicate their broadcast on this day to supporting the Palestinian cause."

She added: "This day this year has a special character that makes it the focus of the world's attention, which will be directed towards this day as a result of what the Palestinian territories are being subjected to," noting that the scenes of killing and destruction in the Palestinian territories provoke the feelings of all humanity around the world, not just the Arab citizen.

She concluded her speech by saying: “As a mother, I salute the Palestinian mother for her sacrifice, steadfastness and patience in the face of the loss and assault she is subjected to by the occupation forces.”

A number of citizens, including children and women, have been killed and injured since dawn on Saturday, in the ongoing occupation aggression on the Gaza Strip, which is entering its 421st day.

The official agency "Wafa" reported that 7 martyrs were killed and others were injured, when the occupation bombed a house in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in the center of Gaza City, which belongs to the Kaheel family, and there are still missing people under the rubble.

A citizen was killed by bullets fired by an occupation army drone in Jabalia Al-Nazla, north of the Gaza Strip.

Five citizens, including three employees of the World Kitchen organization, were also killed when the occupation bombed a civilian vehicle on Salah al-Din Road in the al-Satar al-Sharqi area, northeast of Khan Yunis, in the southern 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 44,363 citizens, the majority of whom are women and children, and the injury of 105,070 others, in an incomplete toll, as thousands of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and rescue crews cannot reach them.

An Egyptian source told Al-Arabiya TV on Friday that Cairo had submitted a new proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The source explained that the new proposal includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip in stages, noting that Cairo will send a security delegation to Tel Aviv this week to push efforts to resume ceasefire negotiations.

The source added that the Egyptian proposal includes discussing the formation of an international committee headed by the United States to supervise the ceasefire.

The presidency called, today, Friday, for an emergency meeting of the Council of the League of Arab States at the level of foreign ministers, in light of the ongoing massacres and war of extermination, starvation and displacement practiced by the Israeli occupation authorities against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the latest of which were the massacres in Beit Lahia and Nuseirat, which claimed the lives of about a hundred martyrs and dozens of wounded.

The presidency warned in a statement of the dangers of continuing these aggressive Israeli policies that separate the northern Gaza Strip from the rest of the Strip, and the continued use of the weapon of starvation against citizens with the aim of displacing them from their land and homes.

The Presidency stressed the need for immediate intervention by the international community to force the occupation authorities to stop their crimes, aggression, and genocide crimes against the Palestinian people, and to urgently and immediately deliver humanitarian aid to our people in the Gaza Strip, in implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735 calling for an immediate ceasefire and enabling the State of Palestine to assume its full responsibilities.

A medical source told Al Jazeera that about 75 Palestinians were killed, most of them women and children, in two separate massacres in Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip.

The spokesman for the Civil Defense in Gaza told Al Jazeera that more than 75 people were killed in the two massacres, adding that the Civil Defense does not know much about what is happening in northern Gaza because of the Israeli blockade.

Local sources reported that the two massacres were committed against the Ahmed and Baba families, adding that ambulances and rescue teams were unable to reach the site of the massacres due to the occupation’s prevention.

The sources also said that the details of the two massacres were revealed hours after they occurred, as the occupation deliberately prevented journalists from reaching the northern Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of Health said that 33 dead and 137 wounded arrived at hospitals during the past 24 hours after three massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said: "We have repeated that we do not want war, but we want to support Gaza and we are ready for war if the occupation imposes it."

He added, "The Israeli aggression was very dangerous and caused us pain and made us live in a state of confusion for ten days."

He stressed, "The party regained its strength and initiative, so it formed the command and control system again and stood firm on the front. The party began to strike the internal front of the Israeli enemy, and Israel's losses are very great."

He said, "Hundreds of thousands were displaced from northern Israel, and the enemy reached the point of closing the horizon because of the resistance's steadfastness. The legendary steadfastness of the resistance terrified the Israeli army and caused despair among its politicians and people."

He added, "We did not want war from the beginning, but the result of stopping it was that we wanted it from a position of strength and under fire."

He stressed, "We achieved a great victory in this battle, greater than the victory achieved in 2006."

Today, Friday, the Israeli occupation committed a new massacre in the town of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the death of at least 10 citizens and the injury of others.

The official news agency "Wafa" reported that the occupation bombed the house of citizen Rizq Al-Baba, which is sheltering displaced people in Al-Manshiya Street in the town of Beit Lahia, which led to the death and injury of a number of citizens. When other citizens tried to retrieve the bodies of the martyrs and transport the wounded to the hospital using a cart pulled by an animal, the occupation targeted them with bombing, which raised the number of martyrs to at least 10.

It added that the Israeli bombing of the area is continuing and the occupation is targeting everything that moves in the area.

The Israeli occupation forces have continued their aggression on the Gaza Strip, by land, sea and air, since October 7, 2023, resulting in the martyrdom of 44,363 citizens, the majority of whom are women and children, and the injury of 105,070 others, in an incomplete toll, as thousands of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and rescue crews cannot reach them.

The World Food Programme said that all bakeries in the central Gaza Strip have been closed due to severe shortages of supplies.

