Hani Abu Al-Sabaa: Annexing the West Bank means the end of any hope for a political peace process and the collapse of the Authority and its institutions

Khalil Shaheen: Israel is trying to withdraw more powers from the Authority, which threatens its collapse or turning it into a large municipality

Muhammad Abu Allan Daraghmeh: Declaring Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank is dangerous and means displacing Area C and eliminating the two-state solution

Muhammad Hawash: Arab unity is required to confront any plan that does not meet Palestinian aspirations and work to protect the two-state solution

Sari Arabi: Any annexation of the West Bank effectively means ending the settlement process on which the Palestinian Authority was founded

Fayez Abbas: The timing of Smotrich’s statements may be due to his declining popularity.. and the Trump administration’s position will be decisive

The Israeli government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, is racing to impose full sovereignty over the West Bank, amid rapid moves and statements from its ministers, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who announced that 2025 will be the date for achieving this goal.

In separate interviews with “I,” writers, political analysts and specialists believe that Israeli officials are counting on Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency, which could provide strong support for expanding settlements and disrupting any peace efforts. They are even putting the issue of sovereignty over the West Bank on the Trump administration’s table as one of the first issues.

Writers and experts confirm that the Palestinian Authority is facing major challenges, with warnings of its potential collapse if Israel continues to withdraw its powers and undermine its role, which threatens further escalation and confrontation.

More extreme Israeli positions

Writer, political analyst and expert on Israeli affairs, Hani Abu Al-Sabaa, points out that the statements of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding imposing full Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank by 2025 came accompanied by explicit instructions to begin implementing this plan. It seemed striking that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hours after those statements, indicated the need to exploit the historic opportunity that the return of former US President Donald Trump to the White House might provide to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank lands.

Abu Al-Sabaa asserts that these statements reflect more extreme positions in the Israeli government, and aim to achieve internal political gains in light of crucial electoral entitlements.

According to Abu Al-Sabaa, the moves led by Netanyahu's government coincide with the results of opinion polls that showed that the Likud party led by Netanyahu may suffer in the upcoming elections, and may not achieve the required electoral threshold. Then came the hardline rhetoric adopted by Smotrich in an attempt to maintain the support of the electoral base of extremist settlers, who constitute a significant electoral force.

Disrupting any political process or possible settlements

But according to Abu Al-Sabaa, this policy also serves a deeper goal: to disrupt any political path or potential settlements that might follow Trump’s victory, which might include the West Bank within new arrangements, which reinforces the Israeli government’s desire to impose a fait accompli before any diplomatic developments.

Abu Al-Sabaa points out that the calls of Israeli officials, including statements by ministers in Netanyahu’s government, were not limited to annexation alone, but some voices are demanding more severe measures, such as removing Palestinian camps and pushing Palestinians to leave their homeland, as these calls reveal the dimensions of the broader Israeli project, which goes beyond mere geographical control to an attempt to bring about sustainable demographic change.

He points out that on the Palestinian side, President Mahmoud Abbas's statements at the extraordinary summit in Riyadh warned of the danger of the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, as President Abbas stressed that unilateral Israeli policies on the ground, which include settlement expansion and land confiscation, threaten the Palestinian dream of establishing an independent state and put the future of the Authority at risk.

According to Abu Al-Sabaa, the Palestinian Authority has faced major challenges in the past, most notably the “Deal of the Century,” which aimed to liquidate the Palestinian cause and pass Arab normalization without a just political solution. Today, the Authority faces a more dangerous scenario that requires a comprehensive confrontation.

Abu Al-Sabaa stresses the need for the Palestinian leadership to use all available means, starting with turning to international forums to expose Israeli policies, to strengthening Arab and Islamic coordination to pressure Netanyahu’s government. Strengthening the steadfastness of the Palestinians on the ground, especially in areas classified as “C,” is a vital priority, despite the limited capabilities possessed by the Authority.

But Abu Al-Sabaa stresses that with the return of Trump, who offered Israel unprecedented political gifts in his previous term, such as recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and legitimizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the challenges are becoming more complex.

Abu Al-Sabaa stresses that if the Israeli government succeeds in implementing its plans regarding sovereignty over the West Bank, this will mean the end of any hope for a political peace process, and the collapse of the Authority and its institutions, which will leave millions of Palestinians under the rule of direct occupation.

Despite the bleakness of this scenario, Abu Al-Sabaa points out that imposing extremist Israeli policies will plunge the region into a cycle of continuous violence and will strengthen the spirit of resistance among the Palestinians, as historical experiences show that when the Israeli occupation suffers heavy losses due to long-term resistance, it is eventually forced to withdraw, leaving behind settlement projects that have cost it dearly.

A key item in Netanyahu's government program

Writer and political analyst Khalil Shaheen warns of the danger of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s proposal that 2025 will be the year of imposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, stressing that this proposal is not just a dream, but rather represents a major item in the government program of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Shaheen points out that this clause was explicitly mentioned in the coalition agreements signed between the Likud and Religious Zionism parties led by Smotrich in December 2022, which stipulated that the Israeli government would seek to impose the sovereignty of the “Jewish state” over the areas of the so-called “Judea and Samaria” (i.e. the West Bank), and that implementation would depend on Netanyahu’s decisions in light of favorable circumstances.

Shaheen points out that Smotrich believes that Donald Trump's return to the US presidency may create an ideal opportunity to achieve these demands, and perhaps even raise the ceiling of ambitions beyond the annexation of 30% of the West Bank proposed in the "Deal of the Century."

The extreme right, according to Smotrich, may seek to impose sovereignty over the entire West Bank, but things do not stop at the Israeli waiting for favorable conditions, as the current government is working to prepare the reality on the ground. We have witnessed from the beginning the appointment of Smotrich as a second minister in the Ministry of Defense and granting him broad powers related to managing settlement affairs and demolishing Palestinian homes, which effectively diminishes the powers of the Palestinian Authority, especially in areas classified as “B,” referring to the recent escalatory steps that have stripped the Palestinian Authority of powers in southwest Bethlehem, as well as the “creeping annexation” through expanding settlements and linking settlements to a broad infrastructure.

Shaheen explains that these policies are radically different from those followed by previous Israeli governments, which focused settlement on areas that served security purposes such as the Jordan Valley or on the borders of the Green Line. However, now, the policies of the Netanyahu government are characterized by an aggressive nature, as settlers seek to establish settlement outposts deep in the West Bank and launch terrorist attacks on Palestinian villages and communities.

Shaheen expressed his concern about settler attacks that are no longer limited to rural areas, but have extended to the outskirts of Palestinian cities, as happened in the recent attack on the city of Al-Bireh, where cars were burned and residential units were damaged.

Shaheen believes that Israel is trying to confine the Palestinians to isolated areas, while withdrawing more powers from the Palestinian Authority, which threatens its collapse or turning it into an entity that provides services without any sovereign powers.

Regarding the fate of the Palestinian Authority if Israeli sovereignty is imposed, Shahin asserts that imposing sovereignty means that the West Bank will come under complete Israeli control, and the Authority will not be allowed to exercise any statehood, such as raising flags or having security forces. Rather, it will be forcibly transformed into a mere large municipality, while the Palestinians will be treated as residents without full citizenship rights, similar to the situation of the Palestinians in the city of Jerusalem.

Shahin points out that Israel may go further to amend the legal environment in line with the “Jewish Nation-State” law, which enshrines the rights of self-determination for Jews alone and promotes settlement as a supreme value of the state.

Shaheen believes that the danger of annexation does not only threaten the West Bank, but may extend to the Palestinians inside the Green Line, while Shaheen believes that if these steps are implemented, they will launch what he called the "mercy bullet" on the path of normalization, and transfer the conflict to an open confrontation, which may include scenarios of displacement and war in all its cultural and political forms.

The authority is required to adopt a new strategy.

He stresses that confronting this danger requires the Palestinian Authority to adopt a new strategy that works in coordination with the factions and civil society, away from the Oslo approach that focused on managing the population rather than the land.

Shaheen points out that we may witness a return to a popular resistance pattern that reactivates the role of the Palestine Liberation Organization as a comprehensive framework, inspired by previous struggle experiences.

Shaheen believes that the Israeli plans may push the Palestinians to return to resistance in all its forms, which will restore the Palestinian cause to its radiance and define the Palestinian conflict as a national liberation movement.

The occupation imposes its full control over the West Bank

The writer and expert on Israeli affairs, Muhammad Abu Allan Daraghmeh, believes that the Israeli occupation state’s control over Area C, which constitutes 63% of the West Bank, has become a reality. This control is not merely a matter of terminology, but rather the occupation imposes its complete control over the West Bank through networks of settlements, army camps, military training areas, and nature reserves.

Draghmeh points out that despite the absence of an official declaration imposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, the occupation authorities are imposing their actual control through military laws that serve their interests, while the official declaration remains subject to the position of the US administration, which is the only international player capable of providing legitimacy for such a step, as the Israeli occupation government believes. Hence, the statements of the Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, that the year 2025 is the year of the actual annexation of the West Bank.

Daraghmeh stresses that the issue of declaring sovereignty over the West Bank depends largely on how the United States deals with the occupation government, given that Tel Aviv cannot ignore the importance of Washington’s approval. So far, although Israeli law has not been formally imposed on the West Bank, the occupation’s control is being applied on the ground, leaving the question of the extent to which this sovereignty can be formally declared.

Israeli discussions about the fate of the Authority

Regarding the fate of the Palestinian Authority, Draghmeh explains that the debate over its existence is ongoing within the corridors of Israeli politics, both at the military and political levels. Despite the apparent differences between the parties, where extremists such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir call for getting rid of the Authority, on the pretext that it supports what they call “terrorism” and is the nucleus of a potential Palestinian state, the Israeli army sees the importance of maintaining the Authority as a tool for maintaining security. From the military level’s point of view, the existence of the Authority strengthens efforts to combat “terrorism,” but on condition that it remains weak and operates within limits acceptable to Israel.

Draghmeh points out that Smotrich promotes the need for the Authority to remain under the control of the occupation, while keeping its influence weak, even in areas classified as “A,” while preventing it from having any actual presence or influence in areas “C.” Smotrich’s statements, which call for the Authority to remain in a way that serves the interests of the occupation, reflect the general trend toward imposing complete control, while keeping the Palestinians in a state of permanent dependency.

As for the repercussions of declaring sovereignty if it happens, Draghmeh believes that the step means the final elimination of the idea of the two-state solution, which is consistent with the vision of the extreme Israeli right, which considers settlements the most important means of preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Draghmeh warns that this step could lead to the widespread displacement of Palestinians from Area C, with the aim of concentrating their presence in the smallest possible area in the West Bank, which would ensure that the settlers control the largest area, and thus achieve the main goal that Smotrich seeks.

Power options are almost non-existent.

Regarding the Palestinian Authority’s options, Draghmeh asserts that its options seem almost non-existent, especially in light of the unlimited American support for the Israeli occupation, which provides it with international protection in international institutions.

Draghmeh points out that Israel does not pay attention to international resolutions, whether issued by the United Nations or the Security Council, which means that any official Palestinian reactions are limited to statements of condemnation and denunciation or holding international meetings, such as those sponsored by the Arab League, without producing tangible results on the ground.

Draghmeh points out that the internal Palestinian division is an obstructive factor that disperses Palestinian efforts and weakens their ability to effectively confront the occupation at various levels. This division also weakens the general Palestinian position and makes it difficult to invest any popular or international momentum in confronting Israeli plans.

On the Israeli side, Draghmeh explains that the media indicated that Netanyahu's government is not waiting for the end of the Biden administration's term, but is rather accelerating the preparation of files related to the annexation plans to present them to the table of the next Donald Trump administration.

This Israeli haste, according to Draghmeh, warns that actual steps towards annexation are being arranged, especially since Netanyahu's recent statements reflect his agreement with Smotrich's orientations, which means that Israel is moving forward in achieving this agenda without waiting for new international cover.

Draghmeh stresses that these developments reflect the extent of the occupation government’s determination to undermine any chance of establishing a Palestinian state, through practical steps represented by settlement, and political steps represented by seeking to impose sovereignty, amidst the absence of any effective tools in the hands of the Palestinians to confront these accelerating challenges.

A unified Arab position is required

Writer and political analyst Muhammad Hawash explains that since 2017, Bezalel Smotrich has been promoting his project to annex the West Bank as part of what he calls the “decisive plan,” even before he became finance minister in Netanyahu’s government.

Hawash points out that Smotrich believes that this region cannot tolerate two states, and calls on the Palestinians to give up their national aspirations, even by force. This extremist idea has been increasingly encouraged since the previous term of Donald Trump in the US presidency, who provided unprecedented support for Israel. It witnessed some decline during the presidency of Joe Biden, but it has returned to a strong rise with the appointment of Smotrich as a minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Today, with Trump’s return to the US presidency, Israeli expansionist ambitions appear to be receiving a new dose of support.

Hawash explains that Israeli settlement in the West Bank increased significantly during Smotrich's tenure in government, as Israel tightened its measures against the Palestinians and sought to intensify control over the land.

However, Hawash points out that the idea of full annexation is still subject to complex political balances at the international, regional and Israeli levels, where interests and influential forces overlap in this issue.

Hawash stresses that the Palestinians, of course, reject these plans in principle, and see them as a blatant threat to their national aspirations and legitimate rights.

On the regional level, Hawash confirms that there is a clear rejection of any attempt to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, and that the entire international community, including the United States, officially recognizes the Palestinian Authority, and the Biden administration is still committed to rejecting the extremist proposals promoted by ministers such as Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.

However, according to Hawash, Trump's future position on this issue remains unclear, although some indications suggest that he does not intend to return to the "Deal of the Century" in its previous form. However, experts warn that Trump's policy may be affected by new balances in the region.

In this context, Hawash believes that it is necessary for the Arabs to unite in a clear position to confront any plan that does not meet Palestinian aspirations, and to work to protect the two-state solution that enjoys international consensus.

According to Hawash, the complete annexation of the West Bank, if implemented, would mean that Israel would bear responsibility for the Palestinian population. This scenario raises questions about whether Israel is truly prepared to live in a single state that includes the Palestinians, with equal rights guaranteed to all, or whether it is seeking to impose an apartheid-like system, which the international community does not accept in any way. The world agrees on the necessity of achieving a two-state solution, and categorically opposes any policy that would eliminate this option.

Despite the threats of annexation of the West Bank, Hawash asserts that the Palestinian Authority will remain in place, whether Israel accepts it or not. It is internationally recognized and bears responsibility for the Palestinian people, and its presence will remain present as an obstacle to extremist Israeli policies.

However, Hawash expects that the Palestinians will face a severe political confrontation, including all aspects of life in the West Bank, in light of Israel's attempts to gain complete control, which is difficult to achieve without international and regional approval.

Hawash confirms that the first steps to confront Smotrich's plan were represented by the Arab-Islamic summit, which clearly expressed its rejection of any solution imposed unilaterally.

Hawash stresses that confronting these Israeli plans requires broad diplomatic action at the international level to protect the two-state solution, prevent the liquidation of the Palestinian cause, and preserve the rights of the Palestinian people in light of the escalating challenges.

Facts on the ground go unhesitatingly.

Writer and political analyst Sari Arabi stresses the need to deal seriously with the plans of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who plans to resolve the issue of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank in 2025.

Arabi points out that the procedures and facts on the ground are proceeding without hesitation to achieve this goal, which requires great attention, especially since the annexation project is not limited to Smotrich alone, but is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s agenda, when Netanyahu announced his intention to annex parts of the West Bank during his previous term, which coincided with the term of former US President Donald Trump, and the launch of the “Deal of the Century” at that time.

Arabi explains that annexation is not only achieved through Smotrich’s statements, but also through practical steps. For example, Smotrich was given a second ministry in the Israeli Ministry of War, where he separates the civil administration of the settlers in the West Bank from the military government. This step, which practically means establishing a civil administration for the settlers, is an actual annexation without the need for legal noise, which makes it easy to legalize in the future.

Arabi points out that there are already projects under discussion to annex certain areas of the West Bank, including settlements and Area C, and there are recent Israeli decisions, such as the confiscation of a reserve located east of Bethlehem, and granting powers to the Civil Administration in Area B, which confirms that Israel is proceeding with the gradual implementation of annexation plans.

As for the fate of the Palestinian Authority, Arabi believes that this is a big question that must be asked, especially since any annexation process effectively means ending the settlement process on which the Authority was founded, from the Madrid Conference to the Oslo Accords and the agreements that followed.

Arabi points out that the occupation seeks to transform the Authority from a political entity representing the Palestinians into a mere self-administration with no political horizon, and that it works as a security agent serving the interests of the occupation. This indicates that the fate of the Authority is now in great danger, as its role is being gradually marginalized, which is something that must be taken into account.

The occupation treats the West Bank as an annexed land without inhabitants

Regarding the fate of the Palestinian population after the official announcement of the annexation, Arabi points out that the Israeli occupation deals with the West Bank as a land to be annexed without a population, which raises real questions about the legal status of the Palestinians in light of the annexation. If the areas of the West Bank become subject to Israeli laws, the legal status of the Palestinians will become ambiguous and confusing, which may facilitate the implementation of policies of displacement and suffocation of the population, in an attempt to force them to live in the smallest possible area.

Arabi warns of serious repercussions of annexation, including ending the legal status of the West Bank as occupied territory according to international law, and imposing new facts that legalize and legitimize the occupation.

This reality, according to Arabi, exacerbates the Palestinian dilemma and puts the Authority in a difficult position, especially with the continued state of internal division that disperses national efforts.

Arabi believes that Smotrich's threats cannot be confronted with silence, through statements, condemnation and denunciation, nor through the settlement path that Israel has used to its advantage.

Arabi stresses that the settlement process has ended and failed, which places a great national responsibility before the Palestinian leadership to launch a new program. This program should be based on national unity and take into account the many challenges, such as the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza, settlement expansion, and settler attacks.

Arabi concludes that the entire Palestinian national project is in great danger, which requires rethinking strategies and programs, and moving from stagnation to a real confrontation against expansionist Israeli policies.

Israeli concern over annexation due to demographics

Fayez Abbas, a writer specializing in Israeli affairs, believes that Smotrich’s statements about imposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank came amid an internal crisis that Smotrich is experiencing, as his popularity is suffering from a significant decline if new elections are held, to the point that in recent opinion polls he barely exceeds the electoral threshold, which has raised his concerns and pushed him to search for a controversial speech that would restore his public presence.

Abbas believes that Smotrich is acting as if the West Bank is not under Israeli control at all, while Israel has imposed its full military sovereignty over it since 1967.

Abbas points out that from Smotrich's perspective, the settlements are a factor that can now be used to advance the annexation project, taking advantage of potential political developments in the United States, as he believes that with Trump's return, there will be a golden opportunity to make fundamental changes on the ground.

However, Abbas poses a central question: What has prevented Israel from annexing the West Bank since it occupied it in the 1967 war? The answer, according to him, is simple but fundamental: demography.

Abbas points out that the fear of annexation stems from Israel's constant concern about having to absorb the Palestinian population, which would lead to the loss of the Jewish majority within the state within a few years. At that point, Israel would not be able to maintain its identity as a Jewish state, but would instead turn into a binational state, which would mean the end of the Zionist project as designed.

Regarding the Palestinian Authority, Abbas asserts that if the annexation is implemented, the Authority will be dissolved automatically, and the burden of managing Palestinian affairs will fall entirely on Israel, including responsibilities for health, education, infrastructure and basic services. Abbas asks: Is Smotrich, as Minister of Finance, prepared to assume these heavy responsibilities?

Abbas points out that confronting such a scenario requires international political action and continuous pressure, but the decisive factor will remain the position of the next US administration. With Trump’s return, all possibilities will remain on the table, including taking decisions that change the face of the entire region.

His policies are shaped by his choices and appointments, and his orientations are understood by his statements.

From his quarrel with former aides who were in the position of scorers, such as Nikki Haley, the owner of the high heel incident in the Security Council, and Pompidou, his intelligence director and the keeper of his first term’s secrets, whom he openly declared, as usual, that he did not include in his team, we know how he settles accounts with his opponents and his worst friends.

However, bringing in people who are more extreme and more passionate about Israel than the two bitter friends of the old man who does not forgive or pardon those who competed with him and abandoned him when he was in trouble, indicates that the new management team is wearing the Maccabi shirt, and that the chants of the “ultras” in the streets of Amsterdam will not be compared to the ideas held by the hawks, and the biases they harbor for Israel that meet halfway with the goals of Smotrich and Ben Gvir in annexation, expansion, and displacement in the year 2025.

In the interval between the exchange of flags between the referees of the matches, until the inauguration of the president-elect and his ascension to the throne in about two months, and the president who is preparing to leave, the atmosphere seems clouded with escalation, with the angry departing one seeking to punish his rival by transferring the hot potato, and the blazing brazier like the burning fire that he enjoyed its warmth during their meeting around it in the White House yesterday, to his hands, to be burned by it so that he will not enjoy his throne.

Biden may be happier with the downfall of his vice president than his rival, who invested in his downfalls and mazes, before he was forced to leave the race under harsh criticism from members of his party, and nothing satisfied him more than her loss to his opponent.

There is more hostility between the departing president and his vice president, who has not abandoned his policies, than between him and his rival who bullied him in the only debate, which was the reason for his ouster and replacement with the candidate of necessity who was expected to lose. It is true that Trump did not deserve to win, but Harris deserved to lose with merit.

If introductions lead to results and endings, then Trump's choices take us back to the stage of zeroing the meters... Fasten your seatbelts in anticipation of the upcoming bumps!

Stop the war of extermination now..!

Their mother: They are slowly dying in front of my eyes and there is nothing I can do for them.

They are only given painkillers... they even deprive us of treatment!

“My children are dying in front of my eyes and I can’t do anything for them,” is how the mother of twins Siraj and Sari Abu al-Khair (4 years old) described the state of pain and helplessness she feels as she is unable to do anything for her two children who suffer from kidney disease in light of the lack of treatment due to the difficult reality that hospitals in the Gaza Strip are going through as a result of the systematic and barbaric targeting they are being subjected to during the war of extermination that the occupation army has been waging for the fourteenth consecutive month.

For more than two weeks, the two children have been lying in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, without treatment. Their mother told Al-Quds.com: “They are suffering from a loss of potassium, magnesium and sodium. Before the war, I used to visit hospitals a lot, and they received their treatment in a timely manner.”

She added: "But now there is nothing to relieve their pain. They are only being given painkillers, which are of no use in their condition."

The ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has doubled the pain and suffering of patients, especially those suffering from chronic diseases, as they are in dire need of treatment, not to mention the Israeli occupation’s intransigence in bringing in medical supplies and medicines to the Strip’s hospitals.

The mother of the two sick children, Abu Al-Khair, continued to narrate her suffering, saying: “Their health has deteriorated greatly, their bodies have become very weak, and they have begun to vomit profusely and continuously, not to mention their inability to walk and their slow movement.”

Not only that, but the two children suffer from bedwetting and constantly need diapers. She said: “They cannot control their urination, and I cannot afford to buy diapers because they are not available in the market, and even if they are available, their price is very high, and I do not have the financial means to buy them.”

She added: “I have twin children, and if I can buy a bag of diapers, it will barely last a week or less. The mother wonders helplessly and frustratedly: “Where will we buy them when we are living in poverty!”

The two children, Siraj and Sari Abu Al-Khair, need magnesium, potassium and many vitamins that strengthen their immunity to resist and endure the disease. The mother continues by saying: “All of this is not available in all hospitals in the Gaza Strip, and I even provide them with painkillers with great difficulty.”

She added: "We are even deprived of treatment... God, what is happening to us is unfair."

The children also need a certain type of food to improve their health and enable them to walk and move. The grieving mother said: “I go to the market and I can’t find anything to buy. My children need vegetables, fruits and eggs.” She continued: “I swear they forgot what eggs are!”

Regarding the most difficult situations she went through, Abu Al-Khair’s mother said: “When Sari had a seizure one day at dawn, I carried him and ran without knowing where to go. I saw him dying before my eyes. I felt that I would lose him with all the oppression, pain and helplessness that this feeling entails.”

For more than a year, the two children have been fighting for their lives in hospital beds, and no one cares about their condition or pays attention to their situation. She continued: “I hope to travel with my children so that they can receive the necessary treatment in hospitals abroad,” and added: “I cannot bear to see their health deteriorate. I hope they grow up and become the best people.”

Due to allegations that it violated human rights and international law in the Gaza Strip, according to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell

Borrell proposes to suspend political dialogue between the European Union and IsraelHigh Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has proposed to suspend political dialogue with Israel due to allegations that it violated human rights and international law in the Gaza Strip.

The Euronews website quoted European officials and diplomats as saying that Borrell first raised his proposal during a meeting of ambassadors on Wednesday, and is expected to raise it again at the meeting of EU foreign ministers scheduled for next Monday.

Borrell based his proposal on allegations that Israel violated human rights and international law in Gaza.

The website indicated that the proposal requires consensus among EU member states in order to be implemented, and it is unlikely to reach a consensus due to divisions within the Union regarding Israel and the Palestinian issue.

The website quoted officials and diplomats as saying that most of the ambassadors participating in the meeting expressed negative views on Borrell's proposal.

In mid-February, Spain and Ireland called on the European Union to conduct an urgent review of Israel's compliance with its human rights obligations in the Gaza Strip.

The joint letter sent by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar stated that "if it becomes clear that Israel is violating the Association Agreement with the European Union, which makes respect for human rights and democratic principles a fundamental element of the relationship between them," the Commission must propose "appropriate measures to the Council for consideration."

With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving about 147,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that has killed dozens of children and elderly people, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

159 countries voted in favor of the resolution, while 7 countries, including Israel and the United States, opposed it, and 11 countries abstained from voting

A UN committee adopted, on Wednesday evening, by a majority of 159 votes, a draft resolution on the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people over their natural resources.

The official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, said that the United Nations Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs (Second Committee) adopted the draft resolution entitled: “Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources,” submitted by the Group of 77 and China.

It added that 159 countries voted in favor of the resolution, including all member states of the European Union, while 7 countries opposed it: the United States, Israel, Canada, Nauru, Micronesia, Palau, and Argentina, while 11 countries abstained.

The resolution, according to the agency, refers to the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 19, 2024, on the legal consequences arising from Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and on the illegality of Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory.

On that date, the International Court of Justice said, during a public session in The Hague, that “the continued presence of the State of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal,” stressing that The Palestinians have the "right to self-determination" and that "Israeli settlements in the occupied territories must be evacuated".

The resolution also "affirms a set of principles and foundations relating to Palestinian natural resources, as an application of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights".

Israel began building the wall in 2002, made of cement slabs ranging in height from 4.5 to 9 meters, along a length of 712 kilometers, and passing through the occupied West Bank.

Israel says it built the wall for "security reasons", but the Palestinians and the United Nations say it was built "to annex Palestinian lands to Israel".

In 2004, the International Court of Justice in The Hague issued an advisory opinion declaring the wall illegal, given that it was built on occupied Palestinian lands.

The UN resolution also expresses "deep concern over Israel's exploitation of Palestinian natural resources and the destruction it is causing to Palestinian land and agriculture, the widespread destruction of agricultural structures and infrastructure, particularly those related to water and electricity supplies, especially in the Gaza Strip, as well as the harmful effects of illegal settlements on all forms of Palestinian life."

The resolution also affirmed "the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to their natural resources" and called on Israel to "cease the exploitation of these resources," according to the same source.

It also affirmed the right of the Palestinian people "to demand compensation for Israel's exploitation of these resources" and that "Israel's construction of settlements, the wall and other actions are harmful to the Palestinian environment."

The agency quoted the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, as saying that "this overwhelming vote in favor of the resolution confirms once again the international community's support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their sovereign right to their natural resources."

In previous reports, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimated the losses to the Palestinian economy due to preventing Palestinians from exploiting Area C and its natural resources at about $3.8 billion annually.

The Oslo II Agreement (1995) classified the West Bank into three areas: Area A, which is under full Palestinian control; Area B, which is under Israeli security, civil and administrative control; and Area C, which is under Israeli civil, administrative and security control. The latter constitutes about 60 percent of the West Bank.

The vote on the UN resolution coincides with a war of extermination waged by Israel since October 7, 2023, which has left about 147,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that has killed dozens of children and elderly people, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

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.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. President, Members of the Security Council, thank you for this opportunity to brief you on the catastrophic situation in Gaza.

Thank you also to our colleagues from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Food and Agriculture Organization. We unequivocally share the serious concerns they have expressed today.

Since the escalation of this conflict in October 2023, we have briefed this Council on no fewer than 16 occasions.

We have condemned the death, destruction and dehumanization of civilians in Gaza who have been driven from their homes, stripped of their sense of place and dignity, forced to witness their family members killed, burned and buried alive.

Injured children have had the words ‘Wounded Child, No Surviving Family,’ penned on their arms.

Most of Gaza is now a wasteland of rubble. What distinction was made, and what precautions were taken, if more than 70 per cent of civilian housing is either damaged or destroyed?

Essential commercial goods and services including electricity have been all but cut off. This has led to increasing hunger, starvation and now, as we have heard, potentially famine. We are witnessing acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes.

Mr. President, the latest offensive that Israel started in North Gaza last month is an intensified, extreme and accelerated version of the horrors of the past year.

Shelters, homes and schools have been burned and bombed to the ground.

Numerous families remain trapped under rubble, because fuel for digging equipment is being blocked by the Israeli authorities and first responders have been blocked from reaching them.

Ambulances have been destroyed. And hospitals have come under attack.

Supplies to the north are being cut off and people are being pushed further south.

The daily cruelty we see in Gaza seems to have no limits. Beit Hanoun has been besieged for more than one month. Yesterday, food and water reached shelters, but today, Israeli soldiers forcibly displaced people from those same areas.

People under siege now tell us they are afraid that they will be targeted if they receive help.

As I brief you, Israeli authorities are blocking humanitarian assistance from entering North Gaza, where fighting continues, and around 75,000 people remain with dwindling water and food supplies.

Conditions of life across Gaza are unfit for human survival. Food is insufficient. Shelter items –needed ahead of winter – are in extremely short supply. Violent armed lootings of our convoys have become increasingly organized along routes from Kerem Shalom, driven by the collapse of public order and safety.

Many food assistance kitchens have been forced to close. In October, daily food distribution shrunk by nearly 25 per cent compared to September. 

These are not logistical problems – they can be solved with the right political will. The Israeli military’s announcement that the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza has opened cannot come soon enough.

However, our capacity to respond is being undermined, including by the Israeli Knesset legislation to ban UNRWA activities starting in January. If implemented, this bill will be another devastating blow to efforts to provide life-saving aid and avert the threat of famine. No other organization can fill these gaps.

Mr. President, we also remain concerned about the deteriorating situation of Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli forces continue to employ lethal tactics that appear to defy law enforcement standards. And they are causing damage to water and sewage networks, and other infrastructure.

The demolition of Palestinian-owned homes also continues. On 5 November, nine homes were demolished in the Silwan area outside Jerusalem’s Old City, displacing 42 people, nearly half of them children, to make way for an illegal settlement-related project.

Israeli settlers continue attacks on Palestinians and their property, with more than 160 incidents related to the olive harvest documented in October alone, the majority resulting in casualties or property damage. 

Movement restrictions are making civilian access to essential services, particularly health care, increasingly challenging in refugee camps and in Area C, where humanitarian partners are scaling up to support communities in meeting needs. 

Mr. President, the most basic requirements of humanity are being disregarded.

These are requirements that Members of this Council, and indeed all Member States, set out in international humanitarian and human rights law. They must be respected. 

Constant care must be taken to spare civilians throughout military operations.

Civilians must be allowed to seek protection elsewhere, and they must be guaranteed the right to voluntarily return, as international law demands. Reports indicating that people would not be allowed to return should be of grave concern to this Council.

Parties must ensure that civilians’ essential needs are met and must facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need, wherever they are.  

Hostages and those arbitrarily detained must be released immediately, and in the interim, they must be treated humanely and allowed visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Indiscriminate rocket fire towards Israel must stop. There must be accountability for international crimes. The provisional orders of the International Court of Justice in the case on the application of the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip and the determinations in its Advisory Opinion of July 2024 must be implemented now.

Mr. President, now is the time for Member States to use their leverage to prevent and stop violations of international humanitarian law – through diplomatic and economic pressure, responsible arms transfers and combating impunity.

Now is the time for the Security Council to use its powers under the UN Charter to ensure compliance with international law and full implementation of its resolutions.

by Allison Kaplan Sommer,

Even before the president-elect chose Mike Huckabee as his envoy to Israel, far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich and other post-election party-goers in Israel were openly talking about Trump’s second term as an opportunity to “take the land away” from the Palestinians for good.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset, early 2024. Noam Revkin-Fenton

The ecstatic celebrations of the Israeli far right over Donald Trump’s election as US president seem to be a never-ending party; leaders appear to be already drunk on power and free from what they see as the constraints of the Biden administration.

It is in this context that the recent words of far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich should be read. On Monday, before a meeting of his Religious Zionism party, he declared that “2025 is the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”

Referring to the Palestinians – as a whole – Smotrich said: “The new Nazis must pay a price in the form of land that will be permanently taken from them, whether in Gaza or in Judea and Samaria.”

A full day before Trump announced that he had chosen former Gov. Mike Huckabee — a Greater Israel advocate with close ties to Israeli settlers — as his ambassador to Israel, Smotrich announced that he believes Trump’s return to the White House means Netanyahu’s government can finish what it started during the Republican president’s first term: annexing the West Bank.

Addressing his party, Smotrich said that during Trump’s first presidency, “we were one step away from applying sovereignty over the settlements in Judea and Samaria, and now is the time to do it.”

Smotrich said he had instructed the Defense Ministry’s settlement administration division — of which he is also a minister — and the IDF Civil Administration in the West Bank to prepare the infrastructure needed to apply Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank.

As usual, he and his allies can’t control the urge to say out loud what should remain confidential.

Less than a month ago, Smotrich – along with other high-level government figures such as far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Negev and Galilee Development Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, and a number of Knesset members – attended the “Preparing to Resettle Gaza” conference. They forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, once again, to deny that – despite all evidence to the contrary – Jewish settlement in Gaza is on the cards.

Will Netanyahu again distance himself from Smotrich’s annexation statement? Much depends on how Trump reacts – and so far his Middle East appointments seem to indicate that he agrees with Smotrich.

Besides, the West Bank is not Gaza. Netanyahu’s government’s coalition agreement begins with a declaration that the Jewish people have a “natural right” to the entire Land of Israel and includes a commitment to pursue policies under which the West Bank will be annexed. Netanyahu himself has said he wants to annex much, if not all, of the West Bank.

But he may still have to backtrack. Trump and Netanyahu have a history of disagreements over the issue of West Bank annexation. It was Netanyahu, with the help of then-US Ambassador David Friedman, who tried to turn the “deal of the century” into an annexation plan that sparked the great clash between the two leaders in 2020.

In the end, the sour lemons of their conflict were transformed into pleasant lemonade when the Abraham Accords were successfully pitched to Netanyahu as compensation for abandoning his plan to annex parts of the West Bank, but not without some ugly clashes. In one such incident, Netanyahu was told point-blank by Trump aides: “The President doesn’t like you very much these days.”

Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East adviser Jared Kushner also shouted “go away” at Ron Dermer, then Israel’s ambassador to the US and now Netanyahu’s minister of strategic affairs, and kicked him out of his office.

Given this track record, Smotrich’s performance less than a week before the election looks set to backfire. Even the most right-wing, pro-Israel elements of Trump world—particularly Trump himself and Kushner—will not be pleased with the actions of people like Smotrich if they get in the way of a more important Trump goal: the successful normalization of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel after Biden’s failure. As much as Netanyahu wants to continue to pander to groups to his right, he has far more to lose by alienating Trump than Biden.

You never know what will happen with an ever-evolving Trump. Only time will tell if and when Smotrich—and other post-election revelers in Israel—will have to sober up.

James Smith

Israel doesn’t attack UNRWA only for its memorialisation of the right of return, but because it helps to nourish, to educate, and to administer care to Palestinians.

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Israeli soldiers operate next to the UNRWA headquarters in the Gaza Strip, February 8, 2024 [Jack Guez/AFP]

Israel’s parliament has voted overwhelmingly to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating throughout occupied Palestine. A second vote has branded the UN agency a “terror” group.

Given the heightened existential threat that the Israeli state poses to the Palestinian people, further obstruction of UNRWA’s programmes will have immediate and catastrophic implications for millions of Palestinians.

No organisation can match UNRWA’s programme coverage, logistical capacity, or collective expertise. In Gaza alone, UNRWA has conducted more than 6 million medical consultations since October 2023 and has provided food assistance to almost 1.9 million people. In the immediate aftermath of the Knesset votes, representatives of several UN agencies objected publicly to the move. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres defended UNRWA as “indispensable” while WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus insisted the agency is “irreplaceable”.

Knowing that no agency can replace UNRWA but attempting to incapacitate its life-sustaining work regardless is a clear declaration of genocidal intent. This represents an obvious disregard for the January 26 ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), including most directly Provision Four that ordered Israel to ensure the provision of “urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life”.

In South Africa’s second submission to the ICJ in March, its legal team cited various actions taken by Israel including blocking UNRWA staff from reaching schools and health centres, suspending the shipment of UNRWA goods, and attempting to evict UNRWA from its East Jerusalem headquarters. South Africa’s appeal was emphatic:

 “Palestinian children are starving to death as a direct result of the deliberate acts and omissions of Israel – in violation of the Genocide Convention and of the Court’s Order. This includes Israel’s deliberate attempts to cripple [UNRWA].”

Israel has repeatedly instrumentalised the deprivation and selective distribution of humanitarian aid as a pillar of its occupation, most recently to instigate population transfers and enact collective punishment in Gaza. This strategy long pre-dated October 2023 – almost the entire population of Gaza was forced to depend on humanitarian aid under Israel’s siege and occupation, with an average of 500 aid trucks entering Gaza per day.

Israel has a basic legal obligation as an occupying power to ensure the adequate supply of humanitarian aid and the maintenance of essential services throughout Gaza. There has not been a single day since October 2023 that this obligation has been upheld. As of November 8, Israel had only permitted the entry of 44,453 aid trucks into Gaza. Taking pre-October 2023 levels of humanitarian aid as a crude benchmark, the total number of trucks that should have entered during these 13 months stands at 199,500.

Even if those trucks had entered, Israel has debilitated any semblance of a humanitarian system. At least 237 UNRWA staff have been killed; many of Gaza’s clinics, schools, bakeries and warehouses have been destroyed; trucks lack the fuel to operate; and most of Gaza remains subject to forced displacement orders or direct Israeli military occupation from which UN convoys require – and are frequently denied – approval to enter.

Defending UNRWA at this critical moment should not be confused with overstating the role of humanitarian aid. Many critics have pointed out that a limited commitment to humanitarian assistance has undeniably drawn attention away from the centrality of Palestinians’ legal claims and political rights. This same criticism runs throughout the history of UNRWA. In Governing Gaza, anthropologist Ilana Feldman recalls a conversation with a Palestinian in Gaza who argued that the purpose behind UNRWA was to make “the Palestinian forget his homeland since he takes the flour sack”.

A year before the UN General Assembly (UNGA) voted to establish UNRWA, the UNGA passed Resolution 194(III), which affirmed the right of return for Palestine refugees and the need for reparations for those who were forced to resettle elsewhere. The same resolution established the UN Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP), which was tasked with actualising the right of return. The UNCCP faced persistent resistance from the newly formed Israeli state, rendering the Commission defunct by the 1950s. An annual report is still submitted to the UNGA on behalf of the UNCCP, but the wording of the single-paragraph submission has remained unchanged for more than 30 years.

In an attempt at ideological obfuscation, Israeli officials continue to claim that UNRWA “perpetuates the Palestinian refugee problem”, rather than blame the states that have failed in their collective responsibility to negotiate just political solutions. The irrevocable recognition of the Palestinian right of return is seen by Israel as a threat to its very existence, insofar as Israel’s settler colonial foundations demanded the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the violent subjugation of the remaining Palestinian population.

Beyond Israel’s attempts to undermine the Palestinian right of return – which will persist irrespective of the future of UNRWA – repeated attacks on UNRWA must be understood in the context of wider attempts by Israel to exert complete control over the humanitarian system, which allows Israel to multiply the effects of its direct military violence.

Israel can’t control UNRWA in the way that it can manipulate private contractors or the international NGOs that have burgeoned in Gaza, and that are dependent on funding from governments complicit in the genocide. Senior Israeli officials have not attempted to hide the pursuit of greater control. Speaking on Israel’s Channel 13 in January, Israel’s representative to the UN, Gilad Erdan, explained of his desire to dismantle UNRWA, “you can’t oversee UNRWA because you can’t oversee the UN … no country is really able to monitor, and there needs to be a direct entity from which you can exact a price.”

Israel doesn’t attack UNRWA only for its memorialisation of the right of return, but because it helps to nourish, educate, and administer care to Palestinians. Any organisation whose activities function to counteract Israel’s genocidal ambition of destroying in whole or in part the Palestinian people will be perceived as a hindrance to the Israeli settler colonial logic of extermination.

Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the appointment of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, confirming information circulated by American media.

The US president-elect said in a statement that the senator, known for his anti-China stances, will be “a fierce defender of our nation, a true friend to our allies, and a valiant warrior who will never back down from our enemies,” according to Agence France-Presse.

The Florida-born politician will become the first Latino to serve as the United States' top diplomat once the Republican president takes office in January.

Rubio is arguably the most hawkish choice on Trump's short list of candidates for secretary of state, and in recent years has called for a tough foreign policy toward U.S. adversaries including China, Iran and Cuba.

But over the past few years, Rubio has softened some of his positions to align more closely with Trump’s views. The president-elect has accused previous U.S. presidents of getting the country into costly and pointless wars and has pushed for a more conservative foreign policy, according to Reuters.

The new US administration will face a more volatile and dangerous global situation than when Trump took office in 2017, amid wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and China's closer alignment with US enemies Russia and Iran.

The Ukraine crisis will be at the top of Rubio's agenda.

Rubio, 53, has said in recent interviews that Ukraine needs to seek a negotiated settlement with Russia rather than focus on regaining all the territory Moscow has seized over the past decade.

He was also one of 15 Senate Republicans who voted against a $95 billion military aid package for Ukraine, which passed in April.

“I’m not on Russia’s side, but unfortunately the reality is that the way the war in Ukraine is going to end is through a negotiated settlement,” Rubio told NBC in September.

Choosing Rubio to take on a key policy role could help Trump consolidate gains among Latinos and show that they have a place at the highest levels of his administration.

Rubio is one of the most prominent anti-China hawks in the Senate and was sanctioned by Beijing in 2020 over his stance on Hong Kong after pro-democracy protests.

Rubio, whose grandfather fled Cuba in 1962, is also an outspoken opponent of normalizing relations with the Cuban government, a position on which Trump agrees.

Two young men were killed and a young man and a child were injured by Israeli occupation forces' bullets, on Wednesday evening, during their siege of a house in the Ezbet al-Jarad suburb, east of Tulkarm city.

Local sources announced the death of the two young men, Mamoun Saleh Shraim and Thaer Omar Amara (38 years old), and the occupation’s detention of their bodies after withdrawing from the area.

In turn, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated that its crews dealt with an injury to a child (two years old) with a bullet fragment in the head, and a citizen (30 years old) with a live bullet in the shoulder, and they were transferred to the Martyr Thabet Thabet Governmental Hospital, and their condition was described as stable.

Local sources reported that the injured child is the son of Thaer Amara, who was with his father when the occupation targeted him with bullets and "Energa" shells.

A large force of the occupation army surrounded the house of the Shreim family in Al-Ezba, amidst live bullets and "Energa" shells fired towards the house, with intensive flying of reconnaissance aircraft at a low altitude.

The occupation forces also sent more vehicles to the estate, imposed a military cordon on all its entrances, and prevented citizens and vehicles from passing.

It added that after a two-hour siege and the withdrawal of the occupation forces, the ambulance crews were able to enter the house where they found traces of blood.

The Israeli occupation forces stormed the city of Tulkarm from its western and southern entrances, coinciding with the discovery of a special force from the occupation army in the suburb of Ezbet al-Jarad, east of the city.

It is noteworthy that the martyr Mamoun Shraim from Tulkarm city is the brother of Mansour Shraim, who has been detained in the occupation prisons since 2002, and who was sentenced to 14 life sentences and 50 years. As for the martyr Thaer Amara from Tulkarm camp, he is a freed prisoner who spent 15 years in the occupation prisons, and was released in August 2021.

The Fatah Movement in Tulkarm and all the national action factions mourned the martyrs Shraim and Amara, and denounced the ongoing massacres of the occupation against our patient, steadfast and steadfast people on their land, and declared general mourning for their souls and the souls of all the martyrs of Palestine.

With the death of the two young men, Shraim and Amara, the number of martyrs in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, has risen to 783 martyrs, including 167 children.

An Israeli airstrike targeted Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday, after Israeli warnings to residents to evacuate.

The raids came after Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee warned residents of Haret Hreik and Burj al-Barajneh in the southern suburbs via the X website to evacuate, saying: “You are located near facilities and interests belonging to Hezbollah, against which the IDF will act in the near future.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz pledged on Wednesday to continue fighting in Lebanon and not accept any settlement that does not achieve the war's goals, while Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Wednesday that his country's priority is to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon.

Katz said - during a tour of the Lebanese border - that Tel Aviv will not slow down the pace of the war and will not allow any agreement that does not include achieving the goals of the war, especially Israel's right to act alone against what he described as any terrorist activity.

"We have dealt strong blows to Hezbollah and eliminated its leader Hassan Nasrallah, and this is precisely the right time to continue our strikes with all our might in order to reap the fruits of victory," he added, stressing the need for Israel to continue striking Hezbollah in Beirut and the rest of Lebanon until the war's goals are achieved by "disarming Hezbollah, pushing it back beyond the Litani River, and creating the necessary conditions for the residents of northern Israel to return to their homes."

The Israeli minister was accompanied on his tour by Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Commander of the Northern Command Uri Gordin, and a number of senior officers.

Shortly after the Defense Minister's statement was published, missile sirens sounded in the early evening in several areas in northern and central Israel following the launch of missiles from Lebanon, according to the Israeli army.

Katz's statements come a day after US envoy Amos Hochstein spoke of an opportunity to reach a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon soon.

After days of intensive raids, Israel began a ground incursion into southern Lebanon in early October, but its forces have since faced fierce resistance from Hezbollah, which has limited its advance.

Unacceptable transgression

In contrast, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said today that his country's priority is to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanon and what he described as the mass massacres committed by the Israeli enemy against the Lebanese.

Mikati stressed that the priority of a peaceful solution is to implement international resolution 1701 and oblige Israel to implement it in full, reiterating his country's rejection of any conditions that constitute a violation of the resolution.

The Lebanese Prime Minister also said that his government is committed to strengthening the presence of the Lebanese army in the south in cooperation with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Axios quoted American officials as saying that Israeli Minister Ron Dermer's meetings in Washington regarding the ceasefire in Lebanon were fruitful.

US officials said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled to President Joe Biden's administration that he wants to end the war in Lebanon within weeks.

The Israeli aggression on Lebanon resulted in the death of 3,356 people and the injury of 14,344 others, according to a tally reported by the Lebanese Ministry of Health today.

The aggression also caused the destruction of dozens of villages and residential neighborhoods in cities such as Tyre, Baalbek, and the southern suburbs of Beirut, and the displacement of about 1.5 million people.

Two Israelis were injured on Wednesday evening in a run-over attack carried out by a Palestinian with his car at the entrance to the village of Deir Qadis, west of Ramallah, in the central occupied West Bank.

The Israeli army said in a brief statement: "A (Palestinian) terrorist arrived in his car at a checkpoint at the entrance to Deir Qadis and carried out a ramming attack and fled the scene. Large forces are surrounding the village and are now combing the area."

While the "Magen of David" (Israeli ambulance) announced that "two people were slightly injured in the run-over attack that took place near the Modiin Illit settlement."

On Monday evening, a car driven by a Palestinian ran over an Israeli army force stationed at a military checkpoint at the intersection of the town of Al-Khader, near Bethlehem, in the southern occupied West Bank, resulting in two soldiers sustaining moderate and minor injuries, according to the official Israeli Broadcasting Authority.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on Wednesday that his country has cut off trade and relations with Israel, and that it stands with Palestine until the end. This came in press statements upon his return from his visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the extraordinary joint summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League.

Erdogan said: “Trade restrictions and embargoes on Israel are a form of struggle. It is important to pursue active diplomacy that will besiege Israel in all areas in order to increase diplomatic pressure on it. We are in the midst of a great test for humanity that can be passed if we are part of the humanitarian alliance. Otherwise, history will judge those who stand by Israel and remain silent in the face of injustice.”

Erdogan addressed allegations that Türkiye continues its trade with Israel, stressing that the aim of these allegations is to weaken the current government in Türkiye.

He stated that Türkiye is the country that has shown the strongest response in the world to Israel's injustice, and has taken concrete steps, including stopping trade dealings with it.

He said in this regard: "We have cut off trade and relations with Israel, and we stand with Palestine until the end."

Erdogan stressed that the "People's Alliance" (the ruling Turkish party that includes the Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement Party) is determined to sever relations with Israel, indicating that Turkey will continue to do so during the next stage.

He added: "We will hold the oppressor called Netanyahu and his gang accountable for what they did before the law."

He stressed that Ankara is working hard to keep pressure on Israel going and take action based on international law.

Erdogan explained that Turkey ranks first in the volume of humanitarian aid sent to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. He pointed out that 52 countries and two international organizations expressed their support for the initiative launched by Turkey at the United Nations to prevent the supply of weapons and ammunition to Israel.

categorical denial

Last Monday, Turkey categorically denied allegations of Turkish trade activities with Israel, noting that it had completely halted all exports and imports with Israel since May 2, 2024, according to the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah.

According to the statement issued by the Anti-Disinformation Center of the Turkish Communications Presidency, all the allegations circulating about the continuation of trade between Türkiye and Israel are incorrect.

The center stated in a statement published on the X platform, "Since May 2, 2024, Turkey has completely stopped any export or import with Israel, including all types of goods, and has not registered any customs data for this purpose since then."

The center continued, explaining that the statistics relied upon by some media publications, which indicated the continuation of trade exchange under the code 624 for Israel, are inaccurate, as this data pertains to transactions until May 2024.

US President Joe Biden hosted President-elect Trump at the White House on Wednesday, more than a week after Trump's landslide victory in the November 5, 2024 elections. This was the first US presidential transition meeting in eight years, when former President Barack Obama received President-elect Trump after he won the elections and defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the November 8, 2016 elections.

The traditional meeting between the incoming and outgoing presidents came after Biden pledged to maintain a peaceful transition of power.

Biden welcomed Trump and said he looked forward to a smooth transition between administrations, and Trump, in turn, thanked Biden and noted the difficulty of politics, according to a joint White House report.

For her part, first lady Jill Biden helped welcome Trump when he arrived at the White House and gave him a letter to deliver to his wife, Melania Trump, expressing her team's "readiness to assist with the transition," according to a joint report.

According to sources, the two men briefly discussed the issue of the American prisoners in Gaza, while the families of the Israeli prisoners complained of the lack of news about them recently.

Channel 12 Israel quoted the prisoners' families as saying that the number of signs of life among the prisoners has been decreasing recently, and that they have not received any signs of life or indication of their condition for a long time.

The channel also quoted some families as saying that in the past they had received periodic information in various ways through returned prisoners or through other means, and that as time passed the information available became less and less.

On the other hand, White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre confirmed that Qatar and Egypt are engaged in negotiations to reach an agreement that would pave the way for the release of prisoners in Gaza, while the families of prisoners in Gaza are talking about the decreasing signs of their survival.

The spokeswoman added during a press conference that Washington believes that there are a number of initiatives and methods that would enable an agreement to be reached between Hamas and Israel.

Trump had refused to host Biden in 2020 while challenging the results of the 2020 election.

The last high-profile meeting between the two men was during the June 27 presidential debate, where Biden criticized Trump as a convicted felon with “the manners of a cat running from one alley to another.”

Biden lost the debate in a way that ruined his political fortunes.

Throughout the election campaign, which ended on November 5, Democrats sought to portray Trump as a threat to democracy and even a fascist.

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said that the agency, its employees and millions of Palestinian refugees are going through a critical time, calling on UN member states to work to prevent the implementation of the Israeli ban on its work and to continue funding the agency.

“In clear defiance of the UN Charter, General Assembly and Security Council resolutions and binding orders from the International Court of Justice, the State of Israel is unilaterally acting to change the established parameters for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Lazzarini said in his speech before the Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. “It is up to the General Assembly, not individual member states, to change the agency’s mandate.”

Lazzarini pointed to the Israeli Knesset’s adoption last month of legislation banning UNRWA operations in the occupied Palestinian territory within three months. He said that its implementation would have disastrous consequences, and “in Gaza, dismantling UNRWA would lead to the collapse of the UN humanitarian response, which relies heavily on UNRWA’s infrastructure.”

Lazzarini stressed that dismantling the agency would not end the refugee status of the Palestinians, which would continue separately from the agency, but he warned that this would greatly harm the lives and future of the Palestinians.

The UN official spoke about the unique mandate given to UNRWA by the UN General Assembly, to directly provide what amounts to public government services, including education for more than half a million children, and primary health care. UNRWA also provides human development services to Palestine refugees in the absence of a Palestinian state.

UNRWA also provides humanitarian assistance to all those in need. Today, UNRWA has become a victim of the war in Gaza, with at least 243 of its staff killed, others detained and reported torture. More than two-thirds of UNRWA buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged.

According to Lazzarini, in addition to being targeted inside the occupied Palestinian territory, UNRWA is being subjected to a fierce global disinformation campaign. He said that "intense pressure from the Israeli government and groups linked to it has targeted parliaments and governments in countries that donate to UNRWA."

He stressed "the need for UNRWA to gradually complete its mandate within the framework of a political solution and to hand over its services in the occupied Palestinian territory to an empowered Palestinian administration."

Lazzarini also called on Member States to continue funding UNRWA and not to withhold or divert funding based on the belief that the Agency cannot continue its work, and to use all legal and political tools to ensure the preservation of the rules-based international order.

The China International Import Expo is a world-class platform for global companies to cooperate on development, said Shi Wang, president of Sanofi Greater China, a regional subsidiary of France's largest healthcare company.

Sanofi values the development opportunities provided by the expo and plans to continue operating in the Chinese market, Xi told Xinhua in a recent interview.

He added that the company is committed to promoting innovation and exchange in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors between China and France, as well as promoting global industrial progress.

Xi said that since 2018, Sanofi has been one of the companies with an ideal presence at the exhibition, noting that the company has taken advantage of the platform to establish fruitful long-term partnerships.

He said the exhibition is a key link between Sanofi and the Chinese market, adding that the event not only provided the company with an opportunity to launch several innovative medicines in China, but also strengthened its presence in the market.

He explained that Sanofi gained broad support from the industry through the exhibition, allowing for faster delivery of new products to patients while expanding its partnerships with Chinese companies to enhance care for local patients.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and France is one of the guests of honor at the 7th China International Import Expo. China is Sanofi's second largest market globally, and it was one of the first multinational companies to enter the country after the reform and opening up.

Xi stressed China's strategic importance to Sanofi's future growth and its commitment to expanding domestic R&D efforts to bring Chinese innovations to global markets.

Xi said the pace of biomedical innovation in China is accelerating, providing great opportunities for Sanofi.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Monday that China will open its doors wider to the outside world, no matter how the international environment changes.

Li made the remarks during a meeting with elite exhibitors and buyers attending the 7th China International Import Expo, including Synopsys, General Electric, MSD and China FAW Group.

Foreign-funded companies at the meeting expressed optimism about the Chinese market, saying they would strengthen their presence and increase their investments in the country.

Despite the slow pace of global economic recovery, China's overall economic operations have remained generally stable and made progress, Li said, stressing that the Chinese market remains one of the best choices for global companies.

The premier added that China will continue to facilitate market access and push for orderly expansion of opening-up in sectors such as communications, education, culture and medical care.

He pledged to continue improving the business environment and providing equal opportunities in access to production factors, qualification licenses, participation in government procurement, and other areas.

Li expressed his hope that China will become an export destination for foreign companies and also a land of investment and entrepreneurship, facilitating closer ties between China and the global market.

He pointed out that he expects Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs to continue to strongly support economic globalization, work together to promote technological progress and industrial upgrading, and foster new growth drivers for the global economy.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledged Tuesday that China will continue to expand opening-up and make its vast market one of great opportunities for the world.

Li made the remarks in a keynote speech at the opening ceremonies of the 7th China International Import Expo and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum in Shanghai.

He told me that hosting the China International Import Expo is an important measure for China to expand opening-up and cooperation, and shows China's serious commitment to the world.

He added that if the first edition of the China International Import Expo was a unilateral invitation from China to the world, the subsequent editions of the Expo have become a mutual commitment between China and the world, demonstrating the common aspirations for openness and cooperation.

The Chinese premier stressed the need to enhance consensus on opening up, adding that all parties should demonstrate joint commitment to economic and trade regulations and rules, as well as earnestly implement multilateral and bilateral economic and trade agreements.

Li said China will continue to expand institutional opening-up, effectively adapt to high-level international economic and trade rules, and pledge to make efforts to implement the strategy of upgrading pilot free trade zones.

Li expressed China's willingness to further open up its huge market, including implementing unilateral opening-up and providing zero-tariff treatment for all tariff lines for products from least developed countries, and effectively turning China's huge market into a market that provides great opportunities for the world.

Li continued, saying that China firmly upholds the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, and supports developing countries in sharing more benefits from globalization.

He expressed China's willingness to continue close coordination and cooperation with all parties in international economic organizations, take the lead in exploring ways to implement the Agreement on Facilitating Investment for Development, and join efforts to build an open world economy.

"The fundamentals of China's economy remain sound, and the Chinese government is capable of promoting steady economic growth and making greater contributions to global development and human well-being," the premier added.

In their opening remarks, foreign leaders and heads of international organizations pointed out that the China International Import Expo has become an important international platform for promoting trade and investment and enhancing opening-up and cooperation.

They expressed confidence in the Chinese economy and its prospects, and expressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation with China in jointly building the Belt and Road, as well as enhance cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, connectivity and green development, maintain free trade, and promote equality, progress and sustainable development in the world.

This evening, Wednesday, the Israeli occupation forces stormed the city of Tulkarm and surrounded a house in the Jarad Estate, east of it.

According to local sources, a number of occupation vehicles stormed the city from the western entrance, coinciding with the discovery of a special force from the occupation army in the Ezbet al-Jarad suburb east of the city.

She added that this force is currently besieging a house in the estate, while more soldiers are being sent to the house's surroundings, with intensive reconnaissance flights in the area's sky at a low altitude.

The occupation forces also called on those inside the house via loudspeakers to surrender, amidst the sounds of heavy gunfire.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Israel "has achieved its goals that it set for itself in Gaza, and it is time to end the war."

This came in statements he made to reporters in the Belgian capital, Brussels, which he is visiting to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Blinken, whose country has provided unequivocal support to Israel in its genocidal war in Gaza, said, "There is an urgent need for a longer humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, to ensure that displaced people can return to their homes and increase the flow of humanitarian aid, not just for hours but for days."

He pointed out that about 900 aid trucks are waiting at the Kerem Shalom gate, and that "Israel bears the responsibility for delivering humanitarian aid safely to those in need."

"Israel achieved the goals it set for itself by killing Hamas leaders and preventing the movement from carrying out a major attack like the one that occurred on October 7, 2023," he said.

"It must be time to end the war," Blinken added.

He pointed out that they are working to release the prisoners and reach a ceasefire agreement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed developments in the oil markets on Wednesday.

This came in a phone call between them, according to a Kremlin statement.

The two sides stressed that cooperation within the framework of the "OPEC+" group (which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries) provides stability in energy markets with the contribution of voluntary reduction in oil supplies.

The two sides also discussed international and regional issues, most notably the situation in Palestine.

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he has chosen Fox News host Pete Hegseth, a close ally of him, to be his secretary of defense, along with several Republican senators.

Trump took to social media Tuesday night to announce his selection, saying in part: “Pete has spent his entire life fighting for the troops and the country. Pete is strong, smart and a true believer in America First.”

Hegseth is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq and is also a Fox News host. He left the military in 2021, according to Reuters , after he was labeled an “extremist” and that the military didn’t want him. In his book, “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” Hegseth wrote that the feeling was mutual: “I didn’t want this military anymore, either.”

It is noteworthy that Hegseth is considered one of the most ardent supporters of the settlement movement and the annexation of the occupied West Bank. He said in 2018 during a visit to occupied Jerusalem: “There is no reason why a miracle cannot happen; the re-establishment of the Temple on the Temple Mount.”

Andrew Desiderio, chief congressional correspondent for Punchbowl News, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, with multiple senators reacting after the Hegseth news broke. Trump’s nomination of the Fox News host must be confirmed by the Republican-majority Senate, with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska quoted as saying in a surprised, disbelieving tone, “Wow.” The senator added that she was surprised by the choice, as Hegseth had not been on the list of contenders for the position.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy responded to the news by asking "Who?!" according to a post by Frank Thorpe on MNBC on X. Thorpe also noted that Republican Senator Ted Budd called Hegseth "an impressive person."

Republican Sen. Todd Young said he had “no sense” of Hegseth’s background or his vision for the department, according to a post by Chad Pergram, Fox News’ chief congressional correspondent, on X.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis responded to the news by saying, "Interesting," according to Desiderio.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts denounced Hegseth’s selection to the X program, saying: “I lead the Senate Military Affairs Committee. My three brothers served in the military. I respect every member of our service. Donald Trump’s selection will make us less safe and must be rejected.”

“Pete Hegseth has been an exceptional host on FOX & Friends and FOX Nation and a best-selling author at FOX News Books for nearly a decade,” Fox News said in an emailed statement to Newsweek. “His insights and analysis, especially on the military, have resonated deeply with our viewers and have made the show the huge success it is today. We are incredibly proud of his work at FOX News Media and wish him well in Washington.”

Hegseth is known to be a right-wing extremist, with particular hostility to the Palestinians.

Trump has announced a slew of additional choices for his second administration since his landslide election victory last week. On Tuesday, the president-elect picked Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security and John Ratcliffe — a former Texas congressman and director of national intelligence during Trump’s first administration — as director of the CIA, among others.

Trump also appointed Steve Witkoff, a New York-born American real estate investor and founder of the Witkoff Group, which oversees the development and repositioning of more than 70 properties in major American cities, as his special envoy to the Middle East, replacing Brett McGurk.

Israeli sources announced the killing of 7 Israeli soldiers in the collapse of a building in a village in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah announced that it had attacked the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff in Tel Aviv for the first time with special drones.

The Israeli army also announced that 3 soldiers were injured during the past 24 hours, adding that it had monitored the launch of about 20 rockets from Lebanon towards the Galilee, and that it had intercepted most of them, while Channel 12 Israel said that a rocket fell on a house in Maalot-Tarshiha in the Western Galilee.

The Israeli army faces local accusations of concealing a higher toll of its human losses as part of a psychological war and to preserve Israeli morale.

For its part, Hezbollah announced that it had bombed with rocket barrages a logistics base for the 146th Division in the Israeli army, east of the city of Nahariya, and a gathering of soldiers in the Sa'sa settlement, in addition to bombing the Kfar Vradim settlement.

The party said that its fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli forces with missiles east of the town of Maroun al-Ras, in southern Lebanon.

The party broadcast images that it said showed the targeting of the Israeli army's "Tel Nof" air base, southeast of Tel Aviv.

He also said that he had bombed the Ramim Battalion headquarters in the Hunin barracks with a rocket barrage.

Lebanese victims

In the same context, Hezbollah said that it attacked, for the first time, the Kiryah base, which is the headquarters of the Ministry of War and the General Staff in Tel Aviv, with special drones.

In turn, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced the killing of 6 people and the injury of 15, as a result of an Israeli raid on Dohat Aramoun, in Mount Lebanon, at dawn today.

An Israeli drone also targeted a building in the area at dawn today, and fired missiles at a building inhabited by displaced people, resulting in a number of injuries, in addition to extensive material damage.

Israeli aircraft launched raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut, targeting neighborhoods in the Haret Hreik and Ghobeiry areas. The raids caused widespread destruction to the targeted buildings and surrounding sites.

These raids come after threats by the Israeli army to evacuate buildings in the southern suburb.

Israeli artillery shelling also targeted the surroundings of the towns of Shebaa and Kfar Shuba in southern Lebanon.

An Israeli airstrike targeted the town of Yahmar al-Shaqif in southern Lebanon.

After clashes with factions in Lebanon, most notably Hezbollah, which began the day after Israel launched its war of extermination on Gaza, Tel Aviv expanded the scope of the extermination since September 23 to include most areas of Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, through air strikes, and also began a ground invasion in the south.

The Israeli aggression on Lebanon resulted in a total of 3,287 martyrs and 14,222 wounded, including a large number of children and women, in addition to more than 1.2 million displaced persons.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz said on Wednesday that the Israeli occupation army apparently intends to remain in the Gaza Strip until at least the end of 2025, and plans to retain at least 4 large areas in different parts of the Strip.

The newspaper reported that there are similar scenes in different parts of the Gaza Strip showing the Israeli army expanding roads and establishing large sites and long-term infrastructure, including across roads that used to lead to Israeli settlements.

The newspaper quoted an Israeli officer in Gaza as saying, "The reality on the ground shows that the Israeli army will not leave Gaza before 2026. It is clear that the roads are not being paved for ground maneuvers or raids carried out by forces in various places."

He added: "These roads lead to places, some of which have already been cleared of settlements. I am not aware of any intention to rebuild them, as this is not something we are told explicitly, but everyone knows where things are going."

Haaretz pointed out that there are military data revealing that the Israeli army began weeks ago to destroy existing buildings and infrastructure in a way that does not allow anyone to live in them, as well as to build some roads, and even prepare to build more permanent military facilities.

A senior Israeli army commander who previously served in Gaza said that the only thing that is required of the forces deployed in the Strip is to move the population to the south, according to the newspaper.

A young man was injured by live bullets on Wednesday evening, during clashes between citizens and the Israeli occupation forces during their raid on the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus.

According to local sources, the occupation forces stormed the town, which led to the outbreak of clashes, during which live bullets and tear gas canisters were fired at the citizens, which resulted in a young man being injured by live bullets in the foot, and his condition was described as stable.

The sources added that the occupation forces also stormed the villages of Salem and Deir al-Hatab east of Nablus, and Yatma, Qusra, Qablan, and Kafr Qallil in the south, without any injuries or arrests being reported.

Israeli drones target wounded civilians on the ground after airstrikes, said Nizam Mamudi, a British doctor who served in the Gaza Strip between August and September.

This came in his speech, on Tuesday, at a session of the International Development Committee in the British Parliament entitled "The Humanitarian Situation in Gaza."

"Drones create fear," he said, "and they also have the ability to fire, and they open fire on civilians."

"After the bombs fell on a crowded place where the tents were, the marches would come and shoot at the children and civilians," he added.

He said that the bullets used in drone attacks are more harmful than regular bullets.

He added, "I noticed that the bullets used in the marches enter the body and move inside it, causing many internal injuries."

He said that a child told him during surgery that after the bomb fell, he was lying on the ground, and a drone came, flew over him, and shot him.

"This was a deliberate and ongoing act, and there were daily targeting of civilians," he continued.

The organ transplant specialist pointed out that nearly 70% of the people he treated were women and children.

He pointed out that many basic medical supplies and equipment are unavailable or limited, stressing that preventing the entry of medical supplies into Gaza is a deliberate move.

He explained that leaving the hospital and moving around was dangerous, and that they were targeted 5 times even though they were traveling with the UN convoy whose movements Israel had been informed of.

With American support, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has left more than 146,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that has killed dozens of children and elderly people, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

Iranian sources revealed to Sky News Arabia on Wednesday that Tehran has decided to postpone its response to Israel after Donald Trump won the US presidency.

Sources said: "Iran postpones the implementation of Operation "True Promise 3" against Israel after Trump's victory."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had earlier vowed a "harsh response" against the United States and Israel "for what they are doing against Iran and the axis of resistance."

Iranian Revolutionary Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naeini also said that Iran will respond to the "new evil act" carried out by Israel, referring to the attack on Iran on October 26.

Naeini said that "the response to the recent Zionist aggression against Iran will be inevitable, decisive and beyond the enemy's awareness," explaining that "Iran's response to the third attack will be a defensive measure," and not "increased tension" with Israel.

The US State Department said Israel has made some good but limited progress in increasing the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and will not limit arms transfers to Israel as it threatened a month ago if the situation does not improve, even as all aid groups working in the stricken territory say conditions are worse than at any time in the 13-month-old war.

State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that the progress made so far should be built upon and continued but that “we, at this time, have not assessed that the Israelis are in violation of U.S. law.”

Recipients of military assistance are required (under US law) to comply with international humanitarian law and not to impede the provision of such assistance.

“We are not giving Israel a pass,” Patel said, adding that the steps Israel has taken have not yet made a significant enough difference. “We want to see an improvement in the overall humanitarian situation, and we believe that some of these steps will allow for the conditions to continue to move forward.”

The decision by Washington, Israel’s biggest ally and primary enabler of its war of annihilation against the besieged people of Gaza, not to punish Israel comes despite international aid groups saying that Israel has failed to meet US demands for greater humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. Hunger experts have warned that the north may already be facing famine.

Last month (13/10) in a letter to the Israeli government from US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the Biden administration set a Tuesday (12/11) deadline for Israel to “step up” more food and other emergency aid to the Palestinian territories or risk the possibility of military support being cut as Israel launches attacks against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In response to a question from the Jerusalem correspondent on October 14th about the danger of giving Israel more than four weeks to double its pressure on the besieged, hungry Palestinians, the official spokesman for the US State Department, Matthew Miller, said that the main goal is to “facilitate the entry of aid into northern Gaza” and that the US administration realizes that the process of entering and distributing aid is a difficult process, and that this time (10/13-11/12) is sufficient for Israel to allow the entry of sufficient aid.

Miller confirmed to the Jerusalem correspondent last Thursday, a week before the deadline, that Israel is still obstructing aid, and that the administration is standing by its pledge to impose sanctions on Israel, including stopping the supply of weapons, if Israel continues to obstruct aid.

According to aid groups and UN officials, Israel has largely failed to comply with the three main demands in the US letter, which included increasing humanitarian aid through the Strip, resuming commercial truck traffic, and ending the isolation of the north. The humanitarian groups say these policies have pushed the Palestinian enclave to the brink of mass starvation.

The obstacles to aid distribution became clear this week, as the United Nations said it could not deliver most of the aid allowed due to unrest and restrictions by Israeli forces on the ground.

In the south, hundreds of trucks loaded with aid stand on the Gaza side of the border, their cargo rotting, because the UN says it cannot reach them to distribute aid — again because of the threat of chaos, theft and Israeli military restrictions.

Israel claims to have opened a new crossing in central Gaza, outside the town of Deir al-Balah, to let aid in. It has also announced a small expansion of its coastal humanitarian zone, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced and are living in tent camps. It has also brought electricity to the desalination plant in Deir al-Balah.

Israel’s new foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, appeared to downplay the deadline, telling reporters on Monday that he was confident the issue would be “resolved.” The Biden administration may have less leverage after Donald Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, won the presidential election.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest aide, Ron Dermer, in Washington on Monday about the steps Israel has taken and stressed "the importance of ensuring that these changes lead to a real improvement in the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza," the State Department said Tuesday.

President Joe Biden also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House on Tuesday, but they did not publicly discuss the aid issue. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the United States recognizes the gravity of the circumstances and will continue to discuss with Israel what additional steps it needs to take.

Eight international groups said in a report that Israel had also taken actions that "significantly worsened the situation on the ground, particularly in northern Gaza. ... This situation is in a more serious state today than it was a month ago."

The report listed 19 measures to comply with the US demands, saying Israel had failed to fully comply with 15 of them and had only partially complied with four. The letter was signed by ANERA, CARE, MedGlobal, Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, Refugees International, and Save the Children.

In the October 13 letter (from Blinken and Austin), the United States gave Israel 30 days to, among other things, allow a minimum of 350 truckloads of goods into Gaza each day; open a fifth crossing; allow people in coastal camps to move inland before winter; and ensure access for aid groups to northern Gaza. It also called on Israel to halt legislation that would hamper the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, known as UNRWA.

Aid levels remain far below US standards. Access to northern Gaza remains restricted, and Israel has moved forward with its laws against UNRWA.

Israel launched a major offensive last month in the north, claiming that Hamas fighters had regrouped. The operation killed hundreds of civilians, mostly women and children, and displaced tens of thousands.

It is noteworthy that Israel did not allow the entry of food and medicine during the month of October and the first days of November, as tens of thousands of civilians remained despite evacuation orders.

Last week, Israel allowed only 11 trucks to go to Beit Hanoun, one of the hardest-hit towns in the north. But the World Food Programme said troops at a checkpoint forced its trucks to unload their cargo before reaching shelters.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli military body responsible for humanitarian aid to Gaza, said Tuesday that it had authorized a new delivery of food and water to Beit Hanoun a day earlier. The World Food Program said that while it had tried to send 14 trucks, only three reached the town “due to delays in obtaining movement permits and crowds along the route.” It said that when it tried to deliver the rest on Tuesday, Israel refused permission.

Aid to Gaza dropped completely in October, with only 34,000 tons of food entering, a third of what entered the previous month, according to Israeli data.

UN agencies say far less is reaching them because of Israeli restrictions, fighting and lawlessness that make it difficult to collect and distribute aid on the Gaza side.

In October, an average of 57 trucks entered Gaza daily, and 75 daily so far in November, according to official Israeli figures. The United Nations says it has received only 39 trucks daily since the beginning of October.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said 900 trucks loaded with aid were still waiting without being collected on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south.

The Israeli war on Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, while more than 9,000 remain under the rubble, and injured more than 100,000, most of them women and children. More than 70% of Gaza has been destroyed, according to UN estimates. About 90% of the population of 2.3 million has been displaced, and hundreds of thousands are crammed into miserable tent camps, with little food, water or sanitation facilities.

The Arab East has its own characteristics that distinguish it from the rest of the regions and countries of the world, as this spot represents the land of the prophets and messengers of the three heavenly religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the land of the prophets which is expected and supposed to be the cradle and land of permanent peace, the land of civilizations from which humanity learned the alphabet discovered in the Levant and the origin of music in Mesopotamia, the land of civilizations rooted and spread in it since the time of Christ, Moses and Muhammad, peace be upon them, and the Pharaohs and their architectural and engineering wonders such as the pyramids, the civilization of the Holy Jerusalem and the Isra and Mi'raj journey and the Path of Pain, and in it was the address of God Almighty and His teachings to the prophets, and in every corner of our civilization we find an ancient history spoken by the Arab East.

But unfortunately, despite this civilization and history, days and years pass us by in a phase in which peace is running out, disturbances and occupations over decades and centuries, including eras of occupation, rule and administration such as the Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Umayyads, Abbasids and Ottomans, and the phase of partition agreements such as Sykes-Picot, which divided the Levant into new states, countries and entities, including Israel. Despite the division of the Levant, its human and cultural components are one, a division that left negative effects and events that wronged the region and its peoples for decades, witnessing conflicts and wars because of this division, the causes of which were many, ethnic, religious and sectarian, in addition to the new extremism represented by terrorist groups that prevailed with terror, killing and slaughtering of the ancient indigenous inhabitants of the region, for example, the Sayfo massacres and the excommunication and killing of social minorities in Mosul by ISIS, and displacement and expulsion under the pretext of excommunicating the Christian component in all its sects and destroying its churches, in addition to excommunicating Muslims as well, on the principle of killing everyone who does not follow the laws of their alleged caliphate. Where their opponents are accused of blasphemy, in order to eliminate and displace them, and the circle expands to witness the region’s existence of countries and civilizations that eat and steal the wealth and resources of others to spend on their wars and armies, and occupy areas with the aim of causing demographic change in them.

Where is peace in the land of stolen peace? Where is sustainable development, continuity of civilization and progress in the midst of the conflicts and wars witnessed by the region, such as the conflict in Gaza, for which the Palestinian people paid the price? Where is economic development and progress as a result of wars and mutual bombardment with missiles and bombs, the souls and spirits of people and their blood are shed, and everything is destroyed and devastated? A reality that cannot witness peace and development, in a world that unfortunately celebrates today the Week of Science for Peace, and the International Day of Science for Peace and Development!

The missing peace in the Arab East, and more importantly, the lack of mercy and tolerance in the hearts of the people of the region, whose souls have turned into petrified souls and whose spirits are filled with darkness, as a result of the lack of mercy, peace and reassurance, so that the blackness of darkness has unfortunately cast a shadow over the sky of our region. These wars have created the absence of true citizenship among the segments of society of citizens, and corruption, hatred, extremism, fanaticism and malice have recently spread, at a time when today the souls of people, especially generations, need a real restoration of their souls by planting them in peace and security, because of what they have experienced from the horrors of the ongoing wars and conflicts and their consequences to this day.

As for development and renaissance, they are also absent in the region, as there are no indications of economic progress or the establishment of any development projects that would revive the region and put it on the path to a real path to sustainable development. Some peoples in the region do not find the basics of their daily sustenance, and unemployment, poverty and inflation are widespread. Despite all this, the hope for the future of the East remains unfortunately out of reach. Will we need years and decades to heal the wounds and restore the opportunity and scope to the countries of our afflicted region in order to rise? Personally, I do not expect any peace or sustainable development without an important first step, which is to stop the conflicts and bloody wars, and work to treat extremist souls and everyone who has a defect in his belief and thought, so that he returns once again as an integral and productive part of his society, and we become before a society, a homeland and a state in which the rights of individuals are equal, and on the principle of rights and duties so that social justice becomes present, including important values such as respecting the different other, so that we are practically before true citizenship, in one homeland far from racism and sectarianism, and here the peoples become in a better stage in which equality and democracy prevail. And pluralism, and until we reach this desired stage, I believe that the desired peace, with all its meanings and implications, is missing or even non-existent.

Today, for the sake of the slogan of peace and development, we need to stop wars and replace them with a comprehensive state of peace, followed by comprehensive construction, of people, resources, culture and all aspects, so that we become in a scientifically and culturally advanced homeland, so that our countries in the Arab East can compete with the advanced countries on the world level. We must strive for a society of mercy, brotherhood and blessing that prevails in souls so that God may bestow upon them true peace that will be a climate for renaissance and economic development, and thus the peoples and countries of the land of peace will truly become a destination for peace and development.