The Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Affairs Authority said that detainees in the Negev prison are suffering from difficult conditions with the approach of winter.

In a statement issued on Thursday, it explained that due to the prison being located in the Negev desert, southwest of the city of Beersheba, which is characterized by extremely cold weather at night, the prison administration deliberately keeps the detainees in very light summer clothes, and deprives them of blankets and covers, to double their suffering.

In another context, the Commission reported that all the detainees who were visited were infected with scabies, and were not provided with any type of treatment or medical follow-up. They confirmed that there are a number of other prisoners who have reached advanced stages of the disease, and because of the spread of boils and infections, they cannot eat or move except with the help of other detainees.

She pointed out that its crews were recently able to visit a number of detainees in the Negev prison, to check on them and follow up on their health and detention conditions. The following were visited:

- Detainee Mohammed Hassan Al-Barghouthi (24 years old) from Ramallah, who was beaten and abused more than 15 times since the beginning of the war on Gaza, and lost about 30 kilograms of his weight. He was arrested on 01/28/2017, and was sentenced to 9 years in prison.

- The detainee Muhammad Awad Awda (30 years old) from Bethlehem, who was arrested on 05/09/2024, and was sentenced to 6 months of administrative imprisonment, and his sentence was confirmed for the second time on 11/18/2024.

- Detainee Musa Hassan Issa Hula (40 years old) from Tulkarm, detained since 01/15/2004, and sentenced to 23 years in prison.

- Detainee Osama Asida Jabri (53 years old) from Nablus, arrested on 05/02/2002, and sentenced to 27 years in prison.

- Detainee Muhammad Darwish Hashash (23 years old), sentenced to 5 years in prison, and detained since 11/17/2020

Former US Ambassador to Egypt and Israel Daniel Kurtzer shed light on the future of the Middle East under the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump, noting that the president is forming a government that "will only create problems for him" in the region, and wondering if Trump is prepared to pay the price the Saudis want in exchange for normalization with Israel?

This came in an interview with Kurtzer with CNN, where he said: "As you know, we are in an extraordinary moment with a president-elect who probably has the most important mandate of almost any president in history: the popular vote, the electoral vote, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and a very significant majority on the Supreme Court."

“A skilled politician can lead in many directions, both domestically and in foreign policy, especially in the Middle East. But the president-elect seems to be forming a government that will only create more problems for him. They seem intent on undermining the way the government works. Sure, the government needs to be reformed, but if you look at the various candidates (for Trump administration positions), they are in the category of those who want to destroy rather than build,” he continued.

“So the first order of business for the president-elect today, let alone on January 20 (the official inauguration day), is to figure out what he wants to achieve. And when it comes to the Middle East, if he really wants to achieve a ceasefire and some degree of return to normalcy, he’s going to have to pay some attention to what his advisers are saying, what his spokespeople are saying, and he’s going to have to put some leverage behind American policy toward Israel and toward the Arabs who have influence over Hamas.”

“The Saudis are still very interested in an improved relationship with the United States and a relationship with Israel, which they have had a longstanding bilateral relationship with, but in secret,” the former US diplomat continued. “But the Saudis are now constrained by the fact that they will come under enormous pressure within the Arab world in general and among their own people if they normalize relations with Israel without achieving anything for the Palestinians. They have defined that as a serious and irreversible path to a Palestinian state. The president, as we know — the president-elect, as we know — has a plan on the table as of 2020 that was not acceptable to anybody, but maybe he can build on it and make it minimally acceptable to the Palestinians.” He continued: “So if you start with the idea that the Saudis want to do this and you know what the cost is, or the price, the question is, is the president-elect willing to pay that price?”

US President Joe Biden turned 82 on Wednesday, an age no sitting US president has ever reached.

The president had no public events on his schedule yesterday, after returning from a trip to South America late Tuesday night.

His family, friends and colleagues, including first lady Jill Biden and former President Barack Obama, celebrated Biden on social media.

“Happy Birthday to my dear friend and our amazing President Joe Biden,” Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on Instagram.

Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July after some voters thought he was too old for the job, and raised questions about his mental fitness after his poor debate performance against Republican Donald Trump in June.

Trump, 78, defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, 60, in the Nov. 5 election, and Trump could surpass Biden's age record in his next term, as he will be 82 years and 7 months old when the next presidential transition takes place in 2029.

The previous record for oldest serving president was held by Republican Ronald Reagan, who completed his second four-year term at the age of 77.

It was not at all surprising that the United States used its veto power in the UN Security Council to abort the draft resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza, because it plays the role of a real partner in the war of extermination and ethnic cleansing that Israel is waging against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In fact, it is the one who directs the conflict in Israel’s favor and controls everything, and from here it is the one who makes the decision that undoubtedly gives Israel the cover and permission to continue the war of extermination and massacres against our Palestinian people.

The United States is repeating its aggressive policies against the Palestinian people, not only when it takes these decisions that protect Israel and encourage it to continue its massacres, war and deprivation of our people of their most basic rights, but also when it supports Israel with weapons, ammunition, equipment and bombs, with which Israel kills all the elements of life for a defenceless civilian people in the Gaza Strip. Thus, it proves once again that it is actually participating on the ground in the crimes of killing children and women, and that it is responsible for the war of extermination, ethnic cleansing, starvation and displacement, in addition to destroying all aspects of civilian life in the Strip.

This time, the UN Security Council intervened with a draft resolution that could have actually led to an immediate halt to Israel’s aggression against the Gaza Strip, and contributed to saving what could be saved from the terrible humanitarian catastrophe, by withdrawing the occupation from the Strip, and giving our people a glimmer of hope with its leadership, in determining their fate and starting the path of reconstruction, and restoring health even after many years. However, the United States decided to continue its policy biased towards Israel, in addition to controlling the will of the international community and challenging it, and from here it is the one who designs the path of wars, death and destruction in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The great condemnation of this decision by the Palestinian presidency, which denounced and condemned yesterday evening the US administration’s use of the veto for the fourth time, considering that it encourages the Israeli occupation to continue its crimes against the Palestinian people and the brotherly Lebanese people, and its defiance of all international legitimacy resolutions and international law, must be coupled with practical measures in an attempt to pressure the world to implement the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice issued in the UN General Assembly resolution, which called for a halt to the aggression, an end to the occupation, and an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, in addition to the necessity of exposing and laying bare the US role that is completely biased in favor of Israel.

Palestinian factions and forces, most notably Hamas, the Popular Front, and Islamic Jihad, have condemned this unjust decision, which reveals the truth of the hostile American role. The question that arises is: If the United States is seriously and truly concerned with stopping the war, as it carries out daily diplomatic moves and sends its officials on shuttle visits to the region, why does it use a poisoned right that prevents stopping this war?

It simply wants the aggression to end at the time Israel wants and in agreement with it, to truly prove the inability of the international system, which is mortgaged and governed by American and Israeli arrogance and hegemony.

We must assume full responsibility towards our Palestinian people, by working immediately to stop the aggression, massacres, wars of extermination, displacement, starvation and destruction. This is the right of our people to be saved from the clutches of these crimes that have crossed all red lines. We demand that the extermination be stopped forever, and the United States must stop supporting this criminal entity that denies all Palestinian rights.

The US Senate has blocked a bill that would have halted some arms sales to Israel, introduced by independent Senator Bernie Sanders, along with a number of Democratic lawmakers.

The bill was supported by 18 members, while 79 of the 100 members of the Senate opposed the resolution, which, if passed, would have stopped the sale of tank ammunition to Israel.

The Senate is scheduled to vote later on two other resolutions that would halt shipments of two other types of offensive military equipment.

All votes in favor of the measure were from Democrats, while those who opposed it included representatives from both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Supporters of the bill hoped that forcing a vote would encourage the Israeli government and President Joe Biden's administration to do more to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.

The bill was introduced amid the escalating humanitarian catastrophe facing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and comes after the expiry of a 30-day deadline set by the Biden administration earlier this month for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "improve the humanitarian situation" in the Gaza Strip and allow relief aid to be delivered.

The resolution was expected to fail, as many members of Congress have shown steadfast support for Israel, a historic U.S. ally, and approval to block the sale, if it were to happen, would represent a shift in congressional support for Israel, which for years has been the largest recipient of U.S. military aid.

Washington accused of collusion

Earlier, left-wing members of the US Senate called on President Joe Biden's administration to stop supplying Israel with weapons, accusing Washington of complicity in the atrocities of the war on the Gaza Strip.

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Va.) and several Democratic lawmakers introduced several texts condemning U.S. aid to Israel, which constitute the draft resolution voted on today.

He stressed that "the United States is complicit in these atrocities, and this complicity must stop, and this is the content of these draft resolutions."

"What is happening in Gaza is unspeakable," Sanders said at a news conference, referring to the killing of tens of thousands of civilians in the Palestinian enclave, the destruction of buildings, and "Israel's prevention of the entry of much-needed humanitarian aid."

"But what makes the situation even more painful is that the bulk of what is happening there is being carried out with American weapons and with the support of American taxpayers," he added.

Today, Sanders returned to accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of violating international and American law and human rights and obstructing the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip.

During a press conference held at the US Senate, Sanders showed pictures showing the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, as a result of the genocide carried out by Israel.

The proposed aid to Israel, which according to the rejected bill is banned, includes tank ammunition, F-15IA aircraft and mortars.

The Israeli aggression on Gaza has so far resulted in about 148 thousand martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10 thousand missing, amidst massive destruction and famine that killed dozens of children and elderly people, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

Israeli media reported that US envoy Amos Hochstein held "constructive" talks in Israel after arriving from Lebanon, where he confirmed that progress had been made in the ceasefire negotiations. While the Lebanese Hezbollah party confirmed that the negotiations "will take place under two roofs": stopping the aggression and preserving Lebanese sovereignty, Israel is sticking to its conditions before agreeing to any agreement.

Yesterday, Wednesday, Hochstein held talks with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, which Israeli media described as constructive, and confirmed that the American envoy will continue his talks this morning, Thursday, and will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hochstein arrived in Israel after a round of talks in Lebanon, during which he met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and said afterwards that the atmosphere was positive and that there was progress.

For his part, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that his country continues to make progress towards reaching a ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, and confirmed that Hochstein will discuss in Israel the broad outlines of a possible agreement to end the war that has claimed more than 3,500 lives on the Lebanese side.

"What we've seen is that Israel has achieved a number of important objectives," Miller told reporters at the State Department. "We've seen Israel, over the last couple of months, be very effective in clearing out Hezbollah's infrastructure near the border, and that's why we believe we're in a place where we can now reach a diplomatic solution."

On the other hand, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that the party presented its observations on the American proposal for a ceasefire, and indicated in a speech yesterday that the party will remain in the field whether the negotiations succeed or not.

Qassem stressed that the negotiations will take place under two roofs: stopping the aggression and preserving Lebanese sovereignty, "meaning that the Israeli enemy has no right to violate, kill, or enter whenever it wants under different pretexts," stressing that "Israel cannot defeat us and impose its conditions on us."

Qassem's speech came after Israeli statements confirming that any agreement must guarantee Israel "freedom of action" against Hezbollah.

Israeli condition

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that the condition for any political settlement with Lebanon is "preserving intelligence capabilities and the right of the army to act to protect the security of Israeli citizens from Hezbollah attacks."

"We have worked with the Americans, and we are in contact with them about a possible arrangement in Lebanon," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in a speech to ambassadors in Jerusalem. "Based on the fact that Hochstein is in the region, you can conclude that the Americans believe that such an arrangement is possible," he added.

Although Sa'ar claimed that Israel wanted to reach an agreement that "stands the test of time," he reiterated his country's commitment to the freedom to attack targets in Lebanon even after reaching an agreement, adding, "We must also impose that Hezbollah cannot rebuild its strength in Lebanon, and cannot manufacture ammunition and missiles or bring them from Iran through Syria by sea and through the airport (in Beirut) in any way."

Last Thursday, US Ambassador to Beirut Lisa Johnson presented Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri with a 13-point plan that stipulates a 60-day truce and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south.

If the ceasefire holds, Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold negotiations within 60 days on the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701, issued 18 years ago.

The resolution gives sole authority to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces in areas south of the Litani River, which is about 30 kilometres from the border with Israel.

Israeli occupation forces shot a young man with live bullets and arrested others, Thursday, during their raids on various areas in the West Bank.

In Qalqilya, a special force from the occupation army stormed the city from its eastern entrance, raided the Masakwa area, opened fire at the young man, Muhammad al-Fayoumi, in his thirties, and detained him, preventing the ambulance from reaching him, before the occupation sent military reinforcements to the place and arrested the injured young man, without knowing the nature of his injury.

In Nablus, the young man, Wassim Firas Mansour, was arrested after his house was raided and searched in the town of Burin.

The occupation soldiers stormed the village yesterday evening and fired live bullets, which led to damage to a number of vehicles.

In Hebron, the occupation forces arrested citizens Muhammad Yasser Hamdan and Muhammad Hatem Haribat from the village of Tabqa, southwest of Hebron, and citizen Issa Rabhi Abu Eid from the town of Al-Shuyukh, northeast of Hebron, after raiding their homes, searching them, and tampering with their contents.

This morning, Thursday, the Israeli occupation forces demolished a barrack in the village of Qablan, south of Nablus.

According to local sources, these forces stormed the village this morning, accompanied by a military bulldozer, and demolished a barracks west of the village.

She pointed out that the occupation notified 30 facilities of demolition about a month ago, and an order was obtained to stop the demolition of a number of them.

During last October, the occupation authorities carried out 34 demolition operations that affected 45 facilities, including 12 inhabited homes, 6 uninhabited ones, and 19 agricultural and other facilities. They also notified 38 other facilities of demolition.

66 citizens, most of them children and women, were killed and dozens were injured in a new massacre committed by the Israeli occupation forces, at dawn today, Thursday, in the northern Gaza Strip.

The occupation aircraft bombed an entire residential block in the vicinity of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of 66 citizens and the injury of more than 100 others.

Medical sources from Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip, said that the medical staff at the hospital are pulling the martyrs out from under the rubble at the site of the massacre with their own hands due to the lack of rescue crews.

The sources explained that serious cases are being transported on shoulders to the hospital to be dealt with, in light of the difficult and deteriorating health situation, as a result of the repeated targeting by the occupation and the siege imposed on northern Gaza.

Eyewitnesses said that dozens of houses around Kamal Adwan Hospital were leveled to the ground and dozens of other houses were severely damaged by the occupation's destructive bombing. These houses belong to the Al-Madhoun, Khader, Abu Wadi, Shaqoura and Nassar families.

Medical sources indicated that there are no specialized surgeries in the hospital due to the occupation forces preventing the entry of new medical teams, and that the current teams provide first aid only to most cases.

The sources added that the hospital will turn into mass graves if international institutions do not intervene urgently and provide medical supplies.

In the middle of the Gaza Strip, the occupation aircraft bombed the house of the Al-Daalseh family in the Al-Nuseirat camp, which led to the martyrdom of three citizens and the injury of others with various injuries.

The young man, Jihad Raafat Qatouni, was killed by the bullets of the Israeli occupation forces, this morning, Thursday, during their storming of the Al-Ain camp, west of Nablus.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that a martyr arrived at Rafidia Governmental Hospital from Al-Ain Camp in Nablus.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces stormed the Al-Ain camp west of Nablus, and the Zawata area west of Nablus, amidst live bullets, which led to the young man Al-Qatouni being critically injured, and he was martyred as a result.

The sources added that the occupation forces arrested three citizens during their storming of several neighborhoods in Nablus, after raiding their homes and searching them. They are: Muhammad Amjad Jamous from Al-Sikka Street, Darwish Masharqa from Al-Ain Camp, and Muhammad Hamouda from Jabal Al-Shamali, Baker Street.

Sawsan Sarour: The war contributed to weakening the Israeli opposition, and the expected judicial changes may bring it back to the scene with force

Issam Makhoul: Netanyahu's latest speech resembles a coup against the ruling establishment and the deep state in Israel

Dr. Muhammad Halsa: Netanyahu is the product of a deep understanding of the Israeli and American mentality, which enabled him to turn the situation to his advantage.

Tawfiq Abu Shomer: There is a hidden “empire” that supports Netanyahu and moves him within the framework of a project much larger than his person

Ihab Jabareen: Netanyahu managed to fortify his government, while the opposition suffers from internal divisions and lacks a unified vision to oust him

The uproar caused by the opposition and its disruption of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his last speech in the Knesset, despite its importance, is not an indication of a form of “awakening” in Israeli society that may soon succeed in undermining his position within Israeli society after he succeeded in creating a state of panic and fear of external enemies, and that he is the only one capable of confronting and defeating these enemies who represent an existential threat to the State of Israel.

However, what the Knesset witnessed does not in any way rise to the level of the massive protest events that took place in the streets of Israel in protest against Netanyahu’s policies, especially with regard to concluding a deal with Hamas to return the Israeli detainees. However, he did not leave any pretext or obstacle unused to delay reaching this deal because it is linked to conditions that affect his aggressive plans in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon.

Writers and analysts believe that the Israeli opposition is in a state of weakness and disintegration that does not qualify it to be a real alternative to the ruling right-wing coalition led by Netanyahu, and that its disagreement with him is not fundamental. On the contrary, it supports him in his aggressive approach and policy in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, even if it disagrees with him personally, or in demanding a deal to return the Israeli prisoners.

Netanyahu receives a hot slap on the Knesset podium

Journalist Susan Sarour, who follows the political scene in Israel, said, “In his last speech on the Knesset floor last Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a hot slap not only from opposition members, but also from the families of Israeli detainees and their foreign supporters, when they obstructed his speech more than once, and directed insults, words of contempt, and accusations of lying and misleading.”

She pointed out that "Netanyahu, the seasoned political figure, who during his successive terms in office chose a policy of intimidation and fear-mongering about external dangers, in order to win the Israeli public around him, as the sole savior, continues this policy, and today he is aiming his arrows at Hamas after its leader Yahya Sinwar was the obstacle, according to what he claimed, in not concluding a deal to return the kidnapped Israelis who have been held in the Gaza Strip for more than 400 days."

Sarour stressed that in his last speech, Netanyahu tried to repeat his arrogant, haughty appearance in the US Congress months ago, but his attempt failed. Here, he found the real response, not the hypocritical one, as it was, which brings me back to what former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a television interview, that Netanyahu’s speech was the worst speech given by any foreign official before the US Congress.

Knesset members disrupt Netanyahu's speech

“Despite all that Netanyahu claimed about a complete and certain victory, the strenuous efforts to return the detainees, his sympathy for the combat soldiers and the dead, his neglect to mention the problem of recruiting the Haredim, the talk about the Iranian threat, and other urgent issues that prompted opposition members of parliament to disrupt and obstruct his speech in succession, the position of the opposition in Israel is still marginal, very weak, and even deplorable,” she said.

She added: "Netanyahu recently succeeded in adding the right-wing national party led by Gideon Sa'ar to his coalition, bringing it to 68 members, thus enabling him to hold on to his government until the end of the October 2026 session."

Surur stated that "the war on Gaza and Lebanon contributed to the dismantling of the Israeli opposition, and weakened it more than it was before, and with the continuation of the war, it will not be able to be an alternative to the current government, and as long as Netanyahu is the one who benefits from the continuation of the war, it will continue and the opposition will remain on the margins of the margin."

“In recent days, we have begun to hear about the government’s return to work on judicial changes (coup), and efforts to oust Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, in order to strengthen Netanyahu and his government’s position. Perhaps then we will see momentum from the opposition, and an opposition response to these efforts, and thus we could witness a significant development at the level of the opposition. Until then, I do not see any effective role for the opposition in Israel,” she said.

Netanyahu acts like a "raging bull"

In turn, Issam Makhoul, Director of the Emile Touma Center for Palestinian and Israeli Studies, said: The recent speech of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reflects an act resembling a coup against the ruling establishment and the deep state in Israel.

Makhoul added: "After Netanyahu succeeded in dismissing Israeli Security Minister Yoav Galant, he is now planning to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet and the government's legal advisor, as part of his efforts to implement the judicial coup that he began since coming to power last year."

Makhoul explained that Netanyahu is acting like a "raging bull", as he seeks to fuel internal and external clashes in Israel, believing that any internal stability could threaten his rule.

He stressed that the Israeli Prime Minister aims to continue the war and prevent any settlement with the Palestinians, in the Gaza Strip, or on the Lebanese front, as he feels that his authority grows stronger the more violence is committed against the Palestinians and the Lebanese, as well as against the Israeli public itself.

Makhoul pointed out that the Israeli opposition is limited to formal disagreements with Netanyahu's policies, without offering a real intellectual or political alternative.

He added: "The opposition does not present a political project as an alternative to occupation, settlement and fascism, which makes the political conflict in Israel limited to superficial matters without moving towards the core issues."

Makhoul stressed the importance of the demonstrations organised by the families of Israeli prisoners against Netanyahu’s government, considering that these demonstrations represent part of the accumulated societal resistance.

But he pointed out that these demonstrations need to transform into a real political force, especially in light of the historical circumstances that Israel and the region are going through.

Netanyahu has the experience and cunning to remain in power

For his part, Dr. Muhammad Halsa, an expert in Israeli affairs, said: Benjamin Netanyahu’s continued rule as head of the Israeli government is the result of subjective and objective factors that serve his continued rule, despite the internal and external challenges he faces.

Halsa explained that Netanyahu has political experience and cunning that enabled him to remain in power for nearly two decades, pointing to his ability to understand internal and external contradictions and exploit and play on them to his advantage.

He believed that "Netanyahu is not just a prime minister, but rather the product of a deep understanding of the Israeli and American mentality, which makes him capable of turning the scene to his advantage, which was evident from the opinion polls that gave him an advantage over his opponents, unlike what was known at the beginning of the war."

He added: "Netanyahu is betting on the time factor by prolonging the war, with the aim of transforming from a "failed leader" to a "national hero", relying on his long experience in manipulating the political scene to achieve his goals."

As for the opposition, Halsa described it as a "weak, formal opposition" that lacks the strength and ability to present a real alternative to Netanyahu.

He added: "The opposition does not have a problem with Netanyahu's policies per se, but only with him as a person, and this is what makes it unable to confront him in a fundamental way."

He pointed out that the opposition's positions, which often seem contradictory, sometimes come in the context of antagonizing Netanyahu only. When Netanyahu calls for stopping the war, the opposition demands that he continue, and when he seeks escalation, it opposes that under the pretext of negotiation. "This contradiction exposes its weakness and gives Netanyahu more room to control the political scene."

Smotrich and Ben-Gvir's positions are part of Netanyahu's game

Halsa also stressed that Netanyahu's right-wing government enjoys a state of internal harmony and that the positions of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, which threaten to dissolve the government when pressure increases to stop the war, are nothing but a political game aimed at strengthening Netanyahu's positions and relieving pressure on him, as if to say, "Netanyahu is not alone in his positions, but this is the position of the majority of Israeli society."

"Netanyahu is right-wing par excellence, and is often more extreme in his policies than Smotrich appears on the surface," Halsa added.

At the level of Israeli society, Halsa believes that Netanyahu is taking advantage of the state of fear and existential anxiety that controls Israelis, and is leading them as a “herd” towards adopting his policies.

He explained that this society, which used to fill the streets in protest against Netanyahu's policies before the war, today seems to be in line with his orientations as a result of the existential anxiety complex and the scarecrow that Netanyahu is waving to continue to obtain legitimacy for the continuation of the war.

Halsa expected that Netanyahu would remain in office until the end of his term, and might return again through the ballot box, despite the crises that are plaguing him internally, such as corruption and mismanagement issues.

Halsa concluded by saying: "Netanyahu has proven that he is able to emerge from any crisis stronger than he was, and it seems that his bet on survival may return him to the prime minister's office after the end of this government's term."

Netanyahu is not alone in the Israeli political scene

For his part, writer and political researcher Tawfiq Abu Shomer confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not alone in the Israeli political scene, despite what appears on the surface to be the sole leader.

He pointed out that there is a hidden "empire" that supports his decisions and moves him within the framework of a project much larger than himself.

Abu Shomer pointed out that there are huge lobbies and associations behind Netanyahu, the most prominent of which is the Israeli Victory Forum, a joint American-Israeli forum that was established a long time ago to implement a specific vision: for Israel to win militarily over its enemies.

He stressed that this support goes beyond Israeli borders to include American parties such as the Messianic Zionists who constitute an influential force within the US Congress.

Abu Shomer pointed to the Kohelet Association as one of the oldest Israeli groups that supports Netanyahu's policies.

The association is working to push for the reoccupation of Gaza and the obliteration of any horizon for Palestinian nationalism, which makes Netanyahu supported by both Israeli and American forces.

He explained that what the Zionist messianists support is based on a theological idea: the return of the promised Jewish Messiah (the Messiah) is conditional on Israel’s victory over its “enemies,” whom Israel considers descendants of the “Amalekites.”

He pointed out that these ideas are supported by millions of evangelical Christians in the United States, estimated at more than 240 million people, the same group that supported Donald Trump and his pro-Israel policies.

Abu Shomer believes that the far-right government led by Netanyahu is nothing more than a tool for implementing the project of the great Israeli national homeland, as all spectrums of Israeli extremism are working to achieve this goal.

Netanyahu represents a group of major interests.

He stressed that Netanyahu is not acting as an individual, but rather as a representative of a group of major interests that support him, noting that the idea of trying Netanyahu on corruption charges or internal strikes is only a secondary detail within the framework of the larger project.

Despite the crises facing Netanyahu's government, Abu Shomer believes that the Israeli opposition is not strong enough to topple him. He has been challenging many for 15 years.

He explained that Netanyahu is the executor of a major international project that bypasses Israel, which makes it impossible to remove him before he completes his role and defeats the axis, as it is called in Israel, meaning that the axis abandons Gaza.

Abu Shomer stressed that Netanyahu is nothing more than a "contractor" implementing a grand plan, and that focusing on him ignores the reality of the great messianic project supported by internal and external forces. He pointed out that this grand plan represents the essence of Israeli policy at the current stage.

Abu Shomer stressed that what is happening is part of an international project that is bigger than any individual, even if he is the size of Netanyahu.

Pushing the case for judicial amendments

As for the expert in Israeli affairs, Ihab Jabareen, he said, “The Israeli opposition tried during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech in the Knesset to exhaust him and pressure him, exploiting the many issues surrounding him.”

Jabareen pointed out that the most prominent of these issues include leaks, the conditions of prisoners, the usefulness of the war, and disagreements with the government's legal advisor.

Jabareen explained that Netanyahu is seeking to circumvent these crises by pushing the issue of judicial amendments that he directed Minister of Justice Yariv Levin to implement, in addition to his attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the Attorney General and the Israeli judiciary.

Jabareen stressed that Netanyahu was able to fortify his government and close the outlets that the opposition might exploit to overthrow him.

"Governments in Israel are not killed, but rather commit suicide," he said, referring to Netanyahu's ability to maintain the stability of his government despite internal and external crises.

He pointed out that Netanyahu was able to address the divisions within the Likud party, which strengthened the cohesion of the bloc around him compared to last year.

Jabareen pointed to the move to dismiss Defense Minister Yoav Galant as an example of Netanyahu's ability to impose his control, explaining that in the past the opposition needed the support of only three coalition members to topple the government, while today it needs at least nine votes, reflecting the fortifications he has made.

Approval of the 2025 budget before the end of 2024

He also noted that Netanyahu rushed to approve the 2025 budget before the end of 2024, in a preemptive move to avoid the budget becoming a weak point that the opposition could exploit.

He added: "Netanyahu realizes the importance of resolving financial issues early to ensure the stability of his government."

Jabareen believes that the Israeli opposition suffers from internal divisions and lacks a unified vision to overthrow Netanyahu.

He said: "Her attempts to take action on the ground or in parliament often clash with Netanyahu's strategy, which relies on turning the debate into national issues that enjoy popular consensus, such as the war on Lebanon."

He added: "The recent laws passed by the Knesset strengthen the government's immunity and make the opposition weaker than ever, noting that the opposition's attempts to exhaust the government have not yet achieved their goals."

Jabareen stressed that the opposition's chances of overthrowing Netanyahu are slim, but not impossible.

"Netanyahu's strength lies in his possession of the only political discourse in Israel at the moment. If the opposition can formulate a strong alternative discourse, it may be able to turn the tide," he added.

Evils grow in the minds before they begin to appear in the sleight of fingers on the trigger, to practice killing, destruction and terror, without a sense of responsibility, or a twinge of conscience.

The minds came up with a trick that was translated as the “Generals’ Plan,” including Generals Dayan and Eiland, and others from the Israeli National Security Institute, which is based on relentless extermination.

The "plan" was put together by those with experience and high ranks, who put the essence of their experiences and the latest results of their desires for killing and destruction, according to a systematic approach that leads to the full achievement of its goals.

In the formulation, care was taken to define the terms, so that the text would be convincing with the propaganda narrative under which the perpetrators would carry out their crime “properly” and with high efficiency, without any nullity.

They replaced the term “military operations” with “war,” considering that Hamas had become an army. They removed the term “civilians” from the residents of Gaza, replacing it with “the people of the enemy state.” They replaced the authority in Gaza with “the state of Hamas,” and considered everyone in Gaza to be a supporter of it, which means targeting the people as an enemy and a human reservoir for the Hamas army, including women, children, and even premature babies. They ordered the destruction of the infrastructure and society, describing it as the internal front of the “enemy army.”

Isn't this what has been happening for four hundred days now, and it is increasing in the seemingly endless genocide, taking advantage of global silence and an American veto that yesterday raised its hand alone among the nations to thwart a decision to stop the massacre?!

Netanyahu continues to implement the infernal plan, and threatens to impose military rule on Gaza, in order to achieve his goals of "absolute victory" over the people, not over "Hamas"?!

Stop the war of extermination now..!

Khalil Al-Hayya, acting head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip, said that there will be no prisoner exchange deal with Israel until the end of the war in the Strip.

Al-Hayya added in an interview with Al-Aqsa TV that "without stopping the war, there will be no prisoner exchange. It is an interconnected equation. We say very clearly: We want this aggression to stop, and it must stop first in order for any prisoner exchange to take place."

He revealed that there are ongoing contacts with countries and mediators to move the ceasefire negotiations forward, noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is obstructing any progress in the ceasefire negotiations for political reasons.

The Hamas leader stressed the movement's readiness for ceasefire efforts, but the most important thing is the existence of a real will on the part of the occupation, according to his expression.

The Israeli Prime Minister rejected a request from the negotiating team to expand his powers to enable him to reach a prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

For months, the Israeli negotiating team has been complaining, according to media reports and opposition leaders, about the lack of powers granted to it by Netanyahu, which prevents reaching an agreement through indirect negotiations with Hamas.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said on its website that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz "rejected the proposals of the negotiating team leaders regarding a deal to return the kidnapped (Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip), as they sought to expand the scope of powers to conduct negotiations and bypass the issue of ending the war."

Netanyahu insists on continuing to occupy the Netzarim axis in the middle of the Gaza Strip, the Philadelphi axis and the Rafah crossing (south), and refuses to stop the war within the framework of any prisoner exchange deal, while Hamas insists on ending the war and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army.

Dismissed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant criticized Benjamin Netanyahu's government's efforts to use private companies to distribute humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, considering that this means "military rule" for which soldiers will pay with their lives.

This came in a post published by Galant on Wednesday evening on his account on the "X" platform, amid the government's study of bringing in a private American company to distribute food to Gaza under the protection of the Israeli army.

"The talk about food being distributed to the residents of Gaza by private companies under the protection of the Israeli army is rhetoric for the beginning of military rule," Galant said.

He added: "The price of blood will be paid by the soldiers of the Israeli occupation army, and by the State of Israel, in light of a poor arrangement of priorities that will lead to neglecting more important security tasks."

Galant considered that Israel must "prepare an alternative entity to replace the Israeli army in controlling the region, otherwise we are on the way to military rule."

He went on to criticize the government's efforts: "The aid will be distributed by private companies, the companies will be guarded by the Israeli army, and we will all pay the price."

Galant stressed that "military rule in Gaza is not part of the war's objectives, but rather a dangerous and irresponsible political act."

On November 5, Netanyahu dismissed Galant and appointed Yisrael Katz in his place, amid disagreements over the way the war in Gaza was being managed.

After causing a major starvation crisis in Gaza by its decision to ban the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Israel claims that it is considering replacing it with alternative entities to distribute aid in the Strip, most notably an American security company.

Israeli Army Radio reported on Wednesday that "Netanyahu and Katz held a 4-hour discussion yesterday regarding Gaza with experts, which included a plan to bring a private American security company to Gaza," without mentioning its identity.

The Hebrew newspaper "Israel Hayom" revealed that the new Minister of Defense held a meeting with senior army leaders to discuss the possibility of using an American security company to distribute humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.

During the meeting, the possibility of a private American security company entering certain neighborhoods in Gaza and taking responsibility for the civilian aspect and distributing humanitarian aid was raised, with the Israeli army providing them with security cover only, according to the same source.

As part of its deliberate destruction of Gaza, Israel insists on refusing to allow any Palestinian party to take responsibility for distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza, and has banned the work of UNRWA, which usually undertakes this task.

Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from a policy of starvation due to a shortage of food supplies because of Israel’s obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip, according to the confirmations of many UN and international institutions.

A young man was shot by Israeli occupation forces, on Wednesday evening, during their raid on the town of Kafr al-Labad, east of Tulkarm.

According to local sources, clashes erupted after the occupation forces stormed the town, with the occupation forces firing heavy bullets, which led to a young man (20 years old) being injured by live bullets in the foot. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance crews transferred him to the Martyr Thabet Thabet Governmental Hospital in Tulkarm.

Earlier, the occupation forces stormed the town of Anabta from the direction of the "Anab" military checkpoint east of Tulkarm, and patrolled its main streets, deployed infantry patrols in the southern mountain area, and conducted combing operations in the area, before storming the neighboring town of Kafr al-Labad.

The United States used its veto power against a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, which Palestinian resistance factions considered a partnership in the war of extermination against the Strip.

The draft resolution, which was supported by 14 countries and opposed by only the United States, called for "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire to be respected by all parties" and "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages".

The draft resolution stressed the demand that the parties comply with their obligations under international law with regard to the persons they detain, and that the civilian population in the Gaza Strip be allowed immediate access to basic services and humanitarian assistance necessary for their survival.

The draft resolution, at the same time, rejected any action that would lead to the starvation of the Palestinians, and called for the full, rapid, safe and unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and all its areas, and its delivery to all Palestinian civilians who need it, including civilians in the besieged northern Gaza Strip, who are in dire need of immediate humanitarian relief, under the coordination of the United Nations.

The draft resolution called on all parties to fully comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, in particular its provisions relating to the protection of civilians, especially women, children and persons hors de combat, as well as its provisions relating to the protection of civilian objects.

Condemnations

For its part, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) condemned the United States' use of its veto in the Security Council against the ceasefire resolution in Gaza.

Hamas said the United States "proves once again that it is a direct partner in the aggression against our people and responsible for the war of extermination."

In the same context, the Islamic Jihad Movement said that Washington's use of the veto in the Security Council "confirms that it is waging a war of extermination against our people."

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine also said that "Washington's veto in the Security Council against the resolution to stop the aggression on Gaza reveals its direct involvement in the war of extermination."

In turn, the Palestinian presidency condemned Washington's use of the veto, considering that it encourages the occupation to continue its crimes against the Palestinian people.

American and Israeli anger

In a parallel context, Robert Wood, Deputy US Ambassador Linda Greenfield, explained after the vote, “We have been very clear throughout the negotiations that we cannot support an unconditional ceasefire that does not allow for the release of the hostages,” considering that the council would have sent Hamas, through this resolution, “a dangerous message that there is no need to return to the negotiating table.”

The United States alone voted against the resolution, using its veto as a permanent member of the council to prevent its passage.

Just before the vote, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon denounced the text as "nothing but treason" and said he was counting on Washington to prevent the adoption of a resolution that would mean "abandoning" the hostages.

Since the beginning of the war, the UN Security Council has tried to come up with a unified position, but it has encountered several American vetoes, but also from Russia and China.

The few resolutions that the Americans allowed to pass through by abstention did not include a call for an unconditional and permanent ceasefire.

With American and Western support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving about 148,000 dead and wounded - most of them children and women - and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that killed dozens of children and the elderly, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

Israel continues its massacres, ignoring the UN Security Council resolution to end them immediately and the International Court of Justice’s orders to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Today, Wednesday, the Israeli occupation municipality in Jerusalem imposed a fine on a Jerusalemite citizen and his wife, under the pretext of parking their vehicles on land it claims is a Jewish cemetery in the town of Silwan, south of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Jerusalem Governorate reported that the occupation municipality imposed a fine of 50 thousand shekels on the Jerusalemite Shadi Samreen and his wife under the pretext of parking their vehicles on land that the occupation claims is a Jewish cemetery in the Wadi al-Rababa neighborhood in the town of Silwan.

In a related context, the occupation police imposed fines on citizens’ vehicles at Bab al-Maghariba and in the al-Thawri neighborhood.

On the other hand, the occupation forces stormed the home of the family of the young man Thaer Jamal Asila (35 years old), who has been arrested since last Monday, in the Bab al-Silsila area in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem. The occupation forces had previously stormed his home in the town of Zaim, northeast of Jerusalem, and searched it and ransacked its contents.

The occupation forces also stormed the Shuafat camp and raided the Ras Khamis area in the camp, northeast of occupied Jerusalem.

The occupation forces set up a military checkpoint in the town of Jabal al-Mukaber, south of Jerusalem, and closed the Jaba military checkpoint, northeast of Jerusalem.

Earlier, the occupation forces demolished the homes of the two brothers, Louay and Alaa Matar, in the town of Jabal al-Mukaber, after forcing them to demolish them themselves yesterday.

During the current week, the occupation forces demolished 18 commercial, residential and agricultural facilities in Jerusalem, bringing the number of facilities that have been demolished since the beginning of November to 37, including 6 facilities that were forcibly demolished by their owners to avoid paying heavy fines if the occupation forces demolished them.

Data indicate an increase in demolitions in Jerusalem compared to last October, which witnessed the demolition of about 15 facilities.

1. Official Palestinian statistics showed shocking figures about the reality of Palestinian children on World Children's Day. Official and human rights institutions said that since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 8, 2023, about 18,000 children have been killed, 167 of them in the West Bank, while at least 770 children from the West Bank have been arrested, without it being clear how many child detainees are from Gaza.

On Wednesday, the Freedom Human Rights Organizations Coalition issued a detailed fact sheet on the occasion of World Children's Day, entitled "Children of Gaza at the forefront of the victims of aggression." It stated that the violations to which children in the Gaza Strip were subjected were numerous and varied, including murder, assault on personal safety by beating and sometimes by humiliation and degrading treatment, as well as arrest, denial of treatment, forced displacement, starvation, and deprivation of basic rights, including their right to education, adequate housing, health, and other rights guaranteed to them by the rules of international law and international agreements related to children.

"Hurriya" explained that the occupation forces have killed 17,390 children under the age of 18 since the beginning of the aggression on the Gaza Strip, and 22,110 other children have been injured and need to travel to receive treatment due to the lack of the necessary medicines for them.

The Freedom paper stated that 1,250 cases of lower limb amputations among Gazan children have been recorded since the beginning of the aggression as a result of being injured by shrapnel from Israeli projectiles and missiles. In addition, 55 children have died as a result of malnutrition and dehydration, due to the starvation policy pursued by the occupation forces in their aggression against civilians. 217 premature babies have also died as a result of power outages in incubators and the severe shortage of medicines and health supplies.

The occupation forces also arrested dozens of children during their incursions into cities and camps in the governorates of the Gaza Strip or during their passage through the military checkpoints set up by the occupation forces. They were subjected to the most horrific forms of torture, humiliation and degrading treatment inside Israeli prisons.

"Hurriya" said that 3,500 children have no information about their fate until now, and 35,000 cases of children living without one or both of their parents, while the occupation forces forced tens of thousands of Gazan children to forcibly migrate.

In dozens of cases, Hurriya has documented the displacement of children without their families after losing them as a result of military attacks carried out by the occupation forces without regard for the rules and provisions of humanitarian law.

For its part, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education confirmed that more than 11,000 students were killed in the Gaza Strip, and 81 in the West Bank, while 19,467 were injured in Palestine since the beginning of the aggression, and that 171 government schools in Gaza were severely damaged, more than 77 were completely destroyed, and 126 government schools, in addition to 65 UNRWA schools, were bombed and vandalized, while 91 schools in the West Bank were vandalized.

The ministry indicated that about 700,000 students are deprived of going to their schools due to the ongoing aggression on the Strip.

UNICEF said that the war in the Gaza Strip has had disastrous effects on children and families, as children are dying at an alarming rate.

An estimated 1.9 million people – about 9 out of 10 Gazans – have been internally displaced, more than half of them children, and are without adequate water, food, fuel and medicine. More than 600,000 children are trapped in Rafah alone, with nowhere safe to go, after their homes were bombed and their families were torn apart.

Many children have been displaced multiple times, losing their homes, parents and loved ones. UNICEF has warned that the spread of polio virus is adding to the list of threats, especially for thousands of unvaccinated children, after the Gaza Strip had been free of polio for 25 years, and its re-emergence poses another threat to children in the Gaza Strip and neighboring countries.

According to UNICEF, at least 4,000 babies are estimated to have been cut off from life-saving neonatal care in the past year because of the constant shelling of hospitals trying to keep them alive, and because of the lack of electricity supplies, as the little fuel delivered to power hospitals is woefully inadequate. This has been particularly deadly in the northern parts of the Gaza Strip.

The occupation also destroyed three neonatal intensive care units in northern Gaza, and the number of available incubators decreased by 70 percent to about 54 incubators, throughout the Strip.

She pointed out that at least 6,000 newborns need intensive care in the Gaza Strip every year. However, the real number may be higher, and the number of neonatal intensive care units in the Gaza Strip was estimated at 8 units, with a total of 178 incubators.

The Prisoners Club also released data on child arrests, saying that Israel had arrested 770 children in the West Bank. The club said that there were 100 children under administrative detention, including a 14-year-old child, in a first, based on available data.

According to the club, the occupation has deprived all families of detained children from visiting them since the beginning of the war. In addition to the crime of torture, starvation and medical crimes, detained children face the nightmare of the spread of scabies, specifically in the children's section of Megiddo Prison.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the necessity of not excluding Palestinian children from international protection, noting that they suffer from catastrophic humanitarian conditions that violate their most basic rights, most importantly the right to life.

For its part, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to take urgent action to ensure that the occupying state respects all international covenants and treaties, most notably the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The UN Security Council is voting on Wednesday on a draft resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as well as the release of all prisoners.

The draft, drafted by the ten non-permanent members of the council, aims to pressure Israel to stop the war, but the US position may complicate its chances of passing, according to diplomats.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon criticized the draft resolution, describing it as "flawed," stressing that Israel "will not stop fighting until all the kidnapped are returned."

For his part, Robert Wood, Deputy US Ambassador, pointed out the necessity of a link between the ceasefire and the release of prisoners, stressing that this position has been consistent since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Implementation difficulties

The vote coincides with the ongoing worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as the draft resolution calls for safe and unhindered entry of humanitarian aid, and demands an end to attempts to starve the Palestinians, amid accusations that Israel is using the blockade as a means of pressure.

However, the text lacks any reference to Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which gives the Council powers to enforce its decisions through sanctions or other measures.

In turn, the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, described the situation in Gaza as a "humanitarian catastrophe that will haunt the world for generations."

Mansour urged the Council to adopt a firm and binding resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The US position on the draft resolution remains ambiguous, amid fears that Washington will use its veto to prevent its passage, which may reflect the continued international division over the genocidal war in Gaza.

A young man was injured by live bullets, on Wednesday evening, during the Israeli occupation forces’ storming of the village of Jalud, southeast of Nablus.

According to local sources, the occupation forces stormed the village of Jalud and fired live bullets, tear gas and sound bombs, which led to the outbreak of clashes, during which a young man was injured by live bullets in the waist.

Israeli sources announced the killing of 3 Israeli soldiers and the wounding of others in battles in southern Lebanon in the last hours, while Hezbollah announced the bombing of an Israeli army base east of Nahariya and gatherings of Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli occupation army said that it had detected 25 rockets launched from Lebanon towards the northern coastal strip, confirming that a rocket fell in Acre.

This comes as the Israeli Home Front Command announced that sirens are sounding in Nahariya and its surroundings.

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that 30 rockets were fired from southern Lebanon towards the Western Galilee.

For its part, Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters attacked with drones "a logistics base for the 146th Division of the Israeli enemy army east of the city of Nahariya," confirming that the targets were hit.

The party broadcast images of the targeting of the Tel Haim and Beit Lid bases, while a drone launched from Lebanon fell in an Israeli army camp in the Western Galilee.

The party added - in another statement - that it attacked "with a squadron of drones the Shraga base north of the occupied city of Acre and hit the targets," and also targeted the city of Safed with a barrage of rockets.

Hezbollah said, "We targeted with missiles for the second time a gathering of Israeli enemy forces south of the city of Khiam" in southern Lebanon.

A short while ago, the Israeli Fire and Rescue Authority reported that a rocket fell in Kfar Giladi in the Upper Galilee.

Israeli losses

For its part, the Israeli army announced the killing of a soldier and the injury of 3 others by a suicide drone fire, and also acknowledged the injury of 11 soldiers in one day during the battles in Lebanon.

Israeli Army Radio said a rocket fired from Lebanon at Kiryat Shmona hit a building, but there were no human casualties.

Since the morning hours, sirens have sounded several times in Kiryat Shmona, in addition to several Israeli settlements near the Lebanese border.

The Israeli army spokesman announced this morning, Wednesday, that three drones launched from Lebanon had been detected infiltrating, causing alarms to be activated in Haifa Bay, the Galilee, and dozens of towns in northern Israel.

Israeli media websites reported that a drone fell in an army camp in the Western Galilee and caused damage to a synagogue inside it.

Channel 14 also reported that a building in the Western Galilee was damaged by falling missile fragments.

Lebanese army casualties

In contrast, the Israeli army said it killed the commander of Hezbollah's anti-tank missile unit in the Lebanese coastal sector.

The Lebanese army announced today, Wednesday, the death of a soldier as a result of an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, the day after the killing of 3 soldiers in an Israeli bombardment of their position.

The army reported - in a statement on the X platform - that "one of the soldiers was martyred due to wounds he sustained as a result of the Israeli enemy targeting an army vehicle on the Burj al-Muluk al-Qala'a road in the south" on the border with Israel.

This comes at a time when the Israeli bombing continues on many areas in Lebanon. Al Jazeera's correspondent said that the occupation army bombed the town of Majdal Zun with incendiary bombs, and other raids targeted the town of Al-Bayada and the surroundings of the town of Al-Mansouri in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon.

The occupation also launched a raid on the Jabour Heights in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army announced in a statement on Wednesday that "over the past day, the Israeli Air Force struck more than 100 terrorist targets in Lebanon, including launch pads, weapons storage facilities, command centers, and military headquarters."

Since the beginning of the confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel on October 8, 2023, at least 3,544 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 15,000 have been injured, including a large number of children and women, in addition to about 1.4 million displaced persons. Most of the victims and displaced persons were recorded after September 23.

Since Israel intensified its raids on southern and eastern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 23, international efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement have failed.

A young man was killed by Israeli occupation forces' bullets, this evening, Wednesday, in the town of Kafr Dan, west of Jenin.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that a young man was martyred while the ambulance crew was trying to revive him and transfer him, after he was shot in the chest with live bullets during the clashes in Kafr Dan.

An Israeli occupation drone bombed a vehicle in the town of Kafr Dan, west of Jenin.

According to local sources, a drone bombed a vehicle in the Wadi Hassan area, located between Kafr Dan and Yamoun, west of Jenin, coinciding with the storming of the town of Kafr Dan, amid the flying of Apache helicopters in the sky of the town.

She added that clashes erupted between citizens and the occupation forces that stormed the area.

It is noteworthy that the occupation forces surrounded a house near the site of the vehicle bombing, and fired shoulder-fired shells at it.

Medical sources told Al Jazeera that 23 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip, while the occupation army's losses amounted to about 800 dead on all fronts since the Al-Aqsa flood.

Among the victims were 12 dead and a number of wounded - including children and women - in an Israeli bombardment of a house on Old Gaza Street in Jabalia al-Balad, north of the Gaza Strip. Doctors at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital described the condition of the wounded as critical.

In Gaza City, two Palestinians were killed and others were injured, most of them children, in an Israeli bombardment of a house in the Zeitoun neighborhood in the south of the city. Doctors at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital reported the serious condition of a disabled child.

A member of the civil defense crew was killed and others were injured after another Israeli bombardment targeted the Al-Sabra neighborhood in the south of Gaza City.

During the past 24 hours, the occupation forces committed two new massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, which have so far resulted in 13 dead and about 84 wounded, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health in the Strip.

The statement said that a number of victims are still under the rubble of their homes or on the streets, with ambulance crews unable to reach them.

The statement also indicated that the number of victims since the beginning of the Israeli aggression has risen to about 44 thousand dead and more than 100 thousand wounded.

Extensive destruction

On the other hand, exclusive photos by Al Jazeera showed the extent of the widespread destruction around the Dawlah junction in the Zeitoun neighborhood.

The photos show the area empty of any people as a result of the ongoing Israeli bombardment, as the occupation forces continue their ground advance in the Zeitoun neighborhood for the 88th day, in the sixth incursion into the neighborhood since the beginning of the war on Gaza.

In the same context, the Israeli occupation forces continue to besiege the northern areas of the Gaza Strip for the 47th day.

The Israeli army launches a series of raids on the remaining Palestinian homes there, and blows up buildings in Jabalia and Beit Lahia camps.

Those besieged in those areas appealed to allow ambulances to reach them to transport the injured and retrieve the martyrs.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli occupation forces have been preventing ambulance crews and rescue teams from reaching the northern areas of the Gaza Strip for the 29th day.

Occupation losses

The Israeli army announced that 8 soldiers were injured in battles in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours.

The Israeli army announced the death of a soldier and the injury of a lieutenant colonel in the Gaza Strip, and said that the injured person was the commander of the 90th Battalion of the Kfir Brigade.

This brings the number of soldiers and officers killed to 800 on all fronts.

For its part, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that 800 Israeli soldiers and officers were killed in the ongoing war on the battle fronts, including 23 killed this month, and 62 killed last month.

The newspaper reported that among the dead were 272 reserve soldiers and 143 in regular permanent service.

The newspaper added that 28 soldiers and officers were killed during the last ground operation in Jabalia, and 43 soldiers and officers were killed during the surprise attack by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7, 2023.

The newspaper said that Israel had not faced such a large number of deaths since more than half a century in the 1973 war, which the Jews call the "Yom Kippur War."

With American and Western support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving about 148,000 dead and wounded - most of them children and women - and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that killed dozens of children and the elderly, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

Israel continues its massacres, ignoring the UN Security Council resolution to end them immediately and the International Court of Justice’s orders to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The Israeli occupation army confirmed on Wednesday that it "does not act against the Lebanese army," after four Lebanese soldiers were killed in two Israeli raids.

The army said in a statement that it "bombed an infrastructure site in the Sarafand area (where a number of Hezbollah fighters were active)", adding that "the Israeli army carries out specific operations against Hezbollah and not against the Lebanese Armed Forces", according to Agence France-Presse.

The Lebanese army announced on Wednesday the death of a soldier in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, after three soldiers were killed on Tuesday evening in an Israeli raid targeting their position in the coastal town of Sarafand, about 40 kilometers from the border with Israel. The Israeli army said its forces were "examining information indicating that Lebanese army soldiers were injured in this strike," without referring to the other fatal incident mentioned by the Lebanese army. These strikes come amid fierce fighting in the south of the country between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, which began a ground offensive on September 30.

Medical sources said that 23 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids on Gaza since dawn today, 18 of them in the northern Gaza Strip.

The same sources added that the number of injuries has risen to 104,008 since the beginning of the aggression, while thousands of victims are still under the rubble.

The official spokesman for the presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said that the news circulated by some Israeli media outlets about the so-called establishment of a buffer zone in the northern Gaza Strip and Jabalia to distribute aid in the Gaza Strip through a private American company and with foreign funding, are completely rejected and unacceptable plans, and they violate all international legitimacy resolutions and international law, which considers the Gaza Strip an integral part of the occupied State of Palestine.

He added that any plans related to the future of the Gaza Strip, or the distribution of aid there, are only made through the State of Palestine, and through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and other relevant international organizations.

Abu Rudeineh pointed out that President Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly stressed the need to implement UN Resolution 2735 immediately, which calls for an immediate cessation of aggression on the Gaza Strip, the urgent entry of aid into the entire Strip, the State of Palestine assuming its full responsibilities, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

He stressed that any temporary plans will not address the roots of the conflict, which can only be resolved by implementing the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice to end the Israeli occupation and embody the independence of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli media talked about a plan currently being discussed to establish a buffer zone in the northern Gaza Strip and Jabalia camp, to bring aid into the Gaza Strip via a private American security company with foreign funding, according to what was published by the Israeli media.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club and the Palestinian Prisoners Authority said that since the beginning of the war on Gaza more than a year ago, the Israeli occupation forces have arrested no less than 770 children from the West Bank.

The Prisoners Club and the Prisoners Authority added - in a joint statement - that there is no clear data regarding the number of children who were arrested from the Gaza Strip in light of the ongoing crime of enforced disappearance against them.

They added that children were subjected to field execution during arrest campaigns, and were also subjected to severe beatings, threats of various levels, and forms of physical and psychological torture.

The two Palestinian bodies confirmed that they had documented cases in which the occupation used children as hostages to pressure a family member to surrender himself.

Hamas officials denied the veracity of "Israeli reports" about the movement's leaders moving from Qatar to Turkey, considering them "untrue news" aimed at "exerting pressure" on the movement.

A Palestinian movement official told Al-Sharq TV, "The Israeli authorities are leaking this type of false news, with the aim of exerting pressure or threatening to do so."

The official added: "There is nothing new at all about the issue of the movement's leadership being in Qatar. We are present in Doha, and the issue of our presence here has not been opened at all."

Regarding the presence of a number of the movement’s leaders in Istanbul, the officials attributed this to “social and personal occasions,” noting that those leaders, including political bureau member Musa Abu Marzouk, who traveled to Istanbul on Sunday after the death of his sister’s husband who resides there, to participate in the funeral and condolences, will return to Doha.

Hamas leaders have been residing in Qatar since their exit from Syria in 2011, based on understandings reached between Qatar on the one hand, and the United States and Israel on the other hand, regarding the limits of this hosting.

Israel has recently called for American pressure on Qatar to expel the movement's leaders unless the latter releases Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip.

But the movement's leadership says that Qatar, which is playing a mediating role in the prisoner exchange process, shows understanding of the movement's position after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed down from previous understandings with mediators in this regard.

Hamas does not rule out a change in American policy under the US President-elect Donald Trump, who is returning to the White House, and says that it has "alternative plans" for any possible scenario.

Last week, hopes for a truce in Israel's war on the Gaza Strip suffered a setback when Qatar announced it was suspending its mediation role in the negotiations.

Earlier on Monday, a Turkish diplomatic source denied reports that the Hamas political bureau had been moved from Qatar to Turkey, noting that leaders of the movement visit the country from time to time.

The diplomatic source said, "Members of Hamas's political bureau visit Turkey from time to time. Claims that Hamas's political bureau has moved to Turkey do not reflect the truth," according to Reuters.

Doha said last week that it had informed Hamas and Israel that it would freeze its mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire and release detainees until they showed "seriousness and real will" to resume talks.

She also said that media reports that Doha had informed Hamas to leave the country were "inaccurate."

The Civil Defense announced that most of its vehicles in the Gaza Strip have stopped working due to the lack of fuel needed to operate them, stressing that they are now only operating with the capacity of one water tanker and one rescue vehicle.

He added in a statement that his crews have been unable to respond to many of the citizens' calls and reach the sites of Israeli incidents and attacks since the middle of this month.

A civil defense member was killed and a number of his colleagues were injured while trying to rescue people who were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in Gaza City. Israeli planes bombed the place again while rescue crews were working.

In the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli aircraft and artillery continued to bombard areas in the town of Beit Lahia and Jabalia camp, where two people were killed, including a child, and 15 others were injured when a quadcopter aircraft targeted Abu Tamam School in the town.

The residents were able to retrieve 5 bodies from the house of Dr. Hani Badran in the Beit Lahia project, which was targeted by the Israeli army yesterday.

In early October, the Israeli military began ground operations in southern Lebanon; Israel described its ground operations as "limited" and said they were aimed at "destroying Hezbollah's capabilities."

There was local fear that this Israeli invasion would turn into a long-term “occupation” – although Israel has repeatedly indirectly denied its intention to do so.

The Israeli army had previously invaded southern Lebanon in "Operation Litani" in 1978, and then in 1982 in an operation known locally as the "1982 Lebanon War" or "1982 Lebanon Invasion", while Israel calls it the "First Lebanon War" - at that time the Israeli army reached the capital Beirut by land.

In 1985, most of his forces withdrew, but he remained present in areas in southern Lebanon until 2000, and he extended his authority through what was called the "South Lebanon Army" or "Lahad Militia", which was affiliated with him. Israel also carried out a limited ground invasion in 2006.

How does international law view the current Israeli ground incursion into Lebanese territory?

The answer may not be easy or straightforward; interpretations of the law vary, especially because there are gaps and terms left unexplained.

The Israeli ground incursion comes after more than a year of mutual shelling between Israel and Hezbollah across the Lebanese-Israeli border, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides.

Israel is demanding that residents of villages in southern Lebanon "immediately evacuate their homes and move immediately to the north of the Awali River," which separates southern Lebanon from the Chouf region in Mount Lebanon Governorate.

The Israeli army spokesman for the Arab media, Avichay Adraee, says in his instructions, which he publishes on the X platform, that “any movement towards the south could pose a danger to your lives” and that the Israeli army will inform the southerners “at the appropriate time to return to your homes when the appropriate conditions are available for that.”

Although Israel has been violating Lebanese airspace even before the latest round of fighting, the ground operations appear to be raising concerns among the Lebanese.

According to legal experts, Hezbollah's continued military presence south of the Litani River is a violation of Resolution 1701, which was unanimously adopted by the UN Security Council in August 2006 and ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Dr. Karim El Mufti, Professor of International Relations and International Law at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, answered the question in a phone call with BBC Arabic by saying that any operation carried out by a foreign army in another country, by land, sea or air, is considered in international law to be a “hostile act” or “aggression,” and in all its forms constitutes a breach of the sovereignty of the targeted country and a violation of the United Nations Charter.

Regarding Israel's entry into Lebanese territory, the Mufti says that this "also constitutes a violation of international resolutions such as Resolution 425 in 1978 and Resolution 1701."

Resolution 425, issued by the Security Council in 1978, calls for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory and respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty and internationally recognized borders. The resolution also responded to Lebanon’s call to establish a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) under the Council’s supervision.

Regarding the difference between the descriptions of “ground operation,” “invasion,” and “invasion,” Professor Christian Henderson, a lecturer in international law at the University of Sussex in Britain, told us that international law has not clearly defined invasion, invasion, or ground operation, and therefore, there is no legal difference between them.

"But it can be said that a ground incursion may be more related to a limited border dispute, while an invasion is deeper than that, in the middle of a land and not just on its edges," he adds.

He continues: "While the ground operation does not provide more information than that there are soldiers on the ground."

Henderson says the difference in the use of these names between the conflicting countries is due to political, not legal, reasons.

He gives an example from Ukraine: “Russia says it is conducting a special military operation there, and it does not describe what it is doing as a war. There is no legal meaning to that, but it has a political meaning.”

Because international law does not contain a definition for every military action, each party chooses a specific term and definition that serves its narrative, as Professor of International Law Al-Mufti says. “Each party uses the law - national or international - in a way that serves its interests.”

Leila Nicola, a professor of international relations at the Lebanese University, also agrees with this point. She tells BBC Arabic, “States usually formulate different names for their invasion of another state’s territory to evade the legal responsibility resulting from this matter, and because violating the sovereignty of another state through invasion or occupation is prohibited by international law.”

Nicola gives an example of this by saying that Israel used the word “ground operation” in southern Lebanon instead of “ground invasion” or “invasion.”

But for Henderson, things are more complicated than that.

"It's more complicated than that."

He explains his view by saying: “Israel argues that it is acting in self-defense in both Gaza and Lebanon after attacks on it.”

He added that "states have the right to carry out military operations within the land or air borders of another state, if armed attacks are launched from there that threaten its security, even if the person responsible for these attacks is a non-governmental armed group."

He explains this point, saying: “These groups ultimately operate from within the borders of another state, even if that state is completely neutral with regard to this conflict. These states are usually either unable to stop this armed group, or simply unwilling to do so.”

But he adds that the basic thing in the response of the state attacked by the armed group is that whatever they do must be “necessary” and subject to the principle of “proportionality.”

He continues: “These two expressions are fundamental in international law, but they are not defined in a clear and unambiguous manner.”

"If it appears that what they are doing is motivated by revenge or punishment, then of course we cannot talk about self-defense here," Henderson points out.

"The goal should be only deterrence and self-defense," he continues.

Henderson believes that Israel's goal of "totally destroying Hezbollah" is "totally disproportionate to the motive of self-defense" because "Hezbollah is not only an armed group, but also has a political arm and an arm responsible for providing humanitarian and social assistance to some segments of Lebanese society," he believes.

Hezbollah participates in the Lebanese parliament and government, and has a scout, an ambulance, and a social financial association.

Where does the siege and occupation begin?

Israel bombed the international roads that lead between Lebanon and Syria - the most important of which is the Masnaa crossing - and issued orders to evacuate the land areas and sea areas adjacent to the Mediterranean coast from the Awali River to southern Lebanon.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari also warned in late September that his country's army would prevent "the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah through Beirut International Airport."

There is no definition of “siege” or “encirclement” in international humanitarian law, but the International Committee of the Red Cross defines a siege as “a tactic of encircling enemy armed forces in order to prevent their movement or to cut off their channels of support and supply.”

Nicola believes that “the siege may be declared and clear, or it may be implicit.”

In her opinion, "what Israel is doing in terms of cutting off land communication with Syria, controlling sea and air ports, and threatening to use force against any violation, means that Israel is imposing a siege on Lebanon, even if it does not announce it publicly, because it is a violation of international law, and because it could be subject to international and global condemnation if it is disclosed clearly and directly."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in more than one video clip addressing the Lebanese that "Israel's war is not with the Lebanese" but rather "against Hezbollah."

Israel says that through its war it seeks to "undermine Hezbollah's capabilities," while Lebanese officials argue that the raids "target unarmed civilians."

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said, "A ceasefire and an end to the bombing of civilians are our basic demands."

Karim Al-Mufti told BBC Arabic that the blockade may occur in certain areas within Lebanon even if it does not occur to all of Lebanon.

The Mufti refers to the July 2006 war, “when the Israeli army besieged the southern town of Rmeish and prevented the International Red Cross from bringing in aid. All the people of the neighboring towns had fled to Rmeish, thinking it was safer.”

He added: "The siege was lifted after days of diplomatic, humanitarian and political pressure."

With regard to occupation, international humanitarian law defines occupation as “the effective control and domination of a territory by a hostile army.”

Laila Nicola explains: “When a state exercises actual control over the territory of another state, it is called an occupying state, and in law it does not acquire sovereignty over it, no matter how long the occupation lasts.”

She added: "After a country occupies this piece of land, it becomes obligated to treat the population humanely. International humanitarian law prohibits the displacement of the population, uprooting them from their land, or carrying out killings or enforced disappearances. It also prohibits settlement operations, and requires the occupying state to provide them with basic needs."

The Mufti also considers that the definition of occupation is not entirely clear, but it becomes “clear” with evidence of actual control of the land in which the foreign army is located.

The Mufti cites the incident of a prison in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon that was controlled by the militia that was carrying out Israel's orders in 1982, as legal evidence that "Israel was practicing the act of occupation" at that time.

The force assigned to guard the prison withdrew on May 23, 2000, and the residents stormed the prison and freed the detainees, who were estimated to number more than 140.

Lebanon celebrates the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the south of the country on May 25 of each year.