Bread was often the only food families in Gaza could afford, and now even that is out of reach, the World Food Programme said on its X platform on Friday.

The programme called for ensuring the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to Gaza.

US President Joe Biden will launch a renewed push on Wednesday to end the Gaza fighting and free hostages after Israel and Hezbollah began a truce in Lebanon, the president's national security adviser said.

Jake Sullivan said Hamas is facing increasing pressure to strike a deal now that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon has stopped fighting in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group.

Sullivan said Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the announcement of the U.S.-French brokered truce with Hezbollah on Tuesday and agreed to try again for an elusive truce in Gaza.

“President Biden intends to begin this work today by engaging his envoys with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other actors in the region,” Sullivan told MSNBC.

"We believe this is the beginning of an opportunity for a more stable Middle East where Israel's security is assured and the interests of the United States are secured," he added.

The Israel-Hezbollah deal was a rare boost for Biden as he prepares to leave the White House and hand over power to Donald Trump on Jan. 20. Biden said on Channel 10 on Wednesday that “the United States will make another effort in the coming days” to reach an agreement on Gaza, echoing comments he made in his announcement on Tuesday.

The outgoing US leader said the goal was to “achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, release the hostages and end the war without Hamas in power.” Biden said Tuesday that Washington would also push for a long-explored deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. “Peace is possible. And as long as it is, I will not stop working to achieve it,” Biden said in his White House speech.

In turn, US envoy Amos Hochstein, who was closely involved in negotiating the Israel-Hezbollah deal, said it created an opportunity for a similar deal in Gaza. “We firmly believe that the Lebanon deal now opens that door,” Hochstein said in a briefing with the American Jewish community on Wednesday.

He added that after the truce with Hezbollah, Israel is now fighting a "war on one front."

Meanwhile, the New York Times quoted Western officials as saying that Israel does not seem interested in making concessions, and that it remains skeptical of American and Arab ideas for managing Gaza after the war.

The New York Times quoted Western officials as confirming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is waiting for Trump to take office before changing his position on talks with Hamas, and that the movement seeks to remain in power after concluding a ceasefire agreement.

For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that after the assassination of (Hamas political bureau chief) Yahya Sinwar and the separation of fronts between Gaza and Lebanon, the terms of the exchange deal changed in Israel's favor.

He accused Hamas of being the one who was sabotaging the deal, noting that there was now an opportunity for an exchange, stressing that he might agree to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip but not an end to the war.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that Israel has a historic opportunity to eliminate Hamas, restore deterrence and reoccupy the Gaza Strip.

More than 60 MPs from seven political parties in Britain have called for comprehensive sanctions to be imposed on Israel for its repeated violations of international law.

This came in a letter sent by MPs, led by independent MPs Richard Burgon and Imran Hussain, to Foreign Secretary David Lammy yesterday, Thursday.

The letter was signed by more than 60 MPs from seven different political parties, including Labour MP Diane Abbott, independent MP John McDonnell, and Green Party co-founder and MP Carla Denyer.

The letter referred to the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice last July, which described the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories as illegal, and called for its end as soon as possible.

It said: “We call on the government to impose sanctions and take concrete steps to implement the historic decision of the International Court of Justice on the illegal situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

It called for ending trade or investment relations that contribute to Israel maintaining its illegal status in the occupied territories, and avoiding economic or trade agreements related to these areas.

She pointed out that Britain's commitments in the context of international law must be consistent with its actions.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted an Israeli officer as saying that officials in the Israeli security establishment estimate the possibility of a return to fighting in Lebanon at 50%.

The Israeli officer added, "The clearer the rules of the ceasefire agreement and its implementation, the more it will hold up later."

This comes amidst an exchange of accusations of violating the ceasefire agreement that began implementation on Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a television interview on Thursday that the agreement was not the end of the war, threatening to return to "fierce war" if the ceasefire was broken.

On the other hand, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that the American and French officials in the ceasefire monitoring committee are currently holding a series of meetings with the Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, and representatives of Lebanon, Israel, and the International Emergency Forces (UNIFIL) in the monitoring committee.

The Israeli army announced yesterday, Thursday, that its aircraft bombed a facility used by Hezbollah to store medium-range missiles in southern Lebanon, according to its claim, in the first attack of its kind since the ceasefire went into effect on Wednesday morning.

An Israeli drone also bombed a car in the town of Markaba, south of Lebanon, injuring 3 people.

The Israeli army said it targeted "suspects" who arrived in vehicles to several areas in southern Lebanon, describing it as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

For its part, the Lebanese army accused Israel of violating the ceasefire several times on Wednesday and Thursday, through "air violations and shelling of Lebanese territory with various weapons," adding that it is following up on the violations in coordination with the relevant authorities.

The death toll since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has risen to 44,363 dead, and the number of injuries has risen to 105,070.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported in a brief statement today, Friday, that the Israeli occupation committed three massacres, resulting in 33 dead and 137 injuries arriving at hospitals during the past 24 hours.

It pointed out that there are still a number of victims that the ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach.